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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To design and synthesize panaxadiol derivatives. Methods A series of panaxadiol derivatives were synthesized with simple acylation of 3-hydroxy group of panaxadiol. The chemical structures of these derivatives were identified by NMR. Results Six derivatives were obtained and five of them were new compounds. Conclusions These derivatives can be obtained readily thus a large number of derivatives can be synthesized similarly for bioassay. This provides a new approach for the research and development of Panax notoginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) are reported to be anti-inflammatory factors in acute lung injury (ALI), their internal link and synergic or antagonistic effect after activation are poorly understood. Here, we found that PPARγ and A2AR could upregulate the mRNA and protein expressions of each other in lung tissues of LPS-induced mouse ALI model and murine macrophages. Further investigation demonstrated that PPARγ upregulated A2AR expression by directly binding to a DR10 response element (−218 to −197) within A2AR gene promoter region. Instead of directly interacting with PPARγ, A2AR stimulated PPARγ expression via protein kinase A (PKA)–cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) signaling by provoking the binding of CREB to a cAMP responsive element (CRE)-like site in PPARγ gene promoter region. In addition, combination of PPARγ and A2AR agonists was found to exert obviously better effect on suppressing neutrophil infiltration and inflammatory cytokine expressions, attenuating lung edema, pathological changes and improving lung function of blood gas exchange than their single application. These findings reveal a novel functional positive feedback loop between PPARγ and A2AR signaling to potentialize their effect on inhibiting inflammation and attenuating lung damages in ALI. It suggests that targeting this PPARγ–A2AR signaling rather than PPARγ or A2AR alone may be a more attractive and efficient potential therapeutic strategy for ALI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The antagonism or genetic deletion of adenosine A2A receptors has been shown to exacerbate tissue damage in acute lung injury. Caffeine, a widely consumed behavioral drug, acts as a non-selective antagonist of A2A receptor and also has additional pharmacological effects. Thus, the protective vs. deleterious effects of caffeine in acute lung injury should be evaluated. In a murine oleic acid-induced model of acute lung injury, we found that chronic caffeine treatment by drinking water (0.1g/l or 0.25g/l for 2weeks before acute lung injury) or acute caffeine treatment at high dose (i.p. 50mg/kg, injection, 30min before acute lung injury) significantly attenuated the lung edema, hemorrhage, neutrophil recruitment as well as the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) expressions in both of the wild type (WT) and A2A receptor knockout (KO) mice. This profile was accompanied by increased cAMP levels and up-regulation of A2B receptor mRNAs in the lungs. In contrast, acute caffeine treatment at low dose (i.p. 5mg/kg or 15mg/kg, injection, 30min before acute lung injury) enhanced the inflammation and lung damage in WT mice with decreasing cAMP but not in A2A receptor KO mice. These results indicate that caffeine either enhances lung damage by antagonizing A2A receptor or exerts protection against lung damage via A2A receptor-independent mechanisms, depending on the timing of exposure (chronic vs. acute) and dose of administration (low vs. high). These findings provide new insight of caffeine in acute lung injury and highlight the potential benefit and strategy of caffeine intake or administration for preventing acute lung injury. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years， regional compound air pollution events caused by fine particles （PM 2.5 ） and ozone （O 3 ） 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 O 3 ， hydroxyl radical （·OH）， and nitrogen trioxide （NO 3 ·） 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.

Based on the hourly concentration data of fine particulate matter （PM 2.5 ） and ozone （O 3 ） in Nanjing from 2015 to 2019， the synoptic situation that occurred in Nanjing， in which high PM 2.5 and high O 3 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 PM 2.5 and O 3 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 PM 2.5 and O 3 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 PM 2.5 and O 3 in Type1 and Type2 were not completely consistent， which indicates that the two pollutants did not come from the same area in the DHP.

In recent years， ozone （O 3 ） has become an increasingly important air pollutant in China. Identifying the sensitivity of O 3 to the precursors volatile organic compounds （VOCs） and nitrogen oxides （NO x ） can help make effective abatement strategies. This study compared three methods for determining O 3 -VOCs-NO x 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 O 3 pollution event that occurred in Nanjing in late July 2017. The results showed that O 3 sensitivity based on the photochemical indicator and sensitivity coefficients demonstrated similar spatial variations （over 50% of the grid cells of Nanjing exhibiting identical O 3 sensitivity）. However， sensitivity coefficients identified a larger number of areas within a transitional O 3 sensitivity regime， as opposed to the VOCs- or NO x -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 NO 2 could lead to an underestimation of O 3 sensitivity to NO x 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 NO x -limited or transitional regimes.

