Life-Course Trajectories of Body Mass Index, Insulin Resistance, and Incident Diabetes in Chinese Adults.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the interplay between the life-course body mass index (BMI) trajectories and insulin resistance (IR) on incident diabetes.

Methods: This longitudinal cohort included 2,336 participants who had BMI repeatedly measured 3-8 times between 1989 and 2009, as well as glucose and insulin measured in 2009. BMI trajectories were identified using a latent class growth mixed model.

Chemical and cell toxicity properties of particulate matter emitted from a diesel engine fueled with biodiesel and ethanol blends.

This study investigates the impact of renewable fuels, specifically three types of biodiesels along with ethanol on the chemical and cell toxicity properties of particulate matter (PM) released from a diesel engine compared to pure diesel. By blending 10 % (by volume) of grape seed biodiesel, spent coffee biodiesel, and eucalyptus oil with diesel, three biodiesel blends (DGs10, DC10, and DEu10, respectively) are produced and subsequently tested. Additionally, an ethanol blend comprising 9 % ethanol and 1 % biodiesel (used as a stabilizer for the blend) is evaluated.

Environmental and health impacts of reduced PM and trace metals from ship emissions under low-sulfur fuel oil policy in Shanghai, China.

Ship emissions can significantly exacerbate air pollution in coastal cities, threatening public health; however, a low-sulfur fuel oil policy, which restricts sulfur content in marine fuels, can effectively mitigate such pollution-driven challenges. This study employed a high-resolution ship emission inventory to assess the impacts of the fuel oil switch on air quality and public health in Shanghai from 2017 to 2021. Results showed a 37.

Suitability of using carbon dioxide as a tracer gas for studying vehicle emission dispersion in a real street canyon.

High-rise buildings form deep urban street canyons and restrict the dispersion of vehicle emissions, posing severe health risks to the public by aggravating roadside air quality. Field measurements are important for understanding the dispersion process of tailpipe emissions in street canyons, while a major challenge is the lack of a suitable tracer gas. Carbon dioxide (CO), which is safe to the public and inexpensive to obtain, can be reliably measured by existing gas analysers.

Does distance from the vehicle headlight change the properties of particulate matter?

Understanding factors affecting particulate matter (PM), particularly light exposure from vehicle headlights, is essential for addressing air quality challenges. However, no comprehensive studies are available. This research, therefore, aims to investigate whether light produced by the vehicle headlight (Halogen type; 12V-55w) at various distances (120 cm, 70 cm, and 20 cm) for 1 hr affects the physical and thermal features of PM obtained from a gasoline vehicle at idle speed.

Characterizing sources and health risks of airborne Carbonyl compounds in a subtropical coastal atmosphere in South China.

Carbonyl compounds are critical air pollutants with adverse impacts on regional air quality and human health. This study presents a pioneering analysis of spatiotemporal distribution, source appointment, and health risk assessments of carbonyl compounds in the coastal marine atmosphere. By combining ship-borne and ground-based sampling followed with enhanced chemical analysis, 39 carbonyls were identified and quantified in the coastal Hong Kong.

Unintended side effect of the coal-to-gas policy in North China Plain: Migration of the sources and health risks of ambient PAHs.

Ongoing coal-to-gas (CTG) largely cut down both coal consumption and associated PM. However, a knowledge gap still existed in CTG impacts on the other energy and organic pollutant emissions. Coupling on-site investigation with statistical yearbooks, we provided a more realistic energy evolutions before (BCTG), during (DCTG), and after (ACTG) the CTG for Hebei Province.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Complex Emission Dynamics in Port Areas Using High-Density Air Sensor Network.

Cargo terminals, as pivotal hubs of mechanical activities, maritime shipping, and land transportation, are significant sources of air pollutants, exhibiting considerable spatiotemporal heterogeneity due to the complex and irregular nature of emissions. This study employed a high-density air sensor network with 17 sites across four functional zones in two Shanghai cargo terminals to monitor NO and NO concentrations with high spatiotemporal resolution post sensor data validation against regulatory monitoring stations. Notably, NO and NO concentrations within the terminal surged during the night, peaking at 06:00 h, likely due to local regulations on heavy-duty diesel trucks.

Combining Google traffic map with deep learning model to predict street-level traffic-related air pollutants in a complex urban environment.

Background: Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is a major contributor to urban pollution and varies sharply at the street level, posing a challenge for air quality modeling. Traditional land use regression models combined with data from fixed monitoring stations may be unable to predict and characterize fine-scale TRAP, especially in complex urban environments influenced by various features. This study aims to estimate fine-scale (50 m) concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO₂) in Hong Kong using a deep learning (DL) structured model.

Evaluating Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Is the Indoor Environment a Haven during High Pollution Episodes?

Pollution data were collected at five schools in Hong Kong using low-cost, sensor-based monitors both indoors and outdoors during two consecutive high pollution episodes. The pollutants monitored included NO, O, PM, and PM, which were also used as input to a health risk communication protocol known as Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). CO was also measured simultaneously.

Dissecting PM sensor capabilities: A combined experimental and theoretical study on particle sizing and physicochemical properties.

Recent advancements in particulate matter (PM) optical measurement technology have enhanced the characterization of particle size distributions (PSDs) across various temporal and spatial scales, offering a more detailed analysis than traditional PM mass concentration monitoring. This study employs field experiments, laboratory tests, and model simulations to evaluate the influence of physicochemical characteristics of particulate matter (PM) on the performance of a compact, multi-channel PM sizing sensor. The sensor is integrated within a mini air station (MAS) designed to detect particles across 52 channels.

Evaluating methods for marine fuel sulfur content using microsensor sniffing systems on ocean-going vessels.

