Psychological impact and health-related quality-of-life outcomes of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome : A systematic review and narrative synthesis

Mayer-Rokitansky-K\ufcster-Hauser syndrome causes absence or underdevelopment of uterus and vagina, but women's subjective experience remains understudied. This systematic review was conducted to examine the psychological and health-related quality-of-life outcomes of Mayer-Rokitansky-K\ufcster-Hauser syndrome. In total, 22 articles identified through electronic search matched the inclusion criteria and were included in our review. Mayer-Rokitansky-K\ufcster-Hauser syndrome may be associated with psychological symptoms and impaired quality of life, but especially with poor sexual esteem and genital image. Women may experience difficulties managing intimacy and disclosing to partners. Mothers may be perceived as overinvolved, with consequent negative emotions in women with the disease

The static and time-dependent signature of ocean–continent and ocean–ocean subduction: the case studies of Sumatra and Mariana complexes

SUMMARY The anomalous density structure at subduction zones, both in the wedge and in the upper mantle, is analysed to shed light on the processes that are responsible for the characteristic gravity fingerprints of two types of subduction: ocean–continent and ocean–ocean. Our modelling is then performed within the frame of the EIGEN-6C4 gravitational disturbance pattern of two subductions representative of the above two types, the Sumatra and Mariana complexes, finally enabling the different characteristics of the two patterns to be observed and understood on a physical basis, including some small-scale details. A 2-D viscous modelling perpendicular to the trench accounts for the effects on the gravity pattern caused by a wide range of parameters in terms of convergence velocity, subduction dip angle and lateral variability of the crustal thickness of the overriding plate, as well as compositional differentiation, phase changes and hydration of the mantle. Plate coupling, modelled within a new scheme where the relative velocity at the plate contact results self-consistently from the thermomechanical evolution of the system, is shown to have an important impact on the gravity signature. Beyond the already understood general bipolar fingerprint of subduction, perpendicular to the trench, we obtain the density and gravity signatures of the processes occurring within the wedge and mantle that are responsible for the two different gravity patterns. To be compliant with the geodetic EIGEN-6C4 gravitational disturbance and to compare our predictions with the gravity at Sumatra and Mariana, we define a model normal Earth. Although the peak-to-peak gravitational disturbance is comparable for the two types of subductions, approximately 250 mGal, from both observations and modelling, encompassing the highest positive maximum on the overriding plates and the negative minimum on the trench, the trough is wider for the ocean–ocean subduction: approximately 300 km compared to approximately 180 km for the ocean–continent subduction. Furthermore, the gravitational disturbance pattern is more symmetric for the ocean–ocean subduction compared to the ocean–continent subduction in terms of the amplitudes of the two positive maxima over the overriding and subducting plates. Their difference is, for the ocean–ocean type, approximately one half of the ocean–continent one. These different characteristics of the two types of subductions are exploited herein in terms of the different crustal thicknesses of the overriding plate and of the different dynamics in the wedge and in the mantle for the two types of subduction, in close agreement with the gravity data

The presence of dominant follicles and corpora lutea does not perturb response to controlled ovarian stimulation in random start protocols

The advent of random start protocols to shorten the time needed to store oocytes in women with malignancies has represented an important improvement in the field of fertility preservation. However, Randomized Controlled Trials are difficult to implement in this area and available evidence that supports this approach remains modest. To shed more light on this issue, we compared the follicular development between the ovary carrying the dominant follicle or the corpus luteum and the contralateral resting ovary in 90 women who underwent random start controlled ovarian stimulation (COS). In fact, ovarian response did not differ between the two ovaries. Subgroup analyses according to the phase of the cycle at the initiation of COS, the type of malignancy, the use of letrozole and the magnitude of the ovarian response did not allow to identify any condition showing a difference in the follicular response between the active and the resting ovaries. In conclusion, follicular growth does not seem to be perturbed by the presence of a dominant follicle or a corpus luteum

Colour of the past in South Caucasus: The first archaeometric investigation on rock art and pigment residues from Georgia

This research is the first archaeometric investigation of Damirgaya and Trialeti painted rock art and pigments from grinding tools from the Neolithic settlement of Khramis Didi Gora, in South Caucasus, Georgia. The aims of this research are to characterise the rocks and pigments including identification of organic binder, as well as investigate the compatibility of inorganic pigments with locally available supplies and methods of production. Stylistic similarities and influences are compared with adjacent archaeological sites from Armenia and Azerbaijan, where traces of monochromatic red pigment were recovered in settlements, barrows and artefacts. Optical microscopy (OM) on loose samples and thin sections, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were used to determine the mineralogical and chemical composition of the samples. Employing micro-Fourier-transform infrared (μ-FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, compounds were further characterized in both rock paintings and grinding tools. It was not possible to identify or ascertain the presence of binders, either because of their low concentration or complete molecular breakdown deterioration. From the pigment residues on both the rock art and grinding tools, hematite was the main colouring agent, with different associated minerals. For the rock samples, it was found that the rock art at Trialeti is on a dacite, whereas the one from Damirgaya is on a rock composed of quartz, with traces of iron oxides and phyllosilicates, suggesting that the rock originated from hydrothermal activity. The research presented here is the first chemical and mineralogical characterization of pigment residues and rock art from South Caucasian prehistory