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- Biochemie und Chemie (6) (remove)
From a global viewpoint, a lot of time is spent within the indoor air compartment of vehicles. A German study on mobility has revealed that, on average, people spend 45 minutes per day inside vehicles. In recent years the number of cars has increased to around 43 million vehicles in private households. This means that more than one car can be used in every household. The ratio has been growing, especially in eastern Germany and rural areas. "Overall and especially outside the cities, the car remains by far number one mode of transport, especially in terms of mileage". Therefore, numerous international studies have addressed different aspects of indoor air hygiene, in the past years. In this paper, meaningful original studies on car indoor air pollution, related to VOCs, COx, PMs, microbials, BFRs, OPFRs, cigarettes, electronic smoking devices, high molecular weight plasticizer, and NOx are summarized in the form of a review. This present review aimed to summarize recently published studies in this important field of environmental medicine and points to the need for further studies with special recommendations for optimizing the interior air hygiene.
Corneal topometric, aberrometric and biomechanical parameters in mucopolysaccharidosis patients
(2019)
Aims: To report corneal topometric and aberrometric values in mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) and to investigate their correlation with biomechanical corneal parameters.
Methods: One randomly chosen eye of 20 MPS patients with no to moderate corneal clouding and one eye of 23 healthy controls with comparable age were prospectively included into this study. Corneal surface regularity was assessed by index of surface variance (ISV), -vertical asymmetry (IVA), -height asymmetry (IHA), -height decentration (IHD); keratoconus index (KI), central keratoconus index (CKI) and Zernike indices of anterior and posterior corneal surface using Scheimpflug imaging (Pentacam). Corneal resistance factor (CRF) and corneal hysteresis (CH) were assessed by Ocular Response Analyzer. Statistical analyses were performed using Mann-Whitney-Test and Spearman Correlation Coefficients.
Results: IVA, ISV, IHD, IHA, but not KI and CKI were significantly higher in MPS patients compared to age matched healthy controls. Spherical aberration and asphericity coefficients either at the anterior or at the posterior corneal surface differed significantly between both groups. The grade of the MPS-associated corneal opacity correlated significantly with ISV (rho = 0.52), IVA (rho = 0.54), IHA (rho = 0.57) and IHD (rho = 0.48). Density of the MPS-affected corneas correlated significantly with ISV (rho = 0.52), IVA (rho = 0.72), IHA (rho = 0.57), IHD (rho = 0.69), 3rd order horizontal trefoil aberration at the posterior (rho = 0.62) and anterior surface (rho = 0.48) as well as with CH (rho = 0.55) and CRF (rho = 0.57). Spherical aberration at the back surface correlated with CRF and CH in MPS and in healthy controls.
Conclusions: This is the first study analyzing shape of the corneal surface in MPS patients. Topometric indices of corneal asymmetry are significantly increased and correlate with MPS-related corneal opacity and density. Spherical aberration and asphericity coefficient at the front and at the back corneal surface differ significantly between MPS and healthy controls.
High-resolution cryo-EM structures of respiratory complex I: Mechanism, assembly, and disease
(2019)
Respiratory complex I is a redox-driven proton pump, accounting for a large part of the electrochemical gradient that powers mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate synthesis. Complex I dysfunction is associated with severe human diseases. Assembly of the one-megadalton complex I in the inner mitochondrial membrane requires assembly factors and chaperones. We have determined the structure of complex I from the aerobic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica by electron cryo-microscopy at 3.2-Å resolution. A ubiquinone molecule was identified in the access path to the active site. The electron cryo-microscopy structure indicated an unusual lipid-protein arrangement at the junction of membrane and matrix arms that was confirmed by molecular simulations. The structure of a complex I mutant and an assembly intermediate provide detailed molecular insights into the cause of a hereditary complex I-linked disease and complex I assembly in the inner mitochondrial membrane.
Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. The contemporary strong increase of the adenocarcinomas in Western countries and the high mortality rates require the intensification of prospective multinational studies.
Methods: Therefore, this global health issue has been chosen for the bibliometric review of the global publication output. As source for meta and citation data, the Web of Science has been used and Density Equalizing Maps were applied for visualization.
