Temporal changes in the physical fitness of Chinese adolescents aged 13-18 years: an analysis of eight national successive surveys over three decades.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess temporal changes in physical fitness of Chinese adolescents aged 13-18 years from 1985 to 2019. Methods: Body size /composition and physical fitness indicators, including body height, weight, body mass index (BMI), speed, power, flexibility, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), were selected from Chinese boys and girls aged 13-18 years from eight Chinese National Surveillance on Students' Constitution and Health from 1985 to 2019. Temporal changes in means were estimated by sample-weighted linear regression at the test × sex × age level, and national trends were estimated by a post-stratification population weighting procedure. Results: Overall mean body height, weight and BMI increased significantly for Chinese adolescents over 34 years. There was a small improvement for boys in speed (Effect size [ES] = -0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.44 ~ 0.02), a small improvement for boys in power (ES = 0.24, 95% CI = -0.20 ~ 0.69), a small improvement for girls in flexibility (ES = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.15 ~ 0.76), a moderate decline for boys (ES = -0.53 95% CI = -0.84 ~ -0.21) and a moderate improvement for girls (ES = 0.61, 95% CI = -0.03 ~ 1.26) in muscular endurance, and large declines in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) for boys (ES = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.64 ~ 1.21) and girls (ES = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.58 ~ 1.27) from 1985 to 2019. These trends in each component of fitness were more positive for adolescents aged 13-15 years than that of adolescents aged 16-18 years in both sexes, except for girls in flexibility. Conclusion: The decline in CRF was most pronounced among Chinese children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019, suggesting a future decline in population health that needs attention.

Decadal variation and temporal stability of the macrobenthic community in the Bohai Sea, China.

Biodiversity in the Bohai Sea is threatened by climate change and human activities. An analysis based on decadal macrobenthic community data was conducted to assess the ecological health. These findings revealed the temporal and spatial variations in species composition and biodiversity, which were primarily influenced by depth, temperature and dissolved oxygen content. The community structure in 2014 exhibited a 70 % dissimilarity compared to other years, and biodiversity was lower in 2014. The dominant species showed a trend towards miniaturization. Abundance-biomass comparison curves indicated that community disturbance improved by implementing various policies. Overall, communities in the Bohai Sea remained stable, except in the Bohai Strait (BH), where synchronous fluctuations with an increasing trend were observed. Enhancing biodiversity and addressing the risks associated with losing single species are essential for maintaining community stability. The community also displayed synchronous tendencies in Laizhou Bay, emphasizing the need for continued long-term monitoring.

Global analysis of spatio-temporal variation in mineral nutritional quality of pepper (Capsicum spp.) fruit and its regulatory variables: A meta-analysis.

Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is an important fruit vegetable worldwide, and it is a rich dietary source of minerals for human being. Yet, the spatio-temporal distribution of pepper fruit mineral composition and the factors influencing such variations at global scale remain unknown. A global meta-analysis of 140 publications providing 649, 562, 690, 811 datapoints was conducted to quantify and evaluate the nutritional quality, comprising potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), of pepper fruits and its influencing variables. The analysis showed that the global average of K, Mg, Fe and Zn content in pepper fruits was 20-25 g kg-1, 1-1.5 g kg-1, 80-100 mg kg-1, and 20-40 mg kg-1, respectively. There had been a downward trend in pepper fruit nutritional quality over the last decade, especially for Fe and Zn. And, the concentration of all these four nutrients were at lower levels in less developed regions, especially in Africa. Our results showed that the vegetable "green pepper" contains more K, Mg, Fe and Zn than the "hot pepper" used as spice. The concentration of K, Mg, Fe and Zn were increased with fruit yield but that of Fe and Zn were decreased with increase in single fruit weight. Nutritional quality was optimal at mean annual temperature of 10 ℃ - 20 ℃, and was adversely affected when mean annual precipitation was < 500 mm. Pepper fruits produced at pH 6.5-7.5 had higher fruit K concentration while acidic soils (pH<6.5) favored higher Fe and Zn concentrations. The higher soil organic matter (SOM) generally improved the nutritional quality of the pepper. Our results suggest that systematic selection of superior varieties and soil amelioration (adjusting pH and SOM) of the soil-crop system are needed to achieve higher nutritional quality of pepper fruit.

Temporal changes in postural control strategy through single-leg stance practice with active restriction of knee movement.

