The significance of low first trimester serum progesterone in ongoing early pregnancies presenting as pregnancies of unknown location.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to ascertain whether there is association between low initial serum progesterone, sonographic parameters and clinical outcomes in women presenting with pregnancies of unknown location (PUL), which are found to be ongoing at their follow up scans in the first trimester. STUDY DESIGN: This was a non-interventional retrospective cohort study of 1056 patients spanning a 14-year period, conducted in the Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU) of an inner-city teaching hospital. Patients who had an ongoing singleton first trimester pregnancy after presenting with PUL were identified and categorised as having low progesterone if it was 32 nmol/l or lower. The crown-rump length (CRL), mean gestational sac diameter (MGSD) and gestational sac volume (GSV) were measured when the embryo was first seen, and the pregnancy outcome recorded. RESULTS: Pregnancies with low progesterone tended to have smaller gestational sacs (GS) on follow up scan (p = 0.001) and the sac was smaller than expected for a given CRL (p = 0.000). There was no ultrasound parameter that was characteristic of low progesterone. The observation of a smaller than expected MGSD for a given CRL remained even when only pregnancies with normal outcomes were analysed. Clinical outcome data were available for 854 (80.9 %) women. Overall, 81.4 % (n = 34/43) of pregnancies with low progesterone resulted in livebirth, compared to 91.7 % (n = 744/811) livebirths in pregnancies with higher levels (p = 0.0454). CONCLUSION: Pregnancies with low progesterone tend to have a smaller GS compared to those with a higher progesterone, and the GSs are smaller than expected for a given CRL. The current study shows that women with low progesterone at the start of pregnancy remain at higher risk of miscarriage, even when the pregnancy is initially found to be viable in the first trimester. These pregnancies also tend to be associated with the sonographic finding of a smaller GS than expected for a given gestational age, regardless of eventual outcome.

Experiential deprivation and later behavior.

Our experiments on the effects of experimental deprivation upon later behavior of dogs have dealt with four major areas. The programming of life histories has involved the scheduling of breaks in isolation and the introduction of specific stimuli to isolation cages. Biweekly breaks, of less than 10 minutes each, largely counteract the effects of isolation. An opportunity for the animal to look out of the isolation cage has some counteracting effect, but the presence of playthings or rearing with a companion does not.

Audiogenic seizure prone (asp): a gene affecting behavior in linkage group 8 of the mouse.

The incidence of initial audiogenic seizures in mice from crosses between a susceptible and a resistant inbred strain is attributable to the effects of a single pair of alleles. The locus responsible for this behavioral variation is located in Linkage Group VIII of the mouse. Sensitization-dependent convulsions are influenced in whole or in part by alleles at an independent locus.

Mice unilaterally sensitized for audiogenic seizures.

Strain SJL/J mice exposed to loud bell-ringing (primed) with one ear blocked do not convulse, but are susceptible to audiogenic seizures 48 hours later when stimulated only through the ear open at priming. Mice stimulated through the ear blocked at priming do not convulse, but are convulsible when retested on the opposite ear. The site of sensitization appears to be either in the ear or in those portions of the auditory system receiving input only from one side.

Salsolinol differentially affects mice selected for sensitivity to alcohol.

Salsolinol, a compound putatively formed following alcohol ingestion, differentially decreased the activity of lines of mice after 18 generations of genetic selection for alcohol sensitivity. Low doses of salsolinol produced significantly lower activity levels in the alcohol-sensitive long-sleep (LS) line than in the alcohol-insensitive short-sleep (SS) line. A hypnotic dose of salsolinol induced significantly longer sleeptimes in the LS line than in the SS line. Results are interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that salsolinol-like substances may mediate some of the effects of alcohol on the central nervous system.

The use of an intermediate resin in the acid-etch procedure: retentive strength, microleakage, and failure mode analysis.

