Textile dyeing wastewater negatively influences the hematological profile and reproductive health of male Swiss albino mice

Objective:To determine the effects of textile dyeing industrial wastewater on the hematological parameters and reproductive health including histoarchitecture of male gonad(testes)of mice.Methods:Twenty-four Swiss albino mice at 4-weeks old were divided into four groups(n=6 per group).Mice of group 1 supplied with normal drinking water were served as the control group.Mice of group 2,3 and 4 were supplied normal drinking water mixed with textile dyeing wastewater at 5%,10% and 20% concentration,respectively.After completing 24 weeks of treatment,different hematological profile,weight of testes,gonadosomatic index(GSI),sperm concentration and morphology were measured.Moreover,histopathological changes in testes were examined.Results:Hematocrit value and hemoglobin concentrations were decreased in all groups of wastewater-treated mice compared to the control group.Likewise,weight of testes,GSI and sperm concentration were decreased significantly in wastewater-treated mice in comparison to the control group.The percentage of morphologically healthy epididymal sperm was significantly reduced in wastewater-treated mice.Histopathological examination revealed degenerative changes in seminiferous tubules,a smaller number of spermatogenic cells,elongation of seminiferous tubules and degenerative changes of seminiferous tubules in wastewater-treated mice.Conclusions:Textile dyeing wastewater has harmful effects on hematological profile and reproductive health of male mice.

Setting Regional Research Priorities for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Services in Humanitarian Settings

Background: Despite increased recognition of the need for sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings, evidence focusing on mainstreaming reproductive health services such as maternal, neonatal mortality, human immunodeficiency virus transmission and unsafe abortion still remains inadequate. The ability to understand the magnitude of the needs and highlight existing gaps is supported by improved data which is critical to informing effective policies, programming and funding decisions. The purpose of this report is to present the results of a research prioritization exercise on sexual and reproductive health and rights services in humanitarian settings for the WHO Africa region for the next three years. Methods: We adapted the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method in three phases. Experts from the region participated in an online survey to identify key areas for research in sexual and reproductive health and rights. To identify potential areas for research, the experts ensured answerability, effectiveness, deliverability, equity and potential impact of the questions. The research areas they identified were reviewed by World Health Organization technical team from headquarters. In a meeting of 67 participants, the questions were subjected to further review and analysis. Using a modified for scoring criteria, the questions were scored and ranked to provide the top ten priority questions to address sexual and reproductive health and rights services in humanitarian settings. Results: A list of 21 priority research questions on sexual and reproductive health and rights services in humanitarian settings were scored and ranked. Top ten priorities research questions were identified. Those that scored highly by scoring 30 points out of the possible maximum of 30 include: “determining the prevalence and associated factors of unwanted pregnancies and abortions performed in emergency and humanitarian settings”, “evidence on gender-based violence in humanitarian situations and its associated factors” and “defining an optimal model for coordinating sexual and reproductive health and rights interventions and responses in crisis situations”. Conclusions: Top ten research priorities in sexual and reproductive health and rights services in humanitarian settings were identified. The priority research areas have the potential to identify the best areas for programming of services in humanitarian settings. It is our hope that the identified research areas will be prioritized to support programming of services in humanitarian settings based on scientific evidence.

Research Priorities for mHealth and Innovative Strategies in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the WHO Africa Region

Background: The use of mobile phones continues to rise rapidly in the provision of health related services. Many countries have adopted the use of mobiles to provide sexual and reproductive health and rights and especially among the adolescents where specific messages are tailored for various audiences with specific messages. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a research priority setting exercise on mHealth and innovative strategies. Methods: We adapted Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative methodology to identify and set research priorities on mHealth and innovative strategies that respond to sexual and reproductive health and rights services. General potential research questions were gathered online from multiple stakeholders in the region and sent for consolidation consolidated to technical experts in World Health Organization headquarters. The second phase involved a meeting with experts to review and thematically analyze the questions list of 33 questions producing a list of 22 research questions. The questions were scored against a six point criteria and ranked accordingly. Ten top priority research questions were identified. Results: Lists of 33 priority research questions for mHealth and innovative strategies were proposed for discussions by 67 stakeholders. The questions were reviewed, scored and ranked in a technical meeting by experts. The highest ranking questions at 87% include evaluation of mHealth for data management and sexual and reproductive health and rights decision making, assessment of innovative local financing techniques to support community based sexual reproductive health and rights and evaluation of the role of mobile technologies in referral and counter referral. Conclusions: Information and communication technology is developing drastically and has a great potential in improving health especially in sexual and reproductive health and rights service delivery. This potential must be demonstrated with more relevant and quality research on mHealth and innovative strategies priorities identified.

