On the association between daily mortality and air mass types in Athens,Greece during winter and summer

In this study, we examined the short-term effects of air mass types on mortality in Athens, Greece. An objective air mass types classification was used, based on meteorological parameters measured at the surface. Mortality data were treated with generalized additive models (GAM) and extending Poisson regression, using a LOESS smoother to control for the confounding effects of seasonal patterns, adjusting also for temperature, long-term trends, day of the week, and ambient particle concentrations. The introduced air mass classification explains the daily variation of mortality to a statistically significant degree. The highest daily mortality was observed on days characterized by southerly flow conditions for both the cold (increase in relative risk for mortality 9%; with a 95% confidence interval: 3-14%), and the warm period (7%; with a 95% confidence interval: 2-13%) of the year. The northeasterly flow is associated with the lowest mortality. Effects on mortality, independent of temperature, are observed mainly for lag 0 during the cold period, but persist longer during the warm period. Not adjusting for temperature and/or ambient particle levels slightly alters the results, which then reflect the known temperature and particle effects, already reported in the literature. In conclusion, we find that air mass types have independent effects on mortality for both the cold and warm season and may be used to predict weather-related adverse health effects.     

High Levels of Cadmium and Lead in Seminal Fluid and Blood of Smoking Men are Associated with High Oxidative Stress and Damage in Infertile Subjects

We measured the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and reducte glutathione (GSH) in seminal plasma and spermatozoa from 95 subjects including 50 infertile patients to evaluate the association between oxidative stress and damage and the components of the anti-oxidant defenses in seminal plasma and spermatozoa of infertile subjects and concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in the blood and seminal plasma because of tobacco smoke exposure. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) in spermatozoa were also evaluated by luminol (5-amino-2,3-dihydro-1,4-phthalazinedione)-enhanced chemiluminescence assay. The sperm count, motility, and morphology in the smokers infertile group were found to be lower than those in the fertile male group and nonsmokers infertile group (p < 0.001). Concentrations of Cd, Pb, MDA, protein carbonyls, and ROS levels in the smokers infertile group were significantly higher than those in the fertile male and nonsmokers infertile male groups (p < 0.001). However, GSH levels and GST activities were decreased in the smokers infertile male group than those in the fertile male and nonsmokers infertile male groups (p < 0.001). The results indicate that smoking could affect semen quality and oxidative lipid and protein damage in human spermatozoa. From Pearson correlation analysis, positive correlations were demonstrated between the seminal plasma Cd and seminal plasma protein carbonyls and between seminal plasma Pb and spermatozoa ROS levels in smokers of the subfertile group, while there was a significant positive correlation between blood Cd and ROS levels in smokers of the fertile group. There was also a significant negative correlation of the Cd level of the blood and GSH levels of the sperm and seminal plasma. These findings suggest that cigarette smoking enhances the levels of Cd and Pb in seminal plasma and blood and the extent of oxidative damage associated with a decrease in components of the anti-oxidant defenses in the sperm of infertile males.     

Evidence for direct effects of fire‐cues on germination of some perennial forbs common in grassy ecosystems

In grassy ecosystems of south‐eastern Australia, fire maintains richness of native forbs. It is commonly thought that fire promotes regeneration indirectly by reducing competition for light and providing gaps for recruitment, rather than directly stimulating germination. However, physiological dormancy and morphophysiological dormancy are common, and few studies have explored responses to fire‐cues among dormant or hard‐to‐germinate forbs. Recent studies from other fire‐prone ecosystems suggest that in some cases, fire‐cues may not alleviate physiological or morphophysiological dormancy, but instead promote germination in combination with treatments which alleviate dormancy. We experimentally tested the prevailing hypothesis that perennial forbs common in south‐eastern Australian grassy ecosystems do not germinate in direct response to fire. Responses to fire‐cues both inherently and in combination with treatments which alleviate dormancy were investigated for seven species. Two fire‐cues (smoke and heat) plus a treatment of both heat + smoke were applied to fresh seed at three temperatures (35/25°C, 30/20°C and 25/15°C). Following this, the effect of fire‐cues on seed that had undergone warm stratification, cold stratification and dry‐after‐ripening was investigated. Three species — Arthropodium strictum, Cheiranthera cyanea and Dianella revoluta — responded to fire‐cues inherently, although germination in C. cyanea was low. High germination of D. revoluta was found when fire‐cues were combined with warm stratification. Fire‐cues had no effect on germination of Brunonia australis, Burchardia umbellata and Eryngium ovinum. Germination of Stypandra glauca was zero following all treatment combinations. Our finding that fire‐cues promote germination of three of the seven study species did not provide sufficient evidence to reject the current hypothesis that germination of perennial forbs is not typically promoted by fire‐cues. However, this study highlights the important direct role fire‐cues can play in promoting germination of some perennial forbs both inherently and in combination with treatments used to alleviate physiological dormancy.     

