Urban environment decreases pollinator availability, fertility, and prolongs anthesis in the field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis Linnaeus, 1753)

Urbanization alters the natural environment, with broad negative impacts on living organisms. Urbanization can also disrupt plant-pollinator networks by reducing the abundance and diversity of invertebrates. Firstly, I investigated whether the field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) is an obligatory entomophilous plant because previous reports were ambiguous. Secondly, I investigated how the obligatory entomophilous plant, field bindweed, responds to urbanization by comparing the flowering duration (anthesis) and the reproductive success of field bindweeds in urban and rural populations. Unlike cross-pollinated flowers and controls, flowers experimentally prevented from pollination and self-pollinated flowers did not produce seeds, suggesting that the field bindweed is self-incompatible and obligatory entomophilous. The abundance of urban pollinators was 5-6 times lower than the abundance of rural pollinators, and flies (Diptera), beetles (Coleoptera) and moths (Lepidoptera) were significantly more negatively influenced by the urban environment than hymenopterans (Hymenoptera). Urban plants showed significantly longer anthesis duration and lower reproductive success than rural plants. Illuminance and low pollinator abundance were negatively associated with the duration of the anthesis, but relative humidity did not affect the anthesis. Prolonged duration of the anthesis may be an adaptation to pollinator scarcity because more prolonged flowering increases the likelihood of pollination. Future research should unravel whether the longer anthesis of urban flowers is determined by behavioral plasticity or by the evolutionary selection of plants with a genetically determined longer anthesis.

Nature, urban, or treadmill: How walking environment impacts state body satisfaction and appreciation and the role of body sanctification

This study examined the effects of walking environments on state body satisfaction and state body appreciation and the potential moderating role of body sanctification. Participants included 189 undergraduates from a private Christian University in the Southwestern US, randomly assigned to walk for 20-minutes in a natural, outdoors built, or indoors built environment. Participants completed measures of state body satisfaction and state body appreciation prior to and immediately following the walk. Those who walked in nature experienced increased state body satisfaction but not state body appreciation compared to those who walked in an indoor built environment. Theistic sanctification of the body was associated with greater state body appreciation and moderated the relationship between walking location and body appreciation. Participants who sanctified their bodies to a greater extent experienced increases in body appreciation when walking in a natural environment compared to an indoor built environment relative to those who were lower in body sanctification. Nontheistic sanctification of the body was associated with higher state body satisfaction and state body appreciation but did not moderate links between walking location and these outcomes. Overall, walking in nature is beneficial to body satisfaction and theistic sanctification of the body may bolster these effects.

Evaluation of environmental features that support breastfeeding: A photovoice study

The United Kingdom (UK) has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, and Stoke-on-Trent has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates and highest infant mortality rates in the UK. Vicarious experience of formula feeding, formula feeding culture, and a lack of physical environments to support breastfeeding are known barriers to uptake and maintenance. Improving physical environments and increasing the visibility of breastfeeding in public would help to challenge these barriers. This research employs a participatory approach to understand the facilitators and barriers to breastfeeding in public. Nine breastfeeding peer supporters were recruited as co-researcher for a photovoice study. Co-researchers collated images of features in environments which they felt either supported or acted as a barrier to public breastfeeding. An analysis workshop was held to review the data collected and produce collaboratively agreed findings. Various environmental features were highlighted as facilitators to breastfeeding including family rooms, welcoming signage, supportive staff members, and displays of information about breastfeeding. In addition, poorly designed family rooms, lack of inclusivity within breastfeeding spaces, breastfeeding spaces within toilets and a lack of information were barriers to public breastfeeding. This research illustrates that while some environments are well designed to support breastfeeding many others are not. Environments often lack basic provision and/or make token gestures towards breastfeeding support, such as welcome signage, without providing the infrastructure needed to support breastfeeding. More education about breastfeeding friendly spaces and resources for putting this information into practice are needed for environment owners, managers, and policy makers.

