This paper explores the difficulties of addressing ethical questions of genome research in a public engagement setting where laypeople and scientists met for a longer period of time. While professional ethics mostly ignores public meaning, we aimed at a bottom-up approach to ethics in order to broaden the way in which ethical aspects of genomics can be addressed. However, within this interaction we identified a number of difficulties that constrained an open discussion on ethical issues. Thus, we analyze how ethical issues were approached, framed, debated, displaced or closed. We then elaborate on the possibilities and limits of dealing with ethics in such a participatory setting. We conclude by hinting at what should be taken into consideration when approaching issues of science and ethics more “upstream.”

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in paraspinal musculature between dogs with and without atlantoaxial instability (AAI) using computed tomography scans. Study Design Retrospective multicentre study evaluating transverse reconstructed computed tomography scans of 83 small breed dogs (34 with and 49 without AAI) for the cross-sectional paraspinal musculature area at three levels (Occiput/C1, mid-C1, mid-C2). Ratio of moments, dorsal-to-ventral muscle-area ratios (d-v-ratio) and ratios of the dorsal and ventral musculature to C2 height (d-C2-ratio and v-C2-ratio) were evaluated for differences between groups using multivariate analysis of variance (p < 0.05) taking the head-neck position into account. Results Dogs with AAI showed a significantly lower d-v-ratio at levels 2 and 3, d-C2-ratio at level 2 and ratio of moments at all levels. When head-neck positions were analysed separately, ratio of moments was significantly lower in affected dogs at level 1 and 2. Also lower was d-C2-ratio at level 2, but only in flexed positioning. The head-neck position had a significant influence on ratio of moments and d-v-ratio at all three levels and on d-C2-ratio at level 1. Conclusion Significant changes in muscle area were observed only for the hypaxial muscles at the C1 level, indicating a limited role of muscular adaption in AAI patients. Our results confirm an altered ratio of moments in dogs with AAI. The head-neck position has a significant impact and should be taken into account when evaluating spinal musculature.

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