"Take the countries with the continent's lowest rates of obesity, Bosnia (17.90%) and Moldova (18.90%). They are among the continent's poorest."

Obesity in America vs Europe: 2 maps explain it all

"Take the countries with the continent's lowest rates of obesity, Bosnia (17.90%) and Moldova (18.90%). They are among the continent's poorest. Curiously, however, the next-best scoring countries are all high-income countries: Switzerland (19.50%), Denmark (19.70%) and Italy (19.90%).

Could it be that Moldova and Bosnia are too poor even to have the 'basic' fast food infrastructure present in food deserts elsewhere? And have Denmark, Switzerland and Italy – surely rich enough to have easy access to greasy foods – developed successful coping strategies, say: constant exercise and healthy eating as desirable lifestyles?"

"Maternal obesity, combined with high fat, high sugar diets, makes it more likely that children will suffer from liver disease and face health problems such as obesity and heart disease later in life."

Combating childhood obesity by preventing 'fatty liver' in fetus

Peter Nathanielsz, one of the lead investigators on the projects commented on the significance of the results: "This research is important as throughout the world over fifty percent of women of reproductive age are overweight or obese. Maternal obesity, combined with high fat, high sugar diets, makes it more likely that children will suffer from liver disease and face health problems such as obesity and heart disease later in life.

"It wasn't until we saw the microscope slides for the staining of liver sections showing very high amounts of lipid in fetuses of obese mothers that we realized the dramatic impact of maternal obesity at such an early developmental time point. Histological analyses of these livers showing the condition steatosis, underlined the detrimental impact of maternal obesity on the developing fetus."

“When doctors are recommending exercise, they might suggest listening to music too...” #DiscoLives

Listening to music may help you exercise longer

The results showed that the exercise time was significantly longer in the music group compared with the control group, 505.8 versus 455.2 seconds, respectively — an absolute difference of about 50.6 seconds.

Adults need to get at least 30 minutes of moderate (aerobic) activity most days, including taking a brisk walk, swimming, playing tennis, riding a bicycle, dancing, water aerobics, gardening and even busy housework, experts suggested.

“Our findings reinforce the idea that upbeat music has a synergistic effect in terms of making you want to exercise longer and stick with a daily exercise routine,” Shami said.

“When doctors are recommending exercise, they might suggest listening to music too,” he noted.

"We all as human beings need to feel as if we are useful...That helps our self-esteem and self-worth. So much of that declines when people are going through dementia."

Maryland seniors with dementia find understanding and camaraderie at social club


“We all as human beings need to feel as if we are useful,” said Yolanda Wright, early stage and support group coordinator for the chapter. “That helps our self-esteem and self-worth. So much of that declines when people are going through dementia. People almost have to redefine themselves so they are not only thinking about themselves as a person with dementia.”

I am a candidate for College of American Pathologists' President-Elect, 2019-2021 term, and here is why Pathologist Payment must be a priority. #MembershipGrowthPathologistPayment

I am a candidate for College of American Pathologists' President-Elect, 2019-2021 term

Membership Growth. Pathologist Payment.

This and this is why Pathologist Payment must be a priority. 

Higher waist, hip measures may add up to greater risk for heart attack

Higher waist, hip measures may add up to greater risk for heart attack

This study suggests that the differences in the quantity and distribution of fat tissue not only results in differences in body shape between women and men, but may also have differential implications for the risk of heart attack in later life, researchers noted.

“Our findings support the notion that having proportionally more fat around the abdomen (a characteristic of the apple shape) appears to be more hazardous than more visceral fat, which is generally stored around the hips (ie, the pear shape),” said lead author Sanne Peters, PhD, research fellow in epidemiology at George Institute for Global Health at University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

J Community Health. 2018 Mar 2. doi: 10.1007/s10900-018-0494-0. [Epub ahead of print]

Lessons Learned in Promoting Evidence-Based Public Health: Perspectives from Managers in State Public Health Departments.

