Egg Embryo Research Articles

The effect of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation on ovarian reserve via PTEN pathway.

Graphical abstract This study was carried out to investigate whether repeated controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) affects ovarian reserve. For this reason, we aimed to show possible changes in the expression of PTEN and FOXO3, which are involved in preserving the over-reserve, after applying the COH protocol methods. For this purpose, 18 young Wistar albino female rats (8 weeks old) were randomly assigned as group 1 (control), group 2, and group 3 as 6 subjects in each group. Experimental groups were treated with 10 IU/0.1 mL pregnant mare’s serum gonadotropin and a COH protocol consisting of 10 IU/0.1 mL human chorionic gonadotropin injection after 48 h. This procedure was applied three and five times to group 2 and group 3, respectively. For the control groups, the same procedures were performed with 0.1 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. At the end of the experiment, the ovarium tissues were placed in a 10% neutral formaldehyde solution for light microscopic examinations. In histological sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, the number of ovarian follicles was determined using the physical dissector method. However, the expression of PTEN, FOXO3, and LH-R molecules was evaluated by immunohistochemical methods. As a result of our study, it was concluded that COH administration reduces the expression levels of PTEN and FOXO3 proteins and LH-R, which are among the essential components of the PIK3 intracellular signaling pathway and also increased the levels of hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and luteinizing hormone, which are over-reserve markers, and causes adverse effects on the histological structure, oocyte morphology, and number of ovaries.Lay summaryToday, approximately 10–15% of couples experience fertility problems. However, assisted reproductive techniques help people with fertility problems to get pregnant. The main purpose of these techniques is to put the sperm and egg together outside the woman’s body where the eggs are fertilized and then to return the fertilized eggs (embryos) to the womb. During a woman’s menstrual cycle, several hormones influence the growth of the eggs. This process can be mimicked by using various medications. Medication is given to increase the number of eggs that develop. However, this method is not the same as normal ovulation. Therefore, in our study, we wanted to examine the effect that developing multiple follicles has on the number and quality of eggs remaining for the future.

Evaluation of angiogenic and embryotoxic activity of the extract of Anadenanthera peregrina (Angico-do-Cerrado)

The genus Anadenanthera has been reported in the literature with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial effect and healing action in wound treatment. The study aimed to evaluate, in vivo, the angiogenic and embryotoxic activities of A. peregrina extract. Angiogenesis in chicken embryo egg chorioallantoic membrane and zebrafish embryotoxicity was performed. A. peregrina extract at concentrations 62 mg mL-1 and 124 mg mL-1 were angiogenic. For embryotoxicity, the mortality rate increased with increasing concentration and increased dose and time dependent embryotoxicity was observed. The lethal concentration (LC50) ranged from 0.331mg mL-1 over the 24 hpf period to 0.007 mg mL-1 at 168 hpf (Δ% = -97.9), decreasing with increasing exposure. The heart rate decreased progressively and significantly with increasing concentration at all tested exposure times. In conclusion, it was evidenced that the extract of Anadenanthera peregrina has angiogenic activity. Nonetheless, embryotoxic effects were observed at high concentrations.

