Anthropogenic land use changes drive a range of infectious disease outbreaks and emergence events and modify the transmission of endemic infections. These drivers include agricultural encroachment, deforestation, road construction, dam building, irrigation, wetland modification, mining, the concentration or expansion of urban environments, coastal zone degradation, and other activities. These changes in turn cause a cascade of factors that exacerbate infectious disease emergence, such as forest fragmentation, disease introduction, pollution, poverty, and human migration. The Working Group on Land Use Change and Disease Emergence grew out of a special colloquium that convened international experts in infectious diseases, ecology, and environmental health to assess the current state of knowledge and to develop recommendations for addressing these environmental health challenges. The group established a systems model approach and priority lists of infectious diseases affected by ecologic degradation. Policy-relevant levels of the model include specific health risk factors, landscape or habitat change, and institutional (economic and behavioral) levels. The group recommended creating Centers of Excellence in Ecology and Health Research and Training, based at regional universities and/or research institutes with close links to the surrounding communities. The centers’ objectives would be 3-fold: a) to provide information to local communities about the links between environmental change and public health; b) to facilitate fully interdisciplinary research from a variety of natural, social, and health sciences and train professionals who can conduct interdisciplinary research; and c) to engage in science-based communication and assessment for policy making toward sustainable health and ecosystems.
Catherine Krus, Ian Zander, Tyler J. Sherman
et al.
Bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) are two viruses belonging to the genus Orbivirus that are transmitted via insect vector, the Culicoides biting midge, causing disease in domestic and wild ruminants. These infections can lead to significant morbidity, mortality, and production losses in livestock, with economic consequences for cattle and sheep industries. Despite their growing impact due to environmental and anthropogenic changes, little is known of the prevalence of these viruses in North American bison (Bison bison). We present the first cross-sectional survey of BTV and EHDV in North American bison, with samples collected from 287 animals across 9 herds in 7 U.S. states from September to November 2023. Using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (cELISA), we detected seroprevalence rates of 56.5% for BTV and 57.5% for EHDV. We found higher seroprevalence in North American bison compared to reports in European bison populations, suggesting that bison could potentially serve as incidental hosts of orbiviruses during key transmission periods; however, their role in virus transmission remains uncertain and warrants further investigation, particularly regarding the duration of viremia, potential amplification capacity, and year-to-year variability in PCR positivity. Logistic regression analysis revealed age as a significant predictor for both BTV (OR: 1.15, CI: 1.05–1.26, p: 0.006) and EHDV (OR: 1.16, CI: 1.06–1.28, p: 0.0014) seropositivity. PCR amplification identified circulating BTV serotypes 6, 11, 13, 17. Additionally, age was negatively associated with PCR positivity for both BTV (OR: 0.70, CI: 0.53–0.93, p: 0.014) and EHDV (OR: 0.56, CI: 0.33–0.93, p: 0.024), suggesting a decline in detectable viremia with increasing age. Although complex environmental and epidemiological factors likely play a role, this trend may be due to older animals having experienced more vector seasons, thereby increasing their cumulative exposure and subsequent immunity to these viruses over time. The significant age-associated dynamics reveal the importance of considering life stage in disease surveillance and management. Our study also highlights the importance of integrating bison into future vector-borne disease research and control strategies to mitigate risks to livestock, wildlife, and ecosystem health.
