Ultrafine particulate matter pollution and dysfunction of endoplasmic reticulum Ca store: A pathomechanism shared with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis motor neurons?

Increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases has been envisaged for air pollution exposure. On the other hand, environmental risk factors, including air pollution, have been suggested for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) pathomechanism. Therefore, the neurotoxicity of ultrafine particulate matter (PM0.

Size-Based Effects of Anthropogenic Ultrafine Particles on Lysosomal TRPML1 Channel and Autophagy in Motoneuron-like Cells.

Background: An emerging body of evidence indicates an association between anthropogenic particulate matter (PM) and neurodegeneration. Although the historical focus of PM toxicity has been on the cardiopulmonary system, ultrafine PM particles can also exert detrimental effects in the brain. However, only a few studies are available on the harmful interaction between PM and CNS and on the putative pathomechanisms.

Size-based effects of anthropogenic ultrafine particles on activation of human lung macrophages.

The anthropogenic particulate matter (PM), suspended air dust that can be inhaled by humans and deposited in the lungs, is one of the main pollutants in the industrialized cities atmosphere. Recent studies have shown that PM has adverse effects on respiratory diseases. These effects are mainly due to the ultrafine particles (PM0.

On-line fast analysis of light hydrocarbons, PAH and radicals by molecular-beam time of flight mass spectrometry.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), emitted in the environment from a wide range of combustion sources, are hazardous to human health and considered important precursors of both primary and secondary particulate pollutants. In the present work, light hydrocarbons up to C, as main components of combustion-derived VOC, and PAH produced in fuel-rich conditions of premixed ethylene flames were analyzed by implementing a molecular-beam time of flight mass spectrometer (MB-TOFMS), purposely built for on-line fast monitoring of the environmental impact of combustion systems. The reliability of the MB-TOFMS was preliminarily verified on a slightly-sooting flame, comparing the results with those obtained by batch sampling and gas chromatographic techniques.

Blue and green luminescent carbon nanodots from controllable fuel-rich flame reactors.

The continuous synthesis in controlled gas flame reactors is here demonstrated as a very effective approach for the direct and easy production of structurally reproducible carbon nanodots. In this work, the design of a simple deposition system, inserted into the reactor, is introduced. A controlled flame reactor is employed in the present investigation.

Insights on Clusters Formation Mechanism by Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. 1. The Case of Ethanol-Water Clusters.

In the present work, water clusters with the addition of an electrophilic molecule such as ethanol have been studied by time of flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). Mass distributions of molecular clusters of ethanol, water, and ethanol-water mixed clusters were obtained by two different ionization methods: electron ionization (EI) and picosecond laser photo-ionization (PI) at a wavelength of 355 nm. It was shown that short pulse laser ionization increases the signal intensity and promotes the extension of the detected mass range of the clusters in comparison with EI.

Vibrationally resolved high-resolution NEXAFS and XPS spectra of phenanthrene and coronene.

We performed a combined experimental and theoretical study of the C1s Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine-Structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy in the gas phase of two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (phenanthrene and coronene), typically formed in combustion reactions. In the NEXAFS of both molecules, a double-peak structure appears in the C1s → LUMO region, which differ by less than 1 eV in transition energies. The vibronic coupling is found to play an important role in such systems.

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sequences in a premixed laminar flame by on-line time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer in reflectron configuration has been used for the real-time detection of combustion products. The products of a premixed laminar C2H4/O2 flame at atmospheric pressure were sampled along its axis, diluted with inert gas and carried to the ion source as a molecular beam under minimal perturbation. Electron ionization and different optical ionization sources are compared.

Fluorescence spectroscopy of complex aromatic mixtures.

The contribution of two- to seven-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and of larger aromatic structures contained in complex PAH-laden mixtures collected in flames was evaluated by fluorescence spectroscopy. A composition procedure of the fluorescence spectra of individual PAHs, analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was applied for the evaluation of their contribution to the fluorescence spectra of PAH-laden mixtures. In this way, it was possible to put in evidence the contribution to the total fluorescence spectrum of high molecular weight aromatic species present in the PAH-laden mixtures and not detectable by GC/MS.

Oligomeric carbon and siloxane series observed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation and laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry during the analysis of soot formed in fuel-rich flames.

Oligomeric carbon and siloxane series have been observed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), during the analysis of the dichloromethane (DCM)-soluble fractions of condensable material recovered from fuel-rich flames. Laser desorption (LD) spectra showed a pattern of oligomeric dimethyl-siloxane structures with a spacing of 74 u. The siloxane series appears to have originated as contamination of samples by silicone oil used to lubricate connections of polymer tubing.