The circularly permuted globin domain of androglobin exhibits atypical heme stabilization and nitric oxide interaction.

In the decade since the discovery of androglobin, a multi-domain hemoglobin of metazoans associated with ciliogenesis and spermatogenesis, there has been little advance in the knowledge of the biochemical and structural properties of this unusual member of the hemoglobin superfamily. Using a method for aligning remote homologues, coupled with molecular modelling and molecular dynamics, we have identified a novel structural alignment to other hemoglobins. This has led to the first stable recombinant expression and characterization of the circularly permuted globin domain.

Steps forward in embryo transfer technique: a retrospective study comparing direct versus afterload catheters at different time frames.

Purpose: To assess whether embryo transfer (ET) technique can influence the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and its correlation with the embryo transfer difficulty.

Design: This single center retrospective cohort analysis of fresh and frozen single blastocyst transfers performed between January 2016 and December 2021 included fresh and frozen single blastocyst transfers performed during the study timeframe. Direct technique was the only one used from January 2016 to September 2017.

Serum neurofilament light chain levels are associated with all-cause mortality in the general US population.

Introduction: Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels are biomarkers of neuro-axonal injury in multiple neurological diseases. Little is known on their potential role as prognostic markers in people without known neurological conditions.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between sNfL levels and all-cause mortality in a general population setting.

A Monocentric Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial to Compare Single- and Double-Lumen Needles in Oocyte Retrieval Procedure in Assisted Reproductive Technologies.

The purpose was to determine any difference in outcomes, primarily in terms of number of retrieved oocytes per procedure, between two different needles used for oocytes retrieval procedure in Assisted Reproductive Technologies: the single-lumen needle (SLN) versus the double-lumen needle (DLN) with follicle flushing after aspiration. This randomized controlled trial included oocyte retrieval (OR) cycles for IVF and ICSI performed in 18 to 42-year-old women between March 2019 and January 2021 at a tertiary-care Fertility Center. A total of 200 ORs were randomized, 100 in each group.

Why are they not coming back? A single-center follow-up study on oncological women oocyte's storing for fertility preservation.

Introduction: Oocyte cryopreservation is a valid option for female cancer patients to preserve fertility. The number of patients undergoing fertility preservation (FP) cycles has increased over the past years. Nevertheless, the rates of patients returning to use their cryopreserved material have shown to be considerably low, ranging from 5-8%, but significant data regarding the reasons of such low return rates are scarce.

Ectopic pregnancy risk factors in infertile patients: a 10-year single center experience.

The present retrospective study included both intrauterine insemination and in vitro assisted reproductive technologies (ART) procedures performed from January 2009 to December 2018 at a tertiary-care Fertility Centre. The purpose was to assess the incidence of ectopic pregnancy (EP) in infertile population who undergoes ART and to identify any risk factor impacting the occurrence of EP after ART. Among 27,376 cycles, 7352 pregnancies were achieved, of which 132 were EPs, the 1.

Different actors for the same play: the impact of the embryologist performing the embryo transfer.

Research Question: Does the embryologist performing the embryo transfer impact the cycle outcome, in terms of ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR)?

Design: This single-centre retrospective study analysed the results, corrected for main confounders, from 28 embryologists and 32 physicians who performed respectively 24,992 and 24,669 fresh embryo transfers (either at cleavage or blastocyst stage) during a 20-year period from January 2000 to December 2019, in a university-affiliated tertiary care assisted reproductive technology (ART) centre. Primary outcome was OPR, defined as the number of viable pregnancies that had completed at least 12 weeks of gestation on the total number of embryo transfers performed. The study also assessed whether the embryologist's experience, measured in terms of number of embryo transfers performed prior to the day of the procedure, had an impact on their performance.

Oxidative Stress and Human Ovarian Response-From Somatic Ovarian Cells to Oocytes Damage: A Clinical Comprehensive Narrative Review.

Basic scientific research on human reproduction and oxidative damage has been extensively performed; however, a more clinical view is still lacking. As a result, exhaustive data on the influence of oxidative stress on human ovarian response and, consequently, on fertility are still lacking. This narrative review aims at summarizing the role of oxidative stress in different conditions associated to female infertility and to list some of the main antioxidant agents.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Reproductive Health: From Fertility to Pregnancy-A Narrative Review.

Despite the fact that knowledge on obstetrical management of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs) has greatly improved over the years, many patients still actively avoid pregnancy for fear of adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes, of adverse effects of pregnancy on the disease activity, of eventual IBD inheritance, or of an increased risk of congenital malformations. Indeed, though data prove that fertility is hardly affected by the disease, a reduced birth rate is nevertheless observed in patients with IBD. Misconceptions on the safety of drugs during gestation and breastfeeding may influence patient choice and negatively affect their serenity during pregnancy or lactation.

Retrospective comparison of pregnancy outcomes of fresh and frozen-warmed single blastocyst transfer: a 5-year single-center experience.

Purpose: To assess whether live birth rates (LBR) and maternal/neonatal complications differed following single fresh and frozen-warmed blastocyst transfer.

