Female Age Research Articles

Health of Saudi Women in the Post-Pandemic Era: Candidiasis Incidence and Post COVID-19 and COVID-19-Vaccination.

Candidiasis, commonly known as yeast infection, affects people worldwide due to the overgrowth of Candida species. Of several types, genital candidiasis, particularly vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), primarily caused by C. albicans is frequently observed in females of reproductive age. Candidiasis has also become a serious issue in the post-pandemic era, as it occurs as a secondary infection in COVID-19 patients during or after the course of viral illness. Therefore, this study investigated the incidence of C. albicans infections in women of reproductive age, and its relationship with the incidence of COVID-19 and vaccination in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, this study aimed to determine the awareness of women on candidiasis and its subsequent impact on the occurrence of infection. A survey-based quantitative study was conducted in which primary data were collected from participants using a self-reported questionnaire. A total of 200 women aged 18-45 were selected through random sampling. Apart from their sociodemographic characteristics, the history of COVID-19 incidence, COVID-19 vaccination, and candidiasis occurrences among respondents were recorded. Their level of awareness and knowledge of candidiasis, along with their perceptions of strategies for mitigating the risk of incidence, were also evaluated. The collected data were analysed using different statistical tools. The findings of this study revealed a positive correlation between candidiasis, viral infection, and vaccination, regardless of the type and dosage of vaccine administered. Furthermore, both COVID-19 incidence and vaccination had a positive and significant impact on the occurrence of candidiasis among Saudi women. Despite certain limitations, this study has theoretical and managerial implications for improved management of candidiasis in the post-COVID era.

Males discriminate between substrate-borne cues of conspecific females based on age and mating status in the jumping spider, Habronattus brunneus.

Sexual selection is often studied with a focus on female mate choice, wherein females evaluate male signals to select an optimal mate. However, in some systems, males should also make careful decisions about the females they choose to court, particularly when faced with the risk of precopulatory sexual cannibalism. Here, we explore the idea that male jumping spiders (Habronattus brunneus) may mitigate this risk by responding to female cues probably associated with female aggression and/or receptivity. We tested mature male spiders' ability to discriminate between substrate-borne cues (i.e. silk and excreta) produced by conspecific females of different ages and mating statuses. We found that males spent more time exploring cues produced by mature, non-mated females compared with either immature females or mated females. Heightened interest in cues produced by females that are sexually mature but not yet mated may allow males to reduce cannibalism risk, reduce wasted courtship effort and increase their reproductive success. The use of chemical and/or tactile cues in jumping spider courtship behaviour has been vastly understudied compared with the ways they use vision; this study provides the groundwork for understanding how these sensory modalities interact.

Inverse association between serum iron levels and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in United States females of reproductive age: analysis of the NHANES 2007-2012.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a significant public health concern, particularly among females. While existing studies have explored the correlation between serum iron levels and HT, limited research has specifically focused on this association in reproductive-age females. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between serum iron and HT. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (2007-2012), we employed weighted multivariate logistic regression models, an XGBoost model, and smooth curve fitting. We assessed the correlation between serum iron and HT and examined linear and non-linear relationships with thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb). Among 2,356 participants, each unit increase in serum iron was associated with a 43% reduced risk of HT (Odds Ratios (OR) 0.574; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.572, 0.576). Quartile analysis confirmed these effects. The XGBoost model identified serum iron as the most significant variable correlated with HT. Smooth curves revealed a linear association between log2-transformed serum iron and HT. Additionally, log2-transformed serum iron inversely correlated with TPOAb levels (β -15.47; 95% CI -25.01, -5.92), while a non-linear relationship was observed with TgAb. Our study reveals that in reproductive-age women, every unit increase in serum iron is associated with a 43% lower risk of HT, demonstrating an inverse relationship. Additionally, serum iron exhibits a negative correlation with TPOAb and a non-linear association with TgAb.

