Optimum oocyte retrieved and transfer strategy in young women with normal ovarian reserve undergoing a long treatment protocol: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the number of oocytes retrieved and clinical outcomes in young women with normal ovarian reserve who were undergoing their first in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycle. The transfer strategy based on yielded oocytes was also discussed in this article. METHODS: A total of 1567 patients who underwent first long protocol of IVF treatment in our reproductive medical center between January 2010 and June 2014 were categorized into five groups based on the retrieved oocyte number, namely, 4∼6, 7∼9, 10∼12, 13∼15, and ≥16. Baseline parameters were similar among the groups. Primary outcome was defined as the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR), and secondary outcomes included the rate of patients with high risks for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). RESULTS: It was found that the CLBR increased with the number of oocytes, as well as the rate for high risks of OHSS. In fresh cycles, 10∼12 oocyte group demonstrated the highest implantation rate (53.32 %), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) (73.13 %), and live birth rate (LBR) (61.14 %), with no significant differences. Moreover, both cumulative CPR (CCPR) and CLBR became significantly higher in the 10∼12 oocyte group, compared with 4∼6 and 7∼9 groups. However, when the retrieved oocytes increased to 13∼15 or ≥16, the cumulative results did not have a significant increase. Also, the high risk rate of OHSS was much lower in the 10∼12 group (11.53 %) than that in the 13∼15 group (29.97 %) and ≥16 group (77.30 %). Unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that when ≥10 oocytes were retrieved, the CLBR increased significantly (P < 0.01). When oocyte number exceeded 16, the CPR of frozen embryo transfer cycle was much higher than that of fresh cycle (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For young women with normal ovarian reserve, retrieving 10∼12 oocytes might result in optimized pregnancy outcomes in a fresh cycle with low OHSS risk and would not compromise cumulative outcomes. When ≥16 oocytes were retrieved, a "freeze-all" embryo strategy might be preferable.

Comparison of different segments in the fixation of thoracolumbar fractures: a Bayesian network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Posterior internal fixation (PIF) is commonly used in the treatment of thoracolumbar fracture (TLF), but there is still no standard for the number of fixed segments. The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of short segment (SS), intermediate segment (IS) and long segment (LS) in the fixation of TLF. METHODS: Two authors independently searched through PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies of thoracolumbar fracture treated by posterior internal fixation, which were published until the end of April 2021. The Aggregate Data Drug Information System (ADDIS) software was used for data evaluation according to the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method based on the Bayesian theorem. RESULTS: Nineteen trials evaluating a total of 970 patients were enrolled in these studies, of which 340 in the SS group, 429 in the IS group and 201 in the LS group. For anterior vertebral height ratio (AVHR), IS had the highest AVHR, LS had the second highest AVHR. IS also ranked first in reducing visual analogue scale (VAS), SS ranked second. For sagittal Cobb's angle (SCA), LS had the lowest SCA and IS had the second lowest SCA. In terms of adverse events, IS had the lowest implant failure rate and LS had the second lowest implant failure rate. CONCLUSIONS: IS may be the most desirable treatment option for TLF in reducing SCA, implant failure rate, VAS, and improving AVHR. However, more randomized controlled trials are needed to verify these results.

siRNA directed against Annexin II receptor inhibits HeLa cell proliferation, migration and invasion and induces apoptosis via suppressing ERK1/2 and Akt signaling pathways.

Annexin II receptor (AXIIR) was originally identified as a cell surface receptor for Annexin II and was shown to be involved in the development and progression of multiple cancers, but little was known about its role in cervical cancer. The aim of our study was to investigate the role and the plausible molecular mechanism of AXIIR in regulating apoptosis, invasion and migration of cervical cancer cells. siRNA targeting AXIIR was chemical synthesized and transfected into HeLa cells which with non-specific siRNA tranfection used as a negative control. Cell proliferation, cell migration, cell invasion and cell apoptosis assay were measured by CCK-8, wound healing assay, Transwell invasion assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Tumor-related protein and signaling pathway were also measured by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot assay to investigate the molecular mechanism of AXIIR involved in regulating HeLa cells. Our data showed that AXIIR siRNA significantly inhibited HeLa cell viability and induced cell apoptosis by increases in Caspase-3/-8/-9 mRNA and protein expression, and inhibit HeLa cell migration and invasion by decreased MMP-2/-9 mRNA and protein expression. AXIIR siRNA could also significantly down-regulate Akt, p-Akt, ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 expression. In conclusion, AXIIR is of great importance for regulatingcell viability, migration, invasion and apoptosis in vitro. The molecular mechanism of AXIIR might be the activation of PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 signaling pathway, indicating a critical regulator function of AXIIR in tumorigenic responses of cervical cancer.

Mercury flow through an Asian rice-based food web.

Mercury (Hg) is a globally-distributed pollutant, toxic to humans and animals. Emissions are particularly high in Asia, and the source of exposure for humans there may also be different from other regions, including rice as well as fish consumption, particularly in contaminated areas. Yet the threats Asian wildlife face in rice-based ecosystems are as yet unclear. We sought to understand how Hg flows through rice-based food webs in historic mining and non-mining regions of Guizhou, China. We measured total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in soil, rice, 38 animal species (27 for MeHg) spanning multiple trophic levels, and examined the relationship between stable isotopes and Hg concentrations. Our results confirm biomagnification of THg/MeHg, with a high trophic magnification slope. Invertivorous songbirds had concentrations of THg in their feathers that were 15x and 3x the concentration reported to significantly impair reproduction, at mining and non-mining sites, respectively. High concentrations in specialist rice consumers and in granivorous birds, the later as high as in piscivorous birds, suggest rice is a primary source of exposure. Spiders had the highest THg concentrations among invertebrates and may represent a vector through which Hg is passed to vertebrates, especially songbirds. Our findings suggest there could be significant population level health effects and consequent biodiversity loss in sensitive ecosystems, like agricultural wetlands, across Asia, and invertivorous songbirds would be good subjects for further studies investigating this possibility.