Rethinking the sacred truths of global citizenship education: A theoretical exploration.

This article aims to unpack global citizenship education (GCE) as a concept, arguing that a certain moving forward is needed in the scholarship to allow true engagement of educators and thus students with the topic. It suggests that the contemporary research directions are entangled with strong trends of political correctness and a contrariness agenda, de facto nullifying school-based praxis. It also notes several assumptions in the GCE literature that may benefit from re-examination to critically engage with criticisms of GCE.

Metformin use in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment: results of a worldwide web-based survey.

Purpose: To identify trends regarding therapeutic approaches to metformin administration in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment worldwide.

Methods: A retrospective evaluation utilizing the results of a web-based survey, IVFWorldwide ( www.IVF-worldwide.

The controlled fabrication of nanopores by focused electron-beam-induced etching.

The fabrication of nanometric holes within thin silicon-based membranes is of great importance for various nanotechnology applications. The preparation of such holes with accurate control over their size and shape is, thus, gaining a lot of interest. In this work we demonstrate the use of a focused electron-beam-induced etching (FEBIE) process as a promising tool for the fabrication of such nanopores in silicon nitride membranes and study the process parameters.

Specific electrochemical phage sensing for Bacillus cereus and Mycobacterium smegmatis.

The rapid and reliable detection of pathogenic microorganisms is an important issue for the safety and security of our society. Here we describe the use of a sensitive, inexpensive, amperometric, phage-based biosensor for the detection of extremely low concentrations of Bacillus cereus and Mycobacterium smegmatis as models for Bacillus anthracis (the causative agent of anthrax) and for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the causative agent of tuberculosis), respectively. The detection procedure developed here enabled the determination of bacteria at a low concentration of 10 viable cells/mL within 8 h.

Peptide nanotube-modified electrodes for enzyme-biosensor applications.

The fabrication and notably improved performance of composite electrodes based on modified self-assembled diphenylalanine peptide nanotubes is described. Peptide nanotubes were attached to gold electrodes, and we studied the resulting electrochemical behavior using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The peptide nanotube-based electrodes demonstrated a direct and unmediated response to hydrogen peroxide and NADH at a potential of +0.

Novel electrochemical biosensing platform using self-assembled peptide nanotubes.

Here we describe a novel electrochemical biosensing platform based on biocompatible, well-ordered, self-assembled diphenylalanine peptide nanotubes. Voltammetric and time-based amperometric techniques were applied to demonstrate the ability of the peptide nanotubes to improve the electrochemical parameters of graphite electrodes. The findings clearly show that this novel class of peptide nanotubes provides an attractive component for future electroanalytical devices.

Menopause-related oral alveolar bone resorption: a review of relatively unexplored consequences of estrogen deficiency.

Objective: The alveolar processes of the maxilla and mandible provide the bony framework for tooth support. Osteoporotic changes of these bones may directly affect tooth stability and retention. This report reviews studies that have evaluated the relationship between systemic osteoporosis and oral alveolar bone mass as well as the effect of estrogen use on oral alveolar bone and tooth retention.

Intracytoplasmic injection of spermatids retrieved from testicular tissue: influence of testicular pathology, type of selected spermatids and oocyte activation.

Spermatid microinjection into oocytes has proven to be a successful assisted reproduction procedure in the animal model and in the human species, since in the latter a few full-term pregnancies were actually obtained. Patients entering our spermatid injection study included those with a total absence of spermatozoa in the testicular tissue notwithstanding previous positive biopsies (n = 29): an obstructive problem (n = 3), secretory azoospermia (n = 26), and those with total arrest at the spermatogenesis level in previous explorative biopsies (n = 15). In the latter group, absence of spermatids was recorded in four cases.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, fertilization, and embryo transfer after retrieval of spermatozoa by testicular biopsy from an azoospermic male with testicular tubular atrophy.

Objective: To achieve fertilization and cleavage by spermatozoa retrieved by testicular biopsy from a male with testicular tubular atrophy.

Design: Clinical trial.

Setting: Private reproductive institute.

Gynecologic manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease in which the salivary and lacrimal glands are progressively destroyed by lymphocytes and plasma cells. Because women are affected 10 times more often than men, we studied gynecologic manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome.

