RESUMEN
Using Triumf's neutral atom trap, Trinat, for nuclear ß decay, we have measured the ß asymmetry with respect to the initial nuclear spin in ^{37}K to be A_{ß}=-0.5707(13)_{syst}(13)_{stat}(5)_{pol}, a 0.3% measurement. This is the best relative accuracy of any ß-asymmetry measurement in a nucleus or the neutron, and is in agreement with the standard model prediction -0.5706(7). We compare constraints on physics beyond the standard model with other ß-decay measurements, and improve the value of V_{ud} measured in this mirror nucleus by a factor of 4.
RESUMEN
Methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether (MTBE) was introduced into motor fuels in 1992 to reduce carbon monoxide automotive emissions in areas where the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for CO were exceeded. At a meeting of the National Toxicology Program's Board of Scientific Counselors (2-3 December 1998), data were presented showing that exposure to MTBE caused increased incidence of liver tumors, renal adenomas, carcinomas and interstitial cell adenomas of the testes in male, and lymphomas and leukemia in female CD1 mice [National Toxicology Program, 1998]. Despite this evidence, the NTP Board defeated a motion to list MTBE as "Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by a vote of 6 to 5. This decision directly contravenes rules and procedures previously established by NTP for assessing carcinogenicity of chemical compounds. Good public health policy dictates that the NTP Board conduct another review of MTBE with proper consideration of the criteria that have been established for listing agents as carcinogens. Millions of Americans who are exposed daily to this chemical deserve an unbiased evaluation of carcinogenic agents being introduced into the environment.
Asunto(s)
Carcinógenos , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales , Gasolina , Éteres Metílicos/farmacología , Humanos , Salud Pública , Medición de Riesgo , Estados UnidosAsunto(s)
Responsabilidad Legal , Mala Praxis/legislación & jurisprudencia , Farmacéuticos/legislación & jurisprudencia , Médicos/legislación & jurisprudencia , Prescripciones , Abuso de Sustancias por Vía Intravenosa/complicaciones , Jeringas/provisión & distribución , Causalidad , Humanos , Lesiones por Pinchazo de Aguja/etiología , Medición de Riesgo , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/etiología , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
The growing use of genetic testing for diagnostic and predictive purposes, and for the purpose of selecting therapeutic regimens with better risk-benefit ratios for patients, raises numerous legal and ethical challenges. Researchers and institutional review boards must pay careful attention to the need to obtain informed consent from subjects. The FDA will face increased pressure to more carefully regulate the accuracy of genetic testing. Clinicians will need to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of sensitive patient information, especially when testing is performed in settings in which the information may be readily accessible to insurers and employers. Novel genomic treatments may increase liability for drug manufacturers, but physicians and other healthcare providers, including health plans' drug formularies, will bear the primary liability risk. Difficult questions of distributive justice also must be faced if third-party payers resist covering genomic services because of their cost. Down the road, more aggressive gene therapy techniques and the ability to test for non-disease traits will tax our notions of fairness, equality, and the limits of professional authority.
Asunto(s)
Ética Médica , Genómica/legislación & jurisprudencia , Genómica/normas , Administración de los Servicios de Salud/legislación & jurisprudencia , Administración de los Servicios de Salud/normas , Proyecto Genoma Humano , Responsabilidad Legal , Confidencialidad/legislación & jurisprudencia , Diseño de Fármacos , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Administración de la Seguridad/legislación & jurisprudencia , Estados UnidosAsunto(s)
Fármacos Anti-VIH/uso terapéutico , Terapia Antirretroviral Altamente Activa/estadística & datos numéricos , Infecciones por VIH/tratamiento farmacológico , Rol del Médico , Negativa del Paciente al Tratamiento , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/tratamiento farmacológico , Fármacos Anti-VIH/administración & dosificación , Política de Salud , HumanosRESUMEN
Genetic enhancement technologies present difficult and novel regulatory issues, including the problem of measuring and comparing risks and benefits and dealing with the impact of these technologies on social values. This Article describes and evaluates the potential approaches that may be taken to regulate these technologies. The author concludes that a variety of approaches will be necessary, involving self-regulation, government restrictions on access and use, licensing, and a national lottery.