Evolutionary history of fire‐stimulated resprouting,flowering, seed release and germination

Fire has shaped the evolution of many plant traits in fire‐prone environments: fire‐resistant tissues with heat‐insulated meristems, post‐fire resprouting or fire‐killed but regenerating from stored seeds, fire‐stimulated flowering, release of on‐plant‐stored seeds, and germination of soil‐stored seeds. Flowering, seed release and germination fit into three categories of response to intensifying fire: fire not required, weakly fire‐adapted or strongly fire‐adapted. Resprouting also has three categories but survival is always reduced by increasing fire intensity. We collated 286 records for 20 angiosperm and two gymnosperm families and 50 trait assignments to dated phylogenies. We placed these into three fire‐adapted trait types: those associated with the origin of their clade and the onset of fire‐proneness [primary diversification, contributing 20% of speciation events over the last 120 million years (My)], those originating much later coincident with a change in the fire regime (secondary diversification, 30%), and those conserved in the daughter lineage as already adapted to the fire regime (stabilisation, 50%). All four fire‐response types could be traced to >100 My ago (Mya) with pyrogenic flowering slightly younger because of its dependence on resprouting. There was no evidence that resprouting was always an older trait than either seed storage or non‐sprouting throughout this period, with either/both ancestral or derived in different clades and times. Fire‐adapted traits evolved slowly in the Cretaceous, 120–65 Mya, and rapidly but fitfully in the Cenozoic, 65–0 Mya, peaking over the last 20 My. The four trait‐types climaxed at different times, with the peak in resprouter speciation over the last 5 My attributable to fluctuating growing conditions and increasing savanna grasslands unsuitable for non‐sprouters. All experienced a trough in the 40–30‐Mya period following a reduction in world temperatures and oxygen levels and expected reduced fire activity. Thick bark and serotiny arose in the Mid‐Cretaceous among extant Pinaceae. Heat‐stimulated germination of hard seeds is ancestral in the 103‐My‐old Fabales. Smoke‐(karrikin)‐stimulated germination of non‐hard seeds is even older, and includes the 101‐My‐old Restionaceae–Anarthriaceae. A smoke/karrikin response is detectable in some fire‐free lineages that prove to have a fire‐prone ancestry. Among clades that are predominantly fire‐prone, absence of fire‐related traits is the advanced condition, associated either with increased fire frequency (loss of serotiny and soil storage), or migration to fire‐free habitats (loss of thick bark, pyrogenic flowering, serotiny or soil storage). Protea (Africa) and Hakea (Australia) illustrate the importance of stabilisation processes between resprouting/non‐sprouting in accounting for speciation events over the last 20 My and highlight the frequent interchange possible between these two traits. Apart from Pinus, most ancestral trait reconstruction relative to fire has been conducted on predominantly Southern Hemisphere clades and this needs to be redressed. Despite these limitations, it is clear that fire has had a profound effect on fire‐related trait evolution worldwide, and set the platform for subsequent evolution of many non‐fire‐related traits. Genetics of the triggering mechanisms remain poorly understood, except the karrikin system for smoke‐stimulated germination. We exhort biologists to include fire‐proneness and fire‐related traits in their thinking on possible factors controlling the evolution of plants.     

