Endometrial injury in women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to express our appreciation to Dra Abha Maheshwari for her important authorial contribution to the previous version of this review. We also acknowledge the important help provided by the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group team, specially by Marian Showell, Trials Search Co-ordinator; by Helen Nagels, Managing Editor; and by Prof. Cindy Farquhar, Co-ordinating Editor. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the following investigators, who provided essential information for the preparation of this review: TK Aleyamma, Erin F Wolff, Lukasz Polanski, Nava Dekel, Neeta Singh, Suleyman Guven and Tracy YeungPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Multiple metabolomics of uropathogenic E. coli reveal different information content in terms of metabolic potential compared to virulence factors.

No single analytical method can cover the whole metabolome and the choice of which platform to use may inadvertently introduce chemical selectivity. In order to investigate this we analysed a collection of uropathogenic Escherichia coli. The selected strains had previously undergone extensive characterisation using classical microbiological methods for a variety of metabolic tests and virulence factors. These bacteria were analysed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy; gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after derivatisation of polar non-volatile analytes; as well as reversed-phase liquid chromatography mass spectrometry in both positive (LC-MS(+ve)) and negative (LC-MS(-ve)) electrospray ionisation modes. A comparison of the discriminatory ability of these four methods with the metabolic test and virulence factors was made using Procrustes transformations to ascertain which methods produce congruent results. We found that FT-IR and LC-MS(-ve), but not LC-MS(+ve), were comparable with each other and gave highly similar clustering compared with the virulence factors tests. By contrast, FT-IR and LC-MS(-ve) were not comparable to the metabolic tests, and we found that the GC-MS profiles were significantly more congruent with the metabolic tests than the virulence determinants. We conclude that metabolomics investigations may be biased to the analytical platform that is used and reflects the chemistry employed by the methods. We therefore consider that multiple platforms should be employed where possible and that the analyst should consider that there is a danger of false correlations between the analytical data and the biological characteristics of interest if the full metabolome has not been measured

Phenotypic microarrays suggest Escherichia coli ST131 is not a metabolically distinct lineage of extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) are the major aetiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans. The emergence of the CTX-M producing clone E. coli ST131 represents a major challenge to public health worldwide. A recent study on the metabolic potential of E. coli isolates demonstrated an association between the E. coli ST131 clone and enhanced utilisation of a panel of metabolic substrates. The studies presented here investigated the metabolic potential of ST131 and other major ExPEC ST isolates using 120 API test reagents and found that ST131 isolates demonstrated a lower metabolic activity for 5 of 120 biochemical tests in comparison to non-ST131 ExPEC isolates. Furthermore, comparative phenotypic microarray analysis showed a lack of specific metabolic profile for ST131 isolates countering the suggestion that these bacteria are metabolically fitter and therefore more successful human pathogens

Susceptibility Status of The Malaria Vector Anopheles Arabiensis To Insecticides in Khartoum State, Sudan

Background: Increasing insecticide resistancein the major anopheline vectors remain the main obstacle for malaria control programmes in African countries including Sudan.Objectives: To assess the susceptibility status of Anopheles arabiensis the malaria vector to different classes of insecticides in Khartoum State.Materials and Methods: Using WHO procedure, susceptibility tests were conducted on adults of An.arabiensis from nine sentinel sites in Khartoum State. Mortality rates and knockdown times of insecticides for An. arabiensis were calculated.Results: A total of 8345 females of An.arabiensis were tested againsteight insecticides, these wereDDT 4%, fenitrothion 1%, malathion 5%, propoxur 0.1%, permethrin 0.75%, deltamethrin 0.05% and lambdacyhalothrin 0.05%. Of these insecticides tested, An. arabiensis from Khartoum State wassusceptible to only fenitrothion 1% and lambdacyhalothrin 0.05% with overall mean percentage mortalities 99±0.12 and 100±0.45 respectively.In addition, the overall results, revealed a low mean mortality rates in An. arabiensis indicating resistance to the other remaining insecticides.Furthermore, all populations of An. arabiensis from different sentinel sites showed variation in mortality rates for the tested insecticides. The exception were for fenitrothion 1% and lambdacyhalothrin 0.05% which were resulted in 100% mean mortality in An. Arabiensis in each sentinel sites. Similarly, the knock down time (KDT) of all insecticide tested for 50% and 95% of An. arabiensis varied between populations of sentinel sites.Conclusion: In conclusion, An. arabiensis the main malariavector in Khartoum State is mainly susceptible to fenitrothion and lambdacyhalothrin. Therefore, these two insecticides could be the more suitable for malaria vector control in Khartoum State.Key Words: Anopheles arabiensis; susceptibility; KDT, Khartoum State, Suda