Research on ecosystem carbon sequestration services and ecological compensation is crucial for advancing carbon neutrality. As a public good, ecosystem carbon sequestration services inherently lead to externalities. Therefore, it is essential to consider externalities in the flow of sequestration services. However, few studies have examined intra- and inter-regional ecosystem carbon sequestration flows, making regional ecosystem carbon sequestration flows less comprehensive. Against this background, the research objectives of this paper are as follows. The flow of carbon sequestration services between Henan Province and out-of-province regions is studied. In addition, this study clarifies the beneficiary and supply areas of carbon sink services in Henan Province and the neighboring regions at the prefecture-level city scale to obtain a more systematic, comprehensive, and actual flow of carbon sequestration services for scientific and effective eco-compensation and to promote regional synergistic emission reductions. The research methodologies used in this paper are as follows. First, this study adopts a meta-coupling framework, designating Henan Province as the focal system, the Central Urban Agglomeration as the adjacent system, and eight surrounding provinces as remote systems. Regional carbon sequestration was assessed using net primary productivity (NEP), while carbon emissions were evaluated based on per capita carbon emissions and population density. A carbon balance analysis integrated carbon sequestration and emissions. Hotspot analysis identified areas of carbon sequestration service supply and associated benefits. Ecological radiation force formulas were used to quantify service flows, and compensation values were estimated considering the government’s payment capacity and willingness. A three-dimensional evaluation system—incorporating technology, talent, and fiscal capacity—was developed to propose a diversified ecological compensation scheme by comparing supply and beneficiary areas. By modeling the ecosystem carbon sequestration service flow, the main results of this paper are as follows: (1) Within Henan Province, Luoyang and Nanyang provided 521,300 tons and 515,600 tons of carbon sinks to eight cities (e.g., Jiaozuo, Zhengzhou, and Kaifeng), warranting an ecological compensation of CNY 262.817 million and CNY 263.259 million, respectively. (2) Henan exported 3.0739 million tons of carbon sinks to external provinces, corresponding to a compensation value of CNY 1756.079 million. Conversely, regions such as Changzhi, Xiangyang, and Jinzhong contributed 657,200 tons of carbon sinks to Henan, requiring a compensation of CNY 189.921 million. (3) Henan thus achieved a net ecological compensation of CNY 1566.158 million through carbon sink flows. (4) In addition to monetary compensation, beneficiary areas may also contribute through technology transfer, financial investment, and talent support. The findings support the following conclusions: (1) it is necessary to consider the externalities of ecosystem services, and (2) the meta-coupling framework enables a comprehensive assessment of carbon sequestration service flows, providing actionable insights for improving ecosystem governance in Henan Province and comparable regions.
Abstract Background There were more than 700 earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 5.0 over the past 100 years in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Due to the high intensity of seismic activities, it is essential to perform seismic hazard analysis by considering local site effects. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the peak ground acceleration (PGA) value based on the earthquake scenario of May 27, 2006, with a magnitude of 6.3, which occurred on the eastern side of the Opak Fault. Methods The study was conducted in the southern part of the Progo River, the Special Region of Yogyakarta, using 31 boreholes and 18 microtremor measurement points. The analysis was carried out using four methods: Kanai (In: Proceeding of Japan Earthquake Engineering Symposium 1–4, 1966) equation using microtremor data, deterministic equations with Ground Motion Prediction Equations Next Generations Attenuation West 2 (GMPE NGA West 2), Kanno et al (Bull Seismol Soc Am 96:879–897, 2006) attenuation equation, and probabilistic method referring to the Indonesian Seismic code. Results Results indicated that the highest value of PGA was obtained using the deterministic GMPE NGA West 2 weighted attenuation equation, which varied from 0.475 to 0.549 g. Meanwhile, Kanno et al (Bull Seismol Soc Am 96:879–897, 2006) attenuation equation resulted in values ranging from 0.266 to 0.394 g. In contrast, PGA values obtained through microtremor measurement resulted in a smaller value, in the range of 0.126–0.214 g. Probabilistic analysis in the study area produces values ranging from 0.373 to 0.450 g. Conclusion The location on the central side of the Progo River shows a lower PGA value than the other sides. PGA values will tend to be higher at locations near the earthquake source. The low PGA value that resulted from microtremor analysis was due to the consideration of local site effects in determining earthquake parameters in the study area. Determining the seismic hazard analysis method in infrastructure planning requires a comprehensive analysis by considering various parameters, such as the planning and design objectives, the location proximity to earthquake sources, historical seismic conditions, and the presence of the local site effects.
Introduction: Wild cabbage (Trachyandra ciliata) is one of the understudied, wild, edible halophytes from South Africa. Although its edibility has recently been validated, its therapeutic potential was yet to be explored. This research was carried out to profile and characterise the phytochemical content of T. ciliata extracts and evaluate its potential as a therapeutic agent for cancer, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging in the liver. Methods: Cuttings of T. ciliata were grown under 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM salinity concentrations. The ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was employed to quantify and characterise metabolites in leaves, roots, and flower buds of T. ciliata. The yellow dye 3-(4,5-dimethyltiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), Ellman's colourimetric method, and the 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay (H2DCF-DA) were respectively employed to evaluate cytotoxicity, AChE antagonism, and ROS scavenging of the extracts of T. ciliata. Results: A total of 71 compounds were observed, which were grouped into flavonoids, anthocyanins, alkaloids, nucleobase, nucleosides/tide, saccharides, fatty acids, amino acids, and coumarins. A concentration of 1 mg/mL of extracts of T. ciliata flower buds prepared from plants grown at 0 mM and 100 mM salinity, showed strong cytotoxicity to cancer cells, however, the extracts also had moderate and weak cytotoxicity to non-cancer cells. All extracts inhibited AChE activity. Moreover, ROS scavenging was mainly observed primarily in the extracts of leaves from plants grown at all salinities, and in the extract of roots from plants grown at 0 mM salinity treatment. Conclusion: A maiden documentation of anticancer, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, and ROS scavenging activity of crude extracts of T. ciliata was achieved in this study. These findings suggest that T. ciliata could be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and liver disorders, amidst the quest to develop more plant-based pharmaceuticals for the treatment of chronic diseases.
Weiru Qi, Muhammad Faliq Abd Razak, Sufian Jusoh
et al.
Abstract This study draws on panel data from 31 Chinese provinces for the period 2005–2022. Using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method combined with a coupling coordination framework, it analyzes the spatial and temporal dynamics as well as regional disparities in the interaction between environmental regulation and high-quality economic development. The findings reveal that: (1) the intensity of environmental regulation at the national level exhibits an “inverted-N-shaped” trajectory, shifting from an “Eastern-led” to a “Multi-pole Collaboration” pattern; (2) high-quality economic development has grown steadily nationwide, yet notable regional imbalances persist, characterized by a spatial configuration of “strong in the East, improving in the Central region, and weak in the West”; (3) the coordination level between the two systems has shown an upward trend overall; (4) the digital economy, infrastructure development, and market vitality serve as key driving forces behind coupling coordination, while the nonlinear interactions between fiscal expenditure and other factors underscore the multiplicative effects of policy synergy and technology diffusion. this work deepens the theoretical understanding of the relationship between environmental regulation and high-quality development, while also supplying empirical findings and policy guidance to foster regional green transformation.
Abstract Tropical cyclone (TC) damage function (DF) is widely used to model TC‐event level damage and thus assess the TC risk for a country or region. The scalability of these DFs at more localized scales, such as the province scale, has not been systematically explored. We use a unique Chinese data set to examine the damage at the TC‐event scale and province scale. Our results show that the parameters and performance of TC DF are spatially dependent. For a sigmoidal DF, the parameter dependence is manifested by a flatter curve calibrated on the TC‐event scale compared to the province scale. In the case of a power‐law DF, the dependence of its parameters is evident in the statistically more significant coefficients of the explanatory variables that are aggregated to the TC‐event scale, compared to the province scale. Performance comparison results further reveal that the scale dependence of performance is related to the type of DF. Integrating hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, the power‐law DF complements the typical sigmoidal DF, producing more accurate estimates of direct economic loss and annual average damage at both the TC‐event and province scales. However, its performance, compared to that of the sigmoidal DF, is more influenced by the scale at which it is calibrated. Our findings elucidate scale‐related research questions in TC risk assessment, offer insights into the selection of DFs, and inspire the future prospect of using multiple DFs to reduce the functional uncertainty.
Naserddine Hamadi, Sumaya Beegam, Nur Elena Zaaba
et al.
Waterpipe smoking (WPS) is prevalent in Asian and Middle Eastern countries and has recently gained worldwide popularity, especially among youth. WPS has potentially harmful chemicals and is associated with a wide range of adverse effects on different organs. However, little is known regarding the impact of WPS inhalation on the brain and especially on the cerebellum. Presently, we aimed at investigating inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis as well as microgliosis and astrogliosis in the cerebellum of BALB/C mice chronically (6 months) exposed to WPS compared with air-exposed mice (control). WPS inhalation augmented the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β in cerebellar homogenates. Likewise, WPS increased oxidative stress markers including 8-isoprostane, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and superoxide dismutase. In addition, compared with the air-exposed group, WPS caused an increase in the oxidative DNA damage marker, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, in cerebellar homogenates. Similarly, in comparison with the air group, WPS inhalation elevated the cerebellar homogenate levels of cytochrome C, cleaved caspase-3 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). Immunofluorescence analysis of the cerebellum showed that WPS exposure significantly augmented the number of ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive microglia and astroglia, respectively. Taken together, our data show that chronic exposure to WPS is associated with cerebellar inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, microgliosis and astrogliosis. These actions were associated with a mechanism involving NF-κB activation.
