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Infant sex ratios that differ from the biological norm provide a measure of gender status inequality that is not susceptible to social desirability bias. Ratios may become less biased with educational expansion through reduced preference for male children. Alternatively, bias could increase with education through more access to sex-selective medical technologies. Using National Vital Statistics data on the population of live births in the United States for 1969–2018, we examine trends in infant sex ratios by parental race/ethnicity, education, and birth parity over five decades. We find son-biased infant sex ratios among Chinese and Asian Indian births that have persisted in recent years, and regressions suggest son-biased ratios among births to Filipino and Japanese mothers with less than a high school education. Infant sex ratios are more balanced at higher levels of maternal education, particularly when both parents are college educated. Results suggest greater equality of gender status with higher education in the United States.

To maximize efficiency, profitability, and societal acceptance of modern dairy production, it is important to minimize the production of male dairy calves with poor beef merit. One solution involves using sex-sorted sperm (SS) to generate dairy replacements and breeding all other cows to an easy-calving, short-gestation bull with good beef merit. We used the Pasture Based Herd Dynamic Milk Model to investigate the effect of herd fertility and use of SS on farm net profit in a herd of 100 cows. This was completed by simulating herds with differing fertility performance (good, average, poor), and differing farm reproductive management [conventional semen (CONV) or SS with varying pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) relative to CONV (i.e., relative P/AI 100%, 85%, and 70%)]. As an additional consideration, the method of allocating SS to cows was also examined. The first option used SS on random heifers and cows (S). The second option used SS on heifers and targeted high-fertility cows (SSel). The final option was similar to SSel, but used a fixed-time artificial insemination (AI) protocol to facilitate AI on the farm mating start date (SSync). For CONV, dairy breed semen was used for AI until 50 animals were pregnant (50% chance of a female calf), whereas for S, SSel, or SSync the target number of animals successfully conceiving with SS was set at 28 (based on assumed 90% chance of a female calf from pregnancies derived from SS). Beef breed semen was used on all other dams. The results indicated that the biggest effect on farm net profit was not based on whether or not SS was used, but instead was most affected by the overall fertility performance of the herd. Total farm profit decreased by 10% between the good and average fertility herds, and decreased by a further 12% between the average and poor fertility herds. In almost all situations, when the relative P/AI with SS was ≥85%, use of SS led to an overall increase of the farm net profit. There was an economic benefit of using either SSel or SSync compared with S for the average and poor fertility herds but not for the good fertility herd, highlighting an interaction between SS P/AI and overall herd fertility as well as management practices. If the relative P/AI with SS was

Background The naturally occurring male-to-female (M/F) ratio at birth is 1.05. Higher ratios found primarily in countries across Asia have been attributed to prenatal sex selection due to son preference. There is growing evidence that sex-selective practices continue following migration; however, little is known about these practices following migration to Australia. Methods In this population-based study we assessed M/F ratios at birth per mother’s country of birth for all registered births 1999–2015 in Victoria, Australia (n = 1 191 250). We also compared the M/F ratio among births to mothers born elsewhere to that of mothers born in Australia, stratified by time period and parity. Results Compared with the naturally occurring M/F ratio as well as to the M/F ratio among births to mothers born in Australia, there was an increased ratio of male births to mothers born in India, China and South-East Asia, particularly at higher parities and in more recent time periods (elevated M/F ratios ranged from 1·079 to 1·248, relative risks of male birth ranged from 1·012 to 1·084 with confidence intervals between 1·001 and 1·160 and P-values between 0·005 and 0·039). The most male-biased sex ratios were found among multiple births to Indian-born mothers, and parity of two or more births to Indian and Chinese-born mothers in 2011–15. Conclusions The male-biased sex ratios observed in this study indicate that prenatal sex selection may be continuing following migration to Australia from countries where these practices have been documented. The excess of males among multiple births raises the question as to what role assisted reproduction plays. Findings also suggest that systematic discrimination against females starts in the womb.

Pregnancy rate per AI (PR/AI) and breeding season pregnancy rates between insemination with sexed semen (SS; at 18 hr after the onset of oestrus) and conventional semen (CS; at 12 hr after the onset of oestrus,) and offspring gender ratio between two groups were compared. Angus cross cows (n = 686, during 2019 and 2020 breeding seasons) were oestrus-synchronized using Select-Synch + CIDR protocol and were observed thrice daily for oestrus until 72 hr after PGF2α administration. Cows expressed oestrus (n = 513) were inseminated with either SS (n = 246; SexedULTRA 4M™; y chromosome-bearing sperm) or CS (n = 267). Cows (n = 173) that failed to express oestrus at 72 hr after PGF2α received 100 μg of GnRH and CS insemination concomitantly. Two weeks later, cows were penned with natural service sires (bull:cow ratio 1:25) for 45 days. Pregnancy was diagnosed 30 days after bull removal. Calves' gender was determined at birth. For cows that expressed oestrus, PR/AI did not differ (p .1) between SS (65.0%) and CS (66.7%) groups. The overall PR/AI differed (p .05) between SS (65.0%) and CS (56.4%) groups. The natural service PR differed (p .001) but breeding season PR (p .05) did not differ between SS vs. CS groups. Bull:heifer gender ratio following AI was 88:12 and 52:48 for SS and CS groups, respectively, with an overall 66:34 ratio. Bull:heifer gender ratio for the two breeding seasons was 79:21 and 52:48 for SS and CS groups, respectively, with an overall 62:38 ratio. In conclusion, the fertility of SS insemination at 18 hr after onset of oestrus was 97% of CS insemination at 12 hr after onset of oestrus. Though breeding season pregnancy did not differ between SS and groups, preferred calf gender was 25 percentage points greater for SS over CS application. The gender accuracy was 88%.

The use of sexed semen in dairy and beef farms ensures the production of animals of the desired sex, resulting in a reduction of costs and an improvement of environmental sustainability. Several methods have been developed over the years, but most of them were abandoned due to their limited efficacy. Currently, the only commercially available method for the separation of X‐ and Y‐chromosome‐bearing sperm is fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. However, this technique is expensive and has limited usefulness for the industry, considering that it cannot produce doses of sexed semen with the desired number of sperm for artificial insemination. Immunological methods have emerged as an attractive alternative to flow cytometry and proteomic knowledge of X‐ and Y‐sperm could be useful to the development of a new method. In this review, we identify the main applications of sexed semen, describe the existing methods and highlight future research opportunities in the field. We consider that immunological methods, based on sperm cell's surface proteins differentially expressed between X‐ and Y‐sperm, could be an interesting and promising approach to semen sexing., Immunological methods have emerged as an attractive alternative to flow cytometry and proteomic knowledge of X‐ and Y‐sperm could be useful to the development of a new method. In this review we identify the main applications of sexed semen, describe the existing methods and highlight the future research opportunities in the field. We consider that immunological methods, based on sperm cell's surface proteins, deferentially expressed between X‐ and Y‐sperm could be an interesting and promising approach to sex selection.

The aim of this study was to understand the molecular mechanisms behind the biological differences of X- and Y-sperm and to screen the sex-specific candidate antigen proteins for sexed semen production. To this end, we investigated differential expression of total membrane proteins of the two sperm types by using high-purity X- and Y-sperm from 20 Holstein bulls and applying the label-free proteomic technique; 1521 proteins were identified. In the X-sperm group, 8 and 23 proteins were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively. In the X- and the Y-sperm group, 151 and 88 proteins were specifically expressed, respectively. These were overexpressed in the dynamic changes of the actin cytoskeleton, and cell senescence/apoptosis induced by the immune response, and could result in differences in the state, size, and immune sensitivity of the X-/Y-sperm membranes. The prediction of transmembrane structure, subcellular localization, and Western blotting validation results showed that the CLRN3 and SCAMP1 proteins were cell surface specific antigens of X- and Y-sperm, respectively. Our findings help explain the molecular mechanism behind the biological differences of X-/Y-sperm and lay the foundation for application of immunological methods to produce sex-sorted semen and control livestock sex. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD019435.

