Physician-Assisted Suicide in Oregon: A Medical Perspective

This Article examines the Oregon Death with Dignity Act from a medical perspective. Drawing on case studies and information provided by doctors, families, and other care givers, it finds that seemingly reasonable safeguards for the care and protection of terminally ill patients written into the Oregon law are being circumvented. The problem lies primarily with the Oregon Public Health Division ( OPHD ), which is charged with monitoring the law. OPHD does not collect the information it would need to effectively monitor the law and in its actions and publications acts as the defender of the law rather than as the protector of the welfare of terminally ill patients. We make explicit suggestions for what OPHD would need to do to change that

Physician-Assisted Suicide in Oregon: A Medical Perspective

This Article examines the Oregon Death with Dignity Act from a medical perspective. Drawing on case studies and information provided by doctors, families, and other care givers, it finds that seemingly reasonable safeguards for the care and protection of terminally ill patients written into the Oregon law are being circumvented. The problem lies primarily with the Oregon Public Health Division ( OPHD ), which is charged with monitoring the law. OPHD does not collect the information it would need to effectively monitor the law and in its actions and publications acts as the defender of the law rather than as the protector of the welfare of terminally ill patients. We make explicit suggestions for what OPHD would need to do to change that

Ion Channels in Breast Cancer: From Signaling to Therapy

Breast cancer consists of an assortment of illness and therapeutic failure is mostly due to the complex and heterogeneous phenotype of the disease. Recently, changes in expression of several ion channels have been associated with malignancy including breast cancers. This suggests that breast cancer cells might gain a selective advantage by controlling ion channel expression/activity and that ion channels can contribute to the hallmarks of cancer. Due to the growing body of research demonstrating that ion channels are key factors in breast cancer biology. In this chapter, we discuss the role of specific ion channels in contributing to hallmarks of breast and whether these ion channels can be used as potential pharmacologic targets for breast cancer

Subcutaneous peginterferon β-1a injection-site reaction experience and mitigation: Delphi analysis of the ALLOW study

AIM: The objective of this Delphi analysis was to obtain consensus on injection-site reaction (ISR) experience and mitigation strategies for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis switching from nonpegylated interferons (IFNs) to peginterferon β-1a in the ALLOW Phase IIIb trial using a three-step approach. METHODS: Study investigators and coordinators from investigative sites enrolling four or more patients in ALLOW participated in three rounds of questionnaires and interviews. RESULTS: Respondents (n = 37) agreed that the most common ISR, erythema, was not disruptive to daily activities. Patient education, as a conversation with a clinician about ISR potential, was recommended. CONCLUSION: The consensus of Delphi respondents on ISR experience and ISR management after switching from nonpegylated IFNs to peginterferon β-1a can help inform treatment decisions and manage patient expectations

Suicide and suicide prevention in Asia

Access the book via http://www.who.int/mental_health/resources/suicide_prevention_asia.pd

Methods for cell isolation and analysis of the highly regenerative tunicate Polycarpa mytiligera

Background:Polycarpa mytiligera is the only molecularly characterized solitary ascidian capable of regenerating all organs and tissue types. The cellular basis for regeneration in P. mytiligera is largely unknown, and methods for isolating live cells from this species for functional analyses are unavailable.Results: Here, we developed a method for isolating live cells from P. mytiligera, overcoming major experimental challenges, including the dissociation of its thick body wall and native cellular autofluorescence. We demonstrated the applicability of our approach for tissue dissociation and cell analysis using three flow cytometry platforms, and by using broadly used non-species-specific cell labeling reagents. In addition to live cell isolation, proof-of-concept experiments showed that this approach was compatible with gene expression analysis of RNA extracted from the isolated cells, and with ex vivo analysis of phagocytosis.Conclusion: We presented efficient methods for cell purification from a highly regenerative ascidian, which could be transferable to diversity of non-model marine organisms. The ability to purify live cells will promote future studies of cell function in P. mytiligera regeneration