The Bile Acid Synthesis Pathway Is Present and Functional in the Human Ovary

Background: Bile acids, end products of the pathway for cholesterol elimination, are required for dietary lipid and fat-soluble vitamin absorption and maintain the balance between cholesterol synthesis in the liver and cholesterol excretion. They are composed of a steroid structure and are primarily made in the liver by the oxidation of cholesterol. Cholesterol is also highly abundant in the human ovarian follicle, where it is used in the formation of the sex steroids. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we describe for the first time evidence that all aspects of the bile acid synthesis pathway are present in the human ovarian follicle, including the enzymes in both the classical and alternative pathways, the nuclear receptors known to regulate the pathway, and the end product bile acids. Furthermore, we provide functional evidence that bile acids are produced by the human follicular granulosa cells in response to cholesterol presence in the culture media. Conclusions/Significance: These findings establish a novel pathway present in the human ovarian follicle that has the capacity to compete directly with sex steroid synthesis

Adoption of Internet of Things in Healthcare Organizations

The Internet of things (IoT) is a paradigm that integrates different types of devices which can operate in any environment with their sensing, communicating, and processing capability. This domain has been a revolutionary changing of healthcare operations by providing a new architecture for devices and applications through IP-based connection capability. Furthermore, IoT is a generic platform to exchange information between mobile health devices and other ubiquitous technologies. Although there have been several studies that focus on IoT applications in healthcare, adoption of IoT in healthcare remains largely unknown. The goal of this study is (i) to close the gap in literature by addressing IoT adoption in healthcare; (ii) to help decision-makers to understand the main variables which affect adoption decision among different users in terms of top level managers, healthcare professionals, technical staff, and patients; and (iii) to present recommendations for healthcare managers to improve the adoption process of IoT devices in their organizations. We believe that this study would provide a better understanding of main barriers and facilitators regarding user perspectives during organizational IoT transformation in healthcare