Nutritional analysis of commercially available, complete plant- and meat-based dry dog foods in the UK.

Background: Adoption of a plant-based diet is a popular lifestyle choice for many owners of canine companion animals. Increasingly, owners would like to feed their canine companions a similar diet. A plant-based dietary pattern has been reported to be associated with some micronutrient deficiencies.

Outcomes of oocyte cryopreservation: an analysis based on age and treatment indications.

Study Question: How do age at oocyte cryopreservation (OC) and treatment indication affect the outcomes of OC cycles, particularly cumulative live birth rates (CLBR) per warm cycle?

Summary Answer: Age at OC significantly influenced CLBRs per warm cycle, with younger patients achieving higher success, while differences between treatment indications were not statistically significant.

What Is Known Already: OC is a well-established fertility preservation method, with success rates largely influenced by the woman's age at the time of freezing. However, limited data exist on how various medical and non-medical (elective) indications affect outcomes.

Amino acid and protein losses in adult patients receiving maintenance dialysis: a literature review.

This comprehensive review aimed to provide an update regarding amino acid/protein losses in maintenance haemodialysis/haemodiafiltration (HD/HDF), peritoneal dialysis (PD), home HD (HHD) and nocturnal HD (NHD). From 2000 to 2024, all records that measured amino acid, peptide/protein losses in the dialysate effluent were included. Twenty-nine eligible records were identified (14 HD/15 PD).

The Istanbul Consensus update: a revised ESHRE/ALPHA consensus on oocyte and embryo static and dynamic morphological assessment.

This European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)/Alpha Scientists in Reproductive Medicine (ALPHA) consensus document provides several novel recommendations to assess oocyte and embryo morphology and rank embryos for transfer. A previous ALPHA/ESHRE consensus on oocyte and embryo morphological assessment was published in 2011. After more than a decade, and the integration of time-lapse technology into embryo culture and assessment, a thorough review and update was needed.

The Istanbul consensus update: a revised ESHRE/ALPHA consensus on oocyte and embryo static and dynamic morphological assessment†,‡.

Study Question: What are the current recommended criteria for morphological assessment of oocytes, zygotes, and embryos?

Summary Answer: The present ESHRE/Alpha Scientists in Reproductive Medicine consensus document provides several novel recommendations to assess oocyte and embryo morphology and rank embryos for transfer.

What Is Known Already: A previous Alpha Scientists in Reproductive Medicine/ESHRE consensus on oocyte and embryo morphological assessment was published in 2011. After more than a decade, and the integration of time-lapse technology into embryo culture and assessment, a thorough review and update was needed.

IVF - through the looking glass.

'Through the looking-glass' is a metaphor often used to infer an unfamiliar or anomalous situation, an altered reality. This is perhaps a fitting representation of what human oocytes, spermatozoa and embryos experience when isolated and maintained in the artificial world that comprises an IVF laboratory. Rather than the dynamic and dark reproductive tract in vivo, the laboratory represents a strikingly foreign landscape to gametes and embryos, characterized by a polystyrene substrate, aqueous media and exposure to light.

The Effect of Assisted Reproductive Technologies on Human Sex Ratios.

Background: Modern assisted reproductive technology (ART), including pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), has opened new avenues in understanding early embryonic events and has simultaneously raised questions about the impact of ART itself on sex ratios.

Aims: The primary aim was to investigate whether patient demographic characteristics, ovarian stimulation protocols or laboratory characteristics in ART influence sex ratios. The secondary aim was to relate the blastocyst sex ratio (BSR) to the corresponding secondary sex ratio (SSR) in our patient cohort.

Blastocyst-Derived Lactate as a Key Facilitator of Implantation.

The blastocyst develops a unique metabolism that facilitates the creation of a specialized microenvironment at the site of implantation characterized by high levels of lactate and reduced pH. While historically perceived as a metabolic waste product, lactate serves as a signaling molecule which facilitates the invasion of surrounding tissues by cancers and promotes blood vessel formation during wound healing. However, the role of lactate in reproduction, particularly at the implantation site, is still being considered.

