Ethical Evaluations Research Articles

Nanomedicine as a Better Therapeutic Approach: An Overview

Abstract: The fields of nanotechnology and nanomedicine have undergone a revolution. There has been a striking rise in authorized nanomedicines since 1980. Apart from functioning as thera-peutic agents, they also act as carriers for delivering various active pharmaceuticals to target or-gans. The ultimate goal of nanomedicine has always been the generation of translational technol-ogies that can improve current therapies. Nanocrystals, nanotubes, liposomes, exosomes, solid li-pid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, and metallic and magnetic nanoparticles are examples of nanostructures that are now in the market as well as in ongoing research. The preparation of these nanomaterials requires consideration of a number of difficulties. Only a few of these nano-materials were successful in obtaining marketing permission after passing all required toxicologi-cal and ethical evaluations and making them affordable to users and, at the same time, profitable to investors. Cancer, central nervous system (CNS) diseases, and cardiovascular (CVS) diseases represented the primary targets of nanotechnology applied to medicine. Therefore, this review ar-ticle is focused on providing a summary of several nano-based delivery systems, including their limitations and prospects in different therapeutic fields.

T2-weighted spoiled gradient echo MRI for forensic age estimation: a study on knee growth plates.

The timing of growth plate fusion is a key indicator for age estimation and is primarily used in forensic investigations. On the other hand, non-ionizing techniques such as MRI are being developed to provide safer and more ethical evaluations in forensic casework. This study aims to evaluate the closure process of growth plates in the distal femoral and proximal tibial epiphyses using Multiple Echo Recombined Gradient Echo (MERGE) MRI sequences and provide age estimation data based on staging methods for forensic purposes. We retrospectively analyzed 559 patients (294 males, 265 females, aged 8-25 years) diagnosed with trauma and knee pain at Tepecik Training and Research Hospital from 2016 to 2019. MRI scans were performed using a 1.5-T system with MERGE sequences and evaluated by two observers using a new staging system. Observer agreement was assessed using Cohen's κ test, yielding high agreement values (κ > 0.8). Positive correlations were found between age and ossification stages (p < 0.001). Minimum age thresholds for stages 5a and 5b of the distal femoral epiphysis were 16 and 18 years for females and 17 and 19 years for males, respectively. For the proximal tibial epiphysis, the minimum ages for stages 5a and 5b were 15 years for females and 17 years for males. The MERGE sequence provides a viable method for assessing skeletal maturity in living individuals with significant ethical advantages due to non-ionizing radiation. This study supports the potential application of the MERGE sequence in forensic age estimation, demonstrating high observer agreement and consistency. Future research should focus on comparing different sequences and populations to enhance the methodology's applicability.

Navigating the Ethical Landscape of Xenotransplantation: A Metadata Analysis for Informed Decision-Making

Background: Xenotransplantation, the transfer of animal organs into humans, has gained attention as a solution to the global shortage of human organs for transplantation. Genetic advancements in donor animals, particularly pigs, offer potential to reduce immune rejection and improve compatibility.Objective: This review aimed to examine the scientific advancements, ethical concerns, and clinical outcomes of xenotransplantation, focusing on the use of genetically modified pigs.Methods: A review based on metadata analysis was conducted, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. The research question focused on the efficacy, safety, and ethical considerations of xenotransplantation. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched using keywords such as "xenotransplantation," "genetic modification," "pig organ transplantation," and "immune rejection." Studies were screened based on eligibility criteria, including clinical trials and ethical analyses. Quality was assessed using the CASP tool, and data were synthesized from 27 studies.Results: Xenotransplantation from genetically modified pigs showed a reduction in immune rejection rates by 60% and decreased waiting times for organ transplants by up to 50%. Long-term graft survival remains uncertain, with a success rate of 70% in short-term trials.Conclusion: Xenotransplantation offers a promising solution to organ shortages, but further long-term studies and ethical evaluations are needed to ensure safety and acceptance.

