Migration and motility of spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract of the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata (Acari, Argasidae).

SUMMARY: The spermatozoa of ticks are anomalous in many respects: they are very large, cytoplasm-rich cells which lack a flagellum but move with a peculiar gliding motility. Their metamorphosis after deposition in the female has been well documented, but many of the subsequent events in the career of the spermatozoa are controversial or poorly documented. Our observations of motility imply that the many types of motility that have been reported (up to 5 different types in several reports) can be reduced to 2 apparently independent types of active motility: (1) gliding motility generated along the whole spermatozoon and (2) contortions of the anterior tip of the head. These types of motility appear as a consequence of sperm maturation after transfer to the female, but only become pronounced if the female has taken a recent bloodmeal. A consequence of this enhanced gliding motility after feeding is the movement of the spermatozoa out of the naturally ruptured neck of the spermatophore and up the female genital tract. This occurs without any apparent assistance from the female's musculature and likely is the prime mechanism of movement of the spermatozoa to the site of fertilization.

[Is the Berlin questionnaire an appropriate diagnostic tool for sleep medicine in pneumological rehabilitation?]. / Ist der Berlin-Fragebogen ein geeignetes Instrument der schlafmedizinischen Diagnostik in der pneumologischen Rehabilitation?

BACKGROUND: The Berlin Questionnaire is an explorative tool of 13 questions designed to identify patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The questions are targeted toward key symptoms of snoring, apneas, daytime sleepiness, hypertension and overweight. METHODS: 153 patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation were screened for obstructive sleep apnea via i) ApneaLink (ResMed, Munich) and ii) the Berlin Questionnaire. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was administered to grade daytime sleepiness. Results of ApneaLink screening and questionnaires were prospectively compared. The Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI) was used to compute predictive performance of the Berlin Questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnea. Results were also compared to previously published data from a primary care patient cohort. RESULTS: At a cut-off RDI=10/h, the Berlin Questionnaire had a sensitivity of 62.5 %, a specificity of 53.8 %, a positive predictive value of 38.4 %, a negative predictive value of 74.2 %, a positive likelihood ratio of 1.35 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.69. At a cut-off RDI=15/h, the Berlin Questionnaire had a sensitivity of 67.2 %, a specificity of 52.8 %, a positive predictive value of 25.1 %, a negative predictive value of 84.7 %, a positive likelihood ratio of 1.42 and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.62. There was evidence that the participants of this study suffered from an increased daytime sleepiness (ESS=8.8 +/- 4.8). The study group was more likely to snore, have apneas (men 6.7 % more often, women 12.6 % more often) and suffer from daytime sleepiness (men 19.0 % more often, women 14.6 % more often) than the control group. Also, hypertension and overweight were more prevalent (men 6.1 % more often, women 11.1 % more often). CONCLUSIONS: The Berlin Questionnaire is a poor predictor of obstructive sleep apnea in a random group of patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation.