The Harm of Bioethics: A Critique of Singer and Callahan on Obesity

Debate concerning the social impact of obesity has been ongoing since at least the 1980s. Bioethicists, however, have been relatively silent. If obesity is addressed it tends to be in the context of resource allocation or clinical procedures such as bariatric surgery. However, prominent bioethicists Peter Singer and Dan Callahan have recently entered the obesity debate to argue that obesity is not simply a clinical or personal issue but an ethical issue with social and political consequences. This article critically examines two problematic aspects of Singer and Callahan's respective approaches. First, there is an uncritical assumption that individuals are autonomous agents responsible for health‐related effects associated with food choices. In their view, individuals are obese because they choose certain foods or refrain from physical activity. However, this view alone does not justify intervention. Both Singer and Callahan recognize that individuals are free to make foolish choices so long as they do not harm others. It is at this point that the second problematic aspect arises. To interfere legitimately in the liberty of individuals, they invoke the harm principle. I contend, however, that in making this move both Singer and Callahan rely on superficial readings of public health research to amplify the harm caused by obese individuals and ignore pertinent epidemiological research on the social determinants of obesity. I argue that the mobilization of the harm principle and corresponding focus on individual behaviours without careful consideration of the empirical research is itself a form of harm that needs to be taken seriously.     

Unveiling commonalities in understudied habitats of boulder-reefs: life-history traits of the widespread invertebrate and algal inhabitants

Compared to stable reef habitats, dynamic boulder-reefs (commonly called boulder-fields when intertidal) host many habitat specialist species. Most occur underneath boulders where they are largely hidden from view; only limited research has assessed their life-histories despite their widespread importance for biological diversity. But some abundant under-boulder species likely structuring this system are habitat generalists widely researched elsewhere. Here we review this research, focusing on three widespread under-boulder sessile taxa: spirorbids, serpulids (tubeworms) and nongeniculate coralline algae, and three mobile taxa: sea urchins, chitons and crabs. Spirorbids have extensive reproductive/colonization capabilities but are readily out-competed. We thus characterize spirorbids as mostly early-successional, while serpulids often have greater competitiveness. Nongeniculate corallines occur underneath boulders where light reaches, although they can withstand low levels of that and most other resources. Such traits characterize nongeniculate corallines as late-successional. Thus, succession underneath boulders may shift deterministically from early tubeworms to late nongeniculate corallines. Habitat generalist sea urchin and chiton species often have strong inter-specific interactions in exposed habitats. Future experiments may find that under-boulder aggregations of these taxa, and also crabs, are impacting algal and invertebrate assemblages. These experiments will be required if dynamic boulder-reefs are to be as thoroughly understood as other benthic systems.     

丹红注射液治疗膝关节置换术后患者的临床疗效及机制研究

目的:探讨丹红注射液治疗膝关节置换术后患者的临床疗效、安全性及其可能作用机制。方法:选取我院骨科收治的行膝关节置换术的患者86例,根据就诊顺序平均分为两组,对照组43例予以术后常规治疗,实验组43例予以丹红注射液治疗。治疗后,观察并比较两组患者的临床疗效,血清IL-6、IL-8及TNF-α水平的变化,并发症的发生情况以及膝关节功能的活动情况。结果:与对照组相比较,实验组的总有效率及HSS评分更高(P0.05),血清IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α的水平,感染和粘连的发生率较低(P0.05)。结论:丹红注射液能够提高膝关节置换术的临床疗效,减少并发症的发生,使患者的膝关节功能尽快恢复,这可能与其降低血清IL-6、IL-8及TNF-α水平有关。     

A simple and rapid method for separation and isolation of marine algal species from naturally evolved populations

To improve the study of mixed microalgal populations, three naturally evolved marine microalgal cultures were subjected to a light crushing mechanical treatment using a silicon spatula coupled with zymolyase treatment at four concentrations: 5, 10, 20 and 25 U/ml, for 15, 30, 45 and 60 min before being observed under a microscope. The enzyme concentration of 20 U/ml after 45 min reduces the size of macroscopic microalgal aggregates and improves the microscopic observation of the different microalgal species comprising the population. There was no improvement using the higher enzyme concentration. This paper proposes a new approach to the study of naturally evolved microalgal populations which is useful for distinguishing the morphology of the different species present in the population and allowing for the identification by classical keys, and also to obtain a pure culture from an inoculum of mixed species by using a micromanipulator for cell counting.     

