182 research outputs found
Climate and southern Africa's water-energy-food nexus
In southern Africa, the connections between climate and the water-energy-food nexus are strong. Physical and socioeconomic exposure to climate is high in many areas and in crucial economic sectors. Spatial interdependence is also high, driven for example, by the regional extent of many climate anomalies and river basins and aquifers that span national boundaries. There is now strong evidence of the effects of individual climate anomalies, but associations between national rainfall and Gross Domestic Product and crop production remain relatively weak. The majority of climate models project decreases in annual precipitation for southern Africa, typically by as much as 20% by the 2080s. Impact models suggest these changes would propagate into reduced water availability and crop yields. Recognition of spatial and sectoral interdependencies should inform policies, institutions and investments for enhancing water, energy and food security. Three key political and economic instruments could be strengthened for this purpose; the Southern African Development Community, the Southern African Power Pool, and trade of agricultural products amounting to significant transfers of embedded water
Mechanical Design Aspects of The LHC Beam screen
Forty-four kilometers of the LHC beam vacuum system [1,2] will be equipped with a perforated co-axial liner, the so-called beam screen. Operating between 5 K and 20 K, the beam screen reduces heat loads to the 1.9 K helium bath of the superconducting magnets and minimises dynamic vacuum effects. Constructed from low magnetic permeability stainless steel with a 50 mm inner layer of high purity copper, the beam screen must provide a maximum aperture for the beam whilst resisting the induced forces due to eddy currents at magnet quench. The mechanical engineering challenges are numerous, and include stringent requirements on geometry, material selection, manufacturing techniques and cleanliness. The industrial fabrication of these 16 metre long UHV components is now in its prototyping phase. A description of the beam screen is given, together with details of the experimental programme aimed at validating the design choices, and results of the first industrial prototypes
Sharp changes of solar wind ion flux and density within and outside current sheets
Analysis of the Interball-1 spacecraft data (1995-2000) has shown that the
solar wind ion flux sometimes increases or decreases abruptly by more than 20%
over a time period of several seconds or minutes. Typically, the amplitude of
such sharp changes in the solar wind ion flux (SCIFs) is larger than 0.5x10^8
cm^-2 s^-1. These sudden changes of the ion flux were also observed by the
Solar Wind Experiment (SWE), on board the WIND spacecraft, as the solar wind
density increases and decreases with negligible changes in the solar wind
velocity. SCIFs occur irregularly at 1 AU, when plasma flows with specific
properties come to the Earth's orbit. SCIFs are usually observed in slow,
turbulent solar wind with increased density and interplanetary magnetic field
strength. The number of times SCIFs occur during a day is simulated using the
solar wind density, magnetic field, and their standard deviations as input
parameters for a period of 5 years. A correlation coefficient of ~0.7 is
obtained between the modelled and the experimental data. It is found that SCIFs
are not associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), corotating interaction
regions (CIRs), or interplanetary shocks; however, 85% of the sector boundaries
are surrounded by SCIFs. The properties of the solar wind plasma for days with
5 or more SCIF observations are the same as those of the solar wind plasma at
the sector boundaries. One possible explanation for the occurrence of SCIFs
(near sector boundaries) is magnetic reconnection at the heliospheric current
sheet or local current sheets. Other probable causes of SCIFs (inside sectors)
are turbulent processes in the slow solar wind and at the crossings of flux
tubes.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures, 6 tables, Solar Physics 2011, in pres
A preliminary study on the induction of dioestrous ovulation in the mare – a possible method for inducing prolonged luteal phase
BACKGROUND: Strong oestrous symptoms in the mare can cause problems with racing, training and handling. Since long-acting progesterone treatment is not permitted in mares at competition (e.g. according to FEI rules), there is a need for methods to suppress unwanted cyclicity. Spontaneous dioestrous ovulations in the late luteal phase may cause a prolongation of the luteal phase in mares. METHODS: In this preliminary study, in an attempt to induce ovulation during the luteal phase, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (3000 IU) was injected intramuscularly in four mares (experimental group) in the luteal phase when a dioestrous follicle ≥ 30 mm was detected. A fifth mare included in this group was not treated due to no detectable dioestrous follicles ≥ 30 mm. Four control mares were similarly injected with saline. The mares were followed with ultrasound for 72 hours post injection or until ovulation. Blood samples for progesterone analysis were obtained twice weekly for one month and thereafter once weekly for another two to four months. RESULTS: Three of the hCG-treated mares ovulated within 72 hours after treatment and developed prolonged luteal phases of 58, 68 and 82 days respectively. One treated mare never ovulated after the hCG injection and progesterone levels fell below 3 nmol/l nine days post treatment. Progesterone levels in the control mares were below 3 nmol/l within nine days after saline injection, except for one mare, which developed a spontaneously prolonged luteal phase of 72 days. CONCLUSION: HCG treatment may be a method to induce prolonged luteal phases in the mare provided there is a dioestrous follicle ≥ 30 mm that ovulates post-treatment. However, the method needs to be tested on a larger number of mares to be able to draw conclusions regarding its effectiveness
B7-H4 gene polymorphisms are associated with sporadic breast cancer in a Chinese Han population
© 2009 Zhang et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
The 2020 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: responding to converging crises
The 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future
Expression of two barley proteinase inhibitors in tomato promotes endogenous defensive response and enhances resistance to Tuta absoluta
[EN] Background: For as long as 350 million years, plants and insects have coexisted and developed a set of relationships which affect both organisms at different levels. Plants have evolved various morphological and biochemical adaptations to cope with herbivores attacks. However, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) has become the major pest threatening tomato crops worldwide and without the appropriated management it can cause production losses between 80 to 100%.
