Health Economic Losses Research Articles

Coordinated health effects attributable to particulate matter and other pollutants exposures in the North China Plain

Hebei Province, located in the North China Plain (NCP) and encircling Beijing and Tianjin, has been suffering from severe air pollution. The monthly average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration was up to 276 μg/m3 in Hebei Province, which adversely affects human health. However, few studies evaluated the coordinated health impact of exposure to PM (PM2.5 and PM10) and other key air pollutants (SO2, NO2, CO, and surface ozone (O3)). In this study, we systematically analyzed the health risks (both mortality and morbidity) due to multiple air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province. The economic loss associated with these health consequences was estimated using the value of statistical life (VSL) and cost of illness (COI) methods. Our results show the health burden and economic loss attributable to multiple ambient air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province is substantial. In 2017, the total premature mortality from multiple air pollutants exposures in Hebei Province was 69,833 (95% CI: 55,549–83,028), which was 2.9 times higher than that of the Pearl River Delta region (PRD). Most of the potential economic loss (79.65%) was attributable to premature mortality from air pollution. The total economic loss due to the health consequences of multiple air pollutants exposures was 175.16 (95% CI: 134.61–224.61) billion Chinese Yuan (CNY), which was 4.92% of Hebei Province's annual gross domestic product (GDP). Thus, the adverse health effects and economic loss caused by exposure to multiple air pollutants should be seriously taken into consideration. To alleviate these damages, Hebei's government ought to establish more stringent measures and regulations to better control air pollution.

Rapid Visual Detection of Pathogenic Streptococcus suis Type 2 through a Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay Coupled with Lateral Flow Test

Objective: Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2) is an important zoonotic pathogen causing serious disease and even death in pigs and humans. Public health events and economic losses caused by SS2 have prompted widespread concern. Because of the unavailability of vaccines, the development of rapid detection methods for timely diagnosis of SS2 infection or contaminated products, and monitoring of its prevalence in susceptible animals and populations, is required to aid in the prevention and control of SS2 infections. Methods: Several sets of primers and one probe for a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay targeting the cpsJ2 gene were designed and synthesized. Lateral flow (LF) tests in combination with RPA were used to provide visual results. Primers with high amplification efficiency were screened, and the reaction system was optimized. Indicators of detection effectiveness were evaluated. Results: The established method had a detection limit of 100 copies/reaction for recognizing SS2 rather than other organisms. The sensitivity was 100%, as evaluated in infected animal samples. The detection could be completed within 20 min and required only constant temperature equipment. Conclusion: The established rapid, visual, sensitive and specific RPA-LF assay showed superior detection performance and is expected to be widely applied to fight SS2 infection in resource-limited areas.

On assessment of Rospotrebnadzor surveillance and control activities efficiency and effectiveness aimed at preserving the health of workers

In order to achieve the national development purposes of the Russian Federation for the protection and improvement of public health as declared in the strategic documents, under conditions of limited budgetary resources it is relevant to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public administration, including that of organizations carrying out control and supervision functions. The aim of the study was to develop methods for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of Rospotrebnadzor control and supervision activities and the interpretation of the assessment results, as well as to test the proposed approaches in the analysis of the regional distribution of efficiency and effectiveness indicators in the Russian Federation Regions. Using methods of mathematical statistics, the cause-effect relationships between medical and demographic indicators, environmental quality indicators and Rospotrebnadzor activities in the triple system "Rospotrebnadzor activities - environmental quality - public health" were established and parameterized. The actual and prevented health and demographic (morbidity and mortality) economic losses associated with the negative impact of environmental factors have been assessed as a result of control and supervision activities. The calculation of indicative indicators of effectiveness and efficiency of control and supervision activities of Rospotrebnadzor in the Russian Federation Regions and the Russian Federation in general, has been carried out. The analysis of the regional distribution of the indicator of the effectiveness of the control and supervision activities of Rospotrebnadzor is performed. Using the method of k-means cluster analysis, typology of the Russian Federation Regions was carried out according to a set of indicators characterizing the performance of Rospotrebnadzor, the level of macroeconomic development of the region and the amount of funds allocated for control and surveillance activities to ensure sanitary and epidemiological welfare in the Russian Federation Regions. The results obtained from the analysis of the regional distribution of indicative indicators and the typology of the Russian Federation Regions (compared with the national average) can be used as a reference point for the Russian Federation Regions when assessing management reserves and developing programmes of measures to reduce risks to public health.

