[Impacts of Anthropogenic Emission Reduction on Urban Atmospheric Oxidizing Capacity During the COVID-19 Lockdown].

In recent years， regional compound air pollution events caused by fine particles （PM2.5） and ozone （O3） have occurred frequently in economically developed areas of China， in which atmospheric oxidizing capacity （AOC） has played an important role. In this study， the WRF-CMAQ model was used to study the impacts of anthropogenic emission reduction on AOC during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Three representative cities in eastern China （Shijiazhuang， Nanjing， and Guangzhou） were selected for an in-depth analysis to quantify the contribution of meteorology and emissions to the changes in AOC and oxidants and to discuss the impact of AOC changes on the formation of secondary pollutants. The results showed that， compared with that in the same period in 2019， the urban average AOC in Shijiazhuang， Nanjing， and Guangzhou in 2020 increased by 60%， 48.7%， and 12.6%， respectively. The concentrations of O3， hydroxyl radical （·OH）， and nitrogen trioxide （NO3·ï¼‰ increased by 1.6%-26.4%， 14.8%-73.3%， and 37.9%-180%， respectively. The AOC in the three cities increased by 0.06×10-4， 0.12×10-4， and 0.33×10-4 min-1， respectively， due to emission reduction. The meteorological change increased AOC in Shijiazhuang and Nanjing by 20% and 17.9%， respectively， but decreased AOC in Guangzhou by -9.3%. Enhanced AOC led to an increase in the nitrogen oxidation ratio （NOR） and VOCs oxidation ratio （VOR） and promoted the transformation of primary pollutants to secondary pollutants. This offset the effects of primary emission reduction and resulted in a nonlinear decline in secondary pollutants compared to emissions during the COVID-19 lockdown.

[Transport and Potential Sources Regions of Double High Pollution in Nanjing by Different Synoptic Situations].

Based on the hourly concentration data of fine particulate matter （PM2.5） and ozone （O3） in Nanjing from 2015 to 2019， the synoptic situation that occurred in Nanjing， in which high PM2.5 and high O3 coexisted （hereinafter referred to as double high pollution （DHP））， was typed using T-mode principal component analysis. Additionally， the backward trajectory clustering analysis method， potential source contribution method （PSCF）， and concentration weight trajectory analysis method （CWT） were used to study the transport paths and potential source region distribution of the DHP of Nanjing by different synoptic situations. The synoptic situations favorable to the DHP in Nanjing were the control of weak low-pressure type （Type1） and high-pressure center （Type2）. Synoptic situations could have had an effect on the directional origin of the backward trajectory. In Type1， the Nanjing area was affected by two low pressures in the northeast and southwest， and the clustering trajectories of the Nanjing air mass mainly came from the eastern and western directions. The average concentrations of PM2.5 and O3 in the trajectory were 83.48 µg·m-3 and 106.85 µg·m-3， respectively. In Type 2， Nanjing and its surroundings were at the edge of the high-pressure center， and the air mass cluster trajectories mainly came from the north and east. The average concentrations of PM2.5 and O3 in the trajectory were 94.47 µg·m-3 and 92.32 µg·m-3， respectively. Most of the two types of backward trajectories belonged to short and medium-distance regional transportation， indicating that the pollution of neighboring provinces was one of the main factors affecting the DHP in Nanjing. PSCF and CWT analysis showed that the distribution of the most important potential sources of PM2.5 and O3 in Type1 and Type2 were not completely consistent， which indicates that the two pollutants did not come from the same area in the DHP.

[Differences of Three Methods in Determining Ozone Sensitivity in Nanjing].

