Exploring the feasibility of linking historical air pollution data to the Christchurch Health and Development study: A birth cohort study in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Spatial life course epidemiological approaches offer promise for prospectively examining the impacts of air pollution exposure on longer-term health outcomes, but existing research is limited. An essential aspect, often overlooked is the comprehensiveness of exposure data across the lifecourse. The primary objective was to meticulously reconstruct historical estimates of air pollution exposure to include prenatal exposure as well as annual exposure from birth to 10 years (1977-1987) for each cohort member. We linked these data from a birth cohort of 1,265 individuals, born in Aotearoa/New Zealand in mid-1977 and studied to age 40, to historical air pollution data to create estimates of exposure from birth to 10 years (1977-1987). Improvements in air quality over time were found. However, outcomes varied by demographic and socioeconomic factors. Future research should examine how inequitable air pollution exposure is related to health outcomes over the life course.

Heterogeneity of transport and metabolism of Tormentillae rhizoma constituents across human intestinal epithelium cellular model.

Tormentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch is a widespread plant in Europe and Western Asia. Its rhizomes (Tormentilae rhizoma) are the main ingredient of herbal alcoholic beverages and can be used as a natural preservative in beer production. Apart from its unique taste qualities, therapeutic properties in gastrointestinal tract ailments are attributed to the tincture obtained from Tormentillae rhizoma. The presented research aimed to determine the mutual relationship between the components of Tormentillae tincture, present in popular alcoholic beverages, and intestinal epithelium (Caco-2 cell monolayers). A comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of the tincture was performed, including the determination of condensed and hydrolyzable tannins as well as triterpenoids (UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS). Incubation of the tincture with Caco-2 monolayers has shown that only triterpenes pass through the monolayer, while condensed tannins are mainly bound to the monolayer surface. Ellagic acid derivatives were the only components of the Tormentillae tinctura being metabolized by cell monolayers to the compounds not previously described in the literature, which may be crucial in the treatment of intestinal diseases with inflammatory background.

Investigating the spatial and temporal variation of vape retailer provision in New Zealand: A cross-sectional and nationwide study.

Smoking rates have decreased in Aotearoa New Zealand in recent years however, vaping has shown a dramatic upward trend especially among young people; up to 10% of young New Zealanders are now regular vapers. Importantly, the long-term health consequences for their future life are largely unknown. The accessibility of vape retailers is important, particularly in relation to the youths' daily activities and places such as schools where they spend a considerable amount of time and socialise. Despite this, we know little about the spatial patterning of vape retailers and even less of their socio-spatial patterning around schools. This ecological study utilised data from the New Zealand Specialist Vape Retailers register on nationwide vape retailer locations and combined them with whole-population sociodemographic characteristics and primary and secondary school data. We identified the prevalence of vape retailers and their spatial distribution by area-level deprivation, ethnicity and urban-rural classification by using descriptive statistics and (spatial) statistical modelling on the area-, school- and individual students-level (using disaggregated data on students). We found that almost 97% of all vape retailers are located within 1,600m (∼20-min walk) and 29% within 400m (∼5-min walk) of schools. Our research also identified increasing inequities by deprivation and ethnicity both for the overall population and particularly for students in the most deprived areas who experience a disproportionate presence and increase of new vape store retailers that disadvantage schools and students in these areas. This difference was particularly prominent for Pasifika populations in major urban environments.

Examining spatial variation for immunisation coverage in pregnant women: A nationwide and geospatial retrospective cohort study in Aotearoa New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Maternal influenza and pertussis immunisation is crucial for protecting mothers during pregnancy and their babies in the first weeks of life against severe disease. We examined geospatial variation in maternal immunisation coverage among pregnant women in Aotearoa New Zealand and its health equity implications. METHOD: We constructed a retrospective cohort including all pregnant women who delivered between 01 January 2013 and 31 December 2020 using administrative health datasets. Our outcomes were receipt of influenza or pertussis vaccine in any one of three relevant national databases (e.g. National Immunisation Register, Proclaims, or Pharmaceutical collection) during the eligible pregnancy. RESULTS: Data from our retrospective cohort study show significant regional variation in maternal immunisation coverage for both influenza and pertussis from 2013 to 2020. Maximal coverage was around 50% in the best performing regions, which means that half of the women who were pregnant (183,737 women) were not protected. In addition, we found significant spatio-temporal variation and clustering of immunisation coverage. Our findings are interactively available to explore here: https://geohealthlab.shinyapps.io/hapumama/ CONCLUSION: Our study is one of the first to examine spatial variation in maternal vaccination coverage in pregnant women at a national level over space and time. This provides powerful tools to measure the impact of interventions to improve coverage at national and regional levels, with specific reference to inequities between ethnic groups, likely applicable to similar settings internationally.