Metabolic syndrome and associated factors among females of reproductive age in Wakiso district, central Uganda: a cross-sectional study

Metabolic syndrome and associated factors among females of reproductive age in Wakiso district, central Uganda: a cross-sectional study

O-GlcNAc participates in the meiosis of aging oocytes by mediating mitochondrial function.

With an increase in the mean age at parturition worldwide, female reproductive aging has become a key health problem. Advanced maternal age is reflected by decreased oocyte quality; however, the molecular mechanisms of oocyte aging are uncharacterized. O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), a dynamic posttranslational modification, plays a critical role in the development of many age-related diseases, yet it remains unclear whether and how O-GlcNAc participates in oocyte aging. Here, we found that global O-GlcNAc was elevated in normal biological aging mice oocytes (32-34 weeks) which were characterized by meiotic maturation failure and impaired mitochondrial function. Specifically, O-GlcNAc targeted the mitochondrial fission protein dynamic-related protein 1 (DRP1) to meditate mitochondrial distribution in the process of aging. Using the O-GlcNAcase (OGA) pharmacological inhibitor Thiamet-G and OGA knockdown (OGA-KD) to mimic the age-related high O-GlcNAc in young oocytes from 6-8 week-old mice mimicked the phenotype of oocyte aging. Moreover, reducing O-GlcNAc levels in aging oocytes restored spindle organization to improve oocyte quality. Our results demonstrate that O-GlcNAc is a key regulator of meiotic maturation that participates in the progression of oocyte aging.

Late Reproduction Is Associated With Extended Female Survival But Not With Familial Longevity

(Abstracted from Reprod Biomed Online 2024;49(3):104073) Reproductive health in women is a broad term that can encompass health from birth such as being born with a complete set of oocytes, to fertility, pregnancy, deterioration of quantity, and quality of oocytes, to postmenopausal health. Although there are many available data on reproductive health, the relationship between female reproductive health and aging and somatic health and aging is not well characterized.

Do healthy people migrate more? A 21-year follow-up of a rural cohort in Bangladesh

Demographers have long suspected that health influences whether a person migrates―a “healthy migrant effect” ―but this has rarely been tested for a longer period with high-quality, longitudinal data. This study aimed to assess which measures of health are associated with subsequent migrations among young adults from a rural community in Bangladesh, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics, and how long these associations persist. The 1996 Matlab Health and Socioeconomic Survey (MHSS) characterized health (by self-reported chronic, and acute morbidity symptoms in the past 12 months and one month, respectively, and self-rated health status) of adults within the Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) cohort. Analyses included 3756 (M = 1,496, F = 2260) adults aged 18–34 years (the age when migration peaks) to study the effect of health on migration. Cox Proportional Hazards models were estimated to describe associations between health status and subsequent out-migration in 1996–2017, controlling for age, sex, education, religious affiliation, and household asset quintiles. Discrete-time logistic models were estimated to assess the sustained effects of health status measures on out-migrations. Results reveal that self-reported chronic morbidity, neither acute morbidity nor self-rated health status, inhibited subsequent migration. More reported chronic morbidity symptoms were associated with a lower migration (hazard ratio, HR = 0.82, CI = 0.74–0.92 for one symptom and HR = 0.73, CI = 0.63–0.84 for ≥2 symptoms relative to no symptoms). The differences diminished but persisted over time. Socio-demographic variables inhibiting migration were female sex, older age, and lower-level education. In conclusion, healthy young rural adults were more likely to migrate than their counterparts with symptoms of chronic morbidity, and the effect of chronic morbidity on subsequent migrations waned but not eliminated over time.

