Search

RESEARCH QUESTION: Does sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) affect reproductive success of IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles measured as cumulative live birth rates (CLBR) in unselected couples? DESIGN: Clinical data from 1339 couples undergoing 2759 IVF/ICSI cycles using autologous oocytes with a SDF test by TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase)-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay on their ejaculated spermatozoa were retrospectively evaluated. Main outcomes were calculated according to two different analyses: using 15% SDF as cut-off point (low =15% and high >15%); and categorizing participants based on four SDF ranges (30%). Live birth rate and CLBR per number of embryo transfers, per number of embryos replaced and consumed oocytes required to achieve the first live birth according to level of SDF were the main outcomes assessed. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in clinical pregnancy rate and miscarriage rate between both groups. No differences in LBR per embryo transfer were found for the first or for all embryo transfers when comparing =15% and >15% sperm DNA fragmentation or by SDF ranges. The CLBR according to the number of embryo transfers and the number of embryos replaced showed no statistically significant differences between different SDF groups. When the same number of oocytes were inseminated, similar CLBR were obtained regardless of the degree of male sperm DNA fragmentation. CONCLUSIONS: High SDF did not impair live birth rates of unselected males undergoing IVF/ICSI cycles with autologous oocytes per transfer or the cumulative probability of a live birth.

Do donor spermatozoa improve IVF outcomes after first oocyte donation failure?

Background Severe spermatogenic failure (SpF) represents the most extreme manifestation of male infertility, as it decreases drastically the semen quality leading to either severe oligospermia (SO

RESEARCH QUESTION: Does time since vasectomy (as obstructive interval) and the presence of different male comorbidities adversely affect the likelihood of achieving a newborn for vasectomized males undergoing testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)? DESIGN: This retrospective study included 364 couples with vasectomized males undergoing TESE-ICSI cycles with autologous oocytes at IVI Valencia. The main outcome was live birth rate (LBR). Subjects were divided according to the male risk factor evaluated into quartiles (obstructive interval, body mass index [BMI]) or groups (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia). The reproductive outcomes were calculated per embryo transfer, per ovarian stimulation completed, and per couple. RESULTS: The average obstructive interval was 11.3 years. The LBR was 34.4% (95% CI 30.1-38.6) per embryo transfer, 27.8% (95% CI 24.1-31.5) per ovarian stimulation and 46.2% (95% CI 41.8-51.3) per couple. When considering obstructive interval, a significantly lower LBR per couple (P?=?0.04) was found in the group with the longest obstruction time: Q1 42.1% (95% CI 33.5-50.7), Q2 49.1% (95% CI 36.1-62.1), Q3 56.3% (95% CI 46.7-65.9) and Q4 37.2% (95% CI 26.5-47.9) but the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) was not affected (P?=?0.63). LBR per ovarian stimulation of males with hypertension was significantly lower (P?=?0.04) than healthy males: 13.5% (95% CI 2.5-24.5) and 28.6% (95% CI 24.7-32.5), respectively. The group of diabetic vasectomized males had a significantly higher CLBR (P?=?0.02). The remaining risk factors assessed (smoking, dyslipidaemia and a high BMI) did not affect LBR compared with their healthy counterparts. CONCLUSION: Time since vasectomy appears to negatively influence the LBR when assessed per couple. The CLBR was not affected by the obstructive interval or the presence of other male comorbidities apart from diabetes, which had a significant effect.

