An environmental wide association study (EWAS) approach to the metabolic syndrome

BackgroundEnvironmental contaminants have previously been linked to components of the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). However, exposure to environmental contaminants is in part determined by various lifestyle factors.ObjectiveUsing an “Environmental Wide Association Study” (ELWAS) integrating environmental contaminants and lifestyle factors, we aimed to evaluate a possible additive role of both contaminants and lifestyle factors regarding MetS.Methods1016 subjects aged 70 years were investigated in the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study. 43 environmental contaminants were measured in the circulation. Dietary records were used to evaluate 21 nutrients and the proportions of 13 fatty acids were determined in serum cholesterol esters to further quantify fat quality intake. Adding 5 other important lifestyle factors yielded together 76 environmental and lifestyle factors. MetS was defined by the NCEP/ATPIII-criteria.Results23% had MetS. Using cross-validation within the sample, fourteen environmental contaminants or lifestyle factors consistently showed a false discovery rate < 0.05. When the major variables entered a multiple model, only p, p′-DDE levels (positive), PCB209 (inverse) and exercise habits (inverse) were together with a fatty acid pattern, with high levels of palmitic acid and oleic acid and low levels of linoleic acid, related to MetS (p < 0.002 for all variables).ConclusionUsing a cross-sectional EWAS approach, certain environmental contaminants and lifestyle factors were found to be associated with prevalent metabolic syndrome in an additive fashion in an elderly population.     

The Spatiotemporal Structure of Rodent Populations in the Steppe Zone of Western Siberia

The spatial structure of populations has been studied in two rodent species inhabiting the subzone of meadow steppes of the steppe zone of Omsk oblast: the narrow-sculled vole (Microtus gregalis Pall.) and steppe lemming (Lagurus lagurus Pall.). Their populations are represented by combinations of territorial family groups whose structure and spatial distribution vary by season depending on population density, the phase of the population cycle, and the status of their members in the population. In the areas cohabited by M. gregalis and L. lagurus, the pattern of territory use and the rhythm of animal activity during the day depend primarily on their total density: under conditions of low density, the population groups of both species are spatially separated; at increased density, they are distributed with respect to the pattern of daily activity. Both species jointly use part of the territory but at different times of day: M. gregalis, mainly at night and in the morning; L. lagurus, in the daytime.     

Larval and Juvenile Fish Assemblage Structure of Inshore Habitats in the Middle Reaches of Li River,China: Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Relation to Abiotic Factors

To evaluate the effect of abiotic factors on larval and juvenile fish assemblage in shallow waters of middle reaches of Li River, Guilin, China. Samplings were taken monthly at 7 stations in the mainstream and 2 stations in 3 tributaries from May 2014 to April 2015. Synchronously, temperature, pH, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen rainfall and discharge were obtained. In all, 11.886 larval and juvenile fish from 18 species belonging to 8 families, 16 genera was captured. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed obvious significant difference between the environmental variables across sampling areas and months. The results of Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated that water temperature, turbidity, discharge and rainfall were dominant factors on larval and juvenile fish assemblage.     

金华江支流白沙溪附生硅藻群落结构及影响因子研究

于2010年5、8和11月,2011年2月,分别采集了金华江支流白沙溪4个断面附生硅藻样品,分析其硅藻群落结构及物种多样性,并利用多样性指数对水质进行了生物学评价;同时,应用典型对应分析揭示白沙溪硅藻群落结构与环境因子之间的关系。结果表明：（1）共鉴定附生硅藻92种（含变型和变种）,隶属于2纲19科31属;多样性指数为140~248,总平均为189;均匀度指数为012~038,总平均为023;（2）硅藻群落结构呈现出季节上的变化。在季节变化上,物种丰富度及多样性指数以夏季（8月）最高,而以春季（5月）最低。白沙溪水体总体为α 中污水体;（3）典型对应分析结果表明,氨氮、水温和pH是影响白沙溪附生硅藻群落分布的主要因素,硅藻群落结构随着这些环境因子的变化表现出一定的空间差异     

Effect of interspecific competition on functional properties of plants in mountain-steppe communities of the Gobi

