Unexpected air pollutants with potential human health hazards: Nitrification inhibitors, biocides, and persistent organic substances.

To better understand the influence of land use and meteorological parameters on air pollutants, we deployed passive air samplers in 15 regions with different land use in eastern Austria. The samplers consisted of polyurethane PUF and polyester PEF filter matrices, which were analyzed for 566 substances by gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry. In a previous article, we highlighted a widespread contamination of ambient air with pesticides that depends on the surrounding land use and meteorological parameters. Here we report that, in addition to agricultural pesticides, eight other substances were frequently detected in ambient air: Nitrapyrin, a nitrification inhibitor used to increase nitrogen use efficiency of fertilizers and banned in Austria since 1993; biocides against insects (DEET and transfluthrin) used mainly outside agriculture; piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a synergist mixed into pesticide formulations; and four industrially used polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), long banned worldwide. Concentrations of the detected substances were positively related to air temperature, but only slightly related to agricultural land use in the sampler's vicinity. The city center showed the highest concentrations of biocides, PCBs and PBO, but also medium concentrations of nitrapyrin. Four sites had no air contamination with these substances; including two national parks dominated by grassland or forest, but also two sites with mixed land use. The potential human toxicity of the detected substances based on globally harmonized hazard classifications was high: seven substances had specific organ toxicity, six were cancerogenic, and two were acutely toxic; however, several substances had incomplete information of hazard profiles. Moreover, all substances were acutely and chronically toxic to aquatic life. We recommend that substances of different origins be included in the air pollution monitoring portfolio to comprehensively assess the potential hazards to humans and the environment.

Pesticides in ambient air, influenced by surrounding land use and weather, pose a potential threat to biodiversity and humans.

Little is known about (i) how numbers and concentrations of airborne pesticide residues are influenced by land use, interactions with meteorological parameters, or by substance-specific chemo-physical properties, and (ii) what potential toxicological hazards this could pose to non-target organisms including humans. We installed passive air samplers (polyurethane PUF and polyester PEF filter matrices) in 15 regions with different land uses in eastern Austria for up to 8 months. Samples were analyzed for 566 substances by gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry. We analyzed relationships between frequency and concentrations of pesticides, land use, meteorological parameters, substance properties, and season. We found totally 67 pesticide active ingredients (24 herbicides, 30 fungicides, 13 insecticides) with 10-53 pesticides per site. Herbicides metolachlor, pendimethalin, prosulfocarb, terbuthylazine, and the fungicide HCB were found in all PUF samplers, and glyphosate in all PEF samplers; chlorpyrifos-ethyl was the most abundant insecticide found in 93% of the samplers. Highest concentrations showed the herbicide prosulfocarb (725 ± 1218 ng sample-1), the fungicide folpet (412 ± 465 ng sample-1), and the insecticide chlorpyrifos-ethyl (110 ± 98 ng sample-1). Pesticide numbers and concentrations increased with increasing proportions of arable land in the surroundings. However, pesticides were also found in two National Parks (10 and 33 pesticides) or a city center (17 pesticides). Pesticide numbers and concentrations changed between seasons and correlated with land use, temperature, radiation, and wind, but were unaffected by substance volatility. Potential ecotoxicological exposure of mammals, birds, earthworms, fish, and honeybees increased with increasing pesticide numbers and concentrations. Human toxicity potential of detected pesticides was high, with averaged 54% being acutely toxic, 39% reproduction toxic, 24% cancerogenic, and 10% endocrine disrupting. This widespread pesticide air pollution indicates that current environmental risk assessments, field application techniques, protective measures, and regulations are inadequate to protect the environment and humans from potentially harmful exposure.

Predicting spring migration of two European amphibian species with plant phenology using citizen science data.

Habitat fragmentation is one of the drivers for amphibian population declines globally. Especially in industrialized countries roads disrupt the seasonal migration of amphibians between hibernation and reproduction sites, often ending in roadkills. Thus, a timely installing of temporary mitigation measures is important for amphibian conservation. We wanted to find out if plant phenology can be a proxy in advance to determine the start of amphibian migration, since both phenomena are triggered by temperature. We analysed data of 3751 amphibian and 7818 plant phenology observations from citizen science projects in Austria between 2000 and 2018. Using robust regression modelling we compared the migration of common toads (Bufo bufo) and common frogs (Rana temporaria) with the phenology of five tree, one shrub, and one herb species. Results showed close associations between the migration of common frogs and phenological phases of European larch, goat willow and apricot. Models based on goat willow predict migration of common frog to occur 21 days after flowering, when flowering was observed on 60th day of year; apricot based models predict migration to occur 1 day after flowering, observed on the 75th day of year. Common toads showed weaker associations with plant phenology than common frogs. Our findings suggest that plant phenology can be used to determine the onset of temporary mitigation measures for certain amphibian species to prevent roadkills.

