Effects of the Zishen Yutai Pill compared with placebo on pregnancy outcomes among women in a fresh embryo transfer cycle: a Post Hoc subgroup analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To assess whether the administration of Zishen Yutai Pill (ZYP) could improve the pregnancy outcomes in different subgroups of women undergoing fresh embryo transfer cycles. Materials and methods: This is a post hoc analysis of a large scale, placebo-controlled, double blind, randomized clinical trial (RCT) regarding the use of ZYP during assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. The RCT was conducted at 19 in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers between April 2014 and June 2017. A total of 2265 women undergoing fresh embryo transfer cycles were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive ZYP (n = 1131) or placebo (n = 1134). Post hoc logistic regression analyses were applied in this study to examine the between-group differences of ZYP and placebo on clinical pregnancy rate among different subgroups. Detailed analyses, both in intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol population, were also conducted in specific subgroups with regards to rates of implantation, biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, live birth, pregnancy loss, as well as other neonatal indices. Results: ZYP showed a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rates than placebo in the ITT population. Detailed subgroup analyses were conducted in subgroup in advanced maternal age (AMA, ≥ 35 years old) and overweight/obese patients (BMI > 24), due to the clinical importance and statistical results. In these subgroups, baseline characteristics were similar between two arms (all P > 0.05). Significantly elevated clinical pregnancy rates were observed in ZYP cohort (both P < 0.05) compared with the placebo group. Results also showed that ZYP treatment resulted in significantly higher rates of implantation, biochemical pregnancy in AMA or overweight/obese patients in ITT analysis (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: The current post hoc subgroup analysis suggested that AMA and overweight/obese women could experience clinical benefits when treated with ZYP in their fresh embryo transfer cycles. The study provides references for the use of ZYP in ART practices. However, further studies in specific subgroups should be examined in more rigorous clinical trial settings. Clinical trial registration: Chictr.org.cn, ChictrTRC-14004494.

Regulatory effects of Zishen Yutai Pill on endometrial epithelial response in vitro in immunology microenvironment.

Objective: Zishen Yutai Pill (ZYP) is a frequently used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation in women's health. However, the effects of ZYP on endometrial epithelial response have not been fully explored. Herein, uterine natural killer cell (uNK) secretion medium was used to mimic the uterine microenvironment. Thereafter, an endometrial epithelial cell line (Ishikawa cells) was treated with ZYP-containing serum to elucidate the effects of ZYP on endometrial receptivity.Methods: uNK cells were isolated from decidual tissues of pregnant women undergoing pregnancy termination surgery, and thereafter, uNK secretion medium was collected. ZYP-containing serum was collected from rats after intragastrical administration of ZYP. Ishikawa cells were divided into three groups, one treated with blank control (control group), one treated with uNK secretion medium (uNK group), and one treated with both uNK secretion medium and ZYP-containing serum (ZYP + uNK group). Total RNAs were extracted. Gene expression profiles of Ishikawa in different groups were determined through microarray analysis. mRNA expressions of selected genes were determined through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was determined using Western blotting (WB). Results: Compared with the uNK group, the gene expressions of ZYP group with a total of 1117 genes were significantly altered, among which 510 genes were upregulated and 607 genes were downregulated. Compared with uNK group, expressions of CSF1, CSF2, SPP1, and ICAM1 were upregulated (P < 0.05). Up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression after treatment of ZYP was further confirmed by WB analysis. Conclusion: In brief, in the presence of uNK cell medium, ZYP could improve the expressions of ICAM1, CSF1, CSF2, TNF, SPP1, etc. However, further exploration should be carried out in in vivo experiments for the validation of the mechanisms of ZYP on endometrial epithelial response.

Endocrine profiles and cycle characteristics of infertile 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase Deficiency Patients undergoing assisted Reproduction Treatment: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency (17-OHD) is a rare form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by CYP17A1 gene variants. Female patients with 17-OHD demonstrate a broad clinical spectrum, including oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea and infertility, often as the sole manifestation. However, no spontaneous pregnancies in affected women have been reported. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective cohort study aimed to explore the endocrine characteristics and assisted reproductive technique (ART) performance in women with 17-OHD. METHODS: Five women were referred for primary infertility in a university-affiliated hospital over an eight-year period. The endocrine profiles and cycle characteristics during a total of nine cycles of ovarian stimulation and eight cycles of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) were described in details. RESULTS: Three cases had homozygous variants and two cases had compound heterozygous variants, including one novel missense variant (p.Leu433Ser) in the CYP17A1 gene. Despite dual-suppression of progesterone (P) production by glucocorticoid and gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist, gradually increased P level, relatively low estradiol concentrations and thin endometrium were observed, negating fresh embryo transfer. During FET cycles, appropriate treatment resulted in low serum P levels and adequate endometrial thickness, leading to four live births. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that continuous elevation of serum P during follicular growth impairs endometrial receptivity, the likely cause of female infertility in 17-OHD. Therefore, female infertility caused by 17-OHD is suggested as an indication for freeze-all strategy, with promising reproductive prognoses following segmented ovarian stimulation and FET treatment.

Rationalized Electroepitaxy toward Scalable Single-Crystal Zn Anodes.

Electroepitaxy is recognized as an effective approach to prepare metal electrodes with nearly complete reversibility. Nevertheless, large-scale manipulation is still not attainable owing to complicated interfacial chemistry. Here, the feasibility of extending Zn electroepitaxy toward the bulk phase over a mass-produced mono-oriented Cu(111) foil is demonstrated. Interfacial Cu-Zn alloy and turbulent electroosmosis are circumvented by adopting a potentiostatic electrodeposition protocol. The as-prepared Zn single-crystalline anode enables stable cycling of symmetric cells at a stringent current density of 50.0 mA cm-2 . The assembled full cell further sustaines a capacity retention of 95.7% at 5.0 A g-1 for 1500 cycles, accompanied by a controllably low N/P ratio of 7.5. In addition to Zn, Ni electroepitaxy can be realized by using the same approach. This study may inspire rational exploration of the design of high-end metal electrodes.

Regulating the Inner Helmholtz Plane with a High Donor Additive for Efficient Anode Reversibility in Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries.

The performance of aqueous Zn ion batteries (AZIBs) is highly dependent on inner Helmholtz plane (IHP) chemistry. Notorious parasitic reactions containing hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) and Zn dendrites both originate from abundant free H2 O and random Zn deposition inside active IHP. Here, we report a universal high donor number (DN) additive pyridine (Py) with only 1 vol. % addition (Py-to-H2 O volume ratio), for regulating molecule distribution inside IHP. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation verify that incorporated Py additive could tailor Zn2+ solvation sheath and exclude H2 O molecules from IHP effectively, which is in favor of preventing H2 O decomposition. Consequently, even at extreme conditions such as high depth of discharge (DOD) of 80 %, the symmetric cell based on Py additive can sustain approximately 500 h long-term stability. This efficient strategy with high DN additives furnishes a promising direction for designing novel electrolytes and promoting the practical application of AZIBs, despite inevitably introducing trace organic additives.

Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Ameliorates in LNK-Deficient Mouse Models with Obesity-Induced Insulin Resistance Improvement.

PURPOSE: To investigate the potential role of gut microbiota in obesity-induced insulin resistance (IR). METHODS: Four-week-old male C57BL/6 wild-type mice (n = 6) and whole-body SH2 domain-containing adaptor protein (LNK)-deficient in C57BL/6 genetic backgrounds mice (n = 7) were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD, 60% calories from fat) for 16 weeks. The gut microbiota of 13 mice feces samples was analyzed by using a 16 s rRNA sequencing analysis. RESULTS: The structure and composition of the gut microbiota community of WT mice were significantly different from those in the LNK-/- group. The abundance of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-producing genus Proteobacteria was increased in WT mice, while some short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing genera in WT groups were significantly lower than in LNK-/- groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The structure and composition of the intestinal microbiota community of obese WT mice were significantly different from those in the LNK-/- group. The abnormality of the gut microbial structure and composition might interfere with glucolipid metabolism and exacerbate obesity-induced IR by increasing LPS-producing genera while reducing SCFA-producing probiotics.

Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome under NIH criteria among the tenth-grade Chinese schoolgirls in Guangzhou area: a cross-sectional epidemiological survey.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is currently considered to have a peri-adolescence onset and continuously influence the reproductive and metabolic health of the patients, while the diagnostic criteria among adolescent population haven't been universally unified till now. This survey seeks to preliminarily evaluate the prevalence of PCOS in the tenth grade schoolgirls in Guangzhou area under NIH criteria and analyze the clinical features of adolescents with PCOS. METHODS: The cross-sectional epidemiological survey was carried out among the tenth grade schoolgirls in Guangzhou area by the method of cluster sampling. The contents of this survey included the questionnaire, physical exams and serum measurements. Until now, totally 1294 girls underwent this survey and 1095 serum samples were restored. 235 non-hirsute (mFG < 6), postmenarcheally 2-year girls were randomly selected as the control group, among which the cut-off value of biochemical hyperandrogenemia was set accordingly. The prevalence of PCOS among this population was preliminarily evaluated according to the NIH criteria. RESULTS: Along with the increase of gynecological age, the menstruations of girls was becoming more regular and the incidence of oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea was declining. Even among those who were less than 2 years after menarche, those whose menstrual cycle were longer than 90 days accounted for lower than 5%. The 95th percentile of mFG score was 6 among the girls who were < 2 years after menarche, and 5 among the girls who were > 2 years after menarche. Among the 235 healthy girls, the 95th percentile values of Testosterone (T), Free androgen index (FAI) and Androstenedione (A2) were 2.28 nmol/mL, 4.37, and 5.20 nmol/mL respectively. Based on the NIH criteria, the prevalence of PCOS in this survey was 3.86%. The prevalence of adolescent PCOS tend to slightly increase with age and gynecological age, but the difference was not statistically significant. The prevalence of PCOS among obese girls was markedly higher than that in lean girls. CONCLUSION: Based on the NIH criteria, the prevalence of PCOS among the tenth grade schoolgirls in Guangzhou area was 3.86%. The diagnosis of hyperandrogenism among adolescents should also be based on both clinical and biochemical parameters.

The effectiveness of immunomodulatory therapies for patients with repeated implantation failure: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis analyzed the clinical pregnancy outcomes of repeated implantation failure (RIF) patients treated with immunomodulatory therapies. Publications (published by August 16, 2021) were identified by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. The quality of the studies was evaluated with the Cochrane bias risk assessment tool, and a network meta-analysis was performed with Stata 14.0. The outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live birth rate (LBR), and implantation rate (IR). The results of our network meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (including 2,008 participants) show that PBMCs, PRP, and SC-GCSF can significantly improve the CPR compared with LMWH (PBMCs: OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.21-3.83; PRP: OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.08-5.24; SC-GCSF: OR 2.46; 95% CI 1.05-5.72). The LBR of PRP was significantly higher than those of IU-GCSF (OR 3.81; 95% CI 1.22-11.86), LMWH (OR 4.38; 95% CI 1.50-12.90), and intralipid (OR 3.85; 95% CI 1.03-14.29), and the LBR of PBMCs was also significantly better than that of LMWH (OR 2.35; 95% CI 1.14-4.85). Furthermore, PRP treatment significantly improved the IR compared with LMWH treatment (OR 2.81; 95% CI 1.07-7.4). The limited evidence from existing RCTs suggests that PBMCs and PRP are the best therapeutic options for RIF patients. However, owing to the quantity limitation, more top-quality research is required to obtain additional high-level evidence.

Precursor Customized Assembly of Wafer-Scale Polymerized Aniline Thin Films for Ultrasensitive NH3 Detection.

