Minimising menopausal side effects whilst treating endometriosis and fibroids.

Medical management of endometriosis and fibroids involves manipulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis to alter the balance of sex hormones thereby inhibiting disease progression and ameliorate symptoms. Unfortunately, resultant menopausal symptoms sometimes limit the tolerability and duration of such treatment. The use of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists to treat these diseases can result in short-term hypoestrogenic and vasomotor side effects as well as long-term impacts on bone health and cardiovascular risk.

Prediction of spontaneous preterm birth using quantitative fetal fibronectin after recent sexual intercourse.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sexual intercourse on the accuracy of quantitative fetal fibronectin (qfFN) in the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) in asymptomatic high-risk women.

Study Design: This was a prospective masked predefined subanalysis of a larger study of cervicovaginal fluid qfFN concentration in high-risk women asymptomatic of preterm labor. Women who had sexual intercourse within 48 hours of qfFN testing (n = 61; 18(+0)-34(+6) weeks' gestation) were compared with controls from the same database without a history of pretest sexual intercourse, matched according to gestational age at testing and delivery, risk factor for sPTB, and ultrasonographic cervical length measurement.

Gonadotrophin receptor hormone analogues in combination with add-back therapy: an update.

Gonadotrophin receptor hormone analogues (GnRHa) have been used in a range of sex hormone-dependent disorders. In the management of premenstrual syndrome, they can completely abolish symptoms. The success of GnRHa in the treatment of endometriosis and adjuvant therapy in the management of fibroids is proven.

Crop biotechnology provides an opportunity to develop a sustainable future.

The current reliance on petro-based fuels and chemicals is not sustainable. New technologies typically take approximately 25 years to penetrate the market; consequently, the development of viable alternatives is required in the near future. Plant-based systems capture solar energy and can be produced in a renewable manner.