With the development of agriculture and industry, the increase in nitrogen (N) deposition has caused widespread concern among scientists. Although emission reduction policies have slowed N releases in Europe and North America, the threat to biodiversity cannot be ignored. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of plant communities in forest ecosystems, and both their distribution and diversity have vital ecological functions. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of long-term N addition on AM fungi and understory herbaceous plants in a Korean pine plantation in northern China. The soil properties, community structure, and diversity of AM fungi and understory herbaceous plants were detected at different concentrations of NH4NO3 (0, 20, 40, 80 kg N ha−1 year−1) after 7 years. The results showed that long-term N deposition decreased soil pH, increased soil ammonium content, and caused significant fluctuations in P elements. N deposition improved the stability of soil aggregates by increasing the content of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and changed the AM fungal community composition. The Glomus genus was more adaptable to the acidic soil treated with the highest N concentration. The species of AM fungi, understory herbaceous plants, and the biomass of fine roots were decreased under long-term N deposition. The fine root biomass was reduced by 78.6% in the highest N concentration treatment. In summary, we concluded that long-term N deposition could alter soil pH, the distribution of N, P elements, and the soil aggregate fractions, and reduce AM fungal and understory herb diversity. The importance of AM fungi in maintaining forest ecosystem diversity was verified under long-term N deposition.
Housing amounts to the physical structures that provide shelter, social services with a hygienic neighborhood, to fulfill the essential needs of the people. Housing factors have been shown to have an effect on an individual’s state of physical, mental, social and economic well-being. Indoor environmental factors such as crowding, environmental tobacco smoke, biofuels, dampness, house dust mites, temperature, age of building, pets, and indoor plants affect the wellbeing and productivity of the occupants. A literature review was performed on studies of housing conditions and health outcomes conducted in India and abroad from 1999 to 2020. The studies assessed housing quality by self-reported questionnaires administered through the postal system, face-to-face or via the internet. Visual signs and non-volumetric methods were used to assess indoor air quality and housing conditions, while the health of residents was assessed by self-reported questionnaire, or SF-36 questionnaire. Studies conducted in the United States of America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Middle East, Africa and Australasia have revealed that factors affecting health conditions were ventilation, dampness, presence of molds, overcrowding, house dust mite allergens, age and renovation of buildings and these factors showed an association with respiratory illnesses, colds, coughs, asthma, conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and ear infections. However, studies in India revealed that lack of proper ventilation, use of traditional fuels, crowding and poor hygienic conditions are the main factors associated with acute respiratory infections, asthma, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. Thus, the review highlights that there is a need to improve housing conditions in India to enable the people to lead a healthy and productive life.
Lourdes Lobato-Bailón, Ane López-Morales, Rita Quintela
et al.
<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> infection in healthy animals is often asymptomatic. However, some species with little history of contact with the parasite, such as marsupials and New World primates, present high mortality rates after infection. Despite its potential conservation concern, <i>T. gondii</i> infection in insectivorous bats has received little attention, and its impact on bat populations’ health is unknown. To assess the putative role of insectivorous bats in the cycle of <i>T. gondii</i>, samples of three species of bats (<i>Pipistrellus pipistrellus</i>, <i>P. pygmaeus</i> and <i>P. kuhlii</i>) collected between 2019 and 2021 in NE Spain were tested for the presence of the parasite using a qPCR. All tissues resulted negative (0.0% prevalence with 95% CI: [0.0–2.6]) for the presence of <i>T. gondii</i>. Unlike previous studies on insectivorous bats from Europe, Asia and America, the present study suggests that <i>Pipistrellus</i> spp. bats do not play a significant role in the epidemiology of <i>T. gondii</i> in NE Spain. Further studies are encouraged to elucidate both the epidemiology of <i>T. gondii</i> and its potential impact on the health of microchiropteran species in Europe.
