Project description:BACKGROUND: This 11th European IVF-monitoring report presents the results of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments initiated in Europe during 2007. METHODS: From 33 countries, 1029 clinics reported 493 184 treatment cycles: IVF (120 761), ICSI (256 642), frozen embryo replacement (91 145), egg donation (15 731), preimplantation genetic diagnosis/preimplantation genetic screening (4638), in vitro maturation (660) and frozen oocytes replacements (3607). Overall, this represents a 7.6% increase since 2006, mostly related to an increase in all registers. IUI using husband/partner's (IUI-H) and donor (IUI-D) semen was reported from 23 countries: 142 609 IUI-H (+6.2%) and 26 088 IUI-D (+7.2%). RESULTS: In 18 countries where all clinics reported, 376 971 ART cycles were performed in a population of 425.6 million (886 cycles per million). The clinical pregnancy rates per aspiration and per transfer were 29.1 and 32.8% for IVF, and 28.6 and 33.0% for ICSI. Delivery rate after IUI-H was 10.2% in women aged < 40 years. In IVF/ICSI cycles, 1, 2, 3 and ?4 embryos were transferred in 21.4, 53.4, 22.7 and 2.5% of cycles, with no decline in the number of embryos per transfer since 2006. The proportion of multiple deliveries (22.3: 21.3% twin and 1.0% triplet), did not decrease compared with 2006 (20.8%) and 2005 (21.8%). In women < 40 years undergoing IUI-H, twin deliveries occurred in 11.7% and triplets in 0.5%. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with previous years, the reported number of ART cycles in Europe increased in 2007; pregnancy rates increased marginally, but the earlier decline in the number of embryos transferred and multiple births did not continue.
Project description:Europe PMC (https://europepmc.org) is a comprehensive resource of biomedical research publications that offers advanced tools for search, retrieval, and interaction with the scientific literature. This article outlines new developments since 2014. In addition to delivering the core database and services, Europe PMC focuses on three areas of development: individual user services, data integration, and infrastructure to support text and data mining. Europe PMC now provides user accounts to save search queries and claim publications to ORCIDs, as well as open access profiles for authors based on public ORCID records. We continue to foster connections between scientific data and literature in a number of ways. All the data behind the paper - whether in structured archives, generic archives or as supplemental files - are now available via links to the BioStudies database. Text-mined biological concepts, including database accession numbers and data DOIs, are highlighted in the text and linked to the appropriate data resources. The SciLite community annotation platform accepts text-mining results from various contributors and overlays them on research articles as licence allows. In addition, text miners and developers can access all open content via APIs or via the FTP site.
Project description:BackgroundPopulation data on tobacco use and its determinants require continuous monitoring and careful inter-country comparison. We aimed to provide the most up-to-date estimates on tobacco smoking from a large cross-sectional survey, conducted in selected European countries.MethodsWithin the TackSHS Project, a face-to-face survey on smoking was conducted in 2017-2018 in 12 countries: Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain, representing around 80% of the 432 million European Union (EU) adult population. In each country, a representative sample of around 1,000 subjects aged 15 years and older was interviewed, for a total of 11,902 participants.ResultsOverall 25.9% of participants were current smokers (31.0% among men and 21.2% among women, p<0.001), while 16.5% were former smokers. Smoking prevalence ranged from 18.9% in Italy to 37.0% in Bulgaria. It decreased with increasing age (compared to <45, multivariable odds ratio, OR, for ?65 years was 0.31; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.27-0.36), level of education (OR for low vs. high was 1.32; 95% CI: 1.17-1.48) and self-rated household economic level (OR for low vs. high was 2.05; 95% CI: 1.74-2.42). The same patterns were found in both sexes.ConclusionsThese smoking prevalence estimates represent the most up-to-date evidence in Europe. From them it can be derived that there are more than 112 million current smokers in the EU-28. Lower socio-economic status is a major determinant of smoking habit in both sexes.
Project description:Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high BP and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes worldwide. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2017. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. The study was conducted in public areas (14 sites in Yerevan and 18 in regions), both indoor and outdoor, as well as in 42 primary care centres. A total of 9199 individuals were screened during MMM17 of which 9186 had three BP measurements available. The mean age of screened individuals was 50 ± 16.7 years, 57.3% was female. At the time of screening 17.9% were on antihypertensive medication. After imputation, a percentage of participants with hypertension was 33.9%, and 52.9% of them were on treatment. Of those treated, 77.0% had uncontrolled BP. MMM17 was the largest BP screening campaign undertaken in Armenia. We found that in Armenia, untreated hypertension is common, as is not adequately treated hypertension.
Project description:Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high BP and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programmes worldwide. According to STEPS-Georgia, between 2010 and 2016, arterial hypertension prevalence (BP ≥140/90 mmHg or being treated) increased from 33.4% to 37.7%. According to the Health for All (HFA) (WHO data set) Database in Georgia in 2015 cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality contributed to 42.6% of overall deaths; among them 23.3% is due to coronary heart disease (CHD), and 30% due to cerebrovascular diseases. An opportunistic screening of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2017 (MMM17). BP measurement, the definition of hypertension and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. Screening was carried out in 50 sites at a national scale (clinics, public places). Five hundred volunteers, mostly medical personnel took part in the project. A total of 6144 individuals were screened during MMM17. After multiple imputations, 3744 (60.9%) had hypertension. Of those not on anti-hypertensive medication, 958 (28.5%) respondents were found to have hypertension, while 1862 (66.8%) individuals receiving anti-hypertensive medication, had uncontrolled BP. MMM17 was the largest BP screening campaign undertaken in Georgia. Approximately 60% of those screened had hypertension and among those who receive medication, up to 70% are treated inadequately. These results suggest that opportunistic screening can identify a significant number of people with raised BP.
