Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors and Methods for Predicting Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) in the in vitro Fertilization

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is the most severe and life-threatening complication of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). OHSS is based on an excessive ovarian response to ovarian stimulation; however, the pathogenesis has not been fully understood yet. The most serious complications of OHSS are thromboembolic complications and ovarian torsion. The current study describes the risk factors for the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and proposes a method for specific prediction of this syndrome. This study was designed to investigate 671 therapeutic cycles in the IVF program during 2009-2018. All patients were divided into two groups. Group one (n=56) included women who developed OHSS during the IVF procedure. Group two (n=615) consisted of women who did not have this complication during the IVF procedure. All the observation and examination outcomes were entered into a specially developed questionnaire, and then into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The data were processed by variable statistics using Statistica 10.0. Analyzing of the recorded data revealed that the rate of OHSS was higher in the group of younger women, aged 30.76±3.67 years, in comparison with those aged 32.78±4.40 years in the group of patients without OHSS (p<0.05). The analysis of the initial phase of the reproductive system has confirmed that the group of patients with OHSS had a higher level of prolactin, 462.84±191.56 mIU/L in comparison with 363.43±187.84 mIU/L, which corresponded to the group of women without OHSS (p<0.05). In our results, 7.15±1.04% of cases with OHSS had obesity, while of the patients from the group without OHSS suffered from it (p<0.05). OHSS is the most severe iatrogenic complication of ART, therefore it is extremely important to consider its risk factors and take timely preventive measures. This study has established a high relationship between the studied risk factors and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and proposed a model for predicting this syndrome.
Adaptive Dynamic Inversion via Time-Scale Separation

This paper presents a full state feedback adaptive dynamic inversion method for uncertain systems that depend nonlinearly upon the control input. Using a specialized set of basis functions that respect the monotonic property of the system nonlinearities with respect to control input, a state predictor is defined for derivation of the adaptive laws. The adaptive dynamic inversion controller is defined as a solution of a fast dynamical equation, which achieves time-scale separation between the state predictor and the controller dynamics. Lyapunov-based adaptive laws ensure that the predictor tracks the state of the nonlinear system with bounded errors. As a result, the system state tracks the desired reference model with bounded errors. Benefits of the proposed design method are demonstrated using Van der Pol dynamics with nonlinear control input.
Plume‐related mafic volcanism and the deposition of banded iron formation

We have compiled a record of the geochronology of mantle plume activity between 3.8 and 1.6 Ga. Over this time period, the ages of komatiites, and those of global plumes, correlate strongly, at the 99% confidence level, with the ages of banded iron formations (BIFs). The ages of continental plumes correlate more weakly, at an overall 85% confidence level. Using the geochronological records of these events, we can define four periods characterized by mantle superplume activity. Three of these periods are also times of enhanced BIF deposition. The fourth mantle plume period may similarly be coeval with increased BIF accumulation, but the BIF chronostratigraphic resolution is not accurate enough to test this rigorously. Mantle superplume volcanism may promote BIF deposition by increasing the Fe flux to the global oceans through continental weathering and/or through submarine hydrothermal processes. It may also be enhanced by increasing the number of paleotectonic environments appropriate for BIF deposition (particularly plume-induced ocean plateaus, seamounts, and intracratonic rifts) and by promoting global anoxic, Fe-rich hydrothermal plumes in the shallow to intermediate marine water column.
A Study on Habitat Selection and Probable Anthropogenic Threats of Anurans in Barak Valley, Northeast India

