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OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) among long-survivors of congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair. STUDY DESIGN: This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study of CDH survivors who underwent exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) at Boston Children's Hospital from January 2006 to June 2020. PH severity was assessed by echocardiogram at baseline and after exercise. Patients were categorized by right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) after exercise: Group 1 - no or mild PH; and Group 2 - moderate or severe PH (RVSP ≥ 60 mmHg or ≥ ½ systemic blood pressure). RESULTS: Eighty-four patients with CDH underwent 173 ESE with median age 8.1 (4.8 - 19.1) years at first ESE. Sixty-four patients were classified as Group 1, 11 as Group 2, and 9 had indeterminate RVSP with ESE. Moderate to severe PH after exercise was found in 8 (10%) patients with no or mild PH at rest. Exercise-induced PH was associated with larger CDH defect size, patch repair, use of ECMO, supplemental oxygen at discharge, and higher WHO functional class. Higher VE/VCO2 slope, lower peak oxygen saturation, and lower percent predicted FEV1, and FEV1/FVC ratio were associated with Group 2 classification. ESE changed management in 9/11 Group 2 patients. PH was confirmed in all 5 Group 2 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization after ESE. CONCLUSIONS: Among long-term CDH survivors, 10% had moderate-severe exercise-induced PH on ESE, indicating ongoing pulmonary vascular abnormalities. Further studies are needed to optimally define PH screening and treatment for patients with repaired CDH.
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Hernias Diafragmáticas Congénitas , Hipertensión Pulmonar , Sobrevivientes , Humanos , Hernias Diafragmáticas Congénitas/complicaciones , Hernias Diafragmáticas Congénitas/cirugía , Hipertensión Pulmonar/etiología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Femenino , Masculino , Adolescente , Niño , Adulto Joven , Preescolar , Prueba de Esfuerzo , Ejercicio Físico/fisiología , Ecocardiografía , PrevalenciaRESUMEN
Adequate estimation of water demand in cattle production feed yards is of high importance, especially due to reduced water availability because of changes in rain precipitation patterns and amounts. The pen surface in feed yards receives and reflects solar radiation, affecting along with other factors the microclimate to which cattle are exposed. This study aimed to describe the relationship between the pen surface temperature with the daily water intake and the tympanic temperature of finishing steers. Climate variables, including solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed plus pen surface temperature and soil temperature at 10.2 cm depth were recorded. Data were collected from a weather station located in the feedlot in Concord NE, whereas daily water intake was estimated from a set of experimental pens sharing a waterer in two adjacent pens. Simple and polynomial linear regressions were assessed from data collected in different experiments conducted from 2003 to 2006. Two models to predict daily water intake were developed for finishing steers using the pen surface temperature as the predictor variable. The first one included data for the period May-October (overall model) and the second one for the summer period (June-August). The best fit for the overall model was a quadratic fit (r2 = 0.86), whereas the best-fit model for the summer model was the cubic (r2 = 0.72). Subsequently, both models were validated with data from an independent experiment conducted in the summer of 2007 in the same facilities. Both models tended to slightly overestimate daily water intake when they were validated (14.6% and 12.6%, respectively). For tympanic temperature, the best-fit model was linear, explaining 76% of the observed variability. When the dataset was split into night-time and daytime the best-fit model for the night period was a quadratic one and a linear one for the daytime, both improving the explanation of the variability observed. In conclusion, pen surface temperature can be used to predict both daily water intake and tympanic temperature in feedlot steers without access to shade.
