Human embryo research, stem cell-derived embryo models and in vitro gametogenesis: Considerations leading to the revised ISSCR guidelines.

The ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation were last revised in 2016. Since then, rapid progress has been made in research areas related to in vitro culture of human embryos, creation of stem cell-based embryo models, and in vitro gametogenesis. Therefore, a working group of international experts was convened to review the oversight process and provide an update to the guidelines. This report captures the discussion and summarizes the major recommendations made by this working group, with a specific emphasis on updating the categories of review and engagement with the specialized scientific and ethical oversight process.

ISSCR's Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation: Supporting development of safe and efficacious stem cell-based interventions.

The ISSCR's revised Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation reflect the organization's commitment to opposing premature commercialization of stem cell-based interventions and supporting the development of products that meet stringent ethical, scientific, and regulatory standards. The Guidelines contain five important new recommendations concerning clinical translation of stem cell products.

ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation: The 2021 update.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research has updated its Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation in order to address advances in stem cell science and other relevant fields, together with the associated ethical, social, and policy issues that have arisen since the last update in 2016. While growing to encompass the evolving science, clinical applications of stem cells, and the increasingly complex implications of stem cell research for society, the basic principles underlying the Guidelines remain unchanged, and they will continue to serve as the standard for the field and as a resource for scientists, regulators, funders, physicians, and members of the public, including patients. A summary of the key updates and issues is presented here.

ISSCR guidelines for the transfer of human pluripotent stem cells and their direct derivatives into animal hosts.

The newly revised 2021 ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation includes scientific and ethical guidance for the transfer of human pluripotent stem cells and their direct derivatives into animal models. In this white paper, the ISSCR subcommittee that drafted these guidelines for research involving the use of nonhuman embryos and postnatal animals explains and summarizes their recommendations.

Pharmaceutical company payments to authors of the Japanese guidelines for the management of hypertension.

ABSTRACT: Antihypertensive drugs have been of significant interest to the pharmaceutical industry due to increasing sales opportunities in a global market. The financial relationships between pharmaceutical companies and the Japanese Society of Hypertension (JSH) have a possible influence on clinical practices in Japan. This study examined the distribution of pharmaceutical payments made to the authors of the revised Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension (JSH2019) and the transparency of the Conflict of Interest disclosure that each author made.We retrospectively obtained publicly available data regarding payments made by Japanese pharmaceutical companies to all authors of the JSH2019 in 2016. We also collected data on individual financial disclosure of JSH2019 authors to investigate whether their self-reported financial relationship with companies were compliant to the financial disclosure policy of JSH2019.The total and mean payment values reported by pharmaceutical companies were $4,246,436 and $21,447, respectively. Of the 198 authors, 171 (86.4%) authors received at least 1 payment. Of 74 authors required to disclose their conflict of interest (COI) the authors, one-third failed to follow the COI policy covering the clinical guidelines.Major pharmaceutical companies selling antihypertensive drug products in the Japanese market had a significant financial connection with the JSH2019 authors. Financial relationships between pharmaceutical companies and authors or Japanese medical societies are raising significant concerns about the credibility of clinical guidelines and the potentially biases and undue influences that they may cause, especially with respect to adverse prescription patterns.

Estudiantes de medicina como impulsores de la educación médica: el caso de la Sociedad Científica Médico Estudiantil Peruana / Medical students as promoters of medical education: The case of the Peruvian Student Medical Scientific Society

Introducción: La Sociedad Científica Médico Estudiantil Peruana (SOCIMEP), a través de su Comité Académico, planifica y realiza actividades de educación médica, tales como conferencias y talleres. Objetivo: Describir las actividades académicas organizadas por las sociedades científicas de estudiantes de medicina (SOCEM) del Perú durante los años 2015 - 2018. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. Se revisaron 119 reportes de actividades realizadas por las SOCEM afiliadas a SOCIMEP. Dichas actividades fueron reportadas a través de un formato estandarizado, en el cual se registran las principales características de la actividad y temática abordadas. Resultados: Se reportó un total de 783 actividades (2015=68, 2016=70, 2017=263, 2018=382) que sumaron una duración de 3 661 horas académicas e involucraron a 24 050 asistentes. Se observó que el mayor número de actividades organizadas abarcó temas del área de ciencias clínicas. Las actividades basadas en el aprendizaje entre pares fueron frecuentes (27,2 por ciento) y con un incremento del 8,8 por ciento al 28,8 por ciento durante los cuatro años. Conclusión: En el Perú, los estudiantes de medicina a través de las SOCEM realizan un gran número de actividades de educación médica, especialmente en ciencias clínicas. Estas actividades complementan la formación tanto de los estudiantes que participan como organizadores de actividades académicas como de los asistentes(AU)

