Exploring the phylogeny and depth evolution of cusk eels and their relatives (Ophidiiformes: Ophidioidei).

With 289 known species in 51 genera, the ophidiiform family Ophidiidae together with their relatives from the Carapidae (36 species in eight genera) of the same suborder Ophidioidei dominate the deep sea, but some occur also in shallow water habitats. Despite their high species diversity in the deep sea and wide bathymetric distributions, their phylogenetic relationships and evolution remain unexplored due in part to sampling difficulties. Thanks to the biodiversity exploratory program entitled "Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos" and joint efforts between Taiwan and French teams for sampling from different localities across the Indo-West Pacific over the last two decades, we are able to compile comprehensive datasets for investigations. In this study, 59 samples representing 36 of 59 known ophidioid genera are selected and used to construct a multi-gene dataset to infer the phylogenetic relationships of ophidioid fishes and their relatives. Our results reveal that the Ophidiidae forms a paraphyletic group with respect to the Carapidae. The four main clades of Ophidioidei resolved are the (1) clade comprising species from the subfamily Brotulinae; (2) clade that includes species in the genera Acanthonus and Xyelacyba; (3) clade grouping Hypopleuron caninum with species from the family Carapidae; and (4) clade containing the species in the subfamily Brotulotaenilinae, Neobythitinae (in part), and Ophidiinae. Accordingly, we suggest the following new revisions based on our results and proposed morphological diagnoses. The subfamily Brotulinae should be elevated to the family level. The genera Xyelacyba and probably Tauredophidium (unsampled in this study) should be included in the newly established family Acanthonidae with Acanthonus. The families Carapidae and Ophidiidae are re-defined. Our time-calibrated phylogenetic and ancestral depth reconstructions enable us to clarify the evolutionary history of ophidiiform fishes and infer past patterns of species distributions at different depths. While Ophidiiformes is inferred to have originated in shallow waters around 96.25 million years ago (Mya), the common ancestor to the Ophidioidei is inferred to have invaded the deep sea around 90.22 Mya, the dates coinciding with the global anoxic event of the OAE2. The observed bathymetric distribution patterns in Ophidioidei most likely point to the mesopelagic zone as the center of origin and diversification. This was followed by multiple events of depth transitions or range expansions towards either shallower waters or greater depth zones, which were likely triggered by past climate changes during the Paleogene-Neogene.

Artificial intelligence interpretation of touch print smear cytology of testicular specimen from patients with azoospermia.

PURPOSE: Identification of mature sperm at microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) is a crucial step of sperm retrieval to help patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) proceed to intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Touch print smear (TPS) cytology allows immediate interpretation and prompt sperm identification intraoperatively. In this study, we leverage machine learning (ML) to facilitate TPS reading and conquer the learning curve for new operators. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred seventy-six microscopic TPS images from the testicular specimen of patients with azoospermia at Taipei Veterans General Hospital were retrospectively collected, including categories of Sertoli cell, primary spermatocytes, round spermatids, elongated spermatids, immature sperm, and mature sperm. Among them, 118 images were assigned as the training set and 29 images as the validation set. RetinaNet (Lin et al. in IEEE Trans Pattern Anal Mach Intell. 42:318-327, 2020), a one-stage detection framework, was adopted for cell detection. The performance was evaluated at the cell level with average precision (AP) and recall, and the precision-recall (PR) curve was displayed among an independent testing set that contains 29 images that aim to assess the model. RESULTS: The training set consisted of 4772 annotated cells, including 1782 Sertoli cells, 314 primary spermatocytes, 443 round spermatids, 279 elongated spermatids, 504 immature sperm, and 1450 mature sperm. This study demonstrated the performance of each category and the overall AP and recall on the validation set, which were 80.47% and 96.69%. The overall AP and recall were 79.48% and 93.63% on the testing set, while increased to 85.29% and 93.80% once the post-meiotic cells were merged into one category. CONCLUSIONS: This study proposed an innovative approach that leveraged ML methods to facilitate the diagnosis of spermatogenesis at mTESE for patients with NOA. With the assistance of ML techniques, surgeons could determine the stages of spermatogenesis and provide timely histopathological diagnosis for infertile males.

