Artificial intelligence-powered assisted ranking of sibling embryos to increase first cycle pregnancy rate.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Could EMBRYOLY, an artificial intelligence embryo evaluation tool, assist embryologists to increase first cycle pregnancy rate and reduce cycles to pregnancy for patients? DESIGN: Data from 11,988 embryos were collected via EMBRYOLY from 2666 egg retrievals (2019-2022) across 11 centres in France, Spain and Morocco using three time-lapse systems (TLS). Data from two independent clinics were also examined. EMBRYOLY's transformer-based model was applied to transferred embryos to evaluate ranking performances against pregnancy and birth outcomes. It was applied to cohorts to rank sibling embryos (including non-transferred) according to their likelihood of clinical pregnancy and to compute the agreement with the embryologist's highest ranked embryo. Its effect on time to pregnancy and first cycle pregnancy rate was evaluated on cohorts with multiple single blastocyst transfers, assuming the embryologist would have considered EMBRYOLY's ranking on the embryos favoured for transfer. RESULTS: EMBRYOLY's score correlated significantly with clinical pregnancies and live births for cleavage and blastocyst transfers. This held true for clinical pregnancies from blastocyst transfers in two independent clinics. In cases of multiple single embryo transfers, embryologists achieved a 19.8% first cycle pregnancy rate, which could have been improved to 44.1% with the adjunctive use of EMBRYOLY (McNemar's test: P < 0.001). This could have reduced cycles to clinical pregnancy from 2.01 to 1.66 (Wilcoxon test: P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: EMBRYOLY's potential to enhance first cycle pregnancy rates when combined with embryologists' expertise is highlighted. It reduces the number of unsuccessful cycles for patients across TLS and IVF centres.

Primary sex ratio in euploid embryos of consanguine couples after IVF/ICSI.

PURPOSE: To assess the primary sex ratio (males-to-females at time of conception) in blastocysts from consanguine couples undergoing IVF/ICSI treatments and its correlation with chromosomal constitution. METHOD: A total of 5135 blastocysts were analyzed by preimplantation-genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) with next-generation sequencing (NGS) from November 2016 to December 2020. From those, a total of 1138 blastocysts were from consanguine couples (CS) and 3997 from non-consanguine couples (NCS). Only blastocysts presenting normal sex chromosome constitution with or without autosomal aneuploidies were included. Primary sex ratio (PSR) of biopsied blastocysts was compared between CS and NCS couples. RESULTS: Expanded blastocysts derived from CS had 47.7% XY versus 52.3% XX constitutions, presenting a PSR of 0.91. In NCS, 48.9% of expanded blastocysts were XY and 51.2% XX, with a less pronounced PSR of 0.95. When stratifying embryos by ploidy, euploid embryos from CS had the lowest PSR (0.87) with 46.6% XY versus 53.4% XX blastocysts (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.70-1.14; NS), but it did not achieve statistical significance. The lower PSR seemed rather related to euploid embryos from first-degree cousins (PSR = 0.80 versus 0.98 in second-degree cousins, NS). Euploid embryos from NCS presented a PSR of 0.96, with 49.1% XY versus 50.9% XX blastocysts (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.79-1.22; NS). Significant differences in prevalence of euploidy of specific chromosomes were encountered between CS and NCS. CONCLUSIONS: The primary sex ratio was generally similar in expanded blastocysts from consanguine and non-consanguine couples, with a slight decrease in primary sex ratio of euploid blastocysts from consanguine couples.

Supporting bereaved people: a qualitative study on the experience of informal support providers, before and during the pandemic scenario.

The COVID-19 outbreak has further highlighted the need to strengthen support networks to sustain grieving people. However, we know very little about the experience of those who, because of their emotional connection with the bereaved person or of their social function, find themselves supporting people in grief. The current study aimed to analyze the experience of grievers' informal support providers (relatives and friends, teachers, religious leaders, funeral providers, pharmacists, volunteers, and social service workers). 162 in-depth interviews were collected (meanage = 42.3, SD = 14.9; women = 63.6%). Findings highlight two different ways of talking about one's experience and two different ways of offering support. Such dissimilarities do not relate to the period in which support was offered (before or during the pandemic). The results will be discussed in order to highlight emerging training needs to support bereaved people in their difficult transition.

Reproductive outcomes with delayed blastocyst development: the clinical value of day 7 euploid blastocysts in frozen embryo transfer cycles.