The isotope ratios δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N and the contents of nitrogen, carbon, and mineral substances have been studied in the leaves of Ephedra sinica, Allium polyrhizum, and Stipa glareosa plants growing separately or together under arid conditions of the Gobi (Mongolia). The contents of nitrogen, mineral substances, and δ¹⁵N have proved to decrease when these species grow together, providing evidence that they compete for environmental resources. The nitrogen content decreases to the greatest extent in E. sinica due to the low competitiveness of this species. The direction of change in δ¹³C in E. sinica is opposite to that in A. polyrhizum and S. glareosa. Differences in physiological mechanisms of adaptation to stress between these species provides a basis for attributing them to different functional groups and for predicting the result of their competition upon changes in climatic conditions.     

Spatial analysis of the driving factors of grassland degradation under conditions of climate change and intensive use in Inner Mongolia, China

In recent years, steppe degradation in North China has become a serious environmental problem. Most research on steppe degradation is conducted at the level of communities or at the scale of small regions. To better understand the spatio-temporal variation and driving factors of grassland degradation, monitoring and analysis at broad regional scales are needed. This paper systematically describes the state and characteristics of steppe degradation at the Xilinhot plateau, makes an in-depth empirical analysis of the natural and man-made causes leading to degradation, and analyzes what driving factors have influenced degradation in this typical steppe region over the last 20?years. Ten biophysical and socio-economic variables, including altitude, slope, precipitation, temperature, soil conditions, distance to river, distance to highway, population density, sheep unit density, and fencing policy, were evaluated on their impact on observed patterns of degradation. The results indicate that all of these factors had a significant influence on the process of steppe degradation. During the first 10?years, from 1991 to 2000, steppe degradation increased, but after 2000, the degradation trend has, to some extent, reversed. The analysis indicates that the measures taken by the government, such as fencing vulnerable areas, played an important role in this change. The results advance the understanding of grassland degradation and contribute to constructing an empirical and theoretical base for grassland management and planning.     

Ecological and physiological characteristics of seasonal biology of the mongolian hamster, Allocricetulus curtatus allan 1940 (Cricetinae, Rodentia)

Analysis of the seasonal dynamics of body weight and steroid hormones (cortisol, progesterone, and testosterone), the pattern of hypothermia, and basic reproductive parameters has been performed in the Mongolian hamster (Allocricetulus curtatus), a poorly studied rodent species inhabiting areas with a sharply continental climate. The results show that torpor bouts take place in wintering animals. Changes in body weight during the autumn-winter season are insignificant. The pattern of fluctuations in the levels of sex steroids and cortisol is similar to that in dwarf hamsters of the genus Phodopus. Seasonal features in the dynamics of basal cortisol level differentiate A. curtatus from the closely related Eversmann’s hamster (A. eversmanni), which may be due to differences in the social structure of these species.     

The structure of absorbing roots in invasive and native maple species

Specific structural features of absorbing roots have been studied in Acer negundo (an invasive species in the southern Cisural region), compared to native Acer platanoides and A. tataricum. A comparative analysis of the diameter of fine roots, stele and bark volumes, and the frequencies of roots with retained primary bark, root hairs, arbuscular mycorrhiza, and dark septate endophytes has been performed in the invasive and native species from four habitats (by two habitats in the forest–steppe and steppe zones). The roots of A. negundo have been additionally studied in trees from two monospecific stands. It has been found that the structure of fine roots significantly differs between the invasive and native species: the roots of A. negundo are larger, with relatively poorly developed root hairs and low occurrence of dark septate endophytes. In monospecific stands, the frequency of mycorrhiza in A. negundo roots is very low, with arbuscules and dark septate endophytes being totally absent. It is concluded that specific structural features of the belowground absorbing apparatus in A. negundo are accounted for mainly by traits autonomously formed in a plant, rather than by characteristics of symbiotic relationships, and that they are not consistent with the assumption that the invasive species can utilize soil resources more effectively or more rapidly than taxonomically close native species.     

