Ecological Studies Research Articles

Building the foundation for polar bear science: Fifty years of research on polar bears in Western Hudson Bay

In 1966, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) (then Canadian Wildlife Service) initiated a research program on polar bears belonging to the Western Hudson Bay subpopulation (WH). This paper provides an overview of that program, highlighting the long-term research on WH polar bears with a focus on ECCC-led work. The WH research program, which has now extended across five decades with data on over 4600 individual bears, has evolved from a study of the basic ecology of polar bears into foundational work on the life history, demography, genetics, movement, behaviour, and ecology of an apex predator in a rapidly changing Arctic. Research on polar bears in Canada supports commitments under the Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears (1973), the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), and Canada’s Species at Risk Act (2002). Among Canada’s 13 polar bear subpopulations, only WH has sufficient long-term monitoring of individuals to assess demographic, behavioural, and life history consequences of climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. Future research should continue to ask key questions on how long-term environmental changes impact the ecology of polar bears. Integrating community priorities into the research program is necessary for it to continue to be successful in the future.

Abstract 4121359: Heart Disease and Heart Failure: Trends and Disparities in Mortality Rates in the United States from 2000 to 2020

Background: The remarkable decline in the overall prevalence and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the United States (US) over the past few decades has not been consistent across all age groups, sexes, races, and types of cardiovascular diseases. Heart disease (HD) and heart failure (HF) still pose a significant burden to the healthcare system. Objectives: This study sought to describe the age, sex and racial disparities in the trends in mortality rates for these two outcomes in the US over the past two decades. Methods: This was an ecological study with trend analysis of the mortality from heart disease and heart failure in the US between 2000 and 2020. Data on CVD was obtained from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance databases and analyzed. Binomial regression models were used to evaluate trends in outcomes. Statistical significance was considered for p-values < 0.05. Results: There was a significant decrease in the age-standardized mortality for HD over the past two decades (from 343.5 per 100,000 cases to 215.1 per 100,000 cases (p<0.001)). Mortality rates were significantly higher in males (p<0.001, R2 = 0.92), non-Hispanic blacks (p<0.001) and non-Hispanic whites (p<0.001) compared to Hispanics, (R2 = 0.94) and in adults aged 65+ (p<0.001) and 75+ (p<0.001) (R2 = 0.98). There was no significant decrease in the age-standardized mortality for HF (from 26.9 per 100,000 cases to 25.7 per 100,000 cases (p=0.706)) due to a reversal in the trend after 2011. Though the rates were significantly lower in males overall (p=0.001, R2 = 0.27), these rates became higher in males and in non-Hispanic Blacks compared to non-Hispanic Whites beyond 2016. Mortality rates due to HF were highest in the 65+ and 75+ age groups. Conclusions: This study on national trends in heart disease and heart failure across age groups, sexes and races over the past two decades confirmed a significant reduction in heart disease mortality rates over this period, but with persistent disparities between males and females, non-Hispanic Blacks and other races and the older age groups. This study also highlights important reversals of heart failure mortality rates trends in more recent years in males and females, and non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites, the reasons for which are amenable to further research.

Effects of grazing on the relationship between dominant shrubs and understory vegetation along sand dune stability gradient.

During the process of dune vegetation restoration, understanding how grazing disturbance affects the relationship between plant species is a critical issue in ecological studies. However, there is insufficient evidence on the changes in the interaction between dominant shrubs and understory vegetation under grazing behavior. We aimed to study how grazing and dune stabilization affects the relationship between Caragana microphylla and understory vegetation. We established fencing at various stages of dune stabilization and proceeded to compared the performance indicators (e.g., richness and biomass) and the relative interaction index of understory vegetation and different functional groups along the dune stability under grazing and fencing conditions. Results showed that C. microphylla had facilitation on understory plants, and increased with dune stability, while the facilitation of Caragana microphylla on understory vegetation was stronger under grazing conditions. As sand dune stabilization increases, the facilitation of C. microphylla on understory vegetation diversity decreases significantly. However, there was no significant difference in the facilitation of C. microphylla on understory vegetation biomass at different stages of sand dune stabilization. This is related to the survival strategy of perennials being less tolerant to environmental stress than annuals, because grazing increased the richness of both annuals and perennials while reducing the overall biomass, and in the later stages of sand dune stabilization, and the facilitation of C. microphylla on perennials was higher than on annuals. Our study highlights the importance of the responses of different life-form groups to environmental factors and grazing disturbance during the process of sand dune vegetation restoration, as they play a crucial role in shaping the development of the relationship between understory vegetation and dominant shrubs.