Embryos of optimal development reach blastocyst stage 116 ± 2 h after insemination. Usable D7 blastocysts represent nearly 5% of embryos in IVF with acceptable pregnancy and live birth rates, however data are still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR) of D7 blastocysts in single euploid frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles. An observational study was performed including 1527 FET cycles with blastocysts biopsied on D5 (N = 855), D6 (N = 636) and D7 (N = 36). Blastocysts were classified as good (AA/AB/BA), fair (BB) or poor (AC/BC/CC/CA/CB) (Gardner scoring). FETs were performed in natural cycles (NC) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cycles. Patient's age differed significantly between D5, D6 and D7 blastocysts FET cycles (33.2 ± 5.6, 34.4 ± 5.3 and 35.9 ± 5.2, P < 0.001). OPRs were higher when D5 euploid blastocysts were transferred compared with D6 and D7 (56.0% vs. 45.3% and 11.1%, P < 0.001). Poor quality blastocysts were predominant in D7 blastocyst FET cycles (good quality: 35.4%, 27.2%, 5.6%; fair quality: 52.1%, 38.5%, 11.1%; poor quality: 12.5%, 34.3%, 83.3%, P < 0.001 for D5, D6 and D7 blastocysts; respectively). OPR was significantly reduced by D7 blastocyst FETs (OR = 0.23 [0.08;0.62], P = 0.004), patient's BMI (OR = 0.96 [0.94;0.98], P < 0.001), HRT cycles (OR = 0.70 [0.56;0.88], P = 0.002) and poor quality blastocysts (OR = 0.33 [0.24;0.45], P < 0.001). OPR is significantly reduced with D7 compared with D5/D6 euploid blastocysts in FET cycles. The older the patient, the more likely they are to have an FET cycle with blastocysts biopsied on D7, therefore culturing embryos until D7 can be a strategy to increase OPR outcomes in patients ≥38 years.

Outcomes of Different In Vitro Maturation Procedures for Oocyte Cryopreservation for Fertility Preservation and yet Another Live Birth in a Cancer Patient.

To ensure patient care in an oncological fertility preservation (FP) programme, specialists must provide technology that best suits the patients' clinical conditions. In vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) and ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) are possible fertility preservation treatments for women in need of urgent oncological treatment. IVM consists of the retrieval of immature oocytes from small antral follicles, with no or minimal ovarian stimulation by gonadotropins. Therefore, IVM has become a pertinent option for fertility preservation, especially for cases whereby ovarian stimulation is unfeasible or contra-indicated. Existing data on immature oocytes, retrieved transvaginally (OPU-IVM) or extracted from ovarian tissue 'ex vivo' (OTO-IVM), are still limited on technical consistency, efficacy, and safety. The present retrospective cohort study includes 89 women undergoing fertility preservation using IVM methodologies and 26 women undergoing ovarian stimulation (OS) in concomitant period. In total, 533 immature oocytes were collected from IVM patients, achieving a maturation rate of 57% and 70% in OTO-IVM and 73% and 82% in OPU-IVM at 24 h and 48 h in culture, respectively. The observed high maturation rates might be due to the use of patients' serum in its innate status, i.e., without heat-inactivation. This permitted 7.6 ± 5.7 and 4.6 ± 4.9 oocytes to be vitrified in OTO-IVM and OPU-IVM, respectively, compared to 6.8 ± 4.6 from OS patients. Regarding OS patients, two of them underwent embryo transfer following the insemination of warmed oocytes after complete remission, resulting in a single live birth from one patient. Upon follow-up of two OTO-IVM patients after the termination of their oncological treatment, a total of 11 warmed oocytes lead to a transfer of a single embryo, but pregnancy was not achieved. From OPU-IVM, six embryos were transferred in three patients 4.25 years after oocyte vitrification, leading to the live birth of a healthy boy. The present case of live birth is among the first cases reported so far and supports the notion that IVM might be a relevant and safe FP option for cancer patients when oocyte preservation is required but ovarian stimulation is contra-indicated.

Embryo Culture Medium Has No Impact on Mosaicism Rates: a Sibling Oocyte Study.

