A regulation strategy of self-assembly molecules for achieving efficient inverted perovskite solar cells.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been successfully employed to enhance the efficiency of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells due to their facile low-temperature processing and superior device performance. Nevertheless, depositing uniform and dense SAMs with high surface coverage on metal oxide substrates remains a critical challenge. In this work, we propose a holistic strategy to construct composite hole transport layers (HTLs) by co-adsorbing mixed SAMs (MeO-2PACz and 2PACz) onto the surface of the H2O2-modified NiOx layer. The results demonstrate that the conductivity of the NiOx bulk phase is enhanced due to the H2O2 modification, thereby facilitating carrier transport. Furthermore, the hydroxyl-rich NiOx surface promotes uniform and dense adsorption of mixed SAM molecules while enhancing their anchoring stability. In addition, the energy level alignment at the interface is improved due to the utilization of mixed SAMs in an optimized ratio. Furthermore, the perovskite film crystal growth is facilitated by the uniform and dense composite HTLs. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of PSCs based on composite HTLs is boosted from 22.26% to 23.16%, along with enhanced operational stability. This work highlights the importance of designing and constructing NiOx/SAM composite HTLs as an effective strategy for enhancing both the performance and stability of inverted PSCs.

High-Performance Flat-Panel Perovskite X-ray Detectors Enabled by Defect Passivation in Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskites.

Halide perovskites have emerged as promising candidates in X-ray detection due to their strong X-ray absorption and excellent optoelectronic properties. The development of sensitive and stable flat-panel X-ray detectors with high resolution is crucial for practical applications. In this paper, we introduce a novel flat-panel X-ray detector that integrates quasi-two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) perovskite with a pixeled thin film transistor (TFT) backplane. We incorporate 2,5-dibromopyrimidine (DBPM) as an additive to passivate the Lewis acid defects in the quasi-2D RP perovskite. This modification results in suppressed ion migration, improved optoelectronic performance, and enhanced operational stability of the device. Impressively, the activation energy of the RP perovskite increases from 0.96 to 1.35 eV with the DBPM additive. As a result, X-ray detectors exhibit a high sensitivity of ∼13,600 µC Gyair-1 cm-2, a low detection limit of 6.56 nGyair s-1, and excellent operational stability. Moreover, the flat-panel detectors demonstrate a high spatial resolution of 3.7 line pairs per millimeter and excellent X-ray imaging properties under a remarkably low X-ray dose of ∼50 µGyair, which is just half of the X-ray dose typically used in commercial equipment. This study opens new avenues for the development of flat-panel perovskite X-ray detectors with significant potential for various applications.

Anti-osteoporotic drugs affect the pathogenesis of gut microbiota and its metabolites: a clinical study.

Background: Disordered gut microbiota (GM) structure and function may contribute to osteoporosis (OP). This study explores how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) intervention affects the structure and function of the GM in patients with OP. Method: In a 3-month clinical study, 43 patients were randomly divided into two groups receiving conventional treatment and combined TCM (Yigu decoction, YGD) treatment. The correlation between the intestinal flora and its metabolites was analyzed using 16S rDNA and untargeted metabolomics and the combination of the two. Results: After three months of treatment, patients in the treatment group had better bone mineral density (BMD) than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Patients in the treatment group had obvious abundance changes in GM microbes, such as Bacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella, Faecalibacterium, Megamonas, Blautia, Klebsiella, Romboutsia, Akkermansia, and Prevotella_9. The functional changes observed in the GM mainly involved changes in metabolic function, genetic information processing and cellular processes. The metabolites for which major changes were observed were capsazepine, Phe-Tyr, dichlorprop, D-pyroglutamic acid and tamsulosin. These metabolites may act through metabolic pathways, the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) and beta alanine metabolism. Combined analysis showed that the main acting metabolites were dichlorprop, capsazepine, D-pyroglutamic acid and tamsulosin. Conclusion: This study showed that TCM influenced the structure and function of the GM in patients with OP, which may be one mechanism by which TCM promotes the rehabilitation of patients with OP through the GM.

The chain-mediation pathway of gender regarding academic delay of gratification in college students is regulated by anxiety/depressive mood and prospective memory.

