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Female infertility affects a significant portion of the population, and recent studies suggest a potential link between glycemic control and reproductive health. This study investigates the association between serum glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and female infertility, utilizing data from the NHANES 2017–2020 and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1578 women aged 20–45 who attempted pregnancy for at least one year. Serum HbA1c levels were analyzed in relation to infertility status, with multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for covariates such as age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Higher HbA1c levels were significantly associated with increased infertility risk. Each 1% increase in HbA1c was linked to higher odds of infertility (adjusted OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.15–1.69, p = 0.003). HbA1c levels ≥ 6.5% showed the strongest association. MR analysis employed single-nucleotide polymorphisms as instrumental variables to assess the causal relationship between HbA1c and infertility, confirming a causal relationship between higher genetically predicted HbA1c levels and infertility (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.33–2.49, p = 0.00018). Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of these findings. Elevated HbA1c levels are associated with an increased risk of female infertility, suggesting the importance of glycemic control in reproductive health management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blastocyst vitrification has significantly improved embryo transfer methods, leading to higher implantation success rates and better pregnancy outcomes in subsequent frozen embryo transfer cycles. This study aimed to simulate the transcriptional changes caused by vitrifying human blastocysts using mouse blastocysts as a model and to further investigate these changes' effects. Utilizing a human vitrification protocol, we implanted both vitrified and fresh embryos into mice. We observed the implantation success rates and performed transcriptomic analysis on the blastocysts. To validate the results from messenger RNA sequencing, we conducted reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to measure the expression levels of specific genes. Based on mRNA profiling, we predicted the microRNAs responsible for the regulation and used qPCR basic microRNA assays for validation. Our observations revealed a higher implantation success rate for vitrified embryos than fresh embryos. Transcriptomic analysis showed that vitrified–warmed blastocysts exhibited differentially expressed genes (DEGs) primarily associated with thermogenesis, chemical carcinogenesis-reactive oxygen species, oxidative phosphorylation, immune response, and MAPK-related signaling pathways. RT-qPCR confirmed increased expression of genes such as Cdk6 and Nfat2, and decreased expression of genes such as Dkk3 and Mapk10. Additionally, gene-microRNA interaction predictions and microRNA expression analysis identified twelve microRNAs with expression patterns consistent with the predicted results, suggesting potential roles in uterine epithelial cell adhesion, trophectoderm development, invasive capacity, and immune responses. Our findings suggest that vitrification induces transcriptomic changes in mouse blastocysts, and even small changes in gene expression can enhance implantation success. These results highlight the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying vitrification to optimize embryo transfer techniques and improve pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of intrauterine infusion and hysteroscopic injection of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in patients with a persistent thin endometrium (EM) undergoing euploid frozen embryo transfer (EFET) cycles. Methods: This prospective case–control study enrolled 116 infertile women with thin EM (<7 mm) who underwent hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for EFET. These women had experienced at least one previous unsuccessful EFET cycle, which either resulted in the cancellation of the cycle or failure of pregnancy. A total of 55 women received an intrauterine infusion of PRP before FET, 38 received a hysteroscopic injection of PRP, and 23 received standard HRT treatment without PRP (control group). Only euploid embryos were transferred in these cycles. The primary outcomes were the implantation rate (IR) and clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) after EFET. Results: After receiving intrauterine infusion and hysteroscopic injection of PRP, 78.2% and 55.3% of patients, respectively, showed an EM thickness exceeding 7 mm, followed by embryo transfer. The hysteroscopic injection group demonstrated significantly higher IR (52%), a higher trend of CPR (52%), and a higher live birth rate (38%) than the control group (18%, 22%, and 4%). Conclusions: Intrauterine infusion and hysteroscopic injection of autologous PRP may be effective methods to increase EM thickness in HRT cycles. According to our results, both methods could increase EM thickness, while hysteroscopic injection appeared to provide more significant assistance in increasing IR, CPR, and live birth rate after EFET in patients with persistent thin EM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality (AR) is rapidly becoming a popular technology for exhibitions. The extended content provided through virtual elements offers a higher level of interactivity and can increase the appeal of the exhibition for younger viewers, in particular. However, AR technology in exhibition settings is typically utilized to extend the effects of exhibits, focusing solely on individual experiences and lacking in shared social interactions. In order to address this limitation, in this study, we used AR technology to construct a participatory exhibition-viewing system in the form of an AR mobile application (app), "Wander Into Our Sea". This system was developed as a component of the 2022 Greater Taipei Biennial of Contemporary Art exhibition titled "Log Into Our Sea". The app features two modes: exhibition-viewing mode and message mode. The first embodies passive exhibition-viewing while the second offers channels for active participation. The app has three functions: (1) in exhibition mode, visitors passively view the exhibition content through the AR lens, (2) in message mode, visitors can use the AR lens to leave messages in the 3D space of the exhibition to become part of the exhibit, and (3) during the use of either mode, the app collects data on visitor behavior and uploads it to a cloud to create a research database. The third function allowed us to compare the behaviors of exhibition visitors while they used the two modes. Results revealed that without restricting the ways and sequences in which AR content was viewed, there were no significant differences in the duration of viewing, or the distance covered by visitors between the two modes. However, the paths they took were more concentrated in the exhibition-viewing mode, which indicates that this mode encouraged visitors to view the exhibit in accordance with the AR content. In contrast, in message mode, visitors were encouraged to leave text messages and read those left by others, which created disorganized unpredictable paths. Our study demonstrates an innovative application of AR positioning within an interactive exhibition-viewing system, showcasing a novel way to engage visitors and enrich their experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing endometrial thickness (EMT) is crucial for successful embryo implantation, but enhancing thin endometrium remains a significant challenge. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)-derived therapies have emerged as a promising approach in reproductive medicine due to their capacity to facilitate tissue repair and regeneration. This study aims to identify the risk factors associated with the failure of intrauterine PRP infusion for thin endometrium in women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). We retrospectively reviewed data from 77 women with RIF, all exhibiting an EMT of <7 mm. These women underwent programmed hormone therapy for frozen embryo transfer (FET) and received two autologous intrauterine PRP infusions. Following intrauterine PRP-lysate (PL) infusions, the mean increase in EMT was 1.9 ± 1.2 mm, with EMT reaching 7 mm in 86% of the cases (66/77; average EMT, 8.3 mm). We identified an exceedingly thin EMT as a risk factor impacting the therapeutic efficacy in increasing EMT (p = 0.04, OR: 3.16; 95% CI: 1.03–9.67). Additionally, the number of previous uterine surgeries emerged as a prognostic factor for pregnancy failure following PL infusion (p = 0.02, OR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.12–3.64). Our findings suggest that an extremely thin EMT and a history of numerous uterine surgeries can impede successful pregnancy, even when an optimal EMT is achieved following PRP infusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), small ubiquitin-like modifier molecules (SUMO), and pregnancy outcomes in couples with unexplained infertility (UI) undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatment. We prospectively collected semen samples from 56 couples with UI and divided the spermatozoa into motile and immotile fractions by density gradient centrifugation (DSC). Immunofluorescence staining was used to examine the immunostaining and localization of nuclear pore complex (NPC), SUMO1, and SUMO2/3 in spermatozoa. We detected H2O2 levels by chemiluminescence methods. We found that H2O2 levels correlated with NPC (neck) (r = 0.400) and NPC (tail) (r = 0.473) in motile sperm fractions. In immotile fractions, H2O2 positively correlated with NPC (tail) (r = 0.431) and SUMO1 (neck) (r = 0.282). Furthermore, the positive NPC (tail) group had a significantly lower live birth rate than the negative NPC group (17.9% = 5/28 vs. 42.9% = 12/28). In conclusion, H2O2 positively correlated with SUMO1 (neck) and NPC (tail) in human spermatozoa. The DSC may partially eliminate defective spermatozoa (positive NPC staining); however, if defective spermatozoa remain in the motile fraction, this scenario is associated with a low live birth rate following IUI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Does the presence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) gene affect ovarian response in infertile young women? Methods: This was a case–control study recruiting 1744 infertile women between January 2014 to December 2015. The 1084 eligible patients were stratified into four groups using the POSEIDON criteria. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and LIF SNP genotypes were compared among the groups. The distributions of LIF and FSHR among younger and older patients were compared. Clinical outcomes were also compared. Results: The four groups of poor responders had different distributions of SNP in LIF. The prevalence of LIF genotypes among young poor ovarian responders differed from those of normal responders. Genetic model analyses in infertile young women revealed that the TG or GG genotype in the LIF resulted in fewer oocytes retrieved and fewer mature oocytes relative to the TT genotypes. In older women, the FSHR SNP genotype contributed to fewer numbers of mature oocytes. Conclusions: LIF and FSHR SNP genotypes were associated with a statistically significant reduction in ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in younger and older women with an adequate ovarian reserve, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented reality (AR) technology has received much attention in recent years. Users can view AR content through mobile devices, meaning that AR tee no significant differences between the exhibition-viewing behaviors associated with the game mode and the frchnology can be easily incorporated into applications in various fields. The auxiliary role of AR in exhibitions and its influence and benefits with regard to the behavior of exhibition visitors are worth investigating. To understand whether gamified AR and general AR navigation systems impact visitor behavior, we designed an AR app for an art exhibition. Using GPS and AR technology, the app presents a virtual guide that provides friendly guide services and helps visitors navigate outdoor paths and alleys in the exhibition venue, showing them the best route. The AR navigation system has three primary functions: (1) it allows visitors to scan the exhibit labels to access detailed text and audio introductions, (2) it offers a game mode and a free mode for navigation, and (3) it collects data on the exhibition-viewing behavior associated with each mode and uploads them to the cloud for analysis. The results of the experiment revealed no significant differences between the exhibition-viewing time or distance travelled in the two modes. However, the paths resulting from the game mode were more regular, which means that the participants were more likely to view the exhibition as instructed with the aid of gamified AR. This insight