8 wt% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) powders are fabricated as high-temperature based materials via a solid-state reaction method and ground into spheres in this paper. Following that, 4 wt% ...Nickle (Ni), 4 wt% Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) and 4 wt% PHB (Polyphenyl ester) are added to 8YSZ for getting 8YSZ ceramic-based abradable seal powders (8YSZ CASp). Then, the 8YSZ CASp are sprayed on the stainless steel substrate with a NiCoCrAlY transition layer by an atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) technology. The phase structure, surface morphology and the cross-section topography of the fabricated are analyzed, the indentation hardness and nano-indentation test are conducted. The experiments of 8YSZ ceramic-based abradable seal coatings (8YSZ CASc) show that the deposition efficiency and porosity are respectively 78.5% and 21.8%, the bond strength is 4.6 MPa, the cycle number of thermal shock resistance is 37 times, those parameters prove that the fabricated 8YSZ CASc are promising abradable seal coatings.
After i.v injection, HSN/MTX/GA can preferentially distribute in inflamed joints, where GA and MTX can exert synergistic therapeutic effect, while in liver, GA can reverse the MTX-induced liver ...damage.
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Methotrexate (MTX) is recognized as the golden standard for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. However, it can cause liver damage in long-term application. Although nanomedicines can target to inflamed sites, most of them tend to accumulate in liver. Glycyrrhizinic acid (GA) holds potential to reverse MTX-associated hepatotoxicity. The combination of GA and MTX might achieve a synergistic anti-inflammatory efficacy and reduced hepatotoxicity. As MTX and GA have totally different in vivo performance, it is necessary to co-encapsulate them in one carrier to coordinate their in vivo fates. Here, we co-delivered MTX and GA to arthritic joints using a human serum albumin-based nanoparticle (HSN). We found the dual drug-loaded albumin nanoparticles (HSN/MTX/GA) could preferentially distribute in inflamed joints, where GA can extend MTX retention by inhibiting the expression of efflux pumps for MTX, thereby exerting synergistic therapeutic effect. In liver tissues, GA was able to reverse the MTX-induced liver damage by activating anti-oxidant defense Nrf2/HO-1 and anti-apoptosis Bcl-2/Bax signaling. We offer a combinational strategy to effectively overcome the MTX-induced hepatotoxicity and enhance the anti-rheumatic efficacy simultaneously. Furthermore, we verified the underlying mechanism about how GA cooperated with MTX in vivo for the first time. Our findings can provide valuable insights for long-term treatment of RA.
Abstract
Context
Progestins have recently been used as an alternative for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues to prevent premature luteinizing hormone surge due to the application of ...vitrification technology. However, the long-term efficacy and safety of a progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) regimen, including oocyte competence, cumulative live birth rate (LBR), and offspring outcomes, remain to be investigated.
Objective
To compare cumulative LBR of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) cycles between a PPOS regimen and GnRH analogues.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary academic medical center. A total of 967 patients with good prognosis were categorized into 3 groups, of which 478 patients received a long GnRH agonist, 248 patients received a GnRH antagonist, and 250 received a PPOS regimen. Medroxyprogesterone 17-acetate was the only progestin used in the PPOS regimen. The primary outcome was cumulative LBR. Secondary outcomes included time to live birth, cumulative rates of biochemical and clinical pregnancy and pregnancy loss, and perinatal outcomes.
Results
The PPOS regimen was negatively associated with cumulative LBR compared with GnRH antagonists and GnRH agonists (28.4% vs 40.7% and 42.7%). The average time to live birth was significantly shorter with GnRH antagonists than with the PPOS regimen. The cumulative biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates were also lower in the PPOS regimen than GnRH analogues, while cumulative pregnancy loss rates were similar across groups. Furthermore, the number and ratio of good-quality blastocysts were significantly reduced in the PPOS regimen compared with GnRH analogues. In addition, perinatal outcomes were comparable across 3 groups.
Conclusion
A PPOS regimen may be adversely affect cumulative LBR and blastocyst quality in women with good prognosis compared with GnRH analogues in PGT cycles.
To explore the mechanisms by which HFBI fusions increase recombinant fusion protein accumulation in plants.
The HFBI sequence from Trichoderma reesei was synthesized and two plant expression vectors ...for expression of green fluorescence protein (GFP) and GFP-HFBI were constructed. The vectors were inoculated in Nicotiana benthamiana plants through agroinfiltration, and the expression levels and mRNA accumulation levels of GFP in Nicotiana leaves were examined by Western blotting, ELISA and RT-PCR.
The HFBI fusion tag significantly enhanced the accumulation of GFP in the leaves of N. benthamiana without causing toxic effects. Endoplasmic reticulum-targeted GFP-HFBI fusion induced the formation of spherical protein particles in the plant cells.