Human embryos cultured in vitro can contain two or more cytogenetically distinct cell lineages known as "chromosomal mosaicism". Since mosaicism is produced by mitotic errors after fertilization occurs, culture conditions might contribute to mosaicism origins. Many studies demonstrated that euploidy rates are not affected by culture media; however, whether oocytes cultured under continuous culture media (CCM) or sequential culture media (SCM) has a higher risk of mosaicism occurring remains unsolved. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether mosaicism rates differ when sibling oocytes are cultured in CCM or SCM. A single center observational study was performed including 6072 sibling oocytes. Mature oocytes (MII) were inseminated and cultured in CCM (n = 3,194) or SCM (n = 2,359) until blastocyst stage for trophectoderm (TE) biopsy on day (D) 5, D6, or D7 for preimplantation genetic testing analysis with a semi-automated next-generation sequencing. Mosaicism was classified as low (30-50%) or high (50-80%) based on the percentage of abnormal cells constitution detected in TE samples. As a result, 426 women with a mean age of 34.7 ± 6.4 years were included in the study. Fertilization rates were comparable between CCM and SCM (74.0% vs 72.0%, p = 0.091). Although total blastulation rate and usable blastocyst rate (biopsied blastocysts) were significantly higher in CCM than SCM (75.3 % vs. 70.3%, p < 0.001 and 58.0% vs. 54.5%, p = 0.026), euploidy rates did not differ significantly (45.2% vs. 45.7%, p = 0.810, respectively). Mosaicism rate was not significantly different for blastocysts cultured in CCM or SCM (4.7% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.650), neither the proportion of low or high mosaic rates (3.7% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.353 and 1.0% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.355, respectively). Hence, it was concluded that CCM or SCM does not have an impact on mosaicism rate of embryos cultured until the blastocyst stage.

Features of chromosomal abnormalities in relation to consanguinity: analysis of 10,556 blastocysts from IVF/ICSI cycles with PGT-A from consanguineous and non-consanguineous couples.

Consanguineous marriage is defined as marriage between first or second-degree cousins, with high prevalence in many cultures and societies. Descendants from consanguineous unions have an increased risk for genetic diseases. Additionally, in consanguineous couples, chromosomal disjunction during embryogenesis could also be affected, increasing the risk of chromosomal errors. Nowadays, genomic testing allows to identify new genetic syndromes and variants related to copy-number variations (CNV), including whole chromosome, segmental and micro-segmental errors. This is the first study evaluating chromosomal ploidy status on blastocysts formed from consanguineous couples during IVF/ICSI treatments with Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidies (PGT-A), compared to non-consanguineous couples. Although consanguine couples were significantly younger, no differences were observed between groups for fertilisation rate, blastulation rate and euploidy rate, once adjusted by age. Nevertheless, the number of blastocysts biopsied on day 5 was lower for consanguine couples. Segmental errors, and aneuploidies of chromosomes 13 and 14 were the most prominent abnormalities in relation to consanguinity, together with errors in chromosome 16 and sex chromosomes when the female partner was younger than 35. Once euploid blastocysts were considered for subsequent frozen embryo transfer, pregnancy outcomes were similar in both groups. The current findings point toward the fact that in consanguine unions, not only the risk of having a child with genetic disorders is increased, but also the risk of specific chromosomal abnormalities seems to be increased. Premarital counselling and tailored reproductive treatments should be offered to these couples.

Piezoelectric Surgery Is Effective in Reducing Pain, Swelling, and Trismus After Removal of Impacted Lower Third Molars: A Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Surgery of impacted lower third molars may be associated with postoperative complications. The aim of this study is to determine whether piezoelectric surgery is effective in reducing pain, swelling, and trismus compared to conventional rotary instruments during extraction of impacted lower third molars. METHODS: For this systematic review, the searches were performed independently by 2 researchers. Randomized clinical trials that used the piezoelectric instrument for the removal of impacted lower third molars in humans were included. The predictor variable was the study group (piezo surgery vs rotary instruments). The main outcome was the analysis of postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus. Data analysis included risk of bias assessment (RoB 2 Cochrane) and meta-analysis with heterogeneity based on random effects I2 and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: In the initial results, 956 articles were revised and after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, the final sample was composed of 18 publications, all being randomized clinical trials. The results of this meta-analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in pain scores with a Cohen's d of -0.95 [CI 95% = -1.23 to -0.67] of high clinical impact (P < .001). In the piezo group there was a significant increase in mouth opening of 4.29 [CI 95% = 2.33 to 6.25] mm (P < .001). Regarding swelling, Tragus-Ang and Go-eye, both showed a significant reduction in the piezo group (P < .001). There was a significant increase of 7.32 [CI 95% = 4.40 to 10.24] minutes in the piezo group (P < .00001), and none of the studies showed a significant risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: Piezo proved to be effective in reducing pain, swelling, and trismus in third molar surgeries even with longer surgical time, but due to the lack of standardization in primary studies regarding swelling, new, controlled and standardized studies should be carried out with the objective of proving the effectiveness of this therapeutic modality in the reduction of postoperative swelling.