2D conducting polymer thin film recently has garnered numerous interests as a means of combining the molecular aggregate ordering and promoting in-plane charge transport for large-scale/flexible organic electronics. However, it remains far from satisfactory for conducting polymer chains to achieve desirable surface topography and crystallinity due to lack of control over the precursor-involved interfacial assembly. Herein, wafer-size polyaniline (PANI) and tetra-aniline thin films are developed via a controlled interfacial synthesis with customized surface morphology and crystallinity through two typical aniline precursors selective polymerization. Two crucial competing assembly mechanisms, a) direct interfacial polymerization, b) solution polymerization and subsequent interfacial assembly, are investigated to play a vital role in determining elemental chain length and aggregate architecture. The optimal PANI thin film manifests ultraflat surface topography and unambiguous crystalline domains, which also enabling fascinating ammonia sensing capability with 31.4% ppm-1 sensitivity, fast response time (88 s) with astonishing selectivity, repeatability, and recovery capability. The thus-demonstrated strategy with wafer-scale processing potential and flexible microdevice offers a promising route for large-scale manufacturing thin-film organic electronics.

Manipulating Hierarchical Orientation of Wet-Spun Hybrid Fibers via Rheological Engineering for Zn-Ion Fiber Batteries.

Wet-spinning is a promising strategy to fabricate fiber electrodes for real commercial fiber battery applications, according to its great compatibility with large-scale fiber production. However, engineering the rheological properties of the electrochemical active materials to accommodate the viscoelasticity or liquid crystalline requirements for continuous wet-spinning remains a daunting challenge. Here, with entropy-driven volume-exclusion effects, the rheological behavior of vanadium pentoxide (V2 O5 ) nanowire dispersions is regulated through introducing 2D graphene oxide (GO) flakes in an optimal ratio. By optimizing the viscoelasticity and liquid-crystalline behavior of the spinning dope, the wet-spun hybrid fibers display controlled hierarchical orientation. The wet-spun V2 O5 /rGO hybrid fiber with the optimal 10:1 mass fraction (V2 O5 /rGO10:1 ) exhibits a highly oriented nanoblock arrangement, enabling efficient Zn-ion migration and an excellent Zn-ion storage capacity of 486.03 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 . A half-meter long quasi-solid-state fiber Zn-ion battery is assembled with a polyacrylamide gel electrolyte and biocompatible Ecoflex encapsulation. The thus-derived fiber Zn-ion battery is integrated into a wearable self-powered system, incorporating a highly efficient GaAs solar cell, which delivers a record-high overall efficiency (9.80%) for flexible solar charging systems.

The Degree of Menstrual Disturbance Is Associated With the Severity of Insulin Resistance in PCOS.

Objective: Insulin resistance (IR) is an important determinant of the phenotype and morbidity of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In this study, we aimed to figure out the association between the degree of menstrual disturbance and the severity of IR in women with PCOS. Design: It is a cross-sectional study conducted in an academic tertiary setting. Patients: The patients comprised five hundred twenty-seven women diagnosed with PCOS by the 2003 Rotterdam criteria and 565 controls with regular vaginal bleeding. Interventions: The interventions done for this study are medical history collection, physical examination, and blood sampling. Main outcome measures: The main outcome measures are body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment for IR (HOMA-IR), and hormonal parameters. Results: Women with PCOS had a higher level of BMI, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-ß than controls, with a decreased level of sex hormone-binding globulin and QUICK I index. The luteinizing hormone (LH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), antral follicle count (AFC), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, free androgen index, modified Ferriman-Gallwey score, and the incidence of delayed insulin peak increased with the degree of menstrual disturbance, although there was no significance for the latter four parameters. Women with vaginal bleeding intervals of 45-90 days had a relatively higher level of HOMA-IR and HOMA-ß, although it was adjusted with age and BMI than the other two groups. Similar results were observed in AUCI (area under the curve of insulin) and I/G [the ratio of AUCI and AUCG (area under the curve of glucose)]. Anovulatory women with vaginal bleeding episodes of less than 45 days tended to have higher glucose and insulin levels, area under the curve of glucose (AUCG), area under the curve of insulin (AUCI), HOMA-IR, and HOMA-ß but decreased QUICK I and Matsuda index than those who were ovulatory. Women with vaginal bleeding intervals of longer than 45 days who had hyperandrogenism (HA) showed a higher level of glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-ß but lower QUICK I and Matsuda Index. Conclusions: In women with PCOS, the severity of IR, the LH/FSH ratio, and androgen level increased with a higher degree of disturbance in menstrual cyclicity (i.e., the vaginal bleeding intervals). Subgroup analysis indicated that the situation of HA may aggravate the disorder of glucose metabolism in women with PCOS. Overall, the interval between episodes of vaginal bleeding may be useful as a ready measure for predicting the severity of IR in PCOS.