Key Drivers Influencing the Presence and Absence of Micropterus salmoides and Their Effect on Native Fish Communities and Biotic Integrity

Invasive alien fish species (IAFS) influence recipient ecosystems in multiple ways, from altered native fish communities to poor ecological health and higher economic losses to control and eradication. We tested key drivers and connections between an IAFS (Micropterus salmoides) presence, absence, geomorphological, hydro-chemical, physical habitat, native fish assemblages, and large river basins biotic integrity during 2016–2019. A total number of 62,121 individuals (TNI) representing 74 fish species were observed, out of which 68 species (45,677 TNI) belonged to the Geum River (GR) basin, while 63 species (16,444 TNI) were from the Mankyong/Dongjin River (MDR) basin. The results illustrated a significant contrast based on stream order, catchment area, altitude, stream gradient, and width among the sites with and without largemouth bass. However, fluctuations in nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) were not affected by variations in pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, suspended solids, and river flow. The largemouth bass has emerged as the 8th largest fish population in the GR and swiftly occupies the MDR basin with a constancy value of 45.5. Native sensitive (r = −0.38), insectivore (r = −0.252), carnivores (r = −0.085), and TNI (r = −0.512) displayed a negative correlation with increasing largemouth bass abundance. Largemouth bass induced significant regime transformation in the carnivore species. A significant difference (p < 0.01) of biotic integrity was illustrated among the largemouth bass population sites. A conspicuous interplay between ‘poor’ ecological health (r = 0.33, p = 0.038, n = 41) sites and ‘fair–excellent’ (r = −0.38, p < 0.001, n = 622) sites as compared to the overall ecological health linked with largemouth bass abundance (r = −0.397, p < 0.001, n = 663) alluded to stronger impact of the IAFS. In conclusion, the largemouth bass has potentially altered the native fish assemblage and ecological health. Further, we conclude that rapidly shifting flow patterns supported by the expanding anthropogenic interventions (weirs and dam) are the most approving factors of impending fish invasions.

Surveillance of Brucella in Red Meat Sold at Retail Outlets

Brucellosis in the Middle East is endemic and is associated with health burdens and economic losses for animals and humans. Transmission of Brucella from animal hosts to humans is prevalent in endemic areas, especially developing countries. This study aimed at screening for the brucellae in different fresh red meat sold in retail markets in Erbil city, Iraq. A total of 410 samples were collected between July and December 2019 and analyzed by serological and bacteriological tests for Brucella spp. by Rose Bengal Test (RBT), ELISA, and traditional bacterial culture. The prevalence of Brucella was 9.3, 7.8 and 7.1 % by RBT, ELISA, and bacteriological analysis, respectively. Both B. abortus and B. melitensis were detected in 3.17 % and 3.90 % of collected samples, respectively. In terms of seasonal variation, autumn was found to be associated with a decrease in seroprevalence. RBT was found to be suitable for ruling out the disease, but its positive results should be confirmed. The overall prevalence of Brucella in meat or the source livestock is alarming and requires considerable actions to prevent the transmission of brucellae to humans.
 HIGHLIGHTS
 
 The prevalence of Brucella in meat samples sold in Erbil is ~ 7 - 10 %
 Rose Bengal Test is convenient ruling out the disease in animals but its positive results should be confirmed
 The seasonality of Brucella in livestock of Erbil showed slight decrease during the autumn season
 
 GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Economic evaluation on the health hazards of residents caused by PM_(2.5) in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei from 2013 to 2018

