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Environmental Research Jul 2003The Amazon rain forest extends over an area of 7.8x10(6)km(2) in nine countries. It harbors a diverse human population distributed in dense cities and isolated... (Review)
Review
The Amazon rain forest extends over an area of 7.8x10(6)km(2) in nine countries. It harbors a diverse human population distributed in dense cities and isolated communities with extreme levels of infrastructure. Amazonian forest people, either autochthons or frontier riparians (ribeirinhos) living in isolated areas, share the same environment for survival and nutritional status. The peculiarities of the hydrological cycle determine disease patterns, agricultural conditions, and food availability. Feeding strategies depend heavily on cassava products and fish. These two foods carry toxic substances such as linamarin (naturally present in cassava) and monomethyl mercury (MMHg) (bioconcentrated in fish flesh) that cause neurotoxic diseases in other parts of the world but not in Amazonia, where neurotoxic cases of food origin are rare and not related to these staples. While cassava detoxification processes may partly explain its safe consumption, the Hg concentrations in Amazonian fish are within traditionally safe limits for this population and contribute to an important metabolic interaction with cassava. The gold rush of the 1970s and 1980s brought large-scale environmental disruption and physical destruction of ecosystems at impact points, along with a heavy discharge of metallic Hg. The discharged Hg has not yet impacted on MMHg concentrations in fish or in hair of fish consumers. Hair Hg concentration, used as a biomarker of fish consumption, indicates that the Amazonian riparians are acquiring an excellent source of protein carrying important nutrients, the lack of which could aggravate their existing health problems. Therefore, in a scenario of insufficient health services and an unhealthy environment, food habits based on fish consumption are part of a successful survival strategy and recommendations for changes are not yet justifiable.
Topics: Animals; Brazil; Diet; Ethnicity; Fishes; Food Contamination; Humans; Manihot; Methylmercury Compounds; Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Neurotoxins; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 12804520
DOI: 10.1016/s0013-9351(02)00092-0 -
Frontiers in Genetics 2020High-throughput phenotyping technologies are growing in importance in livestock systems due to their ability to generate real-time, non-invasive, and accurate... (Review)
Review
High-throughput phenotyping technologies are growing in importance in livestock systems due to their ability to generate real-time, non-invasive, and accurate animal-level information. Collecting such individual-level information can generate novel traits and potentially improve animal selection and management decisions in livestock operations. One of the most relevant tools used in the dairy and beef industry to predict complex traits is infrared spectrometry, which is based on the analysis of the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter. The infrared electromagnetic radiation spans an enormous range of wavelengths and frequencies known as the electromagnetic spectrum. The spectrum is divided into different regions, with near- and mid-infrared regions being the main spectral regions used in livestock applications. The advantage of using infrared spectrometry includes speed, non-destructive measurement, and great potential for on-line analysis. This paper aims to review the use of mid- and near-infrared spectrometry techniques as tools to predict complex dairy and beef phenotypes, such as milk composition, feed efficiency, methane emission, fertility, energy balance, health status, and meat quality traits. Although several research studies have used these technologies to predict a wide range of phenotypes, most of them are based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) and did not considered other machine learning (ML) techniques to improve prediction quality. Therefore, we will discuss the role of analytical methods employed on spectral data to improve the predictive ability for complex traits in livestock operations. Furthermore, we will discuss different approaches to reduce data dimensionality and the impact of validation strategies on predictive quality.
PubMed: 32973876
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00923 -
Preventive Veterinary Medicine May 2024
Topics: Animals; Animal Diseases; Societies; Veterinary Medicine
PubMed: 38480088
DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106174 -
Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious... Jul 2024Increasing evidence has indicated dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). However, the change in the intestinal microbiota varies... (Review)
Review
Increasing evidence has indicated dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). However, the change in the intestinal microbiota varies between different studies. This systematic review was conducted to investigate the characteristics of the gut microbiota in PTB patients. The MBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were systematically searched, and the quality of the retrieved studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A total of 12 studies were finally included in the systematic review. Compared with healthy controls, the index reflecting α-diversity including the richness and/or diversity index decreased in 6 studies, while β-diversity presented significant differences in PTB patients in 10 studies. Although the specific gut microbiota alterations were inconsistent, short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria (including Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcus, Blautia, Dorea, and Faecalibacterium), bacteria associated with an inflammatory state (e.g., Prevotellaceae and Prevotella), and beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacteriaceae and Bifidobacterium) were commonly noted. Our systematic review identifies key evidence for gut microbiota alterations in PTB patients, in comparison with healthy controls; however, no consistent conclusion could be drawn, due to the inconsistent results and heterogeneous methodologies of the enrolled studies. Therefore, more well-designed research with standard methodologies and large sample sizes is required.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary; Dysbiosis; Bacteria
