Effect of transglutaminase on the structure, properties and oil absorption of wheat flour.

The structure, properties, as well as the oil absorption characteristics of wheat flour (WF) treated with varying concentrations of transglutaminase (TG) (0 U/g âˆ¼ 50 U/g) were characterized. The content of free amino groups in WF modified by TG (TG-WF) decreased and protein aggregated. The isopeptide bonds and disulfide bonds played important roles in protein crosslinking. The thermal stability, the peak viscosity after gelatinization and protein secondary structure stability of TG-WF were improved. In addition, the oil absorption and surface oil content of TG-WF after frying were reduced. TG enhanced the protein-protein interactions in WF, so that protein played barrier roles in the process of high-temperature frying, protecting the starch particles covered by them from the infiltration of oil, thus reducing the oil absorption of TG-WF during frying. Among them, the oil content of TG-WF-30 U/g after frying was the lowest, which decreased by 10.73 % compared with the control group.

Clinical efficacy of hysteroscopic adhesiolysis combined with periodic balloon dilation for intrauterine adhesion in IVF treatment.

Background: Intrauterine adhesions (IUA), arising from diverse etiological factors, pose a significant threat to female fertility, particularly during in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of hysteroscopic adhesiolysis (HA) combined with periodic balloon dilation in treating IUA and its impact on reproductive outcomes in women undergoing IVF treatment. Methods: A total of 234 patients diagnosed with IUA were included in this study. The IUA women were categorized into three subgroups based on the severity of adhesion. All IUA patients underwent HA separation followed by periodic balloon dilation along with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Frozen embryo transfer was performed post-treatment, and a comparative analysis of the general characteristics and clinical outcomes among the subgroups was conducted. The control group consisted of patients who underwent their first embryo transfer of HRT cycle without any uterine abnormalities, as assessed by the propensity score matching (PSM). The clinical outcomes of IUA group and control group were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to investigate the risk factors associated with live birth. Results: ① The endometrial thickness was significantly increased post-operation compared to pre-operation in all three IUA subgroups (all P <0.001), with the most pronounced change observed in the severe IUA group. After treatment, normal uterine cavity was restored in 218 women (93.16%). ② The overall clinical pregnancy rate was 49.57% (116/234) and live birth rate was 29.91% (70/234). The clinical outcomes were similar among the three subgroups after first embryo transfer (all P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that age (aOR 0.878, 95% CI 0.817~0.944, P=0.001) and endometrial thickness after treatment (aOR 1.292, 95% CI 1.046~1.597, P=0.018) were the two significant risk factors for live birth rate. ③ Following the process of matching, a total of 114 patients were successfully enrolled in the control group. The baselines and the clinical outcomes were all comparable between the IUA group and control group (all P>0.05). Conclusion: The combination of HA and periodic balloon dilation is beneficial for improving endometrial receptivity and has a significant clinical impact on patients with IUA undergoing IVF.

Effects of body mass index and insulin resistance on first-time assisted conception and perinatal outcomes in young polycystic ovary syndrome patients.

Objective: The objective of the study was to explore the effect of body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance (IR) levels on first-time assisted conception results and perinatal outcomes in young polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. Design: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study. Patients: Young women with PCOS undergoing their first embryo transfer were included in the study. Main outcome measure: Early pregnancy loss rate was the main outcome measure. Results: The early pregnancy loss rate in the overweight + insulin resistance group (OW+IR group) was significantly higher than that in the non-overweight + non-insulin resistance group (NOW+NIR group) (18.16% vs. 9.02%, Bonferroni correction, P = 0.012). The early pregnancy loss rate in the non-overweight + insulin resistance group (NOW+IR group) and overweight + non-insulin resistance group (OW+NIR group) (18.18% and 17.14%, respectively) were also higher than that in the NOW+NIR group (6.07%), but the difference was not statistically significant (Bonferroni correction, all P > 0.05). No significant difference was found in clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate, and macrosomia rate (all P > 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, BMI and IR levels were identified as independent risk factors for early pregnancy loss rate. Conclusion: BMI and IR levels are independent risk factors for early pregnancy loss in young PCOS patients during the first embryo transfer cycle. Multiple indicators should be considered when assessing pregnancy outcomes, which will promote individualized pregnancy guidance and treatment procedures for PCOS patients.

