Distinct Expression of Cytokines and Mitogenic Inhibitory Factors in Semen of Fertile and Infertile Men

PROBLEM: To assess the effect of seminal plasma (SP) of fertile and infertile men on leukocyte mitogenic response, and the capability of sperm cells to produce IL-1. METHODS: This study included four groups: fertile men (donors, normal), infertile men with azoospermia (azoo), oligo-terato-asthenozoospermia (OTA), and OTA with genital infection (OTA-inf). Mouse spleen cell proliferation in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Concanavalin-A (Con-A) was examined in the presence of SP from the above four groups. Supernatants (sup) and lysates (lys) of sperm cells from fertile and oligoteratoasthenospermic (OTA) men were evaluated for IL-1 bioactivity by specific bioassay. RESULTS: Seminal plasma (SP) of the four groups were shown to inhibit the mitogenic response of mouse spleen cells to LPS and Con-A. SP of fertile men was significantly more inhibitory than SP from infertile men. Sperm cells from fertile and OTA infertile men constitutively produced IL-1. Sperm cells of both groups produced similar levels of IL-1 as examined in the supernatants and lysates. CONCLUSIONS: Seminal plasma of fertile men had more inhibitory mitogenic activity than that of OTA. Sperm cells constitutively produce IL-1. It is possible that the factors involved in this inhibition are not only anti-proliferative immune factors. Cytokines and inhibitory factors of mitogenesis in the seminal plasma may be involved in the physiology and pathophysiology of sperm functions and thus affect male fertility.     

Prediction of Arrhythmic Events After Acute Myocardial Infarction Using Two Methods for Late Potentials Recording

One hundred consecutive patients recovering from an acute myocardiai infarction underwent, prior to home discharge, signal-averaged electrocardiography (ECG), left ventriculography. and 24-hour Holter ECG recording. The signal-averaged ECG was recorded and analyzed using two procedures: the orthogonal bipolar XYZ lead configuration with a bidirectional filter: and a precordial unipolar lead configuration with a uonrecursive digital filter. An abnormal signal-averaged ECG was seen in 40% of patients with the XYZ system and in 30% of patients in the precordial method, abnormal ejection fraction (< 40%) in 24% of patients and high grade ectopy activity in 22%. During the 24-month follow-up period, 12 patients (12%) had an arrhythmic event defined as either sudden death (11 patients) or sustained ventricular tachycardia (1 patient). Neither the signal-averaged ECG with the XYZ configuration, the abnormal ejection fraction, nor the high grade ectopy were able to statistically predict a higher arrhythmic event rate. The signal-averaged ECG with the precordial configuration was able to statistically predict a higher arrhythmic event rate, P < 0.03; odds ratio = 3.96. The combination of the orthogonal XYZ configuration signal-averaged ECG with the ejection fraction (P < 0.01, odds ralio = 7.33), or with ejection fraction and Holter monitoring (P < 0.06. odds ratio = 6.17) was able to predict a higher arrhythmic event rate. The combination of the precordial configuration signal-averaged ECG with the ejection fraction (P < 0.002, odds ratio = 14.4), or with ejection fraction and Holter monitoring (P < 0.06. odds ratio =10) was able to better predict a higher arrhythmic event rate. The combination of a normal or abnormal signal-averaged ECG and ejection fraction gave a sensitivity, specificity, positive, or negative value prediction of arrhythmic events of 60%, 90.6%, 37.5%, and 96%, respectively. It must be emphasized that the number of arrhythmic events during the 2-year follow-up was small and further study is required to determine the true predictive value of each method for arrhythmic events.     

中亚干旱区主要生态环境问题及治理

中亚干旱区存在的两个主要生态环境问题是:水资源短缺和土地沙漠化严重,因此需改善和加强生态环境问题的治理。目前中亚干旱区植被退化严重,土地荒漠化加剧,生态环境不断恶化。提出治理中亚干旱区主要生态环境问题的措施是进行"引里济咸"和"北水南调"工程,同时必须控制中亚各国人口增长速度。通过各项治理措施,中亚干旱区生态环境问题得到改善。只有中亚国家应共同努力采取有效措施解决区域性生态问题,社会经济和生态环境才能得到持续发展。     

A foot domain account of prosodically‐conditioned substitutions

Children's prosodically conditioned substitutions have been recently described in terms of syllable structure. In this paper we present an alternative analysis, based on the position of the consonant within the foot. We review data from a previous case study (Chiat, 1989) that provide evidence in favour of a foot domain account and against the syllable structure account. One consequence of this finding is that it may be unnecessary to postulate that intervocalic consonants are captured into the coda of the previous syllable. While we caution that more evidence is needed to further test the foot and syllable accounts, we suggest that the foot be considered as a locus of substitution errors in phonology‐disordered children.     

Local Electrogram Changes in Response to a High-Voltage Intracardiac Shock in Humans

Electrogram Changes Following ICD Shocks. Introduction: Transvenous defibrillators may have difficulty sensing ventricular fibrillation following an unsuccessful shock. This study was undertaken to characterize the changes that occur in intracardiac electrograms following a defibrillator shock that may contribute to the failure to redetect arrhythmias.
Methods and Results: Unipolar and bipolar electrogram recordings were made during sinus rhythm before and following monophasic and biphasic test shocks delivered in random order through a single lead defibrillator system in 15 patients. An additional 14 patients received only a biphasic shock. Electrogram amplitude, dV/dt, and activation recovery time were determined. Following biphasic shocks, unipolar electrogram amplitude decreased by a mean of 19.6% and the bipolar amplitude by a mean of 20.8% (P = NS). The mean dV/dt in the unipolar recordings decreased by 30.7% and in the bipolar recordings decreased by 33.0% (P = NS). Time constants for recovery were approximately 60 seconds. Reduction in dV/dt was greater when the shocking coil was closer to the distal sensing electrode. There was no significant influence of shock waveform (monophasic vs biphasic), recording type (unipolar vs bipolar), or clinical variables on the change in electrogram characteristics.
Conclusion : Changes in intracardiac electrograms following defibrillator shocks through transvenous leads are seen with shocks delivered in sinus rhythm and may be related to the proximity of the shocking coil to the distal sensing electrode.     

