Who abandons embryos after IVF?

This investigation describes features of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) patients who never returned to claim their embryos following cryopreservation. Frozen embryo data were reviewed to establish communication patterns between patient and clinic; embryos were considered abandoned when 1) an IVF patient with frozen embryo/s stored at our facility failed to make contact with our clinic for \u3e 2 yrs and 2) the patient could not be located after a multi-modal outreach effort was undertaken. For these patients, telephone numbers had been disconnected and no forwarding address was available. Patient, spouse and emergency family contact/s all escaped detection efforts despite an exhaustive public database search including death records and Internet directory portals. From 3244 IVF cycles completed from 2000 to 2008, \u3e or = 1 embryo was frozen in 1159 cases (35.7%). Those without correspondence for \u3e 2 yrs accounted for 292 (25.2%) patients with frozen embryos; 281 were contacted by methods including registered (signature involving abandoned embryos did not differ substantially from other patients. The goal of having a baby was achieved by 10/11 patients either by spontaneous conception, adoption or IVF. One patient moved away with conception status unconfirmed. The overall rate of embryo abandonment was 11/1159 (\u3c 1%) in this IVF population. Pre-IVF counselling minimises, but does not totally eliminate, the problem of abandoned embryos. As the number of abandoned embryos from IVF accumulates, their fate urgently requires clarification. We propose that clinicians develop a policy consistent with relevant Irish Constitutional provisions to address this medical dilemma

Полиморфизм микросателлитных локусов у белого (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Val.) и пестрого (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis Rich.) толстолобиков, выращиваемых в аквакультуре в Республике Беларусь

In this study, we evaluated the genetic diversity of silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Val.) and bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis Rich.) carps grown in aquaculture in the territory of the Republic of Belarus. Genotyping was obtained for 11 STR-loci - Hmo11, Hmo13, Hmo15, Hmo25, Hmo26, Hmo31, Hmo33, Hmo 34, Hmo36, Hmo37, and Hmo40. The following parameters were calculated: the average number of alleles per locus, the effective number of alleles, the levels of expected and observed heterozygosity, the value of the Shannon information index and the fixation indexes FIS and FST. The obtained results indicate a moderate (for silver carp) and sufficiently high (for bighead carp) genetic diversity of the studied samples of carps up to the possibility to allocate several groups for subsequent work on obtaining linear material and further reproduction, including commercial fish. However, to achieve these goals, it is necessary to pay special attention to the selection of pairs of producers taking into account the results of molecular genetic analysis. The scheme for the differentiation of hybrid individuals between silver and bighead carps and the use of molecular genetic analysis of STR-loci would be proposed. This approach can be used as a minimally invasive rapid test in breeding and reproductive programs for the studied fish species.Communicated by Academician A. V. KilchevskyДана оценка генетического разнообразия белого (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Val.) и пестрого (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis Rich.) толстолобиков, выращиваемых в аквакультуре на территории Республики Беларусь, по данным генотипирования 11 микросателлитных локусов - Hmo11, Hmo13, Hmo15, Hmo25, Hmo26, Hmo31, Hmo33, Hmo34, Hmo36, Hmo37, Hmo40. Рассчитаны следующие показатели: среднее число аллелей на локус, эффективное число аллелей, уровни ожидаемой и наблюдаемой гетерозиготности, значение информационного индекса Шеннона, индексы фиксации FIS и FST Полученные результаты свидетельствуют об умеренном (для пестрого толстолобика) и достаточно высоком (для белого толстолобика) генетическом разнообразии изученных выборок, что дает возможность выделить несколько групп для получения линейного материала и дальнейшего воспроизводства, в том числе товарной рыбы. Вместе с тем следует уделить особое внимание подбору пар производителей с учетом результатов молекулярно-генетического анализа. На основании молекулярно-генетического анализа пяти микроса-теллитных локусов предложена схема по дифференциации гибридных особей между пестрым и белым толстолобиками, что может быть использовано в качестве малоинвазивного экспресс-теста в селекционных и воспроизводительных программах для данных видов растительноядных рыб

Fact or Factitious? A Psychobiological Study of Authentic and Simulated Dissociative Identity States

BACKGROUND: Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a disputed psychiatric disorder. Research findings and clinical observations suggest that DID involves an authentic mental disorder related to factors such as traumatization and disrupted attachment. A competing view indicates that DID is due to fantasy proneness, suggestibility, suggestion, and role-playing. Here we examine whether dissociative identity state-dependent psychobiological features in DID can be induced in high or low fantasy prone individuals by instructed and motivated role-playing, and suggestion. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: DID patients, high fantasy prone and low fantasy prone controls were studied in two different types of identity states (neutral and trauma-related) in an autobiographical memory script-driven (neutral or trauma-related) imagery paradigm. The controls were instructed to enact the two DID identity states. Twenty-nine subjects participated in the study: 11 patients with DID, 10 high fantasy prone DID simulating controls, and 8 low fantasy prone DID simulating controls. Autonomic and subjective reactions were obtained. Differences in psychophysiological and neural activation patterns were found between the DID patients and both high and low fantasy prone controls. That is, the identity states in DID were not convincingly enacted by DID simulating controls. Thus, important differences regarding regional cerebral bloodflow and psychophysiological responses for different types of identity states in patients with DID were upheld after controlling for DID simulation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The findings are at odds with the idea that differences among different types of dissociative identity states in DID can be explained by high fantasy proneness, motivated role-enactment, and suggestion. They indicate that DID does not have a sociocultural (e.g., iatrogenic) origin