Search

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) induces ocular surface toxicity through pyroptosis, oxidative stress, autophagy, and inflammatory responses. However, the precise molecular pathways through which PM2.5 causes corneal damage remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms by exposing human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) to PM2.5. Methods: After the morphology and chemical composition analysis of the PM samples, we conducted both in vivo and in vitro experiments to investigate PM2.5-induced corneal epithelial damage. We assessed corneal barrier function in HCECs using transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) assays. To explore the molecular mechanisms of PM2.5-induced corneal epithelial damage, we performed whole-transcriptome resequencing, quantitative RT-PCR, and western blotting in vitro. In addition, we analyzed mouse corneas exposed to concentrated ambient PM2.5 through immunofluorescence staining to observe the resulting changes in corneal epithelial protein expression in vivo. Results: Our results showed significant impairment of corneal epithelial barrier function in PM2.5-treated HCECs, as indicated by decreased TEER values. The expression of thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) and claudin-1, both key factors for maintaining corneal epithelial barrier integrity, was markedly reduced at the gene and protein levels in both in vitro and in vivo PM2.5 exposure models. Moreover, the levels of tight junction-associated proteins, including occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and ZO-2, essential components of the corneal epithelial barrier, were significantly diminished in PM2.5-treated HCECs. Conclusion: PM2.5 exposure leads to corneal epithelium damage by disrupting tight junction proteins and THBS1 expression. These findings provide insight into potential pathways for PM2.5-induced ocular toxicity and underscore the need for protective strategies against such environmental pollutants.

The eye is vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution. Previous experimental study found that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) had a direct toxic effect on intraocular tissues. However, clinical evidence for the impact of air pollutants exposure on functional and structural changes in glaucoma remains scarce. A total of 120 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) who met the inclusion criteria were included in this retrospective study. The standardized ophthalmic examination, such as intraocular pressure (IOP), visual field, optical coherence tomography, and comprehensive physical examination, were performed. The air pollution data, including PM2.5 concentration and air quality index (AQI), were collected. PM2.5 and AQI for the day of the medical examination, as well as one month, and three months before the medical examination date, were investigated. In our results, higher average exposure levels for one-month and three-month, were associated with increased IOP (r=0.229, P=0.013; r=0.204, P=0.028, respectively) and decreased visual field mean sensitivity (MS) (r=-0.212, P=0.037; r=-0.305, P=0.002, respectively). PM2.5 concentrations for the day of the medical examination was not significantly associated with ocular parameters. In multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for demographic and clinical factors, higher PM2.5 exposure for one month was associated with elevated IOP (P=0.040, β=0.173, 95 %CI=0.008–0.337). We also found an association between PM2.5 and MS (one-month exposure: β=-0.160, P=0.029; three-month exposure: β=-0.238, P=0.002). The logistic regression analysis found that three-month average PM2.5 exposure level was significantly associated with the disease severity (β=0.043, P=0.025, 95 %CI=1.005–1.084). In conclusion, this study is the first to investigate the relationship between air pollution and detailed ocular parameters of POAG patients in Shanghai over a three-year period, and to explore the effects of different exposure times of PM2.5 on glaucoma. This study found that PM2.5 exposure was correlated with elevated IOP and decreased MS. The one-month PM2.5 exposure level had the most significant effects on IOP. The three-month PM2.5 exposure level was an independent risk factor for POAG severity. Current evidence suggests there may be an association between PM2.5 exposure and POAG.

Summary: Both concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and induction chemotherapy (ICT) followed by CCRT are standard care of advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, tailoring personalized treatment is lacking. Herein, we established a radiogenomic clinical decision support system to classify patients into three subgroups according to their predicted disease-free survival (DFS) with CCRT and ICT response. The CCRT-preferred group was suitable for CCRT since they achieved good survival with CCRT, which could not be improved by ICT. The ICT-preferred group was suitable for ICT plus CCRT since they had poor survival with CCRT; additional ICT could afford an improved DFS. The clinical trial–preferred group was suitable for clinical trials since they exhibited poor survival regardless of receiving CCRT or ICT plus CCRT. These findings suggest that our radiogenomic clinical decision support system could identify optimal candidates for CCRT, ICT plus CCRT, and clinical trials, and may thus aid in personalized management of advanced NPC.

AIM: To directly quantify peroxynitrite (ONOO-) using a highly sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer probe RN-NA, investigate the association between ONOO- and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), and clarify whether RN-NA could be used as a potential tool for POAG diagnosis. METHODS: Plasma and aqueous humor (AH) samples were collected from POAG patients (n=100, age: 59.70±6.87y) and age-related cataract (ARC) patients (n=100, age: 61.15±4.60y) admitted to our hospital. Next, RN-NA was used to detect ONOO- in plasma and AH samples, and the relationship between ONOO- level and POAG was analyzed using binary logistic regression. Besides, Pearson correlation analysis was applied to characterize the correlation of the levels of ONOO- with the patients' age, intraocular pressure (IOP), and mean deviation of visual field testing. The ONOO- scavenger MnTMPyP was employed to treat the 3-morpholinosyndnomine (SIN-1)-induced ocular hypertension in mice (n=7, 6-8wk). Finally, the IOP and ONOO- in both eyes were measured 30min after the last drug treatment. RESULTS: ONOO- levels of AH and plasma were significantly higher in the POAG group than in the ARC group (P

Calcium hexaaluminate (CA6) materials have garnered attention for their potential use as lining materials in metallurgical furnaces during the steel-making process. The present work explored the effects of M2O5 (M = Nb, Ta) on the steel corrosion behaviour of calcium hexaaluminate combined with the evolution of physical properties. The introduction of M2O5 (M = Nb, Ta) was proved to be advantageous in mitigating the emulsification of CA6 material in the molten steel, and the increase in the densification of emulsion layer could prevent CA6 materials from further steel corrosion and penetration. The improved steel corrosion resistance of CA6 materials was attributed to the optimization of the physical properties facilitated by the formation of defects and the in situ phase. In addition, the reduction in the wettability between the CA6 materials and molten steel served to diminish the reactivity of the interface reaction. This work determined the corrosion behaviour and corrosion mechanism of the CA6 materials in molten steel and provided a new research route for designing CA6 materials with improved corrosion resistance to molten steel.

