Recent studies have shown that shorter periods of ejaculatory abstinence may enhance certain sperm parameters, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these improvements are still unclear. This study explored whether reduced abstinence periods could improve semen quality, particularly for use in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). We analyzed semen samples from men with normal sperm counts ( n = 101) and those with low sperm motility or concentration ( n = 53) after 3-7 days of abstinence and then after 1-3 h of abstinence, obtained from the Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya (Changsha, China). Physiological and biochemical sperm parameters were evaluated, and the dynamics of transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived fragments (tRFs) were analyzed using deep RNA sequencing in five consecutive samples from men with normal sperm counts. Our results revealed significant improvement in sperm motility and a decrease in the DNA fragmentation index after the 1- to 3-h abstinence period. Additionally, we identified 245 differentially expressed tRFs, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was the most enriched. Further investigations showed significant changes in tRF-Lys-TTT and its target gene mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 2 ( MAP2K2 ), which indicates a role of tRFs in improving sperm function. These findings provide new insights into how shorter abstinence periods influence sperm quality and suggest that tRFs may serve as biomarkers for male fertility. This research highlights the potential for optimizing ART protocols and improving reproductive outcomes through molecular approaches that target sperm function.
Male ; Humans ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; RNA, Transfer/genetics* ; Sperm Motility/genetics* ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; Sexual Abstinence/physiology* ; Sperm Count ; DNA Fragmentation

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity. CONCLUSION Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology* ; Exercise ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Aged ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Risk Factors ; United Kingdom/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Adult

The adulteration and counterfeiting of herbal ingredients in medicinal and food homology (MFH) have a serious impact on the quality of herbal materials, thereby endangering human health. Compared to pharmaceutical drugs, health products derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are more easily accessible and closely integrated into consumers' daily life. However, the authentication of the authenticity of TCM ingredients in MFH has not received sufficient attention. The lack of clear standards emphasizes the necessity of conducting systematic research in this area. This study utilized DNA barcoding technology, combining ITS2, psbA-trnH, matK as universal barcode sequences, and DX, HH, JYH as specific barcode sequences, to identify the authenticity of commercial medicinal and food homology scented herbal teas. The aim was to investigate the authenticity of scented herbal tea products circulating in the market. The research results revealed that among 180 scented herbal tea samples, DNA barcodes were successfully obtained from 164 samples, while the remaining samples either lacked the target components or suffered severe DNA degradation, resulting in failed amplification. Combined with morphological identification studies, it was found that out of the 180 samples, 141 were authentic, accounting for 78.33% of the total samples, while 31 samples showed adulteration and 8 samples lacked the target components, accounting for 21.67% of the total samples. Additionally, water testing revealed that 5 samples of Carthamus tinctorius herbal tea exhibited the phenomenon of weight adulteration. This study exposed the presence of adulteration and weight adulteration in scented herbal tea products, highlighting the need for regulatory authorities to expedite the establishment of quality standards in scented herbal tea industry. These findings provide valuable insights for the rapid development of the scented herbal tea industry.

