Is it ethically justifiable to cryopreserve oocytes and ovarian tissues of healthy women not facing premature ovarian failure, but seeking to extend their biological clocks?

Recent advances in oocyte and ovarian tissue cryopreservation technology have not only brought hope to women facing premature loss of ovarian function; it can also be utilized for healthy women seeking to extend their biological clocks. This is a major issue of contention in healthcare ethics. Proponents of this new technology argue that this enables women to fully pursue educational and career goals in their youth, whilst upon reaching middle age they would have more financial resources for their offspring. Nevertheless, this argument is flawed by the reality that even if the cryopreservation of oocytes and ovarian tissue were optimized, this would in no way be a guaranteed route for women to have biological children later in life. Moreover, because only a limited amount of autologous reproductive material can be cryopreserved and stored for a single healthy woman, there is a risk of material depletion before reproductive success is attained. Another prime consideration is the increased morbidity and mortality associated with clinical assisted reproduction in older women. Hence, it is suggested that the cryopreservation and storage of oocytes and ovarian tissues be restricted only to women facing the prospect of premature ovarian failure.     

大鼠生后锰接触对黑质多巴胺能神经元发育的毒性影响

目的　研究大鼠出生后锰接触对黑质多巴胺 (DA)神经元发育的毒性影响。方法　采用Morris水迷宫试验检测仔鼠的肌力变化 ;荧光分光度计法检测仔鼠尾状核脑匀浆DA含量的变化 ;酪氨酸氢氧化酶(TH)免疫细胞化学 (ABC法 )与图象分析相结合法检测黑质DA神经元和尾状核DA纤维的免疫反应强度和平均相对密度。结果　 (1)随着染锰浓度的增高 ,仔鼠的肌力呈现明显的衰退 ;(2 )尾状核脑匀浆的DA含量 ,随染锰浓度的升高而降低 ;(3)黑质TH免疫反应阳性神经元和尾状核TH免疫反应阳性纤维的反应强度、以及相应的TH阳性产物的平均相对密度 ,均随着染锰浓度的升高而显著下降。结论　大鼠生后锰接触 ,对黑质多巴胺神经元的发育有明显的毒性损害 ,其损害程度随染锰的剂量升高而增加     

Surface-engineered liposomes for dual-drug delivery targeting strategy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

This study focused on the encapsulation of vancomycin(VAN) into liposomes coated with a red blood cell membrane with a targeting ligand, daptomycin–polyethylene glycol–1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, formed by conjugation of DAPT and Nhydroxysuccinimidyl-polyethylene glycol-1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine.This formulation is capable of providing controlled and targeted drug delivery to the bacterial cytoplasm. We performed MALDI-TOF, NMR and FTIR analyses to conf...     

Phenotype of Asthma-COPD Overlap in COPD and Severe Asthma Cohorts

BackgroundAsthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are airway diseases with similar clinical manifestations, despite differences in pathophysiology. Asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) is a condition characterized by overlapping clinical features of both diseases. There have been few reports regarding the prevalence of ACO in COPD and severe asthma cohorts. ACO is heterogeneous; patients can be classified on the basis of phenotype differences. This study was performed to analyze the prevalence of ACO in COPD and severe asthma cohorts. In addition, this study compared baseline characteristics among ACO patients according to phenotype.MethodsPatients with COPD were prospectively enrolled into the Korean COPD subgroup study (KOCOSS) cohort. Patients with severe asthma were prospectively enrolled into the Korean Severe Asthma Registry (KoSAR). ACO was defined in accordance with the updated Spanish criteria. In the COPD cohort, ACO was defined as bronchodilator response (BDR) ≥ 15% and ≥ 400 mL from baseline or blood eosinophil count (BEC) ≥ 300 cells/μL. In the severe asthma cohort, ACO was defined as age ≥ 35 years, smoking ≥ 10 pack-years, and post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity < 0.7. Patients with ACO were divided into four groups according to smoking history (threshold: 20 pack-years) and BEC (threshold: 300 cells/μL).ResultsThe prevalence of ACO significantly differed between the COPD and severe asthma cohorts (19.8% [365/1,839] vs. 12.5% [104/832], respectively; P < 0.001). The percentage of patients in each group was as follows: group A (light smoker with high BEC) – 9.1%; group B (light smoker with low BEC) – 3.7%; group C (moderate to heavy smoker with high BEC) – 73.8%; and group D (moderate to heavy smoker with low BEC) – 13.4%. Moderate to heavy smoker with high BEC group was oldest, and showed weak BDR response. Age, sex, BDR, comorbidities, and medications significantly differed among the four groups.ConclusionThe prevalence of ACO differed between COPD and severe asthma cohorts. ACO patients can be classified into four phenotype groups, such that each phenotype exhibits distinct characteristics.     

头皮针治疗中风后失语症的弥散张量成像研究

【目的】观察头皮针治疗中风后失语症的临床疗效,并运用磁共振弥散张量成像（DTI）相关参数探讨其可能的作用机制。【方法】将28例中风后失语症患者随机分为治疗组13例和对照组15例,其中治疗组10例、对照组11例行弥散张量成像扫描。2组患者均给予常规药物治疗,在此基础上,对照组给予言语康复训练治疗,治疗组给予言语康复训练联合头皮针治疗,穴位选取左侧顶颞前斜线下2/5,每天治疗1次,每周6次,连续治疗2周。观察2组患者治疗前后行为学指标[西方失语成套量表测验（WAB）评分和波士顿诊断性失语检查法（BDAE）评级]和DTI参数[各向异性分数（FA）、表观弥散系数（ADC）]的变化情况,并评价2组患者的临床疗效。【结果】（1）临床疗效方面：治疗2周后,治疗组的总有效率为92.3%(12/13),对照组为60.0%(9/15),组间比较,治疗组的疗效明显优于对照组（P<0.05）。（2）行为学指标方面：治疗后,2组患者的WAB评分和BDAE分级均较治疗前明显升高（P<0.05）,且治疗组对WAB评分和BDAE分级的升高作用均明显优于对照组（P<0.05）。（3）DTI参数方面：治...     

Fatal Disseminated Tuberculosis and Concurrent Disseminated Cryptococcosis in a Ruxolitinib-treated Patient with Primary Myelofibrosis: A Case Report and Literature Review

Ruxolitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, improves symptoms in patients with myelofibrosis. However, its association with the development of opportunistic infections has been a concern. We herein report a 71-year-old man with primary myelofibrosis who developed disseminated tuberculosis and concurrent disseminated cryptococcosis during ruxolitinib treatment. We also reviewed the literature on disseminated tuberculosis and/or cryptococcosis associated with ruxolitinib treatment. This is the first case of disseminated tuberculosis and concurrent disseminated cryptococcosis during treatment with ruxolitinib. We therefore suggest considering not only disseminated tuberculosis but also cryptococcosis in the differential diagnosis of patients with abnormal pulmonary shadows during ruxolitinib treatment.