A mixed-methods study on negative psychological states of infertile women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment.

The incidence of infertility in the world is gradually increasing, and assisted reproductive treatment is one of the main methods for infertility treatment worldwide. Infertile women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment are likely to have a negative psychological state. However, deficits in the existing knowledge about women's negative psychological conditions greatly limit the implementation and effectiveness of psychological interventions.

Investigating the effects of COVID-19 on sperm in male smokers: A prospective integrated proteomic and metabolomic study.

Notable variations in semen parameters among non-smoking males have been documented post-COVID-19 pandemic. The role of smoking as a significant contributing factor to male infertility has been substantiated. Does the combined effect of smoking and SARS-CoV-2 infection impact male reproductive function? A prospective descriptive cohort study was performed using data from 90 smoking and 90 non-smoking males before and after coronavirus infection in a single center over a period of 3 months.

lncRNA SNHG16 Mediates Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in Cholangiocarcinoma by Directly Targeting miR-146a-5p/GATA6 Axis.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant tumour with high recurrence and mortality rates and poor prognosis. However, the pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the roles and regulatory mechanism of SNHG16 in the occurrence and development of CCA.

Therapeutic role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for infertile women under in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment: a meta-analysis.

Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis is to explore the beneficial role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on infertile women under artificial reproduction technology treatment.

Method: Medline, Embase and ISI Web of Science databases were searched to identify relevant randomized control trials. Studies before July, 2017 were included for primary screening.

[Response of Soil Respiration and Organic Carbon to Returning of Different Agricultural Straws and Its Mechanism].

Soybean, maize and rice straws were selected as raw materials to study the response of the soil respiration (SR) and soil organic carbon (SOC) to returning of different straws in the Chongming Dongtan area. The results showed that all of SR, SOC and the plant biomass of the lands with returning of different straws were higher than those of the controls. The soil with soybean straw returning possessed the lowest SR and highest SOC among the three kinds of straws, meaning its higher soil organic carbon sequestration capability than corn and maize straws returning.

[Response of Straw and Straw Biochar Returning to Soil Carbon Budget and Its Mechanism].

Direct straw returning and straw carbonization returning are the main measures of straw returning. Because of the differences in structure and nature as well as returning process between straw and straw biochar, the soil respiration and soil carbon budget after returning must have significant differences. In this study, outdoor pot experiment was carried out to study the response of soil respiration and carbon budget to straw and straw biochar returning and its possible mechanism.

[Potential Carbon Fixation Capability of Non-photosynthetic Microbial Community at Different Depth of the South China Sea and Its Response to Different Electron Donors].

The seawater samples collected from many different areas with different depth in the South China Sea were cultivated using different electron donors respectively. And the variation in the potential carbon fixation capability ( PCFC ) of non-photosynthetic microbial community (NPMC) in seawater with different depth was determined after a cycle of cultivation through the statistic analysis. In addition, the cause for the variation was clarified through analyzing key gene abundance regarding CO2 fixation and characteristics of seawater with different depth.

Salinity influence on soil microbial respiration rate of wetland in the Yangtze River estuary through changing microbial community.

Estuarine wetland, where freshwater mixes with salt water, comprises different regions (rivers and marine ecosystems) with significantly varying tidal salinities. Two sampling areas, ZXS and JS, were selected to investigate the effect of tidal salinity on soil respiration (SR). ZXS and JS were located in Zhongxia Shoal and Jiangyanan Shoal of Jiuduansha Wetland respectively, with similar elevation and plant species, but significantly different in salinity.

Mouse dead end 1-β interacts with c-Jun and stimulates activator protein 1 transactivation.

Dead end 1 (DND1), important for maintaining the viability of primordial germ cells, is the first protein containing an RNA recognition motif that has been directly implicated as a heritable cause of spontaneous tumorigenesis. In the present study, c-Jun was identified through yeast two-hybrid screening of a 10.5-day old mouse embryo cDNA library as one of the proteins which interact with DND1-β.

[Association of menopausal specific fat distribution changes with metabolic risk factors].

Objective: To investigate the association of menopausal specific fat distribution with metabolic risk factors.

Methods: Two hundred Chinese women including 110 premenopausal women aged 39.7±9.

Protective effects of 7-difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein against human aorta endothelial injury caused by lysophosphatidyl choline.

7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein (DFMG) is an active new derivative of genistein (GEN). It has shown effective protection in vascular endothelial injury. To further investigate its potential protective effects and its mechanism probably related to atherosclerosis, in present study, human aorta endothelial cells (HAECs) were chosen and treated with various concentrations of lysophosphatidyl choline (LPC) to establish an experimental model.

Enhanced CO2 fixation by a non-photosynthetic microbial community under anaerobic conditions: optimization of electron donors.

To enhance the CO(2) fixation efficiency of the non-photosynthetic microbial community (NPMC) isolated from sea water under anaerobic conditions without hydrogen, the concentration of inorganic compounds as electron donors and their ratios were optimized by response surface methodology design (RSMD). The results indicated that the CO(2) fixation efficiency of NPMC using NaNO(2), Na(2)S(2)O(3) and Na(2)S as the electron donors was increased about 90%, 75% and 207%, respectively. Additionally, there were interactions between two electron donors and three electron donors.

Optimization of electron donors to improve CO2 fixation efficiency by a non-photosynthetic microbial community under aerobic condition using statistical experimental design.