Methods: The present retrospective observational study analyzed 4,613 single embryo transfers (SET) (646 fresh and 3,967 frozen) from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2018. Fresh embryo transfer at blastocyst stage was considered according to the age of the patient and her prognosis.

Ovarian Hyperstimulation: Diagnosis, Prevention, and Management.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a severe complication of controlled ovarian stimulation (COS). Pathogenesis of the disease is based on massive transudation of protein-rich fluid from the vascular compartment into the peritoneal, pleural and pericardial spaces, with a variable picture of clinical manifestations depending on its severity. Nowadays OHSS can easily be avoided by several prevention methods, ranging from identification of high-risk patients, choice of a correct protocol stimulation, trigger with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists or, finally, the freeze-all strategy.

First trimester pregnancy outcomes in a large IVF center from the Lombardy County (Italy) during the peak COVID-19 pandemic.

At the beginning of 2020, the Italian Lombardy region was hit by an "epidemic tsunami" which was, at that point in time, one of the worst pandemics ever. At that moment the effects of SARS-COV 2 were still unknown. To evaluate whether the pandemic has influenced ART (Assisted Reproduction Techniques) outcomes in an asymptomatic infertile population treated at one of the major COVID-19 epicentres during the weeks immediately preceding lockdown.

Seven Years of Vitrified Blastocyst Transfers: Comparison of 3 Preparation Protocols at a Single ART Center.

Frozen-thawed embryo transfers (FET) have become a standard practice to increase cumulative pregnancy rates, however, the choice of the best preparation protocol remains a matter of debate. Retrospective analysis of clinical pregnancy (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) of FET in natural cycles (NC-FET), modified natural cycles with hCG-triggered ovulation (mNC-FET), and hormonal artificial replacement (AR-FET). For natural cycles, patients were monitored by ultrasound to evaluate the dominant follicle and by urinary LH kits (NC-FET).

Twenty-one year experience with intrauterine inseminations after controlled ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins: maternal age is the only prognostic factor for success.

Purpose: To report our experience on homologous intrauterine insemination (IUI) with gonadotropin controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) cycles and to examine different variables which could predict IUI success.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of IUIs performed between January 1997 and December 2017. A total of 7359 COS IUI's procedures (2901 couples) were reviewed.

The human factor: does the operator performing the embryo transfer significantly impact the cycle outcome?

Study Question: Is Ongoing Pregnancy Rate (OPR) operator-dependent, and can experience improve embryo transfer efficiency?

Summary Answer: OPR is influenced by the operators who perform the embryo transfer (ET), and experience does not assure proficiency for everyone.

What Is Known Already: ET remains the critical step in assisted reproduction. Although many other factors such as embryo quality and uterine receptivity impact embryo implantation, the proper ET technique is clearly an operator-dependent variable and as such it should be objectively standardized.

Impact of using different biomarkers of liver fibrosis on hepatologic referral of individuals with severe obesity and NAFLD.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate how many individuals with severe obesity and NAFLD should be referred to hepatologists according to the EASL-EASD-EASO guidelines and whether the choice of specific indicators of liver fibrosis would significantly impact the number of referrals.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study of 495 individuals with severe obesity screened at our institution between 2012 and 2018 for a bariatric surgery intervention. The guidelines were applied using the NAFLD Liver Fat Score (NLFS) to assess the presence of steatosis and the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) and Hepamet Fibrosis Score (HFS) to assess the risk of advanced fibrosis.

Oocyte Cryopreservation in Oncological Patients: Eighteen Years Experience of a Tertiary Care Referral Center.

The aim of the present study is to report our experience on elective women fertility preservation before cancer treatment. This is a single-center retrospective observational study, including all patients who underwent elective fertility preservation before oncological treatment between January 2001 and March 2019 at our Institute. Of a total of 568 women who received fertility counseling, 244 (42.

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) with the intrauterine system with levonorgestrel (6 mcg/d): observational study on the acceptability, quality of life, and sexuality in Italian women.

This observational study was conducted in healthy premenopausal women, who presented themselves for contraception with an intrauterine system (IUS) releasing LNG (6 mcg/d) (Jaydess®, Bayer, Germany) at the outpatient Family Planning Clinics of the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari (CA/SS), University-Hospitals of CA/SS (Italy). After a screening visit, 31 women without contraindications to Jaydess® were included in the study. No difficulty in Jaydess® insertion (Ji) was found in 87% of subjects, with pelvic pain (PP) (visual analogic scale, VAS:5.

Impact of Mode of Delivery on Female Postpartum Sexual Functioning: Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery and Operative Vaginal Delivery vs. Cesarean Section.

Introduction: Several studies have explored the association between modes of delivery and postpartum female sexual functioning, although with inconsistent findings.

Aim: To investigate the impact of mode of delivery on female postpartum sexual functioning by comparing spontaneous vaginal delivery, operative vaginal delivery, and cesarean section.

Methods: One hundred thirty-two primiparous women who had a spontaneous vaginal delivery, 45 who had an operative vaginal delivery, and 92 who underwent a cesarean section were included in the study (N = 269).