Cover -- Preface -- Contents -- Introduction -- Taking a Transdisciplinary Approach to the Life Sciences -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Transdisciplinarity and the Triple T -- 3. Zooming in on Life Sciences and the Need for the Transdisciplinary Approach -- 4. The Evolution of Collaboration between International Academy of Life Sciences (IALS) and University of Massachusetts Boston -- 5. Conclusion -- References -- Transdisciplinarity and Ethics as Challenges for Life Sciences -- Transdisciplinarity from a Problem-Based Perspective -- 1. Definition -- 2. Existential Conditions -- 3.History and Current Dominant Orientation -- 4. The Life Sciences -- 5. Nature of Knowledge -- 6. ConclusionIn -- Healthcare Systems Research - Ethics and Reality -- 1. The Healthcare Arena -- 2. Needs and Preferences -- 3.Solutions -- 4. Framework -- 5. Outcomes -- 6. Healthcare system research and research in life sciences -- 7.Present challenges of HC systems and contribution of HC research -- 8. Political and strategic approaches -- To Create and Control Life - A Critical View on Synthetic Biology -- 1. Synthetic biology - Aims and methods -- 2. Ethical implications of synthetic biology -- 3. Epistemological implications of synthetic biology -- 4. Conclusions -- References -- Different Legal Regulations on Life Sciences in Europe and Worldwide -- Protecting Humans as Consumers and Subjects: Different Ethical Standards in the Conduct of Research in Europe and America -- 1.Introduction -- 2. Part I -- 2.1 Case 1: Embryonic stem cell research -- 2.2 Case 2: Genetically modified (GM) food and livestock feed -- 2.3 Case 3: Experimental research on human subjects -- 3. Part II -- 4. Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Legal Regulation of Genetic Information in the USA and Germany - Promises kept in Insurance? -- 1. Introduction.

2. Insurers' interest in genetic information -- 3. Legal approach towards genetic discrimination in the USA: GINA -- 4. Legal approach towards genetic discrimination in Germany: GenDG -- a. Key legal definitions pursuant to 3 GenDG -- b. Provision for insurance, 18 GenDG -- c. 18 I 1 GenDG -- d. 18 I 2 GenDG -- 5. Comparison of the legal protection: GINA vs. GenDG -- 6. Conclusion -- References -- Enhancement in Medicine and Everyday Life: Ethical Aspects and Requirements for Legal Regulation -- 1.Everyday Enhancement as a Social Trend -- 2. Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Human Enhancement -- 2.1 Constitutional Issues in Germany -- 2.2 General Problems -- 3. Summary -- References -- Data Mining of Medical Data: Opportunities and Challenges in Mining Association Rules -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Tables and Relational Databases -- 3. Association Rules as Knowledge Embedded in Data -- 4. Association Rules and Nosocomial Infections -- 5. Association Rules and Adverse Drug Reactions -- 6. Transitivity of Association Rules -- 7. Conclusions and Open Problems -- References -- How to Promote Life Sciences as a Driving Force for Innovation -- Three sectors - Infinite opportunities: Private-Government-Academic Opportunities to Advance the Life Sciences -- 1.Introduction -- 2. Entrepreneurism and Academia -- 3. Universities and Technology Transfer -- 4. Open Innovation and Cross-Sectoral Partnerships -- 5. Summary and Recommendations -- References -- Privatization of Universities and a New Social Compact: Trends in Funding -- 1. Privatization and Higher Education -- 2. Overview: State Support of Public Universities -- 3. Tuition Considerations -- 4.Enrollment and Tuition -- 5. The Role of Out-of-State and International Students -- 6. The Role of Financial Aid -- 7. The Role of University Endowments -- 8. Grants and Contracts.

9. Mini-Case Studies from Several States -- 10.Other Dimensions to Consider -- 11. Discussion -- References -- Financing Higher Education in Germany - Challenges and Perspectives -- 1.Introduction -- 2. The overall trend of financing higher education in Germany -- 3. A more detailed depiction of funding sources of higher education in Germany -- 3.1 Public funding of higher education -- 3.1.1 Funding through the federal state -- 3.1.2 Funding through the states -- 3.2 Third-party funding and the increasing use of competitive mechanisms for the allocation of public funds -- 3.3 Private financing of higher education -- 3.4 Other income for tertiary institutions -- 3.5 Administrative and tuition fees -- 3.6 Alumni -- 4. The future of funding of higher education in Germany -- 4.1 Higher education and externalities - private versus public financing of higher education -- 4.2 The theory of fiscal federalism and higher education -- 5. Conclusion -- References -- Contributors.