Significant Effects Of Exposure Research Articles

Influence of agricultural intensification on pollinator pesticide exposure, food acquisition and diversity

Abstract Pollinators are essential for maintaining sustainable crop production, while the decline of pollinators is a widespread concern. Agricultural intensification is one of the primary drivers of the decline of insect pollinators. Agricultural intensification usually involves a decreasing of non‐crop semi‐natural habitat and an increasing of pesticide exposure for pollinators. However, causal links between agricultural intensification, increased pesticide exposure, and reduced pollinator's food sources and pollinator diversity remain underexplored. We assessed pollinator diversity across a landscape gradient where the proportion of rice ranged from 11% to 85% in South China. We placed honeybee (Apis mellifera) and mason bee (Osmia excavata) in these landscapes and investigated pesticide exposure in honeybee foragers and pollen, and in mason bee pollen and nesting materials. We also assessed the acquisition of food by mason bees. We found a higher frequency of pesticide detection in honeybee foragers and honeybee pollen samples in areas with a higher proportion of rice fields. There was a strong positive relationship between mason bee food acquisition and the proportion of semi‐natural habitats, while no significant effects of pesticide exposure on pollinator diversity were found in addition to the effect of semi‐natural habitat. Synthesis and applications: Our results suggest that pollinator communities could be at an increased risk of pesticide exposure due to intensified agriculture, while the negative impact on pollinator diversity mainly results from the loss of habitat and/or reduced food sources. This study highlights the importance of conserving semi‐natural habitat to mitigate the causes of decline in pollinator diversity. We also recommend long‐term, multi‐year studies to further understand the mechanisms behind the loss of pollinators in farming landscapes.

Long-term effects of early life rainfall shocks on foundational cognitive skills: Evidence from Peru

Global warming is changing precipitation patterns, particularly harming communities in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). Whilst the long-term effects of being exposed to rainfall shocks early in life on school-achievement tests are well-established, there is little population-based evidence from LMICs on the mechanisms through which these shocks operate. Executive functions (EFs) are key for children’s learning abilities. This paper analyses the effects of early exposure to rainfall shocks on four foundational cognitive skills (FCSs), including EFs that have been found to be key predictors of educational success. These skills were measured via a series of tablet-based tasks administered in Peru as part of the Young Lives longitudinal study (YLS). We combine the YLS data with gridded data on monthly precipitation to generate monthly, community-level rainfall shock estimates. The key identification strategy relies on temporary climatic shocks being uncorrelated with other latent determinants of FCSs development. Our results show significant negative effects of early life exposure to rainfall shocks on EFs—especially, on working memory—measured in later childhood. We also find evidence of rainfall shocks decreasing households’ abilities to invest in human capital, which may affect both FCSs and domain-specific test scores. Finally, there is suggestive, but not conclusive, evidence that a conditional-cash-transfer program providing poor households with additional financial resources might partially offset the effects of the rainfall shocks.

Persistent organic pollutants dysregulate energy homeostasis in human ovaries in vitro

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), has historically been linked to population collapses in wildlife. Despite international regulations, these legacy chemicals are still currently detected in women of reproductive age, and their levels correlate with reduced ovarian reserve, longer time-to-pregnancy, and higher risk of infertility. However, the specific modes of action underlying these associations remain unclear. Here, we examined the effects of five commonly occurring POPs − hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), 2,3,3′,4,4′,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB156), 2,2′,3,4,4′,5,5′-heptachlorobiphenyl (PCB180), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) − and their mixture on human ovaries in vitro. We exposed human ovarian cancer cell lines COV434, KGN, and PA1 as well as primary ovarian cells for 24 h, and ovarian tissue containing unilaminar follicles for 6 days. RNA-sequencing of samples exposed to concentrations covering epidemiologically relevant levels revealed significant gene expression changes related to central energy metabolism in the exposed cells, indicating glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid metabolism, and reactive oxygen species as potential shared targets of POP exposures in ovarian cells. Alpha-enolase (ENO1), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), cytochrome C oxidase subunit 4I1 (COX4I1), ATP synthase F1 subunit alpha (ATP5A), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) were validated as targets through qPCR in additional cell culture experiments in KGN. In ovarian tissue cultures, we observed significant effects of exposure on follicle growth and atresia as well as protein expression. All POP exposures, except PCB180, decreased unilaminar follicle proportion and increased follicle atresia. Immunostaining confirmed altered expression of LDHA, ATP5A, and GPX4 in the exposed tissues. Moreover, POP exposures modified ATP production in KGN and tissue culture. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the disruption of cellular energy metabolism as a novel mode of action underlying POP-mediated interference of follicle growth in human ovaries.