To learn the health hazards and health economic losses caused by PM_(2.5) pollution in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei to the resident population. Fine particular matter concentration and the basic demographic data of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei from 2013 to 2018 were collected. Circulatory system disease hospitalization and other indexes were chosen as the end point of health effects, appropriate exposure-response relationship were selected, and the economic loss of health effect caused by PM_(2.5) was assessed by the combination of the cost of illness approach and human capital method. From 2013 to 2018, the economic loss of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei caused by fine particular matter pollution showed a decreasing trend year by year. The health economic losses of Beijing from 2013 to 2018 were 3.815, 4.177, 4.090, 3.818, 2.567 and 2.031 billion yuan; The health economic losses of Tianjin were 3.046, 2.625, 1.882, 1.914, 1.448 and 1.000 billion yuan; The health economic losses of Hebei were 13.719, 11.850, 7.423, 7.216, 6.499 and 4.124 billion yuan, Hebei Province had the highest economic loss in 2013, accounting for 13.719 billion yuan, accounting for 0.51% of GDP in that year. Tianjin had the lowest economic loss in 2018, accounting for 10.0 billion yuan, accounting for 0.05% of GDP in that year. The health loss caused by PM_(2.5) pollution in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region shows a decreasing trend year by year, but the number is still very considerable, and the monitoring and control of PM_(2.5) pollution need to be further strengthened.

Comparison of polymerase chain reaction and microscopy for the detection of Fasciola spp. in the fecal matter of domestic bovines in Kalasin Province, Thailand.

Background and Aim:Fasciola spp. are important foodborne trematodes and waterborne zoonotic parasites that cause health problems and economic losses worldwide, including in Thailand. Fasciola spp. are usually detected by sedimentation or the formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT) under microscopy, which is less specific and sensitive. Accurate detection is important to detect real incidence for protection against and elimination of fasciolosis in the area. This study aimed to determine the distribution of Fasciola spp. and compare the specificity and sensitivity of FECT under microscopy to that of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in cattle feces.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted in Kalasin Province, Thailand. Feces of 46 cattle were investigated for infection with Fasciola spp. To detect infection, FECT under microscopy and PCR amplification of the 28S rRNA gene of Fasciola spp. were used to identify egg parasites.Results:Feces of 16 of 46 (34.78%) cattle were positive for Fasciola spp. using FECT under microscopy, whereas PCR showed that 67.39% (31 of 46) were positive for Fasciola spp. False-negative results were as high as 32.61% when diagnosed under microscopy.Conclusion:This study confirmed the infection of cattle with Fasciola spp. in Kalasin Province, indicating that PCR demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity when diagnosing infection. FECT under microscopy can still be used as a primary and traditional method for diagnosis. However, relapse cases of Fasciola spp. and Paramphistomum spp. should be diagnosed by microscopy combined with PCR. This is the first report on the molecular distribution of fecal samples in cattle in Kalasin Province.

Burden of breast cancer in Bangladesh-current and future and financing treatment with link to willingness to pay

Breast cancer is the most common cancer type among females worldwide affecting 1 in 8 women. As of 2015, breast cancer is still a leading cancer of women in Bangladesh. It has become a hidden burden which accounts for 69% death of women within the country. The rate grows up day to day due to unawareness of the people, lack of confidence about medical treatment, improper screening, maltreatment, and lack of motivation to go for institutional treatment and management. The treatment options for breast cancer are relatively very expensive. People may be willing to sacrifice overall health to channel resources towards high priority disease areas, such as cancer to improve overall life. It is highly appropriate now to link treatment fall out and finances to the patient population. This short communication adopts a descriptive approach. First, it looks at the prevalence of breast cancer in Bangladesh, how breast cancer can be managed, how treatment can be financed and willingness to pay by individuals. This article finds that the screening can be optimized as the treatment options for breast cancer are relatively very expensive in a low resourced country such as Bangladesh. Data should be disseminated among the concerned stakeholders including the women susceptible to breast cancer, the patients, the care-givers, doctors, other health-care workers and policy-makers for better management. Improving the cancer scenario overnight is not an easy task but policy makers may become interested and push this agenda forward, if the huge health impact and economic loss caused by cancer become evident to them.

Impact of Toxigenic Fungi: An Economic and Health Obstruction to Wellness in Mozambique

Food safety is a major concern worldwide. Food-crop contamination by fungi and mycotoxins is a common occurrence causing persistent exposure that raises critical health problems and economic losses. Food and feeds are frequently tainted by multiple contaminants, such as trace elements, heavy metals, dioxins, pesticides, and mycotoxins. Most African countries lack the ability to enforce international food safety regulations and face frequent rejection of exportable raw food materials leading to financial burden and increased intramural consumption of contaminated products. The literature on mycotoxins is extremely vast, investigating or reporting cellular mechanisms and toxicity, associated pathology and animal performance, effects of these compounds on general malnutrition and on human health. However, different sampling and analytical methods for research has hindered progress, data collection and interpretation. Innovative and promising commercial solutions of technological biocontrol have been approved in few African countries but may not be the sole and long-lasting solution for the management of mycotoxins. We describe an economic burden in Mozambique of naturally occurring toxigenic fungi moulds in banana plantations, and a public health impact from non-rotating crops of cassava, groundnutsб and maize. Finally, we mention our moderate role in surveillance and monitoring of mycotoxins in family smallholder farmers, informal markets, and cooperatives.

