Influence Of Biological Factors Research Articles

Abstract PO4-09-07: Overall Survival According to Race and Socioeconomic Status Among Women Treated for BreastCancer at Ascension Health Hospitals in Metropolitan Detroit

Abstract Background: Despite increasing public awareness and education regarding racial inequality, African American (AA) patients continue to carry higher likelihood of death from breast cancer due to both cancer phenotype and remediable factors of access to care and socioeconomic status. Patients and Methods: We identified 3,241 patients treated for breast cancer between 2006 and 2015 at Ascension St John Hospital (Detroit MI), Ascension Macomb Oakland Hospital (Warren MI) and Ascension Providence Hospital (Southfield MI). Of these, 2530 (78.1%) were categorized as White (W), 658 (20.3%) as African American (AA), and 53 (1.6%) as Other. We considered known risk factors of race and zip code as well as marital status and having any Medicaid insurance (7.4%). 58.55% of patients were married, 15.88% never married, 13.9% widowed, and 11.6% divorced or separated. There were 632 (19.5%) cases represented from the 50 most affluent zip codes in Michigan (median income $83,125 to $140,372), 400 (12.3%) from the 50 least affluent zip codes (median income $14,909 to $33,500), 2199 (67.8%) from the intermediate zip codes, and 10 (0.31%) unknown or out of state. Tumors subtypes were 62% Luminal A (HR+/HER2-), 9.5% Basal (HR-/HER2-), 3.74% Her2 Enriched (HR-/HER2+), and 8% Triple Positive (HR+/HER2+). There were 279 Stage T0 Receptor positive DCIS and 64 Receptor Negative DCIS. 57.3% had lumpectomy or partial mastectomy as the first course of surgery, 27.9% had some form of mastectomy and 14.7 percent mastectomy with reconstruction. SAS for Windows 9.4, Cary, NC and Tableau 2023.1 was used for descriptive and crude analysis. Results: As expected overall survival was highly statistically associated (p< 0.0001) with the variables: age, race, subtype, node positivity and AJCC pathologic stage. Socioeconomic risk factors including zip code (p< 0.0001), marital status (p=0.0006), and carrying Medicaid insurance (p< 0.0001) statistically influenced overall survival. When considering the 50 most affluent zip codes, just 3.79% were African American (AA), with a greater proportion diagnosed at Stage I (49.85%) as compared to the 50 least affluent zip codes (81.97% AA; 37.74% Stage I, p= 0.022). Conclusions: As expected, breast cancer survival was influenced by race, tumor, and patient characteristics. This analysis allows for evaluation of the relative influence of biologic factors (e.g.tumor subtype and cancer stage) and socioeconomic indicators including zip code (stratified by median income) and insurance status. Citation Format: Shaveena Sivapalan, Khalid Berdi, Ali Shamsa, Maria Vlachaki, Aye Thet, Jeffrey Falk, Carrie Dul, Paul Chuba. Overall Survival According to Race and Socioeconomic Status Among Women Treated for BreastCancer at Ascension Health Hospitals in Metropolitan Detroit [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-09-07.

The Relationship between Executive Functions and Body Weight: Sex as a Moderating Variable.

This study explores the interplay between executive functions and body weight, examining both the influence of biological factors, specifically sex, and methodological issues, such as the choice between Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as the primary anthropometric measure. A total of 386 participants (222 females, mean age = 45.98 years, SD = 17.70) were enrolled, from whom sociodemographic (sex, age, years of formal education) and anthropometric (BMI and WC) data were collected. Executive functions were evaluated using the Frontal Assessment Battery-15 (FAB15). The results showed the increased effectiveness of WC over BMI in examining the relationships between executive functions, sex differences, and body weight. In particular, this study revealed that there was a significant moderating effect of sex at comparable levels of executive functioning. Specifically, women with higher executive performance had lower WCs than their male counterparts, suggesting that executive function has a greater impact on WC in women than in men. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting more in-depth investigations of the complex relationship between cognitive deficits and weight gain, considering confounding variables of behavioral, psychobiological, and neurophysiological origin.