Three composite resin systems, one conventional (Concise) and two microfilled (IsoPast and Silar), used with and without an intermediate resin (Concise Enamel Bond), were evaluated with and without thermal stress for in vitro retentive strength and sealing ability to acid-etched human enamel. All three materials yielded significantly different shear strength values. The use of an intermediate resin significantly improved both the shear strength and resistance to microleakage of Silar, while no differences were observed for Concise and IsoPast. The thermocycling procedure did not generally or consistently affect the results. The failure mode of the three acid-etched composite resins was studied by evaluation of the failure surface and by describing the percentage of enamel, composite, and interface which were present. The use of an intermediate resin did not significantly influence the failure mode, and the correlation between the failure mode and retentive strength, although significant was low. The study confirmed the importance of adequate wetting action of a resin on the etched enamel to ensure proper bonding.

Behavioral effects of salsolinol and ethanol on mice selected for sensitivity to alcohol-induced sleep time.

Two lines of mice, selected for differential sensitivity to alcohol, were tested following intracisternal administration of salsolinol, a compound putatively formed following ethanol ingestion. Both lines showed dose-dependent decreases in activity following salsolinol. When injected with ethanol, alcohol-insensitive short-sleep (SS) mice increased in activity while alcohol-sensitive long-sleep (LS) mice showed no change. Measures of coordination, taken following ethanol, demonstrated that LS mice were more incapacitated than SS mice. Salsolinol effects are discussed with reference to possible adrenergic blocking actions. Genetic differences in sensitivity to the incoordinating effects of alcohol were found.

Effect of aminooxyacetic acid on audiogenic seizure priming in C57BL/6J and SJL/J mice.

An attempt was made to determine the effects of genetic and temporal factors on the inhibitory action of aminooxyacetic acid on priming for audiogenic seizures. SJL/J and C57BL/6J mice were administered 20 mug/g of AOAA subcutaneously, employing either a 2 hr or 5 hr injection-prime interval, and either a 2 day or a 9 day prime-test interval. It was found that an inhibitory effect on priming occurred only in C57BL/6J mice; this effect was significant only for the 9 day groups, and was observed when wild running was used as the criterion for seizures, but not when clonic convulsion was the criterion. Effects of AOAA are discussed in relation to theories of seizure development through disuse supersensitivity, or by chemical actions on the GABA system.

Citric acid consumption and the human dentition.

The habitual and abusive use of fruits and foods containing citric acid can cause serious dissolution effects on human tooth enamel. Because these effects can occur so easily, this paper suggests that foods and fruits containing citric acid, as well as other acids, could be definite contributors to the many other forms of idiopathic erosion so often observed by the dentist. There is a need for continued research and study in this area.

An admissions interview to measure "good" dentist attributes.

This study reports on the validity of a structured, standardized interview designed for selecting applicants for dental schools. The interview provides a score on nongrade attributes in 14 dimensions and was based on characteristics of successful dentists. A class of 86 fourth-year dental students at the University of Iowa was interviewed. Sufficient validity was found to justify the use of the interview for admissions purposes for the 1978 class.

Practical considerations of a flexible course in a nonflexible curriculum.

In the context in which this course was conducted, i.e., flexibility within an otherwise rigid curriculum, and no deadlines, several conclusions can be drawn: 1. Students used considerably more time than when the course was traditionally structured. 2. Quality of performance in the preclinical laboratory was significantly better. 3. Students took longer to complete the laboratory requirements than didactic requirements. 4. Some reasonable deadlines are necessary. 5. Student and instructor attitudes favored flexibility.

Do dental students cheat?

In a questionnaire survey, dental students from all four classes at The University of Iowa College of Dentistry were asked if they had cheated during their first and second years. They were then asked if they believed that others cheated. Cheating was admitted to by 43 percent of the respondents, but 94 percent believed it was occurring. Plagiarism was delineated as a form of cheating; while fewer students admitted to its use, the reported occurrence should be of concern in technique courses. Responses were analyzed both by year in school and grade point average. Reasons for cheating were described; and some conditions conducive to cheating were found to be under the control of the instructor.

The admission interview: the validity question.

This study reports on the validity of a structured, standardized admission interview for dentistry. An entire class of 86 fourth-year dental students at The University of Iowa was studied, and the relationships between information from the interview, faculty ratings, and numerous dental and predental academic data were compared. Many correlations were found to be significant, which permitted technical description of three aspects of validity: concurrent, content, and construct. Reliability of both the instrument and the interview method were shown to affect validity.