Exploring the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide and semen quality parameters:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To investigate the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide(SO2)exposure and semen quality parameters.Methods:A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies investigating the association between SO2 exposure and semen quality parameters.This search encompassed the timeframe from January 2000 to May 2023 and included electronic databases such as Web of Science,Google Scholar,PubMed,Cochrane,and Scopus.Pooled effect estimates with 95%confidence intervals(CI)were calculated using percent changes(PC).The meta-analysis included seven studies with 6711 participants and 15087 semen samples.Results:The results revealed a significant negative association between ambient SO2 exposure and certain semen quality parameters.In particular,SO2 exposure was associated with a significant decrease in progressive motility(PC=0.032;95%CI:-0.063 to-0.001;P=0.044)and sperm concentration(PC=-0.020;95%CI:-0.036 to-0.005;P=0.012).However,no statistically significant associations were observed for total sperm count(PC=-0.038;95%CI:-0.079 to 0.003;P=0.070),seminal fluid volume(PC=-0.009;95%CI:-0.048 to-0.030;P=0.662)and sperm motility(PC=-0.17;95%CI:-0.363 to 0.022;P=0.830).In addition,the results of the subgroup analysis revealed specific variables that were associated with the decrease in relevant sperm parameters.Conclusions:This systematic review and meta-analysis provides compelling evidence supporting a consistent negative association between exposure to ambient SO2 and semen quality parameters.

A Comprehensive Survey on Federated Learning in the Healthcare Area: Concept and Applications

Federated learning is an innovative machine learning technique that deals with centralized data storage issues while maintaining privacy and security.It involves constructing machine learning models using datasets spread across several data centers,including medical facilities,clinical research facilities,Internet of Things devices,and even mobile devices.The main goal of federated learning is to improve robust models that benefit from the collective knowledge of these disparate datasets without centralizing sensitive information,reducing the risk of data loss,privacy breaches,or data exposure.The application of federated learning in the healthcare industry holds significant promise due to the wealth of data generated from various sources,such as patient records,medical imaging,wearable devices,and clinical research surveys.This research conducts a systematic evaluation and highlights essential issues for the selection and implementation of federated learning approaches in healthcare.It evaluates the effectiveness of federated learning strategies in the field of healthcare.It offers a systematic analysis of federated learning in the healthcare domain,encompassing the evaluation metrics employed.In addition,this study highlights the increasing interest in federated learning applications in healthcare among scholars and provides foundations for further studies.

Exploring the relationship between Hashimoto's thyroiditis and male fertility:A meta-analytic and meta-regression perspective on hormonal and seminal factors

Objective:To explore the relationship between Hashimoto's autoimmune hypothyroidism(HT)and male fertility,focusing on hormonal and seminal factors.Methods:A systematic literature search was conducted across databases such as PubMed,Web of Science,EMBASE,Scopus,Cochrane,and Google Scholar,covering studies published from January 2000 to March 2024.Studies investigating the impact of HT on semen quality parameters and reproductive hormones were included.Pooled effect estimates were calculated using standard mean difference(SMD)and 95%confidence intervals(CI).Results:A total of 8 studies with 8965 participants were included.HT significantly affected semen quality and reproductive hormone levels.Specifically,there was a notable decrease in progressive morphology(SMD=-0.78;95%CI:-1.40 to-0.17;P=0.01)and sperm motility(SMD=-1.151;95%CI:-1.876 to-0.425;P=0.002).In addition,there were no significant changes in reproductive hormones,although there were elevated levels of luteinizing hormone(SMD=0.437;95%CI:0.000 to 0.874;P=0.050)and follicle-stimulating hormone(SMD=0.293;95%CI:-0.171 to 0.758;P=0.216),with a slight impact on testosterone levels(SMD=-1.143;95%CI:-2.487 to 0.200;P=0.095).Conclusions:This systematic review and meta-analysis provides robust evidence of the detrimental effects of HT on semen quality and reproductive hormones,underscoring the necessity for thorough evaluation and management of thyroid function in male infertility assessments.