Insulin Resistance is a Risk Factor for Early Miscarriage and Macrosomia in Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome From the First Embryo Transfer Cycle: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: The objective of the study was to explore the effect of insulin resistance on pregnancy outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) from the first embryo transfer cycle. Design: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study. Patients: Included in the study were women with PCOS for the first embryo transfer. Main Outcome Measures: Early miscarriage rate and macrosomia rate were the main outcome measures. Results: With increased HOMA-IR, the early miscarriage rate (7.14, 13.21, and 16.22%, respectively; P = 0.039), macrosomia rate (5.78, 11.79, and 17.58%, respectively; P = 0.026) and the incidence of gestational diabetes (GDM) (10.00, 14.50, and 25.67% respectively; P = 0.002) significantly increased, while the live birth rate markedly decreased (63.03, 55.27, and 47.88%, respectively; P = 0.004). No significant difference was found in clinical pregnancy rate, late miscarriage rate, low birthweight rate and baby gender ratio (all P >0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, HOMA-IR was an independent risk factor of early miscarriage rate and macrosomia rate. Conclusion: Insulin resistance is an independent risk factor for early miscarriage and macrosomia in PCOS patients during the first embryo transfer cycle. It is essential to give more attention before and after pregnancy for PCOS women with high HOMA-IR.

CabZIP23 Integrates in CabZIP63-CaWRKY40 Cascade and Turns CabZIP63 on Mounting Pepper Immunity against Ralstonia solanacearum via Physical Interaction.

CabZIP63 and CaWRKY40 were previously found to be shared in the pepper defense response to high temperature stress (HTS) and to Ralstonia solanacearum inoculation (RSI), forming a transcriptional cascade. However, how they activate the two distinct defense responses is not fully understood. Herein, using a revised genetic approach, we functionally characterized CabZIP23 in the CabZIP63-CaWRKY40 cascade and its context specific pepper immunity activation against RSI by interaction with CabZIP63. CabZIP23 was originally found by immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry to be an interacting protein of CabZIP63-GFP; it was upregulated by RSI and acted positively in pepper immunity against RSI by virus induced gene silencing in pepper plants, and transient overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. By chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR and electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA), CabZIP23 was found to be directly regulated by CaWRKY40, and CabZIP63 was directly regulated by CabZIP23, forming a positive feedback loop. CabZIP23-CabZIP63 interaction was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP) and bimolecular fluorescent complimentary (BiFC) assays, which promoted CabZIP63 binding immunity related target genes, including CaPR1, CaNPR1 and CaWRKY40, thereby enhancing pepper immunity against RSI, but not affecting the expression of thermotolerance related CaHSP24. All these data appear to show that CabZIP23 integrates in the CabZIP63-CaWRKY40 cascade and the context specifically turns it on mounting pepper immunity against RSI.

Prevalence and associated factors of infertility among 20-49 year old women in Henan Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Infertility is a reproductive health problem which affects not only individuals, families and social populations. Recently, the infertility rate in China has a trend of increase year by year, and few studies have reported the infertility rate in Henan Province, China. The aim of this study was to investigate the current prevalence and associated factors of infertility among women of childbearing age in Henan Province, China. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2019 to October 2019. We sampled 765 women who were 20-49 years old in eight hospitals of four cities in Henan Province, China. This survey included a questionnaire, physical examination, vaginal ultrasound examinations, and serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) assessment, all of which were conducted under uniform standards by trained personnel. According to the data collected from questionnaire, participants were divided into infertile and fertile groups and analyzed associated factors. RESULTS: Among all the 765 participants in this study, the prevalence of infertility was 24.58%. The prevalence of primary infertility was 6.54%, and the prevalence of secondary infertility was 18.04%. In logistic multivariate regression analyses, infertility was associated with age (p < 0.001), history of gynecological surgery (p < 0.001), sweet food (p = 0.003) and decreased ovarian reserve (DOR) (p < 0.001). After further analyses, factors associated with primary infertility were age of marriage (p = 0.006), age of first sexual intercourse (p = 0.003), long-term air-conditioning environment (p < 0.001), decreased ovarian reserve (p = 0.005) and age (p = 0.002). And factors associated with secondary infertility were history of gynecological surgery (p < 0.001), decreased ovarian reserve (p = 0.002), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) above 0.85 (p = 0.043), delivery times (p = 0.001) and ages (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of infertility among women aged 20-49 was 24.58% and only 61.17% infertile women sought medical help in Henan Province, China. Age, history of gynecological surgeries and DOR may increase the risk of infertility. Local public health departments and medical professionals need to discharge their duty of reducing the high incidence of infertility and protecting women's reproductive health.

