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Despite that iron-based catalysts are preferred for the high selectivity to value-added α-olefins via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reaction, the carbon deposition leads to deactivate catalyst more readily and CO2 selectivity as high as ~50% leads to low carbon efficiency. Herein, we developed an innovative approach to fabricate iron-based catalysts to deal with this issue. In detail, prepare Fe3O4 microsphere with an average particle size of ~580 nm via hydrothermal method and mix it with GO. The GO modification could effectively inhibit the sintering and coking of the large Fe3O4 microspheres (580 nm) by assisting its evolution into much smaller iron carbide nanocapsules (~9.1 nm). And the obtained catalyst exhibited excellent reaction activity, stability and high α-olefin selectivity. The addition of K into Fe3O4 microsphere produces major ɛ’-Fe2.2C about 58.9% in the evolution process and facilitates lower CO2 emission obviously.

In this work, a new strategy is developed to design and synthesize quaternary catalysts NiS/CdS/MIL-101/PTCs (MIL = Materials of Institute Lavoisier, PTCs = polyoxo-titanium clusters) with excellent photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution. PTCs and NiS can be successfully integrated into CdS/MIL-101 system by multi-step solvothermal in situ reaction method. The as-synthesized photocatalysts integrated with NiS and PTCs exhibit the dramatically enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution, which is approximately 230 times higher than that of uncoupled catalyst CdS/MIL-101. It is more interesting that the photocatalytic activity can be tuned by structural evolution of PTCs. The photoelectrochemical characteristics of catalysts confirm that the drastic enhancement for photocatalytic H2-production activity was predominantly attributed to PTCs and NiS contributing to matching energy gap and improving visible-light response, respectively, and both inhibiting recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. More importantly, this work can flourish the design idea derived from the relation of structure and application for photocatalysts.

Recently, the system parameters of Cygnus X-1, i.e., the black hole mass M, the orbital inclination i and the source distance D, have been updated. As the input constraints of the continuum-fitting method, it is necessary to refine the spin with these new parameters. The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT, also named Insight) was successfully launched on June 15th, 2017 in China. In this work, we analyzed spectra obtained by the Insight-HXMT during 2017-2018 and re-estimated the spin via the continuum-fitting method. We first re-estimated the spin using old parameters and found the dimensionless spin parameter to be a ⁎ > 0.934 (3σ), which is consistent with previous measurements both from the continuum-fitting and iron-line fitting methods ( Gou et al. 2011 , Gou et al. 2014 ; Fabian et al. 2012 , Walton et al. 2016 , Tomsick et al. 2018 ). Then, when the new parameters were applied, we obtained an increased spin: a ⁎ > 0.967 (3σ), which is also consistent with the recent measurement (Zhao et al. 2020, submitted to ApJ) and also confirms an extreme Kerr black hole lying in this system.

Cardamine violifolia belongs to the Brassicaceae family and is a selenium (Se) hyperaccumulator found in Enshi, China. In this study, C. violifolia was found to accumulate mercury (Hg) in its roots and aboveground parts at concentrations up to 6000 μg/g. In the seedling and mature stages, the bioaccumulation factors (BAF

Illigera aromatica was fermented by Clonostachys rogersoniana. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory effects of unfermented and fermented I. aromatica revealed that C. rogersoniana-fermented I. aromatica (CFIA) induced significantly more AChE inhibitory activity (IC50: 35.4 ± 2.1 μg/mL). The biotransformation of actinodaphnine (1) into (4R,6aS)-4-hydroxyactinodaphnine (2) was found during the fermentation, which played an important role in the improvement of the AChE inhibitory activity of I. aromatica. Subsequently, the fermentation conditions—including the solid–liquid ratio, fermentation temperature, and fermentation time—were optimized. I. aromatica immersed in 100–200% water and fermented with C. rogersoniana at ambient temperature for 30 days was conducive to the biotransformation of actinodaphnine (1) and improved the AChE inhibitory activity of I. aromatica. The present study provides a novel approach for improving the pharmacological effect of I. aromatica and suggests that CFIA may be used as an alternative AChE inhibitor.

