Diagnosis delayed: health profile differences between women with undiagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome and those with a clinical diagnosis by age 35 years

STUDY QUESTION: Are reproductive, metabolic or psychological health profiles of women with clinically diagnosed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) different from those with undiagnosed PCOS? SUMMARY ANSWER: Obtaining a clinical diagnosis of PCOS is strongly linked to the experience of fertility problems, but not clinical depression or poor metabolic health, although these were highly prevalent in women with PCOS irrespective of when they were diagnosed. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: PCOS is an endocrine disorder that is relative common, but heterogeneous in presentation. This may impact on the pathways to diagnosis and timely treatment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A cross-sectional analysis of a community-based cohort of 974 women, established retrospectively when women were around 30 years of age. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: In this cohort of women born in Adelaide, South Australia, half of women who met the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS were previously undiagnosed. We compared women with prior clinical diagnosis of PCOS, those diagnosed through participation in this research, and the remainder in the cohort. Sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive, metabolic and psychological health, including medical conditions and medications were considered. Logistic regression was undertaken to identify independent predictors of prior clinical diagnosis. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: There were 56 women with a prior clinical diagnosis of PCOS (5.7%) and a further 64 (6.6%) were undiagnosed until study entry. The great majority of women with a prior diagnosis of PCOS reported having had problems with periods (95%) and excess body hair (63%). Corresponding proportions for women undiagnosed until study participation were slightly lower (81% and 45%, respectively). Although the proportion of women attempting or achieving pregnancy was similar across all groups, those with a prior diagnosis of PCOS were four times more likely to have reported difficulties becoming pregnant than those undiagnosed (odds ratio ¼ 4.05, 95% CI 1.74–9.45) and frequently sought medical assistance. Metabolic problems were higher in both PCOS groups compared to women without PCOS. In both PCOS groups, the prevalence of clinical depression was 50% higher than in those with no PCOS (P ¼ 0.021). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The number of women who were diagnosed with PCOS both prior to and during the study limited statistical power available to detect modest differences between the PCOS groups. Some women in the group classified as not having PCOS may have remained undiagnosed, but any bias from this source would contribute to more conservative findings. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Findings reinforce the need for early detection of PCOS symptoms from adolescence, ensuring timely diagnosis and appropriate health care. The high prevalence of depression among clinically diagnosed and undiagnosed women with PCOS suggests this is a feature of the condition and supports recent recommendations in the international PCOS guidelines to screen all women with PCOS for depression and anxiety.Renae C. Fernandez, Vivienne M. Moore, Alice R. Rumbold, Melissa J. Whitrow, Jodie C. Avery, and Michael J. Davie

Fermi-edge singularities in linear and non-linear ultrafast spectroscopy

We discuss Fermi-edge singularity effects on the linear and nonlinear transient response of an electron gas in a doped semiconductor. We use a bosonization scheme to describe the low energy excitations, which allows to compute the time and temperature dependence of the response functions. Coherent control of the energy absorption at resonance is analyzed in the linear regime. It is shown that a phase-shift appears in the coherent control oscillations, which is not present in the excitonic case. The nonlinear response is calculated analytically and used to predict that four wave-mixing experiments would present a Fermi-edge singularity when the exciting energy is varied. A new dephasing mechanism is predicted in doped samples that depends linearly on temperature and is produced by the low-energy bosonic excitations in the conduction band.Comment: long version; 9 pages, 4 figure

Effect of lurbinectedin on the QTc interval in patients with advanced solid tumors: an exposure–response analysis

Purpose: This study assessed the effect of lurbinectedin, a highly selective inhibitor of oncogenic transcription, on the change from baseline in Fridericia’s corrected QT interval (¿QTcF) and electrocardiography (ECG) morphological patterns, and lurbinectedin concentration–¿QTcF (C-¿QTcF) relationship, in patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods: Patients with QTcF = 500 ms, QRS < 110 ms, PR < 200 ms, and normal cardiac conduction and function received lurbinectedin 3.2 mg/m2 as a 1-h intravenous infusion every 3 weeks. ECGs were collected in triplicate via 12-lead digital recorder in treatment cycle 1 and 2 and analyzed centrally. ECG collection time-matched blood samples were drawn to measure lurbinectedin plasma concentration. No effect on QTc interval was concluded if the upper bound (UB) of the least square (LS) mean two-sided 90% confidence intervals (CI) for ¿QTcF at each time point was < 20 ms. C-¿QTcF was explored using linear mixed-effects analysis. Results: A total of 1707 ECGs were collected from 39 patients (females, 22; median age, 56 years). The largest UB of the 90% CI of ¿QTcF was 9.6 ms, thus lower than the more conservative 10 ms threshold established at the ICH E14 guideline for QT studies in healthy volunteers. C-¿QTcF was better fit by an effect compartment model, and the 90% CI of predicted ¿QTcF at Cmax was 7.81 ms, also below the 10 ms threshold of clinical concern. Conclusions: ECG parameters and C-¿QTcF modelling in this prospective study indicate that lurbinectedin was not associated with a clinically relevant effect on cardiac repolarization

Development of photocatalytic coatings for building materials with Bi2O3-ZnO nanoparticles

