May 28, 2010
his paper explores the notions of hope and how individual patient autonomy can trump carefully reasoned ethical concerns and policies intended to regulate stem cell transplants. We argue that the same limits of knowledge that inform arguments to restrain and … Read More
May 28, 2010
While the clinical promise of much stem cell research remains largely theoretical, patients are nonetheless pursuing unproven stem cell therapies in jurisdictions around the world—a phenomenon referred to as “stem cell tourism.†These treatments are generally advertised on a direct-to-consumer … Read More
May 28, 2010
Archives of Internal Medicine (Volume 170, Number 9, May 10, 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles Include: “Less Is More: How Less Health Care Can Result in Better Health” by Deborah Grady and Rita F. Redberg, 749-750.
May 28, 2010
The American Journal of Bioethics (Volume 10, Issue 5, 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles Include: “Bioethics and President Obama” by David Magnus, 1-2. “Stem Cell Tourism and Doctors’ Duties to Minors—A View From Canada” by Amy Zarzeczny and … Read More
May 28, 2010
Stem Cells (Volume 28, Issue 5, May 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles Include: “Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells : It Looks Simple but Can Looks Deceive?” by Majlinda Lako, Lyle Armstrong, and Miodrag Stojkovic, 845-850. “Human Cardiospheres Are a … Read More
May 27, 2010
Cath Elliott has called Marie Stopes’s new abortion advertisement “innocuous” because the only abortion- or pregnancy-related term it uses is “late”. Laurie Penny has interpreted the advert’s cagey language as “normalis[ing] free and frank discussion of reproductive issues”. But the … Read More
May 27, 2010
By the time Djigui Keita left the hospital for home, his follow-up appointment had been scheduled. Emergency health insurance was arranged until he could apply for public assistance. He knew about changes in his medication — his doctor had found … Read More
May 27, 2010
When James Watson, codiscoverer of the double helix, had his genome fully sequenced in 2008, there was one piece of DNA he insisted the lab not tell him about: whether he had a genetic variant that significantly increases the chance … Read More
May 27, 2010
In an unusually large case of misconduct, an immunology lab at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has pulled 10 papers so far, with about five more expected, and cancelled a clinical trial after a senior research associate was found … Read More
May 27, 2010
MAKE a genome – check. Transplant it into an emptied cell to create the world’s first synthetic life form – check. Frenzied media coverage accusing the researchers concerned of “playing God” – check. (New Scientist)
May 27, 2010
Around one in three elderly hospital patients is malnourished and many more are at risk according to new research. It is not just the quality of the hospital food putting some patients at risk of malnutrition, the data says, but … Read More
May 27, 2010
A high court judge today gave doctors permission to forcibly sedate a woman who has a phobia of hospitals at her home, so that she can be taken for cancer surgery against her will. (The Guardian)
May 27, 2010
The American Academy of Pediatrics has reversed its decision last month regarding the practice of female circumcision by immigrants from some African, Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. The academy had suggested in a policy statement that doctors be given permission … Read More
May 27, 2010
Scientific advances and religious beliefs have clashed repeatedly in recent years over issues such as stem cell research and evolution. As nanotechnology becomes a greater part of Americans’ daily lives, researchers have asked whether it will face similar opposition. Experts … Read More
May 27, 2010
Using frozen embryos may level the playing field for African-American and white women undergoing in vitro fertilization, a new study suggests, despite earlier research showing that African- American women have lower success rates with the procedure than white women do. … Read More
May 27, 2010
More than 200 emergency medical technicians and paramedics in Massachusetts and New Hampshire have been practicing without legitimate certification, having paid certificate mills for fake credentials without taking any medical training, an investigation by Massachusetts public health officials has found. … Read More
May 27, 2010
Dr Mark Gasson from the University of Reading contaminated a computer chip which was then inserted into his hand. The device, which enables him to pass through security doors and activate his mobile phone, is a sophisticated version of ID … Read More
May 27, 2010
Nature (Volume 465, Number 7295, May 13, 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles Include: “Scientists’ Turn to Win Votes,” 135. “Science Subpoenaed,” 135. “Advising the Adviser,” 136. “Synthetic Biology: Search and Destroy,” 138. “Neuroscience: Ageing on the Brain,” … Read More
May 27, 2010
New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 362, Number 19, May 13, 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles Include: “The Cost Implications of Health Care Reform” by J. Gruber. “Health Insurance Reform and the Tensions of Federalism” by C.C. … Read More
May 27, 2010
QA/QI 101: Fundamentals of Quality Assurance and Improvement in Human Subjects Research Tucson, AZ June 6, 2010 This full-day, introductory course will provide attendees with an overview of the basic elements in developing and implementing a Quality Assurance and Improvement … Read More
May 26, 2010
By an overwhelming majority, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would provide payment incentives for states to collect genetic material — by force, if necessary — from individuals arrested for certain crimes, regardless of if … Read More
May 26, 2010
Sometimes science reveals distinctions to be false. Time and space were thought to be distinct, separate things, until Einstein showed that they were fundamentally intertwined. Graphite and diamond were thought to be made of distinct substances, until Tennant showed that … Read More
May 26, 2010
Institutional review boards (IRBs) and researchers have struggled to ensure that subjects receive sufficient information to make knowledgeable decisions about study participation. But the quality of the consent forms that are a key component of this process has rarely been … Read More
May 26, 2010
t is time to drop a discriminatory policy that bars gay men from donating blood in Canada, several leading HIV-AIDS researchers said in an article published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. (The Globe and Mail)
May 26, 2010
A patient has an inherited illness which could put family members at risk – but what if they’re kept in the dark? (The Guardian)
