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Perinatal mental disorders are one of the most common disorders during pregnancy and may lead to adverse maternal and offspring outcomes. There is an increasing number of women currently at risk for emotional problems such as anxiety and depression during pregnancy and childbirth, and women with previous mental disorders are also at risk of relapse during pregnancy. At the same time, the lack of clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental disorders has made the work of clinicians even more challenging. The expert writing group integrated the latest medical evidence and clinical practice in related fields at home and abroad to form the expert consensus, consisting of the epidemiology and pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, clinical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of perinatal mental disorders, which can provide reference and guidance for practical clinical work. The consensus advocates comprehensive, whole-process, hierarchical, multidisciplinary and collaborative diagnosis and treatment, to help frontline clinicians screen, rationally assess and clinically diagnose perinatal pregnant women as soon as possible, as well as provide necessary psychological interventions and clinical medication for them.

Cervical cancer (CESC) presents significant clinical challenges due to its complex tumor microenvironment (TME) and varied treatment responses. This study identified undifferentiated M0 macrophages as high-risk immune cells critically involved in CESC progression. Co-culture experiments further demonstrated that M0 macrophages significantly promoted HeLa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, underscoring their pivotal role in modulating tumor cell behavior within the TME. A nine-gene prognostic model constructed from immune gene signatures highlighted CXCL8 as a key regulator of M0 macrophage behavior. Functional experiments demonstrated that CXCL8 knockdown in M0 macrophages inhibited their proliferation, shifted polarization toward an M1-dominant phenotype, and reduced tumor-promoting M2 polarization. Co-culture experiments with CXCL8-deficient M0 macrophages further revealed a suppression of HeLa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. These findings position M0 macrophages as central regulators within the TME and suggest that targeting pathways like CXCL8 could provide novel therapeutic strategies for improving outcomes in CESC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the traits and the driving factors of bacterial community in copper tailing-pond's different tailing layers during the process of oxidation/acidification, three-depth layers of tailing-pile at the Shuimuchong tailing-pond in Tongling City of Anhui Province were studied with their physico-chemical properties, content of heavy metals, and bacterial diversity being analyzed. As a result, the study showed that pH value gradually increased with the depth, nitrogen and phosphorus were concentrated in the surface and bottom layers respectively, the contents of Cu and Pb decreased with increasing depth, while the contents of Zn and Mn increased, and the fact of low heavy-metal content and high organic matter content made it possible to enhance mid-layer bacterial diversity, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi having heavy-metal resistance ability being dominant in the tailing piles. Being an important part of the nutrient cycle, bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Anoxybacillus became the dominant genus, and the distribution of various taxas of bacteria in the surface tailing-pile was in balance, while the rare taxa was enriched in the middle layer, and the rare and middle taxas were enriched in the bottom. In addition, pH value was driving rare taxa to change, while Mn and TP were leading the common taxa's shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem: Indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO) is a key protein that participates in the protection of embryos against the mother's immune system during pregnancy. How the expression of this protein is regulated at the maternal‐fetal interface remains largely unknown. Method of study: The chorionic villi and decidua of women in early pregnancy were collected. Tissue explants of the chorionic villi and decidua were cultured in media containing varying concentrations of 17β‐estradiol and estriol with or without fulvestrant. Western blot analysis and quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) were used to detect the expression of IDO and the suppressors of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in the cultured tissues from chorionic villi and decidua. Results: Both IDO and SOCS3 were expressed in chorionic villi and decidua. The expression of IDO was increased in tissue explants from chorionic villi and decidua cultured in medium containing different concentrations of 17β‐estradiol or estriol, and this increase was reversed when fulvestrant was added to the medium. The expression of IDO was upregulated, and SOCS3 expression was downregulated the most in tissue explants from chorionic villi and decidua that were cultured in medium containing 17β‐estradiol at a concentration of 10 ng/mL or estriol at a concentration of 1 µg/mL. This increase in IDO and decrease in SOCS3 were reversed when fulvestrant was added to the medium at a concentration of 10 µg/mL. Conclusion: At a concentration similar to that present during pregnancy, estrogen may upregulate the expression of IDO via downregulating SOCS3, which implies that estrogen may contribute to the prevention of allogeneic fetal rejection, and further studies may strengthen the possibility of using estrogen as an immune modulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The follicle is the basic structural and functional unit of the ovary in female mammals. The excessive depletion of follicles will lead to diminished ovarian reserve or even premature ovarian failure, resulting in diminished ovarian oogenesis and endocrine function. Excessive follicular depletion is mainly due to loss of primordial follicles. Our analysis of published human ovarian single-cell sequencing results by others revealed a significant increase in rho-associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) expression during primordial follicle development. However, the role of ROCK1 in primordial follicle development and maintenance is not clear. This study revealed a gradual increase in ROCK1 expression during primordial follicle activation. Inhibition of ROCK1 resulted in reduced primordial follicle activation, decreased follicular reserve, and delayed development of growing follicles. This effect may be achieved through the HIPPO pathway. The present study indicates that ROCK1 is a key molecule for primordial follicular reserve and follicular development. NEW & NOTEWORTHY ROCK1, one of the Rho GTPases, plays an important role in primordial follicle reserve and follicular development. ROCK1 was primarily expressed in the cytoplasm of oocytes and granulosa cell in mice. Inhibition of ROCK1 significantly reduced the primordial follicle reserve and delayed growing follicle development. ROCK1 regulates primordial follicular reserve and follicle development through the HIPPO signaling pathway. These findings shed new lights on the physiology of sustaining female reproduction.

Objective: To explore the genetic basis of a child with holoprosencephaly., Methods: Genomic DNA of the child was extracted and subjected to whole exome sequencing. Suspected variant was verified by Sanger sequencing of her family members., Results: Cranial MRI suggested lobulated holoprosencephaly with partial absence of corpus callosum. Genetic testing revealed that she has carried a heterozygous c.517C>G (p.His173Asp) variant of the SIX3 gene, for which both of her parents were of wild type. Based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, the c.517C>G variant of SIX3 gene was predicted to be pathogenic (PS2+PM1+PM2+PM5+PP3)., Conclusion: The SIX3 gene c.517C>G variant probably underlay the multiple malformations in this child. Above finding has enabled her definite diagnosis.