Novel predictors for livebirth delivery rate in patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia based on the clinical prediction model.

Objective: To build a prediction model for live birth delivery per intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in iNOA patients by obtaining sperm by microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE). Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 377 couples with iNOA male partners treated with 519 mTESE-ICSI cycles was conducted from September 2013 to July 2021 at the Reproductive Medical Centre of Peking University Third Hospital. Following exclusions, 377 couples with iNOA male partners treated with 482 mTESE-ICSIs were included. A prediction model for live birth delivery per ICSI cycle was built by multivariable logistic regression and selected by 10-fold cross-validation. Discrimination was evaluated by c-statistics and calibration was evaluated by the calibration slope. Results: The live birth delivery rate per mTESE-ICSI cycle was 39.21% (189/482) in these couples. The model identified that the presence of motile sperm during mTESE, bigger testes, higher endometrial thickness on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) administration (ET-hCG), and higher quality embryos are associated with higher live birth delivery success rates. The results of the model were exported based on 10-fold cross-validation. In addition, the area under the mean ROC curve was 0.71 ± 0.05 after 10-fold cross-validation, indicating that the prediction model had certain prediction precision. A calibration plot with an estimated intercept of -1.653 (95% CI: -13.403 to 10.096) and a slope of 1.043 (95% CI: 0.777 to 1.308) indicated that the model was well-calibrated. Conclusion: Our prediction model will provide valuable information about the chances of live birth delivery in couples with iNOA male partners who have a plan for mTESE-ICSI treatment. Therefore, it can improve and personalize counseling for the medical treatment of these patients.

New evidence of trends in cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults in China, 2011-2018: an age-period-cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence from high-income countries suggests the risk of cognitive impairment has been declining recently. However, related studies in China have rarely been done, and the results are inconsistent. We analyze the trends in cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults in China between 2011 and 2018. METHODS: We used data from four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), including 48918 individuals aged 45 years and older. Cognitive function was assessed using the CHARLS cognitive measures containing episodic memory, orientation, attention, and visuospatial abilities. The hierarchical age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to quantify the separate age, period, and cohort effects on trends in cognitive function. RESULTS: The study sample's ages ranged from 45 to 105 years (Mean = 59.2, SD = 9.4). Cognitive function declined with age net of period and cohort effects, an apparent acceleration in the rate of cognitive decline after age 65 was found adjusting for individual characteristics. Although period effects on trends in cognitive function remained stable during the study period, hierarchical APC models demonstrated significant cohort variations. Independent of age and period effects, there was a fluctuating trend across cohorts before 1960 and an overall decline across successive cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that the age effect remains the most crucial factor regarding cognitive decline. Moreover, results demonstrate that cohorts living in social upheaval leading to educational deprivation and/or nutritional deficiency in early life may face a higher risk for cognitive deterioration later in life. Such findings indicate that dementia prevention from a life course perspective and cohort-specific strategies are critical to alleviating the future public-health burdens related to cognitive aging. Ongoing attention should be paid to the role of cross-cohort differences in education on cohort trends in cognition in countries like China that are aging rapidly and have a late start in educational expansion compared to other countries. Other factors, such as environmental stimulation, need to be noticed in younger cohorts.

Effects of radiation on the fitness, sterility and arbovirus susceptibility of a Wolbachia-free Aedes albopictus strain for use in the sterile insect technique.

