Predictive value of endometrial receptivity evaluated by three-dimensional ultrasound in ectopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to use three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound to detect ultrasound parameters related to the uterine artery and endometrium, evaluate endometrial receptivity, and investigate the predictive value of each parameter for ectopic pregnancy (EP) after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven cases of pregnancy following IVF-ET in our institution were collected and split into EP and intrauterine pregnancy (IP) groups based on the location of pregnancy, with 27 cases in EP and 30 cases in IP. Endometrial thickness, type, volume, endometrial blood flow parameters, and uterine artery blood flow parameters were all measured one day before transplantation in both groups, and the differences between the two groups were examined. RESULTS: There were differences in endometrial blood flow typing between the two groups, with type III endometrium accounting for the highest proportion in both; the uterine spiral artery pulsatility index PI was significantly higher in the EP group than in the IP group; there were no statistical differences in uterine volume, uterine artery resistance index mRI, or uterine artery resistance index S/D between the two groups; there were no statistical differences in uterine volume, or uterine artery. CONCLUSIONS: Intracavitary 3D ultrasound can assess endometrial tolerance and may predict pregnancy outcome after IVF-ET.

Classical swine fever virus NS5B-GFP fusion protein possesses an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity.

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is the replicase of positive-strand RNA viruses. Expression and characterization of the replicase are the first steps in the elucidation of the virus replication mechanism. We expressed nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) as a fusion protein with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in porcine kidney cells (PK-15 cells), natural host cells of CSFV. The expressed CSFV NS5B-GFP fusion protein possessed RdRp activity. By fluorescence microscope it was observed that the density of the fusion protein near cytoplasmic membranes was higher than that in other parts of cells. This was in contrast to the distribution of the GFP alone which was uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm. The GFP is a signal for the location of NS5B in a host cell that allows in vitro and in vivo investigation of the distribution of plus-strand RNA virus RdRp.

Attenuated lapinized chinese strain of classical swine fever virus: complete nucleotide sequence and character of 3'-noncoding region.

The complete nucleotide sequence including precise 5'- and 3'-terminal non-coding regions (NCRs) of the attenuated lapinized Chinese strain (HCLV) of Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV) was determined from overlapping cDNA clones constructed by separated RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) methods. The genomic RNA of the HCLV strain consists of 12.310 nucleotides (nts) including 374 nts and 242nts in the 5'- and 3'-NCRs, respectively. It contains one large open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein of 3,898 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 437.6 kDa. There is one notable insertion of 12 continuous nts, CTTTTTTCTTTT in the 3'-NCR of HCLV genomic cDNA when compared with its parental virulent Shimen strain. Sequence alignment of partial 3'-NCR reveals two groups of CSFV vaccine strains carrying similar T-rich insertions at different positions in this region. Computer-predicted secondary structures suggest that T-rich insertion greatly change the structures and thus decrease the promoter functions of 3'-NCRs during the replications of these two groups of CSFV vaccine strains.

Synthesis and mechanism of action of novel thiocarbamate inhibitors of human leukocyte elastase.

Several peptidyl thiocarbamate inhibitors of human leukocyte elastase were synthesized in the molecular weight range of 700-800. Two different sequences with lysine at the P3 and ornithine at the P4 positions were synthesized. Most of the inhibitors with large molecular weights showed high inhibitory capacity with Ki values as low as 10(-8)M. Compounds immobilized on poly,alpha,beta-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-D,L-aspartamide] (PHEA) polymers with an average molecular weight of 36,000 showed higher inhibitory capacity than their free forms.

Motor unit power spectrum and firing rate.

Changes in the power density spectrum of myoelectric signal with contraction level have been reported in the literature. These changes can be induced by a number of possible factors including recruitment of differing types of units, conduction velocity changes and firing rate changes. In the paper the single unit power spectrum is investigated and the effects of firing rate mean and variance changes evaluated. Motor unit signal simulation and experiments are carried out to verify predictions. The results show that spectrum peaks will shift with firing rate and the median frequency is weakly dependent on firing rate.