Extensive studies have identified potential adverse effects on semen quality of obesity, based on body mass index, but the association between body fat distribution, a more relevant indicator for obesity, and semen quality remains less clear. We conducted a longitudinal study of 4304 sperm donors from the Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank (Guangzhou, China) during 2017-2021. A body composition analyzer was used to measure total and local body fat percentage for each participant. Generalized estimating equations were employed to assess the association between body fat percentage and sperm count, motility, and morphology. We estimated that each 10% increase in total body fat percentage (estimated change [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]) was significantly associated with a 0.18 × 10 6 (0.09 × 10 6 -0.27 × 10 6 ) ml and 12.21 × 10 6 (4.52 × 10 6 -19.91 × 10 6 ) reduction in semen volume and total sperm count, respectively. Categorical analyses and exposure-response curves showed that the association of body fat distribution with semen volume and total sperm count was stronger at higher body fat percentages. In addition, the association still held among normal weight and overweight participants. We observed similar associations for upper limb, trunk, and lower limb body fact distributions. In conclusion, we found that a higher body fat distribution was significantly associated with lower semen quality (especially semen volume) even in men with a normal weight. These findings provide useful clues in exploring body fat as a risk factor for semen quality decline and add to evidence for improving semen quality for those who are expected to conceive.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; China ; Body Fat Distribution ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Body Mass Index ; Tissue Donors ; Obesity/complications* ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People

Extensive epigenetic reprogramming involves in memory CD8+ T-cell differentiation. The elaborate epigenetic rewiring underlying the heterogeneous functional states of CD8+ T cells remains hidden. Here, we profile single-cell chromatin accessibility and map enhancer-promoter interactomes to characterize the differentiation trajectory of memory CD8+ T cells. We reveal that under distinct epigenetic regulations, the early activated CD8+ T cells divergently originated for short-lived effector and memory precursor effector cells. We also uncover a defined epigenetic rewiring leading to the conversion from effector memory to central memory cells during memory formation. Additionally, we illustrate chromatin regulatory mechanisms underlying long-lasting versus transient transcription regulation during memory differentiation. Finally, we confirm the essential roles of Sox4 and Nrf2 in developing memory precursor effector and effector memory cells, respectively, and validate cell state-specific enhancers in regulating Il7r using CRISPR-Cas9. Our data pave the way for understanding the mechanism underlying epigenetic memory formation in CD8+ T-cell differentiation.
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism* ; Cell Differentiation ; Chromatin/immunology* ; Animals ; Mice ; Immunologic Memory ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; SOXC Transcription Factors/immunology* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Enhancer Elements, Genetic

Ethanol detection plays an important role in food industry,environmental monitoring,medical health monitoring,prevention of drunk driving,etc.The development of low-cost,high-performance ethanol sensors has important application value.In this study,a ZnO/FeS nano heterojunction ethanol sensor was prepared on commercial ceramic silver electrode substrate.The sensing characteristics of the sensor for ethanol gas were systematically studied.The results showed that ZnO had a nanowire structure,and the FeS was coated on the ZnO nanowire in the form of nanosheets.The sensor performed well for ethanol detection in environments with relative humidity ranging from 30%to 60%,with a detection range from 0.2 mg/m3 to 50 mg/m3.At the optimum operating temperature of 300℃,the response of ZnO/FeS nano heterojunction sensor to 50 mg/m3 ethanol was 15.6,the response time was 5.0 s,and the detection limit was as low as 0.101 mg/m3,which was obviously better than that of commercial ethanol sensor.This sensor was highly selective for ethanol compared to other gases such as CO,NH3,acetone,etc,and could steadily work for 30 days.The fabricated sensor had good development potential in the field of low-cost and high-performance ethanol gas detection.

Humans ; Consensus ; Hypersensitivity ; Desensitization, Immunologic/adverse effects* ; Immunotherapy/adverse effects* ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Allergens

AIM: To evaluate the necessity of slit-lamp biomicroscopy(referred to here as “slit-lamp”)training from the student's perspective and reach a consensus on slit-lamp training in medical students during ophthalmology clerkship.METHODS: A controlled before-after clerkship study was performed on 117 students of the class of 2017 enrolled in clinical medicine at Sun Yat-sen University. All medical students underwent slit-lamp training during ophthalmology clerkship. We evaluated the students' cognition, perceived need and recommendations for slit-lamp teaching, using a self-completed questionnaire survey and compared the students' scores in these aspects before and after their ophthalmology clerkships. Additionally, the efficiency of slit-lamp training was evaluated by subjective student assessment after the ophthalmology clerkship. Each item was scored on a five-point Likert Scale. Statistical analysis was performed by IBM SPSS(Version 20.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).RESULTS: A total of 116(99.1%)medical students completed the survey. The average score before clerkship was 19.99±3.03, which indicated a high level of cognition regarding slit-lamp utility; However, this score significantly increased to 22.97±2.37 after clerkship(P<0.001). The average score regarding perceived need was also higher for post-clerkship students than for pre-clerkship students(24.62±3.15 vs. 23.60±2.36, P=0.009). Moreover, 86.2% of post-clerkship students reported that hands-on slit-lamp practice could help promote clerkship quality. More than three-quarters of the surveyed students tended to agree that slit-lamp practice time should be increased(76.7% and 77.6% before and after clerkship, respectively).CONCLUSION: A hands-on approach to slit-lamp training is more favored by medical students in ophthalmology clerkships, and this training should be recommended in ophthalmology clerkships given its potential usefulness for improving clerkship quality.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.06.009.].