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between gender and academic delay of gratification (ADOG) in college students and explored the mediating roles of anxiety/depressive mood and prospective memory to provide a theoretical intervention approach based on internal mechanisms. Methods: Random cluster sampling was conducted on 609 students from three universities situated in the Province of Anhui, China with the use of data from several questionnaires: the general information questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Prospective and Retrospective Memory (PRM) Questionnaire, and ADOG Scale. Results: The females' anxiety and depression levels were lower than that of the males, while the female PRM and ADOG performance improved when compared to that of the males. Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with PRM and ADOG, respectively, whereas the PRM and ADOG data demonstrated a positive correlation. Depression/anxiety and prospective memory also played a chain intermediary role between gender and ADOG. Conclusion: Gender not only directly affects college students' ADOG, but it also has indirect effects through depression/anxiety and prospective memory. Therefore, it is very important to treat students' mental health differently according to gender to improve prospective memory and delayed academic satisfaction.

Improved Electrical Characteristics of AlGaN/GaN High-Electron-Mobility Transistor with Al2O3/ZrO2 Stacked Gate Dielectrics.

A metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistor (MOS-HEMT) is proposed based on using a Al2O3/ZrO2 stacked layer on conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMT to suppress the gate leakage current, decrease flicker noise, increase high-frequency performance, improve power performance, and enhance the stability after thermal stress or time stress. The MOS-HEMT has a maximum drain current density of 847 mA/mm and peak transconductance of 181 mS/mm. The corresponding subthreshold swing and on/off ratio are 95 mV/dec and 3.3 × 107. The gate leakage current can be reduced by three orders of magnitude due to the Al2O3/ZrO2 stacked layer, which also contributes to the lower flicker noise. The temperature-dependent degradation of drain current density is 26%, which is smaller than the 47% of reference HEMT. The variation of subthreshold characteristics caused by thermal or time stress is smaller than that of the reference case, showing the proposed Al2O3/ZrO2 stacked gate dielectrics are reliable for device applications.

Comparison between acupotomy and corticosteroid injection for patients diagnosed with different classifications of tennis elbow: a randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Tennis elbow has long been one of the most controversial subjects in orthopaedics. Many scholars thought the use of open or arthroscopic surgery was reserved for patients with refractory symptoms. Therapy with percutaneous acupotomy performed under local anaesthesia also removes degenerated tissue, releases strain, and therefore provides an alternative treatment option to surgical excision. METHODS: The aim of this single-blinded randomized control trial was to examine the long-term clinical effectiveness of a nonsurgical percutaneous release technique (acupotomy) and the current recommended treatment (steroid injection) in people diagnosed with a refractory tennis elbow. Ninety patients with refractory symptoms were included. The intervention period was 6 weeks. According to the classification, 38 patients had extra-articular tennis elbow, 36 patients had intraarticular tennis elbow, and 16 patients had mixed type tennis elbow. Forty-five patients were randomly assigned to treatment with percutaneous release by acupotomy according to their classified condition, and 45 patients were randomly assigned to treatment with steroid injection alone. The visual analogue scale (VAS), a tenderness assessment, a grip assessment, and the Nirschl staging system were used for outcome evaluation at pretreatment and the posttreatment timepoints from 12 to 48 weeks. RESULTS: During the first weeks, there were no differences observed between the groups. By 6, 24 and 48 weeks, significant differences were observed between the two groups. The acupotomy group scored significantly better in visual analogue scale score (VAS) of pain, tenderness during palpation, pain-free grip strength (PFGS) and Nirschl staging than the corticosteroid group. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with lateral epicondylitis, acupotomy is just as effective as corticosteroid injections in the short term (< 6 weeks). In the long term, acupotomy has greater efficacy and is associated with a lower rate of recurrence than corticosteroid injections in the management of lateral epicondylitis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The National Health Commission announced the "ethical review measures for biomedical research involving people" in 2019, which was not mandatory in previous studies.

Effects of a simulation-based education programme on delirium care for critical care nurses: A randomized controlled trial.

AIMS: To evaluate the effects of a simulation-based education programme on critical care nurses' knowledge, confidence, competence and clinical performance in providing delirium care. DESIGN: Single-blinded randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Registered nurses who work in intensive care units were recruited from a university-affiliated acute major metropolitan teaching hospital. The intervention group received: (i) five online-learning delirium care videos, (ii) one face-to-face delirium care education session and (iii) a simulation-based education programme with a role-play scenario-based initiative and an objective structured clinical examination. The control group received only online videos which were the same as those provided to the intervention group. Delirium care knowledge, confidence, competence, and clinical performance as outcomes were collected at: baseline, immediately after intervention, and within 6 weeks post-intervention to test whether there were any changes and if they were sustained over time. Data were collected between 2 October and 29 December 2020. The repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine for changes in delirium care knowledge, confidence, and competence within groups. RESULTS: Seventy-two critical care nurses participated with 36 each allocated to the intervention group and control group. No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in outcome variables at 6 weeks post-intervention. In the intervention group, significant within-group changes were observed in terms of delirium care knowledge, confidence, and competence over time. By contrast, no significant changes were observed in outcome measures over time in the control group. CONCLUSION: The simulation-based education programme is an effective and feasible strategy to improve delirium care by enhancing the knowledge, confidence, competence and clinical performance of critical care nurses. IMPACT: Our findings provide evidence regarding the development and implementation of a simulation-based education programme in hospitals for health professional education in Taiwan.

