A simple approach to intracytoplasmic sperm injection

OBJECTIVE: To describe a simple injection apparatus and method for performing intracytoplasmic sperm injection in a clinical IVF program. DESIGN: A prospective clinical trial of intracytoplasmic sperm injection. SETTING: A private office-based fertility program. PATIENTS: Five couples undergoing IVF-ET with intracytoplasmic sperm injection as a treatment for male factor infertility. INTERVENTIONS: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed at room temperature (23.5 to 24.5 degrees C) in a simple zwitterion-buffered medium. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fertilization rates, cleavage rates, clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rates. RESULTS: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed on 44 fresh oocytes from five patients. Twenty-three oocytes fertilized (52.3%) and 22 zygotes cleaved (95.7%). Three of five patients became pregnant (60%), resulting in the live birth of one normal male infant, one continuing singleton pregnancy, and one continuing twin gestation (46XX, 46XY). The implantation rate was 23.5%. CONCLUSION: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection can be performed successfully in a simple medium at room temperature using commercially available microtools.     

Antral gastritis in chronic alcoholism. Role of cirrhosis and Helicobacter pylori

OBJECTIVES: Antral gastritis is frequent in alcoholics. The role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of gastritis in these patients is not well known. The aim of our study was to study the role of H. pylori and cirrhosis in the pathogenesis of antral gastritis in alcoholic patients. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients were included in the study. All underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy with antral biopsies, independently of the presence of abdominal pain, and had serological examination for H. pylori antibodies. RESULTS: Cirrhosis and gastritis were present in 50 and 40 patients respectively, H. pylori serological assay and histological identification of the bacterium were positive in 35 (44%) and 19 (24%) patients respectively. Discrepancy between the 2 tests were observed more frequently in cirrhotic patients. A positive serology with a negative histologic examination for H. pylori was present for 18 cirrhotic and 4 noncirrhotic patients (p < 0.05). A gastritis without evidence of H. pylori was more frequent in cirrhotic than in noncirrhotic patients. H. pylori was histologically present in 11 of 29 cirrhotic patients and in 8 of the 11 noncirrhotic patients with a gastritis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Discrepancies between histological examination and H. pylori serology in patients with cirrhosis might be due to the inhospitable environment for H. pylori in case of portal hypertension; the positive serology could be in relation with a past infection.     

Predicting patient change from therapist competence and patient-therapist complementarity in short-term anxiety-provoking psychotherapy: A pilot study.

Examined therapist competence and patient–therapist complementarity, measured by the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior system (L. S. Benjamin, 1974), as to their interrelation and their unique, collective, and interactive contributions to patient change in 20 sessions of short-term anxiety-provoking psychotherapy (STAPP; P. E. Sifneos, 1979). Patients were 15 highly educated outpatients (mean age 30 yrs) with mainly anxiety diagnoses. Therapists were in postgraduate manual-guided STAPP training. Results show that competence in an early session did not relate to patient change. In contrast, patient–therapist complementarity ratings predicted patient change both alone and over and above competence. Predictions were strongest for changes in general distress and dysfunctional attitudes and for shorter term change rather than for longer term change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of flupirtine on a G-protein coupled inwardly rectifying potassium current in hippocampal neurones

Zinc deficiency has been associated with growth deficits, reduced dietary intake and appetite, and has been hypothesized to result in reduced activity. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined whether 10 mg of oral zinc as zinc sulfate, given daily for up to 7 mo, affected activity patterns of 85 Guatemalan infants recruited at 6-9 mo of age. Infant activity was assessed by time sampling-observation method at 10-min intervals during a 12-h data collection period, at base line, 3 and 7 mo follow-up. Motor development and the percentage of time infants were observed in various positions (being carried, lying down, sitting, crawling, standing or walking) and engaged in various activities (eating, sleeping, resting, crying/whining or playing) were compared by treatment group. No differences in motor development were observed by treatment group. However, at follow-up 2 (after 7 mo of supplementation), zinc-supplemented infants were significantly more frequently observed sitting up compared with lying down, and were playing during 4.18 +/- 1.95% (P < 0.05) more observations than unsupplemented infants. They were also somewhat less likely to be observed crying or whining (P < 0.10) compared with those receiving the placebo. These effects are independent of other factors including infant age, motor development, sex, maternal education, family socioeconomic status and nutritional status at base line. Further research must be conducted to determine the long-term developmental importance of these differences in activity patterns associated with zinc supplementation in this setting.     

