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Physical education is a crucial subject in school and is taught to students of all ages. Except for the traditional sports curriculum, students are expected to learn skills such as swimming and engage in outdoor activities. However, these activities require education at locations that are not the regular sports facility and which all schools do not have the same access to. This study examines how the availability of different facilities affects education and which factors have the most impact. Through the use of a quantitative method, more specifically a survey, physical education teachers across Sweden have responded to questions regarding the accessibility of teaching facilities and their impact. The result of the study aligns with previous research in the same field, revealing that several factors influence education. The two factors that have the most limiting effects on education are teaching larger groups of students and small facilities, while access to swimming facilities and proximity to outdoor teaching locations also have negative effects.

SAMMANFATTNING Titel: ESG-betyg och aktievärde: En kvantitativ studie som undersöker sambandet mellan ESG-betyg och aktievärde. Nivå: Examensarbete på grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Malin Printz och Oskar Karlsson Handledare: Jan Svanberg Datum: Januari - 2024 Syfte: Företagens hållbarhetsarbete har blivit ett aktuellt ämne på senare år. Denna studie baseras på tidigare forskning om hur ESG-betyg påverkar företagens aktievärde. Tidigare forskning har gett varierande resultat med både negativa och positiva samband, vilket har motiverat behovet av ytterligare undersökningar inom ämnet. Syftet med uppsatsen är att analysera hur ESG-poäng påverkar företagens aktievärdering. Metod: Studien har en positivistisk utgångspunkt med ett objektivistiskt ontologiskt perspektiv. En deduktiv ansats har tagits där teori inom området prövas genom kvantitativ metod. Utifrån teori har en hypotes tagits fram som sedan prövas empiriskt med hjälp av datainsamling. I denna studie tillämpas en tvärsnittsdesign där en uppsättning mätbara data från flera företag samlas in vid en specifik tidpunkt. Empiriska data hämtades från 1800 europeiska företag för räkenskapsåret 2023 genom den sekundära databasen Refinitiv Eikon. Dataanalyser genomfördes via flertalet regressionsanalyser i statistikprogrammet SPSS. Resultat & slutsats: Inget samband hittades mellan ESG-poäng och aktievärde. För att förklara studiens resultat gick stöd att finna i teorin om den Effektiva Marknads hypotesen.Examensarbetets bidrag: Detta är en av få studier som använder P/E som mått för marknadsvärde i relation till ESG vilket kompletterar tidigare forskning som använt andra mått. Det finns inte så mycket forskning inom området då det utvecklats mycket på senare år. På så sätt kan denna studie bidra ytterligare. Det finns inte heller så många studier som utgått från data i sådan närtid. Denna forskning har utga

Till följd av den allt mer förekommande användningen av digitala verktyg i samhället, har skolan anpassat sig därefter. År 2017 fattades ett regeringsbeslut (U2017/04119/S, s.3) om att den svenska skolan ska värna om att utveckla en högt belägen digital färdighet för alla som är verksamma i skolans dagliga praktik. Tidigare forskning visar att det finns potential för bättre förståelse och ökad motivation i matematik, men det råder en brist på forskning som styrker att resultaten förstärks genom digitala verktyg. Med hänsyn till regeringsbeslutet samt tidigare forskning, är syftet med den här litteraturstudien således att undersöka vad senare forskning säger om de effekter digitala verktyg har på matematikundervisningen med hänsyn till klassrumsklimat, inställning och lärande. Frågeställningen och utgångspunkten för den här litteraturstudien är således: Vilka effekter har matematikundervisning med digitala verktyg på klassrumsklimatet, lärare och elevers inställning och elevers lärande i matematik? Med utgångspunkt i frågeställningen har tio artiklar inkluderats och analyserats genom en tematisk analys. Utifrån den tematiska analysen identifierades tre huvudteman, vilka ligger till grund för litteraturstudiens resultat. Resultatet indikerar att digitala verktyg har en inverkan på elever och lärares inställning, likväl potential till att öka elevers förståelse och bidra till ett positivt klassrumsklimat. Dock förmår inte resultaten i denna litteraturstudie, likt tidigare forskning, att finna bevis på att implementering av digitala verktyg förstärker elevers studieresultat.

