Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs regarding prenatal alcohol consumption among women in Leyte, the Philippines.

Objectives: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) captures the broad range of emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and congenital abnormalities associated with maternal alcohol consumption, and women living in resource-limited settings may be higher risk. This study aims to examine knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs (KAPB) of women in Leyte, The Philippines regarding prenatal alcohol consumption. Methods: One hundred postpartum women were recruited from a birth cohort in Leyte. A prenatal alcohol use KAPB survey was constructed in Waray, the local language. The survey was administered in June-September 2019. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared test, and Fisher's exact test were used to analyze responses. Results: Seventy-five percent of subjects reported drinking tuba, a local palm wine, during pregnancy. Most participants (75%) did not believe tuba contained alcohol. Women who believed tuba contains no alcohol were more likely to drink tuba during pregnancy (81.3%) than women who believed tuba contains alcohol (56.0%), X2(1, N = 100) = 6.41, p = .011. Women who drank tuba during pregnancy were more likely to believe tuba has health benefits (60%) than women who did not drink tuba during pregnancy (12%), Fisher's exact p < .05, citing increased red blood cell count and unproven antiparasitic qualities. Fifteen percent of subjects reported having fed their babies tuba. Nearly all (98%) were willing to attenuate tuba/alcohol consumption if told that this practice negatively impacts pregnancies. Conclusion: Misinformation about tuba appears widespread in Leyte. Educating women of reproductive age in Leyte regarding prenatal tuba use may lead to a reduction in tuba use.

Pharmaceutical active compounds in sewage sludge: Degradation improvement and conversion into an organic amendment by bioaugmentation-composting processes.

Around 143,000 chemicals find their fate in wastewater treatment plants in the European Union. Low efficiency on their removal at lab-based studies and even poorer performance at large scale experiments have been reported. Here, a coupled biological technology (bioaugmentation and composting) is proposed and proved for pharmaceutical active compounds degradation and toxicity reduction. The optimization was conducted through in situ inoculation of Penicillium oxalicum XD 3.1 and an enriched consortium (obtained from non-digested sewage sludge), into pilot scale piles of sewage sludge under real conditions. This bioaugmentation-composting system allowed a better performance of micropollutants degradation (21 % from the total pharmaceuticals detected at the beginning of the experiment) than a traditional composting process. Particularly, inoculation with P. oxalicum allowed the degradation of some recalcitrant compounds like carbamazepine, cotinine and methadone, and also produced better stabilization features in the mature compost (significant passivation of copper and zinc, higher macronutrients value, adequate physicochemical conditions for soil direct application and less toxic effect on germination) compared to the control and the enriched culture. These findings provide a feasible, alternative strategy to obtain a safer mature compost and a better removal of micropollutants performance at large scale.

Nutritional status and interventions in hospice: physician assessment of cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome characterised by a progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass. It adversely influences quality of life, treatment response and survival. Early identification and multimodal interventions can potentially treat cancer cachexia. However, healthcare professionals demonstrate a lack of understanding and the ability to identify cancer cachexia early. The present study aimed to evaluate the assessment by physicians of nutritional status in cancer patients admitted to hospice. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review was conducted on all cancer admissions to a specialist in-patient palliative care unit over a 4-month period between October 2016 and January 2017. Charts were reviewed for evidence of documented nutritional assessment by physicians. Data were collected from the referral letter, admission notes, drug kardex and discharge letter. The information extracted included: (i) patient demographics and characteristics; (ii) terms used by physicians to describe nutritional status; (iii) any record of nutritional impact symptoms (NIS) experienced by the patient; and (iv) nutritional interventions prescribed. RESULTS: One hundred and forty admissions were evaluated. Nutritional terminology and NIS were most commonly documented on the admission notes. Only 41% of documents recorded any nutritional term used by physicians to assess nutritional status. Furthermore, 71% of documents recorded at least one NIS experienced by the patient. Fatigue was the most frequent NIS. CONCLUSIONS: We identified an inadequate nutritional assessment of cancer patients admitted to hospice. Implementation of a nutritional symptom checklist and nutrition screening tools, along with enhanced physician education and multidisciplinary nutrition care, could improve the identification and management of cancer cachexia in the palliative care setting.

Bloodmeal Identification in Field-Collected Sand Flies From Casa Branca, Brazil, Using the Cytochrome b PCR Method.

