Students Eat Less Meat After Studying Meat Ethics.

In the first controlled, non-self-report studies to show an influence of university-level ethical instruction on everyday behavior, Schwitzgebel et al. (2020) and Jalil et al. (2020) found that students purchase less meat after exposure to material on the ethics of eating meat. We sought to extend and conceptually replicate this research. Seven hundred thirty students in three large philosophy classes read James Rachels' (2004) "Basic Argument for Vegetarianism", followed by 50-min small-group discussions. Half also viewed a vegetarianism advocacy video containing factory farm footage. A few days after instruction, 54% of students agreed that "eating the meat of factory farmed animals is unethical", compared to 37% before instruction, with no difference between the film and non-film conditions. Also, 39% of students anonymously pledged to avoid eating factory farmed meat for 24 h, again with no statistically detectable difference between conditions. Finally, we obtained 2828 campus food purchase receipts for 113 of the enrolled students who used their Student ID cards for purchases on campus, which we compared with 5033 purchases from a group of 226 students who did not receive the instruction. Meat purchases remained constant in the comparison group and declined among the students exposed to the material, falling from 30% to 23% of purchases overall and from 51% to 42% of purchases of $4.99 or more, with the effect possibly larger in the film condition. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13164-021-00583-0.

Postoperative GH and Degree of Reduction in IGF-1 Predicts Postoperative Hormonal Remission in Acromegaly.

Purpose: Determine predictive factors for long-term remission of acromegaly after transsphenoidal resection of growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenomas. Methods: We identified 94 patients who had undergone transsphenoidal resection of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas for treatment of acromegaly at the USC Pituitary Center from 1999-2019 to determine the predictive value of postoperative endocrine lab values. Results: Patients underwent direct endoscopic endonasal (60%), microscopic transsphenoidal (38%), and extended endoscopic approaches (2%). The cohort was 63% female and 37% male, with average age of 48.9 years. Patients presented with acral enlargement (72, 77%), macroglossia (40, 43%), excessive sweating (39, 42%), prognathism (38, 40%) and frontal bossing (35, 37%). Seventy-five (80%) were macroadenomas and 19 (20%) were microadenomas. Cavernous sinus invasion was present in 45%. Available immunohistochemical data demonstrated GH staining in 88 (94%) and prolactin in 44 (47%). Available postoperative MRI demonstrated gross total resection in 63% of patients and subtotal resection in 37%. Most patients (66%) exhibited hormonal remission at 12 weeks postoperatively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated postoperative day 1 (POD1) GH levels ≥1.55ng/mL predicted failure to remit from surgical resection alone (59% specificity, 75% sensitivity). A second ROC curve showed decrease in corrected insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels of at least 37% prognosticated biochemical control (90% sensitivity, 80% specificity). Conclusion: POD1 GH and short-term postoperative IGF-1 levels can be used to successfully predict immediate and long-term hormonal remission respectively. A POD1 GH cutoff can identify patients likely to require adjuvant therapy to emphasize clinical follow-up.

A bolder One Health: expanding the moral circle to optimize health for all.

One Health is a ground-breaking philosophy for improving health. It imaginatively challenges centuries-old assumptions about wellbeing and is now widely regarded as the 'best solution' for mitigating human health problems, including pandemic zoonotic diseases. One Health's success is imperative because without big changes to the status quo, great suffering and ill-health will follow. However, even in its more ambitious guises, One Health is not radical enough. For example, it has not embraced the emerging philosophical view that historical anthropocentrism is an unfounded ethical prejudice against other animals. This paper argues that One Health should be more imaginative and adventurous in its core philosophy and ultimately in its recommendations and activities. It must expand the circle of moral concern beyond a narrow focus on human interests to include nonhuman beings and the environment. On this bolder agenda, progressive ethical and practical thinking converge for the benefit of the planet and its diverse inhabitants-human and nonhuman.

