PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “The Right to Reproduce”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Legal and philosophical considerations about cloning in human reproduction].

The birth of Dolly the sheep has served to rekindle the debate on the lawfulness of cloning for human reproduction. Although the normative response has been unanimous thus far in sanctioning such use, the matter of the limits to this is widely debated. In this article the author examines the reasons underpinning the limits imposed: is cloning for human reproduction unlawful in itself of does everything depend on the aim pursued? The issue is addressed from the standpoint of the apparent clash in law between the right to reproduce and freedom of research, on the one hand, and--on the other--the right to be conceived in a given manner. Particular attention is paid to the question of the lawfulness of two instances of human embryo division, namely, for in vitro fertilization and for preimplantation diagnosis.

Bioethics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The Evans case and the right not to be forced to reproduce].

The article analyses the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, Evans v. United Kingdom, of March 7, 2006 (application no. 6339/05) from the perspective of the nature and the effects of a consent together with the conservation and disposal of cryopreserved embryos. Several prevailing normative models are studied in order to look at the disposal of embryos and to test its legal consistency. As a conclusion and basing it on the Evans case, there is a proposition to distinguish between the acts of disposal of spare embryos from IVF programs and the deposit of embryos as a way to prevent lack of fertility.

Embryo Disposition↗
PubMed1984

Superior intensity and reproducibility of SHU-454, a new right heart contrast agent.

Intravenous injection of a variety of fluids has been shown to produce right heart contrast by ultrasound, but the intensity and reproducibility achieved are variable. Thus, a new polysaccharide agent being developed for commercial distribution, SHU-454, was quantitatively compared for intensity and variability with agitated saline solution, indocyanine green, carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide. Videodensitometry was used to measure peak and total opacification of the right ventricle after peripheral intravenous contrast administration. One hundred eighty injections were performed in nine closed chest dogs while two-dimensional echograms were recorded. SHU-454 yielded the highest peak (p less than 0.001) and total (p less than 0.005) intensity values when compared with the standard agents. In addition, SHU-454 yielded the lowest coefficient of variation between injections (p less than 0.04) in producing this contrast effect. There were no biologically significant changes in heart rate, blood pressure or arterial blood gases during injection of any of the substances used. A newly developed agent, SHU-454, is superior to standard agents in the ability to reliably produce right heart contrast after venous injection in dogs.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

[Measurement of scotopic pupils: comparison of scotic pupil measurements using a colvard pupilometer and the slitlamp green light test].

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to compare the accuracy and the reproducibility of scotopic pupil measurements using two different methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We developed a simple test to measure scotopic pupil diameters using a narrow slit of light through a green filter of the Haag-Streit slitlamp. A total of 100 eyes from 50 refractive surgery candidates were prospectively examined by 2 independent investigators using both the Colvard pupilometer (Oasis/USA) and Sekundo's slitlamp green light test. Results were compared using all pairwise multiple comparison procedures (Student-Newman-Keuls method, SigmaStat/Jandel Scientific). The mean age of the patients was 36.3 years with a male:female ratio of 16:34. The colour of the iris was considered blue for 36 individuals and brown for the remainder. RESULTS: Reproducibility: the right eye mean pupil diameter using Sekundo's method was 6.4 mm (+/-0.9) measured by both the first (Slit 1R) and the second (Slit 2R) investigator. The left eye mean pupil diameter was 6.5 mm (+/-1) (Slit 1L) and 6.35 mm (+/-1) (Slit 2L), respectively. The following measurements were obtained with the Colvard pupillometer: (Colv1R)=6.25+/-0.85 mm, (Colv2R)=5.99+/-1 mm, (Colv1L)=6.15+/-0.91 mm, (Colv2L)=6.05+/-0.9 mm. There were no statistically significant differences between the two investigators within the same method of examination. Comparability:The data of both investigators were combined to form 4 groups: (Slit R)=6.4+/-0.96 mm, (Slit L)=6.4+/-1 mm, (Colv R)=6.05+/-0.9 mm, (Colv L)=6.1+/-0.93 mm. There was a significant difference ( p=0.024) between the two methods for both right and left eyes. Particularly for large pupils, the slitlamp green light measurements were significantly higher (up to 0.35 mm) than those with Colvard's device. CONCLUSIONS: The slitlamp green light test provides similar reproducibility for the measurement of the scotopic pupil diameter as the commercially available Colvard pupilometer.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Intra- and interstudy reproducibility of coronary artery diameter measurements in magnetic resonance coronary angiography.