BACKGROUND: The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a green and species-specific insect pest control technique that suppresses target populations by releasing factory-reared, radiosterilized males into the wild. Once released, it is important to be able to distinguish the released males from the wild males for monitoring purposes. Several methods to mark the sterile males exist. However, most have limitations due to monetary, process efficiency, or insect quality. Aedes albopictus is naturally infected with Wolbachia at a high prevalence, therefore the elimination of Wolbachia can serve as a biomarker to distinguish factory-reared male mosquitoes from wild conspecifics. RESULTS: In this study, a Wolbachia-free Ae. albopictus GT strain was developed and its fitness evaluated, which was found to be comparable to the wild GUA strain. In addition, GT male mosquitoes were irradiated at the adult stage and a dose of 20 Gy or more induced over 99% sterility. Moreover, a dose of 30 Gy (almost completely sterilizing male and female mosquitoes) had limited effects on the mating competitiveness of GT males and the vector competence of GT females, respectively. However, radiation reduced mosquito longevity, regardless of sex. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the Ae. albopictus GT strain can be distinguished from wild mosquitoes based on Wolbachia status and shows similar fitness, radio-sensitivity and arbovirus susceptibility to the GUA strain, indicating that it is feasible to use the GT strain to suppress Ae. albopictus populations for SIT programmes. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of socioeconomic position on the utilization of rehabilitation services among the Chinese older adults disabled by injury.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the utilization of rehabilitation services and associated socioeconomic position (SEP) factors among Chinese older adults disabled by injury. Methods: Data from the second China National Sample Survey on Disability (CSSD) were used in this study. Chi-square test was used to analyze the significant differences between groups, and binary logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for socioeconomic factors associated with utilization of rehabilitation services among Chinese older adults disabled by injury. Results: Among the older adults disabled by injury in the CSSD, the gap between demand and utilization of medical treatment, assistive devices and rehabilitation training were around 38, 75, and 64%, respectively. This study revealed two relationship patterns ("high-low-high" and "low-high-low") among SEP, prevalence of injury-caused disability and odds of utilization of rehabilitation services among the Chinese older adults disabled by injury, that is, the older adult with higher SEP have a lower prevalence of injury-caused disability, but a higher odds of utilization of rehabilitation services; conversely, the older adults with lower SEP have a relatively higher prevalence but a lower odds of utilization of rehabilitation services. Conclusion: There is a large gap between the high demand and low utilization of rehabilitation services among the Chinese older adults disabled by injury, especially for those living in the central or western regions or rural areas, without insurance or disability certificate, having the annual household per capita income lower than the national average or lower educational level. Strategies to improve the disability manage system, to strengthen the chain of "information discovery-information transmission-rehabilitation services supply-continuous health monitoring and management" for the older adults disabled by injury are warranted. In view of the poor and illiterate groups among the disabled older adults, to enhance medical aids and popularize the scientific information to compensate for the lack of affordability and awareness of rehabilitation services utilization is essential. In addition, it is necessary to further expand the coverage and improve the payment system of medical insurance for rehabilitation services.

[Quality evaluation of Commelina communis from different origins based on multicomponent content determination combined with chemometrics].

This research established a high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) method for simultaneous determination of isoorientin, orientin, vitexin, and isovitexin in Commelina communis to conduct content difference analysis and quality evaluation of 62 batches of C. communis from different origins. The HPLC content determination was performed on a Dikma Platisil ODS chromatographic column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm), with acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid(14∶86) as the mobile phase. The detection wavelength was set at 348 nm, the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min~(-1), and the column temperature was 35 ℃. The differences in origins and quality of 62 batches of C. communis were studied by chemometrics. The results showed that the determination of four components mani-fested a good linear relationship in the range of mass concentration(r>0.999 9), and the average recovery rate was 96.17%-103.0%. The relative standard deviations(RSDs) of precision, stability, and repeatability were all less than 2.0%. The content of four components from high to low was isoorientin>isovitexin>orientin>vitexin. Forty-seven batches of C. communis with clear origins were classified into six categories by chemometrics. C. communis from different origins had different qualities. Generally, C. communis from Western China, Central China, and South of China had superior qualities. The HPLC method established in this study is specific, simple, and efficient, which provides references for the comprehensive evaluation of the quality of C. communis. The chemometrics shows that the qualities of C. communis from different origins are largely different. Isoorientin can be used as an index to determine the content of C. communis, and its content limit should be set no less than 0.023%.

Nomogram to predict pregnancy outcomes of emergency oocyte freeze-thaw cycles.