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine and verify temporal changes in lower limb joint action after 2 weeks of single-leg stance training under active restriction of knee movement. [Participants and Methods] The participants included 28 healthy adult females (mean age, 19.6 ± 1.0 years). A stabile meter was used to measure the center of pressure sway as an index of ankle joint action. In addition, a triaxial accelerometer was used to measure pelvic and knee sways as indices of hip and knee joint actions, respectively. We established two experimental groups: an active-restriction group and an unrestricted group. Measurements of lower limb joint actions were recorded thrice during single-leg stance exercises during the first session of practice, the third session 1 week later, and the sixth session 2 weeks later. [Results] Both groups exhibited shorter total trajectory lengths in sessions three and six than in the first session. The active restriction group showed less knee sway in later sessions, whereas the unrestricted group showed reduced pelvic sway in the third session. [Conclusion] Single-leg stance exercises with active restriction of knee movement may alter the strategy of lower limb joint action.

Comparison of Different Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Methods for Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: Many countries have applied the wastewater surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic to their national public health monitoring measures. The most used methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater are quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and reverse transcriptase-droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-ddPCR). Previous comparison studies have produced conflicting results, thus more research on the subject is required. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare RT-qPCR and RT-ddPCR for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. It also aimed to investigate the effect of changes in the analytical pipeline, including the RNA extraction kit, RT-PCR kit, and target gene assay, on the results. Another aim was to find a detection method for low-resource settings. METHODS: We compared 2 RT-qPCR kits, TaqMan RT-qPCR and QuantiTect RT-qPCR, and RT-ddPCR based on sensitivity, positivity rates, variability, and correlation of SARS-CoV-2 gene copy numbers in wastewater to the incidence of COVID-19. Furthermore, we compared 2 RNA extraction methods, column- and magnetic-bead-based. In addition, we assessed 2 target gene assays for RT-qPCR, N1 and N2, and 2 target gene assays for ddPCR N1 and E. Reverse transcription strand invasion-based amplification (RT-SIBA) was used to detect SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater qualitatively. RESULTS: Our results indicated that the most sensitive method to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater was RT-ddPCR. It had the highest positivity rate (26/30), and its limit of detection was the lowest (0.06 gene copies/µL). However, we obtained the best correlation between COVID-19 incidence and SARS-CoV-2 gene copy number in wastewater using TaqMan RT-qPCR (correlation coefficient [CC]=0.697, P<.001). We found a significant difference in sensitivity between the TaqMan RT-qPCR kit and the QuantiTect RT-qPCR kit, the first having a significantly lower limit of detection and a higher positivity rate than the latter. Furthermore, the N1 target gene assay was the most sensitive for both RT-qPCR kits, while no significant difference was found between the gene targets using RT-ddPCR. In addition, the use of different RNA extraction kits affected the result when the TaqMan RT-qPCR kit was used. RT-SIBA was able to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. CONCLUSIONS: As our study, as well as most of the previous studies, has shown RT-ddPCR to be more sensitive than RT-qPCR, its use in the wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 should be considered, especially if the amount of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the population was low. All the analysis steps must be optimized for wastewater surveillance as our study showed that all the analysis steps including the compatibility of the RNA extraction, the RT-PCR kit, and the target gene assay influence the results. In addition, our study showed that RT-SIBA could be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater if a qualitative result is sufficient.

Profiling of viral load, antibody and inflammatory response of people with monkeypox during hospitalization: a prospective longitudinal cohort study in China.