The herbicide linuron can cause endocrine disrupting effects in Xenopus tropicalis frogs, including offspring that were never exposed to the contaminant. The mechanisms by which these effects are transmitted across generations need to be further investigated. Here, we examined transgenerational alterations of brain and testis DNA methylation profiles paternally inherited from grandfathers developmentally exposed to an environmentally relevant concentration of linuron. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) revealed numerous differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in brain (3060 DMRs) and testis (2551 DMRs) of the adult male F2 generation. Key genes in the brain involved in somatotropic ( igfbp4 ) and thyrotropic signaling ( dio1 and tg ) were differentially methylated and correlated with phenotypical alterations in body size, weight, hind limb length and plasma glucose levels, indicating that these methylation changes could be potential mediators of the trans- generational effects of linuron. Testis DMRs were found in genes essential for spermatogenesis, meiosis and germ cell development ( piwil1 , spo11 and tdrd9) ) and their methylation levels were correlated with the number of germ cells nests per seminiferous tubule, an endpoint of disrupted spermatogenesis. DMRs were also identified in several genes central for the machinery that regulates the epigenetic landscape including DNA methylation ( dnmt3a and mbd2) ) and histone acetylation ( hdac8 , ep300, , elp3, , kat5 and kat14), ), which may at least partly drive the linuron-induced transgenerational effects. The results from this genome-wide DNA methylation profiling contribute to better understanding of potential transgenerational epigenetic inheritance mechanisms in amphibians.

To improve the mechanistic screening of reproductive toxicants in chemical-risk assessment and drug development, we have developed a three-dimensional (3D) heterogenous testicular co-culture model from neonatal mice. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), an environmental contaminant that can affect reproductive health negatively, was used as a model compound to illustrate the utility of the in vitro model. The cells were treated with DBP (1 nM to 100 µM) for 7 days. Automated high-content imaging confirmed the presence of cell-specific markers of Leydig cells (CYP11A1 +), Sertoli cells (SOX9 +), and germ cells (DAZL +). Steroidogenic activity of Leydig cells was demonstrated by analyzing testosterone levels in the culture medium. DBP induced a concentration-dependent reduction in testosterone levels and decreased the number of Leydig cells compared to vehicle control. The levels of steroidogenic regulator StAR and the steroidogenic enzyme CYP11A1 were decreased already at the lowest DBP concentration (1 nM), demonstrating upstream effects in the testosterone biosynthesis pathway. Furthermore, exposure to 10 nM DBP decreased the levels of the germ cell-specific RNA binding protein DAZL, central for the spermatogenesis. The 3D model also captured the development of the Sertoli cell junction proteins, N-cadherin and Zonula occludens protein 1 (ZO-1), critical for the blood–testis barrier. However, DBP exposure did not significantly alter the cadherin and ZO-1 levels. Altogether, this 3D in vitro system models testicular cellular signaling and function, making it a powerful tool for mechanistic screening of developmental testicular toxicity. This can open a new avenue for high throughput screening of chemically-induced reproductive toxicity during sensitive developmental phases.

