Life Environmental Factors Research Articles

Mass exodus? Police officer turnover intention and organizational commitment in New York City

PurposeThis study assesses the relationship between job satisfaction, perceived organizational support and workplace factors on officer turnover intention within an urban, municipal police organization.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from an online survey of New York City Police Officers (n = 1,823), both bivariate analysis and logistic regression models were utilized to assess the salience of police officer job satisfaction, perceived organizational support and perception of six workplace domains, including financial compensation, environmental factors, professional fulfillment, work/quality of life balance, treatment from management and occupational risk, on predicting turnover intention.FindingsThe cross-sectional study finds that job satisfaction, financial factors (salary, benefits and retirement benefits) and fulfillment predict lower levels of turnover intention (i.e. higher levels of organizational commitment). Work–life balance and environmental factors (cleanliness of work environment and condition of equipment) predict higher levels of turnover intention. Both perceptions of organizational support and occupational risk, while significant in the bivariate models, were not significantly associated after accounting for other factors. There is no evidence that officer perception of public support or the risk of being injured/killed at work were related to officer turnover intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study is limited by its focus on only one police department and its use of cross-sectional data, which may limit the generalizability of the results to agencies that differ in size and type and do not allow for assessment of causality.Practical implicationsOfficer turnover intention may be reduced by increasing financial compensation, improving the work environment and promoting a healthy work–life balance.Originality/valueThe study contributes to a growing body of research on police officer voluntary turnover by evaluating established predictors along with workplace factors in an urban police department: the setting where officer turnover intention is hypothesized to be the greatest.

Interpretable machine learning for allergic rhinitis prediction among preschool children in Urumqi, China.

This study aimed to investigate the advantages and applications of machine learning models in predicting the risk of allergic rhinitis (AR) in children aged 2-8, compared to traditional logistic regression. The study analyzed questionnaire data from 7131 children aged 2-8, which was randomly divided into training, validation, and testing sets in a ratio of 55:15:30, repeated 100 times. Predictor variables included parental allergy, medical history during the child's first year (cfy), and early life environmental factors. The time of first onset of AR was restricted to after the age of 1 year to establish a clear temporal relationship between the predictor variables and the outcome. Feature engineering utilized the chi-square test and the Boruta algorithm, refining the dataset for analysis. The construction utilized Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting Tree (XGBoost) as the models. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and the optimal decision threshold was determined by weighing multiple metrics on the validation sets and reporting results on the testing set. Additionally, the strengths and limitations of the different models were comprehensively analyzed by stratifying gender, mode of birth, and age subgroups, as well as by varying the number of predictor variables. Furthermore, methods such as Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) and purity of node partition in Random Forest were employed to assess feature importance, along with exploring model stability through alterations in the number of features. In this study, 7131 children aged 2-8 were analyzed, with 524 (7.35%) diagnosed with AR, with an onset age ranging from 2 to 8 years. Optimal parameters were refined using the validation set, and a rigorous process of 100 random divisions and repeated training ensured robust evaluation of the models on the testing set. The model construction involved incorporating fourteen variables, including the history of allergy-related diseases during the child's first year, familial genetic factors, and early-life indoor environmental factors. The performance of LR, SVM, RF, and XGBoost on the unstratified data test set was 0.715 (standard deviation = 0.023), 0.723 (0.022), 0.747 (0.015), and 0.733 (0.019), respectively; the performance of each model was stable on the stratified data, and the RF performance was significantly better than that of LR (paired samples t-test: p < 0.001). Different techniques for evaluating the importance of features showed that the top5 variables were father or mother with AR, having older siblings, history of food allergy and father's educational level. Utilizing strategies like stratification and adjusting the number of features, this study constructed a random forest model that outperforms traditional logistic regression. Specifically designed to detect the occurrence of allergic rhinitis (AR) in children aged 2-8, the model incorporates parental allergic history and early life environmental factors. The selection of the optimal cut-off value was determined through a comprehensive evaluation strategy. Additionally, we identified the top 5 crucial features that greatly influence the model's performance. This study serves as a valuable reference for implementing machine learning-based AR prediction in pediatric populations.

