Posts

6 mins ago


No effects were found for (i) intentions to adopt fertility-protective behaviours; or (ii) desired timing of pregnancy. These results suggest that the fertility video intervention seems to partially increase FA in the long term. Future studies should investigate the effectiveness of different intervention formats with a focus on overcoming high attrition rates.The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a vital interface that supports normal brain functions. Endothelial cells (ECs) are the main component of the BBB and are highly specialized to govern the transfer of substances into brain. The EC lumen is enmeshed with an extracellular matrix (ECM), known as the endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL). The lumen-facing EGL is primarily comprised of proteoglycans (PGs) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which function as the first line of defense for blood-to-brain transfer of substances. Circulating factors must first penetrate the EGL before interacting with the EC. The abundance and composition of the PG and GAGs can dictate EGL function, and determine which circulating substances communicate with the ECs. The EGL can interact with circulating factors through physio-chemical interactions with the EC. Some disease states reveal a "thinning" of the EGL that may increase EC interactions with components of the systemic circulation and alter BBB function. EGL changes may also contribute to the cognitive complications of systemic diseases, such as sepsis and diabetes. For decades, researchers have measured how genetic and environmental factors influence the peripheral EGL constituents; however, much less is known about the neurovascular EGL. In this mini-review, we introduce components of the EGL and innovative ways to measure their abundance and composition that may contribute to BBB dysfunction.Acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread all over the world, since its discovery in 2019, Wuhan, China. This disease is called COVID-19 and already killed over 1 million people worldwide. The clinical symptoms include fever, dry cough, dyspnea, headache, dizziness, generalized weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Unfortunately, so far, there is no validated vaccine, and its management consists mainly of supportive care. Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are highly prevalent in patients suffering from severe COVID-19. In fact, a prothrombotic state seems to be present in most fatal cases of the disease. SARS-CoV-2 leads to the production of proinflammatory cytokines, causing immune-mediated tissue damage, disruption of the endothelial barrier, and uncontrolled thrombogenesis. Thrombin is the key regulator of coagulation and fibrin formation. In severe COVID-19, a dysfunctional of physiological anticoagulant mechanisms leads to a progressive increase of thrombin activity, which is associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome development and a poor prognosis. Protease-activated receptor type 1 (PAR1) is the main thrombin receptor and may represent an essential link between coagulation and inflammation in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. In this review, we discuss the potential role of PAR1 inhibition and regulation in COVID-19 treatment.Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an aggressive liver disease threatening human health, yet no medicine is developed to treat this disease. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/k-ras-g12c-inhibitor-12.html In this study, we first discovered that Leptin mutant rats (LepΔI14/ΔI14) exhibit characteristic NASH phenotypes including steatosis, lymphocyte infiltration, and ballooning after postnatal week 16. We then examined NASH progression by performing an integrated analysis of hepatic transcriptome in Leptin-deficient rats from postnatal 4 to 48 weeks. Initially, simple steatosis in LepΔI14/ΔI14 rats were observed with increased expression of the genes encoding for rate-limiting enzymes in lipid metabolism such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase. When NASH phenotypes became well developed at postnatal week 16, we found gene expression changes in insulin resistance, inflammation, reactive oxygen species and endoplasmic reticulum stress. As NASH phenotypes further progressed with age, we observed elevated expression of cytokines and chemokines including C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, tumor necrosis factor ɑ, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β together with activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase and nuclear factor-κB pathways. Histologically, livers in LepΔI14/ΔI14 rats exhibited increased cell infiltration of MPO+ neutrophils, CD8+ T cells, CD68+ hepatic macrophages, and CCR2+ inflammatory monocyte-derived macrophages associated with macrophage polarization from M2 to M1. Subsequent cross-species comparison of transcriptomes in human, rat, and mouse NASH models indicated that Leptin-deficient rats bear more similarities to human NASH patients than previously established mouse NASH models. Taken together, our study suggests that LepΔI14/ΔI14 rats are a valuable pre-clinical rodent model to evaluate NASH drug safety and efficacy.This study built and tested two effective nomograms for the purpose of predicting cancer-specific survival and overall survival of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was employed to filter independent prognostic factors predictive of cancer-specific survival and overall survival, and the nomograms were built based on a training set incorporating 2901 chRCC patients in a retrospective study (from 2004 to 2015) downloaded from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database. The nomograms were verified on a validation cohort of 1934 patients, subsequently the performances of the nomograms were examined according to the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curves, the concordance (C-index), and decision curve analysis. The results showed that tumor grade, AJCC and N stages, race, marital status, age, histories of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery were the individual prognostic factors for overall survival, and that AJCC, N and SEER stages, histories of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, age, tumor grade were individual prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival. According to C-indexes, receiver operating characteristic curves, and decision curve analysis outcomes, the nomograms showed a higher accuracy in predicting overall survival and OSS when compared with TNM stage and SEER stage. All the calibration curves were significantly consistent between predictive and validation sets. In this study, the nomograms, which were validated to be highly accurate and applicable, were built to facilitate individualized predictions of the cancer-specific survival and overall survival to patients diagnosed with chRCC between 2004 and 2015.

7 mins ago


05). Significant correlation was observed between the SBR of the posterior putamen and arterial blood pH (
 = 0.574;
 < 0.001) and other toxicological parameters of severity of poisoning/outcome including serum lactate, glucose, and creatinine concentrations (
 < 0.05). The SBR of the posterior putamen positively correlated with the global RNFL thickness (
 < 0.05). ROC analysis demonstrated a significant discriminatory ability of SBR of the posterior putamen with AUC = 0.753 (95%CI 0.604-0.902;
 = 0.007). The multivariate regression model demonstrated that arterial blood pH, age, and gender were the most significant factors associated with SBR of the posterior putamen.

