This chapter explores new technologies for overcoming the problem of deteriorating oocyte-quality with age. It includes brief discussions of the following: mitochondrial replacement therapy, cytoplasmic transfer, autologous germline mitochondrial energy transfer (AUGMENT), maternal spindle transfer (MTS), in vitro activation of dormant follicles, autologous activated platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP), in vitro gametogenesis, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), aneuploidy correction through gene-editing and artificial ovaries. Clinicians should exercise extreme caution in managing patient expectations regarding these novel technologies. While clinical application of stem cell technology for maternal age-related infertility does seem likely at some point in the future, the timeline remains uncertain.

This chapter highlights how phenomena found in modern Romance varieties as well as processes of language change pose challenges to the idea that inflexion, derivation, and compounding may reside in distinct modules or components of the grammar. It discusses the basic and uncontroversial characteristics of inflexion, derivation, and compounding with data from Romance languages and presents specific topics and case studies that challenge the traditional view from both a synchronic and a diachronic perspective. The first case study considers the ways in which various morphophonological alternations, such as diphthongization and palatalization, pattern alike or differently with respect to inflexion, derivation, and compounding. The question whether inflexion and derivation can be distinguished on semantic grounds is the focus of two further case studies dealing with (i) the formal marking and the semantic interpretation of number in Italian ambigeneric nouns, and (ii) with the different outcomes of the Latin augment /-sc-/ in modern Romance languages, which evolved in some languages into an inflexional marker, while retaining a derivational function in others. A final topic covered is so-called ‘conversion’, defined here as a transpositional (i.e., category-changing) process that is not marked by any formative, and thus applies to fully inflected words.

Japan is a leader in life science, and is one of the countries in the world where reproductive medicine is actively practised. This chapter first analyses the overall regulatory framework for research using human germ cells and embryos (germline). Then, it discusses the specific regulations affecting research on human germline genome modification, while considering the clinical research of an egg mitochondrial DNA modifying technique, called AUGMENT. Regarding research involving human germline genome modification, the Japanese regulatory framework is characterized by gaps and inconsistencies. Moreover, it discusses some of the reasons why Japan lacks a key law governing the medical use of human germline, although the Act on Regulation of Human Cloning Techniques is put into force. It points out that a majority of Japanese is not affiliated with religion, and ‘Morals’ is a vague concept in Japanese. Finally, it discusses a possible regulatory reform, considering four provisions relevant to human rights in the Constitution of Japan.