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BACKGROUND: Visual fields are important for postural stability and ability to manoeuvre around objects. OBJECTIVE: Examine the association between visual field loss and falls requiring hospitalisation in adults aged 50 +. METHODS: Older adults aged 50+ with and without visual field loss were identified using a fields database obtained from a cross-section of ophthalmologists' practices in Western Australia (WA). Data were linked to the Hospital Morbidity Data Collection and WA Hospital Mortality System to identify participants who experienced falls-related hospitalisations between 1990 and 2019. A generalised linear negative binomial regression model examined the association between falls requiring hospitalisation for those with and without field loss, based on the better eye mean deviation (mild: -2 to -6 dB, moderate: -6.01 dB to -12 dB, severe < -12.01 dB) in the most contemporaneous visual field test (3 years prior or if not available, 2 years after the fall), after adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: A total of 31 021 unique individuals of whom 6054 (19.5%) experienced 11 818 falls requiring hospitalisation during a median observation time of 14.1 years. Only mean deviation index of <-12.01 dB (severe) was significantly associated with an increased rate of falls requiring hospitalisations by 14% (adjusted IRR 1.14, 95% CI 1.0-1.25) compared with no field loss, after adjusting for potential confounders. Other factors included age, with those aged 80+ having an increased rate (IRR 29.16, 95% CI 21.39-39.84), other comorbid conditions (IRR 1.49, 95% CI 1.38-1.60) and diabetes (IRR 1.25, 95% CI 1.14-1.37). Previous cataract surgery was associated with a decreased rate of falls that required hospitalisations by 13% (IRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.95) compared with those who did not have cataract surgery. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of continuous clinical monitoring of visual field loss and injury prevention strategies for older adults with visual field loss.

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Majority of the lung adenocarcinomas show a mixture of different histological patterns. The possibility of histologically heterogeneous areas of the adenocarcinoma showing genetic heterogeneity and harboring different driver mutations, with potentially significant clinical impact, has not been adequately addressed. Currently, there are no guidelines to suggest how to submit tumor tissue in adenocarcinomas with mixed histological features for molecular testing. The objective of this study is to assess intra-tumoral heterogeneity in prominent driver mutations among different morphological patterns of lung adenocarcinoma, its implications on the future of molecular testing as well as its potential impact on patient management. Twenty-three cases of mixed histology lung adenocarcinoma resected between 2018 and 2023 were retrieved from the archives. H&E slides were reviewed to identify the predominant and second most predominant histological patterns. The morphologically different tumor areas were manually macro-dissected for DNA extraction. Next-Generation Sequencing with Ion AmpliSeq™ Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA). Thirteen cases showed the same pathological variant in both histological components tested. Three cases (13 %) exhibited disparities in the variants detected across the different histological patterns tested (p=0.025). The discrepant findings had a direct therapeutic impact in 4.3 % cases. Seven cases showed no pathogenic variants detected on either of the histological components tested. This study elucidates the presence of infrequent yet significant intra-tumoral heterogeneity in the molecular profiles of mixed histology adenocarcinomas, highlighting the need for guidelines directing tissue selection for molecular testing to avoid missed therapeutic opportunities and mitigate disease relapse.

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Shrinking saline lakes provide irreplaceable habitat for waterbird species globally. Disentangling the effects of wetland habitat loss from other drivers of waterbird population dynamics is critical for protecting these species in the face of unprecedented changes to saline lake ecosystems, ideally through decision-making frameworks that identify effective management options and their potential outcomes. Here, we develop a framework to assess the effects of hypothesized population drivers and identify potential future outcomes of plausible management scenarios on a saline lake-reliant waterbird species. We use 36 years of monitoring data to quantify the effects of environmental conditions on the population size of a regionally important breeding colony of American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) at Great Salt Lake, Utah, US, then forecast colony abundance under various management scenarios. We found that low lake levels, which allow terrestrial predators access to the colony, are probable drivers of recent colony declines. Without local management efforts, we predicted colony abundance could likely decline approximately 37.3% by 2040, although recent colony observations suggest population declines may be more extreme than predicted. Results from our population projection scenarios suggested that proactive approaches to preventing predator colony access and reversing saline lake declines are crucial for the persistence of the Great Salt Lake pelican colony. Increasing wetland habitat and preventing predator access to the colony together provided the most effective protection, increasing abundance 145.4% above projections where no management actions are taken, according to our population projection scenarios. Given the importance of water levels to the persistence of island-nesting colonial species, proactive approaches to reversing saline lake declines could likely benefit pelicans as well as other avian species reliant on these unique ecosystems.

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Black carbon (BC) is a crucial air pollutant that contributes to short-lived climate forcing and adverse health impacts. BC emissions have rapidly declined over the past three decades and it is important to uncover the major factors behind this decline. Herein, the temporal trends in BC emissions were compiled from 146 detailed sources from 1960 to 2019. Results revealed that the major emission sources were residential solid fuel usage, coke production and brick production. Furthermore, 96.9% of the emission reduction from 3.03 Tg in 1995 to 1.02 Tg in 2019 was attributed to these three sources. It was determined that the transition in residential energy/stove usage, phasing-out of beehive coke ovens and brick kiln upgrading were the most important drivers leading to this reduction and will continue to play a key role in future emission mitigation. In addition, this study identified the need to address emissions from coal used in vegetable greenhouses and the commercial sector, and diesel consumption in on/off-road vehicles.

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INTRODUCTION: This narrative review aims to frame the historical context of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) pediatric intensive care and offers suggestions for mitigating the impact of unique social drivers. METHODS: Recent literature was surveyed to determine pertinent studies describing intensive care outcomes in AI/AN children and was summarized in a narrative review. RESULTS: American Indian/Alaska Native people experience disproportionate health inequites due to unique social drivers of health, including settler colonialism, historical trauma, and systemic racism. These factors contribute to inequities in the pediatric intensive care experience, including rates of admission for injury and infectious diseases and mortality due to injuries and following cardiac surgery. DISCUSSION: These inequities are understudied and require dedicated evaluation. Institutions and providers are responsible for educating, modeling, and providing culturally competent care and aiming to achieve workforce equity to improve outcomes for AI/AN children receiving intensive care.

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BACKGROUND: Comprehensive survivorship care after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) includes revaccination to restore immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). There is complexity to revaccination in this setting, and revaccination rates are sub-optimal. HCT survivors are at high-risk for morbidity and mortality from infections including VPDs, underscoring the importance of interventions to improve revaccination rates among survivors. Determining associations between survivor characteristics and revaccination uptake may guide interventions. OBJECTIVES: The overall study objective was to advance our understanding of factors influencing revaccination uptake among adult HCT survivors living in the U.S. The specific study aims were to: 1) determine the prevalence of adult survivors who are completely, partially, or not revaccinated at 2-8 years after HCT and 2) examine associations between demographic variables, social determinants of health, clinical variables, past vaccination behaviors, vaccine hesitancy (Vaccination Confidence Scale), and revaccination status in adult HCT survivors. STUDY DESIGN: This study employed a one-time cross-sectional revaccination survey of adults who were surviving 2-8 years after HCT and living in the U.S. The survey was sent to eligible survivors in the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Long-term Follow-up research cohort. The point prevalence of revaccination outcomes was determined from all the respondents (n=338), differences in intent to revaccinate for people not yet fully revaccinated were explored using Fisher's exact test (n=126), and associations were examined between revaccination outcomes and predictors using multivariable logistic regression (n=292). RESULTS: Survey response rate was 30%. Among respondents, 62% were completely revaccinated, 33% were partially revaccinated, and 4% were not revaccinated. Most respondents (77%) who were not yet fully revaccinated planned to complete the revaccination protocol. However, fewer not-revaccinated respondents than partially revaccinated respondents planned to complete revaccination (50% vs 80%, p=0.032). Factors associated with incomplete revaccination were shorter time from HCT, inadequate immune reconstitution, and not having received all childhood vaccines as a child. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis has identified multiple variables associated with revaccination outcomes, indicating the potential for interventions to enhance post-HCT revaccination rates. Since many survivors cannot be revaccinated promptly due to delayed immune recovery, clinicians should iteratively re-evaluate for revaccination readiness as long as it takes to ensure eventual revaccination. Broader efforts by the healthcare community to increase childhood vaccine uptake might eventually support revaccination uptake. Future research that builds on these findings should focus on intervention testing.

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Uncontrolled human activity and nature are causing the deterioration of Saint Martin Island, Bangladesh's only tropical island, necessitating sustainable land use strategies and ecological practices. Therefore, the present study measures the land use/cover transition from 1974 to 2021, predicts 2032 and 2042, and constructs the spatiotemporal features of the Landscape Ecological Risk Index based on land use changes. The study utilized Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) on Landsat images from 1974, 1988, 2001, 2013, and Sentinel 2B in 2021, achieving ≥ 80% accuracy. The MLP-MC approach was also used to predict 2032 and 2042 LULC change patterns. The eco-risk index was developed using landscape disturbance and vulnerability indices, Bayesian Kriging interpolation, and spatial autocorrelations to indicate spatial clustering. The research found that settlements increased from 2.06 to 28.62 ha between 1974 and 2021 and would cover 41.22 ha in 2042, causing considerable losses in agricultural areas, waterbodies, sand, coral reefs, and vegetation. The area under study showed a more uniform and homogenous environment as Shannon's diversity and evenness scores decreased. The ecological risk of Saint Martin Island increased from 4.31 to 31.05 ha between 1974 and 2042 due to natural and human factors like erosion, tidal bores, population growth, coral mining, habitat destruction, and intensive agricultural practices and tourism, primarily in Nazrul Para, Galachipa, and Western Dakhin Para. The findings will benefit St. Martin Island stakeholders and policymakers by providing insights into current and potential landscape changes and land eco-management.

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Article pays attention to the impact of using the trailer on driving performances of a studied vehicle combination.The research was performed via extensive experimental measurements. A new methodology of determining a technical condition of the trailer' brakes was proposed and verified, which can be also applied during the regular technical inspection. Various load distributions in the trailer caused the centre of gravity's position of the vehicle was changed, which may increase the risk of skidding or disconnection of the trailer from the towing vehicle. Also, the vehicle's ability to accelerate and decelerate decreased considerably due to the loading up. There were assessed the braking characteristics of the combination of vehicles as well, depending on the technical condition of the trailer's brakes. The importance of this article lies in the quantification of selected factors on road safety in relation to driving with a combination of vehicles.

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As the world's largest carbon emitter of food systems, China's goal of carbon neutrality cannot be achieved without addressing the issue of food GHGs. Given the knowledge gap in subnational spatiotemporal research on China's food carbon emissions, especially drivers of regional heterogeneity and the urban‒rural divide, this study uses the household metabolism approach, the gray correlation, and logarithmic mean Divisia index decomposition to assess food-related carbon emissions (FCEs) in China, conducts urban‒rural comparisons and quantifies emission drivers across 31 provinces/regions from 1990 to 2022. The data are sourced from authentic and credible government departments. The results indicate a notable increase in FCEs in most provinces for urban regions following periods of slight decline (1990-2001), sharp increase (2001-2016), and slow growth (2016-2022). In contrast, there has been a more pronounced increase in most provinces for rural regions following a phase of slow growth (1990-2002), a marked decline (2002-2012), and a sharp rise (2012-2022). Among others, per capita carbon emissions from plant-based foods decreased from 345.79 kg in 1990 to 262.70 kg in 2022, whereas emissions from animal-based foods increased from 90.78 kg to 284.39 kg over the same period, suggesting that dietary changes have been a major contributor. Clustering based on the gray correlation further confirms the large interprovincial heterogeneity and significant urban‒rural divide. Regardless of cluster and stage, affluence consistently and significantly drives the growth of FCEs in urban/rural areas, whereas food consumption intensity consistently and significantly contributes to this reduction. The Engel coefficient reduces carbon emissions by a large amount, and the carbon emission factor increases urban/rural FCEs, albeit by a small amount. Consumption willingness reduces FCEs in urban areas but increases FCEs in rural areas in most stages. These findings can aid policy-makers in designing emission reduction policies tailored to the local context.

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INTRODUCTION: Engagement in hand-held phone use while driving among young drivers is a prevalent concern in society, despite countermeasures to deter the behavior. The social norm approach has been effective in reducing negative behaviors in young adults (e.g., binge drinking, drink driving). However, whether this approach can reduce hand-held phone use while driving in this population has not been thoroughly investigated. METHOD: The qualitative study explored young drivers' attitudes and opinions on social norm messages designed to reduce hand-held phone use while driving. In addition, young drivers' opinions on current campaigns were explored to provide further insight into the effectiveness of these messages. Thirty young drivers were interviewed and shown six social norm messages. RESULTS: The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, resulting in five themes and one sub-theme: (1) Road safety messages with minimal impact on hand-held phone use while driving; (2) What constitutes an effective road safety message for hand-held phone use while driving; (3) Comparisons between social norm messages and road safety messages; (4) The potential benefits of combined social norms, (4a) Improving and optimizing the message; and (5) "It's kinda just numbers on a screen": Negative views on social norm messages. Results highlight the diverse opinions towards road safety campaigns and the need to increase exposure to these messages. Further, a combined social norm message was perceived as most effective in reducing engagement in hand-held phone use while driving. CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides preliminary evidence that the social norm approach may be effective in reducing hand-held phone use among young drivers. Further, this study highlights the need to maximize exposure to phone use while driving campaigns in this high-risk cohort. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Results support the development of a social norm messaging intervention to reduce young drivers hand-held phone use while driving.

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INTRODUCTION: This study addresses the lack of methods to quantify driver familiarity with roadways, which poses a higher risk of crashes. METHOD: We present a new approach to assessing driving route diversity and familiarity using data from the DrivingApp, a smartphone-based research tool that collects trip-level information, including driving exposure and global positioning system (GPS) data, from young novice drivers (15-19 years old) to older drivers (67-78 years old). Using these data, we developed a GPS data-based algorithm to analyze the uniqueness of driving routes. The algorithm creates same route trip (SRT) arrays by comparing each trip of an identified user, employing statistically determined thresholds for GPS coordinate proximity and trip overlap. The optimal thresholds were established using a General Linear Model (GLM) to examine distance, and repeated observations. The Adjusted Breadth-First Search method is applied to the SRT arrays to prevent double counting or trip omission. The resulting list is classified as geographically distinct routes, or unique routes (URs). RESULTS: Manual comparison of algorithm output with geographical maps yielded an overall precision of 0.93 and accuracy of 0.91. The algorithm produces two main outputs: a measure of driving diversity (number of URs) and a measure of route-based familiarity derived from the Rescorla-Wagner model. To evaluate the utility of these measures, a Gaussian mixture model clustering algorithm was used on the young novice driver dataset, revealing two distinct groups: the low-frequency driving group with lower route familiarity when having higher route diversity, whereas the high-frequency driving group with the opposite pattern. In the older driver group, there was a significant correlation found between the number of URs and Geriatric Depression Score, or walking gait speed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that route diversity and familiarity could complement existing measures to understand driving safety and how driving behavior is related to physical and psychological outcomes.

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PURPOSE: A growing body of research indicates a correlation between occupational exposure, particularly among individuals in driving-related occupations, and the incidence of low back pain (LBP). METHODS: Databases were systematically searched, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and SinoMed, from their inception through December 2023 for relevant studies of the prevalence and risk factors of LBP among professional drivers. Subsequent meta-analyses were performed utilizing Stata 17.0 and RevMan 5.4 software, while risk factor indicators were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation evidence quality grading system. RESULTS: A systematic review and meta-analysis comprising 19 studies involving 7,723 patients indicated that the incidence of LBP among drivers was 39% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20-0.57) in the past 7 days and 53% (95% CI 0.43-0.63) in the past 12 months. A subgroup analysis revealed a prevalence of 48% (95% CI 0.33-0.64) in 2005-2015 and 56% (95% CI 0.42-0.70) in 2016-2023. Among the identified factors, robust evidence highlighted age ≥ 41 years (odds ratio [OR] = 2.10; 95% CI 1.36-3.24; P = 0.0008), alcohol consumption (OR = 1.75; 95% CI 1.31-2.34; P = 0.0001), sleeping < 6 h/night (OR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.13-2.24; P = 0.007), uncomfortable seating (OR = 1.71; 95% CI 1.23-2.36; P = 0.001), improper driving posture (OR = 2.37; 95% CI 1.91-2.94; P < 0.00001), and manual handling (OR = 2.23; 95% CI 1.72-2.88; P < 0.00001) as significant risk factors for LBP. There was moderate evidence of a lack of exercise (OR = 1.78; 95% CI 1.37-2.31; P < 0.0001), working > 10 h/day (OR = 2.49; 95% CI 1.89-3.28; P < 0.00001), > 5 years' driving experience (OR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.66-2.69; P < 0.00001), a lack of back support (OR = 1.81; 95% CI 1.25-2.62; P = 0.002), high work-related pressure (OR = 2.04; 95% CI 1.59-2.61; P < 0.00001), and job dissatisfaction (OR = 1.57; 95% CI 1.23-2.01; P = 0.0003) as moderate risk factors. There was no evidence of body mass index or smoking as risk factors for LBP among professional drivers. CONCLUSION: The current evidence indicates an increasing annual trend in the prevalence of LBP among professional drivers. Factors including age ≥ 41 years, alcohol consumption, and sleeping < 6 h/night were among the 12 influential factors contributing to LBP in professional drivers. Enhancing awareness of these factors and formulating targeted preventive strategies may be beneficial.

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China's groundwater is facing a significant threat from nitrate pollution. Here we analyzed 2348 regional surveys of groundwater nitrate levels in China from 1990 to 2020, examining distribution, trends, and drivers. This study uncovers a concerning rise in nitrate pollution, with estimated median nitrate levels climbing from 3.84 mg/L in 1990 to 6.94 mg/L in 2020. A stark contrast is observed between regions: the northern areas have a median nitrate concentration of 8.54 mg/L, significantly higher than the southern regions, where the median is just 7.15 mg/L. From 1990 to 2020, agricultural activity consistently emerges as the dominant driver of changes in groundwater nitrate concentrations, while groundwater exploitation, domestic pollution, and industrial production also contribute to varying degrees. This analysis highlights the urgency for region-specific policies and interventions to address the escalating nitrate pollution in China's groundwater.

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As one of the advanced automotive chassis technologies, the steer-by-wire system offers a high level of precision, responsiveness, and controllability in the driving experience. It can also adjust and optimize parameters to adapt to the preferences of different drivers. However, when faced with the steer-by-wire system, both experienced drivers and novice drivers are in the novice stage, exhibiting learning or adaptation behaviors when using this steering system. In this paper, a small-scale pilot evaluation was conducted by means of a questionnaire survey and driving-simulator experiment, and the learning behavior and adaptability of four experienced and four novice drivers to the steer-by-wire system were analyzed when using the traditional steering system. The study found that experienced drivers show significant changes in their adaptation to the steering system, mainly due to their habitual driving with traditional steering systems. In contrast, novice drivers show no significant changes in their adaptation to the steering system, which is attributed to their lack of driving experience and skills, resulting in less sensitivity to changes in the steering system. Additionally, the study found that novice drivers under the steer-by-wire system grasp control over speed and steering-wheel angle more quickly. This research provides a reference for improving drivers' learning and adaptation abilities to the steer-by-wire system and optimizing the design of the steer-by-wire system.

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Taxis are essential to economic growth due to the ease and comfort they offer passengers. This is evident as most cities, especially in Africa, are dominated by taxis providing door-to-door services. However, their susceptibility to road traffic accidents (RTA) raises serious concerns due to their risky driving behaviours. In contrast, studies on taxi driver involvement in RTA due to their risky driving behaviours are sparse, especially in African countries. Consequently, the study examined the relationship between risky driving behaviour and traffic accident involvement among Nigerian commercial taxi drivers using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Prior to the structural model analysis, the modified driver behaviour questionnaire (DBQ) was valid. This was assessed through the measurement model, and the results showed that the composite reliability, average variance extracted, and discriminant validity were greater than 0.7, greater than 0.5, and less than 0.90, respectively. Furthermore, the structural equation modeling results show that the driving violation and driving error constructs influenced road traffic accidents among taxi drivers, while inattention error was insignificant (p > 0.05). Although driving violations and errors significantly increase the chances of RTA among taxi drivers, driving violations had a more substantial influence than driving errors. Also, the regression coefficient indicates the risky driving behaviour of commercial taxi drivers accounts for 5.2 % of the RTAs in Nigeria. This research contributed to validating the DBQ for commercial taxi drivers in Nigeria, examining the influence of their driving violations, driving errors, and inattention errors on accident involvement and that inattention error may not necessarily influence accidents, which will aid policymakers in formulating mitigative strategies for RTA reductions. Moreso, it will guide driver trainers in curriculum development for specific commercial taxi driver training.

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Justice-involved youth have high rates of mental health symptoms and diagnoses. Unaddressed mental health needs are associated with exposure to adversity and trauma, as well as unidentified or mislabeled symptoms that may be present early in life. Justice-involved youth disproportionately come from low-income families and minoritized populations. Community-based interventions that address family and community factors associated with justice involvement are key to improving mental health and life trajectory outcomes for youth. Policies and interventions that address unmet educational needs, support families, and promote early identification of youth in need of social, educational, and mental health services are reviewed.

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LGBTQIA+ youth are disproportionately affected by mental health issues including suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Minoritized youth have numerous social and structural factors influencing their health, including a lack of access to care and resources. However, these youth and their caregivers also have many unique and individual cultural strengths. Awareness of special considerations and work toward dismantling structural drivers is essential in improving the health of these youth. Additionally, it is important to support minoritized youth and their caregivers through tailored evidence-based treatments in addressing social and structural drivers to influence individual, community, educational, institutional, and policy levels and prevent suicide in achieving mental health equity.

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Background: Paying attention to palliative care has accelerated in Iran in the last 10 years. Considering the trend of aging, increasing burden of chronic diseases and increasing health costs, planning and development of palliative care is necessary in the future. This study was conducted with the aim of explaining the alternative scenarios of palliative care in the health system of Iran until the horizon of 2030. Methods: This study was a multi-method scenario planning with a qualitative using multiple methods design, which was conducted in 3 phases in 2018-2020. In the first phase, a list of driving forces was extracted using qualitative interviews and literature review. In the second phase, all factors identified in the previous phase were examined in terms of degree of uncertainty and cross-impact analysis, and two key uncertainties were extracted. In the third phase, based on two key uncertainties, four future scenarios of palliative care were formulated, validated and scenario strategies were presented. Results: The results indicate two uncertainties, including "governance of palliative care in the health system" and "acceptance of palliative care by society," based on which, four scenarios with the names "climbing to the top," "excruciating climb," "edge of the abyss" and "The bottom of the valley" were compiled. Conclusion: The development of palliative care in health system of Iran is faced with serious uncertainties that it is necessary to focus the developmental activities of palliative care on the two axes of acceptance by society and need for coherent governance by considering all the dimensions and influential components by ministry of health. The application of the results of this research can provide reasonable options for effective interventions and implementation of this category of services to the beneficiaries of palliative care.

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Iron (Fe) plaque, which forms on the surface of rice roots, plays a crucial role in immobilizing heavy metal(loids), thus reducing their accumulation in rice plants. However, the principal factors influencing Fe plaque formation and its adsorption capacity for heavy metal(loid)s throughout the rice plant's lifecycle remain poorly understood. Thus, this study investigated the dynamics of Fe plaque formation and its ability to adsorb cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) across different growth stages, aiming to identify the key drivers behind these processes. The findings reveal that the rate of radial oxygen loss (ROL) and the abundance of plaque-associated microbes are the primary drivers of Fe plaque formation, with their relative importance ranging from 1.4% to 81%. Similarly, the adsorption of As by Fe plaque is principally determined by the rate of ROL and the quantity of Fe plaque, with subsequent effects from the total Fe in rhizospheric soil, arsenate-reducing bacteria, and organic matter-degrading bacteria. The relative importance of these factors ranges from 6.0% to 11.7%. By contrast, the adsorption of Cd onto Fe plaque is primarily affected by competition for adsorption sites with ammonium in soils and the presence of organic matter-degrading bacteria, contributing 25.5% and 23.5% to the adsorption process, respectively. These findings provide significant insights into the development of Fe plaque and its absorption of heavy metal(loid)s throughout the lifecycle of rice plants.

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BACKGROUND: Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar, is experiencing a steady increase in population growth. Due to the abundance of mosquito vectors in this locality, the population exposed to mosquito-borne diseases is therefore also increasing, as is the risk of epidemic episodes. The aim of the present study was to assess, in a resource-limited setting, the information on mosquito population dynamics and disease transmission risk that can be provided through a longitudinal entomological study carried out in a multi-host single site. METHODS: Mosquitoes were collected every 15 days over 16 months (from January 2017 to April 2018) using six CDC-light traps in a peri-urban area of Antananarivo. Multivariable generalised linear models were developed using indoor and outdoor densities of the predominant mosquito species as response variables and moon illumination, environmental data and climatic data as the explanatory variables. RESULTS: Overall, 46,737 mosquitoes belonging to at least 20 species were collected, of which Culex antennatus (68.9%), Culex quinquefasciatus (19.8%), Culex poicilipes (3.7%) and Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (2.3%) were the most abundant species. Mosquito densities were observed to be driven by moon illumination and climatic factors interacting at different lag periods. The outdoor models demonstrated biweekly and seasonal patterns of mosquito densities, while the indoor models demonstrated only a seasonal pattern. CONCLUSIONS: An important diversity of mosquitoes exists in the peri-urban area of Antananarivo. Some well-known vector species, such as Cx. antennatus, a major vector of West Nile virus (WNV) and Rift-Valley fever virus (RVFV), Cx. quinquefasciatus, a major vector of WNV, Cx. poicilipes, a candidate vector of RVFV and An. gambiae sensu lato, a major vector of Plasmodium spp., are abundant. Importantly, these four mosquito species are present all year round, even though their abundance declines during the cold dry season, with the exception of Cx. quinquefasciatus. The main drivers of their abundance were found to be temperature, relative humidity and precipitation, as well as-for outdoor abundance only-moon illumination. Identifying these drivers is a first step towards the development of pathogen transmission models (R0 models), which are key to inform public health stakeholders on the periods of most risk for vector-borne diseases.

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