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BACKGROUND: The available evidence for positive associations between urban trees and human health is mixed, partly because the assessment of exposure to trees is often imprecise because of, for instance, exclusion of trees in private areas and the lack of three-dimensional (3D) exposure indicators (e.g., crown volume). OBJECTIVES: We aimed to quantify all trees and relevant 3D structural traits in Brussels (Belgium) and to investigate associations between the number of trees, tree traits, and sales of medication commonly prescribed for mood disorders and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: We developed a workflow to automatically isolate all individual trees from airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data collected in 2012. Trait data were subsequently extracted for 309,757 trees in 604 census tracts. We used the average annual age-standardized rate of medication sales in Brussels for the period 2006 to 2014, calculated from reimbursement information on medication prescribed to adults (19-64 years of age). The medication sales data were provided by sex at the census tract level. Generalized log-linear models were used to investigate associations between the number of trees, the crown volume, tree structural variation, and medication sales. Models were run separately for mood disorder and cardiovascular medication and for men and women. All models were adjusted for indicators of area-level socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Single-factor models showed that higher stem densities and higher crown volumes are both associated with lower medication sales, but opposing associations emerged in multifactor models. Higher crown volume [an increase by one formula presented ] was associated with 34% lower mood disorder medication sales [women, formula presented (95% CI: formula presented ); men, formula presented (95% CI: formula presented )] and with 21-25% lower cardiovascular medication sales [women, formula presented (95% CI: formula presented ); men, formula presented (95% CI: formula presented )]. Conversely, a higher stem density (an increase by one formula presented ) was associated with 28-32% higher mood disorder medication sales [women, formula presented (95% CI: 0.284, 0.361); men, formula presented (95% CI: 0.243, 0.319)] and with 20-24% higher cardiovascular medication sales [women, formula presented (95% CI: 0.169, 0.236); men, formula presented (95% CI: 0.206, 0.273)]. DISCUSSION: We found a trade-off between the number of trees and the crown volumes of those trees for human health benefits in an urban environment. Our results demonstrate that conserving large trees in urban environments may not only support conservation of biodiversity but also human health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9924.

Condition indices are key predictors of health and fitness in wild fish populations. Variation in body condition, therefore, can be used to identify stressful conditions that may impact endangered species, such as California’s endemic Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus McAllister, 1963). Here, we examined spatiotemporal variation in the condition indices of > 1600 Delta Smelt collected over nine years (2011–2019), a period characterized by tremendous variability in hydrodynamic and water quality conditions. The population exhibited low hepatosomatic index (HSI) and condition factor (CF) during September/October/November (fall), and both condition indices declined over the nine-year study during fall. HSI was positively correlated with indicators of pelagic productivity (e.g., Chlorophyll a, zooplankton biomass, and proximity to tidal wetlands), whereas CF was negatively correlated with temperature, peaking at a relatively cool 10–13°C. In sum, seasonal and interannual variation in body condition corresponded most strongly with pelagic productivity and water temperature, with little correlation to freshwater outflow. Management actions that increase pelagic productivity, restore and freshen productive wetlands during late summer-fall, and reduce water temperatures overall are likely to benefit condition indices and, therefore, fitness of the Delta Smelt population.

Background: Residential green space may improve human health, for example by promoting physical activity and by reducing stress. Conversely, residential green space may increase stress by emitting aeroallergens and exacerbating allergic disease. Here we examine impacts of exposure to residential green space on distress in the susceptible subpopulation of adults sensitized to tree pollen allergens. Methods: In a panel study of 88 tree pollen allergy patients we analyzed self-reported mental health (GHQ-12), perceived presence of allergenic trees (hazel, alder, birch) near the residence and residential green space area within 1 km distance [high (>= 3 m) and low (< 3 m) green]. Results were adjusted for patients' background data (gender, age, BMI, smoking status, physical activity, commuting distance, education level, allergy medication use and chronic respiratory problems) and compared with distress in the general population (N = 2467). Results: Short-term distress [mean GHQ-12 score 2.1 (95% confidence interval 1.5-2.7)] was higher in the study population than in the general population [1.5 (1.4-1.7)]. Residential green space had protective effects against short-term distress [high green, per combined surface area of 10 ha: adjusted odds ratio OR = 0.94 (95% confidence interval 0.90-0.99); low green, per 10 ha: OR = 0.85 (0.78-0.93)]. However, distress was higher in patients who reported perceived presence of allergenic trees near their residence [present vs. absent: OR = 2.04 (1.36-3.07)]. Conclusions: Perceived presence of allergenic tree species in the neighbourhood of the residence of tree pollen allergy patients modulates the protective effect of residential green space against distress during the airborne tree pollen season. The RespirIT study has been supported by a project grant from the Belgian Science Policy Office BELSPO (grant nr. BR/154/A1/RespirIT). The GHQ-12 questionnaire was used under license from GL Assessment Ltd. Aerts, R (reprint author), Sciensano, Juliette Wytsmanstr 14, BE-1050 Brussels, Belgium. raf.aerts@sciensano.be

Mapping the distribution of allergenic plants in urbanized landscapes is of high importance to evaluate its impact on human health. However, data is not always available for the allergy-relevant species such as alder, birch, hazel, especially within cities where systematic inventories are often missing or not readily available. This research presents an approach to produce high-resolution abundance maps of allergenic tree species using existing forest inventories and opportunistic open-access citizen science data. Following a two-step approach, we first built species distribution models (SDMs) to predict species habitat suitability, using environmental characteristics as predictors. Second, we used statistical regressions to model the relationships between abundance, the habitat suitability predicted by the SDMs, and additional vegetation cover covariates. The combination of forest inventory data with citizen science data improves the accuracy of abundance distribution models of allergenic tree species. This produces a continuous, 1-hectare resolution map of alder, birch, and hazel showing spatial variations of abundance distributions both within the urban fabric and along the urban–rural gradient. Species abundance modelling can offer a better understanding of the existing and potential future allergy risk posed by green spaces and pave the way for a wide variety of applications at fine-scale, which is indispensable for evidence-based urban green space policy and planning in support of public health. ispartof: Landscape And Urban Planning vol:218 status: Published online

Background: Ambient air pollution exposure has been associated with higher mortality risk in numerous studies. We assessed potential variability in the magnitude of this association for non-accidental, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and lung cancer mortality in a country-wide administrative cohort by exposure assessment method and by adjustment for geographic subdivisions. Methods: We used the Belgian 2001 census linked to population and mortality register including nearly 5.5 million adults aged >= 30 (mean follow-up: 9.97 years). Annual mean concentrations for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), black carbon (BC) and ozone (O-3) were assessed at baseline residential address using two exposure methods; Europe-wide hybrid land use regression (LUR) models [100x100m], and Belgium-wide interpolation-dispersion (RIO-IFDM) models [25x25m]. We used Cox proportional hazards models with age as the underlying time scale and adjusted for various individual and area-level covariates. We further adjusted main models for two different area-levels following the European Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS); NUTS-1 (n = 3), or NUTS-3 (n = 43). Results: We found no consistent differences between both exposure methods. We observed most robust associations with lung cancer mortality. Hazard Ratios (HRs) per 10 mu g/m(3) increase for NO2 were 1.060 (95%CI 1.0421.078) [hybrid LUR] and 1.040 (95%CI 1.022-1.058) [RIO-IFDM]. Associations with non-accidental, respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease mortality were generally null in main models but were enhanced after further adjustment for NUTS-1 or NUTS-3. HRs for non-accidental mortality per 5 mu g/m(3) increase for PM2.5 for the main model using hybrid LUR exposure were 1.023 (95%CI 1.011-1.035). After including random effects HRs were 1.044 (95%CI 1.033-1.057) [NUTS-1] and 1.076 (95%CI 1.060-1.092) [NUTS-3]. Conclusion: Long-term air pollution exposure was associated with higher lung cancer mortality risk but not consistently with the other studied causes. Magnitude of associations varied by adjustment for geographic subdivisions, area-level socio-economic covariates and less by exposure assessment method. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Human biomonitoring has become a pivotal tool for supporting chemicals’ policies. It provides information on real-life human exposures and is increasingly used to prioritize chemicals of health concern and to evaluate the success of chemical policies. Europe has launched the ambitious REACH program in 2007 to improve the protection of human health and the environment. In October 2020 the EU commission published its new chemicals strategy for sustainability towards a toxic-free environment. The European Parliament called upon the commission to collect human biomonitoring data to support chemical’s risk assessment and risk management. This manuscript describes the organization of the first HBM4EU-aligned studies that obtain comparable human biomonitoring (HBM) data of European citizens to monitor their internal exposure to environmental chemicals. The HBM4EU-aligned studies build on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies. The HBM4EU-aligned studies focus on three age groups: children, teenagers, and adults. The participants are recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11 to 12 primary sampling units that are geographically distributed across Europe. Urine samples are collected in all age groups, and blood samples are collected in children and teenagers. Auxiliary information on sociodemographics, lifestyle, health status, environment, and diet is collected using questionnaires. In total, biological samples from 3137 children aged 6–12 years are collected for the analysis of biomarkers for phthalates, HEXAMOLL® DINCH, and flame retardants. Samples from 2950 teenagers aged 12–18 years are collected for the analysis of biomarkers for phthalates, Hexamoll® DINCH, and per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and samples from 3522 adults aged 20–39 years are collected for the analysis of cadmium, bisphenols, and metabolites of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The children’s group consists of 50.4% boys and 49.5% girls, of which 44.1% live in cities, 29.0% live in towns/suburbs, and 26.8% live in rural areas. The teenagers’ group includes 50.6% girls and 49.4% boys, with 37.7% of residents in cities, 31.2% in towns/suburbs, and 30.2% in rural areas. The adult group consists of 52.6% women and 47.4% men, 71.9% live in cities, 14.2% in towns/suburbs, and only 13.4% live in rural areas. The study population approaches the characteristics of the general European population based on age-matched EUROSTAT EU-28, 2017 data; however, individuals who obtained no to lower educational level (ISCED 0–2) are under represented. The data on internal human exposure to priority chemicals from this unique cohort will provide a baseline for Europe’s strategy towards a non-toxic environment and challenges and recommendations to improve the sampling frame for future EU-wide HBM surveys are discussed. The HBM4EU initiative is co-financed under Horizon 2020 (grant agreement No 733032). Additional financial support for the conduct of the studies is provided by each participating country. More information on co-funding of the individual studies is provided in Supplementary Materials, Table S14. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

BACKGROUND: Residential green space has been associated with mental health benefits, but how such associations vary with green space types is insufficiently known. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate associations between types and quantities of green space and sales of mood disorder medication in Belgium. METHODS: We used aggregated sales data of psycholeptics and psychoanaleptics prescribed to adults from 2006 to 2014. Generalized mixed effects models were used to investigate associations between relative covers of woodland, low-green, grassland, and garden, and average annual medication sales. Models were adjusted for socio-economic background variables, urban-rural differences, and administrative region, and included random effects of latitude and longitude. RESULTS: Urban census tracts were associated with 9-10% higher medication sales. In nationwide models, a 10% increase in relative cover of woodland, garden, and grass was associated with a 1-2% decrease in medication sales. The same association was found for low green but only for men. In stratified models, a 10% increase in relative cover of any green space type in urban census tracts was associated with a decrease of medication sales by 1-3%. In rural census tracts, no protective associations between green space and mood disorder medication sales were observed, with the exception of relative woodland cover for women (-1%), and low green was associated with higher medication sales (+6-7%). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results suggest that living in green environments may be beneficial for adult mental health. Woodland exposure seemed the most beneficial, but the amount of green space was more important than the type. Results underline the importance of conserving green space in our living environment, for the conservation of biodiversity and for human health. ispartof: Environmental Reserach vol:211 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Green space could influence adult cognition and childhood neurodevelopment , and is hypothesized to be partly driven by epigenetic modifications. However, it remains unknown whether some of these associations are already evident during foetal development. Similar biological signals shape the developmental processes in the foetal brain and placenta.Therefore, we hypothesize that green space can modify epigenetic processes of cognition-related pathways in placental tissue, such as DNA-methylation of the serotonin receptor HTR2A. HTR2A-methylation was determined within 327 placentas from the ENVIRONAGE (ENVIRonmental influence ON early AGEing) birth cohort using bisulphite-PCR-pyrosequencing. Total green space exposure was calculated using high-resolution land cover data derived from the Green Map of Flanders in seven buffers (50 m-3 km) and stratified into low (a priori chosen covariables. For an IQR increment in total green space within a 1,000 m, 2,000 m and 3,000 m buffer the methylation of HTR2A increased with 1.47% (95%CI:0.17;2.78), 1.52% (95%CI:0.21;2.83) and 1.42% (95%CI:0.15;2.69), respectively. Additionally,, we found 3.00% (95%CI:1.09;4.91) and 1.98% (95%CI:0.28;3.68) higher HTR2A-methylation when comparing residences with and without the presence of nature in a 50 m and 100 m buffer, respectively. The methylation status of HTR2A in placental tissue is positively associated with maternal green space exposure. Future research is needed to understand better how these epigenetic changes are related to functional modifications in the placenta and the consequent implications for foetal development.

