Identification of NOx emissions and source characteristics by TROPOMI observations - A case study in north-central Henan, China.

With the development of industries, air pollution in north-central Henan is becoming increasingly severe. The TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) provides nitrogen dioxide (NO2) column densities with high spatial resolution. Based on TROPOMI, in this study, the nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in north-central Henan are derived and the emission hotspots are identified with the flux divergence method (FDM) from May to September 2021. The results indicate that Zhengzhou has the highest NOx emissions in north-central Henan. The most prominent hotspots are in Guancheng Huizu District (Zhengzhou) and Yindu District (Anyang), with emissions of 448.4 g/s and 300.3 g/s, respectively. The Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) is applied to quantify the characteristics of emission hotspots, including the diameter, eccentricity, and tilt angle, among which the tilt angle provides a novel metric for identifying the spatial distribution of pollution sources. Furthermore, the results are compared with the CAMS global anthropogenic emissions (CAMS-GLOB-ANT) and Multi-resolution Emission Inventory model for Climate and air pollution research (MEIC), and they are generally in good agreement. However, some point sources, such as power plants, may be missed by both inventories. It is also found that for emission hotspots near transportation hubs, CAMS-GLOB-ANT may not have fully considered the actual traffic flow, leading to an underestimation of transportation emissions. These findings provide key information for the accurate implementation of pollution prevention and control measures, as well as references for future optimization of emission inventories. Consequently, deriving NOx emissions from space, quantifying the characteristics of emission hotspots, and combining them with bottom-up inventories can provide valuable insights for targeted emission control.

Assessment of progression of pulmonary fibrosis based on metabonomics and analysis of intestinal microbiota.

The main purpose of this study was to explore the changes of biomarkers in different developmental stages of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in rats via comprehensive pathophysiology, UPLC-QTOF/MS metabonomic technology, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of intestinal microbiota. The rats were randomly divided into normal control and 1-, 2- and 4-week model group. The rat model of PF was established by one-time intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. The levels of inflammatory and fibrosis-related factors such as hydroxyproline (HYP), type III procollagen (COL-III), type IV collagen (COL-IV), hyaluronidase (HA), laminin (LN), interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, malondialdehyde (MDA) increased and superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased as the PF cycle progressed. In the 1-, 2- and 4-week model group, 2, 19 and 18 potential metabolic biomarkers and 3, 16 and 12 potential microbial biomarkers were detected, respectively, which were significantly correlated. Glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway was observed to be an important pathway affecting PF at 1, 2 and 4 weeks; arginine and proline metabolism pathways significantly affected PF at 2 weeks. Linoleic acid metabolism pathway exhibited clear metabolic abnormalities at 2 and 4 weeks of PF, and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism pathway significantly affected PF at 4 weeks.

In this study, metabolomics technology and intestinal microbiota 16S rRNA gene sequencing were used to search for biomarkers with significant differences in each stage of pulmonary fibrosis. Finally, the variation characteristics of each stage of the disease were discussed. The hope is to provide new insights into the development of diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets at all stages.

Effects of N-butanol extract of Amygdalus mongolica on rats with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis based on metabolomics.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a major public health issue with limited treatment options. As the active ingredient of the n-butanol extract of Amygdalus mongolica (BUT), amygdalin inhibits PF. However, its mechanisms of action are unclear and need further verification. Therefore, the purpose of the present studies was to investigate the anti-fibrotic effects of BUT on PF by serum metabolomics and the transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) pathway. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, untreated PF, prednisone-treated (5 mg/kg), and BUT-treated (1.75, 1.25, 0.75 g/kg) groups, and the respective drugs were administered intragastrically for 21 days. The serum metabolomics profiles were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) and metabolism network analysis. The expression of TGF-ß1, Smad-3, Smad-7, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was measured using a real-time polymerase chain reaction in the lung tissue. BUT significantly alleviated fibrosis by reducing the mRNA expressions of TGF-ß1 (from 1.73 to 1.13), Smad-3 (from 2.01 to 1.19), and α-SMA (from 2.14 to 1.19) and increasing that of Smad7 (from 0.17 to 0.62). Twenty-eight potential biomarkers associated with PF were identified. In addition, four key biomarkers were restored to baseline levels following BUT treatment, with the lowest dose showing optimal effect. Furthermore, A. mongolica BUT was found to improve PF by the pentose phosphate pathway and by taurine, hypotaurine, and arachidonic acid metabolism. These findings revealed the mechanism of A. mongolica BUT antifibrotic effects and metabolic activity in PF rats and provided the experimental basis for its clinical application.