The development and validation of a nationwide dataset of water distribution zones in Aotearoa New Zealand: A cross-sectional geospatial study.

The reliable supply of safe drinking water is vital for the health of human populations. Despite this, there is no consistent nationwide spatial dataset of water distribution zones (WDZ) for Aotearoa New Zealand (A-NZ). The purpose of this data article is to describe the development and validation of a consistent nationwide dataset of WDZ across A-NZ. We obtained spatial data from all 67 district and city councils through: 1) information requests between 2021 and 2023; 2) the Ministry of Health and; 3) the Institute of Environmental Science and Research. Data were modified to improve the spatial accuracy of the WDZ using auxiliary data on the building footprints (Land Information New Zealand) and the drinking water reticulation (WSP & councils). We estimated the population served by each WDZ through spatial linking to meshblock-level data provided by Statistics New Zealand (meshblocks are the smallest administrative geographic unit in A-NZ). The dataset will be useful to provide insights into the extent of the publicly-owned drinking water assets in A-NZ and is essential for the accurate exposure assessment in epidemiological research investigating the impact of drinking water quality on human health.

Estimating quality of life: A spatial microsimulation model of well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Quality of life is a complex concept characterised by several dualities, it has many definitions depending on the field of research and an abundance of diverse objective and subjective measures. The latter often represents the extent of perceived (dis)satisfaction with various domains of life experienced by individuals or groups, and research is increasingly focusing on subjective measures of well-being to better understand personal drivers related to quality of life. A better understanding of these factors at a local level has potential to shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of the mental health landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand. Individual-level data on adults (15+ years) is sourced from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study 2018 (N = 47,949) and aggregate-level data from the Census 2018 (N = 3,775,854). Matching constraint variables include sex, age, ethnicity, highest qualification, and labour force status. Outcome variables include personal and national well-being scores from 0 to 10 (extremely dissatisfied-extremely satisfied). Spatial microsimulation is used to create a synthetic population based on the above data. Results show lower mean national well-being scores than personal well-being scores, with spatial variations that broadly reflect patterns of socioeconomic deprivation. Low mean values for both personal and national well-being scores are seen in rural areas of high socioeconomic deprivation, particularly those with large Maori populations. High mean values are associated with areas of low deprivation. Additionally, high national well-being scores are associated with areas of agricultural activity, particularly in the South Island. Consideration should be given to factors that influence responses in such topics however, including demographic profiles as well as economic and social conditions of individuals and their surrounding communities. This study demonstrates that spatial microsimulation can be used as a powerful tool to understand population well-being. It can help support future planning and resource allocation, aiding in achieving health equity.

miRNA expression in serum and PBMCs isolated from middle-aged and elderly patients during asthma exacerbation.

microRNAs are short, noncoding RNA molecules involved in many inflammatory processes including bronchial asthma. Rhinoviruses are the main cause of acute asthma attack and may be involved in miRNA profile dysregulation. The aim of the study was to investigate the serum miRNA profile during asthma exacerbation in middle-aged and elderly patients. We also evaluated in this group in vitro response to rhinovirus 1b exposure. Seventeen middle-aged and elderly asthmatics were admitted to an outpatient clinic during asthma exacerbation and within a period of 6-8 weeks later. Blood samples were collected from the subjects and PBMCs were isolated. Cells were cultured in the presence of Rhinovirus 1b and with the medium only, and, after 48 h. miRNA expression (miRNA-19b, -106a, 126a, and -146a) isolated from serum and PBMCs (cultures) was evaluated with RT-PCR. Cytokines (INF-γ, TNF-α, IL6, and Il-10) in culture supernatants were evaluated with flow cytometry. On exacerbation visit patients demonstrated higher expression of serum miRNA-126a and -146a as compared to follow-up visit. There was a positive correlation between asthma control test results and miRNA-19, -126a, -146a. There was no other significant association between patient characteristics and the miRNA profile. Rhinovirus exposure did not changed miRNA expression in PBMCs as compared to medium on both visits. Cytokine production in culture supernatants significantly increased after rhinovirus infection. The group of middle-aged and elderly patients demonstrated changed levels serum miRNA during asthma exacerbation as compared to follow-up visit; however, correlations between their expression and clinical features were hardly noticeable. Rhinovirus did not affect expression of miRNA in PBMCs; yet, it induced cytokine production.

Predictors of excessive short-acting ß2-agonist use and asthma exacerbations: a retrospective analysis of a Polish prescription database.