Background: The prevalence of pollen allergy has increased due to urbanization, climate change and air pollution. The effects of green space and air pollution on respiratory health of pollen allergy patients are complex and best studied in spatio-temporal detail. Methods:We tracked 144 adults sensitized to Betulaceae pollen during the tree pollen season (January–May) of 2017 and 2018 and assessed their spatio-temporal exposure to green space, allergenic trees, air pollutants and birch pollen. Participants reported daily symptom severity scores.We extracted 404 case days with high symptomseverity scores and matched these to 404 control days. The data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression with a 1:1 case-crossover design. Results: Case days were associated with exposure to birch pollen concentration (100 grains/m3) [adjusted odds ratio 1.045 and 95% confidence interval (1.014–1.078)], O3 concentration (10 μg/m3) [1.504 (1.281–1.766)] and PM10 concentration (10 μg/m3) [1.255 (1.007–1.565)] on the day of the severe allergy event andwith the cumulative exposure of one and two days before. Exposure to grass cover (10% area fraction) [0.655 (0.446–0.960)], forest cover (10% area fraction) [0.543 (0.303–0.973)] and density of Alnus (10%) [0.622 (0.411–0.942)] were protective for severe allergy, but only on the day of the severe allergy event. Increased densities of Betula trees (10%) were a risk factor [unadjusted OR: 2.014 (1.162–3.490)]. Conclusion: Exposure to green space may mitigate tree pollen allergy symptom severity but only when the density of allergenic trees is low. Air pollutants contribute to more severe allergy symptoms. Spatio-temporal tracking allows for a more realistic exposure assessment. ispartof: Science Of The Total Environment vol:781 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: Published online

Airborne pollen are important aeroallergens affecting human health. Local airborne pollen compositions can pose health-risks for the sensitized population, but at present little is known about fine-scale pollen composition patterns. The overall objective of this study is to determine local variations in tree pollen composition with passive samplers and to identify the surrounding landscape characteristics that drive them. In February–May 2017, during the tree pollen season, airborne tree pollen were measured by passive sampling at 2 m height above ground-level in 14 sites in the Flanders and Brussels-Capital region (Belgium). Non-metric multidimensional scaling was used to investigate environmental gradients that determine the pollen composition and amounts. Land cover types were identified across spatial scales ranging between 20 m and 5 km. The passive samplers detected the same pollen taxa during the same time windows as the validated volumetric Burkard samplers. Using passive samplers, we were able to measure local airborne pollen compositions. Corylus and Platanus pollen were associated to urban areas; Populus, Juglans and Fraxinus pollen to agricultural areas; forests and wetlands were sources of Alnus and Quercus pollen. Salix, Populus and Betula pollen were also mainly associated to wetlands. The landscape context drives the airborne tree pollen composition at a meso-scale (1−5 km) rather than at finer scale (20−500 m). Thus, land cover types (e.g. forest, bush land, agricultural lands and wetlands) surrounding urban areas may increase exposure to allergenic pollen in the urban area, potentially affecting the health of a large proportion of the population. ispartof: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening vol:61 status: published

Individual identification of small sized fishes such as the endangered delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus remains a pressing need. We evaluated the stability of chromatophores as potential natural marks for subadult and adult delta smelt under low and high ambient light. We conducted three photo sessions of the dorsal head area at about three month intervals from fall 2014 to spring 2015. Image recognition was performed using visual tests (naked eye) and automated image recognition (TinEye’s Match Engine). The stability of chromatophores between sessions was independently evaluated using: 1) the percent of correct matching (matching success), 2) similarity indices between matched images (match quality), and 3) the change in their relative size (chromatophore expression). Matching success (mean ± SD) was higher for visual tests (86 ± 12%) than automated tests (44 ± 30%), and was consistently higher from winter to spring for both visual (100%) and automated tests (80 ± 16%). Unlike visual tests, automated matching success differed between light treatments from winter to spring, and automated match quality was higher under low ambient light. Chromatophore expression increased between fall and winter, and decreased between winter and spring in both genders. Ambient light was less influential on matching success than ontogenetic changes between the subadult and adult stages. These results suggest chromatophores of delta smelt are more stable and have higher potential for practical use of natural marks under a wide range of ambient light scenarios when the adult stage is reached.

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that residing close to green space reduce mortality rates. We investigated the relationship between long-term exposure to residential green space and non-accidental and cardio-respiratory mortality. Methods: We linked the Belgian 2001 census to population and mortality register follow-up data (2001-2011) among adults aged 30 years and older residing in the five largest urban areas in Belgium (n = 2,185,170 and mean follow-up time 9.4 years). Residential addresses were available at baseline. Exposure to green space was defined as 1) surrounding greenness (2006) [normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and modified soiladjusted vegetation index (MSAVI2)] within buffers of 300 m, 500 m, and 1000 m; 2) surrounding green space (2006) [Urban Atlas (UA) and CORINE Land Cover (CLC)] within buffers of 300 m, 500 m, and 1000 m; and 3) perceived neighborhood green space (2001). Cox proportional hazards models with age as the underlying time scale were used to probe into cause-specific mortality (non-accidental, respiratory, COPD, cardiovascular, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and cerebrovascular). Models were adjusted for several sociodemographic variables (age, sex, marital status, country of birth, education level, employment status, and area mean income). We further adjusted our main models for annual mean (2010) values of ambient air pollution (PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and BC, one at a time), and we additionally explored potential mediation with the aforementioned pollutants. Results: Higher degrees of residential green space were associated with lower rates of non-accidental and respiratory mortality. In fully adjusted models, hazard ratios (HR) per interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI 500 m buffer (IQR: 0.24) and UA 500 m buffer (IQR: 0.31) were 0.97 (95%CI 0.96-0.98) and 0.99 (95%CI 0.98-0.99) for non-accidental mortality, and 0.95 (95%CI 0.93-0.98) and 0.97 (95%CI 0.96-0.99) for respiratory mortality. For perceived neighborhood green space, HRs were 0.93 (95%CI 0.92-0.94) and 0.94 (95%CI 0.91-0.98) for non-accidental and respiratory mortality, respectively. The observed lower mortality risks associated with residential exposure to green space were largely independent from exposure to ambient air pollutants. Conclusion: We observed evidence for lower mortality risk in associations with long-term residential exposure to green space in most but not all studied causes of death in a large representative cohort for the five largest urban areas in Belgium. These findings support the importance of the availability of residential green space in urban areas. This work was supported by the GRESP-HEALTH project which was funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office BELSPO [grant number BR/ 143/A3/GRESP-HEALTH]. Mariska Bauwelinck is funded by an individual PhD grant supported by the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [grant number 11A9718N]. Lidia Casas is recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) [grant number 12I1517N]. The authors thank Frederik Priem from the Department of Geography of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) for his support in obtaining and processing satellite imagery and land use data. Next, we acknowledge IRCEL-CELINE (Belgian Interregional Environment Agency) for providing the ambient air pollution estimates. We are very grateful to Massimo Stafoggia and Matteo Scortichini for their help in carrying out and interpreting the mediation analysis. Further, we recognize the support of Statbel (Directorate-general Statistics – Statistics Belgium) for geocoding the census data and facilitating data linkages as well as the help of Johan Surkyn from Interface Demography VUB with data management. Computational resources and services were provided by the Shared ICT Services Centre funded by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Flemish Supercomputer Center (VSC) and the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO). We are grateful for the fruitful exchanges with the reviewers, which substantially helped improving this study.

