Assessing VOC emissions from different gas stations: impacts, variations, and modeling fluctuations of air pollutants.

Gas stations distributed around densely populated areas are responsible for toxic pollutant emissions such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study aims to measure VOCs emission from three different kinds of gas stations to determine the extent of pollution from the gas stations and the most frequent type of VOC compound emitted. The concentrations of ambient VOCs at three refueling stations with a different type of fuels in Mashhad were monitored. The result of this study showed that CNG fuel stations are less polluting than petrol stations. In all the studied sites, the highest concentrations were related to xylene isomers, irrespective of the fuel type. Total VOCs at the supply of both compressed natural gas (CNG) and gasoline stations was 482.36 ± 563.45 µg m-3. At a CNG station and a gasoline station, total VOC concentrations were 1363.4 ± 1975 µg m-3 and 410.29 ± 483.37 µg m-3, respectively. The differences in concentrations of toluene and m,p-xylene between the fuel stations can be related to the quality and type of fuel, vapor recovery technology, fuel reserves, dripless nozzles, traffic density in these stations, meteorological conditions and the location of sampling sites. The combination of a sine function and a quadratic function could model the fluctuation behavior of air pollutants like m,p-xylene. In all the sites, the highest concentrations were related to xylene isomers, irrespective of the type of fuel. The changing rate of m,p-xylene pollutant in each station was also modeled in this study.

COVID-19 vaccination and race - A nationwide survey of vaccination status, intentions, and trust in the US general population.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy for adults and children varies depending on societal factors, race, and trust ascribed to the source of vaccine information. OBJECTIVE: To assess COVID-19 vaccination rates and trust levels for vaccine information by race at 2 time points. METHODS: Online cross-sectional data from US adults were collected in February/March 2021 (T1) and November 2021 (T2). Questions included vaccination status, reasons for vaccine refusal, trust levels for vaccine information and the Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale. At T2, parents were asked about vaccination status of children aged 12-18 years and intent for children aged 5-11 years. Vaccination rates and trust levels for vaccine information were measured. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify characteristics predictive of receiving COVID-19 vaccination. RESULTS: Vaccination rates were 20.2% and 70.8% at T1 and T2, respectively. At T1 and T2, higher proportions of White (23.2% and 72.0%) and Other race (14.4% and 75.2%) respondents were vaccinated relative to Black respondents (9.6% and 64.4%) (P < 0.05). In descending order, respondents' doctors, family members, and pharmacists were the most trusted information sources. Black parents, relative to White and Other parents with unvaccinated children aged 12-18 years or who were not very likely to vaccinate younger children, reported lowest physician trust (P < 0.01). At T1, being married, college educated, and older and having greater Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale scores and a higher number of comorbidities predicted a higher likelihood of being vaccinated. Being Black, having a median household income less than $100,000, and residing in the Northeast or Midwest, relative to the West, predicted a decreased likelihood of being vaccinated. At T2, race and comorbidities were no longer predictive of vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Racial variation in vaccination status decreased from T1 to T2. Physician trust predicted vaccination status and intent regardless of race. Respondents' doctors, family members, and pharmacists are trusted sources of vaccine information, and targeting these influencers may reduce vaccination hesitancy. DISCLOSURES: Dr Brown reports personal fees from Taiho Oncology, outside the submitted work. Dr Morlock reports personal fees from Johnson and Johnson, Heron Therapeutics, Evofem Biosciences, Horizon Therapeutics, and Taiho Oncology, outside the submitted work. Amy Morlock reports personal fees from both AbbVie (formerly Allergan) and Ironwood, outside the submitted work. Drs Blakolmer and Heidari have nothing to disclose.

Prevalence of Ever Self-Reported Asthma and Associated Factors among University Students in Iran: A Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease with regressive episodic symptoms. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of asthma ever (lifetime prevalence of asthma) and the associated factors among newly entered students in public universities in Iran. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional study was part of the "Mental and Physical Health Assessment of University Students in Iran." The target population included all newly admitted students (N = 151,671) in 74 public universities in 28 provinces (out of the 31 provinces) in Iran. STATA version 12 was used for calculating the descriptive statistics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed to identify relationships between asthma and socioeconomic variables. The level of significance was set at 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Of a total of 79,277 participants, 55.23% (n = 43,785) and 44.77% (n = 35,492) were female and male, respectively. The prevalence of ever asthma among studied student was 1.89%. Of all the participants with asthma, 88.43% (85.49%-90.84%) were nonsmokers. More than 20% of the subjects were physically inactive. The respondents who revealed smoking >10 cigarettes/week were about 1.22 (1.036-1.437) times more likely to suffer from asthma disease (0.017), as compared with those who were not smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides valuable information about the prevalence of asthma ever symptoms among university students in Iran. In fact, the results of this study can fill information gaps concerning the affected groups in Iran, and even worldwide.