Richard Lester Solomon (1918–1995): Obituary.

Memorializes Richard Solomon, one of the major learning theorists of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Solomon was named the 1st James M. Skinner University Professor of Science in 1975, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and was awarded, among other honors, the Warren Medal for research by the Society of Experimental Psychologists, the American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, and the American Psychological Foundation's Award for Distinguished Teaching in Experimental Psychology. He conducted research on a broad array of topics such as word frequency and perceptual defense, children's estimation of the size of tokens, hoarding behaviors in rats, and personality ratings and sociometric patterns. His work made a major contribution to the exploration of Pavlovian conditioning. Other topics of research focused on in Solomon's laboratories included avoidance learning, learned helplessness, punishment, and the opponent-process theory of acquired motivation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Orbital pseudotumor: case report and overview

BACKGROUND: The most common cause of a sudden onset of painful proptosis with diplopia in an otherwise healthy adult is orbital pseudotumor. However, there are other conditions that mimic this presentation and must be ruled out with laboratory testing and imaging studies. CASE REPORT: A 41-year-old Hawaiian man sought treatment for an acute, progressive, painful, left ophthalmoplegia without exophthalmos. During the next week, a loss of accommodation and associated pupillary reaction, decreased visual acuity, color vision deficits, and a paracentral scotoma developed. CT and MRI revealed a mass in the orbital apex. All systemic findings were negative, and high-dose systemic steroid therapy was initiated. Symptoms resolved within hours of the first dose, and signs were completely absent 1 month later. Follow-up MRI revealed complete absence of the previously noted mass. CONCLUSION: This is an atypical case of orbital pseudotumor, since there was no exophthalmos. It was diagnosed by clinical presentation, laboratory and imaging studies, and response to therapy.     

Mechanism for the Peritectic Reaction and Growth of Aligned Grains in YBa2Cu3O6+x

It is experimentally observed that the peritectic reaction, 211 + liquid → 123, can be driven essentially to completion in 1 h at an undercooling of only ∽30°C. The kinetic data, together with the observed microstructures, are inconsistent with the normal mechanism of the peritectic reaction. It is proposed that the mechanism of the reaction involves dissolution of 211 particles into the liquid and precipitation of solid 123. The aligned grain structure is explained through sympathetic nucleation of new 123 grains on existing grains.     

Playing with pets and longevity among older people.

Models of the relations between contact with pets and better health are examined in an archival prospective study using data derived from the longitudinal study initiated by Terman in 1921 (current N?=?343 men, 300 women) . In survival analyses of documented longevity, playing with pets in 1977 (M age?=?67 years) was not associated with mortality risk through 1991 for the total sample nor for those who were unmarried or those who were less satisfied with their human relationships. Playing with pets was not associated with health-prone attributes or healthy behaviors such as personality, social ties, education, and smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiresolution coding techniques for digital television: A review

Multiresolution decompositions for video coding are reviewed. Both nonrecursive and recursive coding schemes are considered. In nonrecursive schemes, it is shown that pyramid structures have certain advantages over subband or wavelet techniques, and a specific spatiotemporal pyramid coding of HDTV is discussed in some detail. It is shown that recursive, DPCM like schemes will incur a slight loss of optimality due to a restricted form of prediction if multiresolution decomposition with compatible decoding is required. Compatibility and transmission issues are also discussed. Multiresolution transmission for digital broadcast TV is introduced. This, when combined with multiresolution source coding, achieves spectrum efficiency, robustness and graceful degradation under channel impairments.Invited PaperWork supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grants ECD-88-11111, MIP-90-14189 and Bell Communications Research.Work supported by the National Science Foundation under grants ECD-88-11111. K.M. Uz is now with David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, NJ 08543.     

Association between inflammatory bowel disease and sarcoidosis. Report of two cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Common etiopathogenic factors may explain the association of systemic sarcoidosis with inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: We report two cases of such an association: one of sarcoidosis that developed 2 years after proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis and one of sarcoidosis and Crohn's colitis. Factors like increased cellular immunity or circulating immunocomplexes or autoantibodies may have a role. Exogenous agents or familiarity may also be involved. CONCLUSIONS: It is postulated that the association between sarcoidosis and inflammatory bowel disease (both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) does not occur by chance alone and that the two conditions may share some genetic or immunologic alterations. The two diseases, however, follow an independent clinical course.