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[Display omitted] • Antibacterial photonic gel is firstly developed by hierarchical self-assembly strategy. • Photonic-ionic skin kills Gram-positive bacteria and fungus with > 99.9% antibacterial rate. • The skin exhibits electrical/optical reporting even in various harsh environments. • The skin displays different dual-signals to identify strain, pressure and temperature. • The skin can be used as wirelessly wearable device for remote visual/digital feedback. Squid skins can actively transduce complex environmental information into bioelectrical and color-change signals. Here, inspired by squid skins, we present a novel photonic-ionic skin (PIskin) capable of outputting electrical/optical signals synergistically, featuring anti-freezing, drying-tolerance and antibacterial abilities. The PIskin was developed by hierarchical self-assembly strategy of antibacterial glycerol monolaurate (GML) in a poly-(diacetone acrylamide- co -acrylamide) gel matrix, followed by solvent displacement method of introducing PEG200 and ionic liquids (ILs). It demonstrates dual-signal reporting and intelligent identification capabilities for strain, pressure and temperature, using mechanochromism, ionic mechanotransduction and ionic thermosensitivity respectively. Furthermore, PIskin possesses long-term stability (>20 d) in ambient air and maintains high stretchablility, bright structural color and outstanding conductivity even stay at extreme conditions (-20 °C–80 °C). Notably, the GML and ILs endow the PIskin with significant antibacterial ability for Gram-positive bacteria and fungus (>99.9% antibacterial rate). Based on these remarkable capabilities, the PIskin is integrated with Bluetooth transmission system to build an interactive wearable sensor for real-time remote digital/visual feedback of joint motion and tactile sensation (such as temperature and pressure), realizing wirelessly visual multi-sensing. This investigation provides a general and enlightening design strategy for constructing high-performance interactive skins based on photonic gels, and opens up more possibilities for meeting specific requirements in practical applications of wearable flexible devices, soft intelligent robots, human–machine interfaces and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The first photonic vitrimer-based electronics (PVBEs) have been developed. • PVBEs demonstrate excellent mechanochromism and simultaneous electromechanical performance. • PVBEs show synchronous and ultrastable optical/electrical response. • PVBEs' optical functions can be self-healed while their electromechanical performances are stably maintained. • A novel wirelessly visualized sensor is demonstrated based on PVBEs. Flexible and stretchable electronics with mechanosensory functionality are highly desirable on account of their intriguing applications in smart wearable devices. Unfortunately, the susceptibility to structural damage and single electrical signal output restrict their further practical uses. Here, novel photonic vitrimer-based electronics (PVBEs) with self-healability and ultrastable visual-digital outputs are developed by harnessing vitrimer-induced structural evolutions of both photonic crystal (PC) and piezoresistive carbon textile. They demonstrate excellent strain sensing performances including synchronous electrical/optical response (0.25 s), high sensitivity (gauge factor, GF = 10.3), superior durability (>10000 cycles) and mechanochromism. Notably, dynamic covalent networks within vitrimer endow them self-healing ability of optical function, while the electromechanical performances are stably maintained benefiting from unique fully-embedded structure. Based on these merits, a new type of PVBE is demonstrated by incorporating wireless transmission system. Such a device can function as wirelessly visualized sensor for real-time tracking both large and subtle human movements with optical and electrical dual-signal feedbacks, realizing remote and precise visual-digital outputs. This work offers a versatile platform for emerging self-healing functional devices and visually interactive electronics, bringing huge developments in the era of the Internet of Things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Large-area water rewriteable double-inverse opal film is prepared. • Ultrafast response time and robust water writing capability are obtained. • The retention time of written marks can be controlled. • Spatio-temporal colorful patterns are constructed. • Information security materials with multistate switching are designed. Photonic paper, as a crucial branch of the research of structural color materials, has attracted considerable attention. Herein, innovative large-area water rewriteable double-inverse opal (WRDIO) film with ultrafast response time (∼0.8 s) and robust writing capability is fabricated by introducing polyacrylamide gel into the double-inverse opal. The hydrophilic nature of the polyacrylamide gel can induce water to quickly penetrate the internal pores of the inverted opal backbone. Simultaneously, the randomly distributed polystyrene microspheres within the pores become ordered under the action of liquid buoyancy, which eliminates the scattering disturbance and makes the film switch to the structural color state. Importantly, the as-prepared WRDIO film can be erased and rewritten over 500 cycles without significantly reducing the color quality. Besides, the retention time of the written marks can be controlled by writing using water pens with different water outputs. Interestingly, responsive spatio-temporal colorful patterns could be achieved based on the different volatilities of written marks. Furthermore, advanced optical anti-counterfeiting