The Acridine Orange test: a clinically relevant screening method for sperm quality during infertility investigation?

To determine the clinical usefulness of Acridine Orange (AO) staining of spermatozoa as a screening test for the evaluation of semen quality during basic infertility investigation, semen smears from 103 randomly chosen males of subfertile couples were examined. The median duration of infertility was 4.5 years (range 1-15) and the median age was 33 years (range 21-43). The outcome of AO staining ranged from 5 to 81%, with a median of 24%, green fluorescent spermatozoa. Results were not significantly related to the parameters of semen analysis (sperm count, motility, standard morphology, viability, pH and volume, as well as fructose concentration and number of found cells) or to local sperm antibody testing and semen cultures. Fluorescence after AO staining was also not related to sperm functional capacity (evaluated using sperm-mucus interaction tests in vitro and in vivo), or the medical history of the patient. No significant differences in the AO test outcome were seen in patients with explained and unexplained infertility, or with regard to subsequent fertility [with a median value of 21% (range 5-46) green fluorescence in the fertile group, compared with a median value of 28% (range 9-81) green fluorescence in the other men]. The results of this prospective study indicate that under the usual conditions of conception, the AO test is not clinically useful as a screening procedure to determine semen quality during basic infertility investigation.     

On self-routing in Clos connection networks

A self-routing connection network is a switching device where the routing of each switch can be determined in terms of the destination addresses of its inputs alone, i.e. independent of the routing information regarding the other switches in the network. One family of connection networks that were considered in the literature for self-routing are Clos networks. Earlier studies indicate that some Clos networks can be self-routed for certain permutations. In this paper, it is proved that the only category of Clos networks that can be self-routed for all permutations are those with at most two switches in their outer stages     

Development of improved methods for type testing present day mediumvoltage circuit breakers for outdoor service

Type testing for fault currents for medium-voltage circuit breakers rated at 15 kV to 72.5 kV is addressed. The ANSI designation of a new class of definite-purpose circuit breakers capable of switching transformer secondary faults and the introduction of the requirement for short-line-fault tests for breakers rated 72.5 kV and below have increased the difficulty of performing type tests in a testing laboratory. It is concluded that synthetic testing using the parallel current injection circuit is described in ANSI C37.081 provides the best available method for proving these complex requirements for medium-voltage circuit breakers     

Use of TNSAC in phosphate adsorption studies and relationships. Isotherm relationships and utility in the field

There is a need for developing low cost, easily and abundantly available, yet efficient, adsorbents for the removal of phosphates during the tertiary treatment of wastewaters. The tamarind nut shell activated carbon (TNSAC) prepared on a laboratory scale has been used to evaluate its performance for phosphate adsorption. This paper describes the laboratory production of this adsorbent material in its various forms, and discusses the effects of the TNSAC process variables (the unrinsed and rinsed forms of the TNSAC and the impregnation ratio) on its performance in adsorbing phosphate. The material has been shown to be a good alternative adsorbent. As much as 95% phosphate removal by the unrinsed TNSAC is possible in about 30 min under the test conditions. The phosphate adsorbing capacity is about two times higher for the unrinsed TNSAC in comparison to the rinsed TNSAC. The adsorption rates, however, transit to extremely low rates towards the end when equilibrium conditions could be attained in about 2 h contact time. The phosphate removal mechanics are adsorption and precipitation/ion exchange when unrinsed TNSAC is used, and adsorption alone for the rinsed TNSAC. The maximum phosphate removal is found to take place at an impregnation ratio of 1.0 for both forms of the TNSAC.     

Expression of a mannose/fucose membrane lectin on human dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (CD) are the most efficient antigen presenting cells for T lymphocytes. CD1a+ CD14- CD with high antigen-presenting capacities can now be obtained easily from adherent peripheral blood monocytes by culture in the presence of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4 (Sallusto et al., J. Exp. Med. 1994. 179: 1109). Human macrophages express a membrane lectin, or sugar-specific receptor, which specifically mediates the binding and endocytosis of mannose- and fucose-terminated glycoproteins and is involved in the phagocytosis of pathogens. A similar lectin activity was sought on cultured human DC using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy to detect binding and internalization of fluoresceinated neoglycoproteins [bovine serum albumin (BSA) substituted with sugar residues]. Several neoglycoproteins, especially alpha-L-fucosyl-, alpha-D-mannosyl-, N,N'-di-acetyl-beta-chitobiosyl- and beta-D-glucosyl-BSA, were endocytosed by cultured human CD1a+ DC as well as by CD1a- CD14- cells which were also obtained in the culture. Fuc-BSA and Man-BSA had the same number of binding sites (1.7 x 10(6)/cell) on CD1a+ DC, and bound with an affinity constant close to 10(7) 1/mol. Inhibition experiments indicated that these two neoglycoproteins bound to the same membrane lectin. CD1a+ and CD1a- cells were both labeled by an antiserum specific for the human macrophage mannose receptor. The membrane lectin specific for mannose and fucose that is evidenced in these experiments on cultured DC may be similar to the macrophage membrane lectin or may share functional and structural properties with it.     

Synthesis and properties of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-(1-phenethyloxy)piperidine,an initiator for living free radical styrene polymerization

Summary An initiator for living free radical polymerization may be prepared by trapping the benzylic ethylbenzene radical with the stable 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy (TEMPO) radical. The adduct, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-(1-phenethyloxy)piperidine (TMPEP), smoothly undergoes thermal fragmentation at temperatures approaching 140° C to afford an active carbon radical capable of initiating polymerization and a passive mediating nitroxyl radical to reversibly cap and preserve the propagating polymer chain.     

Depression as a dynamical disease

Mathematical models are helpful in the understanding of diseases through the use of dynamical indicators. A previous study has shown that brain activity can be characterized by a decrease of dynamical complexity in depressive subjects. The present paper confirms and extends these conclusions through the use of recent methodological advances: first episode and recurrent patients strongly differ in their dynamical response to therapeutic interventions. These results emphasize the need for clinical follow-ups to avoid recurrence and the necessity of specific therapeutic intervention in the case of recurrent patients.     

A survey of encryption standards

The author reviews encryption algorithms and standards, how they compare, how they differ, and where they are headed. Attention is given to secret-key cryptosystems, public-key cryptosystems, digital signature schemes, key-agreement algorithms, cryptographic hash functions, and authentication codes. Applications considered are secure electronic mail, secure communications, directory authentication and network management, banking, and escrowed encryption