High-risk of preterm birth and low birth weight after oocyte donation IVF: analysis of 133,785 live births.

PubMed

Kamath, Mohan Shashikant; Antonisamy, Belavendra; Mascarenhas, Mariano; Sunkara, Sesh Kamal

2017-09-01

A higher risk of pregnancy complications occurs after assisted reproductive techniques compared with spontaneously conceived pregnancies. This is attributed to the underlying infertility and assisted reproduction technique procedures involved during treatment. It is a matter of interest whether use of donor oocytes affects perinatal outcomes compared with pregnancies after autologous IVF. Anonymized data were obtained from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority. The analysis included 5929 oocyte donation and 127,856 autologous IVF live births. Data from all women who underwent donor oocyte recipient or autologous IVF cycles, both followed with fresh embryo transfer, were analysed to compare perinatal outcomes of preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW) after singleton and multiple live births. The risk of adverse perinatal outcomes after oocyte donation was increased: adjusted OR (aOR) 1.56, 99.5% CI 1.34 to 1.80 for PTB and aOR 1.43, 99.5% CI 1.24 to 1.66 for LBW were significantly higher after oocyte donation compared with autologous IVF singletons. The adjusted odds PTB (aOR 1.21, 99.5% CI 1.02 to 1.43) was significantly higher after oocyte donation compared with autologous IVF multiple births. Analysis of this large dataset suggests significantly higher risk of PTB and LBW after ooctye donation compared with autologous IVF pregnancies. Copyright © 2017 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[A controversial definition of the limitations on reproductive medicine in Germany].

PubMed

Kentenich, Heribert; Utz-Billing, Isabell

2006-01-01

In principle, all kinds of sterility therapy can be defined as "medicine of desire". Stimulation, insemination, in-vitro fertilisation and ICSI are established methods and paid for by statutory health insurers. Some types of sterility therapy, though, are forbidden in Germany and thus form part of a "medicine of desire". These methods are only practised in foreign countries: oocyte donation, pre-implantational genetic diagnosis, embryo selection, surrogate motherhood, therapeutic cloning and preparation of embryonic stem cells. Taking oocyte donation as an example, the question of whether it is reasonable to ban oocyte donation will be discussed from a medical, psychological and ethical perspective. From the point of view of medicine, oocyte donation has proved to be successful with birth rates of 25-40% per cycle. No serious objections emerged from the follow-up of children, couples and the relationship between parents and children.The pros and cons of a more liberal and open handling should be discussed from an ethical point of view. Medically, psychologically and ethically the ban of oocyte donation in Germany does not seem to be justified.

Oocyte donation for reproduction and research cloning--the perils of commodification and the need for European and international regulation.

PubMed

Schneider, Ingrid

2006-01-01

The demand for women's egg cells is increasing and is leading to reproductive tourism and transnational oocyte trafficking. The article considers the regulatory landscape of oocyte donation in Europe and analyses different types, particularly whether oocytes are provided within or outside of the IVF context, and whether anonymity of the donor is legally possible or not. The bifurcation between different purposes of egg extraction, particularly the challenges raised by ova demands for cloning research (SCNT) are highlighted. In emphasizing the need for supranational regulation, nine rules for supranational minimum standards are proposed to protect both donor interests and the public good. A particular focus is directed to the commodification of oocytes with regard to the European principle of non-commercial, voluntary and altruistic donation.

[Successful pregnancies after oocyte and embryo vitrification].

PubMed

Salazar, Francisco Hernández; Loza, Erik Omar Okhuysen; Lucas, Maria Teresa Huerta J; Gutiérrez, Gustavo Romero

2008-02-01

Cryopreservation of human oocytes represents a solution for ethic conflict about frozen embryo storage for patients with risk to develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome; also is an available technique to preserve fertility in women with cancer under treatment, in poor response patients, in case of premature ovarian failure or aging and for other medical or social conditions that require to delay pregnancies, as well as to make easier oocyte donation programs. This paper reports two cases of successful pregnancies after embryo and oocyte vitrification, as well as their results. The technique of vitrification with the cryotop method is an excellent alternative, efficient, fast and cheap for oocyte and embryo cryopreservation with high ranges of fertilization, cleavage and pregnancies with a normal evolution.

A study of the effect of message framing on oocyte donation.

PubMed

Purewal, S; van den Akker, O B A

2009-12-01

The aims of this study were to examine the effect of gain- and loss-framed messages on British and South East Asian women's intentions towards oocyte donation and to examine whether the components of the theory of planned behaviour influenced the relationship between framing and intentions. A total of 406 women participated in this study (mean age = 22, SD = 2.9). There were 211 participants in the gain condition and 195 in the loss condition. An analysis of covariance found a main effect for framing (F(1, 402) = 6.3; P < 0.01) after controlling for existing attitudes towards oocyte donation and pre-message intentions to donate. Specifically, participants in the gain-framed condition were significantly more likely to report higher post-message intentions to donate oocytes than participants in the loss condition. However, the framing effect was only observed with British populations and not with women from South East Asia. Further, structural equation modelling analyses revealed lower levels of 'perceived behavioural control' (beta = -0.420, P < 0.03) and positive attitudes towards 'the importance of genetic ties between parent and child' (beta = 0.70, P < 0.001) were direct predictors of post-message intentions in the gain (but not loss) frame condition. Findings obtained from this study indicate that oocyte donation campaigns should consider using gain-framed messages in recruitment appeals and message frames should be matched to the target populations' perceived level of behavioural control.

Heterotopic pregnancy in a cross border oocyte donation patient: the importance of cooperation between centers.

PubMed

Mancini, Fulvia; Clua, Elisabet; Martínez, Francisca; Battaglia, Cesare; Veiga, Anna; Barri, Pedro N

2011-06-01

To report a case of tubal heterotopic pregnancy after oocyte donation in a cross border patient. Case report. Private University Clinic, Spain, and Public University Hospital, Italy. A woman with a tubal heterotopic pregnancy after oocyte donation. Oocyte donation and ET (Spain), laparoscopic removal of the tubal heterotopic pregnancy (Italy). Diagnosis and treatment of the heterotopic pregnancy. Laparoscopic treatment of the heterotopic pregnancy resulting in a single ongoing intrauterine pregnancy. Cross border reproductive care is increasing in Europe. When patients go back to their respective countries of origin they may not inform their doctors about having undergone fertility treatments abroad. This can lead to a delayed diagnosis in case of complications arising after treatment or during pregnancy. It is of vital importance that clinicians are aware of this possibility to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of potentially fatal situations such as the one described in the present case report. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Wide support for oocyte donation and banking in the Netherlands].

PubMed

Bos, Annelies M E; Klapwijk, Petra; Fauser, Bart C J M

2012-01-01

To assess the general consensus on the cryopreservation of oocytes and the introduction of oocyte banking facilities in the Netherlands. Poll investigation A poll with the use of an online questionnaire was conducted among nearly 19,000 participants of the Dutch EenVandaag opinion panel in May 2011. The poll results were adjusted to the Dutch population based on data from the Dutch Central Office for Statistics for age, gender, education, marital status, geographical area and political preference (measured according to the lower house elections of 2010). The primary endpoints were the percentages of supporters of oocyte freezing for own future use and of the concept of introducing oocyte banking facilities in The Netherlands. The secondary endpoints were the demographic differences between supporters and opponents. Approximately half of 18.911 participants supported oocyte freezing (47%). Fifty-percent of all participants supported oocyte banking in the Netherlands. Supporters of oocyte freezing were mainly women ≤ 45 years of age, who are highly educated and have no children. Four percent of the participating women aged ≤ 45 years would seriously consider obtaining donor oocytes from an available oocyte banking facility. Twelve percent of the participating women ≤ 45 years of age said they would definitely donate their oocytes or would seriously consider donating. Thirty-seven percent of all participants were against the introduction of oocyte banking facilities. The most important arguments against oocyte freezing were that women should reproduce during normal reproductive years and that it was not medically necessary. Poll results showed much support for oocyte freezing and for the introduction of oocyte banking facilities in the Netherlands. In addition, the poll shows that oocyte banking facilities would fulfil a need in the population.

Storage time does not modify the gene expression profile of cryopreserved human metaphase II oocytes.

PubMed

Stigliani, Sara; Moretti, Stefano; Anserini, Paola; Casciano, Ida; Venturini, Pier Luigi; Scaruffi, Paola

2015-11-01

Does storage time have any impact on the transcriptome of slowly frozen cryopreserved human metaphase II (MII) oocytes? The length of cryostorage has no effect on the gene expression profile of human MII oocytes. Oocyte cryopreservation is a widely used technique in IVF for storage of surplus oocytes, as well as for fertility preservation (i.e. women undergoing gonadotoxic therapies) and oocyte donation programs. Although cryopreservation has negative impacts on oocyte physiology and it is associated with decrease of transcripts, no experimental data about the effect of storage time on the oocyte molecular profile are available to date. This study included 27 women, ≤38 years aged, without any ovarian pathology, undergoing IVF treatment. Surplus MII oocytes were donated after written informed consent. A total of 31 non-cryopreserved oocytes and 68 surviving slow-frozen/rapid-thawed oocytes (32 oocytes cryostored for 3 years and 36 cryostored for 6 years) were analyzed. Pools of ≈10 oocytes for each group were prepared. Total RNA was extracted from each pool, amplified, labeled and hybridized on oligonucleotide microarrays. Analyses were performed by R software using the limma package. Comparison of gene expression profiles between surviving thawed oocytes after 3 and 6 years of storage in liquid nitrogen found no differently expressed genes. The expression profiles of cryopreserved MII oocytes significantly differed from those of non-cryopreserved oocytes in 107 probe sets corresponding to 73 down-regulated and 29 up-regulated unique transcripts. Gene Ontology analysis by DAVID bioinformatics resource disclosed that cryopreservation deregulates genes involved in oocyte function and early embryo development, such as chromosome organization, RNA splicing and processing, cell cycle, cellular response to DNA damage and to stress, DNA repair, calcium ion binding, malate dehydrogenase activity and mitochondrial activity. Among the probes significantly up-regulated in cryopreserved oocytes, two corresponded to ovary-specific expressed large intergenic noncoding (linc)RNAs. Data validation in a larger cohort of samples would be beneficial, although we applied stringent criteria for gene selection (fold-change >3 or <1/3 and FDR < 0.1). Further research should be undertaken to verify experimentally that the length of cryostorage has no effect on gene expression profile of vitrified/warmed MII oocytes, as well as to include in analyses 'older' frozen oocytes. Confirmation that the length of storage does not alter the gene expression profile of frozen oocytes is noteworthy for the safety issue of long-term oocyte banking, i.e. fertility preservation, gamete donation. This study was supported by a grant of the Italian Ministry of Health (CCM 2012) and by Ferring Pharmaceutical company. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Full-sibling embryos created by anonymous gamete donation in unrelated recipients.

PubMed

Dicken, Cary L; Zapantis, Athena; Illions, Edward; Pollack, Staci; Lieman, Harry J; Bevilacqua, Kris; Jindal, Sangita K

2011-09-01

To report the rare occurrence of full-sibling embryos in unrelated women using independently chosen donor sperm and donor oocytes in two different cycles unintentionally created at our IVF program, and to discuss the concept of disclosure to the patients. Case report. Academic IVF program. Two women independently undergoing donor recipient cycles with anonymous donor oocytes and donor sperm. Both women received oocytes from the same donor several months apart and then by coincidence selected the same anonymous sperm donor to create anonymous full-sibling embryos. Clinical pregnancy after donor-recipient IVF cycle. Both women conceived using the same donor sperm and donor oocytes in independent cycles, resulting in simultaneous pregnancy of full siblings. As providers with the knowledge that anonymous full sibling embryos have been created, we may have an obligation to disclose this information to the patients. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Autonomy and self-esteem of women who donate to an oocyte cryopreservation bank in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Bakker, Marjolein R; Maas, Joyce; Bekker, Marrie H; Bredenoord, Annelien L; Fauser, Bart C; Bos, Annelies M

2017-08-01

Worldwide, oocyte donors donate voluntarily or receive varying amounts of money for donation. This raises ethical questions regarding the appropriateness of financial compensation, and the possibility of undue inducement and exploitation of oocyte donors. Are these donors capable of making an independent, well-considered decision? Regarding this matter, it is important to examine aspects such as autonomy-connectedness and self-esteem. In this cross-sectional study, demographic characteristics and donation motivations were assessed in 92 women who attended the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht as potential oocyte donors between June 2012 and July 2016. Demographic characteristics were assessed. Motivations were recorded in semi-structured interviews (response rate 59%). The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to assess level of self-esteem. The Autonomy-Connectedness Scale was used to measure the level of autonomy-connectedness. The typical oocyte donor at the UMC Utrecht is a well-educated, employed, 31-year-old woman living with her partner in a completed family with two children, and donating on altruistic grounds. The donors showed higher autonomy-connectedness scores than the average female Dutch population and do not lack self-esteem (questionnaire response rate 66%). Concerns regarding exploitation and attraction of women with lower socioeconomic status, with shortcomings in autonomy-connectedness and self-esteem, could not be confirmed in this group. Copyright © 2017 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The evolution of oocyte donation in China.

PubMed

Wang, Fang; Sun, Yingpu; Kong, Huijuan; Li, Jing; Su, Yingchun; Guo, Yihong

2010-07-01

To review the experience with and clinical outcomes for recipients of embryos from oocytes donated under different regulatory standards in China. Initially, the oocytes were provided by one of the patient's consanguineous sisters. Then, the oocytes were obtained from another patient treated with assisted reproduction techniques (ART). Presently, oocytes thus produced are cryopreserved for at least 6months before transfer. The records from all women treated with ART at First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University since 2001 were reviewed and the pregnancy rates and clinical outcomes were determined for each of the 3 periods. In the second period, the mean implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were significantly higher for the 22 oocyte recipients than for their donors. In the third period, the rates for the 56 recipients were compared with the 78 other regular ART patients fertilized with their own oocytes. There were 40 live births for 32 of the recipients over 28 cycles, and the rates of implantation and clinical pregnancy were much higher for the recipients than for the other ART patients (P<0.001). Using freshly donated eggs yields a higher pregnancy rate but there is a risk of infectious disease. Using frozen oocytes can significantly decrease this risk but implantation rates are lower. Copyright (c) 2010 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Survey on Oocyte Donation: Turkish Fertile and Infertile Women’s Opinions

PubMed Central

Akyuz, Aygul; Sever, Nese; Karasahin, Emre; Guvenc, Gulten; Cek, Suzan

2014-01-01

Background There are various treatment options for infertility, and new techniques are also being developed as it is an important healthcare problem affecting approximately 15-20% of married couples. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of infor- mation of fertile and infertile Turkish women on oocyte donation in order to understand their awareness of the legal, ethical, social and religious issues regarding this technique and to compare these two groups in terms of these variables. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study included infertile women being treated at the assisted reproductive technologies (ART) program of a university hos- pital and women who had presented at the gynecology outpatients department of the same university for routine check-ups and who had no previous history of infertility. After consulting with specialists in the field and searching the related literature, a data collection form having 22 questions for infertile women and 18 questions for fertile women was prepared. Results The women were asked whether they would use the oocytes of another woman if necessary. The results showed that 67.6% of the fertile women said they would never want to use this method, while 63.9% of the infertile women stated they may accept to use this method under certain conditions (two distinct answers appeared in the answers, some women stated they would prefer donated oocytes from close relatives, while others stated they would prefer oocytes from total strangers), such as from a close relative or from someone they do not know at all. Conclusion Infertile women mentioned that they could use illegal routes if necessary to have a child at much higher rates than stated by fertile women. This shows that desire to have a child is a strong source of motivation in Turkey. PMID:25379158

Attitude towards reciprocity as a motive for oocyte donation.

PubMed

Pennings, Guido; Ravel, Célia; Girard, Jean-Maxime; Domin-Bernhard, Mathilde; Provoost, Veerle

2018-06-01

Finding out whether patients would be motivated by reciprocity when considering donating oocytes to others. This is a prospective monocentric study in the CECOS of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) of Rennes (France) on the opinion of patients regarding reciprocity. Couples who had a child with donor sperm were asked whether they would consider oocyte donation as a way of giving something back. Twenty six couples and one man answered the questionnaire. About half of the respondents (49%) felt that they should contribute to the system from which they benefitted. Although the patients would benefit from a reduction in waiting time, this advantage was only important for one in four persons. The only items on which the answers between men and women were significantly different concerned the results of the donation: women would think more often about the potential recipient and the child and they more often wanted to know whether children were born from their donation. The results show that beside altruism, reciprocity may be an important moral reason for people to donate gametes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Current practices of oocyte donation in France and Europe].

PubMed

Letur, H

2007-12-01

This review aims to evaluate, in France, oocyte donation, an assisted reproductive technique (ART), for which 25 years of experience have shown its efficacy for the palliative treatment of infertility caused by ovarian exocrine failure. Its indications have since been expanded to cover certain genetic diseases and document failures of other ART attempts. Oocyte donation is performed within the framework of French legislation - bioethics laws 94-653 and 94-654 of 29 July 1994, and the revised bioethics law 2004-800 of 6 August 2004. Its main fundamental principles are: voluntary, free, anonymous donation, for which regulated confidentiality is assured and now - judicial decree 2004-606 of 24 June 2004 - and the synchronization of donor-recipient cycles with fresh embryo transfer in accordance with established safety procedures. According to the 2004 results of the French Group for the Study of Oocyte Donation (GEDO) for French centers actively involved in ART, the chance of pregnancy was increased to 43.4% for synchronized cycles with fresh embryo transfers versus 18.7% for deferred cycles with frozen-thawed embryos (P<0.01). In addition, follow-up studies reported the excellent family relationships and physical and psychological development of these children. The major difficulties encountered in the daily practice of oocyte donation concern the recruitment and management of donors, but also, and above all, the lack of optimal means to exercise this medical specialty, due to the lack of recognition of the organizational duties incurred, which are the cornerstone of the character-specific functioning of this type of ART. In comparison, we foresee that the discrepancies of this ART practice in Europe, with it differential facets, will lead to medical nomadism for those couples financially able to do so, when national conditions of access fail because of prohibitions but also as a consequence of insufficient means to perform the inherent tasks. Today, it seems essential to provide information on the particularity and practice of oocyte donation required for the comprehension of its obligations for the different players with the aim of obtaining the means necessary for the perpetuation of its practice.

Triplet pregnancy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection of cryopreserved oocytes: case report.

PubMed

Young, E; Kenny, A; Puigdomenech, E; Van Thillo, G; Tiverón, M; Piazza, A

1998-08-01

To report a triplet pregnancy that occurred after intracytoplasmic injection of sperm into cryopreserved oocytes. Case report. Instituto de Ginecología y Fertilidad (IFER), Buenos Aires, Argentina. A 36-year-old infertile patient with premature ovarian failure and a previous term pregnancy with fresh donated oocytes. We administered leuprolide acetate for pituitary down-regulation followed by E2 valerianate in incremental doses until an endometrial lining of >8 mm was observed by ultrasound. Thawing of frozen donated oocytes, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and translaparoscopic fallopian tube ET also were performed. Natural micronized progesterone was administered intravaginally (600 mg/d) before ET. Ultrasound at the 8th week of gestation revealed a triplet pregnancy with active fetal heartbeats. A triple intrauterine gestation was achieved with the use of microinjection into cryopreserved oocytes. This case illustrates the feasibility of oocyte cryopreservation for clinical use in the era of ICSI.

Oxygen consumption is a quality marker for human oocyte competence conditioned by ovarian stimulation regimens.

PubMed

Tejera, Aberto; Herrero, Javier; de Los Santos, M J; Garrido, Nicolás; Ramsing, Niels; Meseguer, Marcos

2011-09-01

To evaluate the effect of different ovarian stimulation protocols on oocyte respiration and to investigate the relationship between oocyte oxygen consumption and reproductive outcome. Prospective observational cohort study. Infertility clinic in a university hospital. A total of 349 oocytes from 56 IVF treatment cycles in our oocyte donation program. None. Average oocyte oxygen consumption rate in fmol/s. We correlated oxygen consumption values with ovarian stimulation features, fertilization, embryo quality on days 2 and 3, and implantation. Differences in the measured oxygen consumption rates were found depending on which type of gonadotropins were used in the stimulation protocol. Higher consumption rates were found for oocytes that underwent normal fertilization compared with rates from nonfertilized or abnormal oocytes (odds ratio = 1.340; 95% confidence intervals = 1.037-1.732). Furthermore, higher oxygen consumption was observed for those oocytes which generated embryos that implanted compared with those that did not implant (6.21 ± 0.849 fmol/s vs. 5.23 ± 0.345 fmol/s. Measurement of oxygen consumption rates for individual oocytes before fertilization provides a noninvasive marker of oocyte quality and hence a quantitative assessment of the reproductive potential for the oocyte. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk disclosure and the recruitment of oocyte donors: are advertisers telling the full story?

PubMed

Alberta, Hillary B; Berry, Roberta M; Levine, Aaron D

2014-01-01

This study analyzes 435 oocyte donor recruitment advertisements to assess whether entities recruiting donors of oocytes to be used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures include a disclosure of risks associated with the donation process in their advertisements. Such disclosure is required by the self-regulatory guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and by law in California for advertisements placed in the state. We find very low rates of risk disclosure across entity types and regulatory regimes, although risk disclosure is more common in advertisements placed by entities subject to ASRM's self-regulatory guidelines. Advertisements placed in California are more likely to include risk disclosure, but disclosure rates are still quite low. California-based entities advertising outside the state are more likely to include risk disclosure than non-California entities, suggesting that California's law may have a modest "halo effect." Our results suggest that there is a significant ethical and policy problem with the status quo in light of the known and unknown risks of oocyte donation and the importance of risk disclosure to informed consent in the context of oocyte donation. © 2014 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

"The angel of the house" in the realm of ART: feminist approach to oocyte and spare embryo donation for research.

PubMed

Alichniewicz, Anna; Michalowska, Monika

2014-02-01

The spectacular progress in assisted reproduction technology that has been witnessed for the past thirty years resulted in emerging new ethical dilemmas as well as the revision of some perennial ones. The paper aims at a feminist approach to oocyte and spare embryo donation for research. First, referring to different concepts of autonomy and informed consent, we discuss whether the decision to donate oocyte/embryo can truly be an autonomous choice of a female patient. Secondly, we argue the commonly adopted language of gift is misleading and that calling for altruism could put female patients at risk of exploitation. Finally, we point out that the presence of gender stereotypes in the procreative area casts doubt whether even a more robust notion of informed consent manages to overcome this risk.

[Oocyte donation: parents's secrets and lies].

PubMed

Karpel, L; Flis-Trèves, M; Blanchet, V; Olivennes, F; Frydman, R

2005-10-01

Since 1994, oocyte donation in France must be organized anonymously, in compliance with the bioethics law. The donation is free and any publicity to enrol donors is forbidden. In this system, the recipients are encouraged to incite a donor to visit the recipient's fertility unit. These donors are called "symbolic" donors, since they allow the recipient to be entitred to receive oocytes from another anonymous donor. According to the law, this procedure can be performed both anonymously and non-anonymously. We wanted to study the implication of the anonymous system, focusing on the secret of the child's conception and on the relationship between the recipient family and the "symbolic" donor. We contacted all the patients (n=83) who had children with oocyte donation in our center between 1988 and 1998. These patients participated in an interview conducted with a standardized questionnaire. Fourteen (17.8%) of the couples were lost to follow-up and three declined to participate. Five recipient couples preferred a non-anonymous donation. In all, 70% of the couples had not yet told their child about the donation. They had mentioned the IVF but not the donation despite of the fact that 50% of symbolic donors came from the family of the recipients, 34% from their friends, or 6% from their professional environment; 10% were not related to the recipients. Long after the child's birth, 25% of the recipients had no contact with the symbolic donor but 41% had selected her as the child's godmother and 15% of symbolic donors were the first to be informed of the birth of the child. After the donation, a gift was offered to the "symbolic" donor by 57% of couples, 33% did not know how to thank them (retribution is forbidden by law) and 10% of couples mentioned that their donor refused any gift. Concerning the donor whose oocytes were used, 63% of recipients did not want to know anything about her. 20% would have liked to have medical information and 13% would like to have all kind of information about her. Only 2% of recipients would have liked to know her identity and 2% would have liked to meet her. In agreement with earlier reports in the literature, the majority (70%) of the parents did not inform their child about the oocyte donation even though the symbolic donor was in contact with the child (being his aunt or his godmother for example). The French system has created a double debt: one related to the real donor and another related to the symbolic donor. In the long run, the parents have found a way to humanize this technique: they have given a symbolic place of godmother to the volunteer donor.

[Oocyte and embryo donation and surrogacy. Religious, medico-social, ethical, financial and legal problems].

PubMed

Kozovski, I; Kovachev, M; Angelova, K; Alexandrov, K; Kozovski, G; Markova, V

2010-01-01

The authors quote and discuss the postulates of the Orthodox, Jewish, Catholic and Islamic religions towards ART as well as worldwide legislations and standards and the attitude of female students of medicine in Varna. Indications of oocyte and embryo donation and surrogacy are proposed but all kinds or surrogacy should be permitted. The ART legislation and standards in Bulgaria should be thoroughly revised.

Recipient screening in IVF: first data from women undergoing anonymous oocyte donation in Dublin.

PubMed

Walsh, Anthony P H; Omar, Ahmed B; Marron, Kevin D; Walsh, David J; Salma, Umme; Sills, E Scott

2011-04-20

Guidelines for safe gamete donation have emphasised donor screening, although none exist specifically for testing oocyte recipients. Pre-treatment assessment of anonymous donor oocyte IVF treatment in Ireland must comply with the European Union Tissues and Cells Directive (Directive 2004/23/EC). To determine the effectiveness of this Directive when applied to anonymous oocyte recipients in IVF, we reviewed data derived from selected screening tests performed in this clinical setting. Data from tests conducted at baseline for all women enrolling as recipients (n = 225) in the anonymous oocyte donor IVF programme at an urban IVF referral centre during a 24-month period were analysed. Patient age at programme entry and clinical pregnancy rate were also tabulated. All recipients had at least one prior negative test for HIV, Hepatitis B/C, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis performed by her GP or other primary care provider before reproductive endocrinology consultation. Mean (±SD) age for donor egg IVF recipients was 40.7 ± 4.2 yrs. No baseline positive chlamydia, gonorrhoea or syphilis screening results were identified among recipients for anonymous oocyte donation IVF during the assessment interval. Mean pregnancy rate (per embryo transfer) in this group was 50.5%. When tests for HIV, Hepatitis B/C, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis already have been confirmed to be negative before starting the anonymous donor oocyte IVF sequence, additional (repeat) testing on the recipient contributes no new clinical information that would influence treatment in this setting. Patient safety does not appear to be enhanced by application of Directive 2004/23/EC to recipients of anonymous donor oocyte IVF treatment. Given the absence of evidence to quantify risk, this practice is difficult to justify when applied to this low-risk population.

Human oocyte calcium analysis predicts the response to assisted oocyte activation in patients experiencing fertilization failure after ICSI.

PubMed

Ferrer-Buitrago, M; Dhaenens, L; Lu, Y; Bonte, D; Vanden Meerschaut, F; De Sutter, P; Leybaert, L; Heindryckx, B

2018-01-10

Can human oocyte calcium analysis predict fertilization success after assisted oocyte activation (AOA) in patients experiencing fertilization failure after ICSI? ICSI-AOA restores the fertilization rate only in patients displaying abnormal Ca2+ oscillations during human oocyte activation. Patients capable of activating mouse oocytes and who showed abnormal Ca2+ profiles after mouse oocyte Ca2+ analysis (M-OCA), have variable responses to ICSI-AOA. It remains unsettled whether human oocyte Ca2+ analysis (H-OCA) would yield an improved accuracy to predict fertilization success after ICSI-AOA. Sperm activation potential was first evaluated by MOAT. Subsequently, Ca2+ oscillatory patterns were determined with sperm from patients showing moderate to normal activation potential based on the capacity of human sperm to generate Ca2+ responses upon microinjection in mouse and human oocytes. Altogether, this study includes a total of 255 mouse and 122 human oocytes. M-OCA was performed with 16 different sperm samples before undergoing ICSI-AOA treatment. H-OCA was performed for 11 patients who finally underwent ICSI-AOA treatment. The diagnostic accuracy to predict fertilization success was calculated based on the response to ICSI-AOA. Patients experiencing low or total failed fertilization after conventional ICSI were included in the study. All participants showed moderate to high rates of activation after MOAT. Metaphase II (MII) oocytes from B6D2F1 mice were used for M-OCA. Control fertile sperm samples were used to obtain a reference Ca2+ oscillation profile elicited in human oocytes. Donated human oocytes, non-suitable for IVF treatments, were collected and vitrified at MII stage for further analysis by H-OCA. M-OCA and H-OCA predicted the response to ICSI-AOA in 8 out of 11 (73%) patients. Compared to M-OCA, H-OCA detected the presence of sperm activation deficiencies with greater sensitivity (75 vs 100%, respectively). ICSI-AOA never showed benefit to overcome fertilization failure in patients showing normal capacity to generate Ca2+ oscillations in H-OCA and was likely to be beneficial in cases displaying abnormal H-OCA Ca2+ oscillations patterns. The scarce availability of human oocytes donated for research purposes is a limiting factor to perform H-OCA. Ca2+ imaging requires specific equipment to monitor fluorescence changes over time. H-OCA is a sensitive test to diagnose gamete-linked fertilization failure. H-OCA allows treatment counseling for couples experiencing ICSI failures to either undergo ICSI-AOA or to participate in gamete donation programs. The present data provide an important template of the Ca2+ signature observed during human fertilization in cases with normal, low and failed fertilization after conventional ICSI. This work was supported by the Flemish fund for scientific research (FWO-Vlaanderen, G060615N). The authors have no conflict of interest to declare. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Endometrial receptivity and implantation are not affected by the presence of uterine intramural leiomyomas: a clinical and functional genomics analysis.

PubMed

Horcajadas, José A; Goyri, Eduardo; Higón, María A; Martínez-Conejero, José A; Gambadauro, Pietro; García, Gabriela; Meseguer, Marcos; Simón, Carlos; Pellicer, Antonio

2008-09-01

Uterine leiomyomas are the most frequent benign tumors during reproductive age. Whether intramural leiomyomas cause infertility and should be removed is controversial because no study has addressed the underlying mechanism of infertility. The objective of the study was to test the effect of intramural leiomyomas on endometrial function by comparing gene during the window of implantation and implantation in an oocyte donation program, in which the quality of the embryos replaced is similar and the endocrine environment of the endometrium is standardized by exogenous steroids. Human endometria of women with single intramural leiomyomas (group A, <5 cm and group B, > or =5 cm) and controls (group C) were collected on day LH+7 and processed for histology and gene expression analysis, using different methods and validated by quantitative RT-PCR. To compare in vitro fertilization outcome, a total of 1035 cases from our oocyte donation database were included, comprising patients with one fibroid less than 5 cm (A1, n = 532); two leiomyomas less than 5 cm (A2, n = 128); three or more leiomyomas less than 5 cm (A3, n = 125); one fibroid 5 cm or greater (B, n = 22); and two control groups: C1 (n = 93), women with previous myomectomy; and C2 (n = 135), women without uterine pathology treated on the same dates as C1. There was a strong positive and negative correlation in the expression profile of 69 genes according to the leiomyomas's size, but only three of the 25 genes related to the window of implantation were dysregulated. Term pregnancy rates after oocyte donation were 36.9, 34.1, 39.0, 36.4, 39.2, and 42.6% (P = 0.769) among the established groups. Similarly, no correlation between implantation and miscarriage with leiomyoma number and size was found. This study provides evidence that intramural leiomyomas not affecting the endometrial cavity alters the expression pattern of some endometrial genes, but the genes involved in implantation are not affected. This is confirmed by leiomyomas having no effect on oocyte donation outcome when the size and number of leiomyomas are analyzed.

New York State's landmark policies on oversight and compensation for egg donation to stem cell research.

PubMed

Roxland, Beth E

2012-05-01

In 2009, New York became the first US state to implement a policy permitting researchers to use public funds to reimburse women who donate oocytes directly and solely to stem cell research, not only for the woman's out-of-pocket expenses, but also for the time, burden and discomfort associated with the donation process. The debate about the propriety of such compensation was recently renewed with the publication of a stem cell study in which women were provided with compensation for donating their eggs. This article explores the scientific and ethical rationales that led to New York's decision to allow donor compensation. The multifaceted deliberation process and comprehensive policies may serve as a model for other states and countries considering the issue of oocyte donor compensation.

Socio-demographic and fertility-related characteristics and motivations of oocyte donors in eleven European countries.

PubMed

Pennings, G; de Mouzon, J; Shenfield, F; Ferraretti, A P; Mardesic, T; Ruiz, A; Goossens, V

2014-05-01

Do the socio-demographic and fertility-related characteristics and motivations of oocyte donors differ in European countries? The socio-demographic and fertility-related characteristics and motivations of oocyte donors differ considerably across countries. There have been no other international studies comparing the characteristics of oocyte donors. Regarding their motivations, most studies indicate mixed motives. The proposed study was a transversal epidemiological study. Data were collected from 63 voluntarily participating assisted reproduction technology centres practising oocyte donation in 11 European countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, UK and Ukraine). The survey was conducted between September 2011 and June 2012 and ran for 1-6 calendar months depending on the number of cycles of oocyte donation performed at the centre. The sample size was computed in order to allow an estimate of the percentage of a relatively rare characteristic (∼2%) with a precision (95% confidence interval) of 1%. The calculation gave 1118 donors. In total, 1423 forms were obtained from oocyte donors. All consecutive donors in these centres filled out an anonymous questionnaire when they started their hormonal stimulation, asking for their socio-demographic and fertility-related characteristics, their motivations and compensation. Population characteristics were described and compared by country of donation. Motives for donation and mean amount of money were compared between countries and according to the donors characteristics. The socio-demographic and fertility-related characteristics and motivations of oocyte donors varied enormously across European countries. The number of received forms corresponded with a participation rate of 61.9% of the cycles performed by the participating centres. Mean age was 27.4 years. About 49% of donors were fully employed, 16% unemployed and 15% student. The motivation in the total group of donors was 47.8% pure altruism, 33.9% altruism and financial, 10.8% pure financial, 5.9% altruism and own treatment and finally 2% own treatment only. About 15% of the donors were egg sharers (patient donors), mainly from the UK and Poland. Women were donating for the first time in 55.4% of cases, for the second time in 20.3% and for the third time in 12.8%. The motivation to donate was significantly related to being of foreign origin (P < 0.01), age (P < 0.001), living in couple or not (P < 0.01), level of education (P < 0.001) and number of donations (P < 0.001). The amount of compensation differed considerably between centres and/or countries. The general donor profile in this study was a well-educated, 27-year-old woman living with her partner and child who mainly donated to help others. The selection of clinics in some countries and the limited participation rate may have led to a bias in donor characteristics. A possible effect of social desirability in the answers by the donors should be taken into account. The diversity of the donor population reflects the differences in European legislation (for example, on anonymity and payment) and economic circumstances. The differences in systems of reimbursement/payment demonstrate the need to have a thorough discussion on the specific meaning of these terms. The study was funded by the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology. The authors declare no conflicting interests.

Cross-border reproductive care among French patients: experiences in Greece, Spain and Belgium.

PubMed

Rozée Gomez, Virginie; de La Rochebrochard, Elise

2013-11-01

What are the characteristics, motivation and experience of French patients seeking cross-border reproductive care (CBRC)? French patients seeking CBRC are same-sex couples, single women who are not eligible for assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) in France and heterosexual couples seeking oocyte donation due to extremely limited access to this technique in France, while their choice of Greece as a destination is influenced by financial issues. CBRC is a new, increasing, complex and poorly understood phenomenon. A few studies have investigated UK, German or Italian CBRC patients, but none have specifically investigated French patients although France is one of the top four countries of origin of CBRC patients in Europe. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2010-2012 in three ART centres in Greece, Belgium and Spain in order to investigate French patients treated in these centres. Recruitment was prospective in Greece and Belgium and retrospective in Spain. The overall response rate was 68%, with 128 French patients participating. French patients filled in a questionnaire. Information was collected on their socio-economic characteristics and their search for ART treatment in France and in other countries. In the Belgian centre, 89% of French patients used sperm donation whereas oocyte donation was used by 100% of patients in the Greek centre and 74% of patients in the Spanish centre. The majority (94%) of French patients using sperm donation in Belgium were not legally eligible for access to ART in France as they were same-sex couples or single women, and the main criterion of choice of centre was its geographical proximity (71%). Most of the French patients using oocyte donation in Greece and Spain fulfilled criteria for fully reimbursed oocyte donation treatment in France as they were heterosexual couples (99%) with the woman aged <43 years (65%). For these couples, CBRC was motivated by the extremely limited access to oocyte donation in France. Half of French CBRC patients using oocyte donation in Spain had a low/intermediate occupational level (such as primary school teachers, nurses, administrative officers or sales agents, workers and employees) and this proportion was much higher in Greece (82%, P < 0.01). Larger and more wide-ranging studies are needed as this study included only 128 patients who may not be representative of all French CBRC patients, especially because the study was carried out only in three ART centres and these too may not be representative. CBRC among French patients had been thought to reflect mainly law evasion. This study showed that the reality is much more complex and that CBRC among French patients reflects both law evasion and limited access to oocyte donation in France. It also brings new insight into the characteristics of the patients by suggesting a certain degree of 'democratization' in access to such care. However, the choice of centre seemed related to socio-economic characteristics, in that the Greek centre treated a less advantaged population than the Spanish centre. This study was supported by French public research funds, the Institute Emilie du Châtelet from the Ile-de-France Region, the Biomedicine Agency and the Research Institute of Public Health (IReSP). There are no conflicts of interest. Not applicable.

Cross-border reproductive care among French patients: experiences in Greece, Spain and Belgium

PubMed Central

Rozée Gomez, Virginie; de La Rochebrochard, Elise

2013-01-01

STUDY QUESTION What are the characteristics, motivation and experience of French patients seeking cross-border reproductive care (CBRC)? SUMMARY ANSWER French patients seeking CBRC are same-sex couples, single women who are not eligible for assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) in France and heterosexual couples seeking oocyte donation due to extremely limited access to this technique in France, while their choice of Greece as a destination is influenced by financial issues. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY CBRC is a new, increasing, complex and poorly understood phenomenon. A few studies have investigated UK, German or Italian CBRC patients, but none have specifically investigated French patients although France is one of the top four countries of origin of CBRC patients in Europe. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2010–2012 in three ART centres in Greece, Belgium and Spain in order to investigate French patients treated in these centres. Recruitment was prospective in Greece and Belgium and retrospective in Spain. The overall response rate was 68%, with 128 French patients participating. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS French patients filled in a questionnaire. Information was collected on their socio-economic characteristics and their search for ART treatment in France and in other countries. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE In the Belgian centre, 89% of French patients used sperm donation whereas oocyte donation was used by 100% of patients in the Greek centre and 74% of patients in the Spanish centre. The majority (94%) of French patients using sperm donation in Belgium were not legally eligible for access to ART in France as they were same-sex couples or single women, and the main criterion of choice of centre was its geographical proximity (71%). Most of the French patients using oocyte donation in Greece and Spain fulfilled criteria for fully reimbursed oocyte donation treatment in France as they were heterosexual couples (99%) with the woman aged <43 years (65%). For these couples, CBRC was motivated by the extremely limited access to oocyte donation in France. Half of French CBRC patients using oocyte donation in Spain had a low/intermediate occupational level (such as primary school teachers, nurses, administrative officers or sales agents, workers and employees) and this proportion was much higher in Greece (82%, P < 0.01). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Larger and more wide-ranging studies are needed as this study included only 128 patients who may not be representative of all French CBRC patients, especially because the study was carried out only in three ART centres and these too may not be representative. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS CBRC among French patients had been thought to reflect mainly law evasion. This study showed that the reality is much more complex and that CBRC among French patients reflects both law evasion and limited access to oocyte donation in France. It also brings new insight into the characteristics of the patients by suggesting a certain degree of ‘democratization’ in access to such care. However, the choice of centre seemed related to socio-economic characteristics, in that the Greek centre treated a less advantaged population than the Spanish centre. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by French public research funds, the Institute Emilie du Châtelet from the Ile-de-France Region, the Biomedicine Agency and the Research Institute of Public Health (IReSP). There are no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Not applicable. PMID:23943796

Application of EU tissue and cell directive screening protocols to anonymous oocyte donors in western Ukraine: data from an Irish IVF programme.

PubMed

Walsh, A P H; Omar, A B; Collins, G S; Murray, G U; Walsh, D J; Salma, U; Sills, E Scott

2010-01-01

Anonymous oocyte donation in the EU proceeds only after rigorous screening designed to ensure gamete safety. If anonymous donor gametes originating from outside EU territory are used by EU patients, donor testing must conform to the same standards as if gamete procurement had occurred in the EU. In Ireland, IVF recipients can be matched to anonymous donors in the Ukraine (a non-EU country). This investigation describes the evolution of anonymous oocyte donor screening methods during this period and associated results. Data were reviewed for all participants in an anonymous donor oocyte IVF programme from 2006 to 2009, when testing consistent with contemporary EU screening requirements was performed on all Ukrainian oocyte donors. HIV and hepatitis tests were aggregated from 314 anonymous oocyte donors and 265 recipients. The results included 5,524 Ukrainian women who were interviewed and 314 of these entered the programme (5.7% accession rate). Mean age of anonymous oocyte donors was 27.9 years; all had achieved at least one delivery. No case of hepatitis or HIV was detected at initial screening or at oocyte procurement. This is the first study of HIV and hepatitis incidence specifically among Ukrainian oocyte donors. We find anonymous oocyte donors to be a low-risk group, despite a high background HIV rate. Following full disclosure of the donation process, most Ukrainian women wishing to volunteer as anonymous oocyte donors do not participate. Current EU screening requirements appear adequate to maintain patient safety in the context of anonymous donor oocyte IVF.

Comparison of two different dosage of GnRH agonist as ovulation trigger in oocyte donors: a randomized controled trial.

PubMed

Zarcos, Sonia Morales; Mejía, Pamela Valdivieso; Stefani, Carla Donado; Martin, Pascual Sánchez; Martin, Fernando Sánchez

2017-09-01

To compare the results obtained with two different GnRH agonist dosages: 0.3mg versus 0.4mg to trigger ovulation in oocyte donor cycles. Experimental controlled randomized trial including 40 patients from a private practice center. The patients were randomized into two groups. Group A received a single dose of Triptorelin 0.3mg (Decapeptyl®) 36hours before pick-up. Group B patients received Triptorelin 0.4mg (Decapeptyl®) before pick-up to final oocyte maturation. We evaluated the total number of oocytes collected, the number of mature oocytes and total days of ovarian stimulation. The average of total collected oocytes were 16 (Group A) versus 15 (Group B), and the mean number of mature oocytes were 13 versus 12 respectively. The only variable showing a difference was the percentage of mature oocytes, which was greater in Group A, resulting in 84.6%, in contrast with those treated with 0.4mg of Triptorelin (78.6%), although these differences were not statistical significant (p=0.35). Days of stimulation did not differ between groups. No cases of empty follicle syndrome were reported. We found that an increase from 0.3 to 0.4mg of triptorelin in an oocyte donation program might not improve outcomes. Nevertheless, more studies might be necessary, not only in oocyte donors but in sterile women as well, to evaluate how GnRH agonist dosage could affect the results among other factors.

Beyond the 'embryo question': human embryonic stem cell ethics in the context of biomaterial donation in the UK.

PubMed

Bahadur, G; Morrison, M; Machin, L

2010-12-01

Discussion about the ethics of human embryonic stem cell (ESC) research in the UK tends to be dominated by the divisive and potentially intractable issue of the moral status of the embryo. This can have the effect of silencing or marginalizing other concerns, especially in the context of public engagement with science in this field. One such area of potential public concern is the donation of oocytes and embryos to stem cell research. Contemporary research on the views of donors and potential donors about a wide range of biomaterials, from solid organs to gametes and bone marrow, is reviewed and used to illustrate the range and types of ethical concerns articulated by this important group of stakeholders. Attitudes to donation are found to vary according to the type of tissue being donated or collected, the purpose for which donation is being sought and the nature of the recipient of the donation. Pertinently, attitudes towards donating oocytes are found to differ in some respects from donation of embryos or fetal tissue. The implications of these findings for ensuring ethically robust informed consent and publicly acceptable sourcing of human biomaterials for stem cell research are then considered. Copyright © 2010 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hypothesis: Co-transfer of genuine embryos and implantation-promoting compounds via artificial containers improve endometrium receptivity.

PubMed

Celik, Onder; Acet, Mustafa; Celik, Sudenaz; Sahin, Levent; Koc, Onder; Celik, Nilufer

2017-06-01

As with other organs endometrial functions are altered with the advancing age. Age related decrease in reproductive functions leads to decline in the number of oocytes retrieved and the synthesis of endometrial receptivity molecules. Despite the significant improvement in assisted reproductive technologies we do not have so many options to enhance endometrial receptivity. Due to lack of drugs having endometrium receptivity enhancement properties, oocyte donation seems to be the only solution for women with implantation failure. The euploid oocytes come from young and healthy donors may overcome age associated endometrial receptivity defect. Nevertheless, many reasons restrict us from using oocyte donation in women with implantation failure. We, therefore, hypothesized that by mimicking a young blastocyst's effect on endometrium, the transfer of genuine embryos and implantation-promoting compounds together might be the new treatment option for infertile women with recurrent implantation failure. Artificial beads, MI or GV oocytes, and empty zona can be used as a container for intrauterine replacement of implantation-promoting compounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thin endometrium in donor oocyte recipients: enigma or obstacle for implantation?

PubMed

Dain, Lena; Bider, David; Levron, Jacob; Zinchenko, Viktor; Westler, Sharon; Dirnfeld, Martha

2013-11-01

To evaluate the combined effect of endometrial thickness and anatomic uterine factors on clinical outcome in oocyte donation recipients. Retrospective analysis of oocyte donation cycles conducted between 2005 and 2010. Two private IVF centers. A total of 737 donor oocyte cycles. None. Clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. No statistically significant difference was found in clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates in cycles with endometrial thickness <6 mm compared with those with endometrial thickness >10 mm. However, a relatively high rate of live births was found within a medium range of endometrial thickness (8.2-10 mm). All intrauterine adhesion cases occurred in cycles with thinner endometrium. No statistically significant difference was found in clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates in cycles with endometrial thickness <6 mm compared with those with thickness >6 mm. A relatively high rate of live births was found within a medium range of endometrial thickness (9.1-10 mm). Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vitrification: an effective new approach to oocyte banking and preserving fertility in cancer patients.

PubMed

Cobo, A; Domingo, J; Pérez, S; Crespo, J; Remohí, J; Pellicer, A

2008-05-01

Oocyte cryopreservation is a useful tool for preserving the fertility of cancer patients at risk of losing ovarian function due to undergoing potentially sterilising therapies. Results obtained with different cryopreservation protocols have been disappointing, particularly those obtained with slow cooling procedures. The efficacy of vitrification as an application in clinical practice has recently been demonstrated. The aim of this study is to report results obtained with the Cryotop method of oocyte vitrification in a population of healthy women and to point out its potential usefulness for fertility preservation in oncological patients. The study population consisting of non-oncological patients included 47 oocyte donors and 57 recipients undergoing an oocyte donation cycle of assisted reproductive technology (ART). A total of 693 mature metaphase II oocytes were collected following ovarian stimulation using long protocol down-regulation plus gonadotropin administration. Vitrification was carried out by means of the Cryotop method. Oocytes were donated to a compatible recipient after endometrial preparation. Of the 693 oocytes, 666 (96.1%) survived. A total of 487 (73.1%) were fertilised successfully. One hundred and seventeen embryos were transferred to 57 recipients. Pregnancy rate per transfer and implantation rates were 63.2% and 38.5% respectively. Twenty-eight healthy babies were later born. Oocyte cryo-banking by means of the Cryotop vitrification method represents a viable option for healthy women, producing excellent survival rates and a clinical outcome similar to that obtained with fresh oocytes. This approach could potentially be used in cancer patients who want to safeguard their fertility. Cancer patients could potentially benefit from this approach by storing their oocytes before the onset of the oncological therapy.

Effects and outcomes of third-party reproduction: parents.

PubMed

Greenfeld, Dorothy A

2015-09-01

Third-party reproduction has introduced a host of changing family constellations. Research has shown that children conceived through third-party reproduction are doing well psychologically and developmentally, but what about their parents? How have they coped with the transition to third-party reproduction? Has the experience impacted their marital stability or the quality of their parenting? This review will address parents of children conceived through oocyte donation, parents of children conceived through gestational surrogacy, and gay male parents of children conceived through oocyte donation and gestational surrogacy. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of two different dosage of GnRH agonist as ovulation trigger in oocyte donors: a randomized controled trial

PubMed Central

Zarcos, Sonia Morales; Mejía, Pamela Valdivieso; Stefani, Carla Donado; Martin, Pascual Sánchez; Martin, Fernando Sánchez

2017-01-01

Objective To compare the results obtained with two different GnRH agonist dosages: 0.3mg versus 0.4mg to trigger ovulation in oocyte donor cycles. Methods Experimental controlled randomized trial including 40 patients from a private practice center. The patients were randomized into two groups. Group A received a single dose of Triptorelin 0.3mg (Decapeptyl®) 36hours before pick-up. Group B patients received Triptorelin 0.4mg (Decapeptyl®) before pick-up to final oocyte maturation. We evaluated the total number of oocytes collected, the number of mature oocytes and total days of ovarian stimulation. Results The average of total collected oocytes were 16 (Group A) versus 15 (Group B), and the mean number of mature oocytes were 13 versus 12 respectively. The only variable showing a difference was the percentage of mature oocytes, which was greater in Group A, resulting in 84.6%, in contrast with those treated with 0.4mg of Triptorelin (78.6%), although these differences were not statistical significant (p=0.35). Days of stimulation did not differ between groups. No cases of empty follicle syndrome were reported. Conclusions We found that an increase from 0.3 to 0.4mg of triptorelin in an oocyte donation program might not improve outcomes. Nevertheless, more studies might be necessary, not only in oocyte donors but in sterile women as well, to evaluate how GnRH agonist dosage could affect the results among other factors. PMID:28837025

Fear and experience of childbirth among women who conceived with donated oocytes: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Sälevaara, Mari; Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Poikkeus, Piia; Flykt, Marjo; Tulppala, Maija; Tiitinen, Aila

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare the level of fear of childbirth, pregnancy-related anxiety and experience of childbirth in women who conceived with donated oocytes (OD), with that in women with in vitro fertilization/intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) and spontaneous conception (SC). This is a prospective cohort study. We compared women who received donated oocytes (n = 26) to matched controls, IVF/ICSI (n = 52) or SC (n = 52). Matching was made according to mothers' age, parity, plurality and the number of returned questionnaires. The participants completed the questionnaires during their second trimester and at 2 months postpartum. The Fear of Delivery Questionnaire and the Pregnancy Anxiety Scale served to study fear of childbirth, and the Delivery Satisfaction Scale served to study experience of childbirth. The level of fear of childbirth was lower in the women who received donated oocytes than in the women who received IVF/ICSI (p = 0.028), but similar to those in the SC group. The level of pregnancy-related anxiety was lower in the OD group than in the IVF/ICSI (p = 0.006) and SC groups (p = 0.019). The experience of childbirth did not differ between the groups. The mode of delivery was associated with the mothers' satisfaction with the delivery only in the OD group. Those who had an acute operative delivery were the most dissatisfied. After receiving adequate support prior to OD treatment, the women require no more support with fear of childbirth than other pregnant women, but they may require support after acute operative deliveries. © 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Compliance with donor age recommendations in oocyte donor recruitment advertisements in the USA.

PubMed

Alberta, Hillary B; Berry, Roberta M; Levine, Aaron D

2013-04-01

IVF using donated oocytes offers benefits to many infertile patients, yet the technique also raises a number of ethical concerns, including worries about potential physical and psychological risks to oocyte donors. In the USA, oversight of oocyte donation consists of a combination of federal and state regulations and self-regulatory guidelines promulgated by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. This study assesses compliance with one of these self-regulatory guidelines - specifically, ASRM's preferred minimum age for donors of 21. To assess compliance, 539 oocyte donor recruitment advertisements from two recruitment channels (Craigslist and college newspapers) were collected and evaluated. Of these, 61% in the Craigslist dataset and 43% in the college newspaper dataset listed minimum ages between 18 and 20, which is inconsistent with ASRM's preferred minimum age recommendation of 21. Advertisements placed by oocyte donor recruitment agencies were more likely than advertisements placed by clinics to specify minimum ages between 18 and 20. These results indicate that ASRM should evaluate and consider revising its donor age guidelines. IVF using donated human eggs can help many patients who have difficulty having children. However, the technique also raises ethical concerns, including concerns about potential physical and psychological harms to egg donors. In the USA, oversight of egg donation relies on a combination of federal and state regulation and professional self-regulation. Governmental regulations address only limited aspects of egg donation, such as the potential spread of infectious diseases and the reporting of success rates, leaving voluntary guidelines developed by an association of medical professionals to address most issues, including ethical concerns raised by the practice. One of these voluntary guidelines recommends that egg donors should be at least 21 years of age. In this article, we analysed 539 egg donor recruitment advertisements published on Craigslist and in college newspapers to see whether fertility clinics and egg donor recruitment agencies follow this recommendation. We found that 61% of advertisements in the Craigslist dataset and 43% of advertisements in the college newspaper dataset listed minimum ages between 18 and 20 and, thus, did not follow the recommendation that egg donors be at least 21 years of age. Advertisements placed by egg donor recruitment agencies were more likely than advertisements placed by fertility clinics to list minimum ages between 18 and 20. These results indicate that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine should evaluate and consider revising its donor age guidelines. Copyright © 2012 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A relationship between traditionally motivated patterns and gamete donation and surrogacy in urban areas of Greece.

PubMed

Chliaoutakis, Joannes E

2002-08-01

Although gamete receipt or donation has become an integral part of infertility management, previous research in the field of social attitudes and intention to use medical technologies is limited. The aim of this paper was to investigate people's intentions to receive or donate sperm, oocyte or uterus (surrogacy) and to identify possible motivational patterns explaining this intention. Personal interviews were conducted with 365 men and women of reproductive age (18-45 years). Stratified random sampling was performed to select the men and women for interview. The content of the instrument used was derived from in-depth qualitative interviews with physicians experienced in assisted reproductive technologies, as well as from people who had recourse to gamete donation and surrogacy. The results obtained highlighted the following major aspects: (i) approximately 50% of the survey's participants would be prepared to receive/donate sperm and oocyte; (ii) the results from multiple regression analysis suggest that the 'traditional gender roles' pattern is positively associated with 'intention to use gamete donation and surrogacy'. On the contrary, 'confidence in emotional relationship' is negatively associated with 'intention to use gamete donation and surrogacy, and (iii) men are more likely than women to report 'intention to use gamete donation and surrogacy'. These data suggest that specific motivational patterns of the population need to be thoroughly analysed and taken into consideration, in order that appropriate counselling be addressed to individuals and couples.

Egg Production and Donation: A New Frontier in the Global Landscape of Cross-Border Reproductive Care: Ethical Concerns.

PubMed

Neri, Margherita; Turillazzi, Emanuela; Pascale, Natasha; Riezzo, Irene; Pomara, Cristoforo

2016-01-01

Cross-border reproductive care (CBRC) is a multifaceted phenomenon. It may involve both the movement of patients to undertake assisted reproductive treatment through technologies otherwise denied and the movement of assisted reproduction professionals, egg and sperm donors and surrogates, as well as the importing and exporting of gametes. The reasons for CBRC vary between countries. In this global landscape, the search for donor oocytes is one of the main reasons for patients seeking cross-border reproductive care. The egg market has led to ethical and political concerns about the means of procuring donor oocytes, the possibility of exploiting economically underprivileged women mainly in poor countries, and the issue of the responsibility and accountability of medical doctors and fertility clinics. Ethical concerns relating to international egg donation are discussed with special focus on the issues of compensation/ reimbursement, the health and welfare of women donating eggs, informed consent to donation, the possible conflict of interest for physicians involved in egg donation programmes, and equity in the distribution of economic resources from CBRC. Finally, the need for global solutions to this global issue is underlined.

The evolving world of ART: who are the intended parents and how are their children doing?

PubMed

Greenfeld, D A

2012-12-01

Treatment advances in assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as oocyte donation and gestational surrogacy have introduced a new cohort of intended parents and new family constellations. Who these parents are and how their children are doing is the focus of this paper. Special emphasis will be paid to the impact of delayed parenthood on oocyte donation, the increasing numbers of gestational surrogacy participants (intended parents and surrogates), and the growing numbers of gay male couples seeking fatherhood through ART. While it appears that children of these new family constellations are doing well, research is limited and longitudinal studies of their health and well being are needed.

Genetic polymorphisms of serotonin transporter and receptor 1A could influence success during embryo implantation and maintenance of pregnancy.

PubMed

Palomares, Arturo R; Lendínez-Ramírez, Ana M; Pérez-Nevot, Beatriz; Cortés-Rodríguez, Miriam; Martínez, Francisco; Garrido, Nicolás; Ruiz-Galdón, Maximiliano; Reyes-Engel, Armando

2013-06-01

To explore whether serotonin-related gene polymorphisms influence clinical outcomes of IVF treatment in recipients using donated oocytes. Nested case-control study. University-affiliated infertility clinic. Two hundred forty-five women undergoing IVF treatment with donated oocytes. None. Genotype and haplotype analysis of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), rs1800532, rs6295, rs6313, and rs3813929, between recipients grouped according to the results of the oocyte donation for IVF treatment. No differences were found between genotype distribution of the tryptophan hydroxylase 1, serotonin receptor 2A, and serotonin receptor 2C polymorphisms. Recipients carrying the LL genotype for 5-HTTLPR had lower clinical pregnancy rates (PR) and higher biochemical pregnancy loss (BPL) events. Lower implantation rates were found in CC carriers for 5-HT1A.rs6295 who also presented higher BPL rates. A lower incidence of clinical pregnancy was observed for LC haplotypes, corresponding to an increase in BPL rates. A strong association was found between early pregnancy loss and recipients carrying the 5-HTTLPR and rs6295 genetic variants. Identifying biological processes involving serotonin and embryo implantation may help to understand the dynamics of the maternal-embryo dialogue. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[New possibilities resulting from oocyte banking].

PubMed

Revel, Ariel; Revel, Michel; Laufer, Neri; Kasher, Asa

2011-06-01

Oocyte cryopreservation solves the legal and ethical problems associated with the cryopreservation of embryos in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization procedures. Furthermore, it may also offer the possibility of extending the reproductive capability of young women with malignant diseases in cases where the treatment may compromise the ovarian reserve. Moreover, it may also offer alternatives for infertile patients who are subject to ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome or premature ovarian faiLure or who require oocyte donation. The creation of banks for cryopreserved oocytes avoids the need for cycle synchronization or the formation of an over-supply of embryos destined for cryopreservation. If a Large number of oocytes is obtained it could possibly enable women and couples the opportunity to postpone childbirth according to their wishes. This paper reviews the revolution obtained by oocyte vitrification, reports on ethical issues and discusses the pros and cons of oocyte banking and its potential effects on society.

Injection of embryo culture supernatant to the endometrial cavity does not affect outcomes in IVF/ICSI or oocyte donation cycles: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Prapas, Yannis; Petousis, Stamatios; Panagiotidis, Yannis; Gullo, Giuseppe; Kasapi, Lia; Papadeothodorou, Achilleas; Prapas, Nikos

2012-06-01

To evaluate whether intrauterine injection of embryo culture supernatant before embryo transfer has any impact on pregnancy and implantation rates. A total of 400 cycles, of which 200 IVF/ICSI and 200 oocyte donor (OD), were randomly assigned to have their uterine cavity injected (group I) or not (group II). Primary endpoints to be studied were pregnancy and implantation rates. Clinical pregnancy rate per transfer (47.87%, 90/188 versus 48.45%, 94/194) based on transvaginal scan findings at 7 weeks of gestation and implantation rate (25.6% versus 26.5%) were similar in the two groups. The day of embryo transfer, day 3 or day 5, did not affect the final outcome. Injection of embryo culture supernatant into the uterine cavity, 30 min before the embryo transfer on either day 3 or 5, neither improves nor adversely affects the pregnancy rate in IVF/ICSI or oocyte donation cycles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[In vitro fertilization at the Erasme Hospital: 10 years and 1000 pregnancies later...].

PubMed

Englert, Y; Van den Bergh, M; Delbaere, A; Devreker, F; Koenig, I; Hannes, M; Emiliani, S; Biramane, J; Vannin, A S; Govaerts, I; Holoye, A; Revelard, P

1999-10-01

This contribution summarize ten years of in vitro fertilization of clinical work. Activity growth, improvements of results (mean fertilization rate increased from 45% to 58%, fertilization failure dropped from 18% to 7%, pregnancy chances gains 9% to reach 44% per trial) and new treatments possibilities (severe male infertility) thanks to the ICSI technic were the major characteristics of this last ten years. The original anonymous oocyte donation program with donors permutation initiated as soon as 1990 has imposed itself due to it's exceptional efficiency with a pregnancy rate of 95% per oocyte pick up on a population of 46 donors and 145 recipient cycles. Thanks to the large population studied (4028 cycles, 1071 pregnancies), the tendencies in human fecundity (impact of age) and the risks linked to multiples pregnancies could be highlighted, stressing the importance of future developments presented in the other contributions following this general presentation of results.

Successful ongoing pregnancies after vitrification of oocytes.

PubMed

Lucena, Elkin; Bernal, Diana Patricia; Lucena, Carolina; Rojas, Alejandro; Moran, Abby; Lucena, Andrés

2006-01-01

To demonstrate the efficiency of vitrifying mature human oocytes for different clinical indications. Descriptive case series. Cryobiology laboratory, Centro Colombiano de Fertilidad y Esterilidad-CECOLFES LTDA. (Bogotá, Colombia). Oocyte vitrification was offered as an alternative management for patients undergoing infertility treatment because of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, premature ovarian failure, natural ovarian failure, male factor, poor response, or oocyte donation. Mature oocytes were obtained from 33 donor women and 40 patients undergoing infertility treatment. Oocytes were retrieved by ultrasound-guided transvaginal aspiration and vitrified with the Cryotops method, with 30% ethylene glycol, 30% dimethyl sulfoxide, and 0.5 mol/L sucrose. Viability was assessed 3 hours after thawing. The surviving oocytes were inseminated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertilization was evaluated after 24 hours. The zygotes were further cultured in vitro for up to 72 hours until time of embryo transfer. Recovery, viability, fertilization, and pregnancy rates. Oocyte vitrification with the Cryotop method resulted in high rates of recovery, viability, fertilization, cleavage, and ongoing pregnancy. Vitrification with the Cryotop method is an efficient, fast, and economical method for oocyte cryopreservation that offers high rates of survival, fertilization, embryo development, and ongoing normal pregnancies, providing a new alternative for the management of female infertility.

Predicting the likelihood of live birth for elective oocyte cryopreservation: a counseling tool for physicians and patients.

PubMed

Goldman, R H; Racowsky, C; Farland, L V; Munné, S; Ribustello, L; Fox, J H

2017-04-01

Can a counseling tool be developed for women desiring elective oocyte cryopreservation to predict the likelihood of live birth based on age and number of oocytes frozen? Using data from ICSI cycles of a population of women with uncompromised ovarian reserve, an evidence-based counseling tool was created to guide women and their physicians regarding the number of oocytes needed to freeze for future family-building goals. Elective oocyte cryopreservation is increasing in popularity as more women delay family building. By undertaking elective oocyte freezing at a younger age, women hope to optimize their likelihood of successful live birth(s) using their thawed oocytes at a future date. Questions often arise in clinical practice regarding the number of cryopreserved oocytes sufficient to achieve live birth(s) and whether or not additional stimulation cycles are likely to result in a meaningful increase in the likelihood of live birth. As relatively few women who have electively cryopreserved oocytes have returned to use them, available data for counseling patients wishing to undergo fertility preservation are limited. A model was developed to determine the proportion of mature oocytes that fertilize and then form blastocysts as a function of age, using women with presumably normal ovarian reserve based on standard testing who underwent ICSI cycles in our program from January, 2011 through March, 2015 (n = 520). These included couples diagnosed exclusively with male-factor and/or tubal-factor infertility, as well as cycles utilizing egg donation. Age-specific probabilities of euploidy were estimated from 14 500 PGS embryo results from an external testing laboratory. Assuming survival of thawed oocytes at 95% for women <36 y and for egg donors, and 85% for women ≥36 y, and 60% live birth rate per transferred euploid blastocyst, probabilities of having at least one, two or three live birth(s) were calculated. First fresh male-factor and/or tubal-factor only autologous ICSI cycles (n = 466) were analyzed using Poisson regression to calculate the probability that a mature oocyte will become a blastocyst based on age. Egg donation cycles (n = 54) were analyzed and incorporated into the model separately. The proportion of blastocysts expected to be euploid was determined using PGS results of embryos analyzed via array comparative genomic hybridization. A counseling tool was developed to predict the likelihood of live birth, based on individual patient age and number of mature oocytes. This study provides an evidence-based model to predict the probability of a woman having at least one, two or three live birth(s) based on her age at egg retrieval and the number of mature oocytes frozen. The model is derived from a surrogate population of ICSI patients with uncompromised ovarian reserve. A user-friendly counseling tool was designed using the model to help guide physicians and patients. The data used to develop the prediction model are, of necessity, retrospective and not based on patients who have returned to use their cryopreserved oocytes. The assumptions used to create the model, albeit reasonable and data-driven, vary by study and will likely vary by center. Centers are therefore encouraged to consider their own blastocyst formation and thaw survival rates when counseling patients. Our model will provide a counseling resource that may help inform women desiring elective fertility preservation regarding their likelihood of live birth(s), how many cycles to undergo, and when additional cycles would bring diminishing returns. None. Not applicable. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The long path to pregnancy: early experience with dual anonymous gamete donation in a European in vitro fertilisation referral centre

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background This investigation describes features of patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET) where both gametes were obtained from anonymous donors. Methods Gamete unsuitability or loss was confirmed in both members of seven otherwise healthy couples presenting for reproductive endocrinology consultation over a 12-month interval in Ireland. IVF was undertaken with fresh oocytes provided by anonymous donors in Ukraine; frozen sperm (anonymous donor) was obtained from a licensed tissue establishment. For recipients, saline-enhanced sonography was used to assess intrauterine contour with endometrial preparation via transdermal estrogen. Results Among commissioning couples, mean±SD female and male age was 41.9 ± 3.7 and 44.6 ± 3.5 yrs, respectively. During this period, female age for non dual anonymous gamete donation IVF patients was 37.9 ± 3 yrs (p < 0.001). Infertility duration was ≥3 yrs for couples enrolling in dual gamete donation, and each had ≥2 prior failed fertility treatments using native oocytes. All seven recipient couples proceeded to embryo transfer, although one patient had two transfers. Clinical pregnancy was achieved for 5/7 (71.4%) patients. Non-transferred cryopreserved embryos were available for all seven couples. Conclusions Mean age of females undergoing dual anonymous donor gamete donation with IVF is significantly higher than the background IVF patient population. Even when neither partner is able to contribute any gametes for IVF, the clinical pregnancy rate per transfer can be satisfactory if both anonymous egg and sperm donation are used concurrently. Our report emphasises the role of pre-treatment counselling in dual anonymous gamete donation, and presents a coordinated screening and treatment approach in IVF where this option may be contemplated. PMID:20701806

The long path to pregnancy: early experience with dual anonymous gamete donation in a European in vitro fertilisation referral centre.

PubMed

Sills, Eric Scott; Mykhaylyshyn, Lyubov O; Dorofeyeva, Ulyana S; Walsh, David J; Salma, Umme; Omar, Ahmed B; Coull, Graham D; David, Ileana A; Brickell, Kathy M; Tsar, Olga M; Walsh, Anthony Ph

2010-08-11

This investigation describes features of patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET) where both gametes were obtained from anonymous donors. Gamete unsuitability or loss was confirmed in both members of seven otherwise healthy couples presenting for reproductive endocrinology consultation over a 12-month interval in Ireland. IVF was undertaken with fresh oocytes provided by anonymous donors in Ukraine; frozen sperm (anonymous donor) was obtained from a licensed tissue establishment. For recipients, saline-enhanced sonography was used to assess intrauterine contour with endometrial preparation via transdermal estrogen. Among commissioning couples, mean+/-SD female and male age was 41.9 +/- 3.7 and 44.6 +/- 3.5 yrs, respectively. During this period, female age for non dual anonymous gamete donation IVF patients was 37.9 +/- 3 yrs (p < 0.001). Infertility duration was >/=3 yrs for couples enrolling in dual gamete donation, and each had >/=2 prior failed fertility treatments using native oocytes. All seven recipient couples proceeded to embryo transfer, although one patient had two transfers. Clinical pregnancy was achieved for 5/7 (71.4%) patients. Non-transferred cryopreserved embryos were available for all seven couples. Mean age of females undergoing dual anonymous donor gamete donation with IVF is significantly higher than the background IVF patient population. Even when neither partner is able to contribute any gametes for IVF, the clinical pregnancy rate per transfer can be satisfactory if both anonymous egg and sperm donation are used concurrently. Our report emphasises the role of pre-treatment counselling in dual anonymous gamete donation, and presents a coordinated screening and treatment approach in IVF where this option may be contemplated.

What a difference two days make: "personalized" embryo transfer (pET) paradigm: a case report and pilot study.

PubMed

Ruiz-Alonso, M; Galindo, N; Pellicer, A; Simón, C

2014-06-01

Embryo implantation requires that the blastocyst will attach during the receptive stage of the endometrium, known as window of implantation (WOI). Historically, it has been assumed that the WOI is always constant in all women. However, molecular analyses of endometrial receptivity demonstrates a personalized WOI (pWOI) that is displaced in one out of four patients suffering from recurrent implantation failure (RIF) of endometrial origin and illustrates the utility of a personalized endometrial diagnostic approach. Here, we report a clinical case of successful personalized embryo transfer (pET) after four IVF and three oocyte donation failed attempts in which different embryo transfer strategies were attempted. This case report is complemented by a pilot study of 17 patients undergoing oocyte donation and who suffered failed implantations with routine embryo transfer (ET) but were then treated with pET after the personalized diagnosis of their WOI.

The personality and motivation of semen donors: a comparison with oocyte donors.

PubMed

Schover, L R; Rothmann, S A; Collins, R L

1992-04-01

Seventeen consecutively recruited candidates for semen donation were evaluated by a psychologist with testing and a structured interview. Most men (71%) were motivated by financial compensation. Only 29% would donate semen if records were open to potential offspring. Fifty-nine per cent of the men were rated as excellent candidates from a psychological perspective and 35% were rated as acceptable with slight reservations. One was excluded as a donor. Psychological testing revealed mildly abnormal subscale scores for 35% of donors. Forty-seven per cent had histories of minor depressive or anxiety episodes and 35% had had periods of heavy alcohol use. Compared to oocyte donors at the same institution, the men were less altruistic, more affluent, and more likely to have abused alcohol. Women had more traumatic family and reproductive histories. Psychological evaluation can be a valuable tool in gamete donor selection.

