A survey of fertility preservation options available to cancer patients around the globe

Purpose: Oncofertility focuses on providing fertility and endocrine-sparing options to patients who undergo life-preserving but gonadotoxic cancer treatment. The resources needed to meet patient demand often are fragmented along disciplinary lines. We quantify assets and gaps in oncofertility care on a global scale. Methods: Survey-based questionnaires were provided to 191 members of the Oncofertility Consortium Global Partners Network, a National Institutes of Health–funded organization. Responses were analyzed to measure trends and regional subtleties about patient oncofertility experiences and to analyze barriers to care at sites that provide oncofertility services. Results: Sixty-three responses were received (response rate, 25%), and 40 were analyzed from oncofertility centers in 28 countries. Thirty of 40 survey results (75%) showed that formal referral processes and psychological care are provided to patients at the majority of sites. Fourteen of 23 respondents (61%) stated that some fertility preservation services are not offered because of cultural and legal barriers. The growth of oncofertility and its capacity to improve the lives of cancer survivors around the globe relies on concentrated efforts to increase awareness, promote collaboration, share best practices, and advocate for research funding. Conclusion: This survey reveals global and regional successes and challenges and provides insight into what is needed to advance the field and make the discussion of fertility preservation and endocrine health a standard component of the cancer treatment plan. As the field of oncofertility continues to develop around the globe, regular assessment of both international and regional barriers to quality care must continue to guide process improvements

Survey of Third-Party Parenting Options Associated With Fertility Preservation Available to Patients With Cancer Around the Globe

Purpose: In the accompanying article, “Analysis of Fertility Preservation Options Available to Patients With Cancer Around the Globe,” we showed that specific fertility preservation services may not be offered at various sites around the world because of cultural and legal barriers. We assessed global and regional experiences as well as the legal status of third-party reproduction and adoption to serve as a comprehensive international data set and resource for groups that wish to begin oncofertility interventions. Methods: We provide data on the legalities of third-party assisted reproductive technologies and other family-building options in the 28 oncofertility-practicing countries surveyed. Results: We found regional and country differences that will be important in the development of tailored resources for physicians and for patient brochures that are sensitive to these local restrictions and cultural norms. Conclusion: Because many patients first consult Web-based materials, the formal assessment of the availability of these options provides members of the global oncofertility community with data to which they might otherwise not have ready access to better serve their patients

Survey of third-party parenting options associated with fertility preservation available to patients with cancer around the globe

bstract PURPOSE In the accompanying article, “Survey of Fertility Preservation Options Available to Patients With Cancer Around the Globe,” we showed that specific fertility preservation services may not be offered at various sites around the world because of cultural and legal barriers. We assessed global and regional experiences as well as the legal status of third-party reproduction and adoption to serve as a comprehensive international data set and resource for groups that wish to begin oncofertility interventions. METHODS We provide data on the legalities of third-party assisted reproductive technologies and other familybuilding options in the 28 oncofertility-practicing countries surveyed. RESULTS We found regional and country differences that will be important in the development of tailored resources for physicians and for patient brochures that are sensitive to these local restrictions and cultural norms. CONCLUSION Because many patients first consult Web-based materials, the formal assessment of the availability of these options provides members of the global oncofertility community with data to which they might otherwise not have ready access to better serve their patients

Consanguinity and reproductive health among Arabs

Consanguineous marriages have been practiced since the early existence of modern humans. Until now consanguinity is widely practiced in several global communities with variable rates depending on religion, culture, and geography. Arab populations have a long tradition of consanguinity due to socio-cultural factors. Many Arab countries display some of the highest rates of consanguineous marriages in the world, and specifically first cousin marriages which may reach 25-30% of all marriages. In some countries like Qatar, Yemen, and UAE, consanguinity rates are increasing in the current generation. Research among Arabs and worldwide has indicated that consanguinity could have an effect on some reproductive health parameters such as postnatal mortality and rates of congenital malformations. The association of consanguinity with other reproductive health parameters, such as fertility and fetal wastage, is controversial. The main impact of consanguinity, however, is an increase in the rate of homozygotes for autosomal recessive genetic disorders. Worldwide, known dominant disorders are more numerous than known recessive disorders. However, data on genetic disorders in Arab populations as extracted from the Catalogue of Transmission Genetics in Arabs (CTGA) database indicate a relative abundance of recessive disorders in the region that is clearly associated with the practice of consanguinity

A View from the Past Into our Collective Future: The Oncofertility Consortium Vision Statement

