Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that biomass open-burning (BOB) related air pollution has been associated with adverse health effect, but limited evidence is found in Thailand. We ...investigated the effects of BOB occurrence on outpatient department (OPD) visits for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in Thailand and further explored the effects of longer exposure duration and higher exposure intensity to BOB. Fire hotspot data were acquired from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite during January 2016 through December 2020 across Thailand, and OPD visits data were obtained from the National Health Security Office during the same period. A time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regression was used to examine province-specific estimates of BOB-related air pollution on OPD visits, controlling for many possible confounders, and random-effect meta-analysis was then applied to derive the national estimate. Odds ratio (ORs) of cardiovascular and respiratory OPD visits on the day of BOB occurrence was 1.0105 (95% CI: 0.9971, 1.0240) at lag 5 days and 1.0131 (95% CI: 1.0050, 1.0213) at current day, respectively. ORs of cardiovascular and respiratory OPD visits associated with longer exposure duration to BOB was 1.0272 (95% CI: 1.0104, 1.0442) and 1.0275 (95% CI: 1.0139, 1.0413), respectively. Higher exposure intensity to BOB was not significantly associated with OPD visits for both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Findings from this study can be used to establish the warning systems associated with exposure to BOB-related air pollution to reduce adverse health effects in Thailand.
A number of studies have revealed the effects of several meteorological factors on the concentration of ambient particulate matter (PM). However, the corresponding non-linear and lagged effects of ...those variables on PM concentration remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of meteorological variables and fire hotspot counts on PM concentration in the northern part of Thailand using the two-stage approach. In the first stage, combination of log-linear regression model and distributed lag non-linear model was used to estimate province-specific effect of meteorological factors and fire hotspots on PM
2.5
and PM
10
adjusting by confounders. In the second stage, the multivariate meta-analysis was applied to pool province-specific estimate, and the results showed that the negative associations of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and rainfall with PM
2.5
and PM
10
were observed, while air pressure and fire hotspot was positively associated with PM. Moreover, the effects of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and fire hotspot on PM
2.5
and PM
10
were lasted for 5–8 days, whereas those of air pressure were peaked at lag 7 days and become attenuated toward the null afterward. In conclusion, results from this study could contribute a better understanding on the effects of meteorological variables and fire hotspots on PM concentration and induce the development of more tailored air pollution mitigation strategies depending on weather conditions.
The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is a key plant–microbe interaction in sustainable functioning ecosystems. Increasing anthropogenic disturbance poses a threat to AM fungal communities ...worldwide, but there is little empirical evidence about its potential negative consequences. In this global study, we sequenced AM fungal DNA in soil samples collected from pairs of natural (undisturbed) and anthropogenic (disturbed) plots in two ecosystem types (10 naturally wooded and six naturally unwooded ecosystems). We found that ecosystem type had stronger directional effects than anthropogenic disturbance on AM fungal alpha and beta diversity. However, disturbance increased alpha and beta diversity at sites where natural diversity was low and decreased diversity at sites where natural diversity was high. Cultured AM fungal taxa were more prevalent in anthropogenic than natural plots, probably due to their efficient colonization strategies and ability to recover from disturbance. We conclude that anthropogenic disturbance does not have a consistent directional effect on AM fungal diversity; rather, disturbance equalizes levels of diversity at large scales and causes changes in community functional structure.
There has been much theoretical discussion about the nature of the relationships between disturbance and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities. A large‐scale assessment comparing anthropogenic and natural plots has not been performed before now. We addressed the effects of disturbance on AM fungal communities. We hypothesized that disturbance: (i) reduces AM fungal diversity directionally or causes homogenization of diversity and (ii) favours “ruderal” fungi. We find that anthropogenic disturbance reduces diversity where natural diversity is high and increases diversity where natural diversity is low. It does not homogenize community composition, but favours taxa related to cultured AM fungal species.
Background and Purpose:
Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an increase in fibroblast proliferation, overproduction of extracellular matrix proteins, and the formation of myofibroblast that express ...α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis. Overstimulation of endothelin receptors induced cell proliferation, collagen synthesis, and α-SMA expression in cardiac fibroblasts. Although adenosine was shown to have cardioprotective effects, the molecular mechanisms by which adenosine A
2
receptor inhibit ET-1-induced fibroblast proliferation and α-SMA expression in cardiac fibroblasts are not clearly identified.
Experimental Approach:
This study aimed at evaluating the mechanisms of cardioprotective effects of adenosine receptor agonist in rat cardiac fibroblast by measurement of cell proliferation, and mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA.
Key results:
Stimulation of adenosine subtype 2B (A
2B
) receptor resulted in the inhibition of ET-1-induced fibroblast proliferation, and a reduction of ET-1-induced α-SMA expression that is dependent on cAMP/Epac/PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in cardiac fibroblasts. The data in this study confirm a critical role for Epac signaling on A
2B
receptor-mediated inhibition of ET-1-induced cardiac fibrosis via PI3K and Akt activation.
Conclusion and Implications:
This is the first work reporting a novel signaling pathway for the inhibition of ET-1-induced cardiac fibrosis mediated through the A
2B
receptor. Thus, A
2B
receptor agonists represent a promising perspective as therapeutic targets for the prevention of cardiac fibrosis.
