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Well-established surveillance and monitoring systems for respiratory viruses need to be improved, and epidemiological data on respiratory viruses in China are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of respiratory viruses among hospitalized children aged ≤2 years with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in Xiamen, China, from October 2014 to September 2017. The clinical records of 7,248 children hospitalized for ARTIs were retrospectively analyzed. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (22.3%) was the most common virus among hospitalized children aged ≤2 years, followed by parainfluenza (5.0%), adenovirus (3.5%), and influenza (1.7%). RSV-infected children had a higher disease burden, including a higher intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate (12.7%) and higher hospital charges ($635.36). Particularly, infants aged6 months had the highest risk of RSV infection (odds ratio = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.9-2.9) and a higher ICU admission rate (12.1% vs. 4.5%, 4.6%) and hospital cost ($923.3 vs. $785.5, $811.7) than the other age groups. Therefore, infants aged 0-6 months, particularly premature infants and children with congenital diseases, should receive more attention. There is an urgent need to develop effective immunization strategies to protect these infants during the first 6 months of life and in the RSV season.

Aim: To analyze the incidence and characteristics of cutaneous adverse events (CAEs) in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy. Methods: A total of 150 non-small-cell lung cancer patients under PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy from February 2018 to September 2021 were included and were followed up with regularly. Results: Over one-half of patients (88/150; 58.7%) had CAEs. Reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation, maculopapular rash and pruritus were the most common CAEs. The incidences of CAEs were 50.0 (18/36), 67.0 (50/75) and 51.3% (20/39) with PD-1 inhibitor monotherapy, PD-1 inhibitor in combination with chemotherapy and PD-1 inhibitor in combination with antivascular/targeted therapy, respectively. Conclusion: CAEs occur frequently in PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy but are generally tolerable.

Existing three-dimensional (3D) intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) systems that combine two electromagnetic (EM) motors to drive catheters are bulky and require considerable efforts to eliminate EM interference (EMI). Herein, we propose a new scanning method to realize 3D IVUS imaging using a helical ultrasonic motor to overcome the aforementioned issues. The ultrasonic motor with compact dimensions (7-mm outer diameter and 30-mm longitudinal length), lightweight (20.5 g), and free of EMI exhibits great application potential in mobile imaging devices. In particular, it can simultaneously perform rotary and linear motions, facilitating precise 3D scanning of an imaging catheter. Experimental results show that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of raw images obtained using the ultrasonic motor is 5.3 dB better than that of an EM motor. Moreover, the proposed imaging device exhibits the maximum rotary speed of 12.3 revolutions per second and the positioning accuracy of 2.6 μm at a driving voltage of 240 Vp-p. 3D wire phantom imaging and 3D tube phantom imaging are performed to evaluate the performance of the imaging device. Finally, the in vitro imaging of a porcine coronary artery demonstrates that the layered architecture of the vessel can be precisely identified while significantly increasing the SNR of the raw images.

Crest lines convey the inherent features of the shape. Mathematically Crest lines are described via extremes of the surface principal curvatures along their corresponding lines of curvature. In this study we used an automatic threshold estimation technique to estimate crest lines. We firstly computed the principal curvature and corresponding direction for each vertex in the mesh; then we computed the saliency value by a linear combination of the maximal absolute curvature and the absolute curvature difference; finally, we automatically determine the threshold to detect the crest lines according to the saliency value. For illustrative purpose, we demonstrated our method with several examples.

Sex-specific markers provide significant molecular basis for sex control breeding biotechnology to produce all-male or all-female fish in commercial breeding. Redtail catfish (Mystus wyckioides), one of the commercial bagrid catfishes distributed in Southeast Asian, which have a long sexual maturation period that can last 3-5 years and males have apparent growth advantage over females, but its sex determination system remains unknown. In this study, we first applied 2b-RAD-seq approach to identify three male-specific 2b-RAD-tags and one male heterogametic SNP locus and validated by blast to the genome survey sequences and PCR amplification in both wild and breeding populations. To get longer sex-specific region, we performed genome walking and obtained a 4,630 bp of Y-specific sequence and 4,581 bp of X-specific sequence from the 2b-RAD-tag ref189950 with 92.19% nucleotide identity between them. And 9,923 bp/3,935 bp of Y-specific sequences and 8,491 bp/5,172 bp of X-specific sequences were also identified with 77.49% and 57.07% nucleotide identity in ref208528 and ref210837, respectively. Subsequently, three different kinds of sex-specific primers with different length products were designed based on the detected highly sex differentiated regions and could be used to distinguish males and females both in wild and artificially bred populations. What is more, the X-specific fragment was discovered to produce the dosage effect association in females and in males. The data suggest that male heterogametic XX/XY sex determination system should exist in the redtail catfish. More significantly, the sex-specific markers are of great value to protect wild resources and improve the efficiency of all-male breeding practices for aquaculture in the redtail catfish.

Precise measurement of blood flow is of vital importance for studying cardiovascular disease. Current color Doppler methods can only obtain velocity component along the ultrasound beam and have poor accuracy. This study employs a novel vector Doppler based on the multi-angle compounding strategy to reconstruct the 2D flow field of complex models obtained from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD). By comparing the velocity estimation accuracy of different angle compounding numbers (n=1, 3, 5, and 7), it is found that 5 angles compounding is more robust for velocity estimation. In addition, this method has the ability to estimate the velocity vector of the complex flow field, even the vortex, in the carotid bifurcations. The simulation results show that vector Doppler using 5 angles compounding has the potential of visualizing complex blood flow and quantifying the variation of hemodynamic parameters.

Background Individuals with rare cytogenetic variants have contributed to our understanding of the genetics of sex chromosome and its disorders. Here, we report on a 23 years old man with a de novo 47,XX,+mar.ish der(Y)neo(Y)(pter-->p11.2::q11.23-->neo-->q11.23-->qter)(DYZ3-,SRY+,WCPY+) chromosome complement, accompanying with azoospermia and some of other clinical features suggestive of Klinefelter's Syndrome. The constitution of the patient was verified by GTG-banding, QFQ-banding, Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization and Polymerase Chain Reaction. Accordingly, we report the finding of a structurally abnormal chromosome Y with no detectable DYZ3 centromeric sequence and with no detection of AZF a, AZF b and AZF c, with clinical features suggestive of Klinefelter's Syndrome. This is the first reported case of Klinefelter's Syndrome involving a neocentromic Y among previously described cases with a neocentromere. Case presentation we report on a 23 years old man with a de novo 47,XX,+mar.ish der(Y)neo(Y)(pter-->p11.2::q11.23-->neo-->q11.23-->qter)(DYZ3-,SRY+,WCPY+) chromosome complement, accompanying with azoospermia and some of other clinical features suggestive of Klinefelter's Syndrome. The constitution of the patient was verified by GTG-banding, QFQ-banding, Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization FISH and Polymerase Chain Reaction PCR. Conclusions It can be inferred that a neocentromic Y is formed by identification of FISH, PCR and the fact that this markerof Y chromosome is present in 100% of peripheral blood cells and has been efficiently retained through cell divisions despite the absence of the endogenous cen­tromere region. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of Klinefelter's Syndrome involving a neocentromic Y among previously described cases with a neocentromere, which adds to the catalog of chromosomal aberrations. The present study not only improves the understanding of karyotype/phenotype relationships between neocentric marker Y chromosomes and KFS male infertility, but also supports the hypothesis that the combined application of molecular cytogenetic analysis might help to identify breakpoints, origins, and the constitution of the marker chromosomes.

Chemokine receptor cxcr4 and its ligand cxcl12 have evolved two paralogs in the teleost lineage. In this study, we have identified four duplicated cxcr4 and cxcl12 genes from hexaploid gibel carp, Carassius gibelio, respectively. Cgcxcr4bs and Cgcxcl12as were dynamically and differentially expressed in immune-related tissues, and significantly up-regulated in head kidney and spleen after crucian carp herpesvirus (CaHV) infection. Blocking Cxcr4/Cxcl12 axis by injecting AMD3100 brought more severe bleeding symptom and lower survival rate in CaHV-infected fish. AMD3100 treatment also suppressed the up-regulation of key antiviral genes in head kidney and spleen, and resulted in more acute replication of CaHV in vivo. Consistently, the similar suppression of up-regulated expression of key antiviral genes were also observed in CAB cells treated by AMD3100 after poly(I:C) stimulation. Finally, MAPK3 and JAK/STAT were identified as the possible pathways that CgCxcr4s and CgCxcl12s participate in to promote the antiviral response in vitro.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used as prognostic biomarkers in many types of cancer.We sought to establish an lncRNA signature to improve postoperative risk stratification for patients with localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).Based on the RNA-seq data of 444 stage I-III ccRCC tumours from The Cancer Genome Atlas project, we built a four-lncRNA-based classifier using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operation (LASSO) Cox regression model in 222 randomly selected samples (training set) and validated the classifier in the remaining 222 samples (internal validation set). We confirmed this classifier in an external validation set of 88 patients with stage I-III ccRCC from a Japan cohort and using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in another three independent sets that included 1869 patients from China with stage I-III ccRCC.Univariable and multivariable Cox regression, Harrell's concordance index (c-index), and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the association of the classifier with overall survival, disease-specific survival, and disease-free survival.Using the LASSO Cox regression model, we built a classifier named RCClnc4 based on four lncRNAs: ENSG00000255774, ENSG00000248323, ENSG00000260911, and ENSG00000231666. In the RNA-seq and RT-PCR data sets, the RCClnc4 signature significantly stratified patients into high-risk versus low-risk groups in terms of clinical outcome across and within subpopulations and remained as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analyses (hazard ratio range, 1.34 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.03-1.75; p=0.028] to 1.89 [95% CI, 1.55-2.31; p0.001]) after adjusting for clinical and pathologic factors. The RCClnc4 signature achieved a higher accuracy (mean c-index, 0.72) than clinical staging systems such as TNM (mean c-index, 0.62) and the stage, size, grade, and necrosis (SSIGN) score (mean c-index, 0.64), currently reported prognostic signatures and biomarkers for the estimation of survival. When integrated with clinical characteristics, the composite clinical and lncRNA signature showed improved prognostic accuracy in all data sets (TNM + RCClnc4 mean c-index, 0.75; SSIGN + RCClnc4 score mean c-index, 0.75). The RCClnc4 classifier was able to identify a clinically significant number of both high-risk stage I and low-risk stage II-III patients.The RCClnc4 classifier is a promising and potential prognostic tool in predicting the survival of patients with stage I-III ccRCC. Combining the lncRNA classifier with clinical and pathological parameters allows for accurate risk assessment in guiding clinical management.The RCClnc4 classifier could facilitate patient management and treatment decisions.

Longsnout catfish (Leiocassis longirostris), an important commercial fish in China, shows significant sexual size dimorphism. However, the sex determination system and mechanism of longsnout catfish remain unknown. In this study, an effective protocol of artificial gynogenesis using heterologous sperm was successfully developed and male heterogametic XX/XY sex determination system was revealed in longsnout catfish. Subsequently, sex-specific markers were developed based on isolated homologous X-specific and Y-specific sequences by 2b-RAD sequencing and PCR amplification. Finally, the Y-specific and XY-shared primers were developed and validated in a full-sib family, a gynogenetic population and two local populations, which further verify the sex determination system. Therefore, this study not only reveals XX/XY sex determination system in longsnout catfish, but also provides applicable sex-specific markers for production of all-male population for aquaculture in the future.

High-density genetic linkage map based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are essential for fine mapping of QTLs and identification of trait-related genes in aquaculture fish species. In this study, the first high-density genetic linkage map of red-tail catfish (Hemibagrus wyckioides) based on 2b-RAD sequencing technology was constructed using one F1 family composed of 165 offspring and their parents. A total of 2369 SNP markers were assigned to 29 linkage groups (LGs) and the map spanned 2067.35 cM with an average SNP marker interval of 0.87 cM and genome coverage of 98.16%. QTL mapping analysis revealed that 2 significant and 15 suggestive QTLs for all four morphometric traits were identified on 10 LGs, explaining 7.4–13.3% of phenotypic variations. Some candidate growth-related genes such as ttc39b, lrp1, gng3, aspp2, mgp and rusc2 were identified within QTL intervals, and a SNP in ttc39b was found to be significantly associated with body weight in different genetically unrelated populations of red-tail catfish. In addition, one genome-wide significance sex-related QTL was detected on the LG20 with a contribution to phenotypic variation of 44.2–85.7%. A total of 10 potential sex dimorphic genes, such as vps54, tsg10, pld6, psmd8 and gpa33, were also identified within or near the sex QTL markers in LG20. It suggests that the LG20 may be a sex-related LG in red-tail catfish. This high-density genetic map not only enables us to fine-map these genes related with the economic traits, but also provides effective information for future marker-assisted selection and sex-control breeding in this species.

Identification of sex-specific markers and revealing of the sex determination system have important implications for sex control breeding in aquaculture. The zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus) mainly occurs in the Yangtze River and the Pearl River in China. An apparent sexual dimorphism in growth is observed, however, the sex determination mechanism is still unclear to date. In this study, two male-specific 2b-RAD tags and two SNPs were identified by 2b-RAD sequencing and verified by PCR amplification. Two female specific deletions with 281 bp and 4938 bp and a male-specific deletion with 156 bp were identified by sequence comparison between X-specific and Y-specific sequences obtained by genome walking from two 2b-RAD tags. Two sets of primers including Y-specific and XY-shared primers were designed based on these identified deletion regions to distinguish the genetic sex of zig-zag eel. The specificity of these primers was confirmed in 81 offspring of one F1 family. Furthermore, two male-specific SNP primers, which specifically amplify one band only in the males, were also designed. These data indicate that zig-zag eel possesses a male heterogametic XY sex determination system. The sex-specific markers presented here will have the potential to play an important role on the production of all-male populations of zig-zag eel for aquaculture in the future.

Sexual dimorphism is widespread in fish species. The red-tail catfish (Mystus wyckioides) is a commercially important catfish in the lower reaches of the Lancang River and the Mekong basin, and it shows a growth advantage in males. Here, RNA-seq was for the first time used to explore the gene expression difference between the sexes in the hypothalamus and pituitary of red-tail catfish, respectively. In the hypothalamus, 5732 and 271 unigenes have significantly higher and lower expressions, respectively, in males compared with females. KEGG analysis showed that 212 DEGs were annotated to 216 signaling pathways, and enrichment analysis suggested different levels of cAMP and glutamatergic synapse signaling between male and female hypothalami and some of the DEGs appear involved in gonad development and growth. In the pituitary, we found only 19 differentially expressed unigenes, which were annotated to 32 signaling pathways, most of which play important roles in gonad development.

With the development of the hardware in Chinese iron industry, scheduling technology is becoming key obstacles that hold back the further development in iron enterprise. And the scheduling theory about the process of steelmaking-continuous casting can’t fit the actual production. To improve this situation, we manage to develop the system the combine the editable Gantt chart and optimization models. On one hand, this system can use Gantt chart to show dispatcher real-time schedule and allow dispatcher reschedule on Gantt chart. On the other hand, the system can detect the change dispatcher made and use the optimization model to complete the whole schedule. In a word, this system takes advantage of the scheduling ability of dispatcher and the high speed calculation of computer to reschedule efficiently.

There is a serious security problem in the process of workpieces flipping, which restricts the increase of production capacity in manufacturing process of large workpieces applied in nuclear power equipment. The shapes and characteristics of flipping workpieces were analyzed; the general model of workpieces outer contour was established. The design goals of heavy castings and forgings cold-work turnover mechanism were formulated based on the requirements of turning process, then the basic constraint-face was build and the geometric constraint-model was uniformed. A novelty 3- DOF planar serial mechanism of heavy upender was proposed whose overall configuration consists of three movements, that is roll, mobile, folding turn, which can realize the double function of turning 90 ° and 180 ° of large workpiece as hollow cylindrical, conical and spherical crown three types. On this basis, the airbags-drived flipping worktable was designed; Topological optimization of flipping worktable was further conducted. Its key technology will provide useful ideas and references for the development of large heavy duty positioner and turnover machine with its other related equipment.

In the production process for large and heavy workpieces of Nuclear Islande equipment and Hydrogenation reactor, Turn is the important technics of the convergence of every technological process, and a direct impact on production efficiency and production safety and production quality. The researching and manufacturing of overloaded upender for large and heavy workpieces will effectively contribute to the improvement of the production capacity. The force model under maximum load conditions is established. The force of upender body in the eversion process is analyzed. The main drive torque formula for upender turnover is obtained. From the actual functioning of the overloaded upender for large and heavy workpieces, carring a maximum load, the upender flip process is dynamic simulation on ADAMS. After the results were compared with theoretical calculations showed that: the variation between the two is consistent. The main parameter for driving of upender is designed. By theoretical calculations confirming simulation with each other, in simulation model, the feasibility of using the contact vice for defining non-hinged rotation vice is verified. And a new solution is provided for adding non-hinged rotation vice constraints to a similar shstem dynamics model. In this paper work it has an engineering value for the design of large and heavy equipment.

We propose a new way of rewriting the two dimensional Euler equations and derive an original canonical characteristic relation based on the characteristic theory of hyperbolic systems. This relation contains the derivatives strictly along the bicharacteristic directions, and can be viewed as the 2D extension of the characteristic relation in 1D case.

Based on the bionics principle, this paper proposed the idea of bionic design of the spherical parallel shoulder joint integrated with the six-component force sensor. The static analysis of the 3-RRS mechanism, which can be taken as a prototype mechanism of shoulder joint of humanoid robot, was carried out. And the relationship figures between the forces and torques acted on each component and the pose of the mechanism were obtained. The measurement of the external load and driving torques, which was employed to judge operability of arm to the target object under arbitrary pose, was realized by introducing resistance measurement method in the mechanism. The bionic integration of the shoulder joint with six-component force sensor made arm has some functions such as to avoid overload and singular area voluntarily, and realize self-protection. The contents of this paper lay a foundation of compliant control of humanoid robot arm and have important significance and value in engineering.

Dispersion experiments were conducted to study the influence of metallic cations on the dispersibility of diaspore. The reaction mechanisms were investigated based on the analysis of zeta (ζ) potential and calculations of solution chemistry and DLVO theory. The results show that the valence of cations, instead of the cation type, plays an important role in the dispersibility of diaspore. The impact of multivalent metallic cations is greater than that of monovalent cations. In the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+, the dispersion of diaspore doesn't change in the range of pH value below 10. However, Ca2+ and Mg2+ may induce strong coagulation of particles when pH value is higher than 10. The adsorption of species of calcium and magnesium ions on diaspore can cause the compression of electric double layer, the decrease of the absolute value of zeta potential and the repulsion force between diaspore particles. The new IEP (isoelectric point) appeared at pH value of 11 may attribute to the adsorption of Mg(OH)2(s).

Background To analyze the common causes of double J tube retention and to explore the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic minimally invasive management of double J tube retention. Methods The clinical data of 34 patients with difficult extubation of double J tube under conventional cystoscope from November 2012 to March 2018 in our center were retrospectively analyzed, including 22 cases of double J tube indwelling in the operation of upper urinary calculi and 12 cases due to ureteral stenosis and obstruction. Patients were diagnosed as double J tube retention according to the medical history, combined with abdominal plain tablets (KUB) plain film, total abdominal CT and other imaging findings. Among them, double J tube was located in the left side of ureter in 15 cases, right side in 15 cases, bilateral in 4 cases, with an average retention time of 10.64 months (0.5 to 72 months). The minimally invasive endoscopic technique was performed alone or in combination with cystoscopy, ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Results Seventeen cases with peri-tube stone formation and 10 cases of double J tube displacement resulting in retention and difficulty in extubation. Four patients had forgotten extubation after discharge. Two patients with severe urinary tract infection underwent stents replacement after anti infection treatment. One case of severe hematuria accompanied by bladder spasm led to failure of extubation. All stranded double J tubes were successfully removed, of which 14 cases were removed by ureteroscopy, 12 by cystoscopy or ureteroscopic lithotripsy, and 8 cases were removed by the combination of cystoscopy, ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephroscope. The average operation time was 68.5 minutes (14 to 275 minutes). No case was transferred to open surgery. Except for a small amount of hematuria, there were no severe complications such as ureteral perforation, laceration and nephrectomy. Two patients developed hyperthermia after operation and the body temperature returned to normal with active anti-infection treatment. Residual stones were found in 4 patients after operation. The average postoperative hospital stay was 2.7 days (1 to 12 days). Conclusions The peri-tube stone formation and displacement of double J tube after long term indwelling are the main reasons for the retention of double J tube. According to the patient’s condition, it is safe and effective to remove the stranded double J tube through minimally invasive endoscopic technique alone or in combination with cystoscopy, ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephroscopy. Moreover, it is necessary to strengthen the management of patients with double J tube indwelling, so as to avoid double J tube being left behind.