Results from a multi-laboratory ocean metaproteomic intercomparison: effects of LC-MS acquisition and data analysis procedures

Abstract. Metaproteomics is an increasingly popular methodology that provides information regarding the metabolic functions of specific microbial taxa and has potential for contributing to ocean ecology and biogeochemical studies. A blinded multi-laboratory intercomparison was conducted to assess comparability and reproducibility of taxonomic and functional results and their sensitivity to methodological variables. Euphotic zone samples from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) in the North Atlantic Ocean collected by in situ pumps and the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Clio were distributed with a paired metagenome, and one-dimensional (1D) liquid chromatographic data-dependent acquisition mass spectrometry analysis was stipulated. Analysis of mass spectra from seven laboratories through a common bioinformatic pipeline identified a shared set of 1056 proteins from 1395 shared peptide constituents. Quantitative analyses showed good reproducibility: pairwise regressions of spectral counts between laboratories yielded R2 values averaged 0.62±0.11, and a Sørensen similarity analysis of the top 1000 proteins revealed 70 %–80 % similarity between laboratory groups. Taxonomic and functional assignments showed good coherence between technical replicates and different laboratories. A bioinformatic intercomparison study, involving 10 laboratories using eight software packages, successfully identified thousands of peptides within the complex metaproteomic datasets, demonstrating the utility of these software tools for ocean metaproteomic research. Lessons learned and potential improvements in methods were described. Future efforts could examine reproducibility in deeper metaproteomes, examine accuracy in targeted absolute quantitation analyses, and develop standards for data output formats to improve data interoperability. Together, these results demonstrate the reproducibility of metaproteomic analyses and their suitability for microbial oceanography research, including integration into global-scale ocean surveys and ocean biogeochemical models.

How Much Hatchery-Reared Brown Trout Move in a Large, Deep Subalpine Lake? An Acoustic Telemetry Study

Fish movement into large, deep lakes has been rarely investigated due to the complexity and extent of such ecosystems. Among the different monitoring methods available, acoustic telemetry enables the study of the spatial ecology and behavior of aquatic organisms in lentic environments. In this study, the movement of 69 hatchery-reared adult brown trout (size 43–61 cm) marked with acoustic transmitters was monitored in the large and deep subalpine Lake Lugano (Switzerland and Italy). Trout were tracked for six consecutive months by seven acoustic receivers (March–August 2022), positioned in a non-overlapping array. Trout movement was reconstructed using R packages specific for acoustic telemetry (actel and RSP), which also allowed us to translate tracking information into utilization distribution (UD) areas for each fish. The effects of different environmental variables (rainfall, water discharge of the two main tributaries of Lake Lugano, atmospheric pressure, cloud coverage, and moon phases) on trout movement were tested, but none of these variables seemed to significantly correlate with fish movement. After release, most of the tagged fish exhibited reiterative movements during the initial month, with some maintaining this behavior throughout the entire study period. This spatial behavior can be particularly evident in hatchery-reared fish due to their aggressive and bold attitude. The association of these behavioral traits, shaped by domestication, could expose hatchery-reared fish to high risks and post-release mortality in the wild. Indeed, within a few months after the release, most of the tagged fish were no longer detected by the acoustic receivers. In addition, 26% of the total tagged fish were caught by recreational or professional fishermen.

