Assessing particulate matter emissions from future electric mobility and potential risk for human health in Canadian metropolitan area

The environmental benefits from electric cars (ECs) depend on several aspects, including source of electric energy generation, type of EC, and associated air pollutant emissions. For example, EC fleet (full ECs, no hybrid ECs) do not emit gaseous pollutants, but still emit a certain amount of particulate matter. Full ECs emit particulate matter through their non-exhaust sources, which includes wear and tear of tires and brakes. Often, non-exhaust particulate emissions are neglected by decision makers and environmental agencies. This may impact the development of effective environmental and public health policies. In this paper, we assess particulate matter emissions (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) considering two EC adoption scenarios within a major metropolitan area in Canada-Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). In addition, we estimate potential human health risk for each scenario. Our results show that non-exhaust particle emissions (brake and tire) consist of mostly PM₁₀. We estimate that for Scenarios 1 (10% of EC penetration) and 2 (100% of EC penetration), the respective emission reductions (exhaust + brake + tire) will be 37 and 94% for PM_2.5, and 4 and 85% for PM₁₀. Furthermore, compared to baseline, 10 and 100% EC adoption scenarios will reduce PM-related annual deaths by 37 and 87%, respectively. However, even considering the aggressive 100% EC adoption scenario, we will still have considerable PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 non-tailpipe emissions, i.e., ~?743 and 189 kg day^?1, respectively. If 100% EC adoption scenario is realized, each individual in the GTHA will inhale about 0.80?×?10^?3 ppm day^?1 (where 1 ppm indicates that 1 g inhaled per each ton emitted). Our results underline the importance of non-tailpipe emissions. Therefore, we suggest that environmental agencies must develop policies to account for and limit non-exhaust PM emissions, and the automotive industry must focus on reducing non-exhaust emissions from ECs.     

Placenta increta; conservative management – a successful outcome. Case report and literature review

Placenta increta, a rare complication of pregnancy, is associated with significant postpartum hemorrhage often requiring emergency hysterectomy. We report a case of conservative management, with a combination of parenteral methotrexate, serial ultrasound and Doppler assessment, followed by interval manual removal of placenta.     

Haemophilus aphrophilus bleb infection after a mitomycin trabeculectomy

Background: Haemophilus aphrophilus is a rare cause of ocular infection. It has been reported once as a cause of late-onset endophthalmitis in a patient with an inadvertent bleb after cataract surgery. We present a case of Haemophilus aphrophilus bleb infection after a mitomycin trabeculectomy.
Methods: A 56-year-old woman presented with a bleb infection 10 weeks after a mitomycin C augmented trabeculectomy at a University tertiary referral practice of one of the authors (GET). The causative organism was Haemophilus aphrophilus , identified by the Toronto Public Health Laboratory, Ontario, Canada.
Results: The bleb infection resolved following topical, subconjunctival and intravenous antibiotic therapy. A formal bleb revision was required to repair a persistent bleb leak.
Conclusion: Patients who have had trabeculectomies augmented with mitomycin C may be predisposed to bleb infection with unusual organisms. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is necessary to control the infection. Increased awareness and communication with laboratory personnel may increase the isolation of this fastidious organism.     

Modulation of implantation-associated integrin expression but not uteroglobin by steroid hormones in an endometrial cell line

In order to test the hypothesis that integrin and uteroglobin (UG) expression in cultured endometrial cells are affected by hormone treatment, Ishikawa-CH endometrial cancer cells were cultured and exposed to oestradiol or oestradiol and progesterone regimens and assayed using immunohistochemistry. We evaluated the intensity of immunohistochemical staining for the integrin monomers alpha(v) and beta1, the dimers alpha(v)beta3 and alpha(v)beta6, and for the secretory protein uteroglobin under various experimental conditions. Cells grown in control media stained positively for the integrin monomers alpha(v) and beta1, the dimer alpha(v)beta3, and for UG. Oestradiol and sequential oestradiol/progesterone reversibly suppressed staining for the dimer alpha(v)beta3. Hormone treatment had no effect on the staining of the beta1 and alpha(v) monomers or UG. The alpha(v)beta6 dimer antibody did not stain under any experimental treatment conditions. These data indicate that expression of the integrin complex alpha(v)beta3 is reversibly suppressed by oestradiol in Ishikawa cells and that these cells may be a good model for studying hormone-driven molecular changes in endometrium.