Case-controlled study of tuberculosis in in-vitro fertilisation-embryo transfer and natural pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the understanding of the clinical features and imaging characteristics of pregnant women with and without in-vitro fertilisation-embryo transfer combined with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted involving 50 patients with pregnancy who had pulmonary TB and were admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Kunming (China) between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021. These patients were divided into an in-vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) conception group and a natural conception group according to the conception method. The clinical and imaging data were then collected and compared. RESULTS: The mean age of the IVF-ET group (n = 13, 31.85 ± 5.84 years) was higher than in the natural conception group (n = 37, 27.05 ± 5.5 years). The proportions of fever, haematogenous TB and extrapulmonary TB in the IVF-ET group (92.31%, 84.62% and 76.92%, respectively) were higher than those in the natural conception group (40.54%,16.22%,27.03%,respectively). The percentage of patients with pregnancy who had intracranial TB (76.9%) in the IVF-ET group was higher than in the natural conception group (10.8%). The percentage of pregnancy terminations in the IVF-ET conception group (84.62%) was higher than in the natural conception group (48.65%). All the above results had statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall, IVF-ET conception combined with extensive pulmonary TB lesions lead to heavy systemic toxic symptoms, severe disease and poor pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, screening for TB prior to performing IVF-ET is recommended.

Environmental context of phenotypic plasticity in flowering time in sorghum and rice.

Phenotypic plasticity is an important topic in biology and evolution. However, how to generate broadly applicable insights from individual studies remains a challenge. Here, with flowering time observed from a large geographical region for sorghum and rice genetic populations, we examine the consistency of parameter estimation for reaction norms of genotypes across different subsets of environments and searched for potential strategies to inform the study design. Both sample size and environmental mean range of the subset affected the consistency. The subset with either a large range of environmental mean or a large sample size resulted in genetic parameters consistent with the overall pattern. Furthermore, high accuracy through genomic prediction was obtained for reaction norm parameters of untested genotypes using models built from tested genotypes under the subsets of environments with either a large range or a large sample size. With 1428 and 1674 simulated settings, our analyses suggested that the distribution of environmental index values of a site should be considered in designing experiments. Overall, we showed that environmental context was critical, and considerations should be given to better cover the intended range of the environmental variable. Our findings have implications for the genetic architecture of complex traits, plant-environment interaction, and climate adaptation.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Manifestations in 13 Cases of Seminal Vesicle Tuberculosis.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the radiographic manifestations of seminal vesicle tuberculosis (SVT) on magnetic resonance imaging to gain a deeper understanding of this disease. Methods: The clinical symptoms, general conditions, relevant laboratory tests and radiological data of 13 patients diagnosed with SVT were collected through bacteriological examination. A descriptive analysis was used to explore the composition ratio and rate values of the collected data. Results: All 13 cases (100.0%) showed isointense signals on T1WI and hypointense signals on T2WI in the affected seminal vesicles, with the disappearance of the multi-chambered high signal on T2WI in normal seminal vesicles. Eight cases (61.5%) showed diffusion restriction on DWI of the affected seminal vesicle and significant enhancement on the contrast scan, whereas five cases (38.5%) showed unrestricted diffusion and mild enhancement on the contrast scan. Patients with significant enhancements exhibited higher counts and neutrophil percentages than patients with mild enhancements, with statistically significant differences (Z = 2.196, P = 0.030; Z = 2.781, P = 0.003, respectively). The counts and percentage of lymphocytes, CD3+T cells and CD4+T cells were significantly lower in patients with significant enhancements than in those with mild enhancements, with statistically significant differences (Z = -2.196, P = 0.030; Z = -2.928, P = 0.002; Z = -2.928, P = 0.002; Z = -2.928, P = 0.002, respectively). Patients with significant enhancements were more likely to have active pulmonary tuberculosis than those with mild enhancements, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.035). Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging reveals distinct radiographic features of SVT, and variations in imaging presentations can indicate a patient's immune status.

The Imaging Features and Diagnostic Value of Computerised Tomography in Seminal Duct Tuberculosis.