Altered Sex Ratio at Birth with Maternal Exposure to Dioxins in Vietnamese Infants.

Excess female births (lower sex ratio at birth) associated with paternal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlordibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) have been reported in Italy. However, no significant effects of maternal TCDD exposure on the sex ratio were reported. We investigated the effects of maternal TCDD exposure and the toxic equivalent quantity of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (TEQ-PCDD/Fs) on the sex ratio at birth in 576 Vietnamese infants from three birth cohorts. TCDD and TEQ-PCDD/Fs in breast milk were stratified (low, mild, moderate, and high) as maternal exposure markers. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate associations between female birth and dioxin exposure groups after adjusting for confounders. In sprayed and unsprayed areas, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of female birth (reference: low-TCDD group) were 2.11 in the moderate-TCDD group and 2.77 in the high-TCDD group, which were significantly associated with increased TCDD exposure. In sprayed areas, a significantly increased OR in the high-TCDD group was observed. No significant associations, however, were found between having a girl and TEQ-PCDD/F levels. These results suggest that maternal TCDD exposure may alter the sex ratio at birth among Vietnamese residents of areas with high dioxin contamination.

Effects of paternal arachidonic acid supplementation on offspring behavior and hypothalamus inflammation markers in the mouse.

Arachidonic acid (AA) is involved in inflammation and plays a role in growth and brain development in infants. We previously showed that exposure of mouse sires to AA for three consecutive generations induces a cumulative change in fatty acid (FA) involved in inflammation and an increase in body and liver weight in the offspring. Here, we tested the hypothesis that paternal AA exposure changes the progeny's behavioral response to a proinflammatory insult, and asked whether tissue-specific FA are associated with that response. Male BALB/c mice were supplemented daily with three doses of AA for 10 days and crossed to non-supplemented females (n = 3/dose). Two-month-old unsupplemented male and female offspring (n = 6/paternal AA dose) were exposed to Gram-negative bacteria-derived lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or saline control two hours prior to open field test (OFT) behavioral analysis and subsequent sacrifice. We probed for significant effects of paternal AA exposure on: OFT behaviors; individual FA content of blood, hypothalamus and hypothalamus-free brain; hypothalamic expression profile of genes related to inflammation (Tnfa, Il1b, Cox1, Cox2) and FA synthesis (Scd1, Elovl6). All parameters were affected by paternal AA supplementation in a sex-specific manner. Paternal AA primed the progeny for behavior associated with increased anxiety, with a marked sex dimorphism: high AA doses acted as surrogate of LPS in males, realigning a number of OFT behaviors that in females were differential between saline and LPS groups. Progeny hypothalamic Scd1, a FA metabolism enzyme with documented pro-inflammatory activity, showed a similar pattern of differential expression between saline and LPS groups at high paternal AA dose in females, that was blunted in males. Progeny FA generally were not affected by LPS, but displayed non-linear associations with paternal AA doses. In conclusion, we document that paternal exposure to AA exerts long-term behavioral and biochemical effects in the progeny in a sex-specific manner.

