Analysis of Implantation in Assisted Reproduction Through the Use of Serial Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Measurements

Purpose: Our purpose was to examine implantation of singleton pregnancies achieved following various assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) through the appearance and rising titers of serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. Methods: A total of 114 singleton pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination was analyzed. Patients were divided into five groups according to the type of ovarian stimulation protocol [gonadotropin stimulation with/without the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), long protocol, or flare-up technique] and to the day of embryo transfer (day 2 or day 3 after oocyte retrieval). Serial serum hCG levels were measured between 10 and 25 days after fertilization and log-transformed. Linear regression analyses were performed and extrapolated to hCG = 10 mIU/ml (hCG ₁₀ ), which was used as an estimate of detectable implantation. The slopes of the regression lines were used to estimate the rising speed of hCG. Results: There were no significant differences in the days of hCG in maternal serum to reach 10 mIU/ml (implantation) or in the slopes of the regression lines for all five studied groups. Conclusions: The appearance of hCG in maternal serum was used to assess the time of clinically detectable implantation. Furthermore, because hCG production is a marker of trophoblastic activity, its serum doubling time was used as an indicator of embryo quality. Results showed that in various ART protocols with and without GnRHa, there were no significant differences in implantation time or embryo quality. Embryo development in early pregnancy follows a preprogrammed-timing schedule and depends mainly on the embryonic age of the health, successfully implanted conceptus.     

Raymond's syndrome following petrosal sinus sampling

Summary Inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS) is used to evaluate the pituitary-dependency of Cushing's disease, and to predict the laterality of a microadenoma prior to transsphenoidal operation. A serious complication occured in a 14-year-old boy: he suffered brain stem ischaemia with abducens nerve palsy and hemiparesis (Raymond's syndrome). The case prompted us to reconsider the indication for this investigation.     

Personal exposure to house dust mite allergen in bed: nasal air sampling and reservoir allergen levels

BACKGROUND: Assessment of personal exposure to dust mite allergen has relied on proxy measures. Only recently has a means to directly measure inhaled allergen particle number become available (the intra-nasal air sampler). OBJECTIVE: To quantify inspired dust mite group 1 and group 2 allergen-bearing particles in bed in undisturbed conditions prior to sleep by nasal air sampling and to investigate the relationship between inhaled particles and reservoir allergen levels. METHODS: Twelve volunteers wore nasal samplers in bed for 6 evenings, nose-breathing in undisturbed conditions. Allergen-bearing particles ('halos') were detected by immunostaining for Der p 1, Der p 2, or Der p 1 and Der p 2 together, and counted by light microscopy. Count data were square root transformed for analysis of variance. Mattress dust samples were assayed for Der p 1 and Der p 2 concentrations. RESULTS: Square root detransformed mean particle counts per 30-min sample were: Der p 1, 4.22; Der p 2, 5.9; Der p 1 + Der p 2, 4.87; and for all samples, 5.01, with no difference between the groups. With replicate samples, halo number correlated significantly with mattress allergen concentrations (Der p 1 r = 0.80, P < 0.01; Der p 2 r = 0.68, P < 0.02). CONCLUSION: Nasal air sampling can be used to quantify nocturnal Der p exposure in undisturbed conditions in an area with moderate exposure to mite allergen and can provide a direct measure of inhaled mite allergen. The choice of either Der p 1 or Der p 2 is appropriate for this purpose.     

用荧光原位杂交技术快速诊断孕早期胚胎染色体数目异常

目的探讨荧光原位杂交(FISH)技术在快速产前诊断孕早期胚胎染色体数目异常中的价值.方法采用13,18,21,X和Y染色体特异性DNA探针,对46例孕47～65 d高危孕妇的绒毛间期细胞进行FISH检测,同时行常规染色体核型分析平行诊断.结果与染色体核型分析结果一致的染色体数目正常43例,异常3例(47,XY 21;47,XY 18和45,X).3例异常核型胚胎经治疗性流产后再分别对其绒毛行常规染色体核型分析,结果与产前诊断相符.结论FISH技术用于产前诊断孕早期胚胎染色体数目异常具有快速、准确等优点.     

