Gut microbiota (GM) plays several crucial roles in host physiology and influences several relevant functions. In more than one respect, it can be said that you “feed your microbiota and are fed by ...it.” GM diversity is affected by diet and influences metabolic and immune functions of the host’s physiology. Consequently, an imbalance of GM, or dysbiosis, may be the cause or at least may lead to the progression of various pathologies such as infectious diseases, gastrointestinal cancers, inflammatory bowel disease, and even obesity and diabetes. Therefore, GM is an appropriate target for nutritional interventions to improve health. For this reason, phytochemicals that can influence GM have recently been studied as adjuvants for the treatment of obesity and inflammatory diseases. Phytochemicals include prebiotics and probiotics, as well as several chemical compounds such as polyphenols and derivatives, carotenoids, and thiosulfates. The largest group of these comprises polyphenols, which can be subclassified into four main groups: flavonoids (including eight subgroups), phenolic acids (such as curcumin), stilbenoids (such as resveratrol), and lignans. Consequently, in this review, we will present, organize, and discuss the most recent evidence indicating a relationship between the effects of different phytochemicals on GM that affect obesity and/or inflammation, focusing on the effect of approximately 40 different phytochemical compounds that have been chemically identified and that constitute some natural reservoir, such as potential prophylactics, as candidates for the treatment of obesity and inflammatory diseases.
•The first formalization of a CLSC network of distributed plastic recycling for 3D printing.•Assessment of the economical–environmental feasibility of the distributed recycling network.•A sensitivity ...analysis of the distributed recycling undertaken using real parameters.•A first model to decision-making process to sustain distributed recycling initiatives at early stages.
Recent research and initiatives increasingly propose a new approach, based on distributed plastic recycling for open-source (OS) 3D printing technologies, as a way to deal with the issue of plastic waste and to support the development of the circular economy (CE). Distributed recycling can be thought of as a sort of “smart grid”, composed of small and coordinated recycling units. However, the operational complexity of this distributed approach limits its application. Furthermore, the environmental and economic advantages have yet to be demonstrated. This article therefore explores the economic and environmental feasibility of this distributed plastic recycling approach from a logistics perspective, as a step towards its validation. To achieve this, an optimization mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model was used as an evaluation tool, representing a local closed loop supply chain (CLSC) network. The proposed model is illustrated using a case study of a university seeking to implement a distributed recycling demonstrator in order to recover 3D printing wastes from secondary schools in the northeast of France. Following this step, a sensitivity analysis was carried out considering the market variations (price of virgin plastic filament) and the amount of available plastic waste derived from the schools. The results obtained show positive economic and environmental benefits of carrying out this new method of plastic recycling. This work serves as a basis for continuing to explore the feasibility and replication of the distributed plastic recycling network in other contexts.
Aerosols play a significant yet complex and central role in the Earth's radiation budget, and knowledge of long‐term changes in the atmospheric turbidity induced by aerosols is therefore fundamental ...for a better understanding of climate change. However, there is little available information on changes in aerosol concentration in the atmosphere, especially prior to the 1980s. The present paper reviews publications reporting the suitability of sunshine duration records with regard to detecting changes in atmospheric aerosols. Some of the studies reviewed propose methods for estimating aerosol‐related magnitudes, such as turbidity, from sunshine deficit at approximately sunrise and sunset, when the impact of aerosols on the solar beam is more easily observed. In addition, there is abundant evidence that one cause of the decadal changes observed in sunshine duration records involves variations in atmospheric aerosol loading. Possible directions for future research are also suggested: in particular, detailed studies of the burn (not only its length but also its width) registered by means of Campbell‐Stokes sunshine recorders may provide a way of creating time series of atmospheric aerosol loading metrics dating back to over 120 years from the present.