Aim To investigate the protective effect of total flavonoids of Dracocephalum moldavica(TFDM)on atherosclerosis in rats and the inflammation of mouse macrophage RAW264.7 aggravated by trimeth-ylamine N-oxide(TMAO)and its possible mecha-nism.Methods The AS model of SD rats was estab-lished by high-fat diet feeding combined with intraper-itoneal injection of vitamin D3.The rats were divided into control group,model group,simvastatin group(15 mg·kg-1)and TFDM group(60,30,15 mg·kg-1).Biochemical method was used to detect the levels of se-rum total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG)and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C).HE staining was used to detect the pathological changes of aortic tissue.ELISA kit was used to detect the expression of TMAO,IL-1β,IL-6 in serum and TNF-α in liver tis-sue.Western blot was used to detect the expression of JAK,STAT and TNF-α protein in aorta.In addition,RAW264.7 macrophages were cultured in vitro,and LPS+TMAO was used to establish a macrophage in-flammation model,which was intervened by TFDM(100,50,25 mg·L-1).CCK-8 was used to determine cell viability and proliferation,and RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of TNF-α,IL-6,JAK and STAT mRNA in cells.Results TFDM could significantly down-regulate the levels of serum TC,TG,LDL-C,ser-um TMAO,IL-1β,IL-6 and liver TNF-α,reduce aortic plaque deposition,and down-regulate the protein ex-pression of TNF-α,JAK and STAT in aorta.In addi-tion,TFDM intervention can significantly down-regulate the expression of TNF-α,IL-6,JAK,STAT mRNA and the expression of JAK,STAT protein.Conclusion TFDM can reduce the content of TMAO in serum,in-hibit JAK/STAT inflammatory signaling pathway and slow down the occurrence of inflammation,playing an anti-AS role.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of high hip center technique total hip arthroplasty(THA)for CroweⅡ and Ⅲ developmental dysplasia of hip(DDH)and severe hip osteoarthritis(HOA).Methods From January 2018 to Jan-uary 2020,74 patients with Crowe type Ⅱ and Ⅲ DDH and severe HOA were admitted,and 37 cases of anatomical hip center reconstruction were taken as control group,including 7 males and 30 females,aged from 42 to 65 years old with an average of(58.40±4.98)years old,body mass index(BMI)ranged from 18 to 29 kg·m-2 with an average of(23.02±2.21)kg·m-2.Thirty-seven routine high hip center technical reconstruction were performed as study group,including 5 males and 32 females,aged from 41 to 65 years old with an average of(57.31±5.42)years old,BMI ranged from 18 to 29 kg·m-2 with an average of(23.14±2.07)kg·m-2.The patients presented with hip pain,limited function and range of motion,and gait instability before surgery.All patients underwent THA,the control group underwent intraoperative anatomical hip center reconstruction,and the study group underwent intraoperative high hip joint reconstruction.The perioperative indicators of the two groups were com-pared.The hip joint function,balance function and gait of the patients were evaluated before surgery,3 months,6 months,and 12 months after surgery.The length difference of both lower limbs,horizontal distance of rotation center,vertical distance of ro-tation center and femoral eccentricity were measured before operation and 1 year after operation.The incidence of complica-tions in the two groups during the operation and postoperative follow-up was counted.Results The operation time of the study group was shorter than that of the control group,and the intraoperative blood loss was less than that of the control group(P＜0.05).After 12-months follow-up,1 was lost to followvup in study group and 2 were lost to follow-up in control group.The Har-ris scores and Berg balance scale(BBS),pace,stride frequency and single step length in the study group were higher than those in the control group at 3 months and 6 months after operation(P＜0.05);there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the indexes 12 months after operation(P＞0.05).The vertical distance of the center of rotation of the study group was greater than that of the control group 12 months after operation(P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference in the length difference of the lower limbs,the horizontal distance of the center of rotation,and the femoral eccentricity between two groups(P＞0.05).There were no complications in either group.Conclusion The long-term effects of TH A in patients with DDH and severe HO A were similar between the two central hip reconstruction methods,and the safety was good,and the high hip central reconstruction technique could shorten the operation time and reduce the amount of intraoperative blood loss.At the same time,it has certain advantages in early recovery of hip joint function,balance function and walking function of patients.

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the efficacy of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects who were previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extended or switched TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated based on virological, serological, biological parameters, and fibrosis staging. Statistical analysis was performed using the McNemar test, t-test, or Log-Rank test according to the data. Results:593 subjects from the initial TMF group and 287 subjects from the TDF group were included at week 144, with the proportions of HBV DNA<20 IU/ml at week 144 being 86.2% and 83.3%, respectively, and 78.1% and 73.8% in patients with baseline HBV DNA levels ≥8 log10 IU/ml. Resistance to tenofovir was not detected in both groups. For HBeAg loss and seroconversion rates, both groups showed a further increase from week 96 to 144 and the 3-year cumulative rates of HBeAg loss were about 35% in each group. However, HBsAg levels were less affected during 96 to 144 weeks. For patients switched from TDF to TMF, a substantial further increase in the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization rate was observed (11.4%), along with improved FIB-4 scores.Conclusion:After 144 weeks of TMF treatment, CHB patients achieved high rates of virological, serological, and biochemical responses, as well as improved liver fibrosis outcomes. Also, switching to TMF resulted in significant benefits in ALT normalization rates (NCT03903796).

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the safety profile of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects that previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extending or switching TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Safety profiles of kidney, bone, metabolism, body weight, and others were evaluated.Results:666 subjects from the initial TMF group and 336 subjects from TDF group with at least one dose of assigned treatment were included at week 144. The overall safety profile was favorable in each group and generally similar between extended or switched TMF treatments from week 96 to 144. In subjects switching from TDF to TMF, the non-indexed estimated glomerular filtration rate (by non-indexed CKD-EPI formula) and creatinine clearance (by Cockcroft-Gault formula) were both increased, which were (2.31±8.33) ml/min and (4.24±13.94) ml/min, respectively. These changes were also higher than those in subjects with extending TMF treatment [(0.91±8.06) ml/min and (1.30±13.94) ml/min]. Meanwhile, switching to TMF also led to an increase of the bone mineral density (BMD) by 0.75% in hip and 1.41% in spine. On the other side, a slight change in TC/HDL ratio by 0.16 (IQR: 0.00, 0.43) and an increase in body mass index (BMI) by (0.54±0.98) kg/m 2 were oberved with patients switched to TMF, which were significantly higher than that in TMF group. Conclusion:CHB patients receiving 144 weeks of TMF treatment showed favorable safety profile. After switching to TMF, the bone and renal safety was significantly improved in TDF group, though experienceing change in metabolic parameters and weight gain (NCT03903796).

