Ectogenesis and gender-based oppression: Resisting the ideal of assimilation

In a recent article in this journal, Kathryn MacKay advances a defence of ectogenesis that is grounded in this technology’s potential to end—or at least mitigate the effects of—gender-based oppression. MacKay raises important issues concerning the socialization of women as ‘mothers’, and the harms that this socialization causes. She also considers ectogenesis as an ethically preferable alternative to gestational surrogacy and uterine transplantation, one that is less harmful to women and less subject to being co-opted to further oppressive ends. In this article, I challenge some of the assumptions that underlie MacKay’s case in favour of ectogenesis by questioning whether the relationship between women’s capacity to gestate and birth children and gender-based oppression is as strong as MacKay makes it out to be. I subsequently argue that—even if MacKay’s reading of this relationship is accurate—ectogenesis is not a desirable means to end gender-based oppression. It embodies a strategy that could be used to pursue liberating projects that follow what Iris Marion Young defines as ‘the ideal of assimilation’, but that must be resisted. I then concur with MacKay’s contention that ectogenesis is better than gestational surrogacy and uterine transplantation. My argument is that many of the problematic issues that MacKay herself sees as features of these practices will not disappear with ectogenesis. Finally, I conclude that MacKay’s narrow focus on women’s biology and ectogenesis as a solution to gender-based oppression results in the overlooking of broader systemic issues that contribute to the upholding of oppressive norms.     

双气囊小肠镜在小肠出血中的应用价值

目的:观察双气囊小肠镜在小肠出血中的病变检出率、病因诊断率、耐受性和安全性,并探讨双气囊小肠镜对小肠出血的内镜下治疗情况.方法:对2006年3月至2009年11月烟台毓璜顶医院消化内科收治的可疑小肠出血患者102例行双气囊小肠镜检查,首选进镜方式分为经口或经肛2种,首选方式检查后未发现病灶者,日后改换进镜方式再行检查.对活动性出血病灶行内镜下止血治疗,小肠息内行息肉切除.结果:双气囊小肠镜的病变检出率为94.12%(96/102),病因诊断率为84.31%(86/102).其中35例检查时见病变活动性出血,行内镜下止血治疗,33倒止血成功,内镜止血成功率为94.30%(33/35);在耐受性方面.双气囊小肠镜的耐受性依次为:全麻下经肛进镜、全麻下经口进镜、非麻醉经肛进镜、非麻醉经口进镜.所有患者均未发生严重并发症.结论:双气囊小肠镜对小肠出血具有较高的病变检出率和病因诊断率,并且可行内镜下止血治疗,是一项安全、有效的临床诊疗方法.     

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 related to angiogenesis in uterine cervical cancers

Summary Angiogenesis is essential for development, growth and advancement of solid tumors. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is recognized as an angiogenic factor in various tumors. This prompted us to study the clinical implications of COX-2 expression related to angiogenesis in uterine cervical cancers. There was a significant correlation between microvessel counts and COX-2 levels in uterine cervical cancers. COX-2 localized in the cancer cells, but not in the stromal cells of uterine cervical cancer tissues. COX-2 levels increased with advancement, and the prognosis of the 30 patients with high COX-2 expression in uterine cervical cancers was poor (60%), while the 24-month survival rate of the other 30 patients with low COX-2 expression was 90%. Furthermore, COX-2 levels significantly correlated with VEGF levels in uterine cervical cancers. VEGF associated with COX-2 might work on angiogenesis in advancement. Therefore, long-term administration of COX-2 inhibitors might be effective on the suppression of regrowth or recurrence after intensive treatment for advanced uterine cervical cancers.     

Establishment and characterization of a human cell line derived from a uterine papillary serous carcinoma with wild-type p53 function

Uterine papillary serous carcinoma is an uncommon histologic subtype of endometrial cancer that behaves aggressively and has a poor prognosis. We successfully established a uterine papillary serous carcinoma cell line. The population-doubling time was approximately 16 h. Although loss of p53 function is considered critical for the molecular pathogenesis of uterine papillary serous carcinoma, p53 was not only mutated but functionally active in this cell line. This newly established cell line should be useful for investigating the characteristics of uterine papillary serous carcinoma.     

Evaluation of Breathing Pattern: Comparison of a Manual Assessment of Respiratory Motion (MARM) and Respiratory Induction Plethysmography

Altered breathing pattern is an aspect of dysfunctional breathing but few standardised techniques exist to evaluate it. This study investigates a technique for evaluating and quantifying breathing pattern, called the Manual Assessment of Respiratory Motion (MARM) and compares it to measures performed with Respiratory Induction Plethysmography (RIP). About 12 subjects altered their breathing and posture while 2 examiners assessed their breathing using the MARM. Simultaneous measurements with RIP were taken. Inter-examiner agreement and agreement between MARM and RIP were assessed. The ability of the measurement methods to differentiate between diverse breathing and postural patterns was compared. High levels of agreement between examiners were found with the MARM for measures of the upper rib cage relative to lower rib cage/abdomen motion during breathing but not for measures of volume. The measures of upper rib cage dominance during breathing correlated with similar measures obtained from RIP. Both RIP and MARM measures methods were able to differentiate between abdominal and thoracic breathing patterns, but only MARM was able to differentiate between breathing changes occurring as result of slumped versus erect sitting posture. This study suggests that the MARM is a reliable clinical tool for assessing breathing pattern.     

Nuclear estrogen receptor II (nER-II) is involved in the estrogen-dependent ribonucleoprotein transport in the goat uterus I. Localization of nER-II in snRNP.

