The use of a GnRH antagonist (Cetrorelix) in a single dose protocol in IVF-embryo transfer: a dose finding study of 3 versus 2 mg

New gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists, which allow suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH) surges, have recently become available. We compared in this study the results of a single administration of 3 versus 2 mg Cetrorelix in 65 patients undergoing ovarian stimulation and in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The GnRH antagonist (Cetrorelix) was non-randomly administered at a dose of 3 mg (34 patients) or 2 mg (32 patients) on day 8 of the stimulation cycle. In the case of slow follicular development, the injection was delayed until oestradiol reached 400 pg/ml. No difference was observed in the decrease in LH and in oestradiol secretion between the 3 and the 2 mg groups, but the LH secretion was suppressed for a shorter time in the 2 mg group. No LH surge was observed in the 3 mg group, while one surge (3%) and one significant rise in LH were observed in the 2 mg group. No significant difference was observed in IVF results in the two groups of patients. This study demonstrates that a single injection of 3 or 2 mg successfully prevents LH surges for at least 3 days in all the patients treated. The LH rises in the 2 mg group led us to choose the 3 mg dose as a safer dose in our single administration protocol.     

Behavioral avoidance dynamics in the presence of a virtual spider

Tracking behavior with a virtual spider and a neutral target is compared in fearful and nonfearful subjects. Head-tracking in virtual environments appears to be a scale-free behavior with long-range fractal-like patterns. Moreover, these fractal patterns change according to what the target affords the tracker and the level of behavioral avoidance manifested by the subjects. Results are interpreted in terms of ecological psychology and nonlinear dynamics, and implications for virtual reality (VR) psychology are outlined.     

Thermochemical properties of iron- rich liquid solutions containing oxygen and aluminum

Thermochemical properties of iron-rich liquid solutions containing oxygen and aluminum were assessed by simultaneously considering experimental data reported in the Fe-O, Fe-Al, and Fe-Al-O systems. Three models were investigated to describe the liquid iron-based solution. One model considered the species Fe, Al, and O while the other two were cluster models. In the first of these cluster models, the species Fe-Al-O-AlO were considered, and in the second, the species A12O was added. Among the three models, the properties of the liquid solutions were satisfactorily described with both cluster models. The model containing the species Fe-Al-O-AlO-Al₂O could however provide a closer picture of the configuration of the atoms in the melt.     

Vav regulates peptide-specific apoptosis in thymocytes

Homologies between vertebrate forebrain subdivisions are still uncertain. In particular the identification of homologs of the mammalian neocortex or the dorsal ventricular ridge (DVR) of birds and reptiles is still a matter of dispute. To get insight about the organization of the primordia of the main telencephalic subdivisions along the anteroposterior axis of the neural tube, a fate map of the dorsal prosencephalon was obtained in avian chimeras at the 8- to 9-somite stage. At this stage, the primordia of the pallium, DVR and striatum were located on the dorsal aspect of the prosencephalon and ordered caudorostrally along the longitudinal axis of the brain. Expression of homeobox-containing genes of the Emx, Dlx and Pax families were used as markers of anteroposterior developmental subdivisions of the forebrain in mouse, chick, turtle and frog. Their expression domains delineated three main telencephalic subdivisions in all species at the onset of neurogenesis: the pallial, intermediate and striatal neuroepithelial domains. The fate of the intermediate subdivisions diverged, however, between species at later stages of development. Homologies between forebrain subdivisions are proposed based on the conservation and divergence of these gene expression patterns.     

The metal-semiconductor phase diagram for NiS2−xSex

The antiferromagnetic, semiconductor, and metal phase boundaries in NiS_2?xSe_x are reported as a function of the composition x by use of four techniques: electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, calorimetry, and x-ray structure.     

A comparison of two group brainstorming procedures.

A modified brainstorming procedure that required Ss (male introductory psychology students) to identify psychologically with significant components of the task (called synectics) was compared to standard brainstorming over 3 sessions and 9 different problems. Each treatment condition was also divided into high- and low-interpersonal-effectiveness groups. The synectics groups were superior to the brainstorming groups on all 9 problems, but the differences were statistically significant for only 4. There were no significant main effects due to group composition, nor were there any interactions. It is concluded that synectics is a more effective group-problem-solving strategy than brainstorming. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in the relation of visceral adipose tissue accumulation to total body fatness

With a newly developed short term enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kit (TOYOBO Co.), in which 2 kinds of anti-EPO monoclonal antibodies were used, we assayed EPO concentration in sera from patients with renal failure and hematological disorders. In this report, the EPO data were analysed in relation to serum iron concentrations, with ferritin and UIBC. In the patients with renal failure, there was no significant correlation between EPO concentration and serum iron, ferritin, nor UIBC concentration. On the other hand, in the patients with hematological disorders, there were two types. One was in patients with iron deficiency anemia, whose serum EPO was negatively correlated to serum iron (r = -0.64) and ferritin (r = -0.59), but positively related to UIBC (r = 0.27). The another was the pattern in patients with aplastic anemia, leukemia and MDS, whose serum EPO positively correlated to iron and ferritin but negatively correlated to UIBC. In the patients with aplastic anemia serum EPO had good correlation to serum iron (r = 0.62), ferritin (r = 0.60) and UIBC (r = -0.46). The relationship of EPO to iron in the patients with leukemia (r = 0.54), and EPO to ferritin in the patients with MDS (r = 0.42) show significantly positive correlation coefficient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Training, motivation, and personality as determinants of the effectiveness of brainstorming groups and individuals.

Presented 3 problem-solving tasks to groups of male undergraduates in 2 experiments to (a) assess the influence of motivation, training, and personality on group effectiveness (using high or low interpersonal-effectiveness groups as measured by Ss' scores on 5 subscales of the CPI), and (b) compared the effect of motivation and training on the performance of real and nominal brainstorming groups, using individuals and groups low on the personality variable in Exp. I. High interpersonal-effectiveness groups were found to respond favorably to either motivation or training but not to both together. Low interpersonal-effectiveness groups were resistant to both manipulations taken together or separately. Nominal groups were shown to have a significant but only a slight superiority over real groups. When all previous studies are taken into consideration, the forced participation procedure used in this study resulted in a level of real group performance that was nearly identical to the performance of nominal groups. Results contradict previous brainstorming studies that used an unstructured procedure. (21 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)