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Antioxidant therapy is thought to improve oocyte quality through the reduction of oxidative stress. Melatonin and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are known antioxidants. We aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of exogenous melatonin supplementation with or without CoQ10 in improving oocyte quantity and quality. Fifty-three women undergoing cycles at Monash IVF were supplemented with melatonin 4mg daily, with 19 of those additionally supplemented with 150mg of CoQ10. Controls were matched at a 2:1 ratio to cases. Data were taken from an index (pretherapy) cycle and from a therapeutic (posttherapy) cycle for both cases and controls. Comparisons were made directly between cases and controls in the therapeutic cycle and by comparing the median differences of the change in outcomes from the index to therapeutic cycle. Primary outcomes included follicle, oocyte, and metaphase II oocytes (MII) counts. Results showed higher median absolute oocyte numbers (6.00 vs. 4.00, P = 0.049) in the case group. Cases and controls were significantly different when comparing median change between cycles in oocyte number (0.00 vs. -1.00, P = 0.028) and MII count (0.00 vs. -1.00, P = 0.034). However, this was the result of poorer outcomes in the control group rather than improvements in the case group, and it cannot be concluded that treatment improved oocyte quality.Copyright © the authors, publisher and licensee Libertas Academica Limited.

Introduction The maternal age has steadily risen over the years. IVF has contributed to this trend, in particular with the introduction of donor oocyte treatment. IVF pregnancy rates are directly correlated with the age of the egg provider. However, there is less reliable data on perinatal outcomes in donor and autologous cycles. Our aim was to analyse the perinatal complication rates in women over 40 years of age who conceived with IVF using donor (DO) or autologous oocytes (AO). Methods This was a retrospective cohort study between 2000 and 2013. Women >=40 years, all pregnant after IVF using AO or DO. A total of 2824 pregnancies were identified for analysis excluding pregnancies with vitrified oocytes/embryos, GIFT, surrogacy and incomplete identifying data. Both fresh and frozen cycles were included. t test and Fisher's exact test were used where appropriate. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated using generalised estimating equations to adjust for within-patient correlations and confounding variables. Results 2134 AO and 689 DO pregnancies were analysed. The average age (years) of the AO and DO mothers was 41.0 +/- 1.2 (mean +/- SD) and 44.5 +/-3.0 respectively and that of the oocyte donors was 32.9 +/- 4.6. There was no statistical difference between the two groups for BMI, smoking, parity and the number of embryos transferred. The DO group had a significantly higher number of treatment cycles (6.7 versus 4.8) and a lower miscarriage rate (24.4% versus 37.7%). Compared to the AO group, the aORs (95% CI) for the following obstetric complications in DO were: IUGR 1.4 (0.5-3.9); GDM 1.1 (0.6-2.0); PET 1.1 (0.5-2.6); pregnancy-induced hypertension 2.0 (0.8-4.9); placenta previa 1.8 (0.6-5.9); and surgical delivery rate 1.3 (0.8-2.1). Conclusion As expected, the miscarriage rate is lower in the DO group. However, our results suggest that the risk of obstetric complications in women >=40 years is not reduced with the use of donor oocytes from younger women.

OBJECTIVE: Mechanical endometrial injury is proposed to induce and modulate expression of genes for factors required for improving implantation. Hysteroscopy also provides reassurance and opportunity for treatment of uterine pathology. However, with a lack of large sized RCTs, recommendation is based on meta-analysis, using non randomized or quasi randomized studies, which have used non-matched controls. We sought to identify whether a normal hysteroscopy in the cycle preceding transfer (fresh or frozen) would have a beneficial impact on the implantation and clinical pregnancy rate after matching for variables known to affect pregnancy rates. DESIGN: Case -controlled study. MATERIALSAND METHODS: Case controlled study of women undergoing hysteroscopy, during IVF treatment in the last 4 years in one clinician's practice. All patients with no abnormality detected at hysteroscopy followed by transfer in the next cycle (n= 87) were matched with controls in a 3:1 ratio(no=263). Matching included age, cycle and treatment number, stimulation protocol, IVF/ICSI and Fresh/Frozen embryos transferred, and day of transfer. Statistical analysis was performed with Fischer's exact test. RESULT(S):Mean age in the hysteroscopy and control group was comparable: 36.2 yrs. and 36.3 years respectively. The only biochemical positive pregnancy rate per transfer in the intervention group was 5.9, in controls 7.1 (p=NS), pregnancy rate per transfer 28.2 in the intervention group versus 20.9(p= NS, stratification of fresh versus frozen was non-significant (21.7:21.4; 35.9:20.2). A further comparison stratifying for age subgroups and cycle numbers did not show any benefits in the intervention group. CONCLUSION(S): Mechanical intervention with hysteroscopy did not show a statistical significance in terms of implantation or pregnancy when matched with controls for confounding variables .Although there was a probable trend of more pregnancies in the frozen transfers following hysteroscopy, this s