ART outcome after euploid frozen embryo transfer is not affected by previous Cesarean section delivery in the absence of intracavitary fluid.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of a cesarean section (CS) on the chance of clinical pregnancy and live birth (LB) in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles in the setting of euploid embryos and the absence of intracavitary fluid (ICF) as causes of implantation failure were excluded. METHODS: Retrospective study, including patients with at least one previous CS or at least one previous vaginal delivery, who underwent a euploid FET cycle. RESULTS: A total of 412 euploid embryo transfer cycles had been included. Patients' mean age was 34.5 years and 42.48% of patients have had at least one previous CS. A clinical pregnancy was seen in 69.42% and 60.19% of the patients had a LB. Positive pregnancy test, clinical pregnancy, and LB rate were not significantly different between the groups without/with a history of a previous CS (p = 0.6/0.45/0.94, respectively). LB rate was significantly reduced by the presence of mucus on the ET catheter (OR: 0.413; p = 0.010), the BMI (OR: 0.946; p = 0.006), the combined embryo quality (embryo quality fair: OR: 0.444; p = 0.001; embryo quality low: OR: 0.062; p < 0.001), and by the HRT endometrial preparation approach (OR: 0.609; p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: The possible negative impact of a CS can be overcome when a euploid FET after exclusion of ICF is performed.

Emotional processing during the therapy for complicated grief.

OBJECTIVE: Prior research, mainly conducted on depression, observed that clients' improved capability to process their emotions predicted better therapeutic outcomes. The current comparative study aimed to investigate whether emotional processing was related to therapeutic change in complicated grief. METHOD: We analyzed two contrasting cases (good or poor outcome) treated with grief constructivist therapy. In both cases we investigated the association of emotional processing (Experiencing Scale) to (1) therapeutic outcome (Inventory of Complicated Grief), and (2) change in the type of grief-related emotions (Emotions Episodes). RESULTS: The session-by-session growth of clients' emotional processing and the change of grief-related emotions were qualitatively explored throughout both cases. Compared with the poor outcome case, the good outcome case achieved more improvement in the ability to process emotions. Such improvement occurred alongside a deeper change in the type of grief-related emotions aroused, from maladaptive to more adaptive responses. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a higher emotional processing capability may be associated with the transformation of grief-related maladaptive emotions and with the improvement of complicated grief condition.

Análise de erros radiográficos em clínica de odontopediatria de uma instituição de ensino superior de Teresina - Piauí / Analysis of radiographic errors in the pediatric dentistry clinic of a higher education institution in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalência de erros radiográficos em radiografias periapicais de uma clínica de Odontopediatria em uma instituição de ensino superior de Teresina-Piauí. Métodos: Tratou-se de estudo transversal retrospectivo. Foram coletados dados sociodemográficos e radiográficos (localização e presença de erros de técnica radiográfica, processamento e armazenamento). As radiografias foram analisadas por um único examinador calibrado (kappa > 0,80). Foi realizada análise descritiva dos dados, teste Qui-Quadrado, razão de prevalência não-ajustadas (RPnãoajust) e intervalos de confiança (IC 95%). Considerou-se significativo valor de p < 0,05. Resultados: Das 208 radiografias analisadas, 187 (89,9%) possuíam algum tipo de erro. O erro mais prevalente foi de técnica radiográfica (n = 115; 55,3%). Entre esses, a radiografia tremida foi o mais frequente (n = 57; 28,4%). O erro de processamento mais frequente foi presença de digitais (n = 37; 17,8%). Todos os erros de armazenamento (n = 89; 100%) estavam relacionados a não identificação do paciente. O erro de técnica esteve associado com os pacientes de idade menor que 5 anos (RPnãoajus = 1,2 IC95% 1,1-1,3) comparando com idade entre 6 e 10 anos. Não houve associação entre tipo de erro radiográfico e a dentição avaliada nas radiografias (p > 0,05). Conclusão: A quantidade de erros detectados neste estudo foi alta e o mais frequente foi quanto à técnica radiográfica mal executada. Todos os erros de armazenamento observados foram devido a não identificação do paciente. Há uma maior frequência de erros de técnica radiográfica em pacientes com menos de 5 anos se comparados aos de 6 a 10 anos.

Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of radiographic errors in periapical radiographs of a pediatric dentistry clinic in a higher education institution in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. Methods: This work is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic and radiographic data (location and presence of radiographic technique errors, processing, and storage) were collected. The radiographs were analyzed by a single calibrated examiner (kappa > 0.80). Descriptive analysis of the data, chi-square test, unadjusted prevalence ratio (PRnon-adjusted), and confidence intervals (95% CI) were performed. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 208 radiographs analyzed in this study, 187 (89.9%) presented some type of error. The most prevalent error was the radiographic technique (n = 115; 55.3%). Among these, shaky radiography was the most frequent (n = 57; 28.4%). The most frequent processing error was the presence of fingerprints (n = 37; 17.8%). All storage errors (n = 89; 100%) were related to failure to identify the patient. The technical error was associated with patients younger than 5 years of age (PRnon-adjusted = 1.2; 95% CI 1.1-1.3) compared with 6 to 10 years of age. No association was observed between the type of radiographic error and the dentition assessed on the radiographs (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The number of errors detected in this study was high and the most frequent concerned the poorly performed radiographic technique. All storage errors observed in this study were due to the failure to identify the patients. Children under 5 years of age proved to be more prone to technical radiographic errors than those of 6 to 10 years of age.