Firearm Availability Reduces the Stability of Suicidal Ideation: Results from an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

Firearm availability is correlated with increased risk of suicide but its link with suicidal ideation remains unclear. Previous studies are limited by retrospective reports and prospective designs with lengthy gaps between assessments that are ill-suited for measuring fluctuations in suicidal ideation. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to repeatedly assess suicidal ideation in a sample of 138 U.S. adults (81 handgun owners, 57 non-owners). Participants received six EMA prompts per day for 28 consecutive days. Results revealed no group differences in the frequency, maximum amplitude, or variability of suicidal ideation across male and female handgun owners and non-owners. Stability of suicidal ideation significantly differed across groups, however (F(1,132) = 4.5, p = 0.036); male handgun owners had the strongest stability and male non-owners had the weakest stability. Stability of suicidal ideation was significantly lower when participants reported a firearm was nearby as compared to when no firearm was nearby (F(4,17732) = 5.6, p < 0.001). Results suggest firearm availability increases reactivity to the environment, slows recovery from acutely elevated risk states, and may increase vulnerability to sudden shifts to higher risk states characterized by increased probability of suicidal behavior. Although these effects were observed in both handgun owners and non-owners, they disproportionately impact handgun owners because they report being near firearms more often.

Residual extropy in ranked set sampling: Properties, comparative analysis, and estimation

Ranked set sampling (RSS) has gained significant significance in numerous practical domains, such as environmental and ecological studies, and statistical genetics. This article focuses on investigating the concept of extropy as a measure of residual uncertainty in RSS. It is devoted to discussing various monotone properties and characterization results associated with the residual extropy of RSS. Additionally, a comparative analysis is conducted between the residual extropy of RSS and its counterpart in simple random sampling. Optimal minima and maxima values for the residual extropy of RSS are determined. To further contribute to the field, a consistent estimator for the residual extropy of RSS is proposed. The effectiveness of this estimator is demonstrated through three illustrative examples, highlighting its performance in practical scenarios.

Studying bats using a One Health lens: bridging the gap between bat virology and disease ecology.

Accumulating data suggest that some bat species host emerging viruses that are highly pathogenic in humans and agricultural animals. Laboratory-based studies have highlighted important adaptations in bat immune systems that allow them to better tolerate viral infections compared to humans. Simultaneously, ecological studies have discovered critical extrinsic factors, such as nutritional stress, that correlate with virus shedding in wild-caught bats. Despite some progress in independently understanding the role of bats as reservoirs of emerging viruses, there remains a significant gap in the molecular understanding of factors that drive virus spillover from bats. Driven by a collective goal of bridging the gap between the fields of bat virology, immunology, and disease ecology, we hosted a satellite symposium at the 2024 American Society for Virology meeting. Bringing together virologists, immunologists, and disease ecologists, we discussed the intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as virus receptor engagement, adaptive immunity, and virus ecology that influence spillover from bat hosts. This article summarizes the topics discussed during the symposium and emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaborations and resource sharing.

The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer care in Brazil: a time series study in regions with different human development indices