Flow cytometry sperm sex-sorting based on the relative DNA difference between X- and Y-chromosome bearing populations is an established method that has allowed the production of pre-sexed offspring in a multitude of species and has been a commercial success in cattle production for the past twenty years. Several improvements to the technology and the processing methods have increased the sorting efficiency of ejaculates and the post-thaw quality of sex-sorted sperm, allowing for the fertility gap between conventional (non-sorted) and SexedULTRA™ sex-sorted sperm to be bridged. Small ruminant industries are now progressively testing sex-sorted sperm for application in their specific niches and environments. A review of the key advances and the recent developments in caprine, ovine and cervine sperm sex-sorting technology are described in this publication.

Sex selection is becoming a more common practice in the society and worldwide. The current study aimed to examine the perceptions about sex selection options and possible association with sociodemographic factors and relevant characteristics. The study was a cross-sectional survey of adults in Jordan in January and February 2020 using a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that 40.1% of respondents preferred male gender when having a child, 22.4% of respondents preferred the male gender when having a child, even if they have had children of both genders, and 71.3% preferred having children from both genders. On the other hand, 58.8% of participants preferred a male gender when there is one chance to conceive via assisted reproduction technologies. Also, among participants, 66% thought that sex selection is religiously acceptable, yet 78.0% did not support of the sex selection idea. The above factors were significantly associated with several sociodemographic variables such as gender, marital status, education, career, and place of residence, but not income. In conclusion, the current study shed a light on preferences towards sex selection in a large cohort to better understand the perception and attitude of the population towards this practice.

Separation of X and Y chromosome-bearing sperm is an appropriate method for the selection of desired sex of offspring to increase the profit in livestock industries. The purpose of this study was the production of a monoclonal antibody against recombinant bovine sex-determining region Y protein for separation Y sperm. The hybridoma cells from splenocytes of immunized female's balb/C mice and Sp2/0 cells were made. The binding affinity of our monoclonal antibody (mAbSRY2) was compared with mouse monoclonal SRY-15. The Western blot method indicated that mAbSRY2 successfully detected the rbSRY protein. The specificity and sensitivity of mAbSRY2 is comparable to SRY-15 commercially ones. The SRY gene in 100% of bull semen contains the Y chromosome that had the strongest binding affinity to mAbSRY2 was synthesized. In other words, the binding affinity of semen contains the X sperms near the negative control. In general, this immunological method can help to separate X from Y sperms. However, the mAbSRY2 is bind to Y-bearing sexed sperm, but in the future; the sexed sperms need to apply in farms.

Pre-conceptual sex selection is still a highly debatable process whereby X and Y chromosome bearing spermatozoa are isolated before oocyte fertilization. Recently, magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) have been used to determine X and Y chromosomes bearing spermatozoa as a result of searching for a cheap, highly efficient method using non-toxic materials. This study aimed to recover the sperm bearing X chromosomes in ram with different concentrations of MNP and then evaluate the success of this method using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Ram sperms were divided into four groups, treated with 0 (control), 50, 100 and 200 μg/ml MNP, respectively. MNP was used to restore sperm cells bearing X chromosomes. Upon recovery, the PCR was performed to identify the X and Y sperms, Methyl ThiazoleTetrazolium (MTT), to assess MNP toxicity and sperm viability and acridine orange (AO) to evaluate sperm DNA integrity. The results of PCR revealed that the treatment of spermatozoa- bearing X chromosomes with 50 μg/ml MNP had the highest effects on the recovery of X sperm rather than the other concentrations of MNP. However, the concentrations of MNP did not have any toxic effects on spermatozoa, sperm viability and, DNA integrity, but the high concentration of MNP (200 μg/ml) significantly reduced DNA integrity. According to MTT and AO results, the concentrations of MNP used in this study had no toxic effects on spermatozoa and did not reduce the sperm viability and DNA integrity, except that 200 μg/ml MNP significantly reduced DNA integrity.

In this study, we tried to optimize the porcine semen extender conditions to maximize the differences between live X chromosome-bearing (X) spermatozoa and to Y chromosome-bearing (Y) spermatozoa without a decline in the fertility rate at different pH conditions during storage. We observed the viability of X and Y boar spermatozoa in acidic (pH 6.2), original (pH 7.2), and alkaline condition (pH 8.2) for 5 days to investigate the effect of storage conditions on the X to Y spermatozoa ratio. The functional parameters of spermatozoa were also examined to evaluate sperm quality. Sperm motility was preserved at pH 7.2 and pH 6.2 for 3 days, while sperm motility at pH 8.2 decreased significantly after 2 days. Non-capacitated spermatozoa increased while capacitated spermatozoa decreased during storage. Sperm viability decreased significantly duration-dependent under all pH conditions, but there was no significant difference during storage at pH 6.2 and 7.2. The X: Y ratio of live spermatozoa in acidic condition was maximized (1.2: 1) without affecting the sperm function and fertility-related protein expression after 2 days compared to original conditions. Moreover, insemination of sows using acidic extender increased the number of female pups on days 1 and 2 of preservation. These results indicate that the production of female offspring may increase when acidic BTS is used for 2 days without affecting the success rate of AI. Above all, this method is simple and economical compared to other methods.

Sexed semen is one of the newest reproductive technologies available for dairy farmers and can fulfil their desire to produce a high percentage of female calves. The present study was designed to define the willingness of Indian dairy farmers to pay for sexed semen. Hence, 120 small holder dairy farmers and 90 commercial dairy farmers were randomly selected from Karnal and Yamunanagar districts in North-western Haryana, where there is a high proportion of crossbred dairy cattle. Willingness to pay for sexed semen was evaluated by a contingent valuation method and its determinants by an interval regression model. The majority of the small holder dairy farmers (81.67%) were willing to pay for sexed semen and they were ready to pay around INR 340 per sexed semen straw. Almost all (99%) of the commercial dairy farmers were willing to pay around INR 770 per sexed semen straw, i.e. more than double the value identified by small holder dairy farmers. Among all the predictors fitted in the interval regression model to explain the willingness to pay for sexed semen by the commercial dairy farmers, namely education level, herd size and attitude towards public extension systems, were positive and significant contributors. Our findings may help to identify what subsidy is required to promote sexed semen among dairy farmers, and as a consequence further improve breeding policies by introducing this new livestock production technology with the active participation of the dairy farmers.

Research question Son preference is a phenomenon typically prevalent in traditional societies in the Middle East and in East and South Asia. Hence, various sex-selection practices, either natural or medically assisted, have emerged. Islamic law forbids medically assisted sex selection for social reasons. Our aim was to examine the narratives of Sunni Muslim couples who underwent sex selection treatment by using sperm sorting and to understand their reasons for doing so. Design A qualitative phenomenological study involving in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 31 women who gave birth to a male baby after undergoing sperm-sorting treatment, preimplantation genetic testing sex selection, or both, in a private clinic. Results Interviewees spoke about the ethical dilemma they faced in choosing to violate the religious prohibition against sex selection; they explained the reasons why they opted to undergo sperm-sorting treatment and why the utmost secrecy surrounded it. Conclusions Some Sunni Muslim couples privately defy the Sunni Muslim orthodoxy on their way to becoming parents to male offspring. Sons are preferred over daughters because of the traditional value attached to male offspring in Muslim culture. Therefore, couples who have only daughters may face an ethical dilemma of whether to obey the religious prohibition against sex selection or to violate it and enjoy societal acceptance and recognition for having a son.