An Exploration of Self-Efficacy and Its Associated Factors among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Taiwan.

Self-efficacy is an important ingredient in successful disease management, especially in patients with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the information on self-efficacy and its influencing factors among RA patients is scarce. This study investigated the level of self-efficacy and its pertinent predictors among RA patients in Taiwan. This cross-sectional study recruited patients with RA from a hospital in Taiwan between January and October 2023. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on respondents' demographic and job characteristics and included a Chinese version of the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was employed to identify predictors of self-efficacy. A total of 284 RA patients were enrolled during the study period. The mean ASES score among enrollees was 1607.1, indicating a moderate level of self-efficacy (score range of 200-2000). The regression model displayed that those with higher disease activity scores, Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire scores, fatigue level, shorter disease duration, swollen upper limb joints, and no regular exercise regimen reported lower ASES scores, accounted for 46% of the total variance. The study findings may be useful for healthcare providers in identifying RA patients with low self-efficacy attitudes, a trait that appears to be linked to several medical indicators, and thus facilitating the provision of future tailored healthcare regimens.

Susceptible windows of exposure to fine particulate matter and fetal growth trajectories in the Spanish INMA (INfancia y Medio Ambiente) birth cohort.

While prior studies report associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and fetal growth, few have explored temporally refined susceptible windows of exposure. We included 2328 women from the Spanish INMA Project from 2003 to 2008. Longitudinal growth curves were constructed for each fetus using ultrasounds from 12, 20, and 34 gestational weeks. Z-scores representing growth trajectories of biparietal diameter, femur length, abdominal circumference (AC), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) during early (0-12 weeks), mid- (12-20 weeks), and late (20-34 weeks) pregnancy were calculated. A spatio-temporal random forest model with back-extrapolation provided weekly PM2.5 exposure estimates for each woman during her pregnancy. Distributed lag non-linear models were implemented within the Bayesian hierarchical framework to identify susceptible windows of exposure for each outcome and cumulative effects [ßcum, 95% credible interval (CrI)] were aggregated across adjacent weeks. For comparison, general linear models evaluated associations between PM2.5 averaged across multi-week periods (i.e., weeks 1-11, 12-19, and 20-33) and fetal growth, mutually adjusted for exposure during each period. Results are presented as %change in z-scores per 5 µg/m3 in PM2.5, adjusted for covariates. Weeks 1-6 [ßcum = -0.77%, 95%CrI (-1.07%, -0.47%)] were identified as a susceptible window of exposure for reduced late pregnancy EFW while weeks 29-33 were positively associated with this outcome [ßcum = 0.42%, 95%CrI (0.20%, 0.64%)]. A similar pattern was observed for AC in late pregnancy. In linear regression models, PM2.5 exposure averaged across weeks 1-11 was associated with reduced late pregnancy EFW and AC; but, positive associations between PM2.5 and EFW or AC trajectories in late pregnancy were not observed. PM2.5 exposures during specific weeks may affect fetal growth differentially across pregnancy and such associations may be missed by averaging exposure across multi-week periods, highlighting the importance of temporally refined exposure estimates when studying the associations of air pollution with fetal growth.

Touch print smear of testicular tissue with thionine stain for intraoperative diagnosis in azoospermic men.

