Spontaneous pregnancy after tracking ovulation during menstruation: A case report of a woman with premature ovarian insufficiency and repeated failure of in vitro fertilization

The diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is devastating in women of reproductive age because of the small chance of spontaneous pregnancy. Here, we report a very rare case with POI and repeated failure of in vitro fertilization (IVF) where the final result was natural fertilization following guidance to have sexual intercourse during menstruation as ovulation was monitored. Estradiol valerate was used to increase the thickness of the endometrium and stop the menstrual bleeding. There was a serum level of 208.44 IU/L of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) 14 days after the ovulation. Later, a series of transvaginal ultrasounds also indicated a normal-appearing intra-uterine pregnancy. A healthy baby girl was delivered at term by means of cesarean section. Our report suggested that although the chance of spontaneous pregnancy is relatively low in patients with POI with repeated IVF failures, as long as ovulation does occur, even if it happens during menstruation, natural pregnancy is still worth trying with a series of proper and personalized treatments

Sources of PM2.5-Associated PAHs and n-alkanes in Changzhou China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes are important specific organic constituents in fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Seventy-five PM2.5 samples were collected in Spring Changzhou, to investigate the concentrations and sources of n-alkanes (C9–C40) and PAHs. The average concentrations of total PAHs (∑PAHs) and n-alkanes (∑n-alkanes) were 4.37 ± 4.95 ng/m3 and 252.37 ± 184.02 ng/m3, ranging from 0.43 to 22.22 ng/m3 and 57.37 to 972.17 ng/m3, respectively. The average concentrations of ∑n-alkanes and ∑PAHs were higher in severely polluted days (PM2.5 ≥ 150 μg/m3) in comparison to other days. Up to 85% of PAHs were four- and five-ring compounds, and the middle-chain-length n-alkanes (C25–C35) were the most abundant species (80.9%). The molecular distribution of n-alkanes was characterized by odd-number carbon predominance (carbon preference index, CPI > 1), with a maximum centered at C27, C29, and C31 revealing a significant role of biogenic sources. Principal component analysis suggested that the biogenic sources that contributed the most to n-alkanes and PAHs were from coal combustion (46.3%), followed by biomass burning (16.0%), and vehicular exhaust (10.3%). The variation in the concentration of n-alkanes and PAHs from different air mass transports was not agreement with the change in PM2.5 mass, indicating that regional transport had important impacts on the characterization of PM2.5. The results of our study can provide useful information for evaluating the influence of anthropogenic and biogenic activities on organic matters (n-alkanes and PAHs)

Performance and mechanism of CO2 reduction by DBD-coupled mesoporous SiO2

In the process of CO2 reduction with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD)-coupled catalysis, the existing material presents unsatisfactory synergy, such as high cost, complicated preparation processes, and low conversion rates. An inexpensive and environmentally friendly mesoporous SiO2 with different morphologies by gel–sol method was synthesized and then introduced for synergistic conversion of CO2 with DBD. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized mesoporous SiO2 materials were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, indicated the prepared mesoporous materials manifested large specific surface areas, ordered pore channels and pore size, and good stability. The CO2 reduction performance, CO selectivity, and energy efficiency of DBD alone and DBD-coupled mesoporous SiO2 were investigated at different input powers. The SiO2 prepared with 1.05 g cetyltrimethylammonium bromide addition had the highest activity, in which the conversion of CO2, CO yield and energy efficiency were increased by 56.73, 68.41, and 122.31%, respectively, compared with DBD alone. The primary CO2 conversion mechanism of the mesoporous SiO2-coupled DBD was analyzed. It is shown that the suitable pore capacity structure, the large specific surface area, and the presence of filament discharge within the pore size of suitable mesoporous material can promote the decomposition of CO2 on its surface

Chemical and Optical Characteristics and Sources of PM_2.5 Humic-Like Substances at Industrial and Suburban Sites in Changzhou, China

The chemical and optical properties and sources of atmospheric PM2.5 humic-like substances (HULIS) were investigated from October to December 2016 in both industrial and suburban areas in Changzhou, China, during polluted and fair days. The average PM2.5 concentration in the industrial region was 113.06 (±64.3) μg m−3, higher than 85.27 (±41.56) μg m−3 at the suburban site. The frequency of polluted days was significantly higher in the industrial region. In contrast, the chemical compositions of PM2.5 at the two sampling sites exhibited no statistically significant differences. Rapidly increased secondary inorganic ions (SNA = NH4+ + SO42− + NO3−) concentrations suggested secondary formation played an important role in haze formation. The daily mean concentration of humic-like substance (HULIS) was 1.8–1.9 times that of HULIS-C (the carbon content of HULIS). Our results showed that HULIS accounted for a considerable fraction of PM2.5 (industrial region: 6.3% vs. suburban region: 9.4%). There were no large differences in the mass ratios of HULIS-C/WSOC at the two sites (46% in the industrial region and 52% in the suburban region). On average, suburban HULIS-C constituted 35.1% of organic carbon (OC), higher than that (21.1%) in the industrial region. Based on different MAE (mass absorption efficiency) values under different pollution levels, we can infer that the optical properties of HULIS varied with PM levels. Moreover, our results showed no distinct difference in E2/E3 (the ratio of light absorbance at 250 nm to that at 365 nm) and AAE300–400 (Absorption Angstrom Exponent at 300–400 nm) for HULIS and WSOC. the MAE365 (MAE at 365 nm) value of HULIS-C was different under three PM2.5 levels (low: PM2.5 −3, moderate: PM2.5 = 75–150 μg m−3, high: PM2.5 > 150 μg m−3), with the highest MAE365 value on polluted days in the industrial region. Strong correlations between HULIS-C and SNA revealed that HULIS might be contributed from secondary formation at both sites. In addition, good correlations between HULIS-C with K+ in the industrial region implied the importance of biomass burning to PM2.5-bound HULIS. Three common sources of HULIS-C (i.e., vehicle emissions, biomass burning, and secondary aerosols) were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF) for both sites, but the contributions were different, with the largest contribution from biomass burning in the industrial region and secondary sources in the suburban region, respectively. The findings presented here are important in understanding PM2.5 HULIS chemistry and are valuable for future air pollution control measures

