Urinary haloacetic acid concentrations in relation to sex and thyroid hormones among reproductive-aged men.

Sex and thyroid hormones are critical for male reproductive health. However, the associations between haloacetic acid (HAA) exposure - a known endocrine disruptor - and sex and thyroid hormones in humans remains unclear. We thus recruited 502 male participants seeking fertility evaluation from a reproductive center. We measured concentrations of sex and thyroid hormones in a single blood sample and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in repeated urine samples. Multivariable linear regression models were constructed to evaluate the associations between HAA concentrations and hormone measurements. After adjusting for potential confounders and urinary creatinine concentrations, urinary concentrations of TCAA were inversely associated with serum levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), testosterone (T), T/luteinizing hormone ratio (T/LH), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (all P for trend < 0.10). Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of TCAA concentrations, those in the highest quartile had reduced serum levels of SHGB by 14.2 % (95% CI: -26.7, -3.0 %), T by 11.1 % (95% CI: -21.7, -1.3 %), T/LH by 21.0 % (95% CI: -36.7, -7.1 %), and TSH by 19.1 % (95% CI: -39.7, -1.5 %). Additionally, we observed inverse associations between continuous measurements of urinary HAAs and serum levels of free T, bioactive T, and estradiol. Our findings suggest that male HAA exposure may be associated with disrupted sex and thyroid function.

CNSMolGen: A Bidirectional Recurrent Neural Network-Based Generative Model for De Novo Central Nervous System Drug Design.

Central nervous system (CNS) drugs have had a significant impact on treating a wide range of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. In recent years, deep learning-based generative models have shown great potential for accelerating drug discovery and improving efficacy. However, specific applications of these techniques in CNS drug discovery have not been widely reported. In this study, we developed the CNSMolGen model, which uses a framework of bidirectional recurrent neural networks (Bi-RNNs) for de novo molecular design of CNS drugs. Results showed that the pretrained model was able to generate more than 90% of completely new molecular structures, which possessed the properties of CNS drug molecules and were synthesizable. In addition, transfer learning was performed on small data sets with specific biological activities to evaluate the potential application of the model for CNS drug optimization. Here, we used drugs against the classical CNS disease target serotonin transporter (SERT) as a fine-tuned data set and generated a focused database against the target protein. The potential biological activities of the generated molecules were verified by using the physics-based induced-fit docking study. The success of this model demonstrates its potential in CNS drug design and optimization, which provides a new impetus for future CNS drug development.

Gestational Exposure to PM2.5 and Specific Constituents, Meconium Metabolites, and Neonatal Neurobehavioral Development: A Cohort Study.

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during pregnancy has been inversely associated with neonatal neurological development. However, the associations of exposure to specific PM2.5 constituents with neonatal neurological development remain unclear. We investigated these associations and examined the mediating role of meconium metabolites in a Chinese birth cohort consisting of 294 mother-infant pairs. Our results revealed that exposure to PM2.5 and its specific constituents (i.e., organic matter, black carbon, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium) in the second trimester, but not in the first or third trimester, was inversely associated with the total neonatal behavioral neurological assessment (NBNA) scores. The PM2.5 constituent mixture in the second trimester was also inversely associated with NBNA scores, and sulfate was identified as the largest contributor. Furthermore, meconium metabolome analysis identified four metabolites, namely, threonine, lysine, leucine, and saccharopine, that were associated with both PM2.5 constituents and NBNA scores. Threonine was identified as an important mediator, accounting for a considerable proportion (14.53-15.33%) of the observed inverse associations. Our findings suggest that maternal exposure to PM2.5 and specific constituents may adversely affect neonatal behavioral development, in which meconium metabolites may play a mediating role.

Human pan-cancer analysis of the predictive biomarker for the CDKN3.

