EZ Water and the Origin of Life

To create life, the first step should logically be the formation of the condensed system that defines a cell. If the original contents were dispersed widely, then those components would require condensation. Absent the needed condensation forces, those prime substances would have remained scattered, with no particular proclivity to form a cell. Energy is needed for the above-described process. Without energy for the splitting of water molecules, EZ cannot build. The required energy comes from light. Particularly effective, we found, is infrared light. The impacted water is presumably its EZ fraction, whose crystal-like structure allows for information-storage capability. Ordinary liquid water has no such capability: its randomly oriented, rapidly fluctuating molecules would be expected to show no capacity for retention of information. EZ water, on the other hand, seems practically 揹esigned� to carry information.

Privacidad y confidencialidad de los datos genéticos y genómicos de uso diagnóstico en Colombia. Legislación comparada con Australia / Privacy and Confidentiality of Genetic and Genomic Data for Diagnostic Use in Colombia. Legislation Compared to Australia / Privacidade e confidencialidade de dados genéticos e genômicos para uso diagnóstico na Colômbia. Legislação em comparação com a Austrália

Resumen: La información genética y genómica requiere regulaciones estrictas para su manejo adecuado con el fin de evitar la divulgación inapropiada y la discriminación secundaria, pues tiene una relación directa con los derechos fundamentales y los principios bioéticos. De ahí la necesidad de evaluar la regulación colombiana existente, por lo que se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura en bases de datos del 2000 al 2020, sitios web del Congreso de la República de Colombia, la Comisión de Reforma de la Ley Australiana y la Corte Constitucional de Colombia, para identificar las falencias y los aciertos en la jurisprudencia actual del manejo, el control y la accesibilidad de la población colombiana a las pruebas e información genética. Se toma como referente Australia para comprender y plantear mejoras. Se encontró que en Colombia la información genética se cataloga como sensible (Sentencia C-334-10) con regulaciones inespecíficas sin norma legislativa. En contraste, Australia dispone de directrices bioéticas específicas, penalización y protocolos que abarcan las implicaciones individuales y colectivas descritas en el Privacy Legislation Amendment Act del 2006. Es necesario que en Colombia se cree una regulación jurídica específica para la información genética y genómica con énfasis en pautas de uso sobre la privacidad, la divulgación y la no discriminación.

Abstract: Genetic and genomic information requires strict regulations for its proper handling in order to avoid inappropriate disclosure and secondary discrimination, since it is directly related to fundamental rights and bioethical principles. Hence the need to evaluate the existing Colombian regulation, for which a systematic review of the literature was carried out on databases from 2000 to 2020, websites of the Congress of the Republic of Colombia, the Australian Law Reform Commission and the Constitutional Court of Colombia, to identify the shortcomings and the successes in the current jurisprudence of the management, control and accessibility of the Colombian population to tests and genetic information. Australia is taken as a reference to understand and propose improvements. It was found that in Colombia genetic information is classified as sensitive (Sentence C-334-10) with non-specific regulations without legislative norm. In contrast, Australia has specific bioethical guidelines, criminalization and protocols that cover the individual and collective implications described in the Privacy Legislation Amendment Act of 2006. It is necessary that a specific legal regulation be created for genetic and genomic information with emphasis on usage guidelines on privacy, disclosure and non-discrimination in Colombia.

Resumo: As informações genéticas e genômicas requerem regulamentações rígidas para o seu correto manuseio, a fim de evitar a divulgação inadequada e a discriminação secundária, pois está diretamente relacionada aos direitos fundamentais e aos princípios bioéticos. Daí a necessidade de avaliar a regulamentação colombiana existente, para a qual foi realizada uma revisão sistemática da literatura em bancos de dados de 2000 a 2020, sites do Congresso da República da Colômbia, da Comissão Australiana de Reforma da Lei e do Tribunal Constitucional da Colômbia, identificar as deficiências e os sucessos na jurisprudência atual da gestão, controle e acessibilidade da população colombiana a testes e informação genética. A Austrália é tomada como referência para entender e propor melhorias. Constatou-se que na Colômbia a informação genética é classificada como sensível (Sentença C-334-10) com regulamentações não específicas sem norma legislativa. Por outro lado, a Austrália possui diretrizes bioéticas específicas, criminalização e protocolos que abrangem as implicações individuais e coletivas descritas na Lei de Emenda à Legislação de Privacidade de 2006. É necessário que na Colômbia seja criada uma regulamentação legal específica para informações genéticas e genômicas com ênfase no uso diretrizes sobre privacidade, divulgação e não discriminação.

Legal Challenges of Precision Medicine on Genetic Privacy Protection / 中国医学伦理学

Precision medicine promotes the development of individual medicine,but also brings about problems to patients' personal privacy,especially for the protection of genetic information.The priority is to establish relative legal framework and specific regulations.America has issued Precision Medicine Initiative:Privacy and Trust Principles and Data Security Policy Principles and Framework,which have become the pioneer in the establishment of related principles and systems.In order to promote the development of Chinese laws and regulations,it is essential to use American practice as reference according to the specific national conditions,and definitely build up several principles,such as informed consent,honesty and credibility,reasonable care and benefit balance,in order to provide perfect genetic data protection system for patients.

