Extreme Concentrations of Nitric Oxide Control Daytime Oxidation and Quench Nocturnal Oxidation Chemistry in Delhi during Highly Polluted Episodes.

Delhi, India, suffers from periods of very poor air quality, but little is known about the chemical production of secondary pollutants in this highly polluted environment. During the postmonsoon period in 2018, extremely high nighttime concentrations of NOx (NO and NO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were observed, with median NOx mixing ratios of ∼200 ppbV (maximum of ∼700 ppbV). A detailed chemical box model constrained to a comprehensive suite of speciated VOC and NOx measurements revealed very low nighttime concentrations of oxidants, NO3, O3, and OH, driven by high nighttime NO concentrations. This results in an atypical NO3 diel profile, not previously reported in other highly polluted urban environments, significantly perturbing nighttime radical oxidation chemistry. Low concentrations of oxidants and high nocturnal primary emissions coupled with a shallow boundary layer led to enhanced early morning photo-oxidation chemistry. This results in a temporal shift in peak O3 concentrations when compared to the premonsoon period (12:00 and 15:00 local time, respectively). This shift will likely have important implications on local air quality, and effective urban air quality management should consider the impacts of nighttime emission sources during the postmonsoon period.

Sources of non-methane hydrocarbons in surface air in Delhi, India.

Rapid economic growth and development have exacerbated air quality problems across India, driven by many poorly understood pollution sources and understanding their relative importance remains critical to characterising the key drivers of air pollution. A comprehensive suite of measurements of 90 non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) (C2-C14), including 12 speciated monoterpenes and higher molecular weight monoaromatics, were made at an urban site in Old Delhi during the pre-monsoon (28-May to 05-Jun 2018) and post-monsoon (11 to 27-Oct 2018) seasons using dual-channel gas chromatography (DC-GC-FID) and two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC-FID). Significantly higher mixing ratios of NMHCs were measured during the post-monsoon campaign, with a mean night-time enhancement of around 6. Like with NOx and CO, strong diurnal profiles were observed for all NMHCs, except isoprene, with very high NMHC mixing ratios between 35-1485 ppbv. The sum of mixing ratios of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) routinely exceeded 100 ppbv at night during the post-monsoon period, with a maximum measured mixing ratio of monoaromatic species of 370 ppbv. The mixing ratio of highly reactive monoterpenes peaked at around 6 ppbv in the post-monsoon campaign and correlated strongly with anthropogenic NMHCs, suggesting a strong non-biogenic source in Delhi. A detailed source apportionment study was conducted which included regression analysis to CO, acetylene and other NMHCs, hierarchical cluster analysis, EPA UNMIX 6.0, principal component analysis/absolute principal component scores (PCA/APCS) and comparison with NMHC ratios (benzene/toluene and i-/n-pentane) in ambient samples to liquid and solid fuels. These analyses suggested the primary source of anthropogenic NMHCs in Delhi was from traffic emissions (petrol and diesel), with average mixing ratio contributions from Unmix and PCA/APCS models of 38% from petrol, 14% from diesel and 32% from liquified petroleum gas (LPG) with a smaller contribution (16%) from solid fuel combustion. Detailed consideration of the underlying meteorology during the campaigns showed that the extreme night-time mixing ratios of NMHCs during the post-monsoon campaign were the result of emissions into a very shallow and stagnant boundary layer. The results of this study suggest that despite widespread open burning in India, traffic-related petrol and diesel emissions remain the key drivers of gas-phase urban air pollution in Delhi.

Avoiding high ozone pollution in Delhi, India.