Key Points
Sunshine records suitability to detect atmospheric aerosol is reviewed
Despite short comings of the data, aerosol effect on sunshine is evident
Possible directions for future research are highlighted
Solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has been increasingly used as a proxy for terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP). Previous work mainly evaluated the relationship between ...satellite‐observed SIF and gridded GPP products both based on coarse spatial resolutions. Finer resolution SIF (1.3 km × 2.25 km) measured from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory‐2 (OCO‐2) provides the first opportunity to examine the SIF–GPP relationship at the ecosystem scale using flux tower GPP data. However, it remains unclear how strong the relationship is for each biome and whether a robust, universal relationship exists across a variety of biomes. Here we conducted the first global analysis of the relationship between OCO‐2 SIF and tower GPP for a total of 64 flux sites across the globe encompassing eight major biomes. OCO‐2 SIF showed strong correlations with tower GPP at both midday and daily timescales, with the strongest relationship observed for daily SIF at the 757 nm (R2 = 0.72, p < 0.0001). Strong linear relationships between SIF and GPP were consistently found for all biomes (R2 = 0.57–0.79, p < 0.0001) except evergreen broadleaf forests (R2 = 0.16, p < 0.05) at the daily timescale. A higher slope was found for C4 grasslands and croplands than for C3 ecosystems. The generally consistent slope of the relationship among biomes suggests a nearly universal rather than biome‐specific SIF–GPP relationship, and this finding is an important distinction and simplification compared to previous results. SIF was mainly driven by absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and was also influenced by environmental stresses (temperature and water stresses) that determine photosynthetic light use efficiency. OCO‐2 SIF generally had a better performance for predicting GPP than satellite‐derived vegetation indices and a light use efficiency model. The universal SIF–GPP relationship can potentially lead to more accurate GPP estimates regionally or globally. Our findings revealed the remarkable ability of finer resolution SIF observations from OCO‐2 and other new or future missions (e.g., TROPOMI, FLEX) for estimating terrestrial photosynthesis across a wide variety of biomes and identified their potential and limitations for ecosystem functioning and carbon cycle studies.
We conducted the first global analysis of the relationship between solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and gross primary productivity (GPP) based on OOC‐2 and flux tower observations. Strong linear relationships between SIF and GPP at the ecosystem scale were found for all eight biomes except evergreen broadleaf forests. The nearly universal rather than biome‐specific SIF–GPP relationship can potentially lead to more accurate GPP estimates globally. OCO‐2 SIF can generally better estimate GPP than satellite‐derived vegetation indices and light use efficiency models. Our findings revealed the potential of finer‐resolution SIF observations in ecosystem functioning and carbon cycling studies and model benchmarking efforts.
The rapid technical evolution of additive manufacturing (AM) enables a new path to a circular economy using distributed recycling and production. This concept of Distributed Recycling via Additive ...Manufacturing (DRAM) is related to the use of recycled materials by means of mechanical recycling process in the 3D printing process chain. This paper aims to examine the current advances on thermoplastic recycling processes via additive manufacturing technologies. After proposing a closed recycling global chain for DRAM, a systematic literature review including 92 papers from 2009 to 2019 was performed using the scopus, web of science and springer databases. This work examines main topics from six stages (recovery, preparation, compounding, feedstock, printing, quality) of the proposed DRAM chain. The results suggested that few works have been done for the recovery and preparation stages, while a great progress has already been done for the other stages in order to validate the technical feasibility, environmental impact, and economic viability. Potential research paths in the pre-treatment of recycled material at local level and printing chain phases were identified in order to connect the development of DRAM with the circular economy ambition at micro, meso and macro level. The development of each stage proposed using the open source approach is a relevant path to scale DRAM to reach the full technical potential as a centerpiece of the circular economy.
We examined associations of childhood physical and sexual abuse with risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). We also evaluated the extent to which childhood abuse was associated with self-reported ...general health status and symptoms of antepartum depression in a cohort of pregnant Peruvian women.
In-person interviews were conducted to collect information regarding history of childhood abuse and IPV from 1,521 women during early pregnancy. Antepartum depressive symptomatology was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Multivariable logistic regression procedures were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).
Any childhood abuse was associated with 2.2-fold increased odds of lifetime IPV (95%CI: 1.72-2.83). Compared with women who reported no childhood abuse, those who reported both, childhood physical and sexual abuse had a 7.14-fold lifetime risk of physical and sexual IPV (95%CI: 4.15-12.26). The odds of experiencing physical and sexual abuse by an intimate partner in the past year was 3.33-fold higher among women with a history of childhood physical and sexual abuse as compared to women who were not abused as children (95%CI 1.60-6.89). Childhood abuse was associated with higher odds of self-reported poor health status during early pregnancy (aOR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.04-1.68) and with symptoms of antepartum depression (aOR = 2.07, 95%CI: 1.58-2.71).