Objective To explore whether follicular fluid (FF) concentrations of phthalate metabolites are associated with levels of intrafollicular reproductive hormones in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University-affiliated reproductive medicine center. Patient(s) A total of 194 women each contributed one FF sample at oocyte retrieval. Intervention(s) FF aspirates from individual follicles (≥18 mm in diameter) were collected. We measured eight phthalate metabolites and four ovarian hormones in the FF samples. Main Outcome Measure(s) Per-follicle E2, P, total T, and antimullerian hormone (AMH) concentrations. Result(s) Most phthalate metabolites were highly detected in FF samples. We observed a dose-response relationship between increasing monomethyl phthalate (MMP) tertiles and lower E2, P, and T levels. Women in the third tertile of MMP had decreases of 34.23%, 9.44 ng/L, and 23.28% in E2, P, and T, respectively, compared with women in the first tertile. Tertiles of monoethyl phthalate and the percentage of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) metabolites excreted as mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were inversely associated with P. We also identified a negative relationship between monobenzyl phthalate tertiles and AMH. In addition, positive correlations between some of the phthalate metabolites and ovarian hormones were detected. Conclusion(s) FF concentrations of certain phthalate metabolites were associated with altered levels of intrafollicular reproductive hormones, which raises concern over a potential deleterious effect of environmental phthalate exposure on the endocrine capacity and viability of theca and granulosa cells.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in many countries. The development of new methods for early screening of cancers is highly desired. Targeted metallomics has been successfully applied in the screening of cancers through quantification of elements in the matrix, which is time consuming and requires combined techniques for the quantification due to the large elemental difference in the matrix. This work proposed a non-targeted metallomics (NTM) approach through synchrotron radiation based X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and machine learning algorithms (MLAs) for the screening of cancers. One hundred serum samples were collected from cancer patients who were confirmed by pathological examination with 100 matched serum samples from healthy volunteers. The serum samples were studied with SRXRF and the spectra from both groups were directly clarified through MLAs, which did not require the quantification of elements. The NTM approach through SRXRF and MLAs is fast (5s for data collection for one sample) and accurate (over 96% accuracy) for cancer screening. Besides, this approach can also identify the most affected elements in cancer samples like Ca, Zn and Ti as we found, which may shed lights on the drug development for cancer treatment. This NTM approach can also be applied through commercially available XRF instruments or ICP-TOF-MS with MLAs. It has the potential for the screening and prediction of other diseases like COVID-19 and neurodegenerative diseases in a high throughput and least invasive way.

Human rabies is a serious public health problem that can't be ignored. Rabies immune globulin (RIG) is an indispensable component of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). However, current PEP relies on RIG purified from pooled human or equine plasma, which are either in chronic shortage or associated with safety concerns. Monoclonal antibodies have become widely accepted as safer and more cost-effective alternatives to RIG products in recent years. Here, we assessed the neutralization breadth of human monoclonal antibody ormutivimab and its protective efficacy in PEP models. Ormutivimab was able to neutralize a broad panel of Chinese prevalent street RABVs with neutralizing potency form 198-1487.6 IU/mL. Furthermore, ormutivimab offered comparable protection to that with HRIG both at standard doses (20 IU/kg) and higher doses (100 IU/kg and 200 IU/kg). The interference of ormutivimab on vaccine potency was also analyzed and found slightly reduced neutralizing antibody titers similar to HRIG. The broad-spectrum neutralization activities, highly protective potency, and rapid onset of action make ormutivimab an effective candidate for human rabies PEP.

Experimental studies have demonstrated that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) can cause ovarian toxicity including inhibition of antral follicle growth and disruption of steroidogenesis, but there is a paucity of human evidence. We aimed to investigate whether urinary biomarkers of exposure to drinking water DBPs were associated with ovarian reserve. The present study included 956 women attending an infertility clinic in Wuhan, China from December 2018 to January 2020. Antral follicle count (AFC), ovarian volume (OV), anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured as indicators of ovarian reserve. Urinary dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) were assessed as potential biomarkers of drinking water DBP exposures. Multivariate linear and Poisson regression models were applied to estimate the associations of urinary DCAA and TCAA concentrations with indicators of ovarian reserve. Elevated urinary DCAA and TCAA levels were monotonically associated with reduced total AFC (− 5.98%; 95% CI: − 10.30%, − 1.44% in DCAA and − 12.98%; 95% CI: − 17.00%, − 8.76% in TCAA comparing the extreme tertiles; both P for trends ≤ 0.01), and the former was only observed in right AFC but not in left AFC, whereas the latter was estimated for both right and left AFC. Moreover, elevated urinary TCAA levels were monotonically associated with decreased AMH (− 14.09%; 95% CI: − 24.79%, − 1.86% comparing the extreme tertiles; P for trend = 0.03). These negative associations were still observed for the exposure biomarkers modeled as continuous variables. Our findings suggest that exposure to drinking water DBPs may be associated with decreased ovarian reserve.