BACKGROUND: Existing clinical prediction models for in vitro fertilization are based on the fresh oocyte cycle, and there is no prediction model to evaluate the probability of successful thawing of cryopreserved mature oocytes. This research aims to identify and study the characteristics of pre-oocyte-retrieval patients that can affect the pregnancy outcomes of emergency oocyte freeze-thaw cycles. METHODS: Data were collected from the Reproductive Center, Peking University Third Hospital of China. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to derive the nomogram. Nomogram model performance was assessed by examining the discrimination and calibration in the development and validation cohorts. Discriminatory ability was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and calibration was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test and calibration plots. RESULTS: The predictors in the model of "no transferable embryo cycles" are female age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.099, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.003-1.205, P = 0.0440), duration of infertility (OR = 1.140, 95% CI = 1.018-1.276, P = 0.0240), basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level (OR = 1.205, 95% CI = 1.051-1.382, P = 0.0084), basal estradiol (E2) level (OR = 1.006, 95% CI = 1.001-1.010, P = 0.0120), and sperm from microdissection testicular sperm extraction (MESA) (OR = 7.741, 95% CI = 2.905-20.632, P < 0.0010). Upon assessing predictive ability, the AUC for the "no transferable embryo cycles" model was 0.799 (95% CI: 0.722-0.875, P < 0.0010). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test (P = 0.7210) and calibration curve showed good calibration for the prediction of no transferable embryo cycles. The predictors in the cumulative live birth were the number of follicles on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration (OR = 1.088, 95% CI = 1.030-1.149, P = 0.0020) and endometriosis (OR = 0.172, 95% CI = 0.035-0.853, P = 0.0310). The AUC for the "cumulative live birth" model was 0.724 (95% CI: 0.647-0.801, P < 0.0010). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test (P = 0.5620) and calibration curve showed good calibration for the prediction of cumulative live birth. CONCLUSIONS: The predictors in the final multivariate logistic regression models found to be significantly associated with poor pregnancy outcomes were increasing female age, duration of infertility, high basal FSH and E2 level, endometriosis, sperm from MESA, and low number of follicles with a diameter >10 mm on the day of hCG administration.

FAM9B serves as a novel meiosis-related protein localized in meiotic chromosome cores and is associated with human gametogenesis.

Meiosis is a complex process involving the expression and interaction of numerous genes in a series of highly orchestrated molecular events. Fam9b localized in Xp22.3 has been found to be expressed in testes. However, FAM9B expression, localization, and its role in meiosis have not been previously reported. In this study, FAM9B expression was evaluated in the human testes and ovaries by RT-PCR, qPCR, and western blotting. FAM9B was found in the nuclei of primary spermatocytes in testes and specifically localized in the synaptonemal complex (SC) region of spermatocytes. FAM9B was also evident in the follicle cell nuclei and diffusely dispersed in the granular cell cytoplasm. FAM9B was partly co-localized with SYCP3, which is essential for both formation and maintenance of lateral SC elements. In addition, FAM9B had a similar distribution pattern and co-localization as γH2AX, which is a novel biomarker for DNA double-strand breaks during meiosis. All results indicate that FAM9B is a novel meiosis-associated protein that is co-localized with SYCP3 and γH2AX and may play an important role in SC formation and DNA recombination during meiosis. These findings offer a new perspective for understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in meiosis of human gametogenesis.

LncRNA testis-specific transcript, Y-linked 15 (TTTY15) promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells via regulating miR-29a-3p/DVL3 axis.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNA testis-specific transcript, Y-linked 15 (TTTY15) is oncogenic in prostate cancer, however its expression and function in colorectal cancer remain largely unknown. METHODS: Paired colorectal cancer samples/normal tissues were collected, and the expression levels of TTTY15, miR-29a-3p and disheveled segment polarity protein 3 (DVL3) were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR); TTTY15 shRNA and overexpression plasmids were transfected into HT29 and HCT-116 cell lines using lipofectamine reagent, respectively; the proliferation and colony formation were detected by CCK-8 assay and plate colony formation assay; qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to analyze the changes of miR-29a-3p and DVL3; dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to determine the regulatory relationships between miR-29a-3p and TTTY15, miR-29a-3p and DVL3. RESULTS: TTTY15 was significantly up-regulated in cancerous tissues of colorectal cancer samples, positively correlated with the expression of DVL3, while negatively correlated with the expression of miR-29a-3p. After TTTY15 shRNAs were transfected into colorectal cancer cells, the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells were significantly inhibited, while TTTY15 overexpression had opposite biological effects. TTTY15 shRNA could reduce the expression of DVL3 on both mRNA and protein levels, and the luciferase activity of TTTY15 sequence was also inhibited by miR-29a-3p. DVL3 was also validated as a target gene of miR-29a-3p, and it could be repressed by miR-29a-3p mimics or TTTY15 shRNA. CONCLUSION: TTTY15 is abnormally upregulated in colorectal cancer tissues, and it can modulate the proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells. It functions as the ceRNA to regulate the expression of DVL3 by sponging miR-29a-3p.