Enhanced Dual-Directional Sulfur Redox via a Biotemplated Single-Atomic Fe-N2 Mediator Promises Durable Li-S Batteries.

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is considered as an appealing candidate for next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems because of high energy and low cost. Nonetheless, its development is plagued by the severe polysulfide shuttling and sluggish reaction kinetics. Although single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as a promising remedy to expedite sulfur redox chemistry, the mediocre single-atom loading, inferior atomic utilization, and elusive catalytic pathway handicap their practical application. To tackle these concerns, in this work, unsaturated Fe single atoms with high loading capacity (≈6.32 wt%) are crafted on a 3D hierarchical C3 N4 architecture (3DFeSA-CN) by means of biotemplated synthesis. By electrokinetic analysis and theoretical calculations, it is uncovered that the 3DFeSA-CN harnesses robust electrocatalytic activity to boost dual-directional sulfur redox. As a result, S@3DFeSA-CN can maintain a durable cyclic performance with a negligible capacity decay rate of 0.031% per cycle over 2000 cycles at 1.0 C. More encouragingly, an assembled Li-S battery with a sulfur loading of 5.75 mg cm-2 can harvest a high areal capacity of 6.18 mAh cm-2 . This work offers a promising solution to optimize the carbonaceous support and coordination environment of SACs, thereby ultimately elevating dual-directional sulfur redox in pragmatic Li-S batteries.

Fucoxanthin Prevents Long-Term Administration l-DOPA-Induced Neurotoxicity through the ERK/JNK-c-Jun System in 6-OHDA-Lesioned Mice and PC12 Cells.

As the most abundant marine carotenoid extracted from seaweeds, fucoxanthin is considered to have neuroprotective activity via its excellent antioxidant properties. Oxidative stress is regarded as an important starting factor for neuronal cell loss and necrosis, is one of the causes of Parkinson's disease (PD), and is considered to be the cause of adverse reactions caused by the current PD commonly used treatment drug levodopa (l-DA). Supplementation with antioxidants early in PD can effectively prevent neurodegeneration and inhibit apoptosis in dopaminergic neurons. At present, the effect of fucoxanthin in improving the adverse effects triggered by long-term l-DA administration in PD patients is unclear. In the present study, we found that fucoxanthin can reduce cytotoxicity and suppress the high concentration of l-DA (200 µM)-mediated cell apoptosis in the 6-OHDA-induced PC12 cells through improving the reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, suppressing ROS over-expression, and inhibiting active of ERK/JNK-c-Jun system and expression of caspase-3 protein. These results were demonstrated by PD mice with long-term administration of l-DA showing enhanced motor ability after intervention with fucoxanthin. Our data indicate that fucoxanthin may prove useful in the treatment of PD patients with long-term l-DA administration.

Regulating Interfacial Ion Migration via Wool Keratin Mediated Biogel Electrolyte toward Robust Flexible Zn-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) have emerged as a promising energy supply for next-generation wearable electronics, yet they are still impeded by the notorious growth of zinc dendrite and uncontrollable side reaction. While the rational design of electrolyte composition or separator decoration can effectively restrain zinc dendrite growth, synchronously regulating the interfacial electrochemical performance by tackling the physical delamination venture between electrode and electrolyte remains a major obstacle for high-performance wearable aqueous ZIB. Herein, a category of hybrid biogel electrolyte containing carrageenan and wool keratin (CWK) is put forward to regulate the interfacial electrochemistry in aqueous ZIB. Systematic electrochemical kinetics analyses and ex situ scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) characterizations achieve comprehensive understanding of the keratin enhanced interfacial Zn2+ redox reaction. Thanks to the keratin triggered selective ion permeability, the as-designed CWK hybrid biogel electrolyte manifests a promoted Zn2+ transference number and excellent reversibility of Zn plating/stripping and outstanding Zn utilization (average Coulombic efficiency ≈98%). More impressively, the CWK hybrid biogel electrolyte also demonstrates cathode side-reaction depression and strengthened interfacial adhesion while assembled into a quasi-solid-state flexible ZIB. This work offers a strategy to synchronously solve concurrent challenges for both of Zn anode and cathode toward realistic wearable aqueous ZIB.