Predicting driver's takeover time based on individual characteristics, external environment, and situation awareness

The driver's takeover time is crucial to ensure a safe takeover transition in conditional automated driving. The study aimed to construct a prediction model of driver's takeover time based on individual characteristics, external environment, and situation awareness variables. A total of 18 takeover events were designed with scenarios, non-driving-related tasks, takeover request time, and traffic flow as variables. High-fidelity driving simulation experiments were carried out, through which the driver's takeover data was obtained. Fifteen basic factors and three dynamic factors were extracted from individual characteristics, external environment, and situation awareness. In this experiment, these 18 factors were selected as input variables, and XGBoost and Shapely were used as prediction methods. A takeover time prediction model (BM + SA model) was then constructed. Moreover, we analyzed the main effect of input variables on takeover time, and the interactive contribution made by the variables. And in this experiment, the 15 basic factors were selected as input variables, and the basic takeover time prediction model (BM model) was constructed. In addition, this study compared the performance of the two models and analyzed the contribution of input variables to takeover time. The results showed that the goodness of fit of the BM + SA model (Adjusted_R2) was 0.7746. The XGBoost model performs better than other models (support vector machine, random forest, CatBoost, and LightBoost models). The relative importance degree of situation awareness variables, individual characteristic variables, and external environment variables to takeover time gradually reduced. Takeover time increased with the scan and gaze durations and decreased with pupil area and self-reported situation awareness scores. There was also an interaction effect between the variables to affect takeover time. Overall, the performance of the BM + SA model was better than that of the BM model. This study can provide support for predicting driver's takeover time and analyzing the mechanism of influence on takeover time. This study can provide support for the development of real-time driver's takeover ability prediction systems and optimization of human-machine interaction design in automated vehicles, as well as for the management department to evaluate and improve the driver's takeover performance in a targeted manner.

Environmental enrichment enhances ethanol preference over social reward in male swiss mice: Involvement of oxytocin-dopamine interactions

The impact of environmental enrichment (EE) on natural rewards, including social and appetitive rewards, was investigated in male Swiss mice. EE, known for providing animals with various stimuli, was assessed for its effects on conditioned place preference (CPP) associated with ethanol and social stimuli. We previously demonstrated that EE increased the levels of the prosocial neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in the hypothalamus and enhanced ethanol rewarding effects via an oxytocinergic mechanism. This study also investigated the impact of EE on social dominance and motivation for rewards, measured OT-mediated phospholipase C (PLC) activity in striatal membranes, and assessed OT expression in the hypothalamus. The role of dopamine in motivating rewards was considered, along with the interaction between OT and D1 receptors (DR) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Results showed that EE mice exhibited a preference for ethanol reward over social reward, a pattern replicated by the OT analogue Carbetocin. EE mice demonstrated increased social dominance and reduced motivation for appetitive taste stimuli. Higher OT mRNA levels in the hypothalamus were followed by diminished OT receptor (OTR) signaling activity in the striatum of EE mice. Additionally, EE mice displayed elevated D1R expression, which was attenuated by the OTR antagonist (L-368-889). The findings underscore the reinforcing effect of EE on ethanol and social rewards through an oxytocinergic mechanism. Nonetheless, they suggest that mechanisms other than the prosocial effect of EE may contribute to the ethanol pro-rewarding effect of EE and Carbetocin. They also point towards an OT-dopamine interaction potentially underlying some of these effects.

Effects of environmental enrichment on GLUT expression in the visual cortex of amblyopic rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential changes of glucose metabolism and glucose transporter protein (GLUT) in the visual cortex of formally deprived amblyopic rats, as well as the effects of enriched environments on the levels of nerve conduction and glucose metabolism in the visual cortex of amblyopic rats.

METHODS

36 rats were randomly divided into three groups: CON + SE (n = 12), MD + SE (n = 12) and MD + EE (n = 12). The right eyelids of both MD + SE and MD + EE groups were sutured. After successful modelling, the MD + EE group was maintained in an enriched environment, and the other two groups were kept in the same environment. Pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) was used to confirm models' effect, glucose metabolism was analyzed by Micro-PET/CT (18F-FDG), and the protein as well as mRNA expression levels of GLUT were detected by Western Blot and quantitative RT-PCR (quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) analyses, site of GLUT expression by immunofluorescence (IF).

