BMP4 and Madh5 regulate the erythroid response to acute anemia.

Acute anemia initiates a systemic response that results in the rapid mobilization and differentiation of erythroid progenitors in the adult spleen. The flexed-tail (f) mutant mice exhibit normal steady-state erythropoiesis but are unable to rapidly respond to acute erythropoietic stress. Here, we show that f/f mutant mice have a mutation in Madh5.

Community-based, acute posttraumatic stress management: a description and evaluation of a psychosocial-intervention continuum.

Much of today's psychological trauma can be identified as resulting from sudden and seemingly random events, and particularly from events that involve the loss of human life. This article presents a perspective on how behavioral health providers may approach the design, development, and implementation of community-based psychological trauma interventions. These interventions allow those community members most affected by the trauma to play a central role in the resolution of, and community adaptation to, traumatic losses.

Effects of attitude action identification on congruence between attitudes and behavioral intentions toward social groups.

Attitude Representation Theory (ART) holds that attitude-relevant responses are informed by mental representations of the attitude object, which include the individual's actions toward that object. Action Identification Theory (AIT) holds that the same action can be identified at multiple levels. Individuals who identify their actions at lower levels have less flexibility in how they perform the action, and thus enact the action less consistently.

The insulin resistant subphenotype of polycystic ovary syndrome: clinical parameters and pathogenesis.

Objective: This study was undertaken to compare clinical and biochemical characteristics of the insulin resistant (IR) and non-IR subphenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Study Design: Infertile PCOS women were classified as IR (n=32) or non-IR (n=46) on the basis of fasting glucose and insulin levels. The incidence of acanthosis nigricans (AN), hirsutism, and ovulation in response to clomiphene citrate (CC) was compared between the 2 groups, along with serum levels of gonadotropins, and sex steroids.

Monozygotic twins and triplets in association with blastocyst transfer.

Purpose: To compare the incidence of monozygotic twins following blastocyst versus day-3 embryo transfer (ET).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the outcome of assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles utilizing blastocyst ET during 1999-2000 was compared to a similar group of patients undergoing day-3 ET during 1997-1998.

Results: Blastocyst ET was used in 75 cycles with 2.

Accelerated endometrial maturation in the luteal phase of cycles utilizing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation: impact of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists versus antagonists.

Objective: To evaluate the endometrium obtained during the luteal phase of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) cycles utilizing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists, and to compare these findings with those obtained in cycles utilizing a GnRH agonist and with artificial cycles among recipients.

Design: Prospective evaluation of oocyte donors.

Setting: University-based in vitro fertilization (IVF) center.

Child welfare privatization: quantitative indicators and policy issues.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the development of safety, permanency, and child well-being indicators by using administrative data sets as well as by using these indicators as tools for evaluating Florida's Community-Based Care (CBC) initiative. Longitudinal data from 37 counties including 4 counties that implemented community-based care were examined in this study. The results of the study indicated that the overall performance of CBC counties is at least as good as the performance of their comparison run by the state counties.

Limitations of direct estradiol and testosterone immunoassay kits.

Estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) are biologically active hormones that serve as important diagnostic markers in serum of premenopausal and postmenopausal women and in men. These hormones are measured frequently by immunoassay in clinical laboratories and the test results are used in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. For measuring the hormones by immunoassay, most laboratories utilize commercially available reagents that are packaged in the form of a kit and are used either in an automated instrument or manually.

Treatment-associated serum FSH levels in very poor responders to ovarian stimulation.

Purpose: To compare treatment-associated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) response in patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with either microdose flare (MDF) leuprolide acetate or clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotropin (CC/hMG).

Methods: Thirteen patients who were deemed poor responders underwent stimulation with one of two poor responder stimulation protocols (MDF group: n = 8; CC/hMG group: n = 5). Serum FSH, estrone (E1), estrone sulfate (E1S), and estradiol (E2) levels were measured at baseline, day 5 of medication, and on day of hCG administration.

Cytologic diagnosis of peritoneal cestodiasis in dogs caused by Mesocestoides sp.

Background: Canine peritoneal larval cestodiasis caused by tapeworm larvae of the genus Mesocestoides is an uncommon and possibly fatal disease that can result in ascites and peritonitis. Although abdominal fluid analysis is recommended for dogs with ascites, the cytologic features of Mesocestoides infection have not been described fully.

Objective: Our goal was to describe the cytologic features of Mesocestoides larvae and of associated ascitic fluid that was collected from the peritoneal cavity of 4 infected dogs.

Macrophage-stimulating protein cooperates with erythropoietin to induce colony formation and MAP kinase activation in primary erythroid progenitor cells.