PCR-based identification of vertebrate host bloodmeals has been performed on several vectors species with success. In the present study, we used a previously published PCR protocol followed by DNA sequencing based on primers designed from multiple alignments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene used to identify avian and mammalian hosts of various hematophagous vectors. The amplification of a fragment encoding a 359 bp sequence of the Cyt b gene yielded recognized amplification products in 192 female sand flies (53%), from a total of 362 females analyzed. In the study area of Casa Branca, Brazil, blood-engorged female sand flies such as Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912), Migonemyia migonei (França, 1924), and Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939) were analyzed for bloodmeal sources. The PCR-based method identified human, dog, chicken, and domestic rat blood sources.

Complicaciones tardías en cirugía bariátrica / Late complications in bariatric surgery

La cirugía bariátrica denota complejidad y no está libre de complicaciones. Estas son de causa multfactorial y dependen de factores intrínsecos delpaciente o bien de habilidades técnicas y experiencia del cirujano. En general cualquier complicación puede catalogarse como temprana (< 30 días) otardía (> 30 días) según el tempo de aparición luego de la cirugía.La banda gástrica es uno de los procedimientos bariátricos mas realizados pero con un alto índice de complicaciones, entre las tardías destacan deslizamiento,migración y problemas del reservorio. El Bypass gástrico contnua teniendo mucha fabilidad en cuanto a control de la obesidad pero presentacomplicaciones como las hernias internas, estenosis y úlceras de anastomosis, y fstulas gastro gástricas entre otras, cuyo diagnóstco y manejo precozes importante.La gastrectomía vertcal en manga ha ganado terreno en los últmos años por sus buenos resultados pero también por su baja tasa de complicaciones amediano y largo plazo, dentro de sus problemas tardíos descritos están estenosis, dilatación gástrica y cierta relación con aparición o exacerbación derefujo gastroesofágico. Otro procedimiento bariátrico poco utlizado en la actualidad es la derivación biliopancreátca por su múltples complicacionestardías.La colelitasis es un problema comúnmente documentado luego de cirugía bariátrica en tasas de 30 a 52%, cuya resolución quirúrgica es importantepara evitar complicaciones mayores.

Bariatric surgery denotes complexity and is not free of complicatons. These are multfactorial and depend on intrinsic patent factors or technical skillsand experience of the surgeon. In general any complicatons can be classifed as early (<30 days) or late (> 30 days) as the tme of onset afer surgery.Gastric banding is one of the most performed bariatric procedures but with a high rate of complicatons; late complicatons as slipping, migraton andreservoir problems have been documented. Gastric bypass contnues to have much reliability as to control obesity but has complicatons such as internalhernias, anastomotc strictures and ulcers and gastro gastric fstulas among others, whose diagnosis and early management is important.Sleeve gastrectomy gained ground in recent years for its good results but also for its low complicaton rate in the medium and long term. The lateproblems described are stenosis, gastric dilataton and some relaton to onset or exacerbaton of gastro esophageal refux. Another bariatric procedureused actually is the biliopancreatc diversion but for his multple late complicatons it is less performed.Cholelithiasis is a problem commonly documented afer bariatric surgery rates from 30 to 52%, the surgical resoluton is important to prevent furthercomplicatons.

Muscle activity of the erector spinae during Pilates isometric exercises on and off Swiss Ball.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the muscle activity of the Erector spinae (ES) during Pilates isometric exercises on and off Swiss ball. METHODS: Fifteen women (22.9±2.1years, 171.7±4.7 cm, 65.7±5.3 kg and 11.2±3.2% of body fat) with previous Pilates experience (1±0.9 years) participated as subjects in this study. In the first test session, the anthropometric data and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was measured. In the second test session, three isometric exercises were conducted on and off the Swiss ball: back extension (BE), back extension with elbows flexed (BTF) and back extension with elbows extended (BTE). During all exercises, average integrated electromyography (IEMG) from ES muscle was collected and analyzed. A one-way ANOVA with repeated measures followed by Bonferroni post hoc was adopted to compare the muscle activity (P<0.05). RESULTS: ES activity was higher for BT, BTF and BTE on stable surface than on Swiss ball, respectively. Significant differences were observed for the ES activity during BTE exercise when compared to BTF and BT on and off Swiss ball, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Swiss ball may not provide a potential effect on ES activity during Pilates isometric exercises with similar posture when compared to stable surfaces. Therefore, the combination of BT, BTF and BTE exercises may be an interesting alternative to provide progressive increases in the ES activity.

