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Introduction The aim of the study was to demonstrate a link between uncomplicated Babesia canis infection in dogs and blood concentrations of zinc and copper and erythrocytic antioxidant defence – activities of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Material and Methods The study was based on 15 naturally occurring cases of canine babesiosis with anorexia, pyrexia, depression, pale mucous membrane, splenomegaly and dark red urine. Microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained peripheral blood smears and the results of PCR confirmed B. canis infection. Seven apparently healthy dogs brought in for either a check-up or vaccination were used for comparison. Results The levels of the erythrocytic antioxidant enzymes - SOD and CAT - were significantly higher in the infected dogs than in cytologically negative dogs. The levels of blood micronutrients were significantly lower in the infected dogs (0.478 μg of zinc per mL vs 1.241 μg/mL and 0.722 μg of copper per mL vs 1.392 μg/mL). Conclusion Oxidative stress can be posited as one of the mechanisms leading to anaemia in dogs with babesiosis, and therefore antioxidant biomarker and copper and zinc concentrations could be used as indicators of disease severity and prognostic markers.

Covid-19 is a disease that attacks the respiratory tract that began to be identified in Wuhan, China. WHO then announced the condition as a pandemic that quickly spread throughout the world. The rapid spread of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) also occurred in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. In a spatial-temporal perspective, the spread of infectious diseases can be happened by the interconnectivity or interaction between areas, populations, and transportation facilities that facilitate community mobility. This research aims to describe the interactions between regions in West Kalimantan and the relation to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The method used centrality measurement and cluster analysis, where the results of these calculations are then described in line with the distribution of the Covid-19 case in West Kalimantan. From the justification, areas with high centrality in the network configuration tend to have the most confirmed cases compared to other areas. The character of these areas tends to be the main entrance (air/port), the provincial capital, and the hub area in West Kalimantan, which is also included as the same cluster. Another interesting finding is that areas with low centrality, and included in the same cluster, have several people under surveillance which is quite large compared to the previous cluster. These areas tend to have a dense population and are directly related to the Provincial Capital and neighboring countries (border).

The ocean contains unique biodiversity, provides valuable food resources and is a major sink for anthropogenic carbon. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an effective tool for restoring ocean biodiversity and ecosystem services1,2, but at present only 2.7% of the ocean is highly protected3. This low level of ocean protection is due largely to conflicts with fisheries and other extractive uses. To address this issue, here we developed a conservation planning framework to prioritize highly protected MPAs in places that would result in multiple benefits today and in the future. We find that a substantial increase in ocean protection could have triple benefits, by protecting biodiversity, boosting the yield of fisheries and securing marine carbon stocks that are at risk from human activities. Our results show that most coastal nations contain priority areas that can contribute substantially to achieving these three objectives of biodiversity protection, food provision and carbon storage. A globally coordinated effort could be nearly twice as efficient as uncoordinated, national-level conservation planning. Our flexible prioritization framework could help to inform both national marine spatial plans4 and global targets for marine conservation, food security and climate action. Using a globally coordinated strategic conservation framework to plan an increase in ocean protection through marine protected areas can yield benefits for biodiversity, food provisioning and carbon storage.

Funding Information: This work was partly supported by a grant from Computer Science Laboratory, Fukuoka Institute of Technology. We would like to thank our participants for their cooperation. We also thank Docent J. P. Mäkelä for the generous support and many helpful discussions. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors Visual noise usually reduces the visibility of stimuli. However, very low contrast or subliminal visual noise can sometimes enhance the visibility of low-contrast stimuli. It has been suggested that this enhancement occurs at the visual cortex. The aims of this study are to clarify the role of the early visual cortex (V1/V2) in the enhancement effect and to clarify the relationship of the SR characteristics among different experiments. Noise was added directly to the visual cortex by using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with randomly varying intensity. The location on the scalp and the timing (stimulus onset asynchrony, SOA) of TMS were specifically adjusted to target the early visual cortex. Contrast thresholds for figure orientation discrimination were measured as a function of TMS noise intensity. With increasing TMS noise intensity the contrast threshold for figure discrimination first decreased (enhancement) and then increased (impairment). These effects were clearly dependent both on scalp location and timing (SOA). The optimum SOA was around 60 ms, while the optimum location varied across participants. Outside the optimum location and SOA values, no TMS effects were found. The enhancement effect can be accounted for by the stochastic resonance (SR) theory based on a threshold device. In addition, we reveal similarity in characteristics of the SR phenomenon between different experiments.