Allen P1, Jacob RR2, Lakshman M2, Best LA3, Bass K2, Brownson RC2,4.

Author information

1

Prevention Research Center, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1196, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA. pegallen@wustl.edu.

2

Prevention Research Center, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1196, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.

3

Pennsylvania Department of Health, and Senior Consultant, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, Orrtanna, PA, USA.

4

Division of Public Health Sciences and Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.

Abstract

Evidence-based public health (EBPH) practice, also called evidence-informed public health, can improve population health and reduce disease burden in populations. Organizational structures and processes can facilitate capacity-building for EBPH in public health agencies. This study involved 51 structured interviews with leaders and program managers in 12 state health department chronic disease prevention units to identify factors that facilitate the implementation of EBPH. Verbatim transcripts of the de-identified interviews were consensus coded in NVIVO qualitative software. Content analyses of coded texts were used to identify themes and illustrative quotes. Facilitator themes included leadership support within the chronic disease prevention unit and division, unit processes to enhance information sharing across program areas and recruitment and retention of qualified personnel, training and technical assistance to build skills, and the ability to provide support to external partners. Chronic disease prevention leaders' role modeling of EBPH processes and expectations for staff to justify proposed plans and approaches were key aspects of leadership support. Leaders protected staff time in order to identify and digest evidence to address the common barrier of lack of time for EBPH. Funding uncertainties or budget cuts, lack of political will for EBPH, and staff turnover remained challenges. In conclusion, leadership support is a key facilitator of EBPH capacity building and practice. Section and division leaders in public health agencies with authority and skills can institute management practices to help staff learn and apply EBPH processes and spread EBPH with partners.

Great Recession led to rise in obesity, diabetes: study

Great Recession led to rise in obesity, diabetes: study

"The results of the study suggest that the start of the recession was associated with worse dietary habits and increased BMI and obesity.

It was also associated with a shift away from risky behaviours, as a decrease in smoking and alcohol consumption was seen.

There was also an increase in the use of medicines and a higher likelihood of suffering diabetes and mental health problems, all of which were generally experienced more acutely by those with less education and by women."

Get ready. Here comes Generation Z!

Get ready.  Here comes Generation Z!

"A 2014 study Generation Z Goes to College found that Generation Z students self-identify as being loyal, compassionate, thoughtful, open-minded, responsible, and determined.^[47]How they see their Generation Z peers is quite different from their own self-identity. They view their peers as competitive, spontaneous, adventuresome, and curious; all characteristics that they do not see readily in themselves.^[47] In addition, some authors consider that some of their competencies, such as reading competence, are being transformed due to their familiarity with digital devices, platforms and texts.^[48]

A 2016 U.S. study found that church attendance during young adulthood was 41% among Generation Z, compared to 18 percent for Millennials at the same ages, 21 percent of Generation X, and 26 percent of Baby Boomers.^[49]

Generation Z is generally more risk-averse in certain activities than earlier generations. In 2013, 66% of teenagers (older members of Generation Z) had tried alcohol, down from 82% in 1991. Also in 2013, 8% of Gen. Z teenagers never or rarely wear a seat belt when riding in a car with someone else, as opposed to 26% in 1991.^[46]

Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation conducted in 2016 found Generation Z youth had lower teen pregnancy rates, less substance abuse, and higher on-time high school graduation rates compared with Millennials. The researchers compared teens from 2008 and 2014 and found a 40% drop in teen pregnancy, a 38% drop in drug and alcohol abuse, and a 28% drop in the percentage of teens who did not graduate on time from high school.^[50][51]

According to The Daily Telegraph, Generation Z is keen to look after their money and make the world a better place. In a quote by journalist Harry Wallop, he states, 'Unlike the older Gen Y, they are smarter, safer, more mature and want to change the world.'"

"In 1973, the story was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the finest science fiction novellas ever written..."

Who Goes There?

