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The Lancet. Planetary Health Nov 2023The need to assess and measure how social vulnerability influences the health impacts of climate change has resulted in a rapidly growing body of research literature. To... (Review)
Review
The need to assess and measure how social vulnerability influences the health impacts of climate change has resulted in a rapidly growing body of research literature. To date, there has been no overarching, systematic examination of where this evidence is concentrated and what inferences can be made. This scoping review provides an overview of studies published between 2012 and 2022 on social vulnerability to the negative health effects of climate change. Of the 2115 studies identified from four bibliographic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and CAB Direct), 230 that considered indicators of social vulnerability to climate change impacts on health outcomes were selected for review. Frequency and thematic analyses were conducted to establish the scope of the social vulnerability indicators, climate change impacts, and health conditions studied, and the substantive themes and findings of this research. 113 indicators of social vulnerability covering 15 themes were identified, with a small set of indicators receiving most of the research attention, including age, sex, ethnicity, education, income, poverty, unemployment, access to green and blue spaces, access to health services, social isolation, and population density. The results reveal an undertheorisation and few indicators that conceptualise and operationalise social vulnerability beyond individual sociodemographic characteristics by identifying structural and institutional dimensions of vulnerability, and a preponderance of social vulnerability research in high-income countries. This Review highlights the need for future research, data infrastructure, and policy attention to address structural, institutional, and sociopolitical conditions, which will better support climate resilience and adaptation planning.
Topics: Social Vulnerability; Climate Change; Policy
PubMed: 37940212
DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00216-4 -
Microorganisms Feb 2024Bioleaching has gained significant attention as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach for extracting metals from low-grade ores and industrial... (Review)
Review
Bioleaching has gained significant attention as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach for extracting metals from low-grade ores and industrial byproducts. The application of acidophiles in bioleaching has been extensively studied. Among the various mechanisms leaching microorganisms utilize, quorum sensing (QS) is pivotal in regulating their life activities in response to population density. QS has been confirmed to regulate bioleaching, including cell morphology, community structure, biofilm formation, and cell metabolism. Potential applications of QS have also been proposed, such as increasing mineral leaching rates by adding signaling molecules. This review is helpful for comprehensively understanding the role of QS in bioleaching and promoting the practical application of QS-based strategies in bioleaching process optimization.
PubMed: 38543473
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12030422 -
Health & Place Nov 2023Despite higher chronic disease prevalence, minoritized populations live in highly walkable neighborhoods in US cities more frequently than non-minoritized populations....
Despite higher chronic disease prevalence, minoritized populations live in highly walkable neighborhoods in US cities more frequently than non-minoritized populations. We investigated whether city-level racial residential segregation (RRS) was associated with city-level walkability, stratified by population density, possibly explaining this counterintuitive association. RRS for Black-White and Latino-White segregation in large US cities was calculated using the Index of Dissimilarity (ID), and walkability was measured using WalkScore. Median walkability increased across increasing quartiles of population density, as expected. Higher ID was associated with higher walkability; associations varied in strength across strata of population density. RRS undergirds the observed association between walkability and minoritized populations, especially in higher population density cities.
Topics: Humans; Cities; Hispanic or Latino; Residence Characteristics; Residential Segregation; Urban Population; United States; Walking; Black or African American; White
PubMed: 37774640
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103114 -
Chemosphere Sep 2023This study explores the dynamic transmission of infectious particles due to COVID-19 in the environment using a spatiotemporal epidemiological approach. We proposed a...
This study explores the dynamic transmission of infectious particles due to COVID-19 in the environment using a spatiotemporal epidemiological approach. We proposed a novel multi-agent model to simulate the spread of COVID-19 by considering several influencing factors. The model divides the population into susceptible and infected and analyzes the impact of different prevention and control measures, such as limiting the number of people and wearing masks on the spread of COVID-19. The findings suggest that reducing population density and wearing masks can significantly reduce the likelihood of virus transmission. Specifically, the research shows that if the population moves within a fixed range, almost everyone will eventually be infected within 1 h. When the population density is 50%, the infection rate is as high as 96%. If everyone does not wear a mask, nearly 72.33% of the people will be infected after 1 h. However, when people wear masks, the infection rate is consistently lower than when they do not wear masks. Even if only 25% of people wear masks, the infection rate with masks is 27.67% lower than without masks, which is strong evidence of the importance of wearing a mask. As people's daily activities are mostly carried out indoors, and many super-spreading events of the new crown epidemic also originated from indoor gatherings, the research on indoor epidemic prevention and control is essential. This study provides decision-making support for epidemic preventions and controls and the proposed methodology can be used in other regions and future epidemics.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Epidemics; Population Density; Probability
PubMed: 37247670
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139065 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2024Personality is widely observed in animals and has important ecological and evolutionary implications. In addition to being heritable, personality traits are also...
