Peripubertal exposure to oxyfluorfen, a diphenyl herbicide, delays pubertal development in the male rat by antagonizing androgen receptor activity.

We recently identified the herbicide oxyfluorfen as an inhibitor of iodide uptake by the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), a key step in thyroid hormone synthesis, using in vitro assays. We also observed a suppression of serum T4 and T3 in juvenile rats exposed orally to oxyfluorfen for 4-8 days. The purpose of the present study was to further evaluate effects of an extended 31-day oral exposure using a male pubertal rat study (15 to 500 mg/kg).

Evaluation of the diphenyl herbicide, oxyfluorfen, for effects on thyroid hormones in the juvenile rat.

Recently, oxyfluorfen, a pre- and post-emergent diphenyl ether herbicide, was identified in our laboratory as an inhibitor of iodide uptake by the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), the first key step in the synthesis of thyroid hormones (THs). This inhibition was observed , using both a human NIS engineered cell line (hNIS-HEK293T-EPA) and a rat thyroid follicular cell line (FRTL-5). Oxyfluorfen was found to be a potent inhibitor of NIS activity with an EC50 of approximately 2 µM in both cell lines with no observed cytotoxicity at any concentration tested up to 100 μM.

Longitudinal carriage of antimicrobial resistant Enterobacterales in healthy individuals in Ireland - Assessing the impact of recreational water use on duration of carriage.

The increasing prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) is a major public health concern worldwide. Despite the associated risk of infection from gut colonisation with a resistant Enterobacterales, the incidence and duration of carriage in healthy individuals is poorly studied. This "persistence study" is the first in Ireland to assess the longitudinal carriage of ESBL-PE and CPE in healthy individuals.

Assessing the impact of recreational water use on carriage of antimicrobial resistant organisms.

Understanding the role of exposure to natural recreational waters in the acquisition and transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an area of increasing interest. A point prevalence study was carried out in the island of Ireland to determine the prevalence of colonisation with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in recreational water users (WU) and matched controls. A total of 411 adult participants (199 WU, 212 controls) submitted at least one faecal sample between September 2020 - October 2021.

A randomized, controlled trial comparing the efficacy and safety of aqueous subcutaneous progesterone with vaginal progesterone for luteal phase support of in vitro fertilization.

Study Question: Is the ongoing pregnancy rate with a new aqueous formulation of subcutaneous progesterone (Prolutex(®)) non-inferior to vaginal progesterone (Endometrin(®)) when used for luteal phase support of in vitro fertilization?

Summary Answer: In the per-protocol (PP) population, the ongoing pregnancy rates per oocyte retrieval at 12 weeks of gestation were comparable between Prolutex and Endometrin (41.6 versus 44.4%), with a difference between groups of -2.

Role of subtyping in detecting Salmonella cross contamination in the laboratory.

Background: With the exception of M. tuberculosis, little has been published on the problems of cross-contamination in bacteriology laboratories. We performed a retrospective analysis of subtyping data from the National Salmonella Reference Laboratory (Ireland) from 2000-2007 to identify likely incidents of laboratory cross contamination.

Recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (rhCG) in assisted reproductive technology: results of a clinical trial comparing two doses of rhCG (Ovidrel) to urinary hCG (Profasi) for induction of final follicular maturation in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of 250 microg and 500 microg of recombinant hCG with 10,000 U USP of urinary hCG in assisted reproduction technology.

Design: Open, comparative, randomized, prospective clinical study.

Setting: Twenty tertiary care U.

Optimal pregnancy outcome in a minimal-stimulation in vitro fertilization program.

Objective: We sought to provide a cost-beneficial approach to in vitro fertilization for infertile patients who could not afford the standard treatment with in vitro fertilization and to determine the optimal level of minimal ovarian stimulation to achieve acceptable pregnancy rates.

Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 216 patients who underwent "minimal stimulation" in vitro fertilization between January 1994 and December 1998. During the first half of this study, various minimal ovarian stimulation protocols were performed in our private, free-standing center for in vitro fertilization.

Valvular heart disease: a review for nurse anesthetists.

