9 CAN ONE PREDICT THE RESISTANCE OF BULL SPERM TO CRYOPRESERVATION BY ANALYZING MOTILITY PARAMETERS BEFORE FREEZING?

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
L. Defoin ◽  
A. Granados ◽  
I. Donnay

Batches of straws often need to be thrown away after freezing due to a too-few-number of motile or progressive sperm cells (spz), whereas the quality of the fresh sperm was considered as acceptable. Our objective was to evaluate whether variables related to velocity or linearity for fresh spz could help to predict the resistance to freezing and allow the discard of poor-quality batches before freezing. Motility traits of 20 ejaculates from 20 Belgian Blue bulls collected at an AI center were evaluated for motile spz both before and after freezing using Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA, Spermvision; Minit�b, Tiefenbach, Germany). Only six traits of motility showed a normal distribution in the population of motile spz and were kept for further analysis together with the proportion of motile (%mot) and progressive (%prog) spz: velocity on the curved line (VCL), velocity on the straight line (VSL), velocity on the average path (VAP), linearity (LIN = VSL/VCL), beat cross frequency (BCF), and average orientation change of the head (AOC). Significant variation between bulls was observed both before and after freezing for all of the analyzed traits (ANOVA2; P < 0.001). Moreover, freezing significantly altered the motility measures (ANOVA2; P < 0.001). For each variable, a significant correlation was observed between the values (mean or percentage) obtained for each bull before and after freezing (Pearson coefficient: R = 0.43 to 0.72; P < 0.05). However, the impact of freezing on the quality of motility differed between bulls, with low impact for some bulls and major impact for others. Three motility traits measured before freezing were highly correlated with %mot or %prog after freezing: VAP, VSL, and %prog (R = 0.75 to 0.82; P < 0.001). When we evaluated the prediction of rejection or acceptance of a batch of straws after freezing (based on a threshold of 15% progressive spz) by using motility measures recorded before freezing, five traits allowed us to discriminate low-quality batches: %mot, %prog, VAP, VSL, and LIN. Applying to fresh sperm a threshold of 92 �m s-1 for VAP or 84 �m s-1 for VSL allowed us to predict, respectively, 6 and 7 out of the 9 batches that would be rejected after freezing, without discarding batches of acceptable quality. Moreover, using the %mot or %prog before freezing caused us to discard only 3 and 4 batches, respectively. Combining different traits did not add to the precision. In conclusion, analysis of velocity traits for fresh sperm seems more efficient than analysis of %mot or %prog to discard batches that will be of poor quality after freezing. Such analysis could prevent useless work and expense related to straw filling and freezing. However, the definition of thresholds needs further analysis with a larger number of batches of semen and will vary from one AI center to another, depending, for example, on the breed characteristics, the number of spz per straw, the CASA system, or the freezing procedure. This work was supported by the programme FIRST Objective 3 of the European Commission and the Ministery of the R�gion wallonne de Belgique.

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Herlin Hamimi ◽  
Abdul Ghafar Ismail ◽  
Muhammad Hasbi Zaenal

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam which has a function of faith, social and economic functions. Muslims who can pay zakat are required to give at least 2.5 per cent of their wealth. The problem of poverty prevalent in disadvantaged regions because of the difficulty of access to information and communication led to a gap that is so high in wealth and resources. The instrument of zakat provides a paradigm in the achievement of equitable wealth distribution and healthy circulation. Zakat potentially offers a better life and improves the quality of human being. There is a human quality improvement not only in economic terms but also in spiritual terms such as improving religiousity. This study aims to examine the role of zakat to alleviate humanitarian issues in disadvantaged regions such as Sijunjung, one of zakat beneficiaries and impoverished areas in Indonesia. The researcher attempted a Cibest method to capture the impact of zakat beneficiaries before and after becoming a member of Zakat Community Development (ZCD) Program in material and spiritual value. The overall analysis shows that zakat has a positive impact on disadvantaged regions development and enhance the quality of life of the community. There is an improvement in the average of mustahik household incomes after becoming a member of ZCD Program. Cibest model demonstrates that material, spiritual, and absolute poverty index decreased by 10, 5, and 6 per cent. Meanwhile, the welfare index is increased by 21 per cent. These findings have significant implications for developing the quality of life in disadvantaged regions in Sijunjung. Therefore, zakat is one of the instruments to change the status of disadvantaged areas to be equivalent to other areas.