Vitamin D Supplementation and Prior Oral Poliovirus Vaccination Decrease Odds of COVID-19 Outcomes among Adults Recently Inoculated with Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine.

Structural and functional commonalities between poliovirus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) suggest that poliovirus inoculation may induce antibodies that mitigate the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). No known studies have evaluated COVID-19 risk factors in adults recently vaccinated against poliovirus. Among adults with no history of COVID-19 infection or vaccination, who recently received an inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), we sought to determine which biological factors and social determinants of health (SDOH) may be associated with (1) testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, (2) experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, and (3) a longer duration of COVID-19 symptoms. The influence of biological factors and SDOH on SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 symptoms were evaluated among 282 adults recently inoculated with IPV. Participant-reported surveys were analyzed over 12 months post-enrollment. Bivariate and multivariate linear and logistic regression models identified associations between variables and COVID-19 outcomes. Adjusting for COVID-19 vaccinations, variants, and other SDOH, secondary analyses revealed that underlying conditions, employment, vitamin D, education, and the oral poliovirus vaccination (OPV) were associated with COVID-19 outcomes. The odds of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and experiencing symptoms were significantly reduced among participants who took vitamin D (OR 0.12 and OR 0.09, respectively). Unemployed or part-time working participants were 72% less likely to test positive compared with full-time workers. No prior dose of OPV was one of the strongest predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 4.36) and COVID-19 symptoms (OR 6.95). Findings suggest that prophylactic measures and mucosal immunity may mitigate the risk and severity of COVID-19 outcomes. Larger-scale studies may inform future policies.

The influence of biological factors in genesis of mass murders

In this paper, the authors, starting from the established division of mass murders in the criminological literature, analyze the available research results on cases of mass murders, that is, their etiology. Considering that the analysis of all possible factors that can constitute individual criminogenesis would require much more space, in this paper the emphasis is on the biological factors of crime. The authors start from traditional biological understandings in criminology, such as the study of the connection between physical constitution and crime, or the influence of genetic factors, which they complement with more modern approaches, such as the analysis of neurological, endocrinological and other biologically relevant conditions, i.e. abnormalities while simultaneously investigating their influence on the manifestation of aggression in general but also especially in the context of mass murders. The authors expect the work to be the contribution to the better understanding of the etiology of mass murders and generally violent crimes.

Abstract C039: Cancer labeling should be retained for prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 3+3=6 - based on genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic aspects

Abstract Purpose: The decision to remove the cancer label for prostate cancer with a Gleason score (GS) of 3+3 relies on pathology and clinical manifestations. However, evidence at the molecular level, especially for comparing the Excluding 3 group (GS4+4, GS4+5, GS5+4 and GS5+5) and the Gleason Grade Group 1 (GG1) (GS3+3), is lacking. To address this gap, we aimed to explore the differences between these two groups at the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels. Methods: We compared the GG1 group (n=82) and Excluding 3 group (n=148) using data from the TCGA in terms of genomic alterations, including gene mutations, chromosomal structure variants, and copy number variants. Pathways were revealed by using GSEA enrichment analysis at the transcriptome level. We also conducted a quantitative whole protein analysis of prostate cancer and paraneoplastic tissues in 6 pairs of GG1 and 11 pairs of Excluding 3 groups to compare the differences at the protein level and explored the enriched pathways between them by GSEA enrichment analysis. Finally, we validated the accuracy of DIA quantification by performing immunohistochemical experiments on radical resection pathology specimens from 29 patients diagnosed with GG1 and 29 patients diagnosed with Excluding 3 group. Results: At the genomic level, we found that the mutation frequencies of GG1 and Excluding 3 group were comparable. But, the mutation frequencies of TP53, FOXA1 and PTEN were significantly higher in the Excluding 3 group than in the GG1 group , while the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion was not significantly different between the two groups. And the incidence of the p53 signaling pathway, WNT pathway, PI3K pathway, and DNA damage was significantly higher in the Excluding 3 group than in the GG1 group. For the transcriptomic level, GSEA enrichment analysis revealed that both groups were enriched for multiple tumor-related pathways. At the proteome level, with protein quantitative testing by mass spectrometry, we identified that androgen-response pathway was inhibited in the GG1 group, while DNA repair and PPAR signaling pathway was activated in the Excluding 3 group. Six differential proteins were identified which had important roles in cancer development. And immunohistochemical experiments confirmed the accuracy of quantification analysis for 3 representative proteins (DDX21, NOLC1, and TIMP1). Conclusion: The GG1 and Excluding 3 groups showed similar oncogene mutation frequencies and chromosomal structural variations. However, shared and distinct pathway alterations were observed in genomic and transcriptomic analyses, indicating common driving factors and differential influences of biological factors. Proteomic analysis identified differentially expressed proteins and enriched cancer-related pathways associated with tumor characteristics. These findings support the malignancy features of GG1 prostate cancer. Citation Format: Sijie Wen, Yinzhao Wang, Lin Qi, Hongling Yin, Xiaomei Gao, Minfeng Chen, Yi Cai. Cancer labeling should be retained for prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 3+3=6 - based on genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic aspects [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C039.