A new method was developed in this paper to obtain self-film-forming polyaniline (PANI) grafting SiO2 (SiO2@PANI) sol which could form hydrophobic coatings on the surface of magnesium-lithium (Mg-Li) alloy directly for the purpose of anticorrosion. Firstly, covalently-jointed SiO2@PANI sol with core-shell structure was synthesized with (3-glycidoxypropyl)-trimethoxylsilane (GPTMS) modified SiO2 as core and PANI as shell, and then SiO2@PANI/VTMS sol was prepared after embedded SiO2@PANI with vinyl trimethoxysilane (VTMS). The structure and morphology of SiO2@PANI particle were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hydrophobic and anticorrosion properties of SiO2@PANI/VTMS coating on Mg-Li alloy were evaluated by contact angle, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization curves. The results showed that aniline is polymerizing on the surface of SiO2 preferentially through the reaction between the epoxide group in GPTMS and amino group in aniline. The obtained SiO2@PANI sol dispersed stably in ethanol and supplied well microroughness to coatings, and subsequently enhanced hydrophobic properties of SiO2@PANI/VTMS coatings along with low surface energy supplied by VTMS. The hydrophobic angle of SiO2@PANI/VTMS coatings is high up to 133.8°. Consequently, the coatings have better corrosion resistance performance for the active Mg-Li alloy. Its impedance value is 5 × 104 Ω·cm2, and corrosion current density is merely 6.7 × 10−7 A·cm−2.

Stephania epigaea Lo is an important herbal medicine used as antiphlogistic and analgesic drugs. Its major components are dicentrine (1) and sinomenine (2). In the present study, a rapid, accurate, and precise method for simultaneous quantitation of dicentrine (1) and sinomenine (2) in S. epigeae using 1H NMR spectra was developed. The deuterated solvent of DMSO-d6 enabled satisfactory separation of the signals to be integrated in 1H NMR spectrum and dimethyl terephthalate was selected as an internal standard. The feature signals of δ 7.57 and 5.70 were selected for quantifying the dicentrine (1) and sinomenine (2), respectively. Validation of the quantitative method was performed in terms of specificity, accuracy, precision, and stability. This work implied that quantitative 1H NMR represents a feasible alternative to high-performance liquid chromatography-based methods for quantitation of dicentrine (1) and sinomenine (2) in S. epigeae and is suitable for the quality control of S. epigeae.

Shale fractures are an important factor controlling shale gas enrichment and high-productivity zones in the Longmaxi Formation, Jiaoshiba area in eastern Sichuan. Drilling results have, however, shown that the shale fracture density does not have a straightforward correlation with shale gas productivity. Based on logging data, drilling and seismic data, the relationship between shale fracture and shale gas accumulation is investigated by integrating the results of experiments and geophysical methods. The following conclusions have been drawn: (1) Tracer diffusion tests indicate that zones of fracture act as favorable channels for shale gas migration and high-angle fractures promote gas accumulation. (2) Based on the result of azimuthal anisotropy prediction, a fracture system with anisotropy strength values between 1 and 1.15 represents a moderate development of high-angle fractures, which is considered to be favorable for shale gas accumulation and high productivity, while fracture systems with anisotropy strength values larger than 1.15 indicate over-development of shale fracture, which may result in the destruction of the shale reservoir preservation conditions.

A Fe(III)-promoted highly selective photo-oxidation of benzylic C–H bond delivering relative carbonyl products is reported. By altering the concentration of ferric salt, methylarenes can be selectively oxidized under UV irradiation to furnish aromatic aldehydes or acids, respectively. By this protocol, the oxidation of ethylarenes provides the corresponding acetophenones. The reaction is inferred to involve divergent pathways in different concentrations of catalyst for the alternative selectivity between aldehydes and aicds. The reusable catalyst, high conversion and selectivity make this oxidation a green and economic protocol for the synthesis of aromatic carbonyl compounds.

