A retrospective analysis of ovarian stimulation with letrozole in women undergoing artificial insemination by donor.

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the clinical pregnancy rate in women undergoing letrozole ovarian stimulation and artificial insemination by donor (AID). Between 2012 and 2015, 130 natural cycles, 939 letrozole cycles and 130 letrozole plus gonadotrophin cycles were conducted. Letrozole cycles were divided into three groups according to LH concentration on the day of HCG administration (LH <10 mIU/ml and follicle size ≥18 cm; LH ≤10 to <20 mIU/ml; and LH ≥20 mIU/ml). Pregnancy rates were 17.3%, 22.4% and 26.8%, respectively (P = 0.012). In women given 10 mIU/ml LH or more, logistic regression identified oestradiol (OR 1.002, 95% CI, 1.000 to 1.004, P = 0.029) and leading follicle size (OR 0.861, 95% CI, 0.772 to 0.960, P = 0.007) as significant predictive factors of pregnancy rate; the higher the oestradiol and the smaller the follicles, the better the pregnancy rate. The pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the letrozole plus gonadotrophin group than the letrozole group (P = 0.04). Better pregnancy rates can be achieved if LH surge occurs before HCG administration, especially with higher oestradiol and lower follicle size; treatment with letrozole plus gonadotrophin was significantly more effective than letrozole alone in AID.

Fertility clinicians and infertile patients in China have different preferences in fertility care.

STUDY QUESTION: Do the preferences for fertility care of infertile Chinese patients differ from those of fertility care providers? SUMMARY ANSWER: Infertile Chinese patients attached the greatest importance to physicians' attitude but, in contrast, fertility care providers in China considered treatment effectiveness to be the most important factor in fertility care. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: In Europe, physicians underestimate the importance of patient-centred infertility care. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A conjoint survey was distributed among 417 female infertile Chinese patients and 83 fertility care providers from February 2013 to August 2013. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: In this pilot study, 389 patients and 83 fertility care providers completed the survey at three reproductive medicine centres. Rating-based conjoint analysis was performed to elicit patients' and their caregivers' preferences regarding fertility care. Cluster analysis was used to explore the heterogeneity among patients' preferences. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: When searching for fertility care, patients valued the physicians' attitude the most, followed by success rates, distance from home to the fertility centre, physician continuity throughout the treatment period and type of fertility centre. Fertility care providers considered success rates (effectiveness) to be the most important factor when recommending a fertility centre. Fertility patients and care providers had significantly different views on the value of treatment effectiveness, physician attitude and physician continuity (P-values <0.05). Cluster analysis revealed that patients' preferences were heterogeneous. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The sample size is relatively small, and there is insufficient power for heterogeneity analysis. Two levels for each of five design factors (2(5)) may not fully capture the characteristics of realistic fertility centres. Rating-based conjoint analysis could be inferior to choice-based conjoint analysis in terms of predictive accuracy. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Fertility care providers in China significantly underestimate the importance of patient-centredness to infertile patients. To deliver optimal fertility care to infertile Chinese patients, fertility care providers need to understand the importance of patient-centred care, such as a friendly attitude, sympathy for patients' suffering, respect for patients' right to informed consent and a transparent treatment process. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This study was not funded, and there are no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: None.

Pulsed laser assisted reduction of graphene oxide as a flexible transparent conducting material.

In this paper, we use a simple and highly-effective pulsed laser reducing method to fabricate flexible, transparent and conducting graphene film. The pulsed laser reducing process was monitored by digital camera and UV-visible spectroscopy. The obtained reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) was characterized by Raman spectroscopy. Based on this reducing method, the resulting r-GO films possessed a transmittance varied from 29% to 74% and a sheet resistance varied from 2.1 MΩ/[square] to 840 Ω/[square], which was very close to chemically r-GO film.

Few-layer graphene direct deposition on Ni and Cu foil by cold-wall chemical vapor deposition.

We report an alternative synthesis process, cold-wall thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD), is replied to directly deposit single-layer and few-layer graphene films on Ar plasma treated Ni and Cu foils using CH4 as carbon source. Through optimizing the process parameters, large scale single-layer graphene grown on Ni foil is comparable to that grown on Cu foil. The graphene films were able to be transferred to other substrates such as SiO2/Si, flexible transparent PET and verified by optical microscopy, Raman microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The sheet resistance and transmission of the transferred graphene films on PET substrate were also discussed.