Objective: To evaluate whether SOHLH2 intronic variation contributes to the genetic predisposition to male infertility traits, including severe oligospermia (SO) and different nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) clinical phenotypes. Design: Genetic association study. Setting: Not applicable. Patient(s): Five hundred five cases (455 infertile patients diagnosed with NOA and 50 with SO) and 1,050 healthy controls from Spain and Portugal. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Genomic DNA extraction from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, genotyping of the SOHLH2 polymorphisms rs1328626 and rs6563386 using the TaqMan allelic discrimination technology, case-control association analyses using logistic regression models, and exploration of functional annotations in publicly available databases. Result(s): Evidence of association was observed for both rs6563386 with SO and rs1328626 with unsuccessful sperm retrieval after testicular sperm extraction (TESE-) in the context of NOA. A dominant effect of the minor alleles was suggested in both associations, either when the subset of patients with the manifestation were compared against the control group (rs6563386/SO: P=.021, odds ratio [OR] = 0.51; rs1328626/TESE-: P=.066, OR = 1.46) or against the group of patients without the manifestation (rs6563386/SO: P=.014, OR = 0.46; rs1328626/TESE-: P=.012, OR = 2.43). The haplotype tests suggested a combined effect of both polymorphisms. In silico analyses evidenced that this effect could be due to alteration of the isoform population. Conclusion(s): Our data suggest that intronic variation of SOHLH2 is associated with spermatogenic failure. The genetic effect is likely caused by different haplotypes of rs6563386 and rs1328626, which may predispose to SO or TESE- depending on the specific allelic combination. ((C) 2020 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is being investigated as a therapeutic alternative for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but its cognitive safety has been scarcely explored. The aim of this exploratory study is to evaluate cognitive function of patients before and after deep brain stimulation of the subgenual cingulate gyrus (SCG). Eight treatment-resistant depressed patients were implanted in subgenual cingulate gyrus. A neuropsychological battery was used to evaluate patients before surgery and 1-year after. A matched group of eight first-episode patients was also assessed. A MANOVA was performed for each cognitive domain and those tests showing main time effects were then correlated with depressive symptoms and with medication load. There were significant group and time effects for memory and a group effect for language. No significant interactions between groups or cognitive domains were observed. Medication load was negatively correlated with memory at time 1, and clinical change negatively correlated with memory improvement. These findings support the cognitive safety of DBS of subgenual cingulate gyrus, as cognitive function did not worsen after chronic stimulation and memory performance even improved. The results, though, should be interpreted cautiously given the small sample size and the fact that some treatment-resistant patients received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) before implantation. © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Disruptions in circadian rhythms have been described in mood disorders (MD), but the involvement of genetic variation in genes pertaining to the molecular circadian machinery in the susceptibility to MD has not been conclusively determined. We examined 209 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering 19 circadian genes (ADCYAP1, ARNTL, ARNTL2, BHLHB2, BHLHB3, CLOCK, CRY1, CRY2, CSNK1E, DBP, NPAS2, NR1D1, PER1, PER2, PER3, RORA, TIMELESS, VIP, and VIPR2) in a sample of 534 MD patients (335 with unipolar major mood depression (MDD) and 199 with bipolar disorder (BD)) and 440 community-based screened controls. Nominally, statistically significant associations were found in 15 circadian genes. The gene-wide test, corrected for the number of SNPs analyzed in each gene, identified significant associations in CRY1 (rs2287161), NPAS2 (rs11123857), and VIPR2 (rs885861) genes with the combined MD sample. In the MDD subsample, the same SNPs in CRY1 and NPAS2 of the combined sample remained associated, whereas in the BD subsample CLOCK (rs10462028) and VIP (rs17083008) were specifically associated. The association with an SNP located 30 near CRY1 gene in MDD remained statistically significant after permutation correction at experiment level (p = 0.007). Significant additive effects were found between the SNPs that were statistically significant at the gene-wide level. We also found evidence of associations between two-marker haplotypes in CRY1 and NPAS2 genes and MD. Our data support the contribution of the circadian system to the genetic susceptibility to MD and suggest that different circadian genes may have specific effects on MD polarity. Neuropsychopharmacology (2010) 35, 1279-1289; doi: 10.1038/npp.2009.230; published online 13 January 2010

As a result of the combined interpretation of a gravity study, geological mapping and the lineament analysis of TM Landsat Imagery from the central sector of Extremadura region (Western of Spain), a series of units delimited by gravity alignments have been established confirming that there is an structural setting of the area in blocks. The limits, although irregular, are limited by high density fracture zones, whose intersections may have a major structural and metallogenic interest

As a result of the combined interpretation of a gravity study, geological mapping and the lineament analysis of TM Landsat Imagery from the central sector of Extremadura region (Western of Spain), a series of units delimited by gravity alignments have been established confirming that there is an structural setting of the area in blocks. The limits, although irregular, are limited by high density fracture zones, whose intersections may have a major structural and metallogenic interest

This work is an atempt to characterize different vein sets with W, Sn, U, P (Part II) mineralizations of the Hercynian Massif, studying their internal organization and distribution. One-dimensional analysis of each vein sets has been carried out in Traverses. As a result of a two-dimensional analysys carried out from digitalization of several veins sets, other fractal dimensions as capacity dimension (DJ and mass dimension (Dm) were obtained using Box-counting and Mass aggregation techniques. The later (Dc) and (D ) values support the analysis of vein sets along Traverses in outcrops. The application of this methodology may play an important role in prospectivity of vein-type deposits

The Acoustic Borehole Televiewer (BHTLV) is an important tool for the location of fractures in . boreholes. This technique shows images of oriented fracture planes which can be spatially characterized. The observed fractures have also been studied using spherical statistic, spacing distribution and fractal geometry analysis to asses fracture connectivity. Fractal spacing distribution on fractures and hydraulically active fracture zones have been established in a selected borehole belonging to the El Berrocal Test Site, which is an area that has been studied in an integrated ENRESA-CIEMAT EEC R + D Programm

This work is an atempt to characterize different vein sets with W, Sn, U, P (Part II) mineralizations of the Hercynian Massif, studying their internal organization and distribution. One-dimensional analysis of each vein sets has been carried out in Traverses. As a result of a two-dimensional analysys carried out from digitalization of several veins sets, other fractal dimensions as capacity dimension (DJ and mass dimension (Dm) were obtained using Box-counting and Mass aggregation techniques. The later (Dc) and (D ) values support the analysis of vein sets along Traverses in outcrops. The application of this methodology may play an important role in prospectivity of vein-type deposits

The current research carried out in the El Berrocal Test Site belongs to the Project "Characterization and validation of the radionuclide migration processes under real conditions in a fracture granitic environment ", in order to establish the structural, lithological, geochemical, hydrochemical and hydrogeological aspects of the granite-Uranium mineralization system, to approach the modelling of the U-migration. The geology of the El Berrocal, the statistical, geometrical and kinematic analysis o f the fracturing which affect the El Berrocal granite are shown in this paper

The Acoustic Borehole Televiewer (BHTLV) is an important tool for the location of fractures in . boreholes. This technique shows images of oriented fracture planes which can be spatially characterized. The observed fractures have also been studied using spherical statistic, spacing distribution and fractal geometry analysis to asses fracture connectivity. Fractal spacing distribution on fractures and hydraulically active fracture zones have been established in a selected borehole belonging to the El Berrocal Test Site, which is an area that has been studied in an integrated ENRESA-CIEMAT EEC R + D Programm