In recent years， ozone （O3） has become an increasingly important air pollutant in China. Identifying the sensitivity of O3 to the precursors volatile organic compounds （VOCs） and nitrogen oxides （NOx） can help make effective abatement strategies. This study compared three methods for determining O3-VOCs-NOx sensitivity： simulated photochemical indicator values and sensitivity coefficients derived from a three-dimensional air quality model and an observation-based model （OBM）， with a case study involving an O3 pollution event that occurred in Nanjing in late July 2017. The results showed that O3 sensitivity based on the photochemical indicator and sensitivity coefficients demonstrated similar spatial variations （over 50% of the grid cells of Nanjing exhibiting identical O3 sensitivity）. However， sensitivity coefficients identified a larger number of areas within a transitional O3 sensitivity regime， as opposed to the VOCs- or NOx-limited regime identified by the photochemical indicator. The determination of the latter was affected by the adopted threshold values. The OBM relied on the quality of the observational data. For example， positive biases in observed NO2 could lead to an underestimation of O3 sensitivity to NOx with the OBM. During the high pollution period， the three methods exhibited significant disparities. The photochemical indicator tended to suggest the VOCs-limited condition， whereas the OBM and sensitivity coefficients indicated the NOx-limited or transitional regimes.

[Elucidating the Impacts of Meteorology and Emission Changes on Concentrations of Major Air Pollutants in Major Cities in the Yangtze River Delta Region Using a Machine Learning De-weather Method].

This study applied a de-weather method based on a machine learning technique to quantify the contribution of meteorology and emission changes to air quality from 2015 to 2021 in four cities in the Yangtze River Delta Region. The results showed that the significant reductions in PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 emissions(57.2%-68.2%, 80.7%-94.6%, and 81.6%-96.1%, respectively) offset the adverse effects of meteorological conditions, resulting in lower pollutant concentrations. The meteorological contribution of maximum daily 8-h average O3(MDA8_O3) showed a stronger effect than that of others(23.5%-42.1%), and meteorological factors promoted the increase in MDA8_O3 concentrations(4.7%); however, emission changes overall resulted in a decrease in MDA8_O3 concentrations(-3.2%). NO2 and MDA8_O3 decreased more rapidly from 2019 to 2021, mainly because the emissions played a stronger role in reducing pollutant concentrations than from 2015 to 2018. However, emissions changes had weaker reduction effects on PM2.5 and SO2 from 2019 to 2021 than from 2015 to 2018. De-weather methods could effectively seperate the effects of meteorology and emission changes on pollutant trends, which helps to evaluate the real effects of emission control policies on pollutant concentrations.

[Response of PM2.5 and O3 to Emission Reductions in Nanjing Based on Random Forest Algorithm].

High levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) in ambient air affect climate change and also endanger human health and ecosystems. Air pollution in Nanjing has been improving since the implementation of the "Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan" in 2013. However, Nanjing still faces PM2.5 and O3 pollution. Evaluating the response of pollutant concentrations to the reductions in precursor emissions is helpful to obtain effective strategies of emission reduction to improve pollution levels. The sensitive simulations of emission perturbation in atmospheric chemistry models directly demonstrate the response of pollution to the reductions in emissions. Nevertheless, these sensitive simulations are limited in computing time and resources. The random forest algorithm was trained by using the simulation results of the atmospheric chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) in 2015. The changes in daily PM2.5 and daily maximum eight-hour O3 (MDA8 O3) concentrations in Nanjing in 2019 were efficiently predicted under different reduction scenarios of anthropogenic emissions. The simulations showed that the seasonal average of ρ(PM2.5) in Nanjing would decrease by 2-4 µg·m-3 with the reduction in anthropogenic emissions of 10% in 2019 in China. In the case of controlling only local emissions in Nanjing, the concentrations of PM2.5 in Nanjing decreased significantly without local anthropogenic emissions. Additionally, the simulations showed that the annual average of ρ(PM2.5) in Nanjing could be lower than the national secondary limit (35 µg·m-3) when the anthropogenic emission reduction in China was higher than 20% in 2019. For ozone, the equal proportional emission reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic pollutants (VOCs) of O3 precursors in China likely led to the increase in seasonal average concentrations of O3 in Nanjing. For the proportional reduction of anthropogenic emissions by 10%-50% in China, the seasonal average of ρ(MDA8 O3) in Nanjing in 2019 would increase by 1-3 µg·m-3 in spring, 1-4 µg·m-3 in autumn, and 3-11 µg·m-3 in winter, respectively, compared with that in the base simulation. With the reduction in anthropogenic NOx emission by 10% and VOCs by 20%, the seasonal average of ρ(MDA8 O3) in Nanjing would decrease by 3-6 µg·m-3. On this basis, further increasing the proportion (30%) of VOCs emission reduction could reduce the annual average of ρ(MDA8 O3) in Nanjing by 7 µg·m-3. However, the annual average of ρ(MDA8 O3) of Nanjing in 2019 increased by 1 µg·m-3, with the local emission reduction of NOx by 10% and VOCs by 30%. Therefore, this showed that the key to alleviate ozone pollution in Nanjing is a reasonable control ratio of ozone precursor emissions and the implementation of regional joint prevention and control. In order to effectively reduce the O3 pollution in Nanjing, the emission reduction ratio of NOx and VOCs in China should be less than 1:2. The response of pollutant concentrations to reductions in precursor emissions were efficiently obtained by the random forest algorithm and GEOS-Chem model. The simulations would provide the scientific basis for the emission control strategy to alleviate air pollution.

