Search

Purpose: There is several albeit not univocal evidence suggesting that ovarian reserve is not related to the chance of natural pregnancy, provided that the remnant follicular pool is sufficient to ensure regular menstrual cycles. Nevertheless, available studies have some methodological limitations, and the issue cannot be considered definitively ascertained. Methods: To further address this issue, we retrospectively selected infertile women whose infertility diagnostic work-up was unremarkable (unexplained infertility-cases) and matched them by age and study period to a group of infertile women who were diagnosed with severe male infertility (controls). If ovarian reserve impacts on natural fertility, one had to expect lower ovarian reserve among women with unexplained infertility. Tested biomarkers included AMH, AFC and day 2–3 serum FSH. The primary aim was the frequency of women with serum AMH < 0.7 ng/ml. Results: Two-hundred fifty-two women with unexplained infertility and 252 women with male infertility were included. All biomarkers of ovarian reserve did not differ between the study groups. AMH levels < 0.7 ng/mL were observed in 26 (10%) women with unexplained infertility and 35 (14%) women with male infertility (p = 0.28). The adjusted OR was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.44–1.33). Significant differences did not also emerge when repeating this dichotomous analysis using other biomarkers and other thresholds for the definition of low-ovarian reserve. Conclusion: This study confirms that ovarian reserve is unremarkable to natural conception. Physicians and patients should be aware of this concept to avoid inappropriate counseling and undue clinical decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public transport systems worldwide experienced significant declines in usage during the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and work-from-home mandates. While numerous studies have examined these phenomena, there is still a need for empirical evidence that not only documents what occurred but also provides actionable insights for future transport planning. This study aims to enhance understanding of public transport passengers' mobility behaviors during different stages of the pandemic, using the Metropolitan Area of Porto, Portugal, as a case study. Automated Fare Collection data from 2020 were analyzed and compared with data from the pre-pandemic year of 2019. The analysis included temporal, spatial, spatio-temporal, and sociodemographic dimensions. Key patterns and trends identified include a rapid recovery of ridership post-restriction easing, homogenized daily travel patterns, varied impacts on different transport modes, and significant shifts in demographic travel behaviors. These findings highlight the resilience of public transport demand and suggest that adaptive scheduling, enhanced safety measures, targeted support for vulnerable groups, promotion of off-peak travel, investment in bus infrastructure, and encouragement of multi-modal transport are essential strategies. Implementing these strategies can help improve public transport planning and mitigate the adverse effects of future crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Public transport systems worldwide experienced significant declines in usage during the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdowns and work-from-home mandates. While numerous studies have examined these phenomena, there is still a need for empirical evidence that not only documents what occurred but also provides actionable insights for future transport planning. This study aims to enhance understanding of public transport passengers’ mobility behaviors during different stages of the pandemic, using the Metropolitan Area of Porto, Portugal, as a case study. Automated Fare Collection data from 2020 were analyzed and compared with data from the pre-pandemic year of 2019. The analysis included temporal, spatial, spatio-temporal, and sociodemographic dimensions. Key patterns and trends identified include a rapid recovery of ridership post-restriction easing, homogenized daily travel patterns, varied impacts on different transport modes, and significant shifts in demographic travel behaviors. These findings highlight the resilience of public transport demand and suggest that adaptive scheduling, enhanced safety measures, targeted support for vulnerable groups, promotion of off-peak travel, investment in bus infrastructure, and encouragement of multi-modal transport are essential strategies. Implementing these strategies can help improve public transport planning and mitigate the adverse effects of future crises.

Summary: Real‐time estimation of crowd counting in underground metro systems, constrained by limited space, is crucial for managing heightened pedestrian volumes and responding promptly to emergencies. To address this challenge, we propose a passenger state transition‐based model, called STRmt, designed for the seamless and continuous monitoring of real‐time crowd movement within service areas of stations and trains, leveraging auto fare collection systems (AFC) as a comprehensive sensor network. Our innovation lies in modeling the dynamic movement of passengers within a metro system over time as a state transition process aligned with the train schedule. To achieve this, we introduce a spatio‐temporal deep learning framework, denoted as STnet, designed to dynamically predict these state transitions. The performance of our method is rigorously assessed through extensive experiments conducted spanning 2 years in Shenzhen, China, utilizing AFC data, train schedule data, and weather data. The results demonstrate that the proposed method surpasses baseline methods, achieving an estimation precision of 0.92. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creeping of Armoured Face Conveyor (AFC) is an engineering problem that needs to be avoided in coal mining production process. In this paper, a method for predicting the creeping accident of AFC based on fuzzy reasoning and Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) fusion iteration is put forward. Firstly, through the force analysis of the AFC and the fuzzy correlation analysis method in the actual operation process, the reasons for the creeping of AFC are analyzed; Secondly, according to the propulsion characteristics of the AFC in the time sequence development, the method of the AFC running track based on Bi-LSTM neural network is proposed; Then, on the basis of the virtual transformation of the prediction results, a judgment mechanism for the extent of the creeping of the AFC based on fuzzy evidence reasoning based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and Dempster-Shafer evidence theory (D-S evidence theory) is established; Finally, the analysis on the creeping of 9711 full-mechanized mining face in Kaiyuan Mine under virtual environment after 6 cycles of continuous advancement shows that the extent of creeping of AFC is relatively high and coal mining accidents are likely to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To improve