Associations between the artificial intelligence scoring system and live birth outcomes in preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy cycles.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that iDAScore is more accurate in predicting pregnancy outcomes in cycles without preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) compared to KIDScore and the Gardner criteria. However, the effectiveness of iDAScore in cycles with PGT-A has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study aims to assess the association between artificial intelligence (AI)-based iDAScore (version 1.0) and pregnancy outcomes in single-embryo transfer (SET) cycles with PGT-A. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Chung Sun Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. Patients undergoing SET cycles (n = 482) following PGT-A at a single reproductive center between January 2017 and June 2021. The blastocyst morphology and morphokinetics of all embryos were evaluated using a time-lapse system. The blastocysts were ranked based on the scores generated by iDAScore, which were defined as AI scores, or by KIDScore D5 (version 3.2) following the manufacturer's protocols. A single blastocyst without aneuploidy was transferred after examining the embryonic ploidy status using a next-generation sequencing-based PGT-A platform. Logistic regression analysis with generalized estimating equations was conducted to assess whether AI scores are associated with the probability of live birth (LB) while considering confounding factors. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed that AI score was significantly associated with LB probability (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.037, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.632-2.542) when pulsatility index (PI) level and types of chromosomal abnormalities were controlled. Blastocysts were divided into quartiles in accordance with their AI score (group 1: 3.0-7.8; group 2: 7.9-8.6; group 3: 8.7-8.9; and group 4: 9.0-9.5). Group 1 had a lower LB rate (34.6% vs. 59.8-72.3%) and a higher rate of pregnancy loss (26% vs. 4.7-8.9%) compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis verified that the iDAScore had a significant but limited ability to predict LB (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.64); this ability was significantly weaker than that of the combination of iDAScore, type of chromosomal abnormalities, and PI level (AUC = 0.67). In the comparison of the LB groups with the non-LB groups, the AI scores were significantly lower in the non-LB groups, both for euploid (median: 8.6 vs. 8.8) and mosaic (median: 8.0 vs. 8.6) SETs. CONCLUSIONS: Although its predictive ability can be further enhanced, the AI score was significantly associated with LB probability in SET cycles. Euploid or mosaic blastocysts with low AI scores (≤ 7.8) were associated with a lower LB rate, indicating the potential of this annotation-free AI system as a decision-support tool for deselecting embryos with poor pregnancy outcomes following PGT-A.

Dual-Coating of Fluorinated Polydimethylsiloxane/Fluorinated SiO2 Nanoparticles for Superhydrophobic and High-Efficiency Bacteriostatic Surface.

A simple two-step spray method is used to prepare superhydrophobic and bacteriostatic surfaces, involving dual-coating with polydimethylsiloxane-normal-fluorine (PDMS-NF) or branched-fluorine (PDMS-BF) in combination with fluorinated silica nanoparticles (FSiO2 -NPs) using a spray technique. This approach has the potential to create surfaces with both water-repellent and antimicrobial properties, which could be useful in a variety of applications. It is noteworthy that the dual-coating on cotton fabric exhibited an impressive dual-scale roughness and achieved superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 158° and a hysteresis of less than 3°. Additionally, the coating was subjected to an ultra-high concentration of bacteria (109 CFU/mL) and was still able to inhibit more than 80 % of attachment, demonstrating its effectiveness as a bacteriostatic surface.

Increased incidence of live births in implanted day 5 versus day 6 blastocysts following single embryo transfers with PGT-A.

Elective single-embryo transfers of euploid or low-level mosaic blastocysts were analyzed in this retrospective study to determine the correlations of live birth (LB) probability with embryonic developmental features of implanted day 5 (D5, n = 245) or day 6 (D6, n = 73) blastocysts using time-lapse (TL) monitoring. According to the logistic regression analyses (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.341, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.169-0.685, P < 0.05), the LB probability was negatively associated with the D6 group. The LB rate of the D5 group was higher than the D6 group (88.2% vs. 75.3%; P < 0.05). Compared with the D5 blastocysts, the D6 blastocysts exhibited comparable dysmorphisms except for the multinucleation at the 4-cell stage (10.9% vs. 2.9%, P < 0.05). Moreover, D6 blastocysts had considerably slower developmental kinetics and poorer blastocyst morphologies. Further analysis confirmed that the LB rate was not associated with developmental kinetics or dysmorphisms but rather with blastocyst morphology (inner cell mass [ICM] grade ≤ C vs. ICM grade A, adjusted OR = 0.155, 95% CI = 0.04-0.596, P < 0.05; trophectoderm [TE] grade ≤ C vs. TE grade A, adjusted OR = 0.157, 95% CI = 0.032-0.760, P < 0.05). In conclusion, D6 implanted blastocysts have a considerably lower LB rate than D5 implanted blastocysts. As determined by TL monitoring, the diminished blastocyst morphology can be one of the primary reasons underlying the decreased likelihood of LB.

