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Limited research has explored the connection between consuming dietary probiotics in the diet and cancer-related deaths. This study aimed to examine how the intake levels of three different groups of dietary probiotics are associated with the risk of dying from cancer in a representative sample of adults in the United States. Using data from the USDA Food Survey Nutrient Database, researchers categorized foods based on their microbial levels as low (104 CFU/g), medium (104–107 CFU/g), or high (> 107 CFU/g). They then used Cox proportional risk regression models to assess the risk of cancer-specific death, with follow-up periods until December 31, 2019. The study included 36,894 participants aged 20 and older, representing 148,639,331 U.S. citizens. After adjusting for various factors, the results showed that low and moderate intake of probiotics significantly reduced the risk of cancer mortality, with no significant association found for high probiotic intake. The findings suggest a notable link between dietary probiotics and cancer-specific mortality, highlighting the potential impact of dietary choices on cancer survival and indicating areas for healthcare interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influences of moisture content and freeze–thaw (FT) cycles on the compression behaviors of a compacted clay. Compacted specimens were first conditioned to different moisture contents (w) and then subjected to FT cycles. The treated specimens were either (i) directly used for constant water content (CW) compression tests or (ii) saturated and used for conventional consolidation tests to determine the compression curves under unsaturated and saturated conditions, respectively. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests were performed to track the evolution of the soil's pore structure during moisture and FT conditionings. The compression indexes (including the recompression index Cr, preconsolidation pressure σvp or σ'vp, and compression index Cc of the specimens) derived from the experimental results demonstrate that (i) within the initial elastic compression range, the Cr is independent of moisture content changes but increases after FT conditioning. The variations of Cr are associated with the volume of soil's large pores (el), which remains constant during moisture conditioning but increases after FT cycles; (ii) within the elastoplastic compression range, the σvp or σ'vp increases, while the Cc decreases as the moisture content decreases. However, the σvp, σ'vp, and Cc decrease after FT cycles. The σvp, σ'vp, and Cc are related to the volume of the soil's medium pores (em), which decreases after moisture and FT conditionings. A few unique relationships are established to reveal the influences of pore structure changes on compression characteristics. The variations of the soil's shrinkage curves under different external stress are also analyzed considering the effects of the changes in the pore structure. A model was proposed for the void ratio–moisture content–external stress relationships. This model was demonstrated useful for describing soils' compression behaviors at different moisture contents and shrinkage characteristics under different external stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketamine as a glutamate receptor antagonist has a rapid, potent, and long-lasting antidepressant effect, but its specific mechanism is still not fully understood. Depression is associated with elevated levels of glutamate and astrocyte loss in the brain; the exploration of the relationships between ketamine's antidepressant effect and astrocytes has drawn great attention. Astrocytes and aquaporin 4 (AQP4) are essential components of the glymphatic system, which is a brain-wide perivascular pathway to help transport nutrients to the parenchyma and remove metabolic wastes. In this study, we investigated pyroptosis-associated protein Nlrp3/Caspase-1/Gsdmd-N expression in the hippocampus of mice and the toxic effect of high levels of glutamate on primary astrocytes. On this basis, the protective mechanism of ketamine is explored. A single administration of ketamine (10 mg/kg) remarkably relieved anxious and depressive behaviors in the sucrose preference test, elevated plus maze test, and forced swim test. Meanwhile, ketamine reduced the level of hippocampus Nlrp3 and the expression of its downstream molecules in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice model by western blot and reduced the colocalization of Gfap and Gsdmd by nearly 25% via immunofluorescent staining. Ketamine also increased the Gfap-positive cells and AQP4 expression in the hippocampus of the CUMS mice. More important, ketamine increased the distribution of the fluorescent tracer of CUMS mice. Treatment with 128 mM glutamate in cortical and hippocampus astrocytes increased the level of Nlrp3, and Gsdmd-N, and ketamine alleviated high glutamate-induced pyroptosis-associated proteins. In summary, these results suggest that high glutamate-induced astrocyte pyroptosis through the Nlrp3/Caspase-1/Gsdmd-N pathway which was inhibited by ketamine and ketamine can improve the damaged glymphatic function of the CUMS mice. The present study indicates that inhibiting astrocyte pyroptosis and promoting the glymphatic circulation function are a new mechanism of ketamine's antidepressant effect, and astrocyte pyroptosis may be a new target for other antidepressant medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of antibiotics in the feces of elderly individuals in Shenzhen, China, was investigated by monitoring 78 compounds to understand the adverse effects and its association with antibiotic residues in animal products collected from local markets. In total, 18 compounds belonging to 5 classes of antibiotics were identified in 74 of 140 fecal samples. Furthermore, 17.9% of the fecal samples contained at least two antibiotics, and 14.3% of the samples showed antibiotic concentrations higher than 100 μg/kg. Cephalothin exhibited the highest detection frequency (22.1%), followed by azithromycin (15.7%) and tilmicosin (12.9%). Oxytetracycline, norfloxacin, and azithromycin showed extremely high concentrations (> 1000 μg/kg). Eight antibiotics were detected in the animal products, with detection frequencies ranging from 4.8 to 40.0%. Five antibiotics exhibited similar detection frequencies and strong correlations between the human fecal and animal product samples. Health risk assessment based on hazard quotients showed that ciprofloxacin in animal products and human feces posed a medium and high risk, respectively. The hazard quotients of oxytetracycline, norfloxacin, and azithromycin in the feces were greater than 1, indicating a high health risk. These findings suggest that the elderly individuals were frequently exposed to antibiotics via the food chain and faced health risks posed by these antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recognizing the kinematic characteristics of lumbar facet joints is important for the prevention and treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. Previous studies have been conducted in either the supine or standing position, and there are no measurements regarding the kinematic characteristics of the lumbar facet joints while sitting. The aim of this study was to measure and analyze lumbar facet joint motion characteristics while sitting. Methods: Ten subjects (5 males and 5 females) performed the movements of flexion–extension, left bending-right bending, and left rotation-right rotation in a sitting position. Dual Fluoroscopic Image System and computed tomography technique were used to measure the displacement and rotation angle of the lumbar facet joints of the subjects for analysis. The movement characteristics of L3-S1 were measured. Results: When the subjects were in sitting position, the lumbar vertebra mainly changed in Z-axis and α, β angle when they performed flexion–extension activities. The displacement of the left facet joint was 4.65 ± 1.99 mm at L3-4, 1.89 ± 2.99 mm at L4-5, and 0.80 ± 2.27 mm at L5-S1 in the Z-axis, and the displacement of the right facet joint was 3.20 ± 2.61 mm at L3-4, 1.71 ± 3.00 mm at L4-5, and 0.31 ± 1.69 mm at L5-S1 in the Z-axis. The rotation in the α angle was 6.00 ± 4.49° at L3-4, 3.51 ± 5.24° at L4-5, and 0.97 ± 4.13° at L5-S1, which was significant different. The rotation in the β angle was 2.30 ± 2.94°at L3-4, 0.16 ± 2.06° at L4-5, and 0.35 ± 1.74°at L5-S1, which was significant different. When the lumbar spine performed the activity of left bending-right bending, there were changes in rotation mainly in the Z-axis and β angle. The displacement of left facet joint in the Z-axis was 1.34 ± 2.84 mm at L3-4, 2.11 ± 0.88 mm at L4-5, and 0.72 ± 0.81 mm at L5-S1; the rotation in the β angle was 5.66 ± 2.70°at L3-4, 7.89 ± 2.59° at L4-5, and 1.28 ± 2.07° at L5-S1; when the lumbar spine performed the activity of left rotation-right rotation, there were changes in the β angle. The rotation of β angle was 4.09 ± 2.86° at L3-4, 2.14 ± 3.38° at L4-5, and 0.63 ± 1.85° at L5-S1. Conclusion: The lumbar facet joint motion in sitting position is different in each mode of motion. The horizontal displacement and rotation are predominant during flexion and extension activities, while there are different rotation in bending and rotation. The study shows the coupled motion of the lumbar facet joints while sitting, providing a new perspective on the kinematics of the lumbar spine and the etiology of lumbar degenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is characterized as widespread, abundant, and pluripotent. Among ECM members, collagen is widely accepted as one of the most prominent components for its essential structural property that can provide a scaffold for other components of ECM and the rich biological functions, which has been extensively used in tissue engineering. Emerging evidence has shown that the balance of ECM degradation and remodeling is vital to regulations of maternal–fetal interface including menstrual cycling, decidualization, embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance. Moreover, disorders in these events may eventually lead to failure of pregnancy. Although the improvement of assisted conception and embryo culture technologies bring hope to many infertile couples, some unfavorable outcomes, such as recurrent implantation failure (RIF), recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) or recurrent miscarriage (RM), keep troubling the clinicians and patients. Recently, in vitro three-dimensional (3D) model mimicking the microenvironment of the maternal–fetal interface is developed to investigate the physiological and pathological conditions of conception and pregnancy. The progress of this technology is based on clarifying the role of ECM in the endometrium and the interaction between endometrium and conceptus. Focusing on collagen, the present review summarized the degradation and regulation of ECM and its role in normal menstruation, endometrium receptivity and unsatisfying events occurring in infertility treatments, as well as the application in therapeutic approaches to improve pregnancy outcomes. More investigations about ECM focusing on the maternal–fetal interface interaction with mesenchymal stem cells or local immunoregulation may inspire new thoughts and advancements in the clinical application of infertility treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It had been suggested, after facilitating the hatching process, improved pregnancy outcomes could be attained in embryos with thick and hard zona. This study aimed to determine the effect of zona thinning on pregnancy outcomes in poor-quality frozen-thawed blastocysts. This retrospective study included 230 women (≤ 40 years) who underwent frozen embryo transfer of poor-quality blastocysts (scored < 3BB). In total, 105 patients were in the assisted hatching group in which the zona was thinned by laser before transfer and 125 patients were in the control group in which the blastocysts were non-manipulated. Patients' demographics, cycle characteristics, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the assisted hatching group and the control group. Further, regression analysis was applied to test the correlation between assisted hatching and live birth. All parameters in the patients' demographic characteristics and the cycle's characteristics were not significantly different between two groups. As for pregnancy outcomes, the second trimester pregnancy loss was significantly higher in the assisted hatching group (P = 0.035). Other pregnancy outcomes, including implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, biochemical miscarriage rate, the first trimester pregnancy loss, ongoing pregnancy rate, and live birth rate were comparable between two groups. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated no association between live birth and assisted hatching (univariate, OR = 0.787, P > 0.05; multivariate, OR = 0.652, P > 0.05), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the regression model was almost 0.7. It suggested that zona thinning may not be supposed to perform on poor-quality, frozen-thawed blastocysts. The indications of assisted hatching were still needed to further investigate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate optimal warming time, the early warming or the routine warming time, for transferring vitrified-warmed and cultured overnight cleavage stage of the slow-growing embryos on day 3 in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study from January 2017 to July 2018. A total of 705 FET patients aged < 40 years were included and 1486 embryos were formed, of which 1366 embryos were eventually transferred. Results: For slow-growing embryos, the clinical pregnancy rate of early warming group [152/468 (32.5%)] was significantly higher than that of routine warming group (55/235 (23.4%)) [OR 1.39 (CI 1.06–1.81), p = 0.01], while there was no statistically significant difference in pregnancy loss in early warming group [39/170 (22.9%)] versus in routine warming group [16/62 (25.8%)] [OR 0.89 (CI 0.53–1.47), p = 0.65]. Conclusion: For slow-growing embryos, higher pregnancy outcomes were shown in early warming strategy as compared to the routine warming, which suggested that the improvement of endometrium–embryo synchronism may correct the time difference brought by the slow-growing embryos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder. Genetics is an important factor leading to schizophrenia, but its exact role is still unclear. Many studies have focused on neurotransmitters and regulators that participate in the processes mediated by these neurotransmitters. Alcohol dehydrogenase may not only catalyze the oxidation of retinol and ethanol but also be involved in a variety of neurotransmitter metabolic pathways. Therefore, our study investigated whether ADH7 gene variations in the Chinese Han population were associated with schizophrenia. Genomic DNA was extracted from a cohort of 275 schizophrenic patients (136 men and 139 women) and 313 healthy controls (160 men and 153 women) from the Northern Han Chinese population. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test and linkage disequilibrium analysis were performed. Differences in genotypes, alleles, and haplotypes between the schizophrenic and control groups were determined using the chi-square test and correlation analysis. The distribution of the CC + TT genotype of rs284787 was statistically different between the case and control groups (p = 0.026, OR = 1.448); however, the difference disappeared after Bonferroni correction. Linkage analysis indicated that rs739147, rs284787, rs3805329, rs894369, rs3805331, and rs284786 were closely linked in one block. The haplotype analysis found no association between the composed haplotypes and the occurrence of schizophrenia. Our study showed that the ADH7 gene was not associated with the risk of schizophrenia. Additional studies with larger cohorts of different ethnicities are needed to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dopamine transporter is coded by the SLC6A3 gene and plays an important role in regulation of the neurotransmitter dopamine. To detect the association between the SLC6A3 gene and the risk of schizophrenia, 31 case-control articles were included in this meta-analysis. There were 23 studies with 40 bp VNTR (3246 cases and 3639 controls), 4 studies with rs40184 (2020 cases and 1674 controls), rs6347 (1317 cases and 1917 controls), rs403636 (2045 cases and 1704 controls), and rs2975226 (849 cases and 904 controls); and 3 studies with rs12516948 (1920 cases and 1569 controls), rs27072 (984 cases and 1015 controls), rs6869645 (1142 cases and 1082 controls), rs37022 (1168 cases and 1091 controls), rs464049 (1169cases and 1096 controls), rs2652511 (707 cases and 714 controls), and rs3756450 (1176 cases and 1096 controls). Pooled, subgroup, and sensitivity analyses were performed, and the results were visualized by forest and funnel plots. In the dominant genetic model, the genotype AA+AT of rs2975226 in the Indian population (Pz = 0, odds ratio [OR] = 3.245, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.806–5.831), TT of rs464049 (Pz = 0.002, OR = 1.389, 95% CI = 1.129–1.708), and TT of rs3756450 (Pz = 0.014, OR = 1.251, 95% CI = 1.047–1.495) might be risk factors for schizophrenia. Additionally, no other single nucleotide polymorphisms were observed. These results indicate that more functional studies are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific, multi-system disorder and the leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in obstetrics worldwide. Excessive vasoconstriction and dysregulated coagulation function are closely associated with PE. Heat shock protein 20 (HSP20) is ubiquitously expressed under normal physiological conditions and has important roles in vascular dilatation and suppression of platelet aggregation. However, the role of HSP20 in the pathogenesis of PE remains unclear. In this study, we collected chorionic plate resistance arteries (CPAs) and serum from 118 healthy pregnant women and 80 women with PE and detected the levels of HSP20 and its phosphorylated form. Both HSP20 and phosphorylated HSP20 were downregulated in CPAs from women with PE. Comparison of the vasodilative ability of CPAs from the two groups showed impaired relaxation responses to acetyl choline in preeclamptic vessels. In addition to the reduced HSP20 in serum from women with PE, the platelet distribution width and mean platelet volume were also decreased, and the activated partial thromboplastin time and thromboplastin time were elevated.With regard to the vital roles of HSP20 in mediating vasorelaxation and coagulation function, the decreased HSP20 might contribute to the pathogenesis of PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore whether schizophrenia occurrence is associated with polymorphisms in the 5′ regulatory region of GABRB3 (gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor beta 3, subunit gene). The study included 324 patients with schizophrenia and 327 unaffected participants; all individuals were northern Han Chinese. Genotype and haplotype frequency distributions were compared for the 2 groups by means of PCR amplification and direct sequencing of the promoter region of GABRB3. The genotype distribution among control participants was in accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Five common single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites were detected in the 5′ promoter region of GABRB3: rs4243768, rs7171660, rs4363842, rs4906902, and rs8179184. Only rs8179184 and rs4906902 differed significantly in frequency between controls and cases ( P < 0.05); this difference remained significant when only women in each group were compared. The 2 SNP sites showed linkage disequilibrium, resulting in 2 haplotypes: T-G and C-A. The frequency of C-A was significantly higher among patients with schizophrenia than among controls. Our findings suggest that rs4906902 and rs8179184 in the 5′ promoter region of GABRB3 are associated with schizophrenia. The C-A haplotype may entail an increased risk of schizophrenia, and the onset of schizophrenia may be gender-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptomycin (STR), used extensively in the treatment of bovine mastitis, may cause damage such as ototoxicity, allergic reaction, and increasing bacterial resistance to consumers on account of remnant in milk. A time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) was developed to quantify STR for the first time to ensure food safety. Using secondary antibody labeled with europium (Eu) chelate as a tracer, the proposed TRFIA showed that the linear working range was 0.32-5.0 ng/mL under the optimal conditions. Milk samples were deproteinized by trichloroacetic acid and the limit of detection of STR in milk was 1.8 μg/kg. The recoveries of milk samples fortified with 4.0, 20, and 40 μg/kg of STR ranged from 86.2 to 96.3% with relative standard deviations less than 11%. Results of TRFIA for the authentic samples were coincided with those of UHPLC-MS/MS analyses. This study confirmed that the established TRFIA was sensitive as well as reliable and could be an alternative method to monitor STR residue in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration and proliferation of EPCs are crucial for re-endothelialization in vascular repair and development. Id1 has a regulatory role in the regulation of EPCs migration and proliferation. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that Id1 plays a regulatory role in modulating the migration and proliferation of EPCs by interaction with other factors. Herein, we report that the Id1 protein and E-box protein E2-2 regulate EPCs function with completely opposite effects. Id1 plays a positive role in the regulation of EPC proliferation and migration, while endogenous E2-2 appears to be a negative regulator. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assay revealed that the Id1 protein interacts and co-localizes with the E2-2 protein in EPCs. Further, endogenous E2-2 protein was found to block EPCs function via the inhibition of FGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression. The overexpression and silencing of Id1 have no direct regulatory role on VEGFR2 and FGFR1 expression. On the other hand, Id1 relieves the E2-2-mediated repression of FGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression to modulate EPCs proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. In summary, we demonstrated that Id1 and E2-2 are critical regulators of EPCs function in vitro. Id1 interacts with E2-2 and relieves the E2-2-mediated repression of FGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression to modulate EPCs functions. Id1 and E2-2 may represent novel therapeutic targets for re-endothelialization in vascular damage and repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological folliculogenesis is a lengthy and complicated process, and follicle growth microenvironment is poorly understood. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to establish a supportive microenvironment for wound repair, autoimmune diseases amelioration, and tumor development. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate whether MSCs could help to reconstruct a microenvironment to facilitate the in vitro follicle development. Here we show human MSCs significantly promote the survival rates, increase the growth velocity, and improve the viability of preantral follicles in a dose-dependent manner. Further analyses reveal that growth differentiation factor9 and bone morphogenetic protein 15 in oocytes and inhibin βA and transforming growth factorβ1 in granulose cells within the follicles cocultured with MSCs express notably higher than those in the follicles cultured without MSCs. In summary, our findings demonstrate a previously unrecognized function of MSCs in promoting preantral follicle development and provide a useful strategy to optimize fertility preservation and restoration by facilitating in vitro follicle growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: The contribution of aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) to diabetic nephropathy in vivo is poorly understood. Methods: Integrated comparative miRNA array profiling was used to examine the expression of serum miRNAs in patients with diabetic nephropathy. The abundance of miRNA-135a (miR-135a) was measured by real-time quantitative PCR in the serum and kidney tissues of patients with diabetic nephropathy. The luciferase assay combined with mutation and immunoblotting was used to screen and verify the bioinformatically predicted miRNAs. Ca entry or intracellular Ca ([Ca]) was performed by imaging Fura-2/AM-loaded cells using a fluorescence microscopy system. The role of miR-135a in vivo was explored with locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides. Results: MiR-135a was markedly upregulated in serum and renal tissue from patients with diabetic nephropathy, as well from db/db mice, and this was associated with the development of microalbuminuria and renal fibrosis. Furthermore, we identified transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily C, member 1 ( TRPC1) as a target of miR-135a during renal injury. We demonstrated that overexpression of TRPC1 was able to reverse the pathological effects of miR-135a on promoting proliferation of mesangial cells and increasing synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins. Moreover, miR-135a attenuated store depletion-induced Ca entry into cells by regulating TRPC1. Importantly, knockdown of miR-135a in diabetic kidneys restored levels of TRPC1 and reduced synthesis of fibronectin and collagen I in vivo. Suppressing TRPC1 levels to prevent Ca entry into cells may be a mechanism whereby miR-135a promotes renal fibrosis in diabetic kidney injury. Conclusions/interpretation: These findings suggest an important role for miR-135a in renal fibrosis and inhibition of miR-135a might be an effective therapy for diabetic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptors are expressed in human immune cells and many tumors, but the role of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the development of tumors is controversial. We demonstrated the expression, distribution, and functional activity of TLR4 in tissues of normal cervix, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), invasion cervical cancers (ICC), and different human papillomavirus (HPV)-infected cervical cancer cells. The results showed that TLR4 expression was in accordance with the histopathological grade: higher in ICC than in CIN, and low in normal cervical tissues and malignant cervical stroma. Expression was higher in SiHa (HPV16+) than in HeLa (HPV18+) cells, but was not observed in C33A (HPV−) cells. After treatment with its agonist, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the expression levels of TLR4 was increased and apoptosis resistance was induced in SiHa cells, but not in HeLa or C33A cells. Meanwhile, LPS treatment did not alter the cell cycle distribution in SiHa cells. The mechanism of apoptosis resistance may be related to HPV16 infection and not correlated with the cell cycle distribution. Targeting TLR4 in combination with traditional drug treatment may serve as a novel strategy for more effectively killing cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) gives couples who have a high risk of transmitting genetic disorders to their baby the chance to have a healthy offspring through embryo genetic analysis and selection. Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) is an effective method to select euploid embryos that may prevent repeated implantation failure or miscarriage. However, how and to whom PGS should be provided is a controversial topic. The first successful case of PGD of a human being was reported in 1990, and there have been tremendous improvements in this technology since then. Both embryo biopsy and genetic technologies have been improved dramatically, which increase the accuracy and expand the indications of PGD/PGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) can selectively kill tumor cells and enhance therapy in vivo. However, concerns regarding its considerable liver toxicity limit its use in humans as a cancer therapy. Tumor molecular targeted peptide 1 (TMTP1) has previously been reported by our laboratory to target primary tumors and metastatic foci. Here, we report a novel recombinant fusion protein, sTRAIL-TMTP1, which not only induced apoptosis in cancer cells in vitro but also inhibited tumor growth and metastases in vivo. Moreover, sTRAIL-TMTP1 impacted tumor angiogenesis. The biodistribution results demonstrated that sTRAIL-TMTP1 accumulation peaked 6 h after injection and persisted for 24 h in the tumor, while faint sTRAIL-TMTP1 accumulation was detected in normal organs in tumor-bearing mice. Thus, combining sTRAIL with TMTP1 resulted in high anti-tumor activity and low toxicity. In conclusion, the novel fusion protein sTRAIL-TMTP1 was successfully developed in our laboratory and was observed to induce apoptosis both in primary and metastatic cancer, which may lead to the development of novel, targeted anticancer agents. Key message: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody (Mab) against diclazuril was produced. The hapten with diclazuril coupled to diazotised 4-aminobenzoic acid was synthesized and conjugated to bovine serum albumin by the active ester method to form an immunogen for antibody generation. A novel diclazuril carboxymethyloxime derivative used in an ovalbumin conjugate was applied as a heterologous coating antigen and was expected to improve the immunoassay sensitivity. A sensitive and simple indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) based on the Mab for the determination of diclazuril was developed. Under the optimized conditions, the icELISA for diclazuril showed a half maximum inhibition concentration (IC) value of 1.8 ng/mL, with limit of detection of 0.24 ng/mL and negligible cross-reactivities with other coccidiostat compounds including toltrazuril, robenidine, nicarbazin, halofuginone, amprolium, monensin, and maduramycin. The icELISA was successfully applied to diclazuril residue analysis in spiked chicken tissues. The average recoveries, intra-assay, and inter-assay coefficients of variation were in a range from 77.6 to 103.7 %, 3.7 to 13.0 %, and 5.6 to 18.3 %, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard treatment of primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) has not been well established. Our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the prognostic factors and clinical outcomes of PTL. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 43 PTL patients and included the 39 patients who were diagnosed with primary testicular diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) for analysis of prognostic factors and assessment of treatment modalities. Cox regression analysis showed that poor ECOG performance status (PS, ≥2), infiltration of adjacent tissues (spermatic cord, epididymis, or scrotum), and bulky disease (tumor mass, >9 cm) were independent predictors of worse overall survival (OS) for primary testicular DLBCL. According to these three factors, the patients were divided into two groups. Rituximab was found to significantly prolong progression-free survival (PFS) in the low-risk group ( P = 0.044) but not in the high-risk group ( P = 0.748). And the combination therapy for CNS prophylaxis significantly prolonged the survival in the high-risk group ( P = 0.005 for OS; P = 0.004 for PFS), but not in the low-risk group ( P = 0.092 for OS; P = 0.191 for PFS). ECOG performance status, infiltration of adjacent tissues, and bulky disease are practical prognostic factors of survival in patients with primary testicular DLBCL. The addition of rituximab is more important for the patients without the prognostics factors, and the combination CNS prophylaxis is more significant for the patients with the prognostics factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: No randomized trial has been reported comparing different chemotherapy regimens on disseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aims to compare five cisplatin-based regimens including cisplatin + 5-fluororacil (PF), paclitaxel + cisplatin (TP), gemcitabine + cisplain (GP), paclitaxel + cisplatin + 5-fluororacil (TPF), and bleomycin + cisplatin + 5-fluororacil (BPF) regimen most frequently used as the first-line protocols for metastatic NPC retrospectively. Methods: Eight hundred and twenty-two patients with metastatic NPC were divided into five groups according to the regimen they received. Then, their response rate, toxicity, and long-term survival outcome as well as the prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: The higher response rates in GP and TPF regimens comparing to PF regimen were achieved ( Χ = 4.57, P = 0.033; Χ = 7.04, P = 0.008), as well as in TPF regimen comparing to TP regimen ( Χ = 5.579, P = 0.018). The occurrence rate of the major III-IV grade toxicity was significantly different between the five groups. However, no statistically significant difference was observed in progression-free survival (PFS; P = 0.247) and overall survival ( P = 0.127) among the five groups. Cox multivariate analysis identified the following independent prognostic factors: liver metastases, plasma Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)-DNA level, cycles of chemotherapy, and second-line chemotherapy. Conclusions: PF, TP, and GP are all effective regimens as the first-line chemotherapy for metastatic NPC, which can be well tolerated. Over four cycles of chemotherapy are recommended under no contraindication. Patients should transfer to the second-line regimen after the treatment failure of the first-line chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, long-term and high-dose usage of antibiotics in livestock diets has led to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, antibiotic residues in animal products and environmental pollution, adversely affecting animal health. Because of these concerns, a study screening cathelicidin peptides from different animal origins (i.e. protegrin-1 [PG-1], PMAP-23, LL-37, indolicidin and cathelicidin-BF [C-BF]) as antibiotic replacements with higher antimicrobial activity and lower cytotoxicity was designed to study their mechanisms towards enteric pathogens in weaning piglets. PG-1 and C-BF proved to be the most effective bacteriocids with the widest spectra of activity, with the MIC values equal to or lower than commonly used antibiotics towards several Escherichia and Salmonella strains, and showed a synergistic effect with aureomycin. Mechanism studies suggested the C-BF killing mechanism is based on membrane permeability, while multiple targets maybe exist for PG-1, including membrane and intracellular biomacromolecules. Cytotoxicity tests showed PMAP-23 and C-BF exhibited the lowest cytotoxic effects, while PG-1, LL-37 and indolicidin displayed cytotoxicity by dose. This study demonstrated that among the peptides tested, C-BF has the capacity to inactivate enteric pathogens with lower cytotoxicity and is potentially a novel anti-bacterial agent. The activity of PG-1 is highly efficient, with the potential to reduce