Gas ebullition associated with biological processes in radioactively contaminated reservoirs could lead to airborne radioactive contamination

BackgroundStorage reservoirs of radioactive waste could be the source of atmospheric pollution due to the efflux of aqueous aerosol from their water areas. The main mechanism of formation of aqueous aerosols is the collapse of gas bubbles at the water surface. In this paper, we discuss the potential influence of biological factors on gas ebullition in the water areas of the radioactively contaminated industrial reservoirs R-9 (Lake Karachay) and R-4 (Metlinsky pond) of the Mayak PA. The emission of the released non-dissolved gases captured with gas traps in reservoir R-9 was (88–290) ml/m2 per day (2015) and in reservoir R-4 (270–460) ml/m2 per day (2016). The analysis of gas composition in reservoir R-4 (60% methane, 35% nitrogen, 2.4% oxygen, 1.5% carbon dioxide) confirms their biological origin. It is associated with the processes of organic matter destruction in bottom sediments. The major source of organic matter in bottom sediments is the dying phytoplankton developing in these reservoirs. ConclusionThe obtained results form the basis to set a task to quantify the relationship between the phytoplankton development, gases ebullition and radioactive atmosphere contamination.

Sex differences in cancer incidence rates by race and ethnicity: Results from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) Registry (2000-2019).

10547 Background: Sex differences in cancer incidence are pronounced, with men having 2-3 times the rate of most non-reproductive cancers than women. However, whether the male predominance is due to differences in biological factors or behavior remains not well understood. This study investigated sex differences in cancer incidence by race and ethnicity to provide a greater understanding of whether differences are driven by biological factors or environmental exposures. Methods: Cancer incidence data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result (SEER) program (2000-2019) was used to calculate male-to-female incidence rate ratios (MF IRR) for each cancer site and histological subtype, stratified by race and ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Hispanic), and age-standardized to the 2000 U.S. population for individuals ages ≥20 years. Results: Most non-reproductive cancers had a male predominance across race and ethnicity, with the largest MF IRR seen for cancers of the tonsil, hypopharynx, larynx, and Kaposi sarcoma (MF IRR > 4). Three cancers, gallbladder; peritoneum, omentum, mesenter; and thyroid, were more common among females than males across all race and ethnicity. Females had a higher incidence of anal cancer than males for all racial and ethnic groups except for non-Hispanic Black individuals where the MF IRR was >1. Cancers of the stomach, skin (excluding basal and squamous cell), melanoma skin, and other non-epithelial, and myeloma had greater MF IRR among non-Hispanic White adults than all other racial and ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic Black individuals had higher MF IRR of cancers of the liver and lung and bronchus, compared to other racial and ethnic group. Non-Hispanic White males had the highest MF IRRs for esophagus adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma and the lowest MF IRR for esophagus SCC compared to other races and ethnicity. Conclusions: The MF IRR for most cancers in this study did not differ by race and ethnicity, suggesting the influence of biological factors. Differences in the MF IRR across race and ethnicity may indicate carcinogenic exposure differences leading to the development of non-sex-specific cancers. Further research is needed to identify biological drivers of cancer incidence for most non-reproductive cancers. Funding: Intramural Research Program of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics in the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of primate communities in Ecuador

