Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter Constituents and Human Semen Quality Decline: A Multicenter Study.

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM < 2.5 µm in diameter [PM2.5]) may accelerate human sperm quality decline, although research on this association is limited. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between exposure to the chemical constituents of PM2.5 air pollution and decreased sperm quality and to further explore the exposure-response relationship. We conducted a multicenter population-based cohort study including 78,952 semen samples from 33,234 donors at 6 provincial human sperm banks (covering central, northern, southern, eastern, and southwestern parts of China) between 2014 and 2020. Daily exposure to PM2.5 chemical composition was estimated using a deep learning model integrating a density ground-based measure network at a 1 km resolution. Linear mixed models with subject- and center-specific intercepts were used to quantify the harmful impacts of PM2.5 constituents on semen quality and explore their exposure-response relationships. Per interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 exposure levels during spermatogenesis was significantly associated with decreased sperm concentration, progressive motility, and total motility. For PM2.5 constituents, per IQR increment in Cl- (ß: -0.02, 95% CI: [-0.03, -0.00]) and NO3- (ß: -0.05, 95% CI: [-0.08, -0.02]) exposure was negatively associated with sperm count, while NH4+ (ß: -0.03, 95% CI: [-0.06, -0.00]) was significantly linked to decreased progressive motility. These results suggest that exposure to PM2.5 chemical constituents may adversely affect human sperm quality, highlighting the urgent need to reduce PM2.5 exposure.

Genome-wide identification and expression of SAUR gene family in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and functional identification of AhSAUR3 in drought tolerance.

BACKGROUND: Small auxin-upregulated RNAs (SAURs) gene family plays important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, the function of few SAUR genes is known in the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), one of the world's major food legume crops. This study aimed to perform a comprehensive identification of the SAUR gene family from the peanut genome. RESULTS: The genome-wide analysis revealed that a total of 162 SAUR genes were identified in the peanut genome. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the SAUR proteins were classified into eight subfamilies. The SAUR gene family experienced a remarkable expansion after tetraploidization, which contributed to the tandem duplication events first occurring in subgenome A and then segmental duplication events occurring between A and B subgenomes. The expression profiles based on transcriptomic data showed that SAUR genes were dominantly expressed in the leaves, pistils, perianth, and peg tips, and were widely involved in tolerance against abiotic stresses. A total of 18 AhSAUR genes selected from different subfamilies randomly presented 4 major expression patterns according to their expression characteristics in response to indole-3-acetic acid. The members from the same subfamily showed a similar expression pattern. Furthermore, the functional analysis revealed that AhSAUR3 played a negative role in response to drought tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided insights into the evolution and function of the SAUR gene family and may serve as a resource for further functional research on AhSAUR genes.

The development of a colorimetric biosensing assay for the detection of Helicobacter pylori in feces.

As Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is closely related to the occurrence of gastric diseases such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer, early detection of H. pylori is an urgent need. In this study, oligonucleotide probes conjugated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used in combination with H. pylori-specific aptamers for the rapid detection of H. pylori in stool samples, which converted the method of detection from proteins to nucleic acids. Therefore, qualitative detection of H. pylori can be achieved by observing color changes through the aggregation (red to purple) or deaggregation (purple to red) of AuNPs, and further quantitative detection can be achieved through UV spectrometry. The detection limit of the colorimetric biosensing method is 25 CFU/mL (S/N = 3), which is favorably comparable to other reported detection methods. Compared with the existing detection methods for H. pylori, this colorimetric biosensing method has no limitations to the test subjects. All these features render the colorimetric biosensing assay a promising method for the clinical field detection of H. pylori.