ESHRE guideline: female fertility preservation.

STUDY QUESTION: What is the recommended management for women and transgender men with regards to fertility preservation (FP), based on the best available evidence in the literature? SUMMARY ANSWER: The ESHRE Guideline on Female Fertility Preservation makes 78 recommendations on organization of care, information provision and support, pre-FP assessment, FP interventions and after treatment care. Ongoing developments in FP are also discussed. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The field of FP has grown hugely in the last two decades, driven by the increasing recognition of the importance of potential loss of fertility as a significant effect of the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases, and the development of the enabling technologies of oocyte vitrification and ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) for subsequent autografting. This has led to the widespread, though uneven, provision of FP for young women. STUDY DESIGN SIZE DURATION: The guideline was developed according to the structured methodology for development of ESHRE guidelines. After formulation of key questions by a group of experts, literature searches and assessments were performed. Papers published up to 1 November 2019 and written in English were included in the review. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING METHODS: Based on the collected evidence, recommendations were formulated and discussed until consensus was reached within the guideline group. A stakeholder review was organized after finalization of the draft. The final version was approved by the guideline group and the ESHRE Executive Committee. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: This guideline aims to help providers meet a growing demand for FP options by diverse groups of patients, including those diagnosed with cancer undergoing gonadotoxic treatments, with benign diseases undergoing gonadotoxic treatments or those with a genetic condition predisposing to premature ovarian insufficiency, transgender men (assigned female at birth), and women requesting oocyte cryopreservation for age-related fertility loss.The guideline makes 78 recommendations on information provision and support, pre-FP assessment, FP interventions and after treatment care, including 50 evidence-based recommendations-of which 31 were formulated as strong recommendations and 19 as weak-25 good practice points and 3 research only recommendations. Of the evidence-based recommendations, 1 was supported by high-quality evidence, 3 by moderate-quality evidence, 17 by low-quality evidence and 29 by very low-quality evidence. To support future research in the field of female FP, a list of research recommendations is provided. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: Most interventions included are not well studied in FP patients. As some interventions, e.g. oocyte and embryo cryopreservation, are well established for treatment of infertility, technical aspects, feasibility and outcomes can be extrapolated. For other interventions, such as OTC and IVM, more evidence is required, specifically pregnancy outcomes after applying these techniques for FP patients. Such future studies may require the current recommendations to be revised. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The guideline provides clinicians with clear advice on best practice in female FP, based on the best evidence currently available. In addition, a list of research recommendations is provided to stimulate further studies in FP. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: The guideline was developed and funded by ESHRE, covering expenses associated with the guideline meetings, with the literature searches and with the dissemination of the guideline. The guideline group members did not receive payment. R.A.A. reports personal fees and non-financial support from Roche Diagnostics, personal fees from Ferring Pharmaceuticals, IBSA and Merck Serono, outside the submitted work; D.B. reports grants from Merck Serono and Goodlife, outside the submitted work; I.D. reports consulting fees from Roche and speaker's fees from Novartis; M.L. reports personal fees from Roche, Novartis, Pfizer, Lilly, Takeda, and Theramex, outside the submitted work. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. DISCLAIMER: This guideline represents the views of ESHRE, which were achieved after careful consideration of the scientific evidence available at the time of preparation. In the absence of scientific evidence on certain aspects, a consensus between the relevant ESHRE stakeholders has been obtained. Adherence to these clinical practice guidelines does not guarantee a successful or specific outcome, nor does it establish a standard of care. Clinical practice guidelines do not replace the need for application of clinical judgment to each individual presentation, nor variations based on locality and facility type. ESHRE makes no warranty, express or implied, regarding the clinical practice guidelines and specifically excludes any warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular use or purpose. (Full disclaimer available at  www.eshre.eu/guidelines.) †ESHRE Pages content is not externally peer reviewed. The manuscript has been approved by the Executive Committee of ESHRE.

Coding in medically assisted reproduction: the status of the implementation of the Single European Code for reproductive cells and tissues.

