Characteristics of Infertile Clientele Attending a Public in Vitro Fertilization Clinic: Appraising Priorities in a Low-Income Country

Introduction: Infertilityaffects one in six couples, and it is an important public health issue largely due to thepervasive effects on the emotional and psychological wellbeing of affected couples. In many developing nations emphasis is placed on childbirth and inability to fulfill this role can be very distressing. There is an unmet need for assisted reproductive technology (ART) in many developing countries and where facilities exist, they are mostly privately owned, expensive and concentrated in urban areas. To bridge this gap, public fertility clinics have been established to provide subsidized care. Evaluating the characteristics and peculiarities of clientele presenting at these public facilities will aid planning and prioritization of care. Methodology: A descriptive retrospective study of 116 infertile patients presenting to the fertility clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria from inception on the 14th of February 2019 and 31st of December 2022.Data was analyzed using the Statical Package for Social Sciences (IBM, SPSS, New York) version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results which were presented with the aid of bar charts and frequency tables. Result: The mean age of the patients was 40.70 ± 6.62 years. Post-menopausal patients accounted for about one-fifth of the study population while 80.2% (93 women) were older than 35 years. The mean duration of infertility was 9.39 ± 6.11years and nine patients (7.8%) had a duration greater than 2 decades. Secondary infertility occurred in 67.2% of the women. Twenty-nine women (25%) had undergone myomectomy prior to presentation. Hypertension (11.2%) was the most prevalent comorbidity. Nineteen patients (16.4%) had used contraceptives in the past with the male condom (36.8%)being the most preponderant. Sixty-seven patients had experienced pregnancy losses before 28 weeks of gestation while just 16 patients (13.8%) had undergone ART, and none was successful. Conclusion: Secondary infertility was the prevalent type of infertility and may not be unconnected with the low contraceptive usage and high risk of sexually transmitted infection. Late presentation coupled with a large proportion of post-menopausal clientele suggests delayed health-seeking behavior most probably due to the prohibitive cost of ART. The need to streamline services offered in public fertility clinics is paramount in low-income countries grappling with scarce resources. A pragmatic approach will involve the provision of low-cost ART, while enhancing gamete donation programs through the implementation of gamete sharing policies. This will invariably bridge the unmet need and skewed access to ART in developing countries.

Shape Analysis of Agricultural Parcels for Land Consolidation Priorities in Tekirdag Province,Turkey

Shape irregularity,a sub-factor of parcel fragmentation is a problem that hinders sustainable agriculture and is solved using land consolidation projects.Determination of the parcel shape degree contributes significantly to spatial prioritization where there is also a high probability of achieving positive effects of consolidation projects.This study aims to determine the shape degree of the agricultural parcels both at singular and rural county scales in Tekirdag Province,Turkey in 2020 by combining the parcel shape index(PSI) with the minimum bounding geometry index(MBG) to improve parcel scores.Hot-spot zones of the highly irregular and near optimum parcels were also determined using Getis-Ord G_(i)^(*) statistic.The parcel degrees were classified into four categories,namely highly irregular,irregular,regular and near optimum.The obtained unweighted scores of the parameters exhibit deviations from the expected values.After weighting by pairwise comparison,the values approached ideal scores.Among 346 740 parcels,53% were highly irregular and irregular and 47% were regular and near optimum shapes after weighting whereas these were 70% and 30%,respectively before weighting.The average parcel degree of 63 rural counties was regular while the average parcel degree of the remaining 264 rural counties was irregular.The combined use of PSI and MBG index improved the correctness of the parcel shape score.It could be suggested to use as a tool in land consolidation prioritization.

On Application of Nida’s Priorities in Translation

This paper analyzes Nida’s theory of translation, also his system of priorities. The paper uses examples to illustrate the application of Nida’s four priorities in the practice of English Chinese and Chinese English translation and concludes that we can apply the system to help the receptors of second language and source language to have the closest response.

Building a healthy China by enhancing physical activity:Priorities,challenges,and strategies

Dear editor,In 2016,several landmark government initiatives were launched in an effort to build a more healthy China.In March,the National People’s Congress of China adopted the 13th FiveYear Plan,which sets out new objectives,principles,and targets for 2016–2020,1including action plans for enhancing environmental protection and green growth,promoting individual

Identifying nursing research priorities in Vietnam: a modified Delphi study

Objective: There is no single study that has examined nursing research priorities in Vietnam. This study aimed to gain consensus from experts on the nursing research priorities in Vietnam.Methods: A three-round modified Delphi study was used in this study. A focus group discussion among experts was conducted in round I to identify the nursing research priorities(n=23). Data in round I were analyzed using content analysis. In round Ⅱ, participants were invited to rate the importance of each nursing priority topic in a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, which had a 74%(n=17) response rate. In round Ⅲ, the questionnaire was returned to the experts(n=17) until consensus was reached. Data from round Ⅱ and round Ⅲ were analyzed to produce mean score and final rank.Results: The top 12 research priority lists were identified, which included subthemes and areas of possible investigations. All priorities were classified into three groups in the rank order, namely:(i) nursing management and leadership, which included(1) nursing care quality,(2) management and leadership of nurse managers,(3) nursing image,(4) professional nurse competency, and(5) human resource management;(ii) nursing education, which included(1) knowledge-specific domain,(2) the linkage between education and practice, and(3) nurse teacher workforce;and(iii) nursing service, which included(1) adult nursing concern,(2) patient safety,(3) public health nursing concern, and(4) quality of life of patients and nurses.Conclusions: Consensus among experts was achiever, and the findings are considered as the basis of resources to the most essential research needs in Vietnam.