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Climatic data from different years and experiments conducted in Nebraska were used to estimate four comfort thermal indices and to predict the risk of heat stress and its relationship with pen surface temperature (PST). These included the temperature-humidity index (THI), the adjusted THI (THIadj), the heat load index (HLI), and THIPST using pen surface temperature instead of air temperature. Respiration rates (RR), tympanic temperatures (TT), and panting scores (PS) were also collected in each year and from each location. During 2007, mean values of soil temperature, PST, outgoing shortwave radiation, and TT were greater than in 2008 (p < 0.011). However, HLI, relative humidity, and incoming and outgoing long-wave radiation were greater during 2008 (p < 0.012). The TT was positively correlated with THIPST and THIadj (0.75 and 0.70, respectively), whereas RR had a moderate correlation with THI, THIadj, and HLI (0.32, 0.27, and 0.34, respectively; p < 0.001). Thermal comfort indices showed a positive correlation with TT, especially the THIPST. These relationships vary with location. However, all of the thermal indices showed weak relationships with the observed RR. This would confirm the different roles that TT and RR have as indicators of heat stress. The THIPST was the best index for predicting TT across years.
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Abstract Objectives: To assess the ability of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for fibronectin extra-domain A (FnEDA) to target diseased tissues of mouse collagen induced arthritis (mCIA) models. To explore the parameters of the targeting exhibited by anti-FnEDA mAbs including timing and location. Methods: Targeting capabilities of anti-FnEDA mAbs were demonstrated by biodistribution study where i.v. injected antibodies were detected by conjugated near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore, 125I label and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of the injected antibody. Location of FnEDA expression in both mCIA and human RA tissue were mapped by IHC. Quantification of anti-FnEDA mAbs targeted to disease tissue was measured by whole-body autoradiography (WBA). Timing of the targeting was interrogated with fluorescent and confocal microscopy using anti-FnEDA mAbs labeled with different fluorophores and injected at different times. Results: Anti-FnEDA mAbs show specific targeting to diseased paws of mCIA animal. The targeting was focused on inflamed synovium which is consistent with FnEDA expression profile in both mCIA and human RA tissues. Anti-FnEDA mAbs accumulated in diseased tissue at pharmacologically relevant concentrations, the targeting was sustained for up to 14 days and FnEDA was able to support targeting of multiple doses of anti-FnEDA mAbs given 5 days apart. Conclusion: FnEDA is specifically upregulated in the inflamed tissues of mCIA. Antibodies specific for FnEDA can be useful as molecular delivery vehicles for disease specific targeting of payloads to inflamed joint tissue.
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Although tropical regions harbor the greatest arthropod diversity on Earth, the majority of species are taxonomically and scientifically unknown. Furthermore, how they are organized into functional communities and distributed among habitats is mostly unstudied. Here we examine species richness, diversity, and community composition of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and compare them between flooded (FP) and non-flooded terra firme (TF) forests in the Yasuní area of Ecuador. The forest understory was sampled using flight intercept traps (FITs) and systematic hand collections at night in June and July 2011 and 2012, and FITs in October and November 2011. A total of 1,255 Carabidae representing 20 tribes, 54 genera, and 143 morphospecies was collected. Mean number of individuals and mean species richness did not differ significantly between FP and TF; however, numbers of Cicindelini (tiger beetles) and Pentagonicini were higher in TF forest while numbers of Lachnophorini and Scaritini were higher in FP forest. Overall, FP had significantly higher rarefied richness but extrapolation of rarefaction curves using the Chao1 nonparametric diversity estimator show that this difference may decrease with additional sampling. The inverse Simpson index was significantly higher for FP than TF forest. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination and dissimilarity coefficient values show that FP and TF forests maintain unique assemblages with minimal overlap in community composition. Given ongoing anthropogenic pressures, particularly petroleum extraction, and those resulting from climate change, a greater understanding of the richness, diversity and community assemblages of Yasuní rainforest are needed to better conserve the fauna of this megadiverse area of Amazonia.
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Understanding how and why cultural diversity changes in human populations remains a central topic of debate in cultural evolutionary studies. Due to the effects of drift, small and isolated populations face evolutionary challenges in the retention of richness and diversity of cultural information. Such variation, however, can have significant fitness consequences, particularly when environmental conditions change unpredictably, such that knowledge about past environments may be key to long-term persistence. Factors that can shape the outcomes of drift within a population include the semantics of the traits as well as spatially structured social networks. Here, we use cultural transmission simulations to explore how social network structure and interaction affect the rate of trait retention and extinction. Using Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) as an example, we develop a model-based hypothesis for how the structural constraints of communities living in small, isolated populations had dramatic effects and likely led to preventing the loss of cultural information in both community patterning and technology.
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Diversidad Cultural , Características de la Residencia , Chile , HumanosRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Only international studies can provide the full variability of built environments and accurately estimate effect sizes of relations between contrasting environments and health-related outcomes. The aims of the International Physical Activity and Environment Study of Adolescents (IPEN Adolescent) are to estimate the strength, shape and generalisability of associations of the community environment (geographic information systems (GIS)-based and self-reported) with physical activity and sedentary behaviour (accelerometer-measured and self-reported) and weight status (normal/overweight/obese). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The IPEN Adolescent observational, cross-sectional, multicountry study involves recruiting adolescent participants (ages 11-19 years) and one parent/guardian from neighbourhoods selected to ensure wide variations in walkability and socioeconomic status using common protocols and measures. Fifteen geographically, economically and culturally diverse countries, from six continents, participated: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong SAR, India, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain and USA. Countries provided survey and accelerometer data (15 countries), GIS data (11), global positioning system data (10), and pedestrian environment audit data (8). A sample of n=6950 (52.6% female; mean age=14.5, SD=1.7) adolescents provided survey data, n=4852 had 4 or more 8+ hours valid days of accelerometer data, and n=5473 had GIS measures. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured by waist-worn ActiGraph accelerometers and self-reports, and body mass index was used to categorise weight status. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was received from each study site's Institutional Review Board for their in-country studies. Informed assent by adolescents and consent by parents was obtained for all participants. No personally identifiable information was transferred to the IPEN coordinating centre for pooled datasets. Results will be communicated through standard scientific channels and findings used to advance the science of environmental correlates of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and weight status, with the ultimate goal to stimulate and guide actions to create more activity-supportive environments internationally.
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Entorno Construido , Ejercicio Físico , Caminata , Adolescente , Australia , Bangladesh , Bélgica , Brasil , Niño , Estudios Transversales , República Checa , Planificación Ambiental , Femenino , Hong Kong , Humanos , India , Israel , Malasia , Masculino , Nueva Zelanda , Nigeria , Portugal , Características de la Residencia , España , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Microscale environmental features are usually evaluated using direct on-street observations. This study assessed inter-rater reliability of the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes, Global version (MAPS-Global), in an international context, comparing on-street with more efficient online observation methods in five countries with varying levels of walkability. METHODS: Data were collected along likely walking routes of study participants, from residential starting points toward commercial clusters in Melbourne (Australia), Ghent (Belgium), Curitiba (Brazil), Hong Kong (China), and Valencia (Spain). In-person on the street and online using Google Street View audits were carried out by two independent trained raters in each city. The final sample included 349 routes, 1228 street segments, 799 crossings, and 16 cul-de-sacs. Inter-rater reliability analyses were performed using Kappa statistics or Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC). RESULTS: Overall mean assessment times were the same for on-street and online evaluations (22 ± 12 min). Only a few subscales had Kappa or ICC values < 0.70, with aesthetic and social environment variables having the lowest overall reliability values, though still in the "good to excellent" category. Overall scores for each section (route, segment, crossing) showed good to excellent reliability (ICCs: 0.813, 0.929 and 0.885, respectively), and the MAPS-Global grand score had excellent reliability (ICC: 0.861) between the two methods. CONCLUSIONS: MAPS-Global is a feasible and reliable instrument that can be used both on-street and online to analyze microscale environmental characteristics in diverse international urban settings.
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Peatones , Australia , Bélgica , Brasil , China , Ciudades , Planificación Ambiental , Hong Kong , Humanos , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Características de la Residencia , España , CaminataRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To determine the natural history of pulmonary function for survivors of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of survivors of CDH born during 1991-2016 and followed at our institution. A generalized linear model was fitted to assess the longitudinal trends of ventilation (V), perfusion (Q), and V/Q mismatch. The association between V/Q ratio and body mass index percentile as well as functional status was also assessed with a generalized linear model. RESULTS: During the study period, 212 patients had at least one V/Q study. The average ipsilateral V/Q of the cohort increased over time (P < .01), an effect driven by progressive reduction in relative perfusion (P = .012). A higher V/Q ratio was correlated with lower body mass index percentile (P < .001) and higher probability of poor functional status (New York Heart Association class III or IV) (P = .045). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of survivors of CDH with more severe disease characteristics, V/Q mismatch worsens over time, primarily because of progressive perfusion deficit of the ipsilateral side. V/Q scans may be useful in identifying patients with CDH who are at risk for poor growth and functional status.
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Hernias Diafragmáticas Congénitas/fisiopatología , Pulmón/fisiopatología , Relación Ventilacion-Perfusión , Adolescente , Niño , Preescolar , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Estudios Retrospectivos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To analyze longitudinal trends of pulmonary function testing in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) followed in our multidisciplinary clinic. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of CDH patients born between 1991 and 2013. A linear mixed effects model was fitted to estimate the trends of percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1pp), percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVCpp), and FEV1/FVC over time. RESULTS: Of 268 patients with CDH who survived to discharge, 119 had at least 1 pulmonary function test study. The FEV1pp (P < .001), FVCpp (P = .017), and FEV1/FVC (P = .001) decreased with age. Compared with defect size A/B, those with defect size C/D had lower FEV1pp by an average of 11.5% (95% CI, 2.9%-20.1%; P = .010). A history of oxygen use at initial hospital discharge also correlated with decreased FEV1pp by an average of 8.0% (95% CI, 1.2%-15.0%; P = .023). CONCLUSIONS: In a select cohort of CDH survivors, average pulmonary function declines with age relative to expected population normative values. Those with severe CDH represent a population at risk for worsening pulmonary function test measurements who may benefit from recognition and monitoring for complications.
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Volumen Espiratorio Forzado , Hernias Diafragmáticas Congénitas/fisiopatología , Capacidad Vital , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Humanos , Recién Nacido , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Pruebas de Función Respiratoria , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
The Neotropical family Mesembrinellidae is revised. A total of 53 valid, extant species are included in the family, including 15 described as new and 38 redescribed based on study of type and non-type material and of the literature. A total of 18 primary types were examined. An additional ca. 2300 specimens, belonging to 47 species, were studied in detail, including dissection and photographic documentation of terminalia, with many females illustrated for the first time. Keys to subfamilies, genera, species-groups and species are provided. Type specimens of six species housed in South American institutions could not be obtained for study, i.e., M. bequaerti Séguy, 1925 and the five recently described species M. andina (Wolff et al., 2014), M. carvalhoi (Wolff et al., 2013b), M. cordillera (Wolff Ramos-Pastrana in Wolff et al., 2017), M. obscura (Wolff in Wolff et al., 2017) and Laneella patriciae (Wolff, 2013). We accept the synonymy, proposed by previous authors, of Eumesembrinella Townsend, 1931 with Mesembrinella Giglio-Tos, 1893. In addition, we synonymize the genera Albuquerquea Mello, 1967, Giovanella Bonatto in Bonatto Marinoni, 2005, Henriquella Bonatto in Bonatto Marinoni, 2005, Huascaromusca Townsend, 1918 and Thompsoniella Guimarães, 1977 with Mesembrinella Giglio-Tos, 1893, synn. nov., retaining three valid genera in the family: Laneella Mello, 