scholarly journals Elevated CO2 Impacts on Plant–Pollinator Interactions: A Systematic Review and Free Air Carbon Enrichment Field Study

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 512
Author(s):  
Liam M. Crowley ◽  
Jonathan P. Sadler ◽  
Jeremy Pritchard ◽  
Scott A. L. Hayward

The impact of elevated CO2 (eCO2) on plant–pollinator interactions is poorly understood. This study provides the first systematic review of this topic and identifies important knowledge gaps. In addition, we present field data assessing the impact of eCO2 (150 ppm above ambient) on bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)–pollinator interactions within a mature, deciduous woodland system. Since 1956, only 71 primary papers have investigated eCO2 effects on flowering time, floral traits and pollination, with a mere 3 studies measuring the impact on pollination interactions. Our field experiment documented flowering phenology, flower visitation and seed production, as well as the abundance and phenology of dominant insect pollinators. We show that first and mid-point flowering occurred 6 days earlier under eCO2, but with no change in flowering duration. Syrphid flies and bumble bees were the dominant flower visitors, with peak activity recorded during mid- and late-flowering periods. Whilst no significant difference was recorded in total visitation or seed set between eCO2 and ambient treatments, there were clear patterns of earlier flowering under eCO2 accompanied by lower pollinator activity during this period. This has implications for potential loss of synchrony in pollination systems under future climate scenarios, with associated long-term impacts on abundance and diversity.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Micaele Maria Lopes Castro ◽  
Maria Karolina Martins Ferreira ◽  
Iasmin Encaua Essashika Prazeres ◽  
Paula Beatriz de Oliveira Nunes ◽  
Marcela Baraúna Magno ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous studies indicated an impact of hormonal contraceptive use on oral health. This systematic review aimed to investigate the evidence supporting the impact of the use of hormonal contraceptives and periodontal diseases. Methods This study is based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and based on the PECO acrostic. Inclusion criteria comprised observational studies including women (P), which evaluated hormonal contraceptive users (E) and hormonal contraceptive non-users (C), to verify the association between this hormonal therapy and the periodontal diseases (O). Searches were performed on 5 databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, LILACS and grey literature (OpenGrey and Google Scholar). After the selection process, the included studies were evaluated qualitatively. Moreover, quantitative data were analyzed in two meta-analyses for clinical attachment loss (CAL) and probing depth (PD). Finally, the level of certainty was measured with the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) tool between periodontal clinical parameters. Results 18 articles were eligible for the qualitative synthesis and 7 of them were selected for quantitative analysis. Hence, 15 of the eligible articles reported an association between the use of hormonal contraceptives and severity of periodontal disease. However, 6 articles demonstrated high risk of bias and were excluded from quantitative synthesis. The meta-analysis showed a statistically significant difference for CAL (MD 0.24 [0.09, 0.40]; p = 0.002), but in PD (MD 0.05 [− 0.05, 0.15]; p = 0.33) such difference was not identified. A very low level of evidence was found between the clinical parameters. Conclusions The use of hormonal contraceptives may be associated to severity of periodontal diseases. However, the quantitative analysis points to an inconclusive outcome due to the high level of heterogeneity. The association is biologically plausible, however additional studies are warranted to better elucidate the clinical significance of this possible association.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Marcella Vaselli ◽  
Daniel Hungerford ◽  
Ben Shenton ◽  
Arwa Khashkhusha ◽  
Nigel A. Cunliffe ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundA year following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, new infections and deaths continue to increase in Europe. Serological studies, through providing evidence of past infection, can aid understanding of the population dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection.ObjectivesThis systematic review of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies in Europe was undertaken to inform public health strategies including vaccination, that aim to accelerate population immunity.MethodsWe searched the databases Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and grey literature sources for studies reporting seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Europe published between 01/12/2019 - 30/09/20. We provide a narrative synthesis of included studies. Studies were categorized into subgroups including healthcare workers (HCWs), community, outbreaks, pregnancy and children/school. Due to heterogeneity in other subgroups, we only performed a random effects meta-analysis of the seroprevalence amongst HCWs stratified by their country.Results109 studies were included spanning 17 European countries, that estimated the seroprevalence of SAR-CoV2 from samples obtained between November 2019 – August 2020. A total of 53/109 studies included HCWs with a reported seroprevalence among HCWs ranging from 0.7% to 45.3%, which did not differ significantly by country. In community studies significant heterogeneity was reported in the seroprevalence among different age groups and the majority of studies reported there was no significant difference by gender.ConclusionThis review demonstrates a wide heterogeneity in reported seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies between populations. Continued evaluation of seroprevalence is required to understand the impact of public health measures and inform interventions including vaccination programmes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 763-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petek Eylul Taneri ◽  
Sergio Alejandro Gómez-Ochoa ◽  
Erand Llanaj ◽  
Peter Francis Raguindin ◽  
Lyda Z. Rojas ◽  
...  