The WHO African Region: Research Priorities on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Background: Many policy makers deliberating on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services need reliable evidence to make choices that benefit women, adolescents, children and the wider society. While universal health coverage discourse provides an opportunity to expand access through evidence based interventions, many gaps exist. Research prioritization has proved to be very helpful in identifying relevant areas especially in constrained resource settings. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the World Health Organization Africa Region research prioritization for sexual and reproductive health and rights. These priorities hope to guide the region for the next three years. Methods: We used the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative approach to identify priority questions among many potential areas for research prioritization on sexual and reproductive health and rights. The implementation process was organized in three phases. The first phase involved sending out an online survey to various experts with experience in sexual and reproductive health rights. These questions were received by a technical team from World Health Organization headquarters for review. 634 questions were identified for potential research and grouped into 12 themes. The second phase involved experts who reviewed the questions. The team merged questions with duplications, removed the questions that were out of scope and finally refined the wordings. In the final phase, experts worked in groups to score and rank top ten priority questions for each of the 12 thematic areas. Results: A list of 120 priority questions for sexual and reproductive health and rights were prioritized by 67 participants drawn from 16 organizations. Most of the priority research questions (45%) focused on the theme of gender-based violence, 35% prioritized services in sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings while 15% prioritized preventing unsafe abortion. 5% of the participants prioritized cervical cancer prevalence, prevention and treatment as a thematic area out of the questions in the top 20 research priority questions. Conclusions: Key priority research questions in sexual and reproductive health and rights were identified around five themes. The priority list will be of significance to World Health Organization regional Office for Africa and her stakeholders for the next three years.

Effects of oral Shilajit tablets on sexual function and sexual quality of life among reproductive-aged women: a triple-blind randomized clinical trial

Background:Shilajit is mentioned in the“Kama Sutra”as a potent enhancer of sexual desire.This study aimed to investigate the effects of oral Shilajit tablets on sexual function and sexual quality of life among women of reproductive age.Methods:Forty-eight reproductive-aged women participated in a placebo-controlled triple-blind clinical trial.The intervention group took oral Shilajit tablets(200 mg)twice daily for 60 days and the control group took the placebo.Data collection tools were Sexual Quality of Life-Female and Female Sexual Function Index.Data were collected before the intervention,30,60,and 90 days after the start of the study.Results:Forty-three women completed the study.The mean score of total sexual function in the intervention group was significantly higher than before the intervention(P<0.001).The mean score of sexual function was 28.93 after 90 days in the intervention group while it was 22.09 in the control group.This finding was observed in most domains of the sexual function index.The mean score of sexual quality of life increased after 60 days of intervention in both groups;however,the difference was not statistically significant(P=0.094).Conclusion:The study indicated that Shilajit,as a complementary therapy,may improve sexual function and most of its domains;while there was no effect on improving the quality of sexual life.

Contraceptive Experiences of Women of Procreation Age Who Attended Two HealthCenters in the City of Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)

Introduction: Maternal mortality, which is estimated at 614 deaths per 100,000 births in C&#244;te d’Ivoire, is associated with a low national contraceptive prevalence rate of 13.9%. In this study, we are interested in the contraceptive experiences of women who attend health centers to estimate their rate of contraceptive use and to assess the factors involved in the use of modern contraceptive methods among women of childbearing age who are exposed to the risk of pregnancy. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2018 to September 2019 among 423 women, who attended two health centers in Abidjan. A bivariate analysis identified factors associated with contraceptive use by these women. A descriptive analysis determined the means for the quantitative variables and the frequencies and percentages of qualitative variables. Interpretation of results was based on significance (α = 5%, 95% CI). Results: Contraceptive prevalence was 37%. There was a significant relationship between contraceptive use and the socio-demographic and reproductive characteristics of women (p Conclusion: Women who were over 35 years age, uneducated, primary school graduates, housewives, unemployed, in the informal sector, Muslims, nulliparous, and lacking information and decision-making power were less likely to use modern contraceptive methods. They are the target population for strategic interventions to improve contraceptive prevalence.

