Cryptorchidism: Novel genetic insights into CCDC149 mutations.

Background: Cryptorchidism, characterized by the failure of one or both testes to descend into the scrotum, is a common congenital condition that can lead to infertility and increased risk of testicular cancer. CCDC149, a coiled-coil domain-containing protein, has been implicated in various developmental processes, but its role in the male reproductive system remains unexplored.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the role of CCDC149 mutations in the development of bilateral cryptorchidism and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Label-Free Multiphoton Microscopy for Diagnosis of Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a global problem that significantly affects patients both physically and mentally. Accurate and rapid detection of psoriasis is crucial for diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we utilized multiphoton microscopy (MPM) to rapidly image psoriasis in imiquimod-induced mouse and human psoriatic samples.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism array analysis for fetuses from balanced translocation carriers at the second trimester.

Prenatal diagnosis is crucial for pregnancies from couples with a carrier of a balanced translocation. We retrospectively reviewed 195 pregnancies from 189 couples with a balanced translocation carrier. Of these, 126 were from natural conception, while 69 were conceived through assisted reproductive technology (ART) with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

Bioactive polymer composite scaffolds fabricated from 3D printed negative molds enable bone formation and vascularization.

Scaffolds for bone defect treatment should ideally support vascularization and promote bone formation, to facilitate the translation into biomedical device applications. This study presents a novel approach utilizing 3D-printed water-dissolvable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sacrificial molds to engineer polymerized High Internal Phase Emulsion (polyHIPE) scaffolds with microchannels and distinct multiscale porosity. Two sacrificial mold variants (250 µm and 500 µm) were generated using fused deposition modeling, filled with HIPE, and subsequently dissolved to create polyHIPE scaffolds containing microchannels.

Impact of thyroid autoimmunity on pregnancy outcomes in euthyroid women following fresh/frozen-thawed embryo transfer.

Objective: To investigate whether thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) is associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes in euthyroid women undergoing fresh embryo transfer (ET) and frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET).

Design: A retrospective cohort study. Pregnancy and neonatal outcome after fresh ET or FET were compared between the positive and negative thyroid autoimmune antibody groups.

Controlled ovarian stimulation for endometriosis patients with ultra-long GnRH-agonist or GnRH-antagonist protocols: A retrospective study by propensity score matching.

Objectives: Although in vitro fertilization with embryo transfer is the most effective treatment for infertile patients with endometriosis, ovarian stimulation protocols are controversial.

Study Design: We recruited 639 patients with endometriosis from January 2016 to June 2020; 111 and 528 patients were treated with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist and ultra-long GnRH agonist protocols, respectively. Potential baseline differences between the regimens were adjusted by propensity score matching.

Micro-Raman Analysis of Sperm Cells on Glass Slide: Potential Label-Free Assessment of Sperm DNA toward Clinical Applications.

Routine assessment of sperm DNA integrity involves the time-consuming and complex process of staining sperm chromatin. Here, we report a Raman spectroscopy method combined with extended multiplicative signal correction (EMSC) for the extraction of characteristic fingerprints of DNA-intact and DNA-damaged sperm cells directly on glass slides. Raman results of sperm cell DNA integrity on glass substrates were validated one-to-one with clinical sperm cell staining.

Emerging Bioactive Agent Delivery-Based Regenerative Therapies for Lower Genitourinary Tissues.

Injury to lower genitourinary (GU) tissues, which may result in either infertility and/or organ dysfunctions, threatens the overall health of humans. Bioactive agent-based regenerative therapy is a promising therapeutic method. However, strategies for spatiotemporal delivery of bioactive agents with optimal stability, activity, and tunable delivery for effective sustained disease management are still in need and present challenges.

Macroporous perovskite nanocrystal composites for ultrasensitive copper ion detection.

Accumulation of heavy metal ions, including copper ions (Cu), presents a serious threat to human health and to the environment. A substantial amount of research has focused on detecting such species in aqueous solutions. However, progress towards ultrasensitive and easy-to-use sensors for non-aqueous solutions is still limited.

Tripronuclear Zygotes in IVF Laboratory Quality Control: Experimental Evaluation and Potential Applications.

This study set out to evaluate quality control within a new in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory environment and of new incubators based on the culture results of tripronuclear zygotes. The representative environmental indicators within new and old IVF laboratories were monitored, and tripronuclear zygotes were cultured in the two laboratories; the results were analyzed and compared. Subsequently, tripronuclear (3PN) zygotes were cultured in both new and old incubators and the culture results were compared.

The vitrification system may affect preterm and cesarean delivery rates after single vitrified blastocyst transfer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of different vitrification systems on single vitrified blastocyst transfer cycles. The clinical and birth outcomes of 412 patients who underwent single vitrified blastocyst transfer between January 2018 and June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and compared between patients who underwent blastocyst vitrification with kit A (group A, 196 patients) and those who underwent blastocyst vitrification with kit B (group B, 216 patients). Clinical outcomes, including the clinical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, early miscarriage rate, late miscarriage rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, twin pregnancy rate, and induced labor rate due to fetal malformation, were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.

Membranous Extracellular Matrix-Based Scaffolds for Skin Wound Healing.

Membranous extracellular matrix (ECM)-based scaffolds are one of the most promising biomaterials for skin wound healing, some of which, such as acellular dermal matrix, small intestinal submucosa, and amniotic membrane, have been clinically applied to treat chronic wounds with acceptable outcomes. Nevertheless, the wide clinical applications are always hindered by the poor mechanical properties, the uncontrollable degradation, and other factors after implantation. To highlight the feasible strategies to overcome the limitations, in this review, we first outline the current clinical use of traditional membranous ECM scaffolds for skin wound healing and briefly introduce the possible repair mechanisms; then, we discuss their potential limitations and further summarize recent advances in the scaffold modification and fabrication technologies that have been applied to engineer new ECM-based membranes.