BACKGROUND: The dynamics of viral shedding and the specific humoral response against monkeypox virus (MPXV) have not been well characterized in patients across their disease course during hospitalisation. The aim of this study was to determine the viral load and the levels of antibodies against MPXV using longitudinal paired-collected samples from hospitalized patients. METHODS: Patients who were hospitalised with mpox were recruited at Beijing Ditan Hospital Capital Medical University in China between June 2 and September 23, 2023. Paired samples, including samples from skin lesions, the oropharynx, saliva, faeces, urine, plasma, and serum, were serially collected at days 1, 3, 7, and 14 after admission until discharge. Not all of the patients had samples obtained at all of the timepoints. All the samples were analysed via quantitative PCR. Virus isolation was performed by using clinical samples and Vero cells. The presence of IgM, IgA, IgG, and neutralising antibodies (NAbs) against MPXV was evaluated. The first collected plasma sample was taken when the patient was hospitalised, and the levels of cytokines and chemokines were measured in the sample. The demographic data, smallpox vaccination status, history of known exposure to MPVX, HIV status and other clinical data were collected using a standard case report form. FINDINGS: A total of 510 specimens were serially collected from 39 recruited people with mpox. Among all the samples, the skin lesions had the highest viral DNA detection rates and viral loads, and the saliva samples had the second highest rates and viral loads. One day before discharge, 85% of the dry scrabs (median Ct 28.2, range 19.0-38.3) and 70% of the saliva samples (median Ct 32.4, range 24.5-38.1) were positive for viral DNA, Of which, 23.1% of dry scrabs were positive in viral culture. The rate of viral DNA detection in the oropharyngeal, saliva, and faecal samples decreased with time, while the rates in the plasma, serum, and urine samples increased quickly before 10 days post symptom onset (PSO). The median days of appearance of MPXV-IgM, MPXV-IgA, MPXV-IgG, and NAb were at 8 (interquartile range [IQR] 7-9), 9 (7-10), 12 (9-15), and 12 (9-15) PSO, respectively. The IgM, IgA, IgG, and NAb titres increased with time. Between days 11 and 21 PSO, the NAb titres were lower in people living with HIV (PWH) than in people living without HIV (PWOH). Increased NAb titres were associated with decreased viral loads in the saliva (r = 0.28, p = 0.025), faeces (r = 0.35, p = 0.021), plasma (r = 0.30, p = 0.0044), and serum samples (r = 0.37, p = 0.001). Compared with PWOH, PWH had higher plasma levels of MIP-1α, MIP-1ß, G-CSF, IL-4, and FGF-basic. INTERPRETATION: The high positive viral culture rate of clinical samples of patients when they are discharged from the hospital indicates that effective public health management strategies are needed for people with mpox. The low NAb titres and high levels of cytokines in PWH shows that earlier treatment is needed to control inflammation in high-risk populations. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities for Peking Union Medical College, National Key R&D Program of China.

Does citing early SIDS research skew contemporary conclusions?

Research on infants who have allegedly succumbed to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been of variable quality over the years. Even now peer-reviewed papers are being published on cases termed 'SIDS' without autopsies having been performed, despite this being a requirement of the three major definitions for over five decades. Clearly cases used in earlier research studies could not have complied with the requirements of as-yet unpublished definitions/guidelines. For this reason care must be taken in citing initial papers as their results may have been skewed by the presence of non-SIDS cases. This may have particular relevance for meta analyses. Reviewing the literature on substance P and its relationship to SIDS provides an excellent example of how diametrically opposed conclusions were reached at different time points. Early studies on SIDS, and studies that use cases that were classified before the standard NICHD and San Diego definitions, should, therefore, be approached with a degree of scepticism and not cited in contemporary papers or at meetings as they have the potential to confuse rather than clarify.

Trends in Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among the Labor Force Population - China, 2010-2018.

Introduction: This research investigates trends pertaining to the prevalence of low fruit and vegetable consumption among the labor force population in China. The study considered data derived from four nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. Methods: The data under review for this study was derived from the China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance (CCDRFS) carried out in 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2018, correspondingly. We utilized a food frequency questionnaire to evaluate the quantity and frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption. The estimated prevalence of low fruit and vegetable consumption was calculated for each survey, while considering factors such as sex, age, location, and socioeconomic status (SES). Participants' SES was ascertained via latent class analysis, serving to identify distinct classes based on criteria such as education, occupation, and household income per capita. Logistic regression was deployed to determine the statistical significance of trends. Results: From 2010 to 2018, there was a notable increase in the average daily consumption of vegetables and fruits among the working population, rising from 418.6 g/day to 491.8 g/day (P<0.01 for trend). During the same period, the prevalence of low fruit and vegetable intake declined from 51.1% to 43.5% [P<0.001 for trend; -1.6% average annual percent change (AAPC)]. This downward trend was prevalent across genders, however, certain subgroups of adults (e.g., those living in rural areas or those of low SES) saw stable consumption levels throughout this period (P>0.05 for trend). Conclusion: Over the past nine years, there has been a notable decline in the prevalence of low fruit and vegetable consumption among the labor force population in China. Moreover, the comparatively deficient intake of fruits and vegetables evident among individuals of lower SES warrants further attention.