Tracking genetic and phylogenetic diversity across Brazilian ecoregions: A molecular ecology approach using marine decapod crustaceans

Abstract Genetic diversity is shaped by life history traits and environmental factors across the marine ecoregions of the world (MEOW), a condition that serves as a valuable framework to enhance our understanding of gene flow processes and identifying priority conservation centers among populations in different regions. We investigated the genetic and phylogenetic diversity of 13 decapod crustacean species distributed across the marine ecoregions of Brazil. We hypothesized that ecoregions act as barriers to gene flow, creating distinct population structures and varying genetic diversity levels. We examined how habitat type, bathymetry, geographical distribution, and larval development affect genetic diversity. Mitochondrial markers from 13 species of the four major decapod groups (Anomura, Brachyura, Caridea, and Penaeoidea) were analyzed using nucleotide diversity, haplotype networks, pairwise FST, and linear mixed-effects models (LMER). Results show no significant genetic structuring among ecoregions. Genetic diversity correlates with habitat type (P &amp;lt; 0.05), with species from less impacted areas, especially intertidal zones like rocky shores and estuaries, displaying higher diversity. Phylogenetic diversity (PD) and species richness (SR) varied, with the highest PD in eastern Brazil and the highest SR in southeastern Brazil. Intertidal zones showed the highest genetic diversity, likely due to their complex microhabitats and environmental variability. Our findings indicate that environmental and geographical barriers defined by the ecoregions do not significantly impede genetic connectivity among decapod crustaceans, which suggests that high dispersal potential of larval stages facilitates genetic flow across ecoregions. The results underscore the need for conservation strategies that consider the high genetic connectivity and diversity of marine species across broad spatial scales.

Chemical composition and egg production capacity throughout bloom development of ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in the northern Adriatic Sea.

High abundances of gelatinous zooplankton (GZ) can significantly impact marine ecosystem by acting as both sink and source of organic matter (OM) and nutrients. The decay of GZ bloom can introduce significant amount of OM to the ocean interior, with its variability influenced by GZ life traits and environmental factors, impacting microbial communities vital to marine biogeochemical cycles. The invasive ctenophores Mnemiopsis leidyi has formed massive blooms in the northern Adriatic Sea since 2016. However, the variability in the chemical composition and egg production of blooming populations, as well as the role of environmental factors in governing this variability, remains largely unknown. Our analysis of biometry, chemical composition, and fecundity of M. leidyi sampled in the Gulf of Trieste in 2021 revealed stable carbon and nitrogen content throughout bloom development, with no significant correlation with seawater temperature, salinity, oxygen, and chlorophyll a concentration. Although the studied population exhibited homogeneity in terms of biometry and chemical composition, the number of produced eggs varied substantially, showing no clear correlation with environmental variables and being somewhat lower than previously reported for the study area and other Mediterranean areas. We observed a positive correlation between the wet weight of individuals and the percentage of hatched eggs, as well as a significant positive correlation between the percentage of hatched eggs and ambient seawater temperature. Additionally, we noted that the speed of hatching decreased with decreasing seawater temperature in autumn, corresponding to the end of M. leidyi bloom.

Person-Centered Stories on the Main Stage in Intervention: Case Examples From the My Story Project, Aphasia! This Is Our World, and Aphasia-Friendly Reading

Purpose: Researchers working in the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA) framework are beginning to recognize the value of supportive co-constructed storytelling for people with aphasia. Supported storytelling facilitates identity reconstruction that is part of rehabilitation as defined in the LPAA and the Living with Aphasia: Framework for Outcome Measurement. This clinical focus article reviews the therapeutic value of using co-constructed storytelling in clinical practice and describes how this was done in the My Story Project, Aphasia! This Is Our World, and Aphasia-Friendly Reading. These projects used co-constructed storytelling in intervention with people with aphasia in university and support group settings. Three case examples are presented, including sample therapy goals and documentation. Co-constructed person-centered storytelling has been used in clinical projects and has been shown to have immense value in rehabilitation for improving quality of life for people with aphasia. Conclusions: Co-constructed stories can provide a powerful opportunity for targeting life participation, identity, and environmental factors, while simultaneously targeting language. Clinicians are encouraged to consider incorporating the use of co-constructed person-centered storytelling in clinical practice. Guidance is offered for preparing for storytelling intervention sessions and documenting these sessions as billable, skilled services.

