The effect of Chinese herbal medicine on male factor infertility: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The global prevalence of infertility is 9%, with male factors potentially accounting for 40% to 60% of cases. Conventional treatments can be ineffective, invasive, costly, and linked to adverse effects and high risks. Previous studies have shown that, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) can regulate the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis, improve sperm abnormalities and quality, mitigate oxidative stress, and decrease DNA fragmentation index (DFI). Yet, the evidence backing the use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for treating male factor infertility lacks conviction due to study design limitations, and there remains a scarcity of studies on the live birth rate following CHM treatment for male factor infertility. Here, we describe the rationale and design of a randomized waitlist-controlled trial to evaluate the effect of CHM on the live birth rate among males with infertility. Methods: This study is a single-center, randomized, waitlist-controlled study. A total of 250 couples diagnosed with male factor infertility will be enrolled in this study and then randomly allocated into two groups in a 1:1 ratio. Male participants in CHM group (treatment group) will receive CHM once a day for 3 months. Male participants in the waitlist group (control group) will not receive any treatment for 3 months. After 3 months, participants in both groups need to be followed up for another 12 months. The primary outcome will be the live birth rate; secondary outcomes include semen quality parameters, DFI and pregnancy related outcomes. Safety will also be assessed. Discussion: The purpose of this trial is to explore the effects and safety of CHM on the live birth rate among couples dealing with male factor infertility. The outcome of this trial may provide a viable treatment option for male factor infertility. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2200064416. Registered on 7 October 2022, https://www.chictr.org.cn.

Treatment of Refractory Segmental Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata in a Child with Upadacitinib and NB-UVB: A Case Report.

Vitiligo and alopecia areata are both autoimmune skin diseases, and the chances of co-occurrence are very low. Conventional treatments often include glucocorticoids, which have many adverse reactions with long-term use and are difficult to achieve satisfactory results. Upadacitinib has been found to be effective in both vitiligo and alopecia areata due to partial overlap in pathogenic pathways. We report the successful treatment of vitiligo combined with alopecia areata in a nine-year-old child with upadacitinib in combination with UVB. The area of vitiligo and alopecia areata decreased significantly, and satisfactory results were obtained. It provides a new idea for the treatment of vitiligo complicated with alopecia areata in children.

Association between life-ever gallstones and depressive symptoms in U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study.

Research on the potential association between life-ever gallstones and depressive symptoms is limited. This study aims to evaluate whether the presence of gallstone disease is associated with depressive symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-March 2020 cycles. The presence of depressive symptoms and gallstone disease was assessed using questionnaire responses. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated using a multivariate logistic regression model, with adjustments made for age, sex, race, body mass index, history of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, arthritis, and pulmonary disease across different models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure the stability of the results. This study included 6201 adults aged 20 years and above, with 539(8.7%) experiencing depressive symptoms. After adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, CVD history, hypertension, arthritis, pulmonary disease, depressive symptoms were possibly associated with life-ever gallstones (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.91-2.08).When depressive symptoms were categorized as mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe,life-ever gallstones was possibly associated with mild depressive symptoms (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.81-1.56), moderate depressive symptoms (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.89-2.12), moderately severe depressive symptoms (OR 1.93, 95% CI 0.93-3.99), and severe depressive symptoms (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.16-2.88).As a continuous variable, life-ever gallstones was associated with the PHQ-9 score (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.02-0.83). The results remained stable after multiple imputation for all missing data. This cross-sectional study demonstrates no significant association between life-ever gallstones and depressive symptoms in US adults.

H2O2 oxidation - CaO precipitation pretreatment combining forward osmosis for electroless nickel spent tank liquid (ENSTL) reduction.

The electroless nickel spent tank liquid (ENSTL), as a typical hazardous waste, contains a variety of refractory organic substances as well as heavy metals and inorganic salts. Generally, ENSTL is delegated for disposing by qualified hazardous waste disposal departments in China. However, the temporary storage, transportation, and higher entrusted disposal expenses increase the burden on enterprises producing the hazardous ENSTL. This paper explored an oxidation/precipitation pretreatment and forward osmosis (FO) combined process for ENSTL reduction. 400 mmol/L Hydrogen peroxide and 5.0 wt% calcium oxide were selected as the optimal pretreatment in order to minimize the osmotic pressure of ENSTL, by which the conductivity was significantly reduced from 50.8 mS/cm to 26.8 mS/cm. As a result, the concentrating factor (N) could be dramatically increased from 2.45 by the direct FO to 8.71 by the combined system. Accordingly, the average water flux during the 24 h concentrating cycle increased from 2.47 L/(m2·h) to 4.56 L/(m2·h). TOC rejection rate decreased from 90.23% to 84.39% due to the transformation of organic matter forms by the chemical oxidation during the pretreatment. Meanwhile, TP, Ni and NH4+ rejection rates decreased to a certain extent, which may related to the mitigation of membrane fouling by the pretreatment.