Green space may improve cardiovascular (CV) health, for example by promoting physical activity and by reducing air pollution, noise and heat. Socioeconomic and environmental factors may modify the health effects of green space. We examined the association between residential green space and reimbursed CV medication sales in Belgium between 2006 and 2014, adjusting for socioeconomic deprivation and air pollution. We analyzed data for 11,575 census tracts using structural equation models for the entire country and for the administrative regions. Latent variables for green space, air pollution and socioeconomic deprivation were used as predictors of CV medication sales and were estimated from the number of patches of forest, census tract relative forest cover and relative forest cover within a 600 m buffer around the census tract; annual mean concentrations of PM2.5, BC and NO2; and percentages of inhabitants that were foreign-born from lower- and mid-income countries, unemployed or had no higher education. A direct association between socioeconomic deprivation and CV medication sales [parameter estimate (95% CI): 0.26 (0.25; 0.28)] and inverse associations between CV medication sales and green space [–0.71 (–0.80; –0.61)] and air pollution [–1.62 (–1.69; –0.61)] were observed. In the regional models, the association between green space and CV medication sales was stronger in the region with relatively low green space cover (Flemish Region, standardized estimate –0.16) than in the region with high green space cover (Walloon Region, –0.10). In the highly urbanized Brussels Capital Region the association tended towards the null. In all regions, the associations between CV medication sales and socioeconomic deprivation were direct and more prominent. Our results suggest that there may be an inverse association between green space and CV medication sales, but socioeconomic deprivation was always the strongest predictor of CV medication sales. The authors acknowledge the Intermutualistisch Agentschap – L’Agence Intermutualiste (IMA-AIM) for providing the medication sales data, Charlotte Vanpoucke (IRCEL-CELINE) and Wouter Lefebvre (VITO) for providing air pollution data, Esmeé Bijnens (U Hasselt) for aggregating air pollution data, Rafael Costa for contributing to the preparation of socioeconomic data and dr. Maissa Rayyan (MD, KU Leuven) for providing medical background information on CVD medication. The icons in the graphical abstract were made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com and are used under a Flaticon Basic License (with attribution). ispartof: Science Of The Total Environment vol:712 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Phage therapy (PT) shows promising potential in managing biofilm infections, which include refractory orthopedic infections. We report the case of a 13-year-old girl who developed chronic polymicrobial biofilm infection of a pelvic bone allograft after Ewing’s sarcoma resection surgery. Chronic infection by Clostridium hathewayi, Proteus mirabilis and Finegoldia magna was worsened by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus exhibiting an inducible Macrolides-Lincosamides-Streptogramin B resistance phenotype (iMLSB). After failure of conventional conservative treatment, combination of in situ anti-S. aureus PT with surgical debridement and intravenous antibiotic therapy led to marked clinical and microbiological improvement, yet failed to prevent a recurrence of infection on the midterm. This eventually led to surgical graft replacement. Multiple factors can explain this midterm failure, among which incomplete coverage of the polymicrobial infection by PT. Indeed, no phage therapy against C. hathewayi, P. mirabilis or F. magna could be administered. Phage-antibiotic interactions were investigated using OmniLog® technology. Our results suggest that phage-antibiotic interactions should not be considered “unconditionally synergistic”, and should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Specific pharmacodynamics of phages and antibiotics might explain these differences. More than two years after final graft replacement, the patient remains cured of her sarcoma and no further infections occurred.

Background: Bio-accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment and in the food chain can lead to high pollutant concentrations in human fat-containing tissues and breast milk. Objectives: We aimed to identify the maternal characteristics that determined POP concentrations in breast milk of primiparous mothers in Belgium. Methods: Breast milk samples were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of 206 primiparous mothers in 2014. POP concentrations in breast milk samples were determined by GC-ECNI-MS and GC-EI-MS/MS depending on the analytes' sensitivity. Associations between POP concentrations in breast milk and potential determinants were investigated using two-way contingency tables and multivariable generalized linear models. Results: Fifteen of the 23 screened POPs were detected in the breast milk samples. Four organochlorine compounds (p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, HCB and β-HCH) and two brominated flame retardant congeners (BDE-47, BDE-153) were detected at concentrations above the limit of quantification in >50% of the breast milk samples. Maternal age and BMI were usually associated with higher POP concentrations. Rural residency and consumption of home-produced eggs, fatty fish and fish oil supplements were associated with higher concentrations of DDT and DDE. Consumption of fatty fish and being breastfed during childhood were associated with higher concentrations of HCB and β-HCH. Fish oil supplements and home-produced eggs were associated with higher concentrations of BDEs, but for BDE congeners exposure routes other than diet require further investigation. Conclusions: Dietary and non-dietary determinants predict individual POP concentrations in breast milk. Keywords: Human biomonitoring, Human breast milk, Persistent organic pollutants, Primipara mothers, Brominated flame retardants, Organochlorine pesticides

In Belgium, variations in thyroid cancer incidence were observed around the major nuclear sites. The present ecological study investigates whether there is an excess incidence of thyroid cancer among people living in the vicinity of the four nuclear sites at the smallest Belgian geographical level. Rate ratios were obtained from a Bayesian hierarchical model for areas of varying sizes around the nuclear sites. Focused hypothesis tests and generalized additive models were performed to test the hypothesis of a gradient in thyroid cancer incidence with increasing levels of surrogate exposures. No evidence was found for more incident cases of thyroid cancer near the two nuclear power plants. Regarding the two industrial and research nuclear sites, no evidence for a higher incidence in the vicinity of Mol‐Dessel was observed, whereas a slightly nonsignificant higher incidence was found in the close vicinity of Fleurus. In addition, significant gradients for thyroid cancer incidence were observed with the different types of surrogate exposure considered in the 20 km area around the site of Fleurus (decreasing distance, increasing wind direction frequency and increasing exposure to estimated hypothetical radioactive discharges of iodine‐131). In the investigation at the smallest Belgian geographical level, variations in thyroid cancer incidence were found around the Belgian nuclear sites. Significant exposure–response relationships were also observed for the site of Fleurus. Further investigations into these findings could be useful to allow inferring causal relationships on the origin of variations in incidence and to provide information at the individual level., What's new? Potential cancer risk associated with living near nuclear installations has long been a public concern. In Belgium, a previous study found a higher incidence around the two nuclear sites with research and industrial activities, but not around the two nuclear power plants. Exposure misclassification due to the large geographical scale could not be excluded, however. The present study, which uses data available at the smallest Belgian geographical level, confirms the previously‐described incidence patterns around the nuclear power plants and for one of the research and industrial sites. There was a significant exposure‐response relationship for the latter. This finding is valuable for thyroid cancer etiology.