BRDT gene sequence in human testicular pathologies and the implication of its single nucleotide polymorphism (rs3088232) on fertility.

Bromodomain testis-specific (BRDT) protein is essential for the normal process of spermatogenesis. Mutant mice that expressed truncated BRDT had impaired testicular histology with severely reduced sperm concentration and abnormal sperm morphology, while a model of knockout Brdt mice with no BRDT protein had complete meiotic arrest. A BRDT single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs3088232) was reported as being associated with infertility in men. We assessed testicular specimens of 276 azoospermic men who underwent testicular sperm extraction to search for specimens that showed spermatogenic impairments similar to those of mutant BRDT mice. Ten similar specimens were selected for BRDT gene sequencing and they revealed three NCBI-reported SNPs (rs10783071, rs3088232 and rs10747493) variously distributed among them. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that they would not affect protein activity. Further assessment of rs3088232 frequency in a large group of non-obstructive azoospermia men and fertile controls demonstrated no significant difference between them (27.2 and 21.7% respectively; p = 0.122, Fisher's exact test). We conclude that the testicular impairments observed in the 10 specimens were not a consequence of BRDT gene mutation. The association between BRDT rs3088232 and infertility that had been reported in other studies was not supported.

Twenty-four hours abstinence and the quality of sperm parameters.

Patients with abnormal basic parameters and mainly low concentration can be expected to have improved parameters on the second consecutive day. As the number of abnormal basic parameters increases, the more significant improvement can be expected. On the other hand, patients with normal or few abnormal basic semen parameters show a decrease after 24 h. Furthermore, the magnitude of change to both directions in TMC and TNMC values in these patients emphasises these conclusions. Based on the type and mainly the combined number of abnormal basic semen parameters, insemination strategy can be tailored to male fertility patients. Those with abnormal concentration or multiple abnormal semen parameters may benefit from 2 consecutive day intercourses or inseminations or a short period of abstinence due to a significant improvement in the semen parameters on second day insemination. In those with normal basic semen parameters, a reduction in semen quality is expected after 24 h, and a single-timed insemination and longer abstinence can be recommended.

Involvement of the prostate and testis expression (PATE)-like proteins in sperm-oocyte interaction.

BACKGROUND: The prostate and testis expression (PATE)-like family of proteins are expressed mainly in the male genital tract. They are localized in the sperm head and are homologous to SP-10, the acrosomal vesicle protein also named ACRV1. Our aim was to characterize the expression and functional role of three PATE-like proteins in the testis and ejaculated sperm. METHODS: The expression and localization of PATE-like proteins in human testis biopsies (n= 95) and sperm cells were assessed by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining (at least 600 sperm cells per specimen). The function of the PATE protein was tested by the hemizona assay and hamster egg penetration test (HEPT). RESULTS: PATE and PATE-M genes and proteins were present almost exclusively in germ cells in the testis: immunoflourescence showed that the percentage of germ cells positive for PATE, PATE-M and PATE-B was 85, 50 and 2%, respectively. PATE and PATE-M proteins were localized in the equatorial segment of the sperm head, while PATE-B protein was localized in the post-acrosomal region. A polyclonal antibody (Ab, at 1:50 and 1:200 dilutions) against the PATE protein did not inhibit sperm-zona binding in the hemizona assay (hemizona index of 89.6 ± 10 and 87 ± 36%, respectively). However, there was inhibition of sperm-oolemma fusion and penetration in the HEPT (penetration index: without Ab 7 ± 3.9; Ab dilution of 1:100, 4 ± 3.5; Ab dilution of 1:20, 0.6 ± 1.2, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that PATE protein is involved in sperm-oolemma fusion and penetration but not sperm-zona binding.

Monitoreo hemodinámico funcional en cirugía cardiovascular pediátrica bajo circulación extracorpórea / Hemodynamic monitoring Functional in surgery low pediatric cardiovascular Extracorporeal circulation

El síndrome de respuesta inflamatoria sistémica es una complicación frecuente en el período posoperatorio cardiovascular. Su gravedad es variable y múltiples factores generan una disfunción endotelial que se expresa de diferentes formas en la hemodinamia del paciente, ya sea con cuadros clínicos similares al shock frío o al shock caliente, según el mecanismo fisiológico predominante. Utilizamos un método de monitoreo mínimamente invasivo, configurando perfiles hemodinámicos basales e inducidos por fármacos, de tal modo de realizar un manejo racional de agentes vasoactivos. El propósito de este trabajo es mostrar la aplicación del monitoreo hemodinámico funcional, graficar la variabilidad de la hemodinamia en el período posquirúrgico y evidenciar la respuesta clínica al azul de metileno. Para tal fin, se presenta a modo de ejemplo un paciente con shock vasopléjico.(AU)

Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass in children is associated with a systemic inflammatory response syndrome of different degree. The endothelial dysfunction may be followed by acute circulatory dysfunction that results in different hemodynamic profiles like cold or warm shock. Hemodynamic variables were measured with a minimal invasive method of hemodynamic monitoring and they were grouped in order to define profiles and evaluate the response to therapy. The goal of this work is to describe the functional hemodynamic monitoring in the care of pediatric cardiac surgery patients through the presentation of a child with vasodilatory shock and his response to the administration of methylene blue.(AU)

HPLC isolation of antioxidant constituents from Xanthoparmelia spp.

A chromatographic method is described for the purification and characterization of secondary lichen substances with biological activity. A simple reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method with gradient elution has been developed that allows the determination and isolation of salazinic, usnic and stictic acids from lichen samples in a single run and the quantification of every acid in the tested extracts. The antioxidant activity of both the isolated compounds and the respective lichen belonging to Xanthoparmelia genus was determined by the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay; their effect as free radical scavengers, effect on cell survival by the 3(4,5-dimethyltiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium reduction assay and 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate method were tested on U373 MG human astrocytome cell line. Both lichens extracts and all isolated compounds protected U373 MG cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced damage, suggesting that they could act as antioxidant agents in those neurodegenerative disorders associated with oxidative damage, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Assembled catalog of immune-related genes from allogeneic challenged corals that unveils the participation of vWF-like transcript.

While reef-building corals portray highly complex and specific allorecognition responses, still, no available synthesis on historecognition at the molecular level exists for this group of organisms. Here, we present the first subtractive library of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from allogeneic challenged coral (Stylophora pistillata) colonies revealing the differential expression of a wide range of immune-related genes. 1760 unique ESTs were clustered and assembled into 230 contigs and 1530 singlets with 28% that showed homology (E-value < or =0.005) to known database sequences, of which 16% (n=80) homologues were identified as immune-relevant genes, encoding for stress proteins, pattern recognition receptors and complement proteins, proteases, cell adhesion proteins, cytokine related proteins, programmed cell death and proteasome-associated proteins. Transcripts that were subjected to quantitative RT-PCR, further supported the library data. In situ hybridization analyses elucidated specific and enhanced expressions of von Willebrand factor-like transcript during S. pistillata allogeneic rejection. Availability of such genome-wide expression tools may lead to significant advances in the research of coral historecognition and comparative immunology.

Identification of variables that influence brain-dead donors' family groups regarding refusal.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the variables that influenced brain-dead donor family groups to refuse donation. METHODS: The Tissue and Organ Procurement System in Venezuela designed a tool to register some phases of a family interview performed by transplant coordinators. This tool analyzed three phases. The first phase of the interview allowed the coordinator to evaluate the communication quality with the family group during a brain-death notification. The second phase assessed how families understood this notification, and the third phase identified the family grief sequence. Among the 186 interviews during 2007 to procure tissues and organs for transplantation, 37.63% (n = 70) concluded as family refusals. A retrospective study sought to analyze these results. RESULTS: The average time between notification of brain death and the first approach to the family was 8.78 hours. Setting a place for interviews was done in 91.10% of cases. Previous knowledge about donation was seen in only 53.33% of cases. The main phase of family grief identified was denial (80%). The five reasons for family denial were: absolute denial, family disagreement, uncertainty about the destination of the donated organs and tissues, fear about deformation of the donor's body, and lack of acceptance of brain death. CONCLUSIONS: Brain-death notification produced a deep sadness among family groups. There was a lack of knowledge regarding donation of tissues and organs. It was impossible to quantify the time needed by families to understand and accept brain death and to identify the grief sequence in order to avoid family refusals.

USP26 gene variations in fertile and infertile men.

