Ethical Issues of Using CRISPR Technologies for Research on Military Enhancement

This paper presents an overview of the key ethical questions of performing gene editing research on military service members. The recent technological advance in gene editing capabilities provided by CRISPR/Cas9 and their path towards first-in-human trials has reinvigorated the debate on human enhancement for non-medical purposes. Human performance optimization has long been a priority of military research in order to close the gap between the advancement of warfare and the limitations of human actors. In spite of this focus on temporary performance improvement, biomedical enhancement is an extension of these endeavours and the ethical issues of such research should be considered. In this paper, we explore possible applications of CRISPR to military human gene editing research and how it could be specifically applied towards protection of service members against biological or chemical weapons. We analyse three normative areas including risk–benefit analysis, informed consent, and inequality of access as it relates to CRISPR applications for military research to help inform and provide considerations for military institutional review boards and policymakers.     

中国野生动物红外相机监测与研究: 现状及未来

智能传感器、人工智能、信息技术等现代科学技术的创新应用极大地提升了人类在全球生物多样性保护和恢复方面的潜力。结合国内外相关研究案例, 本文的主要内容包括: (1)对过去30年间(1991-2021年)中国野生动物红外相机监测研究相关文献资料进行总结分析; (2)结合国内2011年以来的典型案例, 对技术方法、物种发现与编目、形态与行为研究、生态学研究和保护管理等主题领域的进展进行总结分析; (3)结合国外近期的典型案例, 对红外相机监测与研究的重点领域进行评估分析; (4)对中国野生动物红外相机监测研究的未来发展提出相关建议。通过回顾, 本文旨在明晰国内外红外相机技术在野生动物监测研究中的创新应用和发展趋势, 为中国在该领域的未来发展提供参考依据, 以便更好地服务于中国生物多样性监测与研究网络建设和以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系建设, 为推进国家生态文明建设、保障生态安全和生物安全提供决策支持和科学依据。     

The olivieri case: Lessons for Australasia

The case of Dr. Nancy Olivieri, the Hospital for Sick Children, the University of Toronto, and Apotex Inc. vividly illustrates many of the issues central to contemporary health research and the safety of research participants. First, it exemplifies the financial and health stakes in such research. Second, it shows deficits in the ways in which research is governed. Finally, it was and remains relevant not only in Toronto but in communities across Canada and well beyond its borders because, absent appropriate policies, what happened in Toronto could have happened (and could well still happen) elsewhere. In Part One of this paper, we review the facts of the Olivieri case relevant to the issues we wish to highlight: first, the right of participants in a clinical trial to be informed of a risk that an investigator had identified during the course of the trial and the obligation of the investigator to inform participants (both her own and those of other investigators); and second, the obligation of institutions to protect and promote the well-being of research participants as well as academic freedom and research integrity, the obligations of research sponsors to inform participants, research regulators, and others about unforeseen risks, and the obligations of research regulators to ensure that participants are informed of unforeseen risks and to otherwise protect and promote research integrity. In Part Two, we relate these facts and issues to New Zealand and Australia. We also make detailed recommendations for changes to the various instruments used for the governance of research involving humans in Australasia.     

Pinus roxburghii stand dynamics at a heavily impacted site in Nepal: Research through an educational fieldweek

The fieldweek associated with the 4th Asian Dendrochronological Association Conference was an excellent opportunity for education, networking, and research. The participants and group leaders worked together for five days in an area that was new to some of the group leaders and new to some of the participants which enabled us to learn about forest ecology around Kathmandu and Nagarkot, Nepal. The fieldweek was an excellent networking opportunity and the group leaders and participants bonded which strengthened international research in dendrochronology and continues to foster new research collaborations. All of the group leaders and participants had the opportunity to learn about tree-ring formation in Pinus roxburghii at 1500 masl elevation, to explore its wood anatomy, and to examine specific research questions in our field area. In the end we developed a better understanding of the stand-age structure of a stand of trees in Nagarkot, explored the erosion history from exposed roots, and investigated tree health issues on closely related sites. We found that P. roxburghii poses some dating issues with false and micro rings at this elevation, but we were still able to develop a tree-ring chronology from this species and make preliminary assessments of stand dynamics and health.     