Introduction: The Peruvian Student Medical Scientific Society (SOCIMEP), through its Academic Committee, plans and carries out medical education activities such as conferences and workshops. Objective: To describe the academic activities organized by the scientific societies of medical students (SOCEM) of Peru during 2015 - 2018. Material and methods: Retrospective descriptive study. A total of 119 reports of activities carried out by the SOCEM affiliated with SOCIMEP were reviewed. These activities were reported through a standardized format, in which the main characteristics of the activity and the topic addressed are recorded. Results: A total of 783 activities (2015=68, 2016=70, 2017=263, 2018=382), which totaled 3,661 academic hours and involved 24,050 participants, were reported. It was observed that the largest number of organized activities covered topics around clinical sciences. Activities based on peer learning were frequent (27.2 percent), with an increase from 8.8 percent to 28.8 percent during the four years. Conclusion: In Peru, medical students carry out many medical education activities through SOCEMs, especially in clinical sciences. These activities complement the training of both the students who participate as organizers of academic activities and those who attend them(AU)

Optimal Conflict in Team-Based Laboratory Culture.

One critical determinant of success that is not part of standardized scientific training programs is the development of the right mindset for competitive team science. Mindset has been categorized as fixed and growth. People with fixed mindset who believe that virtues such as goodness and intelligence are naturally endowed and thus fixed are reportedly less likely to succeed than people with growth mindset who believe that such abilities are malleable and scalable. People with growth mindset handle conflicts more effectively. As it stands in academic culture, mostly dominated by the education mission, conflict is a taboo. Administrators generally view conflict as something that must be avoided or resolved. Yet the American Psychological Association, among many others, recognize that good science requires good conflict. Team science efforts must recognize the perils of artificial harmony. Artificial harmony is a state wherein members of the team act as if they are getting along in a setting where serious issues remain unattended. Artificial harmony stifles open communication. Open communication within the team is essential to uphold rigor in science. The threat of conflict triggers the flight or fight response in us. Flight, motivated by conflict avoidance, favors artificial harmony. Fight, in its optimal form, empowers teammates to express their opinion leading to healthy disagreement and debate. Teams must find their own optimal conflict point. Mastering that art of identifying and achieving the optimal conflict point for any given team will return lucrative dividends in the form of competitive edge.

Inside ILSI: How Coca-Cola, Working through Its Scientific Nonprofit, Created a Global Science of Exercise for Obesity and Got It Embedded in Chinese Policy (1995-2015).

CONTEXT: Industry influence on health science and policy is a critical issue of our day. In 2015 the New York Times revealed that Coca-Cola paid scientists to form a Global Energy Balance Network promoting the notion that exercise, not dietary restraint, is the solution to the obesity epidemic-a claim few accept. This article examines the organizational dynamics and policy process behind Coke's efforts to sway obesity policy-globally and in China, a critical market-during 1995-2015. METHODS: In-depth, qualitative research during 2013-18 involved 10 weeks of fieldwork in Beijing, interviews with 25 leading experts, analysis of newsletters documenting all major obesity-related activities in China, interviews with 10 Euro-American experts, and extensive internet research on all major actors. FINDINGS: This article tells two intertwined stories (institutional dynamics, science making and policy making) at global and local-Chinese levels. Coke succeeded in redirecting China's obesity science and policy to emphasize physical activity. Key to its success was the industry-funded global nonprofit International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). Beneath ILSI's public narrative of unbiased science and no policy advocacy lay a maze of hidden channels companies used to advance their interests. Working through those channels, Coca-Cola influenced China's science making and policy making during every phase in the policy process, from framing the issues to drafting official policy. CONCLUSIONS: Though China is exceptional, ILSI promoted exercise globally, suggesting potentially significant impacts in other ILSI-branch countries.

