February 4, 2008
The American Journal of Bioethics (Volume 8 Issue 1, 2008) is now available by subscription only. Report “Women’s Neuroethics? Why Sex Matters for Neuroethics” by Molly C. Chalfin; Emily R. Murphy; Katrina A. Karkazis, 1-2 Perspectives “The Prospects for Neuro-Exceptionalism: … Read More
February 4, 2008
With insurers starting to cover them, virtual office visits for minor ailments, follow-ups gain popularity. (Los Angeles Times)
February 4, 2008
Australian euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke doubts he will be charged after a healthy woman used advice provided by his organisation to kill herself. Nitschke insisted that healthy people of sound mind, who were mature enough, should have the right to … Read More
February 4, 2008
The Government has agreed to back down on strict laws planned for embryonic stem-cell experiments after a “compelling case†was made by leading scientists in a letter to The Times. The letter, published last week, expressed alarm that the Human … Read More
February 4, 2008
Scientists in Finland said they had replaced a 65-year-old patient’s upper jaw with a bone transplant cultivated from stem cells isolated from his own fatty tissue and grown inside his abdomen. (Yahoo! News)
February 4, 2008
Dr. Diana Bianchi has a little side project. She’s writing a travel guide. It’s technically about the history of genetics and genomics, but it’s really, like much of her work, about the intersections of discovery. (Boston Globe)
February 4, 2008
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (OnlineEarly Articles) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Do Palliative Consultations Improve Patient Outcomes?” by David Casarett, MD, MA, Amy Pickard, BA, F. Amos Bailey, MD, Christine Ritchie, MD, MPH, Christian Furman, … Read More
February 4, 2008
Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 299 No. 3, January 23, 2008) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Turning the Disability Tide: The Importance of Definitions” by Lisa I. Iezzoni; Vicki A. Freedman, 332-334 “Does Having More … Read More
February 3, 2008
“Hillarycare” crashed and burned in 1993 because it was overly bureaucratic and complicated. She has now gone in the opposite direction–mandatory private coverage. But, I don’t think this policy idea is going to fly, either. When asked how she would … Read More
February 3, 2008
The media in Australia and New Zealand are shocked that Philip Nitschke–the Down Under Jack Kevorkian–would help a woman commit suicide who wasn’t terminally ill. What amazes me is that they are seemingly surprised. He’s done it before in the … Read More
February 2, 2008
The Brits like to brag that their approach to cloning is the most enlightened, that is, it allows new biotechnologies to proceed, but only under “strict” regulations. Except, I have yet to see any meaningful restrictions or strict regulations actually … Read More
February 2, 2008
This is my third and final article in a series on the bioarts, a relatively new field in which artists are using living tissue and organisms to create their works. Earlier, I addressed the question, What is bioart? and also … Read More
February 1, 2008
The new eugenics is growing at a horrifying pace. In the UK, a House of Lords, member argued that disabled children should be aborted for their own good. From the story: Seriously disabled children should be considered non-persons and would … Read More
February 1, 2008
A man’s jaw was refashioned using adult stem cells from his own fat. From the story: Scientists in Finland said they had replaced a 65-year-old patient’s upper jaw with a bone transplant cultivated from stem cells isolated from his own … Read More
February 1, 2008
James asks: Wesley, What’s your take on the Lauren Richardson case in Delaware? Can you get involved to protect the life of this young woman? Lauren Richardson, for those who may not know, is a young woman diagnosed to be … Read More
February 1, 2008
A story from Japan I think is metaphorical to a larger ennui or nihilism in the West. Suicide rates are at very disturbing proportions. From the story: If the Golden Gate Bridge had been built in Japan, there might be … Read More
February 1, 2008
In yesterday’s edition of the journal Science, the geneticist Craig Venter announced that his team has created the genetic code of a bacterium. It is only a matter of time before he transplants this into a cell to create the … Read More
February 1, 2008
In 1996, scientists at IBM and Northwestern University used single-stranded DNA as if it were molecular Velcro to program the self-assembly of nanoparticles into simple structures. The work helped launch the then-nascent nanotechnology field by suggesting the possibility of building … Read More
February 1, 2008
Korean scientists said Friday (Feb. 1) that they have successfully produced stem cells from the skin tissue of laboratory animals without relying on the use of ovum. (Korea.net)
February 1, 2008
Cutting edge telemedicine technology, that will allow medical staff to offer “virtual” health care, is being trialled at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. (BBC)
February 1, 2008
Most people probably view pigs at best as a source of sustenance or, at worst, as filthy, gluttonous animals. But it seems our porcine pals may also prove invaluable in the fight against type 1 diabetes. Researchers are experimenting with … Read More
