479 research outputs found
Examining the efficacy of six published time-lapse imaging embryo selection algorithms to predict implantation to demonstrate the need for the development of specific, in-house morphokinetic selection algorithms.
OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of six embryo-selection algorithms (ESAs) when applied to a large, exclusive set of known implantation embryos. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational analysis. SETTING: Fertility treatment center. PATIENT(S): Women undergoing a total of 884 in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment cycles (977 embryos) between September 2014 and September 2015 with embryos cultured using G-TL (Vitrolife) at 5% O2, 89% N2, 6% CO2, at 37°C in EmbryoScope instruments. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Efficacy of each ESA to predict implantation defined using specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and likelihood ratio (LR), with differences in implantation rates (IR) in the categories outlined by each ESA statistically analyzed (Fisher's exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests). RESULT(S): When applied to an exclusive cohort of known implantation embryos, the PPVs of each ESA were 42.57%, 41.52%, 44.28%, 38.91%, 38.29%, and 40.45%. The NPVs were 62.12%, 68.26%, 71.35%, 76.19%, 61.10%, and 64.14%. The sensitivity was 16.70%, 75.33%, 72.94%, 98.67%, 51.19%, and 62.33% and the specificity was 85.83%, 33.33%, 42.33%, 2.67%, 48.17%, and 42.33%, The AUC were 0.584, 0.558, 0.573, 0.612, 0.543, and 0.629. Two of the ESAs resulted in statistically significant differences in the embryo classifications in terms of IR. CONCLUSION(S): These results highlight the need for the development of in-house ESAs that are specific to the patient, treatment, and environment. These data suggest that currently available ESAs may not be clinically applicable and lose their diagnostic value when externally applied
Preliminary investigation of the prevalence and implantation potential of abnormal embryonic phenotypes assessed using time-lapse imaging.
This retrospective, single site observational study aimed to delineate five abnormal embryonic developmental phenotypes, assessing their prevalence, development potential and suitability for inclusion in embryo selection models for IVF. In total, 15,819 embryos from 4559 treatment cycles cultured in EmbryoScopeÂź incubators between January 2014 and January 2016 were included. Time-lapse images were assessed retrospectively for five abnormal embryo phenotypes: direct cleavage, reverse cleavage, absent cleavage, chaotic cleavage and cell lysis. The prevalence of each abnormal phenotype was assessed. Final embryo disposition, embryo quality and implantation rate were determined and compared with a control embryo cohort. The collective prevalence for the five abnormal phenotypes was 11.4%; chaotic cleavage and direct cleavage together constituted 9.7%. Implantation rates were 17.4%, 0%, 25%, 2.1% and 0% for direct, reverse, absent, chaotic cleavage and cell lysis, respectively. The overall implantation rate for all abnormal embryos with known implantation status was significantly lower compared with the control population (6.9% versus 38.7%, P < 0.0001). The proportion of good quality embryos in each category of abnormal cleavage remained below 25%. Embryos exhibiting an abnormal phenotype may have reduced developmental capability, manifested in both embryo quality and implantation potential, when compared with embryos of normal phenotype
Calibration tests of A490 high-strength bolts, Proc, ASCE, Vol. 91, ST5, 1965, Publication No. 273
Elemental Abundances of Kepler Objects of Interest in APOGEE. I. Two Distinct Orbital Period Regimes Inferred from Host Star Iron Abundances
The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) has
observed 600 transiting exoplanets and exoplanet candidates from
\textit{Kepler} (Kepler Objects of Interest, KOIs), most with 18 epochs.
