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Background and Objectives: Bone marrow (BM) harvesting is one of the essential sources of stem cells for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In 2019, commercial BM collection kits became unavailable in Europe. Consequently, we created an in‐house BM collection kit as an alternative. Materials and Methods: We compared two groups of BM collections. The first collections were taken using an in‐house kit from June 2022 through February 2023 and the second with a commercial kit from February 2021 through May 2022. These all took place at seven collection centres (CC). We analysed the harvest quality (cell blood count, CD34+ cells, viability, potency and sterility), the incidents occurring with each kit and the time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment in recipients. Results: A total of 23 donors underwent BM harvesting with the in‐house kit and 23 with the commercial one. Both cohorts were comparable regarding donor characteristics, CC and time to procedure. No statistical differences were found in harvest quality between the in‐house and commercial kits. A new transfusion set was required in three BM harvests (13%) with the in‐house kit because of filter clogging. The median time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment was 21 days for both cohorts and 29 days (in‐house) and 33 days (commercial), p = 0.284, respectively. Conclusion: The in‐house BM collection kit offers a real approach to solve the diminished supply of commercial kits. A higher risk of filter clogging was observed compared with commercial kits due to the lack of 850 and 500 μm filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a novel survey of current collections of frozen raptor carcasses and tissue samples in natural history museums (NHMs), environmental specimen banks (ESBs) and other research collections (ORCs e.g. at universities and research institutes) across Europe and assesses the extent to which collections might support pan-European raptor biomonitoring through the provision of samples for contaminant analyses. The paper is based on questionnaire responses received in late 2018 and early 2019 from 116 institutions. Issues covered include the number of raptor carcasses and diversity of raptor species arriving annually at collections, the number of carcasses stored in freezers, the extent to which collections retain frozen tissue samples, what records are kept of carcasses and tissue samples, constraints to expanding collections of frozen carcasses and tissues and the extent to which collections currently engage in ecotoxicological research and monitoring. Our findings show that collections in Europe receive well over 5000 raptor carcasses per annum, and that NHMs are the key recipients of raptor carcasses for most countries. Collections in Europe probably hold well over 10,000 raptor carcasses in their freezers, offering a substantial resource of frozen raptor carcasses and tissues from recent years. Moreover, these carcasses include good specimen numbers for species that have been prioritized for pan-European contaminant monitoring. Collections are becoming digitized aiding access to samples. However, freezer capacity is a key constraint to retention of carcasses, and contaminant biomonitoring is novel for most NHMs. Our findings on the repository and availability of frozen raptor carcasses and tissues held by collections in Europe can enable greater use of these specimens for pan-European contaminant monitoring in support of better chemicals management. We highlight opportunities to further optimize raptor collections for pan-European contaminant monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collections of the Americas enjoy a special place in European museums. However, only a few researchers can analyse those collections and cultures from an historical perspective that emphasizes the antiquity of the so-called New World. Trying to understand the cultural development unique to the American ancient societies is part of a process of decolonisation and deconstruction of the notion of primitive villages, always in mind in the wider audience. This is achieved not only by taking into account the local knowledge but also returning the collections removed from the countries of origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: The 15th European IVF-monitoring (EIM) report presents the results of treatments involving assisted reproductive technology (ART) initiated in Europe during 2011: are there any changes in the trends compared with previous years?Summary Answer: Despite some fluctuations in the number of countries reporting data, while the overall number of ART cycles has continued to increase year by year, the pregnancy rates in 2011 decreased slightly to those reported in 2010, and the number of transfers with multiple embryos (3+) and the multiple delivery rates declined.What Is Known Already: Since 1997, ART data in Europe have been collected and reported in 14 manuscripts, published in Human Reproduction.Study Design, Size, Duration: Retrospective data collection of European ART data by the EIM Consortium for the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE); cycles started between 1 January and 31 December 2011 are collected on a yearly basis. The data are collected by National Registers, when existing, or on a voluntary basis by personal information.Participants/materials Setting, Methods: From 33 countries (+2 compared with 2010), 1064 clinics reported 609 973 treatment cycles including: IVF 138 592, ICSI 298 918, frozen embryo replacement (FER) 129 693, egg donation (ED) 30 198, in vitro maturation 511, preimplantation genetic diagnosis/screening 6824 and frozen oocyte replacements 5237. European data on intrauterine insemination (IUI) using husband/partner's semen (IUI-H) and donor semen (IUI-D) were reported from 861 IUI laboratories in 24 countries. A total of 174 390 IUI-H and 41 151 IUI-D cycles were included.