Extreme ozone episodes in a major Mediterranean urban area

This study analyses three extreme ozone (O3) episodes that occurred in Barcelona (NE Spain) during the summers of 2015, 2018, and 2019. These episodes exceeded the EU's hourly information threshold (180 µg m−3) for the first time since at least the year 2000, raising concerns due to Barcelona's large population. By employing experimental data and various modelling tools, our main objective is to elucidate the underlying phenomena of these recent O3 episodes and improve predictive capabilities. The findings indicate that the factors contributing to these occurrences are largely consistent across episodes. These factors, with estimated O3 contributions specified for particular instances, comprise (i) initial O3 accumulation in surrounding coastal areas; (ii) weekend occurrence, accompanied by the corresponding weekend effect (+15 µg m−3); and (iii) the prevalence of Tramontana meteorological conditions during above-normal temperatures, which (iv) force the convergence of multiregional polluted air masses to the city (+45–65 µg m−3). Major source areas include regions of southern France through the Gulf of Lion, the interior of the Mediterranean, and eastern Spanish coastal regions, including Barcelona's pollution plume. Some of these factors, which may manifest in the days preceding the episodes, are observable or can be anticipated. This study enhances understanding of the mechanisms driving extreme O3 episodes recently observed in Barcelona and provides valuable insights for prediction

Arginine Vasopressin Enhances Sympathetic Constriction Through the V1 Vasopressin Receptor in Human Saphenous Vein

Background—Arginine vasopressin (AVP) not only acts directly on blood vessels through V1 receptor stimulation but also may modulate adrenergic-mediated responses in animal experiments in vivo and in vitro. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether AVP can contribute to an abnormal adrenergic constrictor response of human saphenous veins. Methods and Results—Saphenous vein rings were obtained from 32 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. The vein rings were suspended in organ bath chambers for isometric recording of tension. AVP (331029 mol/L) enhanced the contractions elicited by electrical field stimulation at 1, 2, and 4 Hz (by 80%, 70%, and 60%, respectively) and produced a leftward shift of the concentration-response curve to norepinephrine (half-maximal effective concentration decreased from 6.8731027 to 1.0431027 mol/L; P,.05). The V1 vasopressin receptor antagonist d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP (1026 mol/L) prevented the potentiation evoked by AVP. The selective V1 receptor agonist [Phe,2 Orn8]-vasotocin (331029 mol/L) induced potentiation of electrical stimulation– evoked responses, which was also inhibited in the presence of the V1 receptor antagonist (1026 mol/L). In contrast, the V2 receptor agonist desmopressin (1029 to 1027 mol/L) did not modify neurogenic responses, and the V2 receptor antagonist [d(CH2)5, D-Ile,2 Ile,4 Arg8]-vasopressin (1028 to 1026 mol/L) did not prevent the potentiation induced by AVP. The dihydropyridine calcium antagonist nifedipine (1026 mol/L) did not affect the potentiating effect of AVP. Conclusions—The results suggest that low concentrations of AVP facilitate sympathetic neurotransmission and potentiate constrictor effects of norepinephrine in human saphenous veins. These effects appear to be mediated by V1 receptor stimulation and are independent of calcium entry through dihydropyridine calcium channels. Thus, AVP may contribute to vascular mechanisms involved in acute ischemic syndromes associated with venous grafts, particularly if the sympathetic nervous system is activated. (Circulation. 1998;97:865-870.)Medina Besso, Pascual, [email protected] ; Acuña Torre, Antonio, [email protected] ; Martinez Leon, Juan Baustista, [email protected] ; Vila Salinas, José M, [email protected] ; Aldasoro Celaya, Martin, [email protected] ; Lluch Lopez, Salvador, [email protected]

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown in a European Regional Monitoring Network (Spain): Are We Free from Pollution Episodes?