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have faced many professional and ethical dilemmas and challenges along with bearing physical, mental, and emotional stress resulting from worrying about themselves or their family being infected and stigmatized. This stress can potentially lead to burnout and resignation. Professional resilience is crucial for nurses to cope with these adverse situations. This study aimed to investigate the process by which nurses adapt, change, and overcome challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately demonstrate professional resilience. Methods: Descriptive phenomenology was applied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 nurses working in COVID-19 wards and intensive care units to collect data. Giorgi's phenomenological analysis method was employed. Results: Based on the interview responses, four major themes were identified: 1) balancing patient care, self-protection, and passing on experience; 2) providing timely pandemic team resources and social support; 3) nurses' perseverance amid social discourse and constrained lives; and 4) selfless dedication shaping nursing's pinnacle experiences. Conclusions In the face of a sudden pandemic, frontline nurses play a critical role in maintaining medical capacity. Consequently, they must balance their families, lives, and work while adapting to the impact of the pandemic and changing practices and procedures based on the development of the pandemic and policy demands. The study findings provide insights into the challenges and emotional experiences encountered by nurses during a sudden pandemic outbreak and can serve as a reference for developing strategies to help nurses overcome these challenges and enhance their professional resilience.

Purpose: The risk stratification of pediatric anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) has not been standardized. In this study, new risk factors were included to establish a new risk stratification system for ALCL, and its feasibility in clinical practice was explored. Materials and Methods: On the basis of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Berlin–Frankfurt–Munster 95 (NHL-BFM-95) protocol, patients with minimal disseminated disease (MDD), high-risk tumor site (multiple bone, skin, liver, and lung involvement), and small cell/lymphohistiocytic (SC/LH) pathological subtype were enrolled in risk stratification. Patients were treated with a modified NHL-BFM-95 protocol combined with an anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor or vinblastine (VBL). Results: A total of 136 patients were enrolled in this study. The median age was 8.8 years. The 3-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival of the entire cohort were 77.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 69.0% to 83.9%) and 92.3% (95% CI, 86.1% to 95.8%), respectively. The 3-year EFS rates of low-risk group (R1), intermediate-risk group (R2), and high-risk group (R3) patients were 100%, 89.5% (95% CI, 76.5% to 95.5%), and 67.9% (95% CI, 55.4% to 77.6%), respectively. The prognosis of patients with MDD (+), stage IV cancer, SC/LH lymphoma, and high-risk sites was poor, and the 3-year EFS rates were 45.3% (95% CI, 68.6% to 19.0%), 65.7% (95% CI, 47.6% to 78.9%), 55.7% (95% CI, 26.2% to 77.5%), and 70.7% (95% CI, 48.6% to 84.6%), respectively. At the end of follow-up, one of the five patients who received maintenance therapy with VBL relapsed, and seven patients receiving anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor maintenance therapy did not experience relapse. Conclusion This study has confirmed the poor prognostic of MDD (+), high-risk site and SC/LH, but patients with SC/LH lymphoma and MDD (+) at diagnosis still need to receive better treatment (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03971305).

Objective: To investigate the outcomes including major complications and prognosis of extremely preterm infants with gestational age ≤25⁺⁶ weeks. Methods: The cross-sectional study enrolled 233 extremely preterm infants with gestational age ≤25⁺⁶ weeks who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology of Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital from January 2015 to December 2021. The clinical data including perinatal factors, treatments, complications, and prognosis were extracted and analyzed. These extremely preterm infants were also grouped according to gestational age and year of admission to further analyze their survival rate, major complications, causes of death, and long-term outcomes. The comparisons between the groups were performed with Chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis. Results: Among these 233 extremely preterm infants, 134 (57.5%) were males and 99 (42.5%) females. The gestational age was (24.6±0.9) weeks, the birth weight was 710.0 (605.0,784.5) g, and the overall survival rate was 61.8% (144/233). Among the surviving extremely preterm infants, the earliest gestational age was 22⁺² weeks and the lowest birth weight was 390 g. There were 17.6% (41/233) of extremely preterm infants had treatment withdrawn and were discharged in line with the will of guardians. Among the rest 192 extremely preterm infants managed with aggressive treatments, 14 (7.3%) died in hospital and 34 (17.7%) had treatment withdrawn later due to severe complications. Of the 192 extremely preterm infants, 144 (75.0%) survived, and the survival rate increased year by year (χ²=26.28, P<0.001) while the mortality decreased year by year (χ²=14.09, P=0.027). Among the survivors, 20.8%(30/144) had no major complications, and the incidence of complications was also negatively related with the gestational age (χ²=7.24, P=0.044), and the length of invasive ventilation was negatively related to the gestational age (χ²=29.14, P<0.001). In the group of less than 23⁺⁶ weeks, all extremely preterm infants had one or more major complications. The follow-up were completed in 122 infants and revealed that delayed motor development, language retardation, and hearing and vision impairment accounted for 17.2% (21/122), 8.2% (10/122) and 17.2% (21/122), respectively. Conclusions: Extremely preterm infants with gestational age ≤25⁺⁶ weeks are difficult to treat, but the survival rate of infants undergoing aggressive treatments increases year by year. Although the prevalence of major complications is still high, most extremely preterm infants have acceptable prognosis during follow-up.
Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Birth Weight ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Gestational Age ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies