The Relationship between Different Delivery Timing and the Outcome of Premature Rupture of Membranes in Primiparous Women.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between different delivery timing and the outcome of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) in primiparous women. Methods: Within the context of exploring optimal delivery strategies for managing PROM, we conducted a retrospective study at Shijiazhuang Fourth Hospital. From May 2019 to May 2022, a total of 400 single pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) at different gestational weeks (28-36 weeks) were enrolled. This study aims to understand the impact of delivery timing on pregnancy outcomes more clearly. Pregnant women were divided into two distinct groups based on gestational weeks: Group A (28 to 33 weeks, n=192) and Group B (34 to 36 weeks, n=208). The clinical data of pregnant women were analyzed retrospectively, and the methods of delivery, maternal and infant pregnancy outcomes, and factors affecting delivery outcomes were compared in different groups. Results: Compared with the delivery methods of the two groups, the proportion of vaginal delivery in group A (69.27%) was significantly higher than that in group B (49.04%). The proportion of assisted vaginal delivery and cesarean section (13.54% and 17.19%) was significantly lower than that in group B (18.75% and 32.21%) (P < .001). There was no difference in neonatal death outcomes between the two groups (P > .297). The incidence of chorioamnionitis, postpartum hemorrhage, and puerperal infection in group A (25.00%), (19.27%) and (11.46%) was significantly higher than that in group B (6.25%), (5.29%) and (2.40%), respectively. The incidence rates of neonatal asphyxia, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in group A were 9.38%, 7.29%, and 6.77%, which were significantly higher than those in group B (1.92%, 0.48% and 0.48%) (P = .001). There was no difference in neonatal death outcomes at different delivery times (P = .259). The incidence rates of amniotic infection, postpartum hemorrhage, and puerperal infection were (3.98%), (7.39%) and (3.41%), which were significantly lower than those of pregnant women from PROM to delivery time ≥48 h (24.11%), (15.63%) and (9.38%). The incidence rates of neonatal asphyxia, NRDS, and HIE were (1.14%), (1.14%) and (2.27%) in neonates from PROM to delivery time < 48 h, significantly lower than those in neonates from PROM to delivery time ≥48 h (8.93%), (5.80%), and (4.46%) (P < .001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the older the gestational week was the protective factor for amniotic space infection, postpartum hemorrhage, puerperal infection, neonatal asphyxia, NRDS, and HIE. Late delivery time was an independent risk factor for amniotic cavity infection(P < .001), postpartum hemorrhage(P = .014), puerperal infection(P = .023), neonatal asphyxia(P = .004), and NRDS (P = .028). Conclusion: In pregnant women with PROM who are not at full term, a greater gestational week is associated with a lower rate of adverse delivery outcomes. In contrast, a longer time interval between membrane rupture and delivery is associated with a higher rate of adverse delivery outcomes.

Exploring mother-daughter communication and social media influence on HPV vaccine refusal for daughters aged 9-17 years in a cross-sectional survey of 11,728 mothers in China.

This study investigated the influences of mother-daughter communication and social media on mothers' HPV vaccine refusal for their daughters aged 9-17. A cross-sectional online survey among 11,728 mothers of girls aged 9-17 in Shenzhen, China was implemented between July and October 2023. Multi-level logistic regression models were fitted. Among 11,728 participants, 43.2% refused to have their daughters receive an HPV vaccination. In multivariate analysis, more openness in the mother-daughter communication (AOR: 0.99, 95%CI: 0.98, 0.99), perceived more positive outcomes of mother-daughter communication (AOR: 0.77, 95%CI: 0.75, 0.79), higher frequency of exposure to testimonials about daughters' HPV vaccination (AOR: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.78, 0.85) and information encouraging parents to vaccinate their daughters against HPV on social media (AOR: 0.76, 95%CI: 0.73, 0.79), and thoughtful consideration of the veracity of the information specific to HPV vaccines (AOR: 0.80, 95%CI: 0.77, 0.83) were associated with lower vaccine refusal. Mothers who were not the main decision-makers of daughters' HPV vaccination (AOR: 1.28 to 1.46), negative outcome expectancies of mother-daughter communication (AOR: 1.06, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.08), and mothers' HPV vaccine refusal (AOR: 2.81, 95%CI: 2.58, 3.06) were associated with higher vaccine refusal for their daughters. The level of mothers' HPV vaccine refusal for their daughters was high in China. Openness and outcome expectancies of mother-daughter communication and information exposure on social media were considered key determinants of HPV vaccine refusal for daughters. Future HPV vaccination programs should consider these interpersonal factors.

