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Study question Is there any association between clinical outcomes of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the polymorphic variants of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) or tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs)? Summary answer Our findings suggested that clinical outcomes of women undergoing IVF were associated with rs2277698 SNPs in TIMP2. What is known already The extracellular matrix proteolytic machinery is one of the most important mechanisms for regulating trophoblast invasion. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), which are involved in the extracellular matrix proteolysis process, have the ability to regulate the degradation of the extracellular matrix and play a critical role in trophoblast invasion. Study design, size, duration A prospective study was composed of 1014 women undergoing their first fresh IVF cycle with non-donor from January 2014 to December 2015. Participants/materials, setting, methods The present study was carried out in Lee Women’s Hospital, Taiwan. DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of all participants, and the SNPs were genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The effects of the following three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on IVF outcomes were explored: TIMP1 (rs4898 C/T), TIMP2 (rs2277698 C/T) and MMP2 (rs243865 C/T). The SNP genotype, correlation with clinical pregnancy, embryo implantation, abortion and live birth rates of IVF were analyzed. Main results and the role of chance In the analysis of 1014 patients attempting their first cycle of IVF, the genotypes frequencies of the study population showed a statistically significant association between TIMP2 (rs2277698 C/T) and clinical outcome. For TIMP2 polymorphisms, women with wild genotype (CC) hadhigher clinical pregnancy rate (34.8% v.s 28.0%; p = 0.032), embryo implantation rate (19.4% v.s 15.4%; p = 0.009), live birth rate (29.8% v.s 22.1%; p = 0.006), and lower abortion rate (7.0% v.s 17.1%; p = 0.005) compared women with CT/TT genotype. On the other hand, the clinical outcomes in different TIMP1 or MMP2 gene polymorphisms groups were no statistically significant difference. Limitations, reasons for caution The size number of the study samples. Wider implications of the findings This study showed that the TIMP2 SNP polymorphisms CT/TT was associated with low trend of clinical outcomes. The mechanism of TIMP2 gene T allele affected the outcomes of IVF remains to be determined. Further studies should focus on the mechanism of these associations in a larger, more heterogeneous cohort. Trial registration number CS13194

Transport processes coupling with shape development of a bubble captured by a solidification front advancing in a horizontal direction are numerically studied. Porosity in solid plays important roles on microstructure of materials and functional materials in biology, tissue, MEM, micro- or nano-engineering, foods, and geophysics, etc. In view of significant force torque, pore shape development during horizontal solidification is more significant than that during vertical solidification. In this work, transport equations of fluid flow, energy and concentration with sources governing interfacial balance of momentum, energy and concentration in the presence of a bubble entrapped by the solidification front were solved by the commercial COMSOL computer code. The results find the pore shape development affected by velocity, pressure and concentration fields for different gravity forces and flow boundary conditions. Prediction of contact angle agrees with that from Abel's equation during solidification, previously confirmed by experimental data. Controlling pore formation in solid via selecting different gravitational acceleration or ambient pressure and flow boundary conditions can therefore be achieved.

We study the fragmentation fractions $(f_{{\bf B}_b})$ of the $b$-quark to b-baryons (${\bf B}_b$). By the assumption of $f_{\Lambda_b}/(f_u+f_d)=0.25\pm 0.15$ in accordance with the measurements by LEP, CDF and LHCb Collaborations, we estimate that $f_{\Lambda_b}=0.175\pm 0.106$ and $f_{\Xi_b^{-,0}}=0.019\pm 0.013$. From these fragmentation fractions, we derive ${\cal B}(\Lambda_b\to J/\psi \Lambda)=(3.3\pm 2.1)\times 10^{-4}$, ${\cal B}(\Xi_b^-\to J/\psi \Xi^-)=(5.3\pm 3.9)\times 10^{-4}$ and ${\cal B}(\Omega_b^-\to J/\psi \Omega^-)>1.9\times 10^{-5}$. The predictions of ${\cal B}(\Lambda_b\to J/\psi \Lambda)$ and ${\cal B}(\Xi_b^-\to J/\psi \Xi^-)$ clearly enable us to test the theoretical models, such as the QCD factorization approach in the $b$-baryon decays., Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, to be published in PLB

Bipolar disorder is a chronic, recurrent disorder, and its dysfunction has been correlated with poor outcomes and increased risk of recurrence. The main purpose of the family therapy model at issue is to prevent the bipolar patient against recurrent episode.The focuses of the therapy sessions are on the apples drawn by the patient(DDAA), the patient, and the patient-parent relationship. Keywords are gathered from every participant during the therapy session. Besides, the subjects to have verbalized meaningful ideas or successful experiences are immediately, intensely praised by applause during the session. DAILY DRAW AN APPLE(DDAA) homework is that the patient has drawn an apple on a calendar everyday and shares with parents about the apple as well as the patient's feelings of the day. The participants of the family therapy are the patient, parents, and the therapists. The frequency of the model is once monthly. Each session consists of the 10 minutes pre-session, the 60 minutes family therapeutic session, and the 30 minutes post-session. It needs to be emphasized that the frequency of re-hospitalization definitely decreased after receiving therapy.Finally, positive transference was demonstrated in the high attendance rate, in their excitement in receiving the applause, and in their collaboration in presenting the keywords. With the aid of the family therapy, they have been almost free from affective symptoms, and the hostile dependent tie with their parents having been steadily improved. To prevent the bipolar patient against recurrent episode has been achieved in the five cases family therapy presented here.

A slug pattern for gas-liquid flow in horizontal pipelines is observed when slugs of liquid block the whole pipeline and move as a coherent mass downstream at a velocity approximately equal to the gas velocity. At low gas velocities they are easily observed in a transparent pipe. However, at high gas velocities it is difficult to differentiate slugs from large amplitude waves which momentarily close off the pipe cross section. This paper shows how the pressure measurements at two locations, separated from each other in the flow direction, can be used to detect slugs.

New results are presented on interfacial patterns observed for air and water flowing in horizontal 2.54 and 9.53 cm pipelines close to atmospheric conditions. This work differs from previous studies in that measurements of pressure fluctuations at two locations separated in the streamwise direction are used to detect slugs. The liquid flow needed to initiate slugs at low gas velocities is strongly affected by pipe diameter and appears to depend on a linear instability. At high gas velocities the transition is approximately independent of pipe diameter and is explained by a nonlinear mechanism associated with the coalescence of roll waves. The initiation of slugs in the annular flow regime is determined to occur at much lower liquid flows than had been reported by previous investigators. The transition from stratified to annular flow is different in smaller-diameter pipes than in larger pipes because wave wetting plays a more important role.

This paper explores the application of linear stability theory to explain the onset of slugging. It is shown that the inviscid Kelvin-Helmholtz theory correctly predicts stability of a stratified flow only for very large liquid viscosities. In general, however, inviscid theory is in error because it ignores the destabilizing effect of liquid inertia. Good agreement is noted between the linear stability analysis and observations of the initiation of slugs in 2.54- and 9.53-cm horizontal pipes at superficial gas velocities less than 3.3 m/s.