miR-205-5p in exosomes divided from chondrogenic mesenchymal stem cells alleviated rheumatoid arthritis via regulating MDM2 in fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role and mechanism of chondrogenic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)-derived exosomes on Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The chondrogenesis of BMSCs was induced by chondrogenic medium. Exosomes from BMSCs and chondrogenic BMSCs were isolated and characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), laser particle size analyzer and western blot. ELISA was used to analyze the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Western bolt was performed to assess MAPK and NF-κB pathways expression. The inflammation score and the pathological damage of RA mice were evaluated. Luciferase reporter assay and RIP were carried out to examine the relationship between microRNA-205-5p (miR-205-5p) and mouse double minute 2 (MDM2). RESULTS: Chondrogenic BMSCs-derived exosomes suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines, MMPs and MAPK and NF-κB pathways in RA-FLSs. miR-205-5p had a high expression in chondrogenic BMSCs-derived exosomes. Functionally, exosomal miR-205-5p also played the anti-inflammation effects. Besides, MDM2 was a direct target of miR-205-5p. Additionally, chondrogenic BMSCs-secreted exosomal miR-205-5p suppressed the inflammation score, joint destruction, and inflammatory response in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice through MDM2. CONCLUSION: Chondrogenic BMSCs-derived exosomal miR-205-5p suppressed inflammatory response, MAPK and NF-κB pathways through MDM2 in RA, indicating exosomal miR-205-5p might be a potential target for RA treatment.

ASF1B enhances migration and invasion of lung cancers cell via regulating the P53-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) signaling pathway.

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Anti-silencing function 1B (ASF1B) has been demonstrated to play crucial roles in various tumors. However, the function of ASF1B in lung cancer remains to be addressed. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot assays demonstrated that ASF1B expression was upregulated in human lung cancer tissues and cells. High expression of ASF1B in lung cancer patients was associated with tumor stage and lymph node metastatic status and indicated a poor prognosis. The results of CCK-8 and colony formation assays indicated that ASF1B promoted the proliferation of lung cancer cells. Moreover, ASF1B knockdown suppressed xenograft tumor growth and inhibited the levels of ASF1B and Ki-67. Transwell assay demonstrated that ASF1B promoted the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. Importantly, mechanism analysis implied that upregulation of ASF1B decreased the expression of P53 and P21 while increasing the expression of Snail and Slug. Consistently, the knockdown of ASF1B led to the opposite results. Notably, P53 activation with Nutlin3 significantly weakened the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) promotion effect of ASF1B, while P53 inhibition with pifithrin-α significantly enhanced the EMT promotion effect of sh-ASF1B. These data indicated that ASF1B exerts its oncogene function partially through the P53-mediated EMT signaling pathway. In conclusion, ASF1B promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through modulating the P53-mediated EMT signaling pathway in lung cancer, suggesting that ASF1B may provide a promising target for the therapy of lung cancer.

Comparable safety of ERCP in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with common bile duct stones: a propensity-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: The safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for asymptomatic common bile duct (CBD) stones patients has not been thoroughly elucidated. This study attempted to compare the incidence and severity of ERCP complications in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with CBD stones and to provide evidence for the treatment of asymptomatic CBD stones. METHODS: The clinical data of patients were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into the asymptomatic CBD stones group and the symptomatic CBD stones group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match the two groups. The incidence and severity of postoperative complications of ERCP in the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients who had asymptomatic CBD stones and 795 patients who had symptomatic CBD stones were included in this study. After PSM, 79 patients from the asymptomatic CBD group and 316 patients from the symptomatic CBD stones group were identified. Before and after PSM, no significant differences in the incidence and severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) were noted between the two groups (p > .05). In addition, no differences in the incidence and severity of other complications, including acute cholangitis, bleeding and perforation, between the two groups were observed before and after PSM (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with asymptomatic CBD stones do not exhibit an increased risk of ERCP-related complications compared with those with symptomatic CBD stones. ERCP was observed to be equally safe and efficacious for patients with asymptomatic versus symptomatic CBD stones.

NUCKS Promotes the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Lung Cancer Cells Through Pi3k/Akt Signalling Pathway.