One of the fundamental objectives of ecology is to study the relative importance of ecological, evolutionary, and stochastic processes in determining local community structure. Many studies have focused on taxonomic diversity, paying relatively little attention to other dimensions of biological diversity, such as phylogenetic and functional diversity. Little is known about how these dimensions relate to each other, and the ecological processes that influence their variation. In this study, we characterize these three dimensions of biodiversity in 14 primate communities from different ecosystems in Ecuador to understand possible mechanisms responsible for their assembly. Results show that coastal communities are taxonomically less diverse than those from the Amazon and present different functional groups. On the other hand, phylogenetic diversity is higher in Amazonian communities, showing a tendency for overdispersion (high values of MPDPD = mean phylogenetic distance per pair and low PSC = degree to which coexisting species are related). This indicates a possible influence of biological factors, such as competition, on community assembly. For all three dimensions, climatic variables were the most significant predictors of community structure, while vertical forest structure contributed significantly to variation in the phylogenetic dimension. The high functional diversity reported in this study highlights the importance and vulnerability of this group and the ecosystems they inhabit. Macroecological studies, such as the one presented here, allow a better understanding of community structure and provide important information for the development of conservation strategies.

Uncovering the special microbiota associated with occurrence and progression of gastric cancer by using RNA-sequencing

Gastric cancer (GC) has been identified as the third deadly cancer in the world. Accumulating researches suggest a potential role of microorganisms in tumorigenesis. However, the composition of microbiota in GC tissues is not clear and it changes throughout the different stages of GC remain mostly elusive. Our study integrated RNA-Seq data of 727 samples derived from gastric tissues across four datasets and revealed its microbial composition. In order to remove the false positive results, core taxa were defined and characterized. Based on it, we analyzed the influence of biological factors on its composition. The pan-microbiome of gastric tissues was estimated to be over than 1400 genera. Seventeen core genera were identified. Among them, Helicobacter, Lysobacter were significantly enriched in normal tissues, while Pseudomonas was enriched in tumor tissues. Interestingly, Acinetobacter, Pasteurella, Streptomyces, Chlamydia, and Lysobacter, showed a significant increase trend during tumor development and formed strong intra/inter-correlations among them or with other genera. Furthermore, we found that tumor stage played an important role in altering the microbial composition of GC tissues. This study provides support for the in-depth study of tumor microbiome, and the specific microbiome excavated provides a possibility for the subsequent identification of potential biomarkers for GC.

Effects of Tea Plant Varieties with High- and Low-Nutrient Efficiency on Nutrients in Degraded Soil.

Tea plants are widely planted in tropical and subtropical regions globally, especially in southern China. The high leaching and strong soil acidity in these areas, in addition to human factors (e.g., tea picking and inappropriate fertilization methods) aggravate the lack of nutrients in tea garden soil. Therefore, improving degraded tea-growing soil is urgently required. Although the influence of biological factors (e.g., tea plant variety) on soil nutrients has been explored in the existing literature, there are few studies on the inhibition of soil nutrient degradation using different tea plant varieties. In this study, two tea plant varieties with different nutrient efficiencies (high-nutrient-efficiency variety: Longjing43 (LJ43); low-nutrient-efficiency variety: Liyou002 (LY002)) were studied. Under a one-side fertilization mode of two rows and two plants, the tea plant growth status, soil pH, and available nutrients in the soil profiles were analyzed, aiming to reveal the improvement of degraded soil using different tea varieties. The results showed that (1) differences in the phenotypic features of growth (such as dry tea yield, chlorophyll, leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content) between the fertilization belts in LJ43 (LJ43-near and LJ43-far) were lower than those in LY002. (2) RDA results showed that the crucial soil nutrient factors which determine the features of tea plants included available P, slowly available K, and available K. Moreover, acidification was more serious near the fertilization belt. The pH of the soil near LJ43 was higher than that near LY002, indicating an improvement in soil acidification. (3) Soil nutrient heterogeneity between fertilization belts in LJ43 (LJ43-near and LJ43-far) was lower than in LY002. In conclusion, the long-term one-side fertilization mode of two rows and two plants usually causes spatial heterogeneities in soil nutrients and aggravates soil acidification. However, LJ43 can reduce the nutrient heterogeneities and soil acidification, which is probably due to the preferential development of secondary roots. These results are helpful in understanding the influence of tea plant variety on improving soil nutrients and provide a relevant scientific reference for breeding high-quality tea varieties, improving the state of degraded soil and maintaining soil health.

