Effect of the interval from GnRH administration after ovarian super-stimulation on the recovered oocytes, and effect of the transferred cloned blastocysts on the pregnancy rate and pregnancy loss in dromedary camel.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the number and maturity of the recovered oocytes after two intervals of in-vivo maturation. In addition to evaluating the effect of the developmental stage, as well as the number of cloned transferred blastocysts on the pregnancy rate and early pregnancy loss (EPL) in dromedary camel. The donor animals (n = 52) were super-stimulated using a single injection of 3000 IU of eCG followed by GnRH administration for oocyte maturation. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected by transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration (OPU) either 24-26 h or 18-20 h after GnRH administration. A fewer number of COCs with a lower percentage of oocyte maturity was observed at 24-26 h in comparison to 18-20 h. The effect of the cloned blastocysts' transferred number and developmental stage on the pregnancy rate and EPL was investigated. The total pregnancy rates at 10 days post-ET, 1 and 2 months were 21.9, 12.4, and 8.6%, respectively. Transfer of two or 3-4 embryos per surrogate was accompanied with a higher pregnancy rate at 1 and 2 months than a single embryo transfer. Rates of EPL were 43.5 and 60.1% at 1 and 2 months of pregnancy, respectively. The transfer of two embryos per surrogate was associated with a lower rate of EPL than ET of a single embryo at 1 and 2 months of pregnancy. Also, the ET of 3-4 embryos per surrogate showed a higher rate of EPL than the ET of two embryos at 2 months of pregnancy. ET of hatching (HG) blastocysts showed higher pregnancy rates and fewer EPL than ET of unhatched (UH) or fully hatched (HD) cloned blastocysts at 1 and 2 months of pregnancy. In conclusion, a high number of in-vivo matured oocytes can be recovered by ultrasound-guided transvaginal OPU from super-stimulated females using 3000 IU eCG and an interval of 18-20 h after GnRH administration. The transfer of two hatching cloned blastocytes per surrogate increases the pregnancy rate and decreases EPL in dromedary camels.

Effects of Group Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics in Children With Tourette's Disorder and Chronic Tic Disorder.

Objectives: Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT) is effective in children with chronic tic disorders. This study aimed to assess the effect of group-based CBIT (group-CBIT) on tic severity and comorbid symptoms. We compared the efficacy of group CBIT with that of a control. Methods: Thirty children with chronic tic disorder or Tourette's disorder were enrolled in this study. Eighteen were assigned to the group-CBIT for eight sessions, and 12 were assigned to the control group. Tics and comorbid symptoms were assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder Rating Scale-IV, Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and the Korean-Children Behavioral Checklist. We compared the pre- and post-intervention results of each group and determined the difference in the pre- and post-intervention results between intervention and the control group. Results: The YGTSS motor and vocal tic interference, global impairment, and global severity scores decreased in the intervention group only. Group CBIT was superior in reducing the motor tic interference, impairment score, and global severity score to the control group. Conclusion: The group-CBIT showed an improvement in tic symptoms, especially in reducing the level of interference and impairment of tics.

The risk factors for subsequent fractures after distal radius fracture.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for subsequent fractures after distal radius fracture (DRF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 705 patients with DRF who performed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry within six months before or after the DRF and followed more than 12 months. We identified patients with subsequent fractures and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted with demographic information, underlying disease status, and bone fragility parameters at the time of DRF to evaluate the risk factors for subsequent fractures. RESULTS: Subsequent fractures occurred in 56 patients (7.9% of 705 patients) with 65 fractures at a mean time of 33.5 months after DRF. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age (OR 1.032; 95% CI, 1.001-1.064, p = 0.044), diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR 2.663; 95% CI, 1.429-4.963, p = 0.002) and previous fracture history (OR 1.917; 95% CI, 1.019-3.607, p = 0.043), and low total hip BMD (OR 1.410; 95% CI, 1.083-1.836, p = 0.011) were significant risk factors for the occurrence of subsequent fractures. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that older age, DM, previous fracture history and low hip BMD are the risk factors for subsequent fractures after DRF. Active glycemic control would have a role in patients with DM and a more aggressive treat-to-target approach may be necessary for patients with low BMDs to prevent subsequent fractures after DRF.

Influence of PMSG on Superstimulation and Embryo Development Following Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer in Holstein Cows in the United Arab Emirates.

The present study investigated the effect of superstimulation to improve in vitro embryo production in the Gulf area, where the temperature is high. Holstein cows were classified into the control and superstimulation groups. Superstimulation was induced with a single intramuscular injection of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG; 2500 IU) on day 14 of the estrus cycle (day 0; estrus). The development of follicles was evaluated by ultrasonography of the ovaries daily. At 40 h after the PMSG injection, oocytes were collected by the ovum pick-up (OPU) technique. OPU was performed at the same stage of the estrus cycle in the control group as in the superstimulation group. The number of follicles with a diameter of more than 6 mm and the number of retrieved cumulus-oocyte complexes were significantly higher in the superstimulation group than in the control group. Furthermore, the maturation rate was higher in the superstimulation group than in the control group. Cloned embryos were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer using matured oocytes. The cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were significantly higher in the superstimulation group than in the control group. In conclusion, a single injection of PMSG can facilitate the efficient production of cloned cow embryos.

Discriminative Effects of Social Skills Training on Facial Emotion Recognition among Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effect of social skills training (SST) on facial emotion recognition and discrimination in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Twenty-three children aged 7 to 10 years participated in our SST. They included 15 children diagnosed with ADHD and 8 with ASD. The participants' parents completed the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), the ADHD Rating Scale, and Conner's Scale at baseline and post-treatment. The participants completed the Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (K-WISC-IV) and the Advanced Test of Attention at baseline and the Penn Emotion Recognition and Discrimination Task at baseline and post-treatment. RESULTS: No significant changes in facial emotion recognition and discrimination occurred in either group before and after SST. However, when controlling for the processing speed of K-WISC and the social subscale of K-CBCL, the ADHD group showed more improvement in total (p=0.049), female (p=0.039), sad (p=0.002), mild (p=0.015), female extreme (p=0.005), male mild (p=0.038), and Caucasian (p=0.004) facial expressions than did the ASD group. CONCLUSION: SST improved facial expression recognition for children with ADHD more effectively than it did for children with ASD, in whom additional training to help emotion recognition and discrimination is needed.