Studiens intention är att synliggöra hur mellanstadielärare ställer sig till att användadigitala verktyg i matematikundervisningen, tillika vilken roll lärares digitalakompetens har för att använda sig av dem. Enligt ett regeringsbeslut (U2017/04119/S,s. 3), ska den svenska skolan ligga i framkant när det kommer till digitaliseringen iskolan. Därtill ställer styrdokumenten också krav på användning av digitala verktyg imatematikundervisningen. Dock har diskussion i aktuell debatt till viss del handlat omförändringsprocessen från ett analogt till ett digitalt klassrum och huruvida denprocessen gjorts på ett korrekt sätt. Av den anledningen anser vi det är av relevans attundersöka hur lärare ställer sig till att tillämpa digitala verktyg genom studiens tvåfrågeställningar:- Vilka för- respektive nackdelar anser mellanstadielärare det finns medanvändning av digitala verktyg i matematikundervisningen?- Vilken roll har lärares digitala kompetens för tillämpandet av digitala verktygi matematikundervisningen?För att undersöka detta, har vi genom en deduktiv ansats analyseratsemistrukturerade intervjuer med olika lärare och vidare analyserat följande genomteorin som tar utgångspunkt i TPACK-modellen, samt genom begreppet mediering.Analysen resulterade i tre teman. Två av dem handlar om fördelar och nackdelar meddigitala verktyg och den tredje underrubriken som analysen genererade handlar omlärares digitala kompetens. Resultaten visar att fördelar kan kopplas till attdifferentiering av undervisning underlättas och att eleverna blir mer motiveradegenom digitala verktyg. Negativa aspekter som nämns kopplas till att elever kan blifrustrerade då de inte använder verktygen på rätt sätt, samt att de gör annat än det somär tilltänkt. Resultaten visar vidare att lärare efterfrågar inspiration om olikaundervisningsmetoder genom digitala verktyg. Arbetets slutsats tyder på att lärare börtilldelas möjlighet i att utveckla sin förmåga att söka program eller metoder där de kannivåanpassa

In the year of 2014 Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula. Eight years later, Russia escalated the war by carrying out a full-scale military invasion on the rest of Ukraine. Since then, the Russo-Ukrainian war have turned out to become a war of the military-industrial capacities between the west and Russia. Because of this, Russian military logistics is of vital interest to western scholars, professionals and the broader public, but the topic is unfortunately not easily understood. The purpose of this paper is in general to contribute to the broader research on military logistics and specifically to contribute to the understanding of Russian military logistics. This is done by conducting a case study on the operational logistics of the Russian Armed Forces in the Russo-Ukrainian war. This is achieved by using the theories of Moshe Kress on operational logistics as analytical framework. The method used is a qualitative text analysis. The results show that the logistics system of the Russian Armed Forces have the ability to improvise logistics proceedings and prioritize resources and partially have the ability to achieve stability in the logistic flow and to push the right quantity of supplies into the theatre of operations. In addition, the logistics system does not have the ability to decide on the “tooth-to-tail” ratio, and lastly, the Russian Armed Forces does not have the ability to protect its logistics system.

This work presents a case study in applying a systematic review framework (SYRINA) to the identification of chemicals as endocrine disruptors. The suitability and performance of the framework is tested with regard to the widely accepted World Health Organization definition of an endocrine disruptor (ED). The endocrine disrupting potential of triphenyl phosphate (TPP), a well-studied flame retardant reported to exhibit various endocrine related effects was assessed. We followed the 7 steps of the SYRINA framework, articulating the research objective via Populations, Exposures, Comparators, Outcomes (PECO) statements, performed literature search and screening, conducted study evaluation, performed data extraction and summarized and integrated the evidence. Overall, 66 studies, consisting of in vivo, in vitro and epidemiological data, were included. We concluded that triphenyl phosphate could be identified as an ED based on metabolic disruption and reproductive function. We found that the tools used in this case study and the optimizations performed on the framework were suitable to assess properties of EDs. A number of challenges and areas for methodological development in systematic appraisal of evidence relating to endocrine disrupting potential were identified; significant time and effort were needed for the analysis of in vitro mechanistic data in this case study, thus increasing the workload and time needed to perform the systematic review process. Further research and development of this framework with regards to grey literature (non-peer-reviewed literature) search, harmonization of study evaluation methods, more consistent evidence integration approaches and a pre-defined method to assess links between adverse effect and endocrine activity are recommended. It would also be advantageous to conduct more case studies for a chemical with less data than TPP.

