P–764 Risks of oocyte donation for third-party donors: a systematic literature review

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Tassot ◽  
A D’Angelo

Abstract Study question What are the risks of oocyte donation? Which risks should be prioritised in policies aiming to improve the protection of third-party oocyte donors? Summary answer The risks for third-party oocyte donors are of a diverse nature, including physical risks, psychological risks, iatrogenic risks, and social risks. What is known already Oocyte donation involves ovarian stimulation and oocyte pick-up, which represent burdensome procedures for the donor. In a recent evaluation of the EU legislation on blood, tissue and cells, the European Commission highlighted that oocyte donors are currently not adequately protected. For effective oocyte donor protection measures to be developed and implemented, it is important to understand the risks that oocyte donors are exposed to. To date, there is no comprehensive overview of the existing knowledge on the physical and psychosocial risks of oocyte donation. Study design, size, duration A systematic literature review of the publications on PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and the Notify Library was carried out. The search was conducted in May 2020. All empirical studies, including case reports, that reported or investigated negative experiences of oocyte donors and/or negative consequences of the donation on the donors’ physical health, mental health, or other aspects of their lives were included. No restriction was made with regard to the year of publication. Participants/materials, setting, methods In total, 88 empirical studies conducted in oocyte donors were reviewed. All reported information on oocyte donor risks was extracted and summarised. The identified risks were clustered into categories according to common themes and analysed with regard to their frequency of occurrence, severity, and imputability to the donation. A prioritisation of risks was carried out based on these three criteria, classifying each risk as a “priority risk” or a “non-priority risk”. Main results and the role of chance Nineteen priority risks were identified across the following six categories: short-term physical risks, long-term physical risks, short-term psychological risks, long-term psychological risks, iatrogenic risks, and social risks. The most frequently reported priority risks were moderate to severe Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) and having lasting worries or concerns about the donation. While the findings confirmed the relevance of certain immediate physical risks for oocyte donors, no cases of death or permanent physical damage as a direct consequence of the donation could be detected. The results showed that donating oocytes can profoundly impact the donors’ psychological well-being in the short-term and in the long-term. Furthermore, the donation can have a strong effect on the donor’s social and family life, for instance, through the risk of unintended pregnancy. Moreover, it was found that oocyte donors are at risk of experiencing mistreatment or inadequate care during the donation procedure. Most studies included in the review reported on short-term risks of the donation. There is a high degree of uncertainty about the long-term health effects of oocyte donation. Due to the scarcity of large observational studies, the conclusions are mostly based on small studies and case reports, which limits the strength of any conclusion. Limitations, reasons for caution The literature search was limited to common databases for published data. Grey literature was not searched. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the relevant publications, it is possible that the search strategy was not able to detect all eligible articles. Wider implications of the findings: The findings emphasise the importance of implementing effective donor protection policies that address not only the physical, but also the psychological, social, and iatrogenic risks of oocyte donation. Moreover, the findings call for a systematic follow-up of oocyte donors to gain insight into the long-term consequences of the donation. Trial registration number Not applicable

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Kinoshita ◽  
Kensuke Moriwaki ◽  
Nao Hanaki ◽  
Tetsuhisa Kitamura ◽  
Kazuma Yamakawa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hybrid emergency room (ER) systems, consisting of an angiography-computed tomography (CT) machine in a trauma resuscitation room, are reported to be effective for reducing death from exsanguination in trauma patients. We aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of a hybrid ER system in severe trauma patients without severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods We conducted a cost-utility analysis comparing the hybrid ER system to the conventional ER system from the perspective of the third-party healthcare payer in Japan. A short-term decision tree and a long-term Markov model using a lifetime time horizon were constructed to estimate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and associated lifetime healthcare costs. Short-term mortality and healthcare costs were derived from medical records and claims data in a tertiary care hospital with a hybrid ER. Long-term mortality and utilities were extrapolated from the literature. The willingness-to-pay threshold was set at $47,619 per QALY gained and the discount rate was 2%. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results The hybrid ER system was associated with a gain of 1.03 QALYs and an increment of $33,591 lifetime costs compared to the conventional ER system, resulting in an ICER of $32,522 per QALY gained. The ICER was lower than the willingness-to-pay threshold if the odds ratio of 28-day mortality was < 0.66. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that the hybrid ER system was cost-effective with a 79.3% probability. Conclusion The present study suggested that the hybrid ER system is a likely cost-effective strategy for treating severe trauma patients without severe TBI.


2021 ◽  
pp. 056943452098827
Author(s):  
Tanweer Akram

Keynes argued that the central bank can influence the long-term interest rate on government bonds and the shape of the yield curve mainly through the short-term interest rate. Several recent empirical studies that examine the dynamics of government bond yields not only substantiate Keynes’s view that the long-term interest rate responds markedly to the short-term interest rate but also have relevance for macroeconomic theory and policy. This article relates Keynes’s discussions of money, the state theory of money, financial markets, investors’ expectations, uncertainty, and liquidity preference to the dynamics of government bond yields for countries with monetary sovereignty. Investors’ psychology, herding behavior in financial markets, and uncertainty about the future reinforce the effects of the short-term interest rate and the central bank’s monetary policy actions on the long-term interest rate. JEL classifications: E12; E40; E43; E50; E58; E60; F30; G10; G12; H62; H63


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 830
Author(s):  
Temple Grandin

In the U.S., the most severe animal welfare problems caused by COViD-19 were in the pork industry. Thousands of pigs had to be destroyed on the farm due to reduced slaughter capacity caused by ill workers. In the future, both short-term and long-term remedies will be needed. In the short-term, a portable electrocution unit that uses scientifically validated electrical parameters for inducing instantaneous unconsciousness, would be preferable to some of the poor killing methods. A second alternative would be converting the slaughter houses to carcass production. This would require fewer people to process the same number of pigs. The pandemic revealed the fragility of large centralized supply chains. A more distributed supply chain with smaller abattoirs would be more robust and less prone to disruption, but the cost of pork would be greater. Small abattoirs can coexist with large slaughter facilities if they process pigs for specialized premium markets such as high welfare pork. The pandemic also had a detrimental effect on animal welfare inspection and third party auditing programs run by large meat buyers. Most in-person audits in the slaughter plants were cancelled and audits were done by video. Video audits should never completely replace in-person audits.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 567
Author(s):  
Arindam Das

M&A performance is a multifaceted, compound construct with no overarching factor that captures all different dimensions. This paper examines the concept of acquisition performance and proposes a model that links firm-level factors and transaction parameters with firms’ short-term and long-term performance, extending to financial-, market- and innovation measures. Building on past empirical studies on the influence of various factors on M&A performance, a multi-dimensional structural equation model has been developed and it has been tested with a dataset on acquisitions in the Indian technology sector over a period of ten years. The results suggest that: (a) smaller acquirers with higher book value and leveraged firms demonstrate better long-term performance; (b) contrary to established understanding, short-term market returns are not influenced by deal parameters; (c) majority stake purchases show relatively lesser gains—suggesting the possible presence of post-acquisition integration issues and, (d) acquirers with high intangible assets continue to do well on innovation performance post-acquisition. By indicating situations and conditions under which an acquisition would potentially lead to a performance gain for the acquirer, these results provide significant insight to practitioners pursuing M&As for growth opportunities.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
Mark T. Kozlowski

The 2012 primary season has been one of the most volatile in recent memory, with the Republican Party struggling to settle on a candidate. The campaign has also vaulted some previously obscure politicians to national prominence, only to relegate them again to obscurity. Ron Paul has demonstrated perhaps the most dramatic transformation, from a lone voice who was once largely ignored to one of the last four candidates for the nomination, who has performed quite creditably in several primaries. In this article, I examine how much influence Paul is going to have in the short term, up to and including the Republican National Convention. I also examine how lasting his influence will be over the long term, and whether or not he will mount a third-party bid in 2012.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (02) ◽  
pp. 232-235
Author(s):  
Seigo Suganuma ◽  
Kaoru Tada ◽  
Daiki Yamamoto ◽  
Hiroyuki Tsuchiya

