ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the potential of the slow-developing blastocysts using preimplantation genetic testing-aneuploidy (PGT-A) in patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer, stratified by age. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis was performed including a total of 743, the first frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle with single embryo transfer (SET), who underwent treatment between January 2020 and July 2023 in a single fertility center, XXXX Fertility Center. A total of 743 cycles, in which we performed intracellular sperm injection and freeze all strategy, from 743 patients were included. The patient group was divided into 4 groups as follows: Group 1 (G1), 208 FET on day 5; Group 2 (G2), 177 FET with PGT-A on day 5; Group 3 (G3), 220 FET on day 6; Group 4 (G4), 138 FET with PGT-A on day 6. We also divided into two groups-under 35 years of age and over 35 years of age-and performed the analysis separately for each group. RESULTS: In under 35 years of age groups, there were no significant differences in clinical pregnancy and miscarriage rates in G1 and G2 (67.2% vs 63.8%, NS). Also, G4 had a higher clinical pregnancy rate than G3, but it was not significant (51.8% vs 54.7%, NS). In 35 years or older group, G2 had higher pregnancy rates than G1 and lower miscarriage rates (CPR: 43.3% vs 67.7%, P = 0.001, MR: 22.5% vs 3.4%, P = 0.001). In addition, G4 had a higher pregnancy rate than G3 and lower miscarriage rate (CPR: 31.8% vs. 46.9%, P = 0.003, MR: 22.9% vs 2.2%, P = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: In ≥35 years group, PGT-A on day 5 and day 6 showed a high pregnancy rate and a low miscarriage rate. Therefore, using PGT-A seems advantageous for patients of an advanced maternal age.
ABSTRACT
Pleasure and pain are two fundamental, intertwined aspects of human emotions. Pleasurable sensations can reduce subjective feelings of pain and vice versa, and we often perceive the termination of pain as pleasant and the absence of pleasure as unpleasant. This implies the existence of brain systems that integrate them into modality-general representations of affective experiences. Here, we examined representations of affective valence and intensity in an functional MRI (fMRI) study (n = 58) of sustained pleasure and pain. We found that the distinct subpopulations of voxels within the ventromedial and lateral prefrontal cortices, the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior insula, and the amygdala were involved in decoding affective valence versus intensity. Affective valence and intensity predictive models showed significant decoding performance in an independent test dataset (n = 62). These models were differentially connected to distinct large-scale brain networks-the intensity model to the ventral attention network and the valence model to the limbic and default mode networks. Overall, this study identified the brain representations of affective valence and intensity across pleasure and pain, promoting a systems-level understanding of human affective experiences.
Subject(s)
Brain , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Pain , Pleasure , Humans , Pleasure/physiology , Male , Female , Pain/physiopathology , Pain/psychology , Adult , Brain/physiology , Brain/diagnostic imaging , Brain Mapping , Young Adult , Amygdala/physiology , Amygdala/diagnostic imaging , Emotions/physiology , Prefrontal Cortex/physiology , Prefrontal Cortex/diagnostic imaging , Affect/physiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) that play an important role in cancer progression. Although the mechanism by which CAFs promote tumorigenesis has been well investigated, the underlying mechanism of CAFs activation by neighboring cancer cells remains elusive. In this study, we aim to investigate the signaling pathways involved in CAFs activation by gastric cancer cells (GC) and to provide insights into the therapeutic targeting of CAFs for overcoming GC. METHODS: Alteration of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activity in CAFs was analyzed using phospho-RTK array. The expression of CAFs effector genes was determined by RT-qPCR or ELISA. The migration and invasion of GC cells co-cultured with CAFs were examined by transwell migration/invasion assay. RESULTS: We found that conditioned media (CM) from GC cells could activate multiple receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways, including ERK, AKT, and STAT3. Phospho-RTK array analysis showed that CM from GC cells activated PDGFR tyrosine phosphorylation, but only AKT activation was PDGFR-dependent. Furthermore, we found that connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a member of the CCN family, was the most pronouncedly induced CAFs effector gene by GC cells. Knockdown of CTGF impaired the ability of CAFs to promote GC cell migration and invasion. Although the PDGFR-AKT pathway was pronouncedly activated in CAFs stimulated by GC cells, its pharmacological inhibition affected neither CTGF induction nor CAFs-induced GC cell migration. Unexpectedly, the knockdown of SRC and SRC-family kinase inhibitors, dasatinib and saracatinib, significantly impaired CTGF induction in activated CAFs and the migration of GC cells co-cultured with CAFs. SRC inhibitors restored the reduced expression of epithelial markers, E-cadherin and Zonula Occludens-1 (ZO-1), in GC cells co-cultured with CAFs, as well as CAFs-induced aggregate formation in a 3D tumor spheroid model. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a characterization of the signaling pathways and effector genes involved in CAFs activation, and strategies that could effectively inhibit it in the context of GC. Video Abstract.
Subject(s)
Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts , Connective Tissue Growth Factor , Stomach Neoplasms , Humans , Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Movement , Cell Proliferation , Connective Tissue Growth Factor/metabolism , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism , Tumor MicroenvironmentABSTRACT
The central nervous system contains a myriad of different cell types produced from multipotent neural progenitors. Neural progenitors acquire distinct cell identities depending on their spatial position, but they are also influenced by temporal cues to give rise to different cell populations over time. For instance, the progenitors of the cerebral neocortex generate different populations of excitatory projection neurons following a well-known sequence. The Notch signaling pathway plays crucial roles during this process, but the molecular mechanisms by which Notch impacts progenitor fate decisions have not been fully resolved. Here, we show that Notch signaling is essential for neocortical and hippocampal morphogenesis, and for the development of the corpus callosum and choroid plexus. Our data also indicate that, in the neocortex, Notch controls projection neuron fate determination through the regulation of two microRNA clusters that include let-7, miR-99a/100 and miR-125b. Our findings collectively suggest that balanced Notch signaling is crucial for telencephalic development and that the interplay between Notch and miRNAs is essential for the control of neocortical progenitor behaviors and neuron cell fate decisions.
Subject(s)
MicroRNAs , Neocortex , Neural Stem Cells , Neocortex/metabolism , MicroRNAs/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Neural Stem Cells/metabolism , Neurogenesis/genetics , Cell Differentiation/genetics , Neurons/metabolism , Receptors, Notch/metabolismABSTRACT
The appropriate balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines is important for the maternal immune tolerance during pregnancy in mammals. Among the various cytokines, interleukin (IL)-10 (IL10) plays an essential role in anti-inflammatory responses, while IL12 is involved in pro-inflammatory responses during pregnancy. However, the roles of IL10 and IL12 in the endometrium during pregnancy have not been studied in pigs. Thus, we investigated the expression of IL10, IL12 (IL12A and IL12B), and their receptors (IL10RA, IL10RB, IL12RB1, and IL12RB2) at the maternal-conceptus interface. IL10, IL12, and their receptors were expressed in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in a pregnancy stage-specific manner. During pregnancy, IL10 expression increased on Day 15, whereas the expression of IL12A and IL12B decreased after the implantation period. IL10 protein was localized to luminal epithelial (LE), stromal cells, and macrophages; IL10RA protein to LE, endothelial, stromal, and T cells; and IL10RB mRNA to LE cells in the endometrium. IL10 and IL10RA proteins and IL10RB mRNA were also localized to chorionic epithelial (CE) cells. In endometrial explants, the expression of IL10RA and IL10RB was induced by estradiol-17ß, IL-1ß, and/or interferon-γ. Heme oxygenase 1, an IL10-inducible factor, was expressed in the endometrium with the highest levels on Day 30 of pregnancy and was localized to LE and CE cells. These results in pigs suggest that conceptus-derived signals change the endometrial immune environment by regulating the expression of IL10 and IL10 receptors at the maternal-conceptus interface and that IL10 may provide anti-inflammatory conditions for the maternal immune tolerance.
