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Stop/Unethical - Think/Grey - Go/EthicalA scientist wrongfully imprisoned?  Or, a scientist who ignored ethical principles and scientific standards?

Dr. He Jiankui earned a PhD from Rice University in 2010, did postdoctoral work at Stanford University, and returned to China in 2012 to work in the Southern University of Science and Technology.  In 2018, Dr. Jiankui confirmed reports that he had edited the genomes of embryos using CRISPR, transferred them to women's uteruses, and that a set of twin girls had been born.  Subsequently, Dr. Jiankui was placed on unpaid leave and eventually dismissed from Southern University of Science and Technology.  In late 2019, Dr. Jiankui was sentenced to three years in prison and fined about $430,000 U.S. dollars for having "forged ethical review documents and misled doctors into unknowingly implanting gene-edited embryos into two women."

So what happened?  Did Dr. Jiankui go too far, too fast?  Or, did China stifle a cutting edge researcher?  Read these articles to understand the science, ethics, and researchers involved in this story:

For more discussion, check out additional articles in Dr. Chuck Macri’s Genetics Journal Club

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ToxNet

The TOXNET database is retiring on December 16, 2019.  Much of TOXNET's information will remain accessible and will be incorporated into other resources including PubChem, PubMed, and NCBI's Bookshelf:

  • PubChem will incorporate the Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), ChemIDPlus, and the Chemical Carcinogenesis Research Information System (CCRIS); the CCRIS includes information from 1985-2011 and is no longer updated.
  • PubMed will incorporate information from TOXLINE, the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Database (DART)
  • Bookshelf will incorporate LactMed and LiverTox

Some TOXNET resources have been retired but related resources remain accessible:

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A sad face drawn in a frosted car window.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), an onset of depressive symptoms during winter months, affects an estimate of .4%-2.9% of the population. The causes of SAD are still unclear, however everything from genetics to diminished light may play a factor. While its seasonal nature means SAD symptoms abate in the Spring, that doesn’t mean you have to slog through the winter with symptoms like loss of interest, hypersomnia, or irritability. There are many treatments available, from light therapy to antidepressants.

Pjrek et al. (2019) conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials exploring the efficacy of bright light therapy (BLT) as a treatment for SAD. Their review found that these trials proved BLT an effective treatment for SAD, though these trials included smaller sample sizes and larger clinical trials would be preferable.

If you want to try BLT at home, The Cut published a list of the 6 best light therapy lamps available on Amazon. They range in price from $65 to $230 for a large floor lamp. The Strategist from New York Magazine also published their list of recommendations, and it includes two pairs of light therapy glasses! Light therapy glasses work just like light therapy lamps, but are more compact and portable.

Did you know? Light therapy can also help with morning drowsiness and even relieve jet lag symptoms.

Image Source: McCasland, J. (2013). Battling the winter blues [online image]. Retrieved December 11, 2019 from https://www.barksdale.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2000887742/

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Fight-Flu-Arm-Punch_Blue_Twitter-600px
Fight the Flu - CDC

Dropping temperatures are a stark reminder that the flu season is upon us. While often overlooked or avoided altogether, many patients do not realize that there are life changing benefits to getting a yearly flu shot. How can you help your patients avoid a life hindering illness - and help protect their friends and family, too?

Have you heard of Ask-Tell-Ask or Ask-Advise-Ask? This model helps practitioners to better understand a patient’s perspective on recommended treatments, like the flu vaccine. It's described in the article How to Talk to Reluctant Patients About the Flu Shot which provides a script and guide on using this method and addressing patient concerns about the vaccine.

The CDC provides some great information on talking to your patients about the flu vaccine.  Check out the CDC's HCP Fight Flu Toolkit to prepare yourself to answer questions that patients and/or parents might ask about the vaccine.  The toolkit provides:

  • Information on the timing and types of influenza vaccinations as how to provide a strong influenza vaccine recommendation to your patients
  • Best practices for increasing flu vaccination rates in your practice
  • Patient education materials including an Appointment Reminder Email Template and social media materials
  • A 'How I recommend' video

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NationalsCan supporting your local team (GO NATIONALS!) make you happier?

Examining the Potential Causal Relationship Between Sport Team Identification and Psychological Well-being by Daniel Wann uses past research and theory to develop a team identification model which suggests that high levels of identifying with a local supports team leads to positive psychological health.

 

Identifying with a distant sports team or being a fan in general doesn't provide significant well-being benefits.     Local team fans benefit from a larger social group, and "associations to other fans form the basis for a valuable connection to society at large and serve as a buffer to loneliness, isolation, and so forth."

 

You can read more about this topic by searching databases such as SPORTDiscus and PsycINFO which are available in Himmelfarb Library's collections.

 

Image citation: Fagen, A. (2009). Nationals Park.  Retrieved from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/afagen/3416538391/

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qsen1The American Journal of Nursing is hosting a free webinar on QSEN in an Amazon World on Wednesday October 16, 2019 at 1:00 pm ET.

More than an acronym, the specific knowledge, skills and attitudes of QSEN (Quality and Safety for Nurses) assist nurses and their interprofessional partners to continuously improve the quality and safety of the healthcare systems in which they work.

