Patient-specific visual neglect severity estimation for stroke patients with neglect using EEG.

We aim to assess the severity of spatial neglect (SN) through detailing patients' field of view (FOV) using EEG. Spatial neglect, a prevalent neurological syndrome in stroke patients, typically results from unilateral brain injuries, leading to inattention to the contralesional space. Commonly used Neglect detection methods like the Behavioral Inattention Test-conventional lack the capability to assess the full extent and severity of neglect.

A reappraisal of ovarian stimulation strategies used in assisted reproductive technology.

Ovarian stimulation is a fundamental step in assisted reproductive technology (ART) with the intention of inducing ovarian follicle development prior to timed intercourse or intra-uterine insemination and facilitating the retrieval of multiple oocytes during a single in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. The basis of ovarian stimulation includes the administration of exogenous gonadotropins, with or without pre-treatment with oral hormonal therapy. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist is given in addition to the gonadotropins to prevent a premature rise of endogenous luteinizing hormone that would in turn lead to premature ovulation.

Endometrial scratching in women undergoing IVF/ICSI: an individual participant data meta-analysis.

Background: In IVF/ICSI treatment, the process of embryo implantation is the success rate-limiting step. Endometrial scratching has been suggested to improve this process, but it is unclear if this procedure increases the chance of implantation and live birth (LB) and, if so, for whom, and how the scratch should be performed.

Objective And Rationale: This individual participant data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) aims to answer the question of whether endometrial scratching in women undergoing IVF/ICSI influences the chance of a LB, and whether this effect is different in specific subgroups of women.

Mate-pair genome sequencing reveals structural variants for idiopathic male infertility.

Currently, routine genetic investigation for male infertility includes karyotyping analysis and PCR for Y chromosomal microdeletions to provide prognostic information such as sperm retrieval success rate. However, over 85% of male infertility remain idiopathic. We assessed 101 male patients with primary infertility in a retrospective cohort analysis who have previously received negative results from standard-of-care tests.

Using Neurofeedback from Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials to Target Affect-Biased Attention in Augmented Reality.

Biases in attention to emotional stimuli (i.e., affect-biased attention) contribute to the development and mainte-nance of depression and anxiety and may be a promising target for intervention.

Hyoscine butylbromide in pain reduction associated with ultrasound-guided manual vacuum aspiration: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Research Question: What is the effect of adding an anti-spasmodic drug to an existing ultrasound-guided manual vacuum aspiration (USG-MVA) protocol to alleviate immediate post-procedure abdominal cramping pain in women treated for early pregnancy loss?

Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial conducted between February 2018 and January 2020. Participants were assigned to receive a 1-ml intravenous injection containing 20-mg hyoscine butylbromide (HBB) (n=55) or saline (n =56) as a control immediately before USG-MVA. Primary outcome was reduced abdominal pain after adding a 20-mg dose of HBB to the current pain control regimen.

Fine-tuning and Personalization of EEG-based Neglect Detection in Stroke Patients.

Spatial neglect (SN) is a neurological disorder that causes inattention to visual stimuli in the contralesional visual field, stemming from unilateral brain injury such as stroke. The current gold standard method of SN assessment, the conventional Behavioral Inattention Test (BIT-C), is highly variable and inconsistent in its results. In our previous work, we built an augmented reality (AR)-based BCI to overcome the limitations of the BIT-C and classified between neglected and non-neglected targets with high accuracy.

Ovarian reserve and recurrence 1 year post-operatively after using haemostatic sealant and bipolar diathermy for haemostasis during laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy.

Research Question: Is there a difference in the ovarian reserve 1 year post-operatively in those who used a haemostatic sealant or bipolar diathermy for haemostasis during laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy for ovarian endometriomas?

Design: This was an extended follow-up observational study of a previous randomized controlled trial where women aged 18 to 40 years with 3-8 cm unilateral or bilateral endometriomas were randomized to receive haemostasis by a haemostatic sealant or bipolar diathermy following ovarian cystectomy. The primary outcome was the ovarian reserve as assessed by antral follicle count (AFC) 1 year post-operatively. Secondary outcomes included the recurrence rate of ovarian endometrioma, the change in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and FSH concentrations, and reproductive outcomes.

Green tea extract as a cryoprotectant additive to preserve the motility and DNA integrity of human spermatozoa.

Cryopreservation impairs sperm quality and functions, including motility and DNA integrity. Antioxidant additives in sperm freezing media have previously brought improvements in postthawed sperm quality. Green tea extract (GTE) is widely considered as an excellent antioxidant, and its beneficial role has been proven in other human cells.

EEG-based Neglect Detection for Stroke Patients.

Spatial neglect (SN) is a neurological syndrome in stroke patients, commonly due to unilateral brain injury. It results in inattention to stimuli in the contralesional visual field. The current gold standard for SN assessment is the behavioral inattention test (BIT).

