12 research outputs found
Transplant ethics under scrutiny – responsibilities of all medical professionals
Abstract In this text, we present and elaborate ethical
challenges in transplant medicine related to organ procurement
and organ distribution, together with measures
to solve such challenges. Based on internationally acknowledged
ethical standards, we looked at cases of organ
procurement and distribution practices that deviated from
such ethical standards. One form of organ procurement is
known as commercial organ trafficking, while in China the
organ procurement is mostly based on executing prisoners,
including killing of detained Falun Gong practitioners
for their organs. Efforts from within the medical community
as well as from governments have contributed to provide
solutions to uphold ethical standards in medicine. The
medical profession has the responsibility to actively promote
ethical guidelines in medicine to prevent a decay of
ethical standards and to ensure best medical practices
The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning
This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb
Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period.
We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments,
and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch
expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of
achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the
board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases,
JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite
have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range
that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through
observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.Comment: 5th version as accepted to PASP; 31 pages, 18 figures;
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/acb29
Cold Genocide: Falun Gong in China
The article explores patterns of a cold genocide in the eradication campaign against Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that has been targeted for eradication by the Chinese regime since 1999. In comparison to the documented cases of genocide, the genocide of Falun Gong stands out as anomalous because it is virtually ignored. The article seeks to elucidate the multi-faceted nature of this concealed genocide from an interdisciplinary perspective encompassing social work, medicine and law, In particular, the article demonstrates that the eradication campaign against Falun Gong is distinguishable as a cold genocide as it is: (1) multi-dimensional - the destruction of Falun Gong practitioners is not only physical but psychological, social and spiritual; (2) subtle in terms of visibility; and it is (3) normalized in the society in which it takes place. The interplay of these invisible, non-physical elements of eradication renders the cold genocide of Falun Gong insidious, potent and deadly. It is also the interplay of these factors that led this genocide to be underrepresented in genocide studies today
Cold Genocide: Falun Gong in China
The article explores patterns of a cold genocide in the eradication campaign against Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that has been targeted for eradication by the Chinese regime since 1999. In comparison to the documented cases of genocide, the genocide of Falun Gong stands out as anomalous because it is virtually ignored. The article seeks to elucidate the multi-faceted nature of this concealed genocide from an interdisciplinary perspective encompassing social work, medicine and law, In particular, the article demonstrates that the eradication campaign against Falun Gong is distinguishable as a cold genocide as it is: (1) multi-dimensional - the destruction of Falun Gong practitioners is not only physical but psychological, social and spiritual; (2) subtle in terms of visibility; and it is (3) normalized in the society in which it takes place. The interplay of these invisible, non-physical elements of eradication renders the cold genocide of Falun Gong insidious, potent and deadly. It is also the interplay of these factors that led this genocide to be underrepresented in genocide studies today
Smoke and mirrors : unanswered questions and misleading statements obscure the truth about organ sources in China
This response refutes the claim made in a recent article that organs for transplantation in China will no longer be sourced from executed prisoners. We identify ongoing ethical problems due to the lack of transparent data on current numbers of transplants in China; implausible and conflicting claims about voluntary donations; and obfuscation about who counts as a voluntary donor. The big unanswered question in Chinese transplant ethics is the source of organs, and until there is an open and independently audited system in China, legitimate concerns remain about organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience.2 page(s
Transplant International Journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation.
We write to express our concerns over the recently published paper by Chen et al, "Outcomes in kidney transplantation with mycophenolate mofetil-based maintenance immunosuppression in China: a large-sample retrospective analysis of a national database" and request details of the kidney procurement process in DCD or DCBD donors in relation to the short WIT" (Transplant International 2020, https://doi.org/10.1111/tri.13566)