UNASSIGNED: Traditional observational studies exploring the association between air pollution and infections have been limited by small sample sizes and potential confounding factors. To address these limitations, we applied Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the potential causal relationships between particulate matter (PM2.5, PM2.5-10, and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxide and the risks of infections.
UNASSIGNED: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to air pollution were selected from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the UK Biobank. Publicly available summary data for infections were obtained from the FinnGen Biobank and the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) meta-analysis was used as the primary method for obtaining the Mendelian randomization (MR) estimates. Complementary analyses were performed using the weighted median method, MR-Egger method, and MR Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO) test.
UNASSIGNED: The fixed-effect IVW estimate showed that PM2.5, PM2.5-10 and Nitrogen oxides were suggestively associated with COVID-19 [for PM2.5: IVW (fe): OR 3.573(1.218,5.288), PIVW(fe) = 0.021; for PM2.5-10: IVW (fe): OR 2.940(1.385,6.239), PIVW(fe) = 0.005; for Nitrogen oxides, IVW (fe): OR 1.898(1.318,2.472), PIVW(fe) = 0.010]. PM2.5, PM2.5-10, PM10, and Nitrogen oxides were suggestively associated with bacterial pneumonia [for PM2.5: IVW(fe): OR 1.720 (1.007, 2.937), PIVW(fe) = 0.047; for PM2.5-10: IVW(fe): OR 1.752 (1.111, 2.767), P IVW(fe) = 0.016; for PM10: IVW(fe): OR 2.097 (1.045, 4.208), PIVW(fe) = 0.037; for Nitrogen oxides, IVW(fe): OR 3.907 (1.209, 5.987), PIVW(fe) = 0.023]. Furthermore, Nitrogen dioxide was suggestively associated with the risk of acute upper respiratory infections, while all air pollution were not associated with intestinal infections.
UNASSIGNED: Our results support a role of related air pollution in the Corona Virus Disease 2019, bacterial pneumonia and acute upper respiratory infections. More work is need for policy formulation to reduce the air pollution and the emission of toxic and of harmful gas.

Biomass burning is a primary source of atmospheric nitrogen oxide (NOx), however, the lack of isotopic fingerprints from biomass burning limits their use in tracing atmospheric nitrate (NO3-) and NOx. A total of 25 biomass fuels from 10 provinces and regions in China were collected, and the δ15N values of biomass fuels (δ15N-biomass) and δ15N-NOx values of biomass burning (δ15N-NOx values of BB, open burning, and rural cooking stove burning) were determined. The δ15N-NOx values of open burning and rural cooking stove burning ranged from -0.8 ‰ to 11.6 ‰ and 0.8 ‰ to 9.5 ‰, respectively, indicating a significant linear relation with δ15N-biomass. Based on the measured δ15N-NOx values of BB and biomass burning emission inventory data, the δ15N-NOx values of BB in different provinces and regions of China were calculated using the δ15N-NOx model, with a mean value of 5.0 ± 1.8 ‰. The spatial variations in the estimated δ15N-NOx values of BB in China were mainly controlled by the differences in the δ15N-NOx values and the proportions of NOx emissions from various straw burning activities in provinces and regions of China. Furthermore, by using the combined local emissions of biomass burning with regional transportations of NOx based on air-mass backward trajectories, we established an improved δ15N-NOx model and obtained more accurate δ15N-NOx values of BB in regions (2.3 ‰ to 8.4 ‰). By utilising the reported δ15N-NOx values of precipitation and particulate matter from 21 cities in China and the more accurate δ15N-NOx values of BB, the NOx contributions from four sources (mobile sources, coal combustion, biomass burning, and microbial N cycle) at the national scale were estimated using a Bayesian model. The significant contributions of biomass burning (20.9 % to 44.3 %) to NOx emissions were revealed, which is vital for controlling NOx emissions in China.

Oxidative stress is a major source of ROS-mediated damage to macromolecules, tissues, and the whole body. It is an important marker in the severe picture of pathological conditions. The discovery of free radicals in biological systems gives a \"start\" to studying various pathological processes related to the development and progression of many diseases. From this moment on, the enrichment of knowledge about the participation of free radicals and free-radical processes in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and endocrine diseases, inflammatory conditions, and infections, including COVID-19, is increasing exponentially. Excessive inflammatory responses and abnormal reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels may disrupt mitochondrial dynamics, increasing the risk of cell damage. In addition, low serum albumin levels and changes in the normal physiological balance between reduced and oxidized albumin can be a serious prerequisite for impaired antioxidant capacity of the body, worsening the condition in patients. This review presents the interrelationship between oxidative stress, inflammation, and low albumin levels, which are hallmarks of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Despite accumulating evidence of an association between air pollution and renal disease, studies on the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and renal function are still contradictory. This study aimed to investigate this association in a large population with relatively low exposure and with improved estimation of renal function as well as renal injury biomarkers.
METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis in the middle-aged general population participating in the Swedish CardioPulmonary bioImaging Study (SCAPIS; n = 30 154). Individual 10-year exposure to total and locally emitted fine particulate matter (PM2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM10), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were modelled using high-resolution dispersion models. Linear regression models were used to estimate associations between exposures and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, combined creatinine and cystatin C) and serum levels of renal injury biomarkers (KIM-1, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-18, MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, FGF-23, and uric acid), with consideration of potential confounders.
RESULTS: Median long-term PM2.5 exposure was 6.2 µg/m3. Almost all participants had a normal renal function and median eGFR was 99.2 mL/min/1.73 m2. PM2.5 exposure was associated with 1.3% (95% CI 0.6, 2.0) higher eGFR per 2.03 µg/m3 (interquartile range, IQR). PM2.5 exposure was also associated with elevated serum matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) concentration, with 7.2% (95% CI 1.9, 12.8) higher MMP-2 per 2.03 µg/m3. There was a tendency towards an association between PM10 and higher levels of uric acid, but no associations were found with the other biomarkers. Associations with other air pollutants were null or inconsistent.
CONCLUSIONS: In this large general population sample at low exposure levels, we found a surprising association between PM2.5 exposure and a higher renal filtration. It seems unlikely that particle function would improve renal function. However, increased filtration is an early sign of renal injury and may be related to the relatively healthy population at comparatively low exposure levels. Furthermore, PM2.5 exposure was associated with higher serum concentrations of MMP-2, an early indicator of renal and cardiovascular pathology.