An exposome atlas of serum reveals the risk of chronic diseases in the Chinese population

Although adverse environmental exposures are considered a major cause of chronic diseases, current studies provide limited information on real-world chemical exposures and related risks. For this study, we collected serum samples from 5696 healthy people and patients, including those with 12 chronic diseases, in China and completed serum biomonitoring including 267 chemicals via gas and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Seventy-four highly frequently detected exposures were used for exposure characterization and risk analysis. The results show that region is the most critical factor influencing human exposure levels, followed by age. Organochlorine pesticides and perfluoroalkyl substances are associated with multiple chronic diseases, and some of them exceed safe ranges. Multi-exposure models reveal significant risk effects of exposure on hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome and hyperuricemia. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive human serum exposome atlas and disease risk information, which can guide subsequent in-depth cause-and-effect studies between environmental exposures and human health.

What Does It Take for Immigrants to Join Political Parties?

Political parties are crucial agents in democratic representation and political integration of persons of immigrant origin, a growing category of citizens in the European Union. Research demonstrates that citizens of immigrant origin are less likely to join political parties than persons without a migratory background. Nevertheless, party membership varies across countries and between immigrants. Accounting for such inter-individual and cross-national variations, this article uses secondary data from the European Social Survey, the Migrant Integration Policy Index, and the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project for 25 European democracies to uncover mechanisms that explain the party membership of immigrants. In our multilevel analysis, we test interactions between country-specific variations in legislation on migration policies on the one hand and individual differences in political socialisation and political efficacy on the other. Our models suggest significant positive effects of exposure to a democratic regime in the country of origin and of internal efficacy on party membership of citizens of immigrant origin. Additionally, our findings highlight the significance of an inclusive national framework for immigrant integration, serving as a moderator to diminish the impact of political socialisation in less democratic countries on the decision of citizens with immigrant backgrounds to participate in political parties within their country of residence.

A Rapid Procedure to Assess Shifts in Discriminative Control Over Drinking During Recovery-Like Behavior

BackgroundPreviously, we reported that recovery-like behavior decreases stimulus control over drinking, and this likely plays a role in the clinical observation that longer recovery increases relapse resistance. Those studies were conducted using a procedure that required repeated assessment, preventing a longitudinal analysis of the changes in stimulus control over time in each individual. Here we recapitulate those results and extend them to female rats using a more efficient procedure that allows repeated assessment of changes in stimulus control over drinking during recovery. MethodsUnder a multiple concurrent schedule, rats were trained to reliably respond predominately for ethanol (concurrent Ethanol FR5, Food FR150) in the presence of one stimulus and for food (concurrent Ethanol FR5, Food FR5) in the presence of another stimulus. Stimuli were either lights or tones, depending on the group. After that, a drinking phase in which only the stimulus occasioning ethanol responding was presented (10 or 20 sessions) followed by recovery-like sessions in which only the stimulus occasioning food responding was presented. During these sessions, rats were exposed to the ethanol stimulus under extinction during the first component on sessions 0, 1, 2, 4,8, and 16. The number of food responses during these stimulus exposures prior to the first 5 ethanol responses was the primary measure. ResultsConsistent with the earlier procedure, the number of food responses during ethanol tests increased as a function of the number of recovery sessions completed, regardless of whether the stimuli were visual or auditory. However, there were no significant effects of extended alcohol exposure or sex. ConclusionsA rapid procedure consistent with the earlier procedure and clinical evidence was developed in which stimulus control over drinking decreased following longer periods of recovery. Under conditions tested, stimulus type, length of drinking history and sex did not affect this relationship.

Histopathological assessment of Atlantic salmon exposed to calcium oxide particles: a controlled clinical study

