The post-registration monitoring of glyphosate-treated plants using anecic earthworms

Glyphosate N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine is a widely-used herbicide in agriculture. The anecic earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris feeds and forages for surface plant materials meaning that this species has a unique and direct exposure to agrichemicals. At the recommended product rates, significantly (F_1,44 = 8.67, p = .005) higher numbers of L. terrestris middens were found in the glyphosate treated areas of an arable crop field. Laboratory feeding assays using field aged plant materials indicated that previous glyphosate treatment was a statistically significant factor affecting earthworm L. terrestris biomass (F₁,₁₂ = 5.75, p = .03). Negligible glyphosate residues were detectable, and the field aged plant materials were encrusted with fungal hyphae. This suggests that glyphosate influences the colonisation of plant material by a litter-fungus complex which improves the food quality to earthworms. Concentrations of epoxiconazole, a fungicide, were detected in some plant materials and may influence overall food quality to earthworms. Glyphosate treatment on fresh volunteer plant leaves (unwanted crop seedlings) was not a statistically significant factor affecting earthworm L. terrestris biomass (F₁,₆ = 0.16, p = .92). These results indicate fungal communities influence feeding behaviours, and plant materials are a direct source of agrichemicals to anecic earthworms.     

UK policy on folate fortification of foods

The UK Food Standards A gency has decided not to recommend fortification of foods with folate, the family of vitamins associated with the prevention of neural tube defects in babies. This is a change in attitude from previous recommendations made by a series of committees and reports in the UK. Notably, it differs from US policy on the matter. The debate may not be over yet, however.     

Traffic Noise and Inequality in the Twin Cities,Minnesota

It is widely known that prolonged exposure to high levels of traffic noise has several health effects. While scholarship in environmental justice has explored the environmental equity hypothesis in a wide range of areas, whether the spatial distribution of traffic noise is equitable among different racial and socioeconomic groups has rarely been explored, especially in the United States. This article addresses this lacuna by examining this relationship in the Twin Cities Metro Region, Minnesota. Traffic data from the Minnesota Department of Transportation were used to model the propagation of traffic noise over the study area and aircraft noise contour lines were added to account for aircraft noise. Inequities associated with exposure to chronic traffic noise were investigated using selected demographic and socioeconomic variables from the U.S. Census 2000. Statistical analysis was based on a regression model that addressed spatial autocorrelation. Results indicate that there is an association between noise levels and household income, median household value, the percentage of non-white residents, and the percentage of the population less than 18 years of age.     

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): internamiento involuntario sí, tratamiento obligatorio no

We had the opportunity to know a judicial decision in relation to a nonagenarian COVID-19 patient, which is clarifying regarding the complex issue of involuntary admission and involuntary treatment of the elderly. The judge authorized the involuntary admission but denied the possibility of imposing medical treatment against the will of the patient.This situation invites us to review the different types of involuntary admission that our legal system provides and how involuntary medical treatment is regulated according to its purpose and the patient's ability to decide.In the field of public health, the determining element to be able to impose any sanitary measure against the will of the patient is the risk to the health of the population. In the case presented, the judge rejects the possibility of authorizing medical treatment for not contributing anything from the point of view of public health. However, it does authorize involuntary admission as it is essential to guarantee isolation.     

Behavioral and physiological plasticity: Rapid changes during social ascent in an African cichlid fish

In many vertebrates, reproduction is regulated by social interactions in which dominant males control access to females and food. Subordinate males that displace dominant individuals must rapidly adopt behavioral and physiological traits of the higher rank to gain reproductive success. To understand the process of phenotypic plasticity during social ascent, we analyzed the temporal expression pattern of dominance behaviors and circulating androgen levels when socially-suppressed males of an African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni ascended in status. These experiments tested a prediction of the ‘challenge hypothesis’ that, during periods of social instability, male androgen levels are higher than during socially stable times. We found that socially and reproductively suppressed males perform territorial and reproductive behaviors within minutes of an opportunity to ascend in status, and that animals switch from initial expression of territorial behaviors to more reproductive behaviors during territory establishment. Following this rapid response, social stability may be achieved within 1-3 days of social ascent. Consistent with predictions of the ‘challenge hypothesis’, circulating 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels were elevated within 30 min following social opportunity, coincident with increased aggressive behavior. However, territorial behaviors and serum 11-KT levels were then dissociated by 72 h after social ascent, suggesting either rapid social stability and/or increased physiological potential for androgen production. This behavioral and physiological plasticity in male A. burtoni suggests that perception of social opportunity triggers a suite of quick changes to facilitate rapid transition towards reproductive success, and reveals important features of social ascent not previously recognized.     

Is 2020 the year when primatologists should cancel fieldwork? A reply

The aim of this article is to explore the impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on primate-related conservation work. The withdrawal of primatologists and conservation staff from field research can lead to a number of detrimental effects not just on conservation but also on local communities in low- and middle-income countries. Inequalities in access to health and financial insecurities may be drivers for the illegal wildlife trade and the lack of tourism and research activity may allow poachers to work with greater ease. The paper also looks at how conservation organizations and research bodies should modify their field protocols by developing robust occupational health policies that will not only make field work safer but also support local staff as they are likely to face the greatest threats to their physical health, psychological health, and economic loss from COVID-19. By adopting a One Health approach that considers the complex interactions between human and primate health, researchers will be able to find new ways of working not only to protect primates but understand how they adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.     

Serum lipid profiles of young Japanese women with iron deficiency without anemia

PurposeWe aimed to evaluate the association between iron deficiency without anemia (IDNA) and serum lipid profiles in young women of around 20 years of age.MethodsThis study included non-anemic (hemoglobin ≥ 12 g/dL) female volunteers aged 18 to 22 years who were not taking mineral/vitamin supplements and living in the metropolitan area of Tokyo, Japan. These volunteers were classified into two groups based on their sFer (serum ferritin) levels: normal group (sFer ≥ 20 ng/mL, n = 36) and IDNA group (sFer < 20 ng/mL, n = 29). Venous blood samples were obtained from the antecubital veins of these volunteers after 10–12-h fasting to measure the hematological and biochemical parameters, including lipid levels and iron status. The results of each group were compared using Student’s t-test or the Mann–Whitney U test (for inhomogeneous variance).ResultsThe serum cholesterol levels varied depending on the iron status in the women. Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in the IDNA group were significantly higher (P = 0.006) than that in the normal group. However, the levels of total cholesterol (T-CHO), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were not significantly different between the groups. Serum LDL-C levels were positively and significantly correlated with sFer levels in the IDNA group (Kendall’s rank correlation 0.264, P = 0.044), but not in the normal group. The sFer level was not correlated with serum HDL-C in both groups. The reason for the high serum HDL-C levels in young women with IDNA is not yet clear. Compared to the normal group, the frequency of eating bread containing bran was significantly higher (P = 0.031) and that for yogurt was significantly lower (P = 0.040) in the IDNA group. The proportion of the women who were susceptible to infection, which was measured using the Cornell Medical Index, was significantly higher in the IDNA group than in the normal group. Among those susceptible to infection, the serum HDL-C level of the volunteers in the IDNA group was significantly higher than that of the volunteers in the normal group (P = 0.024).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that lipid parameters may be associated with IDNA and susceptibility to infection. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the changes in the serum cholesterol levels in individuals with IDNA and the clinical significance of these findings.