Efficacy of green infrastructure in reducing exposure to local, traffic-related sources of airborne particulate matter (PM).

One aim of roadside green infrastructure (GI) is to mitigate exposure to local, traffic-generated pollutants. Here, we determine the efficacy of roadside GI in improving local air quality through the deposition and/or dispersion of airborne particulate matter (PM). PM was collected on both pumped air filters and on the leaves of a recently installed 'tredge' (trees managed as a head-high hedge) at an open road environment next to a primary school in Manchester, U.K. The magnetic properties of PM deposited on leaves and filters (size fractions PM10 and PM2.5) were deduced from hysteresis loops, first-order reversal curves (FORCs), and low-temperature remanence measurements. These were complemented with electron microscopy to identify changes in magnetic PM concentration downwind of the tredge/GI. We show that the tredge is permeable to airflow using a simple CO2 tracer experiment; hence, it allows interception and subsequent deposition of PM on its leaves. Magnetic loadings per m3 of air from filters (PM10 saturation magnetisation, Ms, at 5 K) were reduced by 40 % behind the tredge and a further 63 % in the playground; a total reduction of 78 % compared to roadside air. For the PM2.5 fraction, the reduction in magnetic loading behind the tredge was remarkable (82 %), reflecting efficient diffusional capture of sub-5 nm Fe-oxide particles by the tredge. Some direct mixing of roadside and playground air occurs at the back of the playground, caused by air flow over, and/or through gaps in, the slowly-permeable tredge. The magnetic loading on tredge leaves increased over successive days, capturing ~23 % of local, traffic-derived PM10. Using a heuristic two-dimensional turbulent mixing model, we assess the limited dispersion of PM < 22.5 µm induced by eddies in the tredge wake. This study demonstrates that PM deposition on leaves reduces exposure significantly in this school playground setting; hence, providing a cost-effective mitigation strategy.

Magnetic and microscopic investigation of airborne iron oxide nanoparticles in the London Underground.

Particulate matter (PM) concentration levels in the London Underground (LU) are higher than London background levels and beyond World Health Organization (WHO) defined limits. Wheel, track, and brake abrasion are the primary sources of particulate matter, producing predominantly Fe-rich particles that make the LU microenvironment particularly well suited to study using environmental magnetism. Here we combine magnetic properties, high-resolution electron microscopy, and electron tomography to characterize the structure, chemistry, and morphometric properties of LU particles in three dimensions with nanoscale resolution. Our findings show that LU PM is dominated by 5-500 nm particles of maghemite, occurring as 0.1-2 µm aggregated clusters, skewing the size-fractioned concentration of PM artificially to larger sizes when measured with traditional monitors. Magnetic properties are largely independent of the PM filter size (PM10, PM4, and PM2.5), and demonstrate the presence of superparamagnetic (< 30 nm), single-domain (30-70 nm), and vortex/pseudo-single domain (70-700 nm) signals only (i.e., no multi-domain particles > 1 µm). The oxidized nature of the particles suggests that PM exposure in the LU is dominated by resuspension of aged dust particles relative to freshly abraded, metallic particles from the wheel/track/brake system, suggesting that periodic removal of accumulated dust from underground tunnels might provide a cost-effective strategy for reducing exposure. The abundance of ultrafine particles identified here could have particularly adverse health impacts as their smaller size makes it possible to pass from lungs to the blood stream. Magnetic methods are shown to provide an accurate assessment of ultrafine PM characteristics, providing a robust route to monitoring, and potentially mitigating this hazard.

Epigenetic mechanisms of tumorigenicity manifesting in stem cells.

One of the biggest roadblocks to using stem cells as the basis for regenerative medicine therapies is the tumorigenicity of stem cells. Unfortunately, the unique abilities of stem cells to self-renew and differentiate into a variety of cell types are also mechanistically linked to their tumorigenic behaviors. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the close relationship between stem cells and cancer cells has therefore become a primary goal in the field. In addition, knowledge gained from investigating the striking parallels between mechanisms orchestrating normal embryogenesis and those that invoke tumorigenesis may well serve as the foundation for developing novel cancer treatments. Emerging discoveries have demonstrated that epigenetic regulatory machinery has important roles in normal stem cell functions, cancer development and cancer stem cell (CSC) identity. These studies provide valuable insights into both the shared and distinct mechanisms by which pluripotency and oncogenicity are established and regulated. In this review, the cancer-related epigenetic mechanisms found in pluripotent stem cells and cancer cells will be discussed, focusing on both the similarities and the differences.

Effects of weight bearing and non-weight bearing exercises on bone properties using calcaneal quantitative ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate bone properties using heel quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in young adults participating in various sports. METHODS: A cross sectional study was performed on Chinese male students (n = 55), aged 18-22 years. Subjects with previous fractures or suffering from any diseases known to affect bone metabolism or taking any medication with such an effect, were not included. The subjects were categorised according to their main sporting activities, including soccer (n = 15) (a high impact, weight bearing exercise), dancing (n = 10) (a low impact, weight bearing exercise), and swimming (n = 15) (non-weight bearing exercise). A sedentary group acted as controls (n = 15). A reproducibility study of the velocity of sound (VOS) and the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) measurement was performed and analysed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: There was good intra-investigator and inter-investigator agreement (ICC > or = 0.8; p < 0.05) in the measurement of BUA and VOS. No significant differences in BUA and VOS (p > 0.05) were found between the dominant and non-dominant heel. Soccer players (137 +/- 4.3 dB/MHz; 1575 +/- 56 m/s; 544.1 +/- 48.4) and dancers (134.6 +/- 3.7 dB/MHz; 1538 +/- 46 m/s; 503.0 +/- 37.0) had significantly higher BUA, VOS, and stiffness index (SI) scores (p < 0.05), respectively, than swimmers (124.1 +/- 5.1 dB/MHz; 1495 +/- 42 m/s; 423.3 +/- 46.9) and the sedentary control group (119.9 +/- 6.1 dB/MHz; 1452 +/- 41 m/s; 369.9 +/- 46.4). A trend of a significant linear increase with the weight bearing and high impact exercise was revealed in all QUS parameters (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This cross sectional study indicated that regular participation in weight bearing exercise in young people might be beneficial for accruing peak bone mass and optimising bone structure.

Homologous recombination between plasmid DNA molecules in maize protoplasts.

The requirements for homologous recombination between plasmid DNA molecules have been studied using the PEG (polyethylene glycol)-mediated transformation system of maize (Zea mays L.) protoplasts coupled with the transient expression assay for beta-glucuronidase (GUS). Two plasmids were introduced into maize protoplasts; one plasmid (pB x 26) contained a genomic clone of the Adh1 maize gene; the other plasmid (piGUS) was a promoterless construction containing part of intron A of the Adh1 gene fused to the gusA coding sequence. Thus, the two vectors shared an effective homologous region consisting of a 459 bp (HindIII-PvuII) fragment of the Adh1 intron A sequence. An active gusA fusion gene would result upon homologous recombination between the plasmids within the intron A sequence, and indeed GUS activity was observed in extracts following co-transformation of maize protoplasts with the two plasmids. The presence of recombinant DNA molecules in protoplast DNA isolated 1 day after co-transformation was verified using polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and Southern blots. For efficient homologous recombination, both plasmids had to be linearized. The recombination reaction was induced by restriction of the plasmid molecules either inside the effective homologous region or at the borders of the intron sequence. However, the presence of even small, terminal, nonhomologous sequences at the 3' end of the pB x 26 fragment inhibited the recombination reaction. Also, both ends of the linearized piGUS DNA molecules were involved in the recombination reaction. The results revealed some features of homologous recombination reactions occurring in plant cells which cannot be accommodated by mechanisms postulated for similar reactions in animal system and in lower eukaryotes.