Oocyte donation for reproduction and research cloning--the perils of commodification and the need for European and international regulation.

The demand for women's egg cells is increasing and is leading to reproductive tourism and transnational oocyte trafficking. The article considers the regulatory landscape of oocyte donation in Europe and analyses different types, particularly whether oocytes are provided within or outside of the IVF context, and whether anonymity of the donor is legally possible or not. The bifurcation between different purposes of egg extraction, particularly the challenges raised by ova demands for cloning research (SCNT) are highlighted. In emphasizing the need for supranational regulation, nine rules for supranational minimum standards are proposed to protect both donor interests and the public good. A particular focus is directed to the commodification of oocytes with regard to the European principle of non-commercial, voluntary and altruistic donation.     

A special case of bolus fatality

The case of a 58-year-old man is reported, who had been hospitalized for almost 30 years for paranoid-hallucinatory schizophrenia. He was found unconscious in the clinic with a scarcely perceptible pulse and irregular breathing. Attempts at resuscitation were not successful. Looking at the corpse, no findings of particular value were noted. At the court-ordered autopsy, a mouse was found in the oral cavity; the head of the mouse was stuck in the laryngeal inlet. The cause of death was ascribed to asphyxia by alimentary bolus; the cause of death was apparently the effect of choking combined with a reflex action. In the large colon (megacolon) many metal objects were found. On the basis of the evidence, it was assumed that the mouse was already dead when the patient choked on it. A disturbance in the ability to swallow as a result of alcohol or medication was ruled out, as were neurological diseases.     

Suffocation death by occlusion of the airways with sand

Eleven cases are reported in which death occurred because of suffocation as a result of occlusion of the respiratory tract by sand (without thoracic compression: 3 cases) or being buried alive (8 cases). Two tables demonstrate the findings and circumstances in the events. Three cases are described in detail. A 22-year-old woman was manhandled by blows and kicks to the head and neck. She became unconscious and her head and neck were covered by a layer of sand so that she suffocated. A 42-year-old man was smothered, while unconscious, in a prone position with his face in the sand, after hard blows to the head by two culprits. A 17-year-old girl finally died by chocking. Previously the culprit had pressed her face into the ground, so that she aspirated particles of soil. The question of vital reactions during aspiration of sand was investigated by microscopic examination of the content of the air passage and by destroying parts of the lungs by sulphuric acid. Minimal aspiration of sand occurred in all cases. Although the postmortal remains were left in the ground, there was no postmortem penetration of sand into the air passage. Histological examinations were carried out to support the diagnosis of violent suffocation. In some cases, there were remarkable findings (mobilization of alveolar cells, hepatocelullar hydropic degeneration), but there were no typical or unanimous findings that pertained to all cases.     

The effectiveness of treatment for sexual offenders: A comprehensive meta-analysis

The article reports a meta-analysis on controlled outcome evaluations of sexual offender treatment. From 2,039 documents published in five languages, 69 studies containing 80 independent comparisons between treated and untreated offenders fulfilled stepwise eligibility criteria (total N = 22,181). Despite a wide range of positive and negative effect sizes, the majority confirmed the benefits of treatment. Treated offenders showed 6 percentage points or 37% less sexual recidivism than controls. Effects for violent and general recidivism were in a similar range. Organic treatments (surgical castration and hormonal medication) showed larger effects than psychosocial interventions. However, this difference was partially confounded with methodological and offender variables. Among psychological programs, cognitive–behavioral approaches revealed the most robust effect. Nonbehavioral treatments did not demonstrate a significant impact. There was no outcome difference between randomized and other designs, however, group equivalence was associated with slightly larger effects. Various other moderators had a stronger impact on effect size (e.g., small sample size, quality of outcome reporting, program completion vs. dropout, age homogeneity, outpatient treatment, and authors’ affiliation with the program). More differentiated, high-quality evaluations are needed to clarify: What works for whom under which circumstances?