Roles of steroid hormones in oviductal function Barton, Brooke; Herrera, Gerardo; Anamthathmakula, Prashanth ...
Reproduction (Cambridge, England),
03/2020, Letnik:
159, Številka:
3
Journal Article
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The oviduct (known as the fallopian tube in humans) is the site for fertilization and pre-implantation embryo development. Female steroid hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are known to modulate ...the morphology and function of cells in the oviduct. In this review, we focus on the actions of estrogen and progesterone on secretory, ciliated, and muscle cell functions and morphologies during fertilization, pre-implantation embryo development, and embryo transport in humans, laboratory rodents and farm animals. We review some aspects of oviductal anatomy and histology and discuss current assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) that bypass the oviduct and their effects on embryo quality. Lastly, we review the causes of alterations in secretory, ciliated, and muscle cell functions that could result in embryo transport defects.
Contraception is a practice with extensive and complicated social and scientific histories. From cycle tracking, to the very first prescription contraceptive pill, to now having over-the-counter ...contraceptives on demand, family planning is an aspect of healthcare that has undergone and will continue to undergo several transformations through time. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current reversible hormonal and non-hormonal birth control methods as well as their mechanism of action, safety, and effectiveness specifically for individuals who can become pregnant. Additionally, we discuss the latest Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved hormonal method containing estetrol and drospirenone that has not yet been used worldwide as well as the first FDA-approved hormonal over-the-counter progestin-only pills. We also review available data on novel hormonal delivery through microchip, microneedle, and the latest FDA-approved non-hormonal methods such as vaginal pH regulators. Finally, this review will assist in advancing female contraceptive method development by underlining constructive directions for future pursuits. Information was gathered from the NCBI and Google Scholars databases using English and included publications from 1900 to present. Search terms included contraceptive names as well as efficacy, safety, and mechanism of action. In summary, we suggest that investigators consider the side effects and acceptability together with the efficacy of contraceptive candidate towards their development. Summary Sentence Contraceptive development has a complex history, with methods evolving from cycle tracking to hormonal pills and devices, aiming to balance efficacy, safety, and acceptability.
Inhibition of the sperm transport process in the female reproductive tract could lead to infertility. We previously showed that a pan-serine protease inhibitor, 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl ...fluoride (AEBSF), blocked semen liquefaction in vivo and resulted in a drastic decrease in the number of sperm in the oviduct of female mice. In this study, we used a mouse model to test the efficacy of AEBSF as a reversible contraceptive, a sperm motility inhibitor, and a spermicide. Additionally, this study evaluated the toxicity of AEBSF on mouse vaginal tissues in vivo and human endocervical cells in vitro. We found that female mice treated with AEBSF had significantly less pups born per litter as well as fertilization rates in vivo compared to the vehicle control. We then showed that AEBSF reduced sperm motility and fertilization capability in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, AEBSF also exhibited spermicidal effects. Lastly, AEBSF treatment in female mice for 10 min or 3 consecutive days did not alter vaginal cell viability in vivo, similar to that of the vehicle and non-treated controls. However, AEBSF decreased cell viability of human ectocervical (ECT) cell line in vitro, suggesting that cells in the lower reproductive tract in mice and humans responded differently to AEBSF. In summary, our study showed that AEBSF can be used as a prototype compound for the further development of novel non-hormonal contraceptives for women by targeting sperm transport in the female reproductive tract. Summary sentence Blockade of the sperm transport process using a pan-serine protease inhibitor can be developed as a non-hormonal contraceptive for women.
Introduction: Retention of fetal bones is a rare but documented complication after dilation and curettage (D and C). Previous case reports have described instances of retention of multiple fetal ...bones or bony fragments.
Case Report: We are presenting a case of a female with 1.5 years of secondary infertility due to retention of a single, intact, fetal femur bone following a therapeutic abortion 13 years prior. The bone was incidentally identified on follicle check ultrasound and was removed via hysteroscopy. The patient conceived one year later, which progressed to a full-term pregnancy.
Conclusion: Retained bony fragments or intact bones should be considered as a possible cause of secondary infertility following therapeutic abortions, emphasizing the importance of ultrasound imaging in preliminary secondary infertility workup.
Grammatical accuracy in second language (L2) writing is one of the key issues that English as a Second Language (ESL) learners struggle with, both in intensive English language programs and ...continuing after their university matriculation. Numerous instructional methodologies exist that center around the concept of error correction—how can or should ESL instructors correct grammatical errors in L2 students' writing to best facilitate improvements in written linguistic accuracy? Error correction in L2 writing has been a controversial issue for over a decade (e.g., Ferris, 1999; Truscott, 1996), and in an effort to contribute to an understanding of this controversial topic, this study investigated an innovative method of error correction known as dynamic written corrective feedback (WCF). For 15 weeks, 24 students at the Brigham Young University (BYU) English Language Center (ELC) received a form of dynamic WCF dramatically modified from Hartshorn's (2008) original method with the objective of increased practicality. These students produced a 30-minute pretest and posttest essay, and researchers calculated the complexity, accuracy, and fluency of each pretest and posttest. Data from the current study is compared against data from Hartshorn (2008), which found dynamic WCF to be successful in improving accuracy after carrying out similar research. The results validate previous findings and confirm that dynamic WCF is an effective approach to error correction, even when dramatically modified.