ObjectiveTo discuss the origin of rare abnormal karyotypes of fetuses with high risk of trisomy 18 revealed by non-invasive prenatal testing （NIPT） and its impact on fertility. MethodsThe cytogenetic and molecular genetic analyses were performed on the abnormal chromosomes of a prenatally diagnosed fetus with rare complete translocation trisomy 18. Using the keywords “translocation trisomy 18” or “trisomy 18 translocation” in both Chinese and English， we searched PubMed， CNKI， SinoMed， WanFang Data， CQ VIP and the Chinese Medicine database. The relevant case series were retrieved and critically appraised. ResultsG-banded karyotype analysis showed that the maternal karyotype was 46，XX，t（9；18）（q31.2；q23） and the fetal karyotype was 47， XN， t （9； 18） （q31.2；q23）mat， +18， which was a rare complete translocation type of trisomy 18. The SNP array revealed the fetus had increased copy number of chromosome 18 and two complete chromosome 18 inherited from the mother with balanced chromosomal translocation. Literature search found two children with complete translocation trisomy 18 reported abroad. Both of them had trisomy 18 phenotype and originated from the balanced translocation between parental chromosome 18 and other chromosomes. ConclusionNIPT gives an effective advance warning of trisomy 18. SNP array not only improves the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities， but also helps identify the origin. The karyotype is still the gold standard for prenatal diagnosis.

This study aims to develop a rapid and convenient test card for simultaneous detection of influenza A and influenza B viruses using quantum dot-based immunochromatographic assay. The test card consists of a test strip and a plastic casing. The test strip is composed of absorbent paper, a buffer pad, nitrocellulose membrane (NC membrane), sample pad, quantum dot-labeled antibody pad, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) board. The NC membrane is coated with mouse monoclonal antibodies against influenza A and influenza B viruses for the T lines (test lines), and reference proteins A and B for the C line (control line). The quantum dot-labeled antibody pad contains mouse monoclonal antibody-quantum dot conjugates against influenza A and influenza B viruses. The results showed that the detection limit of the test card for both viruses ranged from 1.51 ×10² to 2.71×10³ TCID50/ml, indicating its sensitivity for accurate detection of influenza A and influenza B viruses without being affected by various variants. The test card exhibited specific reactions with different subtypes of influenza A and influenza B virus culture fluids and showed no cross-reactivity with adenovirus, novel coronavirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus, Staphylococcus aureus, and other pathogens. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of the test card for simultaneous detection of influenza A and influenza B viruses meet the requirements for clinical use. It offers the advantages of simplicity, rapidity, and no requirement for special equipment, enabling quick auxiliary diagnosis to prevent disease transmission.
Animals ; Mice ; Humans ; Influenza, Human/diagnosis* ; Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine ; COVID-19 ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Influenza B virus

This study aims to develop a rapid and convenient test card for simultaneous detection of influenza A and influenza B viruses using quantum dot-based immunochromatographic assay. The test card consists of a test strip and a plastic casing. The test strip is composed of absorbent paper, a buffer pad, nitrocellulose membrane (NC membrane), sample pad, quantum dot-labeled antibody pad, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) board. The NC membrane is coated with mouse monoclonal antibodies against influenza A and influenza B viruses for the T lines (test lines), and reference proteins A and B for the C line (control line). The quantum dot-labeled antibody pad contains mouse monoclonal antibody-quantum dot conjugates against influenza A and influenza B viruses. The results showed that the detection limit of the test card for both viruses ranged from 1.51 ×10² to 2.71×10³ TCID50/ml, indicating its sensitivity for accurate detection of influenza A and influenza B viruses without being affected by various variants. The test card exhibited specific reactions with different subtypes of influenza A and influenza B virus culture fluids and showed no cross-reactivity with adenovirus, novel coronavirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus, Staphylococcus aureus, and other pathogens. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of the test card for simultaneous detection of influenza A and influenza B viruses meet the requirements for clinical use. It offers the advantages of simplicity, rapidity, and no requirement for special equipment, enabling quick auxiliary diagnosis to prevent disease transmission.
Animals ; Mice ; Humans ; Influenza, Human/diagnosis* ; Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine ; COVID-19 ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Influenza B virus

The poor prognosis of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) results from a lack of approved targeted therapies coupled with aggressive proliferation and metastasis, which is associated with high recurrence and short overall survival. Here we developed a strategy by employing tumor-targeted self-assembled nanoparticles to coordinately regulate BACH1 (BTB domain and CNC homology 1) and mitochondrial metabolism. The BACH1 inhibitor hemin and mitochondria function inhibitor berberine derivative (BD) were used to prepare nanoparticles (BH NPs) followed by the modification of chondroitin sulfate (CS) on the surface of BH NPs to achieve tumor targeting (CS/BH NPs). CS/BH NPs were found to be able to inhibit tumor migration and invasion by significantly decreasing the amounts of tumor cell metabolites, glycolysis and metastasis-associated proteins, which were related to the inhibition of BACH1 function. Meanwhile, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, activated caspase 3/9 and increased ROS production demonstrated coordinated regulation of BACH1 and mitochondrial metabolism. In a xenograft mice model of breast cancer, CS/BH NPs significantly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis due to the synergetic effect of hemin and BD without showing obvious toxicities for major organs. In sum, the results of efficacy and safety experiments suggest potential clinical significance of the prepared self-assembled CS/BH nanoparticles for the treatment of TNBC.