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 PM 2.5 , NO 2 , and SO 2 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 O 3 (MDA8_O 3 ) showed a stronger effect than that of others(23.5%-42.1%), and meteorological factors promoted the increase in MDA8_O 3 concentrations(4.7%); however, emission changes overall resulted in a decrease in MDA8_O 3 concentrations(-3.2%). NO 2 and MDA8_O 3 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 PM 2.5 and SO 2 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.

High levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and ozone (O 3 ) 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 PM 2.5 and O 3 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 PM 2.5 and daily maximum eight-hour O 3 (MDA8 O 3 ) concentrations in Nanjing in 2019 were efficiently predicted under different reduction scenarios of anthropogenic emissions. The simulations showed that the seasonal average of ρ (PM 2.5 ) 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 PM 2.5 in Nanjing decreased significantly without local anthropogenic emissions. Additionally, the simulations showed that the annual average of ρ (PM 2.5 ) 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 (NO x ) and volatile organic pollutants (VOCs) of O 3 precursors in China likely led to the increase in seasonal average concentrations of O 3 in Nanjing. For the proportional reduction of anthropogenic emissions by 10%-50% in China, the seasonal average of ρ (MDA8 O 3 ) 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 NO x emission by 10% and VOCs by 20%, the seasonal average of ρ (MDA8 O 3 ) 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 O 3 ) in Nanjing by 7 μg·m -3 . However, the annual average of ρ (MDA8 O 3 ) of Nanjing in 2019 increased by 1 μg·m -3 , with the local emission reduction of NO x 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 O 3 pollution in Nanjing, the emission reduction ratio of NO x 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.

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.

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 PM 2.5 were then utilized in the trajectory clustering analysis and potential pollution source analysis. The results showed that the average concentration of PM 2.5 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 ). PM 2.5 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 ). PM 2.5 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 PM 2.5 in quiet and stable weather. The distance of the northwest route in winter was large, and the PM 2.5 concentration was 58 μg·m -3 , which was the 2 nd highest concentration in all routes, indicating that the cities in the northeast of Anhui had a great transport influence on Nanjing PM 2.5 . 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 PM 2.5 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.

Meteorological conditions have important impacts on surface ozone (O 3 ) formation. To evaluate the influence of future climate change on O 3 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 O 3 . 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. O 3 concentration showed an increasing trend in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Sichuan Basin, and South China. The extreme value of O 3 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 O 3 had a similar spatial distribution with the heatwave days in China. The increase in heatwave days led to the increase in O 3 extreme pollution events, and the possibility of a long-lasting O 3 pollution event will increase in China in the future.

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%).

The seasonal variation characteristics of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) in PM 2.5 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 PM 2.5 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 NO 2 - -N and the lowest correlation with NO 3 - -N in WSIN, which may be related to the volatilization of NO 3 - -N caused by high temperatures in summer. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that WSON of PM 2.5 in Nanjing was mainly derived from secondary transformation, sea salt, dust, and biomass combustion.

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 O 3 in Nanjing for trajectories clustering analysis and potential pollution sources analysis. The results show that in 2017, the maximum daily 8 h running average O 3 level in Nanjing was around 12-261 μg·m -3 with 58 days of O 3 pollution in Nanjing, mainly in the spring and summer. The monthly variation of O 3 showed a single peak, with the highest O 3 concentration, as well as the most days exceeding the standard, occurring in June; the diurnal variation of O 3 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 O 3 levels were the dominant transport routes of O 3 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 O 3 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 O 3 pollution in Nanjing is a regional issue and its control requires joint prevention and control strategies in the Yangtze River Delta.

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 PM 2.5 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 PM 2.5 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 PM 2.5 , followed by NH 3 , NO x , SO 2 , 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 SO 2 , NH 3 and CO emissions reduction, while there is still more opportunity for NO x and VOCs end treatment. When the emissions of SO 2 , NO x , PM 10 , PM 2.5 , BC, OC, CO, VOCs, and NH 3 are controlled to 2.43×10 4 , 8.47×10 4 , 9.42×10 4 , 3.74×10 4 , 0.19×10 4 , 0.30×10 4 , 26.56×10 4 , 13.08×10 4 , and 1.50×10 4 t, respectively, it is expected that the levels of the six pollutants in Nanjing can meet the national ambient air quality level 2 standards.