Subject(s)
Interleukin-10 , Placentation , Animals , Cytokines/genetics , Cytokines/metabolism , Endometrium/metabolism , Female , Immune Tolerance , Interleukin-10/genetics , Interleukin-10/metabolism , Interleukin-12/metabolism , Mammals/genetics , Pregnancy , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , SwineABSTRACT
Among the many calcium-binding proteins, S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 play important roles in inflammation, innate immunity, and antimicrobial function, but their expression, regulation, and function at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs are not fully understood. Therefore, we determined the expression and regulation of S100A8, S100A9, S100A12, and their receptor AGER at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. We found that S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 mRNAs were expressed in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, with the greatest levels on Day (D) 12 of pregnancy, and AGER appeared at greater levels on D15 and D30 of pregnancy than on other days. The expression of S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 was predominantly localized to epithelial cells in the endometrium, and they were detected in early-stage conceptus and later chorioallantoic tissues during pregnancy. AGER expression was localized to endometrial epithelial and stromal cells and chorionic epithelial cells. In endometrial explant tissues, the expression of S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 was induced by estrogen, S100A8 by interleukin-1ß, and AGER by interferon-γ. We further found that on D12 of pregnancy, the expression of S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 decreased significantly in the endometria of gilts carrying conceptuses derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer. These results indicate that the expression of S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 is dynamically regulated in response to conceptus-derived signals at the maternal-conceptus interface, suggesting that S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 could play a critical role in regulating endometrial epithelial cell function and conceptus implantation to support the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in pigs.
Subject(s)
Calcium-Binding Proteins , S100A12 Protein , Animals , Calcium-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Embryo Implantation , Endometrium/metabolism , Estrous Cycle/physiology , Female , Pregnancy , S100A12 Protein/metabolism , SwineABSTRACT
A broad repertoire of transcription factors and other genes display oscillatory patterns of expression, typically ranging from 30 min to 24 h. These oscillations are associated with a variety of biological processes, including the circadian cycle, somite segmentation, cell cycle, and metabolism. These rhythmic behaviors are often prompted by transcriptional feedback loops in which transcriptional activities are inhibited by their corresponding gene target products. Oscillatory transcriptional patterns have been proposed as a mechanism to drive biological clocks, the molecular machinery that transforms temporal information into accurate spatial patterning during development. Notably, several microRNAs (miRNAs) -small non-coding RNA molecules-have been recently shown to both exhibit rhythmic expression patterns and regulate oscillatory activities. Here, we discuss some of these new findings in the context of the developing retina. We propose that miRNA oscillations are a powerful mechanism to coordinate signaling pathways and gene expression, and that addressing the dynamic interplay between miRNA expression and their target genes could be key for a more complete understanding of many developmental processes.
ABSTRACT
Functional imaging of intact taste cells in response to various tastant solutions poses a technical challenge since the refractive index of the immersion medium dynamically changes during tastant delivery. Critically, the focal shift introduced by high-index tastant solutions has been the fundamental limit in experimental design. Here we seek to address this issue by introducing an axially elongated Bessel beam in two-photon microscopy. Compared to the conventional Gaussian beam, the Bessel beam provides superior robustness to the index-induced focal shift, allowing us to acquire near artifact-free imaging of taste cells in response to a physiological taste stimulus.
ABSTRACT
Intravital fluorescence microscopy is a tool used widely to study multicellular dynamics in a live animal. However, it has not been successfully used in the taste sensory organ. By integrating microfluidics into the intravital tongue imaging window, the µTongue provides reliable functional images of taste cells in vivo under controlled exposure to multiple tastants. In this paper, a detailed step-by-step procedure to utilize the µTongue system is presented. There are five subsections: preparing of tastant solutions, setting up of a microfluidic module, sample mounting, acquiring functional image data, and data analysis. Some tips and techniques to solve the practical issues that may arise when using the µTongue are also presented.