The impact of the lockdown, during the period from March to June in 2020, upon the air quality of the Basque Country in northern Spain is analyzed. The evaluation accounts for the meteorology of the period. Daily and sub-daily analysis of aerosol and ozone records show that the territory was repeatedly affected by episodes of pollutants from outer regions. Three episodes of PM10 and ten of PM2.5 were caused by transported anthropogenic European sulfates, African dust, and wildland fires. The region, with a varied orographic climatology, shows high and diverse industrial activity. Urban and interurban road traffic of the region decreased by 49% and 53%, respectively, whereas industrial activity showed a lower reduction of 20%. Consequently, the average concentrations of NO2 in the cities during the period fell to 12.4 µg·m−3 (−45%). Ozone showed up to five exceedances of the WHOAQG for the daily maximum 8-h average in both rural and urban sites, associated with transport through France and the Bay of Biscay, under periods of European blocking anticyclones. However, averages showed a moderate decrease (−11%) in rural environments, in line with the precursor reductions, and disparate changes in the cities, which reproduced the weekend effect of their historical records. The PM10 decreased less than expected (−10% and −21%, in the urban and rural environments, respectively), probably caused by the modest decrease of industrial activity around urban sites and favorable meteorology for secondary aerosol formation, which could also influence the lower changes observed in the PM2.5 (−1% and +3% at the urban and rural sites, respectively). Consequently, in a future low NOx traffic emission scenario, the inter-regional PM and ozone control will require actions across various sectors, including the industry and common pollution control strategies.This research was funded by the Basque Government and the University of the Basque Country (GIC15/152 and GIU13/03) and by the Environment Vice-Department of the Basque Government for the measurement of biogenic volatile organic compounds in Valderejo Natural Park

Galernas: A history of coastally trapped disturbances (2003−2020) with hidden frontogenesis in the Bay of Biscay

Galerna is the term accepted for an abrupt westerly change that affects the north coast of Spain. The wind surge travels from the mid-north coast of Spain to France, generally reaching their maximum intensity at the Basque Coast, and cuts off a period of hot weather, clear skies, and calm conditions at sea. The galernas have a large history of shipwrecks and fishermen deaths. They have been characterized as coastally trapped disturbances (CTD) and their propagation, enhanced with the local formation of a micro-front, was documented to behave like a density current. Alternatively, synoptic fronts have also been reported to cause galernas, considered to be more intense than those generated by a local micro-front. In this article we have generated the first climatology (2003–2020) of these events based on an objective identification methodology. The developed Event Identification Software (EIS), based on both 10-min surface station data and hourly ERA5 reanalysis fields, together with a new Front Identification Scheme (FIS) have enabled a deeper study into the origin and development of these micro-fronts, and a more comprehensive exploration of the interaction of the oceanic fronts entering the Bay of Biscay. Our results show that the area receives an average of four to five relatively intense galernas (Vmax > 50 km h−1) per year. Their number shows a great interannual variability (from one to seven) and a marked seasonality: May and June concentrate the largest fraction (almost one episode each year) and practically no episodes in winter. They occur more frequently between noon and the late afternoon, where the most intense wind records concentrate. Very strong galernas (Vmax > 72 km h−1) have occurred in all 18 years, can happen in any month from February to November, and their monthly distribution does not show the mentioned seasonality. On the contrary, the highest rates of temperature decrease across the galerna front in the coastal stations (−∆T/0.5 h > 4 °C) do have a stronger seasonality, with May and June concentrating a relatively large number of cases with a more abrupt temperature drop. The FIS shows that most of the galernas (83.5%) have a local origin inside the Bay of Biscay, and only a few ones (16.5%) are caused by oceanic fronts initiated out of the region. The local frontogenesis is more frequently initiated by the relatively cold marine southwesterly pre-frontals preceding a parent oceanic front and blowing against the warm continentals inside the Bay of Biscay, after being ducted along the north and northwestern coast of Spain. This hidden local frontogenesis, first revealed by the FIS, seems to be enhanced by the observed lee troughing, which could have both a thermal and dynamic origin, acting simultaneously after the intense Foehn at the coastal strip, preceding the formation of the galerna front. The local front enhancement appears to be the reason for the apparent jump of the primary front, which may eventually weaken, and even disappear, as the galerna front sharpens. Even during the more occasional frontal galernas, directly caused by the westerlies or north-westerlies behind the oceanic front, their eastward propagation is more rapid over the coastal area. The front deforms in shape and may cause its characteristic unexpected/abrupt irruption. All the EIS detected galernas, even the frontal ones, are wind reversals caused by a coastally trapped marine boundary layer. The upper-level ridge over Europe, observed in all of them, seems to be a synoptic ingredient for their development, preventing the eastward propagation of Atlantic depressions and enhancing at the same time the temperature and pressure gradients between the marine and continental air masses.The authors wish to thank the Basque Government and the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU as the source of our main financial support: GIA consolidated Research Groups (https://www.ehu.eus/es/web/gia) IT1057-16 (GIC15/152) and GIU13/03. These financing bodies have played an exclusively economic role in the study

