Particulate Matter from the Road Surface Abrasion as a Problem of Non-Exhaust Emission Control

Along with house heating and industry, emissions from road traffic (exhaust and tire, brake, car body or road surface abrasions) are one of the primary sources of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere in urban areas. Though numerous regulations and vehicle-control mechanisms have led to a significant decline of PM emissions from vehicle exhaust gases, other sources of PM remain related to road and car abrasion are responsible for non-exhaust emissions. Quantifying these emissions is a hard problem in both laboratory and field conditions. First, we must recognize the physicochemical properties of the PM that is emitted by various non-exhaust sources. In this paper, we underline the problem of information accessibility with regards to the properties and qualities of PM from non-exhaust sources. We also indicate why scarce information is available in order to find the possible solution to this ongoing issue

Traffic-generated changes in the elemental profile of urban coarse dust at a highway and crossroads

Based on literature data, the percentage contribution of road traffic to concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and PM-bound elements, separately for PM2.5-10 and PM10-100 fractions were assessed. The data on the PM2.5-10 and PM10-100 concentrations examined simultaneously at two locations (the 1st outside the direct impact of the road emission; the 2nd next to a crossroads or highway) were used in the analysis. There were clear differences in the concentrations of PM and its components between these locations (a crossroads vs. background; highway vs. background). Both PM concentrations and concentrations of the majority of the PM2.5-10- and PM10-100-bound elements had higher values in the traffic site. The percentage increase of PM concentrations was in the range from 25 (PM2.5-10; highway) to 606% (PM10-100; crossroads). The highest percentage increase in the concentration of elements was noted at the crossroads, where concentrations of PM10-100-bound Si, Sc, Fe and Pb were 12, 22, 25 and 71 times higher than at the urban background site, respectively. The measurable results of this paper are elemental profiles of two coarse fractions of PM in the vicinity of the road and crossroads and at sites far apart from the big road traffic sources. The collected information can be an important source of knowledge in identifying the origin of PM in the receptor

Emerging Understanding of the Mechanism of Action for Dimethyl Fumarate in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an effective treatment option for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), but its therapeutic mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. A better understanding of its mechanism will allow for the development of assays to monitor its clinical efficacy and safety in patients, as well as guide the development of the next generation of therapies for MS. In order to build the foundation for determining its mechanism, we reviewed the manner in which DMF alters lymphocyte subsets in MS patients, its impact on clinical efficacy and safety, as well as its molecular effects in cellular and animal models. DMF decreases absolute lymphocyte counts, but does not affect all subsets uniformly. CD8+ T-cells are the most profoundly affected, but reduction also occurs in the CD4+ population, particularly within the pro-inflammatory T-helper Th1 and Th17 subsets, creating a bias toward more anti-inflammatory Th2 and regulatory subsets. Similarly, B-lymphocyte, myeloid, and natural killer populations are also shifted toward a more anti-inflammatory state. In vitro and animal models demonstrate a role for DMF within the central nervous system (CNS) in promoting neuronal survival in an Nrf2 pathway-dependent manner. However, the impact of DMF directly within the CNS of MS patients remains largely unknown

Elemental Composition of the Ultrafine Fraction of Road Dust in the Vicinity of Motorways and Expressways in Poland – Asphalt Versus Concrete Surfaces

Air pollution in the vicinity of roads is a complex and growing problem. In urbanised areas, there are many sources of dust emissions, but one of the main ones is road traffic. Investigating and assessing the physical and chemical properties of road dust and, more specifically, dust collected from surface courses is one way of providing an opportunity not only to identify the contribution of the emitters concerned to the formation of dust air pollution in the vicinity of roads but above all the environmental risks associated with traffic emissions. The study aimed to analyse the elemental composition of dust with a fraction <0.1 mm, collected from asphalt and concrete roads characterised by the highest technical and service parameters in Poland. The samples were analysed using a Shimadzu EDX 7000 energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, then the results were statistically analysed using the t-Welch test, and the enrichment factors EF were determined. It was shown that road dust with a grain size of less than 0.1 mm collected from asphalt surface course was extremely highly enriched in Cu, Cr, Pb and S, while that from the concrete surface course was enriched in Zn and Zr, indicating a strong anthropogenic origin of these elements; exhaust gases were identified as their source. Irrespective of the type of surface course, very high dust enrichment occurs for Ca, Mn, Ni, S, Ti and Y. These elements may originate from the abrasion process of vehicle tyres. For road dust collected from both road types, the most similar EF values were found for Fe, K, Mn, Si, Sr and Ti. The source of these elements is most likely the roadside soil. It follows that the type of road surface is not the main determinant of the composition of road dust with a fraction <0.1 mm