Results: The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo effect of a serine proteinase inhibitor (BTI-CMe) and a cysteine proteinase inhibitor (Hv-CPI2) from barley on this insect and to examine the effect their expression has on tomato defensive response. We found that larvae fed on the double transgenic plants showed a notable reduction in weight. Moreover, only 56% of the larvae reached the adult stage. The emerged adults showed wings deformities and reduced fertility. We also investigated the effect of proteinase inhibitors ingestion on the insect digestive enzymes. Our results showed a decrease in larval trypsin activity. Transgenes expression had no harmful effect on Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Heteroptera: Miridae), a predator of Tuta absoluta, despite transgenic tomato plants attracted the mirid. We also found that barley cystatin expression promoted plant defense by inducing the expression of the tomato endogenous wound inducible Proteinase inhibitor 2 (Pin2) gene, increasing the production of glandular trichomes and altering the emission of volatile organic compounds.
Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the usefulness of the co-expression of different proteinase inhibitors for the enhancement of plant resistance to Tuta absoluta.This work was partly supported by grants BIO2013-40747-R and AGL2014-55616-C3 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO)Hamza, R.; Pérez-Hedo, M.; Urbaneja, A.; Rambla Nebot, JL.; Granell Richart, A.; Gaddour, K.; Beltran Porter, JP.... (2018). Expression of two barley proteinase inhibitors in tomato promotes endogenous
defensive response and enhances resistance to Tuta absoluta. BMC Plant Biology. 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-018-1240-6S18Oerke EC. Crop losses to pests. J Agric Sci. 2005;144(01):31.Jouanin L, Bonadé-Bottino M, Girard C, Morrot G, Giband M. Transgenic plants for insect resistance. Plant Sci. 1998;131(1):1–11.Markwick NP, Docherty LC, Phung MM, Lester MT, Murray C, Yao JL, Mitra DS, Cohen D, Beuning LL, Kutty-Amma S, et al. Transgenic tobacco and apple plants expressing biotin-binding proteins are resistant to two cosmopolitan insect pests, potato tuber moth and lightbrown apple moth, respectively. Transgenic Res. 2003;12(6):671–81.Koiwa H, Bressan RA, Hasegawa PM. Regulation of protease inhibitors and plant defense. Trends Plant Sci. 1997;2(10):379–84.Ryan CA. Protease inhibitors in plants: genes for improving defenses against insects and pathogens. Annu Rev Phytopathol. 1990;28(1):425–49.Abdeen A, Virgos A, Olivella E, Villanueva J, Aviles X, Gabarra R, Prat S. Multiple insect resistance in transgenic tomato plants over-expressing two families of plant proteinase inhibitors. Plant Mol Biol. 2005;57(2):189–202.Quilis J, López-García B, Meynard D, Guiderdoni E, San Segundo B. Inducible expression of a fusion gene encoding two proteinase inhibitors leads to insect and pathogen resistance in transgenic rice. Plant Biotechnol J. 2014;12(3):367–77.Smigocki AC, Ivic-Haymes S, Li H, Savic J. Pest protection conferred by a Beta vulgaris serine proteinase inhibitor gene. PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e57303.Mazumdar-Leighton S, Broadway RM. Transcriptional induction of diverse midgut trypsins in larval Agrotis ipsilon and Helicoverpa zea feeding on the soybean trypsin inhibitor. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2001;31(6–7):645–57.Oppert B, Morgan TD, Hartzer K, Kramer KJ. Compensatory proteolytic responses to dietary proteinase inhibitors in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology. 2005;140(1):53–8.Broadway RM. Dietary regulation of serine proteinases that are resistant to serine proteinase inhibitors. J Insect Physiol. 1997;43(9):855–74.Zhu-Salzman K, Koiwa H, Salzman R, Shade R, Ahn JE. Cowpea bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus uses a three-component strategy to overcome a plant defensive cysteine protease inhibitor. Insect Mol Biol. 2003;12(2):135–45.Oppert B, Morgan TD, Hartzer K, Lenarcic B, Galesa K, Brzin J, Turk V, Yoza K, Ohtsubo K, Kramer KJ. Effects of proteinase inhibitors on digestive proteinases and growth of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Comparative biochemistry and physiology Toxicology & pharmacology : CBP. 2003;134(4):481–90.Duan X, Li X, Xue Q, Abo-El-Saad M, Xu D, Wu R. Transgenic rice plants harboring an introduced potato proteinase inhibitor II gene are insect resistant. Nat Biotechnol. 