This work presents a case study in applying a systematic review framework (SYRINA) to the identification of chemicals as endocrine disruptors. The suitability and performance of the framework is tested with regard to the widely accepted World Health Organization definition of an endocrine disruptor (ED). The endocrine disrupting potential of triphenyl phosphate (TPP), a well-studied flame retardant reported to exhibit various endocrine related effects was assessed. We followed the 7 steps of the SYRINA framework, articulating the research objective via Populations, Exposures, Comparators, Outcomes (PECO) statements, performed literature search and screening, conducted study evaluation, performed data extraction and summarized and integrated the evidence. Overall, 66 studies, consisting of in vivo, in vitro and epidemiological data, were included. We concluded that triphenyl phosphate could be identified as an ED based on metabolic disruption and reproductive function. We found that the tools used in this case study and the optimizations performed on the framework were suitable to assess properties of EDs. A number of challenges and areas for methodological development in systematic appraisal of evidence relating to endocrine disrupting potential were identified; significant time and effort were needed for the analysis of in vitro mechanistic data in this case study, thus increasing the workload and time needed to perform the systematic review process. Further research and development of this framework with regards to grey literature (non-peer-reviewed literature) search, harmonization of study evaluation methods, more consistent evidence integration approaches and a pre-defined method to assess links between adverse effect and endocrine activity are recommended. It would also be advantageous to conduct more case studies for a chemical with less data than TPP., This work presents a case study in applying a systematic review framework (SYRINA) to the identification of chemicals as endocrine disruptors. The suitability and performance of the framework is tested with regard to the widely accepted World Health Organization definition of an endocrine disruptor (ED). The endocrine disrupting potential of triphenyl phosphate (TPP), a well-studied flame retardant reported to exhibit various endocrine related effects was assessed. We followed the 7 steps of the SYRINA framework, articulating the research objective via Populations, Exposures, Comparators, Outcomes (PECO) statements, performed literature search and screening, conducted study evaluation, performed data extraction and summarized and integrated the evidence. Overall, 66 studies, consisting of in vivo, in vitro and epidemiological data, were included. We concluded that triphenyl phosphate could be identified as an ED based on metabolic disruption and reproductive function. We found that the tools used in this case study and the optimizations performed on the framework were suitable to assess properties of EDs. A number of challenges and areas for methodological development in systematic appraisal of evidence relating to endocrine disrupting potential were identified; significant time and effort were needed for the analysis of in vitro mechanistic data in this case study, thus increasing the workload and time needed to perform the systematic review process. Further research and development of this framework with regards to grey literature (non-peer-reviewed literature) search, harmonization of study evaluation methods, more consistent evidence integration approaches and a pre-defined method to assess links between adverse effect and endocrine activity are recommended. It would also be advantageous to conduct more case studies for a chemical with less data than TPP.

Concerns have been raised regarding the potential adverse health effects of the ubiquitous herbicide glyphosate. Here, we investigated long-term effects of developmental exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) by analyzing serum melatonin levels and cellular changes in the striatum of adult male rats (90 days old). Pregnant and lactating rats were exposed to 3% GBH (0.36% glyphosate) through drinking water from gestational day 5 to postnatal day 15. The offspring showed reduced serum melatonin levels (43%) at the adult age compared with the control group. The perinatal exposure to GBH also induced long-term oxidative stress-related changes in the striatum demonstrated by increased lipid peroxidation (45%) and DNA/RNA oxidation (39%) together with increased protein levels of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD1, 24%), glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCLC, 58%), and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1, 31%). Moreover, perinatal GBH exposure significantly increased the total number of neurons (20%) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons (38%) in the adult striatum. Mechanistic in vitro studies with primary rat pinealocytes exposed to 50 mu M glyphosate demonstrated a decreased melatonin secretion partially through activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 3 (mGluR3), while higher glyphosate levels (100 or 500 mu M) also reduced the pinealocyte viability. Since decreased levels of the important antioxidant and neuroprotector melatonin have been associated with an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders, this demonstrates the need to consider the melatonin hormone system as a central endocrine-related target of glyphosate and other environmental contaminants.