[Composition Characteristics of Volatile Organic Compounds and Associated Contributions to Secondary Pollution in Shenyang Industrial Area in Summer].

Based on the observation data of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the industrial area of Shenyang during the summer of 2019 and 2020, the composition characteristics and sources of VOCs were preliminarily studied. The ozone formation potential (OFP) and aerosol formation potential (AFP) of VOCs were also estimated using the max incremental reactivity (MIR) and aerosol formation coefficient (FAC) methods, respectively. The results showed that the average concentration of VOCs was 41.66 µg·m-3, and the proportions of alkanes, olefins, aromatics, and acetylene were 48.50%, 14.08%, 15.37%, and 22.05%, respectively. The top ten species of VOCs were primarily C2-C5 alkanes, also including acetylene, ethylene, and some aromatics, accounting for 69.25% of the total VOCs. VOCs showed obvious diurnal variation characteristics with a high concentration in the morning and evening (at 06:00 and 22:00) and a low concentration in the afternoon (11:00-16:00). According to the value of toluene/benzene (T/B) and isopentane/n-pentane, the atmosphere of the industrial area was mainly affected by vehicle exhaust emissions, solvent use, combustion sources, and LPG/NG. The total AFP of VOCs was up to 41.43×10-2 µg·m-3, and aromatics were the largest contributor. The total OFP of VOCs reached 117.59 µg·m-3, in which the alkenes contributed the most.

[Transport Influence and Potential Sources of PM2.5 Pollution for Nanjing].

In this study, 24-hour backward trajectories of the air mass in Nanjing were calculated by using the HYSPLIT model with the NCEP global reanalysis data from March 2019 to February 2020. The backward trajectories combined with the hourly concentration data of PM2.5 were then utilized in the trajectory clustering analysis and potential pollution source analysis. The results showed that the average concentration of PM2.5 in Nanjing was(36±20) µg·m-3 during the study period, with 17 days exceeding the grade Ⅱ national ambient air quality standards (75 µg·m-3). PM2.5 concentration exhibited clear seasonal variation, with winter (49 µg·m-3)>spring (42 µg·m-3)>autumn (31 µg·m-3)>summer (24 µg·m-3). PM2.5 concentration was significantly positively correlated with surface air pressure but significantly negatively correlated with air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and wind speed. Based on the trajectories, seven transport routes were identified in spring, and six routes for the other seasons. The northwest and south-southeast routes in spring, southeast route in autumn, and southwest route in winter were the main pollution transport routes in each season, with the characteristics of short transport distance and slow air mass movement, indicating that local accumulation was one of the main reasons for the high value of PM2.5 in quiet and stable weather. The distance of the northwest route in winter was large, and the PM2.5 concentration was 58 µg·m-3, which was the 2nd highest concentration in all routes, indicating that the cities in the northeast of Anhui had a great transport influence on Nanjing PM2.5. The distribution of PSCF and CWT was relatively consistent, and the main potential source areas were mainly local and adjacent areas of Nanjing, indicating that PM2.5 control is needed to strengthen local control and carry out joint prevention and control with adjacent areas. Winter was most affected by transport, its main potential source area was located at the junction of northwest Nanjing and Chuzhou, and the main source origin was in Chuzhou; therefore joint prevention and control should be expanded to Anhui.

