We aimed to study the correlation between leukocyte counts in semen and bacterial pathogens in seminal samples of infertile men, and to establish the minimum leukocyte count associated with significant bacteriospermia. A total of 116 patients who underwent evaluation of fertility were investigated using routine semen analysis according to the ...

This study compares the effects of pure anatoxin-a and cyanobacterial extracts of an anatoxin-a producing strain on early stages of development of carp. Carp eggs were exposed from 2:30 h to 4 days post-fertilization to different ecologically relevant concentrations of anatoxin-a, provided as pure toxin or contained in the cyanobacterial ...

Bull fertility is influenced by numerous factors. Although 20-40% of bulls in an unselected population may have reduced fertility, few are completely sterile. Breeding soundness refers to a bull's ability to get cows pregnant. A standard breeding soundness evaluation identifies bulls with substantial deficits in fertility, but does not consistently ...

Reproduction in the domestic cat is characterized by large individual variations in the female oestrous cycle and in male semen quality. The female cat reproduction is strongly influenced by season, and new data suggest that it is possible that season also affects male fertility. Repeated periods of oestrus and spontaneous ...

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare, chronic relapsing disease with a guarded prognosis. Here, we describe such a case of a young patient presenting with primary infertility, who conceived following in-vitro fertilization with donor egg and had a successful pregnancy outcome. Literature regarding fertility and pregnancy outcome in this condition is ...

This manuscript is a review of current protocols, advantages, and disadvantages of breeding mares with frozen-thawed equine semen. Issues affecting pregnancy rates are discussed, including proper mare selection, induction of ovulation, insemination dose, timing of insemination (single-dose versus multiple-dose insemination), methods of insemination (transrectal-guided deep-horn versus hysteroscopic insemination), and post-insemination ...

The accumulation, depletion and partitioning of semicarbazide (SEM) and its parent compound nitrofurazone (NFZ) in eggs were studied using hens fed NFZ at therapeutic and sub-therapeutic levels. Dietary NFZ correlated strongly with NFZ and total SEM in eggs, while 28% of observed SEM was present in the form of parent ...

The industrial area of Upper Silesia is the most polluted region in Poland. To assess if these conditions could influence male fertility, a retrospective analysis of the fertilization potential of donor semen was performed, taking as an outcome measure the pregnancy rate after donor inseminations in 1982-2004. Data on contamination ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Observations in several Western countries point toward a decline in semen quality which may be associated with exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors such as several frequently used pesticides. The scarce literature on the effects of pesticides on male fertility will be reviewed with a focus on semen ...

This study evaluated the relationship between pregnancy rate and semen cadmium concentration. This prospective and nonrandomized clinical study analyzed 341 male partners of infertile couples undergoing infertility evaluation and management. Semen samples were collected to analyze semen quality and cadmium concentrations. The main outcome was pregnancy during 60-day infertility treatment. ...

Qualitative parameters of piapara semen (Leporinus elongatus) were evaluated before and after hormonal induction with carp pituitary extract at 2.5 mg.kg(-1) of live weight. The progressive motility, the spermatic vigor and the lifetime of the spermatozoa were higher before the hormonal induction (P > 0.05). The percentage of normal spermatozoa ...

The present study aimed to compare the fertility of ewes intrauterinally inseminated with frozen-thawed semen using a soybean-based semen extender (AndroMed) with those of ewes intrauterinally inseminated with frozen-thawed semen using a Tris-based extender containing either egg yolk or BSA. Suffolk ewes (n=104) were treated with an intravaginal sponge containing ...

A few studies have found poor semen quality in sons whose mothers have received fertility treatment, but it is unknown whether the poor semen quality is related to the infertility treatment or to infertility per se, for example, whether it is caused by hereditable factors. Using data from a population-based, ...

Seasonal effects on luteal activity during post partum were evaluated in two consecutive studies in 253 dairy cows in Northern Italy. In study 1, plasma progesterone concentrations were determined on days 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56 post partum and in study 2 cows were synchronized and inseminated ...

BACKGROUND: Potential sources of environmental pollution, such as incinerators or landfill sites, can adversely affect reproduction and/or development. Time to pregnancy (TTP) is a validated measure of biological fertility that can be studied with relatively small populations. METHODS: Pregnant local residents living within 3 km of a landfill site ('exposed' ...

Extracellular matrices are essential for cell survival and function. This is especially relevant for eggs, which establish a physical barrier at fertilization to protect a new embryo from additional sperm and pathogens. Formation of an extracellular matrix is most dramatic in sea urchins, in which fertilization was first observed in ...

Though the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in male infertility is widely investigated worldwide, there is a lack of adequate information on the cut-off value of ROS beyond which ART outcome may be adversely affected. The objective of the present study is to establish an upper level of ROS ...