Trends in atopic dermatitis prevalence among the Chinese population (1990-2021) with projections for 2022-2030.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has the highest disease burden among all skin diseases. However, reports on AD prevalence trends in China are limited. This study aimed to investigate the time trends of AD prevalence in China from 1990 to 2021 and to explore the age and sex differences. Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2021. We analyzed the annual percentage change in the crude prevalence rate and age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) of AD from 1990 to 2021 using the Joinpoint model. We predicted the future prevalence of AD from 2022 to 2030 using the Bayesian age-period-cohort model. The total ASPR decreased slightly from 1990 (1357.93 per 100,000) to 2021 (1347.11 per 100,000). The ASPR of females (1457.64 per 100,000) was higher than that of males (1247.04 per 100,000) in 2021. The prevalence rate of AD was highest in the under 5 years old age group (3455.56 per 100,000) and the 5-9 years old age group (3360.31 per 100,000). By 2030, the predicted ASPR of AD will be 1394.36 (per 100,000) in males and 1603.69 in females (per 100,000). The predicted prevalence rate in the under 5 years old (3996.14 per 100,000 in males and 3990.68 per 100,000 in females) and 5-9 years old (3714.61 per 100,000 in males and 3963.96 per 100,000 in females) age groups will be higher than those in other age groups. Despite a slight decrease from 1990 to 2021, there has been an increasing trend since 2015 in the total AD burden. Given the increasing burden of AD on Chinese children and females, healthcare practitioners should enhance community education, improve disease management abilities of patients and caregivers, and reduce the burden and healthcare costs of AD.

The Influence of Metformin Versus Metformin and Myoinositol Combination on ‎Inflammatory Indicators In Iraqi Females With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the greatest mutual hormonal imbalance illness in females of childbearing age. In modern years, trainings have shown that inflammatory progressions stay complicated in ovulation and production a key character in ovarian follicular dynamics. Insulin sensitizers for instance myo-inositol and metformin are probable management selections for PCOS. Objective: evaluate the properties of combined metformin and ‎myoinositol against metformin alone on inflammatory markers (hs-CRP and ‎IL-18) in PCOS women. Methods: The patients' PCOS diagnosis was made using the Rotterdam criteria. Two groups of patients were identified: group MI+M received myo-inositol and metformin, and group M received metformin. Biochemical assessment, patient compliance, and reported adverse effects were among the examinations conducted at baseline and three months later. ‏. Results: The mean hs-CRP and IL-18 of the combination ‎and metformin groups before and after treatment are shown at baseline. After ‎treatment, the combination caused in a more important decrease in mean ‎hs-CRP and IL-18 than metformin.‎ Conclusion: This training unequivocally demonstrates the role myoinositol and metformin have in reducing inflammatory markers.Key: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Myoinositol, c-reactive protein, interleukin 18.

Have later state pensions made people less connected? The effects of older female pension ages in England on social capital

Abstract Many countries have increased their state pension ages (SPAs) to offset demographic ageing and to increase numbers of older people remaining in paid work. Most research attention has focused on the economic outcomes whereas little attention has been paid to impacts on social capital, including rates of volunteering and care-giving. Prior research suggests that these are sensitive to retirement decisions. Using nine waves of individual longitudinal data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, this study examines the effects of increased SPA on volunteering, group membership and providing care. Our results show that higher SPAs have a negative impact on rates of volunteering and providing care, particularly for women in couples. Single women are not affected, and there are not significant effects on group membership and childcare provision. The more work-like aspects of social capital are affected by the increased SPA.

Risk of Malignancy Index Assessment in Pre and Postmenopausal Women with Adnexal Masses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Adnexal mass is a common presentation in gynecological settings. Differentiation between benign and malignant tumors is crucial for deciding the proper place and type of treatment. The RMI is considered a good and reliable tool in pre-operative differentiation of ovarian tumors, but limited work has been done on this tool in low-resource settings. Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of Risk of malignancy index in differentiating benign from malignant ovarian tumors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at a Teaching Hospital, Lahore. Eighty females between 30-80 years, admitted with adnexal mass in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Central Park Teaching Hospital, Lahore from October 1st to 30th September, 2023 were enrolled. RMI was calculated and findings were compared with histopathology. Results: Among enrolled 80 females with adnexal mass the mean age of females was 43.70 ± 8.21 years. The mean BMI was 30.60 ± 5.68 kg/m2. The mean duration of post-menopausal bleeding was 14.50 ± 6.22 months. The mean RMI of females was 212.95 ± 159.76. The Sensitivity of RMI was 100%, specificity was 90.6%, PPV was 72.7%, NPV was 100%, and diagnostic accuracy was 92.5% taking histopathological findings as gold standard. Conclusion: Thus, RMI is found to be a reliable tool for the diagnosis of ovarian malignancy in females with suspicious adnexal mass.

