BACKGROUND:Reducing the rate of abnormal fertilization is an effective approach to improving the efficacy of in vitro fertilization and reducing patients'financial strain.However,the current research on abnormal fertilization has focused on exploring the types of prokaryotic nuclei and their generation mechanisms,as well as analyzing embryos formed by abnormal fertilization,chromosomal ploidy and utilization value.There is a lack of clinical prediction models for abnormal fertilization based on retrospective studies. OBJECTIVE:To construct a nomogram model to predict abnormal female factors in in vitro fertilization. METHODS:A total of 5 075 patients undergoing treatment for conventional in vitro fertilization at Nanxishan Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from March 2017 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The male confounders were calibrated on a 1:1 propensity score with a match tolerance of 0.02,and 1 672 cases were successfully matched.According to the Vienna Consensus,patients with≥60%normal fertilization capacity were included in the normal fertilization group(n=836)and those with<60%normal fertilization capacity were included in the abnormal fertilization group(n=836).The model and validation groups were obtained by random sampling at a ratio of 7:3.Factors related to the occurrence of abnormal fertilization following conventional in vitro fertilization in the model group were screened using univariate analysis and the best matching factors were selected using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator(LASSO)and included in a multifactorial forward stepwise Logistic regression to identify their independent influencing factors and plot a nomogram.Finally,the prediction model was validated for discrimination,accuracy and clinical application efficacy using receiver operating characteristic curves,calibration curves,clinical decision curves and clinical impact curves. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The univariate analysis indicated the factors influencing the occurrence of abnormal fertilization were age,controlled ovarian hyperstimulation protocol,number of assisted pregnancies,years of infertility,infertility factors,anti-mullerian hormone,sinus follicle count,basal luteinizing hormone,luteinizing hormone concentration on the human chorionic gonadotropin day,and estradiol level on human chorionic gonadotropin injection day(P<0.05).LASSO regression further identified the best matching factors,including age,microstimulation protocol,number of assisted pregnancies,years of infertility,anti-mullerian hormone,luteinizing hormone level on human chorionic gonadotropin injection day,and estradiol level on human chorionic gonadotropin injection day(P<0.05).Multifactorial forward stepwise Logistic regression results showed that age,microstimulation protocol,number of assisted conceptions,years of infertility,anti-mullerian hormone,and estradiol level on human chorionic gonadotropin injection day were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of abnormal fertilization following conventional in vitro fertilization.The receiver operating characteristic curves showed an area under the curve of 0.761(0.746,0.777)for the model group and 0.767(0.733,0.801)for the validation group,indicating that the model has good discrimination.The mean absolute error of the calibration curve was 0.044,and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated that there was no significant difference between the predicted probability of abnormal fertilization and the actual probability of abnormal fertilization(P>0.05),indicating the prediction model has good consistency and accuracy.The clinical decision curves and clinical impact curves showed that the model and validation groups had the maximum net clinical benefit at valve probability values of 0.00-0.52 and 0.00-0.48,respectively,and there was a good clinical application efficacy in this valve probability range.To conclude,the nomogram model has good discrimination and accuracy as well as clinical application efficacy for predicting the occurrence of abnormal fertilization in women undergoing conventional in vitro fertilization based on age,microstimulation protocol,number of assisted conceptions,years of infertility,anti-mullerian hormone,and estradiol level on human chorionic gonadotropin injection day.

Objective:To evaluated the clinical efficacy of a reduced-intensity preconditioning regimen for single non-blood-related umbilical cord blood transplantation (sUCBT) in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) .Methods:The clinical data of 63 patients with SAA who underwent sUCBT from January 2021 to July 2023 at the Department of Hematology of the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty-two patients received total body irradiation/total bone marrow irradiation (TMI) combined with fludarabine or a cyclophosphamide- conditioning regimen (non-rATG group) , while 11 patients received rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin (rATG) combined with TMI, fludarabine, or the cyclophosphamide-conditioning regimen (rATG group) . All patients received cyclosporine A and mycophenolate mofetil for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Complications post-transplantation and long-term survival were compared between the two groups.Results:The baseline parameters were balanced between the two groups ( P>0.05) . In the rATG group, all patients achieved stem cell engraftment, and in the non-rATG group, five patients had primary graft failure. There was no significant difference in the cumulative incidence of neutrophil engraftment at 42 days after transplantation or platelet engraftment at 60 days between the two groups. The incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute GVHD in the rATG group was significantly lower than in the non-rATG group (10.0% vs. 46.2% , P=0.032) , and the differences in the cumulative incidences of grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ acute GVHD and 1-year chronic GVHD were not statistically significant ( P=0.367 and P=0.053, respectively) . There were no significant differences in the incidences of pre-engraftment syndrome, bacterial bloodstream infections, cytomegalovirus viremia, or hemorrhagic cystitis between the two groups ( P>0.05 for all) . The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 536 (61-993) days, and the 1-year transplantation related mortality (TRM) of all patients after transplantation was 13.0% (95% CI 6.7% -24.3% ) . Among the patients in the non-rATG and rATG groups, 15.5% (95% CI 8.1% -28.6% ) and 0% ( P=0.189) , respectively, had mutations. The 1-year overall survival (OS) rate of all patients after transplantation was 87.0% (95% CI 75.7% -93.3% ) . The 1-year OS rates in the rATG group and non-rATG group after transplantation were 100% and 84.5% , respectively (95% CI 71.4% -91.9% ) ( P=0.198) . Conclusion:The preliminary results of sUCBT with a low-dose irradiation-based reduced-intensity conditioning regimen with fludarabine/cyclophosphamide for the treatment of patients with SAA showed good efficacy. Early application of low-dose rATG can reduce the incidence of acute GVHD after transplantation without increasing the risk of implantation failure or infection.

