INVO: a simple, low cost effective assisted reproductive technology

⁵Correspondence address. E-mail: clauderanoux{at}bioxcell.com INVO procedure is a simple and effective infertility treatmentthat uses a new device, the INVOcell. INVO can be performedin a physician's office or in a satellite facility of an IVFcenter. The INVO procedure consists of fertilization of oocyte(s)and early embryo development in the INVOcell placed into thematernal vaginal cavity for incubation. The vaginal cavity replacesthe complex in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory. This studypresents the specially designed device, INVOcell that has receivedCE Certification. INVOcell overcomes the disadvantages of thepreviously used prototype and makes the procedure simpler andreproducible. INVO is a proven procedure that has demonstratedcomparable results to conventional IVF when comparative studieswere performed. Over 800 cycles have been published worldwidethat showed a clinical pregnancy rate of 19.6%. The INVO technologycan be performed in an office setting with minor capital equipment.INVO is a simple low-cost procedure that can be available almosteverywhere. INVO allows the treatment of a new population ofinfertile couples who could not benefit from IVF due to costand availability. The participation of the patient in the processof fertilization and early embryo development is a psychologicalbenefit that creates a high level of acceptance of INVO.     

A comparison of responses and stimuli as time markers

A rat's behavior, as well as a stimulus, may be a time marker. But do they lead to similar performance? Eight rats were trained on a 20-s DRL procedure in which head-entry responses were time markers, i.e., each head-entry response indicated that food would not be delivered for 20 s. Concurrently, eight rats were trained on a control procedure in which light stimuli, yoked to the responses of a rat in the DRL procedure, were time markers, i.e., each light stimulus indicated that food would not be delivered for 20 s. A comparison of performance between the two groups showed a lower response rate in the DRL procedure than in the yoked control procedure. However, similar response patterns between the two groups were observed, suggesting that rats anticipated the food similarly with a stimulus or a response as the time marker.     

Fewer peak trials per session facilitate acquisition of peak responding despite elimination of response rate differences

It has been shown in previous research [Kaiser, D.H., 2008. The proportion of fixed interval trials to probe trials affects acquisition of the peak procedure fixed interval timing task. Behav. Process., 77 (1), 100-108] that rats acquired peak responding sooner when fewer peak trials were presented during sessions of training with the peak procedure timing task. One potential problem with that research was that there were large differences in response rates among the groups. The present experiment attempted to examine the effect of proportion of peak trials when differences in response rate were controlled. Two groups of rats were each simultaneously tested with two versions of the peak procedure. One group was tested with 10% peak trials per session, and the other group was tested with 50% peak trials per session. For both of the groups, one of the panel lights and levers was associated with the traditional peak procedure. The other panel light and lever was associated with a similar peak procedure; however, reinforcement was provided at the end of each peak trial. This manipulation eliminated differences in response rate among the groups, however, Group 10% acquired peak responding more quickly than Group 50%, effectively replicating previous work in the absence of a response bias.     

Optimal sampling in retrospective logistic regression via two-stage method

Case-control sampling is popular in epidemiological research because of its cost and time saving. In a logistic regression model, with limited knowledge on the covariance matrix of the point estimator of the regression coefficients a priori, there exists no fixed sample size analysis. In this study, we propose a two-stage sequential analysis, in which the optimal sample fraction and the required sample size to achieve a predetermined volume of a joint confidence set are estimated in an interim analysis. Additionally required observations are collected in the second stage according to the estimated optimal sample fraction. At the end of the experiment, data from these two stages are combined and analyzed for statistical inference. Simulation studies are conducted to justify the proposed two-stage procedure and an example is presented for illustration. It is found that the proposed two-stage procedure performs adequately in the sense that the resultant joint confidence set has a well-controlled volume and achieves the required coverage probability. Furthermore, the optimal sample fractions among all the selected scenarios are close to one. Hence, the proposed procedure can be simplified by always considering a balance design.     

