Prevalence and predictors of perceived COVID-19 stigma within a population-based sample of adults with COVID-19.

Background: Growing evidence suggests that individuals with COVID-19 face stigmatization, which is associated with poor health outcomes and behaviors. However, very few population-based studies have examined risk factors for experiencing COVID-19 stigma. This study examined prevalence and predictors of perceived COVID-19 stigma using a population-based probability sample of adults with COVID-19.

Significant heparin effect on bovine embryo development during sexed in vitro fertilization.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different heparin concentrations in the course of sexed in vitro fertilization (IVF), on bovine embryonic development and development to term following embryo transfer (ET). With a total of 9156 oocytes for IVF, sorted as well as unsorted sperm from four bulls had different heparin requirements for achieving the highest rate of development in vitro. However, when optimal heparin concentrations were used (40 to 80 µg/ml), the performance of X-sorted sperm (0.

Oocyte source and hormonal stimulation for in vitro fertilization using sexed spermatozoa in cattle.

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of in vitro embryo production in cattle utilizing sexed sperm from two bulls and oocytes recovered by OPU. Twenty donor animals were employed in eight OPU replicates: the first four OPU trials were conducted on animals without hormone treatment, and the last four were run on the same animals, following FSH subcutaneous and intramuscular administration. A higher rate of blastocyst development was recorded in stimulated, as compared to nonstimulated animals, (25.

Acid ceramidase improves the quality of oocytes and embryos and the outcome of in vitro fertilization.

A major challenge of assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) is to mimic the natural environment required to sustain oocyte and embryo survival. Herein, we show that the ceramide-metabolizing enzyme, acid ceramidase (AC), is expressed in human cumulus cells and follicular fluid, essential components of this environment, and that the levels of this enzyme are positively correlated with the quality of human embryos formed in vitro. These observations led us to develop a new approach for oocyte and embryo culture that markedly improved the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Allelic switching of the imprinted IGF2R gene in cloned bovine fetuses and calves.

Cloned animals often suffer from loss of development to term and abnormalities, typically classified under the umbrella term of Large Offspring Syndrome (LOS). Cattle are an interesting species to study because of the relatively greater success rate of nuclear transfer in this species compared with all species cloned to date. The imprinted insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF2R; mannose-6-phosphate) gene was chosen to investigate aspects of fetal growth and development in cloned cattle in the present study.