Background: understanding the effects of coexposure to compound extreme events, such as air pollution and extreme heat, is important for reducing current and future health burdens. This study ...investigated the independent and synergistic effects of exposure to air pollution from vegetation fires and extreme heat on all-cause mortality in Upper Northern Thailand. Methods: we used a time-stratified case-crossover study design with a conditional quasi-Poisson model to examine the association between mortality and coexposure to air pollution due to vegetation fire events (fire-PM2.5) and extreme heat. Extreme heat days were defined using the 90th and 99th percentile thresholds for daily maximum temperature. Results: we observed a significant positive excess risk of mortality due to independent exposure to fire-PM2.5 and extreme heat, but not an interactive effect. All-cause mortality risk increased by 0.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.1, 1.8) for each 10 μg/m3 increase in fire-PM2.5 on the same day and by 12.8% (95% CI: 10.5, 15.1) on extreme heat days (90th percentile) relative to nonextreme heat days. Conclusion: this study showed that exposure to PM2.5 from vegetation fires and extreme heat independently increased all-cause mortality risk in UNT. However, there was no evidence of a synergistic effect of these events.
Aim
We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated care model on delaying chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in routine clinical practice in rural ...primary care setting.
Methods
After enrolment, patients with stages 3 to 4 CKD patients from five district hospitals in a northern province of Thailand (400 km from Bangkok) received integrated care comprising hospital multidisciplinary care and home visits by community care teams. Clinical characteristics and biochemical data were collected at baseline and every 3‐month interval thereafter for 36 months. The primary outcome was the rate of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline.
Results
Nine hundred and fourteen stage −3 and − 4 CKD patients were enrolled. The mean age of our cohort was 62 years. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) was the main cause of CKD (53%) whereas hypertension was the most common co‐morbidity (92%). The mean rate of eGFR decline was −0.92 mL/min/1.73 m2/year. The rate of eGFR decline among patients with DKD was about three times faster than patients without DKD. Patients with higher blood pressure, metabolic acidosis, proteinuria or anaemia had a faster rate of eGFR decline.
Conclusion
This integrated care model at the community level was effective in delaying CKD progression in routine clinical practice situation.
SUMMARY AT A GLANCE
This report of a prospective cohort study shows the effectiveness of an integrated care model on delaying CKD progression in a Thai rural primary care setting.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the chronic infectious diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes about 2–3 million deaths per year. Isoniazid and rifampicin are examples of first line ...drugs used for TB treatment; however, they are potentially hepatotoxic. More effective and safer drugs are urgently needed, especially from natural products. Basidiomycete mushrooms are known as important sources of pharmaceutically active metabolites including an anti-TB agent. In this work, the chemical constituents of the edible mushroom Astraeus odoratus were isolated and investigated for antibacterial activity against M. tuberculosis H37Ra. The cytotoxic activity against cancerous cell lines was also evaluated. Four new lanostane triterpenes, astraodoric acids A–D, and new 5-hydroxyhypaphorine have been isolated together with four known compounds. The structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopic methods, HR-ESI-MS results, and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Astraodoric acids A and B exhibited moderate antibacterial (MICs of 50 and 25 μg/mL) and cytotoxic activities (IC50 values of 34.69 and 18.57 μg/mL against KB and 19.99 and 48.35 μg/mL against NCI-H187), respectively. The results of this study show that A. odoratus could be a significant natural source for safer antitubercular and anticancer agents.
Aim
Identifying appropriate conservation measures requires a reasonable understanding of a species' population status, distribution and vulnerability. However, for many species, these variables may ...not be understood under the context of current conditions alone. Here, we assess the potential role historical changes in climate, sea level and anthropogenic activity may have had on the distribution of one of the world's least‐understood wild cats and identify broader implications for conservation efforts that may not be apparent from just an examination of the species' current distribution.
Location
Tropical Asia.
Taxon
Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus).
Methods
We used a presence‐only ecological niche model and a least‐cost graph‐based connectivity model to characterize the species' bio‐climatic niche and predict changes in suitability and connectivity under current and paleoenvironmental conditions.
Results
Fishing cat occurrence was associated with landscapes that were low in elevation and high in topographic wetness and climates that were warm with moderate annual precipitation and moderate seasonal variation in both temperature and precipitation. Since the Last Interglacial, the area predicted to be climatically suitable has ranged from 5.9 million km2 during the Last Glacial Maximum to 2.2 million km2 during the Current Era. Changes in regional connectivity correlated with changes in suitable area for all periods except the Current Era. Relative connectivity of areas affected by past sea level rise was highest in areas with large alluvial plains, emergent coastal areas and deltas.
Main conclusions
Our findings suggest that the fishing cat's current distribution and vulnerability can be explained by a synergistic combination of historical climate change, sea level rise, and anthropogenic land‐use change. Changes in suitability and connectivity over time highlight potential core areas that are underrepresented by historical survey efforts. Future survey efforts should include these areas, with an emphasis on quantifying tolerances to anthropogenic disturbances.
Fungi play major roles in ecosystem processes, but the determinants of fungal diversity and biogeographic patterns remain poorly understood. Using DNA metabarcoding data from hundreds of globally ...distributed soil samples, we demonstrate that fungal richness is decoupled from plant diversity. The plant-to-fungus richness ratio declines exponentially toward the poles. Climatic factors, followed by edaphic and spatial variables, constitute the best predictors of fungal richness and community composition at the global scale. Fungi show similar latitudinal diversity gradients to other organisms, with several notable exceptions. These findings advance our understanding of global fungal diversity patterns and permit integration of fungi into a general macroecological framework. Assessing fungal diversity worldwideFungi are hyperdiverse but poorly known, despite their ecological and economic impacts. Tedersoo et al. collected nearly 15,000 topsoil samples from 365 sites worldwide and sequenced their genomes (see the Perspective by Wardle and Lindahl). Overall, they found a striking decline in fungal species richness with distance from the equator. For some specialist groups though, diversity depended more on the abundance of host plants than host diversity or geography. The findings reveal a huge gap between known and described species and the actual numbers of distinct fungi in the world's soils.Science, this issue 10.1126/science.1256688; see also p. 1052
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