PURPOSE: To determine the intra- and interstudy reproducibility of right coronary artery diameter assessment using serial magnetic resonance (MR) coronary angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-dimensional (2D) navigator-gated segmented fast low angle shot (FLASH) images of the proximal right coronary artery were acquired three times in 11 healthy volunteers, the first two times in the same study session and the third time after repositioning the subject in the scanner. Coronary artery diameters were determined using automated segmentation software and intra- and interstudy reproducibility calculated as the standard deviation (SD) of the signed differences between measurements within and between study sessions, respectively. The reproducibility of the segmentation software was determined by repeated analysis of each individual scan. RESULTS: One subject was excluded from the study due to poor-quality images. In the remaining 10 subjects, the mean (+/- SD) intrastudy difference in coronary artery diameters was -0.05 +/- 0.12 mm, a value that is very similar to between-frame (same-film) differences reported in quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). The mean (+/- SD) interstudy difference in coronary artery diameters was 0.16 +/- 0.43 mm, although this was greatly skewed by one subject with poor image plane repositioning. Excluding that subject resulted in a mean (+/- SD) interstudy difference of 0.04 +/- 0.20 mm. The reproducibility of the segmentation software was excellent, with the mean difference between repeat analyses of the images being 0.00 +/- 0.03 mm. CONCLUSION: The intrastudy variability of coronary artery diameter measurements is low, potentially allowing MR coronary angiography to be used as a tool for the noninvasive assessment of serial changes following pharmacological intervention. A major contributing factor to this is the high reproducibility of the segmentation software. Interstudy variability is approximately three times the intrastudy variability.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Cardioangiographic findings in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.

The dimension, contractility, and regional wall motion of the right and left ventricles were scored on the angiograms of 13 patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. In 10 patients the right ventricle was enlarged, in eight the contractility of the right ventricle was reduced, and in all but one patient there were regional wall motion abnormalities of the right ventricle. The most common abnormality of regional wall motion was mild hypokinesia. There were bulging or dyskinetic areas in seven patients. Regional wall motion abnormalities of the left ventricle were found in five patients, two of whom also had bulging or dyskinetic areas. The reproducibility of right ventricular dimension, contractility, and regional wall motion scores was generally fair but varied unexpectedly both within and between two observers (Kendall's Tau 0.38-0.92). The score values of regional wall motion for some of the segments differed considerably within and between observers. One of the observers consistently gave higher scores than the other. These data suggest that a more objective approach is needed for evaluating angiographic changes in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Application of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bioequivalent guidance of topical dermatological corticosteroid in yellow-skinned Japanese population: validation study using a chromameter.

The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bioequivalent guidance of topical dermatological corticosteroids in 1995 (the Guidance) requires measurement of the skin blanching response with a chromameter for evaluation of cutaneously applied corticosteroid formulations. The Japanese government decided to apply the same guidelines in 2003, despite there having been no reported trial for the yellow-skinned races. The purpose of this study was to obtain basic data of corticosteroid-induced skin blanching response measured with a chromameter on yellow-skinned races. Four studies were performed according to the Japanese version of the Guidance for Industry using a chromameter on the forearms of healthy Japanese volunteers. This involved: (i) a validation study of proper duration of treatment exposure (dose duration); (ii) a comparison study of two dermatological corticosteroid products that represented different potency classes; (iii) inspection of reproducibility using right and left forearms; and (iv) study of seasonal difference. We showed that: (i) the same medication can give different values of ED(50) (the dose duration required to achieve 50% of the fitted areas under the effect curves [AUEC](max) value) under different dose durations; (ii) ED(50) do not always represent the potency of the corticosteroid; (iii) the results of AUEC at maximum duration were similar, but AUEC at an approximate ED(50) duration time varied widely; and (iv) the results of AUEC were different according to season. In conclusion the dose duration relationships, determination of the AUEC(max), and the ED(50) could be obtained on yellow-skinned races using the FDA method. However, negligible differences were found in our study regarding dose duration, reproducibility and seasonal change.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed2001