Relationship between Social Media Addiction and Urgency in Young Adults

This study intended to inspect the relationship of urgency (positive and negative) and social media addiction (SMA) in young adults. The study also explored the gender differences on SMA and urgency. Two of the proposed hypotheses were put into testing, i.e., i) There is a relationship between SMA and urgency among young adults, and ii) There are gender differences in SMA and urgency. This research used a correlational research design and convenience sampling strategy. A sample of 300 university students was collected that included 150 males and 150 females age ranging between 18-25 years (M= 19.03, SD= 3.29). The data was collected in person through a self-constructed demographic questionnaire, Social Networking Addiction Scale (SNAS), and Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, and Positive Urgency (UPPS-P) Impulsive Behavior Scale. The data was analyzed through SPSS software and Pearson correlation along with independent sample t-test were employed to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that there is a positive relationship between urgency and SMA among young adults, however, no significant gender differences were found in urgency, social media addiction, and their subscales. This study urges young adults to limit social media use to prevent psychological dependence that can harm both productivity and mental well-being. It highlights the tendency of individuals to turn to social media as an escape when overwhelmed by emotional states, often sharing more than they would in a more balanced state of mind. This emotional oversharing can lead to unintended consequences, impacting personal and professional lives.

WASH services and menstrual hygiene management among reproductive age females in the IDPs camps of Shire town in Tigray region of Ethiopia: a cross- sectional study

Menstruation is a natural cyclic occurrence experienced by reproductive age females in a good health which deemed a proper management, otherwise, it ends with various health complications and impaired quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the menstrual hygiene management practice and its determinant factors among reproductive age females living in the IDPs camps of Shire town, Northern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 633 reproductive age females in Shire town from May to June 2022. Data were entered, cleaned, and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive analysis and binary and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to obtain the descriptive findings and to investigate the strength of the association respectively. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of good menstrual hygiene management practice among the reproductive age females was 41.9% (95% CI, 38-45.8%). Menstrual hygiene management practice was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with access to sanitary materials, educational level, availability of continuous water supply and sex-separated latrines. The results of this study demonstrated that more than a half of the reproductive age females did not have good menstrual hygiene management practices. Consequently, it is recommended to work collaboratively to enhance the menstrual hygiene practice, especially in IDPs camps.

A Novel Discharge Pathway for Older Adults presenting to the Emergency Department

Abstract Background A need was identified for an urgent therapy follow-up at home for older adults presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). The acute floor team worked together within an established therapy outreach team (for inpatients) to develop an ED outreach pathway within existing resources. The outreach team members worked within ED to ensure standardisation of assessment, practice and build strong working relationships. A trusted assessor approach was applied. The outreach team had access to the wider acute floor team including ANP for in-reach support if needed. Methods A review of the patient group who discharged home from ED using this new pathway was completed including demographics, presenting complaint, clinical frailty score (CFS) and intervention provided. Results To date, 30 patients have discharged from the ED with the therapy outreach team. Most (70%) were female and mean age 83. Presenting complaint included fall no fracture (50%, n=15), fall with fracture (26%, n=8), musculoskeletal injury (17%, n= 5) and functional decline (6%, n=2). The mean CFS was 5.1, with most (86%) living with mild to moderate frailty (CFS 4-6). All patients were offered a next clinical day home based functional and environmental assessment, continuing the assessment commenced by the acute floor team in ED. Interventions included transfers and mobility training, activities of daily living (personal/domestic/instrumental) training, carer education, environmental advice, falls education, support with care packages, liaising with other healthcare professionals and equipment provision including mobility aids, bed-levers, toilet-aids and rails. Conclusion A therapy lead team, supported by the wider acute floor team, can provide a safe alternative discharge pathway from the ED for older adults that can avoid admission with rapid therapy input at home. Future work will examine re-admission rates, re-presentation rates to ED and patient and stakeholder satisfaction.

