Effect of herbal medicine on postoperative nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, herbal medicines have been used to alleviate nausea and vomiting; however, a comprehensive clinical evaluation for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), especially after laparoscopic surgery, remains limited. This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine as an alternative therapy to prevent and manage nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic surgery compared with untreated, placebo, and Western medicine groups. METHODS: We searched 11 databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library, to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of herbal medicines on PONV after laparoscopic surgery on July 7, 2022. Two independent reviewers screened and selected eligible studies, extracted clinical data, and evaluated the quality of evidence using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV, whereas the secondary outcomes included the frequency and intensity of PONV, symptom improvement time, antiemetic requirement frequency, and incidence of adverse events. Review Manager Version 5.3. was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: We identified 19 RCTs with 2726 participants comparing herbal medicine with no treatment, placebo, and Western medicine. The findings showed that compared with no treatment, herbal medicine demonstrated significant effects on vomiting incidence (risk ratio [RR] = 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32-0.57, P < .00001). Compared with placebo, herbal medicine revealed a significant effect on the severity of nausea 12 hours after laparoscopic surgery (standardized mean difference = -2.04, 95% CI -3.67 to -0.41, P = .01). Herbal medicines showed similar effects with Western medicine on the incidence of postoperative nausea (RR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.63-1.42, P = .77) and vomiting (RR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.25-1.84, P = .45). Furthermore, comparing the experimental group containing herbal medicine and control group excluding herbal medicine, adverse events were considerably lower in the group with herbal medicine (RR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.27-0.72, P = .001). CONCLUSION: Herbal medicine is an effective and safe treatment for nausea and vomiting secondary to laparoscopic surgery. However, the number of studies was small and their quality was not high; thus, more well-designed RCTs are warranted in the future.

Anchoring Au nanoclusters into coordination polymers: A novel approach toward ATP detection and its application.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the main source of energy required for all life activities and is used as a biomarker for diseases such as cancer. It is of great significance to design a novel fluorescent probe with favorable performance for monitoring the changes of ATP concentration. Herein, a fluorescence probe named ZnCPs@AuNCs for ATP sensing was designed and fabricated by integrating AuNCs into ZnCPs. The emission intensity of AuNCs was greatly enhanced upon the formation of the ZnCPs@AuNCs nanocomposites, which may be attributed to ZnCPs restricting the molecular motion of AuNCs. Upon the introduction of ATP, the fluorescence intensity at 564 nm of ZnCPs@AuNCs is quenched. According to this phenomenon, a sensitive and reliable ATP sensing platform was established. Moreover, ZnCPs@AuNCs were incorporated into a poly (vinyl alcohol) matrix for the fabrication of fluorescent film, which exhibited solid-state fluorescence. Inspired by the remarkable fluorescent properties of ZnCPs@AuNCs, the fluorescent hydrogel was prepared by mixing ZnCPs@AuNCs with κ-carrageenan, which demonstrated a response to ATP and favorable self-healing ability. This work presents a perspective of ZnCPs@AuNCs in multiple applications such as biosensing, fluorescent film, and hydrogel construction.

Dietary sodium acetate and sodium butyrate improve high-carbohydrate diet utilization by regulating gut microbiota, liver lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).

BACKGROUND: Adequate level of carbohydrates in aquafeeds help to conserve protein and reduce cost. However, studies have indicated that high-carbohydrate (HC) diet disrupt the homeostasis of the gut-liver axis in largemouth bass, resulting in decreased intestinal acetate and butyrate level. METHOD: Herein, we had concepted a set of feeding experiment to assess the effects of dietary sodium acetate (SA) and sodium butyrate (SB) on liver health and the intestinal microbiota in largemouth bass fed an HC diet. The experimental design comprised 5 isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets, including LC (9% starch), HC (18% starch), HCSA (18% starch; 2 g/kg SA), HCSB (18% starch; 2 g/kg SB), and HCSASB (18% starch; 1 g/kg SA + 1 g/kg SB). Juvenile largemouth bass with an initial body weight of 7.00 ± 0.20 g were fed on these diets for 56 d. RESULTS: We found that dietary SA and SB reduced hepatic triglyceride accumulation by activating autophagy (ATG101, LC3B and TFEB), promoting lipolysis (CPT1α, HSL and AMPKα), and inhibiting adipogenesis (FAS, ACCA, SCD1 and PPARγ). In addition, SA and SB decreased oxidative stress in the liver (CAT, GPX1α and SOD1) by activating the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway. Meanwhile, SA and SB alleviated HC-induced inflammation by downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, COX2 and Hepcidin1) through the NF-κB pathway. Importantly, SA and SB increased the abundance of bacteria that produced acetic acid and butyrate (Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1). Combined with the KEGG analysis, the results showed that SA and SB enriched carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism pathways, thereby improving the utilization of carbohydrates. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that growth performance was closely related to hepatic lipid deposition, autophagy, antioxidant capacity, inflammation, and intestinal microbial composition. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, dietary SA and SB can reduce hepatic lipid deposition; and alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation in largemouth bass fed on HC diet. These beneficial effects may be due to the altered composition of the gut microbiota caused by SA and SB. The improvement effects of SB were stronger than those associated with SA.

