Initial serum HCG levels are higher in pregnant women with a male fetus after fresh or frozen single blastocyst transfer: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Substantial previous studies have almost reached an agreement on the gender effect on maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin (MsHCG) in and after the late first trimester of pregnancy. However, there is little knowledge of the sex-related difference in MsHCG level at the preliminary stage of pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to reveal this difference in women after fresh or frozen single blastocyst transfer (SBT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 252 fresh SBT cycles and 1486 frozen-thawed SBT cycles collected between June 1, 2014 and May 30, 2017 were retrospectively analyzed in our center. Patients with MsHCG level ≥5 IU/L on day 11 after transfer, achieving a singleton intrauterine pregnancy and subsequent live birth were included. We compared MsHCG levels between women gave birth to a male neonate and those gave birth to a female one in fresh or frozen SBT cycles, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 136 neonates including 57 females and 79 males were born following fresh SBT. The male-female ratio was 1.39:1. The average MsHCG level of male fetuses was higher than that of female fetuses on day 11 after transfer (549.82 ± 253.24 IU/L versus 439.03 ± 198.41 IU/L, P < 0.05). Correspondingly, a total of 431 infants was born after frozen SBT, containing 188 females and 243 males. The male-female ratio was 1.29:1. Initial MsHCG level remained higher in women with a male neonate than the counterparts with a female neonate (894.43 ± 622.17 IU/L versus 758.05 ± 624.33 IU/L, P < 0.05). It was also found the pregnant women following frozen-thawed SBT exhibited higher initial MsHCG level than those following fresh SBT in whether male-bearing or female-bearing gestations. CONCLUSIONS: MsHCG levels are higher in pregnant women with a male fetus than those with a female one on day 11 after fresh or frozen SBT. A sex-specific response to the stress in the process of in vitro embryo culture was suggested.

[IVOS â ¡ versus Sperm Class Analyzer in the results of semen analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results obtained from the computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) systems of the two fully-automated commercial sperm quality analyzers, Hamilton-Thorn IVOS Ⅱ (IVOS Ⅱ) and Spanish Sperm Class Analyzer (SCA). METHODS: A total of 99 semen samples were collected in the Center of Reproduction of Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital from September 2018 to October 2018 and, according to the sperm concentration, divided into groups A (<15 ×106/ml), B (15－50 ×106/ml) and C (>50 ×106/ml). IVOS Ⅱ, SCA and manual microscopy were used for the examination of each sample, followed by comparison of the sperm concentration, sperm motility and percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) obtained from IVOS Ⅱ and SCA. RESULTS: The sperm concentrations derived from IVOS Ⅱ and SCA were significantly higher than that from manual microscopy in group A (ï¼»10.24 ± 4.60ï¼½ and ï¼»10.20 ± 5.11ï¼½ vs ï¼»8.45 ± 4.15ï¼½ ×106/ml, P < 0.05), but showed no statistically significant difference in group B (ï¼»30.95 ± 11.84ï¼½ and ï¼»31.81 ± 12.90ï¼½ vs ï¼»29.14 ± 10.65ï¼½ ×106/ml, P > 0.05) or C (ï¼»102.14 ± 45.97ï¼½ and ï¼»109.48 ± 46.32ï¼½ vs ï¼»104.74 ± 41.87ï¼½ ×106/ml, P > 0.05). Significant differences were not observed between IVOS Ⅱ and SCA in the percentage of PMS (ï¼»24.21 ± 14.62ï¼½% vs ï¼»23.92 ± 15.42ï¼½%, P > 0.05) or sperm motility (ï¼»37.48 ± 19.34ï¼½% vs ï¼»37.69 ± 16.61ï¼½%, P > 0.05) in group B, nor in group C (PMS: ï¼»30.80 ± 12.06ï¼½% vs ï¼»32.98 ± 16.10ï¼½%, P > 0.05; sperm motility: ï¼»44.50 ± 15.62ï¼½% vs ï¼»47.26 ± 17.46ï¼½%, P > 0.05). Both the percentage of PMS and sperm motility obtained from IVOS Ⅱ were remarkably lower than those derived from SCA in group A (PMS: ï¼»18.54 ± 12.96ï¼½% vs ï¼»22.90 ± 12.88ï¼½%, P < 0.05; sperm motility: ï¼»26.97 ± 14.05ï¼½% vs ï¼»34.90 ± 15.18ï¼½%, P < 0.05). IVOS Ⅱ and SCA both showed a high repeatability (CV <15%), and the former exhibited an even higher one than the latter, in detection of sperm concentration, sperm motility and the percentage of PMS. CONCLUSIONS: IVOS Ⅱ and SCA both had a good consistency in the results of sperm concentration, motility and progressive motility, but showed a poor comparability with low-concentration semen samples.