Introduction: Despite being linked to unfavourable outcomes, short-acting ß2-agonists (SABAs) are still overused by a substantial proportion of patients with asthma. Aim: To analyse the prevalence and predictors of SABA overuse and exacerbations in patients with asthma in a nationwide database of prescription purchase records. Material and methods: The prevalence of excessive SABA use (≥ 12 canisters) and overuse (≥ 3 canisters) was analysed among patients aged 18-64 years who purchased asthma medications in 2018. Predictors of excessive SABA use and SABA overuse were examined by quasi-Poisson regression. Negative binomial regression was used to study the association of excessive SABA use or overuse to the risk of asthma exacerbation defined as a prescription for oral corticosteroids. Results: Of 91,763 patients with asthma, 42,189 (46%) were SABA users (mean age, 47 years; 58% female). Among them, 34% purchased ≥ 3 SABA canisters, and 6% purchased ≥ 12 canisters. The risk (risk ratio, 95% CI) of excessive SABA use was lower in patients with concomitant prescriptions for inhaled corticosteroids (0.41, 0.34-0.48) or inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting ß2-agonists (0.52, 0.47-0.56), women (0.63, 0.58-0.68), and those in secondary care (0.60, 0.44-0.66); older age was associated with a higher risk of excessive SABA use (1.06, 1.03-1.10). Excessive SABA use was the strongest predictor of asthma exacerbations among all patients (3.24, 2.84-3.70) and in those with ≥ 1 exacerbation (1.60, 1.50-1.71). Conclusions: Excessive SABA use is highly prevalent in asthma management, is associated with lack of prescriptions for inhaled corticosteroids, and substantially increases the exacerbation risk.

An Eocene army ant.

Among social insects, army ants are exceptional in their voracious coordinated predation, nomadic life history and highly specialized wingless queens: the synthesis of these remarkable traits is referred to as the army ant syndrome. Despite molecular evidence that the army ant syndrome evolved twice during the mid-Cenozoic, once in the Neotropics and once in the Afrotropics, fossil army ants are markedly scarce, comprising a single known species from the Caribbean 16 Ma. Here we report the oldest army ant fossil and the first from the Eastern Hemisphere (EH), Dissimulodorylus perseus, preserved in Baltic amber dated to the Eocene. Using a combined morphological and molecular ultra conserved elements dataset spanning doryline lineages, we find that D. perseus is nested among extant EH army ants with affinities to Dorylus. Army ants are characterized by limited extant diversification throughout most of the Cenozoic; the discovery of D. perseus suggests an unexpected diversity of now-extinct army ant lineages in the Cenozoic, some of which were present in Continental Europe.

Health-promoting and health-constraining environmental features and physical activity and sedentary behaviour in adolescence: a geospatial cross-sectional study.

The environment may be an important influence on adolescent behaviour. We combined accelerometry and global positioning system data to investigate how the environment was related to physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Adolescents spent most of their time in very close proximity to a range of both health-promoting and health-constraining features. Several associations were detected between time spent in areas with the greatest access to health-promoting features and reduced sedentary time and less travel time by motor vehicle. The environment may contribute to the variation in adolescent activity behaviour.

Allergy clinic patients' drug hypersensitivity.

BACKGROUND: Drug hypersensitivity reaction (DHR) is a common reason for an allergology con- sultation, during which it is not only necessary to gather a thorough medical history, but also to propose and perform diagnostic tests. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to retrospectively assess the patients with a profile of preliminary drug hypersensitivity diagnosis, the usefulness of NSAID hypersensitivity classifica- tion in outpatient practice, and to analyze the results of skin, provocation, and drug tolerance tests performed in Immunology and Allergy Clinic patients. METHODS: Around 501 medical records of patients referred to the academic allergy outpatient clinic from 2011 to 2019, and had a preliminary drug hypersensitivity diagnosis were analyzed. The diagnostic and drug tolerance tests results carried out in 269 patients of the Clinic from 2009 to 2019 were then evaluated. RESULTS: Among the patients referred due to suspected drug hypersensitivity, the majority (n=338, 67.5%) were believed to be hypersensitive to NSAIDs and antibiotics (n=272, 54.3%). In patients with hypersensitivity to NSAIDs, the mixed pattern was the most prevalent (n=73, 21.6%), followed by NECD (n=64, 18.9%) and NIUA (n=55, 16.3%). The second most common drug causing DHR were the antibiotics, mainly ß-lactams (n=160, 58.8%), followed by macrolides (n=35, 12.9%). In hypersensitivity caused due to ß-lactams, the delayed form was predominant (n=24, 15%) with manifested skin symptoms (n=74, 46.3%). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n=21, 42.9%), followed by antibiotics (n=11, 22.5%) were the commonest causes of ana- phylaxis, as reported by 49 patients. CONCLUSION: The study shows that a majority of patients with suspected drug hypersensitivity can be classified under the hypersensitivity umbrella based on their medical history, which is the basis for further diagnostic process.

Differences in the Structure and Antimicrobial Activity of Hydrazones Derived from Methyl 4-Phenylpicolinimidate.