P-293 Euploidy results through niPGT techniques

Abstract Study question Which are the euploid results using niPGT? Summary answer Our niPGT (non invasive PGT) results are similar to the one obtained through traditional PGT-A What is known already Recent studies have shown the presence of embryo cell-free DNA (cfDNA ) in spent blastocyst medium (SBM), opening a new era of possibilities for non-invasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (niPGT-A). Study design, size, duration We performed a retrospective study including 80 patients of IVF between August 2020 and December 2021, among them, 60 used their own egg, and 20 donor eggs. 237 embryos were analysed through niPGT. Participants/materials, setting, methods Embryos were cultured in a Geri incubator (Merck) up to day 4, and then individually cultured in 10 µl drops of CCSS (Fujifilm) until day 6 in a bench-top Minc (Cook). At day 6, after at least 40 hours in culture, blastocysts were vitrified and medium collected in sterile PCR tubes. After collection, medium was immediately frozen and sent for sequencing to our reference laboratory (Igenomix, Spain). Main results and the role of chance Euploidy ratio by niPGT analysis was significantly lower in patients older than 40 years (15%) comparing with both 35-40 year patient (48%) and younger than 35 years old patients (50%) (p < 0.0001). The euploidy ratio showed by embryo-patient oocytes (37%) was also significantly lower than donor oocytes (55%) (p < 0.5). Our results showed that the group 7 chromosomes (19 and 20) were significantly more altered in patients older than 35 years old (p < 0.5).Non informative results were only obtained in own egg embryos (7%), while all the embryos from donor eggs showed informative results (either altered or euploid). Limitations, reasons for caution This is a retrospective study. niPGT is a new technique for euploidy screening, therefore more studies involving evolutive pregnancy ratio are necessary for its optimal clinical application replacing biopsy PGT. Wider implications of the findings Our results strongly support the use of cfDNA as niPGT technique as a potential marker of embryonic genetic status, that could even replace traditional techniques as invasive PGT in the future. Trial registration number No aplica

O-315 A war in Europe?: Ukrainian scientists' struggle for life and future, relocation and securing of frozen biomaterials

Abstract We should describe war as an attack maneuver by two countries or organizations against each other in line with their mutual interests when giving it significance. What is going on in Ukraine is more than a war; it is people's effort to defend their future, past from this genocide attacks which done by Russian Federation. Russian Federation’s attacks not only damage all healthcare and scientific institutions but also make any future advancement in healthcare impossible. Millions of Ukrainians and foreigners residing, working, and living in the country were uprooted and forced to flee. While the strikes rendered general healthcare and fertility services inoperable, they also made protecting and maintaining all stored gametes and embryos challenging. Many infertility patients and thousands of IVF couples who have undergone oncofertility cryopreservation have been put at risk due to these attacks. While what happened in Ukraine affects thousands of infertility patients worldwide, the horrific situations faced by hundreds of IVF specialists, embryologists, nurses, and other allied healthcare workers, along with the losses they have suffered and the uncertainty of their future, reveal that the situation is far more than a war and that it is a genocide situation that no one who values life should accept. Embryologists were trying to freeze embryos and gametes at different developmental stages of dozens of patients in their incubators on February 24, when the Russian Federation’s attacks started, ignoring the vital risks, again, on the day of the war beginning, and IVF specialists who performed egg collection and embryo transfer procedures for all patients who were in that day before, as well as all the other healthcare workers who took part in this process — they all showed how professionally and willingly the IVF service in Ukraine is provided. When the attacks became more intense in the days ahead, hundreds of Ukrainian embryologists risked their lives and the lives of their families to transport frozen samples to secure regions within the country and even beyond, sending a powerful message to the entire world. Expert embryologists moved all frozen components to secure locations, adhering to all safety regulations and regularly monitoring temperature and liquid nitrogen levels. It is impossible to say that this transportation method is not at risk from attacks. The transfer process was carried out fully to protect patients, with individual decisions made without acquiring patient consent forms or essential approvals due to the urgency of the decisions made from the moment the attacks had begun. The samples obtained abroad, on the other hand, were transported to European countries after all of the necessary legal registrations and procedures were completed at customs, following long and exhausting land journeys. Storage tanks that can be transferred within Ukraine were moved to western cities and secured in clinics with medical licenses. Samples were also secured in clinics with medical licenses outside of Ukraine, and all essential legal documents and regulations were completed. While over 70,000 frozen embryos have been carried abroad, over 10,000 frozen eggs have been transported for egg banking. Thousands of testicular tissue samples and hundreds of ovarian tissue samples were also transported. In Ukraine, thousands of frozen embryo and sperm samples are now successfully preserved. So far, no embryo harm or difficulties with liquid nitrogen delivery have been recorded. However, if Russian Federation’s attacks continue, the difficulties will inevitably worsen, putting hundreds of frozen patient samples in danger. Hundreds of embryologists, IVF specialists, nurses, and paramedics were also laid off, and many were forced to flee the country. The Russian Federation’s attacks on the Ukrainian people have put human lives and the future prospects of countless infertility patients in jeopardy.