微生物组学的技术和方法及其应用

微生物组是指一个特定环境或生态系统中全部微生物及其遗传信息的集合, 其蕴藏着极为丰富的微生物资源。全面系统地解析微生物组的结构和功能, 将为解决人类面临的能源、生态环境、工农业生产和人体健康等重大问题带来新思路。然而, 微生物组学研究在很大程度上取决于其技术与方法的发展。在高通量测序技术出现以前, 微生物研究主要基于分离培养和指纹图谱等技术, 然而, 由于这些技术存在的缺陷, 人们对于微生物的认识十分有限。自21世纪初以来, 尽管高通量测序和质谱技术的革命性突破极大地促进了人们对于微生物的认识, 微生物组学技术在微生物组研究中的应用仍面临着诸多挑战。此外, 目前微生物组的结构和多样性等描述性研究已臻成熟, 微生物组学研究正处于从数量到质量、从结构到功能的关键转变时期。因此, 该文首先介绍了微生物组学的基本概念及其发展简史, 其次简述了微生物组学研究的相关技术和方法及其发展历程, 并进一步阐述了微生物组学的技术和方法在生态学研究中的应用及存在的主要问题, 最后从技术、理论和应用层面阐述了未来微生物组学技术和方法发展的前沿方向, 并提出了今后微生物组学研究的优先发展领域。     

Life cycle assessment of emerging technologies: A review

In recent literature, prospective application of life cycle assessment (LCA) at low technology readiness levels (TRL) has gained immense interest for its potential to enable development of emerging technologies with improved environmental performances. However, limited data, uncertain functionality, scale up issues and uncertainties make it very challenging for the standard LCA guidelines to evaluate emerging technologies and requires methodological advances in the current LCA framework. In this paper, we review published literature to identify major methodological challenges and key research efforts to resolve these issues with a focus on recent developments in five major areas: cross‐study comparability, data availability and quality, scale‐up issues, uncertainty and uncertainty communication, and assessment time. We also provide a number of recommendations for future research to support the evaluation of emerging technologies at low technology readiness levels: (a) the development of a consistent framework and reporting methods for LCA of emerging technologies; (b) the integration of other tools with LCA, such as multicriteria decision analysis, risk analysis, technoeconomic analysis; and (c) the development of a data repository for emerging materials, processes, and technologies.     

Voluntary Informed Consent in Paediatric Oncology Research

In paediatric oncology, research and treatments are often closely combined, which may compromise voluntary informed consent of parents. We identified two key scenarios in which voluntary informed consent for paediatric oncology studies is potentially compromised due to the intertwinement of research and care. The first scenario is inclusion by the treating paediatric oncologist, the second scenario concerns treatments confined to the research context. In this article we examine whether voluntary informed consent of parents for research is compromised in these two scenarios, and if so whether this is also morally problematic. For this, we employ the account of voluntary consent from Nelson and colleagues, who assert that voluntary consent requires substantial freedom from controlling influences. We argue that, in the absence of persuasion or manipulation, inclusion by the treating physician does not compromise voluntariness. However, it may function as a risk factor for controlling influence as it narrows the scope within which parents make decisions. Furthermore, physician appeal to reciprocity is not controlling as it constitutes persuasion. In addition, framing information is a form of informational manipulation and constitutes a controlling influence. In the second scenario, treatments confined to the research context qualify as controlling if the available options are restricted through manipulation of options. Although none of the influences is morally problematic in itself, a combination of influences may create morally problematic instances of involuntary informed consent. Therefore, safeguards should be implemented to establish an optimal environment for parents to provide voluntary informed consent in an integrated research‐care context.     