1996;14(4):494–8.Pompermayer P, Lopes AR, Terra WR, Parra JRP, Falco MC, Silva-Filho MC. Effects of soybean proteinase inhibitor on development, survival and reproductive potential of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 2001;99(1):79–85.Alfonso-Rubí J, Ortego F, Castañera P, Carbonero P, Díaz I. Transgenic expression of trypsin inhibitor CMe from barley in indica and japonica rice, confers resistance to the rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae. Transgenic Res. 2003;12(1):23–31.Altpeter F, Diaz I, Mc Auslane H, Gaddour K, Carbonero P, Vasil IK. Increased insect resistance in transgenic wheat stably expressing trypsin inhibitor CMe. Mol Breed. 1999;5(1):53–63.Martinez M, Cambra I, Carrillo L, Diaz-Mendoza M, Diaz I. Characterization of the entire cystatin gene family in barley and their target cathepsin L-like cysteine-proteases, partners in the hordein mobilization during seed germination. Plant Physiol. 2009;151(3):1531–45.FAOSTAT: Food and Organization of the United Nations, statistics division. 2017.Mueller LA, Lankhorst RK, Tanksley SD, Giovannoni JJ, White R, Vrebalov J, Fei Z, van Eck J, Buels R, Mills AA, et al. A snapshot of the emerging tomato genome sequence. The Plant Genome. 2009;2(1):78–92.Ellul P, Garcia-Sogo B, Pineda B, Rios G, Roig L, Moreno V. The ploidy level of transgenic plants in agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tomato cotyledons (Lycopersicon esculentum L. mill.) is genotype and procedure dependent. Theor Appl Genet. 2003;106(2):231–8.Pino LE, Lombardi-Crestana S, Azevedo MS, Scotton DC, Borgo L, Quecini V, Figueira A, Peres LE. The Rg1 allele as a valuable tool for genetic transformation of the tomato'Micro-Tom'model system. Plant Methods. 2010;6(1):23.Sharma MK, Solanke AU, Jani D, Singh Y, Sharma AK. A simple and efficient agrobacterium-mediated procedure for transformation of tomato. J Biosci. 2009;34(3):423–33.van Eck J, Kirk DD, Walmsley AM. Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum). Agrobacterium Protocols. 2006:459–74.Dan Y, Yan H, Munyikwa T, Dong J, Zhang Y, Armstrong CL. MicroTom—a high-throughput model transformation system for functional genomics. Plant Cell Rep. 2006;25(5):432–41.Pearce G, Strydom D, Johnson S, Ryan CA. A polypeptide from tomato leaves induces wound-inducible proteinase inhibitor proteins. Science. 1991;253(5022):895–9.Farmer EE, Ryan CA. Interplant communication: airborne methyl jasmonate induces synthesis of proteinase inhibitors in plant leaves. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 1990;87(19):7713–6.Bosch M, Wright LP, Gershenzon J, Wasternack C, Hause B, Schaller A, Stintzi A. Jasmonic acid and its precursor 12-oxophytodienoic acid control different aspects of constitutive and induced herbivore defenses in tomato. Plant Physiol. 2014;166(1):396–410.Christensen SA, Nemchenko A, Borrego E, Murray I, Sobhy IS, Bosak L, DeBlasio S, Erb M, Robert CA, Vaughn KA. The maize lipoxygenase, ZmLOX10, mediates green leaf volatile, jasmonate and herbivore-induced plant volatile production for defense against insect attack. Plant J. 2013;74(1):59–73.Boughton AJ, Hoover K, Felton GW. Methyl jasmonate application induces increased densities of glandular trichomes on tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. J Chem Ecol. 2005;31(9):2211–6.Li L, Zhao Y, McCaig BC, Wingerd BA, Wang J, Whalon ME, Pichersky E, Howe GA. The tomato homolog of CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE1 is required for the maternal control of seed maturation, jasmonate-signaled defense responses, and glandular trichome development. Plant Cell. 2004;16(1):126–43.Peiffer M, Tooker JF, Luthe DS, Felton GW. Plants on early alert: glandular trichomes as sensors for insect herbivores. New Phytol. 2009;184(3):644–56.Bryant J, Green TR, Gurusaddaiah T, Ryan CA. Proteinase inhibitor II from potatoes: isolation and characterization of its protomer components. Biochemistry. 