"Who Goes There? is a science fiction novella by John W. Campbell, Jr. under the pen name Don A. Stuart, published August 1938 in Astounding Stories. In 1973, the story was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the finest science fiction novellas ever written, and published with the other top vote-getters in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two."

Dr. Carey August: Detecting Women's Cancers Early

Detecting Women's Cancers Early

"The first and second most expensive medical diseases in the U.S. have a common denominator — obesity."

A behavior-based approach to obesity, diabetes

"The first and second most expensive medical diseases in the U.S. have a common denominator — obesity. The health care cost for diabetes and ischemic heart diseases in 2013 were estimated at $101 billion and $88 billion, respectively. Obesity is not only associated with these two diseases, but also with stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma, several cancers and musculoskeletal conditions. Therefore, it is no surprise that obesity is associated with significant higher mortalities."

Rebecca Haffajee and Michelle Mello: Drug Companies' Liability for the Opioid Epidemic

N Engl J Med. 2017 Dec 14;377(24):2301-2305. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1710756.

Drug Companies' Liability for the Opioid Epidemic.

Haffajee RL1, Mello MM1.

Author information

1

From the Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor (R.L.H); and Stanford Law School and the Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (M.M.M.).

"Notwithstanding the $600 million federal settlement with Purdue in 2007 — one of the largest in history with a drug company — opioid litigation has yet to financially dent the $13-billion-a-year opioid industry. Moreover, opioid litigation victories have all taken the form of settlements, in which companies usually have not admitted any fault. Even when litigation costs have no prospect of exceeding the economic benefits of continuing to produce a dangerous product, though, litigation can have value as a public health strategy and may mitigate some harms of the opioid epidemic."

"While death is a universal human experience, the process of planning for death can be difficult and may be avoided altogether."

Death Stud. 2018 Mar 2. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2018.1446060. [Epub ahead of print]

Community perspectives of end-of-life preparedness.

Banner D1, Freeman S1, Kandola DK2,3, Meikle M4, Russell BKM5, Sommerfeld EA6,7, Flood D8, Schiller CJ1.

Author information

1

a Associate Professor, School of Nursing , University of Northern British Columbia , Prince George , BC , Canada.

2

b Doctoral Student, School of Health Sciences , University of Northern British Columbia , Prince George , BC , Canada.

3

c Research Associate, School of Nursing , University of Northern British Columbia , Prince George , BC , Canada.

4

d Research Assistant, School of Social Work , University of Northern British Columbia , Prince George , BC , Canada.

5

e Undergraduate Student, School of Health Sciences , University of Northern British Columbia , Prince George , BC , Canada.

6

f Senior Lab Instructor, School of Health Sciences , University of Northern British Columbia , Prince George , BC , Canada.

7

g Staff Nurse, Prince George Rotary Hospice House , Prince George , BC , Canada.

8

h Executive Director, Prince George Hospice Society , Prince George , BC , Canada.

Abstract

While death is a universal human experience, the process of planning for death can be difficult and may be avoided altogether. To understand community perspectives of end-of-life preparedness, we undertook a multi-method study exploring the experiences of 25 community members and 10 stakeholders engaged in end-of-life planning. In addition, card sorting activities and focused discussions with 97 older adults were undertaken to highlight perspectives and needs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative description. Overall, the participants perceived many benefits to being end-of-life prepared, however, few community members had engaged in formal planning. Key barriers include concerns about the accessibility and accuracy of information, discomfort when engaging in end-of-life conversations, and perceptions about the cost associated with engaging in formal legal or financial preparations. Areas for further research include the need for studies that capture the cultural dimensions of end-of-life planning and explores the implementation and evaluation of community-based interventions to improve preparedness.

