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Characterizing the temporal uncertainty in palaeoclimate records is crucial for analysing past climate change, correlating climate events between records, assessing climate periodicities, identifying potential triggers and evaluating climate model simulations. The first global compilation of speleothem isotope records by the SISAL (Speleothem Isotope Synthesis and Analysis) working group showed that age model uncertainties are not systematically reported in the published literature, and these are only available for a limited number of records (ca. 15 %, n = 107/691). To improve the usefulness of the SISAL database, we have (i) improved the database's spatio-temporal coverage and (ii) created new chronologies using seven different approaches for age- depth modelling. We have applied these alternative chronologies to the records from the first version of the SISAL database (SISALv1) and to new records compiled since the release of SISALv1. This paper documents the necessary changes in the structure of the SISAL database to accommodate the inclusion of the new age models and their uncertainties as well as the expansion of the database to include new records and the qualitycontrol measures applied. This paper also documents the age-depth model approaches used to calculate the new chronologies. The updated version of the SISAL database (SISALv2) contains isotopic data from 691 speleothem records from 294 cave sites and new age-depth models, including age-depth temporal uncertainties for 512 speleothems.

PurposeAfter chemotherapy for breast cancer, most women will recover some ovarian function, but the timing and extent of this recovery are poorly understood. We studied post-chemotherapy ovarian recovery in women with and without a history of ovarian suppression during chemotherapy.MethodsReproductive age breast cancer patients who were seen prior to chemotherapy for fertility preservation consult were consented for follow-up ovarian function assessment (every 3-6 months after chemotherapy) with antral follicle count (AFC) in this prospective cohort study. We restricted our analysis to those with menses present after chemotherapy. Box plots were used to demonstrate the change in follow-up AFC versus time elapsed after chemotherapy. A mixed effects regression model was used to assess differences in AFC.ResultsEighty-eight patients with a history of newly diagnosed breast cancer were included. Forty-five patients (51%) had ovarian suppression with GnRH agonist (GnRHa) during chemotherapy. AFC recovery appeared to plateau at 1 year after completing chemotherapy at a median of 40% of pre-chemotherapy AFC. After adjustment for age, initial AFC, cyclophosphamide exposure, combined hormonal contraceptive (CHC) use, and tamoxifen use, AFC recovered faster and to a greater degree for those women who underwent GnRHa therapy for ovarian protection during chemotherapy (P = 0.032).ConclusionsWomen with menses after chemotherapy for breast cancer appear to recover their full potential AFC 1 year after their last chemotherapy dose. Treatment with GnRHa during chemotherapy is associated with a higher degree of AFC recovery. The findings of this study can aid in counseling patients prior to chemotherapy about expectations for ovarian recovery and planning post-treatment fertility preservation care to maximize reproductive potential when pre-treatment fertility preservation care is not possible or has limited oocyte yield.

Shruti Singh,1 Nirav Nimavat,2 Amarjeet Kumar Singh,3 Shamshad Ahmad,4 Nishi Sinha2 1Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS, Patna, Bihar, India; 2Department of Community Medicine, SBKS MIRC, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India; 3Department of Anaesthesia, AIIMS, Patna, Bihar, India; 4Department of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS, Patna, Bihar, IndiaCorrespondence: Nirav NimavatDepartment of Community Medicine, SBKS MIRC, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University, Vadodara, Gujarat, IndiaEmail nkniraj1529@gmail.comBackground: The world is facing the most challenging pandemic in the 21st century. The developed and developing countries are facing the burden equally and no proven treatment options available. Recent studies suggest the plausibility of vitamin D therapy and prophylaxis for COVID-19, in the setting where the deficiency is more prevalent. Though evaluation of vitamin D status is not a routine in India, the present study focuses on the level of Vitamin d among COVID-19 patients.Methods: The study was a hospital-based cross-sectional to find the status of vitamin D among COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care hospital, Patna, Bihar, India. The demographic, comorbidity data were taken, and the level of vitamin D was measured by a chemiluminescence-based immunoassay analyzer. The analysis compared the level of deficiency and insufficiency among different groups of COVID-19 patients. The role of DM and HTN as risk factors for mortality was compared.Results: Among the total study participants (156), 42.31% were obese and 17.31% were severe as per clinical severity. The total prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 58.97% and insufficiency was 89.1%. The prevalence was found high among male (61.02%), overweight (65.52%), and severe (62.96%) patients. The severity increases with advanced age (p< 0.05) and important risk factors for mortality are DM, HTN, and advanced age.Conclusion: The level of vitamin D can be assessed for the prognosis of COIVD-19 patients and help to modify the treatment protocol. Appropriate therapeutic/preventive intervention of vitamin D can alter the course and severity of COVID-19.Keywords: Vitamin D, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, low level of Vitamin D

Cassava is an ideal "climate change" crop valued for its efficient production of root starch. Here, the physicochemical properties and functionality of starches isolated from six cassava landraces were explored to determine how they varied from each other and from those previously described, and how they may be potentially used as value-added foods and biomaterials. Among genotypes, the parameters assayed showed a narrower range of values compared to published data, perhaps indicating a local preference for a certain cassava-type. Dry matter (30-39%), amylose (11-19%), starch (74-80%), and reducing sugar contents (1-3%) differed most among samples (p ≤ 0.05). Only one of the six genotypes differed in starch crystallinity (41.4%; while the data ranged from 36.0 to 37.9%), and mean starch granule particle size, (12.5 μm instead of 13.09-13.80 μm), while amylopectin glucan chain distribution and granule morphology were the same. In contrast, the starch functionality features measured: swelling power, solubility, syneresis, and digestibility differed among genotypes (p ≤ 0.05). This was supported by partial least square discriminant analysis, which highlighted the divergence among the cassavas based on starch functionality. Using these data, suggestions for the targeted uses of these starches in diverse industries were proposed.

This is the report of the neutrino physics working group at WHEPP-X. We summarize the problems selected and discussed at the workshop and the papers which have resulted subsequently.

The Proceedings of the 2003 SLAC Workshops on flavor physics with a highluminosity asymmetric e+e- collider. The sensitivity of flavor physics tophysics beyond the Standard Model is addressed in detail, in the context of theimprovement of experimental measurements and theoretical calculations.

Background: Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) contributes greatly to maternal morbidity and mortality. Altered lipid profile and increased lipid peroxidation activate endothelial dysfunction and atherothrombosis leading to PIH. Therefore, estimation of lipid profile with serum malondialdehyde (MDA) in pregnancy may be helpful in predicting the development of PIH and further progression. Material and methods: In this prospective case-control study, serum lipid profile and MDA were estimated in 70 PIH subjects with gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia; and 70 normotensive pregnant women aged 18 - 40 years, with gestational age of over 20 weeks. Results: A statistically significant higher serum total cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and MDA, and a significantly lower HDL-C was noted in PIH subjects as compared to control subjects. When compared with the severity of PIH, all the lipoproteins (except HDL-C) along with MDA were found to be higher in women with eclampsia when compared with gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia and normotensive pregnant women. Conclusions: An abnormal lipid metabolism along with oxidative stress may add to the promotion of vascular dysfunction leading to PIH. Lipoproteins and MDA alter significantly in eclampsia. Therefore, during pregnancy, early diagnosis and management of dyslipidaemia may prevent lipid peroxidation and progression of PIH thereby preventing obstetric complications.

Lignocellulose biomass (LCB) is a plant waste material that is generated throughout the globe in massive amounts every year and may act as an alternative source of carbon for the generation of various types of value-added products, including biofuels and carboxylic acids (e.g., formic, acetic, and succinic acid). Hence its importance to the scientific community is increasing day by day. However, LCB conversion requires diverse treatment processes, including physical, chemical, and physicochemical processes, which are not economically viable and not sustainable. Hence, the microbiological systems capable of producing desired biocatalysts for generating desired products are being developed. At present, increasing population requires higher amounts of these value-added products, so enhanced efficiency of these processes are essential. As a result, the application of multi-component microbial systems, especially consortium systems, rather than monoculture systems, is prioritized for the amelioration of LCB waste conversion and formation of value-added products. The present review aims to critically analyze the different strategies used by microbial consortia to generate value-added products and discuss the future prospects of this field for the upcoming research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]