Background:Generally,intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be the preferable method to treat partial globozoospermia,but whether there exist some correlations between ICSI fertilization rate and the proportio...Background:Generally,intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be the preferable method to treat partial globozoospermia,but whether there exist some correlations between ICSI fertilization rate and the proportion of round-headed sperm or morphologically normal sperm remains open.This study was to explore the correlation between ICSI fertilization rate and the sperm morphology in patients with partial globozoospermia.Methods:Thirty-four patients diagnosed with partial globozoospermia accepted the following assisted fertilization treatments-2 cases accepted in-vitro fertilization (IvF) alone,26 cases accepted ICSI alone,and 6 accepted split IVF/ICSI.Detailed morphological characteristics were described using Diff-Quik rapid staining.Sixty cases accepting IVF or ICSI treatment in our reproductive center were considered as the control group after being matched by relevant criteria.Fertilization rate,embryo quality,embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate were calculated.Results:Besides very high proportion of round-headed sperm,partial globozoospermia also showed very high proportion of small-acrosomal sperm and very low proportion of morphologically normal sperm.Fertilization rate of IVF (IVF alone plus split IVF) was very low in partial globozoospermia (25.4% ± 17.4%),but ICSI (ICSI alone plus split ICSI) achieved satisfying fertilization rate compared with the control group (66.2% ± 22.5% vs.68.8% ± 29.4%,P 〉 0.05).In patients with partial globozoospermia,there were no correlations between ICSI fertilization rate and the proportion of round-headed sperm,small-acrosomal sperm,or morphologically normal sperm.Conclusions:There was high proportion of small-acrosomal sperm in partial globozoospermia.For patients with partial globozoospermia,ICSI is more preferable than IVF.ICSI fertilization rate does not depend on the proportion of round-headed sperm,small-acrosomal sperm,or morphologically normal sperm.展开更多
Ammonia oxidation, the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification, is carried out by both ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). However, the relative importance of AOB and AOA to...Ammonia oxidation, the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification, is carried out by both ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). However, the relative importance of AOB and AOA to nitrification in terrestrial ecosystems is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the nitrogen input amount on abundance and community composition of AOB and AOA in red paddy soil. Soil samples of 10-20 cm (root layer soil) and 0-5 cm (surface soil) depths were taken from a red paddy. Rice in the paddy was fertilized with different rates of N as urea of N1 (75 kg N ha" yr-1), N2 (150 kg N ha~ yrl), N3 (225 kg N ha1 yrl) and CK (without fertilizers) in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Abundance and community composition of ammonia oxidizers was analyzed by real-time PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) based on amoA (the unit A of ammonia monooxygenase) gene. Archaeal amoA copies in N3 and N2 were significantly (P〈0.05) higher than those in CK and N1 in root layer soil or in surface soil under tillering and heading stages of rice, while the enhancement in bacterial amoA gene copies with increasing of N fertilizer rates only took on in root layer soil. N availability and soil NO3--N content increased but soil NH4+-N content didn't change with increasing of N fertilizer rates. Otherwise, the copy numbers of archaeal amoA gene were higher (P〈0.05) than those of bacterial amoA gene in root lary soil or in surface soil. Redundancy discriminate analysis based on DGGE bands showed that there were no obvious differs in composition of AOA or AOB communities in the field among different N fertilizer rates. Results of this study suggested that the abundance of ammonia-oxidizers had active response to N fertilizer rates and the response of AOA was more obvious than that of AOB. Similarity in the community composition of AOA or AOB among different N fertilizer rates indicate that the community composition of ammonia-oxidizers was relatively stable in the paddy soil at least in short term for three years.展开更多
Excessive use of N fertilizer in intensive agriculture can increase crop yield and at the same time cause high carbon(C) emissions.This study was conducted to determine optimized N fertilizer application for high gr...Excessive use of N fertilizer in intensive agriculture can increase crop yield and at the same time cause high carbon(C) emissions.This study was conducted to determine optimized N fertilizer application for high grain yield and lower C emissions in summer corn(Zea mays L.).A field experiment, including 0(N0), 75(N75), 150(N150), 225(N225), and 300(N300) kg N ha–1 treatments, was carried out during 2010–2012 in the North China Plain(NCP).The results showed that grain yield, input energy, greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions, and carbon footprint(CF) were all increased with the increase of N rate, except net energy yield(NEY).The treatment of N225 had the highest grain yield(10 364.7 kg ha–1) and NEY(6.8%), but the CF(0.25) was lower than that of N300, which indicates that a rate of 225 kg N ha–1 can be optimal for summer corn in NCP.Comparing GHG emision compontents, N fertilizer(0–51.1%) was the highest and followed by electricity for irrigation(19.73–49.35%).We conclude that optimazing N fertilizer application rate and reducing electricity for irrigation are the two key measures to increase crop yield, improve energy efficiency and decrease GHG emissions in corn production.展开更多
Fertility policies consist of not only the legal definition of"procreation",but also the"maternity"protection system,the complete set of selfconsistent social relations and policy systems formed ar...Fertility policies consist of not only the legal definition of"procreation",but also the"maternity"protection system,the complete set of selfconsistent social relations and policy systems formed around"fertility".Gender,labor and intergenerational relations are the cornerstones of a fertility policy system.In this framework,we focus on women of childbearing age as the main actors of reproductive behaviors,to research how drastic social changes have altered women,the above-mentioned relations,and policy support and analyze the structural factors that restrict women’s reproductive intentions.The traditional male breadwinner model,which can no longer prevail and the relatively slow development of maternity protection policies and service systems leave women of childbearing age in a dilemma between working hours and birth timing.Therefore,maternity protection policies should focus on improved decommodification of maternity insurance and the construction of women and children’s social welfare systems including childcare social service systems.展开更多
Gender discrimination has long been the problem that exists in the entire world,including China.However,as more and more people are focusing on the general gender discrimination,the group recognized an extension of su...Gender discrimination has long been the problem that exists in the entire world,including China.However,as more and more people are focusing on the general gender discrimination,the group recognized an extension of such discrimination-pregnancy discrimination in job hiring(the discrimination that women who are pregnant or have the inclination to pregnancy receive in hiring).The possible subtle pregnancy discrimination may be one of the main causes that lead to the declining fertility rate in China.The group decided to conduct an experiment to determine whether women are receiving more subtle discrimination in job hiring due to their identity as mother than men with children,men without children,and women without children.Using the form of questionary and resumes,the team found that Chinese women are indeed enduring subtle discrimination in work hiring.The experiment highlights the importance to promote further equality among women.However,there are some confounding variables,like the level of patient of the HR who reads the resume,affecting the ultimate result of the study.Keywords:gender discrimination,women’s career,Chinese job market,pregnancy discrimination,fertility rate in China.展开更多