This work presents a case study in applying a systematic review framework (SYRINA) to the identification of chemicals as endocrine disruptors. The suitability and performance of the framework is tested with regard to the widely accepted World Health Organization definition of an endocrine disruptor (ED). The endocrine disrupting potential of triphenyl phosphate (TPP), a well-studied flame retardant reported to exhibit various endocrine related effects was assessed. We followed the 7 steps of the SYRINA framework, articulating the research objective via Populations, Exposures, Comparators, Outcomes (PECO) statements, performed literature search and screening, conducted study evaluation, performed data extraction and summarized and integrated the evidence. Overall, 66 studies, consisting of in vivo, in vitro and epidemiological data, were included. We concluded that triphenyl phosphate could be identified as an ED based on metabolic disruption and reproductive function. We found that the tools used in this case study and the optimizations performed on the framework were suitable to assess properties of EDs. A number of challenges and areas for methodological development in systematic appraisal of evidence relating to endocrine disrupting potential were identified; significant time and effort were needed for the analysis of in vitro mechanistic data in this case study, thus increasing the workload and time needed to perform the systematic review process. Further research and development of this framework with regards to grey literature (non-peer-reviewed literature) search, harmonization of study evaluation methods, more consistent evidence integration approaches and a pre-defined method to assess links between adverse effect and endocrine activity are recommended. It would also be advantageous to conduct more case studies for a chemical with less data than TPP.

Nontarget mass spectrometry has great potential to reveal patterns of water contamination globally through community science, but few studies are conducted in low-income countries, nor with open-source workflows, and few datasets are FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Water was collected from urban and rural rivers around Dhaka, Bangladesh, and analyzed by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry in four ionization modes (electrospray ionization +/-, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization +/-) with data -independent MS2 acquisition. The acquisition strategy was complementary: 19,427 and 7365 features were unique to ESI and APCI, respectively. The complexity of water pollution was revealed by >26,000 unique molecular features resolved by MS-DIAL, among which >20,000 correlated with urban sources in Dhaka. A major wastewater treatment plant was not a dominant pollution source, consistent with major contributions from uncontrolled urban drainage, a result that encourages development of further wastewater infrastructures. Matching of deconvoluted MS2 spectra to public libraries resulted in 62 confident annotations (i.e., Level 1-2a) and allowed semiquantification of 42 analytes including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and personal care products. In silico structure prediction for the top 100 unknown molecular features associated with an urban source allowed 15 additional chemicals of anthropogenic origin to be annotated (i.e., Level 3). The authentic MS2 spectra were uploaded to MassBank Europe, mass spectral data were openly shared on the MassIVE repository, a tool (i.e., MASST) that could be used for community science environmental surveillance was demonstrated, and current limitations were discussed.

Ambiences that represent environments or landscapes play a crucial role in the soundtrack of a film when the geographic setting is important for the film’s narrative. When sound designers can encourage viewers to both notice and accept the environment displayed in the film, this can contribute to an immersive experience. Prior research has discussed how changes in the level of detail, or complexity, of ambiences and soundscapes can affect the perceived immersion of a film experience. This study aims to further investigate this topic by looking at how the complexity of a minor category of sound elements, environmental sounds, affects the immersiveness of a film scene. A listening/viewing test was conducted in a controlled studio environment where participants watched a video segment that was synced to two different versions of an environmental soundscape. One version was more complex than the other. All of the subjects watched and listened to the same video-soundscape combinations. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through an online questionnaire. The participants were asked to rate the video segments for immersion-related qualities and to motivate their ratings. The results did not show enough statistical significance to support the idea that a change in complexity affects all of the three qualities perceived presence, realism and how accurately the amount of sonic details matched the picture. However, the subjects’ motivations of their ratings for perceived presence and realism indicate that a detailed, layered soundscape that includes rarely occurring sound elements provides a stronger experience of presence and realism. Future research based on the findings from this study is presented.