1967, Mesembrinella and Souzalopesiella Guimarães, 1977. Laneella nigripes Guimarães, 1977 and Mesembrinella bellardiana Aldrich, 1922 are fixed as the type species of the genera Laneella Mello, 1967 and Mesembrinella Giglio-Tos, 1893, respectively, under Article 70.3 of the ICZN Code. We separate Mesembrinella into the following species-groups: M. latifrons (Mello, 1967), M. spicata Aldrich, 1925, M. bolivar (Bonatto in Bonatto Marinoni, 2005), M. aeneiventris (Wiedemann, 1830), M. bicolor (Fabricius, 1805), and M. anomala (Guimarães, 1977). The following 15 new species are described: Laneella fusconitida Whitworth, sp. nov. from Costa Rica, Ecuador and Venezuela, Laneella fuscosquamata Whitworth, sp. nov. from Guatemala and Mexico, Laneella purpurea Whitworth, sp. nov. from Costa Rica, Mesembrinella bullata Whitworth, sp. nov. from Bolivia, Mesembrinella chantryi Whitworth, sp. nov. from French Guiana and Brazil, Mesembrinella epandrioaurantia Whitworth, sp. nov. from Venezuela, Mesembrinella guaramacalensis Whitworth, sp. nov. from Venezuela, Mesembrinella longicercus Whitworth, sp. nov. from Bolivia, Mesembrinella mexicana Whitworth, sp. nov. from Mexico, Mesembrinella nigrocoerulea Whitworth, sp. nov. from Costa Rica, Ecuador and Venezuela, Mesembrinella serrata Whitworth, sp. nov. from Peru, Mesembrinella velasquezae Whitworth, sp. nov. from Venezuela, Mesembrinella violacea Whitworth, sp. nov. from Costa Rica, Mesembrinella woodorum Whitworth, sp. nov. from Ecuador, and Mesembrinella zurquiensis Whitworth, sp. nov. from Costa Rica. Mesembrinella abaca Hall, 1948 is proposed as a junior synonym of Mesembrinella socors (Walker, 1861), syn. nov. Lectotypes are designated for Dexia randa Walker, 1849 (now Mesembrinella) and Mesembrinella pictipennis Aldrich, 1922. We analyze the most extensive DNA-barcode dataset for Mesembrinellidae to date, encompassing the three genera considered valid and including 188 sequences (178 new) from 35 species, with data for 23 species provided for the first time. The topology of the resulting Neighbor-Joining tree is mostly congruent with morphology; however, some species show considerable genetic variation that is not reflected by morphology. Finally, we include a corrigendum to the recent Zootaxa paper on Nearctic Calliphora Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) by Tantawi et al.
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Dípteros , Animales , Femenino , América del SurRESUMEN
RATIONALE: Residents of neighbourhoods with high destination accessibility (higher population density, more-interconnected streets, and better access to services, public transport and parks) are more physically active. Evidence on the factors that underlie these associations is sparse and inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: We examined (1) five socio-demographic and four non-destination perceived neighbourhood attributes as moderators of the relationship between objectively-assessed destination accessibility and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); (2) perceived indicators of destination accessibility as mediators of those relationships; and, (3) the generalizability of findings across 14 cities. METHODS: Data were from the International Physical Activity and Environment Network (IPEN) Adult study (Nâ¯=â¯6822), which provided comparable objective and perceived environmental variables and accelerometer-based MVPA from 14 cities across 10 countries. Mediation and mediation moderation analyses were performed. RESULTS: Objective net residential density, public transport density, and number of parks in the neighbourhood were consistently associated with MVPA across all examined socio-demographic groups and non-destination perceived neighbourhood characteristics. However, only the association between number of parks and MVPA was mediated by its conceptually-comparable perceived indicator. While the associations of objective intersection density and land use mix with MVPA were moderated by both gender and perceived pedestrian infrastructure/safety, only the latter moderating effects were mediated by the conceptually-comparable perceived indicators. Perceived neighbourhood safety and/or aesthetics moderated the associations of objective ratio of retail/civic land to total area and distance to nearest transport stop with MVPA. These associations were not mediated by the conceptually-comparable perceived indicators. CONCLUSION: Densely populated neighbourhoods with access to public transport and parks have the potential to significantly and equitably contribute to adults' MVPA on a global scale. Perceived neighbourhood aesthetics, pedestrian-friendliness and safety can magnify the positive effects of mixed-use neighbourhoods on residents' MVPA by interacting with the perceived ease of access to a variety of destinations.