Global Surface HCHO Distribution Derived from Satellite Observations with Neural Networks Technique

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is one of the most important carcinogenic air contaminants in outdoor air. However, the lack of monitoring of the global surface concentration of HCHO is currently hindering research on outdoor HCHO pollution. Traditional methods are either restricted to small areas or, for research on a global scale, too data-demanding. To alleviate this issue, we adopted neural networks to estimate the 2019 global surface HCHO concentration with confidence intervals, utilizing HCHO vertical column density data from TROPOMI, and in-situ data from HAPs (harmful air pollutants) monitoring networks and the ATom mission. Our results show that the global surface HCHO average concentration is 2.30 μg/m3. Furthermore, in terms of regions, the concentrations in the Amazon Basin, Northern China, South-east Asia, the Bay of Bengal, and Central and Western Africa are among the highest. The results from our study provide the first dataset on global surface HCHO concentration. In addition, the derived confidence intervals of surface HCHO concentration add an extra layer of confidence to our results. As a pioneering work in adopting confidence interval estimation to AI-driven atmospheric pollutant research and the first global HCHO surface distribution dataset, our paper paves the way for rigorous study of global ambient HCHO health risk and economic loss, thus providing a basis for pollution control policies worldwide.

Impact of transboundary PM2.5 pollution on health risks and economic compensation in China

Economic compensation offers an equality and justice lens through which to examine transboundary air pollution control by determining its impact on health risks and economic losses. In this study, the Intervention Model for Air Pollution (InMAP) is adopted to quantitatively calculate the changes in PM2.5 concentrations due to transboundary pollution in each province of China. Then, the exposure-response function and economic loss estimation methods are used to estimate the health risks and economic losses caused by transboundary PM2.5 pollution. The results show that the pollutant emissions from each province lead to increases in PM2.5 concentrations both within each province and in neighboring provinces, and that the contribution rate of transboundary pollution varies greatly among provinces, ranging from 6% to 80%. The increase in PM2.5 concentrations also increases health risks, and the proportion of the increase in PM2.5 concentration caused by transboundary pollution is higher than 50% in many provinces. The results from the estimation of economic losses are used to determine appropriate compensation amounts. Jiangsu, Shandong, and Anhui are key provinces that are expected to both pay and receive large amounts of compensation. To clarify the environmental responsibilities of each province, the 31 provinces were categorized into 4 types according to their per capita economic compensation. Environmental equity theory requires that compensation mechanisms focus on the interests and responsibilities of each resident, and a national standard eco-compensation system for transboundary air pollution control should be established based on the results of the compensation calculations.

Comprehensive comparative analysis of air pollutants exposure in different regions of mainland China: Assessment of health impacts and economic burden

This study attempts to explore and compare the exposure to ambient air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, O3 and CO) in various provinces of mainland China during 2017–2019 and to quantitatively assess the extent of health damage and health economic loss of various air pollutants. Notably, the constructed model employed various methods, i.e., the integrated exposure–response model, the contingent valuation method, the human capital method, and the cost of illness method. The results are described as follows. (1) Mortality and morbidity due to exposure to ambient air pollutants in mainland China are estimated to be 13.1 (95%Cl: 7.5–22.2) million and 56.0 (95%Cl: 39.9–108.8) million, respectively, in 2017–2019. The mortality of respiratory diseases (RD) and cardiovascular diseases (CD) was the highest, and acute bronchitis had the highest morbidity. (2) The total economic losses caused by exposure to air pollutants are approximately 1,4444 billion yuan, and the economic losses caused by mortality and morbidity account for 95.2% and 4.8%, respectively. RD and CD account for the highest proportion of economic losses in mortality and morbidity. (3) Central China, East China, and North China have more serious health and economic damage problems caused by air pollution. (4) PM2.5, PM10 and O3 have a significant impact on health, accounting for 78.3% and 63.1%, for the total health damage and economic loss, respectively. The results of the evaluation can provide guidance for the formulation of detailed environmental interventions and further improvement of the air pollution situation in mainland China.