Identification of GnRH-like peptide and its potential signaling pathway involved in the oocyte meiotic maturation in the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) plays a pivotal role in reproductive regulation in vertebrates. However, GnRH was rarely isolated and its function remains poorly characterized in invertebrates. The existence of GnRH in ecdysozoa has been controversial for a long. Here, we isolated and identified two GnRH-like peptides from brain tissues in Eriocheir sinensis. Immunolocalization showed that the presence of EsGnRH-like peptide in brain, ovary and hepatopancreas. Synthetic EsGnRH-like peptides can induce germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) of oocyte. Similar to vertebrates, ovarian transcriptomic analysis revealed a GnRH signaling pathway in the crab, in which most genes exhibited dramatically high expression at GVBD. RNAi knockdown of EsGnRHR suppressed the expression of most genes in the pathway. Co-transfection of the expression plasmid for EsGnRHR with reporter plasmid bearing CRE-luc or SRE-luc response element into 293T cells showed that EsGnRHR transduces its signal via cAMP and Ca2+ signaling transduction pathways. In vitro incubation of the crab oocyte with EsGnRH-like peptide confirmed the cAMP-PKA cascade and Ca2+ mobilization signaling cascade but lack of a PKC cascade. Our data present the first direct evidence of the existence of GnRH-like peptides in the crab and demonstrated its conserved role in the oocyte meiotic maturation as a primitive neurohormone.

The expression levels of NF-κB and IKKß in epithelial ovarian cancer and their correlation with drug resistance-related genes MDR1, TOPOII, and ERCC1.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase (IKKß) in epithelial ovarian cancer and the correlation analysis with multi-drug resistance-related genes 1 (MDR1), topoisomerase II (TOPOII) and nucleotide excision repair cross complementary group 1 (ERCC1). METHODS: Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression levels of NF-κB and IKKß in epithelial ovarian cancer group (50 cases), ovarian benign tumor group (30 cases), and normal ovary group (10 cases). The expression levels of NF-κB, IKKß, MDR1, TOPOII and ERCC1 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein were analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for comparison of numerical data. Pearson's chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were carried out for analysis of non-numerical data. RESULTS: The levels of NF-κB, IKKß, MDR1 and ERCC1 mRNA and protein were increased (P<0.05), and the expression levels of TOPOII were decreased (P<0.05) in the epithelial ovarian cancer group compared to the normal ovary and benign ovarian tumor groups. The expression of NF-κB and IKKß in epithelial ovarian cancer was significantly increased in patients with higher tumor stage, lower differentiation and presence of lymph node metastasis and positively correlated with MDR1 expression. NF-κB and IKKß were negatively correlated with the expression of TOPOII and antagonized each other with TOPOII. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of NF-κB and IKKß was positively correlated with the expression of MDR1, and negatively correlated with the expression of TOPOII. The correlation of NF-κB, IKKß and resistance related genes, including MDR1, TOPOII, ERCC1, can predict the resistance of chemotherapy individuals to chemotherapy.

Effects of green tide on microbial communities in waters of the Jiangsu coastal area, China.