Scientific societies fostering inclusivity through speaker diversity in annual meeting programming: a call to action.

Scientific societies aiming to foster inclusion of scientists from underrepresented (UR) backgrounds among their membership often delegate primary responsibility for this goal to a diversity-focused committee. The National Science Foundation has funded the creation of the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success (ACCESS), a meta-organization bringing together representatives from several such STEM society committees to serve as a hub for a growing community of practice. Our goal is to coordinate efforts to advance inclusive practices by sharing experiences and making synergistic discoveries about what works. ACCESS has analyzed the approaches by which member societies have sought to ensure inclusivity through selection of annual meeting speakers. Here we discuss how inclusive speaker selection fosters better scientific environments for all and identify challenges and promising practices for societies striving to maximize inclusivity of speakers in their scientific programming.

Financial conflicts of interest among National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guideline panelists in 2019.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are evidence-based guidelines that serve as a standard of care in oncology practice, reimbursements, and quality improvement initiatives. To our knowledge, the extent of financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) in National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines have not been systemically evaluated. The current study evaluated the extent of FCOIs in the NCCN CPGs for the most common malignancies in the United States. METHODS: The authors examined the latest 2019 versions of the NCCN CPGs for the 10 most common cancers by incidence in the United States. Using disclosure lists, they catalogued the FCOIs for the panelists under various categories outlined in the CPG. The authors also tabulated the companies and institutions involved in each panel disclosure. An "episode" describes 1 instance of participation of a panelist in 1 company in 1 category of each guideline. "Affiliation" describes an industrial, commercial, or institutional affiliation reported by a panelist in each episode. RESULTS: Of the 491 panelists on the CPG panel, 483 (98.3%) completed FCOI disclosures. A total of 224 (46.4%) reported at least 1 FCOI episode. A total of 1103 episodes were disclosed with an average of 4.9 episodes reported per panelist with FCOIs. Acting as part of scientific advisory boards, as a consultant, or as an expert witness was the most common FCOI category (19.9%). A total of 191 companies were associated with 1103 episodes of FCOI. The top companies were Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Genentech, and AstraZeneca. Among cancers, the prevalence of FCOIs was highest for lung cancer (56%), bladder cancer (52%), pancreatic cancer (52%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (50%), kidney cancer (49%), colorectal cancer (43%), breast cancer (42%), melanoma (40%), prostate cancer (38%), and uterine cancer (32%). Among the panelists with FCOIs, 26%, 17%, and 57%, respectively, reported 1, 2, and >3 episodes. There were 127 episodes noted among the CPG chairs and/or vice chairs who reported FCOIs (mean, 6.4 episodes). The chairs and/or vice chairs of CPGs for uterine cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, and prostate cancer were not found to have any FCOIs. CONCLUSIONS: FCOIs are very prevalent among NCCN CPG panelists. In nearly one-half of the CPGs, the majority of the panelists had at least 1 FCOI. Greater than one-half of the CPG chairs and/or vice chairs reported multiple FCOIs. Further research studies are necessary to determine the impact of these FCOIs.

Comparing demographics of signatories to public letters on diversity in the mathematical sciences.

In its December 2019 edition, the Notices of the American Mathematical Society published an essay critical of the use of diversity statements in academic hiring. The publication of this essay prompted many responses, including three public letters circulated within the mathematical sciences community. Each letter was signed by hundreds of people and was published online, also by the American Mathematical Society. We report on a study of the signatories' demographics, which we infer using a crowdsourcing approach. Letter A highlights diversity and social justice. The pool of signatories contains relatively more individuals inferred to be women and/or members of underrepresented ethnic groups. Moreover, this pool is diverse with respect to the levels of professional security and types of academic institutions represented. Letter B does not comment on diversity, but rather, asks for discussion and debate. This letter was signed by a strong majority of individuals inferred to be white men in professionally secure positions at highly research intensive universities. Letter C speaks out specifically against diversity statements, calling them "a mistake," and claiming that their usage during early stages of faculty hiring "diminishes mathematical achievement." Individuals who signed both Letters B and C, that is, signatories who both privilege debate and oppose diversity statements, are overwhelmingly inferred to be tenured white men at highly research intensive universities. Our empirical results are consistent with theories of power drawn from the social sciences.

