Comparison of open path and extractive long-path FTIR techniques in detection of air pollutants

A comprehensive comparison of long-path extractive and open-path FTIR techniques on the bases of the available literature and on our own experience at the wastewater treatment plant of a chemical factory has been made. Two equalization basins were investigated and it was supposed that all the surface of the wastewater emits polluting compounds smoothly, since the atmospheric dispersion was found to be ideal at both sites, there were no significant chemical reactions, and the basin dimensions were rather small (7 x 16m2 and 37 x 79m2, respectively). Since the possibilities were different, rather different optimal spectral parameters (resolution, scan numbers, path length) were chosen for field and laboratory measurements. The S/N ratio of laboratory spectra was about 50–100 times higher than that of field spectra, which resulted in higher precision and lower detection limits of the measurements, and comparing to field measurements an additional compound (chloroform) was detected. On the other hand, the extremely polar ammonia was not detectable by the extractive technique. With the open-path method, time-dependent concentration changes of the pollutants were monitored. The presence of the theoretically banned organic phase in wastewater was demonstrated by detection of xylenes, isopropanol, and methanol in the air above the basin. Comparing the results measured by the two different techniques the discrepancies in the concentrations were dependent on the compound under determination. In some cases, the concentrations agreed well; in other cases, not. Consequently, to application of both methods is desirable in some special cases; for example, when the extractive method is used for preliminary investigations

Transforming growth factor-beta1, the dominant cytokine in murine prion disease: influence on inflammatory cytokine synthesis and alteration of vascular extracellular matrix

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown the ME7 model of murine scrapie to be accompanied by an atypical inflammatory response that is characterized by marked astroglial and microglial activation but also by the lack of significant expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1? and IL-6. The aim of this study was to determine whether, in the absence of IL-1? and IL-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-? may play an equivalent pro-inflammatory role, or if an anti-inflammatory cytokine profile dominates. We have used competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the levels of TNF-?, IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-?1 in the ME7 model, using their expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute inflammation as a positive control. Levels of mRNA were elevated for all three cytokines during acute inflammation, while TGF-?1 mRNA alone was significantly elevated in ME7-injected brains. Similarly, by ELISA, we detected elevated IL-10, TNF-? and TGF-?1 in LPS-injected animals but only significant elevation of TGF-?1 in ME7-injected animals. An increase in laminin and collagen IV deposition around blood vessels was also observed and is consistent with up-regulation by active TGF-?1. These findings suggest that TGF-?1 may play a central role in maintenance of an atypical microglial phenotype and may also be involved in vascular and extracellular matrix change

GWAS and colocalization analyses implicate carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaque loci in cardiovascular outcomes.

Carotid artery intima media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaque are measures of subclinical atherosclerosis associated with ischemic stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). Here, we undertake meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in 71,128 individuals for cIMT, and 48,434 individuals for carotid plaque traits. We identify eight novel susceptibility loci for cIMT, one independent association at the previously-identified PINX1 locus, and one novel locus for carotid plaque. Colocalization analysis with nearby vascular expression quantitative loci (cis-eQTLs) derived from arterial wall and metabolic tissues obtained from patients with CHD identifies candidate genes at two potentially additional loci, ADAMTS9 and LOXL4. LD score regression reveals significant genetic correlations between cIMT and plaque traits, and both cIMT and plaque with CHD, any stroke subtype and ischemic stroke. Our study provides insights into genes and tissue-specific regulatory mechanisms linking atherosclerosis both to its functional genomic origins and its clinical consequences in humans