Regime shift in microalgal dynamics: Impact of water level changes on planktonic and benthic algal biomass.

Whole-lake microalgal biomass surveys were carried out in Lake Balaton to investigate the seasonal, spatial, and temporal changes of benthic algae, as well as to identify the drivers of the phytobenthos. Phytobenthos was controlled mainly by light: the highest benthic algal biomass was in the shallow littoral region characterized by large grain size (sand) with good light availability but lower nutrient content in the sediment. During the investigated period, phytoplankton biomass showed a significant decrease in almost the entire lake. At the same time, the biomass of benthic algae increased significantly in the eastern areas, increasing the contribution of total lake microalgae biomass (from 20 % to 27 %). Benthic algal biomass increase can be explained by the better light supply, owing to the artificially maintained high water level which greatly mitigates water mixing. The decrease in planktonic algal biomass could be attributed to increased zooplankton grazing, which is otherwise negatively affected by mixing. As a result of the high water level, the trophic structure of the lake has been rearranged in recent decades with a shift from the planktonic life form to the benthic one while the nutrient supply has largely remained unchanged.

Changes in bile acid subtypes and improvements in lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk: the Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS Lost) trial.

BACKGROUND: Distinct circulating bile acid (BA) subtypes may play roles in regulating lipid homeostasis and atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether changes in circulating BA subtypes induced by weight-loss dietary interventions were associated with improved lipid profiles and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk estimates. METHODS: This study included adults with overweight or obesity (n = 536) who participated in a randomized weight-loss dietary intervention trial. Circulating primary and secondary unconjugated BAs and their taurine-/glycine-conjugates were measured at baseline and 6 mo after the weight-loss diet intervention. The ASCVD risk estimates were calculated using the validated equations. RESULTS: At baseline, higher concentrations of specific BA subtypes were related to higher concentrations of atherogenic very low-density lipoprotein lipid subtypes and ASCVD risk estimates. Weight-loss diet-induced decreases in primary BAs were related to larger reductions in triglycerides and total cholesterol [every 1 standard deviation (SD) decrease of glycocholate, glycochenodeoxycholate, or taurochenodeoxycholate was related to ß (standard error) -3.3 (1.3), -3.4 (1.3), or -3.8 (1.3) mg/dL, respectively; PFDR < 0.05 for all]. Greater decreases in specific secondary BA subtypes were also associated with improved lipid metabolism at 6 mo; there was ß -4.0 (1.1) mg/dL per 1-SD decrease of glycoursodeoxycholate (PFDR =0.003) for changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. We found significant interactions (P-interaction < 0.05) between dietary fat intake and changes in BA subtypes on changes in ASCVD risk estimates; decreases in primary and secondary BAs (such as conjugated cholate or deoxycholate) were significantly associated with improved ASCVD risk after consuming a high-fat diet, but not after consuming a low-fat diet. CONCLUSIONS: Decreases in distinct BA subtypes were associated with improved lipid profiles and ASCVD risk estimates, highlighting the importance of changes in circulating BA subtypes as significant factors linked to improved lipid metabolism and ASCVD risk estimates in response to weight-loss dietary interventions. Habitual dietary fat intake may modify the associations of changes in BAs with ASCVD risk. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00072995.

Variability of the treated biomedical waste disposal behaviours during the COVID lockdowns.