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Ejercicio Físico/psicología , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/normas , Características de la Residencia/clasificación , Adulto , Anciano , Bélgica , Brasil , China , Colombia , Estudios Transversales , República Checa , Dinamarca , Planificación Ambiental , Estudios Epidemiológicos , Femenino , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Masculino , México , Persona de Mediana Edad , Nueva Zelanda , Parques Recreativos/normas , Parques Recreativos/estadística & datos numéricos , Percepción , Transportes/normas , Transportes/estadística & datos numéricos , Reino Unido , Estados UnidosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Relationships between several built environment factors and physical activity and walking behavior are well established, but internationally-comparable built environment measures are lacking. The Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS)-Global is an observational measure of detailed streetscape features relevant to physical activity that was developed for international use. This study examined the inter-observer reliability of the instrument in five countries. METHODS: MAPS-Global was developed by compiling concepts and items from eight environmental measures relevant to walking and bicycling. Inter-rater reliability data were collected in neighborhoods selected to vary on geographic information system (GIS)-derived macro-level walkability in five countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Hong Kong-China, and Spain). MAPS-Global assessments (n = 325) were completed in person along a ≥ 0.25 mile route from a residence toward a non-residential destination, and a commercial block was also rated for each residence (n = 82). Two raters in each country rated each route independently. A tiered scoring system was created that summarized items at multiple levels of aggregation, and positive and negative valence scores were created based on the expected effect on physical activity. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed for scales and selected items using one-way random models. RESULTS: Overall, 86.6% of individual items and single item indicators showed excellent agreement (ICC ≥ 0.75), and 13.4% showed good agreement (ICC = 0.60-0.74). All subscales and overall summary scores showed excellent agreement. Six of 123 items were too rare to compute the ICC. The median ICC for items and scales was 0.92 with a range of 0.50-1.0. Aesthetics and social characteristics showed lower ICCs than other sub-scales, but reliabilities were still in the excellent range (ICC ≥ 0.75). CONCLUSION: Evaluation of inter-observer reliability of MAPS-Global across five countries indicated all items and scales had "good" or "excellent" reliability. The results demonstrate that trained observers from multiple countries were able to reliably conduct observations of both residential and commercial areas with the new MAPS-Global instrument. Next steps are to evaluate construct validity in relation to physical activity in multiple countries and gain experience with using MAPS-Global for research and practice applications.
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Planificación Ambiental , Ejercicio Físico , Observación/métodos , Características de la Residencia , Adulto , Australia , Bélgica , Ciclismo , Brasil , Niño , China , Femenino , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Hong Kong , Humanos , Masculino , Variaciones Dependientes del Observador , Peatones , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Factores Sociológicos , España , CaminataRESUMEN
In this work we demonstrate the use of the push-pull model system 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN) as a convenient molecular probe to investigate the local solvation structure and dynamics by means of time-resolved infrared spectroscopy (TRIR). The photochemical features associated with this system provide several advantages due to the high charge separation between the ground and charge transfer states involving the characteristic nitrile bond, and an excited state lifetime that is long enough to observe the slow solvation dynamics in organic solvents and ionic liquids. The conversion from a locally excited state to an intramolecular charge transfer state (LE-ICT) in ionic liquids shows similar kinetic lifetimes in comparison to organic solvents. This similarity confirms that such conversion depends solely on the intramolecular reorganization of DMABN in the excited state, and not by the dynamics of solvation. In contrast, the relative shift of the ν(CN) vibration during the relaxation of the ICT state reveals two distinct lifetimes that are sensitive to the solvent environment. This study reveals a fast time component which is attributed to the dipolar relaxation of the solvent and a slower time component related to the rotation of the dimethylamino group of DMABN.