Today, male and female adult and pediatric cancer patients, individuals transitioning between gender identities, and other individuals facing health extending but fertility limiting treatments can look forward to a fertile future. This is, in part, due to the work of members associated with the Oncofertility Consortium. The Oncofertility Consortium is an international, interdisciplinary initiative originally designed to explore the urgent unmet need associated with the reproductive future of cancer survivors. As the strategies for fertility management were invented, developed or applied, the individuals for who the program offered hope, similarly expanded. As a community of practice, Consortium participants share information in an open and rapid manner to addresses the complex health care and quality-of-life issues of cancer, transgender and other patients. To ensure that the organization remains contemporary to the needs of the community, the field designed a fully inclusive mechanism for strategic planning and here present the findings of this process. This interprofessional network of medical specialists, scientists, and scholars in the law, medical ethics, religious studies and other disciplines associated with human interventions, explore the relationships between health, disease, survivorship, treatment, gender and reproductive longevity. The goals are to continually integrate the best science in the service of the needs of patients and build a community of care that is ready for the challenges of the field in the future

Rapport IV.4. Rhéologie des saumures et des eaux saumâtres

Systematic model investigations on the variation of brine and salt water viscosity with concentration and temperature are described. The overall results are given in graph form, together with an interpolation formula based on the Arrhenius formula. Further thermo-physical properties are investigated in an attempt to establish a relationship between the characteristic parameters for solution state and behaviour and liquid theory methods.A l’occasion d’études sur modèles de laboratoire, de problèmes d’écoulement d’eaux salées, voire de saumures, nous avons étudié de manière systématique la viscosité de solutions en fonction de la concentration et de la température. La communication proposée donne une synthèse des résultats obtenus sous forme d’abaques et une formule d’interpolation inspirée de la relation d’Arrhénius. Examinant aussi d’autres propriétés thermophysiques, nous avons essayé de relier les divers paramètres caractéristiques de l’état et du comportement des solutions par analogie avec les méthodes utilisées dans les théories des liquides.Thirriot Claude, Khrouf M.-L. Rapport IV.4. Rhéologie des saumures et des eaux saumâtres. In: Hydrotechnique des liquides industriels. Compte rendu des douzièmes journées de l'hydraulique. Paris, 6-8 juin 1972. Tome 2, 1973

SIR Analytical Expression for Dispersive Channels in OFDM/OQAM Transmission Systems

International audienceIn this paper, we derive the analytical expression of the signal to interference ratio (SIR) for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OFDM/OQAM) systems, in time and frequency dispersive channels. In this derivation, we use the dispersive approach, which is based on using a matched filter and provides optimal reception. Finally, we search optimal transmitter prototype function s that maximize the SIR

Efficiency of the TR Technique and the POPS Algorithm for Waveform Optimization in MISO-OFDM Systems

International audienceIn this paper, we extend the joint use of the Time Reversal (TR) precoding technique and the Ping-Pong Optimized Pulse Shaping (POPS) waveform optimization algorithm to design optimal transmit and receive waveforms for Multiple Input Single Output-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MISO-OFDM) systems. The design process banks on a full characterization of the scattering function of the TR-MISO channel, followed by the implementation of the POPS approach. Numerical analysis reveal a significant gain, brought by the optimized waveforms in TR-MISO-OFDM systems, in terms of Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR), compared to the optimized waveforms in TR-SISO-OFDM systems and the PHYDYAS waveform in TR-MISO-OFDM systems

Ivabradine in patients with heart failure: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACTBackground: Heart failure is a chronic disease linked with significant morbidity and mortality, and uncontrolled resting heart rate is a risk factor for adverse outcomes. This systematic literature review aimed to assess the efficacy, safety, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of ivabradine in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies.Methods: We searched electronic databases from their inception to July 2021 to include studies that reported on efficacy, safety, or PROs of ivabradine in patients with HFrEF.Results: Of 1947 records screened, 51 RCTs and 6 observational studies were identified. Ivabradine on top of background therapy demonstrated a significant reduction in composite outcomes including hospitalization for HF or cardiovascular death. In addition, observational studies suggested that ivabradine was associated with a significant reduction in mortality. Across all studies, ivabradine use on top of background therapy was associated with greater reductions in heart rate, improved EF, and improved health-related quality of life (QoL) and comparable risk of total adverse events compared to those treated with background therapy alone.Conclusions: Ivabradine on top of background therapy is beneficial for heart rate, hospitalization risk for HF, mortality, EF, and patients’ QoL. Moreover, these benefits were achieved with no significant increase in the overall risk of total adverse events