Male fertility: summary overview of the publications January – March 2022

The article presents an overview of the most significant publications on the topic of male infertility. The main selection criteria were the practical significance of the article, as well as the impact factor of the journal in which it was published, according to the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). As a result, a list of 10 papers published in the first quarter (January – March) of 2022 was compiled. The review includes articles on the following issues: the role of coronavirus infection in male infertility, the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors in infertile men, the effect of assisted reproductive technologies on the reproductive health of descendants, recurrent miscarriage, the effect of antibiotic therapy on the DNA fragmentation index, the role of antisperm antibodies in male infertility, the incidence of idiopathic male infertility, the Sixth Edition WHO guidelines for the ejaculate processing, as well as the relationship of depression with male infertility

Male fertility: a summary overview of the publications April – September 2022

The article provides an overview of the most significant publications on male infertility. The main selection criteria were the practical relevance of the article, as well as the impact factor of the journal it was published, according to the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). As a result, a list of 10 papers published in Q2-Q3 (April — September) 2022 was formed. The summary overview includes articles on the following topics: role of coronavirus infection in disorders of spermatogenesis, efficacy of hormonal stimulation before surgical sperm extraction, therapy consequences of diabetes mellitus on progeny reproductive health, new methods for selecting spermatozoa in ICSI, the efficacy of antioxidants, the safety of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the importance of genetic tests and predictive factors for micro-TESE success

Male fertility: a review of the publications July — September 2021

The article provides an overview of the most significant publications on the topic of male infertility. The main selection criteria were considered the practical significance of the article, as well as the impact factor of the journal in which it was published according to the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). As a result, we formed a list of 10 articles published in the III quarter (July — September) of 2021. The review included articles concerning the following issues: the ability of oocytes to repair damaged DNA-chains of sperm cells, the effectiveness of ICSI in AZF-c microdeletions, the advanced paternal age, artificial intelligence in reproductive clinics, genetic causes of infertility, the effect of surgical treatment of varicocele concerning DNA fragmentation, the role of ICSI in the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in offspring, the safety of COVID-19 vaccination for spermatogenesis, as well as the novel WHO 6 manual for semen investigation

Male fertility: a summary overview of the publications October 2022 – March 2023

The article presents an overview of the most significant publications on the topic of male infertility. The main selection criteria were the practical significance of the article, as well as the impact factor of the journal in which it was published, according to the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). As a result, a list of 10 works published from October 2022 to March 2023 was formed. The review includes articles on the following topics: genetic causes of male infertility, the role of oxidative stress in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) programmes, reference values when performing scrotum and prostate ultrasound, the impact of ART procedures on child development, the impact of DNA fragmentation of spermatozoa on the outcomes of ART, the role of circadian rhythms in spermatogenesis, automated semen testing devices and predictors of success / failure of testicular biopsy

Male fertility: a review of the publications from April – June 2021

The article provides an overview of the most significant publications on the topic of male infertility. The main selection criteria were considered the practical significance of the article, as well as the impact factor of the journal in which it was published, according to the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). As a result, a list of 10 works published in the II quarter (April – June) of 2021 was formed. The review includes articles on the following issues: the effectiveness of repeated micro-TESE in non-obstructive azoospermia, the role of COVID-19 in male fertility, the effect of testosterone therapy on spermatogenesis, testicular microlithiasis, electroejaculation as a method of obtaining spermatozoa, harm from carrying cell phones near the genitals, prediction of the effectiveness of intrauterine insemination, the effect of advanced paternal age on sperm aneuploidy, and the importance of the microbiome for male fertility

Male fertility: summary overview of the publications October – December 2021

The article presents an overview of the most significant publications on the topic of male infertility. The main selection criteria were the practical significance of the article, as well as the impact factor of the journal in which it was published, according to the SCImago Journal Rank. As a result, a list of 10 articles published in the IV quarter (October — December) of 2021 was compiled. The review includes articles on the following topics: genetic causes of male infertility, the effectiveness of antioxidants, the use of testicular spermatozoa in Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection, the impact of DNA fragmentation of spermatozoa on the results of assisted reproductive technology, the relationship of male fertility with physical activity, the consumption of sweetened beverages and vitamin D intake, as well as the prognostic value of blood anti-Mullerian hormone levels before testicular biopsy