Join Jane Barnsteiner, PhD, RN, FAAN and Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN, two of the developers of QSEN, as they discuss the competencies required for professional practice. They will compare and contrast the values and practices of Amazon, known for delivering accurate, individualized, and efficient service, with current best practices implemented by health care settings and schools of nursing to ensure high quality safe care.

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GW faculty Dr. Y. Tony Yang recently published an opinion piece in JAMA Pediatrics on vaccine misinformation on social media and the government’s role in regulating its spread. He and his coauthors Dr. David Broniatowski (of the GW School of Engineering and Applied Science) and Dr. Dorit Rubenstein Reiss examine the current legal landscape and weigh First Amendment concerns with the public interest in maintaining a well-vaccinated public.
They argue that private social media companies, government agencies, and public health officials all need to work in tandem on combating the spread of vaccine misinformation. Ultimately, they call for additional research to get to the root of why there is a demand for vaccine misinformation in order to best counter its spread and help correct misinformation that is already in the public sphere.
Yang YT, Broniatowski DA, Reiss DR. Government Role in Regulating Vaccine Misinformation on Social Media Platforms. JAMA Pediatr. Published online September 03, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.2838

 

Image citation: Toddler about to receive a vaccine from a doctor. Retrieved 09/30/2019 from https://www.flickr.com/photos/selfmagazine/48545839516/in/album-72157710332198661/

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genetherapyWhat's the state of the art for gene therapy?  It can be challenging to remain abreast of this fast-moving field but a recent review article in the New England Journal of Medicine can help update your knowledge.  In Gene Therapy, Dr. Katherine High and Dr. Maria Roncarolo describe the basic principles of in vivo and ex vivo gene therapy as well as specific therapies in use and in development.  The article also includes an interactive infographic to support learning and teaching as well as an interview with Dr. High.

Explore additional genetics articles by searching Himmelfarb Library‘s PubMed which provides direct links to articles in our online collections or Health Information @ Himmelfarb to locate e-books, print books, and other materials with information on genetics.

To learn more about these issues and other genetics topics, participate in the SMHS’s online Genetics Journal Club.  

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14766388005_021e288b59_oThe Genetics Journal Club for this month features the article Molecular Support for Heterogonesis Resulting in Sesquizygotic Twinning that was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  The article describes boy-girl twins whose maternal DNA was identical, and who share paternal DNA as with genetic siblings.  The authors propose that sesquizygosis is a newly identified and rare third type of twinning along with monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins .   The article describes the authors' research to identify other pairs of sesquizygotic twins, a case report regarding this set of twins who are now four years old, and theories regarding how sesquizygosis occurs.

Explore additional genetics articles by searching Himmelfarb Library's PubMed which provides direct links to articles in our online collections.

 

Image citation: Anonymous (1922).  Single ovum twins [online image] from Plass, E.D. (1922). Obstetrics for nurses.  New York: Appleton and Company.

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bestof2018DynaMed Plus' editorial team systematically reviews newly published health sciences literature in order to ensure that the best available evidence is integrated into DynaMed Plus articles.  Last year, the DynaMed team reviewed more than 20,000 articles and added used information from more than 9,000 of these articles to update articles in DynaMed Plus.  In their 2018 Year in Review, DynaMed's editorial team present the five most important articles from 2018:
  1. Antihypertensive treatment for low-risk patients with mild hypertension does not appear to be beneficial.  Sheppard, J. P., Stevens, S., Stevens, R., Martin, U., Mant, J., Hobbs, F. R., & McManus, R. J. (2018). Benefits and Harms of Antihypertensive Treatment in Low-Risk Patients With Mild Hypertension. JAMA internal medicine, 178(12), 1626-1634.
  2. Aspirin for primary prevention does not reduce vascular events in adults aged ≥ 70 years and may increase rates of death and major bleeding.   McNeil, J. J., Wolfe, R., Woods, R. L., Tonkin, A. M., Donnan, G. A., Nelson, M. R., ... & Shah, R. C. (2018). Effect of aspirin on cardiovascular events and bleeding in the healthy elderly. New England Journal of Medicine, 379(16), 1509-1518.
  3. Vitamin D plus calcium supplementation might not reduce the risk of hip fracture in unselected community-dwelling adults > 50 years old.  Zhao, J. G., Zeng, X. T., Wang, J., & Liu, L. (2017). Association between calcium or vitamin D supplementation and fracture incidence in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Jama, 318(24), 2466-2482.
  4. Could elective inductions at 39 weeks in low-risk nulliparous women help neonates ARRIVE more quickly and more safely?  Grobman, W. A., Rice, M. M., Reddy, U. M., Tita, A. T., Silver, R. M., Mallett, G., ... & Rouse, D. J. (2018). Labor induction versus expectant management in low-risk nulliparous women. New England Journal of Medicine, 379(6), 513-523.
  5. As-needed budesonide/formoterol for mild persistent asthma may prevent serious exacerbations as well as twice-daily maintenance budesonide.   Bateman, E. D., Reddel, H. K., O’byrne, P. M., Barnes, P. J., Zhong, N., Keen, C., ... & FitzGerald, J. M. (2018). As-needed budesonide–formoterol versus maintenance budesonide in mild asthma. New England Journal of Medicine, 378(20), 1877-1887.
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