Search

The article discusses the environmental obligation of the current generation of parents concerning distant future generations. It is asserted that parenting requires environmental resources. The author believes that a minimal duty of justice owed by currently existing adults to currently existing children is an environment capable of indefinitely supporting human life at the level of adequacy.

The impact of attenuated magnetic field (МF) on human health is a burning issue of present-day cosmonautics. A series of experiments with animals exposed to attenuated MF revealed violent disorders in the development of the cardiovascular system. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effects of hypomagnetic environment (HME) on capillary blood circulation, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) in healthy humans. Participants ( n = 34) were 24 men and 10 women without cardiovascular symptoms. The mean age was 43.3 ± 15.4 years. Thirteen participants, eight men and five women, were randomly selected for a repeated investigation under natural conditions (sham exposure). The mean age in this group was 47.9 ± 18 years. Cardiac rhythm and heart rate were recorded using an Astrocard cardiac monitor (Russia). BP was measured by means of a Tonocard automatic blood pressure monitor (Russia). Capillary circulation was determined using a digital capillaroscope (Russia) with a high-speed CMOS camera (100 frames/s). The duration of HME exposure was 60 min. It has been demonstrated that HME increases capillary circulation rate by 22.4% in healthy humans without cardiovascular symptoms as compared to the records made under natural conditions. There was a significant HR reduction by the end of HME exposure as compared to the measurements taken at the beginning. At the end of the exposure, diastolic BP dropped considerably relative to mid-exposure values; on the contrary, systolic BP significantly increased by the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bourdieu suggested that the habitus contains the ‘genetic information’ which both allows and disposes successive generations to reproduce the world they inherit from their parents’ generation. While his writings on habitus are concerned with embodied dispositions, biological processes are not a feature of the practical reason of habitus. Recent critiques of the separate worlds of biology and culture, and the rise in epigenetics, provide new opportunities for expanding theoretical concepts like habitus. Using obesity science as a case study we attempt to conceptualise the enfolding of biological and social processes (via a Deleuzian metaphor) to develop a concept of biohabitus – reconfiguring how social and biological environments interact across the life course, and may be transmitted and transformed intergenerationally. In conclusion we suggest that the enfolding and reproduction of social life that Bourdieu articulated as habitus is a useful theoretical frame that can be enhanced to critically develop epigenetic understandings of obesity, and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines discourse on immunity in general public engagements with pandemic influenza in light of critical theory on immuno-politics and bodily integrity. Interview and focus group discussions on influenza with members of the general public reveal that, despite endorsement of government advice on how to avoid infection, influenza is seen as, ultimately, unavoidable. In place of prevention, members of the general public speak of immunity as the means of coping with influenza infection. Such talk on corporeal life under microbial threat is informed by self/not-self, network and ‘choice’ immunity, and therefore makes considerable allowance for cosmopolitan traffic with others, microbes, ‘dirt’ and immune-boosting consumer products. The immuno-political orientation of members of the general public, therefore, appears to trend towards a productive cosmopolitanism that contrasts with more orthodox bioscientific and governmental approaches to pandemic influenza. We reflect on the implications of the immuno-cosmopolitanism of everyday life for the advent of global public health emergency and for biopolitical rule in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many contaminants in the California Bay-Delta (Bay-Delta) exceed regulatory standards, affect aquatic species, and potentially affect human health. Recent studies provide multiple lines of evidence that contaminants affect species of concern in the Bay-Delta (e.g., the decline of several important fish species referred to as the "Pelagic Organism Decline" or POD). Contaminants occur as dynamic complex mixtures and exert effects at multiple levels of biological organization. Multiple chemicals impair processes at cellular and physiological levels (measured as growth, development, and behavior abnormalities), and when viability and reproductive output are affected, populations are affected. As an important example, the population decline of the endangered Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is significantly associated with multiple stressors, including insecticide use. New analyses presented in this paper show significant correlations between pyrethroid use and declining abundance of POD fish species. Water sampled from the Bay-Delta causes multiple deleterious effects in fish, and Delta Smelt collected from the Bay-Delta exhibit contaminant effects. Fish prey items are also affected by contaminants; this may have an indirect effect on their populations. Co-occurrence with thermal changes or disease can exacerbate contaminant effects. Contaminants also pose threats to human health via consumption of fish and shellfish, drinking water, and contact recreation, in particular, mercury, cyanobacteria toxins, disinfection byproducts, pathogens, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The role of contaminants in the decline of Bay-Delta species is difficult to accurately assess in a complex, dynamic system. However, tools and approaches are available to evaluate contaminant effects on Bay-Delta species, and separate the effects of multiple stressors. Integrated monitoring and focused mechanistic studies are instrumental for addressing management needs. Effect and risk assessments should be conducted for different species across multiple life stages, with emphasis on early life stages of high-priority Bay-Delta species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences we reflect on how environmental research incorporating community members as active partners has evolved, benefited communities and advanced environmental health research. We highlight the commitment to community partnerships in the aftermath of the 2010 Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill, and how that commitment helped improve science. We provide examples of community-academic partnerships across the engagement spectrum. Finally, we offer suggestions to improve the community engagement in order to cultivate more long partnerships and better scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental factors play a key role in the development of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but the long-term effects of these factors are still unclear. This study analyses data from 1024 monozygotic (identical) twins in Australia, the United States, and Scandinavia who were assessed for ADHD in