Characterization of reentrant circuit in macroreentrant right atrial tachycardia after surgical repair of congenital heart disease: isolated channels between scars allow "focal" ablation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to characterize the circuit of macroreentrant right atrial tachycardia (MacroAT) in patients after surgical repair of congenital heart disease (SR-CHD). METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixteen patients with atrial tachycardia (AT) after SR-CHD were studied (atrial septal defect in 6, tetralogy of Fallot in 4, and Fontan procedure in 6). Electroanatomic right atrial maps were obtained during 15 MacroATs in 13 patients, focal AT in 1 patient, and atrial pacing in 2 patients without stable AT. A large area of low bipolar voltage (</=0.5 mV) involved most of the free wall in all patients and contained 2 to 7 dense scars or lines of double potentials, forming 29 narrow channels (width </=2.7 cm) between scars in all but 1 patient, who had a single scar and only focal AT. All 15 MacroATs were propagated through narrow channels. Ablation within the channel eliminated all 15 MacroATs with 1 to 3 (median 1) radiofrequency applications. Ablation was performed in 9 other channels identified during MacroAT (5 patients) and in 5 channels identified during atrial pacing (2 patients). Conduction block was obtained across 28 of 29 channels. After ablation, reproducible sustained right AT was not induced in any patient. During follow-up (median 13.5 months), new MacroATs, atrial fibrillation, or palpitations occurred in 3 of 16 patients. CONCLUSIONS: MacroAT after SR-CHD requires a large area of low voltage containing >/=2 scars forming narrow channels. Ablation within the channels eliminates MacroAT.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Radionuclide assessment of cardiac performance in cystic fibrosis. Reproducibility and effect of theophylline on cardiac function.

A study was designed to evaluate the reproducibility of right and left ventricular ejection fraction measurements (RVEF, LVEF) by equilibrium radionuclide angiography in cystic fibrosis (CF) and to determine the effect of the acute administration of aminophylline on RVEF and LVEF in this disease. Both RVEF and LVEF were measured at rest and during incremental supine bicycle exercise by equilibrium radionuclide angiography in 18 patients with CF. In 9 of these patients, radionuclide studies were repeated after an infusion of aminophylline (9 mg/kg), whereas the remaining patients had radionuclide studies repeated after a placebo infusion. No significant increase in mean RVEF or LVEF values either at rest or at peak exercise was seen after aminophylline infusion. In the patients who underwent sequential radionuclide studies without intervening active drug intervention, the mean (+/- standard deviation) variability in RVEF and LVEF measurements between the 2 studies was 2.6 +/- 2% and 3.6 +/- 2.9%, respectively. We conclude that (1) equilibrium radionuclide angiography is a reasonably reproducible technique for serial assessment of biventricular function at rest and during exercise in CF, and that (2) the acute administration of aminophylline does not augment cardiac function either at rest or during exercise in this disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Successful and reproducible myocardial opacification during two-dimensional echocardiography from right heart injection of contrast.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial contrast echocardiography currently involves intro-arterial injection of contrast. For this technique to have a broader application, it is necessary that myocardial opacification be achieved from a venous injection of contrast. METHODS AND RESULTS: To achieve myocardial opacification after right-side injection of contrast, two groups of open-chest anesthetized dogs were studied. Group 1 included nine dogs in whom microbubbles of various sizes, concentrations, and volumes were injected into the left atrium to determine microbubble characteristics that influence myocardial opacification. Group 2 included eight dogs in whom the effect of the combination of microbubble characteristics and myocardial blood flow on myocardial opacification was evaluated after right atrial injection of contrast. Background-subtracted time-intensity plots were generated from the myocardium to measure peak videointensity. In the group 2 dogs, digital subtraction and color coding were used to further highlight the contrast effect. The number, concentration, and size of the microbubbles all independently affected (p less than 0.01) peak myocardial videointensity after left atrial injection of contrast on multivariate analysis. Highly concentrated microbubbles (4.4 to 5.1 billion/ml) given during dipyridamole-induced coronary hyperemia was most frequently (88%) associated with myocardial opacification after right atrial injection of contrast and was the best predictor of this result on multivariate analysis (chi 2= 9.01, p = 0.003). No changes were noted in left atrial, left ventricular, and pulmonary artery pressures despite injection of large numbers of microbubbles into the right atrium. CONCLUSIONS: Successful and reproducible myocardial opacification can be achieved during myocardial contrast echocardiography after right atrial injection of contrast. These findings could have far-reaching implications in the use of myocardial contrast echocardiography in acute and chronic ischemic syndromes in humans.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1985

Institutional abuse: tubal sterilization in a population at risk of ill-treating their children.