RESULTS

After suture modelling, both the MD + EE and MD + SE groups objective visual nerve conduction function decreased, the glucose metabolism in the visual cortex was markedly lower. After the enriched environment intervention, it recovered in the MD + EE group. The expression levels of GLUT1 and GLUT3 were increased in the MD + EE group in comparison with the MD + SE group. GLUT1 was primarily expressed on astrocytes and endothelial cells, but GLUT3 was mainly expressed on neurons.

CONCLUSION

Enrichment of the environment exhibited a therapeutic effect on amblyopia, which could be related to the enhancement of glucose metabolism and GLUT expression in the visual cortex.

Peanut origin traceability: A hybrid neural network combining an electronic nose system and a hyperspectral system

Peanuts, sourced from various regions, exhibit noticeable differences in quality owing to the impact of their natural environments. This study proposes a fast and nondestructive detection method to identify peanut quality by combining an electronic nose system with a hyperspectral system. First, the electronic nose and hyperspectral systems are used to gather gas and spectral information from peanuts. Second, a module for extracting gas and spectral information is designed, combining the lightweight multi-head transposed attention mechanism (LMTA) and convolutional computation. The fusion of gas and spectral information is achieved through matrix combination and lightweight convolution. A hybrid neural network, named UnitFormer, is designed based on the information extraction and fusion processes. UnitFormer demonstrates an accuracy of 99.06 %, a precision of 99.12 %, and a recall of 99.05 %. In conclusion, UnitFormer effectively distinguishes quality differences among peanuts from various regions, offering an effective technological solution for quality supervision in the food market.

Association between greenery and health indicators in urban patients with symptomatic heart failure: a retrospective cohort study in Lithuania

Urban green spaces benefit physical, mental health, and reduses the risk of cardiovascular disease. A study in Kaunas, Lithuania collected health data from 100 patients with symptomatic heart failure (HF) during 2006-2009. Residential greenness was measured by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). We assessed the impact of greenness on health indicators and on changes in health markers after 6 months. Higher greenness levels based on the NDVI 1-km radius were related to higher mean values of heart rate (HR) and ejection fraction and lower left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter index (LV EDDI), LV end-systolic volume (ESV), left atrium size (LAS), and right atrium size (RAS) at baseline. After 6 months, a decrease in DBP and HR and an improvement in spiroergometric parameters were associated with exposure to high levels of greenness.  The long-term rehabilitation group experienced significant changes in spiroergometric indicators. The results confirm that the greenness of the residential environment can improve health indicators in patients with HF.

Closing the loop between environment, brain and mental health: how far we might go in real-life assessments?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Environmental factors such as climate, urbanicity, and exposure to nature are becoming increasingly important influencers of mental health. Incorporating data gathered from real-life contexts holds promise to substantially enhance laboratory experiments by providing a more comprehensive understanding of everyday behaviors in natural environments. We provide an up-to-date review of current technological and methodological developments in mental health assessments, neuroimaging and environmental sensing.

RECENT FINDINGS

Mental health research progressed in recent years towards integrating tools, such as smartphone based mental health assessments or mobile neuroimaging, allowing just-in-time daily assessments. Moreover, they are increasingly enriched by dynamic measurements of the environment, which are already being integrated with mental health assessments. To ensure ecological validity and accuracy it is crucial to capture environmental data with a high spatio-temporal granularity. Simultaneously, as a supplement to experimentally controlled conditions, there is a need for a better understanding of cognition in daily life, particularly regarding our brain's responses in natural settings.

SUMMARY

The presented overview on the developments and feasibility of "real-life" approaches for mental health and brain research and their potential to identify relationships along the mental health-environment-brain axis informs strategies for real-life individual and dynamic assessments.