Wolbachia increase germ cell mitosis to enhance the fecundity of Laodelphax striatellus.

Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that infect a wide range of invertebrates and have evolved various strategies to alter host reproduction for their own survival and dissemination. In small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus, Wolbachia-infected females lay more eggs than uninfected females. Our previous study has shown that Wolbachia are abundant in ovarian cells of L. striatellus and change the number of apoptotic nurse cells in a caspase-dependent manner to provide nutrition for oogenesis. The cellular and molecular bases of the Wolbachia-mediated alterations in L. striatellus oogenesis remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether germ cell mitosis, which has been implicated in determination of egg production rates, influences the interaction between fecundity and Wolbachia in L.striatellus. We used an anti-phospho-histone 3 (pH3) antibody to label and visualize mitotic cells. Microscopic observations indicated that the Wolbachia strain wStri increased the number of ovarioles that contained mitotic germ cells. The increased fecundity of Wolbachia-infected females was a result of mitosis of germ cells; the frequency of germ cell mitosis was much higher in infected females than in uninfected females. In addition, mitosis inhibition by Cdc20, CDK1, and CycB messenger RNA interference in Wolbachia-infected L. striatellus markedly decreased egg numbers. Live Wolbachia recolonization enhanced the egg production of uninfected L. striatellus by directly affecting mitosis regulators. Together, these data suggest that wStri might increase germ cell mitosis to enhance the fecundity of L. striatellus in a mitosis-regulating manner. Our findings establish a link between Wolbachia-induced mitosis and Wolbachia-mediated egg production effects.

Enhancing the scope of in vitro maturation for fertility preservation: transvaginal retrieval of immature oocytes during endoscopic gynaecological procedures.

STUDY QUESTION: Could in vitro maturation (IVM) following transvaginal oocyte retrieval during gynaecological surgery (IVM-surgery) be an effective and safe strategy for fertility preservation? SUMMARY ANSWER: IVM-surgery on unstimulated ovaries is a novel option that can be considered for fertility preservation for women requiring gynaecological surgery, but more research is needed to identify appropriate patients who may benefit and to determine the cost-effectiveness of such an approach. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: IVM followed by oocyte/embryo cryopreservation has been useful as a safe reproductive strategy for some infertile women. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This prospective cohort study comprised 158 consecutive women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who underwent laparoscopy or hysteroscopy for other reasons and had concomitant transvaginal oocyte retrieval followed by IVM between 2014 and 2016. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: A total of 158 women with anovulatory PCOS who underwent IVM-surgery in our infertility centre were recruited for this study. Matured IVM oocytes obtained from these women were either freshly fertilized and subsequently frozen at the blastocyst stage (fresh oocyte group, n = 46) or the oocytes were frozen (frozen oocyte group, n = 112) for fertility preservation followed by later thawing for insemination and cleavage embryo transfer (ET) (n = 33). The following outcomes were then evaluated: embryological data, clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate (LBR), neonatal outcomes, post-operative complications and post-operative ovarian function. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Among all the women who underwent IVM-surgery, the clinical pregnancy rate and LBR per initiated IVM cycle were 9.5% (15/158) and 6.9% (11/158), respectively. Women (40.6%, 20/33) who underwent the procedure with frozen-thawed oocytes (oocyte survival rate, 83.0%) obtained a high quality of cleaved embryos. In the fresh oocyte group, the clinical pregnancy rate and LBR per ET cycle were 69.2 and 53.8%, respectively. In the frozen oocyte group, the clinical pregnancy rate and LBR per ET cycle were 28.6 and 19.1%, respectively. No adverse neonatal outcomes were recorded. IVM-surgery was not associated with post-operative complications, a longer hospital stay, or impaired ovarian function. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Because of the small sample size and the low utilization rate and cost-effectiveness per retrieval, the present findings should be interpreted with caution, and further studies are needed for the long-term follow-up of live births. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This strategy can also help patients with normal ovulation to obtain available oocytes and embryos for cryopreservation and subsequent use. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This research was supported by the Joint Research Fund for Overseas Natural Science of China (No. 31429004), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFC1002000, 2017YFC1001504, 2016YFC1000302), the Ministry of Science and Technology of China Grants (No. 2014CB943203), the Chinese Society of Reproductive Medicine Fund (No. 16020400656) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81300456). All the authors have nothing to disclose in terms of conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: chictr-ONC-17011861.