Premature menopause.

PubMed

Okeke, Tc; Anyaehie, Ub; Ezenyeaku, Cc

2013-01-01

Premature menopause affects 1% of women under the age of 40 years. The women are at risk of premature death, neurological diseases, psychosexual dysfunction, mood disorders, osteoporosis, ischemic heart disease and infertility. There is need to use simplified protocols and improved techniques in oocyte donation to achieve pregnancy and mother a baby in those women at risk. Review of the pertinent literature on premature menopause, selected references, internet services using the PubMed and Medline databases were included in this review. In the past, pregnancy in women with premature menopause was rare but with recent advancement in oocyte donation, women with premature menopause now have hoped to mother a child. Hormone replacement therapy is beneficial to adverse consequences of premature menopause. Women with premature menopause are at risk of premature death, neurological diseases, psychosexual dysfunction, mood disorders, osteoporosis, ischemic heart disease and infertility. Public enlightenment and education is important tool to save those at risk.

Premature Menopause

PubMed Central

Okeke, TC; Anyaehie, UB; Ezenyeaku, CC

2013-01-01

Premature menopause affects 1% of women under the age of 40 years. The women are at risk of premature death, neurological diseases, psychosexual dysfunction, mood disorders, osteoporosis, ischemic heart disease and infertility. There is need to use simplified protocols and improved techniques in oocyte donation to achieve pregnancy and mother a baby in those women at risk. Review of the pertinent literature on premature menopause, selected references, internet services using the PubMed and Medline databases were included in this review. In the past, pregnancy in women with premature menopause was rare but with recent advancement in oocyte donation, women with premature menopause now have hoped to mother a child. Hormone replacement therapy is beneficial to adverse consequences of premature menopause. Women with premature menopause are at risk of premature death, neurological diseases, psychosexual dysfunction, mood disorders, osteoporosis, ischemic heart disease and infertility. Public enlightenment and education is important tool to save those at risk. PMID:23634337

Statutory information for the children born of oocyte donation in the UK: what will they be told in 2008?

PubMed

Abdalla, H; Shenfield, F; Latarche, E

1998-04-01

In the UK, non-identifying information on the donor is recorded by statute in assisted reproduction with gamete donation. This may be made available eventually to the resulting children. Prospective parents are counselled about openness, and often wish to know what may be available if the child has access to this information. We analysed forms from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority completed by all donors at the Lister in-vitro fertilization unit. We found that 94% of oocyte donors did not respond to the last question asking for a brief description of themselves, leaving only profession and interests as information to be given in the future. There was a significant difference between the known and anonymous responders. This has important implications for the future parents who want to tell their child of his/her origins.

Endometrial preparation for women undergoing embryo transfer with frozen embryos or embryos derived from donor oocytes.

PubMed

Glujovsky, Demián; Pesce, Romina; Fiszbajn, Gabriel; Sueldo, Carlos; Hart, Roger J; Ciapponi, Agustín

2010-01-20

If a fresh embryo, assisted reproductive technology procedure cycle is unsuccessful and there are frozen embryos available, a frozen-thawed embryo transfer is performed. In some specific cases women may undergo oocyte donation treatment. In both situations the endometrium is primed by the administration of estrogen and progesterone. To prevent the possibility of spontaneous ovulation, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists are frequently used. To evaluate the most effective endometrial preparation for women undergoing transfer with frozen embryos or embryos from donor oocytes with regard to the subsequent live birth rate. We searched the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and abstracts of reproductive societies' meetings (from inception). No language restrictions were applied. Experts in the field were contacted. Randomised controlled trials evaluating endometrial preparation in women undergoing fresh donor cycles and frozen embryo transfers. Two review authors independently applied the inclusion criteria, assessed trial risk of bias, and extracted data. Twenty two randomised controlled trials were included. Five studies analysed the use of a GnRH agonist versus control. No significant benefit was demonstrated when using GnRH agonists. No evidence of statistically significant benefit was found for one GnRH agonist over another, or vaginal over intramuscular progesterone administration. No difference in pregnancy rate was demonstrated when no treatment was compared to aspirin, steroids, ovarian stimulation, or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) prior to embryo transfer, although using hCG several times before the oocyte retrieval decreases the pregnancy rate. Finally, when oocyte recipients were studied further, starting progesterone on the day of oocyte pick-up (OPU) or the day after OPU produced a significantly higher pregnancy rate (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.13 to 3.08) than when recipients started progesterone the day prior to OPU. There is insufficient evidence to recommend any one particular protocol for endometrial preparation over another with regard to pregnancy rates after embryo transfers. These were either frozen embryos or embryos derived from donor oocytes. However, there is evidence of a lower pregnancy rate and a higher cycle cancellation rate when the progesterone supplementation is commenced prior to oocyte retrieval in oocyte donation cycles. Adequately powered studies are needed to evaluate each treatment more accurately.

Mitochondrial DNA content and 4977 bp deletion in unfertilized oocytes.

PubMed

Chan, C C W; Liu, V W S; Lau, E Y L; Yeung, W S B; Ng, E H Y; Ho, P C

2005-12-01

Previous studies analysing the incidences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions and mtDNA content in unfertilized oocytes in relation to donors' age have been controversial. The objective of the study was to compare these two parameters in unfertilized oocytes and relate them to the donors' age. Fifty-two women donated 155 unfertilized metaphase II (MII) oocytes. The incidence of 4977 bp deletion was 34.6%, and the mtDNA copy number was 598 350 +/- 265 862. Women >or=35 years of age had a significantly higher incidence of 4977 bp deletion, lower mtDNA copy number, higher FSH level and poorer ovarian response when compared with younger women. The mtDNA copy number was negatively correlated with the donor's age. The higher incidence of mtDNA deletion and lower mtDNA copy number in older women suggested that these two parameters may reflect ovarian ageing.

Cryopreservation of embryos and oocytes in human assisted reproduction.

PubMed

Konc, János; Kanyó, Katalin; Kriston, Rita; Somoskői, Bence; Cseh, Sándor

2014-01-01

Both sperm and embryo cryopreservation have become routine procedures in human assisted reproduction and oocyte cryopreservation is being introduced into clinical practice and is getting more and more widely used. Embryo cryopreservation has decreased the number of fresh embryo transfers and maximized the effectiveness of the IVF cycle. The data shows that women who had transfers of fresh and frozen embryos obtained 8% additional births by using their cryopreserved embryos. Oocyte cryopreservation offers more advantages compared to embryo freezing, such as fertility preservation in women at risk of losing fertility due to oncological treatment or chronic disease, egg donation, and postponing childbirth, and eliminates religious and/or other ethical, legal, and moral concerns of embryo freezing. In this review, the basic principles, methodology, and practical experiences as well as safety and other aspects concerning slow cooling and ultrarapid cooling (vitrification) of human embryos and oocytes are summarized.

In-vitro maturation of germinal vesicle and metaphase I eggs prior to cryopreservation optimizes reproductive potential in patients undergoing fertility preservation.

PubMed

Lee, Joseph A; Sekhon, Lucky; Grunfeld, Lawrence; Copperman, Alan B

2014-06-01

To evaluate current and previous findings related to a timely implementation of in-vitro maturation (IVM) of germinal vesicle, metaphase I and metaphase II oocytes with an optimal cryopreservation to determine whether IVM should be attempted prior to (fresh IVM) or IVM after cryopreservation (postthaw IVM). Mitochondrion, chromatin and spindle formation in both groups were interpreted from referenced studies to establish best management of all oocytes. The postthaw survival of germinal vesicle, metaphase I, fresh IVM-metaphase II and control metaphase II oocytes did not differ significantly [83.3% (n=9), 86.7% (n=12), 83% (n=57) and 86% (n=68), respectively]. Overall, combined survival and maturation were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the fresh IVM group at 63.8% (44 of 69) compared with the postthaw IVM group at 33.3% (nine of 27). Conservation of retrieved immature oocytes after vaginal oocyte retrieval has become a major concern for patients, as they strive to maximize the reproductive viability of all oocytes obtained during treatment. Oocyte cryopreservation is important for patients at risk of ovarian cancer, elective fertility preservation and potentially for ovum donation. The superior maturation rate of germinal vesicle and metaphase I oocytes in the fresh IVM vs. postthaw groups provides strong impetus to mature oocytes to the metaphase II stage prior to cryopreservation.

[IVF and endometriosis, oocyte donation and fertility preservation].

PubMed

d'Argent, Emmanuelle Mathieu; Antoine, Jean-Marie

2017-12-01

Endometriosis is a common condition, causing pain and infertility. In infertile woman with superficial peritoneal endometriosis and patent tubes, laparoscopy is recommended, followed by ovarian stimulation alone or in combination with intrauterine inseminations. In case of ovarian or deep endometriosis, the indications of surgery and assisted reproductive technologies remain to be defined precisely. In vitro fertilization is generally proposed after the failure of up to three inseminations, directly for ovarian or deep endometriosis, or in case of an associated factor of infertility, mainly male. Before ovarian stimulation in view to in vitro fertilization, a pretreatment by GnRH agonist for 2 to 6 months or combined contraceptive for 6 to 8 weeks would improve the pregnancy rate. Egg donation is effective in patients with advanced ovarian failure or lack of ovarian response to stimulation. Fertility preservation, especially by oocytes vitrified, must be proposed preventively to women with endometriosis at risk of ovarian failure, without close wish to be pregnant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Assisted reproductive technologies and ethics].

PubMed

Belaisch-Allart, Joëlle

2014-01-01

Since the first birth after in vitro fertilization more than 5 million of IVF babies are born in the world. Assisted reproductive technologies captivate the public, they allow maternity without ovary (oocyte donation), without uterus (surrogate mother), paternity without spermatozoids (sperm donation), parentality without limits of age, parentality after death and homoparentality. These technologies arise a lot of ethics questions, the problem is that the answers are not the same all-round the world, laws are based on morals, beliefs, faiths, and convictions. Theses variations arise themselves questions on the value of these non-universal answers.

Possible mechanism of polyspermy block in human oocytes observed by time-lapse cinematography.

PubMed

Mio, Yasuyuki; Iwata, Kyoko; Yumoto, Keitaro; Kai, Yoshiteru; Sargant, Haruka C; Mizoguchi, Chizuru; Ueda, Minako; Tsuchie, Yuka; Imajo, Akifumi; Iba, Yumiko; Nishikori, Kyoko

2012-09-01

To analyze the fertilization process related to polyspermy block in human oocytes using an in vitro culturing system for time-lapse cinematography. We had 122 oocytes donated for this study from couples that provided informed consent. We recorded human oocytes at 2,000 to 2,800 frames every 10 s during the fertilization process and thereafter every 2 min using a new in vitro culture system originally developed by the authors for time-lapse cinematography. We displayed 30 frames per second for analysis of the polyspermy block during fertilization. Three oocytes showed the leading and following sperm within the zona pellucida in the same microscopic field. The dynamic images obtained during the fertilization process using this new system revealed that once a leading sperm penetrated the zona pellucida and attached to the oocyte membrane, a following sperm was arrested from further penetration into the zona pellucida within 10 s. The present results strongly suggest the existence of a novel mechanism of polyspermy block that takes place at the zona pellucida immediately after fertilization. These findings are clearly different from previous mechanisms describing polyspermy block as the oocyte membrane block to sperm penetration and the zona reaction. The finding presented herein thus represents a novel discovery about the highly complicated polyspermy block mechanism occurring in human oocytes.

Consequences of metaphase II oocyte cryopreservation on mRNA content.

PubMed

Chamayou, S; Bonaventura, G; Alecci, C; Tibullo, D; Di Raimondo, F; Guglielmino, A; Barcellona, M L

2011-04-01

We studied the consequences of freezing/thawing processes on mRNA contents in MII oocytes after slow-freezing/rapid thawing (SF/RT) and vitrification/warming (V/W) protocols, and compared the results to fresh MII oocytes. We quantified the nuclear transcript mRNA responsible for the translation of proteins belonging either to trans-regulatory protein family or to functional structural proteins such as proteins involved in DNA structural organization (NAP1L1, TOP1, H1F0H1), chromosomal structure maintenance (SMC, SCC3, RAD21, SMC1A, SMC1B, STAG3, REC8), mitochondrial energetic pathways (ATP5GJ, SDHC), cell cycle regulation and processes (CLTA, MAPK6, CKS2) and staminal cell potency-development competence stage (DPPA3, OCT4, FOXJ2). Surplus MII oocytes were donated from patients in IVF cycles and divided in three groups of 15 oocytes. Group 1 was comprised of non-cryopreserved oocytes and Groups 2 and 3 underwent SF/RT and V/W procedures, respectively. There was an overall decrease of mRNA extracted from cryopreserved oocytes compared to control group. Only 39.4% of mRNA content were preserved after SF/RT while 63.3% of mRNA content were maintained after V/W. Oocyte cryopreservation is associated with molecular injury associated with the decrease of stored mRNA. However the V/W protocol is more conservative than SF/RT resulting in a level of mRNA sufficient to maintain biologic functions in the subsequent fertilized oocyte. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Position statement on the provision and procurement of human eggs for stem cell research.

PubMed

Haimes, Erica; Skene, Loane; Ballantyne, Angela J; Caulfield, Timothy; Goldstein, Lawrence S; Hyun, Insoo; Kimmelman, Jonathan; Robert, Jason S; Roxland, Beth E; Scott, Christopher T; Solbakk, Jan Helge; Sugarman, Jeremy; Taylor, Patrick L; Testa, Giuseppe

2013-03-07

The nature of compensation for women who donate eggs (oocytes) for research remains a contentious issue internationally. This position paper lays out the arguments for, and discusses the arrangements in which, a modest payment might be ethically justifiable. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oocyte or embryo donation to women of advanced reproductive age: an Ethics Committee opinion.

PubMed

2016-10-01

Advanced reproductive age (ARA) is a risk factor for female infertility, pregnancy loss, fetal anomalies, stillbirth, and obstetric complications. Oocyte donation reverses the age-related decline in implantation and birth rates of women in their 40s and 50s and restores pregnancy potential beyond menopause. However, obstetrical complications in older patients remain high, particularly related to operative delivery and hypertensive and cardiovascular risks. Physicians should perform a thorough medical evaluation designed to assess the physical fitness of a patient for pregnancy before deciding to attempt transfer of embryos to any woman of advanced reproductive age (>45 years). Embryo transfer should be strongly discouraged or denied to women of ARA with underlying conditions that increase or exacerbate obstetrical risks. Because of concerns related to the high-risk nature of pregnancy, as well as longevity, treatment of women over the age of 55 should generally be discouraged. This statement replaces the earlier ASRM Ethics Committee document of the same name, last published in 2013 (Fertil Steril 2013;100:337-40). Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human reproduction: Jewish perspectives.

PubMed

Schenker, Joseph G

2013-11-01

Developments in science and technology and corresponding clinical applications raise new religious questions, often without clear answers. The role of theology in bioethics is integral to clarify perceived attitudes toward these developments for different religious communities. The Jewish attitude towards procreation is derived from the first commandment of God to Adam to 'Be fruitful and multiply'. Judaism allows the practice of all techniques of assisted reproduction when the oocyte and spermatozoon originate from the wife and husband respectively. This paper presents the attitude of Jewish Law -- Halacha to therapeutic procedures, such as IVF-embryo transfer, spermatozoa, oocytes, embryo donation, cryopreservation of genetic material, surrogacy, posthumous reproduction, gender preselection, reproductive and therapeutic cloning.

Fertility and Pregnancy in Turner Syndrome.

PubMed

Bouet, Pierre-Emmanuel; Godbout, Ariane; El Hachem, Hady; Lefebvre, Maude; Bérubé, Lyne; Dionne, Marie-Danielle; Kamga-Ngande, Carole; Lapensée, Louise

2016-08-01

Turner syndrome (TS) occurs in one in 2500 live female births and is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities in women. Pregnancies in women with TS, conceived with either autologous or donated oocytes, are considered high risk because of the associated miscarriages and life-threatening cardiovascular complications (aortic dissection, severe hypertension). Therefore, it is imperative to conduct a full preconception evaluation and counselling that includes cardiac assessment with Holter blood pressure monitoring, echocardiography, and thoracic MRI. Abnormal findings, such an aortic dilatation, mandate close monitoring throughout the pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period and could possibly contraindicate pregnancy. When in vitro fertilization using donated oocytes is performed in these women, only a single embryo should be transferred. Women with a Turner mosaic karyotype appear to have a lower risk of obstetrical and cardiovascular complications but should nevertheless undergo the full preconception evaluation. In this article, we offer guidelines on the management of women with TS in the preconception period, during pregnancy, and postpartum. Copyright © 2016 The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/La Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Case reports to suggest an algorithm for management of total fertilisation failure prior to use of donor gametes.

PubMed

Nicopoullos, James D M; Whitney, E; Wells, V; Batha, S; Faris, R; Abdalla, H

2015-11-01

Total fertilisation failure (TFF), even with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), occurs in approximately 3 % of cycles, can be recurrent and the exact cause is difficult to elucidate. Differentiation between oocyte and sperm-related cause of TFF is possible using mouse oocyte-activation techniques, but is not an option within most clinical settings. Therefore, the management of these couples is clinically driven, and the endpoint, if recurrent, is often the use of donor gametes. However, with the invariable lack of a definitive cause of TFF, any decision between the use of donor sperm or oocytes remains an emotive one. We present two case reports demonstrating the importance of appropriate investigation, activation techniques (mechanical and chemical) and clinical management options to develop a clinical algorithm prior to the use of donor gametes. This study is composed of two case reports of assisted reproduction investigation and treatment within an assisted conception unit for couples with recurrent total fertilisation failure. Using appropriate investigation (endocrine, urological and embryological) and treatments (ICSI, IMSI, oocyte-activation techniques), a fertilisation rate of 48 % was achieved in two cycles in couples following a total of nine previous cycles (and 200 previously collected eggs) with TFF. Oocyte activation requires the triggering of intracellular calcium oscillations by the release of a sperm-specific factor (phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ)) into the oocyte cytoplasm. Although, PLCζ deficiencies have been demonstrated as putative causes of failed activation, impaired oocyte responsiveness may also be a factor. The use of donor gametes is often recommended and is often the required endpoint of treatment. However, these reports outline a clinical algorithm that potentially offers success without donation, and also offers a systematic approach to help decide whether donor oocytes or sperm should be recommended.

Egg freezing and egg banking: empowerment and alienation in assisted reproduction.

PubMed

Robertson, John A

2014-06-01

With the development of rapid freezing of human oocytes, many programs have reported IVF success rates comparable to those achieved with fresh eggs and thawed frozen embryos. Egg freezing is now gaining professional and regulatory acceptance as a safe and effective technique for women who wish to avoid discarding excess embryos, who face fertility-threatening medical treatments, or who want to preserve their eggs for use when they are better situated to have a family. This article focuses on the uses of and justification for egg freezing, the path to professional acceptance, the variability in success rates, and the controversy over freezing eggs for social rather than medical reasons. It also addresses the emergence of egg banking as a separate sector in the infertility industry, the regulatory issues that it poses, and its effect on egg donation. Key here is the legal control of stored eggs by banking women and their options when they wish to dispose of those eggs. The analysis is framed around empowerment and alienation. Egg freezing is generally empowering for women, but the donation or sale of unused eggs to infertile women, egg bankers, and researchers also raises issues of alienation.

Egg freezing and egg banking: empowerment and alienation in assisted reproduction

PubMed Central

Robertson, John A.

2014-01-01

With the development of rapid freezing of human oocytes, many programs have reported IVF success rates comparable to those achieved with fresh eggs and thawed frozen embryos. Egg freezing is now gaining professional and regulatory acceptance as a safe and effective technique for women who wish to avoid discarding excess embryos, who face fertility-threatening medical treatments, or who want to preserve their eggs for use when they are better situated to have a family. This article focuses on the uses of and justification for egg freezing, the path to professional acceptance, the variability in success rates, and the controversy over freezing eggs for social rather than medical reasons. It also addresses the emergence of egg banking as a separate sector in the infertility industry, the regulatory issues that it poses, and its effect on egg donation. Key here is the legal control of stored eggs by banking women and their options when they wish to dispose of those eggs. The analysis is framed around empowerment and alienation. Egg freezing is generally empowering for women, but the donation or sale of unused eggs to infertile women, egg bankers, and researchers also raises issues of alienation. PMID:27774158

Reproductive medicine and the law: egg donation in Germany, Spain and other European countries.

PubMed

Romeo Casabona, Carlos María; Paslack, Rainer; Simon, Jörgen W

2013-01-01

This paper analyzes the key legal issues raised by Reproductive Medicine practiced in Europe, with special attention to the rules prevailing in countries such as Germany and Spain. Thus, the paper involves a detailed study of the regulation in force in those countries, comparing their solutions with the rules adopted in other EU countries. It also highlights the high risk of com-modification in oocyte donation. In light of this, the differences between the laws of EU countries -some of them, very restrictive with prohibitions or requirements for recipient women and others more permissive with the use of reproductive technologies- can lead to a "reproductive tourism" between countries, as indeed is happening nowadays.

State of the art on oocyte cryopreservation in female cancer patients: A critical review of the literature.

PubMed

Massarotti, Claudia; Scaruffi, Paola; Lambertini, Matteo; Remorgida, Valentino; Del Mastro, Lucia; Anserini, Paola

2017-06-01

During the last decades, important advances in therapeutic options have led to increased survival rates in cancer patients; however, cancer treatments are associated with several potential adverse effects including infertility in those diagnosed during their reproductive years. A proper discussion about fertility preservation options before the use of therapies with potential gonadotoxicity (i.e. oncofertility counseling) is standard of care and should be offered to all patients of childbearing age. Temporary ovarian suppression with LH-RH analogs, oocyte and embryo cryopreservation are standard strategies for fertility preservation in female cancer patients. Oocyte cryopreservation should be preferred to embryo cryopreservation when this latter is prohibited by law, avoided for ethical or religious issues and in single women refusing sperm donation. Despite the increasing use of this strategy, data are still lacking about the efficacy and safety of the procedure in female cancer patients, with most of the evidence on this regard deriving from infertile non-oncologic women. This article aims at critically review the available evidence about the success of oocyte cryopreservation in female cancer patients with the final goal to further improve the oncofertility counseling of these women. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of luteal phase support on endometrial estrogen and progesterone receptor expression: a randomized control trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background To assess the impact of luteal phase support on the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and progesterone receptors B (PR-B) on the endometrium of oocyte donors undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Methods A prospective, randomized study was conducted in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for oocyte donation. Participants were randomized to receive no luteal support, vaginal progesterone alone, or vaginal progesterone plus orally administered 17 Beta estradiol. Endometrial biopsies were obtained at 4 time points in the luteal phase and evaluated by tissue microarray for expression of ER alpha and PR-B. Results One-hundred and eight endometrial tissue samples were obtained from 12 patients. No differences were found in expression of ER alpha and PR-B among all the specimens with the exception of one sample value. Conclusions The administration of progesterone during the luteal phase of COH for oocyte donor cycles, either with or without estrogen, does not significantly affect the endometrial expression of ER alpha and PR. PMID:22360924

Difference in birth weight of consecutive sibling singletons is not found in oocyte donation when comparing fresh versus frozen embryo replacements.

PubMed

Galliano, Daniela; Garrido, Nicolás; Serra-Serra, Vicente; Pellicer, Antonio

2015-12-01

First, to assess if there are any differences in birth weight or gestational length in newborns from egg-donation pregnancies delivering singletons, originating from either fresh or frozen-thawed embryos when they were developed and delivered within the same mothers. Second, to determine if there are any clinical, phenotypic, or laboratory factors influencing this relationship, including the origin of the oocyte (same or different donor), the order of the children (first fresh or first frozen-thawed embryo transfer), the embryo freezing technique (vitrification or slow freezing), the in vitro embryo culture length, and the duration that embryos remained frozen. Retrospective cohorts study. University-affiliated infertility centers. A total of 360 women undergoing oocyte donation (OD), delivering (>28 weeks) at least two babies, each one from a single pregnancy, originating from at least one fresh and one frozen-thawed embryo transfer, controlling maternal and laboratory characteristics, to test the effect of embryo freezing on children size (n = 731). None. Birth weight, gestational age, weight percentile, being large for gestational age (LGA), small for gestational age (SGA), size out of normal range (ONR = LGA + SGA), and macrosomy. From fresh versus thawed embryos, respectively, mean birth weight of children was 3,183.7 g versus 3,226.4 g, gestational age was 272.1 days versus 268.8 days, and mean weight percentiles were 47.6 versus 50.1. The proportions and corresponding odds ratios (ORs) from fresh versus thawed embryos, respectively, were for LGA 13.6% versus 11.3% (OR 0.81), for SGA 9.4% versus 12.5% (OR 1.37), for ONR 23.1% versus 23.8% (OR 1.04), and for macrosomy 0.3% versus 0.8% (OR 3.1). After adjusting for clinically relevant variables, the ORs were for LGA 0.96, for SGA 1.40, for ONR 1.20, and for macrosomy not computable. None of the stated measures were significantly different. Also, independent analyses run on the origin of the oocytes, cryopreservation technique, cleavage stage of the embryos, and time that embryos remained frozen did not reveal any significant trends. This study comparing siblings from OD cycles, and eliminating the independent variables that affect early events in pregnancy, revealed no difference in duration of gestation and live birth weights between fetuses obtained after the replacement of fresh or frozen embryos. Moreover, no clinical, phenotypic, or laboratory factors appeared to be relevant, once statistically controlled. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilization of third-party in vitro fertilization in the United States.

PubMed

Kushnir, Vitaly A; Darmon, Sarah K; Shapiro, Alice J; Albertini, David F; Barad, David H; Gleicher, Norbert

2017-03-01

The use of in vitro fertilization that includes third-party in vitro fertilization is increasing. However, the relative contribution of third-party in vitro fertilization that includes the use of donor oocytes, sperm, or embryo and a gestational carrier to the birth cohort after in vitro fertilization is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of third-party in vitro fertilization to the in vitro fertilization birth cohort over the past decade. This retrospective analysis investigated 1,349,874 in vitro fertilization cycles that resulted in 421,525 live births and 549,367 liveborn infants in the United States from 2004-2013. Cycles were self-reported by fertility centers to a national registry: Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies Clinic Outcome Reporting System. Third-party in vitro fertilization accounted for 217,030 (16.1%) of all in vitro fertilization cycles, 86,063 (20.4%) of all live births, and 115,024 (20.9%) of all liveborn infants. Overall, 39.7% of third-party in vitro fertilization cycles resulted in a live birth, compared with 29.6% of autologous in vitro fertilization cycles. Use of third-party in vitro fertilization increased with maternal age and accounted for 42.2% of all in vitro fertilization cycles and 75.3% of all liveborn infants among women >40 years old. Oocyte donation was the most common third-party in vitro fertilization technique, followed by sperm donation. Over the study period, annual cycle volume and live birth rates gradually increased for both autologous in vitro fertilization and third-party in vitro fertilization (P<.0001 for all). Live birth rates were the highest when multiple third-party in vitro fertilization modalities were used, followed by oocyte donation. Third-party in vitro fertilization use and efficacy have increased over the past decade, now comprising >20% of the total in vitro fertilization birth cohort. In women who are >40 years old, third-party in vitro fertilization has become the dominant treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Selling blood and gametes during tough economic times: insights from Google search.

PubMed

Wu, Jonathan A; Ngo, Tin C; Rothman, Cappy; Breyer, Benjamin N; Eisenberg, Michael L

2015-10-01

To use Google Insights search volume and publicly available economic indicators to test the hypothesis that sperm, egg, and blood donations increase during economic downturns and to demonstrate the feasibility of using Google search volume data to predict national trends in actual sperm, egg, and blood donations rates. Cross-correlation statistical analysis comparing Google search data for terms relating to blood, egg, and sperm donations with various economic indicators including the S&P 500 closing values, gross domestic product (GDP), the U.S. Index of Leading Indicators (U.S. Leading Index), gross savings rate, mortgage interest rates, unemployment rate, and consumer price index (CPI) from 2004-2011. A secondary analysis determined the Pearson correlation coefficient between Google search data with actual sperm, egg, and blood donation volume in the U.S. as measured by California Cryobank, the National Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance System, and the National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey, respectively. Significance of cross-correlation and Pearson correlation analysis as indicated by p value. There were several highly significant cross-correlation relationships between search volume and various economic indicators. Correlation between Google search volume for the term 'sperm donation,' 'egg donation,' and 'blood donation' with actual number of sperm, egg and blood donations in the United States demonstrated Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.2 (p > 0.10), -0.1 (p > 0.10), and 0.07 (p > 0.10), respectively. Temporal analysis showed an improved correlation coefficient of 0.9 (p < 0.05) for blood donation when shifted 12 months later relative to Google search volume. Google search volume data for search terms relating to sperm, egg, and blood donation increase during economic downturns. This finding suggests gamete and bodily fluid donations are influenced by market forces like other commodities. Google search may be useful for predicting blood donation trends but is more limited in predicting actual semen and oocyte donation patterns.

Addition of sphingosine-1-phosphate to human oocyte culture medium decreases embryo fragmentation.

PubMed

Hannoun, Antoine; Ghaziri, Ghina; Abu Musa, Antoine; Zreik, Tony G; Hajameh, Fatiha; Awwad, Johnny

2010-03-01

Apoptosis is implicated in the fragmentation of preimplantation mammalian embryos, yet the extent of this association remains controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a known anti-apoptotic substance, to reduce the fragmentation rate of human preimplantation embryos when added to their culture microenvironment. Mature human oocytes were inseminated using intracytoplasmic sperm injection, incubated for 3 days and evaluated for embryo quality and fragmentation by the same embryologist. Oocytes in the study group were manipulated and cultured in culture medium supplemented with S1P to a 20 micromol/l concentration. A total of 46 patients donated 177 mature oocytes for the study group and 546 oocytes for the control group. The fertilization rate was significantly lower in the S1P-supplemented group (52.4% versus 67.3%; P=0.002) and the proportion of grade I embryos with less than 15% fragmentation was significantly higher in the same group (79.5% versus 53.9%; P<0.0001). Sphingosine-1-phosphate added to the culture medium of human preimplantation embryos is associated with a significantly lower fragmentation rate and hence better quality embryos. The clinical significance of these findings on reproductive outcome remains highly speculative awaiting further studies to translate this improvement in embryo quality into better pregnancy rates. Copyright 2009 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Donor insemination: the gifting and selling of semen.

PubMed

Daniels, K R; Lewis, G M

1996-06-01

The authors examine the implications for individuals and society of how semen is provided for use in donor insemination treatment. In particular, they focus on whether 'donors' make a gift of their semen or are paid. The role of health professionals in shaping the nature and meaning of semen provision is also explored. The currently predominant practice of buying semen is compared with other reproductive and biomedical exchanges: oocyte and embryo donation, surrogacy, and blood, organ and fetal tissue donation. The authors suggest that the commercialisation of semen determines and reflects the type of men frequently recruited to provide semen. This in turn influences the meaning that donors themselves, recipients, offspring, health professionals and society at large attribute to the provision of semen.

GnRH agonist for triggering of final oocyte maturation: time for a change of practice?

PubMed

Humaidan, P; Kol, S; Papanikolaou, E G

2011-01-01

GnRH agonist (GnRHa) triggering has been shown to significantly reduce the occurrence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) compared with hCG triggering; however, initially a poor reproductive outcome was reported after GnRHa triggering, due to an apparently uncorrectable luteal phase deficiency. Therefore, the challenge has been to rescue the luteal phase. Studies now report a luteal phase rescue, with a reproductive outcome comparable to that seen after hCG triggering. This narrative review is based on expert presentations and subsequent group discussions supplemented with publications from literature searches and the authors' knowledge. Moreover, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified and analysed either in fresh IVF cycles with embryo transfer (ET), oocyte donation cycles or cycles without ET; risk differences were calculated regarding pregnancy rate and OHSS rate. In fresh IVF cycles with ET (9 RCTs) no OHSS was reported after GnRHa triggering [0% incidence in the GnRHa group: risk difference 5% (with 95% CI: -0.07 to 0.02)]. Importantly, the delivery rate improved significantly after modified luteal support [6% risk difference in favour of the HCG group (95% CI: -0.14 to 0.2)] when compared with initial studies with conventional luteal support [18% risk difference (95% CI: -0.36 to 0.01)]. In oocyte donation cycles (4 RCTs) the OHSS incidence is 0% [10% risk difference (95% CI: 0.02-0.40)]. GnRHa triggering is a valid alternative to hCG triggering, resulting in an elimination of OHSS. After modified luteal support there is now a non-significant difference of 6% in delivery rate in favour of hCG triggering.

Improvements in IVF in women of advanced age.

PubMed

Gleicher, Norbert; Kushnir, Vitaly A; Albertini, David F; Barad, David H

2016-07-01

Women above age 40 years in the US now represent the most rapidly growing age group having children. Patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) are rapidly aging in parallel. Especially where egg donations are legal, donation cycles, therefore, multiply more rapidly than autologous IVF cycles. The donor oocytes, however, are hardly ever a preferred patient choice. Since with use of own eggs, live birth rates decline with advancing age but remain stable (and higher) with donor eggs, older patients always face the difficult and very personal choice between poorer chances with own and better chances with donor oocytes. Physician contribution to this decision should in our opinion be restricted to accurate outcome information for both options. Achievable pregnancy and live birth rates in older women are, however, frequently underestimated, thereby mistakenly biasing fertility providers, private insurance companies and even regulatory government agencies. Restriction on access to IVF for older women is then often the consequence. In this review, we summarize the limited published data on best treatments of 'older' ovaries, while also addressing treatment approaches that should be avoided in older women. This focused review, therefore, to a degree is subjective. Research addressing aging ovaries in IVF has been disappointingly sparse, and has in our opinion too heavily concentrated on methods of embryo selection (ES), which, especially in older women, not only fail to improve IVF outcomes, but actually, negatively affect live birth chances. We conclude that, aside from breakthroughs in gamete creation, only pharmacological interventions into early (small growing follicle stages) follicle maturation will offer new potential to positively impact oocyte and embryo quality and, therefore, IVF outcomes. Research, therefore, should be accordingly redirected. © 2016 Society for Endocrinology.

Kamakahi vs ASRM and the future of compensation for human eggs.

PubMed

Klitzman, Robert L; Sauer, Mark V

2015-08-01

A recent lawsuit that alleges that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) engages in price-fixing by capping the amount of compensation paid for human oocytes has several critical ethical and policy implications that have received relatively little attention. ASRM has argued that ceilings on donor compensation prevent enticement, exploitation, and oocyte commodification. Critics counter that low donor compensation decreases supply, because fewer women are then interested in donating, which then increases prices for the service that physicians, not donors, accrue, and that ethical goals can be better achieved through enhanced informed consent, hiring egg donor advocates, and better counseling and screening. Yet, if compensation caps are removed, questions emerge concerning what the oocyte market would then look like. Informed consent is an imperfect process. Beyond the legal and economic questions of whether ASRM violates the Sherman Anti-trust Act also lie crucial questions of whether human eggs should be viewed as other products. We argue that human eggs differ from other factory-produced goods and should command moral respect. Although eggs (or embryos) are not equivalent to human beings, they deserve special consideration, because of their potential for human life, and thus have a different moral status. ASRM's current guidelines appear to address, even if imperfectly, ethical challenges that are related to egg procurement for infertility treatment. Given public concerns about oocyte commodification and ASRM's wariness of government regulations, existing guidelines may represent a compromise by aiding patients who seek eggs, while simultaneously trying to avoid undue influence, exploitation, and eugenics. Although the ultimate outcome of this lawsuit remains unclear, policy makers, providers, lawyers, judges, and others should attend seriously to these issues. Alternatives to current ASRM guidelines may be possible (eg, raising the current caps to, say, $12,000 or $15,000, potentially increasing donation, while still avoiding certain ethical difficulties) and warrant close consideration. These complex conflicting ethical issues deserve more attention than they have received because they affect key aspects of clinical practice and the lives of countless patients. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Kamakahi vs ASRM and the future of compensation for human eggs

PubMed Central

Klitzman, Robert L.; Sauer, Mark V.

2015-01-01

A recent lawsuit that alleges that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) engages in price-fixing by capping the amount of compensation paid for human oocytes has several critical ethical and policy implications that have received relatively little attention. ASRM has argued that ceilings on donor compensation prevent enticement, exploitation, and oocyte commodification. Critics counter that low donor compensation decreases supply, because fewer women are then interested in donating, which then increases prices for the service that physicians, not donors, accrue, and that ethical goals can be better achieved through enhanced informed consent, hiring egg donor advocates, and better counseling and screening. Yet, if compensation caps are removed, questions emerge concerning what the oocyte market would then look like. Informed consent is an imperfect process. Beyond the legal and economic questions of whether ASRM violates the Sherman Anti-trust Act also lie crucial questions of whether human eggs should be viewed as other products. We argue that human eggs differ from other factory-produced goods and should command moral respect. Although eggs (or embryos) are not equivalent to human beings, they deserve special consideration, because of their potential for human life, and thus have a different moral status. ASRM’s current guidelines appear to address, even if imperfectly, ethical challenges that are related to egg procurement for infertility treatment. Given public concerns about oocyte commodification and ASRM’s wariness of government regulations, existing guidelines may represent a compromise by aiding patients who seek eggs, while simultaneously trying to avoid undue influence, exploitation, and eugenics. Although the ultimate outcome of this lawsuit remains unclear, policy makers, providers, lawyers, judges, and others should attend seriously to these issues. Alternatives to current ASRM guidelines may be possible (eg, raising the current caps to, say, $12,000 or $15,000, potentially increasing donation, while still avoiding certain ethical difficulties) and warrant close consideration. These complex conflicting ethical issues deserve more attention than they have received because they affect key aspects of clinical practice and the lives of countless patients. PMID:25816784

An overview of the roles and responsibilities of Chinese medical colleges in body donation programs.

PubMed

Zhang, Luqing; Xiao, Ming; Gu, Mufeng; Zhang, Yongjie; Jin, Jianliang; Ding, Jiong

2014-01-01

The use of human tissue is critical for gross anatomy education in the health professions. Chinese medical colleges have faced a shortage of anatomical specimens over the past decade. While body donation plays an important role in overcoming this gap, this practice has only recently been introduced in China, and the donation rate is relatively low and fraught with a number of difficulties. In the past, traditional Chinese culture focused on preserving the human body intact, which often limited body donation. In recent years, the public has become more open toward body donation. At Nanjing Medical University, only 20 bodies were donated in 2001. After the university became involved in an organized body donation program, this number increased to 70 donated bodies per year (2007 to 2012). This article describes and reviews Chinese medical colleges as a special case study among body donation programs, particularly in terms of the multiple responsibilities and roles that such institutions must assume in the course of adopting these programs. Medical colleges in China must serve as advocates, coordinators, builders, managers, educators, and beneficiaries in undertaking body donation programs. It is important for medical colleges to recognize these pluripotent roles and educate the public in order to promote body donation programs. This case study may also effectively guide and encourage Chinese medical colleges in refining their own body donation programs in the future. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

Progress Report on Neglected Tropical Disease Drug Donation Programs.

PubMed

Cohen, Joshua P; Silva, Lisseth; Cohen, Alisa; Awatin, Josephine; Sturgeon, Robert

2016-05-01

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) impose a significant burden on public health, particularly in developing nations. Many can be treated cost-effectively with drugs donated or offered at or below marginal cost. In 2012, the World Health Organization published an NTD roadmap that outlined a strategy for the prevention, control, and eradication of 17 NTDs by 2020. Inspired by this roadmap, executives from 13 pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and other interested parties signed the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases in January 2012. In this paper, we will assess progress in meeting commitments on drug donations laid out in the London Declaration. We conducted Medline and LexisNexis searches of peer-reviewed publications and trade journals, as well as product development partnership and government reports. Subsequently, we designed a survey instrument and surveyed 10 company signatories (companies with drug donation programs) to the London Declaration to determine current donations and pledges. Nine of 10 companies with donation programs responded to the survey. The respondents reported substantial progress in meeting the goals laid out in the London Declaration. Survey respondents maintained 17 drug donation programs across 10 disease categories. In 2014, companies donated >1 billion treatments, with a dollar value of nearly $1.5 billion. However, not all donated products were distributed to patients in need. In addition, 4 of the 17 programs were slated to end before 2020, three of the 17 programs did not report explicit program objectives, and 7 of 17 did not measure the impact of programs in terms of numbers of patients treated. None of our survey respondents reported on whether the programs were leading to a reduction in disease prevalence. Donations are a necessary but insufficient condition for patient access to neglected disease drugs. Additional resources must be allocated to ensure delivery of donated products to patients. In addition, drug donation programs should provide explicit descriptions of program objectives, measurements of the impacts of their programs, and extension of all donation commitments through 2020. To achieve this, multiple stakeholders with a vested interest in reducing the burden of neglected diseases must collaborate in a multipronged approach toward NTD elimination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolution of deceased organ donation activity vs. efficiency over a 15 year period: an international comparison.

PubMed

Weiss, Julius; Elmer, Andreas; Mahíllo, Beatriz; Domínguez-Gil, Beatriz; Avsec, Danica; Costa, Alessandro Nanni; Haase-Kromwijk, Bernadette J J M; Laouabdia, Karim; Immer, Franz F

2018-04-19

The donation rate (DR) per million population is not ideal for an efficiency comparison of national deceased organ donation programs. The DR does not account for variabilities in the potential for deceased donation which mainly depends on fatalities from causes leading to brain death. In this study, the donation activity was put into relation to the mortality from selected causes. Based on that metric, this study assesses the efficiency of different donation programs. This is a retrospective analysis of 2001-2015 deceased organ donation and mortality registry data. Included are 27 Council of Europe countries, as well as the USA. A donor conversion index (DCI) was calculated for assessing donation program efficiency over time and in international comparisons. According to the DCI and of the countries included in the study, Spain, France, and the USA had the most efficient donation programs in 2015. Even though mortality from the selected causes decreased in most countries during the study period, differences in international comparisons persist. This indicates that the potential for deceased organ donation and its conversion into actual donation is far from being similar internationally. Compared with the DR, the DCI takes into account the potential for deceased organ donation, and therefore is a more accurate metric of performance. National donation programs could optimize performance by identifying the areas where most potential is lost, and by implementing measures to tackle these issues.

"This is where it all started" - the pivotal role of PLCζ within the sophisticated process of mammalian reproduction: a systemic review.

PubMed

Gat, Itai; Orvieto, Raoul

2017-01-01

Mammalian reproduction is one of the most complex and fascinating biological phenomenon, which aims to transfer maternal and paternal genetic material to the next generation. At the end of oogenesis and spermatogenesis, both haploid gametes contain a single set of chromosomes ready to form the zygote, the first cell of the newly developing individual. The mature oocyte and spermatozoa remain in a quiescent state, during which the oocyte is characterized by nuclear and cytoplasmic arrest, while the spermatozoa necessitates further maturation within the epididymis and female reproductive track prior to egg fertilization. Either in vivo or in vitro, the sperm initiates a series of irreversible biochemical and physiological modifications in the oocyte. The earliest detected signal after fertilization is cytosolic Ca 2+ oscillations, a prerequisite step for embryo development. These oscillations trigger the release of the oocyte from the second meiosis arrest towards embryogenesis, also known as "oocyte activation". Phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) is a unique sperm-soluble protein responsible for triggering the InsP 3 /Ca 2+ pathway within the oocyte, leading to Ca 2+ oscillations and consequently to embryo development. The specific structure of PLCζ (compared to other PLCs) enables its specialized activity via the preserved X and Y catalytic domains, as well as distinct features such as rapid onset, high sensitivity to Ca 2+ and cession of oscillations upon zygote formation. The emerging discoveries of PLCζ have stimulated studies focusing on the possible clinical applications of this protein in male infertility evaluation and management during IVF/ICSI. Fertilization failure is attributed to lack of oocyte second meiosis resumption, suggesting that ICSI failure may be related to impaired PLCζ activity. Microinjection of recombinant human PLCζ to human oocytes after ICSI fertilization failure may trigger Ca 2+ oscillations and achieve successful fertilization, offering new hope for couples traditionally referred to sperm donation. However, more studies are still required prior to the routine implementation of this approach in the clinic. Directions for future studies are discussed.

Assisted reproductive technology: perspectives in Halakha (Jewish religious law).

PubMed

Schenker, Joseph G

2008-01-01

The Jewish religion is characterized by a strict association between faith and practical precepts. In principle, Jewish law has two divisions, the Written and the Oral traditions. The foundation of the Written Law and the origin of authority is the Torah, the first five books of the Scripture. This paper presents the attitude of Jewish religion to assisted reproductive therapeutic procedures such as IVF-embryo transfer, spermatozoa, oocytes, embryo donation, cryopreservation of genetic material, surrogacy, posthumous reproduction, gender preselection and reproductive and therapeutic cloning.

Absence of luteal phase defect and spontaneous pregnancy in IVF patients despite GnRH-agonist trigger and "freeze all policy" without luteal phase support: a report of four cases.

PubMed

Gurbuz, Ali Sami; Deveer, Ruya; Ozcimen, Necati; Ozcimen, Emel Ebru; Lawrenz, Barbara; Banker, Manish; Garcia-Velasco, Juan Antonio; Fatemi, Human Mousavi

2016-01-01

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is commonly used for final oocyte maturation in "in vitro fertilization" (IVF)-treatment cycles, however, the main important risk is development of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS can almost be avoided by using gonadotrophin-releasing-hormone agonist for final oocyte maturation in an antagonist protocol. However, primarily this approach lead to a very poor reproductive outcome, despite the use of a standard luteal phase support. The reason seems to be severe luteolysis. Obviously, luteolysis post-gonadotropin-releasing-hormone-agonist (post-GnRH-a) trigger is individual specific, and not all patients will develop a complete luteolysis, as expected previously. Luteolysis can been reverted by the administration of hCG. Unprotected intercourse around the time of ovulation induction and oocyte retrieval can lead to a spontaneous conception in IVF treatment and, endogenous hCG, produced by the trophoblast, will rescue the corpora lutea. Therefore, one should not rely on complete luteolysis after GnRH-a triggering and, especially patients for egg donation and pre-implantation-genetic diagnosis for single gene disorder, have to be counselled to avoid unprotected intercourse.

Oxidative stress level in fresh ejaculate is not related to semen parameters or to pregnancy rates in cycles with donor oocytes.

PubMed

Pujol, Aïda; Obradors, Albert; Esteo, Erica; Costilla, Beatriz; García, Désireé; Vernaeve, Valerie; Vassena, Rita

2016-04-01

The purpose of the present study is to study the relationship between oxidative stress (OS) in semen, semen characteristics, and reproductive outcomes in oocyte donation intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. OS was measured in 132 semen samples. OS levels were as follows: very high (1.5 %), high (43.2 %), low (30.3 %), and very low (25.0 %). Overall seminal parameters were as follows: volume (ml) = 4.2 (SD 2.1), concentration (millions/ml) = 61.6 (SD 59.8), motility (a+b%) = 47.4 (SD 18.0), and normal spermatozoa (%) = 8.2 (SD 5.1). Of the 101 cycles that reached embryo transfer, 55.4 % evolved in biochemical, 46.5 % in clinical, and 43.6 % in ongoing pregnancy. OS level does not relate to seminal parameters, fertilization rate, or pregnancy outcomes. OS testing by nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) in fresh ejaculate might not be useful for all patients. Reproductive results with young oocytes and ICSI do not seem to be affected by OS-level semen.

A Focused Educational Program after Religious Services to Improve Organ Donation in Hispanic Americans

PubMed Central

Salim, Ali; Berry, Cherisse; Ley, Eric J; Schulman, Danielle; Navarro, Sonia; Zheng, Ling; Chan, Linda S

2012-01-01

Religion is an important determinant in Hispanic Americans (HA) becoming organ donors as HA often believe religion forbids donation. We investigated the effect of an educational program targeting HA organ donation in places of worship. A prospective observational study was conducted at four Catholic churches with a high percentage of HA. A 45 minute ‘culturally sensitive’ educational program, conducted in Spanish, was implemented. Organ donation awareness, knowledge, perception and beliefs, as well as the intent to become an organ donor, were measured before and after the intervention. Differences between before and after the intervention were analyzed. A total of 182 surveys were collected before and 159 surveys were collected after the educational program. A significant increase was observed in organ donation knowledge (54% vs. 70%, p<0.0001), perception (43% vs. 58%, p<0.0001) and beliefs (50% vs. 60%, p=0.0001). However, no significant difference was found in the willingness to discuss donation with family, intent-to-donate, or registering to donate after the intervention. This study demonstrates that a focused educational program in places of worship can significantly improve HA knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs regarding organ donation. Further work is needed to understand why intent-to-donate does not increase despite the increase in organ donation awareness. PMID:23106648

A focused educational program after religious services to improve organ donation in Hispanic Americans.

PubMed

Salim, Ali; Bery, Cherisse; Ley, Eric J; Schulman, Danielle; Navarro, Sonia; Zheng, Ling; Chan, Linda S

2012-01-01

Religion is an important determinant in Hispanic Americans (HA) becoming organ donors as HA often believe religion forbids donation. We investigated the effect of an educational program targeting HA organ donation in places of worship. A prospective observational study was conducted at four Catholic churches with a high percentage of HA. A 45-min "culturally sensitive" educational program, conducted in Spanish, was implemented. Organ donation awareness, knowledge, perception, and beliefs, as well as the intent to become an organ donor, were measured before and after the intervention. Differences between before and after the intervention were analyzed. A total of 182 surveys were conducted before and 159 surveys were conducted after the educational program. A significant increase was observed in organ donation knowledge (54% vs. 70%, p<0.0001), perception (43% vs. 58%, p<0.0001), and beliefs (50% vs. 60%, p=0.0001). However, no significant difference was found in the willingness to discuss donation with family, intent-to-donate, or registering to donate after the intervention. This study demonstrates that a focused educational program in places of worship can significantly improve HA knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs regarding organ donation. Further work is needed to understand why intent-to-donate does not increase despite the increase in organ donation awareness. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Amino acid turnover by human oocytes is influenced by gamete developmental competence, patient characteristics and gonadotrophin treatment

PubMed Central

Hemmings, K.E.; Maruthini, D.; Vyjayanthi, S.; Hogg, J.E.; Balen, A.H.; Campbell, B.K.; Leese, H.J.; Picton, H.M.

2013-01-01

STUDY QUESTION Can amino acid profiling differentiate between human oocytes with differing competence to mature to metaphase II (MII) in vitro? SUMMARY ANSWER Oocytes which remained arrested at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage after 24 h of in vitro maturation (IVM) displayed differences in the depletion/appearance of amino acids compared with oocytes which progressed to MII and patient age, infertile diagnosis and ovarian stimulation regime significantly affected oocyte amino acid turnover during IVM. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Amino acid profiling has been proposed as a technique which can distinguish between human pronucleate zygotes and cleavage stage embryos with the potential to develop to the blastocyst stage and implant to produce a pregnancy and those that arrest. Most recently, the amino acid turnover by individual bovine oocytes has been shown to be predictive of oocyte developmental competence as indicated by the gamete's capacity to undergo fertilization and early cleavage divisions in vitro. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The study was conducted between March 2005 and March 2010. A total of 216 oocytes which were at the GV or metaphase I (MI) stages at the time of ICSI were donated by 67 patients. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTINGS, METHODS The research was conducted in university research laboratories affiliated to a hospital-based infertility clinic. Oocytes were cultured for 24 h and the depletion/appearance of amino acids was measured during the final 6 h of IVM. Amino acid turnover was analysed in relation to oocyte meiotic progression, patient age, disease aetiology and controlled ovarian stimulation regime. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The depletion/appearance of key amino acids was linked to the maturation potential of human oocytes in vitro. Oocytes which arrested at the GV stage (n = 9) depleted significantly more valine and isoleucine than those which progressed to MI (n = 32) or MII (n = 107) (P < 0.05). Glutamate, glutamine, arginine and valine depletion or appearance differed in MII versus degenerating oocytes (n = 20) (P < 0.05). Glutamine, arginine, methionine, phenylalanine, total depletion and total turnover all differed in oocytes from patients aged < 35 years versus patients ≥35 years (P < 0.05). MII oocytes obtained following ovarian stimulation with recombinant FSH depleted more isoleucine (P < 0.05) and more alanine and lysine (P < 0.05) appeared than oocytes from hMG-stimulated cycles. MII oocytes from patients with a polycystic ovary (PCO) morphology (n = 33) depleted more serine (P < 0.05) than oocytes from women with normal ovaries (n = 61). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Immature oocytes collected at the time of ICSI were used as the model for human oocyte maturation. These oocytes have therefore failed to respond to the ovulatory hCG trigger in vivo (they are meiotically incompetent), and have limited capacity to support embryo development in vitro. The lack of cumulus cells and stress of the conditions in vitro may have influenced turnover of amino acids, and owing to the small sample sizes further studies are required to confirm these findings. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The findings provide support for the hypothesis that oocyte metabolism reflects oocyte quality. Longitudinal studies are required to link these functional metabolic indices of human oocyte quality with embryo developmental competence. Oocyte amino acid profiling may be a useful tool to quantify the impact of new assisted reproduction technologies (ART) on oocyte quality. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS This project was funded by the UK Biology and Biotechnology Research Council (BB/C007395/1) and the Medical Research Council (G 0800250). K.E.H was in receipt of a British Fertility Society/Merck Serono studentship. H.J.L. is a shareholder in Novocellus Ltd, a company which seeks to devise a non-invasive biochemical test of embryo health. PMID:23335609

Assisted reproductive technology in the United States: 2001 results generated from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine/Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology registry.

PubMed

2007-06-01

To summarize the procedures and outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) that were initiated in the United States in 2001. Data were collected electronically using the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) Clinic Outcome Reporting System software and submitted to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine/SART Registry. Three hundred eighty-five clinics submitted data on procedures performed in 2001. Data were collated after November 2002 [corrected] so that the outcomes of all pregnancies would be known. Incidence of clinical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, abortion, stillbirth, and delivery. Programs reported initiating 108,130 cycles of ART treatment. Of these, 79,042 cycles involved IVF (with and without micromanipulation), with a delivery rate per retrieval of 31.6%; 340 were cycles of gamete intrafallopian transfer, with a delivery rate per retrieval of 21.9%; 661 were cycles of zygote intrafallopian transfer, with a delivery rate per retrieval of 31.0%. The following additional ART procedures were also initiated: 8,147 fresh donor oocyte cycles, with a delivery rate per transfer of 47.3%; 14,509 frozen ET procedures, with a delivery rate per transfer of 23.5%; 3,187 frozen ETs employing donated oocytes or embryos, with a delivery rate per transfer of 27.4%; and 1,366 cycles using a host uterus, with a delivery rate per transfer of 38.7%. In addition, 112 cycles were reported as combinations of more than one treatment type, 8 cycles as research, and 85 as embryo banking. As a result of all procedures, 29,585 deliveries were reported, resulting in 41,168 neonates. In 2001, there were more programs reporting ART treatment and a significant increase in reported cycles compared with 2000.

75 FR 70895 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-19

... number. Foreign Agricultural Service Title: Food Donation Programs (Food for Progress & Section 416(b... through direct donations and concessional programs. USDA Food aid may be provided through four program... programs are under 7 CFR part 1499, Foreign Donation Programs and 7 CFR part 1599, McGovern-Dole...

[Comparison of human chorionic gonadotropin (Pregnyl 10 000 IU i.m.) versus GnRH agonist (triptorelin 0,2 mg s.c.) for final oocytes maturation in the same egg donors--clinical and embryological characteristics].

PubMed

Streda, R; Mardesic, T; Sobotka, V; Koryntová, D; Hybnerová, L; Jindra, M; Paseková, V; Slámová, J; Stevíková, M; Voboril, J; Jelínková, L; Vilímová, S; Ichová, J; Mádrová, J; Tersová, H; Masata, M; Sobotková, J

2011-04-01

To compare clinical and embryological characteristics in donor cycles triggered for final oocytes maturation with Pregnyl 10 000 IU i.m. versus triptorelin 0.2 mg s.c. in the same patients in two sequential stimulation cycles. The aim of the study is to decrease the risk of the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) at high response donors by the replacement of Pregnyl 10 000 IU i.m. vs. triptorelin 0.2 mg s.c. The administration of a single dose of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (triptorelin 0.2 mg s.c.) induces release of LH from the pituitary gland similarly to a spontaneous LH surge. Prospective cross-over trial. Sanatorium Pronatal, Praha. From August 2009 to July 2010 we analysed 24 stimulation cycles in 12 egg donors treated with GnRH antagonist protocol with recombinant FSH (follitropin beta). We identified patients with more than 15 follicles during examination by transvaginal ultrasound. When at least 3 leading follicles reached 17 mm in diameter we administrated Pregnyl 10 000 IU i.m. for final oocytes maturation and triptorelin 0.2 mg s.c in the subsequent treatment cycle. The primary outcome measure was number of oocytes, proportion mature oocytes and fertilized oocytes. The secondary outcome were duration of FSH stimulation, total dose of gonadotropins and mean daily dose of gonadotropins. Data was analysed by paired t-test. We retrieved 17.2 +/- 8.6 vs. 15.8 +/- 5.3 (ns) oocytes, 12.6 +/- 7.3 vs. 13.0 +/- 5.4 (ns) metaphase II oocytes, proportion of metaphase II oocytes (%) was 73 vs. 83 (ns), number of fertilized oocytes 11.5 +/- 6.7 vs. 11.7 +/- 4.5 (ns), fertilization rate (%) 91 vs. 90 (ns) in Pregnyl's vs. triptorelin's group, resp. Duration of FSH stimulation (days) 12.2 +/- 0.8 vs. 12.4 +/- 0.7 (ns), total dose of gonadotropins (IU) 1744 +/- 277 vs. 1740 +/- 276 (ns), mean daily dose of gonadotropins (IU) 238 +/- 43 vs. 221 +/- 36 (ns), were not statistically different in both groups. Number of mature oocytes and subsequent embryonic cleavage is comparable to standard hCG treatment. There are no differences in clinical and embryological characteristics in both groups. Only one patient with administration of Pregnyl 10 000 IU i.m. was treated for OHSS grade II by vaginal paracentesis. Administration of triptorelin 0.2 mg s.c. is a safe and effective approach to achieve mature oocytes in egg donation programme, where we do not take care of implantation, which has got some limitations based on several studies.

Fertility Preservation in Females with Turner Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review and Practical Guidelines

PubMed Central

Oktay, K; Bedoschi, G; Berkowitz, K; Bronson, R; Kashani, B; McGovern, P; Pal, L; Quinn, G; Rubin, K

2016-01-01

This article reviews the existing fertility preservation options for females diagnosed with Turner syndrome and provides practical guidelines for the practitioner. Turner syndrome is the most common sex chromosome abnormality in females, occurring in approximately one in 2500 live births. Women with Turner syndrome are at extremely high risk for primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and infertility. Although about 70–80% have no spontaneous pubertal development and 90% experience primary amenorrhea, the remainder may possess a small residual of ovarian follicles at birth or early childhood. The present challenge is to identify these women as early in life as is possible, so as to allow them to benefit from a variety of existing fertility preservation options. To maximize the benefits of fertility preservation, all women with Turner syndrome should be evaluated by an expert as soon as possible in childhood as the vast majority will have their ovarian reserve depleted before adulthood. Cryopreservation of mature oocytes and embryos is a proven fertility preservation approach, while cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is a promising technique with a growing number of live births, but remain investigational. Oocyte cryopreservation has been performed in children with Turner syndrome as young as 13 and ovarian tissue cryopreservation in prepubertal children affected. However, current efficacy of these approaches is unknown in this cohort.. For those who have already lost their ovarian reserve, oocyte or embryo donation and adoption are strategies that allow fulfillment of desire for parenting. For those with Turner syndrome related cardiac contraindications to pregnancy, utilization of gestational surrogacy allows the possibility of biological parenting by using their own oocytes. Alternatively, gestational surrogacy can serve to carry pregnancy resulting from the use of donor oocytes or embryos, if needed. PMID:26485320

Perceptions, Knowledge, Incentives, and Barriers of Brain Donation among African American Elders Enrolled in an Alzheimer's Research Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambe, Susan; Cantwell, Nicole; Islam, Fareesa; Horvath, Kathy; Jefferson, Angela L.

2011-01-01

Purpose: To learn about African American older adults' knowledge and perceptions of brain donation, factors that relate to participating or not participating in a brain donation research program, and methods to increase African American brain donation commitment rates in the context of an Alzheimer's disease (AD) research program. Design and…

Incest, gamete donation by siblings and the importance of the genetic link.

PubMed

Pennings, G

2002-01-01

Recently, several requests have emerged in which women wished to be impregnated with donor eggs fertilized with spermatozoa of their brother. An important argument advanced against such applications is that it is a kind of incest. Four definitions of incest are reviewed in this article to evaluate the acceptability of these demands. The first three (sexual intercourse, reproduction with gametes of first-degree relatives and symbolic incest) do not apply to the cases. However, when the sister and her brother intend to raise the child as social mother and father, these requests should be considered as "intentional incest". If the brother only functions as an uncle, the request of the woman resembles the currently accepted practice of oocyte donation from sister to sister. In that case, the wish to receive gametes from a first-degree relative is motivated by the wish to establish as far as possible a genetic link with the child.

Banking on Living Kidney Donors-A New Way to Facilitate Donation without Compromising on Ethical Values.

PubMed

Martin, Dominique E; Danovitch, Gabriel M

2017-10-01

Public surveys conducted in many countries report widespread willingness of individuals to donate a kidney while alive to a family member or close friend, yet thousands suffer and many die each year while waiting for a kidney transplant. Advocates of financial incentive programs or "regulated markets" in kidneys present the problem of the kidney shortage as one of insufficient public motivation to donate, arguing that incentives will increase the number of donors. Others believe the solutions lie-at least in part-in facilitating so-called "altruistic donation;" harnessing the willingness of relatives and friends to donate by addressing the many barriers which serve as disincentives to living donation. Strategies designed to minimize financial barriers to donation and the use of paired kidney exchange programs are increasingly enabling donation, and now, an innovative program designed to address what has been termed "chronologically incompatible donation" is being piloted at the University of California, Los Angeles, and elsewhere in the United States. In this program, a person whose kidney is not currently required for transplantation in a specific recipient may instead donate to the paired exchange program; in return, a commitment is made to the specified recipient that priority access for a living-donor transplant in a paired exchange program will be offered when or if the need arises in the future. We address here potential ethical concerns related to this form of organ "banking" from living donors, and argue that it offers significant benefits without undermining the well-established ethical principles and values currently underpinning living donation programs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Maturation capacity, morphology and morphometric assessment of human immature oocytes after vitrification and in-vitro maturation

PubMed Central

Nazari, Saeedeh; Khalili, Mohammad Ali; Esmaielzadeh, Forouzan; Mohsenzadeh, Mehdi

2011-01-01

Background: In general, 15% of oocytes collected in ART cycles are immature. These oocytes may be cryopreserved further for use in in-vitro maturation (IVM) program. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine maturation capacity, morphometric parameters and morphology of human immature oocytes in both fresh IVM (fIVM) and vitrified-IVM (vIVM) oocytes. Materials and Methods: 93 women who underwent controlled ovarian stimulation for ART were included. The immature oocytes (n=203) were divided into two groups: the first group (n=101) directly matured in vitro; and the second group (n=102) first vitrified, then matured in vitro. All oocytes underwent IVM in Ham’s F10 supplemented with LH+FSH and human follicular fluid. After 48h of incubation, the oocyte maturation rates, as well as morphometric and morphologic characteristics were assessed using cornus imaging and were compared. Results: Oocyte maturation rates were reduced in vIVM, (40.4%), in comparison with fIVM (59.4%, p<0.001). Following morphometric assessment, there was no difference in the mean oocyte diameters (µm) between fIVM and vIVM, 156.3±6.8 and 154.07±9.9, respectively. Other parameters of perimeters, egg areas, as well as oocyte and ooplasm volumes were similar in two groups. In addition, more morphologic abnormalities, such as, vacuole, and dark oocyte were observed in vIVM oocytes. Conclusion: fIVM was more successful than vIVM groups. No statistical differences were noticed in morphometry assessment in two groups. This suggests that morphometric parameters can not be applied as prognosis factor in oocyte maturation outcome in IVM program. PMID:26396566

76 FR 7546 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Prohibited Species Donation (PSD) Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-10

... Collection; Comment Request; Prohibited Species Donation (PSD) Program AGENCY: National Oceanic and... species donation (PSD) program for Pacific salmon and Pacific halibut has effectively reduced regulatory... distribution of salmon and halibut. The PSD program requires a collection-of-information so that NMFS can...

Strategies to expand the living donor pool for kidney transplantation.

PubMed

de Klerk, Marry; Zuidema, Willij C; Ijzermans, Jan N M; Weimar, Willem

2008-05-01

Structural shortage of deceased donor kidneys for transplantation has resulted in the expansion of living donation programs. A number of possibilities are now being explored, since it became clear that donors do not need to be genetically related to their recipients. Apart from classical direct donation we now conduct paired exchange, list exchange, altruistic donation and domino paired exchange programs. Other alternative programs are desensitization and transplantation across the blood type barrier. The purpose of this article is to give a general view of all optimizing living donation programs by reviewing the literature. First we describe logistic solutions, thereafter the more intensive medical treatments. We observed a wide variation in clinical experiences with living donation dependent on local jurisdiction, culture and customs. Professionals disagree on various ethical issues inherent to alternative programs. In our opinion logistic solutions like paired exchange, list exchange and altruistic donation programs are to be preferred over the more medical demanding programs e.g. desensitization and transplantation across the blood type barrier.

Barriers to implementing protocols for kidney paired donation and desensitization: survey of U.S. transplant programs.

PubMed

Clark, Emma; Hanto, Ruthanne; Rodrigue, James R

2010-12-01

Special types of kidney transplant exist for patients who have willing but incompatible donors. Two types of transplants that circumvent donor-recipient incompatibility are "kidney paired donation" and "desensitization." Lack of access to these protocols limits living donations and shortens the life span of patients with willing but incompatible donors. To understand potential barriers to implementing kidney paired donation and desensitization, as well as attitudes toward nondirected donation and compatible type O donation, which would maximize the number of kidney paired donation transplants performed via chains. We created a 56-question Web-based survey to elicit information from US transplant program directors about 24 potential barriers to implementing these protocols. Of 166 programs contacted, 96 responded, including 88 complete and 8 partial responses. After pediatric-only programs and multiple responses from the same program were removed, 84 total (78 complete) remained. Respondents were asked to designate each barrier as "major," "minor," or "not a barrier". Availability of dedicated nurse coordinators and the United Network for Organ Sharing's variance request process (although kidney paired donation does not actually require a variance) were significant barriers to kidney paired donation. Most respondents (54%, 42/78) would prefer to participate in a regional rather than a national protocol for kidney paired donation. Risk of complications was the most significant barrier to desensitization. University affiliation, region, and training (nephrologist vs surgeon) had little effect on perception of barriers. Most (92%, 71/78) would evaluate nondirected donations; 53% (41/78) would encourage compatible type O donors to enter kidney paired donation.

Past, present and future of kidney paired donation transplantation in India

PubMed Central

Kute, Vivek B; Patel, Himanshu V; Shah, Pankaj R; Modi, Pranjal R; Shah, Veena R; Rizvi, Sayyed J; Pal, Bipin C; Modi, Manisha P; Shah, Priya S; Varyani, Umesh T; Wakhare, Pavan S; Shinde, Saiprasad G; Ghodela, Vijay A; Patel, Minaxi H; Trivedi, Varsha B; Trivedi, Hargovind L

2017-01-01

One third of healthy willing living kidney donors are rejected due to ABO blood group incompatibility and donor specific antibody. This increases pre-transplant dialysis duration leading to increased morbidity and mortality on the kidney transplantation waiting list. Over the last decade kidney paired donation is most rapidly increased source of living kidney donors. In a kidney transplantation program dominated by living donor kidney transplantation, kidney paired donation is a legal and valid alternative strategy to increase living donor kidney transplantation. This is more useful in countries with limited resources where ABO incompatible kidney transplantation or desensitization protocol is not feasible because of costs/infectious complications and deceased donor kidney transplantation is in initial stages. The matching allocation, ABO blood type imbalance, reciprocity, simultaneity, geography were the limitation for the expansion of kidney paired donation. Here we describe different successful ways to increase living donor kidney transplantation through kidney paired donation. Compatible pairs, domino chain, combination of kidney paired donation with desensitization or ABO incompatible transplantation, international kidney paired donation, non-simultaneous, extended, altruistic donor chain and list exchange are different ways to expand the donor pool. In absence of national kidney paired donation program, a dedicated kidney paired donation team will increase access to living donor kidney transplantation in individual centres with team work. Use of social networking sites to expand donor pool, HLA based national kidney paired donation program will increase quality and quantity of kidney paired donation transplantation. Transplant centres should remove the barriers to a broader implementation of multicentre, national kidney paired donation program to further optimize potential of kidney paired donation to increase transplantation of O group and sensitized patients. This review assists in the development of similar programs in other developing countries. PMID:28507916

Past, present and future of kidney paired donation transplantation in India.

PubMed

Kute, Vivek B; Patel, Himanshu V; Shah, Pankaj R; Modi, Pranjal R; Shah, Veena R; Rizvi, Sayyed J; Pal, Bipin C; Modi, Manisha P; Shah, Priya S; Varyani, Umesh T; Wakhare, Pavan S; Shinde, Saiprasad G; Ghodela, Vijay A; Patel, Minaxi H; Trivedi, Varsha B; Trivedi, Hargovind L

2017-04-24

One third of healthy willing living kidney donors are rejected due to ABO blood group incompatibility and donor specific antibody. This increases pre-transplant dialysis duration leading to increased morbidity and mortality on the kidney transplantation waiting list. Over the last decade kidney paired donation is most rapidly increased source of living kidney donors. In a kidney transplantation program dominated by living donor kidney transplantation, kidney paired donation is a legal and valid alternative strategy to increase living donor kidney transplantation. This is more useful in countries with limited resources where ABO incompatible kidney transplantation or desensitization protocol is not feasible because of costs/infectious complications and deceased donor kidney transplantation is in initial stages. The matching allocation, ABO blood type imbalance, reciprocity, simultaneity, geography were the limitation for the expansion of kidney paired donation. Here we describe different successful ways to increase living donor kidney transplantation through kidney paired donation. Compatible pairs, domino chain, combination of kidney paired donation with desensitization or ABO incompatible transplantation, international kidney paired donation, non-simultaneous, extended, altruistic donor chain and list exchange are different ways to expand the donor pool. In absence of national kidney paired donation program, a dedicated kidney paired donation team will increase access to living donor kidney transplantation in individual centres with team work. Use of social networking sites to expand donor pool, HLA based national kidney paired donation program will increase quality and quantity of kidney paired donation transplantation. Transplant centres should remove the barriers to a broader implementation of multicentre, national kidney paired donation program to further optimize potential of kidney paired donation to increase transplantation of O group and sensitized patients. This review assists in the development of similar programs in other developing countries.