Dietary sodium acetate and sodium butyrate attenuate intestinal damage and improve lipid metabolism in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fed a high carbohydrate diet by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress.

High-carbohydrate (HC) diets decrease the intestinal levels of sodium acetate (SA) and sodium butyrate (SB) and impair the gut health of largemouth bass; however, SA and SB have been shown to enhance immunity and improve intestinal health in farmed animals. Thus, the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary SA and SB on HC diet-induced intestinal injury and the potential mechanisms in juvenile largemouth bass. The experiment set five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets, including a low-carbohydrate diet (9% starch) (LC), a high carbohydrate diet (18% starch) (HC), and the HC diet supplemented with 2 g/kg SA (HCSA), 2 g/kg SB (HCSB) or a combination of 1 g/kg SA and 1 g/kg SB (HCSASB). The feeding experiment was conducted for 8 weeks. A total of 525 juvenile largemouth bass with an initial body weight of 7.00 ± 0.20 g were used. The results showed that dietary SA and SB improved the weight gain rate and specific growth rate (P < 0.05) and ameliorated serum parameters (alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, glutamate transaminase, and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) (P < 0.05). And, importantly, dietary SA and SB repaired the intestinal barrier by increasing the expression levels of zonula occludens-1, occludin, and claudin-7 (P < 0.05), reduced HC-induced intestinal damage, and alleviated intestinal inflammation and cell apoptosis by attenuating HC-induced intestinal endoplasmic reticulum stress (P < 0.05). Further results revealed that dietary SA and SB reduced HC-induced intestinal fat deposition by inhibiting adipogenesis and promoting lipolysis (P < 0.05). In summary, this study demonstrated that dietary SA and SB attenuated HC-induced intestinal damage and reduced excessive intestinal fat deposition in largemouth bass.

Anchoring copper nanoclusters to Al2O3 microsphere for dual-mode analysis of N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase and information encryption.

Herein, we attempted to confine copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) with alumina (Al2O3) as the matrix (Al2O3@CuNCs), which effectively circumvented the drawbacks of CuNCs (such as weak photoluminescence and low quantum yield). Al2O3@CuNCs demonstrated sensitive response to p-nitrophenol, the catalytic product of N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) on account of the inner filter effect and dynamic quenching effect. In light of this, a novel assay was created to identify NAG, a critical indicator of diabetic nephropathy. Additionally, a portable and instrument-free sensing platform mainly consisting of a smartphone, a cuvette, a cuvette holder, a dark box and a 365 nm UV lamp was developed for the quantitative detection of NAG. The as-prepared material was also utilized in anti-counterfeiting and information encryption based on their excellent optical properties and sensitive response to the catalyzed product of NAG. This work advanced potential applications of CuNCs composites in the areas of portable, multi-mode biosensing, anti-counterfeiting and information encryption.

Chinese herbal medicine as adjuvant treatment for postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a distressing symptom that patients often complain of even after less invasive surgery such as laparoscopic surgery (LS). If PONV is not well managed, patient recovery and postoperative quality of life are adversely affected. Although various drugs have been administered to prevent PONV, their effectiveness is limited, and adverse effects are numerous. Although herbal medicines have been widely used to manage various gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, scientific evidence of their effects is lacking. This protocol is intended for a systematic review to analyse the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicines for PONV after LS through a meta-analysis. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Randomised controlled trials, reported until June 2022, will be retrieved from electronic databases such as Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane Library. We will compare the effects of herbal medicine in patients presenting with PONV after LS with those of Western medicine, placebo and no treatment. If sufficient studies are identified, we will evaluate the combined effects of herbal and Western medicine. The incidence of nausea and vomiting will be considered the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes will include the intensity of complaints, quality of life and incidence of adverse events. Two independent reviewers will collect data based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses statement, evaluate the quality of each study using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and synthesise the results via meta-analysis, if possible. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this review. The results of this study will be disseminated to peer-reviewed journals and posters. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022345749.