Asunto(s)
Mejoramiento Genético/legislación & jurisprudencia , Regulación Gubernamental , American Medical Association , Refuerzo Biomédico , Doping en los Deportes , Mejoramiento Genético/ética , Hormona de Crecimiento Humana/economía , Humanos , Reembolso de Seguro de Salud , Responsabilidad Legal , Autonomía Personal , Autonomía Profesional , Apoyo a la Investigación como Asunto , Medición de Riesgo , Cambio Social , Control Social Formal , Controles Informales de la Sociedad , Estados Unidos , United States Food and Drug AdministrationAsunto(s)
Mejoramiento Genético/legislación & jurisprudencia , Terapia Genética/legislación & jurisprudencia , Rol Judicial , Niño , Técnicas de Transferencia de Gen , Asesoramiento Genético , Mejoramiento Genético/economía , Mejoramiento Genético/ética , Pruebas Genéticas , Terapia Genética/economía , Terapia Genética/normas , Asignación de Recursos para la Atención de Salud/economía , Asignación de Recursos para la Atención de Salud/legislación & jurisprudencia , Experimentación Humana/ética , Experimentación Humana/legislación & jurisprudencia , Proyecto Genoma Humano , Humanos , Consentimiento Informado , Reembolso de Seguro de Salud/economía , Reembolso de Seguro de Salud/legislación & jurisprudencia , Mala Praxis , Consentimiento Paterno , Cambio SocialAsunto(s)
Contaminantes Atmosféricos/efectos adversos , Carcinógenos , Gasolina/análisis , Éteres Metílicos/efectos adversos , Contaminación Química del Agua/efectos adversos , Humanos , Hipersensibilidad/etiología , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso/inducido químicamente , Enfermedades Respiratorias/inducido químicamente , Estados UnidosAsunto(s)
Ética Médica , Pruebas Genéticas/normas , Neoplasias/genética , Guías de Práctica Clínica como Asunto , Medición de Riesgo , Neoplasias de la Mama/diagnóstico , Neoplasias de la Mama/genética , Disentimientos y Disputas , Gobierno Federal , Tamización de Portadores Genéticos , Investigación Genética , Pruebas Genéticas/economía , Pruebas Genéticas/psicología , Procesos de Grupo , Humanos , Oncología Médica/normas , National Institutes of Health (U.S.) , Neoplasias/diagnóstico , Factores de Riesgo , Sociedades Médicas , Estados UnidosAsunto(s)
Contaminantes Atmosféricos/efectos adversos , Carcinógenos/efectos adversos , Gasolina/análisis , Éteres Metílicos/efectos adversos , Neoplasias/inducido químicamente , Emisiones de Vehículos/prevención & control , Humanos , Factores de Riesgo , Estados Unidos , Emisiones de Vehículos/legislación & jurisprudenciaRESUMEN
As science learns more about how the brain works, and fails to work, the possibility for developing "cognition enhancers" becomes more plausible. And the demand for drugs that can help us think faster, remember more, and focus more keenly has already been demonstrated by the market success of drugs like Ritalin, which tames the attention span, and Prozac, which ups the competitive edge. The new drug Aricept, which improves memory, most likely will join them. Whether such drugs are good for individuals, or for society, is an open question, one that demands far more public discussion.
Asunto(s)
Comprensión , Ética Médica , Salud , Nootrópicos/uso terapéutico , Paternalismo , Medición de Riesgo , Encefalopatías , Cognición/efectos de los fármacos , Cognición/fisiología , Revelación , Control de Medicamentos y Narcóticos , Ego , Gobierno Federal , Regulación Gubernamental , Humanos , Principios Morales , Nootrópicos/farmacología , Personalidad , Justicia SocialRESUMEN
Recent interpretations of laws prohibiting discrimination against persons with disabilities indicate that these laws will play a greater role in health care decision making than previously anticipated. This article employs lessons from other areas of antidiscrimination law to examine these developments and to provide a framework for making health care decisions that are consistent with these new legal interpretations. This article addresses decisions in individual cases, treatment policies adopted by health care providers, and coverage programs of third-party payers, both public and private.
Asunto(s)
Personas con Discapacidad/legislación & jurisprudencia , Regulación Gubernamental , Asignación de Recursos para la Atención de Salud/legislación & jurisprudencia , Selección de Paciente , Prejuicio , Negativa al Tratamiento/legislación & jurisprudencia , Algoritmos , Toma de Decisiones en la Organización , Árboles de Decisión , Gobierno Federal , Enfermedades Genéticas Congénitas , Humanos , Revisión de Utilización de Seguros , Cobertura del Seguro/legislación & jurisprudencia , Menores , Asignación de Recursos , Medición de Riesgo , Estados Unidos , Privación de TratamientoRESUMEN
Methyl tertiary butyl ether has caused the following cancers in rats and mice: kidney, testicular, liver, lymphomas, and leukemias. Thus, in the absence of adequate data on humans, it is biologically plausible and prudent to regard methyl tertiary butyl ether-for which there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals-as a probable human carcinogen. This means that some humans are at extreme risk of contracting cancers resulting from their exposure to oxygenated gasoline containing methyl tertiary butyl ether. Immediately after the introduction of methyl tertiary butyl ether into gasoline, many consumers of this product in New Jersey, New York, Alaska, Maine, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Massachusetts, California, and other areas, experienced a variety of neurotoxic, allergic, and respiratory illnesses. These illnesses were similar to those suffered by refinery workers from the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers Union who mixed methyl tertiary butyl ether with gasoline. Additionally, these illnesses occurred following exposure to extremely low levels of methyl tertiary butyl ether in gasoline, particularly when compared to the adverse health effects that occurred only after exposure to very high levels of conventional gasoline. Thus, gasoline containing methyl tertiary butyl ether exhibited substantially more toxicity in humans than gasoline without this additive. A number of oil industry-sponsored or influenced reports alleged that these illnesses were either unrelated to exposure to reformulated gasoline or were characteristic of some yet-to-be-identified communicable disease. These studies further alleged that the widespread concern was not about illness, but was merely a reaction to the odor and the five cent increase in the price of gasoline. To clarify the significance of this issue, it is important to note that consumers have been using gasoline for many decades, with complaints only occurring following exposure to high levels at 100s ppm or higher. After the introduction of methyl tertiary butyl ether gasoline there were thousands of human health complaints. The sudden increase in widespread illnesses from which many thousands of individuals throughout the United States began to suffer immediately following the introduction of methyl tertiary butyl ether into gasoline provides strong and unquestionable evidence that gasoline containing methyl tertiary butyl ether is associated with human illnesses. When considering the severity of the illnesses in humans, it is prudent that this highly dangerous chemical be promptly removed from gasoline and comprehensive studies be conducted to assess the long-term effects that human may experience in the future from past and current exposure.