[Objective] To explore artificial insemination technique for production of mule ducks. [Method] Female Cherry Valley ducks were artificially inseminated with semen collected from male Muscovy ducks by massage method a...[Objective] To explore artificial insemination technique for production of mule ducks. [Method] Female Cherry Valley ducks were artificially inseminated with semen collected from male Muscovy ducks by massage method and vagina-insemination method to investigate the effects of insemination dose, insemination interval, insemination time and diluents on fertilization rate. [ Result ] The average fertilization rate was only 39.58%, when the female Cherry Valley ducks naturally mated with the male Muscovy ducks. However, it was increased to 74.79% by artificial insemination. The fertilization rate was 75.24% after semen was diluted by PBS buffer, while it was 75.16% after semen was diluted by Lake's buffer; however, there was not significant difference between the fertilization rate of the diluted semen and that of fresh semen (74.10%). After semen was respectively diluted by PBS buffer and Lake's buffer and then stored at 5 ℃ for 24 h, the fertilization rate was low, respectively 23.76% and 34133%. [ Conclusion] Artificial insemination technology can reduce insemination dose and increase fertilization rate in production of mule ducks.展开更多
The clinical effects of acupuncture on idio pathic male infertility in sperm parameter and on therapeutic results in assiste d reproductive technology were investigated. 22 patients failed in intracytoplas mic sperm i...The clinical effects of acupuncture on idio pathic male infertility in sperm parameter and on therapeutic results in assiste d reproductive technology were investigated. 22 patients failed in intracytoplas mic sperm injection (ICSI) with idiopathic male infertility were treated with ac upuncture twice weekly for 8 weeks, followed by ICSI treatment again. The sperm concentration, motility, morphology, fertilization rates and embryo quality were observed. Quick sperm motility after acupuncture(18.3 %±9.6 %) was significa ntly improved as compared with that before treatment (11.0 %±7.5 %, P <0.01) . The normal sperm ratio was increased after acupuncture (21.1 %±10.4 % vs 16.2 %± 8.2 %, P <0.05). The fertilization rates after acupuncture (66.2 %) were obviously higher than that before treatment (40.2 %, P <0.01). There was no significant difference in sperm concentration and general sperm motility between before and after acupuncture. The embryo quality after acupuncture was improved , but the difference between them was not significant ( P >0.05). Acupuncture can improve sperm quality and fertilization rates in assisted reproductive techn ology.展开更多
This paper presented a novel variable rate fertilization system based on the method of adjusting the active feed-roll length of a fluted roller.The feasibility of this method was discussed using analysis of the fluted...This paper presented a novel variable rate fertilization system based on the method of adjusting the active feed-roll length of a fluted roller.The feasibility of this method was discussed using analysis of the fluted roller model.One seed drill produced by Kuhn Company(France),which could sow and fertilize simultaneously,was used as a test platform to implement the mechanical structure of variable rate fertilization.The design methods for the variable rate fertilization mechanical structure and actuator were introduced in detail.A low-cost and stable embedded support decision subsystem and corresponding software were developed.The support decision subsystem is based on grid management.Each grid field cell contains information about corresponding spatial position and fertilizer application rate.A SpatiaLite database was employed to solve the spatial location search and spatial data query.Experiments were conducted to evaluate the fertilization uniformity and dynamic response time.The average value of coefficient of variation is 8.4%in five different active feed-roll lengths which reflects good uniformity.The dynamic response times for the adjustment of variable rate fertilization system from 204 kg/hm^(2) to 319 kg/hm^(2) and 319 kg/hm^(2) to 204 kg/hm^(2) are about 4.2 s.The results suggest that the variable rate fertilization system performs well in dynamic adjustment and stability.展开更多
The increasing demand for fresh sweet maize (Zea mays L. saccharata) in southern China has prioritized the need to find solutions to the environmental pollution caused by its continuous production and high inputs of...The increasing demand for fresh sweet maize (Zea mays L. saccharata) in southern China has prioritized the need to find solutions to the environmental pollution caused by its continuous production and high inputs of chemical nitrogen fertilizers. A promising method for improving crop production and environmental conditions is to intercrop sweet maize with legumes. Here, a three-year field experiment was conducted to assess the influence of four different cropping systems (sole sweet maize (SS), sole soybean (SB), two rows sweet maize-three rows soybean (S2B3) intercropping, and two rows sweet maize-four rows soybean (S2B4) intercropping), together with two rates of N fertilizer application (300 and 360 kg N ha-1) on grain yield, residual soil mineral N, and soil N2O emissions in southern China. Results showed that in most case, inter- cropping achieved yield advantages (total land equivalent ratio (TLER=0.87-1.25) was above one). Moreover, intercropping resulted in 39.8% less soil mineral N than SS at the time of crop harvest, averaged over six seasons (spring and autumn in each of the three years of the field experiment). Generally, intercropping and reduced-N application (300 kg N ha-1) produced lower cumulative soil N20 and yield-scaled soil N20 emissions than SS and conventionaI-N application (360 kg N ha-l), respectively. $2B4 intercropping with reduced-N rate (300 kg N ha-~) showed the lowest cumulative soil N20 (mean value=0.61 kg ha-1) and yield-scaled soil N20 (mean value=0.04 kg t-1) emissions. Overall, intercropping with reduced-N rate maintained sweet maize production, while also reducing environmental impacts. The system of S2B4 intercropping with reduced-N rate may be the most sustainable and environmentally friendly cropping system.展开更多
The key technical problem of variable rate fertilization system based on spectrum information was precise variable fertilization in certain area according to the acquired spectrum information.Hysteretic fertilizing is...The key technical problem of variable rate fertilization system based on spectrum information was precise variable fertilization in certain area according to the acquired spectrum information.Hysteretic fertilizing is a critical problem in most of current fertilizer equipment.Hysteresis model was built and analyzed in this study to improve the system.Fertilizing tests were conducted on different wheat breeds and the results were analyzed.The tests showed that variable rate fertilization had obvious hysteresis phenomenon with the maximum lag distance of 3.82 m,the minimum lag distance of 1.73 m and average of 3.06 m.Hysteresis phenomenon of the variable rate fertilization system was obviously decreased when implanting a correction time of 2.04 s with the maximum lag distance of 0.61 m.Variable effects varied by different wheat breeds.Variable rate fertilization had an advantage of improving spatial differences of Yangmai-23,and the spatial variability of which decreased by 14.23%.In the small test area,the amount of fertilizer in Zhenmai-168 decreased by 2.84 kg,while the amount of which in Yangmai-23 increased by 3.83 kg.Yield of Zhenmai-168 in small area was lower than that in traditional pattern,but the condition of Yangmai-23 was on the contrary.Valuable information for increasing performance of fertilization in variable rate fertilization system was provided in this paper.展开更多
