Estimating the chance of success in IVF treatment using a ranking algorithm

In medicine, estimating the chance of success for treatment is important in deciding whether to begin the treatment or not. This paper focuses on the domain of in vitro fertilization (IVF), where estimating the outcome of a treatment is very crucial in the decision to proceed with treatment for both the clinicians and the infertile couples. IVF treatment is a stressful and costly process. It is very stressful for couples who want to have a baby. If an initial evaluation indicates a low pregnancy rate, decision of the couple may change not to start the IVF treatment. The aim of this study is twofold, firstly, to develop a technique that can be used to estimate the chance of success for a couple who wants to have a baby and secondly, to determine the attributes and their particular values affecting the outcome in IVF treatment. We propose a new technique, called success estimation using a ranking algorithm (SERA), for estimating the success of a treatment using a ranking-based algorithm. The particular ranking algorithm used here is RIMARC. The performance of the new algorithm is compared with two well-known algorithms that assign class probabilities to query instances. The algorithms used in the comparison are Naïve Bayes Classifier and Random Forest. The comparison is done in terms of area under the ROC curve, accuracy and execution time, using tenfold stratified cross-validation. The results indicate that the proposed SERA algorithm has a potential to be used successfully to estimate the probability of success in medical treatment. © 2015, The Author(s)

Helicobacter pylori Seropositivity and Stool Antigen in Patients With Hyperemesis Gravidarum

The objective of this paper is to investigate whether Helicobacter pylori is an etiologic factor in hyperemesis gravidarum. Thirty one patients with hyperemesis gravidarum and twenty nine pregnant controls without hyperemesis gravidarum were included in this prospective study. All pregnant women were examined both for Helicobacter pylori serum immunoglobulin G antibodies (HpIgG Ab), showing chronic infection, and Helicobacter pylori stool antigens (HpSA), showing active gastrointestinal colonization. Chi-square and Student t tests were used accordingly for statistical analysis. Helicobacter pylori seropositivity was 67.7% in the patients with hyperemesis gravidarum and 79.3% in the control group (χ(2) = 1.02, P = .31). HpSA was detected in 22.6% of patients with hyperemesis gravidarum, whereas 6.9% of patients in the control group. The difference was not statistically significant (χ(2) = 2.89, P = .08). In this study, no relation was found between Helicobacter pylori and hyperemesis gravidarum. The low social status of women in both groups could be one of the reasons for the high prevalence of Hp infection

An uncommon complementary isochromosome of 46,XY, i(9)(p10),i(9)(q10) in an infertile oligoasthenoteratozoospermic man

Objective: To report a rare case of male infertility associated with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and complementary isochromosome 46 XY, i(9)(p10),i(9)(q10). Design: Case report. Setting: Reference hospital. Patient(s): Infertile oligoastenozoospermic man with complementary isochromosome 46,XY, i(9)(p10),i(9)(q10). Intervention(s): Peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained for karyotyping, and florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis for gonadal mosaicism in ejaculated spermatozoa. Main Outcome Measure(s): Physical examination, semen analysis, GBG banding, and FISH procedure. Result(s): The semen analysis revealed oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. The lymphocytic karyotype detected a complementary isochromosome 46,XY, i(9)(p10),i(9)(q10), and the FISH procedure showed abnormal sperm. Conclusion(s): This the first report of oligoasthenoteratozoospermia associated with complementary isochromosome 46,XY, i(9)(p10),i(9)(q10). © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Published by Elsevier Inc