Deconstructing age(s): an analysis of the different conceptions of age as a legal criterion for access to assisted reproductive technologies.

Whether there should be restrictions for access to Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) is a matter of continuous medical, societal, and ethico-legal debate. One of the most controversial topics in this context is the use of parental age as a criterion to limit access to ART. Views are divided on whether there should be an upper age limit for one or both parents and on where such limits should be.

It takes a pirate to know one: ethical hackers for healthcare cybersecurity.

Healthcare cybersecurity is increasingly targeted by malicious hackers. This sector has many vulnerabilities and health data is very sensitive and valuable. Consequently, any damage caused by malicious intrusions is particularly alarming.

Diagnosing myocarditis in endomyocardial biopsies: survey of current practice.

Background: Dallas criteria (DC) and European Society of Cardiology criteria (ESCC) have provided valuable frameworks for the histologic diagnosis and classification of myocarditis in endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) specimens. However, the adaptation and the usage of these criteria are variable and depend on local practice settings and regions/countries. Moreover, several ancillary tests that are not included in the current criteria, such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) or viral polymerase chain reaction (PCR), have proven useful for the diagnosis of myocarditis.

Variability of the urinary and blood steroid profiles in healthy and physically active women with and without oral contraception.

The steroidal module of the athlete biological passport (ABP) targets the use of pseudo-endogenous androgenous anabolic steroids in elite sport by monitoring urinary steroid profiles. Urine and blood samples were collected weekly during two consecutive oral contraceptive pill (OCP) cycles in 15 physically active women to investigate the low urinary steroid concentrations and putative confounding effect of OCP. In urine, testosterone (T) and epitestosterone (E) were below the limit of quantification of 1 ng/ml in 62% of the samples.

From Deutsche Zeitschrift to International Journal of Legal Medicine-100 years of legal medicine through the lens of journal articles : Part 2: Deutsche Zeitschrift für die gesamte gerichtliche Medizin from 1948 to 1969.

The interruption of the publication of the Deutsche Zeitschrift für die gesamte gerichtliche Medizin due to the war ended with volume 39 for the years 1948/1949. Until volume 66/1969, the journal appeared unchanged under the historical title. The 912 publications contained in the 28 volumes of these two decades cover topics from the main fields of forensic medicine, but also from related and unrelated disciplines.

Annual banned-substance review-Analytical approaches in human sports drug testing 2021/2022.

Also in 2021/2022, considerable efforts were invested into advancing human sports drug testing programs, recognizing and taking into account existing as well as emerging challenges in anti-doping, especially with regard to substances and methods of doping specified in the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2022 Prohibited List. In this edition of the annual banned-substance review, literature on recent developments published between October 2021 and September 2022 is summarized and discussed. Focus is put particularly on enhanced analytical approaches and complementary testing options in human doping controls, appreciating the exigence and mission in anti-doping and, equally, the contemporary "new normal" considering, for example, the athlete's exposome versus analytical sensitivity and applicable anti-doping regulations for result interpretation and management.

The effects of iron injection on blood doping biomarkers in dried blood spots.

Iron supplementation is not considered as a doping method; however, it can affect the levels of several biomarkers of the hematologic module of the athlete biological passport (ABP), such as the reticulocyte percentage (%RET) and hemoglobin (HGB) level. Thus, iron injection could be a confounding factor in antidoping analyses. Previous studies have suggested that the HGB level and the expression levels of reticulocyte-related-mRNAs, such as 5'-aminolevulinate synthase 2 (ALAS2) and carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA1), could be promising biomarkers for the ABP and detectable in dried blood spots (DBSs).

Impact of structural racism on inclusion and diversity in precision oncology: A scoping and critical review of the literature.

Inclusion and diversity in precision oncology are essential in reducing cancer disparities among racial and ethnic groups. However, present studies have favored the recruitment and participation of Whites, with limited applicability of their results to minority groups. Many reasons for their underrepresentation are downstream manifestations of structural racism.

Comparison of three different blood matrices for the quantification of endogenous steroids using UHPLC-MS/MS.

Urine is currently the matrix of choice for the detection of exogenous substances but also for the application of the steroidal module of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) consisting in a longitudinal monitoring of steroid biomarkers. To fill the limitations related to urine, the longitudinal monitoring of serum steroids concentration in the so-called 'blood steroid profile' has recently been proposed. Although serum samples are collected much less than urine samples, plasma derived from ABP whole blood samples used for the full blood count could be exploited for the quantification of endogenous steroids.

A comprehensive UHPLC-MS/MS method for the analysis of endogenous and exogenous steroids in serum for anti-doping purposes.

In the context of steroid analyses, the use of blood could represent a valuable complement to urine. While the blood steroid profile is currently being established to aid unveiling testosterone (T) doping, this matrix is also well suited for detection of exogenous anabolic steroids and steroid esters. In this study, a method to determine a simplified blood steroid profile in combination with the direct detection of exogenous anabolic steroids and steroid esters using just one serum aliquot was developed to obtain a comprehensive analytical workflow.

From Deutsche Zeitschrift to International Journal of Legal Medicine-100 years of legal medicine through the lens of journal articles : Part 1: Deutsche Zeitschrift für die gesamte gerichtliche Medizin from 1922 to 1944.

From its launc h in 1922 to the end of the Second World War, the Deutsche Zeitschrift für die gesamte gerichtliche Medizin spanned 38 volumes. The 1762 papers contained in those volumes reflect contemporary interests and include many papers from peripheral fields and non-medico-legal disciplines. Publications concerned with issues outside core legal medicine fields in particular allow two distinct tendencies in the development of German institutes of legal medicine to be discerned.

Chemical composition of the fingermark residue: Assessment of the intravariability over one year using MALDI-MSI.

These past years, the chemical composition of fingermarks have attracted interest of researchers to meet multiple objectives like the determination of an individual's age, gender or lifestyle or the impact of some fingermark detection processes, to cite a few. These studies have highlighted the need to investigate the consistency of the fingermark composition over time. This research explores the evolution of the secretion residue composition of thirteen donors over one year, focusing on the intravariability.

Comparison between MACSprep™ forensic sperm microbead kit and Erase Sperm Isolation kit for the enrichment of sperm fractions recovered from sexual assault samples.

Sexual assault samples often contain mixtures of cells coming from at least two donors. Ideally, one would need to separate the cells into two cellular fractions: one consisting of the alleged aggressor's spermatozoa (the sperm fraction) and the other containing the victim's epithelial cells (the non-sperm fraction). This separation increases the probability of obtaining the alleged offender's autosomal DNA profile.

Fat embolism after intraosseous catheters in pediatric forensic autopsies.

In our center, we performed the autopsy of a child who died from drowning and presented, at autopsy, a major pulmonary fat embolism (PFE). A cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed, including infusion by intraosseous catheter (IIC). No other traumatic lesions and diseases classically related to a risk of PFE were detected.

A Logical Framework for Forensic DNA Interpretation.

The forensic community has devoted much effort over the last decades to the development of a logical framework for forensic interpretation, which is essential for the safe administration of justice. We review the research and guidelines that have been published and provide examples of how to implement them in casework. After a discussion on uncertainty in the criminal trial and the roles that the DNA scientist may take, we present the principles of interpretation for evaluative reporting.

Electrolyte analysis of pleural effusion for discrimination between seawater and freshwater drowning in decomposed bodies.

Objective: The diagnosis of drowning is an important issue in forensic investigations. Moreover, discriminating between seawater and freshwater drowning is crucial to identify where the drowning occurred. The present study aimed to investigate electrolyte concentrations in pleural fluid in decomposed bodies in late postmortem intervals and derive cut-off values for the diagnosis of seawater and freshwater drowning.

Hospital Support for Siblings of Children With Illness in Japan.

Recent years have seen increased attention to the needs and support of siblings of children with chronic illness, and reports of intervention studies on siblings are gradually increasing worldwide. In Japan, the basic policy approved by the Cabinet in 2021 of The Basic Law for Child and Maternal Health and Development stipulates promoting support for the siblings of children with chronic illness, medical care, and disabilities. Simultaneously, practical reports are emerging.

Role of Cultured Skin Fibroblasts in Regenerative Dermatology.

The skin, as the largest organ, covers the entire outer part of the body, and since this organ is directly exposed to microbial, thermal, mechanical and chemical damage, it may be destroyed by factors such as acute trauma, chronic wounds or even surgical interventions. Cell therapy is one of the most important procedures to treat skin lesions. Fibroblasts are cells that are responsible for the synthesis of collagen, elastin, and the organization of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and have many vital functions in wound healing processes.

Suffering and Care of 0-12 Year-Old Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Making Clinical Forensic Data Talk.

Children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread phenomenon that can have detrimental consequences on their health and well-being. This study examined how clinical forensic consultation data of adult victims of IPV might provide information on the potential suffering of children exposed to IPV, the duration of exposure and the knowledge of the situation by the professionals with whom those children were in contact. Data were collected from the consultation files of 112 adult victims of IPV who consulted the Violence Medical Unit at the Lausanne University Hospital (Switzerland) in 2014, and who were parents of children aged 0 through 12.

Topical spray of Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord accelerates diabetic wound healing.

Background And Aim: Cell-based therapy utilizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is currently being investigated as a therapeutic agent for chronic wounds. There is no evidence regarding effectiveness of the spray and local transfer of this cellular product in diabetic wound healing. Accordingly, the present study, using clinical, pathological and biometric parameters, investigated the effectiveness of the spray of these cells in the healing of diabetic wounds in rats.

COVID-19-Associated cardiac pathology at the postmortem evaluation: a collaborative systematic review.

Background: Many postmortem studies address the cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 and provide valuable information, but are limited by their small sample size.

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review is to better understand the various aspects of the cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 by pooling data from a large number of autopsy studies.

Data Sources: We searched the online databases Ovid EBM Reviews, Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science for concepts of autopsy or histopathology combined with COVID-19, published between database inception and February 2021.

A chemoinformatics search for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors ligands revealed a new pan-agonist able to reduce lipid accumulation and improve insulin sensitivity.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors involved in the regulation of the metabolic homeostasis and therefore represent valuable therapeutic targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases. The development of more balanced drugs interacting with PPARs, devoid of the side-effects showed by the currently marketed PPARγ full agonists, is considered the major challenge for the pharmaceutical companies. Here we present a chemoinformatics search approach for new ligands that let us identify a novel PPAR pan-agonist with a very attractive activity profile being able to reduce lipid accumulation and improve insulin sensitivity.

Fatal diving: could it be an immersion pulmonary edema? Case report.

Immersion pulmonary edema is a rare, underrecognized, and potentially lethal pathology developing during scuba diving and other immersion-related activities (swimming or apnoea). Physiopathology is complex and not fully understood, but its mechanisms involve an alteration of the alveolo-capillary barrier caused by transcapillary pressure elevation during immersion, leading to an accumulation of fluid and blood in the alveolar space. Diagnosis remains a challenge for clinicians and forensic practionner.