The Moral Considerability of Invasive Transgenic Animals

The term moral considerability refers to the question of whether a being or set of beings is worthy of moral consideration. Moral considerability is most readily afforded to those beings that demonstrate the clearest relationship to rational humans, though many have also argued for and against the moral considerability of species, ecosystems, and “lesser” animals. Among these arguments there are at least two positions: “environmentalist” positions that tend to emphasize the systemic relations between species, and “liberationist” positions that tend to emphasize the attributes or welfare of a particular individual organism. Already, this classic conflict provides for some challenging theoretical clashes between environmentalists and animal liberationists. The question of moral considerability is complicated, however, by recent developments in genetic engineering. Some animals, like pigs and fish, have been genetically modified by humans to grow organs that can then be transplanted into humans. If environmental arguments for the moral consideration of species are correct, then we are released from our obligations to morally consider those animals that we have genetically modified, since they are by their nature always an “invader species.” If, instead, the welfare of the animal is of penultimate importance, then there is a case for strengthening the moral considerability of GM animals over “naturally-occurring” animals, since they bear a closer relationship to humans. This would appear to be an intractable problem, a “bad marriage,” as Mark Sagoff once proposed. This paper argues that the case of invasive transgenic animals exposes weaknesses in this classic conflict, and particularly, in the framing of this conflict. To remedy this framing problem, this paper argues for a reconceptualization of the term “moral considerability,” instead urging a strong distinction between moral considerability, moral relevance, and moral significance.     

人工释放转基因植物对群落结构以及环境的影响

转基因植物指的是利用DNA重组技术克隆基因导入植物细胞或组织,从而使植物表现出新的性状。基因交流的范围会无限的扩大,可从病毒、细胞、植物等导入植物,因此我们顾虑：人工转基因转人植物,会不会释放到环境中后产生严重的环境污染。鉴于此,本文做出了人工释放转基因植物对群落结构影响的分析。     

Modified accumulation of selected heavy metals in Bt transgenic rice

Safety assessment of genetically modified crops generally does not take into account the potential hazard of altered patterns of heavy metal accumulation in plants. A pot experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions to evaluate the impact of heavy metal amendments on the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in a Bt transgenic rice Ke-Ming-Dao (KMD) and its wild-type Xiushui 11 (Xs11). In control soils, significant di erence was only found in contents of Cu (p < 0.01) and Pb (p < 0.05) in straw between KMD and Xs11. At three levels of Cd amendments (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg), the Cd contents in grain and straw of KMD were significantly higher than those of Xs11, and all grain Cd contents were significantly higher than the International Criteria (0.2–0.4 mg/kg) as specified by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). These results implied that it may be unsafe for growing Bt transgenic rice in heavily Cd-polluted areas. No significant di erence in Zn was found between the two varieties with the exception of roots at Zn amendment level of 600 mg/kg, while Pb contents in KMD were much higher in the straw at the lead amendment level of 1000 mg/kg and in the root at 250 mg Pb/kg. Data on the heavy metal accumulation patterns for the genetically modified rice may be used for the selection of growing areas as well as for plant residue management for Bt rice.     

Exotic gene expression in transgenic plants as a tool for monitoring environmental pollution

Environmental monitoring can benefit from the application of molecular and biochemical techniques as biomarkers. In principle, molecular biomarkers may have some advantage over more classical, organismal level markers because of their sensitivity, efficiency and reproducibility. Nevertheless, some disadvantages such as the cost, resource requirements and lack of specificity have limited their widespread use. Molecular genetics and recombinant DNA technologies, however, allow to improve simplicity and cost, together with reliability, efficiency and sensitivity, of molecular biomarkers. The stress inducible promoter of the barley gene Hvhspl7, which is induced by a number of environmental stress (including some heavy metals), has been fused to the reporter gene GUS in a plasmid. This plasmid was used for stable transformation of tobacco. Some of the transgenic plants obtained after selection showed enhanced GUS expression after exposure to some heavy metals. Maintenance of the plants for three generations, and the analysis of the response to treatments, suggest that these transgenic plants may be utilised as an affordable biomarker for monitoring heavy metal pollution.     

人G—CSF转基因鼠系与正常鼠系比较研究

利用人ＧＣＳＦ基因组基因和ｃＤＮＡ基因作为目的片段,将其受控于２．６ｋｂ的小鼠乳清酸蛋白（ＷＡＰ）基因的调控区下,通过显微注射法获得了两只整合有人ＧＣＳＦ转基因小鼠,通过繁殖建立了稳定的转基因系．一些表型参数测定表明,转基因鼠与正常鼠无明显差别,为对转基因动物进行安全性评价提供了依据     

用秀丽小杆线虫监测厦门岛海水水质

首次采用野生型秀丽小杆线虫( Caenorhabditis elegans )与带有HSP16启动子的转基因虫株分别对厦门岛附近5个站位的表层水样污染程度进行了监测,二者研究结果具有相关性,但采用转基因秀丽小杆线虫大大缩短了监测时间,提高了灵敏度.这是国内应用模式生物秀丽小杆线虫对环境及污染物的监测研究的首次报道.     

表达Xa21基因匠转基因水稻研究

对Xa21在转基因水稻新汕B后代R1、R2群体的的遗传方式及稳定性进行初步分析,特异PCR分析从分子水平表明Xa21基因已稳定遗传至R1代,自交R1代的抗感带型分离比为3：1,揭示出Xa21基因在转基因水稻中按孟德尔方式遗传,Hyg培养基发芽和田间接菌鉴定显示,Xa21转基因水稻对Hyg和白叶枯病的抗性多数在后代中出现3：1的分离,对白叶枯病的的抗病性呈连续分布,能传递到较高世代,并且能在R2代获得纯合株系。图3表3参12     

基于遗传-蚁群算法的单层建筑火灾疏散路径规划研究

为解决如何快速、有效地找出单层建筑火灾最佳疏散路径问题,分析火灾发生时可能影响人员逃生及最佳路径生成的因素。提出基于遗传-蚁群算法求解火灾时期人员疏散路径。运用遗传算法的快速全局搜索能力,对蚁群算法初期所需要的信息素进行快速处理;利用蚁群算法的正反馈机制,快速找出可行路径,缩短搜索时间;并运用Matlab软件对其进行仿真。结果表明:遗传-蚁群算法所求得的路径生成质量有明显提高,并缩短路径生成时间,有助于提高人员逃生效率,降低人员伤亡率。     

高层建筑逃生缓降器中外技术标准比对与应用研究

为提升应急疏散逃生成功率,完善我国逃生救援装备标准体系,通过对比分析国内外技术标准中逃生缓降器及逃生绳索的强度、负荷性能、下降速度、工作温度指标,以及实验测试应急救援情景下的产品安全性能等,开展逃生缓降器关键性能指标对标研究。结果表明:我国逃生缓降器产品标准在复杂情况应对方面具有一定科学性和先进性,但逃生绳的耐高温及整机超温锁死等可靠性指标有待完善。建议整合相关标准条款统一技术要求,构建产品、建筑及应用情景相结合的部品化发展路径,通过微观层面的产品标准化、中观层面的部品化和宏观层面的有效统筹,支撑我国逃生救援装备产业发展和质量监管。