Dataset Information

Integrative analysis of desert dust size and abundance suggests less dust climate cooling.

ABSTRACT: Desert dust aerosols affect Earth's global energy balance through interactions with radiation1,2, clouds3,4, and ecosystems5. But the magnitudes of these effects are so uncertain that it remains unclear whether atmospheric dust has a net warming or cooling effect on global climate1,4,6. Consequently, it is still uncertain whether large changes in atmospheric dust loading over the past century have slowed or accelerated anthropogenic climate change4,7-9, and the climate impact of possible future alterations in dust loading is similarly disputed9,10. Here we use an integrative analysis of dust aerosol sizes and abundance to constrain the climatic impact of dust through direct interactions with radiation. Using a combination of observational, experimental, and model data, we find that atmospheric dust is substantially coarser than represented in current climate models. Since coarse dust warms global climate, the dust direct radiative effect (DRE) is likely less cooling than the ~0.4 W/m2 estimated by models in a current ensemble2,11-13. We constrain the dust DRE to - 0.20 (-0.48 to +0.20) W/m2, which suggests that the dust DRE produces only about half the cooling that current models estimate, and raises the possibility that dust DRE is actually net warming the planet.

SUBMITTER: Kok JF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7398272 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Integrative analysis of desert dust size and abundance suggests less dust climate cooling.

Kok Jasper F JF Ridley David A DA Zhou Qing Q Miller Ron L RL Zhao Chun C Heald Colette L CL Ward Daniel S DS Albani Samuel S Haustein Karsten K

Nature geoscience 20170313

Desert dust aerosols affect Earth's global energy balance through interactions with radiation1,2, clouds3,4, and ecosystems5. But the magnitudes of these effects are so uncertain that it remains unclear whether atmospheric dust has a net warming or cooling effect on global climate1,4,6. Consequently, it is still uncertain whether large changes in atmospheric dust loading over the past century have slowed or accelerated anthropogenic climate change ...[more]

PMID: 32747861

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Project description:BackgroundAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease whose pathophysiology involves the interplay between genetic and environmental factors, ultimately leading to dysfunction of the epidermis. While several treatments are effective in symptom management, many existing therapies offer only temporary relief and often come with side effects. For this reason, the formulation of an effective therapeutic plan is challenging and there is a need for more effective and targeted treatments that address the root causes of the condition. Here, we hypothesise that modelling the complexity of the molecular buildup of the atopic dermatitis can be a concrete means to drive drug discovery.MethodsWe preprocessed, harmonised and integrated publicly available transcriptomics datasets of lesional and non-lesional skin from AD patients. We inferred co-expression network models of both AD lesional and non-lesional skin and exploited their interactional properties by integrating them with a priori knowledge in order to extrapolate a robust AD disease module. Pharmacophore-based virtual screening was then utilised to build a tailored library of compounds potentially active for AD.ResultsIn this study, we identified a core disease module for AD, pinpointing known and unknown molecular determinants underlying the skin lesions. We identified skin- and immune-cell type signatures expressed by the disease module, and characterised the impaired cellular functions underlying the complex phenotype of atopic dermatitis. Therefore, by investigating the connectivity of genes belonging to the AD module, we prioritised novel putative biomarkers of the disease. Finally, we defined a tailored compound library by characterising the therapeutic potential of drugs targeting genes within the disease module to facilitate and tailor future drug discovery efforts towards novel pharmacological strategies for AD.ConclusionsOverall, our study reveals a core disease module providing unprecedented information about genetic, transcriptional and pharmacological relationships that foster drug discovery in atopic dermatitis.

Project description:Desertification and climate change indicate a future expansion of the global area of dry land and an increase in the risk of drought. Humans may therefore be at an ever-increasing risk of frequent exposure to, and resultant adverse health effects of desert sand dust. This review appraises a total of 52 experimental studies that have sought to identify mechanisms and intermediate endpoints underlying epidemiological evidence of an impact of desert dust on cardiovascular and respiratory health. Toxicological studies, in main using doses that reflect or at least approach real world exposures during a dust event, have demonstrated that virgin sand dust particles and dust storm particles sampled at remote locations away from the source induce inflammatory lung injury and aggravate allergen-induced nasal and pulmonary eosinophilia. Effects are orchestrated by cytokines, chemokines and antigen-specific immunoglobulin potentially via toll-like receptor/myeloid differentiation factor signaling pathways. Findings suggest that in addition to involvement of adhered chemical and biological pollutants, mineralogical components may also be implicated in the pathogenesis of human respiratory disorders during a dust event. Whilst comparisons with urban particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) suggest that allergic inflammatory responses are greater for microbial element-rich dust- PM2.5, aerosols generated during dust events appear to have a lower oxidative potential compared to combustion-generated PM2.5 sampled during non-dust periods. In vitro findings suggest that the significant amounts of suspended desert dust during storm periods may provide a platform to intermix with chemicals on its surfaces, thereby increasing the bioreactivity of PM2.5 during dust storm episodes, and that mineral dust surface reactions are an unrecognized source of toxic organic chemicals in the atmosphere, enhancing toxicity of aerosols in urban environments. In summary, the experimental research on desert dust on respiratory endpoints go some way in clarifying the mechanistic effects of atmospheric desert dust on the upper and lower human respiratory system. In doing so, they provide support for biological plausibility of epidemiological associations between this particulate air pollutant and events including exacerbation of asthma, hospitalization for respiratory infections and seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Dataset Information

Integrative analysis of desert dust size and abundance suggests less dust climate cooling.

Publications

Integrative analysis of desert dust size and abundance suggests less dust climate cooling.

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