BACKGROUND: Cell cycle protein-dependent kinase inhibitor protein 3 (CDKN3), as a member of the protein kinase family, has been demonstrated to exhibit oncogenic properties in several tumors. However, there are no pan-carcinogenic analyses for CDKN3. METHODS: Using bioinformatics tools such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the UCSC Xena database, a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of CDKN3 was conducted. The inverstigation encompassed the examination of CDKN3 function actoss 33 different kinds of tumors, as well as the exploration of gene expressions, survival prognosis status, clinical significance, DNA methylation, immune infiltration, and associated signal pathways. RESULTS: CDKN3 was significantly upregulated in most of tumors and correlated with overall survival (OS) of patients. Methylation levels of CDKN3 differed significantly between tumors and normal tissues. In addition, infiltration of CD4 + T cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, macrophages, and endothelial cells were associated with CDKN3 expression in various tumors. Mechanistically, CDKN3 was associated with P53, PI3K-AKT, cell cycle checkpoints, mitotic spindle checkpoint, and chromosome maintenance. CONCLUSION: Our pan-cancer analysis conducted in the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the involvement of CDKN3 gene in tumorigenesis. The findings suggest that targeting CDKN3 may potentially lead to novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of tumors.

Emission and optical characteristics of brown carbon in size-segregated particles from three types of Chinese ships.

Brown carbon (BrC) is one of the important light absorption substances that have high light absorption ability under short wavelength light. However, limit studies have focused on the BrC emission from ships. In this study, size-segregated particulate matters (PM) were collected from three different types of ships, light absorption characteristics and size distribution of methanol-soluble BrC and water-soluble BrC in PM from ship exhausts were investigated. Results showed that four-stroke low-power diesel fishing boat (4-LDF) had the highest mass concentrations of methanol-soluble organic carbon (MSOC) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), followed by 2-stroke high-power heavy-fuel-oil vessel (2-HHV), and four-stroke high-power marine-diesel vessel (4-HMV). While 2-HHV had obviously higher light absorption coefficients of methanol-soluble BrC (Abs365,M) and water-soluble BrC (Abs365,W) in unit weight of PM than the other two types of ships. The tested ships presented comparable or higher absorption efficiency of BrC in water extracts (MAE365,W) compared with other BrC emission sources. Majority of BrC was concentrated in fine particles, and the particle size distributions of both Abs365,M and Abs365,W showed bimodal patterns, peaking at 0.43-0.65 µm and 4.7-5.8 µm, respectively. However, different particle size distributions were found for MAE365,M between diesel and heavy fuel oil ships. Besides, different wavelength dependence in particles with different size were also detected. Ship exhaust could be confirmed as a non-ignorable BrC emission source, and complex influencing factor could affect the light absorption characteristics of ship emissions. Particle size should also be considered when light absorption ability of BrC was evaluated.

Successful treatment of cutaneous protothecosis with fluconazole: A case report and epidemiology study of Prototheca infection in China.

BACKGROUND: Protothecosis is an infection of humans and animals caused by a rare conditionally pathogenic fungus (prototheca). It can occur in immunocompromised or normal patients. AIMS: To describe the epidemiology of prototheca infection in China. METHODS: We report a case of successful treatment of cutaneous protothecosis with fluconazole and analyzed the epidemiological characteristics, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of prototheca infections in China. RESULTS: We describe this case and 29 cases of prototheca infections in China. At present, Prototheca wickerhamii (Pw) infection is the most common infection in China, and single or combined itraconazole is the preferred treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide detailed information and relevant clinical treatment strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of protothecosis in China.

Association of urinary and seminal plasma vanadium concentrations with semen quality: A repeated-measures study of 1135 healthy men.

Although animal studies have shown the reproductive toxicity of vanadium, less is known about its effects on semen quality in humans. Among 1135 healthy men who were screened as potential semen donors, we investigated the relationships of semen quality with urinary and seminal plasma vanadium levels via inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Spearman rank correlation tests and linear regression models were used to assess the correlations between average urinary and within-individual pooled seminal plasma vanadium concentrations (n = 1135). We utilized linear mixed-effects models to evaluate the associations of urinary and seminal plasma vanadium levels (n = 1135) with repeated sperm quality parameters (n = 5576). Seminal plasma vanadium concentrations were not significantly correlated with urinary vanadium concentrations (r = 0.03). After adjusting for possible confounders, we observed inverse relationships of within-individual pooled seminal plasma vanadium levels with total count, semen volume, and sperm concentration (all P values for trend < 0.05). Specifically, subjects in the highest (vs. lowest) tertile of seminal plasma vanadium concentrations had - 11.3% (-16.4%, -5.9%), - 11.1% (-19.1%, -2.4%), and - 20.9% (-29.0%, -11.8%) lower sperm volume, concentration, and total count, respectively; moreover, urinary vanadium levels appeared to be negatively associated with sperm motility. These relationships showed monotonically decreasing dose-response patterns in the restricted cubic spline analyses. Our results demonstrated a poor correlation between urinary and seminal plasma levels of vanadium, and elevated vanadium concentrations in urine and seminal plasma may be adversely related to male semen quality.

Molecular signatures and formation mechanisms of water-soluble chromophores in particulate matter from Karachi in Pakistan.

Excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy is a widely-used method for characterizing the chemical components of brown carbon (BrC). However, the molecular basics and formation mechanisms of chromophores, which are decomposed by parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis, are not yet fully understood. In this study, we characterized the water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in aerosols collected from Karachi, Pakistan, using EEM spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). We identified three PARAFAC components, including two humic-like components (C1 and C2) and one phenolic-like species (C3). We determined the molecular families associated with each component by performing Spearman correlation analysis between FT-ICR MS peaks and PARAFAC component intensities. We found that the C1 and C2 components were associated with nitrogen-enriched compounds, where C2 with the longest emission wavelength exhibited a higher level of aromaticity, N content, and oxygenation than C1. The C3 associated formulas have fewer nitrogen-containing species, a lower unsaturation degree, and a lower oxidation state. An oxidation pathway was identified as an important process in the formation of C1 and C2 components at the molecular level, particularly for the assigned CHON compounds associated with the gas-phase oxidation process, despite their diverse precursor types. Numerous C2 formulas were found in the "potential BrC" region and overlapped with the BrC-associated formulas. It can be inferred that the compounds that fluoresce C2 contributed considerably to the light absorption of BrC. These findings are essential for future studies utilizing the EEM-PARAFAC method to explore the sources, processes, and compositions of atmospheric BrC.

Association between regular proton pump inhibitors use and cardiovascular outcomes: A large prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely prescribed for gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcer disease. However, the association between the regular PPIs use and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether regular proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) use is associated with an altered incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 459,207 participants (mean [SD] age, 56.2 [8.1] years) from the UK Biobank study without prevalent CVD who enrolled between 2006 and 2010 and were followed until 2018. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident CVD and its components (coronary heart disease [CHD], stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and venous thromboembolism) were obtained using Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for potential confounding factors, including demographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, prevalent comorbidities, and clinical indicators for PPIs use. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, we recorded 26,346 incident CVD events (including 13,749 CHD events, 4144 stroke events, 5812 atrial fibrillation events, 1159 heart failure events, and 4206 venous thromboembolism events). The fully adjusted HRs (and 95% CIs) associated with PPIs users compared to nonusers were 1.44 (95% CI 1.39-1.50) for incident CVD, 1.65 (95% CI 1.57-1.74) for CHD, 1.21 (95% CI 1.09-1.33) for stroke, 1.17 (95% CI 1.08-1.28) for atrial fibrillation, 1.61 (95% CI 1.37-1.89) for heart failure, and 1.36 (95% CI 1.24-1.50) for venous thromboembolism. CONCLUSIONS: Regular PPIs use was associated with higher risk of CVD outcomes. Clinicians should therefore exercise caution when prescribing PPIs.

Direct White-Light Emitting From a Single Metal-Organic Framework with Dual Phosphorescence Peaks.