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic value of testicular tissue touch print smear (TPS) conducted on azoospermic patients with results obtained from histopathology and in vitro fertility (IVF) lab findings. METHODS: Microdissection testicular sperm extraction was performed on a group of 148 azoospermic patients and testicular samples obtained intraoperatively. Using TPS, the samples were smeared onto a sterile slide, followed with staining using thionine. The testis tissue bulk samples were also transferred to the IVF lab, and determinations of sperm presence or absence obtained from IVF lab tests were compared with the TPS sample results. Needle testis biopsy was separately performed on a group of 360 azoospermic patients, and results of pathohistology review on the biopsies were further compared with determinations of spermatogenesis stage obtained from TPS for those patients. RESULTS: When compared with IVF lab results, TPS was found to have 100% (126/126) positive predictive value and 95.5% (25/26) negative predictive value for predicting sperm presence or absence, respectively. Furthermore, TPS was further found to have a 93.6% correlation (337 of 360 biopsies) with results of histological diagnoses performed by needle biopsy. Results from histology and TPS for the detection of sperm presence were concordant in 96.1% (346/360) of biopsies. Diagnosis of SCO by TPS shows the highest correlation with histopathology (98.6%), followed by complete spermatogenesis (97.5%), early maturation arrest (78.9%), and late maturation arrest (27.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The results support the continued use of TPS in testicular tissue analysis for more rapid assessment of spermatogenesis and for detection of spermatozoa in azoospermic subjects.

Prediction of microdissection testicular sperm extraction outcomes of azoospermic patients post-chemotherapy using cyclophosphamide equivalent dose.

PURPOSE: We determined the sperm retrieval rate in men with persistent azoospermia post-chemotherapy in relation to cyclophosphamide equivalent dose (CED), a unit for quantifying alkylating agent exposure. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed of 1098 patients diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia who had undergone microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) between January 2010 and 2021 at our institution. Twenty-three patients with a prior history of chemotherapy were included in the study. Oncological data, chemotherapy regime, and dosage were reviewed. The pretreatment hormone profile, CED, and mTESE outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Testicular spermatozoa were successfully retrieved from 11 patients (47%). The mean patient age was 37.3 years (range, 27-41 years), and mean time interval from chemotherapy to mTESE, 11.8 years (range, 1-45 years). Patients exposed to alkylating agents had significantly lower sperm retrieval rates than those not exposed to alkylating agents (1/9, 11% vs. 10/14, 71%, p = 0.009). No men with CED > 4000 mg/m2 (n = 6) had viable sperm in the testes during mTESE. Moreover, patients diagnosed with testicular non-seminomatous germ cell tumors had a favorable sperm retrieval rate (67%) compared to patients with lymphoma (20%) or leukemia (33%). CONCLUSION: Patients with permanent azoospermia post-chemotherapy have a lower testicular sperm retrieval rate when the chemotherapy regimen included alkylating agents. In cases where patients have undergone more intensive gonadotoxic treatments, such as higher CED, the likelihood of successful sperm retrieval is low. It is advisable to counsel such patients using the CED model prior to considering surgical sperm retrieval.

Field Measurement of the Dynamic Interaction between Urban Surfaces and Microclimates in Humid Subtropical Climates with Multiple Sensors.

Forcing pathways between urban surfaces (impervious and pervious pavers) and near-surface air temperature were measured and investigated with a network of multiple sensors. Utilizing field data measured between April 2021 and May 2022, and assuming that the influential variables follow the basic heat-transfer energy-balance equations, multiple regression-based statistical models were built to predict the surface temperature and near-surface air temperature (0.05 m, 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m, and 3 m) of one impervious paver site and one pervious paver site in Taipei City, Taiwan. Evaporative cooling was found to be more influential on the pervious paver with a statistically significant influence on the microclimate up to 1.8 m (and up to 0.7 m for the impervious paver), using in situ data with an ambient air temperature higher than 24 °C. The surface temperature is mainly affected by solar shortwave radiation and ambient air temperature. As for near-surface air temperature, ambient air temperature is the most influential factor, followed by surface temperature. The importance of surface temperature indicates the influence of upwelling longwave radiation on the microclimate. The predictive equations show that pervious surfaces can help cities with hot and humid climates fight the changing climate in the future.