Exposure of goat uterine nuclei to estradiol in vitro results in an immediate exit of ribonucleoproteins (RNP) from the nuclei to the medium. This RNP exit appears to be mediated by an estrogen receptor localized in small nuclear ribonucleoproteins containing U1 and U2 snRNA. Available evidence indicates that the estrogen receptor involved is not the ERalpha, but an alternative form, which is also a 66 kDa protein. This is the nuclear estrogen receptor II (nER-II) that has no DNA-binding capacity. The transport is estrogen-specific since non-estrogenic steroids do not stimulate the transport of the RNP where the receptor is localized.     

种植密度对不同耐密性春玉米基部茎节维管束及根系伤流的影响

选用不同耐密性玉米品种‘郑单958’(密植品种)和‘辽单526’(稀植品种)为材料,设置4个不同的密度水平,分别在拔节期和乳熟期采用徒手切片显微观测基部茎秆内部维管束结构变化,采集茎基部伤流液测定其主要成份含量并计算伤流强度,以期为春玉米的密植高产提供理论依据.结果显示:(1)在拔节期,‘郑单958’维管束结构对密度变化反应相对敏感,而‘辽单526’维管束结构在各密度间并无显著差异;当密度最大时,‘辽单526’伤流强度的下降程度要大于‘郑单958’,但两品种伤流液成分对密度反应无明显变化.(2)在乳熟期,密度对‘郑单958’维管束结构无显著影响,而‘辽单526’在密度增加后维管束结构各指标明显下降且与对照(适宜密度)差异显著;各密度‘郑单958’的伤流强度均大于‘辽单526’,增加密度会提高两品种伤流液中可溶性糖的含量,尤其以‘辽单526’增加更显著.(3)在高于对照密度条件下,两品种的籽粒产量都不同程度低于对照,但‘辽单526’产量降低程度要大于‘郑单958’.研究表明,密植性玉米对密度压力的反应要早于稀植性玉米,其在高密度表现出的适应性也要优于稀植性玉米,这从茎基部的结构和功能上揭示了玉米品种耐密性差异的生理基础.     

Site-specific Nitration of Apolipoprotein A-I at Tyrosine 166 Is Both Abundant within Human Atherosclerotic Plaque and Dysfunctional

We reported previously that apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is oxidatively modified in the artery wall at tyrosine 166 (Tyr¹⁶⁶), serving as a preferred site for post-translational modification through nitration. Recent studies, however, question the extent and functional importance of apoA-I Tyr¹⁶⁶ nitration based upon studies of HDL-like particles recovered from atherosclerotic lesions. We developed a monoclonal antibody (mAb 4G11.2) that recognizes, in both free and HDL-bound forms, apoA-I harboring a 3-nitrotyrosine at position 166 apoA-I (NO₂-Tyr¹⁶⁶-apoA-I) to investigate the presence, distribution, and function of this modified apoA-I form in atherosclerotic and normal artery wall. We also developed recombinant apoA-I with site-specific 3-nitrotyrosine incorporation only at position 166 using an evolved orthogonal nitro-Tyr-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA_CUA pair for functional studies. Studies with mAb 4G11.2 showed that NO₂-Tyr¹⁶⁶-apoA-I was easily detected in atherosclerotic human coronary arteries and accounted for ∼8% of total apoA-I within the artery wall but was nearly undetectable (>100-fold less) in normal coronary arteries. Buoyant density ultracentrifugation analyses showed that NO₂-Tyr¹⁶⁶-apoA-I existed as a lipid-poor lipoprotein with <3% recovered within the HDL-like fraction (d = 1.063–1.21). NO₂-Tyr¹⁶⁶-apoA-I in plasma showed a similar distribution. Recovery of NO₂-Tyr¹⁶⁶-apoA-I using immobilized mAb 4G11.2 showed an apoA-I form with 88.1 ± 8.5% reduction in lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activity, a finding corroborated using a recombinant apoA-I specifically designed to include the unnatural amino acid exclusively at position 166. Thus, site-specific nitration of apoA-I at Tyr¹⁶⁶ is an abundant modification within the artery wall that results in selective functional impairments. Plasma levels of this modified apoA-I form may provide insights into a pathophysiological process within the diseased artery wall.     

子宫压迫缝合联合子宫动脉结扎术治疗产后出血的临床疗效

目的:探讨子宫压迫缝合联合子宫动脉结扎术治疗产后出血的临床疗效。方法:选取近年来60名产后出血患者,30名患者用子宫压迫缝合术(对照组),另外30名用子宫压迫缝合联合子宫动脉结扎术(实验组),观察手术时间、术后出血量及临床疗效。结果:实验组有效率为86.67%,对照组有效率为83.33%,两组患者的临床疗效差异无统计学意义(P0.05);两组手术时间,术中出血量差异无统计学意义(P0.05),但实验组的术后2 h出血量比对照组少,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:子宫压迫缝合联合子宫动脉结扎术治疗产后出血疗效显著,值得在临床上推广。     

When hormone defects cannot explain it: Malformative disorders of sex development

The birth of a baby with malformations of the genitalia urges medical action. Even in cases where the condition is not life‐threatening, the identification of the external genitalia as male or female is emotionally essential for the family, and genital malformations represent one of the most stressful situations around a newborn. The female or male configuration of the genitalia normally evolves during fetal life according to the genetic, gonadal, and hormonal sex. Disorders of sex development occur when male hormone (androgens and anti‐Müllerian hormone) secretion or action is insufficient in the 46,XY fetus or when there is an androgen excess in the 46,XX fetus. However, sex hormone defects during fetal development cannot explain all congenital malformations of the reproductive tract. This review is focused on those congenital conditions in which gonadal function and sex hormone target organ sensitivity are normal and, therefore, not responsible for the genital malformation. Furthermore, because the reproductive and urinary systems share many common pathways in embryo‐fetal development, conditions associating urogenital malformations are discussed. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 102:359–373, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.