Analyses and Declarations of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Canned Seafood May Help to Quantify Their Dietary Intake.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently confirmed common recommendations of one to two fish dishes per week in order to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nevertheless, the natural fluctuations of lipids and fatty acids (FA) in processed seafood caught little public attention. Moreover, consumers of unprocessed seafood in general do not know how much omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3 FA) within servings they actually ingest. The few studies published until today considering this aspect have been re-evaluated in today's context. They included four observational studies with canned fatty coldwater fish (mackerel and herring from the same region, season, producer and research group). Their outcomes were similar to those conducted in the following years using supplements. Cans containing seafood (especially fatty coldwater fish) with declared content of omega-3 FA are ready-to-use products. Human studies have shown a higher bioavailability of omega-3 FA by joint uptake of fat. Canned fatty coldwater fish contain omega-3 FA plus plenty of fat in one and the same foodstuff. That suggests a new dietary paradigm with mixed concepts including several sources with declared content of omega-3 FA for reducing the cardiovascular risk and other acknowledged indications.

Can 'eugenics' be defended?

In recent years, bioethical discourse around the topic of 'genetic enhancement' has become increasingly politicized. We fear there is too much focus on the semantic question of whether we should call particular practices and emerging bio-technologies such as CRISPR 'eugenics', rather than the more important question of how we should view them from the perspective of ethics and policy. Here, we address the question of whether 'eugenics' can be defended and how proponents and critics of enhancement should engage with each other.

The Association Between Switching from Synthroid® and Clinical Outcomes: US Evidence from a Retrospective Database Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical guidelines recommend levothyroxine as the standard of care for hypothyroidism and that patients should be treated with a consistent preparation of synthetic levothyroxine without switching among formulations. This study examines the likelihoods of negative clinical outcomes between continuous users of Synthroid® (AbbVie, Inc.) and patients who switch from Synthroid® to an alternative formulation of levothyroxine. METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis utilized data from Optum Clinformatics™ DataMart covering May 1, 2000 to March 30, 2016. After 6 months of consistent use of Synthroid®, patients were categorized as continuous users or as switchers (by filling a prescription for an alternative formulation). Key outcomes included the likelihood of a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) laboratory value out of a guideline recommended range and/or an adverse clinical composite endpoint identified by ICD codes in the patient's claims data over the following 2 years for any of the following: chronic kidney disease, depression, fatigue, heart failure, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or obesity. Individual components of the composite endpoint were also examined. Outcomes were analyzed using multivariable logistic models on propensity score matched cohorts. Analyses controlled for patient characteristics using SAS 9.4 software. Chi-square and t tests were employed and P < 0.05 was pre-specified as statistically significant. RESULTS: Propensity score matching resulted in a sample of 9925 continuous users and 9925 switchers. Switchers were significantly more likely than continuers to have a TSH laboratory value out-of-range in the post-period [odds ratio (OR) 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.08-1.23)]. Switchers were also more likely to have the composite clinical endpoint [OR 1.23; CI (1.12-1.37)] and to have individual diagnoses of chronic kidney disease, depression, fatigue, hypertension, or obesity in the post-period. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this large retrospective study over an extended time horizon support clinical guideline recommendations that switching among alternative formulations of synthetic levothyroxine should generally be avoided. Continuous use of Synthroid® was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of maintaining the TSH laboratory value within a guideline recommended range and a significantly lower likelihood of being diagnosed with adverse clinical outcomes.

Do ethics classes influence student behavior? Case study: Teaching the ethics of eating meat.

Do university ethics classes influence students' real-world moral choices? We aimed to conduct the first controlled study of the effects of ordinary philosophical ethics classes on real-world moral choices, using non-self-report, non-laboratory behavior as the dependent measure. We assigned 1332 students in four large philosophy classes to either an experimental group on the ethics of eating meat or a control group on the ethics of charitable giving. Students in each group read a philosophy article on their assigned topic and optionally viewed a related video, then met with teaching assistants for 50-minute group discussion sections. They expressed their opinions about meat ethics and charitable giving in a follow-up questionnaire (1032 respondents after exclusions). We obtained 13,642 food purchase receipts from campus restaurants for 495 of the students, before and after the intervention. Purchase of meat products declined in the experimental group (52% of purchases of at least $4.99 contained meat before the intervention, compared to 45% after) but remained the same in the control group (52% both before and after). Ethical opinion also differed, with 43% of students in the experimental group agreeing that eating the meat of factory farmed animals is unethical compared to 29% in the control group. We also attempted to measure food choice using vouchers, but voucher redemption rates were low and no effect was statistically detectable. It remains unclear what aspect of instruction influenced behavior.

The ethics of the Global Kidney Exchange programme.

The Global Kidney Exchange (GKE) programme seeks to facilitate kidney transplants by matching donor-recipient pairs across high-income, medium-income, and low-income countries. The GKE programme pays the medical expenses of people in medium-income and low-income countries, thus enabling them to receive a kidney transplantation they otherwise could not afford. In doing so, the programme increases the global donor pool, and so benefits people in high-income countries by improving their chances of finding a donor match. Nevertheless, the GKE has been accused of being a form of organ trafficking, exploiting the poor, and involving coercion and commodification of donors. We refute these claims, arguing that the GKE promotes global justice and reduces the potential for people in need of kidneys in low-income and medium-income countries to be exploited. Misguided objections should not be allowed to prevent the GKE from realising its potential to reduce suffering and save the lives of rich and poor patients alike.

Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis: a comparative study between children and adults.

BACKGROUND: To compare clinical presentation, diagnostic and treatment strategies, and outcome between pediatric and adult patients with chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO). METHODS: Retrospective single-centre comparative study of pediatric and adult patients diagnosed with chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO)/CNO or synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome treated at the Medical University of Graz. RESULTS: 24 pediatric patients diagnosed with CRMO/CNO and 10 adult patients diagnosed with SAPHO syndrome were compared. Median age at diagnosis was 12.3 years (range 7.9-18.9) in the pediatric group and 32.5 years (range 22-56) in the adult group. Median time to diagnosis was shorter in children than in adults (0.3 vs. 1.0 years). Initial clinical presentation, laboratory and histopathological findings were similar in children and adults. Mean numbers of bone lesions were comparable between pediatric and adult patients (3.1 vs. 3.0), as were rates of skin involvement (33% vs. 30%). Sternal involvement was more frequent in adults whereas involvement of clavicle and long bones was more frequent in children (41.7% vs.10, 33% vs. 10%). Computerized tomography (CT) was used more often in adults, whereas whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used only in children. Bisphosphonates were applied more often in children and outcome was better in children than in adults (62.5% vs.30%). CONCLUSION: Results of our study suggest that CNO/CRMO and SAPHO syndrome in children and adults might represent a single clinical syndrome that needs a similar diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Viability Test Device for anisakid nematodes.

Up to now the visual inspection of mobility of isolated anisakid larvae serves as a measure of viability and possible risk of infection. This paper presents a new method to rule out unreliability - caused by the temporary immobility of the larvae and by the human uncertainty factor of visual observation. By means of a Near infrared (NIR) imaging method, elastic curvature energies and geometric shape parameters were determined from contours, and used as a measure of viability. It was based on the modelling of larvae as a cylindrical membrane system. The interaction between curvatures, contraction of the longitudinal muscles, and inner pressure enabled the derivation of viability from stationary form data. From series of spectrally signed images within a narrow wavelength range, curvature data of the larvae were determined. Possible mobility of larvae was taken into account in statistical error variables. Experiments on individual living larvae, long-term observations of Anisakis larvae, and comparative studies of the staining method and the VTD measurements of larvae from the tissue of products confirmed the effectiveness of this method. The VTD differentiated clearly between live and dead nematode larvae isolated from marinated, deep-frozen and salted products. The VTD has been proven as excellent method to detect living anisakid nematode larvae in fishery products and is seen as useful tool for fish processing industry and control authorities.

Csk-binding protein controls red blood cell development via regulation of Lyn tyrosine kinase activity.