Particulate calcium oxide (CaO) has been successfully used for the control of sea urchin and starfish populations. Recent studies have proven its efficacy in killing planktonic copepods, making it a promising and cheap option for salmon louse control in the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farming industry. Additionally, preliminary laboratory tests demonstrated that exposure to 0.2 g/L–0.6 g/L of fine CaO particles induced significant mortality of salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) in the planktonic stages. The present study investigated the effects of water treatment with fine CaO particles [0.2 g/L or 127.4 g/m2; 0.1 mm–0.3 mm], conducted twice a week for three consecutive weeks at 5°C and 12°C on Atlantic salmon post-smolt in a flow-through system. The study compared mortality rates and histopathology of skin, eyes, gills, and intestines between treated and untreated control salmon. The results indicated that CaO exposure did not induce fish mortality or histopathological damages in the skin, eyes, or intestines. Although there were no significant effects of CaO exposure on gill inflammation or hyperplasia, the exposure did increase the occurrence of gill vascular injuries and necrosis in small portions of the tissue (< 10% of the respiratory gill tissue in most of the samples) by 60% and 35%, respectively. The effect was not modulated by temperature or time. The results indicate that the CaO treatment protocol used in this study is not lethal to Atlantic salmon and is safe for most analyzed tissues. Nonetheless, the induction of vascular damage and necrosis in the gill, albeit in small tissue portions, emphasizes the need for further research. It is crucial to develop a protocol that avoids such lesions, ensuring the secure application of CaO as an antiparasitic treatment in salmon aquaculture.

Club cell protein (CC16) in serum as an effect marker for small airway epithelial damage caused by diesel exhaust and blasting fumes in potash mining

ObjectiveThe effect marker club cell protein (CC16) is secreted by the epithelium of the small respiratory tract into its lumen and passes into the blood. Increased amounts of CC16 in serum are observed during acute epithelial lung injury due to air pollutants. CC16 in serum was determined as part of this cross-sectional study in underground potash miners on acute and chronic health effects from exposures to diesel exhaust and blasting fumes.MethodsNitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and diesel particulate matter were measured in 672 workers at a German potash mining site on a person-by-person basis over an early shift or midday shift, together with CC16 serum concentrations before and after the respective shift. CC16 concentrations and CC16 shift-differences were evaluated with respect to personal exposure measurements and other quantitative variables by Spearman rank correlation coefficients. CC16 shift-differences were modeled using multiple linear regression. Above-ground workers as reference group were compared to the exposed underground workers.ResultsSerum concentrations of CC16 were influenced by personal characteristics such as age, smoking status, and renal function. Moreover, they showed a circadian rhythm. While no statistically significant effects of work-related exposure on CC16 concentrations were seen in never smokers, such effects were evident in current smokers.ConclusionThe small airways of current smokers appeared to be vulnerable to the combination of measured work-related exposures and individual exposure to smoking. Therefore, as health protection of smokers exposed to diesel exhaust and blasting fumes, smoking cessation is strongly recommended.

Exposure to the Death of Others during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Growing Mistrust in Medical Institutions as a Result of Personal Loss.

The prominence of death during the COVID-19 pandemic was heightened by the potential of personally knowing someone who lost their life to the virus. The terror management theory (TMT) suggests that the salient presence of death has a pronounced effect on behavior and may result in the ossification of beliefs and actions aligned with one's worldview (i.e., the mortality salience hypothesis). In this study, we evaluated how death exposure early in the COVID-19 pandemic could enact the process of firming up held beliefs and attitudes related to health and safety. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that exposure to a personal loss during the pandemic would strengthen participants' baseline attitudes and behaviors regarding COVID-19 safety guidelines. Data were analyzed from a prospective, regional survey administered at two time points during the pandemic, June-July 2020 and May 2021, in five United States northeastern states. Baseline and follow-up surveys were administered approximately 12 months apart, with adherence to public guidance and death exposure measured at both timepoints and other safety measures at follow-up only. Our results indicated that there were significant main effects of death exposure on guideline adherence and support for COVID-related public policy. Contrary to the mortality salience hypothesis, death exposures after baseline were related to higher medical mistrust at follow-up for those high in adherence at baseline, rather than those with low adherence. Our results offer some conflicting evidence to the mortality salience hypothesis. Rather than entrench people in their worldviews, death in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to sway people away from their initial stances. This finding has important implications for TMT literature and for the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Zinc supplementation alters tissue distribution of arsenic in Mus musculus

Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment and humans can be exposed through food, drinking water and inhalation of air-borne particles. Arsenic exposure is associated with cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, immunologic, and developmental toxicities as well as carcinogenesis. Arsenic displays dose-depen toxicities in target organs or tissues with elevated levels of arsenic. Zinc is an essential micronutrient with proposed protective benefits due to its antioxidant properties, integration into zinc-containing proteins and zinc-related immune signaling. In this study, we tested levels of arsenic and zinc in plasma, kidney, liver, and spleen as model tissues after chronic (42-day) treatment with either arsenite, zinc, or in combination. Arsenite exposure had minimal impact on tissue zinc levels with the exception of the kidney. Conversely, zinc supplementation of arsenite-exposed mice reduced the amount of arsenic detected in all tissues tested. Expression of transporters associated with zinc or arsenic influx and efflux were evaluated under each treatment condition. Significant effects of arsenite exposure on zinc transporter expression displayed tissue selectivity for liver and kidney, and was restricted to Zip10 and Zip14, respectively. Arsenite also interacted with zinc co-exposure for Zip10 expression in liver tissue. Pairwise comparisons show neither arsenite nor zinc supplementation alone significantly altered expression of transporters utilized by arsenic. However, significant interactions between arsenite and zinc were evident for Aqp7 and Mrp1 in a tissue selective manner. These findings illustrate interactions between arsenite and zinc leading to changes in tissue metal level and suggest a potential mechanism by which zinc may offer protection from arsenic toxicities.

Decreased myelin-related gene expression in the nucleus accumbens during spontaneous neonatal opioid withdrawal in the absence of long-term behavioral effects in adult outbred CFW mice

Prenatal opioid exposure is a major health concern in the United States, with the incidence of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) escalating in recent years. NOWS occurs upon cessation of in utero opioid exposure and is characterized by increased irritability, disrupted sleep patterns, high-pitched crying, and dysregulated feeding. The main pharmacological strategy for alleviating symptoms is treatment with replacement opioids. The neural mechanisms mediating NOWS and the long-term neurobehavioral effects are poorly understood. We used a third trimester-approximate model in which neonatal outbred pups (Carworth Farms White; CFW) were administered once-daily morphine (15 mg/kg, s.c.) from postnatal day (P) day 1 through P14 and were then assessed for behavioral and transcriptomic adaptations within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) on P15. We also investigated the long-term effects of perinatal morphine exposure on adult learning and reward sensitivity. We observed significant weight deficits, spontaneous thermal hyperalgesia, and altered ultrasonic vocalization (USV) profiles following repeated morphine and during spontaneous withdrawal. Transcriptome analysis of NAc from opioid-withdrawn P15 neonates via bulk mRNA sequencing identified an enrichment profile consistent with downregulation of myelin-associated transcripts. Despite the neonatal behavioral and molecular effects, there were no significant long-term effects of perinatal morphine exposure on adult spatial memory function in the Barnes Maze, emotional learning in fear conditioning, or in baseline or methamphetamine-potentiated reward sensitivity as measured via intracranial self-stimulation. Thus, the once daily third trimester-approximate exposure regimen, while inducing NOWS model traits and significant transcriptomic effects in neonates, had no significant long-term effects on adult behaviors.

Mediating mechanisms of the relationship between exposure to deprivation and threat during childhood and adolescent psychopathology: evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study

The key aim of our study was to examine pathways from exposure to childhood adversities (i.e., deprivation and threat) to adolescent psychopathology. The assessed mediating mechanisms included cognitive ability and emotion regulation, as proposed by the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology (DMAP). The study comprised participants from the nationally representative Millennium Cohort Study. Latent scores for deprivation and threat were derived using confirmatory factor analysis from indicators collected when participants were at age of 9 months, 3 and 5 years. Cognitive ability was measured using the Verbal Similarities subscale of the British Ability Scales II at age 11, and emotion regulation was measured using emotion dysregulation subscale of the Child Social Behavioural Questionnaire at age 7. Psychopathology, defined as psychological distress, was assessed using the Kessler 6 scale at age 17. We conducted causal mediation analysis adjusting for multiple confounding factors. We did not find total effect of either exposure to deprivation or threat on psychological distress, but we did find significant indirect effects of exposure to deprivation on psychological distress via cognitive ability (− 0.11, 95% CI − 0.20 to − 0.05) and emotion regulation (0.03, 0.02 to 0.12), and exposure to threat on psychological distress via cognitive ability (− 0.04, − 0.07 to − 0.01) and emotion regulation (0.09, 0.03 to 0.15). The lack of associations between deprivation or threat and psychological distress may be due to reporting bias or developmental period of psychopathology. Results of mediation analysis partially support the DMAP but indicate limited benefits to reduce adolescent psychological distress by targeting cognitive ability or emotion regulation to those exposed to childhood adversities.

