PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New research reveals drivers of regionally different ozone responses to the COVID-19

New research reveals drivers of regionally different ozone responses to the COVID-19
2021-02-08
(Press-News.org) The outbreak of COVID-19 raised a question about the relationship between anthropogenic emissions and air pollution, which has aroused heated discussion. Research on air-quality changes caused by the lockdowns in different areas shows similar substantial reductions in primary emissions. However, regional disparities exist in responses of secondary pollutants to emissions reduction, especially fine particulate matter and ozone (O3).

Professor Ding Aijun and his team from Nanjing University explored global air-quality changes during COVID-19 lockdowns and regional disparities in O3 responses to emission reductions. They integrated multiple observational datasets, including global air quality monitoring network and satellite retrievals, to shed more light on the regional differences in interactions between emissions, atmospheric chemistry, and meteorological conditions. Their findings were recently published in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters.

"Observational signals of air-quality change were extracted from multi-year ground-based measurements and satellite-retrieved atmospheric composition columns. Ozone shows rising signals in most areas of both East Asia and Europe, whereas a non-negligible declining signal exists in North America, despite reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the three regions. This indicates significant differences in the relationships between NOx and O3 changes," says by Prof. Ding.

Furthermore, Ding and his team investigated meteorological and atmospheric chemical drivers behind the different O3 responses based on data analysis and proxy indicators (HCHO/NO2) for diagnosing O3 photochemical sensitivity. They found that the responses of O3 to declines in NOx can to a certain extent be affected by the primary dependence on its precursors. The response of O3 in Europe fits particularly well with the O3 sensitivity regimes.

The study points out that meteorological factors--especially temperature--are rather important drivers of O3 responses. Apart from weakened titration effects caused by declines in NOx, increased O3 in East Asia and Europe tended to be largely dominated by the climatologically warmer temperatures during the lockdowns in 2020.

"Still, the contribution of rising temperature may have been partly offset by weakened photochemical reactions due to a decline in solar radiation and an increase in relative humidity in southern China and southern Europe. For North America, declines in temperature and substantial increases in humidity might have been important contributors to the decreased O3 over the western coasts," concludes by Prof. Ding.

By investigating the impacts of meteorological conditions and chemical sensitivity under emission reductions, this research was able to emphasize the importance of regional disparities and combined effects of precursor reductions and meteorological influences in mitigating O3 pollution.

INFORMATION:


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
New research reveals drivers of regionally different ozone responses to the COVID-19

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Beyond secretion of insulin,the novel function of β cell in regulating glucose homeostasis

2021-02-08
In a new study published in Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, Chen-Yu Zhang's group and Antonio Vidal-Puig's group at University of Cambridge report that pancreatic β cells secrete miR-29 family members (miR-29a, miR-29b and miR-29c) in response to high levels of free fatty acids (FFAs). These β cell-derived miR-29s are delivered to the liver, promoting insulin resistance and enhancing hepatic glucose output. Over 100 years after insulin was discovered, it was believed that pancreatic β cells only secreted a single hormone--insulin. Pancreatic β cell-derived insulin regulates glucose homeostasis by binding with the insulin receptors located in the liver, skeletal ...

Scientists measure spectral line of Cherenkov radiation in radiant regime

Scientists measure spectral line of Cherenkov radiation in radiant regime
2021-02-08
The scientists of Tomsk Polytechnic University jointly with the colleagues from Keysight company have conducted an experiment with an electron beam at the TPU microtron to study a super-radiant regime that occurs when radiation is generated by a train of electron bunches. The research findings obtained by a high-precision measurement of a spectral line width proved that about 8,000 electron bunches in a super-radiant regime form monochromatic Cherenkov radiation. This experiment was conducted for the first time. The fundamental research findings are published in the Scientific Reports academic journal (IF: 4.120, Q1) and can be used for further research on the new sources of radiation in the terahertz range. A super-radiant regime is a coherent ...

Can the brain resist the group opinion?

Can the brain resist the group opinion?
2021-02-08
Scientists at HSE University have learned that disagreeing with the opinion of other people leaves a 'trace' in brain activity, which allows the brain to later adjust its opinion in favour of the majority-held point of view. The article was published in Scientific Reports. We often change our beliefs under the influence of others. This social behavior is called conformity and explains varios components of our behaviour, from voting at elections to fashion trends among teenagers. Brain research has recently well informed about short-term effects of social influence on decision making. If our choice coincides with the point of view of the people who are important to us, this decision is reinforced in ...

