Summary Methomyl is a widely used carbamate insecticide and environmental oestrogen that has adverse effects on the reproductive system. However, there have been no reports on the effect of methomyl on early embryos in mammals. In this study, we explored the effect of methomyl exposure on the quality of early embryonic development in mice and the possible mechanisms. During in vitro culture, different concentrations of methomyl (10, 20, 30 and 35 μM) were added to mouse zygote medium. The results showed that methomyl had an adverse effect on early embryonic development. Compared with the control group, the addition of 30 μM methomyl significantly reduced the rate of early embryo blastocyst formation. Methomyl exposure can increase oxidative stress and impair mitochondrial function, which may be the cause of blastocyst formation. In addition, we found that methomyl exposure promoted apoptosis and autophagy in mouse blastocysts. The toxic effect of methomyl on early embryos may be the result of oxidative stress induction. Taken together, our results indicate that methomyl can cause embryonic development defects in mice, thereby reducing the quality of early embryo development.

With the rapid development of public-private-partnership (PPP) urban rail transit (URT) projects in China, their social responsibility (SR) is considered to provide a useful way of guaranteeing passengers’ rights and to help urban sustainable development. However, what remains largely unknown is how passengers’ perceptions of the SR effort of such projects’ influences their satisfaction. To bridge this knowledge gap, the current study first proposes a conceptual model based on social responsibility and satisfaction theories. Hypotheses are then tested through bootstrapping analysis based on data drawn from a questionnaire survey of 436 residents from three typical PPP URT projects. The results show that the relationship between the passengers’ perceived SR effort and their satisfaction with PPP URT projects is sequentially and doubly mediated by perceived quality and perceived value. The findings contribute to the current body of knowledge in social responsibility and user satisfaction by introducing passenger-perceived SR effort as an antecedent factor, and offer valuable practical and managerial implications for the projects’ operation management to help promote urban sustainability.

In recent decades, there has been a significant proliferation of literature pertaining to the evacuation of urban underground spaces. However, few studies have focused on scientometric reviews that identify research topics, evolution patterns, and trends in this field. To bridge this gap, the present study adopted a bibliometric approach by searching the literature related to underground space evacuations in the Web of Science (WOS) core database for the period 1992–2022, from which we visualized and analyzed the issuance status of the country, author, and institution, as well as the cooperation status, using Citespace software. The findings of this paper are as follows: First, there has been a consistent upward trend in the quantity of literature within this field over time. Second, Swedish authors and institutions have made important contributions to the advancement of research in this area. Third, the current research topics are concentrated on themes such as modeling and simulation, smoke control methods, integrative research on factors affecting pedestrian evacuation behavior, pedestrian walking speed under smoke-filled conditions, and the influence of wayfinding devices on exit selection/wayfinding. Finally, to advance the safety in underground spaces, future research trends should include improving basic data, refining simulation model parameters, assessing the evacuation capabilities of special populations, examining the impact of risk perception on evacuation behavior, and conducting specific research on the different risks in underground spaces. The findings may contribute to the managerial development of more comprehensive and effective emergency plans for underground spaces, thereby enhancing the survival rates and safety of pedestrians during disasters or other emergencies.

Summary Mammalian oocytes not fertilized immediately after ovulation can undergo ageing and a rapid decline in quality. The addition of antioxidants can be an efficient approach to delaying the oocyte ageing process. Onion peel extract (OPE) contains quercetin and other flavonoids with natural antioxidant activities. In this study, we investigated the effect of OPE on mouse oocyte ageing and its mechanism of action. The oocytes were aged in vitro in M16 medium for 16 h after adding OPE at different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, and 500 μg/ml). The addition of 100 μg/ml OPE reduced the oocyte fragmentation rate, decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, increased the glutathione (GSH) level, and improved the mitochondrial membrane potential compared with the control group. The addition of OPE also increased the expression of SOD1, CAT, and GPX3 genes, and the caspase-3 activity in OPE-treated aged oocytes was significantly lower than that in untreated aged oocytes and similar to that in fresh oocytes. These results indicated that OPE delayed mouse oocyte ageing by reducing oxidative stress and apoptosis and enhancing mitochondrial function.