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Visible foliar injury by ozone (ozone visible injury) is known as a biomarker to assess potential phytotoxicity of ozone. We investigated ozone visible injury in an ozone-sensitive poplar (Oxford clone) under a 2-year free-air controlled exposure (FACE) experiment and calculated three ozone indices (i.e., accumulative ozone exposure over 40ppb during daylight hours (AOT40), phytotoxic ozone dose above a flux threshold of 0nmolm-2s-1 (POD0), and the cumulative value of the ratio of hourly ozone uptake to net photosynthesis (SigmaU/P n ) to assess the critical level (CL) at the time of the first symptom onset of ozone visible injury. We tested the hypothesis that ozone injury depends both on the amount of ozone entering a leaf and on the capacity for biochemical detoxification or repair with photosynthesis as a proxy. The CLs at the time of the first symptom onset of ozone visible injury were 19ppmh for AOT40, 26mmolm-2 for POD0, and 1.2molmol-1 for SigmaU/P n in Oxford clone at the ozone FACE experiment. Our findings were then verified by 4-year observation-based data in central Italy on Oxford clone and white poplar (Populus alba L.). These observation-based data indicated that we found ozone visible injury in Oxford clone even though AOT40 was relatively low (11.7ppmh). On the other hand, when values of POD0 and SigmaU/P n exceeded over the CLs, the occurrence of initial symptoms in Oxford clone was shown. White poplar did not show ozone visible injury. SigmaU/P n of white poplar at the field sites reached ~1.0molmol-1 (less than the CL=1.2molmol-1, which was obtained from O3 FACE) during May-September, although the values of POD0 were relatively high in white poplar (44-47mmolm-2 during May-September). The result implies that ozone injury may have occurred in poplars when stomatal ozone flux exceeded the critical range of tolerance due to the assimilate shortage for repair and defense against ozone stress.

Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: Ischemic myocardial damage accompanying coronary artery bypass graft surgery remains a clinical challenge. We investigated whether xenon anesthesia could limit myocardial damage in coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients, as has been reported for animal ischemia models. METHODS: In 17 university hospitals in France, Germany, Italy, and The Netherlands, low-risk elective, on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients were randomized to receive xenon, sevoflurane, or propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia for anesthesia maintenance. The primary outcome was the cardiac troponin I concentration in the blood 24 h postsurgery. The noninferiority margin for the mean difference in cardiac troponin I release between the xenon and sevoflurane groups was less than 0.15 ng/ml. Secondary outcomes were the safety and feasibility of xenon anesthesia. RESULTS: The first patient included at each center received xenon anesthesia for practical reasons. For all other patients, anesthesia maintenance was randomized (intention-to-treat: n = 492; per-protocol/without major protocol deviation: n = 446). Median 24-h postoperative cardiac troponin I concentrations (ng/ml [interquartile range]) were 1.14 [0.76 to 2.10] with xenon, 1.30 [0.78 to 2.67] with sevoflurane, and 1.48 [0.94 to 2.78] with total intravenous anesthesia [per-protocol]). The mean difference in cardiac troponin I release between xenon and sevoflurane was -0.09 ng/ml (95% CI, -0.30 to 0.11; per-protocol: P = 0.02). Postoperative cardiac troponin I release was significantly less with xenon than with total intravenous anesthesia (intention-to-treat: P = 0.05; per-protocol: P = 0.02). Perioperative variables and postoperative outcomes were comparable across all groups, with no safety concerns. CONCLUSIONS: In postoperative cardiac troponin I release, xenon was noninferior to sevoflurane in low-risk, on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients. Only with xenon was cardiac troponin I release less than with total intravenous anesthesia. Xenon anesthesia appeared safe and feasible.