Background: Integrated disease management with self-management for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is effective to improve clinical outcomes. eHealth can improve patients’ involvement to be able to accept and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Eventhough there is mixed evidence of the impact of eHealth on quality of life (QoL) in different settings. Aim: The primary aim of the e-Vita-COPD-study was to investigate the effect of use of eHealth patient platforms on disease specific QoL of COPD patients. Methods: We evaluated the impact of an eHealth platform on disease specific QoL measured with the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ), including subscales of symptoms, functional state and mental state. Interrupted time series (ITS) design was used to collect CCQ data at multiple time points. Multilevel linear regression modelling was used to compare trends in CCQ before and after the eHealth intervention. Results: Of 742 invited COPD patients, 244 signed informed consent. For the analyses, we only included patients who actually used the eHealth platform (n = 123). The decrease of CCQ-symptoms was 0,20% before the intervention and 0,27% after the intervention; this difference was statistically significant (P=0.027). The decrease of CCQ-mental was 0,97% before the intervention and after the intervention there was an increase of 0,017%; this difference was statistically significant (P=0,01). No significant difference was found in the slopes of CCQ (P=0,12) and CCQ-function (P=0,11) before and after the intervention. Conclusion: The e-Vita eHealth platform had a potential beneficial impact on the CCQ-symptoms of COPD patients, but not on functional state. The CCQ-mental state remained stable after the intervention, but this was a deterioration compared to the improving situation before the start of the eHealth platform. In conclusion, this study shows that after the introduction of the COPD platform, patients experienced fewer symptoms, but their mental state deteriorated slightly at the same time. Therefore, health care providers should be aware that, although symptoms improve, there might be a slight increase in anxiety and depression after introducing an eHealth intervention to support self-management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Ansu-Mensah ◽  
Frederick Inkum Danquah ◽  
Vitalis Bawontuo ◽  
Peter Ansu-Mensah ◽  
Tahiru Mohammed ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Free maternal healthcare financing schemes play an essential role in the quality of services rendered to clients during antenatal care in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, healthcare managers’ and providers’ perceptions of the healthcare financing scheme may influence the quality of care. This scoping review mapped evidence on managers’ and providers’ perspectives of free maternal healthcare and the quality of care in SSA. Methods We used Askey and O’Malley’s framework as a guide to conduct this review. To address the research question, we searched PubMed, CINAHL through EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google Scholar with no date limitation to May 2019 using keywords, Boolean terms, and Medical Subject Heading terms to retrieve relevant articles. Both abstract and full articles screening were conducted independently by two reviewers using the inclusion and exclusion criteria as a guide. All significant data were extracted, organized into themes, and a summary of the findings reported narratively. Results In all, 15 out of 390 articles met the inclusion criteria. These 15 studies were conducted in nine countries. That is, Ghana (4), Kenya (3), and Nigeria (2), Burkina Faso (1), Burundi (1), Niger (1), Sierra Leone (1), Tanzania (1), and Uganda (1). Of the 15 included studies, 14 reported poor quality of maternal healthcare from managers’ and providers’ perspectives. Factors contributing to the perception of poor maternal healthcare included: late reimbursement of funds, heavy workload of providers, lack of essential drugs and stock-out of medical supplies, lack of policy definition, out-of-pocket payment, and inequitable distribution of staff. Conclusion This study established evidence of existing literature on the quality of care based on healthcare providers’ and managers’ perspectives though very limited. This study indicates healthcare providers and managers perceive the quality of maternal healthcare under the free financing policy as poor. Nonetheless, the free maternal care policy is very much needed towards achieving universal health, and all efforts to sustain and improve the quality of care under it must be encouraged. Therefore, more research is needed to better understand the impact of their perceived poor quality of care on maternal health outcomes.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e046547
Author(s):  
Luke Johnson ◽  
Kerry Gutridge ◽  
Julie Parkes ◽  
Anjana Roy ◽  
Emma Plugge