Melatonin improves synapse development by PI3K/Akt signaling in a mouse model of autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders involving more than 1100 genes,including Ctnnd2 as a candidate gene.Ctnnd2knockout mice,serving as an animal model of autis m,have been demonstrated to exhibit decreased density of dendritic spines.The role of melatonin,as a neuro hormone capable of effectively alleviating social interaction deficits and regulating the development of dendritic spines,in Ctnnd2 deletion-induced nerve injury remains unclea r.In the present study,we discove red that the deletion of exon 2 of the Ctnnd2 gene was linked to social interaction deficits,spine loss,impaired inhibitory neurons,and suppressed phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt) signal pathway in the prefrontal cortex.Our findings demonstrated that the long-term oral administration of melatonin for 28 days effectively alleviated the aforementioned abnormalities in Ctnnd2 gene-knockout mice.Furthermore,the administration of melatonin in the prefro ntal cortex was found to improve synaptic function and activate the PI3K/Akt signal pathway in this region.The pharmacological blockade of the PI3K/Akt signal pathway with a PI3K/Akt inhibitor,wo rtmannin,and melatonin receptor antagonists,luzindole and 4-phenyl-2-propionamidotetralin,prevented the melatonin-induced enhancement of GABAergic synaptic function.These findings suggest that melatonin treatment can ameliorate GABAe rgic synaptic function by activating the PI3K/Akt signal pathway,which may contribute to the improvement of dendritic spine abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders.

Antitumor Effect of Apcin on Endometrial Carcinoma via p21-Mediated Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis

Objective Endometrial carcinoma(EC)is a prevalent gynecological malignancy characterized by increasing incidence and mortality rates.This underscores the critical need for novel therapeutic targets.One such potential target is cell division cycle 20(CDC20),which has been implicated in oncogenesis.This study investigated the effect of the CDC20 inhibitor Apcin on EC and elucidated the underlying mechanism involved.Methods The effects of Apcin on EC cell proliferation,apoptosis,and the cell cycle were evaluated using CCK8 assays and flow cytometry.RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)was subsequently conducted to explore the underlying molecular mechanism,and Western blotting and coimmunoprecipitation were subsequently performed to validate the results.Animal studies were performed to evaluate the antitumor effects in vivo.Bioinformatics analysis was also conducted to identify CDC20 as a potential therapeutic target in EC.Results Treatment with Apcin inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in EC cells,resulting in cell cycle arrest.Pathways associated with apoptosis and the cell cycle were activated following treatment with Apcin.Notably,Apcin treatment led to the upregulation of the cell cycle regulator p21,which was verified to interact with CDC20 and consequently decrease the expression of downstream cyclins in EC cells.In vivo experiments confirmed that Apcin treatment significantly impeded tumor growth.Higher CDC20 expression was observed in EC tissue than in nonmalignant tissue,and increased CDC20 expression in EC patients was associated with shorter overall survival and progress free interval.Conclusion CDC20 is a novel molecular target in EC,and Apcin could be developed as a candidate antitumor drug for EC treatment.

Management of monogenic diabetes in pregnancy:A narrative review

Pregnancy in women with monogenic diabetes is potentially complex,with significant implications for both maternal and fetal health.Among these,maturity-onset diabetes of the young(MODY)stands out as a prevalent monogenic diabetes subtype frequently encountered in clinical practice.Each subtype of MODY requires a distinct approach tailored to the pregnancy,diverging from management strategies in non-pregnant individuals.Glucokinase MODY(GCK-MODY)typically does not require treatment outside of pregnancy,but special considerations arise when a woman with GCK-MODY becomes pregnant.The glycemic targets in GCK-MODY pregnancies are not exclusively dictated by the maternal/paternal MODY genotype but are also influenced by the genotype of the developing fetus.During pregnancy,the choice between sulfonylurea or insulin for treating hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-alpha(HNF1A)-MODY and HNF4A-MODY depends on the mother’s specific circumstances and the available expertise.Management of other rarer MODY subtypes is individu-alized,with decisions made on a case-by-case basis.Therefore,a collaborative approach involving expert diabetes and obstetric teams is crucial for the compre-hensive management of MODY pregnancies.