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BACKGROUND: Advancements in geographic information systems over the past two decades have increased the specificity by which an individual's neighborhood environment may be spatially defined for physical activity and health research. This study investigated how different types of street network buffering methods compared in measuring a set of commonly used built environment measures (BEMs) and tested their performance on associations with physical activity outcomes. METHODS: An internationally-developed set of objective BEMs using three different spatial buffering techniques were used to evaluate the relative differences in resulting explanatory power on self-reported physical activity outcomes. BEMs were developed in five countries using 'sausage,' 'detailed-trimmed,' and 'detailed,' network buffers at a distance of 1 km around participant household addresses (n = 5883). RESULTS: BEM values were significantly different (p < 0.05) for 96% of sausage versus detailed-trimmed buffer comparisons and 89% of sausage versus detailed network buffer comparisons. Results showed that BEM coefficients in physical activity models did not differ significantly across buffering methods, and in most cases BEM associations with physical activity outcomes had the same level of statistical significance across buffer types. However, BEM coefficients differed in significance for 9% of the sausage versus detailed models, which may warrant further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study inform the selection of spatial buffering methods to estimate physical activity outcomes using an internationally consistent set of BEMs. Using three different network-based buffering methods, the findings indicate significant variation among BEM values, however associations with physical activity outcomes were similar across each buffering technique. The study advances knowledge by presenting consistently assessed relationships between three different network buffer types and utilitarian travel, sedentary behavior, and leisure-oriented physical activity outcomes.
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Planificación Ambiental , Ejercicio Físico , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Internacionalidad , Características de la Residencia , Brasil/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Dinamarca/epidemiología , Ejercicio Físico/fisiología , Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud/fisiología , Humanos , Nueva Zelanda/epidemiología , Transportes/métodos , Reino Unido/epidemiología , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Caminata/fisiologíaRESUMEN
Lineages tend to retain ecological characteristics of their ancestors through time. However, for some traits, selection during evolutionary history may have also played a role in determining trait values. To address the relative importance of these processes requires large-scale quantification of traits and evolutionary relationships among species. The Amazonian tree flora comprises a high diversity of angiosperm lineages and species with widely differing life-history characteristics, providing an excellent system to investigate the combined influences of evolutionary heritage and selection in determining trait variation. We used trait data related to the major axes of life-history variation among tropical trees (e.g. growth and mortality rates) from 577 inventory plots in closed-canopy forest, mapped onto a phylogenetic hypothesis spanning more than 300 genera including all major angiosperm clades to test for evolutionary constraints on traits. We found significant phylogenetic signal (PS) for all traits, consistent with evolutionarily related genera having more similar characteristics than expected by chance. Although there is also evidence for repeated evolution of pioneer and shade tolerant life-history strategies within independent lineages, the existence of significant PS allows clearer predictions of the links between evolutionary diversity, ecosystem function and the response of tropical forests to global change.
