Early and late paternal contribution to cell division of embryos in a time-lapse imaging incubation system

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of male age, semen quality and days of ejaculatory abstinence on embryo morphokinetics. A total of 1,220 zygotes obtained from 139 couples in a private in vitro fertilisation centre were analysed. The timing of specific events from the point of insemination, such as timings to pronuclei appearance and fading, to two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight cells and to blastulation were recorded. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of paternal factors on embryo morphokinetic events. Paternal age was positively correlated with delayed cell cleavage and blastulation, and negatively associated with implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy and live–birth chances. The ejaculatory abstinence was inversely correlated with the implantation rate. Inverse relationships were observed between semen parameters (sperm count, progressive sperm motility, total motile sperm count and morphology) and the timing of specific events during embryo development. Sperm morphology was also positively associated with implantation rate and pregnancy and live–birth chances. Increased paternal age and ejaculatory abstinence, and poor semen quality correlate with delayed cell cleavage and blastulation and negatively impact intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes.     

Microsurgical versus endoscopic trans-sphenoidal approaches for clivus chordoma: a pooled and meta-analysis

Neurosurgical Review - Chordoma is a rare slow-growing neoplastic bone lesion. However, they show an invasive local growth and high recurrence rate, leading to an overall survival rate of 65% at 5...     

Rett's syndrome: a neurophysiological study

Thirteen girls with Rett's syndrome were evaluated with wakefulness and sleep polygraphic records and EMG studies. The main EEG findings were paroxysmal activity during sleep, multifocal in younger and unifocal in older girls, and "pseudorhythmic flattening". In the opinion of the authors, the changes with age are related to evolution of the disease or maturational changes of CNS. The affectation of the peripheral nervous system was demonstrated in almost half the patients.     

The accompanying male parent in the intensive care unit

A study is made in the Intensive Care Unit of "José L. Miranda" Provincial Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Santa Clara in order to know the sequence with which the father occupies the place of the mother in the care of hospitalized children. With this objective, 54 male companions are surveyed in the first trimester of 1987. The prevailing occupational profile was that of worker. A higher number of the respondents were between 17 and 25 years of age. The school level of secondary school prevailed among patient companions. Most of them reported no economic inconveniences during the child's disease. The desire to remain at the bedside and the inability of the mother to do so were the major reasons for their stay. The advantages recognized by the nursing personnel in male companions are made known.     

Pacific Americans and the National Health Care Act: Where we fit

PURPOSE OF THE PAPER. The purposes of this report were to identify Pacific American health care priorities, recommend how these needs can be addressed in national health care reform legislation, and inform national leaders of the cultural and social context withing which these needs must be met. SUMMARY OF METHODS UTILIZED. In concert with a team of researchers, the authors compiled and analyzed extant literature on the health care of Pacific Americans; discussions were held with health care professionals, state and territorial health care leaders, and agencies and organizations with substantial experience and expertise in health care promotion and development; a two-day health symposium was conducted by Pacific American health care community leaders to review the initial findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the draft report; and follow up meetings were heald with actual communitiy health care providers to validate the data and recommendations of the report. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. Pacific Americans have collective historical and political relationship not only with the federal government and the continental United States, but also to each other's island state or territory. Thus, common needs and unique interrelationships serve to highlight the importance of the differences between western-oriented and Pacific American health care providers. There is a profound lack of health resources in many Pacific American communities, and even when health resources are potentially available, poor access to health care compounds the need. Pacific Americans are a mobile people with large numbers residing in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and the New York-Virginia corridor. Their health needs continue even when they do not reside in their home bases. CONCLUSIONS. Pacific Americans know best how to bridge the cultural gap that continues to exist between them and western-oriented health care providers; improvements in their health care is best accomplished by Pacific Americans themselves. Pacific American health care did not start from an "Even playing field"; hence, the mismatch in resources and needs is so pronounced that it argues not only for continued but also greatly expanded federal support for enabling services, research development, and professional education and development. The federal government must collect and develop better demographic and health access information specifically and separately for Pacific Americans. Baseline data for Pacific American populations, regardless of their residence, must be available and analyzable in terms of community and/or geographic areas. Only then can effective programs be established, managed, evaluated, and improved. KEY WORDS. American Samoans; Chamorrors; Hawaiians; Pacific Americans; Pacific Islanders&semi.     

Stress, attachment and skin diseases: a case-control study

Objectives In this case-control study we tested the hypothesis of an association between some psychosomatic skin diseases, attachment style and stress. Patients and methods A total of 177 cases and 194 controls seen between November 1992 and November 1993 at the Istituto Dermopatico dell'lmmacolata (IDD) in Rome, were enrolled into the study. Cases were outpatients with first diagnosis of hyperidrosis, chronic urticaria, generalized pruritus or alopecia areata. Controls were outpatients seen in the same period of time with first diagnosis of pigmenled nevi, keratosis or mycosis. The presence and weight of life stress events were assessed by u standard precoded questionnaire based on the Schedule of Recent Experiences (SRE) and on the Life Experiences Survey (LES). The attachment style was assessed by a modified version of the Shaver and Hazan questionnaire about feelings in a love relationship. We calculated 3 scores for each individual and classified study subjects in 2 groups: 1) "free" (= secure attachment); 2) "not free" (not secure attachment: anxious-ambivalent or avoidant). Questionnaires were self-administered in the presence of a trained psychologist. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated using a multiple logistic function. Results No association was found between the different stress scores and the skin diseases considered. The crude odds ratio for life stress events in the previous year was 1.4 (95% CI 0.8–2.7). After multiple adjustment for age, sex, marital status and education, the estimated OR was 1.6 (95% CI 0.8–3.0). One significant association emerged between the adult attachment style defined as “not free” and psychosomatic skin diseases: the adjusted OR was 4.0 (95% CI 1.4–12).     

Early-onset encephalomyopathy associated with tissue-specific mitochondrial DNA depletion: A morphological,biochemical and molecular-genetic study

A male infant, born from consanguineous parents, suffered from birth with a progressive neuromuscular disorder characterized by psychomotor delay, hypotonia, muscle weakness and wasting, deep-tendon areflexia and spastic posture. High levels of lactic acid in blood and cerebrospinal fluid suggested a mitochondrial respiratory chain defect. Muscle biopsy revealed raggedred and cytochromec oxidase-negative fibres, lipid accumulation and dystrophic changes. Multiple defects of respiratory complexes were detected in muscle homogenate, but cultured fibroblasts, myoblasts and myotubes were normal. Southern blot analysis showed markedly reduced levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in muscle, while lymphocytes, fibroblasts and muscle precursor cells were normal. Neither depletion of mtDNA nor abnormalities of the respiratory complexes were observed in innervated muscle fibres cultured for as long as 4 months. No mutations were observed in two candidate nuclear genes,mtTFA andmtSSB, retro-transcribed, amplified and sequenced from the proband's mRNA. Sequence analysis of the mtDNA D-loop and of the origin of replication of the mtDNA light strand failed to identify potentially pathogenic mutations of these replicative elements in the proband's muscle mtDNA. Our findings indicate that mtDNA depletion is due to a nuclear encoded gene and suggest that the abnormality underlying defective mtDNA propagation must occur after muscle differentiation in vivo.