Research on the diurnal variation characteristics of ozone formation sensitivity and the impact of ozone pollution control measures in "2 + 26" cities of Henan Province in summer.

Near-surface ozone pollution is becoming an increasingly serious air quality issue in China, especially in "2 + 26" cities (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and nearby cities). HN2 + 26 cities ("2 + 26" cities of Henan Province) are located in the south of "2 + 26" cities, with frequent and severe ozone pollution events in recent years. This study investigated the diurnal evolution characteristics of ozone formation sensitivity (OFS) of HN2 + 26 cities from May to September in 2021 by the innovative combination of Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME-2B) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite data, and assessed the impact of ozone pollution control measures (OPCMs) implemented from June 26 to July 1, 2021. The localized FNR (ratio of formaldehyde to nitrogen dioxide of satellite measurement) threshold (1.4-2.55) was established, and it was found that OFS in May-September 2021 was mainly in VOCs-limited regime in the morning (∼10:00), while transitional/NOx-limited regime in the afternoon (∼14:00). Three periods (before, during and after the OPCMs) were divided to evaluate the impact of OPCMs on OFS. It was indicated that OPCMs had no impact on the morning OFS, but had a significant impact on the afternoon OFS. Specifically, the OFS in two industrial cities Xinxiang (XX) and Zhengzhou (ZZ) shifted from transitional regime to NOx-limited regime after the OPCMs. We further investigated OFS differences between urban and suburban areas and found that OFS shift of XX only existed in urban areas, while that of ZZ existed in both urban and suburban areas. We compared their measures and found that it is effective to take hierarchical control measures on different levels of ozone pollution days to alleviate ozone pollution. This study provides an improved understanding of diurnal evolution characteristics of OFS and the impacts of OPCMs on it, which will provide a theoretical basis for formulating more scientific ozone pollution control policies.

[Ozone Pollution Characteristics and Sensitivity During the Ozone Pollution Days in Summer 2021 of Xinxiang City].

This study was based on the observation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), conventional gaseous air pollutants, and meteorological parameters observed at the Xinxiang Municipal Party School site from June to August 2021. The ozone (O3) characteristics and sensitivity of O3 pollution days and the control strategy of its precursors were studied using an observation-based model (OBM). It was found that the meteorological conditions were characterized by high temperature, low humidity, and low pressure in O3-pollution days. The concentrations of O3 and its precursors all increased in the O3 pollution days. Oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) and alkanes were the highest-concentration components of VOCs on O3 pollution days in Xinxiang, and OVOCs had the highest ozone formation potential (OFP) and hydroxyl (·OH) reactivity. According to the relative incremental reactivity (RIR) analysis, during the O3 pollution days in Xinxiang, O3sensitivity was in the VOCs-limited regime in June and in the transitional regime in July and August. Ozone production was more sensitive to alkenes and OVOCs. The RIR values of the precursors in June changed throughout the day, but O3 sensitivity remained the VOCs-limited regime. In July and August, O3 sensitivity was the VOCs-limited regime in the morning, transitional regime at noon, transitional and NOx-limited regime, respectively in the afternoon. By simulating different precursor-reduction scenarios, the results showed that the reduction of VOCs was always beneficial to the control of O3, whereas the reduction of NOx had little effect on the control of O3 and a risk of increasing O3.

Research on the ozone formation sensitivity indicator of four urban agglomerations of China using Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite data and ground-based measurements.

