The genetic landscape of human infertility is complex with diverse etiologies. Identifying the underlying etiology is crucial for guiding reproductive decisions and improving management for infertile couples. Here, we aim to report on the molecular spectrum of monogenic genetic causes of reproductive failure. Over a 3-year period, we recruited all infertile couples considering assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for whom the underlying genetic cause had been identified, in either partner, using exome sequencing (ES). Clinical data of all participants along with their hormonal profiles, sonographic findings and spermograms were recorded. The study included 50 couples with primary infertility. Clinically, male factor infertility was documented in 26 patients, female factor infertility in 10, while reproductive failure was unexplained in the remaining 14 couples. All participating couples had potentially disease-causing variants in infertility genes. ES identified variants related to male infertility in 26 men, while variants in female infertility-related genes were detected in the remaining couples (n = 24). According to ACMG classification criteria, 78% (39/50) of couples harbored pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants, whereas 22% (11/50) carried variants of uncertain significance (VUS). In view of the identified genetic etiologies, the cohort was stratified into two groups based on the predicted reproductive outcome: (1) couples with significantly impaired reproductive potential, and (2) couples who can have biological children using appropriate medical interventions. However, classifications involving VUS were interpreted cautiously and considered exploratory. This study provides further evidence for the molecular heterogeneity of human infertility and highlights the usefulness of genetic testing for infertile couples pursuing ARTs.

Saturated buffers (SBs) are an effective edge-of-field practice for reducing nitrate loads from agricultural drainage, contributing to improved environmental water quality. However, no software currently exists to design SBs based on site-specific conditions or to quantify their environmental benefits. The objective was to develop and test a DRAINMOD-based tool for predicting drainage discharge and nitrate load removal (NLRSB) under local weather, soil, field drainage, and SB characteristics. We present SBTool, a novel decision-support tool that integrates the DRAINMOD hydrologic model with a nitrate-removal module to simulate SB performance. SBTool was validated using field data from two Iowa sites (2014-2022). Model predictions for discharge (QDD), diverted flow (QDP), and NLRSB showed good agreement with observed data. Prediction errors of QDP and NLRSB were only 5.7 % and 6.1 %, respectively, at the eight-year site, and - 17.5 % and - 13.6 % at the four-year site. Unlike existing design methods, SBTool enables site-specific evaluation and design of SBs, supporting conservation planning and nutrient trading through credible, field-based quantification of nitrate removal.

The Modified Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction is a validated English questionnaire designed to evaluate satisfaction after penile prosthesis implantation. However, no culturally adapted Arabic version currently exists. The objectives were to develop and validate the Arabic-Modified Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction for assessing patient and partner satisfaction following malleable penile prosthesis implantation. A prospective single-center validation study was conducted between August 2020 and July 2024. A total of 120 men with medication-refractory erectile dysfunction and their partners were enrolled. The Arabic-Modified Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction was created using a standardized forward-back translation and expert consensus process, followed by linguistic validation and pilot testing. Internal consistency and reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's α and the intraclass correlation coefficient. Participants completed structured telephone or online surveys at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Reduction of anxiety after preoperative counseling was evaluated through a direct binary response ("decreased" vs "unchanged"), while satisfaction domains were rated on 4-point Likert scales. The Arabic-Modified Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction demonstrated excellent psychometric properties (Cronbach's α = 0.979 for males; 0.951 for partners; intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.978 and 0.942, respectively). Preoperative counseling reduced anxiety in 82.5% of patients. At 1 month, 96.0% reported a "positive surgical experience" (defined as postoperative recovery being better or similar to expectations). At 3 months, 82.5% of patients were satisfied, 80.0% described erections as natural, and 92.5% of partners were satisfied (78.5% highly satisfied). By 6 months, patient satisfaction increased to 90.8%, whereas partner satisfaction declined to 84.2% (p < 0.001), suggesting emotional and psychosocial influences over time. Therefore, the Arabic-Modified Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating satisfaction among Arabic-speaking patients and partners after malleable penile prosthesis. The findings highlight the importance of culturally sensitive counseling that involves both partners throughout the perioperative period.

