Comparison of left ventricular function assessment using phonocardiogram- and electrocardiogram-triggered 2D SSFP CINE MR imaging at 1.5 T and 3.0 T.

Objective: As high-field cardiac MRI (CMR) becomes more widespread the propensity of ECG to interference from electromagnetic fields (EMF) and to magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) effects increases and with it the motivation for a CMR triggering alternative. This study explores the suitability of acoustic cardiac triggering (ACT) for left ventricular (LV) function assessment in healthy subjects (n = 14).

Methods: Quantitative analysis of 2D CINE steady-state free precession (SSFP) images was conducted to compare ACT's performance with vector ECG (VCG).

In vitro and in vivo spiral CT to determine bone mineral density: initial experience in patients at risk for osteoporosis.

Purpose: To evaluate, both experimentally and in vivo, if nondedicated standard spiral computed tomography (CT) may be used to obtain reliable bone mineral density (BMD) data.

Materials And Methods: Twenty lumbar spine specimens from human cadavers were examined with standard quantitative CT and spiral CT. In addition, 50 patients with a history of lymphoma and chemotherapy were examined.

Diagnostic accuracy of computer-assisted sperm motion analysis.

One retrospective and two prospective studies were conducted among 218 couples treated with in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to establish the reproducibility and diagnostic accuracy of computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) with swim-up spermatozoa for the prediction of the fertilization rate of oocytes in vitro. Based on the results of a preliminary retrospective analysis in 49 patients, the 'curvilinear velocity' (VCL) was chosen as the most distinctive motion parameter of sperm function and the median was used to represent the entire sperm population. The number of inseminated motile spermatozoa was then adjusted to median VCL during two subsequent prospective studies with clinical IVF.

Prognostic value of male diagnostic profiles in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Possible correlations between male hormone and semen parameters with pregnancy and oocyte fertilization rates following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were investigated. The study is based on 290 couples who underwent ICSI therapy for the first time. The parameters evaluated were male age, serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone, sperm concentration, sperm motility, normal sperm morphology, index of teratozoospermia (TZI) and sperm vitality.

Creatine kinase activity in human spermatozoa and seminal plasma lacks predictive value for male fertility in in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To examine the predictive value of creatine kinase in human spermatozoa and seminal plasma from patients treated in an IVF program.

Design: Prospective, blind clinical study.

Setting: Male infertility clinic.