Subject(s)
Microfluidics , Tongue , Animals , Intravital Microscopy , Taste/physiology , Tongue/physiologyABSTRACT
Caspases, a family of cysteine protease enzymes, are a critical component of apoptotic cell death, but they are also involved in cellular differentiation. The expression of caspases during apoptotic processes in reproductive tissues has been shown in some species; however, the expression and regulation of caspases in the endometrium and placental tissues of pigs has not been fully understood. Therefore, we determined the expression of caspases CASP3, CASP6, CASP7, CASP8, CASP9, and CASP10 in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy. During the estrous cycle, the expression of all caspases and during pregnancy, the expression of CASP3, CASP6, and CASP7 in the endometrium changed in a stage-specific manner. Conceptus and chorioallantoic tissues also expressed caspases during pregnancy. CASP3, cleaved-CASP3, and CASP7 proteins were localized to endometrial cells, with increased levels in luminal and glandular epithelial cells during early pregnancy, whereas apoptotic cells in the endometrium were limited to some scattered stromal cells with increased numbers on Day 15 of pregnancy. In endometrial explant cultures, the expression of some caspases was affected by steroid hormones (estradiol-17ß and/or progesterone), and the cytokines interleukin-1ß and interferon-γ induced the expression of CASP3 and CASP7, respectively. These results indicate that caspases are dynamically expressed in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and at the maternal-conceptus interface during pregnancy in response to steroid hormones and conceptus signals. Thus, caspase action could be important in regulating endometrial and placental function and epithelial cell function during the implantation period in pigs.
ABSTRACT
The endometrium, which regulates the reproductive cyclicity and the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, is a type of mucosal tissue and is involved in the regulation of immunity. Antimicrobial peptides, called cathelicidins, play critical roles in innate immunity by killing various microbes and modulating host immune properties. The expression and regulation of cathelicidin in female reproductive tissues have been studied in some species, but not determined in pigs, which form a true epitheliochorial placenta. Thus, we determined the expression of Cathelicidin (the conserved common cathelin domain for all porcine cathelicidin family members), PMAP23, and PMAP37 in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy. The expression of Cathelicidin, PMAP23, and PMAP37 in the endometrium changed during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in a stage-specific manner. The mRNA expression of Cathelicidin, PMAP23, and PMAP37 was also detected in conceptus and chorioallantoic tissues during pregnancy. Cathelicidin protein was mainly localized to luminal epithelial cells and some immune cells in blood vessels and to chorionic epithelial cells of chorioallantoic membranes during mid-to late pregnancy. The expression of Cathelicidin was induced by calcitriol but increasing doses of estradiol-17ß and progesterone did not affect the expression of Cathelicidin, PMAP23, or PMAP37 in endometrial tissues. These results indicate that members of the cathelicidin family were dynamically expressed at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs, suggesting that the cathelicidin family may play important roles in the regulation of innate immunity by mediating antimicrobial activity to protect the maternal and/or conceptus tissues to conserve pregnancy capacity in pigs.
Subject(s)
Calcitriol , Pregnancy, Animal , Animals , Female , Pregnancy , Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides , Cathelicidins , Endometrium , Estrous Cycle , Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins , Progesterone , Steroids , SwineABSTRACT
The small GTPase ARL4C participates in the regulation of cell migration, cytoskeletal rearrangements, and vesicular trafficking in epithelial cells. The ARL4C signaling cascade starts by the recruitment of the ARF-GEF cytohesins to the plasma membrane, which, in turn, bind and activate the small GTPase ARF6. However, the role of ARL4C-cytohesin-ARF6 signaling during hippocampal development remains elusive. Here, we report that the E3 ubiquitin ligase Cullin 5/RBX2 (CRL5) controls the stability of ARL4C and its signaling effectors to regulate hippocampal morphogenesis. Both RBX2 knockout and Cullin 5 knockdown cause hippocampal pyramidal neuron mislocalization and development of multiple apical dendrites. We used quantitative mass spectrometry to show that ARL4C, Cytohesin-1/3, and ARF6 accumulate in the RBX2 mutant telencephalon. Furthermore, we show that depletion of ARL4C rescues the phenotypes caused by Cullin 5 knockdown, whereas depletion of CYTH1 or ARF6 exacerbates overmigration. Finally, we show that ARL4C, CYTH1, and ARF6 are necessary for the dendritic outgrowth of pyramidal neurons to the superficial strata of the hippocampus. Overall, we identified CRL5 as a key regulator of hippocampal development and uncovered ARL4C, CYTH1, and ARF6 as CRL5-regulated signaling effectors that control pyramidal neuron migration and dendritogenesis.