Abstract The occurrence of interspecific feeding events, involving non‐obligate nest parasite species, is rare but has been documented in numerous avian species worldwide, particularly in Europe and North America. Our report presents an observation from southwest China, where we observed a Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush (Pterorhinus pectoralis) nest containing three laughingthrush nestlings and two nestlings of Chestnut‐winged Cuckoos (Clamator coromandus). They were being fed by the adult laughingthrush and a male White‐browed Shrike‐Babbler (Pteruthius aeralatus). However, after the cuckoo nestling fledged, we did not observe the Shrike‐Babbler feeding the laughingthrush nestlings remaining in the nest. Through a systematic examination of potential driving factors, we infer that the begging calls of the cuckoo nestlings likely played a crucial role in the misfeeding events observed in our study. However, it is essential to consider the potential influence of the male shrike‐babbler's status, including mateless, brood loss or female incubation. We highlight the further observations using digital recordings (for both images and sounds) to document detailed information on interspecific feeding events.

Because radiation belt electrons can pose a potential threat to the safety of satellites orbiting in space, it is of great importance to develop a reliable model that can predict the highly dynamic variations in outer radiation belt electron fluxes. In the present study, we develop a forecast model of radiation belt electron fluxes based on the data assimilation method, in terms of Van Allen Probe measurements combined with three-dimensional radiation belt numerical simulations. Our forecast model can cover the entire outer radiation belt with a high temporal resolution (1 hour) and a spatial resolution of 0.25 L over a wide range of both electron energy (0.1–5.0 MeV) and pitch angle (5°–90°). On the basis of this model, we forecast hourly electron fluxes for the next 1, 2, and 3 days during an intense geomagnetic storm and evaluate the corresponding prediction performance. Our model can reasonably predict the storm-time evolution of radiation belt electrons with high prediction efficiency (up to ~0.8–1). The best prediction performance is found for ~0.3–3 MeV electrons at L = ~3.25–4.5, which extends to higher L and lower energies with increasing pitch angle. Our results demonstrate that the forecast model developed can be a powerful tool to predict the spatiotemporal changes in outer radiation belt electron fluxes, and the model has both scientific significance and practical implications.

Background. ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is a candidate gene within a POAG susceptibility locus by GWAS analysis, and it is involved in IOP modulation via the Cav1/eNOS/NO signaling pathway. We aim to examine the phenotype of ABCA1 deletion in the ABCA1 gene knockout (Abca1−/−) mice. Methods. The anterior segments of Abca1−/− eyes were imaged by slit-lamp microscopy and anterior segment OCT. IOPs were measured by rebound tonometry. By perfusing enucleated eyes at various pressures, the aqueous humor outflow facility was determined. The mRNA expressions of ABCA1, Cav1, and eNOS were measured by RT-qPCR. The protein expressions were analyzed by western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Results. There was no significant difference in the anterior segment morphology of Abca1−/− mice. IOP and aqueous humor outflow facility did not change in Abca1−/− mice compared with wild-type mice. mRNA and protein expressions of ABCA1 were significantly lower in the outflow tissue of Abca1−/− eyes. The expressions of Cav1 and eNOS were both significantly upregulated in the outflow tissue of Abca1−/− eyes. Conclusion. ABCA1 deletion does not affect IOP and aqueous humor outflow function but the Cav1/eNOS/NO pathway is changed in Abca1−/− mice. The function of ABCA1 in aqueous humor outflow still requires further research.

In the realm of targeted advertising, the demand for precision is paramount, and the traditional centralized machine learning paradigm fails to address this necessity effectively. Two critical challenges persist in the current advertising ecosystem: the data privacy concerns leading to isolated data islands and the complexity in handling non-Independent and Identically Distributed (non-IID) data and concept drift due to the specificity and diversity in user behavior data. Current federated learning frameworks struggle to overcome these hurdles satisfactorily. This paper introduces Fed-GANCC, an innovative federated learning framework that synergizes Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Group Clustering. The framework incorporates a user data augmentation algorithm predicated on adversarial generative networks to enrich user behavior data, curtail the impact of non-uniform data distribution, and enhance the applicability of the global machine learning model. Unlike traditional approaches, our framework offers user data augmentation algorithms based on adversarial generative networks, which not only enriches user behavior data but also reduces the challenges posed by non-uniform data distribution, thereby enhancing the applicability of the global machine learning (ML) model. The effectiveness of Fed-GANCC is distinctly showcased through experimental results, outperforming contemporary methods like FED-AVG and FED-SGD in terms of accuracy, loss value, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) indicators within the same computing time. Experimental results vindicate the effectiveness of Fed-GANCC, revealing substantial enhancements in accuracy, loss value, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) metrics compared to FED-AVG and FED-SGD given the same computational time. These outcomes underline Fed-GANCC's exceptional prowess in mitigating issues such as isolated data islands, non-IID data, and concept drift. With its novel approach to addressing the prevailing challenges in targeted advertising such as isolated data islands, non-IID data, and concept drift, the Fed-GANCC framework stands as a benchmark, paving the way for future advancements in federated learning solutions tailored for the advertising domain. The Fed-GANCC framework promises to offer pivotal insights for the future development of efficient and advanced federated learning solutions for targeted advertising.

