The prevalence of type 2 diabetes within the Republic of Ireland is poorly defined, although a recent report suggested 135,000 cases in adults aged 45+, with approximately one-third of these ...undiagnosed. This study aims to assess the prevalence of undiagnosed and diagnosed diabetes in middle-aged adults, and compare features related to either condition, in order to investigate why certain individuals remain undetected.
This was a cross-sectional study involving a sample of 2,047 men and women, aged between 50-69 years, randomly selected from a large primary care centre. Univariate logistic regression was used to explore socio-economic, metabolic and other health related variable associations with undiagnosed or diagnosed diabetes. A final multivariate analysis was used to determine odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for having undiagnosed compared to diagnosed diabetes, adjusted for gender, age and significant covariates determined from univariate models.
The total prevalence of diabetes was 8.5% (95% CI: 7.4%-8.8%); 72 subjects (3.5%) had undiagnosed diabetes (95% CI: 2.8%-4.4%) and 102 subjects (5.0%) had diagnosed diabetes (95% CI: 4.1%-6.0%). Obesity, dyslipidaemia, and family history of diabetes were positively associated with both undiagnosed and diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Compared with diagnosed subjects, study participants with undiagnosed diabetes were significantly more likely to have low levels of physical activity and were less likely to be on treatment for diabetes-related conditions or to have private medical insurance.
The prevalence of diabetes within the Cork and Kerry Diabetes and Heart Disease Study is comparable to recent estimates from the Slán National Health and Lifestyle Survey, a study which was nationally representative of the general population. A considerable proportion of diabetes cases were undiagnosed (41%), emphasising the need for more effective detection strategies and equitable access to primary healthcare.
A displacement factor can express the efficiency of using biomass to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, by quantifying the amount of emission reduction achieved per unit of wood use. Here we ...integrate data from 21 different international studies in a meta-analysis of the displacement factors of wood products substituted in place of non-wood materials. We calculate the displacement factors in consistent units of tons of carbon (tC) of emission reduction per tC in wood product. The displacement factors range from a low of −2.3 to a high of 15, with most lying in the range of 1.0 to 3.0. The average displacement factor value is 2.1, meaning that for each tC in wood products substituted in place of non-wood products, there occurs an average GHG emission reduction of approximately 2.1
tC. Expressed in other units, this value corresponds to roughly 3.9
t CO
2 eq emission reduction per ton of dry wood used. The few cases of negative displacement factors are the result of worst-case scenarios that are unrealistic in current practice. This meta-analysis quantifies the range of GHG benefits of wood substitution, and provides a clear climate rationale for increasing wood substitution in place of other products, provided that forests are sustainably managed and that wood residues are used responsibly.
Background The prevalence of type 2 diabetes within the Republic of Ireland is poorly defined, although a recent report suggested 135,000 cases in adults aged 45+, with approximately one-third of ...these undiagnosed. This study aims to assess the prevalence of undiagnosed and diagnosed diabetes in middle-aged adults, and compare features related to either condition, in order to investigate why certain individuals remain undetected. Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving a sample of 2,047 men and women, aged between 50-69 years, randomly selected from a large primary care centre. Univariate logistic regression was used to explore socio-economic, metabolic and other health related variable associations with undiagnosed or diagnosed diabetes. A final multivariate analysis was used to determine odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for having undiagnosed compared to diagnosed diabetes, adjusted for gender, age and significant covariates determined from univariate models. Principle Findings The total prevalence of diabetes was 8.5% (95% CI: 7.4%-8.8%); 72 subjects (3.5%) had undiagnosed diabetes (95% CI: 2.8%-4.4%) and 102 subjects (5.0%) had diagnosed diabetes (95% CI: 4.1%-6.0%). Obesity, dyslipidaemia, and family history of diabetes were positively associated with both undiagnosed and diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Compared with diagnosed subjects, study participants with undiagnosed diabetes were significantly more likely to have low levels of physical activity and were less likely to be on treatment for diabetes-related conditions or to have private medical insurance. Conclusions The prevalence of diabetes within the Cork and Kerry Diabetes and Heart Disease Study is comparable to recent estimates from the Slan National Health and Lifestyle Survey, a study which was nationally representative of the general population. A considerable proportion of diabetes cases were undiagnosed (41%), emphasising the need for more effective detection strategies and equitable access to primary healthcare.
A variety of criteria may influence the efficacy of networks of marine protected areas (MPA) designed to enhance biodiversity conservation and provide fisheries benefits. Meta‐analyses have evaluated ...the influence of MPA attributes on abundance, biomass, and size structure of harvested species, reporting that MPA size, age, depth, and connectivity influence the strength of MPA responses. However, few empirical MPA evaluation studies have used consistent sampling methodology across multiple MPAs and years. Our collaborative fisheries research program systematically sampled 12 no‐take or highly protective limited‐take MPAs and paired fished reference areas across a network spanning 1100 km of coastline to evaluate the factors driving MPA efficacy across a large geographic region. We found that increased size and age consistently contributed to increased fish catch, biomass, and positive species responses inside MPAs, while accounting for factors such as latitude, primary productivity, and distance to the nearest MPA. Our study provides a model framework to collaboratively engage diverse stakeholders in fisheries research and provide high‐quality data to assess the success of conservation strategies.