Preschool, Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2. Differences within each twin pair were used as a direct measure of non-shared environmental effects. The Trait-State-Occasion (TSO) model developed by Cole et al. (Psychological Methods, 10, 3-20, 2005) was used to separate the non-shared environmental effects into stable factors, and transient factors that excluded measurement error. Stable factors explained, on average, 44 % and 39 % of the environmental variance in hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive symptoms, respectively. Transient effects explained the remaining 56 % and 60 % of variance. The proportion of stable variance was higher than expected based on previous research, suggesting promise for targeted interventions if future research identifies these stable risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We advance marine sociology to analyze the human dimensions of ocean systems. Human societies are fundamentally linked to marine systems and are transforming oceanic conditions in dramatic ways, resulting in socio-ecological problems. Despite the great and important possibilities in this realm, these relationships are seldom studied within sociology. This article highlights the ecological foundations of human societies, emphasizing interactions with marine systems, and presents marine sociology as a valuable expansion of environmental sociological studies. This approach seeks to better integrate sociological and ecological sciences. We propose that social metabolic analysis serves as one useful theoretical framework for examining the socio-ecological interrelationships. The analysis focuses on the dynamics of ocean systems, social processes that are changing marine ecosystems, and the perennial interactions within and between these systems. We provide brief analyses of climate change, ocean acidification, and pollution, revealing how the modern socioeconomic order has created ecological rifts in marine ecosystems, and how these concerns reciprocally affect social life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate prenatal exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) from telecommunication using a mobile phone questionnaire, operator data logs of mobile phone use and a personal exposure meter (PEM).Material and Methods: The study included 1228 mother-infants pairs from the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study - a multicenter prospective cohort study ongoing since 2006, in which participants were enrolled at ≤ 20 weeks of pregnancy, with a follow-up of a child birth and growth to assess the association between prenatal environmental exposure and children's health. The questionnaire included the average calling frequency per day and the average calling time per day. An EME Spy 100 PEM was used to measure RFR among 269 pregnant women from November 2007 to August 2010. The operators' log data were obtained from 21 participants. The Spearman's correlation test was performed to evaluate correlation coefficient and 95% confidence intervals between the mobile phone use information from the questionnaire, operators' log data, and data recorded by the PEM.Results: The operators' log data and information from the self-reported questionnaire showed significantly high correlations in the average calling frequency per day (ρ = 0.6, p = 0.004) and average calling time per day (ρ = 0.5, p = 0.02). The correlation between information on the mobile phone use in the self-reported questionnaire and exposure index recorded by the PEM was poor. But correlation between the information of the operators' log data and exposure index for transmission of mobile communication was significantly high: correlation coefficient (p-value) was 0.44 (0.07) for calling frequency per day, and it was 0.49 (0.04) for calling time per day.Conclusions: The questionnaire information on the mobile phone use showed moderate to high quality. Using multiple methods for exposure assessment might be better than using only one method. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(6):959-972. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European energy politics, usually focused on the single building scale, are now broadening their field of interest towards a wider context, defining more adequate intervention strategies aiming at facilitating virtuous relationship between buildings at district, city and region levels. Themes related to human comfort are properly considered as well, both at physical and social level, namely relational comfort between people living in the same built environment. Again, relationship is the key word. In this context, university student residences have been often studied as large buildings hosting several and complex functions, where people with different habits, education, origins and culture live together. Besides, dorms have particular relationships with the city, often acting as places for urban regeneration. The study presented here concerns the analysis of the recent San Bartolomeo student dorm, performed with focus groups with the occupants and questionnaires, on-site monitoring survey and energy modelling in transient state. The purpose is to present a comprehensive study on the constructive and energetic aspects of existing building complexes, in order to define a possible procedure aimed at considering the overall comfort level of the living community and the interaction with the urban surrounding from an operational and social point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early environmental conditions are increasingly appreciated as critical in shaping behavior and cognition. Evidence suggests that stressful rearing environments can have an enduring impact on behaviors in adulthood, but few studies have explored the possibility that rearing environment could exacerbate genetic hyperactivity disorders. Uncovering a strong environmental influence on the transmission of hyperactivity could provide novel avenues for translational research. Recently we developed a selectively bred High-Active line of mice to model ADHD, providing a unique resource to address the question of environmental transmission. The High-Active line demonstrates transgenerational hyperactivity, but the influence of the postnatal environment (i.e. maternal care provided by dams) on hyperactivity had not been systemically quantified. This study employed a cross-fostering method to simultaneously address 1) whether High-Active and Control pups are provided with similar levels of care in the early environment, and 2) whether any differences in rearing environment influence hyperactive behavior. High-Active dams demonstrated impairment in all measures of maternal competence relative to Controls, which reduced survival rates and significantly reduced the body mass of offspring in early life and at weaning. While the deteriorated postnatal environment provided by High-Active dams was ultimately sufficient to depress Control activity, the hyperactivity of High-Active offspring remained unaffected by fostering condition. These data not only confirm the power of genetics to influence hyperactivity across generations, but also provide evidence that early rearing environments may not have a significant impact on the extreme end of hyperactive phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Nordic countries are areas with a high-incidence of ovarian cancer; however, differences between the countries exist.Material and Methods: We used the Danish Cancer Registry to identify 11 264 cases of ovarian cancer and 363 cases of tubal cancer during 1993-2013. We calculated age-standardized (world standard population) incidence rates for overall and subtype-specific ovarian cancer, and for tubal cancer. We compared age-standardized incidence rates, and 1- and 5-year age-standardized relative survival rates, respectively, for ovarian and tubal cancer combined in four Nordic countries using the NORDCAN database.Results: The incidence rate of ovarian cancer overall in Denmark decreased statistically significantly by approximately 2.3% per year among women aged <70 years, whereas no change was seen among women aged 70+ years. In the <70-year age-group, the incidence of serous tumors was fairly steady, whereas that of other and unspecified epithelial tumors decreased significantly by 6.4% per year. The incidence of tubal cancer was quite stable. In Norway and Finland, the incidence rates of ovarian and tubal cancer combined decreased from 1993 to 2013 in women aged <70 years, whereas in Sweden the incidence rates decreased independently of age. The 1- and 5-year relative survival rates of ovarian and tubal cancer combined increased during the study period in all the Nordic countries. Denmark had the lowest survival; however, the survival rates approached those of the other countries in recent years.Conclusions: In Denmark, the positive development in ovarian cancer has continued during recent years with a lower incidence and an increased survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The purpose of this paper is to present the development and psychometric properties of a new environmental measure that identifies barriers and facilitators in receptivity, physical environment and communication for post-stroke populations, including survivors with aphasia. Methods. The Measure of Stroke Environment (MOSE) was developed using information from semi-structured interviews and three pilot studies. Reliability and validity were assessed in 43 post-stroke participants. Results. The MOSE contains 47 items across 33 questions in three domains (receptivity, physical environment, communication). Internal consistency reliability was high (.83 to .85) across each domain and over the entire assessment (.91). Convergent validity showed moderate correlation with the Stroke Impact Scale (.33 to .37), the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (-.31 to -.46) and the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (.55 to .61). Persons with aphasia had significantly lower scores on the communication domain. Stroke survivors with (26% overall difficulty) and without aphasia (31% overall difficulty) continue to experience difficulty ≥ 2 years post-stroke. Discussion. The MOSE offers a brief, reliable and valid assessment of environmental barriers and facilitators to participation for post-stroke survivors reintegrating into their communities. Stroke survivors with very mild deficits continue to experience barriers from the environment many years post-stroke. These barriers are not typically identified during the rehabilitation process but persist post-reintegration. Conclusion. The MOSE is able to determine how frequently a stroke survivor faces challenges in their environment and how that impacts his or her participation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Climate change will worsen the high levels of urban vulnerability in Latin American cities due to specific environmental stressors. Some impacts of climate change, such as high temperatures in urban environments, have not yet been addressed through adaptation strategies, which are based on poorly supported data. These impacts remain outside the scope of urban planning. New spatially explicit approaches that identify highly vulnerable urban areas and include specific adaptation requirements are needed in current urban planning practices to cope with heat hazards. In this paper, a heat vulnerability index is proposed for Santiago, Chile. The index was created using a GIS-based spatial information system and was constructed from spatially explicit indexes for exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity levels derived from remote sensing data and socio-economic information assessed via principal component analysis (PCA). The objective of this study is to determine the levels of heat vulnerability at local scales by providing insights into these indexes at the intra city scale. The results reveal a spatial pattern of heat vulnerability with strong variations among individual spatial indexes. While exposure and adaptive capacities depict a clear spatial pattern, sensitivity follows a complex spatial distribution. These conditions change when examining PCA results, showing that sensitivity is more robust than exposure and adaptive capacity. These indexes can be used both for urban planning purposes and for proposing specific policies and measures that can help minimize heat hazards in highly dynamic urban areas. The proposed methodology can be applied to other Latin American cities to support policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical models used to investigate research questions in behavioral genetics often require large amounts of data. This paper introduces some key concepts of Bayesian analysis and illustrates how these methods can aid model estimation when the data does not provide enough information to reliably answer research questions. The use of informative prior distributions is discussed as a method of incorporating information from other sources than the data at hand. The procedure is illustrated with an ACE model decomposition of the variance of antisocial personality disorder. The data originates from the Norwegian Twin Registry, and includes adult twins assessed with the Structured Interview for DSM Personality (SIDP-IV). Inclusion of prior information lead to a shift with respect to conclusions about the presence of shared environmental effects compared to a traditional analysis. Small and medium sized studies should consider use of prior information to aid estimation of population parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our experimental design was formulated to determine whether or not bulb polarity (orientation) at the time of replanting of bulbs to salvage plants of Calochortus weedii A. W. Wood (Liliaceae) or Weed's Mariposa Lily affected the success of the mitigation transplant effort. Polarity of bulbs at planting clearly did influence subsequent growth, most notably in the tip-down (D) treatment. Among these bulbs, 75% failed to emerge from dormancy and only four (20%) actually set mature fruit. This was in sharp contrast to the other three treatments where 100% of the bulbs successfully emerged in this season and between 80% (S) and 95% (UG and UN) set mature fruit. The data from this study do indicate that: 1) bulb planting orientation does influence survival and growth, and 2) proper bulb planting polarity (orientation) should be an important consideration in any transplantation of this or any sensitive bulb producing plant species for mitigation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses several reports published within issue on topics including human-created risks; ways in which human success is based on human ingenuity; potential limits of humans controlling and conquering their environment.