76 FR 51346 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-18

...: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Title: Alaska Prohibited Species Donation Program... information collection. A prohibited species donation (PSD) program for Pacific salmon and Pacific halibut has... participating in the donation program voluntarily retain and process salmon and halibut bycatch. An authorized...

What motivates men to donate blood? A systematic review of the evidence.

PubMed

Carver, A; Chell, K; Davison, T E; Masser, B M

2018-04-01

Effective recruitment and retention of male donors are vital for the ongoing provision of blood products. Compared with females, male donors are less likely to be medically deferred or experience vasovagal reactions and are typically preferred for plasmapheresis donation in voluntary non-remunerated settings. However, females outnumber males among donors aged under 40 years. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence and identify key motivators for blood donation among males to inform targeted recruitment/retention campaigns. Databases (e.g. EBSCOhost, Web of Science) were searched using terms (dona* OR dono*) AND (blood OR aphaeresis OR apheresis OR plasma* OR platelet* OR platlet*) in title AND (male OR gender OR sex OR female) AND (motivat* OR intention OR attitude OR behavi* OR predictor OR barrier OR deter*) NOT (organ OR sperm OR tissue OR autologous OR oocyte) in text. Two researchers independently systematically scanned quantitative, full-text, English language, peer-reviewed publications from 1990 to 2015 that examined males/females separately with outcomes of blood donation or self-reported intention. Two additional researchers resolved discrepancies. Among 28 identified articles, the most frequently cited motivators for male blood product donation were as follows: altruism; positive attitude towards incentives; health check(s); subjective norms. Altruism was less pronounced among males compared with females and was combined with 'warm glow' in novice males (impure altruism). Perceived health benefits and incentives (e.g. coffee mugs) were stronger motivators of males than females. Marketing campaigns for recruitment/retention of male donors should focus on identified motivators rather than take a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. © 2017 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Effects of entertainment (mis) education: exposure to entertainment television programs and organ donation intention.

PubMed

Yoo, Jina H; Tian, Yan

2011-03-01

This study investigates antecedents and outcomes of entertainment television consumption in organ donation with the Orientation₁-Stimulus-Orientation₂-Response (O₁-S-O₂ -R) model. It reveals that organ donation knowledge seems significantly related to recall of entertainment television programs and attitudes toward organ donation. Meanwhile, recall of entertainment television programs significantly predicts people's perception of medical mistrust, which in turn negatively predicts attitudes toward organ donation, while attitudes toward organ donation significantly predict behavioral intention in signing a donor card. It also suggests significant mediation relationships among the pre-orientation variable, stimulus, post-orientation variable, and attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. This study provides an integrative theoretical framework to study media effects on organ donation and empirical evidence for "entertainment miseducation" (Morgan, Harrison, Chewning, Davis, & DiCorcia, 2007).

Abnormal chromosome behavior in human oocytes which remained unfertilized during human in vitro fertilization.

PubMed

Spielmann, H; Krüger, C; Stauber, M; Vogel, R

1985-09-01

Chromosomal abnormalities and abnormal embryonic development have previously been observed after human in vitro fertilization (IVF). Chromosomal abnormalities may arise not only after fertilization but even earlier during meiotic maturation of human oocytes in culture. Since chromosomal analysis is simple in oocytes during meiotic maturation, the chromosomal status was analyzed in oocytes which remained unfertilized in a human in vitro fertilization program. In 50 fertilization attempts the chromosomes of 62 unfertilized oocytes could be analyzed; 45 of them were in the process of meiotic maturation. In three oocytes two small polar bodies were observed 16-18 hr after insemination in the absence of fertilization. In one oocyte abnormal chromosome behavior was found during the first meiotic division, and in four oocytes during metaphase of the second meiotic division. These data suggest that chromosomal analysis of unfertilized oocytes in human IVF may improve the understanding human oocyte maturation and fertilization.

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CATASTROPHIC (CAT) LEAVE DONATION PROGRAM: DEMOGRAPHICS, ECONOMIC SECURITY, AND SOCIAL EQUITY.

PubMed

Muller, Christina

2015-01-01

The California State University (CSU) Chancellor's Office reached an agreement with all CSU collective bargaining units and Employee Relations on a uniform Catastrophic (CAT) Leave Donation Program in 1992. The CAT Leave Donation Program allows employees to donate sick and/or vacation leave credits to employees who are incapacitated due to a catastrophic illness or injury and have exhausted all of their own leave credits. This also extends to employees with whom family illnesses are deemed catastrophic, thus requiring the employee to care for an immediate family member. Stakeholders include union represented employees who accrue leave credits as well as any employee who receives or donates hours of leave credits in the program. Other stakeholders include the family members and program administrators.

Entrepreneurial ventures and whole-body donations: a regional perspective from the United States.

PubMed

Anteby, Michel; Hyman, Mikell

2008-02-01

Human cadavers are crucial to medical science. While the debate on how to secure sufficient cadavers has focused primarily on donors' behaviors, procuring organizations' roles in increasing donations remain less explored. The United States offers a unique setting in which to examine this question since entrepreneurial ventures supplying cadavers for medical science have recently emerged alongside traditional academic-housed programs, raising both hopes and fears about their impact on whole-body donations. To assess their potential impact, an archival survey of voluntary, in-state whole-body donors to two programs procuring in the same U.S. state was conducted. The programs' specimen recipients were also analyzed. One program is academic-housed and the other is an entrepreneurial venture. Both offered equal levels of financial support to donating parties. Eighty donations and 120 specimen shipping invoices from 2005 were analyzed in each program. Donations to the two programs did not significantly differ in terms of donors' sex, marital status, maximum educational level, and estimated hourly wage. The entrepreneurial venture's donors were, however, significantly younger, more likely to be from a minority group, and more likely to have died from cancer. For-profit organizations, continuing medical training organizations, and medical device companies were more likely recipients of the entrepreneurial venture's specimens. Non-profit and academic organizations were more likely recipients of the academic-housed program's specimens. These findings suggest that although the programs procured from a somewhat similar pool of donors, they also complemented one another. The entrepreneurial program procured donations that the academic-housed program often did not attract. Specimen recipients' distinct demands partly explain these procurement behaviors. Thus, organizational efforts to meet demands seem to shape the supply. Examining organizations alongside donors might provide new answers to secure donations.

Body donations today and tomorrow: What is best practice and why?

PubMed

Riederer, Beat M

2016-01-01

There is considerable agreement that the use of human bodies for teaching and research remains important, yet not all universities use dissection to teach human gross anatomy. The concept of body donation has evolved over centuries and there are still considerable discrepancies among countries regarding the means by which human bodies are acquired and used for education and research. Many countries have well-established donation programs and use body dissection to teach most if not all human gross anatomy. In contrast, there are countries without donation programs that use unclaimed bodies or perhaps a few donated bodies instead. In several countries, use of cadavers for dissection is unthinkable for cultural or religious reasons. Against this background, successful donation programs are highlighted in the present review, emphasizing those aspects of the programs that make them successful. Looking to the future, we consider what best practice could look like and how the use of unclaimed bodies for anatomy teaching could be replaced. From an ethical point of view, countries that depend upon unclaimed bodies of dubious provenance are encouraged to use these reports and adopt strategies for developing successful donation programs. In many countries, the act of body donation has been guided by laws and ethical frameworks and has evolved alongside the needs for medical knowledge and for improved teaching of human anatomy. There will also be a future need for human bodies to ensure optimal pre- and post-graduate training and for use in biomedical research. Good body donation practice should be adopted wherever possible, moving away from the use of unclaimed bodies of dubious provenance and adopting strategies to favor the establishment of successful donation programs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Study of education program of in-hospital procurement transplant coordinators in Japan.

PubMed

Fukushima, N; Konaka, S; Yasuhira, M; Izawa, M

2014-01-01

As the number of donated organs is still extremely small in Japan compared with other developed countries, in-hospital procurement transplant coordinators (In-Hp PTC) may play an important role in increasing organ donation and making the procurement procedure smoother. In this study, our education program of In-Hp PTC is described. In May 2012, our department started the In-Hp PTC Education Program. In the first semester, a 2-hour lecture is provided every 2 weeks for 5 months to 15 In-Hp PTCs working near Osaka. In the second semester, 20 lectures were provided for 3 consecutive days to 31 In Hp PTCs, more than 80% of whom work far from Osaka. Lecture topics were the history and current status of organ donation in Japan, social regulation of organ donation, care of transplant recipients, overall procedures of organ donation, the role of In-Hp PTC, donor family care, donor indications, and donor assessment and management. Lectures also included simulations of the organ donation process. Participants were surveyed for their opinions after the program, Most participants were satisfied with the program, topics and duration. As most of them are not full-time In-Hp PTCs, they preferred to attend the 3-day program. Many participants are currently working as main In-Hp PTCs and establishing their own organ donation system in their hospital. In-Hp PTCs have an important role to play in establishing an organ procurement system and increasing organ donation in Japan. This program may help establish a systematic education program for this occupation in Japan. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Birth after 12 hours of oocyte refrigeration.

PubMed

Coban, Onder; Hacifazlioglu, Oguzhan; Ciray, H Nadir; Ulug, Ulun; Tekin, H Ibrahim; Bahceci, Mustafa

2010-12-01

To assess cycle outcome after oocyte refrigeration. Case report. Private IVF center. One couple in a donor oocyte program. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection and blastocyst culture after refrigeration of oocytes for 12 hours. Birth. Fourteen two-pronuclei zygotes from 17 metaphase II refrigerated oocytes resulted in transfer of two blastocysts at day 5 and cryopreservation of six excess embryos at day 6. The patient delivered one healthy male baby after 38 weeks' gestation. The successful outcome of oocyte refrigeration indicates that this protocol could be useful in circumstances in which a delay in obtaining spermatozoa arises. Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Possible Twin: The 1960s Twin Study Revisited/Twin Research: Twin-to-Twin Heart Transplantation; Distinguishing Monozygotic Twins; Twin Conceptions via Oocyte Donation; Factors Affecting Craniofacial Traits/In the Media: Triplet Delivery in the UK; Conjoined Twins and the Concept of Self; Colombian Twin Trainers; Skin Grafting to Save an Identical Co-Twin; Lack of Physical Flaws in Dolly the Cloned Sheep; Possible Conjoined Twins of Opposite-Sex; Passing of the Remaining Twin From the World's Longest Separated Pair.

PubMed

Segal, Nancy L

2018-04-01

This article begins with the story of a 51-year-old Los Angeles, California man, Justin Goldberg, whose daughter caught a glimpse of his striking look-alike at a popular market. Many people have so-called doppelgängers, but this occurrence is especially intriguing - the individual in question, born in New York City in the mid-1960s to an unwed mother, was an adoptee placed by the Louise Wise Adoption Agency. This agency, under the guidance of a prominent psychiatrist, decided to place twins in separate homes. Some of these twin children were part of a controversial child development study that was hidden from them and their parents. Next, recent and current twin research on heart transplantation, distinguishing monozygotic co-twins, twin conceptions via oocyte donation and factors affecting craniofacial traits are summarized. The article concludes with highlights on twins in the media, specifically, a triplet delivery in the United Kingdom, self-concept and consciousness in conjoined twins, Colombian twin trainers, skin grafting to save an identical co-twin, lack of physical flaws in Dolly the cloned sheep, possible opposite-sex conjoined twins, and the passing of the remaining twin from the world's longest separated pair.

The Utility of Decision Trees in Oncofertility Care in Japan.

PubMed

Ito, Yuki; Shiraishi, Eriko; Kato, Atsuko; Haino, Takayuki; Sugimoto, Kouhei; Okamoto, Aikou; Suzuki, Nao

2017-03-01

To identify the utility and issues associated with the use of decision trees in oncofertility patient care in Japan. A total of 35 women who had been diagnosed with cancer, but had not begun anticancer treatment, were enrolled. We applied the oncofertility decision tree for women published by Gardino et al. to counsel a consecutive series of women on fertility preservation (FP) options following cancer diagnosis. Percentage of women who decided to undergo oocyte retrieval for embryo cryopreservation and the expected live-birth rate for these patients were calculated using the following equation: expected live-birth rate = pregnancy rate at each age per embryo transfer × (1 - miscarriage rate) × No. of cryopreserved embryos. Oocyte retrieval was performed for 17 patients (48.6%; mean ± standard deviation [SD] age, 36.35 ± 3.82 years). The mean ± SD number of cryopreserved embryos was 5.29 ± 4.63. The expected live-birth rate was 0.66. The expected live-birth rate with FP indicated that one in three oncofertility patients would not expect to have a live birth following oocyte retrieval and embryo cryopreservation. While the decision trees were useful as decision-making tools for women contemplating FP, in the context of the current restrictions on oocyte donation and the extremely small number of adoptions in Japan, the remaining options for fertility after cancer are limited. In order for cancer survivors to feel secure in their decisions, the decision tree may need to be adapted simultaneously with improvements to the social environment, such as greater support for adoption.

[Performance of in vitro fertilization in Germany].

PubMed

van der Ven, Hans; Montag, Markus; van der Ven, Katrin

2002-07-01

In Germany the application of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) is regulated by federal legislation. Compared with the international situation the "German Embryo Protection Law" is very "restrictive" and various methods of ART are prohibited, e.g. oocyte/embryo donation, embryo cryopreservation and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). Furthermore, in Germany only 1 to 3 fertilized oocytes may be cultured to embryo. All these embryos then have to be transferred into the uterus of a particular patient. Additional fertilized oocytes can only be cryopreserved in a pronuclear state. The success rate of ART has increased significantly over the past few years owing to the introduction of blastocyst cultures and the selection of 1 to 2 good quality blastocysts for embryo transfer. Furthermore, the transfer of only 1 to 2 blastocysts effectively reduces the risk of high rank multiple pregnancies. In Germany, however, the selection of only a few good quality blastocysts for transfer is prohibited by law. New laboratory techniques, e.g. pronuclear scoring and polar body biopsy screening for aneuploidy are in accordance with German law. The application of these methods provides a selection of "good quality oocytes" and seems to increase the overall success rate. Further studies are required, however. The success rate, quality and cost effectiveness of ART in Germany appears compromised when compared with many other countries. What is more, in contrast to the international situation research and development in ART in Germany has been decreasing constantly over the past few years, due to the inappropriate regulations of the German health care system and the insufficient support given to university-based centers.

5 CFR 630.1104 - Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program. 630.1104 Section 630.1104 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Emergency Leave Transfer Program § 630.1104 Donations...

5 CFR 630.1104 - Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program. 630.1104 Section 630.1104 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Emergency Leave Transfer Program § 630.1104 Donations...

5 CFR 630.1104 - Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program. 630.1104 Section 630.1104 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Emergency Leave Transfer Program § 630.1104 Donations...

5 CFR 630.1104 - Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program. 630.1104 Section 630.1104 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Emergency Leave Transfer Program § 630.1104 Donations...

5 CFR 630.1104 - Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program. 630.1104 Section 630.1104 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Emergency Leave Transfer Program § 630.1104 Donations...

Human oocyte cryopreservation and the fate of cortical granules.

PubMed

Ghetler, Yehudith; Skutelsky, Ehud; Ben Nun, Isaac; Ben Dor, Liah; Amihai, Dina; Shalgi, Ruth

2006-07-01

To examine the effect of the commonly used oocyte cryopreservation protocol on the cortical granules (CGs) of human immature germinal vesicle (GV) and mature metaphase II (MII) oocytes. Laboratory study. IVF unit. Unfertilized, intracytoplasmic sperm injected (ICSI) oocytes, and immature oocytes were cryopreserved using a slow freezing-rapid thawing program with 1,2-propanediol (PROH) as a cryoprotectant. Cortical granule exocytosis (CGE) was assessed by either confocal microscopy or transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The survival rates of frozen-thawed oocytes (mature and immature) were significantly lower compared with zygotes. Both mature and immature oocytes exhibited increased fluorescence after cryopreservation, indicating the occurrence of CGE. Mere exposure of oocytes to cryoprotectants induced CGE of 70% the value of control zygotes. The TEM revealed a drastic reduction in the amount of CGs at the cortex of frozen-thawed GV and MII oocytes, as well as appearance of vesicles in the ooplasm. The commonly used PROH freezing protocol for human oocytes resulted in extensive CGE. This finding explains why ICSI is needed to achieve fertilization of frozen-thawed human oocytes.

41 CFR 102-37.45 - How long is property available for donation screening?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... available for donation screening? 102-37.45 Section 102-37.45 Public Contracts and Property Management... 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY General Provisions Donation Overview § 102-37.45 How long is property available for donation screening? Entities authorized to participate in the donation program may...

41 CFR 102-37.45 - How long is property available for donation screening?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... available for donation screening? 102-37.45 Section 102-37.45 Public Contracts and Property Management... 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY General Provisions Donation Overview § 102-37.45 How long is property available for donation screening? Entities authorized to participate in the donation program may...

41 CFR 102-37.45 - How long is property available for donation screening?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... available for donation screening? 102-37.45 Section 102-37.45 Public Contracts and Property Management... 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY General Provisions Donation Overview § 102-37.45 How long is property available for donation screening? Entities authorized to participate in the donation program may...

41 CFR 102-37.45 - How long is property available for donation screening?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... available for donation screening? 102-37.45 Section 102-37.45 Public Contracts and Property Management... 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY General Provisions Donation Overview § 102-37.45 How long is property available for donation screening? Entities authorized to participate in the donation program may...

41 CFR 102-37.45 - How long is property available for donation screening?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... available for donation screening? 102-37.45 Section 102-37.45 Public Contracts and Property Management... 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY General Provisions Donation Overview § 102-37.45 How long is property available for donation screening? Entities authorized to participate in the donation program may...

Noninvasive assays of in vitro matured human oocytes showed insignificant correlation with fertilization and embryo development.

PubMed

Ashourzadeh, Sareh; Khalili, Mohammad Ali; Omidi, Marjan; Mahani, Seyed Nooraldin Nematollahi; Kalantar, Seyed Mehdi; Aflatoonian, Abbas; Habibzadeh, Victoria

2015-08-01

Recently, the upgrading of in vitro maturation (IVM) of human oocytes as a promising strategy has emerged in assisted reproductive technology (ART). The goal was to evaluate the correlation of the in vitro matured oocytes selected on the basis of the zona pellucida (ZP) birefringence and meiotic spindles (MS) detection with fertilization and subsequent embryo development in ICSI program. A total of 168 immature oocytes [germinal vesicle (n = 140) and metaphase I (n = 28)] obtained from patients undergoing oocytes retrieval for ICSI. After in vitro culture for 24-40 h, 112 (67 %) oocytes reached to MII stage. Using a polarized microscopy, the presence of MS and ZP birefringence were assessed in matured oocytes, followed by ICSI performance. The rates of fertilization in oocytes with spindles (51.3 %) were similar to that of the oocytes without spindles (50.7 %; P = 1.00). Moreover, the fertilization rates in high birefringence (HB) oocytes was not statistically different than oocytes with low birefringence (LB) (P = 0.44). The findings also showed that 64.9 % of the fertilized oocytes developed to embryos, in which 33.3 % were derived from spindle-detected oocytes. Regarding the ZP birefringence, 35.5 % of the embryos were derived from HB oocytes. There were insignificant relationships between the MS detection and ZP birefringence score with the rates of fertilization and embryo development in IVM oocytes.

Apoptosis in human unfertilized oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

PubMed

Bosco, Liana; Ruvolo, Giovanni; Morici, Giovanni; Manno, Maurizio; Cittadini, Ettore; Roccheri, Maria C

2005-11-01

To investigate the presence of programmed cell death in unfertilized oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), assuming that previous apoptotic events could be correlated with the fertilization failure. Comparison of the rate of DNA fragmentation in human oocytes at different stages of maturation soon after pick-up (control) and in unfertilized oocytes after ICSI treatment. In vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory with extensive ICSI experience. Sixty-three patients undergoing assisted fertilization by ICSI. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated digoxigenin-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay and anticaspase-3 cleaved immunoassay to detect apoptosis in control and ICSI-treated oocytes. Differences in the percentage of oocytes demonstrating DNA fragmentation between control oocytes and unfertilized ICSI treated oocytes at different stages of maturation. The DNA fragmentation, by TUNEL assay, appeared in all the immature control oocytes, but only 37% of mature oocytes showed DNA fragmentation. This DNA fragmentation was observed in 88.8% of the oocytes unfertilized after ICSI; furthermore, DNA fragmentation appeared as well in the sperm injected into the cytoplasm. The study has shown DNA fragmentation in human oocytes unfertilized after ICSI. The evidence is confirmed as well in control oocytes, free from in vitro culture or manipulation stress. Caspase-3 immunoassay suggests the presence of apoptosis. The high percentage of oocytes demonstrating DNA fragmentation in the unfertilized oocytes could be correlated with fertilization failure.

Quality Management of Body Donation Program at the University of Padova

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porzionato, Andrea; Macchi, Veronica; Stecco, Carla; Mazzi, Anna; Rambaldo, Anna; Sarasin, Gloria; Parenti, Anna; Scipioni, Antonio; De Caro, Raffaele

2012-01-01

Quality management improvement has become a recent focus of attention in medical education. The program for the donation of bodies and body parts (Body Donation Program) at the University of Padova has recently been subjected to a global quality management standard, the ISO 9001:2008 certification. The aim of the present work is to show how the…

Fertility Preservation in Women with Turner Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review and Practical Guidelines.

PubMed

Oktay, Kutluk; Bedoschi, Giuliano; Berkowitz, Karen; Bronson, Richard; Kashani, Banafsheh; McGovern, Peter; Pal, Lubna; Quinn, Gwendolyn; Rubin, Karen

2016-10-01

In this article we review the existing fertility preservation options for women diagnosed with Turner syndrome and provide practical guidelines for the practitioner. Turner syndrome is the most common sex chromosome abnormality in women, occurring in approximately 1 in 2500 live births. Women with Turner syndrome are at extremely high risk for primary ovarian insufficiency and infertility. Although approximately 70%-80% have no spontaneous pubertal development and 90% experience primary amenorrhea, the remainder might possess a small residual of ovarian follicles at birth or early childhood. The present challenge is to identify these women as early in life as is possible, to allow them to benefit from a variety of existing fertility preservation options. To maximize the benefits of fertility preservation, all women with Turner syndrome should be evaluated by an expert as soon as possible in childhood because the vast majority will have their ovarian reserve depleted before adulthood. Cryopreservation of mature oocytes and embryos is a proven fertility preservation approach, and cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is a promising technique with a growing number of live births, but remains investigational. Oocyte cryopreservation has been performed in children with Turner syndrome as young as 13 years of age and ovarian tissue cryopreservation in affected prepubertal children. However, current efficacy of these approaches is unknown in this cohort. For those who have already lost their ovarian reserve, oocyte or embryo donation and adoption are strategies that allow fulfillment of the desire for parenting. For those with Turner syndrome-related cardiac contraindications to pregnancy, use of gestational surrogacy allows the possibility of biological parenting using their own oocytes. Alternatively, gestational surrogacy can serve to carry pregnancy resulting from the use of donor oocytes or embryos, if needed. Copyright © 2016 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The silence of Good Samaritan kidney donation in Australia: a survey of hospital websites.

PubMed

Bramstedt, Katrina A; Dave, Sameer

2013-01-01

It is common for living donor candidates to use the Internet as a tool to enhance their decision-making process. Specifically, the websites of transplant hospitals can potentially be a vital source of information for those contemplating living donation. In an effort to explore the low incidence of Good Samaritan kidney donation (donations to strangers) in Australia, two raters conducted a nine-attribute website content analysis for all hospitals which participate in these transplants (n = 15). Overall, the concept of living donation is relatively silent on Australian hospital websites. Only four hospitals mention their living donor program, and only one mentions their Good Samaritan program. No site linked directly to Australia's AKX Paired Kidney Exchange Program - the only program which facilitates pair and chain transplants in Australia. Further, information about deceased donation is nearly absent as well. An individual with the altruistic desire to donate will generally find scant or absent information about donation at the website of their local transplant hospital, although this information could easily be present as an educational tool which supports the consent process. Using a hospital website to educate the public about a clinical service should not be viewed as ethically problematic (solicitation), but rather an ethical essential. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Mass media, online social network, and organ donation: old mistakes and new perspectives.

PubMed

Aykas, A; Uslu, A; Şimşek, C

2015-05-01

Contrary to TV programs projecting awareness about organ donation in society, concrete evidence exists about adverse influence of negative broadcasts on organ donation rates. We sought to determine the effect of mass media on public opinion toward organ donation and the efficacy of public campaigns and novel social media attempts on donation rates. We conducted a systematic review of relevant literature and national campaign results. Hoaxes about brain death and organ transplantation adversely affect organ donation rates in both Western and Eastern societies. Scientifically controversial and exaggerated press conferences and institutional advertisements create mistrust in doctors, thus reducing organ donation. The overall effect of public education campaigns in promoting organ donation is a temporary 5% gain. Increments in organ donation rates is expected with novel applications of social media (Facebook effect). Communication, based on mutual trust, must be established between medicine and the media. Continuing education programs with regard to public awareness on organ donation should be conducted over social media. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The body donation program at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre: a successful experience in Brazil.

PubMed

da Rocha, Andrea Oxley; Tormes, Diane Alícia; Lehmann, Natassia; Schwab, Rafael Santos; Canto, Raphael Teixeira

2013-01-01

The use of dissection to study human anatomy is the foundation for educational excellence among future health professionals, as it offers an ideal opportunity to learn the body's morphology in three dimensions while also providing students with a more humanistic education. The shortage of bodies for dissection, combined with the Brazilian population's lack of knowledge concerning the possibility of voluntarily donating their own bodies, led to the creation of the Body Donation Programs for Education and Research in Anatomy at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA). The program is based on three pillars: Informing the general public about the program, donor registration, and donation itself. Since the creation of the donor program in 2008, there has been an increase in both the number of donations made during donor's lifetime and the number of bodies received by the university. There has also been a shift in relation to the origin of these bodies, as before the creation of the program most bodies were unclaimed cadavers, while today most of the bodies are sourced from voluntary donations. The initial results regarding the public's acceptance of the possibility of making body donations have been encouraging, as shown by the annual growth in donor registrations. Consequently, the quality and quantity of the material available for educational purposes have greatly improved. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

Serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels on the day before oocyte retrieval do not correlate with oocyte maturity.

PubMed

Levy, Gary; Hill, Micah J; Ramirez, Christina; Plowden, Torrie; Pilgrim, Justin; Howard, Robin S; Segars, James H; Csokmay, John

2013-05-01

To evaluate the correlation of preretrieval quantitative serum hCG level with oocyte maturity. Retrospective cohort study. Military assisted reproductive technology (ART) program. Fresh autologous ART cycles. Serum hCG level the day before oocyte retrieval. Linear regression was used to correlate serum hCG levels and oocyte maturity rates. Normal oocyte maturity was defined as ≥75% and the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare serum hCG levels in patients with normal and low oocyte maturity. Threshold analysis was performed to determine hCG levels that could predict oocyte maturity. A total of 468 ART cycles were analyzed. Serum hCG level was not correlated with hCG dose; however, it was negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI). Serum hCG levels did not differ between patients with oocyte maturity of <75% and ≥75%. Serum hCG levels did not correlate with oocyte maturity rates. Receiver operator characteristic and less than efficiency curves failed to demonstrate thresholds at which hCG could predict oocyte maturity. Serum hCG levels were not correlated with oocyte maturity. Although a positive hCG was reassuring that mature oocytes would be retrieved for most patients, the specific value was not helpful. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Voluntary organ donation system adapted to Chinese cultural values and social reality.

PubMed

Huang, Jiefu; Millis, J Michael; Mao, Yilei; Millis, M Andrew; Sang, Xinting; Zhong, Shouxian

2015-04-01

Organ donation and transplant systems have unique characteristics based on the local culture and socioeconomic context. China's transplant and organ donation systems developed without regulatory oversight until 2006 when regulation and policy were developed and then implemented over the next several years. Most recently, the pilot project of establishing a voluntary citizen-based deceased donor program was established. The pilot program addressed the legal, financial, and cultural barriers to organ donation in China. The pilot program has evolved into a national program. Significantly, it established a uniquely Chinese donor classification system. The Chinese donor classification system recognizes donation after brain death (category I), donation after circulatory death (category II), and donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (category III). Through August 2014, the system has identified 2326 donors and provided 6416 organs that have been allocated though a transparent organ allocation system. The estimated number of donors in 2014 is 1147. As China's attitudes toward organ donation have matured and evolved and as China, as a nation, is taking its place on the world stage, it is recognizing that its past practice of using organs from executed prisoners is not sustainable. It is time to recognize that the efforts to regulate transplantation and provide voluntary citizen-based deceased organ donation have been successful and that China should use this system to provide organs for all transplants in every province and hospital in China. At the national organ transplant congress on October 30, 2014, the Chairman of the China's national organ donation and transplantation committee, Jeifu Huang required all hospitals to stop using organs from executed prisoners immediately and the civilian organ donation will be sole source for organ transplant in China starting January 2015. © 2015 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Isolation of Small SSEA-4-Positive Putative Stem Cells from the Ovarian Surface Epithelium of Adult Human Ovaries by Two Different Methods

PubMed Central

Virant-Klun, Irma; Skutella, Thomas; Hren, Matjaz; Gruden, Kristina; Cvjeticanin, Branko; Vogler, Andrej; Sinkovec, Jasna

2013-01-01

The adult ovarian surface epithelium has already been proposed as a source of stem cells and germinal cells in the literature, therefore it has been termed the “germinal epithelium”. At present more studies have confirmed the presence of stem cells expressing markers of pluripotency in adult mammalian ovaries, including humans. The aim of this study was to isolate a population of stem cells, based on the expression of pluripotency-related stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4) from adult human ovarian surface epithelium by two different methods: magnetic-activated cell sorting and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Both methods made it possible to isolate a similar, relatively homogenous population of small, SSEA-4-positive cells with diameters of up to 4 μm from the suspension of cells retrieved by brushing of the ovarian cortex biopsies in reproductive-age and postmenopausal women and in women with premature ovarian failure. The immunocytochemistry and genetic analyses revealed that these small cells—putative stem cells—expressed some primordial germ cell and pluripotency-related markers and might be related to the in vitro development of oocyte-like cells expressing some oocyte-specific transcription factors in the presence of donated follicular fluid with substances important for oocyte growth and development. The stemness of these cells needs to be further researched. PMID:23509763

Successful international collaboration improves family donation conversations resulting in increased organ donation.

PubMed

Mulvania, P; Mehakovic, E; Wise, C; Cass, Y; Daly, T A; Nathan, H M

2014-01-01

Australian donation leaders recognized that to increase organ donation outcomes, health professionals conducting family donation conversations (FDCs) required support and specialist training. An international training institute with programs based on proven results was engaged to create and implement a customized training program to influence change in FDC practice and culture. The goal was to increase donation rates by developing and implementing a customized, self-sustaining training program to enhance FDC practices of health professionals. Other goals included providing training and communications skills to lead FDC, supporting families in making decisions, and influencing health professionals to adopt FDC practices. To gain support and determine program suitability, two 1-day pilot training sessions were provided to 45 Australian donation leaders in 2011. Training was further customized with an emphasis on creating changes to achieve and sustain desired results. A comprehensive national training plan was implemented over 18 months. Twenty-six 2-day FDC training workshops were held in 8 cities (646 participants). Program evaluations and debriefings showed distinct shifts in perspectives and an enthusiasm to implement new processes. In 2012 to 2013, an instructor program was developed to transition training facilitation. The training institute remains involved in development and training to build and sustain skill and expertise. There was a 58% increase in organ donors in Australia from 2009 to 2013 (data reflect 2013 Australian end-of-year organ donation information). This represents a 36% increase in organ donors (2009-2011); the remaining 22% increase was achieved in the 2 years since the FDC training was implemented in Australia (2011-2013). Improved skills training in the conduct of FDCs seem to have contributed to improved donation outcomes in national identification, request, and consent rates. The integration of another organization's process poses distinct challenges; thoughtful collaboration, sensitive to cultural aspects and family care, communication, and donation practices, can result in successful customized training that shifts perspectives, provides new skills, and achieves and sustains an increase in organ donation rates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 226.5 - Donation of commodities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Donation of commodities. 226.5 Section 226.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM Assistance to States § 226.5 Donation...

7 CFR 226.5 - Donation of commodities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Donation of commodities. 226.5 Section 226.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM Assistance to States § 226.5 Donation...

7 CFR 226.5 - Donation of commodities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Donation of commodities. 226.5 Section 226.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM Assistance to States § 226.5 Donation...

Modification of the education system for organ procurement coordinators in Japan after the revision of the Japanese Organ Transplantation Act.

PubMed

Konaka, S; Kato, O; Ashikari, J; Fukushima, N

2012-05-01

From October 1997 to July 2010, only 86 brain-dead (BD) organ donations were obtained and no organs were retrieved from children under 15 years of age because of the strict Japan Organ Transplantation Act. The Act was revised on July 17, 2010, allowing organs to be donated after BD with family consent. To manage the increased donations after the revision, the Japan Organ Transplant Network (JOT) employed 10 organ procurement coordinators (OPCs) and modified its education systems. We retrospectively reviewed the modified education programs to evaluate whether they were effective and whether the processes of organ donation were promptly performed after the revision of the Act. The modifications of education program were: changing OPC to guideline manuals to correspond to the revised Transplant Act; OPCs were taught the new organ procurement system; and a special education program was provided for the 10 newcomers for 2 months. After 12 months of the revision, 58 BD organ donations were accomplished, whereas they had averaged 6.6 in a year before the revision. Two pediatric BD organ donations were accomplished without problem. One priority organ donation to a relative was performed uneventfully. After applying the modified education program, skilled JOT OPCs and leader JOT OPCs increased. To manage increased organ donations after the revision of the Act, the educational system was modified and 58 brain dead organ donations were performed safely. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Tale of Two Cities: Financing Two Voucher Programs for Substance Abusers Through Community Donations

PubMed Central

Amass, Leslie; Kamien, Jonathan

2005-01-01

Voucher-based reinforcement therapy (VBRT) is an effective drug abuse treatment, but the cost of VBRT rewards has limited its dissemination. Obtaining VBRT incentives through donations may be one way to overcome this barrier. Two direct mail campaigns solicited donations for use in VBRT for pregnant, postpartum, and parenting drug users in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and in Los Angeles, California. In Toronto, 19% of those contacted over 2 months donated $8,000 ($4,000/month) of goods and services. In Los Angeles, nearly 26% of those contacted over 34 months donated $161,000 ($4,472/month) of goods and services. Maintaining voucher programs by soliciting donations is feasible and sustainable. The methods in this article can serve as a guide for successful donation solicitation campaigns. Donations offer an alternative for obtaining VBRT rewards for substance abuse treatment and may increase its dissemination. PMID:15122959

Telomeres, Reproductive Aging, and Genomic Instability During Early Development.

PubMed

Keefe, David L

2016-12-01

Implantation rate decreases and miscarriage rate increases with advancing maternal age. The oocyte must be the locus of reproductive aging because donation of oocytes from younger to older women abrogates the effects of aging on fecundity. Nuclear transfer experiments in a mouse model of reproductive aging show that the reproductive aging phenotype segregates with the nucleus rather than the cytoplasm. A number of factors within the nucleus have been hypothesized to mediate reproductive aging, including disruption of cohesions, reduced chiasma, aneuploidy, disrupted meiotic spindles, and DNA damage caused by chronic exposure to reactive oxygen species. We have proposed telomere attrition as a parsimonious way to explain these diverse effects of aging on oocyte function. Telomeres are repetitive sequences of DNA and associated proteins, which form a loop (t loop) at chromosome ends. Telomeres prevent the blunt end of DNA from triggering a DNA damage response. Previously, we showed that experimental telomere shortening phenocopies reproductive aging in mice. Telomere shortening causes reduced synapsis and chiasma, chromosome fusions, embryo arrest and fragmentation, and abnormal meiotic spindles. Telomere length of polar bodies predicts the fragmentation of human embryos. Telomerase, the reverse transcriptase capable of reconstituting shortened telomeres, is only minimally active in oocytes and preimplantation embryos. Intriguingly, during the first cell cycles following activation, telomeres robustly elongate via a DNA double-strand break mechanism called alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALTs). Alternative lengthening of telomere takes place even in telomerase-null mice. This mechanism of telomere elongation previously had been found only in cancer cells lacking telomerase activity. We propose that ALT elongates telomeres across generations but does so at the cost of extensive genomic instability in preimplantation embryos. © The Author(s) 2016.

Awareness, knowledge, and perceptions of infertility, fertility assessment, and assisted reproductive technologies in the era of oocyte freezing among female and male university students.

PubMed

Meissner, C; Schippert, C; von Versen-Höynck, Frauke

2016-06-01

The aims of our study were to analyze university student's knowledge and attitude towards parenthood, female fertility, fertility assessment, and oocyte freezing and to explore associations between these aspects and the participant's sex or degree program they were registered for. The study was designed as an online-based cross-sectional survey. A total of 1144 participants answered 27 questions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Linear regression models were employed to explore associations between sex or university program and attitude towards parenthood, fertility assessment, and oocyte freezing. Female students and students of non-medical degree programs were more likely to plan to have children earlier than male students or students of medical degree programs. Female sex or medical degree program was associated with an overall better knowledge about women's fertility. The better the participant's knowledge about fertility, the more likely the students would consider assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments as an option to become pregnant when ovarian reserve is low. The majority of students knew the principal of oocyte freezing but would not consider using it. However, in the case of a low ovarian reserve, oocyte freezing would be accepted as an option. Students planned to have children at an age when women's fertility is already declining. Gaps in knowledge about female fertility and the potential of ART were more pronounced in male students and students of non-medical degree programs suggesting an increase of fertility awareness is necessary in these groups to prevent them from infertility and unwanted childlessness.

Preeclampsia in autologous and oocyte donation pregnancy: is there a different pathophysiology?

PubMed

Lashley, Lisa E E L O; Buurma, Aletta; Swings, Godelieve M J S; Eikmans, Michael; Anholts, Jacqueline D H; Bakker, Jaap A; Claas, Frans H J

2015-06-01

Oocyte donation (OD) is a specific method of artificial reproductive technology that is accompanied by a higher risk of preeclampsia during pregnancy. The pathophysiological mechanism underlying preeclampsia in OD pregnancies is thought to differ from preeclampsia in autologous pregnancies. As preeclampsia in autologous pregnancies is suggested to be associated with complement activation, we studied C4d deposition, circulating complement components and placental complement regulatory proteins in preeclamptic OD pregnancies. Women with uncomplicated and preeclamptic pregnancies after OD or spontaneous conception were selected. We stained the placentas for C4d, marker for complement activation, measured complement factors C1q, C3 and C4 in maternal sera and quantified the placental mRNA expression of complement regulatory proteins CD46, CD55 and CD59. A significantly (p < 0.03) higher incidence of C4d deposition was observed in placentas from women with preeclampsia compared with uncomplicated pregnancies, both OD and autologous. The level of complement factors in serum did not differ between the groups. Children born in the autologous preeclampsia group were significantly lower in birth weight (p < 10th percentile) compared with the preeclamptic OD group. In addition, the placental mRNA expression level of complement regulatory proteins was significantly lower in uncomplicated and preeclamptic OD compared with the autologous pregnancies. In line with autologous preeclampsia pregnancies, there is excessive activation of complement in preeclamptic OD pregnancies. However, in contrast to autologous pregnancies this is not associated with counterbalancing upregulation of complement regulatory proteins. Furthermore, C4d deposition in OD pregnancies is not related to the severity of preeclampsia, suggesting another trigger or regulatory mechanism of placental C4d deposition in preeclamptic OD pregnancies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels on the day before oocyte retrieval do not correlate with oocyte maturity

PubMed Central

Levy, Gary; Hill, Micah J.; Ramirez, Christina; Plowden, Torrie; Pilgrim, Justin; Howard, Robin S.; Segars, James H.; Csokmay, John

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate the correlation of preretrieval quantitative serum hCG level with oocyte maturity. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Military assisted reproductive technology (ART) program. Patient(s) Fresh autologous ART cycles. Intervention(s) Serum hCG level the day before oocyte retrieval. Main Outcome Measure(s) Linear regression was used to correlate serum hCG levels and oocyte maturity rates. Normal oocyte maturity was defined as ≥ 75% and the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare serum hCG levels in patients with normal and low oocyte maturity. Threshold analysis was performed to determine hCG levels that could predict oocyte maturity. Result(s) A total of 468 ART cycles were analyzed. Serum hCG level was not correlated with hCG dose; however, it was negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI). Serum hCG levels did not differ between patients with oocyte maturity of <75% and ≥ 75%. Serum hCG levels did not correlate with oocyte maturity rates. Receiver operator characteristic and less than efficiency curves failed to demonstrate thresholds at which hCG could predict oocyte maturity. Conclusion(s) Serum hCG levels were not correlated with oocyte maturity. Although a positive hCG was reassuring that mature oocytes would be retrieved for most patients, the specific value was not helpful. PMID:23375205

Heparin and cAMP modulators interact during pre-in vitro maturation to affect mouse and human oocyte meiosis and developmental competence.

PubMed

Zeng, Hai-tao; Ren, Zi; Guzman, Luis; Wang, Xiaoqian; Sutton-McDowall, Melanie L; Ritter, Lesley J; De Vos, Michel; Smitz, Johan; Thompson, Jeremy G; Gilchrist, Robert B

2013-06-01

Does heparin ablate the advantageous effects of cyclic adenosine mono-phosphate (cAMP) modulators during pre-in vitro maturation (IVM) and have a deleterious effect in standard oocyte IVM? Heparin interrupts energy metabolism and meiotic progression and adversely affects subsequent development of oocytes under conditions of elevated cAMP levels in cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) after pre-IVM treatment with forskolin. In animal IVM studies, artificial regulation of meiotic resumption by cAMP-elevating agents improves subsequent oocyte developmental competence. Heparin has no effect on spontaneous, FSH- or epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated meiotic maturation. An in vitro cross-sectional study was conducted using immature mouse and human COCs. Depending on individual experimental design, COCs were treated during pre-IVM with or without heparin, in the presence or absence of forskolin and/or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), and then COC function was assessed by various means. Forty-two women with polycystic ovaries (PCOs) or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) donated COCs after oocyte retrieval in a non-hCG-triggered IVM cycle. COCs were collected in pre-IVM treatments and then cultured for 40 h and meiotic progression was assessed. COCs from 21- to 24-day-old female CBA F1 mice were collected 46 h after stimulation with equine chorionic gonadotrophin. Following treatments, COCs were checked for meiotic progression. Effects on mouse oocyte metabolism were measured by assessing oocyte mitochondrial membrane potential using JC-1 staining and oocyte ATP content. Post-IVM mouse oocyte developmental competence was assessed by in vitro fertilization and embryo production. Blastocyst quality was evaluated by differential staining of inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) layers. In the absence of heparin in pre-IVM culture, the addition of cAMP modulators did not affect human oocyte MII competence after 40 h. In standard IVM, heparin supplementation in pre-IVM did not affect MII competence; however, when heparin was combined with cAMP modulators, MII competence was significantly reduced from 65 to 15% (P < 0.05). In mouse experiments, heparin alone in pre-IVM significantly delayed germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) so that fewer GVBDs were observed at 0 and 1 h of IVM (P < 0.05), but not by 2 or 3 h of IVM. Combined treatment with IBMX and forskolin in the pre-IVM medium produced a large delay in GVBD such that no COCs exhibited GVBD in the first 1 h of IVM, and the addition of heparin in pre-IVM further significantly delayed the progression of GVBD (P < 0.05), in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01). Combined IBMX and forskolin treatment of mouse COCs during pre-IVM significantly increased mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production in the oocyte at the end of pre-IVM (P < 0.05), and significantly improved fertilization, embryo development and quality (P < 0.05). However, heparin abolished the IBMX + forskolin-stimulated increase in mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production (P < 0.05), and adversely affected embryonic cleavage, development rates and embryo quality (P < 0.05). This latter adverse combinational effect was negated when mouse COCs were collected in heparin and IBMX for 15 min, washed and then cultured for 45 min in IBMX and forskolin without heparin. Experiments in mice found that heparin ablation of the advantageous effects of cAMP modulators during pre-IVM was associated with altered oocyte metabolism, but the mechanism by which heparin affects metabolism remains unclear. This study has revealed a novel and unexpected interaction between heparin and cAMP modulators in pre-IVM in immature mouse and human oocytes, and established a means to collect oocytes using heparin while modulating oocyte cAMP to improve developmental potential.

Quality management of Body Donation Program at the University of Padova.

PubMed

Porzionato, Andrea; Macchi, Veronica; Stecco, Carla; Mazzi, Anna; Rambaldo, Anna; Sarasin, Gloria; Parenti, Anna; Scipioni, Antonio; De Caro, Raffaele

2012-01-01

Quality management improvement has become a recent focus of attention in medical education. The program for the donation of bodies and body parts (Body Donation Program) at the University of Padova has recently been subjected to a global quality management standard, the ISO 9001:2008 certification. The aim of the present work is to show how the above standard is useful in enhancing the efficiency of body donation procedures and the quality and output of medical education. The program is managed by means of the following interlinked procedures: the collection of body donations, death certificates, data, and body parts from living donors; the transportation and identification of cadavers; the management of bodies, body parts, equipment, instruments, purchasing of necessary materials, and setting up anatomical training sessions; the management of preventive and corrective actions; the management of documents and registration; the management of internal and external quality audits; and the review of outcomes and improvement planning. Monitoring indicators are identified in the numbers of donors and of donated body parts per year, education sessions, and satisfaction of learners and donors, as evaluated by questionnaires. The process management approach, the integrated involvement of medical, technical, and administrative staff in defining procedures, and the application of monitoring indicators allow quality improvement in all aspects of the Body Donation Program. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

Transplant Procurement Management Model Training: Marked Improvement in the Mindset of In-Hospital Procurement Coordinators at Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, M; Yoshinaga, K; Imamura, Y; Hayashi, T; Osako, T; Takahashi, K; Kaneko, M; Fujisawa, M; Kamidono, S

2016-09-01

The organ donation rate in Japan is much lower than that in other developed countries for several reasons. An advanced educational program for in-hospital procurement coordinators is a possible solution for this. We introduced a Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) educational program at Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Ten healthcare professionals at Hyogo Prefecture participated in the Advanced International TPM course to educate themselves on TPM and held 2 TPM Model Organ Procurement Training Workshops at Hyogo Prefecture for in-hospital procurement coordinators. Furthermore, we held 2 workshops outside Hyogo Prefecture and at the same time undertook a pre-workshop questionnaire survey to evaluate the ability and motivation with respect to organ donation. To evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops, we conducted post-workshop and 3-months-after workshop questionnaire surveys. The results of the pre-workshop survey revealed that in-hospital procurement coordinators lacked the knowledge regarding the entire organ donation process, the current status of organ donation in Japan, and the definition of brain death. Moreover, they did not completely understand the meaning of "organ donation." The results of the post-workshop questionnaire survey showed that the educational program was effective to improve the knowledge and skills of organ donation and motivated behavioral changes among the participants. The survey results showed that our TPM model educational program offered sufficient knowledge and skills to increase organ donation at Hyogo Prefecture. We will continue this program and make an effort to further contribute to the Japanese organ donation activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sex aneuploidy of unfertilized human oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, G.; Ward, D.C.; Jones, E.E.

1994-09-01

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has recently achieved successful fertilization and pregnancy in human in vitro fertilization, particularly in cases of severe male factor infertility. One criticism of this novel clinical technique is that it bypasses the natural selection process of fertilization. We use fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to analyze oocytes which fail to fertilize after ICSI in the Yale IVF Program. The purpose of this study is to determine whether failed fertilization after ICSI can be attributed to sex chromosome aneuploidy in the oocyte. Fertilization of oocytes is determined by the presence of two pronuclei on light microscopic examinationmore » (400X). Multi-probe FISH with DAPI (4,6,-diamino-2-phenyl-indole) counterstain is then performed to determine oocyte ploidy and the presence of decondensed sperm. Centromeric probes for X, Y and 17 are used simultaneously in each oocyte for in situ hybridization to oocyte chromatin. In all oocytes examined after ICSI to date, unfertilized oocytes have decondensed sperm DNA present confirming appropriate intracytoplasmic placement of the sperm. Preliminary results obtained from 31 oocytes have not identified any sex chromosome aneuploidies. The FISH technique used in post-ICSI oocytes is a model system for delineating genetic causes of failed fertilization in the human.« less

75 FR 41795 - Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods From July 1, 2010 Through June 30, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-19

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods From July 1, 2010 Through June 30, 2011 AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in...

78 FR 45178 - Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods From July 1, 2013 Through June 30, 2014

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-26

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods From July 1, 2013 Through June 30, 2014 AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in...

76 FR 43256 - Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods From July 1, 2011 Through June 30, 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods From July 1, 2011 Through June 30, 2012 AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in...

77 FR 43231 - Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods From July 1, 2012 Through June 30, 2013

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-24

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Food Distribution Program: Value of Donated Foods From July 1, 2012 Through June 30, 2013 AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in...

Attitudes of Australian chiropractic students toward whole body donation: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Alexander, Michelle; Marten, Mathew; Stewart, Ella; Serafin, Stanley; Štrkalj, Goran

2014-01-01

Cadavers play an important role in anatomy education. In Australia, bodies for anatomy education are acquired only through donations. To gain insight into educational dynamics in an anatomy laboratory as well as to facilitate body donation programs and thanksgiving ceremonies, it is important to understand students' attitudes toward body donation. In this cross-sectional study, the attitudes of Macquarie University's first, second, and fifth year chiropractic students toward body donation were investigated. Macquarie University chiropractic students have a four semester long anatomy program, which includes cadaver-based instruction on prosected specimens. A questionnaire was used to record respondents' demographics and attitudes toward body donation: personal, by a relative, and by a stranger. It was found that ethnicity and religion affect attitudes toward body donation, with Australian students being more willing to donate a stranger's body and atheists and agnostics being more willing to donate in general. Furthermore, willingness to donate one's own or a family member's body decreases as year of study increases, suggesting a possible negative impact of exposure to cadavers in the anatomy laboratory. This was only true, however, after controlling for age. Thus, the impact of viewing and handling prosected specimens, which is the norm in anatomy classes in Australia, may not be as strong as dissecting cadavers. It is suggested that anatomists and educators prepare students for cadaver-based instruction as well as exhibit sensitivity to cultural differences in how students approach working with cadavers, when informing different communities about body donation programs and in devising thanksgiving ceremonies. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

Increasing organ donation in Hispanic Americans: the role of media and other community outreach efforts.

PubMed

Salim, Ali; Ley, Eric J; Berry, Cherisse; Schulman, Danielle; Navarro, Sonia; Zheng, Ling; Chan, Linda S

2014-01-01

The growing demand for organs continues to outpace supply. This gap is most pronounced in minority populations, who constitute more than 40% of the organ waiting list. Hispanic Americans are particularly less likely to donate compared with other minorities for reasons that remain poorly understood and difficult to change. To determine whether outreach interventions that target Hispanic Americans improve organ donation outcomes. Prospective before-after study of 4 southern California neighborhoods with a high percentage of Hispanic American residents. We conducted cross-sectional telephone surveys before and 2 years after outreach interventions. Respondents 18 years or older were drawn randomly from lists of Hispanic surnames. Awareness, perceptions, and beliefs regarding organ donation and intent to donate were measured and compared before and after interventions. Television and radio commercials about organ donation and educational programs at 5 high schools and 4 Catholic churches. Number of survey participants who specify intent to donate. A total of 402 preintervention and 654 postintervention individuals participated in the surveys. We observed a significant increase in awareness of and knowledge about organ donation and a significant increase in the intent to donate (17.7% vs 12.1%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.55 [95% CI, 1.06-2.26; P = .02]). Focused donor outreach programs sustain awareness and knowledge and can significantly improve intent to donate organs in the Hispanic American population. These programs should continue to be evaluated and implemented to influence donor registration.

Vitrification of oocytes from endangered Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi).

PubMed

Boutelle, S; Lenahan, K; Krisher, R; Bauman, K L; Asa, C S; Silber, S

2011-03-01

Careful genetic management, including cryopreservation of genetic material, is central to conservation of the endangered Mexican gray wolf. We tested a technique, previously used to vitrify human and domestic animal oocytes, on oocytes from domestic dogs as a model and from the endangered Mexican wolf. This method provided a way to conserve oocytes from genetically valuable older female Mexican wolves as an alternative to embryos for preserving female genes. Oocytes were aspirated from ovaries of 36 female dogs in December and March (0 to 65 oocytes per female) and from six female wolves (4 to 73 per female) during their physiologic breeding season, or following stimulation with the GnRH agonist deslorelin. Oocytes from dogs were pooled; half were immediately tested for viability and the remainder vitrified, then warmed and tested for viability. All oocytes were vitrified by being moved through media of increasing cryoprotectant concentration, placed on Cryotops, and plunged into liquid nitrogen. There was no difference in viability (propidium iodide staining) between fresh and vitrified, warmed dog oocytes (65.7 and 61.0%, respectively, P = 0.27). Oocyte viability after warming was similarly assessed in a subset of wolves (4 to 15 oocytes from each of three females; total 29 oocytes). Of these, 57.1% of the post-thaw intact oocytes were viable, which was 41.4% of all oocytes warmed. These were the first oocytes from a canid or an endangered species demonstrated to have maintained viability after vitrification and warming. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that vitrification of oocytes with the Cryotop technique was an option for preserving female gametes from Mexican wolves for future use in captive breeding programs, although in vitro embryo production techniques must first be developed in canids for this technique to be used. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Italy enacts new law on medically assisted reproduction.

PubMed

Boggio, Andrea

2005-05-01

In 2004, the Italian Parliament enacted a law regulating medically assisted reproduction. Although the law recognizes as legal certain assisted reproduction techniques, several other procedures are implicitly or expressly banned: oocyte and sperm donation, using embryos for the scientific research purposes and reproductive cloning. In this article, I outline the new legal framework, pointing out some of the shortcomings of its provisions, such as the failure to define what an 'embryo' is, the contradictions between this law and the law on abortion, the opportunity for Italian couples to circumvent some of the prohibitions by resorting to 'reproductive tourism', and the central role that physicians play in the new legal framework.

Acceptability and feasibility of a culturally tailored Internet-delivered intervention to promote blood donation in Blacks.

PubMed

Robbins, Mark L; Paiva, Andrea L; Amoyal, Nicole R; Brick, Leslie; Kessler, Debra A; Burditt, Caitlin; Caltabiano, Melinda; Shaz, Beth H

2015-03-01

A pilot test of a computer-tailored intervention designed to promote blood donation among Blacks was conducted. Intervention content, based on the transtheoretical model, offered participants individually and culturally tailored information on blood donation with emphasis on need specific to race (e.g., sickle-cell disease). Black adults (N = 150) with a diversity of blood donation experience were recruited from a blood center and a survey recruitment website. Posttest assessment included a 14-item evaluation and transtheoretical model questions. Participants rated the program positively (81.3% to 98.7% of participants agreeing or strongly agreeing with evaluation items). For example, 98.7% of respondents reported that the program gave sound advice and that personal feedback was easily understood, and 87.3% felt the program was designed for people like themselves. Ninety-five percent of participants reported that they would recommend the program to others. There were no significant differences in ratings based on demographics. Qualitative responses support program acceptability. Furthermore, pre- and postprogram assessments indicated an increase in intention to donate, t(149) = 3.56, p = .001, d = .29. With acceptability and feasibility confirmed, the next steps are to test efficacy and cost-effectiveness for use to increase blood donation, particularly in priority populations. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Family communication coordination: a program to increase organ donation.

PubMed

Linyear, A S; Tartaglia, A

1999-09-01

To improve organ donation performance, the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals implemented a comprehensive family support and communication program, consisting of a standard family communications protocol, a hospital-based team from the Department of Pastoral Care, targeted staff education, and an ongoing quality assurance measuring and monitoring system. The 3 best-demonstrated request practices, private setting, "decoupling," and collaboration in the request between the organ procurement organization and hospital staff, were incorporated into the program. Improvement in the consent and donation rate was evident in the second calendar year of the program; the consent rate was 72% and the donation rate was 50%. During the second year, there was also a positive correlation between "decoupling," appropriate requestor, and the consent rate. Implementation of a hospital-based team and a standard protocol facilitated the clarification of roles and responsibilities toward clearer and more consistent family communication and support. Data suggest that staff experience is a major contributor to a positive donation outcome.

50 CFR 679.26 - Prohibited Species Donation Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ALASKA Management Measures § 679.26 Prohibited Species Donation Program. (a) Authorized species. The PSD... maintain adequate funding for the distribution of fish under the PSD program. (vii) A copy of the applicant... received under the PSD program, including sufficient liability insurance to cover public interests relating...

50 CFR 679.26 - Prohibited Species Donation Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ALASKA Management Measures § 679.26 Prohibited Species Donation Program. (a) Authorized species. The PSD... maintain adequate funding for the distribution of fish under the PSD program. (vii) A copy of the applicant... received under the PSD program, including sufficient liability insurance to cover public interests relating...

50 CFR 679.26 - Prohibited Species Donation Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... ALASKA Management Measures § 679.26 Prohibited Species Donation Program. (a) Authorized species. The PSD... maintain adequate funding for the distribution of fish under the PSD program. (vii) A copy of the applicant... received under the PSD program, including sufficient liability insurance to cover public interests relating...

50 CFR 679.26 - Prohibited Species Donation Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ALASKA Management Measures § 679.26 Prohibited Species Donation Program. (a) Authorized species. The PSD... distribution of fish under the PSD program. (vii) A copy of the applicant's articles of incorporation and... full responsibility for the documentation and disposition of fish received under the PSD program...

Financing a Voucher Program for Cocaine Abusers through Community Donations in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Rodriguez; Olaya; Secades-Villa, Roberto; Higgins, Stephen T.; Fernandez-Hermida, Jose R.; Carballo, Jose L.

2008-01-01

This study analyzed the viability of financing a voucher program for cocaine addicts in Spain through public and private donations. Of the 136 companies contacted, 52 (38%) provided donations. The difference between the benefits (15,670[euros]/$20,371) and the costs (3,734[euros]/$4,854) was 11,936[euros]/$15,517. The type of reinforcer a company…

5 CFR 630.1112 - Transferring donated annual leave between agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Transferring donated annual leave between... REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Emergency Leave Transfer Program § 630.1112 Transferring donated annual leave... amount of donated annual leave needed for transfer to the agency's approved emergency leave recipients...

Immunosuppressants

MedlinePlus

... Menu Menu Search Home Prevention Kidney Disease Patients Organ Donation & Transplantation Professionals Events Advocacy Donate A to Z ... Exchange Programs Knowing Your Immunosuppressive (anti-rejection) Medications Organ and Tissue Donation The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, ...

48 CFR 26.401 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... PROGRAMS OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS Food Donations to Nonprofit Organizations 26.401 Definitions. As used... (b)(2)of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (42 U.S.C. 1791(b)). Excess food means...

The attitudes of IVF patients treated in the Czech Republic towards informing children born after gamete donation.

PubMed

Rumpikova, Tatana; Oborna, Ivana; Belaskova, Silvie; Konecna, Hana; Rumpik, David

2018-03-01

In recent decades gamete donation has received growing attention. Data from the Czech National Registry of Assisted Reproduction show that the number of cycles using donated oocytes has been increasing every year. According to Czech law, gamete donation is anonymous. Since 2011, some members of the Czech parliament have repeatedly made requests to revoke the anonymity but anonymity is one of the preconditions for such donation in this country. The aim of this study was to find out how the gamete recipients feel towards informing their child about the circumstances of their conception and their access to the identity of the donor. A total of 195 recipients (122 women undergoing treatment - 43 Czechs, 79 foreigners (Western Europe and the USA) and 73 male partners - 28 Czechs, 45 foreigners) participated in this survey. The data were obtained by anonymous questionnaire. A significant difference between the attitude of the future Czech and foreign parents regarding disclosing the mode of conception was found (P = 0.003). The vast majority of Czechs were against disclosure. The foreign recipients were somewhat more divided. Regarding the donor's identity, there was no difference in atttitude between the groups. Recipients rarely consider that the knowledge of the donor's identity will be important for their child. The recipients overall, were convinced that the psychological aspects of parenting are far more important to the child than genetics, and see no reasons for disclosing the donor´s identity. While the the foreign recipients were less adamant about non-disclosure, the overall finding was in accord with the current Czech law on anonymity and not in agreement with the proposed abolition. The recipient's attitudes towards disclosing were also culturally determined. The fact that some countries have revised their rules towards open idendity is not a rationale for such change in the Czech Republic.

Do Specialized MBA Programs Cultivate Alumni Relationships and Donations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Jennifer Wiggins; Thomas, Veronica; Peck, Joann

2010-01-01

A recent trend among universities shifts from traditional MBA programs to specialized MBA offerings. Specialized programs are believed to cultivate stronger relationships with students, which lead to stronger alumni relationships and increased donations. This research tests this empirically by examining relationship perceptions and donation…

7 CFR 240.8 - Payments to program schools, service institutions, nonresidential child care institutions and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS CASH IN LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.8 Payments to program schools, service institutions... disburse any cash received in lieu of donated foods under this part to eligible program schools, service...

5 CFR 630.908 - Limitations on donation of annual leave.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Limitations on donation of annual leave... REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Voluntary Leave Transfer Program § 630.908 Limitations on donation of annual... amount of annual leave he or she would be entitled to accrue during the leave year in which the donation...

5 CFR 630.908 - Limitations on donation of annual leave.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Limitations on donation of annual leave... REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Voluntary Leave Transfer Program § 630.908 Limitations on donation of annual... amount of annual leave he or she would be entitled to accrue during the leave year in which the donation...

5 CFR 630.908 - Limitations on donation of annual leave.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Limitations on donation of annual leave... REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Voluntary Leave Transfer Program § 630.908 Limitations on donation of annual... amount of annual leave he or she would be entitled to accrue during the leave year in which the donation...

5 CFR 630.908 - Limitations on donation of annual leave.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Limitations on donation of annual leave... REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Voluntary Leave Transfer Program § 630.908 Limitations on donation of annual... amount of annual leave he or she would be entitled to accrue during the leave year in which the donation...

5 CFR 630.908 - Limitations on donation of annual leave.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Limitations on donation of annual leave... REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Voluntary Leave Transfer Program § 630.908 Limitations on donation of annual... amount of annual leave he or she would be entitled to accrue during the leave year in which the donation...

Who donates their body to science? An international, multicenter, prospective study.

PubMed

Cornwall, Jon; Perry, Gary F; Louw, Graham; Stringer, Mark D

2012-01-01

The altruistic act of body donation provides a precious resource for both teaching and researching human anatomy. However, relatively little is known about individuals who donate their bodies to science (donors), and in particular whether donors in different geographical locations share similar characteristics. A multicenter prospective survey of donors registering during 2010 in three different geographical locations, New Zealand, Ireland, and the Republic of South Africa, was conducted to identify donor characteristics. The 28-question survey included sections on body donation program awareness, reasons for donating, giving tendency, education, ethnicity, relationship status, occupation, religion, and political preference. Two hundred surveys (81%) were returned [New Zealand 123 (85% response rate), Republic of South Africa 41 (67%), and Ireland 36 (92%)]. Results indicate that donors share certain characteristics including reason for donating (80% cited a desire to aid medical science as the main reason for wishing to donate their body); family structure (most donors are or have been in long-term partnerships and ≥ 85% have siblings); and a higher proportion with no religious affiliation compared to their reference population. Some variations between locations were noted including donor age, the mode of program awareness, occupation, relationship status, political preference, organ donor status and with whom donors had discussed their decision to donate. This information could be important for assisting the identification of potential body donors in new and established bequest programs. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

7 CFR 250.68 - Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). 250.68 Section 250.68 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION... Donated Food Outlets § 250.68 Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). (a) Distribution of donated...

7 CFR 250.68 - Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). 250.68 Section 250.68 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION... Donated Food Outlets § 250.68 Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). (a) Distribution of donated...

7 CFR 250.68 - Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). 250.68 Section 250.68 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION... Donated Food Outlets § 250.68 Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). (a) Distribution of donated...

7 CFR 250.68 - Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). 250.68 Section 250.68 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION... Donated Food Outlets § 250.68 Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). (a) Distribution of donated...

7 CFR 250.68 - Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). 250.68 Section 250.68 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION... Donated Food Outlets § 250.68 Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP). (a) Distribution of donated...

Body donation in India: social awareness, willingness, and associated factors.

PubMed

Rokade, Shrikant A; Gaikawad, Anjana P

2012-01-01

With the attendant rise of the number of medical colleges in India over past few decades, the demand for cadavers used in medical education and research is growing. However, there is an insufficient supply of donated cadavers available for dissection. This study was undertaken to assess the general population's awareness of body donation programs and willingness to donate in the State of Maharashtra, India. The willingness of participants to donate was compared with age, gender, and education of the respondents. A total of 625 adult individuals from the State of Maharashtra participated in a survey composed of questions about age, sex, education, awareness of body donation programs, and willingness to donate. It was found that 90.9% of the medical colleges surveyed reported an inadequate supply of cadavers. Of the general population, 32.1% of respondents were aware of body donation, compared to 95.83% of health care professionals. However, only 19.5% of the general population and 44.9% of health care professionals were willing to donate their bodies for anatomical education. Younger age groups, males, graduates, and postgraduates were found more willing to donate their bodies. Organ donation was preferred over body donation. A lack of awareness about body donation was the main factor responsible for respondents' "no body donation" response in the general population, along with firm religious beliefs and customs, the fear that the donated body will not be treated with respect and dignity, and the unacceptability of the dissection of one's own body. To overcome the current shortage of donated cadavers, efforts should be undertaken to change the mindset of the wider Indian society toward body donation. The authors believe this is possible through awareness campaigns and that prospective donors' concerns should be addressed appropriately. Proper guidance and assistance regarding body donation should be easily available for potential donors. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

Attitudes of resident doctors toward different types of organ donation in a Spanish transplant hospital.

PubMed

Ríos, A; Conesa, C; Ramírez, P; Galindo, P J; Rodríguez, J M; Rodríguez, M M; Martínez, L; Parrilla, P

2006-04-01

Our aim was to analyze acceptance of cadaveric and living organ donation for transplantation among resident doctors, given that they are the new professionals of medicine who will have to encourage and develop transplant programs. A random survey was performed on resident doctors in a third-level hospital with an organ transplant program which is accredited for undergraduate and postgraduate education (n = 171). Attitudes toward cadaveric and living donation were evaluated using a questionnaire including various psychosocial variables that might affect such attitudes. We used the Student t test and the chi-square test. The sample was composed of responses by 171 resident doctors of mean age 28 +/- 4 years with 56% women. Attitudes toward cadaveric donation were favorable in 92% (n = 157). As for living donation, the percentage in favor of nonrelated donation was low: 23% for kidney and 19% for liver. However, when the donation was from a relative, the percentages increased to levels similar to those of cadaveric donation, namely 88% and 85% for kidney and liver, respectively. No differences were observed in attitudes toward cadaveric or living donation according to various psychosocial variables. The trainee doctors showed favorable attitudes toward human cadaveric organ donation as well as living related donation, which suggests a relaunch of living donors in the near future. However, there was not much acceptance of nonrelated donation, as has also been seen in studies of the general public in our geographical area.

Types of Blood Donations

MedlinePlus

... Blood Donation Programs Advertise With Us Sponsorship Opportunities Education. Advocacy. Innovation. What We Do Board of Directors Staff Our Member Blood Centers Our Partners Foundation for America's Blood Centers ADRP Donate blood and save someone's ... ROOM BLOG CAREERS CONTACT 2018 Summer ...

Consumer-Operated Service Programs: monetary and donated costs and cost-effectiveness.

PubMed

Yates, Brian T; Mannix, Danyelle; Freed, Michael C; Campbell, Jean; Johnsen, Matthew; Jones, Kristine; Blyler, Crystal R

2011-01-01

Examine cost differences between Consumer Operated Service Programs (COSPs) as possibly determined by a) size of program, b) use of volunteers and other donated resources, c) cost-of-living differences between program locales, d) COSP model applied, and e) delivery system used to implement the COSP model. As part of a larger evaluation of COSP, data on operating costs, enrollments, and mobilization of donated resources were collected for eight programs representing three COSP models (drop-in centers, mutual support, and education/advocacy training). Because the 8 programs were operated in geographically diverse areas of the US, costs were examined with and without adjustment for differences in local cost of living. Because some COSPs use volunteers and other donated resources, costs were measured with and without these resources being monetized. Scale of operation also was considered as a mediating variable for differences in program costs. Cost per visit, cost per consumer per quarter, and total program cost were calculated separately for funds spent and for resources donated for each COSP. Differences between COSPs in cost per consumer and cost per visit seem better explained by economies of scale and delivery system used than by cost-of-living differences between program locations or COSP model. Given others' findings that different COSP models produce little variation in service effectiveness, minimize service costs by maximizing scale of operation while using a delivery system that allows staff and facilities resources to be increased or decreased quickly to match number of consumers seeking services.

Ethical and Logistical Issues Raised by the Advanced Donation Program "Pay It Forward" Scheme.

PubMed

Ross, Lainie Friedman; Rodrigue, James R; Veatch, Robert M

2017-10-01

The advanced donation program was proposed in 2014 to allow an individual to donate a kidney in order to provide a voucher for a kidney in the future for a particular loved one. In this article, we explore the logistical and ethical issues that such a program raises. We argue that such a program is ethical in principle but there are many logistical issues that need to be addressed to ensure that the actual program is fair to both those who do and do not participate in this program. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Preventing Mitochondrial Diseases: Embryo-Sparing Donor-Independent Options.

PubMed

Adashi, Eli Y; Cohen, I Glenn

2018-05-01

Mutant mitochondrial DNA gives rise to a broad range of incurable inborn maladies. Prevention may now be possible by replacing the mutation-carrying mitochondria of zygotes or oocytes at risk with donated unaffected counterparts. However, mitochondrial replacement therapy is being held back by theological, ethical, and safety concerns over the loss of human zygotes and the involvement of a donor. These concerns make it plain that the identification, validation, and regulatory adjudication of novel embryo-sparing donor-independent technologies remains a pressing imperative. This Opinion highlights three emerging embryo-sparing donor-independent options that stand to markedly allay theological, ethical, and safety concerns raised by mitochondrial replacement therapy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oestrogen and progesterone action on endometrium: a translational approach to understanding endometrial receptivity

PubMed Central

Young, Steven L.

