Studies on the Character of Hypothalamic GnRH Neurons and Kisspeptin Neurons Using Hypothalamic Cell Models

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis controls the hormonal network responsible for reproductive functions. In the past, hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons have been positioned at the highest level in the HPG axis. After the discovery of the indispensable roles of hypothalamic kisspeptin in GnRH neurons, our understanding of the neuroendocrine regulation of the HPG axis was reconfirmed, and it is now recognized that hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons are positioned at the summit of the HPG axis. Accumulating evidence shows that kisspeptin neurons are responsible for the onset of puberty and sex steroid feedback mechanisms by modulating the activity of GnRH neurons. Furthermore, the identification of kisspeptin in the hypophyseal portal circulation suggests that this peptide has some direct roles in the pituitary gland. The detailed mechanisms underlying the regulation of GnRH by kisspeptin and the regulatory control of kisspeptin neurons are still largely unknown because of the limitations of the experimental models. The establishment of GnRH-expressing and kisspeptin-expressing cell models has enabled us to examine the character of these neuronal cells. In this chapter, we describe our in vivo studies examining the character of GnRH neurons and kisspeptin neurons in the hypothalamus using hypothalamic GnRH- and/or kisspeptin-expressing cell models

Oral medications including clomiphene citrate or aromatase inhibitors with gonadotropins for controlled ovarian stimulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation

We thank:• Richard Kirubakaran, Cochrane South Asia, Prof. BV Moses Centre for Evidence-Informed Health Care and Health Policy, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India;• Marian Showell, Information Specialist for the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group;• Editorial team of the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group for their support and assistancePeer reviewedPublisher PD

The Creation of School Education Bringing up a Student Carrying Tomorrow (3) : The Valuation of "Compulsory Subjects", "Optional Subjects", and "Integrated Subjects"

The purpose of this study is to show the valuation of "Compulsory Subjects", "Optional Subjects", and "Integrated Subjects", to show the relationship between each subjects and "three abilities", "the ability of recognizing othere senses of value", "the ability of self-expression and communication" and "the ability of decision-making" which defined by the project members. The main result of this study is that we should make up the standards which teachers, students and parents recognize as important abilities

Gestão empresarial e desenvolvimento sustentável: Análise a partir da carteira ISE da Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo (2011-2015)

O atual artigo se propõe a apresentar análises sobre as influências e contribuições das empresas, por meio do seguinte problema: no contexto do século XXI no Brasil, em quais dimensões é possível falar em atividade empresarial sustentável? A pesquisa procurou definir conceitos essenciais ligados ao tema e o papel das empresas dentro deste cenário. A metodologia escolhida foi de caráter exploratória e qualitativa, assim como bibliográfica e documental, para então, em segundo momento, realizar a triangulação de dados por meio levantamento de teorias para dar base à análise, indicadores de sustentabilidade e coleta de informações a partir do site das organizações de interesse. Ao verificar a carteira ISE da Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo dos últimos cinco anos foram selecionados as cinco empresas analisadas: BRFoods, Bradesco, Copel, Natura e Vale. Compreendendo a relevância da temática, é possível notar um crescimento com a preocupação das empresas nesse sentido, embora ainda em desenvolvimento, algumas ações realmente causam impactos positivos no meio em que estão inseridas

Comparative Retrospective Study of Tension-Free Vaginal Mesh Surgery, Native Tissue Repair, and Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair

Introduction and Hypothesis. Many would argue that sacrocolpopexy is the standard surgical procedure for pelvic organ prolapse (POP), but other surgical techniques were proposed and practically applying to the patients with POP. In this study, we compared postoperative outcomes of three surgical methods for POP repair. Methods. We identified that 308 women who had undergone surgical repair of POP were followed up for at least 6 months. Recurrence rates of POP after tension-free vaginal mesh (TVM) surgery (n = 243), native tissue repair (NTR) (vaginal hysterectomy with colpopexy, anterior and posterior colpoplasty, or circumferential suturing of the levator ani muscles and apical repair by transvaginal sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF)) (NTR; n = 31), and laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy after subtotal hysterectomy (LSC; n = 34) were compared. Presence of mesh erosion was also recorded. Results. Patients who underwent LSC were significantly younger (65.32 ± 3.23 years) than those who underwent TVM surgery (69.61 ± 8.31 years). After TVM surgery, the rate of recurrence (over POP-Q stage II) was 6.17% (15/243) and was highest in patients with advanced POP. The recurrence rate in patients who underwent NTR procedure was 3.23% (1/34) and that in patients who underwent LSC was 11.76% (4/11). There was no statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate between the three types of surgery. There were 13 cases (5.35%) of mesh erosion after TVM surgery and none after LSC surgery. The risk of mesh erosion was correlated with having had total TVM surgery but not with patient age or POP stage. Repeat procedures were performed in 5 women (2.14%) who underwent TVM surgery and 1 (2.94%) who underwent LSC. No patient underwent repeat surgery after NTR. There was no statistically significant difference in the reoperation rate between the three types of surgery. Conclusion. Our study suggested that TVM surgery, NTR, and LSC have comparable outcomes as for the postoperative recurrence rate and mesh erosion. However, the outcomes of each technique need to be carefully evaluated over a long period of time