Relaxin-2 improves type I diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction in rats by protecting cavernous endothelial and smooth muscle function, and inhibiting penile fibrosis and apoptosis.

Background: Diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) responds poorly to first-line treatments, necessitating the development of new therapeutic strategies. Relaxin-2 (RLX-2) plays a crucial role in protecting vascular endothelium, vasodilatation, and antifibrosis in various diseases. However, its effects and mechanisms on DMED remain unclear.

Comparison of early and standard F-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging in treatment-naïve patients with prostate cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of dual-time-point F-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging at 30 and 60 min post-injection (p.i.) in treatment-naïve patients with prostate cancer (PCa).

In silico approach uncovers the shared genetic landscape of type 2 diabetes mellitus and asthenozoospermia.

Asthenozoospermia (AZS) is one of the most common types of male infertility. Current evidence revealed that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is closely associated with declining semen quality, especially for poor sperm motility. This study aimed to uncover the genetic interrelationships and important biomarkers between AZS and T2DM.

Safety and efficacy of allogenic human amniotic epithelial cells transplantation via ovarian artery in patients with premature ovarian failure: a single-arm, phase 1 clinical trial.

Background: Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a prevalent and severe condition that impairs female health but there is currently no effective treatment available to restore ovarian function. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) exhibit ovarian protection in pre-clinical models. Thus, we conducted a single-arm, phase 1 clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of allogenic hAECs in treating POF.

Towards Design Automation of Microfluidic Mixers: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning and Artificial Neural Networks.

Microfluidic mixers, a pivotal application of microfluidic technology, are primarily utilized for the rapid amalgamation of diverse samples within microscale devices. Given the intricacy of their design processes and the substantial expertise required from designers, the intelligent automation of microfluidic mixer design has garnered significant attention. This paper discusses an approach that integrates artificial neural networks (ANNs) with reinforcement learning techniques to automate the dimensional parameter design of microfluidic mixers.

Robust structural superlubricity under gigapascal pressures.

Structural superlubricity (SSL) is a state of contact with no wear and ultralow friction. SSL has been characterized at contact with van der Waals (vdW) layered materials, while its stability under extreme loading conditions has not been assessed. By designing both self-mated and non-self-mated vdW contacts with materials chosen for their high strengths, we report outstanding robustness of SSL under very high pressures in experiments.

Performance and mechanistic study of biochar and magnesium-enhanced phytoremediation in cadmium-contaminated soil by alfalfa.

Recently, phytoremediation has been regarded as a green and environment friendly technique to treat metals contaminated soils. Thus, in this study, pot experiments were designed to investigate the combine effects of biochar and magnesium (MPs) to purify cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soils by Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa).

A universal inverse design methodology for microfluidic mixers.

The intelligent design of microfluidic mixers encompasses both the automation of predicting fluid performance and the structural design of mixers. This article delves into the technical trajectory of computer-aided design for micromixers, leveraging artificial intelligence algorithms. We propose an automated micromixer design methodology rooted in cost-effective artificial neural network (ANN) models paired with inverse design algorithms.

Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis of Stem Cell Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction.

Purpose: As a common male disease, erectile dysfunction (ED) seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. In recent years, studies have continued to point out the great potential of stem cell therapy (SCT) in the treatment of ED. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively analyze the research of SCT for ED and understand the development trends and research frontiers in this field.

A morphological study of symptomatic uterine niche using three-dimensional models from thin-slice magnetic resonance imaging.

Research Question: Is there a correlation between various morphological parameters of the uterine niche and post-menstrual spotting using three-dimensional models from thin-slice (1 mm) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)?

Design: This study retrospectively identified women diagnosed with a symptomatic niche by thin-slice MRI between December 2019 and December 2021. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models assessed the correlations between morphological parameters and the duration post-menstrual spotting. Morphological differences of the niche formed by one versus two Caesarean sections were analysed by univariable and multivariable logistic analysis.

MiRNA-100 ameliorates diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction by modulating autophagy, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic effects.

Background: Diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) has become a common disease in adult men that can seriously reduce the quality of life of patients, and new therapies are urgently needed. miRNA-100 has many targets and can induce autophagy and reduce fibrosis by inhibiting the mTOR pathway and the TGF-β pathway. However, no research has been conducted with miR-100 in the field of DMED, and the specific mechanism of action is still unclear.

Exploring potential genes and mechanisms linking erectile dysfunction and depression.

Background: The clinical correlation between erectile dysfunction (ED) and depression has been revealed in cumulative studies. However, the evidence of shared mechanisms between them was insufficient. This study aimed to explore common transcriptomic alterations associated with ED and depression.

Kinetic modeling and parametric imaging of F-PSMA-11: An evaluation based on total-body dynamic positron emission tomography scans.