The rapid development of digital technology significantly impacts the use of cell phone interfaces by the elderly. This paper aims to analyze the interaction design of cell phone interfaces for the elderly to enhance their user experience and ease of use. This paper investigates the evaluation system for evaluating cell phone interface interaction for the elderly, including interface size, Layout, and functionality. A group of elderly people aged 65-75 are invited to evaluate the effects of different design options by observing their performance under different interface sizes (large size 6.0 inches, medium size 5.5 inches, small size 4.5 inches) and layouts (nine-cell grid and combination type). The evaluation metrics are task completion time, number of operation errors, and eye movement data. The 6.0-inch interface experienced an average task completion time of 6.97 seconds, a decrease of approximately 6 seconds and 1 second from the 4.5-inch and 5.5-inch interfaces, respectively. The large-size interface had an average error rate of 1.11 per task, significantly less than the average error rate in the 4.5-inch and 5.5-inch interfaces. The more extensive interface significantly decreased user gaze points and gaze time, indicating more efficient information acquisition. More extensive cell phone interfaces and combined layouts can significantly improve interaction efficiency and reduce operation errors for elderly users, enhancing user experience. The findings of this study offer practical guidance for designing cell phone interfaces for the elderly and aid in promoting cell phone interface design for the elderly.

This paper deeply discusses the art design based on visual communication technology, studies its application in modern art expression, and its influence and promotion on design aesthetics. The research starts from three aspects: the hierarchical needs of art design, the relationship between visual communication and art design expression and the integration path of art design and visual communication. Through the hierarchical analysis of art design expression content, the application of media design, composition design and metaphor design in visual art is discussed in depth. Meanwhile, the relationship between art design and visual communication is studied and the path of integration between art design and visual communication is proposed. The experimental part includes the extraction of art design style features, the recognition of artworks based on color style and texture features, and the satisfaction analysis of art design effects. The results show that the method proposed in this study has high accuracy in art style recognition, excellent performance in art texture recognition, and good feedback regarding satisfaction with art design effects. This proves the effective application of visual communication technology in art design, which is significant in promoting modern art design development.

In the original publication [...]

The Permian Emeishan basalt formations exposed in the E’bian area are mostly overflow facies, and the rocks are dark gray to gray-green. According to their genesis and structural composition characteristics, the Emeishan basalts in the E’bian area can be divided into porphyry There are four rock types: compactbasalt, porphyriticbasalt, stomata-almond basalt, and tuffaceous basalt. Research on the rock and chemical characteristics of basalt has been carried out, and the research shows that there is fiber-used basalt in the area that is suitable for drawing, which has a good development and utilization prospect.

Abstract Metastable β titanium alloys are promising materials for lightweight and energy‐efficient applications due to their high strength and low density. Thermal–mechanical processing (TMP) is one of the most effective ways to improve the mechanical properties of such alloys. This paper describes a systematic TMP investigation on a new metastable β titanium alloy, including its dynamic mechanical behavior, and microstructure evolution, via isothermal compression tests and electron back‐scattered diffraction characterizations. The results show that the compression stress increases with an increase in the strain rate and a decrease in the temperature. After yielding, the compression stress–strain pattern shows flow‐softening behavior at a low temperature and a high strain rate, while sustaining a steady flow state at a high temperature and a low strain rate. The temperature‐rise effect contributes to a large degree of flow softening at high strain rates. After the correction for temperature rise, the stress–strain constitutive relationships are established, showing that the compression behavior varies in different phase regions. Based on the microstructure characterizations, it is found that the dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization dominate the hot deformations in β phase region and at low strain rates, while the deformation band as an additional product is found in α + β phase region and at high strain rates. The results contribute to a better understanding of the TMP for the considered alloy and may also represent a useful database for β‐Ti alloy applications in lightweight mechanical systems.

TIPARP, an inducible poly-ADP-ribose polymerase, is identified as a novel regulator of intraocular pressure through modulation of extracellular matrix and cell cytoskeleton proteins in trabecular meshwork cells.

Abstract Background Ambient air pollution is related to the onset and progression of ocular disease. However, the effect of air pollutants on the acute glaucoma remains unclear. Objective To investigate the effect of air pollutants on the incidence of acute glaucoma (acute angle closure glaucoma and glaucomatocyclitic crisis) among adults. Methods We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study based on the data of glaucoma outpatients from January, 2015 to Dec, 2021 in Shanghai, China. A conditional logistic regression model combined with a polynomial distributed lag model was applied for the statistical analysis. Each case serves as its own referent by comparing exposures on the day of the outpatient visit to the exposures on the other 3–4 control days on the same week, month and year. To fully capture the delayed effect of air pollution, we used a maximum lag of 7 days in main model. Results A total of 14,385 acute glaucoma outpatients were included in this study. We found exposure to PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) significantly increased the odds of outpatient visit for acute glaucoma. Wherein the odds of acute glaucoma related to PM2.5 and NO2 were higher and more sustained, with OR of 1.07 (95%CI: 1.03–1.11) and 1.12 (95% CI: 1.08–1.17) for an IQR increase over lag 0–3 days, than PM10 and CO over lag 0–1 days (OR:1.03; 95% CI: 1.01–1.05; OR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.01–1.07). Conclusions This case-crossover study provided first-hand evidence that air pollutants, especially PM2.5 and NO2, significantly increased risk of acute glaucoma.

The rise of targeted advertising has led to frequent privacy data leaks, as advertisers are reluctant to share information to safeguard their interests. This has resulted in isolated data islands and model heterogeneity challenges. To address these issues, we have proposed a C-means clustering algorithm based on maximum average difference to improve the evaluation of the difference in distribution between local and global parameters. Additionally, we have introduced an innovative dynamic selection algorithm that leverages knowledge distillation and weight correction to reduce the impact of model heterogeneity. Our framework was tested on various datasets and its performance was evaluated using accuracy, loss, and AUC (area under the ROC curve) metrics. Results showed that the framework outperformed other models in terms of higher accuracy, lower loss, and better AUC while requiring the same computation time. Our research aims to provide a more reliable, controllable, and secure data sharing framework to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of targeted advertising.

The aim of this work was the synthesis of calcium aluminate powders at a relatively low temperature via the ethanol thermal decomposition method. The effect of the cation concentration in the ethanol solution and CaO contents incorporated in calcium aluminate materials on the structure of the prepared calcium aluminate powders in terms of phase composition, particle size distribution and specific surface area were investigated. It was demonstrated that the prepared powders containing 40 wt.% of CaO were mainly composed of CaAl2O4 and CaAl4O7 phases, while Ca3Al2O6 and Ca12Al14O33 became the major phases accompanied with free CaO mesophase when the CaO content increased to 60wt.%. A decrease in the particle size was observed for both types of calcium aluminate powders with the decrease of the cation concentration and CaO contents, while the specific surface area increased. The research results provide an optional process for the preparation of calcium aluminate materials, playing an important role in simplifying the production process and shortening the production time.

PM2.5 pollution is related to neurotoxic and vascular effects in eye diseases such as glaucoma. This study investigates the adverse effects of PM2.5 exposure on visual function and retinal neurons. A versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system was used to expose mice to either control air or PM2.5 polluted air. Six months after PM2.5 exposure, visual function was measured by electroretinography (ERG). Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunofluorescence staining were used for histopathological analysis. Protein markers of apoptosis, astrocytic reactivity, inflammatory cytokines, lipid peroxidation, protein nitration and DNA damage response were quantified with ELISA, western blot or detected using immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. After six months of exposure, PM2.5-exposed mice responded poorly to light stimuli compared with those exposed to the control air. PM2.5 exposure caused retinal thinning and reduction in the expression of retinal ganglion cell-selective marker RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS). Further, positive TUNEL staining was observed in the inner nucleus and outer nuclear layers of the retinae after exposure to PM2.5, which was accompanied by the activation of apoptosis signaling molecules p53, caspase-3 and Bax. PM2.5 induced the release of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α and cleaved interleukin-1β. Furthermore, increased levels of 8-OHdG and γ-H2AX in the mouse retinea were indicative of DNA single and double strand breaks by PM2.5 exposure, which activated PARP-1 mediated DNA damage and repair. In conclusion, this study demonstrates sub-chronic systemic exposure to concentrated PM2.5 causes visual dysfunction and retinal neuronal degeneration. Data availability: The datasets during and/or analyzed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

The immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment has been demonstrated to be relevant to radiotherapy response. Here, we sought to understand the immune infiltration in head and neck cancer (HNC) and evaluate its significance in predicting prognosis and radiotherapy response. Using RNA sequencing data of 522 retrospective head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), we constructed an immune content score based on genes related to 6 prognostic infiltrating cell types. Unsupervised hallmark pathway clustering demonstrated an immune-related tumor cluster containing the immune content score. Patients with high immune content scores exhibited favorable overall survival and disease-free survival (DFS). Moreover, the immune content score was an independent prognostic factor for DFS in HNSCC. Interestingly, the immune content score was strongly associated with radiation response pathways. These results were also extended to nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Furthermore, patients in the low immune content score group significantly gained overall survival benefits from postoperative radiotherapy (PORT), whereas patients in the high immune content score group did not. Therefore, this study identifies the immune content score as a prognostic tool, which might have a potential association with PORT response, thereby facilitating outcome prediction and treatment decision in HNC.

Aiming at solving the problems of small object size,uneven sample distribution,and unclear features in remote sensing images,an improved YOLOv3 object detection algorithm is proposed.The Stitcher data enhancement method is used to solve the problem of uneven distribution of small object samples.The VOVDarkNet-53 is proposed.The residual modules of the fourth downsampling in DarkNet-53 are reduced from eight to four.And then the dense connection mode of VOVNet is adopted to extract lower features of small objects to increase the network receptive field.The distributional ranking loss is used to improve the classification loss in YOLOv3 to solve the problem of imbalance between positive and negative samples in single-stage object detector.Comparative experiments are carried out on HRRSD remote sensing datasets by using YOLOv3 object detection algorithm and improved YOLOv3 algorithm.The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can achieve better performance of higher detection accuracy of the improved YOLOv3 algorithm for small objects and medium objects are improved by 7.2% and 2.1%,respectively.Although the detection accuracy for large objects is reduced by 1%,the average detection accuracy (mAP) is improved by 4.1%,and the recall and accuracy are also improved.

The Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is an interactive network providing intelligent traffic management, intelligent dynamic information service, and intelligent vehicle control to running vehicles. One of the main problems in the IoV is the reluctance of vehicles to share local data resulting in the cloud server not being able to acquire a sufficient amount of data to build accurate machine learning (ML) models. In addition, communication efficiency and ML model accuracy in the IoV are affected by noise data caused by violent shaking and obscuration of in-vehicle cameras. Therefore we propose a new Outlier Detection and Exponential Smoothing federated learning (OES-Fed) framework to overcome these problems. More specifically, we filter the noise data of the local ML model in the IoV from the current perspective and historical perspective. The noise data filtering is implemented by combining data outlier, K-means, Kalman filter and exponential smoothing algorithms. The experimental results of the three datasets show that the OES-Fed framework proposed in this article achieved higher accuracy, lower loss, and better area under the curve (AUC). The OES-Fed framework we propose can better filter noise data, providing an important domain reference for starting field of federated learning in the IoV.

BackgroundHypoxemia is a very common issue in patients undergoing heart valve surgery (HVS), related to poor clinical outcomes. However, studies on severe hypoxemia (SH) after HVS have not been reported. The aims of this study were to identify predictors for SH in patients undergoing HVS and to develop and validate a risk prediction model.MethodsPatients undergoing HVS between 2016 and 2019 in a cardiovascular center were enrolled and were assigned to training and validation sets by a 7:3 ratio. Based on whether patients developed SH, they were divided into two groups. By univariate and multivariate analysis, predictors for SH were identified. Based on the predictors and logistic rule, a nomogram and a risk calculator were generated. The model was evaluated using calibration, discrimination and clinical utility.ResultsThe incidence rates of SH, moderate hypoxemia and mild hypoxemia were respectively 2.4, 23.9, and 58.2%. By multivariate analysis, seven independent risk factors for SH after HVS were identified, including body mass index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal insufficiency, white blood cell count, serum globulin, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and surgical types. The logistic model demonstrated satisfactory discrimination, calibration and clinical utility in both the training and validation sets. A nomogram and a risk calculator based on the logistic model were generated for easy application. Risk stratification was performed and three risk intervals were defined according to the nomogram and clinical practice. In addition, compared to patients without SH, patients with SH had significantly poorer clinical outcomes.ConclusionsPostoperative hypoxemia was prevalent after HVS, related to poor clinical outcomes. A logistic model including seven independent predictors for SH after HVS were established and validated, which demonstrated satisfactory discrimination, calibration and clinical utility. The results of this study may provide help to individualized risk assessment, early prevention and perioperative management.