DaT SPECT demonstrates significant potential for the diagnosis of methanol-induced basal ganglia damage.
DaT SPECT demonstrates significant potential for the diagnosis of methanol-induced basal ganglia damage.
This study compared self-report logbooks of exercise performance to objective measures of performance to determine the accuracy of and patterns of misreporting in self-report logbooks in people with Parkinson's disease.

Fifteen participants from the intervention arm of a randomized control trial were prescribed a minimally supervised, 12-week, home-based upper limb exergame program (ACTRN 12614001048673). The exergame system provided an objective electronic measure of adherence for comparison with self-report logbooks.

Logbooks showed excellent to good accuracy of overall reported adherence to prescribed sessions (Intraclass correlation (ICC) = 0.83) and games (ICC 0.71). Logbooks were also a good to fair representation of weekly adherence across participants for both sessions (ICC 0.66) and games (ICC 0.56). Individual participant ICCs ranged from minimal to perfect agreement between logbooks and electronic records (ICC sessions range -0.02 to 1; games range -0.24 to 0.99). The pattern of logbook reporccurate to monitor group adherence, but caution is required when using them to assess an individual's adherence to an exercise prescription.
The innate immune response is the first line of defense and consists of physical, chemical and cellular defenses. The adaptive immune response is the second line of defense and is pathogen-specific. Innate immunity occurs immediately while adaptive immunity develops upon pathogen exposure, and is long-lasting, highly specific, and sustained by memory T cells. Respiratory virus infection typically induces effective immunity but over-exuberant responses are associated with pathophysiology. Cytokines expressed in response to viral infection can enhance biological responses, activate, and trigger signaling pathways leading to adaptive immunity Vaccines induce immunity, specifically B and T cell responses. Vaccination is generally efficacious, but for many viruses, our understanding of vaccination strategies and immunity is incomplete or in its infancy. Studies that examine innate and adaptive immune responses to respiratory virus infection will aid vaccine development and may reduce the burden of respiratory viral disease.

A literature search was performed using PubMed. The search covered innate, adaptive, respiratory virus, vaccine development, B cell, and T cell.

Immunity rests on two pillars, i.e. the innate and adaptive immune system, which function together on different tasks to maintain homeostasis. a better understanding of immunity is necessary for disease prevention and intervention.
Immunity rests on two pillars, i.e. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/mmp-9-in-1.html the innate and adaptive immune system, which function together on different tasks to maintain homeostasis. a better understanding of immunity is necessary for disease prevention and intervention.In this study, we offer a numerical platform to detect the locations of high-stress zones in the prosthetic heart valve, in the mitral position, during the closing phase due to existing wrinkles. The intended prosthetic valves in this study have the same shape as the native mitral valve but made of synthetic biomaterials. We assume the most high-risk locations for ruptures to either initiate or propagate are at the base of existing wrinkles. We developed a finite element model for the human mitral valve. A mesh model was effectively created to account for the uneven stress distribution and high-stress concentration zones in the valve tissue structure. The constitutive material model used in this study is anisotropic and hyperelastic such that the membrane elements are used for the leaflets and spar elements are utilised for the mitral valve cords for which it was assumed flexural stiffness is insignificant for both sets of elements. We developed a novel and effective computational model for the simulation of wrinkles in the valve leaflet during the closing phase. The proposed numerical model provided a quick but precise assessment for the detection of locations of rips and tears on the leaflet tissue during the closing phase. The proposed model is an essential step for the design of material and geometry of leaflets of prosthetic heart valves made of polymers or tissue materials in the mitral position.
Heloderma bites are rare and generally mild, but a few cases can be life threatening.

We report a case of
envenomation in a healthy 39-year-old herpetologist. The patient rapidly developed tongue and lip swelling associated with stridor. On arrival at ICU, he was hypotensive, and in shock with atrial fibrillation requiring electrical cardioversion. Blood tests showed hypokalemia (2 mmol·L
), associated with moderate low blood electrolytes which were corrected rapidly. In addition, he presented hematological abnormalities (INR = 1.34 and fibrinogen levels at 80 mg·dL
) without active bleeding. All clinical and biological signs normalized without specific intervention and was discharged 4 days post-bite. The patient discharged 3 days after hospital presentation and fully recovered in 2 months.

The case presented here showed the three severe complications described after Heloderma bite a) angioedema, b) fluid loss associated with hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis, and c) cardiac disorders simulating ischemia.

7 mins ago


The evidence regarding optimal treatment intensity is mixed, and differing definitions have further confounded existing findings. The primary objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) treatment for anomia delivered at intense and non-intense schedules, using a well-controlled design. The number of teaching episodes and active ingredients of therapy are important considerations when defining intensity. We hypothesized that an active ingredient of PCA is the self-generation of phonological components during therapy sessions. Our secondary aim was to examine whether component generation predicted treatment outcome.

Sixteen adults (M=52.63 years old, SD=11.40) with chronic post-stroke aphasia (M=4.52 years post-onset, SD=5.55) were randomly assigned to intensive (IT) or standard (ST) PCA treatment conditions. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/kpt-9274.html Cumulative treatment intensity in both conditions was equivalent ST participants received PCA 1 hour/day, 3 days/week for 10 weeks, whereas IT participed when comparing treatment intensities.
Although replication in a larger sample is warranted, results suggest that PCA treatment is similarly efficacious when delivered at different intensities. Other factors related to the quality of treatment (i.e., active ingredients such as cue-generation) may play an important role in determining treatment efficacy and must also be considered when comparing treatment intensities.The toxic metalloid arsenic (As), is a major pollutant of soil and water, imposing severe health concerns on human lives. It enters the food chain mainly through As-contaminated crops. The uptake, translocation and accumulation of As in plant tissue are often controlled by certain soil-inhabiting microbial communities. Among them, indigenous, free-living As-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) plays a pivotal role in As-immobilization. Besides, the plant's inability to withstand As after a threshold level is actively managed by these PGPR increasing As-tolerance in host plants by a synergistic plant-microbe interaction. The dual functionality of As-resistant PGPR i.e., phytostimulation and minimization of As-induced phytotoxic damages are one of the main focal points of this review article. It is known that such PGPR having the functional arsenic-resistant genes (in ars operon) including As-transporters, As-transforming genes contributed to the As accumulation and detoxification/transformation respectively. Apart from assisting in nutrient acquisition and modulating phytohormone levels, As-resistant PGPR also influences the antioxidative defense system in plants by maneuvering multiple enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Furthermore, they are effective in reducing membrane damage and electrolyte leakage in plant cells. As-induced photosynthetic damage is also found to be salvaged by As-resistant PGPR. Briefly, the eco-physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms of As-resistant PGPR are thus elaborated here with regard to the As-exposed crops.Mounting global evidence reveals a rise in austerity driven by neoliberalisation. We explored the health impacts of an austerity decision to shut down the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) in Saskatchewan, Canada. We conducted 100 semi-structured interviews and 4 focus group discussions with former bus riders and stakeholders in health and social services followed by a member checking exercise. The STC closure has negatively affected health through a web of dispossession where the absence of the bus affects individual former users (through healthcare access, psychosocial and financial impacts), family members (through broken relationships and other burdens), communities (through shrinking commons), and entire systems (such as health services through health worker stress and inefficiencies). Analyses of the health impacts of austerity decisions need to move beyond aggregates of individual users of public services to understand the complex ways in which various communities and systems might be caught up in a web of dispossession through austerity.This study was conducted with mothers living in Ankara and registered in the year 2019 with the Immunization Services Unit of the Provincial Directorate of Health as cases of vaccine refusal. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to understand how mothers decide about child vaccination and the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs underlying these decisions. A total of 23 interviews were conducted by two of the authors between March and September 2019. Each of the 23 participants had at least one child aged five years or younger and were living in Ankara. The study shows that mothers with vaccine hesitancy constitute a heterogeneous group whose members have differing levels of hesitation and concern about the vaccination of their children. It is also observed that the most important factor that affects their decisions is related to trust.
Glucosamine is an amino monosaccharide with a small molecular weight and has a protective effect against various neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis and encephalomyelitis. Interestingly, low-dose glucosamine has exhibited anti-epilepsy activity. Recent studies have shown that the activation of the protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway may promote epilepsy. Glucosamine can increase the level of Akt phosphorylation in the brain tissue, which may aggravate epilepsy. Hence, we speculate that a higher dose of glucosamine may aggravate epilepsy via AKT signaling.

To investigate the effect of glucosamine on the behavior and electrophysiology of epileptic rats through PI3K/Akt pathway.

Glucose (2.0 g/kg) and glucosamine (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg) were added to 2 mL of drinking water, respectively. An acute seizure rat model of lithium-pilocarpine and PTZ-kindling were constructed to observe the effects of different doses of glucosamine on epileptic behavior and hippocampal electrical activity. Meanwhile, the changes in Akt were detected by western blot.

Epileptic seizures were induced by a single dose of pilocarpine or PTZ and 2.0 g/kg of glucosamine significantly prolonged the duration and severity of epileptic seizures, enhanced hippocampal electrical activity energy density, and increased phosphorylated AKT levels. A glucosamine dose of 2.0 g/kg also significantly increased the total onset energy density. Furthermore, 2.0 g/kg glucosamine facilitated the development of the chronic PTZ-kindling process.

Glucosamine may exacerbate acute and chronic epileptic seizures via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in rats with experimental epilepsy.
Glucosamine may exacerbate acute and chronic epileptic seizures via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in rats with experimental epilepsy.

Videos

12/19/2024

Full article and show notes: https://liamsturgess.substack.com/p/true-threat-in-defense-of-briana

Thanks for watching!

Visit me at https://www.liamsturgess.com/
Listen and buy my music on Bandcamp: https://liamsturgess.bandcamp.com/

Subscribe to my Substack: https://liamsturgess.substack.com/
Join my Locals community: https://liamsturgess.locals.com/
Follow me on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/TheLiamSturgess

Subscribe on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/liamsturgess
Subscribe on Sovren: https://sovren.media/u/liamsturgess/
Subscribe on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@LiamSturgess:1
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiamSturgess

Support me directly by PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/theliamsturgess
Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/liamsturgess

12/04/2024

ICYMI – Pete Hegseth vows to keep pursuing nomination to Secretary of Defense, saying that Trump has urged him to keep fighting the attacks against him:

“That’s what Donald Trump asked me to do. Your job is to bring the war-fighting ethos back to the Pentagon. Your job is to make sure that it’s lethality, lethality, lethality.”

Some of you are worried that since the founder of Children’s Health Defense is slated to become a full-time Washington politician, we at CHD may begin to compromise some of our principles in order to support some watered-down policies. Because at least watered-down policies would be better than no policies, right?

But we are here to tell you, we will not compromise our principles. Ever.



Why?

Because CHD is now, and has always been, playing the “outside game.”

Support from people like YOU is what keeps CHD “totally free from conflicts of interest.". Become a supporting CHD member today: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/about-us/donate/

Videos

12/19/2024

Full article and show notes: https://liamsturgess.substack.com/p/true-threat-in-defense-of-briana

Thanks for watching!

Visit me at https://www.liamsturgess.com/
Listen and buy my music on Bandcamp: https://liamsturgess.bandcamp.com/

Subscribe to my Substack: https://liamsturgess.substack.com/
Join my Locals community: https://liamsturgess.locals.com/
Follow me on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/TheLiamSturgess

Subscribe on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/liamsturgess
Subscribe on Sovren: https://sovren.media/u/liamsturgess/
Subscribe on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@LiamSturgess:1
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiamSturgess

Support me directly by PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/theliamsturgess
Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/liamsturgess

12/04/2024

ICYMI – Pete Hegseth vows to keep pursuing nomination to Secretary of Defense, saying that Trump has urged him to keep fighting the attacks against him:

“That’s what Donald Trump asked me to do. Your job is to bring the war-fighting ethos back to the Pentagon. Your job is to make sure that it’s lethality, lethality, lethality.”

Some of you are worried that since the founder of Children’s Health Defense is slated to become a full-time Washington politician, we at CHD may begin to compromise some of our principles in order to support some watered-down policies. Because at least watered-down policies would be better than no policies, right?

But we are here to tell you, we will not compromise our principles. Ever.



Why?

Because CHD is now, and has always been, playing the “outside game.”

Support from people like YOU is what keeps CHD “totally free from conflicts of interest.". Become a supporting CHD member today: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/about-us/donate/

11/13/2024

Today on “Truth in Media”, President-elect Trump makes a number of key appointments to his cabinet.

Peter Hegseth will lead the Department of Defense. His statements about DEI hires in the military give hope that the U.S. Armed Forces can return to the masculine prowess of the past.

The former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will now take the reins at the CIA. Ratcliffe was a major opponent of the Russia Hoax in 2016 and is set to clean house and bring respectability back to the U.S.’ top spy agency.

And a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will see Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy looking to cut the federal bureaucracy by up to 80 percent!

FEMA has been caught red-handed urging its employees to avoid focusing relief efforts on Trump supporting households in North Carolina. One employee was fired, but she says it was an agency-wide policy.

Amy Lepore, COO of Dissident Media joins Ben Swann to talk about FEMA and the hopes of a much reduced U.S. bureaucracy.

And legacy media is dying in the wake of Trump’s sweeping victory. CNN’s viewership is down 30% and MSNBC has sunk by 54%. Is it finally time for the MSM to take a look at itself in the mirror and accept some accountability for lying to the American people? Unlikely!

When we started Children’s Health Defense (then called the World Mercury Project) 17 years ago, we didn’t foresee ourselves ever having to publicly ask this question in all seriousness:

How can we prevent our kids from getting cancer?

Here’s the response of radiologist/oncologist William Makis, M.D., who was kicked off Twitter during the COVID era — so you know he probably has something valuable to say.

Full interview: https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1jMJgBPnmrwGL

Posts

6 mins ago


No effects were found for (i) intentions to adopt fertility-protective behaviours; or (ii) desired timing of pregnancy. These results suggest that the fertility video intervention seems to partially increase FA in the long term. Future studies should investigate the effectiveness of different intervention formats with a focus on overcoming high attrition rates.The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a vital interface that supports normal brain functions. Endothelial cells (ECs) are the main component of the BBB and are highly specialized to govern the transfer of substances into brain. The EC lumen is enmeshed with an extracellular matrix (ECM), known as the endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL). The lumen-facing EGL is primarily comprised of proteoglycans (PGs) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which function as the first line of defense for blood-to-brain transfer of substances. Circulating factors must first penetrate the EGL before interacting with the EC. The abundance and composition of the PG and GAGs can dictate EGL function, and determine which circulating substances communicate with the ECs. The EGL can interact with circulating factors through physio-chemical interactions with the EC. Some disease states reveal a "thinning" of the EGL that may increase EC interactions with components of the systemic circulation and alter BBB function. EGL changes may also contribute to the cognitive complications of systemic diseases, such as sepsis and diabetes. For decades, researchers have measured how genetic and environmental factors influence the peripheral EGL constituents; however, much less is known about the neurovascular EGL. In this mini-review, we introduce components of the EGL and innovative ways to measure their abundance and composition that may contribute to BBB dysfunction.Acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread all over the world, since its discovery in 2019, Wuhan, China. This disease is called COVID-19 and already killed over 1 million people worldwide. The clinical symptoms include fever, dry cough, dyspnea, headache, dizziness, generalized weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Unfortunately, so far, there is no validated vaccine, and its management consists mainly of supportive care. Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are highly prevalent in patients suffering from severe COVID-19. In fact, a prothrombotic state seems to be present in most fatal cases of the disease. SARS-CoV-2 leads to the production of proinflammatory cytokines, causing immune-mediated tissue damage, disruption of the endothelial barrier, and uncontrolled thrombogenesis. Thrombin is the key regulator of coagulation and fibrin formation. In severe COVID-19, a dysfunctional of physiological anticoagulant mechanisms leads to a progressive increase of thrombin activity, which is associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome development and a poor prognosis. Protease-activated receptor type 1 (PAR1) is the main thrombin receptor and may represent an essential link between coagulation and inflammation in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. In this review, we discuss the potential role of PAR1 inhibition and regulation in COVID-19 treatment.Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an aggressive liver disease threatening human health, yet no medicine is developed to treat this disease. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/k-ras-g12c-inhibitor-12.html In this study, we first discovered that Leptin mutant rats (LepΔI14/ΔI14) exhibit characteristic NASH phenotypes including steatosis, lymphocyte infiltration, and ballooning after postnatal week 16. We then examined NASH progression by performing an integrated analysis of hepatic transcriptome in Leptin-deficient rats from postnatal 4 to 48 weeks. Initially, simple steatosis in LepΔI14/ΔI14 rats were observed with increased expression of the genes encoding for rate-limiting enzymes in lipid metabolism such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase. When NASH phenotypes became well developed at postnatal week 16, we found gene expression changes in insulin resistance, inflammation, reactive oxygen species and endoplasmic reticulum stress. As NASH phenotypes further progressed with age, we observed elevated expression of cytokines and chemokines including C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, tumor necrosis factor ɑ, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β together with activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase and nuclear factor-κB pathways. Histologically, livers in LepΔI14/ΔI14 rats exhibited increased cell infiltration of MPO+ neutrophils, CD8+ T cells, CD68+ hepatic macrophages, and CCR2+ inflammatory monocyte-derived macrophages associated with macrophage polarization from M2 to M1. Subsequent cross-species comparison of transcriptomes in human, rat, and mouse NASH models indicated that Leptin-deficient rats bear more similarities to human NASH patients than previously established mouse NASH models. Taken together, our study suggests that LepΔI14/ΔI14 rats are a valuable pre-clinical rodent model to evaluate NASH drug safety and efficacy.This study built and tested two effective nomograms for the purpose of predicting cancer-specific survival and overall survival of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was employed to filter independent prognostic factors predictive of cancer-specific survival and overall survival, and the nomograms were built based on a training set incorporating 2901 chRCC patients in a retrospective study (from 2004 to 2015) downloaded from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database. The nomograms were verified on a validation cohort of 1934 patients, subsequently the performances of the nomograms were examined according to the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curves, the concordance (C-index), and decision curve analysis. The results showed that tumor grade, AJCC and N stages, race, marital status, age, histories of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery were the individual prognostic factors for overall survival, and that AJCC, N and SEER stages, histories of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, age, tumor grade were individual prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival. According to C-indexes, receiver operating characteristic curves, and decision curve analysis outcomes, the nomograms showed a higher accuracy in predicting overall survival and OSS when compared with TNM stage and SEER stage. All the calibration curves were significantly consistent between predictive and validation sets. In this study, the nomograms, which were validated to be highly accurate and applicable, were built to facilitate individualized predictions of the cancer-specific survival and overall survival to patients diagnosed with chRCC between 2004 and 2015.

7 mins ago


05). Significant correlation was observed between the SBR of the posterior putamen and arterial blood pH (
 = 0.574;
 < 0.001) and other toxicological parameters of severity of poisoning/outcome including serum lactate, glucose, and creatinine concentrations (
 < 0.05). The SBR of the posterior putamen positively correlated with the global RNFL thickness (
 < 0.05). ROC analysis demonstrated a significant discriminatory ability of SBR of the posterior putamen with AUC = 0.753 (95%CI 0.604-0.902;
 = 0.007). The multivariate regression model demonstrated that arterial blood pH, age, and gender were the most significant factors associated with SBR of the posterior putamen.

DaT SPECT demonstrates significant potential for the diagnosis of methanol-induced basal ganglia damage.
DaT SPECT demonstrates significant potential for the diagnosis of methanol-induced basal ganglia damage.
This study compared self-report logbooks of exercise performance to objective measures of performance to determine the accuracy of and patterns of misreporting in self-report logbooks in people with Parkinson's disease.

Fifteen participants from the intervention arm of a randomized control trial were prescribed a minimally supervised, 12-week, home-based upper limb exergame program (ACTRN 12614001048673). The exergame system provided an objective electronic measure of adherence for comparison with self-report logbooks.

Logbooks showed excellent to good accuracy of overall reported adherence to prescribed sessions (Intraclass correlation (ICC) = 0.83) and games (ICC 0.71). Logbooks were also a good to fair representation of weekly adherence across participants for both sessions (ICC 0.66) and games (ICC 0.56). Individual participant ICCs ranged from minimal to perfect agreement between logbooks and electronic records (ICC sessions range -0.02 to 1; games range -0.24 to 0.99). The pattern of logbook reporccurate to monitor group adherence, but caution is required when using them to assess an individual's adherence to an exercise prescription.
The innate immune response is the first line of defense and consists of physical, chemical and cellular defenses. The adaptive immune response is the second line of defense and is pathogen-specific. Innate immunity occurs immediately while adaptive immunity develops upon pathogen exposure, and is long-lasting, highly specific, and sustained by memory T cells. Respiratory virus infection typically induces effective immunity but over-exuberant responses are associated with pathophysiology. Cytokines expressed in response to viral infection can enhance biological responses, activate, and trigger signaling pathways leading to adaptive immunity Vaccines induce immunity, specifically B and T cell responses. Vaccination is generally efficacious, but for many viruses, our understanding of vaccination strategies and immunity is incomplete or in its infancy. Studies that examine innate and adaptive immune responses to respiratory virus infection will aid vaccine development and may reduce the burden of respiratory viral disease.

A literature search was performed using PubMed. The search covered innate, adaptive, respiratory virus, vaccine development, B cell, and T cell.

Immunity rests on two pillars, i.e. the innate and adaptive immune system, which function together on different tasks to maintain homeostasis. a better understanding of immunity is necessary for disease prevention and intervention.
Immunity rests on two pillars, i.e. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/mmp-9-in-1.html the innate and adaptive immune system, which function together on different tasks to maintain homeostasis. a better understanding of immunity is necessary for disease prevention and intervention.In this study, we offer a numerical platform to detect the locations of high-stress zones in the prosthetic heart valve, in the mitral position, during the closing phase due to existing wrinkles. The intended prosthetic valves in this study have the same shape as the native mitral valve but made of synthetic biomaterials. We assume the most high-risk locations for ruptures to either initiate or propagate are at the base of existing wrinkles. We developed a finite element model for the human mitral valve. A mesh model was effectively created to account for the uneven stress distribution and high-stress concentration zones in the valve tissue structure. The constitutive material model used in this study is anisotropic and hyperelastic such that the membrane elements are used for the leaflets and spar elements are utilised for the mitral valve cords for which it was assumed flexural stiffness is insignificant for both sets of elements. We developed a novel and effective computational model for the simulation of wrinkles in the valve leaflet during the closing phase. The proposed numerical model provided a quick but precise assessment for the detection of locations of rips and tears on the leaflet tissue during the closing phase. The proposed model is an essential step for the design of material and geometry of leaflets of prosthetic heart valves made of polymers or tissue materials in the mitral position.
Heloderma bites are rare and generally mild, but a few cases can be life threatening.