STUDY QUESTION: To evaluate the implementation of the coding systems in medically assisted reproduction (MAR) centres in the European Union (EU). SUMMARY ANSWER: Our data show that a significant number of MAR centres use the Single European Code (SEC), but it also shows certain limitations to the coding. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Traceability and identification of tissue and cells used for clinical application are extremely important as it is one of the key aspects of quality and safety both for the donors and the recipients. Patients as well as tissues and cells move across the European continent and far beyond, hence a uniform coding system was very much needed. The coding of tissues and cells from human origin was already embedded in the EU directives 2004/23/EC. The use of the Single European Code (SEC) on tissues and cells was enforced in 2017 for tissues and cells distributed within the EU or exported from the EU. The SEC ensures standardization within the EU, allowing the integration of the two existing codes (ISBT-128 and Eurocode) within the SEC structure. Likewise, in the MAR field, the SEC was launched in order to ensure the traceability of reproductive tissues and cells. Gametes and embryos from partner donation as well as reproductive cells and tissues of allogeneic donation were excluded from the SEC as long as they remain in the centre of origin. STUDY DESIGN SIZE DURATION: A cross-sectional survey aimed to gain insight into the use of SEC by MAR centres was conducted between 5 November and 15 December 2018. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING METHODS: The online survey was distributed among the ESHRE members. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The survey results highlight the strengths and weaknesses in the practical use of the SEC. The data from the survey showed that the SEC code is something that is known in the MAR field. Our data showed that over half of the respondents were using the SEC in their centre. On the other hand, there is also criticism about the use of SEC in MAR, especially that the added value for traceability and identification in ART is found to be rather limited. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: The survey response rate was rather low (4.84%). The view of the use of SEC discussed in this paper still provides insight into the use of the SEC in several MAR centres. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The survey highlights some knowledge gaps concerning coding. This information can be used to develop tools to increase knowledge of the SEC. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: There was no external funding for this study. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Managing the IVF laboratory during a pandemic: international perspectives from laboratory managers.

Fertility societies worldwide responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by recommending that fertility clinics close, or sharply reduce, the clinical operation, leading to a shift in the management of IVF laboratories in three phases: shutdown preparation; maintenance during shutdown; and restart. Each of these phases carries distinct risks that need identification and mitigation, forcing laboratory managers to rethink and adapt their procedures in response to the pandemic. The sudden and unprecedented nature of the pandemic forced laboratory managers from around the world to base decisions on opinion and experience when evidence-based response options were unavailable. These perspectives on pandemic response were presented during a virtual international symposium on COVID-19, held on 3 April 2020, and organized by the London Laboratory Managers' Group. Laboratory managers from seven different countries at different stages of the pandemic (China, Italy, Spain, France, UK, Brazil and Australia) presented their personal experiences to a select audience of experienced laboratory managers from 19 different countries. The intention of this paper is to collect the learnings and considerations from this group of laboratory managers who collaborated to share personal experiences to contribute to the debate surrounding what constitutes good IVF laboratory practice in extraordinary circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Factors associated with time interval between the onset of symptoms and first medical visit in women with breast cancer.

Women presenting with advanced breast cancer tumors are common in Brazil. Little is known about factors contributing to the delay in seeking care. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with longer time intervals between the onset of breast cancer symptoms and the first medical visit in the Federal District, Brazil. The analysis included 444 symptomatic women with incident breast cancer, interviewed between September, 2012 and September, 2014, during their admission for breast cancer treatment in nine public hospitals in the Federal District. Patients with metastatic disease at diagnosis were not included in this study. The outcome was time interval between symptom onset and the first medical visit, whether > 90 (34% of patients) or ≤ 90 days. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). In the multivariate analysis, the > 90 day interval was significantly associated with patients not performing mammography and/or breast ultrasound in the two years prior to breast cancer diagnosis (OR = 1.97; 95%CI: 1.26-3.08), and with more advanced stages (OR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.10-2.72). Furthermore, there was a lower chance of delay in patients with higher levels of education (OR = 0.95; 95%CI: 0.91-0.99). A relatively high proportion of breast cancer patients in the Brazilian Federal District experienced delay to attend the first medical consultation after the symptoms onset. Increasing breast cancer awareness, especially among women with low educational levels and those not participating in mammography screening programs could contribute to reduce this delay.

Factors associated with time interval between the onset of symptoms and first medical visit in women with breast cancer / Fatores associados com o intervalo entre o início de sintomas e a primeira consulta médica entre mulheres com câncer de mama / Factores asociados al intervalo de tiempo entre la aparición de síntomas y la primera visita médica de mujeres con cáncer de mama

Women presenting with advanced breast cancer tumors are common in Brazil. Little is known about factors contributing to the delay in seeking care. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with longer time intervals between the onset of breast cancer symptoms and the first medical visit in the Federal District, Brazil. The analysis included 444 symptomatic women with incident breast cancer, interviewed between September, 2012 and September, 2014, during their admission for breast cancer treatment in nine public hospitals in the Federal District. Patients with metastatic disease at diagnosis were not included in this study. The outcome was time interval between symptom onset and the first medical visit, whether > 90 (34% of patients) or ≤ 90 days. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). In the multivariate analysis, the > 90 day interval was significantly associated with patients not performing mammography and/or breast ultrasound in the two years prior to breast cancer diagnosis (OR = 1.97; 95%CI: 1.26-3.08), and with more advanced stages (OR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.10-2.72). Furthermore, there was a lower chance of delay in patients with higher levels of education (OR = 0.95; 95%CI: 0.91-0.99). A relatively high proportion of breast cancer patients in the Brazilian Federal District experienced delay to attend the first medical consultation after the symptoms onset. Increasing breast cancer awareness, especially among women with low educational levels and those not participating in mammography screening programs could contribute to reduce this delay.

São comuns no Brasil os casos de mulheres com tumores de mama em estágio avançado ao diagnóstico inicial. Há pouca informação sobre os fatores que contribuem para a demora na busca de atendimento. O estudo teve como objetivo identificar os fatores associados a intervalos mais longos entre o início dos sintomas do câncer de mama e a primeira consulta médica no Distrito Federal, Brasil. A análise incluiu 444 mulheres sintomáticas com diagnóstico de câncer de mama, entrevistadas entre setembro de 2012 e setembro de 2014, durante a internação para o tratamento do câncer em nove hospitais públicos no Distrito Federal. As pacientes com doença metastática ao diagnóstico não foram incluídas no estudo. A variável de desfecho era o intervalo entre o início dos sintomas e a primeira consulta médica, sendo classificada como > 90 dias (34% das pacientes) ou ≤ 90 dias. Foi usada regressão logística para estimar os odds ratios (OR) e intervalos de 95% de confiança (IC95%). Na análise multivariada, o intervalo de > 90 dias mostrou associação significativa com a falta de mamografia e/ou de ultrassom mamário nos dois anos anteriores ao diagnóstico de câncer de mama (OR = 1,97; IC95%: 1,26-3,08), e com estágios mais avançados da doença (OR = 1,72; IC95%: 1,10-2,72). Além disso, houve probabilidade menor de demora em pacientes com maior escolaridade (OR = 0,95; IC95%: 0,91-0,99). Uma proporção relativamente alta de pacientes com câncer de mama no Distrito Federal sofreram demora na primeira consulta médica após o início dos sintomas. Uma maior conscientização sobre câncer de mama, principalmente entre mulheres com menores níveis de escolaridade e aquelas que não participam em programa de rastreamento com mamografia, pode contribuir para a redução dessa demora.

Las mujeres que presentan tumores avanzados de cáncer de mama son comunes en Brasil. Se sabe poco sobre los factores que contribuyen al retraso en la búsqueda de atención. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los factores asociados a los intervalos de tiempo más largos entre la aparición de los síntomas de cáncer de pecho y la primera visita médica en el Distrito Federal, Brasil. El análisis incluyó a 444 mujeres con síntomas de cáncer de pecho, que fueron entrevistadas entre septiembre 2012 y septiembre 2014, durante el tratamiento de cáncer de mama en nueve hospitales públicos del Distrito Federal. Pacientes con enfermedad metastásica en el diagnóstico no estuvieron incluidos en este estudio. El resultado fue el intervalo de tiempo entre la aparición de los síntomas y la primera visita médica, si > 90 (34% de pacientes) o ≤ 90 días. La regresión logística se usó para estimar odds ratios (OR) y los intervalos de 95% de confianza (IC95%). En el análisis multivariado, los > 90 días de intervalo estuvieron significativamente asociados con pacientes que no se realizaron mamografías y/o ultrasonidos en el pecho en los dos años previos al diagnóstico de cáncer de mama (OR = 1.97; 95%CI: 1.26-3.08), y en estadios más avanzados (OR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.10-2.72). Además, hubo una probabilidad más baja de retraso en pacientes con niveles más altos de educación (OR = 0.95; 95%CI: 0.91-0.99). Una proporción relativamente alta de pacientes con cáncer de pecho en el Distrito Federal sufrieron retrasos para realizar las primeras consultas médicas tras la aparición de los síntomas. El aumento de la concienciación sobre el cáncer de mama, especialmente entre mujeres con bajo nivel educacional y quienes no participaron en programas de mamografías pudieron contribuir a la reducción de este retraso.