Near surface ozone is a typical secondary pollutant, and is mostly generated by a series of complex photochemical reactions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the air under sunlight. At present, a large number of studies have applied FNR (a ratio of formaldehyde (HCHO) to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) retrieved by satellite) indicator to study the ozone formation sensitivity (OFS). OFS analysis is critical for taking targeted ozone pollution prevention and control measures. Regional OFS can be more accurately diagnosed by utilizing localized FNR threshold. In this study, localized FNR thresholds were established for four severe ozone polluted urban agglomerations in China (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, and Chengdu-Chongqing (CY) region), based on the statistical analysis between FNR (obtained from OMI observation, with daily transit time of approximately 13:45 local standard time) and ΔO3/ΔNO2 (the ratio of ozone change to nitrogen dioxide change between two consecutive months, obtained from ground measurements) from 2014 to 2016. And these thresholds were verified by the statistical analysis between FNR and ΔO3/O3 (ozone change rate between two consecutive months), and between FNR and O3 concentration during the OFS significant shift months. Furthermore, the results were also compared and verified with the method proposed by previous studies. The results indicate that there are significant regional dependences in the FNR threshold, and the lower-upper limits for the four urban agglomerations are as follows: 0.65-1.21 for BTH, 0.64-1.48 for the YRD, 1.25-2.39 for the PRD, and 1.44-3.69 for CY (FNR < lower limit indicates VOCs-limited regime; lower limit < FNR < upper limit indicates transitional regime; FNR > upper limit indicates NOx-limited regime). This method eliminates the problems associated with the undifferentiated use of FNR thresholds in different regions and significantly reduces the deviations for OFS.

Effects of N-butanol extract of Amygdalus mongolica on rats with bleomycin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis based on metabolomics

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a major public health issue with limited treatment options. As the active ingredient of the n-butanol extract of Amygdalus mongolica (BUT), amygdalin inhibits PF. However, its mechanisms of action are unclear and need further verification. Therefore, the purpose of the present studies was to investigate the anti-fibrotic effects of BUT on PF by serum metabolomics and the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) pathway. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, untreated PF, prednisone-treated (5 mg/kg), and BUT-treated (1.75, 1.25, 0.75 g/kg) groups, and the respective drugs were administered intragastrically for 21 days. The serum metabolomics profiles were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) and metabolism network analysis. The expression of TGF-β1, Smad-3, Smad-7, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was measured using a real-time polymerase chain reaction in the lung tissue. BUT significantly alleviated fibrosis by reducing the mRNA expressions of TGF-β1 (from 1.73 to 1.13), Smad-3 (from 2.01 to 1.19), and α-SMA (from 2.14 to 1.19) and increasing that of Smad7 (from 0.17 to 0.62). Twenty-eight potential biomarkers associated with PF were identified. In addition, four key biomarkers were restored to baseline levels following BUT treatment, with the lowest dose showing optimal effect. Furthermore, A. mongolica BUT was found to improve PF by the pentose phosphate pathway and by taurine, hypotaurine, and arachidonic acid metabolism. These findings revealed the mechanism of A. mongolica BUT antifibrotic effects and metabolic activity in PF rats and provided the experimental basis for its clinical application.

Emission characteristics and ozone formation potentials of VOCs from ultra-low-emission waterborne automotive painting.

Automotive painting plants are important emission sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute significantly to ground-level ozone (O3) pollution in atmosphere. Here, we investigated process-specified emission characteristics of VOCs, without or with advanced adsorption/incineration after-treatments, from an ultra-low-emission (ULE) waterborne painting process in a modernized automotive plant. Overall, more than 80 VOCs species were identified and sorted into seven main categories. In the stack emissions without after-treatments, oxygenated VOCs (alcohols, esters, ketones, ethers, etc.) were found to be the most abundant components (48.8%), followed by aromatic (30.9%), alkanes (16.9%) and alkenes (1.2%). Among the different VOCs species discharged to atmosphere (i.e. after adsorption/incineration after-treatments), aromatics demonstrated a predominant contribution (by 60.6%) to the total O3 formation potentials (OFPs) despite their relatively lower abundance. Trimethylbenzene was identified to have the highest OFPs, and thus should be controlled with peculiar priority. As compared to traditional organic solvent-based painting process, the ULE waterborne process implemented in the target plant allows to reduce the OFPs from 10.7 mg m-3 to 3 mg m-3 (or by 72%). Additional monitoring by unmanned aerial vehicle (over more than 3000 sampling points in the plant) confirmed that the instantaneous concentrations of fugitive VOCs were well below the regulated limit value during typical working and non-working days. These findings may provide important reference for reduction of VOCs emissions and O3 pollution from automotive painting processes.

