What is the relevance of seminal plasma from a functional and preservation perspective?

When preserving sperm in the liquid or cryopreserved state, seminal plasma (SP) components within ejaculates can alter fertilizing capacity of these gametes. Depending on the species or how semen is collected, volume and concentration of SP components varies considerably. The SP contains substances essential for maintenance of sperm viability and fertility; however, these components can be deleterious depending on quantity, or duration of time before there is removal of SP from sperm in semen processing. Substances that impair (e.g., BSP - bull; HSP-1 - stallion; Major seminal plasma protein PSPI - boar) or improve (e.g., spermadhesin PSP-I - boar) spermatozoa fertilizing capacity have been identified. Depending on individual males, species, and semen collection procedures, SP removal may be beneficial before preservation in the liquid or cryopreserved state. In some cases, SP that is removed can be added back to thawing extender with there being positive effects in thawed sperm and for sperm viability in the female reproductive tract. In this review article, there is a focus on different effects of SP in samples of cooled and cryopreserved semen from four domestic species (pigs, horses, cattle, and sheep) with there being emphasis on how SP modulates the function and morphology of sperm cells before, during, and after preservation in the refrigerated or cryopreserved state. The present review is part of the Festschrift in honor of Dr. Duane Garner who made major contributions to the area of focus in this manuscript as evidenced by the many times his research is cited in this manuscript.

Modulation of CYP2E1 metabolic activity in a cohort of confirmed caffeine ingesting pregnant women with preterm offspring.

BACKGROUND: To ascertain interactions of caffeine ingestion, food, medications, and environmental exposures during preterm human gestation, under informed consent, we studied a cohort of Mexican women with further preterm offspring born at ≤ 34 completed weeks. At birth, blood samples were taken from mothers and umbilical cords to determine caffeine and metabolites concentrations and CYP1A2 (rs762551) and CYP2E1 (rs2031920, rs3813867) polymorphisms involved in caffeine metabolism. RESULTS: In 90 pregnant women who gave birth to 98 preterm neonates, self-informed caffeine ingestion rate was 97%, laboratory confirmed rate was 93 %. Theobromine was the predominant metabolite found. Consumption of acetaminophen correlated significantly with changes in caffeine metabolism (acetaminophen R2 = 0.637, p = 0.01) due to activation of CYP2E1 alternate pathways. The main caffeine source was cola soft drinks. CONCLUSION: Environmental exposures, especially acetaminophen ingestion during human preterm pregnancy, can modulate CYP2E1 metabolic activity.

Liver Retransplantation: The Changing Scenario in a Tertiary Medical Center.

AIM: To analyze the causes of liver retransplantation (LRT), which mostly depend on recipient factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, observational, and unicentric study including patients who underwent an LRT in a tertiary medical center between April 2002 and December 2018. Recipient, donor, and liver transplant data were collected. RESULTS: During the period under review a total of 468 transplants were made; among them, 32 (6.8%) were LRT. The most common indication (25%) was hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) developing ischemic cholangiopathy followed by chronic rejection (21.8%). Late LRT was performed in 71.8%. A total of 96.8% of donations were after brain death with a donor median age of 65 years. Six patients (18.7%) had HAT as a postoperative complication. The recipients' 3-, 6-, and 12-month overall survival was 72.7%, 54.6%, and 51.5%, respectively, and the 5-year was 46.8%. Leading cause of death was septic shock (42.1%). CONCLUSION: In our patients, the most common cause of LRT is HAT. We had an LRT rate of 6.8%, which is consistent with national and international registers.

Supplemental progesterone during early pregnancy exerts divergent responses on embryonic characteristics in sows and gilts.

Progesterone (P4) plays a key role in pregnancy establishment and maintenance; during early pregnancy, P4 stimulates the production and release of uterine secretions necessary for conceptus growth prior to implantation; therefore, exogenous P4 supplementation may improve embryo development. This study evaluated the effects of supplementation during early pregnancy with long-acting injectable progesterone or altrenogest on embryonic characteristics of sows and gilts. Thus, a total of 32 sows and 16 gilts were used. On day 6 of pregnancy sows and gilts were allocated to one of the following groups: non-supplemented; supplemented with 20 mg of altrenogest, orally, from days 6 to 12 of pregnancy; supplemented with 2.15 mg/kg of long-acting injectable progesterone on day 6 of pregnancy. Animals were killed on day 28 of pregnancy, and ovulation rate, embryo survival, embryo weight, crown-to-rump length, uterine glandular epithelium and endometrial vascularization were assessed. Treatments had no effect on pregnancy rate, embryo survival or endometrial vascular density (P > 0.05). Non-supplemented gilts presented larger and heavier embryos compared to gilts from supplemented groups (P < 0.05). Sows in the altrenogest group presented larger and heavier embryos compared to non-supplemented sows and sows supplemented with long-acting injectable progesterone. In conclusion, supplementation of sows and gilts with progestagen from day 6 of pregnancy can be used as a means to improve embryo survival without deleterious effects.