Healthcare professionals as gatekeepers in research involving refugee survivors of sexual torture: An examination of the ethical issues

This paper examines the ethical issues that arise when healthcare providers act as gatekeepers to research involving vulnerable populations. Traumatised refugees serve as an example of this subset of research participants. Highlighting the particular vulnerabilities of this group, we argue that specific ethical considerations are required that go beyond the conventional research approaches. While gatekeeping responds to some of those vulnerabilities, it risks wronging through unwarranted paternalism. Instead, we will propose that a relational ethics of justice and care serves as a more appropriate framework for responding to the challenges of research involving traumatised refugees. Specifically, such a framework allows us to reflect more deeply on the role of the gatekeeper. In conclusion, we recommend that clinicians and researchers collaborate with survivors’ advisory groups in the development of specific research ethical guidelines.     

Should Children Be Given Priority in Kidney Allocation?

Kidneys for transplantation are scarce, and many countries give priority to children in allocating them. This paper explains and criticizes the paediatric priority. We set out the relevant ethical principles of allocation, such as utility and severity, and the relevant facts to do with such matters as sensitization and child development. We argue that the facts and principles do not support and sometimes conflict with the priority given to children. We next consider various views on how age or the status of children should affect allocation. Again, these views do not support priority to children in its current form. Since distinctions based on age ought to be positively justified, the failure of all these attempts at justification implies that the priority to children is ethically mistaken. Finally, the paper points to evidence that the paediatric priority reduces the overall supply of kidneys, at least in the United States. Paediatric priority is a real-world policy that seems discriminatory, in some places probably reduces the supply of organs, has no robust official defence, and is unsupported by mainstream ethical principles. Consequently, it should be ended.     

STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN HIV VACCINE TRIALS IN SOUTH AFRICA

There is little published literature on the ethical concerns of stakeholders in HIV vaccine trials. This study explored the ethical challenges identified by various stakeholders, through an open-ended, in-depth approach. While the few previous studies have been largely quantitative, respondents in this study had the opportunity to spontaneously identify the issues that they perceived to be of priority concern in the South African context. Stakeholders spontaneously identified the following as ethical priorities: informed consent, social harms, collaborative relationships between research stakeholders, the participation of children and adolescents, access to treatment for participants who become infected with HIV, physical harms, fair participant and community selection, confidentiality, benefits, and payment.
While there is some speculation that research in developing countries poses special ethical challenges, overall no issues were identified that have not been anticipated in international guidance, literature and popular frameworks. However, the South African context affords a distinctive gloss to these expected issues; for example, respondents were concerned that the predominant selection of black participants may perpetuate racist practices of apartheid. Stakeholders should be aware of contextual factors impacting on the implementation of ethical principles. We make a series of recommendations for South African trials, including amendments to the ethical-legal framework and research policies, and, for further research.     

低强度聚焦超声对中枢神经调控作用研究进展

利用导入神经回路内电、磁、光、声等物理因子作用来激发神经系统功能活性,进而改善神经疾病症状、提高生命质量的神经调控技术(neural control technology)在生命科学研究和医学临床诊疗中得到广泛应用.其中尤以低强度聚焦超声(low intensity focused ultrasound,LIFU)具有非损伤性、高穿透能力与时空分辨等优势,更适合用作安全的神经调控物理刺激因子.目前LIFU用于神经调控研究已受到科学界高度关注,进行了大量动物与人类神经调控实验研究并取得可喜成果.本文分别从LIFU用于动物与人类中枢神经调控研究进展、神经调控机制、安全性问题和未来应用前景等方面介绍评述,以期为神经调控研究与应用提供参考.     

European Paediatric Formulation Initiative (EuPFI)—Formulating Ideas for Better Medicines for Children

The European Paediatric Formulation Initiative (EuPFI), founded in 2007, aims to promote and facilitate the preparation of better and safe medicines for children through linking research and information dissemination. It brings together the capabilities of the industry, academics, hospitals, and regulators within a common platform in order to scope the solid understanding of the major issues, which will underpin the progress towards the future of paediatric medicines we want.The EuPFI was formed in parallel to the adoption of regulations within the EU and USA and has served as a community that drives research and dissemination through publications and the organisation of annual conferences. The membership and reach of this group have grown since its inception in 2007 and continue to develop and evolve to meet the continuing needs and ambitions of research into and development of age appropriate medicines. Five diverse workstreams (age-appropriate medicines, Biopharmaceutics, Administration Devices, Excipients and Taste Assessment & Taste Masking (TATM)) direct specific workpackages on behalf of the EuPFI. Furthermore, EuPFI interacts with multiple diverse professional groups across the globe to ensure efficient working in the area of paediatric medicines. Strong commitment and active involvement of all EuPFI stakeholders have proved to be vital to effectively address knowledge gaps related to paediatric medicines, discuss potential areas for further research and identify issues that need more attention and analysis in the future.     

