scholarly journals Feminization of Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) in the Oldman River, Alberta, (Canada) Provides Evidence of Widespread Endocrine Disruption in an Agricultural Basin

Scientifica ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce S. Evans ◽  
Leland J. Jackson ◽  
Hamid R. Habibi ◽  
Michael G. Ikonomou

We sampled an abundant, native minnow (Longnose dace—Rhinichthys cataractae) throughout the Oldman River, Alberta, to determine physiological responses and possible population level consequences from exposure to compounds with hormone-like activity. Sex ratios varied between sites, were female-biased, and ranged from just over 50% to almost 90%. Histological examination of gonads revealed that at the sites with >60% females in the adult population, there was up to 38% occurrence of intersex gonads in fish identified through visual examination of the gonads as male. In the majority of intersex gonad cases, there was a large proportion (approx., 50%) of oocytes within the testicular tissue. In male dace, vitellogenin mRNA expression generally increased with distance downstream. We analyzed river water for 28 endocrine disrupting compounds from eight functional classes, most with confirmed estrogen-like activity, including synthetic estrogens and hormone therapy drugs characteristic of municipal wastewater effluent, plus natural hormones and veterinary pharmaceuticals characteristic of livestock production. The spatial correlation between detected chemical residues and effects to dace physiology indicate that multiple land uses have a cumulative impact on dace in the Oldman River and effects range from altered gene regulation to severely female-biased sex ratios.

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 321-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Gallenkemper ◽  
T. Wintgens ◽  
T. Melin

Endocrine disrupting compounds can affect the hormone system in organisms. A wide range of endocrine disrupters were found in sewage and effluents of municipal wastewater treatment plants. Toxicological evaluations indicate that conventional wastewater treatment plants are not able to remove these substances sufficiently before disposing effluent into the environment. Membrane technology, which is proving to be an effective barrier to these substances, is the subject of this research. Nanofiltration provides high quality permeates in water and wastewater treatment. Eleven different nanofiltration membranes were tested in the laboratory set-up. The observed retention for nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) ranged between 70% and 100%. The contact angle is an indicator for the hydrophobicity of a membrane, whose influence on the permeability and retention of NP was evident. The retention of BPA was found to be inversely proportional to the membrane permeability.


Water ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Cook ◽  
Erin Symonds ◽  
Bert Gerber ◽  
Armando Hoare ◽  
Edward Van Vleet ◽  
...  

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A76-A77
Author(s):  
Jee-Eun Yoon ◽  
Daeyoung Kim ◽  
Kwang Ik Yang ◽  
Min Kyung Chu ◽  
Chang-Ho Yun

Abstract Introduction Sleep patterns have been linked to various heath disease. Evaluating population-level trend of sleep could provide a comprehensive population health-forecasting model that has the potential to inform targeted interventions. Therefore, we aimed to examine the cross-sectional differences in sleep characteristics among Korean adults during a 9-year period of 2009-2018. Methods The data in this study were derived from two nationwide survey regarding sleep and headache in the representative sample of Korean adult population, namely the Korean Sleep Headache Study phase I (2009) and II (2018). The survey was conducted through door-to-door visit and face-to-face interview by using structured questionnaires. Total of 2,836 participants from Phase I (47.9±16.4 years old; female, 50.2%) and 2,501 participants (47.9±16.4 years old; female, 50.3%) from Phase II gave informed consents and completed the survey. For this study, we excluded those who worked as shift workers and missing data. From the MCTQ, we collected participants’ sleep schedule during workdays and free days over the past four weeks. Average sleep duration was a weighted mean of sleep duration on workdays and free days. Poor sleep quality was defined as PSQI >5. Excessive daytime sleepiness and Depression are performed with ESS and PHQ-9, respectively. Results During the 9 years, average sleep duration decreased by 21 minutes, especially more reduction on free days (workday: 7:17±1:58 vs. 7:06±1:06, p <0.001; free days 8:04±2:32 vs. 7:49±1:23, p <0.001). People go to sleep and wake up earlier on workday (workday 23:39±1:50 vs. 23:25±1:30, p <0.001; free days 23:51±2:11 vs. 23:25±2:11, p <0.001), whereas they go to bed earlier and wake up later on free days compared to past (workday 6:52±1:36 vs. 6:37±1:11, p <0.001; 7:42±2:04 vs. 7:49±1:42 p =0.023). Social jetlag was increased by 5 minutes (0:46±1:35 vs. 0:51±0:52, p =0.028). There was the difference of age on the habitual sleep-wake rhythm and sleep related symptoms. Also, short or long sleep duration was associated with a significant increase in each health outcomes. Conclusion Decreased sleep duration seems to be on the rise in the general adult population, which lead to a poor health status. Interventions to promote adequate sleep is urgently needed. Support (if any):