The transformation of a gold standard in-person substance use assessment to a web-based, REDCap integrated data capture tool.

The adoption of computer systems for gathering, managing, and analyzing health data is resulting in the replacement of pen-and-paper methods for collecting data and managing health records by computerized methods. One classic "pen-and-paper" assessment in health and substance use research is the Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB), the gold standard in self-reported substance use developed in 1996 by Sobell et al. to assess alcohol consumption patterns and later other substances such as marijuana or tobacco over discreet timeframes [1-7]. The TLFB has been modified by some research groups for use as a web-based assessment [8-10], but not without significant limitations. As such, this paper describes the team-oriented, interdisciplinary process by which a new online TLFB (O-TLFB) was conceptualized, the technical details of development towards a dynamic data capture tool fully integrated with REDCap via application programming interface (API), and the potential for this optimized O-TLFB to be leveraged broadly across the domains of substance use, health, and behavioral research.

Compact radio emission indicates a structured jet was produced by a binary neutron star merger.

The binary neutron star merger event GW170817 was detected through both electromagnetic radiation and gravitational waves. Its afterglow emission may have been produced by either a narrow relativistic jet or an isotropic outflow. High-spatial-resolution measurements of the source size and displacement can discriminate between these scenarios. We present very-long-baseline interferometry observations, performed 207.4 days after the merger by using a global network of 32 radio telescopes. The apparent source size is constrained to be smaller than 2.5 milli-arc seconds at the 90% confidence level. This excludes the isotropic outflow scenario, which would have produced a larger apparent size, indicating that GW170817 produced a structured relativistic jet. Our rate calculations show that at least 10% of neutron star mergers produce such a jet.

Ivermectin does not interfere with seminal and hormonal parameters in male rabbits.

Ivermectin (IVM) is a macrocyclic lactone used as a broad spectrum antiparasitic agent against nematodes and arthropods. It is mainly used in the control of parasitic infections of domestic animals, and recently has been used in humans to treat onchocerciasis, scabies, and pediculosis. In mammals, evidence has indicated that macrocyclic lactones interact with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated chloride channels. The GABAergic system is known to be involved in the manifestation of sexual behavior, and previous studies have shown that IVM impaired sexual behavior in both male and female rats. Thus, considering that IVM may interfere with the sexual sphere, this study evaluated the temporal (1 up 60 days) effects of exposure to IVM (0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg, administered subcutaneously) on seminal and hormonal parameters of male rabbits. In male rabbits, the spermatozoa concentration, motility and morphology, the integrity of the plasmatic, acrosomal and mitochondrial membranes of the spermatozoa, the organ weights, gonadosomatic index, serum testosterone concentrations, histopathological findings were evaluated and hematological and serum biochemical analysis was conducted. No changes were observed in male seminal parameters evaluated by spermatozoa concentration, motility, and morphology, nor the potential for fertilization evaluated by the integrity of the plasmatic, acrosomal, and mitochondrial membranes of the spermatozoa; there was also no interference in serum testosterone concentration, serum biochemistry and hematological parameters. The findings of this study using the artificial vagina for collection of semen and computer-assisted semen analysis showed that IVM at doses of 0.2 and 1.0 mg/kg of SC did not alter any of the semen parameters of rabbits evaluated for up to 60 days after administration.

Absence of seminal plasma from sperm-rich fraction decreases boar sperm quality characteristics during the course of liquid storage.

Seminal plasma (SP), the fluid that surrounds the sperm cells, is known to exert substantial influence on sperm physiology. The SP has a pivotal role in sperm function in vivo, and due to its components, it functions in an ambiguous manner in vitro, simultaneously possessing deleterious and beneficial effects. This experiment aimed to describe the differences between the presence or absence of SP from the sperm-rich fraction on some spermatozoa characteristics (kinetics, plasma and acrosome membrane integrity, lipid peroxidation and capacitation-like changes). Furthermore, this experiment focused on distinguishing the effects of SP on the variables evaluated from the effects of centrifugation during SP removal. Total and progressive sperm motility, as well as integrity of plasma and acrosome membranes, were less (P < 0.05) in the absence of SP. Membrane lipid peroxidation (P < 0.05) and sperm membrane stability (P < 0.05) did not differ among treatments. The SP from the sperm-rich fraction is important for the maintenance of adequate structural and functional characteristics of extended liquid boar semen and should be present in seminal doses throughout storage. Furthermore, the detrimental effect on the variables evaluated was caused solely by the absence of SP and not by the process of removal through centrifugation at 500 x g for 10 min.