Assessing the interaction effects of mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms and lifestyle on heel bone mineral density.

Bone mineral density (BMD) is a major predictor of osteoporotic fractures, and previous studies have reported the effects of mitochondrial dysfunction and lifestyle on BMD, respectively. However, their interaction effects on BMD are still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the possible interaction of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and common lifestyles contributing to osteoporosis. Our analysis included 119,120 white participants (Nfemale=65,949 and Nmale=53,171) from the UK Biobank with heel BMD phenotype data. A generalized linear regression model of PLINK was performed to assess the interaction effects of mtDNA and five life environmental factors on heel BMD, including smoking, drinking, physical activity, dietary diversity score, and vitamin D. In addition, we also performed linear regression analysis for total body BMD. Finally, we assessed the potential causal relationships between mtDNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) and life environmental factors using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Our study identified four mtDNA loci showing suggestive evidence of heel BMD, such as m.16356T>C (MT-DLOOP; P =1.50×10-3) in total samples. Multiple candidate mtDNA×lifetsyle interactions were also detected for heel BMD, such as MT-ND2×physical activity (P = 2.88×10-3) in total samples and MT-ND1×smoking (P = 8.54×10-4) in males. Notably, MT-CYB was a common candidate mtDNA loci for heel BMD to interact with five life environmental factors. Multivariable MR analysis indicated a causal effect of physical activity on heel BMD when mtDNA-CN was considered (P =1.13×10-3). Our study suggests the candidate interaction between mitochondria and lifestyles on heel BMD, providing novel clues for exploring the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.

A194 EARLY LIFE WESTERN-TYPE DIET ACCELERATES THE ONSET OF MURINE IL-10 KO COLITIS

Abstract Background Early life is a critical time for gut microbiome and immune development, including the establishment of proper host-microbe interactions. While exposures to western world environmental factors are associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility, the link between environment in early life and later disease onset is unclear. One of the most important western world environmental factors is diet, which can distinctly alter the gut microbiome. We believe an early life western-type diet (WD) can affect disease progression in a murine IL-10 KO colitis model through dysregulated T-cell responses against the microbiome. Aims We aimed to characterize how an early life WD given to IL-10 KO mice would affect colitis development and the gut microbiome. Methods IL-10 KO mice were housed in specific pathogen free conditions and fed normal chow (NC) or WD ad libitum, either between days 10 to 35 (early WD, eWD) or days 35 to 60 (adolescent WD, aWD). Stool was collected from mice at days 35, 56, and 84 for lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) and 16S rDNA sequencing. Mice were sacrificed at day 84, assessing mesenteric lymph node weight, gene expression, colon damage by histopathology, and colon lamina propria leukocyte (LPL) phenotype and cytokine expression by flow cytometry. Results Compared to NC and aWD, the eWD fed IL-10 KO mice displayed increased fecal LCN-2 at days 56 and 84, indicating greater inflammation. At sacrifice, eWD fed mice had larger mesenteric lymph nodes and more significant colon damage by histopathological scoring. Colon LPL preparations showed that eWD fed IL-10 KO mice had higher proportions and absolute numbers of effector and regulatory T-cells. Additionally, higher proportions and absolute numbers of those T-cells were IFNγ+, IL-17A+, and IL-22+. qPCR of distal colon tissue revealed increased gene expression of innate and type 3 proinflammatory cytokines such as Il1b, Tnfα, and Il23, while showing no change in Il6 and Il4. Taxa positively associated with WD were able to establish a persistent niche in eWD fed mice but not in aWD fed mice. An increase in only one specific taxon was associated with eWD at all timepoints while also most strongly correlating with inflammatory markers. Conclusions This data suggests that eWD feeding during gut microbiome and immune development is uniquely capable of increasing long-term susceptibility to intestinal inflammation in IL-10 KO mice. This appears to be associated with persistent colonization of potentially more inflammatory taxa. This work provides insight into the potential role of early life environmental risk factors, i.e. WD, in the later development of IBD. Funding Agencies CAG, CIHRUniversity of Toronto, Taconic Biosciences