Assessing urinary phenol and paraben mixtures in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus: A case-control study.

Prior studies have identified the associations between environmental phenol and paraben exposures and increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but no study addressed these exposures as mixtures. As methods have emerged to better assess exposures to multiple chemicals, our study aimed to apply Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to evaluate the association between phenol and paraben mixtures and GDM. This study included 64 GDM cases and 237 obstetric patient controls from the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. Mid-pregnancy spot urine samples were collected to quantify concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), benzophenone-3, triclosan, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between individual chemical biomarkers and GDM while controlling for confounding. We used probit implementation of BKMR with hierarchical variable selection to estimate the mean difference in GDM probability for each component of the phenol and paraben mixtures while controlling for the correlation among the chemical biomarkers. When analyzing individual chemicals using logistic regression, benzophenone-3 was positively associated with GDM [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) per interquartile range (IQR) = 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15, 2.08], while BPA was negatively associated with GDM (aOR 0.61, 95% CI 0.37, 0.99). In probit-BKMR analysis, an increase in z-score transformed log urinary concentrations of benzophenone-3 from the 10th to 90th percentile was associated with an increase in the estimated difference in the probability of GDM (0.67, 95% Credible Interval 0.04, 1.30), holding other chemicals fixed at their medians. No associations were identified between other chemical biomarkers and GDM in the BKMR analyses. We observed that the association of BPA and GDM was attenuated when accounting for correlated phenols and parabens, suggesting the importance of addressing chemical mixtures in perinatal environmental exposure studies. Additional prospective investigations will increase the understanding of the relationship between benzophenone-3 exposure and GDM development.

The predictive factors of successful sperm retrieval for men with Y chromosome AZFc microdeletion.

PURPOSE: To identify key predictors for successful sperm retrieval in men with AZFc microdeletion. METHODS: Totally, 71 infertile men with confirmed AZFc microdeletion were studied. For each patient, the endocrine profile including serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone, total testosterone, prolactin, and estradiol was recorded, along with intratesticular testosterone levels (ITT), age, and testicular size. The factors were further analyzed to determine the key predictors for successful sperm retrieval. RESULTS: Of the 71 men with AZFc microdeletion, 52 (73.2%) were classified as having non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), 7 (9.9%) as having cryptozoospermia, and 12 (15.8%) as having severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Of the 52 men with azoospermia, 47 received microdissection testicular sperm retrieval, and sperm retrieval was successful in 35 of those cases (74.5%). A significantly lower serum FSH (p = 0.03) was found in those patients from whom sperm could be successfully retrieved. The area under the receiving operating characteristic curve for FSH was determined to be 0.721. Using an FSH cutoff point of 12.95 mIU/mL, the model for predicting successful sperm retrieval was found to have 51.4% sensitivity, 83.3% specificity, 90.0% positive predictive value, and 37.0% negative predictive value. ITT levels were obtained from 7 NOA patients, the mean ITT and the mean ITT/serum testosterone ratio was 1932.8 ng/ml and 567.2 in 6 men with successful sperm retrieval, whereas, in a patient with fail sperm retrieval, the levels were 2370 ng/ml and 393.0. CONCLUSION: Men exhibiting AZFc microdeletion with discernible spermatogenesis from whom sperm was successfully retrieved by mTESE generally presented with relatively lower FSH levels.

Bevacizumab and atezolizumab as first-line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A Taiwanese subgroup analysis on efficacy and safety.

