Although older maternal age is a risk factor for pregnancy complications, an increasing number of women delay conception until the age of 40, and some must resort to IVF with oocyte donation. Our ...objective was to study the association between IVF, both with and without oocyte donation, and maternal and perinatal outcomes in a population of older women.
METHODS
This retrospective study covered all women, aged 43 or more, who gave birth between 2008 and 2010. Univariate and multivariate analyses with logistic regression models were used to compare maternal and perinatal outcomes as a function of mode of conception: without IVF, with IVF using own oocytes or with IVF and oocyte donation.
RESULTS
The study included 380 women, including 40 who had IVF without oocyte donation (10.5%) and 104 who had both (27.4%). There were 326 singleton and 54 multiple pregnancies. Overall, the complication rate was high: 8.7% pre-eclampsia, 6.1% gestational diabetes, 20.2% preterm delivery and 8.2% very preterm delivery (before 33 weeks), 44.8% Cesarean sections and 7.4% severe post-partum hemorrhage (PPH). The pre-eclampsia rate differed significantly between the groups (3.8% after no IVF, 10.0% after IVF only and 19.2% after IVF with oocyte donation, P< 0.001). After adjustment, the risk of pre-eclampsia was significantly higher in women with donated oocytes compared with pregnant women without IVF adjusted OR = 3.3 (1.2–8.9). The rate of twin pregnancy was significantly higher in women with IVF and oocyte donation (39.4 versus 15.0% with IVF only and 2.5% without IVF, P< 0.001). Twin pregnancy was significantly associated with the risk of preterm delivery adjusted OR = 8.9 (4.0–19.9) and PPH adjusted OR = 3.5 (1.3–9.5).
CONCLUSION
In women aged 43 years or older, pregnancies obtained by IVF with oocyte donation are associated with higher rates of pre-eclampsia and twin pregnancies than those obtained without IVF or with IVF using their own oocytes.
Background:
Tobacco smoking is a serious threat to life and health of society. Among the most vulnerable to the toxic effects of tobacco smoke are foetuses and newborns. The objective of the research ...was to assess the impact of tobacco smoke exposure on oxytocin levels and biochemical oxidative stress parameters during pregnancy and after birth in an experimental model.
Methods:
In the experiment, exposure to tobacco smoke of gravid and non-gravid rats was monitored. A reliable biomarker of exposure – cotinine – was used in the process and it was determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection, which ensured high analytical accuracy and precision. Determination of oxytocin was performed by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of selected oxidative stress parameters: total protein concentration, uric acid, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, protein S-nitrosylation and lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) were measured by spectrophotometric methods.
Results and conclusions:
The effect of prenatal and postnatal exposure to tobacco smoke was a lower medium body mass of rat foetuses and pups. Oxidative stress during pregnancy, additionally intensified by tobacco smoke exposure, led to adaptive changes in properties of plasmatic antioxidant barriers. Moreover, the disturbance of oxidoreductive balance by tobacco smoke affects oxytocin fluctuations, what was observed in this study during lactation period. Therefore, women who smoke may breastfeed their children less frequently and for a shorter period.
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a future gamma-ray observatory that is planned to significantly improve upon the sensitivity and precision of the current generation of Cherenkov telescopes. ...The observatory will consist of several dozens of telescopes with different sizes and equipped with different types of cameras. Of these, the FlashCam camera system is the first to implement a fully digital signal processing chain which allows for a traceable, configurable trigger scheme and flexible signal reconstruction. As of autumn 2016, a prototype FlashCam camera for the medium-sized telescopes of CTA nears completion. First results of the ongoing system tests demonstrate that the signal chain and the readout system surpass CTA requirements. The stability of the system is shown using long-term temperature cycling.
•A full-scale prototype of the FlashCam Cherenkov camera is in operation.•System level testing and characterisation in a dark room is ongoing.•The performances of the data acquisition and the signal chain have been verified.•The system is stable over long periods and robust against temperature variations.