Sperm morphological abnormalities in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease are associated with the Hippo signaling pathway via PC1.

Background: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a hereditary kidney disorder mostly caused by mutations in PKD1 or PKD2 genes. Here, we report thirteen ADPKD males with infertility and investigated the sperm morphological defects associated with PC1 disruption. Methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed to detect PKD1 variants in patients. Sperm morphology was observed by immunostaining and transmission electron microscopy, and the sperm motility was assessed using the computer-assisted sperm analysis system. The Hippo signaling pathway was analyzed with by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting in vitro. Results: The ADPKD patients were infertile and their sperm tails showed morphological abnormalities, including coiled flagella, absent central microtubules, and irregular peripheral doublets. In addition, the length of sperm flagella was shorter in patients than in controls of in in. In vitro, ciliogenesis was impaired in Pkd1-depleted mouse kidney tubule cells. The absence of PC1 resulted in a reduction of MST1 and LATS1, leading to nuclear accumulation of YAP/TAZ and consequently increased transcription of Aurka. which might promote HDAC6-mediated ciliary disassembly. Conclusion: Our results suggest the dysregulated Hippo signaling significantly contributes to ciliary abnormalities in and may be associated with flagellar defects in spermatozoa from ADPKD patients.

High-intensity and moderate-intensity interval training in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Exercise training significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients, but high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is not superior to moderate-intensity interval training (MIIT). Whether HIIT is more beneficial than MIIT in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains unclear. METHODS: On August 29, 2021, we conducted a comprehensive computerized literature search of the Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases using the following keywords: "HF or diastolic HF or HFpEF or HF with normal ejection fraction and exercise training or aerobic exercise or isometric exercises or physical activity or cardiac rehabilitation." Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting comparisons between HIIT and MIIT in HFpEF were included in the final analysis to maintain consistency and obtain robust pooled estimates. Methodological quality was assessed based on the ratings of individual biases. To generate an overall test statistic, the data were analyzed using the random-effects model for a generic inverse variance. Outcome measures were reported as an odds ratio, and confidence intervals (CIs) were set at 95%. The study followed PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included only RCTs comparing the efficacy of HIIT and MIIT in HFpEF patients. This study included 150 patients from 3 RCTs. In the current pooled data analysis, HIIT significantly improves diastolic function measured by E/A ratio (WMD, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.23, P = .009). However, no significant change was observed in the diastolic function measured by E/e' ratio (WMD, 0.39; 95% CI, -2.40 to 3.18, P = .78), and CRF evaluated by both VO2 (mL/kg per min; WMD, -0.86; 95%CI, -5.27 to 3.55, P = .70) and VE/CO2 slope (WMD, 0.15; 95% CI, -10.24 to 10.53, P = .98), and systolic function (EF-WMD, -2.39; 95% CI, -12.16% to 7.38%, P = .63) between HIIT and MIIT in patients with HFpEF. CONCLUSION: In HFpEF patients, HIIT may be superior to MIIT in improving diastolic function, measured by E/A, but not CRF and left ventricular systolic function.

Terbium-triggered aggregation-induced emission of bimetallic nanoclusters for anticancer drugs sensing via the inner filter effect.

The development of accurate and sensitive detection methods of anticancer drugs is of significant importance because they play vital roles in biological systems. In recent years, bimetallic nanoclusters (BMNCs) incorporating the advantages of two metals have gained more and more attention, and can be widely applied in sensing applications. In this work, for the first time, we designed a sensing platform based on terbium ion (Tb3+) triggered aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of BMNCs. Tb3+ hybrid glutathione (GS) protected Ag/Cu nanoclusters (Tb3+@GS-AgCuNCs) were facilely fabricated according to the complexation reaction between Tb3+ and the carboxyl group of GS. Due to the inner filter effect (IFE), the fluorescence of Tb3+@GS-AgCuNCs decreased significantly in the presence of anticancer drugs with 6-thioguanine and methotrexate as representatives. In addition, the sensing platform was applied to monitor 6-thioguanine and methotrexate in real serum samples, indicating that it has great potential in anticancer drugs related applications.