is useful for the control of crowd flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ARKit and ARCore, key technologies in recent augmented reality (AR) development, have allowed AR to become more integrated in our lives. However, how effective AR is in an auxiliary role in venue guidance and how to collect the actual behaviors of users in physical venues are worth exploring. This study used navAR, a spatial behavior analysis system app that our research team developed, to collect the actual behaviors of participants in physical space via a smartphone, such as time, distance travelled, and trajectory, and compared their book-finding behaviors in a library venue in a text scenario and an AR scenario without any additional sensors or cameras. The experiment results revealed that (1) AR targets made a significant difference in book search time, and the participants found some of the books significantly faster; (2) the participants presented no significant differences in distance travelled; (3) with an AR target, the book-finding trajectories of the participants were significantly more regular; (4) the AR guidance system had good usability. The results of this study can facilitate planning with AR in indoor venue routes, improve venue and exhibition tour experiences, and enable AR to be used for crowd flow diversion. Furthermore, this study provides a methodology for future analyses on user behavior in physical spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, reports showed that embryos identified as mosaic after preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploid (PGT-A) could result in live birth with lower pregnancy and higher pregnancy loss rates compared with euploid embryos. However, the effects of mosaicism level on reproductive outcomes remain controversial. This study aimed to examine the level of mosaicism on pregnancy outcomes. Single mosaic embryo transfer was offered to 108 women who only had mosaic embryos. Mosaic embryos were labeled by utilizing next generation sequencing (NGS) based PGT-A for day 5/6 trophectoderm (TE) biopsies. TE biopsies containing < 50% abnormal cells were classified as low-level mosaicism and ≥ 50% as high-level mosaicism. To further confirm the concordance of chromosome constitution between TE and inner cell mass (ICM), 41 remaining embryos designated as mosaic blastocysts donated for research were also analyzed. Comparable live birth rate (LBR) but higher miscarriage rate (MR) was found in the high-level group. (LBR: low vs. high: 44.5% vs. 36%; p = 0.45, MR: low vs. high: 5.1% vs. 30.7%; p = 0.012). Analyses of TE and ICM from the remaining mosaic blastocysts show a poor concordance. This preliminary study demonstrated that high-level mosaic embryos could result in comparable LBR but higher MR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study attempts to elucidate the relevance of the interval between human chorionic gonadotropin priming and oocyte pick-up (hCG-OPU) to the euploidy probability of biopsied blastocysts in preimplantation genetic tests for aneuploidy (PGT-A) cycles. A total of 1889 blastocysts from 511 patients undergoing PGT- A cycles were used. An analysis of generalized estimating equations (GEE) was used to identify whether the hCG–OPU interval is associated with euploidy probabilities of blastocysts. Accordingly, maternal age (OR: 0.925, 95% CI: 0.903–0.948, p < 0.001) and the hCG–OPU interval (OR: 1.138, 95% CI: 1.028–1.260, p = 0.013) were the two significant factors associated with the euploidy probabilities. The Cochran-Armitage trend test demonstrated that the blastocyst euploidy percentage increased progressively with the increasing hCG-OPU interval in normal responders (p = 0.006) and advanced maternal age (age ≥38 years; p = 0.020) groups. In normal responders, the euploidy rate was highest in the 38–39 h interval (43.1%, 47/109). In contrast, the euploidy rate was lowest in the 34–35 h interval (28.7%, 29/105). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that at an hCG-OPU interval between 34–39 h, the longer the hCG-OPU interval, the higher the probability of euploidy for blastocysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and psoriasis are associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Nonetheless, the incidence of psoriasis in patients with PCOS is unclear. We used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Research Database (LHID) in Taiwan from 2000 to 2012 to perform a retrospective population-based cohort study to elucidate the occurrence of psoriasis in PCOS patients. Patients with PCOS without psoriasis in the index year (the year of PCOS diagnosis) were recruited as the PCOS group. Those without PCOS nor psoriasis (control group) were selected using propensity score matching at a ratio of 4:1. Hazard ratios (HRs) were obtained using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. In total, 4707 and 18,828 patients were included in the PCOS and control groups, respectively. The incidence rates of psoriasis in the control and PCOS groups were 0.34 and 0.70 per 1000 person-years, respectively. The risk of psoriasis was higher in the PCOS group by an HR of 2.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.25–3.43) compared with the control group. In conclusion, the incidence of psoriasis in the PCOS group was higher than that in the control group. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the mechanism underlying the association, and to benefit the long-term management of patients with PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signaling pathways of VEGFs and PDGFs are crucial in tumor angiogenesis, which is essential in solid tumor progression and metastasis. This study reports our strategy for designing and synthesizing a series of novel 2-pyrrolidone-fused (2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)methylpyrrole derivatives as potential multi-target tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitors. The target compounds were obtained by condensation of 5-substituted oxindoles with N -substituted 2-pyrrolidone aldehyde 7 in satisfactory yields. Of these, 11 and 12 had the highest potency and, compared to sunitinib, showed: (1) significant increase in anti-proliferation of various cancer cells with a favorable selective index (SI); (2) higher inhibitory potency against both VEGFR-2 and PDGFRβ. The molecular modeling results showed that, in terms of VEGFR-2 binding, the synthesized products had a similar binding mode to sunitinib but with tighter interaction., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.