On Application of Nida's Translation Priorities

This paper analyzes Nida's theory of translation,also his system of priorities.The paper uses examples to illustrate the application of Nida's four priorities in the practice of English-Chinese and Chinese-English translation and concludes that we can apply the system to help the receptors of second language and source language to have the closest response.

Optimized routing strategy for complex network with multiple priorities

Different loads in the network require distinct Qo S standard, while present routing strategies for complex networks ignored this fact. To solve this problem, we designed a routing strategy RS-MP with multiple priorities by which packets are classified into privileged-packets and common-packets. In RS-MP, privileged-packets route by the Shortest Path Algorithm, and do not need to queue up. Common-packets＇ routes are determined by a new factor BJmax of the network. The BJmax stands for the largest betweenness centrality. By minimizing BJmax, the throughout capacity of the network can be maximized. The simulation results show that RS-MP can guarantee privileged-packets with the shortest path length and smallest delay, and maximized throughout capacity for common packets in the no-congestion state.

Hierarchical satisfying optimal algorithm with different importance and priorities

A hierarchical satisfying optimal algorithm incorporating different importance and preemptive priorities is formulated. With the priority structure given by the decision-maker in the constrained multi-objective multi-degree-of-freedom optimization (CMMO) problem, the commonly used quadratic programming model is converted into a two-level optimization problem solved by the tolerant lexicographic method and the varying-domain optimization method. In contrast to previous works, the proposed approach allows the decision-maker to determine a desirable achievement degree for each goal to reflect explicitly the relative importance of these goals. The resulting solutions satisfy both the preemptive priority structure and have the maximum achievement degrees in sum. The power of the proposed approach is demonstrated with an example.

Research Priorities and the Future of Alfalfa in Latin America

Agro-food and agro-industrial systems in Latin America must anticipate future trends and ensure permanent adjustment ofresearch priorities to the evolving global needs. Innovations should follow the logic of productive chains, which are highly dependentupon knowledge and technology. Agribusiness sector needs to reinvent itself for efficiently providing new products based on stricterquality controls, traceability, and greater diversification. In the region, alfalfa has an enormous potential to be cultivated for multiplepurposes other than just animal products, going from pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry to human consumption. No singleorganization or isolated group of scientists hold alone the capacity to deal with increasingly complex and dynamic productionsystems in order to efficiently compete in a globalized market. These challenges require an interdisciplinary approach, not only to adomestic level but also to an international one. The present paper proposed the constitution of a virtual alfalfa network platform forarticulating and guiding alfalfa research efforts in Latin America. The network will focus on identifying the most important needs forLatin America, promoting an active interaction among educational and scientific institutions through collaborative research projects.The platform comprises four main research axes: (1) efficient production (agronomy);(2) animal production (diversified feeds);(3)quality and innocuousness applied (human feeding);(4) novel products (pharmaceutical and cosmetics). During the initial phase, theBrazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA, Brazil) and National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA,Argentina) will jointly coordinate the network.

The WHO African Region: Research Priorities on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Background: Many policy makers deliberating on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services need reliable evidence to make choices that benefit women, adolescents, children and the wider society. While universal health coverage discourse provides an opportunity to expand access through evidence based interventions, many gaps exist. Research prioritization has proved to be very helpful in identifying relevant areas especially in constrained resource settings. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the World Health Organization Africa Region research prioritization for sexual and reproductive health and rights. These priorities hope to guide the region for the next three years. Methods: We used the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative approach to identify priority questions among many potential areas for research prioritization on sexual and reproductive health and rights. The implementation process was organized in three phases. The first phase involved sending out an online survey to various experts with experience in sexual and reproductive health rights. These questions were received by a technical team from World Health Organization headquarters for review. 634 questions were identified for potential research and grouped into 12 themes. The second phase involved experts who reviewed the questions. The team merged questions with duplications, removed the questions that were out of scope and finally refined the wordings. In the final phase, experts worked in groups to score and rank top ten priority questions for each of the 12 thematic areas. Results: A list of 120 priority questions for sexual and reproductive health and rights were prioritized by 67 participants drawn from 16 organizations. Most of the priority research questions (45%) focused on the theme of gender-based violence, 35% prioritized services in sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings while 15% prioritized preventing unsafe abortion. 5% of the participants prioritized cervical cancer prevalence, prevention and treatment as a thematic area out of the questions in the top 20 research priority questions. Conclusions: Key priority research questions in sexual and reproductive health and rights were identified around five themes. The priority list will be of significance to World Health Organization regional Office for Africa and her stakeholders for the next three years.