Production of Alternaria Toxins in Yellow Peach (Amygdalus persica) upon Artificial Inoculation with Alternaria alternate.

The yellow peach (Amygdalus persica), an important fruit in China, is highly susceptible to infection by Alternaria sp., leading to potential health risks and economic losses. In the current study, firstly, yellow peaches were artificially inoculated with Alternaria alternate. Then, the fruits were stored at 4 °C and 28 °C to simulate the current storage conditions that consumers use, and the Alternaria toxins (ATs) contents from different parts of the fruits were analyzed via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that the growth of A. alternate and the ATs production were dramatically affected by the storage temperature. At 28 °C, the fungi grew rapidly and the lesion diameter reached about 4.0 cm within 15 days of inoculation, while, at 4 °C, the fungal growth was noticeably inhibited, with no significant change in the lesion diameter. To our surprise, high contents of ATs were produced under both storage conditions even though the fungal growth was suppressed. With an increase in the incubation time, the amounts of ATs showed a steady tendency to increase in most cases. Remarkably, alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), alternariol (AOH), and tenuazonic acid (TeA) were detected in the rotten tissue and also in the surrounding tissue, while a large amount of TeA could also be found in the healthy tissue. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the production of ATs by the infection of Alternaria sp. in yellow peach fruits via artificial inoculation under regulated conditions, and, based on the evidence herein, it is recommended that ATs be included in monitoring and control programs of yellow peach management and food safety administration.

Impacts of Ambient Carbon Monoxide on Hospital Admissions and Hospitalization Expenditures for Three Cardiorespiratory Diseases in 74 Cities of China

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Evidence about health burden and economic loss of cardiorespiratory diseases (CRDs) caused by ambient carbon monoxide (CO) is sparse. We aimed to assess health burden as well as economic loss caused by coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and lower respiratory infections (LRI) attributed to ambient CO in multiple cities in China. METHODS: Hospital admission and expenditures data were obtained from urban employee-based basic medical insurance scheme (UEBMI) of the national health insurance system in China. We performed a three-stage time-series analysis approach based on Generalized Linear Model controlling for potential confounding factors to examine the association between ambient CO and hospitalization data of CHD, stroke and LRI in 74 cities of China from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017. We conducted subgroup analyses by geographical region, gender and age (15-64 and ≥65), and tested the robustness of the results in two-pollutant models and sensitive analyses. RESULTS:We found that the average daily concentration of ambient CO across 74 cities from 2015 to 2017 was 1.10 mg/m³ (SD: 0.62). For a 1 mg/m³ increase in CO concentrations, the largest excess risks (ERs) were 3.82% (95% CI: 1.27% to 6.44%) at lag04 for CHD, 3.14% (95% CI: 1.90% to 4.38%) at lag0 for stroke and 2.71% (95% CI: 1.21% to 4.23%) at lag01 for LRI. Moreover, we observed that 4.50%, 3.33% and 2.97% of CHD, stroke and LRI related hospital admissions during 2015 to 2017 could be attributed to ambient CO in included cities, and the annualized attributable numbers of hospitalization expenditures were enormous, with 490 million CNY (US$ 73 M), 371 million CNY (US$ 55 M) and 217 million CNY (US$ 32 M) for CHD, stroke and LRI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Our study provides robust evidence for substantial excess hospitalization burden of CHD, stroke and LRI attributable to ambient CO based on multi-city analyses. KEYWORDS: Air pollution, Cardiovascular diseases, Environmental epidemiology, Traffic-related, Respiratory outcomes

A Novel Framework for Forecasting, Evaluation and Early-Warning for the Influence of PM10 on Public Health