Literature review suggests that studies on biomedical waste generation and disposal behaviors in North America are limited. Given the infectious nature of the materials, effective biomedical waste management is vital to the public health and safety of the residents. This study explicitly examines seasonal variations of treated biomedical waste (TBMW) disposal rates in the City of Regina, Canada, from 2013 to 2022. Immediately before the onset of COVID-19, the City exhibited a steady pattern of TBMW disposal rate at about 6.6 kg∙capita-1∙year-1. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns brought about an abrupt and persistent decline in TBMW disposal rates. Inconsistent fluctuations in both magnitude and variability of the monthly TBMW load weights were also observed. The TBMW load weight became particularly variable in 2020, with an interquartile range 4 times higher than 2019. The average TBMW load weight was also the lowest (5.1 tonnes∙month-1∙truckload-1) in 2020, possibly due to an overall decline in non-COVID-19 medical emergencies, cancellation of elective surgeries, and availability of telehealth options to residents. In general, the TBMW disposal rates peaked during the summer and fall seasons. The day-to-day TBMW disposal contribution patterns between the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic are similar, with 97.5% of total TBMW being disposed of on fixed days. Results from this Canadian case study indicate that there were observable temporal changes in TBMW disposal behaviors during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Spatial and temporal variability and risk assessment of organophosphate esters in seawater and sediments of the Yangtze River estuary.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) as substitutes for PBDEs have been widely detected in the marine environment, while little is known about the pollution characteristics and variation of OPEs in estuarine environments with complex hydrodynamic conditions and land-based input. Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) is a typical highly urbanized and industrialized estuary, with a complex hydrological environment and geochemical behavior. This study found that the concentrations of OPEs in both seawater and sediments in the YRE were higher in spring than in summer. Alkyl OPEs were the first contributor, with TnBP and TiBP as the main components, where the contribution of alkyl OPEs had exceeded 75 % in both seawater and sediments in spring, and 60 % in summer seawater, and even 80 % in sediments. In spring, OPEs peaked in the central to southern region near the YRE. In summer, OPEs were mainly concentrated in the southern branch waterway and southern nearshore area of the YRE and showed a decreasing trend to the northeast. The OPEs in the sediments were mainly concentrated in the Yangtze River Mud Area (YREMA) and the Zhe-Min Coastal Mud Area (ZMCMA). Based on the fugacity model and principal component analysis, sediments could be released into the aquatic environment as an endogenous source, and exogenous sources were mainly municipal and industrial sewage discharge sources, urban and marine traffic discharge sources, and atmospheric deposition sources. The ecological risk analysis showed that the Σ14OPEs had exhibited a low to moderate ecological risk in the southern branch waterway and the south-central region offshore.

Temporal Trends in Diagnostic Hemodynamics and Survival of Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension: A Single-Center Study.

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) have gradually improved the disease course. This retrospective cohort study aims to explore the diagnostic hemodynamic profile and survival of PH patients and their temporal changes, as well as investigate potential prognostic factors. Overall, 257 adult patients were diagnosed with PH following right heart catheterization (RHC) from January 2008 to June 2023 according to the hemodynamic cut-off values proposed by the corresponding ESC/ERS guidelines at the time RHC was performed. Of these patients, 46.3% were Group 1, 17.8% Group 2, 14.0% Group 3, 18.0% Group 4, and 3.0% Group 5 PH. Temporal improvement in both diagnostic hemodynamic profile and survival of patients with PH and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was identified after 2013. Survival analysis demonstrated 5-year survival rates of 65% in Group 1 PH (90.3% in idiopathic PAH) and 77% in Group 4 PH. PAH patients being at low risk at diagnosis presented a similar 1-year all-cause mortality rate (12.4%) with high-risk ones (12.8%), primarily due to non-PH-related causes of death (62%), while high-risk patients died mostly due to PH (67%). The observed improvements in diagnostic hemodynamic profiles and overall survival highlight the importance of timely diagnosis and successful treatment strategies in PH.

The putatively high-altitude adaptation of macaque monkeys: Evidence from the fecal metabolome and gut microbiome.

Animals living in high-altitude environments, such as the Tibetan Plateau, must face harsh environmental conditions (e.g., hypoxia, cold, and strong UV radiation). These animals' physiological adaptations (e.g., increased red cell production and turnover rate) might also be associated with the gut microbial response. Bilirubin is a component of red blood cell turnover or destruction and is excreted into the intestine and reduced to urobilinoids and/or urobilinogen by gut bacteria. Here, we found that the feces of macaques living in high-altitude regions look significantly browner (with a high concentration of stercobilin, a component from urobilinoids) than those living in low-altitude regions. We also found that gut microbes involved in urobilinogen reduction (e.g., beta-glucuronidase) were enriched in the high-altitude mammal population compared to the low-altitude population. Moreover, the spatial-temporal change in gut microbial function was more profound in the low-altitude macaques than in the high-altitude population, which might be attributed to profound changes in food resources in the low-altitude regions. Therefore, we conclude that a high-altitude environment's stress influences living animals and their symbiotic microbiota.

Temporal evolution of laboratory characteristics in patients critically ill with COVID­19 admitted to the intensive care unit (Review).

