The Health Care Ethics Consultant, edited by Françoise Baylis

The Health Care Ethics Consultant marks a stage in the development of ethics consultancy. Ethics consultancy is a manifestation of a newly secularized society in which a new discipline has developed to fill a gap created by the combination of the diminishing influence of traditional moral authorities and the growth of new problems associated with the development of new technology and changes in society and culture. The stated primary objective of the book is to focus attention on an immediate practical problem: the role and responsibilities, the education and training, and the certification and accreditation of health ethics consultants. An edited collection of articles, the book originated as a research project financed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, undertaken by a Strategic Research Network which included faculty members from Dalhousie University, McGill University, the University of Toronto, McMaster University and the University of Calgary.     

Addressing the challenge for expedient ethical review of research in disasters and disease outbreaks

Guideline 20 of the updated International Ethics Guidelines for Health‐related Research Involving Humans (2016) by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) provides guidance on research in disasters and disease outbreaks against the background of the need to generate knowledge quickly, overcome practical impediments to implementing such research, and the need to maintain public trust. The guideline recommends that research ethics committees could pre‐screen study protocols to expedite ethical reviews in a situation of crisis, that pre‐arrangements be made regarding data sharing and biomedical sample sharing, and that sponsors and research ethics committees seek to minimize risk to researchers conducting research during a disaster. This paper critiques these recommendations against the background of the findings of a survey of public health officials and chairs of research ethics committees in the Caribbean during 2016, which sought to determine the best template for the expeditious ethical review of research proposals in emergency and epidemic situations in the Caribbean, and whose findings can serve as a model for other low‐ and middle‐income countries.     

Science and society: Asilomar and after: A decade of the new biology

In February 1975, in Pacific Grove, California, the Asilomar Conference took place, sponsored by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and convened by the Academy's Committee on Recombinant DNA Molecules, of which Paul Berg was the Chairman. This conference recommended guidelines for recombinant DNA research, and the history of subsequent sets of guidelines formed the major theme of six articles that appeared in Vol. 1 of BioEssays, authored by Dewitt Stetten, Jr, with the collaboration of William Gartland and Bernard Talbot and entitled ‘The Road to Asilomar: Reminiscences of the Recombinant DNA Story’.¹ The U.S. National Research Council recently commissioned for its News Report (volume XXXV, March 1985, 1A–16A) a retrospective article on Asilomar, written by Susan Walton. That article is exerpted here with the permission of the National Research Council.     

The Striking Influence of the Leadership, Research, and Teaching of Frank R. Lillie (1870-1947) in Zoology, Embryology and Other Biological Sciences

Dr. Frank R. Lillie, embryologist extraordinary, was uniquelyinvaluable in innumerable ways to zoologists, directly duringhis lifetime and indirectly thereafter. He excelled academicallyin teaching, research and administration at the University ofChicago. His research was masterfully planned, highly productive,exciting, and stimulating to many others and invariably openedup new and fundamental research areas for further explorationby others. He is most widely known for his vital leadershipin development of the Marine Biological Laboratory during criticalyears of its survival and expansion. He was unanimously electedpresident of the National Academy of Sciences and chairman ofthe National Research Council, the first person to hold thesetwo key positions simultaneously, and in addition was activein establishment of the Union of Biological Sciences responsiblefor publication of Biological Abstracts, establishment and administrationof the National Research Council Fellowships in the biologicalsciences and in motivation of research in problems of sex, especiallythose concerned with the roles of sex hormones in sexual differentiation.The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was established largelythrough his skill and labor and he served as president of itscorporation from 1930 to 1939. His uniqueness resided in hiscapacity to function in a highly effective manner and oftensimultaneously in many key positions of responsibility and stillfunction effectively as a highly personable and respected humanbeing.     

Predator-prey systems with group defence: The paradox of enrichment revisited

The main concern of this paper is with survival or extinction of predators in models of predator-prey systems exhibiting group defence of the prey. It is shown that if there is no mutual interference among predators, enrichment could result in their extinction. However, if there is mutual interference, the predator population survives (at least deterministically). Research partially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Grant No. NSERC A 4823. Research partially supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada postdoctoral fellowship.     

Evolutionary games for spatially dispersed populations

An evolutionary game model is developed that incorporates both spatial dispersion and density effects in the evolutionary dynamic. It is shown that a stable equilibrium (e.g. an evolutionarily stable strategy) of the non-dispersed frequency dynamic becomes a stable equilibrium of the larger system if population density stabilizes at these fixed frequencies. It is also shown, by example, that other equilibria, whose frequencies change from one location to another, may appear when dispersal rates are relatively small.Research supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Operating Grant A6187Research supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Operating Grant A7822     

Detection of feedback in the central nervous system using system identification techniques

An analysis method to detect the presence of feedback between biological signals, particularly those associated with the central nervous system, is presented. The technique is based on recent results in the system identification literature involving the concept of a feedback free process. It may be applied to volume conducted signals such as EEG and EMG, as well as to neuronal spike trains through the use of a data transformation procedure. The utility of the technique is then demonstrated in a study of the relationship between Parkinsonian tremor and certain tremor cells found in the thalamus of Parkinsonian patients, using data collected during thalamotomies. The results obtained suggest that feedback mechanisms may be an important factor contributing to Parkinsonian tremor.This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, The Medical Research Council of Canada, and Bell-Northern Research     

Philip Cohen

Philip Cohen trained at University College London and, after postdoctoral research at the University of Washington, joined the University of Dundee Scotland, in 1971, where he has worked ever since. He is a Royal Society Research Professor and Director of the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Unit. His main contributions have been in the area of protein phosphorylation and its role in cell regulation and human disease. In 1998, he was knighted for his contributions to biochemistry and the development of Life Sciences at Dundee.     