2013-01-01

Embryo attachment and implantation is critical to successful reproduction of all eutherian mammals, including humans; a better understanding of these processes could lead to improved infertility treatments and novel contraceptive methods. Experience with assisted reproduction, especially oocyte donation cycles, has established that despite the diverse set of hormones produced by the ovary in a cycle-dependent fashion, the sequential actions of only two of them, oestrogen and progesterone, are sufficient to prepare a highly receptive endometrium in humans. Further investigation on the endometrial actions of these two hormones is currently providing significant insight into the implantation process in women, strongly suggesting that an abnormal response to progesterone underlies infertility in some patients. PMID:23933037

Mother-daughter in vitro fertilization triplet surrogate pregnancy.

PubMed

Michelow, M C; Bernstein, J; Jacobson, M J; McLoughlin, J L; Rubenstein, D; Hacking, A I; Preddy, S; Van der Wat, I J

1988-02-01

A successful triplet pregnancy has been established in a surrogate gestational mother following the transfer of five embryos fertilized in vitro. The oocytes were donated by her biological daughter, and the sperm obtained from the daughter's husband. The daughter's infertility followed a total abdominal hysterectomy performed for a postpartum hemorrhage as a result of a placenta accreta. Synchronization of both their menstrual cycles was obtained using oral contraceptive suppression for 2 months, followed by stimulation of both the surrogate gestational mother and her daughter such that embryo transfer would occur at least 48 hr after the surrogate gestational mother's own ovulation. This case raises a number of medical, social, psychological, and ethical issues.

Expanding the live kidney donor pool: ethical considerations regarding altruistic donors, paired and pooled programs.

PubMed

Patel, Shaneel Rajendra; Chadha, Priyanka; Papalois, Vassilios

2011-06-01

In renal transplant, there is a well-known deficiency in organ supply relative to demand. Live donation provides superior results when compared with deceased donation including a better rate of graft success and fewer immunologic complications. This deficiency in organs leads to significant morbidity and mortality rates. Alternative avenues have been extensively explored that may expand the live donor pool. They include altruistic donation as well as paired and pooled exchange programs. Altruistic donation is a truly selfless act from a donor unknown to the recipient. Kidney paired donation involves 2 incompatible donor-recipient pairs swapping donors to produce compatibility. Pooled donation involves at least 2 pairs, and can take the form of domino chains in which altruistic input sets up a chain of transplants, in which each recipient's incompatible donor makes a donation for the next recipient. Despite application of these various methods, there lie extensive ethical issues surrounding them. Misconceptions frequently occur; for instance, the perceived benefit that donating an organ to a loved one is greater for a related donor than for an altruistic one. Additionally, it is frequently believed that immunologic incompatibility offers coerced donors liberation from surgery, and that overcoming these barriers by introducing exchange programs provides vulnerable donors less protection. This article explores these and other complex ethical issues surrounding the various methods of expanding the donor pool. The authors offer opinions that challenge the ethical issues and attempt to overcome those views that hinder progress in the field.

Attitudes toward kidney donation.

PubMed Central

Aghanwa, H. S.; Akinsola, A.; Akinola, D. O.; Makanjuola, R. O. A.

2003-01-01

The Renal Unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife in Southwest Nigeria intends commencing a kidney transplantation program. This cross-sectional study aimed at examining the willingness of Nigerians to be living-related kidney donors. Three hundred and sixteen Nigerians (96 first-degree relatives of end-stage renal disease patients, 69 rural dwellers and 151 health workers) were interviewed regarding their willingness to donate kidneys using an interview schedule designed to elicit socio-demographic information, knowledge about kidney transplantation and attitude toward kidney donation. Sixty-two percent of health workers, 52.1% of the patients' relatives and 27.1% of rural dwellers expressed willingness to donate. Higher proportions of health workers and patients' relatives--compared with the rural dwellers--were willing to donate a kidney to their children, full-siblings and parents (P<0.05). The level of awareness about kidney transplantation was highest among health workers and least among rural dwellers (P<0.001). Altruism was the primary motivation for those willing to donate a kidney. The most important reason for refusal to donate was fear of adverse health consequences. Among the rural dwellers, never-married persons were more willing than the married to donate (P<0.05). Programs aimed at increasing awareness about the safety of kidney donation, reducing adverse beliefs about kidney donation, and encouraging altruistic tendencies will increase the availability of kidney donors. PMID:12934871

Promoting organ donation through an entertainment-education TV program in Korea: Open Your Eyes.

PubMed

Byoung Kwan Lee; Hyun Soon Park; Choi, Myung-Il; Cheon Soo Kim

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the characteristics of the program, Open Your Eyes, an entertainment-education TV program in Korea, on parasocial interaction and behavioral intention for organ donation. The results indicated that affective evaluation positively affected parasocial interaction with the program but cognitive evaluation negatively affected involvement with beneficiaries in the program. Also, it was found that cognitive evaluation of Open Your Eyes had a significant positive effect on behavioral intention. In addition, a significant positive effect of program engagement on the behavioral intention was found. Thus, the results indicate that individuals who feel program engagement of Open Your Eyes will be more likely to proceed with organ donation. However, no direct effect of involvement with the beneficiary and program hosts was found.

41 CFR 102-37.535 - What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation program? 102-37.535 Section... (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION PERSONAL PROPERTY 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY Donations to Public Airports § 102-37.535 What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of...

41 CFR 102-37.535 - What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation program? 102-37.535 Section... (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION PERSONAL PROPERTY 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY Donations to Public Airports § 102-37.535 What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of...

41 CFR 102-37.535 - What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation program? 102-37.535 Section... (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION PERSONAL PROPERTY 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY Donations to Public Airports § 102-37.535 What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of...

41 CFR 102-37.535 - What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation program? 102-37.535 Section... (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION PERSONAL PROPERTY 37-DONATION OF SURPLUS PERSONAL PROPERTY Donations to Public Airports § 102-37.535 What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of...

Time-lapse cinematography study of the germinal vesicle behaviour in mouse primary oocytes treated with activators of protein kinases A and C.

PubMed

Alexandre, H; Mulnard, J

1988-12-01

A passive erratic movement of the germinal vesicle (GV), already visible in small incompetent oocytes, is followed by an active scalloping of the nuclear membrane soon before GV breakdown (GVBD) in cultured competent oocytes. Maturation can be inhibited by activators of protein kinase A (PK-A) and protein kinase C (PK-C). Our time-lapse cinematography analysis allowed us to describe an unexpected behaviour of the GV when PK-C, but not PK-A, is activated: GV undergoes a displacement toward the cortex according to the same biological clock which triggers the programmed translocation of the spindle in control oocytes. It is concluded that, when oocytes become committed to undergo maturation, the cytoplasm acquires a PK-A-controlled "centrifugal displacement property" which is not restricted to the spindle.

Factors affecting the efficiency of foal production in a commercial oocyte transfer program.

PubMed

Riera, Fernando L; Roldán, Jaime E; Gomez, José; Hinrichs, Katrin

2016-04-01

Transfer of donor oocytes to the oviducts of inseminated recipient mares (oocyte transfer, OT) presents a valuable method for production of foals from otherwise infertile mares. Little information is available, however, on factors affecting success of OT in a clinical setting. We report the findings over three breeding seasons in a commercial OT program developed at an equine embryo transfer center in Argentina. Overall, 25 mares were enrolled, and 197 follicle aspiration procedures were performed. The average mare age was 23 years. Follicle aspiration was performed with a needle placed through the flank; the oocyte recovery rate per follicle aspirated was 149 of 227 (66%). Induction of donor ovulation with deslorelin + hCG resulted in a significantly higher oocyte recovery rate than did induction with deslorelin alone (75% vs. 58%). There was no significant effect of mare age (17-20, 21-24, or 25-27 years) on oocyte recovery rate. Twelve oocytes were degenerating or lost during handling; transfer of the remaining 137 oocytes resulted in 42 pregnancies (31%) at 14 days. Of these, 32 (23% per transfer) went on to produce a foal or ongoing pregnancy. Transfer of oocytes recovered with a compact cumulus, without donor follicle induction, or less than 20 hours after induction was associated with a significantly reduced pregnancy rate (1/16, 6%), as was use of noncycling, hormone-treated recipients (2/22, 9%). To evaluate management factors affecting pregnancy rate, noncycling, hormone-treated recipients were disregarded, and only procedures using mature (expanded cumulus) oocytes recovered and transferred on the standard schedule (n = 99) were included. Mare age did not significantly affect rates of pregnancy or pregnancy loss. Similar pregnancy rates were obtained using recipients inseminated from 1 to 27 hours before transfer. Counterintuitively, insemination of recipients immediately (1-2 hours) after aspiration of the recipient follicle was associated with a high pregnancy rate (10/12, 83%). There was no significant effect on pregnancy rate of donor induction agent, the time the oocyte was in culture (2-20 hours) before transfer, time from recipient insemination to transfer, or total time from donor induction to transfer (32-45 hours). These findings establish that OT is robust, in that it is effective over a wide variation in timing of the different components involved, and can be successfully developed in a private embryo transfer practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Process Evaluation of a School-Based Education Program about Organ Donation and Registration, and the Intention for Continuance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reubsaet, A.; Reinaerts, E. B. M.; Brug, J.; van Hooff, J. P.; van den Borne, H. W.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the process evaluation of an organ donation education program for high school students aged 15-18 years of which the effectiveness was established. The program consisted of three components: a video with group discussion, an interactive computer-tailored program and a registration training session. A cross-sectional survey was…

Assessment of aneuploidy in human oocytes and preimplantation embryos by chromosome painting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rougier, N.; Viegas-Pequignot, E.; Plachot, M.

1994-09-01

The poor quality of chromosome preparations often observed after fixation of oocytes and embryos did not usually allow accurate identification of chromosomes involved in non-disjunctions. We, therefore, used chromosome painting to determine the incidence of abnormalities for chromosomes 1 and 7. A total of 50 oocytes inseminated for IVF and showing no signs of fertilization as well as 37 diploid embryos donated for research were fixed according to the Dyban`s technique. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was carried out using whole chromosome painting DNA probes specific for human chromosome 1 and 7. The incidence of aneuploidy was 28%, 10% and 60%more » for metaphase II, polar body and sperm chromosomes, respectively. The high incidence of aneuploidy observed in sperm prematurely condensed sperm chromosomes is due to the fact that usually far less than 23 sperm chromatids are observed, maybe as a consequence of incomplete chromosome condensation. Thirty seven embryos were analyzed with the same probes. 48% of early embryos were either monosomic 1 or 7 or mosaics comprising blastomeres with 1, 2 or 3 signals. Thus, 8 among the 11 abnormal embryos had hypodiploid cells (25 to 37 chromosomes) indicating either an artefactual loss of chromosomes or a complex anomaly of nuclear division (maltinucleated blastomeres, abnormal migration of chromosomes at anaphase). We therefore calculated a {open_quotes}corrected{close_quotes} incidence of aneuploidy for chromosomes 1 or 7 in early embryos: 18%. 86% of the blastocysts showed mosaicism 2n/3 or 4n as a consequence of the formation of the syncitiotrophoblast. To conclude, chromosome painting is an efficient method to accurately identify chromosomes involved in aneuploidy. This technique should allow us to evaluate the incidence of non-disjunction for all chromosome pairs. Our results confirm the high incidence of chromosome abnormalities occurring as a consequence of meiotic or mitotic non-disjunctions in human oocytes and embryos.« less

[Structural Equation Modeling on Living and Brain Death Organ Donation Intention in Nursing Students].

PubMed

Kim, Eun A; Choi, So Eun

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to test and validate a model to predict living and brain death organ donation intention in nursing students. The conceptual model was based on the theory planned behavior. Quota sampling methodology was used to recruit 921 nursing students from all over the country and data collection was done from October 1 to December 20, 2013. The model fit indices for the hypothetical model were suitable for the recommended level. Knowledge, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control explained 40.2% and 40.1% respectively for both living and brain death organ donation intention. Subjective norm was the most direct influential factor for organ donation intention. Knowledge had significant direct effect on attitude and indirect effect on subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. These effects were higher in brain death organ donation intention than in living donation intention. The overall findings of this study suggest the need to develop systematic education programs to increases knowledge about brain death organ donation. The development, application, and evaluation of intervention programs are required to improve subjective norm.

Paired kidney donations to expand the living donor pool.

PubMed

Ferrari, Paolo; de Klerk, Marry

2009-01-01

The shortage of available deceased donors and the longer kidney transplant waiting lists in many countries around the world have placed greater emphasis on living donation (LD) as a means of meeting demand for transplantation in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Increased LD rates are also driven by less invasive approaches to donor nephrectomy and by the excellent long-term results. LD kidney transplant outcomes are equivalent, if not superior, to those from deceased donors, even when donor and recipient are not genetically related, as is the case with spousal donations, the most frequent cohort of LD. Approximately 30% of willing and otherwise appropriate kidney donor/recipient pairs are biologically incompatible and do not proceed to live donor transplantation. In recent years, a number of strategies have been introduced to expand living donation programs beyond the classical direct donation, to overcome immunological barriers of blood group or HLA sensitization of recipients. New strategies in LD include paired kidney exchange (PKE), altruistic donation, altruistic donor chains and list exchange programs. Other alternative programs are desensitization and transplantation across the blood-type barrier. Regular PKE programs operate nationally in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, or regionally in South Korea, Romania, the United States and Australia. If PKE were performed routinely using 2-way or 3-way PKE and altruistic donor chains, the rate of kidney transplants could increase by between 7% and 10%.

48 CFR 26.403 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS Food Donations to Nonprofit Organizations 26.403 Procedures. (a) In accordance with the Federal Food Donation Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-247) an executive agency shall comply with the following: (1) Encourage donations. In the applicable contracts stated at section 26.404...

Statement of the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group Regarding Payments to Families of Deceased Organ Donors.

PubMed

Capron, Alexander Morgan; Delmonico, Francis L; Dominguez-Gil, Beatriz; Martin, Dominique Elizabeth; Danovitch, Gabriel M; Chapman, Jeremy

2016-09-01

Governmental and private programs that pay next of kin who give permission for the removal of their deceased relative's organs for transplantation exist in a number of countries. Such payments, which may be given to the relatives or paid directly for funeral expenses or hospital bills unrelated to being a donor, aim to increase the rate of donation. The Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group-in alignment with the World Health Organization Guiding Principles and the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking in Human Organs-has adopted a new policy statement opposing such practices. Payment programs are unwise because they produce a lower rate of donations than in countries with voluntary, unpaid programs; associate deceased donation with being poor and marginal in society; undermine public trust in the determination of death; and raise doubts about fair allocation of organs. Most important, allowing families to receive money for donation from a deceased person, who is at no risk of harm, will make it impossible to sustain prohibitions on paying living donors, who are at risk. Payment programs are also unethical. Tying coverage for funeral expenses or healthcare costs to a family allowing organs to be procured is exploitative, not "charitable." Using payment to overcome reluctance to donate based on cultural or religious beliefs especially offends principles of liberty and dignity. Finally, while it is appropriate to make donation "financially neutral"-by reimbursing the added medical costs of evaluating and maintaining a patient as a potential donor-such reimbursement may never be conditioned on a family agreeing to donate.

The early implementation of Trypanosoma cruzi antibody screening of donors and donations within England: preempting a problem.

PubMed

Kitchen, Alan D; Hewitt, Patricia E; Chiodini, Peter L

2012-09-01

Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasitic infection endemic in Central and Southern America, but is spreading into nonendemic countries with migration of infected individuals from endemic countries. The parasite is transmitted by transfusion or transplantation and donation screening is performed routinely in endemic countries to prevent transmission. In situations where migrants from endemic countries have settled in nonendemic countries and present as donors (blood or other cellular products), intervention is required to prevent transfusion or transplantation transmission. A screening program for T. cruzi was developed and has been used successfully for over 10 years that includes donor selection and donation screening. Donor selection criteria to identify specific risk of T. cruzi infection were developed together with laboratory screening of donations for T. cruzi antibodies and the subsequent confirmation of screen reactivity. Since the introduction of T. cruzi screening in England in 1998, a total of 38,585 donors and donations have been screened for T. cruzi antibodies, of which 223 were repeat reactive on screening and referred for confirmation: 206 confirmed negative, 14 inconclusive, and three positive. Since the move in 2005 from donor qualification to donation release testing, 15,536 donations were collected and screened, of which 15,499 (99.8%) were T. cruzi antibody negative and released to inventory. An effective program to minimize risk of the transmission of T. cruzi infection via donations has been developed and implemented. Not only does the program minimize risk of transmission, it also minimizes the cumulative, and needless, loss of donors and donations that would ensue if permanent donor deferral alone was adopted. © 2012 American Association of Blood Banks.

A spontaneous increase in intracellular Ca2+ in metaphase II human oocytes in vitro can be prevented by drugs targeting ATP-sensitive K+ channels

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Gonçalo; Dasai, Navin; Kozlova, Natalia; Mojadadi, Albaraa; Gall, Mandy; Drew, Ellen; Barratt, Evelyn; Madamidola, Oladipo A.; Brown, Sean G.; Milne, Alison M.; Martins da Silva, Sarah J.; Whalley, Katherine M.; Barratt, Christopher L.R.; Jovanović, Aleksandar

2016-01-01

STUDY QUESTION Could drugs targeting ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels prevent any spontaneous increase in intracellular Ca2+ that may occur in human metaphase II (MII) oocytes under in vitro conditions? SUMMARY ANSWER Pinacidil, a KATP channel opener, and glibenclamide, a KATP channel blocker, prevent a spontaneous increase in intracellular Ca2+ in human MII oocytes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The quality of the oocyte and maintenance of this quality during in vitro processing in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) laboratory is of critical importance to successful embryo development and a healthy live birth. Maintenance of Ca2+ homeostasis is crucial for cell wellbeing and increased intracellular Ca2+ levels is a well-established indicator of cell stress. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Supernumerary human oocytes (n = 102) collected during IVF/ICSI treatment that failed to fertilize were used from October 2013 to July 2015. All experiments were performed on mature (MII) oocytes. Dynamics of intracellular Ca2+ levels were monitored in oocytes in the following experimental groups: (i) Control, (ii) Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; used to dissolve pinacidil, glibenclamide and 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP)), (iii) Pinacidil, (iv) Glibenclamide, (v) DNP: an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation, (vi) Pinacidil and DNP and (vii) Glibenclamide and DNP. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS/SETTINGS/METHODS Oocytes were collected under sedation as part of routine treatment at an assisted conception unit from healthy women (mean ± SD) age 34.1 ± 0.6 years, n = 41. Those surplus to clinical use were donated for research. Oocytes were loaded with Fluo-3 Ca2+-sensitive dye, and monitored by laser confocal microscopy for 2 h at 10 min intervals. Time between oocyte collection and start of Ca2+ monitoring was 80.4 ± 2.1 h. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Intracellular levels of Ca2+ increased under in vitro conditions with no deliberate challenge, as shown by Fluo-3 fluorescence increasing from 61.0 ± 11.8 AU (AU = arbitrary units; n = 23) to 91.8 ± 14.0 AU (n = 19; P < 0.001) after 2 h of monitoring. Pinacidil (100 µM) inhibited this increase in Ca2+ (85.3 ± 12.3 AU at the beginning of the experiment, 81.7 ± 11.0 AU at the end of the experiment; n = 13; P = 0.616). Glibenclamide (100 µM) also inhibited the increase in Ca2+ (74.7 ± 10.6 AU at the beginning and 71.8 ± 10.9 AU at the end of the experiment; n = 13; P = 0.851. DNP (100 mM) induced an increase in intracellular Ca2+ that was inhibited by glibenclamide (100 µM; n = 9) but not by pinacidil (100 µM; n = 5). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Owing to clinical and ethical considerations, it was not possible to monitor Ca2+ in MII oocytes immediately after retrieval. MII oocytes were available for our experimentation only after unsuccessful IVF or ICSI, which was, on average, 80.4 ± 2.1 h (n = 102 oocytes) after the moment of retrieval. As the MII oocytes used here were those that were not successfully fertilized, it is possible that they may have been abnormal with impaired Ca2+ homeostasis and, furthermore, the altered Ca2+ homeostasis might have been associated solely with the protracted incubation. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS These results show that maintenance of oocytes under in vitro conditions is associated with intracellular increase in Ca2+, which can be counteracted by drugs targeting KATP channels. As Ca2+ homeostasis is crucial for contributing to a successful outcome of ART, these results suggest that KATP channel openers and blockers should be tested as drugs for improving success rates of ART. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) University of Dundee, MRC (MR/K013343/1, MR/012492/1), NHS Tayside. Funding NHS fellowship (Dr Sarah Martins da Silva), NHS Scotland. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. PMID:26682579

7 CFR 240.5 - Cash in lieu of donated foods for commodity schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Cash in lieu of donated foods for commodity schools. 240.5 Section 240.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS CASH IN LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.5 Cash in lieu of donated foods for commodity...

49 CFR 24.108 - Donations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Donations. 24.108 Section 24.108 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation UNIFORM RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR FEDERAL AND FEDERALLY-ASSISTED PROGRAMS Real Property Acquisition § 24.108 Donations. An owner whose real...

49 CFR 24.108 - Donations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Donations. 24.108 Section 24.108 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation UNIFORM RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR FEDERAL AND FEDERALLY-ASSISTED PROGRAMS Real Property Acquisition § 24.108 Donations. An owner whose real...

49 CFR 24.108 - Donations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Donations. 24.108 Section 24.108 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation UNIFORM RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR FEDERAL AND FEDERALLY-ASSISTED PROGRAMS Real Property Acquisition § 24.108 Donations. An owner whose real...

49 CFR 24.108 - Donations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Donations. 24.108 Section 24.108 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation UNIFORM RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR FEDERAL AND FEDERALLY-ASSISTED PROGRAMS Real Property Acquisition § 24.108 Donations. An owner whose real...

49 CFR 24.108 - Donations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Donations. 24.108 Section 24.108 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation UNIFORM RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND REAL PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR FEDERAL AND FEDERALLY-ASSISTED PROGRAMS Real Property Acquisition § 24.108 Donations. An owner whose real...

Computer-aided meiotic maturation assay (CAMMA) of zebrafish (danio rerio) oocytes in vitro.

PubMed

Lessman, Charles A; Nathani, Ravikanth; Uddin, Rafique; Walker, Jamie; Liu, Jianxiong

2007-01-01

We have developed a new technique called Computer-Aided Meiotic Maturation Assay (CAMMA) for imaging large arrays of zebrafish oocytes and automatically collecting image files at regular intervals during meiotic maturation. This novel method uses a transparency scanner interfaced to a computer with macro programming that automatically scans and archives the image files. Images are stacked and analyzed with ImageJ to quantify changes in optical density characteristic of zebrafish oocyte maturation. Major advantages of CAMMA include (1) ability to image very large arrays of oocytes and follow individual cells over time, (2) simultaneously image many treatment groups, (3) digitized images may be stacked, animated, and analyzed in programs such as ImageJ, NIH-Image, or ScionImage, and (4) CAMMA system is inexpensive, costing less than most microscopes used in traditional assays. We have used CAMMA to determine the dose response and time course of oocyte maturation induced by 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (HP). Maximal decrease in optical density occurs around 5 hr after 0.1 micro g/ml HP (28.5 degrees C), approximately 3 hr after germinal vesicle migration (GVM) and dissolution (GVD). In addition to changes in optical density, GVD is accompanied by streaming of ooplasm to the animal pole to form a blastodisc. These dynamic changes are readily visualized by animating image stacks from CAMMA; thus, CAMMA provides a valuable source of time-lapse movies for those studying zebrafish oocyte maturation. The oocyte clearing documented by CAMMA is correlated to changes in size distribution of major yolk proteins upon SDS-PAGE, and, this in turn, is related to increased cyclin B(1) protein.

Financing a voucher program for cocaine abusers through community donations in Spain.

PubMed

García-Rodríguez, Olaya; Secades-Villa, Roberto; Higgins, Stephen T; Fernández-Hermida, José R; Carballo, José L

2008-01-01

This study analyzed the viability of financing a voucher program for cocaine addicts in Spain through public and private donations. Of the 136 companies contacted, 52 (38%) provided donations. The difference between the benefits (15,670 Euro/ $20,371) and the costs (3734 Euro/ $4854) was 11,936 Euro/ $15,517. The type of reinforcer a company can offer, the size of the company, and the time elapsed before responding may be determining variables in a company's decision whether to collaborate.

The GTPase SPAG-1 orchestrates meiotic program by dictating meiotic resumption and cytoskeleton architecture in mouse oocytes

PubMed Central

Huang, Chunjie; Wu, Di; Khan, Faheem Ahmed; Jiao, Xiaofei; Guan, Kaifeng; Huo, Lijun

2016-01-01

In mammals, a finite population of oocytes is generated during embryogenesis, and proper oocyte meiotic divisions are crucial for fertility. Sperm-associated antigen 1 (SPAG-1) has been implicated in infertility and tumorigenesis; however, its relevance in cell cycle programs remains rudimentary. Here we explore a novel role of SPAG-1 during oocyte meiotic progression. SPAG-1 associated with meiotic spindles and its depletion severely compromised M-phase entry (germinal vesicle breakdown [GVBD]) and polar body extrusion. The GVBD defect observed was due to an increase in intraoocyte cAMP abundance and decrease in ATP production, as confirmed by the activation of AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK). SPAG-1 RNA interference (RNAi)–elicited defective spindle morphogenesis was evidenced by the dysfunction of γ-tubulin, which resulted from substantially reduced phosphorylation of MAPK and irregularly dispersed distribution of phospho-MAPK around spindles instead of concentration at spindle poles. Significantly, actin expression abruptly decreased and formation of cortical granule–free domains, actin caps, and contractile ring disrupted by SPAG-1 RNAi. In addition, the spindle assembly checkpoint remained functional upon SPAG-1 depletion. The findings broaden our knowledge of SPAG-1, showing that it exerts a role in oocyte meiotic execution via its involvement in AMPK and MAPK signaling pathways. PMID:27053660

Evolution of a Statewide Organ Donation, Recovery and Allocation Program: “A Louisiana Perspective”

PubMed Central

Jacobbi, Louise M.; McBride, Virginia

1999-01-01

This article reviews the evolution, growth, and impact of a structured organ recovery program on transplantation in Louisiana and discusses the clinical, social, and financial factors that influence the acceptance of organ transplantation as a viable treatment option for organ failure which once led inexorably to death. The rising number of organ donations and the formulation of strategies to increase these numbers to meet the growing need are examined. Enactment and enforcement of state and federal legislation making organ donation and transplantation available and safer have led to advances in organ donation, procurement, informed consent, and organ preservation, a technology that makes the use of cadaveric organs possible and durable. PMID:21845115

Kidney Paired Donation and the "Valuable Consideration" Problem: The Experiences of Australia, Canada, and the United States.

PubMed

Toews, Maeghan; Giancaspro, Mark; Richards, Bernadette; Ferrari, Paolo

2017-09-01

As organ donation rates remain unable to meet the needs of individuals waiting for transplants, it is necessary to identify reasons for this shortage and develop solutions to address it. The introduction of kidney paired donation (KPD) programs represents one such innovation that has become a valuable tool in donation systems around the world. Although KPD has been successful in increasing kidney donation and transplantation, there are lingering questions about its legality. Donation through KPD is done in exchange for-and with the expectation of-a reciprocal kidney donation and transplantation. It is this reciprocity that has caused concern about whether KPD complies with existing law. Organ donation systems around the world are almost universally structured to legally prohibit the commercial exchange of organs. Australia, Canada, and the United States have accomplished this goal by prohibiting the exchange of an organ for "valuable consideration," which is a legal term that has not historically been limited to monetary exchange. Whether or not KPD programs violate this legislative prohibition will depend on the specific legislative provision being considered, and the legal system and case law of the particular jurisdiction in question. This article compares the experiences of Australia, Canada, and the United States in determining the legality of KPD and highlights the need for legal clarity and flexibility as donation and transplantation systems continue to evolve.

Barcode tagging of human oocytes and embryos to prevent mix-ups in assisted reproduction technologies.

PubMed

Novo, Sergi; Nogués, Carme; Penon, Oriol; Barrios, Leonardo; Santaló, Josep; Gómez-Martínez, Rodrigo; Esteve, Jaume; Errachid, Abdelhamid; Plaza, José Antonio; Pérez-García, Lluïsa; Ibáñez, Elena

2014-01-01

Is the attachment of biofunctionalized polysilicon barcodes to the outer surface of the zona pellucida an effective approach for the direct tagging and identification of human oocytes and embryos during assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs)? The direct tagging system based on lectin-biofunctionalized polysilicon barcodes of micrometric dimensions is simple, safe and highly efficient, allowing the identification of human oocytes and embryos during the various procedures typically conducted during an assisted reproduction cycle. Measures to prevent mismatching errors (mix-ups) of the reproductive samples are currently in place in fertility clinics, but none of them are totally effective and several mix-up cases have been reported worldwide. Using a mouse model, our group has previously developed an effective direct embryo tagging system which does not interfere with the in vitro and in vivo development of the tagged embryos. This system has now been tested in human oocytes and embryos. Fresh immature and mature fertilization-failed oocytes (n = 21) and cryopreserved day 1 embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (n = 205) were donated by patients (n = 76) undergoing ARTs. In vitro development rates, embryo quality and post-vitrification survival were compared between tagged (n = 106) and non-tagged (control) embryos (n = 99). Barcode retention and identification rates were also calculated, both for embryos and for oocytes subjected to a simulated ICSI and parthenogenetic activation. Experiments were conducted from January 2012 to January 2013. Barcodes were fabricated in polysilicon and biofunctionalizated with wheat germ agglutinin lectin. Embryos were tagged with 10 barcodes and cultured in vitro until the blastocyst stage, when they were either differentially stained with propidium iodide and Hoechst or vitrified using the Cryotop method. Embryo quality was also analyzed by embryo grading and time-lapse monitoring. Injected oocytes were parthenogenetically activated using ionomycin and 6-dimethylaminopurine. Blastocyst development rates of tagged (27/58) and non-tagged embryos (24/51) were equivalent, and no significant differences in the timing of key morphokinetic parameters and the number of inner cell mass cells were detected between the two groups (tagged: 24.7 ± 2.5; non-tagged: 22.3 ± 1.9), indicating that preimplantation embryo potential and quality are not affected by the barcodes. Similarly, re-expansion rates of vitrified-warmed tagged (19/21) and non-tagged (16/19) blastocysts were similar. Global identification rates of 96.9 and 89.5% were obtained in fresh (mean barcode retention: 9.22 ± 0.13) and vitrified-warmed (mean barcode retention: 7.79 ± 0.35) tagged embryos, respectively, when simulating an automatic barcode reading process, though these rates were increased to 100% just by rotating the embryos during barcode reading. Only one of the oocytes lost one barcode during intracytoplasmic injection (100% identification rate) and all oocytes retained all the barcodes after parthenogenetic activation. Although the direct embryo tagging system developed is effective, it only allows the identification and traceability of oocytes destined for ICSI and embryos. Thus, the traceability of all reproductive samples (oocytes destined for IVF and sperm) is not yet ensured. The direct embryo tagging system developed here provides fertility clinics with a novel tool to reduce the risk of mix-ups in human ARTs. The system can also be useful in research studies that require the individual identification of oocytes or embryos and their individual tracking. This study was supported by the Sociedad Española de Fertilidad, the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (TEC2011-29140-C03) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2009SGR-00282 and 2009SGR-00158). The authors do not have any competing interests.

50 CFR 679.26 - Prohibited Species Donation Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... describing the applicant's expertise in providing for the distribution of food product from remote Alaskan locations to hunger relief agencies, food bank networks, or food bank distributors, including arrangements... ensure that fish donated under this program will be distributed to hunger relief agencies, food bank...

7 CFR 252.6 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Miscellaneous provisions. (a) Improper distribution or loss of or damage to donated food. If a processor improperly distributes or uses any donated food, or causes loss of or damage to a donated food through its... commodity related funds, assets, or property in child nutrition programs. Whoever embezzles, willfully...

7 CFR 252.6 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Miscellaneous provisions. (a) Improper distribution or loss of or damage to donated food. If a processor improperly distributes or uses any donated food, or causes loss of or damage to a donated food through its... commodity related funds, assets, or property in child nutrition programs. Whoever embezzles, willfully...

7 CFR 252.6 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Miscellaneous provisions. (a) Improper distribution or loss of or damage to donated food. If a processor improperly distributes or uses any donated food, or causes loss of or damage to a donated food through its... commodity related funds, assets, or property in child nutrition programs. Whoever embezzles, willfully...

7 CFR 252.6 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Miscellaneous provisions. (a) Improper distribution or loss of or damage to donated food. If a processor improperly distributes or uses any donated food, or causes loss of or damage to a donated food through its... commodity related funds, assets, or property in child nutrition programs. Whoever embezzles, willfully...

7 CFR 252.6 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Miscellaneous provisions. (a) Improper distribution or loss of or damage to donated food. If a processor improperly distributes or uses any donated food, or causes loss of or damage to a donated food through its... commodity related funds, assets, or property in child nutrition programs. Whoever embezzles, willfully...

Donation after cardiocirculatory death in Canada

PubMed Central

Shemie, Sam D.; Baker, Andrew J.; Knoll, Greg; Wall, William; Rocker, Graeme; Howes, Daniel; Davidson, Janet; Pagliarello, Joe; Chambers-Evans, Jane; Cockfield, Sandra; Farrell, Catherine; Glannon, Walter; Gourlay, William; Grant, David; Langevin, Stéphan; Wheelock, Brian; Young, Kimberly; Dossetor, John

2006-01-01

These recommendations are the result of a national, multidisciplinary, year-long process to discuss whether and how to proceed with organ donation after cardiocirculatory death (DCD) in Canada. A national forum was held in February 2005 to discuss and develop recommendations on the principles, procedures and practice related to DCD, including ethical and legal considerations. At the forum's conclusion, a strong majority of participants supported proceeding with DCD programs in Canada. The forum also recognized the need to formulate and emphasize core values to guide the development of programs and protocols based on the medical, ethical and legal framework established at this meeting. Although end-of-life care should routinely include the opportunity to donate organs and tissues, the duty of care toward dying patients and their families remains the dominant priority of health care teams. The complexity and profound implications of death are recognized and should be respected, along with differing personal, ethnocultural and religious perspectives on death and donation. Decisions around withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies, management of the dying process and the determination of death by cardiocirculatory criteria should be separate from and independent of donation and transplant processes. The recommendations in this report are intended to guide individual programs, regional health authorities and jurisdictions in the development of DCD protocols. Programs will develop based on local leadership and advance planning that includes education and engagement of stakeholders, mechanisms to assure safety and quality and public information. We recommend that programs begin with controlled DCD within the intensive care unit where (after a consensual decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapy) death is anticipated, but has not yet occurred, and unhurried consent discussions can be held. Uncontrolled donation (where death has occurred after unanticipated cardiac arrest) should only be considered after a controlled DCD program is well established. Although we recommend that programs commence with kidney donation, regional transplant expertise may guide the inclusion of other organs. The impact of DCD, including pre-and post-mortem interventions, on donor family experiences, organ availability, graft function and recipient survival should be carefully documented and studied. PMID:17124739

Quality of life, anxiety and depression of German, Italian and French couples undergoing cross-border oocyte donation in Spain.

PubMed

Madero, S; Gameiro, S; García, D; Cirera, D; Vassena, R; Rodríguez, A

2017-09-01

What is the quality of life (QoL) and mental health of infertile heterosexual couples from different nations (Italy, Germany and France) undergoing cross-border oocyte donation (OD) in Spain? Women have lower QoL and more anxiety than their male partners; overall French couples have lower QoL than their Italian and German counterparts. In Europe, thousands of couples move across national borders annually to seek ARTs, primarily OD, driven mainly by legal restrictions in their countries of origin. Most research shows that infertility and ARTs affect patients' mental health and QoL. The decision to undergo reproductive care abroad might add further emotional and practical complexity. Reliable information on how this experience affects the mental health and QoL of cross-border reproductive care (CBRC) patients is lacking. Moreover, most research has focused on women, and further research on male partners and intercultural differences is needed. Cross-sectional study including 548 heterosexual individuals (347 women, 201 men) from Italy, Germany and France seeking IVF with donated oocytes in Barcelona, Spain between March and November 2013. A total of 432 couples were invited to participate and handed a questionnaire set. Questionnaires were answered separately and anonymously by each member of the couple on the day of embryo transfer. The questionnaire set included the Fertility Quality of Life (FertiQoL) instrument, the generic Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) instrument and three close-ended questions assessing perceived usefulness, desire, and use of psychological support. The overall response rate was 63.4%. Men reported significantly higher scores than women in the emotional (+13.74; P < 0.001), mind-body (+13.39; P < 0.001) and social (+4.11; P < 0.01) FertiQoL domains, at multilevel analysis controlled for confounder factors. Intercultural differences in QoL of couples were seen. French individuals had significantly lower emotional (-6.44; P < 0.01), mind-body (-7.41; P < 0.001) and relational scores (-6.41; P < 0.001) compared to Italians. Germans showed higher social scores (+6.41; P < 0.001) but lower relational scores (-8.94; P < 0.002) than Italians. Men reported significantly lower anxiety scores for the HADS than their partners (-1.38; P < 0.001), and German couples reported lower anxiety (-1.70; P = 0.003) and depression than their Italian counterparts (-1.56; P < 0.001). French patients were more likely to have required support by a mental health professional due to fertility problems in the past (+0.19; P < 0.001). The scope of this study is limited to heterosexual couples undergoing cross-border OD. Caution on the interpretation of the results in men is advised, mainly because only three men for every five women completed the questionnaire. These findings call for further work to identify the true nature of the differences in QoL and mental health observed. None. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The roles of dominos and nonsimultaneous chains in kidney paired donation.

PubMed

Gentry, S E; Montgomery, R A; Swihart, B J; Segev, D L

2009-06-01

Efforts to expand kidney paired donation have included matching nondirected donors (NDDs) to incompatible pairs. In domino paired donation (DPD), an NDD gives to the recipient of an incompatible pair, beginning a string of simultaneous transplants that ends with a living donor giving to a recipient on the deceased donor waitlist. Recently, nonsimultaneous extended altruistic donor (NEAD) chains were introduced. In a NEAD chain, the last donor of the string of transplants initiated by an NDD is reserved to donate at a later time. Our aim was to project the impact of each of these strategies over 2 years of operation for paired donation programs that also allocate a given number of NDDs. Each NDD facilitated an average of 1.99 transplants using DPD versus 1.90 transplants using NEAD chains (p = 0.3), or 1.0 transplants donating directly to the waitlist (p < 0.001). NEAD chains did not yield more transplants compared with simultaneous DPD. Both DPD and NEAD chains relax reciprocality requirements and rebalance the blood-type distribution of donors. Because traditional paired donation will leave many incompatible pairs unmatched, novel approaches like DPD and NEAD chains must be explored if paired donation programs are to help a greater number of people.

Prevalence of HIV-1 in blood donations following implementation of a structured blood safety policy in South Africa.

PubMed

Heyns, Anthon du P; Benjamin, Richard J; Swanevelder, J P Ronel; Laycock, Megan E; Pappalardo, Brandee L; Crookes, Robert L; Wright, David J; Busch, Michael P

2006-02-01

The South African National Blood Service collects more than 700,000 units of blood annually from a population in which 11.4% is infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). The prevalence of HIV-1 in blood donations increased to 0.26% (1:385) in 1998, indicating that a significant number of window-period infective units were entering the blood supply (risk 3.4/100,000). To determine whether the implementation of a new donor selection policy and educational program introduced in 1999 was associated with reductions in the incidence and prevalence of HIV-1 in blood donations and the reduced transmission risk. We compared the prevalence of HIV-1 in 880,534 blood donations collected from 1999 through 2000 with the 791,639 blood donations collected from 2001 through 2002. We estimated the incidence of HIV-1 in 93,378 (1999-2000) and 67,231 (2001-2002) first-time donations and the residual risk for all donations in 2001-2002 using the less-sensitive enzyme-linked immunoassay and incidence-window period model. All blood donors in the Inland region of the South African National Blood Service were analyzed. Donor clinics in high HIV prevalence areas were closed. Programs targeting repeat donors and youth were initiated and HIV risk behavior education programs were developed. Structured donor interviews and an enhanced donor self-exclusion questionnaire were institutionalized. The prevalence of HIV-1 in blood donations declined from 0.17% in 1999-2000 to 0.08% in 2001-2002 after the implementation of the new donor selection and education policy. The number of high-risk donations collected decreased from 2.6% to 1.7% (P<.001), and the likelihood of these donations being infected decreased from 4.8% to 3.25%. The likelihood of first-time donors being recently infected with HIV-1 decreased from 18% to 14% (P = .07) and respective incidence of high-risk donations collected decreased from 2.6% to 1.7%. Donations from the majority black population declined from 6.6% to 4.2% (P<.001). Analysis of HIV-1 incidence in 2001-2002 suggests a residual risk of collecting a window period infectious unit of 2.6/100,000. The implementation of enhanced education and selection policies in South Africa was associated with decreased prevalence of HIV-1 in blood donations.

Increasing organ donation via changes in the default choice or allocation rule

PubMed Central

Li, Danyang; Hawley, Zackary; Schnier, Kurt

2013-01-01

This research utilizes a laboratory experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative public policies targeted at increasing the rate of deceased donor organ donation. The experiment includes treatments across different default choices and organ allocation rules inspired by the donor registration systems applied in different countries. Our results indicate that the opt-out with priority rule system generates the largest increase in organ donation relative to an opt-in only program. However, sizeable gains are achievable using either a priority rule or opt-out program separately, with the opt-out rule generating approximately 80% of the benefits achieved under a priority rule program. PMID:24135615

Children of the new reproductive technologies: social and genetic parenthood.

PubMed

Bos, Henny; van Balen, Frank

2010-12-01

To review empirical studies on families created by new reproductive technologies (NRT) in which only one parent has a genetic link to the child. Literature search was conducted among computerized databases. Inclusion criteria were that studies should focus on childrearing or parenting, as well as on the psychological adjustment of children in: heterosexual families formed through artificial insemination with donated semen (AID), single-mother AID families, oocyte-donation families, planned lesbian-mother families, planned gay-father families, and partial surrogacy families. Compared to natural-conception parents, parents in these NRT families have better relationships with their children, and their children are functioning well. Although several studies show that parents in NRT families are more emotionally involved in their parenting than are parents in naturally conceived families, no empirical evidence was found that the psychological adjustment of children in NRT families differs from that of their counterparts in natural-conception families. PRACTICAL IMPLICATION: The results inform counselors and infertile couples that concerns regarding the use of NRT in relation to negative consequences for the parent-child relationship or the psychological adjustment of the child are till now unfounded. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Transplant cross-over, an attractive option].

PubMed

Maddalena, Emanuela

2013-01-01

Kidney transplant from living donors is an excellent option for patients with end- stage renal disease: around the world approximately 10-20% of patients on waiting lists have intended living donors incompatible by blood type or for the presence of donor-specific antibodies. Current strategies to overcome these barriers are desensitization protocols and the recent option of the kidney exchange programs. In this work we describe the types of donor exchange programs, from the two-way Kidney Paired Donation, where two incompatible donor-recipient couples exchange donors, to complex chains of transplants where the altruistic donation of a kidney (Living Non-direct Donor, or non-specific donation) is associated to a Kidney Paired Exchange Program (Domino Kidney Paired Donation, NEAD chains). The thesis also discusses some related ethical topics that have become international matters of debate, as well as some important cultural and social arguments for and against the application of kidney exchanges in Italy.

Benefits of Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) specialized training on professional competence development and career evolutions of health care workers in organ donation and transplantation.

PubMed

Istrate, Melania G; Harrison, Tyler R; Valero, Ricard; Morgan, Susan E; Páez, Gloria; Zhou, Quan; Rébék-Nagy, Gábor; Manyalich, Martí

2015-04-01

Training on organ donation and transplantation is relevant for transplantation improvement. This study aimed at investigating the perceived benefits of Transplant Procurement Management training programs on professional competence development and career evolutions of health care workers in organ donation and transplantation. An online survey was developed in 5 languages (Spanish, English, Italian, French, and Portuguese) and its link was emailed to 6839 individuals. They were asked to forward it to other professionals in organ donation and transplantation. The link was also shared on Facebook and at relevant congresses. Two research questions on the perceived influence of specialized training programs were identified. A total of 1102 participants (16.1%) took the survey; 87% reported participating in Transplant Procurement Management training programs, of which 95% selected Transplant Procurement Management courses as the most influential training they had participated in. For research question one, 98% reported influence on knowledge (score 4.5 [out of 5]), 93% on technical (4.2) and communication skills (4.1), 89% on attitude toward organ donation and transplantation (4.1), 92% on motivation to work (4.2), 91% on desire to innovate (4.0), 87% and 79% on ability to change organ donation and trans plantation practices (3.9) and policies (3.5). For research question 2, main and interaction effects for position at the time of training and type of training were reported. Transplant Procurement Management training programs had positive perceived effects.

7 CFR 240.3 - Cash in lieu of donated foods for program schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... shall make an estimate of the value of agricultural commodities and other foods that will be delivered... the value of the foods then programmed for each State for the school year and the required value and... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Cash in lieu of donated foods for program schools. 240...

7 CFR 240.3 - Cash in lieu of donated foods for program schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... shall make an estimate of the value of agricultural commodities and other foods that will be delivered... the value of the foods then programmed for each State for the school year and the required value and... 7 Agriculture 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Cash in lieu of donated foods for program schools. 240...

Effects of structured education program on organ donor designation of nursing students and their families: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Murakami, Minoru; Fukuma, Shingo; Ikezoe, Masaya; Iizuka, Chizuko; Izawa, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Yosuke; Yamazaki, Shin; Fukuhara, Shunichi

2016-11-01

Little is known about the effect of education programs on changing attitudes and behaviors of participants and their families toward deceased organ donation. The subjects of this randomized trial were Japanese nursing students who were not previously designated organ donors. They were randomly assigned to either the education program or information booklet group. The program comprised a lecture followed by group discussion and information booklet. The primary outcome was self-reported organ donor designation. Outcomes were assessed by questionnaire. Data of 203 (99.0%) students were analyzed. At study end, seven of 102 students (6.9%) of the program group and one of 101 students (1.0%) of the booklet group consented to donate organs (proportion ratio 6.93 [95% CI 0.87-55.32]). There were significant between-group differences in willingness to consent for donation (54.9% vs 39.6%; proportion ratio 1.39 [95% CI 1.03-1.87]), family discussion (31.4% vs 15.9%; 1.98 [1.16-3.38]), and organ donor designation of family members (11.8% vs 2.0%; 5.94 [1.36-25.88]). No group differences were found in willingness for organ donation by students and family members. Although there were no significant between-group differences in organ donor designation, the program seems to indirectly promote consent to organ donation by their families. © 2016 The Authors. Clinical Transplantation Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Achievements and barriers in the organ donation process: a critical analysis of donation coordinators' discourse.

PubMed

Mercado-Martínez, Francisco J; Díaz-Medina, Blanca A; Hernández-Ibarra, Eduardo

2013-09-01

Donation coordinators play an important role in the success or failure of organ donation and transplant programs. Nevertheless, these professionals' perspectives and practices have hardly been explored, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To examine donation coordinators' discourse on the organ donation process and the barriers they perceive. A critical qualitative study was carried out in Guadalajara, Mexico. Twelve donation coordinators from public and private hospitals participated. DATA GATHERING AND ANALYSIS: Data were gathered by using semistructured interviews and critical discourse analysis. Participants indicated that partial results have been achieved in deceased organ donation. Concomitantly, multiple obstacles have adversely affected the process and outcomes: at the structural level, the fragmentation of the health system and the scarcity of financial and material resources; at the relational level, nonegalitarian relationships between coordinators and hospital personnel; at the ideational level, the transplant domain and its specialists overshadow the donation domain and its coordinators. Negative images are associated with donation coordinators. Organ donation faces structural, relational, and ideational barriers; hence, complex interventions should be undertaken. Donation coordinators also should be recognized by the health system.

Unexpected findings in the exploration of African American underrepresentation in biospecimen collection and biobanks

PubMed Central

Hagiwara, Nao; Berry-Bobovski, Lisa; Francis, Carie; Ramsey, Lauren; Chapman, Robert A.; Albrecht, Terrance L.

2014-01-01

Racial/ethnic minorities are underrepresented in current biobanking programs. The current study utilized community-based participatory research to identify motivating factors and barriers that affect older African Americans’ willingness to donate biospecimens. The standardized phone survey was administered to 78 African Americans who are 55 years old or older and live in the metropolitan Detroit area to assess their overall willingness to donate biospecimens and what factors were associated with it. The majority of the participants were willing to donate biospecimens, along with their personal information, for medical research and indicated that they did donate biospecimens when they were asked. However, African Americans were rarely asked to participate in biobanking programs. Furthermore, African Americans were not as concerned with research exploitation or as mistrusting of medical researchers as previously thought by the medical researchers. Even if African Americans were concerned over potential research exploitation or mistrust of medical researchers, these concerns or mistrust did not translate into an actual unwillingness to participate in biobanking programs. Rather, transparency in medical research and biobanking programs was more important when predicting African Americans’ willingness to donate biospecimens for medical research. The findings suggest that underrepresentation of African Americans in current biobanking programs may not be due to their willingness/unwillingness to participate in such programs, but rather due to a failure of medical researchers to approach them. Additionally, researchers and clinicians should focus on increasing the transparency of medical research and biobanking programs rather than changing African Americans’ potential negative attitudes toward them. PMID:24243440

7 CFR 250.62 - Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... management company. A service institution may use donated foods in a contract with a food service management... inventory management, and use of donated foods in NSLP, also apply to SFSP. ... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). 250.62 Section 250...

7 CFR 210.4 - Cash and donated food assistance to States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... agency for all lunches served to children in accordance with the provisions of the National School Lunch..., and storage of donated foods. The school food authority may have all or part of these cash payments... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM Reimbursement...

7 CFR 210.4 - Cash and donated food assistance to States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... agency for all lunches served to children in accordance with the provisions of the National School Lunch..., and storage of donated foods. The school food authority may have all or part of these cash payments... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM Reimbursement...

7 CFR 210.4 - Cash and donated food assistance to States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., delivery, and storage of donated foods. The school food authority may have all or part of these cash... of July 1 through June 30 multiplied by the total number of lunches served during the school year... SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM Reimbursement...

Breaking a Promise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potter, Will

2003-01-01

States with programs to match private donations to colleges often find the demand for money far exceeds what they can afford to pay. This has resulted in some private benefactors getting frustrated and withdrawing their donations. Few of the proposals to reform matching grant programs have made much headway in state legislatures, and few colleges…

Predictors of public attitude toward living organ donation in Kano, northern Nigeria.

PubMed

Iliyasu, Zubairu; Abubakar, Isa S; Lawan, Umar M; Abubakar, Mustapha; Adamu, Bappa

2014-01-01

Organ shortage is a major public health challenge for transplant programs globally. The sustenance of such programs as an effective therapy for end-stage organ failure (ESOF) requires an exploration of public awareness and willingness to donate organs. This is imperative, especially in developing countries where ESOF is highly prevalent. We studied the awareness and predictors of public attitude toward organ donation in Kano city in northern Nigeria. Using interviewer-administered questionnaires, we assessed the awareness and willingness to donate solid organs among 400 adults in the Kano metropolis. Three hundred and five of the 383 respondents (79.6%) reported that they had heard about organ donation. There was a significant variation of awareness by education and ethnicity (P <0.05). Most respondents, 303 (79.1%), were willing to donate an organ. Gender [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.40-4.95], educational attainment (AOR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.35-5.88), marital status (AOR = 4.5; 95% CI: 2.97-9.1), religion (AOR = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.43-8.10) and ethnicity (AOR = 2.36; 95% CI 1.04-5.35) were significant predictors of willingness to donate an organ. Preferred organ recipients were parents (48.9%), children (21.3%), spouses (14.6%) and other relatives (13.4%). Reasons for willingness to donate organs included religion (51.2%), moral obligation (21.4%) and compassion (11.9%), among others. However, there was widespread ignorance of religious precepts concerning organ donation. The high level of awareness and willingness to donate organs in this society could be further enhanced by intensive information, education and communication strategies providing clear messages on societal benefits, religious aspects and bioethical guidance regarding organ donation.

Analysis of the Factors Affecting the Interval between Blood Donations Using Log-Normal Hazard Model with Gamma Correlated Frailties.

PubMed

Tavakol, Najmeh; Kheiri, Soleiman; Sedehi, Morteza

2016-01-01

Time to donating blood plays a major role in a regular donor to becoming continues one. The aim of this study was to determine the effective factors on the interval between the blood donations. In a longitudinal study in 2008, 864 samples of first-time donors in Shahrekord Blood Transfusion Center,  capital city of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran were selected by a systematic sampling and were followed up for five years. Among these samples, a subset of 424 donors who had at least two successful blood donations were chosen for this study and the time intervals between their donations were measured as response variable. Sex, body weight, age, marital status, education, stay and job were recorded as independent variables. Data analysis was performed based on log-normal hazard model with gamma correlated frailty. In this model, the frailties are sum of two independent components assumed a gamma distribution. The analysis was done via Bayesian approach using Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm by OpenBUGS. Convergence was checked via Gelman-Rubin criteria using BOA program in R. Age, job and education were significant on chance to donate blood (P<0.05). The chances of blood donation for the higher-aged donors, clericals, workers, free job, students and educated donors were higher and in return, time intervals between their blood donations were shorter. Due to the significance effect of some variables in the log-normal correlated frailty model, it is necessary to plan educational and cultural program to encourage the people with longer inter-donation intervals to donate more frequently.

Cost Evaluation of a Donation after Cardiac Death Program: How Cost per Organ Compares to Other Donor Types.

PubMed

Lindemann, Jessica; Dageforde, Leigh Anne; Vachharajani, Neeta; Stahlschmidt, Emily; Brockmeier, Diane; Wellen, Jason R; Khan, Adeel; Chapman, William C; Doyle, Mb Majella

2018-05-01

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is one method of organ donation. Nationally, more than half of evaluated DCD donors do not yield transplantable organs. There is no algorithm for predicting which DCD donors will be appropriate for organ procurement. Donation after cardiac death program costs from an organ procurement organization (OPO) accounting for all evaluated donors have not been reported. Hospital, transportation, and supply costs of potential DCD donors evaluated at a single OPO from January 2009 to June 2016 were collected. Mean costs per donor and per organ were calculated. Cost of DCD donors that did not yield a transplantable organ were included in cost analyses resulting in total cost of the DCD program. Donation after cardiac death donor costs were compared with costs of in-hospital donation after brain death (DBD) donors. There were 289 organs transplanted from 264 DCD donors evaluated. Mean cost per DCD donor yielding transplantable organs was $9,306. However, 127 donors yielded no organs, at a mean cost of $8,794 per donor. The total cost of the DCD program was $32,020 per donor and $15,179 per organ. Mean cost for an in-hospital DBD donor was $33,546 and $9,478 per organ transplanted. Mean organ yield for DBD donors was 3.54 vs 2.21 for DCD donors (p < 0.0001), making the cost per DBD organ 63% of the cost of a DCD organ. Mean cost per DCD donor is comparable with DBD donors, however, individual cost of DCD organs increases by almost 40% when all costs of an entire DCD program are included. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Practices for Supporting and Confirming Decision-Making Involved in Kidney and Liver Donation by Related Living Donors in Japan: A Nationwide Survey.

PubMed

Nishimura, K; Kobayashi, S; Tsutsui, J; Kawasaki, H; Katsuragawa, S; Noma, S; Kimura, H; Egawa, H; Yuzawa, K; Umeshita, K; Aikawa, A; Uemoto, S; Takahara, S; Ishigooka, J

2016-03-01

This nationwide survey investigated the actual practices for supporting and confirming the decision-making involved in related living-organ donations in Japan, focusing on organ type and program size differences. Answers to a questionnaire survey were collected from 89 of the 126 (71%) kidney and 30 of the 35 (86%) liver transplantation programs in Japan that were involved in living-donor transplantations in 2013. In 70% of the kidney and 90% of the liver transplantation programs, all donors underwent "third-party" interviews to confirm their voluntariness. The most common third parties were psychiatrists (90% and 83%, respectively). Many programs engaged in practices to support decision-making by donor candidates, including guaranteeing the right to withdraw consent to donate (70% and 100%, respectively) and prescribing a set "cooling-off period" (88% and 100%, respectively). Most donors were offered care by mental health specialists (86% and 93%, respectively). Third parties were designated by more of the larger kidney transplant programs compared with the smaller programs. In conclusion, the actual practices supporting and confirming the decision to donate a living organ varied depending on the organ concerned and the number of patients in the program. © Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Impact of a National Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD) Program on Organ Donation in the United Kingdom: A 10-Year Study.

PubMed

Hodgson, R; Young, A L; Attia, M A; Lodge, J P A

2017-12-01

Organ transplantation is the most successful treatment for some forms of organ failure, yet a lack of organs means many die on the waiting list. In the United Kingdom, the Organ Donation Taskforce was set up to identify barriers to organ donation and in 2008 released its first report (Organ Donation Taskforce Report; ODTR). This study assesses the success since the ODTR and examines the impact of the United Kingdom's controlled donation after circulatory death (DCD) program and the controversies surrounding it. There were 12 864 intended donation after brain death (DBD) or DCD donors from April 2004 to March 2014. When the 5 years preceding the ODTR was compared to the 5 years following, intended DCD donors increased 292% (1187 to 4652), and intended DBD donors increased 11% (3327 to 3698). Organs retrieved per intended DBD donor remained static (3.30 to 3.26), whereas there was a decrease in DCD (1.54 to 0.99) due to a large rise in donors who did not proceed to donation (325 to 2464). The majority of DCD donors who proceeded did so within 30 min from time of withdrawal. Our study suggests further work on converting eligible referrals to organ donation and exploring methods of converting DCD to DBD donors. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

7 CFR 240.1 - General purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... funds equal to the difference between the value of donated foods as then programmed for that school year... national average value of donated foods, described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, by the number of... provides that the value of foods donated to States for use in commodity schools for any school year shall...

7 CFR 240.1 - General purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... funds equal to the difference between the value of donated foods as then programmed for that school year... national average value of donated foods, described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, by the number of... provides that the value of foods donated to States for use in commodity schools for any school year shall...

The Fiscal Impact of a Corporate & Individual Tax Credit Scholarship Program on the State of Indiana. School Choice Issues in the State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuit, David

2009-01-01

Indiana legislators are currently debating the merits of a proposal to adopt a statewide tuition scholarship tax credit program. The proposed program would make available $5 million in tax credits that businesses and individuals could claim by making donations to non-profit Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). SGO donations would be matched…

Ovum pick up, in vitro embryo production, and pregnancy rates from a large-scale commercial program using Nelore cattle (Bos indicus) donors.

PubMed

Pontes, J H F; Melo Sterza, F A; Basso, A C; Ferreira, C R; Sanches, B V; Rubin, K C P; Seneda, M M

2011-06-01

The objective was to clarify in vitro production of bovine embryos in Brazil. Data from 656 ovum pick-up/in vitro production (OPU/IVP) procedures, performed on 317 Nelore (Bos indicus) donors, without hormone stimulation or control of ovarian follicular waves, were analysed. Donors were subjected to OPU from one to nine times (no specific schedule), with < 15 d between consecutive procedures. There were 20,848 oocytes, of which 15,747 (75.53%) were considered viable, 5,446 embryos were obtained, 5,398 embryos were immediately transferred, resulting in 1,974 pregnancies (36.57%) at Day 30 and 1,788 (33.12%) pregnancies at Day 60. The average number of total and viable oocytes produced per OPU session was (mean ± SEM) 30.84 ± 0.88 and 23.35 ± 0.7 (average of 8.1 ± 0.3 embryos and 3.0 ± 0.1 pregnancies per OPU-IVP procedure). Since oocyte production varied widely among donor, they were designated as very high, high, intermediate, and low, with 58.94 ± 2.04, 32.61 ± 0.50, 22.13 ± 0.50, and 10.26 ± 0.57 oocytes, respectively, produced by 78, 80, 79, and 80 donors. The number of viable oocytes recovered ranged from 0 to 128; since donors with numerous viable oocytes produced many viable embryos and pregnancies, oocyte production was useful for donor selection. However, there was no significant effect of the number of OPU sessions per donor on mean numbers of oocytes produced. In conclusion, we confirmed field reports of high oocyte production by some Nelore donors and demonstrated individual variation in oocyte yield, which was associated with embryo production and pregnancy rates. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Appraisal of clinical complications after 23,827 oocyte retrievals in a large assisted reproductive technology program.

PubMed

Levi-Setti, Paolo Emanuele; Cirillo, Federico; Scolaro, Valeria; Morenghi, Emanuela; Heilbron, Francesca; Girardello, Donatella; Zannoni, Elena; Patrizio, Pasquale

2018-06-01

To assess complications encountered after transvaginal oocyte retrieval procedures. Retrospective analysis. University hospital, fertility center. A total of 23,827 consecutive transvaginal oocyte retrieval procedures in 12,615 patients. Oocyte retrieval procedures performed between June 1996 and October 2016. All oocyte retrieval complications. Those requiring hospital admission for at least 24 hours were considered severe. A total of 96 patients (0.76 %) suffered complications, with hospital admission necessary for 71 patients (0.56 %). When calculated per retrieval, the overall complication rate was 0.4%, whereas 0.29% was the admission rate, with an average duration of hospital stay of 2.77 ± 2.5 days. A surgical procedure was necessary for 24 patients (0.1% per retrieval and 0.19% per patient). Multivariate analysis showed a significant correlation between complications and women age, body mass index (BMI), the number oocyte retrieved, and the mean time to complete oocyte retrieval. The incidence of complications was significantly higher for physicians who had performed <250 retrievals compared with those who had completed >250 retrievals (odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.40-0.99). Oocyte retrieval can be considered a safe procedure but is not without risks. The most important, identifiable, risk factors for the occurrence of complications are: [1] high number of oocytes retrieved, [2] a long duration of the procedure and mean time per oocyte retrieved, [3] inexperience of the surgeon, [4] younger patients with a lesser BMI, and [5] history of prior abdominal or pelvic surgery or pelvic inflammatory disease. NCT03282279. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regulated compensation for kidney donors in the Philippines.

PubMed

Padilla, Benita S

2009-04-01

The purpose of this review is to discuss the recent events and experiences in the Philippines related to compensated kidney donation. Between 2002 and 2008, the Philippine government, through the Department of Health, administered a program called the Philippine Organ Donation Program that allowed prospective kidney providers to sign up, be allocated to prospective recipients and receive gratuities for their kidney. Transplant tourism flourished during this period because of rampant disregard for the regulation limiting foreign recipients to 10% of total kidney transplants. There is evidence of inadequate donor care. Efforts to curb the problem included a ban on foreigners coming to the Philippines to have kidney transplants with Filipinos as donors as well as strengthening of the implementing rules and regulations of both the antihuman trafficking law and the organ donation law that allowed donation after brain death. The experience in the Philippines mirrored those in India and Pakistan where paid donors reported poor outcomes. An effective national kidney disease prevention program and the deceased donor program for transplantation should be aggressively promoted. Legislation against transplant commercialism is needed.

Management of infertility in women over 40.

PubMed

Cabry, Rosalie; Merviel, Philippe; Hazout, Andre; Belloc, Stephanie; Dalleac, Alain; Copin, Henri; Benkhalifa, Moncef

2014-05-01

Women's fertility potential is declining with age because of multiples intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as life style, oxidative stress and/or endocrine disruptors and is affecting the ability of these women to conceive naturally. This declining fertility potential and the late age of motherhood is increasing significantly the number of patients consulting infertility specialists. Different strategies of investigation and management are proposed to patients over 40 in order to overcome their infertility and improve the live birth rate in these patients. Intra Uterine Insemination (IUI) in women over 40 is associated with a low rate of ongoing pregnancy and IUI should not therefore be offered always as the first line of treatment. When the predictive factors are positive IVF/ICSI seem to be good alternatives until 43 years of age. Customized ovarian stimulation and flexible laboratory methods such as in vitro maturation (IVM), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), embryo vitrification and transfer after thawing in subsequent natural or artificial cycles can improve the success rate of ART in patients over 40. Meanwhile, oocyte and embryos donation remain good options for patient over 40 with a bad prognosis and can lead to successful ongoing pregnancies until 45 years of age. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation, oocyte vitrification at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage or metaphase II stage present a breakthrough for fertility preservation but the ideal age for starting fertility preservation is still debated as well as the minimum number of oocytes to be vitrified in order to optimize the chances of pregnancy when needed at an older age. This manuscript reports the results of our own experience from patients older than 40 in the light of the published data and discusses the different therapeutic alternatives which can be proposed to patients over 40 consulting ART centres. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nuclear reprogramming by interphase cytoplasm of two-cell mouse embryos.

PubMed

Kang, Eunju; Wu, Guangming; Ma, Hong; Li, Ying; Tippner-Hedges, Rebecca; Tachibana, Masahito; Sparman, Michelle; Wolf, Don P; Schöler, Hans R; Mitalipov, Shoukhrat

2014-05-01

Successful mammalian cloning using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) into unfertilized, metaphase II (MII)-arrested oocytes attests to the cytoplasmic presence of reprogramming factors capable of inducing totipotency in somatic cell nuclei. However, these poorly defined maternal factors presumably decline sharply after fertilization, as the cytoplasm of pronuclear-stage zygotes is reportedly inactive. Recent evidence suggests that zygotic cytoplasm, if maintained at metaphase, can also support derivation of embryonic stem (ES) cells after SCNT, albeit at low efficiency. This led to the conclusion that critical oocyte reprogramming factors present in the metaphase but not in the interphase cytoplasm are 'trapped' inside the nucleus during interphase and effectively removed during enucleation. Here we investigated the presence of reprogramming activity in the cytoplasm of interphase two-cell mouse embryos (I2C). First, the presence of candidate reprogramming factors was documented in both intact and enucleated metaphase and interphase zygotes and two-cell embryos. Consequently, enucleation did not provide a likely explanation for the inability of interphase cytoplasm to induce reprogramming. Second, when we carefully synchronized the cell cycle stage between the transplanted nucleus (ES cell, fetal fibroblast or terminally differentiated cumulus cell) and the recipient I2C cytoplasm, the reconstructed SCNT embryos developed into blastocysts and ES cells capable of contributing to traditional germline and tetraploid chimaeras. Last, direct transfer of cloned embryos, reconstructed with ES cell nuclei, into recipients resulted in live offspring. Thus, the cytoplasm of I2C supports efficient reprogramming, with cell cycle synchronization between the donor nucleus and recipient cytoplasm as the most critical parameter determining success. The ability to use interphase cytoplasm in SCNT could aid efforts to generate autologous human ES cells for regenerative applications, as donated or discarded embryos are more accessible than unfertilized MII oocytes.

Reinsemination of one-day-old oocytes by use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

PubMed

Lundin, K; Sjögren, A; Hamberger, L

1996-07-01

To evaluate the possible advantages of reinseminating oocytes by use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Clinical study. In vitro fertilization unit with research facilities. Fifty-seven couples who were part of our regular IVF program. Nonfertilized oocytes from IVF cycles with no or very low fertilization were microinjected with spermatozoa approximately 25 hours after oocyte pick-up. Fertilization and pregnancy rates. A mean fertilization rate of 46.5% was obtained when reinseminating the oocytes on day 2 using the ICSI procedure. Of 57 cycles with completely or almost completely failed fertilization, 29 patients received ET after reinsemination by ICSI. Two of these transfers resulted in pregnancies (6.9% per ET) and two healthy babies were born. Despite this relative success, considering both the extra work involved and the potential genetic risk, it is doubtful whether ICSI on day 2 should be recommended as a routine procedure. For training and research purposes, however, this approach can be of value.

Global public health impact of recovered supplies from operating rooms: a critical analysis with national implications.

PubMed

Wan, Eric L; Xie, Li; Barrett, Miceile; Baltodano, Pablo A; Rivadeneira, Andres F; Noboa, Jonathan; Silver, Maya; Zhou, Richard; Cho, Suzy; Tam, Tammie; Yurter, Alp; Gentry, Carol; Palacios, Jorge; Rosson, Gedge D; Redett, Richard J

2015-01-01

In modern operating rooms, clean and unused medical supplies are routinely discarded and can be effectively recovered and redistributed abroad to alleviate the environmental burden of donor hospitals and to generate substantial health benefits at resource-poor recipient institutions. We established a recovery and donation program to collect clean and unused supplies for healthcare institutions in developing nations. We analyzed items donated over a 3-year period (September 2010-November 2013) by quantity and weight, and estimated the projected value of the program under potential nationwide participation. To capture the health benefits attributable to the donated supplies at recipient institutions, we partnered with two tertiary-care centers in Guayaquil, Ecuador and conducted a pilot study on the utility of the donated supplies at the recipient institutions (October 2013). We determined the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) averted for all patients undergoing procedures involving donated items and estimated the annual attributable DALY as well as the cost per DALY averted both by supply and by procedure. Approximately, 2 million lbs (907,185 kg) per year of medical supplies are recoverable from large non-rural US academic medical centers. Of these supplies, 19 common categories represent a potential for donation worth US $15 million per year, at a cost-utility of US $2.14 per DALY averted. Hospital operating rooms continue to represent a large source of recoverable surgical supplies that have demonstrable health benefits in the recipient communities. Cost-effective recovery and need-based donation programs can significantly alleviate the global burden of surgical diseases.

Mouse cloning and somatic cell reprogramming using electrofused blastomeres.

PubMed

Riaz, Amjad; Zhao, Xiaoyang; Dai, Xiangpeng; Li, Wei; Liu, Lei; Wan, Haifeng; Yu, Yang; Wang, Liu; Zhou, Qi

2011-05-01

Mouse cloning from fertilized eggs can assist development of approaches for the production of "genetically tailored" human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines that are not constrained by the limitations of oocyte availability. However, to date only zygotes have been successfully used as recipients of nuclei from terminally differentiated somatic cell donors leading to ES cell lines. In fertility clinics, embryos of advanced embryonic stages are usually stored for future use, but their ability to support the derivation of ES cell lines via somatic nuclear transfer has not yet been proved. Here, we report that two-cell stage electrofused mouse embryos, arrested in mitosis, can support developmental reprogramming of nuclei from donor cells ranging from blastomeres to somatic cells. Live, full-term cloned pups from embryonic donors, as well as pluripotent ES cell lines from embryonic or somatic donors, were successfully generated from these reconstructed embryos. Advanced stage pre-implantation embryos were unable to develop normally to term after electrofusion and transfer of a somatic cell nucleus, indicating that discarded pre-implantation human embryos could be an important resource for research that minimizes the ethical concerns for human therapeutic cloning. Our approach provides an attractive and practical alternative to therapeutic cloning using donated oocytes for the generation of patient-specific human ES cell lines.

Assisted reproduction in a cohort of same-sex male couples and single men.