Four novel methyl 4-phenylpicolinoimidate derivatives of hydrazone have been synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity, including tuberculostatic activity. The compounds obtained are condensates of hydrazonamide or hydrazide with 5-nitro-2-furaldehyde or 5-nitro-2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde. The antimicrobial activity of the tested compounds varied. Compound 3b exhibited significant activity against the tested Gram-positive bacteria (7.8-250 µg/mL). The results of structural tests revealed that the compound is the only one obtained in the form of a Z isomer. Tuberculostatic activity tests showed higher activity of derivatives 3a and 4a containing nitrofuran systems (MICs 3.1-12.5 µg/mL). This research allowed us to identify hydrazone 3b as a starting point for further optimization in the search for antimicrobial drugs. Likewise, compound 4a appears to be a good guiding structure for use in future research on new anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Ant phylogenomics reveals a natural selection hotspot preceding the origin of complex eusociality.

The evolution of eusociality has allowed ants to become one of the most conspicuous and ecologically dominant groups of organisms in the world. A large majority of the current ∼14,000 ant species belong to the formicoids,1 a clade of nine subfamilies that exhibit the most extreme forms of reproductive division of labor, large colony size,2 worker polymorphism,3 and extended queen longevity.4 The eight remaining non-formicoid subfamilies are less well studied, with few genomes having been sequenced so far and unclear phylogenetic relationships.5 By sequencing 65 genomes, we provide a robust phylogeny of the 17 ant subfamilies, retrieving high support to the controversial leptanillomorph clade (Leptanillinae and Martialinae) as the sister group to all other extant ants. Moreover, our genomic analyses revealed that the emergence of the formicoids was accompanied by an elevated number of positive selection events. Importantly, the top three gene functions under selection are linked to key features of complex eusociality, with histone acetylation being implicated in caste differentiation, gene silencing by RNA in worker sterility, and autophagy in longevity. These results show that the key pathways associated with eusociality have been under strong selection during the Cretaceous, suggesting that the molecular foundations of complex eusociality may have evolved rapidly in less than 20 Ma.

Physical exercise, immune response, and susceptibility to infections-current knowledge and growing research areas.

This review presents state-of-the-art knowledge and identifies knowledge gaps for future research in the area of exercise-associated modifications of infection susceptibility. Regular moderate-intensity exercise is believed to have beneficial effects on immune health through lowering inflammation intensity and reducing susceptibility to respiratory infections. However, strenuous exercise, as performed by professional athletes, may promote infection: in about half of athletes presenting respiratory symptoms, no causative pathogen can be identified. Acute bouts of exercise enhance the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, which may induce infection-like respiratory symptoms. Relatively few studies have assessed the influence of regularly repeated exercise on the immune response and systemic inflammation compared to the effects of acute exercise. Additionally, ambient and environmental conditions may modify the systemic inflammatory response and infection susceptibility, particularly in outdoor athletes. Both acute and chronic regular exercise influence humoral and cellular immune response mechanisms, resulting in decreased specific and non-specific response in competitive athletes. The most promising areas of further research in exercise immunology include detailed immunological characterization of infection-prone and infection-resistant athletes, examining the efficacy of nutritional and pharmaceutical interventions as countermeasures to infection symptoms, and determining the influence of various exercise loads on susceptibility to infections with respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. By establishing a uniform definition of an "elite athlete," it will be possible to make a comparable and straightforward interpretation of data from different studies and settings.

The environment an adult resides within is associated with their health behaviours, and their mental and physical health outcomes: a nationwide geospatial study.

BACKGROUND: The determinants of health behaviours and health outcomes are multifaceted and the surrounding environment is increasingly considered as an important influence. This pre-registered study investigated the associations between the geospatial environment people live within and their health behaviours as well as their mental and physical health outcomes. METHOD: We used the newly developed Healthy Location Index (HLI) to identify health-promoting and health-constraining environmental features where people live. We then used Time 10 (2018) data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Survey (NZAVS; N = 47,951), a national probability sample of New Zealand adults, to gauge mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety and psychological distress, physical health outcomes including BMI and type II diabetes, and health behaviours such as tobacco smoking and vaping. Linear and logistic multilevel mixed effect regression models with random intercepts of individuals nested within geographical areas (meshblocks) were employed. RESULTS: The presence of health-constraining environmental features were adversely associated with self-reported mental health outcomes of depression, anxiety and psychological distress, physical health outcomes of BMI and type II diabetes, and negative health behaviours of tobacco smoking and vaping. By contrast, health-promoting environmental features were uniquely associated only with physical health outcomes of BMI and type II diabetes. CONCLUSION: The current study advances research on environmental determinants of health behaviours by demonstrating that close proximity to health-constraining environmental features is related to a number of self-reported physical and mental health outcomes or behaviours. We provide some evidence to support the notion that preventive population-health interventions should be sought.