Effect of intraoperative injection of esketamine on postoperative analgesia and postoperative rehabilitation after cesarean section

BACKGROUND Following cesarean section,a significant number of women encounter moderate to severe pain.Inadequate management of acute pain post-cesarean section can have far-reaching implications,adversely impacting maternal emotional wellbeing,daily activities,breastfeeding,and neonatal care.It may also impede maternal organ function recovery,leading to escalated opioid usage,heightened risk of postpartum depression,and the development of chronic postoperative pain.Both the Chinese Enhanced Recovery After Surgery(ERAS)guidelines and the American ERAS Society guidelines consistently advocate for the adoption of multimodal analgesia protocols in post-cesarean section pain management.Esketamine,functioning as an antagonist of the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor,has been validated for pain management in surgical patients and has exhibited effectiveness in depression treatment.Research has suggested that incorporating esketamine into postoperative pain management via pain pumps can lead to improvements in short-term depression and pain outcomes.This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of administering a single dose of esketamine during cesarean section.AIM To investigate the effect of intraoperative injection of esketamine on postoperative analgesia and postoperative rehabilitation after cesarean section.METHODS A total of 315 women undergoing elective cesarean section under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia were randomized into three groups:low-dose esketamine(0.15 mg/kg),high-dose esketamine(0.25 mg/kg),and control(saline).Postoperative Visual Analog Scale(VAS)scores were recorded at 6 hours,12 hours,24 hours,and 48 hours.Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS)scores were noted on 2 days,7 days and 42 days.Ramsay sedation scores were assessed at specified intervals post-injection.Postoperative adverse reactions were also recorded.RESULTS Low-dose group and high-dose group compared to control group,had significantly lower postoperative VAS pain scores at 6 hours 12 hours,and 24 hours(P<0.05),with reduced analgesic usage(P<0.05).EPDS scores and postpartum depression rates were significantly lower on 2 days and 7 days(P<0.05).No significant differences in first exhaust and defecation times were observed(P>0.05),but ambulation times were shorter(P<0.05).Ramsay scores were higher at 5 minutes,15 minutes,and upon room exit(P<0.05).Low-dose group and high-dose group had higher incidences of hallucination,lethargy,and diplopia within 2 hours(P<0.05),and with low-dose group had lower incidences of hallucination,lethargy,and diplopia than high-dose group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Esketamine enhances analgesia and postpartum recovery;a 0.15 mg/kg dose is optimal for cesarean sections,balancing efficacy with minimized adverse effects.

Intertwined depressive and cognitive trajectories and the risk of dementia and death in older adults:a competing risk analysis

Background Depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment often interact,rendering their associations controversial.To date,their joint trajectories and associations with dementia and death remain underexplored.Aims To explore the interactions between depressive symptoms and cognitive function,their developmental trajectories and the associations with all-cause dementia,Alzheimer’s disease(AD)and all-cause death in older adults.Methods Data were from the Health and Retirement Study.Depressive symptoms and cognitive function were measured using the 8-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status,respectively.All-cause dementia and AD were defined by self-reported or proxy-reported physician diagnoses.All-cause death was determined by interviews.The restricted cubic spline,group-based trajectory modelling and subdistribution hazard regression were used.Results Significant interactions between depressive symptoms and cognitive function in 2010 in their association with new-onset all-cause dementia and AD from 2010 to 2020 were found,especially in women(p for interaction<0.05).Independent trajectory analysis showed that emerging or high(vs no)depressive trajectories and poor or rapidly decreased cognitive trajectories(vs very good)from 1996 to 2010 were at significantly higher risk of subsequent all-cause dementia,AD and all-cause death.15 joint trajectories of depressive symptoms and cognitive function from 1996 to 2010 were determined,where rapidly decreased cognitive function was more common in those with no depressive symptoms.Compared with older adults with the trajectory of no depressive symptoms and very good cognitive function,those with the trajectory of no depressive symptoms but rapidly decreased cognitive function were much more likely to develop new-onset all-cause dementia and death,with subdistribution hazard ratios(95%confidence intervals)of 4.47(2.99 to 6.67)and 1.84(1.43 to 2.36),especially in women.Conclusions To effectively mitigate the risk of dementia and death,it is crucial to acknowledge the importance of preventing cognitive decline in older adults without depressive symptoms,particularly in women.

Exploration of standard dosage for GnRH antagonist protocol and dosage adjustments after premature luteinizing hormone surge

The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol has emerged as an efficacious alternative to the GnRH agonist protocol for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) during in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, and has been demonstrated applicability in infertile female patients with diverse ovarian responses. While the clinical implementation of the antagonist COH protocol has achieved widespread consensus, opportunities for refinement persist. Therefore, this review article focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of GnRH antagonist protocol, the selection of optimal standard doses, and the strategies for adjusting antagonist doses after the premature luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, aiming to provide more reasonable and scientific recommendations for the application of this scheme.

