The web-based Pleasure&Pregnancy programme in the treatment of unexplained infertility: a randomized controlled trial.

Study Question: Does offering the Pleasure&Pregnancy (P&P) programme rather than expectant management improve naturally conceived ongoing pregnancy rates in couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility?

Summary Answer: The P&P programme had no effect on the ongoing pregnancy rates of couples with unexplained infertility.

What Is Known Already: Underpowered studies suggested that face-to-face interventions targeting sexual health may increase pregnancy rates. The impact of an eHealth sexual health programme had yet to be evaluated by a large randomized controlled trial.

Vertebrate centromeres in mitosis are functionally bipartite structures stabilized by cohesin.

Centromeres are scaffolds for the assembly of kinetochores that ensure chromosome segregation during cell division. How vertebrate centromeres obtain a three-dimensional structure to accomplish their primary function is unclear. Using super-resolution imaging, capture-C, and polymer modeling, we show that vertebrate centromeres are partitioned by condensins into two subdomains during mitosis.

Hysterosalpingo-foam sonography versus hysterosalpingography during fertility work-up: an economic evaluation alongside a randomized controlled trial.

Study Question: What are the costs and effects of tubal patency testing by hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) compared to hysterosalpingography (HSG) in infertile women during the fertility work-up?

Summary Answer: During the fertility work-up, clinical management based on the test results of HyFoSy leads to slightly lower, though not statistically significant, live birth rates, at lower costs, compared to management based on HSG results.

What Is Known Already: Traditionally, tubal patency testing during the fertility work-up is performed by HSG. The FOAM trial, formally a non-inferiority study, showed that management decisions based on the results of HyFoSy resulted in a comparable live birth rate at 12 months compared to HSG (46% versus 47%; difference -1.

Microtubule nucleation from the fibrous corona by LIC1-pericentrin promotes chromosome congression.

Error-free chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis relies on the assembly of a microtubule-based spindle that interacts with kinetochores to guide chromosomes to the cell equator before segregation in anaphase. Microtubules sprout from nucleation sites such as centrosomes, but kinetochores can also promote microtubule formation. It is unclear, however, how kinetochore-derived microtubules are generated and what their role is in chromosome segregation.

Safety of transesophageal echocardiography during transcatheter edge-to-edge tricuspid valve repair: A single-center experience.

Objectives: We aimed to determine transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) related complications during Transcatheter edge-to-edge tricuspid valve repair (TTVR).

Background: Transesophageal echocardiography is essential to guide structural heart disease (SHD) interventions. TTVR has become an evolving procedure for high-risk patients not suitable for surgery.

Can hysterosalpingo-foam sonography replace hysterosalpingography as first-choice tubal patency test? A randomized non-inferiority trial.

Study Question: Does hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) lead to similar pregnancy outcomes, compared with hysterosalpingography (HSG), as first-choice tubal patency test in infertile couples?

Summary Answer: HyFoSy and HSG produce similar findings in a majority of patients and clinical management based on the results of either HyFoSy or HSG, leads to comparable pregnancy outcomes. HyFoSy is experienced as significantly less painful.

What Is Known Already: Traditionally, tubal patency testing during fertility work-up is performed by HSG.

A spear to the heart-the accidental discovery of a giant cement embolism in the right heart: a case report.

Background: The incidence of recognized cardiopulmonary cement embolism in the context of percutaneous vertebroplasty varies between 0% and 23%. In most cases, only small fragments embolize in the pulmonary arteries or the right heart cavities. The latter can cause potential harm by right ventricular perforation.

LIVE-streaming 3D images: A neuroscience approach to full-body illusions.

Inspired by recent technological advances in the gaming industry, we used capture cards to create and LIVE-stream high quality 3D-images. With this novel technique, we developed a real-life stereoscopic 3D full-body illusion paradigm (3D projection). Unlike previous versions of the full-body illusion that rely upon unwieldy head-mounted displays, this paradigm enables the unobstructed investigation of such illusions with neuroscience methods (e.

Association of QRS-T angle and Late Gadolinium Enhancement in patients with a Clinical Suspicion of Myocarditis.

To investigate the association of a wide QRS-T angle on the surface ECG and late gadolinium enhancement on contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic (CMR) imaging in patients with clinically suspected myocarditis. Diagnosis and risk stratification in patients with suspected myocarditis is particularly challenging due to a great spectrum of clinical presentations. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) visualizes myocardial necrosis and fibrosis in patients with biopsy-proven myocarditis.

QRS-T angle in patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - A comparison with Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

We sought to investigate the possible association of a wide QRS-T angle on the surface EKG and myocardial fibrosis on contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic (CMR) imaging in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Risk stratification in HCM patients is challenging. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) visualizes myocardial fibrosis with unique spatial resolution and is a strong and independent prognosticator in these patients.

Elevated high-sensitivity troponin T levels at 1-year follow-up are associated with increased long-term mortality after TAVR.

Background: Elevated pre-procedural high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) levels predict adverse outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). It is unknown whether elevated troponin levels still provide prognostic information during follow-up after successful TAVR. We evaluated the long-term implications of elevated hs-TnT levels found at 1-year post-TAVR.

The long-term costs and effects of tubal flushing with oil-based versus water-based contrast during hysterosalpingography.

Research Question: What are the long-term costs and effects of oil- versus water-based contrast in infertile women undergoing hysterosalpingography (HSG)?

Design: This economic evaluation of a long-term follow-up of a multicentre randomized controlled trial involved 1119 infertile women randomized to HSG with oil- (n = 557) or water-based contrast (n = 562) in the Netherlands.

