background: determination of oocyte fertilization and embryo quality are one of the most important purposes in art cycles. follicular fluid provides an important microenvironment for development of oocytes and some biochemical characteristics of the follicular fluid, such as pregnancy-associated plasma protein-a (papp-a), may play an important role in prediction of success rate of art. objectiv...

A 9-year-old boy affected by colchicine-resistant idiopathic pericarditis was successfully treated with an IL-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra).

In this paper we present a simple but useful profiling tool for OpenMP applications similar in spirit to the MPI profiler mpiP [15]. We describe the implementation of our tool and demonstrate its functionality on a number of test applications.

Small-angle X-ray scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance were used to investigate the structural change of calcium-bound calmodulin (Ca2+/CaM) in solution upon binding to its antagonist, N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7). The radius of gyration was 17.4+/-0.3 A for Ca2+/CaM-W-7 with a molar ratio of 1:5 and 20.3+/-0.7 A for Ca2+/CaM. Comparison of the radius of gyratio...

The mechanisms of the action of bioactive compounds discovered via 'black box' assays using phenotypic indicators generally remain unknown, with the major challenges being the identification of target proteins. In this study, we aimed to develop an efficient methodology to unveil target proteins that are rarely characterised. Proof-of-concept experiments were performed using N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-...

Final offer arbitration (FOA) and conventional arbitration (ARE) are compared as mechanisms for settling labor disputes. It is recognized that the parties can manipulate their final offers under FOA in order to achieve a more desirable outcome, and the equilibrium pair of final offers is derived as a function of the uncertainty about the arbitrator's award and the relative risk preferences of t...

From the structure activity relationship, two new analogs, 2 and 3, of the potent progesterone antagonist mifepristone 1 have been designed. The syntheses of these two analogs have been achieved in eleven steps through modified synthetic sequences and improved procedures starting from (1)-estrone. In comparison with mifepristone 1, the relative binding affinities of compound 2 for the progester...

The present study was designed to determine the role of central oxytocin (OXY) in regulation of the cardiovascular responses to the alarming stress. Three groups of male, normotensive Sprague Dawley rats, received intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of one of the following: 1) vehicle, 2) OXY or 3) OXY antagonist (OXANT). Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and heart rate (HR) were record...

The effects of cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor antagonists on hypothermia induced by cocaine or morphine have been studied in mice. In the present work, subcutaneous (SC) injection of cocaine (50-150 mg/kg) or morphine (125-500 mg/kg) induced hypothermia in mice. Administration of CCKA receptor antagonist MK-329 (0.5-1.5 mg/kg), CCKB receptor antagonist L-365, 260 (0.5-1.5 mgl kg) and CCK r...