Petrological controls on the engineering properties of carbonate aggregates through a machine learning approach.

Rock aggregates have been extensively exploited in the construction sector, and the associated engineering features play a critical role in their application. The main aim of this research is to assess the impact of petrographic characteristics on the engineering properties of carbonate rocks. A total of 45 carbonate rock samples from different geological formations within the Salt Range (Western Himalayan Ranges, Pakistan) were subjected to comprehensive petrographic analyses and standard aggregate quality control tests.

Escin ameliorates CUMS-induced depressive-like behavior via BDNF/TrkB/CREB and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathways in rats.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder associated with brain inflammation and neuronal damage. Derived from the Aesculus chinensis Bunge fruit, escin has shown anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. However, its potential as a treatment for MDD is unclear.

Association Between Particulate Matter Exposure and Preterm Birth in Women With Abnormal Preconception Thyrotropin Levels: Large Cohort Study.

Background: Prior research has linked exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) with preterm birth (PTB).

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

Background: Poor sperm quality is a major cause of male infertility. However, evidence remains scarce on how greenness affects male sperm quality.

Objectives: To assess the associations of residential greenness with male sperm quality and the modification effect of air pollution exposure on the relationship.

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

Backgrounds: Global fertility rates continue to decline and sperm quality is a prime factor affecting male fertility. Both extreme cold and heat have been demonstrated to be associated with decreased sperm quality, but no epidemiological studies have considered human adaptation to long-term temperature. Our aim was to conduct a multi-center retrospective cohort study to investigate exposure-response relationship between temperature anomaly (TA) that deviate from long-term climate patterns and sperm quality.

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

The application of an inhibitor to the remaining coal in the goaf not only prevents spontaneous combustion of the coal seam in the mining area but also greatly enhances the capacity of coal to adsorb CO. To investigate the mechanism by which inhibitors improve the CO adsorption capacity of the coal seam in the goaf, we conducted swelling experiments, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses to examine the microstructural changes in the adsorption of CO before and after inhibition. The results indicate that after inhibition, the number of hydrogen bonds between coal macromolecules decreased, and the samples exhibited approximately 5% swelling.

Sperm quality decline associated with gaseous pollutant exposure: Evidence from a large cohort multicenter study.

Background: Poor sperm quality is a prevalent cause of male infertility, and the association between gaseous ambient air pollutants exposure and semen quality remains unclear.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between gaseous air pollution exposure with semen quality in a large-scale and multi-center study.

Methods: We analyzed 78,952 samples corresponding to 33,234 study subjects from 2014 to 2020.

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

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM < 2.5 μm in diameter [PM]) may accelerate human sperm quality decline, although research on this association is limited. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between exposure to the chemical constituents of PM air pollution and decreased sperm quality and to further explore the exposure-response relationship.

Dengue transmission dynamics prediction by combining metapopulation networks and Kalman filter algorithm.

Predicting the specific magnitude and the temporal peak of the epidemic of individual local outbreaks is critical for infectious disease control. Previous studies have indicated that significant differences in spatial transmission and epidemic magnitude of dengue were influenced by multiple factors, such as mosquito population density, climatic conditions, and population movement patterns. However, there is a lack of studies that combine the above factors to explain their complex nonlinear relationships in dengue transmission and generate accurate predictions.

The size of the susceptible pool differentiates climate effects on seasonal epidemics of bacillary dysentery.

Objectives: At present, some studies have pointed out several possible climate drivers of bacillary dysentery. However, there is a complex nonlinear interaction between climate drivers and susceptible population in the spread of diseases, which makes it challenging to detect climate drivers at the size of susceptible population.

Methods: By using empirical dynamic modeling (EDM), the climate drivers of bacillary dysentery dynamic were explored in China's five temperature zones.

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

Microplastic (MP) pollution severely impairs the sustainable development of modern agriculture. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of MP contaminants on nutrient cycles in agroecosystems are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the impacts of two types of MPs, polypropylene (PP) and rubber crumb (RC), on nitrogen (N) transformation and N cycling in soil-peanut system.

Impacts of traffic-related particulate matter pollution on semen quality: A retrospective cohort study relying on the random forest model in a megacity of South China.

Background: Emerging evidence shows the detrimental impacts of particulate matter (PM) on poor semen quality. High-resolution estimates of PM concentrations are conducive to evaluating accurate associations between traffic-related PM exposure and semen quality.

Methods: In this study, we firstly developed a random forest model incorporating meteorological factors, land-use information, traffic-related variables, and other spatiotemporal predictors to estimate daily traffic-related PM concentrations, including PM, PM, and PM.

Effect of ambient temperature variability on sperm quality: A retrospective population-based cohort study.

Backgrounds: Abnormal sperm quality in men is one of the common causes of infertility. Both ambient temperature and extreme heat exposure have been shown to be associated with sperm quality, but there is no epidemiological evidence for the effect of ambient temperature variability. Our aim was to investigate the association between ambient temperature variability exposure and a decline in sperm quality at different stages of sperm development.

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

As Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is closely related to the occurrence of gastric diseases such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer, early detection of H. pylori is an urgent need.

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

Background: Small auxin-upregulated RNAs (SAURs) gene family plays important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, the function of few SAUR genes is known in the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), one of the world's major food legume crops.

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

Objective: To explore the role and mechanism of chondrogenic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)-derived exosomes on Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: The chondrogenesis of BMSCs was induced by chondrogenic medium. Exosomes from BMSCs and chondrogenic BMSCs were isolated and characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), laser particle size analyzer and western blot.

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

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Anti-silencing function 1B (ASF1B) has been demonstrated to play crucial roles in various tumors. However, the function of ASF1B in lung cancer remains to be addressed.

Jinwujiangu Capsule Treats Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes of Rheumatoid Arthritis by Inhibiting Pyroptosis via the NLRP3/CAPSES/GSDMD Pathway.

Jinwujiangu capsule (JWJGC) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, whether its mechanism is associated with pyroptosis remains unclear. In this study, the ability of JWJGC to inhibit the growth of fibroblast-like synoviocytes of RA (RA-FLS) through pyroptosis was evaluated.

Jinwu Jiangu Capsule affects synovial cells in rheumatoid arthritis through PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Jinwu Jiangu Capsule is a medicinal formula from the Chinese Miao nationality. Leflunomide is recommended in organizational guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To investigate the effect of Jinwu Jiangu Capsule on PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway in cells taken from RA patients New Zealand rabbits were administrated with Jinwu Jiangu Capsule suspension to prepare serum containing medicine.

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

Background: Immigrant status, acculturation level, race and ethnicity have been found to contribute to the utilization of mental health services in the perinatal period. This study explored perinatal experiences and perceptions among Chinese immigrant mothers and their spouses, as well as the possible barriers and facilitators that affect their health care utilization.

Methods: We recruited 13 women ages 18-35 years born in mainland China, living in Rochester, New York, and residing less than 5 years in the United States.

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

Purpose: Nuclear ubiquitous casein and cyclin-dependent kinases substrate (NUCKS) overexpression has been reported in various types of cancers. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of NUCKS, underlying the involvement of non-small-cell lung cancer, in the progression of lung cancer.

Methods: The small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) of NUCKS was transfected into a lung cancer cell line (NCI-H460, A549, NCI-H1299 and NCI-H1975).

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

Background: The safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for asymptomatic common bile duct (CBD) stones patients has not been thoroughly elucidated. This study attempted to compare the incidence and severity of ERCP complications in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with CBD stones and to provide evidence for the treatment of asymptomatic CBD stones.

Methods: The clinical data of patients were retrospectively analyzed.