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Background Single embryo transfer (SET) remains underutilized as a strategy to reduce multiple gestation risk in IVF, and its overall lower pregnancy rate underscores the need for improved techniques to select one embryo for fresh transfer. This study explored use of comprehensive chromosomal screening by array CGH (aCGH) to provide this advantage and improve pregnancy rate from SET. Methods First-time IVF patients with a good prognosis (age <35, no prior miscarriage) and normal karyotype seeking elective SET were prospectively randomized into two groups: In Group A, embryos were selected on the basis of morphology and comprehensive chromosomal screening via aCGH (from d5 trophectoderm biopsy) while Group B embryos were assessed by morphology only. All patients had a single fresh blastocyst transferred on d6. Laboratory parameters and clinical pregnancy rates were compared between the two groups. Results For patients in Group A ( n  = 55), 425 blastocysts were biopsied and analyzed via aCGH (7.7 blastocysts/patient). Aneuploidy was detected in 191/425 (44.9%) of blastocysts in this group. For patients in Group B ( n  = 48), 389 blastocysts were microscopically examined (8.1 blastocysts/patient). Clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the morphology + aCGH group compared to the morphology-only group (70.9 and 45.8%, respectively; p  = 0.017); ongoing pregnancy rate for Groups A and B were 69.1 vs. 41.7%, respectively ( p  = 0.009). There were no twin pregnancies. Conclusion Although aCGH followed by frozen embryo transfer has been used to screen at risk embryos (e.g., known parental chromosomal translocation or history of recurrent pregnancy loss), this is the first description of aCGH fully integrated with a clinical IVF program to select single blastocysts for fresh SET in good prognosis patients. The observed aneuploidy rate (44.9%) among biopsied blastocysts highlights the inherent imprecision of SET when conventional morphology is used alone. Embryos randomized to the aCGH group implanted with greater efficiency, resulted in clinical pregnancy more often, and yielded a lower miscarriage rate than those selected without aCGH. Additional studies are needed to verify our pilot data and confirm a role for on-site, rapid aCGH for IVF patients contemplating fresh SET.

Zinc (Zn) deficiency and heat stress affect the productivity of cereal crops in many semi arid regions of the world. Zinc nutrition affects membrane integrity and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes which are also important to a plant's ability to cope with high temperatures. Two experiments were conducted to examine the interaction between Zn nutrition and heat stress at two growth stages. Wheat was grown at deficient and adequate levels of Zn at 22/16°C before being exposed to a short period of high temperature (40/20°C). One experiment examined the response to a 3 day heat stress treatment at 10 days after anthesis and the second experiment examined the response to 6 days of heat stress in 30-day old seedlings. Varieties differing in thermotolerance and sensitivity to Zn deficiency were compared. Zinc deficiency and heat stress reduced kernel growth rates, kernel weight and grain yield and the greatest reductions were measured in Zn-deficient, heat stressed plants. The greater reduction in kernel growth rates from heat stress in Zn deficient plants occurred in both thermotolerant and sensitive varieties and was negatively associated with grain Zn concentration. Genetic differences in tolerance to Zn deficiency did not have consistent effects on the response to heat stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll content were reduced and chloroplast ultrastructure was disrupted by heat stress and the effect was exacerbated by low supplies of Zn. While the responses to heat stress and low Zn were largely additive effects, the experiments demonstrated that low levels of Zn nutrition can exacerbate the adverse effects of short periods of heat stress on kernel growth and chloroplast function.

Background During in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility patients are expected to self-administer many injections as part of this treatment. While newer medications have been developed to substantially reduce the number of these injections, such agents are typically much more expensive. Considering these differences in both cost and number of injections, this study compared patient preferences between GnRH-agonist and GnRH-antagonist based protocols in IVF. Methods Data were collected by voluntary, anonymous questionnaire at first consultation appointment. Patient opinion concerning total number of s.c. injections as a function of non-reimbursed patient cost associated with GnRH-agonist [A] and GnRH-antagonist [B] protocols in IVF was studied. Results Completed questionnaires ( n  = 71) revealed a mean +/− SD patient age of 34 +/− 4.1 yrs. Most (83.1%) had no prior IVF experience; 2.8% reported another medical condition requiring self-administration of subcutaneous medication(s). When out-of-pocket cost for [A] and [B] were identical, preference for [B] was registered by 50.7% patients. The tendency to favor protocol [B] was weaker among patients with a health occupation. Estimated patient costs for [A] and [B] were $259.82 +/− 11.75 and $654.55 +/− 106.34, respectively (p < 0.005). Measured patient preference for [B] diminished as the cost difference increased. Conclusions This investigation found consistently higher non-reimbursed direct medication costs for GnRH-antagonist IVF vs. GnRH-agonist IVF protocols. A conditional preference to minimize downregulation (using GnRH-antagonist) was noted among some, but not all, IVF patient sub-groups. Compared to IVF patients with a health occupation, the preference for GnRH-antagonist was weaker than for other patients. While reducing total number of injections by using GnRH-antagonist is a desirable goal, it appears this advantage is not perceived equally by all IVF patients and its utility is likely discounted heavily by patients when nonreimbursed medication costs reach a critical level.