Hot eggs make fast mitochondria

Mitochondria are fascinating organelles that have achieved fame on the internet as the ‘powerhouse of the cell’, producing 90% of the cell's energy in the form of ATP. Based on this essential role, it is thought that differences in mitochondria determine the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and even entire species. As a result, there's interest in trying to understand how the environment and genetics shape mitochondrial function. In their recent study, Antoine Stier from the University of Turku, Finland, and colleagues from the University of Glasgow, UK, incubated Japanese quail eggs (Coturnix japonica) at different temperatures and studied changes in how their mitochondria performed from early-life into adulthood. They wanted to know whether animals can adjust how their mitochondria perform, depending on the temperature they experience before birth, and whether these changes are maintained as they develop into adults.The scientists incubated Japanese quail eggs at high (38.4°C), medium (37.7°C) and low (37.0°C) temperatures – a temperature range that maximizes differences in how quickly embryos grow. They also included an unstable temperature treatment (dipping briefly, several times, to 29.5°C from 37.7°C) to mimic when the mother leaves the nest to forage. When the chicks hatched, the researchers transferred the animals to 21°C as they grew, collecting blood samples at 20 days of age and at 60 days to investigate how the mitochondria in the blood cells were affected by the temperature at which the chick embryos developed and how they changed after the chicks hatched and grew into adults. The team measured the oxygen consumption rate of the mitochondria, which is tightly linked with the amount of ATP these structures can produce, the amount of DNA damage they had incurred and the length of the telomere structures that cap chromosomes – which shorten with age.The team found that the oxygen consumption rates of the mitochondria of the chicks incubated at 38.4°C were higher than those of the chicks from colder eggs, probably because the embryos in the warmer eggs developed faster and needed more energy to support their rapid growth. In addition, the mitochondria of the adult quails that had developed in hot eggs had higher oxygen consumption rates, meaning that this increase was not temporary and that the thermal environment that these birds experience as an egg shapes their ability to produce ATP throughout their lives. But the blood cells with mitochondria that consumed oxygen faster only had a small increase in the amount of DNA damage and no change in telomere length – which is surprising because overactive mitochondria that consume more oxygen can produce toxins that damage DNA and cause aging.As the adult birds aged, their mitochondrial oxygen consumption decreased, probably reflecting the extreme energy demands they experienced as they grew rapidly during the first 20 days after hatching. When the team checked the oxygen consumption rates of the mitochondria of the birds that were incubated at unstable temperatures – as if their mothers kept wandering off – they found they were similar to those of birds incubated at a constant 37.7°C. This tells us that when the environmental temperature is unstable, these birds use the temperature that they experience the most as the cue to program their mitochondria throughout life.The role that the environment a developing embryo experiences has on programming mitochondrial function after birth is a research area with major implications for human health and conservation efforts. Stier and colleagues have shown that something as simple as increasing incubation temperature can cause a change in mitochondrial function that persists into adulthood. Understanding how these changes in mitochondrial function come about and whether they are important for improving whole-organism performance and ultimately survival will be critical areas of future research.

How Egg Storage Duration Prior to Incubation Impairs Egg Quality and Chicken Embryonic Development: Contribution of Imaging Technologies.