BACKGROUND: The combination of bevacizumab and atezolizumab has been established as a standard first-line systemic treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We examined the treatment outcomes of patients in Taiwan who received the combination in 2 pivotal clinical trials. METHODS: All patients who resided in Taiwan, were enrolled in the IMbrave150 and GO30140 studies, and received bevacizumab and atezolizumab as the first-line systemic therapy for unresectable HCC were included. We extracted and pooled anonymous raw data from the study records. RESULTS: We enrolled 40 patients, with the median age of 62.5 years; 36 (90%) had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C disease. The response rate was 37.5%, including 3 (7.5%) complete responses. The disease control rate was 85%. The median duration of response was 21.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.6-not estimable). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 8.6 (95% CI, 5.6-18.6) and 24.9 months (95% CI, 14.2-not estimable), respectively. The most common adverse events of all grades were proteinuria (50%) and hypertension (37.5%), the median onset of which were 157 and 127 days, respectively. Bevacizumab and atezolizumab treatment had to be interrupted in 20 (50%) and 13 (32.5%) patients, respectively. Among patients whose treatment duration was ≥6 months, 50% of them had to skip bevacizumab, but no signal of poorer PFS or OS was observed. CONCLUSION: In Taiwanese patients with advanced HCC, the efficacy and safety outcomes of bevacizumab and atezolizumab treatment were generally consistent with the global intent-to-treat populations.

Reproductive outcomes of microdissection testicular sperm extraction in hypogonadotropic hypogonadal azoospermic men after gonadotropin therapy.

PURPOSE: Male infertility caused by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) is not common. The main treatment is gonadotropins for 12 months or longer. If the patient is still azoospermic, conventional or microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) may further help in sperm retrieval. We aimed to analyze the fertility outcomes of HH men treated at our institute. METHODS: From 2008 to 2020, infertile men with hormone profile showing HH were enrolled. Gonadotropin therapy was prescribed if parenthood was being considered. Assisted reproductive technology was available to help patients attain fertility depending on the results of sperm analysis. Patient outcomes, including sperm retrieval, pregnancy and live birth rates, were analyzed. RESULTS: Seventeen initially azoospermic patients were administered gonadotropins for an average of 11.1 months, and sperm was subsequently found in the ejaculate of seven patients (41%). mTESE was performed on the other ten (59%) who were still azoospermic. For these 10 patients, they had collectively undergone an average 12.1 months (range 6-23 months) of gonadotropin therapy. Sperm was retrieved in nine (90.0%) cases. After 11 cycles of TESE-ICSI, six (54.5%) successful pregnancies were recorded, resulting in five (55.6%) cases with live-born babies, including two sets of twins, and one case of missed abortion at 9 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSION: Gonadotropin therapy reversed azoospermia in a portion of the HH male patients studied. Of men who were still azoospermic after gonadotropin treatment, a majority could still have testicular sperm retrieved by mTESE for use in assisted reproductive technology, subsequently resulting in live births.

miR-302 Attenuates Mutant Huntingtin-Induced Cytotoxicity through Restoration of Autophagy and Insulin Sensitivity.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant brain disorder caused by mutant huntingtin (mHtt). Although the detailed mechanisms remain unclear, the mutational expansion of polyglutamine in mHtt is proposed to induce protein aggregates and neuronal toxicity. Previous studies have shown that the decreased insulin sensitivity is closely related to mHtt-associated impairments in HD patients. However, how mHtt interferes with insulin signaling in neurons is still unknown. In the present study, we used a HD cell model to demonstrate that the miR-302 cluster, an embryonic stem cell-specific polycistronic miRNA, is significantly downregulated in mHtt-Q74-overexpressing neuronal cells. On the contrary, restoration of miR-302 cluster was shown to attenuate mHtt-induced cytotoxicity by improving insulin sensitivity, leading to a reduction of mHtt aggregates through the enhancement of autophagy. In addition, miR-302 also promoted mitophagy and stimulated Sirt1/AMPK-PGC1α pathway thereby preserving mitochondrial function. Taken together, these results highlight the potential role of miR-302 cluster in neuronal cells, and provide a novel mechanism for mHtt-impaired insulin signaling in the pathogenesis of HD.

Hybrid Basketball Game Outcome Prediction Model by Integrating Data Mining Methods for the National Basketball Association.

