Potential Ethical Concerns in Nanotechnology

2010 ◽  
pp. 261-271
Author(s):  
Chi Anyansi-Archibong ◽  
Silvanus J. Udoka
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Science Review ◽  
Atoms And Molecules ◽  
Size Scale ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
State Of The Science

Nanotechnology is science at the size of individual atoms and molecules. At that size scale, materials have different chemical and physical properties than those of the same materials in bulk. Research has shown that nanotechnology offers opportunities to create revolutionary advances in product development. It also has the potential to improve assessment, management, and prevention of environmental risks. There are however, unanswered questions about the impacts of nanomaterials and nanoproducts on human health and the environment. This chapter describes state-of the-science review, exposure assessment and mitigation, and potential macro ethical issues that must be considered to mitigate risk implications of emerging technologies such as nanotechnology.

scholarly journals 5G mobile networks and health—a state-of-the-science review of the research into low-level RF fields above 6 GHz

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Karipidis ◽  
Rohan Mate ◽  
David Urban ◽  
Rick Tinker ◽  
Andrew Wood
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Mobile Networks ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Exposure Limits ◽  
Membrane Function ◽  
Science Review ◽  
Low Level ◽  
State Of The Science

AbstractThe increased use of radiofrequency (RF) fields above 6 GHz, particularly for the 5 G mobile phone network, has given rise to public concern about any possible adverse effects to human health. Public exposure to RF fields from 5 G and other sources is below the human exposure limits specified by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This state-of-the science review examined the research into the biological and health effects of RF fields above 6 GHz at exposure levels below the ICNIRP occupational limits. The review included 107 experimental studies that investigated various bioeffects including genotoxicity, cell proliferation, gene expression, cell signalling, membrane function and other effects. Reported bioeffects were generally not independently replicated and the majority of the studies employed low quality methods of exposure assessment and control. Effects due to heating from high RF energy deposition cannot be excluded from many of the results. The review also included 31 epidemiological studies that investigated exposure to radar, which uses RF fields above 6 GHz similar to 5 G. The epidemiological studies showed little evidence of health effects including cancer at different sites, effects on reproduction and other diseases. This review showed no confirmed evidence that low-level RF fields above 6 GHz such as those used by the 5 G network are hazardous to human health. Future experimental studies should improve the experimental design with particular attention to dosimetry and temperature control. Future epidemiological studies should continue to monitor long-term health effects in the population related to wireless telecommunications.

scholarly journals Big Data: Some Ethical Concerns for the Social Sciences

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Michael Weinhardt
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Online Behavior ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
State Actors

While big data (BD) has been around for a while now, the social sciences have been comparatively cautious in its adoption for research purposes. This article briefly discusses the scope and variety of BD, and its research potential and ethical implications for the social sciences and sociology, which derive from these characteristics. For example, BD allows for the analysis of actual (online) behavior and the analysis of networks on a grand scale. The sheer volume and variety of data allow for the detection of rare patterns and behaviors that would otherwise go unnoticed. However, there are also a range of ethical issues of BD that need consideration. These entail, amongst others, the imperative for documentation and dissemination of methods, data, and results, the problems of anonymization and re-identification, and the questions surrounding the ability of stakeholders in big data research and institutionalized bodies to handle ethical issues. There are also grave risks involved in the (mis)use of BD, as it holds great value for companies, criminals, and state actors alike. The article concludes that BD holds great potential for the social sciences, but that there are still a range of practical and ethical issues that need addressing.