Peripubertal models to determine effects of anti-androgenic endocrine disrupting chemicals are needed. Using the toxicological model species Xenopus tropicalis, the aims of the study were to 1) provide data on sexual maturation and 2) characterise effects of short-term exposure to an anti-androgenic model substance. Juvenile (2.5 weeks post metamorphosis old) X. tropicalis were exposed to 0, 250, 500 or 1000 & mu;g flutamide/L (nominal) for 2.5 weeks. Upon exposure termination, histology of gonads and Mullerian ducts was characterised in detail. New sperm stages were identified: pale and dark spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). The testes of control males contained spermatozoa, indicating pubertal onset. The ovaries were immature, and composed of non-follicular and pre-vitellogenic follicular oocytes. The Mullerian ducts were more mature in females than males indicating development/regression in the females and males, respectively. In the 500 & mu;g/L group, the number of dark SSCs per testis area was decreased and the number of secondary spermatogonia was increased. No treatment effects on ovaries or Mullerian ducts were detected. To conclude, our present data provide new knowledge on spermatogenesis, and pubertal onset in X. tropicalis. New endpoints for evaluating spermatogenesis are suggested to be added to existing assays used in endocrine and reproductive toxicology.

Increased exposure to manmade chemicals may be linked to an increase in immune-related diseases in humans and immune system dysfunction in wildlife. Phthalates are a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) suspected to influence the immune system. The aim of this study was to characterize the persistent effects on leukocytes in the blood and spleen, as well as plasma cytokine and growth factor levels, one week after the end of five weeks of oral treatment with dibutyl phthalate (DBP; 10 or 100 mg/kg/d) in adult male mice. Flow cytometry analysis of the blood revealed that DBP exposure decreased the total leukocyte count, classical monocyte and T helper (Th) popula-tions, whereas it increased the non-classical monocyte population compared to the vehicle control (corn oil). Immuno-fluorescence analysis of the spleen showed increased CD11b+Ly6G+ (marker of polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells; PMN-MDSCs), and CD43+staining (marker of non-classical monocytes), whereas CD3+ (marker of total T cells) and CD4+ (marker of Th cells) staining decreased. To investigate the mechanisms of action, levels of plasma cytokines and chemokines were measured using multiplexed immunoassays and other key factors were ana-lyzed using western blotting. The observed increase in M-CSF levels and the activation of STAT3 may promote PMN-MDSC expansion and activity. Increased ARG1, NOX2 (gp91phox), and protein nitrotyrosine levels, as well as GCN2 and phosphor-eIRF alpha, suggest that oxidative stress and lymphocyte arrest drive the lymphocyte suppression caused by PMN-MDSCs. The plasma levels of IL-21 (promotes the differentiation of Th cells) and MCP-1 (regulates mi-gration and infiltration of monocytes/macrophages) also decreased. These findings show that adult DBP exposure can cause persistent immunosuppressive effects, which may increase susceptibility to infections, cancers, and immune dis-eases, and decrease vaccine efficacy.

