Altered regional brain activity and functional connectivity in primary intravaginal anejaculation patients revealed by resting-state fMRI.

ABSTRACT: Ejaculation is regulated by the central nervous system. However, the central pathophysiology of primary intravaginal anejaculation (PIAJ) is unclear. The present study aimed to examine the changes in regional brain activity and functional connectivity underlying PIAJ. A total of 20 PIAJ patients and 16 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled from September 2020 to September 2022 in the Department of Andrology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (Nanjing, China). Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from all participants and then were preprocessed. The measures of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and functional connectivity (FC) were calculated and compared between the groups. PIAJ patients showed increased fALFF values in the left precuneus compared with HCs. Additionally, PIAJ patients showed increased ReHo values in the left precuneus, left postcentral gyrus, left superior occipital gyrus, left calcarine fissure, right precuneus, and right middle temporal gyrus, and decreased ReHo values in the left inferior parietal gyrus, compared with HCs. Finally, brain regions with altered fALFF and ReHo values in PIAJ patients showed increased FC with widespread cortical regions, which included the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital regions, compared with HCs. In conclusion, increased regional brain activity in the parietal, temporal, and occipital regions, and increased FC between these brain regions, may be associated with PIAJ occurrence.

The Association between Low Fetal Fraction of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes for Placental Compromise.

(1) Background: Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a screening test for fetal aneuploidy using cell-free fetal DNA. The fetal fragments (FF) of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) are derived from apoptotic trophoblast of the placenta. The level of fetal cfDNA is known to be influenced by gestational age, multiple pregnancies, maternal weight, and height. (2) Methods: This study is a single-center retrospective observational study which examines the relationship between the fetal fraction (FF) of cell-free DNA in non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and adverse pregnancy outcomes in singleton pregnancies. A total of 1393 samples were collected between 10 weeks and 6 days, and 25 weeks and 3 days of gestation. (3) Results: Hypertensive disease of pregnancy (HDP) occurred more frequently in the low FF group than the normal FF group (5.17% vs. 1.91%, p = 0.001). Although the rates of small for gestational age (SGA) and placental abruption did not significantly differ between groups, the composite outcome was significantly higher in the low FF group (7.76% vs. 3.64%, p = 0.002). Furthermore, women who later experienced complications such as HDP or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) had significantly lower plasma FF levels compared to those without complications (p < 0.001). After adjustments, the low FF group exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of placental compromise (adjusted odds ratio: 1.946). (4) Conclusions: Low FF in NIPT during the first and early second trimesters is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly HDP, suggesting its potential as a predictive marker for such outcomes.

Congenital Anomalies in Multiple Pregnancy: A Literature Review.

Importance: Multiple pregnancy is relatively common in many countries and is associated with various pregnancy complications, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies. In particular, a poorer prognosis has been reported when congenital anomalies overlap with other pregnancy complications in multiple pregnancy compared with singleton pregnancy. Objective: This study reviews the characteristics of congenital anomalies that occur in multiple gestations as compared with singleton pregnancies. Evidence Acquisition: An extensive manual search of major electronic databases was conducted in June 2023. This literature review provides a comprehensive coverage of the congenital anomalies in multiple pregnancy. Results: Most studies have shown that multiple gestations are associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies compared with singleton pregnancies. In addition, higher rates of congenital anomalies and concordance have been observed in monozygotic versus dizygotic twins. The effect of assisted reproductive therapies on the risk of congenital anomalies appears to be smaller in multiple gestations than in singleton pregnancies. Conclusions: Multiple pregnancy is significantly associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies. Relevance: This review provides obstetrical providers with the requisite knowledge to offer appropriate antenatal care and prenatal anomaly screening to patients with multiple pregnancies.

Dynamic expression of cathepsin L in the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) gut during Escherichia coli challenge.

