Bushmeat, human impacts and human health in tropical rainforests: The ebola virus case

Viande de brousse, impacts anthropiques et santé humaine dans les forêts tropicales humides : le cas du virus Ebola At a time when more than 5million tonnes of bush meat are harvested annually from tropical forests, and which account for a significant, but unrecorded, share of the gross domestic product of many forest countries, decision makers are encouraged, within conservation and food security policies, to understand the role that wildlife can play in the conservation of ecosystem services. In this article, we present an analysis of the problem, describing the role played by bush meat in human diets, and the health risks linked to the consumption of bush meat, in particular with regard to Ebola disease. The aim is to provide insights on the direction of possible strategies to manage the use of wildlife while meeting the needs of local populations and reducing risks to human health

Residential exposure to motor vehicle emissions and the risk of wheezing among 7-8 year-old schoolchildren: a city-wide cross-sectional study in Nicosia, Cyprus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several studies have reported associations between respiratory outcomes in children and a range of self-reported, administrative or geographical indicators of traffic pollution. First-time investigation into the frequency of asthmatic symptoms among 7-8 year-old Cypriot children in 1999-2000 showed increased prevalence in the capital Nicosia compared to other areas. Geographical differences on an island the size of Cyprus may reflect environmental and/or lifestyle factors. This study investigates the relationship between self-reported symptoms and residential exposure to motor vehicle emissions among Nicosia schoolchildren.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The addresses of children in the metropolitan area of Nicosia who participated in the original survey (N = 1,735) were geo-coded and the level of exposure of each child was assessed using distance- and emission-based indicators (i.e. estimated levels of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides emissions due to motor vehicles on main roads around the residence). Odds ratios of wheezing and asthma diagnosis in relation to levels of exposure were estimated in logistic regression models adjusting for person-based factors, co-morbidity and intra-school clustering.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found an increased risk of wheezing at distances less than 50 m from a main road and/or only among those experiencing the highest levels of exposure. The strongest effect estimates were observed when exposure was defined in terms of the cumulative burden at all roads around the residence. Adjusted odds ratios for current wheezing were 2.33 (95% CI 1.27, 4.30) amongst the quartile of participants exposed to the highest levels of PM at all roads 50 m of their residence and 2.14 (95% CI 1.05, 4.35) for NOx, with no effect at intermediate levels of exposure. While the direction of effect was apparent at longer distances, differences were generally not statistically significant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Children experiencing the highest burden of emissions in Nicosia seem to be at a higher risk of reporting asthmatic symptoms. Due to the small number of children residing at close proximity to main roads and lack of evidence of risk at intermediate levels of exposure or longer distances, the observed pattern alone does not explain the generally higher prevalence observed in urban Nicosia compared to other areas.</p

Environmental management compliance reengineering project, FY 1997 report

Through an integrated reengineering effort, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is successfully implementing process improvements that will permit safe and compliant operations to continue during the next 5 years, even though $80 million was removed from the Environmental Management (EM) program budget. A 2-year analysis, design, and implementation project will reengineer compliance-related activities and reduce operating costs by approximately$17 million per year from Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 through 2002, while continuing to meet the INEEL`s environment, safety, and health requirements and milestone commitments. Compliance reengineer`s focus is improving processes, not avoiding full compliance with environmental, safety, and health laws. In FY 1997, compliance reengineering used a three-phase approach to analyze, design, and implement the changes that would decrease operating costs. Implementation for seven specific improvement projects was completed in FY 1997, while five projects will complete implementation in FY 1998. During FY 1998, the three-phase process will be repeated to continue reengineering the INEEL

CagA and VacA Polymorphisms Do Not Correlate with Severity of Histopathological Lesions in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Greek Children

The presence of various numbers of EPIYA tyrosine phosphorylation motifs in the CagA protein of Helicobacter pylori has been suggested to contribute to pathogenesis in adults. In this prospective study, we characterized H. pylori isolates from symptomatic children, with reference to the diversity of functional EPIYA motifs in the CagA protein and vacA isotypes, and assessed the potential correlation with the histopathological manifestations of the infection. We analyzed 105 H. pylori isolates from 98 children and determined the diversity of EPIYA motifs in CagA by amplification and sequencing of the 3’ variable region of the cagA gene as well as vacA isotypes for the signal, middle, and intermediate regions. CagA phosphorylation and levels of secreted IL-8 were determined following in vitro infection of AGS gastric epithelial cells. Histopathological evaluation of H. pylori colonization, activity, and severity of the associated gastritis was performed according to the updated Sydney criteria. EPIYA A (GLKN[ST]EPIYAKVNKKK), EPIYA B (Q[V/A]ASPEPIY[A/T]QV AKKVNAKI), and EPIYA C (RS[V/A]SPEPIYATIDDLG) motifs were detected in the ABC (46.6%) and ABCC (17.1%) combinations. No isolates harboring more than two EPIYA C motifs in CagA were found. The presence of isogenic strains with variable numbers of CagA EPIYA C motifs within the same patient was detected in seven cases. Occurrence of increasing numbers of EPIYA C motifs correlated strongly with presence of a high-vacuolation (s1 or s2/i1/m1) phenotype and age. A weak positive correlation was observed between vacuolating vacA genotypes and presence of nodular gastritis. However, CagA- and VacA-dependent pathogenicities were not found to contribute to severity of histopathology manifestations in H. pylori-infected children