[Impact of Climate Change on Summer Ozone in China].

Meteorological conditions have important impacts on surface ozone (O3) formation. To evaluate the influence of future climate change on O3 concentrations in different regions of China, this study employed the climate data from the community earth system model provided by the CMIP5 under the RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5 scenarios to generate the initial and boundary conditions for the WRF model. Then, the dynamic downscaling WRF results were fed into a CMAQ model as meteorological fields with fixed emission data. Two 10-year periods (2006-2015 and 2046-2055) were selected in this study to discuss the impacts of climate change on O3. The results showed that climate change increased boundary layer height, mean temperature, and heatwave days in China during summer. Relative humidity decreased and wind speed near the surface showed no obvious change in the future. O3 concentration showed an increasing trend in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Sichuan Basin, and South China. The extreme value of O3 maximum daily 8-hour moving average (MDA8) showed an increasing trend, following the order of RCP8.5 (0.7 µg·m-3)>RCP6.0 (0.3 µg·m-3)>RCP4.5 (0.2 µg·m-3). The number of days exceeding the standard for summer O3 had a similar spatial distribution with the heatwave days in China. The increase in heatwave days led to the increase in O3 extreme pollution events, and the possibility of a long-lasting O3 pollution event will increase in China in the future.

[Establishment and Spatial Distribution of S/IVOCs Emission Inventory in Jiangsu Province in 2019].

The semi-/intermediate volatile organic compound (S/IVOCs) emissions inventory of Jiangsu province was established in 2019 using the activity data of various S/IVOCs emission sources, emission factors, and an estimation method. S/IVOCs emissions for each source and city in Jiangsu province were analyzed. The total amount of S/IVOCs emissions in Jiangsu province in 2019 was 637.31 Gg. Industrial sources were the major source of total S/IVOCs emissions accounting for 63.42% (404.20 Gg), followed by residential on-road mobile sources (22.23%), and off-road mobile sources accounted for the least (0.06%). Suzhou had the highest S/IVOCs emissions in 2019, accounting for 25.40% (161.86 Gg) of the total S/IVOCs emissions in Jiangsu province. The S/IVOCs emission intensity per unit area in Suzhou was the highest, reaching 18.70 t·km-2, and the emission intensity per unit GDP was the highest in Lianyungang (22.45 t·100 million yuan-1). The spatial distribution map revealed that S/IVOCs emissions in southern Jiangsu were relatively higher. The difference in the total emission of S/IVOCs, emission intensity per unit area, and emission intensity per unit of GDP were quite different among cities. The uncertainty range of S/IVOCs emissions was -88.46%-224.38% in Jiangsu province in 2019. The uncertainty range of biomass burning sources was the largest (-96.40%-277.17%).

Spirocyclohexadienone-Type Neolignans with Neuroprotective and Neurite Outgrowth Enhancing Activities from Magnolia liliiflora.

Three rare spirocyclohexadienone-type neolignans, magnoflorins A-C (1-3), and three known analogs (4-6), were isolated from the leaves of Magnolia liliiflora. Magnoflorin D (4) was obtained from natural resources for the first time. The chemical structures and absolute configurations of 1-4 were elucidated through detailed analysis of HR-ESI-MS, IR, 1 H, 13 C, and 2D NMR, and ECD experiments. The absolute configuration of 5 were characterized by X-ray crystallography in present study. Moreover, compounds 4 and 5 displayed moderate neuroprotective activity against corticosterone-induced PC12 cells injury at 20 µM with cell viability of 71.5±0.99 % and 73.0±1.42 %, respectively, compared to the model group with 60.83±0.93 %. Compound 6 could enhance neurite outgrowth of nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced PC12 cells at 10 µM with the differentiation rate of 11.98 %, compared with 20.49 % of 50 ng/ml NGF.

[Pollution Characteristics and Sources of Water-soluble Organic Nitrogen in PM2.5 in Jiangbei New Area, Nanjing].