the reliability of prediction models for ovarian response to stimulation in ART. Design: A multicenter retrospective cohort study. Setting: Twelve reproductive centers. Patients: A total of 25,854 controlled ovarian stimulations between 2005 and 2016, including cycles cancelled for inadequate response, were included. Intervention(s): None. Main outcome measure(s): Precision of the prediction of the number of oocytes at ovarian pickup and of cancellation rate for poor ovarian response. Results: Both AMH and antral follicle count exhibit a non-linear effect on the oocyte yield, with a linear relationship after log-transformation. After adjustment for age, BMI, and center, ovarian response observed in a previous stimulation was found to be the best predictor, followed by AMH and AFC. The zero-inflated binomial negative model showed that predictors of cycle cancellation and number of oocytes at retrieval were different, and assimilating cancellation to zero oocyte greatly reduces the determination of the model. Our model was characterized by the best ever reached determination (R2=0.505 for non-naïve women, 0.313 for all the women) and provided evidence of a very strong difference among centers. The results can be easily converted in the prediction of response levels (poor-medium-good-high). Finally, in case of partial report of the above predictors, we show that the univariate prediction based on the best predictor provides a good approximation. Conclusion(s): A substantial improvement of the ovarian response prediction is possible in modelling the possible cancellation decision, followed by the oocyte retrieval itself, according to an appropriate model based on previous stimulation and non-linear effects of AMH and AFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Ovarian reserve is the number of oocytes remaining in the ovary and is one of the most important aspects of a woman’s reproductive potential. Research on the association between thyroid dysfunction and ovarian reserve has yielded controversial results. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and ovarian reserve markers. Methods From 1443 women seeking infertility care, the data of 1396 women aged between 20–45 years old who had a body mass index between 18–30 kg/m2 were recruited for this retrospective study. The anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and TSH relationship was analyzed with generalized linear and polynomial regression. Results Median age, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), AMH, and TSH levels were 36.79 years, 9.55 IU/L, 3.57 pmol/L, and 1.80 mIU/L, respectively. Differences between TSH groups were statistically significant in terms of AMH level, antral follicle count (AFC), and age (p = 0.007 and p = 0.038, respectively). A generalized linear regression model could not explain age-matched TSH levels concerning AMH levels (p > 0.05). TSH levels were utilized in polynomial regression models of AMH, and the 2nd degree was found to have the best fit. The inflection point of the model was 2.88 mIU/L. Conclusions Our study shows a correlation between TSH and AMH values in a population of infertile women. Our results are as follows: a TSH value of 2.88 mIU/L yields the highest AMH result. It was also found that AMH and AFC were positively correlated, while AMH and FSH were negatively correlated.

Background: Ovarian reserve is the number of oocytes remaining in the ovary and is one of the most important aspects of a woman's reproductive potential. Research on the association between thyroid dysfunction and ovarian reserve has yielded controversial results. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and ovarian reserve markers. Methods: From 1443 women seeking infertility care, the data of 1396 women aged between 20–45 years old who had a body mass index between 18–30 kg/m2 were recruited for this retrospective study. The anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and TSH relationship was analyzed with generalized linear and polynomial regression. Results: Median age, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), AMH, and TSH levels were 36.79 years, 9.55 IU/L, 3.57 pmol/L, and 1.80 mIU/L, respectively. Differences between TSH groups were statistically significant in terms of AMH level, antral follicle count (AFC), and age (p = 0.007 and p = 0.038, respectively). A generalized linear regression model could not explain age-matched TSH levels concerning AMH levels (p > 0.05). TSH levels were utilized in polynomial regression models of AMH, and the 2nd degree was found to have the best fit. The inflection point of the model was 2.88 mIU/L. Conclusions: Our study shows a correlation between TSH and AMH values in a population of infertile women. Our results are as follows: a TSH value of 2.88 mIU/L yields the highest AMH result. It was also found that AMH and AFC were positively correlated, while AMH and FSH were negatively correlated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates how various village services help older Indonesians perform daily activities and reduce age-related disability. Individual-level data from the 2020 National Socio-Economic Survey (SUSENAS) (N = 121,961 older people) and community-level data from the 2018 Village Potential Data Census Collection (PODES) (N = 83,931 villages in a data aggregation across 514 municipalities) were used in a multilevel binary logistic regression model. The interclass coefficient correlation (ICC) was calculated to determine the variation in characteristics across 514 municipalities to explain the differences in functional status. The ICC was approximately 16.2%, indicating that creating an age-friendly environment would help to delay the onset of disability. Older populations in Indonesia have a high percentage of informal employment, a low educational level, low percentages of affluent households, and few leisure activities. The findings highlight that the development of age-friendly services in the village should consider employment status and leisure activities. Participation in employment is a well-acknowledged concept for promoting active aging in developed nations but is secondary in managing age-related disability in Indonesia. The municipal government must develop an aging-friendly community (AFC) to create a supportive environment to meet the basic health and social needs of older people with age-related disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permo-Carboniferous rhyolitic rocks are widespread in the NE German Basin and NW Polish Basin. Hafnium (Hf) and oxygen (O) isotopes analysed in zircon from these rocks suggest diverse sources and processes involved in the formation of rhyolitic magmas. In this study, detailed core-to-rim trace element compositions were analyzed in zircon from four localities that were previously analyzed for Hf and O isotopes. The trace element analyses, in particular Hf concentrations as well as Eu/Eu*, Ce/U, Yb/Gd, and Th/U ratios, are consistent with prolonged magma evolution in three localities from the NE German Basin (Fehmarn, Slazwedel and Penkun). The fourth locality