In the immediate wake of Hoffman's independent review: Psychologist and general public perceptions.

In 2015, the American Psychological Association (APA) commissioned an independent review (IR) to examine APA's potential involvement with "enhanced interrogation" procedures following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The IR concluded that certain APA officials acted together with the Department of Defense to "align APA and curry favor with" the Department of Defense to allow the involvement of psychologists in such enhanced interrogations (Hoffman et al., 2015, p. 9). Discussion following the IR's release underscored differences in the views of psychologists regarding the IR's conclusions. Despite extensive discussion, there is only anecdotal evidence regarding the views of psychologists on many of the questions investigated in the IR. This study examined the opinions of psychologists and the public shortly after the IR's release regarding the roles of psychologists in national security interrogations and other non-treatment-focused contexts. This survey of psychologists (N = 1,146) engaged in treatment-focused and non-treatment-focused activities, and of the general public (N = 522), sheds light on the broader perceptions of the IR's conclusions, and is relevant in considering future directions for the profession. Results suggest that the public is more accepting of psychologists' involvement in national security settings, including involvement in many of the activities highlighted as problematic in the IR, than are psychologists. The perceptions of treatment-focused and non-treatment-focused psychologists regarding the appropriate roles of psychologists in national security settings did not differ significantly. These empirical data should help inform the ongoing discussion in this area. None of the authors is associated with an unequivocal position on the IR or the issues addressed as part of it. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Use of practice guidelines and position statements in ethical decision making.

Professional ethics guide appropriate professional conduct through their reflection of the shared values of the profession. Professional ethics codes, such as the American Psychological Association's (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (henceforth, APA Ethics Code) are intended to provide guidance across psychological activities, contexts, and specialties. As such, they must, by necessity, be rather general in nature. The APA Ethics Code provides aspirational general ethical principles and enforceable ethical standards. Despite the value of these principles and directives, psychologists commonly need more specific guidance for establishing and maintaining ethical practices in their specific professional contexts. The APA Ethics Code acknowledges in its Introduction and Applicability section the broad nature of the code and the importance of considering additional resources. The APA and other professional organizations provide practice guidelines and position statements that clarify appropriate professional behavior in specific aspects of practice. Although all U.S. psychologists are aware of the APA Ethics Code, far fewer are as familiar with the practice guidelines and position statements of professional organizations, and fewer utilize such valuable resources in their ethical decision making. Practice guidelines and position statements from professional organizations complement ethics codes and facilitate ethical decision making. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Code of ethics for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (Revised): Report of Task Group 109.

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has established a comprehensive Code of Ethics for its members. The Code is a formal part of AAPM governance, maintained as Professional Policy 24, and includes both principles of ethical practice and the rules by which a complaint will be adjudicated. The structure and content of the Code have been crafted to also serve the much broader purpose of giving practical ethical guidance to AAPM members for making sound decisions in their professional lives. The Code is structured in four major parts: a Preamble, a set of ten guiding Principles, Guidelines that elucidate the application of the Principles in various practice settings, and the formal Complaint process. Guidelines have been included to address evolving social and cultural norms, such as the use of social media and the broadening scope of considerations important in an evolving workplace. The document presented here is the first major revision of the AAPM Code of Ethics since 2008. This revision was approved by the Board of Directors to become effective 1 January 2019.

Now is the Time for a Postracial Medicine: Biomedical Research, the National Institutes of Health, and the Perpetuation of Scientific Racism.

The consideration of racial differences in the biology of disease and treatment options is a hallmark of modern medicine. However, this time-honored medical tradition has no scientific basis, and the premise itself, that is, the existence of biological differences between the commonly known races, is false inasmuch as races are only sociocultural constructions. It is time to rid medical research of the highly damaging exercise of searching for supposed racial differences in the biological manifestations of disease. The practice not only condoned but required by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of utilizing racial identification as a demographic characteristic with assumed biological implications is at best badly flawed, and at worst unintentionally contributes to perpetuating the fallacy of natural differences between persons of different skin color, which has been used in the past to advance the cause of racial discrimination.