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Context: For nonazoospermic infertile men with elevated sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), it is unclear whether the use of testicular sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may offer advantages over ejaculated sperm. Objective: To determine whether ICSI outcomes (fertilisation rate, pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, and live birth rate) are better with testicular sperm than with ejaculated

Imagination is a human capacity that reproduces and transforms experiences and thoughts. The capacity is manifested in children's pretend play and is an important part of adults' ability to process the past, and to plan the future. A first step in the development of imagination is the ability to represent objects and events and to change these representations into alternatives to reality. For adap

Performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is very sensitive to its electric resistance appearing in its functional components. In this paper, the electric resistance as well as related parameters of a cell is evaluated by a recently developed numerical method in the through-plane direction of the electrodes. The results show that the channel/rib structure leads to non-homogeneous e

When the assembly force is applied, the gas diffusion layer (GDL) deformation is observed and the geometry and transport parameters are also changed. Accordingly, the transport processes and cell performance are affected due to the deformation effect. In the present study, a three-dimensional, non-isothermal, two-phase flow model was developed and applied to investigate the effect of GDL deformati

One way to facilitate electrochemical communication between bacterial cells and electrodes is the use of artificial redox mediators. There are, however, a number of drawbacks when they are used in their freely diffusing monomeric form. In contrast when bound to flexible polymeric backbones they not only serve as mediators but also as an immobilization matrix forming a 3D hydrogel on the electrode

Perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells are a promising concept for overcoming the limits of conventional silicon single-junction technology. Light management is doubtless a key issue for further boosting efficiency. We discuss the impact of photonic nanostructures on the optical performance of perovskite-silicon devices. We experimentally and numerically demonstrate shallow antireflective nanotextu

Employer branding in organizational human resources management is essential. Nevertheless, certain gaps persist within the realm of scientific research in this field, particularly in the exploration of novel concepts like employer brand personality appeal and its potential impact within the hospitality industry, which grapples with numerous human resources challenges. To fill this gap in knowledge

With an aging population, an increased burden is put on national and regional healthcare and social systems. In Sweden, municipalities are required to provide inhabitants with the social services needed to enable them to live an independent life in their own home for as long as possible. Urban green spaces (UGS) may increase physical activity and social interaction, as well as improve wellbeing an

Objectives: To explore the association between antibiotic combination therapy and in-hospital mortality in patients with septic shock in two tertiary ICUs in different countries. Design: Retrospective observational study. Setting: ICUs of two tertiary hospitals, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, and Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Patients: Adult patients with ant

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) disease control is a global metric of disease status for CRS. While there is broad acceptance that it is an important treatment goal, there has been inconsistency in the criteria used to define CRS control. The objective of this study was to identify and develop consensus around essential criteria for assessment of CRS disease control. Methods: Modified Del

Human factors (HF) is a cross-disciplinary field of science that is strongly associated with safety, especially in regards to the role of human performance in ensuring safe actions and outcomes. Although ‘cross-disciplinary' in this context represents the admirable aim to use all available knowledge to enhance safety, even the field of human factors has to outline the limitations of itself as a fi

The term “mission” in its modern meaning was coined during the expansion of Western Christianity which was in many ways entangled with colonialism. The Western missionary movement’s modus operandi was adopted by missions from other backgrounds as well, when economic growth and growth of revivalist Christianity have coincided. When the outcome is new churches in economically underprivileged areas,

Renal hyperparathyroidism (rHPT) is a complex and challenging disorder. It develops early in renal failure, mainly as a consequence of reduced levels of vitamin D, hypocalcemia, diminished excretion of phosphate, and inability to activate vitamin D. RHPT is associated with increased risk of fractures, cardiovascular disease and death. The diagnosis of rHPT rests on demonstrating elevated levels of

Soil microbial communities play a pivotal role in regulating ecosystem functioning. But they are increasingly being shaped by human-induced environmental change, including intense “pulse” perturbations, such as droughts, which are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity with climate change. While it is known that soil microbial communities are sensitive to such perturbations and that effe

Context. Extreme precision radial-velocity spectrometers enable extreme precision in stellar spectroscopy. Searches for low-mass exoplanets around solar-type stars are limited by various types of physical variability in stellar spectra, such as the short-term jittering of apparent radial velocities on levels of ∼2 m s-1. Aims. To understand the physical origins of radial-velocity jittering, the so

Germline mutations are the ultimate source of genetic variation and the raw material for organismal evolution. Despite their significance, the frequency and genomic locations of mutations, as well as potential sex bias, are yet to be widely investigated in most species. To address these gaps, we conducted whole-genome sequencing of 12 great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in a pedigree s