We report a case of
envenomation in a healthy 39-year-old herpetologist. The patient rapidly developed tongue and lip swelling associated with stridor. On arrival at ICU, he was hypotensive, and in shock with atrial fibrillation requiring electrical cardioversion. Blood tests showed hypokalemia (2 mmol·L
), associated with moderate low blood electrolytes which were corrected rapidly. In addition, he presented hematological abnormalities (INR = 1.34 and fibrinogen levels at 80 mg·dL
) without active bleeding. All clinical and biological signs normalized without specific intervention and was discharged 4 days post-bite. The patient discharged 3 days after hospital presentation and fully recovered in 2 months.

The case presented here showed the three severe complications described after Heloderma bite a) angioedema, b) fluid loss associated with hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis, and c) cardiac disorders simulating ischemia.

7 mins ago


The evidence regarding optimal treatment intensity is mixed, and differing definitions have further confounded existing findings. The primary objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of Phonological Components Analysis (PCA) treatment for anomia delivered at intense and non-intense schedules, using a well-controlled design. The number of teaching episodes and active ingredients of therapy are important considerations when defining intensity. We hypothesized that an active ingredient of PCA is the self-generation of phonological components during therapy sessions. Our secondary aim was to examine whether component generation predicted treatment outcome.

Sixteen adults (M=52.63 years old, SD=11.40) with chronic post-stroke aphasia (M=4.52 years post-onset, SD=5.55) were randomly assigned to intensive (IT) or standard (ST) PCA treatment conditions. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/kpt-9274.html Cumulative treatment intensity in both conditions was equivalent ST participants received PCA 1 hour/day, 3 days/week for 10 weeks, whereas IT participed when comparing treatment intensities.
Although replication in a larger sample is warranted, results suggest that PCA treatment is similarly efficacious when delivered at different intensities. Other factors related to the quality of treatment (i.e., active ingredients such as cue-generation) may play an important role in determining treatment efficacy and must also be considered when comparing treatment intensities.The toxic metalloid arsenic (As), is a major pollutant of soil and water, imposing severe health concerns on human lives. It enters the food chain mainly through As-contaminated crops. The uptake, translocation and accumulation of As in plant tissue are often controlled by certain soil-inhabiting microbial communities. Among them, indigenous, free-living As-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) plays a pivotal role in As-immobilization. Besides, the plant's inability to withstand As after a threshold level is actively managed by these PGPR increasing As-tolerance in host plants by a synergistic plant-microbe interaction. The dual functionality of As-resistant PGPR i.e., phytostimulation and minimization of As-induced phytotoxic damages are one of the main focal points of this review article. It is known that such PGPR having the functional arsenic-resistant genes (in ars operon) including As-transporters, As-transforming genes contributed to the As accumulation and detoxification/transformation respectively. Apart from assisting in nutrient acquisition and modulating phytohormone levels, As-resistant PGPR also influences the antioxidative defense system in plants by maneuvering multiple enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Furthermore, they are effective in reducing membrane damage and electrolyte leakage in plant cells. As-induced photosynthetic damage is also found to be salvaged by As-resistant PGPR. Briefly, the eco-physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms of As-resistant PGPR are thus elaborated here with regard to the As-exposed crops.Mounting global evidence reveals a rise in austerity driven by neoliberalisation. We explored the health impacts of an austerity decision to shut down the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) in Saskatchewan, Canada. We conducted 100 semi-structured interviews and 4 focus group discussions with former bus riders and stakeholders in health and social services followed by a member checking exercise. The STC closure has negatively affected health through a web of dispossession where the absence of the bus affects individual former users (through healthcare access, psychosocial and financial impacts), family members (through broken relationships and other burdens), communities (through shrinking commons), and entire systems (such as health services through health worker stress and inefficiencies). Analyses of the health impacts of austerity decisions need to move beyond aggregates of individual users of public services to understand the complex ways in which various communities and systems might be caught up in a web of dispossession through austerity.This study was conducted with mothers living in Ankara and registered in the year 2019 with the Immunization Services Unit of the Provincial Directorate of Health as cases of vaccine refusal. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to understand how mothers decide about child vaccination and the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs underlying these decisions. A total of 23 interviews were conducted by two of the authors between March and September 2019. Each of the 23 participants had at least one child aged five years or younger and were living in Ankara. The study shows that mothers with vaccine hesitancy constitute a heterogeneous group whose members have differing levels of hesitation and concern about the vaccination of their children. It is also observed that the most important factor that affects their decisions is related to trust.
Glucosamine is an amino monosaccharide with a small molecular weight and has a protective effect against various neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis and encephalomyelitis. Interestingly, low-dose glucosamine has exhibited anti-epilepsy activity. Recent studies have shown that the activation of the protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway may promote epilepsy. Glucosamine can increase the level of Akt phosphorylation in the brain tissue, which may aggravate epilepsy. Hence, we speculate that a higher dose of glucosamine may aggravate epilepsy via AKT signaling.

To investigate the effect of glucosamine on the behavior and electrophysiology of epileptic rats through PI3K/Akt pathway.

Glucose (2.0 g/kg) and glucosamine (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg) were added to 2 mL of drinking water, respectively. An acute seizure rat model of lithium-pilocarpine and PTZ-kindling were constructed to observe the effects of different doses of glucosamine on epileptic behavior and hippocampal electrical activity. Meanwhile, the changes in Akt were detected by western blot.

Epileptic seizures were induced by a single dose of pilocarpine or PTZ and 2.0 g/kg of glucosamine significantly prolonged the duration and severity of epileptic seizures, enhanced hippocampal electrical activity energy density, and increased phosphorylated AKT levels. A glucosamine dose of 2.0 g/kg also significantly increased the total onset energy density. Furthermore, 2.0 g/kg glucosamine facilitated the development of the chronic PTZ-kindling process.