Joint radionuclide therapy-immunotherapy approach effective in prostate cancer model

Joint radionuclide therapy-immunotherapy approach effective in prostate cancer model
2021-02-08
Reston, VA--A combination of radionuclide therapy and immunotherapy has proven successful in slowing the progression of prostate cancer and increasing survival time, according to new research published in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The results of the murine study indicate that radionuclide therapy promotes prostate cancer immunogenicity, provoking a cellular response that makes the tumors more receptive to immunotherapy. "Prostate cancer is generally viewed as an immunological cold cancer in which immunotherapies only have moderate success," said Katharina Lückerath, PhD, assistant professor of preclinical ...

A billion years in 40 seconds: video reveals our dynamic planet

2021-02-08
Geoscientists have released a video that for the first time shows the uninterrupted movement of the Earth's tectonic plates over the past billion years. The international effort provides a scientific framework for understanding planetary habitability and for finding critical metal resources needed for a low-carbon future. It reveals a planet in constant movement as land masses move around the Earth's surface, for instance showing that Antarctica was once at the equator. The video is based on new research published in the March 2021 edition of ...

Correspondence between representations in visual cortices and neural networks

Correspondence between representations in visual cortices and neural networks
2021-02-08
This discovery was made possible by applying the research method for the comparison of the brain activity between monkeys and humans to artificial neural networks. This finding might be helpful not only to understand the cortical mechanism of attentional selection but also to develop artificial intelligence. Deep neural networks (DNNs), which are used in the development of artificial intelligence, are mathematical models for obtaining appropriate mechanisms to solve specific problems from the training with a large-scale dataset. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying DNNs through ...

Synthetic protein quality control system in bacteria

Synthetic protein quality control system in bacteria
2021-02-08
On Feb 5th, Seoul National University, College of Engineering (Dean Kookheon Char) announced that Professor Sang Woo Seo's research team (Dr. Jina Yang and Mr. Yong Hee Han (graduate student)) at School of Chemical and Biological Engineering has developed a synthetic protein quality control system to enhance full-length translation in bacteria. This technology is expected to increase the efficiency of the production of biopharmaceuticals, industrial enzymes, and bio-based chemicals. Recombinant proteins are used in various industrial fields from protein drugs such as insulin to industrial proteins such as laundry detergents. Since proteins can perform their functions only with full-length and proper 3D structure, recombinant protein production ...

An interdecadal decrease in extreme heat days in August over Northeast China around the early 1990s

An interdecadal decrease in extreme heat days in August over Northeast China around the early 1990s
2021-02-08
Against the background of global warming, extreme heat days (EHDs) occur frequently and greatly threaten human health and societal development. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the variation of EHDs. Previous studies have indicated that the frequency of EHDs is mainly modulated by the mean state of temperature, and thus the frequency of EHDs mostly presents an increasing trend. "However, the variability of the daily maximum temperature also plays an important role in the interdecadal change of extreme heat days over Northeast China," says Ms. Liu Wenjun, a Master's student from the group of Dr. Ruidan Chen in the School of Atmospheric Sciences ...

HKBU and CUHK launch Spermine Risk Score for prostate cancer diagnosis

HKBU and CUHK launch Spermine Risk Score for prostate cancer diagnosis
2021-02-08
Researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) have jointly developed the Spermine Risk Score which, coupled with the use of a urine test, provides a non-invasive and more reliable method for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. In a study conducted by the researchers, about 37% of the patients, who were ultimately found to have no prostate cancer, can avoid undergoing a prostate biopsy procedure. The findings have just been published in the scientific journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. Demand for more reliable and non-invasive diagnosis Prostate cancer is the third most common and the fourth most fatal cancer for the male ...

Food waste researcher: We must learn that brown fruit isn't bad fruit

2021-02-08
Which bananas end up in your shopping basket-- the uniformly yellow ones or those with brown spots? If you are like most people, you skip the spotted ones and select those that are perfectly yellow. This is because emotions play an an oversized role in our shopping decisions, according to a new study by Danish and Swedish researchers. "We choose food based upon an expectation of what it will taste like that is bound to our feelings. So, if we expect a brown banana to not match the taste of a yellow one, we opt for the latter," explains Karin Wendin, an associate professor at University of Copenhagen's Department of Food Science, and one of the researchers behind the study. Approximately 716,000 tonnes ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] New research reveals drivers of regionally different ozone responses to the COVID-19