大鼠卵巢、睾丸人绒毛膜促性腺激素受体的比较研究

以分离的细胞膜为受体制剂，对大鼠卵巢及睾丸人绒毛膜促性腺激素（ＨＣＧ）受体进行比较研究，发现二者的受体结合特性有一定差异；同时将大鼠寒丸膜及睾丸匀浆作对比，友现睾丸膜制剂较睾丸匀浆更能准确地体现睾丸ＨＣＧ受体的真正特性。     

胶体金免疫层析法检测尿hCG的质量控制方法探讨

目的通过对胶体金免疫层析法（GICA）试纸条评价,建立该方法的检测尿hCG的室内质控.方法利用hCG不同浓度的标准品评价试纸条的敏感性、重复性、稳定性、检测范围,检测温度及时间对试纸条检测尿hCG结果的影响等.结果GICA的检测范围25-100万mlU/ml,最低检出限达25mIU/ml,大于200万mIU/ml时存在后带现象.试纸条反应5分钟后呈色均一,最佳检测温度为4-30℃.结论灵敏度检测可作为GICA室内质控的主要指标,它能保证检测结果的准确性.     

Sampling Patients Within and Across Health Care Providers: Multi-Stage Non-Nested Samples in Health Services Research

In order to better inform study design decisions when sampling patients within and across health care providers we develop a simulation-based approach for designing complex multi-stage samples. The approach explores the tradeoff between competing design goals such as precision of estimates, coverage of the target population and cost.We elicit a number of sensible candidate designs, evaluate these designs with respect to multiple sampling goals, investigate their tradeoffs, and identify the design that is the best compromise among all goals. This approach recognizes that, in the practice of sampling, precision of the estimates is not the only important goal, and that there are tradeoffs with coverage and cost that should be explicitly considered. One can easily add other goals. We construct a sample frame with all phase III clinical cancer treatment trials that are conducted by cooperative oncology groups of the National Cancer Institute from October 1, 1998 through December 31, 1999. Simulation results for our study suggest sampling a different number of trials and institutions than initially considered.Simulations of different study designs can uncover efficiency gains both in terms of improved precision of the estimates and in terms of improved coverage of the target population. Simulations enable us to explore the tradeoffs between competing sampling goals and to quantify these efficiency gains. This is true even for complex designs where the stages are not strictly nested in one another.     

Application of trans-abdominal chorionic villus sampling in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal diseases in first trimester of gestation

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and safety of prenatal diagnosis by traneabdominal chorionic villus sam-pling(TA-CVS)via the guidance of B-mode ultrasound in the first trimester of gestation.To explore the technique of long time culture and chromosome preparation of villi in early pregnancy.To evaluate the feasibility of the above techniques in the application of the prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis.Methods:One hundred and thirty-five singleton pregnancies at risk were referred from January 2001 to Decem-ber 2007.Results:The average maternal age was 35.2 years.TA-CVS was performed in the 10～13th weeks of gestation and the average gestational age was 10.89 weeks.All attempts at sampling were successful.The rate of operation-associated fetal loss was 0.74%.The failure rate of prenatal diagnosis because of inadequate amount of specimen was 0.The average culture time was 5-7 days.The success rate of the cell culture was 98.5%.No maternal con-temination and bacterial contamination happened.Fifteen cases of abnormal karyotype and one case of confined pla-cantel mosaiciem were diagnosed.Conclusion:TA-CVS appears to be safe and feasible and might to be offered in the prenatal diagnosis in the first trimester of gestation.The technique of long time culture and chromosome preparation of villi is stable and reliable.It is feasible to apply these techniques in the clinical practice of prenatal cytogenetic diagnose in the early pregnancy.     

Sodium renal imaging in mice at high magnetic fields.

This work presents the first sodium MRI functional renal study on a mouse model. The tissue sodium concentration was monitored during induced diuresis with furosemide. By using density-weighted chemical shift imaging (DWCSI) at high field strength a temporal resolution of less than 5 min for three dimensional (3D) data sets with high spatial resolution was achieved. A maximum increase of 20% in the cortex and a decrease of 45% of the original signal strength in the medulla were observed. These findings correspond well with experiments conducted on much larger rodent models.     

Analysis of signal-to-noise behavior in Cartesian continuous sampling sequences: predictions and experimental validation of opportunities for improved image SNR.

Image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) limits many MRI applications. Here we propose a method to improve SNR based on continuous sampling (CS) during each TR without significant increases in acquisition time. The general concept of CS is defined here as sampling the NMR signal immediately after slice excitation including ramp times, both the dephase and rephase lobes, the phase-encoding (PE) gradient application, and the slice refocusing gradient. This study analyzes several cases of CS and demonstrates a specific case where sampling occurs during an isolated and balanced readout gradient in order to increase SNR in a rectilinear Cartesian sequence without significantly increasing overall acquisition time. The noise correlation consequences of rectilinear CS are mathematically derived and proven through simulation. The SNR improvement of up to approximately 40% measured in both phantom and asymptomatic human volunteer images is comparable to theoretical prediction of increased SNR proportional to the increase in the square root of the sampling time.