Breast cancer burden and its implications on the Nigerian Patient

The fact that breast cancer is the commonest female cancer worldwide is no longer news. The more intriguing information, however, is the increasing incidence of the disease in African populations that previously had low incidence rates. The rising incidence of breast cancer in Africa has been attributed to many factors acting synergistically including increasing life expectancy, decreasing fertility, lifestyle changes and environmental factors. Moreover, the peculiar epidemiological, demographic and clinical characteristics of the disease make it a matter of grave public concern. Added to these are the persisting challenges of treatment delays, inadequate management modalities, cost of care, and poor survival indices. In addition to discussing these issues, this presentation focuses on the social, economic and psychological burden of breast cancer on Nigerian women. Findings from a mixed method study on the social, economic, psychological impacts and quality of life of breast cancer at the surgical oncology division, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria revealed that most patients were artisans and petty traders, presented late, and were low-income earners. The average cost of care per patient amounted to US$11,600, of which 39% was spent on chemotherapy and 32% on quantifiable losses. The main sources of funding of care were family members and spouses supporting an assertion in a publication that ‘breast cancer in Nigeria is a family disease’. The psychological morbidities they experienced included loss of self-esteem, depression and sexual dis-satisfaction. Late presentation was significantly associated with worse self-esteem and quality of life parameters. Nine out of ten would rather not attend social functions because of their appearance. Depression was worsened by an unsupportive spouse while many experienced a lack of spousal advances post-diagnosis. However, married women had higher emotional function and a significantly better quality of life, while breast padding as camouflage post- mastectomy significantly enhanced their QoL and body image perception.

The Diversity of Forensic Entomofauna Associated With Decaying Chicken Liver in the Tropical Region of Kerala, India.

Forensic entomology To elucidate the time of death based on insect evidence, there are several studies on forensic entomology on life cycles, environmental factors, and feeding habitats of insects. However, there have not been any comprehensive studies on forensic entomology and its usage in forensic inquiry specific to the region, especially Kerala, India. The insect succession on decomposed animal matter plays an important role in estimating minimum postmortem intervals (mPMI). Objective The purpose of the study was tounderstand forensically important insect groups and their role in the decomposition process of dead decayingmatter. The different decomposition stages of a corpse vary in attraction to necrophagous insects and the insect fauna depending on its prevailing conditions of decay. The decomposition is highly dependent on the exposition of animal matter and abiotic and biotic factors acting on it. The main objective of the present investigation was to identify the insect fauna associated with decaying chicken liver. The study also envisages comprising the diversity and abundance of insects between two different treatments of animal matter: in contact with soil and controlled conditions in a clean basin. Method The study was conducted for 45 days (until the total decomposition of the samples in both conditions) during the pre-monsoon months of April to May2022 at Chalikadavu, Muvattupuzha, in the Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. The samples were however kept away from direct sunlight and rain to avoid the direct impact on the orienting fauna. The entomofauna found to be associated with the decaying animal matter was carefully collected from the site and stored in 70% isopropyl alcohol for preservation. The total number of insects was recorded along with the hours of maximum incidence, and samples were stored in plastic vials for further identification. Result In this study, we analyzed the activities of ants, mites, wasps, cockroaches, moths, beetles, and flies during the decomposition of decaying chicken liver. Among these insects, flies and beetles are two important arthropod communities associated with animal matter decomposition. We collected these foraging organisms for morpho-taxonomic identification. The decomposition stages among the two treatments could help to understand the variable factors in the decomposition of decaying corpse with special reference to the insect fauna acting on it. Conclusion We got 100 specimens comprising 28 species in 17 families from Blattidae, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. Besides this, we identified two parasitic wasps with their host (dipteran pupa), which is helpful in postmortem interval (PMI) estimation. Our analysis showed an association between decay and the activity of carrion insects. The decomposition stages among the two treatments could help to understand the variable factors in the decomposition of a decaying corpse with special reference to the insect fauna acting upon it.

