Chromosome architecture and low cohesion bias acrocentric chromosomes towards aneuploidy during mammalian meiosis.

Aneuploidy in eggs is a leading cause of miscarriages or viable developmental syndromes. Aneuploidy rates differ between individual chromosomes. For instance, chromosome 21 frequently missegregates, resulting in Down Syndrome.

The sex of organ geometry.

Organs have a distinctive yet often overlooked spatial arrangement in the body. We propose that there is a logic to the shape of an organ and its proximity to its neighbours. Here, by using volumetric scans of many Drosophila melanogaster flies, we develop methods to quantify three-dimensional features of organ shape, position and interindividual variability.

Luteal phase support in assisted reproductive technology.

Infertility affects one in six couples, with in vitro fertilization (IVF) offering many the chance of conception. Compared to the solitary oocyte produced during the natural menstrual cycle, the supraphysiological ovarian stimulation needed to produce multiple oocytes during IVF results in a dysfunctional luteal phase that can be insufficient to support implantation and maintain pregnancy. Consequently, hormonal supplementation with luteal phase support, principally exogenous progesterone, is used to optimize pregnancy rates; however, luteal phase support remains largely 'black-box' with insufficient clarity regarding the optimal timing, dosing, route and duration of treatment.

Systematic review of randomised controlled trials on interventions aimed at promoting colorectal cancer screening amongst ethnic minorities.

Objectives: Significant disparities exist between different ethnic groups when it comes to participation in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programmes. A variety of interventions have been proposed to improve participation rates of ethnic minorities for CRC screening. This systematic review aims to appraise the evidence available from published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and to identify effective interventions aimed at promoting CRC screening amongst underserved ethnic minorities.

Temperature dependence of refractive indices of AlGaAs and InAlGaAs in the telecommunication spectral range.

In this work, we determine the temperature dependence of refractive indices of InAlGaAs and AlGaAs semiconductor alloys at telecommunication wavelengths in the range from room temperature down to 10 K. For that, we measure the temperature-dependent reflectance of two structures: with an AlGaAs/GaAs distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) designed for 1.3 µm and with an InAlGaAs/InP DBR designed for 1.

Remote multimodality monitoring of maternal physiology from the first trimester to postpartum period: study results.

Objectives: Current antenatal care largely relies on widely spaced appointments, hence only a fraction of the pregnancy period is subject to monitoring. Continuous monitoring of physiological parameters could represent a paradigm shift in obstetric care. Here, we analyse the data from daily home monitoring in pregnancy and consider the implications of this approach for tracking pregnancy health.

The feasibility of multimodality remote monitoring of maternal physiology during pregnancy.

To ascertain whether remote multimodality cardiovascular monitoring of health in pregnancy is feasible, 24 participants were asked to daily monitor body weight, heart rate, blood pressure, activity levels, and sleep patterns. Study participants took on average 4.3 (standard deviation = 2.

Changing Student Perception of an Online Integrated Structured Clinical Examination During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a hiatus in in-person clinical assessments due to safety and logistical concerns. We aimed to evaluate student perception and utility of an online Integrated Structured Clinical Examinations (ISCEs) during the pandemic.

Methods: Final-year medical students from a single institution were offered an online mock ISCE through a student-to-student ("near-peer") teaching-programme.

Virtual Interview, Real Anxiety: Prospective Evaluation of a Focused Teaching Programme on Confidence Levels Among Medical Students Applying for Academic Clinical Posts.

Background: In 2020, final year medical students applying for the United Kingdom's competitive academic training posts face an additional challenge because interviews are conducted online rather than in-person. We assessed how this new format influences anxiety and the impact of a targeted course on candidates' confidence levels.

Methods: A mixed-methods national teaching programme including online bespoke mock interviews was delivered to prospective Academic Foundation Programme applicants.

Interband Cascade Active Region with Ultra-Broad Gain in the Mid-Infrared Range.

The optical gain spectrum has been investigated theoretically for various designs of active region based on InAs/GaInSb quantum wells-i.e., a type II material system employable in interband cascade lasers (ICLs) or optical amplifiers operating in the mid-infrared spectral range.

The BCL-2 pathway preserves mammalian genome integrity by eliminating recombination-defective oocytes.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are toxic to mammalian cells. However, during meiosis, more than 200 DSBs are generated deliberately, to ensure reciprocal recombination and orderly segregation of homologous chromosomes. If left unrepaired, meiotic DSBs can cause aneuploidy in gametes and compromise viability in offspring.

Meiotic Kinetochores Fragment into Multiple Lobes upon Cohesin Loss in Aging Eggs.

Chromosome segregation errors during female meiosis are a leading cause of pregnancy loss and human infertility. The segregation of chromosomes is driven by interactions between spindle microtubules and kinetochores. Kinetochores in mammalian oocytes are subjected to special challenges: they need to withstand microtubule pulling forces over multiple hours and are built on centromeric chromatin that in humans is decades old.

Chromosome errors in human eggs shape natural fertility over reproductive life span.

Chromosome errors, or aneuploidy, affect an exceptionally high number of human conceptions, causing pregnancy loss and congenital disorders. Here, we have followed chromosome segregation in human oocytes from females aged 9 to 43 years and report that aneuploidy follows a U-curve. Specific segregation error types show different age dependencies, providing a quantitative explanation for the U-curve.

A microscopy-based approach for studying meiosis in live and fixed human oocytes.

Human eggs frequently carry an incorrect number of chromosomes, which is a leading cause of pregnancy loss and congenital disorders. The origins of high aneuploidy rates in human eggs have remained largely unclear. This is due to two main reasons: first, the availability of human eggs is limited so that studies of fixed human eggs typically involve very small numbers and limited quantifications.

Sister kinetochore splitting and precocious disintegration of bivalents could explain the maternal age effect.

Aneuploidy in human eggs is the leading cause of pregnancy loss and Down's syndrome. Aneuploid eggs result from chromosome segregation errors when an egg develops from a progenitor cell, called an oocyte. The mechanisms that lead to an increase in aneuploidy with advanced maternal age are largely unclear.

[Bone mineral density in children and adolescents with idiopathic chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes].

Purpose: There is a limited information regarding associations between bone mineral density (BMD) and idiopathic musculoskeletal pain in pediatric subjects. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess whether children and adolescents with pain syndrome have lower BMD than healthy subjects.

Material And Methods: Eighty-nine subjects (49 girls, 40 boys) aged 5-18 years with chronic non-rheumatic musculoskeletal pain and daily calcium consumption below 500 mg were involved in the study.

[Resistance to antibiotics used in Helicobacter pylori infection in children].

In literature and clinical findings, the attention has been turned to the resistance to the antibiotics used in Helicobacter pylori eradication, especially metronidazole and clarithromycin. Drug-resistance was evaluated in 50 children. Primary drug-resistance to the antibiotics used in eradications was determined in this group, and additionally, in 18 children who were subjected twice to unsuccessful eradicative therapy.