Exercise in a natural environment increases program compliance in people with chronic migraine: A pilot cross-over randomized trial

Adverse side effects from pharmacological treatments cause people with migraine to delay or avoid taking medication. Exercise is effective, but the effect of environment is unknown. The purpose was to determine if a natural environment affects monthly migraine load. Sedentary individuals (8 female, 1 non-binary) who experienced migraines participated. Participants completed one month of exercise (3 x week, 30-min, 60-70% estimated HRmax) indoors as well as in a natural outdoor environment in a randomized counterbalanced order. Migraine load was determined using the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) and Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) at the beginning and end of each month. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. No interactions were evident for HIT-6 (p = 0.80), MIDAS (p = 0.72), migraine days (p = 0.508), or pain intensity (p = 0.66). No main effects were noted. Compliance was greater in the outdoor environment, with more exercise sessions completed in nature (Indoor = 72%, Outdoor = 90%, p < 0.001). Exercise environment did not impact MIDAS or HIT-6 questionnaire results, number of migraine days, or pain intensity. While there was no reduction in migraine load, it is possible that other health benefits were experienced due to greater compliance in a natural environment.

Mood and physiological effects of visual stimulation with images of the natural environment in individuals with depressive and anxiety disorders

BACKGROUND

Nature therapies are gaining attention as non-pharmacological treatments for depressive and anxiety disorders, but research on their effectiveness in patients is limited. This study investigates the mood-improving effects of visual stimulation with natural environmental images in patients with depressive and anxiety disorders.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized crossover comparison trial involving 60 right-handed adult participants with depressive or anxiety disorders and receiving outpatient treatment. Visual stimuli of natural environments consisted of green-themed nature images, while the control stimuli featured urban scenes dominated by buildings. The stimulation lasted for 3 min, during which orbital prefrontal brain activity was measured using a 2-channel Near-infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) system, and heart rate variability was assessed using fingertip accelerated plethysmography.

RESULTS

Mood enhancement effects were observed in both the depressive and anxiety disorder groups following visual stimulation with nature images. In the depression group, orbital prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin concentration significantly increased after visual stimulation with nature images, while there were no significant changes in the anxiety group. However, in the anxiety group, a correlation was found between reduced orbital prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin in response to nature images and increased mood-enhancement. Furthermore, the severity of depressive symptoms did not significantly affect the intervention effects, whereas heightened anxiety symptoms was associated with a smaller mood enhancement effect.

DISCUSSION

Our study demonstrates the benefits of nature image stimulation for patients with depressive and anxiety disorders. Differential orbital prefrontal brain activity impacts notwithstanding, both conditions exhibited mood enhancement, affirming the value of nature image stimulation.

Environmental enrichment enhances the antidepressant effect of ketamine and ameliorates spatial memory deficits in adult rats

Ketamine is a rapid-acting antidepressant associated with various cognitive side effects. To mitigate these side effects while enhancing efficacy, it can be co-administered with other antidepressants. In our study, we adopted a similar strategy by combining ketamine with environmental enrichment, a potent sensory-motor paradigm, in adult male Wistar rats. We divided the animals into four groups based on a combination of housing conditions and ketamine versus vehicle injections. The groups included those housed in standard cages or an enriched environment for 50 days, which encompassed a 13-day-long behavioral testing period. Each group received either two doses of ketamine (20 mg/kg, IP) or saline as a vehicle. We tested the animals in the novel object recognition test (NORT), forced swim test (FST), open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and Morris water maze (MWM), which was followed by ex vivo c-Fos immunohistochemistry. We observed that combining environmental enrichment with ketamine led to a synergistic antidepressant effect. Environmental enrichment also ameliorated the spatial memory deficits caused by ketamine in the MWM. There was enhanced neuronal activity in the habenula of the enrichment only group following the probe trial of the MWM. In contrast, no differential activity was observed in enriched animals that received ketamine injections. The present study showed how environmental enrichment can enhance the antidepressant properties of ketamine while reducing some of its side effects, highlighting the potential of combining pharmacological and sensory-motor manipulations in the treatment of mood disorders.

Effect of separation pretreatment on environmental and economic performance of sludge resource utilization

As a new technology for accurate utilization of sludge resources, sludge inorganic-organic matter separation (IOMS) has attracted wide attention. This study examined the impact of this pretreatment on environmental and economic performance of sludge composting and incineration using life cycle assessment (LCA) and whole life costing (WLC). LCA results indicated that IOMS pretreatment reduced the energy conservation and emission reduction (ECER) values of composting and incineration by 56 % and 76 %, respectively. Meanwhile, WLC exhibited that IOMS pretreatment could cut the break-even year of incineration from 11 years to 4 years. The combination of organic sludge incineration/composting with inorganic sludge sintering ceramsite reveals excellent environmental and economic performance. The application optimization hypothesis analysis of these two routes in various provinces of China indicates that Jiangsu has the greatest development potential and should become a major promotion region.

REVIEW: Evidence supporting the 'preparation for oxidative stress' (POS) strategy in animals in their natural environment

Hypometabolism is a common strategy employed by resilient species to withstand environmental stressors that would be life-threatening for other organisms. Under conditions such as hypoxia/anoxia, temperature and salinity stress, or seasonal changes (e.g. hibernation, estivation), stress-tolerant species down-regulate pathways to decrease energy expenditures until the return of less challenging conditions. However, it is with the return of these more favorable conditions and the reactivation of basal metabolic rates that a strong increase of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) occurs, leading to oxidative stress. Over the last few decades, cases of species capable of enhancing antioxidant defenses during hypometabolic states have been reported across taxa and in response to a variety of stressors. Interpreted as an adaptive mechanism to counteract RONS formation during tissue hypometabolism and reactivation, this strategy was coined "Preparation for Oxidative Stress" (POS). Laboratory experiments have confirmed that over 100 species, spanning 9 animal phyla, apply this strategy to endure harsh environments. However, the challenge remains to confirm its occurrence in the natural environment and its wide applicability as a key survival element, through controlled experimentation in field and in natural conditions. Under such conditions, numerous confounding factors may complicate data interpretation, but this remains the only approach to provide an integrative look at the evolutionary aspects of ecophysiological adaptations. In this review, we provide an overview of representative cases where the POS strategy has been demonstrated among diverse species in natural environmental conditions, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of these results and conclusions.

The flip side of the coin: Exploring the environmental and health impacts of proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining

Blockchain technology, the backbone of cryptocurrency, is under scrutiny due to the environmental and health hazards linked to its energy-consuming Proof-of-Work (PoW) mining process. This review study provides a comprehensive analysis of the global health implications of PoW mining and cryptocurrency, with a focus on environmental sustainability and human health. The research utilized both traditional databases (PubMed and Web of Science) and additional primary sources. The study underscores the high energy consumption and carbon emissions of Bitcoin mining, despite ongoing debates comparing cryptocurrency to conventional finance. The review calls for immediate interventions, including the exploration of renewable energy sources and a transition from PoW to more sustainable consensus mechanisms. A case study on China's carbon policies highlights the necessity for effective regulatory measures. The findings reiterate the environmental and health risks associated with PoW cryptocurrency mining, including its resource-intensive procedures, reliance on non-renewable energy, and emission of air pollutants. The review emphasizes the urgent need for global regulation and a transition to more sustainable consensus mechanisms, such as Proof-of-Stake (PoS), to reduce the industry's impact on climate and human health.

Using the Theory of Affordances to Understand Environment-Play Transactions: Environmental Taxonomy of Outdoor Play Space Features-A Scoping Review

IMPORTANCE

The transactions between the physical environment and children's play have not been well studied. The theory of affordances provides a way to better understand how environmental characteristics offer opportunities for play occupation.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between environmental characteristics of outdoor play spaces and children's outdoor play and to develop an environmental taxonomy to support the analysis of play affordances in community play spaces.

DATA SOURCES

Peer-reviewed literature (1974-2023) was sourced from a previously published scoping review (Morgenthaler, Schulze, et al., 2023). The Academic Search Complete, Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched using the keywords and synonyms of playground, environmental qualities, and children with and without disabilities.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA COLLECTION

A secondary analysis of the previously published scoping review was conducted. Included studies were those that provided descriptions of physical environment-play activity transactions.