Commentary: The Broader Context of Long-Term Care Ethics

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 554-556
Author(s):  
Jason Lesandrini ◽  
Carol O’Connell
Keyword(s):  
Care Setting ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Ethics Program ◽  
Made In

Ethical issues in long-term care settings, although having received attention in the literature, have not in our opinion received the appropriate level they require. Thus, we applaud the Cambridge Quarterly for publishing this case. We can attest to the significance of ethical issues arising in long-term care facilities, as Mr. Hope’s case is all too familiar to those practicing in these settings. What is unique about this case is that an actual ethics consult was made in a long-term care setting. We have seen very little in the published literature on the use of ethics structures in long-term care populations. Our experience is that these healthcare settings are ripe for ethical concerns and that providers, patients, families, and staff need/desire ethics resources to actively and preventively address ethical concerns. The popular press has begun to recognize the ethical issues involved in long-term care settings and the need for ethics structures. Recently, in California a nurse refused to initiate CPR for an elderly patient in a senior residence. In that case, the nurse was quoted as saying that the facility had a policy that nurses were not to start CPR for elderly patients.1 Although this case is not exactly the same as that of Mr. Hope, it highlights the need for developing robust ethics program infrastructures in long-term care settings that work toward addressing ethical issues through policy, education, and active consultation.

Mapping the Ethical Issues of Digital Twins for Personalised Healthcare Service (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-hua Huang ◽  
Ki-hun Kim ◽  
Maartje Schermer
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Personalised Medicine ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Ethical Values ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Digital Twins ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
Process Oriented ◽  
Personalised Healthcare

BACKGROUND The concept of digital twins has great potential for transforming the existing healthcare system by making it more personalised. As a convergence of healthcare, artificial intelligence, and information and communication technologies, personalised healthcare services developed under the concept of digital twins raise a myriad of ethical issues. While some of the ethical issues are known to researchers working on digital health and personalised medicine, currently there is no comprehensive review that maps major ethical risks of digital twins for personalised healthcare services. OBJECTIVE This paper fills the research gap by identifying major ethical risks of digital twins for personalised healthcare services. We first propose a working definition for digital twins for personalised healthcare services (DTPHS) to facilitate future discussion on the ethical issues related to these emerging digital health services. We then developed a process-oriented ethical map to identify major ethical risks against each of the different data processing phases. METHODS This research aims to address this research gap by providing a comprehensive analysis of major ethical risks of DTPHSs. Due to the scarcity of literature on DTPHSs, we are unable to perform a systematic review of ethical concerns over DTPHSs. Thus, we resort to literature on eHealth, personalised medicine, precision medicine, and information engineering to identify potential issues. We develop a process-oriented ethical map to structure the inquiry in a more systematic way. The ethical map allows us to see how each of the major ethical concerns emerges during the process of transforming raw data into valuable information. RESULTS The process-oriented ethical analysis identified ten operational problems and the relevant ethical values. By structuring the operational problems and relevant ethical values in a clear logical flow, this process-oriented ethical map allows developers of DTPHSs and stakeholders to have a comprehensive overview of major ethical risks while refining the design of DTPHSs. The ethical values section on the map also helps developers of DTPHSs better understand which values they ought to consider while developing solutions for an operational problem they encounter.   CONCLUSIONS It is challenging to address all of the major ethical risks a DTPHS might encounter proactively without a conceptual map at hand. The process-oriented ethical map we propose here can assist developers of DTPHSs in analysing ethical risks in a more systematic manner. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

scholarly journals The ethical concerns of seeking consent from critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients for research – A matter of possessing capacity or surrogate insight

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 107-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avelino C Verceles ◽  
Waqas Bhatti
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Informed Consent ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Mechanically Ventilated ◽  
Mechanically Ventilated Patients ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Multiple Factors ◽  
Ventilated Patients

Conducting clinical research on subjects admitted to intensive care units is challenging, as they frequently lack the capacity to provide informed consent due to multiple factors including intensive care unit acquired delirium, coma, the need for sedation, or underlying critical illness. However, the presence of one or more of these characteristics does not automatically designate a potential subject as lacking capacity to provide their own informed consent. We review the ethical issues involved in obtaining informed consent for medical research from mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients, in addition to the concerns that may arise when a legally authorized representative is asked to provide informed consent on behalf of these patients.

The Built Environment, Physical Activity, and Aging in the United States: A State of the Science Review

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Haselwandter ◽  
Michael P. Corcoran ◽  
Sara C. Folta ◽  
Raymond Hyatt ◽  
Mark Fenton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
United States ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Science Review ◽  
State Of The Science
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