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Bosques , Filogenia , Árboles/clasificación , Clima Tropical , Evolución Biológica , Ecología , América del SurRESUMEN
The critical thermal maximum (CTmax), the temperature at which motor control is lost in animals, has the potential to determine if species will tolerate global warming. For insects, tolerance to high temperatures decreases with latitude, suggesting that similar patterns may exist along elevational gradients as well. This study explored how CTmax varies among species and populations of a group of diverse tropical insect herbivores, the rolled-leaf beetles, across both broad and narrow elevational gradients. Data from 6,948 field observations and 8,700 museum specimens were used to map the elevational distributions of rolled-leaf beetles on two mountains in Costa Rica. CTmax was determined for 1,252 individual beetles representing all populations across the gradients. Initial morphological identifications suggested a total of 26 species with populations at different elevations displaying contrasting upper thermal limits. However, compared with morphological identifications, DNA barcodes (cytochrome oxidase I) revealed significant cryptic species diversity. DNA barcodes identified 42 species and haplotypes across 11 species complexes. These 42 species displayed much narrower elevational distributions and values of CTmax than the 26 morphologically defined species. In general, species found at middle elevations and on mountaintops are less tolerant to high temperatures than species restricted to lowland habitats. Species with broad elevational distributions display high CTmax throughout their ranges. We found no significant phylogenetic signal in CTmax, geography, or elevational range. The narrow variance in CTmax values for most rolled-leaf beetles, especially high-elevation species, suggests that the risk of extinction of insects may be substantial under some projected rates of global warming.
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Adaptación Fisiológica , Altitud , Extinción Biológica , Calentamiento Global , Calor , Insectos/fisiología , Clima Tropical , Aclimatación , Animales , Costa Rica , Complejo IV de Transporte de Electrones/genética , Geografía , Haplotipos , Herbivoria , Humedad , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Filogenia , Especificidad de la EspecieRESUMEN
Amazon forests, which store â¼ 50% of tropical forest carbon and play a vital role in global water, energy, and carbon cycling, are predicted to experience both longer and more intense dry seasons by the end of the 21st century. However, the climate sensitivity of this ecosystem remains uncertain: several studies have predicted large-scale die-back of the Amazon, whereas several more recent studies predict that the biome will remain largely intact. Combining remote-sensing and ground-based observations with a size- and age-structured terrestrial ecosystem model, we explore the sensitivity and ecological resilience of these forests to changes in climate. We demonstrate that water stress operating at the scale of individual plants, combined with spatial variation in soil texture, explains observed patterns of variation in ecosystem biomass, composition, and dynamics across the region, and strongly influences the ecosystem's resilience to changes in dry season length. Specifically, our analysis suggests that in contrast to existing predictions of either stability or catastrophic biomass loss, the Amazon forest's response to a drying regional climate is likely to be an immediate, graded, heterogeneous transition from high-biomass moist forests to transitional dry forests and woody savannah-like states. Fire, logging, and other anthropogenic disturbances may, however, exacerbate these climate change-induced ecosystem transitions.
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Cambio Climático , Ecosistema , Biomasa , Brasil , Deshidratación , Tecnología de Sensores Remotos , Estaciones del Año , SueloRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Ecological models of health behaviour are an important conceptual framework to address the multiple correlates of obesity. Several single-country studies previously examined the relationship between the built environment and obesity in adults, but results are very diverse. An important reason for these mixed results is the limited variability in built environments in these single-country studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine associations between perceived neighbourhood built environmental attributes and BMI/weight status in a multi-country study including 12 environmentally and culturally diverse countries. METHODS: A multi-site cross-sectional study was conducted in 17 cities (study sites) across 12 countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and USA). Participants (n = 14222, 18-66 years) self-reported perceived neighbourhood environmental attributes. Height and weight were self-reported in eight countries, and measured in person in four countries. RESULTS: Three environmental attributes were associated with BMI or weight status in pooled data from 12 countries. Safety from traffic was the most robust correlate, suggesting that creating safe routes for walking/cycling by reducing the speed and volume of traffic might have a positive impact upon weight status/BMI across various geographical locations. Close proximity to several local destinations was associated with BMI across all countries, suggesting compact neighbourhoods with more places to walk related to lower BMI. Safety from crime showed a curvilinear relationship with BMI, with especially poor crime safety being related to higher BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental interventions involving these three attributes appear to have international relevance and focusing on these might have implications for tackling overweight/obesity.