Biochemical contacts and collaborations between China and the U.K. since 1911

Scientific contact lies at the heart of research and that between China and the U.K. is an important example of how it can come about. In 1911, when the Biochemical Society began, U.K. science was developing fast with profound discoveries in physics (the Rutherford atomic model) and biochemistry (the discovery of vitamins). In China, however, there was great social and political instability and a revolution. Since then, the turbulence of two world wars and a variety of deep global political tensions meant that the contacts between China and U.K. did not reflect the prodigious growth of biochemistry. There was, however, one particular and remarkable contact, that made by Joseph Needham, an outstanding biochemist. He visited China between 1943 and 1946, contacting many Chinese universities that were severely dislocated by war. Showing remarkable diplomatic abilities, Needham managed to arrange delivery of research and teaching equipment. His activities helped the universities to carry out their functions under near-impossible conditions and reminded them that they had friends abroad. Most remarkably, Joseph Needham developed an extraordinary grasp of Chinese culture, science and history and he opened the West to the extent and importance of Chinese science. Formal scientific and intellectual contacts between the scientific academic bodies in China and U.K., notably the Chinese Academy of Science and the Royal Society, resumed after British recognition of the Chinese Communist government in 1950. The delegations included outstanding scientists in biochemistry and related disciplines. Research activities, such as that concerning influenza, were soon established, whereas institutions, such as the Royal Society and the Wellcome Trust, acted a little later to support research. The outcomes have been long-term collaborations in such areas as insulin structure and function. There are now numerous joint activities in biochemistry and biomedicine supported by the MRC (Medical Research Council), BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council), NERC (Natural Environment Research Council), EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) and UKRC (UK Research Councils). The present contacts and the associated research are very considerable and growing. It is clear that biochemistry in both countries has much to offer each other, and there is every reason to believe that these contacts will continue to expand in the future.     

Circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Viruses and their Impact on Global Polio Eradication

Poliomyelitis vaccination via live Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) suffers from the inherent problem of reversion: the vaccine may, upon replication in the human gut, mutate back to virulence and transmissibility resulting in circulating vaccine derived polio viruses (cVDPVs). We formulate a general mathematical model to assess the impact of cVDPVs on prospects for polio eradication. We find that for OPV coverage levels below a certain threshold, cVDPVs have a small impact in comparison to the expected endemic level of the disease in the absence of reversion. Above this threshold, the model predicts a small but significant endemic level of the disease, even where standard models predict eradication. In light of this, we consider and analyze three alternative eradication strategies involving a transition from continuous OPV vaccination to either continuous Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), pulsed OPV vaccination, or a one-time IPV pulse vaccination. Stochastic modeling shows continuous IPV vaccination is effective at achieving eradication for moderate coverage levels, while pulsed OPV is effective if higher coverage levels are maintained. The one-time pulse IPV method may also be a viable strategy, especially in terms of the number of vaccinations required and time to eradication, provided that a sufficiently large pulse is practically feasible. More investigation is needed regarding the frequency of revertant virus infection resulting directly from vaccination, the ability of IPV to induce gut immunity, and the potential role of spatial transmission dynamics in eradication efforts. B.G. Wagner’s research is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Doctoral Scholarship. D.J.D. Earn’s research is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the J.S. McDonnell Foundation.     

Adrenergic nerves to the dermal melanophores of the rainbow trout,Salmo Gairdneri

Summary The stellate processes and cell bodies of the dermal melanophores in the rainbow trout are intimately enclosed by a plexus of thin varicose nerves which display a specific catecholamine fluorescence. The nerves contain probably small amounts of noradrenaline and have the ability to take up and concentrate this amine. Denervation of the skin leading to dispersion of the melanophores causes the nerves to disappear. The findings leave little doubt that the dermal chromatic motor nerves are adrenergic.This study was supported by a grant from the Swedish Research Council for Natural Sciences (99-35) and was carried out within a research organization sponsored by the Swedish Medical Research Council (Projects No. B69-14X-56-05C and No. B69-14X-712-04C).     

Interactions leading to persistence in predator-prey systems with group defence

In previous work (Freedman and Wolkowicz, 1986;Bull. math. Biol. 48, 493–508) it was shown that in a predator-prey system where the prey population exhibits group defence, it is possible that enrichment of the environment could lead to extinction of the predator population. In this paper a third population is introduced and criteria are derived under which persistence of all populations will occur. In particular, criteria for a superpredator and for a competitor to stabilize the system in the sense of persistence are analyzed. Research partially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Grant No. NSERC A 4823. This research was carried out while the author was a visiting scholar at the University of Alberta.     

