(Press-News.org) SAN ANGELO, Texas —Tom Green County District Court Judge Barbara L. Walther ruled Thursday, July 11, 2024, that Angelo State University must release public records relating to an experiment conducted on dozens of mice that resulted in the animals’ unnecessary suffering and death, reportedly to study the impact of the foster care system on human children.
The ruling overturns Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Nov. 17, 2022 decision to side with the university in denying the records.
On July 13, 2023, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington, D.C. based health advocacy group of more than 17,000 doctor members that encourages higher standards in research, filed a lawsuit seeking information on the “foster care study.”
In the “foster care study,” experimenters used mice in an attempt to mimic the effects of multiple foster placements on children within the foster care system. Baby mice were removed from their biological mothers at different intervals. Researchers tested the mice for “anxiety-like” behavior, killed them, and weighed their brains. Researchers concluded that mice who lived in one foster home, as opposed to two, were more “resilient.”
Stephen Farghali, a research advocacy coordinator with the Physicians Committee, wrote in a Nov. 3, 2022, complaint to the chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, “Is killing 81 animals necessary to ‘prove’ that human children are better off not bouncing between multiple foster homes? Killing animals doesn’t make it science. We think the public deserves to know how little these researchers value the lives of their animal research subjects.”
The Physicians Committee filed a Texas Public Information Act request on Sept. 14, 2022, for Angelo State’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocols and annual reports related to the “foster care study” to learn how the animals were used and treated.
The university denied the Physicians Committee’s records request claiming that IACUCs are medical committees and their records are therefore exempt from disclosure under public records law.
In her ruling, Judge Walther wrote Angelo State’s IACUC does not meet the legal definition of a medical committee, which is a committee of a medical school or health science center. “…[T]he information requested by Petitioner should be released and is not protected information,” she wrote.
Deborah Press, associate general counsel with the Physicians Committee, said “This ruling shows that animal experimenters in Texas cannot invent loopholes to hide the indefensible things they’re doing to animals.”
For an interview with Ms. Press or Mr. Farghali, please contact Kim Kilbride at 202-717-8665 or at kkilbride@pcrm.org.
Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in education and research.
END
Judge: Texas university must release records on research study that resulted in deaths of dozens of animals
Ruling overturns Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s upholding of university’s denial
2024-07-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
UMass Amherst food scientist rises to the challenge of giving marbled fatty feel and taste to plant-based meat
2024-07-12
One of the challenges of creating realistic-looking and delectable plant-based meat is mimicking the marbled effect of animal fat that many carnivores expect and enjoy.
A University of Massachusetts Amherst food scientist has a plan to tackle this quandary by developing new technology supported by a $250,000 grant from the Good Food Institute. The not-for-profit think tank promotes plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy and eggs, as well as cultivated “clean meat” grown from animal cells in a facility.
The technology proposed ...
Complex impact of large wildfires on ozone layer dynamics unveiled by new study
2024-07-12
In a revelation that highlights the fragile balance of our planet's atmosphere, scientists from China, Germany, and the USA have uncovered an unexpected link between massive wildfire events and the chemistry of the ozone layer. Published in Science Advances, this study reveals how wildfires, such as the catastrophic 2019/20 Australian bushfires, impact the stratosphere in previously unseen ways.
The ozone layer, a crucial shield protecting life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, has been on a path to ...
Brain inflammation triggers muscle weakness after infections
2024-07-12
Infections and neurodegenerative diseases cause inflammation in the brain. But for unknown reasons, patients with brain inflammation often develop muscle problems that seem to be independent of the central nervous system. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have revealed how brain inflammation releases a specific protein that travels from the brain to the muscles and causes a loss of muscle function.
The study, in fruit flies and mice, also identified ways to block this process, which could have ...
Research alert: All stem cell therapies are not created equal
2024-07-12
Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that two of the most frequently administered stem cell therapies, which are often used interchangeably, actually contain completely different types of cells. The results challenge the current “one-cell-cures-all” paradigm in orthopedic stem cell therapeutics and highlight the need for more informed and rigorous characterization of injectable stem cell therapies before they are marketed for use in patients.
The researchers analyzed cell populations of autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) and adipose-derived ...
Complex impact of large wildfires on ozone layer dynamics
2024-07-12
The ozone layer, a crucial shield protecting life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, has been on a path to recovery thanks to the Montreal Protocol. This landmark international treaty, adopted in 1987, successfully led to phasing out the production of numerous substances responsible for ozone depletion. Over the past decades, the ozone layer has shown significant signs of healing, a testament to global cooperation and environmental policy.
However, the stability of this vital atmospheric layer is now facing a new and unexpected challenge. During the 2019/20 Australian wildfires, ...
AI found to boost individual creativity – at the expense of less varied content
2024-07-12
Stories written with AI assistance have been deemed to be more creative, better written and more enjoyable.
A new study published in the journal Science Advances finds that AI enhances creativity by boosting the novelty of story ideas as well as the ‘usefulness’ of stories – their ability to engage the target audience and potential for publication.
It finds that AI “professionalizes” stories, making them more enjoyable, more likely to have plot twists, better written and less boring.
In ...
Texas A&M research collaboration uncovers how domestic rabbits become feral in the wild
2024-07-12
Researchers at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have uncovered how natural selection “rewilds” domestic rabbits.
The study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, helps answer the question of how normally tame rabbits — which have many natural predators — can become a force of ecological destruction when purposefully or accidentally reintroduced to the wild.
Here Comes Peter Cottontail
Every gardener knows how much of a nuisance rabbits can be, but ...
Scientists find new way global air churn makes particles
2024-07-12
By Leah Shaffer
You can think of our atmosphere as a big chemistry set, a global churn of gaseous molecules and particles that constantly bounce off and change each other in complicated ways. While the particles are very small, often less than 1% of the thickness of human hair, they have outsized impacts. For example, particles are the seeds of cloud droplets, and the abundance of the particles changes the reflectivity and the amount of clouds, rainfall and climate.
Now, researchers at Washington University in St. ...
Researchers discover a new neural biomarker for OCD
2024-07-12
A recent study from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital has identified a specific neural activity pattern as a novel biomarker to accurately predict and monitor the clinical status of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who have undergone deep brain stimulation (DBS), a rapidly emerging therapeutic approach for severe psychiatric disorders. The study, led by led by Drs. Sameer Sheth and Wayne Goodman along with co-lead authors, Drs. Nicole Provenza, ...
Vivid portrait of interacting galaxies marks Webb’s second anniversary
2024-07-12
Two for two! A duo of interacting galaxies commemorates the second science anniversary of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which takes constant observations, including images and highly detailed data known as spectra. Its operations have led to a “parade” of discoveries by astronomers around the world.
“Since President Biden and Vice President Harris unveiled the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope two years ago, Webb has continued to unlock the mysteries of the universe,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “With remarkable images from the ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] Judge: Texas university must release records on research study that resulted in deaths of dozens of animalsRuling overturns Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s upholding of university’s denial