STUDY QUESTION Are the risks of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, transposition of great arteries, tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and coarctation of the aorta increased in infants conceived by different assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs)? STUDY ANSWER ARTs, and particularly intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), are specifically associated with a higher risk of TOF. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN A...

The inhibition of the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the induction of their apoptosis have been investigated as potential strategies to counteract the development and progression of liver fibrosis. Previous research has suggested that apoptosis‑related protein in the transforming growth factor‑β signaling pathway (ARTS) may serve a significant role in numerous cell types; howev...

Background As Mixed Martial Arts grows in popularity, more athletes are participating in “weight cutting” to compete in weight classes that are below their regular weight. Current weight cutting techniques include dehydration, food restriction, diuretic use and self-induced vomiting to rapidly decrease weight. All of these can inhibit performance and negatively impact the health of an athlete. ...

Autoethnography – a qualitative research method that combines characteristics of ethnography and autobiography – is gaining momentum within the creative and performing arts as a research tool, partly because of the opportunity it provides for writers, artists, performers and others to reflect critically upon their personal and professional creative experiences. In recent years, ‘analytic autoet...

Results The following are the findings. Firstly, the total time taken for forward breakfall of the martial arts showed 1.53±0.04 s for skilled, and 1.41±0.06s for unskilled subjects (p<.01). Second, during forward breakfall of the martial arts, the skilled subjects came up with significantly faster impact velocity in the primary point of impact (E2) (p<.001), but the unskilled subjects showed s...

In the performing arts, including music, theater, dance and so on, theoretical issues both about artworks and about performances of them must be dealt with, so that their theoretical analysis is inherently more complex and troublesome than that of nonperforming arts such as painting or film, in which primarily only artworks need to be discussed. Thus it is especially desirable in the case of th...

This within-subjects experimental study investigated the influence of the arts on cortisol for economically disadvantaged children. Participants were 310 children, ages 3-5 years, who attended a Head Start preschool and were randomly assigned to participate in different schedules of arts and homeroom classes on different days of the week. Cortisol was sampled at morning baseline and after arts ...

The proliferation of artists, audiences, and participants who have the ability to create mirror copies of original digital media arts work challenges us to re-examine how value is assigned to digital media arts work. Historically, space and capital limitations restricted the public’s accessibility to artwork, but the growth of mass digital reproduction and alternative forms of art exhibition sp...

Schools are curtailing programs in arts, physical exercise, and play so more time and resources can be devoted to academic instruction. Yet indications are that the arts (e.g., music, dance, or theatre) and physical activity (e.g., sports, martial arts, or youth circus) are crucial for all aspects of children's development - including success in school. Thus in cutting those activities, schools...