Since the birth of the first "test-tube baby" in Chinese mainland in 1988, assisted reproductive technology (ART) in China has matured significantly. The number of ART cycles has surpassed one million, and the number of assisted reproductive institutions and practitioners has attained a significant scale, contributing to the establishment of a fertility-friendly society. However, due to the complexity of the ART process, the diversity of personnel backgrounds, and the profound impact of any error that may occur, there is an urgent need to establish an efficient and effective safety management model for error prevention. This paper aims to outline the key processes and steps involved in the implementation of ART, explore control measures for these critical processes, and delve into error prevention strategies for gamete and embryo laboratories through the creation and utilization of a "gamete safety checklist".

In recent years， the number of special clinical cases related to assisted reproductive technology （ART） for pregnancy has been on the rise annually. For example， gamete donation， assisted reproduction for couples of advanced maternal ages， and the ownership and disposition of embryos when one or both partners pass away， all involve the health of offspring and conflicts of interest in the implementation of ART. Although China’s ethical principles for ART include the protection of the offspring， the detailed rules are vague and urgently need to be supplemented and improved. In addition， the clinical application of ART lacks legislative collaborative governance. The corresponding administrative departments， practitioners， and infertile couples should work together. Starting from the perspective of focusing on the well-being of offspring born from the clinical application of ART， while conducting clinical research to address technical challenges， efforts should be made to overcome ethical dilemmas in the application of technology， comprehensively consider the well-being of offspring born from assisted reproductive treatments and help them seek the best care to promote their healthy growth.

Since the birth of the first "test-tube baby" in Chinese mainland in 1988, assisted reproductive technology (ART) in China has matured significantly. The number of ART cycles has surpassed one million, and the number of assisted reproductive institutions and practitioners has attained a significant scale, contributing to the establishment of a fertility-friendly society. However, due to the complexity of the ART process, the diversity of personnel backgrounds, and the profound impact of any error that may occur, there is an urgent need to establish an efficient and effective safety management model for error prevention. This paper aims to outline the key processes and steps involved in the implementation of ART, explore control measures for these critical processes, and delve into error prevention strategies for gamete and embryo laboratories through the creation and utilization of a "gamete safety checklist".

Amyloidosis is a rare disease.This paper reports a case of localized secondary hypopharyngeal amyloidosis presenting with pulmonary tuberculosis as the initial symptom.The patient lacked specific clinical manifestations and primarily exhibited symptoms such as cough,sputum production,acid reflux,belching,and abdominal pain.Chest CT indicated bronchiectasis with infection and pulmonary tuberculosis.Digestive endoscopy revealed a white mucosal elevation at the right pyriform sinus of the hypopharynx.Pathological diagnosis confirmed amyloid deposits in the hypopharyngeal mucosal tissue.The patient tested positive for anti-amyloid A antibodies,Congo red staining(+),and periodate Schiff staining(+).Amyloidosis commonly affects the digestive system and may have various etiologies,often presenting with symptoms that overlap with other digestive system diseases,leading to frequent misdiagnosis and missed optimal treatment opportunities.The hypopharynx,a highly folded and narrow chamber that serves as a common passage for the digestive and respiratory tracts,can be effectively evaluated for amyloidosis using digestive endoscopy.

Currently,human health due to corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has been seriously threatened.The coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)spike(S)protein plays a crucial role in virus transmission and several S-based therapeutic approaches have been approved for the treatment of COVID-19.However,the efficacy is compromised by the SARS-CoV-2 evolvement and mutation.Here we report the SARS-CoV-2 S protein receptor-binding domain(RBD)inhibitor licorice-saponin A3(A3)could widely inhibit RBD of SARS-CoV-2 variants,including Beta,Delta,and Omicron BA.1,XBB and BQ1.1.Furthermore,A3 could potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus in Vero E6 cells,with EC50 of 1.016 pM.The mechanism was related to binding with Y453 of RBD deter-mined by hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry(HDX-MS)analysis combined with quan-tum mechanics/molecular mechanics(QM/MM)simulations.Interestingly,phosphoproteomics analysis and multi fluorescent immunohistochemistry(mIHC)respectively indicated that A3 also inhibits host inflammation by directly modulating the JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)path-ways and rebalancing the corresponding immune dysregulation.This work supports A3 as a promising broad-spectrum small molecule drug candidate for COVID-19.