Storing fertilised eggs prior to incubation is a frequent practice in commercial hatcheries to coordinate activities and synchronise hatchings. However, the conditions used to store eggs can have major impacts on egg quality and the subsequent viability of chicken embryos. While storage temperatures of 16–18°C are classically used in hatcheries, the duration of storage varies from three to more than 10 days. We explored the effect of storage duration (zero, three or 10 days; D0, D3 and D10, respectively) at 16°C, 80% relative humidity (RH) on egg quality (Broiler, Ross 308), using computed tomography (CT) and classical measurements (egg weight, eggshell strength, egg white pH, Haugh units, yolk index and colour). The results revealed that a storage duration of up to 10 days negatively affected some egg quality traits (yolk index and volume, air chamber volume and egg white pH). Eggs stored for three or 10 days were further incubated for 11, 13 or 15 days (37.8°C, 55% RH). Eggs were analysed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT to assess the development of the embryo and internal egg changes occurring during incubation. First, data showed that the fertility and sex ratio of eggs were not affected by storage duration. However, the mortality of viable eggs was increased in the D10 group compared to the D3 group. Results of non-invasive imaging technologies revealed that the storage of eggs for 10 days impaired embryo growth as early as 11 days of incubation (decrease in brain and embryo volumes). Collectively, these data provide new evidence that the duration of egg storage negatively affects embryonic growth. They further corroborate that this parameter is likely to be crucial to synchronising embryonic stages and maybe reducing the hatching window, hence limiting the time spent by newborn chicks in hatchers. In addition, our results highlight that CT and MRI imaging technologies are useful non-invasive tools to evaluate egg quality prior to incubation and the impact of storage (or incubation) practices on developmental growth of the embryo.

Biological Characteristics of Infectious Laryngotracheitis Viruses Isolated in China.

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) causes severe respiratory disease in chickens and results in huge economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. To correlate the genomic difference with the replication and pathogenicity, phenotypes of three ILTVs isolated from chickens in China from 2016 to 2018 were sequenced by high-throughput sequencing. Based on the entire genome, the isolates GD2018 and SH2017 shared 99.9% nucleotide homology, while the isolate SH2016 shared 99.7% nucleotide homology with GD2018 and SH2017, respectively. Each virus genome contained 82 ORFs encoding 77 kinds of protein, 31 of which share the same amino acid sequence in the three viruses. GD2018 and SH2017 shared 57 proteins with the same amino acid sequence, while SH2016 shared 42 and 41 proteins with the amino acid sequences of GD2018 and SH2017, respectively. SH2016 propagated efficiently in allantoic fluid and on chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs) of SPF chicken embryo eggs, while GD2018 and SH2017 proliferated well only on CAMs. GD2018 propagated most efficiently on CAMs and LMH cells among three isolates. SH2016 caused serious clinical symptoms, while GD2018 and SH2017 caused mild and moderate clinical symptoms in chickens, although the sero of the chickens infected with those three isolates were all positive for anti-ILTV antibody at 14 and 21 days after challenge. Three ILTVs with high genetic homology showed significant differences in the replication in different culture systems and the pathogenicity of chickens, providing basic materials for studying the key determinants of pathogenicity of ILTV.

Incubation Temperature and Lighting: Effect on Embryonic Development, Post-Hatch Growth, and Adaptive Response.