Profile of clinical characteristics and serologic markers of sporadic hepatitis E in a community cohort study.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a pathogen of global significance, but the value of HEV-related markers in the diagnosis of hepatitis E remains controversial. Previous studies on hepatitis E profiles have been mainly cross-sectional and conducted among inpatients in large hospitals, and hepatitis E cases have been primarily defined by limited partial markers. In this community-based study, 4,110 active hepatitis cases from a population of nearly 600,000 were followed over 48 months and serial serum samples were collected. Both HEV pathogen (HEV RNA and antigen) and anti-HEV antibody markers were used to determine HEV infection status and the relationship between hepatitis and HEV infection. In total, 98 hepatitis E patients were identified and all available isolates from 58 patients belonged to HEV genotype 4. The mean age of the patients was 58.14 years, with an overwhelming proportion of males (70.4%). Hepatitis E accounted for 22.86% of active hepatitis cases with alanine aminotransferase levels ≥15.0-fold the upper limit of normal, suggesting the need to include HEV in routine testing for these patients. Ninety-two hepatitis E patients were positive for at least 2 of HEV antigen, anti-HEV IgM, and HEV RNA markers at presentation, and 90.22% of them were positive for HEV antigen and anti-HEV IgM. HEV antigen, HEV RNA, and anti-HEV IgM positivity were observed in 89.80%, 82.65%, and 93.88% of hepatitis E patients at presentation, respectively. However, only 57.14% of anti-HEV IgM positivity occurred in hepatitis E patients. These findings will advance our understanding of hepatitis E and improve diagnosis.

Effect of xenon post-conditioning on spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats: regulating Akt signaling pathway and autophagy / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of xenon post-conditioning on autophagy after spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury (SCIRI) in rats and its relationship with protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway. MethodsA total of 30 male rats were randomized into sham-operated group (sham group), spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury group (I/R group) and I/R + xenon post-conditioning group (Xe group), with ten rats in each group. In the latter two groups, SCIRI was induced by clamping the abdominal aorta for 85 minutes followed by reperfusion for four hours. Xe group inhaled xenon and oxygen (1∶1) for one hour at one hour after initiation of reperfusion, while the other groups inhaled nitrogen and oxygen (1∶1) for one hour. After the reperfusion, they were assessed with Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scale and slanting board test. And then, their spinal cords of L3-5 were obtained. Nissl staining was used to count the number of normal neurons. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of Akt, p-Akt, p62, Beclin 1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) Ⅰ, LC3 Ⅱ. The mRNA expression of Beclin 1, p62 and LC3 Ⅱ in the spinal cord was measured with reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. ResultsCompared with the sham group, the BBB score and the maximum inclination of the slanting board test decreased, the count of normal neurons decreased, the protein expression of p62 and the p-Akt/Akt ratio decreased (P < 0.01), the protein and mRNA expression of Beclin 1 and LC3 Ⅱ, and the LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ ratio increased, the p62 mRNA expression decreased (P < 0.01) in the I/R group. Compared with the I/R group, the BBB score and the maximum inclination of the slanting board test increased, the count of normal neurons increased, the protein expression of p-Akt and p62 increased, the p-Akt/Akt ratio increased, the protein and mRNA expression of Beclin 1, LC3 Ⅱ and LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ ratio decreased, and the mRNA expression of p62 increased (P < 0.01) in Xe group. ConclusionXenon post-conditioning may relieve SCIRI in rats, which is related to activating Akt signaling pathway to inhibit autophagy.

Synthesis of Long Alkyl and Fluoroalkyl Substituted Siloxane Copolymers for the Water Repellency of Rammed Earth Walls.