Sarcopenia: the new osteoporosis

Sarcopenia is the new osteoporosis: Abbott continues to explore solutions to counter muscle loss

Study: Heart attack patients prescribed antidepressants have worse one-year survival

Heart attack patients prescribed antidepressants have worse one-year survival

"A total of 565 (6.3%) patients received antidepressants at discharge from hospital. Compared to those who did not receive the drugs, patients prescribed antidepressants were predominantly female, older, and more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, obesity and comorbidities. They were less likely to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention or receive P2Y12 blockers or statins, and stayed in hospital longer."

#DiscoLives

J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Mar;32(3):841-848. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002357.

Changes in Energy Demand of Dance Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness During 1 Year of Vocational Contemporary Dance Training.

Beck S1,2, Wyon MA2,3, Redding E1,2.

Author information

1

Dance Science, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, United Kingdom.

2

National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science, London, United Kingdom.

3

Research Center for Sport, Exercise and Performance, Institute for Sport, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Previous literature has demonstrated that the intensity of dance class as well as its discontinuous nature is not sufficient to elicit an aerobic training response and that the aerobic capacity of dancers is relatively low. These findings have raised questions on the suitability of training, through class and rehearsal, as adequate preparation for the physical demands of performance and a sustained, successful career in dance. The aim of this study was to describe changes in aerobic fitness and energy cost of dance movement occurring throughout 1 year of training. Subjects were 13 female dance students; 7 first-year undergraduate (UG) students, and 6 postgraduate (PG) students. At 3 time points (TP1, TP2, and TP3) during 1 academic year, each subject completed a treadmill test to determine V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak (ml·kg·min) and lactate threshold (LT) (ml·kg·min and %V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak) and a standardized 4-minute dance sequence, where the mean demand was expressed as V[Combining Dot Above]O2 (ml·kg·min), heart rate (b·min), %V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak, and %LT. Both groups displayed an overall decrease in mean V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak throughout the year, despite a peak in fitness at TP2 in the PG students. No significant changes in LT were noted over time for either group. A significant reduction in the relative intensity of the dance sequence, particularly in relation to mean VO2 (ml·kg·min) and %LT data, was observed over time in both groups, although the degree of change was less in the UG group than the PG group. Apparent adaptations during a rehearsal period in the PG group are presented in contrast to previous research findings. Recommendations for future research include further investigation into the energy demand of rehearsal and cardiorespiratory adaptation during rehearsal periods as well as further reporting of measures related to LT and movement economy.

Perspect Biol Med. 2018;60(3):415-422. doi: 10.1353/pbm.2018.0017.

Medical Futility and Involuntary Passive Euthanasia.

Nair-Collins M.

Abstract

Conflicts between providers and patients or their families surrounding end-of-life care are both regrettable and extremely challenging, interpersonally and ethically, for all involved. These conflicts often implicate the concept of medical futility. The concept of futility is too often conflated with distinct concepts that are more ethically salient, including the fiduciary responsibility to assess surrogate decision-making, and distributive justice. By distinguishing these concepts from futility, it becomes clear that there are some situations in which forgoing life-sustaining treatment over objection is permissible, and perhaps even obligatory. But the justification lies in the constellation of rights and responsibilities surrounding surrogate decision-making, or in distributive justice, but not futility. Once futility is disambiguated from these other concepts, the practice of withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment over the objection of a valid surrogate or a competent patient, based on the alleged futility of such treatment, is more clearly described as involuntary passive euthanasia.

Matteo Fassan (2018) Molecular Diagnostics in Pathology: Time for a Next-Generation Pathologist?. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: March 2018, Vol. 142, No. 3, pp. 313-320.

SPECIAL SECTION-UPDATES FROM THE 2016 MOLECULAR CYTOPATHOLOGY MEETING (NAPOLI, ITALY), PART I

Molecular Diagnostics in Pathology: Time for a Next-Generation Pathologist?

Matteo Fassan, MD, PhD

From the Department of Medicine, Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.

The author has no relevant financial interest in the products or companies described in this article.

Presented in part at the V Molecular Cytopathology Focus on Next Generation Sequencing in Cytopathology meeting; October 18, 2016; Napoli, Italy.