Enhanced polarization and endurance properties of ZrO2-based ferroelectric capacitor using HfO2interfacial layer.

Recently discovered ferroelectricity in fluorite-structure ZrO2thin film has attracted increasing and intense interest due to its lower crystallization temperature and higher content in nature in comparison to hafnium oxide. Here, the effect of HfO2interfacial layer on the ferroelectric properties of ZrO2thin films is investigated systematically by designing four types of interfacial structures. It is revealed that the ferroelectric orthorhombic phase, remanent polarization, and endurance can be improved in ZrO2thin film by inserting both a top- and bottom-HfO2interfacial layer. A maximal ferroelectric remanent polarization (2Pr) of 53.4µC cm-2and an optimal endurance performance of 3 × 107field cycles under frequency of 100 kHz are achieved in Pt/HfO2/ZrO2/HfO2/Pt capacitors, with ferroelectric stacks being crystallized at 450 °C via post-deposition annealing method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirms that the HfO2bottom-layer plays a very important role in the formation of a higher ratio o-phase, thus enhancing the ferroelectricity. These results suggest that designing appropriate interfaces would help achieve excellent ferroelectric properties in ZrO2films.

Microfluidic-Enabled Assembly of Multicomponent Artificial Organelle for Synergistic Tumor Starvation Therapy.

Artificial organelles (AOs) encapsulating enzymes are engineered to facilitate biocatalytic reactions for exerting therapeutic effects in various diseases. Exploiting the confinement effect, these catalytic properties exhibit significant enhancements without being influenced by the surrounding medium, enabling more efficient cascade reactions. In this study, we present a novel approach for synergistic tumor starvation therapy by developing multicomponent artificial organelles that combine enzymatic oncotherapy with chemotherapy. The construction process involves a microfluidic-based approach that enables the encapsulation of cationic cores containing doxorubicin (DOX), electrostatic adsorption of cascade enzymes, and surface assembly of the protective lipid membrane. Additionally, these multicomponent AOs possess multicompartment structures that enable the separation and sequential release of each component. By coencapsulating enzymes and chemotherapeutic agent DOX within AOs, we achieve enhanced enzymatic cascade reactions (ECR) and improved intrinsic permeability of DOX due to spatial confinement. Furthermore, exceptional therapeutic effects on 4T1 xenograft tumors are observed, demonstrating the feasibility of utilizing AOs as biomimetic implants in living organisms. This innovative approach that combines starvation therapy with chemotherapy using multicompartment AOs represents a promising paradigm in the field of precise cancer therapy.

ORC1 enhances repressive epigenetic modifications on HIV-1 LTR to promote HIV-1 latency.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reservoir consists of latently infected cells which present a major obstacle to achieving a functional cure for HIV-1. The formation and maintenance of HIV-1 latency have been extensively studied, and latency-reversing agents (LRAs) that can reactivate latent HIV-1 by targeting the involved host factors are developed; however, their clinical efficacies remain unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is imperative to identify novel targets for more potential candidates or better combinations for LRAs. In this study, we utilized CRISPR affinity purification in situ of regulatory elements system to screen for host factors associated with the HIV-1 long terminal repeat region that could potentially be involved in HIV-1 latency. We successfully identified that origin recognition complex 1 (ORC1), the largest subunit of the origin recognition complex, contributes to HIV-1 latency in addition to its function in DNA replication initiation. Notably, ORC1 is enriched on the HIV-1 promoter and recruits a series of repressive epigenetic elements, including DNMT1 and HDAC1/2, and histone modifiers, such as H3K9me3 and H3K27me3, thereby facilitating the establishment and maintenance of HIV-1 latency. Moreover, the reactivation of latent HIV-1 through ORC1 depletion has been confirmed across various latency cell models and primary CD4+ T cells from people living with HIV-1. Additionally, we comprehensively validated the properties of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of ORC1 from multiple perspectives and identified the key regions that promote the formation of LLPS. This property is important for the recruitment of ORC1 to the HIV-1 promoter. Collectively, these findings highlight ORC1 as a potential novel target implicated in HIV-1 latency and position it as a promising candidate for the development of novel LRAs. IMPORTANCE: Identifying host factors involved in maintaining human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) latency and understanding their mechanisms prepares the groundwork to discover novel targets for HIV-1 latent infection and provides further options for the selection of latency-reversing agents in the "shock" strategy. In this study, we identified a novel role of the DNA replication factor origin recognition complex 1 (ORC1) in maintaining repressive chromatin structures surrounding the HIV-1 promoter region, thereby contributing to HIV-1 latency. This discovery expands our understanding of the non-replicative functions of the ORC complex and provides a potential therapeutic strategy for HIV-1 cure.