Subject(s)
ADP-Ribosylation Factors/metabolism , Cullin Proteins/metabolism , Hippocampus/metabolism , Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Morphogenesis/physiology , ADP-Ribosylation Factor 6 , Animals , Cell Membrane/metabolism , Cell Movement/physiology , Dendrites/metabolism , Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors/metabolism , Mice , Neurogenesis/physiology , Pyramidal Cells/metabolism , Signal Transduction/physiology , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolismABSTRACT
Battery safety is an ever-increasing significance to guarantee consumer's safety. Reducing or preventing the risk of battery fire and explosion is a must for battery manufacturers. Major reason for the occurrence of fire in commercial lithium-ion batteries is the flammability of conventional organic liquid electrolyte, which is typically composed of 1 M LiPF6 salt and ethylene carbonate (EC)-based organic solvents. Herein, we report the designed 1 M LiPF6 and EC-based nonflammable electrolyte including methyl(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)carbonate, which breaks the conventional perception that EC-based liquid electrolyte is always flammable. The designed electrolyte also provides high anodic stability beyond the conventional charge cut-off voltage of 4.2 V. A graphiteâ¥LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 lithium-ion full cell with our designed EC-based nonflammable electrolyte with a small fraction of vinylene carbonate additive under an aggressive condition of 4.5 V charge cut-off voltage, 0.5C rate, and 45 °C exhibits increased capacity, reduced interfacial resistance, and improved performance and rate capability. A basic understanding of how a high-voltage cathode-electrolyte interface and anode-electrolyte interface are stabilized and how failure modes are mitigated by fire-preventing electrolyte is discussed.
ABSTRACT
The formation of a robust solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer at the surface of a graphite anode by electrolyte control is a key technology for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Although propylene carbonate (PC) offers a lower melting point than ethylene carbonate, its combination with the graphite anode without additive is a worse choice, owing to co-intercalation of PC and Li+ ion into graphite, exfoliation of graphene sheets, and death of the battery. This study reports a graphite anode with an unprecedentedly high initial coulombic efficiency of 94 %, close to theoretical capacity, and excellent capacity retention of 99 % after 100 cycles in a PC-based electrolyte system, even at an unusually high rate of 0.2â C, which is generally attainable only at a very low rate of below 0.05â C in commercial electrolyte. The SEI stabilization for a graphite anode in PC-based electrolyte provides a new avenue for high-energy and high-performance batteries in widened range of working temperatures. A strong correlation between anode-electrolyte interfacial stabilization and highly reversible cycling performance is clearly demonstrated.
ABSTRACT
The implantation process requires precisely controlled interactions between the maternal uterine endometrium and the implanting conceptus. Conceptus-derived secretions affect endometrial cells to facilitate the adhesion and attachment of trophoblasts, and endometrial secretions support the growth and development of the conceptus. In pigs, the conceptus secretes a large amount of type II interferon, interferon-γ (IFNG), during the implantation period. However, the role of IFNG in the implantation process has not been fully understood in pigs. Thus, to determine the role of IFNG in the endometrium during early pregnancy in pigs, we treated endometrial explant tissues with increasing doses of IFNG and analyzed the transcriptome regulated by IFNG using an RNA-sequencing analysis. Data analyses identified 276 differentially regulated genes, their Gene Ontology terms, and 94 signature genes in a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Furthermore, we analyzed the expression of IFNG-regulated genes, including CIITA, KYNU, IDO1, WARS, and MHC class II molecules, in the endometrium throughout pregnancy and found that levels of those genes in the endometrium were highest on Day 15 of pregnancy, corresponding to the time of peak IFNG secretion by porcine conceptuses. In addition, immunohistochemical analyses revealed that CIITA, KYNU, and IDO proteins were expressed in a cell type- and pregnancy status-specific manner in the endometrium. These results show that genes overrepresented in endometrial tissues in response to IFNG were mainly related to immune responses, suggesting that conceptus-derived IFNG could play critical roles in regulating the maternal immune response for the establishment of pregnancy in pigs.
