Culture medium and protein supplementation affect sensitivity of the mouse embryo assay in detecting Triton X-100.

Research Question: To what extent does the type and concentration of protein and the type of culture medium affect the sensitivity of the mouse embryo assay (MEA) to detect Triton X-100 (TX-100) in culture media?

Design: The effect of the concentration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA) was assessed by supplementing media with 0.5 or 5 mg/ml. Potassium-supplemented simplex optimized medium (KSOM) and human tubal fluid (HTF) were used as complex and simple formulation media, respectively.

First babies conceived with Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.

Research Question: Can an automated sperm injection robot perform Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSIA) for use in human IVF?

Design: The ICSIA robot automated the sperm injection procedure, including injection pipette advancement, zona pellucida and oolemma penetration with piezo pulses, and pipette removal after sperm release. The robot was first tested in mouse, hamster and rabbit oocytes, and subsequently using discarded human oocytes injected with microbeads. A small clinical pilot trial was conducted with donor oocytes to study the feasibility of the robot in a clinical setting.

First pilot study of maternal spindle transfer for the treatment of repeated in vitro fertilization failures in couples with idiopathic infertility.

Objectives: To gain insights into the technical feasibility of maternal spindle transfer (MST) applied in the context of repeated in vitro fertilization (IVF) failures for the treatment of idiopathic infertility.

Design: A prospective pilot study.

Setting: IVF center.

Challenges and opportunities for conducting a vaccine trial during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. It has also stimulated research in a wide range of areas including rapid diagnostics, novel therapeutics, use of technology to track patients and vaccine development. Here, we describe our experience of rapidly setting up and delivering a novel COVID-19 vaccine trial, using clinical and research staff and facilities in three National Health Service Trusts in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.

Evaluation of the impact of laser-assisted hatching techniques on the hatching process of mouse blastocysts using time-lapse microscopy.

Objective: To study the effect of zona opening (ZO) and 2 zona thinning (ZT) techniques on the hatching process of mouse embryos using a last-generation laser system and time-lapse microscopy (TLM).

Design: Prospective randomized study.

Setting: Private research center.

Maternal spindle transfer overcomes embryo developmental arrest caused by ooplasmic defects in mice.

The developmental potential of early embryos is mainly dictated by the quality of the oocyte. Here, we explore the utility of the maternal spindle transfer (MST) technique as a reproductive approach to enhance oocyte developmental competence. Our proof-of-concept experiments show that replacement of the entire cytoplasm of oocytes from a sensitive mouse strain overcomes massive embryo developmental arrest characteristic of non-manipulated oocytes.

Parameters of the Mouse Embryo Assay that affect detection of peroxides in mineral oil.

Research Question: Can culture conditions influence the sensitivity of a Mouse Embryo Assay and its potential to detect peroxide-related toxicity in mineral oil samples?

Design: Protein type and concentration, embryo density and culture dish design were selected as the variables in the culture system with the potential to influence the assay's sensitivity. Fresh 1-cell mouse embryos were cultured under mineral oil samples with known peroxide concentrations. Protein type (human serum albumin [HSA] + α/β-Globulins versus HSA versus bovine serum albumin [BSA]), concentration (5 mg/ml versus 0.

Pre-clinical validation of a closed surface system (Cryotop SC) for the vitrification of oocytes and embryos in the mouse model.

Vitrification is currently a well-established technique for the cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos. It can be achieved either by direct (open systems) or indirect (closed systems) contact with liquid nitrogen. While there is not a direct evidence of disease transmission by transferred cryopreserved embryos, it was experimentally demonstrated that cross-contamination between liquid nitrogen and embryos may occur, and thus, the use of closed devices has been recommended to avoid the risk of contamination.

On-going Mechanical Damage from Mastication Drives Homeostatic Th17 Cell Responses at the Oral Barrier.

Immuno-surveillance networks operating at barrier sites are tuned by local tissue cues to ensure effective immunity. Site-specific commensal bacteria provide key signals ensuring host defense in the skin and gut. However, how the oral microbiome and tissue-specific signals balance immunity and regulation at the gingiva, a key oral barrier, remains minimally explored.