Box-Behnken response surface approach to identify factors affecting membrane fouling in a hybrid membrane bioreactor treating domestic sewage.

The effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and sludge retention time (SRT) on extracellular polymer substrate (EPS) content and resistance of a hybrid membrane bioreactor (HMBR) treating domestic sewage was analyzed by Box-Behnken response surface methodology. The quadratic response surface model demonstrated significant effects of both HRT and SRT on EPS content (both P value < 0.05), SRT on membrane resistance (P value = 0.0119), and their interaction was significant (P value = 0.0273) for EPS but not membrane resistance (P value = 0.0609). Model optimization indicates that the optimal conditions for the HMBR to control membrane fouling were an HRT of 10 h and SRT of 30 days. Under these optimal conditions, both the EPS content and the predicted membrane resistance closely matched the actual average value with the error about 8%. Thus, the feasibility of applying response surface methodology to an HMBR for treating domestic sewage was demonstrated. According to the detection result of the three-dimensional fluorescence (excitation-emission matrix), humic acid-like and fulvic acid-like substances gain much higher levels in the suspended carriers than those in the membrane and sludge, suggesting that these are key components of the membrane pollutants. Graphical abstract .

Effect of exogenous gonadotropin on the transcriptome of human granulosa cells and follicular fluid hormone profiles.

BACKGROUND: Superovulation treatment had some adverse effects on maturity and development of oocytes. Can superovulation dose of gonadotropins (Gns) affect the transcriptome of granulosa cells and follicular fluid (FF) hormone levels? METHODS: One leading pre-ovulatory follicle per subject was used from three natural-cycle and four Gn-stimulated patients. Granulosa cells and FF samples were collected from the same leading follicle of each patient. RNA was extracted from granulosa cells and subjected to deep sequencing and analysis. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), androstenedione (AND), testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone (P4) levels in FF were measured by immunoassays. Student's t test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 715 genes were up-regulated, and 287 genes were down-regulated, in the Gn-stimulated group relative to the control group. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that the down-regulated genes were enriched in cell cycle and meiosis pathways, primarily those associated with follicle or oocyte maturation and quality. On the other hand, the up-regulated genes were enriched in functions related to immunity and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions. Compared to the follicles of natural cycle, the E2 and LH concentrations were significantly reduced (P < 0.001), the P4 concentration was significantly increased (P = 0.003), and the concentrations of FSH, T and AND had no difference in the follicles of Gn-stimulated cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Cell cycle- and meiosis-associated genes were down-regulated by Gns stimulation, whereas immune- and cytokine-associated genes were up-regulated. Hormone levels were also affected by Gns stimulation. Compared with natural-cycle follicles,putative markers associated with oocyte quality and follicle maturation were significantly different from those in Gn-stimulated follicles. Hormone levels in follicles were compatible with the steroidogenic patterns of granulosa cell, which reflects the follicle maturation and oocyte quality.

The association between socioeconomic status and visual disability among older adults in China.