Does elevated luteinizing hormone level before trigger mean premature luteinizing hormone surge in advanced-aged women undergoing mild ovarian stimulation?

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) level before trigger means premature LH surge in advanced aged women undergoing mild ovarian stimulation. METHODS: To retrospectively analyze 235 in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles in women >35 years old with the poor ovarian response (POR) from January 2012 to March 2016. Cycles are named Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3, being treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol (76 cycles), mild stimulation protocol using clomiphene citrate (73 cycles), and tamoxifen (86 cycles), respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The dynamic change of LH level during stimulation; the proportion of an elevated LH level defined as >10 IU/L on trigger day; the proportion of premature ovulation in each group. RESULTS: Serum LH level increased early in Group 2 and Group 3 and remained significantly higher than that in Group 1 during stimulation. In a sequence of three groups, the proportion of elevated LH levels before the trigger was 11.84, 43.8, and 37.21% (p＜.001) respectively. And the proportion of premature ovulation in patients with elevated LH levels was 11.11, 18.75, and 25% (p = .11) respectively. CONCLUSION: Elevated LH level before trigger does not mean premature LH surge in women more than 35 years old with POR undergoing mild ovarian stimulation with clomiphene or tamoxifen.

Effects of the Zishen Yutai Pill Compared With Placebo on Live Births Among Women in a Fresh Embryo Transfer Cycle: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of the Zishen Yutai Pill compared with placebo on live birth rates among women after fresh embryo transfer cycles. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to investigate whether administration of the Zishen Yutai Pill would improve pregnancy outcomes among women undergoing fresh embryo transfer after in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The primary outcome was live birth rate. Secondary outcomes were rates of implantation, biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, pregnancy loss, cycle cancellation, and maternal, fetal, and neonatal complications. A total sample size of 2,265 women (1:1 in two groups) was used to detect a live birth rate difference between the Zishen Yutai Pill and placebo. Participants were enrolled and randomized to receive 5 g of the Zishen Yutai Pill or placebo orally, three times per day during the study. RESULTS: Recruitment was completed between April 2014 and June 2017, with 2,580 patients screened. Two thousand two hundred sixty-five patients were randomized: 1,131 to the Zishen Yutai Pill and 1,134 to placebo. Characteristics were similar between groups. In intention-to-treat analysis, the rates of live birth in the Zishen Yutai Pill (ZYP) group and placebo group were 26.8% and 23.0% (rate ratio [RR], 1.16; 95% CI 1.01-1.34; P=.038), respectively. The implantation rates were 36.8% and 32.6% in the ZYP and placebo groups, respectively (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.01-1.25; P=.027). The biochemical pregnancy rate for the ZYP group was 35.5% compared with 31.1% in the placebo group (RR 1.14; 95% CI 1.02-1.28; P=.026). The rates of clinical pregnancy in the ZYP and placebo groups were 31.2% compared with 27.3%, respectively (RR 1.14; 95% CI 1.00-1.30; P=.043). There were no significant between-group differences in the rates of pregnancy loss, maternal, or neonatal complications (all P>.05). CONCLUSION: The Zishen Yutai Pill increased the rate of live birth after fresh embryo transfer compared with placebo. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chictr.org.cn, Chictr-TRC-14004494.