Subject(s)
Interferon-gamma , Placentation , Animals , Embryo Implantation , Endometrium , Female , Interferon-gamma/genetics , Pregnancy , Swine/genetics , TranscriptomeABSTRACT
Many eukaryotic cells distribute their intracellular components asymmetrically through regulated active transport driven by molecular motors along microtubule tracks. While intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of motor activity exists, what governs the overall distribution of activated motor-cargo complexes within cells remains unclear. Here, we utilize in vitro reconstitution of purified motor proteins and non-enzymatic microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to demonstrate that MAPs exhibit distinct influences on the motility of the three main classes of transport motors: kinesin-1, kinesin-3, and cytoplasmic dynein. Further, we dissect how combinations of MAPs affect motors and unveil MAP9 as a positive modulator of kinesin-3 motility. From these data, we propose a general "MAP code" that has the capacity to strongly bias directed movement along microtubules and helps elucidate the intricate intracellular sorting observed in highly polarized cells such as neurons.
Subject(s)
Dyneins/metabolism , Microtubule-Associated Proteins/metabolism , Microtubules/metabolism , Protein Transport/physiology , Animals , Biological Transport/physiology , Cell Movement/physiology , Cytoplasm/metabolism , Kinesins/metabolismABSTRACT
The maternal immune system tolerates semi-allogeneic placental tissues during pregnancy. Fas ligand (FASLG) and tumor necrosis factor superfamily 10 (TNFSF10) are known to be components of maternal immune tolerance in humans and mice. However, the role of FASLG and TNFSF10 in the tolerance process has not been studied in pigs, which form a true epitheliochorial type placenta. Thus, the present study examined the expression and function of FASLG and TNFSF10 and their receptors at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. The endometrium and conceptus tissues expressed FASLG and TNFSF10 and their receptor mRNAs during pregnancy in a stage-specific manner. During pregnancy, FASLG and TNFSF10 proteins were localized predominantly to endometrial luminal epithelial cells with strong signals on Day 30 to term and on Day 15, respectively, and receptors for TNFSF10 were localized to some stromal cells. Interferon-γ (IFNG) increased the expression of TNFSF10 and FAS in endometrial tissues. Co-culture of porcine endometrial epithelial cells over-expressing TNFSF10 with peripheral blood mononuclear cells yielded increased apoptotic cell death of lymphocytes and myeloid cells. In addition, many apoptotic T cells were found in the endometrium on Day 15 of pregnancy. The present study demonstrated that FASLG and TNFSF10 were expressed at the maternal-conceptus interface and conceptus-derived IFNG increased endometrial epithelial TNFSF10, which, in turn, induced apoptotic cell death of immune cells. These results suggest that endometrial epithelial FASLG and TNFSF10 may be critical for the formation of micro-environmental immune privilege at the maternal-conceptus interface for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in pigs.