FINDINGS

A qualitative content analysis of 45 articles was conducted and used to form an environmental taxonomy. This taxonomy consisted of 14 space and object categories defined by their functional qualities and linked to play affordances. An array of 284 play occupations were identified in different forms. Play affordances of spaces and object categories and their functional environmental qualities were subsequently identified.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study provides evidence to support the understanding of how the physical environment shapes children's outdoor play occupations. Plain-Language Summary: The study authors developed the Environmental Taxonomy of Outdoor Play Space Features as a tool that occupational therapists can use to better understand and describe how the physical environment shapes opportunities for play. The tool could also be useful to justify environmental intervention in schools and public playgrounds to create spaces that support more play for a diversity of children.

Boosting decision-making in rat models of early-life adversity with environmental enrichment and intranasal oxytocin

Impaired decision-making constitutes a fundamental issue in numerous psychiatric disorders. Extensive research has established that early life adversity (ELA) increases vulnerability to psychiatric disorders later in life. ELA in human neonates is associated with changes in cognitive, emotional, as well as reward-related processing. Maternal separation (MS) is an established animal model of ELA and has been shown to be associated with decision-making deficits. On the other hand, enriched environment (EE) and intranasal oxytocin (OT) administration have been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on decision-making in humans or animals. Given these considerations, our investigation sought to explore the impact of brief exposure to EE and intranasal OT administration on the decision-making abilities of adolescent rats that had experienced MS during infancy. The experimental protocol involved subjecting rat pups to the MS regimen for 180 min per day from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND 21. Then, from PND 22 to PND 34, the rats were exposed to EE and/or received intranasal OT (2 μg/μl) for seven days. The assessment of decision-making abilities, using a rat gambling task (RGT), commenced during adolescence. Our findings revealed that MS led to impaired decision-making and a decreased percentage of advantageous choices. However, exposure to brief EE or intranasal OT administration mitigated the deficits induced by MS and improved the decision-making skills of maternally-separated rats. Furthermore, combination of these treatments did not yield additional benefits. These results suggest that EE and OT may hold promise as therapeutic interventions to enhance certain aspects of cognitive performance.

An early enriched experience drives targeted microglial engulfment of miswired neural circuitry during a restricted postnatal period

Brain function is critically dependent on correct circuit assembly. Microglia are well-known for their important roles in immunological defense and neural plasticity, but whether they can also mediate experience-induced correction of miswired circuitry is unclear. Ten-m3 knockout (KO) mice display a pronounced and stereotyped visuotopic mismapping of ipsilateral retinal inputs in their visual thalamus, providing a useful model to probe circuit correction mechanisms. Environmental enrichment (EE) commenced around birth, but not later in life, can drive a partial correction of the most mismapped retinal inputs in Ten-m3 KO mice. Here, we assess whether enrichment unlocks the capacity for microglia to selectively engulf and remove miswired circuitry, and the timing of this effect. Expression of the microglial-associated lysosomal protein CD68 showed a clear enrichment-driven, spatially restricted change which had not commenced at postnatal day (P)18, was evident at P21, more robust at P25, and had ceased by P30. This was observed specifically at the corrective pruning site and was absent at a control site. An engulfment assay at the corrective pruning site in P25 mice showed EE-driven microglial-uptake of the mismapped axon terminals. This was temporally and spatially specific, as no enrichment-driven microglial engulfment was seen in P18 KO mice, nor the control locus. The timecourse of the EE-driven corrective pruning as determined anatomically, aligned with this pattern of microglia reactivity and engulfment. Collectively, these findings show experience can drive targeted microglial engulfment of miswired neural circuitry during a restricted postnatal window. This may have important therapeutic implications for neurodevelopmental conditions involving aberrant neural connectivity.

