Extreme weather events, driven by changing climatic conditions, interact with our built environment by distributing-or redistributing-environmental risk and damaging physical infrastructure. We focus ...on the role of extreme weather events in the distribution of toxic substances within and between residential communities in the largest cities in the United States (US). We explore the impact of projected inland and coastal flooding on the redistribution of toxicity from known contaminated sites, and how patterns of toxic flow change the total population and social demographics of the population at risk from toxic materials. We use the Urban Adaptation Assessment and data on toxic site locations from the US government to evaluate risk of toxin dispersion from flooding in cities and down to the census tract level for the period 2021-2061. We demonstrate that future climate conditions significantly increase the risk of the dispersion of toxins from contaminated sites by 2041.
Water (in)security is increasingly recognized as a global threat driven by population increase, water (mis)management, and global climate change. This is particularly true for Sub-Saharan Africa ...where the impacts of climate change are expected to negatively affect water access and availability. Projected increases in the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods and their potential impact on agriculture and water resources are especially worrisome. It is critical to understand how water disturbances are driving local level ecological changes - and the processes of adaptation undertaken by individuals and communities responding to these changes - to develop sustainable pathways through the global climate change landscape. Here I place local level nuances and processes at centre, using a niche construction heuristic framework and household level surveys (N = 224) to investigate locally relevant responses to water scarcity, with specific attention paid to social, psychosocial, and physical health impacts arising from anxiety about water. The findings here indicate that the anthroecological system in Choma - specifically the human-water subsystem - is internalizing negative impacts driven by water variations. Experienced anxieties from water issues have been shown to be strongly linked to household water needs not being met, time investments required for fetching water, suspected waterborne sickness, and household size.
Recent reports from the UN find that 2.6 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources since 1990, but 663 million people still live without. Other recent work demonstrates ...that 4 billion people annually face severe water scarcity as a result of seasonal fluctuations in water availability and quality. How is it that, despite the significant development in water resource availability documented by the UN, literally billions of people are regularly experiencing water insecurity? To begin to understand how a lack of access to reliable water resources affects everyday life, I focus on a specific outcome of water insecurity: waterborne illness. Given the difficulty in linking illness to a particular source, this research focuses on perceptions of water safety. I ask participants about illness they perceive coming from their drinking water, conducting faceto- face surveys (N = 224) spatially distributed around Choma town, Southern Province, Zambia. In particular, I investigate how these perceptions affect everyday life and what intersecting factors are likely to increase or decrease the probability of a person perceiving drinking water as the source of their illness. Our findings demonstrate that individual perceptions of waterborne illness are tightly coupled with perceptions of water needs being met or not, water flexibility (water storage capacity and water resource type and number available), total water use, food security and distance to various services. My work identifies and qualifies intersecting relationships that are critical to the design of any policy or other means of intervention intended to reduce experienced and perceived waterborne illness and other everyday needs of subsistence farmers facing the challenges presented by climate change and other forms of environmental change.
Background and Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of administration of avocado/soybean unsaponifiable (ASU), a drug that is commonly used in the treatment of rheumatoid ...arthritis, on ligature‐induced bone loss and bone repair after ligature removal in rats.
Material and Methods
Eighty‐four rats were randomly assigned to four groups of equal size and received a daily gavage of either sterile saline control (CTR) or ASU (0.6 mg/kg), starting 7 d before (ASU/−7), on the day of (ASU/0) or 7 d after (ASU/+7) periodontitis induction. Periodontitis was induced by placing silk ligatures into the gingival sulcus of the second maxillary molars for 7 d; after 7 d, the ligatures were removed. Seven rats from each group were sacrificed, 7, 15 or 30 d after ligature removal. Bone resorption was evaluated by histomorphometry and micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT). Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of TRAP, RANKL and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to evaluate the levels of interleukin‐1beta (Il1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (Tnfα), interleukin‐6 (Il‐6), Rankl and Alp. Statistical analysis was performed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, ANOVA and Tukey's test for normal data, and using the Kruskall–Wallis and Dunnet's tests for non‐normal data (p < 0.05).
Results
Histomorphometry and micro‐CT analysis showed greater bone resorption in the CTR group than in the ASU/0 (15 d) and ASU/+7 (7 and 15 d) groups. The CTR group also presented with a higher expression of TRAP (15 and 30 d) and RANKL (7 and 15 d) compared with ASU/0 and ASU/+7 groups. Similarly, qPCR analysis showed higher levels of Rankl and Il1β mRNAs, and lower levels of Alp mRNA, in the CTR group compared with all other groups (for all periods).
Conclusion
ASU exhibited a positive effect on bone repair following ligature‐induced periodontitis in rats.