Objective: To analyse the computerised tomography (CT) imaging features and diagnostic value of seminal duct tuberculosis (TB). Methods: The imaging data of male patients with ejaculatory duct TB who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019 were retrospectively analysed. Through CT images, seminal duct TB was divided into different types, and the CT image features of different types of TB were analysed. The differences in diagnosis between CT and pathological results were compared. Results: According to the CT manifestations of TB of the intrapelvic segment of seminal duct TB, this disease could be divided into an intra-tubular calcification type, a lumen dilatation and effusion type and a wall thickening type, among which 6 cases (15.8%) were intra-tubular calcification types, 14 cases (36.8%) were lumen dilatation and effusion types and 18 cases (47.4%) were wall thickening types. The diagnostic efficacy of CT in the diagnosis of ejaculatory duct TB: sensitivity = 63.89% (23/36), specificity = 80.01% (44/53), accuracy = 75.28% (67/89), positive predictive value = 51.87% (43/109), negative predictive value = 77.19% (44/57) and kappa = 0.558. Conclusion: CT has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of seminal duct TB. The classification of seminal duct TB using CT images is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Biphasic effects of typical chlorinated organophosphorus flame retardants on Microcystis aeruginosa.

The potential accumulation of chlorinated organophosphorus flame retardants (Cl-OPFRs) in aquatic environments sparked interest in studying the effects of Cl-OPFRs on cyanobacterial blooms. In this work, two common Cl-OPFRs, tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), induced dose-dependent biphasic effect on bloom-forming M. aeruginosa. The hormetic response to low-dose Cl-OPFRs was associated with the upregulation of the type I NADH dehydrogenase (NDH-1) complex and its mediated cyclic electron transfer (CET) pathway, as reflected by a transient post-illumination increase in chlorophyll fluorescence, the dark reduction of P700+ and the change of NDH-1-related gene expression. The increased CET activity and carotenoid content jointly reduced the intracellular ROS production, facilitating cyanobacterial growth. Conversely, a higher concentration of both Cl-OPFRs induced severe inhibition of growth and photosynthetic oxygen-evolving activity through an imbalance between PSII and PSI. Toxic-dose Cl-OPFRs inhibited state transition and fixed cells into the State I with a higher PSII/PSI ratio, as indicated by chlorophyll fluorescence induction, 77 K fluorescence emission spectra and photosystem stoichiometry. The elevated PSII/PSI ratio created an imbalance between the two photosystems and eventually lead to ROS overproduction, which generate adverse effects on cell growth. This work provides important insights into the hormetic mechanism of Cl-OPFRs on Microcystis aeruginosa and their potential roles in harmful cyanobacteria blooms.

The effective astaxanthin productivities of immobilized Haematococcus pluvialis with bacterial cellulose.

Haematococcus pluvialis is traditionally cultivated in a suspension for astaxanthin production. This study presents the novel cultivation approach by immobilized H. pluvialis in bacterial cellulose (BC) produced from the symbiosis of Gluconacetobacter xylinus and H. pluvialis. It was observed that the immobilization itself was a regulator to increase the astaxanthin content. The key genes associated to astaxanthin synthesis, such as psy, lcy, bkt, chy, were significantly up-regulated after immobilization. BC immobilized gel can be utilized concurrently with different technologies to improve astaxanthin accumulation (e.g., amount of induction medium, area of biogel, et al). A small-scale screen panel photobioreactor was design to explore the application of the cultivation approach. Compared to suspended culture, the induction time was shortened from 7 days to 3 days. Astaxanthin productivity of red stage reached 343.2 mg·m-2·d-1. This was greater than that of many other cultivation systems.

Muscular blood oxygen level-dependent MRI is beneficial to evaluate effectiveness of an exercise prescription.

BACKGROUND: To determine the feasibility and validity of using blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the effects of back extension exercise on core lumbar paraspinal muscle strength. METHODS: In this prospective study, R2* and T2 mapping of paraspinal muscles of 100 healthy volunteers were performed before and after back extension exercises in different recovery sessions (session I, II, III or IV). Volunteers use the Roman chair to complete the back extension exercises. The cross-sectional area (CSA), R2* and T2 values were measured and analyzed in 3 muscles (iliocostalis, longissimus, and multifidus muscles) of the lower back before and after exercise. RESULTS: The CSA and T2 values of iliocostalis, longissimus, and multifidus muscles at L3 and L4 levels were higher in recovery sessions I and II than in the resting-state (P<0.05); however, compared to that in the resting-state, the R2* value was significantly reduced in session I but increased in sessions II-IV (P<0.05). Furthermore, the CSA and T2 values in recovery session I were higher than those in the resting-state, whereas the R2* value was lower (P<0.05). After exercise, the recovery tendency of R2* and T2 value was consistent in both males and females, but a significant sex difference in R2* value was observed between recovery sessions III and IV (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: R2* mapping and T2 mapping are effective and feasible for assessment of the effects of back extension exercises on lumbar paraspinal muscle strength.