El videojuego ha venido ganando terreno en los últimos años como recurso de aprendizaje, debido a su capacidad para atrapar a los estudiantes en un ambiente de motivación, entretenimiento e interacción. En este sentido, el presente estudio expone la aplicación de esta herramienta tecnológica como eje central de una secuencia didáctica para crear hábitos frente al manejo de los desechos y residuos con estudiantes del grado segundo de primaria, con el fin de contribuir en el cuidado del entorno ambiental de la institución, hogares y la comunidad en general. El estudio es de tipo cualitativo de carácter descriptivo, el cual se apoya en el enfoque investigación-acción, el cual comprendió en primer lugar, la caracterización de los estudiantes y sus familias; segundo, el desarrollo de un videojuego relacionado con el tema de la separación de residuos y tercero, se implementó la secuencia didáctica con base a la herramienta diseñada. El estudio logra determinar que la población en cuestión presenta características favorables para la integración del videojuego en el proceso de aprendizaje asociado al manejo de los residuos, donde se destaca la buena preparación académica de los padres de familia y su disponibilidad para acompañar el proceso. La población en general se caracteriza por contar con un legado de valores ambientales como el respeto por los recursos naturales y la “madre tierra” los cuales han sido transmitidos de generación en generación. Se establece que el videojuego promueve espacios interactivos a través de los cuales los estudiantes experimentan y retienen como mayor facilidad los conceptos, contribuyendo así a la formación de hábitos ambientales saludables. The videogame has been gaining ground in recent years as a learning resource, due to its ability to engage students in an environment of motivation, entertainment and interaction. In this sense, the present study exposes the application of this technological tool as the central axis of a didactic sequence to create habits regarding the management of waste and residues with students of the second grade of primary school, in order to contribute to the care of the environment. environment of the institution, homes and the community in general. The study is of a qualitative type with a descriptive character, which is based on the research-action approach, which included, in the first place, the characterization of the students and their families; second, the development of a videogame related to the topic of waste separation and third, the didactic sequence was implemented based on the designed tool. The study manages to determine that the population in question has favorable characteristics for the integration of the videogame in the learning process associated with waste management, where the good academic preparation of the parents and their availability to accompany the process stand out. The population in general is characterized by having a legacy of environmental values such as respect for natural resources and "mother earth" which have been transmitted from generation to generation. It is established that the videogame promotes interactive spaces through which students experience and retain concepts more easily, thus contributing to the formation of healthy environmental habits. Licenciado en Informática Educativa Pregrado