The environmental and social footprint of the university of the Basque Country UPV/EHU

This work has calculated the organisational environmental and social footprint of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in 2016. First, input and output data flows of the UPV/EHU activity were collected. Next, the environmental and social impacts of the academic activity were modelled, using the Ecoinvent 3.3 database with the PSILCA-based Soca v1 module in openLCA software. In order to evaluate the environmental impacts, CML and ReCiPe LCIA methods were used. The Social Impact Weighting Method was adjusted for the assessment of specific social impacts. The modelling has identified some hotspots in the organisation. The contribution of transport (8,900 km per user, annually) is close to 60% in most of the environmental impacts considered. The life cycle of computers stands out among the impacts derived from the consumption of material products. More than half of environmental impacts are located outside the Basque Country. This work has also made it possible to estimate some of the impacts of the organisational social footprint, such as accidents at work, only some of which occur at the UPV/EHU. Traces of child labour and illiteracy have also been detected in the social footprint that supports the activity of the UPV/EHU. Some of the social and environmental impacts analysed are not directly generated by the UPV/EHU, but they all demand attention and co-responsibility. Based on the modelling performed, this work explores alternative scenarios and recommends some improvement actions which may reduce (in some cases over 30%) the environmental and social impacts of the UPV/EHU's activity. These scenarios and improvement actions will feed a process with stakeholders in the UPV/ EHU based on the Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology.To the Sustainability Directorate and the Educational Advisory Service, both belonging to the Vice-Chancellor's Office for Innovation, Social Commitment and Social Action of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, in the context of the Campus Bizia Lab programme (2017/18, 18/19 and 19/20 calls) for the financing of the EHU-Aztarna project. This research has also been supported by 'Ekopol: Iraunkortasunerako Bideak' research group, recognised by the Basque Government (IT1365-19) and the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (GIC-18/22)

External validation of the INCREMENT-CPE mortality score in a carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia cohort: the prognostic significance of colistin resistance

External validation of the INCREMENT-CPE risk score (ICS) for 30-day all-cause mortality is needed. There is also scarce information about whether colistin resistance influences the prognosis of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp) bacteraemia. In this study, the ability of ICS to predict all-cause mortality in the KAPECOR cohort was calculated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. The association of colistin resistance with mortality was studied. The ICS showed an AUROC curve of 0.77 (95% CI 0.68–0.86). A cut-off of 8 points showed 96.8% sensitivity and 50.7% specificity. Mortality of low-risk patients was not different in those treated with monotherapy versus combination therapy. However, mortality of high-risk patients treated with combination therapy (37.8%) was significantly lower than in those treated with monotherapy (68.4%) (P = 0.008). To study the prognostic significance of colistin resistance, 83 selected cases of bacteraemia due to colistin-susceptible CRKp were obtained from the INCREMENT cohort for comparison. Colistin resistance could not be shown to be associated with higher mortality in either the high-risk ICS group [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.56, 95% CI 0.69–3.33; P = 0.29] or in 37 ICS-matched pairs (aOR = 1.38, 95% CI 0.55–3.42; P = 0.49), or in a sensitivity analysis including only KPC isolates (aOR = 1.81, 95% CI 0.73–4.57; P = 0.20), but the precision of estimates was low. These results validate ICS for all-cause mortality and to optimise targeted therapy for CRKp bacteraemia. Colistin resistance was not clearly associated with increased mortality.This study was supported by Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013–2016, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases [REIPI RD16/0016/0001; RD16/0016/0008], co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund ‘A way to achieve Europe’, Operative Program Intelligent Growth 2014–2020

Dataset on the environmental and social footprint of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU

[EN] The organisational life cycle assessment (O-LCA) and the social organisational life cycle assessment (SO-LCA) of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU were conducted. The data presented in this paper support the calculation of the environmental and social footprint of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU for year 2016 [1] , and may be used as a reference for future calculations of the environmental and social footprint of higher education institutions and other organisations. This dataset provides detailed information on the UPV/EHU and the boundaries considered; on the compilation and quantification of the life cycle inventory (LCI) which included a transport survey conducted in summer 2018-; and on the modelling process followed for the calculation of the environmental and social footprints, based on the ecoinvent 3.3 database [2] and PSILCA-based Soca v1 add-on [3 , 4] , and carried out with the openLCA free software [5] . The dataset also includes the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) results provided by the CML (baseline, 2015) [6] and ReCiPe (endpoint (H), 2008) [7] LCIA methods and post-processed social impacts provided by the Social Impacts Weighting Method [3] , disaggregated by subprocesses and impact locations. Data is provided for the reference year (2016), and some aggregated data is also provided for alternative scenarios that were explored in order to check pathways to reduce social and environmental impacts of the academic activity of the UPV/EHU [1]To the Sustainability Directorate and the Educational Advisory Service, both belonging to the Vice-Chancellor's Office for Innovation, Social Commitment and Social Action of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, in the context of the Campus Bizia Lab programme (2017/18, 18/19 and 19/20 calls) for the financing of the EHU-Aztarna project. This research has also been supported by 'Ekopol: Iraunkortasunerako Bideak' research group, recognised by the Basque Government (IT-1365-19) and the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (GIC-18/22)

Ambient air pollution and thyroid function in Spanish adults. A nationwide population-based study ([email protected] study)

Background Recent reports have suggested that air pollution may impact thyroid function, although the evidence is still scarce and inconclusive. In this study we evaluated the association of exposure to air pollutants to thyroid function parameters in a nationwide sample representative of the adult population of Spain. Methods The [email protected] study is a national, cross-sectional, population-based survey which was conducted in 2008-2010 using a random cluster sampling of the Spanish population. The present analyses included 3859 individuals, without a previous thyroid disease diagnosis, and with negative thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO Abs) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels of 0.1-20 mIU/L. Participants were assigned air pollution concentrations for particulate matter <2.5 mu m (PM2.5) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), corresponding to the health examination year, obtained by means of modeling combined with measurements taken at air quality stations (CHIMERE chemistry-transport model). TSH, free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and TPO Abs concentrations were analyzed using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (Modular Analytics E170 Roche). Results In multivariate linear regression models, there was a highly significant negative correlation between PM2.5 concentrations and both FT4 (p<0.001), and FT3 levels (p<0.001). In multivariate logistic regression, there was a significant association between PM2.5 concentrations and the odds of presenting high TSH [OR 1.24 (1.01-1.52) p=0.043], lower FT4 [OR 1.25 (1.02-1.54) p=0.032] and low FT3 levels [1.48 (1.19-1.84) p=<0.001] per each IQR increase in PM2.5 (4.86 mu g/m(3)). There was no association between NO2 concentrations and thyroid hormone levels. No significant heterogeneity was seen in the results between groups of men, pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women. Conclusions Exposures to PM2.5 in the general population were associated with mild alterations in thyroid function.CIBERDEM (Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad-ISCIII), Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad-ISCIII, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI17/02136, PI20/01322), Consejeria de Salud y familias (PI-0144-2018), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) "A way to build Europe". GRM belongs to the regional Nicolas Monardes research program of the Consejeria de Salud (RC-0006-2016; Junta de Andalucia, Spain). CMA is recipient of a "Rio Hortega" research contract (CM19/00186, Instituto de Salud Carlos III). VKDG is recipient of a "Rio Hortega" research contract (CM21/00214, Instituto de Salud Carlos III)

Efecto de los antimaláricos sobre los diferentes dominios del índice de daño SLICC en pacientes de la cohorte GLADEL

Objetivos: estimar el efecto de los antimaláricos (AM) sobre los diferentes dominios del índice de daño SLICC (SDI). Métodos: se estudiaron pacientes con diagnóstico clínico reciente (≤2 años) de lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) de la cohorte GLADEL

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