Here we describe the use of a computer model of pregnancy and labor in the myometrium and show that progesterone and Cox2 inhibitor treatments may not be effective in women with subclinical infection. Our results also suggest that a computer simulation can be used as a novel discovery tool to develop hypotheses and test mechanistic and therapeutic hypotheses before moving into lengthy and costly clinical trials. NF-kB is the main transcription factor responsible for infection induced inflammatory response. In the inactive state NF-kB is found in the cytoplasm bound to IkB a. Infection leads to the activation of a cascade of molecules that lead to the activation of IkB kinase which then phosphorylates IkBa; phosphorylated IkBa isubiquinated and degraded, leaving active NF-kB free to move into the nucleus to initiate inflammatory gene SCH772984 expression including the expression of Cox2. Currently there are no data on infection induced NF-kB activation in the human myometrium. However experiments with human uterine myometrial cells suggest that IL-1 induced NF-kB activation leads to proinflammatory cytokine expression in these cells. Animal models of pregnancy show that intrauterine infection leads to myometrial inflammatory cytokine expression; which suggests NF-kB activation. We assumed that infection will lead to IKK phosphorylation and NF-kB activation in the human pregnant myometrium. In the model, the phospho-IKK level was manipulated by the user to increase the active NF-kB levels. Estrogen is classically considered to be pro-labor. Since there is abundance of estrogen during the pregnancy, the activity of estrogen is thought to be regulated by the tissue estrogen receptor levels. ER alpha is the main receptor in the uterus, expression of which changes during the parturition. We used ER alpha in all simulations and represented as ER. The pre-labor ER mRNA concentration was 0.01 mM in the system. During pregnancy the transcriptional activity of PRB is higher than that of ER, and PRA transcription increases in association with the onset of labor. ER mediated transcription is inhibited by both PRB and PRA, with the PRB inhibition being more significant. Increases in the PRA to PRB ratio leads to increased expression of the estrogen receptor alpha and subsequent expression of contraction associated proteins such as connexin 43, oxytocin receptor and cyclo-oxygenase 2 which lead to the development of the synchronous powerful contractions of labor. Gas hydrates, or clathrates, are ice-like compounds that form when hydrocarbon-based guest molecules are trapped in hydrogen-bonded water cages that form under high pressures and low temperatures. Natural gas hydrates most commonly exist as one of two structures. Small guest molecules such as methane tend to form structure I hydrates while larger guests like propane form structure II hydrates. In the laboratory, gas hydrates are conveniently modeled using tetrahydrofuran which is enclathrated at atmospheric pressures. THF hydrate forms cubic sII clathrates, similar to the hydrates that form in pipelines during oil and gas production. Recently, the petroleum industry has been moving into deeper waters which present prime conditions for hydrate growth. Hydrate plugs AZ 960 impede oil and gas flow, resulting in equipment damage as well as hazardous working conditions that can even result in blowouts. Thermodynamic inhibitors such as methanol are one of the most common practical means of controlling hydrate formation. However, as a result of the high costs, flammability and environmental toxicity associated with such inhibitors.