Background: The prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted positron-emitting tomography (PET) tracers are increasingly used in clinical practice, with novel tracers constantly being developed. Recently, F-PSMA-11 has been gaining growing interest for several merits; however, direct in vivo visualization of its kinetic features in humans remains lacking.

Purpose: To visualize the kinetic features of F-PSMA-11 in healthy subjects and patients with prostate cancer derived from the total-body dynamic PET scans.

Anti-Proteolytic Peptide R7I Protects the Intestinal Barrier and Alleviates Fatty Acid Malabsorption in -Infected Mice.

With a wide range of hosts, environmental adaptation, and antibiotic resistance, is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the world. Infection with not only results in intestinal inflammation but also damages the intestinal barrier and interferes with the host's ability to absorb nutrients. It is imperative to find alternatives to antibiotics for eradicating bacteria, reducing intestinal damage, and reestablishing nutrient absorption, especially given that antibiotics are currently prohibited.

Long-term Efficacy of Fibroid Devascularization with Ultrasound-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound.

Rationale And Objectives: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been increasingly used for treatment of uterine leiomyoma. The superiority of HIFU therapy targeting uterine leiomyoma blood vessels, however, still needs to be further explored. This study aims to evaluate the long-term efficacy of fibroid devascularization with ultrasound-guided HIFU (USgHIFU) and the effects of treatment on the ovarian reserve and endometrial injury.

Sub-minute acquisition with deep learning-based image filter in the diagnosis of colorectal cancers using total-body F-FDG PET/CT.

Background: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the feasibility of total-body F-FDG PET/CT ultrafast acquisition combined with a deep learning (DL) image filter in the diagnosis of colorectal cancers (CRCs).

Methods: The clinical and preoperative imaging data of patients with CRCs were collected. All patients underwent a 300-s list-mode total-body F-FDG PET/CT scan.

Fetal-placental MR angiography at 1.5 T and 3 T.

Objectives: The objective of this work was to investigate the application of 2D Time-of-Flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to observe the placental vasculature at both 1.5 T and 3 T.

Methods: Fifteen appropriate for gestational age (AGA) (GA: 29.

Identification of hub genes and biological mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of asthenozoospermia and chronic epididymitis.

Asthenozoospermia (AZS) is one of the most common causes of male fertility, affecting family wellbeing and population growth. Chronic epididymitis (CE) is a common and lingering inflammatory disease in the scrotum. Inflammation in the epididymis has a severe impact on sperm motility.

Exploration of the common genetic landscape of COVID-19 and male infertility.

Background: COVID-19 has spread widely across continents since 2019, causing serious damage to human health. Accumulative research uncovered that SARS-CoV-2 poses a great threat to male fertility, and male infertility (MI) is a common comorbidity for the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to explore the cross-talk molecular mechanisms between COVID-19 and MI.

Constructing a seventeen-gene signature model for non-obstructive azoospermia based on integrated transcriptome analyses and WGCNA.

Background: Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) affects approximately 1% of the male population worldwide. The underlying mechanism and gene transcription remain unclear. This study aims to explore the potential pathogenesis for the detection and management of NOA.

The efficacy of anti-proteolytic peptide R7I in intestinal inflammation, function, microbiota, and metabolites by multi-omics analysis in murine bacterial enteritis.

Increased antibiotic resistance poses a major limitation in tackling inflammatory bowel disease and presents a large challenge for global health care. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a potential class of antimicrobial agents. Here, we have designed the potential oral route for antimicrobial peptide R7I with anti-proteolytic properties to deal with bacterial enteritis in mice.

Study on the mechanism of aging-related erectile dysfunction based on bioinformatics and experimental verification.

Background: The incidence of aging-related erectile dysfunction (ED) remains high in the elderly population, and has attracted the attention of the medical community. However, aging-related ED responds poorly to traditional treatments for ED, and its mechanism has not yet been fully clarified. This study sought to explore the potential mechanisms of aging-related ED based on bioinformatics and experimental verification.

Uncovering the genetic links of diabetic erectile dysfunction and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Clinical associations between erectile dysfunction and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) have been noticed, but the common pathogenic mechanisms between them remain elusive. The aim of the study was to mine shared genetic alterations between ED and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Transcriptome data of ED and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome-related genes (CPRGs) were retrieved from relevant databases and differentially expressed analysis was used to obtain significant CPRGs.

Hormonal therapy is effective and safe for cryptorchidism caused by idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in adult males.

Background: Hormonal therapy is a reasonable treatment for cryptorchidism caused by idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH). However, the clinical evidence on whether it is effective and safe for the treatment of cryptorchidism caused by IHH is lacking.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of hormonal therapy in testicular descent, puberty development, and spermatogenesis in adult males with cryptorchidism caused by IHH.