Characteristics and sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Xinxiang, China, during the 2021 summer ozone pollution control.

Real-time monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was conducted in Xinxiang, China, during the implementation of Xinxiang's ozone pollution control period (CP) in June 2021. To evaluate the effectiveness of the control measures, three study periods were determined by combining meteorological conditions and the implementation time of the control measures: before, during, and after the CP of ozone pollution (BCP, CP, and ACP, respectively). The average concentrations of VOCs during the three periods were 41.20 ± 4.99 ppbv, 33.64 ± 5.65 ppbv, and 37.42 ± 2.59 ppbv, respectively, with the same top three components, namely oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs), alkanes, and halogenated hydrocarbons (XVOCs). However, the concentrations of these three components decreased substantially during the CP (by 19 %, 18 %, and 11 %, respectively). The ozone formation potential (OFP) during the BCP was 144.47 ppbv, which was 1.2 times and 1.3 times higher than those during the ACP and CP periods, respectively. During the CP, the proportion of alkenes that contributed to the OFP decreased significantly by 24 %. Five types of VOCs sources were determined by positive matrix factorization (PMF): (1) solvent use, (2) biogenic, (3) secondary formation, (4) industrial process, and (5) vehicle exhaust and fuel evaporation sources. The VOCs emissions from industrial processes decreased by 54 % during the CP, whereas those from vehicle exhaust and fuel evaporation sources decreased by 36 %, indicating the effectiveness of emission control measures and the importance of these two sources for VOCs control in Xinxiang. In terms of regional transport, the results of the spatial analysis revealed that Hebi and Anyang in the northeast and Zhengzhou and Pingdingshan in the southwest, affected significantly the VOCs of Xinxiang. These results highlight the importance of controlling VOCs emissions in Xinxiang. Furthermore, attention should be paid to controlling the regional transport of surrounding cities.

[Characteristics of Industrial Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs) Emission in China from 2011 to 2019].

In order to better understand the industrial volatile organic compounds(VOCs) emissions in China in recent years, an industrial VOCs emission inventory was developed from 2011 to 2019, based on the dynamic emission factors method and the comprehensive source classification system. The results showed that VOCs emissions increased first from 11122.7 kt in 2011 to 13397.9 kt in 2017, and then decreased to 13247.0 kt in 2019. The emission structure of the four source categories changed. The contribution from basic organic chemical industries, gasoline storage and transportation, manufacturing(i.e., coatings, inks, pigments, and similar products), and industrial protective coatings continued to increase. On the contrary, the contributions of oil and natural gas processing, automobile, and container manufacturing industries declined over the study period. Among the industrial emissions in China in 2019, industrial coating, printing, and basic organic chemical industries emitted large amounts of VOCs(accounting for 39.2% of the total emission), and because their contribution became increasingly prominent since 2011, these sectors will be the key emission sources in the future. With respect to the spatial distribution in 2019, East China and South China had the largest VOCs emissions. Shandong, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang were the four provinces that contributed the most, accounting for 40.6% of the total VOCs emissions.

[Coating-derived VOCs Emission Characteristics and Environmental Impacts from the Furniture Industry in Guangdong Province].