within the NW Polish Basin (Wysoka Kamieńska) is consistent with a shorter period of magma evolution. Similar stages were distinguished in zircon from the three NE German Basin localities that include: early crystallization followed by rejuvenation with more primitive magma (stage A), subsequent fractional crystallization (stage B) and finally late crystallization in a saturated system or alternatively late rejuvenation with a more primitive magma (stage C). Interestingly magmatic rims on inherited zircon grains have compositions typical for late stage B and stage C, which is consistent with their late addition to evolving rhyolitic magma, most probably during assimilation and not during source melting. The zircon from the fourth, NW Polish Basin locality shows limited compositional variability consistent with the eruption of hot magma not long after the zircon started crystallizing. Thus trace element analyses in zircon provide a record of magmatic processes complementary to that of Hf and O isotope analysis, in that, a detailed analyses of core-to-rim compositional variations are particularly useful in distinguishing respective stages of magma evolution and can pinpoint the relative timing of inherited grains being incorporated into magma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Does cancer itself, before any gonadotoxic treatment, affect ovarian function in reproductive-aged patients? SUMMARY ANSWER Our study revealed that women with cancer may have decreased ovarian reserve markers even before cancer therapy. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY With the field 'oncofertility' improving rapidly, cancer therapy-mediated ovarian damage is well characterized. However, there is a controversy about whether cancer itself affects ovarian function before gonadotoxic treatment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We conducted a systematic meta-analysis investigating the association between cancer and ovarian function prior to gonadotoxic treatment. Titles or abstracts related to ovarian reserve (e.g. anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC), or basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)) combined with titles or abstracts related to the exposure (e.g. cancer*, oncolog*, or malignan*) were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from inception to 1 February 2022. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS We included cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies in English that examined ovarian reserve in reproductive-aged patients (18–45 years) with cancer compared to age-matched controls before cancer treatment. The quality of the included studies was assessed by ROBINS-I. Fixed or random effects were conducted to estimate standard or weighted mean difference (SMD or WMD, respectively) and CI. Heterogeneity was assessed by the Q test and I 2 statistics, and publication bias was evaluated by Egger's and Begg's tests. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The review identified 17 eligible studies for inclusion. The results showed that cancer patients had lower serum AMH levels compared to healthy controls (SMD = −0.19, 95% CI = −0.34 to −0.03, P  =   0.001), especially women with hematological malignancies (SMD = −0.62, 95% CI = −0.99 to −0.24, P  =   0.001). The AFC was also decreased in patients with cancer (WMD = −0.93, 95% CI = −1.79 to −0.07, P  = 0.033) compared to controls, while inhibin B and basal FSH levels showed no statistically significant differences. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Serum AMH and basal FSH levels in this meta-analysis showed high heterogeneity, and the small number of studies contributing to most subgroup analyses limited the heterogeneity analysis. Moreover, the studies for specific cancer subtypes may be too small to draw conclusions; more studies are needed to investigate the possible impact of cancer type and stage on ovarian function. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our study confirmed the findings that cancer per se, especially hematological malignancies, negatively affects serum AMH level, and AFC values of reproductive-aged women. However, the lower AMH levels and AFC values may also be due to the changes in ovarian physiology under oncological conditions, rather than actual lower ovarian reserves. Based on the meta-analysis, clinicians should raise awareness about the possible need for personalized approaches for young women with cancer who are interested in pursuing fertility preservation strategies before anticancer treatments. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos 81873824, 82001514, and 81902669) and the Applied Basic Research Program of Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology (2019020701011436). The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. REGISTRATION NUMBER PROSPERO (CRD42021235954). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paleoproterozoic Khondalite Belt, located in the northwestern segment of North China Craton (NCC), is characterized by widespread high-temperature/ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) granulite/gneiss and large-scale magmatic activity. The tectonic evolution is still controversial. Here, we report new geochronological, elemental, and Hf-O-Sr-Nd isotopic data for a Paleoproterozoic layered complex in the Jining terrane to constrain the tectonic evolution of the Khondalite Belt. In situ zircon U-Pb dating indicates that the Sanchakou gabbros were emplaced between ~1.94 Ga and ~1.82 Ga, which might be the heat source of UHT metamorphism. The elemental and Hf-O-Sr-Nd isotopic analysis shows that the formation of Sanchakou gabbros is consistent with the assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) process. The magma originates from the 10%~20% partial melting of the spinel + garnet lherzolite mantle. The Sanchakou gabbros are magmatic crystallization products mixed with crustal wallrocks in the magma chamber. We have established a tectonic evolution model involving asthenosphere upwelling after the amalgamation of the Ordos and Yinshan Blocks at ~1.95 Ga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penerapan Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) pada KA Commuter Line dapat memberikan pengetahuan baru dalam melakukan navigasi antar jalur KA Commuter Line dengan data perjalanan Commuter Line secara real. Sistem AFC memungkinkan manajemen untuk memperoleh data rinci dalam jumlah besar mengenai rute setiap komuter setiap hari. Salah satu tantangan yang dihadapi dalam menggunakan big data di AFC adalah ekstraksi data perilaku penumpang angkutan. Perilaku penumpang Commuter Line merupakan faktor yang sangat penting bagi operator untuk mengambil keputusan yang tepat. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode association rules untuk mengekstrak data AFC guna menghasilkan informasi yang baik dan memahami perilaku komuter Jabodetabek. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa metode association rules dapat mengekstraksi data AFC dan menghasilkan aturan asosiasi yang kuat pada perilaku komuter.