Association between birth weight/joint exposure to ambient air pollutants and type 2 diabetes: a cohort study in the UK Biobank

ABSTRACT Early life events and environmental factors are associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) development. We assessed the combined effect of birth weight andambient air pollutants, and effect of their interaction on T2D risk. Totally, 6,474 T2D incidents were recorded over an 8.7-year follow-up period. The adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 1.31 (1.26, 1.36) for each kilogram decrease in birth weight, and 1.08 (1.05, 1.11) for each standard deviation increase in air pollution score (APS). Birth weight<3000 g amplified the T2D risk associated with high APS. A combination of the lowest birth weight (<2500 g) and the highest quintile of APS led to over two-fold increase in T2D risk (aHR: 2.17; 95% CI: 1.79–2.64). There was a significant additive interaction between them. In conclusion, ambient air pollutants increase the risk for T2D, particularly in populations with low birth weight.

The Effect of Perturbation-Based Balance Training vs Step Training on Reaction Time in Older Persons: A Review.

As the global population ages, understanding the impact of aging on cognitive abilities becomes increasingly crucial. One such cognitive function that exhibits significant changes with advancing age is reaction time (RT). This article presents a comprehensive analysis of RT in older adults, examining its underlying mechanisms, age-related changes, and implications for cognitive functioning. Through a review of existing literature, this study explores various factors influencing RT in older individuals, including sensory, motor, and cognitive processes. It highlights how age-related changes in the central nervous system, such as declines in processing speed and neural efficiency, play a significant role in prolonging RTs. Additionally, the role of cumulative life experiences and environmental factors in shaping reaction time in older adults is discussed.

Prevalence Of Metabolic Disorders In Paediatric Age Group with Renal Stone Diseases.

Background: inflammation of the urinary tract and prostatic disease is urolithiasis. The causes are numerous , with metabolic diseases , individual life style and environmental factors all playing a part. In pediatric populations , the prevalence of nephrolithiasis is very low; however, some evidence suggests that children are increasingly likely to get this disease. Kidney stone diseases are becoming more frequent among young people, and although the absolute figure remains smaller than in adults , this complex situation however it is should be stressed that factor consists of metabolic disorders such as hypocitraturia, hypercalciuria, and hyperoxaluria. The process of stone production is subject to several factors , for example genetic predisposition , familial background and dietary habits. A commonly employed approach in the prompt identification and treatment of kidney stones involves implementing a comprehensive strategy that tackles both the stones themselves as well as their underlying metabolic problems. It is still necessary to keep on doing research in the area of Pediatric Urology. Only by continuing to do this work will our understanding be deepened and our treatment methods refined in the dynamic world of modern medical science. Objectives: To find out the prevalence of metabolic abnormalities in young children with urolithiasis . Study design: A Retrospective Study Place and duration of the study : Department Of Urology Main Gul Jehanzeb Hospital Swat In Pakistan From January 2018 To January 2019. Methods: From April 2018 to August 2019, the Department Of Urology Main Gul Jehanzeb Hospital Swat carried out a retrospective study. The retrospective study was aimed at analyzing the medical records of 59 patients under the age of 15-year-old with renal stone disease living in this region. Basic details such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI),creatinine levels, serum calcium, serum phosphate, serum uric acid levels, 24-hour urine volume, urinary sodium potassium and chloride content were all obtained and analyzed carefully. The identifications of metabolic diseases were carried out according to recognized laboratory standards. Data processing was performed using SPSS version 22. Results: A total of fifty-nine people ranging from age 8 to 15 years old underwent this study. Of these 25 (42.4%) were female and 34 (57.6%) were male. The mean BMI which the patients exhibited was 16.68 kg/m2. However according to the investigation results, 32 patients (54.2%) had metabolic abnormalities associated with renal stone disease. Hyperuricemia (22%), hypercalciuria (25.4%) and hypokalemia (40.7%) were the three most common diseases identified. Hyperphosphaturia (1.7%), hypocitraturia (1.7%), hyperoxaluria (3%), low urine volume (6.8%) were also found among other types of metabolic abnormalities discovered. Conclusion: According to this study, a large number of children (54.2%) with stone disease in the kidney also had associated metabolic disorders. Hypokalemia was the most common metabolic abnormality in children (40.7%), followed by hypercalciuria (25.4%) and hyperuricemia (22%). These results suggest that children with stone disease in the kidney should be carefully examined for metabolic defects. Primary and secondary prevention methods must be explored in future in order to reduce the occurrence of these problems. Keywords: children with metabolic disorders, kidney stones, hypercalciuria, hypokalemia, and hyperuricemia are frequently seen