PURPOSE: Nuclear ubiquitous casein and cyclin-dependent kinases substrate (NUCKS) overexpression has been reported in various types of cancers. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of NUCKS, underlying the involvement of non-small-cell lung cancer, in the progression of lung cancer. METHODS: The small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) of NUCKS was transfected into a lung cancer cell line (NCI-H460, A549, NCI-H1299 and NCI-H1975). Functional experiments (MTT assay, Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay and Transwell assay) were performed to measure the effects of NUCKS on lung cancer cell viability, migration, invasion and apoptosis. RESULTS: NUCKS was found to be up-regulated in lung cancer cells. Knockdown of NUCKS significantly altered lung cancer cell apoptosis, proliferation colony formation, invasion and migration. Moreover, knockdown of NUCKS attenuated the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway in lung cancer cells. CONCLUSION: NUCKS was overexpressed in lung cancer cells and played an important role in lung cancer by increasing cell growth through the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. This in vitro study suggested NUCKS should be evaluated in a clinical setting as a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for lung cancer.

Experiences and perceptions of perinatal depression among new immigrant Chinese parents: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Immigrant status, acculturation level, race and ethnicity have been found to contribute to the utilization of mental health services in the perinatal period. This study explored perinatal experiences and perceptions among Chinese immigrant mothers and their spouses, as well as the possible barriers and facilitators that affect their health care utilization. METHODS: We recruited 13 women ages 18-35 years born in mainland China, living in Rochester, New York, and residing less than 5 years in the United States. Participants primary language was Mandarin Chinese and all had given birth to at least one live infant within the past 7 years. Participants' age was at least 18 years old at the time of delivery. Five spouses also participated. We divided women in two focus groups and held one focus group for men, with data collection including demographic questionnaires and semi-structured focus group questions conducted in December 2014. Data were analyzed following thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: experiences of perinatal depression; perceptions of perinatal depression; general preventive and coping strategies; and attitudes toward the supportive use social media applications (apps) and text messaging during the perinatal period. Participants had limited knowledge of perinatal depression and had difficulty distinguishing between normal perinatal mood fluctuations and more severe symptoms of depression. They discussed immigrant-related stress, conflicts with parents/in-laws while "doing the month", the perceived gap between the ideal of "perfect moms" and reality, and challenges with parenting as the causes of perinatal depression. Women approved of screening for the condition but were conservative about follow-up interventions. As for the management of perinatal depression, participants preferred to deal with the problem within the family before seeking external help, due to potential stigma as well as Chinese traditional culture. They were receptive to obtaining pertinent health information from anonymous social media apps, preferring these to personal text messages. CONCLUSION: The recent immigrant Chinese parents to the United States in the study had limited knowledge of perinatal depression and did not make full use of mental health services for support due to language and cultural barriers. Screening for perinatal depression is only the first step. Future research should explore what interventions may serve as an acceptable approach to overcoming these gaps.

PYGB facilitates cell proliferation and invasiveness in non-small cell lung cancer by activating the Wnt-ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Brain-type glycogen phosphorylase (PYGB) has been correlated with the progression of various human malignancies; however, its effects and regulatory mechanisms in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are still unclear. We used Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR to verify that the protein and mRNA expression levels of PYGB are up-regulated in both NSCLC cell lines and tissues. The expression of PYGB was positively related to TNM stage, positive lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC. Moreover, overexpression of PYGB promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness, but inhibited apoptosis, in vitro. Immunofluorescence assays showed that overexpression of PYGB promoted the nuclear import and accumulation of ß-catenin. By comparison, silencing PYGB produced the opposite effects. Further, overexpression of PYGB resulted in activation of the Wnt signaling pathway, and transfection with Sh-PYGB produced the opposite effect, and these effects were abrogated by XAV-939 (a ß-catenin inhibitor) or overexpression of ß-catenin, respectively. Finally, knockdown of PYGB inhibited tumor growth in a mouse model of xenograft tumors. These findings highlight the role of PYGB in the progression of NSCLC, and reveal a link between PYGB and the Wnt-ß-catenin signaling pathway, thus providing a new potential target for treatment of NSCLC.