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is one of the primary causes of poor ICSI outcomes. Therefore, this study was performed to speculate which of the following parameters: AMH, AFC, and women's age can be used as a predictor factor of the DOR in women aged < 40 years. This prospective study enrolled 500 women suffering from idiopathic infertility problems and who underwent GnRH antagonist multiple-dose stimulation protocol. The women were divided into two groups: normal fertility (FSH ≤ 10 mIU/mL, n = 300) and DOR (FSH > 10 mIU/mL, n = 200). At the time of the study, the average of women age was 29.3 ± 5.7 years. A significant reduction was found in AMH level, AFC, number of mature, immature oocytes, fertilized oocytes, embryos transferred, and β-hCG level in the DOR group compared to the normal fertility group (P < 0.001). Conversely, a significant increase was shown in the age of the DOR group compared to the normal fertility group (30.8 ± 5.8 vs. 28.2 ± 5.4, respectively; P < 0.001). A significant negative association was found between the AFC, the number of mature oocytes, fertilized oocytes, embryos transferred, and the basal level of FSH in the DOR group (P < 0.01). The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) demonstrated that AMH level and AFC had the highest accuracy, followed by age in the prediction of DOR (P < 0.001) with a cut-off value of ≤ 1.2 ng/mL, ≤ 4.5, and > 29.5 years, respectively. This study exhibited that the levels of AMH and AFC are the best biomarkers, followed by age for the prediction of DOR in women < 40 years old. Furthermore, AMH is the only independent factor that is significantly related to DOR in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the roll-out of renewable energies, highly-efficient storage systems are needed to be developed to enable sustainable use of these technologies. For short duration lithium-ion batteries provide the best performance, with storage efficiencies between 70 and 95%. Hydrogen based technologies can be developed as an attractive storage option for longer storage durations. But, common polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers and fuel cells have round-trip system efficiencies of only 30–40%, and platinum and rare iridium catalysts are needed. Thus, it is a major challenge to increase the energy conversion efficiency of electrolyzers and fuel cells significantly, and at the same time to use non-precious catalysts. The present work experimentally examines the usefulness of a bifunctional NiC catalyst in two different assemblies: an alkaline fuel cell (AFC) with electrolyte gap and gas diffusion electrodes and an alkaline membrane electrolyzer (AEL). The performance characteristics of the novel system are compared with a reversible PEM fuel cell. While the AEL reaches acceptable power densities, the PEM based system still performs better than the proposed system. The AFC with an electrolyte gap provides remarkable results as it shows vanishingly small overvoltage during electrolysis at temperatures around 90 °C and current density of 100 mA cm−2: an electrolyzer efficiency of about 100% could be achieved for the single cell. The round-trip efficiency was also very high: 65% were realized with 50 mA cm−2. While the current density must be improved, this is a promising result for designing highly-efficient energy storage systems based on alkaline fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychometric properties of the Levenson's Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) are evaluated in incarcerated (n = 300) and non-incarcerated (n = 248) samples in the Mexican population. The models that have been reported in previous studies were tested by means of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Brinkley's trifactorial model was the one presenting the best fit, whose indicators were similar to those reported in previous studies. Regarding reliability, a Cronbach's alpha =.766 and McDonald's omega =.761 was obtained for the total scale. The observed results provide theoretical and practical support on the dimensionality of the psychopathy construct. Implications for both research and assessment of psychopathy in correctional facilities and in the general population are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of body mass index (BMI) values and 25(OH) vitamin D levels determined by Endocrine Society on serum Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty infertile women with PCOS and 30 age-matched women with unexplained infertility (UEI), were included. Patients in PCOS and control groups were divided into three subgroups according to their BMI values as normal, overweight and obese. Each BMI group was divided into three subgroups according to vitamin D levels. While AMH and vitamin D levels were determined at first admission, AFC was measured on the third day of cycle. RESULTS: BMI, AFC, and AMH levels of women with PCOS were significantly higher than the UEI group. AMH values of women with PCOS with normal BMI were