Amphibians are threatened at the global level with more than 32% amphibian species being listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered by IUCN. Habitat selection is particularly important for the survival rate and reproductive success in animals inhabiting diverse environments. Anurans have a biphasic lifestyle and inhabit both aquatic and terrestrial systems. It is essential to understand the selection of habitat by both adults and tadpoles. Tadpoles are particularly sensitive to environmental fluctuations and are influenced by various factors like temperature, rainfall, humidity, ph, vegetation type, presence of predators etc. Adults too choose their habitats carefully to achieve high survival and reproductive success. The northeastern region of India is a part of the Indo-Burma hotspot, which is one of the 34 global biodiversity hot spots. Barak Valley region abounds in wetlands of various sizes, formed in the flood plains of River Barak and its tributaries, tanks and ponds of varying sizes, streams, pools, marshes and others; paddy fields and low hills strewn in between. The myriad freshwater ecosystems along with thick tropical vegetation offer excellent habitats for anurans. The paper analyses the choice of habitat of the anurans and the impact of anthropogenic activities on the habitat loss and degradation which would help design conservation strategies for this lesser studied group of vertebrates.
Effects of the quasi-biennial oscillation on low-latitude transport in the stratosphere derived from trajectory calculations

[1] The quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) of stratospheric zonal winds induces a secondary meridional circulation (SMC) consisting of QBO variations in meridional and vertical winds. In this work, we investigate how these instantaneous meridional circulation anomalies add over time to variations of stratospheric transport. To that end, we compute backward parcel trajectories on the basis of the output of a chemistry-climate model (CCM). At the equator, the trajectories show the strongest vertical parcel displacement over a seasonal timescale when the QBO progresses toward easterly phase in the middle stratosphere. During the solstitial seasons a large number of parcels come from the summer hemisphere, causing in addition a QBO variation in the spread of the total ascent among equatorial parcels. A QBO effect on meridional transport is diagnosed from PV gradients during summer in the easterly phase of the QBO, which suggests a variation of the tropical-subtropical barrier strength. Analyses of the parcel trajectories and CCM trace gas distributions confirm this finding. We suggest that this variation is due to the combined effects of QBO and annual variation in meridional advection and in wave-induced eddy transport.
Direct Evidence for the Role of Cooh Terminus of Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus Superantigen in Determining T Cell Receptor V/3 Specificity

It has recently been shown that open reading frames in the 3' long terminal repeats of mouse mammary tumor viruses encode superantigens. These viral superantigens (vSAGs) stimulate most T cells expressing appropriate V3s almost regardless of the rest of the variable components of the T cell receptors (TCR) expressed by those cells, vSAGs produce a type II integral membrane protein with a nonessential short cytoplasmic domain and a large glycosylated extracellular COOH-terminal domain, which is predicted to interact with major histocompatibility complex class II molecules and the TCR. The transmembrane region of vSAG also has an internal positively charged lysine residue of unknown significance. A set of chimeric and mutant vSAG genes has been used in transfection experiments to show that only the extreme COOH-terminal portion of vSAGs determine their TCR V3 specificities, and to show that the lysine residue in the transmembrane domain is not essential for the function of vSAG. S uperantigens (SAGs), combined with MHC class II molecules , interact with a high proportion of TCR-o#3 (1, 2). This high frequency of interaction occurs because SAG-MHC complexes stimulate virtually all the T cells bearing particular V3 elements almost irrespective of other variable components (Vtx, Jc~, and D/~J3) in TCtL (3-7). The recognition of SAG-MHC complexes by TCR is markedly different from the recognition of conventional peptide an-tigens, which require the contribution of both TCR o~ and chains (8-11). The unusual way in which SAG-MHC complexes interact with TCR has been partly explained by recent experiments showing that SAGs interact with the TCR primarily through the hypervariable region 4 (HVR4), well away from TCR-c~ and the third hypervariable region (12-14). Most murine endogenous SAGs are now known to be encoded by the open reading frames (off) in the 3' LTR of mouse mammary tumor viruses (MMTV) (15-22). For example, Mls-1 antigen which stimulates T cells bearing V~ 6, 7, 8.1, and 9, has been shown to be encoded by the off in the 3' LTR. of endogenous MMTV-7 (17, 23). MMTV-1,-3,-6, and-13 encode SAGs that stimulate T cells expressing V33 elements (22). The off of different MMTVs are now termed viral superantigens (vSAGs) (17, 18, 22-24). For example, Mls-1 is denoted as vSAG-7 because the SAG is encoded by MMTV-7. It has recently been shown that vSAGs encode 45-kD glyo coproteins (23, 25, 26). The data provided by in vitro translation experiments suggested that the vSAG produces a …
Life‐Space Mobility and Quality of Life in Community‐Dwelling Older People

