Influence of the number of washings for embryos on non-invasive preimplantation chromosome screening results.

Objective: To explore the effect of varying numbers of embryo washings prior to blastocyst formation in non-invasive preimplantation chromosome screening (NICS) on the accuracy of NICS results.

Methods: In this study, 68 blastocysts from preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)-assisted pregnancy were collected at our institution. On the fourth day of embryo culture, the embryos were transferred to a new medium for blastocyst culture and were washed either three times (NICS1 group) or ten times (NICS2 group).

Synthesis, supramolecular aggregation, and NIR-II phosphorescence of isocyanorhodium(i) zwitterions.

Development of new second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) luminophores is highly desirable, and d square-planar metal complexes with NIR-II phosphorescence have been rarely reported. Herein, we explore an asymmetric coordination paradigm to achieve the first creation of NIR-II phosphorescent isocyanorhodium(i) zwitterions. They show a strong tendency for aggregation in solution, arising from close Rh(i)⋯Rh(i) contacts that are further intensified by π-π stacking interactions and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic effect.

[Nursing cooperation in surgical collection of testis tissues from prepubertal male patients for cryopreservation: A study of 4 cases].

Objective: To explore nursing cooperation in surgical collection of the testis tissue from prepubertal male patients for cryopreservation.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the methods and effects of perioperative nursing in surgical collection of the testis tissue from 4 prepubertal male patients for cryopreservation in our Center of Reproductive Medicine. Before, during and after operation, we took strict measures in making sterilized ice containers, intraoperative nursing cooperation, protection of the isolated testis tissues and transferring of the samples.

Regional gradients in intraspecific seed mass variation are associated with species biotic attributes and niche breadth.

Quantifying intraspecific trait variation (ITV) is crucial for understanding species local adaptation and regional distribution. Intraspecific seed mass variation (ITVsm) is expected to vary with environmental gradients or co-vary with related biotic attributes, but these relationships are not well known in a multispecies space. We performed interspecific and phylogenetic analyses to evaluate the relative power of three species biotic attributes and four niche breadth traits in explaining ITVsm variation for 434 eastern Qinghai-Tibetan species.

The Complex Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Relationships for the Qinghai-Tibetan Grassland Community.

Despite the long history of the study of the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship, uncertainty remains about the relationship of natural grassland ecosystems under stressful conditions. Recently, trait- and phylogenetic-based tests provide a powerful way to detect the relationship in different spaces but have seldom been applied to stressful zones on a large spatial scale. We selected Qinghai-Tibetan as the study area and collected a grassland community database involving 581 communities.

Geographic Variation in the Petiole-Lamina Relationship of 325 Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Woody Species: Analysis in Three Dimensions.

The petiole-lamina relationship is central to the functional tradeoff between photosynthetic efficiency and the support/protection cost. Understanding environmental gradients in the relationship and its underlying mechanisms remains a critical challenge for ecologists. We investigated the possible scaling of the petiole-lamina relationships in three dimensions, i.

Response of Leaf Traits of Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Broad-Leaved Woody Plants to Climatic Factors.

Plant ecologists have long been interested in quantifying how leaf traits vary with climate factors, but there is a paucity of knowledge on these relationships given a large number of the relevant leaf traits and climate factors to be considered. We examined the responses of 11 leaf traits (including leaf morphology, stomatal structure and chemical properties) to eight common climate factors for 340 eastern Qinghai-Tibetan woody species. We showed temperature as the strongest predictor of leaf size and shape, stomatal size and form, and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, implying the important role of local heat quantity in determining the variation in the cell- or organ-level leaf morphology and leaf biochemical properties.

[Micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction for non-obstructive azoospermia patients with the history of secondary testicular injury].

Objective: To investigate the value of micro- dissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in the treatment of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in patients with the history of secondary testicular injury.

Methods: Totally, 121 NOA patients with the history of secondary testicular injury underwent micro-TESE in our hospital from September 2014 to December 2017. We analyzed the correlation of the sperm retrieval rate with the causes of testicular injury and compared the outcomes of the ICSI cycles with the sperm retrieved from the NOA males by micro-TESE (the micro-TESE group) and those with the sperm ejaculated from severe oligospermia patients (sperm concentration <1×10⁶/ml, the ejaculate group).

A Fast Contour Detection Model Inspired by Biological Mechanisms in Primary Vision System.

Compared to computer vision systems, the human visual system is more fast and accurate. It is well accepted that V1 neurons can well encode contour information. There are plenty of computational models about contour detection based on the mechanism of the V1 neurons.