Significance of Urban Vegetation on Lawns Regarding the Risk of Fire

Urban green infrastructure significantly influences the functioning of a city and the comfort of its residents. Lawns are an essential element of public greenery. They represent a live component, and if they are lacking, of low quality, or neglected, this will cause major problems in the urban environment. The vegetation structure of urban grassy areas changes under the influence of different management methods used for their maintenance. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the species diversity of urban lawns and to determine the influence of this vegetation on factors based on the representation of the species found. Three sites with urban lawns were chosen in a built-up city area where different types of vegetation management were applied: Typical management, in which grassy areas are mowed twice a year; intensive management, in which lawns are mowed several times a year and the biomass is removed; and extensive management, in which lawns are mowed irregularly, once a year at most, and the biomass is left unevenly on the site. Extensive management and unkempt urban grassy areas represent a high risk of fire due to the presence of plant species that produce great amounts of biomass. Combined with dry and warm weather, the dead biomass can lead to outbreaks of fire. Extensive management of urban grassy areas brings some benefits, such as lower maintenance costs and increased biodiversity and bioretention. On the other hand, intensive management reduces the risk of fire and the biodiversity of the plant community. Attention should be paid to the composition of vegetative species and their functions that could threaten the safety of residents, with the risk of fire being one of them. However, the vegetation biomass of grassy areas affected by management practices is only a precondition for the risk of fire because weather and drought occurrence play important roles as well

Clinical, multicenter treatment of patients with spinal muscular atrophy - the experience in Poland

Rdzeniowy zanik mięśni (Spinal Muscular Atrophy, SMA) jest genetycznie uwarunkowanym postępującym schorzeniem charakteryzującym się przedwczesnym obumieraniem komórek ruchowych rdzenia kręgowego, którym szacunkowo w Polsce dotkniętych jest obecnie ok. 1200 osób. W pracy zaprezentowana jest analiza odpowiedzi na zaproponowaną przez autorów ankietę badawczą, która została rozesłana do ponad 30 krajowych ośrodków leczących SMA, zarówno u pacjentów dorosłych jak i dotkniętych nią dzieci. Zgromadzone dane o blisko 247 leczonych w Polsce pacjentów dorosłych oraz 286 dzieci, pozwoliły przy użyciu zaawansowanych narzędzi statystycznych, na wyciągnięcie istotnych wniosków dotyczących obecnej sytuacji terapeutycznej SMA w skali kraju. Ustalono rozkład wiekowy pacjentów z SMA i na jej podstawie wyznaczono zmiany wartości średniej masy ciała i jej mediany w zależności od typu SMA i liczby kopii genu SMN2. Przeanalizowano zależność występowania skoliozy oraz czynników ryzyka jej wystąpienia u pacjentów z SMA. W tym kontekście przedstawiono również dane dotyczące obecnych metod leczenia pacjentów, w szczególności z wykorzystaniem nusinersenu i wskazano główną przyczynę zaprzestania terapii tym preparatem. Dane przedstawione w pracy mogą być przydatne w optymalizacji oraz ocenie skuteczności leczenia. Jednocześnie praca nakreśla podstawowy obraz doświadczenia pacjenta i opiekuna z SMA w erze po leczeniu, w tym zmiany jakości życia z roku na rok w wyniku stosowania nowych terapii i lepszej opieki.stanu zagrożenia życia. Celem pracy jest podsumowanie informacji na temat dotychczas opublikowanych objawów neurologicznych COVID-19 w populacji pediatrycznej, ocena możliwych patomechanizmów ich powstawania oraz porównanie z objawami występującymi u dorosłych.Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetically determined progressive disease characterized by the premature death of motor cells of the spinal cord, which currently affects approximately 1,200 people in Poland. The study presents an analysis of responses in the research questionnaire sent to over 30 national centers treating SMA, both in adult and children patients. The collected data on 247 adult patients and 286 children treated in Poland was processed with advanced statistical tools. The aim was to draw significant conclusions about the current therapeutic situation of SMA patients in the country. The age distribution was determined. The changes in average and median body weight were established depending on the type of SMA and the number of SMN2 gene copies. The relationship between scoliosis occurrence and risk factors for its occurrence in patients with SMA was analyzed. In this context, data on the current methods of treating patients, particularly with the use of nusinersen, was presented and the main reason for discontinuing the medication was indicated. Finally, the work outlines a basic picture of the patient’s and caregiver’s experience with SMA in the post-treatment era, including changes in quality of life, year by year, due to new therapies and better care

Occurrence and ecotoxicological effects of fires at municipal solid waste landfills

Surface and sub-surface fire in municipal solid waste landfills (including dumpsites) is a complex and intricate phenomenon, whose frequency is expected to increase due to climate change. Partial or incomplete combustion of landfill waste at low temperatures during fires leads to generation of toxic compounds, including hydrocarbons, particulate matter and hazardous gases, which contaminate the surrounding geoenvironment and ultimately pose severe health hazards to living entities. Under these circumstances, it is the need of the hour to understand the (i) occurrence mechanisms of landfill fires, (ii) waste properties and operational conditions that may favour landfill fires and (iii) strengths and limitations of the available detection techniques in order to provide recommendations to detect such incidences at an early stage and plan emergency measures. Hence, the present review article critically assimilates the literature on landfill fires and discusses the (a) conditions under which the initiation and sustenance of landfill fires take place, (b) ecotoxicological (geoenvironmental) hazards of landfill fires, both in short- and long-term and (c) detection techniques for an early warning system. Finally, a discussion on the coupled multi-physics interactions undergoing in the waste matrix during landfill fires is presented in this manuscript, which is crucial to mastering this subject