Hiroyasu Akatsu, MD, PhD Choju Medical Institute, Fukushimura Hospital Toyohashi City, Aichi, Japan Department of Community-Based Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University Nagoya City, Aichi, Japan Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya City, Aichi Japan Department of Mechanism of Aging, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu City, Aichi, Japan
Proteomic analysis of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded renal tissue samples by label‐free MS: Assessment of overall technical variability and the impact of block age

Protein profiling of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) tissues has enormous potential for the discovery and validation of disease biomarkers. The aim of this study was to systematically characterize the effect of length of time of storage of such tissue blocks in pathology archives on the quality of data produced using label‐free MS.
PCBs Are Endocrine Disruptors: Mixture Affects Reproductive Development in Female Mice

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a broad group of chemicals that includes 209 aromatic chlorinated hydrocarbons used for products ranging from fluorescent light fixtures to coolant fluids inside parts of consumer electronics. Short-term exposure to large amounts of PCBs can cause liver damage; the effects of smaller concentrations can be more subtle, affecting the reproductive development of children of exposed mothers. But are these compounds actually endocrine disruptors? New work by researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine confirms that they can be, and for the first time connects a molecular mechanism to the lifelong phenotypic changes seen after exposure to environmental estrogens [EHP 114:898–904; Ma and Sassoon]. Sold predominantly as mixtures under the trade names Aroclor and Pyranol, PCBs have been banned in the United States since 1977 and are out of use or highly restricted throughout much of the world. These compounds, which are fat-soluble and structurally similar to DDT, are highly stable: PCBs made and used for nearly 50 years before the ban remain in the environment and are found throughout the food chain, including in human tissues and breast milk. The researchers tested the hypothesis that PCBs are endocrine disruptors by comparing their effects on expression of Wnt7a in mice. Down-regulation of Wnt7a is a known factor in the reproductive deficits found in mice exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen once used to supplement estrogen levels in pregnant women. After exposure to DES, development of the reproductive system is impaired when production of the regulatory protein coded by Wnt7a is temporarily squelched. A passing loss of appropriate regulation in very young animals leads to reproductive changes—for example, in the number of uterine glands or the thickness of the myometrium, the uterus’s muscular outer layer—that give way to more pronounced changes through life. This suggests that exposed organisms are sent down an abnormal developmental path from which they cannot return. Using in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, the authors showed that the effects of environmentally relevant levels of Aroclor 1254, a commercial mix of PCBs, were similar but not identical to those of low levels of DES. Both led to decreases in expression of the Wnt7a regulatory gene and showed qualitative changes in uterine development like those described above. The authors also demonstrated that measurement of Wnt7a provides a molecular tool that lays to rest any doubt that PCBs are endocrine disruptors. The authors further showed that genetic makeup matters in terms of vulnerability to endocrine disruption. Mice with only one good copy of the Wnt7a gene were more sensitive to DES or PCBs than mice with both copies intact, providing a concrete example of how gene variation can leave some individuals more susceptible than others to the effects of PCB exposure.
Passive millimeter-wave imaging for airborne and security applications

As a result of its relatively short wavelength coupled with relatively high penetration of such things as fog, bad weather and clothing, millimeter-wave imaging provides a powerful tool for both airborne and security type applications. By using a passive approach such as that implemented here, it is possible to image through bad weather or detect concealed weapons and articles all without generating any form of radiation that might either help an enemey or raise health concerns. In this paper we will show imagery from our second generation state-of-the-art unit and discuss the technology involved.
Naturally Occurring ERAP1 Haplotypes Encode Functionally Distinct Alleles with Fine Substrate Specificity

Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) trims peptides for MHC class I presentation, influencing the degree and specificity of CD8+ T cell responses. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the exons encoding ERAP1 are associated with autoimmune diseases and cervical carcinoma, but it is not known whether they act independently or as disease-associated haplotypes. We sequenced ERAP1 from 20 individuals and show that single-nucleotide polymorphisms occur as distinct haplotypes in the human population and that these haplotypes encode functionally distinct ERAP1 alleles. Using a wide range of substrates, we are able to demonstrate that for any given substrate distinct ERAP1 alleles can be “normal,” “hypofunctional,” or “hyperfunctional” and that each allele has a trend bias toward one of these three activities. Thus, the repertoire of peptides presented at the cell surface for recognition by CTL is likely to depend on the precise combination of both MHC class I and ERAP1 alleles expressed within an individual, and has important implications for predisposition to disease.
Induction of Cyclooxygenase-2 and Prostaglandin F 2␣ Receptor Expression by Interleukin-1␤ in Cultured Human Granulosa-luteal Cells*

Prostanoids are important regulators of ovarian function, especially during ovulation and luteolysis. Cyclooxygenase (Cox) is the rate-limiting enzyme in conversion of arachidonic acid to prostanoids. We have examined the expression and regulation of the inducible Cox isoform (Cox-2) and of the receptor for PGF 2␣ (FP) in human gran-ulosa cells obtained from women undergoing oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization. Freshly isolated granulosa cells express Cox-2 and FP receptor messenger RNAs (mRNAs). FP receptor mRNA is also expressed in cultured human granulosa-luteal (GL) cells, but Cox-2 transcripts are expressed only upon induction. Interleukin-1␤ (IL-1␤) elevated Cox-2 mRNA steady state levels in a concentration-dependent manner, and kinetic studies showed that Cox-2 mRNA levels were already induced at the 2 h point and returned to the basal level after incubation for 24 h. The protein synthesis inhibitor, cyclohex-imide, induced Cox-2 mRNA expression and potentiated the effect of IL-1␤. Degradation of Cox-2 mRNA was inhibited by IL-1␤, which suggests regulation at the posttranscriptional level. IL-1␤ also induced the expression of Cox-2 protein, as detected by immunofluo-rescence staining using Cox-2-specific polyclonal antibodies. Further, IL-1␤-induced synthesis of prostanoids was blocked by a Cox-2-specific inhibitor, NS-398. In addition, hCG induced Cox-2 mRNA expression and potentiated the effect of IL-1␤. However, in contrast to the rapid and transient effect of IL-1␤ on Cox-2 mRNA, the effect of hCG followed slower kinetics. We have previously shown that hCG induces expression of human FP receptor mRNA in cultured human GL cells. We now show that IL-1␤ induces FP receptor mRNA in a time-and concentration-dependent manner. Our data suggest that Cox-2 and FP receptor are coexpressed in freshly isolated human granulosa cells and that their expression is up-regulated by IL-1␤ and hCG in cultured human GL cells. C YCLOOXYGENASE (Cox) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostanoids (1). Two Cox isoforms exist, Cox-1 and Cox-2. Cox-1 is expressed constitutively and ubiquitously, and it is thought to be responsible for the synthesis of prostanoids necessary for physiological functions, such as platelet aggregation, vaso-dilatation in the kidney, and cytoprotection of the stomach. In contrast, Cox-2 is usually low under basal conditions, but it is highly induced by tumor promoters, growth factors, and proinflammatory cytokines in several cell types in vitro, and its expression is elevated in chronic inflammatory diseases and in colon tumors in vivo (1, 2). Gonadotropins have also been shown to modulate the expression of …
CIRCULATING MONOCYTES

