The lagged effect and attributable risk of apparent temperature on hand,foot, and mouth disease in Changsha,China: a distributed lag non-linear model

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is the leading Category C infectious disease affecting millions of children in China every year. In the context...     

Molecular and serological study on congenital toxoplasmosis in newborn of Shiraz,Southern Iran

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by an obligatory intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The congenital form of the disease is a...     

Circular RNA circ_0005835 promotes promoted neural stem cells proliferation and differentiate to neuron and inhibits inflammatory cytokines levels through miR-576-3p in Alzheimer’s disease

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequent neurodegenerative disease and it is difficult to have an effective and simple method for AD early...     

Efficacy of sludge and manure compost amendments against Fusarium wilt of cucumber

Fusarium wilt of cucumber caused by the fungus, Fusarium oxysporum, is one of the most destructive soilborne diseases and can result in serious economic loss. No efficient fungicide is currently available to control the disease. The aim of this study was to examine the disease suppression ability of pig manure and sludge composts in peat-based container media and explore the possible disease suppression mechanisms. Pig manure and sewage sludge compost were made in laboratory-scale tanks. Plant growth media were formulated with peat mixture and compost (or 60?°C heated compost) in a 4:1 ratio (v/v). Cucumber seedlings were artificially inoculated with F. oxysporum conidia (5?×?10⁵ conidia mL^?1) by the root-dip method. Cucumber Fusarium wilt was effectively suppressed in sludge compost-amended media, while the disease suppression effect of pig manure compost was limited. The ammonia levels in the manure compost-amended media were significantly higher than those of sludge compost-amended media, which could explain its lower disease suppression ability. Heated composts behaved similarly with respect to disease suppression. Adding composts increased microbial biomass, microbial activity, and the microbial diversity of the growth media. PCR-DGGE results indicated that the fungal community had a significant correlation to the disease severity. The artificially inoculated pathogen was retrieved in all treatments and one possible biocontrol agent was identified as a strain of F. oxysporum by phylogenetic analyses. The results indicated that the sludge compost used in this study could be applied as a method for biocontrol of cucumber Fusarium wilt.     

Combined effects of elevated CO2 and natural climatic variation on leaf spot diseases of redbud and sweetgum trees

Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are predicted to double within the next century and alter climate regimes, yet the extent that these changes will affect plant diseases remains unclear. In this study conducted over five years, we assessed how elevated CO₂ and interannual climatic variability affect Cercospora leaf spot diseases of two deciduous trees. Climatic data varied considerably between the five years and altered disease expression. Disease incidence and severity for both species were greater in years with above average rainfall. In years with above average temperatures, disease incidence for Liquidambar styraciflua was decreased significantly. When significant changes did occur, disease incidence and severity always increased under elevated CO₂. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging of leaves revealed that any visible increase in disease severity induced by elevated CO₂ was mitigated by higher photosynthetic efficiency in the remaining undamaged leaf tissue and in a halo surrounding lesions.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls and links to cardiovascular disease

The pathology of cardiovascular disease is multi-faceted, with links to many modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Epidemiological evidence now implicates exposure to persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), with an increased risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and obesity; all of which are clinically relevant to the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease. PCBs exert their cardiovascular toxicity either directly or indirectly via multiple mechanisms, which are highly dependent on the type and concentration of PCBs present. However, many PCBs may modulate cellular signaling pathways leading to common detrimental outcomes including induction of chronic oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption. With the abundance of potential toxic pollutants increasing globally, it is critical to identify sensible means of decreasing associated disease risks. Emerging evidence now implicates a protective role of lifestyle modifications such as increased exercise and/or nutritional modulation via anti-inflammatory foods, which may help to decrease the vascular toxicity of PCBs. This review will outline the current state of knowledge linking coplanar and non-coplanar PCBs to cardiovascular disease and describe the possible molecular mechanism of this association.     

Exposure to heavy metals and infectious disease mortality in harbour porpoises from England and Wales

We investigate whether long-term exposure to heavy metals, including immunosuppressive metals like mercury (Hg), is associated with infectious disease in a wild cetacean. Post-mortem investigations on 86 harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, found dead along the coasts of England and Wales revealed that 49 of the porpoises were healthy when they died as a consequence of physical trauma (most frequently entrapment in fishing gear). In contrast, 37 porpoises died of infectious diseases caused by parasitic, bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens (most frequently pneumonia caused by lungworm and bacterial infections). We found that mean liver concentrations of Hg, selenium (Se), the Hg:Se molar ratio, and zinc (Zn) were significantly higher in the propoises that died of infectious disease compared to healthy porpoises that died from physical trauma. Liver concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) did not differ between the two groups. Hg, Se, and the Hg:Se molar ratio were also positively correlated with age. The association between Zn concentration and disease status may result from Zn redistribution in response to infection. Further work is required to evaluate whether chronic exposure to Hg may have presented a toxic challenge to the porpoises that succumbed to infectious disease.     

The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on environment: the case of the major cities in Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In Wuhan city, China, a pneumonia-like disease of unknown origin triggered a catastrophe. This disease has spread to 215 nations, affecting a diverse...     

To coil or not to coil: application practices,perception and efficacy of mosquito coils in a malaria-endemic community in Ghana

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Although evidence of mosquito coils’ impact on disease epidemiology is limited, they are popularized as mosquito-borne disease prevention...     

Radon exposure and risk of cerebrovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis in occupational and general population studies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Although it is biologically plausible, findings relating radon exposure to the risk of cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) are inconsistent and...     

The role of disinfectants and sanitizers during COVID-19 pandemic: advantages and deleterious effects on humans and the environment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Disinfectants and sanitizers are essential preventive agents against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; however, the pandemic crisis...     

