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Anthropogenic infrastructures and land-use changes are major threats to animal movements across heterogeneous landscapes. Yet, the behavioural consequences of such constraints remain poorly understood. We investigated the relationship between the behaviour of the Common genet (Genetta genetta) and road proximity, within a dominant mixed forest-agricultural landscape in southern Portugal, fragmented by roads. Specifically, we aimed to: (i) identify and characterise the behavioural states displayed by genets and related movement patterns; and (ii) understand how behavioural states are influenced by proximity to main paved roads and landscape features. We used a multivariate Hidden Markov Model (HMM) to characterise the fine-scale movements (10-min fixes GPS) of seven genets tracked during 187 nights (mean 27 days per individual) during the period 2016-2019, using distance to major paved roads and landscape features as predictors. Our findings indicated that genet's movement patterns were composed of three basic behavioural states, classified as "resting" (short step-lengths [mean = 10.6 m] and highly tortuous), "foraging" (intermediate step-lengths [mean = 46.1 m] and with a wide range in turning angle) and "travelling" (longer step-lengths [mean = 113.7 m] and mainly linear movements). Within the genet's main activity-period (17.00 h-08.00 h), the movement model predicts that genets spend 36.7% of their time travelling, 35.4% foraging and 28.0% resting. The probability of genets displaying the travelling state was highest in areas far away from roads (> 500 m), whereas foraging and resting states were more likely in areas relatively close to roads (up to 500 m). Landscape features also had a pronounced effect on behaviour state occurrence. More specifically, travelling was most likely to occur in areas with lower forest edge density and close to riparian habitats, while foraging was more likely to occur in areas with higher forest edge density and far away from riparian habitats. The results suggest that, although roads represent a behavioural barrier to the movement of genets, they also take advantage of road proximity as foraging areas. Our study demonstrates that the HMM approach is useful for disentangling movement behaviour and understanding how animals respond to roadsides and fragmented habitats. We emphasise that roadengaged stakeholders need to consider movement behaviour of genets when targeting management practices to maximise road permeability for wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While pollution from vehicle sources is an established risk factor for preterm birth, it is unclear whether distance of residence to the nearest major road or related measures like major road density represent useful measures for characterising risk. Objective: To determine whether major road proximity measures (including distance to major road, major road density and traffic volume) are more useful risk factors for preterm birth than other established vehicle‐related measures (including particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) and diesel particulate matter (diesel PM)). Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 2.7 million births across the state of California from 2011–2017; each address at delivery was geocoded. Geocoding was used to calculate distance to the nearest major road, major road density within a 500 m radius and major road density weighted by truck volume. We measured associations with preterm birth using risk ratios adjusted for target demographic, clinical, socioeconomic and environmental covariates (aRRs). We compared these to the associations between preterm birth and PM2.5 and diesel PM by census tract of residence. Results: Findings showed that whereas higher mean levels of PM2.5 and diesel PM by census tract were associated with a higher risk of preterm birth, living closer to roads or living in higher traffic density areas was not associated with higher risk. Residence in a census tract with a mean PM2.5 in the top quartile compared with the lowest quartile was associated with the highest observed risk of preterm birth (aRR 1.04, 95% CI 1.04, 1.05). Conclusions: Over a large geographical region with a diverse population, PM2.5 and diesel PM were associated with preterm birth, while measures of distance to major road were not, suggesting that these distance measures do not serve as a proxy for measures of particulate matter in the context of preterm birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Emerging evidence links road proximity and air pollution with cognitive impairment. Joint effects of noise and greenness have not been evaluated. We investigated associations between road proximity and exposures to air pollution, and joint effects of noise and greenness, on non-Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis within a population-based cohort. Methods We assembled administrative health database cohorts of 45–84 year old residents (N ~ 678,000) of Metro Vancouver, Canada. Cox proportional hazards models were built to assess associations between exposures and non-Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Given reduced case numbers, associations with Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis were evaluated in nested case-control analyses by conditional logistic regression. Results Road proximity was associated with all outcomes (e.g. non-Alzheimer’s dementia hazard ratio: 1.14, [95% confidence interval: 1.07–1.20], for living

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates early life exposure to air pollution, a suspected neurotoxicant, is negatively associated with children’s neurodevelopment. Objectives: To explore the role of multiple exposure periods to ambient particulate matter with diameter

