B vitamins, polycystic ovary syndrome, and fertility.

Purpose Of Review: This review provides a general overview of the literature on B vitamins and fertility, as well as summarizes the evidence concerning B vitamin supplementation and fertility among polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women.

Recent Findings: Studies among women conceiving with and without medical assistance provide strong evidence for a beneficial effect of B vitamins, particularly folate and vitamin B12, on fecundability and fertility. Moreover, recent work suggests that effects may be even more pronounced among women with menstrual cycle dysfunction (a common symptom of PCOS).

What do women in Medicaid say about enhanced prenatal care? Findings from the national Strong Start evaluation.

Background: Medicaid pays for approximately half of United States births, yet little research has explored Medicaid beneficiaries' perspectives on their maternity care. Typical maternity care in the United States has been criticized as too medically focused while insufficiently addressing psychosocial risks and patient education. Enhanced care strives for a more holistic approach.

Brivanib attenuates hepatic fibrosis in vivo and stellate cell activation in vitro by inhibition of FGF, VEGF and PDGF signaling.

Background And Aims: Brivanib is a selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinases, which are both involved in mechanisms of liver fibrosis. We hypothesized that inhibition of VEGFR and FGFR by brivanib would inhibit liver fibrosis. We therefore examined the effect of brivanib on liver fibrosis in three mouse models of fibrosis.