Personality is widely observed in animals and has important ecological and evolutionary implications. In addition to being heritable, personality traits are also influenced by the environment. Population density commonly affects animal behavior, but the way in which it shapes animal personality remains largely unknown. In this study, we reared juvenile crayfish at different population densities and measured their personality traits (shyness, exploration, and aggression) after reaching sexual maturity. Our results showed repeatability for each behavior in all treatments, except for the shyness of females at medium density. There was a negative correlation between shyness and exploration in each treatment, and aggression and exploration were positively correlated in medium- and high-density females. These indicate the presence of a behavior syndrome. On average, the crayfish raised at higher population densities were less shy, more exploratory, and more aggressive. We found no behavioral differences between the sexes in crayfish. These results suggested that population density may affect the average values of behavioral traits rather than the occurrence of personality traits. Our study highlights the importance of considering population density as a factor influencing personality traits in animals and, therefore, might help us to understand animal personality development.
PubMed: 38791703
DOI: 10.3390/ani14101486 -
PeerJ 2023The Pollard-Yates transect is a widely used method for sampling butterflies. Data from these traditional transects are analyzed to produce density estimates, which are...
The Pollard-Yates transect is a widely used method for sampling butterflies. Data from these traditional transects are analyzed to produce density estimates, which are then used to make inferences about population status or trends. A key assumption of the Pollard-Yates transect is that detection probability is 1.0, or constant but unknown, out to a fixed distance (generally 2.5 m on either side of a transect line). However, species-specific estimates of detection probability would allow for sampling at farther distances, resulting in more detections of individuals. Our objectives were to (1) evaluate butterfly density estimates derived from Pollard-Yates line transects and distance sampling, (2) estimate how detection probabilities for butterflies vary across sampling distances and butterfly wing lengths, and (3) offer advice on future butterfly sampling techniques to estimate population density. We conducted Pollard-Yates transects and distance-sampling transects in central Iowa in 2014. For comparison to densities derived from Pollard-Yates transects, we used Program DISTANCE to model detection probability (p) and estimate density (D) for eight butterfly species representing a range of morphological characteristics. We found that detection probability among species varied beyond 2.5 m, with variation apparent even within 5 m of the line. Such variation correlated with wing size, where species with larger wing size generally had higher detection probabilities. Distance sampling estimated higher densities at the 5-m truncation for five of the eight species tested. At this truncation, detection probability was <0.8 for all species, and ranged from 0.53 to 0.79. With the exception of the little yellow (), species with median wing length <5.0 mm had the lowest detection probabilities. We recommend that researchers integrate distance sampling into butterfly sampling and monitoring, particularly for studies utilizing survey transects >5 m wide and when smaller species are targeted.
Topics: Animals; Butterflies; Iowa; Population Density; Species Specificity; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 37842044
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16165 -
BMC Plant Biology Aug 2023Mating system is one of the major determinants of intra- and interspecific genetic structure, but may vary within and between plant populations. Our study model included...
BACKGROUND
Mating system is one of the major determinants of intra- and interspecific genetic structure, but may vary within and between plant populations. Our study model included all known populations of Moehringia tommasinii (Caryophyllaceae), a narrow endemic plant inhabiting rock crevices in the northwestern Adriatic, and some populations of co-occurring and widespread M. muscosa, an ecologically divergent relative with an overlapping flowering period. We performed reciprocal crosses within and between taxa and used molecular markers to assess the extent of gene flow within and between populations and taxa. Using coefficient of inbreeding, population size, seed weight, pollen-to-ovule ratio, and flower display size, we also looked for evidence of a selfing syndrome.
RESULTS
A surprisingly high variation in mating systems was observed among populations of M. tommasinii. These populations exhibited genetic structuring, with their size positively correlated with both seed weight and pollen production. Although a selfing syndrome could not be confirmed as the majority of selfing resulted from allogamous treatments, the occurrence of selfing was notable. In the presence of M. muscosa, at a site where both species coexist closely, a distinct pattern of fruit production was observed in M. tommasinii following various pollination treatments. Molecular and morphometric data provided evidence of hybridization followed by local extinction at this site.
CONCLUSIONS
Population size proved to be the most important factor affecting the mating system in genetically structured populations of M. tommasinii. Lighter seeds and lower pollen production observed in populations with pronounced selfing do not provide enough evidence for the selfing syndrome. Detected gene flow between M. tommasinii and the sympatric M. muscosa suggested weak reproductive barriers between the taxa, which could pose a conservation problems for the former species. Hybridization leading to local extinction may also resulted in floral polymorphism and disruption of mating patterns of M. tommasinii.
Topics: Population Density; Reproduction; Pollination; Inbreeding; Genetics, Population; Flowers
PubMed: 37553615
DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04384-8 -
Scientific Reports Oct 2023The Yellow River Basin has a wealth of tourism resources, a long history of folk sports, and strong legislative support, all of which are advantages for the growth of...
The Yellow River Basin has a wealth of tourism resources, a long history of folk sports, and strong legislative support, all of which are advantages for the growth of the sports tourism sector. This study constructs an evaluation index system based on panel data from nine provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin from 2011 to 2020, and then measures the development index and analyzes the driving factors using the entropy method, coupling coordination degree model, kernel density estimation method, and grey correlation analysis method. The findings demonstrate that (1) the Yellow River Basin's overall level of growth in the sports and tourist sectors exhibits a consistent and upward trend and that Shandong and Henan provinces clearly have an edge over other provinces in terms of development. (2) The geographical development pattern was lower Yellow River > upper Yellow River > middle Yellow River, and the coupling coordination status shifted from slight disorder to good coordination. (3) There is a close connection between sports tourism and variables including population density, financial prowess, and infrastructure growth. The employment population index has the smallest link with invention patent authorization. The macro-policy framework should therefore be strengthened in the future, the sports tourism infrastructure should be improved, and the Yellow River basin's unique sports tourism resources should be fully utilized in order to increase brand influence. In addition, new sports tourism products should be developed in response to market demand and consumer preferences, and enterprise innovation and research and development efforts should be increased in order to achieve high-quality development transformation.
PubMed: 37794140
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44025-6 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2023Floods are among the most destructive extreme events that exist, being the main cause of people affected by natural disasters. In the near future, estimated flood...
Floods are among the most destructive extreme events that exist, being the main cause of people affected by natural disasters. In the near future, estimated flood intensity and frequency are projected to increase. In this context, automatic and accurate satellite-derived flood maps are key for fast emergency response and damage assessment. However, current approaches for operational flood mapping present limitations due to cloud coverage on acquired satellite images, the accuracy of flood detection, and the generalization of methods across different geographies. In this work, a machine learning framework for operational flood mapping from optical satellite images addressing these problems is presented. It is based on a clouds-aware segmentation model trained in an extended version of the WorldFloods dataset. The model produces accurate and fast water segmentation masks even in areas covered by semitransparent clouds, increasing the coverage for emergency response scenarios. The proposed approach can be applied to both Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8/9 data, which enables a much higher revisit of the damaged region, also key for operational purposes. Detection accuracy and generalization of proposed model is carefully evaluated in a novel global dataset composed of manually labeled flood maps. We provide evidence of better performance than current operational methods based on thresholding spectral indices. Moreover, we demonstrate the applicability of our pipeline to map recent large flood events that occurred in Pakistan, between June and September 2022, and in Australia, between February and April 2022. Finally, the high-resolution (10-30m) flood extent maps are intersected with other high-resolution layers of cropland, building delineations, and population density. Using this workflow, we estimated that approximately 10 million people were affected and 700k buildings and 25,000 km[Formula: see text] of cropland were flooded in 2022 Pakistan floods.
PubMed: 37985732
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47595-7 -
The Journal of Experimental Biology Mar 2024From bacteria to metazoans, higher density populations have lower per capita metabolic rates than lower density populations. The negative covariance between population...
From bacteria to metazoans, higher density populations have lower per capita metabolic rates than lower density populations. The negative covariance between population density and metabolic rate is thought to represent a form of adaptive metabolic plasticity. A relationship between density and metabolism was actually first noted 100 years ago, and was focused on spermatozoa; even then, it was postulated that adaptive plasticity drove this pattern. Since then, contemporary studies of sperm metabolism specifically assume that sperm concentration has no effect on metabolism and that sperm metabolic rates show no adaptive plasticity. We did a systematic review to estimate the relationship between sperm aerobic metabolism and sperm concentration, for 198 estimates spanning 49 species, from protostomes to humans from 88 studies. We found strong evidence that per capita metabolic rates are concentration dependent: both within and among species, sperm have lower metabolisms in dense ejaculates, but increase their metabolism when diluted. On average, a 10-fold decrease in sperm concentration increased per capita metabolic rate by 35%. Metabolic plasticity in sperm appears to be an adaptive response, whereby sperm maximize their chances of encountering eggs.
Topics: Humans; Male; Semen; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa; Energy Metabolism
PubMed: 38380562
DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246674