Effect of evaporation-induced osmotic changes in culture media in a dry-type incubator on clinical outcomes in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles.

Objective: This study investigated whether adding outer-well medium to inhibit osmotic changes in culture media in a dry-type incubator improved the clinical outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles.

Methods: In culture dishes, the osmotic changes in media (20 µL)-covered oil with or without outer-well medium (humid or dry culture conditions, respectively) were compared after 3 days of incubation in a dry-type incubator. One-step (Origio) and G1/G2 (Vitrolife) media were used.

Early fragment removal on fertilization day 2 significantly improves the subsequent development and clinical outcomes of fragmented human embryos.

Objective: To determine whether fragment removal on fertilization (IVF) day 2 improved the subsequent development and pregnancy outcomes of fragmented embryos compared to similar-grade embryos without fragment removal.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis involving 191 IVF cycles in which all embryos had over 10% fragmentation (grade 3 or 4) on day 2 of the IVF-embryo transfer cycle from March 2015 to December 2017. IVF cycles were divided into the fragment removal group (n=87) and the no fragment removal group (n=104) as a control cohort.

Comparative genomic analysis of novel bacteriophages infecting Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from western and southern coastal areas of Korea.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a foodborne pathogen, has become resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, alternative bio-control agents such bacteriophage are urgently needed for its control. Six novel bacteriophages specific to V.

Efficient isolation of sperm with high DNA integrity and stable chromatin packaging by a combination of density-gradient centrifugation and magnetic-activated cell sorting.

Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the correlations of the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) with semen parameters and apoptosis, and to investigate the effects of density-gradient centrifugation (DGC) and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) on reducing the proportion of sperm with DNA fragmentation and protamine deficiency.

Methods: Semen analysis and a sperm DNA fragmentation assay were performed to assess the correlations between semen parameters and the DFI in 458 semen samples. Sperm with progressive motility or non-apoptosis were isolated by DGC or MACS, respectively, in 29 normozoospermic semen samples.

The Soy Peptide Phe-Leu-Val Reduces TNFα-Induced Inflammatory Response and Insulin Resistance in Adipocytes.

Obesity-induced adipose inflammation plays a crucial role in the development of obesity-induced metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In the presence of obesity, hypertrophic adipocytes release inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), which enhance the recruitment and activation of macrophages, and in turn augment adipose inflammation. We demonstrate that the soy peptide Phe-Leu-Val (FLV) reduces inflammatory responses and insulin resistance in mature adipocytes.

Genome-wide DNA binding pattern of the homeodomain transcription factor Sine oculis (So) in the developing eye of .

The eye of the fruit fly provides a highly tractable genetic model system for the study of animal development, and many genes that regulate eye formation have homologs implicated in human development and disease. Among these is the homeobox gene (), which encodes a homeodomain transcription factor (TF) that is both necessary for eye development and sufficient to reprogram a subset of cells outside the normal eye field toward an eye fate. We have performed a genome-wide analysis of So binding to DNA prepared from developing eye tissue in order to identify candidate direct targets of So-mediated transcriptional regulation, as described in our recent article [1].

Drosophila eyes absent is required for normal cone and pigment cell development.

In Drosophila, development of the compound eye is orchestrated by a network of highly conserved transcriptional regulators known as the retinal determination (RD) network. The retinal determination gene eyes absent (eya) is expressed in most cells within the developing eye field, from undifferentiated retinal progenitors to photoreceptor cells whose differentiation begins at the morphogenetic furrow (MF). Loss of eya expression leads to an early block in retinal development, making it impossible to study the role of eya expression during later steps of retinal differentiation.

RNA-guided genome editing in Drosophila with the purified Cas9 protein.

We report a method for generating Drosophila germline mutants effectively via injection of the complex of the purified Cas9 protein, tracrRNA, and gene-specific crRNAs, which may reduce delayed mutations because of the transient activity of the Cas9 protein, combined with the simple mutation detection in GO founders by the T7E1 assay.