Modeling Operating Speed and Deceleration on Two-Lane Rural Roads with Global Positioning System Data

[EN] In the road design process, speed variation along the road segment is an important issue to consider in adapting road geometry to drivers' expectations. To achieve this objective, speed criteria are used to evaluate road consistency. Being able to estimate the operating speed in the design phase can lead to safer road alignment. With this objective, several researchers have developed operating speed models. Most of these models are based on collected spot speed data. They assume constant speed on curves and, therefore, deceleration that occurs entirely on the approach tangent. According to these assumptions, spot speed data are collected at the center of the horizontal curve and at the midpoint of the preceding tangent to obtain operating speed models. This paper presents a new methodology based on the use of Global Positioning System devices that allow continuous collecting and processing of speed data. With this new methodology, not only can new and more accurate operating speed models he developed, but cited hypotheses can also be checked. Observed speed continuous profiles allow studies that previously could not be done, especially as related to deceleration and speed variations. This study calibrated new speed models, including three for horizontal curves with a radius curve and the curvature change rate of a single curve as explanatory variables, and one for tangents that incorporates the curve speed model. Tangent-curve speed variations are evaluated, with comparison of Delta(85)V and Delta V(85), analysis of the deceleration length occurring on a curve, and development of two deceleration models.The authors thank the Center for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works of the Spanish Ministry of Public Works, which partially subsidized the research. The authors also thank the Infrastructure and Transportation Department, General Directorate of Public Works, Valencian Government, Spain; the Valencian Provincial Council; and the Ministry of the Interior, General Directorate of Traffic, Spain, for their cooperation in field data gathering.Pérez Zuriaga, AM.; García García, A.; Camacho-Torregrosa, FJ.; D'attoma, P. (2010). Modeling Operating Speed and Deceleration on Two-Lane Rural Roads with Global Positioning System Data. Transportation Research Record. 2171:11-20. doi:10.3141/2171-02S1120217

High metabolic potential may contribute to the success of ST131 uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the predominant cause of urinary tract infection in both hospital and community settings. The recent emergence of multidrug-resistant clones like the O25b:H4-ST131 lineage represents a significant threat to health, and numerous studies have explored the virulence potential of these organisms. Members of the ST131 clone have been described as having variable carriage of key virulence factors, and it has been suggested that additional unidentified factors contribute to virulence. Here we demonstrated that ST131 isolates have high metabolic potential and biochemical profiles that distinguish them from isolates of many other sequence types (STs). A collection of 300 UPEC isolates recovered in 2007 and 2009 in the Northwest region of England were subjected to metabolic profiling using the Vitek2 Advanced Expert System (AES). Of the 47 tests carried out, 30 gave a positive result with at least one of the 300 isolates examined. ST131 isolates demonstrated significant association with eight tests, including those for peptidase, decarboxylase, and alkalinization activity. Metabolic activity also correlated with antibiotic susceptibility profiles, with resistant organisms displaying the highest metabolic potential. This is the first comprehensive study of metabolic potential in the ST131 lineage, and we suggest that high metabolic potential may have contributed to the fitness of members of the ST131 clone, which are able to exploit the available nutrients in both the intestinal and urinary tract environments