Abstract Iron metabolism and anemia may play an important role in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate biomarkers of anemia and iron metabolism (hemoglobin, ferritin, transferrin, soluble transferrin receptor, hepcidin, haptoglobin, unsaturated iron-binding capacity, erythropoietin, free erythrocyte protoporphyrine, and erythrocyte indices) in patients diagnosed with COVID-19, and explored their prognostic value. Six bibliographic databases were searched up to August 3rd 2020. We included 189 unique studies, with data from 57,563 COVID-19 patients. Pooled mean hemoglobin and ferritin levels in COVID-19 patients across all ages were 129.7 g/L (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 128.51; 130.88) and 777.33 ng/mL (95% CI, 701.33; 852.77), respectively. Hemoglobin levels were lower with older age, higher percentage of subjects with diabetes, hypertension and overall comorbidities, and admitted to intensive care. Ferritin level increased with older age, increasing proportion of hypertensive study participants, and increasing proportion of mortality. Compared to moderate cases, severe COVID-19 cases had lower hemoglobin [weighted mean difference (WMD), − 4.08 g/L (95% CI − 5.12; − 3.05)] and red blood cell count [WMD, − 0.16 × 1012 /L (95% CI − 0.31; − 0.014)], and higher ferritin [WMD, − 473.25 ng/mL (95% CI 382.52; 563.98)] and red cell distribution width [WMD, 1.82% (95% CI 0.10; 3.55)]. A significant difference in mean ferritin levels of 606.37 ng/mL (95% CI 461.86; 750.88) was found between survivors and non-survivors, but not in hemoglobin levels. Future studies should explore the impact of iron metabolism and anemia in the pathophysiology, prognosis, and treatment of COVID-19.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Indraratna ◽  
D Tardo ◽  
J Yu ◽  
K Delbaere ◽  
M Brodie ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the world. Mobile phones have become ubiquitous in most developed societies. Smartphone applications, telemonitoring and clinician-driven short message service (SMS) allow for novel methods in managing chronic cardiovascular conditions such as ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and hypertension. Purpose To evaluate the impact of mobile phone-based interventions (MPIs) on mortality, hospitalisations and blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) in patients diagnosed with either acute coronary syndrome, heart failure or hypertension. Methods A systematic review was conducted using seven electronic databases, identifying all randomised control trials (RCTs) featuring an MPI in the management of these conditions. Meta-analysis was performed by using standard analytical techniques. The odds ratio (OR) was used as a summary statistic. Results Twenty-six RCTs including 6,713 patients were identified. Of these 26 studies, 13 examined text messaging intereventions, 10 studied telemonitoring interventions and three described smartphone applications with other functions. Twelve studies were included for meta-analysis. In patients with heart failure (n=1683), MPIs were associated with a significantly lower rate of all-cause hospital admissions at six months (31% vs. 36%, OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62–0.97, p=0.03, I2 = 0). A significant difference was also demonstrated for heart-failure admissions (14.0% vs. 18.5%, OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.98, p=0.04, I2 = 26%). There was no difference in mortality (10.4% vs. 11.6% p=0.45). In patients with hypertension, the difference in systolic BP was 4.3mmHg less in the intervention group (95% CI: −7.8 to −0.78 mmHg, p=0.02). Four studies examined medication compliance as an endpoint in patients with ischaemic heart disease, and all four demonstrated a significant difference favouring the MPI group (see table 1). However, due to variable quantification of compliance, meta-analysis was not possible. There was no significant difference in the change in BMI from four studies after six or more months (mean difference −0.46, 95% CI: −1.44 to 0.52, P=0.36). Conclusions The available data suggests MPIs may have a role as valuable adjuncts in the management of chronic CVD. Figure 1 Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)


PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9049
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Haas ◽  
Christopher J. Lortie

Background Plant reproduction is influenced by the net outcome of plant–herbivore and plant–pollinator interactions. While both herbivore impacts and pollinator impacts on plant reproduction have been widely studied, few studies examine them in concert. Methodology Here, we review the contemporary literature that examines the net outcomes of herbivory and pollination on plant reproduction and the impacts of herbivores on pollination through damage to shared host plants using systematic review tools. The direct or indirect effects of herbivores on floral tissue and reported mechanisms were compiled including the taxonomic breadth of herbivores, plants and pollinators. Results A total of 4,304 studies were examined producing 59 relevant studies for synthesis that reported both pollinator and herbivore measures. A total of 49% of studies examined the impact of direct damage to floral tissue through partial florivory while 36% of studies also examined the impact of vegetative damage on pollination through folivory, root herbivory, and stem damage. Only three studies examined the effects of both direct and indirect damage to pollination outcomes within the same study. Conclusions It is not unreasonable to assume that plants often sustain simultaneous forms of damage to different tissues and that the net effects can be assessed through differences in reproductive output. Further research that controls for other relative drivers of reproductive output but examines more than one pathway of damage simultaneously will inform our understanding of the mechanistic relevance of herbivore impacts on pollination and also highlight interactions between herbivores and pollinators through plants. It is clear that herbivory can impact plant fitness through pollination; however, the relative importance of direct and indirect damage to floral tissue on plant reproduction is still largely unknown.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayara Jeronymo Uébe Mansur ◽  
Bárbara Vieira Bolckau Miranda ◽  
Paloma Priscila Porreca ◽  
Victor Paes Dias Gonçalves ◽  
Anderson Pontes Morales ◽  
...  

The main way to combat and prevent the spread of COVID-19 is through the use of face masksin all situations, whether in public places or workspaces and also during physical activity or exercise. However, recommendations for the use of face masks during exercise vary globally and the physiological impact of using tissue or surgical masks duringthis activity is not well understood. Thus, the objective of this work is to carry out a systematic review to investigate the impact of using a mask during physical activity or exercise in the parameters: ventilatory, physiological, and performance. A structured search was performed following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) in the Medline / PubMed and Web of Science, Scopus and Bireme / Lilacs / BVS databases until May 2021. Seven published studies were included in the systematic review. All studies were randomized controlled and crossover clinical trials, seven studies used a surgical mask in their analysis, three studies used a P95 mask, and two studies used a cloth mask. When analyzing the results, four studies showed no significant difference in the use of surgical masks in relation to performance, ventilatory and hemodynamic function parameters; three studies showed a significant worsening with the condition of using a mask in ventilatory, cardiorespiratoryand performance parameters. It was concluded that the findings of the evaluated studies showed divergences in ventilatory, physiological and performance parameters. It is believed that it may be related to the types of exercise protocols used in the assessment. In addition, the study methods had a low risk of bia


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yagiz Ugur Yolcu ◽  
Waseem Wahood ◽  
Abdullah T. Eissa ◽  
Mohammed Ali Alvi ◽  
Brett A. Freedman ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEPlatelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a biological agent obtained by centrifuging a sample of blood and retrieving a high concentration of platelets and plasma components. The concentrate is then stimulated for platelet secretion of various growth factors and cytokines. Although it is not widely used in clinical practice, its role in augmenting bony union among patients undergoing spinal fusion has been assessed in several clinical studies. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature to determine the efficacy of PRP use in spinal fusion procedures.METHODSA comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE for studies from all available dates. From eligible studies, data regarding the fusion rate and method of assessing fusion, estimated blood loss (EBL), and baseline and final visual analog scale (VAS) scores were collected as the primary outcomes of interest. Patients were grouped by those undergoing spinal fusion with PRP and bone graft (PRP group) and those only with bone graft (graft-only group).RESULTSThe literature search resulted in 207 articles. Forty-five full-text articles were screened, of which 11 studies were included, resulting in a meta-analysis including 741 patients. Patients without PRP were more likely to have a successful fusion at the last follow-up compared with those with PRP in their bone grafts (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.34–0.84; p = 0.006). There was no statistically significant difference with regard to change in VAS scores (OR 0.00, 95% CI −2.84 to 2.84; p > 0.99) or change in EBL (OR 3.67, 95% CI −67.13–74.48; p = 0.92) between the groups.CONCLUSIONSThis study found that the additional use of PRP was not associated with any significant improvement in patient-reported outcomes and was actually found to be associated with lower fusion rates compared with standard grafting techniques. Thus, PRP may have a limited role in augmenting spinal fusion.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Shikai Yu ◽  
Yawei Xu ◽  
Bryan Williams