Results: In the oil-based contrast group, 39.8% of women needed no other treatment, 34.

QRS-T-angle in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) - a Comparison with Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

: The QRS-T angle from the surface EKG is a promising prognostic marker in patients with coronary artery disease. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) offers high resolution imaging of myocardial damage. We investigated the association of the QRS-T angle and the extent of myocardial damage as assessed by LGE in patients with acute ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) : 169 patients with STEMI obtained a standardized digital 12-lead EKG on admission for the calculation of the QRS-T angle and underwent CMR imaging for analysis of infarct size by LGE within the first week.

A Biosensor for the Mitotic Kinase MPS1 Reveals Spatiotemporal Activity Dynamics and Regulation.

Accurate chromosome segregation during cell division critically depends on error correction of chromosome-spindle interactions and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) [1-3]. The kinase MPS1 is an essential regulator of both processes, ensuring full chromosome biorientation before anaphase onset [3, 4]. To understand when and where MPS1 activation occurs and how MPS1 signaling is modulated during mitosis, we developed MPS1sen, a sensitive and specific FRET-based biosensor for MPS1 activity.

Clinical outcomes and thrombus resolution in patients with solid left atrial appendage thrombi: results of a single-center real-world registry.

Background: Data on thrombus resolution and clinical outcome data after a therapy of LAA thrombus with novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are scarce.

Methods: In this single-center study, we retrospectively analyzed 78 patients diagnosed with a solid LAA thrombus by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). We assessed baseline clinical and echocardiographic characteristics, the anticoagulatory regimens and outcomes of patients with (responders) and without (non-responders) thrombus resolution.

Periprocedural Changes of NT-proBNP Are Associated With Survival After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Background Cardiovascular biomarkers constitute promising tools for improved risk stratification and prediction of outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. We examined the association of periprocedural changes of NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) with survival after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Methods and Results NT-proBNP levels were measured in 704 patients before transcatheter aortic valve implantation and at discharge.

The FOAM study: is Hysterosalpingo foam sonography (HyFoSy) a cost-effective alternative for hysterosalpingography (HSG) in assessing tubal patency in subfertile women? Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Tubal pathology is a causative factor in 20% of subfertile couples. Traditionally, tubal testing during fertility work-up is performed by hysterosalpingography (HSG). Hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) is a new technique that is thought to have comparable accuracy as HSG, while it is less expensive and more patient friendly.

Quantified, Interactive Simulation of AMCW ToF Camera Including Multipath Effects.

In the last decade, Time-of-Flight (ToF) range cameras have gained increasing popularity in robotics, automotive industry, and home entertainment. Despite technological developments, ToF cameras still suffer from error sources such as multipath interference or motion artifacts. Thus, simulation of ToF cameras, including these artifacts, is important to improve camera and algorithm development.

Differentiation between Oppositely Oriented Microtubules Controls Polarized Neuronal Transport.

Microtubules are essential for polarized transport in neurons, but how their organization guides motor proteins to axons or dendrites is unclear. Because different motors recognize distinct microtubule properties, we used optical nanoscopy to examine the relationship between microtubule orientations, stability, and modifications. Nanometric tracking of motors to super-resolve microtubules and determine their polarity revealed that in dendrites, stable and acetylated microtubules are mostly oriented minus-end out, while dynamic and tyrosinated microtubules are oriented oppositely.

Osteopontin predicts clinical outcome in patients after treatment of severe aortic stenosis with transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Objective: Osteopontin (OPN) is an extracellular matrix protein that plays an integral role in myocardial remodelling and has previously been shown to be a valuable biomarker in cardiovascular disease. Because of the concentric myocardial hypertrophy associated with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS), we hypothesised that OPN expression may have a prognostic value in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods: We prospectively included 217 patients undergoing TAVI between February 2011 and December 2013 with a median follow-up of 349 days.

IVF or IUI as first-line treatment in unexplained subfertility: the conundrum of treatment selection markers.

Study Question: Are there treatment selection markers that could aid in identifying couples, with unexplained or mild male subfertility, who would have better chances of a healthy child with IVF with single embryo transfer (IVF-SET) than with IUI with ovarian stimulation (IUI-OS)?

Summary Answer: We did not find any treatment selection markers that were associated with better chances of a healthy child with IVF-SET instead of IUI-OS in couples with unexplained or mild male subfertility.

What Is Known Already: A recent trial, comparing IVF-SET to IUI-OS, found no evidence of a difference between live birth rates and multiple pregnancy rates. It was suggested that IUI-OS should remain the first-line treatment instead of IVF-SET in couples with unexplained or mild male subfertility and female age between 18 and 38 years.

Preprocedural but not periprocedural high-sensitive Troponin T levels predict outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aim: Risk assessment of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains difficult. Biomarkers have been shown to provide potential prognostic information. Here, we aimed to analyze whether the biomarker high-sensitivity Troponin T (hsTNT) could be used to improve risk stratification.

Embryo Transfer with Controlled Injection Speed to Increase Pregnancy Rates: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background/aims: Catheter injection speed affects depth and placement of the embryo into the uterine cavity and is shown to be highly variable in, and between, subjects in a manually performed embryo transfer. In an effort to standardize the injection speed during embryo transfer, we developed an automated transfer pump: the pump-regulated embryo transfer (PRET) device. In this randomized controlled trial, we aimed to investigate if standardization of the injection speed and pressure with this PRET results in a better controlled positioning of the transferred embryo(s).