To determine the differences in emissions among different types of coatings, such as solvent-based, water-based, solvent-based ultra-violet(UV), water-based UV, and powder coatings, representative furniture manufacturing companies were selected for analysis. The emission concentrations and compositional characteristics of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) in different types of coatings were compared and studied. The ozone formation potential(OFP) and secondary organic aerosol formation potential(SOAFP) of the different types of coatings were also analyzed. Solvent-based coatings has higher TVOC concentrations, OFPs, and SOAFPs than water-based, solvent-based UV, water-based UV, and powder coatings. The concentrations and composition of VOCs emitted from the different types of coatings were also different. The main VOC groups of the solvent-based and solvent-based UV coatings were aromatic hydrocarbons and oxygenated volatile organic compounds(OVOCs). Specifically, the proportions of aromatic hydrocarbons are 41.91%-60.67% and 42.51%-43.00%, respectively, and the proportions of OVOCs were 24.75%-41.29% and 41.34%-43.21%, respectively. OVOCs accounted for the highest proportion of VOCs in the water-based, water-based UV, and powder coatings, at 54.02%-62.10%, 55.23%-64.81%, and 42.98%-46.45%, respectively. The major VOC compound of the solvent-based coatings was styrene(14.68%), and the main component of the water-based coatings was methylal(14.61%). The main species of VOCs from the solvent-based UV and water-based UV coatings were butyl acetate(15.36% and 20.56%, respectively). The most abundant species from the powder coatings was ethyl 3-ethoxy propionate(20.19%). Aromatic hydrocarbons were the most important contributor to the OFP of the solvent-based and solvent-based UV coatings, accounting for 79.84% and 80.32%, respectively. Aromatic hydrocarbons(51.48% and 36.71%) and OVOCs(42.30% and 41.03%) were the major contributors to the OFP of the water-based and water-based UV coatings, respectively. Aromatic hydrocarbons(43.46%), OVOCs(28.06%), and olefins(25.24%) were the main factors affecting the OFP of the powder coatings. Aromatic hydrocarbons dominate the SOAFP of solvent-based, water-based, solvent-based UV, water-based UV, and powder coatings, accounting for more than 99%.

Volatile organic compounds concentration profiles and control strategy in container manufacturing industry: Case studies in China.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), important precursors of ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), are the key to curb the momentum of O3 growth and further reducing PM2.5 in China. Container manufacturing industry is one of the major VOC emitters, and more than 96% containers of the world are produced in China, with the annual usage of coatings of over 200,000 tons in recent years. This is the first research on the emission characteristics of VOCs in Chinese container manufacturing industry, including concentration and ozone formation potential (OFP) of each species. The result shows that the largest amounts of VOCs are emitted during the pretreatment process, followed by the paint mixing process and primer painting process, and finally other sprays process. The average VOC concentrations in the workshops, the exhausts before treatment and the exhausts after treatment are ranging from 82.67-797.46 , 170-1,812.65 , 66.20-349.63 mg/m3, respectively. Benzenes, alcohols and ethers are main species, which contribute more than 90% OFP together. Based on the emission characteristics of VOCs and the technical feasibility, it is recommended to set the emission limit in standard of benzene to 1.0 mg/m3, toluene to 10 mg/m3, xylene to 20 mg/m3, benzenes to 40 mg/m3, alcohols and ethers to 50 mg/m3, and VOCs to 100 mg/m3. The study reports the industry emission characteristics and discusses the standard limits, which is a powerful support to promote VOCs emission reduction, and to promote the coordinated control of PM2.5 and O3 pollution.

[Sources and Control Area Division of Ozone Pollution in Cities at Prefecture Level and Above in China].

Based on the ground-level ozone concentration monitoring data in 2018, the ozone concentrations in 338 cities at the prefecture level and above were analyzed, and the TCEQ method was utilized to calculate the amount of locally generated ozone and regionally transported ozone in each city to divide the national ozone pollution control area and develop appropriate ozone pollution control measures. Correlation analysis was conducted between the amount of locally generated ozone and the daily maximum 8 h average ozone in each city to determine the main source of ozone pollution by determination coefficient (R2). The results show that 121 cities (35.8%) in China exceeded the standard in O3 concentration in 2018. The local generation of O3 in 104 cities has a great impact on the local O3 pollution, and is its main cause. In the other 234 cities, the main source of O3 pollution is regionally transported O3. Cities are classified into four categories based on their ozone concentration levels and pollution sources:cities with a nonattainment ozone situation and mainly locally generated ozone (N-L), cities with a nonattainment ozone situation and mainly regionally transported ozone (N-T), cities with a standard ozone situation and mainly locally generated ozone (S-L), and cities with a standard ozone situation and mainly regionally transported ozone (S-T). Finally, according to the proportion of four city types in each province, the whole country is divided into three types of control areas:severe, moderate, and general. N-L cities in the severe control area account for the largest proportion (20.3%) of the three types of control areas and the pollution is the highest; the proportion of the four categories of cities in the moderate control area are all medium; the general control area mainly includes S-T cities (65.4%), and the pollution is the lowest.