Laser-assisted hatching improves clinical outcomes of vitrified-warmed blastocysts developed from low-grade cleavage-stage embryos: a prospective randomized study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of quarter zona-pellucida (ZP) opening by laser-assisted hatching (QLAH) on the clinical outcomes following transfer of vitrified-warmed blastocysts developed from low-grade cleavage-stage embryos in patients with all high-grade and fair-grade cleavage-stage embryos transferred without achieving pregnancy. Patients were randomized into two groups: QLAH (n=101) and control (n=102). The implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were significantly higher in the QLAH group compared with the control group (P=0.021 and P=0.034, respectively). The live birth rate of the QLAH group was also higher, although not significantly. When the clinical outcomes according to the day of blastocyst vitrification were compared between the groups, the implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates of the QLAH group were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of the control group for day 6 blastocysts, but not for day 5 or day 5/day 6 blastocysts. These results suggest that QLAH improves the clinical outcomes of vitrified-warmed blastocysts, especially of day 6 vitrified blastocysts, developed from low-grade cleavage-stage embryos.

Biodiversity, abundance, and activity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria during primary succession on a copper mine tailings.

Microorganisms are important in soil development, inputs and biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and organic matter during early stages of ecosystem development, but little is known about their diversity, distribution, and function in relation to the chemical and physical changes associated with the progress of succession. In this study, we characterized the community structure and activity of nitrogen-fixing microbes during primary succession on a copper tailings. Terminal fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and clone sequencing of nifH genes indicated that different N(2) -fixing communities developed under primary succession. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a diversity of nifH sequences that were mostly novel, and many of these could be assigned to the taxonomic divisions Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Firmicutes. Members of the Cyanobacteria, mostly affiliated with Nostocales or not closely related to any known organisms, were detected exclusively in the biological soil crusts and represented a substantial fraction of the respective diazotrophic communities. Quantitative PCR (and statistical analyses) revealed that, overall, copy number of nifH sequences increased with progressing succession and correlated with changes in physiochemical properties (including elementary elements such as carbon and nitrogen) and the recorded nitrogenase activities of the tailings. Our study provides an initial insight into the biodiversity and community structure evolution of N(2) -fixing microorganisms in ecological succession of mine tailings.

Spatial and temporal analysis of the microbial community in the tailings of a Pb-Zn mine generating acidic drainage.

Analysis of spatial and temporal variations in the microbial community in the abandoned tailings impoundment of a Pb-Zn mine revealed distinct microbial populations associated with the different oxidation stages of the tailings. Although Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum spp. were consistently present in the acidic tailings, acidophilic archaea, mostly Ferroplasma acidiphilum, were predominant in the oxidized zones and the oxidation front, indicating their importance to generation of acid mine drainage.

Intraspecific variation in cadmium tolerance and accumulation of a high-biomass tropical tree Averrhoa carambola L.: implication for phytoextraction.

Averrhoa carambola L., a high-biomass tropical tree, has recently been shown to be a strong accumulator of cadmium (Cd) and has great potential for Cd phytoextraction. In the present study, field studies and a controlled-environment experiment were combined to establish the extent of variation in Cd tolerance and accumulation at the cultivar level using 14 to 19 cultivars of A. carambola. The results indicated that all cultivars tested could accumulate Cd at high but different levels, and that Cd tolerance also varied greatly between these cultivars. It is confirmed that the high Cd tolerance and accumulation capacity are species-level and constitutional traits in A. carambola. However, no correlation was detected between tolerance index and accumulation of Cd in different cultivars, suggesting that the two traits are independent in this woody Cd accumulator. More importantly, cultivar Wuchuan Sweet (WCT) was shown to have the highest Cd-extraction potential; it yielded a high shoot biomass of 30 t ha(-1) in 230 d, and extracted 330 g ha(-1) Cd in the aerial tissues grown in Cd-contaminated field soil, which accounted for 12.8% of the total soil Cd in the top 20 cm of the soil profile.

Biodiversity and population dynamics of microorganisms in a full-scale membrane bioreactor for municipal wastewater treatment.

The total, ammonia-oxidizing, and denitrifying Bacteria in a full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) were evaluated monthly for over one year. Microbial communities were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone library analysis of the 16S rRNA and ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) genes. The community fingerprints obtained were compared to those from a conventional activated sludge (CAS) process running in parallel treating the same domestic wastewater. Distinct DGGE profiles for all three molecular markers were observed between the two treatment systems, indicating the selection of specific bacterial populations by the contrasting environmental and operational conditions. Comparative 16S rRNA sequencing indicated a diverse bacterial community in the MBR, with phylotypes from the α- and ß-Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes dominating the gene library. The vast majority of sequences retrieved were not closely related to classified organisms or displayed relatively low levels of similarity with any known 16S rRNA gene sequences and thus represent organisms that constitute new taxa. Similarly, the majority of the recovered nosZ sequences were novel and only moderately related to known denitrifiers from the α- and ß-Proteobacteria. In contrast, analysis of the amoA gene showed a remarkably simple ammonia-oxidizing community with the detected members almost exclusively affiliated with the Nitrosomonas oligotropha lineage. Major shifts in total bacteria and denitrifying community were detected and these were associated with change in the external carbon added for denitrification enhancement. In spite of this, the MBR was able to maintain a stable process performance during that period. These results significantly expand our knowledge of the biodiversity and population dynamics of microorganisms in MBRs for wastewater treatment.