cytotoxicity using molecular design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To establish more effective diagnostic procedures to identify the characteristic features of abdominopelvic tuberculosis (APTB) mimicking advanced ovarian cancer. Methods: A retrospective review of 20 cases of APTB mimicking advanced ovarian cancer was undertaken. Results: The mean age of the patients was 28.9 ± 10.8 years. The main clinical manifestations were abdominal pain (45%) and distention (45%). CA125 level was elevated in 18 cases (90.0%). Pelvic mass in 18 patients (90.0%) and ascites in 12 patients (60.0%) were detected by using abdominal US. The bacteriologic cultures and cytological studies were all negative (10 cases, 100%). Laparotomy (17 cases) and laparoscopic evaluation (1 case) was performed with the presumptive diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer except for 2 patients treated with diagnostic anti-TB chemotherapy. The common intra-operative findings were miliary nodules (14 cases, 77.8%) and widespread adhesion (10 cases, 55.6%). Intra-operative frozen section was obtained in 10 cases, and the typical tuberculosis tubercles were detected in all cases. Conclusion: APTB should be considered in all cases with pelvic mass, ascites and high levels of CA125, although clinical features and laboratory results specifically indicate neither ovarian malignancy nor APTB. Diagnostic laparotomy is a direct and safe method. To avoid extended surgery, the cases with APTB can be diagnosed through intra-operative frozen section in conjunction with clinical features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

rapid and sensitive method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of four avermectins and one milbemycin residues in bovine tissue. The isolation of the analytes from muscle and liver samples was accomplished utilizing a pressurized solvent extractor. The optimized extraction procedure using acetonitrile/water (40:60, v/v) as extraction solvent, was automatically carried out at 100 °C and 10 MPa, applying two static cycles for 3 min. The extracts were cleaned up on a C solid-phase extraction cartridge and analyzed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection after derivatization. Mean recoveries of the five analytes from fortified samples were between 84.8 and 101.8%, with relative standard deviations lower than 10.8%. The limit of detection and quantification were in the ranges of 0.1-0.2 and 0.5-0.6 μg kg, respectively. The application of the newly developed method was demonstrated by analyzing bovine meat samples from market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC), as adjustable structural templates, are useful tools for the synthesis of nanomaterials. In this study, a series of LLC templates have been prepared at very low surfactant concentrations (down to 0.00663-11.0 wt %). The LLC phases have been identified using a stereomicroscope. LLC appears sphere or vesicle shape when the hydrochloric acid is present in the system. In contrast, LLC appears lamellar or rod-like when ethanol is present in the system. The origin of the different geometries or shapes of the LLC phase has been qualitatively clarified using the molecular packing parameter of the surfactant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and convenient method is described for voltammetric determination of thiamazole, a commonly used anti-hyperthyroid drug, based on its electrochemical oxidation at a multi-wall carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode. Under optimized conditions, the proposed method exhibited acceptable analytical performances in terms of linearity (over the concentration range from 1.0 × 10−7 to 5.0 × 10−4 mol L−1, r = 0.9983), detection limit (3.0 × 10−8 mol L−1) and reproducibility (RSD = 2.64%, n = 10, for 5.0 × 10−5 mol L−1 thiamazole). To further validate its possible application, the method was used for the quantification of thiamazole in pharmaceutical formulations and biological fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid chromatographic method was developed for determination of nosiheptide in swine kidney and liver. The tissue samples were extracted with acetonitrile and defatted with hexane. The analytes were determined at a fluorescence excitation/emission wavelength of 357/515 nm and with gradient elution program. The limits of detection and limits of quantification were 5 and 20 ng g−1, respectively, for swine kidney and liver. The mean recoveries for nosiheptide in swine kidney and liver ranged from 70.3 to 97.4% with coefficients of variation below 11.3% at 20–100 ng g−1 fortification levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylase was overexpressed in a variety of cancers and was closely correlated with oncogenic factors. The histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA) was shown to induce apoptosis in many cancer cells. However, the mechanism of TSA on induction of cancer cells apoptosis is poorly understood. This study was designed to characterize the global gene expression profiles before and after treatment of human leukemia cell line Molt-4 with TSA. Flow cytometry, MTT and DNA ladder were used to observe the effect of TSA on the apoptosis of MOLT-4 cells and normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Microarray, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the difference of gene and protein expressions of Molt-4 cells after incubation of the cells with TSA. The results showed that TSA could induce Molt-4 apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manners but spared PBMCs. Microarray analysis showed that after incubation with TSA for 9 h, 310 genes were upregulated and 313 genes were deregulated. These genes regulate the growth, differentiation and survival of cells. Among these genes, STAT5A was down-regulated by 80.4% and MYC was down-regulated by 77.3%. It was concluded that TSA has definite growth-inhibiting and apoptosis-inducing effects on Molt-4 cells in time- and dose-dependent manners, with weak cytotoxic effects on PBMCs at the same time. The mechanism of TSA selectively inducing apoptosis and inhibiting growth may be ascribed to the changes of pro-proliferation genes and anti-apoptosis genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the role of the PTEN expression in carcinogenesis and development of endometrial carcinoma and clarify whether and how PTEN and PI3K/Akt pathway relate to endometrial carcinoma, the expression of PTEN and phospho-Akt was detected by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods and Western-blot from 24 cases of endometrial carcinoma, 10 cases of endometrial atypical hyperplasia, 10 cases of endometrial hyperplasia, and 10 cases of normal endometrium. SP immunohistochemical methods were used to measure levels of PTEN protein expression in following 5 study groups: 31 cases of endometrium in proliferative phase, 30 cases of endometrium in secretory phase, 71 cases of endometrial hyperplasia, 25 cases of atypical hyperplasia and 73 cases of endometrial carcinoma. Immunostaining score of PTEN was 