Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome and ovarian benign teratoma: a case report

Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) is an unknown congenital etiology disorder characterized by agenesia or hypoplasia of the Müller ductal system, including the upper vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes. The occurrence of an associated ovarian tumor is rare, with fewer than 20 cases reported to date according to the literature. We report the case of a 14-year-old girl, virgin, who had not yet seen her menarche, complaining of an abdomino-pelvic mass associated with pain. The ultrasound performed revealed a large left ovarian tumor and an absence of uterus. The indication of a laparotomy confirmed the ovarian mass and a complete absence of uterus associated with vaginal hypoplasia. The contralateral ovary was present, and of normal appearance. The pathological examination was in favor of a mature benign multi-tissular teratoma. This is the first case described in our service. The mode of transmission of this entity appears to be autosomal dominant with low penetrance and variable expressivity, suggesting that the incidence of this syndrome is likely underestimated. With the development of techniques of medical assistance to procreation, maternity remains possible, particularly through gestational surrogacy

Electronic gaming machine characteristics: it's the little things that count

A range of gamblers, from low-frequency social gamblers through to problem gamblers in treatment, participated in focus groups discussing the characteristics of Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs) that they found attractive. Analyses of the resulting transcripts resulted in two groups of EGM characteristics being identified as important, one group associated with winning and one with betting. Overall, free spin features were identified in all groups as the most attractive characteristic of EGMS. Beyond that it was smaller win-related characteristics, and low-denomination machines with multiple playable lines that were associated with increased duration and intensity of gambling behaviour. The important characteristics were consistent across different levels of gamblers, with the key behavioural difference being a self-reported ‘expertise’, and ‘strategic’ approach to gambling amongst higher-frequency gamblers and problem gamblers in treatment. The key characteristics all occur frequently and result in more wins and extended gambling sessions. The patterns identified resonated with established behavioural principles, and with models describing the development of problem gambling and addictions more generally

Effect of within-session breaks in play on responsible gambling behaviour during sustained monetary losses

Rapid, continuous gambling formats are associated with higher risks for gambling-related harm in terms of excessive monetary and time expenditure. The current study investigated the effect on gambling response latency and persistence, of a new form of within-game intervention that required players to actively engage in response inhibition via monitoring for stop signals. Seventy-four experienced electronic gaming machine gamblers, with a mean age of 35.28 years, were recruited to participate in a rapid, continuous gambling task where real money could be won and lost. Participants were randomly allocated to either the control condition where no intervention was presented, or either a condition with a passive three minute break in play or a condition with a three minute intervention that required participants to engage in response inhibition. Although there was no main effect for experimental condition on gambling persistence, both interventions were effective in elevating response latency during a period of sustained losses. It was concluded that within-game interventions that create an enforced break in play are effective in increasing response latency between bets during periods of sustained losses. Furthermore, within-game interventions that require active involvement appear to be more effective in increasing response latency than standard, passive breaks in play

The relationship between gambling event frequency, motor response inhibition, arousal, and dissociative experience

Speed of play has been identified as a key structural characteristic in gambling behaviour, where games involving higher playing speeds enhance the experience of gambling. Of interest in the present study is the consistent finding that games with higher event frequencies are preferred by problem gamblers and are associated with more negative gambling outcomes, such as difficulty quitting the game and increased monetary loss. The present study investigated the impact of gambling speed of play on executive control functioning, focusing on how increased speeds of play impact motor response inhibition, and the potential mediating role arousal and dissociative experience play in this relationship. Fifty regular non-problem gamblers took part in a repeated-measures experiment where they gambled with real money on a simulated slot machine across five speed of play conditions. Response inhibition was measured using an embedded Go/No-Go task, where participants had to withhold motor responses, rather than operating the spin button on the slot machine when a specific colour cue was present. Results indicated that response inhibition performance was significantly worse during faster speeds of play, and that the role of arousal in this relationship was independent of any motor priming affect. The implications of these findings for gambling legislation and gambling harm-minimisation approaches are discussed

UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The article discusses the current problems of development of university research, analyzes the current state of teacher education and its role in the development of the Krasnodar Territory, describes the experience in the organization of research work at the university

Conséquences de la pollution urbaine sur la distribution d'eau d'alimentation publique à Abidjan

La croissance de la population abidjanaise qui a coïncidé avec le déclin de l'économie n'a pas permis le développement des infrastructures urbaines et des services communaux essentiels. Il s'en suit une insalubrité générale affectant la qualité des réserves en eau disponibles. Cette étude se propose, à partir des données du contrôle de qualité et au moyen d'une inspection sanitaire de déterminer l'origine de la pollution de l'eau souterraine de deux stations de production d'eau potable d'Abidjan. La méthodologie utilisée comprenait à la fois un contrôle sommaire de la qualité de l'eau et une inspection sanitaire effectuée à l'aide de fiches d'enquêtes. Les résultats d'analyses physico-chimiques et bactériologiques ont montré une concentration en nitrates et ammoniums supérieures aux directives OMS et CEE. La présence des indicateurs de pollution fécal notamment Escherichia Coli a été mis en évidence dans 5 forages. Ce qui témoigne d'une contamination des captages par les eaux usées. L'inspection sanitaire n'a pas révélé la présence de zone de culture ou d'élevage actuelle ou ancienne dans les périmètres inspectés. Elle a surtout indiqué l'existence de nombreuses fosses septiques autour des forages appartenant aux habitats situés dans les zones de captage. Les forages les plus contaminés étant les moins profonds et relativement éloignés les uns des autres laissent supposer l'existence de plusieurs sources de pollution. L'absence de périmètre de protection rapprochée autour des captages confirme bien la contamination des forages par les fosses septiques. Des mesures sanitaires urgentes s'imposent pour protéger les autres forages contre la pollution fécale due à une urbanisation accélérée

RIF1 is essential for 53BP1-dependent nonhomologous end joining and suppression of DNA double-strand break resection.

The appropriate execution of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair is critical for genome stability and tumor avoidance. 53BP1 and BRCA1 directly influence DSB repair pathway choice by regulating 5' end resection, but how this is achieved remains uncertain. Here we report that Rif1(-/-) mice are severely compromised for 53BP1-dependent class switch recombination (CSR) and fusion of dysfunctional telomeres. The inappropriate accumulation of RIF1 at DSBs in S phase is antagonized by BRCA1, and deletion of Rif1 suppresses toxic nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) induced by PARP inhibition in Brca1-deficient cells. Mechanistically, RIF1 is recruited to DSBs via the N-terminal phospho-SQ/TQ domain of 53BP1, and DSBs generated by ionizing radiation or during CSR are hyperresected in the absence of RIF1. Thus, RIF1 and 53BP1 cooperate to block DSB resection to promote NHEJ in G1, which is antagonized by BRCA1 in S phase to ensure a switch of DSB repair mode to homologous recombination