In order to improve soil fertility and fertilizer utilization,a subsoiling variable rate fertilization machine based on conservation tillage and precision agriculture was designed and tested.The relationship between s...In order to improve soil fertility and fertilizer utilization,a subsoiling variable rate fertilization machine based on conservation tillage and precision agriculture was designed and tested.The relationship between suspension parameters and penetrating distance was analyzed,and a matching model between fertilizing quantity and penetrating distance was established.The variable rate fertilization control machine was developed based on an Advantech PCM-9363 industrial control mainboard.The machine operates under two patterns:DGPS-based positioning and straight-line path positioning based on a planar coordinate system.This machine can perform on-demand fertilization according to the spatial differences in soil nutrients and the prescription maps pre-set before the operation.Field experiments showed the machine has a subsoiling stability of 92.5%,a soil breaking rate of 61.1%,a maximum positioning relative error of 2.68%and a maximum variable rate fertilization error of 3.89%.The subsoiling performance and variable rate fertilization indices of this machine satisfy the requirements of GB/T24675.2-2009.The tested indices meet the national and industrial standards and satisfy the design requirements.The findings of the research can be used as the structural design of the subsoiling variable rate fertilization machine.展开更多
This paper first described the current status of wheat nitrogen fertilizers utilization rate. Then,from balanced fertilizer application,applying slow/controlled release fertilizer,deep application of nitrogen fertiliz...This paper first described the current status of wheat nitrogen fertilizers utilization rate. Then,from balanced fertilizer application,applying slow/controlled release fertilizer,deep application of nitrogen fertilizers and graded application,controlled application amount,selection of application time according to soil properties,diagnosed application of fertilizer with instrument,addition of synergist,and precise fertilizer application,it summarized biological nitrogen saving methods and introduced prospects of future biological nitrogen saving technology.展开更多
Our Fair Plan to Safeguard Earth’s Climate reduces the emission of greenhouse gases to zero over the 80-year time period 2020 to 2100. To accomplish this, humanity must reduce its carbon intensity—the amount of CO&l...Our Fair Plan to Safeguard Earth’s Climate reduces the emission of greenhouse gases to zero over the 80-year time period 2020 to 2100. To accomplish this, humanity must reduce its carbon intensity—the amount of CO<sub>2</sub> emitted per unit of energy—and its energy intensity—the amount of energy needed to generate a unit of Gross World Product. As shown in our Fair Plan 8 paper, reducing the future growth of the human population can also contribute to the reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions. Here, we explore this further. We project the historical decrease in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) across the 21<sup>st</sup> century toward its logistical asymptotic Reference value of 2.04 Births Per Woman (BPW). We then engineer the asymptotic TFR beginning in 2020 to 1.95, 1.85, 1.75, 1.65 & 1.55 BPW. We project the population across the 21<sup>st</sup> century for the Reference and engineered TFRs. We do so using the results of Basten, Lutz and Scherbov (2013) for the population evolution across the 21<sup>st</sup> century for 8 constant TFR values (=2.50, 2.25, 2.00, 1.75, 1.50, 1.25, 1.00 & 0.75 BPW). We find that purposefully engineering the asymptotic TFR can significantly contribute to achieving the reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions needed to transition to our Fair Plan to Safeguard Earth’s Climate.展开更多
A child is born to a father and a mother.This fact,however,is yet to be recognized by demography,in which fertility refers to women’s natural ability to give birth.The main reason for the absence of men is that data ...A child is born to a father and a mother.This fact,however,is yet to be recognized by demography,in which fertility refers to women’s natural ability to give birth.The main reason for the absence of men is that data on births are more often available for women than for men.But in the last few decades,data availability has greatly improved.Recent studies show that total fertility rates(TFRs)of men can be calculated for most countries in the world and that the difference between the TFRs of men and women can be quite large.For low-fertility countries,nonetheless,these studies show little difference between the TFRs of men and women,giving rise to the question:Is men’s fertility worth further investigation?To avoid ambiguity in describing a particular difference as small or big,this paper provides a formula for probabilistic TFRs.Using hypothesis test on probabilistic TFRs,we can say that the difference between the TFRs of men and women is statistically significant for all the G7 countries,except for France.To explain the differences between the TFRs of men and women,this study uses models of stable populations and concludes that the one-sex stable population models cannot explain the results whereas a two-sex joint stable population model can do so.By using the two-sex population model,we can explain why the TFR of men in France is almost the same as that of women,and why it is lower than that of women in the other six G7 countries.More specifically,by using the model,we can help explain 76%of the variance in the difference between the TFRs of men and women.Future studies may be able to show that men’s TFR is significantly lower than women’s in other countries too and explain why it is so.The above findings,however,require closer attention and further investigation,because low fertility could lead to socioeconomic problems.Beyond TFRs,extending fertility studies from women to men as well,that is,conducting fertility studies on both women and men,will fundamentally improve our knowledge about fertility age patterns,trends,determinants,policies and other related issues.展开更多
The clinical applications of acrosin activity are limited.We analyzed 61578 male partners in infertile couples who visited the outpatient department of the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya(Changsha,C...The clinical applications of acrosin activity are limited.We analyzed 61578 male partners in infertile couples who visited the outpatient department of the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya(Changsha,China)between August 2014 and December 2019 to determine the reference ranges and thresholds for acrosin activity in infertile Chinese men;to determine whether correlations exist between acrosin activity and age,sperm concentration,sperm morphology,or sperm motility;and to evaluate whether acrosin activity could serve as an effective prognostic indicator for choosing between in vitro fertilization(IvF)and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(icsl)in the clinic.The cut-off value for the normal reference range of acrosin activity for male partners in infertile couples was 24.78μlU per 106 sperm.There was no significant association between acrosin activity and age,sperm concentration,semen volume,total sperm count,progressive motility,or total motile spermatozoa.A weak positive correlation was found between acrosin activity and normal sperm morphology.There was a statistically significant difference in abnormal acrosome morphology between the group with high acrosin activity(>24.78μlU per 106 sperm)and the group with low acrosin activity(<24.78μlU per 106 sperm).The group with a low IVF fertilization rate had a high index of abnormal acrosomal morphology at 21.2%,while the group with a high IVF fertilization rate had a low index of 0.2%.At an acrosin activity of<24.78μlU per 10 sperm,in one cycle of the same patient,the fertilization rate,normal fertilization rate,and good-quality embryo rate for Icsl were significantly higher than those for IVF.Therefore,the most promising application of acrosin activity could be in the selection of IcsI over IVF for infertile male patients with complete fertilization failure or a low fertilization rate.展开更多