found to be significantly higher than UEI controls with normal BMI. AMH values of overweight and obese PCOS patients and controls were similar. As BMI values of the PCOS group increased, vitamin D levels decreased significantly. Vitamin D levels of the patients in the PCOS group were found to be significantly lower than the control group. When evaluated according to BMI, the vitamin D levels of normal, overweight and obese women with PCOS were significantly lower than the UEI. CONCLUSIONS: Rising BMI in PCOS leads to a significant decrease in vitamin D and AMH. Deficiency, insufficiency or normality of vitamin D do not affect the main markers of ovarian reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel clay (aminoclay, AC) functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) was employed as a novel hybrid supporting material to Ag and Au nanoparticles for the improvement of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The size and structure of the catalysts were studied by XRD and electron microscopy analysis, revealing that the average crystallite and particle size was about 3.4 and 2.6 nm for Au and 16.2 and 15.3 nm for Ag nanoparticles, respectively. The ORR performance was probed by employing the voltammetry techniques under static and hydrodynamic conditions. The results show that the electrochemical surface area of Au (57.5 m2/g) and Ag (17.8 m2/g) on AC/MWCNT are larger than that of AC-free catalysts, and the ORR mechanism follows a direct 4-electron transfer pathway. The supported Au and Ag on AC/MWCNT catalysts explicitly showed the enhanced electrocatalytic efficiency and activity on ORR than that of the AC-free MWCNT catalysts. This work demonstrates that developing surface functionalized carbon support using an inorganic silicate layer (clay minerals) as hybrid support for the persistence of active metal catalysts could be a promising strategy for advanced LT-AFCs ORR electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Internacional de Investigación en Adicciones is the property of Centros de Integracion Juvenil A.C. (CIJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of various non-genetic factors on first lactation and lifetime productivity in Nili-Ravi buffaloes, including season of birth, period of birth, age at first calving, season of first calving, period of first calving, and number of lactations completed. The livestock data on first lactation and lifetime performance traits relevant to 501 Nili-Ravi buffaloes were collected from the history sheet of the animal for a period from 1983 to 2017 (i.e., 35 years) and maintained at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research—Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (ICAR-CIRB) sub-campus, in Nabha, Punjab, India. To evaluate the least-squares means (LSMs) and the effect of non-genetic factors on performance traits, a least-squares analysis model was applied. The overall LSM for age at first calving (AFC) was 45.03 ± 0.40 months and ranged from 34 to 54 months. The results indicated that the effect of AFC was highly significant (p ≤ 0.01) on first lactation total milk yield (FLTMY), first lactation standard milk yield (305 days or less) (FLSMY), first peak milk yield (FPY), and first lactation length (FLL) in the Nili-Ravi breed of buffaloes. FLTMY, FLSMY, and FPY were highest (2,250.08 ± 48.16 kg, 1,944.68 ± 31.20 kg, and 9.32 ± 0.16 kg/day, respectively) for animals with an AFC of 42–48 months. Furthermore, FLTMY, FLSMY, and FLL were highest (2,411.02 ± 68.68 kg, 2,008.81 ± 44.49 kg, and 357.43 ± 8.13 days, respectively) in animals that first calved in the autumn season. However, the lowest first dry period (FDP), first service period (FSP), and first calving interval (FCI) (110.63 ± 7.42 days, 125.48 ± 9.04 days, and 443.63 ± 9.00 days, respectively) were found for animals that first calved in the rainy season. The overall LSM for herd life (HL), productive life (PL), productive days (PDs), unproductive days (UDs), total lifetime milk yield (total LTMY), standard lifetime milk yield (standard LTMY), milk yield per day of productive life (MY/PL), milk yield per day of productive days (MY/PDs), and milk yield per day of herd life (MY/HL) were estimated as 3,779.84 ± 31.86 days, 2,078.55 ± 24.32 days, 1,552.74 ± 20.06 days, 525.81 ± 12.44 days, 10,229.71 ± 195.31 kg, 9,203.64 ± 173.52 kg, 4.86 ± 0.08 kg/day, 6.46 ± 0.08 kg/day, and 2.66 ± 0.04 kg/day, respectively. The effect of AFC on HL, PDs, UDs, total LTMY, and standard LTMY was highly significant (p ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, the effect of season of first calving on HL, PL, and PDs was significant (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, the effect of the period of first calving on HL, PDs, standard LTMY, and total LTMY was significant (p ≤ 0.05). In these contexts, it can be concluded that the buffaloes of the Nili-Ravi breed with an AFC of 42–48 months performed better than animals with a later AFC in terms of production, reproduction, and lifetime traits.