The seasonal variation characteristics of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) in PM2.5 were analyzed in the Nanjing Jiangbei new area. The relationship between WSON and water-soluble inorganic nitrogen (WSIN) was also discussed. The results showed that the variation range of WSON in PM2.5 was 0.446 to 4.200 µg·m-3, with an average value of 2.04 µg·m-3. This value was slightly higher than the observed results in Beijing, Shanghai, and Changzhou. The average value of WSON was the highest in autumn[(2.967±0.643) µg·m-3], which was approximately 1.7 times that of the other three seasons. The average contribution ratio of WSON to water-soluble total nitrogen (WSTN) in fine particles of Nanjing accounted for 25%, with high ratios in summer-autumn and low ratios in winter-spring. For example, the proportion of WSON/WSTN in winter was only approximately 50% of that in summer and autumn. WSON had the highest correlation with NO2--N and the lowest correlation with NO3--N in WSIN, which may be related to the volatilization of NO3--N caused by high temperatures in summer. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that WSON of PM2.5 in Nanjing was mainly derived from secondary transformation, sea salt, dust, and biomass combustion.

Clinical benefits of a modified Cryopiece system for cryopreservation of rare ejaculated and testicular spermatozoa for ICSI.

Cryopreservation of rare testicular-retrieved spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in patients with severe oligozoospermia and azoospermia remains a major challenge in clinical practice. This study evaluated the Cryopiece system as a potential technique to cryopreserve rare human spermatozoa for ICSI. Small numbers of ejaculated (24 patients) and testicular (13 patients) spermatozoa were cryopreserved using the Cryopiece system. The total number of recovered spermatozoa and motility were assessed after thawing. Thirty-seven couples underwent ICSI using spermatozoa cryopreserved by the Cryopiece system, and ICSI outcomes (rates of fertilization, embryo cleavage, and clinical pregnancy) were evaluated. The average sperm post-thaw retrieval rate was 79.1%, and motility was 29.7%. Ejaculated spermatozoa had a higher post-thaw motility (32.5%) than testicular spermatozoa (21.8%; P = 0.005). ICSI achieved a fertilization rate of 61.9%, embryo cleavage rate of 84.6%, and clinical pregnancy rate of 43.3%. The ICSI outcomes in the ejaculated and testicular frozen-thawed spermatozoa were similar. Assisted oocyte activation (AOA) after ICSI with motile (72.1%) or immotile (71.9%) spermatozoa resulted in a significantly higher fertilization rate than that when using motile spermatozoa without AOA (52.0%; P = 0.005). However, AOA did not enhance the clinical pregnancy rate (55.6% or 40.0% vs 35.3%; P = 0.703). The Cryopiece system is simple and useful for the cryopreservation of small numbers of ejaculated or testicular spermatozoa for ICSI in patients with severe oligozoospermia or nonobstructive azoospermia.

Assessing candidate DNA barcodes for Chinese and internationally traded timber species.

Accurate identification of species from timber is an essential step to help control illegal logging and forest loss. However, current approaches to timber identification based on morphological and anatomical characteristics have limited species resolution. DNA barcoding is a proven tool for plant species identification, but there is a need to build reliable reference data across broad taxonomic and spatial scales. Here, we construct a species barcoding library consisting of 1550 taxonomically diverse timber species from 656 genera and 124 families, representing a comprehensive genetic reference data set for Chinese timber species and international commercial traded timber species, using four barcodes (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA, and ITS2). The ITS2 fragment was found to be the most efficient locus for Chinese timber species identification among the four barcodes tested, both at the species and genus level, despite its low recovery rate. Nevertheless, the barcode combination matK+trnH-psbA+ITS2 was required as a complementary barcode to distinguish closely related species in complex data sets involving internationally traded timber species. Comparative analyses of family-level discrimination and species/genus ratios indicated that the inclusion of closely related species is an important factor affecting the resolution ability of barcodes for timber species verification. Our study indicates that although nuclear ITS2 is the most efficient single barcode for timber species authentication in China, complementary combinations like matK+trnH-psbA+ITS2 are required to provide broader discrimination power. These newly-generated sequences enrich the existing publicly available databases, especially for tropical and subtropical evergreen timber trees and this current timber species barcode reference library can serve as an important genetic resource for forestry monitoring, illegal logging prosecution and biodiversity projects.

