Early-life conditions shape childhood growth and are affected by urbanization and the nutritional transition. To investigate how early-life conditions (across the “first” and “second” 1000 days) are associated with rural and urban children's nutritional status, we analyzed anthropometric data from Maya children in Yucatan, Mexico. We collected weight, height and triceps skinfold measures, then computed body mass and fat mass indices (BMI/FMI), in a cross-sectional sample of 6-year-olds (urban n = 72, rural n = 66). Demographic, socioeconomic and early-life variables (birthweight/mode, rural/urban residence, household crowding) were collected by maternal interview. We statistically analyzed rural-urban differences in demographic, socioeconomic, early-life, and anthropometric variables, then created linear mixed models to evaluate associations between early-life variables and child anthropometric outcomes. Two-way interactions were tested between early-life variables and child sex, and between early-life variables and rural-urban residence. Results showed that rural children were shorter-statured, with lower overweight/obesity and cesarean delivery rates, compared to urban children. Household crowding was a negative predictor of anthropometric outcomes; the strongest effect was in boys and in urban children. Birthweight positively predicted anthropometric outcomes, especially weight/BMI. Birth mode was positively (not statistically) associated with any anthropometric outcome. Cesarean delivery was more common in boys than in girls, and predicted increased height in urban boys. In conclusion, urbanization and household crowding were the most powerful predictors of Maya 6-year-old anthropometry. The negative effects of crowding may disproportionately affect Maya boys versus girls and urban versus rural children. Early-life conditions shape Maya children's nutritional status both in the “first” and “second” 1000 days. 相似文献
Biological pest control is becoming increasingly important for sustainable agriculture. Although many species of natural enemies are already being used commercially, efficient biological control of various pests is still lacking, and there is a need for more biocontrol agents. In this review, we focus on predatory soil mites, their role as natural enemies, and their biocontrol potential, mainly in vegetable and ornamental crops, with an emphasis on greenhouse systems. These predators are still underrepresented in biological control, but have several advantages compared to predators living on above-ground plant parts. For example, predatory soil mites are often easy and affordable to mass rear, as most of them are generalist predators, which also means that they may be used against various pests and can survive periods of pest scarcity by feeding on alternative prey or food. Many of them can also endure unfavourable conditions, making it easier for them to establish in various crops. Based on the current literature, we show that they have potential to control a variety of pests, both in greenhouses and in the field. However, more research is needed to fully understand and appreciate their potential as biocontrol agents. We review and discuss several methods to increase their efficiency, such as supplying them with alternative food and changing soil/litter structure to enable persistence of their populations. We conclude that predatory soil mites deserve more attention in future studies to increase their application in agricultural crops.
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries - Marine ecosystems and their associated biodiversity sustain life on Earth and hold intrinsic value. Critical marine ecosystem services include maintenance of... 相似文献
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries - Humans have relied on coastal resources for centuries. However, current growth in population and increased accessibility of coastal resources through... 相似文献
p21-activated kinases (Paks) have been shown to regulate cytoskeleton rearrangements, cell proliferation, attachment, and migration in a variety of cellular contexts, including endothelial cells. However, the role of endothelial Pak in embryo development has not been reported, and currently, there is no consensus on the endothelial function of individual Pak isoforms, in particular p21-activated kinase 2 (Pak2), the main Pak isoform expressed in endothelial cells. In this work, we employ genetic and molecular studies that show that Pak2, but not Pak1, is a critical mediator of development and maintenance of endothelial cell function. Endothelial depletion of Pak2 leads to early embryo lethality due to flawed blood vessel formation in the embryo body and yolk sac. In adult endothelial cells, Pak2 depletion leads to severe apoptosis and acute angiogenesis defects, and in adult mice, endothelial Pak2 deletion leads to increased vascular permeability. Furthermore, ubiquitous Pak2 deletion is lethal in adult mice. We show that many of these defects are mediated through a newly unveiled Pak2/Bmk1 pathway. Our results demonstrate that endothelial Pak2 is essential during embryogenesis and also for adult blood vessel maintenance, and they also pinpoint the Bmk1/Erk5 pathway as a critical mediator of endothelial Pak2 signaling. 相似文献