Studies indicate that phthalates are endocrine disruptors affecting reproductive health. One of the most commonly used phthalates, di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), has been linked with adverse reproductive health outcomes in men, but the mechanisms behind these effects are still poorly understood. Here, adult male mice were orally exposed to DBP (10 or 100 mg/kg/day) for five weeks, and the testis and adrenal glands were collected one week after the last dose, to examine more persistent effects. Quantification of testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone and corticosterone concentrations by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that testicular testosterone was significantly decreased in both DBP treatment groups, whereas the other steroids were not significantly altered. Western blot analysis of testis revealed that DBP exposure increased the levels of the steroidogenic enzymes CYP11A1, HSD3 beta 2, and CYP17A1, the oxidative stress marker nitrotyrosine, and the luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR). The analysis further demonstrated increased levels of the germ cell marker DAZL, the Sertoli cell markers vimentin and SOX9, and the Leydig cell marker SULT1E1. Overall, the present work provides more mechanistic understanding of how adult DBP exposure can induce effects on the male reproductive system by affecting several key cells and proteins important for testosterone biosynthesis and spermatogenesis, and for the first time shows that these effects persist at least one week after the last dose. It also demonstrates impairment of testosterone biosynthesis at a lower dose than previously reported.

In this interview, Oskar Karlsson speaks with Storm Johnson, commissioning editor for Epigenomics, on his work to date in the field of toxicological origins of disease and gene-environment interactions. Oskar Karlsson, is an associate professor at the Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Sweden. Dr. Karlsson earned a PhD in toxicology at the Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience, Uppsala University, and has also worked at Centre of Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, as well as Harvard University School of Public Health. His research combines experimental model systems, computational and omics tools, and epidemiological studies to investigate the influence of environmental exposures on wildlife and human health, and underlying molecular mechanisms. In particular, his research focuses on developmental origins of health and disease with an emphasis on environmental exposures and epigenetic mechanisms. The projects concern the effects of exposures such as endocrine disrupting chemicals, flame retardants, pesticides, metals and particulate air pollution, as well as drugs, psycho-social stressors and ethnical disparities. Ongoing efforts include studies of paternal epigenetic inheritance in the ERC-funded project PATER.

It is important to identify the factors that influence the prevalence of disinhibitory behaviors, as tobacco and alcohol use in adolescence is a strong predictor of continued use and substance abuse into adulthood. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are persistent organic pollutants that pose a potential risk to the developing fetus and offspring long-term health. We examined associations between prenatal exposure OCPs and their metabolites (i. e., p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT, oxychlordane, and hexachlombenzene (HCB)), both as a mixture and single compounds, and alcohol consumption and smoking at adolescence in a sample (n = 554) from the Child Health and Development Studies prospective birth cohort. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression demonstrated a trend of higher risk of alcohol use and smoking with higher quartile mixture levels. Single-component analysis showed increased odds of smoking and drinking with increases in lipid-adjusted p,p'-DDE serum levels (aOR = 2.06, 95% CI 0.99-4.31, p = 0.05, per natural log unit increase). We found significant effect modification in these associations by sex with higher p,p '-DDT serum levels (aOR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.09-0.076, p = 0.01, per natural log unit increase) was associated with lower odds of smoking and drinking in female adolescents, while higher p,p'-DDE serum levels (aOR = 2.98, 95% CI 1.04-8.51, p = 0.04, per natural log unit increase) was associated with higher odds of the outcomes. Results of the mutually adjusted model were not significant for male adolescents. Further research to understand reasons for these sex-differences are warranted.

The awareness of forest biodiversity as well as the demand for a higher proportion of deciduous tree species in Swedish forests increases. As such, focus is shifting towards the management of naturally seed regenerated Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and Downey birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh). It is therefore essential to extend the knowledge of how birch seed regeneration is affected by management interventions as well as biotic and abiotic environmental factors. I selected 20 sites in northern Sweden that had been clear-cut between 2014 – 2019. Half of the sites had undergone mechanical scarification within two years after clear-cut. On all sites, a selection of biological, edaphic, and geographical factors along with naturally seed regenerated birch seedlings and saplings present were inventoried using a quadratic systematic grid of plots. Results showed that there was a trend towards a higher number of birch seedlings and saplings on not scarified sites. Also on not scarified sites, there were significantly shorter distances to seed trees and higher moss coverage in comparison to scarified sites, which according to correlation analysis increased number of seed regenerated birch seedlings and saplings. This work illuminates the importance of regarding multiple factors when regenerating birch by seed. Further research that captures the effect by a wide selection of biotic and abiotic environmental factors together with management interventions on birch seed regeneration is needed.