Copyright of Marmara Üniversitesi Hukuk Fakültesi Hukuk Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Marmara University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The balance of gas exchange and lung ventilation is essential for the maintenance of body homeostasis. There are many ion channels and transporters in respiratory epithelial cells, including epithelial sodium channel, Na,K-ATPase, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, and some transporters. These ion channels/transporters maintain the capacity of liquid layer on the surface of respiratory epithelial cells and provide an immune barrier for the respiratory system to clear off foreign pathogens. However, in some harmful external environments and/or pathological conditions, the respiratory epithelium is prone to hypoxia, which would destroy the ion transport function of the epithelium and unbalance the homeostasis of internal environment, triggering a series of pathological reactions. Many respiratory diseases associated with hypoxia manifest an increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1, which mediates the integrity of the epithelial barrier and affects epithelial ion transport function. It is important to study the relationship between hypoxia and ion transport function, whereas the mechanism of hypoxia-induced ion transport dysfunction in respiratory diseases is not clear. This review focuses on the relationship between hypoxia and respiratory diseases, as well as dysfunction of ion transport and tight junctions in respiratory epithelial cells under hypoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the effect of salpingectomy on ovarian reserve. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Dynamed plus, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register databases were searched from their inception to December 2020 to identify relevant studies, including cross‐sectional studies, retrospective studies, and randomized controlled trials. Studies that compared anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and/or antral follicle count (AFC) between the control and salpingectomy groups or before and after surgery were included. Results: Twenty‐one articles were included in the systematic review. Meta‐analyses were performed on 16 studies in which data were presented as mean ± SD values. A meta‐analysis comparing AMH levels before and after surgery in the same patients showed no significant decrease in all cases, irrespective of whether it was unilateral or bilateral salpingectomy. There was no significant decrease in the AFC in the meta‐analysis comparing levels before and after bilateral salpingectomy, either. In contrast, in the case–controlled study the salpingectomy group had significantly lower levels of AMH in all meta‐analyses of unilateral and bilateral surgery (mean difference: −0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.55, −0.07), only unilateral cases (mean difference: −0.28, 95% CI: −0.50, −0.06), and only bilateral cases (mean difference: −0.71, 95% CI: −1.19, −0.23). The salpingectomy group that included unilateral and bilateral cases had significantly lower AFC compared with no‐surgery controls (mean difference: −1.31, 95% CI: −2.13, −0.48). Conclusion: Although not conclusive, it does appear that patients who underwent salpingectomy (either unilateral or bilateral) have a decreased ovarian reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Afonso Cláudio Intrusive Complex (ACIC) is a typical post-collisional intrusion from Araçuaí-West Congo orogen (AWCO). The ACIC intruded allanite-bearing orthogneisses from AWCO pre-collisional tectonic stage (Rio Doce arc related rocks) and paragneisses from Nova Venécia Complex and it is composed of two lowered off-centered monzogabbroic and monzodioritic cores surrounded by quartz monzonite high hills, showing intense magma mingling and mixing between these domains. Xenoliths attributed to the enclosing gneisses have been commonly found widespread in the quartz monzonitic rocks, while are occasional in the monzogabbroic and monzodioritic domain. This paper presents the first detailed investigation of the xenoliths hosted by an AWCO post-collisional intrusion, focusing on petrography, major and trace element geochemistry and U–Th–Pb monazite dating of the main xenolith types. For comparison, major and trace element data investigation of the ACIC enclosing rocks has also been conducted. The correlated xenoliths and ACIC enclosing rocks show partially similar geochemical features, however both show different REE and multi-element normalized patterns compared to the ACIC main rocks. These results suggest that correlated xenoliths and enclosing rocks are cogenetic, however both could not represent the main sources of magmas that generated the ACIC. Geochemical modeling of igneous processes of previous ACIC dataset considering the investigated xenoliths and enclosing rocks as the main assimilant material suggests that mixing was responsible for both ACIC main rocks similar geochemical patterns and linear trends in the bimodal diagrams. This modeling also indicates that the evolution of the ACIC main rocks was ruled by different processes. Fractional crystallization with minor influence of assimilation of enclosing rocks controlled the magmatic evolution of monzogabbro and monzodiorite related to an enriched mantle source, while coupled assimilation and fractional crystallization ruled the evolution of quartz monzonite possibly associated to lower crust magmas mainly contaminated by enclosing rocks. U–Th–Pb monazite dating of two xenoliths showed that these rocks preserved similar main ages related to different stages of ACIC and AWCO post-collisional evolution. Both xenoliths showed main older ages of 478 and 477 Ma which are related to ACIC intrusion during AWCO post-collisional stage, while younger ages of 431 and 427 Ma are probably related to the intrusion of syenogranite dykes that crosscut the ACIC, representing an extension of AWCO post-collisional magmatism or a later unrelated thermal event. Due to the similarities between the typical AWCO post-collisional intrusions, the insights brought about the evolution of ACIC magmas could be considered to the typical AWCO post-collisional mantle and crustal magmas. This first investigation of xenoliths hosted by an AWCO post-collisional intrusion has showed that these strange rock pieces could bring new and important insights about the AWCO evolution, which shows an amazing