Paenibacillus spp. isolated from human and environmental samples in Spain: detection of 11 new species.

One hundred thirty-six isolates, 88 human and 48 environmental, that met the requirements to belong to the genus Paenibacillus were identified using a polyphasic taxonomic approach known as 16S rRNA plus phenotypic traits. Thirty-seven Paenibacillus species were identified; some had not been previously reported from clinical samples. The main species were P. pabuli (13 isolates), P. provencensis (11), P. phoenicis (9) and P. lautus (8). P. pabuli (11/13) and P. provencensis (8/11) were mainly environmental isolates, while P. phoenicis (9/9) and P. lautus (6/8) were mainly human isolates. Despite the difficulties in assigning to human Paenibacillus isolates a role as a pathogen or contaminant, here 25% of the isolates were involved in true infections, especially in those cases that affected abscesses, wound exudates, ocular infections and diverse fluids. In addition, 15 isolates were identified as 11 'Candidatus' to a new species, all of them from human specimens except one that was obtained from laboratory air. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed 95.6% of isolates were resistant to ampicillin, 44% were resistant to cotrimoxazole, 20 to 30% were resistant to cefotaxime and vancomycin and 13% were resistant to rifampicin and erythromycin.

Depressive symptoms and inflammation are independent risk factors of fatigue in breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial and inflammatory factors have been associated with fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Nevertheless, the relative contribution and/or interaction of these factors with cancer-related fatigue have not been well documented. METHOD: This cross-sectional study enrolled 111 stage 0-III breast cancer patients treated with breast surgery followed by whole breast radiotherapy. Fatigue was measured by the total score of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20. Potential risk factors included inflammatory markers (plasma cytokines and their receptors and C-reactive protein; CRP), depressive symptoms (as assessed by the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Reported), sleep (as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and perceived stress (as assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale) as well as age, race, marital status, smoking history, menopause status, endocrine treatment, chemotherapy and cancer stage. Linear regression modeling was employed to examine risk factors of fatigue. Only risk factors with a significance level <0.10 were included in the initial regression model. A post-hoc mediation model using PROCESS SPSS was conducted to examine the association among depressive symptoms, sleep problems, stress, inflammation and fatigue. RESULTS: At 1 year post-radiotherapy, depressive symptoms (p<0.0001) and inflammatory markers (CRP: p = 0.015; interleukin-1 receptor antagonist: p = 0.014; soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-2: p = 0.009 in separate models) were independent risk factors of fatigue. Mediation analysis showed that depressive symptoms also mediated the associations of fatigue with sleep and stress. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms and inflammation were independent risk factors for cancer-related fatigue at 1 year post-radiotherapy, and thus represent independent treatment targets for this debilitating symptom.

Seminal plasma arising from the whole boar sperm-rich fraction increases the stability of sperm membrane after thawing.

Boar spermatozoa arising from the sperm-rich ejaculate fraction are reported to have a more stable plasma membrane and are more resistant to cold shock and premature acrosome reaction than spermatozoa from the whole ejaculate. Furthermore, seminal plasma (SP) can increase the cryotolerance of boar spermatozoa, and in other domestic species, it has the ability to reverse cryopreservation damage. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of boar SP arising from the whole sperm-rich ejaculate fraction (SP-SRF) on the integrity, stability, and peroxidation of sperm membranes after thawing. Each ejaculate ( = 24) was divided among 4 treatments: control (CT), centrifuged and suspended in autologous SP-SRF (CS), centrifuged with withdrawn SP-SRF (CW), and post-thawed SP arising from the whole sperm-rich fraction addition to CW (CWSP). After thawing, all treatments were incubated for 5, 60, and 120 min and were analyzed for membrane integrity, fluidity, and peroxidation by flow cytometer. The absence of SP-SRF increased the lipid disorder ( < 0.05) but had no effect on lipid peroxidation ( > 0.05) or membrane integrity ( > 0.05). However, the increase in lipid disorder by withdrawal of SP-SRF was reversed by SP-SRF addition ( < 0.05) to the post-thawing medium, whereas plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity ( > 0.05) and lipid peroxidation ( > 0.05) were unchanged. In conclusion, despite the centrifugation effects, the addition of SP arising from the whole sperm-rich fraction to post-thawed boar semen decreased sperm lipid disorder without an influence of the sperm membrane integrity and peroxidation.