Efficacy of fully covered self-expandable metal stents for the management of pancreatic duct strictures in chronic pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recently, there has been burgeoning interest in the utilization of fully covered self-expandable metal stents (FCSEMSs) for managing main pancreatic duct strictures (MPDS) in chronic pancreatitis (CP). The primary aim was to investigate stricture resolution and recurrence rates of FCSEMS placement in patients with symptomatic CP complicated with MPDS. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Science and Cochrane Library (up to December 2019) were searched to identify eligible studies. A meta-analysis of stricture resolution and recurrence rates was carried out using R. The crude rate of adverse events related to stent therapy was also calculated. RESULTS: Ten studies involving 163 patients were included. The weighted pooled rate of MPDS resolution was 93% (95% confidence interval [95%CI] 84-99%) with substantial heterogeneity (I2  = 63%). Duration of stent placement more than 3 months did not result in a significantly higher resolution rate than that of 3 months or less (93% vs 93%, P = 0.91). The weighted pooled rate of stricture recurrence was 5% (95%CI: 0-12%). The stricture recurrence rate for patients with duration of stent placement more than 3 months (3%; 95%CI: 0-10%) was lower than that in patients with 3 months or less of stent placement (7%; 95%CI: 0-23%), but not significantly (P = 0.45). The overall rate of adverse events related to stent therapy was 34.9%, and spontaneous stent migration occurred in 14.1% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The use of FCSEMSs appears to be effective and safe in the management of MPDS caused by symptomatic CP.

Synthesis, Photothermal Effect and Cytotoxicity of Fe3O4@Au Nanocomposites.

It is currently a very active research area to develop multifunctional nanocomposites (NCs) which integrate the novel properties from various nanomaterials for multimodal imaging and simultaneous therapy. These theranostic nanoplatforms can provide complementary information from each imaging modality for accurate diagnosis and, at the same time, afford an imaging-guided focused tumor therapy. Among them, core/shell Fe3O4@Au NCs have attracted wide attention due to their unique advantages in magnetic targeting, multimodal imaging and photothermal therapy. This study developed a layer-by-layer assembling approach to synthesize Fe3O4@Au NCs with high photothermal conversion efficiency. The as-synthesized NCs showed significant photothermal ablation capability to HeLa cells in vitro under near infrared laser irradiation. To ensure the safety for medical applications, the bio-effects of Fe3O4@Au NCs on RAW264.7 cells were carefully assessed, in terms of cell viability, oxidative stress and apoptosis. We have demonstrated that Fe3O4@Au NCs had good biocompatibility in RAW264.7 cells and no significant cytotoxicity was found. Therefore, the Fe3O4@Au NCs synthesized in this study have great potential as an ideal candidate for CT/MR imaging and photothermal therapy.

A Constrained Coding-Aware Routing Scheme in Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks.

In wireless multi-hop networks, instead of using the traditional store-and-forward method, the relay nodes can exploit the network coding idea to encode and transmit the packets in the distributed coding-aware routing (DCAR) mechanisms, which can decrease the transmission number and achieve higher throughput. However, depending on the primary coding conditions of DCAR, the DCAR-type schemes may not only detect more coding opportunities, but also lead to an imbalanced distribution of the network load. Especially, they are not energy efficient in more complex scenarios, such as wireless ad-hoc networks. In this paper, to solve these shortcomings, we propose a constrained coding-aware routing (CCAR) mechanism with the following benefits: (1) by the constrained coding conditions, the proposed mechanism can detect good coding opportunities and assure a higher decoding probability; (2) we propose a tailored "routing + coding" discovery process, which is more lightweight and suitable for the CCAR scheme; and (3) by evaluating the length of the output queue, we can estimate the states of coding nodes to improve the efficient coding benefit. To those ends, we implement the CCAR scheme in different topologies with the ns-2 simulation tool. The simulation results show that a higher effective coding benefit ratio can be achieved by the constrained coding conditions and new coding benefit function. Moreover, the CCAR scheme has significant advantages regarding throughput, average end-to-end delay, and energy consumption.