Glucosamine may exacerbate acute and chronic epileptic seizures via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in rats with experimental epilepsy.
Glucosamine may exacerbate acute and chronic epileptic seizures via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in rats with experimental epilepsy.

8 mins ago


OBJECTIVE Synthesize the evidence relating to the interaction of resilience, stress, and well-being in undergraduate nursing students across countries. DESIGN Systematic review DATA SOURCES Peer reviewed studies published from 2008 to December 2018 were searched in CINAHL, Web of Science, Medline (OVID), PsycINFo and four biomedical databases originating from China (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, VIP and CMB). REVIEW METHODS Adhering to the preferred reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, eight databases were searched. Twelve studies, which met the inclusion criteria, were extracted, and subject to quality appraisal by two researchers. RESULTS In total, 12 papers were included. Outcome analysis revealed the level of resilience as moderate; stress levels were high and the incidence of negative psychological health accounts for a proportion of nursing students. The interaction between resilience and stress and well-being was high. Resilience and low stress were found to better predict well-being. All the studies cited recommendations to inform educational policy and practice in relation to resilience, well-being, and stress among undergraduate nursing students. CONCLUSIONS This was the first systematic review to synthesize the evidence relating to the interaction of resilience, stress, and well-being in undergraduate nursing students across cultural settings. Evidence confirms the importance of resilience in nursing students influencing stress and psychosocial morbidity. Nursing educational strategies that foster and enhance resilience is recommended. BACKGROUND Research into service learning (SL) in education has increased since the 1990s. In higher education physiotherapy programmes, this technique is used to achieve real practical learning and to grasp how to recognize and manage emotions, to be concerned for others and to take decisions in clinical contexts. OBJECTIVES To create a community experience through SL methodology for physiotherapy university students and to analyse their perceptions of the learning experience and changes in empathy. DESIGN A mixed research method, a quasi-experimental quantitative approach with pre- and post-measurements of a single group and a qualitative approach through reflective diaries subjected to a contents analysis. PARTICIPANTS 29 students of the Faculty of Health Sciences (Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy) designed and put into practice a workshop for promoting physical activity in 277 children from the first and the sixth year of compulsory primary education. METHODS The project was divided into three phasto face up to stressful situations. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Chronic and recurrent upper respiratory tract infection and inflammation is common in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) post chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). Whether it is due to intrinsic (e.g., host-defense mechanisms of the epithelium), epigenetic or extrinsic factors is not fully understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tissue biopsies of the middle turbinate (MT) and inferior turbinate (IT) from NPC patients after CRT (mean of 3 years, n = 39) were compared with the IT biopsies from healthy subjects (n = 44). The epithelial ultrastructure was examined by transmission electron microscope (TEM). mRNA and protein expressions of epithelial stem/progenitor cells markers, as well markers of cell proliferation and differentiation markers was analyzed. RESULTS Abnormal epithelial architecture was observed in all tissue samples of NPC patients. Significantly decreased expression levels of mRNA and protein levels for p63 (basal cells), Ki67 (cell proliferation), p63+/KRT5+ (epithelial stem/progenitor cells), MUC5AC and MUC5B (secretary proteins from goblet cells), alpha-tubulin, beta-tubulin and TAp73 (ciliated cells), DNAH5 and DNAI1 and RSPH4A (microtubule assemblies of motile cilia), FOXJ1 and CP110 (ciliogenesis-associated markers) were evident in MT and IT biopsies from NPC patients when compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSION CRT causes long-term defects of epithelial barrier functions and increases the susceptibility of these patients to upper respiratory tract infection and inflammation. BACKGROUND Unplanned readmission rates in necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) are among the highest of any medical disease (72%). Recent work has identified several potentially preventable causes of unplanned readmission in NP. We hypothesized that intensive outpatient communication would identify developing problems and decrease unplanned hospital readmission. MATERIALS AND METHODS A review of NP patients treated at a single institution between 2016 and 2019 compared patients 2 y before (NP-pre, 2016-2018) and 1 y after (NP-post, 2018-2019) the establishment of a dedicated pancreatitis nurse coordinator. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ici-118551-ici-118-551.html Unplanned hospital readmission and emergency room visits were compared between groups. RESULTS A total of 178 NP patients were treated-112 patients in the NP-pre group and 66 patients in the NP-post group. No differences between groups were observed in age, sex, comorbidities, pancreatitis etiology, NP severity, or mortality. A mean of 5.4 ± 0.2 outpatient communications per patient with the pancreatitis nurse coordinator was documented in the NP-post group. Unplanned readmission rates decreased significantly from 64% (NP-pre) to 45% (NP-post; P = 0.02). The frequency of readmission decreased from 1.6 readmissions per patient (NP-pre) to 0.8 readmissions per patient (NP-post; P = 0.001). Readmissions because of symptomatic necrosis, failure to thrive, nonnecrosis infection, and drain dysfunction decreased (P  less then  0.05). Overall disease duration was similar (NP-pre, 4.6 ± 0.3 mo; NP-post, 5.0 ± 0.3 mo; P = 0.4); however, the mean number of unplanned inpatient days decreased from 15.4 ± 2.2 d (NP-pre) to 7.8 ± 1.6 d (NP-post; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Improved outpatient communication identifies treatable problems and significantly decreases unplanned readmission in NP patients. BACKGROUND Noncompressible hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death in military and civilian trauma. Our aim was to examine the effect of adenosine, lidocaine, and magnesium (Mg2+; ALM) on cardiovascular and cerebral function in a porcine hepatic hemorrhage model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pigs (59.1 ± 0.34 kg) were anesthetized, instrumented, and randomly assigned into sham (n = 6), saline controls (n = 10) or ALM (n = 10) groups before laparoscopic liver resection. After 30 min, groups received 4 mL/kg 3% NaCl ± ALM bolus (Phase 1) followed 60 min later with 3 mL/kg/h 0.9% NaCl ± ALM drip (4 h; Phase 2), then transfusion. Hemodynamics, carotid artery flow, and intracranial pressure were measured continuously. Microdialysis samples were analyzed for metabolites. RESULTS Saline controls had 20% mortality (mean survival time 307 ± 38 min) with no ALM deaths over 6 h. Bolus administration increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) in both groups, and drip led to further increases to 62 ± 10 mmHg in controls compared with a steady fall to 47 ± 8 mmHg in ALM group at 240 min.