HLH-30/TFEB Is a Master Regulator of Reproductive Quiescence.

All animals have evolved the ability to survive nutrient deprivation, and nutrient signaling pathways are conserved modulators of health and disease. In C. elegans, late-larval starvation provokes the adult reproductive diapause (ARD), a long-lived quiescent state that enables survival for months without food, yet underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown.

Assisted reproduction in hepatitis carrier couples.

Chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic worldwide, and the prevalence is especially high in the Asia-Pacific regions. Despite its high prevalence, the literature regarding the impact of HBV infection on subfertility and fertility treatment remains limited and conflicting. Latest studies do not suggest any detrimental effect of HBV infection on the outcome of IVF/ICSI treatment in women having chronic HBV infection.

Functional analysis of epilepsy-associated variants in STXBP1/Munc18-1 using humanized Caenorhabditis elegans.

Objective: Genetic variants in STXBP1, which encodes the conserved exocytosis protein Munc18-1, are associated with a variety of infantile epilepsy syndromes. We aimed to develop an in vivo Caenorhabditis elegans model that could be used to test the pathogenicity of such variants in a cost-effective manner.

Methods: The CRISPR/Cas9 method was used to introduce a null mutation into the unc-18 gene (the C.

Ovarian HBV replication following ovulation induction in female hepatitis B carriers undergoing IVF treatment: A prospective observational study.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be found in ovarian tissues. This study compared HBV DNA levels in follicular fluid collected during oocyte retrieval with paired serum samples in HBV carriers after ovarian stimulation during IVF treatment for infertility. Sixty-four HBV carrier women referred to the Assisted Reproductive Units of two Hong Kong hospitals were recruited.

A double-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled trial on the effect of traditional Chinese medicine formula Wuzi Yanzong pill on improving semen qualities in men with suboptimal parameters.

Background: In Hong Kong, one of six couples is affected by subfertility problems. Male infertility contributes to half of the infertility cases. In male infertility, there is no effective treatment for patients with idiopathic infertility/poor semen parameters.

Presence of Hepatitis B virus DNA in follicular fluid in female Hepatitis B carriers and outcome of IVF/ICSI treatment: A prospective observational study.

Objective: To determine the relationship between the presence of detectable HBV DNA in the follicular fluid in HBV carriers with IVF/ICSI treatment outcome.

Study Design: A prospective observational study conducted in the Assisted Reproductive Unit, a tertiary referral centre affiliated with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; and the Union Reproductive Medicine Centre at Union Hospital, Hong Kong. The primary outcome measure was pregnancy rate.

Efficacy, feasibility and patient acceptability of ultrasound-guided manual vacuum aspiration for treating early pregnancy loss.

Background: Ultrasound-guided manual vacuum aspiration (USG-MVA) is an effective but underutilised alternative to medical or surgical evacuation of the uterus following first trimester miscarriage.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy, feasibility and patient acceptability of USG-MVA for treating early pregnancy loss.

Material And Methods: We invited patients with early pregnancy losses to participate in this prospective cohort study.

The effect of endometrial scratch on natural-cycle cryopreserved embryo transfer outcomes: a randomized controlled study.

The benefit of endometrial scratch (ES) prior to embryo transfer is controversial. Systemic analysis has confirmed its potential benefit, especially in women with repeated IVF failures, yet most studies have focused on fresh embryo transfer, and its effect on vitrified-warmed embryo transfer (FET) cycles is yet to be explored. We hereby present our prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study on the evaluation of the implantation and pregnancy rate after ES prior to natural-cycle FET.

Hepatitis B virus infection status and infertility causes in couples seeking fertility treatment-Indicator of impaired immune response?

Problem: The relationship between hepatitis B (HBV) infection in infertile couples seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and infertility causes is unknown.

Methods Of Study: A total of 831 infertile couples attending our unit seeking IVF during January to December 2015 were recruited.

Results: HBV infection was found in 6.

A prospective randomized controlled trial of 3D versus 2D ultrasound-guided embryo transfer in women undergoing ART treatment.

Study Question: Does three-dimensional (3D) versus two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) guidance during embryo transfer (ET) increase the ongoing pregnancy rate in women undergoing ART treatment.

Summary Answer: There is no significant difference in the ongoing pregnancy rate of women undergoing 3D versus 2D US-guided ET.

What Is Known Already: Studies have suggested that 3D US may confer additional benefits compared with 2D US during ET, although this has not been tested within the context of an RCT.

Antibiotic resistance determinants in nosocomial strains of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Objectives: To investigate the presence of resistance genes in nosocomial multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from outbreak and sporadic settings.

Methods: Thirty-two A. baumannii isolates were collected, 13 of which were involved in two outbreaks from different hospitals, which resulted in four deaths.