Incidence of the morphological aspect on the rate of implantation of embryos obtained by fertilization in vitro]

1350 embryos obtained by In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) have been examined with the reverse microscope before their transfer in utero. Some embryos are "morphologically normal" (34.7%); some others are atypical. It is difficult to determinate the implantation rate by embryo according to morphological aspect because, most of the time we transfer several embryos to only one patient and we do not know, in case of pregnancy, which one or which ones have developed. Nevertheless, we have tried to appreciate, for 500 embryos transfers after IVF, the incidence of morphological aspect according to the presence or absence of "morphologically normal" embryos. The implantation rate is significantly higher in the groups in which you find "morphological normal" embryos than in the group where they are missing. (19.7% and 19.2% vs 10.2%). It seems that the aspect of the embryo when it is transferred, has an incidence on its future development.     

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill: A decade later

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) was conceived a decade ago in the tradition of self-organized parents' groups for handicapped and chronically ill children. The character of the organization and its rapid growth are thought to be due to its clear identity as a mental illness group, its control and direction by parents and relatives of people suffering from mental illness, and its relationships with staff and professionals. The author believes that the NAMI movement is at an important juncture in its development and identifies factors that could influence its character in the next decade.     

H1-receptor blocker antihistamine, terfenadine durably influences the glucocorticoid receptor, and lymphocyte histamine content of weanling rats.

Hormonal imprinting takes place perinatally when a hormone and its maturing target receptor meet. As a consequence of imprinting the receptor accomplishes its maturation reaching the binding capacity characteristic to the adult age. In this critical period the presence of foreign molecules which are able to bind to the receptor can cause faulty imprinting with life-long consequences. In the recent years it was cleared that not only receptors are influenced by faulty imprinting, however, also the hormone production of the given cell. In addition imprinting was provoked at non-perinatal periods (adolescence and adult age) in cytogenic organs. In the present experiment the prolonged effect of a non-perinatal imprinting by an antihistamine to the histamine content of white blood cells and glucocorticoid receptors of liver and thymus was studied. Two weeks after 3-day terfenadine treatment at weaning, flow cytometry of peritoneal cells and blood lymphocytes for histamine, and receptor kinetic analysis of dexamethasone binding were done. Histamine content of blood lymphocytes and glucocorticoid receptor density of liver cells were significantly decreased. This means that a short treatment with a H(1)-receptor blocker antihistamine durably influences physiological indexes which were not known till now. This means that not only the acute effects, but the prolonged side-effects must be considered.     

Classification of clear-cell sarcoma as a subtype of melanoma by genomic profiling.

PURPOSE: To develop a genome-based classification scheme for clear-cell sarcoma (CCS), also known as melanoma of soft parts (MSP), which would have implications for diagnosis and treatment. This tumor displays characteristic features of soft tissue sarcoma (STS), including deep soft tissue primary location and a characteristic translocation, t(12;22)(q13;q12), involving EWS and ATF1 genes. CCS/MSP also has typical melanoma features, including immunoreactivity for S100 and HMB45, pigmentation, MITF-M expression, and a propensity for regional lymph node metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RNA samples from 21 cell lines and 60 pathologically confirmed cases of STS, melanoma, and CCS/MSP were examined using the U95A GeneChip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and support vector machine (SVM) analysis exploited genomic correlations within the data to classify CCS/MSP. RESULTS: Unsupervised analyses demonstrated a clear distinction between STS and melanoma and, furthermore, showed that CCS/MSP cluster with the melanomas as a distinct group. A supervised SVM learning approach further validated this finding and provided a user-independent approach to diagnosis. Genes of interest that discriminate CCS/MSP included those encoding melanocyte differentiation antigens, MITF, SOX10, ERBB3, and FGFR1. CONCLUSION: Gene expression profiles support the classification of CCS/MSP as a distinct genomic subtype of melanoma. Analysis of these gene profiles using the SVM may be an important diagnostic tool. Genomic analysis identified potential targets for the development of therapeutic strategies in the treatment of this disease.     

