22 research outputs found
The Impact of Incidental Findings Detected During Brain Imaging on Research Participants of the Rotterdam Study: An Interview Study
No full textThis interview study investigates the short- and long-term implications of incidental findings detected through brain imaging on research participants’ lives and their
surroundings. For this study, nine participants of the Rotterdam Scan Study with an
incidental finding were approached and interviewed. When examining research participants’
narratives on the impact of the disclosure of incidental findings, the authors identified five
sets of tensions with regard to motivations for and expectations of research participation,
preferences regarding disclosure, short- and long-term impacts and impacts on self and
others. The paper shows: (1) that the impact of incidental findings may be greater than
participants at first let on; (2) incidental findings can have significant effects on participants’
social environment; and (3) participants may not feel prepared for disclosure even if
incidental findings have been discussed during the informed consent process. The authors
call for investigators to be aware of research participants’ experiences and these short- and
long-term impacts when designing suitable courses of action for the detection and management of incidental findings in research settings
Additive bio-manifacturing: 3D printing for medical recovery and human enhancement: study STOA
No full textAdditive bio-manufacturing: 3D printing for medical recovery and human enhancement
No full textStudy, July 2018IP/G/STOA/FWC/2013-001/LOT5/C2Additive bio-manufacturing (bio-AM) is defined here as the use of 3D printing for medical purposes or non-therapeutic “human enhancement”, whether they involve the production of biological material or not. It includes any application for rehabilitating, supporting or augmenting biological functionality. The impacts of bio-AM are uncertain, and it is not clear which actions may be required to foster responsible development of the technology.This study responds to these gaps in our knowledge by describing the state of the art and future development prospects, analysing their wide-ranging impacts - including social, ethical and economic aspects - and identifying key policy challenges along with options to respond to them. Key challenges are to avoid an incoherent, piecemeal adaptation of regulatory frameworks, to support responsible development that improves citizens’ lives, and to foster public participation and citizen-driven innovation. The European RRI approach could provide a useful platform for responding to these challenges, emphasising inclusiveness and co-creation by a wide variety of stakeholder groups, including public participation.Authors: Arianna Ferrari, Martina Baumann, Christopher Coenen, Daniel Frank, Leonhard Hennen, António Moniz (KIT/ITAS); Helge Torgersen, Jan Torgersen (ITA/OEAW); Lisa van Bodegom, Freija van Duijne, Ingrid Geesink, Barend van der Meulen (Rathenau Institute); Emilio Mordini (RT); Karen Riisgaard, Rasmus Øjvind Nielsen (DBT Foundation).Published by STOA ([email protected]); Manuscript completed in July 2018Brussels, (c) European Union, 2018</i
Responsible digital health management: more data, more control?
No full textSummary of the Dutch report
Global negative vegetation feedback to climate warming responses of leaf litter decomposition rates in cold biomes
No full textWhether climate change will turn cold biomes from large long-term carbon sinks into
sources is hotly debated because of the great potential for ecosystem-mediated feedbacks
to global climate. Critical are the direction, magnitude and generality of climate responses
of plant litter decomposition. Here, we present the first quantitative analysis of the major
climate-change-related drivers of litter decomposition rates in cold northern biomes
worldwide. Leaf litters collected from the predominant species in 33 global change
manipulation experiments in circum-arctic-alpine ecosystems were incubated simultaneously
in two contrasting arctic life zones. We demonstrate that longer-term, large-scale
changes to leaf litter decomposition will be driven primarily by both direct warming
effects and concomitant shifts in plant growth form composition, with a much smaller
role for changes in litter quality within species. Specifically, the ongoing warminginduced
expansion of shrubs with recalcitrant leaf litter across cold biomes would
constitute a negative feedback to global warming. Depending on the strength of other
(previously reported) positive feedbacks of shrub expansion on soil carbon turnover, this
may partly counteract direct warming enhancement of litter decomposition