The coupling of gamma oscillation (~ 40+ Hz) amplitude to the phase of ongoing theta (~ 6 Hz) oscillations has been proposed to be directly relevant for memory performance. Current theories suggest that memory capacity scales with number of gamma cycles that can be fitted into the preferred phase of a theta cycle. Following this logic, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) may be used to adjust theta cycles (increasing/decreasing theta frequency) to decrease or increase memory performance during stimulation. Here, we used individualized EEG-informed theta tACS to (1) experimentally “slow down” individual theta frequency (ITF), (2) evaluate cognitive after effects on a battery of memory and learning tasks, and (3) link the cognitive performance changes to tACS-induced effects on theta-band oscillations as measured by post EEG. We found frequency- and task-specific tACS after effects demonstrating a specific enhancement in memory capacity. This tACS-induced cognitive enhancement was specific to the visual memory task performed immediately after tACS offset, and specific to the ITF-1 Hz (slowing) stimulation condition and thus following a protocol specifically designed to slow down theta frequency to enhance memory capacity. Follow-up correlation analyses in this group linked the enhanced memory performance to increased left frontal-parietal theta-band connectivity. Interestingly, resting-state theta power immediately after tACS offset revealed a theta power increase not for the ITF-1 Hz group, but only for the ITF group where the tACS frequency was ‘optimal’ for entrainment. These results suggest that while individually calibrated tACS at peak frequency maximally modulates resting-state oscillatory power, tACS stimulation slightly below this optimal peak theta frequency is better suited to enhance memory capacity performance. Importantly, our results further suggest that such cognitive enhancement effects can last beyond the period of stimulation and are linked to increased network connectivity, opening the door towards more clinical and applied relevance of using tACS in cognitive rehabilitation and/or neurocognitive enhancement.

La finalidad es dar a conocer cada función asignada y cada actividad que hicieron parte de las prácticas empresariales dentro de la empresa Baguer S.A.S, las cuales me ayudaron a fortalecer los conocimientos adquiridos en todo el proceso de formación durante toda la carrera de Negocios Internacionales. Está enfocado a realizar un análisis de las diversas funciones que se encuentran en el área de mantenimiento, esto tiene cierta relación con en el énfasis de Mercadeo ya que si hay un mantenimiento efectivo y eficiente proporciona una ventaja sobre la competencia y le da valor a la compañía. La carrera de Negocios Internacionales tiene diversos campos lo cual hace que se esté dispuesto a encajar en diferentes áreas dentro de una empresa y en este caso la empresa Baguer S.A.S me asigno el área de mantenimiento donde aún me encuentro trabajando ya no como practicante si no como colaborador vinculado directamente a la empresa. The purpose of this work is to make known each function providing and each activity that were part of the business practices within the company Baguer SAS, which helped me to strengthen the knowledge acquired throughout the training process throughout the International Business career. This work is also focused on performing an analysis of the various functions found in the maintenance area, this has a certain relationship with the Marketing emphasis, since if there is effective and efficient maintenance, it provides an advantage over the competition and gives value to the company. The International Business career has various fields which makes it willing to fit into different areas within a company and in this case the company Baguer SAS assigns me the maintenance area where I am still working not as an intern but as collaborator directly linked to the company. Profesional en Negocios Internacionales http://www.ustabuca.edu.co/ustabmanga/presentacion Pregrado

Funding biodiversity conservation strategies are usually minimal, thus prioritizing habitats at high risk should be conducted. We developed and tested a conservation priority index (CPI) that ranks habitats to aid in prioritizing them for conservation. We tested the index using 1897 fish species from 273 African inland lakes and 34 countries. In the index, lake surface area, rarity, and their International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status were incorporated. We retrieved data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and IUCN data repositories. Lake Nyasa had the highest species richness (424), followed by Tanganyika (391), Nokoué (246), Victoria (216), and Ahémé (216). However, lakes Otjikoto and Giunas had the highest CPI of 137.2 and 52.1, respectively. Lakes were grouped into high priority (CPI > 0.5; n = 56) and low priority (CPI

The drying of water flow from rivers is a complex phenomenon, which can manifest itself in different forms. In the Someşean Plateau, an integral part of the Transylvanian Depression, river drying occurs more frequently in the summer and autumn months, and less frequently in the winter months. The paper analyzes several aspects related to the drying phenomenon: the favoring factors, the distribution parameters and the zoning of the drying phenomenon