Single component white-light-emitting (SCWLE) materials are extremely desired in the field of solid-state lighting. However, pure-phosphorescent SCWLE has rarely been reported. Herein, one halogen-bonding-containing MOF [Cd(5-BIPA)(phen)] (1) has been synthesized, which shows efficient white-light emission originating from dual phosphorescence bands with different wavelengths and lifetimes. The fabrication of a phosphor-converted white-light-emitting diode device driven by pulsing current enables this MOF to be a promising phosphor.

A pan-cancer analysis of TNFAIP8L1 in human tumors.

TNFAIP8L1, as a recently identified member in TNFAIP8 family, plays an important role in tumorigenesis. However, a pan-cancer analysis of TNFAIP8L1 in human tumors has not been conducted until now. The main purpose of study is to investigate TNFAIP8L1 during 33 different types of human tumors by using TCGA and GTEx. The pan-cancer analysis showed that TNFAIP8L1 was significantly over-expressed in 15 cancers and low-expressed in 9 cancers. There were distinct relations between TNFAIP8L1 expression and prognosis of patients with cancer. Furthermore, we also found that DNA methylation and RNA modification of TNFAIP8L1 were associated with many cancers. And then, we detected that TNFAIP8L1 level was positively associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in many tumors. And, we obtained that TNFAIP8L1 expression was related with most of immune inhibitory and stimulatory genes in multiple types of tumors. We also found TNFAIP8L1 expression was correlated with most of chemokine, receptor, MHC, immunoinhibitor and immunostimulator gens in most of cancers. Moreover, we detected TNFAIP8L1 expression was associated with TMB and MSI in several tumors. Finally, TNFAIP8L1 gene had a significant positive association with 5 genes including BCL6B, DLL4, PCDH12, COL4A1 and DLL4 in the majority of tumors. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses showed that TNFAIP8L1 in thepathogenesis of cancer may be related to "purine nucleoside binding," "purine ribonucleoside binding," "ECM-receptor interaction," etc. Our first pan-cancer study may provide a deep comprehending of TNFAIP8L1 in tumoeigenesis from different tumors.

Dominant Contribution of NO3 Radical to NO3- Formation during Heavy Haze Episodes: Insights from High-Time Resolution of Dual Isotopes Δ17O and δ18O.

δ18O is widely used to track nitrate (NO3-) formation but overlooks NO3 radical reactions with hydrocarbons (HCs), particularly in heavily emitting hazes. This study introduces high-time resolution Δ17O-NO3- as a powerful tool to quantify NO3- formation during five hazes in three cities. Results show significant differences between Δ17O-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- in identifying NO3- formation. δ18O-NO3- results suggested N2O5 hydrolysis (62.0-88.4%) as the major pathway of NO3- formation, while Δ17O-NO3- shows the NO3- formation contributions of NO2 + OH (17.7-66.3%), NO3 + HC (10.8-49.6%), and N2O5 hydrolysis (22.9-33.3%), revealing significant NO3 + HC contribution (41.7-56%) under severe pollution. Furthermore, NO3- formation varies with temperatures, NOx oxidation rate (NOR), and pollution levels. Higher NO2 + OH contribution and lower NO3 + HC contribution were observed at higher temperatures, except for low NOR haze where higher NO2 + OH contributions were observed at low temperatures (T ← 10 °C). This emphasizes the significance of NO2 + OH in emission-dominated haze. Contributions of NO2 + OH and NO3 + HC relate to NOR as positive (fP1 = 3.0*NOR2 - 2.4*NOR + 0.8) and negative (fP2 = -2.3*NOR2 + 1.8*NOR) quadratic functions, respectively, with min/max values at NOR = 0.4. At mild pollution, NO2 + OH (58.1 ± 22.2%) dominated NO3- formation, shifting to NO3 + HC (35.5 ± 16.3%) during severe pollution. Additionally, high-time resolution Δ17O-NO3- reveals that morning-evening rush hours and high temperatures at noon promote the contributions of NO3 + HC and NO2 + OH, respectively. Our results suggested that the differences in the NO3- pathway are attributed to temperatures, NOR, and pollution levels. Furthermore, high-time resolution Δ17O-NO3- is vital for quantifying NO3 + HC contribution during severe hazes.

Characterization of Biodiesel and Diesel Combustion Particles: Chemical Composition, Lipid Metabolism, and Implications for Health and Environment.

Biodiesel, derived from alkyl esters of vegetable oils or animal fats, has gained prominence as a greener alternative to diesel due to its reduced particle mass. However, it remains debatable whether biodiesel exposure has more severe health issues than diesel. This study performed high-resolution mass spectrometry to examine the detailed particle chemical compositions and lipidomics analysis of human lung epithelial cells treated with emissions from biodiesel and diesel fuels. Results show the presence of the peak substances of CHO compounds in biodiesel combustion that contain a phthalate ester (PAEs) structure (e.g., n-amyl isoamyl phthalate and diisobutyl phthalate). PAEs have emerged as persistent organic pollutants across various environmental media and are known to possess endocrine-disrupting properties in the environment. We further observed that biodiesel prevents triglyceride storage compared to diesel and inhibits triglycerides from becoming phospholipids, particularly with increased phosphatidylglycerols (PGs) and phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), which potentially could lead to a higher probability of cancer metastasis.

Identification of Diagnostic Biomarkers for Compensatory Liver Cirrhosis Based on Gut Microbiota and Urine Metabolomics Analyses.

Liver cirrhosis is one of the most prevalent chronic liver disorders with high mortality. We aimed to explore changed gut microbiome and urine metabolome in compensatory liver cirrhosis (CLC) patients, thus providing novel diagnostic biomarkers for CLC. Forty fecal samples from healthy volunteers (control: 19) and CLC patients (patient: 21) were undertaken 16S rDNA sequencing. Chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed on 40 urine samples (20 controls and 20 patients). Microbiome and metabolome data were separately analyzed using corresponding bioinformatics approaches. The diagnostic model was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. The optimal diagnostic model was determined by five-fold cross-validation. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to clarify the relations among the diagnostic markers. 16S rDNA sequencing analyses showed changed overall alpha diversity and beta diversity in patient samples compared with those of controls. Similarly, we identified 841 changed metabolites. Pathway analysis revealed that the differential metabolites were mainly associated with pathways, such as tryptophan metabolism, purine metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. A 9-maker diagnostic model for CLC was determined, including 7 microorganisms and 2 metabolites. In this model, there were multiple correlations between microorganisms and metabolites. Subdoligranulum, Agathobacter, norank_f_Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Butyricicoccus, Lachnospiraceae_UCG_004, and L-2,3-Dihydrodipicolinate were elevated in CLC patients, whereas Blautia, Monoglobus, and 5-Acetamidovalerate were reduced. A novel diagnostic model for CLC was constructed and verified to be reliable, which provides new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of CLC.

Aqueous-Phase Reactions of Anthropogenic Emissions Lead to the High Chemodiversity of Atmospheric Nitrogen-Containing Compounds during the Haze Event.

Nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs), a type of important reactive-nitrogen species, are abundant in organic aerosols in haze events observed in Northern China. However, due to the complex nature of NOCs, the sources, formation, and influencing factors are still ambiguous. Here, the molecular composition of organic matters (OMs) in hourly PM2.5 samples collected during a haze event in Northern China was characterized using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). We found that CHON compounds (formulas containing C, H, O, and N atoms) dominated the OM fractions during the haze and showed high chemodiversity and transformability. Relying on the newly developed revised-workflow and oxidation-hydrolyzation knowledge for CHON compounds, 64% of the major aromatic CHON compounds (>80%) could be derived from the oxidization or hydrolyzation processes. Results from FT-ICR MS data analysis further showed that the aerosol liquid water (ALW)-involved aqueous-phase reactions are important for the molecular distribution of aromatic-CHON compounds besides the coal combustion, and the ALW-involved aromatic-CHON compound formation during daytime and nighttime was different. Our results improve the understanding of molecular composition, sources, and potential formation of CHON compounds, which can help to advance the understanding for the formation, evolution, and control of haze.

Char dominates black carbon aerosol emission and its historic reduction in China.

