Jérôme Lejeune (1926-1994): A Pioneer in Uncovering the Connection Between Congenital Conditions and Chromosomal Anomalies.

Jérôme Lejeune was a French physician and geneticist whose crucial contribution to the field of medicine was the discovery of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in those presenting with a range of physical and developmental anomalies known as Down syndrome. From this discovery on, the condition had a new name (trisomy 21) and a specific scientific explanation that left no room for discrimination against those affected and their parents. Lejeune promoted the idea that a medical doctor should hate the condition and love the patient: while working to find a cure for trisomy 21, Lejeune was also able to reassure his patients and their families and lead them out from under a long-standing stigma inflicted upon them.

Double-Effect Donation or Bodily Respect? A "Third Way" Response to Camosy and Vukov.

Is it possible to donate unpaired vital organs, foreseeing but not intending one's own death? We argue that this is indeed psychologically possible, and thus far agree with Charles Camosy and Joseph Vukov in their recent paper on "double effect donation." Where we disagree with these authors is that we see double-effect donation not as a morally praiseworthy act akin to martyrdom but as a morally impermissible act that necessarily disrespects human bodily integrity. Respect for bodily integrity goes beyond avoiding the aim to kill: not all side effects of deliberate bodily interventions can be outweighed by intended benefits for another even if the subject fully consents.

Childbearing, abortion and regret: a response to Kate Greasley.

Is moral or other regret for abortion an indicator that abortion may not be morally or prudentially choice worthy? This paper examines the work of Kate Greasley in this area, who offers an explanation of any asymmetry in openness to regret between women who have abortions and women who give birth. The latter, not unlike Derek Parfit's 14-year-old who conceives deliberately, may feel duty-bound not to regret their decision (in their case, to continue their pregnancy) and to affirm the life of their child. In response to Greasley, testimonial evidence of one group cannot be dismissed simply because regret may be less available to another group of decision-makers.

The Changing Face of Feticide in Multiple Pregnancies.

The selective termination of one or more fetuses in higher order multiple pregnancies began in the 1980s in response to the increased rate of multiples arising from assisted reproductive technology (ART). Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction (MFPR) was justified by improving outcomes for the remaining offspring and their mother, and while the evidence suggests prematurity and the morbidity associated with it are reduced, there is a cost in increased miscarriage and mortality. As perinatal care has advanced, the margins of improvement have narrowed and hence the cost/benefit ratio.

Coerced Abortion - The Neglected Face of Reproductive Coercion.

Reproductive coercion encompasses a collection of pregnancy promoting and pregnancy avoiding behaviours. Coercion may vary in severity and be perpetrated by intimate partners or others. Research is complicated by the inclusion of behaviours that do not necessarily involve an intention to influence reproduction, such as contraceptive sabotage.

Abortion and Infertility.

The purpose of this article is to examine one potential factor that might negatively impact female fertility, namely induced abortion. While there appears to be a general consensus that there is no association between abortion and infertility, amongst the publications that do exist there is nevertheless evidence to the contrary. Moreover, given the variety of reasonable grounds for a link, and the insufficient attention to the subject by researchers, a re-examination of the field is warranted.

Targeting the Fetal Body and/or Mother-Child Connection: Vital Conflicts and Abortion.

Unlabelled: Is the "act itself" of separating a pregnant woman and her previable child neither good nor bad morally, considered in the abstract? Recently, Maureen Condic and Donna Harrison have argued that such separation is justified to protect the mother's life and that it does not constitute an abortion as the aim is not to kill the child. In our article on maternal-fetal conflicts, we agree there need be no such aim to kill (supplementing aims such as to remove). However, we argue that to understand "abortion" as performed only where the death of the child is intended is to define the term too narrowly.

Toxic Cyanobacteria in Svalbard: Chemical Diversity of Microcystins Detected Using a Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry Precursor Ion Screening Method.

Cyanobacteria synthesize a large variety of secondary metabolites including toxins. Microcystins (MCs) with hepato- and neurotoxic potential are well studied in bloom-forming planktonic species of temperate and tropical regions. Cyanobacterial biofilms thriving in the polar regions have recently emerged as a rich source for cyanobacterial secondary metabolites including previously undescribed congeners of microcystin.