Current and future trends of acupuncture as an adjuvant therapy in cancer: A bibliometric and visual analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture, as one of the representatives of complementary therapies, is often used as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of cancer and related complications with beneficial results. METHODS: We selected the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database as the data source and searched to obtain relevant literatures on the application of acupuncture in cancer treatment. The relevant literature was analyzed using CiteSpace (version 6.1.R6) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.20). RESULTS: A total of 592 publications were included, with an overall upward trend in the number of publications. There were 135 countries or institutions involved, with China as the most published country. There were 1888 related institutions, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was the institution with the most publications. A total of 3067 authors were involved, and there were obvious collaborations between authors. There were 190 related journals, and J Clin Oncol was the most cited journal. The most frequently occurring keywords were breast cancer and management, but also other related topics such as quality of life, chemotherapy, and complementary. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture is gaining increasing attention as an adjunctive therapy in cancer treatment programs. Currently, relevant research focuses on acupuncture to alleviate cancer-induced comorbid symptoms, such as pain and insomnia. Future research is gradually shifting toward spiritual care, Colorectal Cancer Surgery, and systematic review.

The influencing factors of stigma towards people with mental illness among nursing students: a mixed-method systematic review.

The stigma of nursing students towards people with mental illness (PMI) creates significant barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and recovery for those with PMI. It can also have a significant impact on the future career choices of nursing students in the field of psychiatry. Current research has found various influencing factors, including personal characteristics and educational influences. However, a comprehensive analysis that encompasses all aspects is lacking. The aim of the study was to conduct a convergent mixed-method systematic review to synthesize the influencing factors of the stigma of nursing students towards PMI according to Framework Integrating Normative Influences on Stigma (FINIS) at micro, meso, and macro levels. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched from 1990 to 31 December 2023. The reference lists of the included literature were further checked to identify potentially relevant articles. Two authors independently screened all titles, abstracts, and full-text articles and extracted data. Study quality was assessed by two authors using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT). A total of 4865 articles were initially retrieved, and 73 of these articles were included. The results suggested that the stigma towards PMI by nursing students was influenced by micro, meso and macro levels. At each FINIS level, the most frequent influencing factors are personal characteristics, the treatment system and media images. Numerous interconnected factors exert an influence on the stigma towards PMI among nursing students. Our research can be used to identify barriers and facilitators to nursing students' stigma towards PMI and to provide supporting information for interventions designed to reduce this stigma.

A black phosphorus nanosheet-based RNA delivery system for prostate cancer therapy by increasing the expression level of tumor suppressor gene PTEN via CeRNA mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) has a high incidence in men worldwide, and almost all PCa patients progress to the androgen-independent stage which lacks effective treatment measures. PTENP1, a long non-coding RNA, has been shown to suppress tumor growth through the rescuing of PTEN expression via a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. However, PTENP1 was limited to be applied in the treatment of PCa for the reason of rapid enzymatic degradation, poor intracellular uptake, and excessively long base sequence to be synthesized. Considering the unique advantages of artificial nanomaterials in drug loading and transport, black phosphorus (BP) nanosheet was employed as a gene-drug carrier in this study. RESULTS: The sequence of PTENP1 was adopted as a template which was randomly divided into four segments with a length of about 1000 nucleotide bases to synthesize four different RNA fragments as gene drugs, and loaded onto polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified BP nanosheets to construct BP-PEI@RNA delivery platforms. The RNAs could be effectively delivered into PC3 cells by BP-PEI nanosheets and elevating PTEN expression by competitive binding microRNAs (miRNAs) which target PTEN mRNA, ultimately exerting anti-tumor effects. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, this study demonstrated that BP-PEI@RNAs is a promising gene therapeutic platform for PCa treatment.