Establishing emission control areas (ECAs) can effectively reduce air pollution from marine emissions, making efficient monitoring of the fuel sulfur content (FSC) of ocean-going vessels (OGVs) key to ECA policy enforcement. Various FSC detection approaches, including oil sample analysis, sniffing method, and optical remote sensing, have been proposed, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Among these, the sniffing method appears promising but requires further improvement in field operation protocol and data analysis processes.

Microchannel Gas Flow in the Multi-Flow Regime Based on the Lattice Boltzmann Method.

In this work, a lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for studying microchannel gas flow is developed in the multi-flow regime. In the LBM, by comparing previous studies' results on effective viscosity in multi-flow regimes, the values of the rarefaction factor applicable to multi-flow regions were determined, and the relationship between relaxation time and number with the rarefaction factor is given. The number is introduced into the second-order slip boundary condition together with the combined bounce-back/specular-reflection (CBBSR) scheme to capture the gas flow in the multi-flow regime.

Assessing the spatial distribution of odor at an urban waterfront using AERMOD coupled with sensor measurements.

Impressions of a place are partly formed by smell. The urban waterfronts often leave a rather poor impression due to odor pollution, resulting in recurring complaints. The nature of such complaints can be subjective and vague, so there is a growing interest in quantitative measurements of emissions to explore the causes of malodorous influence.

Application of roadside air purifiers in urban street canyons: A pilot-scale study in Hong Kong.

The implementation of roadside air purifiers has emerged as an effective active control measure to alleviate air pollution in urban street canyons. However, technical questions raised under real conditions remain challenging. In this study, we conducted a pilot-scale investigation involving seven units of self-designed roadside air purifiers in an urban street canyon in Hong Kong.

Physical properties and structural characteristics of particulate matter emitted from a diesel engine fueled with biodiesel blends.

This research explores the influence of renewable fuels, including three kinds of biodiesel along with ethanol on the physical properties and structural characteristics of particulate matter (PM) emitted from a diesel engine in comparison with pure diesel. After adding 10 vol% of grape seed biodiesel, coffee biodiesel and eucalyptus oil into diesel, three biodiesel blended fuels (10% grape seed biodiesel (DGs10), 10% spent coffee ground biodiesel (DC10) and eucalyptus oil biodiesel (DEu10)) were produced and tested in this study. Besides, one ethanol blend containing 9 vol% of ethanol and 1 vol% of biodiesel (blend stabilizer) was also tested to do the comparison.

Transition mechanisms of translational motions of bubbles in an ultrasonic field.

The translation behaviors of oscillating bubbles are closely related to the polymerizations and dispersions between them, which are crucial for the ultrasonic cavitation effect. In this study, six types of translational motion of bubbles with a wide range of sizes (2-100 μm) in the R-R plane are investigated. Our results demonstrate that in addition (to the 2nd order harmonic), the 1/2 order subharmonic can change the bubble pairs from the three states of the attraction, stable after attraction, and repulsion to that of the repulsion, coalescence, and attraction, respectively.

The TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway is involved in Musashi2-induced invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer.

To identify Musashi2 as an effective biomarker regulated by the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway for the precise diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) through bioinformatic tools and experimental verification. The Cancer Genome Atlas, Timer, and Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to clarify the expression of Musashi2 and its influence on the prognosis of CRC. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) was used to activate the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway to identify whether it could regulate the expression and function of Musashi2.

Risk tradeoffs between nitrogen dioxide and ozone pollution during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the Greater Bay area of China.

Photochemical regime for ozone (O) formation is complicated in the sense that reducing emission of nitrogen oxides (NO) may increase O concentration. The lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic affords a unique opportunity to use real observations to explore the O formation regime and the effectiveness of NO emission control strategies. In this study, observations from ground networks during the lockdowns were used to assess spatial disparity of the Ratio of Ozone Formation (ROF) for nitrogen dioxide (NO) reduction in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) of China.

Validity of using ambient concentrations as surrogate exposures at the individual level for fine particle and black carbon: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Exposure measurement error is an important source of bias in epidemiological studies. We assessed the validity of employing ambient (outdoor) measurements as proxies of personal exposures at individual levels focusing on fine particles (PM) and black carbon (BC)/elemental carbon (EC) on a global scale. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and searched databases (ISI Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE®, Ovid Embase, and Ovid BIOSIS) to retrieve observational studies in English language published from 1 January 2006 until 5 May 2021.

High Resolution On-Road Air Pollution Using a Large Taxi-Based Mobile Sensor Network.

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) was monitored using a mobile sensor network on 125 urban taxis in Shanghai (November 2019/December 2020), which provide real-time patterns of air pollution at high spatial resolution. Each device determined concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO), and PM, which characterised spatial and temporal patterns of on-road pollutants. A total of 80% road coverage (motorways, trunk, primary, and secondary roads) required 80-100 taxis, but only 25 on trunk roads.

Physical, chemical, and cell toxicity properties of mature/aged particulate matter (PM) trapped in a diesel particulate filter (DPF) along with the results from freshly produced PM of a diesel engine.

The lifetime and efficiency of diesel particulate filters (DPFs) strongly depend on the proper and periodic cleaning and servicing. Unfortunately, in some cases, inappropriate methods are applied to clean the DPFs, e.g.

Physicochemical and cell toxicity properties of particulate matter (PM) from a diesel vehicle fueled with diesel, spent coffee ground biodiesel, and ethanol.

The literature shows that information about the physical, chemical, and cell toxicity properties of particulate matter (PM) from diesel vehicles is not rich as the existence of a remarkable number of studies about the combustion, performance, and emissions of diesel vehicles using renewable liquid fuels, particularly biodiesels and alcohols. Also, the PM analyses from combustion of spent coffee ground biodiesel have not been comprehensively explored. Therefore, this research is presented.