Evaluation of a new low-cost particle sensor as an internet-of-things device for outdoor air quality monitoring.

Many low-cost particle sensors are available for routine air quality monitoring of PM2.5, but there are concerns about the accuracy and precision of the reported data, particularly in humid conditions. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the Sensirion SPS30 particulate matter (PM) sensor against regulatory methods for measurement of real-time particulate matter concentrations and to evaluate the effectiveness of the Intelligent AirTM sensor pack for remote deployment and monitoring. To achieve this, we co-located the Intelligent AirTM sensor pack, developed at Clemson University and built around the Sensirion SPS30, to collect data from July 29, 2019, to December 12, 2019, at a regulatory site in Columbia, South Carolina. When compared to the Federal Equivalent Methods, the SPS30 showed an average bias adjusted R2 = 0.75, mean bias error of -1.59, and a root mean square error of 2.10 for 24-hour average trimmed measurements over 93 days, and R2 = 0.57, mean bias error of -1.61, and a root mean square error of 3.029, for 1-hr average trimmed measurements over 2300 hours when the central 99% of data was retained with a data completeness of 75% or greater. The Intelligent AirTM sensor pack is designed to promote long-term deployment and includes a solar panel and battery backup, protection from the elements, and the ability to upload data via a cellular network. Overall, we conclude that the SPS30 PM sensor and the Intelligent AirTM sensor pack have the potential for greatly increasing the spatial density of particulate matter measurements, but more work is needed to understand and calibrate sensor measurements.Implications: This work adds to the growing body of research that indicates that low-cost sensors of particulate matter (PM) for air quality monitoring has a promising future, and yet much work is left to be done. This work shows that the level of data processing and filtering effects how the low-cost sensors compare to existing federal reference and equivalence methods: more data filtering at low PM levels worsens the data comparison, while longer time averaging improves the measurement comparisons. Improvements must be made to how we handle, calibrate, and correct PM data from low-cost sensors before the data can be reliably used for air quality monitoring and attainment.

The engineering of an interventional MRI with a movable 1.5 Tesla magnet.

The engineering of a novel intra-operative MRI system is described. A movable, 1.5 Tesla MRI magnet was placed in a neurosurgical operating room without affecting established neurosurgical procedure. The system allows fast, high-quality MR intra-operative imaging of the brain and spine without the necessity of patient transportation. A neuro-navigational device capable of displaying and updating spatially referenced MR images in the operating room was integrated with the MRI system. Over 100 procedures have been carried out with this system without limiting surgical access and without compromising traditional neurosurgical, nursing or anesthetic techniques. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2001;13:78-86.

Profile of cytokine mRNA expression in chronic adult periodontitis.

Chronic inflammation induced by bacteria often leads to host-mediated destruction of tissues adjacent to the sites of microbial insult. The chronic inflammatory process of adult periodontitis results in the destruction of supporting osseous and connective tissues of the teeth. We hypothesized that virulence factors of periodontal pathogens such as lipopolysaccharide stimulate inflammatory cytokine expression by mononuclear cells of the host which contribute to disease development. In this study, to elucidate the role of these cytokines in chronic adult periodontitis, we tested whether the prevalence of mRNA for inflammatory cytokines generally associated with mononuclear phagocytes was higher in diseased than in healthy gingival tissue. Gingival mononuclear cells or whole gingival biopsies from 32 adult periodontitis patients and five healthy individuals used as controls were evaluated for inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression by reverse-transcription polymerase chain-reaction (RT-PCR) procedures. The cytokines assessed included IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-13, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, and IFN-gamma. The monocyte/macrophage lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor CD14 was also assessed. Results showed that TNF-alpha mRNA was present significantly more frequently in diseased than in healthy biopsies, whereas IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-1ra mRNA were found in most (from 80 to 100%) healthy tissues. Message for CD14 was present in both healthy and diseased tissue samples (100%). This study provides evidence for a major role of TNF-alpha in chronic adult periodontitis. Moreover, our results suggest that the mononuclear cells derived from periodontal tissues have the capacity to respond to components of periodontal pathogens and express both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in these tissues.

Effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides on mononuclear phagocytes.

The mononuclear phagocyte plays an important role in the regulation of microbe-induced inflammation, in part through its ability to secrete mediators, particularly cytokines, in response to microorganisms and their products. To evaluate the effects of the microbial flora associated with chronic adult periodontitis on cytokine induction, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the periodontopathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis was used to stimulate naive and phorbol ester-primed U937 monocytic cells, as well as elutriated human peripheral blood monocytes. We assessed the effect of this LPS, in comparison to that of LPS from Escherichia coli, on cell proliferation, cytokine induction, and surface expression of the LPS receptor CD14. P. gingivalis LPS stimulated proliferation of U937 cells at concentrations of greater than 1 ng/ml, while E. coli LPS inhibited proliferation. Phorbol myristic acid (PMA)-treated U937 cells and elutriated monocytes responded to E. coli LPS activation by producing tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA and protein; however, P. gingivalis LPS induced greater numbers of TNF-alpha mRNA-positive cells and higher (P < 0.05) levels of protein than did E. coli LPS. Both cell types expressed interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) mRNA and protein in response to either LPS treatment. Compared with E. coli LPS, P. gingivalis LPS induced significantly (P < 0.05) higher numbers of IL-1 mRNA-positive U937 cells and elutriated monocytes, as well as production of significantly more (P < 0.05) IL-1 protein by the monocytes. The PMA-treated U937 cells and the monocytes produced high levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist mRNA and protein which were only marginally affected by the LPS preparations. While E. coli LPS induced expression of CD 14 on the surface of PMA-primed U937 cells and monocytes, P. gingivalis LPS exhibited a significantly (P < 0.05) greater ability to enhance receptor levels. Our results indicate that P. gingivalis LPS can activate the mononuclear phagocyte for proliferation, cytokine production, and CD14 expression, providing evidence for the potential of this bacterial component to act as a critical regulatory factor in the chronic inflammatory response associated with periodontitis.

Quantitative assessment of inflammatory cytokine gene expression in chronic adult periodontitis.

Adult periodontitis is a chronic destructive disease characterized by an interaction between gram-negative bacteria and the host inflammatory response. Microbial substances such as lipopolysaccharide can activate host cells, e.g., macrophages, fibroblasts and keratinocytes, to secrete proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta). This study examined the hypothesis that periodontitis tissue contains increased levels of cytokines that promote osseous and connective tissue destruction. To test this hypothesis, diseased and healthy gingival biopsies were examined for differences in the expression of cytokine mRNA for the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-1 beta and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ra using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization methods. The levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-1ra mRNA were shown to be significantly higher in diseased than healthy tissues. Additionally, a significantly correlated expression of IL-1 beta and IL-1ra mRNA was seen in all tissue examined. Analysis of tissue sections by immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization techniques revealed a mononuclear cell infiltrate that consisted of a higher average number of cells staining positive for tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA, CD14, and CD3 in the diseased than healthy tissues. Although both diseased and healthy tissues expressed IL-1 beta and IL-1ra mRNA in the epithelium, the diseased tissue biopsies expressed more IL-1 beta and IL-1ra mRNA in the connective tissue. These results implicate the potential involvement of both the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the regulation of the chronic inflammatory disease adult periodontitis.