Magnesite is an important raw material used in various industrial applications, especially the production of high-temperature resistant materials. Due to its high reactant nature, magnesite ore is not found in pure form and it contains a great variety of pollutants such as calcium compounds, which restrict its use when exceeding 1% of the ore. Thus, the development of efficient strategies for the removal of pollutants remains a crucial step for magnesite utilization. In this regard, our present work was conducted to isolate and identify active fungal strains that remove calcium pollutants without changing the main magnesium content of the ore. For this aim, magnesite ore samples were collected from two quarries (Turanocagi and Ortaocak) of KuMAS Magnesite Inc. and fungal isolation studies were done by using the ore's flora. Active isolates were chosen according to their CaCO(3)and MgCO(3)dissolving capabilities and identified by using conventional light microscopy and molecular characterization techniques. 71 fungal isolates were obtained from the isolation step and 14 of them were chosen as active isolates that solve calcium compounds while not affecting the magnesium component. The data of the microscopic examination and 18S rDNA gene sequence analysis showed that 14 active strains with magnesite enrichment potential grouped inAspergillus alliaceus(3),Aspergillus flavus(2),Aspergillus leporis(1),Aspergillus nomius(1),Fusarium tricinctum(2),Penicillium chrysogenum(1) andPenicillium sp.(4).

In addition to neuronal death and elimination of synapses, the production of transient, exuberant axons, and axonal branches is a general phenomenon in development across species and systems. To understand what drives the decision of which axons are maintained and which are eliminated, it is important to monitor the interaction of juvenile axons at their target. As old and more recent work show, unlike what is claimed by Ribeiro Gomez et al. (2019), in the cerebral cortex, both classes of axons branch in the white matter near the target; axons destined to be maintained massively invade the gray matter where they develop terminal arbors and synapses. Axons destined to elimination remain in the white matter although a few transient, exploratory branches can enter the cortex. Axonal behavior and fate seem dictated by positional information probably conveyed by thalamic afferents and activity. Unlike what is suggested by Ribeiro Gomez et al. (2019), axonal selection should not be confused with synaptic reduction, which is a later event with minor or no impact on the topography of the connection.

In the context of public budget cuts and rural areas facing depopulation and aging, local governments increasingly encourage citizen engagement in addressing local livability issues. This paper examines the non-engagement of mid-aged and elderly residents (45+ years old) in civic initiatives that intend to improve the livability of their community. We focus on residents of depopulating rural areas in the North Netherlands. We compare their engagement with the behavior of residents in other, not depopulating, rural areas, and urban areas. Using logistic statistical analyses, we found that the majority of the aging residents did not engage in civic livability initiatives during the past two years, and one-third of this group had no intention to do so in the future. In all areas, the main reasons for non-engagement were that residents had other priorities, felt not capable of engaging, or felt that the responsibility for local livability belonged to the local government. Furthermore, it appeared that non-engagement was predominantly explained by the unwillingness to engage, rather than by specific motivations or lacking abilities.

