OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic evaluation of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on the use of assisted reproductive technologies. METHODS We searched Medline, the Turning Research into Practice database, and guidelines-specific databases from December 2006 to November 2011. Three reviewers independently assessed each Guideline using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research Evaluation (AGR...

BACKGROUND Financing ART is variously regulated in the different countries of Europe. In Germany, coverage of assisted reproduction by statutory health insurances was restricted to 50% in 2004. We conducted a national survey among patients, professionals (physicians and other academics in IVF centres, psychosocial counsellors, medical ethicists, social lawyers, health politicians) and the gener...

The International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART) is an independent, international non-profit organization that has taken a leading role in the development, collection and dissemination of worldwide data on ART. Information on availability, efficacy and safety is provided to health professionals, health authorities and the public. The glossary facilitates dissem...

A giant amphiphile, which is constructed with an amorphous nano-pyramid (triphenylamine, TPA) and a crystalline nano-sphere (C60), was synthesized. Structural characterization indicates that this pyramid-sphere-shaped amphiphile (TPA-C60 ) forms a solvent-induced ordered phase, in which the two constituent units self-assemble into alternating stacks of two-dimensional (2D) TPA and C60 nano-shee...

We exploit the timing of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the geographical variation in mortality risks individuals faced across states to analyze reproduction decisions. The results of a difference-in-differences approach show evidence that fertility increased in states that are geographically closer to Cuba and states with more military installations. The findings suggest that when facing high mo...