HFBI fusions can increase the accumulation of its fusion partner in plants by forming stable protein particles, which probably shields the target protein from endogenous protease-induced degadation. HFBI fusion technology provides an alternative to improving recombinant p
This study aims to evaluate the effect of Nd:YAG laser therapy (NdLT) on postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus after mandibular third molar (M3) surgery. Three hundred patients were randomly ...divided into the Nd group (
n
= 100), medication group (
n
= 100), and Nd+medication (Nd+m) group (
n
= 100). The WHARFE classification system was used to assess surgical difficulty. After surgery, the Nd group was irradiated by the Nd:YAG laser in very long-pulsed mode (VLP, pulse duration 1 ms, 20 Hz, 4 W, R21-C3) in 6 regions of the extraction socket with a total energy of 300 J. For the medication group, dexamethasone 0.75 mg and loxoprofen 60 mg were prescribed immediately and every 12 h thereafter for 3 days. The Nd+m group received both treatments mentioned above. Pain assessment was performed at 6, 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively using the visual analog scale (VAS). Swelling was evaluated by changes in the distance from (1) the tragus to the labial commissure, (2) the tragus to the pogonion, and (3) the mandibular angle to the lateral canthus preoperatively and 72 h postoperatively. Trismus was assessed by the change in maximum mouth opening. Groups Nd and Nd+m had lower VAS scores at 6 h, 24 h, and 48 h (
F
= 13.80,
p
= 0.00), but the difference between the two groups was not significant (
F
= 1.34,
p
= 0.11). However, no significant difference was observed at 72 h (
p
= 0.10). There was no significant difference in swelling or trismus among the three groups (
p
> 0.05). NdLT is an effective approach to improve complications after M3 surgery.
•VOCs from strain ZL3 exhibited excellent antifungal activities.•The VOCs had potential against postharvest gray mold.•Twenty-three VOCs were detected by using SPME coupled with GC–MS.
Postharvest ...gray mold is the most devastating fungal disease, and could lead to enormous losses on Chinese cherry. To formulate an effective and environment friendly management strategy for postharvest gray mold, an endophytic bacterial strain ZL3 with excellent antifungal activity was screened by using dual culture method. Strain ZL3 was identified as Pseudomonas chlororaphis based on 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequence analysis. The maximum percent of mycelial growth inhibition (PGI) of VOCs to B. cinerea was up to 97.23% under the antifungal conditions (temperature of 31.96 °C, pH of 6.74 and glucose of 25.96 g/L) optimized by using Box-Behnken Design (BBD) of response surface method (RSM). The biological efficiency of VOCs was performed on cherry fruit at 0 °C for 21 d and 25 °C for 7 d. At 25 °C and 0 °C, the disease incidence reduced to 31.67% and 21.67%, whereas the lesion diameter decreased to 0.60 cm and 0.32 cm, respectively. Additionally, twenty-three VOCs, including 6 alkanes, 4 aldehydes and ketones, 4 alcohols, 4 alkenes, 3 acids & esters, 1 aromatic compound, and 1 sulfur compound, were detected by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). It is noticed that most VOCs, except for 1, 10-undecadiene and 1-dodecene, demonstrated significant differences among different collection time. The results of this work suggested that strain ZL3 could be used as a promising biocontrol agent to control postharvest gray mold on Chinese cherry.
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION
Is there an association between serum LH levels prior to progesterone administration and live birth rate (LBR) in artificial frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles?
...SUMMARY ANSWER
: Low serum LH levels on the day before progesterone initiation in artificial frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles of ovulatory women are associated with a lower LBR.
WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
In artificial FET cycles, exogenous oestrogen and progesterone are administered sequentially to mimic the serum hormone pattern similar to the natural cycle. In oestrogen-only phase, the supplemental oestrogen causes thickening of the endometrium and is sometimes accompanied by a rise in serum LH. However, whether the endogenous LH level in artificial FET cycles is related to clinical outcomes remains unclear.
STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
A retrospective cohort study including 3469 artificial frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles was conducted at a tertiary-care academic medical centre between February 2014 and January 2020.
PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
A total of 3469 frozen blastocyst transfer cycles were stratified into four groups based on the quartiles of serum LH level before progesterone initiation: <25th percentile (LH < 8.79 mIU/ml), 25–50th percentile (8.79 ≤ LH ≤ 13.91 mIU/ml), 51–75th percentile (13.91 < LH ≤ 20.75 mIU/ml) and >75th percentile (LH > 20.75 mIU/ml). The serum LH level >75th percentile group was considered as the reference group. Patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome or other ovulatory disorders were excluded from the study. We also excluded cycles with an endometrial thickness <7 mm before progesterone initiation and patients with intrauterine adhesions and uterine abnormalities. In order to avoid the interference of BMI, all patients were divided into two categories based on the overweight threshold: BMI <25 kg/m2 and ≥25 kg/m2, and the impacts of serum LH levels on LBR were investigated separately. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed to adjust for potential confounders. EmpowerStats software and R-project were used to build smooth curve fitting models.
MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Compared with the reference group, the implantation rate significantly decreased with low LH levels (<25th percentile) on the day before progesterone initiation (odds ratio OR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.64–0.86; P = 0.001). Accounting for major covariates, low LH levels were associated with a relatively lower LBR (adjusted OR = 0.649; 95% CI, 0.531–0.794; P < 0.001), mainly due to a lower implantation rate, lower clinical pregnancy rate and higher pregnancy loss rate. Moreover, in the patients with BMI <25 kg/m2, low LH was associated with a lower LBR (P < 0.001); while in the overweight subgroup, LBR and LH were not correlated (P = 0.823).
LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
The main limitation of this study is its retrospective design. Owing to the relatively small number in the overweight group, the results of the overweight subgroup should be interpreted with caution.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
The evidence provided in this study shows the importance of serum LH levels on the day before progesterone initiation in patients undergoing artificial FET cycles. Hypothalamic dysfunction may be one of the important causes of a relatively low LH, which is related to impaired pregnancy outcomes. Serum LH levels may be used as one of the clinical indicators to predict pregnancy outcomes.
STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
No funding and no competing interest were involved in this study.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NA.
Despite that gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist pretreatment has been widely used before programmed frozen-thawed transfer (FET), its impact on live birth rates in ovulatory women remains ...uncertain. In the present study, we aim to determine if GnRH agonists pretreatment before FET improves live birth rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization with FET. Programmed FET cycles conducted in four infertility centers were retrospectively collected and reviewed for eligibility from January 2016 and December 2017. Patient's demographics, ovarian stimulation parameters, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between those given GnRH agonist pretreatment versus no pretreatment in ovulatory women undergoing FET cycles. A total of 6397 programmed cycles were screened for eligibility, of which 5049 cycles were included in the study for analysis. Compared with the group of no GnRH agonist pretreatment (n = 4143), women in the GnRH agonist group (n = 906) were older (33.0 vs 34.0, P < .001), had a higher proportion of subjects with previous transfer attempts and had a higher number of embryos transferred. After controlling for confounders, the logistic regression results showed that GnRH agonist pretreatment did not increase the odds of both clinical pregnancy (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.70-1.20), ongoing pregnancy (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.69-1.19) and live birth rates (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.64-1.10). However, when restricted to women who had no previous transfer attempts, women in the GnRH pretreatment group had lower odds of achieving live birth (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.30-0.79). Sensitivity analysis performed in patients with male factor infertility causes showed GnRH agonist pretreated group had lower live birth rates compared to no GnRH agonist pretreatment group (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.43-0.97). Our findings suggested that GnRH agonist pretreatment does not bring additional benefits in live birth rate improvements for ovulatory women undergoing FET cycles. Therefore, the pros of using GnRH agonist to reduce premature ovulation should be weighed against the cons of prolonged time to pregnancy, discomforts resulting from pituitary suppression, and increased medical costs associated with GnRH agonist use.
To investigate the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway mediated invadsion of trophoblasts.
We established a human extravillous ...cytotrophoblasts in vitro invasion model. Different concentrations of herbimycin A(FAK inhibitor)and PD98059 (ERK inhibitor) were given to observe the influence on the growth of trophoblast cells, FAK, ERK phosphorylation, and trophoblast invasion abilities.
The expression of phosphorylated FAK in the extravillous cytotrophoblasts (EVCT) was inhibited by herbimycin A in a concentration-dependent manner and expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 was also partially reduced. PD98059 had no effect on the expression of phosphorylated FAK. Herbimycin A and PD98059 suppressed the in vitro invasion of EVCT to various degrees.
ERK signaling pathway may be the common pathway for many invasive signals,and play a key role in the regulation of trophoblast invasion.
Triadimefon, a type of triazole systemic fungicide, has been extensively used to control various fungal diseases. However, triadimefon could lead to severe environmental pollution, and even threatens ...human health. To eliminate triadimefon residues, a triadimefon-degrading bacterial strain TY18 was isolated from a long-term polluted site and was identified as Enterobacter hormaechei. Strain TY18 could grow well in a carbon salt medium with triadimefon as the sole nitrogen source, and could efficiently degrade triadimefon. Under triadimefon stress, a total of 430 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 197 up-regulated and 233 down-regulated DEGs, were identified in strain TY18 using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq). Functional classification and enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were mainly related to amino acid transport and metabolism, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, small molecule and pyrimidine metabolism. Interestingly, the DEGs encoding monooxygenase and hydrolase activity acting on carbon-nitrogen were highly up-regulated, might be mainly responsible for the metabolism in triadimefon. Our findings in this work suggest that strain E. hormaechei TY18 could efficiently degrade triadimefon for the first time. They provide a great potential to manage triadimefon biodegradation in the environment successfully.