PubMed

Grover, Stephanie A; Shmorgun, Ziva; Moskovtsev, Sergey I; Baratz, Ari; Librach, Clifford L

2013-08-01

To date, there is limited published data on same-sex male couples and single men using assisted reproduction treatment to build their families. The objective of this retrospective study was to better understand treatment considerations and outcomes for this population when using assisted reproduction treatment. A total of 37 same-sex male couples and eight single men (seven homosexual and one heterosexual) who attended the CReATe Fertility Centre for assisted reproduction services were studied. There was a 21-fold increase in the number of same-sex male couples and single men undergoing assisted reproduction treatment since 2003. The mean age was 46years (24-58). Twenty-eight couples (76%) chose to use spermatozoa from both partners to fertilize their donated oocytes. Most men (32 same-sex male couples and seven single men; 87%) obtained oocytes from an anonymous donor, whereas five couples and one single man (13%) had a known donor. Anonymous donors who were open to be contacted by the child after the age of 18 were selected by 67% of patients. Of all 25 deliveries, eight (32%) were sets of twins. All of the twins were half genetic siblings. Copyright © 2013 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 240.5 - Cash in lieu of donated foods for commodity schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Cash in lieu of donated foods for commodity schools. 240.5 Section 240.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS CASH IN LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.5...

Cultural Acceptability and Personal Willingness of Iranian Students toward Cadaveric Donation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbasi Asl, Jamal; Nikzad, Hossein; Taherian, Aliakbar; Atlasi, Mohammad Ali; Naderian, Homayoun; Mousavi, Gholamabbas; Kashani, Milad Motalebi; Omidi, Abdollah

2017-01-01

Cadaver dissection stands as a crucial component in medical curricula around the world, although computer-based multimedia programs have been introduced in order to replace the need for cadaver donations. Due to a decrease in the number of unclaimed bodies and rather few donations, there is an insufficient number of cadavers for anatomical studies…

An academic-based hospital donor site: do physicians donate blood?

PubMed

Kanner, William A; Jeffus, Susanne; Wehrli, Gay

2009-01-01

The objectives of this prospective, cross-sectional study were to characterize blood donors in an academic-based hospital donor center, to determine whether physicians donate, and to elucidate the donation impetus. A confidential survey was issued to presenting, potential donors over 200 weekdays. Three questions were asked: their role at the institution, if and when they had previously donated blood, and what prompted the current donation. The majority of the 687 respondents were institution-affiliated (73.5%) and 79.3% had previously donated, with a median of 3 mo since the prior donation. Only 21 (3.1%) respondents were physicians. The predominant reasons for donor presentation were an appointment, knowing it had been 8 wk since the last donation, and contact by the blood center to donate. This study shows the dearth of physician blood donors and a strong cohort of institution-affiliated repeat donors. Physicians represent a potential, stable, and sustainable donor pool; further studies are needed to establish physician recruitment programs.

Maternal SENP7 programs meiosis architecture and embryo survival in mouse.

PubMed

Huang, Chun-Jie; Wu, Di; Jiao, Xiao-Fei; Khan, Faheem Ahmed; Xiong, Cheng-Liang; Liu, Xiao-Ming; Yang, Jing; Yin, Tai-Lang; Huo, Li-Jun

2017-07-01

Understanding the mechanisms underlying abnormal egg production and pregnancy loss is significant for human fertility. SENP7, a SUMO poly-chain editing enzyme, has been regarded as a mitotic regulator of heterochromatin integrity and DNA repair. Herein, we report the roles of SENP7 in mammalian reproductive scenario. Mouse oocytes deficient in SENP7 experienced meiotic arrest at prophase I and metaphase I stages, causing a substantial decrease of mature eggs. Hyperaceylation and hypomethylation of histone H3 and up-regulation of Cdc14B/C accompanied by down-regulation of CyclinB1 and CyclinB2 were further recognized as contributors to defective M-phase entry and spindle assembly in oocytes. The spindle assembly checkpoint activated by defective spindle morphogenesis, which was also caused by mislocalization and ubiquitylation-mediated proteasomal degradation of γ-tubulin, blocked oocytes at meiosis I stage. SENP7-depleted embryos exhibited severely defective maternal-zygotic transition and progressive degeneration, resulting in nearly no blastocyst production. The disrupted epigenetic landscape on histone H3 restricted Rad51C loading onto DNA lesions due to elevated HP1α euchromatic deposition, and reduced DNA 5hmC challenged the permissive status for zygotic DNA repair, which induce embryo death. Our study pinpoints SENP7 as a novel determinant in epigenetic programming and major pathways that govern oocyte and embryo development programs in mammals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Canadian deceased donation education program for health professionals: a needs assessment survey.

PubMed

Hancock, Jennifer; Shemie, Sam D; Lotherington, Ken; Appleby, Amber; Hall, Richard

2017-10-01

The purpose of this survey was to determine how Canadian healthcare professionals perceive their deficiencies and educational requirements related to organ and tissue donation. We surveyed 641 intensive care unit (ICU) physicians, 1,349 ICU nurses, 1,561 emergency room (ER) physicians, and 1,873 ER nurses. The survey was distributed by the national organization for each profession (the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the National Emergency Nurses Association). Canadian Blood Services developed the critical care physician list in collaboration with the Canadian Critical Care Society. Survey development included questions related to comfort with, and knowledge of, key competencies in organ and tissue donation. Eight hundred thirty-one (15.3%) of a possible 5,424 respondents participated in the survey. Over 50% of respondents rated the following topics as highly important: knowledge of general organ and tissue donation, neurological determination of death, donation after cardiac death, and medical-legal donation issues. High competency comfort levels ranged from 14.7-50.9% for ICU nurses and 8.0-34.6% for ER nurses. Competency comfort levels were higher for ICU physicians (67.5-85.6%) than for ER physicians who rated all competencies lower. Respondents identified a need for a curriculum on national organ donation and preferred e-learning as the method of education. Both ICU nurses and ER practitioners expressed low comfort levels with their competencies regarding organ donation. Intensive care unit physicians had a much higher level of comfort; however, the majority of these respondents were specialty trained and working in academic centres with active donation and transplant programs. A national organ donation curriculum is needed.

Ethical Issues in Live-Donor Reimbursement Program.

PubMed

Voo, T C; Koh, S; Campbell, A V

2016-04-01

Reimbursement of expenses and costs incurred by live organ donation is permitted in many countries to encourage donation and to protect the welfare of live donors. Potential ethical issues may arise with reimbursement programs and their implementation, which vary across countries. This paper discusses some ethical issues with live donor reimbursement to stimulate discussion on how to ethically enhance its implementation to improve outcomes for both donors and recipients. In addition, we will consider whether reimbursement should be supplemented with compensation for nonfinancial losses, such as pain and suffering, to encourage live donation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trends in US minority red blood cell unit donations.

PubMed

Yazer, Mark H; Delaney, Meghan; Germain, Marc; Karafin, Matthew S; Sayers, Merlyn; Vassallo, Ralph; Ziman, Alyssa; Shaz, Beth

2017-05-01

To provide the appropriately diverse blood supply necessary to support alloimmunized and chronically transfused patients, minority donation recruitment programs have been implemented. This study investigated temporal changes in minority red blood cell (RBC) donation patterns in the United States. Data on donor race and ethnicity from 2006 through 2015, including the number of unique donors, collections, RBCs successfully donated, and average annual number of RBC donations per donor (donor fraction), were collected from eight US blood collectors. Minority donors were stratified into the following groups: Asian, black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, white, multiracial/other, and no answer/not sure. Over the 10-year period, white donors annually constituted the majority of unique donors (range, 70.7%-73.9%), had the greatest proportion of collections (range, 76.1%-79.8%), and donated the greatest proportion of RBC units (range, 76.3%-80.2%). These donors also had the highest annual donor fraction (range, 1.82-1.91 units per donor). Black or African American donors annually constituted between 4.9 and 5.2% of all donors during the study period and donated between 4.0 and 4.3% of all RBC units. Linear regression analysis revealed decreasing numbers of donors, collections, and donated RBC units from white donors over time. Although the US population has diversified, and minority recruitment programs have been implemented, white donors constitute the majority of RBC donors and donations. Focused and effective efforts are needed to increase the proportion of minority donors. © 2017 AABB.

Knowledge and practice of blood donation: a comparison between medical and non-medical Nepalese students.

PubMed

Mamatya, A; Prajapati, R; Yadav, R

2012-12-01

College students form a large and important group of population eligible for blood donation. Studies report that students do not donate much, and medical students' blood donation rate is less as compared to non-medical students. To assess and compare the knowledge, attitude, and practice of blood donation among medical and non-medical Nepalese students. A cross-sectional descriptive study using structured self-administered questionnaire was conducted in students of medical (MBBS) and non-medical programs of different colleges of Nepal. Total 456 students, 177 non-medical and 279 medical, participated; 28.5% students were donors. More medical students donated blood, more often, and were more knowledgeable in all aspects of blood and blood donation related knowledge (p values 0.01 or less). In both groups, proportionately more boys donated than girls. Common reasons for not donating included no request, medically unfit, no information about blood collection services, fear of weakness, and fear related to venepuncture. Moral satisfaction was the commonest reason to donate. Among Nepalese students, medical students donate more and are more knowledgeable than non-medical students. Lack of information and lack of direct requests are important causes of fewer donors in the non-medical group and girls.

7 CFR 240.4 - Cash in lieu of donated foods for nonresidential child and adult care institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... and adult care institutions. 240.4 Section 240.4 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.4 Cash in lieu of donated foods for nonresidential child and adult care... or adult care institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. FNS shall pay each...

7 CFR 240.4 - Cash in lieu of donated foods for nonresidential child and adult care institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... and adult care institutions. 240.4 Section 240.4 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.4 Cash in lieu of donated foods for nonresidential child and adult care... or adult care institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. FNS shall pay each...

7 CFR 240.4 - Cash in lieu of donated foods for nonresidential child and adult care institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... and adult care institutions. 240.4 Section 240.4 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.4 Cash in lieu of donated foods for nonresidential child and adult care... or adult care institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. FNS shall pay each...

7 CFR 240.4 - Cash in lieu of donated foods for nonresidential child and adult care institutions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... and adult care institutions. 240.4 Section 240.4 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.4 Cash in lieu of donated foods for nonresidential child and adult care... or adult care institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. FNS shall pay each...

BLISS: A Computer Program for the Protection of Blood Donors

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-28

EXAMPLE 5 LIST OUTPUT -OC: I L. SECU F I T NO.: 111-11-1111 NAME: ALFRED RENTA NO. OF DONATIONS: 4 VDISK; 1 DONATION NO. : 1 DATE: 81-13-81 METHOD OF...DISK # I N-.’ SOCIAL SECURITY NO.: 111-11-1111 NAME: ALFRED RENTA .,, DONATION DATE: 04-23-81 -p SOCIAL SECURITY NO.: 222-22-2222 NAME: MILO BENDER

An Overview of the Roles and Responsibilities of Chinese Medical Colleges in Body Donation Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Luqing; Xiao, Ming; Gu, Mufeng; Zhang, Yongjie; Jin, Jianliang; Ding, Jiong

2014-01-01

The use of human tissue is critical for gross anatomy education in the health professions. Chinese medical colleges have faced a shortage of anatomical specimens over the past decade. While body donation plays an important role in overcoming this gap, this practice has only recently been introduced in China, and the donation rate is relatively low…

Minority donation in the United States: challenges and needs.

PubMed

Shaz, Beth H; Hillyer, Christopher D

2010-11-01

In the United States, blood donation rates of African-Americans are 25-50% of that of white individuals. As African-Americans make up an ever increasing and now substantial minority, and African-American recipients of blood transfusion, both specialized, such as sickle cell disease patients, and general hospitalized patients, have a better chance of receiving phenotype-matched or appropriate red blood cell units when there is a significant percentage of products in the inventory from African-American donors, it is important to understand the reason for the observed difference. Possible reasons for this discrepancy in donation rates include increased rates of donor deferral and ineligibility; increased barriers to donation, such as fear and distrust; and different marketing and education strategies. Thus, to increase the blood availability to African-American recipients, the reasons for these donation rate differences must be better understood and subsequently addressed through improved blood donor recruitment programs. The majority of African-American donor recruitment programs have focused on donating for sickle cell disease patients, particularly children, which have been of limited success. Significant improvements in African-American donor recruitment are needed to adequately meet the demand of African-American patients as well as the entire population.

Two Dimensional Finite Element Model to Study Calcium Distribution in Oocytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naik, Parvaiz Ahmad; Pardasani, Kamal Raj

2015-06-01

Cytosolic free calcium concentration is a key regulatory factor and perhaps the most widely used means of controlling cellular function. Calcium can enter cells through different pathways which are activated by specific stimuli including membrane depolarization, chemical signals and calcium depletion of intracellular stores. One of the important components of oocyte maturation is differentiation of the Ca2+ signaling machinery which is essential for egg activation after fertilization. Eggs acquire the ability to produce the fertilization-specific calcium signal during oocyte maturation. The calcium concentration patterns required during different stages of oocyte maturation are still not completely known. Also the mechanisms involved in calcium dynamics in oocyte cell are still not well understood. In view of above a two dimensional FEM model has been proposed to study calcium distribution in an oocyte cell. The parameters such as buffers, ryanodine receptor, SERCA pump and voltage gated calcium channel are incorporated in the model. Based on the biophysical conditions the initial and boundary conditions have been framed. The model is transformed into variational form and Ritz finite element method has been employed to obtain the solution. A program has been developed in MATLAB 7.10 for the entire problem and executed to obtain numerical results. The numerical results have been used to study the effect of buffers, RyR, SERCA pump and VGCC on calcium distribution in an oocyte cell.

Does dietary fat intake influence oocyte competence and embryo quality by inducing oxidative stress in follicular fluid?

PubMed

Kazemi, Ashraf; Ramezanzadeh, Fatemeh; Nasr-Esfahani, Mohammad Hosein; Saboor Yaraghi, Ali Akbar; Ahmadi, Mehdi

2013-12-01

Fat-rich diet may alter oocyte development and maturation and embryonic development by inducing oxidative stress (OS) in follicular environment. To investigate the relationship between fat intake and oxidative stress with oocyte competence and embryo quality. In observational study follicular fluid was collected from 236 women undergoing assisted reproduction program. Malon-di-aldehyde (MDA) levels and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels of follicular fluid were assessed as oxidative stress biomarkers. In assisted reproduction treatment cycle fat consumption and its component were assessed. A percentage of metaphase ΙΙ stage oocytes, fertilization rate were considered as markers of oocyte competence and non-fragmented embryo rate, mean of blastomer and good cleavage (embryos with more than 5 cells on 3 days post insemination) rate were considered as markers of embryo quality. The MDA level in follicular fluid was positively related to polyunsaturated fatty acids intake level (p=0.02) and negatively associated with good cleavage rate (p=0.045). Also good cleavage rate (p=0.005) and mean of blastomer (p=0.006) was negatively associated with polyunsaturated fatty acids intake levels. The percentage of metaphase ΙΙ stage oocyte was positively related to the TAC levels in follicular fluid (p=0.046). The relationship between the OS biomarkers in FF and the fertilization rate was not significant. These findings revealed that fat rich diet may induce the OS in oocyte environment and negatively influence embryonic development. This effect can partially be accounted by polyunsaturated fatty acids uptake while oocyte maturation is related to TAC and oocytes with low total antioxidant capacity have lower chance for fertilization and further development.

Knowledge, attitudes, and intentions toward fertility awareness and oocyte cryopreservation among obstetrics and gynecology resident physicians.

PubMed

Yu, L; Peterson, B; Inhorn, M C; Boehm, J K; Patrizio, P

2016-02-01

What knowledge, attitudes and intentions do US obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residents have toward discussing age-related fertility decline and oocyte cryopreservation with their patients? Most OB/GYN residents believe that age-related fertility decline, but not oocyte cryopreservation, should be discussed during well-woman annual exams; furthermore, nearly half of residents overestimated the age at which female fertility markedly declines. Oocyte cryopreservation can be utilized to preserve fertility potential. Currently, no studies of US OB/GYN residents exist that question their knowledge, attitudes, and intentions toward discussing age-related fertility decline and oocyte cryopreservation with patients. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted during the fall of 2014 among residents in American Council for Graduate (ACOG) Medical Education-approved OB/GYN residency programs. Program directors were emailed via the ACOG Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology server listing and asked to solicit resident participation. Participants included 238 residents evenly distributed between post-graduate years 1-4 with varied post-residency plans; 90% of residents were women and 75% were 26-30 years old. The survey was divided into three sections: demographics, fertility awareness, and attitudes toward discussing fertility preservation options with patients. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted. A strong majority of residents (83%) believed an OB/GYN should initiate discussions about age-related fertility decline with patients (mean patient age 31.8), and 73% percent believed these discussions should be part of an annual exam. One third of residents overestimated the age at which there is a slight decline in female fertility, while nearly half of residents overestimated the age at which female fertility markedly declines. Over three-quarters of residents (78.4%) also overestimated the likelihood of success using assisted reproductive treatments (ARTs). Residents were likely to support oocyte cryopreservation in cancer patients irrespective of the woman's age, but much less likely to support elective oocyte cryopreservation. For elective oocyte cryopreservation, 40% believed OB/GYNs should initiate discussions with patients (mean age 31.1), while only 20% believed this topic should be part of an annual exam. Because the study invitation was sent through US OB/GYN residency program directors rather than directly to residents, it is possible that some residents did not receive the invitation to participate. This limits the generalizability of the findings. Within the USA, there appears to be a critical need for improved education on fertility decline in OB/GYN residency programs. To promote informed reproductive decision-making among patients, efforts should be made to help OB/GYNs provide comprehensive fertility education to all women, while also respecting patient choices. None. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Meals on Wheels Association of America

MedlinePlus

... Log in DONATE For Local Programs About Membership Leadership Academy Share the Love Member Toolkit Brand Resource ... seat at the table. DONATE NOW NATIONAL About Leadership Board Annual Conference Press Room Financials Careers Contact ...

Professional education and hospital development for organ donation.

PubMed

Fukushima, N; Konaka, S; Kato, O; Ashikari, J

2012-05-01

Because of the strict Organ Transplantation Act, only 81 brain dead (BD) organ donations had been performed in Japan for 13 years since 1997. The Act was revised on July 17, 2010, allowing, organs to be donated after BD with consent from the family, if the subject had not denied organ donation previously. This act has lead to an expectation of a 6-7-fold increase in BD donation. The 82 organ procurement coordinators (OPC) in Japan include 32 belonging to the Japanese Organ Network (JOT) and the others to each administrative division. JOT has guideline manuals of standard roles and procedures of OPC during organ procurement from BD and cardiac death donors. To manage the increased organ donations after the revision of the act, we have modified the education system. First, we modified the guideline manuals for OPC to correspond to the revised Transplant Act and governmental guidelines. Second, all OPC gathered in a meeting room to learn the new organ procurement system to deal with the revised Transplant Act and guidelines. Third, a special education program for 2 months was provided for the 10 newcomers. Last, the practical training in each donor case for newcomers was performed by older OPC. Topics of the education program were the revised transplant act and guidelines, family approach to organ donation, BD diagnosis, donor evaluation and management, organ procurement and preservation, allocation system, hospital development and family care. In the future, each OPC will be divided into special categories, such as the donor family OPC, the donor management OPC, and the operating room OPC. Therefore, we need to construct separate special education programs for each category. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Motivations towards Blood Donation among King Abdulaziz Medical City Population.

PubMed

Alfouzan, Najd

2014-01-01

Background. Blood donation is remarkably safe medical procedure. However, attitudes, beliefs, and level of knowledge may affect it. Objectives. To measure the level of knowledge regarding blood donation, find out positive and negative attitudes, identify the obstacles, and suggest some motivational factors. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC). Participants were selected by convenient nonrandom sampling technique. A self-created questionnaire was used for data collection. Results. The study included 349 individuals. About 45.8% of the participants claimed that they have a history of blood donation. Reported causes for not donating blood were blood donation not crossing their mind (52.4%), no time for donation (45%), and difficulty in accessing blood donation center (41.3%). Reported motivating factors for donating blood were one day off (81.4%), mobile blood donation caravans in public areas (79.1%), token gifts (31.5%), and finally paying money (18.9%). Conclusion. People in the age group 31-50 years, males, higher education and military were more likely to donate blood as well as People who showed higher knowledge level and positive attitude towards blood donation. More educational programs to increase the awareness in specific targeted populations and also to focus on some motivational factors are recommended.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Motivations towards Blood Donation among King Abdulaziz Medical City Population

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background. Blood donation is remarkably safe medical procedure. However, attitudes, beliefs, and level of knowledge may affect it. Objectives. To measure the level of knowledge regarding blood donation, find out positive and negative attitudes, identify the obstacles, and suggest some motivational factors. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC). Participants were selected by convenient nonrandom sampling technique. A self-created questionnaire was used for data collection. Results. The study included 349 individuals. About 45.8% of the participants claimed that they have a history of blood donation. Reported causes for not donating blood were blood donation not crossing their mind (52.4%), no time for donation (45%), and difficulty in accessing blood donation center (41.3%). Reported motivating factors for donating blood were one day off (81.4%), mobile blood donation caravans in public areas (79.1%), token gifts (31.5%), and finally paying money (18.9%). Conclusion. People in the age group 31–50 years, males, higher education and military were more likely to donate blood as well as People who showed higher knowledge level and positive attitude towards blood donation. More educational programs to increase the awareness in specific targeted populations and also to focus on some motivational factors are recommended. PMID:25431668

Low serum progesterone on the day of embryo transfer is associated with a diminished ongoing pregnancy rate in oocyte donation cycles after artificial endometrial preparation: a prospective study.

PubMed

Labarta, E; Mariani, G; Holtmann, N; Celada, P; Remohí, J; Bosch, E

2017-12-01

Is there a relationship between serum progesterone (P) and endometrial volume on the day of embryo transfer (ET) with ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR) in artificial endometrium preparation cycles? Patients with serum P < 9.2 ng/ml on the day of ET had a significantly lower OPR but endometrial volume was not related with OPR. A window of optimal serum P levels during the embryo implantation period has been described in artificial endometrium preparation cycles. A very low endometrial volume is related to poor reproductive outcome. Prospective cohort study with 244 patients who underwent ET in an oocyte donation cycle after an artificial endometrial preparation cycle with estradiol valerate and vaginal micronized progesterone (400 mg/12 h). The study period went from 22 February 2016 to 25 October 2016 (8 months). Sample size was calculated to detect a 20% difference in OPR (35-55%) between two groups according to serum P levels in a two-sided test (80% statistical power, 95% confidence interval (CI)). Patients undergoing their first/second oocyte donation cycle, aged <50, BMI < 30 kg/m2, triple layer endometrium >6.5 mm and 1-2 good quality transferred blastocysts. A private infertility centre. Serum P determination and 3D ultrasound of uterine cavity were performed on the day of ET. Endometrial volume measurements were taken using a virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL™) system. The primary endpoint was OPR beyond pregnancy week 12. About 211 of the 244 recruited patients fulfilled all the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Mean serum P on the day of embryo transfer was 12.7 ± 5.4 ng/ml (Centiles 25, 9.2; 50, 11.8; 75,15.8). OPRs according to serum P quartiles were: Q1: 32.7%; Q2: 49.1%; Q3: 58.5%; Q4: 50.9%. The OPR of Q1 was significantly lower than Q2-Q4: 32.7% versus 52.8%; P = 0.016; RR (95% CI): 0.62 (0.41-0.94). The mean endometrial volume was 3.4 ± 1.9 ml. Serum P on the day of ET did not correlate with endometrial volume. A logistic regression analysis, adjusted for all the potential confounders, showed that OPR significantly lowered between women with serum P < 9.2 ng/ml versus ≥9.2 ng/ml (OR: 0.297; 95%CI: 0.113-0.779); P = 0.013. The ROC curve showed a significant predictive value of serum P levels on the day of ET for OPR, with an AUC (95%CI) = 0.59 (0.51-0.67). Only the women with normal uterine cavity, appropriate endometrial thickness and good quality blastocysts transfer were included. Extrapolation to an unselected population or to other routes and/or doses of administering P needs to be validated. The role of endometrial volume could not be fully defined as very few patients presented a very low volume. The present study suggests a minimum threshold of serum P values on the day of ET that needs to be reached in artificial endometrial preparation cycles to optimize outcome. No upper threshold could be defined. None. NCT02696694. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Organ Donation in the 50+ Age Demographic: Survey Results on Decision Rationale and Information Preferences.

PubMed

Tartaglia, Alexander; Dodd-McCue, Diane; Myer, Kevin A; Mullins, Andrew

2016-09-01

The rate of organ donation by older potential donors is significantly declining even though recent studies show positive clinical outcomes with organs transplanted from older donors. This study examined the 50+ age demographic to identify the rationale for donation decisions, preferred media methods of donation information delivery, and responsiveness to an age-tailored donation message. Results from 579 surveys, 87% from the 50+ age demographic, found respondents prone to self-select themselves as medically ineligible based on current medication and health status, even though they might be medically suitable donors. Their incentive to pursue additional information on donation is limited except when motivated by personal accounts within their families and communities. In addition, even when computer literate, they continue to favor the printed or spoken word for donation information delivery. The results suggest an opportunity for those working with older adults to develop more personalized, localized donation education programs targeting this age demographic. © The Author(s) 2014.

What Can the Community Involvement Program Tell Us about Alumni Giving at the University of the Pacific

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz-Huston, Ines Marta

2010-01-01

The purpose of this research is to analyze characteristics and motivators among alumni of the Community Involvement Program (CIP) for donating to the University of the Pacific. The research questions were: (1) what are the characteristics and motivators of CIP alumni for donating to the University of the Pacific? (2) do the characteristics and…

"Mortui vivos docent" or who gives his body to science? The analysis of the personal questionnaires of Polish donors in the Conscious Body Donation Program.

PubMed

Bajor, Grzegorz; Likus, Wirginia; Kuszewski, Piotr; Kostro, Karol; Łoś, Andrzej; Kłakus, Piotr

2015-01-01

The Conscious Body Donation Program conducted since 2003 by the Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice was the first innovative project aimed at obtaining informed donors' bodies for the purpose of teaching anatomy in Poland. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the declared donors' characteristics and to establish the possible motivation for body donation. A total of 244 application files were reviewed and the following information was analyzed: donor's age, age at which the decision to donate the body was made, donor's place of residence and declared nationality, family background, education and profession, family structure and religion. Our results showed that mainly elderly people decided to donate their bodies (68.5 ± 11.84 years), living mostly in large and medium-sized cities. Men--donors often lived in small towns. Most of the donors were of blue-collar parentage, completed secondary education and at the time of taking decision to donate where married and retired. Widows were more likely to make the decision to donate than widowers. Most of our donors were Catholic. Our analysis of the profile of Polish donors may be useful to understand better for which groups of people death is not to be perceived as the end, and may become a value, which can be beneficial to living people.

Brain donation for schizophrenia research: gift, consent, and meaning

PubMed Central

Boyes, M; Ward, P

2003-01-01

The Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders's (NISAD) "Gift of Hope" Tissue Donor Program is a volunteer programme for people who wish to donate their brain when they die for neuroscience research into schizophrenia. Organ donation for purposes of research differs from transplant donation in a number of ways, most notably the absence of a single recipient. Within a particular community, however, (people with schizophrenia and their carers) the single recipient is replaced by a sense of shared experience and preventing suffering in others. Donors have an investment in the research. PMID:12796437

41 CFR 102-37.535 - What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of the public airport donation program? 102-37.535 Section... Donations to Public Airports § 102-37.535 What information must FAA provide to GSA on its administration of...

Factors influencing the reimbursement rate of egg donation within a competitive free-market system.

PubMed

Heng, Boon Chin

2007-07-01

The current situation of oocyte donation in the USA serves as a useful paradigm for a laissez-faire free-market model of egg donor reimbursement, based on supply and demand. There is a rapidly emerging consensus of what would be considered desirable attributes in an egg donor, which would in turn determine her market value in financial reimbursement. First and foremost is the race and ethnicity of the donor. As expected, the shortage of egg donors from some ethnic groups such as East Asians and Jews has resulted in higher reimbursement rates for donors of such ethnicity. Second is the educational attainment of the donor, in particular high scholastic aptitude test scores and degrees from prestigious universities. Third is the employment status and career of the prospective donor. Last, but not least, are the personal esthetics of the egg donor, her physical appearance, from complexion to stature. These can be summarized as the Four Es: ethnicity, education, employment and esthetics, which are somewhat analogous to the Four Cs of diamond price valuation (colour, clarity, carat and cut). Although such an analogy may appear rather superficial, the free-market systems that have evolved in response to a growing demand for these two completely unrelated items are uncannily similar.

Intersecting Roles of Protein Tyrosine Kinase and Calcium Signaling During Fertilization

PubMed Central

Kinsey, William H.

2012-01-01

The oocyte is a highly specialized cell that must respond to fertilization with a preprogrammed series of signal transduction events that establish a block to polyspermy, trigger resumption of the cell cycle and execution of a developmental program. The fertilization-induced calcium transient is a key signal that initiates the process of oocyte activation and studies over the last several years have examined the signaling pathways that act upstream and downstream of this calcium transient. Protein tyrosine kinase signaling was found to be an important component of the upstream pathways that stimulated calcium release at fertilization in oocytes from animals that fertilize externally, but a similar pathway has not been found in mammals which fertilize internally. The following review will examine the diversity of signaling in oocytes from marine invertebrates, amphibians, fish and mammals in an attempt to understand the basis for the observed differences. In addition to the pathways upstream of the fertilization-induced calcium transient, recent studies are beginning to unravel the role of protein tyrosine kinase signaling downstream of the calcium transient. The PYK2 kinase was found to respond to fertilization in the zebrafish system and seems to represent a novel component of the response of the oocyte to fertilization. The potential impact of impaired PTK signaling in oocyte quality will also be discussed. PMID:23201334

Financial incentives to increase Canadian organ donation: quick fix or fallacy?

PubMed

Gill, John S; Klarenbach, Scott; Barnieh, Lianne; Caulfield, Timothy; Knoll, Greg; Levin, Adeera; Cole, Edward H

2014-01-01

Unlike the United States, the potential to increase organ donation in Canada may be sufficient to meet the need for transplantation. However, there has been no national coordinated effort to increase organ donation. Strategies that do not involve payment for organs, such as investment in health care resources to support deceased donor organ donation and introduction of a remuneration framework for the work of deceased organ donation, should be prioritized for implementation. Financial incentives that may be permitted under existing legislation and that pose little risk to existing donation sources should be advanced, including the following: payment of funeral expenses for potential donors who register their decision on organ donation during life (irrespective of the decision to donate or actual organ donation) and removal of disincentives for directed and paired exchange living donation, such as payment of wages, payment for pain and suffering related to the donor surgery, and payment of directed living kidney donors for participation in Canada's paired exchange program. In contrast, it would be premature to contemplate a regulated system of organ sales that would require a paradigm shift in the current approach to organ donation and legislative change to implement. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ACS Regional Awards for High School Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Peggy D.

2007-04-01

More than 100,000 has been raised in donations since the establishment of the endowment in 2004; this amount was matched by DivCHED. We are working toward the goal of raising 300,000—the amount needed to maintain the program in perpetuity. More donations are needed, but there are now sufficient funds on hand to introduce this award program at this year's eight regional ACS meetings.

Oocyte-specific deletion of N-WASP does not affect oocyte polarity, but causes failure of meiosis II completion.

PubMed

Wang, Zhen-Bo; Ma, Xue-Shan; Hu, Meng-Wen; Jiang, Zong-Zhe; Meng, Tie-Gang; Dong, Ming-Zhe; Fan, Li-Hua; Ouyang, Ying-Chun; Snapper, Scott B; Schatten, Heide; Sun, Qing-Yuan

2016-09-01

There is an unexplored physiological role of N-WASP (neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein) in oocyte maturation that prevents completion of second meiosis. In mice, N-WASP deletion did not affect oocyte polarity and asymmetric meiotic division in first meiosis, but did impair midbody formation and second meiosis completion. N-WASP regulates actin dynamics and participates in various cell activities through the RHO-GTPase-Arp2/3 (actin-related protein 2/3 complex) pathway, and specifically the Cdc42 (cell division cycle 42)-N-WASP-Arp2/3 pathway. Differences in the functions of Cdc42 have been obtained from in vitro compared to in vivo studies. By conditional knockout of N-WASP in mouse oocytes, we analyzed its in vivo functions by employing a variety of different methods including oocyte culture, immunofluorescent staining and live oocyte imaging. Each experiment was repeated at least three times, and data were analyzed by paired-samples t-test. Oocyte-specific deletion of N-WASP did not affect the process of oocyte maturation including spindle formation, spindle migration, polarity establishment and maintenance, and homologous chromosome or sister chromatid segregation, but caused failure of cytokinesis completion during second meiosis (P < 0.001 compared to control). Further analysis showed that a defective midbody may be responsible for the failure of cytokinesis completion. The present study did not include a detailed analysis of the mechanisms underlying the results, which will require more extensive further investigations. N-WASP may play an important role in mediating and co-ordinating the activity of the spindle (midbody) and actin (contractile ring constriction) when cell division occurs. The findings are important for understanding the regulation of oocyte meiosis completion and failures in this process that affect oocyte quality. None. This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB944404) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos 30930065, 31371451, 31272260 and 31530049). There are no potential conflicts of interests. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Blood donation practices and willingness to donate among residents of an urban slum in Lagos Nigeria.

PubMed

Sekoni, A O; Balogun, M R; Odukoya, O O; Inem, V; Onigbogi, O O

2014-03-01

This study was carried out to assess the blood donation practices and willingness to donate among residents of an urban slum. Cross sectional descriptive study design with a qualitative and quantitative component. Multistage sampling was used to select 400 respondents for the questionnaire interview while three FGD sessions were conducted guide among three groups of participants namely youths, men and women. The information collected was analyzed manually (FGD) and with Epi info version 3.5.3. Majority of the questionnaire respondents were female, married, traders, had at least secondary school education, with mean age of 37.6 years. Only 12.0% had donated in the past, the main reason given by non donors was that they had never been asked to donate; this was also a key finding in the FGD. Willingness to donate was positively associated with being a male, single and Christian, age was a significant predictor of previous donation while more of the previous donors were still willing to donate, more for family/friends (p=0.036) than voluntarily (p=0.001) this view was supported by the participants at the FGD. Members of this urban slum had poor practice of blood donation,had positive attitude and were willing to donate, there is need to mobilise and organise outreach blood donation programs to convert attitude into actual practice.

The infectious disease blood safety risk of Australian hemochromatosis donations.

PubMed

Hoad, Veronica; Bentley, Peter; Bell, Barbara; Pathak, Praveen; Chan, Hiu Tat; Keller, Anthony

2016-12-01

It has been suggested that blood donors with hereditary hemochromatosis may pose an increased infectious disease risk and adversely affect recipient outcomes. This study compares the infectious disease risk of whole blood (WB) donors enrolled as therapeutic (T) donors to voluntary WB donors to evaluate the safety of blood products provided by the T donors. This was a retrospective cohort study of all WB donations at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service who donated between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2013, comparing a yearly mean of 11,789 T donors with 107,773 total donations and a yearly mean of 468,889 voluntary WB donors with 2,584,705 total donations. We compared postdonation notification of infectious illnesses, bacterial contamination screening results, and positive tests for blood borne viruses in T and WB donors. Rates of transfusion-transmissible infections in donations destined for component manufacture were significantly lower in therapeutic donations compared to voluntary donations (8.4 vs. 21.6 per 100,000 donations). Bacterial contamination (43.0 vs. 45.9 per 100,000 donations) and postdonation illness reporting (136.2 vs. 110.8 per 100,000 donations) were similar in both cohorts. The Australian therapeutic venisection program enables T donors to provide a safe and acceptable source of donated WB that has a low infectious disease risk profile. © 2016 AABB.

Advanced Donation Programs and Deceased Donor-Initiated Chains-2 Innovations in Kidney Paired Donation.

PubMed

Wall, Anji E; Veale, Jeffrey L; Melcher, Marc L

2017-12-01

Kidney paired donation (KPD) strategies have facilitated compatible living-donor kidney transplants for end-stage renal disease patients with willing but incompatible living donors. Success has inspired further innovations that expand opportunities for kidney-paired donation. Two such innovations are the advanced donation strategy in which a donor provides a kidney before their recipient is matched, or even in need of, a kidney transplant, and deceased donor initiated chains in which chains are started with deceased donors rather than altruistic living donors. Although these innovations may expand KPD, they raise several ethical issues. Specific concerns raised by advanced donation include the management of uncertainty, the extent of donor and recipient consent, the scope of the obligation that the organization has to the kidney exchange paired recipient, the naming of alternative recipients, and the potential to unfairly advantage the recipient. Use of deceased donors for chain-initiating kidneys raises ethical issues concerning the consent process for each involved party, the prioritization of deceased donor kidneys, the allocation of chain ending kidneys, and the value of a living donor kidney versus a deceased donor kidney. We outline each ethical issue and discuss how it can be conceptualized and managed so that these KPD innovations programs are ultimately successful.

Evaluation on Hope and Psychological Symptoms in Infertile Couples Undergoing Assisted Reproduction Treatment.

PubMed

Omani Samani, Reza; Vesali, Samira; Navid, Behnaz; Vakiliniya, Bahareh; Mohammadi, Maryam

2017-01-01

This study evaluated hope, depression, anxiety, and stress among three groups of infertile couples. This cross-sectional study consisted of three groups of infertile couples-candidates for oocyte donation (n=60), embryo donation (n=60), and normal infertile (n=60). Participants included couples seen at Royan Institute, Tehran, Iran between 2013-2014 who were at least 18 years of age and could read and write in Persian. Participants provided demographic and general characteristics and completed the Persian version of the Adult Trait Hope Scale (hope, agency and pathway) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS). Data was analyzed by the paired t test, ANOVA, ANCOVA and Pearson correlation tests using SPSS statistical software. Overall, 180 infertile couples participated in the three groups. There was a significant higher mean score for hope in husbands compared to wives in the normal infertile group (P=0.046). Husbands in the normal infertile group also had a significantly higher mean score for pathway (P=0.032). The frequency of anxiety significantly differed in female subjects (P=0.028). In the normal infertile group, the anxiety distribution significantly differed between wives and husbands (P=0.006). There was a significantly different stress frequency in male subjects (P=0.048). In the embryo donation group, stress significantly differed between wives and husbands (P=0.002). In the normal infertile group, stress also significantly differed between wives and husbands (P=0.05). The results have suggested that hope might be important in reducing psychological symptoms and psychological adjustment in those exposed to infertility problems who follow medical recommendations, which accelerates recovery. It is recommended to hold psychological counseling sessions (hope therapy) during reproduction cycles.

Legal and ethical aspects of organ donation and transplantation

PubMed Central

Shroff, Sunil

2009-01-01

The legislation called the Transplantation of Human Organ Act (THO) was passed in India in 1994 to streamline organ donation and transplantation activities. Broadly, the act accepted brain death as a form of death and made the sale of organs a punishable offence. With the acceptance of brain death, it became possible to not only undertake kidney transplantations but also start other solid organ transplants like liver, heart, lungs, and pancreas. Despite the THO legislation, organ commerce and kidney scandals are regularly reported in the Indian media. In most instances, the implementation of the law has been flawed and more often than once its provisions have been abused. Parallel to the living related and unrelated donation program, the deceased donation program has slowly evolved in a few states. In approximately one-third of all liver transplants, the organs have come from the deceased donor program as have all the hearts and pancreas transplants. In these states, a few hospitals along with committed NGOs have kept the momentum of the deceased donor program. The MOHAN Foundation (NGO based in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh) has facilitated 400 of the 1,300 deceased organ transplants performed in the country over the last 14 years. To overcome organ shortage, developed countries are re-looking at the ethics of unrelated programs and there seems to be a move towards making this an acceptable legal alternative. The supply of deceased donors in these countries has peaked and there has been no further increase over the last few years. India is currently having a deceased donation rate of 0.05 to 0.08 per million population. We need to find a solution on how we can utilize the potentially large pool of trauma-related brain deaths for organ donation. This year in the state of Tamil Nadu, the Government has passed seven special orders. These orders are expected to streamline the activity of deceased donors and help increase their numbers. Recently, on July 30, 2008, the Government brought in a few new amendments as a Gazette with the purpose of putting a stop to organ commerce. The ethics of commerce in organ donation and transplant tourism has been widely criticized by international bodies. The legal and ethical principles that we follow universally with organ donation and transplantation are also important for the future as these may be used to resolve our conflicts related to emerging sciences such as cloning, tissue engineering, and stem cells. PMID:19881131

“Mortui Vivos Docent” or Who Gives His Body to Science? The Analysis of the Personal Questionnaires of Polish Donors in the Conscious Body Donation Program

PubMed Central

Kuszewski, Piotr; Kostro, Karol; Łoś, Andrzej; Kłakus, Piotr

2015-01-01

The Conscious Body Donation Program conducted since 2003 by the Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice was the first innovative project aimed at obtaining informed donors' bodies for the purpose of teaching anatomy in Poland. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the declared donors' characteristics and to establish the possible motivation for body donation. A total of 244 application files were reviewed and the following information was analyzed: donor’s age, age at which the decision to donate the body was made, donor’s place of residence and declared nationality, family background, education and profession, family structure and religion. Our results showed that mainly elderly people decided to donate their bodies (68.5 ± 11.84 years), living mostly in large and medium-sized cities. Men - donors often lived in small towns. Most of the donors were of blue-collar parentage, completed secondary education and at the time of taking decision to donate where married and retired. Widows were more likely to make the decision to donate than widowers. Most of our donors were Catholic. Our analysis of the profile of Polish donors may be useful to understand better for which groups of people death is not to be perceived as the end, and may become a value, which can be beneficial to living people. PMID:25790303

Practical Considerations in Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death in Switzerland.

PubMed

Dalle Ave, Anne L; Shaw, David M; Elger, Bernice

2017-09-01

Faced with similar issues of organ scarcity to its neighbors, Switzerland has developed donation after circulatory determination of death (DCDD) as a way to expand the organ pool since 1985. Here, we analyze the history, practical considerations, and ethical issues relating to the Swiss donation after circulatory death programs. In Switzerland, determination of death for DCDD requires a stand-off period of 10 minutes. This time between cardiac arrest and the declaration of death is mandated in the guidelines of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. As in other DCDD programs, safeguards are put to avoid physicians denying lifesaving treatment to savable patients because of being influenced by receivers' interest. An additional recommendation could be made: Recipients should be transparently informed of the worse graft outcomes with DCDD programs and given the possibility to refuse such organs.

Organ Donation After Circulatory Death: Ethical Issues and International Practices.

PubMed

Jericho, Barbara G

2018-05-21

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is an increasingly utilized practice that can contribute to reducing the difference between the supply of organs and the demand for organs for transplantation. As the number of transplanted organs from DCD donors continues to increase, there is an essential need to address the ethical aspects of DCD in institutional DCD protocols and clinical practice. Ethical issues of respecting the end-of-life wishes of a potential donor, respecting a recipient's wishes, and addressing potential conflicts of interest are important considerations in developing policies and procedures for DCD programs. Although there may be diversity among DCD programs in Europe, Australia, Israel, China, the United States, and Canada, addressing ethical considerations in these DCD programs is essential to respect donors and recipients during the altruistic and generous act of organ donation.

Public Opinion on Organ Donation After Death and Its Influence on Attitudes Toward Organ Donation.

PubMed

Aijing, Luo; Wenzhao, Xie; Wei, Wei; Qiquan, Wan; Xuantong, Deng

2016-08-18

BACKGROUND China officially launched a pilot program of organ donation after cardiac death to overcome the shortage of available organs since 2011. Voluntary organ donation by deceased citizens became the only source of transplant organs beginning January 1, 2015. To investigate public opinions on organ donation by deceased donors, and discuss the effect of these opinions on the willingness and attitude of the public regarding voluntary organ donation. MATERIAL AND METHODS We designed a questionnaire. The survey was conducted from December 2014 to January 2015 in Changsha City, and 417 valid questionnaires were recovered. RESULTS A total of 162 respondents explicitly expressed a willingness to donate organs, and 269 believed that the organ donors' relatives should be compensated. A total of 255 respondents thought it acceptable to complete the donation-consent form when receiving a driver's license. Among the respondents, 65.3% did not agree with the statement "My body is bestowed by my parents, and to donate my body parts would not display filial respect"; 88.9% agreed that "It is necessary to consider the willingness of my family"; 74.4% agreed that "Donated organs have not been fairly and appropriately used; the wealthy and celebrities have been favored"; and 61.4% agreed that "Organ donation laws and regulations are not well developed, and organ donations will result in unnecessary difficulties." More than 80% believed that organ donation and transplantation extend life. CONCLUSIONS Public opinions on organ donation after death are associated with various factors, including traditional values, religious beliefs, compensation mechanisms, donor registration, institutional credibility, and ideals.

Comparison of IVF and ICSI when only few oocytes are available for insemination.

PubMed

Borini, Andrea; Gambardella, Alessia; Bonu, Maria Antonietta; Dal Prato, Luca; Sciajno, Raffaella; Bianchi, Liana; Cattoli, Monica

2009-08-01

The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) when few eggs available for insemination. A total of 601 women (group A, mean age 31.2 +/- 2.8 years) who were undergoing a total of 671 assisted reproduction cycles donated their excess oocytes to 694 patients (group B, mean age 41.0 +/- 0.2) for 1606 replacement cycles. Each recipient received three to five eggs. The recipients were divided into two groups depending on the insemination method used (IVF, group B1; or ICSI, group B2); ICSI patients were then subdivided into two further groups based on the semen parameters: B2A adequate for IVF and B2B only suitable for ICSI. The results showed that, when comparing A versus B and B1 versus B2, no significant differences were found in terms of pregnancy (28.0 versus 24.1% and 25.5 versus 21.4%), implantation (15.6 versus 14.9% and 15.9 versus 13.1%) and miscarriage (15.4 versus 20.5% and 17.9 versus 26.3) rates respectively. Comparing subgroups B2A and B2B, no significant differences were found in terms of pregnancy (20.0 versus 21.9%), implantation (14.4 versus 12.7%) and miscarriage rates (18.2 versus 28.6%) respectively. In conclusion, ICSI does not seem to yield better outcomes.

Fostering repeat donations in Ghana.

PubMed

Owusu-Ofori, S; Asenso-Mensah, K; Boateng, P; Sarkodie, F; Allain, J-P

2010-01-01

Most African countries are challenged in recruiting and retaining voluntary blood donors by cost and other complexities and in establishing and implementing national blood policies. The availability of replacement donors who are a cheaper source of blood has not enhanced repeat voluntary donor initiatives. An overview of activities for recruiting and retaining voluntary blood donors was carried out. Donor records from mobile sessions were reviewed from 2002 to 2008. A total of 71,701 blood donations; 45,515 (63.5%) being voluntary donations with 11,680 (25%) repeat donations were collected during the study period. Donations from schools and colleges contributed a steady 60% of total voluntary whilst radio station blood drives increased contribution from 10 to 27%. Though Muslim population is less than 20%, blood collection was above the 30-donation cost-effectiveness threshold with a repeat donation trend reaching 60%. In contrast Christian worshippers provided <25 unit/session and 30% repeat donations. Repeat donation trends amongst school donors and radio blood drives were 20% and 70% respectively. Repeat donations rates have been variable amongst different blood donor groups in Kumasi, Ghana. The impact of community leaders in propagating altruism cannot be overemphasized. Programs aiming at motivating replacement donors to be repeat donors should be developed and assessed. Copyright 2009 The International Association for Biologicals. All rights reserved.

Donor Experiences of Second Marrow or Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Collection Mirror the First, but CD34+ Yields Are Less.

PubMed

Stroncek, David F; Shaw, Bronwen E; Logan, Brent R; Kiefer, Deidre M; Savani, Bipin N; Anderlini, Paolo; Bredeson, Christopher N; Hematti, Peiman; Ganguly, Siddhartha; Diaz, Miguel Angel; Abdel-Azim, Hisham; Ahmed, Ibrahim; Maharaj, Dipnarine; Seftel, Matthew; Beitinjaneh, Amer; Seo, Sachiko; Yared, Jean A; Halter, Joerg; O'Donnell, Paul V; Hale, Gregory A; DeFilipp, Zachariah; Lazarus, Hillard; Liesveld, Jane L; Zhou, Zheng; Munshi, Pashna; Olsson, Richard F; Kasow, Kimberly Anne; Szer, Jeffrey; Switzer, Galen E; Chitphakdithai, Pintip; Shah, Nirali; Confer, Dennis L; Pulsipher, Michael A

2018-01-01

Little is known about the experiences of individuals donating peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) or marrow for a second time. To study this, unrelated donors making a second donation through the National Marrow Donor Program between 2004 and 2013 were evaluated. Experiences of second-time donors giving marrow (n = 118: first donation was PBSC in 76 and marrow in 42) were compared with those making only 1 marrow donation (n = 5829). Experiences of second-time donors giving PBSCs (n = 602) (first donation was PBSCs in 362; marrow in 240) were compared to first-time PBSC donors (n = 16,095). For donors giving a second PBSC or marrow donation there were no significant differences in maximum skeletal pain, maximum symptoms measured by an established modified toxicity criteria, and recovery time compared with those who donated only once. Notably, the yield of marrow nucleated cells and PBSC CD34 + cells with second donations was less. As previously noted with single first-time donations, female (PBSCs and marrow) and obese donors (PBSCs) had higher skeletal pain and/or toxicity with a second donation. PBSC donors who experienced high levels of pain or toxicity with the first donation also experienced high levels of these symptoms with their second donation and slower recovery times. In conclusion, for most donors second donation experiences were similar to first donation experiences, but CD34 + yields were less. Knowledge of the donor's first experience and stem cell yields may help centers decide whether second donations are appropriate and institute measures to improve donor experiences. Copyright © 2017 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation: a community-based study comparing rural and urban populations.

PubMed

Alghanim, Saad Abdullah

2010-01-01

The study was set to determine whether knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation differ according to geographical location. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to collect data such as demographic characteristics, basic knowledge, attitudes and source of information about organ donation from subjects in rural and urban areas. The questionnaires were distributed randomly to 1,000 individuals in both areas during 2008. The data were analyzed in a descriptive fashion. Despite similarities in knowledge and attitudes of respondents in both areas, rural respondents were less likely to have information about organ donation, to report willingness to donate organs, and to have knowledge about "brain death" or the "organ donation card" than their counterparts in urban areas. The study identified that the principle respondents' source of information about organ donation was the television. More than 90% of respondents in rural and urban areas reported that the contribution of health care providers in providing them with knowledge about organ donation and transplantation was "none" or "little". Respondents identified several reasons, which may influence their decisions to donate organs. In conclusion, the deficit in knowledge and attitudes of rural respondents about organ donation may be justified by the lack of information about this significant issue. Accordingly, health facilities, local mass media and educational institutions should provide intensive educational programs to encourage the public donate organs.

Costs of implementing and maintaining comprehensive school health: the case of the Annapolis Valley Health Promoting Schools program.

PubMed

Ohinmaa, Arto; Langille, Jessie-Lee; Jamieson, Stuart; Whitby, Caroline; Veugelers, Paul J

2011-01-01

Comprehensive school health (CSH) is increasingly receiving renewed interest as a strategy to improve health and learning. The present study estimates the costs associated with implementing and maintaining CSH. We reviewed the accounting information of all schools in the Annapolis Valley Health Promoting Schools (AVHPS) program in 2008/2009. We considered support for nutrition and physical activity programs by the public system, grants, donations, fundraising and volunteers. The annual public funding to AVHPS to implement and maintain CSH totaled $344,514, which translates, on average, to $7,830 per school and $22.67 per student. Of the public funding, $140,500 was for CSH, $86,250 for breakfast programs, $28,750 for school food policy programs, and the remainder for other subsidized programs. Grants, donations and fundraising were mostly locally acquired. They totaled $127,235, which translates, on average, to $2,892 per school or $8.37 per student. The value of volunteer support was estimated to be equivalent to the value of grants, donations and fundraising combined. Of all grants, donations, fundraising and volunteers, 20% was directed to physical activity programs and 80% to nutrition programs. The public costs to implement and maintain CSH are modest. They leveraged substantial local funding and in-kind contributions, underlining community support for healthy eating and active living. Where CSH is effective in preventing childhood overweight, it is most likely cost-effective too, as costs for future chronic diseases are mounting. CSH programs that are proven effective and cost-effective have enormous potential for broad implementation and for reducing the public health burden associated with obesity.

Relay kidney transplantation in Korea--legal, ethical and medical aspects.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Hyun; Park, Joong-Won; Koo, Young-Mo; Kim, Jang Han

2004-07-01

Living kidney transplantations constitute the majority of kidney transplantations in Korea. Recently, relay kidney transplantation, which is a modified form of both 'exchange transplantation' and 'living anonymous donation', has become at issue. After a living anonymous donor makes the initial donation, the next donor, who is related to the first recipient, makes the second donation; the third donor, who is related to the second recipient, makes the third donation; and so on. In relay kidney transplantation, organ trafficking, coercion of donation, assessment order, breach of agreement, and recipient burden should be evaluated with respect to ethical, legal and medical considerations. Despite these problems, a non-governmental body, the Korean Organ and Tissue Donor Program, has been promoting relay kidney transplantations to address the shortage of cadaveric kidney donations. Acceptance of the method of relay kidney transplantation requires the institution of supplementary measures to minimize the related problems.

Organ Donation From Deceased Donors: A Proactive Detection Program in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Shaheen, Faissal A M; Souqiyyeh, Muhammad Ziad; Attar, Besher; Ibrahim, Amal; Alsayyari, Abdulla

2015-11-01

Several challenging obstacles remain to increasing the number of organ donations from deceased patients in a hospital setting. These include medical, administrative, and ethical issues. Possible medical obstacles include the failure of early recognition of possible donors and inadequate care of potential and actual donors. To maximize the use of donated organs, proper care of the donors and expedited donor consent cannot be overemphasized. The care rendered to patients should ensure appropriate perfusion and nutrition of the organs, with meticulous follow-up until organ recovery. For example, patients involved in accidents are presumed to be healthy, but many have no available medical history on file. At the time of organ recovery, unexpected infections or malignancies can be minimized by raising the index of suspicion of the presence of serious conditions in donors, especially in donors with unknown medical history. A careful physical examination and an appropriate and aggressive laboratory investigation may disclose the cause of suspected clinical conditions in these potential donors. Individuals who work in intensive care units are the main group of health care providers directly involved in the process of organ donation. Appointing a donor coordinator in each intensive care unit could improve all aspects of organ donation. Such coordination could harmonize efforts toward the goals mentioned above and surmount the obstacles encountered during deceased-donor organ donation. Here, we describe the preliminary results of the Proactive Detection Program, a collaboration between the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation (the national organ donation and transplant supervising center) and intensive care units of donating hospitals. With its success in Saudi Arabia, it is hoped that it will be widely adopted in other regions.

Sperm donor anonymity and compensation: an experiment with American sperm donors

PubMed Central

Cohen, Glenn; Coan, Travis; Ottey, Michelle; Boyd, Christina

2016-01-01

Abstract Most sperm donation that occurs in the USA proceeds through anonymous donation. While some clinics make the identity of the sperm donor available to a donor-conceived child at age 18 as part of ‘open identification’ or ‘identity release programs,’ no US law requires clinics to do so, and the majority of individuals do not use these programs. By contrast, in many parts of the world, there have been significant legislative initiatives requiring that sperm donor identities be made available to children after a certain age (typically when the child turns 18). One major concern with prohibiting anonymous sperm donation has been that the number of willing sperm donors will decrease leading to shortages, as have been experienced in some of the countries that have prohibited sperm donor anonymity. One possible solution, suggested by prior work, would be to pay current anonymous sperm donors more per donation to continue to donate when their anonymity is removed. Using a unique sample of current anonymous and open identity sperm donors from a large sperm bank in the USA, we test that approach. As far as we know, this is the first attempt to examine what would happen if the USA adopted a prohibition on anonymous sperm donation that used the most ecologically valid population, current sperm donors. We find that 29% of current anonymous sperm donors in the sample would refuse to donate if the law changed such that they were required to put their names in a registry available to donor-conceived children at age 18. When we look at the remaining sperm donors who would be willing to participate, we find that they would demand an additional $60 per donation (using our preferred specification). We also discuss the ramifications for the industry. PMID:28852536

A systematic review and meta-analysis of antecedents of blood donation behavior and intentions.

PubMed

Bednall, Timothy C; Bove, Liliana L; Cheetham, Ali; Murray, Andrea L

2013-11-01

This meta-analysis sought to identify the strongest antecedents of blood donation behavior and intentions. It synthesized the results of 24 predictive correlational studies of donation behavior and 37 studies of donation intentions. The antecedents were grouped into six research programs: (1) the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and its extensions, (2) prosocial motivation, (3) affective expectations, (4) donor site experience, (5) past donation behavior, and (6) donor demographics. Antecedent categories were cross-validated by multiple coders, and combined effect sizes were analyzed using a random-effects model. For donation behavior, medium positive associations were found with five of the constructs from the extended TPB: intentions to donate, perceived behavioral control, attitude toward donation, self-efficacy and donor role identity. Other antecedents displaying a positive association with donation behavior included anticipated regret for not donating, number of past donations and donor age. Donor experiences at the collection site in the form of temporary deferral or adverse reactions had a medium negative association with behavior. For donation intentions, strong positive associations were observed for perceived behavioral control, attitude, self-efficacy, role identity and anticipated regret. Medium positive associations were observed for personal moral norm, subjective norm, satisfaction, and service quality. All other potential antecedents had weak or non-significant associations with behavior and intentions. Several of these associations were moderated by between-study differences, including donor experience, the period of data collection in which donation behavior was observed, and the use of a nominal (yes/no return) versus a ratio measure of donation behavior. Collectively, the results underscore the importance of enhancing donors' attitudes towards donation and building their perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy to donate. Further, minimizing the risk of adverse reactions and enacting re-recruitment policies for temporarily deferred donors will help protect future donation behavior. Implications of these findings for blood collection agencies and researchers are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Public awareness of blood donation in Central Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Abolfotouh, Mostafa A; Al-Assiri, Mohammed H; Al-Omani, Manar; Al Johar, Alwaleed; Al Hakbani, Abdulaziz; Alaskar, Ahmed S

2014-01-01

Introduction In Saudi Arabia, voluntary donors are the only source of blood donation. The aim of this study was to assess the level of public knowledge and attitude toward blood donation in Saudi Arabia. Methods Using a previously validated questionnaire that comprises 38 questions to assess the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and motivations towards blood donation, 469 Saudi adults who attended different shopping malls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were surveyed. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify the significant predictors of blood donation, with the significance set at P<0.05. Results Approximately half of all subjects (53.3%) reported that they had previously donated blood, 39% of whom had donated more than once. The knowledge percentage mean score was 58.07%, denoting a poor level of knowledge, with only 11.9% reporting a good level of knowledge. The attitude percentage mean score towards donation was 75.45%, reflecting a neutral attitude towards donating blood, with 31.6% reporting a positive attitude. Donation was significantly more prevalent among males than females (66% versus 13.3%; P<0.001). After adjustment for confounders, a higher knowledge score (t=2.59; P=0.01), a higher attitude score (t=3.26; P=0.001), and male sex (t=10.45; P<0.001) were significant predictors of blood donation. An inability to reach the blood donation centers and a fear of anemia were the main reasons for females not donating blood (49.9% and 35.7%, respectively), whereas a lack of time was the main reason for males (59.5%). Conclusion Prevalence of blood donation was less than satisfactory among the Saudi public, probably due to misconceptions, poor knowledge, and unfavorable attitude to donation. Educational programs are necessary to increase the level of knowledge and improve the attitude of the Saudi public toward blood donation. Providing mobile blood collection units nearer to individuals’ places of work to reduce their time costs of donating is a necessity. PMID:25152628

[Marketing role of corneal graft tissue donation to an eye bank and donors' socioeconomic profile].

PubMed

Farias, Roberta Jansen de Mello; Sousa, Luciene Barbosa de

2008-01-01

Penetrating keratoplasty has been the leading and the most successful type of transplant in the world, however corneal deficiency is a commom problem usually presented to corneal surgeons. Impact evaluation of the number of corneal graft donations to the Sorocaba Eye Bank after the implementation of a corneal graft procurement system; to draw the socioeconomic profile of corneal graft donors of the Sorocaba Eye Bank (SEB). Retrospective study on donations to SEB from its creation and after the development of media marketing. Prospective analysis of the socioeconomic profile of corneal graft donors by a questionnaire sent as letters to the families of the donors in a certain month. SEB began its work in 1971 by spreading need of organ donation through lectures in churches, shopping malls, community meetings, radio programs, television programs, etc. In the 70s, the number of retrieved corneal grafts was 1 or 2/month. Between 1984 - 1989 a procurement coordination team was trained to act in mortuaries and by 2000 they also began to work in public hospitals. In 1984 only 260 corneal grafts were retrieved. This number has been increasing to 2,778 corneal graft donations in 2004. The questionnaire was answered by 76 of the 93 donor families, with a response rate of 81.7%. Donor age had a mean of 65.1 +/- 14.7 y/o, forty-two (55.3%) were men. Educational level of the donor families was an important factor for organ donation, once 36.8% had concluded high school and 34.2% completed university. The great majority, sixty-three (82.9%) of the corneal grafts were donated through the efforts of the procurement coordination team. The role of the media and institutional credibility are mandatory for public commitment to organ donation. The proficiency of the procurement coordination team requires intensive training, as the results show that 82.9% donations were made thanks to their efforts.

Retrospective evaluation of unexpected events during collection of blood donations performed with and without sedation in cats (2010-2013).

PubMed

Doolin, Kerry S; Chan, Daniel L; Adamantos, Sophie; Humm, Karen

2017-09-01

Describe unexpected events (UEs) that occurred during blood donation in cats with and without sedation. Retrospective observational study (2010-2013). University teaching hospital. Client-owned healthy cats enrolled in a blood donation program. None. Blood collection for transfusion was performed 115 times from 32 cats. Seventy donation events were in unsedated cats and 45 in sedated cats. For each collection, the anticipated blood volume to be collected, actual blood volume collected, sedation protocol, and any UE in the peridonation period were recorded. There were 6 categories of UEs: movement during donation, donor anxiety, inadequate collected blood volume, jugular vessel related UEs, additional sedation requirement, and cardiorespiratory distress. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the frequency of UEs between sedated and unsedated cats. UEs were recorded in 54 of 115 collections. In the donor population, movement was reported as an UE in 0 cats that donated under sedation and 24/70 (34.3%) cats that donated without sedation (P < 0.001). Donor anxiety occurred in 2/45 (4.4%) cats that donated under sedation and 14/70 (20.0%) cats that donated unsedated (P = 0.014). Unsedated donation did not increase the likelihood of inadequate donation volume, jugular vessel related UEs, or cardiorespiratory distress. Eight of 45 (17.8%) sedated donations required additional sedation. Movement during donation and signs of donor anxiety were more frequent in unsedated cats. These were considered minor issues, expected in unsedated cats being gently restrained. Blood collection from unsedated feline donors is a viable alternative to sedated donation. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2017.

Should We Formulate an Incentivized Model Facilitating Kidney Donation from Living Donors? A Focus on Turkey's Current System.

PubMed

Avci, Ercan

2018-04-23

Kidney transplantation is a lifesaving medical treatment. However, very high demand for kidneys with low kidney donation causes a black market that exploits patients' desperation and donors' vulnerability. The current kidney donation programs fail to produce promising results to avoid illegal and unethical kidney trafficking and commercialism. Even though the primary goal of kidney donation is to increase the number of deceased organ donations, in some countries, like Turkey, due to religious or cultural concerns, it is impossible to supply adequate deceased kidney donations. In this view, the aim of this paper is to examine kidney trafficking in the scope of Turkey's current organ donation system and propose a new model, named the Incentivized Kidney Donation Model (IKDM), to increase kidney donation from living donors. The model encompasses the following benefits offered to kidney donors; lifetime health insurance, exemptions from copayments/contribution shares, priority when receiving an organ, priority when finding a job, income tax exemptions for salaried employees, and free or discounted public utilities. This normative model has the potential to promote donors' altruistic acts as well as the solidarity and loyalty among members of a society without violating ethical values and internationally accepted principles. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[An exploratory study regarding the hypothetical human embryo donation in Chile].

PubMed

Alvarez Díaz, J A

2007-12-01

To explore opinions of patients who undergone to complex ART towards gamete and embryo donation, as well as the reasons to do it or not. The seat was the Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile. There were interviewed ten participants (seven women, three men), who had undergone at least to one ART, without comprising of donation programs. It was a cross-sectional study of descriptive bioethics, done with ethnographic qualitative methodology with a semistructured interview applying speech analysis to the resulting text. Regarding embryo donation, six participants would accept to donate them, five to fertility therapy and one to research. Regarding the cryopreservation, three participants would always accept it, and three with some restrictions, just one on them would rather to discard instead of donating a cryopreserved embryo. It could be suggested: gamete donation is more commented and generally accepted; embryo donation is a more conflicting and less discussed subject, as much to donate as to accept; cryopreservation is a complex subject, commented but also conflicting, whose acceptance or not, as well as the destiny of the probably cryopreserved embryos, depends on the believes that participants have about the origin of the life, personal ethics, and the religion. It could be possible to say that a hypothesis constructed in this study (to be verified in future quantitative researches) is that embryo donation could take place, for therapy of fertility, and exceptionally to research.

Deceased Donor Organs: What Can Be Done to Raise Donation Rates Using Evidence From Malaysia?

PubMed

Rasiah, R; Manikam, R; Chandrasekaran, S K; Naghavi, N; Mubarik, S; Mustafa, R; Pushparajan, S

2016-05-01

Organ donation rates have continued to fall seriously short of needs worldwide, with the lowest rates recorded among developing economies. This study seeks to analyze evidence from a developing economy to explore the usefulness of social psychological theory to solve the problem. The study deployed a large survey (n = 10 412) using a convenience sampling procedure targeted at increasing the number of Malaysians registered with the Ministry of Health, Malaysia who are willing to donate organs upon death. Structural equation modeling was deployed to estimate simultaneously the relative influence of cognitive and noncognitive variables on willingness to donate deceased organs. The cognitive factors of donation perception, socioeconomic status and financial incentives, and the noncognitive factors of demography and fear showed a high statistically significant (1%) relationship with willingness to donate organs after death. While financial incentives were significant, cash rewards showed the least impact. Donation perception showed the highest impact, which shows that the development of effective pedagogic programs with simultaneous improvements to the quality of services provided by medical personnel engaged in retrieving and transplanting deceased donor organs can help raise organ donation rates. © Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Human body donation programs in Sri Lanka: Buddhist perspectives.

PubMed

Subasinghe, Sandeepani Kanchana; Jones, D Gareth

2015-01-01

Considerable attention is being given to the availability of bodies for anatomical education. This raises the question of the manner in which they are obtained, that is, whether they are unclaimed or donated. With increasing emphasis upon the ethical desirability of using body bequests, the spotlight tends to be focused on those countries with factors that militate against donations. However, little attention has been paid to cultures where donations are readily available. One such country is Sri Lanka where the majority of the Buddhist population follows Theravada Buddhism. Within this context, the expectation is that donations will be given selflessly without expecting anything in return. This is because donation of one's body has blessings for a better outcome now and in the afterlife. The ceremonies to honor donors are outlined, including details of the "Pirith Ceremony." The relevance for other cultures of these features of body donation is discussed paying especial attention to the meaning of altruism and consent, and justification for the anonymization of cadavers. The degree to which anatomy is integrated into the surrounding culture also emerges as significant. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

An analysis of blood donation barriers experienced by North American and Caribbean university students in Grenada, West Indies.

PubMed

Dean, Benjamin W; Hewitt, Sarah N; Begos, Morgan C; Gomez, Angela; Messam, Locksley L McV

2018-02-01

To estimate the associations of nationality, university program, donation history and gender, with blood donation barriers experienced by non-donating students on the day of a campus blood drive. This project focused particularly on nationality and the effect of the different blood donation cultures in the students' countries of origin. A retrospective cohort study of 398 North American and Caribbean university students was conducted at St. George's University, Grenada, in 2010. Data were collected from non-donating students on campus while a blood drive was taking place. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate associations between the exposures of interest and donation barriers experienced by the students. North American (voluntary blood donation culture) students were more likely than Caribbean (replacement blood donation culture) students to experience "Lack of Time" (relative risk (RR) = 1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-2.07) and "Lack of Eligibility" (RR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.08-2.22) as barriers to donation. Conversely, Caribbean students were a third as likely to state "Lack of Incentive" (RR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.20-0.50), "Fear of Infection" (RR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.21-0.58), and "Fear of Needles" (RR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.21-0.48) were barriers than North American students. University students from voluntary blood donation cultures are likely to experience different barriers to donation than those from replacement cultures. Knowledge of barriers that students from contrasting blood donation systems face provides valuable information for blood drive promotion in university student populations that contain multiple nationalities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cultural acceptability and personal willingness of Iranian students toward cadaveric donation.

PubMed

Abbasi Asl, Jamal; Nikzad, Hossein; Taherian, Aliakbar; Atlasi, Mohammad Ali; Naderian, Homayoun; Mousavi, Gholamabbas; Kashani, Milad Motalebi; Omidi, Abdollah

2017-03-01

Cadaver dissection stands as a crucial component in medical curricula around the world, although computer-based multimedia programs have been introduced in order to replace the need for cadaver donations. Due to a decrease in the number of unclaimed bodies and rather few donations, there is an insufficient number of cadavers for anatomical studies in Iran. This study was carried out to evaluate medical students' awareness and willingness regarding body donation in Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. In this study, a questionnaire was designed to focus on the cultural acceptability and personal willingness to donate one's body after death. Students from the university's anatomy classes (n = 331) participated in this study. Seventy-seven percent of the students expressed their agreement toward the idea of utilizing body donation services, though only 25.4% of participants were willing to donate their own bodies. None of the demographic factors were associated with cultural acceptability or personal willingness towards body donation. These findings indicated that besides "payment", other factors were associated with students' willingness to become donors. All factors of awareness except "previous awareness of organization" were associated with cultural acceptability. In this study, students suggested that encouraging people to register for body donation using mass media (25.6%) and teaching students to respect cadavers in the dissection environment (24.8%) were the best solutions for addressing the lack of cadavers. These findings indicated that a lack of awareness about body donation might be the main factor responsible for unwillingness towards body donation; therefore, improving the public's awareness and addressing the willingness of students regarding body donation may help overcome the current lack of donated cadavers. Anat Sci Educ 10: 120-126. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

The impact of living-unrelated transplant on establishing deceased-donor liver program in Syria.

PubMed

Saeed, Bassam

2014-10-01

Liver transplant is the criterion standard for patients with end-stage liver disease. Yet there is no liver transplant in Syria. Traveling abroad for a liver transplant is a luxury few Syrians can afford. There is currently an on-going debate whether to start a liver transplant program using living or deceased donors. In 2003, a new law was enacted, authorizing the use of organs from volunteer strangers and deceased donors. Despite the positive aspects of this law (allowing unrelated donors to increase the number of transplants in the country); the negative aspects also were obvious. The poor used the law to sell their organs to the rich, and this model is in violation of the Istanbul Declaration. To better document transplant communities' perceptions on organ donation, an e-mail survey was sent to a nationally representative sample of physicians (n = 115) that showed that 58% of respondents did not support the start of liver transplant from live donors, as they fear a considerable risk for the donor and the recipient. Seventy-one percent of respondents believe that unrelated kidney donation has contributed to tarnishing the reputation of transplant, and 56% believe that a deceased-donor program can run in parallel with unrelated organ donations. The interest in deceased-donor program has been affected negatively by the systematic approach of using poor persons as the source of the organ. This lack of interest has affected starting a liver program that relies on deceased donors; especially the need for kidneys is more than livers. Health authorities in Syria were inclined to initiate a liver transplant program from live donors, despite the risks of serious morbidities and mortality. In conclusion then, paid kidney donation in actual effect is actually a hindrance to establishing a deceased-donor liver program.

