Abnormal aerosol air pollution in Moscow near the local anthropogenic source in July 2021

The paper analyzes the composition of surface aerosol close to the local intense anthropogenic source of pollution associated with the active phase of demolition of multistorey buildings in the center of Moscow. An abnormal increase in the daytime PM10 aerosol particle concentration to 5 MPC for daily values and to 14 MPC for maximum single values was reinforced by unfavorable meteorological conditions in the middle of July 2021. Preliminary estimation of the power of the dust aerosol source and its effect on the aerosol air pollution in nearby areas of the city is performed. The extreme and background values of the aerosol mass concentration, its elemental composition and particle size distribution during this period are determined. It is necessary to take into account such point pollutant sources in estimating and forecasting environmental conditions in a densely populated city. Keywords: surface aerosol, local anthropogenic source, Moscow, aerosol mass concentration, elemental composition, meteorological conditions

Abnormal aerosol air pollution in Moscow near the local anthropogenic source in July 2021

The paper analyzes the composition of surface aerosol close to the local intense anthropogenic source of pollution associated with the active phase of demolition of multistorey buildings in the center of Moscow. An abnormal increase in the daytime PM10 aerosol particle concentration to 5 MPC for daily values and to 14 MPC for maximum single values was reinforced by unfavorable meteorological conditions in the middle of July 2021. Preliminary estimation of the power of the dust aerosol source and its effect on the aerosol air pollution in nearby areas of the city is performed. The extreme and background values of the aerosol mass concentration, its elemental composition and particle size distribution during this period are determined. It is necessary to take into account such point pollutant sources in estimating and forecasting environmental conditions in a densely populated city. Keywords: surface aerosol, local anthropogenic source, Moscow, aerosol mass concentration, elemental composition, meteorological conditions

Cytokine Expression of Lung Bacterial Infection in Newly Diagnosed Adult Hematological Malignancies

Adult patients with hematological malignancies are frequently accompanied by bacterial infections in the lungs when they are first diagnosed. Sputum culture, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), body temperature, and other routinely used assays are not always reliable. Cytokines are frequently abnormally produced in adult hematological malignancies associated with a lung infection, it is uncertain if cytokines can predict lung bacterial infections in individuals with hematological malignancies. Therefore, we reviewed 541 adult patients newly diagnosed with hematological malignancies, of which 254 patients had lung bacterial infections and 287 patients had no other clearly diagnosed infections. To explore the predictive value of cytokines for pulmonary bacterial infection in adult patients with hematological malignancies. Our results show that IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12P70, IL-1β, IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, TNF-β and IL-17A are in the lungs The expression level of bacterially infected individuals was higher than that of patients without any infections (P<0.05). Furthermore, we found that 88.89% (200/225) of patients with IL-6 ≥34.12 pg/ml had a bacterial infection in their lungs. With the level of IL-8 ≥16.35 pg/ml, 71.67% (210/293) of patients were infected. While 66.10% (193/292) of patients had lung bacterial infections with the level of IL-10 ≥5.62 pg/ml. When IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 were both greater than or equal to their Cutoff-value, 98.52% (133/135) of patients had lung bacterial infection. Significantly better than PCT ≥0.11 ng/ml [63.83% (150/235)], body temperature ≥38.5°C [71.24% (62/87)], CRP ≥9.3 mg/L [53.59% (112/209)] the proportion of lung infection. In general. IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 are abnormally elevated in patients with lung bacterial infections in adult hematological malignancies. Then, the abnormal increase of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 should pay close attention to the possible lung bacterial infection in patients.

Concept of 'Central' or 'Axial' Atlantoaxial Instability

The atlantoaxial joint is the most mobile joint of the spine and is most liable to develop instability. Atlantoaxial instability can be identified on observation of facetal alignment on lateral profile imaging, telltale clinical and radiological evidence and by direct observation of instability by manual manipulation of bones during surgery. Central or axial atlantoaxial instability is when there is no abnormal increase in atlantodental interval on dynamic imaging and there is no dural or neural compression by the odontoid process. Understanding and appropriately treating central or axial atlantoaxial instability can have clinical implications.

Temperature Dependent Current Transport Mechanism of Photopolymer Based Al/NOA60/p-Si MPS Device

A photopolymer based Al/NOA60/p-Si (metal-polymer-semiconductor) MPS device was fabricated and the current transport properties were investigated by using the forward bias current-voltage (I-V) characteristic in the temperature range of 80-300 K. The cross-sectional structure of polymer/semiconductor was revealed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) image and it was seen that the NOA60 photopolymer was tidily coated on the p-Si surface. According to the I-V measurements at room temperature, the MPS device exhibits a good rectification ratio of 8140 at ±1V. Temperature-dependent I-V measurements (I-V-T) were analyzed on the basis of thermionic emission (TE) theory and an abnormal increase in zero-bias barrier height (BH) and a decrease in ideality factor (n) was observed with increasing temperature. Additionally, two different linear regions with distinct values from the theoretical value of the Richardson constant (A*) were observed in the conventional Richardson plot. Such deviations from ideal TE theory has been attributed to the effect of BH inhomogeneities. Gaussian distribution (GD) of BH model has applied the I-V-T results and double GD BH with mean values of 0.75±0.08 eV (80 – 140 K) and 1.02±0.11 eV (140 – 300 K) were calculated. Moreover, the A* value of 64.73 A/cm2K2 was calculated close to the known value of p-Si from the modified Richardson plot. Thus, it has been concluded that the current transport of the Al/NOA60/p-Si MPS device can be explained by TE with double GD BH model for a wide temperature region.