Proteomic Analysis of Vocal Fold Fibroblasts Exposed to Cigarette Smoke Extract: Exploring the Pathophysiology of Reinke's Edema,

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Highlights

• •First global study on laryngeal cells cultured with cigarette smoke enriched medium.
• •Vocal fold fibroblasts increased production of ECM component hyaluronan.
• •Expression of several fibrillar collagens was reduced.

     

Hydrodynamic delivery of IL-28B (IFN-λ3) gene ameliorates lung inflammation induced by cigarette smoke exposure in mice

Cigarette smoke (CS) is the principal cause of pulmonary inflammatory response. IL-28 (IFN-λ) is a novel group of class II cytokines targeting the epithelial cells and IL-28 responses prominent in lungs can exert important immunomodulatory effects. We tested the hypothesis that IL-28B may modulate the lung inflammation induced by CS. Groups of mice were exposed to CS two times per day for 11 consecutive days. CS exposure induced lymphocyte, neutrophil and macrophage infiltration and inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)-α, IL-17, and IL-4) in the airways. More importantly, all these CS-induced pathogenic changes were significantly inhibited by hydrodynamic delivery of plasmid DNA encoding mouse IL-28B. Thus, our results suggest that IL-28 cytokines are beneficial for the suppression of CS-mediated airway inflammation and may be a therapeutic target in CS-related diseases.     

The influence of 5-lipoxygenase on cigarette smoke-induced emphysema in mice

Background

Pulmonary emphysema is characterized by the loss of lung architecture. Our hypothesis is that the inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) production may be an important strategy to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and metalloproteinases in lung tissue resulting from cigarette smoke (CS)-induced emphysema.

Methods

5-LO knockout (129S2-Alox5^tm1Fun/J) and wild-type (WT) mice (129S2/SvPas) were exposed to CS for 60 days. Mice exposed to ambient air were used as Controls. Oxidative, inflammatory, and proteolytic markers were analyzed.

Results

The alveolar diameter was decreased in CS 5-LO^−/− mice when compared with the WT CS group. The CS exposure resulted in less pronounced pulmonary inflammation in the CS 5-LO^−/− group. The CS 5-LO^−/− group showed leukotriene B4 values comparable to those of the Control group. The expression of MMP-9 was decreased in the CS 5-LO^−/− group when compared with the CS WT group. The expression of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were decreased in the CS 5-LO^−/− group when compared with the Control group. The protein expression of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 was reduced in the CS 5-LO^−/− group when compared to the CS WT group.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we show for the first time that 5-LO deficiency protects 129S2 mice against emphysema caused by CS. We suggest that the main mechanism of pathogenesis in this model involves the imbalance between proteases and antiproteases, particularly the association between MMP-9 and TIMP-1.General significanceThis study demonstrates the influence of 5-LO mediated oxidative stress, inflammation, and proteolytic markers in CS exposed mice.     

特色烟用甜香型葡萄香料的制备及其在降低卷烟自由基中的应用

为开发一种具有降低卷烟自由基的特色甜香型烟用香料,从天然的西红柿中筛选出产甜香菌株酿酒酵母（Saccharomycescerevisiae）PDH-2,应用此菌株开发特色烟用葡萄香料。结果表明：所得香料在卷烟中具有增加香气量、赋予卷烟甜香香韵以及降低喉部刺激性等作用,对卷烟烟气自由基清除率可达28．8％。     

慢性支气管炎动物模型研究进展

慢性支气管炎是呼吸系统发病率和死亡率高的一种重要原因,临床和基础研究进展缓慢。吸入烟雾、空气污染物与职业接触慢性刺激传导气道是慢性支气管炎发病的关键因素。近年来虽提出各种各样动物模型,但具实用价值者仍极有限。复制慢性支气管炎动物模型有周期长、个体差异大、检测困难及可靠性差等问题。本文简要介绍烟熏、吸入SO2与气管内滴注脂多糖等最常用的慢性支气管炎动物模型的研究进展。将有益于抗慢性支气管炎药物研究时的更多选择应用。