Non-epistemological values in collaborative research in neuroscience : the case of alleged differences between human populations

The goals and tasks of neuroethics formulated by Farahany and Ramos (2020) link epistemological and methodological issues with ethical and social values. The authors refer simultaneously to the social significance and scientific reliability of the BRAIN Initiative. They openly argue that neuroethics should not only examine neuroscientific research in terms of "a rigorous, reproducible, and representative neuroscience research process" (148) as well as "explore the unique nature of the study of the human brain through accurate and representative models of its function and dysfunction" (148), but also its responsibilities or social consequences. We would like to concentrate on problem selection, which is shortly noticed by Farahany and Ramos, and by BRAIN Initiative’s Neuroethics Report itself. This document raises an important issue related to problem selection, which is strengthening or perpetuating existing prejudices and biases by choosing a research subject: "scientists are prompted to consider how the questions they choose to study in the laboratory might amplify existing biases." This leads to several further problems: what constitutes bias?; how biases may be embedded in the selection of research programs?; is it possible to conduct completely unbiased research?; who should be a gatekeeper in the case of research that may amplify biases? We try to notice possible answers to these questions in the context of the research on differences (e.g., cognitive, medical, behavioral) between human populations

Towards the multileveled and processual conceptualisation of racialised individuals in biomedical research

In this paper, we discuss the processes of racialisation on the example of biomedical research. We argue that applying the concept of racialisation in biomedical research can be much more precise, informative and suitable than currently used categories, such as race and ethnicity. For this purpose, we construct a model of the different processes affecting and co-shaping the racialisation of an individual, and consider these in relation to biomedical research, particularly to studies on hypertension. We finish with a discussion on the potential application of our proposition to institutional guidelines on the use of racial categories in biomedical research

The Practical Implications of the New Metaphysics of Race for a Postracial Medicine: Biomedical Research Methodology, Institutional Requirements, Patient–Physician Relations

Javier Perez-Rodriguez and Alejandro de la Fuente (2017) assume that although human races do not exist in a biological sense (“geneticists and evolutionary biologists generally agree that the division of humans into races/subspecies has no defensible scientific basis,” they exist only as "sociocultural constructions" and because of that maintain an illusory reality, for example, through "racialized" practices in medicine. Agreeing with the main postulates formulated in the article, we believe that the authors treat this problem in a superficial manner and have failed to capture the current state of the field of knowledge in science and the humanities. In our commentary, we want to highlight two main omissions, and to notice three important implications for “a postracial medicine.

Non-Epistemological Values in Collaborative Research in Neuroscience: The Case of Alleged Differences Between Human Populations

The goals and tasks of neuroethics formulated by Farahany and Ramos (2020) link epistemological and methodological issues with ethical and social values. The authors refer simultaneously to the social significance and scientific reliability of the BRAIN Initiative. They openly argue that neuroethics should not only examine neuroscientific research in terms of "a rigorous, reproducible, and representative neuroscience research process" (148) as well as "explore the unique nature of the study of the human brain through accurate and representative models of its function and dysfunction" (148), but also its responsibilities or social consequences. We would like to concentrate on problem selection, which is shortly noticed by Farahany and Ramos, and by BRAIN Initiative’s Neuroethics Report itself. This document raises an important issue related to problem selection, which is strengthening or perpetuating existing prejudices and biases by choosing a research subject: "scientists are prompted to consider how the questions they choose to study in the laboratory might amplify existing biases." This leads to several further problems: what constitutes bias?; how biases may be embedded in the selection of research programs?; is it possible to conduct completely unbiased research?; who should be a gatekeeper in the case of research that may amplify biases? We try to notice possible answers to these questions in the context of the research on differences (e.g., cognitive, medical, behavioral) between human populations

Effects of flavonoids on glycosaminoglycan synthesis: implications for substrate reduction therapy in Sanfilippo disease and other mucopolysaccharidoses

Sanfilippo disease (mucopolysaccharidosis type III, MPS III) is a severe metabolic disorder caused by accumulation of heparan sulfate (HS), one of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), due to a genetic defect resulting in a deficiency of GAG hydrolysis. This disorder is characterized as the most severe neurological form of MPS, revealing rapid deterioration of brain functions. Among therapeutic approaches for MPS III, one of the most promising appears to be the substrate reduction therapy (SRT). Genistein (5, 7-dihydroxy-3- (4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one) is an isoflavone that has been used in SRT for MPS III. In this report, we tested effects of other flavonoids (apigenin, daidzein, kaempferol and naringenin) on GAG synthesis. Their cytotoxicity and anti-proliferation features were also tested. We found that daidzein and kaempferol inhibited GAG synthesis significantly. Moreover, these compounds were able to reduce lysosomal storage in MPS IIIA fibroblasts. Interestingly, although genistein is believed to inhibit GAG synthesis by blocking the tyrosine kinase activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor, we found that effects of other flavonoids were not due to this mechanism. In fact, combinations of various flavonoids resulted in significantly more effective inhibition of GAG synthesis than the use of any of these compounds alone. These results, together with results published recently by others, suggest that combination of flavonoids can be considered as a method for improvement of efficiency of SRT for MPS III

Familial hypercholesterolaemia in children and adolescents from 48 countries: a cross-sectional study