During incubation, the content of the egg is converted into a chick. This process is controlled by incubation conditions, which must meet the requirements of the chick embryo to obtain the best chick quality and maximum hatchability. Incubation temperature and light are the two main factors influencing embryo development and post-hatch performance. Because chicken embryos are poikilothermic, embryo metabolic development relies on the incubation temperature, which influences the use of egg nutrients and embryo development. Incubation temperature ranging between 37 and 38°C (typically 37.5–37.8°C) optimizes hatchability. However, the temperature inside the egg called “embryo temperature” is not equal to the incubator air temperature. Moreover, embryo temperature is not constant, depending on the balance between embryonic heat production and heat transfer between the eggshell and its environment. Recently, many studies have been conducted on eggshell and/or incubation temperature to meet the needs of the embryo and to understand the embryonic requirements. Numerous studies have also demonstrated that cyclic increases in incubation temperature during the critical period of incubation could induce adaptive responses and increase the thermotolerance of chickens without affecting hatchability. Although the commercial incubation procedure does not have a constant lighting component, light during incubation can modify embryo development, physiology, and post-hatch behavior indicated by lowering stress responses and fearful behavior and improving spatial abilities and cognitive functions of chicken. Light-induced changes may be attributed to hemispheric lateralization and the entrainment of circadian rhythms in the embryo before the hatching. There is also evidence that light affects embryonic melatonin rhythms associated with body temperature regulation. The authors’ preliminary findings suggest that combining light and cyclic higher eggshell temperatures during incubation increases pineal aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase, which is a rate-limiting enzyme for melatonin hormone production. Therefore, combining light and thermal manipulation during the incubation could be a new approach to improve the resistance of broilers to heat stress. This review aims to provide an overview of studies investigating temperature and light manipulations to improve embryonic development, post-hatch growth, and adaptive stress response in chickens.

Comparative liver transcriptome analysis of duck reveals potential genes associated with egg production.

Molecular studies on egg production in ducks were mostly focused on brain and ovaries as they are directly involved in egg production. Liver plays a vital role in cellular lipid metabolism. It also plays a decisive role in reproductive organ development, including yolk generation in laying ducks at sexual maturity. However, the precise molecular mechanism involved in the liver-blood-ovary axis in ducks remains elusive. In this study, we analysed the liver transcriptome of laying (LA), immature (IM) and broody (BR) ducks using RNA sequencing to understand the role of genes expressed in the liver. The comparative transcriptome analysis revealed 82 DEGs between LA and IM ducks, 47 DEGs between LA and BR ducks and 51 DEGs between IM and BR ducks. GO analysis of DEGs, showed that DEGs were mainly involved in cellular anatomical entity, intracellular, metabolic process, and binding. Furthermore, pathway analysis indicated the important role of Wnt signaling pathway in egg formation and embryo development. Our study showed several candidate genes including vitellogenin-1, vitellogenin-2, riboflavin binding protein, G protein subunit gamma 4, and fatty acid binding protein 3 that are potentially related to egg production in ducks. The study provides valuable information on the genes responsible for egg production and thus, pave the way for further investigation on the molecular mechanisms of egg production in duck.

The Functions of Chicken Embryo Extract

Chicken embryo eggs are regarded as a high-quality natural nutrition supplement and sickness cure in China (where they are known as Mao Dan) and other Southeast Asian nations [1]. Pregnant women, the elderly and even cancer patients are advised to consume it [2]. Because of its anti-wrinkle activity and stimulation for cell culture, the embryo extract is also frequently employed in the cosmetics industry as well as scientific research field [3]. The functions of chicken embryo extract are summarized in this publication.

Synergy Between Dietary Quercetin and Vitamin E Supplementation in Aged Hen's Diet Improves Hatching Traits, Embryo Quality, and Antioxidant Capacity of Chicks Hatched From Eggs Subjected to Prolonged Storage.