A National Curriculum in Health and Physical Education (HPE) has recently been developed in Australia. This new curriculum reflects, among other educational priorities, both environmental sensitivities and a commitment to the enhancement of young people's health and wellbeing. HPE is one of the key sites in the curriculum where a focused consideration of the relationship between the environment and health is possible. However, to date no research has considered the ways that HPE teachers might recognise and negotiate these spaces. The research described in this paper addresses this gap through an analysis of semi-structured interviews with generalist primary and specialist secondary HPE teachers, drawing on a 'narrative ethnography' approach derived from cultural geography. This analysis highlights the consequences of the absence of a knowledge tradition that explicitly links the fields of the environment and health in HPE. Participants who were able to conceptualise environmental health almost exclusively drew on dominant neoliberal and risk discourses. At the same time, teachers' embodied histories and affective encounters with non-human nature helped them to rupture or challenge dominant assumptions about environmental health. We argue that corporeal knowledge developed through embodied experiences has the potential to assist teachers in formulating environmental health in ways that highlight how interactions with the environment might enhance health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypothesis: We assume that physical deficiency is the trigger for the formation and damage of self-image as well as the influence of environmental factors. Environmental factors: unhealthy lifestyle, biological factors, unfavourable environment, obstacles, risk factors related to healthcare, contribute to the damaging of self-image. Objectives: • Identify physical deficiency; • Identify of self-image; • Highlight a personality profile; • The influence of environmental factors;. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the human population is growing, which causes increasing demands on landscapes. Human activity significantly influences the ecological balance, especially in the negative. Ecological stability is the basis for assessments of all environmental conditions and for assessments according to new land uses. The area of interest is evaluated according to both positive and negative factors. There are many methodologies for calculating ecological stability, e.g., Muchová et al. (2009); Řeháčková - Pauditšová (2007); Kupková (2002); Streďanský et al. (1995) and Löw et al. (1984). The aim of this paper is to compare the works of the mentioned authors concerning the ecological stability of the district of Levice (Slovakia), specifically in the municipal cadastre region of Bielovce. The land uses of this territory have changed during some periods. We compared the state of the land uses in the years 1950, 2012 and 2014. During this period, the proportion of arable land increased, and the proportion of forest decreased. In the area of interest, the ecological stability increased, but not as significantly as we expected. The processed data were prepared in GIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance our understanding of processes of environment naturalization, we must go beyond the discursive, political and perceptive dimensions. Nature is also praxis: a specific form of bond and relationship established between humans and the environments they inhabit, closely related to processes of naturalization. To analyse these practices that substantiate nature, this article examines kitchen gardens in Alájar, a locality set within a natural park in the south west of Spain. This specific ethnography is used in order to shed light on the meaning and significance of nature for those living in a ‘naturalized space’, how it translates from the perspective of praxis and, more precisely, how the natural character attributed to the environment from a human–environment relational perspective is substantiated. More generally, the aim is to ascertain the utility of this methodological strategy in understanding processes of naturalization and the meaning of nature in the Western world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper notes the re-ignited controversy surrounding the publication of a new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), suggesting that the early work of Michel Foucault can explain why the mere diagnosis of or criteria for mental illness remains a heated flashpoint. In particular, it argues that Foucault articulates a common issue within the philosophical foundations of psychiatry and psychology that the paper terms the 'subjectivity problem.' It observes, using Foucault's work, that these disciplines treat not just simple objects but complex subjects that are capable of interacting with that labelling and who are shaped by it. Drawing on the related work of Ian Hacking on kind-making as world-making, the article fleshes out why the subjectivity problem remains persistent within psychiatry and psychology as forms of knowledge, preventing them from operating as many commentators might desire them to - as pure and objective sciences. Finally, the paper reflects on the relationship of psychiatry and psychology as forms of knowledge, the manner in which they constitute their objects, and how this might shape the biopolitical episteme in which we find ourselves today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents theoretical issues of human rights (HR) to live in a healthy environment of Vietnam in 2016. It explores the significant role played by the environment for human, where the polluted environment will negatively impact the human. It highlights HR of living in a healthy environment as the objective and natural to human interests and needs of living in environment which consists of quality guaranteed elements with the protection by international legal treaties and national law.