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: In 17 countries where all clinics reported to the ART register, a total of 361 972 ART cycles were performed in a population of 285 million inhabitants, corresponding to 1269 cycles per million inhabitants. For all IVF cycles, the clinical pregnancy rates per aspiration and per transfer were stable with 29.1 and 33.2%, respectively, and for ICSI, the corresponding rates also were stable with 27.9 and 31.8%, respectively. In FER cycles, the pregnancy rate per thawing increased to 21.3% if compared with previous years. In ED cycles, the pregnancy rate per fresh transfer decreased to 45.8% (47.4% in 2010) and increased to 33.6% (33.3% in 2010) per thawed transfer. The delivery rate after IUI-H decreased to 8.3 (8.9 in 2010), and to 12.2% (13.8% in 2010) after IUI-D. In IVF and ICSI cycles, 1, 2, 3 and 4+ embryos were transferred in 27.5, 56.7, 14.5 and 1.3% of cycles, respectively. The proportions of singleton, twin and triplet deliveries after IVF and ICSI (added together) were 80.8, 18.6 and 0.6%, respectively, resulting in a total multiple delivery rate of 19.2% compared with 20.6% in 2010, 20.2% in 2009, 21.7% in 2008, 22.3% in 2007 and 20.8% in 2006. In FER cycles, the multiple delivery rate was 13.2% (12.8% twins and 0.4% triplets). Twin and triplet delivery rates associated with IUI cycles were 9.7/0.6% and 7.3/0.3%, following IUI-H and IUI-D treatment, respectively.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: The method of reporting varies among countries, and registers from a number of countries have been unable to provide some of the relevant data such as initiated cycles and deliveries. As long as data are incomplete and generated through different methods of collection, results should be interpreted with caution.Wider Implications Of the Findings: The 15th ESHRE report on ART shows a continuing expansion of the number of treatment cycles in Europe, with more than 600 000 cycles reported in 2011. Since 2006, the proportion of IVF to ICSI cycles has reached a plateau after a small decrease in 2009. Pregnancy and delivery rates after IVF remained relatively stable compared with 2010 and 2009. The pregnancy rate per aspiration in ICSI cycles declined for the first time by 0.9%. The multiple delivery rate is lower than ever before.Study Funding/competing Interests: The study had no external funding; all costs are covered by ESHRE. There are no competing interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Genetic variation in Lactuca serriola, the closest wild relative of cultivated lettuce, was studied across Europe from the Czech Republic to the United Kingdom, using three molecular marker systems, simple sequence repeat (SSR, microsatellites), AFLP and nucleotide-binding site (NBS) profiling. The 'functional' marker system NBS profiling, targeting disease resistance genes of the NBS/LRR family, did not show marked differences in genetic diversity parameters to the other systems. The autogamy of the species resulted in low observed heterozygosity and high population differentiation. Intra-population variation ranged from complete homogeneity to nearly complete heterogeneity. The highest genetic diversity was found in central Europe. The SSR results were compared to SSR variation screened earlier in the lettuce collection of the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN). In the UK, practically only a single SSR genotype was found. This genotype together with a few other common SSR genotypes comprised a large part of the plants sampled on the continent. Among the ten most frequent SSR genotypes observed, eight were already present in the CGN collection. Overall, the CGN collection appears to already have a fair representation of genetic variation from NW Europe. The results are discussed in relation to sampling strategies for improving genebank collections of crop wild relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eisenstein's account of the connection between scientific progress and printing does not apply well to map publication and knowledge of geography. Most of the celebrated figures in map design and publishing in the 16th century were fundamentally copyists and collectors of others' works. In Renaissance Europe, geographers did not strive to be original, but relied on others' measures, adding their own information to extant maps whenever this was possible. They also made maps in multiple genres, and used geographical works not simply as practical tools for trade and politics, but as evidence for Creation and demonstrations of human dominion. Printed atlases displayed the array of map forms, provided exemplars of good work, and made visible points of translation across different genres of geographical representation. In this context, copying and collection were helpful rather than detrimental to knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]