Efficient Thermoelectric Materials Based on Solid Solutions of Mg2X Compounds (X = Si, Ge, Sn)

The silicides have obvious attractive characteristics that make them promising materials as thermoelectric energy converters. The constituting elements are abundant and have low price, many of compounds have good high temperature stability. Therefore, considerable efforts have been made, especially in the past 10 years, in order to develop efficient silicide-based thermoelectric materials. These efforts have culminated in creation of Mg2(Si-Sn) n-type thermoelectric alloys with proven maximum thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of 1.3. This success is based on combination of two approaches to maximize the thermoelectric performance: the band structure engineering and the alloying. In this chapter, we review data on crystal and electronic structure as well as on the thermoelectric properties of Mg2X compounds and their solid solutions

Radical surgery on the middle ear in the treatment of cholesteatoma: history or reality? A review

Radical surgery on the middle ear is primarily associated with such pathology as cholesteatoma and ear neoplasms. And if in the case of tumors radicalism in ear surgery is justified, then in the surgery of the cholesteatomic process there is a need to discuss this issue. The existence of acquired cholesteatoma was recognized more than three centuries ago. Without timely detection and intervention, cholesteatomas can increase to gigantic sizes and lead to numerous intracranial and extracranial complications. Due to its aggressive growth, invasive nature and potentially fatal consequences of intracranial complications, acquired cholesteatoma remains the cause of morbidity and death in those who do not have access to advanced medical care. Currently, there are no effective non-surgical methods of treatment. The article provides a brief overview of the main issues related to acquired middle ear cholesteatoma, and discusses the practica

Installing oncofertility programs for common cancers in optimum resource settings (Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part II): a committee opinion

The main objective of Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part 2 is to learn more about oncofertility practices in optimum resource settings to provide a roadmap to establish oncofertility best practice models. As an extrapolation for oncofertility best practice models in optimum resource settings, we surveyed 25 leading and well-resourced oncofertility centers and institutions from the USA, Europe, Australia, and Japan. The survey included questions on the availability and degree of utilization of fertility preservation options in case of childhood cancer, breast cancer, and blood cancer. All surveyed centers responded to all questions. Responses and their calculated oncofertility scores showed three major characteristics of oncofertility practice in optimum resource settings: (1) strong utilization of sperm freezing, egg freezing, embryo freezing, ovarian tissue freezing, gonadal shielding, and fractionation of chemo- and radiotherapy; (2) promising utilization of GnRH analogs, oophoropexy, testicular tissue freezing, and oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM); and (3) rare utilization of neoadjuvant cytoprotective pharmacotherapy, artificial ovary, in vitro spermatogenesis, and stem cell reproductive technology as they are still in preclinical or early clinical research settings. Proper technical and ethical concerns should be considered when offering advanced and experimental oncofertility options to patients. Our Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part 2 proposed installing specific oncofertility programs for common cancers in optimum resource settings as an extrapolation for best practice models. This will provide efficient oncofertility edification and modeling to oncofertility teams and related healthcare providers around the globe and help them offer the best care possible to their patients

p High cryo-resistance of SARS-CoV-2 virus: Increased risk of re-contamination at transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue after COVID-19 pandemic

Cryopreservation and re-transplantation of ovarian tissue after anticancer treatment is important medical technology. Today, during a pandemic, the risk of contamination of transplanted cells with SARS-CoV-2 virus is extremely high. Data about cryo-resistance (virulence and/or infectivity) of SARS-CoV-2 are limited. Analysis and systematization of literature data allow us to draw the following conclusions: 1) The cytoplasmic membrane of somatic cell, like envelope of corona viruses, consists of lipid bilayer and this membrane, like envelope of corona virus, contains membrane proteins. Thus, we can consider the cytoplasmic membrane of an ordinary somatic cell as a model of the envelope membrane of SARS-CoV-2. It is expected that the response of the virus to cryopreservation is similar to that of a somatic cell. SARS-CoV-2 is more poor-water and more protein-rich than somatic cell, and this virus is much more cryo-resistant. 2) The exposure of somatic cells at low positive temperatures increases a viability of these cells. The safety of the virus is also in direct proportion to the decrease in temperature: the positive effect of low temperatures on SARS-CoV-2 virus has been experimentally proven. 3) Resistance of SARS-CoV-2 to cryoprotectant-free cryopreservation is extremely high. The high viability rate of SARS-CoV-2 after freezing-drying confirms its high cryo-resistance. 4) The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection after transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissues that have been contaminated with this virus, increases significantly. Our own experimental data on the increase in the viability of cancer cells after cryopreservation allow us to formulate a hypothesis about increasing of viability (virulence and/or infectivity) of SARS-CoV-2 virus after cryopreservation

Advances in fertility preservation of female patients with hematological malignancies