In this study, we analyzed the expression profile of four genes (
CCNA2
,
CCNB1
,
CCNB2
, and
CDK1
) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) cell lines and tumor samples. With the application of ...microarray platform, we have shown the overexpression of these genes in all analyzed LSCC samples in comparison to non-cancer controls from head and neck region. We have selected
CDK1
for further analysis, due to its leading role in cell cycle regulation. It is a member of the Ser/Thr protein kinase family of proven oncogenic properties. The results obtained for
CDK1
were further confirmed with the application of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) technique, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The observed upregulation of
CDK1
in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma has encouraged us to analyze for genetic mechanisms that can be responsible this phenomenon. Therefore, with the application of array-CGH, sequencing analysis and two methods for epigenetic regulation analysis (DNA methylation and miRNA expression), we tried to identify such potential mechanisms. Our attempts to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for observed changes failed as we did not observe significant alterations neither in the DNA sequence nor in the gene copy number that could underline
CDK1
upregulation. Similarly, the pyrosequencing and miRNA expression analyses did not reveal any differences in methylation level and miRNA expression, respectively; thus, these mechanisms probably do not contribute to elevation of
CDK1
expression in LSCC. However, our results suggest that alteration of
CDK1
expression on both mRNA and protein level probably appears on the very early step of carcinogenesis.
The aim of this experiment was to establish an efficient method for isolation and further culture in vitro of the normal chicken oviduct epithelial cells (COEC) for cell-based research models. ...Different factors were tested to optimize COEC primary culture for repeatable results: the origin of isolated cells (oviduct Infundibulum or Magnum section); the oviduct tissue dissociation procedure (mechanical scrapping or mincing), tissue digestion times (15, 30 and 45 min), the culture plates coating (colagene I, polystyrene surface or 3T3 feeder layer), the growth media (classic DMEM/Ham's F12 and defined serum-free medium, Lonza Switzerland), incubation temperature (37 °C vs 41°C) and different cell seeding numbers: 0.2M, 0.5M and 1.0M cells/well. The COEC isolated by mincing the Infundibular neck and digestion of tissue for 30 min formed cell aggregates of bright colour and gave proliferating colonies of epithelial-like character which was the best result obtained from all applied procedures in our studies. The fibroblast-like cells considered as contaminants occurred only sporadically up to day 7 of culture. Seeding about 1M cells in 1 mL of serum-free medium onto 12-well dishes gave the optimal growth of colonies resulting in 5 to 7 confluent culture wells from a single oviduct sample. Feeder layer and collagen I did not improve adhesion of the COEC to the culture vessel. Adoption of 37 °C and 41 °C did not reveal apparent differences to the condition of cultured COEC. Cell differentiation and proliferation potential depends on number and replicative capacity of isolated progenitors. The progenitors are responsible for holoclones formation and good culture growth. The percentage of colonies developed from the cells isolated from Infundibulum was greater than that of other samples in our studies. We conclude that the model of COEC primary cultures from different segments of oviduct, in particular infundibulum, should be incorporated to the range of avian cells research as this work generates questions about undocumented sources of oviduct progenitor cells.
Summary
Background
Few studies have addressed prognostic markers and none has correlated molecular status and prognosis in vulvar melanomas.
Objectives
To evaluate the clinicopathological features of ...95 cases of vulvar melanoma.
Methods
p53, CD117, Ki‐67, neurofibromin, brafv600e and nrasq61r immunostains, and molecular analyses by either targeted next‐generation or direct sequencing, were performed on available archival materials.
Results
Molecular testing detected mutations in KIT (44%), BRAF (25%), NF1 (22%), TP53 (17%), NRAS (9%) and TERT promoter (9%). Co‐mutation of KIT and NF1 and of KIT and NRAS were identified in two and one cases, respectively. KIT mutations were significantly associated with better progression‐free survival in univariate analyses. In multivariate analyses CD117 expression was significantly associated with better progression‐free survival. Tumour thickness was significantly associated with worse progression‐free and overall survival, and perineural invasion significantly correlated with reduced melanoma‐specific survival and reduced overall survival. Cases were from multiple centres and only a subset of samples was available for molecular testing.
Conclusions
KIT mutations and CD117 overexpression are markers of better progression‐free survival. In addition to its prognostic value, molecular testing may identify cases that might respond to targeted agents or immunotherapeutic approaches.
What's already known about this topic?
Vulvar melanomas are rare, with poorer prognoses than conventional cutaneous melanomas.
To date, few studies have addressed prognostic markers and none has correlated molecular status and prognosis in vulvar melanomas.
What does this study add?
This study, involving 10 clinical institutions from the U.S.A., Spain and Poland, shows that KIT mutations and CD117 overexpression are markers of better progression‐free survival for vulvar melanoma.
What is the translational message?
CD117 immunostaining and KIT mutational analysis can potentially serve as prognostic markers of vulvar melanoma.
Targeted inhibitors may have a therapeutic role in cases harbouring actionable mutations.