BACKGROUND: The human X chromosome is enriched with testis-specific genes that may be crucial for male fertility. One is the ubiquitin-specific protease 26 (USP26). Five frequent mutations have been identified: 1737G>A, 1090C > T, 370-371insACA, 494T > C and 1423C>T (with the latter three usually detected in a cluster). Their role in infertility is still controversial. This study assesses the association of the most frequent USP26 mutations with male infertility and male infertility etiology factors. METHODS: The study included 300 infertile and 287 fertile men. Data were collected on ethnicity (according to maternal origin) and family history of reproduction. Clinical records from 235 infertile and 62 fertile (sperm bank donors) men were available and summarized. The five mutations were investigated by bioinformatic tools and their frequencies were assessed by restriction analysis. The results were correlated with clinical findings. Segregation of the mutations in four families was analyzed. RESULTS: The five analyzed mutations were detected in 44 men from both fertile and infertile groups. The cluster and the 1090C>T mutations showed the highest frequency among Arabs and Sephardic Jews of the infertile group, respectively. Inheritance studies showed that mutations were not always associated with the infertility trait. Mutations 1090C>T and 1737G>A were significantly associated with a history of inguinal hernia (P = 0.007 and P = 0.043, respectively). The prevalence of inguinal hernia among men with the 1090C > T mutation was 33.3% (5/15 men), higher than that reported in infertile men (6.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Mutation 1090C > T may be a new genetic risk factor for developing inguinal hernia which may be associated with impaired male fertility.

Associação entre sorologia para Neospora caninum e taxa de prenhez em vacas receptoras de embriões / Association between seropositivity for Neospora caninum and pregnancy rate in bovine receipts submitted to embryo transfer technology

The association between seropositivity for Neospora caninum and pregnancy rate in cows belonging to a surrogate herd submitted to embryo transfer technology was determined. The serological status was evaluated in 275 heifers, aging from 14 to 20-month-old. For N. caninum serology analysis of a monoclonal competitive ELISA test Kit was used, and 81 animals (29.5 percent) showed seropositive. Thus, two groups were randomly formed selecting 33 seropositive heifers and other 33 seronegative animals out of the remaining 194 animals. Seronegative animals were followed up by serological analysis until the end of the trial in order to identify persistently infected individuals. The pregnancy rate was 72.7 percent in the group of N. caninum-positive sera, and, 81.8 percent in the seronegative group.No significant difference was observed between groups according to Chi-square test. No association between N. caninum seropositivity and pregnancy rates in surrogate heifers was found

Expression profile of AZF genes in testicular biopsies of azoospermic men.

BACKGROUND: The Y-chromosome AZF regions include genes whose functions and specific roles in spermatogenesis have not been fully clarified. This study investigated the expression of several AZF (USP9Y, DDX3Y/DDX3Yt1, EIF1AY and PRY) and USP9X transcripts in testicular biopsies of 89 azoospermic men who had been classified by histology and cytology assessments. METHODS: Expression was analysed by RT-PCR, and some biopsies were evaluated by multiplex RT-PCR. Quantitative PCR was performed in some biopsies to determine the ratio of the testis-specific transcript DDX3Yt1 to the total DDX3Y transcription. RESULTS: The expression of USP9Y, USP9X and DDX3Y was found in all the specimens tested, whereas DDX3Yt1 expression was diminished or undetectable in several biopsies with impaired spermatogenesis. EIF1AY was detected in all except two of the specimens. Noteworthy, PRY expression was detected mainly in biopsies with germ cells, and this association was significant (P < 0.001). An identical expression profile was obtained by either single or multiplex RT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that PRY is usually expressed in germ cells, whereas the other transcripts are also expressed in testicular somatic cells. The absence of EIF1AY expression might sporadically contribute to azoospermia. The decreased ratio of DDX3Yt1/DDX3Y transcript in impaired spermatogenesis suggests that the DDX3Yt1 transcript is under-expressed in impaired spermatogenesis. The findings contribute to the search and selection of the most valuable gene markers potentially useful as additional tools for predicting complete spermatogenesis by multiplex expression analysis.

ICSI outcome in patients with transient azoospermia with initially motile or immotile sperm in the ejaculate.