The effects of cue competition on timing in pigeons

We studied the effects of cue competition on timing in both overshadowing and blocking operant procedures with pigeons. A white center key delivered reward when pecked 30 s after a red or green sidekey was presented and 10 s after presentation of the alternate color on the other sidekey. In Experiment 1, key presentations were concurrent during training trials for overshadow-condition pigeons, while side key presentations were separated across training trials for control birds. In Experiment 2, half of the birds (Blocking group) were given pre-exposure trials to either the 10-s or 30-s sidekey condition. Both blocking-condition and control birds were then given trials of concurrent side key presentations. Peak time curves were compared between experimental and control conditions. The results showed blocking of timing accuracy of a long (30-s) stimulus by a short (10-s) stimulus, but no evidence for overshadowing of timing accuracy.     

浩浩巴组织培养和快速繁殖

浩浩巴顶芽、茎段在ＭＳ基本培养基中培养,附加植物激素１～２ｍｇ／Ｌ的ＢＡ或ＺＴ和０．２ｍｇ／Ｌ的ＮＡＡ配合使用明显促进芽苗形成。诱导生根采用两步生根法能有效地提高生根率。试管苗移栽获得成活。     

Kinetics of functional and morphological changes during decoupling and recoupling induced by glycerol in isolated muscle fibres of the crayfish

Summary The development of ultrastructural changes in the T-system of isolated muscle fibres of the crayfish by the glycerol procedure is described in correlation with the dissociation of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling as well as with recoupling of the E-C link. The sequence of events in the process of disconnection of the tubules is as follows: dilation of the T-system tubules, disconnection of the constricted tubular segments from the surface membrane and from the T-system vesicle, disappearance of the lumen and its disintegration. The decoupled state is characterised by the presence of round vesicles uniformly distributed in the entire volume of the fibre. The volume of vesicles accounts well for the residual postglycerol volume increase (15%) of the muscle fibres. Functional and structural recovery can be induced by reapplication of glycerol to fibres decoupled and vesiculated with concentrations of glycerol300mmol · l^-1 in crayfish saline. The restitution starts with the organisation of the material of the disintegrated connecting segment of the T-system tubule into small vesicles which coalesce to form the tubule from the vesicular site. At the same time the surface membrane is invaginated toward the vesicle, thus forming the tubule from the surface membrane site. Recovery starts already in the first minute after application of glycerol and is completed within approximately 15min.     

多重检验法在基因芯片研究中鉴定差异表达基因的统计功效

鉴于基因芯片实验的造价,在基因芯片实验设计中,首要考虑的因素是需要多少重复才能检测出一个具有显著差异表达的基因。计算多重检验法要求的重复数（样本大小）或功效可为基因芯片实验设计提供重要的参考。为此,本文基于置换重抽样法构建了一种基因表达噪声混合分布模型。该方法适用各类基因表达数据,即无论是基因表达单噪声源或是多噪声源都可行。应用混合模型和多重检验法并给定统计功效。研究者能在基因芯片实验中获得所需要的最少生物学重复数：或者根据样本大小来确定测定一个显著差异表达的基因所具有的检验功效;或者根据样本大小和统计检验功效,选择最好的统计测验方法。本文以一组在老鼠中与中风有关的3000个基因的基因芯片实验所获得的数据为例,应用该方法拟和后组建了一个单分布模型（即表达单噪声源的分布模型）。根据该模型,我们计算了4种多重检验法在鉴定一个具有表达差异（D）值的基因中所需要的统计功效。结果表明。检测一个小的差异D值,4种多重检验法中B方法的统计功效最低,而BH方法最高。但是,对于鉴定一个具有最大表达差异的基因时,4种方法有相同的鉴定功效。与传统的单个检验法一样,BH方法检测一个小的变化所需要的效率不会随基因数目增加而改变,其他3种多重检验法的检测功效则随基因数目增加而降低。     

Evaluating timing in spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats using the peak procedure

A core deficit in timing may underlie the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Timing deficits have been observed in ADHD-diagnosed children but have yet to be fully explored in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), a purported model of ADHD. We asked whether SHRs demonstrate ADHD-like timing deficits using the peak procedure. Response rates across peak intervals were modeled using the sum of two Gaussian curves. Results showed that SHRs peaked earlier than Wistar-Kyotos based on 4 s intervals that contained the individuals’ maximum response rates but not based on model parameters. The strains showed approximately equal precision of timing based on Weber fractions derived from model parameters, a result that replicates previous findings and does not support the use of SHRs to model this aspect of ADHD.