Clarifying the role of three-dimensional transvaginal sonography in reproductive medicine: an evidenced-based appraisal

This overview describes and illustrates the clinical applications of three-dimensional transvaginal sonography in reproductive medicine. Its main applications include assessment of uterine anomalies, intrauterine pathology, tubal patency, polycystic ovaries, ovarian follicular monitoring and endometrial receptivity. It is also useful for detailed evaluation of failed and/or ectopic pregnancy. Three-dimensional color Doppler sonography provides enhanced depiction of uterine, endometrial, and ovarian vascularity

The powder counter, a new detector of high energy particles

Fine powders with grain size small compared to the wave lengths in the optical region can be used to produce Cherenkov radiators with adjustable velocity cut-offs. By compressing such powders to various densities we have produced discs with refractive indices between 1.05 and 1.20, a region not covered by other suitable solids or liquids. Preliminary experiments indicate that the yield of Cherenkov light, produced by relativistic particles traversing this material, corresponds roughly to the expected value

Transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active retinoic acid receptor in the lens exhibit ocular defects

Retinoic acid receptors (RARs) modulate gene expression following association with retinoic acid (RA). In transient transfection, an RARα-β-galactosidase fusion protein (RAR-LacZ) was able to transactivate expression in the absence of RA. When expressed in the ocular lens of transgenic mice, this constitutively active RAR-LacZ fusion gene resulted in founder and progeny animals that exhibited cataracts and microphthalmia, both being characteristics of retinoid-in-duced teratogenesis. The transgenic phenotypes indicate that retinoid teratogenesis can be mimicked by expression of a constitutively active RAR-LacZ fusion protein in retinoid-sensitive tissues