Abstract The muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) is an iconic species in Canada, valued for both its fur and its integral role in wetland ecosystems, and widely regarded for its perseverance. However, the resilience of this semiaquatic mammal seems to be in question now as increasing evidence points to widespread population declines. Recent analyses of harvest data across North America suggest a reduction in their numbers, but this has not been widely corroborated by population surveys. In this study we replicated historic muskrat house count surveys at two large Great Lakes coastal wetlands and present confirmation that declines in muskrat harvest correspond to actual declines in muskrat abundance. At the Point Pelee National Park marsh and the Matchedash Bay‐Gray Marsh wetland we found that mean muskrat house counts declined by 93% and 91% respectively between historic surveys 40–50 yrs ago and contemporary surveys over the past 7 yrs. The factors responsible for these dramatic declines remain unclear but there may be a relationship with changes in the habitat quality of these wetlands that have occurred over the same time frame. Not only is the loss of muskrats an issue for the resulting loss of the wetland ecosystem services they provide, but it may be an indication of broader marsh ecosystem degradation. As such, a scarcity of muskrats should be considered a red flag for the state of biodiversity in our wetlands. Continued surveys and ongoing research are needed to shed more light on the current status of muskrat populations and their marsh habitats across their native range.
Purpose
Corticosteroids have been considered in medicine for a long time, and they are broadly prescribed. In infectious diseases, corticosteroids have been regarded as a thread due to their immunosuppressive effects and therefore their anti-inflammatory properties.
Main
In recent years, there have been several studies published that aimed to determine the role of corticosteroids in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), because, despite significant advances in new antibiotics and supportive care, deaths of patients with CAP remain unacceptably high. While the 2007 Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA)/American Thoracic Society (ATS) CAP guidelines did not mention the use of corticosteroids in the management of CAP, the recently published 2019 IDSA/ATS guidelines recommended their use in patients with septic shock refractory to vasopressors and fluid resuscitation. Regarding viral infection, the use of corticosteroids in patients with influenza has shown to be associated with significantly higher mortality and higher incidence of nosocomial infection, while in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) there is a good body of evidence of the benefit of corticosteroids in terms of mortality.
Conclusions
The use of corticosteroids has been considered as a potential alternative co-adjuvant treatment in patients with pneumonia. In patients with COVID-19, the evidence is quite strong and there is a clear benefit of the use of corticosteroids in those patients presenting severe forms of disease.
Los procesos de participación social en salud están vinculados a la historia política, cambios económicos y cambios sociales de cada sociedad. La relación entre Estado y Ciudadanía está mediada por determinantes sociales, una de ellas es el género, con implicancias en la construcción de desigualdades. En el ámbito de la participación social en salud, se requiere una valoración de la medida en que las acciones y rasgos asociados a los hombres y las mujeres tienen mayor o menor credibilidad o reconocimiento social. El estudio tiene como objetivo caracterizar, con un enfoque de género, los procesos de participación social en salud desde la experiencia y perspectiva de la ciudadanía en dos micro redes de servicios de salud en El Salvador en el año 2015. El estudio es de tipo cualitativo exploratorio, se realizaron 29 entrevistas semi-estructuradas en 9 municipalidades, a hombres y mujeres dirigentes sociales de las comunidades de dos micro redes de servicios de salud del Departamento de Morazán en El Salvador, Centro América. Entre los resultados se obtuvieron percepciones y experiencias comparadas que evidencian desigualdades de género en el acceso, condiciones y tipos de espacios disponibles para la participación, en donde se reproducen y refuerzan roles de género tradicionales. Sin embargo, se evidencian liderazgos femeninos sobresalientes vinculados a la formación política, organizativa y de género. Además, se revelan dificultades en la autonomía para los procesos participativos y para espacios horizontales. A manera de conclusión, se plantea que la equidad en mecanismos y en las oportunidades de participación requiere ser revisada desde el punto de vista de género; organizaciones no gubernamentales han jugado un papel positivo en el empoderamiento y participación de las mujeres en las localidades estudiadas, donde la formación en género ha sido fundamental.