Regulation of Drosophila eye development by the transcription factor Sine oculis.

Homeodomain transcription factors of the Sine oculis (SIX) family direct multiple regulatory processes throughout the metazoans. Sine oculis (So) was first characterized in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, where it is both necessary and sufficient for eye development, regulating cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Despite its key role in development, only a few direct targets of So have been described previously.

The use and perceived helpfulness of self-help interventions for depressive symptoms and sub-threshold depression: comparisons among the general population, patients with depression, and psychiatrists.

The aim of this study was to examine the patterns of use and perceived helpfulness of self-help interventions for depressive symptoms and sub-threshold depression in Korean samples drawn from the general population, patients with depression, and psychiatrists. A total of 1000 adults from the community, 114 patients with sub-threshold or mild depression, and 201 psychiatrists were asked to complete questionnaires about the use and helpfulness of 20 self-help interventions for depression chosen via the Delphi method. Psychiatrists (82.

Drosophila adiponectin receptor in insulin producing cells regulates glucose and lipid metabolism by controlling insulin secretion.

Adipokines secreted from adipose tissue are key regulators of metabolism in animals. Adiponectin, one of the adipokines, modulates pancreatic beta cell function to maintain energy homeostasis. Recently, significant conservation between Drosophila melanogaster and mammalian metabolism has been discovered.

Drosophila signal peptidase complex member Spase12 is required for development and cell differentiation.

It is estimated that half of all proteins expressed in eukaryotic cells are transferred across or into at least one cellular membrane to reach their functional location. Protein translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is critical to the subsequent localization of secretory and transmembrane proteins. A vital component of the translocation machinery is the signal peptidase complex (SPC)--which is conserved from yeast to mammals--and functions to cleave the signal peptide sequence (SP) of secretory and membrane proteins entering the ER.

Minibrain/Dyrk1a regulates food intake through the Sir2-FOXO-sNPF/NPY pathway in Drosophila and mammals.

Feeding behavior is one of the most essential activities in animals, which is tightly regulated by neuroendocrine factors. Drosophila melanogaster short neuropeptide F (sNPF) and the mammalian functional homolog neuropeptide Y (NPY) regulate food intake. Understanding the molecular mechanism of sNPF and NPY signaling is critical to elucidate feeding regulation.

Zebrafish pax5 regulates development of the utricular macula and vestibular function.

The zebrafish otic vesicle initially forms with only two sensory epithelia, the utricular and saccular maculae, which primarily mediate vestibular and auditory function, respectively. Here, we test the role of pax5, which is preferentially expressed in the utricular macula. Morpholino knockdown of pax5 disrupts vestibular function but not hearing.

Zebrafish pax8 is required for otic placode induction and plays a redundant role with Pax2 genes in the maintenance of the otic placode.

Vertebrate Pax2 and Pax8 proteins are closely related transcription factors hypothesized to regulate early aspects of inner ear development. In zebrafish and mouse, Pax8 expression is the earliest known marker of otic induction, and Pax2 homologs are expressed at slightly later stages of placodal development. Analysis of compound mutants has not been reported.

Genetic interactions underlying otic placode induction and formation.

The formation of the otic placode is a complex process requiring multiple inductive signals. In zebrafish, fgf3 and fgf8, dlx3b and dlx4b, and foxi1 have been identified as the earliest-acting genes in this process. fgf3 and fgf8 are required as inductive signals, whereas dlx3b, dlx4b, and foxi1 appear to act directly within otic primordia.

An expanded domain of fgf3 expression in the hindbrain of zebrafish valentino mutants results in mis-patterning of the otic vesicle.

The valentino (val) mutation in zebrafish perturbs hindbrain patterning and, as a secondary consequence, also alters development of the inner ear. We have examined the relationship between these defects and expression of fgf3 and fgf8 in the hindbrain. The otic vesicle in val/val mutants is smaller than normal, yet produces nearly twice the normal number of hair cells, and some hair cells are produced ectopically between the anterior and posterior maculae.