AIM: To investigate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and visual disability (VD) among older Chinese adults. METHODS: We obtained data from the Second National Sample Survey on Disability, conducted in China in 2006. A total number of 192 375 older adults (aged≥65y) were screened for suspected VD via interviews with trained examiners. Those who screened positively for VD were referred to ophthalmologists to obtain a final diagnosis. RESULTS: VD was prevalent among 7.29% of Chinese adults aged 65 and older, and was higher in rural areas (8.71%) than in urban areas (4.82%). After adjusting for SES indicators and covariates, we found that less-educated older adults were more likely to suffer from VD, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.50 (95%CI: 2.26-2.82) for illiterates, compared with those who graduated from senior high school or above. Older adults who were in the lowest income quintile were more at risk of VD, with an OR of 1.81 (95%CI: 1.68-2.95), compared with adults in the highest income quintile. In urban areas, when compared with adults who graduated from senior high school or above, those who did not continue their education after junior high school, primary school, or those who were illiterate, were more likely to suffer from VD, with an OR of 1.35 (95%CI: 1.51-1.59), 1.84 (95%CI: 1.60-2.12), and 2.63 (95%CI: 2.27-3.04), respectively. Lower levels of income were statistically significant when associated with VD. In rural areas, adults who were illiterate had an OR of 2.21 (95%CI: 1.75-2.79) when compared to adults with senior high school or above education level. Per capita, household income remained significantly associated with VD. Older adults who were ≥85, female, single, and residing in rural areas were associated with higher risks of VD. CONCLUSION: Individual-level SES among the elderly, in the form of education and income, is associated with VD among elderly Chinese adults in both urban and rural areas; however, the association is stronger in rural areas. Further studies are still required to explore the mechanism behind the relationships.

Trends in Physical Fitness Among 12-Year-Old Children in Urban and Rural Areas During the Social Transformation Period in China.

AIMS: To investigate the 29-year (1985-2014) trends in body dimensions and physical fitness test performances among 12-year-old Chinese children living in urban and rural areas. METHODS: The data were from the findings of seven cross-sectional surveys from the Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health. In the seven surveys, there were 34,238; 11,664; 17,485; 18,057; 19,254; 17,962; and 17,906 children, respectively. Anthropometric measurements and physical fitness performances of 12-year-old Chinese children living in rural and urban areas were analyzed. Polynomial models were used to analyze trends in test performances. Analysis of variance was used to assess the urban-rural differentials. RESULTS: The height and weight of both urban and rural children substantially increased from 1985 to 2014. Urban children were taller and heavier than rural children. A slight narrowing of the urban-rural differential in height was observed. The disparity in weight increased from 1985 to 2000 and decreased thereafter. Urban children performed better in most of the physical fitness tests examined, such as standing long jump, 50-m run, and sit-ups. The urban-rural disparity decreased from 1985 to 2014 in 50-m run, standing long jump, and sit-up score; the largest difference in 10 × 50 m run and pull-up score was observed in 2000 and 2005, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was a general decline in physical fitness in both urban and rural children after 2000. Urgent, targeted actions need to be taken by public health policy officials and parents to maintain or improve the physical fitness of children.

[Mechanism on Enhanced Nitrogen Removal in Municipal Secondary Effluent via Internal-Electrolysis Constructed Wetlands at Low Temperature in Winter].

