During in vitro fertilization treatment (IVF), a surplus of oocytes is produced which results in a surplus of embryos which must be preserved. Due to the recent tendency in ART treatment to transfer fewer embryos in order to avoid multiple pregnancies, partly a result of new laws and guidelines aimed at controlling the number of embryos to be transferred and the number of oocytes to be fertiliz...

This proceedings report presents the outcomes from an international workshop designed to establish consensus on: definitions for key performance indicators (KPIs) for oocyte and embryo cryopreservation, using either slow freezing or vitrification; minimum performance level values for each KPI, representing basic competency; and aspirational benchmark values for each KPI, representing best pract...

We show that intramolecular exchange disorder recently found in the geometrically frustrated magnetic molecules {Mo(72)Fe(30)} and {Mo(72)Cr(30)} leads, in a classical Heisenberg model description, to spin freezing and slow magnetization dynamics reminiscent of spin glass behaviour. Also we suggest that our low temperature and low magnetic field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on ...

Primary tumor organoids grown in three-dimensional culture provide an excellent platform for studying tumor progression, invasion, and drug response. However, organoid generation protocols require fresh tumor tissue, which limits organoid research and clinical use. This study investigates cellular morphology, viability, and drug response of organoids derived from frozen tissues. The results dem...

The goals of our study were to analyze change of global gene expression profile of mouse blastocysts after slow-freezing and to explore molecular mechanism underlying the decreased pregnancy rate caused by cryopreservation. The results showed that superovulation differentially regulated the expression of 288 genes with at least 2.0-fold change considerations. Among which, 275 genes were down-re...

In recent years, preservation of fertility in women has been of great importance, especially in patients exposed to deleterious conditions on fertility. Thus, cryopreservation of human gametes, embryos and ovarian tissue has become an essential part of assisted reproduction. This approach limits the number of embryos transferred, while supernumerary oocytes and/ or embryos can be used in subseq...

The effect of freezing on the properties of a raw ewes'-milk semi-soft cheese (Serpa cheese) was studied using small amplitude oscillatory (SAOS) and texture measurements, colour and chemical parameters. The freezing was introduced at three different stages of the ripening process (28, 35 and 42 days), and the cheeses were maintained frozen for 12 months. Cheeses were submitted to a slow or fas...