Synbiotic (FamiLact) administration in idiopathic male infertility enhances sperm quality, DNA integrity, and chromatin status: A triple-blinded randomized clinical trial

Background: Idiopathic male infertility is often treated empirically. A recent body of evidence has indicated the association between pro ± prebiotics administration and improvement in semen parameters. Objective: To assess the effect of FamiLact (probiotic + prebiotic) administration on male subjects with idiopathic infertility. Materials and Methods: Fifty-six men with idiopathic male infertility were randomly/equally divided into two groups. Men in the case and control groups received 500 mg of FamiLact and an identical placebo for 80 days, respectively. A semen sample was obtained from each of the participants before initiation and after the termination of the treatment course. Samples underwent regular semen analysis and were further analyzed to assess the level of DNA damage (sperm chromatin structure assay), oxidative stress (BODIPY C11 staining), and protamine deficiency (chromomycin-A3 staining) in spermatozoa. Results: No significant difference was observed between the baseline values of both groups. After intervention, mean sperm concentration, motility, and normal morphology were significantly higher in the FamiLact group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). In the FamiLact receivers, we detected improvement regarding the following parameters: concentration, motility, abnormal morphology, sperm lipid peroxidation, and DNA fragmentation (p ≤ 0.02). Likewise, in the placebo group, we noticed a decrease in the post-medication mean value of DNA fragmentation (p = 0.03) while observing no significant difference regarding other parameters. Conclusion: FamiLact administration improves sperm concentration, motility, and abnormal morphology and decrease sperm DNA damage, possibly through alleviating oxidative stress in the seminal fluid. Key words: Male infertility, DNA fragmentation, Sperm, Synbiotics, Probiotics, Fertility agents

Achieving consensus Deal with Methodological Issues in the Delphi technique

Delphi is a powerful technique used to seek answers to appropriate questions. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the Delphi technique as a research method. This paper discusses the scientific merit of the Delphi technique by investigating on 41 studies of Journal of Agricultural Education from 1981 to 2013, and 2 studies of Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. The results showed that there is no general agreement on using indexes in different rounds of Delphi technique; however, according to the frequencies of using indexes in different studies, the following suggestions are presented. The favourable number of panel of experts is between 10 to 20. Purposive sampling method is used for selecting the panel members. Usually a three rounds of Delphi method is used. One question is designed in round one. Mean and standard deviation indexes are used for passing from round two to round three and agreement level of 70 present is used for achieving expert's consensus in round three

Brain Activation During Maximum Concentric and Eccentric Knee Extension Muscle Contractions

Purpose: In spite of mounting evidence indicating that concentric and eccentric knee extensor muscle contractions might have special nervous system control strategies, the differentiation of brain frequencies between concentric and eccentric movements and how the motor cortex programs this contraction has been less studied. In this study, the brain and muscle activation differences during maximum concentric and eccentric contractions were compared. Methods: Nine healthy volunteers performed 20 maximum eccentric and 20 maximum concentric knee extensor contractions. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals from sensorimotor-related cortical areas were recorded simultaneous with the electromyography (EMG) of the knee extensor muscles. In the spectral analysis the performance related power values were calculated for Theta (4-7 Hz) and Alpha (7-12 Hz). Results: The time-domain results revealed, longer time and greater cortical activity is required for the preparation of an eccentric contraction. For the eccentric task, the cortical activity was greater, but the EMG was lower in comparison to the concentric task values. Statistical analysis showed significant higher and lower Theta and Alpha power in both types of contractions compared to the resting state, respectively. Conclusion: These findings suggest that increased Theta power is associated with task complexity and focused attention and decreased Alpha power values with increased information processing in the somatosensory cortex

Intelligent Condition Monitoring of Industrial Plants: An Overview of Methodologies and Uncertainty Management Strategies

Condition monitoring plays a significant role in the safety and reliability of modern industrial systems. Artificial intelligence (AI) approaches are gaining attention from academia and industry as a growing subject in industrial applications and as a powerful way of identifying faults. This paper provides an overview of intelligent condition monitoring and fault detection and diagnosis methods for industrial plants with a focus on the open-source benchmark Tennessee Eastman Process (TEP). In this survey, the most popular and state-of-the-art deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) algorithms for industrial plant condition monitoring, fault detection, and diagnosis are summarized and the advantages and disadvantages of each algorithm are studied. Challenges like imbalanced data, unlabelled samples and how deep learning models can handle them are also covered. Finally, a comparison of the accuracies and specifications of different algorithms utilizing the Tennessee Eastman Process (TEP) is conducted. This research will be beneficial for both researchers who are new to the field and experts, as it covers the literature on condition monitoring and state-of-the-art methods alongside the challenges and possible solutions to them

Known pathophysiological mechanisms in the incidence of varicoceles

زمینه و هدف: واریکوسل به اتساع و پیچش غیر طبیعی وریدهای اسپرماتیک در بیضه اطلاق می شود و از جمله شایع ترین علت قابل درمان در مردان نابارور می باشد. در افراد مبتلا به واریکوسل عملکرد بیضه به طور پیشرونده آسیب می بیند، اما مکانیسم های دقیق درگیر در شروع و توسعه اختلال در بیضه این افراد، کاملاً شناخته شده نیستند، لذا هدف این مطالعه مروری آن است که مکانیسم های پاتو فیزیولوژی شناخته شده در بروز واریکوسل مورد بررسی قرار گیرد. روش بررسی: مقالات جستجو شده در پایگاه های اطلاعاتی مختلف مانند Science Direct، PubMed و Scopus و پایگاه های مرتبط با مقالات ISI در بین سال های 2015-1983 بررسی شد. یافته ها: واریکوسل در اغلب موارد با اسپرماتوژنز غیر طبیعی، افزایش دمای بیضه و استرس اکسیداتیو ارتباط دارد. این شرایط باعث کاهش کیفیت مایع منی و باروری می گردد. نتیجه گیری: عمل جراحی واریکوسلکتومی میکروسرجیکال به دلیل ایجاد عوارض کم تر و همچنین میزان عود کم تر نسبت به سایر روش ها، رویکرد پیشنهادی اغلب ارولوژیست ها است