El presente documento académico tiene como objetivo formular estrategias de mitigación del riesgo y adaptación al cambio climático de la cuenca media del Río Bogotá, a partir de información técnica generada durante los últimos diez años. Esto se lleva a cabo mediante la lectura e identificación de las principales problemáticas y soluciones planteadas en dicha información por medio análisis del contenido de documentos seleccionados, complementada por análisis semántico dentro de la minería de textos. Las estrategias se formularon mediante la técnica de árbol de problemas y de objetivos, complementado con las estrategias del Plan Nacional de Adaptación al Cambio Climático (PNACC) y las tendencias de desarrollo saludable de cuencas hidrográficas a nivel internacional. Este trabajo se divide en 7 capítulos. En los tres primeros se establece el planteamiento del problema, justificación y objetivos. En el cuarto se describen los fundamentos teóricos teniendo en cuenta el estado del arte y el marco conceptual frente al manejo de cuencas hidrográficas, gestión del riesgo, adaptación al cambio climático y el ordenamiento territorial. En el quinto capítulo se describe el área de estudio y la estrategia metodológica seguida para el análisis de contenido y el complemento realizado con análisis semántico por medio de minería de textos. En el sexto capítulo se describen los resultados de acuerdo a los objetivos específicos planteados. En el séptimo capítulo se discuten estos resultados y, finalmente, se describen las conclusiones. The objective of this academic document is to formulate strategies for risk mitigation and adaptation to climate change in the middle basin of the Bogotá River, based on technical information generated during the last ten years. This is carried out by reading and identifying the main problems and solutions raised in said information through content analysis of selected documents, complemented by semantic analysis within text mining. The strategies were formulated using the problem and objective tree technique, complemented with the strategies of the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC) and the trends of healthy development of hydrographic basins at the international level. This work is divided into 7 chapters. In the first three, the problem statement, justification and objectives are established. The fourth describes the theoretical foundations, taking into account the state of the art and the conceptual framework regarding the management of hydrographic basins, risk management, adaptation to climate change and land use planning. The fifth chapter describes the study area and the methodological strategy followed for the content analysis and the complement carried out with semantic analysis through text mining. The sixth chapter describes the results according to the specific objectives set. In the seventh chapter these results are discussed and, finally, the conclusions are described. http://www.ustadistancia.edu.co/?page_id=3956 Maestría

Background It remains largely unknown where and how infections with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs; Ascaris, Trichuris, Necator and Ancylostoma) occur. We therefore aimed to identify possible sources of infection by assessing the environmental contamination in an STH-endemic area. Methods We first performed a series of laboratory experiments designed to optimize a soil straining-flotation method to detect and quantify Ascaris and Trichuris eggs in soil, and to validate the diagnostic performance of the optimized method when followed by microscopy and qPCR. In a second phase, we applied this method to assess the level of STH contamination in 399 environmental samples collected from 10 school compounds, 50 households and 9 open markets in Jimma Town (Ethiopia). Subsequently, we explored associations between the environmental contamination and both the corresponding STH epidemiology at the level of the schools and the household characteristics. Finally, we assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards STHs in school children. Principal findings Our soil straining-flotation method has an analytical sensitivity of 50 eggs per 100 grams of soil and egg recovery rate of 36.0% (Ascaris) and 8.0% (Trichuris). The analysis of field samples with both microscopy and qPCR revealed the presence of 8 different helminth species of medical importance, including but not limited to the human STHs. There was a significant association between the environmental contamination and prevalence of any STH infections at the school level only. The KAP indicated a lack of knowledge and awareness of STHs. Conclusions/Significance Our optimized straining-flotation method has a moderate diagnostic performance and revealed that life stages of helminths are ubiquitous in the environment, which might be due to the poor sanitary facilities at both the schools and the households, and a poor level of KAP towards STHs. Further research is required to gain more insights into the contribution of these life stages to transmission.

Meteorites provide a unique view into the origin and evolution of the Solar System. Antarctica is the most productive region for recovering meteorites, where these extraterrestrial rocks concentrate at meteorite stranding zones. To date, meteorite-bearing blue ice areas are mostly identified by serendipity and through costly reconnaissance missions. Here, we identify meteorite-rich areas by combining state-of-the-art datasets in a machine learning algorithm and provide continent-wide estimates of the probability to find meteorites at any given location. The resulting set of ca. 600 meteorite stranding zones, with an estimated accuracy of over 80%, reveals the existence of unexplored zones, some of which are located close to research stations. Our analyses suggest that less than 15% of all meteorites at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet have been recovered to date. The data-driven approach will greatly facilitate the quest to collect the remaining meteorites in a coordinated and cost-effective manner. ispartof: SCIENCE ADVANCES vol:8 issue:4 ispartof: location:United States status: published

There has been an increase in reported TBE cases in Europe since 2015, reaching a peak in some countries in 2020, highlighting the need for better management of TBE risk in Europe. TBE surveillance is currently limited, in part, due to varying diagnostic guidelines, access to testing, and awareness of TBE. Consequently, TBE prevalence is underestimated and vaccination recommendations inadequate. TBE vaccine uptake is unsatisfactory in many TBE-endemic European countries. This review summarizes the findings of a scientific workshop of experts to improve TBE surveillance and vaccine uptake in Europe. Strategies to improve TBE surveillance and vaccine uptake should focus on: aligning diagnostic criteria and testing across Europe; expanding current vaccine recommendations and reducing their complexity; and increasing public education of the potential risks posed by TBEV infection.