PM2.5 has attracted widespread attention since the public has become aware of it, while attention to PM10 has started to wane. Considering the significance of PM10, this study takes PM10 as the research object and raises a significant question: when will the influence of PM10 on public health end? To answer the abovementioned question, two promising research areas, i.e., air pollution forecasting and health effects analysis, are employed, and a novel hybrid framework is developed in this study, which consists of one effective model and one evaluation model. More specifically, this study first introduces one advanced optimization algorithm and cycle prediction theory into the grey forecasting model to develop an effective model for multistep forecasting of PM10, which can achieve reasonable forecasting of PM10. Then, an evaluation model is designed to evaluate the health effects and economic losses caused by PM10. Considering the significance of providing the future impact of PM10 on public health, we extend our forecasting results to evaluate future changes in health effects and economic losses based on our proposed health economic losses evaluation model. Accordingly, policymakers can adjust current air pollution prevention plans and formulate new plans according to the results of forecasting, evaluation and early-warning. Empirical research shows that the developed framework is applicable in China and may become a promising technique to enrich the current research and meet the requirements of air quality management and haze governance.

Synergistic action of Viteselen with anti-Fasciola drug as a tool for improving fertility and hemato-biochemical biomarkers in Fasciola infected sheep.

Fasciolosis causes public health problems and economic losses all over the world. The present study aimed to evaluate the synergistic action between Viteselen (anti-oxidant) and specific anti-Fasciola drug [Triclalbendazole (TCBZ)] for improving the body condition of F. gigantica naturally infected sheep with reference to some hematological and biochemical biomarkers in their sera. Animals were divided into five groups include G-1 as control non-infected animals, G-2 to G-5 are Fasciola naturally infected animals. G-2 are non-treated animals, G-3 treated with TCBZ, animals in G-4 were injected by Viteselen and those in G-5 were treated by both TCBZ and Viteselen. The results revealed a significant decrease in mean eggs in feces and F. gigantica circulating antigens (FCAg) in sera of TCBZ treated sheep after the 1st week post treatment. Complete disappearance of eggs from feces of drug treated groups was recorded at 21st d.p.t. While the value of FCAg decreased to negative at 14th d.p.t. The highest significant improvement (p < 0.05) in the estimated hematological parameters (RBCs, Hb and TLC), liver enzymes (AST and ALT), oxidative stress and anti-oxidant markers (TAC, MDA, SOD and GSH) and reproductive hormones (Progesterone and Estradiol) was recorded in animals in G-5 followed by G-3. While non-significant improvement was recorded in animals in G-4 in comparison with those in the control group. This improvement increased with increasing the time post treatment. In conclusion; using of Viteselen in association with specific anti-parasitic drug improved the general health parameters and reproductive performance of the investigated sheep.

Betulinic acid attenuates T-2 toxin-induced cytotoxicity in porcine kidney cells by blocking oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress

T-2 toxin is highly cytotoxic to animals, which causes damage to animal health and great economic losses to agriculture and livestock production. Betulinic acid (BA), a naturally occurring pentacyclic lupane-type triterpenoid, has various biological and medicinal activities in vivo and in vitro. The objective of the present study was to investigate the toxic effects of T-2 toxin and the reversal effect of BA on porcine kidney (PK-15) cells. We evaluated T-2 toxin-induced apoptotic responses via oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways by assessing the repair effect of BA in PK-15 cells. The results proved that T-2 toxin (1 μM, treated for 24 h) is highly toxic to PK-15 cells. After pre-treatment with BA (0.25, 0.5, and 1 μM) for 24 h, the cell viabilities were significantly increased, and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the culture media was dramatically decreased compared to that in the T-2 toxin treatment group. BA also enhanced the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and catalase (CAT) and reduced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in cells. BA also dose-dependently increased the expression of glucose regulated protein (GRP78), reduced expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), the phosphorylation of protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), and intracellular Ca2+ concentration in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, BA significantly decreased the expression of cleaved-caspase-3 and caspase-12, consequently reducing T-2 toxin-induced PK-15 cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, we suggest that BA has a protective effect on T-2 toxin-induced cytotoxicity by ameliorating oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress in PK-15 cells.