A field trial was laid out during 2004 and 2005 at intermediate zone in Jammu Province to study the efficiency of some biopesticides and insecticides in the management of Agrotis ipsilon Hufn. on Pioneer Maize (K-85) under recommended agronomic practices of SKUAST-Jammu. Seed treatment with chlorpyriphos, imidacloprid and insecticidal dust application of chlorpyriphos attributed to higher yield and less plant mortality as compared to other treatments. Use of biopesticides, viz., Heterorhabditls indicu, Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana, Steinernema carpocapsae, S. carpocapsae + B. bassiana, S. carpocapsae + M. anisopliae and H. indica + M. anisoliae provided less protection at earlier stages of seedling growth, whereas at later stages, they were effective and registered higher yield as compared to control. H. indica + M. anisopliae treated plots recorded higher yield as compared to other biopesticides.

Biomorphic silicon carbide ceramics are a new class of materials fabricated by reactive infiltration of molten silicon with carbonaceus preforms obtained from wood pyrolysis. The resulting material is a Si/SiC composite, in which the SiC forms a skeleton that replicates the wood microstructure with unreacted Si filling the pores. The silicon can be removed from the composite creating a highly porous SiC material that can be refilled with other products, like metal alloys, to create ceramic/metal composites.

Plasmodiophora brassicae is a protistan pathogen that attacks roots of brassicaceous plant species causing devastating disease. Resistance is characterised by restriction of the pathogen and susceptibility by the development of severely malformed roots (‘clubroots’) and stunting of the plant that is associated with alterations in the synthesis of cytokinin and auxin hormones. We are examining the susceptible response in Arabidopsis and whether suppression of key resistance factors by the pathogen contributes to susceptibility. The interaction is being studied using a number of approaches including microscopy of the infection process and development of the pathogen within roots and host gene expression analysis. Quantitative PCR was used to confirm the timing of infection of roots and showed that infection occurred at day four and colonisation increased thereafter to high levels by 23 days after inoculation by which time roots were showing systemic abnormalities. To investigate the basis of this compatible interaction we have conducted a time course experiment following infection of a susceptible ecotype of Arabidopsis (Col-0) to examine whole genome geneexpression changes in the host. Differential gene expression analysis of inoculated versus control roots showed that a higher number of genes had altered expression levels at day four compared to that at day seven and at day ten. At day four the expression levels of several genes known to be important for recognition and signal transduction in resistant interactions and genes involved in the biosynthesis of lignin, phenylpropanoids and ethylene were suppressed. Suppression by P. brassicae of specific plant defence responses appears to be a key component of susceptibility in this system.

Clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is the most devastating soil-borne disease of vegetable brassicas. It occurs all over the world and is responsible for crop losses of up to 10% every year. In Australia, the disease is being managed effectively with chemicals and cultural practices, but ideally control can be improved in the long term by the introduction of resistant cultivars. The life cycle ofP. brassicae and mode of action of plant resistance has not been fully elucidated because of the technical difficulties of working with an obligate, soil-borne plant pathogen. However, Arabidopsis thaliana, which is a host ofP. brassicae, has great potential as a model system for studying the life cycle, the infection process and development of resistance. We have developed a sand-liquid-culture system for growing Arabidopsis that allows easy observation of all life stages and, most importantly, the primary plasmodial stages within the root hair. The method was first optimised for observations of the lifecycle of the pathogen in a susceptible Arabidopsis ecotype (Col-3) where all stages of the lifecycle have now been observed and characterised. Further screening of Arabidopsis ecotypes for disease resistance has utilised one of the most virulent Australian pathotypes of brassica (ECD number 16/19/31). To date, Arabidopsis ecotype Ta-0 has shown a level of tolerance to the disease even though the roots get infected. It has been reported earlier that resistance toP. brassicae in Arabidopsis is due to one or a small number of genes. To examine changes in gene expression during the early, critical stages of infection, RNA was extracted from the susceptible and resistant ecotypes at two time points, 4 days and 17 days after inoculation. Microarray analysis will be used to investigate genome wide changes in gene expression during infection but also to identify candidate genes that may confer resistance to Australian isolates of the pathogen.