Hydrogen Peroxide in the Troposphere

Uloga vodikova peroksida (H2O2) u atmosferskoj kemiji i njegov doprinos u nastanku slobodnih radikala počeli su se proučavati tek posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća. Fotokemijskim reakcijama s ozonom i H2O2 nastaju oksidansi (slobodni radikali) koji mogu oksidirati biomolekule unutar stanica te dovesti do smrti stanica i ozljeda tkiva. Zbog toga se slobodni radikali smatraju uzrokom više od sto bolesti. H2O2 smatra se boljim indikatorom za atmosferski oksidacijski kapacitet od ozona. U atmosferi može biti prisutan u plinovitoj i tekućoj fazi te pokazuje tipične dnevne i sezonske varijacije. Me|utim, zbog skupe i slo`ene opreme, mjerenja H2O2 su rijetka i ograničena na samo nekoliko mjesta u svijetu. Mjerenja u slojevima leda na Grenlandu pokazala su da koncentracije H2O2 rastu posljednjih 200 godina. Značajan porast primijećen je upravo posljednjih dvaju desetljeća, a procjene pokazuju da će i dalje rasti zbog smanjene emisije sumporova dioksida. Mjerenja H2O2 u Hrvatskoj do sada još nisu bila provedena te će uporedo s već postojećim dugogodišnjim rezultatima mjerenja ozona i dušikovih oksida dati uvid u stanje i utjecaj na oksidativni stres.The past few decades saw a rising interest in the role of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in atmospheric chemistry and its contribution to the formation of free radicals. Free radicals (oxidants) are formed by photochemical reactions between ozone and H2O2. Free radicals formed within cells can oxidise biomolecules, and this may lead to cell death and tissue injury. For this reason, free radicals are believed to cause more than 100 diseases. H2O2 has been suggested as a better indicator of atmospheric oxidation capacity than ozone. Atmospheric H2O2 can appear in the gas phase or in the aqueous phase. It shows typical diurnal and seasonal variations. However, measurements of H2O2 with expensive and sophisticated equipment are rare and limited to but a few sites in the world. Measurements in Greenland ice cores showed that H2O2 concentrations increased over the last 200 years and most of the increase has occurred over the last 20 years. Evaluations show that concentrations will still rise as a result of decreasing SO2 emission. H2O2 measurements have not been carried out in Croatia until now, and, accompanied by the existing longterm measurements of ozone and nitrogen oxides, they will provide an idea of the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere and its influence on oxidative stress

Effective components of feedback from Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM) in youth mental health care: study protocol of a three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial

Contains fulltext : 126077.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Background: Routine Outcome Monitoring refers to regular measurements of clients' progress in clinical practice, aiming to evaluate and, if necessary, adapt treatment. Clients fill out questionnaires and clinicians receive feedback about the results. Studies concerning feedback in youth mental health care are rare. The effects of feedback, the importance of specific aspects of feedback, and the mechanisms underlying the effects of feedback are unknown. In the present study, several potentially effective components of feedback from Routine Outcome Monitoring in youth mental health care in the Netherlands are investigated. Methods/Design: We will examine three different forms of feedback through a three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial. 432 children and adolescents (aged 4 to 17 years) and their parents, who have been referred to mental health care institution Pro Persona, will be randomly assigned to one of three feedback conditions (144 participants per condition). Randomization will be stratified by age of the child or adolescent and by department. All participants fill out questionnaires at the start of treatment, one and a half months after the start of treatment, every three months during treatment, and at the end of treatment. Participants in the second and third feedback conditions fill out an additional questionnaire. In condition 1, clinicians receive basic feedback regarding clients' symptoms and quality of life. In condition 2, the feedback of condition 1 is extended with feedback regarding possible obstacles to a good outcome and with practical suggestions. In condition 3, the feedback of condition 2 is discussed with a colleague while following a standardized format for case consultation. The primary outcome measure is symptom severity and secondary outcome measures are quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, number of sessions, length of treatment, and rates of dropout. We will also examine the role of being not on track (not responding to treatment). Discussion: This study contributes to the identification of effective components of feedback and a better understanding of how feedback functions in real-world clinical practice. If the different feedback components prove to be effective, this can help to support and improve the care for youth.11 p

Thinking in three dimensions: discovering reciprocal signaling between the extracellular matrix and nucleus and the wisdom of microenvironment and tissue architecture

I thought long and hard whether I could avoid talking about family and personal life, and just share the excitement of being a scientist and how science continues to sustain us all. But so many people, especially younger scientists, want to know—and always ask—How did you do it? A woman from Iran, a Middle Eastern country and essentially Muslim, now considered backwards and misguided if not downright scary, traveling very young and alone to the United States, finishing college and graduate school together with having children, first-year graduate school and second-year post doc—years ago, going against a number of entrenched dogmas, and yet succeeding against many odds and obstacles, and all the while on soft money? Below is my personal narrative answering some of these questions

Influence of the 23 October 2002 dust storm on the air quality of four Australian cities

Widespread drought and record maximum temperatures in eastern Australia produced a large dust storm on 23 October, 2002 which traversed a large proportion of eastern Australia and engulfed communities along a 2000 km stretch of coastline from south of Sydney ( NSW) to north of Mackay ( Queensland). This event provided an opportunity for a study of the impacts of rural dust upon the air quality of four Australian cities. A simple model is used to predict dust concentrations, dust deposition rates and particle size characteristics of the airborne dust in the cities. The total dust load of the plume was 3.35 to 4.85 million tones, and assuming a ( conservative) plume height of 1500 m, 62 - 90% of this dust load was deposited in-transit to the coast. It is conservatively estimated that 3.5, 12.0, 2.1 and 1.7 kilotonnes of dust were deposited during the event in Sydney, Brisbane, Gladstone and Mackay, respectively. In the South East Queensland region, this deposition is equivalent to 40% of the total annual TSP emissions for the region. The event increased TSP, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations and reduced the visibility beyond the health and amenity guidelines in the four cities. For example, the 24-h average PM10 concentrations in Brisbane and Mackay, were 161 and 475 mu g m(-3) respectively, compared with the Australian national ambient air quality standard of 50 mu g m(-3). The 24-h average PM2.5 concentration in Brisbane was 42 mu g m(-3), compared with the national advisory standard of 25 mu g m(-3). These rural dusts significantly increased PM10/TSP ratios and decreased PM2.5/PM10 ratios, indicating that most of the particles were between PM2.5 and PM10