ABSTRACTBackgroundEarly observational studies suggested that the use of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors, specifically angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, may increase the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and adversely affect the prognosis or survival of infected patients. To explore the impact of RAS inhibitor use on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, from all published studies.Methods and FindingsA systematic review and meta-analysis of the use of RAS inhibitors in relation to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and/or the severity and mortality associated with COVID-19 was conducted. English language bibliographic databases PubMed, Web of Science, OVID Embase, Scopus, MedRxiv, BioRxiv, searched from Jan 1st, 2020 to July 20th, 2020. 58 observational studies (69,200 COVID-19 patients and 3,103,335 controls) were included. There was no difference in the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection between RAS inhibitor users and non-users (unadjusted OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.21), (adjusted OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.02), (adjusted HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.31). There was no significant difference in the severe Covid-19 case rate between RAS inhibitor users and non-users (unadjusted OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.36), (adjusted OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.12), or in mortality due to COVID-19 between RAS inhibitor users and non-users (unadjusted OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.44), (adjusted OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.23), (adjusted HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.14).ConclusionsIn the most comprehensive analysis of all available data to date, treatment with RAS inhibitors was not associated with increased risk of infection, severity of disease, or mortality due to COVID-19. The best available evidence suggests that these treatments should not be discontinued on the basis of concern about risk associated with COVID-19.


Author(s):  
Asma Akter ◽  
Jan Klečka

Climate change is likely to have a complex effect on the growth of plants, their phenology, plant-pollinator interactions, and reproductive success. Therefore, we tested the impact of three key factors (temperature, water, and nitrogen supply) on traits, pollination, and seed production in Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae). We grew the plants in different combinations of temperature, water, and nitrogen supplementation, measured multiple vegetative and floral traits, and assessed the response of pollinators in the field. We also evaluated the effect of growing conditions on seed set in plants exposed to pollinators and hand-pollinated plants. Our results show that water stress impaired vegetative growth, decreased flower production, reduced visitation by pollinators and seed set, while nitrogen availability played an important role in nectar production. Temperature modulated the effect of water and nitrogen availability on vegetative and floral traits and strongly affected flowering phenology and flower production. We demonstrated that changes in temperature, water, and nitrogen availability induce changes in plant vegetative and floral traits which impact flower visitation and consequently plant reproduction. Climate change, particularly increasing temperature combined with reduced precipitation, thus may impact plant-pollinator interactions with negative consequences for the reproduction of wild plants and insect-pollinated crops.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Desriati Devi ◽  
Yeni Rustina

Abstract  Neonates who are admitted in NICU are exposed to tumultuous care environment originating from medical devices and procedures which may affect their physiological responses.This study aimed to identify the impact of Quran recitation therapy on physiological responses in neonates who were admitted in NICU. A systematic review was conducted by searching literatures of three databases including Science Direct, Scopus (2010-2018), and Google Scholar (2015-2018). The key words included “infants”, “holy Qur’an recitation”, and “Qur’an recitation” with inclusion criteria of literatures published in English language, Quasi-experimental study design, randomized controlled trials, neonates admitted in NICU as study sample, and impact of Quran recitation on physiological responses (oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and pulse). The searching process resulted in 5 articles which met the inclusion criteria. The intervention of Quran recitation in those studies was performed once per day with duration of 10-25 minutes. The recited chapters included Al-Isra, Yusuf, Ar-Rahman, and Yasin. The intervention was provided through headphone with sound volume ranging from 45 to 65 dB. Four out of five studies reported significant difference. Qur’an recitation therapy had a significant effect on physiological responses in neonates admitted in NICU, including lower pulse and respiratory rate as well as higher oxygen saturation. The therapy may be provided as complementary and supportive intervention in order to improve stability of physiological responses in neonates admitted in NICU. Key words: Qur’an therapy; Physiological Responses; Neonates; NICU


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