A halogenated linear bridged dicarboxylic acid ligand, 2,5-dichloroterephthalic acid (H2DCTP), was used to construct three coordination polymers (CPs) with Mn(II) salts in the presence of different bis(benzimidazole) N-containing co-ligands: 1,2-bis(2-methylbenzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (L1), 1,4-bis(5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole)butane (L2) and 1,2-bis(5,6-dimethylbenzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (L3). The products formed under solvothermal conditions are formulated as [Mn(DCTP)(L1)2·(H2O)2]n (1), [Mn(DCTP)(L2)·(H2O)2]n (2) and [Mn2(DCTP)2(L3)3]n (3). These CPs were characterized by elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectra (IR), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). CP 1 exhibits a 1D wave-like chain, while CP 2 is a 2D sql layer with the point symbol {44·62} and CP 3 forms a 3D hexagon-shaped twofold interpenetrated sqc6 network with the point symbol {66}. These results indicate that the flexible bis(benzimidazole) co-ligands have a significant effect on the dimensionality of the resulting coordination framework. CPs 1–3 exhibited relatively high photocatalytic activities towards the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution under UV irradiation. Moreover, the luminescence and electrochemical properties of 1–3 were also investigated.

Exposure to phthalates has been demonstrated to cause reproductive toxicity in animals, but evidence of the association between phthalates and markers of male reproductive function have been inconsistent in human studies. Here we examined whether environmental exposure to phthalates contributes to altered reproductive hormone levels, sperm DNA damage and spermatozoa apoptosis in a Chinese population. From March to June 2013, repeated urine samples collected from male partners of couples attending an infertility clinic in Wuhan, China were analyzed for 8 phthalate metabolites. Associations of the urinary phthalate metabolites with serum hormone levels (n=483), sperm DNA damage parameters (n=509) and spermatozoa apoptosis measures (n=467) were assessed using multivariable linear regression models. After adjusting for potential confounders, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), a metabolite of di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), was inversely associated with serum levels of estradiol, total testosterone (T) and free T (all P for trend

Evidence from toxicological studies has demonstrated that phthalates can lead to reduced fertility through effects on folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation and embryonic development, but human data are limited. Concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites in 110 follicular fluid (FF) and urine samples collected from 112 women attending an infertility clinic in Wuhan, China were quantified, and correlations between paired matrices were explored. Associations between metabolite concentrations and in vitro fertilization (IVF) parameters were evaluated with multivariable models. Six metabolites were detected in >72.73% of the FF samples. MEHP and MBP were the dominant metabolites with a median level of 2.80 and 2.05ng/mL, respectively. Significant correlations between the two matrices, urine and FF, were found for MEP (rs=0.44), and MBP (rs=0.22). FF and urinary metabolite concentrations were not associated with any IVF parameters. However, given the prevalence of phthalates exposure, further work is needed to elucidate the potential hazard on female reproduction.

Objective To investigate the vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) via embryos to children and whether HBV in embryos has an effect on the development of the fetus and pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Design Long-term follow-up study. Setting Research laboratory. Patient(s) Thirty-one couples with a hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative woman and HBsAg-positive man, and 41 couples with a HBsAg-positive woman and HBsAg-negative man, whose unfertilized oocytes and nonviable embryos were tested for HBV DNA, RNA, or HBsAg. Intervention(s) HBV DNA, RNA, or HBsAg analyses in unfertilized oocytes and nonviable embryos. Main Outcome Measure(s) HBV serologic markers analyses. Result(s) We obtained follow-up data for 71 couples. A total of 24 babies were born, and no newborns exhibited defects at birth. Twelve babies were born to couples with HBV-positive oocytes and/or embryos. The pregnancy outcomes were not associated with the presence of HBV in oocytes and embryos. Three patterns of HBV serologic markers were screened. Twenty babies were anti-HBs-positive. Three babies were negative for HBsAg, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), HBeAg, and antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe). One baby was seropositive for anti-HBs, anti-HBc, and anti-HBe at 6 months of age but seroconverted from anti-HBe-positive to anti-HBe-negative at 9 months of age. Conclusion(s) The presence of HBsAg in oocytes and embryos may not result in the vertical transmission of HBV in the offspring of HBV carriers.