Infertility prevalence rate has increased in the past 30 years. Infertility plagues thousands of women of childbearing age. Although not life-threatening, the detrimental influence of infertility to patients, their families, and society should not be underestimated, especially in China. In order to investigate the prevalence of infertility, determine the associated factors, and promote disease prevention and treatment, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 20­49 year old women in Henan, one of the central provinces of China.This study distributed 920 questionnaires and collected 803 completed questionnaires. Interviews, questionnaires, and physical and ultrasound examinations were done.Among all the 765 participants in this study, the prevalence of infertility was 24.58%. The prevalence of primary infertility was 6.54%, and the secondary infertility was 18.04%. Age, history of gynecological surgeries and DOR may increase the risk of infertility.In conclusion, among women aged 20­49 years in Henan Province, China, the prevalence of infertility in 2019 was 24.58% and 61.17% of infertile women sought medical help.

Cumulative live birth and surplus embryo incidence after frozen-thaw cycles in PCOS: how many oocytes do we need?

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) and surplus embryo rate of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients during in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 1142 PCOS patients who underwent first IVF in our institution between January 2011 and December 2014. All patients were categorized into five groups according to the number of oocytes retrieved. Main outcomes include CLBR and surplus embryo rate. RESULTS: A strong correlation was observed between number of oocytes retrieved and CLBR as well as surplus embryo rate in PCOS patients. CLBR was elevated with the increasing number of oocytes and plateaued when oocyte number was up to ten, whereas the surplus embryo rate steadily increased in line with the increase of oocyte number. Patients transferred with frozen embryos showed higher CLBR and LBR during first ET than patients transferred with fresh embryos. CONCLUSIONS: For PCOS patients, retrieving more than ten oocytes leads to no significant benefit to CLBR but generates surplus embryos. Thus, moderate ovarian stimulation should be reconsidered during IVF treatment.

Promoter methylation of yes-associated protein (YAP1) gene in polycystic ovary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: DNA methylation modification has been proved to influence the phenotype of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) demonstrate that yes-associated protein (YAP1) genetic sites are associated with PCOS. The study aims to detect the methylation status of YAP1 promoter in ovary granulosa cells (GCs) of PCOS patients and explore novel therapeutic targets for PCOS. METHODS: Randomized controlled trial was applied and a total of 72 women were included in the study, including 36 cases of PCOS patients and 36 cases of health controls. Ovary GCs were extracted from in vitro fertilization embryo transfer. Methylation status of YAP1 promoter was detected by bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP). Protein and mRNA expression of YAP1 were measured by western blotting and real-time quantitate PCR. RESULTS: Overall methylation level of YAP1 promoter region from PCOS group was significantly lower than that from control group. CpG sites analysis revealed that 12 sites (-443, -431, -403, -371, -331, -120, -49, -5, +1, +9, +15, +22) were significantly hypomethylated in women with PCOS (P < 0.05). A significant upregulation of YAP1 mRNA and protein expression levels was observed. Testosterone concentration could alleviate the methylation status and demonstrate obvious dose-dependent relation. CONCLUSION: Our research achievements manifest that hypomethylation of YAP1 promoter promotes the YAP1 expression, which plays a key role in the pathogenesis and accelerate PCOS.