Resolution of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection and Pulmonary Pathology With Nebulized DAS181: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections commonly lead to respiratory failure and potentially fatal systemic inflammation and organ failure. Nebulized DAS181, a host-directed biologics with sialidase activity, is an investigational drug with antiviral activities on parainfluenza and influenza under phase 3 and phase 2 development. The objective of this study (NCT04324489) is to investigate the safety and effects of nebulized DAS181 on hypoxic coronavirus disease 2019 patients. DESIGN: Single-center, prospective, open-label, compassionate use. SETTING: Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and Department of Infectious Diseases. SUBJECTS: Patients 18 to 70 years old who met Chinese criteria for severe coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia and required supplemental oxygen but not on mechanical ventilator at screening. INTERVENTIONS: Nebulized DAS181 (4.5 mg) twice a day for 10 days. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Three male coronavirus disease 2019 hypoxic patients with bilateral lung involvement completed DAS181 treatment for 10 days. By day 14, all achieved return to room air (primary endpoint) and their nasopharyngeal swabs were negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Clinical severity improved from severe coronavirus disease 2019 at baseline to moderate or mild disease by day 5, consistent with rapid reduction of inflammatory cytokines by days 2-3 and radiologic improvement by days 5-10. No DAS181-related adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Inhalation of DAS181 was well tolerated and potential clinical benefit of DAS181 on hypoxic coronavirus disease 2019 is the reduction of supplemental oxygen need. Efficacy and safety, including pharmacokinetics and viral studies of DAS181 in severe, hypoxic coronavirus disease 2019, should be examined by a double-blind, randomized controlled study.

[Characteristics of Surface Ozone and Impact Factors at Different Station Types During the Autumn in Guangzhou].

Surface ozone (O3) has become the primary air pollutant in Guangzhou. Due to the influences of topography, meteorological conditions, and differences in precursor emissions, there are also large differences in the characteristics, formation mechanisms, and influencing factors of ozone in different areas of the same city. Based on the ground measurement data for October 2015 at four air quality monitoring stations that represent different types of regions in Guangzhou [urban area:Guangzhou Monitoring Center (GMC); upwind suburbs:Huadu Normal School (HNS); downwind suburbs:Panyu Middle School (PMS); Mountain area:Maofengshan (MFS)] and the WRF simulated meteorological data, the changing characteristics, influencing factors, and sensitivity of O3 were studied at each station. The results showed that the diurnal variation of O3 and NOx exhibit unimodal and bimodal characteristics (except for NOx at the MFS station). The peak ozone concentration appeared on Saturday at the GMC, HNS, and MFS stations, and on Thursday at the PMS station. The ozone concentration at the MFS station was the highest (98.61 µg·m-3), whereas that at the GMC station was the lowest (44.83 µg·m-3). The NOx inflection point intervals for O3 at different sites were:GMC:55-90 µg·m-3; PMS:30-60 µg·m-3; MFS:10-20 µg·m-3. The temperature inflection point intervals affecting the rate of O3 formation at different sites were:GMC:28-30℃; HNS:26-28℃; PMS:24-26℃; however, this was not obvious at the MFS station. The relative humidity inflection point intervals were:GMC:55%-65% ; HNS and PMS:60%-70% ; MFS:80%-85%. The wind speed(WS) of the light wind type was proportional to the O3 concentration. The O3 concentration at the PMS site was the highest in the northwest wind direction, and the O3 concentration at the MFS site was the highest in the other wind directions. By analyzing the multivariate linear fitting of impact factors on the O3 concentration, the main controlling factors at each site were:GMC:WS and T; PMS and HNS:T and RH; MFS:RH and WS. The ozone sensitivity at each site was as follows:GMC and HNS had a VOCs-limited regime, MFS had a NOx-limited regime, and PMS had a transition regime.

