The acute influence of NO2 on mechanics of breathing and respiratory gas exchange was investigated in a total of 111 subjects, aged 25 to 74 years, with chronic nonspecific lung disease (CNSLD). They breathed NO2-air mixtures containing 0.5 to 8.0 ppm NO2 for up to 15 to 60 min. Additionally in nine subjects the protective action of atropine, meclastine, and orciprenaline was investigated. Whil...

[1] Chemistry Transport Models (CTMs) tend to underestimate very severely NO2 concentrations in the polar lower stratosphere during the winter suggesting that either the NOx sink is overestimated or a source of NOx is missing in models. We study the night-time decay of polar NO2 because it is controlled by the reaction between NO2 and O3 which is thought to be the main NOx sink at high latitude...

Eleven mild atopic asthmatic patients were exposed for 6 h, in randomized order, to air, 100 ppb O3, 200 ppb NO2, and 100 ppb O3 + 200 ppb NO2, followed immediately by bronchial allergen challenge. Subsequently 10 of these patients were exposed for 3 h to air, 200 ppb O3, 400 ppb NO2, and 200 ppb O3 + 400 ppb NO2, followed immediately by bronchial allergen challenge. All exposures were carried ...

A sensitive NO2- biosensor that is based on bacterial reduction of NO2- to N2O and subsequent detection of the N2O by a built-in electrochemical N2O sensor was developed. Four different denitrifying organisms lacking NO3- reductase activity were assessed for use in the biosensor. The relevant physiological aspects examined included denitrifying characteristics, growth rate, NO2- tolerance, and ...

Tropospheric NO2 column retrievals from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) satellite spectrometer are used to quantify the source strength and 3-D distribution of lightning produced nitrogen oxides (NOx=NO+NO2). A sharp increase of NO2 is observed at convective cloud tops with increasing cloud top height, consistent with a power-law behaviour with power 5±2. Convective production of ...

Kinetic labilization of the Fe(III)–O coordination bond in a mesoporous metal–organic framework, PCN-333-Fe(III), is realized by the reduction of Fe(III) by Cr(II). The Fe(II)–Cr(II) metathesis is thus completely achieved followed by this reductive labilization process that generates PCN-333-Cr(III). The kinetic inertness of Cr(III) provides PCN-333-Cr(III) with enhanced chemical stability as w...

Nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) are known to be cardioprotective and to alter energy metabolism in vivo NO3- action results from its conversion to NO2- by salivary bacteria, but the mechanism(s) by which NO2- affects metabolism remains obscure. NO2- may act by S-nitrosating protein thiols, thereby altering protein activity. But how this occurs, and the functional importance of S-nitrosation s...

The first quantitative characterization of the interaction of NO2(-) with the Cu-containing dissimilatory nitrite reductase (NiR) of Alcaligenes xylosoxidans using steady-state kinetics, equilibrium gel filtration and EPR spectroscopy is described. Each molecule of this protein consists of three equivalent subunits, each containing a type-1 Cu atom and also a type-2 Cu atom at each subunit inte...

This study characterizes the highly variable He185/333 genes, transcripts and proteins in coelomocytes of the sea urchin, Heliocidaris erythrogramma. Originally discovered in the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, the products of this gene family participate in the anti-pathogen defenses of the host animals. Full-length He185/333 genes and transcripts are identified. Complete ope...

BACKGROUND Power plant workers are potentially exposed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and may therefore be at higher risk of pulmonary diseases than the general population. AIMS To assess the association of NO2 exposure with spirometric abnormalities in power plant workers. METHODS Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory ratio (FER = FEV1/FVC) we...