Global prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. AIMS: To synthesize data on the worldwide prevalence and severity of COPD by geographical region, age groups, and smoking status in a systematic review. METHODS: A systematic search was performed following Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. International databases including PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for population- based studies published between January 2004 and May 2015 that reported the prevalence of COPD anywhere in the world. The prevalence of COPD was calculated based on World Health Organization (WHO) regions and sex and severity stages using metaprop. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were applied to determine the sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Sixty papers were screened with a combined subject sample size of 127 598. The prevalence of post-bronchodilator COPD was 12.16% (10.91-13.40%). The pooled prevalence of COPD was 15.70% (13.80-18.59%) in men and 9.93% (8.73- 11.13%) in women. Among all WHO regions, the highest prevalence was recorded in the Region of the Americas (14.53%), and the lowest was recorded in the South-East Asia Region/Western Pacific Region (8.80%). Meta-regression model variables were: sample size, WHO region, study quality score, level of gathering data, publication year, and sampling methods that justified 29.82% of heterogeneity detected among COPD prevalence rates worldwide. CONCLUSIONS: Global prevalence of COPD among men is about 5% higher than among women. The most prevalent stage of COPD is stage 1.

Barriers and facilitators to shared decision-making in oncology: a systematic review of the literature.

PURPOSE: Shared decision-making (SDM) is a strategy to facilitate patient-centered care and is increasingly important in oncology, where patients are faced with complicated treatment decisions that require them to weigh efficacy and safety, quality of life, and cost. Understanding the contributors to the use of SDM may provide insight to its further implementation. Therefore, the objective of the study was to examine the patient-related barriers/facilitators to SDM in oncology care. METHODS: A systematic literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was executed. A search strategy composed of cancer, decision-making, and patient-centered terms was conducted utilizing PubMed, EBSCO MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library databases between January 2007 and November 2017. Full-text, US-based, English language articles describing the patient perspective of SDM in oncology care were included. Relevant data from articles were reviewed in a qualitative synthesis. RESULTS: From 3435 potential citations, a total of 35 articles were included. The most common cancers studied were breast (n = 22; 62.9%) and prostate (n = 9; 25.7%). The identified themes for barriers to SDM were uncertainty in the treatment decision, concern regarding adverse effects, and poor physician communication. Themes for facilitators for SDM included physician consideration of patient preferences, positive physician actions and behaviors, and use or encouragement of support systems. CONCLUSION: As SDM gains use within oncology practice, understanding key influences will allow for more effective implementation of strategies to increase patient engagement and improve care and value in the treatment process.

Redefining the signaling pathways from pluripotency to pancreas development: In vitro ß-cell differentiation.

Pancreatic ß-cells are destroyed by the immune system, in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and are impaired by glucose insensitivity in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Islet-cells transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach based on in vitro differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to insulin-producing cells (IPCs). According to evolutionary stages in ß-cell development, there are several distinct checkpoints; each one has a unique characteristic, including definitive endoderm (DE), primitive gut (PG), posterior foregut (PF), pancreatic epithelium (PE), endocrine precursor (EP), and immature ß-cells up to functional ß-cells. A better understanding of the gene regulatory networks (GRN) and associated transcription factors in each specific developmental stage, guarantees the achievement of the next successful checkpoints and ensures an efficient ß-cell differentiation procedure. The new findings in signaling pathways, related to the development of the pancreas are discussed here, including Wnt, Activin/Nodal, FGF, BMP, retinoic acid (RA), sonic hedgehog (Shh), Notch, and downstream regulators, required for ß-cell commitment. We also summarized different approaches in the IPCs protocol to conceptually define a standardized system, leading to the creation of a reproducible method for ß-cell differentiation. To normalize blood glucose level in diabetic mice, the replacement therapy in the early differentiation stage, such as EP stages was associated with better outcome when compared with the fully differentiated ß-cells' graft.

Nanocasting Synthesis of Ultrafine WO3 Nanoparticles for Gas Sensing Applications.

Ultrafine WO3 nanoparticles were synthesized by nanocasting route, using mesoporous SiO2 as a template. BET measurements showed a specific surface area of 700 m 2/gr for synthesized SiO2, while after impregnation and template removal, this area was reduced to 43 m 2/gr for WO3 nanoparticles. HRTEM results showed single crystalline nanoparticles with average particle size of about 5 nm possessing a monoclinic structure, which is the favorite crystal structure for gas sensing applications. Gas sensor was fabricated by deposition of WO3 nanoparticles between electrodes via low frequency AC electrophoretic deposition. Gas sensing measurements showed that this material has a high sensitivity to very low concentrations of NO2 at 250°C and 300°C.