Phosphorus (P) is one of the least available mineral nutrients to the plants in calcareous and alkaline soils. In this study, we investigated the synthesis, characterization and use of synthetic ...nano-hydroxyapatite (NHA), P uptake by plants as well as its residual effects. Soluble P source (H
3
PO
4
) was also included as treatment for comparison. NHA prepared by wet chemical techniques, characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and elemental dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. NHA and H
3
PO
4
were applied at a rate of 200 mg kg
−1
to find out their effects on phosphorus nutrition and growth of lettuce on the low and high calcareous soil. In addition to this, residual effects of NHA and H
3
PO
4
were also determined for lettuce plants grown after first lettuce plants in the both soil. Dry weights of the first and second lettuce plants grown in low and high calcareous soil were significantly increased by applied phosphorus regardless of the source. NHA seems to be more effective than that of ordinary phosphorus source (H
3
PO
4
-P) on growth and P concentration of the lettuce plants. The promising results of this study needs to be supported with long term field studies regarding the uptake, translocation and interactions of nano-P with the other elements.
The trastuzumab biosimilar MYL-1401O has demonstrated equivalent efficacy and comparable safety to reference trastuzumab (RTZ) in clinical trials of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ...(HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) as HER2 monotherapy.
Here, we present the first real-world comparison of MYL-1401O vs RTZ as single/dual HER2-targeted therapy for the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and palliative treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer in the first and second lines.
We retrospectively investigated medical records. We identified patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer (EBC) (n = 159) who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with RTZ or MYL-1401O ± pertuzumab (n = 92) or adjuvant chemotherapy with RTZ or MYL-1401O plus taxane (n = 67) between January 2018 and June 2021, as well as patients with MBC (n = 53) who had received palliative first-line treatment with RTZ or MYL-1401O and docetaxel ± pertuzumab or second-line treatment with RTZ or MYL-1401O and taxane between January 2018 and June 2021.
The rate of achieving pathologic complete response in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy was similar between those receiving MYL-1401O and RTZ (62.7% 37/59 and 55.9% 19/34, respectively; P = .509). Progression-free survival (PFS) at 12, 24, and 36 months was similar in the 2 cohorts of the EBC-adjuvant group: 96.3%, 84.7%, and 71.5%, respectively, in patients receiving MYL-1401O, and 100%, 88.5%, and 64.8% in patients receiving RTZ (P = .577). Median PFS was also similar in MBC, at 23.0 months (95% CI, 9.8-26.1) in patients receiving MYL-1401O and 23.0 months (95% CI, 19.9-26.0) in patients receiving RTZ (P = .270). The overall response rate, disease control rate, and cardiac safety profiles did not show significant differences in efficacy outcomes between the 2 groups.
These data suggest that biosimilar trastuzumab MYL-1401O has similar effectiveness and cardiac safety to RTZ in patients with HER2-positive EBC or MBC.
It has been proposed that salicylic acid (SA) acts as an endogenous signal molecule responsible for inducing abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The effect of varying salicylic acid (SA) supply (0, ...0.1, 0.5 and 1.0
mM) on growth, mineral uptake, membrane permeability, lipid peroxidation, H
2O
2 concentration, UV-absorbing substances, chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations of NaCl (40
mM) stressed maize (
Zea mays L.) was investigated. Exogenously applied SA increased plant growth significantly both in saline and non-saline conditions. As a consequence of salinity stress, lipid peroxidation, measured in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and membrane permeability was decreased by SA. UV-absorbing substances (UVAS) and H
2O
2 concentration were increased by increasing levels of SA. SA also strongly inhibited Na
+ and Cl
− accumulation, but stimulated N, Mg, Fe, Mn and Cu concentrations of salt stressed maize plants. These results suggest that SA could be used as a potential growth regulator to improve plant salinity stress resistance.
Objective
This study investigated whether serum amyloid A (AA) levels can be used as a biomarker in patients with threatened abortion.
Material and Methods
This prospective cohort study was conducted ...at the Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Türkiye, between April and October 2023. Eighty‐eight pregnant women, 44 diagnosed with threatened miscarriage (Group 1) and 44 healthy individuals (Group 2), were included in the study. Sociodemographic, obstetric, and laboratory parameters were compared between the groups.
Results
No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of sociodemographic data (age, body mass index, education level, economic status, occupation status, smoking, and alcohol consumption). However, obstetric characteristics (number of pregnancies, living children, miscarriages, dilatation and curettage, gestational age on admission, and fetal crown‐rump length) and laboratory values including complete blood count, hematocrit, leukocyte, neutrophil, lymphocytes, platelet, hs‐C‐reactive protein, neutrophil‐lymphocyte and platelet‐lymphocyte ratio (p > .05), and serum AA values (7.49 ± 3.07 in Group 1 vs. 9.46 ± 4.80 in Group 2, p = .024) differed significantly. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC: 0.662) was statistically significant for serum AA (p = .032), with a cut‐off value of ≥7.51 (95% confidence interval 0.516−0.749, sensitivity 65%, specificity 51%). The positive predictive value of serum AA for threatened miscarriage was 56.8%, and the negative predictive value 59.4%.
Conclusion
This study shows that serum AA can be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis of threatened miscarriage. Prospective studies involving more participants are now needed to confirm our results.
We investigated effect of silicon (Si) on the growth, uptake of sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), boron (B), stomatal resistance (SR), lipid peroxidation (MDA), membrane permeability (MP), lipoxygenase ...(LOX) activity, proline (PRO) accumulation, H₂O₂ accumulation, non-enzymatic antioxidant activity (AA) and the activities of major antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT and ascorbate peroxidase, APX) of spinach and tomato grown in sodic-B toxic soil. Si applied to the sodic-B toxic soil at 2.5 and 5.0 mM concentrations significantly increased the Si concentration in the plant species and counteracted the deleterious effects of high concentrations of Na, Cl and B on root and shoot growth by lowering the accumulation of these elements in the plants. Stomatal resistance, MP, MDA and the concentrations of H₂O₂ and PRO were higher in the plants grown in sodic-B toxic soil without Si: LOX activity of excised leaves of both species was increased by Si. Antioxidant activities of both species were significantly affected by Si, with the activities of SOD, CAT and APX decreased and AA increased by applied Si. For most of the parameters measured, it was found that 5 mM Si was more effective than the 2.5 mM Si. Based on the present work, it can be concluded that Si alleviates sodicity and B toxicity of the plants grown in sodic-B toxic soil by preventing both oxidative membrane damage and also translocation of Na, Cl and B from root to shoots and/or soil to plant, and lowering the phytotoxic effects of Na, Cl and B within plant tissues. It was concluded that tomato was more responsive to Si than spinach since it was more salt sensitive than spinach. To our knowledge, this is the first report that Si improves the combined salt and B tolerance of spinach and tomato grown in naturally sodic-B toxic soil, and which describes membrane-related parameters and antioxidant responses.
In this study, we aimed to investigate serum and follicular fluid (FF) secreted frizzle-related protein-5 (Sfrp-5) levels in nonobese, nonhyperandrogenic patients with polycystic ovary syndrome ...(PCOS) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), in addition to IVF outcomes. In total, 160 patients undergoing IVF treatment were included in the study: 80 patients diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria (group I, study) and 80 patients with the etiology of male factor infertility (group II, control). There were statistically significant between-group differences in serum estradiol (E
2
) levels on the day of hCG administration (2377.00 ± 733.23 vs. 1931.3 ± 1,010.69), the total gonadotropin dose required (2000.63 ± 1,051.87 vs. 1.134.69 ± 286.45), and the total number of retrieved oocytes (8.60 ± 2.06 vs. 11.05 ± 4.39) (
p
< 0.05). There was also a statistically significant between-group difference in serum and FF Sfrp-5 levels on the day of oocyte retrieval (11.40 ± 2.88 vs. 8.87 ± 1.85,
p
< 0.001; 11.06 ± 2.30 vs. 9.71 ± 2.15,
p
= 0.008; respectively). However, there were no between-group differences in fertilization rates, clinical pregnancy rates, and live birth rates (
p
> 0.05). A correlation analysis showed that serum and FF Sfrp-5 levels were associated with insulin and inflammatory markers (
p
< 0.05). In a selected population of nonobese, nonhyperandrogenic PCOS patients, there was a significant difference in Sfrp-5 levels of the PCOS group versus those of the control group. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of Sfrp-5 in women with PCOS.
To investigate the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) and depression in primary infertile women with 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OH VD) deficiency undergoing in-vitro fertilization ...(IVF)–intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment.