Project description:Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of high BP and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programs worldwide. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2017. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension (HTN), and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. In total, 2711 individuals (58.6% female) were screened during MMM17 in 56 centres. After multiple imputation, 1704 (62.9%) had HTN (≥140/90 mmHg). Of individuals not receiving antihypertensive medication, 764 (43.2%) were hypertensive. Of individuals receiving antihypertensive medication, 597 (63.5%) had uncontrolled BP. MMM17 was one of the largest BP screening campaigns undertaken in Austria. A large number of undiagnosed hypertensives was found and connected to a therapeutic strategy. An alarming number of uncontrolled but treated hypertensives should attract the attention of doctors and health care system in Austria.
Project description:Study questionWhat are the trends and developments in pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) in 2016-2017 as compared to previous years?Summary answerThe main trends observed in this 19th and 20th data set on PGT are that trophectoderm biopsy has become the main biopsy stage for PGT for aneuploidies (PGT-A) and that the implementation of comprehensive testing technologies is the most advanced with PGT-A.What is known alreadySince it was established in 1997, the ESHRE PGT Consortium has been collecting and analysing data from mainly European PGT centres. To date, 18 data sets and an overview of the first 10 years of data collections have been published.Study design size durationThe data for PGT analyses performed between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2017 with a 2-year follow-up after analysis were provided by participating centres on a voluntary basis. Data were collected using a new online platform, which is based on genetic analysis as opposed to the former cycle-based format.Participants/materials setting methodsData on biopsy method, diagnostic technology and clinical outcome were submitted by 61 centres. Records with analyses for more than one PGT for monogenic/single gene defects (PGT-M) and/or PGT for chromosomal structural rearrangements (PGT-SR) indication or with inconsistent data regarding the PGT modality were excluded. All transfers performed within 2 years after the analysis were included enabling the calculation of cumulative pregnancy rates. Data analysis, calculations, figures and tables were made by expert co-authors.Main results and the role of chanceThe current data collection from 2016 to 2017 covers a total of 3098 analyses for PGT-M, 1018 analyses for PGT-SR, 4033 analyses for PGT-A and 654 analyses for concurrent PGT-M/SR with PGT-A.The application of blastocyst biopsy is gradually rising for PGT-M (from 8-12% in 2013-2015 to 19% in 2016-2017), is status quo for PGT-R (from 22-36% in 2013-2015 to 30% in 2016-2017) and has become the preferential biopsy stage for PGT-A (from 23-36% in 2013-2015 to 87% in 2016-2017). For concurrent PGT-M/SR with PGT-A, biopsy was primarily performed at the blastocyst stage (93%). The use of comprehensive diagnostic technology showed a similar trend with a small increased use for PGT-M (from 9-12% in 2013-2015 to 15% in 2016-2017) and a status quo for PGT-SR (from 36-58% in 2013-2015 to 50% in 2016-2017). Comprehensive testing was the main technology for PGT-A (from 66-75% in 2013-2015 to 93% in 2016-2017) and for concurrent PGT-M/SR with PGT-A (93%).Limitations reasons for cautionThe findings apply to the data submitted by 61 participating centres and do not represent worldwide trends in PGT. Details on the health of babies born were not provided in this manuscript.Wider implications of the findingsBeing the largest data collection on PGT in Europe/worldwide, the data sets provide a valuable resource for following trends in PGT practice.Study funding/competing interestsThe study has no external funding and all costs are covered by ESHRE. There are no competing interests declared.Trial registration numberN/A.
Project description:Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare inherited disease characterised by malfunctioning cilia leading to a heterogeneous clinical phenotype with many organ systems affected. There is a lack of data on clinical presentation, prognosis and effectiveness of treatments, making it mandatory to improve the scientific evidence base. This article reviews the data resources that are available in Europe for clinical and epidemiological research in PCD, namely established national PCD registries and national cohort studies, plus two large collaborative efforts (the international PCD (iPCD) Cohort and the International PCD Registry), and discusses their strengths, limitations and perspectives. Denmark, Cyprus, Norway and Switzerland have national population-based registries, while England and France conduct multicentre cohort studies. Based on the data contained in these registries, the prevalence of diagnosed PCD is 3-7 per 100?000 in children and 0.2-6 per 100?000 in adults. All registries, together with other studies from Europe and beyond, contribute to the iPCD Cohort, a collaborative study including data from over 4000 PCD patients, and to the International PCD Registry, which is part of the ERN (European Reference Network)-LUNG network. This rich resource of readily available, standardised and contemporaneous data will allow obtaining fast answers to emerging clinical and research questions in PCD.
Project description:The recent sale of an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated portrait for $432,000 at Christie's art auction has raised questions about how credit and responsibility should be allocated to individuals involved and how the anthropomorphic perception of the AI system contributed to the artwork's success. Here, we identify natural heterogeneity in the extent to which different people perceive AI as anthropomorphic. We find that differences in the perception of AI anthropomorphicity are associated with different allocations of responsibility to the AI system and credit to different stakeholders involved in art production. We then show that perceptions of AI anthropomorphicity can be manipulated by changing the language used to talk about AI-as a tool versus agent-with consequences for artists and AI practitioners. Our findings shed light on what is at stake when we anthropomorphize AI systems and offer an empirical lens to reason about how to allocate credit and responsibility to human stakeholders.