Search

In the present study, four doryctine wasps, Dendrosotinus (Dendrosotinus) ferrugineus (Marshall, 1888), Euscelinus sarawacus Westwood, 1882, Leluthia (Euhecabolodes) nr. ruguloscolyti (Fischer, 1962), and Monolexis fuscicornis Foerster, 1863 (Braconidae), are recorded here for the first time for the Syrian fauna. All were reared from larvae of the grape borer beetle, Amphicerus bimaculatus (Olivier) (Bostrichidae), attacking Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae) in Homs (Syria). Both E. sarawacus and M. fuscicornis were formerly recorded as parasitoids of Amphicerus bimaculatus (Olivier) (Bostrichidae) attacking Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae). The other two, D. ferrugineus and L. nr. ruguloscolyti, are here recorded for the first time in association with A. bimaculatus and Punica granatum. The newly recorded species are here diagnosed and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) comprises the majority of submicron particles and is important for air pollution, health, and climate. When SOA mixes with inorganic particles containing transition metals (e.g., Fe), chemical reactions altering physicochemical properties can occur. Here, we study Fe's impact on the formation and chemical composition of SOA formed via dark α-pinene ozonolysis on either (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 or Fe-containing (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 seed particles and aged at varying relative humidities (RHs). Aerosol composition was determined using online extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, providing high-resolution chemical and temporal identification of monomers and dimers in the SOA. At high RH, Fe's presence resulted in higher particulate SOA mass concentrations (117 ± 14 μg m -3 ) than those formed in its absence (70 ± 1 μg m -3 ). Enhanced mass is coupled with more dimers (C 15-20 's), attributed to Fenton-driven oligomerization reactions. Experiments with Fe 3+ -containing seeds showed similar chemical composition and enhanced SOA mass, suggesting a dark reduction pathway to form Fe 2+ in the presence of SOA. Overall, Fe's presence at high RH lowers SOA volatility and enhances particulate organic mass and condensed phased reactions of higher volatility species that would normally not participate in SOA formation, which may be important when considering its formation in air quality and climate models.

Background Diabetes mellitus is a significant global health problem characterized by high blood sugar levels due to either a lack of insulin or insensitivity to it. Concerns about diabetes complications are growing both globally and locally, making effective preventive measures crucial to tackle these complications. This research aimed to determine the level of knowledge and awareness regarding type 2 diabetes complications among patients in Homs, Syria, during the ongoing conflict. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1016 diabetic patients aged 16 years and above attending internal medicine and diabetes clinics in Homs City through a structured questionnaire administered via social media, telephone interviews, and paper forms. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic characteristics. In contrast, inferential statistics such as the chi-square test were used to test for associations between different variables with p-value < 0.05 as the significance level. Results The study found that 478 (47.1%) of participants were male, and 538 (53%) were female. The majority 652 (64.2%) were between 46 and 70 years old, and 422 (41.5%) had primary-level education. Most were married 750 (73.8%) and lived in urban areas 856 (84.2%). Diabetes knowledge varied significantly by age, education, occupation, and residence. Housewives and those with lower education levels had the least knowledge, while urban residents and those with 1-5 years since diagnosis had better awareness. Individuals with relatives in the medical field had higher knowledge levels. Results indicate that gender did not significantly influence diabetes knowledge (p = 0.19), while younger adults showed poorer awareness compared to older age groups (p < 0.05). Higher education levels were associated with better knowledge (p < 0.05), and a family history of diabetes correlated with greater awareness of complications. Occupation significantly impacted knowledge, with employed individuals and urban residents demonstrating higher awareness levels (p < 0.05). Diabetes knowledge peaked during the 6-10 year disease duration (p < 0.05). Conclusion This study assesses diabetes knowledge and management practices among 1016 participants in Homs, Syria, focusing on demographic and socioeconomic factors. Our findings underscore the need for targeted educational initiatives to improve diabetes management, particularly among younger, less educated, and rural populations in Homs. The analysis reveals significant knowledge gaps about diabetes across different demographics in Homs, highlighting the need for targeted educational programs, especially for younger individuals, the less educated, and rural residents. The study emphasizes the importance of education and medical practice in understanding diabetes, particularly in conflict-affected areas., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Review Board of Al-Baath University Hospital issued approval 103550. This study was approved by the institutional review board (IRB) of Al-Baath University Hospital. Participants provided their written informed consent, and anonymity and confidentiality were secured by providing each participant with a unique identification number that was only visible to the research team. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Albawab et al.)

As an important contributor to the atmospheric SOA formation, the oxidation of the sesquiterpenes including α-Cedrene are widely considered to play a significant role in atmospheric chemistry, especially for the HOMs formation. Comparable concentrations of the sesquiterpenes (SQTs) detected over the marine boundary layer as those of in terrestrial ecosystems in recent atmospheric campaign, which aroused extensive concern of the SQTs oxidation and its impact on SOA formation in the marine atmosphere. In this work, we comprehensively investigated the oxidation of a representative sesquiterpene (α-Cedrene) initiated by OH, Cl, ClO and BrO radicals and the resulting HOMs formation. For the initial reactions, OH/Cl/ClO/BrO addition reactions are favored over H-atom abstractions by these radicals from the thermodynamic aspect. Seven main first-generation products yielded from the sequential oxidation of the addition adducts by O 2 and NO/HO 2 radical under different atmospheric conditions, such as 2-acetyl-1,1,4-trimethyloctahydropentalene-3a-carbaldehyde. Furthermore, three pathways of the HOMs formation were proposed and compared, (1) autoxidation, (2) multiple H abstractions by OH, Cl, ClO and BrO radicals and the succeeding reactions with HO 2 , and (3) the sequential association reaction of peroxy radicals and OH radical to form ROOOH. For the HOMs formation from the oxidation of α-Cedrene by OH and BrO radicals, the pathway (2) and (3) are thermodynamically feasible under the atmospheric conditions. As most of the H abstractions by Cl and ClO radicals could be difficult to occur, the produced HOMs with more than four or five oxygen atoms could be restricted. To our knowledge, this is the first report for clarifying the oxidation processes of SQTs in the marine atmosphere, which would contribute to the evaluation of the impacts of biogenic volatile organic compounds on the Marine atmosphere. [Display omitted] • The atmospheric oxidation of α-Cedrene by OH, Cl, ClO and BrO radical was clarified. • The first-generation products of α-Cedrene oxidation were elaborated. • The oxidation processes of SQTs initiated by halogen radicals were first studied. • The HOMs formation mechanisms from α-Cedrene oxidation were proposed in marine air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]