MAKING CLEAR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, STRENGTHENING POLICY ORIENTATION AND PROMOTING INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT

Ⅰ. CURRENT DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE TASKS The period from the "Ninth Five-Year Plan"(1990-2000) to the year 2010 is the key stage for realizing the three-step strategy for economic construction in China. The socialist market economy system will gradually develop to perfection,the market will play a fundamental role in allocating resources,and the State’s centralizing guidance and macro-control over the social and economic development will be more scientific,reasonable and effective.In recent years,despite of

WORKING PRIORITIES FOR THE CAS IN 1999

1. Through further studies of the strategic objectives of science and technology (S&T) innovation at the CAS headquarters and its institutes, identify the strategic orientations and research priorities that are really in accordance with national strategic objectives and the S&T development tendencies in the world and that can fully bring into play

IVPP Set out Its Future Priorities

The Institute of VertebratePaleontology andPaleoanthropology (IVPP) ofthe Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS), founded as early as in 1929,stun the world in the 1930s with itsdiscoveries of fossilized Peking Manskulls. After its more than seven-decade development, the institute isnow become a well-known researchcenter for vertebrate paleontology,paleoanthropology, and stratigraphyin the world. During the

CAS Priorities in 2000

At its annual work conference, the ChinseAcademy of Sciences (CAS) announced work pri-orities for the year 2000. 1. Studying and im;lementing the importantdirectives made by President Jiang Zemin about theacademy on three occasions as well as

New approach to determine the priorities from interval fuzzy preference relations

An approach is proposed to solve the problem how to obtain the priorities from interval fuzzy preference relations. Firstly, another expression of interval numbers is given. Then, some basic definitions on consistency and weak transitivity of real and interval fuzzy preference relations are described. Based on these definitions, a two-phase process for determining the priorities from interval fuzzy preference relations is presented. Finally, two exam- ples are used to illustrate the use of the proposed approach.

Dynamic channel reservation scheme based on priorities in LEO satellite systems

According to low earth orbit（LEO） satellite systems with users of different levels, a dynamic channel reservation scheme based on priorities is proposed. Dynamic calculation of the thresholds for reserved channels is the key of this strategy. In order to obtain the optimal thresholds, the traffic is predicted based on the high-speed deterministic movement property of LEO satellites firstly. Then, a channel allocation model based on Markov is established. Finally, the solution of the model is obtained based on the genetic algorithm. Without user location, this strategy effectively reduces handover failures and improves channel utilization by adjusting dynamically the thresholds according to traffic conditions. The simulation results show that the system＇s overall quality of service can be improved by this strategy.

Model of Maintenance Planning Based on Trend of Machines Failures with Two Priorities

In this article we are discussing the suggestion of planning maintenance in such situation that we have failures in database of failures and maintenance registered also according to type of failure— priority or non-priority. We are assuming that maintenance must be mainly oriented on avoiding major failures of machines. The effect of maintenance manifests with delay and is dependent on development of failures. We express this problem as linear programming task that is solvable with Solver-extension of application Excel. We demonstrate the suggested solution on example of failures of machines between years 2010 and 2012.

THE ANALYSIS OF CELL LOSS RATES IN AN ATM MUX WITH LOSS PRIORITIES

The analysis of cell loss rates in an ATM Mux with loss priorities is an important problem in the-study of traffic control in ATM networks. In this paper, the loss rates of the cells with different priorities in an ATM Mux are analyzed by approximating the actual input process with two-state MMDP and fluid flow technique, and the analytical expressions of the relation between the loss rates and the buffer size are obtained. Simulation shows that the approach is sulliciently accurate for applications.

Obtaining Crisp Priorities for Triangular and Trapezoidal Fuzzy Judgments

This paper proposes anoptimal fuzzy-based model for obtaining crisp priorities for Fuzzy-AHP comparison matrices.Crisp judgments cannot be given for real-life situations,as most of these include some level of fuzziness and com-plexity.In these situations,judgments are represented by the set of fuzzy numbers.Most of the fuzzy optimization models derive crisp priorities for judgments repre-sented with Triangular Fuzzy Numbers(TFNs)only.They do not work for other types of Triangular Shaped Fuzzy Numbers(TSFNs)and Trapezoidal Fuzzy Numbers(TrFNs).To overcome this problem,a sum of squared error(SSE)based optimization model is proposed.Unlike some other methods,the proposed model derives crisp weights from all of the above-mentioned fuzzy judgments.A fuzzy number is simulated using the Monte Carlo method.A threshold-based constraint is also applied to minimize the deviation from the initial judgments.Genetic Algorithm(GA)is used to solve the optimization model.We have also conducted casestudiesto show the proposed approach’s advantages over the existingmethods.Results show that the proposed model outperforms other models to minimize SSE and deviation from initial judgments.Thus,the proposed model can be applied in various real time scenarios as it can reduce the SSE value upto 29%compared to the existing studies.