and long-lasting magmatism with common occurrence of poorly investigated xenoliths. • The ACIC is formed by the interaction between mantle and crustal contrasting magmas. • The contrasting magmas evolved ruled by different processes. • Assimilation of enclosing country rocks is an important process in ACIC evolution. • The xenoliths preserved two main ages related to ACIC and AWCO evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) are correlated with the ovarian response, but their reliability and reproducibility are questionable. This large multicenter study describes their distribution, inter-cycle and inter-center variability, and their correlation. Methods: A total of 25,854 IVF cycles among 15,219 patients were selected in 12 ART centers. Statistical distribution of AMH and AFC was studied by using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and Shapiro goodness of fit test. The reproducibility of AFC and AMH was measured using a mixed model regressing the logarithmic transformation of AFC with age. Results: The distribution of AMH and AFC was characterized by a wide dispersion of values, twice more important for AFC, and a logarithmic distribution. The faster decline in AMH than in AFC with age suggests that their correlation changes with age. AMH and AFC showed a very low proportion of concordance in the range of expected poor responders according to Bologna cutoffs. The heterogeneity for AMH and AFC across centers was small, but much larger across patients within each center. Concerning the patients with several successive cycles, the reproducibility for AMH seemed much better than for AFC. Comparing respective performances of AMH and AFC for the prediction of ovarian response depended on the local conditions for measuring these indicators and on the reproducibility of results improved over time. Conclusion: Distribution of AMH and AFC was characterized by the wide dispersion of values, and a logarithmic distribution. Establishing cutoffs or a direct relationship AMH/AFC without considering age seems hazardous. Correlation between AMH and AFC was very poor in the range of poor responders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart card data from the Automatic Fare Collecting systems (AFC) and timetable information, such as Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), are used in combination by practitioners and researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the public transit network. In some cases, AVL data are not available due to records being missing in the system. In such cases, people resort to the used schedule timetable such as General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) to match smart card data to the transit network. Since delays or changes to the timetable are not contained in the scheduled timetable, it can result in wrong matches between the smart card data and the transit network. This paper shows how the uncertainty of arrival and departure times affects passengers to train assignments and proposes a method for estimating the missing arrival time of trains when the recorded timetable information is not available. The method uses the knowledge of how the tap-outs are distributed in a hierarchical, latent Bayesian model to predict the arrival times of trains. Evaluated on 15,136 train arrivals, the model can infer 70% of the arrivals times with an average error of 28 to 32 seconds depending on the station.

Copyright of Railway Signalling & Communication Engineering is the property of Railway Signalling & Communication Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Women with diminished ovarian reserve are known to have increased cardiovascular risk, whether there is a continuous association between the ovarian reserve biomarkers; anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC) and cardio-metabolic risk factors are unknown. Methods A cross-sectional study of 398 women intending to undergo IVF with pre-treatment early follicular AMH and AFC measurements. Serum lipids, lipoprotein subclasses and low-molecular-weight metabolites were quantified by NMR spectroscopy (155 metabolic measures). Associations were analysed using multivariable regression. Results Participants were mean 35.5 (SD 4.43) years old and had a median AMH of 16 pmol/l (IQR 8.8, 28.0 pmol/l) and a median AFC of 12 (IQR 7.16). AMH showed positive associations with HDL, omega-6 and polyunsaturated fatty acids and the amino acids isoleucine, leucine and tyrosine, with effects ranging from 0.11 (95%CI 0.004 to 0.21) for total lipids in small HDL to 0.16 (0.06 to 0.26) for isoleucine, for a mean difference of one SD of metabolite per one SD increment in AMH, and negatively with acetate: − 0.31(− 0.22, − 0.004) SD per 1 SD AMH. AFC was positively associated with alanine, glutamine and glycine. Results were consistent, though less precisely estimated, when restricted to those women who were preparing for treatment because of their partner’s infertility. Conclusions In women intending to have IVF, AMH and AFC were not associated with traditional lipid measured but were associated with a number of novel cardiovascular risk factors. Prospective studies will be required for replication, determination of causality and confirmation that ovarian reserve is impacting on metabolism rather than variation in metabolism is influencing ovarian reserve.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of age at first calving on functional traits – longevity and productive life in dairy cows. The survey included 1490 Holstein cows from 5 cattle farms in Bulgaria. The average milk yield per cow in the farms studied ranged from 6031.68 kg to 8660.37 kg. The average age at first calving was 29.68 months. The highest percentage of cows calved for the first time at age 28–30 months – 29.53%, generally 38.06% of cows calved for the first time at a very high age – over 31 months and only 7.58% calved aged up to 24 months. The average longevity for all culled cows was 6.05 years and the productive life – 3.63 years. 22% of all culled cows at these farms were culled before the end of their first lactation. The highest total longevity was in cows calved for the first time at high age – over 28 months. Cows calved for the first time, both at low age (up to 24 months) and at high age (over 37 months), had a shorter productive life of 4.0 and 3.9 years, respectively. Cows with the shortest productive life – one year and less – had and the highest average age at first calving of 30.21 months.

