Harmful algal blooms and public health Grattan, Lynn M; Holobaugh, Sailor; Morris, Jr, J Glenn
Harmful algae,
07/2016, Letnik:
57, Številka:
Pt B
Journal Article
Odprti dostop
The five most commonly recognized Harmful Algal Bloom-related illnesses are ciguatera poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning, and ...diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. Although these exposures result from exposure to different toxins or toxin congeners, these clinical syndromes have much in common. Exposure occurs through the consumption of fish, shellfish, or through exposure to aerosolized NSP toxins. Routine clinical tests are not available for the diagnosis of harmful algal bloom related illnesses, there is no known antidote for exposure, and the risk of these illnesses can negatively impact local fishing and tourism industries. The absence of exposure risk or diagnostic certainty can also precipitate a chain of events that results in considerable psychological distress for coastal populations. Thus, illness prevention is of paramount importance to minimize human and public health risks. To accomplish this, further transdisciplinary research, close communication and collaboration are needed among HAB scientists, public health researchers, and local, state and tribal health departments at academic, community outreach, and policy levels.
Clostridium perfringens causes many different histotoxic and enterotoxic diseases in humans and animals as a result of its ability to produce potent protein toxins, many of which are extracellular. ...The current scheme for the classification of isolates was finalized in the 1960s and is based on their ability to produce a combination of four typing toxins - α-toxin, β-toxin, ε-toxin and ι-toxin – to divide C. perfringens strains into toxinotypes A to E. However, this scheme is now outdated since it does not take into account the discovery of other toxins that have been shown to be required for specific C. perfringens-mediated diseases. We present a long overdue revision of this toxinotyping scheme. The principles for the expansion of the typing system are described, as is a mechanism by which new toxinotypes can be proposed and subsequently approved. Based on these criteria two new toxinotypes have been established. C. perfringens type F consists of isolates that produce C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), but not β-toxin, ε-toxin or ι-toxin. Type F strains will include strains responsible for C. perfringens-mediated human food poisoning and antibiotic associated diarrhea. C. perfringens type G comprises isolates that produce NetB toxin and thereby cause necrotic enteritis in chickens. There are at least two candidates for future C. perfringens toxinotypes, but further experimental work is required before these toxinotypes can formally be proposed and accepted.
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•An expanded C. perfringens toxinotyping scheme is presented.•Two new toxinotypes are proposed.•C. perfringens type F strains produce CPE, but not β, ε or ι toxins.•C. perfringens type G strains produce NetB.•A mechanism for the introduction of new toxinotypes is presented.
In the current study, a comprehensive, data driven, mathematical model for cholera transmission in Haiti is presented. Along with the inclusion of short cycle human-to-human transmission and long ...cycle human-to-environment and environment-to-human transmission, this novel dynamic model incorporates both the reported cholera incidence and remote sensing data from the Ouest Department of Haiti between 2010 to 2014. The model has separate compartments for infectious individuals that include different levels of infectivity to reflect the distribution of symptomatic and asymptomatic cases in the population. The environmental compartment, which serves as a source of exposure to toxigenic V. cholerae, is also modeled separately based on the biology of causative bacterium, the shedding of V. cholerae O1 by humans into the environment, as well as the effects of precipitation and water temperature on the concentration and survival of V. cholerae in aquatic reservoirs. Although the number of reported cholera cases has declined compared to the initial outbreak in 2010, the increase in the number of susceptible population members and the presence of toxigenic V. cholerae in the environment estimated by the model indicate that without further improvements to drinking water and sanitation infrastructures, intermittent cholera outbreaks are likely to continue in Haiti.
Multiple neural pathways and molecular mechanisms responsible for producing the sensation of itch have recently been identified, including histamine-independent pathways. Physiological, molecular, ...behavioral and brain imaging studies are converging on a description of these pathways and their close association with pain processing. Some conflicting results have arisen and the precise relationship between itch and pain remains controversial. A better understanding of the generation of itch and of the intrinsic mechanisms that inhibit itch after scratching should facilitate the search for new methods to alleviate clinical pruritus (itch). In this review we describe the current understanding of the production and inhibition of itch. A model of itch processing within the CNS is proposed.
To estimate the incidence, size, and growth rate of geographic atrophy (GA) during 5 years of follow-up among participants in the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials ...(CATT).
Cohort within a clinical trial.
Participants included in CATT.