Many in Hong Kong have identified the city as ‘half-sovereign’ or ‘conditionally sovereign’, as postcoloniality has brought about new ruptures and shifting boundaries of citizenship in economic, cultural and legal terms. The work of deciphering questions of belonging is still ongoing, and has in fact intensified in recent times. Increasingly, who qualifies as a citizen and where their sense of home is have become vital questions for two visible groups: the Chinese Mainlanders whose personal and cultural fortunes have been transformed by opportunities presented by the permeability of the city-border, and the foreign domestic helpers whose right of belonging has been caught up in discriminatory immigration laws. My argument is that their fates are conjoined by what I call the state of being ‘included-out’, something augmented by nebulous doctrines of citizenship rights as well as by legalized and informal forms of cultural racialism. Through an analysis of the landscape of human rights struggles concerning the right of abode for people caught in half-sovereignty, I hope to outline the biopolitical continuum of those ‘included-out’ in Hong Kong’s citizenship management regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Exposure to environmental hazards will destroy a number of ovarian primordial follicles, reduce ovarian reserve and subsequent reproductive ability. This study designed to evaluate ovarian parameters and ovarian blood flow of women living in the area of environmental crisis Shalkar city (Kazakhstan) compared to women living in Aktobe city (Kazakhstan). Patients and Methods: 220 women in their reproductive age studied and classified into two groups; study (Shalkar) group and control (Aktobe) group. Blood sample taken from studied women during follicular phase (day 3) for hormonal level evaluation including; follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH). Studied women evaluated using trans-vaginal ultrasound (TVS) to detect antral follicle count (AFC) during follicular scan and ovarian volume (OV), ovarian blood flow (OBF) using pulsatility index (PI) during follicular scan and luteal scan. Results: Both ovaries AFC was significantly less in study (Shalkar) group compared to and control (Aktobe) group (p=0.0001). Mean ovarian volume was significantly less in Shalkar group in both follicular phase and luteal phase (5.86±0.23 and 6.19±0.22Cm(3); respectively) compared to Aktobe group (6.85±0.19 and 6.92±0.18Cm(3); respectively). In addition, mean ovarian pulsatility index was significantly high with subsequent decrease in ovarian blood flow in Shalkar group in both follicular phase and luteal phase (3.36±0.20 and 3.45±0.19Cm/s; respectively) compared to Aktobe group (2.96±0.16 and 2.92±0.15Cm/s; respectively). Conclusion: This study suggests definite environmental effect on ovarian parameters as indicated by decreased AFC, decreased both follicular and luteal OV and OBF in women living in environmental crisis Shalkar group compared to Aktobe group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveThough the median age at diagnosis is 64 years, few studies focus on elderly (≥65 years) patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This study examines healthcare outcomes among elderly Medicare beneficiaries with CML who started nilotinib or dasatinib after imatinib. Research design and methodsPatients were identified in the Medicare Research Identifiable Files (2006–2012) and had continuous Medicare Parts A, B, and D coverage. Main outcome measuresTreatment patterns, overall survival (OS), monthly healthcare resource utilization and medical costs were measured from the second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) initiation (index date) to end of Medicare coverage. ResultsDespite similar adherence, dasatinib patients (N = 379) were more likely to start on the recommended dose (74% vs. 53%;p < 0.001), and to have dose reductions (21% vs. 11%, adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.94;p = 0.002) or dose increases (9% vs. 7%; adjusted HR = 1.81;p = 0.048) than nilotinib patients (N = 280). Fewer nilotinib patients discontinued (59% vs. 67%; adjusted HR = 0.80;p = 0.026) or switched to another TKI (21% vs. 29%; adjusted HR = 0.72;p = 0.044) than dasatinib patients. Nilotinib patients had longer median OS (>4.9 years vs. 4.0 years;p = 0.032) and 37% lower mortality risk than dasatinib patients (adjusted HR = 0.63;p = 0.008). Nilotinib patients had 23% fewer inpatient admissions, 30% fewer emergency room visits, 13% fewer outpatient visits (allp < 0.05), and lower monthly medical costs (by $513,p = 0.024) than dasatinib patients. LimitationsLack of clinical assessment (disease phase and response to first-line therapy) and retrospective nature of study (unobservable potential confounding factors, non-randomized treatment choice). ConclusionsIn the current study of elderly CML patients, initiation of second-line TKIs frequently occurs at doses lower than the recommended starting doses and, despite this, many patients require dose adjustments. Here, nilotinib patients required fewer dose adjustments than dasatinib patients. Further research focusing on elderly CML patients is warranted in order to help define future best clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Females in many animal taxa incur significant costs from mating in the form of injury or infection, which can drastically reduce survival. Therefore, immune function during reproduction can be important in determining lifetime fitness. Trade-offs between reproduction and immunity have been extensively studied, yet a growing number of studies demonstrate that mated females have a stronger immune response than virgins. Here, we use the Texas field cricket, Gryllus texensis, to test multiple hypotheses proposed to explain this postmating increase in immune function. Using host-resistance tests, we found that courtship, copulation, and accessory fluids alone do not affect female immunity; rather, only females that acquire intact ejaculates containing testes-derived components exhibit significant increases in survival after exposure to bacterial pathogens. Our data suggest that male-derived components originating from an intact ejaculate and transferred to females during sex are required for the increased immune function characteristic of mated female crickets to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of probes for Hg2+ ion has been an active area of research fn recent years because of the ill effects of this ion on the human health and environment. Hence the probe that needs to be developed should be sensitive as well as biologically compatible. This review mainly focuses to provide a comprehensive and comparative view of advances reported over the past ten years of literature, including our own contributions, in the design and application of the carbohydrate-based conjugates as fluorescent sensors for mercury. Therefore, this review covers aspects, such as, Hg2+ ion recognition, sensing and complexation by carbohydrate