Opto-Thermal-Tension Mediated Precision Large-Scale Particle Manipulation and Flexible Patterning.

Large-scale particle manipulation with single-particle precision and further flexible patterning into functional structures is of huge potentials in many fields including bio-optoelectronic sensing, colloidal lithography, and wearable devices. However, it is very challenging for the precision manipulation and flexible patterning of particles on complicated curved and functional substrates. In this work, opto-thermal-tension (OTT) mediated precision large-scale particle manipulation and flexible patterning based on soap film are reported. Flexible manipulation and subsequent patterning of particles with single-particle resolution is realized by optothermal regulated surface tension on soap films. Reconfigurable patterning of particle structures with different shapes as well as large-scale ordered structures (up to 2000 particles) with particle sizes spanning two orders of magnitude (0.5-20 µm) is realized using this OTT mediation method. Importantly, due to the high flexibility of soap films, the patterned large-scale particle structures can be non-destructively transferred to curved and rough substrates, including rough iron pipe surface, leaf and skin surface. This OTT mediated method provides a new method for precision large-scale particle manipulation and flexible patterning with high versatility on complicated functional substrates, with great potentials for optoelectronic and biophotonic sensing and wearable device design on different curved and rough functional substrates.

PAI-1 Deficiency Promotes NET-mediated Pyroptosis and Ferroptosis during Pseudomonas Aeruginosa-induced Acute Lung Injury by Regulating the PI3K/MAPK/AKT Axis.

Circulating neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is an adaptive process during acute lung injury (ALI). The important role of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 in NET formation during ALI remains unclear. This research intends to examine the impacts of the decrease in PAI-1 levels on NET formation and the underlying mechanism. We found a relative association between the increase in plasma NET levels and thromboinflammation-induced lung damage in patients with ARDS. PAI-1 knockout (KO) mice exhibited significant increases in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1 strain)-induced ALI, inflammation, inflammatory cell accumulation, and proinflammatory cytokine secretion, and wild-type mice exhibited the opposite changes. During PAO1-induced ALI, PAI-1 KO increased NET release and the levels of prothrombotic markers in mice. PAI-1 deficiency also promoted NET formation and NET-mediated pyroptosis and ferroptosis by activating the PI3K/MAPK/AKT pathway in a PAO1-induced ALI mouse model. In conclusion, PAI-1 KO exacerbated PAO1-induced pneumonia-associated injury and contributed to NET-mediated pyroptosis and ferroptosis through PI3K/MAPK/AKT pathway activation. Thus, targeting PAI-1 and NETs may be a promising therapeutic approach for ameliorating pneumonia and thromboinflammation-associated ALI.

Corrigendum: Trends in acupuncture for infertility: a scoping review with bibliometric and visual analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1351281.].

Development and validation of a scale to measure the care needs of Crohn's disease patients: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) patients require varying levels of supportive care. In order to facilitate caregivers and nurses in precisely evaluating the caregiving requirements of these patients, we developed the CD-specific Care Needs Scale (CD-CNS). METHODS: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The initial items of the scale were developed through qualitative interviews, Delphi expert consultation, and literature review, while the final items were refined through clinical testing. Qualitative interviews were conducted based on the supportive care needs framework and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and scale items were constructed through a literature search and qualitative interviews. The initial version of the scale with 45 items was obtained after the items were verified and modified by expert consultation. A total of 250 CD patients admitted to the gastroenterology department of a hospital in China were selected for verification of the initial version of the scale. A self-designed general questionnaire was used to obtain patients' medical history and sociodemographic data, and the Chinese version of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) was used as the criterion. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the CD-CNS to evaluate the dimensions, factor structure, reliability, criterion validity, and construct validity. RESULTS: EFA identified 5 dimensions and retained 27 items with strong internal consistency reliability (α = 0.940). The Cronbach's α coefficients for each dimension ranged from 0.824 to 0.921. Criterion validity was assessed using Spearman's coefficient, which demonstrated a significant correlation with the IBDQ (P < 0.050). The test-retest reliability for each dimension after two weeks ranged from 0.655 to 0.895. CONCLUSIONS: We developed and validated a new scale that can be used to assess the care needs of CD patients. This new tool can guide the specific supportive care of CD patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Hospital of Nanjing (2021-LS-ky-022). The study was duly registered and approved online through the Trial Center of the Second Hospital of Nanjing in 2021. Confidentiality was ensured by anonymizing all the data. The entire study process was conducted under the supervision of the Ethics Committee of Nanjing Second Hospital. Informed consent was obtained from the patients, and each patient volunteered and agreed to participate.

