Chromosomal factors of infertility in candidate couples for ICSI: an equal risk of constitutional aberrations in women and men

To assess the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in French candidates for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and to explore the existence of a female chromosomal factor in some cases of couple infertility, a collaborative retrospective clinical and cytogenetic study was performed, launched by the Association des Cytogénéticiens de Langue Franciaise (ACLF). The karyotypes of 3208 patients [2196 men (68.4%), 1012 (31.6%) women] included in ICSI programmes over a 3-year period in France were collected. A total of 183 aberrant karyotypes was diagnosed, corresponding to an abnormality frequency of 6.1% (134/2196) for men and 4.84% (49/1012) for women. The following frequencies of abnormalities were observed respectively for men and women: 1.23% (n = 27) and 0.69% (n = 7) for reciprocal translocations, 0.82% (n = 18) and 0.69% (n = 7) for Robertsonian translocations, 0.13% (n = 3) and 0.69% (n = 7) for inversions, 3.32% (n = 73) and 2.77% (n = 28) for numerical sex chromosome aberrations, and 0.59% (n = 13) and 0% for other structural aberrations. Among the male patients of this latter group, 0.40% (n = 9) had a Y chromosome abnormality. Among the male patients with numerical sex chromosome abnormalities, 2.23% (n = 49) were 47,XXY, 0.32% (n = 7) were 47,XYY, and 0.77% (n = 17) had a mosaicism for numerical sex chromosome anomalies. All the female patients with sex chromosome abnormalities (2.77%, n = 28) had mosaicism for numerical sex chromosome anomalies. Even if these cases-the significance of which was sometimes questioned-were disregarded in the analysis, 2.08% (21/1012) of abnormal karyotypes remained in women. An overall increased frequency of chromosomal aberrations was found, and this confirmed that in some cases of poor reproductive outcome there may be a contribution of maternal chromosome aberrations. Indeed, the existence of a chromosome abnormality in the female partner was associated with the group of infertile men in which there was no apparent cause of infertility.     

Collegiate Athletic Trainers' Confidence in Helping Female Athletes With Eating Disorders

OBJECTIVE: To examine college athletic trainers' confidence in helping female athletes who have eating disorders. DESIGN AND SETTING: We mailed a 4-page, 53-item survey to head certified athletic trainers at all National Collegiate Athletic Association Division IA and IAA institutions (N = 236). A 2- wave mailing design was used to increase response rate. SUBJECTS: A total of 171 athletic trainers returned completed surveys for a response rate of 77%. Eleven institutions either did not identify their head athletic trainer or did not have an identifiable mailing address. Two surveys were undeliverable because of incorrect mailing addresses. MEASUREMENTS: The survey consisted of 4 subscales: (1) efficacy expectation, (2) outcome expectation, (3) outcome value, and (4) experience in dealing with eating disorders. Content validity was established by review from a national panel of experts. Reliability ranged from.66 to.73 for the subscales. RESULTS: Although virtually all athletic trainers (91%) had dealt with a female athlete with an eating disorder, only 1 in 4 (27%) felt confident identifying a female athlete with an eating disorder, and only 1 in 3 (38%) felt confident asking an athlete if she had an eating disorder. One in 4 athletic trainers (25%) worked at an institution that did not have a policy on handling eating disorders. Almost all athletic trainers (93%) felt that increased attention needs to be paid to preventing eating disorders among collegiate female athletes. CONCLUSIONS: Collegiate athletic programs are encouraged to develop and implement eating-disorder policies. Continuing education on the prevention of eating disorders among athletes is also strongly recommended.     

北京女校大学生进食障碍与心境的问卷调查

目的:探讨北京女校大学生的进食障碍状况及其相关心境。方法:通过班级集体施测的方法,采用进食障碍问卷(EDI)和简式简明心境问卷(POMS-SF)对北京市女子大学352名年龄为17-25岁的大学生进行调查,同时搜集被试的体重、身高等人口学资料(身高=161±5厘米,体重=52.3±5.61千克)。结果:当前北京女校大学生进食障碍的相关行为普遍存在;与体形偏瘦和过瘦的学生相比,体形正常的大学生进食障碍相关的不良态度和行为表现较为严重;进食障碍相关的不良态度和行为存在年级差异(X~2=17.94,P<0.01),大一、大四较为严重;进食障碍症状与不良心境相关(r=0.42,P<0.01)。结论:北京女校大学生进食障碍相关态度和行为较严重,并与其心境和其它因素有一定关系。     

Developmental outcome at 2 years of age for children born after ICSI compared with children born after IVF

BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of ICSI in 1991, medical outcome studies on ICSI children have been performed, but few have addressed developmental outcome. Hence, this outcome was assessed by performing a standard developmental test on children born after ICSI as compared with children born after IVF, at the age of 2 years. METHODS: In a prospective study, the medical and developmental outcome of 439 children born after ICSI (378 singletons, 61 twins) were compared with those of 207 children born after IVF (138 singletons, 69 twins), at the age of 24-28 months. These children were part of a cohort of children followed since birth. Of children reaching the age of 24-28 months between May 1995 and March 2002, 44.3% (2375/5356) were examined by a paediatrician who was unaware of the type of treatment used for each couple. Of all the children born, 12.2% (439/3618) in the ICSI group and 11.9% (207/1738) in the IVF group underwent a formal developmental assessment using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (mental scale) by a paediatrician blinded to the type of treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in maternal educational level, maternal age, gestational age, parity, birthweight, neonatal complication rate or malformation rate at 2 years between ICSI and IVF singletons, or between ICSI and IVF twins. No significant difference was observed in the developmental outcome using the Bayley scale at the age of 24-28 months (raw scores or test age) between ICSI children or IVF children. A multivariate regression analysis for the singleton children indicated that parity, sex (boys had lower scores than girls) and age had a significant influence on the test result, but that the fertility procedure (ICSI versus IVF) did not influence the test result. ICSI children from fathers with low sperm concentration, low sperm motility or poor morphology had a similar developmental outcome to that of children from fathers with normal sperm parameters. There were no significant differences between the initial cohort and the group lost to follow-up, nor between the psychologically tested and the non-tested group for a number of variables such as maternal educational level, birthweight in singletons and neonatal malformation rate. Although only some of the cohort of ICSI children were evaluated, a representative sample of both ICSI and IVF children was compared. CONCLUSIONS: There is no indication that ICSI children have a lower psychomotor development than IVF children. Paternal risk factors associated with male-factor infertility were found not to play a role in developmental outcome.     

Amygdaloid inhibition of maternal behavior in the nulliparous female rat

In the first experiment, the effects of lesions of (1) the amygdala, (2) its major efferent projection system, the stria terminalis or (3) other non-limbic brain sites on the induction of maternal behavior in the nulliparous female rat were investigated. Animals sustaining lesions of either the amygdala or the stria terminalis became maternal more rapidly than did control animals. In the second study the effects of lesions to different portions of the amygdala on both maternal and fear responding were investigated. It was found that animals sustaining damage to the corticomedial amygdaloid nuclei became maternal more quickly than did animals sustaining either basolateral amygdaloid damage or no amygdaloid damage. Also in comparison to lesioned controls, animals with lesions of the amygdala showed reduced ‘fearfulness’ on a number of fear-mediated tasks. The third study attempted to interrelate fear responsiveness and maternal behavior by observing nulliparous animals with amygdaloid or stria terminalis lesions for their responses to unfamiliar foster pups placed daily into their preferred nesting quadrant. While control animals actively avoided pups placed into their nest sites (by moving their nest site to another quadrant of the cage), animals with amygdaloid lesions or lesions of the stria terminalis, did not. These results are interpreted to mean that nulliparous females generally do not respond maternally to pups because these females are, in general, more neophobic than parturient females and they tend to find pups and their novel odors, aversive. This aspect of their behavior is likely mediated by the amygdala. These data are discussed in terms of their relevance to the rapid maternal responsiveness normally shown by the female at parturition.     

Relationships among sexual behavior,hot flashes,and hormone levels in perimenopausal women

Forty-three perimenopausal women kept daily records of menstrual cycles and sexual activity. Data on hot flashes and plasma estradiol and testosterone levels were obtained at two points during the menopausal transition. The prospective data yielded a significant negative association between hot flash ratings and regularity of sexual intercourse at both time points. A significant negative correlation was found between estradiol (in the early part of the cycle) and hot flashes ratings at the first data point only, and positive correlations were found between hot flashes and ratio of testosterone to estradiol (T/E) at both. Frequency of sexual intercourse and level of plasma estradiol were higher, and T/E and hot flash ratings were lower in early perimenopausal women who were still having cycles at least once every 30 days, as compared with late perimenopausal women who were cycling less often. It was concluded that a close association exists between increasing irregularity of menstrual cycles, hot flashes, declining estradiol levels, and declining frequency of intercourse during the perimenopause. Causal relationships remain to be established.Supported by NIH Grant AG1437.     

