The efficacy of raw and concentrated bentonite clay in reducing the toxic effects of aflatoxin in broiler chicks.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two adsorbents, a raw bentonite clay (RC) and a concentrated bentonite clay (CC), in ameliorating the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Results of the in vitro study (pH 3.0) indicated the CC adsorbed more AFB1 than RC (93.39 mg/g vs. 79.30 mg/g) suggesting that CC may be more effective than RC in reducing the toxic effects of AFB1. One hundred and eighty day-old straight run broiler chicks were assigned to 6 replicate pens of 5 chicks each and assigned to 6 dietary treatments from hatch to day 21. Dietary treatments included: 1) basal diet (BD) containing no AFB1 or adsorbents; 2) BD plus 0.50% RC; 3) BD plus 0.50% CC; 4) BD plus 2.0 mg AFB1/kg; 5) BD plus 2.0 mg AFB1/kg plus 0.50% RC; and 6) BD plus 2.0 mg AFB1/kg plus 0.50% CC. Dietary AFB1 concentrations were confirmed by analysis and diets were screened for other mycotoxins prior to the start of the experiment. The addition of AFB1 to the feed reduced (P < 0.05) growth performance and increased (P < 0.05) relative liver weight (RLW) and kidney weight (RKW) of chicks fed AFB1 compared to control chicks on day 21. These changes were ameliorated (P < 0.05) by the addition of RC and CC to the AFB1 diet. Mild to moderate lesions of aflatoxicosis (2.25) were observed in chicks fed AFB1 alone on day 21. The addition of both RC and CC to the AFB1 diet decreased (P < 0.05) but did not prevent liver lesions (0.92 and 1.42, respectively). Results indicate that both RC and CC were effective in reducing the toxic effects of AFB1, however the cost of processing of CC would make the RC a more economical product for reducing the effects of AFB1 in young broiler chicks.

The kindness of strangers: organ transplantation in a capitalist age.

The topic of organ transplantation is examined from the perspective of three authors: Robert Bellah, Jeremy Rifkin, and Margaret Jane Radin. Introduced by reflections on the development of the justification of organ transplantation within the Roman Catholic community and the various themes raised by the historical study in Richard Titmuss's The Gift Relationship, the paper examines how and in what ways the possible commodification of organs will affect our society and the impacts this may have on the supply of organs.

Living the vision: health care, social justice and institutional identity.

This paper will examine the topic of identity in Roman Catholicism from the perspective of topics contained in or absent from mission statements of 25 Catholic health care institutions. In particular, I will look at these from the perspective of social justice as well as how this and other topics such as human dignity, sanctity of life, stewardship, pastoral care and the likelihood of mergers with other institutions will affect the healing ministry of Catholic health care providers. The article will conclude that there are three key dimensions to Catholic health care: leadership in advocating reform of the current health care system, care for the marginalized and under-insured, and the provision of pastoral care in all institutions.

Human embryonic stem cell therapy.

The author presents an overview (completed on September 15, 2001) of three issues involved in the ethics of human embryonic stem cell therapy: the ethical implications of some of the scientific issues involved, the specific ethical issues of the moral standing of the early human embryo and the problem of cooperation, and a consideration of two public policy issues: should the research go forward, and what kind of health care system should the United States adopt. The author argues that the public policy questions are the most important agenda.

Ethical issues in genetics.

The first section of the Notes on Moral Theology reviews ethical issues in genetics through the lenses of privacy-confidentiality; risk-benefit analysis in relation to prenatal diagnosis and gene therapy; and freedom-determinism/human dignity in the context of cloning. The author provides an overview of developments in genetics and highlights thematic issues common to these developments.

Fetal status: sources and implications.

This essay considers the ways in which the various contexts--abortion, prenatal diagnosis, fetal research, and the use of fetuses in transplantation--shape the American debate on the moral standing of the fetus. This discussion gives rise to several philosophical debates on the status of the preimplantation embryo, particularly the debate over when the preimplantation embryo becomes individuated. How that question is resolved has critical ethical and policy implications.

The search for the new pineal gland. Brain life and personhood.

The concept of "brain life," sometimes offered as the criterion for determining when personhood begins, cannot tell us what we want to know about persons. Neurological facts will not automatically yield ethical conclusions.

Ethical issues involved with in vitro fertilization.

There are three elements to consider with in vitro fertilization. First, the paramount concern needs to be the well-being and best interests of the child, even though he or she may be an embryo at the time. Second, some people think a child will solve their marital problems. Although couples seeking in vitro fertilization should not be subjected to more scrutiny than couples conceiving in the traditional way, the stresses and uncertainties of in vitro fertilization can further strain a marriage. Clinic staff members should be sensitive to this issue as a way of helping to avoid complications later. Third, how we resolve the status and fate of the frozen embryo and who has disposition over it surely will reflect how we consider abortion rights. For example, if the standards of Roe vs Wade were applied, one could argue that the woman should have total disposition over the frozen embryo. On the other hand, if the father receives a say in the matter, what impact would this have? Given the nature of our society and the tenuous state of marriage, the problem of disposing frozen embryos is a critical one that has no satisfactory solution. Finally, there is the stress factor. Although this is not an issue of direct ethical concern, it is related to the necessity of the couple receiving accurate information. If the couple receives an incorrect impression of a clinic's success rates, they may be exposed unnecessarily to further stress and frustration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In vitro fertilization: ethical issues.

This paper presents an overview of ethical issues concerning IVF. The first section evaluates specific ethical issues; the medical understanding of IVF, the development of the procedure, the risks of the procedure, and issues related to consent. The second part of the paper reviews broader issues: the allocation of resources, who receives the benefits, implications of IVF, and feminist issues. This review of ethical issues presents a framework to understand and evaluate the value dimensions raised by this technology.

Ethical dilemmas in population policy.

PIP: The Catholic Church officially condemns the use of artificial contraceptives as being against the laws of God and nature and therefore a grave sin, but it does support the right of a married couple to determine the number and spacing of their children. Despite the Church's opposition to artificial contraceptives, it can play an important role in the development of an ethical population policy. The Church can do this by bringing to bear in the population debate its longstanding commitment to human rights and social justice. This article addresses the many problems Catholics have with the official Church position on artificial contraceptives and then focuses on alternative moral evaluations of the use of artificial contraceptives. Other ethical issues are raised by the introduction of population policies into a country, irrespective of whether the country is predominantly Catholic. These problems have to do with indigenous cultural values, family structures, and the relation of various cultures and governments to one another. In this context, religious values are just some of many ethical issues that are raised by government policies that seek to provide couples with the means to control their fertility. Pope John Paul II has continued in the tradition of his predecessors by affirming family planning but within the context of a more personalist understanding of marriage and the sanctions imposed by traditional moral limits. One can suggest, then, that Roman Catholicism supports the concept of family planning. The issue is how to implement that support, given that fact that the only methods sanctioned are those that rely on abstinence from sexual relations during the fertile period of a woman's menstrual cycle. All other methods are rejected because they are unnatural in that they separate sexual intercourse and reproduction. This position has been widely criticized within the theological community. The critique of the magisterial position is conducted on philosophical grounds -- the same basis on which the argument for its position is made.^ieng