P1E5-06 Life environment factors associated with wellbeing of work from home

P1E5-06 Life environment factors associated with wellbeing of work from home

노년기 디지털 콘텐츠 제작 경험을 통하여 살펴본 능동적인 디지털 에이징 과정

This study explored the digital aging experiences of older adults who create digital content from the perspective that older adults&#x0D; are active participants in the current digital society. Eight older adults who had been creating digital content for at least six months shared&#x0D; their experiences. The interview data were analyzed based on the Grounded Theory. Findings indicated that the participants showed common&#x0D; psychological characteristics, life experience characteristics, and social and environmental factors in later life that became the foundation&#x0D; for digital content creation. In the introductory stage of digital content creation, older adults passively utilized available resources. As they progressed to the more sophisticated stage of creating digital content, they actively interacted with existing resources and developed digital&#x0D; skills. They minimized the negative influences of obstacles in the digital aging process by utilizing the resources they already had. Digital&#x0D; content creation made them experience active aging and it allowed them to continue digital content creation. This experience led to the&#x0D; virtuous cycle structure of digital content production. Based on these results, intervention strategies for digital aging in middle and old age&#x0D; and educational methods to improve digital competence for older adults were discussed.

Preterm birth and early life environmental factors: neuropsychological profiles at adolescence and young adulthood.

To establish neuropsychological profiles after high- and low-risk preterm birth (i.e., with and without neonatal brain injury) during adolescence and young adulthood and to assess the potential role of early life environmental factors in cognition. Participants (N = 177; Mage = 20.11 years) of both sexes were evaluated when adolescent or in young adulthood. They were grouped according to their birth status: 30 high-risk preterm, 83 low-risk preterm and 64 born at full term. Significant differences were found in several cognitive domains between groups. Furthermore, familial socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the relation between the degree of maturity/immaturity at birth and cognition (F(5,171) = 11.94, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.26). The findings showed different neuropsychological profiles during adolescence and young adulthood, with the high-risk preterm sample evidencing lower cognitive values. In addition, higher scores in the familial SES score in this study seem to have a protective effect on cognition.

Phylogeography of sharks and rays: a global review based on life history traits and biogeographic partitions.

Considerable research exists on the life history traits, evolutionary history, and environmental factors that shape the population genetic structure of marine organisms, including sharks and rays. Conservation concerns are particularly strong for this group as they are highly susceptible to anthropogenic stressors due to a combination of life history traits including late maturity and low fecundity. Here, we provide a review and synthesis of the global phylogeography of sharks and rays. We examined existing data for 40 species of sharks belonging to 17 genera and 19 species of rays belonging to 11 genera. Median joining haplotype networks were constructed for each species for the mtDNA cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI), and an Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) was conducted to understand patterns of genetic diversity and structure across the three major ocean basins-the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Haplotype networks showed very shallow coalescence in most species, a finding previously reported for marine teleosts. Star topologies were predominant among sharks while complex mutational topologies predominated among rays, a finding we attribute to extremely limited dispersal in the early life history of rays. Population structuring varied amongst species groups, apparently due to differences in life history traits including reproductive philopatry, site fidelity, pelagic habitat, migratory habits, and dispersal ability. In comparison to reef-associated and demersal species, pelagic and semi pelagic species showed lower levels of structure between and within ocean basins. As expected, there is variation between taxa and groups, but there are also some broad patterns that can guide management and conservation strategies.