Among the 145 patients at risk of child abuse and neglect who were seen in 1980 in our institution in the prevention of child abuse and neglect prenatal clinic, 19 were sterilized after giving birth. The criteria applied to these 19 patients were compared to the common criteria applied to our general maternity population. We were able to prove that these common criteria were systematically disregarded in the case of a mother at risk of ill-treating her child. We further studied our approach from the angle of the conflict which could exist for health care professionals between the choice of leaving these women with the right to reproduce or putting an end to a history of ill-treatment of children.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Salivation in healthy schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain reference data on the unstimulated salivary flow rate in healthy 6-11-year-old boys and girls, for use in the treatment of drooling in mentally and physically handicapped children. METHODS: Under standard conditions unstimulated saliva was collected from 62 healthy children using the swab method. Flow rate was determined by calculating the increase in weight of cotton rolls placed in the mouth for 5 min. The influence of the variables age, gender and type of gland were evaluated. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the flow rate in boys and girls or between the children in this age window. The swab method showed good reproducibility. The right and left parotid glands had equal flow rates of 0.15 ml/min. The flow rate in the floor of the mouth secreted by the submandibular and sublingual glands was 0.32 ml/min. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy children of 6-11 years, age and gender did not influence the salivary flow rate and therefore do not have to be taken in consideration when measuring salivary flow rate. The swab method was reliable, easy to carry out and well-tolerated by the group of schoolchildren.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

Cooperation and conflict in the evolution of individuality. IV. Conflict mediation and evolvability in Volvox carteri.

The continued well being of evolutionary individuals (units of selection and evolution) depends upon their evolvability, that is their capacity to generate and evolve adaptations at their level of organization, as well as their longer term capacity for diversifying into more complex evolutionary forms. During a transition from a lower- to higher-level individual, such as the transition between unicellular and multicellular organisms, the evolvability of the lower-level (cells) must be restricted, while the evolvability of the new higher-level unit (multicellular organism) must be enhanced. For these reasons, understanding the factors leading to an evolutionary transition should help us to understand the factors underlying the emergence of evolvability of a new evolutionary unit. Cooperation among lower-level units is fundamental to the origin of new functions in the higher-level unit. Cooperation can produce a new more complex evolutionary unit, with the requisite properties of heritable fitness variations, because cooperation trades fitness from a lower-level (the costs of cooperation) to the higher-level (the benefits for the group). For this reason, the evolution of cooperative interactions helps us to understand the origin of new and higher-levels of fitness and organization. As cooperation creates a new level of fitness, it also creates the opportunity for conflict between levels of selection, as deleterious mutants with differing effects at the two levels arise and spread. This conflict can interfere with the evolvability of the higher-level unit, since the lower and higher-levels of selection will often "disagree" on what adaptations are most beneficial to their respective interests. Mediation of this conflict is essential to the emergence of the new evolutionary unit and to its continued evolvability. As an example, we consider the transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms and study the evolution of an early-sequestered germ-line in terms of its role in mediating conflict between the two levels of selection, the cell and the cell group. We apply our theoretical framework to the evolution of germ/soma differentiation in the green algal group Volvocales. In the most complex member of the group, Volvox carteri, the potential conflicts among lower-level cells as to the "right" to reproduce the higher-level individual (i.e. the colony) have been mediated by restricting immortality and totipotency to the germ-line. However, this mediation, and the evolution of an early segregated germ-line, was achieved by suppressing mitotic and differentiation capabilities in all post-embryonic cells. By handicapping the soma in this way, individuality is ensured, but the solution has affected the long-term evolvability of this lineage. We think that although conflict mediation is pivotal to the emergence of individuality at the higher-level, the way in which the mediation is achieved can greatly affect the longer-term evolvability of the lineage.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1992

"Medullary ray glomerular counting" as a method of assessment of human nephrogenesis.