Wnt signaling drives stromal inflammation in inflammatory arthritis.

The concept that fibroblasts are critical mediators of inflammation is an emerging paradigm. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), they are the main producers of IL-6 as well as a host of other cytokines and chemokines. Their pathologic activation also directly causes cartilage and bone degradation.

Molecular and spatial analysis of tertiary lymphoid structures in Sjogren's syndrome.

Tertiary lymphoid structures play important roles in autoimmune and non-autoimmune conditions. While many of the molecular mechanisms involved in tertiary lymphoid structure formation have been identified, the cellular sources and temporal and spatial relationship remain unknown. Here we use combine single-cell RNA-sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and proteomics of minor salivary glands of patients with Sjogren's disease and Sicca Syndrome, with ex-vivo functional studies to construct a cellular and spatial map of key components involved in the formation and function of tertiary lymphoid structures.

A biomimetic sperm selection device for routine sperm selection.

Research Question: Can a biomimetic microfluidic sperm sorter isolate motile sperm while minimizing DNA damage in comparison with density gradient centrifugation (DGC)?

Design: This was a two-phase study of 61 men, consisting of a proof-of-concept study with 21 donated semen samples in a university research laboratory, followed by a diagnostic andrology study with 40 consenting patients who presented at a fertility clinic for semen diagnostics. Each sample was split to perform DGC and microfluidic sperm selection (one-step sperm selection with 15 min of incubation) side-by-side. Outcomes evaluated included concentration, progressive motility, and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) of raw semen, and sperm isolated using DGC and the microfluidic device.

Ovarian stimulation protocols: impact on oocyte and endometrial quality and function.

Ovarian stimulation (OS) truly is an art. There exists a myriad of protocols used to achieve the same goal: stimulating the ovaries to produce more than one mature oocyte to improve the chance of a live birth. However, considerable debate remains as to whether OS impacts oocyte and endometrial quality to affect in vitro fertilization outcomes.

Scoping review exploring the evidence base on Vitis vinifera toxicity in dogs after ingestion: Clinical effects, treatments and types of V. vinifera.

Background: Treatment of Vitis vinifera fruit (VVF) ingestion can be challenging due to no clear toxic dose, signalment factors and variable clinical signs. Current treatment guidance is generalised: decontamination, aggressive fluid therapy, monitoring and/or treatment of renal dysfunction. The objective of this study was to conduct a scoping review of scientific evidence regarding the ingestion of VVF in dogs.

Deep learning versus manual morphology-based embryo selection in IVF: a randomized, double-blind noninferiority trial.

To assess the value of deep learning in selecting the optimal embryo for in vitro fertilization, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, noninferiority parallel-group trial was conducted across 14 in vitro fertilization clinics in Australia and Europe. Women under 42 years of age with at least two early-stage blastocysts on day 5 were randomized to either the control arm, using standard morphological assessment, or the study arm, employing a deep learning algorithm, intelligent Data Analysis Score (iDAScore), for embryo selection. The primary endpoint was a clinical pregnancy rate with a noninferiority margin of 5%.

Effect of a novel copper chloride gel on endometrial growth and function in healthy volunteers.

Research Question: Does the application of a micro-dose of copper chloride gel increase endometrial production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) without compromising endometrial function or producing embryo toxicity?

Design: An estimate of optimal dose was made based on cell culture studies. Ten healthy participants received an initial uterine application of placebo gel, followed by copper chloride gel (37.5 μM, 75 μM, or 150 μM dose) in a later hormone replacement cycle.

Development and validation of measures of pharmacists' acceptability and willingness to screen for perinatal depression.

Background: While pharmacists' roles in mental healthcare are expanding, research exploring pharmacists' acceptability and willingness to provide mental health services is limited. This study developed and validated theory-driven measures of pharmacists' acceptability and willingness to screen for perinatal depression in community pharmacy settings.

Materials/methods: Items were developed using published literature and the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA), then content validated using consensus methods with experts who completed the content validity index (CVI).