Chemical Characteristics of PM_2.5 and Water-Soluble Organic Nitrogen in Yangzhou, China

Chemical characterization of fine atmospheric particles (PM2.5) is important for effective reduction of air pollution. This work analyzed PM2.5 samples collected in Yangzhou, China, during 2016. Ionic species, organic matter (OM), elemental carbon (EC), and trace metals were determined, and an Aerodyne soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS) was introduced to determine the OM mass, rather than only organic carbon mass. We found that inorganic ionic species was dominant (~52%), organics occupied about 1/4, while trace metals (~1%) and EC (~2.1%) contributed insignificantly to the total PM2.5 mass. Water-soluble OM appeared to link closely with secondary OM, while water-insoluble OM correlated well with primary OM. The PM2.5 concentrations were relatively low during summertime, while its compositions varied little among different months. Seasonal variations of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) concentrations were not significant, while the mass contributions of WSON to total nitrogen were remarkably high during summer and autumn. WSON was found to associate better with secondary sources based on both correlation analyses and principle component analyses. Analyses of potential source contributions to WSON showed that regional emissions were dominant during autumn and winter, while the ocean became relatively important during spring and summer

Development of a Novel Terpolymer as a Green and Efficient Decalcifying Agent for Crude Petroleum

A novel environmental decalcifying agent was prepared with allylpolyethoxy amino carboxylate (APEAA), hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), and maleic anhydride (MA) by means of free-radical polymerization in an aqueous solution. The morphology and structure of the samples were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectra. The molecular-weight distribution of APEAA–HEA–MA was determined by the gel permeation chromatography method. APEAA–HEA–MA was used as a green decalcifying agent to remove calcium from crude petroleum, and the impact of factors such as monomer ratio, copolymerization time, dosages, and desalination temperature was analyzed. It is found that the decalcification rate of APEAA–HEA–MA could reach to its maximum, and the calcium removal efficiency was approximately 97.88% when the monomer molar ratio of APEAA–HEA–MA was 1:2:5, the reaction time of copolymerization was 2 h, the dosage was 100 ppm, and the desalination temperature was 100 °C. This research work can promote the exploration on facile synthesis of a novel terpolymer and its potential application in refinery desalting processes

Image_2_Spontaneous pregnancy after tracking ovulation during menstruation: A case report of a woman with premature ovarian insufficiency and repeated failure of in vitro fertilization.JPEG

The diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is devastating in women of reproductive age because of the small chance of spontaneous pregnancy. Here, we report a very rare case with POI and repeated failure of in vitro fertilization (IVF) where the final result was natural fertilization following guidance to have sexual intercourse during menstruation as ovulation was monitored. Estradiol valerate was used to increase the thickness of the endometrium and stop the menstrual bleeding. There was a serum level of 208.44 IU/L of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) 14 days after the ovulation. Later, a series of transvaginal ultrasounds also indicated a normal-appearing intra-uterine pregnancy. A healthy baby girl was delivered at term by means of cesarean section. Our report suggested that although the chance of spontaneous pregnancy is relatively low in patients with POI with repeated IVF failures, as long as ovulation does occur, even if it happens during menstruation, natural pregnancy is still worth trying with a series of proper and personalized treatments.</p

Image_1_Spontaneous pregnancy after tracking ovulation during menstruation: A case report of a woman with premature ovarian insufficiency and repeated failure of in vitro fertilization.JPEG

The diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is devastating in women of reproductive age because of the small chance of spontaneous pregnancy. Here, we report a very rare case with POI and repeated failure of in vitro fertilization (IVF) where the final result was natural fertilization following guidance to have sexual intercourse during menstruation as ovulation was monitored. Estradiol valerate was used to increase the thickness of the endometrium and stop the menstrual bleeding. There was a serum level of 208.44 IU/L of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) 14 days after the ovulation. Later, a series of transvaginal ultrasounds also indicated a normal-appearing intra-uterine pregnancy. A healthy baby girl was delivered at term by means of cesarean section. Our report suggested that although the chance of spontaneous pregnancy is relatively low in patients with POI with repeated IVF failures, as long as ovulation does occur, even if it happens during menstruation, natural pregnancy is still worth trying with a series of proper and personalized treatments.</p

Table_1_Spontaneous pregnancy after tracking ovulation during menstruation: A case report of a woman with premature ovarian insufficiency and repeated failure of in vitro fertilization.DOCX

The diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is devastating in women of reproductive age because of the small chance of spontaneous pregnancy. Here, we report a very rare case with POI and repeated failure of in vitro fertilization (IVF) where the final result was natural fertilization following guidance to have sexual intercourse during menstruation as ovulation was monitored. Estradiol valerate was used to increase the thickness of the endometrium and stop the menstrual bleeding. There was a serum level of 208.44 IU/L of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) 14 days after the ovulation. Later, a series of transvaginal ultrasounds also indicated a normal-appearing intra-uterine pregnancy. A healthy baby girl was delivered at term by means of cesarean section. Our report suggested that although the chance of spontaneous pregnancy is relatively low in patients with POI with repeated IVF failures, as long as ovulation does occur, even if it happens during menstruation, natural pregnancy is still worth trying with a series of proper and personalized treatments.</p