1976;15(16):3418–24.Johnson R, Narvaez J, An G, Ryan C. Expression of proteinase inhibitors I and II in transgenic tobacco plants: effects on natural defense against Manduca sexta larvae. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 1989;86(24):9871–5.Klopfenstein NB, Allen KK, Avila FJ, Heuchelin SA, Martinez J, Carman RC, Hall RB, Hart ER, McNabb HS. Proteinase inhibitor II gene in transgenic poplar: chemical and biological assays. Biomass Bioenergy. 1997;12(4):299–311.Dicke M, Takabayashi J, Posthumus MA, Schütte C, Krips OE. Plant—Phytoseiid interactions mediated by herbivore-induced plant volatiles: variation in production of cues and in responses of predatory mites. Exp Appl Acarol. 1998;22(6):311–33.Turlings T, Loughrin JH, Mccall PJ, Röse U, Lewis WJ, Tumlinson JH. How caterpillar-damaged plants protect themselves by attracting parasitic wasps. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 1995;92(10):4169–74.Levin DA. The role of trichomes in plant defense. Q Rev Biol. 1973;48(1, Part 1):3–15.Traw BM, Dawson TE. Differential induction of trichomes by three herbivores of black mustard. Oecologia. 2002;131(4):526–32.Handley R, Ekbom B, Ågren J. Variation in trichome density and resistance against a specialist insect herbivore in natural populations of Arabidopsis thaliana. Ecological Entomology. 2005;30(3):284–92.Valverde P, Fornoni J, NÚÑez-Farfán J. Defensive role of leaf trichomes in resistance to herbivorous insects in Datura stramonium. J Evol Biol. 2001;14(3):424–32.Elle E, Hare J. Environmentally induced variation in floral traits affects the mating system in Datura wrightii. Funct Ecol. 2002;16(1):79–88.Agrawal AA. Benefits and costs of induced plant defense for Lepidium virginicum (Brassicaceae). Ecology. 2000;81(7):1804–13.Dalin P, Björkman C. Adult beetle grazing induces willow trichome defence against subsequent larval feeding. Oecologia. 2003;134(1):112–8.Campos MR, Biondi A, Adiga A, Guedes RN, Desneux N. From the western Palaearctic region to beyond: Tuta absoluta 10 years after invading Europe. J Pest Sci. 2017:1–10.Desneux N, Wajnberg E, Wyckhuys KA, Burgio G, Arpaia S, Narváez-Vasquez CA, González-Cabrera J, Ruescas DC, Tabone E, Frandon J. Biological invasion of European tomato crops by Tuta absoluta: ecology, geographic expansion and prospects for biological control. J Pest Sci. 2010;83(3):197–215.Urbaneja A, Montón H, Mollá O. Suitability of the tomato borer Tuta absoluta as prey for Macrolophus pygmaeus and Nesidiocoris tenuis. J Appl Entomol. 2009;133(4):292–6.Pérez-Hedo M, Urbaneja A. Prospects for predatory mirid bugs as biocontrol agents of aphids in sweet peppers. J Pest Sci. 2015;88(1):65–73.Hewitt E. The composition of the nutrient solution. Sand and water culture methods used in the study of plant Nutrition. 1966:187–246.Karimi M, Inzé D, Depicker A. GATEWAY™ vectors for agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation. Trends Plant Sci. 2002;7(5):193–5.Martín-Trillo M, Grandío EG, Serra F, Marcel F, Rodríguez-Buey ML, Schmitz G, Theres K, Bendahmane A, Dopazo H, Cubas P. Role of tomato BRANCHED1-like genes in the control of shoot branching. Plant J. 2011;67(4):701–14.Vargas C. Observations on the bionomics and natural enemies of the tomato moth, Gnorimoschema absoluta (Meyrick)(Lep. Gelechiidae). Idesia. 1970;1:75–110.Mollá O, Biondi A, Alonso-Valiente M, Urbaneja A. A comparative life history study of two mirid bugs preying on Tuta absoluta and Ephestia kuehniella eggs on tomato crops: implications for biological control. BioControl. 2014;59(2):175–83.Abbot C. Solar variation and the weather. Science (New York, NY). 1925;62(1605):307.Bradford MM. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976;72(1–2):248–54.Bouagga S, Urbaneja A, Rambla JL, Granell A, Pérez-Hedo M. Orius laevigatus strengthens its role as a biological control agent by inducing plant defenses. J Pest Sci. 2017:1–10.Hilder VA, Gatehouse AM, Sheerman SE, Barker RF, Boulter D. A novel mechanism of insect resistance engineered into tobacco. Nature. 