We hypothesized that delaying by approximately 12 h the artificial insemination (AI) of heifers with sex-sorted semen increases pregnancy per AI (P/AI). Holstein heifers (n = 1,207) were fitted with a collar containing an automated estrus-detection device (HR-LDn tags, SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel) at 10.7 ± 0.02 mo of age. Once they reached 330 kg, heifers were enrolled in an ovulation synchronization protocol (5-d Cosynch + controlled internal drug release; Zoetis, Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ). Study personnel recorded the heifers that were in estrus according to the DataFlow II software (SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel) twice daily at 0500 and 1500 h from the day of the first PGF2α (Estrumate; Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ) injection to 72 h later. Heifers enrolled in the conventional (CONV) and early sex-sorted (SSEarly) semen treatments detected in estrus at 0500 and 1500 h were AI at 0600 and 1600 h of the same day, respectively. Heifers enrolled in the late sex-sorted (SSLate) semen treatment detected in estrus at 0500 and 1500 h were AI at 1600 h of the same day and 0600 h of the following day, respectively. All heifers not detected in estrus by 72 h after the first PGF2α injection received a GnRH (Fertagyl; Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ) injection at 0500 h. Heifers in the CONV and SSEarly treatments were AI at fixed time at 0600 h, whereas heifers in the SSLate treatment were AI at fixed time at 1600 h. Among heifers detected in estrus, the ranges of the interval from the onset of estrus to AI were 3.6 to 28.5 h, 0.0 to 25.5 h, and 9.4 to 36.8 h for the CONV, SSEarly, and SSLate treatments, respectively. Among heifers AI at fixed time, the ranges of the interval from the GnRH injection to AI were 0 h for heifers in the CONV and SSEarly treatments and 8.5 to 11.7 h for heifers in the SSLate treatment. The P/AI at 62 ± 1 d after the first AI was greater for CONV (63.1 ± 2.6%) compared with SSEarly (43.3 ± 2.6%) and SSLate (44.8 ± 2.7%). A greater percentage of heifers enrolled in the SSEarly (65.8 ± 2.5%) and SSLate (70.0 ± 2.5%) treatments produced a live female calf compared with the CONV treatment (40.5 ± 2.7%). When the values of 1-d-old female and male calves were USD $0 and the cost of replacement heifers was $750, the cost of raising heifers from enrollment to calving was lesser for the CONV treatment than the SSEarly treatment, but SSLate treatment did not differ from CONV and SSEarly treatments. When the values of a 1-d-old female calf ≥$130 and 1-d-old male calf ≥$30 and the cost of replacement ≥$1,000, no differences were observed among treatments in the cost from enrollment to calving. We conclude from this experiment that the P/AI with sex-sorted semen is not improved when insemination is delayed by approximately 12 h.

The use of sexed semen to produce purebred replacement heifers allows a large proportion of dairy cows to be mated to double-muscled sires and for quantitative and qualitative improvements to be made to beef production from dairy herds. A survey of 1,285 crossbred calves showed that they are destined not only for veal production (like purebred dairy calves) but also for beef production. Crossbred calves obtained from Belgian Blue sires (sold on average at 34 d of age and 64 kg of weight) had a higher market value (€363/calf) than those obtained from double-muscled INRA 95 sires (€297/calf, used for veal production) and from Limousin sires (€216/calf for veal and €271/calf for beef production). As a sire breed, Simmental did not differ significantly from Belgian Blue, but as a dam breed, the crossbred calves fetched a higher price (€5.11/kg) than when Holstein was the dam breed (€4.50/kg). Compared with heifer calves, crossbred bull calves at sale were younger (34.1 vs. 37.2 d) and heavier (64.0 vs. 62.6 kg of live weight), fetched a higher price (€5.13 vs. €4.99/kg), and had a greater value (€328 vs. €312/calf). As the value of purebred dairy calves was about €80 to €100/calf, we are able to confirm that the combined use of sexed semen for pure-breeding and conventional beef semen for terminal crossbreeding can increase the income from dairy farms, especially when the sires are double-muscled beef bulls.

This essay uses the case of the fin-de-siècle Vienna embryologist Samuel Leopold Schenk to analyze the factors at play in allegations of misconduct. In 1898, Schenk published a book titled Theorie Schenk. Einfluss auf das Geschlechtsverhältnis (Schenk’s theory. Influence on the sex ratio). The book argued that, by changing their diet, women trying to conceive could influence egg maturation and consequently select the sex of their offspring. This cross between a scientific monograph and a popular advice book received enormous publicity but also spurred first the Vienna Medical Association and then the Senate of the University of Vienna to accuse Schenk of poor science, self-advertisement, quack medical practice, and wrong publisher choice. Formal proceedings against Schenk ended in 1900 with the unusually harsh punishment of early retirement. Schenk died two years later. I examine the elements of the case, from the science of sex determination and selection, to the growth of print media and advertising within the changing demographic and political landscape of Vienna. I argue that the influence of the public, via the growing media, upon science was the main driver of the case against Schenk, but also that the case would have had a more limited impact were it not for the volatile political moment rife with anti-Semitism, nationalism, and xenophobia. I draw the attention to the importance of setting cases of misconduct in the broader political history and against the key social concerns of the moment.

BackgroundPreimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has been developed to detect genetic disorders before pregnancy which is usually done on blastomeres biopsied from 8-cell stage embryos obtained from in vitro fertilization method (IVF).Here we report molecular PGD results for diagnosing of beta thalassemia (beta-thal) which are usually accompanied with evaluating chromosomal aneuploidies, HLA typing and sex selection.MethodsIn this study, haplotype analysis was performed using short tandem repeats (STRs) in a multiplex nested PCR and the causative mutation was detected by Sanger sequencing.ResultsWe have performed PGDs on 350 blastomeres from 55 carrier couples; 142 blastomeres for beta-thal only, 75 for beta-thal and HLA typing, 76 for beta-thal in combination with sex selection, and 57 for beta-thal and aneuploidy screening. 150 blastomeres were transferable, 15 pregnancies were happened, and 11 babies born.We used 6 markers for beta-thal, 36 for aneuploidy screening, 32 for sex selection, and 35 for HLA typing. To our knowledge combining all these markers together and the number of STR markers are much more than any other studies which have ever done.ConclusionsPGD is a powerful diagnostic tool for carrier couples who desire to have a healthy child and wish to avoid medical abortion.

CRISPR-based genetic engineering tools aimed to bias sex ratios, or drive effector genes into animal populations, often integrate the transgenes into autosomal chromosomes. However, in species with heterogametic sex chromsomes (e.g. XY, ZW), sex linkage of endonucleases could be beneficial to drive the expression in a sex-specific manner to produce genetic sexing systems, sex ratio distorters, or even sex-specific gene drives, for example. To explore this possibility, here we develop a transgenic line of Drosophila melanogaster expressing Cas9 from the Y chromosome. We functionally characterize the utility of this strain for both sex selection and gene drive finding it to be quite effective. To explore its utility for population control, we built mathematical models illustrating its dynamics as compared to other state-of-the-art systems designed for both population modification and suppression. Taken together, our results contribute to the development of current CRISPR genetic control tools and demonstrate the utility of using sex-linked Cas9 strains for genetic control of animals., CRISPR-based engineering can be used to bias sex ratios. Here the authors develop a transgenic line of Drosophila melanogaster expressing Cas9 from the Y chromosome and functionally characterize the utility of this strain for both sex selection and gene drive.

BackgroundSex preselection is a desired goal of the animal industry to improve production efficiency, depending on industry demand. In the porcine industry, there is a general preference for pork from female and surgically castrated male pigs. Therefore, the birth of more females than males in a litter leads to economic benefits and improved animal welfare in the pig production industry. Our previous study suggested that the porcine semen extender (BTS) adjusted to pH 6.2 maximises the differences in viability between X-chromosome-bearing (X) spermatozoa and Y-chromosome-bearing (Y) spermatozoa without affecting sperm’s functional parameters. In this study we aimed to evaluate whether the pH 6.2 extender is applicable at the farm level for increasing the number of female piglets without a decline in spermatozoa fertility. Artificial insemination (AI) was carried out with spermatozoa stored at pH 6.2 and pH 7.2 (original BTS) at day 1 and day 2 of storage. Next, the functional parameters of the spermatozoa, litter size, farrowing rate, and female-to-male ratio of offspring were determined.ResultsAlthough sperm motility decreased significantly after 2 d of storage, the viability of spermatozoa was preserved at pH 6.2 for 3 d. There was no significant difference in the farrowing rate and average litter size between the group inseminated with the spermatozoa stored in (pH 7.2) and that inseminated with spermatozoa stored in acidic BTS. The percentage of female piglets was approximately 1.5-fold higher in sows inseminated on day 1 in the pH 6.2 than in the pH 7.2 group. Furthermore, although there was no significant difference in the female-to-male ratio, the percentage of female piglets born was slightly higher in the pH 6.2 group than in the pH 7.2 group on day 2.ConclusionsThe method optimised in our study is simple, economical, and may enhance the number of female births without any decline in spermatozoa fertility.