[Characteristics of Volatile Organic Compounds in Wood Coatings and Automotive Coatings in China].

Presently, there are a few studies on the measurement of industrial organic solvents in China. To determine the content and species of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in industrial organic solvents and to provide the emission factors of organic solvents, the Chinese wood and automotive coatings, which accounted for the largest proportion of production in the world, were investigated. Coating samples were obtained by sampling from companies and buying from markets, and were measured in accordance with the domestic standard testing methods for coatings. The content and composition spectrum of VOCs in the coatings were determined, and the ozone formation potential (OFP) was then calculated. The results showed that for wood coatings, the average content of the VOCs in solvent-based, water-based, and ultra-violet (UV) coatings were 37.28%, 9.88%, and 18.02%, respectively. For automotive coatings, the average content of the VOCs in water-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM) coating, solvent-based OEM coating, water-based refinishing coating, and solvent-based refinishing coating were 15.06%, 59.90%, 11.79%, and 54.50%, respectively. The content of the VOCs in different types of coatings varied substantially. The main components and OFP contributors were alcohols and ethers for water-based coatings, benzene series and esters for solvent-based coatings, and esters, alcohols, and ethers for UV coatings. The average value of the coating samples could meet the current mandatory national standards, but 12% of the solvent-based wood coating samples and 42% of the solvent-based OEM coating samples did not meet the standards. In addition, except for the benzene series of the water-based wood coatings, the contents of harmful substances in other coating samples were up to the standards.

Relationships of ozone formation sensitivity with precursors emissions, meteorology and land use types, in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, China.

Due to the influences of precursors emissions, meteorology, geography and other factors, ozone formation sensitivity (OFS) is generally spatially and temporally heterogeneous. This study characterized detailed spatial and temporal variations of OFS in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) from 2012 to 2016 based on OMI satellite data, and analyzed the relationships of OFS with precursors emissions, meteorology and land use types (LUTs). From 2012 to 2016, the OFS tended to be NOx-limited in GBA, with the value of FNR (HCHO/NO2) increasing from 2.04 to 2.22. According to the total annual emission statistics of precursors, NOx emissions decreased by 33.1% and VOCs emissions increased by 35.2% from 2012 to 2016, directly resulting in OFS tending to be NOx-limited. The Grey Relation Analysis results show that total column water (TCW), surface net solar radiation (SSR), air temperature at 2 m (T2) and surface pressure (SP) are the top four meteorological factors with the greatest influences on OFS. There are significant positive correlations between FNR and T2, SSR, TCW, and significant negative correlations between FNR and SP. In GBA, the OFS tends to be NOx-limited regime in wet season (higher T2, SSR, TCW and lower SP) and VOCs-limited regime in dry season (lower T2, SSR, TCW and higher SP). The FNR displays obvious gradient variations on different LUTs, with the highest in "Rural areas", second in "Suburban areas" and lowest in "Urban areas".

Identification of Acute Pancreatitis-Related Genes and Pathways by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The present study aimed to identify the differential expressed genes that are related to acute pancreatitis. METHODS: Microarray datasets GSE109227 and GSE3644 were downloaded from the public database and analyzed to screen the genes. Afterward, integrated analysis of these genes were performed, including gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction network construction, expression level evaluation in human organs, relevant miRNAs and TFs prediction, and prognosis values of hub genes in pancreatic carcinoma. RESULTS: A total number of 93 differential expressed genes were screened from the datasets, and EGFR, CDH1, ACTB, CD44, and VCL were identified as hub DEGs. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that these genes were mostly enriched in biological processes such as cell adhesion, platelet aggregation, glycoprotein binding, and also involved in multiple pathways included adherent junction, proteoglycans in cancer, bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, focal adhesion, Rap1 signaling pathway, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and pathways in cancers. The five hub genes were all expressed in human pancreas organs with various levels. Hub gene-related network investigation predicted core miRNAs including hsa-mir-16-5p and main TFs like SOX9 with close interactions with these hub genes. Survival analysis also indicated that the high expression of EGFR, CDH1, ACTB, CD44, and VCL were significantly associated with poor prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggested that hub genes EGFR, CDH1, ACTB, CD44, and VCL may play vital role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis and may serve as potential biomarkers to facilitate future acute pancreatitis diagnosis and treatment.

