Perioperative outcomes of total laparoscopic hysterectomy at a regional hospital in New Zealand.

Background: Total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) is established as a safe method of hysterectomy, with a satisfactory patient experience. However, most published data derive from high-volume centres with experienced teams. It is not clear whether these data translate to smaller centres?

Aims: To evaluate the implementation of a minimally invasive option for hysterectomy at a regional public hospital in New Zealand.

Trends in the surgical options for the treatment of menorrhagia in Scotland: examination of health episode statistics, 2000-2008.

Menorrhagia is a common and important problem that has a significant impact on women's health. Menorrhagia is treated by surgical methods if primary medical methods fail. Surgical methods have changed over time and the traditional method of hysterectomy has been replaced by minimally invasive techniques.

Polycystic ovary syndrome and the risk of gynaecological cancer: a systematic review.

The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature to determine whether there is an association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and gynaecological malignancy. Medline and Embase databases (1968-2008) were searched to identify publications on the association between PCOS and gynaecological cancers including breast cancer. Studies were selected that examined the association between PCOS and all types of gynaecological malignancies.

Choriocarcinoma in a postmenopausal woman.

Background: Choriocarcinoma typically occurs within 12 months of pregnancy but rarely may present many years after an antecedent pregnancy. This report describes choriocarcinoma in a postmenopausal woman.

Case: A 62-year-old woman presented with dyspnea, a history of postmenopausal vaginal spotting, and metastatic disease on chest X-ray.

Robert Boyle's chiral crystal chemistry: computational re-evaluation of enantioselective adsorption on quartz.

While searching for early examples of interactions of organic chromophores with minerals in the context of a systematic study of the process of dyeing crystals, we came across Robert Boyle's description of an experiment that may have been evidence of the enantioselective adsorption of a natural product, carminic acid (7-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-9,10-dihydro-3,5,6,8-tetrahydroxy-1-methyl-9,10-dioxo-2-anthracenecarboxylic acid), to the chiral surfaces of alpha-quartz, three centuries before such interactions became the subject of active chemical investigations. In order to determine whether Boyle did indeed observe enantioselective adsorption--albeit unbeknownst to him--we attempted to dye quartz with carminic acid according to his recipe. Quartz adsorbs carminic acid only because on heating it develops a network of microfissures that adsorb dye.