Spatial variability of pollution source contributions during two (2012-2013 and 2018-2019) sampling campaigns at ten sites in Los Angeles basin.

This study assessed the spatial variability of PM source contributions across ten sites located in the South Coast Air Basin, California. Eight pollution sources and their contributions were obtained using positive matrix factorization (PMF) from the PM compositional data collected during the two sampling campaigns (2012/13 and 2018/19) of the Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study (MATES). The identified sources were "gasoline vehicles", "aged sea salt", "biomass burning", "secondary nitrate", "secondary sulfate", "diesel vehicles", "soil/road dust" and "OP-rich".

Association between skin lymphangiogenesis parameters and arterial hypertension status in patients: An observational study.

Background: Recent studies have indicated that the skin lymphatic system and interstitium may play a role in the pathophysiology of arterial hypertension (AH).

Objectives: We aimed to determine whether the set of pathway parameters described previously in rodents would allow for the distinction between hypertensive and normotensive patients.

Material And Methods: Molecular and histopathological parameters from the skin and blood of patients with AH (AH group, n = 53), resistant AH (RAH group, n = 32) and control (C group, n = 45) were used, and a statistical multivariate bootstrap methodology combining partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and selectivity ratio (SR) were applied.

Common and distinct pollution sources identified from ambient PM concentrations in two sites of Los Angeles Basin from 2005 to 2019.

The effects of air quality control policies implemented in California from 2005 to 2019 targeting sources contributing to ambient PM concentrations, were assessed at two sampling sites in the Los Angeles Basin (N. Main Street and Rubidoux). The spatial and temporal variations of pollution source contributions obtained from dispersion-normalized positive matrix factorization, (DN-PMF) were interpreted with respect to site specific locations.

Quantification and Detection of Ground Garlic Adulteration Using Fourier-Transform Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectra.

This study demonstrates the rapid and cost-effective possibility of quantifying adulterant amounts (corn flour or corn starch) in ground and dried garlic samples. Prepared mixtures with different concentrations of selected adulterant were effectively characterized using Fourier-transform near-infrared reflectance spectra (FT-NIR), and multivariate calibration models were developed using two methods: principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR). They were constructed for optimally preprocessed FT-NIR spectra, and PLSR models generally performed better regarding model fit and predictions than PCR.

Sodium accumulation in the skin is associated with higher density of skin lymphatic vessels in patients with arterial hypertension.

Purpose: Recent studies, conducted mainly on the rodent model, have demonstrated that regulatory pathway in the skin provided by glycosaminoglycans, nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5), vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and process of lymphangiogenesis may play an important role in extrarenal regulation of sodium (Na) balance, body water volume, and blood pressure. We aimed to investigate the concentrations and relations among the main factors of this pathway in human skin to confirm that this regulatory axis also exists in humans.

Patients And Methods: Skin specimens from patients diagnosed with arterial hypertension and from control group were histologically and molecularly examined.

Monitoring the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, Zn, Mn and Fe in cultivated Haplic Luvisol soils using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy and chemometrics.

This study illustrates the successful application of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy extended with chemometric modeling to profile Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, Zn, Mn, and Fe in cultivated and fertilized Haplic Luvisol soils. The partial least-squares regression (PLSR) models were built to predict the elements present in the soil samples at very low contents. A total of 234 soil samples were investigated, and their reflectance spectra were recorded in the spectral range of 1100-2500 nm.

Assessment of the Kernel Gram Matrix Representation of Data in Order to Avoid the Alignment of Chromatographic Signals.

This article discusses the possibility of exploratory data analysis of samples described by second-order chromatographic data affected by peak shifts. In particular, the potential of the kernel Gram matrix representation as an alternative to the necessary and time-consuming alignment step is evaluated. It was demonstrated through several simulation studies and comparisons that even small peak shifts can be a substantial source of data variance, and they can easily hamper the interpretation of chromatographic data.

Serum metabolomics approach to monitor the changes in metabolite profiles following renal transplantation.

Systemic metabolic changes after renal transplantation reflect the key processes that are related to graft accommodation. In order to describe and better understand these changes, the HNMR based metabolomics approach was used. The changes of 47 metabolites in the serum samples of 19 individuals were interpreted over time with respect to their levels prior to transplantation.

Detecting chemical markers to uncover counterfeit rebated excise duty diesel oil.

In this study, differences in the chemical compositions of rebated excise duty diesel oil samples that were caused by fuel laundering were investigated. Two possible laundering pathways were simulated using either reduction or adsorption agents in model samples that were spiked with Solvent Yellow 124 and Solvent Red 19. The samples were characterized by their chromatographic fingerprints, which were recorded using gas chromatography coupled with a nitrogen chemiluminescence detector.

Carbapenemase Production of Clinical Isolates Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a Bulgarian University Hospital.

Background: Production of Bla OXA-23, OXA-24, OXA-58 and hyperexpression of OXA-51 due to ISAba1 insertion sequence are the leading causes of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. The loss of OprD transmembrane protein and the overexpression of some effl ux pumps are considered to be the main factors for carbapenem resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa whereas metallo-enzymes' production has a secondary role.

Aim: Тo examine the carbapenem resistance due to carbapenemase production among clinically signifi cant Gram-negative non-fermenters from St George University hospital, Plovdiv: A.