Using Vibrating and Cold Device for Pain Relieves in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: Needle procedures are the most common source of pain, anxiety, and fear among children. A combination of a cooling ice-pack and/or a vibrating motor for pain management in children has been evaluated in trials, but their overall effects await a synthesis of the available evidence. METHOD: Comprehensive search was conducted using Cochrane, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Airiti. We calculated pooled risk ratios (RR), mean difference (MD) and 95% CI using RevMan 5.3. A meta-regression was conducted to investigate the effects of mean age on MD of pain. RESULTS: A total of 1479 children from 16 publications were included. Compared with the control group, using cold-vibrating device significantly decreased pain level above the age of 2 (MD -3.03, 95% CI: -3.38, -2.68), as well as lower anxiety level among parents (MD -1.3, 95% CI: -1.9, -0.7). Meta-regression demonstrated a significant negative correlation of pain score with age. For children at 8.5 years, cold-vibration reduced the pain score by 0.13 averagely for every increment in year compared with controls (MD -0.13; 95% CI: -0.25, -0.01). No adverse events were reported in included studies. DISCUSSION: The cold-vibrating device reduced pain levels significantly among children without adverse effects. Variation of factors might contribute to the heterogeneity of our study, such as age, different needle procedures, psychological strategies…etc. CONCLUSIONS: Cool-vibration treatment reduced pain levels in children who underwent needle procedures and the treatment appears more effective in older children. The device is promising in clinical setting due to its non-invasiveness and ease of usage.

Assessing the Influence of COVID-19 on the Shortwave Radiative Fluxes Over the East Asian Marginal Seas.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to a widespread reduction in aerosol emissions. Using satellite observations and climate model simulations, we study the underlying mechanisms of the large decreases in solar clear-sky reflection (3.8 W m-2 or 7%) and aerosol optical depth (0.16 W m-2 or 32%) observed over the East Asian Marginal Seas in March 2020. By separating the impacts from meteorology and emissions in the model simulations, we find that about one-third of the clear-sky anomalies can be attributed to pandemic-related emission reductions, and the rest to weather variability and long-term emission trends. The model is skillful at reproducing the observed interannual variations in solar all-sky reflection, but no COVID-19 signal is discerned. The current observational and modeling capabilities will be critical for monitoring, understanding, and predicting the radiative forcing and climate impacts of the ongoing crisis.

Potentially Inappropriate Medication among Older Patients Who Are Frequent Users of Outpatient Services.

Aging is accompanied by changes in organ degeneration, and susceptibility to multiple diseases, leading to the frequent occurrence of adverse drug reactions resulting from polypharmacy (PP) and potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) in older patients. This study employs a retrospective cohort design and investigates the association of PP with PIM among older patients with high rates of medical utilization. Using records from a national pharmaceutical care database, an experimental group is formed from patients meeting these criteria, who are then offered home pharmaceutical care. Correspondingly, a control group is formed by identifying older patients with regular levels of use of medical services who had been dispensed medications at community pharmacies. Multivariate logistic regression is performed to assess the association between the rate of PIM and variables, including age, gender, and PP. The study finds that experimental PP participants had a higher rate of PIM prescription (odds ratio (OR) = 5.4) than non-PP control participants (all p < 0.001). In clinical practice, additional caution is required to avoid PIMs. Patients engaged in continuously using long-term medication should take precautions in daily life to alleviate related discomforts. Pharmacists should serve as a bridge between patients and physicians to enhance their health and improve their quality of life.