The aim of this study was to develop versatile coatings that can protect the stone surfaces of Ar-chitectural Heritage. Two different 3D media, namely superhydrophobic (SPHB) and hydrooleophobic (OHB), were utilized as host matrices for nanostructured photocatalysts (Bi2O3-ZnO 8/92). These photocatalysts were sensitive to visible light to enhance their efficiency when exposed to sunlight. To prevent the nanophotocatalyst from clumping together in the 3D media, non-ionic dispersant additives (Tween20, TritonX-100, and Brij35) were incorporated. The optimized suspensions were then applied to various substrates such as sandstone, limestone, and granite. The effectiveness of the coatings was assessed by evaluating the hydrophobicity, oleo-phobicity, and photocatalytic activity of the coated substrates. The Bi2O3-ZnO photocatalyst exhib-ited higher activity in the SPHB medium compared to the OHB medium. To simulate real-life con-ditions, the coated substrates were subjected to accelerated weathering tests to predict their dura-bility. Despite a significant reduction in their thickness, the coatings demonstrated sustained hy-drophobic efficiency and self-cleaning capability after the accelerated ageing tests

A Performance Analysis Framework for WiFi/WiMAX Heterogeneous Metropolitan Networks Based on Cross-Layer Design

The communication between network nodes within different protocol domains is often regarded simply as a black box with unknown configuration conditions in the path. We address network heterogeneity using a white box approach and focus on its interconnection processes. To achieve this purpose, a Performance Analysis Framework (PAF) is proposed which is composed of the formalization of the latter using process algebra (PA) and the corresponding teletraffic performance models. In this contribution, we target the IEEE 802.16 and IEEE 802.11 protocols. For the teletraffic models, we extend previous models for such scenario with the inclusion of the following protocol operational parameters (metrics): bit error rate (BER), packet error ratio (PER), and packet length (pl). From the framework teletraffic models, the optimal packet length (OPL), end to end throughput, delay, and packet loss are obtained. The PAF outperforms previous modeling solutions in terms of delay and throughput relative to NS3 simulation results. </jats:p

Metastable States in Spin Glasses and Disordered Ferromagnets

We study analytically M-spin-flip stable states in disordered short-ranged Ising models (spin glasses and ferromagnets) in all dimensions and for all M. Our approach is primarily dynamical and is based on the convergence of a zero-temperature dynamical process with flips of lattice animals up to size M and starting from a deep quench, to a metastable limit. The results (rigorous and nonrigorous, in infinite and finite volumes) concern many aspects of metastable states: their numbers, basins of attraction, energy densities, overlaps, remanent magnetizations and relations to thermodynamic states. For example, we show that their overlap distribution is a delta-function at zero. We also define a dynamics for M=infinity, which provides a potential tool for investigating ground state structure.Comment: 34 pages (LaTeX); to appear in Physical Review

Os sistemas agroflorestais como alternativa de sustentabilidade em ecossistemas de várzea no Amazonas.

Os sistemas agroflorestais (SAFs) representam uma alternativa agroecológica de produção, sob regime sustentável, para os agricultores familiares na várzea dos Rios Solimões/Amazonas, principalmente no que se refere ao manejo florestal, à diversidade de produtos e à geração de renda. Diante disso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi compreender as diferentes formas de apropriação e de manejo dos recursos naturais através dos SAFs, nos subsistemas roça, sítio e lagos, como componente para a sustentabilidade dos agricultores familiares da localidade Costa da Terra Nova, município do Careiro da Várzea, Amazonas. O método empregado foi o Estudo de Caso com aplicação de questionários, entrevistas e observação participante. A produção familiar na Costa da Terra Nova é representada pelos SAFs, constituído pelos os subsistemas: roça quintal e lago, que proporcionam produtos tanto para subsistência quanto para comercialização local, e estabelecendo a agricultura como fundamental atividade na localidade. O principal produto para comercialização é obtido das hortaliças cultivadas na época da vazante no subsistema roça nas comunidades São Francisco e Nossa Senhora da Conceição; e do extrativismo pesqueiro no subsistema lago, na época da cheia, principalmente na comunidade São José. A criação de animal se dá no subsistema sítio e é apenas para subsistência, sendo as aves e os suínos os principais animais domésticos criados nas três comunidades. Portanto os SAFs tradicionais, constituídos pelos subsistemas, roça, sitio e lago, são responsáveis pela sustentabilidade socioeconômica da localidade pesquisada, servindo, como alternativa agrícola melhor adaptada às condições locais das áreas de várzea na Amazônia

Determination of ππ\pi\pi scattering lengths from measurement of π+π−\pi^+\pi^- atom lifetime

The DIRAC experiment at CERN has achieved a sizeable production of $\pi^+\pi^-$ atoms and has significantly improved the precision on its lifetime determination. From a sample of 21227 atomic pairs, a 4% measurement of the S-wave $\pi\pi$ scattering length difference $|a_0-a_2| = (.0.2533^{+0.0080}_{-0.0078}|_\mathrm{stat}.{}^{+0.0078}_{-0.0073}|_\mathrm{syst})M_{\pi^+}^{-1}$ has been attained, providing an important test of Chiral Perturbation Theory.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

HPM Approximations for Trajectories: From a Golf Ball Path to Mercury’s Orbit

In this work, we propose the approximated analytical solutions for two highly nonlinear problems using the homotopy perturbation method (HPM). We obtained approximations for a golf ball trajectory model and a Mercury orbit’s model. In addition, to enlarge the domain of convergence of the first case study, we apply the Laplace-Padé resummation method to the HPM series solution. For both case studies, we were able to obtain approximations in good agreement with numerical methods, depicting the basic nature of the trajectories of the phenomena