Preference for sons has sometimes resulted in adverse practices such as female infanticide or neglect in some cultures. We analyzed data from a population representative survey in an urban informal settlement in Rawalpindi, Pakistan to identify if there was a preference for boys by couples. The preferences of couples were measured by comparing the gender of the last child in the family with other relevant indicators.Data from a cross-sectional survey from Dhok Hassu, Rawalpindi are presented. Dhok Hassu is an urban informal settlement where an urban lab was established to test health and development interventions. Data were gathered from 1556 Married Women of Reproductive Age (MWRA) through cluster randomization and analyzed through descriptive statistics and a binomial regression.The sex ratio for all children is 1.16 in favour of boys and increases 1.39 for the last child and increases to 2.45 among certain (Afghan) ethnic households. When a boy, as opposed to a girl, is the last child, the family size is 4.21 vs. 3.95 children (p: 0.044), Preference for sons is evident in Dhok Hassu where women desire and are on average likely to have another child if the youngest living child is a daughter. Family size was larger and contraceptive use was high in families where the last child was male with an AOR of 2.018, LL: 1.255, UL: 3.244.A relatively less well described method of sex selection is described where couples continue to have children until they have a boy. In effect, having boys complete families. There is need to better understand motivations of families to have boys in the changing context of societies, particularly in the face of urbanization and increasing entry of women in work place.

Conception rate with the use of sexed semen is lower than that with the use of conventional semen, posing a major problem in the dairy industry. The aim of this study was to understand the risk factors that affect the conception rate after artificial insemination (AI) with conventional and sexed semen using field data. The records of the first insemination in Holstein heifers with conventional (n = 41,857) and sexed semen (n = 45,465) in Hokkaido, Japan were analyzed. The mean conception rate after Al from 2012 to 2016 was 56.9% with conventional semen and 47.3% with sexed semen. A multivariable logistic regression model including the effects of year, heifer age, time of the year, semen type, service sire, and their interactions was used to evaluate the interaction effect of heifer age and time of the year by semen type on the conception rate. In the analysis using heifer age, we found that heifers inseminated with sexed semen were approximately 21 days younger than those inseminated with conventional semen. Interestingly, in early, warmer months (Jun, Jul, and Aug), the conception rate after AI with sexed semen significantly decreased compared with that after Al with conventional semen (P < 0.01). Our results showed that more careful implementation of Al is required for a stable conception using sexed semen, particularly during warmer months.

Objective To assess national trends in the sex distribution of live-born infants in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) and general population and to identify factors correlated with offspring sex. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Fertility treatment centers. Patients All live-born infants included in the National Vital Statistics System and resulting from ART cycles reported to the National ART Surveillance System during 2006–14. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure(s) Trends in the proportion of male infants in the general population and proportion of males from fresh ART cycles among all ART live-born infants and singletons after single ET. Result(s) There were 214,274 live-born infants resulting from fresh ART cycles; 53.5% (5,492/10,266) of infants resulting from PGD/PGS cycles were male, as compared with 50.6% (103,228/204,008) in the non-PGD/PGS group. Among non-PGD/PGS cycles, blastocyst transfer was positively associated with male infants (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.04). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was negatively associated with male infants (aRR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.93–0.95) and for singletons after single ET (aRR = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.90–0.95), as was transfer of two embryos (aRR 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97–0.99) or three or more embryos (aRR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96–0.99) among all live births from cycles without PGD/PGS use. Conclusion(s) The proportion of male live-born infants among ART population did not change during 2006–14, ranging from 50.5% to 51.2%. Factors such as blastocyst transfer, intracytoplasmic sperm injection use, embryo stage, and number of embryos transferred may be associated with infant sex; further investigation is needed to understand possible underlying causes.

Child sex ratio (CSR) is a marker of disproportionate sex ratio at birth and discriminatory practices that lead to differential survival in early childhood by sex. We used the 2011 Census on rural India to present the first local analysis of CSR across 587,043 villages. In our multilevel analysis considering villages, tehsils, districts, and states/union territories, we found 96% of the total variation in CSR to be attributed to villages. About 39% of the villages were 'boy' areas (CSR≤88 girls per 100 boys) and another 12% had deficits in girls (88 CSR≤93), while 11% fell in the normal range of CSR (93CSR≤98), another 10% had 98 CSR≤103, and the remaining 28% were 'girl' villages (CSR103). The magnitude of local variation in CSR was heterogeneous across states/union territories and districts. Our findings provide timely evidence to inform localized programmes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao to be implemented with greater precision.

Background: Usage of sexed semen that allows to choose the gender of the calves, is commonly practiced in livestock industry as a profitable breeding alternative, especially in dairy farming. The flow cytometric cell sorting is the only commercially available method for bovine sperm sexing. For validation of the sexing procedure several methods have been developed including sperm fluorescence in situ hybridisation techniques. Latter usually include the use of pre-labelled nucleotides for probe synthesis which is relatively expensive approach compared to combined application of aminoallyl-dUTP and chemical binding of fluorescent dyes. Here a sex determining dual colour bovine sperm fluorescence in situ hybridisation method is presented which is considered more cost-effective technique than the previously reported approaches. Results: The reliability of sex chromosome identifying probes, designed in silico, was proven on bovine metaphase plate chromosomes and through comparison with a commercially available standard method. In the dual colour FISH experiments of unsexed and sexed bovine sperm samples the hybridisation efficiency was at least 98%, whereas the determined sex ratios were not statistically different from the expected. Very few cells carried both of the sex chromosome-specific signals (less than 0.2%). Conclusions: A protocol for a dual colour bovine sperm FISH method is provided which is cost-effective, simple and fast for sex determination of spermatozoa in bull semen samples.

Contents The objective was to compare embryo yield and quality in lactating dairy cows superovulated (SO) with varying amounts of gonadotropins and FSH:LH ratios and inseminated with SexedULTRA (TM) sex-sorted semen. The SO treatments (n = 77) involved 3 protocols: groups F700 and F1000 were given total doses of 700 and 1,000 IU of Folltropin (FSH:LH ratio 49:1), respectively, whereas group F700P300 was given 700 IU of Folltropin + 300 IU of Pluset (FSH:LH ratio 1:1). Cows were artificially inseminated 3 times over a 10-hr interval with frozen-thawed SexedULTRA (TM) sex-sorted semen (total of 10 x 10(6) sex-sorted sperm), starting 18 hr after onset of oestrus, with embryos/ova recovered 7 d after oestrus. Total number of recovered structures and transferable embryos were lower (p < 0.05) in F700 (4.7 +/- 3.0 and 1.9 +/- 1.7, respectively; mean +/- SD) compared to F1000 (8.1 +/- 3.8 and 4.4 +/- 2.6) and F700P300 (8.5 +/- 6.4 and 4.5 +/- 3.3). Percentage of cows ovulating >50% of follicles >= 0.8 cm in diameter was lower (p < 0.05) in F700 (35.5%) than in F1000 (82.4%) and F700P300 (73.1%). Percentage of unfertilized oocytes was higher (p < 0.05) in F700 (45.0% vs. 27.7% for F1000 and 29.0% for F700P300) whereas percentage of morulae was higher (p < 0.05) in F1000 (19.3% vs. 8.7% for F700 and 12.2% for F700P300). Embryo quality was similar among groups (p > 0.05). In conclusion, embryo production in lactating dairy cows was improved by increasing total dose of gonadotropins from 700 to 1,000 IU, with SexedULTRA (TM) sex-sorted semen yielding satisfactory fertilization rates and embryo quality.