IntroductionCommodities like copper, gold, oil and gas can be both the source of enormous profits for the companies that extract them and a magnet for the scorn and criticism of environmental and ...human rights activists the world over. However, in the fourteen years since the international furore raised by Shell's attempt to sink the Brent Spar rig in the North Sea and its alleged collusion with the Nigerian government in ignoring the rights of the Ogoni people, multinational extractive firms have arguably come a long way in reforming their CSR performance. Today, in response to activist – and increasingly investor – pressure, nearly all the global oil and mining companies have a CSR programme in place and seem committed to environmental stewardship and human rights. In fact many take part in international voluntary initiatives like the UN's Global Compact. And while debate may still rage in some corporate circles about the linkage between CSR and profitability, indeed CSR has become a prerequisite for business sustainability in the extractive industry, where a reputation for corporate citizenship could arguably make the difference between winning or losing multi-million dollar concessions.However, in spite of the ever-ratcheting levels of corporate accountability that activist pressure has spurred in the extractives sector, we observe that many companies still struggle to gain and maintain their social licenses to operate.
Fourteen patients with mania unresponsive to lithium were treated with verapamil in an open study. None of the eight patients treated for acute episodes of mania or hypomania showed improvement, ...although four patients experienced dysphoria, with two of the four switching into depression. Four patients were treated with verapamil prophylactically; one showed a mild improvement and one, a clear positive response. Two patients with persistent pharmacological hypomanias tolerated antidepressants and became euthymic while on verapamil. A case of pharmacological hypomania successfully treated with verapamil is presented in detail. A controlled trial using verapamil to prevent pharmacological mania/hypomania is indicated.
The present study investigated presumed synergistic effects of character strengths and feedback on intrinsic motivation during personal goal attainment. Thirty-seven students from an introductory ...psychology course at a mid-sized regional university were ranked from highest to lowest and randomly assigned to one of three groups based on their intrinsic motivation score on the General Causality Orientations Scale (GCOS). The treatment conditions consisted of: Group A - the use of a goal articulation process incorporating personal character strengths and self correcting feedback to obtain their self-selected goal; Group B - the use of a goal articulation process incorporating personal character strengths to obtain their self-selected goal; and Group C - the use of a goal articulation process to obtain their self-selected goal. It was found that students in Group A and C had a higher post measure of intrinsic motivation on their GCOS score in comparison to their pre-measure, than group B which remained relatively unchanged.
The incidence of cancer (excluding non-melanomatous skin cancers) is projected to rise from 17·0 million to 26·0 million between 2018 and 2040. A large proportion of these patients would be likely to ...derive benefit from chemotherapy, but no studies so far have quantified current and projected global chemotherapy demands. We aimed to estimate changes in national, regional, and global demands for first-course chemotherapy and the cancer physician workforce between 2018 and 2040 if all patients were treated according to best-practice evidence-based guidelines.
Data for the incidence of 29 types of cancer in 183 countries in 2018, and projections of incidence in 2040, were obtained from GLOBOCAN 2018. Optimal chemotherapy utilisation from evidence-based guidelines was applied to these incidence data to generate the number of new patients requiring first-course chemotherapy in 2018 and 2040. We then estimated the corresponding cancer physician workforce required to deliver this chemotherapy (on the basis of physicians seeing 150 new patients requiring chemotherapy per year). We did sensitivity analyses to investigate how cancer stage at presentation affected chemotherapy demands. We also did sensitivity analyses to explore changes to workforce requirements if each physician was seeing 100 new patients requiring chemotherapy per year or 300 new patients requiring chemotherapy per year.
Between 2018 and 2040, the number of patients requiring first-course chemotherapy annually will increase from 9·8 million to 15·0 million, a relative increase of 53%. The estimated proportion of patients needing chemotherapy who reside in low-income or middle-income countries was 63% (6 162 240 of 9 782 783) in 2018, and will be 67% (10 071 049 of 14 984 560) in 2040. The most common indications for chemotherapy worldwide in 2040 will be lung cancer (accounting for 2 455 137 16·4% of 14 984 560 cases eligible for chemotherapy), breast cancer (1 898 740 12·7%), and colorectal cancer (1 678 153 11·1%). We estimated that, in 2018, 65 000 cancer physicians were required worldwide to deliver optimal chemotherapy—a figure that we estimate will rise to 100 000 by 2040 (with estimates ranging from from 50 000 to 150 000, depending on workload).
Strategic investments in chemotherapy service provision and cancer physicians are needed to meet the projected increased demand for chemotherapy in 2040.
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