The sports market has grown rapidly over the last several decades. Sports outcomes prediction is an attractive sports analytic challenge as it provides useful information for operations in the sports market. In this study, a hybrid basketball game outcomes prediction scheme is developed for predicting the final score of the National Basketball Association (NBA) games by integrating five data mining techniques, including extreme learning machine, multivariate adaptive regression splines, k-nearest neighbors, eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and stochastic gradient boosting. Designed features are generated by merging different game-lags information from fundamental basketball statistics and used in the proposed scheme. This study collected data from all the games of the NBA 2018-2019 seasons. There are 30 teams in the NBA and each team play 82 games per season. A total of 2460 NBA game data points were collected. Empirical results illustrated that the proposed hybrid basketball game prediction scheme achieves high prediction performance and identifies suitable game-lag information and relevant game features (statistics). Our findings suggested that a two-stage XGBoost model using four pieces of game-lags information achieves the best prediction performance among all competing models. The six designed features, including averaged defensive rebounds, averaged two-point field goal percentage, averaged free throw percentage, averaged offensive rebounds, averaged assists, and averaged three-point field goal attempts, from four game-lags have a greater effect on the prediction of final scores of NBA games than other game-lags. The findings of this study provide relevant insights and guidance for other team or individual sports outcomes prediction research.

Diversity, phylogeny, and historical biogeography of large-eye seabreams (Teleostei: Lethrinidae).

The large-eye seabreams or Monotaxinae is one of two subfamilies in the Lethrinidae, a family of perch-like coral reef fishes. Despite its widespread occurrence and its commercial interest in the tropical Indo-West Pacific (IWP), this subfamily has traditionally been considered a taxonomically difficult group. Based on 268 samples collected from all 15 known large-eye seabream species throughout their distribution ranges, we investigated the taxonomic diversity and phylogenetic relationships in the subfamily. From the results of multiple analyses on four gene markers, we confirmed the monophyly of all four genera in the subfamily (Gnathodentex, Gymnocranius, Monotaxis and Wattsia). We confirmed the occurrence of two species in the genus Monotaxis. We reported 15 delimited species within the most speciose genus Gymnocranius, four of which are potentially new species. The time-calibrated phylogenetic reconstruction enabled us to clarify the evolutionary history of the large-eye seabreams and to infer past patterns of species distribution. The most recent common ancestor to the Monotaxinae likely occurred in the central IWP ca. 32 million years ago. A burst of species diversification likely took place during the Mid- to Late Miocene, coinciding with tectonic change in the central IWP region. This gave rise to most extant lineages in Gymnocranius. The observed geographic distribution patterns in the subfamily most likely point to the central IWP as the area of origin and diversification. This was followed by multiple events of centrifugal range expansion towards either the Indian Ocean or the western Pacific Ocean, or both. Our results thus provide new support for S. Ekman's center-of-origin hypothesis.

The plasticity of gonad development of sexual reproduction in a scleractinian coral, Porites lichen.

Metazoans have evolved a complexity of sexual system and gonad development, however, sexual reproduction of scleractinian corals is not well understood. This study aimed to address the sexual system and gametogenesis in Porites lichen, a common species in the Indo-West Pacific. This study represents the first description of sexual system, which were determined by histological analysis of the samples collected in northern Taiwan. In addition, female and hermaphroditic colonies were separately cultured in aquarium to further monitor the release of eggs/larvae and thereby confirm the breeding system. The results demonstrate that P. lichen is a polygamodioecious brooder and displays seasonal gametogenesis and embryogenesis that ends in late summer. In hermaphroditic colonies, male polyps are predominant and hermaphroditic polyps make up a very small percent (1%-19.3%). In addition, two new gametogenic features were observed from the histological analysis: 1) oocytes developed within the spermaries in hermaphroditic polyps during the early stage of gametogenesis and 2) melanin granular cells were clustered in spermaries in both male and hermaphroditic colonies. This study demonstrated the plasticity of gametogenesis and melanin related cells appeared in corals, which provides an important information to explore hormones and molecular mechanism involving in gonadal arrangement and production of melanin for further studies.

