Biogeography and community assembly of soil fungi from alpine meadows in southwestern China show the importance of climatic selection.

Soil fungi are pivotal in alpine and arctic ecosystems that are vulnerable to climate changes. Previous studies have shown broad connections between soil fungi in the arctic and alpine regions, but most of these studies are mainly from Europe and North America, with more sporadic studies from East Asia. Currently, little is known about the biogeographic relationships between soil fungi in alpine meadows of southwestern China (AMSC) and other regions of the world.

Human single follicle growth in vitro from cryopreserved ovarian tissue after slow freezing or vitrification.

Study Question: What is the effect of human ovarian tissue cryopreservation on single follicular development in vitro?

Summary Answer: Vitrification had a greater negative effect on growth and gene expression of human ovarian follicles when compared with fresh follicles.

What Is Known Already: For human ovarian cortex cryopreservation, the conventional option is slow freezing while more recently vitrification has been demonstrated to maintain good quality and function of ovarian tissues.

Study Design, Size, Duration: Ovarian tissues were collected from 11 patients.

Basic fibroblast growth factor promotes the development of human ovarian early follicles during growth in vitro.

Study Question: What is the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the growth of individual early human follicles in a three-dimensional (3D) culture system in vitro?

Summary Answer: The addition of 200 ng bFGF/ml improves human early follicle growth, survival and viability during growth in vitro.

What Is Known Already: It has been demonstrated that bFGF enhances primordial follicle development in human ovarian tissue culture. However, the growth and survival of individual early follicles in encapsulated 3D culture have not been reported.

[Expression of PPARγ mRNA in granulosa cells and its correlation with clinical characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome].

Objective: To study the expression of PPARγ mRNA in granulosa cells of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the impact of testosterone, insulin and PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone on granulosa cells (GCs).

Methods: The expression of PPARγ mRNA in GCs of patients with PCOS and normal controls were analyzed by Real-time PCR. We assessed the level of PPARγ mRNA in GCs from normal controls after treatment with testosterone, insulin, and rosiglitazone.

[Clinical features of the metabolic syndrome in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome].

Objective: To study characteristics of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) according to 2004 Diagnostic Criteria by the Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS).

Methods: A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with plasma glucose and serum insulin (INS) levels was performed in 232 PCOS patients. Also, serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C) were measured.

[Characteristics of abnormal glucose tolerance in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome].

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of abnormal glucose tolerance in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with plasma glucose and serum insulin (INS) levels was performed in 257 PCOS patients. The states of glucose tolerance were classified by fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and plasma glucose at 120 minutes according to the Word Health Organization (WHO) criterion.

[Study on endometrium receptivity in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome during implantation window time].

Objective: To explore the gene which might influence endometrium receptivity during the implantation window time in normal women and patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: Transvaginal ultrasound were performed and serum estrogen and progestogen levels were measured in all women to monitor the exact time of ovulation. Endometrium biopsy was done in normal women and PCOS patients during implantation window time.

[Association of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and the clinical characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome: analysis of 65 cases].

Objective: To investigate the association of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and the clinical characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome: (PCOS).

Methods: Fasting peripheral venous blood samples were collected on the 2nd or 3rd day of the menstrual cycle or when there was no dominant follicle shown by ultrasonography after amenorrhea from 65 POCS patients, aged 30 +/- 3, 27 being attributed to the obese group according the body mass index (BMI) and 38 to the non-obese group, and 40 patients with infertility, aged 31 +/- 3, as controls, subdivided into obese and non-obese subgroups (both n = 20), and then the samples of serum. Were obtained.

[Relations of serum adipocyte fatty acid binding protein to sex hormone and lipoproteins in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the relationship of serum adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (FABP4) level with sex hormone and lipoprotein in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 29 out-patients of PCOS patients, aged 31 +/- 3 with a body mass index (BMI) of (26 +/- 4) kg/m2, and 14 out-patients of infertility, aged (31 +/- 3), with a BMI of (21 +/- 2) kg/m2 as normal controls. ELISA was used to detect the serum FABP4.

[Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and its correlation with lipoprotein in polycystic ovary syndrome].

Objective: To measure serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels and study its associations with lipoproteins in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: Sixty-five PCOS women and 20 ovulating normal women with body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2 as controls were recruited. PCOS women were divided to two groups: 27 BMI >or = 25 kg/m2 patients as obese group; 38 BMI < 25 kg/m2 as non-obese group.

A study on human urine in a high-selenium area of China by 1H-NMR spectroscopy.

In this study, high-resolution 600-MHz 1H-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopies were used to compare the urinary metabolic profiles of healthy humans and humans in a high-selenium area of China. NMR biomarkers for renal and liver lesions were observed by comparing the urine 1H-NMR spectra. In urinary excretion, the concentrations in human urine samples of formate, lactate, acetate, hippurate, and alanine in overexposure to selenium were increased, whereas citrate, creatine, and TMAO excretion were decreased compared with that of the healthy human--some of them even disappeared.