Endometrial thickness cannot predict ongoing pregnancy achievement in cycles stimulated with clomiphene citrate for intrauterine insemination

To date, limited data exist concerning the relation between endometrial thickness on the day of human chorionic gonadotrohin (HCG) administration and ongoing pregnancy achievement in cycles stimulated with clomiphene citrate for intrauterine insemination (IUI). In a prospective study, 168 couples were stimulated with clomiphene citrate from day 3 to day 7 of the cycle and endometrial thickness was assessed by ultrasound three times on the day of ovulation triggering. Ovulation was induced with HCG as soon as >/=1 follicle of >/=17 mm was present at ultrasound independently of endometrial thickness. IUI was performed 36 h after HCG administration. The main outcome measure was ongoing pregnancy. No difference was observed in endometrial thickness between patients who did or did not achieve an ongoing pregnancy (7.6 +/- 0.3 versus 7.6 +/- 0.2 respectively; P = 0.7). No discriminative ability of endometrial thickness on the achievement of ongoing pregnancy could be shown by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis (area under the ROC curve 0.51, 95% CI: 0.44-0.59). In conclusion, endometrial thickness cannot predict ongoing pregnancy achievement in IUI cycles stimulated with clomiphene citrate.     

Glial fibrillary acidic protein is reduced in cerebellum of subjects with major depression, but not schizophrenia

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a major protein of astrocyte intermediate filaments and a specific marker for astrocytes. Alterations in levels of GFAP may reflect pathological regulation of neuronal function and survival as well as abnormal synaptogenesis and neurotransmission. We employed quantitative gel electrophoresis and Western blotting to measure levels of GFAP in cerebella of 60 subjects divided equally among schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and normal controls. GFAP levels were reduced by 32%, 17% and 14.5% in depressed, bipolar, and schizophrenic cerebella, respectively, versus controls. Only the depressed value was significantly different (p=0.015 Post-hoc Bonferroni test). Measurement of beta-actin levels showed no differences between the various groups. No significant effects of confounding variables were found. This is the first demonstration of GFAP reductions in cerebellum of subjects with mood disorders and schizophrenia, thereby adding to the reports of reductions in GFAP/glial cell counts in other brain regions of subjects with major depression, thus suggesting a downregulation of glial function in this disorder.     

国产麻黄的形态组织学研究——Ⅰ.北方主产的七种麻黄

据文献记载和作者的调查,我国产麻黄属(Ephedra)植物共有13种3变种1变型。本文报道我国北方生产的7种麻黄生药形态组织学比较研究结果。7种麻黄是:草麻黄Ephedra sinica Stapf、木贼麻黄E.equisetina Bunge、中麻黄E.intermedia Schrenk ex Mey.、膜果麻黄E.przewalskii Stapf,单子麻黄E.monosperma Gmel.ex Mey.、雌雄麻黄E.fedtschenkoae Pauls和细子麻黄E.reaeliana Florin。文中附有生药性状与组织构造特征比较表及生药组织图     

The role of secretory granules in the transport of basement membrane components: radioautographic studies of rat parietal yolk sac employing 3H-proline as a precursor of type IV collagen

Biosynthesis of type IV collagen in the parietal endodermal cells of 12 day gestant Sherman rats was examined following intraconceptal injection of 3H-proline. The concepti were removed at times varying from 2 minutes to 24 hours after the injection. The parietal wall of the yolk sac, including endodermal cells and the associated basement membrane known as Reichert's membrane were processed for electron microscopic radioautography. Silver grains were counted over the organelles of endodermal cells as well as over Reichert's membrane. Radioactivity was high in endodermal cells during the first 2 hr after 3H-proline injection and later dropped to some extent, while radioactivity rose in Reichert's membrane. Examination of endodermal cell organelles showed some early labeling over rER and Golgi apparatus without a clear-cut trend, except for a drop in Golgi label at late times after 3H-proline injection. The density of silver grains over secretory granules rose significantly by 40 min, reached a high peak by 4 hr and then declined at the time when radioactivity increased over Reichert's membrane. Furthermore, the radioactively-labeled secretory granules were localized mainly at the trans Golgi face soon after injection and near the cell surface adjacent to Reichert's membrane at later times. Biochemical reports indicate that a substantial amount of the proline taken up by the 12-14.5 day rat embryo endodermal cells is incorporated into type IV collagen. Since there is high labeling of the secretory granules from 40 min to 4 hr and the labeled granules are associated with the Golgi apparatus at early times, it is proposed that collagen precursors are processed through rER and Golgi apparatus, packaged into secretory granules and then transported to the cell surface where type IV collagen or its precursors are released and subsequently deposited into Reichert's membrane.     

Effect of medial arch-heel support in inserts on reducing ankle eversion: a biomechanics study

Background  

Excessive pronation (or eversion) at ankle joint in heel-toe running correlated with lower extremity overuse injuries. Orthotics and inserts are often prescribed to limit the pronation range to tackle the problem. Previous studies revealed that the effect is product-specific. This study investigated the effect of medial arch-heel support in inserts on reducing ankle eversion in standing, walking and running.