ObjectiveTo examine the extent, nature and quality of literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of imprisoned people and prison staff.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PsychExtra, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for any paper from 2019 onwards that focused on the mental health impact of COVID-19 on imprisoned people and prison staff. A grey literature search focused on international and government sources and professional bodies representing healthcare, public health and prison staff was also performed. We also performed hand searching of the reference lists of included studies.Eligibility criteria for selection of studiesAll papers, regardless of study design, were included if they examined the mental health of imprisoned people or prison staff specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imprisoned people could be of any age and from any countries. All languages were included. Two independent reviewers quality assessed appropriate papers.ResultsOf 647 articles found, 83 were eligible for inclusion, the majority (58%) of which were opinion pieces. The articles focused on the challenges to prisoner mental health. Fear of COVID-19, the impact of isolation, discontinuation of prison visits and reduced mental health services were all likely to have an adverse effect on the mental well-being of imprisoned people. The limited research and poor quality of articles included mean that the findings are not conclusive. However, they suggest a significant adverse impact on the mental health and well-being of those who live and work in prisons.ConclusionsIt is key to address the mental health impacts of the pandemic on people who live and work in prisons. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for getting the balance between infection control imperatives and the fundamental human rights of prison populations.


Author(s):  
Руслан Юрьевич Павлов

Актуальность статьи связана с поиском новых способов и методов повышения эффективности борьбы с преступностью, оперативного раскрытия преступлений, а также с набирающим популярность среди криминалистов направлением «криминалистического мышления», овладение навыками которого будет способствовать наиболее полноценному и объективному расследованию уголовных дел. Проблемным в настоящее время является недостаточное качество следствия и необходимость повышения когнитивных способностей следователей (дознавателей). Задачей исследования являлось выявление факторов, влияющих на развитие и формирование криминалистического мышления следователей. Цель работы - провести анализ составных частей процесса становления следователя и особенностей его практической деятельности, влияющих на когнитивные способности с точки зрения криминалистики, путем изучения и сравнения имеющихся материалов по данной тематике. Анализу подвергнуты личностные качества следователя, особенности образовательного процесса и влияние опыта на результаты работы, а также факторы, сопутствующие следственной деятельности (организация труда, уровень стресса, нагрузки и т. д.). Результат проведенного исследования выражен в определении проблемных факторов, влияющих на формирование криминалистического мышления следователя (дознавателя) и возможных путей их преодоления, важности такого мышления, которое остается знанием, постоянно сориентированным в сторону практики. The relevance of the article is related to the search for new ways and methods to improve the effectiveness of the fight against crime, the prompt detection of crimes, as well as the trend of «forensic thinking», which is gaining popularity among criminalists, mastering the skills of which will contribute to the most complete and objective investigation of criminal cases. Problems at present are insufficient quality of investigation and the need to improve the cognitive abilities of investigators (inquirers). The task of the study was to identify factors that influence the development and formation of forensic thinking of investigators. The purpose of the work is- to analyze the components of the process of formation of an investigator and features of his practical activities affecting the cognitive abilities in terms of forensics by studying and comparing existing materials on this topic. The analysis is subjected to the personal qualities of an investigator, the peculiarities of the educational process and the impact of experience on the results of work, as well as factors associated with the investigative activity (organization of work, stress and stress levels, etc.). The result of the study is expressed in the definition of problematic factors affecting the formation of forensic thinking of an investigator (inquirer) and possible ways to overcome them, the importance of such thinking, which remains knowledge, constantly oriented towards practice


Author(s):  
Carlos Mena Canata ◽  
Rebeca Noemí Ruiz Vallejos

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of postoperative patients.The study is observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective. The files of all postoperative adenotonsillectomy patients in Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Clínicas, San Lorenzo Paraguay. The Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire (OSA 18) was applied, asking patients about symptoms before and after surgery. An effective sample of 143 postoperative patients was obtained. The average age was 6.05 ± 2.08 years, 55.10% (81) were male and 44.89% (66) were female, 65.30% (96) were from urban areas and 34.69% (51) from the rural areas. The t test was performed for means of two paired samples, comparing the results of the Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire surveys before and after surgery which presented a significant difference (p <0.05) with a tendency to improve the quality of life after surgery. It has been shown that there is a significant difference, a considerable improvement in the quality of life of patients after adenotonsillectomy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-309
Author(s):  
Jamhur Poti ◽  
Mahadiansar Mahadiansar