[Synthesis and Fluorescence Properties of Rare Earth Ions Co-Doped CaMoO(4)].

In this paper, a series of CaMoO4 phosphor co-doped rare earth ions were prepared with chemistry co-precipitation method. The concentration of Pr(3+)/Tb(3+) and temperature had obvious influence on the luminescent properties. The crystal structures and spectrum characteristics of the samples were identified with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and fluorescence spectrophotometer (PL). According to XRD analysis, the main diffraction peaks of samples are consistent with the standard card (JCPDS 29-0351) of the diffraction peak data. This showed doped rare earth ions did not change matrix lattice structure. The emission spectrum excited by 275 nm exhibit sharp lines peaking at 488, 560, 621 and 560 nm assigned to the (3)P(0)­(3)H(4), (3)P(0)­(3)H(5)，(1)D(2)­(3)H(4) and (3)P(0)­(3)F(2) transitions of the Pr(3+) ions. The intensity of fluorescence reached the strongest when the concentration of the doping amount was 3%. The optimum calcination temperatures of CaMoO(4)∶0.03Pr(3+) and CaMoO(4)∶0.05Tb(3+) were 800 and 600 ℃. Furthermore, the intensity of excitation spectra and emission spectra are dependent on the concentration of the doping amount. The emission spectra intensities of CaMoO(4)∶Pr(3+) phosphors decrease and CaMoO(4)∶Tb(3+) phosphors firstly increase and then decrease because of concentration quenching effect with increasing Pr(3+) and Tb(3+) concentration. In addition, the luminescence properties of Pr(3+) ion in CaMoO(4)∶0.03Pr(3+), yTb(3+) system could be evidently improved with co-doping of Tb(3+) ions which was due to the efficient energy transfer process from Tb(3+) to Pr(3+) ions.

[DNA marker-assisted selection of medicinal plants (â ¢)Evaluation of disease resistance of "Miaoxiang Kangqi 1" --a new cultivar of Panax notoginseng].

DNA marked-assisted selection of medicinal plants accelerated the breeding and promotion of new cultivars, and guaranteed the healthy development of Chinese medicinal materials industry. The first disease-resistant cultivar of notoginseng, namely "Miaoxiang Kangqi 1", served as the object of study. We evaluated the Kangqi's resistance of seeds, seedlings and root against the pathological bacteria (Fusarum oxysporum) of root rot. Compared to the traditional cultivars, the disease index of notoginseng seeds declined by 52.0% after inoculation for seven days; the death rate of seedlings and disease index of root respectively decreased by 72.1% and 62.4% after inoculation for 25 days. Additionally, the growth inhibition ratio of notoginseng seeds and seedlings declined after inoculation. The seeds, seedlings and roots of "Miaoxiang Kangqi 1" showed significantly resistant to root rot. The evaluation of disease-resistance of Kangqi provided the basis for the popularization of new cultivar and guaranteed the favoring conduct of notoginseng pollution-free cultivation.

Combinatorial screening of photoelectrocatalytic system with high signal/noise ratio.

Solar energy is the most abundant nature resource and plays important roles in the sustainable developments of energy and environment. Scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy provides a high-throughput screening method by introducing the combinatorial technique to prepare the substrate with photoelectrochemical catalyst array. However, the signal/noise (S/N) ratio suffers from the background current of indium-tin oxide or fluorine-doped tin oxide itself, including a transient charge-discharge current of electric double layer and a steady-state photocatalytic current. Here we adopt a facile microfabrication method to isolate the substrate area other than the catalyst array from not only the electrolyte solution but also the light illumination. Consequently, the imaging quality has been promoted dramatically due to suppressed background current. This method provides a high S/N ratio screening method, which will be valuable for the high-throughput optimization of the photoelectrocatalytic system.