The histamine receptor H1 acts as an alternative receptor for SARS-CoV-2.

Numerous host factors, in addition to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2), have been identified as coreceptors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), demonstrating broad viral tropism and diversified druggable potential. We and others have found that antihistamine drugs, particularly histamine receptor H1 (HRH1) antagonists, potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we provided compelling evidence that HRH1 acts as an alternative receptor for SARS-CoV-2 by directly binding to the viral spike protein. HRH1 also synergistically enhanced hACE2-dependent viral entry by interacting with hACE2. Antihistamine drugs effectively prevent viral infection by competitively binding to HRH1, thereby disrupting the interaction between the spike protein and its receptor. Multiple inhibition assays revealed that antihistamine drugs broadly inhibited the infection of various SARS-CoV-2 mutants with an average IC50 of 2.4 µM. The prophylactic function of these drugs was further confirmed by authentic SARS-CoV-2 infection assays and humanized mouse challenge experiments, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of antihistamine drugs for combating coronavirus disease 19.IMPORTANCEIn addition to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can utilize alternative cofactors to facilitate viral entry. In this study, we discovered that histamine receptor H1 (HRH1) not only functions as an independent receptor for SARS-CoV-2 but also synergistically enhances ACE2-dependent viral entry by directly interacting with ACE2. Further studies have demonstrated that HRH1 facilitates the entry of SARS-CoV-2 by directly binding to the N-terminal domain of the spike protein. Conversely, antihistamine drugs, primarily HRH1 antagonists, can competitively bind to HRH1 and thereby prevent viral entry. These findings revealed that the administration of repurposable antihistamine drugs could be a therapeutic intervention to combat coronavirus disease 19.

A multi-ancestry GWAS meta-analysis of facial features and its application in predicting archaic human features.

Facial morphology, a complex trait influenced by genetics, holds great significance in evolutionary research. However, due to limited fossil evidence, the facial characteristics of Neanderthals and Denisovans have remained largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a large-scale multi-ethnic meta-analysis of the genome-wide association study (GWAS), including 9674 East Asians and 10,115 Europeans, quantitatively assessing 78 facial traits using 3D facial images. We identified 71 genomic loci associated with facial features, including 21 novel loci. We developed a facial polygenic score (FPS) that enables the prediction of facial features based on genetic information. Interestingly, the distribution of FPSs among populations from diverse continental groups exhibited relevant correlations with observed facial features. Furthermore, we applied the FPS to predict the facial traits of seven Neanderthals and one Denisovan using ancient DNA and aligned predictions with the fossil records. Our results suggested that Neanderthals and Denisovans likely shared similar facial features, such as a wider but shorter nose and a wider endocanthion distance. The decreased mouth width was characterized specifically in Denisovans. The integration of genomic data and facial trait analysis provides valuable insights into the evolutionary history and adaptive changes in human facial morphology.

High-Performance 2D Ambipolar MoTe2 Lateral Memristors by Mild Oxidation.

2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have been intensively explored in memristors for brain-inspired computing. Oxidation, which is usually unavoidable and harmful in 2D TMDCs, could also be used to enhance their memristive performances. However, it is still unclear how oxidation affects the resistive switching behaviors of 2D ambipolar TMDCs. In this work, a mild oxidation strategy is developed to greatly enhance the resistive switching ratio of ambipolar 2H-MoTe2 lateral memristors by more than 10 times. Such an enhancement results from the amplified doping due to O2 and H2O adsorption and the optimization of effective gate voltage distribution by mild oxidation. Moreover, the ambipolarity of 2H-MoTe2 also enables a change of resistive switching direction, which is uncommon in 2D memristors. Consequently, as an artificial synapse, the MoTe2 device exhibits a large dynamic range (≈200) and a good linearity (1.01) in long-term potentiation and depression, as well as a high-accuracy handwritten digit recognition (>96%). This work not only provides a feasible and effective way to enhance the memristive performance of 2D ambipolar materials, but also deepens the understanding of hidden mechanisms for RS behaviors in oxidized 2D materials.

Research on identification of flight cadets' cognitive load based on multi-source physiological data and CGAN-DBN model.

