Female genital mutilation and cosmetic surgery: regulating non-therapeutic body modification

In the UK, female genital mutilation is unlawful, not only when performed on minors, but also when performed on adult women. The aim of our paper is to examine several arguments which have been advanced in support of this ban and to assess whether they are sufficient to justify banning female genital mutilation for competent, consenting women. We proceed by comparing female genital mutilation, which is banned, with cosmetic surgery, towards which the law has taken a very permissive stance. We then examine the main arguments for the prohibition of the former, assessing in each case both (a) whether the argument succeeds in justifying the ban and, if so, (b) whether a parallel argument would not also support a ban on the latter. We focus on the following arguments. Female genital mutilation should be unlawful because: (1) no woman could validly consent to it; (2) it is an oppressive and sexist practice; (3) it involves the intentional infliction of injury; (4) it causes offence. Our view is that arguments (3) and (4) are unsound and that, although arguments (1) and (2) may be sound, they support not only a ban on female genital mutilation, but also one on (some types of) cosmetic surgery. Hence, we conclude that the present legal situation in the UK is ethically unsustainable in one of the following ways. Either the ban on female genital mutilation is unjustified because arguments (1) and (2) are not in fact successful; or the law's permissive attitude towards cosmetic surgery is unjustified because arguments (1) and (2) are in fact successful and apply equally to female genital mutilation and (certain forms of) cosmetic surgery. The people of the countries where female genital mutilation is practised resent references to 'barbaric practices imposed on women by male-dominated primitive societies', especially when they look at the Western world and see women undergoing their own feminization rites intended to increase sexual desirability: medically dangerous forms of cosmetic plastic surgery, for instance....     

Handgrip strength predicts sexual behavior, body morphology, and aggression in male college students

Handgrip strength (HGS) is a noninvasive measure of physical health that is negatively correlated with disability, morbidity, and mortality rates in adults. Highly heritable, HGS is indicative of blood testosterone levels and levels of fat-free body mass. In this study, we investigated whether HGS was related to measures of body morphology [shoulder-to-hip ratio (SHR), waist-to-hip ratio, and second-digit-to-fourth-digit ratio (2D:4D)], aggressive behavior, and sexual history in 82 male and 61 female college students. Results showed that HGS was correlated with SHRs, aggressive behavior, age at first sexual intercourse, and promiscuity in males but not in females. HGS appears to be an honest signal for genetic quality in males.     

Study of eating attitudes and body image perception in the preadolescent age

Eating attitudes and body image have been studied in a group of 109 girls, pupils of the fifth primary school grade (average age 10 years and 8 months). The Children's Eating Attitude Test (ChEAT) has been used in the study of eating attitudes. The mean questionnaire score is 11.38 +/- 8 with a range of 0 to 45. Fourteen girls (12.8%) had a total score higher than 20, making them an eating disorder risk group. A set of seven schematic figures showing silhouettes of girls ranging from very thin to very heavy has been used in the study of body image perception. The girls were supposed to indicate the figure having the highest resemblance to their own figure (self figure), and the figure they would like to have (ideal self figure). The mean value of the current figure was 4.28, and that of the ideal figure 3.95. Satisfaction with their figure was expressed by 46.79% of the girls; 39.45% wanted to be thinner, and 13.45% to be heavier. When these data were compared with BMI, 27.52% (of the total) of the girls wanting to be thinner were found to have a normal BMI, and 11.93% a > 95 centile BMI. Among the girls satisfied with their figure 2 had a low and 2 a high BMI, while 43.12% were within the normal BMI range. Out of the 13.45% of girls wanting to be heavier, 6.42% (of the total) had a low BMI, 6.42% a normal BMI, and 0.92% (one girl) a > 95 centile BMI. The girls were divided into two groups in terms of the ChEAT score: ChEAT+ (anorexia risk) and ChEAT-. The groups differed in terms of body weight and BMI (the ChEAT+ group was heavier); ChEAT+ girls tended to prefer a thinner figure and experienced themselves as being heavier.     