To evaluate the diagnostic yield of prenatal exome sequencing (pES) in fetuses with structural anomalies detected by prenatal ultrasound in a consanguineous population. This was a prospective study of 244 anomalous fetuses from unrelated consanguineous Egyptian families. Detailed phenotyping was performed throughout pregnancy and postnatally, and pES data analysis was conducted. Genetic variants were prioritized based on the correlation of their corresponding human phenotype ontology terms with the ultrasound findings. Analyses were carried out to determine the diagnostic efficiency of pES and its correlation to the organ systems involved. The largest clinical category of fetuses referred for pES was those manifesting multisystem anomalies (104/244, 42.6%). pES provided a definitive diagnosis explaining the fetal anomalies in 47.1% (115/244) of the cases, with the identification of 122 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants completely fitting with the phenotype. Variants of uncertain significance associated with the fetal phenotypes were detected in 84 fetuses (34%), while 18.44% (45/244) had negative results. Positive consanguinity is associated with a high diagnostic yield of ES. The novel variants and new fetal manifestations, described in our cohort, further expand the mutational and phenotypic spectrum of a wide variety of genetic disorders presenting with congenital malformations.

A recent version of the widely used water management model, DRAINMOD, was developed for simulating phosphorus (P) dynamics and transport in artificially drained agricultural land. This model version is fully integrated with the earlier nitrogen (N) version of DRAINMOD, which makes it ideal for simultaneously simulating both P and N dynamics in drained croplands as affected by weather, soil, crop, and drainage related factors. The primary objective of this study was to test the newly developed P component of the model and the secondary objective was to assess the model's capability of simultaneously simulating both N and P dynamics in drained cropland. Measured data (2017-2020) from an artificially drained agricultural field in northcentral Ohio was used to parameterize, calibrate, and evaluate simulated subsurface drainage discharge as well as losses of nitrate (NO3--N), dissolved reactive P (DRP), and total P (TP) via drainage water. The overall model performance was characterized as "good" for simulated monthly discharge (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.75), NO3--N load (NSE of 0.63), and DRP load (NSE of 0.63) through subsurface discharge. However, the model performance was poor in simulating monthly TP load via subsurface discharge (NSE = 0.00), resulting in an overall under-prediction of about 19 %. These findings illustrate that DRAINMOD can reasonably simulate subsurface discharge and associated soluble nutrients. However, model improvements are required to simulate sediment-bound P transport. Additionally, further validation of the model's P component across a range of soils, drainage characteristics, and climates are needed and would advance the model's utility.

This supplemental material is linked to the submitted manuscript NRES-15735.

Drainage water recycling (DWR) has been proposed as a source of supplemental irrigation to increase crop production resilience to extended and more frequent dry periods during the crop growing season; however, the system’s potential benefits have not been adequately quantified. The main objective of this study was to assess the performance of a DWR system for providing water for supplemental irrigation to corn and soybean at a research site in eastern North Carolina and quantify corn and soybean yield responses during 4 growing seasons (2018-2021) with varying weather conditions. Two treatments were implemented at the study site: DWR and control (CT) treatment. The CT treatment was a 11.23 ha non-irrigated field that was primarily drained by a surface drainage system. The DWR treatment (11.48 ha) had a subsurface drainage system that provides drainage during the wet periods and subirrigation during the dry periods of the growing season. A small size reservoir (5,458 m3) was used to collect surface runoff and subsurface drainage and subirrigate the DWR treatment. Results showed that the DWR reservoir stored enough water to meet irrigation requirements in 3 of the 4 growing seasons and provided 5 to 73 mm of irrigation to the DWR treatment. Subirrigation raised the groundwater table by an average of 15 cm, which helped increase the upward movement of soil water to the root zone and meet crop evapotranspiration demand. DWR increased corn yields by 0.13 and 0.91 Mg ha-1 (1 and 79%) and soybean yields by 0.31 and 0.59 Mg ha-1 (9 and 30%). Subirrigation which is generally less efficient than overhead irrigation methods, did not optimize the use of the limited water stored in the small reservoir and could not provide enough protection to corn against prolonged dry conditions in the 2019 growing season. The amount of nutrients recycled back to the field through subirrigation was not large enough to help reduce fertilizer application rate. Overall, the results demonstrated that DWR is a promising practice for increasing the resilience of crop production in the southeastern U.S. to the uncertainty in precipitation, which is expected to intensify by climate change. Monitoring the performance of DWR for longer periods with varying factors of weather, soil, and system design and management would help guide the design and management of the system to optimize the performance and minimize the implementation cost.