In Vitro Effect of Anticardiolipin Autoantibodies Upon Total and Pulsatile Placental hCG Secretion During Early Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: The anticardiolipin syndrome is characterized among other features by recurrent thromboembolic events, thrombocytopenia, and recurrent fetal loss associated with high IgG titers of anticardiolipin antibodies and/or the presence of lupus anticoagulant. AIMS: The mechanisms for the fetal loss in this syndrome have not yet been clearly elucidated, although several hypotheses based on experimental data have been put forward. We wanted to evaluated the effect in vitro of anticardiolipin antibodies on the secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin. METHODS: Employing our previous experience with placental explants, we studied the effect of several mouse monoclonal and human polyclonal purified anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), which were shown by us to induce experimental antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS), to affect the pulsatile secretion of beta human choriogonadotropin. RESULTS: The mouse monoclonal ACA antibodies caused an increase in the pulsatility of beta human choriogonadotropin, while human polyclonal ACA derived from patients with ACA had an inhibitory effect. CONCLUSION: These studies with placental explants show that ACA may have an additional effect on placental hormone secretion and thus affect the fate of the embryo.     

Late Recurrence of Atrial Flutter Following Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation

The success rate for catheter ablation of atrial flutter has been reported to be approximately 90%, but recurrences are common and can be seen in up to 20% of cases. Most of these recurrences are seen within a few weeks following ablation. We report on a patient who developed a recurrence of type I atrial flutter 2 years after an initially successful radiofrequency catheter ablation procedure. Whether the recurrent atriai flutter is due to a new reentrant circuit resulting from slow progression of atrial disease or due to the changes produced by radiofrequency energy in the nearby myocardium is not clear. Further work to define the electrophvsiological changes in the atrial myocardium produced by radiofrequency energy, as well as long-term follow-up of patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial flutter may help in answering these questions.     

Are the cognitive functions of children with Down syndrome related to their participation?

Aim  There is a lack of investigation into the functional developmental profile of children with Down syndrome. On the basis of current international health paradigms, the purpose of this study was to assess the developmental profile of these children.
Method  Sixty children (33 males, 27 females) with Down syndrome (age range 6–16y; mean age 9y 3mo, SD 28.8mo), who had received standard, holistic, early intervention, were assessed. Of these, 42 (70%) had congenital anomalies, 12 had severe congenital heart defects. Participants were assessed on measures of cognitive function (Beery–Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual–Motor Integration; Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale) and participation (Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales).
Results  No difference was found on any measure on the basis of severity of congenital anomaly. Results showed improvements in age-related body function and correlations between specific body functions and participation. No decline in IQ was found with age, and significant correlations between IQ and all other measures were noted. Although sex differences were found in the body functions of short-term memory and motor function, no difference in measures of activity performance and participation was found.
Interpretation  Our findings emphasize the need for paediatric Down syndrome intervention to encourage improved body functions while emphasizing the acquisition of functional skills that enable enhanced participation in age-appropriate activities.     

Autonomic Effects on Noise Recorded During Signal-Averaged Electrocardiography

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of autonomic stimulation and blockade on noise levels and to compare the noise measurements in the ST and TP segments of the signal-averaged ECG. Five-minute electrocardiographic data were recorded in 14 normal volunteers (8 males and 6 females; mean age 28.5 ± 5.0 years) on two separate days (day 1—baseline, epinephrine infusion, isoproterenol infusion, β-blockade, and combined adrenergic and parasympathetic blockade; day 2—baseline, phenylephrine infusion, parasympathetic blockade, and during phenylephrine infusion following atropine). Signal averaging was done off-line on 100 beats and noise was measured in both the ST and TP segments as the standard deviation of voltage in the segment of interest. For all conditions tested, the mean noise level measured in the ST segment (0.46 ± 0.16 μV) was significantly less than that measured in the TP segment (0.52 ± 0.24 μV; P = 0.0003). but there was good correlation between the noise measured in the STand the TP segment (R²= 0.62, P < 0.0001). Noise increased with isoproterenol infusion and decreased following adrenergic blockade. In addition, day 2 baseline noise was less than baseline noise on day 1. Finally, neither parasympathetic stimulation or blockade nor α-adrenergic stimulation significantly affected signal-averaged electrocardiography (SAECG) noise levels. Thus, the data support the notion that enhanced sympathetic tone increases noise levels and β-adrenergic blockade may decrease noise levels, likely due to effects from muscle sympathetic nerve activity. These findings are important since the target population for the SAECG are patients with myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure, conditions associated with increased sympathetic tone, which may in turn impact on the reproducibility or technical aspects of the SAECG. In addition, because noise in the ST and TP segments are highly correlated and the noise measured in the ST segment is less than that in the TP segment, uniform adoption of noise measurement in the ST segment seems most appropriate.