A total of 1185 CATT participants were randomly assigned to ranibizumab or bevacizumab treatment and to 3 treatment regimens. Participants were released from protocol treatment at 2 years and examined at approximately 5 years (N = 647). Two masked graders assessed the presence and size of GA in digital color photographs (CPs) and fluorescein angiograms (FAs) taken at baseline and years 1, 2, and 5. Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify risk factors for incidence of GA. Annual change in the square root of the total area of GA was the measure of growth. Multivariate linear mixed models including baseline demographic, treatment, and ocular characteristics on CP/FA and optical coherence tomography (OCT) as candidate risk factors were used to estimate adjusted growth rates, standard errors (SEs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Geographic atrophy incidence and growth rate.
Among the 1011 participants who did not have GA at baseline and had follow-up images gradable for GA, the cumulative incidence was 12% at 1 year, 17% at 2 years, and 38% at 5 years. At baseline, older age, hypercholesterolemia, worse visual acuity, larger choroidal neovascularization (CNV) area, retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) lesion, GA in the fellow eye, and intraretinal fluid were associated with a higher risk of incident GA. Thicker subretinal tissue complex and presence of subretinal fluid were associated with less GA development. The overall GA growth rate was 0.33 mm/year (SE, 0.02 mm/year). Eyes treated with ranibizumab in the first 2 years of the clinical trial had a higher growth rate than eyes treated with bevacizumab (adjusted growth rate, 0.38 vs. 0.28 mm/year; P = 0.009). Geographic atrophy in the fellow eye, hemorrhage, and absence of sub-retinal pigment epithelium fluid at baseline were associated with a higher growth rate.
Development of GA is common 5 years after initiating therapy. Several risk factors identified at 2 years of follow-up persist at 5 years of follow-up.
To examine the 36-month efficacy and safety of a 0.2 μg/day fluocinolone acetonide insert (FAi) to treat noninfectious uveitis of the posterior segment (NIU-PS).
Phase 3, prospective, double-masked, ...multicenter study (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01694186).
Adults (≥18 years old) with a diagnosis of NIU-PS in ≥1 eye for ≥1 year and ≥2 recurrences of uveitis requiring systemic corticosteroid, immunosuppressive treatment, or intraocular corticosteroids.
Participants were randomized 2:1 to FAi or sham (injection plus standard of care) treatment.
The primary outcome was the difference between the proportion of FAi-treated and sham-treated patients who had a uveitis recurrence. Secondary outcomes included time to first recurrence, number of recurrences, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) change from baseline, resolution of macular edema, and number of adjunctive treatments.
One hundred twenty-nine participants (n = 87 FAi-treated; n = 42 sham-treated) were enrolled. Over 36 months of treatment, cumulative uveitis recurrences were significantly reduced with FAi compared with sham (65.5% vs. 97.6%, respectively; P < 0.001); time to first recurrence was commensurately longer (median 657.0 and 70.5 days, respectively; P < 0.001). The number of recurrences per eye was significantly lower in the FAi-treated compared with the sham-treated group (mean 1.7 vs. 5.3, respectively, P < 0.001). At 36 months, more FAi-treated eyes had a ≥15-letter increase in BCVA from baseline and fewer FAi-treated eyes had investigator-determined macular edema at month 36 compared with sham-treated eyes (33.3% vs. 14.7% and 13.0% vs. 27.3% for BCVA and macular edema, respectively). Fewer FAi compared with sham-treated participants required adjunctive treatments (57.5% vs. 97.6%, respectively). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was similar for both study groups at month 36 (mean ± standard deviation 14.5±5.1 and 14.8±5.3, respectively), and approximately half as many eyes in the FAi-treated group when compared with the sham-treated group underwent IOP-lowering surgery (5.7% vs. 11.9%). Cataract surgery was required more frequently over 36 months in the FAi-treated compared with the sham-treated group (73.8% vs. 23.8% of eyes, respectively).
Fluocinolone acetonide insert-treated eyes had significantly reduced uveitis recurrence rates throughout the study duration, significantly increased recurrence-free durations, fewer recurrence episodes among those with recurrences, less adjunctive therapy, and an acceptable side-effect profile compared with sham-treated eyes.
Sepsis in early infancy results in one million annual deaths worldwide, most of them in developing countries. No efficient means of prevention is currently available. Here we report on a randomized, ...double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of an oral synbiotic preparation (Lactobacillus plantarum plus fructooligosaccharide) in rural Indian newborns. We enrolled 4,556 infants that were at least 2,000 g at birth, at least 35 weeks of gestation, and with no signs of sepsis or other morbidity, and monitored them for 60 days. We show a significant reduction in the primary outcome (combination of sepsis and death) in the treatment arm (risk ratio 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.48-0.74), with few deaths (4 placebo, 6 synbiotic). Significant reductions were also observed for culture-positive and culture-negative sepsis and lower respiratory tract infections. These findings suggest that a large proportion of neonatal sepsis in developing countries could be effectively prevented using a synbiotic containing L. plantarum ATCC-202195.
Background: Although public concern has focused on the environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the public health impact on a broad range of coastal communities is minimally known. ...Objective: We sought to determine the acute level of distress (depression, anxiety), mechanisms of adjustment (coping, resilience), and perceived risk in a community indirectly impacted by the oil spill and to identify the extent to which economic loss may explain these factors. Methods: Using a community-based participatory model, we performed standardized assessments of psychological distress (mood, anxiety), coping, resilience, neurocognition, and perceived risk on residents of fishing communities who were indirectly impacted (n = 71, Franklin County, Florida) or directly exposed (n = 23, Baldwin County, Alabama) to coastal oil. We also compared findings for participants who reported income stability (n = 47) versus spill-related income loss (n = 47). Results: We found no significant differences between community groups in terms of psychological distress, adjustment, neurocognition, or environmental worry. Residents of both communities displayed clinically significant depression and anxiety. Relative to those with stable incomes, participants with spill-related income loss had significantly worse scores on tension/anxiety, depression, fatigue, confusion, and total mood disturbance scales; had higher rates of depression; were less resilient; and were more likely to use behavioral disengagement as a coping strategy. Conclusions: Current estimates of human health impacts associated with the oil spill may underestimate the psychological impact in Gulf Coast communities that did not experience direct exposure to oil. Income loss after the spill may have a greater psychological health impact than the presence of oil on the immediately adjacent shoreline.
The Geographic Atrophy Progression (GAP) study was designed to assess the rate of geographic atrophy (GA) progression and to identify prognostic factors by measuring the enlargement of the atrophic ...lesions using fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and color fundus photography (CFP).
Prospective, multicenter, noninterventional natural history study.
A total of 603 participants were enrolled in the study; 413 of those had gradable lesion data from FAF or CFP, and 321 had gradable lesion data from both FAF and CFP.
Atrophic lesion areas were measured by FAF and CFP to assess lesion progression over time. Lesion size assessments and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were conducted at screening/baseline (day 0) and at 3 follow-up visits: month 6, month 12, and month 18 (or early exit).
The GA lesion progression rate in disease subgroups and mean change from baseline visual acuity.
Mean (standard error) lesion size changes from baseline, determined by FAF and CFP, respectively, were 0.88 (0.1) and 0.78 (0.1) mm(2) at 6 months, 1.85 (0.1) and 1.57 (0.1) mm(2) at 12 months, and 3.14 (0.4) and 3.17 (0.5) mm(2) at 18 months. The mean change in lesion size from baseline to month 12 was significantly greater in participants who had eyes with multifocal atrophic spots compared with those with unifocal spots (P < 0.001) and those with extrafoveal lesions compared with those with foveal lesions (P = 0.001). The mean (standard deviation) decrease in visual acuity was 6.2 ± 15.6 letters for patients with image data available. Atrophic lesions with a diffuse (mean 0.95 mm(2)) or banded (mean 1.01 mm(2)) FAF pattern grew more rapidly by month 6 compared with those with the "none" (mean, 0.13 mm(2)) and focal (mean, 0.36 mm(2)) FAF patterns.
Although differences were observed in mean lesion size measurements using FAF imaging compared with CFP, the measurements were highly correlated with one another. Significant differences were found in lesion progression rates in participants stratified by hyperfluorescence pattern subtype. This large GA natural history study provides a strong foundation for future clinical trials.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the world's most important non-cereal food crop, and the vast majority of commercially grown cultivars are highly heterozygous tetraploids. Advances in diploid hybrid ...breeding based on true seeds have the potential to revolutionize future potato breeding and production
. So far, relatively few studies have examined the genome evolution and diversity of wild and cultivated landrace potatoes, which limits the application of their diversity in potato breeding. Here we assemble 44 high-quality diploid potato genomes from 24 wild and 20 cultivated accessions that are representative of Solanum section Petota, the tuber-bearing clade, as well as 2 genomes from the neighbouring section, Etuberosum. Extensive discordance of phylogenomic relationships suggests the complexity of potato evolution. We find that the potato genome substantially expanded its repertoire of disease-resistance genes when compared with closely related seed-propagated solanaceous crops, indicative of the effect of tuber-based propagation strategies on the evolution of the potato genome. We discover a transcription factor that determines tuber identity and interacts with the mobile tuberization inductive signal SP6A. We also identify 561,433 high-confidence structural variants and construct a map of large inversions, which provides insights for improving inbred lines and precluding potential linkage drag, as exemplified by a 5.8-Mb inversion that is associated with carotenoid content in tubers. This study will accelerate hybrid potato breeding and enrich our understanding of the evolution and biology of potato as a global staple food crop.
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