In epidemiological studies, assessment of long term exposure to air pollution is often estimated using air pollution measurements at fixed monitoring stations, and interpolated to the residence of survey participants through Geographical Information Systems (GIS). However, obtaining georeferenced address data from national registries requires a long and cumbersome administrative procedure, since this kind of personal data is protected by privacy regulations. This paper aims to assess whether information collected in health interview surveys, including air pollution annoyance, could be used to build prediction models for assessing individual long term exposure to air pollution, removing the need for data on personal residence address.Analyses were carried out based on data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey (BHIS) 2013 linked to GISmodelled air pollution exposure at the residence place of participants older than 15 years (n = 9347). First, univariate linear regressions were performed to assess the relationship between air pollution annoyance and modelled exposure to each air pollutant. Secondly, a multivariable linear regression was performed for each air pollutant based on a set of variables selected with elastic net cross-validation, including variables related to environmental annoyance, socio-economic and health status of participants. Finally, the performance of the models to classify individuals in three levels of exposure was assessed by means of a confusion matrix.Our results suggest a limited validity of self-reported air pollution annoyance as a direct proxy for air pollution exposure and a weak contribution of environmental annoyance variables in prediction models. Models using variables related to the socio-economic status, region, urban level and environmental annoyance allow to predict individual air pollution exposure with a percentage of error ranging from 8% to 18%. Although these models do not provide very accurate predictions in terms of absolute exposure to air pollution, they do allow to classify individuals in groups of relative exposure levels, ranking participants from low over medium to high air pollution exposure. This model represents a rapid assessment tool to identify groups within the BHIS participants undergoing the highest levels of environmental stress.

Hrvatska ima povoljan ekološki potencijal za razvoj sektora vinogradarstva i vinarstva koji je od velikog gospodarskog i ekonomskog značaja za cijelu zemlju. U 2020. godini Republika Hrvatska je imala 18.648,40 ha zasađenih vinograda. U radu su opisani najznačajniji agroekonomski pokazatelji vinogradarsko vinarske proizvodnje u Republici Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od 2015. godine do 2021. godine koji se odnose na zasađene površine pod vinogradima, regionalnu zastupljenost, broj proizvođača, broj vinarija, prinose, tržište, cijene te financijske potpore vinogradarskoj proizvodnji. U promatranom periodu zamijećeno je opadanje površina pod vinogradima i proizvodnje vina. Vinogradi su rascjepkani i pretežito u vlasništvu manjih poljoprivrednih gospodarstava. Od 130 autohtonih sorata 20 vodećih zauzima površinu od 14.457,49 ha. U vinogradarskim površinama dominantne su sorte Graševina, Malvazija istarska i Plavac mali koji su u dobnim razredima od 20 -29. godina starosti., Croatia has favourable ecological potential for development of viticulture and winemaking sector which is of great economic and social significance for the entire country. Croatia had 18 648,4 ha of planted vineyards in 2020. This work describes describe the most significant agroeconomic indicators of wine-growing and wine-making production in Republic of Croatia for the period from 2015. to 2021 which applies to planted surfaces under vineyards, regional representation, number of businesses, number of wineries, proceeds, market, prices and financial support to viticulture production. In observed period there has been noticed a decline of vineyard area i wine production. Vineyards are fragmented in ownership of PG. of 130 indigenous varieties, 20 of them covers a landmass of 14.457,49 ha. In vineyard areas the dominant varieties are Graševina, Malvazija istarska and Plavac mali, which are on age grade of 20-29 years.