Recently, green tide outbreaks have resulted in severe coastal ecology and economic effects in China. Jiangsu coastal areas are usually the site of early green tide outbreaks. To clarify the effects of green tide outbreaks in Jiangsu coastal areas, this study analyzed microbial communities during green tide-free and green tide outbreak periods (May and July, respectively) through 16S rDNA sequencing. Sequences were clustered into 4117 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), 1044 and 3834 of which were obtained from the May and July groups, respectively. Redundancy analysis indicated that green tide occurrence was closely associated with the temperature, pH, and concentrations of various nutrients. Diversity analysis revealed that the July group had a richer microbial community than the May group, in agreement with the results of propagule culture. Moreover, comparative analysis revealed that samples in the May and July groups clustered together. According to Megan analysis, the May group had much more Psychrobacter, Sulfitobacter, and Marinomonas than the July group, whereas the other genera were predominantly found in July, such as Ascidiacerhabitans, Synechococcus Hydrotalea, and Burkholderia-Paraburkholderia. These findings suggest that green tide outbreaks affect marine microbial communities, and detecting the changes in the identified genera during green tide outbreaks may contribute to green tide forecasting. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Jiangsu coastal areas are usually the site of early green tide outbreaks. Green tide occurrence was related to the concentrations of various nutrients. Microbial species and community structure significantly changed after green tide outbreak.

Identification and characterization of a new germline-specific marker vasa gene and its promoter in the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Vasa gene encodes a protein member of DEAD-box superfamily of ATP-dependent RNA helicases, which plays a key role in germline development in metazoans. In present study, we identified a new germline-specific marker Mrvasa in the prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, whose genomic DNA sequence consists of 14 exons and 13 introns. A 2516 bp of full-length Mrvasa cDNA encodes a protein of 603 amino acids. It contains nine conserved motifs, a zinc-finger motif, and RGG repeats. RT-PCR indicated that Mrvasa mRNA was specifically expressed in gonads. QPCR analysis further revealed that the expression of Mrvasa mRNA is much higher in testis than in ovary. In testis, the relative expression level of Mrvasa mRNA in late developing stage is significantly higher than that in early-middle developing stage. During ovarian development, no significant difference in expression was found. In situ hybridization demonstrated that Mrvasa mRNA was localized in germline cells including spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatozoa in testes, and previtellogenic and vitellogenic oocytes in ovary. We then isolated the Mrvasa promoter and determined the transcription core region of this promoter. This is the first report on identification of vasa core promoter in crustaceans. Our results will provide a useful germline-specific marker Mrvasa for tracing germline cell formation and development in M. rosenbergii.

Transcriptional changes revealed water acidification leads to the immune response and ovary maturation delay in the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis.

Nowadays, due to increasing carbon dioxide released, water acidification poses a series of serious impacts on aquatic organisms. To evaluate the effects of water acidification on crustaceans, we focused on the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis, which is a spawning migration and farmed species in China. Based on histological and oocyte transparent liquid observation, we found that the acidified environment significantly delayed the ovarian maturation of E. sinensis. Moreover, RNA-seq was applied to obtain gene expression profile from the crab's gills and ovaries in response to acidified environment. Compared with control groups, a total of 5471 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in acidified gills and 485 DEGs were identified in acidified ovaries. Enrichment analysis indicated that some pathways also responded to the acidified environment, such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Chemokine signaling pathway, apoptosis, and toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Subsequently, some DEGs involved in immune response (ALF, Cathepsin A, HSP70, HSP90, and catalase) and ovarian maturation (Cyclin B, Fem-1a, Fem-1b, and Fem-1c) were selected to further validate the influence of water acidification on gene expression by qRT-PCR. The results showed that the expression level of immune-related genes was significantly increased to response to the water acidification, while the ovarian maturation-related genes were significantly decreased. Overall, our data suggested that E. sinensis was sensitive to the reduced pH. This comparative transcriptome also provides valuable molecular information on the mechanisms of the crustaceans responding to acidified environment.

Identification and characterization of sex-biased and differentially expressed miRNAs in gonadal developments of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis.