Abstract Background Particulate matter (PM) is strongly linked to human health and has detrimental effects on the eye. Studies have, however, focused on the ocular surface, with limited research on the impact of PM2.5 on intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods To investigate the impact of PM2.5 on IOP and the associated mechanism, C57BL/6 mouse eyes were topically exposed to a PM2.5 suspension for 3 months, and human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells were subjected to various PM2.5 concentrations in vitro. Cell viability, NLRP3/caspase-1, IL-1β, and GSDMD expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell contractility were measured by western blot, ELISA, cell counting kit-8, ROS assay kit or a cell contractility assay. ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and caspase-1 inhibitor VX-765 were used to intervene in PM2.5-induced damages. Results The results revealed that the IOP increased gradually after PM2.5 exposure, and upregulations of the NLRP3 inflammasome, caspase-1, IL-1β, and GSDMD protein levels were observed in outflow tissues. PM2.5 exposure decreased HTM cell viability and affected contraction. Furthermore, elevated ROS levels were observed as well as an activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and downstream inflammatory factors caspase-1 and IL-1β. NAC improved HTM cell viability, inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome axis, and HTM cell contraction by scavenging ROS. VX-765 showed similar protection against the PM2.5 induced adverse effects. Conclusion This study provides novel evidence that PM2.5 has a direct toxic effect on intraocular tissues and may contribute to the initiation and development of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. This occurs as a result of increased oxidative stress and the subsequent induction of NLRP3 inflammasome mediated pyroptosis in trabecular meshwork cells.

One of the current challenges in the development of flame retardants is the preparation of an environmentally friendly multi-element synergistic flame retardant to improve the flame retardancy, mechanical performance, and thermal performance of composites. This study synthesized an organic flame retardant (APH) using (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (KH-550), 1,4-phthalaadehyde, 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, and 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) as raw materials, through the Kabachnik-Fields reaction. Adding APH to epoxy resin (EP) composites could greatly improve their flame retardancy. For instance, UL-94 with 4 wt% APH/EP reached the V-0 rating and had an LOI as high as 31.2%. Additionally, the peak heat release rate (PHRR), average heat release rate (AvHRR), total heat release (THR), and total smoke produced (TSP) of 4% APH/EP were 34.1%, 31.8%, 15.2%, and 38.4% lower than EP, respectively. The addition of APH improved the mechanical performance and thermal performance of the composites. After adding 1% APH, the impact strength increased by 15.0%, which was attributed to the good compatibility between APH and EP. The TG and DSC analyses revealed that the APH/EP composites that incorporated rigid naphthalene ring groups had higher glass transition temperatures (Tg) and a higher amount of char residue (C700). The pyrolysis products of APH/EP were systematically investigated, and the results revealed that flame retardancy of APH was realized by the condensed-phase mechanism. APH has good compatibility with EP, excellent thermal performance, enhanced mechanical performance and rational flame retardancy, and the combustion products of the as-prepared composites complied with the green and environmental protection standards which are also broadly applied in industry.

The widespread use of pesticides poses significant risks to food and environmental safety. Imidacloprid is one of the most effective neuroactive neonicotinoid insecticides and is effective against a broad spectrum of piercing–sucking pests. A rapid, efficient, and high-throughput analysis method for the determination of imidacloprid was developed in four minor crops with six matrices (bamboo shoot, winter jujube, fresh and dry D. officinale, and fresh and dry Fritillaria) by solid-phase extraction and HPLC-MS/MS. The procedure showed satisfying recoveries (72~111%) and RSDs (1~13%). A total of 288 samples were tested in China (Aba and Luan). Imidacloprid residues were 100% detected in fresh and dry D. officinale and winter jujube, with concentrations ranging from 0.048 to 1.550 mg·kg−1. Imidacloprid residues were also abundant in fresh and dry Fritillaria (maximal concentration of 0.021 and 0.063 mg·kg−1, respectively), followed by bamboo shoot, which had the lowest detection rate of imidacloprid (6%). Using the risk quotient (RQ) method, the long-term (RQc) and short-term (RQa) dietary risks of imidacloprid in bamboo shoot, winter jujube, fresh and dry D. officinale, and fresh and dry Fritillaria were further monitored. Based on the imidacloprid residues in this paper, the RQc and RQa were 15.03% and 0.0008~1.7604%, respectively. The RQ values were far less than 100%, showing that Chinese consumers face little health risk as a result of imidacloprid intake.

Abstract Currently, there is no strong evidence of the well-established biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Here, we aimed to reveal the heterogeneity of tumour microenvironment (TME) through virtual microdissection of gene expression profiles. An immune-enriched subtype was identified in 38% (43/113) of patients, which was characterized by significant enrichment of immune cells or immune responses. The remaining patients were therefore classified as a non-Immune Subtype (non-IS), which exhibited highly proliferative features. Then we identified a tumour immune evasion state within the immune-enriched subtype (18/43, 42%), in which high expression of exclusion- and dysfunction-related signatures was observed. These subgroups were designated the Evaded and Active Immune Subtype (E-IS and A-IS), respectively. We further demonstrated that A-IS predicted favourable survival and improved ICI response as compared to E-IS and non-IS. In summary, this study introduces the novel immune subtypes and demonstrates their feasibility in tailoring immunotherapeutic strategies.