Aiming at the low pollutant removal efficiency of constructed wetlands (CWs) at low temperature in winter, three laboratory-scale vertical-flow CWs, namely unplanted CWs, ordinary CWs, and internal-electrolysis CWs, were used to investigate the nitrogen removal efficiency of municipal secondary effluent when the water temperature was 3-12℃. Moreover, the mechanism of enhanced denitrification of the new wetland was revealed through analysis of the microbial community diversity and community structure. The results showed that the internal-electrolysis CWs could make better use of the carbon sources in the municipal secondary effluent and had a higher removal rate. The effluent TN concentration was maintained at about (9±0.29) mg·L-1. The average TN removal rate was 42.27%, which was 17.91% and 17.33% higher than those of the unplanted CWs and ordinary CWs, respectively. The microbial activity was detected using fluorescein diacetate (FDA), and the result revealed that the microbial activity of the internal-electrolysis CWs could reach 0.224 mg·g-1, which was 2.6 times and 3.4 times of that of the unplanted CWs and ordinary CWs, respectively. The microbial denitrification intensity of the internal-electrolysis CWs was 2.8 times and 3.3 times of that of the unplanted and ordinary CWs, respectively. The results of high-throughput sequencing showed that the microbial community diversity of the internal electrolysis CWs was higher than those of the unplanted and ordinary CWs. Denitrification microorganisms were detected, mainly Dechloromonas, Rhizobium, Hyphomicrobium, and Rhodobacter, as well as Thiobacillus, which is an autotrophic denitrifying bacterium. There were obvious advantages in the total amount of denitrifying microorganisms in the internal-electrolysis CWs, as the denitrification microorganisms accounted for 7.13% of the total microbial biomass, which was 3.8 times and 8.7 times of that of the unplanted CWs and ordinary CWs, respectively.

Effect of chromium (VI) on the multiple nitrogen removal pathways and microbial community of aerobic granular sludge.

The frequent appearance of Cr(VI) significantly impacts the microbial metabolism in wastewater. In this study, long-term effects of Cr(VI) on microbial community, nitrogen removal pathways and mechanism of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) were investigated. AGS had strong resistance ability to 1.0 mg/L Cr(VI). 3.0 mg/L Cr(VI) increased the heterotrophic-specific ammonia uptake rate (HSAUR) and heterotrophic-specific nitrate uptake rate (HSNUR) transiently, whereas 5.0 mg/L Cr(VI) sharply decreased the specific ammonia uptake rate (SAUR), specific nitrate uptake rate (SNUR) and simultaneous nitrification denitrification rate (SNDR). It was found that Cr (VI) has a greater inhibitory effect on autotrophic nitrification (ASAUR), and the maximal inhibition rate (IR) was 139.19%. Besides, the inhibition of Cr (VI) on nitrogen removal process belongs to non-competitive inhibition. Cr(VI) had a weaker negative impact on heterotrophic bacteria compared with that on autotrophic bacteria. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analyses suggest that Acidovorax sp., flavobacterium sp., uncultured soil bacterium, uncultured nitrosospira sp., uncultured prokaryote, uncultured ß-proteobacterium and uncultured pseudomonas sp. were the dominant species. The inhibition of Cr(VI) on nitrite-oxidizing bacteria was the strongest, followed by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and denitrifying bacteria. Linear correlations between bacterial count and biomass-specific uptake rate were observed when the Cr(VI) concentration exceeded 3 mg/L. This study revealed the effect of Cr(VI) on nitrification is more serious than that on denitrification. Autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification, heterotrophic denitrification and simultaneous nitrification denitrification played a significant role on nitrogen removal under Cr(VI) stress.

Parasitology should not be abandoned: data from outpatient parasitological testing in Guangdong, China.

Over the past six decades, the Chinese government made parasitoses with a high disease burden, including soil-transmitted nematode infections, malaria, leishmaniasis, filariasis, and schistosomiasis, a public health priority because they were seen to be crucial impediments to the development of rural areas. As a result, these debilitating parasitic diseases that used to be widely prevalent have been well controlled or eliminated. Consequently, less attention has been paid to parasitic infection during the rapid development of the economy, especially in developed areas. However, our investigations conducted in the parasitological laboratory of Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou, Guangdong, China) show that emerging parasitic diseases still threaten many people's health, with 340 of 880 outpatients (38.6%) receiving a diagnosis of parasitic disease, among whom 201 (59.1%) had clonorchiasis and 120 (35.3%) had taeniasis/cysticercosis. Furthermore, our doctors are not equipped with sufficient parasitology knowledge because this discipline is not able to maintain attraction. Many parasitic infections that result in severe consequences are treatable and preventable, but the phenomena of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis are common and merit attention.

Response of Aerobic Granular Sludge to the Long-Term Presence of CuO NPs in A/O/A SBRs: Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal, Enzymatic Activity, and the Microbial Community.