A systematic review of cytoreductive prostatectomy outcomes and complications in oligometastatic disease

Objective: To analyze outcomes and complications of cytoreductive prostatectomy (CRP) for oligometastatic prostate cancer (PCa) in order to elucidate its role in this space.Methods: We performed a systematic literature search using three databases (Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science). The primary endpoints were oncologic outcomes. The secondary endpoints were complication rates and functional results.Results: In all studies, overall survival was better or at least comparable variable in the groups with CRP compared to no local treatment. The greatest benefit from CRP in 5-year overall survival in one study was 67.4% for CRP versus 22.5% for no local treatment. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) showed the same trend. Several authors found significant benefits from CSS in the CRP group: from 79% vs. 46% to 100% vs. 61%. CRP was a predictor of better CSS (hazard ratio 0.264, p=0.004). Positive surgical margin rates differed widely from 28.6% to 100.0%. Urinary continence in CRP versus RP for localized PCa was significantly lower (57.4% vs. 90.8%, p<0.0001). Severe incontinence occurred seldom (2.5%-18.6%). Total complication rates after CRP differed widely, from 7.0% to 43.6%. Rates of grades 1 and 2 events prevailed. Patients on ADT alone also showed a considerable number of complications varying from 5.9% to 57.7%.Conclusion: CRP improves medium-term cancer control in patients with oligometastatic PCa. The morbidity and complication rates of this surgery are comparable with other approaches, but postoperative incontinence rate is higher compared with RP for localized disease.

Is Induction of Labor with Early Rupture of Membranes Associated with an Increased Rate of Clinical Chorioamnionitis?

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if early rupture of membranes (ROM) in women undergoing induction of labor (IOL) at term is associated with an increased rate of clinical chorioamnionitis. Study Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed on women undergoing IOL. Early ROM was defined as ROM at a modified Bishop score less than 5, cervical dilation less than 4 cm, or cervical effacement less than 80%. The rate of clinical chorioamnionitis was compared between women with early and late ROM. Results: The rate of clinical chorioamnionitis was 8.6% (24/279). ROM at an effacement of less than 80% was associated with a rate of clinical chorioamnionitis of 15.4% (12/78) compared to 6.0% (12/201) at an effacement of equal to or greater than 80%, p = 0.017. The rate of cesarean delivery was higher for patients with early ROM by any definition: 32% compared to 17.5% by modified Bishop score (p = 0.031), 32.4% versus 18.2% by cervical dilation (p = 0.049), and 33.3% versus 14.9% by cervical effacement (p = 0.001). Conclusions: In patients undergoing IOL, early ROM may be associated with an increased rate of clinical chorioamnionitis when performed at a cervical effacement of less than 80% and an increased rate of cesarean delivery.

Emergency Care for Children and Adolescents after Sexual Violence, in Brazil’s Capital, Brasilia

Objective: Sexual violence affects women of all ages but, more commonly, children and adolescents. This study aimed to identify the extent to which services are being provided at the hospitals responsible for the emergency care of children and adolescents who have suffered sexual violence and to determine whether there is any difference in the provision of such services as a function of the victim’s age. Method: This cross-sectional study investigated differences in the care received by female children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence in a capital city, comparing the treatment given to girls under 15 with that given to adolescents of 15 to 19 years of age. The data were extracted from the State Department of Health database between 01/01/2012 and 31/12/2016. Results: Children under 15 were much less likely to receive prophylaxis against HIV, sexually transmitted infections and hepatitis B, with the number of adolescent girls treated adequately corresponding to between twice and almost three times the number of children treated prophylactically. Only 10% of girls under 15 received emergency contraception. Conclusion: The lack of standard care established by the Ministry of Health highlights the need for urgent debates both locally and probably throughout the country, as the situation may be similar in other regions of the country.

Antidiabetic Properties of Bidens pilosa and Its Polyacetylenic Compounds for Management of Diabetes: Systematic Review