The widespread use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has made the security and computing resource application efficiency of UAV a hot topic in the security field of the Internet of Things. In this paper, an optimized lightweight identity security authentication protocol, Optimized Identity Authentication Protocol (ODIAP) is proposed for Internet of Drones (IoD) networks. The protocol is targeted to the security risks faced by IoD networks, and proposes the security authentication mechanism consisting of 3 phases and 7 authentication processes, which enables the protocol has both forward and backward security, and can resist mainstream network attacks. Meanwhile, this paper fully considers the computational load and proposes the identity information generation and verification method based on the Chinese residual theorem, which reduces the computational load of resource-constrained nodes and shifts the complex computational process to server nodes with abundant computational resources. Moreover, after security protocol analysis and tool verification based on the automated security verification tool Proverif, the protocol in this paper has complete security. At the same time, the performance analysis and comparison with other mainstream protocols shows that this protocol effectively optimizes the use of computing resources without compromising security.

To explore the effects of different oil producing processes on the quality and oxidation stability of Paeonia ludlowii seed oil. The physical and chemical characteristics, oxidation stability and fatty acid composition of Paeonia ludlowii seed oil were tested, and the effects of different refining processes on the quality and oxidation stability of Paeonia ludlowii seed oil were analyzed. The results showed that the iodine value after decolorization was 140 g I/100 g, the acid value after deacidification was 0.36 mgKOH/g, the peroxide value was 1.89 mmol/kg and 0.76 mmol/kg after deacidification and decolorization respectively,and the saponification value was 182 mg/g after deodorization, all of them had significant differences(P＜0.05), while the refractive index did not change significantly and had no significant influence. The order of oil oxidation stability is: degumming oil ＞ crude oil ＞ deodorization oil ＞ deacidification oil ＞decolorization oil; Degluing and deodorization had significant effects on the stearic acid and palmytic acid components in Paeonia ludlowii seed oil respectively (P＜0.05), while there was no significant difference in other components.

Abstract Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a new type of noncoding RNA (ncRNA), have been identified as significant gene expression regulators and are involved in cancer progression. However, the roles of circRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely unknown. Methods Here, the expression profile of circRNAs in a pair of NPC cell lines with different metastatic abilities (S18 and S26 cells) was analyzed by RNA-sequencing. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR was used to detect the expression level of circCRIM1 in NPC cells and tissues. Then, function experiments in vitro and in vivo were performed to evaluate the effects of circCRIM1 on NPC metastasis and EMT. Mechanistically, RNA immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter assay, pull-down assay with biotinylated miRNA, fluorescent in situ hybridization were performed to confirm the interaction between circCRIM1 and miR-422a in NPC. The clinical value of circCRIM1 was evaluated in NPC metastasis and chemosensitivity. Results We identified that circCRIM1 was upregulated in highly metastatic NPC cells. CircCRIM1 was also overexpressed in NPC tissues with distant metastasis, and its overexpression promoted NPC cell metastasis and EMT. Mechanistically, circCRIM1 competitively bound to miR-422a and prevented the suppressive effects of miR-422a on its target gene FOXQ1, which finally led to NPC metastasis, EMT and docetaxel chemoresistance. Furthermore, high circCRIM1 expression was associated with unfavorable survival in NPC patients. We established a prognostic model based on circCRIM1 expression and N stage that effectively predicted the risk of distant metastasis and treatment response to docetaxel-containing induction chemotherapy in NPC patients. Conclusions Our findings reveal the critical role of circCRIM1 specifically in promoting NPC metastasis and chemoresistance via a ceRNA mechanism and provide an exploitable biomarker and therapeutic target for prognosis and treatment resistance in NPC patients.

MgO powders with different aggregate sizes were prepared by alcohol ball milling and were sintered at different temperatures. The morphology of the MgO aggregate, bulk density and section morphology of the sintered MgO were investigated. The results showed that there was a significant exponential correlation between the average MgO aggregate size and bulk density, the bulk density of the sintered MgO increased with a decrease in the average aggregate size. In order to obtain dense magnesia with a bulk density of more than 3.40 g·cm-3, the average aggregate size should be reduced to less than 3 μm. The small aggregate size could produce the dense sintered MgO due to the larger contact area between the aggregates after forming. Furthermore, the sintered MgO prepared from the small aggregate size had fewer pores and microcracks after sintering, and the sintering temperature had a significant effect on increasing the grain size. In particular, the maximum grain size was more than 40 μm under 1600 °C.

Objective. We previously described that different concentration Nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2)/Nesfatin-1 gradients differently regulated visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome. Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating the effect of NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 on model rats with chronic visceral hyperalgesia. Methods. Neonatal and mature Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the healthy control and chronic visceral hyperalgesia model groups. The model was built by combining maternal separation with the acetic acid enema. The models were identified by the distension volume threshold to reach abdominal withdraw reflex AWR score=3, histological staining, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) detection. The visceral sensitivity to chronic visceral hyperalgesia was then evaluated. Result. Rats in the model group responded more strongly to pulling stimulation than healthy controls; the distension volume threshold causing AWR3 response in model rats was lower than the control group before NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 intervention. After intervention, the distension volume threshold was significantly lower in the NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 central intervention group than in the NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 peripheral intervention group, and the peak value of external oblique muscle electrical activity was significantly higher. Additionally, compared with the male intervention group, in the female intervention group, the volume threshold was significantly lower and the peak value was higher. Conclusion. NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 could regulate visceral sensitivity in chronic visceral hyperalgesia model rats; its regulatory effect correlated with the type of NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 intervention approaches (central or peripheral) and sex (male or female).