Objective To investigate the effects of doublecortin-like kinase 1(DCLK1)on the malignant biological behaviors,such as proliferation,migration,and invasion,of A549 cell line and their corresponding mechanisms.Methods DCLK1-overexpressing A549 cell lines were established through lentiviral infection,and DCLK1 expression was validated by using RT-PCR and Western blot analysis.Proliferation ability was assessed with CCK-8 and plate cloning assays,and migration and invasion abilities were examined with Transwell assays.The pathway regulated by DCLK1 in lung adenocarcinoma was analyzed on the basis of the TCGA lung adenocarcinoma cohort with pathway enrichment analysis and verified through Western blot analysis.Results DCLK1 overexpression in A549 cells promoted cell proliferation,migration,and invasion.The inhibition of the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway impaired the DCLK1-mediated malignant behavior of A549 cells.Conclusion DCLK1 promotes the malignant behavior of A549 cells through the activation of the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Background::Previous studies have reported associations of specific maternal and paternal lifestyle factors with offspring’s cognitive development during early childhood. This study aimed to investigate the prospective associations between overall parental lifestyle and offspring’s cognitive performance during adolescence and young adulthood in China.Methods::We included 2531 adolescents aged 10-15 years at baseline in 2010 from the China Family Panel Studies. A healthy parental lifestyle score (ranged 0-5) was constructed based on the following five modifiable lifestyle factors: Smoking, drinking, exercise, sleep, and diet. Generalized estimating equation models were used to examine the association between baseline parental healthy lifestyle scores and offspring’s fluid and crystallized intelligence in subsequent years (2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018).Results::Offspring in the top tertile of parental healthy lifestyle scores performed better in overall fluid intelligence (multivariable-adjusted β = 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.29-0.77) and overall crystallized intelligence (multivariable-adjusted β = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.16-0.54) than those in the bottom tertile of parental healthy lifestyle scores. The results were similar after further adjustment for the offspring’s healthy lifestyle scores and persisted across the subgroups of parental socioeconomic status. Additionally, maternal and paternal healthy lifestyle scores were independently associated with better offspring’s cognitive performance, with significant contribution observed for paternal never-smoking, weekly exercise, and diversified diet. When both parents and offspring adhered to a healthier lifestyle, we observed the highest level of the offspring’s overall crystallized intelligence. Conclusions::Our study indicates that parental adherence to a healthier lifestyle is associated with significantly better offspring’s cognitive performance during adolescence and early adulthood, regardless of socioeconomic status. These findings highlight the potential cognitive benefits of promoting healthy lifestyles among parents of adolescents.

Background::With an increasing number of patients with hematological malignancies being treated with umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT), the correlation between immune reconstitution (IR) after UCBT and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has been reported successively, but reports on double-negative T (DNT) cell reconstitution and its association with acute GVHD (aGVHD) after UCBT are lacking.Methods::A population-based observational study was conducted among 131 patients with hematological malignancies who underwent single-unit UCBT as their first transplant at the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, between August 2018 and June 2021. IR differences were compared between the patients with and without aGVHD.Results::The absolute number of DNT cells in the healthy Chinese population was 109 (70-157)/μL, accounting for 5.82 (3.98-8.19)% of lymphocytes. DNT cells showed delayed recovery and could not reach their normal levels even one year after transplantation. Importantly, the absolute number and percentage of DNT cells were significantly higher in UCBT patients without aGVHD than in those with aGVHD within one year ( F = 4.684, P = 0.039 and F = 5.583, P = 0.026, respectively). In addition, the number of DNT cells in the first month after transplantation decreased significantly with the degree of aGVHD increased, and faster DNT cell reconstitution in the first month after UCBT was an independent protective factor for aGVHD (HR = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.93; P = 0.031). Conclusions::Compared to the number of DNT cells in Chinese healthy people, the reconstitution of DNT cells in adults with hematological malignancies after UCBT was slow. In addition, the faster reconstitution of DNT cells in the early stage after transplantation was associated with a lower incidence of aGVHD.

