Rhetoric of anonymity and property rights in human biological materials (HBMs).

This article starts with the fact that science, the marketplace and the law adopt a particular vision in regards to the human biological resources that reduce them to a concept of mere biological information. The object of such vision is to make such resources available to science. Mariachiari Tallacchini has undertaken an exhaustive analysis on the existence or not of the right to property on the human biological resources, their use and the consent of the subject in order for its use.     

30 years on - The review of the Council of Europe Data Protection Convention 108

The Council of Europe is engaging in a process of revising its Data Protection Convention (Convention 108) to meet and overcome these challenges. The Council of Europe celebrates this year the 30th Anniversary of its Data Protection Convention (usually referred to as Convention 108) which has served as the backbone of international law in over 40 European countries and has influenced policy and legislation far beyond Europe’s shores. With new data protection challenges arising every day, the Convention is revising its Data Protection Convention. Computer Law and Security Review (CLSR) together with the Intl. Association of IT Lawyers (IAITL) and ILAWS have submitted comments in response to the Expert Committee’s public consultation on this document. CLSR aims to position itself at the forefront of policy discussion drawing upon the high quality scholarly contributions from leading experts around the world.     

Access to tangible research materials in biomedical research: conditions of access and their effect on research

Biomedical discoveries often provide the basic tools for research. Such discoveries may be patentable or non-patentable products or processes, as well as the materials necessary for further research. Without rapid access to these materials on reasonable terms, there is concern that the progress of science will suffer. In 1995, the National Institutes of Health in the United States published a Master Uniform Biomaterial Transfer Agreement (UBMTA) to improve access to biomedical materials. Guidelines for transfers were published in 1999. This article analyses a survey that the author conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science, Monash University. It observes that a significant minority of respondents experience frustration and/or adverse effects upon their research as a result of restrictions imposed upon their access to materials. It concludes that the extensive experience and precedent material in the United States provides an immediate resource to help improve access to biological materials in Australian universities.     

Ethical questions raised by human genetics. A personal contribution to the preparation of a legal instrument of the Council of Europe on human genetics (part I).

(1) Classification of so-called "genetic" diseases. (1.1) Diseases linked to chromosomal abnormalities. (1.2) Monogenic diseases. (1.3) Polygenic and multifactorial diseases. (1.4) Mitochondrial diseases. (1.5) Diseases involving infectious agents. (2) Genetic screening and diagnoses. (2.1) Community screening and genetics. (2.2) Prenuptial genetic diagnosis. (2.3) Pre-ICSI diagnosis. (2.4) Pre-implantation diagnosis. (2.5) Prenatal diagnosis. (2.6) Neonatal diagnosis. (3) Access to screening and diagnosis results.     

The detection of nifedipine in biological materials

The objective of the present study was to find optimal conditions for the isolation of nifedipine from biological materials by ethylacetate. It was shown that nifedipine can be purified from co-extracted substances of the biological material on a Silasorb C-18 column with the size of the particles 30 microns. The authors propose to use thin-layer chromatography, IR spectrophotometry, and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography for the identification and quantitative determination of nifedipine extracted from cadaveric liver samples.     

Colorimetric determination of endrin in biological materials

A simple colorimetric method for the determination of endrin in formulations has been reported. In the present communication, the application of the method to biological specimens is discussed. The method is sensitive and obeys Beer's law for the concentration range 4 – 40 μg/ml, with 99 ± 3% recovery of endrin added (in vitro) to the biological specimen.