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Exotic flora dependence of an unusual Brazilian propolis: the pinocembrin biomarker by capillary techniques.

Significant amounts of pinocembrin (>10%), a dihydroxy-flavanone, was found in the composition of an unusual brand of a subtropical Brazilian propolis. Incidentally, this sealing material was obtained from hives surrounding a large forestry site based on a single exotic flora, namely poplar (Populus sp.). Examination of the different botanical parts of poplar revealed the buds as the main source of the flavanone. Techniques used for the establishment of the chemical correlation between the propolis brand and the poplar buds were TLC/densitometry, capillary GC-MS in the e.i. mode, and CZE with DAD monitoring. Since color enhancement after Al3+ complexation applies just for more hydroxylated flavonoids, the alternative techniques herein applied were of value for pinocembrin detection and estimation. Analytical data indicated the dominance of the main phenolic pinocembrin biomarker as well as the presence of other related flavonoids in the botanical source and in the propolis derived thereof.

Aluminum↗

Temporal proteomic analysis reveals a three-phase adaptation strategy in Phytophthora cinnamomi during salinity stress.

Phytophthora cinnamomi, a highly invasive hemibiotrophic oomycete, threatens global agriculture, forestry, and native ecosystems. Although drought and temperature effects on P. cinnamomi-host interactions are well studied, current knowledge of abiotic stress responses in P. cinnamomi remains largely centered on infection and phytopathology, with limited molecular insight into the pathogen's direct response to salinity independent of its host. To address this gap, we combined growth assays, time-resolved proteomics, and network analysis to define how P. cinnamomi responds and adapts to salinity exposure. Growth assays showed that NaCl-modified agar enhanced mycelial expansion in a concentration-dependent manner, with 100 mM NaCl significantly increasing growth at 48, 72, and 96 h compared with controls, while 50 mM NaCl remained comparable to control conditions. Temporal proteomic analysis of 100 mM NaCl treatment at 0, 1, 6, 12, and 24 h post treatment revealed dynamic shifts in protein abundance. Early induction of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species)-detoxifying enzymes, including glutathione S-transferases and peroxidases, was consistent with ROS-specific staining assays. Network analysis identified modules enriched for redox regulation, ATP generation, ion transport, and translational control, highlighting multi-layered adaptation to elevated NaCl levels. Notably, clusters of conserved hypothetical proteins were strongly upregulated, indicating unexplored stress tolerance components in Phytophthora species. Here, we propose that P. cinnamomi rapidly activates a three-phase strategy involving metabolism readjustments, redox defenses, and cellular structure alterations under salinity conditions. With increasing soil salinization due to climate change, our study provides first mechanistic insights into P. cinnamomi's adaptive plasticity and ecological resilience to abiotic stress. SIGNIFICANCE: This study represents the first temporal proteomic analysis of salinity stress adaptation in Phytophthora cinnamomi, revealing a sophisticated three-phase adaptation strategy. This research fundamentally advances our understanding of how this globally destructive plant pathogen, P. cinnamomi, maintains environmental resilience. Our findings reveal proteome remodelling as a mechanistic framework for understanding stress tolerance in oomycetes, a group of microorganisms responsible for some of the world's most destructive agricultural and forest diseases. Our results show proteins involved in emergency damage control through metabolic recalibration to sustained adaptation. These findings have relevance for predicting pathogen behavior under climate change scenarios, where increasing soil salinity threatens agricultural productivity while simultaneously enhancing pathogen survival and virulence. Understanding how P. cinnamomi responds to prolonged salinity exposure may inform targeted biocontrol strategies and improve predictive models of disease pressure in salt-affected agricultural regions. The temporal analysis framework we present offers a broadly applicable approach for understanding microbial stress adaptation, with implications extending beyond plant pathology to environmental microbiology and biotechnology applications where stress tolerance is paramount.

Phytophthora↗

A research model--forecasting incident rates from optimized safety program intervention strategies.

UNLABELLED: INTRODUCTION/PROBLEM: Property damage incidents, workplace injuries, and safety programs designed to prevent them, are expensive aspects of doing business in contemporary industry. The National Safety Council (2002) estimated that workplace injuries cost $146.6 billion per year. Because companies are resource limited, optimizing intervention strategies to decrease incidents with less costly programs can contribute to improved productivity. METHOD: Systematic data collection methods were employed and the forecasting ability of a time-lag relationship between interventions and incident rates was studied using various statistical methods (an intervention is not expected to have an immediate nor infinitely lasting effect on the incident rate). RESULTS/SUMMARY: As a follow up to the initial work, researchers developed two models designed to forecast incident rates. One is based on past incident rate performance and the other on the configuration and level of effort applied to the safety and health program. Researchers compared actual incident performance to the prediction capability of each model over 18 months in the forestry operations at an electricity distribution company and found the models to allow accurate prediction of incident rates. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: These models potentially have powerful implications as a business-planning tool for human resource allocation and for designing an optimized safety and health intervention program to minimize incidents. Depending on the mathematical relationship, one can determine what interventions, where and how much to apply them, and when to increase or reduce human resource input as determined by the forecasted performance.

Accidents, Occupational↗

Work-related deaths in Washington State, 1998-2002.

INTRODUCTION: In Washington State, 87 workers are killed each year, on average, while in work status. To understand these incidents and to assist in focusing on and development of potential prevention measures, they must be well characterized. METHODS: Work-related fatalities between the years 1998 and 2002 are described by the demographics of the victims, types of incidents, the victims' occupations, and industries and location in which they worked. RESULTS: Motor vehicle- and machinery-related incidents accounted for nearly 33% and 14% of the incidents, respectively. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining (n=87), and construction (n=83) had the most fatalities. Fatality rates per 100,000 workers for these industries were 25.7 and 8.7, respectively, compared to the state-wide average of 3.1 fatalities/100,000 workers. DISCUSSION: These data indicate numerous areas for prevention of work-related traumatic injuries and fatalities.

Accidents, Occupational↗

Role of soil microbes in the rhizospheres of plants growing on trace metal contaminated soils in phytoremediation.

This article reviews recent developments in in situ bioremediation of trace metal contaminated soils, with particular reference to the microbial dynamics in the rhizospheres of plants growing on such soils and their significance in phytoremediation. In non-agricultural conditions, the natural role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), P-solubilizing bacteria, mycorrhizal-helping bacteria (MHB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in maintaining soil fertility is more important than in conventional agriculture, horticulture, and forestry where higher use of agrochemicals minimize their significance. These microbes initiate a concerted action when a particular population density is achieved, i.e. quorum sensing. AMF also recognize their host by signals released by host roots, allowing a functional symbiosis. AM fungi produce an insoluble glycoprotein, glomalin, which sequester trace elements and it should be considered for biostabilization leading to remediation of contaminated soils. Conclusions drawn from studies of metal uptake kinetics in solution cultures may not be valid for more complex field conditions and use of some combination of glasshouse and field experiments with organisms that occur within the same plant community is suggested. Phytoextraction strategies, such as inoculation of plants to be used for phytoremediation with appropriate heavy metal adapted rhizobial microflora, co-cropping system involving a non-mycorrhizal hyperaccumulator plant and a non-accumulator but mycorrhizal with appropriate AMF, or pre-cropping with mycotrophic crop systems to optimize phytoremediation processes, merit further field level investigations. There is also a need to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in transfer and mobilization of trace elements by rhizosphere microbiota and to conduct research on selection of microbial isolates from rhizosphere of plants growing on heavy metal contaminated soils for specific restoration programmes. This is necessary if we are to improve the chances of successful phytoremediation.

Metals↗

[Increase of Hantavirus infections in France, 2003].

BACKGROUND: Hantaviral infections causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome are endemic in North Eastern France. Humans are contaminated by the inhalation of aerosols contaminated by rodent faeces. In February 2003, the National reference centre (NRC) for hemorrhagic fevers detected an increased number of cases. An investigation was carried out to confirm the outbreak and take appropriate control measures. METHODS: Cases were collected by the NRC. A case was defined as a person living in France with symptoms compatible with hantaviral infection and a positive blood test both for specific Puumala IgM, and IgG. Clinical information and at-risk exposures during the 2 weeks before onset were recorded. RESULTS: In 2003, 128 cases were diagnosed (61 in 2002). The median age of patients was 38, 77% were men and 82% were hospitalized. Patients were living in North-Eastern France. Clusters were detected in the Ardennes and Oise districts. Occupation (35%) (in agriculture, forestry, and construction work), manipulation of firewood (35%), gardening (29%), and outdoors leisure (14%) were identified as at-risk exposures in these cases. CONCLUSIONS: An increased number of positive diagnoses of hantaviral infections was confirmed. The location and at-risk exposures of the cases were identical in previous investigations. Exclusion and prevention of rodents' access to houses and avoiding the inhalation of contaminated dust are the only possible prevention measures of hantaviral infections. Information about the disease and its prevention needs to be made widely available to both healthcare professionals and the general population living in endemic areas.

Adolescent↗

Occupations and Parkinson's disease: a multi-center case-control study in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a hospital based case-control study in South Korea (1) to clarify the role of occupational exposure, and especially manganese (Mn) exposure in the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) and (2) to discover the association between any occupations and PD. METHODS: We selected two groups, PD patient group (N1) and controls (N2). Three hundred sixty-seven consecutive outpatients with PD (177 men, 190 women) and 309 controls were interviewed about life style, past history, family history, education level, and occupational history etc. We employed a range of industrial categories as defined by section (the most broad category) and division (sub-category) of the Korea Standard Industry Code (KSIC) Manual. Along with KSIC, we also used the Korea Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO) as proxies of occupational exposure. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, and education level are presented. RESULTS: As regarding the exposure to hazardous materials, especially Mn, more subjects in the control group than the PD patient group have worked in the occupations with potential exposure to Mn (P < 0.001). Ever having worked in 'agriculture, hunting, and forestry' section of industry was positively associated with PD (OR 1.88), and 'agriculture production crops (OR 1.96)' division of industry was positively associated with PD. On the other hand, ever having worked in the 'manufacturing (OR 0.56)', 'transportation (OR 0.28)' section of industry, and 'transporting (OR 0.20)' division of industry were negatively associated with PD. 'Drivers (OR 0.13)' division of occupation also was negatively associated with PD. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first case-control studies to find an inverse relationship between 'transporting' or 'technicians like machinery engineers' as his/her longest job and PD risk. Because of this unexpected finding, our work should be replicated in various populations.

Adult↗

An initial survey of the cattle grub Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr.) in Nicaragua.

After the civil war and the Hurricane-Mitch disaster, cattlemen in Nicaragua were forced to transport their cattle from lowland areas to higher, dryer areas of the country. These areas are natural ecological niches for the cattle grub Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr.) (Diptera: Cuterebridae). To determine the importance of this infestation, the Agricultural and Livestock-Forestry Ministry selected a central area of Nicaragua to run a pioneer survey program to acquire information about hosts involved, number of cases, treatments applied and general knowledge of 42 farmers about the life cycle of the parasite. The subjects were either farm owners or farm managers. Ninety-five percentage of the farms indicated cases of D. hominis infestation in their animals, with cattle being the most affected host (100% of the affected farms). There was poor understanding of the D. hominis life cycle, vectors and control methods. A misuse of insecticides for the treatment of larval infestation by D. hominis was indicated.

Altitude↗

Effect of the herbicide glyphosate on liver lipoperoxidation in pregnant rats and their fetuses.

Glyphosate is a post-emergence herbicide that acts on the synthesis of amino acids and other endogenous metabolites in plants. It is commonly used in agriculture, forestry, and nurseries for the control or destruction of herbaceous plants. Metabolic processes during development and pregnancy could be sensitive to changes induced by glyphosate such as lipid peroxidation. The present study has investigated the effects that 1% glyphosate oral exposure has on lipoperoxidation and antioxidant enzyme systems in the maternal serum and liver of pregnant rats and their term fetuses at 21 days of gestation. The results suggest that excessive lipid peroxidation induced with glyphosate ingestion leads to an overload of maternal and fetal antioxidant defense systems.

Administration, Oral↗

Ionic charge, radius, and potential control root/soil concentration ratios of fifty cationic elements in the organic horizon of a beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest podzol.

The root/organic soil concentration ratio; R/S) of 50 cationic mineral elements was related to their ionic properties, including ionic radius (r), ionic charge (z), and ionic potential (z/r or z2/r). The materials studied were ectomycorrhizal beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) roots and their almost purely organic soil substrate, the O-horizon (mor; raw humus) of a Podzol in South Sweden, developed in a site which has been untouched by forestry or other mechanical disturbance since at least 50 years and located in an area with no local sources of pollution. Elements determined by ICP-AES were aluminium, barium, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium and strontium. Determined by ICP-MS were silver, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, cobalt, chromium, caesium, copper, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gallium, gadolinium, hafnium, mercury, holmium, indium, lanthanum, lithium, lutetium, niobium, neodymium, nickel, lead, praseodymium, rubidium, scandium, samarium, tin, terbium, thorium, titanium, thallium, thulium, uranium, vanadium, yttrium, ytterbium, zinc and zirconium. The R/S ratios were most clearly related to the ionic potential of the cationic elements studied, which accounted for approximately 60% of the variability in R/S among elements. The ionic charge of an element was more important than the ionic radius. Elements with high ionic charge had low R/S ratios and vice versa. No clear differences in R/S between essential and non-essential plant nutrients were observed, especially when ions of similar charge were compared.

