Evaluating the efficacy of anti-Müllerian hormone as a predictor of ovarian reserve and fertility treatment success

Background: Ovarian reserve assessment is crucial for predicting fertility treatment outcomes, with Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) emerging as a key biomarker. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of AMH as a predictor of ovarian reserve and its correlation with fertility treatment success among women in Bangladesh. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed medical records of 100 women aged 20-40 years who underwent fertility treatment at a specialized clinic in Bangladesh over five years. AMH levels were measured using VIDAS and ovarian reserve was assessed via antral follicle count (AFC) using transvaginal ultrasound. The correlation between AMH levels, AFC, oocytes retrieved and clinical pregnancy rates was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient with statistical software SPSS 26. Results: The study found a significant positive correlation between AMH levels and AFC, with 80% of women with high AMH levels also having a high AFC. Additionally, women with high AMH levels had higher oocyte retrieval rates and clinical pregnancy rates (70%) compared to those with medium (50%) and low AMH levels (29.4%). The nearly equal distribution of clinical pregnancy outcomes (49% achieving pregnancy) highlighted the varied success of fertility treatments in this population. Conclusions: AMH is a valuable predictor of ovarian reserve and fertility treatment outcomes, particularly when combined with AFC and other patient-specific factors. This study supports the use of AMH in clinical settings to enhance individualized fertility treatment strategies, potentially improving success rates

Association between serum albumin levels and the incidence of pedal edema in normotensive pregnant women

Background: Pedal edema is a common clinical condition during pregnancy, often associated with hypertensive disorders. However, its occurrence in normotensive pregnant women and its relationship with serum albumin levels remain underexplored. This study investigates the association between serum albumin levels and pedal edema while examining the potential influence of age, parity, and BMI in normotensive pregnancies. Methods: A hospital-based observational study was conducted on 100 normotensive pregnant women aged 20–40 years. Data on demographic details, obstetric history, and clinical parameters were collected. Serum albumin levels were measured in the third trimester and classified as normal (>3.5 g/dl) or low (≤3.5 g/dl). Pedal edema was assessed clinically. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square tests, with a p value <0.05 considered significant. Results: Among the study population, 71.4% of participants with low serum albumin levels (≤3.5 g/dL) experienced pedal edema compared to 23.1% of those with normal levels (>3.5 g/dl) (p=0.012). Age, parity, and BMI were not significantly associated with the incidence of pedal edema (p>0.05). Underweight participants showed a higher prevalence of edema (50%) compared to those with normal (33.3%) and overweight BMI (33.3%). Conclusion: Low serum albumin levels are significantly associated with pedal edema in normotensive pregnant women, highlighting the importance of albumin monitoring during antenatal care. Addressing hypoalbuminemia may improve maternal health outcomes, particularly in resource-limited settings

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

An overview of the evolution of infrared spectroscopy applied to bacterial typing

The sustained emergence of new declared bacterial species makes typing a continuous challenge for microbiologists. Molecular biology techniques have a very significant role in the context of bacterial typing, but they are often very laborious, time consuming and eventually fail when dealing with very closely related species. Spectroscopic-based techniques appear in some situations as a viable alternative to molecular methods with advantages in terms of analysis time and cost. Infrared and mass spectrometry are among the most exploited techniques in this context: particularly, infrared spectroscopy emerged as a very promising method with multiple reported successful applications. This article presents a systematic review on infrared spectroscopy applications for bacterial typing, highlighting fundamental aspects of infrared spectroscopy, a detailed literature review (covering different taxonomic levels and bacterial species), advantages and limitations of the technique over molecular biology methods and a comparison with other competing spectroscopic techniques such as MALDI-TOF MS, Raman and intrinsic fluorescence. Infrared spectroscopy possesses a high potential for bacterial typing at distinct taxonomic levels and worthy of further developments and systematization. The development of databases appears fundamental towards the establishment of infrared spectroscopy as a viable method for bacterial typing.FCT -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(PT2020 UID/QUI/50006/2013)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Does It Still Show a Deficit? Arguing Post-COVID-19 Health Financing System in Bogor, Indonesia

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bogor City Government regulated to cover the health financing claim during the Indonesian National Health Insurance (NHI) integration period due to the lower amount of health care claim per episode in regional hospitals compared to ones that NHI paid. This study aimed to address post-COVID-19 health financing at two hospitals in Bogor City, West Java Province, Indonesia. Descriptive analysis using the aggregate statistical summaries was taken to explore the medical care episodes of the data series at two hospitals for the last two years. Of the 890 checked medical records data, the deficit occurred in 197 (22.1%) medical care episodes, while five (0.6%) exceeded the hospitals\u27 tariffs. The remaining 688 (77.3%) medical care episodes had suits with the Indonesian-Case Based Groups. Almost a quarter of medical care episodes in aggregate experienced a deficit in the two years before the pandemic. This study is the first to provide new insight into the discussion on medical care financing in a developing country\u27s post-pandemic era in a newly implemented NHI system