Cryoprotectant redistribution along the frozen straw probed by Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Karpegina, Yu A; Okotrub, K A; Brusentsev, E Yu; Amstislavsky, S Ya; Surovtsev, N V

2016-04-01

The distribution of cryoprotectant (10% glycerol) and ice along the frozen plastic straw (the most useful container for freezing mammalian semen, oocytes and embryos) was studied by Raman scattering technique. Raman spectroscopy being a contactless, non-invasive tool was applied for the straws filled with the cryoprotectant solution and frozen by controlled rate programs commonly used for mammalian embryos freezing. Analysis of Raman spectra measured at different points along the straw reveals a non-uniform distribution of the cryoprotectant. The ratio between non-crystalline solution and ice was found to be increased by several times at the bottom side of the solution column frozen by the standard freezing program. The increase of the cryoprotectant fraction occurs in the area where embryos or oocytes are normally placed during their freezing. Possible effects of the cooling rate and the ice nucleation temperature on the cryoprotectant fraction at the bottom side of the solution column were considered. Our findings highlight that the ice fraction around cryopreserved embryos or oocytes can differ significantly from the averaged one in the frozen plastic straws. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age Modulates Attitudes to Whole Body Donation among Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Gary F.; Ettarh, Raj R.

2009-01-01

Managing a whole body donor program is necessary for facilitating a traditional dissection-based anatomy curriculum in medicine and health sciences. Factors which influence body donations to medical science can therefore affect dissection-based anatomy teaching. In order to determine whether age influences the attitudes of medical students to…

36 CFR 1226.26 - How do agencies donate temporary records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Administration, Modern Records Programs (NWM), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, phone number (301... temporary records? 1226.26 Section 1226.26 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION RECORDS MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTING DISPOSITION § 1226.26 How do agencies donate temporary records? (a...

36 CFR 1226.26 - How do agencies donate temporary records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Administration, Modern Records Programs (NWM), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, phone number (301... temporary records? 1226.26 Section 1226.26 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION RECORDS MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTING DISPOSITION § 1226.26 How do agencies donate temporary records? (a...

36 CFR 1226.26 - How do agencies donate temporary records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Administration, Modern Records Programs (NWM), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, phone number (301... temporary records? 1226.26 Section 1226.26 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION RECORDS MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTING DISPOSITION § 1226.26 How do agencies donate temporary records? (a...

36 CFR 1226.26 - How do agencies donate temporary records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Administration, Modern Records Programs (NWM), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, phone number (301... temporary records? 1226.26 Section 1226.26 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION RECORDS MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTING DISPOSITION § 1226.26 How do agencies donate temporary records? (a...

Genetic analysis of oocyte and embryo production traits in Guzerá breed donors and their associations with age at first calving.

PubMed

Perez, B C; Peixoto, M G C D; Bruneli, F T; Ramos, P V B; Balieiro, J C C

2016-04-26

The objective of this study was to estimate variance components for oocyte and embryo production traits in Guzerá breed female donors, and investigate their associations with age at first calving (AFC). The traits analyzed were the number of viable oocytes (NOV), the number of grade I oocytes (NGI), the number of cleaved embryos (NCLV), and viable embryos produced (NEMB), and the percentages of viable oocytes (POV), grade I oocytes (PGI), cleaved embryos (PCLV), and viable embryos (PEMB). Data were obtained from 5173 ovary puncture and in vitro fertilization (IVF) sessions using 1080 Guzerá female donors of different ages, occurred from March 2005 to July 2013. Variables were log-transformed (logeX+1) prior to analysis. (Co)variance components were estimated by restricted maximum likelihood (REML), using one- and two-trait animal models. Permanent environment and IVF sire (father of the embryos) random effects were included. Estimated heritabilities for NOV, NGI, NCLV, NEMB, POV, PGI, PCLV, and PEMB were 0.19, 0.08, 0.16, 0.14, 0.04, 0.03, 0.01, and 0.07, respectively. Repeatabilities for count traits (NOV, NGI, NCLV, and NEMB) varied from 0.14 and 0.32, higher than estimated for percentage traits (POV, PGI, PCLV, and PEMB), which varied from 0.01 to 0.08. Selection for NOV may be more appropriate in breeding programs than selection for NEMB, because of its strong genetic correlation (0.68) with NEMB and its greater time- and cost-effectiveness. AFC was only weakly associated with the oocyte and embryo production traits, which indicates that there would be no effect on AFC when selecting for these traits.

Are there optimal numbers of oocytes, spermatozoa and embryos in assisted reproduction?

PubMed

Milachich, Tanya; Shterev, Atanas

2016-08-01

The aim of this overview is to discuss the current information about the search for the optimum yield of gametes in assisted reproduction, as one of the major pillars of IVF success. The first topic is focused on the number of male gametes and the possible impact of some genetic traits on these parameters. The number of spermatozoa did not seem to be crucial when there is no severe male factor of infertility. Genetic testing prior to using those sperm cells is very important. Different methods were applied in order to elect the "best" spermatozoa according to specific indications. The next problem discussed is the importance of the number of oocytes collected. Several studies have agreed that "15 oocytes is the perfect number," as the number of mature oocytes is more important. However, if elective single embryo transfer is performed, the optimal number of oocytes will enable a proper embryo selection. The third problem discussed concerns fertility preservation. Many educational programs promote and encourage procreation at maternal ages between 20-35 years, since assisted reproduction is unable to fully overcome the effects of female aging and fertility loss after that age. It is also strongly recommended to ensure a reasonable number of cryopreserved mature oocytes, preferably in younger ages (<35), for which an average of two stimulation cycles are likely required. For embryo cryopreservation, the "freeze all" strategy suggests the vitrification of good embryos, therefore quality is prior to number and patient recruitment for this strategy should be performed cautiously.

Embryo apoptosis identification: Oocyte grade or cleavage stage?

PubMed Central

Bakri, Noraina Mohd; Ibrahim, Siti Fatimah; Osman, Nurul Atikah; Hasan, Nurhaslina; Jaffar, Farah Hanan Fathihah; Rahman, Zulaiha Abdul; Osman, Khairul

2015-01-01

Apoptosis is a programed cell death that is vital for tissue homeostasis. However, embryo apoptosis had been known to be related to embryo fragmentation which should be avoided in in vitro fertilization (IVF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of embryo apoptosis with the grade of immature oocytes and cleavage stage of in vitro produced (IVP) cattle embryos. This study consisted of 345 oocytes collected through ovary slicing. Immature oocytes were graded as A, B and C. This grading was based on cumulus cell thickness and compactness. All oocytes then underwent an in vitro maturation (IVM) procedure. An IVF was done 24 h after IVM culture. Prior to staining, stage of cleaved embryos was determined and classified as either 2, 4, 8 or >8-cell embryo stage. Apoptosis status of cleaved IVP embryos was determined by using annexin V-FITC staining technique at 48 and 72 h post insemination (hpi). Apoptosis status for each embryo was classified as either early or late. The result showed that there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) of apoptosis status among grade A, B and C embryos. All grades of oocytes showed embryo apoptosis where 1.5% late apoptosis for grade A, 4.5% and 10.4% of early and late apoptosis for grade B and grade C. Early apoptosis was not seen in grade A embryo. We also noted no significant difference (p > 0.05) of apoptosis status between 2, 4, 8 and >8-cell embryo stage. Early apoptosis was also not seen in >8-cell stage. Even though there were no differences in apoptosis expression between the three classes, the cleavage rate of grade A oocytes was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than grade B and grade C. In conclusion, the apoptosis expression in the embryo can occur regardless of the oocyte quality and the cleavage stage of the embryo produced. PMID:26858565

Organ procurement: Spanish transplant procurement management.

PubMed

Manyalich, Martí; Mestres, Carlos A; Ballesté, Chloë; Páez, Gloria; Valero, Ricard; Gómez, María Paula

2011-06-01

Transplantation is an accepted therapeutic option to save or improve the quality of life when organ failure occurs or tissue replacements are needed. However, the lack of organs is the major limitation. The deceased organ procurement organization and professionals provide the solution to this international problem. In this review, we identify the elements involved in the organ procurement management process to analyze the possibility of implementation of deceased organ procurement for a transplantation program. While the donation rates are subject to several negative factors including religious, economic, cultural, and legal issues, the existence of well-trained professionals may considerably increase them. Professional training in organ donation along with the establishment of a solid organizational system has been identified as the crucial factor in developing efficient organ donation and transplantation programs.

Health content analysis of organ donation and transplantation news on Turkish television channels and in Turkish print media.

PubMed

Colak, M Yavuz; Hekimoglu, D; Ersoy, K; Sozen, F; Haberal, M

2010-01-01

The media affects individuals' behaviors, especially by means of news and advertisements. In this study, we evaluated health content of organ donation and transplantation news in the printed media and on television programs for a 1-year period in Turkey. We examined 2449 news items in 230 newspapers and magazines; 1179 news programs on 45 television channels, all concerning organ donation and transplantation. The news obtained from the Media Pursuit Center were transferred to an electronic file to evaluate the format and content of the news. Nine variables were examined about the scope and the formal characteristics of the news: the publication name, its type, the province, the date, the headline, the title length, the presence of a photograph, or its kind, the news size, and the page number. In the content analysis of the news, we also examined 9 variables: the topic, the message of the headline, the property of the words in the title, the identification of photographs in the news, the age, gender of actors in the news, as well as donor or recipient. In a summary, print media and television channels, failed to show sufficient information about organ donation and transplantation. The percentage of news about organ donation and transplantation was small and mostly negative items in the media. On television channels, sufficient place was not given to organ donation and transplantation. The news in printed media and on television channels was not about motivated or altruistic behavior. The pattern of organ donation and transplantation news is important in terms of perception and comment by the public. Furthermore it directly affects the perception of the news by the reader.

Knowledge and Attitude Toward Corneal Donation Among High School Children in Northern India.

PubMed

Gupta, Parul Chawla; Duggal, Mona; Jamir, Limalemla; Sharma, Drishti; Kankaria, Ankita; Sathyanath, Shreyaswi; Kaur, Rupinder; Rana, Kirtan; Ram, Jagat

2017-05-01

To assess the knowledge and attitude of school-going adolescents regarding corneal donation in government and private schools in an urban area of Northern India. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban field practice area of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India. A total of 365 participants of the seventh to 10th grade were enrolled from a government school and a private school. A pretested, semistructured, self-administered, bilingual (English and Hindi) questionnaire was used to assess the sociodemographic profile and knowledge and attitude related to corneal donation. Most (87%) (confidence interval, 83.1%-90.0%) participants had heard about corneal donation. Only 2% of students answered all the knowledge-related questions correctly. None knew about the national toll-free number for corneal donation. Three-fourth (72%) supported the idea of corneal donation. Of them, only 44% (confidence interval, 41.0-47.1) were willing to pledge to donate their own eyes. Fears and myths were the persistent barriers. The government and private schools differed in both knowledge and attitude, with the latter performing better. Knowledge among the selected high school children was poor. Although many supported the idea, only a few were willing to donate. We suggest that program components be evaluated from time to time. Future studies should explore the role of strengthening Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities among high school students for motivating community members to pledge to donate for corneal donation.

Awareness and Attitudes toward Organ Donation in Rural Puducherry, India.

PubMed

Balajee, K L; Ramachandran, N; Subitha, L

2016-01-01

For many of the end-stage organ diseases, organ transplantation is the most preferred treatment. The need for the organ transplantation is higher than the availability. For the transplantation program to be successful, awareness regarding organ donation is needed and people must have a positive attitude toward donating organs. This study aims to assess the awareness and attitudes regarding organ donation among the rural population and to evaluate the sociodemographic factors associated with their awareness. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 people living in 4 villages of Puducherry. Face-to-face interviews were carried out using pretested questionnaire, which included the sociodemographic data. Data were entered into Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Of 360 participants, 88% (317/360) were aware of organ donation. Among these 317 participants, awareness was highest in the age group 18-30 years 98.8% (87/88), male 91% (147/161), higher secondary and above 100% (58/58), and Class 1 socioeconomic status 92% (13/14). Source of awareness about organ donation was primarily through media 83% (263/317). The majority of the participants 88% (281/317) felt that the purpose of organ donation was to save life. Most of the participants 91% (290/317) said that all healthy adults are eligible organ donors and 87% (275/317) of the participants said that monetary benefits could not be accepted for organ donation. Most of the participants 70% (223/317) were willing to donate their organs after death. Among the participants who refused to donate their organs, family refusal 57% (25/44) was the most common reason. This study shows that there is a high level of awareness about organ donation among rural people and most of the participants are willing to donate their organs.

End-of-life practices in patients with devastating brain injury in Spain: implications for organ donation.

PubMed

Domínguez-Gil, B; Coll, E; Pont, T; Lebrón, M; Miñambres, E; Coronil, A; Quindós, B; Herrero, J E; Liébanas, C; Marcelo, B; Sanmartín, A M; Matesanz, R

2017-04-01

To describe end-of-life care practices relevant to organ donation in patients with devastating brain injury in Spain. A multicenter prospective study of a retrospective cohort. 1 November 2014 to 30 April 2015. Sixty-eight hospitals authorized for organ procurement. Patients dying from devastating brain injury (possible donors). Age: 1 month-85 years. Type of care, donation after brain death, donation after circulatory death, intubation/ventilation, referral to the donor coordinator. A total of 1,970 possible donors were identified, of which half received active treatment in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) until brain death (27%), cardiac arrest (5%) or the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (19%). Of the rest, 10% were admitted to the ICU to facilitate organ donation, while 39% were not admitted to the ICU. Of those patients who evolved to a brain death condition (n=695), most transitioned to actual donation (n=446; 64%). Of those who died following the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (n=537), 45 (8%) were converted into actual donation after circulatory death donors. The lack of a dedicated donation after circulatory death program was the main reason for non-donation. Thirty-seven percent of the possible donors were not intubated/ventilated at death, mainly because the professional in charge did not consider donation alter discarding therapeutic intubation. Thirty-six percent of the possible donors were never referred to the donor coordinator. Although deceased donation is optimized in Spain, there are still opportunities for improvement in the identification of possible donors outside the ICU and in the consideration of donation after circulatory death in patients who die following the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

Psychological Counseling of Female Fertility Preservation Patients

PubMed Central

Lawson, Angela K.; Klock, Susan C.; Pavone, Mary Ellen; Hirshfeld-Cytron, Jennifer; Smith, Kristin N.; Kazer, Ralph R.

2015-01-01

Young cancer patients are increasingly interested in preserving their fertility prior to undergoing gonadotoxic therapies. Although the medical safety and treatment protocols for fertility preservation have been well documented, limited research has addressed the emotional issues which arise in fertility preservation patients. We briefly review the literature on the psychosocial issues in adult female fertility preservation treatment and describe our experiences within this patient population patient. Our findings suggest that several important issues to be addressed during the psychological counseling of adult female fertility preservation patients include: 1) pre-existing psychological distress in patients undergoing treatment, 2) choice of fertility preservation strategy in the face of an uncertain relationship future, 3) decision making regarding use of third party reproduction (e.g., sperm/egg donation, gestational surrogacy), 4) treatment expectations regarding pregnancy and miscarriage, 5) ethical issues related to treatment including the creation, cryopreservation, and disposition of embryos/oocytes, and 6) decision regret from patients who declined fertility preservation. PMID:25996581

Contested embryonic culture in Japan--public discussion, and human embryonic stem cell research in an aging welfare society.

PubMed

Sleeboom-Faulkner, Margaret

2010-01-01

This article explores the reasons for the lack of a broad discussion on bioethical regulation of human embryonic stem cell research (hESR) in Japan and asks why scientists experience difficulties accessing resources for hESR despite the acclaimed indifference of dominant Japanese culture to embryo research. The article shows how various social actors express their views on the embryo and oocyte donation in terms of dominant Japanese culture, foiled against what is regarded as Western culture. Second, it shows how the lack of concern with hESR should be understood in the context of public health policies and communications and bioethics decision making in Japan. Finally, it interprets the meaning of the embryo in the context of Japan as an aging modern welfare society, explaining how policymakers have come to emphasize the urgency of infertility problems over issues around abortion and embryonic life.

Altruism in Terminal Cancer Patients and Rapid Tissue Donation Program: Does the Theory Apply?

PubMed Central

Murphy, Devin; Pratt, Christie; Muñoz-Antonia, Teresita; Guerra, Lucy; Schabath, Matthew B; Leon, Marino E; Haura, Eric

2013-01-01

Rapid Tissue Donation (RTD) is an advancing oncology research procedure for collecting tumors, metastases, and unaffected tissue 2 to 6 hours after death. Researchers can better determine rates of progression, response to treatment, and polymorphic differences among patients. Cancer patients may inquire about posthumous body donation for research to offer a personal contribution to research; however, there are barriers to recruiting for an RTD program. Physicians must reassure the patient that their treatment options and quality of care will not be compromised due to participating in RTD. In this commentary we discuss how theories of altruism may explain cancer patients’ desire to participate in an RTD program, the ethical concerns of health care professionals and patients and the use of altruism as a recruitment strategy. We offer recommendations for examining the cultural and ethical climate of the institution prior to initiating such a program such as examining the relationship of healthcare professionals and patients, identifying ethical concerns, and examining ways to promote acceptance and buy-in across professionals, patients, and families. PMID:23539332

Culturally competent methods to promote organ donation rates among African-Americans using venues of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

PubMed

Zaramo, C E B; Morton, T; Yoo, J W; Bowen, G R; Modlin, C S

2008-05-01

The diversity of the nation is one of society's greatest assets, but this feature is overshadowed by the disproportionate burden of disease that exists among America's minorities. Evidence of the disparate health status has been documented in low life expectancy, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and kidney disease as well as a plethora of disorders that necessitate organ transplantation. Many minorities have been reluctant to register to become organ donors. This circumstance can be alleviated by educating the public regarding the necessity of organ transplantation. We have developed a "unique" collaborative outreach program designed to promote acceptance of organ donation in African-Americans (AAs). Our outreach curriculum at Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has resulted in increased registrations and awareness regarding the need and positive perceptions toward donation. We developed a culturally sensitive outreach program: cultural sensitivity indicates how culture has the ability to influence communication between patients and health providers. An "Outreach Promotional Contest" was strategically targeted toward 28 Ohio BMVs to promote and assist in an outreach educational program regarding organ donation/registry. The consequence/results has been an increase of 3.4% in the BMV locations. The one BMV, with the highest increase was attended predominantly by AAs which moreover, won first place in the contest (6.425%; P < .05). To increase the number of people willing to register, we believe that both community education regarding the need and importance, as well as culturally sensitive promotion of organ donation, is the best way to increase organ donor registries particularly among minority populations.

Ethical issues surrounding the use of images from donated cadavers in the anatomical sciences.

PubMed

Cornwall, Jon; Callahan, David; Wee, Richman

2016-01-01

Body donor programs rely on the generosity and trust of the public to facilitate the provision of cadaver resources for anatomical education and research. The uptake and adoption of emerging technologies, including those allowing the acquisition and distribution of images, are becoming more widespread, including within anatomical science education. Images of cadavers are useful for research and education, and their supply and distribution have commercial potential for textbooks and online education. It is unclear whether the utilization of images of donated cadavers are congruent with donor expectations, societal norms and boundaries of established public understanding. Presently, no global "best practices" or standards exist, nor is there a common model requiring specific image-related consent from body donors. As ongoing success of body donation programs relies upon the ethical and institutional governance of body utilization to maintain trust and a positive relationship with potential donors and the community, discussions considering the potential impact of image misuse are important. This paper discusses the subject of images of donated cadavers, commenting on images in non-specific use, education, research, and commercial applications. It explores the role and significance of such images in the context of anatomical science and society, and discusses how misuse - including unconsented use - of images has the potential to affect donor program success, suggesting that informed consent is currently necessary for all images arising from donated cadavers. Its purpose is to encourage discussion to guide responsible utilization of cadaver images, while protecting the interests of body donors and the public. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Experience of in vitro fertilization surrogacy in Finland.

PubMed

Söderström-Anttila, Viveca; Blomqvist, Tom; Foudila, Tuija; Hippeläinen, Maritta; Kurunmäki, Henri; Siegberg, Rita; Tulppala, Maija; Tuomi-Nikula, Merja; Vilska, Sirpa; Hovatta, Outi

2002-08-01

In vitro fertilization (IVF) surrogacy makes it possible for women who do not have a functional uterus to have their own genetic offspring. We describe here our experience of IVF surrogacy in Finland over a 10-year period. This retrospective study included 17 women who underwent ovarian stimulation in connection with surrogacy in 1991-2001 at four clinics. The surrogate mothers were unpaid volunteers: six sisters, three mothers, one husband's sister, one cousin, four friends and three other volunteers. Thorough counseling was given to the commissioning couples and to the surrogate mothers and their partners. The commissioning couples were prepared to adopt their biological children. Twenty-eight surrogate IVF cycles were started in 17 women. One couple received donated oocytes. Trans-vaginal oocyte retrieval was feasible in every case, including those five women with congenital absence of the vagina and uterus. An average of 1.8 embryos was transferred at a time, and 11 pregnancies were achieved [50% per fresh embryo transfer (ET) and 16% per frozen-thawed ET]. Nine healthy singletons and one set of twins were born. One pregnancy ended in miscarriage. The mean birth weight of singleton infants was 3498 g (2270-4650 g). The birth weights of the twins were 2900 and 2400 g. In all cases the genetic parents took care of the infant immediately after birth. Two surrogate mothers had postpartum depression. Altruistic IVF surrogacy works well, but careful counseling of all parties involved is essential.

Pituitary origin of persistently elevated human chorionic gonadotropin in a patient with gonadal failure.

PubMed

Merhi, Zaher; Pollack, Staci E

2013-01-01

To report a case of persistently elevated low levels of hCG to increase awareness of pituitary origin of persistently elevated hCG in patients with gonadal failure. Case report and literature review. Large university-affiliated infertility practice. A 16-year-old patient with primary amenorrhea, normal secondary sex characteristics, ovarian failure, and a 46,XY karyotype. Her past medical history was significant for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, leading to a diagnosis of Frasier syndrome. At age 31 years, she desired pregnancy by oocyte donation and was found to have persistently elevated low levels of hCG (>35 mIU/mL). Pituitary hCG. Both serum free β-hCG and hyperglycosylated hCG were undetectable. Total serum hCG diluted appropriately was not blocked by blocking agent and was detected in the urine. Subsequent treatment with exogenous E(2), in preparation of a donor oocyte cycle, suppressed her hCG levels (down to 8 mIU/mL). These results indicated a pituitary source of the serum hCG. This report reinforces the need to consider pituitary hCG as the origin of persistently elevated hCG levels in patients with gonadal failure. Although levels of hCG <14 mIU/mL have been considered normal in postmenopausal women, our case suggests that patients with gonadal failure at younger ages might have a higher pituitary output of hCG. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 240.6 - Funds for States which have phased out facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... shall make cash payments to such State in an amount equivalent in value to the donated foods (or cash in....6 Section 240.6 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS CASH IN LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.6...

7 CFR 240.6 - Funds for States which have phased out facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... shall make cash payments to such State in an amount equivalent in value to the donated foods (or cash in....6 Section 240.6 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS CASH IN LIEU OF DONATED FOODS § 240.6...

Attitudes to Cadaveric Organ Donation in Irish Preclinical Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahill, Kevin C.; Ettarh, Rajunor R.

2011-01-01

There is a worldwide shortage of organs for transplantation. It has been shown that the attitude of healthcare professionals can improve the rates of organ donation, and that educational programs aimed at improving both attitudes and knowledge base of professionals can have positive outcomes. Although there has been research carried out on this…

[Marketing in the world of blood donation].

PubMed

Daigneault, Sylvie

2007-05-01

Public and non-profit organizations have long debated how marketing concepts and management styles apply to their sector of activity as they are largely derived from principles of consumerism and economic decision-making proper to the private sector. The arrival of marketing in the world of blood donation is no exception. The purpose of this article is to illustrate concretely how marketing techniques can contribute in achieving the objectives of a blood donation program: a marketing model that is adapted to the realities of blood donation in Quebec. Although types of marketing are as varied as the fields they are used in, the major marketing activities of this program fall under positioning, operational or relationship marketing. The process is presented in the form of a cycle that includes four major phases containing all marketing functions, that is, raising public awareness, acquiring a clientele, client retention and loyalty building, and establishing the relationship. Finally, the information and effective management of information are at the heart of the marketing process. In fact, research, understanding our customers and their expectations, and measuring our performance are essential for the success of any marketing initiative.

Educating Prospective Kidney Transplant Recipients and Living Donors about Living Donation: Practical and Theoretical Recommendations for Increasing Living Donation Rates

PubMed Central

Waterman, Amy D.; Robbins, Mark L.; Peipert, John D.

2016-01-01

A promising strategy for increasing living donor kidney transplant (LDKT) rates is improving education about living donation for both prospective kidney transplant recipients and living donors to help overcome the proven knowledge, psychological, and socioeconomic barriers to LDKT. A recent Consensus Conference on Best Practices in Live Kidney Donation recommended that comprehensive LDKT education be made available to patients at all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, in considering how to implement this recommendation across different healthcare learning environments, the current lack of available guidance regarding how to design, deliver, and measure the efficacy of LDKT education programs is notable. In the current article, we provide an overview of how one behavior change theory, the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, can guide the delivery of LDKT education for patients at various stages of CKD and readiness for LDKT. We also discuss the importance of creating educational programs for both potential kidney transplant recipients and living donors, and identify key priorities for educational research to reduce racial disparities in LDKT and increase LDKT rates. PMID:27347475

Undergraduate nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards organ donation in Korea: Implications for education.

PubMed

Kim, Jung-Ran Theresa; Fisher, Murray J; Elliott, Doug

2006-08-01

Organ donation from brain dead patients is a contentious issue in Korea within the cultural context of Confucian beliefs. Each year thousands of patients wait for organ donation note poor donation rates and importance of nurses in identifying potential donors. It is therefore important to identify knowledge levels and attitudes towards organ donation from brain dead patients of nursing students as future health workers. Using a 38-item instrument previously developed by the researchers, 292 undergraduate students in a Korean nursing college were surveyed in 2003 in Korea (response rate 92%). Validity and reliability of the instrument was demonstrated using a multiple analytical approach. A lack of knowledge regarding diagnostic tests and co-morbid factors of brain death were noted among students. Their attitudes toward organ donation were somewhat mixed and ambiguous, but overall they were positive and willing to be a potential donor in the future. While this study identified that an effective educational program is necessary for nursing students in Korea to improve their knowledge of brain death and organ donation, further research is also required to verify these single-site findings and improve the generalisability of results.

Training of health care students and professionals: a pivotal element in the process of optimal organ donation awareness and professionalization.

PubMed

Paez, G; Valero, R; Manyalich, M

2009-01-01

Successes in organ donation and transplantation programs are directly evidence-based education. Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) is an international educational project on organ donation and transplantation. Our purpose was to evaluate the TPM educational project. We compared the data of 17 years of experience, strategies, and methods. We retrospectively performed a descriptive analysis of all educational activities developed between 1991 and 2008. We identified 7 crucial points. (1) In 1991, TPM was started under the auspices of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the National Spanish Transplant Organization (ONT; national training, face-to-face). (2) In 1994, TPM became international (international advanced training and country-based). (3) Since 1997 in Italy and 2006 in France, national training courses were organized adapting the same methodologies as the advanced international TPM courses. TPM also implemented short (1-3 days) introductory courses worldwide. (4) In 2002, the e-learning platform program was launched to facilitate the education of professionals. (5) In 2005, an international master's degree was created at UB under the Life-Long Learning Institute (IL3). (6) In 2006, the courses were expanded to include pregraduate health science faculties with the International Project on Education and Research in Donation at University of Barcelona (PIERDUB). (7) In 2007, the European-funded European Training Program on Organ Donation (ETPOD) project was started. Currently, TPM offers face-to-face, e-learning, and blended international courses. As of 2008, TPM has trained 6498 professionals in 89 countries on 5 continents. TPM has impacted positively on the various essential levels in the process of organ donation and transplantation, with lifelong follow-up and an international network through the capacity to adapt to specific country needs as well as continuous quality improvement thanks to the collaboration of expert teachers and consultants.

Council of Europe Black Sea Area Project: International Cooperation for the Development of Activities Related to Donation and Transplantation of Organs in the Region.

PubMed

Arredondo, E; López-Fraga, M; Chatzixiros, E; Senemaud, B; Brezovsky, P; Carella, C; Ballesté, C; Aydin Mehmet, A; Tomadze, G; Codreanu, I; Sarkissian, A A; Simeonova, M; Nikonenko, A; Zota, V; Gómez, M P; Manyalich, M; Bolotinha, C; Franca, A; Costa, A N; Ott, M-O; Buchheit, K-H

2018-03-01

In 2011, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare of the Council of Europe launched a 3-year collaborative project to address the organ shortage and improve access to transplant health services in Council of Europe member states in the Black Sea area (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation) through the development of safe and ethical donation and transplantation programs. Support the development of donation and transplantation programs through close interstate cooperation between national health organizations and relevant stakeholders. Several work packages (WP) were established: WP1, project coordination (European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare); WP2, development and implementation of an effective legislative and financial framework (Czech Republic and France); WP3, establishment of National Transplant Authorities (Italy and Portugal); and WP4, clinical practices (DTI Foundation). Data collection, surveys, and expert visits allowed for the collection of first-hand information from each participant country at national, regional, and hospital levels. Data analysis showed the positive impact of the project represented by a tendency to increase the total donation rates (per million people) in the participant countries (2011 vs 2013): Azerbaijan, +7.3; Armenia, -0.7; Georgia, +3.3; Bulgaria, +0.9; Moldova, +2.5; Ukraine:, +0.8; Romania, +2.3; and Turkey, +2.7. Increases in total donation rates are the result of a number of initiatives in the Black Sea area, including the stepwise implementation of legislative, organizational and institutional country-specific recommendations tailored by the CoE, efforts of the respective Ministries of Health in each country and synergism with other European projects in the region. These countries should invest further in implementing the recommendations that emerged from this project to improve their organ donation and transplantation programs and progress toward self-sufficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Understanding disparities in donor behavior: race and gender differences in willingness to donate blood and cadaveric organs.

PubMed

Boulware, L Ebony; Ratner, Lloyd E; Cooper, Lisa A; Sosa, Julie Ann; LaVeist, Thomas A; Powe, Neil R

2002-02-01

Recent efforts to recruit blood and organ donors have only marginally improved demographic disparities in willingness to donate. Few studies have examined which factors are most important in explaining race and gender disparities in willingness to donate. To assess race and gender differences in willingness to donate blood and cadaveric organs, and to determine the extent to which several factors (including sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes about religion and mistrust of hospitals) might explain differences in willingness to donate. Cross-sectional telephone survey of Maryland households contacted via random-digit dialing. Past blood donation, organ-donor status on driver's license, and measures of medical mistrust and religious and spiritual salience. Persons age 18 to 75 living in the Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area. Of 385 respondents (84% of randomized households), 114 were black females, 46 were black males, 110 were white females, and 69 were white males. Before adjustment, black females were least willing to donate blood (41%), and black males were least willing to become cadaveric donors (19%) among all race-gender groups. Adjustment for respondent concerns about mistrust of hospitals and discrimination in hospitals explained most differences in willingness to donate blood, whereas adjustment for respondents' beliefs regarding the importance of spirituality and religion explained most differences in willingness to donate cadaveric organs. Both race and gender are important identifiers of those less willing to donate. To maximize efficiency, donor recruitment efforts should focus on race-gender groups with lowest levels of willingness. Potential donor concerns regarding mistrust in hospitals and religion/spirituality may serve as important issues to address when developing programs to improve donation rates.

A Study on Nursing Students' Knowledge, Attitude, and Educational Needs for Brain-Death Organ Transplantation and Donation and Intent to Donate Organs.

PubMed

Ju, M K; Sim, M K; Son, S Y

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge, attitude, educational needs, and will of nursing students on organ donation from brain-dead donors. Data were collected by using a 40-item questionnaire to measure knowledge, attitude, educational needs, and will for organ donation of 215 nursing college students in one university in Dangjin city from May 11 to May 31, 2017. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22 program (Data Solution Inc, Seoul). In the general characteristics, 85.1% of the subjects did not receive education on donation, and 99.5% of the subjects responded that education is needed. The desired methods of education were special lecture in school (55.3%), "webtoons" on the Internet (19.5%), formal curriculum (15.8%). Points to improve to increase brain-death organ transplantation and donation included "active publicity through pan-national campaign activities" (56.3%), "respecting prior consent from brain-dead donors" (21.9%), and "encouragement and increased support for organ donors" (12.1%). There was a significant difference in knowledge according to will for organ donation (t = 3.29, P = .001) and consent to brain-death organ donation in family members (t = 3.29, P = .001). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between attitude and knowledge of the subjects regarding brain-death organ donation. The knowledge, attitude, educational need, and will for organ donation of nursing students revealed in this study will be used as basic data to provide systematic transplant education including contents about organ transplantation in the regular nursing curriculum in the future. It will contribute to the activation of organ donation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Breast milk donation after neonatal death in Australia: a report.

PubMed

Carroll, Katherine E; Lenne, Brydan S; McEgan, Kerri; Opie, Gillian; Amir, Lisa H; Bredemeyer, Sandra; Hartmann, Ben; Jones, Rachel; Koorts, Pieter; McConachy, Helen; Mumford, Patricia; Polverino, Jan

2014-01-01

Lactation and breast milk can hold great value and meaning for grieving mothers who have experienced a recent death of an infant. Donation to a human milk bank (HMB) as an alternative to discarding breast milk is one means of respecting the value of breast milk. There is little research, national policy discussion, or organizational representation in Australia on the subject of breast milk donation after infant death. On 29 November 2013 the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne, Australia hosted Australia's first National Stakeholder Meeting (NSM) on the topic of milk donation after neonatal death. The NSM drew together representatives from Australian HMBs, neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) currently using donor human milk, and Australia's chief NICU parent support organization. The NSM was video-recorded and transcribed, and analyzed thematically by researchers. This article reports the seven dominant themes discussed by stakeholders during the NSM: the spectrum of women's lactation and donation experiences after infant death; the roles of the HMB and NICU in meeting the needs of the bereaved donor; how bereaved mothers' lactation autonomy may interface with a HMB's donation guidelines; how milk donation may be discussed with bereaved mothers; the variation between four categories of milk donation after neonatal death; the impact of limited resources and few HMBs on providing donation programs for bereaved mothers in Australia. This article provides evidence from researchers and practitioners that can assist HMB staff in refining their bank's policy on milk donation after infant death, and provides national policy makers with key considerations to support lactation, human milk banking, and bereavement services nation-wide.

ICU Nurses' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards their Role in the Organ Donation Process from Brain-Dead Patients and Factors Influencing it in Iran.

PubMed

Masoumian Hoseini, S T; Manzari, Z; Khaleghi, I

2015-01-01

Nowadays, ICU nurses play a significant role in the care of brain-dead patients and their families. Therefore, their knowledge, attitude and practice towards this issue are extremely important to the success of organ donation. To assess ICU nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice towards their role in the organ donation process from brain-dead patients and factors influencing it in Iran. In a cross-sectional analytical study, 90 ICU nurses working in Ghaem and Emam Reza Hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were selected through a stratified random sampling. Data were collected from the participants by a questionnaire included demographic information, and factors influencing the nurses knowledge, attitude, and practice towards their roles in the organ donation process. 90 nurses participated in this study. 70% of the research subjects had spoken with their own families about organ donation; 20% had organ donation cards. The mean±SD score of nurses' knowledge was 49.13±9.6, attitude 21.49±14.32, and practice was 3.66±6.04. 80% of nurses had a mean knowledge about their roles in the organ donation process; 82% agreed with their roles in this process, and 97% showed weak practice in this regard. Nurses did not have adequate knowledge, attitude, and practice towards their role in organ donation process. It is suggested to include nursing courses on the organ donation process and organ transplantation as well as educational programs to acquaint nurses with their roles in the organ donation process.

New stimulation regimens: endogenous and exogenous progesterone use to block the LH surge during ovarian stimulation for IVF.

PubMed

Massin, Nathalie

2017-03-01

The advent of embryo and oocyte vitrification today gives reproductive specialists an opportunity to consider new strategies for improving the practice and results of IVF attempts. As the freezing of entire cohorts does not compromise, and may even improve, the results of IVF attempts, it is possible to break away from the standard sequence of stimulation-retrieval-transfer. The constraints associated with ovarian stimulation in relation to the potential harmful effects of the hormonal environment on endometrial receptivity can be avoided. This review will look at the new stimulation protocols where progesterone is used to block the LH surge. Thanks to 'freeze all' strategies, the increase in progesterone could actually be no longer a cause for concern. There are two ways of using progesterone, whether it be endogenous, as in luteal phase stimulation, or exogenous, as in the use of progesterone in the follicular phase i.e. progestin primed ovarian stimulation. A literature search was carried out (until September 2016) on MEDLINE. The following text words were utilized to generate the list of citations: progestin primed ovarian stimulation, luteal phase stimulation, luteal stimulation, duostim, double stimulation, random start. Articles and their references were then examined in order to identify other potential studies. All of the articles are reported in this review. The use of progesterone during ovarian stimulation is effective in blocking the LH surge, whether endogenous or exogenous, and it does not affect the number of oocytes collected or the quality of the embryos obtained. Its main constraint is that it requires total freezing and delayed transfer. A variety of stimulation protocols can be derived from these two methods, and their implications are discussed, from fertility preservation to ovarian response profiles to organization for the patients and clincs. These new regimens enable more flexibility and are of emerging interest in daily practice. However, their medical and economic significance remains to be demonstrated. The use of luteal phase or follicular phase protocols with progestins could rapidly develop in the context of oocyte donation and fertility preservation not related to oncology. Their place could develop even more in the general population of patients in IVF programs. The strategy of total freezing continues to develop, thanks to technical improvements, in particular vitrification and PGS on blastocysts, and thanks to studies showing improvements in embryo implantation when the transfer take place far removed from the hormonal changes caused by ovarian stimulation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Coordinating unspecified living kidney donation and transplantation across the blood-type barrier in kidney exchange.

PubMed

Glorie, Kristiaan M; de Klerk, Marry; Wagelmans, Albert P M; van de Klundert, Joris J; Zuidema, Willij C; Claas, Frans H J; Weimar, Willem

2013-11-15

This article studies multicenter coordination of unspecified living kidney donation and transplantation across the blood-type barrier in kidney exchange. Important questions are whether such coordination should use domino paired donation or non simultaneous extended altruistic donor chains, what the length of the segments in such chains should be, when they should be terminated, and how much time should be allowed between matching rounds. Furthermore, it is controversial whether the different modalities should be coordinated centrally or locally and independently. Kidney exchange policies are simulated using actual data from the Dutch national kidney exchange program. Sensitivity analysis is performed on the composition of the population, the time unspecified and bridge donors wait before donating to the wait list, the time between matching rounds, and donor renege rates. Central coordination of unspecified donation and transplantation across the blood-type barrier can increase transplants by 10% (PG0.001). Especially highly sensitized and blood type O patients benefit. Sufficient time between matching rounds is essential: three-monthly exchanges result in 31% more transplants than weekly exchanges. Benefits of non simultaneous extended altruistic donor chains are limited in case of low numbers of highly sensitized patients and sufficient unspecified donors. Chains are best terminated when no further segment is part of an optimal exchange within 3 months. There is clear synergy in the central coordination of both unspecified donation and transplantation across the blood-type barrier in kidney exchange. The best configuration of a national program depends on the composition of the patient Y donor population.

An exploratory study of relational, persuasive, and nonverbal communication in requests for tissue donation.

PubMed

Siminoff, Laura A; Traino, Heather M; Gordon, Nahida H

2011-10-01

This study explores the effects of tissue requesters' relational, persuasive, and nonverbal communication on families' final donation decisions. One thousand sixteen (N = 1,016) requests for tissue donation were audiotaped and analyzed using the Siminoff Communication Content and Affect Program, a computer application specifically designed to code and assist with the quantitative analysis of communication data. This study supports the important role of communication strategies in health-related decision making. Families were more likely to consent to tissue donation when confirmational messages (e.g., messages that expressed validation or acceptance) or persuasive tactics such as credibility, altruism, or esteem were used during donation discussions. Consent was also more likely when family members exhibited nonverbal immediacy or disclosed private information about themselves or the patient. The results of a hierarchical log-linear regression revealed that the use of relational communication during requests directly predicted family consent. The results provide information about surrogate decision making in end-of-life situations and may be used to guide future practice in obtaining family consent to tissue donation.

An Exploratory Study of Relational, Persuasive, and Nonverbal Communication in Requests for Tissue Donation

PubMed Central

SIMINOFF, LAURA A.; TRAINO, HEATHER M.; GORDON, NAHIDA H.

2011-01-01

This study explores the effects of tissue requesters’ relational, persuasive, and nonverbal communication on families’ final donation decisions. One thousand sixteen (N=1,016) requests for tissue donation were audiotaped and analyzed using the Siminoff Communication Content and Affect Program, a computer application specifically designed to code and assist with the quantitative analysis of communication data. This study supports the important role of communication strategies in health-related decision making. Families were more likely to consent to tissue donation when confirmational messages (e.g., messages that expressed validation or acceptance) or persuasive tactics such as credibility, altruism, or esteem were used during donation discussions. Consent was also more likely when family members exhibited nonverbal immediacy or disclosed private information about themselves or the patient. The results of a hierarchical log-linear regression revealed that the use of relational communication during requests directly predicted family consent. The results provide information about surrogate decision making in end-of-life situations and may be used to guide future practice in obtaining family consent to tissue donation. PMID:21512935

Did parents have it right all along? Parents, risk, and living kidney donation: Revisiting the arguments for and against parental living donation of kidneys.

PubMed

Freeman, M A; Wightman, A G

2018-05-01

Historically, living kidney donation has been justified in part by our belief that living donors face minimal risks of subsequent disease. Recent research has brought that presumption into question, particularly for younger donors including parents. In light of this finding, we re-examine many of the traditional arguments both for and against the practice of parental living kidney donation. We then propose an alternative framework in which the burden of having a child with end-stage kidney disease can be considered as an illness experienced by the potential donor parent. We believe this allows a more straightforward, as well as more accurate, assessment of the risks and benefits of donation for the potential parental donor. This assessment might then be used to best inform the decision whether or not to proceed with kidney donation using a shared decision-making model, while reflecting the appropriate ethical roles of both the potential donor and the transplantation program. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A national minority transplant program for increasing donation rates.

PubMed

Callender, C; Burston, B; Yeager, C; Miles, P

1997-01-01

Since 1982, our group efforts demonstrated statistically significant improvements in minority donation rates which have applicability to all minority populations. As we continue to reach out to the various ethnic communities, we must listen to the needs of the community understanding that all ethnic communities have various beliefs and cultural barriers that will need to be addressed. For instance, the African-American population revealed the previously mentioned five obstacles to donation. The Hispanic population has revealed relatively the same fears to donation as the African-American population. In addition, the tribes within the Native-American population each have their own belief systems which will have to be addressed appropriately. The fears and obstacles toward donation within the Asians and Pacific Islanders and the Alaska Native groups are being defined. However, initial research reveals that all of the minority groups have very similar, if not the same, fears that were identified with the initial focus group in 1978. This simple methodology that has been established can ultimately help achieve the overall desired goal--an increase in minority donation rates.

[Attitude towards organ and tissue donation in Europe : Prerequisite for osteochondral allograft treatment].

PubMed

Schmidt, S; Schulte, A; Schwarz, S; Hofmann, N; Tietz, S; Boergel, M; Sixt, S U

2017-11-01

The biggest obstacle to overcome for routine treatment of various pathologies with fresh osteochondral allograft is the availability of tissue for transplantation. Large fresh osteochondral allografts are usually harvested from organ donors, but in contrast to organs, tissues can be procured after cardiac arrest. Medical staff as well the general public are much less aware of the possibilities and requirements of tissue donation compared to organ donation. This review aims to highlight the current situation of organ and tissue donation in Europe and to raise this much needed awareness. For this research, PubMed database was scanned using the terms "tissue/organ donation", "bone donation/transplantation", "cartilage transplantation/allografts" and "osteochrondral allografts". Relatives of potential donors are often not approached because physicians and nurses do not feel sufficiently prepared for this task and, thus, are reluctant to address this topic. Different options could alleviate the pressure medical staff is feeling. Furthermore, there are different factors influencing consent that can be addressed to increase donation rates. Currently, a lot of potential concerning musculoskeletal tissue grafts remains unused. Most importantly, families should be encouraged to speak about their potenzial will to donate and educational programs should be established to increase trust in organ and tissue donation and the allocation system and to increase knowledge about the importance of transplantation medicine. But joined efforts of different parts of the medical systems and different organizations involved in tissue transplantation should improve the situation for patients waiting for much needed transplants.

The Impact of Athletic Performance on Alumni Giving: An Analysis of Microdata

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meer, Jonathan; Rosen, Harvey S.

2009-01-01

An ongoing controversy in the literature on the economics of higher education centers on whether the success of a school's athletic program affects alumni donations. This paper uses a unique data set to investigate this issue. The data contain detailed information about donations made by alumni of a selective research university as well as a…

Nucleoli from growing oocytes inhibit the maturation of enucleolated, full-grown oocytes in the pig.

PubMed

Kyogoku, Hirohisa; Ogushi, Sugako; Miyano, Takashi; Fulka, Josef

2011-06-01

In mammals, the nucleolus of full-grown oocyte is essential for embryonic development but not for oocyte maturation. In our study, the role of the growing oocyte nucleolus in oocyte maturation was examined by nucleolus removal and/or transfer into previously enucleolated, growing (around 100 µm in diameter) or full-grown (120 µm) pig oocytes. In the first experiment, the nucleoli were aspirated from growing oocytes whose nucleoli had been compacted by actinomycin D treatment, and the enucleolated oocytes were matured in vitro. Most of non-treated or actinomycin D-treated oocytes did not undergo germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD; 13% and 12%, respectively). However, the GVBD rate of enucleolated, growing oocytes significantly increased to 46%. The low GVBD rate of enucleolated, growing oocytes was restored again by the re-injection of nucleoli from growing oocytes (23%), but not when nucleoli from full-grown oocytes were re-injected into enucleolated, growing oocytes (49%). When enucleolated, full-grown oocytes were injected with nucleoli from growing or full-grown oocytes, the nucleolus in the germinal vesicle was reassembled (73% and 60%, respectively). After maturation, the enucleolated, full-grown oocytes injected with nucleoli from full-grown oocytes matured to metaphase II (56%), whereas injection with growing-oocyte nucleoli reduced this maturation to 21%. These results suggest that the growing-oocyte nucleolus is involved in the oocyte's meiotic arrest, and that the full-grown oocyte nucleolus has lost the ability. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Effect of community educational interventions on rate of organ donation among Hispanic Americans.

PubMed

Salim, Ali; Ley, Eric J; Berry, Cherisse; Schulman, Danielle; Navarro, Sonia; Zheng, Ling; Chan, Linda S

2014-09-01

The need for suitable organs for transplantation is especially pronounced in minority populations such as Hispanic Americans owing to disproportionately high rates of diabetes mellitus and kidney disease. Considerable barriers exist for Hispanic Americans consent to donation, resulting in significantly lower donation rates compared with white individuals. To investigate the effect of an aggressive outreach intervention during a 5-year period aimed at improving organ donation rates among Hispanic Americans. Prospective longitudinal observation study of organ donors treated at a major metropolitan level I trauma center. The center provides most of the medical care to the 4 Southern California neighborhoods with a high percentage of Hispanic Americans that were included in the study. Television and radio media campaigns and culturally sensitive educational programs implemented at high schools, churches, and medical clinics in the target neighborhoods. Consent rate for organ donation recorded during the study. Outreach interventions started in 2007 and were completed by 2012. Of 268 potential donors, 155 total donors (106 Hispanic Americans) provided consent during this time. A significant increase in consent rate was noted among Hispanic Americans, from 56% in 2005 to 83%in 2011 (P = .004); this increase was not evident in the population that was not Hispanic (67%in 2005 and 79% in 2011; P = .21). Aggressive outreach programs can reduce the disparity between organ supply and demand by improving the consent rate among the target group.

An Analysis of Organ Donation Policy in the United States.

PubMed

Ahmad, Ghazi; Iftikhar, Sadia

2016-05-02

There is currently an organ shortage crisis in the United States. This paper analyzes the magnitude of the problem, the organ procurement programs in other developed countries as compared to the US, and discusses the changes that can be made to address this problem. With the opt-in or explicit-consent method currently practiced in the US, less that one third of the population consents to organ donation. In order to narrow the gap between the demand and supply of organs, steps need to be taken to improve the organ procurement infrastructure. The public needs to be educated about the dire need, the benefits and risks in organ donation, and living vs. deceased donation. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2016-05.asp, free with no login].

The Canadian kidney paired donation program: a national program to increase living donor transplantation.

PubMed

Cole, Edward H; Nickerson, Peter; Campbell, Patricia; Yetzer, Kathy; Lahaie, Nick; Zaltzman, Jeffery; Gill, John S

2015-05-01

Establishment of a national kidney paired donation (KPD) program represents a unique achievement in Canada's provincially organized health care system. Key factors enabling program implementation included consultation with international experts, formation of a unique organization with a mandate to facilitate interprovincial collaboration, and the volunteer efforts of members of the Canadian transplant community to overcome a variety of logistical barriers. As of December 2013, the program had facilitated 240 transplantations including 10% with Calculated panel reactive antibody (cPRA) ≥97%. Unique features of the Canadian KPD program include participation of n = 55 nondirected donors, performance of only donor specific antibody negative transplants, the requirement for donor travel, and nonuse of bridge donors. The national KPD program has helped maintain the volume of living kidney donor transplants in Canada over the past 5 years and serves as a model of inter-provincial collaboration to improve the delivery of health care to Canadians.

DCD lung donation: donor criteria, procedural criteria, pulmonary graft function validation, and preservation.

PubMed

Erasmus, Michiel E; van Raemdonck, Dirk; Akhtar, Mohammed Zeeshan; Neyrinck, Arne; de Antonio, David Gomez; Varela, Andreas; Dark, John

2016-07-01

In an era where there is a shortage of lungs for transplantation is increased utilization of lungs from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors. We review the reports of 11 controlled and 1 uncontrolled DCD programs focusing on donor criteria, procedural criteria, graft assessment, and preservation techniques including the use of ex vivo lung perfusion. We have formulated conclusions and recommendations for each of these areas, which were presented at the 6th International Conference on Organ Donation. A table of recommendations, the grade of recommendations, and references are provided. © 2015 Steunstichting ESOT.

Blood donation practice and its associated factors among health professionals of University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Arage, Getachew; Ibrahim, Seada; Adimasu, Endeshaw

2017-07-19

Blood donation has remained a challenge in developing countries, like Ethiopia. In Ethiopia there is a high reliance on family surrogate and waged blood donors which carries an attendant increased risk of transfusion transmissible infection. Health workers are expected to practice blood donation so as to create a good image to the public. A study on blood donation behavior may improve successful implementation of the blood donation programs. An institution based cross-sectional study was deployed from January to June 2015. An aggregate of 427 health workers were included in the study by using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by using pre tested and structured questionnaire via self-administrated method. Descriptive and summary statistics were employed. Bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were computed. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine the level of significance. A total of 427 participants were included in the final analysis (response rate = 100%). Among these participants, 33.2% of them practice blood donation. Age above 25 years [AOR = 1.8 (95% CI 1.1, 3.0)], health professionals' knowledge of blood donation [AOR = 1.9 (95% CI 1.1, 3.1)], health professionals' attitude towards blood donation [AOR = 3.0, 95% CI 1. 8, 4.9)], and the presence of family members or relatives who received blood [AOR = 5.4, 95% CI 3.7, 8.7)] were significantly and independently associated with blood donation behavior of health professionals. Blood donation practice of health professionals in this study was found to be low as compared to other studies conducted in developing countries. Health professionals' knowledge, attitude, age and the presence of family members or relatives who received blood before were independently associated with blood donation practice. Thus, awareness has to be created for health professionals to improve blood donation practices.

Awareness and Attitudes toward Organ Donation in Rural Puducherry, India

PubMed Central

Balajee, KL; Ramachandran, N; Subitha, L

2016-01-01

Background: For many of the end-stage organ diseases, organ transplantation is the most preferred treatment. The need for the organ transplantation is higher than the availability. For the transplantation program to be successful, awareness regarding organ donation is needed and people must have a positive attitude toward donating organs. Aim: This study aims to assess the awareness and attitudes regarding organ donation among the rural population and to evaluate the sociodemographic factors associated with their awareness. Subjects and Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 people living in 4 villages of Puducherry. Face-to-face interviews were carried out using pretested questionnaire, which included the sociodemographic data. Data were entered into Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results: Of 360 participants, 88% (317/360) were aware of organ donation. Among these 317 participants, awareness was highest in the age group 18–30 years 98.8% (87/88), male 91% (147/161), higher secondary and above 100% (58/58), and Class 1 socioeconomic status 92% (13/14). Source of awareness about organ donation was primarily through media 83% (263/317). The majority of the participants 88% (281/317) felt that the purpose of organ donation was to save life. Most of the participants 91% (290/317) said that all healthy adults are eligible organ donors and 87% (275/317) of the participants said that monetary benefits could not be accepted for organ donation. Most of the participants 70% (223/317) were willing to donate their organs after death. Among the participants who refused to donate their organs, family refusal 57% (25/44) was the most common reason. Conclusion: This study shows that there is a high level of awareness about organ donation among rural people and most of the participants are willing to donate their organs. PMID:28503345

Motivations to donate blood: demographic comparisons.

PubMed

Glynn, Simone A; Kleinman, Steven H; Schreiber, George B; Zuck, Thomas; Combs, Suzanne Mc; Bethel, James; Garratty, George; Williams, Alan E

2002-02-01

Understanding blood donor motivations is crucial to improving effectiveness of donor recruitment and retention programs. Data from a 1998 survey of 92,581 U.S. blood donors were used to evaluate factors influencing the decision to donate in various demographic groups. Data were weighted to adjust for response and sample design. Of 52,650 respondents, 45,588 gave whole-blood (WB) donations. Among all demographic groups, the major reasons to donate were altruism (75-87%) and awareness of the need for blood (34-43%). Except for first-time donors and those

Nucleoli from growing oocytes support the development of enucleolated full-grown oocytes in the pig.

PubMed

Kyogoku, Hirohisa; Ogushi, Sugako; Miyano, Takashi

2010-02-01

Recent research has shown that the maternal nucleolus is essential for embryonic development. The morphology of the nucleolus in growing oocytes differs from that in full-grown oocytes. We determined the ability of nucleoli from growing oocytes to substitute for nucleoli of full-grown oocytes in terms of supporting embryonic development in this study. Growing (around 100 microm in diameter) and full-grown porcine oocytes (120 microm) were collected from small (0.6-1.0 mm) and large antral follicles (4-5 mm), respectively. The nucleolus was aspirated from full-grown oocytes by micromanipulation, and the resulting enucleolated oocytes were matured to metaphase II; the nucleoli originating from full-grown and growing oocytes were then injected into the oocytes. The Chromatin of growing oocytes was aspirated with the nucleolus during the enucleolation process. Growing oocytes were thus treated with actinomycin D to release the chromatin from their nucleoli, and the nucleoli were collected and transferred to the enucleolated and matured full-grown oocytes. After activation by electro-stimulation, nucleoli were formed in pronuclei of sham-operated oocytes. Enucleolated oocytes that had been injected with nucleoli from either full-grown or growing, however, did not form any nucleoli in the pronuclei. No enucleolated oocytes developed to blastocysts, whereas enucleolated oocytes injected with nucleoli from full-grown oocytes (15%) or growing oocytes (18%) developed to blastocysts. These results indicate that the nucleoli from growing oocytes can substitute for nucleoli from full-grown oocytes during early embryonic development. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Knowledge and Ethical Issues in Organ Transplantation and Organ Donation: Perspectives from Iranian Health Personnel.

PubMed

Abbasi, Mahmoud; Kiani, Mehrzad; Ahmadi, Mehdi; Salehi, Bahare

2018-05-04

BACKGROUND Organ transplantation is one of the most critical topics in medical ethics that is commonplace in various countries. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and the ethical issues surrounding organ transplantation and organ donation among healthcare personnel in Tehran, Iran. MATERIAL AND METHODS In a cross-sectional study performed on 450 healthcare personnel, self-administered questionnaires were used to derive data from individuals. Among the 450 health personnel who received the questionnaires, 377 completed their questionnaires (83.77%). RESULTS The willingness and unwillingness to donate organs among individuals were 47.48% (n=179) and 52.51% (n=198), respectively. Among the individuals who signed the organ donation card, 96.5% (n=55) were willing to donate their organs and 3.5% (n=2) were unwilling to donate their organs. Most of the individuals that were willing (48.34%; n=175) and unwilling (51.66%; n=187) to donate their organs claimed religious support for organ donation (P=0.00). Out of these people, 110 willing people (67.48%) and 53 (32.52%) unwilling people were familiar with the idea of brain death. The individuals who selected cadavers (67.64%; n=255) and brain death (24.4%; n=92) were chosen as the best candidates for organ donation. Most individuals believed that young patients (n=123; 32.62%) and people who had not already had organ transplants (n=90; 23.87%) should be the preferred recipients of organs. Most individuals had learned about organ transplantation from television (30.24%; n=114), newspapers (23.61%; n=89), and the radio (19.89%; n=75). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, there is a need for more educational programs for the improvement of knowledge and ethical consideration with regard to organ transplantation and organ donation among healthcare personnel.

ICU Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards their Role in the Organ Donation Process from Brain-Dead Patients and Factors Influencing it in Iran

PubMed Central

Masoumian Hoseini, S. T.; Manzari, Z.; Khaleghi, I.

2015-01-01

Background: Nowadays, ICU nurses play a significant role in the care of brain-dead patients and their families. Therefore, their knowledge, attitude and practice towards this issue are extremely important to the success of organ donation. Objective: To assess ICU nurses’ knowledge, attitude and practice towards their role in the organ donation process from brain-dead patients and factors influencing it in Iran. Methods: In a cross-sectional analytical study, 90 ICU nurses working in Ghaem and Emam Reza Hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were selected through a stratified random sampling. Data were collected from the participants by a questionnaire included demographic information, and factors influencing the nurses knowledge, attitude, and practice towards their roles in the organ donation process. Results: 90 nurses participated in this study. 70% of the research subjects had spoken with their own families about organ donation; 20% had organ donation cards. The mean±SD score of nurses’ knowledge was 49.13±9.6, attitude 21.49±14.32, and practice was 3.66±6.04. 80% of nurses had a mean knowledge about their roles in the organ donation process; 82% agreed with their roles in this process, and 97% showed weak practice in this regard. Conclusion: Nurses did not have adequate knowledge, attitude, and practice towards their role in organ donation process. It is suggested to include nursing courses on the organ donation process and organ transplantation as well as educational programs to acquaint nurses with their roles in the organ donation process. PMID:26306156

Umbilical cord blood: a guide for primary care physicians.

PubMed

Martin, Paul L; Kurtzberg, Joanne; Hesse, Brett

2011-09-15

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants are used to treat a variety of oncologic, genetic, hematologic, and immunodeficiency disorders. Physicians have an important role in educating, counseling, and offering umbilical cord blood donation and storage options to patients. Parents may donate their infant's cord blood to a public bank, pay to store it in a private bank, or have it discarded. The federal government and many state governments have passed laws and issued regulations regarding umbilical cord blood, and some states require physicians to discuss cord blood options with pregnant women. Five prominent medical organizations have published recommendations about cord blood donation and storage. Current guidelines recommend donation of umbilical cord blood to public banks when possible, or storage through the Related Donor Cord Blood Program when a sibling has a disease that may require a stem cell transplant. Experts do not currently recommend private banking for unidentified possible future use. Step-by-step guidance and electronic resources are available to physicians whose patients are considering saving or donating their infant's umbilical cord blood.

The Impact and Evaluation of Two School-Based Interventions on Intention to Register an Organ Donation Preference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reubsaet, A.; Brug, J.; Kitslaar, J.; Van Hooff, J. P.; van den Borne, H. W.

2004-01-01

The present paper describes the impact and evaluation of two intervention components--a video with group discussion and an interactive computer-tailored program--in order to encourage adolescents to register their organ donation preference. Studies were conducted in school during regular school hours. The video with group discussion in class had a…

Using Body Donor Demographics to Assist the Implementation of Donation Programs in Brazil

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

da Rocha, Andrea Oxley; de Campos, Deivis; Farina, Marco Aurélio; Pacini, Gabriel Sartori; Girotto, Marina Cornelli; Hilbig, Arlete

2017-01-01

The use of human material in anatomy education depends upon the generosity of body donors. However, little is known regarding the demographics of body donors in Brazil, where voluntary body donation is a relatively rare phenomenon. Hence, the aim of the present study was to elucidate the demographic profile of applicants to the Body Donation…

"1st Reads" Program Aims to Improve Book Donations and Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coffman, Steve

2006-01-01

Many people donate books to libraries, but too often they are titles that the librarians cannot use because they are usually too old, too passe, or too tattered and worn to be added to the library collection, and so they end up in library sales. Librarians in Riverside County, California and members of the Library Systems & Services, LLC (LSSI)…

Ethical aspects of organ donation activities.

PubMed

Stephan, Antoine; Barbari, Antoine; Younan, Farida

2007-12-01

Renal transplant remains the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease. Human organs can be harvested from 2 main sources: living and deceased donors. Preference should be given to deceased-donor transplants since they represent the only source of organs for several nonrenal solid-organ transplants and the only modality where there is no risk to the donor. Unfortunately, even the most well-developed deceased-donor program (eg, the Spanish program) can barely cover 50% of its waiting list because the demand for deceased-donor organs far exceeds supply. The success of transplant surgery has created a waiting list dilemma. Despite all efforts, deceased-donor donation cannot meet current needs and therefore, living donation demands serious consideration. This is supported by the fact that the risk to live donors is minimal, graft survival is significantly better than that of deceased-donor kidneys regardless of HLA matching, and professional ethical philosophers have fewer difficulties with voluntary living donations than with the removal of an organ from a cadaver. This is especially true in our region. Living-related donation has always been acceptable ethically. It is, however, limited by the number of willing and qualified donors, the high incidence of familial renal diseases, and donor coercion (especially in our area). Living-unrelated donation increases the availability of donors, decreases the chances of coercion, and eliminates the problem of consanguinity. It raises, however, the ethical issues of commercialism, transplant tourism, and organ trafficking. The arguments for and against living-unrelated donation are innumerable. They have been the subject of several international forums and have raised endless discussions. We have set long ago a series of rules and regulations that are in close agreement with the recent Amsterdam and Kuwait resolutions. We have been continually modifying them over the last 15 years to try to implement our ideal, which is to protect the interest of the living donor and avoid commercialism.

The development of the program of voluntary blood donation promotion in students population of the University of Belgrade.

PubMed

Srzentić, Snelana Jovanović; Rodić, Ivana; Knezević, Mirjana

2015-06-01

Given that in each country students represent the most progressive population group, as of 2001, the Blood Transfusion Institute of Serbia (BTIS) has been carrying the program of voluntary blood donation promotion and education of volunteers at the University of Belgrade (UB). In 2011, the BTIS intensified all activities at the UB. The aim of this study was to present activities performed from 2001 at the Blood Donors' Motivation Department (DMD) of the BTIS related with increasing the level of awareness on voluntary blood donation in the Belgrade students' population, enhancing their motivation to become voluntary blood donors (VBDs), increasing the number of blood donations at faculties of the UB, and increasing the number of blood donations in the UB students population compared with the total number of blood units collected by BTIS in Belgrade, with the emphasis on the year 2013. Initially, the applied methodology was based on encouraging students to donate blood through discussions and preparatory lectures, followed by organized blood drives. Appropriate selection of volunteers at each faculty was crucial. Besides their recognisable identity, they had to have remarkable communication skills and ability to positivly affect persons in their environment. The applied principle was based on retention of volunteers all through the final academic year, with the inclusion of new volunteers each year and 1,000 preparatory lectures on the annual basis. The activities were realized using two Facebook profiles, SMS messages and continuous notification of the public through the media. There was an increase in the average number of students in blood drives at the faculties from 2011, when the average number of the students per blood drive was 39, followed by 43 in 2012 and 46 in 2013. The number of students who donated blood in 2013 increased by 21.3% compared with 2012 data. The applied concept highly contributed to generation and retention of future VBDs willing to regularly donate blood in the coming years, with a minimum risk of transmission of transfusion transmissible diseases markers.

Expression of G protein estrogen receptor (GPER) on membrane of mouse oocytes during maturation.

PubMed

Li, Yi-Ran; Ren, Chun-E; Zhang, Quan; Li, Ji-Chun; Chian, Ri-Cheng

2013-02-01

To determine expression of G-protein estrogen receptor (GPER) in mouse oocyte membrane during maturation. The expression of GPER from different maturation stages of oocytes, in vivo and in vitro matured oocytes as well as aging oocytes was examined by immune-fluorescence GPR30 antibody and the images were analyzed by laser scanning confocal microscope. Further confirmation was performed by Western blots for cell fractionation. Significant fluorescent signal was observed on the surface of mouse oocytes. The image expression was lower in germinal vesicle (GV) stage than mature metaphase-II (M-II) stage oocytes. There was high expression in in-vivo matured oocytes compared to in vitro matured oocytes. The highest expression was observed in aging oocytes compared with other oocytes. The changes of expression of GPER on mouse oocytes plasma membrane confirm oocyte membrane maturation, suggesting that those changes of GPER may be related to the functional role of oocyte maturation.

Nanoliter droplet vitrification for oocyte cryopreservation.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaohui; Khimji, Imran; Shao, Lei; Safaee, Hooman; Desai, Khanjan; Keles, Hasan Onur; Gurkan, Umut Atakan; Kayaalp, Emre; Nureddin, Aida; Anchan, Raymond M; Maas, Richard L; Demirci, Utkan

2012-04-01

Oocyte cryopreservation remains largely experimental, with live birth rates of only 2-4% per thawed oocyte. In this study, we present a nanoliter droplet technology for oocyte vitrification. An ejector-based droplet vitrification system was designed to continuously cryopreserve oocytes in nanoliter droplets. Oocyte survival rates, morphologies and parthenogenetic development after each vitrification step were assessed in comparison with fresh oocytes. Oocytes were retrieved after cryoprotectant agent loading/unloading, and nanoliter droplet encapsulation showed comparable survival rates to fresh oocytes after 24 h in culture. Also, oocytes recovered after vitrification/thawing showed similar morphologies to those of fresh oocytes. Additionally, the rate of oocyte parthenogenetic activation after nanoliter droplet encapsulation was comparable with that observed for fresh oocytes. This nanoliter droplet technology enables the vitrification of oocytes at higher cooling and warming rates using lower cryoprotectant agent levels (i.e., 1.4 M ethylene glycol, 1.1 M dimethyl sulfoxide and 1 M sucrose), thus making it a potential technology to improve oocyte cryopreservation outcomes.

Nanoliter droplet vitrification for oocyte cryopreservation

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaohui; Khimji, Imran; Shao, Lei; Safaee, Hooman; Desai, Khanjan; Keles, Hasan Onur; Gurkan, Umut Atakan; Kayaalp, Emre; Nureddin, Aida; Anchan, Raymond M; Maas, Richard L; Demirci, Utkan

2011-01-01

Aim Oocyte cryopreservation remains largely experimental, with live birth rates of only 2–4% per thawed oocyte. In this study, we present a nanoliter droplet technology for oocyte vitrification. Materials & methods An ejector-based droplet vitrification system was designed to continuously cryopreserve oocytes in nanoliter droplets. Oocyte survival rates, morphologies and parthenogenetic development after each vitrification step were assessed in comparison with fresh oocytes. Results Oocytes were retrieved after cryoprotectant agent loading/unloading, and nanoliter droplet encapsulation showed comparable survival rates to fresh oocytes after 24 h in culture. Also, oocytes recovered after vitrification/thawing showed similar morphologies to those of fresh oocytes. Additionally, the rate of oocyte parthenogenetic activation after nanoliter droplet encapsulation was comparable with that observed for fresh oocytes. This nanoliter droplet technology enables the vitrification of oocytes at higher cooling and warming rates using lower cryoprotectant agent levels (i.e., 1.4 M ethylene glycol, 1.1 M dimethyl sulfoxide and 1 M sucrose), thus making it a potential technology to improve oocyte cryopreservation outcomes. PMID:22188180

Current trends and progress in clinical applications of oocyte cryopreservation.

PubMed

Cil, Aylin P; Seli, Emre

2013-06-01

To delineate the current trends in the clinical application of oocyte cryopreservation. Although the first live birth from oocyte cryopreservation was reported approximately three decades ago, significant improvement in the clinical application of oocyte cryopreservation took place only over the past decade. On the basis of the available evidence suggesting that success rates with donor oocyte vitrification are similar to that of IVF with fresh donor oocytes, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine has recently stated that oocyte cryopreservation should no longer be considered experimental for medical indications, outlying elective oocyte cryopreservation. Meanwhile, a few surveys on the attitudes toward oocyte cryopreservation revealed that elective use for the postponement of fertility is currently the most common indication for oocyte cryopreservation. Most recently, a randomized controlled trial revealed important evidence on the safety of nondonor oocyte cryopreservation, and confirmed that the clinical success of vitrification is comparable to that of IVF with fresh oocytes. The evidence suggesting similar IVF success rates with both donor and nondonor cryopreserved oocytes compared with fresh oocytes will increase the utilization of elective oocyte cryopreservation. Appropriate counseling of women for oocyte cryopreservation requires the establishment of age-based clinical success rates with cryopreserved oocytes for various indications.

Recruitment and retention of blood donors in four Canadian cities: an analysis of the role of community and social networks.