Cations↗

Mercury in coal ash and its fate in the Indian subcontinent: A synoptic review.

In the Indian subcontinent power generation is mainly dependent upon the thermal power units and coal is burnt as a fuel for the production of heat and electricity. In India, bituminous and sub-bituminous coals are used which contain over 40% of ash. At present, 80-90 million tons of fly ashes are generated from 85 existing coal based thermal power plants. Coal contains trace metals of which mercury is most toxic for humans and aquatic fauna. The problem of mercury in the society is not new, but in recent years the Indian subcontinent has gained the reputation of being "a dumping ground for mercury". This study focuses on mercury in fly ash and its releases to the atmosphere and soils cross the country. The utilisation of coal ash in India is also addressed although it is still in its nascent stage. About 10% of produced fly ashes are used in India whereas in Western countries its use is typically over 70%. Regulations from India's Ministry of Environment and Forestry should increase coal fly ash utilisation, although this would require that cost-effective new technology is put to use. As to the release of Hg from ashes disposed of in the environment, the scarce literature suggests that this is negligible or zero, and less problematic than wet or dry deposition of Hg from flue gases.

Air Pollutants↗

Workplace conflict resolution and the health of employees in the Swedish and Finnish units of an industrial company.

New patterns of working, the globalisation of production and the introduction of information technologies are changing the way we work. This new working environment has eliminated some risks whilst introducing others. The importance of the psychosocial working environment for the health of employees is now well documented, but the effects of managerial style have received relatively little attention. Yet management is an increasingly important aspect of companies' policies. In this paper, we examine the relationship between conflict management in the workplace and self-reported measures of stress, poor general health, exhaustion and sickness absence due to overstrain or fatigue. Our sample consists of non-supervisory employees (N = 9309) working in the Swedish and Finnish plants of a multinational forestry company who were surveyed in 2000. Bivariate analyses show that those who report that differences are resolved through discussion are least likely to report stress, poor general health, exhaustion or sickness absence. Those who report that authority is used or that no attempts are made to resolve differences have quite similar rates across all measures. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed for all health outcomes controlling for age, sex, occupational group, job complexity, job autonomy and support from superiors. Results show significantly lower likelihoods of reporting stress, poor general health, exhaustion or sickness absence amongst employees who report that differences of opinion are resolved through discussion compared to those who report that no attempts are made. No significant differences were found between those who reported that differences were resolved through use of authority and subjects in the 'no attempt' category. These results suggest that the workplace conflict resolution is important in the health of employees in addition to traditional psychosocial work environment risk factors.

Adult↗

Regulatory considerations on transgenic livestock in Japan in relation to the Cartagena protocol.

In Japan, the development and application of living modified organisms (LMOs) are regulated by law (conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity law). Procedures are classed as type 1 for the use of LMOs where no preventive measures against their dispersal into the environment are required and type 2 for the use of LMOs where preventive measures are stipulated. Development and research on transgenic livestock falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, Sports and Technology. Field use of transgenic livestock is controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The author describes risk assessment and management of transgenic livestock by both ministries.

Animals↗

Comparison of trichinelloscopy with a digestion method for the detection of Trichinella larvae in muscle tissue from naturally infected pigs with low level infections.

The identification of Trichinella infection in pigs in Croatia has traditionally been done by inspection of individual carcasses. In response to outbreaks of human trichinellosis in the last decade, the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry instituted compulsory trichinelloscopic examination of tissue from both commercially and privately slaughtered swine. The purpose of this study was to compare trichinelloscopy and artificial digestion for use in samples containing low numbers of larvae. Each assay was used to test 1,769 field positive samples, 290 of which contained 6 or less larvae per gram of muscle tissue. The sensitivity and specificity of trichinelloscopy with 6 or less l pg was 43.4 and 88%, respectively. kappa-Value as a measure of agreement between trichinelloscopy and artificial digestion was 0.27%. It is noteworthy that a considerable number of the 103 (52%) negative animals on trichinelloscopy contained>or=6l pg which is enough to cause clinical trichinellosis. These findings support other studies that indicate trichinelloscopy is not a method of choice and that it is necessary to implement more sensitive procedures such as artificial digestion.

Animals↗

Biomedical solid waste management in an Indian hospital: a case study.

The objectives of this study were: (i) to assess the waste handling and treatment system of hospital bio-medical solid waste and its mandatory compliance with Regulatory Notifications for Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, under the Environment (Protection Act 1986), Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Govt. of India, at the chosen KLE Society's J. N. Hospital and Medical Research Center, Belgaum, India and (ii) to quantitatively estimate the amount of non-infectious and infectious waste generated in different wards/sections. During the study, it was observed that: (i) the personnel working under the occupier (who has control over the institution to take all steps to ensure biomedical waste is handled without any adverse effects to human health and the environment) were trained to take adequate precautionary measures in handling these bio-hazardous waste materials, (ii) the process of segregation, collection, transport, storage and final disposal of infectious waste was done in compliance with the Standard Procedures, (iii) the final disposal was by incineration in accordance to EPA Rules 1998, (iv) the non-infectious waste was collected separately in different containers and treated as general waste, and (v) on an average about 520 kg of non-infectious and 101 kg of infectious waste is generated per day (about 2.31 kg per day per bed, gross weight comprising both infectious and non-infectious waste). This hospital also extends its facility to the neighboring clinics and hospitals by treating their produced waste for incineration.

Guideline Adherence↗

The safety climate and its relationship to safety practices, safety of the work environment and occupational accidents in eight wood-processing companies.

Employees continuously observe their work environment and the actions of their fellow workers and superiors, and they use such observations as a basis for the creation of cognitive models associated with safety. These models regulate their actions in the workplace and thus have an influence on safety. This study attempts to define the structure of the safety climate as perceived by workers and the correlations between the safety climate, on the one hand, and the safety practices of the company, the safety level of the work environment and occupational accidents on the other. The variables used in this study were the same as those employed in two previous Finnish safety climate studies carried out in the plywood industry, shipyards, the forestry industry, building construction and stevedoring. The safety climate was measured by means of a questionnaire. Workers from four sawmills, two plywood factories and two parquet plants participated. The total number of participants was 508 in 1990 and 548 in 1993. The variables formed four factors, whose contents and reliabilities closely resembled the results obtained in the earlier studies. These results indicate that the structure of the safety climate among Finnish workers is quite stable. The safety climate correlated both with the safety level of the work environment and with the safety practices of the company, but the correlation between the safety climate and the safety of the work environment was stronger. This result differs from those of the previous studies, in which the safety climate was defined specifically in terms of an individual's perceptions of the safety practices of the company and of the behavior of other employees. The two safety climate factors that described a company's attitudes to safety and its safety precautions correlated with the accident rates. The better the safety climate of the company was, the lower was the accident rate. Four companies with an accident rate below the average for the wood-processing industry had a better safety climate than four similar companies with an accident rate above the average.

Accidents, Occupational↗

Linkages between FAO agroclimatic data resources and the development of GIS models for control of vector-borne diseases.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is the largest specialized UN Agency dealing with agriculture, forestry and fishery, particularly in the developing countries. One of its technical services, placed under the Sustainable Development Department, has the responsibility to provide information on environment and natural resources as related to food and agriculture. It includes, among others, expertise in remote sensing, geographic information systems and agrometeorology, production of global environmental digital datasets, meteorological and remote sensing data collection and analysis at near real-time, development of methodologies, models and tools for data standardization, collection, spatialization, analysis and dissemination, networking and information sharing, development of integrated information management systems. Some experience has also been gained in the use of climatic digital datasets for spatial modeling of crop pests and diseases. The description of mapping the distribution of the Western Corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera) in Europe as a function of environmental conditions is presented as well as the global assessment of environmental potential constraints based on processing of digital datasets. A simple spatial interpolation routine is briefly explained.

Animals↗

Tractor-driving hours and their relation to self-reported low-back and hip symptoms.

Tractor driving might be one causal risk factor in the incidence of low-back and hip symptoms among farmers. Information on the annual exposure to tractor driving and its distribution among different work operations is scarce. The purpose of this study was to quantify the total and the annual time driving tractors among Swedish farmers and its distribution into different work operations, and to investigate the risk of low-back and hip symptoms in relation to tractor driving within different work operations. The data were collected from a questionnaire study sent to all farms with acreage more than 10 ha in a county in Sweden. Farmers having farming and/or forestry as their main occupation in 1995 were included in the analysis. The annual tractor-driving time and the percentage distribution within different work operations were calculated for females, males, the total group and four production groups. The risk calculations for low-back and hip symptoms from the variables related to tractor driving were performed on the total group. The results showed that the mean annual tractor-driving time was 472 h. Ploughing was the single most time-consuming work operation but it had no influence on the risk for low-back or hip pain. The results showed that some of the variables investigated related to tractor driving influenced the risk for low-back and hip symptoms.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