Evaluation of antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella and Shigella isolates in the University Hospital "St. George," Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

The aim of this work is to study the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance to the most commonly used antibiotics for the treatment of acute gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella and Shigella at the largest Bulgarian hospital-University Hospital "St. George," Plovdiv-for the period 2009-2013. Two hundred ninety strains were in vitro tested for resistance to 15 antimicrobial agents.

A modified weighted mixture model for the interpretation of spatial and temporal changes in the microbial communities in drinking water reservoirs using compositional phospholipid fatty acid data.

The aim of this work was to check whether a methodology based on the analysis of data that contain the entire phospholipid fatty acid, PLFA, compositions of water samples can be successfully used to interpret spatial and temporal changes in the microbial communities in water reservoirs. The proposed methodology consists of the construction of a modified weighted multivariate mixture model for the PLFA profiles of the water samples collected in a given monitoring campaign and the identification of latent PLFA components through a comparison with the known PLFA profiles of some cultivated or non-cultivated microbial communities. A 16S rDNA analysis of some of the selected water samples in the monitoring campaign was performed in order to verify the results of the PLFA analysis.

Fusion of the H NMR data of serum, urine and exhaled breath condensate in order to discriminate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, affects the condition of the entire human organism and causes multiple comorbidities. Pathological lung changes lead to quantitative changes in the composition of the metabolites in different body fluids. The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, OSAS, occurs in conjunction with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in about 10-20 % of individuals who have COPD.

Optimization of extraction based on the thin-layer chromatographic fingerprints of common thyme.

The main goal of this study was to establish the optimum accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) conditions for the isolation of the total phenolics contained in common thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) based on the results of TLC. Additionally, two different extraction methods, i.

Prediction of the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity of tomato pastes from the IR and fluorescence excitation-emission spectra of extracts and intact samples.

The performance of the recently proposed excitation-emission fluorescence method was compared to the method using infrared measurements for the evaluation of the antioxidant properties of intact samples and extracts that had been obtained from tomato pastes. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (ORAC) was applied in order to estimate the antioxidant capacity of the extracts, while the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent was adopted for the evaluation of the total phenolic content. The optimal extraction conditions for tomato pastes (three minutes of sonication under 80°C) were determined using the central composite design.

The effect of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) supplementation on the activity of enzymes participating in the formation of arachidonic acid in liver microsomes of rats--probable mechanism of CLA anticancer activity.

The aim of the present research was to examine the effect of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) supplementation on the activity of enzymes that take part in the synthesis of arachidonic acid (AA) and also to investigate the relation between their activity and the neoplastic process. The enzyme activities were established indirectly, because their measure was the amount of AA formed in vitro, being developed from linoleic acid as determined in liver microsomes of Spraque-Dawley rats. In addition, the indices of Δ⁶-desaturase (D6D) and Δ⁵-desaturase (D5D) were determined.

Detection of discoloration in diesel fuel based on gas chromatographic fingerprints.

In the countries of the European Community, diesel fuel samples are spiked with Solvent Yellow 124 and either Solvent Red 19 or Solvent Red 164. Their presence at a given concentration indicates the specific tax rate and determines the usage of fuel. The removal of these so-called excise duty components, which is known as fuel "laundering", is an illegal action that causes a substantial loss in a government's budget.

Study on anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of clomipramine in carrageenan- and lipopolysaccharide-induced rat models of inflammation.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of clomipramine in carrageenan- and lipopolysaccharide-induced (LPS-induced) models of inflammation by investigating the changes in serum levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α and the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β after single and repeated administration of the drug. In order to study the effect of single and repeated doses of clomipramine on carrageenan-induced paw oedema, male Wistar rats were divided in five groups ( = 8): control, positive control group and three experimental groups treated with 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg bw clomipramine, respectively. The effect of single and repeated doses of clomipramine on serum cytokine levels was studied as animals were divided in four groups: two control groups treated with saline and two experimental groups treated with clomipramine 20 mg/kg bw.

Wine authenticity verification as a forensic problem: an application of likelihood ratio test to label verification.

The aim of the study was to investigate the applicability of the likelihood ratio (LR) approach for verifying the authenticity of 178 samples of 3 Italian wine brands: Barolo, Barbera, and Grignolino described by 27 parameters describing their chemical compositions. Since the problem of products authenticity may be of forensic interest, the likelihood ratio approach, expressing the role of the forensic expert, was proposed for determining the true origin of wines. It allows us to analyse the evidence in the context of two hypotheses, that the object belongs to one or another wine brand.

High-dimensional nested analysis of variance to assess the effect of production season, quality grade and steam pasteurization on the phenolic composition of fermented rooibos herbal tea.

A nested analysis of variance combined with simultaneous component analysis, ASCA, was proposed to model high-dimensional chromatographic data. The data were obtained from an experiment designed to investigate the effect of production season, quality grade and post-production processing (steam pasteurization) on the phenolic content of the infusion of the popular herbal tea, rooibos, at 'cup-of-tea' strength. Specifically, a four-way analysis of variance where the experimental design involves nesting in two of the three crossed factors was considered.

Practical approaches to principal component analysis for simultaneously dealing with missing and censored elements in chemical data.

Multivariate chemical data often contain elements that are missing completely at random and the so-called left-censored elements whose values are only known to be below a definite threshold value (reporting limit). In the last several years, attention has been paid to developing methods for dealing with data containing missing elements and those that can handle data with missing elements and outliers. However, processing data with both missing and left-censored elements is still an ongoing problem.