The present study investigates whether there is an excess incidence of thyroid cancer among people living in the vicinity of the nuclear sites in Belgium. Adjusted Rate Ratios were obtained from Poisson regressions for proximity areas of varying sizes. In addition, focused hypothesis tests and generalized additive models were performed to test the hypothesis of a gradient in thyroid cancer incidence with increasing levels of surrogate exposures. Residential proximity to the nuclear site, prevailing dominant winds frequency from the site, and simulated radioactive discharges were used as surrogate exposures. No excess incidence of thyroid cancer was observed around the nuclear power plants of Doel or Tihange. In contrast, increases in thyroid cancer incidence were found around the nuclear sites of Mol-Dessel and Fleurus; risk ratios were borderline not significant. For Mol-Dessel, there was evidence for a gradient in thyroid cancer incidence with increased proximity, prevailing winds, and simulated radioactive discharges. For Fleurus, a gradient was observed with increasing prevailing winds and, to a lesser extent, with increasing simulated radioactive discharges. This study strengthens earlier findings and suggests increased incidences in thyroid cancer around two of the four Belgian nuclear sites. Further analyses will be performed at a more detailed geographical level. This study is carried out in the framework of the tasks of the Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP). As a scientific institute, costs for open access publications are foreseen in the WIV-ISP policy.

Background: Living in green environments has been associated with various health benefits, but the evidence for positive effects on respiratory health in children is ambiguous. Objective: To investigate if residential exposure to different types of green space is associated with childhood asthma prevalence in Belgium. Methods: Asthma prevalence was estimated from sales data of reimbursed medication for obstructive airway disease (OAD) prescribed to children between 2010 and 2014, aggregated at census tract level (n = 1872) by sex and age group (6–12 and 13–18 years). Generalized log-linear mixed effects models with repeated measures were used to estimate effects of relative covers of forest, grassland and garden in the census tract of the residence on OAD medication sales. Models were adjusted for air pollution (PM10), housing quality and administrative region. Results: Consistent associations between OAD medication sales and relative covers of grassland and garden were observed (unadjusted parameter estimates per IQR increase of relative cover, range across four strata: grassland, β = 0.15–0.17; garden, β = 0.13–0.17). The associations remained significant after adjusting for housing quality and chronic air pollution (adjusted parameter estimates per IQR increase of relative cover, range across four strata: grassland, β = 0.10–0.14; garden, β = 0.07–0.09). There was no association between OAD medication sales and forest cover. Conclusions: Based on aggregated data, we found that living in close proximity to areas with high grass cover (grasslands, but also residential gardens) may negatively impact child respiratory health. Potential allergic and non-allergic mechanisms that underlie this association include elevated exposure to grass pollen and fungi and reduced exposure to environmental biodiversity. Reducing the dominance of grass in public and private green space might be beneficial to reduce the childhood asthma burden and may simultaneously improve the ecological value of urban green space. All health data were anonymized by aggregation to census tract level and were used under license of IMA-AIM. The protocol for this study did not require ethics approval. ispartof: Environmental Research vol:189 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Introduction Mental health issues appear as a growing problem in modern societies and tend to be more frequent in big cities. Where increased evidence exists for positive links between nature and mental health, associations between urban environment characteristics and mental health are still not well understood. These associations are highly complex and require an interdisciplinary and integrated research approach to cover the broad range of mitigating factors. This article presents the study protocol of a project called Nature Impact on Mental Health Distribution that aims to generate a comprehensive understanding of associations between mental health and the urban residential environment. Methods and analysis Following a mixed-method approach, this project combines quantitative and qualitative research. In the quantitative part, we analyse among the Brussels urban population associations between the urban residential environment and mental health, taking respondents' socioeconomic status and physical health into account. Mental health is determined by the mental health indicators in the national Health Interview Survey (HIS). The urban residential environment is described by subjective indicators for the participant's dwelling and neighbourhood present in the HIS and objective indicators for buildings, network infrastructure and green environment developed for the purpose of this project. We assess the mediating role of physical activity, social life, noise and air pollution. In the qualitative part, we conduct walking interviews with Brussels residents to record their subjective well-being in association with their neighbourhood. In the validation part, results from these two approaches are triangulated and evaluated through interviews and focus groups with stakeholders of healthcare and urban planning sectors. Ethics and dissemination The Privacy Commission of Belgium and ethical committee from University Hospital of Antwerp respectively approved quantitative database merging and qualitative interviewing. We will share project results with a wide audience including the scientific community, policy authorities and civil society through scientific and non-expert communication. This work was supported by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO), grant number BR/175/A3/NAMED. Lauwers, L (corresponding author), Univ Antwerp, Dept Primary & Interdisciplinary Care, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Antwerp, Belgium. laura.lauwers@uantwerpen.be

Background: Outdoor pollen grain and fungal spore concentrations have been associated with severe asthma exacerbations at the population level. The specific impact of each taxon and the concomitant effect of air pollution on these symptoms have, however, still to be better characterized. This study aimed to investigate the short-term associations between ambient concentrations of various aeroallergens and hospitalizations related to asthma in the Brussels-Capital Region (Belgium), an area recording especially high rates of admissions. Methods: Based on administrative records of asthma hospitalizations and regular monitoring of 11 tree/herbaceous pollen taxa and 2 fungal spore taxa, daily time series analyses covering the 2008-2013 period were performed. Effects up to 6 days after exposure were captured by combining quasi-Poisson regression with distributed lag models, adjusting for seasonal and long-term trends, day of the week, public holidays, mean temperature and relative humidity. Effect modification by age and air pollution (PM, NO2, O-3) was tested. Results: A significant increase in asthma hospitalizations was observed for an interquartile range increase in grass (5.9%, 95% CI: 0.0, 12.0), birch (3.2%, 95% CI: 1.1, 5.3) and hornbeam (0.7%, 95% CI: 0.2, 1.3) pollen concentrations. For several taxa including grasses, an age modification effect was notable, the hospitalization risk tending to be higher in individuals younger than 60 years. Air pollutants impacted the relationships too: the risk appeared to be stronger for grass and birch pollen concentrations in case of high PM10 and O-3 concentrations respectively. Conclusions: These findings suggest that airborne grass, birch and hornbeam pollen are associated with severe asthma exacerbations in the Brussels region. These compounds appear to act in synergy with air pollution and to more specifically affect young and intermediate age groups. Most of these life-threatening events could theoretically be prevented with improved disease diagnosis/management and targeted communication actions. This study was entirely funded by Brussels-Environment (BIM-IBGE). This organization was partly involved in the study design, the supervision of the research, data procurement and results interpretation. Bianca Cox is a postdoctoral fellow of the FWO (12Q0517N).