Blastocyst development in single medium with or without renewal on day 3: a prospective cohort study on sibling donor oocytes in a time-lapse incubator.

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of using a continuous (one-step) protocol with a single medium for the culture of human embryos in a time-lapse incubator (TLI).

Design: Prospective cohort study on sibling donor oocytes.

Setting: University-affiliated in vitro fertilization (IVF) center.

A multicenter prospective study to assess the effect of early cleavage on embryo quality, implantation, and live-birth rate.

Objective: To investigate the impact of early cleavage (EC) on embryo quality, implantation, and live-birth rates.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.

Setting: Multicenter study.

Prevalence and resistance pattern of genotype G and H in chronic hepatitis B and HIV co-infected patients in Mexico.

Objective: We estimated the prevalence and identified the resistance pattern of HBV genotypes H and G in HBV monoinfected and HIV co-infected patients.

Material And Methods: A cross-sectional prevalence and analytic study were performed in chronic hepatitis B patients at the Hospital de Infectología, La Raza National Medical Center in Mexico City. Chronic HBV monoinfected and HIV co-infected patients were included.

Impact of sperm DNA fragmentation on the outcome of IVF with own or donated oocytes.

A prospective study was performed to assess the impact of sperm DNA fragmentation on the outcome of IVF with own or donated oocytes. The study population included 178 couples (62 cycles of IVF, 116 of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)) with own (n=77) and donor (n=101) oocytes. DNA fragmentation was evaluated by TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase)-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling assay.

Monitoring pesticide use and associated health hazards in Central America.

We established methods for monitoring pesticide use and associated health hazards in Central America. With import data from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama for 2000-2004, we constructed quantitative indicators (kg active ingredient) for general pesticide use, associated health hazards, and compliance with international regulations. Central America imported 33 million kg active ingredient per year.

Could the addition of hp-hMG and GnRH antagonists modulate the response in IVF-ICSI cycles?

Objective: To assess if the luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin present in some gonadotropin formulations may be of benefit in protocols with GnRH antagonists.

Methods: Open, quasi-experimental, multicenter, prospective, parallel-controlled study compared 136 women undergoing in vitro fertilization--intracytoplasmic sperm injection after stimulation with highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (hp-hMG) (n = 44), recombinant-follicle stimulating hormone (r-FSH) (n = 46), or a combination of both (r FSH + hp-hMG) (n = 46) following an antagonist protocol. Blood determinations were made on day 6 of stimulation and on the day of ovulation induction, with centralized analysis.

Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and human immunodeficiency virus in multiply transfused recipients in Mexico.

Background: Transfusion-transmitted viral infection (TTI) is a major problem in patients receiving blood products. Monitoring high-risk patients is essential for assessing the epidemiology of blood-borne infections.

Study Design And Methods: A 1-year, cross-sectional seroprevalence study in patients with a history of multiple transfusions was conducted.

Antimitotic treatments for chemically assisted oocyte enucleation in nuclear transfer procedures.

Chemically assisted enucleation has been successfully applied to porcine and bovine oocytes to prepare recipient cytoplasts for nuclear transfer procedures. In this study, the antimitotic drugs demecolcine, nocodazole, and vinblastine were first assessed for their ability to induce the formation of cortical membrane protrusions in mouse, goat, and human oocytes. While only 2% of the treated human oocytes were able to form a protrusion, high rates of protrusion formation were obtained both in mouse (84%) and goat oocytes (92%), once the treatment was optimized for each species.

Hepatic transcriptome analysis of hepatitis C virus infection in chimpanzees defines unique gene expression patterns associated with viral clearance.

Hepatitis C virus infection leads to a high rate of chronicity. Mechanisms of viral clearance and persistence are still poorly understood. In this study, hepatic gene expression analysis was performed to identify any molecular signature associated with the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in chimpanzees.

Abnormal ventral frontal response during performance of an affective go/no go task in patients with mania.

Background: Patients with mania show a behavioral bias toward positive information in an emotional go/no go task. This is the converse of the bias toward negative information seen in unipolar depression that we have recently related to the abnormal function of ventral and medial prefrontal cortices (PFCs). The aim of this study was to investigate the neuronal basis of the bias toward positive information in manic patients.