This article explores the moral significance of technology, reviewing a microfluidic chip for sperm sorting and its use for non-medical sex selection. I explore how a specific material setting of this new iteration of pre-pregnancy sex selection technology-with a promised low cost, non-invasive nature and possibility to use at home-fosters new and exacerbates existing ethical concerns. I compare this new technology with the existing sex selection methods of sperm sorting and Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis. Current ethical and political debates on emerging technologies predominantly focus on the quantifiable risk-and-benefit logic that invites an unequivocal "either-or" decision on their future and misses the contextual ethical impact of technology. The article aims to deepen the discussion on sex selection and supplement it with the analysis of the new technology's ethical potential to alter human practices, perceptions and the evaluative concepts with which we approach it. I suggest that the technological mediation approach (Verbeek, 2005, 2011) can be useful to ethically contextualize technologies and highlight the value of such considerations for the informed deliberation regarding their use, design and governance.

Successful sorting of sperm based on presence of the X- or Y-chromosome was first reported in the early 1980′s with the first live births reported in rabbits in 1988. Subsequent development of technological efficiencies resulted in commercialization of sex-sorted semen to cattle producers in 2003–2005. At product launch, low throughput dictated that reasonable prices to the producer could only be accomplished with extremely low sperm number dosages (2 × 106). Furthermore, conception rates were 70%–75% of those achieved by conventional unsorted product. Refinements in sorting equipment have enhanced the number of sperm that can be sorted from a semen sample and (or) aliquot of time, which translates into reduced production costs, while modifications to other aspects of sperm processing and freezing have facilitated maintenance of a conception potential more similar to that of conventional semen. More recently, strategic use of sex-sorted semen coupled with genomic technologies to identify superior females to satisfy replacement female needs has, by default, led to identification of a population of dairy cows from which replacements are not desired, leading to a tremendous increase in use of beef semen in dairy herds. Though exact numbers are unavailable, estimates indicate sex-sorted semen is rapidly approaching 30% of the total AI market share in North America. Though the primary application of sex-sorted semen is to accelerate genetic progress while enhancing biosecurity through in-house production of replacement animals, numerous other potential applications are evolving or are under consideration.

The objective of the study was to compare the fertility after using sex-sorted or conventional semen either with oestrus detection (EST) or timed artificial insemination (TAI) in Holstein heifers. Holstein heifers were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Heifers in the EST group were inseminated with sex-sorted (n = 114) or conventional semen (n = 100) after spontaneous or induced oestrus. Heifers in the TAI, subjected to the 5-day Cosynch+Progesterone protocol (GnRH+P4 insertion-5d-PGF2α +P4 removal-1d-PGF2α -2d-GnRH+TAI), were inseminated with sex-sorted (n = 113) or conventional semen (n = 88). Statistical analyses were performed using PROC GLIMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Overall P/AI was 60.7% for EST and 54.2% for TAI regardless of types of semen and 68.1% for conventional and 48.9% for sex-sorted semen regardless of insemination strategies. Fertility of heifers inseminated with either sex-sorted (53.5%; 44.2%) or conventional (69.0%; 67.0%) semen did not differ between EST and TAI respectively. Besides, the interaction between the semen type and the insemination strategy was not significant for P/AI. The embryonic loss was significantly greater with sex-sorted semen (17.1%) compared to conventional semen (1.6%). There was no sire effect with sex-sorted semen on P/AI (52.6% vs. 46.2%) and embryonic loss (16.4% vs. 18.0%). As expected, sex-sorted semen resulted in more female calves (89.8% vs. 51.6%) than conventional semen. Thus, sex-sorted semen can be used with 5-day Cosynch+Progesterone protocol to eliminate the inadequate oestrus detection and to increase female calves born in dairy heifers.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perspectives of infertility patients regarding genetic carrier screening, embryo sex selection, embryo research, and gene editing. METHODS: An anonymous 32-question survey was distributed electronically to all patients who seen at a single academic fertility center for at least one visit between June 2018 and September 2019. Survey questions evaluated patient perspectives on genetic carrier screening, embryo sex selection, embryo research, and gene editing. RESULTS: There were 1460 survey responses (32.0% response rate). There were significant differences in the proportion of respondents receiving genetic carrier screening between racial groups, 73.1% of White, 45.5% of Black, 49.4% of Hispanic, and 62.8% of Asian respondents. The likelihood of having genetic carrier screening was also significantly influenced by respondent income, insurance status, and religion. Religion significantly influenced the acceptance of embryonic research and embryonic sex selection. While only 8.9% felt that genetically modifying embryos for physical traits should be allowed, 74.1% felt that genetic modification to correct disease should be allowed. CONCLUSION: Racial, religious, and socioeconomic factors significantly impacted respondents’ likelihood to have genetic carrier screening and views on embryo sex selection, embryo research, and gene editing. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring genetic counseling to the individual, acknowledging individual and cultural differences in agreement with genetic testing and emerging genetic therapies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10815-021-02261-7.

SummarySex selection through sperm sorting offers advantages in regards selection pressure in high-producing livestock. However, the sex-sorting process results in sperm membrane and DNA damage that ultimately decrease fertility. We hypothesized that given the role of protamines in DNA packaging, protamine deficiency could account, at least partially, for the DNA damage observed following sperm sex sorting. To test this, we compared protamine status between unsexed and sexed spermatozoa from two bulls using the fluorochrome chromomycin A3 (CMA3) and flow cytometry. Then, we assessed embryo development following in vitro fertilization (IVF) using the same sperm treatments. Overall, sperm protamination was not different between sexed and unsexed semen. However, one of the two bulls displayed higher rates of protamine deficiency for both unsexed and sexed semen (P < 0.05). Moreover, unsexed semen from this bull yielded lower blastocyst (P < 0.05) and blastocyst hatching rates than unsexed sperm from the other bull. CMA3-positive staining was negatively correlated with cleavage (R2 85.1, P = 0.003) and blastocyst hatching (R2 87.6, P = 0.006) rates in unsexed semen. In conclusion, while the sex-sorting process had no effect on sperm protamine content, we observed a bull effect for sperm protamination, which correlated to embryo development rates following IVF.

The differential proteins associated with plasma membrane of spermatozoa are less known, identification of which shall help overcome limitations of currently used methods of sperm sexing, considered as a high priority for livestock sector of many countries. This study has reported plasma membrane proteomics of unsorted spermatozoa and differential expression of plasma membrane associated proteins between X- and Y- chromosome bearing spermatozoa of indicus cattle (Bos indicus). Isolation of plasma membrane fraction using percoll gradient, relatively a rapid method, from bovine spermatozoa has been reported to enrich isolation of plasma membrane proteins. Significant enrichment for plasma membrane associated proteins was observed in plasma membrane fraction (P < 0.05) as compared to the total cell lysate using LC-MS/MS. Furthermore, these experiments were conducted in flow cytometry sorted, sexed-semen samples. Thirteen proteins were identified as differentially abundant between X- and Y- sorted spermatozoa. Among these, two proteins were down regulated in Y- sorted spermatozoa compared to the X- sorted spermatozoa (P < 0.05), while four and seven proteins could be noted in X- and Y- sorted spermatozoa, respectively. Proteins that are presumed to support sperm capacitation and sperm migration velocity were found to be abundant in Y- sorted spermatozoa while those associated with structural molecule activity were identified as abundant in X- sorted spermatozoa in the present study. Our study provides better insight into the plasma membrane proteomics of spermatozoa of indicus cattle and furnishes data that might aid in design and development of alternate and open technology for sex-sorting of semen.

The study investigated the effects of sperm sorting, capacitation treatment and co-cultivation on sexed bovine in vitro embryo production. The effect of treatment and co-culture on production of embryos of the preferred sex from unsorted sperm was also studied. Sperm from five breeding bulls was used for fertilization of mature oocytes as follows: Experiment 1, sorted and unsorted sperm (bulls A-E) treated only with heparin in standard co-cultures; Experiment 2, sorted sperm (bulls A-E) treated with heparin-PHE (penicillamine, hypotaurine, and epinephrine) or heparin-caffeine in drop co-cultures; and Experiment 3, unsorted sperm (bull E) treated with either heparin-PHE or heparin-caffeine in both standard and drop co-cultures. In all bulls, treatment with heparin resulted in significantly (p < .05) reduced cleavage and blastocyst rates from sorted sperm, as compared with those from unsorted sperm. In bulls A, B, D and E, treatment of sorted sperm with heparin-PHE in drops significantly increased the blastocyst rate (p < .05). In unsorted sperm of bull E, heparin-PHE treatment in drops resulted in the XX/XY sex ratio inverse to that obtained by heparin-caffeine treatment in standard co-cultures (32.3%/67.7% and 66.7%/33.3%, respectively). In conclusion, the treatment of sorted sperm with heparin-PHE in modified drop co-cultures can be recommended for production of in vitro sexed embryos. The use of unsorted sperm for production of embryos of the preferred sex by selected capacitation treatment and co-culture can be the method of choice in bulls with low IVF yields from sorted sperm.

