Privacy Attitudes among Early Adopters of Emerging Health Technologies.

IntroductionAdvances in health technology such as genome sequencing and wearable sensors now allow for the collection of highly granular personal health data from individuals. It is unclear how people think about privacy in the context of these emerging health technologies. An open question is whether early adopters of these advances conceptualize privacy in different ways than non-early adopters.PurposeThis study sought to understand privacy attitudes of early adopters of emerging health technologies.MethodsTranscripts from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with early adopters of genome sequencing and health devices and apps were analyzed with a focus on participant attitudes and perceptions of privacy. Themes were extracted using inductive content analysis.ResultsAlthough interviewees were willing to share personal data to support scientific advancements, they still expressed concerns, as well as uncertainty about who has access to their data, and for what purpose. In short, they were not dismissive of privacy risks. Key privacy-related findings are organized into four themes as follows: first, personal data privacy; second, control over personal information; third, concerns about discrimination; and fourth, contributing personal data to science.ConclusionEarly adopters of emerging health technologies appear to have more complex and nuanced conceptions of privacy than might be expected based on their adoption of personal health technologies and participation in open science. Early adopters also voiced uncertainty about the privacy implications of their decisions to use new technologies and share their data for research. Though not representative of the general public, studies of early adopters can provide important insights into evolving attitudes toward privacy in the context of emerging health technologies and personal health data research

Opportunities and challenges in the use of personal health data for health research

Objective: Understand barriers to the use of personal health data (PHD) in research from the perspective of three stakeholder groups: early adopter individuals who track data about their health, researchers who may use PHD as part of their research, and companies that market self-tracking devices, apps or services, and aggregate and manage the data that are generated. Materials and Methods: A targeted convenience sample of 465 individuals and 134 researchers completed an extensive online survey. Thirty-five hourlong semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a subset of 11 individuals and 9 researchers, as well as 15 company/key informants. Results: Challenges to the use of PHD for research were identified in six areas: data ownership; data access for research; privacy; informed consent and ethics; research methods and data quality; and the unpredictable nature of the rapidly evolving ecosystem of devices, apps, and other services that leave “digital footprints.” Individuals reported willingness to anonymously share PHD if it would be used to advance research for the good of the public. Researchers were enthusiastic about using PHD for research, but noted barriers related to intellectual property, licensing, and the need for legal agreements with companies. Companies were interested in research but stressed that their first priority was maintaining customer relationships. Conclusion: Although challenges exist in leveraging PHD for research, there are many opportunities for stakeholder engagement, and experimentation with these data is already taking place. These early examples foreshadow a much larger set of activities with the potential to positively transform how health research is conducted

Loss of redundant gene expression after polyploidization in plants

Based on chromosomal location data of genes encoding 28 biochemical systems in allohexaploid wheat,Triticum aestivum L. (genomes AABBDD), it is concluded that the proportions of systems controlled by triplicate, duplicate, and single loci are 57%, 25%, and 18% respectively

Differential gene expression in human granulosa cells from recombinant FSH versus human menopausal gonadotropin ovarian stimulation protocols

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The study was designed to test the hypothesis that granulosa cell (GC) gene expression response differs between recombinant FSH and human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) stimulation regimens.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Females < 35 years-old undergoing IVF for tubal or male factor infertility were prospectively randomized to one of two stimulation protocols, GnRH agonist long protocol plus individualized dosages of (1) recombinant (r)FSH (Gonal-F) or (2) purified human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG; Menopur). Oocytes were retrieved 35 h post-hCG, and GC were collected. Total RNA was extracted from each GC sample, biotinylated cRNA was synthesized, and each sample was run on Human Genome Bioarrays (Applied Microarrays). Unnamed genes and genes with <2-fold difference in expression were excluded.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After exclusions, 1736 genes exhibited differential expression between groups. Over 400 were categorized as signal transduction genes, ~180 as transcriptional regulators, and ~175 as enzymes/metabolic genes. Expression of selected genes was confirmed by RT-PCR. Differentially expressed genes included A kinase anchor protein 11 (AKAP11), bone morphogenetic protein receptor II (BMPR2), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-4, IGFBP-5, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results suggest that major differences exist in the mechanism by which pure FSH alone versus FSH/LH regulate gene expression in preovulatory GC that could impact oocyte maturity and developmental competence.</p

Fosmidomycin Uptake into Plasmodium and Babesia-Infected Erythrocytes Is Facilitated by Parasite-Induced New Permeability Pathways

., a mouse malaria parasite. and related parasites. Our data provide further evidence that parasite-induced new permeability pathways may be exploited as routes for drug delivery