PubMed

Smith, André; Matthews, Ralph; Fiddler, Jay

2013-12-01

This study approaches the decision to donate blood as a dynamic process involving interplay between blood donors' personal motives, donors' social contexts, and the donor recruitment and retention activities of blood collection agencies. Data were gathered from four blood donation clinics using in-depth interviews with Canadian Blood Services employees, donors, and nondonors in 25 organizations participating in Life Link, a donor recruitment program that supports organizations to educate employees about the benefits of blood donation. Further data were obtained from ethnographic observations of blood collection and donor recruitment activities. Thematic analysis resulted in three umbrella themes: leveraging social networks, embedding the clinic in the community, and donating blood and social reciprocity. Donor recruitment activities at all four clinics enhanced awareness of blood donation in the workplace by using experienced donors to motivate their coworkers in making a first-time donation. Clinic employees reported varying success in improving awareness of blood donation in the broader community, in part because of varying employee engagement in community-wide activities and celebrations. Altruistic motives were mentioned by experienced donors, who also identified a desire to reciprocate to their community as another strong motive. This study contextualizes donor recruitment and retention as involving activities that tie blood donation to meaningful aspects of donors' social networks and community. The findings point to the need for further analyses of the institutional dimensions of blood donation to develop effective strategies beyond appeals to altruism. © 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.

Understanding reproducibility of human IVF traits to predict next IVF cycle outcome.

PubMed

Wu, Bin; Shi, Juanzi; Zhao, Wanqiu; Lu, Suzhen; Silva, Marta; Gelety, Timothy J

2014-10-01

Evaluating the failed IVF cycle often provides useful prognostic information. Before undergoing another attempt, patients experiencing an unsuccessful IVF cycle frequently request information about the probability of future success. Here, we introduced the concept of reproducibility and formulae to predict the next IVF cycle outcome. The experimental design was based on the retrospective review of IVF cycle data from 2006 to 2013 in two different IVF centers and statistical analysis. The reproducibility coefficients (r) of IVF traits including number of oocytes retrieved, oocyte maturity, fertilization, embryo quality and pregnancy were estimated using the interclass correlation coefficient between the repeated IVF cycle measurements for the same patient by variance component analysis. The formulae were designed to predict next IVF cycle outcome. The number of oocytes retrieved from patients and their fertilization rate had the highest reproducibility coefficients (r = 0.81 ~ 0.84), which indicated a very close correlation between the first retrieval cycle and subsequent IVF cycles. Oocyte maturity and number of top quality embryos had middle level reproducibility (r = 0.38 ~ 0.76) and pregnancy rate had a relative lower reproducibility (r = 0.23 ~ 0.27). Based on these parameters, the next outcome for these IVF traits might be accurately predicted by the designed formulae. The introduction of the concept of reproducibility to our human IVF program allows us to predict future IVF cycle outcomes. The traits of oocyte numbers retrieved, oocyte maturity, fertilization, and top quality embryos had higher or middle reproducibility, which provides a basis for accurate prediction of future IVF outcomes. Based on this prediction, physicians may counsel their patients or change patient's stimulation plans, and laboratory embryologists may improve their IVF techniques accordingly.

Acute dietary zinc deficiency before conception compromises oocyte epigenetic programming and disrupts embryonic development.

PubMed

Tian, X; Diaz, F J

2013-04-01

Recent findings show that zinc is an important factor necessary for regulating the meiotic cell cycle and ovulation. However, the role of zinc in promoting oocyte quality and developmental potential is not known. Using an in vivo model of acute dietary zinc deficiency, we show that feeding a zinc deficient diet (ZDD) for 3-5 days before ovulation (preconception) dramatically disrupts oocyte chromatin methylation and preimplantation development. There was a dramatic decrease in histone H3K4 trimethylation and global DNA methylation in zinc deficient oocytes. Moreover, there was a 3-20 fold increase in transcript abundance of repetitive elements (Iap, Line1, Sineb1, Sineb2), but a decrease in Gdf9, Zp3 and Figla mRNA. Only 53% and 8% of mature eggs reached the 2-cell stage after IVF in animals receiving a 3 and 5 days ZDD, respectively, while a 5 day ZDD in vivo reduced the proportion of 2-cells to 49%. In vivo fertilized 2-cell embryos cultured in vitro formed fewer (38%) blastocysts compared to control embryos (74%). Likewise, fewer blastocyst and expanded blastocyst were collected from the reproductive tract of zinc deficient animals on day 3.5 of pregnancy. This could be due to a decrease in Igf2 and H19 mRNA in ZDD blastocyst. Supplementation with a methyl donor (SAM) during IVM restored histone H3K4me3 and doubled the IVF success rate from 17% to 43% in oocytes from zinc deficient animals. Thus, the terminal period of oocyte development is extremely sensitive to perturbation in dietary zinc availability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Family perception of the process of organ donation. Qualitative psychosocial analysis of the subjective interpretation of donor and nondonor families.

PubMed

López Martínez, Jorge S; Martín López, María Jesús; Scandroglio, Barbara; Martínez García, José Manuel

2008-05-01

Family perception of organ donation has been explored by numerous authors using statements by the people who decided whether or not to donate the organs of a relative in a situation of brain death. Within this tradition, in this work, we analyze the discourse of six families who granted permission for organ donation and three who refused. We describe the process-based interpretation of this experience and identify psychosocial variables and processes that further our understanding of the decision finally adopted. We have identified two heuristics that guide family decision when organ donation is requested: the explicit or inferred will of the deceased and family attitudes to organ donation and transplant. It is postulated that the interaction of these two factors explains a large amount of the decisions made. We also hypothesize that a marked discrepancy between these two factors increases the importance of other aspects, especially the role of the transplant coordinator and of other healthcare personnel. These results support, at a social level, the implementation of transplant promotion programs; and at a healthcare level, the combined use of techniques of crisis intervention and attitude change.

[Attitude and opinion of medical students about organ donation and transplantation].

PubMed

Galvao, Flavio H F; Caires, Renato A; Azevedo-Neto, Raimundo S; Mory, Eduardo K; Figueira, Estela R R; Otsuzi, Thiago S; Bacchella, Telesforo; Machado, Marcel C C

2007-01-01

We analyzed the opinion and understanding of medical students about organ donation and transplantation. 347 students voluntarily completed a questionnaire with 17 queries concerning organ donation and transplantation. They were analyzed to identify general tendencies and divided into five groups, according to their year of study (first through sixth year), to assess differences among the years. Students of the fifth and sixth years were placed in the same group. Results were analyzed by the Chi-square test. The intention to become a post mortem or living donor was of 89% and 90% respectively; however, only 62% were aware of living donation risks. 70% of the 347 students admitted regular or little knowledge of the subject, 90.2% considered organ transplantation an important issue for a medical graduation program, 76.9% considered informed/expressed consent the best organ donation criterion and 64.3% of them chose severity of patient disease as the best allocation condition. As students progressed in their studies their understanding about transplantation improved. Students of the fourth, fifth and sixth year manifested a negative attitude about organ donation to alcohol addicts, non donors, drug users, law offenders and foreigners. This data show the great interest and positive attitude of medical students toward organ donation and transplantation, despite the fact that most of them admitted having insufficient knowledge on the subject. A negative attitude by students of the fourth, fifth and sixth year on organ donation to alcohol addicts, non donors, drug users, law offenders and foreigners was also observed.

Current trends and progress in clinical applications of oocyte cryopreservation

PubMed Central

Cil, Aylin P.; Seli, Emre

2013-01-01

Purpose of review To delineate the current trends in the clinical application of oocyte cryopreservation. Recent findings Although the first live birth from oocyte cryopreservation was reported approximately three decades ago, significant improvement in the clinical application of oocyte cryopreservation took place only over the past decade. On the basis of the available evidence suggesting that success rates with donor oocyte vitrification are similar to that of IVF with fresh donor oocytes, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine has recently stated that oocyte cryopreservation should no longer be considered experimental for medical indications, outlying elective oocyte cryopreservation. Meanwhile, a few surveys on the attitudes toward oocyte cryopreservation revealed that elective use for the postponement of fertility is currently the most common indication for oocyte cryopreservation. Most recently, a randomized controlled trial revealed important evidence on the safety of nondonor oocyte cryopreservation, and confirmed that the clinical success of vitrification is comparable to that of IVF with fresh oocytes. Summary The evidence suggesting similar IVF success rates with both donor and nondonor cryopreserved oocytes compared with fresh oocytes will increase the utilization of elective oocyte cryopreservation. Appropriate counseling of women for oocyte cryopreservation requires the establishment of age-based clinical success rates with cryopreserved oocytes for various indications. PMID:23562954

Decision Making in Kidney Paired Donation Programs with Altruistic Donors*

PubMed Central

Li, Yijiang; Song, Peter X.-K.; Leichtman, Alan B.; Rees, Michael A.; Kalbfleisch, John D.

2014-01-01

In recent years, kidney paired donation (KPD) has been extended to include living non-directed or altruistic donors, in which an altruistic donor donates to the candidate of an incompatible donor-candidate pair with the understanding that the donor in that pair will further donate to the candidate of a second pair, and so on; such a process continues and thus forms an altruistic donor-initiated chain. In this paper, we propose a novel strategy to sequentially allocate the altruistic donor (or bridge donor) so as to maximize the expected utility; analogous to the way a computer plays chess, the idea is to evaluate different allocations for each altruistic donor (or bridge donor) by looking several moves ahead in a derived look-ahead search tree. Simulation studies are provided to illustrate and evaluate our proposed method. PMID:25309603

The impact of disclosure on donor gamete participants: donors, intended parents and offspring.

PubMed

Greenfeld, Dorothy A

2008-06-01

The present review examines recent publications that provide insight into how the trend toward nonanonymity and disclosure in gamete donation impacts donors, intended parents, and their donor-conceived children. Recent findings show an increase in donor programs that offer open-identity between donors and offspring. The psychological needs of gamete donors and their attitudes toward disclosure are increasingly given consideration. Qualitative research on how parents of donor gamete offspring make decisions about disclosure reveals that even when couples initially disagree about disclosing to offspring, most ultimately come to a united disclosure decision. The literature on the impact of disclosure on donor gamete offspring has extended to include children conceived through embryo donation and children born as a result of surrogacy. The absence of genetic or gestational link between parents and their child does not have a negative impact on parent-child relationships. Parents through surrogacy tend to disclose the method of family creation to their child, whereas parents through embryo donation tend to be secretive about their child's origins. The trend toward greater openness in gamete donation has been accompanied by an increase in programs offering open-identity donation. In addition, the psychological needs of gamete donors and their attitudes toward disclosure are increasingly being given consideration. Parents of donor gamete offspring give careful thought to their disclosure decisions, and the psychological well being of donor-conceived children does not seem to be impacted by those decisions.

The trend of body donation for education based on Korean social and religious culture.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Tae; Jang, Yoonsun; Park, Min Sun; Pae, Calvin; Park, Jinyi; Hu, Kyung-Seok; Park, Jin-Seo; Han, Seung-Ho; Koh, Ki-Seok; Kim, Hee-Jin

2011-01-01

Until a century ago, Korean medicine was based mainly on Oriental philosophies and ideas. From a religious perspective, Chinese Confucianism was prevalent in Korea at that time. Since Confucianists believe that it is against one's filial duty to harm his or her body, given to them by their parents, most Koreans did not donate their bodies or organs for education in the past. However, by the end of the 20th century, a unique fusion of Western and Oriental medicines were produced on the Korean Peninsula, revolutionizing traditional perspectives on the human body, mortality, and the relationship of medical science to society. Koreans began to think about others' lives as well as their own by realizing the importance of donating one's organs and bodies for scientific purposes. Since then, the number of people donating their bodies to Korean medical and dental schools for the purpose of improving academic learning has increased dramatically. In response, Korean medical schools have begun to hold various types of funeral ceremonies to honor body donors. We have compared such ceremonies performed in Korea with those performed in the United States of America and Taiwan. These ceremonies are viewed as a suitable way to pay proper respect to the dead and to promote knowledge about body donation programs in Korea. Overall, the transition of religions and social ethics in Korea has greatly facilitated body bequeathal programs, benefiting both medical education and the Korean public health administration. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Anatomists.

Dissecting the dissectors: Knowledge, attitude, and practice of body bequests by Nigerian anatomists.

PubMed

Anyanwu, Emeka G; Obikili, Emmanuel N

2012-01-01

Anatomy education in most African countries is limited by an insufficient number of cadavers for students to undertake dissection. This already significant shortage is exacerbated by an increasing number of medical schools and students. Virtual dissections are impractical in alleviating such a shortfall in African anatomy education, and further cadaver supply is challenged by unethical and dubious sources. This study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of whole body and organ donation by Nigerian anatomists with the aim of finding solutions to the problems associated with the availability of cadavers in Nigerian medical schools. Out of 46 anatomists that participated in the survey, only 23.9% would consider donating their whole bodies and 60.9% their organs. More than 95% of respondents did not believe that body bequests could become the sole source of cadavers for anatomic dissection in Nigeria. Age and gender were not statistically significant in the choice of being a body or organ donor. The unacceptability to one's family members regarding body donation was the major reason for respondents' unwillingness to make a whole body donation. None of the 14 medical schools sampled in this study have yet instituted a body registration and donation program. The anatomists showed a high level of knowledge and awareness of body bequest programs, which were not reflected by their attitudes and practice. The authors recommend proactive measures aimed at improving the perception and attitudes of Nigerian anatomists. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

Trust women to choose: a response to John a Robertson's 'Egg freezing and Egg banking: empowerment and alienation in assisted reproduction'.

PubMed

Goold, Imogen

2017-12-01

In 'Egg Freezing and Egg Banking: Empowerment and Alienation in Assisted Reproduction', John A Robertson responds to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's statement that oocyte preservation should no longer be considered an experimental treatment. He explores the implications of this development, focusing on the potentially empowering impact of oocyte preservation as a means for women to preserve their fertility. He also engages with concerns about the possibility that such a development may raise issues of alienation. He highlights some of the potential problems that may emerge as women gain the capacity to store and either donate or sell any eggs they do not need for their own reproductive purposes. Much of his paper is valuable and considered, but in places, his views rest on assumptions about women's attitudes to their fertility, understanding of the technology, and relationship with their gametes that are open to dispute. This paper teases out some of these assumptions and puts pressure on them by drawing on the growing body of data about what women actually do think and feel about fertility issues. It focuses on two of his main concerns-that social egg freezing may give women a false sense of security and that women may be harmed if a market in eggs leads to their alienation from their gametes. Via this response to Robertson, I aim to redress the tendency often seen in discussions around women, infertility, aging, and empowerment to unquestioningly accept what I argue are stereotypes and assumptions about women's views and capacity to reason.

Ovarian aging: latest thoughts on assessment and management.

PubMed

Younis, Johnny S

2011-12-01

In the past few decades, women have been intentionally delaying pregnancy and ovarian aging has become one of the most detrimental factors of pregnancy achievement. This review will discuss contemporary methods of ovarian aging assessment and present an overview of current management strategies. Antimullerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) seem to be the most reliable predictors of ovarian aging appraisal. Nevertheless, they have not been shown to predict pregnancy achievement in assisted reproduction. Heritability has a high impact on ovarian aging. Employing several genetic approaches, it is now being widely investigated, but the task is far from being accomplished. Although multivariate models have not been proven to be superior to AFC, new data support the notion that chronological age and genetic markers inclusion may increase their reliability. Several strategies have been suggested to treat ovarian aging in assisted reproductive technology (ART) settings. None of the stimulation protocol manipulations have been found to be advantageous and individualization of treatment is still recommended. Ovarian priming by different androgen preparations has been shown to be promising but more randomized controlled trials are needed to support these findings. Except for oocyte donation other ART strategies have not shown a convincing benefit for ovarian aging. The new development of oocyte vitrification may well introduce opportunities for fertility preservation to women at risk of ovarian aging. Proper assessment and detection of ovarian aging, employing current or developing predictors of ovarian reserve, especially genetic tests, may enable health providers to recommend, at appropriate biological time, early pregnancy achievement or fertility preservation in women at risk.

High FSH decreases the developmental potential of mouse oocytes and resulting fertilized embryos, but does not influence offspring physiology and behavior in vitro or in vivo.

PubMed

Li, Min; Zhao, Yue; Zhao, Cui H; Yan, Jie; Yan, Ying L; Rong, Li; Liu, Ping; Feng, Huai-Liang; Yu, Yang; Qiao, Jie

2013-05-01

Do different concentrations of FSH in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure in vitro or in vivo affect the developmental competence of oocytes, the embryos and the offspring conceived from these embryos? Improper FSH treatment (200 IU/l in vitro, 10 IU/ml in vivo and 200 IU/ml in vivo) impairs the development competence of oocyte and embryo, but does not influence offspring physiology and behavior. Exogenous FSH has been widely used in the field of ART. However, the effects of different concentrations of FSH on the developmental competence of oocytes, embryos and the offspring conceived from these embryos, are still unknown. In a prospective study, a total of 45 mice at 8-10 weeks of age were primed in vivo with different dosages of FSH (9 mice in the 10 IU/ml, 10 mice in the 50 IU/ml, 10 mice in the 100 IU/ml and 16 mice in the 200 IU/ml groups). Fresh MII oocytes were retrieved from ovaries: this was designated as in vivo group. Thirty six mice at 8-10 weeks of age were sacrificed by cervical dislocation to obtain ovaries without FSH treatment (9 mice in the 0 IU/l, 9 mice in the 50 IU/l, 8 mice in the 100 IU/l and 10 mice in the 200 IU/l groups), and then the immature oocytes were collected from these ovaries and cultured in vitro matured medium supplemented with 0, 50, 100 and 200 IU/l FSH: this was designated as in vitro group. Spindle assembly of matured MII oocytes was stained via an immunofluorescence method and the oocytes ratio of normal spindle was analyzed. The developmental competence of the resulting fertilized embryos in the pre- and post-implantation stages was examined in in vitro and in vivo groups. Furthermore, physiological index, including reproductive potential and body weight, of the offspring was investigated by mating experiments and behavior index, including learning, memory, probing and intelligence, was tested by Morris water maze in in vitro and in vivo groups. In the in vitro groups, the oocyte maturation competence, normal spindle assembly, blastocyst formation and implantation, as well as viable pup production were all impaired in the group treated with 200 IU/l FSH (P < 0.05). No differences were observed among the other three groups (P > 0.05). In the in vivo groups, 10 IU/ml FSH but not 200 IU/ml treatment influenced blastocyst formation and viable pup production (P < 0.05), although the high proportion of spindle assembly abnormality was only observed in the 200 IU/ml FSH treatment group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in terms of physiological index (reproductive potential and body weight) and behavior index (learning, memory, probing and intelligence) in offspring from in vitro and in vivo groups (P > 0.05). The mouse model was used in this study. The results of the mouse follicle growth and oocyte development in responding to different concentrations of FSH are not 100% transferable to human, because of the physiological differences between mouse and human. The findings indicated that FSH application in the field of ART is safe to the resulted offspring, but it should be more carefully used for each women in ART cycles because the inappropriate FSH concentration would decrease the oocyte developmental competence. This work was partially supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China Grants (973 program; 2011CB944504), the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of Ministry of Education of China (30825038), the National Natural Science Funds for Young Scholar (31000661) and by the Joint Research Fund for Overseas, Hong Kong and Marco Scholars (31128013/C120205). None of the authors has any conflicts of interest.

Single embryo transfer by Day 3 time-lapse selection versus Day 5 conventional morphological selection: a randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial.

PubMed

Yang, Lanlin; Cai, Sufen; Zhang, Shuoping; Kong, Xiangyi; Gu, Yifan; Lu, Changfu; Dai, Jing; Gong, Fei; Lu, Guangxiu; Lin, Ge

2018-05-01

Does single cleavage-stage (Day 3) embryo transfer using a time-lapse (TL) hierarchical classification model achieve comparable ongoing pregnancy rates (OPR) to single blastocyst (Day 5) transfer by conventional morphological (CM) selection? Day 3 single embryo transfer (SET) with a hierarchical classification model had a significantly lower OPR compared with Day 5 SET with CM selection. Cleavage-stage SET is an alternative to blastocyst SET. Time-lapse imaging assists better embryo selection, based on studies of pregnancy outcomes when adding time-lapse imaging to CM selection at the cleavage or blastocyst stage. This single-centre, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, non-inferiority study included 600 women between October 2015 and April 2017. Eligible patients were Chinese females, aged ≤36 years, who were undergoing their first or second fresh IVF cycle using their own oocytes, and who had FSH levels ≤12 IU/mL on Day 3 of the cycle and 10 or more oocytes retrieved. Patients who had underlying uterine conditions, oocyte donation, recurrent pregnancy loss, abnormal oocytes or <6 normally fertilized embryos (2PN) were excluded from the study participation. Patients were randomized 1:1 to either the cleavage-stage SET with a time-lapse hierarchical classification model for selection (D3 + TL) or blastocyst SET with CM selection (D5 + CM). All normally fertilized zygotes were cultured in Primo Vision. The study was conducted at a tertiary IVF centre (CITIC-Xiangya) and OPR was the primary outcome. A total of 600 patients were randomized to the two groups, among which 585 (D3 + TL = 290, D5 + CM = 295) were included in the Modified-intention-to-treat (mITT) population and 517 (D3 + TL = 261, D5 + CM = 256) were included in the PP population. In the per protocol (PP) population, OPR was significantly lower in the D3 group (59.4%, 155/261) than in the D5 group (68.4%, 175/256) (difference: -9.0%, 95% CI: -17.1%, -0.7%, P = 0.03). Analysis in mITT population showed a marginally significant difference in the OPR between the D3 + TL and D5 + CM groups (56.6 versus 64.1%, difference: -7.5%, 95% CI: -15.4%, 0.4%, P = 0.06). The D3 + TL group resulted in a markedly lower implantation rate than the D5 + CM group (64.4 versus 77.0%; P = 0.002) in the PP analysis, however, the early miscarriage rate did not significantly differ between the two groups. The study lacked a direct comparison between time-lapse and CM selections at cleavage-stage SET and was statistically underpowered to detect non-inferiority. The subject's eligibility criteria favouring women with a good prognosis for IVF weakened the generalizability of the results. The OPR from Day 3 cleavage-stage SET using hierarchical classification time-lapse selection was significantly lower compared with that from Day 5 blastocyst SET using conventional morphology, yet it appeared to be clinically acceptable in women underwent IVF. This study is supported by grants from Ferring Pharmaceuticals and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, China. ChiCTR-ICR-15006600. 16 June 2015. 1 October 2015.

The Impact of Athletic Performance on Alumni Giving: An Analysis of Micro Data. NBER Working Paper No. 13937

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meer, Jonathan; Rosen, Harvey S.

2008-01-01

An ongoing controversy in the literature on the economics of higher education centers on whether the success of a school's athletic program affects alumni donations. This paper uses a unique data set to investigate this issue. The data contain detailed information about donations made by alumni of a selective research university as well as a…

Clinical benefit of metaphase I oocytes

PubMed Central

Vanhoutte, Leen; De Sutter, Petra; Van der Elst, Josiane; Dhont, Marc

2005-01-01

Background We studied the benefit of using in vitro matured metaphase I (MI) oocytes for ICSI in patients with a maximum of 6 mature metaphase II (MII) oocytes at retrieval. Methods In 2004, 187 ICSI cycles were selected in which maximum 6 MII oocytes and at least one MI oocyte were retrieved. MI oocytes were put in culture to mature until the moment of ICSI, which was performed between 2 to 11 hours after oocyte retrieval (day 0). In exceptional cases, when the patient did not have any mature oocyte at the scheduled time of ICSI, MI oocytes were left to mature overnight and were injected between 19 to 26 hours after retrieval (day 1). Embryos from MI oocytes were chosen for transfer only when no other good quality embryos from MII oocytes were available. Outcome parameters were time period of in vitro maturation (IVM), IVM and fertilization rates, embryo development, clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rates and total MI oocyte utilization rate. Results The overall IVM rate was 43%. IVM oocytes had lower fertilization rates compared to in vivo matured sibling oocytes (52% versus 68%, P < 0.05). The proportion of poor quality embryos was significantly higher in IVM derived oocytes. One pregnancy and live birth was obtained out of 13 transfers of embryos exclusively derived from IVM oocytes. This baby originated from an oocyte that was injected after 22 hrs of IVM. Conclusion Fertilization of in vitro matured MI oocytes can result in normal embryos and pregnancy, making IVM worthwhile, particularly when few MII oocytes are obtained at retrieval. PMID:16356175

Prediction of Developmentally Competent Chromatin Conformation in Mouse Antral Oocytes.

PubMed

Daszkiewicz, Regina; Szymoniak, Magdalena; Gąsior, Łukasz; Polański, Zbigniew

Mouse prophase oocytes isolated from antral follicles may possess two alternative types of chromatin configuration: NSN configuration represents more dispersed chromatin and is characteristic mainly for growing oocytes whereas SN configuration, attained upon oocyte growth, comprises more condensed chromatin with a significant fraction concentrated around the nucleolus. Importantly, fully grown oocytes isolated from antral follicles represent a non-homogenous population in which some oocytes posses NSN-type and others SN-type of chromatin conformation. From these two, only oocytes with SN configuration are able to complete full development upon fertilization. We show that among mouse oocytes isolated from antral follicles, those surrounded by cumulus cells were larger and more frequently possessed SN chromatin than oocytes lacking the complete cumulus cell layer. Females primed with PMSG gave a higher number of oocytes with a complete layer of cumulus cells and the frequency of oocytes with SN chromatin was also elevated. Within the whole population of isolated antral oocytes, we observed subtle variation in size which allowed fractionation of oocytes under a stereomicroscope into groups representing oocytes of slightly different sizes. The occurrence of SN chromatin configuration was highly dependent on the oocyte size and its frequency increased gradually in subsequent size groups reaching 95-100% in the group representing the largest oocytes. These findings demonstrate that the subtle differences in the size of antral oocytes allow prediction of the status of their chromatin, thus providing a simple, fast, non-invasive and non-expensive way to select good quality oocytes for ART purposes in mammals.

Oocyte glutathione and fertilisation outcome of Macaca nemestrina and Macaca fascicularis in in vivo- and in vitro-matured oocytes

PubMed Central

Curnow, E. C.; Ryan, J. P.; Saunders, D. M.; Hayes, E. S.

2010-01-01

Fertilisation and development of IVM non-human primate oocytes is limited compared with that of in vivo-matured (IVO) oocytes. The present study describes the IVM of macaque oocytes with reference to oocyte glutathione (GSH). Timing of maturation, comparison of IVM media and cysteamine (CYS) supplementation as a modulator of GSH were investigated. A significantly greater proportion of oocytes reached MII after 30 h compared with 24 h of IVM. Following insemination, IVM oocytes had a significantly lower incidence of normal fertilisation (i.e. 2PN = two pronuclei and at least one polar body) and a higher rate of abnormal fertilisation (1PN = one pronucleus and at least one polar body) compared with IVO oocytes. Immunofluorescence of 1PN zygotes identified incomplete sperm head decondensation and failure of male pronucleus formation as the principal cause of abnormal fertilisation in IVM oocytes. The IVO oocytes had significantly higher GSH content than IVM oocytes. Cumulus-denuded oocytes had significantly lower GSH following IVM compared with immature oocytes at collection. Cysteamine supplementation of the IVM medium significantly increased the GSH level of cumulus-intact oocytes and reduced the incidence of 1PN formation, but did not improve GSH levels of the denuded oocyte. Suboptimal GSH levels in macaque IVM oocytes may be related to reduced fertilisation outcomes. PMID:20591337

Oocyte glutathione and fertilisation outcome of Macaca nemestrina and Macaca fascicularis in in vivo- and in vitro-matured oocytes.

PubMed

Curnow, E C; Ryan, J P; Saunders, D M; Hayes, E S

2010-01-01

Fertilisation and development of IVM non-human primate oocytes is limited compared with that of in vivo-matured (IVO) oocytes. The present study describes the IVM of macaque oocytes with reference to oocyte glutathione (GSH). Timing of maturation, comparison of IVM media and cysteamine (CYS) supplementation as a modulator of GSH were investigated. A significantly greater proportion of oocytes reached MII after 30 h compared with 24 h of IVM. Following insemination, IVM oocytes had a significantly lower incidence of normal fertilisation (i.e. 2PN = two pronuclei and at least one polar body) and a higher rate of abnormal fertilisation (1PN = one pronucleus and at least one polar body) compared with IVO oocytes. Immunofluorescence of 1PN zygotes identified incomplete sperm head decondensation and failure of male pronucleus formation as the principal cause of abnormal fertilisation in IVM oocytes. The IVO oocytes had significantly higher GSH content than IVM oocytes. Cumulus-denuded oocytes had significantly lower GSH following IVM compared with immature oocytes at collection. Cysteamine supplementation of the IVM medium significantly increased the GSH level of cumulus-intact oocytes and reduced the incidence of 1PN formation, but did not improve GSH levels of the denuded oocyte. Suboptimal GSH levels in macaque IVM oocytes may be related to reduced fertilisation outcomes.

The Body as Gift, Commodity, or Something in Between: Ethical Implications of Advanced Kidney Donation.

PubMed

Koplin, Julian J

2017-10-01

An innovative program recently initiated at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center allows people to donate a kidney in exchange for a voucher that a loved one can redeem for a kidney if and when needed. As a relatively new practice, the ethical implications of advanced kidney donation have not yet been widely discussed. This paper reflects on some of the bioethical issues at stake in this new donation program, as well as some broader philosophical issues related to the meaning and moral salience of commodification. I first consider whether the literature on commercial markets in organs--a longstanding topic of bioethical debate--can meaningfully inform ethical analysis of kidney voucher programs. Specifically, I consider whether and to what extent common objections to the exchange of kidneys for cash also apply to the exchange of kidneys for "kidney vouchers." Second, I argue that the contrast between the ethical issues raised by these two practices highlights the need to understand commodification as existing on a continuum, with different degrees of commodification giving rise to different ethical issues. Doing so can help sharpen our understanding of commodification as a moral concept, as well as its relevance to broader debates about the moral limits of markets. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Oocyte Degeneration Associated with Follicle Cells in Female Mactra chinensis (Bivalvia: Mactridae)

PubMed Central

Kim, Sung Han; Chung, Ee-Yung; Lee, Ki-Young

2014-01-01

Ultrastructural studies of oocyte degeneration in the oocyte, and the functions of follicle cells during oocyte degeneration are described to clarify the reproductive mechanism on oocyte degeneration of Mactra chinensis using cytological methods. Commonly, the follicle cells are attached to the oocyte. Follicle cells play an important role in oocyte degeneration. In particular, the functions of follicle cells during oocyte degeneration are associated with phagocytosis and the intracellular digestion of products. In this study, morphologically similar degenerated phagosomes (various lysosomes), which were observed in the degenerated oocytes, appeared in the follicle cells. After the spawning of the oocytes, the follicle cells were involved in oocyte degeneration through phagocytosis by phagolysosomes. Therefore, it can be assumed that follicle cells reabsorb phagosomes from degenerated oocytes. In this study, the presence of lipid granules, which occurred from degenerating yolk granules, gradually increased in degenerating oocytes. The function of follicle cells can accumulate reserves of lipid granules and glycogen in the cytoplasm, which can be employed by the vitellogenic oocyte. Based on observations of follicle cells attached to degenerating oocytes after spawning, the follicle cells of this species are involved in the lysosomal induction of oocyte degeneration for the reabsorption of phagosomes (phagolysosomes) in the cytoplasm for nutrient storage, as seen in other bivalves. PMID:25949203

Getting to the Heart of Being the Match: A Qualitative Analysis of Bone Marrow Donor Recruitment and Retention Among College Students

PubMed Central

Rogers, Charles R.; Jeon, Kwon Chan; Rosen, Brittany

2014-01-01

Introduction For those with certain blood or bone cancers, bone marrow donation can mean the difference between life and death. The National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) operates the largest bone marrow registry of potential donors; however, at times when potential matches are identified, many donors opt not to donate. The purpose of this study was to describe perspectives from college-aged students on recruitment to a bone marrow donation registry and retention to the registry/follow-through with the donation process. Methods Researchers employed a one-time qualitative study using 7 focus groups comprised of 10 – 11 college students each (n = 76). Results Results yielded three overarching themes: donor recruitment, donor retention, and factors contributing to the overall donation process. More specifically, this study identified key factors affecting bone marrow donation in an essential population: facilitators, barriers, knowledge, and ‘goodness’. Additionally, marketing and communication were found to be major determinants of potential donors staying with the NMDP. Conclusion Better explanations and awareness/promotion campaigns are necessary for recruiting potential donors to the NMDP and to increase the likelihood that the donor will follow through with the donation should a potential match be identified. Recommendations from this study may improve recruitment and retention rates among the NMDP campaigns targeting college students. PMID:25632376

[The contribution of persuasion social psychology to the retention of donors: the impact of labelling the previous donation].

PubMed

Callé, N; Plainfossé, C; Georget, P; Sénémeaud, C; Rasonglès, P

2011-12-01

The supply of blood cell products requires from the National French Blood Institute (Établissement Français du Sang - EFS) to rely upon regular blood donors. Contact with donors, tailored to individuals as much as possible, helps them to donate on a regular basis. Within the context of a research program conducted with the Psychology Department of the Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, persuasive theoretical models from social psychology have been tested. These models allow adapting messages according to the motivation of donors. The content is centred on the previous donation, differently labelled according to two types of labelling: functional labelling and social labelling. Functional labelling points out the efficiency of what "has been done" (the previous blood donation), whereas social labelling emphasizes the social value of the individual. Different types of mailing invitations have been sent to 1917 donors from the Normandy database, invited to three different blood collections. Every experimental letter worked better than the standard EFS letter (which was used as the "control" letter) in terms of effective blood donation after reception of the letter. Some of the letters are more efficient in motivating donors than other ones. The letters labelling the previous blood donation as functional (efficiency of the donation) appeared more efficient than those with social label (social value) in whichever motivation induced. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Oocyte aging-induced Neuronatin (NNAT) hypermethylation affects oocyte quality by impairing glucose transport in porcine.

PubMed

Gao, Ying-Ying; Chen, Li; Wang, Tao; Nie, Zheng-Wen; Zhang, Xia; Miao, Yi-Liang

2016-10-26

DNA methylation plays important roles in regulating many physiological behaviors; however, few studies were focused on the changes of DNA methylation during oocyte aging. Early studies showed that some imprinted genes' DNA methylation had been changed in aged mouse oocytes. In this study, we used porcine oocytes to test the hypothesis that oocyte aging would alter DNA methylation pattern of genes and disturb their expression in age oocytes, which affected the developmental potential of oocytes. We compared several different types of genes and found that the expression and DNA methylation of Neuronatin (NNAT) were disturbed in aged oocytes significantly. Additional experiments demonstrated that glucose transport was impaired in aged oocytes and injection of NNAT antibody into fresh oocytes led to the same effects on glucose transport. These results suggest that the expression of NNAT was declined by elevating DNA methylation, which affected oocyte quality by decreasing the ability of glucose transport in aged oocytes.

COMmunication with Families regarding ORgan and Tissue donation after death in intensive care (COMFORT): protocol for an intervention study.

PubMed

Potter, Julie E; Herkes, Robert G; Perry, Lin; Elliott, Rosalind M; Aneman, Anders; Brieva, Jorge L; Cavazzoni, Elena; Cheng, Andrew T H; O'Leary, Michael J; Seppelt, Ian M; Gebski, Val

2017-01-17

Discussing deceased organ donation can be difficult not only for families but for health professionals who initiate and manage the conversations. It is well recognised that the methods of communication and communication skills of health professionals are key influences on decisions made by families regarding organ donation. This multicentre study is being performed in nine intensive care units with follow-up conducted by the Organ and Tissue Donation Service in New South Wales (NSW) Australia. The control condition is pre-intervention usual practice for at least six months before each site implements the intervention. The COMFORT intervention consists of six elements: family conversations regarding offers for organ donation to be led by a "designated requester"; family offers for donation are deferred to the designated requester; the offer of donation is separated from the end-of-life discussion that death is inevitable; it takes place within a structured family donation conversation using a "balanced" approach. Designated requesters may be intensivists, critical care nurses or social workers prepared by attending the three-day national "Family Donation Conversation" workshops, and the half-day NSW Simulation Program. The design is pre-post intervention to compare rates of family consent for organ donation six months before and under the intervention. Each ICU crosses from using the control to intervention condition after the site initiation visit. The primary endpoint is the consent rate for deceased organ donation calculated from 140 eligible next of kin families. Secondary endpoints are health professionals' adherence rates to core elements of the intervention; identification of predictors of family donation decision; and the proportion of families who regret their final donation decision at 90 days. The pragmatic design of this study may identify 'what works' in usual clinical settings when requesting organ donation in critical care areas, both in terms of changes in practice healthcare professionals are willing and able to adopt, and the effect this may have on desired outcomes. The findings of this study will be indicative of the potential benefits of the intervention and be relevant and transferrable to clinical settings in other states and countries. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12613000815763 (24 July 2013). ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01922310 (14 August 2013) (retrospectively registered).

Vitrification, in vitro fertilization, and development of Atg7 deficient mouse oocytes.

PubMed

Bang, Soyoung; Lee, Geun-Kyung; Shin, Hyejin; Suh, Chang Suk; Lim, Hyunjung Jade

2016-03-01

Autophagy contributes to the clearance and recycling of macromolecules and organelles in response to stress. We previously reported that vitrified mouse oocytes show acute increases in autophagy during warming. Herein, we investigate the potential role of Atg7 in oocyte vitrification by using an oocyte-specific deletion model of the Atg7 gene, a crucial upstream gene in the autophagic pathway. Oocyte-specific Atg7 deficient mice were generated by crossing Atg7 floxed mice and Zp3-Cre transgenic mice. The oocytes were vitrified-warmed and then subjected to in vitro fertilization and development. The rates of survival, fertilization, and development were assessed in the Atg7 deficient oocytes in comparison with the wildtype oocytes. Light chain 3 (LC3) immunofluorescence staining was performed to determine whether this method effectively evaluates the autophagy status of oocytes. The survival rate of vitrified-warmed Atg7(f/f) ;Zp3-Cre (Atg7(d/d) ) metaphase II (MII) oocytes was not significantly different from that of the wildtype (Atg7(f/f) ) oocytes. Fertilization and development in the Atg7(d/d) oocytes were significantly lower than the Atg7(f/f) oocytes, comparable to the Atg5(d/d) oocytes previously described. Notably, the developmental rate improved slightly in vitrified-warmed Atg7(d/d) MII oocytes when compared to fresh Atg7(d/d) oocytes. LC3 immunofluorescence staining showed that this method can be reliably used to assess autophagic activation in oocytes. We confirmed that the LC3-positive signal is nearly absent in Atg7(d/d) oocytes. While autophagy is induced during the warming process after vitrification of MII oocytes, the Atg7 gene is not essential for survival of vitrified-warmed oocytes. Thus, induction of autophagy during warming of vitrified MII oocytes seems to be a natural response to manage cold or other cellular stresses.

[The costs of altruism in organ donation case analysis].

PubMed

Netza Cardoso, Cruz; Casas Martínez, María Luz Lina; Ramírez García, Hugo

2010-01-01

Three main assumptions were considered for the structure of donation programs during the decade of the sixties: the first states that people, through altruism, would feel committed with the affected and therefore incentivized to donate. The second one states that the human body can not be valued in mercantile terms; therefore organ donation should not be done free of any charges. The last one states donation does not represent any type of harm or damage for the donor. Today, more tan four decades away from their instauration, these three assumptions have been violated and modified due to the way in which they were socialized through the donation protocols. Altruism did not seem to be as generalized as expected, and organ commerce has already gone beyond the legislative frameworks that intended to prevent it; one example is the case of India. In this paper we analyze--through two objectives--the repercussions and impact that took effect in four cases registered in the National Institute of Cardiology (Instituto Nacional de Cardiología) "Ignacio Chávez" in Mexico City. First objective: to describe the economical costs that the altruism-based donation protocol caused on the participant families. Second objective: to reflect on other costs that affected donators due to organ donation. It was found on the reviewed cases that repercussions can go beyond the economical issues; labor related, emotional and ethical repercussions were found too due to a undeniable sensation of reification that donors experience in view of the mechanization of the study protocol they undergo, specially when results are not the optimum. We circumscribe this paper’s analysis to living donors.

Ancillary hospital personnel faced with organ donation and transplantation.

PubMed

Ríos, A; Conesa, C; Ramírez, P; Galindo, P J; Martínez, L; Fernández, O M; Montoya, M J; Rodríguez, M M; Lucas, D; Parrilla, P

2006-04-01

To reduce the number of family organ donation refusals, it is necessary not only to act on the general public but also on the health care system. In this respect, there are data suggesting that the percentage of hospital personnel against donation is high, especially among ancillary personnel. The objective herein was to analyze the attitudes of ancillary hospital professionals toward donation of their own organs and determine factors that conditioned such attitudes. A random sample in a third-level hospital with a solid organ transplant program was stratified by ancillary services: administrative, porters, maintenance, cleaning, and cooking. Attitudes toward donation of one's own organs after death were evaluated using a questionnaire on psychosocial aspects validated in our area. It included various psychosocial variables that could affect such attitudes. The Student t test and chi-square test were used to evaluate the data. We analyzed 277 respondents of mean age 43 +/- 8 years and 96% women. The level of acceptance of organ donation was 64% (n = 178), whereas 46% were either against or undecided (n = 98). The variables which determined the attitudes were understanding of brain death (P = .004); attitude toward cadaveric manipulation, especially toward autopsy (P = .013) and cremation (P = .004); concern about mutilation after donation (P = .014); religion (P = .032); partner's attitude toward donation (P < .0001); and possibility of needing an organ in the future (P = .031). Ancillary hospital personnel had similar attitudes toward donation as those of the general public as observed in other studies. The attitudes were determined by many psychosocial factors. A campaign to raise awareness among professionals has become a priority, given that working in a hospital, their unfavorable attitude could have a strong negative impact on the general public.

Assessing "First Mile" Supply Chain Factors Affecting Timeliness of School-Based Deworming Interventions: Supply and Logistics Performance Indicators.

PubMed

Koporc, Kimberly M; Strunz, Eric; Holloway, Cassandra; Addiss, David G; Lin, William

2015-12-01

Between 2007 and 2012, Children Without Worms (CWW) oversaw the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) donation of Vermox (mebendazole) for treatment of school-age children to control soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH). To identify factors associated with on-time, delayed, or missed mass drug administration (MDA) interventions, and explore possible indicators for supply chain performance for drug donation programs, we reviewed program data for the 14 STH-endemic countries CWW supported during 2007-2012. Data from drug applications, shipping records, and annual treatment reports were tracked using Microsoft Excel. Qualitative data from interviews with key personnel were used to provide additional context on the causes of delayed or missed MDAs. Four possible contributory factors to delayed or missed MDAs were considered: production, shipping, customs clearance, and miscellaneous in-country issues. Coverage rates were calculated by dividing the number of treatments administered by the number of children targeted during the MDA. Of the approved requests for 78 MDAs, 54 MDAs (69%) were successfully implemented during or before the scheduled month. Ten MDAs (13%) were classified as delayed; seven of these were delayed by one month or less. An additional 14 MDAs (18%) were classified as missed. For the 64 on-time or delayed MDAs, the mean coverage was approximately 88%. To continue to assess the supply chain processes and identify areas for improvement, we identified four indicators or metrics for supply chain performance that can be applied across all neglected tropical disease (NTD) drug donation programs: (1) donor having available inventory to satisfy the country request for donation; (2) donor shipping the approved number of doses; (3) shipment arriving at the Central Medical Stores one month in advance of the scheduled MDA date; and (4) country programs implementing the MDA as scheduled.

[Knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation among health professionals in a third level hospital].

PubMed

Montero Salinas, Alejandro; Martínez-Isasi, Santiago; Fieira Costa, Eva; Fernández García, Antón; Castro Dios, Diana Josefa; Fernández García, Daniel

2018-04-18

The Spanish model is the model adopted by many countries to increase their donation rate, being the implication of the healthcare professionals one of the keys to this success. The attitude of these before the donation is crucial for the hour of influence on the population. Organ transplantation has been established as an effective treatment that has been improving over the years. The objective was to determine the knowledge and attitudes of health professionals before the donation of organs. Cross-sectional descriptive study. An ad hoc questionnaire was conducted and distributed among the health professionals (medical staff, nurses and nursing assistants) of a tertiary hospital during February 2015. A total of 615 potential participants were estimated in the different areas of the hospital. A total of 342 completed questionnaires were collected (55%). The statistical analysis with SPSS® Statistics for Windows. Version 20.0. A level of significance P lower than 0.05 was used in all the analyses. The average age of the respondents was 43.34 (SD = 10.37) years, being 86.6% women and 60% nurses. 35.5% showed good knowledge about the donation process, being higher in men (51.1% Vs 33.1%, p lower than 0.05), medical personnel (55% vs 34.3% vs 31.9%). %; p lower than 0.05) and lower in those services with a direct relationship with the donation process (36.8% vs 31.9%, p lower than 0.05). 71% of the professionals expressed their willingness to donate their organs, with special sensitivity towards donation those services in direct relation with the donation program (82.2% vs 65.9%, OR: 1.24, p lower than 0.001 ). 50% of the professionals would donate the organs of a family member; the medical group had the highest percentage (70% vs 50.7% vs 40.4%, OR: 3.8, p lower than 0.05). 74.5% knew some Spanish legal document about donation and transplants. Health professionals as a whole have a low level of knowledge; but a good attitude towards donation.

Attitude and willingness of high school students toward organ donation.

PubMed

Afshar, Reza; Sanavi, Suzan; Rajabi, Mohammad-Reza

2012-09-01

Public awareness of organ donation fundamentally affects the organ transplantation programs. This study was performed to assess the attitude and willingness of high school adolescents regarding organ donation. The study population consisted of 416 high school girls who were studying in four grades of three educational courses. Data were collected by a questionnaire and included demographic variables and attitude and willingness, which were assessed based on the Likert scale. The SPSS v.16 was used for data analysis. The mean age of the study subjects was 16.26 ± 1.06 years, 31% studied in grade-1, 27% in grade-2 (25% natural sciences, 27% mathematics and 48% humanities), 26% in grade-3 (30% natural sciences, 34% mathematics and 36% humanities) and 16% in pre-university stage (32% natural sciences, 42% mathematics and 26% humanities). The students had a highly positive attitude toward organ donation (mean score 4.2 ± 0.54). The greatest willingness for organ donation was concerning the kidney (88%) and heart (84%), followed by the liver (83.4%), pancreas (79.6%), cornea (67.8%) and skin (51%). Willingness for deceased as well as living organ donation was indicated by 92% and 47%, respectively, of the participants. Organ donation was considered acceptable only to relatives by 5% of the participants when the donors were deceased donors and by 16% of the participants when the donors were living donors; donation to all needy persons from deceased donors was accepted by 87% of the participants and from living donors by 31%. The purpose of donation was stated as lending help to others by 89% and progression of science by 40.2% of the participants. Willingness for organ donation from a deceased relative was declared by 63% of the students. There was significant positive correlation between willingness for organ donation and attitude (P <0.001). In addition, attitude and willingness had positive correlation with educational levels, age and educational courses. Our study suggests that Iranian adolescents have a great attitude and willingness toward organ donation, which reflects favorable knowledge of transplantation. Further research on public awareness in both genders and various age ranges is needed.

Effectiveness of an Education Program on Donation and Transplant Aimed at Students of the Nursing Degree Course.

PubMed

Potenza, R; Guermani, A; Peluso, M; Casciola, A; Ginosa, I; Sperlinga, R; Donadio, P P

2015-09-01

Health workers' awareness and knowledge of transplant medicine can improve people's sensitivity and reduce their degree of opposition to donations. The medical literature contains numerous examples of education programs aimed at university students. This work describes the experience of an education program for students of the second and third year of a nursing degree course. From April to September 2013, an education program was set up for 80 university students. It was divided into 3 stages: group self-learning based on prearranged topics, sharing of the results, and participation in the final seminar. The effectiveness was assessed according to a pretest/posttest design. The first questionnaire contained 19 questions, and the second contained 27. The questions were subdivided into specific areas: subjective knowledge, objective knowledge, attitude, awareness, participation in the event, evaluation of the information material handed out, and appreciation of the tools used. There was a significant increase for items relating to knowledge, whereas awareness and attitude (already high at the start of the program) showed no changes. After the program, many students discussed the question of donation with their relatives and friends, and about 70% filled in a donor card. The students expressed a highly positive opinion of the initiative and the tools used. The initiative proved its validity, improving subjective and objective knowledge to a statistically significant extent and also increasing awareness and attitude. The students' evaluation was extremely positive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Caffeine delays oocyte aging and maintains the quality of aged oocytes safely in mouse.

PubMed

Zhang, Xia; Liu, Xiaoyan; Chen, Li; Wu, Dan-Ya; Nie, Zheng-Wen; Gao, Ying-Ying; Miao, Yi-Liang

2017-03-28

Caffeine, as an oocyte aging inhibitor, was used in many different species to control or delay oocyte aging. However, the safety of caffeine and developmental competence of aged oocytes inhibited by caffeine has not been studied systematically. So we detected the spindle morphology, distribution of cortical granules, zona pellucida hardening and pronucleus formation to assess oocyte quality of caffeine treated oocytes. We found that aged oocytes treated by caffeine maintained weak susceptibility to activating stimuli and regained normal competent after aged further 6 hr. Caffeine maintained the spindle morphology, changed cortical granules distribution of aged oocytes and could not prevent zona pellucida hardening. Furthermore, caffeine increased pronucleus formation of aged oocytes and decreased fragmentation after fertilization. These results suggested that caffeine could maintain the quality of aged oocytes safely in mouse.

Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research

PubMed Central

Lo, Bernard; Parham, Lindsay

2009-01-01

Stem cell research offers great promise for understanding basic mechanisms of human development and differentiation, as well as the hope for new treatments for diseases such as diabetes, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, and myocardial infarction. However, human stem cell (hSC) research also raises sharp ethical and political controversies. The derivation of pluripotent stem cell lines from oocytes and embryos is fraught with disputes about the onset of human personhood. The reprogramming of somatic cells to produce induced pluripotent stem cells avoids the ethical problems specific to embryonic stem cell research. In any hSC research, however, difficult dilemmas arise regarding sensitive downstream research, consent to donate materials for hSC research, early clinical trials of hSC therapies, and oversight of hSC research. These ethical and policy issues need to be discussed along with scientific challenges to ensure that stem cell research is carried out in an ethically appropriate manner. This article provides a critical analysis of these issues and how they are addressed in current policies. PMID:19366754

Exploring Motivations, Awareness of Side Effects, and Attitudes among Potential Egg Donors

PubMed Central

Gezinski, Lindsay B.; Karandikar, Sharvari; Carter, James; White, Melinda

2016-01-01

This research study surveyed prospective egg donors at orientation to (a) understand women’s motivations to donate eggs, (b) assess awareness and knowledge of egg donation prior to entry into the egg donation program, and (c) explore attitudes toward egg donation. Ninety-two women completed the questionnaire at one fertility clinic located in the Midwest between August 2011 and August 2012. Descriptive and inferential statistics as well as textual analysis were used to analyze the data. Three themes emerged regarding participant motivations: (1) altruistic, (2) financial, and (3) desire to pass on genetic material. The majority of participants were unconcerned with potential physical and psychological side effects; however, differences emerged based on motherhood status and educational level. Although potential donors felt recipients should receive some information about the donor, they tended to value privacy regarding information giving to resultant offspring. This research study has implications for social work practice, policy, and future research. It is crucial that women receive adequate procedural and side effect information prior to engaging in egg donation. PMID:27263197

Microinjection of Follicle-Enclosed Mouse Oocytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffe, Laurinda A.; Norris, Rachael P.; Freudzon, Marina; Ratzan, William J.; Mehlmann, Lisa M.

The mammalian oocyte develops within a complex of somatic cells known as a follicle, within which signals from the somatic cells regulate the oocyte, and signals from the oocyte regulate the somatic cells. Because isolation of the oocyte from the follicle disrupts these communication pathways, oocyte physiology is best studied within an intact follicle. Here we describe methods for quantitative microinjection of follicle-enclosed mouse oocytes, thus allowing the introduction of signaling molecules as well as optical probes into the oocyte within its physiological environment.

Does Confucianism allow for body donation?

PubMed

Jones, D Gareth; Nie, Jing-Bao

2018-01-16

Confucianism has been widely perceived as a major moral and cultural obstacle to the donation of bodies for anatomical purposes. The rationale for this is the Confucian stress on xiao (filial piety), whereby individuals' bodies are to be intact at death. In the view of many, the result is a prohibition on the donation of bodies to anatomy departments for the purpose of dissection. The role of dissection throughout the development of anatomy within a Confucian context is traced, and in contemporary China the establishment of donation programs and the appearance of memorial monuments is noted. In reassessing Confucian attitudes, the stress laid on a particular interpretation of filial piety is questioned, and an attempt is made to balance this with the Confucian emphasis on a moral duty to those outside one's immediate family. The authors argue that the fundamental Confucian norm ren (humaneness or benevolence) allows for body donation as people have a moral duty to help others. Moreover, the other central Confucian value, li (rites), offers important insights on how body donation should be performed as a communal activity, particularly the necessity of developing ethically and culturally appropriate rituals for body donation. In seeking to learn from this from a Western perspective, it is contended that in all societies the voluntary donation of bodies is a deeply human activity that is to reflect the characteristics of the community within which it takes place. This is in large part because it has educational and personal repercussions for students. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

Oocyte Activation and Fertilisation: Crucial Contributors from the Sperm and Oocyte.

PubMed

Yeste, Marc; Jones, Celine; Amdani, Siti Nornadhirah; Coward, Kevin

2017-01-01

This chapter intends to summarise the importance of sperm- and oocyte-derived factors in the processes of sperm-oocyte binding and oocyte activation. First, we describe the initial interaction between sperm and the zona pellucida, with particular regard to acrosome exocytosis. We then describe how sperm and oocyte membranes fuse, with special reference to the discovery of the sperm protein IZUMO1 and its interaction with the oocyte membrane receptor JUNO. We then focus specifically upon oocyte activation, the fundamental process by which the oocyte is alleviated from metaphase II arrest by a sperm-soluble factor. The identity of this sperm factor has been the source of much debate recently, although mounting evidence, from several different laboratories, provides strong support for phospholipase C ζ (PLCζ), a sperm-specific phospholipase. Herein, we discuss the evidence in support of PLCζ and evaluate the potential role of other candidate proteins, such as post-acrosomal WW-binding domain protein (PAWP/WBP2NL). Since the cascade of downstream events triggered by the sperm-borne oocyte activation factor heavily relies upon specialised cellular machinery within the oocyte, we also discuss the critical role of oocyte-borne factors, such as the inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP 3 R), protein kinase C (PKC), store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), during the process of oocyte activation. In order to place the implications of these various factors and processes into a clinical context, we proceed to describe their potential association with oocyte activation failure and discuss how clinical techniques such as the in vitro maturation of oocytes may affect oocyte activation ability. Finally, we contemplate the role of artificial oocyte activating agents in the clinical rescue of oocyte activation deficiency and discuss options for more endogenous alternatives.

Getting to the Heart of Being the Match: A Qualitative Analysis of Bone Marrow Donor Recruitment and Retention among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaster, Elizabeth C.; Rogers, Charles R.; Jeon, Kwon Chan; Rosen, Brittany

2014-01-01

Introduction: For those with certain blood or bone cancers, bone marrow donation can mean the difference between life and death. The National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) operates the largest bone marrow registry of potential donors; however, at times when potential matches are identified, many donors opt not to donate. The purpose of this study…

The beneficial effects of cumulus cells and oocyte-cumulus cell gap junctions depends on oocyte maturation and fertilization methods in mice.

PubMed

Zhou, Cheng-Jie; Wu, Sha-Na; Shen, Jiang-Peng; Wang, Dong-Hui; Kong, Xiang-Wei; Lu, Angeleem; Li, Yan-Jiao; Zhou, Hong-Xia; Zhao, Yue-Fang; Liang, Cheng-Guang

2016-01-01

Cumulus cells are a group of closely associated granulosa cells that surround and nourish oocytes. Previous studies have shown that cumulus cells contribute to oocyte maturation and fertilization through gap junction communication. However, it is not known how this gap junction signaling affects in vivo versus in vitro maturation of oocytes, and their subsequent fertilization and embryonic development following insemination. Therefore, in our study, we performed mouse oocyte maturation and insemination using in vivo- or in vitro-matured oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCCs, which retain gap junctions between the cumulus cells and the oocytes), in vitro-matured, denuded oocytes co-cultured with cumulus cells (DCs, which lack gap junctions between the cumulus cells and the oocytes), and in vitro-matured, denuded oocytes without cumulus cells (DOs). Using these models, we were able to analyze the effects of gap junction signaling on oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early embryo development. We found that gap junctions were necessary for both in vivo and in vitro oocyte maturation. In addition, for oocytes matured in vivo, the presence of cumulus cells during insemination improved fertilization and blastocyst formation, and this improvement was strengthened by gap junctions. Moreover, for oocytes matured in vitro, the presence of cumulus cells during insemination improved fertilization, but not blastocyst formation, and this improvement was independent of gap junctions. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that the beneficial effect of gap junction signaling from cumulus cells depends on oocyte maturation and fertilization methods.

Repeated Exposure to Dissection Does Not Influence Students' Attitudes towards Human Body Donation for Anatomy Teaching

PubMed Central

Mwachaka, Philip Maseghe; Mandela, Pamela; Saidi, Hassan

2016-01-01

The use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection has been the main method of instruction at our institution. There is however a shortage of cadavers for dissection given the increase in the number of medical schools as well as in the number of students enrolling in these schools. This shortage could be mitigated by having voluntary human body donation programs. This study aimed at assessing the attitudes of medical students and surgical residents towards body donation for anatomy learning. We conducted an online survey involving 72 first-year medical students and 41 surgical residents at University of Nairobi who had completed one year of anatomy dissection. For the medical students, this was their first dissection experience while it was the second exposure for the surgery trainees. Most of the surgical trainees (70.7%) and medical students (68.1%) were opposed to self-body donation. This was mainly due to cultural (37%) and religious (20%) barriers. Surprisingly, of those not willing to donate themselves, 67.9% (82.8% surgical trainees, 59.2% medical students) would recommend the practice to other people. Exposure to repeated dissection does not change the perceptions towards body donation. It is noteworthy that culture and religion rank high as clear barriers amongst this “highly informed” group of potential donors. PMID:27190650

Repeated Exposure to Dissection Does Not Influence Students' Attitudes towards Human Body Donation for Anatomy Teaching.

PubMed

Mwachaka, Philip Maseghe; Mandela, Pamela; Saidi, Hassan

2016-01-01

The use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection has been the main method of instruction at our institution. There is however a shortage of cadavers for dissection given the increase in the number of medical schools as well as in the number of students enrolling in these schools. This shortage could be mitigated by having voluntary human body donation programs. This study aimed at assessing the attitudes of medical students and surgical residents towards body donation for anatomy learning. We conducted an online survey involving 72 first-year medical students and 41 surgical residents at University of Nairobi who had completed one year of anatomy dissection. For the medical students, this was their first dissection experience while it was the second exposure for the surgery trainees. Most of the surgical trainees (70.7%) and medical students (68.1%) were opposed to self-body donation. This was mainly due to cultural (37%) and religious (20%) barriers. Surprisingly, of those not willing to donate themselves, 67.9% (82.8% surgical trainees, 59.2% medical students) would recommend the practice to other people. Exposure to repeated dissection does not change the perceptions towards body donation. It is noteworthy that culture and religion rank high as clear barriers amongst this "highly informed" group of potential donors.

TPD IR studies of CO desorption from zeolites CuY and CuX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datka, Jerzy; Kozyra, Paweł

2005-06-01

The desorption of CO from zeolites CuY and CuX was followed by TPD-IR method. This is a combination of temperature programmed desorption and IR spectroscopy. In this method, the status of activated zeolite (before adsorption), the process of adsorption, and the status of adsorbed molecules can be followed by IR spectroscopy, and the process of desorption (with linear temperature increase) can be followed both by IR spectroscopy and by mass spectrometry. IR spectra have shown two kinds of Cu + sites in both CuY and CuX. Low frequency (l.f.) band (2140 cm -1 in CuY and 2130 cm -1 in CuX) of adsorbed CO represents Cu + sites for which π back donation is stronger and σ donation is weaker whereas high frequency h.f. band (2160 cm -1 in CuY and 2155 cm -1 in CuX) represent Cu + sites for which π back donation is weaker and σ donation is stronger. The TPD-IR experiments evidenced that the Cu + sites represented by l.f. band bond CO more weakly than those represented by h.f. one, indicating that σ donation has more important impact to the strength of Cu +-CO bonding. On the contrary, π back donation has bigger contribution to the activation of adsorbed molecules.

Dynamics of the development of multiple follicles by early versus late hCG administration in ART program.

PubMed

Falagario, Maddalena; Trerotoli, Paolo; Chincoli, Annarosa; Cobuzzi, Isabella; Vacca, Margherita P; Falagario, Doriana; Nardelli, Claudia; Depalo, Raffaella

2017-02-01

To evaluate, in patients stimulated with recombinant FSH and GnRH antagonists, whether triggering the final maturation of oocytes affects IVF outcomes. Five hundred and six IVF procedures were divided into three groups according to the timing of hCG administration: when at least 2 follicles reached the diameter of 17 mm, at least 2 follicles reached 18 mm and at least 2 follicles reached 20 mm. The main outcome was the number of mature oocyte that was the dependent variable of a multivariate model whose independents were, age, AFC, hCG timing, E2 levels at hCG day, number of follicles in different categories of dimension. Secondary endpoints were to compare fertilization, implantation and pregnancy rates in a multilevel multivariate model whose covariates were age, BMI, AFC, embryo quality and cause of infertility. Timing did not result a statistically significant factor influencing the number of oocytes collected, which was influenced by age, AFC, number of follicles between 12.1 and 15.9 mm and E2 levels. Implantation rate and pregnancy rate appear to be affected only by embryo quality. The number of oocytes collected and the probability of pregnancy are not associated with the time of hCG administration.

Poor embryo development in post-ovulatory in vivo-aged mouse oocytes is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, but mitochondrial transfer from somatic cells is not sufficient for rejuvenation.

PubMed

Igarashi, Hideki; Takahashi, Toshifumi; Abe, Hiroyuki; Nakano, Hiroshi; Nakajima, Osamu; Nagase, Satoru

2016-10-01

Does in vivo aging of mouse oocytes affect mitochondrial function? Mitochondrial function was impaired in post-ovulatory in vivo-aged mouse oocytes and microinjection of somatic cell mitochondria did not rescue poor fertilization and embryonic development rates. The mechanisms underlying the decline in oocyte quality associated with oocyte aging remain unknown, although studies have suggested that the decline is regulated by mitochondrial dysfunction. However, only a limited number of studies have provided direct evidence implicating mitochondrial dysfunction in oocyte quality during the aging of oocytes. We used post-ovulatory, in vivo-aged mouse oocytes as a model for studying low-quality oocytes in oocyte aging. Superovulated oocytes released from the oviduct at 14 h and 20-24 h post-hCG injection were designated as 'fresh' and 'aged' oocytes, respectively. Membrane potentials and oxygen consumption in single oocytes were evaluated as measures of mitochondrial function in fresh and aged oocytes. Mitochondrial transcriptional factor A (TFAM) expression levels were examined by western blotting, and colocalization of mitochondria and TFAM was analyzed by measuring immunofluorescence in fresh and aged oocytes. IVF and blastocyst formation rates were calculated after oocyte microinjection with mitochondria derived from liver cells. The average mitochondrial membrane potential in fresh oocytes was significantly higher than that in aged oocytes (P < 0.05). The average oxygen consumption rate in aged oocytes was significantly lower than that in fresh oocytes (P < 0.05). Although total TFAM expression was unchanged, its colocalization with mitochondria decreased in aged oocytes. IVF and blastocyst formation rates for mitochondrion-injected aged oocytes were not significantly different from those for buffer-injected aged oocytes. Not applicable. A limitation of this study is that we did not examine the effects of microinjecting mitochondria from other somatic cell types into aged oocytes on their fertilization and embryonic development rates. The results from the present study showed that poor embryonic development was associated with impairment of mitochondrial functions in in vivo-aged oocytes. However, the microinjection of mitochondria from liver cells did not improve the low fertilization and embryonic development rates of aged oocytes. It remains to be demonstrated whether oocyte quality can be rescued by the transfer of cytosolic factors or cellular organelles, such as the endoplasmic reticulum or mitochondria, from specific cell types. This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid for General Science Research to Toshifumi Takahashi (No. 25462550) and Hideki Igarashi (No. 26462474). The funding source played no role in study design in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication. The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders and Brain and Body Donation Program

PubMed Central

Beach, Thomas G.; Adler, Charles H.; Sue, Lucia I.; Serrano, Geidy; Shill, Holly A.; Walker, Douglas G.; Lue, LihFen; Roher, Alex E.; Dugger, Brittany N.; Maarouf, Chera; Birdsill, Alex C.; Intorcia, Anthony; Saxon-Labelle, Megan; Pullen, Joel; Scroggins, Alexander; Filon, Jessica; Scott, Sarah; Hoffman, Brittany; Garcia, Angelica; Caviness, John N.; Hentz, Joseph G.; Driver-Dunckley, Erika; Jacobson, Sandra A.; Davis, Kathryn J.; Belden, Christine M.; Long, Kathy E.; Malek-Ahmadi, Michael; Powell, Jessica J.; Gale, Lisa D.; Nicholson, Lisa R.; Caselli, Richard J.; Woodruff, Bryan K.; Rapscak, Steven Z.; Ahern, Geoffrey L.; Shi, Jiong; Burke, Anna D.; Reiman, Eric M.; Sabbagh, Marwan N.

2015-01-01

The Brain and Body Donation Program (BBDP) at Banner Sun Health Research Institute (http://www.brainandbodydonationprogram.org) started in 1987 with brain-only donations and currently has banked more than 1600 brains. More than 430 whole-body donations have been received since this service was commenced in 2005. The collective academic output of the BBDP is now described as the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND). Most BBDP subjects are enrolled as cognitively normal volunteers residing in the retirement communities of metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona. Specific recruitment efforts are also directed at subjects with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and cancer. The median age at death is 82. Subjects receive standardized general medical, neurological, neuropsychological and movement disorders assessments during life and more than 90% receive full pathological examinations by medically licensed pathologists after death. The Program has been funded through a combination of internal, federal and state of Arizona grants as well as user fees and pharmaceutical industry collaborations. Subsets of the Program are utilized by the US National Institute on Aging Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Core Center and the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Brain and Tissue Resource for Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders. Substantial funding has also been received from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The Program has made rapid autopsy a priority, with a 3.0-hour median postmortem interval for the entire collection. The median RNA Integrity Number (RIN) for frozen brain and body tissue is 8.9 and 7.4, respectively. More than 2500 tissue requests have been served and currently about 200 are served annually. These requests have been made by more than 400 investigators located in 32 US states and 15 countries. Tissue from the BBDP has contributed to more than 350 publications and more than 200 grant-funded projects. PMID:25619230

The role of the donor liaison officer at PlusLife (Perth Bone and Tissue Bank Inc.), Western Australia.

PubMed

Smythe, Claire; White, Nicola; Winter, Joyleen; Cowie, Anne

2015-06-01

Femoral head donation at the time of hip replacement surgery provides a much needed resource of bone allograft to orthopaedic surgeons. Prior to 2005, potential femoral head donors were identified and consented in the hospital setting on the day of surgery. This resulted in over 40 % of donations failing post operatively suggesting that more effort could be given to pre-operative screening resulting in substantial savings in the cost associated with collection and testing of donors who were subsequently failed. The Donor Liaison role was implemented in 2005 to coordinate a Femoral Head Donation program maximising the number of successful donations through pre-operative screening. This study reviews the effectiveness of pre-operative screening of potential femoral head donors at PlusLife from 2002-2012. A retrospective audit of the database was undertaken 2002-2012 and medical/social reasons for pre-operative and postoperative failures were collated into 4 main categories to enable comparison: malignancy, autoimmune conditions, variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease risk and general medical/social reasons. The number of femoral heads failed post operatively has decreased significantly from 26 % in 2003 to 6 % in 2012. A cost of $121,000 was expended on femoral heads failed post operatively in 2004, as compared to $20,350 in 2012. Donors excluded due to the 4 main categories (medical/social history) were identified pre-operatively in over 80 % of all cases. Preoperative screening of femoral head donors through a coordinated Femoral Head Donation Program is a safe and cost effective method.

Infectious Diseases Society of America

MedlinePlus

... Marches Save NIH Funding Faces of Antimicrobial Resistance Report Download Full Report Support AMR Program Funding WHO Priority Antibiotic-Resistant ... Looking to the Future of ID 2015 Annual Report Donate Today IDWeek Mentorship Program About the Foundation ...

Maternal influenza immunization in Malawi: Piloting a maternal influenza immunization program costing tool by examining a prospective program

PubMed Central

Pecenka, Clint; Munthali, Spy; Chunga, Paul; Levin, Ann; Morgan, Win; Lambach, Philipp; Bhat, Niranjan; Neuzil, Kathleen M.; Ortiz, Justin R.

2017-01-01

Background This costing study in Malawi is a first evaluation of a Maternal Influenza Immunization Program Costing Tool (Costing Tool) for maternal immunization. The tool was designed to help low- and middle-income countries plan for maternal influenza immunization programs that differ from infant vaccination programs because of differences in the target population and potential differences in delivery strategy or venue. Methods This analysis examines the incremental costs of a prospective seasonal maternal influenza immunization program that is added to a successful routine childhood immunization and antenatal care program. The Costing Tool estimates financial and economic costs for different vaccine delivery scenarios for each of the major components of the expanded immunization program. Results In our base scenario, which specifies a donated single dose pre-filled vaccine formulation, the total financial cost of a program that would reach 2.3 million women is approximately $1.2 million over five years. The economic cost of the program, including the donated vaccine, is $10.4 million over the same period. The financial and economic costs per immunized pregnancy are $0.52 and $4.58, respectively. Other scenarios examine lower vaccine uptake, reaching 1.2 million women, and a vaccine purchased at $2.80 per dose with an alternative presentation. Conclusion This study estimates the financial and economic costs associated with a prospective maternal influenza immunization program in a low-income country. In some scenarios, the incremental delivery cost of a maternal influenza immunization program may be as low as some estimates of childhood vaccination programs, assuming the routine childhood immunization and antenatal care systems are capable of serving as the platform for an additional vaccination program. However, purchasing influenza vaccines at the prices assumed in this analysis, instead of having them donated, is likely to be challenging for lower-income countries. This result should be considered as a starting point to understanding the costs of maternal immunization programs in low- and middle-income countries. PMID:29281710

Maternal influenza immunization in Malawi: Piloting a maternal influenza immunization program costing tool by examining a prospective program.