Do partial AZFc deletions affect the sperm retrieval rate in non-mosaic Klinefelter patients undergoing microdissection testicular sperm extraction?

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognostic factors for sperm retrieval and determine if Y chromosome deletion is associated with deleterious effects on spermatogenesis in non-mosaic Klinefelter patients. Whether Y chromosome deletion determines the sperm retrieval rate in non-mosaic Klinefelter patients has not yet been addressed. METHODS: We retrospectively collected medical records of azoospermic patients from Sep 2009 to Dec 2018, and enrolled 66 non-mosaic 47, XXY patients who were receiving mTESE. The predictive values of patients age, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, prolactin, estradiol and Y chromosome deletion were assessed for successful sperm recovery. RESULTS: Testicular sperm recovery was successful in 24 (36.4%) of 66 men. The mean age (36.0 vs. 36.6 years), and levels of FSH (30.0 vs 36.9 IU/L), LH (17.7 vs 21.9 IU/L), testosterone (2.4 vs. 2.1 ng/ml), prolactin (9.1 vs. 8.8 ng/ml), and estradiol (19.4 vs. 22.3 pg/ml) did not show any significant difference when comparing patients with and without successful sperm retrieval. Partial deletion of azoospermic factor c (AZFc) was noted in 5 (20.8%) of 24 patients with successful sperm retrieval, including three b2/b3 and two gr/gr deletion cases, whereas 4 (9.5%) of 42 patients with unsuccessful sperm retrieval were noted to have AZFc partial deletion (one b2/b3, one sY1206 and two gr/gr deletion), though the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.27). CONCLUSION: According to present results, age and AZFc partial deletion status should not be a deterrent for azoospermic males with non-mosaic Klinefelter syndrome to undergo mTESE.

The distribution of the recessus orbitalis across flatfishes (order: Pleuronectiformes).

The recessus orbitalis is an accessory organ of flatfishes functioning in the protrusion of the eyes. This character, along with cranial asymmetry and a forward insertion of the dorsal fin, have been considered synapomorphies for the Pleuronectiformes. New dissections and examination of images taken in the wild show that the recessus orbitalis is present in all representatives of Pleuronectoidei examined but is absent in the single species of Psettoidei dissected. Psettoidei, the most primitive pleuronectiform lineage, contains three recognized species; thus, the absence of the recessus orbitalis in this whole lineage is unclear without further dissections. Ancestral character estimation at the family level for the recessus orbitalis indicates that the recessus orbitalis was likely absent in the common ancestor of Pleuronectiformes but was most likely present in the common ancestor of the Pleuronectoidei. Given that so few species of flatfishes have been assessed for the recessus orbitalis to date, additional characterization of the distribution of the recessus orbitalis across flatfishes will further inform what states this character may have and if it is a synapomorphy of Pleuronectiformes or simply a derived character state of Pleuronectoidei.

Reduced Stroke Risk among Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Chinese Herbal Medicines Treatment: Analysis of Domestic Data in Taiwan.

Background and objectives: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) reportedly have a much higher risk of death due to stroke. Faced with this heavy burden, it remains unclear if the Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs), the most common form complementary and alternative medicine, can lower the risk of stroke for them. This study aimed to evaluate the association of CHMs use with stroke risk among them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From a nationwide database, 11,456 AF patients aged ≧ 20 years between 1998 and 2007 were identified. Afterwards, we enrolled 2670 CHMs users and randomly selected 2670 non-CHMs users using the propensity score method. The occurrence of stroke was recorded until the end of 2012. RESULTS: Within the follow-up period, 671 CHMs users and 900 non-CHMs users developed stroke, with incidence rates of 33.02 and 45.46 per 1000 person-years, respectively. CHMs use was associated with a 30% lower stroke risk, especially for those receiving CHMs for over two years. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study suggest that adding CHMs to conventional therapy could decrease subsequent stroke risk for AF patients. It is also suggested that prospective randomized trials are needed to further clarify if the detected association revealed in this study supports a causal link, and to identify the specific CHMs that may be beneficial to AF patients.