International audience; This study aims to propose an operational approach to map irrigated areas based on the synergy of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) data. An application is proposed at two study sites in Europe-in Spain and in Italy-with two climatic contexts (semiarid and humid, respectively), with the objective of proving the essential role of multi-site training for a robust application of the proposed methodologies. Several classifiers are proposed to separate irrigated and rainfed areas. They are based on statistical variables from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time series data at the agricultural field scale, as well as on the contrasted behavior between the field scale and the 5 km surroundings. The support vector machine (SVM) classification approach was tested with different options to evaluate the robustness of the proposed methodologies. The optimal number of metrics found is five. These metrics illustrate the importance of optical/radar synergy and the consideration of multi-scale spatial information. The highest accuracy of the classifications, approximately equal to 85%, is based on training dataset with mixed reference fields from the two study sites. In addition, the accuracy is consistent at the two study sites. These results confirm the potential of the proposed approaches towards the most general use on sites with different climatic and agricultural contexts.

The gut microbiome is associated with diverse diseases(1-3), but a universal signature of a healthy or unhealthy microbiome has not been identified, and there is a need to understand how genetics, exposome, lifestyle and diet shape the microbiome in health and disease. Here we profiled bacterial composition, function, antibiotic resistance and virulence factors in the gut microbiomes of 8,208 Dutch individuals from a three-generational cohort comprising 2,756 families. We correlated these to 241 host and environmental factors, including physical and mental health, use of medication, diet, socioeconomic factors and childhood and current exposome. We identify that the microbiome is shaped primarily by the environment and cohabitation. Only around 6.6% of taxa are heritable, whereas the variance of around 48.6% of taxa is significantly explained by cohabitation. By identifying 2,856 associations between the microbiome and health, we find that seemingly unrelated diseases share a common microbiome signature that is independent of comorbidities. Furthermore, we identify 7,519 associations between microbiome features and diet, socioeconomics and early life and current exposome, with numerous early-life and current factors being significantly associated with microbiome function and composition. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive overview of gut microbiome and the underlying impact of heritability and exposures that will facilitate future development of microbiome-targeted therapies.

Municipal solid waste collection (MSWC) service financing is a challenge for governments in developing countries, with little or no contribution from the service users. In most Ethiopian cities, residents do not pay for MSWC. This study aims to estimate households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for improved municipal solid waste collection service in Harar city. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 331 households employing the contingent valuation method with a double-bounded dichotomous choice format. The hypothetical program works to collect solid waste twice a week, house-to-house, and safely dispose of it to reduce environmental and health impacts. The Tobit regression model was used to account for the determinants of households’ WTP. Findings showed that 89% (95% CI: 85.4, 92.5) of households were WTP for the improved waste collection program, with an average yearly amount of US$12. The Tobit model shows that being married ( β = 6.9, 95% CI: 1.2, 13.7), having a monthly household income of >8000 ETB ( β = 31.9, 95% CI: 22.1, 41.7), attending education about MSWM ( β = 11.8, 95% CI: 5.6, 18.1), having temporary storage at household level ( β = 15.3, 95% CI: 9.5, 21.2), and recycling practices ( β = 5.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 10.8) positively influenced the WTP. Interventions like providing educational programs about waste handling and recycling and providing or encouraging households to have temporary storage at the household level are needed to enhance users’ WTP. The policy implication of the finding is that community contribution through service fees could be a strategy for sustainable financing.

International audience; The current epidemics of cardiovascular and metabolic noncommunicable diseases have emerged alongside dramatic modifications in lifestyle and living environments. These correspond to changes in our “modern” postwar societies globally characterized by rural-to-urban migration, modernization of agricultural practices, and transportation, climate change, and aging. Evidence suggests that these changes are related to each other, although the social and biological mechanisms as well as their interactions have yet to be uncovered. LongITools, as one of the 9 projects included in the European Human Exposome Network, will tackle this environmental health equation linking multidimensional environmental exposures to the occurrence of cardiovascular and metabolic noncommunicable diseases.