The current study aims to investigate the effects of the synergy between quercetin and vitamin E in aged hen’s diet on hatchability and antioxidant levels of the embryo and newly hatched chicks from prolonged storage eggs. A total of 400 breeder laying hens of 65 weeks of age were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups. Birds were fed a basal diet alone (Control), and basal diets supplemented with quercetin (Q) (0.4 g/kg) and vitamin E (VE) (0.2 g/kg) alone and their combination (0.4 g/kg Q + 0.2 g/kg VE) for 14 weeks, respectively, to determine their effects on yolk antioxidant status, fertility, embryonic mortality, hatchability, antioxidant status of embryonic tissues, as well as the antioxidant status of the newly hatched chicks. The results showed that the hen’s dietary Q + VE increased the yolk weight, as well as increased the antioxidant status of the egg yolk (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the supplementation of Q + VE significantly increased the hatchability of set-fertile eggs and decreased early embryonic mortality in eggs stored for 7 and 14 days, respectively (p < 0.05), and also improved the antioxidant capacity of the embryos obtained from eggs stored for 14 days (before incubation) (p < 0.05). Moreover, Q + VE increased the levels of SOD, GSH-Px, T-AOC, T-SOD, and CAT in the liver, heart, and pectoral muscle of the embryo, 1-day-old and 14-day-old chicks (p < 0.05), as well as upregulated the antioxidant related genes (GPx-1, GPx-2, GPx-4, DIO-1, and SOD-1) in the liver of the embryo, 1-day-old and 14-day-old chicks hatched from 14-days storage eggs (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the MDA levels were decreased by the Q + VE in the embryo and post-hatched chicks (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these findings suggested that maternal dietary Q + VE exerts beneficial synergistic effects on the antioxidant capacity of the egg yolk, embryo, and chicks during prolong egg storage, therefore, Q + VE could be used as a dietary measure to enhance hatchability and chick quality in poultry production.

Combination of Paraconiothyrium brasiliense fabricated titanium dioxide nanoparticle and antibiotics enhanced antibacterial and antibiofilm properties: A toxicity evaluation

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) causes global consequences through increased mortality and economic loss. Antimicrobial drugs including nanomaterials are an emerging environmental impact. Hence, this work aimed to synthesize and characterize the titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) using the aqueous extract of endophytic fungus Paraconiothyrium brasiliense (Pb) for enhancing the antibacterial efficiency of existing standard antibiotics at minimum concentration. The FTIR and XRD results confirmed the capping of functional molecules and the crystalline nature of Pb–TiO2 NPs. The spherical-shaped TiO2 NPs with the size of 57.39 ± 13.65 nm were found in TEM analysis. The average hydrodynamic size (68.43 ± 1.49 d. nm) and the zeta potential (−19.6 ± 1.49 mV) was confirmed the stability of Pb–TiO2 NPs. Antibacterial studies revealed that bare Pb–TiO2 NPs (20 μg/mL) did not exhibit significant antibacterial activity while combination of TCH + Pb–TiO2 NPs considerably increased the inhibition of E. coli biofilm evidenced by CLSM and SEM analysis. Further, Pb–TiO2 NPs (100 μg/mL) were found to be moderately toxic to cell line (NIH3T3), red blood cells (RBC), and egg embryos. Hence, this study concluded that <50 μg/mL of TiO2 NPs can be mixed with antibiotics for enhanced antibacterial application thereby minimizing the AMR and the environmental toxicity.

Otsu Method for Chicken Egg Embryo Detection based-on Increase Image Quality

Detection of chicken egg embryos using image processing has limitations and needs some processes for improvement. By human vision, the previous process used binoculars and candling using light/beams directed at the chicken eggs in the incubator. In this study, we propose the application of image segmentation using the Otsu method in detecting chicken egg embryos. This method uses image segmentation with increased image quality (preprocessing) by several methods such as resizing, grayscaling, image adjustment, and image enhancement. These processes produce a better image and can be used for input in the segmentation process. In addition, this study compares several segmentation methods in detecting chicken egg embryos, such as thresholding, Otsu basic, and k-means clustering. The results show that our proposed method produced segmentation images to detect chicken egg embryos of 200 datasets images. This method has a faster process and can create a uniform segmentation than other methods. However, other methods can also detect chicken egg embryos. The method’s accuracy proposed in this study increased by 1.5% compared to other methods. In addition, the resulting SSIM value has a percentage close to and more than 90%, which means that the segmentation of the results obtained can be used to detect chicken egg embryos.

Electromagnetic Force-Driven Needle-Free in Ovo Injection Device.

