IVF laboratory management through workflow-based RFID tag witnessing and real-time information entry.

Background: Dual-person inspection in IVF laboratories cannot fully avoid mix-ups or embryo transfer errors, and data transcription or entry is time-consuming and redundant, often leading to delays in completing medical records.

Methods: This study introduced a workflow-based RFID tag witnessing and real-time information entry platform for addressing these challenges. To assess its potential in reducing mix-ups, we conducted a simulation experiment in semen preparation to analyze its error correction rate.

MEIKIN expression and its C-terminal phosphorylation by PLK1 is closely related the metaphase-anaphase transition by affecting cyclin B1 and Securin stabilization in meiotic oocyte.

Oocyte meiotic maturation failure and chromosome abnormality is one of the main causes of infertility, abortion, and diseases. The mono-orientation of sister chromatids during the first meiosis is important for ensuring accurate chromosome segregation in oocytes. MEIKIN is a germ cell-specific protein that can regulate the mono-orientation of sister chromatids and the protection of the centromeric cohesin complex during meiosis I.

Causal relationship between nutritional assessment phenotypes and heart failure: A Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: Malnutrition is strongly associated with heart failure (HF); however, the causal link remains unclear. We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to infer causal associations between different nutritional assessment phenotypes and HF and to analyze whether these associations were mediated by common HF risk factors.

Methods: Two-sample bidirectional MR was used to infer causal associations between nutritional assessment phenotypes and HF.

Typical clinical presentation of acute myocardial infarction and confusing coronary angiography: A case report and literature review of coronary embolism.

Rationale: The purpose of this article is to discuss the characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of cases of multiple coronary embolism (CE) highly suspected to be caused by a dislodged aneurysm of the ventricular membranous septum (AVMS) thrombus.

Patient Concerns: A 35-year-old man was rushed to the Chest Pain Center of Taicang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine for sudden onset of chest pain. The patient had severe and persistent chest pain without relief, accompanied by sweating throughout the body.

Bibliometric analysis of traditional Chinese medicine research on heart failure in the 21st century based on the WOS database.

Introduction: Heart Failure (HF) is a key area of research in human medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important branch of this field. This study aimed to use bibliometric methods to sort out the trajectory of TCM research on HF in this century (2000-2022) from a high dimension and to analyze its characteristics, hotspots and frontiers.

Methods: In this study, the search formula "TS=(("traditional Chinese medicine") OR ("Chinese medicine")) AND TS=("heart failure")" was used to find relevant studies included in the Web of Science Core Collection from 2000 to 2022.

Anti-Thymocyte Globulin (ATG)-Free Nonmyeloablative Haploidentical PBSCT Plus Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide Is a Safe and Efficient Treatment Approach for Pediatric Acquired Aplastic Anemia.

Most cases of acquired aplastic anemia (AA) arise from autoimmune destruction of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) plus post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is increasingly applied to salvage AA using bone marrow as graft and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) in conditioning. Herein, we characterize a cohort of twelve AA patients clinically and molecularly, six who possessed other immunological disorders (including two also carrying germline mutations).

Diabetic Uterine Environment Leads to Disorders in Metabolism of Offspring.

Aims: Research evidence indicates that epigenetic modifications of gametes in obese or diabetic parents may contribute to metabolic disorders in offspring. In the present study, we sought to address the effect of diabetic uterine environment on the offspring metabolism.

Methods: Type 2 diabetes mouse model was induced by high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ) administration.

Global profiling of RNA-binding protein target sites by LACE-seq.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have essential functions during germline and early embryo development. However, current methods are unable to identify the in vivo targets of a RBP in these low-abundance cells. Here, by coupling RBP-mediated reverse transcription termination with linear amplification of complementary DNA ends and sequencing, we present the LACE-seq method for identifying RBP-regulated RNA networks at or near the single-oocyte level.

PTHrP promotes development of mouse preimplantation embryos through the AKT/cyclin D1 pathway and nuclear translocation of HDAC4.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), the main cause of humoral hypercalcemia in malignancies, promotes cell proliferation and delays terminal cell maturation during embryonic development. Our previous study reported that PTHrP plays important roles in blastocyst formation, pluripotency gene expression, and histone acetylation during mouse preimplantation embryonic development. In this study, we further investigated the mechanism of preimplantation embryonic development regulated by PTHrP.

Effects of various calcium transporters on mitochondrial Ca changes and oocyte maturation.

Ca participates in many important cellular processes, but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood, especially during oocyte maturation. First, we confirmed that calcium in the culture medium was essential for oocyte maturation. Next, various inhibitors of Ca channels were applied to investigate their roles in mitochondrial Ca changes and oocyte maturation.