Liraglutide protects against glucolipotoxicity-induced RIN-m5F ß-cell apoptosis through restoration of PDX1 expression.

Prolonged exposure to high levels of glucose and fatty acid (FFA) can induce tissue damage commonly referred to as glucolipotoxicity and is particularly harmful to pancreatic ß-cells. Glucolipotoxicity-mediated ß-cell failure is a critical causal factor in the late stages of diabetes, which suggests that mechanisms that prevent or reverse ß-cell death may play a critical role in the treatment of the disease. Transcription factor PDX1 was recently reported to play a key role in maintaining ß-cell function and survival, and glucolipotoxicity can activate mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1), which, in turn, stimulates PDX1 degradation and causes dysfunction and apoptosis of ß-cells. Interestingly, previous research has demonstrated that increased glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) signalling effectively protects ß cells from glucolipotoxicity-induced apoptosis. Unfortunately, few studies have examined the related mechanism in detail, especially the role in Mst1 and PDX1 regulation. In the present study, we investigate the toxic effect of high glucose and FFA levels on rat pancreatic RINm5F ß-cells and demonstrate that the GLP-1 analogue liraglutide restores the expression of PDX1 by inactivating Mst1, thus ameliorating ß-cell impairments. In addition, liraglutide also upregulates mitophagy, which may help restore mitochondrial function and protect ß-cells from oxidative stress damage. Our study suggests that liraglutide may serve as a potential agent for developing new therapies to reduce glucolipotoxicity.

Incorporation of deep-sea and small-sized species provides new insights into gastropods phylogeny.

The use of phylogeny with uneven or limited taxon sampling may bias our interpretation of organismal evolution, for instance, the origin(s) of the deep-sea animals. The Mollusca is the second most speciose phylum, in which the Gastropoda forms the largest group. However, the currently proposed hypotheses of gastropod phylogeny are mainly based on part of their taxonomic diversity, notably on the large-sized and shallow-water species. In this study, we aimed at correcting this bias by reconstructing the phylogeny with new mitogenomes of deep-sea gastropods including Anatoma sp., Bathysciadiidae sp., Bayerotrochus teramachii, Calliotropis micraulax, Coccocrater sp., Cocculina subcompressa, Lepetodrilus guaymasensis, Peltospira smaragdina, Perotrochus caledonicus, Pseudococculinidae sp., and Shinkailepas briandi. This dataset provided the first reports of the mitogenomes for the Cocculiniformia, three vetigastropod superfamilies: Pleurotomarioidea, Lepetelloidea, and Scissurelloidea, and the neritimorph family Phenacolepadidae. The addition of deep-sea representatives also allowed us to evaluate the evolution of habitat use in gastropods. Our results showed a strongly supported sister-group relationship between the deep-sea lineages Cocculiniformia and Neomphalina. Within the Vetigastropoda, the Pleurotomarioidea was revealed as the sister-group of the remaining vetigastropods. Although this clade was presently restricted to the deep sea, fossil records showed that it has only recently invaded this habitat, thus suggesting that shallow waters was the ancestral habitat for the Vetigastropoda. The deep-sea Lepetelloidea and Lepetodriloidea formed a well-supported clade, with the Scissurelloidea sister to it, suggesting an early transition from shallow water to deep sea in this lineage. In addition, the switch between different chemosynthetic habitats was also observed in deep-sea gastropod lineages, notably in Neomphalina and Lepetelloidea. In both cases, the biogenic substrates appeared as the putative ancestral habitat, confirming the previously proposed hypothesis of a wooden-step to deep-sea vents scenario of evolution of habitat use for these taxa.