Those who do not regularly participate in cardiac surgery are often anxious when faced with the patient with valvular dysfunction. The need for periodic review by anesthetists is critical for quality patient care. A review of the physiology and anesthetic management of aortic stenosis, mitral stenosis, aortic insufficiency, mitral regurgitation, and mitral valve prolapse is presented.

Hemodynamic comparison of direct vision versus blind oral endotracheal intubation.

Study Objective: To determine the hemodynamic response to airway manipulation and endotracheal intubation by comparing the direct oral method of the Macintosh laryngoscope to the blind oral method of the Augustine guide.

Design: Prospective, comparative, randomized study.

Setting: University medical center.

Acute postobstructive pulmonary edema.

Pulmonary edema developing after the relief of upper airway obstruction has been reported in association with a variety of factors including laryngospasm, foreign bodies, and tumors. However, as the phrase "negative pressure pulmonary edema" suggests, markedly negative intrapleural pressure is the dominant mechanism for the genesis of pulmonary edema associated with upper airway obstruction. A review for anesthesia providers of this poorly recognized and often perplexing syndrome may help to reduce the occurrence of this potential complication and facilitate its treatment.

Postoperative effects of fentanyl, ketorolac, and piroxicam as analgesics for outpatient laparoscopic procedures.

Objective: To compare postoperative analgesia and side effects of intramuscular ketorolac, intravenous fentanyl, and oral piroxicam on healthy women undergoing laparoscopic surgery.

Methods: The study was a randomized double-blind clinical trial of three analgesic drugs. An initial 100-micrograms dose of fentanyl was given at induction, with 25-micrograms boluses after 45 and 90 minutes of operating time.

A descriptive study of blood in the mouth following routine oral endotracheal intubation.

Oral endotracheal intubation and extubation are two routine procedures performed by anesthesia providers which could lead to breaches of mucosal integrity and slight or moderate bleeding, thereby providing a vector for transmission of a blood-borne disease. This study was designed to determine the incidence of occult or overt blood in the oral and pharyngeal areas during the intubation and extubation periods. A convenience sample of 163 patients from 18 to 70 years of age who underwent an oral endotracheal intubation for general anesthesia were included.

Ovarian-pituitary hormone interactions during the perimenopause.

To describe the hormone changes that occur at the onset of the perimenopause, daily urine and random blood samples were collected from 5 peri-menopausal women for 3 or 4 consecutive cycles. Estrone conjugate and pregnanediol-3-glucoronide concentrations were determined for urine samples. Circulating luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, progesterone, estradiol and estrone concentrations were determined in serum samples.

Cryopreserved zygotes and embryos and endocrinologic factors in the replacement cycle.

Several parameters relating to features of replacement cycles in 88 patients were found to influence implantation of cryopreserved zygotes and early cleaved embryos. Cryopreserved embryos were replaced in 47 patients with a natural cycle, resulting in 12 (25%) clinical pregnancies. Patients who had anovulation or irregular cycles received either 50 mg clomiphene citrate on days 5 to 9 or 100 mg on days 2 to 6; the incidence of clinical pregnancy was 7 of 23 (30%) and 2 of 18 (11%), respectively.

Cryopreservation of zygotes and early cleaved human embryos.

Zygotes and 2- to 5-cell human embryos were frozen in 1,2-propanediol and sucrose; results of the first 50 cycles (45 patients) are presented. A total of 41 zygotes (17 attempts at thawing) were thawed, resulting in six singleton clinical pregnancies (15% per embryo; 35% per cycle), of which three delivered, one aborted, and two are ongoing. Fifty-seven cleaved embryos were thawed in 33 other cycles, resulting in four singleton and one twin pregnancy (11% per embryo; 15% per cycle), of which four delivered and one is ongoing.

Bromocriptine therapy in normoprolactinemic women with unexplained infertility and galactorrhea.

Forty-three women with unexplained infertility and 16 women who ovulated with clomiphene citrate therapy, yet failed to conceive, were evaluated because of the presence of expressible galactorrhea and normal random prolactin levels. The overall mean duration of infertility for these women was 5.68 +/- 0.