Elite opinion and foreign policy in post-communist Russia

Russian elite opinion on matters of foreign policy may be classified as ‘Liberal Westerniser’, ‘Pragmatic Nationalist’ and ‘Fundamentalist Nationalist’, terms that reflect longstanding debates about the country’s relationship with the outside world. An analysis of press statements and election manifestoes together with a programme of elite interviews between 2004 and 2006 suggests a clustering of opinion on a series of strategic issues. Liberal Westernisers seek the closest possible relationship with Europe, and favour eventual membership of the EU and NATO. Pragmatic Nationalists are more inclined to favour practical co-operation, and do not assume an identity of values or interests with the Western countries. Fundamentalist Nationalists place more emphasis on the other former Soviet republics, and on Asia as much as Europe, and see the West as a threat to Russian values as well as to its state interests. Each of these positions, in turn, draws on an identifiable set of domestic constituencies: Liberal Westernisers on the promarket political parties, Pragmatic Nationalists on the presidential administration and defence and security ministries, and Fundamentalist Nationalists on the Orthodox Church and Communists

Small ball probability, Inverse theorems, and applications

Let $\xi$ be a real random variable with mean zero and variance one and $A={a_1,...,a_n}$ be a multi-set in $\R^d$. The random sum $$S_A := a_1 \xi_1 + ... + a_n \xi_n$$ where $\xi_i$ are iid copies of $\xi$ is of fundamental importance in probability and its applications. We discuss the small ball problem, the aim of which is to estimate the maximum probability that $S_A$ belongs to a ball with given small radius, following the discovery made by Littlewood-Offord and Erdos almost 70 years ago. We will mainly focus on recent developments that characterize the structure of those sets $A$ where the small ball probability is relatively large. Applications of these results include full solutions or significant progresses of many open problems in different areas.Comment: 47 page

Viral discovery and diversity in trypanosomatid protozoa with a focus on relatives of the human parasite <i>Leishmania</i>.

Knowledge of viral diversity is expanding greatly, but many lineages remain underexplored. We surveyed RNA viruses in 52 cultured monoxenous relatives of the human parasite &lt;i&gt;Leishmania&lt;/i&gt; ( &lt;i&gt;Crithidia&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Leptomonas&lt;/i&gt; ), as well as plant-infecting &lt;i&gt;Phytomonas&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;Leptomonas pyrrhocoris&lt;/i&gt; was a hotbed for viral discovery, carrying a virus (Leptomonas pyrrhocoris ostravirus 1) with a highly divergent RNA-dependent RNA polymerase missed by conventional BLAST searches, an emergent clade of tombus-like viruses, and an example of viral endogenization. A deep-branching clade of trypanosomatid narnaviruses was found, notable as &lt;i&gt;Leptomonas seymouri&lt;/i&gt; bearing Narna-like virus 1 (LepseyNLV1) have been reported in cultures recovered from patients with visceral leishmaniasis. A deep-branching trypanosomatid viral lineage showing strong affinities to bunyaviruses was termed " &lt;i&gt;Leishbunyavirus&lt;/i&gt; " (LBV) and judged sufficiently distinct to warrant assignment within a proposed family termed " &lt;i&gt;Leishbunyaviridae&lt;/i&gt; " Numerous relatives of trypanosomatid viruses were found in insect metatranscriptomic surveys, which likely arise from trypanosomatid microbiota. Despite extensive sampling we found no relatives of the totivirus &lt;i&gt;Leishmaniavirus&lt;/i&gt; (LRV1/2), implying that it was acquired at about the same time the &lt;i&gt;Leishmania&lt;/i&gt; became able to parasitize vertebrates. As viruses were found in over a quarter of isolates tested, many more are likely to be found in the &gt;600 unsurveyed trypanosomatid species. Viral loss was occasionally observed in culture, providing potentially isogenic virus-free lines enabling studies probing the biological role of trypanosomatid viruses. These data shed important insights on the emergence of viruses within an important trypanosomatid clade relevant to human disease