To improve the CO(2) fixation efficiency of non-photosynthetic microbial community (NPMC) isolated from sea water under aerobic conditions without hydrogen, the concentration of inorganic compounds as electron donors and their ratios were optimized using response surface methodology design (RSMD). These results indicated that Na(2)S, followed by Na(2)S(2)O(3) and NaNO(2) enhanced the CO(2) fixation by NPMC and the efficiency was increased about 100%, 200% and 200%, respectively. Some interaction between NaNO(2) and Na(2)S(2)O(3), as well as between Na(2)S(2)O(3) and Na(2)S was observed.

[Breeding, optimization and community structure analysis of non-photosynthetic CO2 assimilation microbial flora].

Isolation and screening from sea water and sediments, and the optimization of electron donor and inorganic carbon source structure were performed for obtaining microbial flora with high efficient inorganic carbon fixation without the light and hydrogen. In addition, the structure of the microbial flora was studied through 16S rDNA sequence analysis and contrast for providing theoretical basis to improve carbon fixation efficiency through optimizing microbial flora structure. The result showed that non-photosynthetic microbial flora with the capacity of inorganic carbon fixation under the general aerobic and anaerobic conditions could be obtained from the sea by long-term domestication and isolation.

[Difference and its formation cause in soil organic carbon accumulation capability of two typical tidal wetlands at Dongtan of Chongming Island in Shanghai].

Through the analyses of soil organic carbon content and vegetation input, this paper studied the difference in soil organic carbon accumulation capability of two typical tidal wetlands, one (A) was on the erosion bank with Phragmites communis and sandy loam soil at southeast Dongtan in Shanghai, and the other (B) was on the alluvial bank with P. communis, Spartina alterniflora, and clay soil at northeast Dongtan of Chongming Island. The main formation causes of the difference were analyzed based on the determinations of soil microbial activities and physical-chemical properties.

7-difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein, a novel agent protecting against vascular endothelial injury caused by oxidative stress.

1. Genistein is known to protect the vascular endothelium. However, genistein exhibits poor bioavailability, which limits its use in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

[Evaluation of a rabbit model of abdominal aorta atherosclerosis].

Objective: To explore the methods for non-invasive evaluation of a rabbit model of aorta atherosclerosis model.

Methods: Sixteen male New Zealand rabbits (n=16) were randomized into the experimental group and control group and fed with high-cholesterol diet and normal diet after balloon injury in the abdominal aorta, respectively. Eight weeks later, pathological examination, angiography and surface ultrasonography were carried out to evaluate the plaques in the aorta.

7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein, a novel genistein derivative, has therapeutic effects on atherosclerosis in a rabbit model.

Genistein is a phytoestrogen that is known to have a protective effect on the vascular endothelial wall. However, it exhibits poor bioavailability, which limits the use of genistein to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. A novel genistein derivative, 7-difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein (dFMGEN), has shown a better protective effect on vascular endothelial damage in vitro than genistein.

Relationship between age-related serum concentrations of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 and those of osteoprotegerin and leptin in native Chinese women.

Background: Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1), TGF-beta2, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and leptin are important cytokines in the regulation of bone remodeling. We investigated the relationship of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 concentrations with those of OPG and leptin in Chinese females.

Methods: The serum concentrations of TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, OPG, and leptin were measured by ELISA in 459 healthy Chinese females aged 25-80 y.

7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein inhibits oxidative stress induced adhesion between endothelial cells and monocytes via NF-kappaB.

7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein (dFMGEN), prepared by the difluoromethylation and alkylation of genistein, is an active new chemical entity. The effects of dFMGEN on cell adhesion and inflammation were investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and whether its role involved regulation of NF-kappaB expression was also studied. Results demonstrated that pretreatment with dFMGEN decreased the adhesion between vascular endothelial cells and monocytes, reduced the release of E-Selectin, ICAM-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in vascular endothelial cells, and down-regulated the expression of NF-kappaB.

[Peripheral dendritic cell subpopulation changes in patients with coronary artery disease].

Objective: To compare the peripheral dendritic cell subpopulation changes in patients with or without coronary artery disease.

Methods: A total of 60 patients with angiographic documented coronary artery disease (CAD) were recruited in this study, including 20 cases with acute myocardial infarction (AMI group), 20 cases with unstable angina(UA group) and 20 patients with stable angina (SA group). Eleven patients with chest pain and without coronary stenosis served as chest pain control (CPS group).

Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of the thermo-treatment process to dispose of recombinant DNA waste from biological research laboratories.

The discharge of recombinant DNA waste from biological laboratories into the eco-system may be one of the pathways resulting in horizontal gene transfer or "gene pollution". Heating at 100 degrees C for 5-10 min is a common method for treating recombinant DNA waste in biological research laboratories in China. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness and the safety of the thermo-treatment method in the disposal of recombinant DNA waste.

[Association of dendritic cell distribution with intima hyperplasia in rats with diabetes mellitus].

Objective: To investigate the association of dendritic cell distribution in the peripheral blood, spleen and arterial wall with intimal hyperplasia in rats with diabetes mellitus.

Methods: Diabetes mellitus was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and high-fat feeding for 8 weeks. Peripheral blood, arterial wall and the spleen were collected from the rats to prepare cell suspensions, in which the proportions of dendritic cells and T cells were determined by flow cytometry.