BACKGROUND: In patients with transient azoospermia, few sperm may be found in the ejaculate. We investigated the outcome of ICSI in patients with transient azoospermia. METHODS: Records of patients with transient azoospermia referred during a 42 month period were reviewed. If only immotile sperm were found, the sample was incubated with 30% human serum albumin (HSA) before motility re-assessment. If still immotile, mechanical assessment of sperm viability was utilized. Study groups were: (A) motile sperm; (B) motility achieved by HSA; (C) no motility, but viability assessed by a mechanical technique; and (D) control group with sperm counts from 1 to 5 x 10(6)/ml. There were 57 couples (cycles) in the study group and 43 couples (cycles) in the control group. RESULTS: Age, days of stimulation and endometrial thickness were comparable among groups. In 29.8% of the cycles, only immotile sperm were found. Fertilization and cleavage rates were higher in groups A and D than in groups B and C. Clinical pregnancy rate/cycle and live birth rate/cycle were not different among groups. No congenital malformations were found in newborns. CONCLUSION: Fertilization and cleavage rates were lower in patients with initially immotile sperm compared with those with initially motile sperm and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia patients. Clinical pregnancy and viable pregnancy rates were not statistically different among groups, although when only immotile sperm were present both clinical pregnancy and live birth rate were lower in comparison with cycles with motile sperm.

Combination therapy-permanent interstitial brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy for patients with localized prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Combination of permanent interstitial brachytherapy based on radioactive iodine with external beam radiotherapy is an alternative to other treatment modalities, such as radical prostatectomy or external beam radiotherapy alone in patients with intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer. In this article we report our experience with this combination modality. METHODS: Among patients who were treated in our institute with brachytherapy, there were 64 patients who received combination therapy for the above indication. Combination therapy enables administration of 110 Gy as brachytherapy and thereafter 45 Gy as external beam radiation. All patients received adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy for 6 months. The prospective follow-up was done with the aid of validated evaluation instruments (questionnaires). RESULTS: Combination therapy was administered without additional urinary (IPSS-based) or sexual (IIEF-based) side effects above those with brachytherapy alone. No severe perianal and lower intestinal tract side effects were observed. Short-to-moderate-term results based on serum PSA levels are encouraging, and are not inferior to what is accepted by the literature for other radical therapies. CONCLUSION: Combination of permanent interstitial brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy in the appropriate patients does not cause any additional morbidity, and its biochemical results justify its application. This modality should be offered as an accepted and good alternative to other radical treatment options, to men with prostate cancer with moderate risk factors.

Y-chromosome haplotypes in azoospermic Israeli men.

Among azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic men, 7-15% present microdeletions of a region on the long arm of the Y chromosome that has been called AZF (azoospermia factor). Because these deletions present varying relative frequencies in different populations, we decided to ascertain whether their presence was correlated with specific Y-chromosome haplotypes. For that, we evaluated 51 infertile Israeli men, 9 of whom had microdeletions in AZF. Haplotypes were identified using a hierarchical system with eight biallelic DNA markers. We also checked for the presence of the deletion marker 50f2/C, which was absent in all seven patients with isolated AZFc deletion and also in the one patient with isolated AZFb deletion, suggesting that these microdeletions overlap. As expected, haplogroup J was the most common (47%), followed by equal frequencies of haplogroups Y* (xDE, J, K), P* (xR1a, R1b8), K* (xP), and E. In six patients with AZFc deficiencies of comparable size, three belonged to haplogroup J, two belonged to haplogroup P* (xR1a, R1b8), and one belonged to haplogroup R1a. Also, there were no significant differences in the haplotype frequencies between the groups with and without microdeletions. Thus we did not identify any association of a specific haplogroup with predisposition to de novo deletion of the AZF region in the Israeli population.

Seasonal variations in pre- and post-thaw donor sperm quality.

BACKGROUND: The present study was conducted to evaluate seasonal variability in the quality of pre- and post-thaw semen parameters among sperm bank donors. METHODS: The first two consecutive ejaculates during the months March (spring, 92 males), June (summer, 97 males), September (autumn, 81 males) and December (winter, 97 males) were analysed. A comparison was made between sperm parameters from the same sperm donor at different seasons. Only males who donated semen samples during at least two seasons were enrolled in the study group (n = 103). Sperm specimens were cryopreserved in aliquots with fixed range of 8-12 x 10(6)/ml of progressive motile sperm concentration after thawing. RESULTS: Differences between months were found in sperm concentration (P = 0.030) and normal morphology (P = 0.038); highest values were found in March and December, and the lowest in September. Mean specimen volume and percent of motile sperm cells did not vary throughout the seasons. The freezability of the donors' sperm dropped dramatically from March to September, as determined by the number of straws (fixed aliquots of 0.5 ml) and total thawed progressive motile sperm that were cryopreserved for each male (P = 0.017 and P = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Cryopreservation of donor sperm is more effective during winter and spring than during the rest of the year.