Comparison of maternal and fetal outcomes between delayed and immediate pushing in the second stage of vaginal delivery: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The second stage of labor begins with complete dilatation of the cervix until delivery of the fetus. After the cervix has fully dilated, the caregiver/nurse will provide guidance to the mother regarding the push technique for delivering the fetus (immediate pushing, IP). Because some women receive analgesic medications during labor, they might not be able to push correctly. Therefore, some obstetricians choose to postpone guiding the patient to push until the cervix is fully dilated and the fetal head has begun to descend. At this point, there is an involuntary exertion sensation (delayed pushing, DP) that saves energy and, at the same time, decreases tiredness and fatigue. The best timing for pushing during the second stage of labor is still controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the different maternal and neonatal outcomes with IP and DP in the second stage of labor. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, and Airiti Library (a Chinese database) were searched up to July 2019. Search keywords included: "labor stage, second", "delayed pushing", and "immediate pushing". Gray literature and bibliographies of articles were checked. No language restrictions were applied. Only randomized controlled trials were included. Two independent reviewers identified relevant studies and extracted data. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Cochrane's Risk of Bias tool. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool results. Mean differences and risk ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Review Manager 5.3 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2014). The risk of heterogeneity was reported as I2, and publication bias was visually assessed by funnel plots. RESULTS: In total, 15 studies (n = 6121 participants) were identified. Pooled results demonstrated the following. (1) As to maternal outcomes, in comparison, IP shortened the length of the second stage of labor by 40.9 (95% CI 23.6-58.2) min; however, DP decreased the total length of pushing by 25.4 (95% CI 13.9-37.0) min. The incidence of instrument-assisted vaginal delivery was significantly lower in the DP group in western countries (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.97). In addition, the maternal postpartum fatigue score was 0.67 points lower in the DP group (95% CI - 1.09 to - 0.26). There was no statistical significance of the cesarean section rate or blood loss. (2) As to neonatal outcomes (Apgar score at 1 min), the DP group showed a higher score (by 0.19; 95% CI 0.10-0.27 points) than the IP group. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed pushing can decrease the total pushing time and decrease the fatigue score after delivery without significant adverse events compared to the early pushing group. Therefore, we recommend that caregivers instruct the pushing time at the optimal moment, which allows women to have more resting time and save energy during labor.

Effects of Parental Education on Screen Time, Sleep Disturbances, and Psychosocial Adaptation Among Asian Preschoolers: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: A recent increase in screen time during early childhood has adversely affected the sleep and psychosocial health of children; however, limited information is available regarding effective interventions to reduce the screen time among them. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a parental educational program on screen use, sleep quality, and psychosocial adaptation among preschoolers. DESIGN AND METHODS: A clustered randomized controlled study with a parallel-group design was conducted. Preschoolers with a screen time of ≥2 h/day and their parents were recruited. In total, 14 kindergartens containing 129 parent-child dyads were randomly allocated to either the experimental group (receiving parental education, N = 63 dyads) or the control group (daily activities, N = 66 dyads). Data were collected before and after the intervention. A screen time questionnaire, the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire, and the Pediatric Symptom checklist-17 were provided to the participants. A linear mixed-model analysis was performed to examine the efficacy of the intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, the screen time of children in the experimental group was significantly reduced (effect size: 0.83, p < .001), and they presented improved sleep quality (effect size: 0.57, p = .01) and attention score (effect size: 0.77, p = .02) for psychosocial adaptation. CONCLUSIONS: Parental education is an effective intervention for reducing screen time and improving sleep quality and attention among preschoolers. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare professionals should consider implementing parental educational programs to reduce screen time, and thus improve the sleep quality and psychosocial health of preschoolers.

How Often Are Patient-Important Outcomes Represented in Neonatal Randomized Controlled Trials? An Analysis of Cochrane Neonatal Reviews.

BACKGROUND: Research findings based on patient-important outcomes (PIOs) provide more useful conclusions than those that are based on surrogate outcomes. It is unclear to what extent PIOs are represented in neonatal randomized controlled trials (RCTs). OBJECTIVES: We determined the proportion of PIOs in neonatal RCTs included in Cochrane Neonatal reviews. METHODS: We extracted up to 5 outcomes from each RCT included in Cochrane Neonatal reviews published until January 2018, with independent determination of PIOs among authors followed by a discussion leading to a consensus. We defined PIOs as outcomes that matter to patient care, such as clinical events or physiological or laboratory parameters that are widely used to guide management. RESULTS: Among 6,832 outcomes extracted from 1,874 RCTs included in 276 reviews, 5,349 (78.3%) were considered PIOs; 461 studies (24.5%) included 5 or more PIOs, 1,278 (68.2%) included 1-4 PIOs, while 135 (7.2%) had no PIO included. PIOs were observed more often among dichotomous than among continuous outcomes (94.9 vs. 61.5%; RR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.50-1.58), and more among subjective than among objective outcomes (95.9 vs. 76.8%; RR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.22-1.28). Newer studies were more likely to have a greater number of PIOs (adjusted OR: 1.033 [95% CI: 1.025-1.041] with each publication year). CONCLUSIONS: The large and increasing representation of PIOs over the years suggests an improving awareness by neonatal trialists of the need to incorporate important outcomes in order to justify the utilization of resources. Further research should explore the reasons for non-inclusion or non-reporting of PIOs in a small proportion of RCTs.