LEGAL ANALYSIS OF EU ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ACT (2024): INSIGHTS FROM PERSONAL DATA GOVERNANCE AND HEALTH POLICY

Background: This study correlates the up-to-date ethical, functional and legal evaluations related to the management and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) under European Union (EU) law, particularly impacting the health data sector and medical standards as provided by the Artificial Intelligence Act within the Regulation adopted by the European Council in May 2024. The initial proposal for the management and governance of the AI sector was submitted in April 2021. Three years later, on 13 March 2024, the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AIA) was adopted by the European Parliament. Subsequently, on 21 May 2024, the Council adopted an innovative legislative framework that harmonises the standards and rules for AI regulation. This framework is set to take effect in May 2026, with the central objective of stimulating and motivating a fair, safe, legal single market that respects the principles of ethics and the fundamental rights of the human person. Methods: The current legal analysis focuses on the European Union’s new institutional governance involving a multistage approach to managing health data, ethical artificial intelligence, generative artificial intelligence and classification of types of AI by considering the degree of risk (e.g. artificial intelligence systems with limited risk and systems with high risk) and medical devices. It outlines the legal framework for AI regulation and governance in the EU by focusing on compliance with the previously adopted legislation in the Medical Devices Regulation (2017) and the In-Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (2017). The paper also examines the application of the newly adopted EU Artificial Intelligence Act in relation to national justice systems, previous EU regulations on medical devices and personal data protection regulation, and its correlation with the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence. This opens up complex discussions related to judicial reform and access to justice. For this purpose, as a research objective, the legal analysis includes an innovative perspective following an integrative discussion on the latest legal reforms and regulations of the AI sector in Eastern Europe launched in 2024 with a special focus on the latest developments in the EU Candidate Countries namely Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Results and conclusions: The present research facilitates the exploration of the real benefits of managing innovative AI systems for medical data, research, and development, as well as within the medical technology industry.

BEHIND THE COMPUTER SCREEN: PERSPECTIVES ON INFORMATION ETHICS AMONG MUSIC EDUCATION STUDENTS

This study aims to understand the views and attitudes of students in the Music Education department at Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Faculty of Education regarding informatics ethics. This research was conducted using a general survey model quantitative research design. The universe of the study comprised students in the Music Education department at Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Faculty of Education. The selected sample, consisting of 73 students who volunteered to participate during the 2023-2024 Academic Year, was used for data collection. An information form created by the researchers and the "Real-Life Situation Scenarios with Informatics Ethics" (RLSSIE) Scale were employed in the data collection process. Overall, the students were found to have moderate views and attitudes toward information ethics. Demographic factors such as gender, age, and class level were observed to have a significant impact on ethical evaluations. Additionally, evaluations based on different scenarios revealed that participants were generally sensitive to ethical values. The influence of factors like residence and income perception on ethical views and attitudes was limited. Notably, participants who connected to the internet via mobile phones had higher ethical views and attitude scores compared to those using computers and tablets. However, the study observed that internet usage quotas did not have a significant impact on general ethical attitudes. The findings indicate that information ethics topics play a crucial role in overall ethical evaluations and suggest that individuals have a broad perspective.

Gender differences in school principals’ ethical decision-making processes

PurposeThis study will examine the school principals’ ethical decision-making processes and to explore gender-related differences.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a mixed-method research design, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with a sample of 10 male and 10 female principals, who were presented with ethical dilemma scenarios. The qualitative component utilized a phenomenological analysis, while additional quantitative analyses were performed on the same dataset to explore gender-related differences.FindingsOur analysis of principals' ethical evaluations identified three key areas where gender-related differences were evident: decision-making approaches, leadership styles, and philosophy/value orientations. The analysis revealed that women more frequently employed personal approaches, while men favored institutional approaches in their ethical evaluations. Secondly, men tended to adopt a democratic style, while women leaned towards an autocratic style. Finally, men exhibited a relativist orientation, while women displayed an idealist orientation in their ethical decision-making processes.Originality/valueGender-based analysis of school principals’ ethical decision-making process has remained an under-researched area. This study contributes to the understanding of gender-related differences in principals’ ethical decision-making processes.