Dorsal dentate gyrus mediated enriched environment-induced anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in cortical infarcted mice

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health disorders worldwide, each affecting around 30% stroke survivors. These complications not only affect the functional recovery and quality of life in stroke patients, but also are distressing for caregivers. However, effective treatments are still lacking. Enriched environment (EE), characterized with novel and multi-dimensional stimulation, has been reported to exert therapeutic effects on physical and cognitive function. In addition, EE also had potential positive effects on emotional disorders after ischemic stroke; however, the underling mechanisms have not been well elucidated. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of EE on emotional disorders after cerebral ischemia and its underling mechanism. Sensorimotor cortical infarction was induced by photothrombosis with stable infarct location and volume, resulting in motor dysfunction, anxiety and depression-like behaviors in mice, with decreased ALFF and ReHo values and decreased c-fos expression in the infarction area and adjacent regions. Seven days' EE treatment significantly improved motor function of contralateral forelimb and exhibited anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in infarcted mice. Compared to the mice housing in a standard environment, those subjected to acute EE stimulation had significantly increased ALFF and ReHo values in the bilateral somatosensory cortex (S1, S2), dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG), dorsal CA1 of hippocampus (dCA1), lateral habenular nucleus (LHb), periaqueductal gray (PAG), ipsilateral primary motor cortex (M1), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), parietal association cortex (PtA), dorsal CA3 of hippocampus (dCA3), claustrum (Cl), ventral pallidum (VP), amygdala (Amy), and contralateral auditory cortex (Au). Some of, but not all, the ipsilateral brain regions mentioned above showed accompanying increases in c-fos expression with the most significant changes in the dDG. The number of FosB positive cells in the dDG, decreased in infarcted mice, was significantly increased after chronic EE treatment. Chemogenetic activation of dDG neurons reduced anxiety and depressive-like behaviors in infarcted mice, while neuronal inhibition resulted in void of the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of EE. Altogether, these findings indicated that dDG neurons may mediate EE-triggered anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in cortical infarcted mice.

Cointegration analysis of US space activity and its environmental impact

Space activities are known for releasing different kinds of pollutants into the atmosphere. This study employs cointegration and error-correction techniques to explore the environmental impacts of U.S. space activity over both short and long terms. The findings reveal a long-run relationship between space activity and the environment. In the short run, except for biocapacity, space activity shows no significant impact on the environment according to the error-correction model analysis. In the long run, noteworthy relationships emerge, such as the launch of objects correlating with an increased ecological footprint and a decline in ozone concentration, and both objects and space debris contributing to reduced ozone concentration. Specifically, the estimates indicate that a one-percent increase in launches increases footprint by 0.07%, whereas a one-percent increase in object launches and space debris reduces the ozone concentration by 2.231% and 0.499%, respectively. The impulse response functions analysis affirms a predominantly permanent negative impact of space activity on the environment, jeopardizing environmental sustainability. Additionally, two crucial breakeven points are identified: space debris initially increases (i.e. deteriorates) the ecological footprint for the first 9 years before permanently improving footprint, while it initially enhances the ozone concentration for about 6 years before causing a lasting detrimental effect on the ozone layer.

Thioredoxins o1 and h2 jointly adjust mitochondrial dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase-dependent pathways towards changing environments

Thioredoxins (TRXs) are central to redox regulation, modulating enzyme activities to adapt metabolism to environmental changes. Previous research emphasized mitochondrial and microsomal TRX o1 and h2 influence on mitochondrial metabolism, including photorespiration and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Our study aimed to compare TRX-based regulation circuits towards environmental cues mainly affecting photorespiration. Metabolite snapshots, phenotypes and CO2 assimilation were compared among single and multiple TRX mutants in the wild-type and the glycine decarboxylase T-protein knockdown (gldt1) background. Our analyses provided evidence for additive negative effects of combined TRX o1 and h2 deficiency on growth and photosynthesis. Especially metabolite accumulation patterns suggest a shared regulation mechanism mainly on mitochondrial dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (mtLPD1)-dependent pathways. Quantification of pyridine nucleotides, in conjunction with 13C-labelling approaches, and biochemical analysis of recombinant mtLPD1 supported this. It also revealed mtLPD1 inhibition by NADH, pointing at an additional measure to fine-tune it's activity. Collectively, we propose that lack of TRX o1 and h2 perturbs the mitochondrial redox state, which impacts on other pathways through shifts in the NADH/NAD+ ratio via mtLPD1. This regulation module might represent a node for simultaneous adjustments of photorespiration, the TCA cycle and branched chain amino acid degradation under fluctuating environmental conditions.