1987;330(6144):160–3.Saikia K, Kalita J, Saikia PK. Biology and life cycle generations of common crow–Euploea core core Cramer (Lepidoptera: Danainae) on Hemidesmus indica host plant. Int J NeBIO. 2010;1(3):28–37.Srinivasan A, Giri AP, Gupta VS. Structural and functional diversities in lepidopteran serine proteases. Cellular & molecular biology letters. 2006;11(1):132.Tamhane VA, Chougule NP, Giri AP, Dixit AR, Sainani MN, Gupta VS. In vivo and in vitro effect of Capsicum annum proteinase inhibitors on Helicoverpa armigera gut proteinases. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-General Subjects. 2005;1722(2):156–67.Telang M, Srinivasan A, Patankar A, Harsulkar A, Joshi V, Damle A, Deshpande V, Sainani M, Ranjekar P, Gupta G. Bitter gourd proteinase inhibitors: potential growth inhibitors of Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura. Phytochemistry. 2003;63(6):643–52.Damle MS, Giri AP, Sainani MN, Gupta VS. Higher accumulation of proteinase inhibitors in flowers than leaves and fruits as a possible basis for differential feeding preference of Helicoverpa armigera on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum mill, cv. Dhanashree). Phytochemistry. 2005;66(22):2659–67.De Leo F, Bonadé-Bottino MA, Ceci LR, Gallerani R, Jouanin L. Opposite effects on spodoptera littoralis larvae of high expression level of a trypsin proteinase inhibitor in transgenic plants. Plant Physiol. 1998;118(3):997–1004.Rahbé Y, Ferrasson E, Rabesona H, Quillien L. Toxicity to the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum of anti-chymotrypsin isoforms and fragments of Bowman–Birk protease inhibitors from pea seeds. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2003;33(3):299–306.Luo M, Ding L-W, Ge Z-J, Wang Z-Y, Hu B-L, Yang X-B, Sun Q-Y, Xu Z-F. The characterization of SaPIN2b, a plant trichome-localized proteinase inhibitor from Solanum americanum. Int J Mol Sci. 2012;13(11):15162–76.Dalin P, Ågren J, Björkman C, Huttunen P, Kärkkäinen K. Leaf trichome formation and plant resistance to herbivory. In: Dordrecht SA, editor. Induced plant resistance to herbivory. Netherlands: Springer; 2008. p. 89–105.Gonzáles WL, Negritto MA, Suárez LH, Gianoli E. Induction of glandular and non-glandular trichomes by damage in leaves of Madia sativa under contrasting water regimes. Acta Oecol. 2008;33(1):128–32.Luo M, Wang Z, Li H, Xia K-F, Cai Y, Xu Z-F. Overexpression of a weed (Solanum americanum) proteinase inhibitor in transgenic tobacco results in increased glandular trichome density and enhanced resistance to Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura. Int J Mol Sci. 2009;10(4):1896–910.Björkman C, Dalin P, Ahrné K. Leaf trichome responses to herbivory in willows: induction, relaxation and costs. New Phytol. 2008;179(1):176–84.Duffey S. Plant glandular trichomes: their partial role in defence against insects. Insects and the plant surface. London: Edward Arnold; 1986. p. 151–72.James DG. Further field evaluation of synthetic herbivore-induced plan volatiles as attractants for beneficial insects. J Chem Ecol. 2005;31(3):481–95.Naselli M, Zappalà L, Gugliuzzo A, Garzia GT, Biondi A, Rapisarda C, Cincotta F, Condurso C, Verzera A, Siscaro G. Olfactory response of the zoophytophagous mirid Nesidiocoris tenuis to tomato and alternative host plants. Arthropod Plant Interact. 2017;11(2):121–31.Tholl D. Biosynthesis and biological functions of terpenoids in plants. Advances in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology. 2015;148:63-106.Lange BM, Rujan T, Martin W, Croteau R. Isoprenoid biosynthesis: the evolution of two ancient and distinct pathways across genomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2000;97(24):13172–7.Dudareva N, Klempien A, Muhlemann JK, Kaplan I. Biosynthesis, function and metabolic engineering of plant volatile organic compounds. New Phytol. 2013;198(1):16–32.Razal RA, Ellis S, Singh S, Lewis NG, Towers GHN. Nitrogen recycling in phenylpropanoid metabolism. Phytochemistry. 