Infectious diseases in oyster aquaculture require a new integrated approach

Emerging diseases pose a recurrent threat to bivalve aquaculture. Recently, massive mortality events in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas associated with the detection of a microvariant of the ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1µVar) have been reported in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Although the spread of disease is often viewed as a governance failure, we suggest that the development of protective measures for bivalve farming is presently held back by the lack of key scientific knowledge. In this paper, we explore the case for an integrated approach to study the management of bivalve disease, using OsHV-1 as a case study. Reconsidering the key issues by incorporating multidisciplinary science could provide a holistic understanding of OsHV-1 and increase the benefit of research to policymakers.     

Project scheduling with resource capacities and requests varying with time: a case study

This paper discusses an extension of the classical resource-constrained project scheduling problem in which the resource availability as well as the resource request of the activities may change from period to period. While the applicability of this extension should be obvious, we provide a case study in order to emphasize the need for the extension. A real-world medical research project is presented which has a structure that is typical for many other medical and pharmacological research projects that consist of experiments. Subsequently, we provide a mathematical model and analyze some properties of the extended problem setting. We also introduce a new priority rule heuristic that is based on a randomized activity selection mechanism which makes use of so-called tournaments. Finally, we report our computational results for the original data of the medical research project as well as for a set of systematically generated test instances.     

Review. The multiple roles of cultural transmission experiments in understanding human cultural evolution

In this paper, we explore how experimental studies of cultural transmission in adult humans can address general questions regarding the 'who, what, when and how' of human cultural transmission, and consequently inform a theory of human cultural evolution. Three methods are discussed. The transmission chain method, in which information is passed along linear chains of participants, has been used to identify content biases in cultural transmission. These concern the kind of information that is transmitted. Several such candidate content biases have now emerged from the experimental literature. The replacement method, in which participants in groups are gradually replaced or moved across groups, has been used to study phenomena such as cumulative cultural evolution, cultural group selection and cultural innovation. The closed-group method, in which participants learn in groups with no replacement, has been used to explore issues such as who people choose to learn from and when they learn culturally as opposed to individually. A number of the studies reviewed here have received relatively little attention within their own disciplines, but we suggest that these, and future experimental studies of cultural transmission that build on them, can play an important role in a broader science of cultural evolution.     

Inter-terminal transportation: an annotated bibliography and research agenda

The seemingly unlimited growth of containerized transport is nowadays associated with an increasing number of seaport container terminals and facilities as well as demand for port-centric value-added and just-in-time logistics services. Intense global and local competition as well as geographical limitations urgently require efficient means to handle inter-terminal transportation. Many factors influence the productivity and efficiency of inter-terminal transportation as well as its economic and environmental implications. In the last two decades, these aspects have led to a growing interest in research, in particular concerning decision analytics and innovative information technology aiming to better understand, improve, and operate inter-terminal transportation. In this paper, we present a chronological overview of related works as an annotated bibliography in order to reflect the current state of research. Furthermore, we identify future research issues and propose a respective research agenda.     

基于机器学习的肠道菌群数据建模与分析研究综述

人体肠道菌群与人类的健康和疾病存在密切关系,对肠道菌群的宏基因组数据进行建模和分析,在疾病预测及诊断相关领域科学研究和社会应用方面均具有重要意义。本文从大数据分析和机器学习的角度,对人体肠道菌群数据的建模、分析和预测算法的原理、过程以及典型研究应用实例进行综述,以期推动肠道菌群分析相关研究发展以及探索结合机器学习算法进行肠道菌群分析的有效方式,同时也为开发基于肠道菌群数据的新型诊疗手段提供借鉴,推动我国精准医疗事业发展。