OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of exogenous trigger (hCG/GnRHa) versus endogenous LH surge in natural cycle IVF/ICSI (NC-IVF/ICSI) for patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1,118 NC-IVF/ICSI cycles from two reproductive centers between 2013 and 2024. Propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariate logistic regression were used to adjust for confounding factors. The trigger-day hormone threshold was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Outcome measures included oocyte retrieval rate, 2PN fertilization rate, clinical available embryo rate, high-quality embryo rate, fresh cycle clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), and live birth rate (LBR). RESULTS: After adjusting for confounders via PSM and logistic regression, the exogenous trigger group demonstrated significantly better outcomes across all the evaluated parameters (oocyte retrieval rate, 2PN fertilization rate, transferable embryo rate, high-quality embryo rate, fresh cycle CPR, and LBR) than the endogenous LH surge group (P<0.05). Age-stratified analysis revealed that for the entire cohort, exogenous triggering significantly increased the number of transferable embryos and high-quality embryos (P<0.001). In the 35-39 years old subgroup, exogenous triggering showed significant advantages in oocyte yield, high-quality embryo rate, CPR, and LBR (P<0.05) and resulted in the most pronounced improvement in LBR (OR=6.25, 95% CI: 1.34-29.23). ROC analysis established a decision-day LH threshold of 19.055 mIU/mL (AUC=0.945, specificity=93.3%) for precise stratification of the clinical pathways. CONCLUSIONS For DOR patients undergoing NC-IVF/ICSI, exogenous triggering comprehensively improves the treatment outcomes, particularly providing significant live birth benefits for women aged 35-40 years. An individualized protocol incorporating the LH threshold (19.055 mIU/mL) effectively enhances embryonic developmental potential and live birth rates.
Humans ; Female ; Ovarian Reserve ; Pregnancy ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; Pregnancy Rate ; Logistic Models ; Ovulation Induction/methods* ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Adult ; Oocyte Retrieval

Yes-associated protein (YAP), the key transcriptional co-factor and downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, has emerged as one of the primary regulators of neural as well as glial cells. It has been detected in various glial cell types, including Schwann cells and olfactory ensheathing cells in the peripheral nervous system, as well as radial glial cells, ependymal cells, Bergmann glia, retinal Müller cells, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia in the central nervous system. With the development of neuroscience, understanding the functions of YAP in the physiological or pathological processes of glia is advancing. In this review, we aim to summarize the roles and underlying mechanisms of YAP in glia and glia-related neurological diseases in an integrated perspective.
Humans ; Animals ; Neuroglia/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/physiology* ; YAP-Signaling Proteins ; Nerve Regeneration/physiology* ; Nervous System Diseases/metabolism* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism*

Objective:To determine the optimal threshold for trigger-day progesterone levels in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocols.Methods:A cohort study was performed. The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from patients who underwent in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) for assisted reproduction at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Tianjin Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital between January 2014 and May 2023. The study included 5 760 fresh transfer cycles where the female partner had undergone ovarian stimulation using a GnRH antagonist protocol. This was a single-arm study. The primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate. The association between progesterone level on the trigger day and clinical pregnancy outcome and the dose-response relationship were analyzed by restricted cubic spline. Results:The progesterone level on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin trigger was (1.33±0.38) μg/L. Among the included cycles, 2 900 cycles underwent conventional IVF fertilization, while 2 860 cycles underwent ICSI. The biochemical pregnancy rate was 44.79% (2 580/5 760), the clinical pregnancy rate was 40.35% (2 324/5 760), and the live birth rate was 31.46% (1 812/5 760). Progesterone levels on the trigger day in GnRH antagonist protocols showed a nonlinear association with both clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate (both P<0.001). When progesterone levels were below 0.61 μg/L, the clinical pregnancy rate increased with rising progesterone levels, but decreased significantly once this threshold was exceeded. Similarly, the live birth rate increased with progesterone levels below 0.63 μg/L and declined beyond that point. Conclusion:Progesterone levels on the optimal trigger day for achieving the highest clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in GnRH antagonist protocols are peak values of 0.61 μg/L and 0.63 μg/L, respectively. Using these thresholds, the impact of progesterone levels on the trigger day shows a positive effect on both clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate up to these points, after which the effects become negative.