Reprints: Matteo Fassan, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine, Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology Unit, University of Padua, Via Aristide Gabelli, 61, 35121 Padua, Italy (email: matteo.fassan@unipd.it).

Context.— Comprehensive molecular investigations of mainstream carcinogenic processes have led to the use of effective molecular targeted agents in most cases of solid tumors in clinical settings.

Objective.— To update readers regarding the evolving role of the pathologist in the therapeutic decision-making process and the introduction of next-generation technologies into pathology practice.

Data Sources.— Current literature on the topic, primarily sourced from the PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information, Bethesda, Maryland) database, were reviewed.

Conclusions.— Adequate evaluation of cytologic-based and tissue-based predictive diagnostic biomarkers largely depends on both proper pathologic characterization and customized processing of biospecimens. Moreover, increased requests for molecular testing have paralleled the recent, sharp decrease in tumor material to be analyzed—material that currently comprises cytology specimens or, at minimum, small biopsies in most cases of metastatic/advanced disease. Traditional diagnostic pathology has been completely revolutionized by the introduction of next-generation technologies, which provide multigene, targeted mutational profiling, even in the most complex of clinical cases. Combining traditional and molecular knowledge, pathologists integrate the morphological, clinical, and molecular dimensions of a disease, leading to a proper diagnosis and, therefore, the most-appropriate tailored therapy.

Evol Biol. 2018;45(1):1-14. doi: 10.1007/s11692-017-9431-x. Epub 2017 Sep 19.

On Reciprocal Causation in the Evolutionary Process.

Svensson EI1.

Author information

1

Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden.

Abstract

Recent calls for a revision of standard evolutionary theory (SET) are based partly on arguments about the reciprocal causation. Reciprocal causation means that cause-effect relationships are bi-directional, as a cause could later become an effect and vice versa. Such dynamic cause-effect relationships raise questions about the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes, as originally formulated by Ernst Mayr. They have also motivated some biologists and philosophers to argue for an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES). The EES will supposedly expand the scope of the Modern Synthesis (MS) and SET, which has been characterized as gene-centred, relying primarily on natural selection and largely neglecting reciprocal causation. Here, I critically examine these claims, with a special focus on the last conjecture. I conclude that reciprocal causation has long been recognized as important by naturalists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists working in the in the MS tradition, although it it could be explored even further. Numerous empirical examples of reciprocal causation in the form of positive and negative feedback are now well known from both natural and laboratory systems. Reciprocal causation have also been explicitly incorporated in mathematical models of coevolutionary arms races, frequency-dependent selection, eco-evolutionary dynamics and sexual selection. Such dynamic feedback were already recognized by Richard Levins and Richard Lewontin in their bok The Dialectical Biologist. Reciprocal causation and dynamic feedback might also be one of the few contributions of dialectical thinking and Marxist philosophy in evolutionary theory. I discuss some promising empirical and analytical tools to study reciprocal causation and the implications for the EES. Finally, I briefly discuss how quantitative genetics can be adapated to studies of reciprocal causation, constructive inheritance and phenotypic plasticity and suggest that the flexibility of this approach might have been underestimated by critics of contemporary evolutionary biology.

"Understood as a psychological and emotional response to the experience of moral wrongdoing, there is evidence to suggest that-if unaddressed-it contributes to staff demoralization, desensitization and burnout and, ultimately, to lower standards of patient safety and quality of care."

HEC Forum. 2018 Feb 28. doi: 10.1007/s10730-018-9349-4. [Epub ahead of print]

The Standard Account of Moral Distress and Why We Should Keep It.

McCarthy J1, Monteverde S2.

Author information

1

School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. j.mccarthy@ucc.ie.

2

Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, 8006, Zurich, Switzerland.