Objective:To explore the correlation between subclavian artery stenosis disease (SASD) classification and posterior circulation ischemia.Methods:A retrospective study was performed; the clinical data, and Doppler vascular ultrasound and vascular imaging results of 81 SASD patients, admitted to Cerebrovascular Stenosis Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Second Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College and Department of Neurology, Rocket Force Specialty Medical Center from May 2018 to August 2023, were collected. SASD was categorized into 2 types (single type and concurrent type) based on the presence or absence of other posterior circulation artery (basilar artery, vertebral artery, or subclavian artery distal segment) stenosis/occlusion, and into 3 groups (non-posterior circulation ischemia group, posterior circulation transient ischemic attack group and posterior circulation cerebral infarction group) based on the presence or absence of posterior circulation ischemia. Blood stealing pathways in different SASD classifications were analyzed, and correlation of SASD classification with posterior circulation ischemia was discussed.Results:Single-type SASD was noted in 44 patients (54.3%), mainly initiating blood stealing through the vertebral artery to the vertebral artery and then to the subclavian artery ( n=26); concurrent-type SASD was noted in 37 patients (45.7%), mainly initiating blood stealing through the occipital artery to the costocervical trunk and then to the subclavian artery ( n=10). Sixty-five patients (80.2%) were into the non-posterior circulation ischemia group, 4 (4.9%) into the posterior circulation transient ischemic attack group and 12 (14.8%) into the posterior circulation cerebral infarction group. Among the 44 patients with single-type SASD, 39 did not have posterior circulation ischemia, and 3 had posterior circulation cerebral infarction. Among the 37 patients with concurrent-type SASD, 26 did not have posterior circulation ischemia, and 9 had posterior circulation cerebral infarction. Conclusion:Initiation of blood stealing in SASD patients is related to SASD classification, and concurrent-type SASD patients trend to have posterior circulation ischemia.

Objective:To investigate the complicated virus infection of infants with pertussis and its effect on the disease.Methods:From January 2019 to March 2020, a total of 100 hospitalized infants with pertussis were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Shantou University, nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for detection of ten pathogens including pertussis, namely respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), parainfluenza virus(PIV), bordetella pertussis (BP), human rhinovirus(HRV), human bocavirus(HBoV), human metapneumovirus(hMPV), influenza B virus (INF-B), adenovirus, influenza A virus and cytomegalovirus(CMV). According to the results of pathogen detection, all infants were divided into single detection group of BP(single detection group) and co-detection group of BP combined with viruses(co-detection group). The clinical data of the two groups were retrospectively analyzed and compared to explore the differences of clinical characteristics and its impact on the course of disease.Results:Among 100 cases, there were 54(54.0%) boys and 46(46.0%)girls.The age ranged from 28 days to 2 years and 5 months, with a median age of 3.5 months.Fifty-six cases were classified as single detection group, while 44 cases were included into co-detection group.Among infants in co-detection group, fourteen cases were co-infected with CMV(31.8%, 14/44), seven cases with HRV(15.9%, 7/44), seven cases with PIV(15.9%, 7/44), four cases with RSV(9.1%, 4/44), one case with hMPV(2.2%, 1/44), eight cases with CMV+ HRV(18.2%, 8/44), one case with HRV+ HBoV (2.2%, 1/44), one case with CMV+ PIV(2.2%, 1/44)and one case with CMV+ PIV+ INF-B(2.2%, 1/44). The number of infants in the single detection group who had cyanosis before treatment, requiring repiratory support, PICU admission, severe pneumonia or abnormal myocardial enzymes were higher than those in the co-detection group( P<0.05), while the months of age were lower than that in the co-detection group( P<0.05). When comparing the clinical characteristics of infants over three months of age, only the number of cases of combined cyanosis before treatment and the number of days in hospital were higher in the single detection group than those in the co-detection group ( P<0.05), no statistically significant differences were found in the other clinical characteristics between the two groups( P>0.05). Conclusion:The cases of infants requiring repiratory support, complicated with severe pneumonia or abnormal myocardial enzymes in the single detection group are higher than those in the co-detection group, which may be attributed to the small age of months.