We have shown that Fv2, the Friend virus susceptibility 2 locus, encodes a naturally occurring amino-terminally truncated form of the STK receptor tyrosine kinase (Sf-Stk). Sf-Stk appears to interact with the viral glycoprotein gp55 and drive erythropoietin (Epo)-independent expansion of Friend virus-infected erythroblasts. Presumably, Sf-Stk provides signals that cooperate with EpoR signaling to induce the polyclonal expansion of infected cells.

Long-term, low-intensity warfarin therapy for the prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism.

Background: Standard therapy to prevent recurrent venous thromboembolism includes 3 to 12 months of treatment with full-dose warfarin with a target international normalized ratio (INR) between 2.0 and 3.0.

Pregnancy in the sixth decade of life: obstetric outcomes in women of advanced reproductive age.

Context: As a result of oocyte donation, women in their sixth decade of life are now able to conceive and carry pregnancies to term. However, little is known about pregnancy outcomes in this population.

Objective: To describe pregnancy outcomes in women aged 50 years or older who conceived after in vitro fertilization with donor oocytes.

Spontaneous twin gestation after vaginal dilation in a woman with uterus didelphys and bladder exstrophy.

Background: Bladder exstrophy is an uncommon anomaly rarely associated with uterus didelphys. Fertility is limited by associated vaginal malformations, which have traditionally required surgical reconstruction.

Case: A woman with a history of bladder exstrophy and hypoplastic vagina presented complaining of painful intercourse.

Human chorionic gonadotropin suppresses ovarian epithelial neoplastic cell proliferation in vitro.

Objective: To quantify the in vitro effects of gonadotropins on benign, borderline, and malignant ovarian cell lines.

Design: In vitro cell culture.

Setting: Research laboratory.

A naturally occurring point substitution in Cdc25A, and not Fv2/Stk, is associated with altered cell-cycle status of early erythroid progenitor cells.

The Friend virus susceptibility gene 2 (Fv2) controls the polyclonal expansion of infected cells that occurs early during Friend erythroleukemia virus infection. Fv2 has recently been shown to encode a truncated form of the Stk receptor tyrosine kinase (Sf-Stk). This observation, coupled with earlier work, suggested that Sf-Stk drives the expansion of infected cells by forming a complex with the Friend virus envelope glycoprotein, gp55, and the erythropoietin receptor.

Sf-Stk kinase activity and the Grb2 binding site are required for Epo-independent growth of primary erythroblasts infected with Friend virus.

During the initial stage of Friend virus-induced erythroleukemia in mice, interaction of the viral protein gp55 with the erythropoietin receptor, and other host factors, drives the expansion of erythroid precursor cells. Recently, we demonstrated that the Friend virus susceptibility locus, Fv2, which is required for the expansion of infected cells, encodes a naturally occurring, N-terminally truncated form of the Stk receptor tyrosine kinase (Sf-Stk). Here we show that in vitro expression of Sf-Stk confers Friend virus sensitivity to erythroid progenitor cells from Fv2(rr) mice.

Beyond components: using fidelity scales to measure and assure choice in program implementation and quality assurance.

Fidelity scales have become an accepted part of intervention research. Initially, fidelity scales focused on critical components of an intervention. In this paper we argue that the next generation of fidelity scales should include key process variables such as choice.

Comparison of estrogen and androgen levels after oral estrogen replacement therapy.

Objective: To assess the extent of accumulation of circulating estrone (E1), total and free estradiol (E2) and estrone sulfate (E1S) levels in postmenopausal women receiving prolonged oral E2 therapy and to determine the effect of increased estrogenicity on free testosterone levels.

Study Design: Descriptive study involving 14 healthy postmenopausal women during a three-year period. Group 1 (n = 7) took a placebo.

Pregnancy rates following fimbriectomy reversal via neosalpingostomy: a 10-year retrospective analysis.

Objective: To establish parameters associated with successful fimbriectomy reversal and to estimate monthly fecundability and cumulative pregnancy rates through life-table analysis.

Design: Series report.

Setting: University-based infertility clinic.

The prognostic significance of day 3 embryo cleavage stage on subsequent blastocyst development in a sequential culture system.

Purpose: To determine prognostic significance of blastomere number on Day 3 of culture upon subsequent blastocyst (BL) development.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in 37 IVF subjects undergoing standard protocols and BL transfer after sequential embryo culture in P1 and BL media.

Results: Of Day 3 embryos containing 7 or more blastomeres, 68.

Altered balance between the 5 alpha-reductase and aromatase pathways of androgen metabolism during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with human menopausal gonadotropins.

Purpose: To evaluate androgen production and metabolism during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

Methods: Five women, aged 33-42, were studied. All participants were undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and human menopausal gonadotropins.

Is there evidence for preferential delivery of ovarian estradiol to the endometrium?

Objective: To determine the direction of delivery of E(2) in the female pelvis by assessing the ratio of endometrial to serum E(2) in women whose ovaries were stimulated to produce E(2) with women who received exogenous E(2).

Design: Prospective comparative study.

Setting: University-based ART program.