Modern aircraft cockpit system is highly information-intensive. Pilots often need to receive a large amount of information and make correct judgments and decisions in a short time. However, cognitive load can affect their ability to perceive, judge and make decisions accurately. Furthermore, the excessive cognitive load will induce incorrect operations and even lead to flight accidents. Accordingly, the research on cognitive load is crucial to reduce errors and even accidents caused by human factors. By using physiological acquisition systems such as eye movement, ECG, and respiration, multi-source physiological signals of flight cadets performing different flight tasks during the flight simulation experiment are obtained. Based on the characteristic indexes extracted from multi-source physiological data, the CGAN-DBN model is established by combining the conditional generative adversarial networks (CGAN) model with the deep belief network (DBN) model to identify the flight cadets' cognitive load. The research results show that the flight cadets' cognitive load identification based on the CGAN-DBN model established has high accuracy. And it can effectively identify the cognitive load of flight cadets. The research paper has important practical significance to reduce the flight accidents caused by the high cognitive load of pilots.

In our study, a highly accurate cognitive load identification model for flight cadets was established by using multi-source physiological data. Moreover, it provides a theoretical basis for identifying the cognitive load of pilots through wearable physiological devices. Our intent is to catalyse further research and technological development.

Trends in acupuncture for infertility: a scoping review with bibliometric and visual analysis.

Background: Unexplained recurrent implantation failure and the high cost of assisted reproductive techniques for those experiencing infertility have increasingly resulted in the use of acupuncture. However, the trends and research status of acupuncture on infertility resulting in natural conception have not been systematically summarized. This scoping review and knowledge graph analysis aimed to summarize existing clinical studies on acupuncture for infertility that resulted in natural conception. Methods: Seven databases, namely, PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, and SinoMed, were searched up to August 2023 (updated on 1 April). Two authors independently identified related clinical studies and systematic reviews, and extracted data from included studies on acupuncture for infertility; any discrepancies were resolved by discussion or judged by a third author. A meta-analysis was conducted based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and data were synthesized using risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Of the 310 articles meeting the inclusion criteria, 274 were primary studies, 7 were systematic reviews, and 29 were case reports. Reported adverse events included mild ovarian irritation and early signs of miscarriage. Out of the 274 primary studies, there were 40 (14.60%) cases of male infertility and 234 (85.40%) cases of female infertility. Current research highlights on acupuncture for infertility focused on female infertility caused by polycystic ovary syndrome, ovulation disorder, and luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome (LUFS), while acupuncture for male infertility was a hotspot in the early research stage. The meta-analysis also suggested that acupuncture was more effective than human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) [RR = 1.89, 95% CI (1.47, 2.42), 11 RCTs, 662 participants]. Acupuncture combined with HCG was comparable to HCG [RR = 2.33, 95% CI (1.53, 3.55), four RCTs, 259 participants]. Compared with no treatment, acupuncture resulted in a higher pregnancy rate [RR = 22.12, 95% CI (1.39, 353.09), one RCT, 47 participants]. There was no statistical difference between acupuncture combined with HCG plus letrozole and HCG plus letrozole [RR = 1.56, 95% CI (0.84, 2.89), one RCT, 84 participants]. Conclusion: Current research highlights on acupuncture for infertility resulting in natural conception focused on female infertility caused by polycystic ovary syndrome, ovulation disorder, and LUFS, while studies on male infertility and female infertility caused by blockage in the fallopian tube, thin endometrium, and other factors were insufficient. Well-designed confirmatory clinical studies are still needed as the research hypotheses of most studies were unclear.

Approach bias in individuals with Internet gaming disorder: Evidence from an event-related potential-based approach-avoid task.

Individuals with Internet gaming disorder (IGD) often exhibit an approach bias towards gaming cues compared to non-gaming cues. Although previous studies suggested a positive correlation between approach bias and the severity of game use, the neuropsychological mechanisms that underpin the automatic action tendencies remain largely unexplored. The present study measured event-related potentials (ERPs) in 22 IGD and 23 healthy control (HC) participants who met the inclusion criteria, both groups conducted the Stimulus-Response Compatibility task (SRC), with their ERPs recorded during the task. Results revealed that the IGD group showed a significantly larger approach bias towards gaming cues (avoidance versus approach reaction time) compared to the HC group. The amplitude of P300 significantly increased, whereas N100 significantly decreased for game-approach compared to game-avoid for IGD compared to HC participants. The findings suggested that the enhanced integrated motivational value under compatible conditions as well as increased stimulus-response conflicts under incompatible conditions may contribute to the approach bias in IGD individuals. Further investigation on the intervention is prompted through longitudinal studies.