BackgroundThe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer care across Brazilian regions with varying Human Development Index (HDI) levels remains unclear. This study evaluates the pandemic’s effects on screening mammograms, tumor staging at diagnosis, and treatment initiation in the Brazilian Public Health System between 2017 and 2022, focusing on regions with different HDI levels.MethodsThis ecological time series study uses an inflection point regression model and monthly percentage change (MPC) to analyze an open-access Brazilian Public Healthcare System dataset. The study focuses on trends and variations in these variables among women aged 50–69 in three state groups classified by HDI: Group A (very high), Group B (medium), and Group C (high).ResultsThe average monthly rate of screening mammograms was highest in Group A (10.70) and lowest in Group B (8.38). At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, screening rates dropped significantly, with the most significant decline in Group B (58.6% decrease) and the smallest in Group A (45.7% decrease), lasting for three months. Subsequently, this variable recovered until December 2022 but was insufficient to restore the total series MPC to pre-pandemic levels. Group B had the lowest average rate of early-stage (0-II) diagnoses (2.88), while Group C had the highest (3.68). Early-stage diagnoses declined in the first three months of the pandemic, followed by a partial recovery that was insufficient to restore the pre-pandemic MPC levels. The proportion of advanced-stage diagnoses was highest in Group B (49.02%) and lowest in Group A (45.97%). The pandemic maintained the upward trend of advanced-stage (III-IV) diagnoses across all groups in the total time series. The average proportion of treatments initiated after 60 days of diagnosis was above 60% across all groups, with Group B at 64.50%. This variable began to rise 3 to 4 months after the pandemic and continued increasing until December 2022, with a greater intensity than the pre-pandemic period across all groups.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic reduced breast cancer screening and early diagnosis in Brazil, leading to more advanced cases and treatment delays across all regions, with varying impacts according to regional HDI levels.

Field monitoring of copepodamides using a new application for solid phase adsorption toxin tracking

AbstractChemical signaling is ubiquitous in the marine environment. Plankton rely on chemical signals to find mates, hunt prey, and respond to threats, and these small‐scale interactions can propagate into community‐wide cascades and large‐scale ecological changes. The chemical signaling exchange in the open ocean is poorly understood, and fundamental information about concentrations and spatiotemporal variability is lacking. Passive sampling has been used to monitor a wide range of dissolved chemicals, including anthropogenic pollutants and harmful algal toxins, but it is not generally applied to the study of marine chemical ecology. Here we test the compatibility of two resins commonly used for passive sampling via solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT), Diaion® HP20 and Sepabeads® SP207, with copepodamides, a group of polar lipid signaling compounds produced by copepods. We developed extraction and analysis methods that align with current SPATT practices for algal toxins and show the first measurements of copepodamides from Monterey Bay in California. In lab trials, mean copepodamide recovery from HP20 resin was approximately 240% greater than SP207. In addition, copepodamides were found to have a mean half‐life of 34 h in seawater. Adsorption to HP20 stabilized dissolved copepodamides, increasing the mean recovery after 168 h from 0.62% in seawater to 65.2% from SPATT. Results suggest that SPATT is a sensitive and effective tool for obtaining integrated copepodamide concentrations, spotlighting a novel method to include information from copepod mesozooplankton in time series and field studies.

Pesticides and prostate cancer incidence and mortality: An environment-wide association study.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States, yet modifiable risk factors remain elusive. In this study, the authors investigated the potential role of agricultural pesticide exposure in prostate cancer incidence and mortality. For this environment-wide association study (EWAS), linear regression was used to analyze county-level associations between the annual use of 295 distinct pesticides (measured in kg per county) and prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates in the contiguous United States. Data were analyzed in two cohorts: 1997-2001 pesticide use with 2011-2015 outcomes (discovery) and 2002-2006 use with 2016-2020 outcomes (replication). The reported effect sizes highlight how a 1-standard-deviation increase in log-transformed pesticide use (kg per county) corresponds to changes in incidence. Analyses were adjusted for county-level demographics, agricultural data, and multiple testing. Twenty-two pesticides showed consistent, direct associations with prostate cancer incidence across both cohorts. Of these, four pesticides were also associated with prostate cancer mortality. In the replication cohort, each 1-standard-deviation increase in log-transformed pesticide use corresponded to incidence increases per 100,000 individuals (trifluralin, 6.56 [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.04-8.07]; cloransulam-methyl, 6.18 [95% CI, 4.06-8.31]; diflufenzopyr, 3.20 [95% CI, 1.09-5.31]; and thiamethoxam, 2.82 [95% CI, 1.14-4.50]). Limitations included ecological study design, potential unmeasured confounding, and lack of individual-level exposure data. The results of this study suggest a potential link between certain pesticides and increased prostate cancer incidence and mortality. These findings warrant further investigation of these specific pesticides to confirm their role in prostate cancer risk and to develop potential public health interventions.