Long-term monitoring reveals a consistent female-biased sex ratio in Pimelodus maculatus from the Upper Uruguay River Basin

Sex ratio is a crucial demographic parameter for the viability of natural populations, and it is commonly balanced in Neotropical freshwater fish species. This study investigated the sexual proportion of yellow-mandi Pimelodus maculatus in the Upper Uruguay River basin, southern Brazil, between 2000 and 2019. Fish were captured at different sites in a proportion of 2,018 females and 995 males. The total length ranged from 14 to 60 cm for females (31.8 ± 6.8 cm) and 13 to 45 cm for males (26.7 ± 13.6 cm). The frequency of females was higher from class 27 to 51 cm (P &lt; 0.05), with a mean female:male sex ratio of 2.05:1, whereas a 1:1 sex ratio was found in fish shorter than 27 cm. The most important predictor explaining the dominance of females was the length, followed by year, site, and environment. Females are larger and live five years longer than males and they can become more abundant. This disparity in lifespan between females and males, the life history, and social and environmental factors may be associated with the female-biased sex ratio in P. maculatus population of the Uruguay River Basin.

Dynamic variation of non-structural carbohydrates in branches and leaves of temperate broad-leaved tree species over a complete life history

The composition of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), one of the photosynthetic products of plants, reflects the survival strategy of a plant. Although several studies have investigated variation of NSC content in woody plants over a set time scale, few studies have considered the dynamic variation of NSC over a continuous life history. In this study, the leaves, new twigs, and old branches of seven temperate broad-leaved tree species (diffuse-porous species:Betula platyphylla,Betula costata,Tilia amurensis,Acer pictumsubsp.mono; ring-porous species:Ulmus davidianavar.japonica,Ulmus laciniata,Fraxinus mandshurica) were observed at three life history stages (seedling, sapling, and mature tree) to measure the dynamic changes of NSC and its influencing factors throughout the entire life cycles of these species. The results showed that life history, wood type, and environmental factors (soil nitrogen and phosphorus content, soil pH) significantly affected the NSC content in leaves and branches (including both new twigs and old branches). As plants grew, the NSC content in the leaves and branches generally showed an upward trend, meaning the total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) content and soluble sugar (SS) content increased significantly, and the starch (ST) content was relatively stable. Lastly, there was no significant difference in NSC content between the canopy layers of mature trees. This indicates that the influence of life stage on NSC content in leaves and branches of plants may be dominated by genetics instead of being regulated by light factors.

Critical Overview on Endocrine Disruptors in Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem in all countries due to its high human and economic burden. Major metabolic alterations are associated with the chronic hyperglycemia that characterizes diabetes and causes devastating complications, including retinopathy, kidney failure, coronary disease and increased cardiovascular mortality. The most common form is type 2 diabetes (T2D) accounting for 90 to 95% of the cases. These chronic metabolic disorders are heterogeneous to which genetic factors contribute, but so do prenatal and postnatal life environmental factors including a sedentary lifestyle, overweight, and obesity. However, these classical risk factors alone cannot explain the rapid evolution of the prevalence of T2D and the high prevalence of type 1 diabetes in particular areas. Among environmental factors, we are in fact exposed to a growing amount of chemical molecules produced by our industries or by our way of life. In this narrative review, we aim to give a critical overview of the role of these pollutants that can interfere with our endocrine system, the so-called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), in the pathophysiology of diabetes and metabolic disorders.

Cohort study of early life environmental factors and risk of decreased lung function at age 6 years in children with a history of severe bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of infant hospitalization. Identifying modifiable risk factors for decreased lung function in these children who are already at high-risk for recurrent wheezing and asthma will help guide efforts to prevent additional respiratory morbidity.