Explore the potential molecular mechanism of polycystic ovarian syndrome by protein-protein interaction network analysis.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders prevailing in reproductive age women, present in 3-15% population of women worldwide. Although there are many studies on PCOS, its underlying mechanism remains to be determined. The present study was to construct protein-protein interaction networks based on the potential disease-causing genes for PCOS and characterize the underlying molecular mechanisms of PCOS using the networks.

Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Human Blastocyst: A Novel Biomarker for the Prediction of Implantation Potential.

The relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number and the outcome of embryo transfer is under debate. Our aim was to explore the relationship between mtDNA copy number in human blastocysts and embryonic development to determine whether mtDNA represents a novel biomarker for the prediction of implantation potential. A total of 246 blastocysts were analyzed by next-generation sequencing.

Clinical Review of Noninvasive Prenatal Testing: Experience from 551 Pregnancies with Noninvasive Prenatal Testing-Positive Results in a Tertiary Referral Center.

A total of 551 pregnancies with positive results for noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using traditional karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis were analyzed. Confirmatory results, positive predictive values, etiology exploration of false-positive results, and pregnancy outcomes were recorded. The study demonstrated that NIPT performed better in predicting trisomy 21 and trisomy 18 for pregnancies with advanced maternal age than for pregnancies with young maternal age; as for trisomy 13 and sex chromosomal aneuploidy (SCA) prediction, there was no significant difference between the two groups.

Skin-Like Stretchable Fuel Cell Based on Gold-Nanowire-Impregnated Porous Polymer Scaffolds.

Skin-like energy devices can be conformally attached to the human body, which are highly desirable to power soft wearable electronics in the future. Here, a skin-like stretchable fuel cell based on ultrathin gold nanowires (AuNWs) and polymerized high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) scaffolds is demonstrated. The polyHIPEs can offer a high porosity of 80% yet with an overall thickness comparable to human skin.

Factors affecting pregnancy outcomes following the surgical removal of intrauterine adhesions and subsequent fertilization and embryo transfer.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical factors affecting pregnancy rates following the surgical removal of intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) and subsequent fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). We retrospectively evaluated case data from patients who had undergone hysteroscopic surgery to remove varying degrees of IUAs and who had subsequently received assisted reproductive treatments with IVF-ET (in all 140 cycles) at our hospital between January, 2011 and January, 2015. The patient data were divided into either the pregnancy or non-pregnancy groups based on the pregnancy outcomes, and a number of clinicopathological variables were compared these two groups, such as age, infertility (type and duration), the number of prior surgical treatments for and severity of IUAs, the baseline follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone (FSH/LH) ratio and estradiol level, endometrial thickness on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration, etc.

Waist Circumference Coupled with Either HDL-C or TG Can Be Used as a Diagnostic Marker for Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Although quite a few polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients suffering from metabolic syndrome (MS) have been reported in previous studies, no reliable and early diagnostic biomarkers for MS in PCOS patients have yet been identified. To identify early and reliable diagnostic biomarkers for MS in Chinese women with PCOS, a total of 401 patients (200 PCOS patients and 201 controls) were enrolled in our present study. All of the subjects were examined for anthropometric (weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, etc.

[Studies of Male Fertility with Raman Spectroscopy].

Raman spectroscopy which belongs to scattering spectroscopy obtained molecular vibrational and rotational information to achieve detection and analysis of molecular structure and corresponding changes through recording the frequency shift when light interacted with materials. Compared with routine biochemical analysis, Raman spectroscopy has the advantage of non-invasive, label-free and no sample requirement. Raman spectroscopy has been widely applied in biomedical field such as human tissue, organs, cells and human body fluids for disease diagnosis.

Rapid and nondestructive method for evaluation of embryo culture media using drop coating deposition Raman spectroscopy.

In this study, a rapid and simple method which combines drop coating deposition and Raman spectroscopy (DCDR) was developed to characterize the dry embryo culture media (ECM) droplet. We demonstrated that Raman spectra obtained from the droplet edge presented useful and characteristic signatures for protein and amino acids assessment. Using a different analytical method, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, we further confirmed that Na, K, and Cl were mainly detected in the central area of the dry ECM droplet while sulphur, an indicative of the presence of macromolecules such as proteins, was mainly found at the periphery of the droplet.

Induction of human keratinocytes into enamel-secreting ameloblasts.

Mammalian tooth development relies heavily on the reciprocal and sequential interactions between cranial neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells and stomadial epithelium. During mouse tooth development, odontogenic potential, that is, the capability to direct an adjacent tissue to form a tooth, resides in dental epithelium initially, and shifts subsequently to dental mesenchyme. Recent studies have shown that mouse embryonic dental epithelium possessing odontogenic potential is able to induce the formation of a bioengineered tooth crown when confronted with postnatal mesenchymal stem cells of various sources.

[Diagnosis and treatment of cystic acoustic neuroma].

Objective: To study the clinical features and treatment of cystic acoustic neuroma.

Methods: Twenty-two patients with cystic acoustic neuromas were diagnosed by CT and MRI preoperatively, and the tumors were resected by retrosigmoid approach, and verified by pathological studies.

Results: Of the 22 patients, 18 had tumors totally resected (postoperative house Brackman facial nerve grading: grade II in 4 patients, III in 7, IV in 3, V in 2, VI in 2) and 4 had tumors subtotally resected.