PubMed: 38581928
DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2024.116291 -
Journal of Food Protection Nov 2006Persistent and bioaccumulative toxic substances (PBTSs) that end up in fish are health hazards and the object of fish-consumption advisories. Some of these substances... (Review)
Review
Persistent and bioaccumulative toxic substances (PBTSs) that end up in fish are health hazards and the object of fish-consumption advisories. Some of these substances are present as extraneous contaminants, e.g., man-made lipophilic pollutants such as organohalogen pollutants, and others such as monomethyl mercury can be considered naturally occurring. Omnivores (e.g., poultry and swine) and especially ruminants that are fed contaminated fish meal can pass monomethyl mercury and organohalogen pollutants to eggs, meat, and dairy products. Differences in fish meal PBTS profiles and farm animal (e.g., poultry, swine, cattle, and farmed fish) physiology modulate PBTSs in animal products. Fish-consumption advisories issued to protect human health do not extend to fish by-products fed to farmed animals. Animals (especially farmed fish) that are fed fish meal can bioconcentrate monomethyl mercury in protein matrices, and organohalogen pollutants can be passed on in the fat components of derived foods. Policies to decrease exposure to monomethyl mercury and organohalogen pollutants must consider farming practices that use fish by-products. A risk assessment of toxic contaminants in fish meal may indicate that food safety objectives must consider the human health impact of foods derived from animals fed contaminated meal.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Consumer Product Safety; Fishes; Food Chain; Food Contamination; Humans; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Ruminants; Swine
PubMed: 17133828
DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-69.11.2777 -
Maternal and Child Health Journal May 2007The rise in smoking rates among young women has implications for children's health aggravated in lower social strata where infant morbidity and mortality rates are... (Review)
Review
The rise in smoking rates among young women has implications for children's health aggravated in lower social strata where infant morbidity and mortality rates are higher. The protection afforded by breastfeeding is beneficial to infants in rich and poor countries alike. Women (especially when young, uneducated, and unsupported) who are smokers constitute a risk group for abandoning breastfeeding; moreover, their bottle-fed newborns run a greater risk of morbidity and mortality. Bottle-feeding is attendant on maternal cigarette smoking. The advantages of breastfeeding over bottle-feeding are discussed with regard to systemic effects and the specific effects of cyanide (which can affect the iodine metabolism of infants) and nicotine derived from food and maternal smoking. Despite great strides in bans on smoking, public health policies should be designed to keep in perspective that breastfeeding is an effective tool to counterbalance the health disadvantages that under-privileged infants of smoking mothers face. This paper argues that infants born to smoking parents are better protected by breastfeeding than by formula feeding. Therefore, if public health policies cannot stop addicted mothers from smoking during pregnancy it is fundamental not to miss the chance of encouraging and supporting breastfeeding. The food and health inequalities of socially disadvantaged groups demand well crafted public-health policies to reduce the incidence of diseases and compress morbidity: these policies need to make it clear that breastfeeding is better and safer.
Topics: Bottle Feeding; Breast Feeding; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Infant; Infant Welfare; Infant, Newborn; Maternal Behavior; Milk, Human; Risk Factors; Tobacco Smoke Pollution; Vulnerable Populations
PubMed: 17226091
DOI: 10.1007/s10995-006-0172-1 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2015Currently, ethylmercury (EtHg) and adjuvant-Al are the dominating interventional exposures encountered by fetuses, newborns, and infants due to immunization with... (Review)
Review
Currently, ethylmercury (EtHg) and adjuvant-Al are the dominating interventional exposures encountered by fetuses, newborns, and infants due to immunization with Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs). Despite their long use as active agents of medicines and fungicides, the safety levels of these substances have never been determined, either for animals or for adult humans—much less for fetuses, newborns, infants, and children. I reviewed the literature for papers reporting on outcomes associated with (a) multiple exposures and metabolism of EtHg and Al during early life; (b) physiological and metabolic characteristics of newborns, neonates, and infants relevant to xenobiotic exposure and effects; (c) neurobehavioral, immunological, and inflammatory reactions to Thimerosal and Al-adjuvants resulting from TCV exposure in infancy. Immunological and neurobehavioral effects of Thimerosal-EtHg and Al-adjuvants are not extraordinary; rather, these effects are easily detected in high and low income countries, with co-exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) or other neurotoxicants. Rigorous and replicable studies (in different animal species) have shown evidence of EtHg and Al toxicities. More research attention has been given to EtHg and findings have showed a solid link with neurotoxic effects in humans; however, the potential synergic effect of both toxic agents has not been properly studied. Therefore, early life exposure to both EtHg and Al deserves due consideration.
Topics: Aluminum; Animals; Female; Humans; Mercury; Methylmercury Compounds; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Thimerosal
PubMed: 25625408
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120201295 -
Gut Pathogens Dec 2022Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota plays a predominant role in Crohn's disease (CD). However, the microbiome alterations in the early stage of CD patients...
BACKGROUND
Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota plays a predominant role in Crohn's disease (CD). However, the microbiome alterations in the early stage of CD patients still remain unclear. The present study aimed to identify dysbacteriosis in patients with early CD and explore specific gut bacteria related to the progression of CD.
METHODS
This study was nested within a longitudinal prospective Chinese CD cohort, and it included 18 early CD patients, 22 advanced CD patients and 30 healthy controls. The microbiota communities were investigated using high-throughput Illumina HiSeq sequencing targeting the V3-V4 region of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene. The relationship between the gut microbiota and clinical characteristics of CD was analyzed.
RESULTS
Differential microbiota compositions were observed in CD samples (including early and advanced CD samples) and healthy controls samples. Notably, Lachnospiracea_incertae_sedis and Parabacteroides were enriched in the early CD patients, Escherichia/Shigella, Enterococcus and Proteus were enriched in the advanced CD patients, and Roseburia, Gemmiger, Coprococcus, Ruminococcus 2, Butyricicoccus, Dorea, Fusicatenibacter, Anaerostipes, Clostridium IV were enriched in the healthy controls [LDA score (log10) > 2]. Furthermore, Kruskal-Wallis Rank sum test results showed that Blautia, Clostridium IV, Coprococcus, Dorea, Fusicatenibacter continued to significantly decrease in early and advanced CD patients, and Escherichia/Shigella and Proteus continued to significantly increase compared with healthy controls (P < 0.05). The PICRUSt analysis identified 16 remarkably different metabolic pathways [LDA score (log10) > 2]. Some genera were significantly correlated with various clinical parameters, such as fecal calprotectin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, gland reduce, goblet cells decreased, clinical symptoms (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Dysbacteriosis occurs in the early stage of CD and is associated with the progression of CD. This data provides a foundation that furthers the understanding of the role of gut microbiota in CD's pathogenesis.
PubMed: 36517872
DOI: 10.1186/s13099-022-00521-0 -
Environmental Research Oct 2019Lead (Pb) is a worldwide environmental contaminant that even at low levels influences brain development and affects neurobehavior later in life; nevertheless it is only... (Review)
Review
Lead (Pb) is a worldwide environmental contaminant that even at low levels influences brain development and affects neurobehavior later in life; nevertheless it is only a small fraction of the neurotoxicant (NT) exposome. Exposure to environmental Pb concurrent with other NT substances is often the norm, but their joint effects are challenging to study during early life. The aim of this review is to integrate studies of Pb-containing NT mixtures during the early life and neurodevelopment outcomes of children. The Pb-containing NT mixtures that have been most studied involve other metals (Mn, Al, Hg, Cd), metalloids (As), halogen (F), and organo-halogen pollutants. Co-occurring Pb-associated exposures during pregnancy and lactation depend on the environmental sources and the metabolism and half-life of the specific NT contaminant; but offspring neurobehavioral outcomes are also influenced by social stressors. Nevertheless, Pb-associated effects from prenatal exposure portend a continued burden on measurable neurodevelopment; they thus favor increased neurological health issues, decrements in neurobehavioral tests and reductions in the quality of life. Neurobehavioral test outcomes measured in the first 1000 days showed Pb-associated negative outcomes were frequently noticed in infants (<6 months). In older (preschool and school) children studies showed more variations in NT mixtures, children's age, and sensitivity and/or specificity of neurobehavioral tests; these variations and choice of statistical model (individual NT stressor or collective effect of mixture) may explain inconsistencies. Multiple exposures to NT mixtures in children diagnosed with 'autism spectrum disorders' (ASD) and 'attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders' (ADHD), strongly suggest a Pb-associated effect. Mixture potency (number or associated NT components and respective concentrations) and time (duration and developmental stage) of exposure often showed a measurable impact on neurodevelopment; however, net effects, reversibility and/or predictability of delays are insufficiently studied and need urgent attention. Nevertheless, neurodevelopment delays can be prevented and/or attenuated if public health policies are implemented to protect the unborn and the young child.
Topics: Central Nervous System; Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Infant; Lead; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Quality of Life
PubMed: 31421445
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108641 -
IEEE Transactions on Image Processing :... 2023We study the use of predictive approaches alongside the region-adaptive hierarchical transform (RAHT) in attribute compression of dynamic point clouds. The use of...
We study the use of predictive approaches alongside the region-adaptive hierarchical transform (RAHT) in attribute compression of dynamic point clouds. The use of intra-frame prediction with RAHT was shown to improve attribute compression performance over pure RAHT and represents the state-of-the-art in attribute compression of point clouds, being part of MPEG's geometry-based test model. We studied a combination of inter-frame and intra-frame prediction for RAHT for the compression of dynamic point clouds. An adaptive zero-motion-vector (ZMV) scheme and an adaptive motion-compensated scheme are developed. The simple adaptive ZMV approach is able to achieve sizable gains over pure RAHT and over the intra-frame predictive RAHT (I-RAHT) for point clouds with little or no motion while ensuring similar compression performance to I-RAHT for point clouds with intense motion. The motion-compensated approach, more complex and more powerful, is able to achieve large gains across all of the tested dynamic point clouds.
PubMed: 37040249
DOI: 10.1109/TIP.2023.3265264