Efficacy and safety of bismuth quadruple regimens containing minocycline and vonoprazan for eradication of Helicobacter pylori: Real-world evidence.

Background and Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of minocycline, vonoprazan, amoxicillin, and bismuth quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment. Methods: From August 2022 to May 2023, clinical data were collected from patients who received H. pylori eradication treatment at West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University. One group received the MVAB regimen (amoxicillin, minocycline, vonoprazan, and colloidal bismuth pectin), while another group received the FOAB regimen (amoxicillin, furazolidone, omeprazole, and colloidal bismuth pectin), both administered for 14 days. Follow-up assessments of safety and compliance were conducted within 1 week after treatment completion. One and a half months after treatment, the success of eradication was evaluated using the urea breath test. Results: For the MVAB regimen as a first-line treatment, the eradication rate was 90.1% (127/141, 95% CI: 85.1-95.1%) in the ITT analysis and 93.4% (127/136, 95% CI: 89.2-97.6%) in the PP analysis as a first-line treatment. As a second-line treatment, the eradication rate was 91.3% (21/23, 95% CI: 78.8-103.8%) in both analyses. For the FOAB regimen as a first-line treatment, the eradication rate was 98.0% (50/51, 95% CI: 94.1-101.2%) in the ITT analysis and 100% (50/50, 95% CI: 100%) in the PP analysis. As a second-line treatment, the eradication rate was 100% (6/6, 95% CI: 100%) in both analyses. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (MVAB regimen: 5.5% and FOAB regimen: 8.8%; P > 0.05). Conclusions: The MVAB regimen could indeed be a viable alternative treatment option to conventional therapies.

Effects of temperature anomaly on sperm quality: A multi-center study of 33,234 men.

Backgrounds: Global fertility rates continue to decline and sperm quality is a prime factor affecting male fertility. Both extreme cold and heat have been demonstrated to be associated with decreased sperm quality, but no epidemiological studies have considered human adaptation to long-term temperature. Our aim was to conduct a multi-center retrospective cohort study to investigate exposure-response relationship between temperature anomaly (TA) that deviate from long-term climate patterns and sperm quality. Methods: A total of 78,952 semen samples measured in 33,234 donors from 6 provincial human sperm banks in China were collected. This study considered heat and cold acclimatization to prolonged exposure in humans and explored the exposure-response relationship between TAs and sperm quality parameters (sperm concentrations, sperm count, progressive motility, progressive sperm count, total motility and total motile sperm count) during the hot and cold seasons, respectively. Linear mixed models and generalized linear models were built separately for specific centers to pool in a meta-analysis to obtain the pooled effect of TA on sperm quality, considering repeated measurements data structure and spatial heterogeneity. Results: We identified an inverted U-shaped exposure-response relationship between TA and sperm quality during the hot season. Significant negative effect of anomalous cold on sperm quality during the hot season was found after additional adjustment for Body mass index, marital status and childbearing history. The heat-related TA in hot season was significantly negatively associated with sperm concentration, progressive sperm count and total motile sperm count (all P-values<0.05). After adjusting the relative humidity, the cold-related TA in cold season was negatively associated with the sperm total motility (P-values<0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest both heat-related and cold-related TAs are associated with decreased sperm quality. The findings highlight the importance of reducing exposure to anomalous temperatures to protect male fertility.