Rammed earth in a built environment has vapor diffusion characteristics and humidity control abilities, each of which is respectively attributed to the porous structures and the hydrophilic properties. Indeed, these structures and properties allow for the easy absorbance of water particles, hence affecting the durability of a rammed earth wall. This paper presents the water-repellency method for rammed earth walls, which utilizes siloxane copolymers containing fluorine. The water-repellent properties are investigated by measuring the contact angle, water absorption rate, and compressive strength after spray-coating with the synthesized siloxane copolymers on the surface of the rammed earth specimens under study. The water contact angle of the specimen, coated with a siloxane copolymer containing 10 mol.% of a silane monomer with a fluorine group, is about 140°. The water absorption of the specimen obtained after immersing in water for 24 h is low, at about 3.5 wt.%. In addition, the compressive strength remains more than 80% of the corresponding strength of the specimen which is not immersed in water. It is confirmed that the use of a 10% by volume of the siloxane copolymer containing the fluorine group may enhance the water-repellent performance and economic competitiveness.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Intensive Integrative Treatment including Motion Style Acupuncture Treatment (MSAT) in Hospitalized Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: An Observational Study.

This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of and satisfaction with integrative Korean medicine treatment and motion style acupuncture treatment (MSAT) in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). We retrospectively analyzed medical charts and prospectively surveyed adult patients aged between 19 and 64 years treated for lumbar disc herniation for at least 6 days at three Korean hospitals from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020. The primary outcome was the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for back pain. Secondary outcome measures included the NRS for radiating leg pain, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the European Quality of Life-5 Dimension-5 Level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. The NRS scores for low back pain decreased from 5.40 ± 1.58 to 2.92 ± 2.09, NRS for radiating leg pain from 5.57 ± 1.56 to 1.78 ± 2.36, and ODI from 46.39 ± 16.72 to 16.47 ± 15.61 at baseline and survey, respectively. The EQ-5D-5L increased from 0.57 ± 0.19 to 0.82 ± 0.14. In conclusion, Korean medicine and MSAT could be effective treatment methods for patients with LDH. The results of this study can be used as helpful information for clinicians who treat patients with LDH in real clinical settings.

An innovative reuse of bottom ash from municipal solid waste incinerators as substrates of constructed wetlands.

The incineration of municipal solid waste has been important in waste management, but it raises another environmental issue concerning residue treatment. This study describes an innovative use of naturally aged incineration bottom ash (AIBA) as an alternative substrate for horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) constructed wetlands (CW). Although experimental results from a period lasting for 396 days only revealed slightly higher removal ratios in HSSF with AIBA (HSSF-E) than in HSSF-traditional pebble beds (HSSF-C), increasing from 67% to 76% for BOD, 44%-51% for TKN, 47%-54% for NH3-N, and 44%-52% for TN. The data indicate that the use of AIBA in HSSF CW can achieves a certain removal efficiency of BOD and nitrogen species. Interestingly, the total phosphorus removal rates also increased significantly from 20% in HSSF-C to 36% in HSSF-E. These observations on the use of AIBA in HSSF CW confirmed that AIBA is a suitable alternative for use as a substrate for HSSF CWs and identified an additional way to reuse incineration bottom ash. Design criteria for a CW using AIBA as a partial substrate is proposed to improve the pollutant removal performance of HSSF CWs.

Emerging trends in sacubitril/valsartan research: A bibliometric analysis of the years 1995-2021.

BACKGROUND: Sacubitril/valsartan has been approved for the treatment of heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction; since then, it gradually became a new star drug in the therapy of HF. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan remains under investigation. Thus far, only a few bibliometric studies have systematically analyzed the application of sacubitril/valsartan. METHODS: Publications on sacubitril/valsartan were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection on April 29, 2021. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019 (Redmond, WA), VOS viewer (Redmond, WA), and Cite Space V (Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA). RESULTS: A total of 1309 publications on sacubitril/valsartan published from 1995 to 2021 were retrieved. The number of publications regarding sacubitril/valsartan increased sharply in the last 6 years (2015-2021), and American scholars authored >40% of those publications. Most were published in the European Journal of Heart Failure, the United States was the bellwether with a solid academic reputation in this area. Solomon published the highest number of related articles and was the most frequently cited author. "Heart failure" was the leading research hotspot. The keywords, "inflammation," "fibrosis," and "oxidative stress" appeared most recently as research fronts. CONCLUSIONS: Research attention should be focused on clinical trial outcomes. Considering its effectiveness in HF, the mechanisms and further applications of sacubitril/valsartan may become research hotspots in the future and should be closely examined.

Pose Estimation-Assisted Dance Tracking System Based on Convolutional Neural Network.