Surface ozone is a major pollutant threatening public health, agricultural production and natural ecosystems. While measures to improve air quality in megacities such as Delhi are typically aimed at reducing levels of particulate matter (PM), ozone could become a greater threat if these measures focus on PM alone, as some air pollution mitigation steps can actually lead to an increase in surface ozone. A better understanding of the factors controlling ozone production in Delhi and the impact that PM mitigation measures have on ozone is therefore critical for improving air quality. Here, we combine in situ observations and model analysis to investigate the impact of PM reduction on the non-linear relationship between volatile organic compounds (VOC), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone. In situ measurements of NOx, VOC, and ozone were conducted in Delhi during the APHH-India programme in summer (June) and winter (November) 2018. We observed hourly averaged ozone concentrations in the city of up to 100 ppbv in both seasons. We performed sensitivity simulations with a chemical box model to explore the impacts of PM on the non-linear VOC-NOx-ozone relationship in each season through its effect on aerosol optical depth (AOD). We find that ozone production is limited by VOC in both seasons, and is particularly sensitive to solar radiation in winter. Reducing NOx alone increases ozone, such that a 50% reduction in NOx emissions leads to 10-50% increase in surface ozone. In contrast, reducing VOC emissions can reduce ozone efficiently, such that a 50% reduction in VOC emissions leads to ∼60% reduction in ozone. Reducing PM alone also increases ozone, especially in winter, by reducing its dimming effects on photolysis, such that a 50% reduction in AOD can increase ozone by 25% and it also enhances VOC-limitation. Our results highlight the importance of reducing VOC emissions alongside PM to limit ozone pollution, as well as benefitting control of PM pollution through reducing secondary organic aerosol. This will greatly benefit the health of citizens and the local ecosystem in Delhi, and could have broader application for other megacities characterized by severe PM pollution and VOC-limited ozone production.

An increasing role for solvent emissions and implications for future measurements of volatile organic compounds.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a broad class of air pollutants which act as precursors to tropospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosols. Total UK emissions of anthropogenic VOCs peaked in 1990 at 2,840 kt yr-1 and then declined to approximately 810 kt yr-1 in 2017 with large reductions in road transport and fugitive fuel emissions. The atmospheric concentrations of many non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) in the UK have been observed to fall over this period in broadly similar proportions. The relative contribution to emissions from solvents and industrial processes is estimated to have increased from approximately 35% in 1990 to approximately 63% in 2017. In 1992, UK national monitoring quantified 19 of the 20 most abundant individual anthropogenic VOCs emitted (all were NMHCs), but by 2017 monitoring captured only 13 of the top 20 emitted VOCs. Ethanol is now estimated to be the most important VOC emitted by mass (in 2017 approx. 136 kt yr-1 and approx. 16.8% of total emissions) followed by n-butane (52.4 kt yr-1) and methanol (33.2 kt yr-1). Alcohols have grown in significance representing approximately 10% of emissions in 1990 rising to approximately 30% in 2017. The increased role of solvent emissions should now be reflected in European monitoring strategies to verify total VOC emission reduction obligations in the National Emissions Ceiling Directive. Adding ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde, acetone, 2-butanone and 2-propanol to the existing NMHC measurements would provide full coverage of the 20 most significant VOCs emitted on an annual mass basis. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Air quality, past present and future'.

Trends in stabilisation of Criegee intermediates from alkene ozonolysis.

Criegee Intermediates (CI), formed in the ozonolysis of alkenes, play a central role in tropospheric chemistry as an important source of radicals, with stabilised CI (SCI) able to participate in bimolecular reactions, affecting climate through the formation of inorganic and organic aerosol. However, total SCI yields have only been determined for a few alkene systems, while speciated SCI yields from asymmetrical alkenes are almost entirely unknown. Here we report for the first time a systematic experimental exploration of the stabilisation of CH2OO and (CH3)2COO CI, formed from ten alkene-ozone systems with a range of different sizes and structures, under atmospherically relevant conditions in the EUPHORE chamber. Experiments in the presence of excess SO2 (an SCI scavenger) determined total SCI yields from each alkene-ozone system. Comparison of primary carbonyl yields in the presence/absence of SO2 determined the stabilisation fraction of a given CI. The results show that the stabilisation of a given CI increases as the size of the carbonyl co-product increases. This is interpreted in terms of the nascent population of CI formed following decomposition of the primary ozonide (POZ) having a lower mean energy distribution when formed with a larger carbonyl co-product, as more of the energy from the POZ is taken by the carbonyl. These findings have significant implications for atmospheric modelling of alkene ozonolysis. Higher stabilisation of small CI formed from large alkenes is expected to lead to lower radical yields from CI decomposition, and higher SCI concentrations, increasing the importance of SCI bimolecular reactions.

