Serum Diethyl Phthalate Levels in Infertile Females with Endometriosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 3214-3217
Author(s):  
Sadia Nazir ◽  
Iram Nazir ◽  
Rida Khan ◽  
Gulfam Ahmad ◽  
Mahwish Shahzad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
High Serum ◽  
Diethyl Phthalate ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
History Of ◽  
Industrial Compounds ◽  
Morbid Conditions

Background: Endometriosis has a complex multifactorial pathophysiology and is a leading cause of female infertility. Emerging evidence suggests the role of endocrine disrupting chemicals and environmental factors such as Diethyl phthalate (DEP) in the pathophysiology of the disease. Aim: To investigate the serum DEP levels in females with infertility having endometriosis and normal healthy counter parts. Methods: Married females (n=50) age 20-40 years, diagnosed with endometriosis and having history of >1 year of infertility, were selected as cases. Age matched women (n=50) with proven fertility and screened negative for endometriosis were included as controls. Females on any medicine, having co morbid conditions were also excluded from the study. DEP concentration in serum was determined by using High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: Significantly higher levels (p=0.003) of DEP were seen in endometriosis females (3.76± 1.28 ng/ml) as compared to controls (2.61± 1.72 ng/ml). The comparison of DEP levels between different stages of endometriosis revealed an increasing, but no significant trend with advancement of the disease. Conclusion: High serum DEP levels in patients substantiate their role in disease pathophysiology. Therefore, it may be advisable to pay attention while using such compounds. There is an increased need to regulate the levels of such industrial compounds manufactured for daily use of human beings by efficient and judicious quality assurance plastics and by using the standards set by WHO and/or FDA. Keywords: Phthalate, Endometriosis, Diethyl phthalate, plasticizers, Infertility

Prosody in Automatic Speech Processing

2020 ◽  
pp. 632-645
Author(s):  
Anton Batliner ◽  
Bernd Möbius
Keyword(s):  
Speech Processing ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Short History ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Dialogue Acts ◽  
Semantics And Pragmatics ◽  
Different Types ◽  
History Of

Automatic speech processing (ASP) is understood as covering word recognition, the processing of higher linguistic components (syntax, semantics, and pragmatics), and the processing of computational paralinguistics (CP), which deals with speaker states and traits. This chapter attempts to track the role of prosody in ASP from the word level up to CP. A short history of the field from 1980 to 2020 distinguishes the early years (until 2000)—when the prosodic contribution to the modelling of linguistic phenomena, such as accents, boundaries, syntax, semantics, and dialogue acts, was the focus—from the later years, when the focus shifted to paralinguistics; prosody ceased to be visible. Different types of predictor variables are addressed, among them high-performance power features as well as leverage features, which can also be employed in teaching and therapy.

scholarly journals Hypothetical roadmap towards endometriosis: prenatal endocrine-disrupting chemical pollutant exposure, anogenital distance, gut-genital microbiota and subclinical infections

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar García-Peñarrubia ◽  
Antonio J Ruiz-Alcaraz ◽  
María Martínez-Esparza ◽  
Pilar Marín ◽  
Francisco Machado-Linde
Keyword(s):  
Prenatal Exposure ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Faecal Microbiota ◽  
Clinical Progression ◽  
Anogenital Distance ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Microbial Infections

Abstract BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a gynaecological hormone-dependent disorder that is defined by histological lesions generated by the growth of endometrial-like tissue out of the uterus cavity, most commonly engrafted within the peritoneal cavity, although these lesions can also be located in distant organs. Endometriosis affects ~10% of women of reproductive age, frequently producing severe and, sometimes, incapacitating symptoms, including chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia, among others. Furthermore, endometriosis causes infertility in ~30% of affected women. Despite intense research on the mechanisms involved in the initial development and later progression of endometriosis, many questions remain unanswered and its aetiology remains unknown. Recent studies have demonstrated the critical role played by the relationship between the microbiome and mucosal immunology in preventing sexually transmitted diseases (HIV), infertility and several gynaecologic diseases. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE In this review, we sought to respond to the main research question related to the aetiology of endometriosis. We provide a model pointing out several risk factors that could explain the development of endometriosis. The hypothesis arises from bringing together current findings from large distinct areas, linking high prenatal exposure to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals with a short anogenital distance, female genital tract contamination with the faecal microbiota and the active role of genital subclinical microbial infections in the development and clinical progression of endometriosis. SEARCH METHODS We performed a search of the scientific literature published until 2019 in the PubMed database. The search strategy included the following keywords in various combinations: endometriosis, anogenital distance, chemical pollutants, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the microbiome of the female reproductive tract, microbiota and genital tract, bacterial vaginosis, endometritis, oestrogens and microbiota and microbiota–immune system interactions. OUTCOMES On searching the corresponding bibliography, we found frequent associations between environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals and endometriosis risk. Likewise, recent evidence and hypotheses have suggested the active role of genital subclinical microbial infections in the development and clinical progression of endometriosis. Hence, we can envisage a direct relationship between higher prenatal exposure to oestrogens or estrogenic endocrine-disrupting compounds (phthalates, bisphenols, organochlorine pesticides and others) and a shorter anogenital distance, which could favour frequent postnatal episodes of faecal microbiota contamination of the vulva and vagina, producing cervicovaginal microbiota dysbiosis. This relationship would disrupt local antimicrobial defences, subverting the homeostasis state and inducing a subclinical inflammatory response that could evolve into a sustained immune dysregulation, closing the vicious cycle responsible for the development of endometriosis. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Determining the aetiology of endometriosis is a challenging issue. Posing a new hypothesis on this subject provides the initial tool necessary to design future experimental, clinical and epidemiological research that could allow for a better understanding of the origin of this disease. Furthermore, advances in the understanding of its aetiology would allow the identification of new therapeutics and preventive actions.

scholarly journals Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Their Effects during Female Puberty: A Review of Current Evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Lucaccioni ◽  
Viola Trevisani ◽  
Lucia Marrozzini ◽  
Natascia Bertoncelli ◽  
Barbara Predieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Secondary Sexual Characteristics ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Sexual Characteristics ◽  
Single Chemical ◽  
Windows Of Susceptibility ◽  
Physical Changes ◽  
Temporal Windows

Puberty is the process of physical changes between childhood and adulthood during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction. It is considered one of the main temporal windows of susceptibility for the influence of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs may act as single chemical agents or as chemical mixtures; they can be pubertal influencers, accelerating and anticipating the processing of maturation of secondary sexual characteristics. Moreover, recent studies have started to point out how exposure to EDCs during puberty may predispose to breast cancer later in life. In fact, the estrogen-mimicking endocrine disruptors (EEDs) may influence breast tissue development during puberty in two main ways: the first is the action on the proliferation of the breast stromal cells, the second concerns epigenetic mechanisms. The aim of this mini-review was to better highlight what is new and what is not completely known regarding the role of EDCs during puberty.

scholarly journals Role of Computed Tomography In Evaluation of Patients With History of Chronic Headache

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 6-9
Author(s):  
Sanju Rawal ◽  
Sadhan Mukhi ◽  
Sandip Subedi ◽  
Surendra Maharjan
Keyword(s):  
Ct Scan ◽  
Chronic Headache ◽  
Lesion Detection ◽  
Common Symptom ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Cavum Septum Pellucidum ◽  
Ct Findings ◽  
Contrast Enhanced Ct ◽  
History Of

INTRODUCTION: Headache is one of the universal experience and one of the most common symptom in medical practice. It is most frequently suffered illness by human beings. As much as 90 percent of individuals have at least one episode of headache each year and severe headache is reported to occur at least annually in 40 percent of the population. Population based estimates suggest that about 4 percent of adults have daily or near daily headache. Since majority of patients who present with chronic or recurrent headache have no significant intracranial abnormalities to be detected on neuroimaging. The main objective of our study was to obtain socio demographic status of patients presenting with history of chronic headache and to assess the role of CT scan in evaluation of such patients presenting to radiology department from various departments of Universal College of Medical Sciences & Teaching Hospital (UCMSTH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients with complaints of chronic headache and referred to Department of Radiology from August 2013 to April 2014 were included in the study. Total of 193 cases were included. Intravenous contrast medium was given in all 193 cases. Patients were divided into two groups with normal and abnormal CT findings. Results were tabulated and analyzed for the diagnostic yield from imaging in evaluation of patient with history of chronic headache. RESULTS: Out of 193 patients, 182 had normal CT (94.31%) and 11(5.69%) had abnormal CT findings. Contrast enhanced CT scans did not improve lesion detection .Out of 11 abnormal CT findings 3 of them had intracranial space occupying lesion, 3 had calcified granuloma, 2 of them had sinusitis, 1 had hydrocephalus, 1 cerebral atrophy and 1 with persistent cavum septum pellucidum. CONCLUSION: The proportion of intracranial abnormalities detected by CT in patients with history of chronic headache in this study was similar to that of previous studies. This corroborates the evidence that the ability of CT scan in detecting intracranial pathology is low in patient with chronic headache with exclusion of any neurological abnormality.

Risk management options for endocrine disruptors in national and international programs

2003 ◽  
Vol 75 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 2549-2553
Author(s):  
J. C. Lamb ◽  
H. B. W. M. Koëter ◽  
R. Becker ◽  
A. Gies ◽  
Les Davies ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Food Additives ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
International Programs ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Industrialized Nations ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

This workshop was convened to address common issues and concerns associated with risk management of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The talks described the tools and policies for key Japanese, Australian, German, and U.S. regulatory agencies. The agencies participating in the workshop were responsible for the regulation of various substances including: chemicals, pesticides, environmental contamination, pharmaceuticals, and food additives. The panel also described the role of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in standardizing the tools and validation of testing and screening methods. The panel also included nongovernmental organizations presenting the views of the World Wildlife Fund, and the chemical industry from industrialized nations; each organization described its concerns and proposed approaches to risk management of EDCs. This summary highlights the most important areas of common points of view of government, industry, and environmentalists. We also try to identify issues upon which viewpoints diverge.

scholarly journals Is There a Link between Bisphenol A (BPA), a Key Endocrine Disruptor, and the Risk for SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Severe COVID-19?

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 3296
Author(s):  
Aeman Zahra ◽  
Cristina Sisu ◽  
Elisabete Silva ◽  
Sophie-Christine De Aguiar Greca ◽  
Harpal S. Randeva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bisphenol A ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Transmembrane Serine Protease ◽  
G Protein Coupled

Infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of a new disease (COVID-19). The risk of severe COVID-19 is increased by certain underlying comorbidities, including asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Notably, exposure to hormonally active chemicals called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can promote such cardio-metabolic diseases, endocrine-related cancers, and immune system dysregulation and thus, may also be linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19. Bisphenol A (BPA) is among the most common EDCs and exerts its effects via receptors which are widely distributed in human tissues, including nuclear oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ), membrane-bound oestrogen receptor (G protein-coupled receptor 30; GPR30), and human nuclear receptor oestrogen-related receptor gamma. As such, this paper focuses on the potential role of BPA in promoting comorbidities associated with severe COVID-19, as well as on potential BPA-induced effects on key SARS-CoV-2 infection mediators, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). Interestingly, GPR30 appears to exhibit greater co-localisation with TMPRSS2 in key tissues like lung and prostate, suggesting that BPA exposure may impact on the local expression of these SARS-CoV-2 infection mediators. Overall, the potential role of BPA on the risk and severity of COVID-19 merits further investigation.

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