Rapid, simple, low-cost smartphone-based fluorescence detection of Escherichia coli

Food and waterborne diseases pose considerable public health threats even in highly industrialized parts of the world. Examples of these pathogens in food can be Escherichia coli O157: H7, Salmonella sp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Rapid, reliable detection of pathogens mitigates serious health problems and economic losses due to outbreaks and robust tests safeguard the food supply. In this study, a smartphone-based apparatus was employed to demonstrate quantitative detection of E. coli. To validate the applicability of the present smartphone-based fluorescence device, RNA was extracted from the E. coli K-12 strain and amplified using two different primers (dnaK and rpoA) via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Serial dilutions of RNA from 10 to 0.0001 ng/µL were prepared at the start of the PCR amplification and the PCR products were detected by CYBR Green1-based fluorescence. For a proof-of-concept test for the smartphone system, samples from these PCR products were then analyzed. The detection system employed a novel algorithm to analyze fluorescence signals and read changes in E. coli DNA concentration. The correlations between the fluorescence percentage and DNA concentrations were R=0.945 for the dnaK primer and R=0.893 for the rpoA primer, respectively. Utilizing this new fluorescent analysis technique resulted in comparable accuracy to the real-time PCR fluorescent signal detection. The key innovation of this approach was to combine efficient image processing encoded into a smartphone application with a low-cost 3-D printed device that allowed quantification of bacterial nucleic acid. Keywords: smartphone, fluorescence, E. coli, low-cost, 3D-Print DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20211403.5865 Citation: Rojas-Barboza D, Park E, Sassenfeld R, Winder J, Smith G B, Valles-Rossalles D, et al. Rapid, simple, low-cost smartphone-based fluorescence detection of Escherichia coli. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2021; 14(3): 189–193.

Spatiotemporal assessment of health burden and economic losses attributable to short-term exposure to ground-level ozone during 2015\u20132018 in China

BackgroundGround-level ozone (O3) pollution is currently the one of the severe environmental problems in China. Although existing studies have quantified the O3-related health impact and economic loss, few have focused on the acute health effects of short-term exposure to O3 and have been limited to a single temporal and spatial dimension.MethodsBased on the O3 concentration obtained from ground monitoring networks in 334 Chinese cities in 2015–2018, this study used a two-stage exposure parameter weighted Log-linear exposure-response function to estimate the cause-specific mortality for short-term exposure to O3.ResultsThe value of statistical life (VSL) method that were used to calculate the economic loss at the city-level. Our results show that in China, the national all-cause mortality attributed to O3 was 0.27(95% CI: 0.14–0.55) to 0.39 (95% CI: 0.20–0.67) million across 2015–2018. The estimated economic loss caused by O3 was 387.76 (95% CI: 195.99–904.50) to 594.08 (95% CI: 303.34–1140.65) billion CNY, accounting for 0.52 to 0.69% of total reported GDP. Overall, the O3 attributed health and economic burden has begun to decline in China since 2017. However, highly polluted areas still face severe burden, and undeveloped areas suffer from high GDP losses.ConclusionsThere are substantial health impacts and economic losses related to short-term O3 exposure in China. The government should pay attention to the emerging ozone pollution, and continue to strengthen the intervention in traditional priority areas while solving the pollution problem in non-priority areas.

Health and economic benefits of clean air policies in China: A case study for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

Exposure to PM2.5 is associated with many adverse health effects, leading to additional social costs. The Blue Sky Protection Campaign (BSPC) has been implemented in 2018 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) area to control air pollution. This study assesses PM2.5-related health and economic benefits of the BSPC in the BTH region. Results show that by 2020, PM2.5 reduction can avoid 3561 thousand morbidity cases (equivalent to a 24% reduction in the 2020 baseline scenario) and 24 thousand premature deaths (12%) in the BTH region, with the majority benefit in Hebei. By 2030, the avoided morbidity and mortality cases will be 2943 (18%) thousand and 20 (9%) thousand, respectively. PM2.5 reductions are highly effective in reducing work time loss, which will decrease the total annual work time by 1.7 × 108 h (24%) in the BTH region by 2020. From the economic aspect, the reduced PM2.5 concentration will save 30 million USD (25%) health expenditures and avoid 60 billion USD (13%) economic loss by using the value of statistical life (VSL) by 2020. In 2030, the health expenditures and economic loss will also decrease significantly, with 17 million USD (18%) and 63 billion USD (10%), respectively, in the BTH region. Besides, the economic benefits far exceed the policy costs of the BSPC, and the Δ benefit/Δ cost ratios of Beijing are significantly higher than those of Hebei. The BSPC in BTH has significant positive health and economic impacts. This study can provide a basis for future PM2.5-related health risk studies at an urban level in China.