Emission factors and inventories of black carbon (BC) aerosols are crucial for estimating their adverse atmospheric effect. However, it is imperative to separate BC emissions into char and soot subgroups due to their significantly different physicochemical properties and potential effects. Here, we present a substantial dataset of char and soot emission factors derived from field and laboratory measurements. Based on the latest results of the char-to-soot ratio, we further reconstructed the emission inventories of char and soot for the years 1960-2017 in China. Our findings indicate that char dominates annual BC emissions and its huge historical reduction, which can be attributable to the rapid changes in energy structure, combustion technology and emission standards in recent decades. Our results suggest that further BC emission reductions in both China and the world should focus on char, which mainly derives from lower-temperature combustion and is easier to decrease compared to soot.

On-board measurements of OC/EC ratio, mixing state, and light absorption of ship-emitted particles.

Carbonaceous aerosols play important roles in environmental impacts and climate effects. The characteristics of ship-emitted carbonaceous aerosols keep unclear under the latest global low sulfur fuel oil policy. This study selected four ocean-going vessels burning low sulfur fuel oils for on-board exhaust testing. The emission factors of ship carbonaceous aerosols were obtained under different engine types (main and auxiliary engines), fuel types, and engine loads. Our results showed that fuel and engine types were both important factors affecting carbonaceous aerosol emissions for ship engines. The emission factors of OC and EC from main engines were 1.18 ± 0.62 and 0.06 ± 0.04 g/kg burning heavy fuel oil (HFO), while 0.52 ± 0.35 and 0.04 ± 0.03 g/kg burning marine gas oil (MGO), respectively. The OC/EC ratios of ship-emitted particles were within a large range of 2 to 23. The OC/EC ratios from the main engines were significantly higher than those from the auxiliary engines by a factor of 6.3. The result of chemical mixing states of ship-emitted particles observed by a single particle mass spectrometer (SPAMS) showed that OC and EC were internally mixed and existed as the ECOC-bonded forms in single particles. The measured light absorption of ship-emitted particles with higher OC/EC ratios showed an evident short-wave absorption enhancement based on the aethalometer AE-33. Our results implied that ship-emitted carbonaceous aerosols (especially with high OC/EC ratios) could not be uniformly treated regarding the optical properties to more precisely estimate their potential environmental impacts and climate effects in model systems in the future.

Fast photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B using indium-porphyrin based cationic MOF under visible light irradiation.

A broad light-harvesting range and efficient charge separation are two main ways to enhance the visible photocatalytic performance of semiconductors. Herein, an ionic porphyrin MOF [In(TPyP)]·(NO3) (1) (TPyP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphyrin) was synthesized via in situ metalation. The orderly arranged porphyrin photosensitizer and the internal electric field between the MOF host and NO3- guests enable effective visible light response and electron-hole separation. Consequently, the as-synthesized MOF shows efficient photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) organic pollutants. It can degrade 99.07% of RhB within only 20 minutes under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm) with a high chemical reaction rate constant of 0.2400 min-1. The photocatalytic activity of the title MOF is more efficient than those of other reported MOFs, COFs and even inorganic semiconductors. The reusability, energy level, band gap, charge distribution and main degradation mechanisms of the photocatalyst were well studied.

Characteristics of intermediate volatility organic compounds emitted from inland vessels with different influential factors and implication of reduction emissions.