Economics needs ethics to be relevant for the real world we live in!

It is widely believed by economists and non-economists alike that knowing about and ‘doing’ economics does not involve ethical or moral issues. The typical introductory economics textbook starts with simplified statements about economics being value-free and ethically-neutral. But this is not correct and students need to be introduced to economics differently. This paper makes the case for a more explicit and integrated treatment of ethics in our undergraduate economics programs. The argument has two parts. First, economics and ethics are interrelated because both economists and economic actors hold ethical values that shape their behavior. Second, economic institutions and policies impact people differentially so that ethical evaluations, in addition to economic evaluations, are important. Rather than pretend that economics is value-neutral, our programs must show how these effects can be understood so that more effective economists are graduated from our universities.

TRAINING THE AUGMENTED INTERPRETER TODAY

The paper addresses decoding and interpretation of evaluative senses of diminutive and augmentative designations of person. The empirical corpus is constituted by the lexical units selected from lexicographic sources according to a number of criteria, among which are the following: a marker of person in the lexicographic definition, a morphological or syntactic marker of diminutivity and augmentativity in the lexical unit structure, a quantitative and qualitative evaluation marker in the definition, a connotational label. The methods of componential, structural, and linguocultural analysis as well as a descriptive method have been applied to bring into the open evaluative semantics of diminutives and augmentatives. Diminutive and augmentative designations of person are axiologically complicated. Alongside the meaning of diminution and augmentation they express emotional, evaluative, expressive, and stylistic connotations. Axiological potential of the vocabulary layer in question is of great importance for decoding the English speaking community values’ worldview. All diminutives and augmentatives of the corpus are ascertained to have a particular evaluative meaning. Ethical, aesthetic and intellectual evaluations are the most frequent, with emotional, hedonic and normative evaluations being less frequent. Behaviour, appearance, and intelligence are the most important bases for evaluating a person in the English cultural community. Diminutive and augmentative designations of person with rational-emotional and emotional semantics prevail, while designations with rational evaluation are few in number. Evaluative asymmetry also manifests itself in prevalence of pejorative diminutive and augmentative designations. Quantitative evaluation of diminutives and augmentatives is motivated by semantics of the root morpheme, morphological or syntactic marker and depends on the context of use.

Ingrid Olderock and Her Torturing Dogs: On Commanders

This article examines an episode of Chilean history during the days of the dictatorship of General Pinochet: Ingrid Olderock’s life and her criminal actions against people such as Alejandra Holzapfel and others. I use a secular framework for ethical evaluations of human behaviour related to armed conflicts in Latin America. In that context, I engage the following steps. First, I describe Ingrid Olderock’s life, briefly summarising some facts about her educational and political environment based on Nancy Guzman’s Ingrid Olderock: The Madame of the Torture Dogs. This description is complemented by chronicles recently published by Alejandra Matus. Second, I suggest that the ‘commander’ concept (a concept arising within the ethical distinction between active and reactive actions by Gilles Deleuze) helps to assess the case at hand. Finally, I follow the main idea that human activities can be determined without having a transcendent system of values – an idea traditionally linked with Spinoza’s and Nietzsche’s viewpoints, as declared by Deleuze.

Religious suasion: introduction to the special issue

AbstractIn this introduction, we outline a comparative tool for studying communicative ideologies and practices, which we call ‘religious suasion’. Developing a conversation about religious forms of ‘suasion’ is important because it provides a vocabulary for comparing parallel practices of religious influence across different religious communities, allowing for more nuanced understandings of what might commonly – and negatively – be termed ‘proselytizing’. The proposed analytical frame is not concerned with how the ‘convert’ might experience religious change, nor with how social and religious change unfolds on a grand scale. Rather, it interrogates and puts into dialogue multiple forms of discursive practice, demonstrations of virtue, and material forms of religion to reach beyond suasive strategies based on formal doctrines about religious propagation that tend to be associated with traditionally evangelistic religious communities, especially with Christianity. Focusing on the rhetorical strategies, religious imaginaries, and ethical evaluations that underpin how religious actors pursue change in others and in and of the world, ‘religious suasion’ contributes to the development of an anthropology of influence.