The hydrologic performance of permeable pavement varies widely due to underlying soil type, drainage configuration, contributing drainage area, surface infiltration rate, and aggregate depth. A long-term hydrologic model is needed to better understand the influence of these design variables on surface runoff, drainage, exfiltration, and evaporation from permeable pavement systems. Most permeable pavement models have not been calibrated with field monitored data, are usually unable to accurately model internal water storage (IWS) zones, and do not account for evaporation from the aggregate profile. Because permeable pavement employs drainage and exfiltration as primary hydrologic mechanisms, it was hypothesized that DRAINMOD, a model shown to accurately simulate bioretention hydrology, could be calibrated to predict the hydrologic response from permeable pavements. Hydrologic data were collected from two permeable pavement applications in North Carolina (Boone and Durham) and two permeable pavement applications in Ohio (Perkins Township and Willoughby Hills) to calibrate and test the model. The specific permeable pavements applications varied widely in aggregate depth, drainage configuration, underlying soil type, and contributing drainage area. Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiencies for drainage ranged from 0.77 to 0.95 during calibration and validation of all sites. Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiencies for exfiltration/evaporation ranged from 0.55 to 0.97 for Boone and Perkins Township, but prediction of exfiltration/evaporation volumes on an event basis was poor for the remaining two sites due to low exfiltration rates (less than 0.20 mm/hr). Despite this, the cumulative volume of exfiltration/evaporation was predicted to within 1 - 9 % of what was measured during monitoring. Modeled and monitored surface runoff from the Willoughby Hills application (8 % of the water balance) was equivalent. The model predicted the percentage of drainage, surface runoff, and exfiltration/evaporation to within 2 % of what was monitored/estimated at each site, suggesting long-term modeling of permeable pavement hydrology with DRAINMOD is viable.

Highlights Shallow surface ditches with controlled subsurface drainage (SD) increased corn and soybean yields in eight of nine growing seasons compared to conventional drainage. The SD system increased corn yields on average by 0.4 Mg/ha, or 4% (0.7 Mg/ha, or 6.6%, excluding 2016). The SD system increased soybean yields on average by 0.5 Mg/ha, or 14.3%. Abstract. Agricultural drainage in the coastal areas of North Carolina (NC) is commonly achieved through large trapezoidal-shaped ditches. The coastal region of NC has limited topographic relief (slopes < 1%) with poorly drained soils that can cause substantial issues with surface water ponding during high-intensity or long-duration precipitation events without some form of surface drainage. Installation of large free flowing surface ditches (FD) with field crowning improves the drainage intensity but can create negative consequences such as over drainage and side slope scouring within the ditch. Large open ditches remove tillable land from production and serve as a primary transport pathway for pollutants. An alternative drainage design (SD) has been implemented that decreases the size of the surface ditches, limiting their drainage effect to only surface water and potentially improving equipment trafficability. The smaller ditches, installed with precision grade equipment, are placed on a grade sufficient to direct surface flow while keeping soil movement to a minimum. Lateral subsurface drainage tiles are installed to provide subsurface drainage and are connected to a main tile line operated with an outlet control structure for controlled drainage (CD). This study evaluates the crop yield and water table effects of the SD system compared to FD over nine crop seasons from 2014-2022. The SD treatment increased yield in eight of the nine crop seasons overall, four of five corn (Zea mays L.) crops, and all four soybean (Glycine max L.) crops. Overall, SD increased corn yields by 0.4 Mg/ha or 4% (0.7 Mg/ha or 6.6% with the exclusion of 2016) and soybean yields by 0.5 Mg/ha (14.3%). The effects of SD on crop yield and water table show that the system can be utilized to improve crop health and provide better management of cropland for producers. Keywords: Corn Yield, Drainage Water Management, Soybean Yield, Surface Drainage, Water Table.