Which obesity index is the best predictor for high cardiovascular disease risk in middle-aged and elderly population?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim was to investigate the relationships between visceral fat rating scale (VFR), waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, community-based study, participants completed questionnaire that included personal and medical history, and underwent anthropometric measurement and blood sampling. The 2008 general CVD risk model was used to predict CVD risk. Associations between CVD risk and VFR, WC, BMI were evaluated by means of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with gender as covariate, Chi-squared test, Pearson's correlation, Cochran-Armitage test, multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: A total of 377 people were enrolled. A significant association was identified between VFR, WC, BMI, and CVD risk, with coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.32 (p < 0.001), 0.18 (p < 0.001) and 0.03 (p = 0.001), respectively. There was a trend toward increasing prevalence of high CVD risk as VFR, WC, and BMI increased (all p values <0.05). Multivariate logistic regression revealed VFR (OR = 1.21; 95%CI = 1.02-1.24), WC (OR = 1.07; 95%CI = 1.04-1.11) and BMI (OR = 1.11; 95%CI = 1.02-1.21) to be independent predictors of high CVD risk. In male, the area under curves of VFR and WC are greater than BMI: 0.641, 0.647 and 0.562. In female, the area under curves of VFR and WC are also greater than BMI: 0.656, 0.688 and 0.601. CONCLUSIONS: VFR and WC were more strongly associated with high CVD risk than BMI among middle-aged and elderly persons in Taiwan.

Association between self-reported sleep duration and serum lipid profile in a middle-aged and elderly population in Taiwan: a community-based, cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The association between sleep duration and serum lipid profile in the middle-aged and the elderly is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate and evaluate the relationships between sleep duration and levels of serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides in these populations. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Community-based investigation in Guishan Township of northern Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 400 community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly individuals were enrolled. All participants underwent a baseline assessment in 2014, which included anthropometrics, blood samples and self-administered questionnaires. Participants were classified into three groups based on their sleep duration. OUTCOME MEASURES: Multivariate logistic regression was used to obtain ORs and 95% CIs to assess the relationship between sleep duration and lipid profiles. RESULTS: Participant mean age was 64.5 years and 35.3% were men. Subjects with longer (>7 hours) and shorter (<6 hours) nightly sleep duration had a higher prevalence of low HDL-C levels (HDL <40 mg/dL) than those with moderate sleep duration (6-7 hours). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that, compared with individuals with sleep duration of 6-7 hours, the ORs of having low HDL-C were 3.68 (95% CI 1.59 to 8.49) greater for individuals with sleep duration of <6 hours and 2.89 (95% CI 1.10 to 7.61) greater for individuals with sleep duration of >7 hours. CONCLUSIONS: There was a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and HDL-C levels. Sleep duration >7 hours or <6 hours increased the risk of low serum HDL-C levels.

Isotopic evidence of multiple controls on atmospheric oxidants over climate transitions.

The abundance of tropospheric oxidants, such as ozone (O3) and hydroxyl (OH) and peroxy radicals (HO2 + RO2), determines the lifetimes of reduced trace gases such as methane and the production of particulate matter important for climate and human health. The response of tropospheric oxidants to climate change is poorly constrained owing to large uncertainties in the degree to which processes that influence oxidants may change with climate and owing to a lack of palaeo-records with which to constrain levels of atmospheric oxidants during past climate transitions. At present, it is thought that temperature-dependent emissions of tropospheric O3 precursors and water vapour abundance determine the climate response of oxidants, resulting in lower tropospheric O3 in cold climates while HOx (= OH + HO2 + RO2) remains relatively buffered. Here we report observations of oxygen-17 excess of nitrate (a proxy for the relative abundance of atmospheric O3 and HOx) from a Greenland ice core over the most recent glacial-interglacial cycle and for two Dansgaard-Oeschger events. We find that tropospheric oxidants are sensitive to climate change with an increase in the O3/HOx ratio in cold climates, the opposite of current expectations. We hypothesize that the observed increase in O3/HOx in cold climates is driven by enhanced stratosphere-to-troposphere transport of O3, and that reactive halogen chemistry is also enhanced in cold climates. Reactive halogens influence the oxidative capacity of the troposphere directly as oxidants themselves and indirectly via their influence on O3 and HOx. The strength of stratosphere-to-troposphere transport is largely controlled by the Brewer-Dobson circulation, which may be enhanced in colder climates owing to a stronger meridional gradient of sea surface temperatures, with implications for the response of tropospheric oxidants and stratospheric thermal and mass balance. These two processes may represent important, yet relatively unexplored, climate feedback mechanisms during major climate transitions.