The characterization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by landfills is an important topic because, although they represent a percentage below 1% of total emissions, can represent a risk for public health and environment. Some of them, such as benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) are in fact toxics or carcinogenic. Monitoring these compounds especially in landfills is thus essential although their concentrations, high at the source, are then diluted in the air. In 2015, a VOCs characterization from the biogas emitted from five landfills (Ampliamento Masseria, Masseria, Resit X, Novambiente and Resit Z) in"Terra dei Fuochi" area (Naples) was done to evaluate and describe its composition. Around 100 compounds belonging to 7 different chemical classes were identify from the biogas by using sorbent tubes and Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Average concentrations of BTEX were approximately 29 mg/m3 in Ampliamento Masseria, 5-6 mg/m3 in Masseria and in Resit X, 3 mg/m3 in Novambiente and 0.5 mg/m3 in Resit Z. High concentrations of the terpene limonene, ?-pinene and p-cymene have been also detected. These preliminary results highlighted the potential risk for people living in the surrounding area and the need to apply strategies and policies for people security and air quality. The use of biogas for producing electric energy may decrease the concentrations of toxics VOCs reducing their burden in the atmosphere.

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Impacts of soil moisture on de-novo monoterpene (MT) emissions from Holm oak, European beech, Scots pine, and Norway spruce were studied in laboratory experiments. The volumetric water content of the soil, Θ, was used as reference quantity to parameterize the dependency of MT emissions on soil moisture and to characterize the severity of the drought.

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were found in 47% of 71 patients before treatment, in a horizontal study of the presence of CIC in primary lung cancer (PLC). The precipitation technique in PEG was used, and C1q, IgG and IgM fractions in the precipitate were assayed. Especially in epidermoid carcinoma, CIC were found in 1/6 cases with stage 1, 2/9 with stage II and 21/34 with stage III. The frequency was significantly higher in stage III cases, and showed a significant tendency to increase with progression of the clinical stage. If stage parameters are considered separately, this tendency correlates significantly (p less than 0.002) with the amount of lymph node involvement (N) but not to the tumor (T) size nor to the presence of metastases (M). Analysis of CIC behavior in comparison with the single fractions showed that C1q and/or IgG were elevated in 40% of cases. The presence of C1q and/or IgG associated with IgM is more characteristic of stage N2, while the presence of CIC with the fractions C1q and/or IgG not associated with IgM is more frequent in stage N1. There was a lower survival rate at 12 months in patients with CIC as compared to those without (p less than 0.05).

In a small area of Giugliano municipality, northwest of Naples, are gathered ten landfills where industrial and toxic wastes were illegally dumped together with urban ones during the 1990s and the early 2000s, under the documented control of Camorra (the Neapolitan mafia organization). Those landfills are presently considered one of the major hazards for human health and environment in the area. During 2015 and 2016, field campaigns were performed with sampling techniques suitable to quantify emissions from landfills characterized by different management conditions (e.g. conveyed/non-conveyed biogas emissions). A large variety of VOC species including toxic or carcinogenic compounds such as aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers) non-halogenated (styrene, methyl ethyl ketone or MEK, tetrahydrofuran) and halogenated compounds (trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene) and terpenes (such as limonene, p-cymene and ?-pinene), which are responsible for the undesirable odor, were detected and compared with emissions from the controlled urban waste landfill of Malagrotta (Rome), highlighting peculiar differences that could be attributed to the nature of illegally dumped waste. Emission rates for the monitored VOCs were attributed to each landfill using continuous methane measurements to define the daily biogas emission cycle. A Lagrangian particle dispersion model was applied to estimate yearly average and peak atmospheric concentrations of toxic, odorous and ozone precursor substances over the surrounding territory. Local meteorology was reconstructed by high resolution simulations of the WRF meteorological model. VOC concentrations were compared with inhalation unit risks and odor thresholds to establish their relevance for health hazard and annoyance of the resident population. The toxic compounds concentrations complied with all the considered threshold values, allowing to exclude the risk of acute or chronic diseases to the local population. For a complete environmental analysis, the landfills contribution should be added to the other environmental pressures acting over the "terra dei fuochi" area.

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