Female and male partner age and menotrophin requirements influence pregnancy rates with human menopausal gonadotrophin therapy in combination with intrauterine insemination

This study analyses the influence of female and male patient age and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) requirements on clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates with ovulation stimulation using HMG in combination with intrauterine insemination (IUI). In this study, 363 consecutive HMG/IUI treatment cycles in 184 patients carried out at a university fertility centre were analysed in a retrospective fashion. The main outcomes measured were clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates. Increased female partner age (> or = 35) and male partner age (> or = 40) were found to negatively influence pregnancy rates with HMG/ IUI therapy. In addition, this study demonstrated a critical threshold of HMG requirements beyond which pregnancy did not occur. No pregnancies occurred in treatment cycles requiring > 25 ampoules (1875 IU) of menotrophins to achieve follicular maturity, irrespective of patient age. In conclusion, female partner age, male partner age, and HMG requirements all significantly influence pregnancy rates with HMG/IUI therapy.      

Paramagnetic macrocyclic complexes as contrast agents for MR imaging: proton nuclear relaxation rate enhancement in aqueous solution and in rat tissues

Paramagnetic macrocyclic chelates show promise as magnetic resonance (MR) imaging contrast agents due to stability and relaxivity comparable to those of DTPA-type chelates. For the three copper and manganese macrocyclic complexes studied in aqueous solution, T1 and T2 relaxivities ranged from 0.14 to 5.88 mM-1sec-1 at 6.25 MHz. In rats, the intravenous administration of 16 mumol/kg of Mn(cyclam) caused the liver T1 relaxation rate to double at 15 minutes after injection. T1 measurements by pulsed MR imaging and manganese analyses on excised tissue showed that both relaxation rate (1/T1) and manganese content of liver and kidney increase linearly with the dosage of Mn(cyclam). The linear relationship between 1/T1 and manganese content can be considered an "in tissue" relaxivity plot for the agent. The resulting relaxivity is 54 mM-1sec-1 in liver, compared with 3.1 mM-1sec-1 in aqueous solution. Although this work is preliminary, the implication for medical MR imaging applications is that macrocyclic contrast agents can be effective at approximately one-tenth the current typical dose used for gadolinium DTPA.     

海南省大劣按蚊实验室自然交配的驯化研究

目的 建立实验室大劣按蚊自然交配繁殖种群,为同类研究提供依据。方法 将野外捕捉并在实验室人工交配繁殖至第61代的大劣按蚊,按不同雌雄比例先后顺序置于大、中、小三种不同型号的蚊笼中喂养、驯化、观察产卵情况并计算产卵数和孵化率。结果 在大、中、小蚊笼内的分别驯化至第15、10和18代时成蚊卵的孵化率各达到82％、83．4％和80．7％,成功建立小蚊笼自然交配的大劣按蚊种群。结论 经实验室驯化的大劣按蚊能够自然交配、产卵、繁殖,有助于建立实验室自然种群。     

Management challenges and markets

The scarcity of resources in healthcare systems has general causes and country-specific causes. Common to most healthcare systems is a strong emphasis on management and an increased attention to the role of the market. Management and market are concepts which need clarification: management applies not only to individual institutions but to systems of institutions. Market implies not only the pursuit of individual interests but also the assumption of responsibility. The design or redesign of healthcare systems must take into account the level of management skills which each system and its institutions can rely on. Cost patterns in a healthcare system develop around its institutional design. Different factors produce varying levels of costs in different healthcare systems. The same applies to the effort needed to reach a certain degree of effectiveness in output. An outline of strengths and weaknesses of options for the design of healthcare systems is presented in the final part of the article. These should always be considered together with the specific features of each country.     

Hypertension secondary to progressive vascular neurofibromatosis

A 4 year old girl with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) was referred for hypertension. An aortogram showed narrowing of the left main renal artery. An angiogram three and a half years later showed coarctation of the abdominal aorta. She underwent aortoplasty but the stenosis recurred. Vascular involvement in NF1 may be progressive and requires long term follow up.