Black carbon as an additional indicator of the adverse health effects of airborne particles compared with PM10 and PM2.5.

Current air quality standards for particulate matter (PM) use the PM mass concentration [PM with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 μm (PM(10)) or ≤ 2.5 μm (PM(2.5))] as a metric. It has been suggested that particles from combustion sources are more relevant to human health than are particles from other sources, but the impact of policies directed at reducing PM from combustion processes is usually relatively small when effects are estimated for a reduction in the total mass concentration

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids from seven wild-growing Senecio species in Serbia and Montenegro

The genus Senecio (family Asteraceae) is one of the largest in the world. It comprises about 1100 species which are the rich source of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids are among the most important sources of human and animal exposure to plant toxins and carcinogens. The pyrrolizidine alkaloids of seven Senecio species (S. erucifolius, S. othonnae, S. wagneri, S. subalpinus, S. carpathicus, S. paludosus and S. rupestris) were studied. Fourteen alkaloids were isolated and their structures determined from spectroscopic data (1H- and 13C-NMR, IR and MS). Five of them were identified in S. erucifolius, four in S. othonnae, two in S. wagneri, four in S. subalpinus, two in S. carpathicus, three in S. paludosus and three in S. rupestris. Seven pyrrolizidine alkaloids were found for the first time in particular species. The results have chemotaxonomic importance. The cytotoxic activity and antimicrobial activity of some alkaloids were also studied

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

The HPLC determination of the content of magnoflorine in Epimedium alpinum L.

The aporphine alkaloid magnoflorine, known as a constituent of Asian Epimedium species, was isolated for the first time from the wild growing European species, Epimedium alpinum L. Identification was done by comparison with literature data. The HPLC method was applied for the determination of the content of the alkaloid in methanolic extracts of plant material. The underground part of E. alpinum contains 1–2 % of magnoflorine, while its content in methanolic extracts was 9.2–11.8 %. The aerial part of the plant contains less alkaloid (0.06–0.12 %), while the magnoflorine content in methanolic extracts of the aerial part was 0.4–0.8 %. Probably, the high content of magnoflorine in the methanolic extracts of underground parts of E. alpinum influences its dose-dependent cytotoxic activity (300 mg/ml; 39 % survival of cells in an experimental K562 cell culture)

Synthesis and biological profiling of novel isocoumarin derivatives and related compounds

In the continuation of our study of substituted isocoumarins a series of novel 3-azolyl isocoumarin and their thio derivatives, including some related lactone compounds was prepared and biologically profiled against C. albicans showing moderate activity with MIC values in range of 4-60 mu g mL(-1), in general. The additional characterisation of selected compounds was carried out by exploring their activity on CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 enzymes, while experiments on mutagenicity were performed by AMES test. The representative isocoumarins 3b, 4a and 4b showed lower inhibitory activity on CYP enzymes, when compared to the reference inhibitors, ketoconazole and quinidine. Compound 4a showed a higher mutagenic potential than the other two compounds. Further characterization included cytotoxicity profiling against normal MRC5 cells

Global prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in rural and urban populations. A systematic review with meta-analysis. Musculoskeletal pain in rural and urban populations

Introduction: To systematically compare the global prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and care-seeking in rural and urban populations. Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies reporting a direct comparison of rural and urban populations was conducted worldwide and included back, knee, hip, shoulder, neck pain and a broad diagnosis of ‘musculoskeletal pain’. A search strategy combining terms related to ‘prevalence’, ‘musculoskeletal pain’ and ‘rural’ was used on the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and rural and remote health from their inception to 1 June 2022. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the data. Results were presented as odds ratios (OR) along with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: A total of 42 studies from 24 countries were included with a total population of 489 439 participants. The quality scores for the included studies, using the modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale tool, showed an average score of 0.78/1, which represents an overall good quality. The pooled analysis showed statistically greater odds of hip (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.23–2.15), shoulder (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.06–1.90) and overall musculoskeletal pain (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.08–1.47) in rural populations compared to urban populations. Although the odds of seeking treatment were higher in rural populations this relationship was not statistically significant (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.55–1.03). Conclusion: Very low-certainty evidence suggests that musculoskeletal, hip and shoulder pain are more prevalent in rural than urban areas, although neck, back and knee pain, along with care-seeking, showed no significant difference between these populations. Strategies aimed to reduce the burden of musculoskeletal pain should consider the specific needs and limited access to quality evidence-based care for musculoskeletal pain of rural populations