Abstract

In the last three decades, considerable theoretical and empirical research has been undertaken on the topic of moral distress among health professionals. Understood as a psychological and emotional response to the experience of moral wrongdoing, there is evidence to suggest that-if unaddressed-it contributes to staff demoralization, desensitization and burnout and, ultimately, to lower standards of patient safety and quality of care. However, more recently, the concept of moral distress has been subjected to important criticisms. Specifically, some authors argue that the standard account of moral distress elucidated by Jameton (AWHONN's Clin Issues Perinat Women's Health 4(4):542-551, 1984) does not refer to a discrete phenomenon and/or that it is not sufficiently broad and that this makes measuring its prevalence among health professionals, and other groups of workers, difficult if not impossible. In this paper, we defend the standard account of moral distress. We understand it as a concept that draws attention to the social, political and contextual determinants of moral agency and brings the emotional landscape of the moral realm to the fore. Given the increasing pressure on health professionals worldwide to meet efficiency, financial and corporate targets and reported adverse effects of these for the quality and safety of patient care, we believe that further empirical research that deploys the standard account moral distress is timely and important.

Against popular culture

For Adorno, popular culture is not just bad art – it enslaves us to repetition and robs us of our aesthetic freedom

"Popular culture, for Adorno, is not bad because it provides us with quick and accessible pleasure in a way that modern, demanding ‘high art’ does not. On the contrary, it is bad because it promises this pleasure and fails to deliver it in a genuine way. Adorno’s attack on the culture industry turns out, in the end, not to be an attack on pleasure, but an attack in the name of pleasure. In a letter to fellow philosopher Walter Benjamin, he referred to high and low culture as two ‘torn halves of an integral freedom, to which, however, they do not add up’. Popular culture gives us pleasure, which is our need and our right; but it comes along with harm to our ability to think freely and truly take ourselves out of the world of work and profit. High culture creates, at its best, works of art that give us true aesthetic freedom and escape from labour. But these artworks come with high barriers to entry, that help to close off the perfect conditions for experiencing such art to all but the few. To attend a performance of a symphony takes not only money, but also time, and freedom from immediate needs and anxieties – it requires an insulation against worries about money, food and security that are increasingly unavailable in a world where employment becomes ever more precarious and less well-paid."

J Bioeth Inq. 2018 Mar 1. doi: 10.1007/s11673-018-9841-1. [Epub ahead of print]

Raising Rates of Childhood Vaccination: The Trade-off Between Coercion and Trust.

Haire B1, Komesaroff P2, Leontini R3, Raina MacIntyre C3.

Author information

1

Kirby Institute, Level 6, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia. b.haire@unsw.edu.au.

2

Monash Centre for the Study of Ethics in Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.

3

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia.

Abstract

Vaccination is a highly effective public health strategy that provides protection to both individuals and communities from a range of infectious diseases. Governments monitor vaccination rates carefully, as widespread use of a vaccine within a population is required to extend protection to the general population through "herd immunity," which is important for protecting infants who are not yet fully vaccinated and others who are unable to undergo vaccination for medical or other reasons. Australia is unique in employing financial incentives to increase vaccination uptake, mainly in the form of various childcare payments and tax benefits linked to timely, age-appropriate vaccination. Despite relatively high compliance with the childhood vaccination schedule, however, the Australian government has determined that rates should be higher and has recently introduced policy that includes removing certain tax and childcare benefits for non-vaccinators and formally disallowing conscientious objection to vaccination ("No Jab No Pay"). In addition, it has raised the possibility of banning unvaccinated children from childcare centres ("No Jab No Play"). This article examines the impact of coercive approaches to childhood vaccination and raises the question of the ethical justification of health policy initiatives based on coercion. We consider the current evidence regarding childhood vaccination in Australia, the small but real risks associated with vaccination, the ethical requirement for consent for medical procedures, and the potential social harms of targeting non-vaccinators. We conclude that the evidence does not support a move to an increasingly mandatory approach that could only be delivered through paternalistic, coercive clinical practices.