Unlocking data: Where is the key?

Health‐related data uses and data sharing have been in the spotlight for a while. Since the beginning of the big data era, massive data mining and its inherent possibilities have only increased the debate about what the limits are. Data governance is a relevant aspect addressed in ethics guidelines. In this context, the European project BRIDGE Health (BRidging Information and Data Generation for Evidence‐based Health policy and research) strove to achieve a comprehensive, integrated and sustainable EU health‐information system. One of the aims of the project was to evaluate the requirements to construct a data‐linkage infrastructure for the secure management of health information. In a blueprint provided for this infrastructure, the topics ethics and the intimately related governance occupied a whole section, where the recent ethics guidelines by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) and the World Medical Association (WMA) were referenced. We explore what has changed in the latest versions of the ethics documents adopted by CIOMS and WMA regarding the management of health data and human tissues, the appropriateness of their application in new forms of research and infrastructures as the proposed in the BRIDGE Health project, and whether society should be so concerned about this topic, in the digital era of social exchange.     

Biotech news from South Africa (SA)

South Africa: An introduction Biotech in South Africa South Africa National Biotech Audit 2007 Biotech facts and figures in SA GMOs in South Africa The SA Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Blue Gene for Africa initiative to catalyze research activities CSIR research highlights Biopad: Biotechnology Partnership for Africa's Development Global biotech lab in Cape Town Wellcome Trust institutional research capacity strengthening in Africa Cancer on the rise in Africa South African firm wins Global Business Council Award Japan-Africa summit on African science and technology BTJ paper watch: South Africa     

A setup for incubating plant cultures under continuous flow of gases

Summary This note describes a simple experimental system for incubating plant cell and tissue cultures under conditions in which the gaseous environment within the culture flasks is continuously flushed out by air or gas mixtures of known composition. Two of the major problems in maintaining such cultures, namely, contamination and desccation of the agar-solidified medium, can be overcome by using this setup. Furthermore, with modifications, it can be adapted for commercial micropropagation projects. This research was supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant A-6467 to T. A. Thorpe. The authors thank R. W. Joy IV for drawing Fig. 1B.     

The role of national ethics commissions in Finland

There are six national ethics commissions in Finland. The National Advisory Board on Research Ethics was first established in 1991, followed by the National Advisory Board on Biotechnology and the Board on Gene Technology in 1995. The National Advisory Board on Health Care Ethics was established in 1998, followed by its Sub-Committee on Medical Research Ethics in 1999. The Co-operation Group for Laboratory Animal Sciences was established in 2001. Only the Board on Gene Technology works as a national authority and gives binding opinions and recommendations about the use of genetically modified organisms. The Sub-Committee on Medical Research Ethics acts a national research ethics committee and gives opinions about research projects. Other advisory boards do not make legally binding decisions, but their expertise gives a lot of power to their opinions and statements. The commissions work in close collaboration with each other, having regular meetings. They arrange seminars and conferences, and share information with each other. The commissions also share duties and information in international collaboration. How the voice and opinions of these commissions is heard in society lies in the wide, multi-professional expertise of their members. Large commissions and wide expertise may make it difficult to find consensus in their opinions and statements, although wide expertise may, more than discussion in a small expert group, help to further process difficult ethical issues. Collaboration between different bodies is important in order to share duties, and also to add more emphasis to the statements and opinions where different bodies share interests. In our country, the interest that national commissions share is research ethics, where the advisory boards and their members have discharged collaborative activities for years.     

Meeting Report: 1st International Functional Metagenomics Workshop May 7–8, 2012, St. Jacobs,Ontario, Canada.

This report summarizes the events of the 1^st International Functional Metagenomics Workshop. The workshop was held on May 7 and 8, 2012, in St. Jacobs, Ontario, Canada and was focused on building an international functional metagenomics community, exploring strategic research areas, and identifying opportunities for future collaboration and funding. The workshop was initiated by researchers at the University of Waterloo with support from the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the University of Waterloo.     

Book review

National Research Council. Dolphins and the Tuna Industry: A Report of the National Academy of Sciences on Reducing Dolphin Mortality from Tuna Fishing. 1992. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 176 pp. ISBN 0–309–04735–8. $22.95.     

Identification of bovine serum albumins that support salmonid cell proliferation in the absence of serum

This investigation was supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant to N. C. B. and a scholarship to A. B. from the Canada-Indonesia Graduation Program through the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.     

Competing predators for a prey in a chemostat model with periodic nutrient input

A system of ordinary differential equations is used to model the interactions of n competing predators on a single prey population in a chemostat environment with a periodic nutrient input. In the case of one or no predators, criteria for the existence of periodic solutions are given. In the general case, conditions for all populations to persist are derived.Research is in part based on a Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of AlbertaResearch is partly supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Grant No. NSERC A4823