PurposeTo estimate the contribution of cryopreservation to the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) after law modification in Italy in the era of vitrification and freeze-all.MethodsThe Italian National Registry performed a cycle-based data collection. Nine Italian IVF clinics were involved incorporating a total of 10,260 fresh cycles performed between January 2015 and April 2016 resulting in 9273 oocyte retrievals and 3266 subsequent warming cycles from the same oocyte retrievals performed up to December 2016. Mean female age was 37 ± 4.3 years. Primary outcome measure was CLBR per oocyte retrieval. Confounding factors were tested in multivariate regression analysis, and the relative impact of cryopreservation to the CLBR in different patient categories was calculated.ResultsCLBR per oocyte retrieval was 32.6%, 26.5%, 18.7%, 13.0%, and 5.5% for women younger than 36, aged 36–39, 40–41, and older than 41 years, respectively. The total relative contribution of oocyte/embryo cryopreservation was 40.6% (95% CI 38.41–42.75). An association between maternal age, number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, cryopreservation, and cumulative live birth was shown. When adjusted for confounders, a 2.3-fold increase was observed in the chance of live birth when cryopreservation was performed (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.99–2.56). In high responder patients (> 15 oocytes retrieved) where freeze-all was applied in 67.6% of cycles to avoid the risk of hyper stimulation syndrome, the relative contribution of vitrification to the CLBR was 80.6%.ConclusionsCryopreservation is essential in IVF and should always be available to patients to optimize success rates. Multicentric, cycle-based data analyses are crucial to provide infertile couples, clinicians, and regulatory bodies with accurate information on IVF effectiveness including fresh and cryopreserved cycles.

The relationships between atomic hardness, atomic electronegativity, and electronic energy are considered and emphasized. A new method for calculating atomic hardness is described. The concept of local hardness is quantified through the calculation of a new variable named alfahardness. Atomic hardness and alfahardness are used for the calculation of both the mean molecular and local properties. The results obtained are discussed and a comparison made with the analogous quantities presented by Pearson. An algorithm has been realized and transformed into a computer routine for use within a CAOS program.

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Rat serum contains, according to Ginsburg and Heller (Ginsburg and Heller, 1951;Heller, 1952; Ginsburg and Heller, 1953), two antidiuretic factors. The first, called " unstable antidiuretic substance " (" unstable ADS "), disappears on standing and is most abundant in heart or jugular serum that is, in serum obtained from blood returning from the head: its posterior pituitary origin seems probable. The second factor, provisionally called " stable antidiuretic substance" (" stable ADS "), is not inactivated on standing, is found in arterial serum, seems to originate during coagulation-the same amount of plasma tested by the same method did not modify urine flow significantly-and to manifest its antidiuretic action only when injected subcutaneously (Ginsburg and Heller, 1953): its origin and nature are uncertain.On the basis of unpublished observations, Ginsburg and Heller (1950) reported that they were unable to identify the " stable ADS " with 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin, enteramine).This seemed surprising, since all the characteristics of the " stable ADS" noted above are shared by 5-hydroxytryptamine. Moreover, rat serum, in which " stable ADS" was first found, contains quantities of 5-hydroxytryptamine which are sufficient to influence the diuresis of hydrated rats. In fact the average 5-hydroxytryptamine content of rat serum is 0.97 Lg./ml. (Erspamer and Faustini, 1953) and the minimum antidiuretic dose of this substance, by the subcutaneous route, is 0.4 ,g. per 100 g. of body weight (Erspamer and Ottolenghi, 1953).When given intraperitoneally 5-hydroxytryptamine is 5 to 10 times less effective than when injected subcutaneously (Erspamer and Ottolenghi, 1953). Ames and Van Dyke (1952) found that 4 or 6 &g.serotonin given intravenously had no antidiuretic effect in rats.The experiments now to be described were designed to determine whether 5-hydroxytryptamine is identical with Ginsburg and Heller's " stable ADS." METHODS Blood was obtained by decapitation, except in dogs and in man, when it was taken from the femoral artery or from the antecubital vein. After collection it was kept for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature and then for a further 15 to 20 hours in a refrigerator. The serum was separated by centrifugation.Serum samples were obtained from 20 human beings, 15 rats, 10 rabbits, 3 dogs, 3 cats, 2 goats, and 10 hens.In some experiments native serum was compared with acetone extracts of serum, but in most experiments acetone extracts only were studied. To prepare these extracts, serum was treated with 4 volumes of acetone, was left standing overnight in the refrigerator and then filtered. The solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure just before use, and was then brought to the desired volume with distilled water. The acetone extracts keep indefinitely and thus offer homogeneous material for several successive experiments.Estimations of antidiuretic activity were made on unselected adult albino rats of both sexes, weighing from 150 to 270 g. In all, 180 groups of four animals each were used. Two...

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