Clinical benefit for cryopreservation of single human spermatozoa for ICSI: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews have focused on sperm recovery and post-thaw parameters after cryopreservation, but there is no information on the associated clinical outcomes. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have reported cryopreservation of a single sperm due to the importance of fertility preservation. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the cryopreservation of single human spermatozoa improves clinical outcomes in patients with azoospermia or severe oligospermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an extensive literature search using the following databases: CENTRAL, CNKI, Cochrane Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and Web of Science for relevant studies published through December 31, 2019. We calculated the pooled proportions of cryopreservation of a single human spermatozoon to assess the recovery, survival, fertilization, pregnancy, miscarriage, and delivery rates. Subgroup analyses were performed for the following covariates, (a) different carriers, (b) year of publication, and (c) source of sperm. RESULTS: We included 25 studies, which included 13 carriers. The pooled proportion of recovery rate of spermatozoa cryopreserved was 92% (95% CI, 87%-96%), and the survival, fertilization, pregnancy, miscarriage, and delivery rates were 76% (95% CI, 69%-83%), 63% (95% CI, 58%-67%), 57% (95% CI, 39%-74%), 12% (95% CI, 0%-33%), and 40% (95% CI, 12%-71%), respectively. Based on the subgroup analysis, the recovery and survival rates of frozen spermatozoa in a subgroup of different carriers were statistically significant. In the past decade, frozen single human spermatozoon technology has improved the recovery rates of frozen-thawed spermatozoa. However, the differences in clinical outcomes of frozen spermatozoa in subgroups of different sources of sperm were not statistically significant. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The techniques for single human spermatozoa are feasible and efficient and may benefit patients with severe oligospermia or azoospermia.

Cryopiece, a novel carrier with faster cooling rate, high recovery rate and retrieval rate, for individual sperm cryopreservation.

BACKGROUND: Cryopreservation of extremely few spermatozoa is still a major challenge for male fertility preservation. This study aims to evaluate the cooling rate, recovery rate, and retrieval rate, along with other parameters of spermatozoa that cryopreserved using Cryopiece, a novel carrier, for individual sperm cryopreservation. METHODS: Semen samples from 60 fertile donors were collected, and each semen sample was screened for motile sperm and mixed with cryoprotective agent (CPA), and then frozen using Cryopiece, micro-straw, and mini-straws. The cooling rate, retrieval rate, and recovery rate, morphology, DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), were compared among the un-frozen sperm and the sperm cryopreserved using these carriers. RESULTS: Cryopiece possessed the fastest cooling rate. After freeze-thaw, the average retrieval rate of sperm cryopreserved using Cryopiece was 96.25%, and the average recovery rate was 64.40%, which were higher than that of sperm cryopreserved using the other two carriers (71.42% and 54.30% for micro-straw, and 63.54% and 58.04% for mini-straw, respectively). There was no significant impact on DFI after sperm cryopreservation, and no significant difference in morphology between sperm cryopreserved using these carriers was observed. Though MMP of sperm changed significantly after cryopreservation, micro-straw maintained sperm MMP better than Cryopiece and mini-straw did, while no significant difference was observed in MMP between sperm cryopreserved using Cryopiece and mini-straw. CONCLUSIONS: Cryopiece produced satisfying retrieval and recovery rates in sperm cryopreservation and should be an ideal carrier for cryopreservation of small number of sperm.

[Transport Influence and Potential Sources of Ozone Pollution for Nanjing During Spring and Summer in 2017].