Conceptualizing the Role of Racial-Ethnic Identity in U.S. Adolescent Social Technology Use and Well-Being.

Adolescent development and wellbeing now involve how the use of social technologies (e.g., social media and other online spaces) impact daily life. Especially during crises such as COVID-19 and persistent injustices, adolescents rely on online spaces for social connectedness and informational knowledge. Psychosocial impacts, both positive and negative, have been found among racial-ethnic minority adolescents. However, the role of racial-ethnic identity on social media use and wellbeing has been understudied. The current study addresses differential associations on social media experiences and mental health (i.e., depressive, online anxiety symptoms) among a diverse group of adolescents (n = 668; ages 10-17; 45.7% non-White). Furthermore, the roles of self-identified racial-ethnic groups, identity importance, exposure to hate messaging, and gender are investigated. Our study found significant moderating effects of racial-ethnic importance, gender, and online hate messaging. Additionally, the moderating role of race-ethnicity reveals a stronger association between greater social media frequency and heightened depressive symptoms among Asian adolescents. Black adolescents showed a significant association between greater social media frequency and decreased online social anxiety. Significant effects of online hate messaging exposure also reveal associations between online behaviors and depression and online social anxiety across adolescents. As social media adoption coincides with identity exploration, this study highlights how racial-ethnic identity and its formation in the digital age is important to understand its association with online interactions that may help or hinder adolescent wellbeing. Future work should continue examining trajectories of identity formation in relation to social media content and differential mental health impacts.

UNITE Project: understanding neurocognitive impairment after trauma exposure–study protocol of an observational study in Christchurch, New Zealand

IntroductionOur previous research has demonstrated significant cognitive effects of earthquake exposure 2–3 years following the Canterbury earthquake sequence of 2011. Such impairment has major implications for a population trying to...

Odor exposure and recall of a virtual reality crime scene: A preliminary study

Environmental context reinstatement has a particular value for recall of information in forensic interviews. Since odors are valuable memory cues and can act as memory triggers, in our preliminary study we explored whether odor exposure can help people recall details of a crime scene. The study comprised 58 women and 15 men aged 22–35 who immersed in a carefully controlled environment closely resembling an actual crime setting, i.e., a virtual reality crime. Participants were exposed to an odor at encoding, recall, both or neither of these instances, yielding a total of 4 experimental groups that further completed a memory recall task. The crime scene content recall was tested in a free recall and a forced-response test immediately after seeing the crime scene and one month later. We found no significant effects of odor exposure on the free or the cued recall of the crime scene. The memory scores correlated neither with the self-assessed olfactory/visual sensitivity of the subjects, nor with the perceived odor pleasantness. These preliminary findings suggest that introduction of a vanilla odor while encoding and recalling a crime scene does not aid witness recall accuracy.

Do Robots Increase Wealth Dispersion?

Abstract We document significant negative effects of exposure to increased automation at work on household wealth accumulation. Beyond the income and savings channels, we uncover a novel mechanism contributing to the negative wealth effects of automation that arises through the endogenous optimal portfolio decisions of households. We show that households rebalance their financial wealth away from the stock market in response to increased human capital risk induced by pervasive automation, thereby attaining lower wealth levels and relative positions in the wealth distribution. Our evidence suggests that the portfolio channel amplifies the inequality-enhancing effects of increased automation. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.

Widening the lens of population-based health research to climate change impacts and adaptation: the climate change and health evaluation and response system (CHEERS).