Teaching how to bridge neuroscience, society, and culture.

Societal awareness and transdisciplinarity lie at the heart of a novel educational resource that teaches how to bridge neuroscience, society and culture.

Scientific institutions and effective governance: a case study of Chinese stem cell research.

In terms of stem cell research, China appears both as a "powerhouse" armed with state-of-the-art facilities, internationally trained personnel and permissive regulation and as a "bit player," with its capability for conducting high quality research still in question. The gap between China's assiduous endeavors and the observed outcome is due to a number of factors. Based on interviews with 48 key stakeholders active in Chinese stem cell research, this article examines how the structure of scientific institutions has affected effective governance in China.

Young People's Experience of ADHD and Stimulant Medication: A Qualitative Study for the NICE Guideline.

Background:   The NICE ADHD Guideline Group found a lack of research evidence on young people's experiences with stimulant medications. The present study was commissioned to help fill this gap in the evidence base and to inform the Guideline.

Method:   Focus groups and 1:1 interviews with 16 UK young people with ADHD.

The organization of scientists and its relation to scientific productivity: Perceptions of Chinese stem cell researchers.

Chinese government funding of R&D ranks third in the world. Yet China ranks only 17th in terms of scientific productivity per unit of investment. The author recently conducted fieldwork on the team structure of 22 Chinese stem cell research groups.

The science of online dating. Can the application of science to unravel the biological basis of love complement the traditional, romantic ideal of finding a soul mate?

Can the application of science to unravel the biological basis of love complement the traditional, romantic ideal of finding a soul mate?

Neuroculture.

Neuroscience addresses questions that, if resolved, will reveal aspects of our individuality. Therefore neuroscientific knowledge is not solely constrained within laboratories, but readily captures the attention of the public at large. Ideas, concepts and images in neuroscience widely circulate in culture and are portrayed in literature, film, works of art, the mass media and commercial products, therefore shaping social values and consumer practices.

hESCCO: development of good practice models for hES cell derivation.

One response of the UK research community to the public sensitivity and logistical complexity of embryo donation to stem cell research has been the formation of a national network of 'human embryonic stem cell coordinators' (hESCCO). The aim of hESCCO is to contribute to the formation and implementation of national standards for hES cell derivation and banking, in particular the ethical protocols for patient information and informed consent. The hESCCO project is an innovative practical intervention within the broader attempt to establish greater transparency, consistency, efficiency and standardization of hES derivation in the UK.

A quackery with a difference-new medical pluralism and the problem of 'dangerous practitioners' in the United Kingdom.

The figure of the 'miracle cure'-peddling quack pretending spectacular properties for worthless tonics is iconic. From their 19th century traveling wagon shows to their 21st century Internet spam scams, hucksters and cranks have been consistently targeted by health authorities as a danger to public health. Yet, in this paper, I argue that this is only one form that the problem of 'quackery' has taken in the past two centuries or so in the United Kingdom.

'Crook' pipettes: embryonic emigrations from agriculture to reproductive biomedicine.

While cloning, stem cells, and regenerative medicine are often imagined in a futurial idiom--as expectations, hype, hope and promises--this article approaches the remaking of genealogy in such contexts from a historical route. Through a series of somewhat disparate historical connections linking Australian sheep to the development of clinical IVF and the cloning of Dolly at the Roslin Institute in Scotland in 1996, this article explores the linkages through which agriculture, embryology, and reproductive biomedicine are thickly intertwined. Key to this examination is not only the history of experimental sheep breeding, and its somewhat unexpectedly genealogical connections to (Australian) national identity ('wool in the veins'), but also the re-emergence of a distinctive frontier ethos in the context of assisted conception, and later human embryonic stem cell derivation.

Clinical implications of ethical concepts: moral self-understandings in children taking methylphenidate for ADHD.

Stimulant drug treatments for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been a particular target of ethical controversy and debate. Bioethicists have raised concerns about the implications of stimulant drug treatment for child authenticity, individuality, and enhancement. There is at present little empirical evidence to support or deny these concerns.