Sleep should not be this difficult: An interpretive descriptive study of older adults' perspectives on behaviour change elements in Sleepwell and experiences with benzodiazepine discontinuation.

Benzodiazepine receptor agonists are often used for insomnia in older adults contrary to current evidence. The harms outweigh the benefits, which are limited. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is the first-line recommended treatment.

Fetal growth delay caused by loss of non-canonical imprinting is resolved late in pregnancy and culminates in offspring overgrowth.

Germline epigenetic programming, including genomic imprinting, substantially influences offspring development. Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) plays an important role in Histone 3 Lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3)-dependent imprinting, loss of which leads to growth and developmental changes in mouse offspring. In this study, we show that offspring from mouse oocytes lacking the PRC2 protein Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED) were initially developmentally delayed, characterised by low blastocyst cell counts and substantial growth delay in mid-gestation embryos.

Implementation of Agile in healthcare: methodology for a multisite home hospital accelerator.

Background: The diffusion of innovation in healthcare is sluggish. Evidence-based care models and interventions take years to reach patients. We believe the healthcare community could deliver innovation to the bedside faster if it followed other sectors by employing an organisational framework for efficiently accomplishing work.

Cardiovascular Fitness and Stride Acceleration in Race-Pace Workouts for the Prediction of Performance in Thoroughbreds.

In-training racehorse physiological data can be leveraged to further explore race-day performance prediction. To date, no large retrospective, observational study has analysed whether in-training speed and heart rate recovery can predict racehorse success. Speed (categorised as 'slow' to 'fast' according to the time taken to cover the last 600 m from a virtual finish line) and heart rate recovery (from gallop to 1 min after exercise) of flat racehorses (n = 485) of varying age, sex and type according to distance (e.

Temperature fluctuations during embryo transfer can be mitigated by optimizing transfer protocol.

Research Question: What impact do variations in embryo transfer catheter loading and movement procedures have on temperature and pH fluctuations during embryo transfer?

Design: Mock embryo transfers were conducted to test the impact of air flow/movement, use of catheter coverings, and the type of workstation used for catheter loading on catheter temperature. A thermocouple probe inserted into the tip of the outer catheter or taped to the exterior of the inner catheter recorded temperature within the catheter every 5 s from time of mock embryo loading (T) to 60 s (T + 60 s) or from the start of transit (T). Fluctuations in culture medium pH in embryo transfer dishes were monitored.

Evaluation of an artificial intelligence-facilitated sperm detection tool in azoospermic samples for use in ICSI.

Research Question: Can artificial intelligence (AI) improve the efficiency and efficacy of sperm searches in azoospermic samples?

Design: This two-phase proof-of-concept study began with a training phase using eight azoospermic patients (>10,000 sperm images) to provide a variety of surgically collected samples for sperm morphology and debris variation to train a convolutional neural network to identify spermatozoa. Second, side-by-side testing was undertaken on two cohorts of non-obstructive azoospermia patient samples: an embryologist versus the AI identifying all the spermatozoa in the still images (cohort 1, n = 4), and a side-by-side test with a simulated clinical deployment of the AI model with an intracytoplasmic sperm injection microscope and the embryologist performing a search with and without the aid of the AI (cohort 2, n = 4).

Results: In cohort 1, the AI model showed an improvement in the time taken to identify all the spermatozoa per field of view (0.

A maternal ketogenic diet alters oviduct fluid nutrients and embryo histone acetylation in mice.

In Brief: A ketogenic diet (KD) elevates blood β-hydroxybutyrate to concentrations that are known to perturb the development, metabolism, histone acetylation and viability of preimplantation mouse embryos in culture. This study shows that a maternal KD changes available nutrient levels in the oviduct, leading to altered embryo development and epigenetic state in vivo.

Abstract: A ketogenic diet elevates blood β-hydroxybutyrate to concentrations that perturb the development, metabolism, histone acetylation (H3K27ac) and viability of preimplantation mouse embryos in vitro.