This study was conducted to determine effects of pre-synchronization of ovulation timing among heifers and delayed fixed-time artificial insemination (TAI) with sex-sorted semen on proportion of heifers pregnant after TAI (PR/AI). Heifers were assigned to one of eight treatments: 1 and 2), 7-d CO-Synch + CIDR treatment regimen with administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and a CIDR insert on Day 0, prostaglandin F2α (PGF) at CIDR removal on Day 7, and TAI occurring 54 h later with conventionally processed (CTRL54-CNV) or sex-sorted semen (CTRL54-SEX); 3 and 4), same as CTRL54 but TAI delayed to 72 h with conventionally processed (CTRL72-CNV) or sex-sorted semen (CTRL72-SEX); 5 and 6), same as CTRL54 but additional administration of PGF on Day -7 and TAI with conventionally processed (PRE54-CNV) or sex-sorted semen (PRE54-SEX); 7 and 8), same as PRE54 treatments but TAI delayed to 72 h with conventionally processed (PRE72-CNV) or sex-sorted semen (PRE72-SEX). Proportion of heifers pregnant after TAI was greater (P ≤ 0.02) with conventionally processed semen compared with sex-sorted semen, yet PR/AI did not differ (P = 0.14) between heifers in PRE72-CNV and PRE72-SEX groups. There were greater PR/AI in the PRE72-SEX (P = 0.03) than CTRL54-SEX group (46.1 % and 36.9 %) and there was no difference (P = 0.31) in PR/AI between CTRL54-CNV and PRE72-SEX groups (50.4 % and 46.1 %). In conclusion, pre-synchronization of ovulation timing among heifers combined with delayed TAI resulted in increased PR/AI with sex-sorted semen compared with the 7-d CO-Synch+CIDR treatment regimen.

This study compared the quality parameters of bull semen sexed using an immunological method with those of conventional semen by imaging flow cytometry and applied this semen in dairy farm trials. Semen samples were collected from ten ejaculates from five bulls. Each sample was divided into two treatments: conventional semen (CON) and semen sexed using monoclonal male-specific antibodies combined with the complement system for cytotoxicity reaction (IC-sexed). After obtaining frozen-thawed semen, we used imaging flow cytometry to assess acrosome integrity, sperm sex ratio and viability. Sperm morphology was evaluated using eosin-nigrosin staining. The percentage acrosome integrity did not differ between IC-sexed and CON semen (P = 0.313). The sperm sex ratio showed that the percentage of live X-chromosome-bearing sperm was higher than that of live Y-chromosome-bearing sperm in IC-sexed semen (P = 0.001). IC-sexed semen showed a higher percentage of head and tail defects than did CON semen (P = 0.019). In field trials, 585 cows were subjected randomly to AI with CON or IC-sexed semen. The pregnancy rate of the IC-sexed group did not differ from that of the CON group (P = 0.535). However, IC-sexed semen produced a significantly higher percentage of female calves than did CON semen (P = 0.031). Thus, immunological sexing did not adversely affect the acrosome integrity of sperm. Furthermore, a female calf birth rate of over 74 % can potentially be achieved using IC-sexed semen. These findings could help farmers to replace heifers in their herds.

Our objective was to determine the effect of increasing the interval from induction of ovulation to timed artificial insemination (TAI) on fertility by decreasing the interval from TAI to ovulation using sexed semen within a synchronized breeding program. Our hypothesis was that induction of ovulation earlier relative to TAI would increase pregnancies per artificial insemination (P/AI). Primiparous Holstein cows from 3 commercial dairy farms in the United States were submitted to a Double-Ovsynch protocol for first service as follows: Pre-Ovsynch (GnRH; 7 d, PGF2α; 3 d, GnRH), followed 7 d later by Breeding-Ovsynch [GnRH (G1); 7 d, PGF2α; 24 h, PGF2α], followed by the last GnRH treatment (G2), which varied between treatments, and TAI. To vary the interval between G2 and TAI, cows were randomized to 2 treatments to receive G2 either 16 (G2-16; n = 373) or 24 (G2-24; n = 357) h before TAI, which was fixed at 48 h after the second PGF2α treatment of the Breeding-Ovsynch portion of the protocol. All cows were inseminated with sexed semen, and each herd used sires of their choosing, which were randomly allocated between treatments. Pregnancy diagnosis was conducted by herd veterinarians using transrectal ultrasonography. In disagreement with our hypothesis, G2-24 cows had fewer P/AI than G2-16 cows at 34 ± 3 d (44 vs. 50%) and 80 ± 17 d (41 vs. 48%) after TAI. Pregnancy loss (5 vs. 6%) and fetal sex ratio (92:8 vs. 90:10, female:male) did not differ between treatments for G2-16 and G2-24 cows, respectively. Thus, we reject our hypothesis and conclude that induction of ovulation earlier relative to TAI with sexed semen for first service after a Double-Ovsynch protocol decreased P/AI in primiparous Holstein cows.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the interval from onset of oestrus to time of artificial insemination (AI) to obtain the optimum pregnancy rate with sex-sorted semen in Holstein heifers. Heifers in oestrus were detected and inseminated only by using heat-rumination neck collar comprised electronic identification tag at the age of 13-14 months. Heifers (n = 283) were randomly assigned to one of three groups according to the timing of insemination at 12-16 hr (G1, n = 97), at 16.1-20 hr (G2, n = 94) and at 20.1-24 hr (G3, n = 92) after reaching the activity threshold. The mean duration of oestrus was 18.6 ± 0.1 hr, and mean peak activity was found at 7.5 ± 0.1 hr after activity threshold. The mean interval from activity threshold to ovulation was 29.4 ± 0.4 hr. The overall pregnancy per AI (P/AI) was 53.0% at 29-35 days and 50.9% at 60-66 days after AI. There was a significant reduction between G1 (13.8 ± 1.4 hr) and G3 (7.9 ± 1.4 hr) related to the intervals from AI to ovulation time. Sex-sorted semen resulted in significantly higher P/AI at 29-35 days when heifers inseminated in G3 (60.9%) after oestrus than those inseminated in G1 (49.5%) and G2 (48.9%). In terms of fertility, when the temperature-humidity index (THI) was below the threshold value (THI ≤65) at the time of AI, there was a tendency (≤65; 57.2% vs. > 65; 47.1%) for high pregnancy rate. There was no effect of sire on P/AI. In addition, the interaction of the technician with the time of AI was found significant, and three-way interaction of technician, sire and time of AI was tended to be significant on pregnancy rate. Thus, in addition to delaying the time of insemination (between 20.1 and 24 hr) after oestrous detection, THI and experienced technician were also found to be critical factors in increasing fertility with the use of sex-sorted semen in Holstein heifers.

It is widely recognized that quality of spermatozoa in sexed semen (SS) samples is not as great as for conventional, non-sexed semen (NS). There are differences in qualitative and biochemical variables between spermatozoa in NS and SS. Information, however, is lacking on molecular differences, especially concerning spermatozoa proteomic differences is SS and NS. The objective of this study was to compare commercially available NS and SS bull semen by evaluating sperm quality variables in conjunction with a proteomics approach. Results from flow cytometry and computer-assisted sperm analyses indicated there was less sperm motility, viability, mitochondrial potential and acrosome integrity in sperm from SS. Results from proteomic analysis indicated sperm from NS and SS samples were characterized by different protein profiles. There was identification of 70 sperm proteins that differed in abundance and six protein spots that were different in extent of carbonylation. Sperm from SS had altered structures of enzymes involved in glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation and maintenance of a constant adenylate energy charge. Furthermore, sperm from SS had alterations of several flagella substructures, especially outer dense fiber proteins, which were less abundant and more carbonylated than in sperm from NS. In sperm of SS, compared with NS, there were differences in abundance of proteins involved in capacitation, acrosome reaction and sperm-egg fusion as well as lesser abundances of sperm surface proteins. Results enable a greater understanding of differences between sperm from NS and SS samples, thereby contributing to development of improved protocols for more effective protection of sexed spermatozoa during processing.