1996;41(1):31–5.Effmert U, Große J, Röse US, Ehrig F, Kägi R, Piechulla B. Volatile composition, emission pattern, and localization of floral scent emission in Mirabilis jalapa (Nyctaginaceae). Am J Bot. 2005;92(1):2–12.Guterman I, Masci T, Chen X, Negre F, Pichersky E, Dudareva N, Weiss D, Vainstein A. Generation of phenylpropanoid pathway-derived volatiles in transgenic plants: rose alcohol acetyltransferase produces phenylethyl acetate and benzyl acetate in petunia flowers. Plant Mol Biol. 2006;60(4):555–63.Vogel JT, Tan B-C, McCarty DR, Klee HJ. The carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 1 enzyme has broad substrate specificity, cleaving multiple carotenoids at two different bond positions. J Biol Chem. 2008;283(17):11364–73.Colquhoun TA, Kim JY, Wedde AE, Levin LA, Schmitt KC, Schuurink RC, Clark DG. PhMYB4 fine-tunes the floral volatile signature of petunia×hybrida through PhC4H. J Exp Bot. 2011;62(3):1133–43.Kolosova N, Gorenstein N, Kish CM, Dudareva N. Regulation of circadian methyl benzoate emission in diurnally and nocturnally emitting plants. Plant Cell. 2001;13(10):2333–47.Maeda H, Shasany AK, Schnepp J, Orlova I, Taguchi G, Cooper BR, Rhodes D, Pichersky E, Dudareva N. RNAi suppression of arogenate dehydratase1 reveals that phenylalanine is synthesized predominantly via the arogenate pathway in petunia petals. Plant Cell. 2010;22(3):832–49.Lerdau M, Gray D. Ecology and evolution of light-dependent and light-independent phytogenic volatile organic carbon. New Phytol. 2003;157(2):199–211.Martin DM, Gershenzon J, Bohlmann J. Induction of volatile terpene biosynthesis and diurnal emission by methyl jasmonate in foliage of Norway spruce. Plant Physiol. 2003;132(3):1586–99.van Doorn WG, Woltering EJ. Physiology and molecular biology of petal senescence. J Exp Bot. 2008;59(3):453–80
The 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future
Executive summary
The Lancet Countdown is an international collaboration that independently monitors the health consequences of a changing climate. Publishing updated, new, and improved indicators each year, the Lancet Countdown represents the consensus of leading researchers from 43 academic institutions and UN agencies. The 44 indicators of this report expose an unabated rise in the health impacts of climate change and the current health consequences of the delayed and inconsistent response of countries around the globe—providing a clear imperative for accelerated action that puts the health of people and planet above all else.
The 2021 report coincides with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26), at which countries are facing pressure to realise the ambition of the Paris Agreement to keep the global average temperature rise to 1·5°C and to mobilise the financial resources required for all countries to have an effective climate response. These negotiations unfold in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic—a global health crisis that has claimed millions of lives, affected livelihoods and communities around the globe, and exposed deep fissures and inequities in the world's capacity to cope with, and respond to, health emergencies. Yet, in its response to both crises, the world is faced with an unprecedented opportunity to ensure a healthy future for all.
Deepening inequities in a warming world
Record temperatures in 2020 resulted in a new high of 3·1 billion more person-days of heatwave exposure among people older than 65 years and 626 million more person-days affecting children younger than 1 year, compared with the annual average for the 1986–2005 baseline (indicator 1.1.2). Looking to 2021, people older than 65 years or younger than 1 year, along with people facing social disadvantages, were the most affected by the record-breaking temperatures of over 40°C in the Pacific Northwest areas of the USA and Canada in June, 2021— an event that would have been almost impossible without human-caused climate change. Although the exact number will not be known for several months, hundreds of people have died prematurely from the heat. Furthermore, populations in countries with low and medium levels of UN-defined human development index (HDI) have had the biggest increase in heat vulnerability during the past 30 years, with risks to their health further exacerbated by the low availability of cooling mechanisms and urban green space (indicators 1.1.1, 2.3.2, and 2.3.3).