Biotechnology is about to spill the banks of federal regulation. New genetic engineering techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 promise revolutionary breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and public health—but those techniques would not be regulated under the terms of the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology. This revolutionary moment in biotechnology offers an opportunity to correct the flaws in the framework, which was hastily patched together at the advent of the technology. The framework has never captured all relevant technologies, has never satisfied the public that risk is being effectively managed, and has never been accessible to small companies and publicly-funded labs that increasingly are positioned to make radical, life-saving innovations. This Article offers a proposal for new legislation that would reshape biotechnology regulation to better meet these goals. Key reforms include tying regulation to risk rather than technology category; consolidating agency review; capturing distinct regulatory expertise through inter-agency consultations; creating a clearinghouse to help guide applicants and disseminate information; setting up more comprehensive monitoring of environmental effects; and providing federal leadership to fill key data gaps and address socio-economic impacts.

Background To report on relationships among baseline serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) measurements, blastocyst development and other selected embryology parameters observed in non-donor oocyte IVF cycles. Methods Pre-treatment AMH was measured in patients undergoing IVF ( n = 79) and retrospectively correlated to in vitro embryo development noted during culture. Results Mean (+/- SD) age for study patients in this study group was 36.3 ± 4.0 (range = 28-45) yrs, and mean (+/- SD) terminal serum estradiol during IVF was 5929 +/- 4056 pmol/l. A moderate positive correlation (0.49; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.65) was noted between basal serum AMH and number of MII oocytes retrieved. Similarly, a moderate positive correlation (0.44) was observed between serum AMH and number of early cleavage-stage embryos (95% CI 0.24 to 0.61), suggesting a relationship between serum AMH and embryo development in IVF. Of note, serum AMH levels at baseline were significantly different for patients who did and did not undergo blastocyst transfer (15.6 vs. 10.9 pmol/l; p = 0.029). Conclusions While serum AMH has found increasing application as a predictor of ovarian reserve for patients prior to IVF, its roles to estimate in vitro embryo morphology and potential to advance to blastocyst stage have not been extensively investigated. These data suggest that baseline serum AMH determinations can help forecast blastocyst developmental during IVF. Serum AMH measured before treatment may assist patients, clinicians and embryologists as scheduling of embryo transfer is outlined. Additional studies are needed to confirm these correlations and to better define the role of baseline serum AMH level in the prediction of blastocyst formation.

The radio galaxy 0402+379 is believed to host a supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB). The two compact core sources are separated by a projected distance of 7.3 pc, making it the most (spatially) compact resolved SMBHB known. We present new multi-frequency VLBI observations of 0402+379 at 5, 8, 15 and 22 GHz, and combine with previous observations spanning 12 years. A strong frequency dependent core shift is evident, which we use to infer magnetic fields near the jet base. After correcting for these shifts we detect significant relative motion of the two cores at \\(\\beta=v/c=0.0054 \\pm 0.0003\\) at \\(PA= -34.4^\\circ\\). With some assumptions about the orbit, we use this measurement to constrain the orbital period \\(P\\approx 3 \\times 10^4\\) y and SMBHB mass \\(M \\approx 15 \\times 10^9\\ M_\\odot\\). While additional observations are needed to confirm this motion and obtain a precise orbit, this is apparently the first black hole system resolved as a visual binary.

Masers have been well-known phenomena for decades, but water masers at 183, 321, 325 and 658 GHz have only been detected since the 1990s. Early detections came from single-dish telescopes with follow-up observations from the PdBI and the Submillimeter Array. Detecting them at these short wavelengths has been very difficult due to water in our atmosphere, meaning that even in very good weather, one can only detect very bright masers, such as those in stellar atmospheres. In the last 7 years, a new window on submillimeter water masers, both Galactic and now extragalactic, has opened. Located at high altitude, above a large fraction of the Earth’s atmosphere, ALMA sits on the edge of the driest desert on the planet, meaning that the air that does remain above the telescope is frequently extremely low in water vapor content. Combine this with sensitive, stable receivers covering a number of masing transitions from 183-658 GHz and you have an excellent machine for detecting and characterizing submillimeter water masers. In addition, other molecules also exhibit maser emission in the ALMA observing bands, such as SiO and HCN.

With the way cleared for standing to enforce collective rights, European public interest law ought to proceed from conception to reality. As Community legislation expands further into areas of general public concern, a greater sense of European citizenship and of European society may be fostered. On that ground, natural and legal persons who are collectively affected by infringements of Community-ensured rights in the environment, consumer safety, and other areas, may come together to challenge those infringements with actions for annulment of Community legislation under Article 173(4), no longer impeded by the doctrine of individual concern. Where community interest in protecting certain collective rights is sufficiently high, that policy will be embodied in Community law, upon which he most severely affected persons may reply.

We present the highest resolution CO (2-1) observations obtained to date (0.25\") of NGC 3256 and use them to determine the detailed properties of the molecular interstellar medium in the central 6 kpc of this merger. Distributions of physical quantities are reported from pixel-by-pixel measurements at 55 and 120 pc scales and compared to disc galaxies observed by PHANGS-ALMA. Mass surface densities range from 8 to 5500 M\\(_\\) pc\\(^-2\\) and velocity dispersions from 10 to 200 km s\\(^-1\\). Peak brightness temperatures as large as 37 K are measured, indicating the gas in NGC 3256 may be hotter than all regions in nearby disc galaxies measured by PHANGS-ALMA. Brightness temperatures even surpass those in the overlap region of NGC 4038/9 at the same scales. The majority of the gas appears unbound with median virial parameters of 7 to 19, although external pressure may bind some of the gas. High internal turbulent pressures of 10\\(^5\\) to 10\\(^10\\) K cm\\(^-3\\) are found. Given the lack of significant trends in surface density, brightness temperature, and velocity dispersion with physical scale we argue the molecular gas is made up of a smooth medium down to 55 pc scales, unlike the more structured medium found in the PHANGS-ALMA disc galaxies.