material with multistate switching for information security is prepared based on controlled wettability. Given these superior properties, this novel WRDIO film provides a new solution for future applications of rewriteable paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Double-inverse-opal photonic crystals are used to construct water-response films. • Rapidly responsive time and brilliant structural color are obtained. • The response mechanism achieved by water stimuli is demonstrated. • A highly invisible pattern revealed by water response is designed. • A facile and visual sensor to detect water in an ethanol-rich mixture is proposed. The construction of novel photonic structures renders the possibility for creating stimuli-responsive functional materials. Herein, innovative water-response double-inverse opal (WRDIO) films with fast response time and brilliant structural color are first fabricated by introducing polystyrene microspheres into the inverse-opal backbone. The deprotonation of carboxyl groups generated by sodium carbonate treatment in the inverse-opal backbone inhibits the formation of hydrogen bonds among the polymer chains and the exposed carboxyl anions lead to hydrophilicity, which is conducive to the penetration of water into the internal pores. The response is achieved by inducing the polystyrene spheres within the pores from random distribution to the ordered assembly in the water environment, thus eliminating the scattering disturbance and developing bright structural color. Meanwhile, WRDIO film with a highly invisible pattern revealed by water stimuli is prepared. Furthermore, the content of carboxylic anions in the polymer affects the optical behavior and the increased osmotic pressure caused by high-proportioned carboxylic anions makes the WRDIO film swelled rapidly by water, whereas ethanol cannot. The broad-spectrum shifting (≈92 nm) depends on the composition of the ethanol-water mixture. Thus, the rapidly water-response and easy-to-use film materials with brilliant structural color exhibit potential applications in user-interactive anti-counterfeiting and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel interactively mechanochromic electronic textile sensor has firstly been proposed. • The sensor demonstrates negative electrical response and simultaneous mechanochromism upon stretching. • The sensor exhibits rapid and durable electrical/optical response. • The sensor shows bright structural colors, enhanced toughness and excellent mechanical resilience. • The sensor can be used as interactive wearable devices for monitoring various human joint movements. Textile-based electronic devices are significant components of emerging wearable electronics. However, the current textile-based electronics are limited by single electrical signal input/output, and unable to be visualized directly by human eyes, restricting their diverse applications in visualized human-interactive electronics. Here, we develop a series of novel interactively mechanochromic electronic textile (MET) sensors for visualized stretchable electronics. The MET sensors are based on the ingenious coupling of new supramolecular photonic elastomers (PEs) with hierarchical-fiber-structured conductive polyester textiles (CPTs). Benefiting from their semi-embedded structures, the MET sensors demonstrate not only distinct negative electrical response but also simultaneous mechanochromic capability upon stretching, via reconstructing conductive paths and adjusting the lattice spacing of the photonic crystals. Notably, the MET sensors exhibit bright structural colors, enhanced toughness (35.6 kJ m−3), excellent mechanical resilience, fast optical/electrical response (≈0.30 s) and recovery speed (≈0.22 s). Most importantly, the structural colors and electrical responses of the MET sensors remain constant even after 30,000 stretching/releasing cycles, showing outstanding mechanical stability, reliability, and excellent durability. Based on these merits, the MET sensors are used as visually interactive wearable devices for monitoring human joint movements in real time. This research provides a general platform for achieving visualized interaction of the electronic textiles, which shows great prospects in wearable devices, human–machine interfaces, and soft robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical discoloration and non-discoloration materials have received intensive interest and have been strongly developed over the past few years for anti-counterfeiting, sensing, and packaging. However, the fabrication of mechanical response materials with both angle-dependent and angle-independent structural colors remains challenges. Large-area mechanochromic bilayer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film with both angle-dependent and angle-independent structural colors have been prepared by using bottom-up bar-coating. The long-range disordered and short-range ordered polystyrene (PS) nanoarrays give the bilayer film angle-independent structural color. Meanwhile, the surface wrinkling triggered by stretching generates angle-dependent structural color. Moreover, PS nanoarray cracks and surface wrinkles caused by tensile increase the scattering effect of the bilayer film and decrease the transmittance of the light. Importantly, pressure-induced surface structure rearrangements can deprive wrinkling behavior. The pressure-encoded invisible complex information can be displayed reversibly by stretching. It has potential application value in complex information coding, display, and smart window. [Display omitted] • The bilayer large-area structure color film can be easily and quickly prepared by using bottom-up bar-coating. • The rigid PS nanoarrays show non-discoloration and the wrinkles