[Objective]To analyze the Yunqi characteristics and periodicity of drought disasters in He'nan Province during 2000 years.[Methods]On the foundation of the drought data of He'nan Province from 221 BC to 1840 AD,a hierarchical classification was conducted,using statistical tools and wavelet analysis to explore the frequency and periodicity of drought in different Yunqi periods.[Results]The most frequent dominant Qi period of drought in He'nan Province was 4th Qi(Taiyin Shitu)(P<0.001),the most of Sitian period was Jueyin Fengmu and Shaoyin Junhuo(P<0.05),the most of Zaiquan period was Shaoyang Xianghuo(P<0.05).At multiple time scales,drought disasters in He'nan Province had 4 quasi-cycles,the 1st to the 4th quasi-cycles were 510,690,300 and 150 years,respectively.[Conclusion]There was a significant difference in the frequency of drought levels in He'nan Province in different periods of dominant Qi,Sitian period and Zaiquan period,which was partly consistent with the Yunqi theory.Besides,the drought disaster in He'nan Province had certain periodic characteristics.

Objective:To determine the optimal threshold for trigger-day progesterone levels in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocols.Methods:A cohort study was performed. The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from patients who underwent in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) for assisted reproduction at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Tianjin Central Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital between January 2014 and May 2023. The study included 5 760 fresh transfer cycles where the female partner had undergone ovarian stimulation using a GnRH antagonist protocol. This was a single-arm study. The primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate. The association between progesterone level on the trigger day and clinical pregnancy outcome and the dose-response relationship were analyzed by restricted cubic spline. Results:The progesterone level on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin trigger was (1.33±0.38) μg/L. Among the included cycles, 2 900 cycles underwent conventional IVF fertilization, while 2 860 cycles underwent ICSI. The biochemical pregnancy rate was 44.79% (2 580/5 760), the clinical pregnancy rate was 40.35% (2 324/5 760), and the live birth rate was 31.46% (1 812/5 760). Progesterone levels on the trigger day in GnRH antagonist protocols showed a nonlinear association with both clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate (both P<0.001). When progesterone levels were below 0.61 μg/L, the clinical pregnancy rate increased with rising progesterone levels, but decreased significantly once this threshold was exceeded. Similarly, the live birth rate increased with progesterone levels below 0.63 μg/L and declined beyond that point. Conclusion:Progesterone levels on the optimal trigger day for achieving the highest clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in GnRH antagonist protocols are peak values of 0.61 μg/L and 0.63 μg/L, respectively. Using these thresholds, the impact of progesterone levels on the trigger day shows a positive effect on both clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate up to these points, after which the effects become negative.

[Objective]To analyze the Yunqi characteristics and periodicity of drought disasters in He'nan Province during 2000 years.[Methods]On the foundation of the drought data of He'nan Province from 221 BC to 1840 AD,a hierarchical classification was conducted,using statistical tools and wavelet analysis to explore the frequency and periodicity of drought in different Yunqi periods.[Results]The most frequent dominant Qi period of drought in He'nan Province was 4th Qi(Taiyin Shitu)(P<0.001),the most of Sitian period was Jueyin Fengmu and Shaoyin Junhuo(P<0.05),the most of Zaiquan period was Shaoyang Xianghuo(P<0.05).At multiple time scales,drought disasters in He'nan Province had 4 quasi-cycles,the 1st to the 4th quasi-cycles were 510,690,300 and 150 years,respectively.[Conclusion]There was a significant difference in the frequency of drought levels in He'nan Province in different periods of dominant Qi,Sitian period and Zaiquan period,which was partly consistent with the Yunqi theory.Besides,the drought disaster in He'nan Province had certain periodic characteristics.

Mastoparans (MP), a class of α-helix cationic insect-derived antimicrobial peptides, have a broad spectrum of biological activities including inhibiting bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Amino acid substitution, peptide modification, peptide chain cyclization, and dosage form modification can enhance the biological activities and target and reduce the toxicity of mastoparans. In this review, we summarize the structure, biological function and modification methods of mastoparans, and prospect the development of antibacterial drugs based on mastoparans, so as to provide reference for the research of mastoparans as a new antibacterial drug.
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/pharmacology* ; Peptides/chemistry* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry* ; Wasp Venoms/chemistry* ; Animals

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of three screening questionnaires for COPD in the community residents of Songjiang District， Shanghai， and to provide a basis for selecting COPD screening questionnaire and process that are more suitable. MethodsCommunity residents aged 40 years or over were randomly selected from the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank for the study with screening questionnaires and spirometry. Questionnaires included the COPD screening questionnaire （COPD-SQ）， the COPD population screener （COPD-PS） and the revised COPD diagnostic questionnaire （revised-CDQ）. Evaluation of the efficacy of these questionnaires was based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve （AUC） of the subjects. DeLong test was used to compare the accuracy of different questionnaires； Z test was used to compare the accuracy of different cut-off values for the same questionnaire. ResultsAmong 3 184 community residents， a total of 259 （8.1%） COPD patients were screened by spirometry. AUC values of these 3 screening questionnaires were >0.7 indicating that they were reliable COPD screening tools. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaires at the recommended cut-off values were COPD-SQ （63.7% and 72.2%）， COPD-PS （12.0% and 96.1%）， and revised CDQ （78.8% and 52.7%）， with the COPD-SQ having the highest screening accuracy （AUC=0.754）. The optimal and recommended cut-off values for the three questionnaires differed in this population， but the difference in accuracy was statistically significant only for COPD-PS. The optimal cut-off values for the three questionnaires differed between male and female， and the sensitivity and accuracy of COPD-SQ and COPD-PS improved when lower cut-off values were used for women. The AUC was greater when two questionnaires were utilized simultaneously for screening， but the differences were not statistically significant. ConclusionThe COPD-SQ is recommended for primary COPD screening； a lower cut-off value for women should be considered. The COPD screening questionnaire needs to be further improved for the early diagnosis and treatment of COPD patients.