Multijunction solar cell spectral response determination at radiation damage study

This paper discusses multijunction solar cells with optically coupled p-n junctions under radiation exposure photosensitivity spectral response study. It is shown that if the measurement technique does not consider the luminescent coupling and does not track the optical coupling degradation, then instead of a decrease (which is a natural response of a photoconverter to radiation damage), an abnormal increase in the narrow-bandgap photoresponse (receiving luminescent radiation) subcell due to radiation damage can be observed. Accordingly, with an increase in the irradiation dose, an increase in the subcell photocurrent forming a “negative” degradation dependence of MJ SC being used in space applications is recorded.

A simple detection method for the serum sFLT1 protein in preeclampsia

In normal pregnancy, the soluble form of FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFLT1)/ vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1), a VEGF-trapping protein, is expressed in trophoblasts of the placenta, suggesting that it plays an important role in the physiological barrier between fetal and maternal angiogenesis, when stimulated with VEGF-A. In pathological conditions such as preeclampsia (PE), sFLT1 protein is abnormally overexpressed in trophoblasts and secreted into the serum, which could cause hypertension and proteinuria on the maternal side and growth retardation on the fetal side. Detection of an abnormal increase in serum sFLT1 during the early to middle stages of PE is essential for proper initiation of medical care. To carry out this screening for sFLT1, we developed an easier and relatively low-cost sandwich-type ELISA method using a single mixture of human serum sample with an anti-FLT1 antibody and heparin-beads, namely heparin-beads-coupled ELISA (HB-ELISA). This method takes only about 2 h, and the sFLT1 values were similar levels with commercially available recent ELISA kits: the serum sFLT1 protein was approximately 4.3-fold increased in severe PE compared with those in normal pregnancy.

Insights into the abnormal increase of ozone during COVID-19 in a typical urban city of China

The outbreak of COVID-19 promoted strict restrictions to human activities in China, which led to dramatic decrease in most air pollutant concentrations (e.g., PM2.5, PM10, NOx, SO2, and CO). However, abnormal increase of ozone (O3) concentrations was found during the lockdown period in most urban areas of China. In this study, we conducted a field measurement targeting ozone and its key precursors by utilizing a novel proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS) in Changzhou, which is representative for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) city cluster of China. We further applied the integrated methodology including machine learning, observation-based model (OBM), and sensitivity analysis to get insights into the reasons causing the abnormal increase of ozone. Major findings include: (1) By deweathered calculation, we found changes in precursor emissions contributed 5.1 ppbv to the observed O3 during the Full-lockdown period, while meteorological conditions only contributed 0.5 ppbv to the O3 changes. (2) By using an OBM model, we found that although significant reduction of O3 precursors was observed during Full-lockdown period, the photochemical formation of O3 was stronger than that during the Pre-lockdown period. (3) The NOx / VOCs ratio dropped dramatically from 1.84 during Pre-lockdown to 0.79 in Full-lockdown period, which switched O3 formation from VOCs-limited regime to the conjunction of NOx- and VOC-limited regime. Additionally, the decrease in NOx / VOCs ratio during Full-lockdown period was supposed to increase the MeanO3 by 2.4 ppbv. Results of this study investigate insights into the relationship between O3 and its precursors in urban area, demonstrating reasons causing the abnormal increase of O3 in most urban areas of China during the COVID-19 lock-down period. This study also underlines the necessity of controlling anthropogenic OVOCs, alkenes, and aromatics in the sustained campaign of reducing O3 pollution in China.

Comparative effects of garlic (Allium sativum) powder and atorvastatin in female reproductive system of hypercholesterolemic rats: A histological and biochemical evaluation

Background and aims: The abnormal increase in blood cholesterol can cause many problems. Statins have a cholesterol-lowering effect, but they also have adverse effects. Garlic prevents the formation of cholesterol due to its antibiotic properties. This study aimed to investigate the comparative effect of garlic powder and atorvastatin on hypercholesterolemia-induced reproductive failure in female rats. Methods: In the present experimental study, 48 adult female Wistar rats were divided into eight groups (n=6), including control, atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d; orally), atorvastatin (20 mg/kg/d; orally), garlic powder (100 mg/kg/d; orally), hypercholesterolemia (1.5 mg/kg/d of cholesterol; orally), hypercholesterolemia + atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/d), hypercholesterolemia + atorvastatin (20 mg/kg/d), and hypercholesterolemia + garlic powder. After 30 days, rats were euthanized and blood samples were obtained from their heart for serological assessments. The right ovary was transferred to 10% formalin for histological analyses, and the left ovary was transferred to a −80°C freezer for evaluation of oxidative stress markers. Data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey’s test using SPSS version 24.0 (P<0.05). Results: The number of healthy primordial, primary, secondary, and antral follicles, catalase activity, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) as well as estrogen and progesterone levels were lower in hypercholesterolemic rats compared to controls (P<0.001). Additionally, the number of the atretic primary, secondary, and antral follicles and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were higher in hypercholesterolemic rats (P<0.001). However, garlic powder and atorvastatin 10 improved alterations in the mentioned parameters (P=0.99). Conclusion: The results showed that hypercholesterolemia could have adverse effects on rat ovaries. However, the garlic powder improves ovarian toxicity in hypercholesterolemia rats better than atorvastatin.