A clear rise in seasonal and annual temperatures, a gradual increase of total radiation, and a relative trend of change in seasonal precipitation have been observed for the last four decades in Brussels (Belgium). These local modifications may have a direct and indirect public health impact by altering the timing and intensity of allergenic pollen seasons. In this study, we assessed the statistical correlations (Spearman’s test) between pollen concentration and meteorological conditions by using long-term daily datasets of 11 pollen types (8 trees and 3 herbaceous plants) and 10 meteorological parameters observed in Brussels between 1982 and 2015. Furthermore, we analyzed the rate of change in the annual cycle of the same selected pollen types by the Mann-Kendall test. We revealed an overall trend of increase in daily airborne tree pollen (except for the European beech tree) and an overall trend of decrease in daily airborne pollen from herbaceous plants (except for Urticaceae). These results revealed an earlier onset of the flowering period for birch, oak, ash, plane, grasses, and Urticaceae. Finally, the rates of change in pollen annual cycles were shown to be associated with the rates of change in the annual cycles of several meteorological parameters such as temperature, radiation, humidity, and rainfall. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00484-017-1457-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BACKGROUND: Following a train derailment, several tons of acrylonitrile (ACN) exploded, inflamed and part of the ACN ended up in the sewage system of the village of Wetteren. More than 2000 residents living in the close vicinity of the accident and along the sewage system were evacuated. A human biomonitoring study of the adduct N-2-cyanoethylvaline (CEV) was carried out days 14-21 after the accident. OBJECTIVES: (1) To describe the short-term health effects that were reported by the evacuated residents following the train accident, and (2) to explore the association between the CEV concentrations, extrapolated at the time of the accident, and the self-reported short-term health effects. METHODS: Short-term health effects were reported in a questionnaire (n=191). An omnibus test of independence was used to investigate the association between the CEV concentrations and the symptoms. Dose-response relationships were quantified by Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). RESULTS: The most frequently reported symptoms were local symptoms of irritation. In non-smokers, dose-dependency was observed between the CEV levels and the self-reporting of irritation (p=0.007) and nausea (p=0.007). Almost all non-smokers with CEV concentrations above 100pmol/g globin reported irritation symptoms. Both absence and presence of symptoms was reported by non-smokers with CEV concentrations below the reference value and up to 10 times the reference value. Residents who visited the emergency services reported more symptoms. This trend was seen for the whole range of CEV concentrations, and thus independently of the dose. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The present study is one of the first to relate exposure levels to a chemical released during a chemical incident to short-term (self-reported) health effects. A dose-response relation was observed between the CEV concentrations and the reporting of short-term health effects in the non-smokers. Overall, the value of self-reported symptoms to assess exposure showed to be limited. The results of this study confirm that a critical view should be taken when considering self-reported health complaints and that ideally biomarkers are monitored to allow an objective assessment of exposure.Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Language: en

Background: We investigated the associations between daily sales of respiratory medication and air pollutants in the Brussels-Capital Region between 2005 and 2011. Methods: We used over-dispersed Poisson Generalized Linear Models to regress daily individual reimbursement data of prescribed asthma and COPD medication from the social security database against each subject's residential exposure to outdoor particulate matter (PM10) or NO2 estimated, by interpolation from monitoring stations. We calculated cumulative risk ratios (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for interquartile ranges (IQR) of exposure for different windows of past exposure for the entire population and for seven age groups. Results: Median daily concentrations of PM10 and NO2 were 25 mu g/m(3) (IQR = 17.1) and 38 mu g/m(3) (IQR = 20.5), respectively. PM10 was associated with daily medication sales among individuals aged 13 to 64 y. For NO2, significant associations were observed among all age groups except >84 y. The highest RR were observed for NO2, among adolescents, including three weeks lags (RR = 1.187 95%Cl: 1.097-1285). Conclusion: The associations found between temporal changes in exposure to air pollutants and daily sales of respiratory medication in Brussels indicate that urban air pollution contributes to asthma and COPD morbidity in the general population. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bifenazate is one the most frequently used acaricides to control spider mites. Although first thought to be a neurotoxin, genetic evidence has pointed towards a mitochondrial target site, in particular the Qo site of mitochondrially encoded cytochrome b. In this study, we present the first biochemical evidence for a physical interaction between [14C] bifenazate and mitochondrial complex III of Tetranychus urticae. We further show that bifenazate is differentially metabolized in insects and mites, possibly underlying the high selectivity of the compound. In contrast to the proposed mitochondrial mode of action, it was recently shown that bifenazate can act as a synergist or allosteric modulator of functionally expressed T. urticae GABA receptor homologues. We therefore sequenced and determined the expression level of all three T. urticae GABA receptors in bifenazate susceptible and highly resistant strains. We found no mutations linked with resistance in these receptors, and their expression level was not overall changed between strains. We finally summarize all available evidence and argue for a mitochondrial mode of action via inhibition of complex III at the cytochrome b Qo site.

We used pattern recognition algorithms and image processing to identify individual Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Using melanophore spot patterns located on the dorsal head region, algorithms ranked all database images against each other. We coupled this technology with a graphical user interface to visually confirm or reject top-ranked algorithm results and tested this process on 295 juvenile Chinook salmon in seven photo sessions over a 251-d period. Juveniles began developing spots, identifiable in photo images, between 167 and 197 d after conception (52.7-mm fork length [FL]). Unique spot patterns appeared 197–232 d from conception, beginning at approximately 104-mm FL. Of 254 fish surviving the experimental period, 106 (42%) demonstrated identifiable patterns, 102 (40%) developed spots but patterns were insufficient for identification, and 46 (18%) exhibited a complete lack of spots. Spot patterns continued developing on individual fish by study end. On average, fish that developed...

BACKGROUND: Spider mites are important crop pests that rapidly develop resistance to acaricides. To investigate whether acaricide resistance is a threat to greenhouse rose culture in the Netherlands, the susceptibility of 15 strains of Tetranychus urticae was tested to several currently used acaricides, and resistance mechanisms were investigated.RESULTS: Although the observed levels of susceptibility differed between strains and acaricides, resistance was detected in most strains. The activity of detoxifying enzymes was significantly increased in most field-collected strains, and a number of amino acid substitutions known to be involved in resistance were detected.CONCLUSIONS: Resistance levels to traditional acaricides such as bifenthrin and abamectin were prominent, and might result in control failure under field conditions. Resistance to more recently registered compounds was detected in several populations. Resistance levels were generally unstable in the laboratory without selection pressure. The toxicological, biochemical and genetic data in this study will be essential in devising an efficient resistant management for Dutch rose culture.

To investigate the mechanism for diel (24 h) changes commonly observed at fixed sampling locations and how these diel changes relate to downstream transport in hypereutrophic surface waters, we studied a parcel of agricultural drainage water as it traveled for 84 h in a concrete-lined channel having no additional water inputs or outputs. Algal fluorescence, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, conductivity, and turbidity were measured every 30 min. Grab samples were collected every 2 h for water quality analyses, including nutrients, suspended sediment, and chlorophyll/pheophytin. Strong diel patterns were observed for dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature within the parcel of water. In contrast, algal pigments and nitrate did not exhibit diel patterns within the parcel of water, but did exhibit strong diel patterns for samples collected at a fixed sampling location. The diel patterns observed at fixed sampling locations for these constituents can be attributed to algal growth during the day and downstream transport (washout) of algae at night. Algal pigments showed a rapid daytime increase during the first 48 h followed by a general decrease for the remainder of the study, possibly due to sedimentation and photobleaching. Algal growth (primarily diatoms) was apparent each day during the study, as measured by increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations, despite low phosphate concentrations (