Gonadotropins in Infertile Men with Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism

Abstract Background: Stimulatory therapy with gonadotrpins is an effective treatment to induce spermatogenesis in men with idiopathic hypogonadotroptic hypogonadism (IHH). The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin / human menopausal gonadotropin on hypogonadotropic infertile men. Materials and Methods: This study included fifty-six azoospermic infertile men with IHH treated with hCG / hMG. All patients received hCG (5000 IU, IM3 times /week) for three months. After that, treatment was continued combined with hMG (75 IU, IM 3 times/week). Semen analysis was performed every 3 months. After 15 months, fine needle aspiration was performed if the patients were azoospermic. Treatment continued if mature spermatozoa were present in FNA, otherwise treatment was discontinued. In the former cases, semen analysis was requested 24months after thebeginning of treatment. Results: In this study, spermatozoa were present in the ejaculate in 50 out of 56 patients (89.2%) after combined treatment. Average time of sperm appearance was 9.2 months. Mean sperm concentration was 9.12 x 106/ml. FNA carried out after 15 months of treatment in 23(41%) of patients with persistent azoospermia, 91.3% of these latter patients had mature spermatozoa on fine needle aspiration. Pregnancy occurred in 23 (41%) cases. The mean sperm concentration in patients whose spouses became pregnant was 15.56x 10

Achieving consensus Deal with Methodological Issues in the Delphi technique

Delphi is a powerful technique used to seek answers to appropriate questions. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the Delphi technique as a research method. This paper discusses the scientific merit of the Delphi technique by investigating on 41 studies of Journal of Agricultural Education from 1981 to 2013, and 2 studies of Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. The results showed that there is no general agreement on using indexes in different rounds of Delphi technique; however, according to the frequencies of using indexes in different studies, the following suggestions are presented. The favourable number of panel of experts is between 10 to 20. Purposive sampling method is used for selecting the panel members. Usually a three rounds of Delphi method is used. One question is designed in round one. Mean and standard deviation indexes are used for passing from round two to round three and agreement level of 70 present is used for achieving expert's consensus in round three

Teachers and students’ perception of competence-based education in the agricultural higher education system (Case of a student cooperative in Iran)

Purpose: This quantitative study sought to investigate the perceptions of teachers and students regarding competency-based education (CBE) principles at the College of Agriculture at Razi University. Design: This research is a comparative analysis of two groups. The first group consists of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in agriculture who are members and non-members of student cooperatives (n = 256). The second group consists of agricultural faculty members (n = 59). Findings: The results of this study show that students and teachers have different views with regard to the extent to which CBE principles are practiced in the College of Agriculture. Moreover, students with different learning patterns had different perceptions regarding the extent to which CBE is practiced, whereas teachers with different teaching patterns had the same perception of the application of CBE principles in the College of Agriculture. Practical implications: This study has practical implications for agricultural higher education in general and colleges of agriculture in particular. Colleges of agriculture across Iran could encourage their students to establish and engage in student cooperatives so that the ‘what’ and ‘how’ aspects of CBE are put into practice. Theoretical implications: This study has theoretical implications for CBE principles. For example, student cooperatives can be utilized by faculty members as one of the main strategies for developing CBE in agricultural colleges. Originality/value: This study is original in that it moves from theory to practice when considering CBE.</p

The association between dietary fat and mineral intake with semen parameters: A cross-sectional study in infertile men

Background: Infertility has been a significant problem for couples in recent decades, and the issue can often lie with the male rather than the female. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of fats and minerals intake on semen parameters in infertile men. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 260 infertile men referred to Isfahan Infertility Clinic, Isfahan, Iran in the summer of 2018. Semen parameters regarding sperm concentration, total motility, normal morphology, and sperm volume were considered. To assess dietary intakes, a validated food frequency questionnaire was used. Results: In the adjusted model, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 5.23 times higher in the top quartile of calcium intake, compared with the bottom quartile (p = 0.03). Also, the prevalence of abnormal morphology was 68% lower in the third quartile of calcium intake (p = 0.03). Additionally, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 84% lower in the top quartile of folate intake in comparison to the bottom quartile (p = 0.01) and the prevalence of abnormal morphology was 70% lower in the top quartile of folate intake (p = 0.03). Additionally, the prevalence of abnormal concentration was 72% lower in the top quartile of selenium intake in comparison to the bottom quartile (p = 0.04). Furthermore, in the crude model, the prevalence of abnormal volume was 64% lower in the second quartile of linoleic acid intake rather than the first quartile (p = 0.01). Conclusion: In conclusion, diets containing higher amounts of folate and selenium, and lower amounts of cholesterol, saturated fatty acid and calcium were associated with more favorable semen quality parameters. Key words: Infertility, Semen quality, Minerals, Fats, Cross-sectional study.&nbsp