Erythropoiesis is controlled principally through erythropoietin (Epo) receptor signaling, which involves Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and Lyn tyrosine kinase, both of which are important for regulating red blood cell (RBC) development. Negative regulation of Lyn involves C-Src kinase (Csk)-mediated phosphorylation of its C-terminal tyrosine, which is facilitated by the transmembrane adaptor Csk-binding protein (Cbp). Although Cbp has significant functions in controlling Lyn levels and activity in erythroid cells in vitro, its importance to primary erythroid cell development and signaling has remained unclear. To address this, we assessed the consequence of loss of Cbp on the erythroid compartment in vivo and whether Epo-responsive cells isolated from Cbp-knockout mice exhibited altered signaling. Our data show that male Cbp-/- mice display a modest but significant alteration to late erythroid development in bone marrow with evidence of increased erythrocytes in the spleen, whereas female Cbp-/- mice exhibit a moderate elevation in early erythroid progenitors (not seen in male mice) that does not influence the later steps in RBC development. In isolated primary erythroid cells and cell lines generated from Cbp-/- mice, survival signaling through Lyn/Akt/FoxO3 was elevated, resulting in sustained viability during differentiation. The high Akt activity disrupted GAB2/SHP-2 feedback inhibition of Lyn; however, the elevated Lyn activity also increased inhibitory signaling via SHP-1 to restrict the Erk1/2 pathway. Interestingly, whereas loss of Cbp led to mild changes to late RBC development in male mice, this was not apparent in female Cbp-/- mice, possibly due to their elevated estrogen, which is known to facilitate early progenitor self-renewal.

Circulating Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells Predict Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis and Extent.

BACKGROUND: Establishing the preoperative diagnosis and long-term prognosis of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) remain challenging in some patients. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are tumor-induced cells mediating immune tolerance that are detectable in the peripheral blood of cancer patients. The authors previously developed a novel clinical assay to detect the phenotypes of two human MDSC subsets in peripheral blood, and hypothesize that higher MDSC levels measured by this assay correlate positively with both malignancy and worse patient outcomes. METHODS: A prospective observational pilot study was performed of patients undergoing thyroidectomy for a solitary thyroid nodule. The presence of a thyroid nodule >1 cm was confirmed sonographically, and fine-needle aspiration biopsy performed prior to surgery in all cases. Peripheral blood collected preoperatively was analyzed using a novel flow cytometry-based immunoassay to detect and quantify two subsets of human MDSC. Circulating MDSC levels were compared by histopathologic diagnosis, stage, and presence of persistent disease after treatment. RESULTS: Of 50 patients included in this study, MDSC measurement was successful in 47 (94%). One patient was found to have a concurrent cancer, leaving 46 patients for primary analysis. The cytologic diagnoses were benign in five (10.8%), atypia or follicular lesion of undetermined significance in five (10.8%), suspicious for follicular neoplasm in five (10.8%), suspicious for malignant in three (6.5%), and malignant in 28 (60.1%) of the 46 nodules. Final histopathology was benign in 11 (24%) and DTC in 35 (76%), encompassing 34 PTC cases and one follicular thyroid carcinoma. Mean percentages of CD11b(+)HLA-DR(low)HIF1a(+) MDSC (CD11b(+)MDSC) were 14.0 ± 6.2% and 7.9 ± 3.6% in DTC versus benign nodules, respectively (p < 0.005). A cutoff of 12% yielded a specificity of 0.91, a sensitivity of 0.72, and a likelihood ratio of 7.9. Mean CD11b(+)MDSC levels increased linearly with higher TNM stage (p < 0.01), and were 19.4 ± 5.4 in patients with persistent cancer after surgery compared with 13.2 ± 6.8 in those without evidence of disease (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: MDSC measurement using this flow cytometry-based assay represents a novel approach for preoperatively assessing malignancy risk and cancer extent in patients with thyroid nodules. While further validation is needed, these data suggest that MDSC assessment may serve as a useful adjunct when cytology is indeterminate, and predict tumor stage and recurrence risk in cases of thyroid cancer.