Precision medicine: new opportunities and challenges for molecular epidemiology / 中华流行病学杂志

Since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the announcement of the Precision Medicine Initiative by U.S.President Barack Obama in January 2015,human beings have initially completed the "three steps" of "genomics to biology,genomics to health as well as genomics to society".As a new inter-discipline,the emergence and development of precision medicine have relied on the support and promotion from biological science,basic medicine,clinical medicine,epidemiology,statistics,sociology and information science,etc.Meanwhile,molecular epidemiology is considered to be the core power to promote precision medical as a cross discipline of epidemiology and molecular biology.This article is based on the characteristics and research progress of medicine and molecular epidemiology respectively,focusing on the contribution and significance of molecular epidemiology to precision medicine,and exploring the possible opportunities and challenges in the future.

Is genetic infommation family property? expandig on the argument of confidentiiality breach and duty to inform persons at risk / ¿la información genética es de prpiedad familiar? ampliando el argumento de la rruptura de la confidencialidad y en el deber de informar personas en situación de riegoo / A informaão genéética é de propriedade failiar? ampliando o argumento daa quebra da confidencialidade e o dever de informar pessoas em situação de risco

A current trend in bioethics considers genetic information as family property. This paper uses a logical approach to critically examine Matthew Liao's proposal on the familial nature of genetic information as grounds for the duty to share it with relatives and for breach of confidentiality by the geneticist. The authors expand on the topic by examining the relationship between the arguments of probability and the familial nature of genetic information, as well as the concept of harm in the context of genetic risk. Lastly, they examine the concept of harm in relation to the type of situations w the potential recipient of the information is not the person directly affected by the risk.

Considerar la información genética como una propiedad familiar es una tendencia actual en Bioética. El artículo examina con un método crítico, desde un enfoque lógico conceptual la propuesta de Matthew Liao, que sugiere como justificación de la obligación de compartir información entre familiares y para la ruptura de la confidencialidad, la naturaleza familiar de la información genética. Se amplía el tema mediante la relación entre los argumentos de la probabilidad y naturaleza familiar de la información genética y analiza el concepto de daño en el contexto del riesgo genético. Por último examina del concepto de daño en relación con el tipo de situaciones en que el posible receptor de la información no es la persona directamente afectada por el riesgo.

Considerar a informação genética como uma propriedade familiar é uma tendência atual em Bioética. O artigo examina com um método crítico, a partir de um enfoque lógico conceitual, a proposta de Matthew Liao, que sugere como justificativa a obrigação de compartilhar informação entre familiares e para a quebra da confidencialidade, a natureza familiar da informação genética. Amplia-se o tema mediante a relação entre os argumentos da probabilidade e a natureza familiar da informação genética, e analisa o conceito de dano no contexto do risco genético. Por último, examina o conceito de dano referente ao tipo de situações no qual o possível receptor da informação não é a pessoa diretamente afetada pelo risco.

The role of scientific evidence in the management of high-risk groups using genetic information

Genetic factors are important host factors that play a role in the development of all diseases through their interaction with environmental factors. Most genetic disorders are the direct result of a mutation in a single gene. However, one of the most difficult challenges currently faced by researchers is the identification of ways in which genes contribute to diseases with complex inheritance patterns, such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, and mental illness. In all of these cases, no single gene determines whether a person will develop a disease. Several genes may contribute to an individual's susceptibility to a disease; genes may also affect how an individual reacts to environmental factors. In this study, we attempted to classify high-risk groups using up-to-date genetic knowledge. We also briefly discuss the role of scientific evidence in the identification (through genetic screening) and management of high-risk subgroups in the population.

Strategies for Protecting the Privacy in Genetic Testing

As genetic information is not changeable lifelong and might be used as disease predictors in a family, it requires special protection. Private genetic information is kind of individually identifiable health information, also known as 'protected health information (PHI)', which consists of individual identifier and individuals' health information. The removal of individual identifier from PHI is called 'deidentification'. For every institute that deals with PHI, the deidentification process and designation of a privacy official responsible for the implementation of privacy procedures could be urgent and practical strategies for protecting the privacy in genetic testing. However, for better patient care, deidentification would not be recommended when PHI flows among medical staffs.

Evidence-based Entry of Genetic Testing

Before the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP), the genetics tended to be reserved only to the experts in research fields. Now genetic information has become a matter of grave concern to consumers. Among other changes, genetic testing has increased our ability to understand and treat disease; it is increasing our understanding of the causes of diseases and is creating new challenges in relation to the delivery of health care. Consumers and health-care professionals have raised issues about the current status of the implementation and oversight of genetic testing, including the need to provide a line of evidence to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness before the tests become commercialized. In addition, as consumers' interests in and demand for new genomic technologies continue to rise, the need for timely and reliable information becomes increasingly crucial. The application of the principles of evidence-based medicine (EBM) seems to be difficult in clinical genetic testing for health-care providers, although practically relevant. This is because the demand for rapid advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease is often at odds with the slow evolution of sound evidence. However, genetic information is inherently unique in that it runs through generations, can be predictive of future disease, can be used to stigmatize and discriminate individuals, and has potential psychological impacts. This is why genetic information deserves special considerations and should be dealt with differently from other medical information.