"Genomics in Asia" focuses on issues dealing with the development and application of molecular biology and bioengineering technologies in Asian societies and cultures. The workshop on which this book is based aimed to gain an insight into bioethical issues with relation to the dynamics of Asian societies, cultures and religions. It was to generate debate on Asian Genomics and create a basis for comparative research into the relationship between the development and application of modern genetics, cultural values, and local interests in Asian societies. The papers first of all reflect a great variety of bioethical views discussed from the angle of different disciplinary and cultural backgrounds, creating a basis on which a further comparison between different local knowledge systems in relation to genomic practices will be feasible. This book provides insights on research into the social, political and ethical aspects of genomics, and reflects the bioethical experiences of researchers from Japan, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Pakistan, India and Malaysia. The subjects of discussion vary from genetics in China to religious perspectives on cloning and genetic therapy. Themes include the commercial and medical application of new bioengineering technologies, such as the impact of preventive genetic medicine, genetic counselling, genetically modified organisms [GMOs] and stem-cell research on wealth distribution, cultural traditions, social well-being, and political and legal regulations and institutions. In the study of bioengineering in Asia, various perspectives were brought together at a concrete research level. The authors tried to avoid macro-concepts incorporated by dichotomies of East and West and to acquire new insights into the relationship between local knowledge systems and cultures and interests groups on the one hand and the constellation of various interests of scientific research, governments and MNCs on the other.

Contributed articles presented at an "International Symposium on Human Genome Studies: Emerging Ethical and Socio-Economical Issues" during May 22-25, 1998 in Goa.

Current therapies for most human genetic diseases are inadequate. In response to the need for effective treatments, modern molecular genetics is providing tools for an unprecedented new approach to the treatment of diseases; e.g. the direct manipulation of mutant genes or the input on new therapeutic genes. The treatment of human disease by gene transfer has now moved from the theoretical to the practical realm. With the initiation of clinical trials involving somatic gene therapy in different countries, a critical assessment of the different aspects involved with this new technique is necessary. This volume provides an overview on all these interdisciplinary aspects by some well known experts all over the world.

The tools of molecular biology have revolutionised our understanding of gene structure and function and changed the teaching of genetics in a fundamental way. The transition from classical genetics to molecular genetics was initiated by two discoveries. One was the discovery that DNA has a complementary double helix structure and the other that a universal genetic code does exist. Both led to the acceptance of the central dogma that RNA molecules are made on DNA templates. The last twenty years have seen remarkable growth in our knowledge of molecular genetics, most of which is the outcome of recombinant DNA technology. This technology which is not limited to cloning, sequencing, and expression has created a biotechnology industry of its own, the purpose of which is to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in medicine. Both industries in collaboration with the biomedical community are now engaged in laying down the foundation of molecular medicine. The present volume seeks to provide a coherent account of the new science of molecular genetics. Its content however is by no means exhaustive, partly because of the publication explosion but more because of space restrictions. A rudimentary knowledge of genetics on the reader's part is assumed. Quite understandably, considerable emphasis is placed on major technical advances but not without expounding numerous new ideas and phenomena including alternative splicing, POR, DNA methylation, genomic imprinting, and so on.

Neural grafting, virtual reality, gene therapy, psychotropic drugs As startling new treatments emerge for disorders of the brain, new concerns are arising along with them. In the first book to examine the implications of the full range of revolutionary interventions now possible in the human brain, Robert H. Blank warns that while these new techniques may promise medical wonders, they also raise profound political questions. Our rapidly unfolding knowledge about the brain and the accompanying applications have three main policy dimensions: funding research initiatives, controlling individual use, and assessing social consequences. But underlying these aspects, Blank argues, are more disturbing issues that pose fundamental challenges to our conceptions of equality, autonomy, freedom, responsibility, and human nature itself. Brain Policy makes the key facts from the technical literature readily accessible to social scientists and general readers and points out the implications for our society. Blank first explains the structure and function of the nervous system and current theories of brain operation; he then assesses the uses and potential abuses of various intervention techniques. He identifies the public policy issues raised by discoveries in the neurosciences and calls for intensified scrutiny of the advantages and disadvantages of new technologies. Warning that the risks and dangers of the dramatic developments in neuroscience are potentially large, Blank offers a means of understanding these scientific advances and the philosophical and political issues they entail. This book will be of interest to social scientists, policy analysts, policy makers, bioethicists, scientists who want to see the bigger picture, and the informed reader with an interest in the implications of neuroscience for themselves and society.

Regional Perspectives in Bioethics" illustrates the ways in which the national and international political landscape encompasses persons from diverse and often fragmented moral communities with widely varying moral intuitions, premises, evaluations and commitments.

Now in its second edition, Gender and Women’s Studies: Critical Terrain provides students with an essential introduction to key issues, approaches, and concerns of the field. This comprehensive anthology celebrates a diversity of influential feminist thought on a broad range of topics using analyses sensitive to the intersections of gender, race, class, ability, age, and sexuality. Featuring both contemporary and classic pieces, the carefully selected and edited readings centre Indigenous, racialized, disabled, and queer voices. With over sixty percent new content, this thoroughly updated second edition contains infographics, original activist artwork, and a new section on gender, migration, and citizenship. The editors have also added chapters on issues surrounding sex work as labour, the politics of veiling, trans and queer identities, Indigenous sovereignty, decolonization, masculinity, online activism, and contemporary social justice movements including Black Lives Matter and Idle No More. The multidisciplinary focus and the unique combination of scholarly articles, interviews, fact sheets, reports, blog posts, poetry, artwork, and personal narratives reflect the vitality of the field and keep the collection engaging and varied. Concerned with the past, present, and future of gender identity, gendered representation, feminism, and activism, this anthology is an indispensable resource for students in gender and women’s studies classrooms across Canada and the United States.

Modern medicine is now in a position to make advanced prognoses that chart the entire course of illness and recovery. Paradoxically, this is coupled with a new dimension of uncertainty for the patient, i.e. coming to terms with discovering they have an increased risk of a particular disease and deciding what appropriate steps to take.