The feasibility of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as a malaria vector control strategy against Anopheles arabiensis has been under investigation over the past decade. One of the critical steps required for the application of this technique to mosquito control is the availability of an efficient and effective sex-separation system. Sex-separation systems eliminate female mosquitoes from the production line prior to irradiation and field release of sterile males. This is necessary because female mosquitoes can transmit pathogens such as malaria and, therefore, their release must be prevented. Sex separation also increases the efficiency of an SIT programme. Various sex-separation strategies have been explored including the exploitation of developmental and behavioural differences between male and female mosquitoes, and genetic approaches. Most of these are however species-specific and are not indicated for the major African malaria vectors such as An. arabiensis. As there is currently no reliable sex-separation method for An. arabiensis, various strategies were explored in an attempt to develop a robust system that can be applied on a mass-rearing scale. The progress and challenges faced during the development of a sexing system for future pilot and/or large-scale SIT release programmes against An. arabiensis are reviewed here. Three methods of sex separation were examined. The first is the use of pupal size for gender prediction. The second is the elimination of blood-feeding adult females through the addition of an endectocide to a blood meal source. The third is the establishment of a genetic sexing strain (GSS) carrying an insecticide resistance selectable marker (dieldrin-resistance rdl gene and/or other GABA receptor antagonists that can be used as alternative insecticides to dieldrin) or a temperature-sensitive lethal marker.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T15:57:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-11-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) The identification of distinct proteins present on the membrane of spermatozoa with X and Y chromosomes allows the development of immuno-sexing techniques. The aim of this study, therefore, was to use mass spectrometry to analyze the protein profile of sperm previously categorized using flow cytometry into X or Y-bearing semen pools. Sex-sorted sperm samples (n = 6 X and n = 6 Y) were used. Proteins were extracted and analyzed by mass spectrometry using data independent acquisition (DIA). The data were searched against taxonomy Bos taurus in the Swiss Prot database. In total, 459 protein groups were identified. Of these, eight proteins were in differential abundances between the X- and Y-bearing sperm population. Among the major proteinsdetected, EF-hand domain-containing protein 1, a protein involved in embryonic development, is more abundant in Y-bearing spermatozoa. In addition, proteins FUN14, domain-containing protein 2, NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 7 mitochondrial, cytochrome C oxidase subunit 2, acetyl -CoA carboxylase type beta were more abundant in X-bearing sperm. In conclusion, there were differences in abundance of proteins between X- and Y-bearing bull spermatozoa. This fact, may contribute to future studies related to sperm physiology and possibility development of immuno-sexing techniques. São Paulo State University (UNESP) School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology Reproductive Science Group Faculty of Science University of Newcastle Australian Proteome Analysis Facility (APAF) Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences Macquarie University São Paulo State University (UNESP) School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology FAPESP: 2015/25638-3

Recent improvements in dairy cow fertility and female reproductive technologies offer an opportunity to apply greater selection pressure to females. This means there may be greater incentive to obtain genomic breeding values for females. We modeled the impact of changes to key parameters on the net benefit from genomic testing of heifer calves with and without usage of sexed semen. This paper builds on earlier cost-benefit studies but uses parameters relevant to pasture-based systems. A deterministic model was used to evaluate the effect on net benefit due to changes in (1) reproduction rate, (2) genomic test costs, (3) availability of parent-derived breeding values (EBVPA), and (4) replacement rate. When the use of sexed semen was included, we also considered (1) the proportion of heifers and cows mated to sexed semen, (2) decreases in conception rate in inseminations with sexed semen, and (3) the marginal return for surplus heifers. Scenarios with lower replacement rates and no availability of EBVPA had the largest net benefits. Under current Australian parameters, the net benefit of genomic testing realized over the lifetime of genotyped heifers is expected to range from A$204 to A$1,124 per 100 cows for a herd with median reproductive performance. The cost of a genomic test, a perceived barrier to many farmers, had only a small effect on net benefit. Genomic testing alone was always more profitable than using sexed semen and genomic testing together if the only benefit considered was increased genetic gain in heifer replacements. When other benefits (i.e., the higher sale price of a surplus heifer compared with a male calf) were considered, there were combinations of parameters where net benefit from using sexed semen and genomic testing was higher than the equivalent scenario with genomic testing only. Using sexed semen alongside genomic testing is most likely to be profitable when (1) used in heifers, (2) the marginal return for selling surplus heifers (sale price minus rearing costs) is greater than A$400, and (3) conception rates of no more than 10 percentage points lower than those achieved using conventional semen can be realized. Net benefit was highly dependent on the marginal return. Demonstrating that the initial investment in genomic testing can be recouped within the lifetime of the heifers tested may assist in the development of extension messages to explain the value of genomic testing females at the herd level.

I examine whether prenatal sex selection has substituted postnatal excess female mortality by analysing the dynamics of child sex ratios between 1980 and 2015 using country-level life table data. I decompose changes in child sex ratios into a ‘fertility’ component attributable to prenatal sex selection and a ‘mortality’ component attributable to sex differentials in postnatal survival. Although reductions in numbers of excess female deaths have accompanied increases in missing female births in all countries experiencing the emergence of prenatal sex selection, relative excess female mortality has persisted in some countries but not others. In South Korea, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, mortality reductions favouring girls accompanied increases in prenatal sex selection. In India, excess female mortality was much higher and largely stable as prenatal sex selection emerged, but slight reductions were seen in the 2000s. In China, although absolute measures showed reductions, relative excess female mortality persisted as prenatal sex selection increased.

A bioeconomic, stochastic spreadsheet model, that included calculation of the net present value of the additional value of all future descendants resulting from increased selection intensity, was developed to study the profitability of using sexed semen in a high input-high output dairy herd. Three management strategies were modeled: (1) only heifers inseminated with sex-sorted semen and cows inseminated with unsorted semen; (2) both heifers and cows inseminated with sex-sorted semen; and (3) a reference scenario, in which all breeding females were inseminated with unsorted semen. A Monte Carlo simulation (@risk software, Palisade Corp., Ithaca, NY) was run to study the sensitivity of net profit and sexed semen advantage to key input parameters. Most input parameters were given truncated normal distributions, whereas the maximum numbers of inseminations in heifers and cows were given discrete distribution functions. The calculated intensity of selection accounted for the different numbers of dairy females born for each of the 100,000 iterations. Using sexed semen (X-sorted, female) was shown to be profitable, with insemination of both heifers and cows being most profitable. The returns on assets were higher when only heifers were inseminated with sexed semen (8.54% ± 2.94; ±SD) or all females were inseminated with sexed semen (8.85% ± 2.93) than when all females were inseminated with unsexed semen (8.38% ± 2.95). The range in net profit was most sensitive to the assumed distributions of milk protein price (€/kg), milk fat price (€/kg), cow pregnancy rate, fertilizer price (€/t), and concentrate price (€/t) when unsorted semen was used. When only heifers or both heifers and cows were inseminated with sex-sorted semen, the range in net profit was most sensitive to the same distributions, with fertilizer price and cow pregnancy rate in reverse order of sensitivity. However, the range in sex-sorted semen advantage (in net profit) when only heifers were inseminated with sex-sorted semen was most sensitive to the assumed distributions of cow pregnancy rate, sex-sorted semen pregnancy rate as a percent of unsorted semen rates, standard deviation of index, additional cost of sex-sorted semen (€/dose), dairy bull calf price (€/head), and dairy heifer calf price (€/head). When both heifers and cows were inseminated, the order of importance of the last 2 inputs was reversed. This study highlights the relatively high effect of pregnancy rate and the genetic value of dairy bulls in determining the level of financial advantage from using sex-sorted semen in a dairy herd.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Percoll volume on recovery rate, sperm quality, and embryo development kinetics in in vitro production of cattle embryos. Straws of conventional and sex-sorted semen were allocated to three different volumes of Percoll: 300 μL of each Percoll gradient (90%, 60%, and 30%), Control; 100 μL of each Percoll gradient, P100; and 200 μL of each Percoll gradient, P200. Sperm quality, fertilization rate, and embryo morpho-kinetic development using time lapse cinematography up to 48 h post-insemination were evaluated. For conventionally processed semen, sperm motility, vigor, and recovery rate were greater in the P100 and P200 treatment groups compared to the Control (P 0.05), whereas reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations, lipid peroxidation, and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity were not influenced by treatments. For sex-sorted semen, treatment with P100 increased sperm curvilinear velocity, average path velocity, and amplitude of lateral head displacement (P 0.05). Recovery rate was greater in the P100 group than Control and P200 groups (P 0.05), formation of ROS was less in the P100 than Control and P200 groups, and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity was less in the P100 than Control group. Fertilization and cleavage rates, time of first cleavage, and cell number were similar between the P100 and Control groups (P 0.05). The inclusion of Percoll volumes of 100 μL resulted in an increased sperm recovery rate without damage to sperm quality or affecting early embryonic development.

