2,162 research outputs found
Challenging iatrogenic menopause : oncofertility programme in Poland : a single-centre experience
Introduction: Menopause is defined as a 12-month period of time when menstruation permanently ceases. In
some cases, menopause may be caused by external factors - for example gonadotoxic treatment that irreversibly
damages ovarian tissue leading to loss of its hormonal and reproductive function. Oncofertility is a discipline that
merges oncology and reproductive medicine, giving patients a chance to experience parenthood after gonadotoxic
treatment is finished.
Aim of the study: The purpose of the study is to present the implementation and first outcomes of the
Oncofertility Programme in the University Clinic of Endocrinological Gynaecology and Gynaecology, University
Hospital in Krakow, Poland.
Material and methods: Patients interested in fertility preservation have been consulted in the University Clinic
of Endocrinological Gynaecology and Gynaecology in Krakow since April 2016. Preliminary qualification to one of
the available methods (embryo cryopreservation, oocyte cryopreservation, ovarian tissue cryopreservation) was
conducted. Patients declaring a wish to join the programme were then referred to one of the three infertility treatment centres cooperating with the University Clinic, in order to undergo the chosen procedure.
Results: During a period of 24 months, 18 patients were consulted. The youngest consulted patient was 20 years
old, the oldest 39. Two years after the first consultation, a telephone survey among consulted patients was carried out
to verify whether the patients finally underwent oncofertility procedures, and to ask about their reproductive status.
Conclusions: The problem of fertility issues being inadequately addressed results in low referral rates to oncofertility programmes. Attempts to raise awareness of oncofertility possibilities among oncologists should be
undertaken because critically few patients are being referred to oncofertility centres
Salmonellosis Outbreak Traced to Playground Sand, Australia, 2007–2009
A community outbreak of gastroenteritis in Australia during 2007–2009 was caused by ingestion of playground sand contaminated with Salmonella enterica Paratyphi B, variant Java. The bacterium was also isolated from local wildlife. Findings support consideration of nonfood sources during salmonellosis outbreak investigations and indicate transmission through the animal–human interface
Acute basilar thrombosis: Recanalization following intravenous thrombolysis is dependent on thrombus length
Introduction We investigated whether thrombus length measured in Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) is predictive of the success rate of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in acute basilar occlusion and whether recanalization can be achieved by additional mechanical endovascular thrombectomy. Methods In 51 patients with acute basilar thrombosis thrombus length was measured on CTA images before intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with rt-PA was started. After 114 minutes on average success of IVT was evaluated either by CTA or DSA. Patients with persistent basilar occlusion and no major brainstem infarction on CT underwent endovascular recanalization. Results 87% of patients had no recanalization of basilar artery after IVT alone. The average thrombus length was 15 mm in patients with persistent basilar occlusion after IVT and 7 mm in patients with recanalization after IVT. Thrombi longer than 13 mm did not resolve after IVT alone and 80% of thrombi shorter than 13 mm did not resolve either. 41 patients were transferred to endovascular recanalization;endovascular therapy was performed successfully in 90% (37 / 41). Conclusions Recanalization rates in acute basilar occlusion after IVT alone are low and dependent on thrombus length. Additional mechanical endovascular thrombectomy showed to be a very successful recanalization therapy
Characterization of fracture patterns and hygric properties for moisture flow modelling in cracked concrete
International audienceSeveral years after their installation, building materials such as concrete present signs of ageing in the form of fractures covering a wide range of sizes, from microscopic to macroscopic cracks. All sizes of fractures can have a strong influence on heat and moisture flow in the building envelope, but their distribution is difficult to predict due to the variety of environmental factors which cause them. This paper aims at applying experimental non-destructive techniques for the observation of fracture patterns and of fluid flow in fractures, in order to provide this data to models for fluid transfer in fractured porous media. Digital image correlation was performed during the fracturing of concrete samples, in which moisture uptake was then monitored using X-ray radiography. Finite-element simulations were then performed based on the measurements of the fracture patterns, in order to recreate the measured moisture concentration profiles. Digital image correlation was found suitable as a mean to obtain a complete mapping of the deformations at the surface of the samples, and a first step was made towards the use of non-destructive fracture characterization for the purpose of moisture transfer modelling
Assessment of the validity of some common assumptions in hygrothermal modelling of earth based materials
True interindividual variability exists in postprandial appetite responses in healthy men but is not moderated by the FTO genotype
Background: After meal ingestion, a series of coordinated hormone responses occur
concomitantly with changes in perceived appetite. It is not known whether interindividual
variability in appetite exists in response to a meal. Objectives: This study aimed to 1) assess
the reproducibility of appetite responses to a meal; 2) quantify individual differences in
responses; and 3) explore any moderating influence of the fat mass and obesity associated
(FTO) gene. Methods: Using a replicated crossover design, 18 healthy men (mean ± SD 28.5
± 9.8 years, 27.0 ± 5.0 kg·m-2
) recruited according to FTO genotype (9 AA, 9 TT) completed
two identical control and two identical standardized meal conditions (5025 kJ) in randomized
sequences. Perceived appetite and plasma acylated ghrelin, total peptide YY (PYY), insulin
and glucose concentrations were measured before and after interventions as primary
outcomes. Interindividual differences were explored using Pearson’s product-moment
correlations between the first and second replicate of the control-adjusted meal response.