Background: Approximately 450 000 children are born with familial hypercholesterolaemia worldwide every year, yet only 2·1% of adults with familial hypercholesterolaemia were diagnosed before age 18 years via current diagnostic approaches, which are derived from observations in adults. We aimed to characterise children and adolescents with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) and understand current approaches to the identification and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia to inform future public health strategies. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we assessed children and adolescents younger than 18 years with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of HeFH at the time of entry into the Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC) registry between Oct 1, 2015, and Jan 31, 2021. Data in the registry were collected from 55 regional or national registries in 48 countries. Diagnoses relying on self-reported history of familial hypercholesterolaemia and suspected secondary hypercholesterolaemia were excluded from the registry; people with untreated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) of at least 13·0 mmol/L were excluded from this study. Data were assessed overall and by WHO region, World Bank country income status, age, diagnostic criteria, and index-case status. The main outcome of this study was to assess current identification and management of children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolaemia. Findings: Of 63 093 individuals in the FHSC registry, 11 848 (18·8%) were children or adolescents younger than 18 years with HeFH and were included in this study; 5756 (50·2%) of 11 476 included individuals were female and 5720 (49·8%) were male. Sex data were missing for 372 (3·1%) of 11 848 individuals. Median age at registry entry was 9·6 years (IQR 5·8-13·2). 10 099 (89·9%) of 11 235 included individuals had a final genetically confirmed diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia and 1136 (10·1%) had a clinical diagnosis. Genetically confirmed diagnosis data or clinical diagnosis data were missing for 613 (5·2%) of 11 848 individuals. Genetic diagnosis was more common in children and adolescents from high-income countries (9427 [92·4%] of 10 202) than in children and adolescents from non-high-income countries (199 [48·0%] of 415). 3414 (31·6%) of 10 804 children or adolescents were index cases. Familial-hypercholesterolaemia-related physical signs, cardiovascular risk factors, and cardiovascular disease were uncommon, but were more common in non-high-income countries. 7557 (72·4%) of 10 428 included children or adolescents were not taking lipid-lowering medication (LLM) and had a median LDL-C of 5·00 mmol/L (IQR 4·05-6·08). Compared with genetic diagnosis, the use of unadapted clinical criteria intended for use in adults and reliant on more extreme phenotypes could result in 50-75% of children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolaemia not being identified. Interpretation: Clinical characteristics observed in adults with familial hypercholesterolaemia are uncommon in children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolaemia, hence detection in this age group relies on measurement of LDL-C and genetic confirmation. Where genetic testing is unavailable, increased availability and use of LDL-C measurements in the first few years of life could help reduce the current gap between prevalence and detection, enabling increased use of combination LLM to reach recommended LDL-C targets early in life

The boundaries of naturalisation of epistemology and the selected issues of evolutionism

Wydział Nauk SpołecznychCelem rozprawy jest wykazanie, że epistemologia ewolucyjna, choć zaliczana do grona naturalistycznych teorii poznania, ufundowana jest na całkowicie innym, niż propozycja Quine'owska, zbiorze założeń bazowych, które wyznaczają nurt ewolucjonistyczny w obszarze naturalizmu. Podczas gdy inspirowana Quine'm epistemologia znaturalizowana odwołuje się do fizykalizmu – zarówno z tego względu, że często zakłada ona fizykalistyczny monizm jak i dlatego, że uznaje ona fizykę za swoisty ideał poznawczy – epistemologia ewolucyjna zrywa z tą tradycją myślową. Zaproponowana w drugiej połowie XIX w. przez Karola Darwina teoria ewolucji oraz dalszy rozwój ewolucjonizmu w sposób znaczący wpłynęły na sposób, w jaki przedstawia się i interpetuje podmiot poznający, jego środowisko oraz relacje jakie je łączą. Argumentuję, że ewolucjonizm, a co za tym idzie – także ewolucyjna teoria poznania – dysponuje własną metafizyką, której podstawę stanowi dynamiczna, wielopoziomowa interpretacja rzeczywistości, jako złożonego systemu nieustających wzajemnych oddziaływań, których motorem zmian są mechanizmy adaptacyjno-selekcyjne. Przedstawiam również argumenty świadczące na rzecz tezy, że współczesne badania empiryczne z obszaru neuronauki kulturowej, genetyki czy psychologii potwierdzają ewolucjonistyczną wizję podmiotu poznającego oraz sposobu, w jaki kształtują i rozwijają się jego możliwości poznawcze.The aim of the dissertation is to show that evolutionary epistemology, although counted among naturalistic theories of knowledge, is based on a completely different set of basic assumptions than Quine's naturalised epistemology. These assumptions set the evolutionary current in the field of naturalistic paradigm. While naturalised epistemology inspired by Quine refers to physicalism – because it assumes physicalistic monism and considers the physics as a cognitive ideal – evolutionary epistemology breaks with this tradition of thought. Theory of evolution – proposed by Charles Darwin in the second half of the nineteenth century – and further development of evolutionism had a significant impact on the way that evolutionary epistemology present and interpret the knowing subject, its surroundings and the relationships that connect them. I argue that evolutionism, and consequently – the evolutionary epistemology – has its own metaphysics, which is based on a dynamic, multilevelled interpretation of reality as a complex system of constant interactions that are driven by the mechanisms of adaptation and selection. I also claim that the contemporary empirical research in the field of cultural neuroscience, genetics and psychology confirm the evolutionary vision of the knowing subject and the way in which its cognitive abilities are shaped and developed