Nuclear and cytoplasmic quality of oocytes derived from serum-free culture of secondary follicles in vitro.

In vitro culture of follicles is a promising technology to generate large quantities of mature oocytes and it could offer a novel option of assisted reproductive technologies. Here we described a 2-dimensional follicular serum-free culture system with 3-dimensional effect that can make secondary follicles develop into antral follicles (78.52%), generating developmentally mature oocytes in vitro (66.

Effects of mitochondria-associated Ca transporters suppression on oocyte activation.

Oocyte activation deficiency leads to female infertility. [Ca ] oscillations are required for mitochondrial energy supplement transition from the resting to the excited state, but the underlying mechanisms are still very little known. Three mitochondrial Ca channels, Mitochondria Calcium Uniporter (MCU), Na /Ca Exchanger (NCLX) and Voltage-dependent Ca Channel (VDAC), were deactivated by inhibitors RU360, CGP37157 and Erastin, respectively.

Cell division cycle 23 is required for mouse oocyte meiotic maturation.

Precise regulation of chromosome segregation during oocyte meiosis is of vital importance to mammalian reproduction. Anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is reported to play an important role in metaphase-to-anaphase transition. Here we report that cell division cycle 23 (Cdc23, also known as APC8) plays a critical role in regulating the oocyte chromosome separation.

CENP-W regulates kinetochore-microtubule attachment and meiotic progression of mouse oocytes.

Oocyte meiotic maturation failure and unfaithful chromosome segregation are major causes for female infertility. Here, we showed that CENP-W, a relatively novel member of the kinetochore protein family, was expressed in mouse oocytes from the germinal vesicle (GV) to metaphase II (MII) stages. Confocal microscopy revealed that CENP-W was localized in the germinal vesicle in the GV stage, and then became concentrated on kinetochores during oocyte maturation.

Mechanistic insights into the reduced developmental capacity of in vitro matured oocytes and importance of cumulus cells in oocyte quality determination.

In vitro maturation of oocytes is a promising assisted reproductive technology (ART) for infertility treatment, although it is still not a routine technique for human ART due to reduced embryonic development. The aim of the present study was to clarify the possible reasons for reduced capacity of in vitro matured oocytes. Our results showed that the oocytes matured in vitro displayed increased abnormal mitochondrial distribution, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased reactive oxygen species levels when compared to in vivo matured oocytes.

Type 1 diabetes affects zona pellucida and genome methylation in oocytes and granulosa cells.

Diabetes affects oocyte nuclear and cytoplasmic quality. In this study, we generated a type 1 diabetes (T1D) mouse model by STZ injection to study the effects of T1D on zona pellucida and genomic DNA methylation of oocytes and granulosa cells. T1D mice showed fewer ovulated oocytes, reduced ovarian reserve, disrupted estrus cycle, and significantly ruptured zona pellucida in 2-cell in vivo embryos compared to controls.

Absence of mitochondrial DNA methylation in mouse oocyte maturation, aging and early embryo development.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is important for oxidative phosphorylation; dysfunctions can play a role in many mitochondrial diseases and can also affect the aging of cells and individuals. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that plays a critical role in regulating gene expression. While recent studies have revealed the existence of mtDNA methylation there are still controversies about mtDNA methylation due to the special structure of mtDNA.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) delays post-ovulatory oocyte aging in mouse.

The quality of post-ovulatory oocytes decreases with aging. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a broadly used antioxidant, on oocyte quality in mouse post-ovulatory oocyte aging in vitro. NAC at 0.

Pressure pain assessment may predict the outcome of spinal cord stimulation for refractory epilepsy.

It was well-documented that epilepsy and pain arise from an excitation-inhibition imbalance within neuronal networks. A previous meta-analysis of data from clinical trials showed an association between anticonvulsants and specific pain types, e.g.

Mettl14 is required for mouse postimplantation development by facilitating epiblast maturation.

N6-methyladenosine (mA) is the most prevalent and reversible internal modification of mammalian messenger and noncoding RNAs mediated by specific mA writer, reader, and eraser proteins. As an mA writer, the methyltransferase-like 3-methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14)-Wilms tumor 1-associated protein complex dynamically regulates mA modification and plays important roles in diverse biologic processes. However, our knowledge about the complete functions of this RNA methyltransferase complex, the contributions of each component to the methylation, and their effects on different biologic pathways are still limited.

Mitochondrial regulation of [Ca]i oscillations during cell cycle resumption of the second meiosis of oocyte.

Oocyte is arrested at metaphase of the second meiosis until fertilization switching on [Ca]i oscillations. Oocyte activation inefficiency is the most challenging problem for failed fertilization and embryonic development. Mitochondrial function and intracellular [Ca]i oscillations are two critical factors for the oocyte's developmental potential.