Challenges and possible solutions in dental practice during and post COVID-19

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The pandemic outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) created a significant impact on the oral healthcare profession, and dentists are reported to...     

The interaction of chemicals and viruses and their role in Reye's syndrome

Chemicals have not conclusively been shown to potentiate human viral infections or Reye's Syndrome, but they have been proven to potentiate viral disease in insects, mice, rats, ducks, and tissue in culture. The data suggest that we cannot rule out virus-chemical interactions in the pathogenesis of human disease.Reye's Syndrome (RS), an encephalopathy with fatty changes of the viscera, is a disease of children with a high mortality and unknown etiology. The most frequently suggested causes of RS are viruses or environmental toxins. It has also been suggested that both may cause RS acting either alone or in concert. Varicella or influenza B are the viruses most frequently associated with RS. Aflatoxin, a fungal toxin, has been the toxin most frequently implicated in RS or a disease that is almost identical to it.The hepatic tissue of 9 children with Reye's Syndrome was examined and was found to contain no aflatoxin. The sensitivity of our test was 5.2 μg of aflatoxin B₁/kg wet hepatic tissue. With some reservation, it is felt unlikely that aflatoxicosis is important in the pathogenesis of Reye's Syndrome in the United States.We also examined the serum of 12 patients with RS for pseudocholinesterase activity. Although the mean value of this activity for the RS patients was 12% less than that for the control group, there was no significant differences (P > 0.05) and, therefore, our RS patients did not demonstrate any effects of pseudocholinesterase inhibitors. It is as yet difficult to demonstrate, except coincidentally, environmental toxins in the pathogenesis of Reye's Syndrome.     

Outdoor air pollution exposure and the risk of asthma and wheezing in the offspring

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - According to the “fetal origin of disease” hypothesis, air pollution exposure in pregnancy may play an important role in stimulating the...     

Serum heavy metals of passive smoker females and its correlation to bone biomarkers and risk of osteoporosis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Serum total and free calcium reflect the status of the body health and disease. Smoking is risk factor for many diseases as cardiovascular, lung, and...     

Cardiovascular effects of arsenic: clinical and epidemiological findings

Several population studies relate exposure to high levels of arsenic with an increased incidence of ischemic heart disease and cardiovascular mortality. An association has been shown between exposure to high levels of arsenic and cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and vascular damage such as subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. The mechanisms underlying these phenomena are currently being studied and appear to indicate an alteration of vascular function. However, the effects of low levels of exposure to arsenic and their potential detrimental cardiovascular effect are less explored. The article provides an overview of the pathophysiologic mechanisms linking low-level arsenic exposure to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and its complications, and some potential preventive strategies to implement.     

Incidence of thyroid disease following exposure to polybrominated biphenyls and polychlorinated biphenyls, Michigan, 1974-2006

Thyroid hormones, which influence body metabolism and development, could be affected by persistent organic pollutants. We sought to examine the relationship between polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and thyroid disease. We employed incidence density sampling to perform a nested case control analysis of the Michigan Long-Term PBB Cohort. Cohort members (n = 3333) were exposed to PBBs through contaminated cattle feed in 1973-1974 and to PCBs through daily life. Those with detectable serum PBB and PCB concentrations at enrollment were categorized into tertiles of PBB and PCB exposure. Case-patients were cohort members answering “Yes” to “Has a healthcare provider ever told you that you had a thyroid problem?” during follow-up interviews; control-patients were cohort members answering “No”. We used odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) to compare odds of thyroid disease by PBB and PCB exposure and by various risk factors. Total cumulative thyroid disease incidence after 33 years was 13.9% among women and 2.6% among men. After adjusting for body mass index, we found no statistically significant differences in odds of any type of thyroid disease among women or men with elevated PBB or PCB exposure. Compared to control-patients, women with thyroid disease had increased odds of being overweight/obese (OR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.94-4.11) and developing infertility (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.08-2.69), diabetes (OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.04-2.51), or arthritis (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.18-2.50) during follow-up. Additional research should explore potential associations between PBBs/PCBs and thyroid disease among children exposed in utero.     

Spatial relationships between nitrogen status and pitch canker disease in slash pine planted adjacent to a poultry operation

Pitch canker disease (Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg & O'Donnell) causes serious shoot dieback, reduced growth and mortality in pines found in the southern and western USA, and has been linked to nutrient imbalances. Poultry houses with forced-air ventilation systems produce nitrogen (N) emissions. This study analyzed spatial correlations between pitch canker disease and foliar, forest floor, soil, and throughfall N in a slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii Engelm.) plantation adjacent to a poultry operation in north Florida, USA. Tissue and throughfall N concentrations were highest near the poultry houses and remained elevated for 400 m. Disease incidence ranged from 57-71% near the poultry houses and was spatially correlated with N levels. Similarly, stem mortality ranged from 41-53% in the most heavily impacted area, and declined to 0-9% at distances greater than 400 m. These results suggest that nutritional processes exacerbate changes in disease susceptibility and expression in slash pine.     

Air Pollution and Morbidity: SO2 Damages

The role of SO₂ and COH (coefficient of haze) as causative factors in hospital emergency room admissions for respiratory and cardiac disease is analyzed using data from Chicago's Cook County Hospital. Some of the findings are that, while COH appears not to affect morbidity, SO₂ does, with most important impacts being felt by those with cardiac disease, females, and the youngest and oldest age groups. It is concluded that marginal morbidity damages, about which little had been known, are not high relative to other damage categories. These damages are estimated to be on the order of 10 cents per microgram per cubic meter per person per year.     

Association between population density and infection rate suggests the importance of social distancing and travel restriction in reducing the COVID-19 pandemic

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Currently, 2019-nCoV has spread to most countries of the world. Understanding the environmental factors that affect the spread of the disease COVID-19...