Flonicamid and imidacloprid are insecticides that are commonly used for the protection of many annual open field crops, such as beans, against insects. Residues of these insecticides in the consumable product above the acceptable limits can cause health concerns or trade barriers; thus, the dissipation behaviour and the consumer risk assessment of flonicamid and imidacloprid residues in open field green beans were investigated. The initial concentrations were found to be 0.44 and 0.99 mg kg(-1). The decline of residues followed in both cases the first-order kinetics model with half-lives of 2.3 (r(2) 0.912) and 2.1 (r(2) 0.977) days, for flonicamid and imidacloprid, respectively, while degraded almost completely after 14 days if applied according to the authorised patterns. The dietary risk assessment performed using the hazard quotient (RQ) and the EFSA PRIMo model showed no concern to consumer health with exposure values <2% of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and <22% of the acute reference dose (ARfD) of each compound. In conclusion, the investigation of the dissipation behaviour of these compounds in green bean provides useful information to ensure safe pre-harvest intervals, acceptable dietary exposure and compliance with good agricultural practices and maximum residue levels.

Determination and dissipation kinetics of pymetrozine and spirotetramat in green bean were studied using a QuEChERS method coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Pymetrozine recoveries ranged between 88.4–93.7%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 5.5–14.4%. For spirotetramat the recoveries ranged between 91.7–103.4%, and the RSD were in the range of 3.2 to 12.4%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.01 mg/kg and 0.005 mg/kg for pymetrozine and spirotetramat, respectively. The developed analytical method was used to study the degradation rates of pymetrozine and spirotetramat in green bean grown in open field. Results showed that pymetrozine and spirotetramat followed the first-order kinetics model with half-lives of 3.3 days and 4.2 days, respectively. Furthermore, risk assessment was carried out which showed that, the chronic risk quotient (RQc) values for pymetrozine and spirotetramat were much lower than 100%. The present results indicated that the health risks posed for consumers by the pymetrozine and spirotetramat residues were negligible at the recommended dosages.

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effect of drainage water recycling (DWR) on reducing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sediment losses from agricultural fields to downstream surface water bodies. The two-year study (May 2019-April 2021) was conducted at an agricultural field in eastern North Carolina, U.S. A. A reservoir existed at the site was used to store subsurface drainage and surface runoff water during wet periods and provide supplemental irrigation during dry periods of the crop growing season. On average, the reservoir retained 14% of received inflow, with a higher flow reduction in the dry year (2019-2020; 29%) than the wet year (2020-2021; 8%). The hydraulic retention time (HRT) for the reservoir was 33.8 days for the dry year and 12.4 days for the wet year. The reservoir significantly reduced the loadings of N by 47%, P by 30% and sediment by 87%. Nitrogen load reduction was primarily driven by nitrate assimilation, the dominant form of N in the reservoir. Phosphorus load reduction was attributed to Orthophosphate assimilation as the reservoir released more particulate P than received. Reductions in both water flow and species concentration contributed to nutrient load reductions. Results suggested the removal efficiency of the reservoir would be highest during the summer and early fall months when the reservoir has a smaller water volume (due to irrigation), longer HRT, and warmer temperature. This study clearly demonstrated the potential of DWR for significantly reducing N, P, and sediment losses from agricultural land to receiving surface water. Further research is needed to investigate the physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur in the storage reservoir and affect the fate and transport of nutrients and sediment. The understanding of these processes will enable optimizing the treatment efficiency of DWR, which maximizes the system's benefits and reduces construction cost.

Pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) represent a high-risk group. The aim of this study is to describe the pregnancy outcomes among SLE patients who were followed prospectively at a conjoint high-risk pregnancy/rheumatology clinic from 2007 to 2021 and to identify predictors of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. This study included 201 singleton pregnancies of 123 women with SLE. Their mean age was 27.16 ± 4.80 years, and their mean disease duration was 7.35 ± 5.46 years. Secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) was diagnosed in 77 (38.3%) pregnancies. The pregnancy was planned in 104 (51.7%) pregnancies. Flares occurred in 83 (41.3%) and pre-eclampsia in 15 (7.5%) pregnancies. Full-term pregnancy occurred in 93 (46.3%), fetal loss (miscarriage and intra-uterine fetal death) in 41 (20.4%), and prematurity in 67 (33.3%) of the pregnancies, respectively. Seven neonates died from complications of prematurity, and another one died from cardiac congenital anomalies. In the multivariate analyses, unplanned pregnancy was associated with eight times higher risk of disease flare OR = 7.92 (p < 0.001), lupus nephritis flare during pregnancy increased the odds of pre-eclampsia occurrence four times OR = 3.98 (p = 0.02), while disease flares during pregnancy predicted prematurity OR = 2.49, p = 0.049. Patients with secondary APS had three times increased risk of fetal loss OR = 2.97, p = 0.049. To conclude, unplanned pregnancy, disease flares, and APS have been identified as predictors for adverse maternal and/or fetal outcomes. Pregnancy planning is necessary to reduce maternal and fetal complications.

Controlled drainage (CD) is a valuable management practice for reducing drainage volume and nutrient loss, but its impact on corn (Zea mays L.) production is not completely understood. The objectives of this study were to investigate the regional effect of CD on corn grain yield compared to free drainage (FD), investigate the factors influencing corn yield response to CD, provide management recommendations for optimizing corn yield under CD, and identify future research needs for corn production on poorly drained soils with subsurface drainage systems. This synthesis included data collected from 13 field sites where corn was planted under both FD and CD in six U.S. Midwestern states and North Carolina totaling 55 site-years of data from 2006 to 2017. On average, there was no statistically significant difference in corn grain yield between CD (10.62 Mg/ha) and FD (10.53 Mg ha−1). However, 42% of the dataset indicated that CD either increased or decreased corn yield by 4% or more compared to FD. Further analysis was conducted on this subset of data in order to evaluate underlying factors (i.e., weather conditions during the season, soil type, and drainage system design and management) influencing corn yield response to CD. Results of this analysis showed that CD was effective in alleviating plant stress caused by mild to moderate drought conditions and subsequently increased corn grain yield by 4–14% in 12 site-years. In contrast, CD reduced corn grain yield by 4–10% during wet growing seasons (6 site-years). Variability in growing season precipitation has been identified as a key factor influencing corn grain yield under CD, and more active management or CD system automation is recommended. General recommendations are provided for managing manually operated CD systems in the U.S. Midwest to improve growing season water management and corn yield. Additional research to develop technologically advanced water management systems for crop production on poorly drained soils is needed in order to adapt to changing weather patterns.

This study aimed to prepare antifouling and highly mechanical strengthening membranes for brackish and underground water desalination. It was designed from cellulose acetate (CA) loaded anatase. Anatase was prepared from tetra-iso-propylorthotitanate and carboxymethyl cellulose. Different concentrations of anatase (0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8)% were loaded onto CA during the inversion phase preparation of the membranes. The prepared membranes were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM & EDX), mechanical properties, swelling ratio, porosity determination, and ion release. The analysis confirmed the formation of anatase on the surface and inside the macro-voids of the membrane. Furthermore, anatase loading improved the CA membrane’s mechanical properties and decreased its swelling and porosity rate. Also, CA-loaded anatase membranes displayed a significant antibacterial potential against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results showed that the salt rejection of the CA/anatase films as-prepared varies considerably with the addition of nanomaterial, rising from 46%:92% with the prepared membranes under the 10-bar operation condition and 5 g/L NaCl input concentration. It can be concluded that the prepared CA-loaded anatase membranes have high mechanical properties that are safe, economical, available, and can stop membrane biofouling.