2020 ◽  
pp. 101269022093433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mutz ◽  
Markus Gerke

Due to the massive spread of a new Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), many European governments enacted rules and legislations in order to reduce social interactions and contain the spread of the virus. German authorities put in force a lockdown of all non-essential infrastructure, starting on 22 March 2020. These policies included the closing of sports clubs, fitness centres and community sports grounds. Most federal states prohibited social gatherings of more than two people, thereby further restricting opportunities to play sport and exercise together. The paper addresses how Germans adapted their leisure time sport and exercise (LTSE) activities in this unprecedented situation. Based on survey data representing the adult population (⩾ 14 years, N=1001, data collection 27 March to 6 April 2020), the paper shows a significant decline in LTSE activities at population level. Overall, 31% of Germans reduced their LTSE, while 27% maintained and 6% intensified their LTSE level. A share of 36% was not engaged in LTSE, either before or at the beginning of the lockdown. Younger age groups were more likely to maintain LTSE levels compared with older ones. Comparisons of ‘reducers’ and ‘maintainers/ intensifiers’ indicate that the latter group increased home-based workouts and outdoor endurance sports, while ‘reducers’ did not find adequate substitutes for their sporting routines.


1990 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
David D. Ackerly ◽  
Judy M. Rankin-De-Merona ◽  
William A. Rodrigues

ABSTRACTThe densities of the breeding populations and the sex of all flowering individuals were recorded for five dioecious canopy tree species of Central Amazonian Myristicaceae, in 11 study areas of the Minimum Critical size of Ecosystems Project totalling 22.5 ha. Adult population densities were extremely low, ranging from 0.38 to 1.61 ha–1 for the five species studied. In a 10 ha study plot the mean distance to the nearest flowering conspecific ranged from 48 to 100 m, while the mean distance to the nearest opposite sex conspecific was 147 m. The two most abundant species, Iryanthera macrophylla and Virola calophylla, both showed male-biased sex ratios, of 23:9 and 20:6, respectively. The size class distribution of males, females and non-flowering individuals in V. calophylla suggests that earlier reproductive maturation of male plants may provide a partial explanation for this bias. In I. macrophylla, since 95% of the individuals were observed flowering, the observed ratio is representative of the population, and may be caused by sex shifts from male to female. The low reproductive densities, combined with the skewed sex ratios and overlapping generations of these species, create very small effective breeding populations, placing species such as these at great risk in the face of deforestation and habitat fragmentation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1729) ◽  
pp. 20160322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Komdeur ◽  
Tamás Székely ◽  
Xiaoyan Long ◽  
Sjouke A. Kingma

Cooperative breeding is a form of breeding system where in addition to a core breeding pair, one or more usually non-breeding individuals provide offspring care. Cooperative breeding is widespread in birds, but its origin and maintenance in contemporary populations are debated. Although deviations in adult sex ratio (ASR, the proportion of males in the adult population) have been hypothesized to influence the occurrence of cooperative breeding because of the resulting surplus of one sex and limited availability of breeding partners, this hypothesis has not been tested across a wide range of taxa. By using data from 188 bird species and phylogenetically controlled analyses, we show that cooperatively breeding species have more male-biased ASRs than non-cooperative species. Importantly, ASR predicts helper sex ratio: in species with more male-biased ASR, helper sex ratio is also more male biased. We also show that offspring sex ratios do not predict ASRs, so that the skewed ASRs emerge during the period when individuals aim to obtain a breeding position or later during adulthood. In line with this result, we found that ASR (among both cooperatively and non-cooperatively breeding species) is inversely related to sex bias in dispersal distance, suggesting that the cost of dispersal is more severe for the further-dispersing sex. As females usually disperse further in birds, this explains the generally male-biased ASR, and in combination with benefits of philopatry for males, this probably explains why ASR is more biased in cooperatively breeding species. Taken together, our results suggest that a sex bias in helping in cooperatively breeding species relates to biased ASRs. We propose that this relationship is driven by sex-specific costs and benefits of dispersal and helping, as well as other demographic factors. Future phylogenetic comparative and experimental work is needed to establish how this relationship emerges. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Adult sex ratios and reproductive decisions: a critical re-examination of sex differences in human and animal societies’.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Tangyie Chi ◽  
John Churchley ◽  
Katherine D. Huddersman

The pollution of water sources by endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) is a growing concern, as conventional municipal wastewater treatment systems are not capable of completely removing these contaminants. A continuous stir tank reactor incorporating a modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) catalyst and dosed with hydrogen peroxide in a heterogeneous Fenton’s process was used at pilot scale to remove these compounds from wastewater that has undergone previous treatment via a conventional wastewater treatment system. The treatment system was effective at ambient temperature and at the natural pH of the wastewater. High levels of both natural and synthetic hormones (EDCs) and PPCPs were found in the effluent after biological treatment of the wastewater. The treatment system incorporating the modified PAN catalyst/H2O2decomposed >90% of the EDCs and >40% of PPCPs using 200 mgL−1H2O2, 3 hr residence time. The estrogenic potency EE2-EQ was removed by 82.77%, 91.36%, and 96.13% from three different wastewater treatment plants. BOD was completely removed (below detection limits); 30%–40% mineralisation was achieved and turbidity reduced by more than 68%. There was a <4% loss in iron content on the catalyst over the study period, suggesting negligible leaching of the catalyst.


2020 ◽  
pp. 93-97
Author(s):  
D. A. Derbenev ◽  
C. V. Drozdov ◽  
I. V. Derbeneva

Objective: Comparative analysis of the dynamics and causes of the primary disablement of the population of Primorskiy region.Methods: Statistical indicators of the primary disablement were compared using statistical and analytical methods.Results: Statistically important differences of the levels of primary disablement not only in general, but also according to nosological forms were identified. They pointed out the high level of the invalidization of the population of Primorskiy region among the patients having tuberculosis, disease caused by HIV, diseases of the oste-muscular system and of the connective tissue, the effects of injuries, poisoning and other impacts of external causes. The increase in the level of primary disablement was defined including consequently to the disease caused by HIV, malignant tumors, diseases of the ear and the mastoid and genitourinary diseases and the decrease was defined due to tuberculosis and occupational pathology.Conclusions: The causes of the differences in the levels of primary disablement among the adult population in Primorskiy region and in Russian Federation in general and in certain classifications and units of diseases require futher studying based on interdepartmental interaction of the specialists. 


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid V. Ebrahimi ◽  
Daniel J. Bauer ◽  
Asle Hoffart ◽  
Sverre Urnes Johnson

This 17-month longitudinal study on a representative sample of 4,361 Norwegian adults employs an observational ABAB design across six repeated assessments and three pandemic waves to systematically investigate the evolution of depressive symptomatology across all modifications of viral mitigation protocols (VMPs) from their onset to termination. Using Latent Change Score Models to analyze 26,166 observations, the study empirically corroborates that critical fluctuations in depressive symptomatology within and across individuals occur during the first three months of the pandemic, after which symptom trajectories are predominantly consolidated throughout the pandemic period. Contrary to established belief, female sex, young age, lower education and preexisting psychiatric diagnosis only served as adequate predictors of the initial shocks to symptomatology observed during the onset of the pandemic, and did not adequately predict subsequent change and the critical fluctuations observed in symptoms within and across individuals. Population-level trajectories demonstrated that symptom levels increased in accordance with the presence and strictness of VMPs. Upon predominant termination of VMPs, population-level symptoms began declining, while large heterogeneity was present across the adult population. Detrimental long-term adversities were revealed by 10% of the adults. These individuals displayed chaotic adaptation to the pandemic and its VMPs, exhibiting substantial increases in clinical levels of symptomatology ensuing partial re-opening of society and through the remainder of the pandemic, with these deleterious symptoms further projected to remain heightened ahead. Number of times exposed to quarantine was incrementally tied with increases in contemporaneously experienced and long-term depressive adversities, while information obtainment through unmonitored sources was associated with contemporaneous but not long-term states of heightened symptomatology.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document