In order to enhance the high-temperature mechanical performance to meet service requirements, the microstructures and tensile properties of heat-treated Al-8.4Cu-2.3Ce-1.0Mn-0.2Zr-xNi (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 wt.%) were investigated. The metallographic analysis techniques have been used to examine the microstructural changes with different Ni contents. Results show that after adding 0.5% Ni to the Al-8.4Cu-2.3Ce-1.0Mn-0.2Zr alloy, the spheroidized Al7Cu4Ni phase is formed. With Ni content further increasing, the Al8CeCu4 and Al24MnCu8Ce3 phases disappear, and the nano-sized Al20Cu2Mn3 and Al2Cu phases decrease gradually. When Ni content reaches 4.0%, the Al3CuNi phase appears. It turns out that the addition of 0.5% Ni has significantly improved the tensile properties at 400 °C. The ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of Al-8.4Cu-2.3Ce-1.0Mn-0.2Zr-0.5Ni alloy at 400 °C reach 103 MPa, 93 Mpa, and 18.0%, respectively, which makes the alloy possible to be employed at 400 °C. The intermetallic micro-skeleton, composed of thermostable Al8CeCu4, Al24MnCu8Ce3, Al16Cu4Mn2Ce, and Al7Cu4Ni phases at the grain boundaries as well as nano-sized Al20Cu2Mn3 and Al2Cu precipitates in the grains, contributes to the good elevated-temperature tensile strength. The fracture mechanism is changed from quasi-cleavage at ambient temperature to coexistence of quasi-cleavage and dimple at 400 °C.

Residential coal combustion is a major source of air pollution in developing countries, including China. Indeed, precisely measuring the real-time emission of major air pollutants is often challenging and can hardly be repeated at a lab-scale. In this study, for the first time, two clean coals initiated from raw bituminous coal were burned for real-time estimation of air pollution characteristics and their thermal efficiencies in different stoves. Moreover, thermodynamic equilibrium simulations were investigated for slagging parameters using Factsage 7.1 at reaction temperature 800~1600 °C. Results revealed that the firepower of clean coals (Briquetted coal and Semi-coke) was much higher (2.2 kW and 2.1 kW) than raw coal (1.8 kW) in a traditional stove. However, the thermal efficiencies were remarkably increased (13.3% and 13.5%) in an improved stove for briquetted coal and semi-coke, respectively. The emission of major air pollutants including carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) from both coal and semi-coke was significantly reduced. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations indicate that briquetted coal is not susceptible to slagging under the reaction conditions in the household stove. The current study provides guidance for the selection of alternative and efficient clean coal fuels in rural areas for household purposes coupled with public health and safety.

Postoperative tracheostomy (POT) is an important indicator of critical illness, associated with poorer prognoses and increased medical burdens. However, studies on POTs after heart valve surgery (HVS) have not been reported. The objectives of this study were first to identify the risk factors and develop a risk prediction model for POTs after HVS, and second to clarify the relationship between POTs and clinical outcomes. Consecutive adults undergoing HVS from January 2016 to December 2019 in a single cardiovascular center were enrolled, and a POT was performed in 1.8% of the included patients (68/3853). Compared to patients without POTs, the patients with POTs had higher rates of readmission to the ICU and in-hospital mortality, as well as longer ICU and hospital stays. Five factors were identified to be significantly associated with POTs after HVS by our multivariate analysis, including age, diabetes mellitus, pulmonary edema, intraoperative transfusion of red blood cells, and surgical types. A nomogram and a risk calculator were constructed based on the five factors, showing excellent discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. Three risk intervals were defined as low-, medium-, and high-risk groups according to the nomogram and clinical practice. The findings of this study may be helpful for early risk assessment and perioperative management.

Fused mullite particles are used to prepare mullite porous ceramics by gel-casting method, using polysilicon waste and ρ-Al2O3 powder as the binder, and starch as the pore forming agent. The content of the pore forming agent was 20%, and the ratio of the mass of fused mullite particles to the mass of the binder was 9:1, 8:2, 7:3, and 6:4, respectively. The effects of binder content on the properties of mullite ceramics in terms of phase composition, microstructure, apparent porosity, compressive strength, bulk density, pore size distribution, and filtration pressure drop were investigated. It was found that prepared porous mullite possessed relatively high apparent porosity (56.64-58.19%), and low bulk density (1.28-1.31g/cm3). With increasing binder content, the sintering shrinkage rate increased from 2.07 to 5.92%, the compressive strength increased from 1.01MPa to 6.08MPa. Therefore, the preparation of mullite ceramics was a near net size preparation, and the prepared porous ceramics meet the requirements of flue gas filtration.

Objectives: To investigate how PM2.5 exposure affects the microstructure, metabolites or functions of the visual system. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to groups exposed to the filtered air (the control group) or the concentrated ambient PM2.5 (the PM2.5 group). Visual evoked potentials (VEP), electroretinograms (ERG), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) were performed. Parameters were obtained and compared between the two groups, including latencies and amplitudes of the P1 wave, N1 wave and P2 wave from VEP, latencies and amplitudes of the a wave and b wave from ERG, fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusion (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) from DTI, visual cortex (VC) metabolites from 1H-MRS, and regional homogeneity (ReHo) from rsfMRI. Results: Compared with the values of the control group, the PM2.5 group showed a prolonged N1 latency (43.11 ± 7.94 ms vs. 38.75 ± 4.60 ms) and lowered P1 amplitude (5.62 ± 4.38 μV vs. 8.56 ± 5.92 μV) on VEP (all p

Epidemiological studies suggest that ambient particulate matter exposure may be a new risk factor of glaucoma, but it lacks solid experimental evidence to establish a causal relationship. In this study, young mice (4 weeks old) were exposed concentrated ambient PM2.5 (CAP) for 9 months, which is throughout most of the life span of a mouse under heavy pollution. CAP was introduced using a versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system which mimics natural PM2.5 exposure. CAP exposure caused a gradual elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) and an increase in aqueous humor outflow resistance. In the conventional outflow tissues that regulates IOP, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was up-regulated and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) formation increased. At the cellular level, PM2.5 exposure increased the transendothelial electrical resistance of cells that control IOP (AAP cells). This is accompanied by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), iNOS and 3-NT levels. Peroxynitrite scavenger MnTMPyP successfully treated the IOP elevation and restored it to normal levels by reducing 3-NT formation in outflow tissues. This study provides the novel evidence that in young mice, lifetime whole-body PM2.5 exposure has a direct toxic effect on intraocular tissues, which imposes a significant risk of IOP elevation and may initiate the development of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. This occurs as a result of protein nitration of conventional aqueous humor outflow tissues.

