Outcomes and cost analysis of single-embryo transfer versus double-embryo transfer.

Background: Studies had compared single-embryo transfer to double-embryo transfer with cleavage stage embryos and found that while single-embryo transfer was less costly, it was also associated with a lower live birth rate than double-embryo transfer. A single blastocyst transfer has been shown to improve the live birth rate per cycle compared to single-embryo transfer at cleavage stage.

Objectives: To compare live birth rates and real costs of elective single-embryo transfer to double-embryo transfer and to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of these two strategies in an unselected pool of women in a single center.

Primary Pouch of Douglas malignancies: A case series and review of the literature.

•POD lesions are often diagnosed as ovarian or uterine in origin on imaging.•POD malignancies with concomitant endometriosis, appear to be of lower grade.•There is no consensus on the optimal treatment for rare primary POD neoplasms.

Live birth rates and safety profile using dydrogesterone for luteal phase support in assisted reproductive techniques.

Introduction: Assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) result in a deficient luteal phase, requiring the administration of intramuscular, intravaginal or oral exogenous progesterone. Dydrogesterone, an oral retroprogesterone with good bioavailability, has been used in assisted reproductive cycles with outcomes that are comparable to those of vaginal or intramuscular progesterone. However, there are limited reviews on its use for luteal phase support in ARTs, in terms of pregnancy outcomes and associated fetal anomalies.

Are there socioeconomic disparities in women having discussions on human papillomavirus vaccine with health care providers?

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine recommendation by a health care provider (HCP) is an important predictor of vaccine receipt. We examined whether being of a minority race/ethnicity, having lower income and education, and the lack of health insurance and a regular HCP are each associated with a lower likelihood of a discussion on HPV vaccine occurring between a woman and her HCP.

Methods: A sample of 1,631 women aged 18 years and older was drawn from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey.

Awareness and acceptability of human papillomavirus vaccine: an application of the instrumental variables bivariate probit model.

Background: Although lower uptake rates of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations have been documented, less is known about the relationships between awareness and acceptability, and other factors affecting HPV vaccine uptake.The current study aimed to estimate the potential effectiveness of increased HPV vaccine awareness on the acceptability of HPV vaccination in a nationally representative sample of women, using a methodology that controlled for potential non-random selection.

Methods: This study used a population-based sample from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey, a cross-sectional study of the US population aged 18 years or older, and focused on the subsample of 742 women who have any female children under the age of 18 years in the household.

The dynamic stress-induced "O-GlcNAc-ome" highlights functions for O-GlcNAc in regulating DNA damage/repair and other cellular pathways.

The modification of nuclear, mitochondrial, and cytoplasmic proteins by O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a dynamic and essential post-translational modification of metazoans. Numerous forms of cellular injury lead to elevated levels of O-GlcNAc in both in vivo and in vitro models, and elevation of O-GlcNAc levels before, or immediately after, the induction of cellular injury is protective in models of heat stress, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, hypoxia, ischemia reperfusion injury, and trauma hemorrhage. Together, these data suggest that O-GlcNAc is a regulator of the cellular stress response.

Critical parameters in the pegylation of gold nanoshells for biomedical applications: an in vitro macrophage study.

Pegylation of gold nanoshells provides an effective means to reduce their reticuloendothelial system (RES) clearance in body. In this study, we perform a parametric investigation on the factors that would affect the macrophage uptake of gold nanoshells with the aim to optimize their pegylation and minimize their macrophage uptake. We synthesized and pegylated the gold nanoshells using methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-thiol and employed an in vitro macrophage assay to examine the effect of surface density of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), chain length of the PEG, and size of the gold nanoshells on their macrophage uptake.

Combinatorial treatment of photothermal therapy using gold nanoshells with conventional photodynamic therapy to improve treatment efficacy: an in vitro study.

Background And Objective: Both photodynamic (PDT) and photothermal (PTT) therapy have proven to be effective treatment strategies for cancer, but the approach of combining them into a single treatment modality may offer better treatment efficacy. We compare the treatment efficacy of such combined treatment with the individual treatment.

Study Design/materials And Methods: We perform the individual PDT, PTT and combined treatment under selected in vitro condition with our low light dose of 1.