Underlying drivers of species extinctions need to be better understood for effective conservation of biodiversity. Nearly half of all amphibian species are at risk of extinction, and pollution may be a significant threat as seasonal high-level agrochemical use overlaps with critical windows of larval development. The potential of environmental chemicals to reduce the fitness of future generations may have profound ecological and evolutionary implications. This study characterized effects of male developmental exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the anti-androgenic pesticide linuron over two generations of offspring in Xenopus tropicalis frogs. The adult male offspring of pesticide-exposed fathers (F1) showed reduced body size, decreased fertility, and signs of endocrine system disruption. Impacts were further propagated to the grand-offspring (F2), providing evidence of transgenerational effects in amphibians. The adult F2 males demonstrated increased weight and fat body palmitoleic-to-palmitic acid ratio, and decreased plasma glucose levels. The study provides important cross-species evidence of paternal epigenetic inheritance and pollutant-induced transgenerational toxicity, supporting a causal and complex role of environmental contamination in the ongoing species extinctions, particularly of amphibians. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Interactions between environmental factors and genetics underlie the majority of chronic human diseases. Chemical exposures are likely an underestimated contributor, yet gene-environment (GxE) interaction studies rarely assess their modifying effects. Here, we describe a novel method to profile the human genome and identify regions associated with differential population susceptibility to chemical exposures. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) implicated in enriched chemical-disease intersections were identified and validated for three chemical classes with expected GxE interaction potential (neuroactive, hepatoactive, and cardioactive compounds). The same approach was then used to characterize consumer product classes with unknown risk for GxE interactions (washing products, cosmetics, and adhesives). Additionally, high-risk variant sets that may confer differential population susceptibility were identified for these consumer product groups through frequent itemset mining and pathway analysis. A dataset of 2454 consumer product chemical-disease linkages, with risk values, SNPs, and pathways for each association was developed, describing the interplay between environmental factors and genetics in human disease progression. We found that genetic hotspots implicated in GxE interactions differ across chemical classes (e.g., washing products had high-risk SNPs implicated in nervous system disease) and illustrate how this approach can discover new associations (e.g., washing product n-butoxyethanol implicated SNPs in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway for Alzheimer's disease). Hence, our approach can predict high-risk genetic regions for differential population susceptibility to chemical exposures and characterize chemical modifying factors in specific diseases. These methods show promise for describing how chemical exposures can lead to varied health outcomes in a population and for incorporating inter-individual variability into chemical risk assessment.

Per and polifluorinated substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous and persistent contaminants. Studies have indicated that fetuses and infants can be exposed to these chemicals in utero and through breastfeeding. Despite this, limited data about their effects on brain development are available. Here, we compared the effects of perfluoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure in rat primary neurons and neural stem cells (NSC). Treatment with 1-250 mu M of either of these compounds caused no effects on cell viability or proliferation in primary neurons, while PFOS exposure increased the NSC proliferation already at the lowest concentration tested (1-100 mu M). Further analysis showed that both PFOS and PFOA caused morphological alterations of NSC-derived neurons. The neurons derived from NSC treated with either of the PFAS demonstrated a decrease in cell body area. Exposure to 1 and 10 mu M PFOA also affected the neurite network and caused an increase in the number of processes and branches per cell. None of the PFAS caused morphological alterations in primary neurons. These data suggest that NSC, mimicking the immature brain, is clearly more susceptible to PFOS and PFOA exposure than the primary neurons. The PFAS-induced alterations in NSC may be related to neurobehavioral alterations observed in rodents developmentally exposed to these compounds, and show the importance to consider the effects of these compounds on human brain development and disease.