conjugates addressed using different spectral techniques and their critical analysis in a comparative manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amazon region is one of the most significant natural ecosystems on the planet. Of special interest as a major study area is the interface between the forest and Manaus city, a state capital in Brazil embedded in the heart of the Amazon forest. In view of the interactions between natural and anthropogenic processes, an integrated experiment was conducted measuring the concentrations of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and meta, ortho, para-xylene (known as BTEX), all of them regarded as pollutants with harmful effects on human health and vegetation and acting also as important precursors of tropospheric ozone. Furthermore, these compounds also take part in the formation of secondary organic aerosols, which can influence the pattern of cloud formation, and thus the regional water cycle and climate. The samples were collected in 2012/2013 at three different sites: (i) The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO), a pristine rain forest region in the central Amazon Basin; (ii) Manacapuru, a semi-urban site located southwest and downwind of Manaus as a preview of the Green Ocean Amazon Experiment (GoAmazon 2014/15); and (iii) the city of Manaus (distributed over three sites). Results indicate that there is an increase in pollutant concentrations with increasing proximity to urban areas. For instance, the benzene concentration ranges were 0.237–19.6 (Manaus), 0.036–0.948 (Manacapuru) and 0.018–0.313 μg m −3 (ATTO). Toluene ranges were 0.700–832 (Manaus), 0.091–2.75 μg m −3 (Manacapuru) and 0.011–4.93 (ATTO). For ethylbenzene, they were 0.165–447 (Manaus), 0.018–1.20 μg m −3 (Manacapuru) and 0.047–0.401 (ATTO). Some indication was found for toluene to be released from the forest. No significant difference was found between the BTEX levels measured in the dry season and the wet seasons. Furthermore, it was observed that, in general, the city of Manaus seems to be less impacted by these pollutants than other cities in Brazil and in other countries, near the coastline or on the continent. A risk analysis for the health of Manaus' population was performed and indicated that the measured concentrations posed a risk for development of chronic diseases and cancer for the population of Manaus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioaerosols, including their characteristics and overall changes correlated with environmental factors, have the potential to impact human health and influence atmospheric dynamics. In this study, the varying interrelationship between the concentration and diameter of culturable bioaerosols and twelve factors including PM2.5 (AQI), PM10 (AQI), sampling time, sampling season, temperature, relative humidity, dew, pressure, wind, O 3 , NO 2 , and SO 2 is determined for twelve months during non-haze and haze days in Beijing. Results of principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the influence of factors on culturable bioaerosols is mainly associated with haze levels, sampling time, and season. Multiple linear regressions showed that the correlation between PM10 (AQI) or temperature and culturable bioaerosols varied at different haze levels. The seasonal influence of PM2.5 (AQI) was observed in culturable bioaerosol concentrations, but not their diameters. A temporal relationship between PM10 (AQI) and culturable bioaerosol concentration was detected during rush hour. SO 2 and NO 2 show positive and negative correlations with culturable bioaerosol concentrations in the morning/evening and mid-day, respectively. These results are useful for accurately evaluating the health effects of exposure to bioaerosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proxemics and neuro-cognitive literature have suggested a close relationship between social and action functions of near-body space. Here we asked whether interpersonal-social (comfort distance) and peripersonal-action (reachability-distance) are similarly sensitive to social aspects. In an Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) study (Exp. 1), participants determined reachability and comfort distances from virtual male/female children, young/old adults while standing still (passive) or approaching them (active). Exp. 2 assessed the ecological validity of the IVR-study by replicating real participant-confederate interactions. Exp. 3 used a paper-and-pencil proxemics measure to investigate spatial behaviors for practical/clinical purposes. Results showed that reachability and comfort distances were similar in active but not passive, conditions. Both distances were moderated by gender (reduction with females; expansion with males) and age (expansion with adults; reduction with children). These results were consistent among the three approaches. Therefore, interpersonal and peripersonal spaces share a common motor nature and are similarly sensitive to social aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young children are more highly exposed and vulnerable to environmental health hazards than adults due to a variety of physiological and behavioural factors. Despite the significant responsibility mothers typically bear in managing their children’s health, little is known about how they perceive and negotiate these risks in their day-to-day lives. To better understand mothers’ environmental health risk perceptions and associated protective actions across socio-economic and geographic contexts, a telephone survey was conducted among new mothers (n = 606) recruited through two Public Health Units in Ontario, Canada. Analyses revealed that approximately half of the respondents were moderately or highly concerned about environmental health risks, ranging in nature from household products to outdoor air contaminants. Factors affecting the likelihood of experiencing concern included lower income and lower levels of perceived control. With regard to protective actions, 43% reported taking three or more actions to reduce environmental health risks to their children, with the likelihood of taking action being negatively affected by factors including low income and first language other than English or French, and positively affected by being a first-time parent (primiparous). This study contributes to our understanding of environmental health risk perceptions and associated protective behaviours among new mothers, and has implications for the development of more context-focused risk management and communication strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents insights on the argument by philosopher Brook Muller on architect Le Corbusier's idea of the house as a machine for living in. He discusses the environmental challenges associated with the legacy of the architectural metaphor of the machine mentioned by Muller, Muller's characterization of the intertwining problems of concrete reduction and imaginative blockage, and Muller's invocation of the watershed.