Abstract Strategies to combine aspirated marrow cells with scaffolds to treat connective tissue defects are gaining increasing clinical attention and use. In situations such as large defects where ...initial survival and proliferation of transplanted connective tissue progenitors (CTPs) are limiting, therapeutic outcomes might be improved by using the scaffold to deliver growth factors that promote the early stages of cell function in the graft. Signaling by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a role in cell survival and has been implicated in bone development and homeostasis. Providing epidermal growth factor (EGF) in a scaffold-tethered format may sustain local delivery and shift EGFR signaling to pro-survival modes compared to soluble ligand. We therefore examined the effect of tethered EGF on osteogenic colony formation from human bone marrow aspirates in the context of three different adhesion environments using a total of 39 donors. We found that tethered EGF, but not soluble EGF, increased the numbers of colonies formed regardless of adhesion background, and that tethered EGF did not impair early stages of osteogenic differentiation.
Deviations in rainfall duration and timing are expected to have wide-ranging impacts for people in affected areas. One of these impacts is the potential for increased levels of conflict and ...accordingly, researchers are examining the relationship between climate variability and conflict. Thus far, there is a lack of consensus on the direction of this relationship. We contribute to the climate variability and conflict literature by incorporating Markov transitional probabilities into panel logit models to analyze how monthly deviations in rainfall affect the likelihood that a grid cell transitions to an above average level of conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa. To control for differences in seasons across the continent, we model this relationship for each of the regions of Sub-Saharan Africa separately – East, Central, West, and Southern. We find significant seasonal and regional effects between rainfall and the probability that a grid cell transitions from a state of peace to a state of conflict. In particular, above average rainfall is associated with a higher likelihood of transitioning into conflict during the dry season. Further, each region has specific months—primarily those associated with prime crop harvest periods—where variations in rainfall significantly influence conflict. We also find regional variations in the linkage between rainfall and conflict type related to the types of conflict that predominate in particular regions of Sub- Saharan Africa. These findings are important for policymakers because they suggest additional law enforcement and/or peacekeeping resources may be needed in times of above average rainfall. Policies that provide financial support for farmers or other sectors, such as mining, that are impacted by rainfall patterns may also be a useful strategy for conflict mitigation.
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•Regional differences in the likelihood of transitioning into conflict•Seasonal specific linkages between rainfall and conflict•Above average rain during the harvest season is more likely to result in conflict
Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a clinical condition characterized by the presence of exposed bone in the maxillofacial region. Its pathogenesis is still undetermined, but ...may be associated with risk factors such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this paper is to report two unpublished cases of BRONJ in patients with RA and to conduct a literature review of similar clinical cases with a view to describe the main issues concerning these patients, including demographic characteristics and therapeutic approaches applied.
Two case reports of BRONJ involving RA patients were discussed
Both patients were aging female taking alendronate for more than 3 years. Lesions were detected in stage II in posterior mandible with no clear trigger agent. The treatment applied consisted of antibiotics, oral rinses with chlorhexidine, drug discontinuation and surgical procedures. Complete healing of the lesions was achieved.
This paper brings to light the necessity for rheumatologists to be aware of the potential risk to their patients of developing BRONJ and to work together with dentists for the prevention and early detection of the lesions. Although some features seem to link RA with oral BRONJ and act as synergistic effects, more studies should be developed to support the scientific bases for this hypothesis.
Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of strict supragingival plaque control on the subgingival microbiota in smokers and never‐smokers. Research into the impact of ...supragingival plaque control on the number of subgingival bacteria has resulted in contradictory findings. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been suggested as a valid alternative to current microbiologic methods based on bacteria cultures.
Methods: Forty‐five subjects with chronic periodontitis were selected. Twenty‐four of them had never smoked, and 21 were active smokers. Four sites per patient were selected for sampling. Supragingival debridement was performed at baseline, and the subjects received weekly instructions on oral hygiene for 180 days. A clinical examination and subgingival plaque sampling were carried out at baseline and at 30, 90, and 180 days. A real‐time PCR assay was used to detect and quantify Porphyromonas gingivalis, Parvimonas micra (previously Peptostreptococcus micros or Micromonas micros), Dialister pneumosintes, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans), and the total bacteria load (eubacteria) in the subgingival samples. Statistical analysis was performed using linear models adjusted for the clustering of observations within individuals.
Results: Smokers and never‐smokers exhibited a similar and significant reduction in total bacteria counts over time. Irrespective of smoking status, deep sites consistently harbored greater quantities of total bacteria throughout the study. Higher numbers of the bacteria investigated were associated with bleeding on probing.
Conclusion: Supragingival plaque control markedly reduced subgingival microbiota counts in smokers and never‐smokers.
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