Work of ART: Profiling the First 100 Patients Discharged Home From an Acute Hospital with the Active Recovery Team (ART)

Abstract Background The Active Recovery Team (ART) is a new therapy lead rehabilitation team that offers supported discharge and admission avoidance from a large acute hospital. This interdisciplinary team consists of a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, medical social worker and two therapy assistants. ART accepts referrals from all services within the hospital including the emergency department. Methods As ART is a new service, a retrospective audit of the first 100 patients who discharged on the pathway was completed. Demographics included age, sex, referring specialty, presenting complaint, frailty (measured by the Clinical Frailty Score) and level of input received. ART use the coding of low, medium and high intensity to describe the intervention provided based on dosage (visits) and complexity. Results Most (67%) of the group were female and mean age was 77 years. Only 8% were pre-frail (CFS 0-3), 86% were living with mild to moderate frailty (CFS 4-6) and 6% considered severely frail (CFS 7-9). The type of intervention patients received was 31% low, 33% medium and 36% high intensity. Referrals came from a range of specialties, but the highest percentage of referrals were from emergency medicine (29%), medicine (20%), orthopaedics (18%) and geriatric medicine (16%). Most (53%) initially presented post a fall at home. Most frequent reason for ART referral (78%) was that the patient was discharging home not at their functional baseline but had potential to an achieve a specific goal(s) with further input (most frequently within domains of mobility indoors/outdoors, transfers, stairs and activities of daily living). Conclusion This is an effective pathway that improves the transition from hospital to home. ART offer patients an opportunity for further rehabilitation at home with continuity of care from the acute hospital. Future work will examine the impact of ART on length of stay, readmission rate and explore patient satisfaction with this service.

The Clínica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator index is a reliable tool for screening metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: an analysis from a gender perspective

BackgroundThe Clínica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE) Index, serves as an effective tool for evaluating body fat (BF) levels. This research seeks to clarify the association between the CUN-BAE Index and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) from a gender perspective.MethodsThe study utilized data from a comprehensive health assessment initiative known as “Human Dock”, involving 14,251 participants. MASLD was diagnosed using abdominal ultrasound, primarily evaluated based on the following sonographic features: hepatorenal echo contrast, vascular blurring, deep attenuation, liver brightness. First, we evaluated the association of MASLD with the CUN-BAE Index using multivariate logistic regression. Second, we visualized this association and estimated potential threshold effect points using the restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression model. Ultimately, we evaluated the ability of the CUN-BAE Index to detect MASLD through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.ResultsThe female-to-male ratio was 1:1.08, with a MASLD prevalence rate of 17.59%. Following the adjustment for confounding variables, an increase of one unit in the CUN-BAE Index corresponded to a 14% increase in the risk of MASLD for males and an 18% increase for females. RCS analysis revealed an S-shaped relationship between MASLD prevalence and the CUN-BAE Index for both genders, with potential threshold effect points at approximately 30 in females and 15 in males. Beyond these threshold points, the prevalence of MASLD increased rapidly. Further subgroup analyses indicated significant differences in the relationship of the CUN-BAE Index with MASLD within age and body mass index (BMI) subgroups in females, with a stronger association observed in younger and non-obese female participants. Additionally, ROC analysis revealed that the CUN-BAE Index possesses a strong ability to distinguish MASLD in both genders, especially in females.ConclusionsThis research is the first to identify a positive relationship between the CUN-BAE Index and MASLD. The CUN-BAE Index appears to be more suitable for early screening of MASLD in females.

Prevalence of fractures in adults over 50years of age with osteoporosis in Colombia.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of all bone fractures among adults aged 50 and above, both with and without osteoporosis, using data from SISPRO (Integrated Information System for Social Protection), the administrative database of the Colombian Ministry of Health. Information was collected for the years 2017 to 2021 for all bone fractures (except cranial or face fractures), and how many of them occurred in patients who had the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated separately for males and females by dividing the prevalence in those with by the prevalence of those without osteoporosis. For the period from 2017 to 2021, 303,037 adults over 50years of age (females 279,057, 92.1%) were diagnosed with osteoporosis in Colombia, for a prevalence of 39.4 per thousand women and 4.14 in men; 40,823 of these women (14.6%) presented a fracture in the period, as well as 4020 of men (16.7%). Osteoporosis was present in 7.5% of the 596.618 (females 369.795; 62.0%) who suffered any fracture (1.8% of males and 11.0% of females). Overall PR was 3.4 (males 4.3; females 3.3). In men with osteoporosis, the most frequent fractures were hip (902), followed by lumbar vertebrae (842), ribs (648), and forearm (538), while in women, forearm (11,001), followed by hip (6885), lumbar vertebra (4813), and thoracic vertebra (2701) were the most common. PR in men was 21.9 for dorsal vertebrae fracture, 21.3 for lumbar vertebrae, 11.8 for ribs, and 7.7 for hip fracture. In women, PR was 15.7 for thoracic vertebrae, 13.3 for lumbar vertebrae, 3.3 for hip fracture, and 2.2 for forearm fracture. Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent disease in Colombia where women are more affected. Although fractures were more common in women, men with osteoporosis have a higher PR of associated fractures.

Risk factors of diphtheria outbreak in damt district of Al Dhalea Governorate, 2023 -Yemen: a case–control study

BackgroundIn Yemen, diphtheria has become an important health problem since 2017 when diphtheria re-emergence as a consequence of war and the collapse of the health system. In 2023, there has been a 57% increase in diphtheria cases compared to 2021 and 2022. Damt district of Al Dhalea Governorate had the highest reported cases for year 2023. The study aims to determine the risk factors associated with diphtheria outbreak in Damt District.MethodsA retrospective matched case–control (1:2) was used. All confirmed cases based on the WHO case definition reported from Damt district during 2023 were considered cases. Two age-matched (± 5years) neighborhood controls were recruited per case. A pretested questionnaire was used for collecting data during household interviews including demographic and household characteristics, knowledge of diphtheria, vaccination status, contact with a case of diphtheria, and travel history. Frequency and proportion for quantitative and median with interquartile range (IQR) for quantitative variables. Chi-square and Mann–Whitney tests to compare the distribution of categorical and numerical variables between cases and controls. Univariate and multivariate conditional binary logistic regression, and Adjusted Odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval at P < 0.05 were used to identify risk factors.ResultsA total of 118 cases and 236 controls were enrolled, 56% were females (63% of cases vs. 53% of controls). The median (IQR) age was 14 (9,22) years for cases vs 12(7,23) of control, it was significantly higher for females than males in the case group: (16(10,29) Vs 10(6,18), P < 0.001) and control group: (15(8,25) vs 12(7,18), p-value = 0.022). Partial vaccination status AOR = 13.7(6.1–31.1), P-value < 0.001), contacts with a case of diphtheria AOR = 8.5(2.3–31.0), P value < 0.001) and Female gender, AOR = 3.3(CI; 1.1–9.5, P value = 0.029), were the main risk factors.ConclusionsPoor vaccination and contact with a case of diphtheria were the main contributors to diphtheria in the Damt district particularly among adult females. Increasing the vaccination coverage with a diphtheria-containing vaccine through routine immunization as well as tetanus-diphtheria vaccine for childbearing age females along with community awareness regarding protection measures during home care of diphtheria cases. Vaccination services as well as gender barriers related to Td vaccination should be investigated.