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a posttranscriptional downregulator that plays a vital role in a wide variety of biological processes. In this study, we constructed five ovarian and testicular small RNA libraries using two somatic libraries as reference controls for the identification of sex-biased miRNAs and gonadal differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. A total of 535 known and 243 novel miRNAs were identified, including 312 sex-biased miRNAs and 402 gonadal DEMs. KEGG pathway analysis showed that DEM target genes were statistically enriched in MAPK, Wnt, and GnRH signaling pathway, and so on. A number of the sex-biased miRNAs target genes associated with sex determination/differentiation, such as IAG, Dsx, Dmrt1, and Fem1, while others target the genes related to gonadal development, such as P450s, Wnt, Ef1, and Tra-2c. Dual-luciferase reporter assay in vitro further confirmed that miR-34 and let-7b can downregulate IAG expression, miR-9-5p, let-7d, let-7b, and miR-8915 can downregulate Dsx. Taken together, these data strongly suggest a potential role for the sex-biased miRNAs in sex determination/differentiation and gonadal development in the crab.

Evidences for Red Pigment Concentrating Hormone (RPCH) and Beta-Pigment Dispersing Hormone (ß-PDH) Inducing Oocyte Meiotic Maturation in the Chinese Mitten Crab, Eriocheir sinensis.

Red pigment concentrating hormone (RPCH) and pigment dispersing hormone (PDH) are crustacean neuropeptides involved in broad physiological processes including body color changes, circadian rhythm, and ovarian growth. In this study, the full-length cDNA of RPCH and PDH were identified from the brain of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. The deduced RPCH and PDH mature peptides shared identical sequence to the adipokinetic hormone/RPCH peptides family and the ß-PDH isoforms and were designated as Es-RPCH and Es-ß-PDH, respectively. Es-RPCH and Es-ß-PDH transcripts were distributed in the brain and eyestalks. The positive signals of Es-RPCH and Es-ß-PDH were localized in the neuronal clusters 6, 8, 9, 10, and 17 of the brain as revealed by in situ hybridization. The expression level of Es-RPCH and Es-ß-PDH mRNA in nervous tissues were all significantly increased at vitellogenic stage, and then decreased at the final meiotic maturation stage. The administrated with synthesized Es-RPCH peptide results in germinal vesicles shift toward the plasma membrane in vitellogenic oocyte, and significant decrease of the gonad-somatic index (GSI) and mean oocyte diameter as well as the expression of vitellogenin mRNA at 30 days post injection in vivo. Similar results were also found when injection of the Es-ß-PDH peptide. In vitro culture demonstrated that Es-RPCH and Es-ß-PDH induced germinal vesicle breakdown of the late vitellogenic oocytes. Comparative ovarian transcriptome analysis indicated that some reproduction/meiosis-related genes such as cdc2 kinase, cyclin B, 5-HT-R and retinoid-X receptor were significantly upregulated in response to Es-RPCH and Es-ß-PDH treatments. Taken together, these results provided the evidence for the inductive effect of Es-RPCH and Es-ß-PDH on the oocyte meiotic maturation in E. sinensis.

Identification and profiling of microRNAs during gonadal development in the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

As post-transcriptional regulators, microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in growth and reproductive processes. So far, there is limited information regarding crustacean miRNAs. To explore the potential role of miRNAs in the gonadal development of the prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, we constructed seven small RNA libraries from ovarian and testicular tissues at various stages using somatic tissue as the control. A total of 1,954 known and 129 novel miRNAs were retrieved. By comparing differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) between testes and ovaries, forty-one miRNAs were identified with sex-biased expression patterns, including 17 ovary-biased and 24 testis-biased patterns. Furthermore, the putative target genes of the sex-biased miRNAs, such as cyclin L1, mitogen-activated protein kinase 7 (MAPK 7), heat shock protein (HSP), and zinc finger protein, were significantly enriched in many reproduction-related pathways including the Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pathway, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis pathway, ovarian steroidogenesis, estrogen signaling pathway, MAPK pathway, Wnt pathway, and insulin signaling pathway, implicating potential regulatory roles of miRNAs in reproduction. These data aid in the further investigation of the mechanism of gonadal development and reproductive regulation mediated by miRNA in M. rosenbergii.