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 chain 20 (p-MLC 20 )/MLC 20 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., Competing Interests: None

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: ［1.19 ± 10.36］% vs ［20.28 ± 14.21］%, P <0.01), total sperm motility (variation value: ［3.46 ± 8.67］% vs ［20.68 ± 14.12］%, P <0.01), the percentage of progressively motile sperm (variation value: ［2.26 ± 8.29］% vs ［17.58 ± 12.73］%, P <0.01), and the percentage of morphologically normal sperm (variation value: ［0.23 ± 3.48］% vs ［3.37 ± 3.99］%, 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.

Objective: To investigate the pathological changes of tunica albuginea in erectile dysfunction (ED), the role of tunica albuginea in penis erection, and the therapeutic effect of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5I) on ED., Methods: Thirty 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: (1) control group fed with normal diet for 16 weeks, (2) high-fat group fed with the diet containing 2% cholesterol and 10% pork fat, and (3) Tadalafil group fed with high-fat diet for 16 weeks and undergoing gastric perfusion of Tadalafil 2 mg/kg daily since the 13th week for 4 weeks. Sixteen weeks later, intracavernous pressure and mean arterial pressure were measured, and the ratio of maximal intracavernous pressure to mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) was calculated blood samples were collected. Blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta to undergo lipid profile test. Then penis was cut. Victoria blue/ponceau red staining and color image analysis were used to observe the content of elastic fibers in the tunica albuginea., Results: The ICP/MAP of the high-fat group was 0.49 +/- 0.05, significantly lower than that of the control group (0.82 +/- 0.06, P < 0.01). The ICP/MAP of the Tadalafil group was 0.60 +/- 0.02, significantly higher than that of the high-fat group (P < 0.05). The content of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea of the high-fat group was 468 +/- 152, significantly lower than that of the the control group (3292 +/- 1123, P < 0.01). The content of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea of the Tadalafil group was 2062 +/- 560, significantly higher than that of the high-fat group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: High fat diet may lead to ED and reduction of elastic fibers in tunica albuginea, and PDE-5I reverses such pathological changes.

Endothelial function plays a very important role in the process of erection. Erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) overlap in risk factors, aetiology and clinical outcomes. Endothelial dysfunction is considered to be their shared aetiological factor. There is growing evidence that patients presenting with ED should be investigated for CAD, even if with no symptoms of the problem. Earlier diagnosis of ED can facilitate prompt intervention, reduce long-term complications, especially the risk of CAD, and provide effective treatment for ED.

Objective: To investigate the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and relationship thereof to survivin and Bax, apoptosis related proteins, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used in 52 specimens of NSCLC to detect the expression of HIF-1alpha, survivin and Bax., Results: The positive rates of HIF-1alpha, survivin and Bax were 38.5% (20/52), 48.1% (25/52), and 42.3% (22/52) respectively. The higher the pathological stage of tumor, the higher expression rate of HIF-1alpha (chi2=8.271, P<0.05). The positive rate of HIF-1alpha expression of the patients with lymph node metastasis was higher than that of the patients without lymph node metastasis (chi2=6.370, P<0.05). However, HIF-1alpha expression had no relationship to the pathological type (chi2=0.561, P>0.05) and differentiation degree (chi2=0.326, P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the expression of HIF-1alpha was positively correlated with the surviving expression (gamma=0.496, P<0.05) and Bax expression (gamma=0.681, P<0.05)., Conclusion: The expression of HIF-1alpha is related to the infiltration, metastasis, and apoptosis of NSCLC.

ED treatment has changed fundamentally since phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5-I) came into clinical use. There are three kinds of PDE5-I available at present, Sildenafil, Vardenafil and Tadalafil. Tadalafil distinguishes from the other two by its uniquely long half-life, which lasts 17.5h, which a pharmacodynamic duration of 36h and not influenced by food and alcohol. Thus it may enable ED patients to accomplish a spontaneous intercourse without the need of prior preparation without, which can boost their confidence and self-esteem and, the most important, improve the relationship with their partner. To know patient preference counts quite a lot in optimizing the medication ED treatment.