The combined multi-epoch spectra are of high signal-to-noise (typically
100) and yield precise stellar parameters and chemical abundances. We
first confirm the ability of the APOGEE abundance pipeline, ASPCAP, to derive
reliable [Fe/H] and effective temperatures for FGK dwarf stars -- the primary
\textit{Kepler} host stellar type -- by comparing the ASPCAP-derived stellar
parameters to those from independent high-resolution spectroscopic
characterizations for 221 dwarf stars in the literature. With a sample of 282
close-in ( days) KOIs observed in the APOGEE KOI goal program, we find a
correlation between orbital period and host star [Fe/H] characterized by a
critical period, = days, below which small
exoplanets orbit statistically more metal-enriched host stars. This effect may
trace a metallicity dependence of the protoplanetary disk inner-radius at the
time of planet formation or may be a result of rocky planet ingestion driven by
inward planetary migration. We also consider that this may trace a metallicity
dependence of the dust sublimation radius, but find no statistically
significant correlation with host and orbital period to
support such a claim.Comment: 18 Pages, Accepted to A
Methanol Masers as Tracers of Circumstellar Disks
We show that in many methanol maser sources the masers are located in lines,
with a velocity gradient along them which suggests that the masers are situated
in edge-on circumstellar, or protoplanetary, disks. We present VLBI
observations of the methanol maser source G309.92+0.48, in the 12.2 GHz
transition, which confirm previous observations that the masers in this source
lie along a line. We show that such sources are not only linear in space but,
in many cases, also have a linear velocity gradient. We then model these and
other data in both the 6.7 GHz and the 12.2 GHz transition from a number of
star formation regions, and show that the observed spatial and velocity
distribution of methanol masers, and the derived Keplerian masses, are
consistent with a circumstellar disk rotating around an OB star. We consider
this and other hypotheses, and conclude that about half of these methanol
masers are probably located in edge-on circumstellar disks around young stars.
This is of particular significance for studies of circumstellar disks because
of the detailed velocity information available from the masers.Comment: 38 pages, 13 figures accepted by Ap
Pair Creation and an X-ray Free Electron Laser
Using a quantum kinetic equation coupled to Maxwell's equation we study the
possibility that focused beams at proposed X-ray free electron laser facilities
can generate electric field strengths large enough to cause spontaneous
electron-positron pair production from the QED vacuum. Our approach yields the
time and momentum dependence of the single particle distribution function.
Under conditions reckoned achievable at planned facilities, repeated cycles of
particle creation and annihilation take place in tune with the laser frequency.
However, the peak particle number density is insensitive to this frequency and
one can anticipate the production of a few hundred particle pairs per laser
period. Field-current feedback and quantum statistical effects are small and
can be neglected in this application of non-equilibrium quantum mean field
theory.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX2
Target Selection for the SDSS-IV APOGEE-2 Survey
APOGEE-2 is a high-resolution, near-infrared spectroscopic survey observing
roughly 300,000 stars across the entire sky. It is the successor to APOGEE and
is part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV). APOGEE-2 is expanding
upon APOGEE's goals of addressing critical questions of stellar astrophysics,
stellar populations, and Galactic chemodynamical evolution using (1) an
enhanced set of target types and (2) a second spectrograph at Las Campanas
Observatory in Chile. APOGEE-2 is targeting red giant branch (RGB) and red
clump (RC) stars, RR Lyrae, low-mass dwarf stars, young stellar objects, and
numerous other Milky Way and Local Group sources across the entire sky from
both hemispheres. In this paper, we describe the APOGEE-2 observational design,
target selection catalogs and algorithms, and the targeting-related
documentation included in the SDSS data releases.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures. Accepted to A
Stellar multiplicity and stellar rotation::Insights from APOGEE
We measure rotational broadening in spectra taken by the Apache Point
Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey to characterise the
relationship between stellar multiplicity and rotation. We create a sample of
2786 giants and 24 496 dwarfs with stellar parameters and multiple radial
velocities from the APOGEE pipeline, projected rotation speeds \vsini\
determined from our own pipeline, and distances, masses, and ages measured by
Sanders \& Das. We use the statistical distribution of the maximum shift in the
radial velocities, \drvm, as a proxy for the close binary fraction to explore
the interplay between stellar evolution, rotation, and multiplicity. Assuming
that the minimum orbital period allowed is the critical period for Roche Lobe
overflow and rotational synchronization, we calculate theoretical upper limits
on expected \vsini\ and \drvm\ values. These expectations agree with the
positive correlation between the maximum \drvm\ and \vsini\ values observed in
our sample as a function of \logg. We find that the fast rotators in our sample
have a high occurrence of short-period ()
companions. We also find that old, rapidly-rotating main sequence stars have
larger completeness-corrected close binary fractions than their younger peers.
Furthermore, rapidly-rotating stars with large \drvm\ consistently show
differences of 1-10 Gyr between the predicted gyrochronological and measured
isochronal ages. These results point towards a link between rapid rotation and
close binarity through tidal interactions. We conclude that stellar rotation is
strongly correlated with stellar multiplicity in the field, and caution should
be taken in the application of gyrochronology relations to cool stars.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures; accepted by MNRA
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