A Modified Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide Regimen, for Unmanipulated Haploidentical Marrow Transplantation, in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Multicenter Study

Abstract We report a modified post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-CY) regimen, for unmanipulated haploidentical marrow transplants, in 150 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). All patients received a myeloablative regimen, cyclosporine A (CsA) on day 0, mycophenolate on day +1, and PT-CY 50 mg/kg on days +3 and +5. The median age was 51 (range, 17–74) years, 51 (34%) patients had active disease at transplant, and the median follow-up of surviving patients 903 (range, 150-1955) days. The cumulative incidence (CI) of engraftment, acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grade II to IV, and moderate/severe chronic GVHD was 92%, 17%, and 15%, respectively. The 4-year CI of transplant-related mortality (TRM) and relapse was 20% and 24%, respectively. Four-year survival for remission patients was 72% (74% versus 67% fo

State of the art on ethical, legal, and social issues linked to audio- and video-based AAL solutions - Uploaded on December 29, 2021

Ambient assisted living (AAL) technologies are increasingly presented and sold as essential smart additions to daily life and home environments that will radically transform the healthcare and wellness markets of the future. An ethical approach and a thorough understanding of all ethics in surveillance/monitoring architectures are therefore pressing. AAL poses many ethical challenges raising questions that will affect immediate acceptance and long-term usage. Furthermore, ethical issues emerge from social inequalities and their potential exacerbation by AAL, accentuating the existing access gap between high-income countries (HIC) and low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Legal aspects mainly refer to the adherence to existing legal frameworks and cover issues related to product safety, data protection, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and access to data by public, private, and government bodies. Successful privacy-friendly AAL applications are needed, as the pressure to bring Internet of Things (IoT) devices and ones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) quickly to market cannot overlook the fact that the environments in which AAL will operate are mostly private (e.g., the home). The social issues focus on the impact of AAL technologies before and after their adoption. Future AAL technologies need to consider all aspects of equality such as gender, race, age and social disadvantages and avoid increasing loneliness and isolation among, e.g. older and frail people. Finally, the current power asymmetries between the target and general populations should not be underestimated nor should the discrepant needs and motivations of the target group and those developing and deploying AAL systems. Whilst AAL technologies provide promising solutions for the health and social care challenges, they are not exempt from ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI). A set of ELSI guidelines is needed to integrate these factors at the research and development stage

Facilitating free travel in the Schengen area - A position paper by the European Association for Biometrics

Due to migration, terror‐threats and the viral pandemic, various EU member states have re‐established internal border control or even closed their borders. European Association for Biometrics (EAB), a non‐profit organisation, solicited the views of its members on ways which biometric technologies and services may be used to help with re‐establishing open borders within the Schengen area while at the same time mitigating any adverse effects. From the responses received, this position paper was composed to identify ideas to re‐establish free travel between the member states in the Schengen area. The paper covers the contending needs for security, open borders and fundamental rights as well as legal constraints that any technological solution must consider. A range of specific technologies for direct biometric recognition alongside complementary measures are outlined. The interrelated issues of ethical and societal considerations are also highlighted. Provided a holistic approach is adopted, it may be possible to reach a more optimal trade‐off with regards to open borders while maintaining a high‐level of security and protection of fundamental rights. European Association for Biometrics and its members can play an important role in fostering a shared understanding of security and mobility challenges and their solutions

Autonomía y la genética de la conducta

La idea de que el comportamiento, rasgos de personalidad, preferencias y opciones pueden resultar de una especie de programa biológico de toma de decisiones, formado por la evolución y trasmitido por el ADN, choca contra la de la "autonomía". El término "autonomía" realmente implica la idea de libertad y capacidad de autodeterminación, tener control sobre su propia vida y va más allá de cualquier influencia de fuerzas biológicas, psicológicas y sociales obsesivas, genes inclusive. La política de acción científica tiene que estar basada tanto en un momento de universalidad, representado por el determinismo, como en las demandas pragmáticas planteadas por el indeterminismo y la autonomía. A veces los científicos no parecen comprender esto.The idea that behaviour, personality traits, preferences and choices may be the result of a sort of biological decision-making programme, shaped by evolution and carried by DNA, conflicts with the idea of "autonomy". Indeed the term "autonomy" involves the idea of freedom and the capacity to be self-determining, to be in control of one's own life, beyond any influence of biological, psychological and social compulsive forces, genes included. Policy of scientific action has to be based both on a moment of universality, which is represented by determinism, and on the pragmatic demands posed by indeterminism and autonomy. Sometimes, scientists do not seem to realise this.A idéia de que a conduta, traços de personalidade, preferências e opções possam originar-se em um tipo de programa biológico de tomada de decisões, modelado pela evolução e contido no DNA colide com a idéia de autonomia. O termo autonomia realmente envolve a idéia de liberdade e capacidade de autodeterminação, controle da própria vida e vai além de qualquer influência de forças compulsivas biológicas, psicológicas e sociais, inclusive os genes. Políticas direcionadoras da atividade científica devem ser baseadas tanto em um momento de universalidade, representado pelo determinismo, quanto nas demandas pragmáticas postas pela indeterminação e autonomia. Às vezes os cientistas parecem não compreender isso

Biometric privacy protection: What is this thing called privacy?

Abstract We are at the wake of an epochal revolution, the Information Revolution. The Information Revolution has been accompanied by the rise of a new commodity, digital data, which is changing the world including methods for human recognition. Biometric systems are the recognition technology of the new age. So, privacy scholars tend to frame biometric privacy protection chiefly in terms of biometric data protection. The author argues that this is a misleading perspective. Biometric data protection is an extremely relevant legal and commercial issue but has little to do with privacy. The notion of privacy, understood as a personal intimate sphere, is hardly related to what is contained in this private realm (data or whatever else), rather it is related to the very existence of a secluded space. Privacy relies on having the possibility to hide rather than in hiding anything. What really matters is the existence of a private sphere rather than what is inside. This also holds true for biometric privacy. Biometric privacy protection should focus on bodily and psychological integrity, preventing those technology conditions and operating practices that may lead to turn biometric recognition into a humiliating experience for the individual

Peptide vaccines in immunocontraception

Vaccines have been used successfully to treat and eradicate infectious diseases; this has encouraged a major drive towards development of contraceptive vaccines (immunocontraception) as an additional method against rising human and animal populations. Despite three decades worth of research in this field, there are no licensed human contraceptive vaccines and less than ten for use in animals. The development of peptide antifertility vaccines has had a substantial impact on improving safety and specificity of immunogens, but has resulted in efficacy problems. Innovative strategies have been developed to overcome these problems