Attitudes toward Regulations of Reproductive Care in the European Union: A Comparison between Travellers for Cross-Border Reproductive Care and Citizens of the Local Country.

This paper compares two populations with respect to attitudes toward the regulation of reproductive care by the European Union. The two populations are 252 individuals who crossed a national border to receive treatment at an independent clinic in Spain and 45 Spanish citizens who received treatment in their home country. Online surveys were sent to former patients (from many different countries) of a private Spanish clinic. By comparing those who engaged in cross-border reproductive care (CBRC) with those who did not, we examined attitudes toward whether or not the EU should extend to all clients in all countries the type of services the clinic provided. These services included access to anonymous donors and conception via egg or embryo donation. We found that those who travelled abroad were less in favor of EU expanding regulation for the type of services they received than were those in Spain. This study is unusual in focusing on political attitudes rather than the nature of the experience and consequences of cross-border reproductive care. We suggest that individuals who engage in CBRC might be reluctant to see the EU extend reproductive care broadly because debates within both the EU and their home countries could result in the elimination of options that are now available through travel. We suggest that individuals from countries that are popular destinations for CBRC like Spain might want to extend EU reproductive care more broadly so as to reduce the pressure on the medical services in their own country. We suggest directions for further research.

Acceptance and Disclosure: Comparing genetic symmetry and genetic asymmetry in heterosexual couples between egg recipients and embryo recipients.

This paper explores the attitudes and experiences of 203 women in heterosexual couples who conceived via donated eggs (145) or donated embryos (58) in the last 5 years. Online surveys were sent to former patients (from many different countries) of a private Spanish clinic. By comparing the women in heterosexual couples who relied on donated eggs with those who relied on donated embryos, we examined the meaning of the absence of a genetic tie to a child in the two different situations - that of "genetic symmetry" where neither parent has a genetic tie to that of "genetic asymmetry" where only the mother does not have a genetic tie. No existing study has yet shown whether women who rely on donated eggs and women who rely on donated embryos have similar or different attitudes towards issues surrounding the experience of non-genetic motherhood. Three issues are discussed: (1) attitudes toward the importance of genetic ties and genetic information from the donor before and after the birth of their children, (2) patterns of disclosure, and (3) the relationship between attitudes toward genetic information and disclosure decisions. This study showed that although the two groups of women have many of the same attitudes, including attitudes toward the importance of genes as determinants of outcomes for the child, egg recipients are more likely than embryo recipients to agree that the genetic origins are important to them and that their children have a right to know genetic information. We also found that those who conceived with donated eggs more frequently disclose the nature of their conception to their child than do those who conceived with donated embryos.

Sperm donors describe the experience of contact with their donor-conceived offspring.

This study explores the attitudes and experiences of 57 sperm donors who responded to a survey posted online in the United States and indicated that they had had contact with their donor-conceived offspring or the parents of their donor-conceived offspring. On average, 18 years had elapsed since the respondents donated sperm. In the interim between donating and having contact with offspring, most had become curious about their offspring. Most made contact through a bank or online registry. Most respondents had communicated with at least one offspring at least once and most had exchanged photos with offspring. Approximately two-thirds had met in person once; the same proportion had communicated over email or text. Other forms of communication were less common. Almost half of the respondents now considered their donor-conceived offspring to be like a family member. At the same time, donors are respectful of the integrity of the family in which their offspring were raised. Donors with contact are open to having their partners and children know their donor-conceived offspring. Although contact is generally positive, donors report that establishing boundaries and defining the relationship can be very difficult. Some donors also urge those who are thinking of donating to consider the consequences and some suggest avoiding anonymity. There were no significant differences in attitudes and experiences between those who donated anonymously and those who had been identity-release for their offspring when they turned 18.

An F-Box/WD40 repeat-containing protein important for Dictyostelium cell-type proportioning, slug behaviour, and culmination.

FbxA is a novel member of a family of proteins that contain an F-box and WD40 repeats and that target specific proteins for degradation via proteasomes. In fruiting bodies formed from cells where the fbxA gene is disrupted (fbxA(-) cells), the spore mass fails to fully ascend the stalk. In addition, fbxA(-) slugs continue to migrate under environmental conditions where the parental strain immediately forms fruiting bodies. Consistent with this latter behaviour, the development of fbxA(-) cells is hypersensitive to ammonia, the signaling molecule that regulates the transition from the slug stage to terminal differentiation. The slug comprises an anterior prestalk region and a posterior prespore region and the fbxA mRNA is highly enriched in the prestalk cells. The prestalk zone of the slug is further subdivided into an anterior pstA region and a posterior pstO region. In fbxA(-) slugs the pstO region is reduced in size and the prespore region is proportionately expanded. Our results indicate that FbxA is part of a regulatory pathway that controls cell fate decisions and spatial patterning via regulated protein degradation.

Extragenic suppressors of mutations in the cytoplasmic C terminus of SEC63 define five genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Mutations in the SEC63 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae affect both nuclear protein localization and translocation of proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum. We now report the isolation of suppressors of sec63-101 (formerly npl1-1), a temperature-sensitive allele of SEC63. Five complementation groups of extragenic mutations, son1-son5 (suppressor of npl1-1), were identified among the recessive suppressors. The son mutations are specific to SEC63, are not bypass suppressors, and are not new alleles of previously identified secretory (SEC61, SEC62, KAR2) or nuclear protein localization genes (NPL3, NPL4, NPL6). son1 mutations show regional specificity of suppression of sec63 alleles. At low temperatures, son1 mutants grow slowly and show partial mislocalization of nuclear antigens. The SON1 gene maps to chromosome IV and encodes a nuclear protein of 531 amino acids that contains two acidic stretches and a putative nuclear localization sequence. We show that son1 mutations suppress sec63-101 by elimination of Son1p function.

Geriatric nursing in the baccalaureate curriculum.

Increased gerontological nursing content is needed in the curriculum of schools of nursing because of a dramatic increase in the number of older persons, many of whom will need specialized health care. A review of the gerontological nursing content in the current courses of a college of nursing led to specific recommendations for change and additions to the curriculum. A published list of suggested gerontological nursing content was used as a guide to determine which topics needed to be integrated into the curriculum. An ongoing evaluation of the curriculum is needed to determine the appropriateness of the content changes and to determine if students perform better as a result of these changes.