Research on Methods of Ecological Security Assessment of the Middle and Lower Reaches of Liaohe River Based on GIS

Abstract

Ecological security assessment and early warning research possess the attributes of spatiality, non-linearity and randomicity, so we must process much spatial information. Spatial analysis and data management are the advantages of GIS, which can define distribution trend and spatial relations of environmental factors, and show ecological security pattern graphically. Spatial differences of ecological security assessment based on GIS are discussed in this paper, of which the middle and lower reaches of the Liaohe River is taken as a study case. First, to work out pressure-state-response (P-S-R) assessment indicators system, and investigate in person and gather information; second, to digitize the watershed; third, to quantize and calculate by the fuzzy method; last, to construct GIS grid database, and expound spatial differences of ecological security by GIS interpolation and assembly analysis.     

Spatial Distribution of Sables in the Middle Ob Region

Results of stationary studies on the spatial location of sables (Martes zibellinaL.) belonging to different age and sex groups are summarized. Mapping the sites where 388 animals were taken, it was found that young animals tended to live near floodplains; adult animals, on watersheds. Analysis of sables taken by commercial hunters (n= 1833) made it possible to estimate the age composition and the degree and spatial distribution of the hunting pressure on sable populations in three areas of the Ob region. The spatial separation of young and reproductive animals is interpreted as a group adaptive response to the specific distribution pattern of different habitats typical of this species and to the pattern of animal elimination. It is proposed to use the specific pattern of animal distribution for maintaining the size of the population that is subject to hunting. Specifically, reserve (reproductive) territories should be organized in watershed areas.     

Biomonitoring of environmental pollution by thorium and uranium in selected regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Two former uranium mines and a uranium reprocessing factory in the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, may represent a risk of contaminating the surrounding areas by uranium and its daughter elements. One of the possible fingerprinting tools for studying the environmental contamination is using plant samples, collected in the surroundings of this city in 2007 and 2008. The distribution pattern of environmental pollution by uranium and thorium was evaluated by determining the thorium and uranium concentrations in plant samples (Artemisia austriaca) from the city of Aktau and comparing these results with those obtained for the same species of plants from an unpolluted area (town of Kurchatov). The determination of the uranium and thorium concentrations in different parts of A. austriaca plants collected from the analyzed areas demonstrated that the main contamination of the flora in areas surrounding the city of Aktau was due to dust transported by the wind from the uranium mines. The results obtained demonstrate that all the areas surrounding Aktau have a higher pollution level due to thorium and uranium than the control area (Kurchatov). A few “hot points” with high concentrations of uranium and thorium were found near the uranium reprocessing factory and the uranium mines.     

Non-agglutinating cholera-like Vibrios in sewage,surface water and sea water

Routine bacteriological analysis of sewage work effluents and surface waters has not revealed evidence of Vibrio cholerae or Vibrio El Tor, whereas, non-agglutinating cholera vibrios of Heiberg's groups I and II [so-called non-agglutinating strains (NAG)] have been detected quite frequently. This frequency of NAG presence is approximately equivalent to the presence of Salmonella. Depending on local conditions, quantitative studies of equal amounts of sewage resulted in a ratio of about 1 NAG/10²Salmonella/10⁷E. coli.When it became known that NAG vibrios were capable of producing a clinical appearance in man that resembled cholera by its symptoms and severeness, NAG vibrios raised epidemiological interest. Unlike Salmonella, the nutrient requirements of NAG vibrios are moderate. The decisive factors for their persistence in the environmental are attributed to a certain chloride content in the water and an elevated pH value. Both factors are preferably present in sea water. Over a period of 3 yr, samples of water from the Baltic Sea (Lübecker Bucht) were regularly examined for the presence of NAG vibrios. During this period, there have been a number of positive findings in a sample of 100 ml water while identical samples were always Salmonella-negative.     

Ecological and genetic characteristics of the distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bradybaena fruticum</Emphasis> Mull. (mollusca,gastropoda, pulmonata) in a forest-steppe landscape

The distribution pattern of the gastropod Bradybaena fruticum has been studied in a forest-steppe landscape. Analysis of the frequencies of polymorphic biochemical and conchological characters has yielded preliminary results on the characteristics of the species population structure whose formation was determined by a set of natural and anthropogenic factors.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 39–47.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Snegin.     

