Observed Effects on Very Early Pregnancy Linked to Ambient PM Exposure in China among Women Undergoing Fertilization-Embryo Transfer.

The adverse effect of ambient PM exposure on very early pregnancy (VEP) remains controversial among epidemiological studies but is supported by toxicological evidence. We adopted a multicenter retrospective cohort of 141,040 cycles to evaluate the effect of PM exposure on the VEP using the fertilization and embryo transfer platform and high-resolution PM data in China. We first investigated the association between PM exposure 1 week before and 1 week after the embryo transfer date and VEP.

New insights into the effects of endometriosis on IVF.

It is not uncommon that a published paper offers unintended insights, unnoticed by its authors. This was to a substantial degree the case with a recent publication addressing the effects of endometriosis on IVF. Using donor-recipient cycles as the study population to isolate recipient effects, the well-executed study demonstrated only mildly adverse outcome effects of endometriosis on IVF cycle outcomes, to a substantial degree laying to rest this still controversial issue.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Performance for the Measurement of Key Serum Minerals: A Comparative Study With Standard Quantification Methods.

Background: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is widely used for the accurate measurement of minerals. However, its application to serum essential mineral measurement has not been fully evaluated. The present study aimed to assess the performance of ICP-MS for serum minerals by comparing its measurements to those obtained using standard quantification methods.

Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinone mitigates vitrification-induced damage in mouse ovarian tissue by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis via the p38 MAPK pathway.

Objective: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation has become a promising alternative for fertility preservation in cancer patients, allowing ovarian tissue to be stored for future autotransplantation. Oxidative stress damage occurring during the cryopreservation process may impact tissue quality and function. This study aims to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of Mitoquinone (MitoQ), a mitochondria-targeted derivative of the antioxidant ubiquinone, during the vitrification of ovarian tissue in mice.

An additive opinion to the committee opinion of ASRM and SART on the use of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A).

After over 20 years of progressively increasing clinical utilization of PGT-A (and its precursors), the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and its daughter society, the Society for Assisted Reproduction (SART), for the first time published a committee opinion clearly acknowledging that "the value of PGT-A as a routine screening test for patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) has not been demonstrated." This statement is timely and welcome but requires some additions and raises some new questions, among those why, if PGT-A in a general population does not improve IVF cycle outcomes, the routine clinical utilization of PGT-A should continue.

Greater PGT-A utilization in IVF clinics does not improve live birth rates but relates to IVF center ownership: a preliminary report.

This study aims to assess whether increased utilization for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) relates to improved live birth rates in IVF and whether IVF clinic ownership relates to PGT-A utilization. In a retrospective cohort study involving > 90% of US IVF clinics reporting to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stratified for ages (< 35, 35-37, 38-40, 41-42, and ≥ 43 years), and with reference point cycle start, we investigated whether PGT-A utilization related to live birth rates and ownership format as either physician-, academic/hospital/military, or equity/venture capital (VC) owned clinics. The lowest PGT-A-utilizing clinics reported significantly better live birth rates than the highest-utilizing clinics.

Intracellular autoactivation and surface location of hepsin, TMPRSS2, and TMPRSS13.

Aims: Hepsin (HPN), a Type II transmembrane serine protease (TTSP), is involved in hepatocyte metabolism and various diseases. It undergoes autoactivation on the surface of human hepatoma cells, a mechanism not observed in other cell types. This study aims to explore HPN activation and surface expression in endometrial epithelial cells.

Association between Metal(loid) Exposure and Risk of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Mediated by Anti-Müllerian Hormone among Women Undergoing Fertilization and Embryo Transfer.

Objective: To investigate the relationship and potential pathways between metal(loid) exposure and the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women of childbearing age.

Methods: This case-control study included 200 patients with PCOS (cases) and 896 non-PCOS controls with the age of 25-37 years. The concentrations of 29 metal(loid)s in the follicular fluid (FF) and clinical indicators in the serum were measured in all participants.

Neural substrates for regulating self-grooming behavior in rodents.

Grooming, as an evolutionarily conserved repetitive behavior, is common in various animals, including humans, and serves essential functions including, but not limited to, hygiene maintenance, thermoregulation, de-arousal, stress reduction, and social behaviors. In rodents, grooming involves a patterned and sequenced structure, known as the syntactic chain with four phases that comprise repeated stereotyped movements happening in a cephalocaudal progression style, beginning from the nose to the face, to the head, and finally ending with body licking. The context-dependent occurrence of grooming behavior indicates its adaptive significance.

Data on recent measles cases at the Jalal-Abad city of Kyrgyzstan.

Measles caused by the virus is highly infectious and sometimes fatal, but it is prevented through vaccination. In Kyrgyzstan, measles cases were initially documented in September 2023, with a notable escalation observed between November and December of the same year. Children aged 3-5 years and 1-2 years exhibited the highest prevalence rates, followed by infants under one year old.

Gender-specific microbial signatures in saliva: Unveiling the association between the oral microbiome and the pathogenesis of glioma.

