Anorexia Nervosa and Respecting a refusal of life-prolonging Therapy: A Limited Justification

People who suffer from eating disorders often have to be treated against their will, perhaps by being detained, perhaps by being forced to eat. In this paper it is argued that whilst forcing compliance is generally acceptable, there may be circumstances under which a sufferer's refusal of consent to treatment should be respected. This argument will hinge upon whether someone in the grip of an eating disorder can actually make competent decisions about their quality of life. If so, then the decision to refuse therapy may be on a par with other decisions to refuse life-prolonging therapy made by sufferers of debilitating chronic, or acute onset terminal illness. In such cases, palliation might justifiably replace aggressive therapy. The argument will also draw heavily on the distinction between competent refusal of therapy and passive euthanasia, and the distinction between incompetent and irrational decisions. Both distinctions will then be applied to decisions to refuse food. The extent to which sufferers from anorexia nervosa can be categorised as either incompetent or irrational will be examined. It is against this background that it will be argued that at least some of those who suffer from eating disorders should have their refusals respected, even if they may die as a result.     

Systematics within Gyps vultures: a clade at risk

Background  

Populations of the Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) have declined by over 95% within the past decade. This decline is largely due to incidental consumption of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory veterinary pharmaceutical diclofenac, commonly used to treat domestic livestock. The conservation status of other Gyps vultures in southern Asia is also of immediate concern, given the lack of knowledge regarding status of their populations and the continuing existence of taxonomic uncertainties. In this study, we assess phylogenetic relationships for all recognized species and the majority of subspecies within the genus Gyps. The continuing veterinary use of diclofenac is an unknown but potential risk to related species with similar feeding habits to Gyps bengalensis. Therefore, an accurate assessment of the phylogenetic relationships among Gyps vultures should aid in their conservation by clarifying taxonomic uncertainties, and enabling inference of their respective relatedness to susceptible G. bengalensis.     

New directions in craniofacial morphogenesis

The vertebrate head is an extremely complicated structure: development of the head requires tissue-tissue interactions between derivates of all the germ layers and coordinated morphogenetic movements in three dimensions. In this review, we highlight a number of recent embryological studies, using chicken, frog, zebrafish and mouse, which have identified crucial signaling centers in the embryonic face. These studies demonstrate how small variations in growth factor signaling can lead to a diversity of phenotypic outcomes. We also discuss novel genetic studies, in human, mouse and zebrafish, which describe cell biological mechanisms fundamental to the growth and morphogenesis of the craniofacial skeleton. Together, these findings underscore the complex interactions leading to species-specific morphology. These and future studies will improve our understanding of the genetic and environmental influences underlying human craniofacial anomalies.     

Serologic evidence of a Rickettsia akari-like infection among wild-caught rodents in Orange County and humans in Los Angeles County, California.

We detected antibodies reactive with Rickettsia akari, the etiologic agent of rickettsialpox in humans and in 83 of 359 (23%) rodents belonging to several species, collected in Orange County, CA. Reciprocal antibody titers >1:16 to R. akari were detected in native mice and rats (Peromyscus maniculatus, P. eremicus, and Neotoma fuscipes) and in Old World mice and rats (Mus musculus, Rattus rattus, and R. norvegicus), representing the first time that antibodies reactive with this agent have been detected in four of these species and the first report of these antibodies in rodents and humans west of the Mississippi River. We then tested serum samples from individuals who used a free clinic in downtown Los Angeles and found that 25 of 299 (8%) of these individuals had antibody titers >1:64 to R. akari. Serologic evidence suggested that R. akari or a closely related rickettsia is prevalent among several rodent species at these localities and that infection spills over into certain segments of the human population. Isolation or molecular confirmation of the agent is needed to conclusively state that R. akari is the etiologic agent infecting these rodents.     

Temperature-Light Intensity Effect on the Antagonism of Species of Cladosporium to Melampsora larici-populina on Cultivars of Populus X euramericana (Dode) Guinier

The antagonistic and colonistic effect of post-inoculation temperature and light intensity was investigated in a factorial experiment involving four Cladosporium spp., three poplar cultivars, two levels of temperature and light intensity, anda race of Melampsora larici-populina. The species of Cladosporium were more antagonistic to uredinial production on the inoculated leaf discs of the cultivars when these were incubated in high temperature – high light intensity than in any other regime. Whilst colonisation of the uredinia was usually minimal in discs incubated on the high temperature – high light intensity regime, the condition of incubation favouring maximum colonisation varied with the cultivar and the species of Cladosporium employed. All the major factors and most of their two-, three- and four-way interactions were significant determinants of variation in both antagonism to uredinial production and in colonisation of the uredinia produced. The validity ofextrapolation from such experiments to the field environment is discussed.     

Human placental anticoagulant protein: isolation and characterization

An anticoagulant protein was purified from the soluble fraction of human placenta by ammonium sulfate precipitation and column chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, Sephadex G-75, and Mono S (Pharmacia). The yield of the purified protein was approximately 20 mg from one placenta. The purified protein gave a single band by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a molecular weight of 36,500. This protein prolonged the clotting time of normal plasma when clotting was induced either by brain thromboplastin or by kaolin in the presence of cephalin and Ca2+. It also prolonged the factor Xa induced clotting time of platelet-rich plasma but did not affect thrombin-induced conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. The purified placental protein completely inhibited the prothrombin activation by reconstituted prothrombinase, a complex of factor Xa-factor Va-phospholipid-Ca2+. The placenta inhibitor had no effect on prothrombin activation when phospholipid was omitted from the above reaction. Also, it neither inhibited the amidolytic activity of factor Xa, nor did it bind to factor Xa. The placenta inhibitor, however, did bind specifically to phospholipid vesicles (20% phosphatidylserine and 80% phosphatidylcholine) in the presence of calcium ions. These results indicate that the placental anticoagulant protein (PAP) inhibits coagulation by binding to phospholipid vesicles. The amino acid sequences of three cyanogen bromide fragments of PAP aligned with those of two distinct regions of lipocortin I and II with a high degree of homology, showing that PAP is a member of the lipocortin family.     

Bacteriophage P22 as a vehicle for transducing cosmid gene banks between smooth strains of Salmonella typhimurium: use in identifying a role for aroD in attenuating virulent Salmonella strains

Summary A cosmid gene bank of the virulent Salmonella typhimurium C5 was constructed in Escherichia coli K12. The bank was repackaged into bacteriophage heads and transduced into the semi-rough S. typhimurium strain AS68 which expresses the LamB receptor protein. Approximately 6000 ampicillin-resistant transductants were pooled and used as host for the propagation of bacteriophage P22. The P22 lysate was able to transduce cosmid recombinants to smooth strains of S. typhimurium and individual transductants were selected which complemented various S. typhimurium auxotrophic mutations. A stable mutation was introduced into the aroD gene of S. typhimurium C5. The resulting aroD ^- mutant, named CU038, was highly attenuated compared with the wild-type parent strain and BALB/c mice immunised orally with CU038 were well protected against challenge with the virulent C5 parental strain. Using the cosmid bank repackaged into bacteriophage P22 heads it was possible to isolate cosmid recombinants that could complement the aroD mutation of CU038 either by in vitro selection using minimal medium or in vivo selection for restoration of virulence in BALB/c mice. Repackaged P22 cosmid banks could provide a simple system for selecting in vivo for Salmonella virulence determinants. A Salmonella typhi strain harbouring mutations in aroA and aroD was constructed for potential use as a live oral typhoid vaccine in humans.