Objective To study the impact of blood clots in the oocyte-corona-cumulus complexes (OCCC) during in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).Methods The OCCCs were harvested from the patients undergoing l...Objective To study the impact of blood clots in the oocyte-corona-cumulus complexes (OCCC) during in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).Methods The OCCCs were harvested from the patients undergoing long protocol ovarian hyperstimulation. The OCCCs with blood clots removed or not, were randomly grouped into A or B. The OCCCs without blood clots were group C (the control).Results The patient's age, infertility duration, the average GN consumption, the average days of superovulation and an average number of harvested oocytes showed no significant difference in the 3 groups. The fertilization rate and 2PN rate in group A were the highest, which were 85.4% and 71.1%, respectively, followed by group C, which were 77.5% and 64.9%, respectively. The lowest fertilization rate and 2PN rate were in group B, 75.8% and 62.2%, respectively. Those in group A were significantly higher than those in groups B and C (P〈0.01), while there was no significant difference between group B and group C. The implantation rates and pregnancy rates showed no significant difference in the 3 groups after transplantation, even if group A got the highest rate among the 3 groups. Conclusion Removing the blood clots in OCCC can improve the outcome of IVF-ET without increasing the cost and complexity of the operation.展开更多
Background Kernza®intermediate wheatgrass is a perennial grain and forage crop that can provide several ecosystem services.Major research efforts focused on Kernza have taken place in high latitudes.The goal of t...Background Kernza®intermediate wheatgrass is a perennial grain and forage crop that can provide several ecosystem services.Major research efforts focused on Kernza have taken place in high latitudes.The goal of this study was to evaluate,for the first time,the agronomic performance of Kernza in a low-latitude region with mild winters.Methods A KS-cycle 4 Kernza population(A)was planted in spring in Wisconsin,USA,and selected in one cycle for lower vernalization requirements,obtaining a new population(B).These two populations,at three nitrogen(N)fertilization rates,were evaluated in a full factorial,completely randomized field experiment in Uruguay over 2 years.Results The populations were similar in grain yields and flowering time in the 1st year,but population B had 63%lower grain yield in the 2nd year and 20%lower forage yield throughout the experiment.Increasing the N rate to 160 kg ha−1 led to a 63%increase in grain yield and 28%increase in forage yield across populations.Forage yields and nutritive values were similar to those reported in the northern hemisphere.However,grain yields for both the 1st(316 kg ha−1)and 2nd year(41 kg ha−1)were lower due to reduced flowering and weed competition.Conclusions Expansion of Kernza to lower-latitude regions will require further breeding to improve reproductive performance.展开更多
Orchard target-oriented fertilizing with on-board sensor technology can improve fertilizer efficiency and reduce environmental pollution.Photoelectric sensors are widely used for object detection because of their low ...Orchard target-oriented fertilizing with on-board sensor technology can improve fertilizer efficiency and reduce environmental pollution.Photoelectric sensors are widely used for object detection because of their low cost and fast response time.This paper presents a Wolfberry tree dual-model detection method and the design of an orchard target-oriented variable-rate fertilization system based on photoelectric sensors.The dual-model detection method includes the Trunk Detection Model(TDM)and Canopy Detection Model(CDM),which can be applied for Wolfberry orchards at the green cluster and mature stages,respectively.A target-oriented fertilization system was designed using the dual-model method,and tested in the lab and Chinese Wolfberry orchard.The laboratory test results showed that the average center offset distances on the condition of detecting trunks,continuous canopies,and discontinuous canopies were 4.1 cm,9.1 cm and 13.1 cm,respectively.The system could ignore the signals from canes when their diameters were less than 16 mm,and also could determine the gaps within a tree when they were less than 21 cm.The orchard test results showed that the system accomplished target-oriented fertilization 95 times for 92 trees at the mature stage.The results indicated that the dual-model detection method could be used for Wolfberry trees or other trees with similar canopy changes at different growth stages.展开更多
The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of magnetic-activated cell sorting(MACS)in sperm preparation for male subjects with a sperm DNA fragmentation index(DFI)≥30%.A total of 86 patients who had un...The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of magnetic-activated cell sorting(MACS)in sperm preparation for male subjects with a sperm DNA fragmentation index(DFI)≥30%.A total of 86 patients who had undergone their first long-term long protocol were selected.The protocol involved in vitro fertilization(IVF)and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)cycles,and the patients were divided into the MACS or control groups.The MACS group included sperm samples analyzed with MACS that were combined with density gradient centrifugation(DGC)and the swim-up(SU)technique(n=39),and the control group included sperm samples prepared using standard techniques(DGC and SU;n=41).No differences were noted with regard to basic clinical characteristics,number of oocytes retrieved,normal fertilization rate,cleavage rate,or transplantable embryo rate between the two groups in IVF/ICSI.In addition,the clinical pregnancy and implantation rates of the first embryo transfer cycles indicated no significant differences between the two groups.However,there was a tendency to improve the live birth rate(LBR)of the first embryo transfer cycle(63.2%vs 53.9%)and the cumulative LBR(79.5%vs 70.7%)in the MACS group compared with the control group.Moreover,the number of transferred embryos(mean±standard deviation[s.d.]:1.7±0.7 vs 2.3±1.6)and the transfer number of each retrieved cycle(mean±s.d.:1.2±0.5 vs 1.6±0.8)were significantly lower in the MACS group than those in the control group.Thus,the selection of nonapoptotic spermatozoa by MACS for higher sperm DFI could improve assisted reproductive clinical outcomes.展开更多
Objectives To observe the time of spontaneous activation of hamster oocytes and to find out the early signs of hamster oocytes activation Methods First, 63 hamster oocytes including activated and non activated ooc...Objectives To observe the time of spontaneous activation of hamster oocytes and to find out the early signs of hamster oocytes activation Methods First, 63 hamster oocytes including activated and non activated oocytes (group A) and 51 non activated oocytes (group B) were injected with human sperm and checked for fertilization after 16-18 hours Then, 20 hamster oocytes were cultured in vitro in medium with or without calcium and examined under light microscope every half an hour up to 9 hours Results Under light microscope, hamster oocytes activation were observed to undergo 4 stages: metaphase Ⅱ stage without meiotic spindle, appearance of meiotic spindle near the first polar body, protrusion of oolemma, and complete extrusion of second polar body with pronucleus formation After culture for 1 5 hours in vitro, 30% 40% of the oocytes demonstrated meiotic spindle; but after 9 hours, 50% showed complete activation Culture in medium without calcium showed a little delay in the process of activation The earliest sign of spontaneous activation in hamster oocytes was the appearance of meiotic spindle near the first polar body Although group A and B showed no difference, the damage rate was lower in group B (19 7%±16 6%) than in group A (35 9%±5 7%) ( P =0 08), whereas the fertilization rate (18 3%±10 9%) was higher in group B than in group A (14 2%±8 7%) ( P =0 135) Conclusions Hamster oocytes may be activated spontaneously early after their removal It is important to recognize the earliest sign of spontaneous activation and perform intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) before it happens展开更多