Pelvis-shoulder dysplasia

Pelvis-shoulder dysplasia is a rare focal skeletal dysostosis. We present the long-term follow-up of a patient with this condition. This patient has severe pelvic dysplasia but no involvement of the scapulae or clavicles. Despite the severity of the pelvic dysplasia, this man is able to function well. This is the fifth case of pelvis-shoulder dysplasia reported, but the only one documenting follow-up into adulthood. Received: 16 July 1997 Accepted: 4 February 1998     

Effect of Zr and Ti Addition and Aging Treatment on the Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Al-2%Cu-Based Alloys

The present work investigated the effect of aging treatment on the microstructure and tensile properties of an Al-2%Cu base alloy containing various additions of Zr and other alloying elements. Aging was carried out at temperatures of 180–300 °C for different aging times at each temperature. The tensile properties indicated that Zr additions improved the strength of the base alloy, especially at high Zr levels at 180 °C. At the 220 °C aging temperature, however, while Zr addition did not have a beneficial effect on the alloy strength, the ductility was found to improve. Zr-Ti combined additions had a significant effect on the microstructure of the base alloy, as the morphology of the α-Al grains transformed into a non-dendritic morphology, and the grain size decreased sharply. These effects were at their maximum at 180 °C and 0.5 wt% Zr addition. Moreover, the Zr-containing alloys aged at higher temperatures, such as 220 °C and 240 °C, maintained a noticeably higher level of strength over the base alloy aged at the same temperatures. Quality index charts based on the tensile test data also reflected an improvement in alloy quality and strength with Zr-Ti combined additions.     

Evaluation of Dietary Intake and Anthropometric Status in 1–9-Year-Old Children Living in Serbia: National Food Consumption Survey according to the EU Menu Methodology

The Serbian Food Consumption Survey among 1–9-year-old-children was conceptualized and conducted in compliance with the principles, established protocols, and guidelines of the EU Menu project between 2017 and 2021. Valid data were collected for 576 individuals (290 1–3-year-old toddlers and 276 3–9-year-old children). Regardless of age and gender category, the majority (68.80%) of children had normal weights according to the Body Mass Index-for-age classification system. The median daily energy intake was 1406.71 kcal with no differences between the settlement types. The overall median contributions of carbohydrates, protein, and fat to the total energy intake were 47.54%, 14.06%, and 37.88%, respectively. The proportions of the macronutrient intake deviated from the dietary reference values with compliance to the recommendations being particularly poor for fat and fiber. The consumption of energy-dense food groups such as meat and meat products, fat and oil, sugar, and confections was more pronounced among older children. The survey results provide a valuable insight into the nutritional status and dietary habits of toddlers and children 1–9 years old living in Serbia. They may serve as an evidence platform for public health programs, a valuable asset for decision-makers, and a reliable reference to guide nutritional policies, diet monitoring, and interventions targeting this population group in the future.     

Experiences in the perinatal management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia during the last 15 years in a tertiary referral institute

OBJECTIVE: Review of cases of perinatally diagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernias with special regard to time of diagnosis, organs herniated into the thorax, associated malformations, and outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 106 cases between July 1, 1990, and June 30, 2005. The observation period was analyzed in two parts. RESULTS: Prenatal ultrasound was performed in 89.6% (95/106) of the cases. 51.7% (46/89) of the pre- and postnatally verified congenital diaphragmatic hernia cases were diagnosed before the 24th week of gestation. 11% (11/100) of the hernias were identified postnatally. 71% (71/100) of the cases were associated with other malformations. The hernia was on the left side in 86% (86/100) and bilateral in 5% (5/100) of the cases. Between 1990 and 1997, the proportion of right-sided hernias was 4.3% (2/46), while during the second period it was 13% (7/54). 27.5% (14/51) of the newborns survived the perinatal period. The survival rate of the newborns delivered by caesarean section was three times higher than that of infants delivered vaginally. In the latter group, the rate of premature deliveries was considerably higher. The pregnancy was terminated in 45% (40/89) of the cases. 15% (6/40) of the terminated cases were isolated. Intrauterine or intrapartum deaths occurred in 5.6% (5/89) of the prenatally diagnosed cases. Simultaneous thoracic herniation of liver, spleen, or stomach decreased the survival rate. In these cases, the discharge rate was between 6 and 22%. CONCLUSIONS: According to the analysis of 15-year data, the herniated organs, multiple malformations, as well as the mode of delivery influence the survival in a large number of cases. Early diagnosis predicts a large hernia, a higher malformation rate, and a less favourable prognosis.