New consistency index based on inertial operating speed

The occurrence of road crashes depends on several factors, with design consistency (i.e., conformance of highway geometry to drivers' expectations) being one of the most important. A new consistency model for evaluating the performance of tangent-to-curve transitions on two-lane rural roads was developed. This model was based on the inertial consistency index (ICI) defined for each transition. The ICI was calculated at the beginning point of the curve as the difference between the average operating speed on the previous 1-km road segment (inertial operating speed) and the actual operating speed at this point. For the calibration of the ICI and its thresholds, 88 road segments, which included 1,686 tangent-to-curve transitions, were studied. The relationship between those results and the crash rate associated with each transition was analyzed. The results showed that the higher the ICI was, the higher the crash rate; thus, the probability of accidents increased. Similar results were obtained from the study of the relationship between the ICI and the weighted average crash rate of the corresponding group of transitions. A graphical and statistical analysis established that road consistency might be considered good when the ICI was lower than 10 km/h, poor when the ICI was higher than 20 km/h, and fair otherwise. A validation process that considered 20 road segments was performed. The ICI values obtained were highly correlated to the number of crashes that had occurred at the analyzed transitions. Thus, the ICI and its consistency thresholds resulted in a new approach for evaluation of consistency.The authors thank the Center for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works of the Spanish Ministry of Public Works, which partially subsidized the data collection, for obtaining the empirical operating speed profiles used in the validation process. The authors also thank the General Directorate of Public Works of the Infrastructure and Transportation Department of the Valencian government, the Valencian Province Council, and the General Directorate of Traffic of the Ministry of the Interior of the Government of Spain for their cooperation in data gathering.García García, A.; Llopis Castelló, D.; Camacho Torregrosa, FJ.; Pérez Zuriaga, AM. (2013). New consistency index based on inertial operating speed. Transportation Research Record. (2391):105-112. doi:10.3141/2391-10S1051122391Ng, J. C. ., & Sayed, T. (2004). Effect of geometric design consistency on road safety. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 31(2), 218-227. doi:10.1139/l03-090Gibreel, G. M., Easa, S. M., Hassan, Y., & El-Dimeery, I. A. (1999). State of the Art of Highway Geometric Design Consistency. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 125(4), 305-313. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-947x(1999)125:4(305)Hassan, Y. (2004). Highway Design Consistency: Refining the State of Knowledge and Practice. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1881(1), 63-71. doi:10.3141/1881-08Polus, A., & Mattar-Habib, C. (2004). New Consistency Model for Rural Highways and Its Relationship to Safety. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 130(3), 286-293. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-947x(2004)130:3(286)Cafiso, S., Di Graziano, A., Di Silvestro, G., La Cava, G., & Persaud, B. (2010). Development of comprehensive accident models for two-lane rural highways using exposure, geometry, consistency and context variables. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 42(4), 1072-1079. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2009.12.015Zuriaga, A. M. P., García, A. G., Torregrosa, F. J. C., & D’Attoma, P. (2010). Modeling Operating Speed and Deceleration on Two-Lane Rural Roads with Global Positioning System Data. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2171(1), 11-20. doi:10.3141/2171-0

Trends in ExPEC serogroups in the UK and their significance

We thank the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy for kindly providing E. coli bloodstream isolates from the BSAC Bacteraemia Resistance Surveillance Programme (2011), and all the staff at PHE’s Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit for their guidance and patience during the serogrouping process. This work was performed as part of a PhD study funded by PHE

Developing a core outcome set for future infertility research : An international consensus development study

STUDY QUESTION: Can a core outcome set to standardize outcome selection, collection and reporting across future infertility research be developed? SUMMARY ANSWER: A minimum data set, known as a core outcome set, has been developed for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews evaluating potential treatments for infertility. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Complex issues, including a failure to consider the perspectives of people with fertility problems when selecting outcomes, variations in outcome definitions and the selective reporting of outcomes on the basis of statistical analysis, make the results of infertility research difficult to interpret. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A three-round Delphi survey (372 participants from 41 countries) and consensus development workshop (30 participants from 27 countries). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Healthcare professionals, researchers and people with fertility problems were brought together in an open and transparent process using formal consensus science methods. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The core outcome set consists of: viable intrauterine pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound (accounting for singleton, twin and higher multiple pregnancy); pregnancy loss (accounting for ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth and termination of pregnancy); live birth; gestational age at delivery; birthweight; neonatal mortality; and major congenital anomaly. Time to pregnancy leading to live birth should be reported when applicable. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: We used consensus development methods which have inherent limitations, including the representativeness of the participant sample, Delphi survey attrition and an arbitrary consensus threshold. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Embedding the core outcome set within RCTs and systematic reviews should ensure the comprehensive selection, collection and reporting of core outcomes. Research funding bodies, the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) statement, and over 80 specialty journals, including the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group, Fertility and Sterility and Human Reproduction, have committed to implementing this core outcome set. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This research was funded by the Catalyst Fund, Royal Society of New Zealand, Auckland Medical Research Fund and Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust. The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study, the collection, management, analysis or interpretation of data, or manuscript preparation. B.W.J.M. is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Practitioner Fellowship (GNT1082548). S.B. was supported by University of Auckland Foundation Seelye Travelling Fellowship. S.B. reports being the Editor-in-Chief of Human Reproduction Open and an editor of the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility group. J.L.H.E. reports being the Editor Emeritus of Human Reproduction. J.M.L.K. reports research sponsorship from Ferring and Theramex. R.S.L. reports consultancy fees from Abbvie, Bayer, Ferring, Fractyl, Insud Pharma and Kindex and research sponsorship from Guerbet and Hass Avocado Board. B.W.J.M. reports consultancy fees from Guerbet, iGenomix, Merck, Merck KGaA and ObsEva. C.N. reports being the Co Editor-in-Chief of Fertility and Sterility and Section Editor of the Journal of Urology, research sponsorship from Ferring, and retains a financial interest in NexHand. A.S. reports consultancy fees from Guerbet. E.H.Y.N. reports research sponsorship from Merck. N.L.V. reports consultancy and conference fees from Ferring, Merck and Merck Sharp and Dohme. The remaining authors declare no competing interests in relation to the work presented. All authors have completed the disclosure form