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Biochars from solar pyrolysis of the waste straw, and dried sewage sludge, were assessed to recognize the possible application as unconventional adsorbents and fossils replacements for combustion ...purposes. The adsorption properties of the biochars were characterized by the BET (Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller) surface area, pore volumes, and the degree of Zn(II) adsorption from aqueous solutions. A higher removal degree of zinc ions of 26% was noted for biochars from dried sewage sludge with a BET area of 40.84 m2/g, compared to the waste straw biochars with a BET area of 1.67 m2/g and a corresponding removal degree of 16%. Both biochars presented more uniform combustion behavior compared to raw biomass, with the ignition and burnout temperatures similar to coal. Solar pyrolysis caused a reduction of the combustion kinetic steps, from multi-step combustion of the raw biomass to a single-step and two-step kinetic mechanisms for the sewage sludge and waste straw biochars respectively. It was found that the waste straw biochars are possible alternative fuels with a higher heating value of 22.6 MJ/kg, while sewage sludge chars presented better zinc adsorption of 2.09 mg/g and a total removal degree of 26%.
•Straw and sewage sludge biochars were assessed as alternative fuels and adsorbents.•Straw biochars presented single-step combustion with a calorific value 22.6 MJ/kg.•The sewage sludge biochars presented a better zinc removal degree of 26%.•Solar pyrolysis processing simplified combustion of biochars compared to raw feed.
Hodgkin's lymphoma and lung adenocarcinoma as second primary cancers in prostate cancer (PC) patients although are rare should be considered as important for the future of the PC patients.
•Tarsfrom solar pyrolysis were treated in selected oxidation processes.•The decomposition of organic substances present in the tars was investigated.•Photolysis was ineffective in removing organic ...substances from tars.•The process of ozonation and photocatalysis were more effective.
This paper presents oxidation and photocatalytic oxidation as the methods for elimination of toxic activity of biomass pyrolysis liquids subjected to the environment – water. With the increasing interest in biomass pyrolysis-derived fuels and chemicals, there is still a need for determining the environmental impact of unwanted leakage of the pyrolysis liquids to the environment via inappropriate handling or containers damage and proposing adequate solutions to solve it. Tars from solar pyrolysis of three biomass types (waste straw – WS, wood chips – WC, and dried sewage sludge – DSS) were treated using selected oxidation processes (ozonation – O3, photolysis – UV, and photocatalysis – UV-TiO2). The decomposition of organic substances present in the tars was investigated by changing the absorbance (Abs), total organic carbon (TOC), and phenol index (PI). Tar solutions before and after treatment were also submitted to an ecotoxicological assessment. It was determined that the tars organic substances content depended on the type of biomass subjected to solar pyrolysis. The highest concentration of organics was denoted in the liquid products from the solar pyrolysis of the sewage sludge. The decomposition of organic substances took place in the process of photocatalysis and ozonation, with higher effectiveness of the latter. The organic compounds present in the solar pyrolysis tar depend on the biomass feedstock. After 60 min of photocatalysis (TiO2 dose 1500 mg/L), phenolic compounds from tars coming from the solar pyrolysis of waste straw and wood chips were completely removed. In turn, the reduction in Abs and TOC was 37 and 19% for WS and 41 and 28% for WC, respectively. Abs in tars from the solar pyrolysis of sewage sludge in the photocatalysis process did not change, and the reduction of TOC and PI was 8 and 86%, respectively. However, the toxicity of post-process solutions requires attention. Tar solutions from the solar pyrolysis of wood chips after the photocatalysis process were non-toxic against bacteria, but tar solutions coming from the solar pyrolysis of waste straw and sewage sludge were low-toxic and toxic. Additionally, tars from the solar pyrolysis of sewage sludge after the photocatalysis process were highly toxic to crustaceans.
The goal of the paper is to present an experimental evaluation of fuzzy time series models which are based on ordered fuzzy numbers to predict financial time series. Considering this approach the ...financial data is modeled using Ordered Fuzzy Numbers (OFNs) called further by Ordered Fuzzy Candlesticks (OFCs). The use of them allows modeling uncertainty associated with financial data and maintaining more information about price movement at assumed time interval than comparing to commonly used price charts (e.g. Japanese Candlestick chart). Thanks to well-defined arithmetic of OFN, one can construct models of fuzzy time series, such as an Ordered Fuzzy Autoregressive Process (OFAR), where all input values are OFC, while the coefficients and output values are arbitrary OFN; in the form of classical equations, without using rule-based systems. In an empirical study ordered fuzzy autoregressive models are applied to modeling and predict price movement of futures contracts on Warsaw Stock Exchange Top 20 Index.
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