Objective:To investigate the incidence rate and development trend of birth defects in offspring after assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Beijing from 2010 to 2019.Methods:The institutions that carry out ART in Beijing were retrospectively investigated. The follow-up outcomes and the incidence of birth defects in a total of 389 978 ART treatment cycles were collected from 8 ART institutions between January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019.Results:There were 1 367 ART pregnancies with birth defects, and the overall incidence rate was 120.87/10 000. The most common anomalies were malformations of circulatory system. The annual increase in birth defects was slightly higher during the pregnancy loss cycles (108.36%) than during the delivery cycles (103.77%). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of birth defects between artificial insemination (123.15?) and in vitro fertilization technology (105.23? , P=0.097). Conclusion:In recent 10 years, the incidence rate of birth defects in offspring conceived by ART at 8 reproductive centers in Beijing showed an increasing trend. The implementation of the tertiary prevention strategy of birth defects should be further strengthened to reduce the number of newborns with birth defects.

Objective:To investigate the incidence rate and development trend of birth defects in offspring after assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Beijing from 2010 to 2019.Methods:The institutions that carry out ART in Beijing were retrospectively investigated. The follow-up outcomes and the incidence of birth defects in a total of 389 978 ART treatment cycles were collected from 8 ART institutions between January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019.Results:There were 1 367 ART pregnancies with birth defects, and the overall incidence rate was 120.87/10 000. The most common anomalies were malformations of circulatory system. The annual increase in birth defects was slightly higher during the pregnancy loss cycles (108.36%) than during the delivery cycles (103.77%). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of birth defects between artificial insemination (123.15?) and in vitro fertilization technology (105.23? , P=0.097). Conclusion:In recent 10 years, the incidence rate of birth defects in offspring conceived by ART at 8 reproductive centers in Beijing showed an increasing trend. The implementation of the tertiary prevention strategy of birth defects should be further strengthened to reduce the number of newborns with birth defects.

It is an urgent demand worldwide to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL^pro) and papain-like protease (PL^pro) are key targets to discover SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. After screening 12 Chinese herbal medicines and 125 compounds from licorice, we found that a popular natural product schaftoside inhibited 3CL^pro and PL^pro with IC₅₀ values of 1.73 ± 0.22 and 3.91 ± 0.19 μmol/L, respectively, and inhibited SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vero E6 cells with EC₅₀ of 11.83 ± 3.23 μmol/L. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analysis, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations, together with site-directed mutagenesis indicated the antiviral activities of schaftoside were related with non-covalent interactions with H41, G143 and R188 of 3CL^pro, and K157, E167 and A246 of PL^pro. Moreover, proteomics analysis and cytokine assay revealed that schaftoside also regulated immune response and inflammation of the host cells. The anti-inflammatory activities of schaftoside were confirmed on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury mice. Schaftoside showed good safety and pharmacokinetic property, and could be a promising drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Objective:To explore the impacts of COVID-19 outbreaking on assisted reproductive technology (ART) services in Beijing, besides the tips of quality control points and treatment plans for future.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the situation of ART in 12 organizations in Beijing during January 1 to April 30, 2019 and 2020.Results:From January to April of 2020, the total outpatient volume of 12 ART centers in Beijing decreased by 54.4%, compared with the same period of 2019. The clinical pregnancy rates were 11.7%, 20.5%, 38.4% and 45.9% for artificial insemination by husband, artificial insemination by donor semen, fresh embryo transfer and thawed embryo transfer, respectively, which showed no statistical difference from January to April 2019 (11.6%, 23.1%, 40.3%, 46.0%) ( P=0.971, P=0.469, P=0.195 and P=0.881). Conclusion:Under the influence of COVID-19, ART services were decreased in Beijing, while the quality remained stable. The quality control could be organized hierarchically for different situations, and extending to choose more efficient treatment programs to control the risk of infection for patients during the "new normal" period of COVID-19.

Objective:To explore the impacts of COVID-19 outbreaking on assisted reproductive technology (ART) services in Beijing, besides the tips of quality control points and treatment plans for future.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the situation of ART in 12 organizations in Beijing during January 1 to April 30, 2019 and 2020.Results:From January to April of 2020, the total outpatient volume of 12 ART centers in Beijing decreased by 54.4%, compared with the same period of 2019. The clinical pregnancy rates were 11.7%, 20.5%, 38.4% and 45.9% for artificial insemination by husband, artificial insemination by donor semen, fresh embryo transfer and thawed embryo transfer, respectively, which showed no statistical difference from January to April 2019 (11.6%, 23.1%, 40.3%, 46.0%) ( P=0.971, P=0.469, P=0.195 and P=0.881). Conclusion:Under the influence of COVID-19, ART services were decreased in Beijing, while the quality remained stable. The quality control could be organized hierarchically for different situations, and extending to choose more efficient treatment programs to control the risk of infection for patients during the "new normal" period of COVID-19.