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for waste bioconversion due to the ability of the larvae to thrive in a microbial-rich environment. Being an ecological decomposer, the survival of BSF larvae (BSFL) relies on developing an efficient defense system. Cathepsin L (CTSL) is a cysteine protease that plays roles in physiological and pathological processes. In this study, the full-length of CTSL was obtained from BSF. The 1,020-bp open reading frame encoded a preprotein of 339 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 32 kDa. The pro-domain contained the conserved ERFNIN, GNYD, and GCNGG motifs, which are all characteristic of CTSL. Homology revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of BSF CTSL shared 74.22-72.99% identity with Diptera flies. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis showed the CTSL was predominantly localized in the gut, especially in the midgut. The mRNA expression of CTSL in different larval stages was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), which revealed that CTSL was expressed in the second to sixth instar, with the highest expression in the fifth instar. Following an immune challenge in vivo using Escherichia coli (E. coli), CTSL mRNA was significantly up-regulated at 6 h post-stimulation. The Z-Phe-Arg-AMC was gradually cleaved by the BSFL extract after 3 h post-stimulation. These results shed light on the potential role of CTSL in the defense mechanism that helps BSFL to survive against pathogens in a microbial-rich environment.

Cell-free DNA screening in twin pregnancies.

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening for fetal aneuploidies is clinically available and exhibits better performance than conventional serum screening tests. However, data on the clinical performance of cfDNA screening in twin pregnancies are limited. In this review, we summarized the clinical performance and evaluated the feasibility of cfDNA screening in twin pregnancies based on recent studies and recommendations. The performance of cfDNA screening for trisomy 21 in twin pregnancies is similar to that in singleton pregnancies. Specifically, cfDNA screening has a higher detection rate and lower false-positive rate compared with conventional serum screening. Consequently, recent international guidelines from several academic communities have recommended that cfDNA screening for aneuploidy in twin pregnancies could be considered. Moreover, twin pregnancies can present with specific conditions, such as different zygosities and vanishing twins; therefore, individualized counseling and management are required. Further clinical studies with more twin pregnancies are required for a more accurate analysis.

Risk Factors of Postpartum Depression Among Korean Women: An Analysis Based on the Korean Pregnancy Outcome Study (KPOS).

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) can negatively affect infant well-being and child development. Although the frequency and risk factors of PPD symptoms might vary depending on the country and culture, there is limited research on these risk factors among Korean women. This study aimed to elucidate the potential risk factors of PPD throughout pregnancy to help improve PPD screening and prevention in Korean women. METHODS: The pregnant women at 12 gestational weeks (GW) were enrolled from two obstetric specialized hospitals from March 2013 to November 2017. A questionnaire survey was administered at 12 GW, 24 GW, 36 GW, and 4 weeks postpartum. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and PPD was defined as a score of ≥ 10. RESULTS: PPD was prevalent in 16.3% (410/2,512) of the participants. Depressive feeling at 12 GW and postpartum factors of stress, relationship with children, depressive feeling, fear, sadness, and neonatal intensive care unit admission of baby were significantly associated with a higher risk of PPD. Meanwhile, high postpartum quality of life and marital satisfaction at postpartum period were significantly associated with a lower risk of PPD. We developed a model for predicting PPD using factors as mentioned above and it had an area under the curve of 0.871. CONCLUSION: Depressive feeling at 12 GW and postpartum stress, fear, sadness, relationship with children, low quality of life, and low marital satisfaction increased the risk of PPD. A risk model that comprises significant factors can effectively predict PPD and can be helpful for its prevention and appropriate treatment.

Biological Control of Fusarium oxysporum, the Causal Agent of Fusarium Basal Rot in Onion by Bacillus spp.

