Stimulus-locked auditory information facilitates real-time visuo-motor sequence learning.

Prior research investigating whether and how multisensory information facilitates skill learning is quite mixed; whereas some research points to congruent information improving learning, other work suggests that people become reliant on the redundant information, such that its removal ultimately detracts from the ability to perform a unisensory task. We examined this question using the Serial Interception Sequence Learning (SISL) task, a visuo-motor paradigm in which participants implicitly learn a sequence embedded in noise. We investigated whether adding auditory information in different ways would enhance real time sequence learning and whether any benefits of multisensory learning would persist with visual-only testing. Auditory information was used either as feedback on the visuo-motor task (Experiments 1 and 2) or was presented synchronously with visual information during learning (Experiment 3). Robust sequence-specific performance advantages occurred across conditions and experiments; however, auditory information enhanced real-time performance only when it was synchronized with visual information. Participants were significantly more accurate, faster, and more precise with stimulus-locked auditory information during training. Notably, these benefits did not generalize to the visual-only context, suggesting that the benefits of stimulus-locked auditory information are primarily useful only when the perceptual information is present.

Integrated water security and coupling of social-ecological system to improve river basin sustainability.

The river basin sustainability depends on both the coordinated development of socio-ecological systems and resilience to water resources. However, the lack of integrating them on spatial and temporal scales compromises our capacity to develop precise interventions towards sustainable river basins. We developed an approach by integrating water security and social-ecological coupling to assess the river basin sustainability. We divided it into four categories including highly sustainable (secure and coordinated), insecure, uncoordinated, and low sustainable (insecure and uncoordinated). The middle reach of Heihe River (MHR) was taken as the study area with the sub-basin as the spatial analysis unit from 2000 to 2020. The results showed that there was heterogeneity and agglomeration in spatial distribution. 23.8 %, 38.8 %, and 11% of the sub-basins mainly clustered in the north and central areas were found in the state of water insecure and SES uncoordinated, or both respectively. The unsustainable areas (five sub-basins) and lose-lose areas (two sub-basins) should be the priority areas for management interventions. Our approach can provide an important reference for assessing and improving the river basin sustainability.

Effect of lipid accumulation product on the development of hypertension among nondiabetic individuals in eastern China: A cross-sectional study.

This study was aimed at assessing the risk factors for hypertension (HTN) and prehypertension (PHT) in order to clarify the role of lipid accumulation product (LAP) in the development of HTN among nondiabetic individuals. A large cross-sectional study was conducted in community health service centers in urban Bengbu, Anhui Province, China. All participants completed an interview questionnaire and procedures to obtain physical measurements and biochemical indicators. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test for the prevalence of HTN and PHT in relation to each quartile increase in LAP level and family history of HTN. The resulting interaction effects were evaluated by relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), and synergy index (SI). A total of 7733 subjects were enrolled in the study. The overall prevalence rates of PHT and HTN were 37.1% and 24.8%, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that compared with subjects in LAP quartile 1, those in quartile 3 (OR, 1.257; 95% CI, 1.062-1.494) and quartile 4 (OR, 1.323; 95% CI, 1.101-1.592) had a significantly higher risk for HTN (p for trend < .001). A significant interaction was observed between LAP and family history of HTN in men (AP, 0.1661; 95% CI, 0.0024-0.3296; SI, 1.4037; 95% CI, 1.0599-1.8593) and in women (RERI, 1.4111; 95% CI, 0.1458-2.9678; AP, 0.1662; 95% CI, 0.0085-0.3237; SI, 1.3886; 95% CI, 1.0568-1.8247). The results demonstrated that the interactive effects of LAP with family history of HTN may influence the development of HTN synergistically.

Motor precision deficits in clinical high risk for psychosis.

Motor deficits appear prior to psychosis onset, provide insight into vulnerability as well as mechanisms that give rise to emerging illness, and are predictive of conversion. However, to date, the extant literature has often targeted a complex abnormality (e.g., gesture dysfunction, dyskinesia), or a single fundamental domain (e.g., accuracy) but rarely provided critical information about several of the individual components that make up more complex behaviors (or deficits). This preliminary study applies a novel implicit motor task to assess domains of motor accuracy, speed, recognition, and precision in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-p). Sixty participants (29 CHR-p; 31 healthy volunteers) completed clinical symptom interviews and a novel Serial Interception Sequence Learning (SISL) task that assessed implicit motor sequence accuracy, speed, precision, and explicit sequence recognition. These metrics were examined in multilevel models that enabled the examination of overall effects and changes in motor domains over blocks of trials and by positive/negative symptom severity. Implicit motor sequence accuracy, speed, and explicit sequence recognition were not detected as impacted in CHR-p. When compared to healthy controls, individuals at CHR-p were less precise in motor responses both overall (d = 0.91) and particularly in early blocks which normalized over later blocks. Within the CHR-p group, these effects were related to positive symptom levels (t = - 2.22, p = 0.036), such that individuals with higher symptom levels did not improve in motor precision over time (r's = 0.01-0.05, p's > 0.54). CHR-p individuals showed preliminary evidence of motor precision deficits but no other motor domain deficits, particularly in early performance that normalized with practice.

Digital microfluidics for biological analysis and applications.

Digital microfluidics (DMF) is an emerging liquid-handling technology based on arrays of microelectrodes for the precise manipulation of discrete droplets. DMF offers the benefits of automation, addressability, integration and dynamic configuration ability, and provides enclosed picoliter-to-microliter reaction space, making it suitable for lab-on-a-chip biological analysis and applications that require high integration and intricate processes. A review of DMF bioassays with a special emphasis on those actuated by electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) force is presented here. Firstly, a brief introduction is presented on both the theory of EWOD actuation and the types of droplet motion. Subsequently, a comprehensive overview of DMF-based biological analysis and applications, including nucleic acid, protein, immunoreaction and cell assays, is provided. Finally, a discussion on the strengths, challenges, and potential applications and perspectives in this field is presented.

Assessing progress towards sustainable development goals for Chinese urban land use: A new cloud model approach.

Rapid urbanization poses great challenges to China's urban land use sustainability (ULUS). Land is the essential space to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, so SDGs provide a new guide to evaluate land use sustainability. However, there is still a lack of SDGs-oriented assessment of urban land use at national level. Moreover, there is still a need to address the problems about the randomness and fuzziness within evaluation, which tends to cause more uncertainties. Here we developed a SDGs-oriented evaluation framework based on the cloud model and derived the spatial and temporal patterns of urban land use sustainability for China at the prefecture-level from 2004 to 2019. Then, we used the McKinsey matrix to classify the types of urban land use sustainability, and examined their main drivers using the Geodetector method. The results showed that the development level of ULUS in China was high in the east and low in the west. High-value hotspots were mainly distributed in primary and secondary urban agglomerations in China. From 2004 to 2019, the development level of ULUS in China gradually increased, but the growth rate slowed down. In 2009 the value of central China exceeded that of the northeast. In contrast, the coordination level of ULUS had declined in more than 50% of Chinese cities during the study period. The high values were in southern China, northeast China, and Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration, while the low values were in central and southern Liaoning and the urban agglomeration in the Central Plains. The development level was mainly controlled by anthropogenic activities and urban development, while natural conditions constrained the improvement of the coordination level. Combining the development and coordination, we found that cities with higher development level often had a wide range of coordination level, and suggestions were put forward for different regions to achieve sustainable land use. Our research provides scientific guidance for China's territory planning and sustainable urban development.

Circuit theory-based ecological security pattern could promote ecological protection in the Heihe River Basin of China.

Building ecological security patterns is essential to maintain regional ecological security and achieve sustainable development in the inland river basins with ecologically vulnerable environment. Numerous methods have been developed to build the ecological security pattern. However, to our knowledge, rare studies have quantified to what extent the derived pattern can improve ecological protection in the future. Taking Heihe River Basin (HRB), the second largest inland river basin in China, as the study area, we applied the circuit theory to build the ecological security pattern of HRB, and simulated how our built pattern contributed to ecological protection using the CLUMondo model. The results showed that the ecological security pattern of HRB contained 17 ecological sources, 35 key ecological corridors, and some ecological strategic points. The ecological sources were distributed in areas with better ecological conditions such as the Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve and Heihe National Wetland Park. The ecological corridors showed a pattern of "two horizontal and three vertical belts." Pinch points were mostly close to ecological sources or distributed on the corridors that played a key role in landscape connectivity, while barriers were mainly distributed on the corridors with large ecological resistance in the middle and lower reaches. The optimal ecological security pattern presented a "one screen, one belt, four districts and multiple centers" shape in HRB and could more effectively promote ecological protection compared to current development and protection scenarios. Our study provides a reliable decision-making guide for ecological protection and restoration of HRB, and can be extended to build ecological security patterns for broad-scale arid areas.

Development and validation of a nomogram for preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis in pathological T1 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Endoscopic resection is increasingly used to treat patients with pathological T1 (pT1) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) because of its small surgical trauma. However, reports of the risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) have been controversial. Therefore, we aim to build a nomogram to individually predict the risk of LNM in pT1 ESCC patients, to make an optimal balance between surgical trauma and surgical income.One hundred seventy patients with pT1 esophageal cancer in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Logistic proportional hazards models were conducted to find out the risk factor associated with LNM independently, and those were imported into R library "RMS" for analysis. A nomogram is generated based on the contribution weights of variables. Finally, decision analysis and clinical impact curve were used to determine the optimal decision point.Twenty-five (14.7%) of the 170 patients with pT1 ESCC exhibited LNM. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that smoking, carcinoembryonic antigen, vascular tumor thromboembolus, and tumor differentiation degree were independent risk factors for LNM. The nomogram had relatively high accuracy (C index of 0.869, 95% confidence interval: 0.794-0.914, P < .0001). The decision curve analysis provided the most significant clinical benefit for the entire included population, with scores falling just above the total score of 85 in the nomogram.Smoking, carcinoembryonic antigen, vascular tumor thromboembolus, and tumor differentiation degree may predict the risk of LNM in tumor 1 ESCC. The risk of LNM can be predicted by the nomogram.

MKRN3-mediated ubiquitination of Poly(A)-binding proteins modulates the stability and translation of GNRH1 mRNA in mammalian puberty.

The family of Poly(A)-binding proteins (PABPs) regulates the stability and translation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Here we reported that the three members of PABPs, including PABPC1, PABPC3 and PABPC4, were identified as novel substrates for MKRN3, whose deletion or loss-of-function mutations were genetically associated with human central precocious puberty (CPP). MKRN3-mediated ubiquitination was found to attenuate the binding of PABPs to the poly(A) tails of mRNA, which led to shortened poly(A) tail-length of GNRH1 mRNA and compromised the formation of translation initiation complex (TIC). Recently, we have shown that MKRN3 epigenetically regulates the transcription of GNRH1 through conjugating poly-Ub chains onto methyl-DNA bind protein 3 (MBD3). Therefore, MKRN3-mediated ubiquitin signalling could control both transcriptional and post-transcriptional switches of mammalian puberty initiation. While identifying MKRN3 as a novel tissue-specific translational regulator, our work also provided new mechanistic insights into the etiology of MKRN3 dysfunction-associated human CPP.

Prevalence of iron deficiency anemia and the association with dietary nutrition factors of preschool children in rural Anhui Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To evaluate the dietary quality for preschool children by diet balance index(DBI_C), and to provide an empirical reference for scientific guidance for a reasonable diet and controlling and preventing iron deficiency anemia(IDA).@*Methods@#During September to December of 2018, 306 left behind children and 598 non left behind children aged 3-6 years old of Anhui Province were selected. Four scoring methods (TS Total Score, LBS Low Bound Score, HBS High Bound Score, DQD Diet Quality Distance) were used to evaluate the dietary quality by DBI_C, and multivariate Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between DBI_C and IDA.@*Results@#The anemia prevalence (AP) was 13.3% among the 3-6 year old children in Anhui rural area, whereas the left behind children (LBC) was 16.7% and the non left behind children was 10.9%, and there was statistical significance of the differences ( χ 2=8.8, P <0.05). There were significant differences of TS[-18.3(25.2，-12.7)，-15.2(-19.8，-8.6)], LBS[25.4(18.3，32.5)，22.7(16.5，30.6)] and DQD[36.8(23.9，43.4)，34.1(27.5，41.0)] in DBI_C scores between anemia group and nonanemia group ( P <0.05). There were significant differences of milk and beans [-5.9(-10.7，-0.4)，-5.0(-8.7，0.2)], animal food [-2.4(-5.6，0.8)，-0.6(3.5，1.9)], food species [-7.5(-9.1，-4.8)，-6.3(-8.0，-2.9)] in food intake scores between anemia group and non anemia group ( P <0.05). Left behind children ( OR =1.27, 95% CI =1.15-1.49) had higher proportions of getting anemia. Meat consumption >3 times per week ( OR =0.81, 95% CI =0.68-0.94) and ≥two types of fresh vegetable consumption every day ( OR =0.84, 95% CI =0.73-0.95) were associated with lower rate of anemia( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#The AP was relatively high in 3-6 year old children in Anhui rural area, especially in those LBC. Anemia should be reduced by improving the caregivers dietary literacy, increasing intakes of animal foods and fresh vegetables.

Th17/Treg cell level and clinical characteristics of peripheral blood of patients with Sjogren's syndrome complicated with primary biliary cirrhosis.

This study aims at analyzing the Th17/Treg cell level and clinical characteristics of the peripheral blood of patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) complicated with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) so as to deepen the understanding of this disease and seek for its possible onset mechanism.A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 24 patients [8 (33%) males and 16 (67%) females] with SS complicated with primary biliary cirrhosis, 50 patients with primary SS and 93 healthy volunteers. These patients were divided into 3 groups: experimental group (SS+PBC), control group (SS) and healthy group. Then, peripheral blood was collected and flow cytometry was conducted to detect level of Th17 cells and Treg cells. A fully automatic biochemical detector was used to detect the corresponding liver function index. The correlation analysis was made based on the clinical manifestations and biochemical characteristics.Compared with the healthy group and control group, the experimental group had the highest Th17/Treg cell ratio, and Th17 cell frequency was significantly increased (P <.05). Furthermore, ALT, AST, ALP, γ-GT, TBIL, and other indexes were positively correlated to the Th17/Treg ratio (P <.05).Th17/Treg cell level and its ratio in peripheral blood of patients with SS complicated with primary biliary cirrhosis were significantly unbalanced, indicating that Th17 cells participate in the onset of this disease to a large extent. Furthermore, the Th17/Treg ratio has a certain correlation with some of the liver function indexes, on which a stratified analysis could be made furtherly according to the seriousness of the conditions.

Patients' poor communication with their doctors in the first visit of the gynecological endocrinology outpatient clinics.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate patients' communication with their gynecologists in the first visit of the gynecological endocrinology outpatient clinics. STUDY DESIGN: We developed a questionnaire to evaluate 379 women' expectations of their first visit, information-giving about illness, and understanding of the consultation they encountered from April to August 2010. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Before the first visit, 55% (208/379) of participants hoped to get the doctors' special attention, and 60% (227/379) of patients expected a very satisfying consultation. During the consultation, only 34% (129/379) of patients provided their case history clearly according to physicians' inquiry, 21% (81/379) of patients understood the examination and 28% (105/379) of patients understood the therapeutic regime after doctors' explanation. Correlation analysis showed that sociodemographic characteristics such as young age (under 20 years old), low level of education (primary school or less), and lack of medical knowledge affected patients' information-giving about illness and understanding of their first visit (all ps < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients expected a patient-centered doctor-patient communication in gynecological endocrinology outpatient clinics. They could not communicate well with their doctors, which was affected by age, education, and medical background.

[A family-based transmission disequilibrium test of polymorphisms of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in children with orthostatic intolerance].

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have found that the variation of G894T on the region of T786C and 7th exon promoted by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene is associated with cardiovascular disease. This research explored possible correlations between eNOS gene polymorphisms and orthostatic intolerance (OI) in children through linkage disequilibrium analysis between eNOS genes T786C and G894T and OI. METHODS: PCR, Macrorestriction Map and other molecular biotechnology were used to determine the genotypes of eNOS/T786C and G894T in 60 OI probands and their parents. Correlation analysis and transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) between T786C, G894T and OI were performed. RESULTS: There was linkage disequilibrium of eNOS/T786C and G894T gene polymorphisms in the occurrence of childhood OI (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: eNOS genes T786C and G894T may be associated with the pathogenesis of OI.

[The effects of progesterone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF- I and IGF-II) on proliferation in human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of progesterone and Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I and IGF-II) on proliferation in human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy in vitro. METHODS: [3H]Thymidine (3H-TdR) uptake was applied to assess cell proliferation in human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy (gestation of 5 to 7 weeks) in vitro after cultured with progesterone, IGF-I or IGF-II. RESULTS: Progesterone, IGF-I and IGF-II stimulated cell proliferation by 1.6-3.4 folds inhuman decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy in vitro (P<0.01), and those effects were time-dependent (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Progesterone, IGF-I and IGF-II may play an important role in the regulation of proliferation and decidualization of stromal cells in human decidua of early pregnancy, which is essential for embryo implantation and the maintenance of early pregnancy.

[Efficacy and safety of drospirenone-ethinylestradiol on contraception in healthy Chinese women: a multicenter randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the contraception efficacy, mode of bleeding, side effects and other positive effects of drospirenone-ethinylestradiol (Yasmin) in healthy Chinese women. METHODS: This was a multicenter, randomized, control study of 768 healthy Chinese women who consulted about contraception. The subjects were randomized into Yasmin group (30 microg ethinylestradiol plus 3 mg drospirenone, 573 cases) or desogestrel group (30 microg ethinylestradiol plus 150 microg desogestrel, 195 cases) with the ratio of 3:1. Each individual was treated for 13 cycles. Further visits were required at cycle 4, cycle 7, cycle 10 and cycle 13 of treatment Weight, height, body mass index were evaluated at each visit. The menstrual distress questionnaire (MDQ) was given to the women at baseline, visit 3 (cycle 7) and visit 5 (after cycle 13). RESULTS: The values of basal features were similar between two groups (P > 0.05). The Pearl index (method failure) of Yasmin was 0. 208/hundred women year which was lower than that of desogestrel (0. 601/hundred women year). The mode of bleeding was similar between two groups after trial without showing any significant difference. According to MDQ subscale, the improvement of water retention and increasing appetite during inter-menstrual period and water retention and general well-being during menstrual period in the Yasmin group (-0.297, -0.057, 0.033, 0.150 respectively) was more obvious than that in the desogestrel group (-0.108, 0.023, 0.231, -0.023 respectively) with a significant difference (P < 0.05). Some other values which improved in both two groups, especially the improvement of breast tenderness and pain and skin abnormality in Yasmin group (18.0%, 89/494; 12.6%, 62/494) was more distinct than that in desogestrel group (11.3%, 19/168; 5.4%, 9/168). The mean weight increased in desogestrel group (0.57 kg) while it decreased in Yasmin group (-0.28 kg) with a significant difference (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both Yasmin and desogestrel have good efficacy on contraception and similar modes of menstrual bleeding. Yasmin is better than desogestrel in terms of weight control and premenstrual syndrome of oral contraceptive.

[Xianling Gubao Capsule improves semen quality].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of the compound Chinese traditional drug Xianling Gubao Capsule on the semen quality of infertile males. METHODS: We treated 66 infertile men with Xianling Gubao Capsule for 24 months, and analyzed the semen quality and sperm morphology before and after the treatment. RESULTS: Two months after the medication, sperm concentration was increased by a small margin, but no statistically significant changes were observed in sperm vitality and motility (P > 0.05), the rate of morphologically normal sperm was significantly raised from 25.8% before treatment to 57.6% (P < 0.05) in those with the normal rate > or = 15%, but decreased from 53.0% to 25.8% (P < 0.05) in those with the normal rate < 9%. Among the 7 cases of oligospermia, the rate of morphologically normal sperm was elevated to an average of 10.9% after the 4-month medication, significantly different from the baseline rate of 5.8% (P < 0.05). Five spontaneous pregnancies and 1 successful IVF-ICSI were achieved during the treatment. CONCLUSION: Xianling Gubao Capsule can improve semen quality and significantly increase the percentage of morphologically normal sperm.

[Impact of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation delayed, which occurs after functionally pituitary downregulation by depot GnRH agonist, on the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer].

OBJECTIVE: This study observed the influence on hormone, embryos and clinical outcomes when the starting time of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) was delayed after applying a half-dose depot gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa). METHODS: A total 207 cycles were divided into 3 groups: control group (98 cycles, which performed daily low dose GnRHa during the mid-luteal phase in patients' menstrual cycles and reduced the dosage to a half at the next day 3, and added gonadotropin (Gn), conventional group (63 cycles, in which pituitary desensitization was obtained with a half-dose depot GnRHa in the mid-luteal phase, and then Gn was added at day 3) and delayed group (46 cycles, having the same usage of GnRHa to conventional group, but not adding Gn until day 7). RESULTS: The cancellation rate of cycle in conventional group was the highest (P < 0.01). At the beginning of COH, serum E2 and LH levels in delayed and control group were significantly higher than those in conventional group (P < 0.01). On the day of HCG given, serum E2 level in control group was the highest (P < 0.05). LH level in delayed and control group was higher than that in conventional group (P < 0.01). Concerning the clinical efficacy and outcome, the numbers of Gn ampoules and periods for stimulation were less in delayed group than in conventional group; the numbers of retrieved and fertilized oocytes, numbers of good quality embryos, clinical pregnancy rate and embryo implantation rate in delayed and control groups were significantly more than those in conventional group (P < 0.01). In ICSI cycles, the numbers of retrieved oocytes and metaphase II oocytes in delayed and control group were more than those in conventional group. CONCLUSIONS: A half-dose depot GnRHa may produce over suppression to pituitary gland in fertilization in vitro, appropriate delay of COH starting time can decrease ovarian stimulation period and ampoules of Gn, and increase retrieved good quality oocytes, so we could achieve a larger number of good quality embryos with a good chance of implantation.

[Primary study on the method for separating mature sperms from human testicular tissue].

This study was aimed to explore a simple and applicable method of separating mature sperms from human testicular tissue for intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer. The suspension of human testicular tissue was cultured in 10% human serum albumin and human tubule fluid with different concentrations (0 u/ml; 50 u/ml; 100 u/ml; 150 u/ml; 200 u/ml) of hyaluronidase for 24 h, and then the Percoll gradient centrifugation was processed to separate the sperms; meanwhile the sperms were counted and graded according to their motility. The difference in quality and quantity among the groups and the difference between the groups and the zero-hour culturing group were detected. It was shown that the four hyaluronidase-treated groups contained large quantity and high quality of sperms as compared with the two contrast groups (P<0.01). The groups in the solution of 50 u/ml, 100 u/ml and 150 u/ml concentrations of hyaluronidase had almost the same amount of sperms that displayed higher motility as compared against the sperms in the group treated with 200 u/ml concentration of hyaluronidase (P<0.01). There was no difference between the two contrast groups (P>0.05), or among the groups treated with 50 u/ml, 100 u/ml, and 150 u/ml of hyaluronidase concentration (P>0.05). This method of adopting hyaluronidase with Percoll gradient centrifugation in the process for separating mature sperms from human testicular tissue is applicable. It can increase the quantity and quality of sperms separated from testicular tissue suspensions when adequate concentrations of hyaluronidase is used.

[The status quo of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in Chengdu: report of a population-based cross-sectional study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the situation of reproductive health of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in Chengdu and provide a basis for planning reproductive health care for these women. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in women who were over 45 years old in the central city and the nearby county of Chengdu. RESULTS: The mean age of menopause was 48.1 years. There were sixty percent of women who had dysfunctional uterine bleeding before menopause. About half of the postmenopausal women had experienced perimenopausal symptoms. There were 460 women who ever used or currently use estrogen therapy. But only half of them visited doctors and sought medical therapy. And the main problems were hot flash, night sweats, dyssomnia, and urinary infection. Most of them took medicine for a short period (< 1 year). CONCLUSION: We found that middle-aged and older women have many symptoms related to menopause. It is necessary for us to provide reproductive health care for them.

[The role of progesterone in the regulation of gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor in human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of progesterone on the gene expression of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-I R) in human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy in vitro. METHODS: Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, using beta-ACTIN as internal standard, was applied to determine the levels of IGF-I R mRNA in human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy in vitro after cultured with different concentrations of progesterone for 72 hours or cultured with 0.1 mumol/L of progesterone for different periods of time. RESULTS: The expression of IGF-I R mRNA was significantly positive in human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy in vitro. The levels of IGF-I R mRNA were down-regulated by progesterone, and showed significant negative-correlation with the concentration of progesterone (r = -0.680, P < 0.001). The levels of IGF-I R mRNA showed no significant correlation with time when the final concentration of progesterone was 0.1 mumol/L (r = 0.005, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Progesterone may play an important role in the regulation of proliferation and decidualization of stromal cells by down-regulating the expression of IGF-I R mRNA in human decidual stromal cells of early pregnancy, which is important for the maintenance of early pregnancy.