The Galeazzi-equivalent fracture is a rare injury that occurs in children. The most important issue is the distal ulnar epiphyseal injury. Although there have been some case reports, most of them performed only short term follow-up. This article describes two cases of this fracture with long term follow-up until epiphyseal closure. First case is a 12-year-old girl who sustained a Galeazziequivalent fracture of her right forearm and underwent emergency surgery. At follow-up of 5 years and 10 months postsurgery, radiographs show ulnar growth arrest of one mm and she has mild pain. Second case is a 15-year-old boy who sustained an open Galeazzi-equivalent fracture of his left forearm and underwent emergency surgery. At follow-up of 3 years and 3 months postsurgery, radiographs show no growth arrest of the distal ulna. He has no residual complaint. Long term follow-up is absolutely necessary to monitor ulnar growth.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucía Rey-Ares ◽  
Sara Fernández-López ◽  
María Milagros Vivel-Búa ◽  
Rubén Lado-Sestayo

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether individuals’ planning horizon influences their decision to save privately for their retirement. Design/methodology/approach Focussing on Spain, this empirical research uses the fifth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)[1]. Logit models are estimated considering variables related to demographic characteristics, economic situation, education and cognitive abilities and psychological and social factors. Findings The results confirm that the planning horizon significantly influences the decision to save for retirement. Long-term planners are more likely to save for retirement than short-term planners. Originality/value Although previous literature has identified the planning horizon as a relevant variable in the decision to save for retirement, few empirical studies have evaluated their impact. This paper shows that it is important to develop habits of financial planning in societies, especially in societies with a prominent orientation towards the present.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Kane ◽  
Vasanti S. Malik

Despite the growing global trend of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes for their potential as an untapped source of revenue and as a public health boon, these legislative efforts remain controversial. Multiple articles have reviewed this trend in recent years from modeling of long-term impacts to short-term empirical studies, yet most comprehensive, long-term health impact assessments remain forthcoming. These multi-faceted efficacy studies combined with case-based assessments of the policy process, descriptive pieces highlighting unique features of the policy and reflective perspectives targeting unanswered questions create a comprehensive body of literature to help inform present and future legislative efforts. The passage of the Philadelphia Beverage tax required a mix of political entrepreneurs, timing and context; while uniquely employing a nonpublic health frame, specific earmarking and a broadened scope with the inclusion of diet beverages. This perspective on the Philadelphia Beverage Tax will describe the passage and novel features of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax with a discussion of the ethical questions unique to this case.


1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-194 ◽  
Author(s):  

AbstractThe breakthrough character of the Oslo agreement is attributed to the mutual recognition between the State of Israel and the PLO and the opening of direct negotiations between them. The parties were induced to go to Oslo and negotiate an agreement there by macro-level forces evolving over some time: Long-term changes, going back to the 1967 War, and short-term strategic and domestic-political considerations, resulting from the Gulf War and the end of the Cold War, created new interests that persuaded them of the necessity of negotiating a compromise; and unofficial interactions between the two sides over the course of two decades persuaded them of the possibility of doing so. Once the parties decided to negotiate, the micro-process provided by Oslo, with its peculiar mixture of track-one and track-two elements, contributed to the success of the negotiations. Key elements included secrecy, the setting, the status of the initial participants, the nature of the third party, and the nature of the mediation process. Finally, what made the accord viable were some of its main substantive features, including the exchange of letters of mutual recognition, the distinction between the interim and the final stage, and the territorial base and early empowerment of the Palestinian Authority.


Author(s):  
Theresa Gunn ◽  
Joshua Shackman

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the Muslim religion on firm capital structure. Design/methodology/approach – The authors compare financing patterns in Muslim versus non-Muslim countries using 658 firms in 16 countries covering a period of seven years. Findings – No significant differences between Muslim and non-Muslim countries were found in terms of total debt ratios. However, significant differences were found in the choice of short-term versus long-term debt, with firms in Muslim countries showing a strong preference for short-term debt. Research limitations/implications – The findings confirm existing theories on the impact of the Islamic religion on short-term versus long-term debt preferences. However, the findings concerning the lack of an impact of the Islamic religion on total debt preferences are surprising and contrary to existing theories. Practical implications – Firms in Muslim countries appear to have the flexibility to adopt overall leverage ratios comparable to those in non-Muslim countries. However, firms in Muslim countries may be disadvantaged in that there appear to be impediments to the use of long-term debt. Originality/value – This paper presents one of the first empirical studies of the impact of the Muslim religion on corporate financing choices across a large cross-section of firms in Muslim and non-Muslim countries.


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