Dielectric properties of salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) caviar at radio frequency (RF) and microwave (MW) pasteurization frequencies

Abstract Radio frequency (RF) and microwave (MW) heating provide an important advantage of more rapid heat penetration in pasteurization processes for heat labile high value foods, which to date, have only been pasteurized by conductive heating. The objectives of this work were to determine the dielectric constant, loss factor and power penetration depth for salmon (0.8% and 2.3% total salt) and sturgeon (0.20 and 3.3% salt) caviars at RF frequency of 27 MHz and MW frequency of 915 MHz (20-80°C). The dielectric constant (e 0 ) and dielectric loss factor (e 00 ) for salmon and sturgeon caviar increased markedly with increasing temperature at 27 MHz but not at 915 MHz. Power penetration depth was higher at 27 MHz compared to 915 MHz, and in unsalted compared to salted roe. Power penetration depth tended to decrease as temperature increased

Search for R-parity-violating supersymmetry in events with four or more leptons in sqrt(s) =7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for new phenomena in final states with four or more leptons (electrons or muons) is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of $\sqrt{s}=7\;\mathrm{TeV}$ proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in two signal regions: one that requires moderate values of missing transverse momentum and another that requires large effective mass. The results are interpreted in a simplified model of R-parity-violating supersymmetry in which a 95% CL exclusion region is set for charged wino masses up to 540 GeV. In an R-parity-violating MSUGRA/CMSSM model, values of m 1/2 up to 820 GeV are excluded for 10 < tan β < 40

Do-not-attempt-cardiopulmonary-resuscitation decisions : an evidence synthesis

Background: Cardiac arrest is the final common step in the dying process. In the right context, resuscitation can reverse the dying process, yet success rates are low. However, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a highly invasive medical treatment, which, if applied in the wrong setting, can deprive the patient of dignified death. Do-not-attempt-cardiopulmonary-resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions provide a mechanism to withhold CPR. Recent scientific and lay press reports suggest that the implementation of DNACPR decisions in NHS practice is problematic. Aims and objectives: This project sought to identify reasons why conflict and complaints arise, identify inconsistencies in NHS trusts’ implementation of national guidelines, understand health professionals’ experience in relation to DNACPR, its process and ethical challenges, and explore the literature for evidence to improve DNACPR policy and practice. Methods: A systematic review synthesised evidence of processes, barriers and facilitators related to DNACPR decision-making and implementation. Reports from NHS trusts, the National Reporting and Learning System, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, the Office of the Chief Coroner, trust resuscitation policies and telephone calls to a patient information line were reviewed. Multiple focus groups explored service-provider perspectives on DNACPR decisions. A stakeholder group discussed the research findings and identified priorities for future research. Results: The literature review found evidence that structured discussions at admission to hospital or following deterioration improved patient involvement and decision-making. Linking DNACPR to overall treatment plans improved clarity about goals of care, aided communication and reduced harms. Standardised documentation improved the frequency and quality of recording decisions. Approximately 1500 DNACPR incidents are reported annually. One-third of these report harms, including some instances of death. Problems with communication and variation in trusts’ implementation of national guidelines were common. Members of the public were concerned that their wishes with regard to resuscitation would not be respected. Clinicians felt that DNACPR decisions should be considered within the overall care of individual patients. Some clinicians avoid raising discussions about CPR for fear of conflict or complaint. A key theme across all focus groups, and reinforced by the literature review, was the negative impact on overall patient care of having a DNACPR decision and the conflation of ‘do not resuscitate’ with ‘do not provide active treatment’. Limitations: The variable quality of some data sources allows potential overstatement or understatement of findings. However, data source triangulation identified common issues. Conclusion: There is evidence of variation and suboptimal practice in relation to DNACPR decisions across health-care settings. There were deficiencies in considering, discussing and implementing the decision, as well as unintended consequences of DNACPR decisions being made on other aspects of patient care. Future work: Recommendations supported by the stakeholder group are standardising NHS policies and forms, ensuring cross-boundary recognition of DNACPR decisions, integrating decisions with overall treatment plans and developing tools and training strategies to support clinician and patient decision-making, including improving communication. Study registration: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42012002669. Funding: The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme