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Purpose: We evaluated whether preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) could increase the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) in patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Methods: The clinical records of 7,668 patients who underwent oocyte retrieval (OR) with or without PGT-A were reviewed for 365 days and retrospectively analyzed. Using propensity score matching, 579 patients in the PGT-A group were matched one-to-one with 7,089 patients in the non-PGT-A (control) group. Their pregnancy and perinatal outcomes and CLBRs were statistically compared. Results: The live birth rate per single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfers (SVBTs) significantly improved in the PGT-A group in all age groups (P < 0.0002, all). Obstetric and perinatal outcomes were comparable between both groups regarding both RIF and RPL cases. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that in the RIF cases, the risk ratio per OR was significantly lower in the PGT-A group than in the control group (P = 0.0480), particularly in women aged < 40 years (P = 0.0364). However, the ratio was comparable between the groups in RPL cases. The risk ratio per treatment period was improved in the PGT-A group in both RIF and RPL cases only in women aged 40–42 years (P = 0.0234 and P = 0.0084, respectively). Conclusion: Increased CLBR per treatment period was detected only in women aged 40–42 years in both RIF and RPL cases, suggesting that PGT-A is inappropriate to improve CLBR per treatment period in all RIF and RPL cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: N-[[1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indazol-3-yl]carbonyl]-l-valine methyl ester (5F-AMB) is a synthetic cannabinoid that has been distributed recently. Although inhalation of 5F-AMB produces adverse effects, such as impaired memory and disturbed consciousness, in humans, the psychopharmacological effects of 5F-AMB in rodents have not been investigated. Objectives: We first examined the effects of intraperitoneal and intracerebroventricular injections of 5F-AMB on anxiety-like behavior and locomotor activity in the open field (OF) test and recognition memory in the novel object recognition test (NOR) in C57BL/6J mice. We also examined whether a cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor antagonist AM251 blocks the effects of 5F-AMB. We next examined the effects of 5F-AMB infusion into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region associated with anxiety and memory, on these tests. Results: Intraperitoneal injection of 5F-AMB (0.3 mg/kg) dramatically decreased locomotor activity in the OF, and this effect was partially reversed by AM251 (3 mg/kg). Intracerebroventricular infusion of 5F-AMB (10 nmol) produced an anxiolytic effect in the OF and impaired acquisition, but not retrieval, of recognition memory in the NOR, and these effects were blocked by co-infusion of AM251 (1.8 nmol). Bilateral intra-mPFC infusion of 5F-AMB (10 pmol/side) similarly produced impaired recognition memory acquisition, but no anxiolytic effect. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that centrally administered 5F-AMB produces anxiolytic effect and impaired recognition memory acquisition via activation of CB1 receptors, while systemic 5F-AMB severely impaired locomotor activity. The mPFC is involved in 5F-AMB-induced impairment of recognition memory acquisition. However, other brain region(s) may contribute to the 5F-AMB-induced anxiolytic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: 5F-AMB is one of the synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) designed to potentiate the ability to activate cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors and is abused worldwide. Although inhalation of 5F-AMB elicits serious adverse effects including impaired memory and consciousness, it is not known whether and how 5F-AMB affects the activity of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region associated with higher functions such as memory and cognition.Objectives: In the present study, we examined the effects of 5F-AMB on mPFC layer V (L5) pyramidal neurons using in vitro whole-cell patch-clamp recordings.Results: Bath application of 5F-AMB attenuated the frequency but not the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs and sIPSCs). The attenuating effects of 5F-AMB were abolished by the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251. 5F-AMB also attenuated the frequency of miniature EPSCs and IPSCs recorded in the presence of tetrodotoxin. Moreover, the extent of attenuating effects of 5F-AMB on stimulus-evoked EPSCs was significantly larger than that on evoked IPSCs.Conclusions: These findings suggest that 5F-AMB attenuates both excitatory and inhibitory transmission in mPFC L5 pyramidal neurons via the activation of CB1 receptors located in presynaptic terminals. Further, the net impact of 5F-AMB on L5 pyramidal neurons is inhibition due to the change in balance between excitation and inhibition. This inhibitory effect might at least partly contribute to the expression of the adverse effects induced by 5F-AMB inhalation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chloroplast genome of black pine ( Pinus thumbergii), a gymnosperm, contains 32 different tRNA genes, 30 of which correspond to those previously identified in tobacco and rice chloroplast genomes. Two additional genes encode tRNA (GGG) and tRNA (CCG); the former is newly identified while the latter is present in liverwort, Physcomitrella patens and Angiopteris lygodiifolia, chloroplast genomes. Moreover, a partial copy of the split tRNA (UCC) gene and full copies of tRNA (GUG), tRNA (GGU) and tRNA (GCU) genes are present in the large single-copy region of the genome, suggesting extensive rearrangements of the chloroplast genome during evolutio. No tRNA genes whose tRNA products can recognize codons CUU/C (Leu) and GCU/C (Ala) have been found. We propose that the 32 tRNAs are sufficient to read all the 61 sense codons in the black pine system using the 'two-out-of-three' and the 'U:N wobble' mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]