Our aim was to assess the preimplantation embryos' sex ratios in couples with four or more children of same sex, undergoing sex selection for nonmedical reasons. We conducted a cohort-historical study of all consecutive patients admitted to the IVF-PGD program in a large tertiary center. We reviewed the computerized files of all consecutive women admitted to our IVF for sex selection for nonmedical reasons. Patients and their PGD cycle characteristics were compared according to the desired sex of their embryo and the mode of fertilization. Nine patients underwent a total of 19 PGD cycle attempts during the study period. Of the 77 embryos with complete molecular diagnosis, 41 revealed a male embryo and 36 a female embryo. Thirty-five percent of all the diagnosed embryos were of the desired sex. For couples desiring a boy, IVF cycles achieved a higher ratio of the desired embryonal sex compared to ICSI (52% vs 18.7%, p = .03). For couples desiring a girl, ICSI cycles had a higher percentage of the desired embryonal sex compared to IVF cycles (38% vs 23%). Moreover, 29.7% of ICSI and 40% of IVF embryos achieved the desired sex. In conclusion, PGD for sex selection results in a relatively low percentage (35%) of embryos demonstrating the desired sex. Nonetheless, selecting the mode of fertilization (ICSI/IVF) might improve the success rate. Further studies are required to explore the appropriate and cost-effective method for sex selection for nonmedical reasons.

The most benign rationale for sex-selection is deemed to be “family balancing.” On this view, provided the sex-distribution of an existing offspring group is “unbalanced,” one may legitimately use reproductive technologies to select the sex of the next child. I present four novel concerns with granting “family balancing” as a justification for sex-selection: (a) families or family subsets should not be subject to medicalization; (b) sex selection for “family balancing” entrenches heteronormativity, inflicting harm in at least three specific ways; (c) the logic of affirmative action is appropriated; (d) the moral mandate of reproductive autonomy is misused. I conclude that the harms caused by “family balancing” are sufficiently substantive to over-ride any claim arising from a supposed right to sex selection as an instantiation of procreative autonomy.

It is approaching three decades since the first public evidence of sex-sorting of semen. The technology has progressed considerably since then with a number of institutions and researchers collaborating to eventually bring this to application. The technical challenges have been quite substantial and in the early years the application was limited to only heifer inseminations. Comparable fertility of sex-sorted semen with conventional semen has been an aspirational benchmark for the industry for many years. Significant investment in research in the primary biology of sex-sorted sperm and associated sorting equipment ensured steady progress over the years and current methods particularly the new SexedULTRA-4M™ seems to have now mostly bridged this fertility gap. The dairy and beef industry have adopted this technology quite rapidly. Other animal industries are progressively testing it for application in their specific niches and environments. The current state of the art in the fundamentals of sex-sorting, the biology of the process as well as new developments in machinery are described in this review.

The use of sexed semen in dairy and beef cattle production provides a number of benefits at both farm and industry levels. There is an increasing demand for dairy and beef products across the globe, which will necessitate a greater focus on improving production efficiency. In dairy farming, there is surplus production of unwanted male calves. Male dairy calves increase the risk of dystocia compared with heifer calves, and as an unwanted by-product of breeding with conventional semen, they have a low economic value. Incorporating sexed semen into the breeding programme can minimise the number of unwanted male dairy calves and reduce dystocia. Sexed semen can be used to generate herd replacements and additional heifers for herd expansion at a faster rate from within the herd, thereby minimising biosecurity risks associated with bringing in animals from different herds. Furthermore, the use of sexed semen can increase herd genetic gain compared with use of non-sorted semen. In dairy herds, a sustainable breeding strategy could combine usage of sexed semen to generate replacements only, and usage of beef semen on all dams that are not suitable for generating replacements. This results in increased genetic gain in dairy herd, increased value of beef output from the dairy herd, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions from beef. It is important to note, however, that even a small decrease in fertility of sexed semen relative to conventional semen can negate much of the economic benefit. A high fertility sexed semen product has the potential to accelerate herd expansion, minimise waste production, improve animal welfare and increase profitability compared with non-sorted conventional semen.

The objectives of the current experiment were to determine if delaying insemination by 8 h in a FTAI protocol would alter estrus expression and pregnancy rates in cows inseminated with sex-sorted semen, characterize bull variation in pregnancy rates to sex-sorted semen and examine the impact of repeated years of FTAI to sex-sorted semen on calving distribution. Over three breeding seasons, postpartum cows (n = 839) were estrous synchronized using the 5-day CO-Synch + CIDR system. Cows were given GnRH (100 μg i.m., Factrel) at time of insertion of a controlled internal drug releasing device (CIDR; Eazi-Breed CIDR). Five d later CIDR was removed and PGF2α (25 mg i.m., Lutalyse) was given at removal and 8 h later. Estrus detection aids were applied at CIDR removal. Cows were inseminated with X-sorted or Y-sorted sex-sorted semen at 72 h (NORM) or 80 h (DELAY) after CIDR removal, and GnRH was administered at AI. At insemination, estrus status was categorized as positive (YES), partial (QUES), unknown (NR) or negative (NO). Bulls were introduced to cows at 14 d and removed at 60 d after FTAI. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed by ultrasound at d 60 after FTAI and via palpation at 60 d after bull removal. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in pregnancy rates to sex-sorted semen or final pregnancy rates between NORM and DELAY cows. Pregnancy to sex-sorted semen averaged 35.2% whereas final pregnancy rates were 90.6%. More cows (P QUES or NR > NO. There was considerable variation in pregnancy rate by bull (P

The aims of this study were to: 1) develop a new method for stallion sperm selection using a modified swim-up procedure through a colloid and 2) evaluate its impact in good quality ejaculates from bad freezers in comparison to methods involving centrifugation such as single layer centrifugation and sperm washing. Ejaculates were processed before freezing using three different procedures: sperm washing (SW), colloid single layer centrifugation (SLC) and a modified colloid swim-up (SU). After semen processing, sperm recovery rates were measured and sperm were frozen. Post-thaw sperm motility (assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis), normal forms and plasma membrane integrity (evaluated under bright-field and fluorescence microscopy respectively), and DNA fragmentation (assessed by the Sperm-Halomax kit) were compared between treatments. Sperm recovery rates were similar between SU and SLC but lower than SW. Sperm motility after thawing was lower in SU in comparison to SLC and SW, maybe due to the incomplete removal of seminal plasma before freezing. Sperm DNA fragmentation was lower in SU and SLC selection methods, particularly in SLC selected samples during the first 6h of incubation. The remaining sperm parameters assessed were similar among treatments. In conclusion, SLC is more suitable than SW and SU to process stallion semen prior to freezing, in particular when sperm DNA damage is suspected. Further studies are needed in order to determine the potential benefits of SU in samples where centrifugation is not necessary, such as epididymal sperm, ejaculate fractioning or post-thaw semen samples.