Effect of early rescue ICSI and split IVF-ICSI in preventing low fertilization rate during the first ART cycle: A real-world retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: To determine the utility of short gamete coincubation in in vitro fertilization (IVF-S) combined with early rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection (R-ICSI) and split IVF-ICSI in preventing low fertilization based on a retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Couples with a high risk of low IVF fertilization during the first ART cycle underwent IVF-S with R-ICSI or split IVF-ICSI. Fertilization rate, embryo quality, and clinical outcomes were measured. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, we included 188 couples in the IVF-S with R-ICSI group as Group 1 and 720 in the split IVF-ICSI group as Group 2. Normal fertilization rates were similar; however, Group 1 had a higher multiple pronuclei rate (10.42% vs. 4.50%, p < 0.001) but a higher embryo utilization rate (59.84% vs. 53.60%, p < 0.001). The groups were similar in the rates of high-quality embryos, embryo implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth. Low IVF fertilization rate was 4.79% and 9.03% in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively, with similar fertilization rate and embryo development. CONCLUSION: IVF-S with early R-ICSI and split IVF-ICSI were effective strategies in preventing low fertilization rate. IVF-S with early R-ICSI could become the preferred approach because of its advantages-higher embryo utilization rate, fewer ICSI procedures, similar clinical pregnancy rate, and live birth rate.

Effect of resveratrol on superovulation in mice.

Oocyte quality is one of the key factors affecting the outcome of ART. Therefore, how to improve oocyte quality has become an urgent problem in the field of ART. In this study we evaluated the effect of resveratrol (RSV), added during the process of superovulation, on embryonic development in mice. The results showed that the blastocyst rate was significantly higher in the RSV treated group than in the control group when oocytes were parthenogenetically activated in vitro (61.67 vs 41.51%, P = 0.032). In the naturally fertilized oocytes group, the rates of cleavage and blastocyst were significantly higher in the RSV treatment group than in the control group (74.47% vs 60.98%, P = 0.035; 96.19% vs 70.00%, P = 0.000, respectively). For the aged mice, the average number of oocytes, the rates of cleavage and blastocyst were also significantly higher in RSV treated groups than in the control group (19.47 ± 5.98 vs 10.30 ± 4.82, P = 0.028; 69.03 vs 50.75%, P = 0.014; 64.10% vs 44.12%, P = 0.049, respectively). Mitochondrial membrane potential and mtDNA copy number in oocytes were significantly increased after RSV treatment in both the young and aged populations. The expression of mitochondrial biogenesis related genes was significantly upregulated in cumulus cells of young and aged mice following RSV treatment. Our data suggest that supplementation of RSV during superovulation improves oocytes quality in young and aged mice, increases the number of oocytes retrieved from aged mice, and improves oocytes mitochondrial function.

Crystalline tetra-aniline with chloride interactions towards a biocompatible supercapacitor.

Recent advances in wearable and implantable electronics have increased the demand for biocompatible integrated energy storage systems. Conducting polymers, such as polyaniline (PANi), have been suggested as promising electrode materials for flexible biocompatible energy storage systems, based on their intrinsic structural flexibility and potential polymer chain compatibility with biological interfaces. However, due to structural disorder triggering insufficient electronic conductivity and moderate electrochemical stability, PANi still cannot fully satisfy the requirements for flexible and biocompatible energy storage systems. Herein, we report a biocompatible physiological electrolyte activated flexible supercapacitor encompassing crystalline tetra-aniline (c-TANi) as the active electrode material, which significantly enhances the specific capacitance and electrochemical cycling stability with chloride electrochemical interactions. The crystallization of TANi endows it with sufficient electronic conductivity (8.37 S cm-1) and a unique Cl- dominated redox charge storage mechanism. Notably, a fully self-healable and biocompatible supercapacitor has been assembled by incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) with c-TANi as a self-healable electrode and a ferric-ion cross-linked sodium polyacrylate (Fe3+-PANa)/0.9 wt% NaCl as a gel electrolyte. The as-prepared device exhibits a remarkable capacitance retention even after multiple cut/healing cycles. With these attractive features, the c-TANi electrode presents a promising approach to meeting the power requirements for wearable or implantable electronics.