For Rural Boards, an Imperative to Change.

Integrated governance, megaboards and "coopetition" are among the op-tions trustees might consider in an increasingly complex health care field Here are seven questions they can ask now.

Effects of Endometrial Ablation on Treatment Planning in Women With Endometrial Cancer.

To evaluate effects of endometrial ablation on the staging and treatment planning of postablation endometrial cancer. After authorization from the institutional review board, we performed a retrospective chart review of patients with a history of endometrial ablation and a subsequent diagnosis of endometrial cancer from July 2006 to December 2013. The information obtained included patient's age at time of cancer diagnosis, pre-ablation endometrial biopsy histology, dilation and curettage histology at time of ablation, endometrial biopsy-to-ablation interval, ablation-to-hysterectomy interval, final pathologic diagnosis, Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique (FIGO) staging, and treatment recommendations for adjuvant therapy. The histopathology was examined by a gynecologic pathologist. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines were applied to determine need for adjuvant therapy. Six of 490 (1.2%) patients with endometrial cancer were identified to have an antecedent ablation. Mean patient age was 48.2 years (range: 40-53). The time interval from office pre-ablation endometrial sampling to ablation ranged from 1 to 17 months. Four patients (67%) had an undetected endometrial cancer at the time of ablation, despite having benign pre-ablation histology. Following surgical staging, 4 patients (67%) had no evidence of residual carcinoma, and 2 (33%) had evidence of endometrial adenocarcinoma grades 1 to 2. There was no evidence of myometrial invasion in all cases, and a FIGO stage of IA was assigned. No adjuvant therapies were indicated. There have been no documented cancer recurrences, with a follow-up range from 16 to 52 months (average 30.2). Endometrial ablation artifact does not appear to hinder evaluation and treatment planning in the presence of endometrial cancer.

Robotic Surgery Training in an OB/GYN Residency Program: A Survey Investigating the Optimal Training and Credentialing of OB/GYN Residents.

OBJECTIVE: Many community hospital gynecologic surgery training programs now include robotics.At St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, we have integrated robotic surgical training since 2006. This study is designed to assess the success in training gynecology residents in robotic surgery. DESIGN: An anonymous web-based survey tool (www. survey monkey. com) was sent to all Ob/Gyn residency graduates from 2007-2010 (n = 17). From 2011-2014, we emailed three reevaluation questions to all 2007-2014 graduates (N = 32). Design Classification: II-3. RESULTS: The response rate was 95%, and 11 of 17 initial graduates (65%) indicated that they had received adequate robotic training. Currently, 24 of 32 (75%) graduates practice in hospitals with robotic availability. Twenty of the 32 graduates (63%) are using robotics in their surgical practices. Nine of these 20 graduates (45%) were fully credentialed following their residency. The other 11 graduates (55%)required further proctoring to obtain full robotic credentials. CONCLUSION: Robotic surgical training is a component of modern gynecologic surgical training. Postresidency robotic credentialing is a realistic graduation goal for residents who plan to practice gynecologic surgery.

Complete Genome Sequence for the Fusarium Head Blight Antagonist Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Strain TrigoCor 1448.

We present the complete genome sequence for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TrigoCor 1448 (ATCC 202152), a bacterial biological control agent for Fusarium head blight in wheat. We compare it to its closest relative, B. amyloliquefaciens strain AS43.3.

Genome sequencing and analysis of the biomass-degrading fungus Trichoderma reesei (syn. Hypocrea jecorina).