Highly efficient fixation of carbon dioxide into 2-oxazolidinones under mild conditions by using a reusable ionic liquid/CuI catalyst system.

A green approach was proposed for fixing CO2 with high efficiency and minimal energy consumption to produce 2-oxazolidinones through a one-pot reaction under mild conditions. A catalytic system composed of CuI and the ionic liquid [BMMIM][PF6] was employed, resulting in excellent yields. The starting materials, amines, aldehydes, and alkynes, with various substituents were investigated. The ionic liquid [BMMIM][PF6] used in this study was easy to prepare and easy to recycle for repeated use.

Biphasic oxygen tension promotes the formation of transferable blastocysts in patients without euploid embryos in previous monophasic oxygen cycles.

This study evaluated whether the concentration of biphasic O2 (5-2%) promotes the formation of qualified blastocysts (QBs) and euploid blastocysts and the probability of cycles with transferable blastocysts. The paired experimental design included a total 90 patients (180 cycles) without euploid blastocysts in previous monophasic O2 (5%) cycles were enrolled for an additional cycle of biphasic O2 (5-2%). In the biphasic O2 (5-2%) group, the QB rate (35.8%, 225/628) was significantly higher than that in the monophasic O2 (5%) group (23.5%, 137/582; p < 0.001). In addition, the euploid blastocyst number (0.5 ± 0.8) and the percentage of cycles with transferable blastocysts were significantly higher in the biphasic O2 (5-2%) group (57.8%, 52/90) than those in the monophasic O2 (5%) group (0 and 35.6%, 32/90, respectively; p < 0.01). Multivariable regression analysis also indicated that the QB rate and the probability of cycles with transferable blastocysts correlated with O2 tension (OR 1.535, 95% CI 1.325-1.777, and OR 3.191, 95% CI 1.638-5.679, respectively; p < 0.001). Biphasic O2 culture can be used as an alternative strategy to increase the euploid QBs and the probability of cycles with transferable blastocysts in patients with a poor prognosis.

Low-Mass Liquid Crystalline Materials Blended in Recycled Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer for Corrosion Inhibitor Application.

In this work, the development and application of multicomponents obtained from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (r-PET) waste and monotropic liquid crystals as anticorrosion coatings are reported. The r-PET raw material was alcoholyzed and reproduced as a thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE) with different amounts (n%, n = 0, 1, 3, and 5) of 1,6-hexanediamine (HDA). Then, a fluorine-containing liquid crystal (4-cyano-3-fluorophenyl 4-ethylbenzoate (4CFE)) was incorporated into the TPEE mixture via solvent blending to modify and enhance the water resistance. The adhesion behavior of the coating on glass and iron substrates was evaluated by cross-cut tests and immersion tests in aqueous NaCl. In the corrosion resistance measurements, all of the coating samples fabricated with 10 ± 1 mm thickness were less active toward electrochemical corrosion (PEF% > 99%) than the bare iron plate, indicating that our work provided better protection against corrosion of the iron plate.

Design and Self-Assembling Behaviour of Calamitic Reactive Mesogens with Lateral Methyl and Methoxy Substituents and Vinyl Terminal Group.

Smart self-organising systems attract considerable attention in the scientific community. In order to control and stabilise the liquid crystalline behaviour, and hence the self-organisation, the polymerisation process can be effectively used. Mesogenic units incorporated into the backbones as functional side chains of weakly cross-linked macromolecules can become orientationally ordered. Several new calamitic reactive mesogens possessing the vinyl terminal group with varying flexible chain lengths and with/without lateral substitution by the methyl (methoxy) groups have been designed and studied. Depending on the molecular structure, namely, the type and position of the lateral substituents, the resulting materials form the nematic, the orthogonal SmA and the tilted SmC phases in a reasonably broad temperature range, and the structure of the mesophases was confirmed by X-ray diffraction experiments. The main objective of this work is to contribute to better understanding of the molecular structure-mesomorphic property relationship for new functional reactive mesogens, aiming at further design of smart self-assembling macromolecular materials for novel sensor systems.