Study Design: One thousand questionnaires were sent to women with Sjögren's syndrome in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

Incidence of autoimmune antibodies in failed embryo transfer cycles.

Problem: The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies lupus anticoagulant (LAC), anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) as well as antinuclear antibody (ANA) has been associated with early spontaneous pregnancy loss and adverse pregnancy outcome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible role of autoimmune antibodies (LAC, ACA, and ANA) as a cause of implantation failure following embryo transfer (ET) after in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Method: Three groups were studied: Group I, 56 patients who failed to conceive following ET; group II, 14 patients who have conceived following IVF-ET and delivered or are carrying an uncomplicated ongoing pregnancy; and group III, 69 patients who were new candidates for IVF-ET.

Culdoscopic gamete tubal transfer: a new approach to gamete intrafallopian tubal transfer.

Twelve infertile couples who failed to conceive by previous infertility treatments and who qualified for culdoscopy had oocyte retrieval and gamete transfer through an operative culdoscopy method. Six patients achieved clinical pregnancy. Five are ongoing pregnancies, and one patient miscarried.

Combined diagnostic laparoscopy and follicular aspiration for human in vitro fertilization.

Laparoscopic retrieval of oocytes from stimulated follicles for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) was performed at the time of diagnostic laparoscopy in 36 infertile women. Their mean rates of cleavage, embryo transfer and pregnancy did not differ from those obtained in 86 patients (101 cycles) who underwent ultrasonically guided transvaginal oocyte retrieval following diagnostic laparoscopy performed earlier as a separate procedure. In view of the advantages in terms of reduced patient morbidity, time and cost benefits, and the opportunity for oocyte-sperm compatibility testing in vitro, the combined procedure appears to be the best method in patients scheduled to undergo diagnostic laparoscopy.

Fibronectin in reproduction.

The fibronectin (FN) levels in human follicular fluids have been shown to correlate well with follicular size and oocyte maturity, suggesting a role of FN in oocyte maturation. When added to the culture medium, the synthetic peptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (GRGDS), which specifically inhibits the cell-binding of FN, has been shown to inhibit both spontaneous resumption of meiosis and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-induced meiosis of the oocytes. In another set of experiments, GRGDS has been found to inhibit the in vitro cleavage of mouse embryos by a still unknown mechanism.

Tamoxifen treatment in women with failure of clomiphene citrate therapy.

Fourteen pregnancies were achieved with tamoxifen therapy in 12 women who failed to conceive with clomiphene citrate. There were no side-effects and fewer treatment cycles were required than with clomiphene citrate treatment. Ovulation and cervical score with tamoxifen therapy were significantly higher (p less than 0.

Lupus-like syndrome in a mother and newborn following administration of hydralazine; a case report.

A very-low-birth-weight infant died from pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade confirmed by the post-mortem findings. The mother suffered from lupus-like syndrome consequent to hydralazine treatment for pregnancy-induced hypertension. The possible relationship between mother-infant pathology and hydralazine administration is discussed.

Effectiveness of silicone sheeting in preventing the formation of pelvic adhesions.

The uterine horns of 35 female rabbits were subjected to injury by cautery. Ten days later the adhesions were scored and lysed, and in 30 animals the lesion on one side was covered with a segment of silicone. The contralateral uterine horn served as an internal control.

Complications associated with genital colonization in pregnancies with and without cerclage.

Cultures from the cervical milieu were taken from 24 antibiotic-treated patients (group A) and from 25 patients with no antibiotic treatment (group B). Both groups had undergone cerclage and were compared to 30 randomly chosen pregnant patients without cerclage (group C). Positive cultures were obtained in 70.

Predictive value of roll-over test in women with mild preeclampsia.

Fifty women with mild preeclampsia underwent a roll-over test upon admission and again during treatment. The results of the second test showed significant correlation with the severity of the disease and the clinical course until delivery.

Prevention of premature labor by 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate.

Eighty pregnant women at high risk of giving birth prematurely were divided randomly into two groups. Treatment with either 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate, 250 mg by intramuscular injection once a week, or a placebo was given in a double-blind fashion. Imminent premature labor occurred in 29.