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McDonald AJ, Balwinder-Singh, Jat ML, Craufurd P, Hellin J, Hung NV, Keil A, Kishore A, Kumar V, McCarty JL, Pearson P, Samaddar A, Shyamsundar P, Shirsath PB, Sidhu HS, Singh AK, Singh S, Srivastava AK, Urban E, Malik RK, Gerard B. Indian agriculture, air pollution, and public health in the age of COVID. World Dev 2020; 135:105064. [PMID: 32834377 PMCID: PMC7332940 DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence supports the intuitive link between chronic health conditions associated with air pollution and the vulnerability of individuals and communities to COVID-19. Poor air quality already imposes a highly significant public health burden in Northwest India, with pollution levels spiking to hazardous levels in November and early December when rice crop residues are burned. The urgency of curtailing the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigating a potential resurgence later in the year provides even more justification for accelerating efforts to dramatically reduce open agricultural burning in India.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J McDonald
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Balwinder-Singh
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), NASC Complex, New Delhi, India
| | - M L Jat
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), NASC Complex, New Delhi, India
| | - P Craufurd
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), South Asia Regional Office, Khumultar, Lalitpur District, Nepal
| | - J Hellin
- International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - N V Hung
- International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - A Keil
- UNIQUE forestry and land use GmbH, Schnewlinstr. 10, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
| | - A Kishore
- International Food and Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), New Delhi, India
| | - V Kumar
- International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - J L McCarty
- Department of Geography and Geospatial Analysis Center, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - P Pearson
- International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI), USA
| | - A Samaddar
- International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - P Shyamsundar
- The Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - P B Shirsath
- CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture & Food Security (CCAFS), BISA, CIMMYT, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - H S Sidhu
- Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), Ladhowal, Ludhiana 141008, India
| | - A K Singh
- Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India
| | - Sudhanshu Singh
- IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), NSRTC Campus, Varanasi 221006, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - A K Srivastava
- IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), NSRTC Campus, Varanasi 221006, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - E Urban
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - R K Malik
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), NASC Complex, New Delhi, India
| | - B Gerard
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo. Postal 6-641 06600, México, D.F., Mexico
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Samaddar A, Sharma A, Shrimali T. Pulmonary infection due to Acrophialophora fusispora in a patient with underlying mixed connective tissue disease and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis: A case report and review of literature. J Mycol Med 2020; 30:100932. [PMID: 32008965 DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2020.100932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Acrophialophora fusispora is a soil-borne fungus rarely implicated in human infections. Here, we report a case of pulmonary infection due to A. fusispora in a 59-year-old male who presented with productive cough and gradually progressive dyspnoea for 20 days. He had a past history of pulmonary tuberculosis and was a known case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for past five years. He was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease and had been receiving oral azathioprine and prednisolone for three months. CECT thorax revealed an aspergilloma and serum Aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgG levels were raised, suggestive of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. He was also tested positive for influenza A (H1N1) and received treatment with oral oseltamivir without any clinical benefit. Culture of sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed growth of a fungus which was identified as Acrophialophora fusispora based on characteristic microscopic morphology and internal transcribed spacer sequencing of the ribosomal DNA. Antifungal susceptibility testing for six antifungal drugs showed itraconazole to have the most potent in vitro activity (MIC=0.25μg/mL) against A. fusispora in comparison to the other drugs tested. Treatment with itraconazole capsule 200mg twice daily was initiated and favourable clinical response was observed after 10 days of therapy. Follow-up visit after three months showed marked clinical and radiological improvement. A. fusispora is an emerging opportunistic fungus capable of causing invasive infections in immunocompromised hosts. Lack of knowledge about this fungus and confusion with morphologically similar opportunistic fungi have led to its misidentification and hence its prevalence remains largely underestimated. Accurate identification is crucial as it can help initiate early effective antifungal therapy and improve patient outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pulmonary infection due to A. fusispora reported from India.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Samaddar
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Phase 2 Industrial Area, 342005 Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - A Sharma
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Phase 2 Industrial Area, 342005 Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
| | - T Shrimali
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Phase 2 Industrial Area, 342005 Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
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Paul S, Bhattacharyya SS, Samaddar A, Boujedaini N, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Anticancer potentials of root extract of Polygala senega against benzo[a]pyrene-induced lung cancer in mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 9:320-7. [PMID: 21419086 DOI: 10.3736/jcim20110314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate anticancer potentials of Polygala senega on lung cancer induced by benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in mice. METHODS Swiss albino mice were divided into five groups with each containing six animals. Group 1 served as control, and the animals received olive oil as vehicle. Group 2 animals were treated with B[a]P (50 mg/kg body weight dissolved in olive oil) orally twice a week for four consecutive weeks. Group 3 animals were fed B[a]P as in group 2 and 48% alcohol (since the vehicle of the remedy was alcohol). Group 4 animals were B[a]P-intoxicated mice (as in group 2) which were additionally fed ethanolic extract of Polygala senega (EEPS) daily for 16 weeks. EEPS treatment started after the first dose of B[a]P. Group 5 animals were treated with EEPS alone for 16 weeks to test cytotoxicity of EEPS if any. Mice were sacrificed after 16 weeks and the following parameters were assessed: the anti-oxidant activity measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical assay, tumor incidence, lung weight and body weight, DNA damage evaluation by comet assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); toxicity biomarkers like catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and total thiol content were also detected. RESULTS Treatment with EEPS increased the final body weight and significantly decreased the lung weight in group 4 mice (P<0.01) compared with group 3 mice. Comet assay showed that EEPS-treated mice in group 4 presented a decrease of DNA damage significantly (P<0.01) in lung tissues. There was a significant increase observed in the level of p53 in group 4 as compared with group 3 (P<0.01) detected by ELISA. A highly significant increase in tissue LPO with concomitant decrease in the activity of anti-oxidants was observed in group 2 and group 3 mice (P<0.05) compared with the control mice. These adverse changes were reversed significantly in group 4 mice (P<0.01). CONCLUSION Chemopreventive potentials of Polygala senega against chemically induced lung cancer in mice are confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saili Paul
- Cytogenetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, India
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