Climate changes in the past century and radial increment of pine in the Southern Ural steppe

Changes in the main climatic factors (air temperature and total precipitation) and their effect on the radial increment of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) over the period from 1933 to 2002 were studied in an insular pine forest growing in the steppe zone of the Southern Urals. Evidence for a significant increase in the amount of precipitation and air temperature in the second half of this period was obtained. Functions of response of radial increment indices to climatic parameters were analyzed. Relative contributions of air temperature and precipitation to variation in the radial increment of pine in different time intervals proved to differ in relation to climate changes during the past century.     

The cycle characteristics of Haloxylon ammodendron pattern and topography at multi-scales in Gurbantunggut Desert, China

We employed ecologically using Mexh and Mori wavelet methods to analyze the cycle phenomena and their maintaining mechanisms of the Haloxylon ammodendron distribution in complex longitudinal sand ridges (CLSRS). The results showed that ecologically using wavelet can distinguish H. ammodendron distributed in parallel-shaped, lattice-shaped and fork-shaped dunes with a dominant cycle of 165–180 m, 100–110 m and 70–80 m, respectively. Besides the dominant cycle, ecologically using Mori wavelet also showed 2–3 minor small peaks on different scales. The mechanisms to maintain the cycles at multi-scales of H. ammodendron relies on the seed spread, interference intensity in different topography and soil properties. The formations, configurations and presences of the three types of dunes should have some direct relations with the wind fields of the areas where the patterns are located, and also with the ground surface conditions. If the distribution pattern is periodic, meanwhile the abrupt change points are significant; we can predict the H. ammodendron distribution pattern in a certain area.     

Phenotypic variation of the rare species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cephalaria uralensis</Emphasis> (Murr.) Schrad. ex Roem. et Schult. in the Republic of Bashkortostan,the Southern Urals

Variation in morphometric parameters of the poorly studied rare species Cephalaria uralensis (Murr.) Schrad. ex Roem. et Schult. has been studied at the northern boundary of its range, in the Southern Urals (Bashkortostan). The species in the region grows in four types of steppe communities of the class Festuco-Brometea. Variation in the majority of parameters is within the species reaction norm. The most variable parameters are the numbers of vegetative and generative shoots and the number of inflorescences per shoot. As shown by discriminant analysis, all 16 cenopopulations included in the study significantly differ from each other (Wilks’ λ = 0.21), with most of them being morphologically and structurally uniform. The state of local C. uralensis appears to be satisfactory, and this species is not at serious risk for extinction in the territory of Bashkortostan.     

Measured elemental transfer factors for boreal hunter/gatherer scenarios: fish, game and berries

The environmental assessment of long-term nuclear waste management requires data to estimate food chain transfers for radionuclides in various environmental settings. For key elements such as iodine (I) and chlorine (Cl), there is a paucity of transfer factor data, particularly outside of agricultural food chains. This study dealt with transfers of I, Cl and 28 other elements to foods that would be typical of boreal hunter/gatherer lifestyles, as well as being common foods for modern recreational and subsistence hunters. Food/substrate concentration ratios (CRs) and related transfer factors for eight species of widely distributed fish, whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and wild blueberries (Vaccinium myrtilloides) were measured and compared to the literature. Limited data were obtained for caribou (Rangifer tarandus), elk (Cervus elaphus) and moose (Alces americanus). Freshwater sediment Kd values and CRs for a ubiquitous freshwater macrophyte were also obtained. The CRs for I in fish were 29 L kg⁻¹ in edible muscle (fillets) of large-bodied species and 85 L kg⁻¹ for whole, small-bodied fish. The log CRs for fish and macrophytes were correlated across elements. For several elements, the Kds for sediments in deep water were ∼4-fold higher than for littoral samples. The elemental transfers to wild animals for some elements were notably different than the literature indicates for domestic animals. It is argued that the transfer data obtained using indigenous elements from real environmental settings, as opposed to contaminant elements in experimental or impacted environments, are especially relevant to assessment of long-term impacts.     

Transformation of a lowland river from a meandering and multi-channel pattern into an artificial canal: retracing a path of river channel changes (the Middle Obra River, W Poland)

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, a significant change in sedimentation took place along the middle course of the Obra River (W Poland): a “natural” channel bed was replaced by three artificial canals. Before that time the Obra River bed had been characterized by various river patterns (braided, meandering and disappearing in wetlands). GPR (ground-penetrating radar) surveys and the analysis of satellite and aerial images were carried out to retrace the natural river course near the village of Kopanica. The GPR, ground-truthed with core data, revealed that at least two types of the river pattern had been functioning here before the period of the hydrotechnical works: a large-scale meandering pattern (width-to-depth (w/d) ratio ranging from 15 to 40) and a relatively smaller-scale multi-channel pattern (w/d = 11–22). Possibly, the transformation was caused by forming a series of large floods followed by in-channel aggradation and avulsions. Next, the multi-channel pattern was artificially transformed into the North Obra Canal. This paper discusses possibilities of a creation of network of channels that were active after the construction of the North Obra Canal in the beginning of the nineteenth century. Such intervention would increase natural values of the presented section of the Obra valley. The presented study also shows that a detailed analysis of history and evolution of a given river course is needed before undertaking any restoration works.     

The influence of socioeconomic, environmental, and demographic factors on municipality-scale land-cover change in Mexico

Land-cover change is the result of complex multi-scale interactions between socioeconomic, demographic, and environmental factors. Demographic change, in particular, is thought to be a major driver of forest change. Most studies have evaluated these interactions at the regional or the national level, but few studies have evaluated these dynamics across multiple spatial scales within a country. In this study, we evaluated the effect of demographic, environmental, and socioeconomic variables on land-cover change between 2001 and 2010 for all Mexican municipalities (n?=?2,443) as well as by biome (n?=?4). We used a land-cover classification based on 250-m MODIS data to examine the change in cover classes (i.e., woody, mixed woody, and agriculture/herbaceous vegetation). We evaluated the trends of land-cover change and identified the major factors correlated with woody vegetation change in Mexico. At the national scale, the variation in woody vegetation was best explained by environmental variables, particularly precipitation; municipalities where woody cover increased tended to be in areas with low average annual precipitation (i.e., desert and dry forest biomes). Demographic variables did not contribute much to the model at the national scale. Elevation, temperature, and population density explained the change in woody cover when municipalities were grouped by biome (i.e., moist forest, dry forest, coniferous forest, and deserts). Land-cover change at the biome level showed two main trends: (1) the tropical moist biome lost woody vegetation to agriculture and herbaceous vegetation, and (2) the desert biome increased in woody vegetation within more open-canopy shrublands.     

Study of the comparative dynamics of the incorporation of tissue free-water tritium (TFWT) in bulrushes (Typha latifolia) and carp (Cyprinus carpio) in the Almaraz nuclear power plant cooling reservoir

The Almaraz nuclear power plant (Spain) uses the water of Arrocampo reservoir for cooling, and consequently raises the radioactive levels of the aquatic ecosystem of this reservoir. From July 2002 to June 2005, monthly samples of surface water, bulrushes (Typha latifolia) and carp (Cyprinus carpio) were collected from this reservoir. They were analyzed to determine the temporal evolution of the levels of ³H in surface water and of its transfer from the surface water to free-water in the tissues (TFWT) of the aforementioned two organisms. The tritium levels in the surface water oscillate with a biannual period, with their values in the study period ranging between 53 and 433 Bq/L. The incorporation of tritium to bulrushes and carp was fairly similar, the respective mean concentration factors being 0.74 and 0.8 (unitless, as Bq/L tissue water per Bq/L reservoir water). The temporal evolution of the levels fairly closely followed that observed for the surface water tritium, although detailed analysis showed the dominant periodicity for the bulrushes to be annual. This difference reflects the influence on the incorporation of tritium to bulrushes of diverse environmental and metabolic factors, especially evapotranspiration and the seasonal growth of this plant.