Objective To explore the value of T2*mapping in quantitatively evaluate changes in knee joint cartilage and subchon-dral bone of new recruits before and after intensive training.Methods MRI scans of the right knee joint were performed three times on 20 new recruits:before intensive training,after one week of intensive training,and after one month of rest.The knee joint cartilage was divided into six regions:lateral femur(LF),medial femur(MF),lateral tibia(LT),medial tibia(MT),patella cartilage(PC),and trochlea cartilage(TC).Using the posterior angle of the meniscus as a boundary,LF and MF were divided into the cLF/cMF and pLF/pMF.Divid-ed into superficial zone(SZ)cartilage and deep zone(DZ)cartilage based on a thickness of 1/2 of the cartilage.The subchondral bone was divided into superficial bone(SB)within 5 mm of the joint cartilage,and deep bone(DB)within 6-10 mm of the joint cartilage.The T2*values of each region of cartilage and subchondral bone were evaluated through region of interest(ROI)analysis.Single fac-tor analysis of variance was used to compare the changes in T2*values.The LSD test method was used for inter-group comparison.Results After one week of intensive training,MT-SZ,cMF-SZ,PC-SZ,TC-SZ were significantly higher than before intensive training(P＜0.05).After one month of rest,there was no statistically significant difference in the T2*value of the cartilage area compared with before intensive training(P＞0.05).There was a trend of"rising first and then falling".There was no statistically signifi-cant difference in the T2*value of subchondral bone of the knee joint before intensive training and after one week of intensive training(P＞0.05).Compared with after one month of rest,except for cLF-DB,pLF-DB,trochlea cartilage-deep bone(TC-DB),the T2*value of the subchondral bone of the remaining knee joint increased before intensive training and after one week of intensive training,with sta-tistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Conclusion T2*mapping can display the changes in the ultrastructure and biochemical components of joint cartilage and subchondral bone after the new recruits intensive training,detect early injuries and conduct non-invasive quantitative evaluation.

Objective To observe the effects of ice-water swimming on pathological changes in model gouty rats,and investigate the relevant regulatory mechanism of the purinergic P2X7R receptor.Methods Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into normal(NORM)and experimental groups including gouty control(GC),ice-water swimming(IWS),and Brilliant Blue G(BBG,a P2X7R inhibitor)groups.Rats in the experimental groups were modeled to simulate hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis by inhibiting uric acid metabolism combined with the Coderre method.Rats in the ice-water swimming group were treated with 5 min of endurance swimming in an ice-water mixture at a depth of about 0.5 m for 0 h and 12 h after modeling by the Coderre method,while rats in the BBG group were injected intraperitoneally with BBG solution once after modeling.Ankle swelling index was calculated using a formula.Serum uric acid levels were detected by uricase assay,and serum levels of the inflammatory factors interleukin(IL)-1β,1L-6,and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αwere detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The pathological status of the ankle joints was examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining.P2X7R and NLRP3 protein expression levels in synovial tissue were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry,respectively.Results Serum uric acid levels and the ankle joint swelling index were significantly higher in the experimental groups compared with the normal group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and the synovial tissues showed different degrees of inflammatory infiltration.The ankle swelling index was significantly higher in the ice-water swimming group compared with the gouty control group at 12 h(P＜0.05).Serum IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α levels(P＜0.01)and P2X7R and NLRP3 protein levels in synovial tissues were all significantly elevated(P＜0.05).Histopathology showed that the cartilage surface was broken and the synovial tissue showed severe hyperplasia and erosion,accompanied by numerous inflammatory cell aggregates.There were no significant changes in P2X7R or NLRP3 protein expression or pathology in synovial tissues in the BBG group compared with the gouty control group(P＞0.05),but serum IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α levels were all significantly suppressed(P＜0.01).Conclusions Cold stimulation and strenuous exercise simulated by ice-water swimming may exacerbate pathological damage in gouty arthritis via a mechanism related to high P2X7R expression in the joints.