To investigate the impact of cigarette smoking on sperm nucleoprotein transition and its association with sperm motility in infertile males.We examined the semen quality and sperm nucleoprotein transition of 116 non-smokers and 113 heavy smokers (aged 25 -50 years) who visited the Research Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology for male infertility. We determined the rate of individual sperm nucleoprotein transition by aniline blue staining and analyzed the correlation of cigarette smoking with routine semen parameters and the rate of sperm nucleoprotein transition. Based on the smoking index (SI) derived from smoking frequency (no. of cigarettes/d) multiplied by smoking duration (yr), the men with SI = 0 were considered as non-smokers, and those with SIor = 200 as heavy smokers.The rate of abnormal sperm nucleoprotein transition was significantly higher in the asthenozoospermic (23.5 +/- 9.4, P0.01) and oligoasthenozoospermic (28.2 +/- 9.2, P0.01) than in the normozoospermic males (19.0 +/- 9.0). Compared with the non-smokers, cigarette smoking remarkably reduced sperm nucleoprotein transition in both the men with normal sperm motility (21.9 +/- 9.8 vs 16.8 +/- 7.7, P0.01) and those with abnormal sperm motility (26.0 +/- 9.9 vs 22.7 +/- 8.8, P0.05). A weak correlation was observed between the rate of sperm nucleoprotein transition and routine semen parameters.Cigarette smoking is not significantly correlated with sperm motility but decreases sperm nucleoprotein transition in infertile males.

To assess the value of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and bacterial artificial chromosome FISH (BAC-FISH) for the diagnosis for patients with marker chromosomes.Sixteen patients with marker chromosomes were analyzed with technologies including GTG-banding, Q-banding, multiplex FISH and BAC-FISH.The marker chromosomes in the 16 patients were verified as der(Y) (2 cases), psu dic(Y) (1 case), psu dic(15) (1 case), dic(15) (1 case), del(Y) (1 case), r(X) (5 cases), i(14 or 22) (2 cases), i(18) (1 case).FISH and BAC-FISH can both verify the origin of marker chromosomes and provide accurate information for the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Antioxidant genes and enzymes play important roles in human spermatogenesis. Although low levels of antioxidant enzyme expression are associated with poor sperm quality, it is not clear whether mRNA expression of antioxidant genes is lower in these men than in normozoospermic men. In this study, 55 asthenozoospermic and oligoasthenozoospermic patients and 65 controls were recruited. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR was performed and the abundance of mRNA of four antioxidant genes known to be important to spermatogenesis were evaluated. These genes were nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1), and superoxide dismutase isoenzyme 2 (SOD2). Results showed the level of NRF2 mRNA expression to be significantly lower in patients than in controls (P < 0.001), but no statistically significant difference in the level of SOD2, CAT, or GSTM1 gene expression was observed between the two groups. A significant correlation was observed between the level of NRF2 mRNA expression and specific sperm function parameters, including concentration, progressive motility, immotility, vitality, and morphology (all P < 0.01). NRF2 expression was also found to be associated with seminal SOD activity and mRNA levels of the CAT and SOD2 genes (all P < 0.05). Therefore, our data demonstrated that the level of NRF2 mRNA expression is significantly lower in human males with low sperm motility and correlated with specific sperm function parameters. This suggests that NRF2 is important to spermatogenesis and may serve as a useful biomarker in the prediction of male infertility.