Needle-free injections are mainly used for administering human or mammalian vaccines or drugs. However, poultry vaccines, in ovo injections to embryos, subcutaneous injections to chickens, and intramuscular injections are administered using needle injections. This article presents a new needle-free in ovo injection device method that uses push-pull solenoids to eject liquid jets, mainly for embryonic eggs of chickens. Furthermore, our study investigated the suitable jet pressures for using this method and the post-injection hatching rates in 18-day-old embryonic eggs. Using this method, we could deliver the liquid to the allantoic and amniotic cavities or the muscle tissue through the egg membrane of the air chamber using a jet pressure of ~6–7 MPa or ~8 MPa. After injecting 0.25 mL of 0.9% saline into 18-day-old Lohmann breed layer embryonic eggs and specific pathogen-free (SPF) embryonic eggs at a jet pressure of ~7 MPa, we observed hatching rates of 98.3% and 85.7%, respectively. This study’s electromagnetic needle-free in ovo injection device can apply vaccine or nutrient solution injection for embryo eggs and serve as a reference for future studies on needle-free in ovo injection automation systems, jet pressure control, and injection pretreatment processes.

Effect of salinity on embryonic development eggs hatching rate and of larvael survival of Common Carb

This study focus upon the beneficial capability of brackish water embryonic development hatching fish eggs embryo genes of common carp, Cyprinus carpio ( L.). different concentrations were used. (2-16‰). The aeration hatching technique was used in the hatching of eggs, and the hatched larvae were incubated in the same salt concentrations. The nursing was done in plastic containers for eight weeks in the same salt concentrationsThe results showed that the higher ratio of development of the embryos which was 94% at salt concentration of 6‰ after the first six hours of the eggs incubation, and decreased to85.5% in the concentration of 6‰ after 48 hours of incubation. The period of hatching of eggs ranged between 52-72 hours in the concentrations 2-12‰ . The high survival ratio for larvae was 95 % at the salinity of 2 ‰, while the embryo died directly after hatching at the salinity 12‰.The duration of yolk sac absorption for common carp larvae were ranged between 2-3 days at the salinity of 2‰ and 5-7 days at the salinity of 8‰.The gas bladder of the common carp appeared within 3-4 days at the 2 and 4‰ .average weight 1.9 g in the salinity of 4‰ and the lowest weight was 0.72g of salinity of 8‰The highest average daily weight gain increased for common carp and it was 0.0344 g at salinity of 4‰.

Effectiveness of cell culture-based influenza vaccines compared with egg-based vaccines: What does the literature say?

IntroductionInfluenza vaccination is an effective way of reducing the burden of seasonal influenza. Chicken egg embryos are the most common source of influenza vaccines, but cell culture production has emerged as an alternative that could be advantageous. This article reviews the available literature on the efficacy/effectiveness of cell culture-based influenza vaccines compared with egg-based vaccines.MethodsWe conducted a review of the actual literature and analyzed those studies comparing the effectiveness of cell culture-based and egg-based vaccines in the last ten years.ResultsEight studies were analyzed; 1 was a clinical trial and 7 were retrospective cohort studies. The clinical trial found no significant differences in the efficacy of both vaccines with respect to placebo. The results of the observational studies were inconsistent and relative effectiveness varied among studies, even though most were performed during the same season, and in some cases, in the same region and using the same data records. Furthermore, in most studies, the comparisons between vaccines were not statistically significant.ConclusionsThere is insufficient evidence that cell culture-based vaccines are superior to egg-based vaccines in terms of efficacy/effectiveness.