Fusarium oxysporum is the main pathogen causing Fusarium basal rot in onion (Allium cepa L.), which incurs significant yield losses before and after harvest. Among management strategies, biological control is an environmentally safe and sustainable alternative to chemical control. In this study, we isolated and screened bacteria for antifungal activity against the basal rot pathogen F. oxysporum. Isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, 23-055, and 23-056 significantly inhibited F. oxysporum mycelial growth and conidial germination. Isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-056 suppressed the development of Fusarium basal rot in both onion seedlings and bulbs in pot and spray inoculation assays. Isolate 23-055 was effective in onion seedlings but exhibited weak inhibitory effect on onion bulbs. Based on analyses of the 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences together with morphological analysis, isolates 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-055 were identified as Bacillus thuringiensis, and isolate 23-056 as Bacillus toyonensis. All five bacterial isolates exhibited cellulolytic, proteolytic, and phosphate-solubilizing activity, which may contribute to their antagonistic activity against onion basal rot disease. Taken together B. thuringiensis 23-045, 23-046, 23-052, and 23-055 and B. toyonensis 23-056 have potential for the biological control of Fusarium basal rot in onion.

Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing: A Study of Process Parameters Using Multiphysics Simulations.

In this work, analyses focus on understanding the effects of the scanning pattern and speed on the thermal profile, phase transformation, and residual stress generation in the WAAM deposition. An FE numerical model is constructed that takes into account the phase evolution and transformation plasticity using the ABAQUS user subroutine, UMAT. The results show that the scanning pattern significantly affects the heat accumulation and the cooling rate during the AM deposition, and, eventually, the generation of residual stresses. According to the simulation results, the highest residual stress is generated in the case of the out-in scanning, while the alternate pattern leads to the lowest residual stress. The influence of the scanning speed on the thermal profiles and residual stress are also examined. The analyses show that an increase in the scan speed leads to a decrease in the peak temperature and an increase in the cooling rate, which result in an increase in the martensite volume fraction of the deposition.

Scaling problem in Parkinson's disease patients with pain.

INTRODUCTION: Although pain is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Scaling function and dopaminergic hypofunction may contribute to pain development because increased pain sensitivity is observed in PD and is normalized after levodopa administration. We aimed to determine whether spatial discrimination (SD) and striatal dopaminergic activity (DA) differed between PD patients with and without pain. METHODS: We divided 90 patients with drug-naïve PD into two groups based on the presence or absence of pain and compared the SD threshold (SDT). We evaluated the correlation of the SDT with pain severity in PD with pain. We also compared the DA of 48 patients and analyzed the correlation with pain severity in PD patients with pain. RESULTS: The SDTs did not differ between the two groups, but unmeasurable SDT was more frequent in PD with pain. There was a positive correlation of pain severity with the SDT of the more affected hand but no correlation with the SDT of the less affected hand. The DA did not differ between the groups. There was a negative trend of pain severity with the DA of the ventral striatum (VS) but no correlation with the other striatal subregions. CONCLUSIONS: Pain in PD may be associated with scaling dysfunction in the sensory system. The abnormal scaling function would render the PD patient hypersensitive to even mild pain. The dopamine in the VS appears to be associated with pain severity; however, the relationship of striatal dopaminergic deficits with pain occurrence requires further investigation.

Identification of Fusarium Basal Rot Pathogens of Onion and Evaluation of Fungicides against the Pathogens.

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is an economically important vegetable crop worldwide. However, various fungal diseases, including Fusarium basal rot (FBR), neck rot, and white rot, reduce onion production or bulb storage life. FBR caused by Fusarium species is among the most destructive onion diseases. In this study, we identified Fusarium species associated with FBR in Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces in South Korea and evaluated fungicides against the pathogens. Our morphological and molecular analyses showed that FBR in onions is associated with Fusarium commune, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium proliferatum. We selected seven fungicides (fludioxonil, hexaconazole, mandestrobin, penthiopyrad, prochloraz-manganese, pydiflumetofen, and tebuconazole) and evaluated their inhibitory effects on mycelial growth of the pathogens at three different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/mL). We found that prochloraz-manganese was highly effective, inhibiting 100% of the mycelial growth of the pathogens at all concentrations, followed by tebuconazole. Fludioxonil showed < 50% inhibition at 1 mg/mL for the tested isolates.