In the field of music-driven, computer-assisted dance movement generation, traditional music movement adaptations and statistical mapping models have the following problems: Firstly, the dance sequences generated by the model are not powerful enough to fit the music itself. Secondly, the integrity of the dance movements produced is not sufficient. Thirdly, it is necessary to improve the suppleness and rationality of long-term dance sequences. Fourthly, traditional models cannot produce new dance movements. How to create smooth and complete dance gesture sequences after music is a problem that needs to be investigated in this paper. To address these problems, we design a deep learning dance generation algorithm to extract the association between sound and movement characteristics. During the feature extraction phase, rhythmic features extracted from music and audio beat features are used as musical features, and coordinates of the main points of human bones extracted from dance videos are used for training as movement characteristics. During the model building phase, the model's generator module is used to achieve a basic mapping of music and dance movements and to generate gentle dance gestures. The identification module is used to achieve consistency between dance and music. The self-encoder module is used to make the audio function more representative. Experimental results on the DeepFashion dataset show that the generated model can synthesize the new view of the target person in any human posture of a given posture, complete the transformation of different postures of the same person, and retain the external features and clothing textures of the target person. Using a whole-to-detail generation strategy can improve the final video composition. For the problem of incoherent character movements in video synthesis, we propose to optimize the character movements by using a generative adversarial network, specifically by inserting generated motion compensation frames into the incoherent movement sequences to improve the smoothness of the synthesized video.

Associations of Sperm mtDNA Copy Number, DNA Fragmentation Index, and Reactive Oxygen Species With Clinical Outcomes in ART Treatments.

Recent studies have suggested that sperm mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN), DNA fragmentation index (DFI), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) content are crucial to sperm function. However, the associations between these measurements and embryo development and pregnancy outcomes in assisted reproductive technology (ART) remain unclear. Semen samples were collected from 401 participants, and seminal quality, parameters of sperm concentration, motility, and morphology were analyzed by a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. DFI, mtDNA-CN, and ROS levels were measured using sperm chromatin structure assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and ROS assay, respectively. Among the participants, 126 couples underwent ART treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and 79 of the couples had embryos transferred. In 401 semen samples, elevated mtDNA-CN and DFI were associated with poor seminal quality. In 126 ART couples, only mtDNA-CN was negatively correlated with the fertilization rate, but this correlation was not significant after adjusting for male age, female age, seminal quality, ART strategy, number of retrieved oocytes, controlled stimulation protocols, and cycle rank. Regarding pregnancy outcomes, sperm mtDNA-CN, ROS, and DFI were not associated with the clinical pregnancy rate or live birth rate in 79 transferred cases. In conclusion, increased mtDNA-CN and DFI in sperm jointly contributed to poor seminal quality, but sperm mtDNA-CN, ROS, and DFI were not associated with clinical outcomes in ART.

Secondary analysis of malaria rapid diagnostic tests from rounds 5-8 of WHO product testing with a focus on false-negative results.

Despite the widespread use of malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in clinical practice, there are a lot of challenges. We conducted a secondary analysis of 129 malaria RDT data from rounds 5-8 of the World Health Organization (WHO) product testing summary and discuss the causes of false-negative (FN) results with a focus on low parasite density, improper RDT storage, operation and interpretation, and plasmodium falciparum with a pfhrp2/3 gene deletion. The results demonstrated that the malaria RDTs currently commercially available might cause FN results in practice.

Copper nanocluster composites for analytical (bio)-sensing and imaging: a review.

As an ideal substitute for traditional organic fluorescent dyes or up-conversion nanomaterials, copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) have developed rapidly and have been involved in exciting achievements in versatile applications. The emergence of novel CuNCs composites improves the poor stability and fluorescence intensity of CuNCs. With this in mind, great efforts have been made to develop a wide variety of CuNCs composites, and impressive progress has been made in the past few years. In this review, we systematically summarize absorption, fluorescence, electrochemiluminescence, and catalytic properties and focus on the multiple factors that affect the fluorescence properties of CuNCs. The fluorescence properties of CuNCs are discussed from the point of view of core size, surface ligands, self-assembly, metal defects, pH, solvent, ions, metal doping, and confinement effect. Especially, we illustrate the research progress and representative applications of CuNCs composites in bio-related fields, which have received considerable interests in the past years. Additionally, the sensing mechanism of CuNCs composites is highlighted. Finally, we summarize current challenges and look forward to the future development of CuNCs composites. Schematic diagram of the categories, possible sensing mechanisms, and bio-related applications of copper nanoclusters composites.