In this study, the 24-hour backward trajectories of air mass at ground level(10 m)in Nanjing were calculated by using the HYSPLIT model with the NCEP global reanalysis data from April 1st to October 31st, 2017. The backward trajectories were then combined with the hourly concentration data of O3 in Nanjing for trajectories clustering analysis and potential pollution sources analysis. The results show that in 2017, the maximum daily 8 h running average O3 level in Nanjing was around 12-261 µg·m-3 with 58 days of O3 pollution in Nanjing, mainly in the spring and summer. The monthly variation of O3 showed a single peak, with the highest O3 concentration, as well as the most days exceeding the standard, occurring in June; the diurnal variation of O3 was unimodal and reached its peak around 14:00. A total number of 5136 trajectories were obtained by simulation, among which the exceeded trajectories accounted for approximately 10%. The exceedance trajectories in May and June were significantly higher, accounting for 60% of the total exceedance trajectories. Six ground-level air mass transporting pathways were identified through clustering analysis, from the NNE, NW, SW, SSE, SE, and NE directions. The SE and SSE directions with higher O3 levels were the dominant transport routes of O3 pollution, contributing to 23.33% and 20.76% of backward trajectories, respectively. As for the potential pollution source analysis, the area with high WCWT value distribution matched the WPSCF result, indicating that the potential sources of O3 pollution were mainly distributed in Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, Huzhou, and other cities around Taihu Lake. Additionally, cities located around Nanjing, such as Taizhou, Ma'anshan, Wuhu, Chuzhou, Nantong, and Lianyungang, were considered the secondary potential sources. The results indicate that O3 pollution in Nanjing is a regional issue and its control requires joint prevention and control strategies in the Yangtze River Delta.

[Scenario Simulation Study Constrained by the Ambient Air Quality Standards in Nanjing].

With the constraint that all six major pollutants in Nanjing must meet the air quality standards by 2030, on the basis of the 2015 emission inventory, the CMAQ air quality model was used to conduct PM2.5 sensitivity tests, and scenario analysis was used to predict the emission inventory and the air quality of four emission reduction scenarios were simulated. Finally, the total control index under the constraint of meeting the standards was obtained. The results show that primary particulate matter (PPM) reduction is the most effective at reducing the concentration of PM2.5 in the atmosphere, on the basis of emission reduction in surrounding areas, PPM emission reduction accounts for 88% of the total reduction of the annual average concentration of PM2.5, followed by NH3, NOx, SO2, and VOCs, which contribute to 10.3%, 5.5%, 3.2%, and 0.5%, respectively. Compared to 2015, the reduction ratios of the major pollutants are between 22% and 53%. Controlling the activity level is more effective for SO2, NH3 and CO emissions reduction, while there is still more opportunity for NOx and VOCs end treatment. When the emissions of SO2, NOx, PM10, PM2.5, BC, OC, CO, VOCs, and NH3 are controlled to 2.43×104, 8.47×104, 9.42×104, 3.74×104, 0.19×104, 0.30×104, 26.56×104, 13.08×104, and 1.50×104 t, respectively, it is expected that the levels of the six pollutants in Nanjing can meet the national ambient air quality level 2 standards.

Novel noninvasive quantification of penile corpus cavernosum lesions in hyperlipidemia-induced erectile dysfunction in rabbits by two-dimensional shear-wave elastography.

Structural alterations in fibroelastic components of the penile corpus cavernousum (CC) may impair its compliance, resulting in venous leakage and erectile dysfunction (ED). Our study evaluated the effectiveness of noninvasive two-dimensional shear-wave elastography (2-D SWE) in quantifying penile CC lesions in rabbits with hyperlipidemia-induced ED. A total of 12 New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups. Six were fed a high-cholesterol diet containing 2% cholesterol and 8.5% lard for 10 weeks and the other six were fed normal diet as controls. We measured the shear-wave elastic quantitative (SWQ) value of penile CC by 2-D SWE. Erectile function was investigated by intracavernous injection of papaverine, and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and the western blot analysis to determine the penile CC lesions. After 10 weeks, the SWQ values obtained from penile CC were remarkably higher in the high-cholesterol-fed compared with the control group, and the ΔICP (ICP plateau minus ICP baseline)/MAP (ICP: intracavernous pressure, MAP: mean arterial pressure) was markedly decreased. The IHC staining and western blot revealed extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in penile cavernous tissues, and the smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotypic transition was affected, as indicated by reduced alpha-smooth muscle actin and calponin-1 expression and increased phospho-myosin light chain20 (p-MLC20)/MLC20 and osteopontin expression. Hyperlipidemia resulted in ECM accumulation accompanied with SMC phenotypic transition in penile CC and impaired the erectile function eventually. These might, in turn, lead to variations in the SWQ values. It suggests that 2-D SWE may be a novel, noninvasive and effective approach that distinguishes penile CC lesions secondary to hyperlipidemia from normal.