Chagas disease, caused by the intracellular protozoan Trypanosoma
cruzi, is a serious health problem in Latin America. During this
parasitic infection, the heart is one of the major organs affected. The pathogenesis
of tissue remodelling, particularly regarding cardiomyocyte behaviour after parasite
infection and the molecular mechanisms that occur immediately following parasite
entry into host cells are not yet completely understood. When cells are infected with
T. cruzi, they develop an inflammatory response, in which
cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyses rate-limiting steps in the arachidonic acid
pathway. However, how the parasite interaction modulates COX-2 activity is poorly
understood. In this study, the H9c2 cell line was used as our model and we
investigated cellular and biochemical aspects during the initial 48 h of parasitic
infection. Oscillatory activity of COX-2 was observed, which correlated with the
control of the pro-inflammatory environment in infected cells. Interestingly,
subcellular trafficking was also verified, correlated with the control of Cox-2 mRNA
or the activated COX-2 protein in cells, which is directly connected with the
assemble of stress granules structures. Our collective findings suggest that in the
very early stage of the T. cruzi-host cell interaction, the parasite
is able to modulate the cellular metabolism in order to survives. 相似文献
Chagas disease, which is caused by the intracellular protozoanTrypanosoma
cruzi, is a serious health problem in Latin America. The heart is one of
the major organs affected by this parasitic infection. The pathogenesis of tissue
remodelling, particularly regarding cardiomyocyte behaviour after parasite infection,
and the molecular mechanisms that occur immediately following parasite entry into
host cells are not yet completely understood. Previous studies have reported that the
establishment of parasitism is connected to the activation of the
phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), which controls important steps in cellular
metabolism by regulating the production of the second messenger
phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate. Particularly, the tumour suppressor PTEN is
a negative regulator of PI3K signalling. However, mechanistic details of the
modulatory activity of PTEN on Chagas disease have not been elucidated. To address
this question, H9c2 cells were infected with T. cruzi Berenice 62
strain and the expression of a specific set of microRNAs (miRNAs) were investigated.
Our cellular model demonstrated that miRNA-190b is correlated to the decrease of
cellular viability rates by negatively modulating PTEN protein expression in
T. cruzi-infected cells. 相似文献
Microbially produced methane, a versatile, cleaner-burning alternative energy resource to fossil fuels, is sourced from a variety of natural and engineered ecosystems, including marine sediments, anaerobic digesters, shales, and coalbeds. There is a prevailing interest in developing environmental biotechnologies to enhance methane production. Here, we use small-subunit rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomics to better describe the interplay between coalbed methane (CBM) well conditions and microbial communities in the Alberta Basin. Our results show that CBM microbial community structures display patterns of endemism and habitat selection across the Alberta Basin, consistent with observations from other geographical locations. While some phylum-level taxonomic patterns were observed, relative abundances of specific taxonomic groups were localized to discrete wells, likely shaped by local environmental conditions, such as coal rank and depth-dependent physicochemical conditions. To better resolve functional potential within the CBM milieu, a metagenome from a deep volatile-bituminous coal sample was generated. This sample was dominated by Rhodobacteraceae genotypes, resolving a near-complete population genome bin related to Celeribacter sp. that encoded metabolic pathways for the degradation of a wide range of aromatic compounds and the production of methanogenic substrates via acidogenic fermentation. Genomic comparisons between the Celeribacter sp. population genome and related organisms isolated from different environments reflected habitat-specific selection pressures that included nitrogen availability and the ability to utilize diverse carbon substrates. Taken together, our observations reveal that both endemism and metabolic specialization should be considered in the development of biostimulation strategies for nonproductive wells or for those with declining productivity. 相似文献