Bidens pilosa is a member of the Asteraceae family that is widely distributed across the tropics. It has been utilized by different communities both as food and medicinal herb. This plant and its polyacetylenic compounds hold potential as a natural antidiabetic intervention that can be used to combat this global public health problem. Bioactive compounds found in this plant constitute promising interventions for combating obesity which is a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. These phytocompounds can work independently or synergistically to modulate appetite, lipase activity, adipogenesis and adipocyte apoptosis. However, the efficacy, mode of action and scope of management of diabetes by these compounds remains elusive. The current review aims to summarize data on efficacy in the management of diabetes, an antidiabetic candidate polyacetylenic compound and possible biological activities as an antidiabetic agent from the available literature. Much emphasis has been directed to cytopiloyne as a representative of polyacetylenic compounds extracted from Bidens pilosa and its activity on diabetic animal models. The majority of the studies conducted on animal models described antidiabetic mechanisms that range from hypoglycemic to secretagogue activity of cytopiloyne in a dose-dependent manner. A clinical trial pilot indicated improved glycemic control of Bidens pilosa formulation among diabetic patients in the study. Bidens pilosa and its compounds are highly potent antidiabetic agent(s) that should be graduated to an intervention for management of diabetes through pre-clinical and clinical trials to elucidate its efficacy and safety.

Nurses'critical thinking disposition and professional commitment:a cross-sectional study

Objective:High-quality and successful nursing care delivery in a variety of situations requires critical thinking training and professional commitment.The present study aimed to investigate critical thinking disposition,professional commitment,and the relationship between these 2 variables among nurses.Methods:As a result of stratified random sampling,201 nurses were enrolled in the present cross-sectional study.Data were gathered using a socio-demographic form,the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory(CTDI),and the Nurses'Professional Commitment Scale(NPCS).Results:Although the critical thinking disposition scores were at a moderate level(115.70±13.55),the mean score for professional commitment was high(91.37±11.77).A positive correlation was found between critical thinking disposition and professional commitment(r=0.67,P=0.001).Conclusions:Nursing managers are urged to employ strategies to enhance nurses'critical thinking disposition and professional commitment.

Association of Human Whole-blood NAD+Levels with Nabothian Cyst

Objective Little is known about the association between whole-blood nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NAD^(+))levels and nabothian cysts.This study aimed to assess the association between NAD^(+)levels and nabothian cysts in healthy Chinese women.Methods Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the association between NAD^(+)levels and nabothian cysts.Results The mean age was 43.0±11.5 years,and the mean level of NAD^(+)was 31.3±5.3μmol/L.Nabothian cysts occurred in 184(27.7%)participants,with single and multiple cysts in 100(15.0%)and84(12.6%)participants,respectively.The total nabothian cyst prevalence gradually decreased from37.4%to 21.6%from Q1 to Q4 of NAD^(+)and the prevalence of single and multiple nabothian cysts also decreased across the NAD^(+)quartiles.As compared with the highest NAD^(+)quartile(≥34.4μmol/L),the adjusted odds ratios with 95%confidence interval of the NAD^(+)Q1 was 1.89(1.14–3.14)for total nabothian cysts.The risk of total and single nabothian cysts linearly decreased with increasing NAD^(+)levels,while the risk of multiple nabothian cysts decreased more rapidly at NAD^(+)levels of 28.0 to35.0μmol/L.Conclusion:Low NAD^(+)levels were associated with an increased risk of total and multiple nabothian cysts.

Comparison of semen quality and outcome of assisted reproductive techniques in Chinese men with and without hepatitis B

In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection on sperm quality and the outcome of assisted reproductive technology （ART）. A total of 916 men （457 HBV-positive and 459 HBV-negative） seeking fertility assistance from January 2008 to December 2009 at the Women＇s Hospital in the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University were analysed for semen parameters. Couples in which the men were hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg）-seropositive were categorized as HBV-positive and included 587 in vitrofertilisation （IVF） and 325 intracytoplasmic sperm injection （ICSI） cycles from January 2004 to December 2009; negative controls were matched for female age, date of ova retrieval, ART approach used （IVF or ICSI） and randomized in a ratio of 1：1 according to the ART treatment cycles （587 for IVF and 325 for ICSI）. HBV-infected men exhibited lower semen volume, lower total sperm count as well as poor sperm motility and morphology （P〈O.05） when compared to control individuals. Rates of two-pronuclear （2PN） fertilisation, high-grade embryo acquisition, implantation and clinical pregnancy were also lower among HBV-positive patients compared to those of HBV-negative patients after ICSI and embryo transfer （P〈0.05）; IVF outcomes were similar between the two groups （P〉0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that HBV infection independently contributed to increased rates of asthenozoospermia and oligozoospermia/azoospermia （P〈0.05） as well as decreased rates of implantation and clinical pregnancy in ICSI cycles （P〈0.05）. Our results suggest that HBV infection in men is associated with poor sperm quality and worse ICSI and embryo transfer outcomes but does not affect the outcome of IVF and embryo transfer.