China is home to a small but expanding population of wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). Both research interest and conservation efforts have increased in recent years, but these have been fragmented. Here we present the results from a collaborative, multi-sectorial, multi-stakeholder exercise to identify priorities for Chinese elephant research and conservation. We first compiled a comprehensive list of issues, categorized under nine research and nine conservation themes, through an on-line survey of stakeholders. These issues were subsequently consolidated, timelined (as short-, mid-, or long-term issues), and ranked by their perceived priority in a two-day workshop attended by 44 people representing 28 organizations. The initial list of 656 issues (337 research and 319 conservation) was consolidated into a list of 251 (121 research and 130 conservation) issues. After priority ranking, we retained the top-three issues within each theme (making a total of 55 priority issues, due to a tie), which are then discussed in detail in this paper. Most (87%, n = 55) priority issues were classified as short-term, suggesting that the exercise might have succeeded in identifying the current priorities, but not emerging issues that might require attention in future. Some issues appeared in various forms in different themes. Among research questions, participants highlighted the importance of understanding the carrying capacity of the current elephant range habitats, elephant movement patterns and expected range changes, the drivers of human-elephant conflict (HEC), improvements to the current HEC financial compensation mechanism, and ways of engaging local communities in HEC mitigation. Regarding elephant conservation, recurrent issues included effectively engaging communities, improving HEC early-warning systems and financial compensation mechanisms, establishing a new national park within elephant range, and creating mechanisms for communication and collaboration among elephant research and conservation stakeholders in China. Our exercise was effective in engaging experts from a diversity of different sectors and organizations in discussions about Asian elephants in China, and generated a list of priorities that can help guide elephant research and conservation efforts.

Abstract Background Immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint inhibition, has provided powerful tools against cancer. We aimed to detect the expression of common immune checkpoints and evaluate their prognostic values in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods The expression of 9 immune checkpoints consistent with 13 features was detected in the training cohort (n = 208) by immunohistochemistry and quantified by computational pathology. Then, the LASSO cox regression model was used to construct an immune checkpoint-based signature (ICS), which was validated in a validation cohort containing 125 patients. Results High positive expression of PD-L1 and B7-H4 was observed in tumour cells (TCs), whereas PD-L1, B7-H3, B7-H4, IDO-1, VISTA, ICOS and OX40 were highly expressed in tumour-associated immune cells (TAICs). Eight of the 13 immune features were associated with patient overall survival, and an ICS classifier consisting of 5 features (B7-H3TAIC, IDO-1TAIC, VISTATAIC, ICOSTAIC, and LAG3TAIC) was established. Patients with high-risk scores in the training cohort had shorter overall (P

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic change in carcinogenesis. However, the function and mechanism of DNA methylation dysregulation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is still largely unclear. Our previous genome-wide microarray data showed that NFAT1 is one of the most hypermethylated transcription factor genes in NPC tissues. Here, we found that NFAT1 hypermethylation contributes to its down-regulation in NPC. NFAT1 overexpression inhibited cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo. We further established that the tumor suppressor effect of NFAT1 is mediated by its inactivation of ITGA6 transcription. Our findings suggest the significance of activating NFAT1/ITGA6 signaling in aggressive NPC, defining a novel critical signaling mechanism that drives NPC invasion and metastasis and providing a novel target for future personalized therapy.

Abstract Background To investigate the relationship between the foveal outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness in the active and resolved phases of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), and its possible association with optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters. Methods The medical records of CSC patients treated with half-dose photodynamic therapy (PDT) between August 2011 and October 2017 were reviewed. The difference between the foveal ONL thickness at 12 m after half-dose PDT and that before half-dose PDT was analyzed, and its association with OCT parameters was assessed using generalized linear models. Results Sixty-two patients were included. The mean difference in foveal ONL thickness was 9.15 ± 8.16 μm. The average ratios of the retinal detachment height to the subretinal space width on horizontal and vertical scans were 0.10 ± 0.04 and 0.12 ± 0.04, respectively. The ratio was independently associated with the degree of increase in the foveal ONL thickness difference on both the horizontal scans (β = 103.684, P = .000) and vertical scans (β = 67.569, P = .000), even after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions The majority of resolved CSC eyes showed some increase in foveal ONL thickness, and the degree of increase was related to the ratio of the retinal detachment height to the subretinal space width in their active phase. It suggested that the retina is stretched when it becomes detached, and recovers with resolution of the subretinal fluid. Therefore, besides photoreceptor cell death, retinal stretch may contribute to the reduction in foveal ONL thickness in eyes with active CSC.

Although studies have demonstrated that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) induces ocular surface damage, PM2.5 exposure causes cornea toxicity is not entirely clear. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of the nod-like receptor family pyrin domain containing three (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in PM2.5-related corneal toxicity. Human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) were exposed to different concentrations of PM2.5, and the cell viability, expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome mediated pyroptosis axis molecules and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation were measured in HCECs. Animal experiments were undertaken to topically apply PM2.5 suspension to mouse eyes for three months and the pyroptosis related molecules in the mouse corneas were measured. Results: Our results showed a dose-dependent decrease of HCEC viability in the PM2.5-treated cells. NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis axis (NLRP3, ASC, GSDMD, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18) were activated in the PM2.5-treated HCECs, accompanied by increased ROS formation. Further in vivo study confirmed the activation of this pathway in the mouse corneas exposed to PM2.5. In conclusion, this study provids novel evidence that PM2.5 induces corneal toxicity by triggering cell pyroptosis.