Within-participant covariate-adjusted linear mixed models were used to quantify participant by-condition and genotype-by-condition interactions. Results: The meal suppressed acylated
ghrelin and appetite perceptions (standardized effect sizes (ES): 0.18-4.26) and elevated total
PYY, insulin and glucose (ES: 1.96-21.60). For all variables, SD of change scores was
greater in the meal versus control conditions. Moderate-to-large positive correlations were
observed between the two replicates of control-adjusted meal responses for all variables
(r=0.44-0.86, P≤0.070). Participant-by-condition interactions were present for all variables
(P≤0.056). FTO genotype-by-condition interactions were not significant (P≥0.19) and
treatment effect differences between genotype groups were small (ES≤0.27) for all appetite
parameters. Conclusions: Reproducibility of postprandial appetite responses is generally
good. True interindividual variability is present beyond any random within-subject variation
in healthy men but is not moderated by the FTO genotype. These findings highlight the
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importance of exploring individual differences in appetite for the prevention and/or treatment
of obesity. Clinical trial registry number: NCT03771690 (ClinicalTrials.gov)
Resolving the inner parsec of the blazar J1924-2914 with the Event Horizon Telescope
The blazar J1924-2914 is a primary Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) calibrator
for the Galactic Center's black hole Sagittarius A*. Here we present the first
total and linearly polarized intensity images of this source obtained with the
unprecedented 20 as resolution of the EHT. J1924-2914 is a very compact
flat-spectrum radio source with strong optical variability and polarization. In
April 2017 the source was observed quasi-simultaneously with the EHT (April
5-11), the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (April 3), and the Very Long Baseline
Array (April 28), giving a novel view of the source at four observing
frequencies, 230, 86, 8.7, and 2.3 GHz. These observations probe jet properties
from the subparsec to 100-parsec scales. We combine the multi-frequency images
of J1924-2914 to study the source morphology. We find that the jet exhibits a
characteristic bending, with a gradual clockwise rotation of the jet projected
position angle of about 90 degrees between 2.3 and 230 GHz. Linearly polarized
intensity images of J1924-2914 with the extremely fine resolution of the EHT
provide evidence for ordered toroidal magnetic fields in the blazar compact
core
Assessment of ghrelin, GHS-R, GH, and neurohormones in human fetal pituitary glands and central nervous system: an immunohistochemical study.
Perceived and objective neighborhood support for outside of school physical activity in South African children.
The neighborhood environment has the potential to influence children's participation in physical activity. However, children's outdoor play is controlled by parents to a great extent. This study aimed to investigate whether parents' perceptions of the neighborhood environment and the objectively measured neighborhood environment were associated with children's moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) outside of school hours; and to determine if these perceptions and objective measures of the neighborhood environment differ between high and low socio-economic status (SES) groups.In total, 258 parents of 9-11 year-old children, recruited from the South African sample of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE), completed a questionnaire concerning the family and neighborhood environment. Objective measures of the environment were also obtained using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Children wore an Actigraph (GT3X+) accelerometer for 7 days to measure levels of MVPA. Multilevel regression models were used to determine the association between the neighborhood environment and MVPA out of school hours.Parents' perceptions of the neighborhood physical activity facilities were positively associated with children's MVPA before school (β = 1.50 ± 0.51, p = 0.003). Objective measures of neighborhood safety and traffic risk were associated with children's after-school MVPA (β = -2.72 ± 1.35, p = 0.044 and β = -2.63 ± 1.26, p = 0.038, respectively). These associations were significant in the low SES group (β = -3.38 ± 1.65, p = 0.040 and β = -3.76 ± 1.61, p = 0.020, respectively), but unrelated to MVPA in the high SES group.This study found that several of the objective measures of the neighborhood environment were significantly associated with children's outside-of-school MVPA, while most of the parents' perceptions of the neighborhood environment were unrelated
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