Nitrate Concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships have been used to infer nitrate sources, storage, reactions, and transport in watersheds, and to reveal key processes that control runoff chemistry. Yet, studies on long-term nitrate C-Q relationships are limited due to scarce high frequency (e.g., daily) concentration data. In this paper, using a long-term high-frequency dataset (1976-2019) comprising stream flow and nitrate concentrations, we quantitatively analyzed the long-term variations of event-scale hysteresis patterns (quantified by hysteresis index, HI, and flushing index, FI) to infer the leaching mechanisms of nitrate in an artificially drained agricultural watershed in Mid-western U.S. Our results revealed that most events exhibited anti-clockwise behaviors (HI < 0), regardless of whether nitrate was flushed or diluted during events. This means that water with high levels of nitrate-N reaches the stream network slower than water with lower nitrate concentrations. Long-term mean FI was close to zero but had strong seasonal patterns with dilution patterns observed during Winter and Summer, and flushing patterns during late Spring and Fall. The consistently negative HI values regardless of the FI value gave a strong indication of the preponderant role of the near-drain zone that usually exhibits accelerated leaching and less accumulation of nitrate in the soil profile in these drained agricultural watersheds. Both HI and FI depicted strong but opposite seasonality because of weather patterns and agricultural activities, particularly N fertilization. Overall, our findings suggest a little evidence of the role of deep groundwater and instead a strong evidence of the role of subsurface drainage as the primary pathway for nitrate transport in drained agricultural watersheds. Therefore, artificial drainage could dampen N legacy caused by the historically intensive N fertil-ization in drained agricultural landscapes.

Abstract Study question Is biosimilar Follitropin alpha preparations for controlled ovarian stimulation in ovulatory women undergoing IVF, is effective as as compared to the originator Summary answer Biosimilar preparations of Follitropin alpha are probably associated with lower clinical pregnancy and ongoing pregnancy rates than the originator. What is known already As the patent expired for the originator, there was increasing interest in developing biosimilar follitropin alpha. Biosimilar medicinal product is a biological product developed to be highly similar to the already approved biological medicine (reference medicine) (EMA 2017). Biosimilar recombinant FSH preparations are manufactured in Chinese hamster ovary cells with a fully human glycosylation – which may differ slightly between products – and represent products with demonstrated similarity in physicochemical characteristics, efficacy, and safety to those of Gonal-F® (European Medicines Agency 2013; Weise et al 2011; Lammerich et al 2015 a, b; Wolzt et al., 2016; Abd-Elaziz et al., 2017). Study design, size, duration Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Participants/materials, setting, methods Partticipants Infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Setting Not applicable. Methods Five databases were searched through Jan.2022 for RCTs comparing the biosimilar Follitropin alpha to the originator for controlled ovarian stimulation and reporting clinical IVF outcomes, not restricted by language. We used the The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Main Outcome Measure clinical pregnancy rate and the number of retrieved oocytes. Main results and the role of chance The search retrieved 111 records. Six studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis and the meta-analysis. Compared to the originator Follitropin alpha, biosimilars are probably associated with lower clinical pregnancy rates (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.94, I2 = 0%, 6 RCTs, 1453 participants, moderate-quality evidence), but there was no evidence of a difference in the number of retrieved oocytes (MD 0.69, 95% CI -0.09 to 1.46, I2 = 0%, 6 RCTs, 1353 participants, moderate-quality evidence). We are uncertain of the effect of biosimilar preparations on live birth which may indicate no difference or serious harm (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.05, I2 = 0%, 5 RCTs, 978 participants, low-quality evidence). Both preparations were similar in terms of OHSS (RR 1.25, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.76, 5 RCTs, 1353 participants, moderate-quality evidence) and adverse events (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.30, 4RCTs, 981 participants, moderate-quality evidence). Limitations, reasons for caution Since it is based on a small number of RCTs and patients, therefore the findings in terms of pregnancy rates, number of oocytes and OHSS are derived from 6 RCTs . Thus, these low numbers limit the validity of the findings and indicate that more high-quality studies are needed. Wider implications of the findings Couples should be counseled for the possible inferiority of these preparations compared to the originator. More RCTs are required to confirm these results, and these RCTs should consider the cost-effectiveness outcomes in their designs and analyses. Trial registration number CRD42020124121

Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction of 1,4-cyclohexanedione monoethylene ketal (1) with p-methoxybenzaldehyde, under base catalyzed conditions, has afforded 7,9 bis (4-methoxybenzylidene)-1,4-dioxaspiro[4,5]decan-8-one (2). The bisbenzylidene 2 was functionalized with some selected organophosphorus reagents. Thus, compound 2 was reacted with tris(dialkylamino) phosphines 3a,b, in refluxing toluene and in presence of a catalyst, to give a product mixture of the corresponding oxaphospholedioxolane oxides 8a,b and tetraalkylphosphonicdiamides 9a,b. Moreover, the reaction of bisbenzylidene 2 with the trialkylphosphite reagents 4a,b afforded the corresponding dialkylphosphonate derivatives 10a,b. The phosphonate 10b could be also obtained upon reacting bis-bezylidene 2 with diisopropylphosphite (5) under the same experimental conditions. The reaction of bis-benzylidene 2 with the stable phosphonium ylides, namely, (carbmethoxymethylene)- (6a) or (carbethoxymethylene) -triphenylphosphorane (6b) , afforded the dihydrospiroindenedioxolanone derivative 11 under the given reaction conditions. Moreover, compound 11 was also obtained from reaction of the dialklyphosphonoacetate Wittig-Horner reagents 7a,b with compound 2. On the other hand, reaction of diethyl(cyanomethylene) phosphonate 7c with bis-bezylidene 2, in an ethanolic sodium ethoxide solution, gave the 1,4dispiroylidene acetonitrile derivative 12. Possible reaction mechanisms are discussed and the structures of the new products are confirmed from their analytical and spectroscopic data. The antimicrobial activity of the synthesized compounds was also investigated.

Drainage water recycling (DWR) is an emerging practice that has the potential to increase crop yield and improve water quality. DWR involves capturing and storing subsurface drainage water and surface runoff in ponds or reservoirs, and using this water for supplemental irrigation during dry periods of the growing season. The main objective of this study was to enhance DRAINMOD model to simulate the hydrology and crop yield of DWR systems. The expanded model; named DRAINMOD-DWR, has a new module that conducts a water balance of the storage reservoir and simulates the interaction between the reservoir and the field, irrigated from and/or draining into the reservoir. The model predicts the long-term performance of DWR as affected by weather conditions, soil type, crop rotation, reservoir size, and irrigation and drainage management. Three performance metrics were defined based on model predictions to quantify irrigation, crop yield, and water capture benefits of DWR. To demonstrate the new features of the model, uncalibrated DRAINMOD-DWR was applied to a hypothetical DWR system with continuous corn using a 50-yr (1970–2019) weather record in Eastern North Carolina, U.S. Different reservoir sizes were simulated to demonstrate how the model can predict the effect of storage capacity on the system’s performance. The model predicted that a 3.0-m deep reservoir with a surface area of 4% of the field area would optimize corn yield for the simulated conditions. The model application clearly demonstrated the DRAINMOD-DWR model’s capability of optimizing the DWR system design to avoid under-sizing or over-sizing the storage reservoir, which reduces system’s performance and increases implementation cost. Research is needed to test DRAINMOD-DWR using field measured data, and to develop routines for simulating the fate and transport of nutrients and sediment in the storage reservoir, which would enable the model to predict the water quality benefits of DWR.