A single dose of dezocine suppresses emergence agitation in preschool children anesthetized with sevoflurane-remifentanil.

BACKGROUND: Emergence agitation (EA) is a common phenomenon in preschool children during emergence from general anesthesia. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of dezocine for emergence agitation in preschool children anesthetized with sevoflurane-remifentanil. METHODS: A total of 100 preschool children, scheduled for elective laparoscopic repair of an inguinal hernia by high ligation of the hernia sac under sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia were randomized into two groups: Group C (n = 50) received Ringer's lactate 10 mL and Group D received Ringer's lactate 10 mL containing dezocine 0.1 mg/kg, postoperatively. RESULTS: Incidence of EA, defined as a score ≥ 3 on Aono's four point scale or Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score ≥ 10 in the PACU (10% vs. 76%) and the percentage of patients with severe EA (PAED score ≥ 13) (12% vs. 76%) were significantly lower in Group D compared to Group C (P < 0.05). Mean Children and Infants Postoperative Pain Scale (CHIPPS) score was significantly lower in Group D compared to Group C (1.2 ± 0.5 vs. 5.2 ± 0.6; P < 0.05). Patients need for fentanyl (18% vs. 4%) or propofol rescue (20% vs. 0) was significantly greater in Group C compared to Group D. No significant differences in other relative aspects after surgery between groups. CONCLUSION: Administration of dezocine 0.1 mg/kg decreased the incidence and severity of EA in preschool children that had undergone laparoscopic repair of an inguinal hernia by high ligation of the hernia sac under sevoflurane-remifentanil anesthesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: A single dose of dezocine suppresses emergence agitation in preschool children anesthetized with sevoflurane-remifentanil effectively: A double-blind, prospective, randomized, controlled study, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ID: ChiCTR-IOR-16010033), retrospectively registered on November 21, 2016.

[Huangjing Zanyu Capsule enhances sperm mitochondrial membrane potential in asthenozoospermia patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Huangjing Zanyu Capsule (HZC) on sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in asthenozoospermia patients. METHODS: We assigned 70 asthenozoospermia patients to a treatment group (n = 39) and a control group (n = 31), the former treated with oral HZC at the dose of 4 capsules tid for 3 months while the latter left untreated. We obtained semen parameters from the patients and detected their sperm mitochondrial membrane potentials (MMP) by JC-1 staining and flow cytometry before and after medication, followed by comparison between the two groups. RESULTS: The total effectiveness rate was 71.05% in the treatment group and natural pregnancy was achieved in 3 cases during the medication. A total of 35 patients in the treatment group and 30 controls completed all the laboratory examinations after a 3-month observation. Compared with the controls, the patients treated with HZC exhibited significant improvement after medication in MMP (variation value: ï¼»1.19 ± 10.36ï¼½% vs ï¼»20.28 ± 14.21ï¼½%, P <0.01), total sperm motility (variation value: ï¼»3.46 ± 8.67ï¼½% vs ï¼»20.68 ± 14.12ï¼½%, P <0.01), the percentage of progressively motile sperm (variation value: ï¼»2.26 ± 8.29ï¼½% vs ï¼»17.58 ± 12.73ï¼½%, P <0.01), and the percentage of morphologically normal sperm (variation value: ï¼»0.23 ± 3.48ï¼½% vs ï¼»3.37 ± 3.99ï¼½%, P <0.01). MMP was significantly correlated with total sperm motility (r = 0.69, P <0.01), progressive sperm motility (r = 0.75, P <0.01) and normal sperm morphology (r = 0.26, P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Huangjing Zanyu Capsule can enhance sperm mitochondrial membrane potential and sperm mitochondrial function, thus improving total sperm motility, progressive sperm motility and normal sperm morphology. It is safe and effective for the treatment of asthenospermia.