The aspects highlighted in this paper refer to the application of fertilizers and plant protection products to the wheat crop, and their impact on total production, competitiveness in export markets, price optimization as a result of increased harvest quality, and not least row, ensuring farmers’ incomes. The present analysis concerned the areas cultivated with wheat, and the productions achieved in relation to the quantities of fertilizers and protection products used in wheat cultivation, in Romania, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Poland and the UK. The analysis highlighted that, the average productions are influenced both by the technology used, by the fertilization and treatments applied, as well as by other synergistic factors that intervene in wheat crops. In countries such as Spain and Italy, the correlation between the amounts of N (nitrogen), P2O5 (phosphorus), K2O (potassium) and the average production of wheat is insignificant, but in Romania and Hungary, there is a strong, direct connection between the number of fertilizers used and the average wheat crop yield. In Romania and Hungary, there is a very significant connection, but the production link average with pesticides is negative, while in Germany, the correlation is direct and quite intense for all types of fertilizers used, while the use of pesticides has a lower influence on average wheat production. In this study, we also applied a multiple regression model; in which the dependent variable was the average yield of wheat per ha and the independent variables were the average quantity of pesticides and fertilizers used. We used the “t Stat” values for each coefficient to determine whether the coefficient is equal to zero; where a high value of “t Stat”, greater than 2; indicates the fact that the coefficient is significantly different from the value zero. The “p-value” for each coefficient indicates the probability that the coefficient has the value zero. A value below the significance level of 5% results in a coefficient significantly different from zero and with an impact on the dependent variable. The use of fertilizers on wheat crops has a synergistic effect as shown by the multiple linear regression analysis which demonstrated a strong direct relationship, particularly with the amount of N, K2O and P2O5 applied.

This article frames strategic storytelling in the context of transition management in order to analyse how strategic applications of storytelling stimulate destination development. This analytical framework is applied to two cases of storytelling projects aimed at fostering the destination development of the regions Hondsrug and Friese Meren, the Netherlands. We discuss how considering destination development as a long-term spatial transformation process (transition) and adopting a multilevel perspective (MLP) allows 1.) to pinpoint how strategic storytelling contributes to regional development and 2.) to identify factors that positively and negatively influence this contribution. We conclude that using storytelling in the context of transitions benefits from an adaptive approach of continually evaluating and adjusting actions – including storytelling. This allows for reinforcing existing ties and establishing new ties between actors so to effectively mobilise and unite public and private actors on multiple governance levels and result in actions that contribute to destination development.

Protected areas are important in species conservation, but high rates of human-caused mortality outside their borders and increasing popularity for recreation can negatively affect wildlife populations. We quantified wolverine (Gulo gulo) population trends from 2011 to 2020 in > 14,000 km2 protected and non-protected habitat in southwestern Canada. We conducted wolverine and multi-species surveys using non-invasive DNA and remote camera-based methods. We developed Bayesian integrated models combining spatial capture-recapture data of marked and unmarked individuals with occupancy data. Wolverine density and occupancy declined by 39%, with an annual population growth rate of 0.925. Density within protected areas was 3 times higher than outside and declined between 2011 (3.6 wolverines/1000 km2) and 2020 (2.1 wolverines/1000 km2). Wolverine density and detection probability increased with snow cover and decreased near development. Detection probability also decreased with human recreational activity. The annual harvest rate of ≥ 13% was above the maximum sustainable rate. We conclude that humans negatively affected the population through direct mortality, sub-lethal effects and habitat impacts. Our study exemplifies the need to monitor population trends for species at risk—within and between protected areas—as steep declines can occur unnoticed if key conservation concerns are not identified and addressed.