display discoloration during the straining process. • The bilayer film has both angle-dependent and angle-independent structural colors. • We confirmed that pressure-induced surface structure rearrangements can deprive wrinkling behavior. • PS nanoarray cracks and wrinkles caused by tensile increase the scattering effect of the bilayer film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• QDs exposure induces elevated autophagy and decrease sperm production in testis. • QD-induced autophagy inhibits DSBs repair by inhibiting HR pathway. • Autophagy inhibition alleviates spermatogenesis dysfunction caused by QDs. Recent researches have demonstrated that many nanoparticles are harmful to spermatogenesis. However, the reported nanoparticles -elicited testicular pathologies have been mostly confined to hormone levels and sperm quality and quantity, the detail mechanism is still largely unknown and the strategies to reduce the toxicity of nanoparticles on testis are lacking. Here, we found that CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) exposure impair double-strand break (DSB) repair in spermatocyte, leading to the disruption of meiotic progression and thus cell apoptosis and decreased sperm production. Furthermore, we found that QDs exposure elevates the autophagy. Crucially, both in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that elevated autophagy could down-regulate the expression of the genes responsible for homologous recombination, which is the main pathway for DSB repair during meiosis, indicating that spermatogenesis impairment by CdSe/ZnS QDs is mediated by autophagy. Consequently, injection of autophagy inhibitor (3-MA) restore DSB repair in spermatocytes, resulting in prevention of spermatocyte apoptosis and recovery of spermatogenesis. Our studies strongly indicate that autophagy is key for eliciting the spermatogenesis dysfunction after nanoparticle exposure, and autophagy inhibition can be used as a potential clinical remedy for alleviating the male reproductive toxicity of nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificially constructed noniridescent structural colors originating from the coherent scattering of visible light have attracted widespread interest and show great potential in color-related fields. In this paper, the vivid noniridescent structural colors on white fabric with robust structural stability are fabricated by a fast screen printing technique and it is easy to achieve large-scale production and multi-color pattern output with a multistep printing process. The obtained noniridescent structural colors on various substrates have high color visibility. Meanwhile, polyacrylate (PA) as the waterborne adhesive in the printing paste system greatly enhances structural stability, which is subsequently confirmed by laundering and rubbing tests. The innovative and environmentally friendly dyeing technology exhibits great potential applications in textile coloring and other color-related fields. • A green coloring method based on fast screen printing technology. • Large-scale production and multi-color pattern output. • The great potential of industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Does the morphological quality on Day 3 influence the pregnancy outcomes of euploid blastocysts?, Summary Answer: The morphological quality on Day 3 affects the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) of low-quality euploid blastocysts., What Is Known Already: The morphological grading of Day 3 embryos affects the pregnancy outcome of cleavage-stage embryos and is an excellent indicator to predict embryo development potential. However, it is still unclear whether morphological quality on Day 3 is associated with pregnancy outcomes of the euploid blastocyst., Study Design, Size, Duration: This retrospective cohort study comprised 1275 patients who received single euploid blastocyst transfer between January 2016 and August 2021 at a tertiary teaching hospital., Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Patients were grouped into two groups according to the morphological grading on Day 3 of transferred blastocysts: high-quality (HQ, including Grades I and II) Day 3 embryos and low-quality (LQ, Grade III) Day 3 embryos. The primary outcomes were CPR and LBR. Interactions of development days (Day 5 and Day 6) and morphological quality (high- and low-quality) of blastocysts with morphological quality of Day 3 embryos on pregnancy outcomes were tested in the stratified analysis and logistic regression models. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the independent effect of the morphological quality of Day 3 embryos on pregnancy outcomes after adjusting for potentially confounding factors., Main Results and the Role of Chance: The CPR and LBR of the HQ Day 3 embryos group were statistically higher than those of the LQ Day 3 embryos group (CPR: 59.73% versus 49.70%, respectively, P = 0.015; LBR: 49.73% versus 41.21%, respectively, P = 0.041). The development days of blastocysts did not exhibit a multiplicative interaction with the morphological quality of Day 3 embryos on the CPR (P for interaction = 0.648) and LBR (P for interaction = 0.925). The morphological quality of blastocysts exhibits a multiplicative interaction with the morphological quality of Day 3 embryos on the CPR (P for interaction = 0.020) and LBR (P for interaction = 0.012). After adjusting for potential confounders, the HQ Day 3 embryo group was positively associated with the CPR (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.10, 95% CI: 1.31-3.36, P = 0.002) and LBR (aOR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.20-3.25, P = 0.008) of LQ blastocysts. However, the morphological quality on Day 3 was not significantly associated with