Introduction: The most common forms of hematological malignancies that occur in female reproductive years are lymphoma and leukemia.Areas covered: Several aggressive gonadotoxic regimens such as alkylating chemotherapy and total body irradiation are used frequently in treatment of lymphoma and leukemia leading to subsequent iatrogenic premature ovarian failure and fertility loss. In such cases, female fertility preservation options should be offered in advance.Expert commentary: In order to preserve fertility of young women and girls with lymphoma and leukemia, several established, experimental, and debatable options can be offered before starting chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, each of those female fertility preservation options has both advantages and disadvantages and may not be suitable for all patients. That is why a fertility preservation strategy should be individualized and tailored distinctively for each patient in order to be effective. Artificial human ovary is a novel experimental in vitro technology to produce mature oocytes that could be the safest option to preserve and restore fertility of young women and girls with hematological malignancies especially when other fertility preservation options are not feasible or contraindicated. Further research and studies are needed to improve the results of artificial human ovary and establish it in clinical practice

Updates in preserving reproductive potential of prepubertal girls with cancer: Systematic review

Introduction: With increasing numbers of adult female survivors of childhood cancers due to advances in early diagnosis and treatment, the issue of preserving the reproductive potential of prepubertal girls undergoing gonadotoxic treatments has gained greater attention. Methods: According to PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of the literature was performed for all relevant full-text articles published in PubMed in English throughout the past 15 years to explore the significant updates in preserving the reproductive potential of prepubertal girls with cancer. Results: The two established fertility preservation options, embryo freezing and egg freezing, cannot be offered routinely to prepubertal girls as these options necessitate prior ovarian stimulation and subsequent mature oocytes retrieval that are contraindicated or infeasible before puberty. Therefore, the most suitable fertility preservation options to prepubertal girls are (1) ovarian tissue freezing and autotransplantation, (2) in vitro maturation, and (3) ovarian protection techniques. In this review, we discuss in detail those options as well as their success rates, advantages, disadvantages and future directions. We also suggest a new integrated strategy to preserve the reproductive potential of prepubertal girls with cancer. Conclusion: Although experimental, ovarian tissue slow freezing and orthotopic autotransplantation may be the most feasible option to preserve the reproductive potential of prepubertal girls with cancer. However, this technique has two major and serious disadvantages: (1) the risk of reintroducing malignant cells, and (2) the relatively short lifespan of ovarian tissue transplants. Several medical and ethical considerations should be taken into account before applying this technique to prepubertal girls with cancer. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Cryoprotectant-free vitrification of spermatozoa: Fish as a model of human

Post-thawing motility of spermatozoon, which is directly correlated with the integrity of mitochondrion, is the main parameter for evaluation of respective cryopreservation treatments. In this review, we describe our model of mitochondrial apparatus of spermatozoa and behaviour of this apparatus during cryopreservation. This model shows why a priori the mitochondrial apparatus of the human spermatozoon is expected to be more cryo-stable than the mitochondrial apparatus of the fish spermatozoon. Negative changes of mitochondrial membrane potential are a good indicator of the functional normality of mammalian and fish spermatozoa. It is concluded that the cryostability of mitochondrial membranes of fish spermatozoa is lower than that of human spermatozoa, and protocols for effective cryopreservation of fish spermatozoa can be extrapolated to human spermatozoa. It is also provided a biological explanation for why cryoprotectant-free vitrification for human ejaculates is better than conventional freezing and vitrification with cryoprotectants. This review also includes a description of the various technologies of vitrification of human and fish spermatozoa. For cryobiological investigations, we propose to evaluate the fish spermatozoon as a suitable representative model of the human spermatozoon

Conventional freezing vs. cryoprotectant-free vitrification of epididymal (MESA) and testicular (TESE) spermatozoa: Three live births

Data of cryoprotectant-free vitrification of human testicular and epididymal spermatozoa are limited. The aim of this investigation was to compare two aseptic technologies of TESE (testicular) and MESA (epididymal) spermatozoa cryopreservation: standard conventional freezing with the use of cryoprotectants and cryoprotectantfree vitrification. Sperm motility, capacitation-like changes, acrosome reaction and the mitochondria] membrane potential of frozen (5% glycerol, 10 C/min) and vitrified (Human Tubal Fluid + 1% Human Serum Albumin + 0.25 M sucrose, plunging into liquid nitrogen of capillaries with spermatozoa isolated from liquid nitrogen (aseptic method) were compared. The quality of the cryoprotectant-free vitrified MESA- and TESE-spermatozoa was higher than that of spermatozoa conventionally frozen with permeable cryoprotectants. Intracellular sperm injection (ICSI) was performed with vitrified spermatozoa. We report the birth of three healthy babies from two women following ICSI with motile MESA- and TESE-spermatozoa vitrified without cryoprotectants. This is the first report of full -term pregnancies and babies born after ICSI with epididymal and testicular spermatozoa vitrified without cryoprotectants. In conclusion, cryoprotectant-free vitrification can be successfully applied for the cryopreservation of motile TESE- and MESA-spermatozoa