15,907 research outputs found
The value of automated follicle volume measurements in IVF/ICSI
Background/Aims: The objective of this literature study is to investigate the place of recent software technology sonography-based automated volume count (SonoAVC) for the automatic measurement of follicular volumes in IVF/ICSI. Its advantages and disadvantages and potential future developments are evaluated.
Methods: A total of 74 articles were read via a PubMed literature study.The literature study included 53 articles, 32 of which for the systematic review.
Results: The SonoAVC software shows excellent accuracy. Comparing the technology with the âgolden standardâ two-dimensional (2D) manual follicle measurements, SonoAVC leads to a significantly lower intra- and inter-observer variability. However, there is no significant difference in clinical outcome (pregnancy rate).We noted a significant advantage in the time gained, both for doctor and patient. By storing the images, the technology offers the possibility of including a quality control and continuous training and further standardization of follicular monitoring can be expected. Ovarian reserve testing by measuring the antral follicle count with SonoAVC is highly reliable.
Conclusion: This overview of previously published literature shows how SonoAVC offers advantages for clinical practice, without losing any accuracy or reliability. Doctors should be motivated to the general use of follicular volumes instead of follicular diameters
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Beyond TREC's filtering track
Following the withdrawal of the filtering track from the latest TREC conferences, there is a niche for new evaluation standards. Towards this end, we suggest, based on variations of TREC's routing subtask, two new evaluation methodologies. The first can be used for evaluating single, multi-topic profiles and the second for testing the ability of a multi-topic profile to adapt to both modest variations and radical drifts in user interests
Electroweak Limits on General New Vector Bosons
We study extensions of the Standard Model with general new vector bosons. The
full Standard Model gauge symmetry is used to classify the extra vectors and
constrain their couplings. We derive the corresponding effective Lagrangian,
valid at energies lower than the mass of the extra vectors, and use it to
extract limits from electroweak precision observables, including LEP 2 data. We
consider both universal and nonuniversal couplings to fermions. We study the
interplay of several extra vectors, which can have the effect of opening new
regions in parameter space. In particular, it allows to explain the anomaly in
the bottom forward-backward asymmetry with perturbative couplings. Finally, we
analyze quantitatively the implications for the Higgs mass.Comment: Latex 50 pages, 12 eps figures. Typos fixed, comments and references
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Observable Effects of General New Scalar Particles
We classify all possible new scalar particles that can have renormalizable
linear couplings to Standard Model fields and therefore be singly produced at
colliders. We show that this classification exhausts the list of heavy scalar
particles that contribute at the tree level to the Standard Model effective
Lagrangian to dimension six. We compute this effective Lagrangian for a general
scenario with an arbitrary number of new scalar particles and obtain
flavor-preserving constraints on their couplings and masses. This completes the
tree-level matching of the coefficients of dimension five and six operators in
the effective Lagrangian to arbitrary extensions of the Standard Model.Comment: 21 pages plus appendices, 28 tables. Improved discussion in Section
6. New references and comments. Minor corrections. Matches published versio
Key Production Parameters to Obtain Transparent Nanocellular PMMA
Transparent nanocellular polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) with relative density around 0.4 is produced for the first time by using the gas dissolution foaming technique. The processing conditions and the typical characteristics of the cellular structure needed to manufacture this novel material are discovered. It is proved that low saturation temperatures (â32 °C) combined with high saturation pressures (6, 10, 20 MPa) allow increasing the solubility of PMMA up to values not reached before. In particular, the highest CO2 uptake ever reported for PMMA, (i.e., 48 wt%) is found for a saturation pressure of 20 MPa and a saturation temperature of â32 °C. Due to these processing conditions, cell nucleation densities of 1016 nuclei cmâ3 and cell sizes clearly below 50 nm are achieved. The nanocellular polymers obtained, with cell sizes ten times smaller than the wavelength of visible light and very homogeneous cellular structures, show a significant transparency
Baby steps: investigating the development of perceptual-motor couplings in infancy
There are cells in our motor cortex that fire both when we perform and when we observe similar actions. It has been suggested that these perceptual-motor couplings in the brain develop through associative learning during correlated sensorimotor experience. Although studies with adult participants have provided support for this hypothesis, there is no direct evidence that associative learning also underlies the initial formation of perceptualâmotor couplings in the developing brain. With the present study we addressed this question by manipulating infantsâ opportunities to associate the visual and motor representation of a novel action, and by investigating how this influenced their sensorimotor cortex activation when they observed this action performed by others. Pre-walking 7â9-month-old infants performed stepping movements on an infant treadmill while they either observed their own real-time leg movements (Contingent group) or the previously recorded leg movements of another infant (Non-contingent control group). Infants in a second control group did not perform any steps and only received visual experience with the stepping actions. Before and after the training period we measured infantsâ sensorimotor alpha suppression, as an index of sensorimotor cortex activation, while they watched videos of other infantsâ stepping actions. While we did not find greater sensorimotor alpha suppression following training in the Contingent group as a whole, we nevertheless found that the strength of the visuomotor contingency experienced during training predicted the amount of sensorimotor alpha suppression at post-test in this group. We did not find any effects of motor experience alone. These results suggest that the development of perceptualâmotor couplings in the infant brain is likely to be supported by associative learning during correlated visuomotor experience
The potential impact of explicit Basel II operational risk capital charges on the competitive environment of processing banks in the United States
Basel II replaces Basel Iâs implicit capital charge on operational risk with an explicit charge. Certain U.S. banks concentrated in processing-related business lines â which have significant operational risk â could thus face an increase in overall minimum regulatory capital requirements. Some have argued that, as a result, these so-called âprocessing banksâ would be disadvantaged vis-Ă -vis competitors not subject to regulatory capital requirements for operational risk. This paper evaluates these concerns.Bank capital ; Risk management ; Basel capital accord
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