Ships could emit an abundance intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs). In recent years, many studies on the emission characteristics of IVOCs have focused on the burning of heavy fuel oil by ocean-going ships; however, few have focused on inland vessels which have a more significant impact on air quality and human health owing to their closer proximity to cities than ocean-going ships. In this study, the IVOC emission factors (EFIVOCs) of three inland vessels were determined using a dilution sampling system considering different influencing factors (ship age and operating conditions). The results showed that the EFIVOCs values ranged from 869.9 to 7607 mg/kg fuel, with an average of 4128 ± 2703 mg/kg fuel. In addition, the age of the vessel was found to have a dramatic effect on emissions with the average EFIVOCs of inland vessels aged >10 years was 4300 ± 4319, 5769, and 6484 ± 1586 mg/kg fuel under cruising, idling, and maneuvering conditions, respectively, while that of vessels <10 years old was 1180 ± 328.3 mg/kg fuel when maneuvering. The percentages of emission factors for unresolved complex mixture (UCM), normal alkanes (n-alkanes), branched alkanes (b-alkanes), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from inland vessels were 82.1 ± 2.6 %, 5.2 ± 0.9 %, 10.6 ± 2.0 % and 2.0 ± 0.6 % of the total IVOCs, respectively. The secondary organic aerosols (SOA) production of inland vessels was estimated to be 1212 ± 801.7 mg/kg fuel, which was substantially higher than those of diesel vehicles, non-road construction machinery, and gasoline vehicles reported by other researches. Moreover, based on the ship movement and measured EFIVOCs data, the IVOCs emission inventory of inland vessels in Jiangsu Province and China in 2016 was 4.2 ± 2.8 and 32.0 ± 21.0 Gg respectively, which was comparable to those from diesel vehicle emissions.

Clinical Study of Percutaneous Endoscopic Large-channel Fusion and Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion in the Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.

Context: Degenerative changes in the lumbar spine more commonly cause spinal stenosis and with the aging of society, its incidence is on the rise. Endoscopic spinal surgery is a minimally invasive technique for decompression. The efficacy of percutaneous, endoscopic, large-channel fusion and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) need confirmation by more studies. Objective: The study intended to investigate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic large-channel fusion and TLIF in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, to find the best treatment plan. Design: The research team performed a retrospective study. Setting: The study took place at Nanjing Lishui People's Hospital in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, PR China. Participants: Participants were 100 patients with degenerative, lumbar, spinal stenosis who had been admitted to the hospital between October 2018 and October 2022. Intervention: The research team randomly divided participants into an intervention group and a control group, with 50 participants in each group. The intervention group received percutaneous, endoscopic, large-channel fusion and internal fixation, and the control group received foraminal, lumbar, interbody fusion. Outcome Measures: The research team measured: (1) perioperative indexes, (2) clinical efficacy at a postoperative follow-up at 6 months postintervention, (3) indexes for inflammatory responses at baseline and postintervention, (4) postoperative pain at baseline and at months 3 and 6 postintervention using a visual analog scale (VAS), (6) lumbar function at baseline and months 3 and 6 postintervention using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scale, and (7) complications. Results: Compared with the control group, the intervention group's perioperatively related and inflammatory-response indexes were significantly better: (1) amount of bleeding- 112.67 ± 17.38 for the control group and 78.62 ± 10.52 for the intervention group (P = .002); (2) volume of drainage-79.63 ± 14.21 for the control group and 52.18 ± 8.21 for the intervention group (P = .001); (3) ESR at baseline and postintervention-22.41 ± 5.62 and 15.18 ± 5.26, respectively, for the control group and 22.58 ± 5.82 and 10.54 ± 3.18, respectively, for the intervention group, with P = .013 postintervention; and (4) CRP at baseline and postintervention-17.42 ± 3.52 and 13.98 ± 3.65 for the control group, respectively, and 18.65 ± 3.78 and 10.14 ± 2.78 for the intervention group, with P = .008 postintervention; Also, compared to the control group, the intervention group's: (1) total effective rate was significantly higher (P = .018); (2) incidence of postoperative complications was significantly lower (P = .006); (3) VAS pain score was significantly lower at months 3 and 6, with P = .028 and P = .021, respectively; (4) Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) function score was significantly lower at months 3 and 6, with P = .016 and P = .014, respectively; and (5) postoperative JOA function score was significantly higher at months 3 and 6, with P = .011 and P = .007, respectively. Conclusions: Both percutaneous, endoscopic, large-channel fusion and TLIF had good therapeutic effects in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. However, compared with the latter, the former was more effective, with better comprehensive efficacy and more obvious benefits for patients, so it's worthy of clinical promotion and use.