spread.gl: visualizing pathogen dispersal in a high-performance browser application.

Motivation: Bayesian phylogeographic analyses are pivotal in reconstructing the spatio-temporal dispersal histories of pathogens. However, interpreting the complex outcomes of phylogeographic reconstructions requires sophisticated visualization tools.

Results: To meet this challenge, we developed spread.

Antibody escape and global spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineage A.27.

In spring 2021, an increasing number of infections was observed caused by the hitherto rarely described SARS-CoV-2 variant A.27 in south-west Germany. From December 2020 to June 2021 this lineage has been detected in 31 countries.

Phylogeography Reveals Association between Swine Trade and the Spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus in China and across the World.

The ongoing SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)-CoV (coronavirus)-2 pandemic has exposed major gaps in our knowledge on the origin, ecology, evolution, and spread of animal coronaviruses. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a member of the genus Alphacoronavirus in the family Coronaviridae that may have originated from bats and leads to significant hazards and widespread epidemics in the swine population. The role of local and global trade of live swine and swine-related products in disseminating PEDV remains unclear, especially in developing countries with complex swine production systems.

Exploiting genomic surveillance to map the spatio-temporal dispersal of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations in Belgium across 2020.

At the end of 2020, several new variants of SARS-CoV-2-designated variants of concern-were detected and quickly suspected to be associated with a higher transmissibility and possible escape of vaccine-induced immunity. In Belgium, this discovery has motivated the initiation of a more ambitious genomic surveillance program, which is drastically increasing the number of SARS-CoV-2 genomes to analyse for monitoring the circulation of viral lineages and variants of concern. In order to efficiently analyse the massive collection of genomic data that are the result of such increased sequencing efforts, streamlined analytical strategies are crucial.

On the Use of Phylogeographic Inference to Infer the Dispersal History of Rabies Virus: A Review Study.

Rabies is a neglected zoonotic disease which is caused by negative strand RNA-viruses belonging to the genus . Within this genus, rabies viruses circulate in a diverse set of mammalian reservoir hosts, is present worldwide, and is almost always fatal in non-vaccinated humans. Approximately 59,000 people are still estimated to die from rabies each year, leading to a global initiative to work towards the goal of zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030, requiring scientific efforts from different research fields.

Vitrification of human blastocysts with the Hemi-Straw carrier: application of assisted hatching after thawing.

Background: The present study was undertaken to examine the usefulness of both vitrification and assisted hatching (AH) on blastocysts that originate from embryos showing different qualities during their cleavage stage.

Methods: A total of 281 blastocysts were vitrified (93 vitrification-warming cycles) in a mixture of ethylene glycol-dimethylsulphoxide-Ficoll and sucrose using the Hemi-Straw (HS) carrier system. After warming, AH using the partial dissection technique was performed in 36 cycles.

Births after vitrification at morula and blastocyst stages: effect of artificial reduction of the blastocoelic cavity before vitrification.

Background: In 1996, with the introduction of sequential media, we set up a programme of cryopreservation of supernumerary morulae (day 4) and blastocysts (day 5) using a vitrification procedure. Our results showed that the efficiency of the vitrification method was dependent on the stage of embryo development and was negatively correlated with the expansion of the blastocoele. We postulated that a large blastocoele might disturb cryopreservative potential due to ice crystal formation during the cooling step.

Embryo reduction in triplet pregnancies after assisted procreation: a comparative study.

Objectives: To evaluate pregnancy outcome after selective embryo reduction by transcervical aspiration or transvaginal puncture and intrathoracal injection with potassium chloride (KCl) in triplet pregnancies occurring after assisted procreation and to compare this outcome with that for triplets not undergoing embryo reduction.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: In vitro fertilization program of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine of the Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University, Belgium, which is a tertiary referral institution.

Analysis of the risk factors with regard to the occurrence of ectopic pregnancy after medically assisted procreation.

In a retrospective study (1985-1989) based on data from the Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Brussels, a total of 23 ectopic pregnancies (2.24%) occurred after 3800 embryo, zygote or gamete transfers. This number was low compared with the data published elsewhere.

Laparoscopic removal of benign mature teratoma.

Laparoscopic removal of benign mature teratoma is safe and effective in pre-menopausal patients. Fourteen patients underwent laparoscopic removal of such tumours. There were no operative complications.

The effect of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist in the follicular phase on in-vitro fertilization outcome in normo-ovulatory women.

Sixty-three normo-ovulatory infertile women were randomly divided into two groups. All women were first desensitized with the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), buserelin. Thereafter, ovarian stimulation with human menopausal gonadotrophins (HMG) was started in both groups but in group A the GnRHa was stopped on the same day.

Zygote intrafallopian transfer or in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer for the treatment of male-factor infertility: a prospective randomized trial.

Objective: To compare zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) and in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) as treatments of male-factor infertility.

Design: Patients were prospectively randomized to ZIFT or IVF-ET.

Setting: In vitro fertilization program of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine of the Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University, Belgium, which is a tertiary referral institution.

The relationship between embryo quality and the occurrence of multiple pregnancies.

Objective: To study the relationship between the quality of the transferred embryos and the occurrence of multiple pregnancies. Embryo quality was defined by the cleavage rate and by morphological parameters such as blastomere size and the presence or absence of anucleate fragments.

Design: A retrospective analysis of 1,915 consecutive transfers of fresh embryos between January 1986 and December 1989.

Comparison of in-vitro fertilization in male and tubal infertility: a 3 year survey.

The in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) procedure was compared in 175 couples with male infertility and 480 couples with tubal infertility. In cases of male infertility, more oocytes were recovered but fewer oocytes were fertilized. Although the cleavage rate was decreased, no difference in embryo quality was found.

In vitro fertilization techniques with frozen-thawed sperm: a method for preserving the progenitive potential of Hodgkin patients.

The banked sperm of 5 of 13 Hodgkin patients was thawed for assisted reproduction. The post-thaw sperm characteristics were extremely impaired. Nevertheless, in 80% of all trials fertilization in vitro was obtained and conceptus could be transferred.

The incidence of multiple pregnancy after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, gamete, or zygote intrafallopian transfer.

This retrospective study concerns the incidence of multiple pregnancy after the replacement of three conceptus using different techniques of assisted reproduction. During a 2-year period, 713 in vitro fertilization-embryo transfers (IVF-ETs) with three embryos, 190 gamete intrafallopian transfers (GIFT) with three oocytes, and 161 zygote intrafallopian transfers (ZIFT) with three zygotes were performed. Although we observed significant differences in implantation and pregnancy rates (PRs), the three techniques resulted in high multiple PR.