From a comprehensive standpoint, this paper investigates whether and to what extent the carbon market functions in the context of the developing world. Taking advantage of a unique seven-year-plant-level panel dataset (2010–2016) on Chinese power plants, we use a matched difference-in-differences strategy to identify the joint impact of China’s carbon emissions trading (CET) pilot policy on carbon emissions reduction (objective), energy mix improvement (mechanism), and air copollutant reduction (cobenefits). We find that China’s CET pilot policy effectively lowered carbon emissions by approximately 38.61%. Further analysis shows that plants reduce carbon emissions primarily by reducing coal consumption (approximately 30.79%). Most importantly, China’s CET pilot policy induces substantial air copollutant abatement benefits by reducing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by approximately 52.19% and 48.62%, respectively. State-owned plants are more affected by China’s CET pilot policy, and the policy effects show disproportionate environmental inequality. Furthermore, the effects are not affected by the rate-based allowance allocation structure that is adopted by China’s national carbon market.
Abstract Unknown features in untargeted metabolomics and non-targeted analysis (NTA) are identified using fragment ions from MS/MS spectra to predict the structures of the unknown compounds. The precursor ion selected for fragmentation is commonly performed using data dependent acquisition (DDA) strategies or following statistical analysis using targeted MS/MS approaches. However, the selected precursor ions from DDA only cover a biased subset of the peaks or features found in full scan data. In addition, different statistical analysis can select different precursor ions for MS/MS analysis, which make the post-hoc validation of ions selected following a secondary analysis impossible for precursor ions selected by the original statistical method. Here we propose an automated, exhaustive, statistical model-free workflow: paired mass distance-dependent analysis (PMDDA), for reproducible untargeted mass spectrometry MS2 fragment ion collection of unknown compounds found in MS1 full scan. Our workflow first removes redundant peaks from MS1 data and then exports a list of precursor ions for pseudo-targeted MS/MS analysis on independent peaks. This workflow provides comprehensive coverage of MS2 collection on unknown compounds found in full scan analysis using a “one peak for one compound” workflow without a priori redundant peak information. We compared pseudo-spectra formation and the number of MS2 spectra linked to MS1 data using the PMDDA workflow to that obtained using CAMERA and RAMclustR algorithms. More annotated compounds, molecular networks, and unique MS/MS spectra were found using PMDDA compared with CAMERA and RAMClustR. In addition, PMDDA can generate a preferred ion list for iterative DDA to enhance coverage of compounds when instruments support such functions. Finally, compounds with signals in both positive and negative modes can be identified by the PMDDA workflow, to further reduce redundancies. The whole workflow is fully reproducible as a docker image xcmsrocker with both the original data and the data processing template. Graphical Abstract
Holly M. Dixon, Georgina Armstrong, Michael Barton
et al.
To assess differences and trends in personal chemical exposure, volunteers from 14 communities in Africa (Senegal, South Africa), North America (United States (U.S.)) and South America (Peru) wore 262 silicone wristbands. We analysed wristband extracts for 1530 unique chemicals, resulting in 400 860 chemical data points. The number of chemical detections ranged from 4 to 43 per wristband, with 191 different chemicals detected, and 1339 chemicals were not detected in any wristband. No two wristbands had identical chemical detections. We detected 13 potential endocrine disrupting chemicals in over 50% of all wristbands and found 36 chemicals in common between chemicals detected in three geographical wristband groups (Africa, North America and South America). U.S. children (less than or equal to 11 years) had the highest percentage of flame retardant detections compared with all other participants. Wristbands worn in Texas post-Hurricane Harvey had the highest mean number of chemical detections (28) compared with other study locations (10–25). Consumer product-related chemicals and phthalates were a high percentage of chemical detections across all study locations (36–53% and 18–42%, respectively). Chemical exposures varied among individuals; however, many individuals were exposed to similar chemical mixtures. Our exploratory investigation uncovered personal chemical exposure trends that can help prioritize certain mixtures and chemical classes for future studies.
Raffaella Rossetti, Silvia Moleri, Fabiana Guizzardi
et al.
Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is one of the major causes of female infertility associated with the premature loss of ovarian function in about 3.7% of women before the age of 40. This disorder is highly heterogeneous and can manifest with a wide range of clinical phenotypes, ranging from ovarian dysgenesis and primary amenorrhea to post-pubertal secondary amenorrhea, with elevated serum gonadotropins and hypoestrogenism. The ovarian defect still remains idiopathic in some cases; however, a strong genetic component has been demonstrated by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach of familiar and sporadic POI cases. As recent evidence suggested an oligogenic architecture for POI, we developed a target NGS panel with 295 genes including known candidates and novel genetic determinants potentially involved in POI pathogenesis. Sixty-four patients with early onset POI (range: 10–25 years) of our cohort have been screened with 90% of target coverage at 50×. Here, we report 48 analyzed patients with at least one genetic variant (75%) in the selected candidate genes. In particular, we found the following: 11/64 patients (17%) with two variants, 9/64 (14%) with three variants, 9/64 (14%) with four variants, 3/64 (5%) with five variants, and 2/64 (3%) with six variants. The most severe phenotypes were associated with either the major number of variations or a worse prediction in pathogenicity of variants. Bioinformatic gene ontology analysis identified the following major pathways likely affected by gene variants: 1) cell cycle, meiosis, and DNA repair; 2) extracellular matrix remodeling; 3) reproduction; 4) cell metabolism; 5) cell proliferation; 6) calcium homeostasis; 7) NOTCH signaling; 8) signal transduction; 9) WNT signaling; 10) cell death; and 11) ubiquitin modifications. Consistently, the identified pathways have been described in other studies dissecting the mechanisms of folliculogenesis in animal models of altered fertility. In conclusion, our results contribute to define POI as an oligogenic disease and suggest novel candidates to be investigated in patients with POI.
Diseases of the endocrine glands. Clinical endocrinology
The grand scale of GGR deployment now necessary to avoid dangerous climate change warrants the use of grand interpretive theories of how the global economy operates. We argue that critical social science should be able to name the global economy as “capitalism”; and instead of speaking about “transforming the global economy” as a necessary precondition for limiting climate change, instead speak about transforming, or even transcending, capitalism. We propose three principles are helpful for critical social science researchers willing to name and analyse the structural features of capitalism and their relation to greenhouse gas removal technology, policy, and governance. These principles are: (1) Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies are likely to emerge within capitalism, which is crisis prone, growth dependent, market expanding, We use a broad Marxist corpus to justify this principle. (2) There are different varieties of capitalism and this will affect the feasibility of different GGR policies and supports in different nations. We draw on varieties of capitalism and comparative political economy literature to justify this principle. (3) Capitalism is more than an economic system, it is ideologically and culturally maintained. Globally-significant issues such as fundamentalism, institutional mistrust, precarity, and populism, cannot be divorced from our thinking about globally significant deployment of greenhouse gas removal technologies. We use a broad Critical Theory body of work to explore the ideational project of maintaining capitalism and its relation to GGR governance and policy.
Julia Frederica Effgen, Pablo de Azevedo Rocha, Patrício José Moreira Pires
et al.
Vitória tem tendência a desenvolver processos de escorregamentos translacionais, dadas as características climáticas e de relevo que possui. O modelo SHALSTAB foi utilizado, considerando a coesão dos solos, para avaliar a suscetibilidade a escorregamentos translacionais na bacia de drenagem de Fradinhos, localizada no Maciço Central de Vitória. A parametrização foi feita através de coleta de amostras de solo em três pontos distintos da bacia e realização de ensaios de cisalhamento direto, permeabilidade de carga variável e granulometria. Os solos amostrados têm características de Argissolos desenvolvidos a partir de colúvio, Latossolos e Cambissolos, com associação a declividade. Cerca de 95% da bacia foi modelada como de baixa instabilidade (log Q/T > -2,2), sendo áreas de caráter retilíneo e divergente, com declividade variável. Existe forte associação das áreas instáveis às drenagens, concavidades e zonas de alta declividade. A modelagem com resultados em chuva crítica, que considera a transmissividade hidráulica em sua formulação, tem as zonas de maior instabilidade (com potencial de iniciação de escorregamentos com menos de 2,5mm de chuva) associadas às convergências de drenagem e altas declividades. Ao redor do ponto de solo câmbico, com menor condutividade hidráulica e espessura do solo, a tendência a iniciação de escorregamentos com menor índice pluviométrico é maior. Ao redor do argissosolo formado a partir de colúvio, a chuva crítica para iniciação de escorregamento é maior, com exceção de zonas de alta convergência de fluxos e declividade. O modelo SHASTAB foi uma ferramenta eficiente para a geração de cenários críticos de suscetibilidade a escorregamentos rasos na bacia de Fradinhos com maior propensão nas encostas côncavas e mais inclinadas.