Elective egg freezing without medical indications.

The aim of this review is to provide current knowledge on fertility preservation for non-medical reasons in women willing to postpone childbearing. The topic is highly debatable, starting from disagreement about its terminology, the number of eggs necessary to predict chances of success, and the safety and socio/ethical point of view. Cost analysis and discrepancies among countries' recommendations and regulations are described to confirm the controversies and unsolved issues around this very interesting topic. Finally, an overview on the returning rate of women among "egg bankers" and reasons behind their decisions are illustrated.

Strategy to control occupational risk for Hepatitis B: impact on the vaccination and seroconversion rates in dentistry students / Estratégia para controle do risco ocupacional de Hepatite B: impacto nas taxas de vacinação e soroconversão de alunos de odontologia

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the development of a dentistry school strategy in order to reduce the occupational risk related to hepatitis B. Methods: The academic registration documents of 242 students entering the institution between the years 2006 and 2013, were evaluated, among which were of copies of the updated vaccination cards and anti-HBs serologic testing. Demographic variables and others related to the vaccination status of hepatitis B and seroconversion were considered. Results: One hundred percent of the students were found to be vaccinated, and 87.2% had vaccination records of three doses. The results of anti-HBs tests proved seroconversion in 91.3% of the students. From 2011, the dental school was able to institutionalize the follow-up behavior of the students who had anti-HBs non-reactive. Of the twenty individuals whose serology was negative, nine students (45% of the total and all of the 2011-2013 class) were followed-up and repeated the basic vaccination and anti-HBs test; eight seroconverted and one was considered a non-responder, increasing the percentage of immune students to 95%. Eleven (55%) had other unregistered behavior or the documents analyzed showed no data on them. Conclusion: The procedure of following-up the registration in vaccination records required by the Biosafety Committee of the institution was shown to be effective in reducing the occupational risk of hepatitis B among the students.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever a experiência de uma Faculdade de Odontologia para redução do risco ocupacional relacionado à hepatite B. Métodos: Foram avaliados os documentos de cadastro acadêmico dos 242 alunos com ingresso na instituição entre os anos de 2006 a 2013, dos quais faziam parte cópias da carteira de vacinação atualizada e do teste sorológico anti-HBs. Variáveis demográficas e relacionadas à situação vacinal da hepatite B e de soroconversão foram consideradas. Resultados: Verificou-se que 100% dos discentes foram vacinados, sendo que para 87,2% havia registro de vacinação em três doses. Os resultados do anti-HBs comprovaram a soroconversão em 91,3% dos alunos. Dos 20 indivíduos, cuja sorologia foi negativa, 9 alunos (45% do total e todos das turmas de 2011 a 2013) foram acompanhados e repetiram o esquema básico de vacinação e o teste anti-HBs, sendo que 8 soroconverteram e 1 foi considerado não respondedor, elevando a frequência de alunos imunes para 95%. Os 11 (55%) restantes não tiveram conduta registrada ou não havia dados sobre os mesmos nos documentos analisados. Conclusão: A conduta de acompanhamento vem mostrando-se efetiva para reduzir o risco ocupacional da hepatite B entre os alunos.

In vitro oocyte maturation: current status.

Due to its numerous clinical applications, in vitro maturation (IVM) has emerged as a significant topic in the field of assisted reproduction. IVM of germinal vesicle breakdown/metaphase I and germinal vesicle stage oocytes collected from in vitro fertilization (IVF) superovulation cycles are commonly applied with unsatisfactory results. The biological aspect of this so-called rescue in vitro oocyte maturation greatly differs from the actual IVM practice. In the latter, immature oocytes are obtained from small antral follicles of unprimed or minimally stimulated cycles aiming to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in high-risk patients or simply as an alternative to conventional IVF in normo-ovulatory patients. Over the past decade, cases reports regarding IVM have been sporadically reported, with ~25 peer-reviewed articles currently available. These studies present variable outcomes and deal with clinical approaches about selecting the most appropriate patient population that could benefit from IVM technology. Although some of the studies are encouraging, the vast majority includes small sample sizes, thus making the data rather inconclusive. As such there is a certain reserve in the IVF community to embark on treatment cycles for IVM in routine use. Laboratory parameters play an important role in the success of IVM, and research for optimal culture conditions is warranted. Existing data from newborns assure us that IVM may be a safe procedure provided in assisted reproductive technology. When optimized, it will serve, not only for infertile patients, but also as a more patient-friendly alternative than standard controlled ovarian stimulation to obtain oocytes for donation or preservation of fecundity.