Associations between occupation exposure to Formaldehyde and semen quality, a primary study.

Formaldehyde (FA), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, has long been suspected of having male reproductive toxicity. However, FA male reproductive toxicity was inconclusive due to dearth of human studies. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether occupational exposure to FA affects semen quality. Semen quality including five conventional parameters and seven kinematics parameters were compared between 114 male workers occupationally exposed to FA and 76 referents. FA exposure index (FEI) was measured and calculated. Our results showed that sperm progressive motility, total sperm motility, VCL, VSL and VAP were statistically significant decreased in FA exposure workers compared with the referents. Moreover, FEI was significantly negative associated with sperm progressive motility (ß = -0.19, P = 0.01) and total sperm motility (ß = -0.23, P = 0.004). In addition, a significant elevated risk of abnormal sperm progressive motility were observed in both low- (OR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.11-5.97) and high-FA-exposed group (OR = 3.41; 95% CI: 1.45-7.92) respectively. Furthermore, a significant increased risk was also estimated for abnormal total sperm motility in both low- (OR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.24-8.28) and high-FA-exposed group (OR = 4.84; 95% CI: 1.83-12.81) respectively. In conclusion, our study revealed the adverse effects of FA occupation exposure on semen quality, especially on sperm motion parameters.

The role of dynamically induced variability in the recent warming trend slowdown over the Northern Hemisphere.

Since the slowing of the trend of increasing surface air temperature (SAT) in the late 1990 s, intense interest and debate have arisen concerning the contribution of human activities to the warming observed in previous decades. Although several explanations have been proposed for the warming-trend slowdown (WTS), none has been generally accepted. We investigate the WTS using a recently developed methodology that can successfully identify and separate the dynamically induced and radiatively forced SAT changes from raw SAT data. The dynamically induced SAT changes exhibited an obvious cooling effect relative to the warming effect of the adjusted SAT in the hiatus process. A correlation analysis suggests that the changes are dominated primarily by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Our results confirm that dynamically induced variability caused the WTS. The radiatively forced SAT changes are determined mainly by anthropogenic forcing, indicating the warming influence of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which reached levels of 400 ppm during the hiatus period. Therefore, the global SAT will not remain permanently neutral. The increased radiatively forced SAT will be amplified by increased dynamically induced SAT when the natural mode returns to a warming phase in the next period.

Formaldehyde exposure induces autophagy in testicular tissues of adult male rats.

Formaldehyde, a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, has long been suspected of causing adverse male reproductive effects. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain elusive. The overall aim of this study is to clarify the role of autophagy in male reproductive injuries induced by formaldehyde exposure, by which we can further understand the molecular mechanism of spermatogenesis and develop new targets for prevention and treatment of male infertility. In this study, electron microscopy, Western blot, and RT-PCR analysis were used to detect autophagy in testicular tissues. Moreover, testicular weights, histopathology, and morphometry were used to evaluate the reproductive injuries of formaldehyde exposure. We found that formaldehyde exposure-induced autophagy in testicular tissues was dose dependent. Increasing autophagosomes in spermatogenetic cells was observed by electron microscopy in formaldehyde exposure group. In addition, RT-PCR and Western blot analysis showed the transcription levels of the LC3-II, as well as the conversion from LC3-I to LC3-II, an indicator of autophagy, significantly increased in testicular tissue of formaldehyde exposure group in a dose dependent manner when compared with those in control group. Furthermore, the alterations of autophage were basically consistent with the changes in testicular weight and morphologic findings. In summary, formaldehyde exposure triggered autophagy, and autophagy may be a scathing factor responsible for male reproductive impairment induced by formaldehyde.