High-resolution maps show that rubber causes substantial deforestation

Understanding the effects of cash crop expansion on natural forest is of fundamental importance. However, for most crops there are no remotely sensed global maps1, and global deforestation impacts are estimated using models and extrapolations. Natural rubber is an example of a principal commodity for which deforestation impacts have been highly uncertain, with estimates differing more than fivefold1,2,3,4. Here we harnessed Earth observation satellite data and cloud computing5 to produce high-resolution maps of rubber (10 m pixel size) and associated deforestation (30 m pixel size) for Southeast Asia. Our maps indicate that rubber-related forest loss has been substantially underestimated in policy, by the public and in recent reports6,7,8. Our direct remotely sensed observations show that deforestation for rubber is at least twofold to threefold higher than suggested by figures now widely used for setting policy4. With more than 4 million hectares of forest loss for rubber since 1993 (at least 2 million hectares since 2000) and more than 1 million hectares of rubber plantations established in Key Biodiversity Areas, the effects of rubber on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Southeast Asia could be extensive. Thus, rubber deserves more attention in domestic policy, within trade agreements and in incoming due-diligence legislation

High-resolution maps show that rubber causes substantial deforestation

Understanding the effects of cash crop expansion on natural forest is of fundamental importance. However, for most crops there are no remotely sensed global maps1, and global deforestation impacts are estimated using models and extrapolations. Natural rubber is an example of a principal commodity for which deforestation impacts have been highly uncertain, with estimates differing more than fivefold1-4. Here we harnessed Earth observation satellite data and cloud computing5 to produce high-resolution maps of rubber (10 m pixel size) and associated deforestation (30 m pixel size) for Southeast Asia. Our maps indicate that rubber-related forest loss has been substantially underestimated in policy, by the public and in recent reports6-8. Our direct remotely sensed observations show that deforestation for rubber is at least twofold to threefold higher than suggested by figures now widely used for setting policy4. With more than 4 million hectares of forest loss for rubber since 1993 (at least 2 million hectares since 2000) and more than 1 million hectares of rubber plantations established in Key Biodiversity Areas, the effects of rubber on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Southeast Asia could be extensive. Thus, rubber deserves more attention in domestic policy, within trade agreements and in incoming due-diligence legislation

Artesunate enhances radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer cells by inhibiting the repair of DNA damage

Radiotherapy plays an important therapeutic role in esophageal cancer (EC). However, acquired radioresistance impairs the efficacy of radiotherapy, often leading to treatment failure. Therefore, it is important to develop novel radiosensitizers to enhance the clinical treatment of EC. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of artesunate (ART) on radiosensitivity of human EC cell line TE-1. We found that ART inhibited the proliferation of EC cells and enhanced the radiosensitivity of TE-1 cells (SER = 1.24). In vivo tumor growth of xenografts was inhibited markedly by irradiation (IR) combined with ART, with a tumor inhibition rate of 53.76% in IR + ART group vs. 41.13% in IR-alone group. Pretreatment with ART significantly prompted cell apoptosis and reversed the IR-induced G2/M arrest. ART treatment could aggravate DNA damage of EC cells and prolong the formation of γ-H2AX foci induced by IR. ART up-regulated P21 and down-regulated the expression of cyclin D1, RAD51, RAD54, Ku70 and Ku86 protein of irradiated TE-1 cells. These findings support that ART induce radiosensitivity of TE-1 cells in vitro and in vivo, and may prove to be a promising radiosensitizer for EC treatment. Keywords: Artesunate (ART), Radiosensitivity, Esophageal cancer, γ-H2A

Collagen IV contributes to nitric oxide-induced angiogenesis of lung endothelial cells

Nitric oxide (NO) mediates endothelial angiogenesis via inducing the expression of integrin αvβ3. During angiogenesis, endothelial cells adhere to and migrate into the extracellular matrix through integrins. Collagen IV binds to integrin αvβ3, leading to integrin activation, which affects a number of signaling processes in endothelial cells. In the present study, we evaluated the role of collagen IV in NO-induced angiogenesis. We found that NO donor 2,2′-(hydroxynitrosohydrazino)bis-ethanamine (NOC-18) causes increases in collagen IV mRNA and protein in lung endothelial cells and collagen IV release into the medium. Addition of collagen IV into the coating of endothelial culture increases endothelial monolayer wound repair, proliferation, and tube formation. Inhibition of collagen IV synthesis using gene silencing attenuates NOC-18-induced increases in monolayer wound repair, cell proliferation, and tube formation as well as in the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Integrin blocking antibody LM609 prevents NOC-18-induced increase in endothelial monolayer wound repair. Inhibition of protein kinase G (PKG) using the specific PKG inhibitor KT5823 or PKG small interfering RNA prevents NOC-18-induced increases in collagen IV protein and mRNA and endothelial angiogenesis. Together, these results indicate that NO promotes collagen IV synthesis via a PKG signaling pathway and that the increase in collagen IV synthesis contributes to NO-induced angiogenesis of lung endothelial cells through integrin-FAK signaling. Manipulation of collagen IV could be a novel approach for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as alveolar capillary dysplasia, severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, and tumor invasion

The rights of psychiatric patients in China : A survey of medical staff and consumers\u27 attitudes toward patient participation in clinical trials

To explore and compare attitudes of consumers (patients and their family members) and medical staff toward clinical trials related to mental health in China, we developed two questionnaires for medical staff and patients and their family members. Approximately 66.2% of medical staff who had no research experience believed that patients could be persuaded to participate in clinical trials, but the percentage of consumers who believed so was just 12.5%. Both groups agreed that written informed consent was required; however, more medical staff than patients agreed that such consent could be provided by patients or their guardian (88.4% vs. 71.4%). Only 9.5% of medical staff thought that patient treatment would be compromised by refusal to participate; the proportion of consumers who thought the same was 29.4%. Great differences exist between medical staff and consumers' attitudes and beliefs regarding clinical trials. Medical staff were more likely to have a favorable attitude toward their patients participating in clinical trials and considered that informed consent could be provided by guardians rather than the patient