Morphometric variation and deteriorating food availability both explain seasonally declining reproductive success of Dicrurus hottentottus (Hair-crested Drongo)

Abstract Seasonally declining reproductive performance in avian populations may be attributed to high-quality individuals breeding earlier than low-quality individuals (the quality hypothesis), to deteriorating environmental conditions (the date hypothesis), or both. By comparing the reproductive performance among different perennial pairs, and the same perennial pairs across different years, we tested the influence of timing of breeding on reproductive performance in Dicrurus hottentottus (Hair-crested Drongo) from 2010 to 2022. Breeding pairs that typically laid earlier relative to the population mean (i.e., early-breeding pairs) exhibited a significantly higher fledging rate compared to breeding pairs that often bred later relative to the population mean (i.e., late-breeding pairs). For a given pair, the fledging rate of early-breeding pairs increased when they bred later compared to other years, while the fledging rates of late-breeding pairs were significantly lower in years when they bred later than usual. We found that male morphological traits were associated with both the timing of breeding and the feeding rate. Pairs with long-billed (indicator of high quality) males bred earlier than pairs with short-billed males, and pairs with larger males (indicator of high quality) had a higher feeding rate than pairs with smaller males. Female age had reversed effects on the timing of breeding and fledging rate: older females tended to breed earlier than younger females; but there was a sharp decline in fledging rate after 7 years of age in late-breeding pairs. Finally, our results showed that the feeding rate and the amount of invertebrate biomass decreased with laying date, indicating deteriorating feeding conditions later in the breeding season. Overall, our findings support both the quality hypothesis and the date hypothesis. Low-quality D. hottentottus are likely to be most adversely affected by the phenological mismatches induced by climate change, which, in turn, may affect population dynamics through reduced fecundity.

The prevalent trajectory of early menopause associated with PM2.5 exposure across 1956–2018 extrapolated from LightGBM algorithm

BackgroundFine particulate matter (PM2.5) is noxious to female reproductive development and facilitates the occurrence of subsequent diseases. Early menopause is initiative factor of female aging. But due to the lack of historical exposure of PM2.5, we could not gain insight into the linkage between ambient PM2.5 exposure and early menopause. MethodsWe conducted a community-based retrospective cross-sectional study and pooled 1173 postmenopausal women. The machine learning algorithm of LightGBM was processed to derive the historical concentrations of PM2.5 based on aerography of 1956–2022. The quantile g-computation and binary logistic regression were employed to estimate the mixed and single associations between PM2.5 and early menopause. ResultsThe visibility topped the most important feature for derivations of historical PM2.5 concentrations. The R2 of 10-fold cross-validation and predictive capability during processing were all above 0.8. The prevalence of early menopause was 7.3 %. Each 10 µg/m3 PM2.5 increased the prevalence of early menopause during prior 2 years exposure (OR: 1.49, 95 %CI: 1.03–2.16) and spring and autumn (OR: 1.28, 95 %CI: 1.07–1.54). After adjusting the reverse effects of temperature, the prior 2 years exposure of PM2.5 remained positively associated with early menopause in the fourth quantile vs the first quantile (OR: 3.36, 95 %CI: 1.53–7.36) in the spring and autumn. The higher BMI (OR: 1.40, 95 %CI: 1.14–1.72), waistline (OR: 1.42, 95 %CI: 1.09–1.85) and unfavourable dietary habits of less meat (OR: 1.72, 95 %CI: 1.11–2.68), more fried food (OR: 2.39, 95 %CI: 1.15–4.99) elevated the prevalence of early menopause. ConclusionsThe accurate environmental exposure assessment of historical PM2.5 vigorously promoted the researches on the relationship between PM2.5 and early menopause. It sounds the alarm on female infertility menace associated with particulate matter especially during the turbulent 2 years before menopause.