Molecular assessment of microbial diversity on eggshell of chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) under semi-captive conditions

Due to human activity, climatic changes and habitat damage, the Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) is experiencing a population decrease. The goal of this work was to isolate and identify the inner eggshell microflora in order to learn more about their function in A. chukar embryo mortality and hatchability in semi-captive settings. During the egg-laying season, 204 eggs were gathered from the Balkasar Research Complex in Chakwal, Pakistan. These eggshells were divided into four categories after incubation: un-pricked with dead embryo, pricked with dead embryo, hatched, and unfertilized eggs. A total of 47 (23.03%) samples tested positive for gram-positive bacteria, which were then identified using 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus toyonensis, Bacillus thuringiensis and Staphylococcus sciuri were among the identified species. Hatched eggshells had the highest percentage of bacterial flora (36.17%), followed by un-pricked with dead embryo (23.40%) and pricked with death embryo (21.27%), and unfertilized eggshells had the lowest percentage (19.14%). As a result, the findings of this study revealed that microbial contamination of eggshells could be a cause of early embryonic stage degeneration and bird death.

Effects of source of hatchable egg on egg external characteristics, fertility, embryo characteristics, mortality, and hatchability of guinea fowl keets

Effects of source of hatchable egg on egg external characteristics, fertility, embryo characteristics, mortality, and hatchability of guinea fowl keets

The Perception and Acceptance of In Vitro Fertilization amongst Infertile Couples Attending Fertility Clinic in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Choba in Rivers State

In vitro fertilization is a treatment for infertility in which a woman’s egg (ovum or ova) are fertilized by spermatozoa in a laboratory dish, one or more of the fertilized egg (embryo) are then transferred into the woman’s uterus where it is planted to produce a pregnancy. This research study investigated the perception and acceptance of in vitro fertilization amongst infertile couples attending fertility clinics in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Choba in Rivers State. The objectives were: to ascertain the opinion of couples on in vitro fertilization procedure, to determine the level of acceptance of in vitro fertilization among couples and to identify challenges facing the acceptance of in-vitro fertilization amongst couples. Related literature was reviewed. Theory of Reason Action (TRA) was adopted in this study. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used in the study. The target population consisted of 130 couples, 99 was determined as the sample size using Taro Yemen formula. The instrument for data collection was a self-structure questionnaire consisting of section A and section B consisting of 12 items that elicited information for the research questions. Data were analysed using frequency, percentage and mean. The findings reveal that 94 respondents are of the opinion that in vitro fertilization is very expensive, 89 respondents said it involves rigorous activities, 13 respondents believed that pregnancy can be achieved through IVF while 74 respondents said it does not affect their religion. In the acceptance of in vitro fertilization, 91 respondents easily accept other means of conception, 86 have attempted IVF previously, 67 male partners do not accept IVF and 19 female partners do not accept IVF. The challenges reveal that 67 respondents lack support from the male partner. 11 respondents believe that religion hinders the acceptance of IVF, 64 respondents see it to be time-consuming and 87 respondents do not lack respect in society. The researcher recommended that awareness should be created for the public through the media, to enable infertile respondents to have an understanding of the procedure. We however recommend that the study be carried out in other states on the perception and acceptance of in vitro fertilization among couples.

Predicting Embryo Viability Based on Self-Supervised Alignment of Time-Lapse Videos.

With self-supervised learning, both labeled and unlabeled data can be used for representation learning and model pretraining. This is particularly relevant when automating the selection of a patient's fertilized eggs (embryos) during a fertility treatment, in which only the embryos that were transferred to the female uterus may have labels of pregnancy. In this paper, we apply a self-supervised video alignment method known as temporal cycle-consistency (TCC) on 38176 time-lapse videos of developing embryos, of which 14550 were labeled. We show how TCC can be used to extract temporal similarities between embryo videos and use these for predicting pregnancy likelihood. Our temporal similarity method outperforms the time alignment measurement (TAM) with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) of 0.64 vs. 0.56. Compared to existing embryo evaluation models, it places in between a pure temporal and a spatio-temporal model that both require manual annotations. Furthermore, we use TCC for transfer learning in a semi-supervised fashion and show significant performance improvements compared to standard supervised learning, when only a small subset of the dataset is labeled. Specifically, two variants of transfer learning both achieve an AUC of 0.66 compared to 0.63 for supervised learning when 16% of the dataset is labeled.