Exposure to phthalates has been found to have adverse effects on male reproductive function in animals. However, the findings from human studies are inconsistent. Here we examined the associations of phthalate exposure with semen quality and reproductive hormones in a Chinese population using phthalate metabolite concentrations measured in semen as biomarkers. Semen (n = 687) and blood samples (n = 342) were collected from the male partners of sub-fertile couples who presented to the Reproductive Center of Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China. Semen quality parameters and serum reproductive hormone levels were determined. Semen concentrations of 8 phthalate metabolites were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Associations of the semen phthalate metabolites with semen quality parameters and serum reproductive hormones were assessed using confounder-adjusted linear and logistic regression models. Semen phthalate metabolites were significantly associated with decreases in semen volume [mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP)], sperm curvilinear velocity [monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), MEHP, the percentage of di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate metabolites excreted as MEHP (%MEHP)], and straight-line velocity (MBzP, MEHP, %MEHP), and also associated with an increased percentage of abnormal heads and tails (MBzP) (all p for trend

Exposure to phthalates during gestation has been associated with decreased birth weight among offspring. However, the associations between preconception phthalate metabolites in follicular fluid (FF) and offspring birth weight among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) remain largely unknown. Here, we explored the associations between preconception phthalate metabolite concentrations in FF and the birth weights of singletons and twins among women undergoing IVF. We recruited 147 female participants who gave birth to 90 singletons and 57 twin infants at the Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, between November and December 2016. Each participant was asked to complete a questionnaire at the time of recruitment and provide a FF sample on the day of oocyte retrieval. The FF concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Birth outcomes were abstracted from medical records. The associations between phthalate metabolites in FF and birth weights of the singleton and twin groups were evaluated using generalized linear models (GLMs). We found that birth weight in the twin group had negative dose-response associations with maternal preconception monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) in FF (both P for trends0.05) and that birth weight in the singleton group had positive dose-response associations with monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and mono(2-ethyl-5 hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) in FF (both P for trends0.05). These associations persisted when we modeled as continuous variables. In addition, we observed male-specific association between decreased twin birth weight and MEOHP and MBzP and a female-specific associations between increased singleton birth weight and MEP, MEHHP and the sum of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (∑DEHP) (all P for interactions0.05). Preconception phthalate metabolites in maternal FF may affect the birth weights of both singleton and twin newborns.

Epidemiological studies have suggested that phthalate exposures were associated with adverse reproductive outcomes, such as low oocyte yield and reduced embryo quality, but the underlying mechanisms remained largely unknown. Oxidative stress may be a potential contributor to phthalate-induced adverse reproductive outcomes. To explore the associations between phthalate exposure and levels of oxidative stress among women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF), we measured the concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites and biomarkers of oxidative stress, including 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), in follicular fluid (FF) samples collected from 332 women. Multivariable linear regression models were used to assess the associations between phthalate metabolites and biomarkers of oxidative stress in FF samples. The concentrations of most tested phthalate metabolites were positively associated with the 8-OHdG levels. The metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were inversely associated with the TAC levels. The concentrations of mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) were positively associated with the MDA levels. Our results revealed a positive association between phthalate metabolites and oxidative stress levels in FF, while more toxicological and epidemiological studies are required to confirm our findings.

Background Phthalate metabolites in follicular fluid (FF) may negatively affect normal folliculogenesis; however, the predictors of phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and FF and relationships between urine and FF phthalate metabolite concentrations among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) are poorly understood. Objective To investigate predictors of phthalate metabolites in urine and FF and correlations between urine and FF phthalate metabolite concentrations among women undergoing IVF. Method We recruited 305 women seeking infertility treatment at a reproductive center in Wuhan, China, from October to November 2016. Information regarding demographic characteristics, personal care product use and plastic material contact was obtained through direct interviews. Concentrations of 8 phthalate metabolites in urine and FF samples were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Associations regarding metabolite concentrations in urine and FF samples were analysed by Spearman's correlation and linear regression. Generalized linear regression was used to examine potential predictors of phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and FF. Results Weak to moderate associations between urine and FF samples were found for monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) (correlation coefficient: MEP, 0.350; MEOHP, 0.377); no associations were observed for other metabolites. The predictive powers of urinary metabolite concentrations in determining FF metabolite concentrations were uniformly low, with R2 ≤ 0.113. Body mass index (BMI) and educational level were inversely associated with the urinary concentrations of certain metabolites. Higher household income, intake of bottled drinks within 48 h, and use of shower gel and soap were frequently associated with higher urinary metabolite concentrations. BMI, higher household income and use of disposable plastic cups within 48 h were associated with higher metabolite concentrations in FF. Conclusion Phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine and FF vary according to sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors. Phthalate metabolite concentrations in urine may not be appropriate for estimating ovary phthalate exposure.

