Objective To study the association between ambient air pollutant exposure during the follicular phase and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Design A single-center retrospective analysis. Setting Henan Province, China. Patients Patients (n = 6659) living in Zhengzhou, Henan Province in central China who underwent their first IVF cycle at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between

Nicosulfuron is an ingredient in photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides and has been widely used in corn post-emergence weed control. In the current study, a pair of sister lines, HK301 (nicosulfuron-tolerence, NT) and HK320 (nicosulfuron-sensitive, NS), was used to study the effect of nicosulfuron in sweet maize seedlings on C4 photosynthetic enzymes and non-enzymatic substances, expression levels of

The Deepwater Horizon blowout resulted in the second-largest quantity of chemical dispersants used as a countermeasure for an open water oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Of which, the efficacy of dispersant as a mitigation strategy and its toxic effects on aquatic fauna remains controversial. To enhance our understanding of potential sub-lethal effects of exposure to chemically dispersed-oil, sub-adult

The disposal of untreated sanitary sewage in the soil has several consequences for human health and leads to environmental risks; thus, it is necessary investigating, monitoring and remediating the affected sites. The aims of the current study are to evaluate ecotoxicological effects on Eisenia andrei earthworms exposed to soil subjected to sources of sanitary sewage discharge and to investigate whether

In this study, urban stream sediment samples were collected in the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), one of the earliest national demonstration eco-industrial parks of China. PAHs were analyzed in these sediments, and concentrations of total PAHs were 180–81,000 ng g−1 (5700 ± 14,000 ng g−1). Medium molecular weight (4- ring) PAHs were predominant (42 ± 12%), followed by high molecular weight (5- and 6-

Cigarette smoking has been considered as an independent risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation and progression. In this study, we found that cigarette smoking was significantly associated with poor CRC differentiation (P = 0.040). Since studies have indicated that poorly differentiated tumors are more aggressive and metastasize earlier, leading to poorer prognosis; and cancer stem cells

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers are known to be toxic and impair thyroid function. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. We constructed a female Sprague-Dawley rat model to evaluate the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis and autophagy in 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenylether (PBDE-47) induced thyroid toxicity. In the brain development spurt period (postnatal

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders including cognitive decline, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. However, the specific molecular mechanisms by which PM2.5 impacts neurodevelopment are poorly understood. Accordingly, in the present study, the role of protein kinase A (PKA)/cAMP response element binding protein

Deltamethrin (DM) is a synthetic pyrethroid used for agricultural purposes to control insects. However, its extensive use contaminates the aquatic environment and results in serious health problems in aquatic organisms. Knowledge about the toxic effect of DM in freshwater prawns is limited; therefore, this study aims to assess the toxicity of DM in Macrobrachium rosenbergii based on multiple biomarkers

Cd is a common pollutant that contaminates the ecological environment of soil-crop systems and threatens food security and human health. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) has a great potential for use as energy feedstock and Cd phytoremediation. Therefore, the identification of sorghum genotypes with high Cd accumulation is of great significance to Cd pollution remediation and production of bioenergy

The hatchability, mortality rate, lipid peroxide levels, and swimming speed of Artemia salina have been compared based on short exposures of ZnCl2, CdCl2, and HgCl2 in artificial seawater. The hatching tests were carried out for 12, 24, 36, and 48 h at 28 °C. Mortality rate and lipid peroxide (LPO) levels were determined after 24 h of exposure at 28 °C, in the dark, and on living larvae using the FOX

We conducted a large-scale epidemiological investigation to detect the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in four marine bivalve shellfish species collected from six representative coastal regions of Weihai, eastern China. Between January 2018 and December 2018, 14,535 marine bivalve shellfish pooled into 2907 samples were randomly collected and examined for T. gondii DNA by a nested PCR assay targeting

Plastic pollution has become a global threat to the marine environment. Many studies have indicated that marine creatures are at risk of plastic ingestion, but relevant studies are still lacking in Taiwan. In this study, we quantified plastic debris ingestion by marine fish in the coastal waters of the Hengchun Peninsula, including the Kenting National park, located in southern Taiwan. We also investigated

A reliable and simple modified QuEChERS method with UPLC-MS/MS was developed for the simultaneous determination of six pesticides (dimethomorph, imidaclothiz, lufenuron, methoxyfenozide, pyridaben, spinetoram) and their metabolites in pak choi. Method validation indicated good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.99), accuracy (recoveries of 75%−112%), sensitivity (limits of quantification, 0.002–0.01 mg kg−1), and precision

Objective Telomere length (TL) is a biomarker for biological aging, and the initial setting of TL at birth is a determinant factor of TL in later life. Newborn TL is sensitive to maternal metals concentrations, while study about the association between maternal manganese (Mn) concentrations and newborn TL was not found. Our study aimed to investigate whether newborn TL is related to maternal Mn concentrations

The associations of vanadium exposure with hypertension risk in animal studies are inconsistent. Furthermore, epidemiologic studies on this topic are scarce. We aimed to assess the associations of vanadium exposure with hypertension prevalence and blood pressure levels in a general Chinese population. We measured urinary vanadium concentrations in 1867 participants to evaluate their internal exposure

Mosquito larvicides are an effective tool for reducing numbers of adult females that bite and potentially spread pathogenic organisms. Methionine, an essential amino acid in humans, has been previously demonstrated to be a highly effective larvicide against four (4) mosquito species in three (3) genera, Anopheles, Culex and Aedes. The aim of the present study was to determine the potential impact on

It is little known about the lncRNA-PVT1 effect on occupational pulmonary fibrosis, although researches show it plays an essential role in cancer. Studies reveal that lung fibroblast activation is one of the key events in silica-induced fibrosis. Here, we found that lncRNA-PVT1 promoted the proliferation, activation, and migration of lung fibroblasts. The isolation of cytoplasmic and nuclear RNA assay

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have recently attracted huge attention to their impacts on the environment and plants. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to investigate the responses of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) exposed pot marigold plants to various levels of MWCNT. Calendula officinalis (L.) seedlings were cultivated in Pb and Cd-polluted soils with exposure to 0, 50, 100, 250, 500

Methyl siloxanes are identified as emerging persistent toxic compounds and the ecological environment risks of these compounds have been caused of great concern worldwide. In this study, the concentrations of methyl siloxanes were reported in dissolved water and crucian carp around a methyl siloxane production factory located in Liaoning Province, Northeast China. D4, D5, D6, D7, L4, L5 and L6 were

Swine wastewater (SW) treatment by Myriophyllum aquaticum is an important biotechnology for its resource utilization. However, some knowledge gaps remain in compound-pollutant removal in SW, especially in practical applications. To clarify the responses of M. aquaticum to the compound pollutants as well as the related operational parameters in SW treatment, three initial doses (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kg