Determination of fatty acid profile in ram spermatozoa and seminal plasma.

Fatty acids are important in male reproductive function because they are associated with membrane fluidity, acrosome reaction, sperm motility and viability, but limited information exists about the fatty acid profile of ram semen. Our aim was to determine the fatty acid composition in ram spermatozoa and seminal plasma. Sixty ejaculates were obtained from three ram (20 ejaculates/ram) using artificial vagina. Ram spermatozoa (RS) and seminal plasma (SP) were separated using centrifugation, and the fatty acids were analysed by gas chromatography. Total lipids obtained in ram spermatozoa were 1.8% and 1.6% in seminal plasma. Saturated fatty acid (SFA) was proportionally major in SP (66.6%) that RS (49.9%). The highest proportions of SFA corresponded to C4:0 (RS = 16.3% and SP = 28.8%) and C16:0 (RS = 16.3% and PS = 20%). The most important unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) was docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 44.9% in RS and 31.5% in SP. The profile of fatty acid and their proportions showed differences between spermatozoa and seminal plasma.

Angular Structure of the In-Medium QCD Cascade.

We study the angular broadening of a medium-induced QCD cascade. We derive the equation that governs the evolution of the average transverse momentum squared of the gluons in the cascade as a function of the medium length, and we solve this equation analytically. Two regimes are identified. For a medium of a not too large size, and for not too soft gluons, the transverse momentum grows with the size of the medium according to standard momentum broadening. The other regime, visible for a medium of a sufficiently large size and very soft gluons, is a regime dominated by multiple branchings: there, the average transverse momentum saturates to a value that is independent of the size of the medium. This structure of the in-medium QCD cascade is, at least qualitatively, compatible with the recent LHC data on dijet asymmetry.

Gonadotropin-induced puberty does not impair reproductive performance of gilts over three parities.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive performance of three parities of gilts treated or not treated with gonadotropin to induce puberty. Sixty gilts received 600 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) followed by 2.5 mg of porcine luteinizing hormone (LH) 72 h later. Fifty-nine other gilts were exposed only to a mature boar for 15 min twice daily. Artificial insemination (AI) was performed at 0, 12 and 24 h after the detection of oestrus, and gestation was confirmed by ultrasound after 35 days. Sows were inseminated at the first post-weaning oestrus. The total numbers of piglets born, piglets born alive, stillborn, mummified foetuses, as well as pregnancy and farrowing rates were evaluated for each of the three parities. Culling rates, farrowing intervals and weaning-to-oestrous intervals (WEI) were also analysed. Mean age at puberty and oestrous manifestation were not significantly different between treatments (p = 0.0639; 179.20 ± 17.52 compared with 173.96 ± 16.94, 91.66% compared with 94.92%) across the experimental period. However, females that underwent puberty induction showed modest increases both in the number of total pigs born and in the number of piglets born alive. In conclusion, puberty induction through exogenous gonadotropin administration in field conditions did not induce a more concentrated first oestrous manifestation, but trended to a modest increase in the number of pigs born alive in the first parity and a reduced culling rate during the first gestation.

A novel short-term plasticity of intrinsic excitability in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells.

Changes in neuronal activity often trigger compensatory mechanisms aimed at regulating network activity homeostatically. Here we have identified and characterized a novel form of compensatory short-term plasticity of membrane excitability, which develops early after the eye-opening period in rats (P16-19 days) but not before that developmental stage (P9-12 days old). Holding the membrane potential of CA1 neurons right below the firing threshold from 15 s to several minutes induced a potentiation of the repolarizing phase of the action potentials that contributed to a decrease in the firing rate of CA1 pyramidal neurons in vitro. Furthermore, the mechanism for inducing this plasticity required the action of intracellular Ca(2+) entering through T-type Ca(2+) channels. This increase in Ca(2+) subsequently activated the Ca(2+) sensor K(+) channel interacting protein 3, which led to the increase of an A-type K(+) current. These results suggest that Ca(2+) modulation of somatic A-current represents a new form of homeostatic regulation that provides CA1 pyramidal neurons with the ability to preserve their firing abilities in response to membrane potential variations on a scale from tens of seconds to several minutes.

[Adoption and behavioural disturbances in adolescence. A hospital patient sample]. / Adopción y alteraciones de conducta en la adolescencia. Estudio en población hospitalaria.