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with NH3 at low temperatures remains a key goal for industrial applications. However, effective catalysts operating at 90 oC are rarely reported, limiting SCR scenarios to high-temperature conditions. Herein, we report a unique MnO2 nanofilament catalyst grown on activated semi-coke synthesized via a one-step in situ hydrothermal approach, which exhibits a stable and marked 100% conversion rate of NO to N2 with 100% selectivity at 90 oC, superior to the other prepared structures (nanowires, nanorods, and nanotubes). Temperature-programmed desorption shows a large number of acid sites on MnO2(NFs)/ASC, benefiting the formation of NH4+ ions. Meanwhile, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy reveals the activation of NO with O2 to form bidentate nitrate/bridging nitrate NO2 intermediates via bidentate nitrate species, triggering the Fast SCR with NH3 at low temperatures. Such an effective, easy-to-prepare, and low-cost catalyst paves a new pathway for low-temperature SCR for a wide range of application scenarios.

The effect of a promising NO donor, a binuclear nitrosyl iron complex (NIC) with 3,4-dichlorothiophenolyls [Fe2(SC6H3Cl2)2(NO)4], on the adenylate cyclase and soluble guanylate cyclase enzymatic systems was studied. In in vitro experiments, this complex increased the concentration of important secondary messengers, such as cAMP and cGMP. An increase of their level by 2.4 and 4.5 times, respectively, was detected at NIC concentration of 0.1 mM. The ligand of the complex, 3,4-dichlorothiophenol, produced a less pronounced effect on adenylate cyclase. It was shown that the effect of this complex on the activity of soluble guanylate cyclase was comparable to the effect of anionic nitrosyl complex with thiosulfate ligands that exhibits vasodilating and cardioprotective properties.

A series of Mn and Fe metal oxide catalysts loaded onto USY, as well as single metal oxides, were prepared and characterized. The effects of interactions between the catalytic components and the introduction of gas phase NO on the catalytic ozonation of toluene were investigated. Characterization showed that there existed strong interactions between MnOx, FeOx, and USY, which enhanced the content of oxygen vacancies and acid sites of the catalysts and thus boosted the generation of reactive oxygen species and the adsorption of toluene. The MnFeOx-USY catalyst with MnOx and FeOx dimetallic oxides exhibited the most excellent performance of catalytic ozonation of toluene. On the other hand, the presence of NOx in reaction gas mixtures significantly promoted both toluene conversion and mineralization, which was attributed to the formation of nitrate species on the catalysts surface and thus the increase of both acid sites and toluene oxidation sites. Meanwhile, the reaction mechanism between O3 and C7H8 was modified in which the strong interactions between MnOx, FeOx, and USY accelerated the reaction progress based on the L-H route. In addition, the formation of the surface nitrate species not only promoted reaction progress following the L-H route but also resulted in the occurrence of the reaction via the E-R route.

In order to study the ecological and atmospheric recovery of the Hexi Corridor region, this paper analyzes the migration changes of land use characteristics and utilizes multivariate data and BenMAP-CE software to study the pollution characteristics of ozone and its precursors and the impact on human health in the Hexi Corridor region. The results showed that the increase of cultivated land area in the Hexi Corridor mainly originated from grassland. The MDA8-O3 concentrations met the primary and secondary standards of the Ambient Air Quality Standards on 43% and 99% of the days, respectively. NO2 showed a negative weekend effect with O3, and HCHO was opposite to it. Temperature, barometric pressure, and vegetation were highly correlated with O3-NO2-HCHO. Ozone pollution in the study area caused about 60% of all-cause premature deaths due to cardiovascular diseases. The study suggests that controlling exogenous transport in Wuwei City during the high ozone period (except August) is mainly dominated by the west and northwest, and that synergistic management of VOCs and NOx emissions can reduce O3 pollution and, consequently, reduce the risk to human health.

Nitrones are widely used as 1,3-dipoles in organic synthesis, but control of their reactions is not always easy. This review outlines our efforts to make the reactions of nitrones more predictable and easier to use. These efforts can be categorized into (1) 1,3-nucleophilic addition reaction of ketene silyl acetals to nitrones, (2) geometry-controlled cycloaddition of C-alkoxycarbonyl nitrones, (3) stereo-controlled cycloaddition using double asymmetric induction, and (4) generation of nitrones by N-selective modification of oximes.

The DIBAL-H reduction of the Baylis-Hillman sugar adduct, obtained from 3-O-benzyl-1,2-isopropylidene-α-D-xylo-pentodialdo-1,4-furanose yielded trisubstituted alkenes by eliminating the β-hydroxyl group. Subsequently, the hydrolysis of the isopropylidene acetal to the corresponding hemiacetal was reacted with N-benzyl hydroxylamine hydrochloride to generate the nitrone, which underwent diastereoselective intramolecular 1,3-dipolar nitrone olefin cycloaddition (INOC) to give an isoxazolidine skeleton. The concomitant reductive cleavage of the N-O bond and benzyl group of the fused isoxazolidines afforded new functionalized aminocyclopentitols in good yields.