Climate change significantly impacts health in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), exacerbating vulnerabilities. Comprehensive data for evidence-based research and decision-making is crucial but scarce. Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites (HDSSs) in Africa and Asia provide a robust infrastructure with longitudinal population cohort data, yet they lack climate-health specific data. Acquiring this information is essential for understanding the burden of climate-sensitive diseases on populations and guiding targeted policies and interventions in LMICs to enhance mitigation and adaptation capacities. The objective of this research is to develop and implement the Change and Health Evaluation and Response System (CHEERS) as a methodological framework, designed to facilitate the generation and ongoing monitoring of climate change and health-related data within existing Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites (HDSSs) and comparable research infrastructures. CHEERS uses a multi-tiered approach to assess health and environmental exposures at the individual, household, and community levels, utilizing digital tools such as wearable devices, indoor temperature and humidity measurements, remotely sensed satellite data, and 3D-printed weather stations. The CHEERS framework utilizes a graph database to efficiently manage and analyze diverse data types, leveraging graph algorithms to understand the complex interplay between health and environmental exposures. The Nouna CHEERS site, established in 2022, has yielded significant preliminary findings. By using remotely-sensed data, the site has been able to predict crop yield at a household level in Nouna and explore the relationships between yield, socioeconomic factors, and health outcomes. The feasibility and acceptability of wearable technology have been confirmed in rural Burkina Faso for obtaining individual-level data, despite the presence of technical challenges. The use of wearables to study the impact of extreme weather on health has shown significant effects of heat exposure on sleep and daily activity, highlighting the urgent need for interventions to mitigate adverse health consequences. Implementing the CHEERS in research infrastructures can advance climate change and health research, as large and longitudinal datasets have been scarce for LMICs. This data can inform health priorities, guide resource allocation to address climate change and health exposures, and protect vulnerable communities in LMICs from these exposures.

Associations between exposure to blue spaces and natural and cause-specific mortality in Greece: An ecological study.

A growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to natural environments, such as green space, may have a beneficial role in health. However, there is limited evidence regarding the effects of exposure to blue spaces and mortality. We investigated the association of exposure to blue spaces with natural and cause-specific mortality in Greece using an ecological study design METHODS: Mortality and socioeconomic data were obtained from 1,035 municipal units (MUs) from the 2011 census data. To define exposure to "blue" we used a rate of the land cover categories related to blue space from the COoRdination and INformation on the Environmental (CORINE) 2012 map per 10,000 persons in the municipal unit. We further assessed the exposure to blue space in the MUs that are located in the coastline of Greece using the distance to the coast as a proxy for proximity to blue space. the Annual PM2.5, NO2, BC and O3 concentrations for 2010 were predicted by land use regression models while the normalized difference vegetation index was used to assess greenness. We applied single and two exposure Poisson regression models accounting for spatial autocorrelation and adjusting for unemployment and lung cancer mortality rates, percentages of the population aged 25-64 with upper secondary or tertiary education attainment and of those born in Greece, and urbanicity. The analysis was conducted for the whole country and separately by varying geographical definitions. An interquartile range (IQR) increase of blue space per 10,000 persons was associated with decreased risk in natural mortality (Relative Risk (RR): 0.98 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98, 0.99), as well as in mortality due to cardiovascular causes, respiratory causes and diseases of the nervous system 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97, 0.99); 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95, 0.99); 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88, 1.00) respectively). We estimated protective associations for ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality (RR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.00 per IQR); COPD mortality (RR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.00 per IQR) and mortality from cerebrovascular disease (RR=0.97 (95% CI: 0.96, 0.99 per IQR). We estimated protective associations for the distance from the coast and mortality from the diseases of the nervous system (RR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.92, ≤1km from the coast versus >1km). Our results were stronger for inhabitants of the islands, the coastline and in the rural areas of Greece while the estimates were robust to co-exposure adjustment. We estimated statistically significant protective effects of exposure to blue space on mortality from natural, cardiovascular and respiratory causes, diseases of the nervous system, cerebrovascular and ischemic heart disease for in Greece with higher estimates in the coastline and the islands. Further research is needed to elaborate our findings.