the CPR (aOR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.58-1.55, P = 0.835) and LBR (aOR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.53-1.40, P = 0.550) of HQ blastocysts., Limitations, Reasons for Caution: Selection and confounding bias introduced by the retrospective design cannot be completely eliminated in this study, although multivariable logistic analysis was conducted to adjust for potential confounders. Also, some subgroups had small sample sizes, which may reduce statistical power. Moreover, participants in our study only received single euploid blastocyst transfer, and whether the results could apply to blastocysts with unknown ploidy status is unclear., Wider Implications of the Findings: This study found that the morphological quality on Day 3 was significantly associated with the CPR and LBR of LQ blastocysts; Therefore, when only LQ euploid blastocysts are available for transfer, blastocysts derived from HQ Day 3 embryos are recommended., Study Funding/competing Interest(s): No external funding was obtained. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., Trial Registration Number: N/A., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Disheveled, EGL-10, and pleckstrin (DEP) domain-containing protein 5 (DEPDC5) is a component of GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity toward the RAG complex 1 (GATOR1) protein, which is an inhibitor of the amino acid-sensing branch of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. GATOR1 complex variations were reported to correlate with familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (FFEVF). With the wide application of whole exome sequencing (WES), more and more variations in DEPDC5 were uncovered in FFEVF families., Methods: A family with a proband diagnosed with familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (FFEVF) was involved in this study. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed in the proband, and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the variation carrying status of the family members. Mini-gene splicing assay was performed to validate the effect on the alternative splicing of the variation., Results: A novel variant, c.1217 + 2T>A, in DEPDC5 was identified by WES in the proband. This splicing variant that occurred at the 5' end of intron 17 was confirmed by mini-gene splicing assays, which impacted alternative splicing and led to the inclusion of an intron fragment. The analysis of the transcribed mRNA sequence indicates that the translation of the protein is terminated prematurely, which is very likely to result in the loss of function of the protein and lead to the occurrence of FFEVF., Conclusion: The results suggest that c.1217 + 2T>A variations in DEPDC5 might be the genetic etiology for FFEVF in this pedigree. This finding expands the genotype spectrum of FFEVF and provides new etiological information for FFEVF., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wang, Niu, Shi, Bao, Liu, Lu and Sun.)

Photonic crystal-based ethanol concentration indicators with rapid response and brilliant structural color output definitely take a place in colorimetric sensors. Here, based on the H-bond-regulated swelling of acrylate shape memory polymers (SMPs) and the solvent-induced structural color change of the double inverse opal photonic crystals (DIOPCs), new-type photonic crystals (PCs) colorimetric indicators were constructed, exhibiting a span of maximum reflection wavelength (λ max ) up to ∼166 nm in response to alcohols with concentrations from 0 to 100 vol %. DIOPC indicators (DIOPCIs) show a rapid response to alcohols (<1.5 s) and output different structural colors (covering from blue to red). The colorimetric sensing mechanism includes the solvent-triggered recovery of the inverse opal skeleton, the cosolvency effect and H-bonds induced swelling/shrinkage of the polymer, the phase separation between polystyrene (PS) microsphere and polymer skeleton, and the light diffraction of DIOPCs. While ensuring a larger λ max span by regulating the H-bond interactions in polymer chains through acrylamide (AAm), AAm-modified DIOPCIs are sensitive to some specific ethanol concentrations. The real-time sensing of ethanol concentration during fermentation verified the practicability of DIOPCIs, thus establishing a visual model between structural color and corresponding fermentation kinetics. We envisage that the DIOPCIs will contribute to the intelligentization of the alcoholic fermentation and distillation industry.

Flocculants are crucial agents in wastewater treatment because they can remove oppositely charged impurities effectively and swiftly. However, flocculation also inevitably causes secondary contamination due to the residual properties, nonreusability, and nondegradability of traditional flocculant molecules. Herein, an ecofriendly starch-based flocculant, i.e., 2,4-bis(dimethylamino)-[1,3,5]-triazine-6-starch, was synthesized via a preactivation-etherification strategy. The large molecular weight property of the flocculant produced by this method enhances the intermolecular hydrophobic association, achieving complete phase separation of all flocculant molecules from water and residue-free flocculation for the first time. Importantly, a large molecular weight tertiary amine starch-based flocculant (LMTS) exhibits a remarkable flocculation capacity of over 1800 mg·g -1 for dye wastewater, which is significantly higher than that of traditional polyacrylamide and polyaluminum chloride flocculants. Furthermore, the LMTS flocculant could be recycled by pH adjustment, and its structural stability ensured sustained reusability. This high-performance residue-free biomass-based flocculant offers a green advance for wastewater treatment.

Purpose: Providing feasible preimplantation genetic testing strategies for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) for prevention and control of genetic cancers., Methods: Inclusion of families with a specific pathogenic mutation or a clear family history of genetic cancers. Identification of the distribution of hereditary cancer-related mutations in families through genetic testing. After a series of assisted reproductive measures such as down-regulation, stimulation, egg retrieval, and in vitro fertilization, a biopsy of trophectoderm cells from a blastocyst was performed for single-cell level whole-genome amplification (WGA). Then, the detection of chromosomal aneuploidies was performed by karyomapping. Construction of a haplotype-based linkage analysis to determine whether the embryo carries the mutation. Meanwhile, we performed CNV testing. Finally, embryos can be selected for transfer, and the results will be verified in 18-22 weeks after pregnancy., Results: Six couples with a total of 7 cycles were included in our study. Except for cycle 1 of case 5 which did not result in a transferable embryo, the remaining 6 cycles produced transferable embryos and had a successful pregnancy. Four couples have had amniotic fluid tests to confirm that the fetus does not carry the mutation, while 1 couple was not tested due to insufficient pregnancy weeks. And the remaining couples had to induce labor due to fetal megacystis during pregnancy., Conclusion: Our strategy has been proven to be feasible. It can effectively prevent transmission of hereditary cancer-related mutations to offspring during the prenatal stage., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Currently, owing to the limitations of high-throughput sequencing depth and the allele dropout caused by the whole-genome amplification, detection of chromosomal variants in embryos with CNVs <5 Mb is unsatisfactory at the single-cell level using only conventional sequencing methods. Therefore, here we aimed to use a strategy of preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic (PGT-M) to compensate for the shortcomings of conventional sequencing methods. The purpose of this study is to report the effectiveness of haplotype linkage analysis by karyomapping for preimplantation diagnosis microdeletion diseases., Methods: Six couples carrying chromosomal microdeletions associated with X-linked ichthyosis were recruited, and all couples entered the PGT process. Multiple displacement amplification (MDA) method was used to amplify the whole-genome DNA of trophectoderm cells. Then karyomapping based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was used for haplotype linkage analysis to detect alleles carrying microdeletions, and CNVs of embryos were identified to determine euploid identity. Amniotic fluid tests were performed in the second trimester to verify the PGT-M results., Results: All couples were tested for chromosomal microdeletions, with deletion fragments ranging in size from 1.60 to 1.73 Mb, and one partner in each couple did not carry the microdeletion. Three couples successfully underwent PGT-M assisted conception and obtained healthy live births., Conclusion: This study shows that haplotype linkage analysis by karyomapping could effectively detect the carrier status of embryos with microdeletions at the single-cell level. This approach may be applied to the preimplantation diagnosis of various chromosomal microvariation diseases., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the cut-off value of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) combined with body mass index (BMI) in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM)., Methods: This retrospective study included 15,970 patients: 3775 women with PCOS, 2879 women with PCOM, and 9316 patients as controls. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for AMH. We randomly divided the patients into two data sets. In dataset 1, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to analyze the accuracy of basic AMH levels in diagnosing PCOS and PCOM. The optimal cut-off value was calculated in dataset 1 and validated in dataset 2, expressed as sensitivity and specificity., Results: In the PCOS group, obese patients had the lowest AMH levels, while underweight patients had the highest AMH level (P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, the ratio of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), serum testosterone level, and BMI, AMH was an independent predictor of PCOS and PCOM. In the group with BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 , the optimistic AMH cut-off value was 5.145 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 84.3% and specificity of 89.1%, whereas in the BMI ≥ 28 kg/m 2 group, the optimistic AMH cut-off value was 3.165 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 88.7% and specificity of 74.6%. For the BMI range categories of 18.5-24, 24.0-28 kg/m 2 , the optimistic AMH cut-off values were 4.345 ng/mL and 4.115 ng/mL, respectively. The tendency that the group with lower weight corresponded to higher AMH cut-off values was also applicable to PCOM. In the same BMI category, patients with PCOM had a lower AMH diagnosis threshold than those with PCOS (< 18.5 kg/m 2 , 5.145 vs. 4.3 ng/mL; 18.5-24 kg/m 2 , 4.345 vs. 3.635 ng/mL; 24.0-28 kg/m 2 , 4.115 vs. 3.73 ng/mL; ≥ 28 kg /m 2 , 3.165 vs. 3.155 ng/mL). These cut-off values had a good diagnostic efficacy in the validation dataset. Based on different phenotypes and severity of ovulation disorders, the distribution of AMH in PCOS were also significantly different (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: AMH is a potential diagnostic indicator of PCOS and is adversely associated with BMI. The AMH cut-off value for diagnosing PCOS was significantly higher than that for PCOM., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of abnormal semen parameters on embryo aneuploidy based on single nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP array)., Methods: A total of 464 blastocysts from 103 PGT-A cycles were analyzed. The embryo quality and embryo aneuploidy rates were compared between different groups which divided by male semen parameters (sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and DFI) according the WHO criteria (2021)., Results: The total blastocysts chromosome aneuploidy rate was 42.3% (191/452). In the teratozoospermia group, the good-quality embryo and blastocyst formation rate were lower than the normal group(44.4% vs 60.7%, P <0.01; 33.3% vs 43.5%, P <0.05), The good-quality embryo rate in normal DFI group was significantly higher than high-DFI group (59.0% vs 48.4%, P < 0.05). The blastocyst aneuploidy rate in low sperm concentration group, and high DFI group was no differences between with that in normal sperm concentration and DFI group (47.7% vs 37.8% and 44.7% vs 37.8%, P>0.05). The aneuploid rate of blastocyst in teratozoospermic and asthenozoospermia group was significantly higher than that of normal morphology and motility group (50.0% vs 34.0% and 46.7% vs 33.7%, P<0.05)., Conclusion: Our study revealed that sperm DFI were positively correlated with blastocyst aneuploidy rate, while sperm motility and sperm morphology rate were negatively correlated with blastocyst aneuploidy rate. Abnormal semen parameters may affect embryo quality and increase the aneuploidy rate of blastocyst chromosomes, suggesting that in clinical practice of assisted reproduction patients with abnormal semen parameters can be treated in advance to improve sperm quality, so as to reduce the impact on embryo quality and achieve a better pregnancy outcome., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Yang, Liu, Niu, Yang, Wang, Jin and Li.)

Background: Pneumonia represents a public health problem of substantial health and economic burden. However, the evidence on the burden of adult pneumonia is limited in China., Methods: The China Kadoorie Biobank recruited 512,725 participants aged 30-79 years from five urban and five rural areas during 2004-2008. The current analyses included 506,086 participants who were alive in 2009. Pneumonia hospitalizations were ascertained through the health insurance system until December 31, 2017. Generalized linear models were used to examine the secular trends and regional and population variations in pneumonia hospitalization rate, mean length of hospital stay (LOS), and 30-day case fatality rate (CFR)., Findings: A total of 27,879 participants with 36,567 pneumonia hospitalizations were identified with a mean follow-up time of 8·9 years. The unadjusted hospitalization rate was 8·4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8·3, 8·6) per 1000 person-years, with an increase of 15·5% annually from 4·2 (3·9, 4·4) in 2009 to 10·9 (10·6, 11·3) in 2017, after adjusting for age, sex, study area. The mean LOS was 8·8 (95% CI: 8·7, 8·9) days, with a slight decrease of 1·0% annually from 2009 to 2017. The average 30-day CFR remained practically unchanged at 2·4 (95% CI: 2·2, 2·5) deaths per 100 admissions. A clear seasonal pattern of pneumonia hospitalization rate was observed, and the hospitalization rate and CFR differed across regions and subpopulations of different ages and underlying conditions., Interpretation: There was an increasing hospitalization burden of pneumonia in Chinese adults, especially for adults aged ≥60 years or those with underlying conditions., Funding: The National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Kadoorie Charitable Foundation, the National Key R&D Program of China, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology., Translated Abstract in Chinese: This translation in Chinese was submitted by the authors and we reproduce it as supplied. It has not been peer reviewed. Our editorial processes have only been applied to the original abstract in English, which should serve as reference for this manuscript. : , ., . : (China Kadoorie Biobank)2004-2008555030-79.506,086200911.20091120171231.,30,. : 8.9, 27,879, 36,567.8.4 (95% CI:8.3, 8.6)/1000, ,, 20094.2 (3.9, 4.4)201710.9 (10.6, 11.3), 15.5%.8.8(95% CI:8.7, 8.9), 1.0%.30, 2.4(95% CI:2.2, 2.5)/100.;,, 30. : , ≥60., Competing Interests: We declare that we have no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Objective: To carry out preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) for a couple where the husband was affected by osteogenesis imperfecta combined with balanced translocation using the karyomapping technique., Methods: Blastocysts were detected using karyomapping, the carrier status of COL1A1 c.760G>A (p.Gly254Arg) variant and the carrier status of the translocated chromosome were analyzed simultaneously., Results: For a total of 10 blastocysts, two euploid blastocysts were found to not carry the COL1A1 c.760G>A (p.Gly254Arg) variant but a balanced translocation. After transplanting one of the blastocysts, clinical pregnancy was achieved. Amniocentesis at 18th gestational week and prenatal genetic testing was in keeping with the result of PGT.A healthy female was born at 40+4 weeks gestation., Conclusion: For patients simultaneously carrying genetic variant and balanced chromosomal translocation, PGT can be performed with efficiency by the use of karyomapping method.

Objective: To explore the genetic etiology for a fetus with congenital orofacial cleft., Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP array) was carried out on skin tissues sampled from the fetus following induced abortion for the detection of copy number variation (CNVs). Pathogenicity of the candidate gene was validated through experiment., Results: SNP array revealed that the fetus has carried a hemizygous 9.23Mb deletion at Xq21.31-q22.1(91 063 807-100 293 555), which was inherited from its mother. The region contained 13 OMIM genes and 1 ncRNA coding gene(MIR548M). Inhibiting of the expression of the MIR548M gene in oral epithelial celllines has resulted in up-regulation of the expression of SUMO1 gene which was known to involve in the pathogenesis of orofacial cleft., Conclusion: Dosage insufficiency of the MIR548M gene may underlie the etiology of orofacial cleft in this fetus.

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between elevated maternal body mass index (BMI) and foetal chromosomal aberrations by performing single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array-based genetic testing on products of conception (POC)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data for 1068 assisted reproductive technology (ART)-conceived POC originated from 1068 patients with early spontaneous miscarriage. First, all types of chromosomal abnormalities were defined. Then, the baseline characteristics, including maternal age, BMI, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), gestational age, fertilization method, reasons for fertility treatment, embryo transfer (ET) cycle, stage of embryo development and the embryo morphology grade, were compared between chromosomally normal and abnormal POC groups. Finally, a multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyse various factors affecting the foetal chromosomal abnormality rate., Results: The SNP array results showed that 45.3% (484/1068) of POC were chromosomally normal and that 54.7% (584/1068) of POC presented chromosomal abnormalities. Of these 584 chromosomally abnormal POC, 388 (66.4%) were trisomy, 42 (7.2%) had a monosomy, 68 (11.6%) were found with segmental aneuploidy, 46 (7.9%) were mosaic, 28 (4.8%) were identified as polyploidy and 12 (2.1%) were euploid samples with uniparental disomy (UPD). Multivariate logistic regression results showed that the risk of miscarrying chromosomally abnormal POC increased 1.424-fold in women with normal BMI compared to women with an elevated BMI (≥ 25 kg/m 2 ) (OR = 1.424, 95% CI = 1.074-1.888, p = 0.014)., Conclusion: Women with an elevated BMI (≥ 25 kg/m 2 ) are more likely to miscarry chromosomally normal POC.

Background: To assess whether preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy with next generation sequencing (NGS) outweighs single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array in improving clinical outcomes., Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent PGT-A treatment in a single center from January 2013 to December 2017.A total of 1418 couples who underwent PGT-A treatment were enrolled, of which 805 couples used NGS for PGT-A, while the remaining 613 couples used SNP array for PGT-A. Clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and healthy baby rate were compared between the MALBAC-NGS-PGT-A and MDA-SNP-PGT-A groups., Results: After testing karyotypes of 5771 biopsied blastocysts, 32.2% (1861/5771) were identified as chromosomally normal, while 67.8% were chromosomally abnormal. In terms of clinical outcomes, women in the MALBAC-NGS-PGT-A group had a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate (50.5% vs 41.7%, p = 0.002) and healthy baby rate (39.6% vs 31.4%, p = 0.003), and a lower miscarriage rate (15.5% vs 22.8%, p = 0.036)., Conclusion: This is the largest study reporting the extensive application of NGS-based PGT-A, whilst comparing the clinical outcomes of MALBAC-NGS-PGT-A and MDA-SNP-PGT-A. The results provide greater evidence supporting the wider use of NGS in PGT-A, not only for its lower cost but also for its improved clinical outcomes compared to SNP-based PGT-A.

Background: Balanced complex chromosome rearrangements (BCCR) are balanced chromosomal structural aberrations that involve two or more chromosomes and at least three breakpoints. It is very rare in the population. The objective is to explore the difference of influence of three types of BCCR on early embryonic development and molecular karyotype., Results: Twelve couples were recruited including four couples of three-way rearrangements carriers (group A), three couples of double two-way translocations carriers (group B) and five couples of exceptional CCR carriers (group C). A total of 243 oocytes were retrievedin the seventeen preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) cycles, and 207 of these were available for fertilization. After intracytoplasmic sperm injection, 181oocytes normally fertilized. The rates of embryos forming on day3 in three groups were 87.88, 97.78 and77.14%, which was significantly different (P = 0.01). Compared with group B, the rate of embryo formation was statistically significantly lower in group C (P = 0.01). Furthermore, the rates of high-quality blastocysts in three group were 14.71, 48.15 and 62.96%, respectively, which was significantly different (P = 0.00). Compared with group B andC, the rate of high-quality blastocysts in group A was statistically significantly lower (P = 0.00;P = 0.00). Comprehensive chromosome analysis was performed on 83 embryos, including 75 trophectodermcellsand 8 blastomeres. Except 7 embryos failed to amplify, 9.01%embryos were diagnosed as euploidy, and 90.91% were diagnosed as abnormal. As for group A, the euploid embryo rate was 10.71%and the abnormal embryo rate was 89.29%. In group B,the euploid embryo rate was 3.85%, the abnormal embryo rate was 96.15%. The euploid embryo rate was 13.04%, the abnormal embryo rate was 86.96% in group C. There were no significant differences among the three groups (P = 0.55)., Conclusions: The lowest rate of high quality blastocysts has been for three-way rearrangements and the lowest rate of euploidy has been for double two-way translocations, although no significant difference. Different types of BCCR maybe have little effect on the embryonic molecular karyotype. The difference of influence of BCCR on early embryonic developmentandmolecular karyotypeshould be further studied.