Results: 17,387 articles on EC could be identified. The years with publication and citation maxima correspond to the appearance of the most prolific articles. China is the most publishing country, followed by Japan and the USA. Germany and the UK ranked 4th and 5th. The analysis of the ratios articles and socio-economic parameters emphasizes the leading position of the Scandinavian countries and Japan. Here, the high-income countries come out on top. The high incidence regions are mainly represented by Chinese and Japanese research. The association of the publication output and the overall research funding could be shown.
Conclusions: A strengthened international network increasingly consisting of the scientifically best positioned countries as well as more of the high incidence countries worldwide is mandatory for future research. The findings deliver scientists, clinicians and decision makers backgrounds for future decisions all over the world.
The inhalation of particulate matter (PM) in second-hand smoke (SHS) is hazardous to health of smokers and non-smokers. Tobacco strength (amount of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide) and different additives might have an effect on the amount of PM. This study aimed to investigate the influence of tobacco strength or additives on PM. Four cigarette types of the brand Marlboro with different strengths and with or without additives were analyzed in comparison to the 3R4F reference cigarette. SHS was generated by an automatic environmental tobacco smoke emitter (AETSE) in an enclosed space with a volume of 2.88 m³. PM concentrations (PM10, PM2.5, PM1) were measured with a laser aerosol spectrometer followed by statistical analysis. The two strongest Marlboro brands (Red and Red without additives) showed the highest PM concentrations of all tested cigarettes. The measured mean concentrations Cmean of PM10 increased up to 1458 µg/m³ for the Marlboro Red without additives (PM2.5: 1452 µg/m³, PM1: 1263 µg/m³). The similarly strong Marlboro Red showed very similar PM values. The second strongest type Marlboro Gold showed 36% (PM10, PM2.5) and 32% (PM1) lower values, respectively. The “lightest” type Marlboro Silver Blue showed 54% (PM10, PM2.5) or 50% (PM1) lower PM values. The results indicate that the lower the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide amounts, as well as the longer the cigarette filter, the lower are the PM levels. An influence of additives could not be determined.
Objective: Inhaled particulate matter (PM) in secondhand smoke (SHS) is deleterious for smokers and non-smokers. Different additives in cigarettes might effect the amount of PM. This study aimed to assess the influence of additives on the PM emissions from different cigarette types in SHS.
Design: An experimental study of PM measuring in SHS of cigarettes without exposition of any person.
Method: The concentrations of PM (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1) in SHS of four different types of cigarettes of the brand Lucky Strike, two types with additives (Original Red, Original Blue) and two types without additives (Straight Red, Straight Blue), in comparison to the reference cigarette 3R4F were analysed. An automatic environmental tobacco smoke emitter generated SHS in an enclosed space with a volume of 2.88 m3. PM was measured with a laser aerosol spectrometer (Grimm model 1.109). Afterwards, the measuring values of the four Lucky Strike brands and the reference cigarette were statistically evaluated and visualised.
Results: Lucky Strike Straight Blue, a cigarette type without additives and lower tar amount, showed 10% to 25% lower PM mean values compared with the other tested Lucky Strike products, but 21% (PM1) respectively 27% (PM2.5,PM10) higher mean values than the reference cigarette. The PM mean of all measured smoke-free baseline values (clean air) was 1.6 µg/m³. It increased up to about 1800 µg/m³ for the reference cigarette and up to about 3070 µg/m³ for the Lucky Strike Original Blue.
Conclusions: The findings of this study show the massive increase of PM amount by smoking cigarettes in enclosed spaces and suggest that additives in tobacco products increase the PM amount in SHS. For validation, further comparative studies are necessary focusing on the comparison of the PM concentration of cigarettes with and without additives.
Implications: Due to the exposure to SHS, 890 000 people die each year worldwide. PM in SHS endangers the health of both non-smokers and smokers. This study considers the effect of additives like aromatics and humectant agents in cigarettes on PM in SHS. Do additives in tobacco products increase the amount of PM?