Cross-sectional study on attitudes toward sex and sexual behavior among Japanese college students

A total of 978 Japanese students, who visited the health services center of a college in Japan for medical check-ups, were asked to anonymously complete a 55-item questionnaire which assessed their attitudes toward sex and sexual behavior. Seven hundred eighty-five Japanese students (80.3%) responded to the questionnaire. In this survey, 90% of male students and 83% of female students indicated that they expected to have sexual intercourse before marriage, while 8% of male students and 3% of female students indicated that it was not wrong to have extramarital sexual intercourse after marriage. In addition, 75% of sexually experienced students reported that they used a condom during their first sexual intercourse, while 73% reported using a condom during their most recent sexual intercourse. The more sexual partners students had had up to the time of the study, the less condom use they reported for both their first and most recent sexual intercourse. The proportion of Japanese students who used a condom is high in comparison to that of students in other countries. However, as students are prone to have sexual intercourse with non-steady, casual partners, more efforts are needed to promote safe sex practices among college students in Japan.     

Measuring outcomes in plastic surgery: body image and quality of life in abdominoplasty patients

Abdominoplasty is an increasingly common aesthetic surgery procedure that has yet to be evaluated using the most recently developed and psychometrically sophisticated measures of body image and quality-of-life outcomes. This study prospectively evaluated 30 consecutive female abdominoplasty patients, preoperatively and postoperatively, using measures of body image, psychological investment in appearance, and general psychosocial functioning. One-way repeated-measures (pretest versus posttest) analyses of variance revealed significant positive postsurgical changes on the Appearance Evaluation subscale of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire. Mean scores for the questionnaire's Body Areas Satisfaction Scale improved postoperatively (p < 0.001). Scores for the Body Exposure and Sexual Relations Questionnaire also improved significantly (p < 0.001) postoperatively. These findings indicate significant improvements in body image outcome, including positive changes in patients' evaluations of their overall appearance, their average body image dissatisfaction, and their experiences of self-consciousness and avoidance of body exposure during sexual activities. As predicted, no changes were seen on any measure of psychological investment in appearance or on patients' reports of general psychosocial functioning (self-esteem, satisfaction with life, or social anxiety).     

Social interactions, body image and oral health among institutionalised frail elders: an unexplored relationship

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00523.x Social interactions, body image and oral health among institutionalised frail elders: an unexplored relationship Objectives: This paper draws on theories of ageing, body image and disfigurement, to explore the potential for relationships between oral health, body image and social interactions between institutionalised elders. Background: Social relationships are important at all stages of life. A positive body image increases confidence in social interactions, which contributes substantially to health, well‐being and quality of life. Body image can be negatively impacted by oral conditions, particularly those that are appearance related and do not meet cultural ideals. Results: Typically, the oral health of frail elders in long‐term care facilities is poor, but to what extent poor oral health and dysfunction influence body image, and social behaviours is unclear. Conclusions: We conclude that there is the potential for poor oral health conditions to contribute negatively to the social well‐being in this population, but suggest that it requires further investigation.     

Discount cosmetic surgery: industry trends and strategies for success

Discount cosmetic surgery is a topic of interest to plastic surgeons. To understand this trend and its effects on plastic surgeons, it is necessary to review the economics of cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery's practice environment, and the broader business principles of service industries.Recent work looked at the economics of the plastic surgery market. This analysis demonstrated that increased local density of plastic surgeons was associated with lower adjusted fees for cosmetic procedures. A survey of plastic surgeons about their practice environment revealed that 93 percent categorized the majority of their patients as very or moderately price-sensitive. Fully 98 percent described their business climate as very or moderately competitive and most plastic surgeons thought they lost a sizable number of cosmetic patients within the last year for reasons of price.A standard industry analysis, when applied to cosmetic surgery, reveals the following: an increased number of surgeons leads to lower fees (reducing their bargaining power as suppliers), patients are price-sensitive (increasing their bargaining power as buyers), and there are few barriers to entry among providers (allowing potential new entrants into the market). Such a situation is conducive to discounting taking hold-and even becoming the industry norm.In this environment, business strategy dictates there are three protocols for success: discounting, differentiation, and focus. Discounting joins the trend toward cutting fees. Success comes from increasing volume and efficiency and thus preserving profits. Differentiation creates an industrywide perception of uniqueness; this requires broadly positioning plastic surgeons as holders of a distinct brand identity separate from other "cosmetic surgeons." The final strategy is to focus on a particular buyer group to develop a market niche, such as establishing a "Park Avenue" practice catering to patients who demand a prestigious surgeon, although this is likely a small segment of the overall patient population. Plastic surgeons that buck the trend toward discount cosmetic surgery must take concrete and potentially costly steps to implement a plausible strategy for distinguishing their practices within the crowded cosmetic surgery market.     

Resolving spatial and temporal patterns of coral bleaching risk using image analysis: an active learning experience to improve climate change literacy in college students

Recent studies indicate poor understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change among college students. In an effort to improve climate change literacy, we have developed an authentic research experience for upper level undergraduate students focused on resolving spatial and temporal patterns of coral reef bleaching, an ecologically and economically important consequence of climate warming. In the research, students use a public archive of maps generated by the United States National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) that use coloration to depict ocean areas experiencing above-average surface temperatures and where corals are at an increased risk of bleaching. Students are required to quantify the total area of coloration on individual maps using open-source image analysis software called Image J. By quantifying coloration (ie bleaching risk) over a large number of maps in a chronological sequence, students can test hypotheses regarding the relationship between ongoing climate warming and coral bleaching risk. Students are required to summarise their findings in a scientific journal-style report that incorporates graphical representations and statistical tests of their coral bleaching risk data. The research activity is cost-effective, repeatable, requires little specialised knowledge and addresses common programmatic learning outcomes that target scientific communication, quantitative reasoning and sustainability.     

Prediction of body density using A-mode ultrasonoscope in Japanese physical education major college students

The purpose of the present study was to examine the distribution of subcutaneous fat and to derive several equations to predict body density (BD) using an amplitude modulation type of ultrasonoscope (A-mode ultrasonoscope, FUKUDA FT-100). Subjects were 188 male physical education major college students ranging in age from 18 to 24 years. Fifty subjects who were randomly selected out of the 188 subjects were measured for BD by the underwater weighing technique and were used to derive the equation for estimating the BD. Four points (scapular, triceps, suprailiac, and thigh) of subcutaneous fat which had been commonly selected, height, and weight were measured. The four measurements of fat for the 188 subjects indicated rather small means and small standard deviations respectively. Furthermore, histograms of those measurements tended to show a significant skewness for low values and deviated from the normal probability curve (p less than 0.01). Regarding the means, they were almost all the same except for suprailiac measurements. Suprailiac measurements showed more large values and were distributed rather more widely than the other measurements. Derivations of the multiple regression equations from anthropometric measurements were made using the Wherry-Doolittle test selection method (Clarke & Clarke, 1972). Four measurements (triceps, suprailiac, height, and weight) were selected by the Wherry-Doolittle method.     

某高校学生肠道菌群初步调查

目的 探讨在校大学生肠道菌群的分布,为预防肠道致病菌导致的感染提供科学依据。方法 取新鲜粪便标本,接种于肠道选择平板,筛选正常菌群、肠道致病菌和机会致病菌,以K-B法确定其药物敏感性。结果 大学生肠道菌群以克雷伯杆菌、费劳地枸椽酸杆菌、阴沟肠杆菌及白色念珠菌较多见,男性多见于女性,差异有显著性（P＜0.05）。经常校外就餐者肠道致病菌和条件致病菌检出率较高,与偶有校外就餐者相比,差异有显著性（P＜0.01）。结论 安徽理工大学医学院大学生肠道菌群以费劳地枸椽酸杆菌、阴沟肠杆菌、克雷伯杆菌及白色念珠菌较多见,并就餐方式密切相关。克雷伯杆菌耐药谱较广,应引起足够重视。