The intricate interplay between the human oral microbiome and systemic health is increasingly being recognized, particularly in the context of central nervous system pathologies such as glioblastoma. In this study, we aimed to elucidate gender-specific differences in the salivary microbiome of glioma patients by utilizing 16S rRNA sequencing data from publicly available salivary microbiome datasets. We conducted comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, encompassing quality control, noise reduction, species classification, and microbial community composition analysis at various taxonomic levels.

Neural substrates for regulating self-grooming behavior in rodents.

Grooming, as an evolutionarily conserved repetitive behavior, is common in various animals, including humans, and serves essential functions including, but not limited to, hygiene maintenance, thermoregulation, de-arousal, stress reduction, and social behaviors. In rodents, grooming involves a patterned and sequenced structure, known as the syntactic chain with four phases that comprise repeated stereotyped movements happening in a cephalocaudal progression style, beginning from the nose to the face, to the head, and finally ending with body licking. The context-dependent occurrence of grooming behavior indicates its adaptive significance.

Effects of high-normal fasting blood glucose on ART outcomes of frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfer in women with normal BMI.

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study aims to investigate whether high-normal fasting blood glucose (FBG) affects assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes undergoing single blastocyst frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles in women with normal body mass index (BMI).

Methods: 944 women with normal BMI and FBG levels undergoing single blastocyst FET cycles were enrolled. Based on the median of FBG (4.

The intratumoral microbiota biomarkers for predicting survival and efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma.

Background: Ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, accounting for about 90% of ovarian cancers, is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages, leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes. Given the malignant nature of the disease, effective biomarkers for accurate prediction and personalized treatment remain an urgent clinical need.

Methods: In this study, we analyzed the microbial contents of 453 ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma and 68 adjacent non-cancerous samples.

Impact of culture media pre-equilibration methods on embryo development.

This study investigates the influence of four culture media pre-equilibration methods on embryo development and clinical pregnancy outcomes. The methods are as follows: Method A involved covering media with fresh mineral oil in humid-type incubators for 24 h. Method B replicated Method A in dry-type incubators.

A new clustering model based on the seminal plasma/serum ratios of multiple trace element concentrations in male patients with subfertility.

Purpose: To investigate whether seminal plasma (SP)/serum ratios of multiple trace elements (TEs) can classify patients with male subfertility.

Methods: SP/serum ratios of 20 TEs (lithium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, rubidium, strontium, molybdenum, cesium, barium, and thallium) were calculated for healthy volunteers ( = 4) and those consulting for male subfertility ( = 245). Volunteer semen samples were collected by split ejaculation into early and subsequent fractions, and SP/serum ratio data were compared between fractions.

Using Machine Learning to Construct the Blood-Follicle Distribution Models of Various Trace Elements and Explore the Transport-Related Pathways with Multiomics Data.

Permeabilities of various trace elements (TEs) through the blood-follicle barrier (BFB) play an important role in oocyte development. However, it has not been comprehensively described as well as its involved biological pathways. Our study aimed to construct a blood-follicle distribution model of the concerned TEs and explore their related biological pathways.

Association of phthalate exposure with reproductive outcomes among infertile couples undergoing in vitro fertilization: A systematic review.

Human fertility is impacted by changes in lifestyle and environmental deterioration. To increase human fertility, assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been extensively used around the globe. As early as 2009, the Endocrine Society released its first scientific statement on the potential adverse effects of environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on human health and disease development.

Exploring prognostic microbiota markers in patients with endometrial carcinoma: Intratumoral insights.

Endometrial cancer, a leading gynecological malignancy, is profoundly influenced by the uterine microbiota, a key factor in disease prognosis and treatment. Our study underscores the distinct microbial compositions in endometrial cancer compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues, revealing a dominant presence of p_ in cancerous tissues as opposed to p_ in surrounding areas. Through comprehensive analysis, we identified 485 unique microorganisms in cancer tissues, 26 of which correlate with patient prognosis.

Management of ectopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer: a case series and mini-review.

Background: Ectopic pregnancy (EP), reflecting a fertilized ovum implanted outside the normal uterine cavity, represents a frequent cause of morbidity and possibly mortality in women of reproductive age.

Objective: To summarize the diagnosis and treatment of EP after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET).

Methods: The medical records of patients who were diagnosed with EP after embryo transfer from 2017 to 2019, in a tertiary hospital were reviewed.

CCDC157 is essential for sperm differentiation and shows oligoasthenoteratozoospermia-related mutations in men.

Oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT), characterized by abnormally low sperm count, poor sperm motility, and abnormally high number of deformed spermatozoa, is an important cause of male infertility. Its genetic basis in many affected individuals remains unknown. Here, we found that CCDC157 variants are associated with OAT.

Ascertaining sensitive exposure biomarkers of various metal(loid)s to embryo implantation.

Close relationships exist between metal(loid)s exposure and embryo implantation failure (EIF) from animal and epidemiological studies. However, there are still inconsistent results and lacking of sensitive metal(loid) exposure biomarkers associated with EIF risk. We aimed to ascertain sensitive metal(loid) biomarkers to EIF and provide potential biological explanations.