文摘Background:Generally,intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be the preferable method to treat partial globozoospermia,but whether there exist some correlations between ICSI fertilization rate and the proportion of round-headed sperm or morphologically normal sperm remains open.This study was to explore the correlation between ICSI fertilization rate and the sperm morphology in patients with partial globozoospermia.Methods:Thirty-four patients diagnosed with partial globozoospermia accepted the following assisted fertilization treatments-2 cases accepted in-vitro fertilization (IvF) alone,26 cases accepted ICSI alone,and 6 accepted split IVF/ICSI.Detailed morphological characteristics were described using Diff-Quik rapid staining.Sixty cases accepting IVF or ICSI treatment in our reproductive center were considered as the control group after being matched by relevant criteria.Fertilization rate,embryo quality,embryo implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate were calculated.Results:Besides very high proportion of round-headed sperm,partial globozoospermia also showed very high proportion of small-acrosomal sperm and very low proportion of morphologically normal sperm.Fertilization rate of IVF (IVF alone plus split IVF) was very low in partial globozoospermia (25.4% ± 17.4%),but ICSI (ICSI alone plus split ICSI) achieved satisfying fertilization rate compared with the control group (66.2% ± 22.5% vs.68.8% ± 29.4%,P 〉 0.05).In patients with partial globozoospermia,there were no correlations between ICSI fertilization rate and the proportion of round-headed sperm,small-acrosomal sperm,or morphologically normal sperm.Conclusions:There was high proportion of small-acrosomal sperm in partial globozoospermia.For patients with partial globozoospermia,ICSI is more preferable than IVF.ICSI fertilization rate does not depend on the proportion of round-headed sperm,small-acrosomal sperm,or morphologically normal sperm.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(40801097)the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province,China(2012J01107)
文摘Ammonia oxidation, the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification, is carried out by both ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). However, the relative importance of AOB and AOA to nitrification in terrestrial ecosystems is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the nitrogen input amount on abundance and community composition of AOB and AOA in red paddy soil. Soil samples of 10-20 cm (root layer soil) and 0-5 cm (surface soil) depths were taken from a red paddy. Rice in the paddy was fertilized with different rates of N as urea of N1 (75 kg N ha" yr-1), N2 (150 kg N ha~ yrl), N3 (225 kg N ha1 yrl) and CK (without fertilizers) in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Abundance and community composition of ammonia oxidizers was analyzed by real-time PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) based on amoA (the unit A of ammonia monooxygenase) gene. Archaeal amoA copies in N3 and N2 were significantly (P〈0.05) higher than those in CK and N1 in root layer soil or in surface soil under tillering and heading stages of rice, while the enhancement in bacterial amoA gene copies with increasing of N fertilizer rates only took on in root layer soil. N availability and soil NO3--N content increased but soil NH4+-N content didn't change with increasing of N fertilizer rates. Otherwise, the copy numbers of archaeal amoA gene were higher (P〈0.05) than those of bacterial amoA gene in root lary soil or in surface soil. Redundancy discriminate analysis based on DGGE bands showed that there were no obvious differs in composition of AOA or AOB communities in the field among different N fertilizer rates. Results of this study suggested that the abundance of ammonia-oxidizers had active response to N fertilizer rates and the response of AOA was more obvious than that of AOB. Similarity in the community composition of AOA or AOB among different N fertilizer rates indicate that the community composition of ammonia-oxidizers was relatively stable in the paddy soil at least in short term for three years.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,2010CB951502)the Special Fund for Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest in China(201103001)
文摘Excessive use of N fertilizer in intensive agriculture can increase crop yield and at the same time cause high carbon(C) emissions.This study was conducted to determine optimized N fertilizer application for high grain yield and lower C emissions in summer corn(Zea mays L.).A field experiment, including 0(N0), 75(N75), 150(N150), 225(N225), and 300(N300) kg N ha–1 treatments, was carried out during 2010–2012 in the North China Plain(NCP).The results showed that grain yield, input energy, greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions, and carbon footprint(CF) were all increased with the increase of N rate, except net energy yield(NEY).The treatment of N225 had the highest grain yield(10 364.7 kg ha–1) and NEY(6.8%), but the CF(0.25) was lower than that of N300, which indicates that a rate of 225 kg N ha–1 can be optimal for summer corn in NCP.Comparing GHG emision compontents, N fertilizer(0–51.1%) was the highest and followed by electricity for irrigation(19.73–49.35%).We conclude that optimazing N fertilizer application rate and reducing electricity for irrigation are the two key measures to increase crop yield, improve energy efficiency and decrease GHG emissions in corn production.
文摘Fertility policies consist of not only the legal definition of"procreation",but also the"maternity"protection system,the complete set of selfconsistent social relations and policy systems formed around"fertility".Gender,labor and intergenerational relations are the cornerstones of a fertility policy system.In this framework,we focus on women of childbearing age as the main actors of reproductive behaviors,to research how drastic social changes have altered women,the above-mentioned relations,and policy support and analyze the structural factors that restrict women’s reproductive intentions.The traditional male breadwinner model,which can no longer prevail and the relatively slow development of maternity protection policies and service systems leave women of childbearing age in a dilemma between working hours and birth timing.Therefore,maternity protection policies should focus on improved decommodification of maternity insurance and the construction of women and children’s social welfare systems including childcare social service systems.
文摘Gender discrimination has long been the problem that exists in the entire world,including China.However,as more and more people are focusing on the general gender discrimination,the group recognized an extension of such discrimination-pregnancy discrimination in job hiring(the discrimination that women who are pregnant or have the inclination to pregnancy receive in hiring).The possible subtle pregnancy discrimination may be one of the main causes that lead to the declining fertility rate in China.The group decided to conduct an experiment to determine whether women are receiving more subtle discrimination in job hiring due to their identity as mother than men with children,men without children,and women without children.Using the form of questionary and resumes,the team found that Chinese women are indeed enduring subtle discrimination in work hiring.The experiment highlights the importance to promote further equality among women.However,there are some confounding variables,like the level of patient of the HR who reads the resume,affecting the ultimate result of the study.Keywords:gender discrimination,women’s career,Chinese job market,pregnancy discrimination,fertility rate in China.
文摘[Objective] To explore artificial insemination technique for production of mule ducks. [Method] Female Cherry Valley ducks were artificially inseminated with semen collected from male Muscovy ducks by massage method and vagina-insemination method to investigate the effects of insemination dose, insemination interval, insemination time and diluents on fertilization rate. [ Result ] The average fertilization rate was only 39.58%, when the female Cherry Valley ducks naturally mated with the male Muscovy ducks. However, it was increased to 74.79% by artificial insemination. The fertilization rate was 75.24% after semen was diluted by PBS buffer, while it was 75.16% after semen was diluted by Lake's buffer; however, there was not significant difference between the fertilization rate of the diluted semen and that of fresh semen (74.10%). After semen was respectively diluted by PBS buffer and Lake's buffer and then stored at 5 ℃ for 24 h, the fertilization rate was low, respectively 23.76% and 34133%. [ Conclusion] Artificial insemination technology can reduce insemination dose and increase fertilization rate in production of mule ducks.
文摘The clinical effects of acupuncture on idio pathic male infertility in sperm parameter and on therapeutic results in assiste d reproductive technology were investigated. 22 patients failed in intracytoplas mic sperm injection (ICSI) with idiopathic male infertility were treated with ac upuncture twice weekly for 8 weeks, followed by ICSI treatment again. The sperm concentration, motility, morphology, fertilization rates and embryo quality were observed. Quick sperm motility after acupuncture(18.3 %±9.6 %) was significa ntly improved as compared with that before treatment (11.0 %±7.5 %, P <0.01) . The normal sperm ratio was increased after acupuncture (21.1 %±10.4 % vs 16.2 %± 8.2 %, P <0.05). The fertilization rates after acupuncture (66.2 %) were obviously higher than that before treatment (40.2 %, P <0.01). There was no significant difference in sperm concentration and general sperm motility between before and after acupuncture. The embryo quality after acupuncture was improved , but the difference between them was not significant ( P >0.05). Acupuncture can improve sperm quality and fertilization rates in assisted reproductive techn ology.
基金We acknowledge that the research is supported by the National Key Technology Research and Development Program(No.2012BAK17B15).
文摘This paper presented a novel variable rate fertilization system based on the method of adjusting the active feed-roll length of a fluted roller.The feasibility of this method was discussed using analysis of the fluted roller model.One seed drill produced by Kuhn Company(France),which could sow and fertilize simultaneously,was used as a test platform to implement the mechanical structure of variable rate fertilization.The design methods for the variable rate fertilization mechanical structure and actuator were introduced in detail.A low-cost and stable embedded support decision subsystem and corresponding software were developed.The support decision subsystem is based on grid management.Each grid field cell contains information about corresponding spatial position and fertilizer application rate.A SpatiaLite database was employed to solve the spatial location search and spatial data query.Experiments were conducted to evaluate the fertilization uniformity and dynamic response time.The average value of coefficient of variation is 8.4%in five different active feed-roll lengths which reflects good uniformity.The dynamic response times for the adjustment of variable rate fertilization system from 204 kg/hm^(2) to 319 kg/hm^(2) and 319 kg/hm^(2) to 204 kg/hm^(2) are about 4.2 s.The results suggest that the variable rate fertilization system performs well in dynamic adjustment and stability.
基金supported by the Key Technologies R&D Program of China during the 12th Five-year Plan period(2012BAD14B16-04)the Science and Technology Development Program of Guangdong,China(2012A020100003 and 2015B090903077)
文摘The increasing demand for fresh sweet maize (Zea mays L. saccharata) in southern China has prioritized the need to find solutions to the environmental pollution caused by its continuous production and high inputs of chemical nitrogen fertilizers. A promising method for improving crop production and environmental conditions is to intercrop sweet maize with legumes. Here, a three-year field experiment was conducted to assess the influence of four different cropping systems (sole sweet maize (SS), sole soybean (SB), two rows sweet maize-three rows soybean (S2B3) intercropping, and two rows sweet maize-four rows soybean (S2B4) intercropping), together with two rates of N fertilizer application (300 and 360 kg N ha-1) on grain yield, residual soil mineral N, and soil N2O emissions in southern China. Results showed that in most case, inter- cropping achieved yield advantages (total land equivalent ratio (TLER=0.87-1.25) was above one). Moreover, intercropping resulted in 39.8% less soil mineral N than SS at the time of crop harvest, averaged over six seasons (spring and autumn in each of the three years of the field experiment). Generally, intercropping and reduced-N application (300 kg N ha-1) produced lower cumulative soil N20 and yield-scaled soil N20 emissions than SS and conventionaI-N application (360 kg N ha-l), respectively. $2B4 intercropping with reduced-N rate (300 kg N ha-~) showed the lowest cumulative soil N20 (mean value=0.61 kg ha-1) and yield-scaled soil N20 (mean value=0.04 kg t-1) emissions. Overall, intercropping with reduced-N rate maintained sweet maize production, while also reducing environmental impacts. The system of S2B4 intercropping with reduced-N rate may be the most sustainable and environmentally friendly cropping system.
基金The authors express appreciation for the financial support provided by National Key Technologies R&D Program of China(No.2017YFD0700305 and No.2016YFD0200600-2016YFD0200602-4)Fundamental Research Funds for Central Non-profit Scientific Institution(S201712).
文摘The key technical problem of variable rate fertilization system based on spectrum information was precise variable fertilization in certain area according to the acquired spectrum information.Hysteretic fertilizing is a critical problem in most of current fertilizer equipment.Hysteresis model was built and analyzed in this study to improve the system.Fertilizing tests were conducted on different wheat breeds and the results were analyzed.The tests showed that variable rate fertilization had obvious hysteresis phenomenon with the maximum lag distance of 3.82 m,the minimum lag distance of 1.73 m and average of 3.06 m.Hysteresis phenomenon of the variable rate fertilization system was obviously decreased when implanting a correction time of 2.04 s with the maximum lag distance of 0.61 m.Variable effects varied by different wheat breeds.Variable rate fertilization had an advantage of improving spatial differences of Yangmai-23,and the spatial variability of which decreased by 14.23%.In the small test area,the amount of fertilizer in Zhenmai-168 decreased by 2.84 kg,while the amount of which in Yangmai-23 increased by 3.83 kg.Yield of Zhenmai-168 in small area was lower than that in traditional pattern,but the condition of Yangmai-23 was on the contrary.Valuable information for increasing performance of fertilization in variable rate fertilization system was provided in this paper.
基金The authors acknowledge that this work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31401284)the National Key Technology Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.2014BAD06B03).
文摘In order to improve soil fertility and fertilizer utilization,a subsoiling variable rate fertilization machine based on conservation tillage and precision agriculture was designed and tested.The relationship between suspension parameters and penetrating distance was analyzed,and a matching model between fertilizing quantity and penetrating distance was established.The variable rate fertilization control machine was developed based on an Advantech PCM-9363 industrial control mainboard.The machine operates under two patterns:DGPS-based positioning and straight-line path positioning based on a planar coordinate system.This machine can perform on-demand fertilization according to the spatial differences in soil nutrients and the prescription maps pre-set before the operation.Field experiments showed the machine has a subsoiling stability of 92.5%,a soil breaking rate of 61.1%,a maximum positioning relative error of 2.68%and a maximum variable rate fertilization error of 3.89%.The subsoiling performance and variable rate fertilization indices of this machine satisfy the requirements of GB/T24675.2-2009.The tested indices meet the national and industrial standards and satisfy the design requirements.The findings of the research can be used as the structural design of the subsoiling variable rate fertilization machine.
文摘This paper first described the current status of wheat nitrogen fertilizers utilization rate. Then,from balanced fertilizer application,applying slow/controlled release fertilizer,deep application of nitrogen fertilizers and graded application,controlled application amount,selection of application time according to soil properties,diagnosed application of fertilizer with instrument,addition of synergist,and precise fertilizer application,it summarized biological nitrogen saving methods and introduced prospects of future biological nitrogen saving technology.
文摘Our Fair Plan to Safeguard Earth’s Climate reduces the emission of greenhouse gases to zero over the 80-year time period 2020 to 2100. To accomplish this, humanity must reduce its carbon intensity—the amount of CO<sub>2</sub> emitted per unit of energy—and its energy intensity—the amount of energy needed to generate a unit of Gross World Product. As shown in our Fair Plan 8 paper, reducing the future growth of the human population can also contribute to the reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions. Here, we explore this further. We project the historical decrease in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) across the 21<sup>st</sup> century toward its logistical asymptotic Reference value of 2.04 Births Per Woman (BPW). We then engineer the asymptotic TFR beginning in 2020 to 1.95, 1.85, 1.75, 1.65 & 1.55 BPW. We project the population across the 21<sup>st</sup> century for the Reference and engineered TFRs. We do so using the results of Basten, Lutz and Scherbov (2013) for the population evolution across the 21<sup>st</sup> century for 8 constant TFR values (=2.50, 2.25, 2.00, 1.75, 1.50, 1.25, 1.00 & 0.75 BPW). We find that purposefully engineering the asymptotic TFR can significantly contribute to achieving the reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions needed to transition to our Fair Plan to Safeguard Earth’s Climate.
文摘A child is born to a father and a mother.This fact,however,is yet to be recognized by demography,in which fertility refers to women’s natural ability to give birth.The main reason for the absence of men is that data on births are more often available for women than for men.But in the last few decades,data availability has greatly improved.Recent studies show that total fertility rates(TFRs)of men can be calculated for most countries in the world and that the difference between the TFRs of men and women can be quite large.For low-fertility countries,nonetheless,these studies show little difference between the TFRs of men and women,giving rise to the question:Is men’s fertility worth further investigation?To avoid ambiguity in describing a particular difference as small or big,this paper provides a formula for probabilistic TFRs.Using hypothesis test on probabilistic TFRs,we can say that the difference between the TFRs of men and women is statistically significant for all the G7 countries,except for France.To explain the differences between the TFRs of men and women,this study uses models of stable populations and concludes that the one-sex stable population models cannot explain the results whereas a two-sex joint stable population model can do so.By using the two-sex population model,we can explain why the TFR of men in France is almost the same as that of women,and why it is lower than that of women in the other six G7 countries.More specifically,by using the model,we can help explain 76%of the variance in the difference between the TFRs of men and women.Future studies may be able to show that men’s TFR is significantly lower than women’s in other countries too and explain why it is so.The above findings,however,require closer attention and further investigation,because low fertility could lead to socioeconomic problems.Beyond TFRs,extending fertility studies from women to men as well,that is,conducting fertility studies on both women and men,will fundamentally improve our knowledge about fertility age patterns,trends,determinants,policies and other related issues.
基金This study was supported by the Hunan Province Municipal Natural Science Foundation(2022JJ30018)to WNLHunan Province Health Commission Science Foundation(B202301037899)to WNLResearch Grant of CITIC-Xiangya(YNXM-201904)to WNL.
文摘The clinical applications of acrosin activity are limited.We analyzed 61578 male partners in infertile couples who visited the outpatient department of the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya(Changsha,China)between August 2014 and December 2019 to determine the reference ranges and thresholds for acrosin activity in infertile Chinese men;to determine whether correlations exist between acrosin activity and age,sperm concentration,sperm morphology,or sperm motility;and to evaluate whether acrosin activity could serve as an effective prognostic indicator for choosing between in vitro fertilization(IvF)and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(icsl)in the clinic.The cut-off value for the normal reference range of acrosin activity for male partners in infertile couples was 24.78μlU per 106 sperm.There was no significant association between acrosin activity and age,sperm concentration,semen volume,total sperm count,progressive motility,or total motile spermatozoa.A weak positive correlation was found between acrosin activity and normal sperm morphology.There was a statistically significant difference in abnormal acrosome morphology between the group with high acrosin activity(>24.78μlU per 106 sperm)and the group with low acrosin activity(<24.78μlU per 106 sperm).The group with a low IVF fertilization rate had a high index of abnormal acrosomal morphology at 21.2%,while the group with a high IVF fertilization rate had a low index of 0.2%.At an acrosin activity of<24.78μlU per 10 sperm,in one cycle of the same patient,the fertilization rate,normal fertilization rate,and good-quality embryo rate for Icsl were significantly higher than those for IVF.Therefore,the most promising application of acrosin activity could be in the selection of IcsI over IVF for infertile male patients with complete fertilization failure or a low fertilization rate.