Blastocyst Morphology Based on Uniform Time-Point Assessments is Correlated With Mosaic Levels in Embryos.

Avoiding aneuploid embryo transfers has been shown to improve pregnancy outcomes in patients with implantation failure and pregnancy loss. This retrospective cohort study aims to analyze the correlation of time-lapse (TL)-based variables and numeric blastocyst morphological scores (TLBMSs) with different mosaic levels. In total, 918 biopsied blastocysts with time-lapse assessments at a uniform time-point were subjected to next-generation sequencing-based preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. In consideration of patient- and cycle-related confounding factors, all redefined blastocyst morphology components of low-grade blastocysts, that is, expansion levels (odds ratio [OR] = 0.388, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.217-0.695; OR = 0.328, 95% CI = 0.181-0.596; OR = 0.343, 95% CI = 0.179-0.657), inner cell mass grades (OR = 0.563, 95% CI = 0.333-0.962; OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.211-0.58; OR = 0.497, 95% CI = 0.274-0.9), and trophectoderm grades (OR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.178-0.473; OR = 0.242, 95% CI = 0.143-0.411; OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.162-0.554), were less correlated with mosaic levels ≤20%, <50%, and ≤80% as compared with those of top-grade blastocysts (p < 0.05). After converting blastocyst morphology grades into scores, high TLBMSs were associated with greater probabilities of mosaic levels ≤20% (OR = 1.326, 95% CI = 1.187-1.481), <50% (OR = 1.425, 95% CI = 1.262-1.608), and ≤80% (OR = 1.351, 95% CI = 1.186-1.539) (p < 0.001). The prediction abilities of TLBMSs were similar for mosaic levels ≤20% (AUC = 0.604, 95% CI = 0.565-0.642), <50% (AUC = 0.634, 95% CI = 0.598-0.671), and ≤80% (AUC = 0.617, 95% CI = 0.576-0.658). In conclusion, detailed evaluation with TL monitoring at the specific time window reveals that redefined blastocyst morphology components and converted numeric TLBMSs are significantly correlated with all of the threshold levels of mosaicism. However, the performance of TLBMSs to differentiate blastocysts with aberrant ploidy risk remains perfectible.

Constipation and Its Associated Factors among Patients with Dementia.

Constipation is one of the most frequent non-motor problems in older adults. As constipation is commonly ignored by dementia patients, it is not usually reported on time. Constipation has a serious impact on the activity of daily living and quality of life in dementia patients. The relationships between constipation, demographic variables, and the nutritional status of patients with dementia remain unknown. This study aimed to assess the possible factors associated with constipation. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from January to November 2019. This hospital is a medical center and the main referral hospital of southern Taiwan, serving 3 million inhabitants. In total, 119 patients with dementia were evaluated using the Rome III diagnostic criteria for functional constipation. There were 30 patients with dementia included in the constipation group and 89 patients with dementia included in the no constipation group. Mini-Nutritional Assessment and 3-day diet diary records were employed. The clinical dementia rating score was used to evaluate the severity of dementia in patients of the outpatient clinic. Approximately 25.2% of dementia patients had constipation. Patients in the dementia with constipation group were older, had severer dementia, and displayed a lower water intake. After multivariable adjustment, low liquid consumption was the predictor of constipation among patients with dementia. The findings support the clinical recommendations to treat constipation with an increased liquid intake, but not exercise, in dementia patients.

One-Pot CuI/DBU-Catalyzed Carboxylative Cyclization toward Oxazolidinones Using Recyclable Molecular Sieves as Efficient Promoters for Fixation of CO2 in Water Medium.

An efficient one-pot synthesis of oxazolidinones was developed through CuI/DBU/MS joint system-catalyzed carboxylative cyclization of arylacetylene, arylaldehyde, and arylamine in water medium under a 1 atm carbon dioxide (CO2) atmosphere. The 4 Šmolecular sieves (MSs) were added to improve CO2 capture and facilitate carboxylation to give the products in high yields. The CuI/DBU/MS system is robust and highly effective for the reactions with different substrates, and some target products were obtained in an excellent yield of ∼96%, with no side products in the final step.

