Staged Treatment with Chinese Herbal Medicine in a Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation of In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer Programme / 中医杂志

It is believed that kidney deficiency is the fundamental pathogenesis while liver constraint and spleen deficiency， and disharmony of chong （thorough vessel， 冲脉）and ren （conception vessel， 任脉） is the key pathogenesis of infertility patients who adopted controlled ovarian hyperstimulation of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer （IVF-ET） programme. Therefore， the method of tonifying the kidneys dominantly and treating the liver and spleen simultaneously is proposed， and Chinese herbal medicine is suggested to be used in adjuvant treatment of staged IVF-ET controlled ovrian hyperstimulation. In the regulation stage， modified Liuwei Dihuang Pill （六味地黄丸） can be used to tonify kidney and supplement essence， fortify spleen and nourish liver； in the ovulation promotion stage， modified Wenjing Decoction （温经汤） should be used to warm kidney and assist yang， dispel stasis and nourish blood； in the pre-transplantation endothelial preparation stage， modified Shenling Baizhu Powder （参苓白术散） is suggested to fortify spleen and replenish qi， invigorate blood and resolve stasis； after the transplantation stage， modified Shoutai Pill （寿胎丸） or Taiyuan Decoction （胎元饮） can be taken to fortify spleen and tonify kidney， benefit qi and nourish blood.

Factores determinantes del éxito en la carrera de enfermeras actuantes en tecnología de reproducción asistida / Factors that affect career success of nurses who practice in assisted reproductive technology / Fatores que afetam o sucesso profissional de enfermeiros que atuam na área de tecnologia de reprodução assistida

Objetivo: examinar la relación entre éxito en la carrera y ambiente de trabajo con enfermeras actuantes en tecnología de reproducción asistida (TRA), e identificar factores que afectan su éxito en la carrera. Método: estudio transversal realizado en 53 centros de fertilidad de 26 provincias en la China Continental. Datos recolectados utilizando cuestionario de datos demográficos, un Cuestionario de Competencias de TRA para Enfermeras Especializadas, la Career-Success Scale (Escala de éxito profesional) y la Nursing Work Environment Scale (Escala del entorno de trabajo de enfermería). Se aplicó estadística inferencial y descriptiva. Resultados: 597 enfermeras actuantes en TRA participaron en nuestra encuesta, entregando 555 cuestionarios válidos. Los puntajes generales promedio de éxito en la carrera y ambiente de trabajo fueron 3,75 (desviación estándar, [DE]=1,01) y 3,42 (DE=0,77) respectivamente. Se observó fuerte correlación positiva entre éxito en la carrera y ambiente de trabajo (r=0,742; p<0,01). La regresión múltiple mostró que la concurrencia a conferencias académicas, atención psicológica, desarrollo profesional, apoyo y cuidado, salario y bienestar constituyeron factores significantes con influencia en el éxito en la carrera. Conclusión: la concurrencia a conferencias académicas, atención psicológica y ambiente de trabajo guardan relación positiva con el éxito en la carrera. Los gestores deberían considerar formas de abordar tales factores.

Objective: to examine the relationship between career success and work environment of nurses who practice in assisted reproductive technology and to identify factors that affect career success. Method: a cross-sectional study conducted in 53 fertility centres in 26 provinces in mainland China. Data were collected using a demographic data questionnaire, a specialised nursing competence questionnaire, the Career-Success Scale, and the Nursing Work Environment Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Results: 597 assisted reproductive technology nurses participated in our survey, and 555 valid questionnaires were collected. Theoverall mean scores for career success and work environment were 3.75 [standard deviation (SD) = 1.01] and 3.42 (SD = 0.77) respectively. There was a strong positive correlation between career success and work environment (r = 0.742, p < 0.01). Multiple regression showed that attending academic conferences, psychological care, professional development, support and care, salary, and welfare were significant factors that influence career success. Conclusion: attending academic conferences, psychological care, and work environment are positively related to career success. Administrators should consider ways to address these factors.

Objetivo: examinar a relação entre o sucesso profissional e o ambiente de trabalho de enfermeiros da área de tecnologia de reprodução assistida e identificar os fatores que afetaram tal sucesso. Método: estudo transversal conduzido em 53 centros de fertilidade em 26 províncias da China Continental. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário demográfico, um questionário sobre competências de enfermagem especializada em tecnologias de reprodução assistida, da Career-Success Scale (Escala de Sucesso Profissional) e da Nursing Work Environment Scale (Escala do Ambiente de Trabalho na Enfermagem). Aplicaram-se análises de estatística descritiva e inferencial. Resultados: participaram do estudo 597 enfermeiros da área de tecnologia de reprodução assistida, e 555 questionários válidos foram coletados. As pontuações globais médias para o sucesso profissional e o ambiente de trabalho foram 3,75 [desvio padrão (DP) = 1,01] e 3,42 (DP = 0,77), respectivamente. Verificou-se forte correlação positiva entre o sucesso profissional e o ambiente de trabalho (r = 0,742; p < 0,01). A análise de regressão múltipla mostrou que a participação em eventos acadêmicos, a assistência psicológica, o desenvolvimento profissional, o apoio e os cuidados, e o salário e o bem-estar foram fatores que influenciaram significativamente o sucesso profissional. Conclusão: a participação em eventos acadêmicos, a assistência psicológica e o ambiente de trabalho mostraram correlação positiva com o sucesso profissional. Os gestores deveriam considerar formas de abordar esses fatores.

Retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants born following assisted conception versus spontaneously conceived pregnancies – A 2-year retrospective observational study from an urban tertiary eye care referral center in South India

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine if in vitro fertilization (IVF) is associated with an increase in the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among preterm infants. Methods: This retrospective, comparative study included all the preterm babies who were screened under an urban multicentric outreach project between April 2019 and August 2022. Infant details including gender, birth weight, mode of conception, single or multiple gestation, gestational age and post?menstrual age in weeks, age at presentation, and any presence of risk factors were recorded and analyzed. Results: Among 444 preterm babies included in the study, 373 (84%) were conceived normally and 71 (16%) were conceived by IVF. ROP was found in 99 (22.29%) babies in total. There was no significant difference in the incidence of any stage of ROP between the two groups; however, higher stages of ROP were found to be relatively more frequent in the spontaneous conception group in our study. We also found a statistically significant difference in the presence of ROP among singletons, twins, and triplets. Conclusion: IVF was found not to independently increase the risk of ROP in preterm infants. More prospective studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to establish the relationship between the mode of conception and development of severe ROP in preterm infants

The effect of metabolic syndrome on controlled ovarian stimulation outcome in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing assisted reproductive technology cycles

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) diagnosis on oocyte quality and pregnancy outcomes in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who undergoing antagonist-controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycles. Subject and methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted from November 2019 to November 2020 across two university-affiliated infertility centers in Iran. The PCOS diagnosis was defined according to the Rotterdam criteria. The patients prior to IVF/ICSI cycles were evaluated for MetS diagnosis. MetS was detected according to the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III with the presence of at least three or more of the specific clinical criteria. The cycle outcomes were compared between MetS and non-MetS groups. Results: Overall, 68 eligible infertile PCOS patients with MetS diagnosis and 126 without MetS participated. The MetS diagnosis was associated with the increased requirement of gonadotropins and the COS duration significantly (P = 0.001). Although the total numbers of retrieved and MII oocytes, obtained and top-quality embryos as well as clinical pregnancy and live birth rates in the MetS group were lower than those of in the non-MetS group, the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In follow-up of the obstetrics complications, the rate of preeclampsia was significantly higher in patients with MetS (P = 0.02). Conclusion: MetS diagnosis in PCOS patients was associated with non-significant poor COS and pregnancy outcome. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to clarify the risk of MetS in patients undergoing ART cycles.

Research on Ethical Hotspots of Assisted Reproductive Technology in China: A Review of Quantitative Research in the Past Two Decades / 中国医学伦理学

【Objective:】 The data of the literature of the research progress on the assisted reproductive technology (ART) ethical issues in China in the past two decades were summarized to explore the research hotspots and frontiers of ethical issues in this field. 【Methods:】 The relevant literature records of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were retrieved from January 1, 2002 to October 30, 2022. CiteSpace 6.1.R2 software was used to visually analyze the authors, institutions, keywords, etc. 【Results:】 A total of 1274 papers were included, and the number of papers was on the rise. The hot topics covered three dimensions: surrogacy, ethics issues and laws of ART, and measures of ART. 【Conclusion:】 The combination of theory and practice on the ethical issues of ART is not close enough, the cooperation network of researchers need to be further strengthened. The relevant research on surrogacy, reproductive rights, gene editing, and embryo ownership has become a major hotspot and difficulty in recent years, which should be given full attention.

Effects of assisted reproductive technology on physique and autistic behavior of children： a 3-year longitudinal follow-up study / 四川精神卫生

BackgroundAssisted reproductive technology is increasingly mature and widely used in clinic. As more and more newborns are born with assisted reproductive technology， the health problems of these newborns also need more attention. ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of assisted reproductive technology on newborn physique and autistic behavior， and to raise the attention of autistic behavior of assisted reproductive children. MethodsFrom the medical record information system， 588 assisted reproduction newborns （assisted reproduction group） born in the obstetrics department of Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University from August 2018 to August 2019 were selected as the study objects. From the medical records information system， 600 newborns born naturally in the obstetrics department in the same period of time were selected as the control group. The basic information of all newborns was collected， including the mother's age and years of education， sex， gestational age， birth weight and birth length， and they were assessed by the Clancy Autism Behavior Scale （CABS） at 3 years of follow-up. ResultsThe educational years of mothers in assisted reproduction group were longer than those in control group ［（12.04±1.96） years vs. （11.34±2.90） years， t=-4.887， P<0.01］， gestational age and birth weight of assisted reproduction group were lower than those of control group ［（38.68±2.56） weeks vs. （39.53±2.91） weeks， t=5.315， P<0.01； （3 273.27±720.39） g vs. （3 158.29±701.74） g， t=2.792， P<0.05］. There was no significant difference in birth length between the two groups ［（49.97±5.94） cm vs. （50.07±6.08） cm， t=-0.287， P>0.05］. At the age of three， the weight and height of the assisted reproduction group were both lower than those of the control group ［（16.16±2.53）kg vs.（16.96±1.67）kg， t=6.393， P<0.01， （95.81±4.50）cm vs.（97.47±7.49）cm， t=4.626， P<0.01］. Respectively， 6 （1.00%） and 15 （2.55%） children with autism were detected in the control group and assisted reproduction group， and the difference was statistically significant （χ2=4.113， P<0.05）. ConclusionAssisted reproductive technology may affect the physical and neurological development of children. ［Funded by Outstanding Young Talents Support Program of Anhui Education Department （number， gxyqZD2022022）］

The Addition of Dydrogesterone after Frozen Embryo Transfer in Hormonal Substituted Cycles with Low Progesterone Levels / Uso adicional de didrogesterona após transferência de blastocisto em ciclos substituídos com valores baixos de progesterona

Abstract Objective To determine whether a rescue strategy using dydrogesterone (DYD) could improve the outcomes of frozen embryo transfer cycles (FET) with low progesterone (P4) levels on the day of a blastocyst transfer. Methods Retrospective cohort study including FET cycles performed between July 2019 and October 2020 following an artificial endometrial preparation cycle using estradiol valerate and micronized vaginal P4 (400 mg twice daily). Whenever the serum P4 value was below 10 ng/mL on the morning of the planned transfer, DYD 10 mg three times a day was added as supplementation. The primary endpoint was ongoing pregnancy beyond 10 weeks. The sample was subdivided into two groups according to serum P4 on the day of FET: low (< 10 ng/mL, with DYD supplementation) or normal (above 10 ng/mL). We performed linear or logistic generalized estimating equations (GEE), as appropriate. Results We analyzed 304 FET cycles from 241 couples, 11.8% (n = 36) of which had serum P4 below 10 ng/mL on the FET day. Baseline clinical data of patients was comparable between the study groups. Overall, 191 cycles (62.8%) had a biochemical pregnancy, of which 131 (44,1%) were ongoing pregnancies, with a 29,8% miscarriage rate. We found no statistically significant differences in the hCG positive (63 vs 64%) or ongoing pregnancy rates (50 vs 43,3%) between those FETs with low or normal serum P4 values, even after multivariable logistic regression modelling. Conclusion Our results indicate that DYD 10 mg three times a day administered in women who perform FET with P4 serum levels < 10 ng/mL, allows this group to have pregnancy rates beyond 12 weeks at least as good as those with serum levels above 10 ng/mL.

Resumo Objetivo Determinar se uma estratégia de resgate usando didrogesterona (DYD) pode melhorar os resultados dos ciclos de transferência de embriões congelados (TEC) com baixos níveis de progesterona (P4) no dia de uma transferência de blastocisto. Métodos Estudo de coorte retrospectivo que incluiu ciclos TEC realizados entre julho de 2019 e outubro de 2020 após um ciclo de preparação endometrial artificial usando valerato de estradiol e P4 vaginal micronizado (400 mg duas vezes ao dia). Sempre que o valor de P4 sérico estava abaixo de 10 ng/mL na manhã da transferência planejada, adicionou-se 10 mg de DYD tri-diário como suplementação. O desfecho primário foi gravidez evolutiva após 10 semanas. A amostra foi subdividida em dois grupos de acordo com o P4 sérico no dia da TEC: baixo (< 10 ng/mL, com suplementação de DYD) ou normal (acima de 10 ng/mL). Realizamos equações de estimativa generalizada linear ou logística (GEE), conforme apropriado. Resultados Analisaram-se 304 ciclos de FET de 241 casais, dos quais 11,8% (n = 36) tinham valores de P4 sérico abaixo de 10 ng/mL no dia da TEC. Os dados clínicos e demográficos dos pacientes eram comparáveis entre os grupos. Globalmente, 191 ciclos (62,8%) tiveram uma gravidez bioquímica, dos quais 131 (44,1%) foram gestações em curso, com uma taxa de aborto espontâneo de 29,8%. Não encontramos diferenças estatisticamente significativas na taxa de gravidez bioquímica (63 vs. 64%) ou nas taxas de gravidez evolutiva (50 vs. 43,3%) entre TEC com valores séricos de P4 baixos ou normais, mesmo após modelação com regressão logística multivariável. Conclusão Nossos resultados indicam que a suplementação com DYD 10 mg três vezes ao dia em mulheres com níveis séricos de P4 abaixo de 10 ng/mL em ciclos de TEC substituídos parecem conseguir resultados pelo menos tão bons como nos ciclos com valores superiores para taxas de gravidez em curso além de 12 semanas.

Is There Any Effect of the Physician Performing Embryo Transfer in IVF-ICSI Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study / Existe algum efeito domédico que realiza a transferência de embriões no tratamento de FIV-ICSI: Um estudo de coorte prospectivo

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether there is an effect of the physician who transfers the embryos on pregnancy rates in in vitro fertilization-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) treatment. Methods A total of 757 participants were analyzed between 2012 and 2017. Participants were classified according to 3 physicians who transferred the embryos: ([group 1=164 patients]; [group 2=233 patients]; [group 3=360 patients]). Baseline parameters and IVF-ICSI outcomes were compared between the groups. Results No differences were determined between the groups regarding the baseline parameters (age, age subgroups [20-29, 30-39, and ≥ 40 years old)], body mass index (BMI), smoking status, infertility period, cause of infertility, baseline follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol (E2), thyroid stimulating hormone, prolactin levels, antral follicle count, duration of stimulation, stimulation protocol, gonadotropin dose required, maximum E2 levels, progesterone levels, endometrial thickness on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration and transfer days (p>0.05). The numbers of oocytes retrieved,metaphase II (MII), 2 pronucleus (2PN), transferred embryo, fertilization rate, day ofembryo transfer, the catheter effect and embryo transfer technique, and clinical pregnancy rates (CPRs) were also comparable between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion Our data suggests that the physician who transfers the embryos has no impact on CPRs in patients who have undergone IVF-ICSI, but further studies with more participants are required to elucidate this situation.

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar se há ou não efeito do médico que realiza a transferência de embriões nas taxas de gravidez no tratamento com fertilização in vitro-injeção intracitoplasmática de espermatozoide (FIV-ICSI, na sigla em inglês). Métodos Um total de 757 participantes foram analisados entre 2012 e 2017. Os participantes foram classificados de acordo com 3 médicos que transferiram os embriões: ([grupo 1=164 pacientes]; [grupo 2=233 pacientes]; [grupo 3=360 pacientes]). Parâmetros basais e resultados de FIV-ICSI foram comparados entre os grupos. Resultados Nenhuma diferença foi determinada entre os grupos nos parâmetros basais (idade, subgrupos de idade [20-29, 30-39 e ≥ 40 anos)], índice de massa corporal (IMC), tabagismo, período de infertilidade, causa da infertilidade, hormônio folículo estimulante basal , hormônio luteinizante, estradiol (E2), hormônio estimulador da tireoide, níveis de prolactina, contagem de folículos antrais, duração da estimulação, protocolo de estimulação, dose de gonadotrofina necessária, níveis máximos de E2, níveis de progesterona e espessura endometrial na administração de hCG e nos dias de transferência (p>0,05). O número de oócitos recuperados, MII e 2PN, embrião transferido, taxa de fertilização, dia da transferência do embrião, o efeito do cateter e a técnica de transferência de embrião e taxas clínicas de gravidez (RCPs) também foram comparáveis entre os grupos (p>0,05). Conclusão Nossos dados sugerem que o médico que transfere os embriões não tem impacto sobre as RCPs em pacientes que se submeteram a FIV-ICSI, mas mais estudos com mais participantes são necessários para elucidar esta situação.

Effects of genistein supplementation on the characteristics of human sperm during liquid storage

Cryopreservation, the most popular way to preserve human sperm, led to a significant decline in sperm motility. Here, we tried to introduce a new method to store sperm without freezing. Different concentrations of genistein were added to liquid preserved sperm. We investigated the effects of supplementation on sperm total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC), glutathione(GSH), methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), acrosomal enzyme activity, and fertilization ability of sperm. The effects of liquid storage and cryopreservation on sperm parameters were also compared. IVF medium supplemented with genistein (20µmol L-1 ) maintained sperm motility for up to 11 days. The addition of genistein led to a decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation that demonstrated an effective improvement in sperm motility and decreased the MDA production and maintained the GSH content and enhanced the oxidative stress resistance ability of the sperm during liquid storage. The storage sperm were used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI) into human oocytes and activated oocytes successfully. Sperm stored in liquid medium containing genistein was superior to sperm stored in liquid nitrogen in terms of antioxidant stress and fertilization ability. We confirmed that genistein could be used as an antioxidant for the liquid storage of sperm. Sperm stored in an IVF medium with genistein could avoid cryodamage, which may become an alternative option in assisted reproduction technology. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[7]: 72-82)

Application and development of molecular diagnostic techniques in human assisted reproduction / 中华检验医学杂志

In the past few years, with the breakthrough development of DNA sequencing technology, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) has been widely used as an important part of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The progress of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology and the improvement of resolution, as well as the comprehensive application of molecular diagnostic technology makes it possible to perform the extensive and comprehensive chromosome screening and the clinical valuable detection of small gene fragment missing and repetition simultaneously, which is of great significance in terms of improving the pregnancy rate and reducing the abortion rate, multiplets rate and malformation rate. The common PGT molecular diagnostic techniques involves fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), single nucleotide polymorphism array(SNP-array), quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) and NGS. And each of them has its own highlights in clinical application and there are many uncertainties that are difficult to control. Moreover, ethical concerns brought about by technological progress also need to be addressed.

Application of artificial neural network in evaluation of IVF embryo / 中华检验医学杂志

Artificial neural network (ANN) is a network framework that drives artificial intelligence (AI). Classical convolutional neural networks (CNN) are mainly used for cell count and image recognition at fixed time in embryo evaluation. Fully connected deep neural networks (DNN), with increased accuracy of image recognition, are suitable for the units equipped with high configuration hardware and need comprehensive prediction according to the integrated clinical information. Residual networks improve the accuracy by increasing layers and solving the gradient disappearance problem through jump connection to realize dynamic embryo assessment. Bayesian networks (BN) and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) are two machine learning methods. The former is especially used for comprehensive prediction combined with complex clinical information in case of lack of conditions. The latter has gradient disappearance and explosion problem, and is easy to lose some spatial features of images, so it is used for small sample volumes. ANN has advantages in the prediction of implantation rate and aneuploidy and reducing invasive detection in quality assessment of embryos, which is an important research direction of human-assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Comparison of mental health status of pregnant women with assisted reproductive technology and natural pregnancy / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To explore whether assisted reproductive technology (ART) can affect the mental health of pregnant women during pregnancy.Methods:Convenient sampling method was used to select 500 pregnant women who underwent prenatal examination in Dalian Women and Children′s Medical Group from July 2019 to July 2020, including 193 cases of ART pregnant women (observation group) and 307 cases of natural pregnant women (control group). PEM-D psychosomatic holistic diagnosis and treatment system combined with Symptom Checklist- 90 (SCL-90), 7- item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to evaluate and compare the mental health status between the two groups.Results:The total score of SCL-90 in the observation group was (154.34 ± 14.42), which was significantly higher than that in the control group (142.42 ± 14.39), the difference was statistically significant ( t=5.35, P<0.05). The scores of anxiety, depression and paranoia in the observation group were (2.17 ± 0.47), (2.15 ± 0.68), (1.78 ± 0.45), which were significantly higher than those in the control group (1.95 ± 0.52), (1.77 ± 0.55), (1.58 ± 0.39), the differences were statistically significant ( t=2.86, 3.88, 3.20, all P<0.015). The scores of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 in the observation group were (6.72 ± 2.44), (5.43 ± 2.54), which were significantly higher than those in the control group (5.76 ± 2.47), (3.74 ± 1.66), the differences were statistically significant ( t=2.52, 3.57, both P<0.05). There was no significant difference in PSQI scores between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:ART affects the mental health of pregnant women, especially increases the level of depression and anxiety. We should provide corresponding psychological support and help for these pregnant women to reduce their depression and anxiety level.

Sperm-specific protein ACTL7A as a biomarker for fertilization outcomes of assisted reproductive technology / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Obtaining high-quality embryos is one of the key factors to improve the clinical pregnancy rate of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). So far, the clinical evaluation of embryo quality depends on embryo morphology. However, the clinical pregnancy rate is still low. Therefore, new indicators are needed to further improve the evaluation of embryo quality. Several studies have shown that the decrease of sperm-specific protein actin-like 7A (ACTL7A) leaded to low fertilization rate, poor embryo development, and even infertility. The aim of this study was to study whether the different expression levels of ACTL7A on sperm can be used as a biomarker for predicting embryo quality. In this study, excluding the factors of severe female infertility, a total of 281 sperm samples were collected to compare the ACTL7A expression levels of sperms with high and low effective embryo rates and analyze the correlation between protein levels and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory outcomes. Our results indicated that the ACTL7A levels were significantly reduced in sperm samples presenting poor embryo quality. Furthermore, the protein levels showed a significant correlation with fertilization outcomes of ART. ACTL7A has the potential to be a biomarker for predicting success rate of fertilization and effective embryo and the possibility of embryo arrest. In conclusion, sperm-specific protein ACTL7A has a strong correlation with IVF laboratory outcomes and plays important roles in fertilization and embryo development.

Application status and thinking of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for assisted reproductive field in the United States / 中国针灸

The application status of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for assisted reproductive field in the United States was analyzed, and the existing problems and future development directions were discussed. According to the survey on the 456 websites of assisted reproductive clinic in the United States mentioned in the report of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 111 clinics among 456 assisted reproductive clinics recommend and used acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, accounting for 24.3%. Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy had obvious effect, good safety and low cost, and the assisted reproductive institutions in the United States had a high degree of application and recognition to acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. However, some problems, such as immature treatment scheme, unclear mechanism and imperfect insurance policies, still existed. In the future, the advantages of Chinese traditional acupuncture and moxibustion should combine with international modern assisted reproductive technology, and multi-center and large-sample clinical randomized controlled trials and basic experimental research on the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion for assisted reproduction should be carried out.

Application value of right modified myocardial performance index in evaluating fetal right ventricular function in assisted reproductive technology / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the application value of right modified myocardial work index (Mod-RMPI) in assessing fetal right ventricular function in assisted reproductive technology (ART).Methods:Sixty-four fetuses conceived by assisted reproduction (ART group) and 80 fetuses with spontaneously conceived (SC) pregnancies (control group) from November 2021 to February 2022 underwent echocardiography in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were enrolled, gestational ranges from 20 to 28 weeks. The differences of Mod-RMPI, tricuspid valve E/A ratio (TV-E/A) were compared between the ART group and the control group; The correlation between maternal age, body mass index (BMI), pregnancy, and delivery and Mod-RMPI in the ART group was analyzed by applying multiple linear regression analysis; The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to test the predictive efficacy of Mod-RMPI for adverse pregnancy outcomes.Results:①Compared with the control group, Mod-RMPI, isovolumetric relaxation time(IRT), isovolumetric contraction time(ICT) and BMI were increased in ART group with statistically significant difference, ventricular ejection time (ET) were decreased, the difference was (all P<0.05). But there were no significant differences in total spent time (TST) and TV-E/A compared with the control group ( P>0.05). ②There were no correlations between maternal age, BMI, gravidity, and times of bearing birth and Mod-RMPI ( P>0.05). ③The ROC curve analysis showed the area under the curve of Mod-RMPI for predicting adverse pregnancy outcome was 0.748, the optimal cut-off value was 0.465, the sensitivity was 0.778, and the specificity was 0.608. Conclusions:ART can affect fetal right ventricular function.Mod-RMPI has good consistency and repeatability, and has certain value in predicting adverse pregnancy outcome.

Detection and application on antibody relevant with clinical infertility / 中华检验医学杂志

There is an upward trend in the incidence of infertility, while its pathogenesis is very complex, including endocrine disorders and autoimmune diseases and so on. With the development of reproductive immunology, infertility caused by immune factors has attracted more attention. Various reproductive immune antibodies have been found in infertility patients. The role and prevalence of related autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of infertility vary from each other, thus their detection is of great significance for early diagnosing, treating and monitoring infertility patients.

Genetic analysis of three cases of acephalic spermatozoa syndrome caused by SUN5 mutation and the outcome of assisted reproductive technology / 北京大学学报(医学版)

To explore the genetic causes of 3 male infertility patients with acephalospermia and the outcome of assisted reproductive technology. Clinical diagnosis, sperm morphology examination, sperm transmission electron microscopy examination were performed on 3 patients, and the whole exome sequencing technology was used for screening, Sanger sequencing verification, mutation pathogenicity analysis, and protein sequence homology comparison. Assisted reproductive technology was implemented to assist pregnancy treatment. The 3 patients were all sporadic infertile men, aged 25, 42 and 26 years, and there was no obvious abnormality in the general physical examination. Male external genitalia developed normally, bilateral testicles were normal in volume, and bilateral epididymis and spermatic vein were palpated without nodules, cysts, and tenderness. Repeated semen analysis showed that a large number of immature sperm could be seen, and they had the ability to move. The SUN5 gene of the 3 male infertile patients was a case of homozygous missense mutation c.7C>T (p.Arg3Trp), a case of compound heterozygous missense mutation c.1067G>A (p.Arg356His) and nonsense mutation c.216G>A (p.Trp72*) and a case of homozygous missense mutation c.1043A>T (p.Asn348Ile), of which c.7C>T (p.Arg3Trp) and c.1067G>A (p.Arg356His) were new variants that had not been reported. SIFT, Mutation Taster and PolyPhen-2 software function prediction results were all harmful, the nonsense mutation c.216G>A (p.Trp72*) led to the premature termination of peptide chain synthesis which might have a greater impact on protein function. The homology regions in the protein sequence homology alignment were all highly conserved.The 3 male patients and their spouses obtained 4 biological offspring through intracytoplasmic sperm injection, all of which were boys, and one of them was a twin.Three male infertile patients might be caused by SUN5 gene mutations. Such patients could obtain their biological offspring through assisted reproductive technology. It was still necessary to pay attention to the genetic risk of ASS, it was recommended that both men and women conduct genetic counseling and screening at the same time. In clinical diagnosis, whole exome sequencing technology could be used to perform auxiliary examinations to determine the treatment plan and assisted reproductive methods as soon as possible to reduce the burden on the family and society. The newly discovered mutation sites of SUN5 gene provided clues and directions for elucidating the pathogenic mechanism, and at the same time expanded the pathogenic mutation spectrum of ASS.

Dynamic Model for Assisted Reproductive Technology Outcome Prediction

Abstract Infertility is becoming a growing issue in almost all countries. Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) are recent development in treating infertility that give hope to the infertile couples. However, the pregnancy rates achieved with the aid of ART is considerably low, as success in ART is not only based on the treatment but also on many other controllable and uncontrollable biological, social, and environmental features. High expenditures and painful process of ART cycles are the two major barriers for opting for ART. Moreover, ART treatments are not covered by any health insurance schemes. Computational prediction models could be used to improve the success rate by predicting the treatment outcome, before the start of an ART cycle. This may suggest the couples and the doctors to decide on the next course of action i.e. either to opt for ART or opt for correcting determinants or quit the ART. With the intension to improve the success rate of ART by providing decision support system to the physicians as well to the patients before entering into the treatment this research work proposes a dynamic model for ART outcome prediction using Machine Learning (ML) techniques. The proposed dynamic model is partially implemented with the help of an ensemble of heterogeneous incremental classifier and its performance is compared with state-of-art classifiers such as Naïve Bayes (NB), Random Forest (RF), K-star etc.,using ART dataset. Performance of the model is evaluated with various metrics such as accuracy, Precision Recall Curve (PRC), Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC), F-Measure etc., However, ROC cure area is taken as the chief metric. Evaluation results shows that the model achieves the performance with the ROC area value of 94.1 %.

Application of virtual reality technology in the teaching of assisted reproductive technology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

In this study, virtual reality technology is applied to the teaching of ART due to its characteristic of real-time interaction, and a virtual operation platform of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is developed in the scene of ART, which can be used for the practice and training of ICSI during teaching. By this virtual system we can overcome some kinds of teaching limitations brought by scarce experimental materials and expensive equipment, and it is suitable for multi-center and multi-region popularization and application for other ART laboratories.