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Possible Future Use (possible + future_use)
Selected AbstractsReproductive Autonomy Rights and Genetic Disenhancement: Sidestepping the Argument from Backhanded BenefitJOURNAL OF APPLIED PHILOSOPHY, Issue 2 2004Martin Harvey abstract John Robertson has famously argued that the right to reproductive autonomy is exceedingly broad in scope. That is, as long as a particular reproductive preference such as having a deaf child is "determinative" of the decision to reproduce then such preferences fall under the protective rubric of reproductive autonomy rights. Importantly, the deafness in question does not constitute a harm to the child thereby wrought since unless the child could be born deaf he or she would otherwise never have existed, his or her prospective parents would simply have chosen to abort. As such, for this child, being born deaf counts as a benefit, albeit of the "backhanded" variety, since the only other practical alternative is nonexistence. In what follows, I want to investigate this argument in detail. The target of my investigation will be the possible future use of gene therapy technology to "disenhance" one's offspring. I intend to show that the apparently unlimited right to reproductive autonomy, that is, the right to choose both the quantity and qualities of future offspring, entailed by the argument from backhanded benefit can in fact be "sidestepped" through considering what sorts of reproductive practices we as a society ought to allow. [source] Motion analysis of stereotyped hand movements in Rett syndromeJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 2 2003M. Wright Abstract Background Rett syndrome is a genetic developmental disorder, and stereotyped hand movements are a striking feature of this condition. The aim of the present study was to subject these movements to objective analysis and compare the results in one girl at different ages. Method The hand movements of a 10-year-old girl with Rett syndrome were subjected to accurate, three-dimensional (3D) computerized motion analysis and compared to two-dimensional (2D) video analysis of the same girl at 3 years of age. Results Three-dimensional computerized analysis revealed regular patterns with strong coupling between the hands. Frequency analysis showed a dominant frequency at 1.2 Hz, with a higher component at 2.4 Hz that may relate to the activity of basic rhythm generators. The same coupling characteristics were extracted from standard, 2D video recordings made at the same time as the 3D capture. Conclusion An informal video of the same girl taken when she was 3 years of age was analysed in the same way as the 2D video and showed the same characteristics, indicating the possible future use of automated video analysis for early screening and intervention evaluation. [source] Bioengineered ,golden' indica rice cultivars with ,-carotene metabolism in the endosperm with hygromycin and mannose selection systemsPLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2003Karabi Datta Summary Vitamin-A deficiency (VAD) is a major malnutrition problem in South Asia, where indica rice is the staple food. Indica-type rice varieties feed more than 2 billion people. Hence, we introduced a combination of transgenes using the biolistic system of transformation enabling biosynthesis of provitamin A in the endosperm of several indica rice cultivars adapted to diverse ecosystems of different countries. The rice seed-specific glutelin promoter (Gt-1 P) was used to drive the expression of phytoene synthase (psy), while lycopene ,-cyclase (lcy) and phytoene desaturase (crtI), fused to the transit peptide sequence of the pea-Rubisco small subunit, were driven by the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus promoter (CaMV35S P). Transgenic plants were recovered through selection with either CaMV35S P driven hph (hygromycin phosphotransferase) gene or cestrum yellow leaf curling virus promoter (CMP) driven pmi (phophomannose isomerase) gene. Molecular and biochemical analyses demonstrated stable integration and expression of the transgenes. The yellow colour of the polished rice grain evidenced the carotenoid accumulation in the endosperm. The colour intensity correlated with the estimated carotenoid content by spectrophotometric and HPLC analysis. Carotenoid level in cooked polished seeds was comparable (with minor loss of xanthophylls) to that in non-cooked seeds of the same transgenic line. The variable segregation pattern in T1 selfing generation indicated single to multiple loci insertion of the transgenes in the genome. This is the first report of using nonantibiotic pmi driven by a novel promoter in generating transgenic indica rice for possible future use in human nutrition. [source] Phage ,C31 integrase-mediated genomic integration of the common cytokine receptor gamma chain in human T-cell linesTHE JOURNAL OF GENE MEDICINE, Issue 5 2006Yoshinori Ishikawa Abstract Background X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1, X-SCID) is a life-threatening disease caused by a mutated common cytokine receptor , chain (,c) gene. Although ex vivo gene therapy, i.e., transduction of the ,c gene into autologous CD34+ cells, has been successful for treating SCID-X1, the retrovirus vector-mediated transfer allowed dysregulated integration, causing leukemias. Here, to explore an alternative gene transfer methodology that may offer less risk of insertional mutagenesis, we employed the ,C31 integrase-based integration system using human T-cell lines, including the ,c-deficient ED40515(-). Methods A ,C31 integrase and a neor gene expression plasmid containing the ,C31 attB sequence were co-delivered by electroporation into Jurkat cells. After G418 selection, integration site analyses were performed using linear amplification mediated-polymerase chain reaction (LAM-PCR). ED40515(-) cells were also transfected with a ,c expression plasmid containing attB, and the integration sites were determined. IL-2 stimulation was used to assess the functionality of the transduced ,c in an ED40515(-)-derived clone. Results Following co-introduction of the ,C31 integrase expression plasmid and the plasmid carrying attB, the efficiency of integration into the unmodified human genome was assessed. Several integration sites were characterized, including new integration sites in intergenic regions on chromosomes 13 and 18 that may be preferred in hematopoietic cells. An ED40515(-) line bearing the integrated ,c gene exhibited stable expression of the ,c protein, with normal IL-2 signaling, as assessed by STAT5 activation. Conclusions This study supports the possible future use of this ,C31 integrase-mediated genomic integration strategy as an alternative gene therapy approach for treating SCID-X1. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Utilization of Metallurgical Slag as Resource Materials in ChinaASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 3-4 2006Jian-Guo Shen New developments that utilize metallurgical slag as resource materials are important in order to decrease the land used for disposal of slag, reducing environmental pollution, and also promoting the continuous and highly efficient development of China's metallurgical industry. Current major problems and possible future uses of metallurgical slag are discussed based on assessments of present uses. Improving the use of metallurgical slag as resource materials requires the development of new high-value-added products. [source] | ||||||||||