New insights on plasters, pigments and binder in mural paintings of the Setka tomb (QH 110), Elephantine, Aswan, Upper Egypt

Mural paintings within the tomb of Setka, Qubbet el-Hawa, in Aswan, Upper Egypt, were investigated using a multi-disciplinary analytical approach (Stereomicroscopy, SEM-EXD and FT-IR spectroscopy). The walls of the tomb were hewn from fragile sandstone and covered by a clay plaster, overlaid by two layers of white gypsum plaster. SEM micrographs were indicative of the penetration of fungal mycelium within the pores of the gypsum plaster, forming white encrustations due to the re-precipitation of gypsum. SEM micrographs revealed that the calcification of the gypsum plaster had occurred due to its exposure to a high temperature. The EDX pattern for the white plaster gave the characteristic spectrum of gypsum, the blue pigment was Egyptian blue, the black pigment was magnetite, the white pigment was of gypsum (or anhydrite) and the yellow pigment was limonite. Finally, the FT-IR spectrum of the binder gave the characteristic features of gum Arabic.

A Schistosoma mansoni 62-kDa band is identified as an irradiated vaccine T-cell antigen and characterized as calreticulin

The Schistosoma mansoni soluble adult worm antigen (SAWA) bands of 62/60 kDa were found to contain immunodominant T-cell immunogen(s) in irradiated cercariae-immunized Swiss and C57BL/6 mice. In the present study, spleen T cells of BALB/c mice immunized twice with ultraviolet light-irradiated cercariae proliferated and produced interleukin 4 in response to the 62/60-kDa SAWA bands in T-cell western assays. To characterize the 62/60-kDa bands, an adult S. mansoni worm cDNA expression library constructed in lambdagt11 was immunoscreened with serum of mice immunized with the 62/60-kDa antigens, and the immunoreactive cDNA inserts were sequenced. Purified 62- and 60-kDa proteins were used for amino acid microsequencing and for immunization studies in Swiss, C57BL/6, and BALB/c mice and rabbits. Taken together, the data indicated that the 60-kDa molecules are poorly immunogenic in mice and rabbits, whereas the 62-kDa species identified as S. mansoni calreticulin, is a good T- and B-cell antigen and represents a potential vaccine candidate.

Fertilization and pregnancy rates after intracytoplasmic sperm injection using ejaculate semen and surgically retrieved sperm

OBJECTIVE

To compare the fertilization rates and pregnancy rates (PRs) in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using sperm from ejaculates of normal and abnormal semen, epididymal sperm, and testicular sperm of obstructive and nonobstructive azoospermic patients.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

The Egyptian IVF-ET Center.

PATIENT(S)

Three hundred fifty patients underwent 366 ICSI cycles.

INTERVENTION(S)

ICSI, epididymal sperm aspiration, and testicular biopsy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Fertilization rates and PRs.

RESULT(S)

Patients were divided into five groups according to the quality and source of sperm. Patients in group 1 underwent 102 cycles of ICSI using ejaculated abnormal semen, group 2 underwent 44 cycles using epididymal sperm, group 3 underwent 82 cycles using testicular sperm from obstructive azoospermia, group 4 underwent 80 cycles using testicular sperm from nonobstructive azoospermia, and group 5 underwent 58 cycles using normal semen. There was no significant difference in the fertilization rates and PRs among groups 1, 2, and 3. In group 4, the fertilization rate and PR were significantly lower than in all other groups. In group 5, the fertilization rate was significantly higher than in all other groups.

CONCLUSION(S)

The fertilizing ability of sperm in ICSI is highest with normal semen and lowest with sperm extracted from a testicular biopsy in nonobstructive azoospermia. There was no significant difference in fertilization rates and PRs between ejaculated sperm of different parameters and surgically retrieved sperm in obstructive azoospermia.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection using surgically retrieved epididymal and testicular spermatozoa in cases of obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia

This was a retrospective study of 115 patients who underwent 124 cycles of ICSI using surgically retrieved spermatozoa. The objective was to compare the results of ICSI in patients with obstructive azoospermia using epididymal spermatozoa (36 cycles) or testicular spermatozoa (58 cycles) with ICSI in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia using testicular spermatozoa (30 cycles). When epididymal spermatozoa were used for ICSI, the fertilization rate per injected metaphase-II oocyte and the clinical pregnancy rate per ICSI cycle were 60.4 and 25%, respectively. When testicular spermatozoa were used in obstructive cases, the fertilization rate and pregnancy rate were 57.9 and 34.5%. In non-obstructive cases the fertilization and pregnancy rates were 41.2 and 16.6%. When patients with obstructive azoospermia were regrouped according to the cause of obstruction, the fertilization and pregnancy rates were 59.1 and 35.1% in acquired obstruction and 58.7 and 24.3% in congenital obstruction. The fertilization and pregnancy rates were not statistically different (p > 0.05) when testicular or epididymal spermatozoa were used in obstructive cases; neither was statistically different (p > 0.05) when compared in patients with congenital and acquired obstruction. On the other hand, the fertilization and pregnancy rates in cases with non-obstructive azoospermia were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in obstructive cases.

Successful intracytoplasmic sperm injection without performing cytoplasmic aspiration

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of cytoplasmic aspiration versus no aspiration before intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) on the rate of oocyte damage, fertilization rate, and embryo quality.

DESIGN

A randomized prospective study on sibling oocytes.

SETTING

The Egyptian IVF-ET Center, Cairo, Egypt.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-eight patients who were infertile due to male factor who underwent 60 ICSI cycles.

INTERVENTION

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed on randomly allocated metaphase II oocytes with cytoplasmic aspiration in group I and without cytoplasmic aspiration in group II before sperm injection.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Fertilization rate, oocyte damage rate, and embryo quality.

RESULTS

Normal fertilization rate per injected oocyte was 61.4% in group I compared with 62.5% in group II. The damage rate per injected oocyte was 16.8% in group I compared with 4.6% in group II. Grade I embryos were 24.5% in group I compared with 48.5% in group II.

CONCLUSION

Cytoplasmic aspiration before sperm injection in ICSI is not essential for oocyte activation. It did not improve the rate of normal fertilization. On the other hand, it increased the damaged oocyte rate and the rate of cytoplasmic fragments.