[Volatile Organic Compound Emission Characteristics of Furniture Manufacturing Enterprises and the Influence on the Atmospheric Environment].

The furniture manufacturing industry is a typical industry with high pollution, low added value, relatively outdated technology and low levels of pollution control. The process of furniture manufacturing uses a large number of paints and adhesives, which emit a great quantity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The furniture manufacturing industry is a key industry for the control of VOCs in China. The VOCs emission characteristics and environmental impact of the furniture manufacturing industry has been studied in this work, which could be helpful for the Chinese government when formulating VOCs pollution control policy for this industry. In this study, a typical furniture manufacturing enterprise was chosen as the object. The emission concentration level and source profile of VOCs in a typical enterprise was obtained, and an assessment of the environmental impact of furniture manufacturing was developed. The results showed that the concentration of VOCs in the workshop ranged from 9.18 to 181.58 mg·m-3, the concentration of VOCs in the stack was 30.64-155.94 mg·m-3, and the treatment efficiency was 7.43%-67.14%. The main species of VOCs in the workshop were aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, and aldehydes and ketones; the main species of VOCs in the stack are esters and aromatic hydrocarbons, followed by alkanes, and the main VOCs in the industry are sec-butyl acetate, toluene, m-xylene, methylal and ethylbenzene. The average ozone generation potential (OFP) of workshop and stack VOCs was 258.01 and 289.14 mg·m-3, respectively, and the average secondary organic aerosol generation potential (SOAFP) of workshop and stack VOCs was 148.66 and 165.31 mg·m-3, respectively. The most important contribution to the OFP and SOAFP in each emission sector is aromatic hydrocarbons. The OFP and SOAFP in the edge-sealing workshop are large and the VOCs should be controlled. The main malodorous substances at the shop boundary are sec-butyl acetate, m-xylene, butyl acetate, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, 1-ethyl-3-methylbenzene, o-xylene, and toluene; the VOCs at the factory boundary produce almost no odor pollution. Targeted enhanced control of aromatic hydrocarbons and esters should be adopted to achieve effective emission reduction of VOCs in furniture manufacturing.

Identification of novel genes associated with a poor prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via a bioinformatics analysis.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a class of the commonest malignant carcinomas. The present study aimed to elucidate the potential biomarker and prognostic targets in PDAC. The array data of GSE41368, GSE43795, GSE55643, and GSE41369 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) in PDAC were obtained by using GEO2R, and overlapped DEGs were acquired with Venn Diagrams. Functional enrichment analysis of overlapped DEGs and DEmiRNAs was conducted with Metascape and FunRich, respectively. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of overlapped DEGs was constructed by STRING and visualized with Cytoscape. Overall survival (OS) of DEmiRNAs and hub genes were investigated by Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter (KM plotter). Transcriptional data and correlation analyses among hub genes were verified through GEPIA and Human Protein Atlas (HPA). Additionally, miRNA targets were searched using miRTarBase, then miRNA-DEG regulatory network was visualized with Cytoscape. A total of 32 DEmiRNAs and 150 overlapped DEGs were identified, and Metascape showed that DEGs were significantly enriched in cellular chemical homeostasis and pathways in cancer, while DEmiRNAs were mainly enriched in signal transduction and Glypican pathway. Moreover, seven hub genes with a high degree, namely, V-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (MYC), solute carrier family 2 member 1 (SLC2A1), PKM, plasminogen activator, urokinase (PLAU), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARG), MET proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase (MET), and integrin subunit α 3 (ITGA3), were identified and found to be up-regulated between PDAC and normal tissues. miR-135b, miR-221, miR-21, miR-27a, miR-199b-5p, miR-143, miR-196a, miR-655, miR-455-3p, miR-744 and hub genes predicted poor OS of PDAC. An integrative bioinformatics analysis identified several hub genes that may serve as potential biomarkers or targets for early diagnosis and precision target treatment of PDAC.