Early Progesterone Change Associated With Pregnancy Outcome After Fresh Embryo Transfer in Assisted Reproduction Technology Cycles With Progesterone Level of >1.5 ng/ml on Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Trigger Day.

Several studies have reported a poor implantation rate for assisted reproduction technology (ART) cycles with elevated progesterone (P4) at the end of the follicular phase. Whether all women with increased P4 on the human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) trigger day should undergo fresh or frozen embryo transfer (ET) remains to be explored. This study attempted to determine that the P4 level on 2 days before hCG administration and P4 ratio can serve as indicators for fresh ET in normal responders with an elevated P4 level of >1.5 ng/ml on the hCG administration day. This was a retrospective cohort study involving 337 ART cycles with fresh ET for normal responders. Serum P4 levels were measured 2 days prior to hCG day (P4 level I) and on the hCG administration day (P4 level II). The P4 ratio was calculated as follows: P4 ratio = P4 level II / P4 level I. The primary outcome is live birth rate of fresh ET cycles. The ROC curves established that the optimal P4 level I and P4 ratio for pregnancy in ART cycles with high P4 level II were 0.975 ng/ml and 1.62, respectively. Patients with a P4 level I of ≤0.975 ng/ml and P4 ratio of >1.62 were associated with a significantly higher implantation (30.8%, 61/198 vs. 10.3%, 19/184, p < 0.001) and live birth rates (51.6%, 33/64 vs. 15.0%, 9/60, p < 0.001) compared with those with a P4 level I of >0.975 ng/ml and P4 ratio of ≤1.62. A combination of P4 level I and P4 ratio cutoff values of 0.975 ng/ml and 1.62, respectively, had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 82.5% for pregnancy. In conclusion, fresh ET can be an option for women with an early P4 level I under 0.975 ng/ml and a P4 ratio higher than 1.62, especially for those normal responders with an elevated P4 level II >1.5 ng/ml on the hCG administration day. This approach may shorten the time to pregnancy and reduce the cost of ART cycles.

Alignment and Photopolymerization of Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene Derivatives Carrying Diacetylenic Side Chains for Charge-Transporting Application.

Thin films of four discotic liquid-crystalline hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) derivatives carrying three diacetylenic side chains and three saturated alkyl chains at different positions around the central HBC core were prepared on phenyltrichlorosilane-modified SiO2 substrate by the Chinese brush-coating method. The brush-coated films of molecules with D3h symmetry and C1 symmetry all exhibited anisotropic alignment with an edge-on orientation and molecular π-π stacking along the coating direction on the surface, in contrast to the spin-coated films, where a mixture of face-on and edge-on orientations was obtained. Hexagonally packed columnar structure or lamella-like columnar structure was obtained, depending on the location of the diacetylenic unit along the chain. UV irradiation of the films resulted in cross-linking/polymerization of the molecular columns. Among them, the lamella-like structure with a diacetylene unit closer to the HBC core gave more closely packed and ordered HBC arrays with the poly(ene-yne) backbones stretching along the column direction, based on a variety of experimental evidence. A thin-film transistor based on this irradiated film gave a highest mobility of 1.5 cm2 V-1 s-1 along the column direction, which is a 3 orders of magnitude improvement over that of the monomeric film. However, for those with a diacetylenic unit extended farther away from the core, cross-linking between neighboring columns was suggested to occur and no mobility can be measured for devices based on those films.

Effect of Interval between Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Priming and Ovum Pick-up on the Euploid Probabilities of Blastocyst.

This retrospective study attempts to elucidate the relevance of the interval between human chorionic gonadotropin priming and oocyte pick-up (hCG-OPU) to the euploidy probability of biopsied blastocysts in preimplantation genetic tests for aneuploidy (PGT-A) cycles. A total of 1889 blastocysts from 511 patients undergoing PGT- A cycles were used. An analysis of generalized estimating equations (GEE) was used to identify whether the hCG-OPU interval is associated with euploidy probabilities of blastocysts. Accordingly, maternal age (OR: 0.925, 95% CI: 0.903-0.948, p < 0.001) and the hCG-OPU interval (OR: 1.138, 95% CI: 1.028-1.260, p = 0.013) were the two significant factors associated with the euploidy probabilities. The Cochran-Armitage trend test demonstrated that the blastocyst euploidy percentage increased progressively with the increasing hCG-OPU interval in normal responders (p = 0.006) and advanced maternal age (age ≥38 years; p = 0.020) groups. In normal responders, the euploidy rate was highest in the 38-39 h interval (43.1%, 47/109). In contrast, the euploidy rate was lowest in the 34-35 h interval (28.7%, 29/105). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that at an hCG-OPU interval between 34-39 h, the longer the hCG-OPU interval, the higher the probability of euploidy for blastocysts.