基金supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81100473 to Yong FAN)Guangzhou Municipal Health Bureau Funded Project(20121A011162 to Yu-ling HUANG)
文摘Objective To study the impact of blood clots in the oocyte-corona-cumulus complexes (OCCC) during in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).Methods The OCCCs were harvested from the patients undergoing long protocol ovarian hyperstimulation. The OCCCs with blood clots removed or not, were randomly grouped into A or B. The OCCCs without blood clots were group C (the control).Results The patient's age, infertility duration, the average GN consumption, the average days of superovulation and an average number of harvested oocytes showed no significant difference in the 3 groups. The fertilization rate and 2PN rate in group A were the highest, which were 85.4% and 71.1%, respectively, followed by group C, which were 77.5% and 64.9%, respectively. The lowest fertilization rate and 2PN rate were in group B, 75.8% and 62.2%, respectively. Those in group A were significantly higher than those in groups B and C (P〈0.01), while there was no significant difference between group B and group C. The implantation rates and pregnancy rates showed no significant difference in the 3 groups after transplantation, even if group A got the highest rate among the 3 groups. Conclusion Removing the blood clots in OCCC can improve the outcome of IVF-ET without increasing the cost and complexity of the operation.
基金This research was funded by competitive grants from Fondo María Viñas of ANII(Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación,Uruguay)to A.L.,and full-time funds(DT,UDELAR,Uruguay)granted to A.L.
文摘Background Kernza®intermediate wheatgrass is a perennial grain and forage crop that can provide several ecosystem services.Major research efforts focused on Kernza have taken place in high latitudes.The goal of this study was to evaluate,for the first time,the agronomic performance of Kernza in a low-latitude region with mild winters.Methods A KS-cycle 4 Kernza population(A)was planted in spring in Wisconsin,USA,and selected in one cycle for lower vernalization requirements,obtaining a new population(B).These two populations,at three nitrogen(N)fertilization rates,were evaluated in a full factorial,completely randomized field experiment in Uruguay over 2 years.Results The populations were similar in grain yields and flowering time in the 1st year,but population B had 63%lower grain yield in the 2nd year and 20%lower forage yield throughout the experiment.Increasing the N rate to 160 kg ha−1 led to a 63%increase in grain yield and 28%increase in forage yield across populations.Forage yields and nutritive values were similar to those reported in the northern hemisphere.However,grain yields for both the 1st(316 kg ha−1)and 2nd year(41 kg ha−1)were lower due to reduced flowering and weed competition.Conclusions Expansion of Kernza to lower-latitude regions will require further breeding to improve reproductive performance.
基金This work was supported by Shaanxi Science and Technology Projects(2017KJXX-54 and 2014KTCL02-15)Science and Technology Project of Northwest A&F University(Z222021560)the"Young Faculty Study Abroad Program"of Northwest A&F University Scholarship Fund.
文摘Orchard target-oriented fertilizing with on-board sensor technology can improve fertilizer efficiency and reduce environmental pollution.Photoelectric sensors are widely used for object detection because of their low cost and fast response time.This paper presents a Wolfberry tree dual-model detection method and the design of an orchard target-oriented variable-rate fertilization system based on photoelectric sensors.The dual-model detection method includes the Trunk Detection Model(TDM)and Canopy Detection Model(CDM),which can be applied for Wolfberry orchards at the green cluster and mature stages,respectively.A target-oriented fertilization system was designed using the dual-model method,and tested in the lab and Chinese Wolfberry orchard.The laboratory test results showed that the average center offset distances on the condition of detecting trunks,continuous canopies,and discontinuous canopies were 4.1 cm,9.1 cm and 13.1 cm,respectively.The system could ignore the signals from canes when their diameters were less than 16 mm,and also could determine the gaps within a tree when they were less than 21 cm.The orchard test results showed that the system accomplished target-oriented fertilization 95 times for 92 trees at the mature stage.The results indicated that the dual-model detection method could be used for Wolfberry trees or other trees with similar canopy changes at different growth stages.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81801518 and No.82071646).
文摘The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of magnetic-activated cell sorting(MACS)in sperm preparation for male subjects with a sperm DNA fragmentation index(DFI)≥30%.A total of 86 patients who had undergone their first long-term long protocol were selected.The protocol involved in vitro fertilization(IVF)and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)cycles,and the patients were divided into the MACS or control groups.The MACS group included sperm samples analyzed with MACS that were combined with density gradient centrifugation(DGC)and the swim-up(SU)technique(n=39),and the control group included sperm samples prepared using standard techniques(DGC and SU;n=41).No differences were noted with regard to basic clinical characteristics,number of oocytes retrieved,normal fertilization rate,cleavage rate,or transplantable embryo rate between the two groups in IVF/ICSI.In addition,the clinical pregnancy and implantation rates of the first embryo transfer cycles indicated no significant differences between the two groups.However,there was a tendency to improve the live birth rate(LBR)of the first embryo transfer cycle(63.2%vs 53.9%)and the cumulative LBR(79.5%vs 70.7%)in the MACS group compared with the control group.Moreover,the number of transferred embryos(mean±standard deviation[s.d.]:1.7±0.7 vs 2.3±1.6)and the transfer number of each retrieved cycle(mean±s.d.:1.2±0.5 vs 1.6±0.8)were significantly lower in the MACS group than those in the control group.Thus,the selection of nonapoptotic spermatozoa by MACS for higher sperm DFI could improve assisted reproductive clinical outcomes.
文摘Objectives To observe the time of spontaneous activation of hamster oocytes and to find out the early signs of hamster oocytes activation Methods First, 63 hamster oocytes including activated and non activated oocytes (group A) and 51 non activated oocytes (group B) were injected with human sperm and checked for fertilization after 16-18 hours Then, 20 hamster oocytes were cultured in vitro in medium with or without calcium and examined under light microscope every half an hour up to 9 hours Results Under light microscope, hamster oocytes activation were observed to undergo 4 stages: metaphase Ⅱ stage without meiotic spindle, appearance of meiotic spindle near the first polar body, protrusion of oolemma, and complete extrusion of second polar body with pronucleus formation After culture for 1 5 hours in vitro, 30% 40% of the oocytes demonstrated meiotic spindle; but after 9 hours, 50% showed complete activation Culture in medium without calcium showed a little delay in the process of activation The earliest sign of spontaneous activation in hamster oocytes was the appearance of meiotic spindle near the first polar body Although group A and B showed no difference, the damage rate was lower in group B (19 7%±16 6%) than in group A (35 9%±5 7%) ( P =0 08), whereas the fertilization rate (18 3%±10 9%) was higher in group B than in group A (14 2%±8 7%) ( P =0 135) Conclusions Hamster oocytes may be activated spontaneously early after their removal It is important to recognize the earliest sign of spontaneous activation and perform intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) before it happens