COVID-19 and Oncofertility: No SARS-CoV-2 in Semen but Inflammation Seems to Affect Sperm Parameters.

The COVID-19 pandemic, driven by SARS-CoV-2, led authorities to recommend halting assisted reproductive technology programs, focusing instead on fertility preservation, for cancer patients. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen remains controversial. This multicentric prospective cohort study, conducted across 12 university medical centers, aimed to determine if SARS-CoV-2 is present in spermatozoa/seminal plasma in cancer patients by RT-PCR and to assess its impact on standard semen parameters.

Fresh or frozen day 6 blastocyst transfer: is there still a question?

Background: The Live Birth Rate (LBR) after day 5 (D5) blastocyst transfer is significantly higher than that with D6 embryos in both fresh and frozen-vitrified embryo transfer cycles, according to the most recently published meta-analyses. Therefore, for women obtaining only D6 blastocysts, the chances of pregnancy may be lower but nonetheless sufficient to warrant transferring such embryos. The best strategy for transfer (i.

Overview of Gene Expression Dynamics during Human Oogenesis/Folliculogenesis.

The oocyte transcriptome follows a tightly controlled dynamic that leads the oocyte to grow and mature. This succession of distinct transcriptional states determines embryonic development prior to embryonic genome activation. However, these oocyte maternal mRNA regulatory events have yet to be decoded in humans.

Endometriosis-related infertility: severe pain symptoms do not impact assisted reproductive technology outcomes.

Study Question: Do severe endometriosis-related painful symptoms impact ART live birth rates?

Summary Answer: Severe pain symptoms are not associated with reduced ART live birth rates in endometriosis patients.

What Is Known Already: ART is currently recognized as one of the main therapeutic options to manage endometriosis-related infertility. Presently, no data exist in the literature regarding the association between the core symptom of the disease, e.

Testicular impairment in Primary Adrenal Insufficiency caused by Nicotinamide Nucleotide Transhydrogenase (NNT) deficiency - a case report: implication of oxidative stress and importance of fertility preservation.

Introduction: Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) gene deficiency has recently been shown to be involved in Primary Adrenal Insufficiency (PAI). NNT encodes an inner mitochondrial membrane protein that produces large amounts of NADPH. NADPH is used in several biosynthesis pathways and the oxidoreduction of free radicals by the glutathione and thioredoxin systems in mitochondria.

Tobacco consumption is associated with slow-growing day-6 blastocysts.

Objective: To investigate if there are any obvious clinical factors associated with delayed blastulation at day 6 (D6) compared with day 5 (D5).

Design: Monocentric observational cohort study from November 2012 to December 2018.

Setting: Tertiary-care academic medical center.

Spectral unmixing applied to fast identification of γ-emitting radionuclides using NaI(Tl) detectors.

Spectral unmixing was investigated for fast spectroscopic identification in γ-emitter mixtures at low-statistics in the case of measurements performed to prevent illegal nuclear material trafficking or for in situ environmental analysis following a radiological or nuclear accident. For that purpose, a multiplicative update algorithm based on full-spectrum analysis was tested in the case of a 3″x3″ NaI(Tl) detector. Automatic decision-making was addressed using Monte Carlo calculations of decision thresholds and detection limits.

Live birth rate following frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer is higher with blastocysts expanded on Day 5 than on Day 6.

Study Question: The aim of this study was to evaluate the live birth rate (LBR) after frozen-thawed Day 5 (D5) and Day 6 (D6) blastocyst transfers.

Summary Answer: LBR following frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer is significantly lower with D6 than with D5 blastocyst regardless of embryo quality.

What Is Known Already: During fresh embryo transfer cycles, pregnancy rates (PR) are significantly higher when transferring blastocysts expanded on D5 compared with slow developing blastocysts (D6).

Bias in the measurement of radon gas using ionization chambers: Application to SIR.

Two main non-destructive techniques can be used to measure standard Rn gas ampoules: well-type ionization chambers and gamma-ray spectrometry, the former being used in the Système International de Référence (SIR) for international comparison purposes. The reliability of these techniques requires that the variability of the flame-sealed gas glass ampoules used have a negligible influence on the detector response. This variability is studied in this work by considering three parameters: the volume of the ampoule, the position of the sealing point and the thickness of the glass.

(60)Co in cast steel matrix: A European interlaboratory comparison for the characterisation of new activity standards for calibration of gamma-ray spectrometers in metallurgy.

Two series of activity standards of (60)Co in cast steel matrix, developed for the calibration of gamma-ray spectrometry systems in the metallurgical sector, were characterised using a European interlaboratory comparison among twelve National Metrology Institutes and one international organisation. The first standard, consisting of 14 disc shaped samples, was cast from steel contaminated during production ("originally"), and the second, consisting of 15 similar discs, from artificially-contaminated ("spiked") steel. The reference activity concentrations of (60)Co in the cast steel standards were (1.

Investigation of the response variability of ionization chambers for the standard transfer of SIR-Spheres(®).

The present paper addresses the calibration of well-type ionization chambers (ICs) used at LNE-LNHB as standard transfer instruments to calibrate hospitals in the case of SIR-Spheres(®)(90)Y resin microspheres (Sirtex, Australia). Developed for interventional oncology, this radiopharmaceutical is directly injected in the liver for cancer treatment via a selective internal radiation therapy. The present work was carried out in the framework of the European project "Metrology for molecular radiotherapy" (MetroMRT).

Improvement of a low-level mesurement system used at LNHB.

In this new approach, the active shielding of a low level spectrometer is monitored by an extendable dead time used as an "extendable GATE" signal. This concept is directly inspired from the live-timed anti-coincidence system implemented at LNE-LNHB (MTR2 modules). This allows a significant reduction in the cost and complexity of the system since several electronic modules are replaced by only one module dedicated specifically to this type of experiment.

Primary standardization of SIR-Spheres based on the dissolution of the (90)Y-labeled resin microspheres.

The project "Metrology for molecular radiotherapy" is a collaborative European project initiated to bring together expertize in ionizing radiation metrology and nuclear medicine research. This project deals with the development of personalized dosimetry to individual patients who are undergoing molecular radiotherapy (also known as targeted radionuclide therapy). The general aim is to provide a metrological traceability to primary standards for individual dosimetry in the case of molecular radiotherapy.

Production of reference sources of radioactive aerosols in filters for proficiency testing.

In the framework of the organization of proficiency testing, filters with deposits of Cs and Sr+Y radioactive aerosols have been submitted to laboratories for radionuclide measurement. Procedures for the special preparation and characterization of filters have been developed. The different steps of filter preparation, determination of the deposited radionuclide activity and characterization of the homogeneity of these deposits are presented.

Photon emission intensities in the decay of 108mAg and 110mAg.

This study focuses on two radioisotopes of silver, (108m)Ag and (110m)Ag, characterized by a complex decay scheme. Each isotope has two disintegration modes, the isomeric transition leading to the daughter isotope ((108)Ag and (110)Ag, respectively) with a short half-life. The radioactive solution was obtained by neutron activation on silver powder enriched in (109)Ag.

Preparation of spiked grass for use as an environmental radioactivity reference material.

Measurement of radionuclides from environmental samples includes a wide variety of matrix compositions and densities. To improve the traceability of environmental monitoring, LNE-LNHB intends to produce mixed γ-ray reference materials with a known mass activity and a composition as representative as possible of real environmental samples. This paper describes the preparation and characterization of a low density treated grass matrix spiked with mixed γ-emitters.