Background: Emerging evidence links road proximity and air pollution with cognitive impairment. Joint effects of noise and greenness have not been evaluated. We investigated associations between road proximity and exposures to air pollution, and joint effects of noise and greenness, on non-Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis within a population-based cohort.Methods: We assembled administrative health database cohorts of 45-84 year old residents (N ~ 678,000) of Metro Vancouver, Canada. Cox proportional hazards models were built to assess associations between exposures and non-Alzheimer's dementia and Parkinson's disease. Given reduced case numbers, associations with Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis were evaluated in nested case-control analyses by conditional logistic regression.Results: Road proximity was associated with all outcomes (e.g. non-Alzheimer's dementia hazard ratio: 1.14, [95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.20], for living < 50 m from a major road or < 150 m from a highway). Air pollutants were associated with incidence of Parkinson's disease and non-Alzheimer's dementia (e.g. Parkinson's disease hazard ratios of 1.09 [1.02-1.16], 1.03 [0.97-1.08], 1.12 [1.05-1.20] per interquartile increase in fine particulate matter, Black Carbon, and nitrogen dioxide) but not Alzheimer's disease or multiple sclerosis. Noise was not associated with any outcomes while associations with greenness suggested protective effects for Parkinson's disease and non-Alzheimer's dementia.Conclusions: Road proximity was associated with incidence of non-Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. This association may be partially mediated by air pollution, whereas noise exposure did not affect associations. There was some evidence of protective effects of greenness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a destructive invasive beetle that has caused mortality of millions of Fraxinus spp. trees in North America. The extended interval between insect establishment, detection and management has allowed this pest to spread over large parts of North America. Artificial purple canopy traps are currently used in national detection surveys for this beetle. The effectiveness of purple canopy traps at low‐to‐moderate A. planipennis population densities in relation to road proximity was evaluated in 2013 and 2014. Transects of traps were established at set distances from roads in northern Michigan near an isolated A. planipennis infestation. It was hypothesized that trap effectiveness is influenced by road proximity, and that traps placed closer to roads were more likely to detect A. planipennis. A significant relationship was established between the mean number of A. planipennis captured on traps and road proximity (nearness), while no significant relationship was observed between detection success and road proximity. These findings suggest establishing traps further from roads (which can be less economically efficient) provides no greater likelihood of detection than establishing traps on or near the road edge. Basal area of non‐ash and ash species, beetle population density, vigour rating, ash tree species and sampling duration were shown to significantly influence the number of A. planipennis captured on traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Exposure to traffic-related PM 2.5 mass and its components can affect human health. Meanwhile, indoor concentrations are better exposure predictors as compared to outdoor concentrations because individuals spend the majority of their time indoors. We estimated the impact of traffic emissions on indoor PM 2.5 mass and its species as a function of road proximity in Massachusetts. A linear regression model was built using 662 indoor samples and 580 ambient samples. Analysis shows that indoor exposures to traffic-related particles increased dramatically with road proximity. We defined relative concentration decrease, R (α), as the ratio of the indoor concentration at perpendicular distance α in meters from the closest major road to the indoor concentration at 1800 m from the major road. R (13) values for PM 2.5 mass and Black Carbon (BC) were 1.3 (95%CI: 1.4, 1.6) and 2.1 (95%CI: 1.3, 2.8) for A 12 roads, and 1.3 (95%CI: 1.2, 1.4) and 1.2 (95%CI: 1.1, 1.3) for A 3 roads. R (α) values were also estimated for Fe, Mn, Mo, Sr and Ti for A 12 roads, and Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Si, Sr, V and Zn for A 3 roads. R (α) values for species associated mainly with brakes, tires or road dust (e.g., Mn, Mo and Sr) were higher than others. For A 12 roads, R (13) values for Mn and Mo were 10.9 (95%CI: 0.9, 20.9) and 6.5 (95%CI: 1.4, 11.5), and ranged from 1.3 to 2.1 for other species; for A 3 roads, R (13) values for Mn, Mo and Sr were 1.9 (95%CI: 1.1, 2.9), 1.8 (95%CI: 1.1, 2.4), and 8.5 (95%CI: 5.9, 10.9), and ranged from 1.2 to 1.6 for others. Our results indicate a significant impact of local traffic emissions on indoor air, which depends on road proximity. Thus road proximity which has been used in many epidemiological studies is a reasonable exposure metric. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • We investigated road proximity influence on indoor traffic-related exposures. • Our results indicated indoor exposures significantly decrease with road distance. • We found concentration decreases are different for different species. • Our investigation involved a wide range of particle species. • Our analysis was based on a large data set, which provided ample statistical power. This paper investigated the influence of road proximity on the concentration of indoor PM 2.5 and its components and can be helpful for the assessment of health risks associated with indoor exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modifying aspects of the built environment may be an effective strategy for population-level improvements to sleep. However, few comprehensive evaluations of built environment and sleep have been completed., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among participants of the British Columbia Generations Project (BCGP) who self-reported sleep duration (n = 28,385). Geospatial measures of light-at-night (LAN), greenness, air pollution (PM 2.5 , NO 2 , SO 2 ), and road proximity were linked to participant baseline residential postal codes. Logistic regression models, adjusted for age and sex, were used to estimate the association between these factors and self-reported sleep duration (<7 vs. ≥7 hours)., Results: Interquartile range (IQR) increases in LAN intensity, greenness, and SO 2 were associated with 1.04-fold increased (95% CI = 1.02, 1.07), 0.95-fold decreased (95% CI = 0.91, 0.98), and 1.07-fold increased (95% CI = 1.03, 1.11) odds, respectively, of reporting insufficient sleep (i.e., <7 hours per night). Living <100 m from a main roadway was associated with a 1.09-fold greater odds of insufficient sleep (95% CI = 1.02, 1.17). Results were unchanged when examining all factors together within a single regression model. In stratified analyses, associations with SO 2 were stronger among those with lower reported annual household incomes and those living in more urban areas., Conclusions: BCGP's rich data enabled a comprehensive evaluation of the built environment, revealing multiple factors as potentially modifiable determinants of sleep disruption. In addition to longitudinal evaluations, future studies should pay careful attention to the role of social disparities in sleep health., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with regard to the content of this report., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The Environmental Epidemiology. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: The linkage between NHL morbidity and residence near heavy roads is analyzed among the Jewish population of the Haifa Metropolis, Israel. The addresses of 1436 patients (94.5% of all cases, 1995–2004) were geocoded. The geographic distribution of NHL patients was adjusted by the overall density of population in the study area. The analysis indicates steady decline in the “density adjusted” numbers of patients as a function of increasing road distances (P<0.01). Differences between genders/age groups were not found. The much higher occurrence of NHL in areas near main roads may be indicative of disease risks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • We calculated ambient air pollution exposure at multiple exposure windows. • Some isolated evidence for PM 2.5 and poor emotion/behaviour and gross motor delay. • No associations found for NO 2 at any exposure window. • Follow-up studies, particularly at low exposure areas may provide more insight. Accumulating evidence indicates early life exposure to air pollution, a suspected neurotoxicant, is negatively associated with children's neurodevelopment. To explore the role of multiple exposure periods to ambient particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μm (PM 2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) on emotion and behaviour, and early development in children <13 years. We used data from Mothers and their Children's Health (MatCH) study, a 2016/17 sub-study from a prospective longitudinal study, the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Annual PM 2.5 and NO 2 estimates since 1996 were obtained from a land-use regression model. Maternal residential proximity to roadways were used as a proxy measure of exposure to traffic-related air pollution. Child outcomes were maternal-rated emotional and behavioural problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ, aged 2–12 years, n = 5471 children) and developmental delay in communication and gross motor skills (Ages and Stages Questionnaire; ASQ, aged 1–66 months, n = 1265 children). Defined exposure periods were early life exposure ('during pregnancy' and 'first year of life') and 'children's lifetime exposure'. Ambient air pollution was divided into tertiles and logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratio (OR) for each child outcome, adjusting for potential confounders. Children exposed to moderate and high PM 2.5 exposure, compared to low exposure, across all periods, had higher odds of emotional and behavioural problems, and gross motor delay. Children's lifetime exposure to moderate levels of PM 2.5 (5.9–7.1 µg/m3) was associated with 1.27 (95% confidence interval 1.03, 1.57) fold higher odds of emotional/behavioural problems. Similar associations were found for moderate PM 2.5 levels at 'first year of life' in a two-pollutant model only (OR: 1.30; 1.05, 1.60). However, there was insufficient evidence to suggest that NO 2 exposure or living within 200 m of major roads was associated with emotional and behaviour problems or developmental delay across any exposure periods. We found isolated evidence that early life and childhood exposure to PM 2.5 may be associated with emotional and behavioural problems and delays in gross motor skills, but most associations were null. Due to the limited number of longitudinal studies on low-exposure settings, further studies with more temporally refined exposure assessment are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though growing evidence has linked air pollution to Parkinson's disease (PD), the results remain inconsistent. Less is known about the relevance of road proximity and surrounding green. We aimed to investigate the individual and joint associations of air pollution, road proximity and surrounding green with the incidence of PD in a prospective cohort study. We used data from a prospective cohort of 47,516 participants recruited from July 2015 to January 2018 in Ningbo, China. Long-term exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5) and ≤10 μm (PM 10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) estimated by land-use regression models, road proximity and surrounding green assessed by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were calculated based on the residential address for each participant. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the individual and joint effects of air pollution, road proximity, and surrounding green on PD. In single-exposure models, PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO 2 and road proximity was associated with increased risk of PD (e.g. Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.51, 95%CI:1.02, 2.24 per interquartile range (IQR) increase for PM 2.5) while surrounding green was associated with decreased risk of PD (e.g. HR = 0.80, 95%CI:0.65, 0.98 per IQR increase for NDVI in 300 m buffer). In two-exposure models, the associations of PM 2.5 and surrounding green persisted while the associations of NO 2 and road proximity attenuated towards unity. We found that PM 2.5 were associated with increased risk of incident PD while surrounding green was associated with decreased risk of PD. Future studies about PD etiology may benefit from including multiple environmental exposures to address potential joint associations. [Display omitted] • Positive associations between PM 2.5 and incident Parkinson's disease were found. • Negative associations between greenness and incident Parkinson's disease were found. • Improvements in air quality and land use planning might benefit for PD prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence from animal and human studies indicates that exposure to traffic-related air pollution may adversely affect fertility., Methods: Among 7,342 female pregnancy planners from the United States and 1,448 from Canada, we examined the association between residential proximity to major roads and fecundability, the per-cycle probability of conception. From 2013 to 2019, women 21-45 years old who were trying to conceive without fertility treatment completed an online baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaires every 8 weeks for up to 12 months or until pregnancy. We geocoded residential addresses reported at baseline and during follow-up, and calculated distance to nearest major roads and length of major roads within buffers of 50, 100, 300, and 400 meters around the residence as proxies for traffic-related air pollution. We used proportional probabilities regression models to estimate fecundability ratios (FRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for individual- and neighborhood-level characteristics., Results: In the United States, the FR comparing women who lived <50 meters with those who lived ≥400 meters from the closest major road was 0.88 (95% CI = 0.80, 0.98). The association among Canadian women was similar in magnitude, but less precise (FR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.74, 1.16). Likewise, length of major roads within buffers of 50 and 100 meters was associated with lower fecundability in both countries; associations were attenuated within larger buffers., Conclusions: These results are consistent with the hypothesis that traffic-related air pollution or other near-road exposures may adversely affect fecundability., Competing Interests: PRESTO has received in-kind donations from FertilityFriend.com, Kindara.com, Sandstone Diagnostics, and Swiss Precision Diagnostics for primary data collection. L.A.W. serves as a consultant to AbbVie, Inc. for her work on uterine fibroids. The other authors have no conflicts to report. The results reported herein correspond to specific aim 2 of grant R01-ES028923 to investigators Wise and Hatch from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). This work was also supported by grant P30-ES007033 from the NIEHS, grant R01-HD086742 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), grant R21-HD072326 from the NICHD, grant R01-HD060680 from the NICHD, and grant R21-HD050264 from the NICHD. The authors received funding to support open access publishing.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of the article., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The Environmental Epidemiology. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Infants born prematurely are at high risk for morbidities, including lung disease (bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD]). Little is known regarding environmental factors that can impact outcomes in BPD. We sought to assess the role of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) on respiratory outcomes in BPD., Methods: A total of 784 subjects were included from the Johns Hopkins BPD clinic. Caregivers completed questionnaires on environmental exposures and respiratory outcomes (acute care use and chronic symptoms). Distance to the nearest major roadway was derived from subjects' geocoded residential addresses., Results: Approximately half of the subjects (53.8%) lived within 500 m of a major roadway. Subjects who lived within 500 m of a major roadway were more likely to be non-white (P = .006), have a lower estimated household income (P < .001) and live in more densely populated zip codes (P < .001) than those who lived further than 500 m away. For every 1 km increase in distance between residence and roadway, the likelihood of activity limitations decreased by 35% (P = .005). No differences in acute care use were seen with proximity to major roadways., Conclusions: Proximity to a major roadway was associated with chronic respiratory symptoms, such as activity limitations (eg, dyspnea), and tended to be associated with nighttime symptoms as well. Self-reported minorities and families with lower estimated household incomes may be more likely to be exposed to TRAP. Further research is necessary to define the effects of TRAP versus other sources of indoor and outdoor air pollution as well as to determine the best ways of combatting pollution-related respiratory morbidities., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)