3.39±0.15 in proliferative phase, 1.90±0.21 in secretory phase, 3.34±0.29 in endometrial hyperplasia, 0.62±0.11 in atypical hyperplasia, and 0.74±0.19 in endometrial carcinoma, respectively. PTEN mRNA relative value in normal endometrium, endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial atypical hyperplasia, and endometrial carcinoma was 2.45±0.51, 2.32±0.32, 0.46±0.11, and 0.35±0.13 respectively. The expression levels of PTEN mRNA and protein in patients with endometrial carcinoma and atypical hyperplasia were significantly lower than in those of proliferative phase and with endometrial hyperplasia. The level of PTEN expression in patients with endometrial carcinoma was significantly related to tissue type ( P<0.005), differentiation ( P<0.05) and clinical stage ( P<0.05), but not to depth of myometrium invasion ( P>0.05). Western blot analysis revealed that Phospho-Akt level in PTEN negative cases was significantly higher, and there was a negative correlation between PTEN and phospho-Akt ( r=−0.8973, P<0.0001). It was suggested that loss of PTEN expression was an early event in endometrial tumorigenesis. The phosphorylation of Akt induced by the loss of PTEN took part in the tumorigenesis and development of endometrial carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the safety of reconstructed adenovirus in immunosuppressive therapeutics and to explore the role of ciclosporin A in antagonizing the elimination of the vector. Several rats were given retroperitoneal injection of purified ADV-TK in order to obtain models. After 14 days’ treatment of ciclosporin A, samples of different periods were obtained, then stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) to detect inflammation reactions. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of adenovirus in organs. The results are as follows: (1) In HE stained sections of the organs, some transitory and reversible inflammation was detected. (2) In immunohistochemistry assay, reconstructed adenovirus decreased gradually as time went by in the control group, while it did not happen in the experimental group in which the adenovirus showed a relative increase compared with their counterparts ( P < 0.05). (3) The distributions of adenovirus in the liver, spleen and lung were higher than those in the other organs detected. Reconstructed adenovirus as a vector is definitely safe in immunosuppressive therapeutics, and ciclosporin A, to some extent, is able to consequently inhibit the immune response of the rats and prolong the existing period of adenovirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A platinized carbon paste prepared via electrodeposition had a preferential electrocatalytic action toward H2O2. Therefore, we have developed a new amperometric glucose biosensor based on the immobilization of glucose oxidase on to the electrochemically platinized carbon paste. The proposed biosensor is free of potential interferences due to its cathodic detection of glucose at the potential of 0.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). It also shows acceptable analytical performance in terms of linearity (6 × 10−5 to 1.2 × 10−2 M, r = 0.998), detection limit (2 × 10−5 M), response time (20–30 s), reproducibility (RSD = 4.4%), and storage life ( t 0.80 = 45 days). All these advantages of the biosensor raise potential possibilities for its medical or other biotechnical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurite extension is essential for wiring the nervous system during development. Although several factors are known to regulate neurite outgrowth, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we provide evidence for a role of phosphatidylinositol transfer protein-α (PITPα) in neurite extension in response to netrin-1, an extracellular guidance cue. PITPα interacts with the netrin receptor DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) and neogenin. Netrin-1 stimulates PITPα binding to DCC and to phosphatidylinositol (5) phosphate [PI(5)P], increases its lipid-transfer activity and elevates hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2). In addition, the stimulated PIP2 hydrolysis requires PITPα. Furthermore, cortical explants of PITPα mutant mice are defective in extending neurites in response to netrin-1. Commissural neurons from chicken embryos expressing a dominant-negative PITPα mutant show reduced axon outgrowth. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of PITPα expression in zebrafish embryos leads to dose-dependent defects in motor-neuron axons and reduced numbers of spinal-cord neurons. Taken together, these results identify a crucial role for PITPα in netrin-1-induced neurite outgrowth, revealing a signalling mechanism for DCC/neogenin and PITPα regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the synthesis of copper oxide nanometer powder by one-step solid state reaction at room temperature. Characterization of the solid product by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy; Average diameter of the particles of prepared copper oxide.

Pyrenylbutyric acid and streptavidin were coupled to films of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and then conjugated to a biotinylated broad-spectrum monoclonal antibody against aflatoxins (AFs). It is shown that such films can efficiently and selectively capture AFs inculding AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2, AFM1 and AFM2. The rGO films were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and raman spectroscopy. The selectivity and purification performance of the antibody-loaded rGO films were investigated. They were applied to the purification of extremely small samples (100 μL) of AFs-spiked rabbit serum after enzymatic hydrolysis. The AFs were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The limits of detection for the six AFs investigated ranged from 50 to 170 pg·mL−1. The average recoveries of AFs in spiked rabbit serum samples ranged from 55% to 75%, with relative standard deviations of less than 9.4%.Design of a multifunctional sandwich film that consists of a reduced graphene oxide film base, a pyrenylbutyric acid middle layer and a broad-specificity anti-AF monoclonal antibody surface layer. It was successfully applied to the determination of aflatoxins in only 100 μL of rabbit serum samples with satisfactory selectivity and acceptable accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma gallisepticum is a significant pathogenic bacterium that infects poultry, causing chronic respiratory disease and sinusitis in chickens and turkeys, respectively. M. gallisepticum infection poses a substantial economic threat to the poultry industry, and this threat is made worse by the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains. The mechanisms of resistance are often difficult to determine; for example, little is known about antibiotic resistance of M. gallisepticum at the proteome level. In this study, we performed comparative proteomic analyses of an antibiotic (tylosin)-resistant M. gallisepticum mutant and a susceptible parent strain using a combination of