A total of 80 women with 25-OH VD3 deficiency (<20 ng/mL = group 1), 80 women with 25-OH VD3 insufficiency (20–29.9 ng/mL = group 2), and 80 women with a normal 25-OH VD3 level (30–60 ng/mL = group 3) were included the study. Female sexual function and depression were measured using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
No statistically significant differences were found among the groups in terms of demographic characteristics, baseline and laboratory parameters. Statistically significant differences were observed among the groups with regard to FSD and depression. The FSFI (group 1 = 22.46 ± 2.13, group 2 = 25.82 ± 2.13 and group 3 = 28.66 ± 2.13, respectively) and sexual domain scores were low in women with 25-OH VD deficiency, and the number of women with depression (BDI score ≥ 17) was high (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the sexual domain scores were positively correlated with the 25-OH VD level, and the BDI score showed a significant negative correlation with the total FSFI score and 25-OH VD levels.
The 25-OH VD status was associated with FSD and depression and that the degree of sexual dysfunction could depend on the severity of 25-OH VD levels. Further studies are needed to elucidate this issue.
The aim of the study was to investigate whether or not there is a significant relationship between varicocele and SFJ insufficiency. This study included 200 men with (study group) and 200 men without ...(control group) primary varicocele which was initially diagnosed by observation during the Valsalva manoeuver. Subsequently, scrotal and lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasonography (USG) was performed by a senior radiologist, and participants with testicular veins >3.0 mm in diameter and reverse blood flow were determined to have varicocele. SFJ insufficiency was defined as retrograde flow in the SFJ of longer than 0.5 s. Retrograde venous flow in the pampiniform plexus was determined 3.5% (study) versus 0.0% (control) and 77.0% (study) versus 0.0% (control) in the right testis and left testis, respectively, and bilaterally at 11.5% (study) versus 0.0% (control). The presence of SFJ insufficiency was also found to be higher in the study group than in the control group (unilaterally: 26.0% versus 15.0%; bilaterally: 14.0% versus 5.0%). The current study demonstrates a statistically significant relationship between varicocele and SFJ insufficiency and supports the argument that varicocele is not a local disease and may be attributable to a systemic vascular insufficiency. Additional studies with larger series are needed to further elucidate this topic.
Abstract
Objective
To evaluate whether there is an effect of the physician who transfers the embryos on pregnancy rates in in vitro fertilization-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) ...treatment.
Methods
A total of 757 participants were analyzed between 2012 and 2017. Participants were classified according to 3 physicians who transferred the embryos: (group 1 = 164 patients; group 2 = 233 patients; group 3 = 360 patients). Baseline parameters and IVF-ICSI outcomes were compared between the groups.
Results
No differences were determined between the groups regarding the baseline parameters (age, age subgroups 20–29, 30–39, and ≥ 40 years old), body mass index (BMI), smoking status, infertility period, cause of infertility, baseline follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol (E
2
), thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin levels, antral follicle count, duration of stimulation, stimulation protocol, gonadotropin dose required, maximum E
2
levels, progesterone levels, endometrial thickness on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration and transfer days (
p
> 0.05). The numbers of oocytes retrieved, metaphase II (MII), 2 pronucleus (2PN), , transferred embryo, fertilization rate, day of embryo transfer, the catheter effect and embryo transfer technique, and clinical pregnancy rates (CPRs) were also comparable between the groups (
p
> 0.05).
Conclusion
Our data suggests that the physician who transfers the embryos has no impact on CPRs in patients who have undergone IVF-ICSI, but further studies with more participants are required to elucidate this situation.
Our aim was to explore the existence of a possible relationship of sperm motility with serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D3 (25‐OH VD) levels and with ischaemia‐modified albumin (IMA) levels in infertile ...Turkish men. A total of 30 men with nonobstructive azoospermia (no spermatozoa in ejaculate), 30 men with oligospermia (total progressive motile sperm count (TPMSC) <15 × 106/ml) and 33 fertile men with normospermia (with at least one child, as the control group) were enrolled in the study. The mean 25‐OH VD levels for groups 1, 2 and 3 were 9.31 ± 6.46, 19.71 ± 12.80 and 30.52 ± 12.49 respectively (p < .05). There was a statistically significant difference in serum IMA levels among the groups (479.32 ± 307.56 vs. 296.37 ± 127.27 vs. 150.04 ± 81.05, respectively; p < .05). A positive correlation between serum 25‐OH VD levels and TPMSC, and a negative correlation between TPMSC and serum IMA levels were determined. Infertile men had lower serum 25‐OH VD and higher IMA levels than fertile men, with a positive correlation between serum 25‐OH VD levels and TPMSC, and a negative correlation between TPMSC and serum IMA levels. Vitamin D supplementation may increase the sperm motility.
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