Exposure to phthalates has been demonstrated to have adverse effects on male reproduction in animal studies, but findings in human studies have been inconsistent. We recruited 1040 men from the Reproductive Center of Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China from March to June 2013. Each man provided one semen sample and two urine samples. Semen quality parameters and the urinary concentrations of eight phthalate metabolites were determined. After multivariable adjustments, the urinary concentrations of monobutyl phthalate (MBP) were found to be positively associated with the below-reference sperm concentration and total sperm count, and the odds ratios (ORs) comparing extreme MBP quartiles were 2.01 (95% CI: 1.07, 3.79; p for trend=0.06) and 1.80 (95% CI: 1.05, 3.08; p for trend=0.02), respectively. The associations were confirmed by multivariable linear regression analysis, which showed that the MBP concentration was significantly associated with decreasing trends in the sperm concentration and total sperm count (both p for trend

Objective To analyze the incidence of ectopic pregnancy (EP) in fresh compared with frozen-thawed cycles. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Teaching hospital. Patient(s) Thirty-one thousand nine hundred twenty-five women undergoing in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer (IVF-ET) from January 2006 to December 2013. Intervention(s) Fresh IVF-ET compared with frozen-thawed ET (FET). Main Outcome Measure(s) Incidence of EP with fresh IVF-ET compared with frozen-thawed ET cycles, clinical pregnancy rate, and rate of EP per clinical pregnancy. Result(s) For the fresh IVF cycles, 19,173 patients underwent oocyte retrieval; 15,042 had an ET, 6,431 of these patients (42.7%) had a clinical pregnancy, and among these 297 (1.97%) appeared to have an EP. The group of patients undergoing frozen-thawed ET (12,752 patients) included 12,255; there were 5,564 pregnancies (45.4%) and 124 ectopic implants (1.01%). The incidence of an EP per clinical pregnancy was 4.62% for the fresh transfer group compared with 2.22% for the frozen-thawed cycle group; this difference was statistically significant. In addition, the fresh ET cycles had the highest risk of EP, followed by day-3 embryo FET cycles; blastocyst FET cycles had the lowest risk of EP, and the differences were all statistically significant. Conclusion(s) Frozen-thawed ET cycles were associated with a statistically significantly lower risk of EP when compared with fresh cycles. These findings are consistent with ovarian stimulation being associated with an increased risk of EP.

Sound waves technology has been applied to different plants. It has been found that sound waves were at different frequencies, sound pressure levels (SPLs), exposure periods, and distances from the source of sound influence plant growth. Experiments have been conducted in the open field and under greenhouse growing conditions with different levels of audible sound frequencies and sound pressure levels. Sound waves at 1 kHz and 100 dB for 1 h within a distance of 0.20 m could significantly promote the division and cell wall fluidity of callus cells and also significantly enhance the activity of protective enzymes and endogenous hormones. Sound waves stimulation could increase the plant plasma-membrane H+-ATPase activity, the contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein, and amylase activity of callus. Moreover, sound waves could increase the content of RNA and the level of transcription. Stress-induced genes could switch on under sound stimulation. Sound waves at 0.1–1 kHz and SPL of (70±5) dB for 3 h from plant acoustic frequency technology (PAFT) generator within a distance ranged from 30 to 60 m every other day significantly increased the yield of sweet pepper, cucumber and tomato by 30.05, 37.1 and 13.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the yield of lettuce, spinach, cotton, rice, and wheat were increased by 19.6, 22.7, 11.4, 5.7, and 17.0%, respectively. Sound waves may also strengthen plant immune systems. It has been proved that spider mite, aphids, gray mold, late blight and virus disease of tomatoes in the greenhouses decreased by 6.0, 8.0, 9.0, 11.0, and 8.0%, respectively, and the sheath blight of rice was reduced by 50%. This paper provides an overview of literature for the effects of sound waves on various growth parameters of plant at different growth stages.

Background T helper (Th17) cells play an important role in many autoimmune diseases. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to specify the proportion of Th17 cells and the levels of Th17-related cytokines in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) patients, we did this meta-analysis. Methods Using previously reported data from PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science and Cochrane, we explored the proportion of Th17 cells in CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood (PB) and the level of Th17-related cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)1β, IL6, IL17, IL21, IL22, IL23 and transforming growth factor -beta (TGFβ), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), plasma, and serum in NMOSD patients compared to control group and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Results In total, 38 trials were included for our analysis. Results showed that the proportion of Th17 cells was higher in NMOSD patients than in the control and MS groups. The levels of IL1β, IL6, IL17 and IL21 in CSF and plasma, and IL6, IL21, IL22, and IL23 in the serum were higher in NMOSD patients than in the control group. The levels of IL6 in CSF and serum and IL17 in plasma and serum were higher in NMOSD patients than in MS patients. Conclusion The proportion of Th17 cells and the levels of Th17-related cytokines was increased in NMOSD patients compared with the control group and MS patients. The results of this meta-analysis indicated that Th17 cells and Th17-associated cytokines may play an essential role in the pathogenesis of NMOSD. PROSPERO registration: CRD42019128785.

In this study, the constitutive equation and DRX(Dynamic recrystallization) model of Nuclear Pressure Vessel Material 20MnNiMo steel were established to study the work hardening and dynamic softening behavior based on the flow behavior, which was investigated by hot compression experiment at temperature of 950 °C, 1050 °C, 1150 °C and 1250 °C with strain rate of 0.01 s−1, 0.1 s−1 and 10 s−1 on a thermo-mechanical simulator THE RMECMASTOR-Z. The critical conditions for the occurence of dynamic recrystallization were determined based on the strain hardening rate curves of 20MnNiMo steel. Then the model of volume fraction of DRX was established to analyze the DRX behavior based on flow curves. At last, the strain rate sensitivity and activation volume V* of 20MnNiMo steel were calculated to discuss the mechanisms of work hardening and dynamic softening during the hot forming process. The results show that the volume fraction of DRX is lower with the higher value of Z (Zener–Hollomon parameter), which indicated that the DRX fraction curves can accurately predicte the DRX behavior of 20MnNiMo steel. The storage and annihilation of dislocation at off-equilibrium saturation situation is the main reason that the strain has significant effects on SRS(Strain rate sensitivity) at the low strain rate of 0.01 s−1 and 0.1 s−1. While, the effects of temperature on the SRS are caused by the uniformity of microstructure distribution. And the cross-slip caused by dislocation piled up which beyond the grain boundaries or obstacles is related to the low activation volume under the high Z deformation conditions. Otherwise, the coarsening of DRX grains is the main reason for the high activation volume at low Z under the same strain conditions.

Objective To evaluate the application value of rescue ICSI in fertilization failure after conventional IVF and choose the best rescue window before oocyte aging according to the results of rescue ICSI performed in different time. Methods The data of 93 IVF cycles were analyzed retrospectively. Rescue ICSI was performed in these cycles after conventional IVF failure. Because of the different rescue time, these cycles were divided into two groups: early rescue group (group A, 77 cycles, rescue ICSI performed 4–8 h after conventional IVF) and late rescue group (group B, 16 cycles, rescue ICSI performed 20–22 h after conventional IVF). Results There were no statistically significant differences in age of female, duration of infertility, number of oocytes retrieved every cycle. The normal fertilization rate, pregnancy rate and implantation rate were decreased in group B compared with those in group A (P Conclusion Rescue ICSI is effective if fertilization was failure after conventional IVF, the most important thing is to choose the reasonable rescue window before oocyte aging when ICSI is performed.

Toxicological studies indicate an association between exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs) and impaired male reproductive health in animals. However, epidemiological evidence in humans is still limited. We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study to investigate the effect of exposure to DBPs on semen quality in humans. Between May 2008 and July 2008, we recruited 418 male partners in sub-fertile couples seeking infertility medical instruction or assisted reproduction services from the Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China. Major semen parameters analyzed included sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. Exposure to DBPs was estimated by their urinary creatinine-adjusted trichloroacetic (TCAA) concentrations that were measured with the gas chromatography/electron capture detection method. We used linear regression to assess the relationship between exposure to DBPs and semen quality. According to the World Health Organization criteria (