Agricultural workers in countries with low and medium HDI were among the worst affected by exposure to extreme temperatures, bearing almost half of the 295 billion potential work hours lost due to heat in 2020 (indicator 1.1.4). These lost work hours could have devastating economic consequences to these already vulnerable workers—data in this year's report shows that the average potential earnings lost in countries in the low HDI group were equivalent to 4–8% of the national gross domestic product (indicator 4.1.3).
Through these effects, rising average temperatures, and altered rainfall patterns, climate change is beginning to reverse years of progress in tackling the food and water insecurity that still affects the most underserved populations around the world, denying them an essential aspect of good health. During any given month in 2020, up to 19% of the global land surface was affected by extreme drought; a value that had not exceeded 13% between 1950 and 1999 (indicator 1.2.2). In parallel with drought, warm temperatures are affecting the yield potential of the world's major staple crops—a 6·0% reduction for maize; 3·0% for winter wheat; 5·4% for soybean; and 1·8% for rice in 2020, relative to 1981–2010 (indicator 1.4.1)—exposing the rising risk of food insecurity.
Adding to these health hazards, the changing environmental conditions are also increasing the suitability for the transmission of many water-borne, air-borne, food-borne, and vector-borne pathogens. Although socioeconomic development, public health interventions, and advances in medicine have reduced the global burden of infectious disease transmission, climate change could undermine eradication efforts.
The number of months with environmentally suitable conditions for the transmission of malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) rose by 39% from 1950–59 to 2010–19 in densely populated highland areas in the low HDI group, threatening highly disadvantaged populations who were comparatively safer from this disease than those in the lowland areas (indicator 1.3.1). The epidemic potential for dengue virus, Zika virus, and chikungunya virus, which currently primarily affect populations in central America, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and south Asia, increased globally, with a basic reproductive rate increase of 13% for transmission by Anopheles aegypti and 7% for transmission by Anopheles albopictus compared with the 1950s. The biggest relative increase in basic reproductive rate of these arboviruses was seen in countries in the very high HDI group (indicator 1.3.1); however, people in the low HDI group are confronted with the highest vulnerability to these arboviruses (indicator 1.3.2).
Similar findings are observed in the environmental suitability for Vibrio cholerae, a pathogen estimated to cause almost 100 000 deaths annually, particularly among populations with poor access to safe water and sanitation. Between 2003 and 2019, the coastal areas suitable for V cholerae transmission increased substantially across all HDI country groups—although, with 98% of their coastline suitable to the transmission of V cholerae in 2020, it is people in the low HDI country group that have the highest environmental suitability for this disease (indicator 1.3.1).
The concurrent and interconnecting risks posed by extreme weather events, infectious disease transmission, and food, water, and financial insecurity are overburdening the most vulnerable populations. Through multiple simultaneous and interacting health risks, climate change is threatening to reverse years of progress in public health and sustainable development.
Even with overwhelming evidence on the health impacts of climate change, countries are not delivering an adaptation response proportionate to the rising risks their populations face. In 2020, 104 (63%) of 166 countries did not have a high level of implementation of national health emergency frameworks, leaving them unprepared to respond to pandemics and climate-related health emergencies (indicator 2.3.1). Importantly, only 18 (55%) of 33 countries with a low HDI had reported at least a medium level of implementation of national health emergency frameworks, compared with 47 (89%) of 53 countries with a very high HDI. In addition, only 47 (52%) of 91 countries reported having a national adaptation plan for health, with insufficient human and financial resources identified as the main barrier for their implementation (indicator 2.1.1). With a world facing an unavoidable temperature rise, even with the most ambitious climate change mitigation, accelerated adaptation is essential to reduce the vulnerabilities of populations to climate change and protect the health of people around the world.
An inequitable response fails everyone
10 months into 2021, global and equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine had not been delivered—more than 60% of people in high-income countries have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine compared with just 3·5% of people in low-income countries. Data in this report exposes similar inequities in the global climate change mitigation response.
To meet the Paris Agreement goals and prevent catastrophic levels of global warming, global greenhouse gas emissions must reduce by half within a decade. However, at the current pace of reduction, it would take more than 150 years for the energy system to fully decarbonise (indicator 3.1), and the unequal response between countries is resulting in an uneven realisation of the health benefits of a low-carbon transition.
