Nardostachys jatamansi， A Medicinal Plant from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma is the dry root and rhizome of Nardostachys jatamansi （Valerianaceae） with a long medical history and a broad range of application， which is effective in regulating Qi， relieving pain， resolving depression， and enlivening spleen， as well as dispelling dampness and relieving swelling by external application. It can be used for the treatment of abdominal distension， loss of appetite， and vomiting. Besides， it can also relieve toothache and treat dermatophytosis and pyogenic infection by external use. Moreover， it serves as a common medicinal material in ancient Ayurveda and Unani medical systems in India and also as an ingredient in spices， foods， and cosmetics. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma possesses multiple pharmacological activities， such as sedation， anti-epilepsy， anti-convulsion， anti-depression， anti-arrhythmia， anti-malaria， anti-inflammation， anti-bacteria， anti-oxidation， and blood sugar metabolism improvement due to its multiple compounds contained， including terpenes， flavonoids， coumarins， and lignans. The main active components are sesquiterpenoids represented by nardosinone. The pharmacological activities， chemical compositions， and clinical applications of Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma have been investigated， but the research on resources， distribution， quality control， cultivation status， and applications are rarely reported. As an important genuine medicinal material from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau， Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma is obtained mainly from wild N. jatamansi. Accordingly， the conservation and sustainable utilization of N. jatamansi have attracted much attention all around the world. Based on the resource survey， cultivation research， and relevant literature available， the present study reviewed resources， geographical distribution， chemical compositions， pharmacological activities， quality control， cultivation， and applications of N. jatamansi， aiming to provide references for the conservation and development of N. jatamansi.

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

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>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. This study aimed to review the live birth rates and associated fetal anomalies of women who were given dydrogesterone for luteal phase support in assisted reproductive cycles at a tertiary hospital in Singapore.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This retrospective descriptive study included 1,050 women who underwent in vitro fertilisation/intracytoplasmic sperm injection at the Centre for Assisted Reproduction of Singapore General Hospital between 2000 and 2011. The women were given dydrogesterone for luteal phase support. The main outcome measures were rates of pregnancy, live birth, miscarriage and fetal anomalies.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The pregnancy and live birth rates were 34.7% and 27.7%, respectively. Among those who achieved pregnancy, 17.0% miscarried, 0.8% had ectopic pregnancies and 0.3% had molar pregnancies. Fetal anomalies were detected in 1.9% of pregnancies, all of which were terminated by choice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Since the outcomes of dydrogesterone are comparable to those of intramuscular and vaginal progesterone, it is a reasonable option to provide luteal phase support for women who are uncomfortable with injections or vaginal insertions. Randomised controlled studies are needed to determine the optimal dosage of dydrogesterone for luteal phase support in ARTs.</p>

Use of In Vitro Fertilisation Prediction Model in an Asian Population-Experience in Singapore

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>This retrospective study was conducted to perform an external validation of the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) predict model developed by Scott Nelson et al in an Asian population.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>All IVF cycles registered in the study centre from January 2005 to December 2010 were included. Observed and predicted values of at least 1 live birth per cycle were compared by discrimination, calibration. Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to assess the goodness-of-fit of the model calibration and Brier score was used to assess overall model performance.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among 634 IVF cycles, rate of at least 1 live birth was 30.6%. Causes of infertility were unexplained in 35.5% cases. Fifty-seven percent of women came for their first IVF treatment. First IVF cycle showed significantly higher success in comparison to subsequent cycles. The odds ratio of successful live birth was worse in women with endometriosis. Observed outcome was found to be more than the prediction of the model. The area under the curve (AUC) in this study was found to be 0.65 that was close to that of Nelson model (0.6335) done in internal validation. Brier score (average prediction error) of model was 0.2. Chi square goodness-of-fit test indicated that there was difference between the predicted and observed value (x² =18.28, df = 8, P = 0.019). Overall statistical findings indicated that the accuracy of the prediction model fitted poorly with the study population.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ovarian reserve, treatment centre and racial effect on predictability cannot be excluded. So it is important to make a good prediction model by considering the additional factors before using the model widely.</p>

Academy of Medicine-Ministry of Health Clinical Practice Guidelines: assessment and management of infertility at primary healthcare level

The Academy of Medicine (AMS) and Ministry of Health (MOH) have developed the clinical practice guidelines on Assessment and Management of Infertility at Primary Healthcare Level to provide doctors and patients in Singapore with evidence-based treatment for infertility. This article reproduces the introduction and executive summary (with recommendations from the guidelines) from the AMS-MOH clinical practice guidelines on Assessment and Management of Infertility at Primary Healthcare Level, for the information of SMJ readers. Chapters and page numbers mentioned in the reproduced extract refer to the full text of the guidelines, which are available from the Ministry of Health website: http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/healthprofessionalsportal/doctors/guidelines/cpg_medical/2013/cpgmed_infertility.html. The recommendations should be used with reference to the full text of the guidelines. Following this article are multiple choice questions based on the full text of the guidelines.

Is semen polymorphonuclear leucocytes count a good predictor of male genital tract infection?

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>This study aims to evaluate whether an increased polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) count in semen is a good predictor of male genital tract infection, which is detected by semen culture.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective cross-sectional study examining the semen of 388 men was conducted at the in vitro fertilisation centre of a tertiary hospital. We compared the culture results of 109 men with increased semen PMN count against those of 279 men with normal semen PMN count.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference in the percentage of positive cultures between men with increased PMN count in their semen and those without PMN count elevation (original sensitivity 20.8%, specificity 70.3%; p = 0.1289). The overall percentage of positive semen cultures among all 388 patients was 18.6%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Based on the positive cultures of significant organisms in the semen of our cohort, an increased semen PMN count is not a good predictor of genital tract infection in men.</p>