Effects of a Short-Term Conditioning Intervention on Knee Flexor Sensorimotor and Neuromuscular Performance in Men.

CONTEXT: Long-term conditioning programs for enhanced sensorimotor performance have been causally linked to reduced risk of serious ligamentous injury. However, the efficacy of brief, short-term conditioning interventions has not been established. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of short-term sensorimotor conditioning on the knee flexors. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: 23 males randomly assigned to conditioning (n = 12; age: 20.5 ± 1.8 y; height: 1.80 ± 0.05 m; body mass: 74.3 ± 6.0 kg [mean ± SD]) and no-conditioning control (n = 11; age: 20.6 ± 1.9 y; height: 1.79 ± 0.05 m; body mass: 73.6 ± 6.3 kg) groups. INTERVENTION: Sensorimotor conditioning of the nondominant leg (4 sessions/wk; 3 wk). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensorimotor (blind force and limb-position-replication errors) and neuromuscular (peak force, electromechanical delay [volitional and magnetically evoked]) performance of the knee flexors of both legs were assessed. The contralateral limb and an antecedent period of no conditioning were controls. RESULTS: The conditioned leg showed decreased force error to 3.8% (3.8 ± 6.9% vs 6.3 ± 3.7% [mean ± SD], post- vs preconditioning, respectively; F1,21 = 5.4; P = .04) and a trend toward decreased positional error to 2.0% (2.0 ± 6.9% vs 4.7 ± 7.7%, post- vs preconditioning; F1,21 = 2.7; P = .06). Performances were not altered in the control conditions. Modest improvements were noted for volitional electromechanical delay following conditioning (39.8 ± 4.3 ms vs 42.3 ± 5.2 ms [F1,21 = 7.2; P = .01]), but peak force (overall, 202 ± 78 N) and magnetically evoked electromechanical delay (24.7 ± 4.2 ms) were not influenced. CONCLUSION: Short-term conditioning offered improved sensorimotor performance and positively affected neuromuscular determinants of knee flexor performance in men.

Pre-surgery exercise and post-operative physical function of people undergoing knee replacement surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the evidence regarding the effectiveness and dose-response characteristics of pre-operative exercise programmes on post-operative physical function following total knee arthroplasty. DATA SOURCES: CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PubMed, SPORTDiscus and EMBASE. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized controlled trials were eligible if they provided full description of physiological stress (i.e. mode, frequency, intensity and duration). DATA EXTRACTION: Data extraction and evaluation were performed by one reviewer. Methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. DATA SYNTHESIS: Twelve candidate studies were identified, but only 3 papers satisfied all inclusion criteria: 2 studies evaluated the effect of resistance training and 1 trial investigated proprioceptive training. The latter study elicited significantly enhanced post-operative gains in function for indices of standing balance (overall stability index: Hedges' g = -1; anteroposterior stability index: Hedges' g = -1.15; 6 weeks post-surgery). Results of meta-analysis based on the findings of 2 studies showed that, compared with controls, prehabilitative exercise involving resistance training offered no additional gains in isometric quadriceps muscle strength at 6 and 12 weeks post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Despite a potential for efficacy of exercise-based conditioning, this review highlights the scarcity of robust dose-response evidence to guide the formulation of total knee arthroplasty prehabilitation effectively.

The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS): a review of its psychometric properties in people undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic literature review, clinical measurement. OBJECTIVE: To review and summarize the evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: A comprehensive review of the existing literature was undertaken using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) systematic review guidelines. Studies were included if they reported the psychometric properties of the KOOS or the KOOS-Physical Function Shortform (KOOS-PS). Papers written in both English and German were analyzed. Studies of patients undergoing primary total TKA or TKA revision, or those with severe osteoarthritis and awaiting TKA, were considered. The methodological quality of the included articles was assessed using the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments checklist. RESULTS: Six studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 5 evaluated psychometric properties of the KOOS and 1 evaluated the KOOS-PS. Both the KOOS and KOOS-PS have moderate-to-high construct validity with existing validated self-report measures. However, construct validity of the KOOS function in sport and recreation subscale was weak. Further, these instruments demonstrated a high level of responsiveness, with effect sizes and standard response means of greater than 0.80. Overall, both questionnaires demonstrated clinically acceptable reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.70 or greater). However, somewhat lower reliability was observed for the KOOS function in sport and recreation subscale (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.45 and 0.65, respectively) and the other symptoms subscale (internal consistency, α = .56). CONCLUSION: The KOOS and KOOS-PS exhibit clinically acceptable psychometric properties. Their strength is in large effect sizes to measure outcomes over time and their weakness is in weak-to-moderate reliability and weak construct validity in some subscales of the KOOS.