DNA sequencing reveals higher taxonomic diversity of coralline algae (Corallinales and Hapalidiales, Rhodophyta) in the tropical western North Atlantic that complicates ecological studies

Abstract Understanding of non-geniculate coralline algal (NGCA) diversity, prevalence, and distribution in the tropical western North Atlantic is currently limited by reliance on morphological and anatomical features that are inadequate for species identifications. Reef surveys from two study sites, the Florida Keys (Florida, USA) and Roatán (Honduras), provided prevalence data for the main benthic organisms as well as relative abundance for NGCA genera. NGCA collected during these surveys and from additional sites and depths were identified using DNA sequences from two plastid genes, psbA and rbcL, and two nuclear genes, SSU and LSU, and supported by morphological and anatomical descriptions. Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses, along with species delimitation and genetic distance methods, resolved 11 genera within two orders. Within the Corallinales, the genera Dawsoniolithon, Porolithon and Spongites each had one species, Harveylithon and Lithophyllum had two, Titanoderma three, Hydrolithon four, Neogoniolithon eight, and an unknown genus within the subfamily Neogoniolithoideae had 11 putative species. Within the Hapalidiales, the genera Phymatolithon and Roseolithon each had one species. This study reinforces the inability of morphological and anatomical features to distinguish NGCA species in the tropical western North Atlantic, resulting in substantial underestimations of species richness and diversity.

Reevaluating factors in global Universal Health Coverage implementation pre-COVID-19

BackgroundUniversal Health Coverage (UHC) strives to ensure equitable access to high-quality healthcare services for all. Despite this goal, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant healthcare shortages worldwide. This study reevaluates key determinants of UHC implementation on a global scale before the pandemic, offering insights to shape strategies for achieving UHC by 2030 in light of current circumstances. MethodsThis ecological study analyzed data from 178 countries. UHC implementation was assessed using two indicators: Health Service Coverage (HSC) and Financial Protection (FP). Independent variables, including the Human Development Index (HDI), Health Worker Density (HWD), and Governance Effectiveness (GE), were proposed based on the Systemic Rapid Assessment Toolkit (SYSRA) framework. Data from 2000 to 2019 were sourced from open databases. Statistical analysis was performed using R version 4.3.1, with a significance level of p < 0.05. ResultsCountries with higher HDI exhibited significantly better HSC (p < 0.05) and FP (p < 0.05). Furthermore, HDI emerged as the primary contributor to HSC (accuracy = 0.77, Kappa = 0.64), while HSC played a central role in determining FP (accuracy = 0.61, Kappa = 0.21). Governance Effectiveness (GE) also significantly influenced FP in addition to HSC. ConclusionRather than solely focusing on building healthcare infrastructure and expanding the healthcare workforce, balancing progress in both development and governance is a promising approach for countries striving to attain UHC by 2030.

Modular shadowgraph imaging for zooplankton ecological studies in diverse field and mesocosm settings

AbstractVarious iterations of shadowgraph imaging have been used to quantify zooplankton in situ with high spatial resolution. Because these systems can image relatively large volumes of water, they are especially useful for resolving less common meso‐ or macrozooplankton taxa (&lt; 50 ind. m−3), such as larval fishes and gelatinous animals. However, larger volume imagers are typically integrated with heavy towed vehicles and deployed from research vessels, which introduces high costs and limits sampling approaches. Here we demonstrate that versatile configurations of shadowgraph imaging, including modular benchtop, handheld, and towed, compact vehicle systems (along with customizable software), allow for tailoring sampling to a variety of marine and freshwater settings (including mesocosms). These systems encompass a suite of possible architectures, designed for adapting the imaging depth of field, acquisition rates, sensor configuration, and deployment method to fit a wide range of sampling protocols, with high vertical resolution (~ 5 cm) and adequate taxonomic capabilities for &gt; 0.5 mm organisms. The benchtop system facilitates an interactive approach to observe and quantify zooplankton behaviors and optical properties. Video footage from the benchtop system generates thousands of regions of interest min−1 for target organisms with variable orientations and swimming postures. When used in conjunction with in situ imaging, the benchtop system can build large machine learning training libraries targeted toward rare or morphologically diverse zooplankton, which often includes the larval stages of economically valuable taxa. These modular hardware and software components increase affordability and versatility while broadening the scope of scientific questions addressed by plankton imaging systems.