Subject(s)
Fas Ligand Protein/metabolism , Immune Privilege/physiology , Placentation/physiology , Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/metabolism , TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/metabolism , Uterus/metabolism , fas Receptor/metabolism , Animals , Epithelium/metabolism , Estrous Cycle/physiology , Fas Ligand Protein/genetics , Female , Placenta/metabolism , Pregnancy , Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/genetics , Swine , TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/genetics , fas Receptor/geneticsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Spontaneous retrograde migration of nasoenteral feeding tubes is common in clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nasoenteral feeding tube tip fixation with hemoclips to prevent tube dislodgement. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent insertion of an endoscopic nasoenteral feeding tube with or without tube tip fixation with hemoclips at the Asan Medical Center in Korea from January 2016 to December 2017. We compared the incidence of tube dislodgment and procedure-related complications between the two groups. RESULTS: Of the total 225 procedures, 72 were performed using the clip-assisted method, while 153 were performed using the standard non-clip-assisted method. Tube dislodgement occurred in two (2.8%) cases in the clipping group and in 26 (17.0%) in the non-clipping group (p = 0.003). Non-clipping group had a sevenfold higher risk of tube dislodgement compared to clipping group after adjustments in multivariable logistic regression (adjusted OR 7.97, 95% CI 1.82-35.00). The procedure time was not significantly different between the two groups (17.6 ± 8.5 min in the clipping group vs. 17.8 ± 9.4 min in the non-clipping group, p = 0.872). In addition, procedure-related complications, such as bleeding, aspiration pneumonia, Mallory-Weiss tear, ileus, and tube obstruction, were not different between the two groups. Achieving target calorie intake took 10.4 ± 10.5 days in the clipping group and 7.9 ± 7.9 days in the non-clipping group (p = 0.293). CONCLUSION: Clip-assisted fixation of nasoenteral feeding tube was effective in preventing tube dislodgement.
Subject(s)
Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/instrumentation , Enteral Nutrition/instrumentation , Foreign-Body Migration/prevention & control , Aged , Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/adverse effects , Enteral Nutrition/adverse effects , Equipment Design , Female , Foreign-Body Migration/etiology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The effects of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, Li[N(SO2F)2] (LiFSI), as an additive on the low-temperature performance of graphiteâLiCoO2 pouch cells are investigated. The cell, which includes 0.2M LiFSI salt additive in the 1M lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6)-based conventional electrolyte, outperforms the one without additive under -20 °C and high charge cutoff voltage of 4.3 V, delivering higher discharge capacity and promoted rate performance and cycling stability with the reduced change in interfacial resistance. Surface analysis results on the cycled LiCoO2 cathodes and cycled graphite anodes extracted from the cells provide evidence that a LiFSI-induced improvement of high-voltage cycling stability at low temperature originates from the formation of a less resistive solid electrolyte interphase layer, which contains plenty of LiFSI-derived organic compounds mixed with inorganics that passivate and protect the surface of the cathode and anode from further electrolyte decomposition and promotes Li+ ion-transport kinetics despite the low temperature, inhibiting Li metal-plating at the anode. The results demonstrate the beneficial effects of the LiFSI additive on the performance of a lithium-ion battery for use in battery-powered electric vehicles and energy storage systems in cold climates and regions.
ABSTRACT
It has long been known that pig conceptuses produce interferon-γ (IFNG) at the time of implantation, but the role of IFNG and its mechanism of action at the maternal-conceptus interface are not fully understood. Accordingly, we analyzed the expression and regulation of IFNG receptors IFNGR1 and IFNGR2 in the endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs. Levels of IFNGR1 and IFNGR2 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression changed in the endometrium, with the highest levels during mid pregnancy for IFNGR1 and on Day 12 of pregnancy for IFNGR2. The expression of IFNGR1 and IFNGR2 mRNAs was also detected in conceptuses during early pregnancy and chorioallantoic tissues during mid to late pregnancy. IFNGR1 and IFNGR2 mRNAs were localized to endometrial epithelial and stromal cells and to the chorionic membrane during pregnancy. IFNGR2 protein was also localized to endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and increased epithelial expression of IFNGR2 mRNA and protein was detectable during early pregnancy than the estrous cycle. Explant culture studies showed that estrogen increased levels of IFNGR2, but not IFNGR1, mRNAs, while interleukin-1ß did not affect levels of IFNGR1 and IFNGR2 mRNAs. Furthermore, IFNG increased levels of IRF1, IRF2, STAT1, and STAT2 mRNAs in the endometrial explants. These results in pigs indicate that IFNGR1 and IFNGR2 are expressed in a stage of pregnancy- and cell-type specific manner in the endometrium and that sequential cooperative action of conceptus signals estrogen and IFNG may be critical for endometrial responsiveness to IFNs for the establishment of pregnancy in pigs.