Circulating levels of advanced glycation end products in females with polycystic ovary syndrome:a meta-analysis

Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)is a common endocrine disorder characterized by a hormonal imbalance that affects females of reproductive age.The association between advanced glycation end products(AGEs)and PCOS has attracted considerable attention in recent years,highlighting the potential of AGEs as biomarkers for this disorder.In the present systematic review and meta-analysis,we aimed to examine the association between AGEs and PCOS,evaluate their potential as biomarkers,and improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of PCOS and its associated metabolic complications.A literature search was performed using various databases from January 2000 to March 2023 to identify relevant studies investigating the association between AGEs and PCOS.Pooled effect estimates were calculated using standardized mean differences(SMD)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs).Sub-group and meta-regression analyses were performed to examine potential sources of heterogeneity.The meta-analysis included six studies with a total of 623 participants.Our results revealed a significant increase in circulating AGE levels in females with PCOS compared to healthy females(SMD=2.35;95%CI:1.10-3.60;P<0.001).Significant heterogeneity was observed between the studies(I2=96.37%;P<0.001),indicating the presence of several factors influencing the association.Sub-group analyses based on body mass index,age,and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance indicated differential effects of AGEs on specific sub-groups.This systematic review and meta-analysis support the association between elevated AGE levels and PCOS,thereby suggesting the potential role of AGEs as biomarkers in PCOS.

Suspended particulate matter promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in alveolar epithelial cells via TGF-β1-mediated ROS/IL-8/SMAD3 axis

Epidemiological evidence presents that dust storms are related to respiratory diseases,such as pulmonary fibrosis(PF).However,the precise underlying mechanisms of SPM-elicited adverse effects still need to be investigated.Epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)process is a characteristic of PF.We discussed whether suspended particulate matter(SPM)is involved in EMT induction via transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1).In this study,a detailed elemental analysis(55 elements),particle size,and morphology were determined.To investigate the toxicity of SPM,an MTT test was performed to detect cell viability.Next,A549cells were exposed to selected concentrations of SPM(20 and 40μg/mL)for single and repeated exposures.The DCFH-DA assay showed that exposure to SPM could produce reactive oxygen species(ROS).The ELISA assay demonstrated increased levels of interleukin-8(IL-8)and TGF-β1 in the supernatant.Western blot was used to detect the expression of proteins associated with EMT and the SMAD3-dependent pathway.Results of western blot demonstrated that E-cadherin was reduced,whereas p-SMAD3,vimentin,andα-smooth muscle actin were elevated.Our findings indicated that SPM triggered EMT by induction of oxidative stress,inflammation,and the TGF-β1/SMAD3 pathway activation.

Investigation into charge carrier dynamics in organic light-emitting diodes

Organic light-emitting diodes(OLEDs)have demonstrated remarkable advancements in both device lifetime and luminous efficiency.However,insufficient operation lifetime due to device degradation remains a major hurdle,especially for brighter devices.Understanding the degradation mechanisms of OLEDs due to the degradation of functional materials and the formation of defects in device architectures continues to be a significant challenge.Herein,we evaluate the degradation characteristics by scrutinizing the electrical and optical properties,as well as analyzing the charge carrier dynamics in pristine and aged states of phosphorescent OLEDs(PhOLEDs).We show that degradation mechanisms in PhOLEDs can be elucidated in terms of the ideality factors of current and luminance in pristine and aged device states.The consistent shifts in distinct ideality factors across various states points out that the device degradation is attributed to the deterioration of the guest material,i.e.green-light-emitting phosphorescent material.Conversely,the incongruity in ideality factor changes between the two states indicates that the degradation results from the deterioration of non-light-emitting material.Subsequent characterization experiments provide further evidence that this degradation is primarily attributed to the deterioration of CBP-host material.The thorough understanding of degradation mechanisms established in this study can contribute to realizing the highly reliable PhOLEDs with a long lifetime.