Beneficial effect of residential greenness on sperm quality and the role of air pollution: A multicenter population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Poor sperm quality is a major cause of male infertility. However, evidence remains scarce on how greenness affects male sperm quality. OBJECTIVES: To assess the associations of residential greenness with male sperm quality and the modification effect of air pollution exposure on the relationship. METHODS: A total of 78,742 samples from 33,184 sperm donors from 6 regions across China during 2014-2020 were included and analyzed. Individual residential greenness exposures of study subjects were estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) during the entire (0-90 lag days) and two key stages (0-37, and 34-77 lag days) of sperm development. Contemporaneous personal exposure levels to air pollutants were estimated using a spatio-temporal deep learning method. Linear mixed models were employed to assess the impact of greenspace in relation to sperm quality. The modification effect of air pollution on the greenspace-sperm quality relationship was also estimated. RESULTS: Per IQR increment in NDVI exposure throughout spermatogenesis were statistically associated with increasing sperm count by 0.0122 (95 % CI: 0.0007, 0.0237), progressive motility by 0.0162 (95 % CI: 0.0045, 0.0280), and total motility by 0.0147 (95 % CI: 0.0014, 0.0281), respectively. Similar results were observed when the model added air pollutants (PM1, PM2.5 or O3) for adjustment. Additionally, specific air pollutants, including PM1, PM2.5, and O3, were found to modify this association. Notably, the protective effects of greenness exposure were more pronounced at higher concentrations of PM1 and PM2.5 and lower concentrations of O3 (all Pinteraction < 0.05). Statistically significant positive effects of NDVI were observed on sperm motility in early spermatogenesis and sperm count in late spermatogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to residential greenness may have beneficial effects on sperm quality and air pollution modifies their relationship. These findings highlight the importance of adopting adaptable urban greenspace planning and policies to safeguard male fertility against environmental factors.

Effect of Inhibitors on Hydrogen Bond Reduction and Kaolinite Dissolution for Enhanced CO2 Adsorption in Coal.

The application of an inhibitor to the remaining coal in the goaf not only prevents spontaneous combustion of the coal seam in the mining area but also greatly enhances the capacity of coal to adsorb CO2. To investigate the mechanism by which inhibitors improve the CO2 adsorption capacity of the coal seam in the goaf, we conducted swelling experiments, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses to examine the microstructural changes in the adsorption of CO2 before and after inhibition. The results indicate that after inhibition, the number of hydrogen bonds between coal macromolecules decreased, and the samples exhibited approximately 5% swelling. This swelling of the coal macromolecular structure and the increased distance between coal particles create additional space for CO2 sequestration, which is a critical factor contributing to the enhanced CO2 adsorption capacity of coal. The mineral composition of coal consists of 75.6% kaolinite, and inhibition leads to a reduction in kaolinite content by 0.8-7.9%. After inhibition, the swelling and disintegration of kaolinite cause uneven stress, resulting in changes to the pore structure. Closed pores filled with kaolinite transform into open pores, and the original pores crack, forming new pores and pore channels. The dissolution of kaolinite particles increases the porosity of the coal, further facilitating gas adsorption. Among the three inhibitors tested, the most effective in enhancing CO2 sequestration by bituminous coal in the mining area was the urea solution. This study holds significant importance in improving the CO2 sequestration capacity of residual coal in goaves.

Microplastics reduce nitrogen uptake in peanut plants by damaging root cells and impairing soil nitrogen cycling.

Microplastic (MP) pollution severely impairs the sustainable development of modern agriculture. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of MP contaminants on nutrient cycles in agroecosystems are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the impacts of two types of MPs, polypropylene (PP) and rubber crumb (RC), on nitrogen (N) transformation and N cycling in soil-peanut system. High concentrations of PP (1% w/w) and RC (1% w/w) inhibited vegetative growth and N uptake in peanut plants by damaging root cells and disturbing soil N cycling. These MPs damaged the plasma membranes of root cells and caused oxidative stress, as evidenced by the decreased number of xylem vessels, which in turn inhibited N uptake by roots. Integrated metagenomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that the differential soil metabolite levels in response to MP treatment affected the microbial community structure in the rhizosphere and the expression of key N cycling-related genes, resulting in altered N transformation and the decreased availability of N in rhizosphere soil. These findings provide the first evidence of the effects of MPs on N uptake in peanut plants and shed light on the importance of rational management of MPs for crop growth and yield in agroecosystems.