On the 95th anniversary of the birth of the member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Volya Georgievna Artamonova, an outstanding Russian occupational pathologist

The article presents the materials about the life and work of the outstanding Russian occupational pathologist V. G. Artamonova. V. G. Artamonova is the author of original works on the study of various aspects of the impact of electromagnetic waves on workers’ bodies. In addition, the subject of V. G. Artamonova’s cre ative activity was the development of issues of occupational pathology of the bronchopulmonary apparatus in workers exposed to organic dust. These works have played an important role in the development of modern ideas about the etiopathogenesis of occupational bronchial asthma under the influence of biological factors with a high sensitizing ability, as well as in the development of prevention and therapy measures.

Active tailings disturb the surrounding vegetation soil fungal community: Diversity, assembly process and co-occurrence patterns

Soil fungi play an important role in the soil biogeochemical cycle and are important biological indicators for the ecological remediation of mine tailings contaminated sites, therefore understanding the characteristics of soil fungal communities is a key aspect of pollution remediation. However, the influence of biological factors on the characteristics of fungal community diversity; assembly mechanisms and co-occurrence patterns of fungal community along environmental gradients around tailings are not well understood. In this study, soil samples from forest, agriculture and grass around tailings were collected to reveal the assembly mechanisms and co-occurrence patterns of soil fungal community and to quantify the contribution of abiotic and biotic factors to fungal diversity. The results suggest that vegetation types and Cu concentration together drive the distribution of fungal diversity. We found that Exophiala has potential as a biomarker species indicative of restoration progress. Increased environmental stress accelerates the process of changing fungal community assemblages from stochastic to deterministic, while also allowing fungal communities tend to resist tailings-induced environmental stresses through species coexistence. Together, this study provides new insights into the influence of biological factors on fungal community diversity, as well as revealing mechanisms of fungal community assembly and co-occurrence patterns, which are important for understanding the maintenance mechanisms of fungal community diversity and ecological remediation of tailings-contaminated soils.

Immune Status of Turkeys in Industrial Cultivation Conditions

The intensification of turkey farming is accompanied by the impact of various dangerous factors on the poultry’s body. This leads to a violation of metabolic processes, an imbalance in the absorption of nutrients, and immunity decrease in turkeys, which determines the relevance of the study in this area. In this regard, figuring out when immunity reduces and, in the future, increasing its effectiveness in the body of turkeys, improving metabolic processes, growth, and development of poultry determined the purpose of this study. It was found that during the first six weeks of intensive cultivation of turkeys, the body’s immune response, the activity of non-specific resistance factors on the influence of biological factors and the intensification of poultry feeding processes were effective. However, from 42 days of poultry rearing, depletion of the immune defence of the turkey body and a decrease in the activity of non-specific resistance factors were observed, which is manifested by a likely decrease in the content of total protein, albumins, and class G and M immunoglobulins in the blood of poultry (P<0.01). Analysis of the protein spectrum of turkey blood serum indicates an immunosuppressive state of the body, probably caused by the action of biological factors. By 42 days, the bactericidal and lysozyme activity of blood serum, phagocytic activity of neutrophils, and T-cell activity of lymphocytes decrease in turkeys. Nonspecific changes in the components of the functional element of the liver were detected, which are accompanied by an increase in the number of lipid inclusions of various sizes, destructive changes in mitochondria, and a decrease in the synthetic activity of cells. Studies of the immune state of the body of turkeys, the activity of factors of non-specific resistance and liver in the cycle of intensive cultivation from 7 to 120 days revealed the presence of a critical period of decrease in the effectiveness of the body’s protection and further adequate correction. The results obtained during this study will be used for educational purposes, implemented in growing turkeys in the production conditions of “Indychka” LLC (Sumy Oblast). They are offered to all farms in Ukraine to produce turkey farming products