Biochem J. 2018 Feb 28;475(4):803-811. doi: 10.1042/BCJ20170794.

The ethical concerns about transgenic crops.

Ricroch AE1,2, Guillaume-Hofnung M1, Kuntz M3.

Author information

1

Collège d'Etudes Interdisciplinaires, Université Paris-Sud, 54 Boulevard Desgranges, F-92330 Sceaux, France.

2

AgroParisTech, Génétique évolutive et amélioration des plantes, 16 rue Claude-Bernard, F-75231 Paris cedex 05, France.

3

Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS (UMR 5168), INRA (UMR 1417), Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale, 17 rue des Martyrs, F-38054 Grenoble cedex 9, France marcel.kuntz@cea.fr.

Abstract

It is generally accepted that transgenesis can improve our knowledge of natural processes, but also leads to agricultural, industrial or socio-economical changes which could affect human society at large and which may, consequently, require regulation. It is often stated that developing countries are most likely to benefit from plant biotechnology and are at the same time most likely to be affected by the deployment of such new technologies. Therefore, ethical questions related to such biotechnology probably also need to be addressed. We first illustrate how consequentialist and nonconsequentialist theories of ethics can be applied to the genetically modified organism debate, namely consequentialism, autonomy/consent ethics (i.e. self-determination of people regarding matters that may have an effect on these people) and virtue ethics (i.e. whether an action is in adequacy with ideal traits). We show that these approaches lead to highly conflicting views. We have then refocused on moral 'imperatives', such as freedom, justice and truth. Doing so does not resolve all conflicting views, but allows a gain in clarity in the sense that the ethical concerns are shifted from a technology (and its use) to the morality or amorality of various stakeholders of this debate.

It's a good day to be HAPPY!

It's a good day to be HAPPY!

"If somebody falls off a boat into the water and they can't swim and they drown, nobody says 'it's your fault, you should have held your breath'."

Is it wrong to be blunt about obesity?

Nick Finer, honorary clinical professor at University College London, said it was seen by many as "legitimate" to blame people for being overweight, but this ignored the role of the food environment around us.

He said: "If somebody falls off a boat into the water and they can't swim and they drown, nobody says 'it's your fault, you should have held your breath'.

"They happen to be in an environment where it's very easy to drown. We're in an environment now where it's very easy to over-acquire calories and energy."

Kids’ Physical Fitness May Reduce Their Risk Of Lung Disease, Study Finds

"The study, published on EurekAlert!, is the largest and first study of its kind. Researchers looked at 2,406 children from New Zealand and Denmark, who were divided in two groups that participated in physical fitness tests, according to HuffPost UK. Those in Denmark were tested when they were nine, 15, 21, and 29 on an exercise bike to see how much exercise they could do before tiring out. In New Zealand, children participated in the same test at ages 15, 26, 32, and 38. The results showed that children in better shape had better lung function and it improved as their fitness did, even into adulthood — especially in boys. Researchers' findings held up even when height, weight, asthma, and smoking were taken into consideration."

Obesity to Blame for Jump in Health Care Costs

"Researchers report that the percentage of U.S. health spending on treatment of obesity-related illnesses in adults climbed from just over 6 percent in 2001 to almost 8 percent in 2015 -- an increase of 29 percent."

J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Feb 22. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002500. [Epub ahead of print]

Tweeting for Nutrition: Feasibility and Efficacy Outcomes of a 6-Week Social Media-Based Nutrition Education Intervention for Student-Athletes.

Coccia C1, Fernandes SM, Altiti J.