These data indicate that childhood sexual and physical abuse is associated with IPV, poor general health and depressive symptoms in early pregnancy. The high prevalence of childhood trauma and its enduring effects of on women's health warrant concerted global health efforts in preventing violence.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The region must pivot from area expansion to increasing crop yields on existing farmland
In the first two decades of the 21st century, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has changed rapidly for the better in ...many ways, counter to many outdated narratives. Many of these improvements—including those in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, poverty rates, health, life expectancy, education, and agriculture—have been mutually reinforcing (
1
,
2
). SSA achieved the highest rate of growth in agricultural production value (crops and livestock) of any region in the world since 2000, expanding by 4.3% per year in real inflation-adjusted US dollars (USD) between 2000 and 2018, roughly double that of the prior three decades. The world average over the same period was 2.7% per year (
1
). Agricultural value added per worker in real 2010 USD rose from $846 in 2000 to $1563 in 2019, a 3.2% annual rate of growth. But to assert that Africa is rapidly developing does not mean that all livelihood indicators are improving, though most are in most countries (
1
,
3
). SSA faces many major challenges. We focus below on one such challenge, which we see as a precondition for sustaining livelihood improvements in the region: transitioning from area expansion to productivity growth as the source of Africa's agricultural development.
Biochar is widely recognized as an efficient tool for carbon sequestration and soil fertility. The understanding of its chemical and physical properties, which are strongly related to the type of the ...initial material used and pyrolysis conditions, is crucial to identify the most suitable application of biochar in soil. A selection of organic wastes with different characteristics (e.g., rice husk (RH), rice straw (RS), wood chips of apple tree (Malus pumila) (AB), and oak tree (Quercus serrata) (OB)) were pyrolyzed at different temperatures (400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 °C) in order to optimize the physicochemical properties of biochar as a soil amendment. Low-temperature pyrolysis produced high biochar yields; in contrast, high-temperature pyrolysis led to biochars with a high C content, large surface area, and high adsorption characteristics. Biochar obtained at 600 °C leads to a high recalcitrant character, whereas that obtained at 400 °C retains volatile and easily labile compounds. The biochar obtained from rice materials (RH and RS) showed a high yield and unique chemical properties because of the incorporation of silica elements into its chemical structure. The biochar obtained from wood materials (AB and OB) showed high carbon content and a high absorption character.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy among reproductive age women. Although its cardinal manifestations include hyperandrogenism, oligo/anovulation, and/or polycystic ...ovarian morphology, PCOS women often display also notable metabolic comorbidities. An array of pathogenic mechanisms have been implicated in the etiology of this heterogeneous endocrine disorder; hyperandrogenism at various developmental periods is proposed as a major driver of the metabolic and reproductive perturbations associated with PCOS. However, the current understanding of the pathophysiology of PCOS-associated metabolic disease is incomplete, and therapeutic strategies used to manage this syndrome's metabolic complications remain limited.
This study is a systematic review of the potential etiopathogenic mechanisms of metabolic dysfunction frequently associated with PCOS, with special emphasis on the metabolic impact of androgen excess on different metabolic tissues and the brain. We also briefly summarize the therapeutic approaches currently available to manage metabolic perturbations linked to PCOS, highlighting current weaknesses and future directions.
Androgen excess plays a prominent role in the development of metabolic disturbances associated with PCOS, with a discernible impact on key peripheral metabolic tissues, including the adipose, liver, pancreas, and muscle, and very prominently the brain, contributing to the constellation of metabolic complications of PCOS, from obesity to insulin resistance. However, the current understanding of the pathogenic roles of hyperandrogenism in metabolic dysfunction of PCOS and the underlying mechanisms remain largely incomplete. In addition, the development of more efficient, even personalized therapeutic strategies for the metabolic management of PCOS patients persists as an unmet need that will certainly benefit from a better comprehension of the molecular basis of this heterogeneous syndrome.
Autoinflammatory disorders are sterile inflammatory conditions characterized by episodes of early-onset fever and disease-specific patterns of organ inflammation. Recently, the discoveries of ...monogenic disorders with strong type I interferon (IFN) signatures caused by mutations in proteasome degradation and cytoplasmic RNA and DNA sensing pathways suggest a pathogenic role of IFNs in causing autoinflammatory phenotypes. The IFN response gene signature (IGS) has been associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases. In this review, we compare the clinical presentations and pathogenesis of two IFN-mediated autoinflammatory diseases, CANDLE and SAVI, with Aicardi Goutières syndrome (AGS) and monogenic forms of SLE (monoSLE) caused by loss-of-function mutations in complement 1 (C1q) or the DNA nucleases,
DNASE1
and
DNASE1L3.
We outline differences in intracellular signaling pathways that fuel a pathologic type I IFN amplification cycle. While IFN amplification is caused by predominantly innate immune cell dysfunction in SAVI, CANDLE, and AGS, autoantibodies to modified RNA and DNA antigens interact with tissues and immune cells including neutrophils and contribute to IFN upregulation in some SLE patients including monoSLE, thus justifying a grouping of “autoinflammatory” and “autoimmune” interferonopathies. Understanding of the differences in the cellular sources and signaling pathways will guide new drug development and the use of emerging targeted therapies.
PDF