Evaluation of the Influence of Biological Factors during the Course of Treatment in Patients with Ovarian Cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of β-endorphins and serotonin on the course of treatment, disease-free time, and overall survival of patients with ovarian cancer. This study may contribute to the identification of modifiable factors that may influence the treatment of ovarian cancer. The research was carried out in a group of 162 patients of which 139 respondents were included in the research; ovarian cancer was diagnosed in 78 of these patients. The study consisted of three stages. In the first stage of diagnostics, a survey among the patients was carried out. In the second stage—5 mL of blood was collected from each patient (n = 139) in the preoperative period to determine the concentration of β-endorphin and serotonin. In the third stage—blood samples were collected from those patients who had completed chemotherapy treatment or had surgery. Concentrations of β-endorphin and serotonin were measured by the Luminex method, using the commercial Luminex Human Discovery Assay kit. The average age of the patients was 62.99 years. The level of β-endorphin significantly differs among patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and among patients in the control group (202.86; SD—15.78 vs. 302.00; SD—24.49). A lower level of β-endorphins was found in the patients with a recurrence of the neoplastic process compared to those without recurrence (178.84; SD—12.98 vs. 205.66; SD—13.37). On the other hand, the level of serotonin before chemotherapy was higher in the group of people with disease recurrence compared to those without recurrence (141.53; SD—15.33 vs. 134.99; SD—10.08). Statistically significantly positive correlations were found between the level of β-endorphin and both disease-free time (β-endorphin levels before chemotherapy: rho Spearman 0.379, p < 0.027; β-endorphin levels after chemotherapy: rho Spearman 0.734 p < 0.001) and survival time (β-endorphin levels before chemotherapy: rho Spearman 0.267, p < 0.018; β-endorphin levels after chemotherapy: rho Spearman 0.654 p < 0.001). 1. The levels of serotonin and β-endorphin levels are significantly related to ovarian cancer and change during treatment. 2. High mean preoperative concentrations of β-endorphins were significantly related to overall survival and disease-free time.

The activity patterns of nonworking and working sled dogs

There are limited studies investigating the combined effects of biological, environmental, and human factors on the activity of the domestic dog. Sled dogs offer a unique opportunity to examine these factors due to their close relationship with handlers and exposure to the outdoors. Here, we used accelerometers to measure the activity of 52 sled dogs over 30 days from two locations in Canada. The two locations differ in the working demands of dogs, therefore we used linear mixed effects models to assess how different factors impact daytime and nighttime activity of working versus nonworking dogs. During the daytime, we found that males were more active than females among nonworking dogs and younger dogs were more active than older dogs among working dogs. Alaskan huskies had higher activity levels than non-Alaskan husky breeds in working sled dogs during the day. Nonworking dogs were slightly more active during colder weather, but temperature had no effect on working dogs’ activity. The strongest predictor of daytime activity in working dogs was work schedule. These results indicate that the influence of biological factors on activity varied depending on dogs’ physical demands and human activity was the most powerful driver of activity in working dogs.

Vertical variations of soil carbon under different land uses in a karst critical zone observatory (CZO), SW China