The San Joaquin River (SJR) is a hypereutrophic river that contributes to hypoxia in the downstream Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel. Oxidizable materials, in the form of algal biomass from upstream sources, contribute to the hypoxic conditions, especially from July to October. Our earlier work demonstrated the existence of strong chlorophyll-a diel cycles which complicated the calculation of algal loads for the watershed-scale monitoring program, necessary to address the total maximum daily load (TMDL) for dissolved oxygen (DO). The purpose of this study was to determine if diel patterns existed for other water quality constituents, and to determine the role of algal growth dynamics in driving these diel changes. Studies conducted between 30 June and 15 October 2004 evaluated temporal changes for several water quality constituents over four, 48 h studies at two sites along the mainstem of the SJR. Strong diel (24 h) patterns were observed for chlorophyll-a and pheophytin-a (algal pigments), temperature, DO, pH, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, NH4+-N + NO3−-N), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and volatile suspended solids (VSS). Patterns of DIN and SRP were inverse of those observed for algal pigments, temperature, DO, pH, and VSS. The observed diel patterns of algal pigments and temperature were greater in the beginning of the summer (June/July) and diminished by the end of summer (September/October) due to the decreased photoperiod. Within a 24 h period the fluctuations observed in algal pigments and nutrients suggest that growth of algae during daylight hours and depletion at night are largely responsible for the observed diel patterns. Due to the observed diel variability in these water quality constituents, the samples collected for TMDL programs may not be representative unless samples are collected at the daily mean for a system.

Bifenazate is a recently developed acaricide that is mainly used to control spider mites on a variety of crops. Although first thought to be a neurotoxin, genetic evidence obtained from bifenazate resistant Tetranychus urticae strains suggested an alternative mode of action as a Qo pocket inhibitor of the mitochondrial complex III. In this study, we reveal how bifenazate resistance in strains of Panonychus citri is maternally inherited and can confer cross-resistance to the known Qo inhibitor acequinocyl. The mitochondrial genome of P. citri was sequenced and Qo pocket mutations were shown to be linked with the resistant trait. Parallel evolution of cytochrome b mediated bifenazate resistance corroborates the alternative mode of action and yet again illustrates that care should be taken when employing Qo inhibitors as crop protection compounds.

We offer a protocol for conducting standardized nocturnal broadcast (playback) surveys on Little Owls Athene noctua across the range of the species. Based on differing objectives of researchers, two intensity levels of survey efforts are outlined: (1) demographic and density studies, and (2) presence and general distribution surveys. Both survey programs utilize the same field method, but vary in the number of visits required across the survey area. Objectives and definitions for these survey programs, and criteria for determining occupancy, reproduction, and turnover rates to support demographic and monitoring studies are given. The recommended survey period coincides with the breeding season, and depending on the latitude (and elevation), is approximately from 1 February — 30 April in western-Europe, and 1 March — 31 May in eastern Europe, Middle East, and Asia. Surveys are to be conducted from sunset to midnight and from two hours before sunrise to sunrise. Survey stations are located 500 m apart from ...

In recent years, grape growers in California reported failures of acaricides against Tetranychus pacificus McGregor. We collected T. pacificus populations from four vineyards and tested them for resistance to bifenazate, propargite and pyridaben. In addition, we sequenced part of the cytochrome b gene of bifenazate-resistant and -susceptible T. pacificus to test for the presence of mutations reported to confer resistance to the congeneric T. urticae. None of the mutations conferring resistance to bifenazate in T. urticae were present in resistant T. pacificus. Resistance levels ranged from full susceptibility to statistically significant 11-fold resistance to pyridaben, sevenfold resistance to bifenazate and fourfold resistance to propargite compared to a susceptible population. Despite the relatively low levels of resistance detected, we estimated that under the conditions of our study the highest field rates of bifenazate and pyridaben application would cause less than 58 and 66% mortality of adult females in the most resistant populations, respectively. In contrast, field rates of propargite application would cause close to 100% mortality in the least susceptible population. These results highlight a potential link between resistance development and reduced field effectiveness for bifenazate and pyridaben. Finally, T. pacificus may be more tolerant to bifenazate and propargite than T. urticae, since the LC(50) values for the susceptible population of T. pacificus were several times higher than LC(50)'s reported for susceptible T. urticae.

Introduction: Allergic rhinitis takes a heavy toll in Belgium. Pollen is an important trigger but fungal spores might also influence the onset of symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the health impact of these aeroallergens based on their repercussion on allergy medication sales in the Brussels-Capital Region. Methods: The relationship between daily changes in pollen and spore concentrations and daily changes in reimbursable systemic antihistamine sales has been investigated with times series analysis. 8 pollen and 2 spore species were tested for different age and gender categories. A generalized linear model was used and adjusted for air pollutant concentrations, climate factors, flu, seasonal component and day of the week. Analysis focused on the 2005-2011 period. Results: For most age groups, the relative risk of buying allergy medications associated with an interquartile augmentation in pollen concentrations increased significantly for Betula, Carpinus and Gramineae. Associations existed but were less consistent across ages for Quercus, Fraxinus, and Taxus Cupressaceae. Considering a 10 days cumulative effect, the relative risk reached up to 1,11 (95%CI [1,09-1,12]) for Gramineae among the 19-39 years customers. Risk pattern varied according to gender. Discussion: Little research in this field has been carried out worldwide and extrapolation from previous studies is hazardous given the high influence of the local context. This multidisciplinary study is the first of this kind in Belgium and demonstrates the large health consequences of Gramineae and several common tree species for the Brussels area. It distinguishes itself by its duration, sensitivity and completeness of data (any sale of reimbursable drugs was captured, daily data of various cofactors were used). This work opens several research perspectives related to subpopulation sensitivity or impact of climate modification (changes in pollen concentration, occurrence of novel aeroallergens).

Comparison of iron uptake of four Helicobacter species (Helicobacter pylori, Helicobacter felis, Helicobacter acinonyx, and Helicobacter mustelae), associated with various degrees of gastritis in their respective host, with five other species which colonize the intestinal tract of various animals (Helicobacter fennelliae, Helicobacter cinaedi, Helicobacter muridarum, Helicobacter bilis, and Helicobacter hepaticus), demonstrated that the iron acquisition system differed according to the ecological niche of the organism. Gastric Helicobacter, except for H. pylori, which used iron from human lactoferrin, were nonsiderophore-producing organisms and were only able to obtain iron from heme and hemoglobin. Nongastric Helicobacter produced siderophores and were able to use for growth a wide range of iron sources (bovine and human lactoferrin and transferrin, heme, hemoglobin).