To compare fetal biometric measurements with standard growth charts for ultrasound parameters existing from the last 30 years. A preliminary prospective study. Artemisia Mean Centre of Perinatal Diagnosis, Rome,Italy. A cross sectional study involving 1000 pregnant women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancy between 14(th) and 41(th) weeks of gestation from 1 ...

Quality and in vitro fertilizing ability of frozen-thawed cat semen collected by urethral catheterization (CT) or electroejaculation (EE) after medetomidine administration were compared. Sperm collection was performed by an urinary tomcat catheter and, 4 days apart, by electroejaculation from each of eight tomcats. Results showed that semen collected by CT ...

Theory predicts that, during pollen competition, selection may favor a pollen trait that increases donor competitive ability at the expense of the female reproductive function. One such pollen trait could be manipulation of the onset of stigma receptivity. We evaluated the potential occurrence of this kind of sexual conflict by ...

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of storage of stallion semen in a defined milk protein extender at 5 and 15 degrees C under either anaerobic or aerobic conditions, with or without addition of the antibiotic gentamicin. Semen samples were collected from eight fertile stallions and stored for ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the fertilization and pregnancy rates of artificial reproductive technologies using semen samples without (<1 x 10(6)/mL) and with (> or =1 x 10(6)/mL) leukocytospermia. The overall fertilization rate was 63.4% (range, 44.4-87.5%) in nonleukocytospermic couples and 64.3% (range, 45.3-100.0%) in leukocytospermic couples, ...

Nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers were used to determine their short-term summer effects on algal colonization, abundance, and species composition in moderate herbivory treatments. Secondary succession of algae on coral skeletons was examined in four treatments: an untreated control, a pure phosphate fertilizer, a pure nitrogen fertilizer, and an equal mix ...

The objective was to compare pregnancy rates in domestic cats using fresh semen for intravaginal artificial insemination (IVI), either at the time of hCG treatment for induction of ovulation, or 28 h later, and to compare pregnancy rates following IVI or transcervical intrauterine insemination (IUI) of frozen-thawed semen. Eighteen queens ...

In the donkey species, the application of cooled semen artificial insemination could aid the survival of endangered breeds. Fifteen ejaculates collected from three Amiata donkeys were used to evaluate the effect of three extenders on spermatozoal motility characteristics after cooling and preservation for up to 72 h. Semen was diluted ...

In the 2004/2005 breeding season, the fertility of sex-sorted (SS) and non-sorted (NS) frozen stallion spermatozoa from two Hannovarian stallions was compared. A hysteroscopic insemination technique [Morris, L.H., Tiplady, C., Allen, W.R., 2003a. Pregnancy rates in mares after a single fixed time hysteroscopic insemination of low numbers of frozen-thawed spermatozoa ...

Five experiments tested the efficiency of a simple, low-cost system (CP) for cooling and storing equine semen at 2.0 degrees C for 24 h and 48 h. Pantaneiro stallions of known fertility were used. Semen quality was evaluated for progressive motility (PM), plasma membrane integrity (PMI), and pregnancy rate. Experiment ...

In order to optimize the efficient use of cryopreserved stallion semen, recent research has focused on the minimum insemination dose of frozen-thawed spermatozoa required for maximum fertility rate. The results appear to be highly stallion-dependent. Factors such as the timing of AI with respect to ovulation, as well as the ...

Due to dramatically improved survival, cystic fibrosis (CF) is now considered a chronic disease of adults. Many men and women who have CF are interested in starting families and have questions regarding fertility and pregnancy, making discussion of these issues important in routine CF care. This article addresses key issues ...

The possibility of modifying the sex ratio of rabbit litters was examined in two experiments involving artificial insemination (AI) with fresh semen. Three time periods of AI, relative to ovulation, were used in Experiment 1: (a) control, GnRH was administered immediately after AI with ovulation estimated to occur 10-12h after ...

The study assessed the fertility and purity of sexed semen used for inseminating Holstein-Friesian heifers in commercial dairy herds. Sex-sorted semen from 4 proven Holstein-Friesian bulls and available under commercial conditions was used on nulliparous Holstein heifers reared on 61 dairy farms of northern Italy. Data from 536 artificial inseminations ...

Until recently, the prognosis associated with many forms of systemic vasculitis was quite grim. Advances in this field have allowed us to begin to focus on issues related to quality of life such as fertility, conception, and pregnancy among women with vasculitis. Because the systemic vasculitides are rare diagnoses, many ...

Sexed semen has been a long-anticipated tool for dairy farmers to obtain more heifer calves, but challenges exist for integrating sexed semen into commercial dairy farm reproduction programs. The decreased conception rates (CR) experienced with sexed semen make virgin heifers better suited for insemination with sexed semen than lactating dairy ...

Deprivation of oestrogen during post-ovulatory mated cycles in proven fertile female bonnet monkeys by tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitor or oestrogen antiserum resulted in inhibition of pregnancy establishment in all three groups of animals. However, more than 85% of the animals became pregnant within three exposures to proven fertile males in the ...

The study of mortality crises provides an unusual and valuable perspective on the relationship between mortality and fertility changes, a relationship that has puzzled demographers for decades. In this article, we combine nationally representative survey and demographic-surveillance system data to study fertility trends around the time of the Khmer Rouge ...

BACKGROUND: The period in each menstrual cycle during which sexual intercourse can result in conception is called the "fertile window". Although the fertile window closes on the day of ovulation, little is known about the moment it opens. We defined the first day of normal sperm-mucus interaction as the opening ...

The present study was conducted to examine the fertility of ewes inseminated intrauterinally with frozen semen using semen extender containing either egg yolk or bovine serum albumin (BSA). Sixty Suffolk and cross-bred ewes were treated with controlled internal drug release (CIDR) devices during the non-breeding season (July 2006). A CIDR ...

Eggs, hatchlings, and adult loggerhead turtles, and incubation durations of clutches, were measured on three Turkish beaches (Dalyan, Fethiye and Göksu Delta), and some physical features of nests were compared. These features were not statistically different among the beaches, except for nest depth and distance to the high water mark. ...

The purpose of the present study was to compare the number of spermatozoa obtained from different parts of the oviducts and the uterine horns of sows after intrauterine insemination (IUI) and conventional artificial insemination (AI), 24 h after insemination. Twelve crossbred (Landrace x Yorkshire) multiparous sows were used in the ...

The approaches used by demographers and by epidemiologists for studying the fecundity of couples (i.e. their ability to conceive) have converged, whereas they were historically divergent. Demography traditionally focused on fertility - the circumstances in which livebirths occur - with the aim of predicting population changes, in particular. Demographers also ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This paper reviews the effect of in-vitro fertilization on maternal and perinatal outcomes of pregnancy. RECENT FINDINGS: Few randomized, controlled trials have been published in this area due to inherent difficulties in studying this population of infertile women who require in-vitro fertilization. Systematic review of the literature ...

The transvaginal injection of Methotrexate in the treatment of live ectopic pregnancy has been reported. The Authors report two cases of angular live ectopic pregnancies treated successfully with transabdominal injection of Methotrexate.

The role of seminal plasma (SP) components on the maintenance of motility, viability and fertilising ability of frozen-thawed spermatozoa is of considerable interest. However, differences observed in constituents of SP among males could explain differences in fertility obtained in vivo. Two experiments were designed to examine the effects of seminal ...

The present study was performed to assess the fertility of frozen-thawed dog semen prepared by freezing with 6% glycerol and thawing at 70 degrees C for 8 sec, and to evaluate the least number of post-thaw spermatozoa necessary to achieve pregnancy by intrauterine or intratubal artificial insemination. It was found ...

Flow cytometrically sex sorted spermatozoa are reduced in their fertilizing capacity, particularly when stored either in cooling extender or after freezing in liquid nitrogen. So far, preservation methods for sorted spermatozoa have differed only marginally from procedures used for unsorted semen. In the present study, a TRIS extender was modified ...

Capacitation was discovered independently by Austin and Chang in the early 1950s and was defined as the obligate period of residence of spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract, which confers on the spermatozoa the ability to fertilize an oocyte. The molecular basis of the phenomenon of capacitation is poorly understood ...

A limited field trial was performed to evaluate the fertilizing capacity of boar spermatozoa frozen in an extender supplemented with lipoprotein fractions isolated from ostrich egg yolk (LPFo). Boar semen, diluted in an extender containing lactose with lyophilized lipoprotein fractions, glycerol and Orvus Es Paste (lactose-LPFo-G), was frozen using a ...

The overall aim of this research was to improve fertility of cattle inseminated with sexed spermatozoa by improving sperm sorting procedures. Six field trials were conducted in which 4,264 heifers were inseminated into the uterine body with cryopreserved sexed or unsexed control spermatozoa. Pregnancy or calving rates with doses of ...

The experiment was carried out on a short rotation coppice culture of poplars (POP-EUROFACE, Central Italy), growing in a free air carbon dioxide enriched atmosphere (FACE). The specific objective of this work was to study whether elevated CO(2) and fertilization (two CO(2) treatments, elevated CO(2) and control, two N fertilization ...

The Oxford Conception Study is a randomised controlled trial that aims to determine whether or not information about potential fertility from a device that monitors urinary hormones will increase the conception rate in women wishing to conceive. Three modified versions of a fertility monitor have been developed for the study. ...