Neo-Aristotelian Naturalism, Local Ethical Supervenience, and the Beneficial Character of Virtue

This article explores the ambivalent relationship of neo-Aristotelian naturalism to ethical supervenience. One of the main proponents of this approach, Michael Thompson, holds a position that leads to a rejection of local ethical supervenience. It is argued that this rejection implicitly undermines a premise held by other prominent neo-Aristotelian naturalists, such as Philippa Foot or Rosalind Hursthouse, who implemented Thompson’s species-relative logic of ethical evaluations into their theories. This premise—that there is a systematic connection between the virtuous life and the benefit of the individual—could be re-established if neo-Aristotelian naturalism abandoned the species-essentialist understanding of life-forms and instead accepted local ethical supervenience as an ethical frame of reference. Although this article derives its problem from the main works of the aforementioned authors, its interest lies not mainly in exegesis, but in the systematic discussion of the logical status and the functionality of the concept of life-form in neo-Aristotelian naturalism. This discussion will be enriched by the inclusion of the logical distinctions and insights from modern philosophical biology.

The Effect of Group Dynamics on Individual Ethical Decision Making

ABSTRACT Given that many significant decisions in accounting are made by groups of professionals, it is important to understand the impact of group interactions on ethical decision making. We examine how group dynamics can influence an individual’s ethical evaluations and intentions and whether the effect of these group interactions persists in the future. We also explore the ethical orientations used by participants to inform their ethical judgments. Our results indicate that individual initial assessments of ethical scenarios are consistently more ethical than group assessments of the same ethical scenarios. Groups consistently viewed questionable actions as more acceptable than individuals and were more likely to say that they or their peers would perform the action. This less ethical perspective persists in future individual ethical assessments, demonstrating a contagion effect on ethical judgments. Furthermore, our results show that justice and relativism are the moral constructs utilized by most participants to form ethical evaluations. Data Availability: Data are available from the authors.

Ethical Issues in Educational Technology

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the ethical issues created by educational technology from the perspective of children and youth and to develop recommendations for addressing the ethical problems they face in educational technology based on ethical evaluations. &#x0D; Design/Methodology/Approach: This study utilizes the "Narrative Review" method. &#x0D; Findings: This study reveals scientific findings on the inequalities created among students by educational technology, its impact on the child's privacy, values, and world of meaning, its effects on students' learning, cognitive functions, and creativity, its influence on students' emotional development and human relationships, as well as the negative effects of virtual reality and gamification, and the impact of technology on children's fundamental academic and physical skills.&#x0D; Highlights: This research emphasizes the significant responsibilities that educational managers, decision-makers, policymakers, and teachers, especially those concerning "minors" under the age of 18, need to take on regarding the responsible, safe, and ethical use of technology in educational processes. The study delves into protecting children from potential harm and negative effects resulting from their use of educational technology.

Privacy, surveillance, and implanting RFID microchips to humans*

Background: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is specifically designed for the remote identification of objects. The first patent for human implantable RFID microchips was granted in 1997, and the FDA approved these microchips in 2004. Since then, they have found applications in humans for diverse reasons.Objective: This study aims to make an ethical evaluation of using RFID microchips in humans, focusing on privacy and surveillance.Methods: A literature review was conducted, exploring the conceptual dimensions of privacy and surveillance, and ethical evaluations were made regarding potential privacy violations caused by RFID microchips, as well as their potential uses for surveillance purposes.Results: Privacy is a multidimensional concept that spans various disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, medicine, theology, and law, and throughout history it constitutes an indispensable and intrinsic necessity for humanity. On the other hand, surveillance is a process wherein certain groups employ methods to gather, accumulate, analyze, process, and utilize data, with the objective of regulating the behavior of specific groups, entailing potential physical, ideological, or structural interventions, ultimately aiming to guide individuals toward predetermined behavioral patterns.Discussion and Conclusion: A major concern with RFID microchips is potential privacy violations and their use for surveillance. These microchips and their connected networks hold a significant amount of information, including sensitive data like healthrelated information. Thus, they make individuals become easily identifiable and make them vulnerable to surveillance practices.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 08 No. 01 Jan’24 Page: 84-94

Проектирование «ответственного за прошлое» немца в ФРГ в 1950‒1980-е годы: этические и правовые аспекты

The efforts to foster a sense of responsibility for the past in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from the 1950s to the 1980s were influenced by the tension between the legal and ethical evaluations of the outcomes of World War II. The article describes the legal foundations underpinning this process and the challenges faced by the legal system of the FRG during the trials of war criminals. The article also explores the ethical founda-tions and key debates in German society regarding the creation of a new kind of German citizen ‒ one who con-demns National Socialism and is willing to take responsibility for Nazi crimes. The analysis shows that estab-lishing a new post-conflict culture, based on the supremacy of civil rights and freedoms, and a critical reexami-nation of the past, has been a complicated process. German intellectuals actively debated the need for an ethical foundation for society. However, these new foundations were rejected in legal practices due to the continued influence of legal positivism, which emphasized adhering to the “letter of the law” rather than universal moral norms in the administration of justice. The law offered a different view of the German people: independent of historic changes, they could not be blamed simply for living under National Socialism. The process of fostering responsibility for the past was over only by the late 1980s, after the aforementioned conflict had been resolved and a more liberal approach in law had become dominant.

Where have the ethical and moral standards landed? Consumer self-congruency and psychological distance in the context of AI-based services

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide insights and guidance for practitioners in terms of ensuring rigorous ethical and moral conduct in artificial intelligence (AI) hiring and implementation.Design/methodology/approachThe research employed two experimental designs and one pilot study to investigate the ethical and moral implications of different levels of AI implementation in the hospitality industry, the intersection of self-congruency and ethical considerations when AI replaces human service providers and the impact of psychological distance associated with AI on individuals' ethical and moral considerations. These research methods included surveys and experimental manipulations to gather and analyze relevant data.FindingsFindings provide valuable insights into the ethical and moral dimensions of AI implementation, the influence of self-congruency on ethical considerations and the role of psychological distance in individuals’ ethical evaluations. They contribute to the development of guidelines and practices for the responsible and ethical implementation of AI in various industries, including the hospitality sector.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the importance of exercising rigorous ethical-moral AI hiring and implementation practices to ensure AI principles and enforcement operations in the restaurant industry. It provides practitioners with useful insights into how AI-robotization can improve ethical and moral standards.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature by providing insights into the ethical and moral implications of AI service robots in the hospitality industry. Additionally, the study explores the relationship between psychological distance and acceptance of AI-intervened service, which has not been extensively studied in the literature.

Technical specifications for ethics review of human stem cell research.

The rapid advancement of human stem cell research and its expansion into emerging areas has resulted in an escalation of ethical challenges associated with these studies. As a result, there has been a corresponding increase in both the volume and complexity of institutional ethics reviews, coupled with higher expectations for the quality of the review process. In response to these challenges, this standard provides a comprehensive outline of the fundamental principles, content, types, and procedures of ethics review, specifically focusing on non-clinical human stem cell research. Its purpose is to provide clear operational and procedural guidelines, as well as recommendations, for the ethics review of such studies. The document was originally published by the Chinese Society for Cell Biology on August 30, 2022. It is our hope that the publication of these guidelines will facilitate the integration of ethical considerations and evaluations in a structured manner throughout the entire process of stem cell research, ultimately fostering a healthy and orderly development of the field.

Enabling productivity goals through construction 4.0 skills: Theories, debates, definitions

Construction 4.0, derived from Industry 4.0, was introduced to the construction industry as a means of addressing current issues and enhancing industry productivity. Adoption of this concept has placed a significant demand on Construction 4.0 skills, as the industry is undergoing a transformation that calls for new strategies and specialized skill sets. While Construction 4.0 promises significant productivity gains, its widespread adoption often overlooks the crucial role of specialized skills, leading to a mismatch in expected outcomes. The often-underexplored theoretical dimensions of Construction 4.0 skills has the potential to bridge the gap between these skills and formulation of productivity goals and achieving them, highlighting the profound importance of understanding and integrating these skills in the context of Construction 4.0. While there has been a recent interest in Construction 4.0 skills across various national contexts, the theoretical dimensions of skills within the realm of Construction 4.0 remains unexplored. Therefore, this study examines the definitions, interpretations, and theories of skills within the context of Construction 4.0. Through a conceptual review of existing academic literature and policy documents, this research offers profound understanding of defintions and how the theories of Construction 4.0 intersect with skills development and thus impact the formulation of productivity goals. The definitions of Industry 4.0/Construction 4.0 formulated in various national frameworks are defined in accordance with their geographical, social, and cultural contexts and that have distinct production aims and scopes. The identified theoretical underpinnings of Construction 4.0 include digital building ecosystem, lean construction, circular economy, smart cities, and skills-related theories such as social learning theory, human capital theory, cognitive load theory, situated learning theory, and lifelong learning theory. The examination brings forth novel insights that promise to shape the future of Construction 4.0 skills development. By bridging the gap between theoretical constructs and productivity goals (labour efficiency, process efficiency, time efficiency, waste reduction, energy and water efficiency) within the context of Construction 4.0, this study offers a fresh perspective that integrates technology, sustainability, and collaboration to propel productivity goals. The research also emphasizes the varying prioritization of Construction 4.0 skill sets in different national contexts, and underscores the need for sector-specific frameworks for Construction 4.0 skills. Moreover, potential avenues for future research in the field of Construction 4.0 skills include perspectives of workers, real-world impacts on the industry, policy advancements, skills frameworks, ethical evaluations, and scenario planning.

포르노그래피의 윤리적인 평가는 시대착오적인가?

포르노그래피의 윤리적인 평가는 시대착오적인가?

Understanding indirect users' privacy concerns in mobile forensics — A mixed method conjoint approach

IntroductionThe advent of mobile forensics toolkits introduces a technological leverage that allows legal authorities to access information stored on mobile devices, thus shining a new light on law enforcement procedures. These pocket-sized devices, mobile phones, accumulate a plethora of user data, effectively becoming a beacon for individual identification. However, the prospect of exploring this data within a criminal inquiry raises palpable concerns about potential privacy encroachments. Consequently, there exists an urgent need to balance the instrumental value of these technologies with their potential to intrude upon privacy, ensuring a framework that remains legally and ethically sound.MethodsIn our study, we offer a contemplative view on the public reception of such measures, informed by interviews and a conjoint study conducted across two representative cohorts from Germany and Austria (n = 2040).ResultsOur analysis indicates a marked preference for the release of geo-spatial data over more personal content, such as photographs. Additionally, respondents showed a higher acceptance for automated analysis in comparison to human manual evaluation. The divergence between the two countries was negligible.DiscussionIn summary, despite the inherent concerns, the use of these mobile forensics tools demonstrated a high degree of public acceptance. The results highlight the significance of aligning legislation based on data types rather than analysis purposes, which can enhance the general public's comprehension of laws and potentially contribute to societal advancement. Furthermore, the research emphasizes the importance of ethical evaluations and transparent communication in the implementation of automated mobile forensics systems for civil security purposes, effectively addressing concerns regarding privacy infringement and data analysis.