Joint bidding, information pooling, and the performance of petroleum lease auctions / BEBR No.889

Includes bibliographical references (p. 22)

Potential involvement of the immune system in the development of endometriosis

This article presents an overview of immunological factors and their role in the development of endometriosis, with emphasis on inflammatory cytokines, growth and adhesion factors. Although retrograde menstruation is a common phenomenon among women of reproductive age, not all women who have retrograde menstruation develop endometriosis. The development of endometriosis is hypothesised to be a complex process, which may be facilitated by several factors, including the quantity and quality of endometrial cells in peritoneal fluid (PF), increased inflammatory activity in PF, increased endometrial-peritoneal adhesion and angiogenesis, reduced immune surveillance and clearance of endometrial cells, and increased production of autoantibodies against endometrial cells. Potential biomarkers like cytokines and autoantibodies upregulated during development of endometriosis may be useful in the development of a non-surgical diagnostic tool. Although endometriosis can be treated using hormonal suppression, there is need for non-hormonal drugs, which can inhibit the development of endometriosis and alleviate pain or infertility without inhibition of ovulation. New molecules that modulate immune function in endometriosis should be the targets for future research

Intra- and interobserver analysis in the morphological assessment of early stage embryos during an IVF procedure: a multicentre study

Contains fulltext : 96031.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Rosiglitazone and Risk of Cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

OBJECTIVE—Despite experimental data suggesting a protective effect of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ agonists with respect to malignancies, results of available epidemiological studies on the incidence of cancer in rosiglitazone-treated patients are not univocal. The aim of this meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials is to assess the effect of rosiglitazone on the incidence of cancer

Intra- and inter-observer analysis in the morphological assessment of early-stage embryos

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study was to determine the intra- and inter-observer variability in the evaluation of embryo quality. Multilevel images of embryos on day 1, day 2 and day 3, were analysed using different morphological parameters.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Multilevel images of embryos on day 1, day 2 and day 3, were analysed using a standard scoring system. The kappa coefficient was calculated to measure intra- and inter-observer variability before and after training sessions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Good to excellent intra-observer agreement was present for most parameters exceptions being scoring the position of pronuclei and the presence of a cytoplasmic halo on day 1, multinucleation on day 2 and the size of fragments on day 3. Inter-observer agreement was only good to excellent for the number of blastomeres on day 2 and day 3 and the orientation of the cleavage axes on day 2. Training sessions had a positive impact on inter-observer agreement.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, assessment of morphological characteristics of early stage embryos using multilevel images was marked by a high intra-observer and a moderate inter-observer agreement. Training sessions were useful to increase inter-observer agreement.</p

Evaluation of an Extended-duration Chemoprophylaxis Regimen for Venous Thromboembolism after Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction

Patients undergoing free flap breast reconstruction are at a high risk for venous thromboembolism based upon Caprini scores. Guidelines for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis recommend high-risk groups receive extended chemoprophylaxis for several weeks after gynecological, orthopedic, and surgical oncology cases. Extended prophylaxis has not been studied in free flap breast reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of free flap breast reconstruction patients who received extended venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis with those who received standard inpatient-only prophylaxis. Methods: Patients undergoing microsurgical breast reconstruction were divided into two groups: standard VTE prophylaxis (Group I) and extended prophylaxis (Group II). Both groups received prophylactic subcutaneous heparin or enoxaparin preoperatively and enoxaparin 40 mg daily postoperatively while inpatient. Group II was discharged with a home regimen of enoxaparin 40 mg daily for an additional 14 days. Results: In total, 103 patients met inclusion criteria (36 patients in Group I, 67 patients in Group II). The incidence of VTE was 1.5% in Group II compared with 2.8% in Group I (P = 0.6). There was no difference in reoperative hematoma between Group I (n = 0) and Group II (n = 1) (P = 0.7). Total flap loss was 2.2%. Conclusions: Although this retrospective pilot study did not show statistical significance in VTE between those receiving extended home chemoprophylaxis (1.5% incidence) compared with inpatient-only chemoprophylaxis (2.8%), the risk of bleeding complications was similar. These results indicate that a larger, higher powered study is justified to assess if an extended home chemoprophylaxis protocol should be standard of care post free flap breast reconstruction

Single-cell chromosomal imbalances detection by array CGH

Genomic imbalances are a major cause of constitutional and acquired disorders. Therefore, aneuploidy screening has become the cornerstone of preimplantation, prenatal and postnatal genetic diagnosis, as well as a routine aspect of the diagnostic workup of many acquired disorders. Recently, array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) has been introduced as a rapid and high-resolution method for the detection of both benign and disease-causing genomic copy-number variations. Until now, array CGH has been performed using a significant quantity of DNA derived from a pool of cells. Here, we present an array CGH method that accurately detects chromosomal imbalances from a single lymphoblast, fibroblast and blastomere within a single day. Trisomy 13, 18, 21 and monosomy X, as well as normal ploidy levels of all other chromosomes, were accurately determined from single fibroblasts. Moreover, we showed that a segmental deletion as small as 34 Mb could be detected. Finally, we demonstrated the possibility to detect aneuploidies in single blastomeres derived from preimplantation embryos. This technique offers new possibilities for genetic analysis of single cells in general and opens the route towards aneuploidy screening and detection of unbalanced translocations in preimplantation embryos in particular