Substituted diphenylamine antioxidants (SDPAs) and benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BZT-UVs) are contaminants of emerging environmental concern. However, little is known about the occurrence of these ...contaminants in the Arctic. In this study, we investigated the levels of 11 SDPAs and 6 BZT-UVs in livers and eggs of two seabird species, the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) and northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), as well as the liver of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from Canadian high- and sub-Arctic sites. The concentrations of ΣSDPAs in seabird livers (median 336 pg g−1, wet weight (ww)) were significantly higher than the eggs (median 24 pg g−1, ww) and the seal livers (median 38 pg g−1, ww), suggesting liver was a primary tissue of SDPA accumulation in seabirds and that seabirds were at greater risk of exposure to SDPAs than marine mammals in the Arctic. The predominant SDPA was monostyryl octyl-diphenylamine and this compound was detected in every seabird and seal sample, indicating the widespread distribution of this contaminant in Arctic food webs. Unlike SDPAs, the detection rate and concentrations of BZT-UVs in seals were higher than in seabirds. The compound 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol (UV329) or its isomer 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(tert-butyl)-6-(sec-butyl) phenol (UV350) was the predominant BZT-UVs in seals, with the concentrations of ΣBZT-UVs between <method quantification limits and 1.66 × 104 pg g−1 (ww) (median: 2.36 × 103 pg g−1, ww). This is the first report of the different distribution patterns of SDPAs and BZT-UVs in wildlife from Canadian Arctic sites.
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•First report of SDPAs and BZT-UVs in wildlife from Canadian Arctic sites•C8MS-1, C8C8, UV329 and UV350 were the predominant SDPAs or BZT-UVs.•Arctic seabird livers showed higher concentrations of SDPAs than seal livers.•Greater levels of SDPAs were found in seabird livers than in their eggs.•BZT-UVs were frequently detected in seal livers, but not in seabird livers.
Subtilisin (Sbt) and Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (SSI) were analyzed either alone or together using sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). With all ratios of Sbt ...to SSI tested, the proteins formed a stoichiometric complex, and migrated abnormally at the top of the gel. Electroblotting and amino acid sequence analysis of the complex band showed both Sbt and SSI present at approximately equal molar ratios. When excess Sbt was present, it migrated as a free but still folded form slightly above the band corresponding to the complex. When excess SSI was present, it migrated as several species with molecular weights smaller than the intact form; in fact, the sequences of some of these species indicated that they lacked different amounts of N-terminal and possibly C-terminal residues.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first detected in China in December, 2019. In January, 2020, state, local, and ...federal public health agencies investigated the first case of COVID-19 in Illinois, USA.
Patients with confirmed COVID-19 were defined as those with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Contacts were people with exposure to a patient with COVID-19 on or after the patient's symptom onset date. Contacts underwent active symptom monitoring for 14 days following their last exposure. Contacts who developed fever, cough, or shortness of breath became persons under investigation and were tested for SARS-CoV-2. A convenience sample of 32 asymptomatic health-care personnel contacts were also tested.
Patient 1—a woman in her 60s—returned from China in mid-January, 2020. One week later, she was hospitalised with pneumonia and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Her husband (Patient 2) did not travel but had frequent close contact with his wife. He was admitted 8 days later and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Overall, 372 contacts of both cases were identified; 347 underwent active symptom monitoring, including 152 community contacts and 195 health-care personnel. Of monitored contacts, 43 became persons under investigation, in addition to Patient 2. These 43 persons under investigation and all 32 asymptomatic health-care personnel tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.
Person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurred between two people with prolonged, unprotected exposure while Patient 1 was symptomatic. Despite active symptom monitoring and testing of symptomatic and some asymptomatic contacts, no further transmission was detected.
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Unifying ecosystem ecology and evolutionary biology promises a more complete understanding of the processes that link different levels of biological organization across space and time. Feedbacks ...across levels of organization link theory associated with eco‐evolutionary dynamics, niche construction and the geographic mosaic theory of co‐evolution.
We describe a conceptual model, which builds upon previous work that shows how feedback among different levels of biological organization can link ecosystem and evolutionary processes over space and time. We provide empirical examples across terrestrial and aquatic systems that indicate broad generality of the conceptual framework and discuss its macroevolutionary consequences.
Our conceptual model is based on three premises: genetically based species interactions can vary spatially and temporally from positive to neutral (i.e. no net feedback) to negative and drive evolutionary change; this evolutionary change can drive divergence in niche construction and ecosystem function; and lastly, such ecosystem‐level effects can reinforce spatiotemporal variation in evolutionary dynamics. Just as evolution can alter ecosystem function locally and across the landscape differently, variation in ecosystem processes can drive evolution locally and across the landscape differently.
By highlighting our current knowledge of eco‐evolutionary feedbacks in ecosystems, as well as information gaps, we provide a foundation for understanding the interplay between biodiversity and ecosystem function through an eco‐evolutionary lens.
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