Regulating Surrogacy: Chances and Pitfalls

Surrogacy raises admittedly a series of concerns, but it is also a reality and, as long as there are persons who cannot have children in a different way, this will not change. Its prohibition at a global level is both unfeasible and unenforceable, while its non-regulation reads to legal uncertainty. Pragmatic considerations call for the regulation of surrogacy; not because pragmatism overrides ethics, but because a good regulation, one that balances the interests of all parties involved, not only on paper but also in practice, can successfully address most of the concerns about surrogacy. In 2002 Greece was the first European country to introduce a comprehensive regulatory scheme for surrogacy, followed by Cyprus in 2015 and Portugal in 2016.Drawing mainly on these jurisdictions, the aim of this paper is to shed light into the alternative patterns of regulation of surrogacy and point out the chances and pitfalls of such an endeavour. I argue that the main points around which a surrogacy regulation should revolve are: allow for gestational surrogacy only; set eligibility criteria for both the intended parents and the surrogate; provide for monitoring mechanisms that oversee the whole process; establish legal parenthood of the intended parents already at birth. To ensure the success of the regulation, the lawmaker should stay clear of too restrictive or practicably unenforceable rules

The emergence of ambulatory measurement of arterial stiffness and central blood pressure: A promising novelty of clinical importance or just another marker?

Whereas brachial blood pressure (BP) is still considered the gold standard for the estimation of cardiovascular risk in all clinical trials and guidelines, scientific interest is shifting towards central hemodynamics and the scientific community is experiencing a whole new revolution with the emergence of novel cardiovascular markers such as the ambulatory measurement of central BP and arterial stiffness. Central BP has already started to demonstrate its superiority over peripheral BP as a better and more reliable predictor of end-organ damage in cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, ambulatory measurement of central BP and pulse wave velocity are expected to add much more useful information towards a more integrated assessment of cardiovascular risk and profile. However, more research is required before these novel markers could be incorporated in the everyday practice of BP measurement

Feasibility and impact of a short training course on frailty destined for primary health care professionals

BACKGROUND: There is an unmet need for training primary health care professionals on frailty, especially in countries where geriatrics is still emerging. PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a training course for primary health care professionals on the detection, assessment, and management of frailty. METHODS: A single-day training course, developed and facilitated by three physicians trained in geriatrics abroad, was organized by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Primary Hearth Care Research Network. Primary health care professionals' attitudes, knowledge, and everyday practices regarding frailty were assessed by self-administered anonymous questionnaires (using Likert-type scales) at three time-points (before, upon completion of the training course, and 3 months afterward). RESULTS: Out of 31 participants (17 physicians, 12 nurses, 2 health visitors; 87.1% women; mean age 46.4 years), 31(100%) filled in the first, 30(97%) the second, and 25(81%) the third questionnaire. Improvements were reported in familiarization with the frailty syndrome (p = 0.041) and in self-perception of knowledge and skills to detect (p < 0.001) and manage (p < 0.001) frailty, that were also sustained 3 months afterward (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003 respectively). Improvement was also observed in the attitude that frailty is an inevitable consequence of aging (p = 0.007) and in the frequency of application of screening (but not management) strategies, 3 months following the workshop compared to baseline (p = 0.014). Participants reported less disagreement with the statement that systematic screening for frailty was unfeasible in their daily practice at 3 months compared to baseline (p = 0.006), mainly due to time restrictions. CONCLUSION: A short skill-oriented training course can significantly and sustainably improve primary health care professionals' attitudes and practices regarding frailty

Does Deep Tectonic Tremor Occur in the Central‐Eastern Mediterranean Basin?

Tectonic tremor has been observed at the roots of many fault systems around the Pacific rim, including convergent and transform plate boundaries. The extent to which deep tremor signals are prevalent along fault systems elsewhere, including the Mediterranean basin, has not yet been documented in detail. A body of evidence suggests that tremor triggered during the surface waves of teleseismic events may commonly occur where ambient tremor during episodic tremor and slip episodes occur, suggesting triggered tremor provides a useful tool to identify regions with ambient tremor. We perform a systematic search of triggered tremor associated with large teleseismic events between 2010 and 2020 at four major fault systems within the central-eastern Mediterranean basin, namely the Hellenic and Calabrian subduction zones, and the North Anatolian and Kefalonia transform faults. In addition, we search for ambient tremor during a slow slip event in the eastern Sea of Marmara along a secondary branch of the North Anatolian Fault, and two slow slip events beneath western Peloponnese (Hellenic Subduction Zone). We find no unambiguous evidence for deep triggered tremor, nor ambient tremor. The absence of triggered tremor at the Hellenic and Calabrian subduction zones supports an interpretation of less favorable conditions for tremorgenesis in the presence of old and cold slabs. The absence of tremor along the transform faults may be due to an absence of the conditions commonly promoting tremorgenesis in such settings, including high-fluid pressures and low-differential stresses between the down-dip limit of the seismogenic layer and the continental Moho

TECHNOLOGY-CHANGE CHANGES: IMPLICATIONS FOR UNIVERSITIES AND R&D-SECTOR

Abstract: Technology change and the resulting increase in labour's productivityis the major contribution of bourgeoisie. Yet, as the path and the velocity of technology's evolution changes, the phenomenon induces systemic modifications challenging the very nature of capitalism itself. This in turn alters the role of the R&D and academic institutions in the modern society. The present paper contributes to this discussion. We follow a theoretical framework that combines epistemological and economic growth theories in order to suggest the induced changes. Next we discuss the modern role of academia and R&D. We conclude by presenting hypotheses for further research and discussing the induced policy implications

Ian D. Copestake, The Ethics of William Carlos Williams’s Poetry.

Ian D. Copestake’s monograph on William Carlos Williams’s poetry offers a well-informed and well-documented insight into the connection between Williams’s writing with Unitarianism and Emersonian thinking. In this very well-written and accessible book, the reader gets introduced to a number of poems in addition to excerpts from Williams’s essays, letters and autobiography which facilitate the understanding and appreciation of the poet’s attempt to promote “independent thought and action” (5)...