The title compound, 1-acetyl-3-(2,4-dichloro-5-fluoro-phenyl)-5-phenyl-pyrazoline, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV–vis and X-ray single crystal diffraction. Density functional (DFT) calculations have been carried out for the title compound by using B3LYP method at 6-31G* basis set. The calculated results show that the predicted geometry can well reproduce the structural parameters. Predicted vibrational frequencies have been assigned and compared with experimental IR spectra and they are supported each other. The theoretical electronic absorption spectra have been calculated by using TD-DFT method. Molecular orbital coefficients analyses suggest that the above electronic transitions are mainly assigned to n → π* and π → π* electronic transitions. On the basis of vibrational analyses, the thermodynamic properties of the title compound at different temperatures have been calculated, revealing the correlations between C p , m 0 , S m 0 , H m 0 and temperatures.

We evaluate an ideal model and a real large-scale network environment using available end-to-end measurement techniques that focuses on a large-scale IPv6 backbone and made performance comparisons between the current Internet (IPv4) and next generation Internet (IPv6). In this paper, we compiled the performance statistics of each network in terms of TCP and UDP throughput, delay jitters, packet loss rate, and round trip time. Our conclusions show that, in a real large-scale network environment, a minor degradation in the throughput of the TCP, a slightly higher throughput of the UDP, a somewhat emerging frequency of the delay jitter, a lower packet loss rate, and a slightly longer round trip time happens when we compare the IPv6 network to the IPv4 network.

This paper studies high-precision motion control of linear motor servo systems. A model reference discrete-time sliding mode control is constructed, which converts servo problems to simple regulator problems. Moreover, based on one-step delayed disturbance approximation, unknown disturbances, including friction, can be well compensated without using any complicated friction modelling and corresponding on-line identification techniques, hence the design of the controller is simple and satisfactory performance is easy to achieve. For tracking control, the overall tracking errors can be further reduced by introducing an extra integral action, although it is not possible to completely eliminate the friction effect in the case that reference trajectories cross zero velocity. Since friction is a complicated non-smooth disturbance, detailed investigation on the influence of choice of sampling period on friction compensation performance is performed through simulation analysis. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and achievable control performance of the proposed scheme.

We study the matter effects for solar neutrino oscillations in a general scheme, without any constraint on the number of sterile neutrinos and the mixing matrix elements, only assuming a realistic hierarchy of neutrino squared-mass differences in which the smallest squared-mass difference is effective in solar neutrino oscillations. The validity of the analytic results is illustrated with a numerical solution of the evolution equation in the simplest case of four-neutrino mixing with the realistic matter density profile inside the Sun.

A variety of servo controlled processes used in industry can be modelled as two-mass systems. The point-to-point and path following positioning control of such systems is highly affected by uncertainties due to varying compliance and nonlinear friction. This paper presents a design of the sliding mode control for this type of systems. The paper shows that the difficulty of choosing the switching gain for stability can be solved by the combination of a disturbance observer; and the robustness can be guaranteed during both reaching and convergence phases by the use of a nonlinear time-shifting sliding surface. Experiments are also performed to verify the feasibility of the proposed controller.

Natural graphite was leached under microwave irradiation by acid mixtures containing HCl (12 M) and HNO 3 (16 M). It was found that the purification efficiency was affected by microwave power, reaction pressure, reaction time and the acid ratio. The carbon content of the graphite increased from 95.84% to 99. 43% under optimized leaching conditions with an acid volume ratio of 1:1, pressure of 1.0 MPa, reaction time of 25 min and microwave power of 800 W. SEM indicated that the morphology remained unchanged and XRD indicated that there was no apparent change in the 2 θ peak position, peak height and full width at half maximum after the leaching. [New Carbon Materials 2012, 27(6): 476–480]

cardiovascular protection in Japanese hypertensive patients. Hypertens Res 2011;34:1179–84. [19] WatanabeM, Inukai K, Sumita T, et al. Effects of telmisartan on insulin resistance in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients. Intern Med 2010;49:1843–7. [20] Yamada S, Ano N, Toda K, et al. Telmisartan but not candesartan affects adiponectin expression in vivo and in vitro. Hypertens Res 2008;31:601–6. [21] Yano Y, Hoshide S, Ishikawa J, et al. The differential effects of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers on microalbuminuria in relation to low-grade inflammation in metabolic hypertensive patients. Am J Hypertens 2007;20:565–72.