diversity-environment models
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BACKGROUND: Studies of correlates of active transport to and from school (ATS) focus mainly on children, have a limited conceptualisation of ATS trips, lack heterogeneity in built environments, and rarely consider effect modifiers. This study aimed to estimate associations of parent-perceived neighbourhood environment characteristics with self-reported ATS among adolescents from 14 countries, and whether associations differ by sex, city/region, and distance to school. METHODS: Observational cross-sectional design. Data were from the International Physical activity and Environment Network (IPEN) Adolescent study and included 6302 adolescents (mean age 14.5 ± 1.7 years, 54% girls) and a caretaker from 16 diverse sites. Adolescents self-reported usual travel to and from school by walking and bicycling (days/week) and time it would take to walk. Parents completed the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale for Youth (13 scores computed). Generalised additive mixed models estimated associations of parent neighbourhood perceptions with 1) any active transport to/from school, 2) regular walking (5-10 times/week), 3) regular cycling to/from school, and 4) profiles of ATS generated using latent profile analyses. Interactions were also explored. RESULTS: Overall, 58.7% reported any ATS, 39.9% regularly walked, 7.7% regularly cycled, and four profiles of ATS were identified: walk to and from school; walk from school; cycle to and from school; no ATS. Distance to school was negatively associated with all outcomes, though evidence was weak for regular cycling to/from school. Land use mix - diversity was positively related to all ATS outcomes except those related to cycling. Accessibility and walking facilities were associated with higher odds of any ATS, regular walking to/from school, and the profile walking to and from school. Residential density was negatively related to regular cycling to/from school. Positive associations were observed between traffic safety and any ATS, and between safety from crime, aesthetics, and odds of regular cycling to/from school. Distance to school, adolescent sex, and city moderated several associations. CONCLUSIONS: Parent perceptions of compact, mixed-use development, walking facilities, and both traffic and crime-related safety were important supportive correlates of a range of ATS outcomes among adolescents in high- and low-middle-income countries. Policies that achieve these attributes should be prioritised to support more widespread ATS.
- MeSH
- charakteristiky bydlení * MeSH
- charakteristiky okolí bydliště * MeSH
- chůze * MeSH
- cvičení * MeSH
- cyklistika MeSH
- doprava * MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- percepce MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- rodiče * psychologie MeSH
- školy * MeSH
- vytvořené prostředí MeSH
- životní prostředí - projekt * MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- pozorovací studie MeSH
BACKGROUND: The advancement of nanotechnology underscores the imperative need for establishing in silico predictive models to assess safety, particularly in the context of chronic respiratory afflictions such as lung fibrosis, a pathogenic transformation that is irreversible. While the compilation of predictive descriptors is pivotal for in silico model development, key features specifically tailored for predicting lung fibrosis remain elusive. This study aimed to uncover the essential predictive descriptors governing nanoparticle-induced pulmonary fibrosis. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the trajectory of metal oxide nanoparticles (MeONPs) within pulmonary systems. Two biological media (simulated lung fluid and phagolysosomal simulated fluid) and two cell lines (macrophages and epithelial cells) were meticulously chosen to scrutinize MeONP behaviors. Their interactions with MeONPs, also referred to as nano-bio interactions, can lead to alterations in the properties of the MeONPs as well as specific cellular responses. Physicochemical properties of MeONPs were assessed in biological media. The impact of MeONPs on cell membranes, lysosomes, mitochondria, and cytoplasmic components was evaluated using fluorescent probes, colorimetric enzyme substrates, and ELISA. The fibrogenic potential of MeONPs in mouse lungs was assessed by examining collagen deposition and growth factor release. Random forest classification was employed for analyzing in chemico, in vitro and in vivo data to identify predictive descriptors. RESULTS: The nano-bio interactions induced diverse changes in the 4 characteristics of MeONPs and had variable effects on the 14 cellular functions, which were quantitatively evaluated in chemico and in vitro. Among these 18 quantitative features, seven features were found to play key roles in predicting the pro-fibrogenic potential of MeONPs. Notably, IL-1β was identified as the most important feature, contributing 27.8% to the model's prediction. Mitochondrial activity (specifically NADH levels) in macrophages followed closely with a contribution of 17.6%. The remaining five key features include TGF-β1 release and NADH levels in epithelial cells, dissolution in lysosomal simulated fluids, zeta potential, and the hydrodynamic size of MeONPs. CONCLUSIONS: The pro-fibrogenic potential of MeONPs can be predicted by combination of key features at nano-bio interfaces, simulating their behavior and interactions within the lung environment. Among the 18 quantitative features, a combination of seven in chemico and in vitro descriptors could be leveraged to predict lung fibrosis in animals. Our findings offer crucial insights for developing in silico predictive models for nano-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
- MeSH
- buňky A549 MeSH
- kovové nanočástice * toxicita chemie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
- myši MeSH
- plíce účinky léků patologie metabolismus MeSH
- plicní fibróza * chemicky indukované metabolismus patologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Purple photosynthetic bacteria (PPB) are versatile microorganisms capable of producing various value-added chemicals, e.g., biopolymers and biofuels. They employ diverse metabolic pathways, allowing them to adapt to various growth conditions and even extreme environments. Thus, they are ideal organisms for the Next Generation Industrial Biotechnology concept of reducing the risk of contamination by using naturally robust extremophiles. Unfortunately, the potential of PPB for use in biotechnology is hampered by missing knowledge on regulations of their metabolism. Although Rhodospirillum rubrum represents a model purple bacterium studied for polyhydroxyalkanoate and hydrogen production, light/chemical energy conversion, and nitrogen fixation, little is known regarding the regulation of its metabolism at the transcriptomic level. Using RNA sequencing, we compared gene expression during the cultivation utilizing fructose and acetate as substrates in case of the wild-type strain R. rubrum DSM 467T and its knock-out mutant strain that is missing two polyhydroxyalkanoate synthases PhaC1 and PhaC2. During this first genome-wide expression study of R. rubrum, we were able to characterize cultivation-driven transcriptomic changes and to annotate non-coding elements as small RNAs.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Identifying the genetic factors impacting the adaptation of crops to environmental conditions is of key interest for conservation and selection purposes. It can be achieved using population genomics, and evolutionary or quantitative genetics. Here we present a sorghum multireference back-cross nested association mapping population composed of 3,901 lines produced by crossing 24 diverse parents to 3 elite parents from West and Central Africa-back-cross nested association mapping. The population was phenotyped in environments characterized by differences in photoperiod, rainfall pattern, temperature levels, and soil fertility. To integrate the multiparental and multi-environmental dimension of our data we proposed a new approach for quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection and parental effect estimation. We extended our model to estimate QTL effect sensitivity to environmental covariates, which facilitated the integration of envirotyping data. Our models allowed spatial projections of the QTL effects in agro-ecologies of interest. We utilized this strategy to analyze the genetic architecture of flowering time and plant height, which represents key adaptation mechanisms in environments like West Africa. Our results allowed a better characterization of well-known genomic regions influencing flowering time concerning their response to photoperiod with Ma6 and Ma1 being photoperiod-sensitive and the region of possible candidate gene Elf3 being photoperiod-insensitive. We also accessed a better understanding of plant height genetic determinism with the combined effects of phenology-dependent (Ma6) and independent (qHT7.1 and Dw3) genomic regions. Therefore, we argue that the West and Central Africa-back-cross nested association mapping and the presented analytical approach constitute unique resources to better understand adaptation in sorghum with direct application to develop climate-smart varieties.
Crocosphaera watsonii is a unicellular N2-fixing (diazotrophic) cyanobacterium observed in tropical and subtropical oligotrophic oceans. As a diazotroph, it can be a source of bioavailable nitrogen (N) to the microbial community in N-limited environments, and this may fuel primary production in the regions where it occurs. Crocosphaera watsonii has been the subject of intense study, both in culture and in field populations. Here, we summarize the current understanding of the phylogenetic and physiological diversity of C. watsonii, its distribution, and its ecological niche. Analysis of the relationships among the individual Crocosphaera species and related free-living and symbiotic lineages of diazotrophs based on the nifH gene have shown that the C. watsonii group holds a basal position and that its sequence is more similar to Rippkaea and Zehria than to other Crocosphaera species. This finding warrants further scrutiny to determine if the placement is related to a horizontal gene transfer event. Here, the nifH UCYN-B gene copy number from a recent synthesis effort was used as a proxy for relative C. watsonii abundance to examine patterns of C. watsonii distribution as a function of environmental factors, like iron and phosphorus concentration, and complimented with a synthesis of C. watsonii physiology. Furthermore, we have summarized the current knowledge of C. watsonii with regards to N2 fixation, photosynthesis, and quantitative modeling of physiology. Because N availability can limit primary production, C. watsonii is widely recognized for its importance to carbon and N cycling in ocean ecosystems, and we conclude this review by highlighting important topics for further research on this important species.
- MeSH
- fixace dusíku * MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- sinice * genetika metabolismus fyziologie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Information on the indoor environment as a source of exposure with potential adverse health effects is mostly limited to a few pollutant groups and indoor types. This study provides a comprehensive toxicological profile of chemical mixtures associated with dust from various types of indoor environments, namely cars, houses, prefabricated apartments, kindergartens, offices, public spaces, and schools. Organic extracts of two different polarities and bioaccessible extracts mimicking the gastrointestinal conditions were prepared from two different particle size fractions of dust. These extracts were tested on a battery of human cell-based bioassays to assess endocrine disrupting potentials. Furthermore, 155 chemicals from different pollutant groups were measured and their relevance for the bioactivity was determined using concentration addition modelling. The exhaustive and bioaccessible extracts of dust from the different microenvironments interfered with aryl hydrocarbon receptor, estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, and thyroid hormone (TH) receptor signalling, and with TH transport. Noteably, bioaccessible extracts from offices and public spaces showed higher estrogenic effects than the organic solvent extracts. 114 of the 155 targeted chemicals were detectable, but the observed bioactivity could be only marginally explained by the detected chemicals. Diverse toxicity patterns across different microenvironments that people inhabit throughout their lifetime indicate potential health and developmental risks, especially for children. Limited data on the endocrine disrupting potency of relevant chemical classes, especially those deployed as replacements for legacy contaminants, requires further study.
... Different types of Darwinian natural selection operate in human lineages.94 -- Generating protein diversity ... ... for one complex disease may be a protective factor for another disease 289 -- Contents xi -- Gene-environment ... ... efficiency but safety concerns 336 -- Virus vectors used in gene therapy 336 -- The importance of disease models ... ... loss of heterozygosity in linked markers -- Genome seguencing has revealed extraordinary mutational diversity ...
2nd ed. 534 s. : il.
"Genetics and Genomics in Medicine is a new textbook written for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as medical researchers, which explains the science behind the uses of genetics and genomics in medicine today. It is not just about rare inherited and chromosomal disorders, but how genetics affects the whole spectrum of human health and disease. DNA technologies are explained, with emphasis on the modern techniques that have revolutionized the use of genetic information in medicine and are indicating the role of genetics in common complex diseases. The detailed, integrative coverage of genetic approaches to treatment and prevention includes pharmacogenomics and the prospects for personalized medicine. Cancers are essentially genetic diseases and are given a dedicated chapter that includes new insights from cancer genome sequencing. Clinical disorders are covered throughout and there are extensive end-of-chapter questions and problems"--Provided by publisher.
BACKGROUND: The over-representation of Roma children in segregated schools is well documented as a prevalent form of institutional racism in the Czech Republic. In the paper, we examine the inclination of parents to support school segregation. OBJECTIVE: The paper looks at parents' preference for school segregation and explores its association to social dominance orientation, intergroup contacts, belief in traditional schooling and the absence of Roma children in school as proof of the school's good quality. The first hypothesis examines an association between parents' preference to withdraw their children from ethnically diverse schools and social dominance orientation (one's degree of preference for inequality among social groups). The second one tests the belief in traditional schooling as a factor contributing to a preference for ethnically motivated withdrawal. The third one studies the extent to which parents' preference to withdraw their children from ethnically diverse schools is affected by contact with Roma in their everyday life. The final hypothesis tests if parents who view Roma students as an indicator of poor education in a given school are more likely to oppose the presence of Roma students among their children's peers. METHODS: Quantitative data collection was carried out on a sample of 1,803 respondents. The target group were families with at least one child of primary school age (6-14 years). A binary logistic regression analysis was implemented to assess these relationships. RESULTS: The study confirmed that ethnically motivated school withdrawal is associated with social dominance orientation, belief in traditional school culture and education. On the other hand, the role of inter-group contact in a school environment was not proved. However, the final statistical model was rather weak explaining approximately 9% of variance in segregation endorsement. The model fit improved significantly when an additional variable - absence of Roma as a sign of a good school - was added. Approximately 15% of the variance in segregation endorsement was explained by the modified set of predictors. CONCLUSION: The study argues that ethnically motivated school withdrawal is a result of individual attitudes and situational factors. This means that researchers interested in informal school segregation will need to consider both groups of factors.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Objectives. The Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS) is a well-known scale used to understand shared dimensions of sexual identity in otherwise diverse groups of non-heterosexuals. Yet only limited knowledge is available regarding the generalizability of the underlying psychological processes in regions such as Central and Eastern Europe. This study thus revisits the foundations of LGBIS and provides an in-depth examination of the psychometric properties of the new Czech adaptation. Method. The factor structure of LGBIS-CZ-6 was inspected via SEM. Convergent and content validity were examined via correlations with measures of related constructs (among others, psychological distress, suicidality, life satisfaction, social support, heterosexist harassment, rejection, and discrimination). Results. The results replicated the original structure of LGBIS on the Czech sample (N = 1 788) and proposed a better-fitting bifactor model. Generally, since LGBIS correlated with the majority of measures of related constructs in a predicted fashion, LGBIS-CZ-6 may be used as a well-functioning measure of the identity of non-heterosexuals. However, two subscales – internalized homonegativity and acceptance concerns showed problems with validity that might have arisen from Czech cultural specifics or by factors specific to broader post-socialist environments.
BACKGROUND: Animals form complex symbiotic associations with their gut microbes, whose evolution is determined by an intricate network of host and environmental factors. In many insects, such as Drosophila melanogaster, the microbiome is flexible, environmentally determined, and less diverse than in mammals. In contrast, mammals maintain complex multispecies consortia that are able to colonize and persist in the gastrointestinal tract. Understanding the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of gut microbes in different hosts is challenging. This requires disentangling the ecological factors of selection, determining the timescales over which evolution occurs, and elucidating the architecture of such evolutionary patterns. RESULTS: We employ experimental evolution to track the pace of the evolution of a common gut commensal, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, within invertebrate (Drosophila melanogaster) and vertebrate (Mus musculus) hosts and their respective diets. We show that in Drosophila, the nutritional environment dictates microbial evolution, while the host benefits L. plantarum growth only over short ecological timescales. By contrast, in a mammalian animal model, L. plantarum evolution results to be divergent between the host intestine and its diet, both phenotypically (i.e., host-evolved populations show higher adaptation to the host intestinal environment) and genomically. Here, both the emergence of hypermutators and the high persistence of mutated genes within the host's environment strongly differed from the low variation observed in the host's nutritional environment alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that L. plantarum evolution diverges between insects and mammals. While the symbiosis between Drosophila and L. plantarum is mainly determined by the host diet, in mammals, the host and its intrinsic factors play a critical role in selection and influence both the phenotypic and genomic evolution of its gut microbes, as well as the outcome of their symbiosis.