The increasing use of cupric oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) has raised concerns about their potential environmental toxicity. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a special form of microbial aggregates. In this study, the removal efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorus, enzyme activities and microbial community of AGS under long-term exposure to CuO NPs (at concentrations of 5, 20, 50 mg/L) in aerobic/oxic/anoxic (A/O/A) sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were investigated. The results showed the chronic toxicity caused by different concentrations of CuO NPs (5, 20, 50 mg/L) resulted in increases in the production of ROS of 110.37%, 178.64%, and 188.93% and in the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of 108.33%, 297.05%, 335.94%, respectively, compared to the control. Besides, CuO NPs decreased the activities of polyphosphate kinase (PPK) and exophosphatase (PPX), leading to lower phosphorus removal efficiency. However, the NH4+-N removal rates remained stable, and the removal efficiencies of TN increased due to the synthesis of nitrite and nitrous oxide (N2O) reductases. In addition, CuO NPs at concentrations of 0, 5, 20 mg/L increased the secretion of protein (PN) to 90, 91, 105 mg/gVSS, respectively, which could alleviate the toxicity of CuO NPs. High-throughput sequencing showed that CuO NPs increased the abundance of nitrogen-removal bacteria and reduced the abundance of phosphorus-removal bacteria, which is consistent with the results of pollutant removal upon long-term exposure to CuO NPs.

IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 promotes the malignant phenotype of invasive ductal breast carcinoma via canonical Wnt pathway.

IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 is a scaffolding protein with multidomain which plays a role in modulating dishevelled (Dvl) nuclear translocation in canonical Wnt pathway. However, the biological function and mechanism of IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) remain unknown. In this study, we found that IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 expression was elevated in invasive ductal carcinoma, which was positively correlated with tumor grade, lymphatic metastasis, and poor prognosis. Coexpression of IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 and Dvl in the nucleus and cytoplasm of invasive ductal carcinoma was significantly correlated but not in the membrane. Postoperative survival in the patients with their coexpression in the nucleus and cytoplasm was obviously lower than that without coexpression. The positive expression rates of c-myc and cyclin D1 were significantly higher in the patients with nuclear coexpression of Dvl and IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 than that with cytoplasmic coexpression, correlating with poor prognosis. IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 significantly enhanced cell proliferation and invasion in invasive ductal carcinoma cell lines by interacting with Dvl in cytoplasm to promote Dvl nuclear translocation so as to upregulate the expression of c-myc and cyclin D1. Collectively, our data suggest that IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 may promote the malignant phenotype of invasive ductal carcinoma via canonical Wnt signaling, and it could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for breast cancer patients.

[Removal of Nitrogen in Municipal Secondary Effluent by a Vertical Flow Constructed Wetland Associated with Iron-carbon Internal Electrolysis].

Aiming at the problem of high concentration of total nitrogen (TN) and low available carbon source for microorganisms in municipal secondary effluent, the vertical flow constructed wetland associated with iron-carbon internal electrolysis (ICIE-VFCW) was applied to investigate the removal efficiencies of pollutants in municipal secondary effluent. Moreover, the mechanism for enhanced nitrogen removal was primarily discussed by the applications of UV visible spectrum (UV-VIS) and gel filtration chromatography (GFC). The results showed that the ICIE-VFCW could improve the COD removal efficiencies and the effluent COD of less than 30 mg·L-1could be stably obtained. The average COD removal efficiencies of the whole year, warm months, and cold months could be increased by 10.16%, 9.81%, 11.22%, respectively, compared to the control group. The effluent TN of the ICIE-VFCW could be maintained below 10 mg·L-1, and the average TN removal efficiencies of the whole year, warm months and cold months could be increased by 13.72%,12.90%,16.17%, respectively. Besides, compared to the influent, the humification, aromaticity and average relative molecular weight (Mr) in the effluent obviously decreased, and the Mr decreased more significantly in the ICIE-VFCW. The ICIE-VFCW could promote the conversion of refractory organics in municipal secondary effluent to the small and readily biodegradable molecules, which could enhance the utilization of organic compounds by microorganisms, thus improving the removal efficiency of nitrogen.