天津市女大学生原发性痛经的现状及影响因素分析

目的 了解天津市女大学生原发性痛经的现状,探讨其影响因素。方法 2016年3月—2017年3月,以天津3所医学类院校和3所非医学类院校的女大学生作为研究对象,采用方便抽样的方法,发放自填式问卷进行调查。结果 在被调查的940名天津市在校女大学生中,原发性痛经的发生率为45.3%,其中,医学生(42.2%)与非医学生(49.5%)比较(χ2=5.009,P=0.025),两组之间痛经发生率的差异有统计学意义。多因素分析显示,年龄大、非医学专业、经期着凉、经期久坐不动与原发性痛经明显相关(P<0.05)。结论 原发性痛经在天津市在校女大学生中具有较高的发生率,与经期的不良行为习惯有关,应在大学生群体中积极开展月经期保健知识的健康教育。     

Effects of Different Doses of Caffeinated Coffee on Muscular Endurance,Cognitive Performance,and Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Caffeine Naive Female Athletes

Caffeine is widely consumed among elite athletes for its well-known ergogenic properties, and its ability to increase exercise performance. However, studies to date have predominantly focused on the anhydrous form of caffeine in male participants. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of caffeinated coffee ingestion on lower-upper body muscular endurance, cognitive performance, and heart rate variability (HRV) in female athletes. A total of 17 participants (mean ± standard deviation (SD): age = 23 ± 2 years, body mass = 64 ± 4 kg, height = 168 ± 3 cm) in a randomized cross-over design completed three testing sessions, following the ingestion of 3 mg/kg/bm of caffeine (3COF), 6 mg/kg/bm of caffeine (6COF) provided from coffee or decaffeinated coffee (PLA) in 600 mL of hot water. The testing results included: (1) repetition number for muscular endurance performance; (2): reaction time and response accuracy for cognitive performance; (3): HRV parameters, such as standard deviation of normal-to-normal (NN) intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of successive differences (SDSD), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), total power (TP), the ratio of low- and high-frequency powers (LF/HF), high-frequency power (HF), normalized HF (HFnu), low-frequency power (LF), and normalized LF (LFnu). A one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that 3COF (p = 0.024) and 6COF (p = 0.036) improved lower body muscular endurance in the first set as well as cognitive performance (p = 0.025, p = 0.035 in the post-test, respectively) compared to PLA. However, no differences were detected between trials for upper body muscular endurance (p = 0.07). Lastly, all HRV parameters did not change between trials (p > 0.05). In conclusion, ingesting caffeinated coffee improved lower body muscular endurance and cognitive performance, while not adversely affecting cardiac autonomic function.     

广西农村暗娼安全套坚持使用情况及影响因素分析

目的 了解广西农村地区暗娼人群商业性行为时安全套使用情况及影响因素, 为制定暗娼艾滋病综合干预措施提供参考依据。 方法 采用多级抽样的方法,2019年4—6月在国家和省级暗娼哨点招募农村暗娼进行横断面问卷调查,调查内容包括场所位置、一般人口学信息、艾滋病知识、性行为特征及安全套使用等。用多因素非条件logistic 回归方法分析最近一个月坚持使用安全套的相关因素。 结果 2019年共调查农村暗娼1 350人,平均年龄(42.71±8.62)岁,艾滋病知识知晓率为95.63%(1 291/1 530),最近一次商业性性行为使用安全套比例为94.72%(1 274/1 345),最近一个月商业性性行为每次均使用安全套的比例为87.85%(1 186/1 350)。多因素非条件logistic 回归显示,知晓艾滋病知识(OR=14.857,95%CI:8.196～26.932)是安全套坚持使用的促进因素;交易场所为村屯(OR=0.180,95%CI:0.106～0.304)、30岁及以上年龄(30～岁组,OR=0.275,95%CI:0.090～0.841;50～岁组,OR=0.131,95%CI:0.042～0.407)是安全套坚持使用的障碍因素。 结论 应进一步加强对农村地区、大年龄暗娼人群安全套推广使用等综合干预力度。     

Periostin在妇科恶性肿瘤中的研究现状

骨膜蛋白(periostin)是近年被发现的一种多功能高分子糖蛋白,主要由成骨细胞及其前体细胞分泌,也可由肿瘤细胞及癌旁细胞分泌。该蛋白是一种高度保守的功能蛋白质,参与细胞外基质(ECM)的组成,并与肿瘤细胞黏附、转移和生长密切相关,属于分泌型可溶性ECM蛋白。periostin促进肿瘤细胞生存的分子机制及其与肿瘤发生、发展的关系具有重要理论意义,而且可为肿瘤的临床检测和治疗提供新靶点。笔者拟就periostin的结构与功能,periostin高表达在妇科恶性肿瘤发生、发展中的作用机制,在卵巢癌、宫颈癌、子宫内膜癌的初步研究,以及periostin为肿瘤治疗提供新靶点等的最新研究进展进行阐述。