Objective: This study was conducted to measure Monocytes HLA-DR expression in neonatal sepsis in comparison to otherdiseases with systemic inflammation and high risk of infection (respiratory distress syndrome "RDS" and prenatal asphyxia) and this may behelpful in early diagnosis of infection and therapeutic intervention. M e t h o d s : This study was carried out on 2007 and it conducted on 38 sickneonates, 22 with proven sepsis diagnosed clinically and by positive blood culture and 16 (8 had RDS and 8 had prenatal asphyxia) withpossible infection i.e. they had 2 or fewer clinical signs of sepsis and negative blood culture. Those Patients with possible infection were followedup (for 48 h). Seven out of the 8 RDS Babies developed sepsis as evidenced clinically and by positive blood culture and they considered aspatients with early sepsis at the time of admission. Forty healthy age and sex matched newborns were studied as controls. All Babies weresubjected to complete blood count (CBC), C-reactive protein (CRP) and flow cytometeric determination of HLA-DR expression on monocytes.Results: Neonates with proven sepsis and those with early sepsis (7/8 of RDS) had significantly lower HLA-DR% {15.9+7.8 and 11.4±5.9respectively) than controls (61.0±20.6). HLA-DR% was reduced below the lowest cut off values in all septicemic neonates (neonates with provenand those with early sepsis). At the time of admission CRP was positive in 91 % of neonates with proven sepsis and in only 57% of the neonatesof early sepsis. In addition, there was no significant difference between HLA-DR percent in neonates with prenatal asphyxia when comparedto control group. Monocytes HLA-DR% had higher sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (100%, 85%, 87.5% and 100%respectively) compared to CRP (57.1%, 77.8%, 66.7%, 70% respectively) for neonatal sepsis at its early stages before evident clinical andlaboratory diagnosis. C o n c l u s i o n : HLA-DR % expression on monocytes is a sensitive test for both diagnosis of neonatal sepsis and its earlystage and exclusion of neonatal infection in high risk neonates to reduce the unnecessary antibiotic use and the costs of neonatal intensivecare units
Seismic reflection imaging of mineral systems: Three case histories

Mineral deposits can be described in terms of their mineral systems, i.e., fluid source, migration pathway, and trap. Source regions are difficult to recognize in seismic images. Many orebodies lie on or adjacent to major fault systems, suggesting that the faults acted as fluid migration pathways through the crust. Large faults often have broad internal zones of deformation fabric, which is anisotropic. This, coupled with the metasomatic effects of fluids moving along faults while they are active, can make the faults seismically reflective. For example, major gold deposits in the Archaean Eastern Goldfields province of Western Australia lie in the hanging‐wall block of regional‐scale faults that differ from other nearby faults by being highly reflective and penetrating to greater depths in the lower crust. Coupled thermal, mechanical, and fluid‐flow modeling supports the theory that these faults were fluid migration pathways from the lower to the upper crust. Strong reflections are also recorded from two .
The long runout of the Heart Mountain landslide: Heating, pressurization, and carbonate decomposition

[1] The Heart Mountain landslide of northwestern Wyoming is the largest subaerial landslide known. This Eocene age slide slid ∼50 km along a shallow 2° slope, posing a long-standing enigma regarding its emplacement mechanism. We suggest here a mechanism for the catastrophic emplacement of the Heart Mountain landslide that is independent of slide triggering. The mechanism is a feedback between shear heating, thermal pressurization, and thermal decomposition of carbonates at the slide shear zone. Such a feedback arises when a porous, fluid-filled shear zone heats up because of frictional sliding. If the shear zone is confined, the generated heat leads to pore pressure rise, which in turn reduces frictional resistance to sliding, leading to acceleration. Temperatures at the shear zone quickly reach the decomposition temperature of carbonates. Since the shear zone of the Heart Mountain slide is located within a dolomite layer, it is expected that thermal decomposition of dolomite occurred within the Heart Mountain shear zone. This prediction is supported by ample field evidence for carbonate decomposition during the emplacement. Simulation of the sliding dynamics of the Heart Mountain block, accounting for feedback between shear heating, thermal pressurization, and thermal decomposition of carbonates, successfully reproduce the travel distance of the Heart Mountain block. The simulation results also predict that the maximum sliding velocity ranged between tens of meters per second to more than 100 m s−1 (depending on model assumptions) and that the duration of sliding was of the order of a few tens of minutes, in agreement with previous assessments.