The ways in which humans affect and are affected by their environments have been studied from many different perspectives over the past decades. However, it was not until the 1970s that the discussion of the ethical relationship between humankind and the environment formalized as an academic discipline with the emergence of environmental ethics. A few decades later, environmental health emerged as a discipline focused on the assessment and regulation of environmental factors that affect living beings. Our goal here is to begin a discussion specifically about the impact of modern environmental change on biomedical and social understandings of brain and mental health, and to align this with ethical considerations. We refer to this focus as Environmental Neuroethics, offer a case study to illustrate key themes and issues, and conclude by offering a five-tier framework as a starting point of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive function defines performance in objective tasks that require conscious mental effort. Extreme environments, namely heat, hypoxia, and cold can all alter human cognitive function due to a variety of psychological and/or biological processes. The aims of this Focused Review were to discuss; (1) the current state of knowledge on the effects of heat, hypoxic and cold stress on cognitive function, (2) the potential mechanisms underpinning these alterations, and (3) plausible interventions that may maintain cognitive function upon exposure to each of these environmental stressors. The available evidence suggests that the effects of heat, hypoxia, and cold stress on cognitive function are both task and severity dependent. Complex tasks are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat stress, whereas both simple and complex task performance appear to be vulnerable at even at moderate altitudes. Cold stress also appears to negatively impact both simple and complex task performance, however, the research in this area is sparse in comparison to heat and hypoxia. In summary, this focused review provides updated knowledge regarding the effects of extreme environmental stressors on cognitive function and their biological underpinnings. Tyrosine supplementation may help individuals maintain cognitive function in very hot, hypoxic, and/or cold conditions. However, more research is needed to clarify these and other postulated interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many communities are located near multiple sources of pollution, including current and former industrial sites, major roadways, and agricultural operations. Populations in such locations are predominantly low-income, with a large percentage of minorities and non-English speakers. These communities face challenges that can affect the health of their residents, including limited access to health care, a shortage of grocery stores, poor housing quality, and a lack of parks and open spaces. Environmental exposures may interact with social stressors, thereby worsening health outcomes. Age, genetic characteristics, and preexisting health conditions increase the risk of adverse health effects from exposure to pollutants. There are existing approaches for characterizing cumulative exposures, cumulative risks, and cumulative health impacts. Although such approaches have merit, they also have significant constraints. New developments in exposure monitoring, mapping, toxicology, and epidemiology, especially when informed by community participation, have the potential to advance the science on cumulative impacts and to improve decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a report on the research to examine the influence of specific environmental factors on skeletal morphology of Americans. Topics discussed include focus on sature and weight to establish relationship between biological and environmental variables, collection of skeletal data from Forensic Data Bank (FDB) to obtain osteological information and studies related to postcranial changes including anteroposterior elongation of the femoral midshaft.

