In Other Journals

Let’s get together

Like the open-source software community, an open-science community for rare diseases is needed, say US experts. Forrest and colleagues say that although any one such condition may be rare, about 6% to 8% of people will have a rare disease at some point during life. No single institution, and in many cases no single country, has sufficient numbers of patients to conduct generalisable clinical and translational research on any of these diseases. Thus, the call for a global open-science community with the infrastructure to provide, among other things, a forum for exchange of experiences and knowledge. Wouldn’t it be great if, each time a new registry for a rare disease is developed, we didn’t have to start from scratch?

Lancet Online 2 August 2010

Spiderwatch

Did you know that New Zealand has over 1100 named species of spiders, approximately 95% of which are unique to the Land of the Long White Cloud? Luckily for New Zealanders, very few of these spiders pose a threat to human health. Nevertheless, there is growing interest in properly identifying any spiders confirmed as having bitten a person in New Zealand. Derraik and colleagues have reported the first account of a bite by the New Zealand native spider Trite planiceps — the patient survived (easily), the spider did not. Less formally known as the black headed jumping spider, this spider is commonly encountered around homes and generally considered to be rather docile.

N Z Med J 2010; 123: 112-118

Who oversees artists?

In 2008, police raided a Sydney art gallery just before the opening of an exhibition of photographs by noted Australian artist and photographer Bill Henson. Photographs depicting naked children were seized, although later released, and Henson was not prosecuted. The event promoted, at the time, vigorous debate about censorship, and now, an editorial by Isaacs and Isaacs. They say we have a duty to protect children from exploitation and — drawing an analogy with research involving children — ask whether the children photographed were able to give truly informed consent. According to Isaacs and Isaacs, Australian states and territories have varying legislation concerning children in art, including whether it is illegal for artists to work with naked children. They say that the Australia Council for the Arts is developing protocols for artists working with children, and that it is commendable that artists develop a code of conduct which reconciles artistic freedom with the needs and rights of children.

J Paediatr Child Health 2010; 46: 369-371

An “author pays” BMJ?

With the aim of ensuring the sustainability of open-access publication of research and in the spirit of experimentation, the BMJ is introducing an “author pays” model for research. In announcing this step, Godlee and Groves noted that most other open-access journals already levy fees to cover the costs of peer review, journal production, and online hosting and archiving. A publication fee of £2500 will now apply for each research article accepted by the BMJ — but only when the funder of the research has pledged to pay for open-access publication. The fee will be requested only after a study is accepted for publication; and the seeking and processing of fees will not delay editing or publication, they say. Reassuringly, all submitted research will continue to be judged entirely on its importance, originality, quality and relevance, and not on the author’s (or authors’) ability to pay.

BMJ 2010; 341: c4494

Tai chi benefits fibromyalgia

Tai chi may be a useful therapy in the multi-disciplinary treatment of fibromyalgia, say US researchers. Wang and colleagues conducted a single-blind randomised trial of classic Yang-style tai chi compared with a control intervention (wellness education and stretching) in 66 patients with fibromyalgia.1 After a 12-week intervention, the tai chi group benefited from significant symptomatic improvement, with improvements maintained at 24 weeks. The tai chi group received instruction from a tai chi master with more than 20 years of teaching experience. In a linked editorial, Yeh and colleagues suggested that even if it is too early for doctors to take out a prescription pad and write “tai chi”, it is now reasonable, given the potential efficacy and lack of adverse effects, to support patients’ interest in exploring these types of exercises.2

1. N Engl J Med 2010; 363: 743-754 2. N Engl J Med 2010; 363: 783-784