Author information

1

Texas Rangers Baseball Club Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and efficacy of a social media-based nutrition intervention using Twitter on nutrition knowledge, dietary practices, body mass index, self-efficacy, and social support among student-athletes. Participants included 50 male and female NCAA Division I student-athletes between the ages of 18-24 years old. Data were collected in October 2014. The study design employed a six-week, social media intervention using Twitter©, to increase nutrition knowledge, self-efficacy, social support and dietary adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all study variables and pre-post differences were assessed using paired t-tests. The results indicate a 6-week nutrition intervention delivered solely through social media resulted in increased nutrition knowledge (t=-2.23; p=0.035), reduced fat intake (t=- 1.57; p=0.13) and decreased BMI (t=2.32; p=0.027) in student athletes. In conclusion, social-media based nutrition education may provide university-based strength and conditioning coaches and other sports practitioners with a tool for widespread and timely access to students in order to facilitate healthy dietary behaviors.

Calorie labels continue to have no impact on our food choices

While we may well try to diet our way out of the rising incidence of obesity, calorie labeling does not appear to be particularly effective. Mary Bassett, New York City health commissioner, sums up the city’s point of view, “The city is prepared to defend its right, independent of FDA action, to enforce its requirements that give New Yorkers the information they need to make informed dietary decisions.”

Membership Growth. Pathologist Payment.

Membership Growth. Pathologist Payment.

I am a candidate for College of American Pathologists' President-Elect, 2019-2021 term

Maria D. Lozano, José I. Echeveste, Marta Abengozar, Luis D. Mejías, Miguel A. Idoate, Alfonso Calvo, and Carlos E. de Andrea(2018) Cytology Smears in the Era of Molecular Biomarkers in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Doing More With Less. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine: March 2018, Vol. 142, No. 3, pp. 291-298.

SPECIAL SECTION-UPDATES FROM THE 2016 MOLECULAR CYTOPATHOLOGY MEETING (NAPOLI, ITALY), PART I

Cytology Smears in the Era of Molecular Biomarkers in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Doing More With Less

Maria D. Lozano, MD, PhD; José I. Echeveste, MD, PhD; Marta Abengozar, MD; Luis D. Mejías, MD; Miguel A. Idoate, MD, PhD;Alfonso Calvo, PhD; Carlos E. de Andrea, MD, PhD

From the Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, (Drs Lozano, Echeveste, Abengozar, Mejías, Idoate, and de Andrea), IDISNA and Program in Solid Tumors and Biomarkers, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) (Dr Calvo), and the Department of Histology and Pathology (Drs Calvo and de Andrea), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.

The authors have no relevant financial interest in the products or companies described in this article.

Presented in part at the V Molecular Cytopathology: Focus on Next Generation Sequencing in Cytopathology meeting; October 18, 2016; Napoli, Italy.

Reprints: Maria D. Lozano, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Campus Universitario s/n, 31008 Pamplona, Spain (email: mdlozano@unav.es).

Context.— The rapid advances in targeted therapies in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) make the optimization and implementation of cytology specimens for molecular testing a priority. Up to 70% of patients with NSCLC are diagnosed at advanced stages and tissue biopsies often cannot be taken. Although cytology samples provide high-quality material for molecular testing, molecular cytopathology is not yet well known or widely used.

Objective.— To report the many advances in molecular cytopathology and the suitability and utility of cytology samples in molecular and genetic testing of NSCLC.

Data Sources.— Data sources comprised published peer-reviewed literature and personal experience of the authors.

Conclusions.— Molecular testing can be performed on cytologic specimens, especially on direct smears. Rapid on-site evaluation by cytopathologists has improved the adequacy and the management of cytology samples for molecular testing. Mutational profiling of NSCLC using next-generation sequencing can be performed on cytology samples from very small amounts of DNA. Fluorescence in situ hybridization assays on cytology specimens, including stained direct smear, offer some distinct advantages over their histologic counterpart, and are used to detect ALK and ROS1 rearrangements in NSCLC. Cytology specimens allow assessment of the entire tumor cell nucleus, avoiding signal loss from truncation artifacts. The use of cytology samples for assessing programmed death ligand-1 protein expression is currently being developed. Protocols for bisulfite conversion and DNA droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assays have been optimized for cytology smear to investigate aberrant DNA methylation of several NSCLC-related genes.