The impact of exercise on patients with dementia: A 2-year follow-up.

The current absence of a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer disease highlights the necessity for the benefits of nonpharmacological approaches. We aimed to investigate the effect of exercise in older patients with Alzheimer dementia.This is an observational, prospective cohort study in medical center. Eighty older patients with Alzheimer dementia, including 54 with mild dementia and 26 with moderate dementia, were followed up over 2 years. Patients were divided into exercise and no-exercise groups according to their weekly exercise habit. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), clinical dementia rating (CDR), and senior fitness test were checked initially. We defined death and unexpected hospitalization as the outcomes.Age, sex, education years, and MMSE showed no significant differences between the groups (P > .05) in all patients. All the patients of the exercise group had significantly better left upper body strength, higher aerobic endurance, and left and right balance maintenance time than those of the no-exercise group (P < .05). There were no changes in hospitalization and mortality between the exercise and non-exercise groups during the 2-year follow-ups in all participants. However, in the mild and moderate dementia subgroups, age, sex, education years, and MMSE showed no significant differences between the groups (P > .05). The exercise group had significantly better lower body strength, left upper body strength, aerobic endurance, right upper body flexibility, lower body flexibility, balance maintenance, and agility than the no-exercise group in patients with mild dementia (P < .05). Moreover, the exercise group had significantly lesser unexpected hospitalization than the no-exercise group in the patients with mild dementia (P = .037).Despite the similarity in the status of dementia, exercise habit was found to be associated with a better senior fitness test score status. Hence, exercise can decrease unexpected hospitalization in patients with mild dementia but not those with total dementia.

Failed sperm retrieval from severely oligospermic or non-obstructive azoospermic patients on oocyte retrieval day: Emergent oocyte cryopreservation is a feasible strategy.

PURPOSE: Unexpected sperm retrieval failure on the day of oocyte retrieval is not common but frequently happened in patients with severe oligospermia or non-obstructive azoospermia(NOA). Oocyte cryopreservation is a common strategy after failed collection of sperm when concurrent ovarian stimulation is underwent. However, the use of oocyte vitrification in such male-infertility cases remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcomes of emergent oocyte cryopreservation after failed sperm retrieval from severe oligospermic or non-obstructive azoospermic (NOA) patients on oocyte retrieval day. METHODS: Design: Retrospective cohort study Setting: Academic fertility center at Lee Women's Hospital, Taiwan, between March 2015 and August 2017. Patients: For 203 couples with NOA(n = 200) or severe oligospermia(n = 3), testicular spermatozoa (n = 67 cycles) or frozen donor sperm (n = 209 cycles) were injected into fresh or frozen-thawed oocytes via 276 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Main Outcome Measures: Clinical pregnancy and live-birth rates (LBRs). RESULTS: In the 67 cycles involving the use of fresh testicular spermatozoa, no significant differences were observed between fresh and warmed oocytes with respect to the fertilization rates (69.2% vs. 74.1%; p = 0.27), number of Day-3 embryos (8.6±4.4 vs. 6.4±3.4; p = 0.08), number of good-quality Day-3 embryos (4.5±3.9vs. 4.7±3.0; p = 0.45), implantation rates (29.1% vs. 17.8%; p = 0.21), clinical pregnancy rates (36.4% vs. 26.8.0%; p = 0.81), live birth rates (36.4% vs. 14.3%; p = 0.46), or perinatal outcomes. In the 209 cycles involving the use of frozen donor sperm, no significant differences were seen between the two groups, except that the mean birth weights were significantly lower with fresh oocyte pregnancies than with warmed oocytes (2952±196 gm vs 2643±700 gm; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Emergent oocyte cryopreservation is a feasible strategy to manage unexpected sperm retrieval failure from severe oligospermic or NOA patients on the oocyte retrieval day. There is no detrimental effect on the live birth rate when testicular spermatozoa or frozen donor sperm are injected into the thawed oocytes compared with fresh oocytes.

Embryo morphokinetics is potentially associated with clinical outcomes of single-embryo transfers in preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy cycles.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Are the morphokinetics of euploid blastocysts evaluated by a generally applicable algorithm associated with the clinical outcomes of single-embryo transfer (SET)? DESIGN: Time-lapse microscopy was used to compare morphokinetic variables between expanded blastocysts derived from preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy cycles using high-resolution next-generation sequencing (hr-NGS). The clinical efficacy of the morphokinetic algorithm KIDScore D5 was evaluated after euploid SET. RESULTS: Compared with euploid blastocysts, low-level mosaic blastocysts presented comparable morphokinetic and morphological features. However, high-level mosaic blastocysts exhibited significant delays in t5 (median 51.9 h post insemination (hpi), P = 0.034) (where t is the time for the embryo to reach the specific stage in hours after ICSI or conventional IVF) and t8 (median 58.6 hpi, P = 0.032) accompanied by a prolonged time period for the third cell cycle (median 14.7 h, P = 0.012). A significantly higher incidence (P = 0.011) of multinucleation indicated a susceptibility of high-level mosaic blastocysts to mitotic errors. Only a delay in the time for the embryo to reach the full blastocyst stage (median 106.0 hpi, P = 0.039) was revealed in aneuploid blastocysts, reflecting the reduced formation of good-quality blastocysts (42.6% versus 65.7%, P < 0.001). Euploid blastocysts with specific morphokinetic characteristics were graded using the KIDScore D5 algorithm. Grade C embryos achieved significantly lower rates of clinical pregnancy, implantation and ongoing pregnancy (25%, 25% and 10%, respectively) compared with the grade A (76.2%, 79.4% and 68.3%, respectively) or grade B (62.5%, 66.7% and 62.5%, respectively) embryos (P = 0.0171 to <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Although morphokinetic features appear dissimilar in embryos with different diploid-aneuploid mosaic levels, predicting chromosomal abnormalities using morphokinetics alone is still insufficient. When combined with hr-NGS, use of the generally applicable KIDScore D5 algorithm has the potential to discriminate euploid blastocysts with different developmental competence.

Molecularly Aligned Hexa- peri-hexabenzocoronene Films by Brush-Coating and Their Application in Thin-Film Transistors.

The facile Chinese brush-coating method was used to prepare oriented thin films of hexa- peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) derivatives on the silicon substrate. As a result of the directional solution-coating, the D3 h-symmetry (HBC-1,3,5-Ph-C12) and the C1-symmetry (HBC-1,2,4-Ph-C12) derivatives displayed an anisotropic alignment, with mostly edge-on orientation on SiO2 surfaces modified with various silane-based monolayers. On these silane-modified surfaces, the higher symmetry molecule HBC-1,3,5-Ph-C12 developed a hexagonally packed superstructure, which provided greater π orbital overlap and presumably the electronic coupling between neighboring molecules. In particular, the use of an octyltrichlorosilane (OTS)-modified surface enabled brush-coated thin films to have higher anisotropic orientation, crystallinity, and favorable molecular arrangement. In contrast, the growth of the hexagonal packing of low-symmetry derivative HBC-1,2,4-Ph-C12 was only achieved on the phenyltrichlorosilane and OTS surfaces. Thin-film transistors based on these brush-coated films gave a maximum mobility of 0.1 and 0.056 cm2 V-1 s-1, which are 2 orders of magnitude improvement over the devices with unoriented films prepared by spin-coating. The results indicate that the molecular packing of discotic liquid crystals on the silane-modified surface is sensitively influenced by the molecular symmetry, which affects intermolecular interactions as well as molecule/surface interactions. This study provides a simple way to fabricate aligned films for HBC derivatives for transistor application.

Peripheral CD56+CD16+ NK Cell Populations in the Early Follicular Phase Are Associated With Successful Clinical Outcomes of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Treatment in Women With Repeated Implantation Failure.

The percentage of peripheral CD56+CD16+ NK cells in the early follicular phase on days 2-3 of the menstrual cycle in repeated implantation failure (RIF) patients was used to evaluate the impact of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) on ART cycles. A total 283 patients with RIF consisting of at least 3 ART failures and at least 2 high quality embryo transfers were recruited. A logistic regression analysis for the peripheral immunological profile was completed to predict implantation success and compare the implantation and pregnancy rates between groups with ≤10.6 and >10.6% of CD56+CD16+ NK cells in the early follicular phase. The logistic regression and receiving operating curve analyses showed that patients with ≤ 10.6% of peripheral CD56+CD16+ NK cells in the early follicular phase showed a lower pregnancy rate within the RIF group without IVIG. Patients with peripheral CD56+CD16+ NK cells ≤ 10.6% and without IVIG treatment showed significantly lower implantation and pregnancy rates (12.3 and 30.3%, respectively) when compared with the CD56+CD16+ NK cells >10.6% group (24.9 and 48.0%, respectively, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the patients with CD56+CD16+ NK cells ≤ 10.6% given IVIG starting before ET had significantly higher implantation, pregnancy, and live birth rates (27.5, 57.4, and 45.6%, respectively) when compared with the non-IVIG group (12.3, 30.3, and 22.7%, respectively, p < 0.05). Our results showed that a low percentage of peripheral CD56+CD16+ NK cells (≤10.6%) in the early follicular phase is a potential indicator of reduced pregnancy and implantation success rates in RIF patients, and IVIG treatment will likely benefit this patient subgroup.

Adequacy of nutrition and body weight in patients with early stage dementia: The cognition and aging study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recent evidence highlights the effects of obesity, diabetes and hypertension in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Involuntary body weight changes in patients with different stages of dementia can be related to clinical factors of the patient per se or support from their caregivers. Understanding the interactions among factors is important to establish a monitoring paradigm to guide treatment strategies. METHODS: A total of 345 patients with very mild (n = 224) and mild stage (n = 121) dementia were enrolled from a multi-disciplinary dementia clinic. Clinical data (comorbidities, Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] scores, neuropsychiatric inventory [NPI] scores, eating behavior questionnaire), nutritional state (Mini-Nutritional Assessment [MNA] or MNA short form [MNA-SF]) and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. Nutritional state and BMI served as the two major outcome measures, and factors for analysis included diagnosis, dementia severity and clinical data. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between MNA-SF and MNA (r = .898, p < 0.01), but a 24% mismatch in case dislocation was found using the at-risk or malnutrition criteria. Factors related to obesity included male sex, higher MNA-SF and MNA scores, diabetes mellitus and hypertension, while acceptable discrimination for obesity (BMI≧23 kg/m2) was obtained with a MNA-SF score of 12/13 or MNA score of 21/22. NPI was the only independent factor related to both MNA-SF (ß = -.06, P < 0.001) and MNA (ß = -.1, P < 0.001). A BMI of 22-23 kg/m2 was adequate in this group of patients with early stage dementia from nutritional and comorbidity perspectives. After controlling for BMI, the patients with advanced dementia had higher swallowing problem and appetite change scores. CONCLUSIONS: In these patients with early stage dementia, a higher BMI indicated adequate nutritional status and higher MMSE, but also higher rates of comorbidities, diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

GnRH agonist long protocol versus GnRH antagonist protocol for various aged patients with diminished ovarian reserve: A retrospective study.

This retrospective analysis compared the efficiency of the gonadotropin- releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol and the GnRH agonist long (GnRH-a) protocol for patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). A total of 1,233 patients with DOR (anti-Mullerian hormone <1.1 ng/mL) were recruited for this retrospective case-control study. They were divided into two groups according to female age. Younger patients were assigned to POSEIDON group3 (PG3: age ≤35 years); older patients were assigned to POSEIDON group 4 (PG4: age >35 years). All patients with DOR underwent controlled ovarian stimulation and fresh embryo transfer (ET) on day 3. We recruited 283 GnRH-a and 54 GnRH-ant cycles for PG3, and 663 GnRH-a and 233 GnRH-ant cycles for PG4. In PG3, the GnRH-a protocol was associated with a lower ET cancellation rate (30/283 = 10.2% vs. 12/54 = 22.2%, p = 0.018) and a higher live birth rate (7/54 = 13.0% vs. 78/283 = 27.6%, p = 0.024) than the GnRH-ant protocol for the initiated cycles. Furthermore, the GnRH-a protocol was correlated with a higher implantation rate than the GnRH-ant protocol for ET cycles (146/577 = 25.3% vs. 11/103 = 10.7%, P = 0.027). No differences in the ET cancellation rate, live birth rate and implantation rate between GnRH-a and GnRH-ant groups were observed among PG4 patients. In conclusion, the GnRH-a protocol was more effective than the GnRH-ant protocol for young patients with DOR. The low ET cancellation rate and high implantation rate may be related to embryo quality or endometrial receptivity, which warrant further investigation.