The aim of the present study was to detect the candidate genes involved in the metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Gene expression profiles of primary and metastatic CRC samples in the GSE14297 and GSE49355 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Subsequent to processing, Fisher's exact test and the metaDE package in R language were applied to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between primary and metastatic CRC samples. In addition, function and pathway enrichment analysis was performed using online tools in the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery resource and common DEGs in GSE14297 and GSE49355 were identified. Their expression values in another dataset, GSE29621, were then collected in order to screen the genes with high standard deviations between primary and metastatic samples, which were considered as candidate metastasis-associated genes. Candidate genes were finally verified by performing survival analysis via the log-rank test. A total of 370 DEGs were screened in GSE14297 and GSE49355, and 77 common DEGs were identified. Upregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in the immune, energy metabolism and drug metabolism-associated functions. Downregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in cell adhesion-associated functions. A total of 12 genes, including the carbonic anhydrase II (CA2), carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 7 (CEACAM7), Fc fragment of immunoglobulin G binding protein (FCGBP), and placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8), were the candidate metastasis-associated genes, among which FCGBP expression significantly decreased the overall survival time of patients. The selected candidate metastasis-associated gene, FCGBP, may be used as a potential therapeutic target in patients with metastatic CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Withdrawal statement Egilman DS. The production of corporate research to manufacture doubt about the health hazards of products: an overview of the Exponent Bakelite™ simulation study. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. 2016;22(1):18–26. DOI: 10.1080/10773525.2015.1123379. This content has been removed by the publishers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the human-nature interaction increased wellbeing for a relatively small proportion of people and disrupted of natural processes that threaten almost all population, but mainly the one who benefit the less. Environmental degradation is a major threat for the safety of humans. Issues of great concern are outlined in different ways, reflecting the prevailing opinion or condition that increases the chances of their mitigation. Energy, climate change, and water were confirmed by a comparison of fifteen different rankings. For each of them it is very important to create an enabling economic framework that will provide the resources for clean technology, expansion of production capacity, and development of water distribution infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution has serious impacts on human health. In the past, the forests were the main source for human food and shelter. Today, forests have many roles. One of these roles is the possibility of combating pollution. Forests allow the maintenance of the ecological balance, being the most important factor for the natural environment. Climate change is affecting increasingly more human activities. Forests have the capacity to attenuate the climate change action. Considering the importance of forests in combating the soil erosion, this article presents a case related to the soil erosion caused by water, for the European Union countries. A real importance of forests is given by the contribution that they make to reduce the temperature increase and the fight against drought and floods. Forests are under threat because of the deforestation. The article presents an analysis of the forest area in Romania and of the areas where were performed regenerations. Thus, protecting forests is an effective measure against global warming and against the loss of the ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most dangerous types of cancer is leukemia which is predominant in children more than adult. The present study aimed to evaluate the chemopreventive activity of curcumine lipoiate on tumor progression and hematopoiesis in the peripheral blood either in free form or conjugated with Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on the incidence of 7,12- dimethylbenz (a) anthrathene (DMBA) induced leukemiain female wistar rats. The activity of β2 microglobulin and CBC in addition to the activities of the most important free radical scavengers of the antioxidant defense system as well as malondialdehyde content were estimated. Liver function and kidney function markers were also determined for all groups. Cytopathological examination of peripheral blood of each group was also performed. The result of the present study revealed that, curcumine lipoiate conjugated with ZnO-NPs, is more potent antitumor effect than in free form, as it normalizes most of the investigated parameters. In conclusion,these results proved that, the conjugation form resulted in superadditive inhibitor effects on leukemic cells and this was well appreciated with the cytopathological alteration findings in the treated groups, these findings suggest that curcuminelipoiate with Zinc-Oxide play an important role in prevention of leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the 'cascade model' of ecosystem service provision and the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework individually contribute to the understanding of human-nature interactions in social-ecological systems (SES). Yet, as several points of criticism show, they are limited analytical tools when it comes to reproducing complex cause-effect relationships in such systems. However, in this paper, we point out that by merging the two models, they can mutually enhance their comprehensiveness and overcome their individual conceptual deficits. Therefore we closed a cycle of ecosystem service provision and societal feedback by rethinking and reassembling the core elements of both models. That way, we established a causal sequence apt to describe the causes of change to SES, their effects and their consequences. Finally, to illustrate its functioning we exemplified and discussed our approach based on a case study conducted in the Alpujarra de la Sierra in southern Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire-use and the scale and character of its effects on landscapes remain hotly debated in the paleo- and historical-fire literature. Since the second half of the nineteenth century, anthropology and geography have played important roles in providing theoretical propositions and testable hypotheses for advancing understandings of the ecological role of human-fire-use in landscape histories. This article reviews some of the most salient and persistent theoretical propositions and hypotheses concerning the role of humans in historical fire ecology. The review discusses this history in light of current research agendas, such as those offered by pyrogeography. The review suggests that a more theoretically cognizant historical fire ecology should strive to operationalize transdisciplinary theory capable of addressing the role of human variability in the evolutionary history of landscapes. To facilitate this process, researchers should focus attention on integrating more current human ecology theory into transdisciplinary research agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use structural equations methodology with data on 1,576 pairs of variously related young adult siblings (MZ twins, DZ twins, full siblings, half siblings, cousins, and nonrelated siblings) to distinguish the roles of genetic and environmental influences on educational attainment. Using quantitative genetic (ACE) models, we find that the role of genes in educational attainment is relatively weaker (23 percent of the variance) and the role of the shared family environment stronger (41 percent of the variance for twins and 30 percent of the variance for non-twin siblings) than is typically found for cognitive outcomes in young adults. The pattern of high shared environmentality, especially for twins, is not accounted for by the strong degree of assortative mating in the data (parental correlation r = .629), nor by direct effects of educational attainment of the siblings on each other. The low heritability-high environmentality pattern indicates a high level of inequality of opportunity for educational attainment in American society at the turn of the twenty-first century, perhaps linked to a greater role of family financial resources in attainment. Comparative evidence suggests that inequality of opportunity has increased in the United States over past decades, and is higher there today than in other industrial societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]