PubMed

Pecenka, Clint; Munthali, Spy; Chunga, Paul; Levin, Ann; Morgan, Win; Lambach, Philipp; Bhat, Niranjan; Neuzil, Kathleen M; Ortiz, Justin R; Hutubessy, Raymond

2017-01-01

This costing study in Malawi is a first evaluation of a Maternal Influenza Immunization Program Costing Tool (Costing Tool) for maternal immunization. The tool was designed to help low- and middle-income countries plan for maternal influenza immunization programs that differ from infant vaccination programs because of differences in the target population and potential differences in delivery strategy or venue. This analysis examines the incremental costs of a prospective seasonal maternal influenza immunization program that is added to a successful routine childhood immunization and antenatal care program. The Costing Tool estimates financial and economic costs for different vaccine delivery scenarios for each of the major components of the expanded immunization program. In our base scenario, which specifies a donated single dose pre-filled vaccine formulation, the total financial cost of a program that would reach 2.3 million women is approximately $1.2 million over five years. The economic cost of the program, including the donated vaccine, is $10.4 million over the same period. The financial and economic costs per immunized pregnancy are $0.52 and $4.58, respectively. Other scenarios examine lower vaccine uptake, reaching 1.2 million women, and a vaccine purchased at $2.80 per dose with an alternative presentation. This study estimates the financial and economic costs associated with a prospective maternal influenza immunization program in a low-income country. In some scenarios, the incremental delivery cost of a maternal influenza immunization program may be as low as some estimates of childhood vaccination programs, assuming the routine childhood immunization and antenatal care systems are capable of serving as the platform for an additional vaccination program. However, purchasing influenza vaccines at the prices assumed in this analysis, instead of having them donated, is likely to be challenging for lower-income countries. This result should be considered as a starting point to understanding the costs of maternal immunization programs in low- and middle-income countries.

Oocyte cryopreservation: where are we now?

PubMed

Argyle, Catrin E; Harper, Joyce C; Davies, Melanie C

2016-06-01

Since the first live birth from oocyte cryopreservation three decades ago, oocyte cryopreservation has become an important component of ART. Cryopreservation techniques have evolved, leading to higher success rates and the introduction of oocyte cryopreservation into IVF clinics worldwide. Concurrently, there has been an increase in patient demand, especially for so-called 'social egg freezing' that allows women to preserve their fertility in anticipation of age-related fertility decline. This review addresses a need to evaluate the current status of oocyte cryopreservation. It explores current techniques and success rates, clinical applications, the rise of elective oocyte cryopreservation, and future implications. A search was performed using Web of Science and PubMed databases for publications between January 1980 and December 2015. Keywords used included 'egg freezing', 'oocyte freezing', 'oocyte cryopreservation', 'oocyte vitrification', and 'fertility preservation'. The success rate of oocyte cryopreservation has risen, and the increasing use of vitrification offers has improved outcomes, with IVF pregnancy rates now similar to those achieved with fresh oocytes. There are conflicting opinions about the comparative success rates of open and closed vitrification. Patients are accessing and receiving oocyte cryopreservation for a wide range of indications, and there has been a marked increase in patient numbers and oocyte cryopreservation cycles. Oocyte cryopreservation for circumventing age-related infertility is becoming more widely accepted. Oocyte cryopreservation is an established component of ART, with vitrification now being the cryopreservation technique of choice. Increasing numbers of women undergo oocyte cryopreservation for both medical and social reasons. It is important to continue auditing outcomes and reporting long-term follow-up of children born from frozen-thawed oocytes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

No difference in mitochondrial distribution is observed in human oocytes after cryopreservation.

PubMed

Stimpfel, Martin; Vrtacnik-Bokal, Eda; Virant-Klun, Irma

2017-08-01

The primary aim of this study was to determine if any difference in mitochondrial distribution can be observed between fresh and cryopreserved (slow-frozen/thawed and vitrified/warmed) oocytes when oocytes are stained with Mitotracker Red CMXRos and observed under a conventional fluorescent microscope. Additionally, the influence of cryopreservation procedure on the viable rates of oocytes at different maturation stages was evaluated. The germinal vesicle (GV) and MII oocytes were cryopreserved with slow-freezing and vitrification. After thawing/warming, oocytes were stained using Mitotracker Red CMXRos and observed under a conventional fluorescent microscope. Mitotracker staining revealed that in GV oocytes the pattern of mitochondrial distribution appeared as aggregated clusters around the whole oocyte. In mature MII oocytes, three different patterns of mitochondrial distribution were observed; a smooth pattern around the polar body with aggregated clusters at the opposite side of the polar body, a smooth pattern throughout the whole cell, and aggregated clusters as can be seen in GV oocytes. There were no significant differences in the observed patterns between fresh, vitrified/warmed and frozen/thawed oocytes. When comparing the viable rates of oocytes after two different cryopreservation procedures, the results showed no significant differences, although the trend of viable MII oocytes tends to be higher after vitrification/warming and for viable GV oocytes it tends to be higher after slow-freezing/thawing. Mitotracker Red CMXRos staining of mitochondria in oocytes did not reveal differences in mitochondrial distribution between fresh and cryopreserved oocytes at different maturity stages. Additionally, no difference was observed in the viable rates of GV and MII oocytes after slow-freezing/thawing and vitrification/warming.

Comparison of glucose metabolism in in vivo- and in vitro-matured tammar wallaby oocytes and its relationship to developmental potential following intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

PubMed

Magarey, Genevieve M; Mate, Karen E

2004-01-01

Although marsupial oocytes undergo nuclear maturation in vitro, there is, at present, no indication of their developmental potential, largely owing to the lack of in vitro fertilisation and related technologies for marsupials. Glucose metabolism has proven a useful indicator of oocyte cytoplasmic maturation and developmental potential in several eutherian species. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to compare: (1) the rates of glycolysis and glucose oxidation in immature, in vitro-matured and in vivo-matured tammar wallaby oocytes; and (2) the metabolic rate of individual oocytes with their ability to form pronuclei after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The rates of glycolysis measured in immature (2.18 pmol oocyte(-1) h(-1)), in vitro- matured (0.93 pmol oocyte(-1) h(-1)) and in vivo-matured tammar wallaby oocytes (0.54 pmol oocyte(-1) h(-1)) were within a similar range to values obtained in eutherian species. However, unlike the trend observed in eutherian oocytes, the glycolytic rate was significantly higher in immature oocytes compared with either in vivo- or in vitro-matured oocytes (P < 0.001) and significantly higher in in vitro-matured oocytes compared with in vivo-matured oocytes (P < 0.001). No relationship was identified between glucose metabolism and the developmental capacity of oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection when assessed after 17-19 h. Oocytes that became fertilised (two pronuclei) or activated (one or more pronucleus) were not distinguished from others by their metabolic rates. Longer culture after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (e.g. blastocyst stage) may show oocyte glucose metabolism to be predictive of developmental potential; however, culture to the single-cell stage did not reveal any significant differences in normally developing embryos.

The quality assurance program of organ donation in Tuscany.

PubMed

Bozzi, G; Saviozzi, A; De Simone, P; Filipponi, F

2008-01-01

Constant monitoring is paramount in order to detect the criticalities and improve the results of the deceased donation process. Concomitant with the institution of a regional transplantation service authority--Organizzazione Toscana Trapianti--in 2003, Tuscany adopted a program of quality assurance of the deceased donation process by compulsory reporting of all encephalic deaths from local intensive care units to the regional transplant office in Florence. The indicators we adopted were the efficiency of deceased donor (DD) identification, expressed as the ratio of encephalic deaths (ED) to total deaths with encephalic lesions (EL) (ie, ED/EL); the efficiency of DD reporting, expressed as the ratio of reported potential DD (RPDD) to total ED (ie, RPDD/ED); the efficacy of the DD process, as the ratio between actual DD (ADD) to total ED (ie, ADD/ED); the conversion rate; the percent of opposition to donation; and the incidence of DD maintenance failures. Data were collected prospectively, stratified by regional hospital consortia (Aziende Sanitarie Locali) and compared with international benchmarks. In the period 2003-2006 the mean efficiency of DD identification was 48.3%+/-4.4% (range 42.6%-53.2%); the mean efficiency of DD reporting was 95.2%+/-2.5% (range 92.5%-98.5%); the mean efficacy of the deceased donation process was 51.8%+/-2.4% (range 48.6%-54.4%); the mean conversion rate was 59.6%+/-2.2% (range 57.6%-62.7%); the mean opposition rate was 31.9%+/-1.1% (range 30.6%-33.2%); and the incidence of DD maintenance failure was 5%+/-2.9% (range 2.2%-8.7%). The breakdown analysis revealed wide interhospital variability in terms of efficiency of DD identification (from a low of 25% to a high of 80%); efficacy of the donation process (from a low of 22% to a high of 79%); and conversion rate (from a low of 29% to a high of 79%). Our results highlight that the donation process gets started in about 50% of eligible cases. Further strategies are favored to address this critical area.

The fertilization ability and developmental competence of bovine oocytes grown in vitro

PubMed Central

MAKITA, Miho; UEDA, Mayuko; MIYANO, Takashi

2016-01-01

In vitro growth culture systems for oocytes are being developed in several mammalian species. In these growth culture systems, in vitro grown oocytes usually have lower blastocyst formation than in vivo grown oocytes after in vitro fertilization. Furthermore, there have been a few reports that investigated the fertilization ability of in vitro grown oocytes in large animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the fertilization process and developmental competence of bovine oocytes grown in vitro. Oocyte-granulosa cell complexes collected from bovine early antral follicles (0.4−0.7 mm in diameter) were cultured for growth with 17β-estradiol and androstenedione for 14 days and matured in vitro. These oocytes were then inseminated for 6 or 12 h, and further cultured for development up to 8 days in vitro. After growth culture, oocytes grew from 95 µm to around 120 µm and acquired maturation competence (79%). Although fertilization rates of in vitro grown oocytes were low after 6 h of insemination, 34% of in vitro grown oocytes fertilized normally after 12 h of insemination, having two polar bodies and two pronuclei with a sperm tail, and 22% of these oocytes developed into blastocysts after 8 days of culture. The fertilization and blastocyst formation rates were similar to those of in vivo grown oocytes. In addition, blastocyst cell numbers were also similar between in vitro and in vivo grown oocytes. In conclusion, in vitro grown bovine oocytes are similar to in vivo grown oocytes in fertilization ability and can develop into blastocysts. PMID:27151093

The fertilization ability and developmental competence of bovine oocytes grown in vitro.

PubMed

Makita, Miho; Ueda, Mayuko; Miyano, Takashi

2016-08-25

In vitro growth culture systems for oocytes are being developed in several mammalian species. In these growth culture systems, in vitro grown oocytes usually have lower blastocyst formation than in vivo grown oocytes after in vitro fertilization. Furthermore, there have been a few reports that investigated the fertilization ability of in vitro grown oocytes in large animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the fertilization process and developmental competence of bovine oocytes grown in vitro. Oocyte-granulosa cell complexes collected from bovine early antral follicles (0.4-0.7 mm in diameter) were cultured for growth with 17β-estradiol and androstenedione for 14 days and matured in vitro. These oocytes were then inseminated for 6 or 12 h, and further cultured for development up to 8 days in vitro. After growth culture, oocytes grew from 95 µm to around 120 µm and acquired maturation competence (79%). Although fertilization rates of in vitro grown oocytes were low after 6 h of insemination, 34% of in vitro grown oocytes fertilized normally after 12 h of insemination, having two polar bodies and two pronuclei with a sperm tail, and 22% of these oocytes developed into blastocysts after 8 days of culture. The fertilization and blastocyst formation rates were similar to those of in vivo grown oocytes. In addition, blastocyst cell numbers were also similar between in vitro and in vivo grown oocytes. In conclusion, in vitro grown bovine oocytes are similar to in vivo grown oocytes in fertilization ability and can develop into blastocysts.

What does the cryopreserved oocyte look like? A fresh look at the characteristic oocyte features following cryopreservation.

PubMed

Hosseini, Sayyed Morteza; Nasr-Esfahani, Mohammad Hossein

2016-04-01

In October 2012, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and, in March 2012, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), lifted the categorization of oocyte cryopreservation as being "experimental" and endorsed its entrance into the mainstream of assisted reproductive techniques. This change in policy, with the considerable advantages that oocytes offer over embryos for cryopreservation, has increased applications of oocyte cryopreservation in assisted reproduction techniques. A deep understanding of oocyte cryobiology, however, is lagging behind the forces propelling the clinical application of oocyte cryopreservation. We have drawn attention to this shortcoming by initiating a debate on whether a vitrified-warmed oocyte has the same characteristics as its fresh sibling. The answer to this question may explain why the oocyte cryopreservation success rate is as yet far from satisfactory and why cryopreserved oocytes should be treated differently from their fresh siblings. A fresh look at the characteristic features of oocytes after cryopreservation is the main scope of this review as a stimulus to further improvement of oocyte cryopreservation. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Zona pellucida gene mRNA expression in human oocytes is related to oocyte maturity, zona inner layer retardance and fertilization competence.

PubMed

Canosa, S; Adriaenssens, T; Coucke, W; Dalmasso, P; Revelli, A; Benedetto, C; Smitz, J

2017-05-01

Do the mRNA expression levels of zona pellucida (ZP) genes, ZP1, 2, 3 and 4 in oocyte and cumulus cells (CC) reveal relevant information on the oocyte? The ZP mRNA expression in human oocytes is related to oocyte maturity, zona inner layer (IL) retardance and fertilization capacity. ZP structure and birefringence provide useful information on oocyte cytoplasmic maturation, developmental competence for embryonic growth, blastocyst formation and pregnancy. In order to understand the molecular basis of morphological changes in the ZP, in the current study, the polarized light microscopy (PLM) approach was combined with analysis of the expression of the genes encoding ZP1, 2, 3 and 4, both in the oocytes and in the surrounding CC. This is a retrospective study comprising 98 supernumerary human cumulus oocyte complexes (COC) [80 Metaphase II (MII), 10 Metaphase I (MI) and 8 germinal vesicle (GV)] obtained from 39 patients (median age 33.4 years, range 22-42) after controlled ovarian stimulation. Single oocytes and their corresponding CC were analysed. Oocytes were examined using PLM, and quantitative RT-PCR was performed for ZP1, 2, 3 and 4 in these individual oocytes and their CC. Ephrin-B2 (EFNB2) mRNA was measured in CC as a control. Presence of ZP3 protein in CC and oocytes was investigated using immunocytochemistry. Data were analysed using one-parametric and multivariate analysis and were corrected for the potential impact of patient and cycle characteristics. Oocytes contained ZP1/2/3 and 4 mRNA while in CC only ZP3 was quantifiable. Also ZP3 protein was detected in human CC. When comparing mature (MII) and immature oocytes (MI/GV) or their corresponding CC, ZP1/2 and 4 expression was lower in mature oocytes compared to the expression in immature oocytes (all P < 0.05) and ZP3 expression was lower in the CC of mature oocytes compared to the expression in CC of immature oocytes (P < 0.05). This coincided with a significantly smaller IL-ZP area and thickness in mature oocytes than in immature oocytes (all P < 0.05). In mature oocytes, IL-ZP retardance was significantly correlated with the expression of all four ZP mRNAs (all P < 0.05). The oocyte ZP3 expression was the main predictor of the fertilization capacity, next to IL-retardance and IL-thickness. Using stepwise regression analysis, IL-thickness combined with EFNB2 expression in CC and the patient's ovarian response resulted in a noninvasive oocyte fertilization prediction model. Not applicable. This is a retrospective study and the relation of oocyte mRNA levels to fertilization capacity is indirect as oocyte gene expression analysis required lysis of the oocyte. Overall relations between PLM observations, mRNA expression changes and intrinsic oocyte competence were successfully documented. As such PLM and CC gene expression are confirmed as valuable noninvasive techniques to evaluate oocyte competence. This study was funded by University of Torino, Italy, WFWG UZ-Brussel and Agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie IWT 110680, Belgium. All authors declare that their participation in the study did not involve actual or potential conflicts of interests. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Scientific, legal, and ethical challenges of end-of-life organ procurement in emergency medicine.

PubMed

Rady, Mohamed Y; Verheijde, Joseph L; McGregor, Joan L

2010-09-01

We review (1) scientific evidence questioning the validity of declaring death and procuring organs in heart-beating (i.e., neurological standard of death) and non-heart-beating (i.e., circulatory-respiratory standard of death) donation; (2) consequences of collaborative programs realigning hospital policies to maximize access of procurement coordinators to critically and terminally ill patients as potential donors on arrival in emergency departments; and (3) ethical and legal ramifications of current practices of organ procurement on patients and their families. Relevant publications in peer-reviewed journals and government websites. Scientific evidence undermines the biological criteria of death that underpin the definition of death in heart-beating (i.e., neurological standard) and non-heart-beating (i.e., circulatory-respiratory standard) donation. Philosophical reinterpretation of the neurological and circulatory-respiratory standards in the death statute, to avoid the appearance of organ procurement as an active life-ending intervention, lacks public and medical consensus. Collaborative programs bundle procurement coordinators together with hospital staff for a team-huddle and implement a quality improvement tool for a Rapid Assessment of Hospital Procurement Barriers in Donation. Procurement coordinators have access to critically ill patients during the course of medical treatment with no donation consent and with family or surrogates unaware of their roles. How these programs affect the medical care of these patients has not been studied. Policies enforcing end-of-life organ procurement can have unintended consequences: (1) erosion of care in the patient's best interests, (2) lack of transparency, and (3) ethical and legal ramifications of flawed standards of declaring death. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oocyte transport: Developmental competence of bovine oocytes arrested at germinal vesicle stage by cycloheximide under air.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Shu; Kimura, Kouji; Iwata, Hisataka; Takakura, Ryo

2003-02-01

The effects of the medium (TCM 199 or SOFaa) and temperature (20 or 39 C) during meiotic arrest by cycloheximide (CHX) under air on the developmental competence of bovine oocytes after in vitro maturation (IVM) and fertilization (IVF) were investigated. Oocytes were maintained in meiotic arrest by 10 microg/ml CHX in a 50-microl droplet of 25-mM HEPES-buffered TCM 199 (H199) at 39 C or synthetic oviduct fluid (HSOFaa) at 20 or 39 C in air for 24 h. After release from the arrest, the oocytes was matured and fertilized in vitro and their developmental competence was examined. The developmental rate of oocytes arrested in HSOFaa at 20 C to the blastocyst stage was similar to that of non-arrested oocytes but was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of oocytes arrested at 39 C in H199 or in HSOFaa. In consideration of oocyte transport conditions, we also investigated the meiotic arrest of oocytes maintained in a 0.25-ml straw by CHX individually with 10 microl HSOFaa or as a group (40-50 oocytes) with 170-200 microl HSOFaa at 20 C in air for 24 h. After release from meiotic arrest, the developmental competence of these oocytes was assessed similarly. The developmental rate of oocytes treated with CHX individually was similar to that of those treated with CHX in 50-microl droplet of HSOFaa at 20 C. However, the developmental rate of oocytes treated with CHX as a group was lower than that of oocytes treated with CHX in a 50-microl droplet. Five blastocysts developed from oocytes maintained in meiotic arrest in a plastic straw were transferred to five recipient heifers. Consequently, three recipients became pregnant and 2 calves were delivered. The results of the present study indicate that bovine oocytes treated with CHX in HSOFaa at 20 C under air retain the same developmental competence as non-arrested oocytes.

Total number of oocytes and zygotes are predictive of live birth pregnancy in fresh donor oocyte in vitro fertilization cycles.

PubMed

Hariton, Eduardo; Kim, Keewan; Mumford, Sunni L; Palmor, Marissa; Bortoletto, Pietro; Cardozo, Eden R; Karmon, Anatte E; Sabatini, Mary E; Styer, Aaron K

2017-08-01

To evaluate the association of oocyte donor-recipient characteristics, oocyte donor response, and live birth pregnancy rate following fresh donor oocyte IVF-ET. Retrospective cohort study. Academic reproductive medicine practice. Two hundred thirty-seven consecutive fresh donor oocyte IVF-ET cycles from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2013 at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center. None. Live birth rate per cycle initiated. The mean (±SD) age of oocyte donors and recipients was 27.0 ± 3.7 and 41.4 ± 4.6 years, respectively. Oocyte donor demographic/reproductive characteristics, ovarian reserve testing, and peak serum E 2 during ovarian stimulation were similar among cycles which did and did not result in live birth, respectively. Overall implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth pregnancy rates per cycle initiated were 40.5%, 60.8%, and 54.9%, respectively. The greatest probability of live birth was observed in cycles with >10 oocytes retrieved, mature oocytes, oocytes with normal fertilization (zygote-two pronuclear stage), and cleaved embryos. The number of oocytes (total and mature), zygotes, and cleaved embryos are associated with live birth following donor oocyte IVF cycles. These findings suggest that specific peri-fertilization factors may be predictive of pregnancy outcomes following donor oocyte IVF cycles. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. All rights reserved.

High-throughput optofluidic system for the laser microsurgery of oocytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandsawangbhuwana, Charlie; Shi, Linda Z.; Zhu, Qingyuan; Alliegro, Mark C.; Berns, Michael W.

2012-01-01

This study combines microfluidics with optical microablation in a microscopy system that allows for high-throughput manipulation of oocytes, automated media exchange, and long-term oocyte observation. The microfluidic component of the system transports oocytes from an inlet port into multiple flow channels. Within each channel, oocytes are confined against a microfluidic barrier using a steady fluid flow provided by an external computer-controlled syringe pump. This allows for easy media replacement without disturbing the oocyte location. The microfluidic and optical-laser microbeam ablation capabilities of the system were validated using surf clam (Spisula solidissima) oocytes that were immobilized in order to permit ablation of the 5 μm diameter nucleolinus within the oocyte nucleolus. Oocytes were the followed and assayed for polar body ejection.

Bodies for Anatomy Education in Medical Schools: An Overview of the Sources of Cadavers Worldwide.

PubMed

Habicht, Juri L; Kiessling, Claudia; Winkelmann, Andreas

2018-03-20

The International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) recommended in 2012 that only donated bodies be used for anatomy teaching and research. However, in many countries around the world, anatomists still depend on bodies that do not stem from voluntary donations by the deceased, but rather are "unclaimed." A broad search of the literature was conducted to produce a baseline overview of the sources of cadavers used for anatomy teaching in undergraduate medical curricula on a global scale. Information from the literature search was supplemented with data from a 2016-2017 survey of selected senior local anatomists. Of 165 countries with medical schools, information was gathered for 71. In 22 (32%) of the 68 countries that use cadavers for anatomy teaching, body donation is the exclusive source of bodies. However, in most other countries, unclaimed bodies remain the main (n = 18, 26%) or exclusive (n = 21, 31%) source. Some countries import cadavers from abroad, mainly from the United States or India. In one country, bodies of executed persons are given to anatomy departments. The heterogeneous geographical distribution of body sources cannot easily be accounted for, but religion, culture, and folk beliefs about what should happen to bodies after death seem to play a role. Implementation of the IFAA recommendations still has a long way to go, but it is encouraging that functioning body donation programs exist on all continents and that there are examples of recent rises in donations and of anatomists initiating new donation programs.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

Unfertilized frog eggs die by apoptosis following meiotic exit

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background A characteristic feature of frog reproduction is external fertilization accomplished outside the female's body. Mature fertilization-competent frog eggs are arrested at the meiotic metaphase II with high activity of the key meiotic regulators, maturation promoting factor (MPF) and cytostatic factor (CSF), awaiting fertilization. If the eggs are not fertilized within several hours of ovulation, they deteriorate and ultimately die by as yet unknown mechanism. Results Here, we report that the vast majority of naturally laid unfertilized eggs of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis spontaneously exit metaphase arrest under various environmental conditions and degrade by a well-defined apoptotic process within 48 hours after ovulation. The main features of this process include cytochrome c release, caspase activation, ATP depletion, increase of ADP/ATP ratio, apoptotic nuclear morphology, progressive intracellular acidification, and egg swelling. Meiotic exit seems to be a prerequisite for execution of the apoptotic program, since (i) it precedes apoptosis, (ii) apoptotic events cannot be observed in the eggs maintaining high activity of MPF and CSF, and (iii) apoptosis in unfertilized frog eggs is accelerated upon early meiotic exit. The apoptotic features cannot be observed in the immature prophase-arrested oocytes, however, the maturation-inducing hormone progesterone renders oocytes susceptible to apoptosis. Conclusions The study reveals that naturally laid intact frog eggs die by apoptosis if they are not fertilized. A maternal apoptotic program is evoked in frog oocytes upon maturation and executed after meiotic exit in unfertilized eggs. The meiotic exit is required for execution of the apoptotic program in eggs. The emerging anti-apoptotic role of meiotic metaphase arrest needs further investigation. PMID:22195698

Validation of a heterologous fertilization assay and comparison of fertilization rates of equine oocytes using in vitro fertilization, perivitelline, and intracytoplasmic sperm injections.

PubMed

Sessions-Bresnahan, D R; Graham, J K; Carnevale, E M

2014-07-15

IVF in horses is rarely successful. One reason for this could be the failure of sperm to fully capacitate or exhibit hyperactive motility. We hypothesized that the zona pellucida (ZP) of equine oocytes prevents fertilization in vitro, and bypassing the ZP would increase fertilization rates. Limited availability of equine oocytes for research has necessitated the use of heterologous oocyte binding assays using bovine oocytes. We sought to validate an assay using bovine oocytes and equine sperm and then to demonstrate that bypassing the ZP using perivitelline sperm injections (PVIs) with equine sperm capacitated with dilauroyl phosphatidylcholine would result in higher fertilization rates than standard IVF in bovine and equine oocytes. In experiment 1, bovine oocytes were used for (1) IVF with bovine sperm, (2) IVF with equine sperm, and (3) intracytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSIs) with equine sperm. Presumptive zygotes were either stained with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole from 18 to 26 hours at 2-hour intervals or evaluated for cleavage at 56 hours after addition of sperm. Equine sperm fertilized bovine oocytes; however, pronuclei formation was delayed compared with bovine sperm after IVF. The delayed pronuclear formation was not seen after ICSI. In experiment 2, bovine oocytes were assigned to the following five groups: (1) cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) coincubated with bovine sperm; (2) COC exposed to sucrose then coincubated with bovine sperm; (3) COC coincubated with equine sperm; (4) COC exposed to sucrose, and coincubated with equine sperm; and (5) oocytes exposed to sucrose, and 10 to 15 equine sperm injected into the perivitelline (PV) space. Equine sperm tended (P = 0.08) to fertilize more bovine oocytes when injected into the PV space than after IVF. In experiment 3, oocytes were assigned to the following four groups: (1) IVF, equine, and bovine COC coincubated with equine sperm; (2) PVI of equine and bovine oocytes; (3) PVI with equine oocytes pretreated with sucrose; and (4) ICSI of equine oocytes. Oocytes were examined at 24 hours for cleavage. No equine oocytes cleaved after IVF or PVI. However, ICSI conducted with equine sperm treated with dilauroyl phosphatidylcholine resulted in 85% of the oocytes cleaving. Sperm injected into the PV space of equine oocytes did not appear to enter the ooplasm. This study validated the use of bovine oocytes for equine sperm studies and indicates that failure of equine IVF is more than an inability of equine sperm to penetrate the ZP. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficiency of metaphase II oocytes following minimal/mild ovarian stimulation in vitro fertilization.

PubMed

Zhang, John J; Yang, Mingxue; Merhi, Zaher

2016-01-01

An inverse relationship between oocyte efficiency and ovarian response was reported in conventional IVF. The purpose of this study was to report metaphase II (MII) oocyte efficiency according to oocyte yield in minimal/mild stimulation IVF (mIVF) and to assess whether oocyte yield affects live birth rate (LBR). Infertile women ( n  = 264) aged < 39 years old with normal ovarian reserve who had mIVF were recruited. All participants received the same protocol for ovarian stimulation. All the embryos were cultured to the blastocyst stage and vitrified using a freeze-all approach. This was followed by a single blastocyst transferred to each participant in subsequent cycles over a 6-month period. Ovarian response was categorized according to the number of MII oocyte yield (low: 1-2, intermediate: 3-6 and high ≥ 7 MII oocytes). MII oocyte utilization rate was calculated as the number of live births divided by the number of MII oocytes produced after only one oocyte retrieval and subsequent transfers of vitrified/warmed blastocysts. The main outcome measure was cumulative LBR over a 6-month period. Among all the participants, 1173 total retrieved oocytes (4.4 ± 0.2 per patient) resulted in 1019 (3.9 ± 0.2 per patient) total MII oocytes, a clinical pregnancy rate of 48.1 % and a LBR of 41.2 %. Oocyte utilization rate was inversely related to ovarian response where it was 30.3 % in the "low" vs. 9.3 % in the "intermediate" vs. 4.3 % in the "high" oocyte yield groups ( p  < 0.05). Implantation rate significantly dropped as the number of MII oocytes increased and was highest in the "low" oocyte yield group ( p  < 0.0001). Cumulative LBR was similar in "low," "intermediate," and "high" oocyte yield groups ( p  > 0.05). The number of MII oocytes had poor sensitivity and specificity for predicting a live birth. These data extend the hypothesis of oocyte efficiency reported in conventional IVF protocols to mIVF protocols. Registration clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00799929.

Effect of milrinone on the developmental competence of growing lamb oocytes identified with brilliant cresyl blue.

PubMed

Wang, Liqin; Jiang, Xiangjiu; Wu, Yangsheng; Lin, Jiapeng; Zhang, Li; Yang, Nan; Huang, Juncheng

2016-11-01

Juvenile in vitro embryo transfer is a novel technique that can be used to increase the rate of genetic gain in a population and presents an alternative to embryo technologies on the basis of adult animals. However, oocytes from prepubertal animals have a lower viability than those obtained from adult ewe oocyte donors. In this research, we aimed to determine the optimum concentration and time of treatment of oocytes from prepubertal lambs with brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) stain and milrinone during IVM. This would improve the developmental rate of lamb oocytes and embryos after IVF. First, lamb cumulus-oocyte complexes were cultured under different concentrations (13 or 26 μM) of BCB staining. Treated lamb oocytes were then divided into BCB- (colorless cytoplasm) and BCB+ (colored cytoplasm) groups on the basis of their glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. The blastocyst efficiency rate of BCB+ oocytes treated with 13 μM BCB (37.03%) was significantly higher than that of BCB+ oocytes treated with 26 μM BCB (23.25%) and that of nontreated BCB control oocytes (15.37%), as well as that of BCB- oocytes (6.28%). Both control oocytes and BCB+ oocytes exhibited significantly higher cleavage rates (60.15% and 73.44%, respectively) than that of BCB- oocytes (36.19%). Moreover, the diameter and glutathione content of BCB+ oocytes were found to be significantly greater than those of BCB- oocytes (163.37 vs. 159.25 μm and 6.39 vs. 0.26 pM, respectively). After culturing BCB- oocytes in different concentrations of milrinone (0, 50, 75, and 100 μM) for 3, 6, or 9 hours, results reported that supplementation of IVM medium with 75 μM milrinone for 6 hours yielded a significantly higher proportion of blastocysts than the other treatments. These results show that the staining of lamb cumulus-oocyte complexes with 13 μM BCB before IVM may be used to select developmentally competent lamb oocytes. Furthermore, they suggest that milrinone can be used to promote lamb developmental competence of lamb embryos produced during IVF. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Obesity-induced oocyte mitochondrial defects are partially prevented and rescued by supplementation with co-enzyme Q10 in a mouse model

PubMed Central

Boots, C.E.; Boudoures, A.; Zhang, W.; Drury, A.; Moley, K.H.

2016-01-01

STUDY QUESTION Does supplementation with co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) improve the oocyte mitochondrial abnormalities associated with obesity in mice? SUMMARY ANSWER In an obese mouse model, CoQ10 improves the mitochondrial function of oocytes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Obesity impairs oocyte quality. Oocytes from mice fed a high-fat/high-sugar (HF/HS) diet have abnormalities in mitochondrial distribution and function and in meiotic progression. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Mice were randomly assigned to a normal, chow diet or an isocaloric HF/HS diet for 12 weeks. After 6 weeks on the diet, half of the mice receiving a normal diet and half of the mice receiving a HF/HS diet were randomly assigned to receive CoQ10 supplementation injections for the remaining 6 weeks. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Dietary intervention was initiated on C57Bl6 female mice at 4 weeks of age, CoQ10 versus vehicle injections were assigned at 10 weeks, and assays were conducted at 16 weeks of age. Mice were super-ovulated, and oocytes were collected and stained to assess mitochondrial distribution, quantify reactive oxygen species (ROS), assess meiotic spindle formation, and measure metabolites. In vitro fertilization was performed, and blastocyst embryos were transferred into control mice. Oocyte number, fertilization rate, blastulation rate and implantation rate were compared between the four cohorts. Bivariate statistics were performed appropriately. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE HF/HS mice weighed significantly more than normal diet mice (29 versus 22 g, P< 0.001). CoQ10 supplementation did not influence weight. Levels of ATP, citrate, and phosphocreatine were lower and ROS levels were higher in HF/HS mice than in controls (P< 0.001). CoQ10 supplementation significantly increased the levels of metabolites and decreased ROS levels in oocytes from normal diet mice but not in oocytes from HF/HS mice. However, CoQ10 completely prevented the mitochondrial distribution abnormalities observed in the HF/HS mice. Overall, CoQ10 supplementation significantly increased the percentage of normal spindle and chromosome alignment (92.3 versus 80.2%, P= 0.039). In the sub-analysis by diet, the difference did not reach statistical significance. When undergoing IVF, there were no statistically significant differences in the number of mature oocytes, the fertilization rate, blastocyst formation rates, implantation rates, resorption rates or litter size between HF/HS mice receiving CoQ10 or vehicle injections. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Experiments were limited to one species and strain of mice. The majority of experiments were performed after ovulation induction, which may not represent natural cycle fertility. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Improvement in oocyte mitochondrial distribution and function of normal, chow-fed mice and HF/HS-fed mice demonstrates the importance of CoQ10 and the efficiency of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in oocyte competence. Clinical studies are now needed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of CoQ10 in women's reproductive health. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) C.E.B. received support from the National Research Training Program in Reproductive Medicine sponsored by the National Institute of Health (T32 HD040135-13) and the Scientific Advisory Board of Vivere Health. K.H.M received support from the American Diabetes Association and the National Institute of Health (R01 HD083895). There are no conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER This study is not a clinical trial. PMID:27432748

The View of Religious Officials on Organ Donation and Transplantation in the Zeytinburnu District of Istanbul.

PubMed

Tarhan, Merve; Dalar, Levent; Yildirimoglu, Huseyin; Sayar, Adnan; Altin, Sedat

2015-12-01

One of the obstacles to organ donation and transplantation in Turkey is that of religious beliefs and, at this point, religious officials constitute a key aspect of this problem. Positive or negative viewpoints held by religious officials regarding organ donation and transplantation are influential in guiding the public. This descriptive study was conducted for the purpose of describing religious officials' viewpoints on this subject. To determine the opinions of 40 religious officials from among the imams and muezzins working in Zeytinburnu District Mufti (Religious Officials Superior) Station who participated in a normal meeting in April and who fully completed the survey. A 27-question survey form was used that consisted of open-ended and closed questions, 5 of which were on socio-demographic characteristics, 13 on viewpoints on organ donation and transplantation, and 9 on the Islamic viewpoint regarding organ donation and transplantation. For the analysis of the results, Student's t test and one-way ANOVA tests were used. It was found that all of the religious officials believed in the importance of organ donation, 80 % considered donating their organs, and 5 % had made an organ donation. Of the religious officials who had not donated organs, 35 % gave an answer that there was no specific reason and 27.5 % stated that they had never considered the subject. While the number of those stating that they would donate the organs of a close associate who had died, 77.5 % of them who did not want to donate gave as their reason the idea that if it were him, he would perhaps not want to give his organs after death. Of the religious officials questioned, 92.5 % asserted that the religion of Islam looked positively on organ donation and transplantation, 55 % stated that the knowledge of religious officials in the country was inadequate regarding this subject, and 65 % said that for interest in organ donation to increase, religious officials should make speeches and raise the issue with the public in conversations, meetings, and sermons. Fully 85 % asserted that for interest in organ donation in Turkey to increase, religious officials have to lead on the subject. Of those questioned, 52.5 % considered their knowledge on organ donation and transplantation to be adequate and that they had obtained 52.5 % of such information from seminars/conferences, 50 % from television/radio, and 45 % from Directorate of Religious Affairs publications. However, 40 % expressed that they did not know where organ donations were made. One reason for inadequate organ donation in Turkey is that of incorrect religious beliefs. Thus, it is necessary that informative efforts are made by the Directorate of Religious Affairs through in-house training programs, and that healthcare, religious, and legal officials work jointly to inform the public about organ donation, organ transplantation, and brain death. Additionally, religious officials should donate organs by the way of example and, to increase their sensitivity, healthcare professionals should go more frequently to mosques and Mufti Stations.

The View of Religious Officials on Organ Donation and Transplantation in the Zeytinburnu District of Istanbul.

PubMed

Tarhan, Merve; Dalar, Levent; Yildirimoglu, Huseyin; Sayar, Adnan; Altin, Sedat

2014-03-22

One of the obstacles to organ donation and transplantation in Turkey is that of religious beliefs and, at this point, religious officials constitute a key aspect of this problem. Positive or negative viewpoints held by religious officials regarding organ donation and transplantation are influential in guiding the public. This descriptive study was conducted for the purpose of describing religious officials' viewpoints on this subject. To determine the opinions of 40 religious officials from among the imams and muezzins working in Zeytinburnu District Mufti (Religious Officials Superior) Station who participated in a normal meeting in April and who fully completed the survey. A 27-question survey form was used that consisted of open-ended and closed questions, 5 of which were on socio-demographic characteristics, 13 on viewpoints on organ donation and transplantation, and 9 on the Islamic viewpoint regarding organ donation and transplantation. For the analysis of the results, Student's t test and one-way ANOVA tests were used. It was found that all of the religious officials believed in the importance of organ donation, 80 % considered donating their organs, and 5 % had made an organ donation. Of the religious officials who had not donated organs, 35 % gave an answer that there was no specific reason and 27.5 % stated that they had never considered the subject. While the number of those stating that they would donate the organs of a close associate who had died, 77.5 % of them who did not want to donate gave as their reason the idea that if it were him, he would perhaps not want to give his organs after death. Of the religious officials questioned, 92.5 % asserted that the religion of Islam looked positively on organ donation and transplantation, 55 % stated that the knowledge of religious officials in the country was inadequate regarding this subject, and 65 % said that for interest in organ donation to increase, religious officials should make speeches and raise the issue with the public in conversations, meetings, and sermons. Fully 85 % asserted that for interest in organ donation in Turkey to increase, religious officials have to lead on the subject. Of those questioned, 52.5 % considered their knowledge on organ donation and transplantation to be adequate and that they had obtained 52.5 % of such information from seminars/conferences, 50 % from television/radio, and 45 % from Directorate of Religious Affairs publications. However, 40 % expressed that they did not know where organ donations were made. One reason for inadequate organ donation in Turkey is that of incorrect religious beliefs. Thus, it is necessary that informative efforts are made by the Directorate of Religious Affairs through in-house training programs, and that healthcare, religious, and legal officials work jointly to inform the public about organ donation, organ transplantation, and brain death. Additionally, religious officials should donate organs by the way of example and, to increase their sensitivity, healthcare professionals should go more frequently to mosques and Mufti Stations.

Family perspectives on organ and tissue donation for transplantation: a principlist analysis.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Marcelo José; Feito, Lydia

2017-01-01

The family interview context is permeated by numerous ethical issues which may generate conflicts and impact on organ donation process. This study aims to analyze the family interview process with a focus on principlist bioethics. This exploratory, descriptive study uses a qualitative approach. The speeches were collected using the following prompt: "Talk about the family interview for the donation of organs and tissues for transplantation, from the preparation for the interview to the decision of the family to donate or not." For the treatment of qualitative data, we chose the method of content analysis and categorical thematic analysis. The study involved 18 nurses who worked in three municipal organ procurement organizations in São Paulo, Brazil, and who conducted family interviews for organ donation. Ethical considerations: The data were collected after approval of the study by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Nursing of the University of São Paulo. The results were classified into four categories and three subcategories. The categories are the principles adopted by principlist bioethics. The principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice permeate the family interview and reveal their importance in the organs and tissues donation process for transplantation. The analysis of family interviews for the donation of organs and tissues for transplantation with a focus on principlist bioethics indicates that the process involves many ethical considerations. The elucidation of these aspects contributes to the discussion, training, and improvement of professionals, whether nurses or not, who work in organ procurement organizations and can improve the curriculum of existing training programs for transplant coordinators who pursue ethics in donation and transplantation as their foundation.

Saudi Nursing and Medical Student’s Knowledge and Attitude toward Organ Donation- A Comparative Cross-Sectional study

PubMed Central

Majeed, Farrukh

2016-01-01

Objectives Proper awareness among health professionals about organ donation is important for increasing organ procurement. Personal commitment and attitude of nurses are imperative as they have key role in identifying potential donors. The aim of this study was to compare prevailing knowledge and attitude of undergraduate female Saudi nursing and medical students’ toward organ donation. Methodology A cross sectional questionnaire using 29 item were filled by nursing (n=46) and medical (n=63) students’ at University of Dammam (KSA) during academic year 2014–15, to check and compare their knowledge and attitude about organ donation. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics; chi square test and bivariate analysis to find out correlation. Results Level of knowledge of nursing group were significantly lower (p=0.000) than medical group while no significant difference in attitude score (p=0.591) between the two groups were found. Major source of knowledge for nursing was media (65.2%) and college/university for medical (50.8%) group. Both groups chose “anyone in need” as preferred recipients’ upon donation (nursing 60.3% and medical 52.2%) and opted “anyone” as donor in case of recipient (nursing 52.2% and medical 49.2%). The results indicate positive correlation between level of knowledge and attitude toward organ donation. Conclusions Nursing students have low knowledge toward organ donation as compared to medical students although they shows positive attitude toward this issue. This study ascertains the need of an effective educational program for nursing students of Saudi Arabia to improve their knowledge regarding organ donation and to raise organ procurement. PMID:27103903

Attitude to blood donation in Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Abdel Gader, Abdel Galil M.; Osman, Abdel Moniem A.; Al Gahtani, Furgah H.; Farghali, Mohamed N.; Ramadan, Ali H.; Al-Momen, Abdel Kareem M.

2011-01-01

Background and Objectives: The blood donor system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia depends on a combination of voluntary and involuntary donors. The aim of this study is to explore the attitudes, beliefs and motivations of Saudis toward blood donation. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at the Donor Centers at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) Blood Bank and King Saud University Students Health Center, Riyadh. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to donors (n = 517) and nondonors (n = 316), between February and June 2008. All were males. Results: Ninety-nine percent of the respondents showed positive attitude toward blood donations and its importance for patients care, and object the importation of blood from abroad. Blood donors: Ninety-one percent agree that that blood donation is a religious obligation, 91% think no compensation should be given, 63% will accept a token gift, 34% do not object to donating six times/year and 67% did not mind coming themselves to the donor center to give blood. Nondonors: Forty-six percent were not asked to give blood and those who were asked mentioned fear (5%) and lack of time (16%) as their main deterrents. Reasons for rejection as donors include underweight and age (71%) and health reasons (19%). Seventy-five percent objected to money compensation but 69% will accept token gifts and 92% will donate if a relative/friend needs blood. Conclusion: These results reflect an encouraging strong positive attitude toward blood donation. Further future planning with emphasis on educational/publicity programs and careful organization of donor recruitment campaigns could see the dream of total voluntary nonremunerated blood donations should not take long to be true. PMID:21897588

[CHALLENGING THE OPTIMAL NUMBER OF RETRIEVED OOCYTES AND ITS IMPACT ON PREGNANCY AND LIVE BIRTH RATES IN IVF/ICSI CYCLES].

PubMed

Blais, Idit; Lahav-Baratz, Shirly; Koifman, Mara; Wiener-Megnazi, Zofnat; Auslender, Ron; Dirnfeld, Martha

2015-06-01

Large numbers of retrieved oocytes are associated with higher chances of having cryopreservation of embryos. However, the process entailed exposes women to increased risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Furthermore, mild ovary stimulation protocols are more patient-friendly and with less adverse effects. Only limited reports exist on the significance of the number of retrieved oocytes achieved in a single stimulation cycle. To investigate the optimal number of retrieved oocytes to achieve pregnancy and live birth. This retrospective analysis included 1590 IVF cycles. Oocytes maturation, fertilization, cleavage, as well as pregnancy and live birth rates were analyzed according to the number of retrieved oocytes. Oocyte maturation, fertilization and cleavage rates were lower in cycles with more than 10 retrieved oocytes compared with other groups. Live birth rates were highest when the number of retrieved oocytes was 11-15. Retrieval of more than 15 oocytes was not associated with a significant increase in chances of conception and birth. The better oocyte quality with 10 or less oocytes retrieved could be the result of a possible interference with the natural selection, or the minimized exposure of growing follicles to the potentially negative effects of ovarian stimulation. Although the average number of available embryos was higher when more than 10 oocytes were retrieved, achievement of more than 15 oocytes did not improve IVF outcome in terms of pregnancy and delivery rates. Analysis of 1590 IVF cycles including the frozen-thawed transfers shows that the best outcomes were achieved with an optimal number of 11-15 oocytes.

Quality of common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) oocytes collected after ovarian stimulation.

PubMed

Kanda, Akifumi; Nobukiyo, Asako; Yoshioka, Miyuki; Hatakeyama, Teruhiko; Sotomaru, Yusuke

2018-01-15

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is an experimental animal that is considered suitable for the creation of next-generation human disease models. It has recently been used in the reproductive technology field. Oocytes can be effectively collected from female marmosets via ovarian stimulation with injections of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The oocytes, collected about 28 h after the hCG injection, include both premature oocytes and postmature (in vivo matured; IVO) oocytes, and the premature oocytes can be matured by in vitro culture (in vitro matured; IVM). Although IVM and IVO oocytes are equivalent in appearance at the MII stage, it remains unclear whether there are differences in their properties. Therefore, we investigated their in vitro fertilization and developmental capacities and cytoskeletal statuses. Our findings revealed that the IVM and IVO oocytes had similar fertilization rates but that no IVO oocytes could develop to the blastocyst stage. Additionally, IVO oocytes showed abnormal cytoskeletal formation. It is concluded that IVM oocytes maintain normal function, whereas IVO oocytes would be affected by aging and other factors when they remain for a long time in the ovary. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mammalian oocyte growth and development in vitro.

PubMed

Eppig, J J; O'Brien, M; Wigglesworth, K

1996-06-01

This paper is a review of the current status of technology for mammalian oocyte growth and development in vitro. It compares and contrasts the characteristics of the various culture systems that have been devised for the culture of either isolated preantral follicles or the oocyte-granulosa cell complexes form preantral follicles. The advantages and disadvantages of these various systems are discussed. Endpoints for the evaluation of oocyte development in vitro, including oocyte maturation and embryogenesis, are described. Considerations for the improvement of the culture systems are also presented. These include discussions of the possible effects of apoptosis and inappropriate differentiation of oocyte-associated granulosa cells on oocyte development. Finally, the potential applications of the technology for oocyte growth and development in vitro are discussed. For example, studies of oocyte development in vitro could help to identify specific molecules produced during oocyte development that are essential for normal early embryogenesis and perhaps recognize defects leading to infertility or abnormalities in embryonic development. Moreover, the culture systems may provide the methods necessary to enlarge the populations of valuable agricultural, pharmaceutical product-producing, and endangered animals, and to rescue the oocytes of women about to undergo clinical procedures that place oocytes at risk.

Confocal fluorescence assessment of bioenergy/redox status of dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) oocytes before and after in vitro maturation.

PubMed

Russo, Roberto; Monaco, Davide; Rubessa, Marcello; El-Bahrawy, Khalid A; El-Sayed, Ashraf; Martino, Nicola A; Beneult, Benedicte; Ciannarella, Francesca; Dell'Aquila, Maria E; Lacalandra, Giovanni M; Filioli Uranio, Manuel

2014-02-18

Reproductive biotechnologies in dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) are less developed than in other livestock species. The in vitro maturation (IVM) technology is a fundamental step for in vitro embryo production (IVP), and its optimization could represent a way to increase the success rate of IVP. The aim of the present study was to investigate the bioenergy/oxidative status of dromedary camel oocytes before and after IVM by confocal microscopy 3D imaging. Oocytes were retrieved by slicing ovaries collected at local slaughterhouses. Recovered oocytes were examined before and after IVM culture for nuclear chromatin configuration and bioenergy/oxidative status, expressed as mitochondria (mt) distribution and activity, intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels and distribution and mt/ROS colocalization. The mean recovery rate was 6 oocytes/ovary. After IVM, 61% of oocytes resumed meiosis and 36% reached the Metaphase II stage (MII). Oocyte bioenergy/redox confocal characterization revealed changes upon meiosis progression. Immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage were characterised by prevailing homogeneous mt distribution in small aggregates while MI and MII oocytes showed significantly higher rates of pericortical mt distribution organized in tubular networks (P<0.05). Increased mt activity in MI (P<0.001) and MII (P<0.01) oocytes compared to GV stage oocytes was also observed. At any meiotic stage, homogeneous distribution of intracellular ROS was observed. Intracellular ROS levels also increased in MI (P<0.01) and MII (P<0.05) oocytes compared to GV stage oocytes. The mt/ROS colocalization signal increased in MI oocytes (P<0.05). This study provides indications that qualitative and quantitative indicators of bioenergy and oxidative status in dromedary camel oocytes are modified in relation with oocyte meiotic stage. These data may increase the knowledge of camel oocyte physiology, in order to enhance the efficiency of IVP procedures.

Pig oocytes with a large perivitelline space matured in vitro show greater developmental competence after parthenogenesis and somatic cell nuclear transfer.

PubMed

Lee, Joohyeong; You, Jinyoung; Lee, Geun-Shik; Hyun, Sang-Hwan; Lee, Eunsong

2013-09-01

The objective of this study was to examine the developmental competence of pig oocytes in relation to the size of the perivitelline space (PVS) of oocytes matured in vitro. Immature oocytes were matured in medium 199 or porcine zygote medium (PZM)-3 containing 108 or 61.6 mM NaCl. In vitro-matured (IVM) oocytes were examined for intracellular glutathione (GSH) level; cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) mRNA levels; and developmental competence after parthenogenesis (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). IVM oocytes with a larger PVS had higher (P < 0.05) levels of intracellular GSH (1.00 pixels/oocyte vs. 0.57 pixels/oocyte) and blastocyst formation (54.3% vs. 37.3%) after PA than oocytes with a smaller PVS. Culturing oocytes for maturation in PZM-3 with reduced (61.6 mM) NaCl increased (P < 0.05) the size of the PVS (6.4 µm vs. 2.8 µm) compared to control oocytes that were matured in normal PZM-3 containing 108 mM NaCl. Moreover, oocytes with a larger PVS showed higher CDK1, PCNA, and ERK2 mRNA and intracellular GSH levels (1.6 pixels/oocyte vs. 1.2 pixels/oocyte) and increased blastocyst formation after PA (52.1% vs. 40.6%) and SCNT (31.8% vs. 18.2%) than control oocytes. Our results demonstrate that pig oocytes with a large PVS have greater developmental competence after PA and SCNT, which is attributed to improved cytoplasmic maturation based on the enhanced GSH level and transcription factor expression. Further, enlargement of the PVS by culturing in low-NaCl medium improves the developmental competence of pig oocytes. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Confocal fluorescence assessment of bioenergy/redox status of dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) oocytes before and after in vitro maturation

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Reproductive biotechnologies in dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) are less developed than in other livestock species. The in vitro maturation (IVM) technology is a fundamental step for in vitro embryo production (IVP), and its optimization could represent a way to increase the success rate of IVP. The aim of the present study was to investigate the bioenergy/oxidative status of dromedary camel oocytes before and after IVM by confocal microscopy 3D imaging. Methods Oocytes were retrieved by slicing ovaries collected at local slaughterhouses. Recovered oocytes were examined before and after IVM culture for nuclear chromatin configuration and bioenergy/oxidative status, expressed as mitochondria (mt) distribution and activity, intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels and distribution and mt/ROS colocalization. Results The mean recovery rate was 6 oocytes/ovary. After IVM, 61% of oocytes resumed meiosis and 36% reached the Metaphase II stage (MII). Oocyte bioenergy/redox confocal characterization revealed changes upon meiosis progression. Immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage were characterised by prevailing homogeneous mt distribution in small aggregates while MI and MII oocytes showed significantly higher rates of pericortical mt distribution organized in tubular networks (P < 0.05). Increased mt activity in MI (P < 0.001) and MII (P < 0.01) oocytes compared to GV stage oocytes was also observed. At any meiotic stage, homogeneous distribution of intracellular ROS was observed. Intracellular ROS levels also increased in MI (P < 0.01) and MII (P < 0.05) oocytes compared to GV stage oocytes. The mt/ROS colocalization signal increased in MI oocytes (P < 0.05). Conclusions This study provides indications that qualitative and quantitative indicators of bioenergy and oxidative status in dromedary camel oocytes are modified in relation with oocyte meiotic stage. These data may increase the knowledge of camel oocyte physiology, in order to enhance the efficiency of IVP procedures. PMID:24548378

Cost of services provided by the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

PubMed

Ekwueme, Donatus U; Subramanian, Sujha; Trogdon, Justin G; Miller, Jacqueline W; Royalty, Janet E; Li, Chunyu; Guy, Gery P; Crouse, Wesley; Thompson, Hope; Gardner, James G

2014-08-15

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) is the largest cancer screening program for low-income women in the United States. This study updates previous estimates of the costs of delivering preventive cancer screening services in the NBCCEDP. We developed a standardized web-based cost-assessment tool to collect annual activity-based cost data on screening for breast and cervical cancer in the NBCCEDP. Data were collected from 63 of the 66 programs that received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the 2006/2007 fiscal year. We used these data to calculate costs of delivering preventive public health services in the program. We estimated the total cost of all NBCCEDP services to be $296 (standard deviation [SD], $123) per woman served (including the estimated value of in-kind donations, which constituted approximately 15% of this total estimated cost). The estimated cost of screening and diagnostic services was $145 (SD, $38) per women served, which represented 57.7% of the total cost excluding the value of in-kind donations. Including the value of in-kind donations, the weighted mean cost of screening a woman for breast cancer was $110 with an office visit and $88 without, the weighted mean cost of a diagnostic procedure was $401, and the weighted mean cost per breast cancer detected was $35,480. For cervical cancer, the corresponding cost estimates were $61, $21, $415, and $18,995, respectively. These NBCCEDP cost estimates may help policy makers in planning and implementing future costs for various potential changes to the program. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Dynamic distribution of spindlin in nucleoli, nucleoplasm and spindle from primary oocytes to mature eggs and its critical function for oocyte-to-embryo transition in gibel carp.

PubMed

Sun, Min; Li, Zhi; Gui, Jian-Fang

2010-10-01

Spindlin (Spin) was thought as a maternal-effect factor associated with meiotic spindle. Its role for the oocyte-to-embryo transition was suggested in mouse, but its direct evidence for the function had been not obtained in other vertebrates. In this study, we used the CagSpin-specific antibody to investigate CagSpin expression pattern and distribution during oogenesis of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio). First, the oocyte-specific expression pattern and dynamic distribution was revealed in nucleoli, nucleoplasm, and spindle from primary oocytes to mature eggs by immunofluorescence localization. In primary oocytes and growth stage oocytes, CagSpin accumulates in nucleoli in increasing numbers along with the oocyte growth, and its disassembly occurs in vitellogenic oocytes, which implicates that CagSpin may be a major component of a large number of nucleoli in fish growth oocytes. Then, co-localization of CagSpin and β-tubulin was revealed in meiotic spindle of mature egg, indicating that CagSpin is one spindle-associated factor. Moreover, microinjection of CagSpin-specific antibody into the fertilized eggs blocked the first cleavage, and found that the CagSpin depletion resulted in spindle assembly disturbance. Thereby, our study provided the first direct evidence for the critical oocyte-to-embryo transition function of Spin in vertebrates, and confirmed that Spin is one important maternal-effect factor that participates in oocyte growth, oocyte maturation, and oocyte-to-embryo transition.

Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes Among Primiparae at Very Advanced Maternal Age: At What Price?

PubMed

Ben-David, Alon; Glasser, Saralee; Schiff, Eyal; Zahav, Aliza Segev; Boyko, Valentina; Lerner-Geva, Liat

2016-04-01

In light of the potential physical and emotional costs to both woman and child, this study was conducted to assess pregnancy complications and birth outcomes in primiparae at very advanced maternal age (VAMA, aged ≥45) compared to younger primiparae. Retrospective cohort study comparing 222 VAMA primiparae and a reference group of 222 primiparae aged 30-35, delivering at Sheba Medical Center from 2008 through 2013. VAMA primiparae were more likely than younger primiparae to be single, to have chronic health conditions, and higher rates of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gestational-hypertension (GHTN) and preeclampsia-eclampsia. VAMA primiparae conceived mostly by oocyte donation. They were more likely to be hospitalized during pregnancy, to deliver preterm and by cesarean birth. Infants of VAMA primiparae were at greater risk for low birthweight and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission. There were no differences in outcomes between VAMA primiparae with or without preexisting chronic conditions, or between those aged 45-49 and ≥50. In multivariable analysis VAMA was an independent risk factor for GDM, GHTN and preeclamsia-eclampsia, with adjusted odds ratio of 2.38 (95 % CI 1.32, 4.29), 5.80 (95 % CI 2.66, 12.64) and 2.45 (95 % CI 1.03, 5.85); respectively. The effect of age disappeared in multiple pregnancies. Primiparity at VAMA holds a significant risk for adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. The absence of chronic medical conditions or the use of a young oocyte donor does not improve these outcomes. Multiple pregnancies hold additional risk and may diminish the effect of age. Primiparity at an earlier age should be encouraged.

Trust women to choose: a response to John a Robertson's ‘Egg freezing and Egg banking: empowerment and alienation in assisted reproduction’†

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract In ‘Egg Freezing and Egg Banking: Empowerment and Alienation in Assisted Reproduction’, John A Robertson responds to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine's statement that oocyte preservation should no longer be considered an experimental treatment. He explores the implications of this development, focusing on the potentially empowering impact of oocyte preservation as a means for women to preserve their fertility. He also engages with concerns about the possibility that such a development may raise issues of alienation. He highlights some of the potential problems that may emerge as women gain the capacity to store and either donate or sell any eggs they do not need for their own reproductive purposes. Much of his paper is valuable and considered, but in places, his views rest on assumptions about women's attitudes to their fertility, understanding of the technology, and relationship with their gametes that are open to dispute. This paper teases out some of these assumptions and puts pressure on them by drawing on the growing body of data about what women actually do think and feel about fertility issues. It focuses on two of his main concerns—that social egg freezing may give women a false sense of security and that women may be harmed if a market in eggs leads to their alienation from their gametes. Via this response to Robertson, I aim to redress the tendency often seen in discussions around women, infertility, aging, and empowerment to unquestioningly accept what I argue are stereotypes and assumptions about women's views and capacity to reason. PMID:29868183

48 CFR 26.402 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Policy. 26.402 Section 26.402 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS Food Donations to Nonprofit Organizations 26.402 Policy. The Government encourages...

The signaling pathways by which the Fas/FasL system accelerates oocyte aging.

PubMed

Zhu, Jiang; Lin, Fei-Hu; Zhang, Jie; Lin, Juan; Li, Hong; Li, You-Wei; Tan, Xiu-Wen; Tan, Jing-He

2016-02-01

In spite of great efforts, the mechanisms for postovulatory oocyte aging are not fully understood. Although our previous work showed that the FasL/Fas signaling facilitated oocyte aging, the intra-oocyte signaling pathways are unknown. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which oxidative stress facilitates oocyte aging and the causal relationship between Ca2+ rises and caspase-3 activation and between the cell cycle and apoptosis during oocyte aging need detailed investigations. Our aim was to address these issues by studying the intra-oocyte signaling pathways for Fas/FasL to accelerate oocyte aging. The results indicated that sFasL released by cumulus cells activated Fas on the oocyte by increasing reactive oxygen species via activating NADPH oxidase. The activated Fas triggered Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum by activating phospholipase C-γ pathway and cytochrome c pathway. The cytoplasmic Ca2+ rises activated calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and caspase-3. While activated CaMKII increased oocyte susceptibility to activation by inactivating maturation-promoting factor (MPF) through cyclin B degradation, the activated caspase-3 facilitated further Ca2+releasing that activates more caspase-3 leading to oocyte fragmentation. Furthermore, caspase-3 activation and fragmentation were prevented in oocytes with a high MPF activity, suggesting that an oocyte must be in interphase to undergo apoptosis.

Prospective randomized comparison of human oocyte cryopreservation with slow-rate freezing or vitrification.

PubMed

Smith, Gary D; Serafini, Paulo C; Fioravanti, Joyce; Yadid, Isaac; Coslovsky, Marcio; Hassun, Pericles; Alegretti, José Roberto; Motta, Eduardo L

2010-11-01

To compare cryopreservation of mature human oocytes with slow-rate freezing and vitrification and determine which is most efficient at establishing a pregnancy. Prospective randomized. Academically affiliated, private fertility center. Consenting patients with concerns about embryo cryopreservation and more than nine mature oocytes at retrieval were randomized to slow-rate freezing or vitrification of supernumerary (more than nine) oocytes. Oocytes were frozen or vitrified, and upon request oocytes were thawed or warmed, respectively. Oocyte survival, fertilization, embryo development, and clinical pregnancy. Patient use has resulted in 30 thaws and 48 warmings. Women's age at time of cryopreservation was similar. Oocyte survival was significantly higher following vitrification/warming (81%) compared with freezing/thawing (67%). Fertilization was more successful in oocytes vitrified/warmed compared with frozen/thawed. Fertilized oocytes from vitrification/warming had significantly better cleavage rates (84%) compared with freezing/thawing (71%) and resulted in embryos with significantly better morphology. Although similar numbers of embryos were transferred, embryos resulting from vitrified oocytes had significantly enhanced clinical (38%) pregnancy rates compared with embryos resulting from frozen oocyte (13%). Miscarriage and/or spontaneous abortion rates were similar. Our results suggest that vitrification/warming is currently the most efficient means of oocyte cryopreservation in relation to subsequent success in establishing pregnancy. Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Willingness to donate blood samples for genetic research: a survey from a community in Singapore.

PubMed

Wong, M L; Chia, K S; Yam, W M; Teodoro, G R; Lau, K W

2004-01-01

Studies on the public's willingness to donate blood specimens for genetic research are few and are conducted mainly among Western countries. Little is known about the Asian community's willingness to participate in genetic research. A community-based survey was conducted on 548 adult Singaporeans to examine their willingness to donate blood samples for genetic research and its associated factors. The response rate was 70.3%. About 49.3% (95% CI, 45.1-53.5%) were willing to donate blood for genetic research. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, willingness was significantly associated with belief in the benefits of genetic research; intention to participate in government studies; having no fear of pain, blood, injections, and needles; and non-concern about the loss of confidentiality. Reasons against donating blood were fear of pain, blood, injections, and needles (38.1%); no self-benefits (24.8%); fear of finding out about having a disease (22.3%); fear of discrimination (18.7%); and concerns about weakness (15.1%) and weight gain (9.4%). Public education programs to promote participation in genetic research should stress its benefits and address people's fears and concerns.

When politics meets science: What impact might Brexit have on organ donation and transplantation in the United Kingdom?

PubMed

Shapey, Iestyn M; Summers, Angela M; Simkin, Iain J; Augustine, Titus; van Dellen, David

2018-06-21

Brexit may lead to major political, societal, and financial changes-this has significant implications for a tax revenue funded healthcare system such as the United Kingdom's (UK) National Health Service. The complex relationship between European Union (EU) legislation and clinical practice of organ donation and transplantation is poorly understood. However, it is unclear what impact Brexit may have on organ donation and transplantation in the UK and EU. This work aims to describe the current legislative interactions affecting organ donation and transplantation regulation and governance within the UK and EU. We consider the potential impact of Brexit on the practical aspects of transplantation such organ-sharing networks, logistics, and the provision of health care for transplant patients when traveling to the EU from the UK and vice versa, as well as personnel, and research. Successful organ donation and transplantation practices rely on close collaboration and co-operation across Europe and throughout the United Kingdom. The continuation of such relationships, despite the proposed legislative change, will remain a vital and necessary component for the ongoing success of transplantation programs. © 2018 The Authors. Clinical Transplantation Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Outcome of referrals for deceased organ donation to the government organ procurement organization.

PubMed

Suguitan, G A; Cabanayan-Casasola, C B; Danguilan, R A; Jaro, J M A

2014-05-01

The Human Organ Preservation Effort is a government organ procurement organization that pioneered the Deceased Organ Donation Program in the Philippines. Deceased organ donation comprises only 20% of kidney transplantation in the Philippines in the last 3 years. Various measures were implemented to improve deceased organ donor referrals and organ retrieval. To compare outcome of deceased organ donor referrals from 2002 to 2008 and 2009 to 2012 in the Philippines. This retrospective study reviewed the deceased organ donor referrals from 2002 to 2008 and 2009 to 2012. There were 437 referrals for potential deceased organ donors from 2009 to 2012, compared to 434 referrals from 2002 to 2008. Referrals were mainly trauma victims (76%) followed by those with cerebrovascular accidents (12%). In the recent cohort, 81% were approached and 60% consented for donation, but only 23% were retrieved and transplanted. Among those not retrieved, the majority (19%) were medically unsuitable and 6% retracted their consent. Although there was an increasing trend of organ donation referrals in the last 4 years, only 25% were procured. The reasons for nonprocurement should be addressed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Select Government Matching Fund Programs: An Examination of Characteristics and Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for Advancement and Support of Education (NJ1), 2004

2004-01-01

Government matching fund programs, at their most fundamental level, are state-based initiatives that match private donations to colleges and universities with public funds. These programs have proven to be effective methods of improving public colleges and universities and successful examples of public-private partnerships, which are key…

A Scholarship Program where Students Give Back

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masterson, Kathryn

2009-01-01

Alumni of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, young adults selected for their intellect, leadership skills, service, and financial need, are finding success in the law, government, science, business, medicine, and the arts. Yet they remain tied to the scholarship program, contributing to its continued success by donating money and volunteer hours to…

West Nile virus among blood donors in the United States, 2003 and 2004.

PubMed

Stramer, Susan L; Fang, Chyang T; Foster, Gregory A; Wagner, Annette G; Brodsky, Jaye P; Dodd, Roger Y

2005-08-04

West Nile virus first appeared in the United States in 1999 and has since spread throughout the contiguous states, resulting in thousands of cases of disease. By 2002, it was clear that the virus could be transmitted by blood transfusion, and by the middle of 2003, essentially all blood donations were being tested for West Nile virus RNA with the use of investigational nucleic acid amplification tests; testing was performed on individual samples or on "minipools" of up to 16 donations. We analyzed data from the West Nile virus testing program of the American Red Cross for 2003 and 2004 to identify geographic and temporal trends. In areas with a high incidence of infection, individual donations were tested to increase the sensitivity of testing. Donors with reactive results participated in follow-up studies to confirm the original reactivity and to assess the natural history of infection. Routine testing in 2003 and 2004 identified 540 donations that were positive for West Nile virus RNA, of which 362 (67 percent) were IgM-antibody-negative and most likely infectious. Of the 540 positive donations, 148 (27 percent) were detectable only by testing of individual donations, but only 15 of the 148 (10 percent) were negative for IgM antibody. The overall frequencies of RNA-positive donations during the epidemic periods were 1.49 per 10,000 donations in 2003 and 0.44 per 10,000 in 2004. In 2004, 52 percent of the positive donations were from donors in four counties in southern California. Rapid implementation of a nucleic acid amplification test led to the prospective identification of 519 donors who were positive for West Nile virus RNA and the removal of more than 1000 potentially infectious related components from the blood supply of the Red Cross. No cases of transfusion-transmitted infection were confirmed among recipients of the tested blood. Copyright 2005 Massachusetts Medical Society.

U.S. Assistance to Yemen: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of Emergency Food Aid and Assess Security Assistance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

annual targets between fiscal years 2008 and 2011 for the number of individuals in Yemen benefiting from food donations. However, reports to Congress...annual performance targets three times for the number of individuals in Yemen benefiting from food donations, reports to Congress about the program...security to several hundred locally employed staff. However, the embassy has deemed other steps proposed by locally employed staff, including telework and

Cryptic mosaicism involving a second chromosome X in patients with Turner syndrome.

PubMed

Araújo, A; Ramos, E S

2008-05-01

The high abortion rate of 45,X embryos indicates that patients with Turner syndrome and 45,X karyotype could be mosaics, in at least one phase of embryo development or cellular lineage, due to the need for the other sex chromosome presence for conceptus to be compatible with life. In cases of structural chromosomal aberrations or hidden mosaicism, conventional cytogenetic techniques can be ineffective and molecular investigation is indicated. Two hundred and fifty patients with Turner syndrome stigmata were studied and 36 who had female genitalia and had been cytogenetically diagnosed as having "pure" 45,X karyotype were selected after 100 metaphases were analyzed in order to exclude mosaicism and the presence of genomic Y-specific sequences (SRY, TSPY, and DAZ) was excluded by PCR. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and screened by the human androgen receptor (HUMARA) assay. The HUMARA gene has a polymorphic CAG repeat and, in the presence of a second chromosome with a different HUMARA allele, a second band will be amplified by PCR. Additionally, the CAG repeats contain two methylation-sensitive HpaII enzyme restriction sites, which can be used to verify skewed inactivation. Twenty-five percent (9/36) of the cases showed a cryptic mosaicism involving a second X and approximately 14% (5/36), or 55% (5/9) of the patients with cryptic mosaicism, also presented skewed inactivation. The laboratory identification of the second X chromosome and its inactivation pattern are important for the clinical management (hormone replacement therapy, and inclusion in an oocyte donation program) and prognostic counseling of patients with Turner syndrome.

Liver transplantation using organs from deceased organ donors: a single organ transplant center experience.

PubMed

Han, Ming; Guo, Zhi-Yong; Zhao, Qiang; Wang, Xiao-Ping; Yuan, Xiao-Peng; Jiao, Xing-Yuan; Yang, Chun-Hua; Wang, Dong-Ping; Ju, Wei-Qiang; Wu, Lin-Wei; Hu, An-Bin; Tai, Qiang; Ma, Yi; Zhu, Xiao-Feng; He, Xiao-Shun

2014-08-01

In 2011, a pilot program for deceased organ donation was initiated in China. We describe the first successful series of liver transplants in the pilot program. From July 2011 to August 2012, our center performed 26 liver transplants from a pool of 29 deceased donors. All organ donation and allograft procurement were conducted according to the national protocol. The clinical data of donors and recipients were collected and summarized retrospectively. Among the 29 donors, 24 were China Category II donors (organ donation after cardiac death), and five were China Category III donors (organ donation after brain death followed by cardiac death). The recipients were mainly the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The one-year patient survival rate was 80.8% with a median follow-up of 422 (2-696) days. Among the five mortalities during the follow-up, three died of tumor recurrence. In terms of post-transplant complications, 9 recipients (34.6%) experienced early allograft dysfunction, 1 (3.8%) had non-anastomotic biliary stricture, and 1 (3.8%) was complicated with hepatic arterial thrombosis. None of these complications resulted in patient death. Notably, primary non-function was not observed in any of the grafts. With careful donor selection, liver transplant from deceased donors can be performed safely and plays a critical role in overcoming the extreme organ shortage in China.