INTRODUCTION: The number of adoptions has increased in the Western world in recent decades. An over-representation in mental health services and an increased risk of displaying behavioural disorders has been reported among adopted adolescents. In this study, we aim to assess the proportions of adopted and non-adopted adolescents and the presence of externalizing disorders in an inpatient setting. METHODS: Prospective data were collected over 56 months (n=431) from all adolescent admissions (12-17 years of age) to the Child and Adolescent's Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, which serves the Biscay province (Basque Country, Spain). The sample was divided into adopted (2.6%) and non-adopted adolescents (97.4%), and the following variables were compared: age, gender, cause of admission, prior admissions, main diagnosis, drug use and Overt Aggression Scale score at admission. RESULTS: Adopted adolescents were over-represented in our sample (2.84% vs. 0.6% in the general population of Biscay, P<.001). Compared to the non-adopted, age at admission was significantly lower (14.09 vs. 15.21 years old, P=.017) and they showed a statistical tendency to be admitted more frequently for behavioural disorders (63.6% vs. 38.1%, P=.086). CONCLUSIONS: The over-representation and the earlier age at admission suggest that the conditions of adopted adolescents are more serious and-or adoptive families are less able to manage them. The data also show that they tend to be admitted more for behavioural disorders, whilst no significant differences in the diagnosis on discharge were found, which suggests that they tend to externalise their symptoms more.

Affective dimensions as a diagnostic tool for bipolar disorder in first psychotic episodes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the predictive diagnostic value of affective symptomatology in a first-episode psychosis (FEP) sample with 5 years' follow-up. METHOD: Affective dimensions (depressive, manic, activation, dysphoric) were measured at baseline and 5 years in 112 FEP patients based on a factor structure analysis using the Young Mania Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Patients were classified as having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder at baseline (BDi), bipolar disorder at 5 years (BDf), or "other psychosis". The ability of affective dimensions to discriminate between these diagnostic groups and to predict a bipolar disorder diagnosis was analysed. RESULTS: Manic dimension score was higher in BDi vs. BDf, and both groups had higher manic and activation scores vs. "other psychosis". Activation dimension predicted a bipolar diagnosis at 5 years (odds ratio=1.383; 95% confidence interval, 1.205-1.587; P=0.000), and showed high levels of sensitivity (86.2%), specificity (71.7%), positive (57.8%) and negative predictive value (90.5%). Absence of the manic dimension and presence of the depressive dimension were both significant predictors of an early misdiagnosis. CONCLUSION: The activation dimension is a diagnostic predictor for bipolar disorder in FEP. The manic dimension contributes to a bipolar diagnosis and its absence can lead to early misdiagnosis.

Expression levels of seven candidate genes in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and their association with preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) expression levels of hemeoxygenase 1 (HMOX-1), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-15 and AdipoQ genes to study their association with preeclampsia (PE). METHODS: A total of 177 pregnant women were recruited: 108 cases and 69 controls. Quantification of gene expression was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using TaqMan probes. RESULTS: Underexpression of VEGF-A and TGF-ß1 was a constant in most of the cases (80.91% and 76.36%, respectively) and their expression was associated with onset and/or severity of disease (p values < 0.05). IL-6, IL-15 and AdipoQ, showed low or no expression in PBMC samples evaluated. CONCLUSION: PBMC underexpression of VEGF-A and TGF-ß1 is a hallmark of PE in the study population.

Trastorno de pánico y fibrilación auricular / Panic disorder and atrial fibrillation

Este trabajo analiza la relación bidireccional entre la fibrilación auricular y el trastorno de pánico. El diagnóstico diferencial se plantea frecuentemente en los servicios de urgencias y en la consulta del médico de atención primaria. Diferentes estudios nos hablan de una alta tasa de prevalencia de trastornos de ansiedad en pacientes que han recibido el diagnóstico de fibrilación auricular. Por otra parte, se ha observado que los pacientes con trastornos de ansiedad presentan una mayor prevalencia de enfermedades cardiovascular. Los pacientes con trastorno de pánico presentarán con frecuencia quejas somáticas indicativas de enfermedad cardíaca que es obligatorio descartar mediante pruebas complementarias. El correcto diagnóstico conlleva, además, el tratamiento considerado óptimo para cada afección y, como consecuencia, la reducción del gasto sanitario (AU)

This paper studies the relationship between atrial fibrillation and panic disorder. There are often doubts on the differential diagnosis in emergency services and general medical settings. Panic disorder prevalence rates have been found to be high in patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. Various studies have observed that patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders frequently have higher cardiovascular disease rates compared to the general population. Usually, patients suffering from panic disorder exhibit somatic complaints suggesting coronary disease, such as chest pain or palpitations. The aim is to make the correct diagnosis and treatment for these different illnesses, and to decrease the costs due to misdiagnosis (AU)