Spatial distribution of Japanese encephalitis cases and correlated geo-environmental factors in southern and northern counties of China

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne disease with a spatial distribution that is linked to geo-environmental factors. The spatial distribution of JE cases and correlated geo-environmental factors were investigated in two critical counties in southern and northern China. Based on maps, enhanced thematic mapper (ETM) remote sensing datasets from Landsat and spatial datasets of JE cases, spatial distribution and spatial cluster analyses of JE cases at the village scale were performed by using the standard deviational ellipse and Ripleys K-function. Global and regional spatial cluster analyses of JE cases were also performed by using Moran's index. Regression analysis was used to analyze the relationships between geo-environmental characteristics and the risk of JE cases. At the study sites, the JE cases were not spatially clustered at the village or district (global) level, whereas there was a spatial cluster at the district (local) level. Diversity-related features for JE patients at the district and village levels were detected at two sites. In the southern counties, the distance of a village from a road was related to the village-level JE risk (OR: 0.530, 95 CI: 0.297-0.947, P = 0.032), and the number of township-level JE cases was linked to the distance of the district center from the road (R =-0.467, P = 0.025) and road length (R = 0.516, P = 0.012) in the administrative area. In northern China, the modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) in the 5 km buffer around the village was related to village-level JE risk (OR: 0.702, 95% CI: 0.524-0.940, P = 0.018), and the number of township-level JE cases was related to the MNDWI in the administrative region (R =-0.522, P = 0.038). This study elucidates the spatial distribution patterns of JE cases and risk, as well as correlated geo-environmental features, at various spatial scales. This study will significantly assist the JE control efforts of the local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the base-level CDC, particularly concerning the allocation of medicine and medical staff, the development of immunological plans, and the allocation of pesticides and other control measures for the mosquito vectors of JE.

Application of the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance Model: A Scoping Review

The Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) Model is one of several occupation-based models in occupational therapy. The model describes the transactional nature of person, environment, and occupation factors that support performance (doing), participation (engagement), and well-being (health and quality of life). The purpose of this study was to explore the extent and nature of evidence on the PEOP Model. We used a scoping review to identify and analyze journal articles that used the PEOP Model as a framework for study. The PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) criteria were used to develop the research methods. We found 109 articles that adopted the PEOP Model as an organizing framework. The studies reviewed represent the breadth of occupational therapy practice and the transactional nature of person, environment, occupation, and performance in the PEOP Model. The PEOP Model is a useful international framework for research and practice across populations, conditions, life circumstances, settings, and areas of practice.

A comprehensive review of the environmental benefits of urban green spaces

This detailed analysis highlights the numerous environmental benefits provided by urban green spaces, emphasizing their critical role in improving urban life quality and advancing sustainable development. The review delves into critical themes such as the impact of urban green spaces on human health, the complex interplay between urban ecology and sustainability, and the evaluation of ecosystem services using a comprehensive review of existing literature. The investigation thoroughly examines various aspects of green infrastructure, shedding light on its contributions to social cohesion, human well-being, and environmental sustainability in general. The analysis summarizes the study's findings and demonstrates the critical role of urban green spaces in urban ecology, which significantly mitigates environmental challenges. The intricate links between these green spaces and human health are thoroughly investigated, with benefits ranging from enhanced mental and physical well-being to comprehensive mental health. Furthermore, the analysis emphasizes how green spaces benefit urban development by increasing property values, boosting tourism, and creating job opportunities. The discussion also considers possible futures, emphasizing the integration of technology, the advancement of natural solutions, and the critical importance of prioritizing health and well-being in the design of urban green spaces. To ensure that urban green spaces are developed and maintained as essential components of resilient and sustainable urban environments, the assessment concludes with practical recommendations for communities, urban planners, and legislators.