25 mins ago


This study aimed to determine the anxiety level of candidate nurses and capture their perspective on the nursing profession in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

This descriptive study consisted of 322 nursing students in Turkey after the pandemic announcement of the World Health Organization. A web-based survey was used and anxiety levels was determined via State Anxiety Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory.

Positive perspectives (63.4%) on the nursing profession before the pandemic decreased to 50.6%, whereas the negative (26.7%), and the undecided (9.9%) perspectives increased to 32.3% and 17.1%, of the total respectively. A significant increase was found in the anxiety scores with negative perspectives combined with an unwillingness to practice their profession in the future (P < .05).

Pregraduate training should be provided to candidate nurses about pandemic nursing and professional difficulties they may possibly encounter in infection epidemics.
Pregraduate training should be provided to candidate nurses about pandemic nursing and professional difficulties they may possibly encounter in infection epidemics.
Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) therapy has been shown to improve cardiovascular outcomes in the Prospective Comparison of ARNi with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor to Determine the Impact on Global Mortality and Morbidity in Heart Failure (PARADIGM-HF) study. However, the renal safety and efficacy of ARNi remains controversial. #link# This meta-analysis aimed to assess the renal safety and efficacy of angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi).

PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Clinicaltrials.gov were searched for randomized controlled trials. Eleven studies that covered 21,716 patients were included. ARNi was superior to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, in terms of risk of renal dysfunction, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline and elevated serum potassium levels, and higher risk of increase in urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. However, there was no difference in the probability of hyperkalemia and elevated serum creatinine levels. The incidence of eGFR decrease in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) was lower in patients who received ARNi, although ARNi use was not associated with higher risk of renal dysfunction in patients with CKD.

Available evidence supports the effectiveness of ARNi on improving renal outcome. Compared with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition, ARNi protects against renal impairment, since ARNi users have a lower risk of renal dysfunction and a higher eGFR, without an increased risk of hyperkalemia. However, its benefit for CKD patients still warrants further investigation.
Available evidence supports the effectiveness of ARNi on improving renal outcome. Compared with renin-angiotensin- https://www.selleckchem.com/products/elafibranor.html , ARNi protects against renal impairment, since ARNi users have a lower risk of renal dysfunction and a higher eGFR, without an increased risk of hyperkalemia. However, its benefit for CKD patients still warrants further investigation.
Dystussia impacts the ability to protect the airway. Voluntary cough provides a metric of airway defense but differs from the reflexive response to aspiration during swallowing. Therefore, we evaluated relationships between voluntary and reflexive cough among individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a healthy cohort.

Twenty-eight individuals with ALS and 26 healthy individuals completed voluntary and reflexive cough testing. Descriptive statistics, reliability, and paired t tests were conducted to evaluate differences in cough volume acceleration (CVA) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) in voluntary vs reflexive cough.

Compared with reflexive cough, voluntary CVA and PEFR were greater in individuals with ALS [t(27) = 4.83, P < .001 and t(27) = 8.69, P < .001] and the healthy cohort [t(21) = 5.91, P < .001 and t(21) = 12.26, P < .001], respectively.

These findings hold important implications for the use and interpretation of voluntary peak cough flow during clinical swallowing evaluations.
These findings hold important implications for the use and interpretation of voluntary peak cough flow during clinical swallowing evaluations.
To describe the multi-disciplinary child protection teams which administer the National Child Protection Alert System in District Health Boards in New Zealand and the understanding and perceptions of that system held by team members.

This is a mixed-method observational study. In December 2016 and January 2017, all child protection alert system multi-disciplinary team members were invited to participate in an online survey. Quantitative data were expressed with simple descriptive statistics. Qualitative findings were analysed using thematic analysis.

Ninety-one (56.9%) of 160 team members nationwide completed the survey. All 20 District Health Boards and multiple disciplines were represented. Most respondents agreed that they received good information to make decisions (74/90, 82.2%), that it was usually easy to reach consensus (82/91, 90.1%), that the system helped to keep children safe (72/91, 79.1%) and that it did not stigmatise families (49/91, 53.9%). Qualitative analysis identified considerable variation in understanding of the system and a need for more training to support more consistent implementation of the system.

Overall, health professionals responsible for the child protection alert system regard it positively but express a need for more training for team members and front-line staff to maximise the system's potential and minimise any risk of stigmatisation.
Overall, health professionals responsible for the child protection alert system regard it positively but express a need for more training for team members and front-line staff to maximise the system's potential and minimise any risk of stigmatisation.The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of serum G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor (GPER) levels and their correlation with semen parameters in men with infertility. The participants were divided into two groups as follows 76 fertile control men (Group 1) and 77 infertile men (Group 2). Semen analysis, hormonal evaluation, serum GPER level and scrotal ultrasound of the participants were evaluated. Follicle-stimulating hormone and total testosterone levels were not significantly different between the groups (p = .413 and p = .535 respectively). The oestradiol level in Group 1 was significantly lower than that in Group 2 (p less then .001). The serum GPER level was found to be significantly higher in Group 1 than that of Group 2 (p less then .001). GPER levels were positively correlated with the total sperm count, sperm concentration, motility and morphology in Group 2 (r = 0.303, 0.345, 0.260 and 0.322, respectively, p less then .001). In this study, GPER levels were positively correlated with sperm parameters, and it was hypothesised that the decrease in GPER expression might be associated with male infertility by adversely affecting spermatogenesis.