In the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), laboratory medicine has played a crucial role in both diagnosis and severity assessment. Although the importance of baseline laboratory findings has been extensively reported, data regarding their evolution over the clinical course are limited. The aim of the present narrative review was to provide the dynamic changes of the routine laboratory variables reported in patients with severe COVID-19 over the course of their critical illness. A search was made of the literature for articles providing data on the time-course of routine laboratory tests in patients with severe COVID-19 during their stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). White blood cell, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet counts, as well as D-dimer, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase and serum albumin levels were selected as disease characteristics and routine laboratory parameters. A total of 25 research articles reporting dynamic trends in the aforementioned laboratory parameters over the clinical course of severe COVID-19 were identified. During the follow-up period provided by each study, the majority of the laboratory values remained persistently abnormal in both survivors and non-survivors. Furthermore, in the majority of studies, the temporal trends of laboratory values distinctly differentiated patients between survivors and non-survivors. In conclusion, there are distinct temporal trends in selected routine laboratory parameters between survivors and non-survivors with severe COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, indicating their importance in the prognosis of clinical outcome.

Inland Waters Increasingly Produce and Emit Nitrous Oxide.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a long-lived greenhouse gas and currently contributes ∼10% to global greenhouse warming. Studies have suggested that inland waters are a large and growing global N2O source, but whether, how, where, when, and why inland-water N2O emissions changed in the Anthropocene remains unclear. Here, we quantify global N2O formation, transport, and emission along the aquatic continuum and their changes using a spatially explicit, mechanistic, coupled biogeochemistry-hydrology model. The global inland-water N2O emission increased from 0.4 to 1.3 Tg N yr-1 during 1900-2010 due to (1) growing N2O inputs mainly from groundwater and (2) increased inland-water N2O production, largely in reservoirs. Inland waters currently contribute 7 (5-10)% to global total N2O emissions. The highest inland-water N2O emissions are typically in and downstream of reservoirs and areas with high population density and intensive agricultural activities in eastern and southern Asia, southeastern North America, and Europe. The expected continuing excessive use of nutrients, dam construction, and development of suboxic conditions in aging reservoirs imply persisting high inland-water N2O emissions.

Changes of Grocery Shopping Frequencies and Associations with Food Deserts during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered people's lives in multiple aspects, including grocery shopping behaviors. Yet, the changing trend of grocery shopping frequencies during the COVID-19 and its associations with food deserts remain unclear. We aimed to (1) examine variations of grocery shopping frequencies at county level in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to December 2021; (2) investigate associations between grocery shopping frequencies and food deserts during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) explore heterogeneity in grocery shopping frequencies-food desert associations across urban and rural areas. The county-level grocery shopping frequencies were derived from a grocery pattern dataset obtained from SafeGraph. We divided the 22-month period into 5 stages and employed the growth curve modeling to estimate the trajectories of grocery shopping frequencies and the associations between grocery shopping frequencies and food deserts in each stage, separately. Results revealed that grocery shopping frequencies experienced a "W-shaped" pattern from March 2020 to December 2021. Counties with the least percent of food deserts had slower decrease in grocery shopping frequencies at the initial stage and recovered more rapidly at later stages. Counties with the highest percent of food deserts were subject to deprivation amplification as a result of the pandemic. We also found differences existed in the grocery shopping frequencies-food desert associations between metropolitan counties and rural counties. Our findings suggest the impacts of COVID-19 on grocery shopping frequencies varied across different time periods, shedding light on designing different strategies to reduce the risk of contagion while shopping inside of grocery stores. Further, our findings highlight an urgent need to help people living in food deserts (especially in rural counties) to procure healthy foods safely during health emergencies like COVID-19 pandemic which disrupt mobility and social behaviors.

Uncovering changes in microbiome profiles across commercial and backyard poultry farming systems.

