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Giovanni Maio

Publications and source records attributed to Giovanni Maio.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

The embryo in relationships: a French debate on stem cell research.

While many European countries are entering unknown legal terrain where the embryo in vitro is concerned, France can already look back on a long tradition of public discussion and legal codification of ways of dealing with in vitro embryos. In its comprehensive law of 1994, France had still rejected embryo research; however, due to the promising perspectives of stem cell research, the new law now pending implies a clear liberalization of the 1994 provisions. Both the French lawmakers and the National Ethics Commission have repeatedly argued that possible utilization of embryos for research purposes may seem legitimate from the moment that there is no more "parental project." De facto, this concept implies that an embryo can be transformed into an object from the moment that the parents cease to desire it and that the value of protection is solely dependent on the will of third persons. At the same time, France is still speaking of guaranteeing respect for the "dignity of the embryo," which would mean that an embryo must not be reduced to a thing and treated for purposes which are not his own. Therefore, the French solution is not a consistent and honest solution, and in its new legal provisions, France has involved herself in manifold contradictions. France has rejected the conception of pre-embryo, but is de facto following Britain's model without making it explicit.

Bioethics↗
PubMed2002

Online coupling of pressurized liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography for automated analysis of proanthocyanidins in malt.

A new instrumental setup for automated extraction of solid samples by online coupling of pressurized liquid extraction, automated SPE (solid-phase extraction) and HPLC is presented. From the extraction to the chromatogram no manual sample handling is required. The application to the determination of proanthocyanidins in malt reduces time and manual work to a minimum compared to former manual methods. Twenty samples can be processed within 24 h in respect to eight samples with the manual method. Using the features of the instrumental coupling, an optimized strategy for SPE of proanthocyanidins from natural samples was developed, requiring no evaporation step, using commercial cartridges and delivering concentrated eluates. The recovery of five main malt proanthocyanidins was 97%, with a reproducibility of 5%. This new instrumental coupling is thought to reduce time and costs along with improved results for a broad range of solid sample materials.

Anthocyanins↗
PubMed2002

The relevance of Rawls' principle of justice for research on cognitively impaired patients.

An ethical conflict arises when we must perform research in the interest of future patients, but that this may occasionally injure the interests of today's patients. In the case of cognitively impaired persons, the question arises whether it is compatible with humane healthcare not only to treat, but also to use these patients for research purposes. Some bioethicists and theologians have formulated a general duty of solidarity, also pertaining to cognitively impaired persons, as a justification for research on these persons. If one examines this thesis from the theory of justice according to John Rawls, it is revealed that such a duty of solidarity cannot necessarily be extrapolated from Rawls' conception of justice. This is at least true of Rawls' difference principle, because according to the difference principle only those measures are justifiable which serve the interest of the respective least well off. Those measures which would engender additional injury for the least well off could not be balanced by any utility according to Rawls. However, John Rawls' difference principle is subordinate to the first principle, which is that each person has an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with the same liberty for others. These "primary goods" are determined by the freedom and integrity of the person. This integrity of decisionally impaired persons would be in danger if one would abstain from research and thus forego the increase in knowledge related to their disease. Thus one could conclude, at least from Rawls' first principle, that society must take on a duty to guarantee the degrees of freedom for cognitively impaired persons and thus also support the efforts for their healing.

Bioethical Issues↗