3-D bone models to improve treatment initiation among patients with osteoporosis: A randomised controlled pilot trial

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of 3-D printed bone models as a tool to facilitate initiation of bisphosphonate treatment among individuals who were newly diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Design: Fifty eight participants with estimated fracture risk above that at which guidelines recommend pharmacological intervention were randomised to receive either a standard physician interview or an interview augmented by the presentation of 3-D bone models.

Main outcome measures: Participants’ beliefs about osteoporosis and bisphosphonate treatment, initiation of bisphosphonate therapy assessed at two months using self-report and pharmacy dispensing data.

Results: Individuals in the 3-D bone model intervention condition were more emotionally affected by osteoporosis immediately after the interview (p = .04) and reported a greater understanding of osteoporosis at follow-up (p = .04), than the control group. While a greater proportion of the intervention group initiated an oral bisphosphonate regimen (alendronate) (52%) in comparison with the control group (21%), the overall initiation of medication for osteoporosis, including infusion (zoledronate), did not differ significantly (intervention group 62%, control group 45%, p = .19).

Conclusion: The presentation of 3-D bone models during a medical consultation can modify cognitive and emotional representations relevant to treatment initiation among people with osteoporosis and might facilitate commencement of bisphosphonate treatment.     

La création d’animaux chimères porteurs d’organes humains

Generate a human organ in an animal in order to elaborate a stock of available organs for transplantation… This is not the scenario of a science fiction movie but the result of the hard work of some researchers convinced of the feasibility of this major innovation. If the interest of this discovery is undeniable, it generates also many ethical and legal questions.     

Exploratory analysis of contingency tables by loglinear formulation and generalizations of correspondence analysis

Goodman's (1979, 1981, 1985) loglinear formulation for bi-way contingency tables is extended to tables with or without missing cells and is used for exploratory purposes. A similar formulation is done for three-way tables and generalizations of correspondence analysis are deduced. A generalized version of Goodman's algorithm, based on Newton's elementary unidimensional method is used to estimate the scores in all cases.This research was partially supported by National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Grant No. A8724. The author is grateful to the reviewers and the editor for helpful comments.     

Can Bioethics be Lutheran?

Abstract :  A Lutheran bioethics must rest on a reconstructed version of Martin Luther's ethics. In the article it is shown that this ethics is Christian in that it has faith in Jesus Christ as its source. But the ethics of neighbor love is practiced in the secular world where it to some extent corresponds with natural law ethics. A Christian believer acts ethically both as an individual and as a citizen. Against the background of this understanding of Lutheran ethics, the position of Ted Peters and Gilbert Meilaender on genetics and stem cells is presented and criticized. One conclusion is that there is no Lutheran doctrine on the status of the human embryo.     

死亡的判定

死亡是生命的终结.死亡判定的标准在历史上经历了一个逐步深化的过程.1959年2位法国医学家首先提出了脑死亡的概念.但是什么是脑死亡,以及如何判定脑死亡是一个有争议的问题.1981年美国总统委员会提出了一个脑死亡的判定指标体系,并被一些国家立法接受.回顾了对死亡判定认识的历史过程.     

模型方法在神经干细胞研究中的应用

神经干细胞(neural stem cell NSC)是一种终身具有自我更新能力的细胞,其子细胞能分化产生神经系统的各类细胞,这一特性为神经系统各类疾病的治疗带来了新的希望.模型方法是医学研究的基本方法.就模型方法在神经干细胞研究中的应用作一综述有重要意义.     

脐血干细胞移植中的伦理思考

现代干细胞移植技术飞速发展。脐血干细胞移植在伦理学上具有胚胎干细胞和骨髓干细胞移植治疗不可比拟的优势,但是其伦理学上的可接受性并不等于伦理问题的消失。在脐血干细胞移植研究过程中,应该遵循伦理道德观和科学理性的原则,健康发展,造福人类。     

胚胎干细胞源性配子细胞的诞生对伦理学的冲击

胚胎干细胞在伦理学界引发的争论尚未平息,胚胎干细胞源性配子的诞生又在更深层次对伦理学产生了新的冲击.ESDG将在解决人类生殖问题中作出重要贡献,特别是给合法结婚的同性恋者带来了拥有带有自身遗传性状后代的希望.但是,这方面的进展势必会与伦理学产生冲突,并且有多方面的伦理问题需要人类慎重考虑.     

伦理,胚胎和干细胞研究

道德是关于规则、直觉、理解和观点的一个复杂系统。而后者影响着我们相互间处理事务的方式。它们交叉地渗入我们的道德思考。这种思维与胚胎、干细胞的伦理密切相关,因为胚胎和干细胞涉及我们对与治疗和移植组织有关的人的生命及其启始问题。就像在许多对待生命及其可以阐释的研究方法方面,要有一个道德的思辩历程一样,解决这些问题,部分地需要讨论,部分地需要回答。只有在我们认定这种讨论能够融入应用干细胞治疗的胚胎及其类源和人体组织的使用中时,我们才会清楚,大多数人体不同部位的干细胞应用是经过了对人的生命启始、我们儿童、家庭进行了思考。     

造血干细胞移植资格准入的相关问题

通过探讨目前我国开展造血干细胞移植(HSCT)存在的问题,介绍开展HSCT的基本要求,引入准入制度的重要意义来保护这项医疗技术不被滥用,使其最终的结果是HSCT的技术得到稳步提高,移植质量得到有效保障。