The microbiome profiles of poultry production systems significantly impact bird health, welfare, and the environment. This study investigated the influence of broiler-rearing systems on the microbiome composition of commercial and backyard chicken farms and their environment over time. Understanding these effects is vital for optimizing animal growth, enhancing welfare, and addressing human and environmental health implications. We collected and analyzed various samples from commercial and backyard farms, revealing significant differences in microbial diversity measurements between the two systems. Backyard farms exhibited higher alpha diversity measurements in soil and water samples, while commercial farms showed higher values for litter and feeder samples. The differences in microbial diversity were also reflected in the relative abundance of various microbial taxa. In backyard farms, Proteobacteria levels increased over time, while Firmicutes levels decreased. Campilobacterota, including the major poultry foodborne pathogen Campylobacter, increased over time in commercial farm environments. Furthermore, Bacteroides, associated with improved growth performance in chickens, were more abundant in backyard farms. Conversely, pathogenic Acinetobacter was significantly higher in backyard chicken fecal and feeder swab samples. The presence of Brevibacterium and Brachybacterium, associated with low-performing broiler flocks, was significantly higher in commercial farm samples. The observed differences in microbial composition and diversity suggest that farm management practices and environmental conditions significantly affect poultry health and welfare and have potential implications for human and environmental health. Understanding these relationships can inform targeted interventions to optimize poultry production, improve animal welfare, and mitigate foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance risks. IMPORTANCE The microbiome of poultry production systems has garnered significant attention due to its implications on bird health, welfare, and overall performance. The present study investigates the impact of different broiler-rearing systems, namely, commercial (conventional) and backyard (non-conventional), on the microbiome profiles of chickens and their environment over time. Understanding the influence of these systems on microbiome composition is a critical aspect of the One-Health concept, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health. Our findings demonstrate that the type of broiler production system significantly affects both the birds and their environment, with distinct microbial communities associated with each system. This study reveals the presence of specific microbial taxa that differ in abundance between commercial and backyard poultry farms, providing valuable insights into the management practices that may alter the microbiome in these settings. Furthermore, the dynamic changes in microbial composition over time observed in our study highlight the complex interplay between the poultry gut microbiome, environmental factors, and production systems. By identifying the key microbial players and their fluctuations in commercial and backyard broiler production systems, this research offers a foundation for developing targeted strategies to optimize bird health and welfare while minimizing the potential risks to human and environmental health. The results contribute to a growing body of knowledge in the field of poultry microbiome research and have the potential to guide future improvements in poultry production practices that promote a sustainable and healthy balance between the birds, their environment, and the microbial communities they host.

Analysis of spatial and temporal changes in human interference in important ecological function areas in China: the Gansu section of Qilian Mountain National Park as an example.

The disturbance characteristics and driving factors of human activity intensity in national parks are important factors affecting environmental change in ecological function areas. In-depth analysis of these must be the basis of improving the ecological environment in northwest China. This study selected data related to human activities from 2000 to 2020 to analyze the comprehensive impact of human interference on national park development and found that the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) of Qilian Mountain National Park showed an increasing trend and that the NPP (net primary productivity) showed spatial distribution characteristics of decreasing from east to west during the study period. This showed that human interference in and around the national park was changing significantly and that the high value area was gradually shifting southward. In the first decade, economic and social development was slow; related industries such as industry, tourism, and modern agriculture were not introduced on a large scale; and the ecological environment was in relatively good condition, with relatively weak human interference. However, in the second decade, human interference was prominent, with deeper ecological damage, but rapid economic development. Infrastructure development, population urbanization, and traditional production and living practices were the main factors driving changes in human interference. The Chinese government's proposed green building policy will further reduce the ecological impact of human activities while ensuring economic development. Building upon this, the present paper puts forth a "zero-disturbance" framework for national parks, aiming to offer recommendations for the future development of such parks.

The Influence of Cone Age and Urbanisation on the Diversity and Community Composition of Culturable Seed Fungal Endophytes within Native Australian Banksia ericifolia L.f. subsp. ericifolia.

Seed fungal endophytes play a crucial role in assisting the overall health and success of their host plant; however, little is known about the factors that influence the diversity and composition of these endophytes, particularly with respect to how they change over time and within urban environments. Using culturing techniques, morphological analyses, and Sanger sequencing, we identified the culturable seed fungal endophytes of Banksia ericifolia at two urban and two natural sites in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. A total of 27 Operational Taxonomic Units were obtained from 1200 seeds. Older cones were found to contain, on average, more colonised endophytes than younger cones. Species richness was also significantly influenced by cone age, with older cones being more speciose. Between urban and natural sites, the overall community composition did not change, although species richness and diversity were greatest at urban sites. Understanding how these endophytes vary in time and space may help provide an insight into the transmission pathways used and the potential role they play within the development and survival of the seed. This knowledge may also be crucial for restoration purposes, especially regarding the need to consider endophyte viability in ex situ seed collection and storage in seed-banking practices.