Trichoderma reesei is the main industrial source of cellulases and hemicellulases used to depolymerize biomass to simple sugars that are converted to chemical intermediates and biofuels, such as ethanol. We assembled 89 scaffolds (sets of ordered and oriented contigs) to generate 34 Mbp of nearly contiguous T. reesei genome sequence comprising 9,129 predicted gene models. Unexpectedly, considering the industrial utility and effectiveness of the carbohydrate-active enzymes of T. reesei, its genome encodes fewer cellulases and hemicellulases than any other sequenced fungus able to hydrolyze plant cell wall polysaccharides. Many T. reesei genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes are distributed nonrandomly in clusters that lie between regions of synteny with other Sordariomycetes. Numerous genes encoding biosynthetic pathways for secondary metabolites may promote survival of T. reesei in its competitive soil habitat, but genome analysis provided little mechanistic insight into its extraordinary capacity for protein secretion. Our analysis, coupled with the genome sequence data, provides a roadmap for constructing enhanced T. reesei strains for industrial applications such as biofuel production.

Complete genome sequence of the industrial bacterium Bacillus licheniformis and comparisons with closely related Bacillus species.

BACKGROUND: Bacillus licheniformis is a Gram-positive, spore-forming soil bacterium that is used in the biotechnology industry to manufacture enzymes, antibiotics, biochemicals and consumer products. This species is closely related to the well studied model organism Bacillus subtilis, and produces an assortment of extracellular enzymes that may contribute to nutrient cycling in nature. RESULTS: We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the B. licheniformis ATCC 14580 genome which comprises a circular chromosome of 4,222,336 base-pairs (bp) containing 4,208 predicted protein-coding genes with an average size of 873 bp, seven rRNA operons, and 72 tRNA genes. The B. licheniformis chromosome contains large regions that are colinear with the genomes of B. subtilis and Bacillus halodurans, and approximately 80% of the predicted B. licheniformis coding sequences have B. subtilis orthologs. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the unmistakable organizational similarities between the B. licheniformis and B. subtilis genomes, there are notable differences in the numbers and locations of prophages, transposable elements and a number of extracellular enzymes and secondary metabolic pathway operons that distinguish these species. Differences include a region of more than 80 kilobases (kb) that comprises a cluster of polyketide synthase genes and a second operon of 38 kb encoding plipastatin synthase enzymes that are absent in the B. licheniformis genome. The availability of a completed genome sequence for B. licheniformis should facilitate the design and construction of improved industrial strains and allow for comparative genomics and evolutionary studies within this group of Bacillaceae.

Coexpression of oncostatin M and its receptors and evidence for STAT3 activation in human ovarian carcinomas.

The expression of oncostatin M and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), JAK-STAT activators and members of the interleukin-6 family of cytokines, were examined in a series of primary ovarian carcinomas using immunohistochemistry. The malignant epithelial cells of all 29 ovarian carcinomas examined expressed oncostatin M; none expressed LIF. Oncostatin M can activate two related receptors, one consisting of a low-affinity LIF receptor subunit, LIFR beta, which forms a heterocomplex with the gp130 signal transducing protein and can recognize both oncostatin M and LIF, and a second heterocomplex consisting of a subunit that specifically recognizes oncostatin M, OSMR beta, and the gp130 protein. By immunohistochemistry, 25 of 25 ovarian carcinomas examined expressed the LIFR beta subunit in the malignant epithelial cells (all samples express gp130), and two-thirds the ovarian carcinomas studied expressed OSMR beta mRNA as determined by RT-PCR. Thus oncostatin M and its receptors are commonly coexpressed in malignant ovarian epithelial cells, and represent a potential autocrine loop in this tumor type. STAT3, of one the signaling proteins downstream of the oncostatin M/LIF receptors, was found in its phosphorylated, activated form (phosphotyrosine 705 STAT3) in the malignant epithelial cells of 17 of 23 ovarian carcinomas examined (74%) as determined by immunohistochemistry; this suggests that this protein is constitutively activated in most ovarian carcinomas, as it is in many other human malignancies. Recombinant human Oncostatin M (rhOSM) can induce the transient tyrosine 705 phosphorylation of STAT3 in serum-starved LIFR beta/OSMR beta expressing ovarian carcinoma cell lines, but does not alter cell growth and effects only a modest increase in the apoptotic rate in these cultured cells. Oncostatin M and its receptors may be part of a network of cytokine systems within ovarian carcinomas that may act to maintain STAT3 in its activated form, a phenomenon associated with the malignant phenotype.