Objective:To investigate the cognitive status of nurses at different levels of comprehensive hospitals in Zhuhai regarding dysphagia in the elderly and analyze its influencing factors.Methods:Using the convenient sampling method, a total of 554 nurses from departments with frequent dysphagia in 8 general hospitals in Zhuhai were selected as the research objects from June to July 2021. The Self-made General Data Questionnaire and Questionnaire of Nurses' Cognition of Dysphagia in the Elderly were used to investigate. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was used to analyze the factors influencing nurses' cognition of dysphagia in the elderly. A total of 554 questionnaires were collected in this study, of which 515 were valid, with an effective rate of 92.96%.Results:The total cognitive score of 515 elderly nurses with dysphagia was 94.64 (87.50, 100.00). Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that hospital level, frequency of dysphagia knowledge training, and initial education background of nurses were the influencing factors for nurses' cognition of dysphagia in the elderly ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The higher the hospital level, the more the training times and the higher the initial education background of nurses, the higher the cognition level of elderly patients with dysphagia.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an underdiagnosed genetic heart disease worldwide. The management and prognosis of obstructive HCM (HOCM) and non-obstructive HCM (HNCM) are quite different, but it also remains challenging to discriminate these two subtypes. HCM is characterized by dysmetabolism, and myocardial amino acid (AA) metabolism is robustly changed. The present study aimed to delineate plasma AA and derivatives profiles, and identify potential biomarkers for HCM. METHODS: Plasma samples from 166 participants, including 57 cases of HOCM, 52 cases of HNCM, and 57 normal controls (NCs), who first visited the International Cooperation Center for HCM, Xijing Hospital between December 2019 and September 2020, were collected and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based on targeted AA metabolomics. Three separate classification algorithms, including random forest, support vector machine, and logistic regression, were applied for the identification of specific AA and derivatives compositions for HCM and the development of screening models to discriminate HCM from NC as well as HOCM from HNCM. RESULTS: The univariate analysis showed that the serine, glycine, proline, citrulline, glutamine, cystine, creatinine, cysteine, choline, and aminoadipic acid levels in the HCM group were significantly different from those in the NC group. Four AAs and derivatives (Panel A; proline, glycine, cysteine, and choline) were screened out by multiple feature selection algorithms for discriminating HCM patients from NCs. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis in Panel A yielded an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.83 (0.75-0.91) in the training set and 0.79 (0.65-0.94) in the validation set. Moreover, among 10 AAs and derivatives (arginine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, proline, alanine, asparagine, creatine, tryptophan, ornithine, and choline) with statistical significance between HOCM and HNCM, 3 AAs (Panel B; arginine, proline, and ornithine) were selected to differentiate the two subgroups. The AUC values in the training and validation sets for Panel B were 0.83 (0.74-0.93) and 0.82 (0.66-0.98), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The plasma AA and derivatives profiles were distinct between the HCM and NC groups. Based on the differential profiles, the two established screening models have potential value in assisting HCM screening and identifying whether it is obstructive.
Humans ; Amino Acids ; Cysteine ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/diagnosis* ; Biomarkers ; Proline ; Arginine ; Ornithine ; Glycine ; Choline

Objective:To study the risk factors of very early recurrence (VER, within 3 months) after R 0 resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to establish a predictive model. Methods:Of 427 HCC patients [with 368 males, 59 females, aged (52.7±12.1) years] who developed early recurrence (within 2 years) after R 0 resection from January to December 2008 at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University were enrolled in the test cohort. Another 590 patients [with 525 males, 65 females, aged (54.7±11.0) years] who underwent R 0 resection from January to June 2009 were enrolled in the validation cohort. Risk factors were investigated and a predictive model was established. Results:In the test cohort, 126 patients (29.5%) developed VER and their survival outcomes were extremely poor. Serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) level >827 μg/L, multiple tumors, microvascular invasion (MVI) and tumor number were independent risk factors for VER. A new predictive model (0.809·AFP+ 1.262·tumor number+ 0.983·MVI) was established by logistic regression in predicting VER after surgery. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) in predicting VER was 0.722 (95% CI: 0.669-0.774, P<0.001). In the validation cohort, the AUC of this model was 0.785 (95% CI: 0.715-0.855, P<0.001). Conclusions:A high AFP level, multiple tumors, and MVI were independent risk factors for VER of HCC after R 0 resection. The prediction model consisting of these three factors demonstrated robustness and it has the potential in clinical application.