A Study on Future Population Dynamics of Indigenous Earthworm Species in Golaghat District of Assam, India

This study presents a pioneering exploration into the population dynamics of indigenous earthworm species in the Golaghat district of Assam, India, through the lens of mathematical modeling. Recognizing the integral role of earthworms in enhancing soil productivity and ecosystem health, we embarked on a detailed longitudinal analysis spanning from 2018 to 2023 to assess their population trends across different seasons and subdivisions within the district. Utilizing the principles of Mathematical Biology, we employed the Malthus Growth model and the Logistic Growth model to estimate future population trajectories of earthworm species, integrating biological insights with mathematical rigor. Our methodology, combining extensive field data collection with sophisticated mathematical modeling, provides a replicable framework for similar ecological studies. This study contributes to the growing field of Mathematical Biology, offering a novel approach to understanding the complex interactions within ecosystems and the impact of environmental changes on key species. The outcomes offer valuable insights into sustainable agricultural practices and biodiversity conservation in tropical and subtropical regions, emphasizing the critical role of indigenous earthworm species in maintaining soil health and ecosystem services. Our findings reveal significant seasonal variations and highlight the resilience of these species in the face of ecological changes. The models suggest distinct population growth patterns, with the Logistic model providing a more realistic projection considering environmental constraints and resource availability. The bifurcation diagram is drawn for the Logistic map that presents the phenomena inside the chaotic region.

Associations Between Sleep Satisfaction and Physical Activity Rates Among Secondary Medical Areas in Japan: An Ecological Study

Associations Between Sleep Satisfaction and Physical Activity Rates Among Secondary Medical Areas in Japan: An Ecological Study

Linking stomatal size and density to water use efficiency and leaf carbon isotope ratio in juvenile and mature trees

AbstractWater‐use efficiency (WUE) is affected by multiple leaf traits, including stomatal morphology. However, the impact of stomatal morphology on WUE across different ontogenetic stages of tree species is not well‐documented. Here, we investigated the relationship between stomatal morphology, intrinsic water‐use efficiency (iWUE) and leaf carbon isotope ratio (δ13C). We sampled 190 individuals, including juvenile and mature trees belonging to 18 temperate broadleaved tree species and 9 genera. We measured guard cell length (GCL), stomatal density (SD), specific leaf area (SLA), iWUE and bulk leaf δ13C as a proxy for long‐term WUE. Leaf δ13C correlated positively with iWUE across species in both juvenile and mature trees, while GCL showed a negative and SD a positive effect on iWUE and leaf δ13C. Within species, however, only GCL was significantly associated with iWUE and leaf δ13C. SLA had a minor negative influence on iWUE and leaf δ13C, but this effect was inconsistent between juvenile and mature trees. We conclude that GCL and SD can be considered functional morphological traits related to the iWUE and leaf δ13C of trees, highlighting their potential for rapid phenotyping approaches in ecological studies.

Analysis of Google users' interests in information about pacifiers: an ecological digital study.

To determine the interests of Google users from different countries about pacifier-related information over time, through a quantitative and qualitative analysis. This infodemiology longitudinal retrospective ecological study investigated pacifier-related computational metadata from 22 countries using Google Trends platform. Initially, Relative Search Volume (RSV) time series data and their respective main queries were collected employing the topic "pacifier - subject" as the search strategy from January 2004 to June 2024, considering all categories. Data were then analyzed through seasonal decomposition to determine the trend, seasonal, and residual components of the collected time series using Python 3 programming libraries in a Google Collaboratory interface. Additionally, Mann-Kendall tests were performed to access the significance level of trends observed from the seasonal decomposition. Finally, the queries were qualitatively evaluated to identify the main subjects related to users' interests. Statistical significance was determined with p values < 0.05. In general, RSV time series curves exhibited upward trends in all analyzed countries over the years, with significance levels demonstrated by the Mann-Kendall tests. Moreover, queries often centered around types of pacifiers, encompassing searches specifically for certain commercial brands. Some searches concerning newborn and baby care were also observed, particularly highlighting breastfeeding practices. Google users have shown an increasing interest in pacifier-related topics. These data can help understand the needs and concerns of parents and caregivers regarding pacifier use, ultimately supporting the development of effective educational strategies.

Meadows or asphalt road – Does momentary affective well-being vary with immediate physical environment? Results from a geographic ecological momentary assessment study in three metropolitan areas in Germany

We investigated the association between the immediate physical environment of individuals and individual fluctuations of momentary affective well-being in everyday life with a focus on medium sized metropolitan areas in Europe representing a typical living environment of a large proportion of the world’s population. The sample comprised 365 individuals (54.8 % female) with participants ranging from 14.08 to 88.27 years of age (M = 43.9, SD = 20.9). In an geographic ecological momentary assessment (GEMA), participants were prompted six times a day on at least 9 days over the course of 3 weeks, covering a total of six weekdays and three weekend days on mobile phones to report their momentary affective well-being. Urban land use categories (forest, water, urban green) were assessed with GPS-localization as environmental variables. Additionally, sunshine, rainfall, whether participants were inside or outside as well as whether they were alone or had company were included into the analyses.We used dynamic structural equation modelling to model the inter- and intraindividual differences as well as fluctuations and assess potential covariates while acknowledging the autoregressive nature of affect.The results showed that on individual level, fluctuations of momentary affective well-being were associated with sunshine, having company and travelling. No significant association emerged for urban green, forest, and water neither within individuals nor between. Methodological as well as conceptual implications are discussed and an interpretation of the present findings are provided.

The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer tackle in Brazil’s public and private healthcare system: time series study between 2014 and 2022

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed the healthcare systems of many countries and negatively impacted the care of other diseases.ObjectiveTo evaluate the trend of screening mammograms, oncological breast surgeries, and breast cancer hospitalizations in Brazil’s public and private healthcare system between 2014 and 2022.MethodThis ecological time series study uses the inflection point regression model and semester percentage change (SPC). We use the open-access dataset of the different healthcare systems in Brazil. We analyzed the trend of the variables in the pre-pandemic and the effect of the pandemic on the total time series.ResultsIn 2020, compared to 2019, the decrease in screening mammograms, oncological breast surgeries, and breast cancer hospitalization was − 41.44%, -23.13%, and − 10.52% (public health system) and − 29.49%, -18.96%, and − 15.35% (private healthcare system). In the public healthcare system, the pandemic has enhanced the decreasing trend of mammograms (SPC − 1.6% before and − 3.4% after), has reverted the stationary trend of oncological breast surgeries to decreasing (SPC − 1.0%), has slowed the increasing trend of breast cancer hospitalization (SPC 1.8% before and 0.9% after). In the private healthcare system, the pandemic has reverted the stationary trend of mammograms to decreasing (SPC − 1.0%), has slowed the increasing trend of breast cancer surgeries (SPC 2.3% before and 0.8% after), has reverted the growing trend of breast cancer hospitalization (SPC 3.9%) to stationary.ConclusionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in inequalities between healthcare systems, especially in breast cancer screening.