Structural basis for calcium-stimulating pore formation of Vibrio α-hemolysin.

Vibrio α-hemolysins (αHLs) are ß-pore-forming toxins secreted by Vibrio pathogens, crucial for the facilitation of bacterial infections through host cell lysis. These toxins are produced as inactive precursors, requiring proteolytic maturation and membrane association for activation within host tissues. Here, we investigate Vibrio campbellii αHL (VcαHL), and establish that its hemolytic activity is significantly stimulated by calcium ions, with an EC50 that aligns with physiological calcium concentrations. Furthermore, we illustrate the vital contribution of calcium ions to the oligomerization of VcαHL on membranes. Using X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, we decipher both the immature and assembled structures of VcαHL and elucidate the conformational changes corresponding to toxin assembly. We also identify a calcium-binding module that is integral for VcαHL's calcium-dependent activation. These findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms of VcαHL and have the potential to inform the development of targeted therapeutic strategies against Vibrio infections.

The Effect of Vanishing Twin on First- and Second-Trimester Maternal Serum Markers and Nuchal Translucency: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of vanishing twin (VT) on maternal serum marker concentrations and nuchal translucency (NT). METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study in 12 institutions. Serum concentrations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in the first trimester and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), total human chorionic gonadotrophin, unconjugated estriol, and inhibin A in the second trimester were measured, and NT was measured between 10 and 14 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: Among 6,793 pregnant women, 5,381 women were measured for serum markers in the first or second trimester, including 65 cases in the VT group and 5,316 cases in the normal singleton group. The cases in the VT group had a higher median multiple of the median value of AFP and inhibin A than the normal singleton group. The values of other serum markers and NT were not different between the two groups. After the permutation test with adjustment, AFP and inhibin A remained significant differences. The frequency of abnormally increased AFP was also higher in the VT group than in the normal singleton group. CONCLUSION: VT can be considered as an adjustment factor for risk assessment in the second-trimester serum screening test.

C2RL: Convolutional-Contrastive Learning for Reinforcement Learning Based on Self-Pretraining for Strong Augmentation.

Reinforcement learning agents that have not been seen during training must be robust in test environments. However, the generalization problem is challenging to solve in reinforcement learning using high-dimensional images as the input. The addition of a self-supervised learning framework with data augmentation in the reinforcement learning architecture can promote generalization to a certain extent. However, excessively large changes in the input images may disturb reinforcement learning. Therefore, we propose a contrastive learning method that can help manage the trade-off relationship between the performance of reinforcement learning and auxiliary tasks against the data augmentation strength. In this framework, strong augmentation does not disturb reinforcement learning and instead maximizes the auxiliary effect for generalization. Results of experiments on the DeepMind Control suite demonstrate that the proposed method effectively uses strong data augmentation and achieves a higher generalization than the existing methods.

A Finite Element Analysis on the Effect of Scanning Pattern and Energy on Residual Stress and Deformation in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing of EH36 Steel.

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a metal additive manufacturing (AM) technique that has a high throughput and has seen a potential interest for replacing currently available subtractive manufacturing techniques. Contrary to other metal AM machines, WAAM rigs can be built using existing welding plants and using welding wire as feedstock, thus, making it a cheap and viable manufacturing technique for a number of industries, such as the maritime industry. However, the effects of AM parameters, such as the scanning pattern and energy, on the residual stress and deformation, are still not completely understood. In this work, a finite element (FE) study has been conducted to understand the influence of different scanning patterns (alternate, in-out, raster and zigzag) and energies on residual stress and warpage. Analyses show that the in-out scanning pattern leads to the highest residual stress, while the zigzag pattern results in the lowest residual stress for all scanning energies considered in this study. Findings in the present study also show that the scanning pattern affects the residual stress and deformation more than does the scanning energy.