two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis and nano-liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry. Thirteen proteins were identified as differentially expressed in the resistant strain compared to the susceptible strain. Most of these proteins were related to catalytic activity, including catalysis that promotes the formylation of initiator tRNA and energy production. Elongation factors Tu and G were over-expressed in the resistant strains, and this could promote the binding of tRNA to ribosomes and catalyze ribosomal translocation, the coordinated movement of tRNA, and conformational changes in the ribosome. Taken together, our results indicate that M. gallisepticum develops resistance to tylosin by regulating associated enzymatic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For unexpected low-prognosis patients (Group 1 and Group 2) defined by POSEIDON criteria, how to maximize the live birth rate while controlling the multiple birth rate by tailoring the embryo transfer number and quality?This was a retrospective study, including patients from Poseidon Group 1 (N = 672) and Group 2 (N = 503) who underwent cleavage-stage embryo transfer. Logistic regression was used for the comparative analysis of clinical outcomes among subgroups divided by the number and quality of embryos.For Group 1, compared to transferring a single good-quality embryo (GQE), a good-quality embryo with a poor-quality embryo (GQE + PQE) did not significantly improve the live birth rate, although increasing in value (40.5% vs 31.9%, P = 0.272), meanwhile obviously raised the multiple birth rate to 28.1% (P = 0.042). For Group 2, double embryo transfer (DET) was associated with a higher live birth rate than single embryo transfer (SET) (22.4% vs 6.3%, P = 0.001) and further analysis indicated that the similar trend observed in the GQE + PQE group compared to the GQE group (26.1% vs 8.5%, P = 0.017) with statistical significance, but without a significant increase in the multiple birth rate (8.3%, P = 1.000).The study indicated that  a single good-quality cleavage-stage embryo was an option for patients in Poseidon Group 1 to avoid the risk of multiple pregnancies. DET with mixed quality cleavage-stage embryo might be an alternative for Poseidon Group 2, given that it improved the pregnancy outcomes while controlling the multiple birth rates.Methods: For unexpected low-prognosis patients (Group 1 and Group 2) defined by POSEIDON criteria, how to maximize the live birth rate while controlling the multiple birth rate by tailoring the embryo transfer number and quality?This was a retrospective study, including patients from Poseidon Group 1 (N = 672) and Group 2 (N = 503) who underwent cleavage-stage embryo transfer. Logistic regression was used for the comparative analysis of clinical outcomes among subgroups divided by the number and quality of embryos.For Group 1, compared to transferring a single good-quality embryo (GQE), a good-quality embryo with a poor-quality embryo (GQE + PQE) did not significantly improve the live birth rate, although increasing in value (40.5% vs 31.9%, P = 0.272), meanwhile obviously raised the multiple birth rate to 28.1% (P = 0.042). For Group 2, double embryo transfer (DET) was associated with a higher live birth rate than single embryo transfer (SET) (22.4% vs 6.3%, P = 0.001) and further analysis indicated that the similar trend observed in the GQE + PQE group compared to the GQE group (26.1% vs 8.5%, P = 0.017) with statistical significance, but without a significant increase in the multiple birth rate (8.3%, P = 1.000).The study indicated that  a single good-quality cleavage-stage embryo was an option for patients in Poseidon Group 1 to avoid the risk of multiple pregnancies. DET with mixed quality cleavage-stage embryo might be an alternative for Poseidon Group 2, given that it improved the pregnancy outcomes while controlling the multiple birth rates.Results: For unexpected low-prognosis patients (Group 1 and Group 2) defined by POSEIDON criteria, how to maximize the live birth rate while controlling the multiple birth rate by tailoring the embryo transfer number and quality?This was a retrospective study, including patients from Poseidon Group 1 (N = 672) and Group 2 (N = 503) who underwent cleavage-stage embryo transfer. Logistic regression was used for the comparative analysis of clinical outcomes among subgroups divided by the number and quality of embryos.For Group 1, compared to transferring a single good-quality embryo (GQE), a good-quality embryo with a poor-quality embryo (GQE + PQE) did not significantly improve the live birth rate, although increasing in value (40.5% vs 31.9%, P = 0.272), meanwhile obviously raised the multiple birth rate to 28.1% (P = 0.042). For Group 2, double embryo transfer (DET) was associated with a higher live birth rate than single embryo transfer (SET) (22.4% vs 6.3%, P = 0.001) and further analysis indicated that the similar trend observed in the GQE + PQE group compared to the GQE group (26.1% vs 8.5%, P = 0.017) with statistical significance, but without a significant increase in the multiple birth rate (8.3%, P = 1.000).The study indicated that  a single good-quality cleavage-stage embryo was an option for patients in Poseidon Group 1 to avoid the risk of multiple pregnancies. DET with mixed quality cleavage-stage embryo might be an alternative for Poseidon Group 2, given that it improved the pregnancy outcomes while controlling the multiple birth rates.Conclusions: For unexpected low-prognosis patients (Group 1 and Group 2) defined by POSEIDON criteria, how to maximize the live birth rate while controlling the multiple birth rate by tailoring the embryo transfer number and quality?This was a retrospective study, including patients from Poseidon Group 1 (N = 672) and Group 2 (N = 503) who underwent cleavage-stage embryo transfer. Logistic regression was used for the comparative analysis of clinical outcomes among subgroups divided by the number and quality of embryos.For Group 1, compared to transferring a single good-quality embryo (GQE), a good-quality embryo with a poor-quality embryo (GQE + PQE) did not significantly improve the live birth rate, although increasing in value (40.5% vs 31.9%, P = 0.272), meanwhile obviously raised the multiple birth rate to 28.1% (P = 0.042). For Group 2, double embryo transfer (DET) was associated with a higher live birth rate than single embryo transfer (SET) (22.4% vs 6.3%, P = 0.001) and further analysis indicated that the similar trend observed in the GQE + PQE group compared to the GQE group (26.1% vs 8.5%, P = 0.017) with statistical significance, but without a significant increase in the multiple birth rate (8.3%, P = 1.000).The study indicated that  a single good-quality cleavage-stage embryo was an option for patients in Poseidon Group 1 to avoid the risk of multiple pregnancies. DET with mixed quality cleavage-stage embryo might be an alternative for Poseidon Group 2, given that it improved the pregnancy outcomes while controlling the multiple birth rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]