Antecedentes: Ryff concibió el bienestar psicológico desde claves eudaimónicas, construyendo para su medida las Psychological Well-Being Scales (PWBS) que incluyen seis dimensiones. Esta escala, se ha usado en países, muestras etarias, idiomas y versiones en cuanto a la cantidad de ítems diferentes; por lo que su validez ha sido puesta a prueba debido a que las soluciones factoriales varían considerablemente. El objetivo fue analizar la validez factorial de los principales modelos teóricos del bienestar propuestos en la literatura, para determinar cuál de ellos presenta los niveles de ajuste más satisfactorios en población mexicana universitaria. Método. Se aplicó el PWBS a 1400 estudiantes de 10 licenciaturas de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Se probaron los modelos mediante un análisis factorial confirmatorio, se calculó la fiabilidad total y por áreas a partir de alfa de Cronbach y omega. Resultados: Se encontraron dos estructuras de ajuste factorial satisfactorias, una de 4 factores (17 reactivos) y otra de 6 factores (20 ítems); con índices generales de fiabilidad adecuados, e índices por áreas que van de 0.642 a 0.604 y 0.442 a 0.754 respectivamente. Conclusiones: Se proponen dos versiones válidas de la escala de bienestar para evaluar el constructo en universitarios mexicanos.

Copyright of Cultura, Ciencia y Deporte is the property of Cultura, Ciencia y Deporte and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Railway Signalling & Communication Engineering is the property of Railway Signalling & Communication Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Information on the follicular population and oocyte quality of cows in the final period of reproductive life is scarce. The present study aimed to compare the antral follicle count (AFC), oocyte production and embryonic developmental competence of young versus long-lived and senescent Bos indicus beef cows. Nellore cows (Bos indicus) were classified into three groups according to age: young (4–9 years, n = 10), long-lived (14–17 years, n = 10) and senescent (17–23 years, n = 10). At a random time in the estrus cycle, the cows received cloprostenol sodium salt (0.5 mg, IM), estradiol benzoate (1 mg, IM) and an intravaginal P4 device (1.4 g). Five days later, the P4 devise was removed and oocyte collection (OPU1) was performed. A second OPU (OPU2) was performed 5 days after the first in order to aspirate only growing follicles. During each OPU, AFC and the number and quality of cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were evaluated. Then, the COCs were placed in standard maturation medium (IVM), fertilized and incubated for 9 days. The data were subjected to ANOVA and Multinomial Logistic Regression. The AFC was smaller in long-lived and senescent cows in both OPU1 and OPU2 when compared to younger cows. There was no difference in AFC between OPU1 (19.9 ± 1.8) and OPU2 (17.6 ± 1.9) in young cows, however, more follicles were punctured in long-lived and senescent cows in OPU1 (12.0 ± 2.6 and 19.3 ± 4.6) than in OPU2 (9.2 ± 1.9 and 10.3 ± 2.3), respectively (P < 0.01). The numbers of COCs recovered from young cows (OPU1 = 14.2 ± 1.8; OPU2 = 8.4 ± 0.9) were higher than those obtained from long-lived cows (OPU1 = 5.9 ± 2.3; OPU2 = 4.3 ± 1.0) and senescent cows (OPU1 = 7.2 ± 3.0; OPU2 = 4.1 ± 1.7), respectively (P < 0.05). The cleavage rate did not differ between groups. However, the rate of blastocyst formation was higher for young (64.8%) and long-lived (65.0%) compared to senescent (16.5%) cows (P < 0.01). In conclusion our results indicate that the AFC is lower in long-lived and senescent cows compared with young cows. However, unlike in senescent cows, the embryonic development of long-lived cows is similar to that of young cows. This suggests that Nellore cows aged >17 years begin to have reduced embryonic development capacity due to ovarian aging. • We measured AFC, oocyte quality and embryonic developmental competence in young, long-lived and senescent Nellore cows. • AFC and COC recovery were higher in young cows than long-lived and senescent cows. COC quality was not affected by cow age. • Embryo development to blastocyst was no different between young and long-lived cows. • Senescent cows had reduced embryonic development capacity compared with young and long-lived cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The physical characteristics which are known to affect the ovarian reserve are age, body mass index (BMI), occupational exposures, age at menarche and menstrual cycle length. A correlation between different physical characteristics and the ovarian reserve will help to identify areas which need to be tackled to increase the chances of fertility of women in India. Methods: In this retrospective, observational study, namely the MOTHER Study, data of women between 18 and 45 years of age, attending the selected fertility centers across different states in India were taken for evaluation. Demographic information along with information on factors potentially related to fertility like age of menarche, menstrual cycle length and occupational factors were collected by review of medical records at screening visit. Most recent AMH assay and antral follicle count (AFC) where the subject has not taken any contraceptives 12 months prior to the test were collected. Results: Age of woman, years of marriage, years of infertility and smoking have shown effect on ovarian reserve testing like AMH and AFC. The other physical characteristics which were evaluated and considered to affect the ovarian reserve like body mass index BMI, occupational exposures, age at menarche and menstrual cycle length have not shown statistically significant correlation. Conclusion: Age of woman and years of infertility are inversely proportional to ovarian reserve markers, namely AMH and AFC. Addictions like smoking and alcohol affect ovarian reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]