Studying rare and sensitive species is a challenge in conservation biology. The problem is exemplified by the case of the imperiled delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, a small delicate fish species endemic to the San Francisco Estuary, California. Persistent record-low levels of abundance and relatively high sensitivity to handling stress pose considerable challenges to studying delta smelt in the wild. To attempt to overcome these and other challenges we have developed the SmeltCam, an underwater video camera codend for trawled nets. The SmeltCam functions as an open-ended codend that automatically collects information on the number and species of fishes that pass freely through a trawled net without handling. We applied the SmeltCam to study the fine-scale distribution of juvenile delta smelt in the water column in the upper San Francisco Estuary. We learned that during flood tides delta smelt were relatively abundant throughout the water column and that during ebb tides delta smelt were significantly less abundant and occurred only in the lower half and sides of the water column. The results suggest that delta smelt manipulate their position in the water column to facilitate retention in favorable habitats. With the application of the SmeltCam we increased the survival of individual delta smelt by 72% compared to using a traditional codend, where all of the fish would have likely died due to handling stress. The SmeltCam improves upon similar previously developed silhouette photography or video recording devices and demonstrates how new technology can be developed to address important questions in conservation biology as well as lessen the negative effects associated with traditional sampling methods on imperiled species.

During inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, the production of nitric oxide (NO) is mediated by the mucosal conversion of L-arginine. Recently, it was shown that the gut microbiota can also produce NO.The effect of gut luminal NO on inflammatory processes of an experimental colitis mice model was investigated by administrating NO directly to the colon, mimicking microbial NO production.Twenty-four mice received daily intrarectal treatment with a NO donor in 2 doses and 8 mice were treated with placebo. Starting 1 day later, 18 of these mice were fed ad libitum with 4% of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in their drinking water to induce colitis. At day 6, histopathology (both the inflammation and damage score), myeloperoxidase (MPO)-activity, colon length and colonic permeability were evaluated.Co-administration of NO during DSS exposure inhibited the induction of an increasing colonic MPO-activity. This protective effect of NO was confirmed by the histological inflammation score showing a similar trend. The colonic permeability was restored when very low levels of NO were administered to the DSS-mice. On the other hand, the colon length of the NO-treated DSS-mice was negatively correlated with the NO dose and the histological damage score was not improved.Our results indicate that intrarectal administration of NO has clear anti-inflammatory effects in experimental colitis, but does not prevent colonic damage. Therefore, NO-producing microorganisms in the gut lumen should be accounted as a modulating process during colitis.

BACKGROUND: Resistance of Tetranychus urticae Koch to bifenazate was recently linked with mutations in the mitochondrial cytochrome b Qo pocket, suggesting that bifenazate acts as a Qo inhibitor (QoI). Since these mutations might cause cross-resistance to the known acaricidal QoI acequinocyl and fluacrypyrim, resistance levels and inheritance patterns were investigated in several bifenazate-susceptible and bifenazate-resistant strains with different mutations in the cd1 and ef helices aligning the Qo pocket. RESULTS: Cross-resistance to acequinocyl in two bifenazate-resistant strains was shown to be maternally inherited and caused by the combination of two specific mutations in the cytochrome b Qo pocket. Although most investigated strains were resistant to fluacrypyrim, resistance was not inherited maternally, but as a monogenic autosomal highly dominant trait. As a consequence, there was no correlation between cytochrome b genotype and fluacrypyrim resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is no absolute cross-resistance between bifenazate, acequinocyl and fluacrypyrim, some bifenazate resistance mutations confer cross-resistance to acequinocyl. In the light of resistance development and management, high prudence is called for when alternating bifenazate and acequinocyl in the same crop. Maternally inherited cross-resistance between bifenazate and acequinocyl reinforces the likelihood of bifenazate acting as a mitochondrial complex III inhibitor at the Qo site. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

Genes encoded by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exist in large numbers per cell but can be selected very rapidly as a result of unequal partitioning of mtDNA between germ cells during embryogenesis. However, empirical studies of this “bottlenecking” effect are rare because of the apparent scarcity of heteroplasmic individuals possessing more than one mtDNA haplotype. Here, we report an example of insecticide resistance in an arthropod pest ( Tetranychus urticae ) being controlled by mtDNA and on its inheritance in a heteroplasmic mite strain. Resistance to the insecticide bifenazate is highly correlated with remarkable mutations in cytochrome b , a mitochondrially encoded protein in the respiratory pathway. Four sites in the Q o site that are absolutely conserved across fungi, protozoa, plants, and animals are mutated in resistant mite strains. Despite the unusual nature of these mutations, resistant mites showed no fitness costs in the absence of insecticide. Partially resistant strains, consisting of heteroplasmic individuals, transmit their resistant and susceptible haplotypes to progeny in highly variable ratios consistent with a sampling bottleneck of ≈180 copies. Insecticide selection on heteroplasmic individuals favors those carrying resistant haplotypes at a frequency of 60% or more. This combination of factors enables very rapid evolution and accounts for mutations being fixed in most field-collected resistant strains. The results provide a rare insight into non-Mendelian mechanisms of mitochondrial inheritance and evolution, relevant to anticipating and understanding the development of other mitochondrially encoded adaptations in arthropods. They also provide strong evidence of cytochrome b being the target site for bifenazate in spider mites.

Belgium is among the European countries that are the most affected by allergic rhinitis. Pollen grains and fungal spores represent important triggers of symptoms. However, few studies have investigated their real link with disease morbidity over several years. Based on aeroallergen counts and health insurance datasets, the relationship between daily changes in pollen, fungal spore concentrations and daily changes in reimbursable systemic antihistamine sales has been investigated between 2005 and 2011 in the Brussels-Capital Region. A Generalized Linear Model was used and adjusted for air pollution, meteorological conditions, flu, seasonal component and day of the week. We observed an augmentation in drug sales despite no significant increase in allergen levels in the long term. The relative risk of buying allergy medications associated with an interquartile augmentation in pollen distributions increased significantly for Poaceae, Betula, Carpinus, Fraxinus and Quercus. Poaceae affected the widest age group and led to the highest increase of risk which reached 1.13 (95% CI [1.11-1.14]) among the 19- to 39-year-old men. Betula showed the second most consistent relationship across age groups. Clear identification of the provoking agents may improve disease management by customizing prevention programmes. This work also opens several research perspectives related to impact of climate modification or subpopulation sensitivity.

Year-round measurements of the standing crop of epilithic algae (as chlorophyll a concentration) in two streams — one second and one fourth order (map scale 1:63 360) — in interior Alaska (64°–65° N) were only about one tenth that reported from streams of temperate North America. Cell densities in these streams, however, were similar to those in comparable temperate streams. Year-round domination of the benthic flora by very tiny diatoms (Achnanthes spp.) may explain the apparent disparity between low chlorophyll a content and nearly average cell densities. Chlorophyll a standing crop in a more alkaline groundwater-fed stream, however, was higher and within the range of similarly sized temperate streams. Maximum chlorophyll a standing crop varied positively with alkalinity in 5 clear-water streams where standing crop was measured on natural or artificial substrates. Seasonal mean concentrations of sestonic chlorophyll a (used as estimates of benthic algal chlorophyll a standing crop) varied directly and significantly with alkalinity among ten clear-water streams; and, with total phosphorus among 8 of 10 clear-water and 5 brown-water streams studied. During the summer, when there is little darkness, gross primary productivity (as estimated by the diurnal dissolved-oxygen method) was similar to that of northern temperate streams. Gross primary productivity was also seen to vary directly with alkalinity in 5 clear-water streams of this region.