Revitalizing traditional markets is a form of improving the quality of public space as a policy of the regional government in cooperation with local communities. The purpose of revitalizing traditional markets is not merely to improve the physical form of traditional markets but also to manage these traditional markets. The researcher raised a case study on the policy after revitalizing the Lembu Market, Tanjungpinang City, to what extent the policies that have been implemented before and after the market revitalization match the public's expectations, it is necessary to evaluate the programs that have been implemented. Researchers used policy evaluation techniques with a formal evaluation approach using Dunn 2018 theory. The research method used by researchers used library research, by carrying out a search of several library sources such as e-books, journals, websites, organizational reports, and other good documents. print and online relevant to the topic being evaluated. The results showed that the evaluation of the revitalization program for the beef slaughter market in the city of Tanjungpinang had not found the value of cross-impact analysis and discounting on the program so that the revitalization of traditional markets was only in the form of target mapping, value clarification and mapping of barriers that had become the impact of the revitalization policy of the traditional cattle slaughter market in Tanjungpinang City. The researcher also did not find Urgency in realizing the traditional market revitalization policy in order to change the characteristics of the market for the better.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Montse Romero-Mas ◽  
Anna Ramon-Aribau ◽  
Dyego Leandro Bezerra de Souza ◽  
Andrew M. Cox ◽  
Beni Gómez-Zúñiga

Caring for a person with dementia burdens family caregivers, and there is a close negative relationship between this burden and their quality of life (QoL). Research suggests that caregivers’ main needs are information and training about the disease and support from others experiencing the same situation, and Internet interventions hold considerable promise for meeting these needs. Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) are Internet frameworks to share knowledge where members collaborate and achieve a sense of trust in the community. This paper seeks to evaluate the impact of participating in a VCoP (developed through an App) on the QoL of caregivers to people with Alzheimer’s. Results show QoL before and after the intervention changed significantly. The impact of VCoP on caregivers’ overall QoL is moderated by age and relation with the person with Alzheimer’s, specifically those over 65, and spouses. VCoPs allow interaction and knowledge sharing among caregivers which provide them mainly with information and support from peers helping them to meet their needs. Furthermore, caregivers’ QoL did not decrease when their relative deteriorated functionally, which could be due to the participation in VCoP. Although we found significant pre- and post differences in caregivers’ health literacy, we must report the ambiguous result that this variable only impacts on QoL’s physical domain. Participants also reported that they had a positive experience because the App was perceived to be a useful tool, because they could manage their own participation and they met peers and felt less lonely. Results suggest that participation in a VCoP impacts positively on caregivers’ QoL.


Author(s):  
Вячеслав Безъязычный ◽  
Vyacheslav Bezyazychnyy ◽  
Максим Басков ◽  
Maksim Baskov

The impact of cutter wear-resistant coatings upon cutting process parameters and characteristics of surface layer quality in the parts worked: residual stresses, a degree and a depth of work hardening of a surface layer, surface roughness is investigated.


2022 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hedfi ◽  
M. Ben Ali ◽  
A. Noureldeen ◽  
H. Darwish ◽  
T. Saif ◽  
...  

Abstract The main objective of the current study was to assess the impact of the water taken from the ‘Tunisian Refining Industries Company’ on meiobenthic nematodes, before and after a series of treatments in decantation basins followed by its discharge in Bizerte bay, Tunisia. The comparison of environmental parameters of the two types of water was clearly indicative of an improvement in the quality of treated waters after a significant reduction in their loads in hydrocarbons. Overall, the water retained a good quality after being treated by ‘Tunisian Refining Industries Company’ before discharge in the sea. At the end of the experiment, differential responses were observed according to the richness of sediment in organic matter and hydrocarbons. Thus, it was apparent that the nematode assemblage exposed to the treated waters was closer to controls and associated to higher values of abundance, than that under untreated ones. It was also assumed that the species Microlaimus honestus De Man, 1922, Paramonohystera proteus Wieser, 1956 and Cyartonema germanicum Juario, 1972 are sensitive bioindicators of bad environmental statues and of hydrocarbon presence in the environment. On the other hand, Metoncholaimus pristiurus (Zur Strassen, 1894) Filipjev, 1918 would rather be classified as a positive bioindicative species of this type of pollutants.


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