Surface property that strongly affects physical and chemical performances of inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) is a key enabler for NCs applications. Here, we report a facile, versatile and general strategy for reactive removal of NCs surface ligands based on electrophilic substitution reaction, in which an electrophile directly reacts with the electron-rich coordinating headgroup of surface-tethered ligands to form a non-coordinating product. This process leads to the break of NC-ligand bond, thereby achieving reactive removal of surface ligands. Based on this strategy, various hydrophobic NCs with different compositions and morphologies can be transferred into polar and hydrophilic media while preserving their size and shape. More importantly, the treated NCs present a great improvement in catalytic and biological performances in comparison with the untreated counterparts. This work not only provides a versatile ligand removal strategy for NCs surface modification but also opens up more opportunities for applications in the fields of electronics, catalysis and biotechnology.

Upon fertilization, drastic chromatin reorganization occurs during preimplantation development 1 . However, the global chromatin landscape and its molecular dynamics in this period remain largely unexplored in humans. Here we investigate chromatin states in human preimplantation development using an improved assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) 2 . We find widespread accessible chromatin regions in early human embryos that overlap extensively with putative cis-regulatory sequences and transposable elements. Integrative analyses show both conservation and divergence in regulatory circuitry between human and mouse early development, and between human pluripotency in vivo and human embryonic stem cells. In addition, we find widespread open chromatin regions before zygotic genome activation (ZGA). The accessible chromatin loci are readily found at CpG-rich promoters. Unexpectedly, many others reside in distal regions that overlap with DNA hypomethylated domains in human oocytes and are enriched for transcription factor-binding sites. A large portion of these regions then become inaccessible after ZGA in a transcription-dependent manner. Notably, such extensive chromatin reorganization during ZGA is conserved in mice and correlates with the reprogramming of the non-canonical histone mark H3K4me3, which is uniquely linked to genome silencing 3-5 . Taken together, these data not only reveal a conserved principle that underlies the chromatin transition during mammalian ZGA, but also help to advance our understanding of epigenetic reprogramming during human early development and in vitro fertilization.

Reciprocal translocations (RecT) and Robertsonian translocations (RobT) are among the most common chromosomal abnormalities that cause infertility and birth defects. Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy using comprehensive chromosome screening for in vitro fertilization enables embryo selection with balanced chromosomal ploidy; however, it is normally unable to determine whether an embryo is a translocation carrier. Here we report a method named "Mapping Allele with Resolved Carrier Status" (MaReCs), which enables chromosomal ploidy screening and resolution of the translocation carrier status of the same embryo. We performed MaReCs on 108 embryos, of which 96 were from 13 RecT carriers and 12 were from three RobT carriers. Thirteen of the sixteen patients had at least one diploid embryo. We have confirmed the accuracy of our carrier status determination in amniotic fluid karyotyping of seven cases as well as in the live birth we have thus far. Therefore, MaReCs accurately enables the selection of translocation-free embryos from patients carrying chromosomal translocations. We expect MaReCs will help reduce the propagation of RecT/RobT in the human population., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: S.L. and X.S.X. are cofounders and shareholders of Yikon Genomics Company, Ltd. Z.Z., Y. Gao, W.L., S.B., M.H., and J.R. receive research funding from Yikon Genomics Company, Ltd.

Purpose: We reviewed the influence of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation in patients with poor ovarian response (POR) undergoing in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI)., Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library (1980-2015) for relevant papers and used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale scoring system to evaluate study quality. Dichotomous data were expressed as pooled relative risk (RR) estimates with fixed or random effect models. Continuous variables were expressed as the weighted mean difference (WMD). All data were analyzed using Revman Software v. 5 and are shown with 95 % confidence intervals (CI)., Results: Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. DHEA pretreatment increased the clinical pregnancy rate (RR 1.53, 95 % CI 1.25-1.86), live birth rate (RR 1.87, 95 % CI 1.22-2.88), implantation rate (RR 1.56, 95 % CI 1.20-2.01), and antral follicle count (WMD 0.4, 95 % CI 0.14 to 0.66) while reducing miscarriages (RR 0.50, 95 % CI 0.27-0.90). After subgroup analysis, oocyte numbers and anti-Müllerian hormone levels were also enhanced after DHEA treatment. However, the endometrial thickness and estradiol levels on the day of injecting hCG to induce ovulation were similar between the DHEA supplementation groups and controls., Conclusions: Based on the limited available evidence, DHEA supplementation seems to improve ovarian reserves and IVF/ICSI outcome in patients with POR. Further research is required to clarify the effect of DHEA exposure in assisted reproduction technology.