Soil is a key carbon reservoir balancing global carbon budget and regulating climate change. Barren soils in karst zones have weak capacity for soil and water conservation and are readily erodible, making the carbon biogeochemical processes within karst soils potentially rapid and complex. To explore the vertical variation of soil carbon under karst conditions and its response to land-use change, this study investigated concentrations and isotopic compositions of both soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC) in different depths of four land-use types in a typical karst region, SW China. Results show that as soil depth increases, SOC concentrations decrease, and its δ13C ratios (from −27.3‰ to −19.4‰) increase in 0–20 cm depth but decrease at depths below 20 cm. The fresh SOC is mostly sequestered and cycled within the topsoil and subject to different controls than that of the subsoil. The turnover rate of SOC in karst soils does not directly co-vary with isotopic fractionation among different land uses. Long-term cultivation causes SOC loss from karst soils, which can be alleviated or even partially restored after farming cessation. By contrast, SIC represents < 10% of soil total carbon. The vertical heterogeneity of SIC variation and the direct influence of biological factors on SIC are both weaker relative to SOC. The low δ13C ratios of SIC (from −20.4‰ to −3.0‰) indicate there is intense dissolution and reprecipitation of pedogenic carbonate within karst soil, especially in the upper cultivated layers. These results highlight that both SOC and SIC are labile and susceptible to land-use change in karst zones, which need to be considered in estimating karst carbon sink and its role in balancing global carbon budget on variable temporal scales.

Influence of Biological Factors on the Strength of Static Rope Used by Firefighters in Rescue Operations

After conducting a document review, the authors found no reports concerning the influence of biological factors, such as blood, mould, and dirt, on the durability of rescue ropes. This study aims to answer the question of whether and how selected biological factors affect static rope 10.5, which is frequently used by firefighters for rescues. In the first stage of the research, focus studies were conducted among fifteen members of the Specialist High-Rescue Group in Plock (Poland), which aimed to determine the state of knowledge about the impact of biological factors on the strength of rope. The results indicated that the group had knowledge as to the impact of physical and chemical factors on the rope; however, a lack of information on the impact of biological factors was identified. In the second stage, the force necessary to break static rope contaminated with selected biological agents was measured. To achieve this, a 100-m section of a new rope was divided into 63 sections, which were then exposed to impurities. The first endurance measurement was taken after 9 months and the second after 12 months. Findings: contamination with biological agents has an impact on static rope strength, and knowledge about this impact is negligible and not included in any rope-use instructions.

Quantitative and qualitative changes of Eryngium caeruleum under the influence of biological factors

Quantitative and qualitative changes of Eryngium caeruleum under the influence of biological factors

Aktuelnost biosocijalnih istraživanja u kriminologiji

New scientific and technological developments have provided a clearer insight into the functioning of the human body. Research into human genetic predispositions, genome mapping, and brain function research have all contributed to explaining human behavior. The results of studies in recent years have unequivocally shown that genetic and social factors of crime act individually but also in interaction. Biosocial criminology is considered to be a more recent paradigm in the explanation of criminal behavior, which underlines the mechanism of the cooperation of biological and social factors in the explanation of crime. The aim of the paper is to review the conceptualization and key aspects of biosocial criminology, key factors in the explanation of crime, and the most important biosocial interventions that are applied. Genetic, neuropsychological, neurophysiological and endocrinological factors are crucial in explaining criminal behavior within the biosocial approach. The results show that programs resulting from the biosocial paradigm are more effective in preventing criminal behavior than interventions implemented within traditional criminology and neglecting the influence of biological factors.

In vivo cholinesterase sensitivity of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) exposed to organophosphate compounds: Influence of biological factors

Two cholinesterases have been found in vertebrates, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). These enzymes are present in the gilthead seabream, AChE in the brain and muscle and BChE in the muscle. Cholinesterases have been used as biomarker of effect in environmental monitoring studies. However, there are few studies about the influence of biometric parameters on ChE. This paper studies the possible influence of biological factors on brain and muscle cholinesterase (ChE) in Sparus aurata. Our results show that ChE activity in brain and muscle tissues changes depending on several biological variables. ChE activity in these tissues decreased when the age (48–152 week), body length (14.15–28.95 cm) and body weight (42.73–380.74 g) of the fishes studied increased. The relationships between brain and muscle ChE activity and several biometric factors were curvilinear.On the other hand, in vivo sensitivity of cholinesterase in the gilthead seabream exposed to organophosphorus pesticides (azinphosmethyl, dimethoate and dichlorvos) was studied in order to learn about recovery from cholinesterase present (brain and muscle) after exposure to a sublethal dose. The recovery of muscle AChE was similar to cerebral AChE, while muscular BChE showed a slower recovery.