Edible plant tissue and soil calcium:magnesium ratios: data too sparse to assess implications for human health

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 1265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Rosanoff ◽  
Elizabeth Capron ◽  
Phillip Barak ◽  
Bruce Mathews ◽  
Forrest Nielsen

Unlike yield, the plant calcium (Ca) : magnesium (Mg) ratio increases at higher soil Ca : Mg and decreases at lower soil Ca : Mg. Edible plant tissue Ca : Mg at various soil ratios has not been robustly studied. Such studies are appropriate because high Ca : Mg dietary ratios may be associated with increased risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and human dietary Ca : Mg ratio is rising as populations integrate more processed foods into traditional diets. This review explores whether increasing the soil Ca : Mg ratio is likely to increase edible plant tissue Ca : Mg ratio, a result that could, if substantial, affect human health. A literature search gathered published articles reporting Ca and Mg values for plants grown in soils or nutrient solutions with various Ca : Mg ratios. For each study, soil or solution ratio was plotted against plant ratio, and Pearson’s r and 2-tailed P values were calculated. Findings reveal that reporting Ca and Mg content of edible plant tissues is rare in studies assessing the impact of soil Ca : Mg on crop yields, nutrient uptake or crop quality; Ca : Mg of whole plants and most shoots increases as soil Ca : Mg rises; leaf Ca : Mg of some but not all crops increases as soil Ca : Mg rises; Ca : Mg ratios of edible grain, fruit and root tissues are smaller than those of leaves or shoots of the same crop; and Ca : Mg of grain, bean and fruit tissue may not respond to changes in soil Ca : Mg as much as Ca : Mg of plants, shoots and leaves. However, the data are too sparse for conclusions or even speculation. Further measurements of Ca and Mg in edible tissues destined for human consumption are necessary to asses any impact of soil Ca : Mg on the rising dietary Ca : Mg of humans and its health consequences.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 4956
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Shamsi ◽  
Mohammad Munshed ◽  
Manh-Kien Tran ◽  
Youngwoo Lee ◽  
Sean Walker ◽  
...  

Fossil fuel vehicles, emitting air toxics into the atmosphere, impose a heavy burden on the economy through additional health care expenses and ecological degradation. Air pollution is responsible for millions of deaths and chronic and acute health problems every year, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The fossil-fuel-based transportation system releases tons of toxic gases into the atmosphere putting human health at risk, especially in urban areas. This analysis aims to determine the economic burden of environmental and health impacts caused by Highway 401 traffic. Due to the high volume of vehicles driving on the Toronto Highway 401 corridor, there is an annual release of 3771 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). These emissions are mainly emitted onsite through the combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel. The integration of electric and hydrogen vehicles shows maximum reductions of 405–476 g CO2e per vehicle-kilometer. Besides these carbon dioxide emissions, there is also a large amount of hazardous air pollutants. To examine the impact of air pollution on human health, the mass and concentrations of criteria pollutants of PM2.5 and NOx emitted by passenger vehicles and commercial trucks on Highway 401 were determined using the MOVES2014b software. Then, an air dispersion model (AERMOD) was used to find the concentration of different pollutants at the receptor’s location. The increased risk of health issues was calculated using hazard ratios from literature. Finally, the health cost of air pollution from Highway 401 traffic was estimated to be CAD 416 million per year using the value of statistical life, which is significantly higher than the climate change costs of CAD 55 million per year due to air pollution.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Gulnihal Ozbay ◽  
Morgan Jones ◽  
Mohana Gadde ◽  
Shehu Isah ◽  
Tahera Attarwala

Totaling at 7.4 billion people, the world’s population is rapidly growing, bringing along with it an increase in waste generation. The impact of this exponential increase in waste generation has resulted in the increased formation and utilization of landfills. In the present day, landfills are utilized to dispose of chemical, hazardous, municipal, and electronic wastes. However, despite their convenience, most landfills are improperly managed and face constant changes from the surrounding environment that interfere with their internal landfill processes. The objectives of this mixed review are to highlight the negative impacts landfills have on the environment and public health as well as outline the need for proper management practices to mitigate these effects. Inadequate management of landfills leads to issues concerning leachate collection and landfill gas (LFG) generation, which give rise to groundwater contamination and air pollution. This paper recognizes the disadvantages of utilizing landfills as the main disposal method by focusing on these two primary effects that improper management of landfills has on the environment and human health. Many experts have also reported that communities within close proximity to improperly managed landfills have an increased risk of health issues. Apart from implementing proper landfill management practices, it is important to develop solutions to reduce waste generation altogether. This review discusses some of the innovative methods implemented by other countries to reduce landfill waste and the production of greenhouse gases as well as possible steps individuals can take to minimize their ecological footprints.


Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jone Vencloviene ◽  
Agne Braziene ◽  
Jurate Zaltauskaite ◽  
Paulius Dobozinskas

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the most prominent pattern of atmospheric variability over the middle and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, especially during the cold season. It is found that “weather types” are associated with human health. It is possible that variations in NAO indices (NAOI) had additional impact on human health. We investigated the association between daily emergency ambulance calls (EACs) for exacerbation of essential hypertension and the NAOI by using Poisson regression, adjusting for season, weather variables and exposure to CO, particulate matter and ozone. An increased risk of EACs was associated with NAOI < −0.5 (Rate Ratio (RR) = 1.07, p = 0.013) and NAOI > 0.5 (RR = 1.06, p = 0.004) with a lag of 2 days as compared to −0.5 ≤ NAOI ≤ 0.5. The impact of NAOI > 0.5 was stronger during November-March (RR = 1.10, lag = 0, p = 0.026). No significant associations were found between the NAOI and EACs during 8:00–13:59. An elevated risk was associated during 14:00–21:59 with NAOI < −0.5 (RR = 1.09, p = 0.003) and NAOI > 0.5 (RR = 1.09, p = 0.019) and during 22:00–7:59 with NAOI < −0.5 (RR = 1.12, lag = 1, p = 0.001). The non-linear associations were found between the NAO and EACs. The different impact of the NAO was found during the periods November–March and April–October. The impact of the NAOI was not identical for different times of the day.


Author(s):  
R. D. Sjolund ◽  
C. Y. Shih

The differentiation of phloem in plant tissue cultures offers a unique opportunity to study the development and structure of sieve elements in a manner that avoids the injury responses associated with the processing of similar elements in intact plants. Short segments of sieve elements formed in tissue cultures can be fixed intact while the longer strands occuring in whole plants must be cut into shorter lengths before processing. While iyuch controversy surrounds the question of phloem function in tissue cultures , sieve elements formed in these cultured cells are structurally similar to those of Intact plants. We are particullarly Interested In the structure of the plasma membrane and the peripheral ER in these cells because of their possible role in the energy-dependent active transport of sucrose into the sieve elements.


2017 ◽  
Vol 87 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salah Gariballa ◽  
Awad Alessa

Abstract. Background: ill health may lead to poor nutrition and poor nutrition to ill health, so identifying priorities for management still remains a challenge. The aim of this report is to present data on the impact of plasma zinc (Zn) depletion on important health outcomes after adjusting for other poor prognostic indicators in hospitalised patients. Methods: Hospitalised acutely ill older patients who were part of a large randomised controlled trial had their nutritional status assessed using anthropometric, hematological and biochemical data. Plasma Zn concentrations were measured at baseline, 6 weeks and at 6 months using inductively- coupled plasma spectroscopy method. Other clinical outcome measures of health were also measured. Results: A total of 345 patients assessed at baseline, 133 at 6 weeks and 163 at 6 months. At baseline 254 (74%) patients had a plasma Zn concentration below 10.71 μmol/L indicating biochemical depletion. The figures at 6 weeks and 6 months were 86 (65%) and 114 (70%) patients respectively. After adjusting for age, co-morbidity, nutritional status and tissue inflammation measured using CRP, only muscle mass and serum albumin showed significant and independent effects on plasma Zn concentrations. The risk of non-elective readmission in the 6-months follow up period was significantly lower in patients with normal Zn concentrations compared with those diagnosed with Zn depletion (adjusted hazard ratio 0.62 (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.99), p = 0.047. Conclusions: Zn depletion is common and associated with increased risk of readmission in acutely-ill older patients, however, the influence of underlying comorbidity on these results can not excluded.


VASA ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Weingarz ◽  
Marc Schindewolf ◽  
Jan Schwonberg ◽  
Carola Hecking ◽  
Zsuzsanna Wolf ◽  
...  

Abstract. Background: Whether screening for thrombophilia is useful for patients after a first episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a controversial issue. However, the impact of thrombophilia on the risk of recurrence may vary depending on the patient’s age at the time of the first VTE. Patients and methods: Of 1221 VTE patients (42 % males) registered in the MAISTHRO (MAin-ISar-THROmbosis) registry, 261 experienced VTE recurrence during a 5-year follow-up after the discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy. Results: Thrombophilia was more common among patients with VTE recurrence than those without (58.6 % vs. 50.3 %; p = 0.017). Stratifying patients by the age at the time of their initial VTE, Cox proportional hazards analyses adjusted for age, sex and the presence or absence of established risk factors revealed a heterozygous prothrombin (PT) G20210A mutation (hazard ratio (HR) 2.65; 95 %-confidence interval (CI) 1.71 - 4.12; p < 0.001), homozygosity/double heterozygosity for the factor V Leiden and/or PT mutation (HR 2.35; 95 %-CI 1.09 - 5.07, p = 0.030), and an antithrombin deficiency (HR 2.12; 95 %-CI 1.12 - 4.10; p = 0.021) to predict recurrent VTE in patients aged 40 years or older, whereas lupus anticoagulants (HR 3.05; 95%-CI 1.40 - 6.66; p = 0.005) increased the risk of recurrence in younger patients. Subgroup analyses revealed an increased risk of recurrence for a heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation only in young females without hormonal treatment whereas the predictive value of a heterozygous PT mutation was restricted to males over the age of 40 years. Conclusions: Our data do not support a preference of younger patients for thrombophilia testing after a first venous thromboembolic event.


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Donald E Cutlip ◽  

Coronary artery disease in patients with diabetes is frequently a diffuse process with multivessel involvement and is associated with increased risk for myocardial infarction and death. The role of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with diabetes and multivessel disease who require revascularisation has been debated and remains uncertain. The debate has been continued mainly because of the question to what degree an increased risk for in-stent restenosis among patients with diabetes contributes to other late adverse outcomes. This article reviews outcomes from early trials of balloon angioplasty versus CABG through later trials of bare-metal stents versus CABG and more recent data with drug-eluting stents as the comparator. Although not all studies have been powered to show statistical significance, the results have been generally consistent with a mortality benefit for CABG versus PCI, despite differential risks for restenosis with the various PCI approaches. The review also considers the impact of mammary artery grafting of the left anterior descending artery and individual case selection on these results, and proposes an algorithm for selection of patients in whom PCI remains a reasonable strategy.


Author(s):  
S. A. Gorbanev ◽  
S. A. Syurin ◽  
N. M. Frolova

Introduction. Due to the impact of adverse working conditions and climate, workers in coal-mining enterprises in the Arctic are at increased risk of occupational diseases (OD).The aim of the study was to study the working conditions, causes, structure and prevalence of occupational diseases in miners of coal mines in the Arctic.Materials and methods. Th e data of social and hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the population of Vorkuta and Chukotka Autonomous District in 2007–2017 are studied.Results. It was established that in 2007–2017 years, 2,296 ODs were diagnosed for the first time in 1851 coal mines, mainly in the drifters, clearing face miners, repairmen and machinists of mining excavating machines. Most often, the ODs occurred when exposed to the severity of labor, fibrogenic aerosols and hand-arm vibration. The development of professional pathology in 98% of cases was due to design flaws of machines and mechanisms, as well as imperfections of workplaces and technological processes. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (36.2%), respiratory organs (28.9%) and nervous system (22.5%) prevailed in the structure of professional pathology of miners of coal mines. Among the three most common nosological forms of OD were radiculopathy (32.1%), chronic bronchitis (27.7%) and mono-polyneuropathy (15.4%). In 2017, coal miners in the Arctic had a professional morbidity rate of 2.82 times higher than the national rates for coal mining.Conclusions. To preserve the health of miners of coal mining enterprises, technical measures to improve working conditions and medical interventions aimed at increasing the body’s resistance to the effects of harmful production and climatic factors are necessary.


Author(s):  
N. Maidanovych ◽  

The purpose of this work is to review and analyze the main results of modern research on the impact of climate change on the agro-sphere of Ukraine. Results. Analysis of research has shown that the effects of climate change on the agro-sphere are already being felt today and will continue in the future. The observed climate changes in recent decades have already significantly affected the shift in the northern direction of all agro-climatic zones of Europe, including Ukraine. From the point of view of productivity of the agro-sphere of Ukraine, climate change will have both positive and negative consequences. The positives include: improving the conditions of formation and reducing the harvesting time of crop yields; the possibility of effective introduction of late varieties (hybrids), which require more thermal resources; improving the conditions for overwintering crops; increase the efficiency of fertilizer application. Model estimates of the impact of climate change on wheat yields in Ukraine mainly indicate the positive effects of global warming on yields in the medium term, but with an increase in the average annual temperature by 2 ° C above normal, grain yields are expected to decrease. The negative consequences of the impact of climate change on the agrosphere include: increased drought during the growing season; acceleration of humus decomposition in soils; deterioration of soil moisture in the southern regions; deterioration of grain quality and failure to ensure full vernalization of grain; increase in the number of pests, the spread of pathogens of plants and weeds due to favorable conditions for their overwintering; increase in wind and water erosion of the soil caused by an increase in droughts and extreme rainfall; increasing risks of freezing of winter crops due to lack of stable snow cover. Conclusions. Resource-saving agricultural technologies are of particular importance in the context of climate change. They include technologies such as no-till, strip-till, ridge-till, which make it possible to partially store and accumulate mulch on the soil surface, reduce the speed of the surface layer of air and contribute to better preservation of moisture accumulated during the autumn-winter period. And in determining the most effective ways and mechanisms to reduce weather risks for Ukrainian farmers, it is necessary to take into account the world practice of climate-smart technologies.


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