清胆颗粒利胆作用的实验研究

目的：通过研究清胆颗粒对正常大鼠及模型动物胆汁及病理组织的影响,确定其利胆功效,为临床应用提供依据.方法：采用胆管引流法测定清胆颗粒对正常大鼠胆汁量的影响;应用石胆酸（lithocholic acid,LCA）造成豚鼠胆囊炎模型,测定其对模型动物肝重、肝指数、胆囊容积及胆囊病理组织的影响.结果：清胆颗粒能显著增加正常大鼠胆汁流量,明显减轻模型动物肝湿重和肝指数,缩小胆囊容积,能明显降低胆汁中TB、DB及UCB/TB含量,对Ca^2＋增高有明显的抑制作用,对模型动物胆囊粘膜上皮增生有明显的抑制作用.结论：清胆颗粒具有显著的利胆作用.     

Supply-side control over the survivorship of Chthamalus spp. recruits in northern Baja California

The constant supply of larvae to coastal habitats is important for the persistence of populations and can vary depending on oceanic conditions that may affect physical transport processes. We evaluated the survivorship of Chthamalus recruits in Playa San Miguel, Baja California, for over a year to evaluate if the supply of new recruits was of greater importance than the post-recruitment factors of competition and predation in determining adult population size. We hypothesized that the number of Chthamalus recruits would predict the number of adults present and that predation and competition would not play a significant role in determining adult densities. Recruit density was a robust predictor of adult density despite the presence of weak density-dependent mortality. Neither predation nor competition significantly affected the survivorship of recruits and did not decouple the relationship between recruit and adult densities, suggesting that these post-recruitment controls did not play an important role in determining the population size of Chthamalus barnacles at this site. The data support the hypothesis that supply-side control is the primary factor structuring the population of Chthamalus in the intertidal community at Playa San Miguel.     

丹蒌片治疗老年性主动脉瓣狭窄的临床疗效分析

目的:探讨丹蒌片对老年性主动脉瓣狭窄患者临床疗效及血清炎症因子水平的影响。方法:选取老年性主动脉瓣钙化患者共34例,将其随机分为丹蒌片治疗组(22例)及对照组(12例)。根据西雅图心绞痛问卷中文版、SF-36生活质量量表、中医临床证候评分比较两组的治疗效果,ELISA检测治疗前后患者血清肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)、白介素6(IL-6)及同型半胱氨酸(HCY)的水平。结果:丹蒌片治疗组患者心绞痛程度及治疗满意度较常规治疗组均有明显统计学差异,丹蒌片可提高病人生活质量,改善中医部分证候,减轻血清炎症因子表达。结论:丹蒌片或可减缓主动脉瓣钙化进展,其原因可能和炎症反应减轻有关。     

正、反杂交二西蜂及其父、母本DNA基因组的多态性研究

使用RAPD-PCR(random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction）技术,分析了正杂交松丹一号西蜂,反杂交松丹二号西蜂及其父,母本的DNA多态性,结果正杂交松丹一号西峰蜂,反杂交松丹二号西蜂及其父,母本的DNA多态性均有明显的差别,这说明通过正杂交松丹一号与反杂交松丹二号的DNA分子发生了变异。     

水稻花培品种单209抗病性的遗传学分析

单209是1977年由组合(IR26×农虎_6~2),经花药培养育成的粳稻品种。遗传学研究表明,该品种对稻瘟病和水稻白叶枯病的抗性受不同的单基因控制,而它们是由非轮回亲本IR26导入的。鉴于已发现的具白叶桔病抗性基因X(?)的材料均属籼稻。因此,单209可能是具该抗性基因的第1个粳稻品种。它已作为抗性亲本广泛应用于育种中。