Renal weight (left-right combined), as a parameter of renal development, is required to be less than half the normal value for age for a statistically confident diagnosis of hypoplasia. "Medullary ray glomerular counting" (MRGC), counting cortical glomerular generations, has been proposed as a simple technique of possibly greater sensitivity. Recent development of the Disector method for the unbiased stereological estimation of total glomerular number has provided a, hitherto unavailable, "golden standard" with which to determine the diagnostic potential of MRCG. Both "true" (actual number of generations seen) and "assumed" (a subjective "guess" of the total number of generations) MRGC counts were determined in 11 pairs of kidneys from spontaneously aborted, normally developed, non-malformed fetuses (gestational age: 15-40 weeks). Each kidney was randomly analysed blind and on two separate occasions by two paediatric pathologists using a written protocol. Results were compared with unbiased stereological estimates of glomerular number. Intra- and inter-observer and intra- and inter-(left-right)renal reproducibility were analysed. In conclusion, MRGC, using "real" counts, is a highly reproducible parameter of renal development from 15-36 weeks' gestation. Sensitivity for detection of both hypoplasia and maturation delay increase with gestational age and generally exceeds that of renal weight.

Histological Techniques↗
PubMed2006

Friction produced by types of elastomeric ligatures in treatment mechanics with the preadjusted appliance.

The objective was to compare the frictional forces generated by new nonconventional passive elastomeric ligatures (NCL) and conventional elastomeric ligatures (CL) under dry conditions. An experimental model reproducing the right buccal segment of the upper arch and consisting of five stainless steel 0.022-inch preadjusted brackets (from the second premolar through the central incisor) was used to assess both static and kinetic frictional forces produced by NCL and CL. The frictional forces generated by the 0.019 x 0.025-inch stainless steel wire with the two types of elastomeric ligatures were recorded by sliding the wire into the aligned brackets. The friction produced by the 0.014-inch superelastic nickel titanium wire was evaluated both in the presence of aligned brackets and of three-mm misaligned canine bracket. The amount of both static and kinetic frictions were minimal (<10 g) in the NCL group in the presence of aligned brackets with both types of wires, whereas it ranged from a minimum of 95.6 g for the 0.014-inch superelastic nickel titanium wire to a maximum of 590.7 g for the 0.019 x 0.025-inch stainless steel wire when using CL. The amount of both static and kinetic frictions in the presence of a misaligned canine bracket in the NCL group were less than half of that shown by the CL group. A recently developed passive ligature system is able to produce significantly lower levels of frictional forces in vitro when compared with conventional elastomeric modules.

Elastomers↗
PubMed2001

Concealed accessory pathway with long conduction times and incremental properties: a case report.

Concealed AP with Slow and Incremental Conduction. We report a peculiar form of permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia that occurs only during daytime and physical activity. ECG obtained during tachycardia showed an unusual progressive shortening of the ventriculoatrial (VA) interval that was maximal at the first complex and shortest at the last one before block occurred, always at the accessory pathway level. This phenomenon has not been previously described and appears to be a reverse type of Wenckebach block. It was observed during salvos of spontaneous tachycardia and could be reproduced by right ventricular pacing. The accessory pathway was ablated successfully at the right posteroseptal region, close to the coronary sinus ostium. After ablation, there was no VA conduction, and tachycardia did not recur during a 9-month follow-up period.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

A modified ion-selective electrode method for measurement of chloride in sweat.

A modified method of analysis of sweat chloride concentration with an ion-selective electrode is presented. The original method of sweat chloride analysis proposed by the Orion Research Corporation (Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139) is inadequate because it produces erratic and misleading results. The modified method was compared with the reference quantitative method of Gibson and Cooke. In the modified method, individual electrode pads are cut and placed in the electrodes rather than using the pads supplied by the company; pilocarpine nitrate (2,000 mg/l) is used in place of pilocarpine HCl (640 mg/l); sodium bicarbonate as the weak electrolyte is used instead of K2SO4. A 10-minute period for sweat accumulation is employed rather than a zero-time collection as in the original Orion method. The modification has been studied for reproducibility in individuals, reproducibility between right and left arm in individuals; it has been compared extensively with the quantitative method of Gibson and Cooke, both in normal individuals and in patients with cystic fibrosis. There is excellent agreement between the modified method and the quantitative reference method. There appears to be a slight bias toward higher concentrations of chloride from the right arm compared with the left arm, but this difference is not medically significant.

Adolescent↗