Role of CD19+ CD5+ CD1d+ Bregs in maintaining the Th17/Treg balance in mice with systemic lupus erythematosus complicated with atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate Bregs, their regulatory effects on Th17/Treg cell balance, and the release of downstream inflammatory factors in a mouse model of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr)-/- + Pristane. METHODS: After the establishment of the mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) complicated with atherosclerosis (AS), 8-week-old LDLr-/- + Pristane mice (n = 10) were included in the SLE + AS group. Furthermore, 8-week-old MRL/lpr and C57 mice were used as the SLE and normal control groups, respectively (n = 10 per group). After feeding the mice a high-fat diet for 14 weeks, peripheral blood and spleen of mice were collected, and Bregs, Th17, and Treg cells and related inflammatory factors were detected by flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The number of Bregs and Tregs in spleen lymphocytes of SLE + AS mice significantly decreased compared with the C57 group (p < .05), whereas the number of Th17 cells significantly increased (p = .000). Furthermore, the proportion of Bregs showed a negative correlation with the Th17/Treg ratio (p = .03). Mice in the SLE + AS group showed higher serum interleukin (IL)-10, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels than those in the SLE and C57 groups (p < .05). Furthermore, IL-35 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß expression was reduced in the SLE + AS group compared with the C57 group (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of Breg decreases was negatively associated with increased Th17/Treg which was increased in SLE + AS mice, indicating that Bregs may regulate Th17/Treg cell homeostasis and cytokine release via IL-35 and TGF-ß production.

Crystal structures of dimeric and heptameric mtHsp60 reveal the mechanism of chaperonin inactivation.

Mitochondrial Hsp60 (mtHsp60) plays a crucial role in maintaining the proper folding of proteins in the mitochondria. mtHsp60 self-assembles into a ring-shaped heptamer, which can further form a double-ring tetradecamer in the presence of ATP and mtHsp10. However, mtHsp60 tends to dissociate in vitro, unlike its prokaryotic homologue, GroEL. The molecular structure of dissociated mtHsp60 and the mechanism behind its dissociation remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that Epinephelus coioides mtHsp60 (EcHsp60) can form a dimeric structure with inactive ATPase activity. The crystal structure of this dimer reveals symmetrical subunit interactions and a rearranged equatorial domain. The α4 helix of each subunit extends and interacts with its adjacent subunit, leading to the disruption of the ATP-binding pocket. Furthermore, an RLK motif in the apical domain contributes to stabilizing the dimeric complex. These structural and biochemical findings provide new insights into the conformational transitions and functional regulation of this ancient chaperonin.

Retinal Thickness and Its Interocular Asymmetry Between Parkinson's Disease and Drug-Induced Parkinsonism.

BACKGROUND: Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) is common, but diagnosis is challenging. Although dopamine transporter imaging is useful, the cost and inconvenience are problematic, and an easily accessible screening technique is needed. We aimed to determine whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings could differentiate DIP from Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: We investigated 97 de novo PD patients and 27 DIP patients using OCT and [18F] N-(3-fluoropropyl)-2b-carbon ethoxy-3b-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (FP-CIT) positron emission tomography. We compared peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (pRNFLT) and macular retinal thickness (mRT) between PD and DIP patients as well as interocular differences in the pRNFLT and the mRT. Asymmetric index (%) for retinal thickness (AIRT) was calculated to measure the interocular differences between pRNFLT and mRT. The correlation between AIRT and total striatal specific/non-specific binding ratio asymmetry index (SNBRAI) was investigated in PD and DIP patients. RESULTS: No significant differences in pRNFLT and mRT values were observed between PD and DIP patients (all P values > 0.090). The mean SNBRAI was significantly higher in PD than in DIP (P = 0.008) patients; however, AIRT did not differ between PD and DIP patients in pRNFLT and mRT (all P values > 0.100). SNBRAI did not correlate with AIRT of pRNFL or mRT in PD and DIP patients (all P values > 0.060). CONCLUSION: Our study showed no benefit of retinal thickness and interocular asymmetry measurements using OCT for distinguishing PD from DIP in the early stages. Additional investigations are needed for confirmation.