The use of public funds to subsidise fossil fuels is partly responsible for the slow decarbonisation rate. Of the 84 countries reviewed, 65 were still providing an overall subsidy to fossil fuels in 2018 and, in many cases, subsidies were equivalent to substantial proportions of the national health budget and could have been redirected to deliver net benefits to health and wellbeing. Furthermore, all the 19 countries whose carbon pricing policies outweighed the effect of any fossil fuels subsidies came from the very high HDI group (indicator 4.2.4).
Although countries in the very high HDI group have collectively made the most progress in the decarbonisation of the energy system, they are still the main contributors to CO2 emissions through the local production of goods and services, accounting for 45% of the global total (indicator 4.2.5). With a slower pace of decarbonisation and poorer air quality regulations than countries in the very high HDI group, the medium and high HDI country groups produce the most fine particle matter (PM2·5) emissions and have the highest rates of air pollution-related deaths, which are about 50% higher than the total deaths in the very high HDI group (indicator 3.3). The low HDI group, with comparatively lower amounts of industrial activity than in the other groups, has a local production that contributes to only 0·7% of global CO2 emissions, and has the lowest mortality rate from ambient air pollution. However, with only 12% of its inhabitants relying on clean fuels and technologies for cooking, the health of these populations is still at risk from dangerously high concentrations of household air pollution (indicator 3.2). Even in the most affluent countries, people in the most deprived areas overwhelmingly bear the burden of health effects from exposure to air pollution. These findings expose the health costs of the delayed and unequal mitigation response and underscore the millions of deaths to be prevented annually through a low-carbon transition that prioritises the health of all populations.
However, the world is not on track to realising the health gains of the transition to a low-carbon economy. Current global decarbonisation commitments are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement ambitions and would lead to a roughly 2·4°C average global temperature increase by the end of the century. The current direction of post-COVID-19 spending is threatening to make this situation worse, with just 18% of all the funds committed for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by the end of 2020 expected to lead to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, the economic recovery from the pandemic is already predicted to lead to an unprecedented 5% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, which will bring global anthropogenic emissions back to their peak amounts.
In addition, the current economic recession is threatening to undermine the target of mobilising US$100 billion per year from 2020 onwards to promote low-carbon shifts and adaptation responses in the most underserved countries, even though this quantity is minute compared with the trillions allocated to COVID-19 recovery. The high amounts of borrowing that countries have had to resort to during the pandemic could erase their ability to deliver a green recovery and maximise the health gains to their population of a low-carbon transition.
An unprecedented opportunity to ensure a healthy future for all
The overshoot in emissions resulting from a carbon-intensive COVID-19 recovery would irreversibly prevent the world from meeting climate commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals and lock humanity into an increasingly extreme and unpredictable environment. Data in this report expose the health impacts and health inequities of the current world at 1·2°C of warming above pre-industrial levels and supports that, on the current trajectory, climate change will become the defining narrative of human health.
However, by directing the trillions of dollars that will be committed to COVID-19 recovery towards the WHO's prescriptions for a healthy, green recovery, the world could meet the Paris Agreement goals, protect the natural systems that support wellbeing, and minimise inequities through reduced health effects and maximised co-benefits of a universal low-carbon transition. Promoting equitable climate change mitigation and universal access to clean energies could prevent millions of deaths annually from reduced exposure to air pollution, healthier diets, and more active lifestyles, and contribute to reducing health inequities globally. This pivotal moment of economic stimulus represents a historical opportunity to secure the health of present and future generations.
There is a glimpse of positive change through several promising trends in this year's data: electricity generation from renewable wind and solar energy increased by an annual average of 17% between 2013 and 2018 (indicator 3.1); investment in new coal capacity decreased by 10% in 2020 (indicator 4.2.1); and the global number of electric vehicles reached 7·2 million in 2019 (indicator 3.4). Additionally, the global pandemic has driven increased engagement in health and climate change across multiple domains in society, with 91 heads of state making the connection in the 2020 UN General Debate and newly widespread engagement among countries in the very high HDI group (indicator 5.4). Whether COVID-19 recovery supports, or reverses these trends, is yet to be seen.
Neither COVID-19 nor climate change respect national borders. Without widespread, accessible vaccination across all countries and societies, SARS-CoV-2 and its new variants will continue to put the health of everybody at risk. Likewise, tackling climate change requires all countries to deliver an urgent and coordinated response, with COVID-19 recovery funds allocated to support and ensure a just transition to a low-carbon future and climate change adaptation across the globe. Leaders of the world have an unprecedented opportunity to deliver a future of improved health, reduced inequity, and economic and environmental sustainability. However, this will only be possible if the world acts together to ensure that no person is left behind
In vitro antimicrobial activity and characterization of mangrove isolates of streptomycetes effective against bacteria and fungi of nosocomial origin
- …