Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe

In this first worldwide synthesis of in situ and satellite-derived lake data, we find that lake summer surface water temperatures rose rapidly (global mean = 0.34°C decade−1) between 1985 and 2009. Our analyses show that surface water warming rates are dependent on combinations of climate and local characteristics, rather than just lake location, leading to the counterintuitive result that regional consistency in lake warming is the exception, rather than the rule. The most rapidly warming lakes are widely geographically distributed, and their warming is associated with interactions among different climatic factors—from seasonally ice-covered lakes in areas where temperature and solar radiation are increasing while cloud cover is diminishing (0.72°C decade−1) to ice-free lakes experiencing increases in air temperature and solar radiation (0.53°C decade−1). The pervasive and rapid warming observed here signals the urgent need to incorporate climate impacts into vulnerability assessments and adaptation efforts for lakes.Peer reviewe

Novel Loci for Adiponectin Levels and Their Influence on Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Traits : A Multi-Ethnic Meta-Analysis of 45,891 Individuals

J. Kaprio, S. Ripatti ja M.-L. Lokki työryhmien jäseniä.Peer reviewe

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities 1,2 . This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity 3�6 . Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55 of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017�and more than 80 in some low- and middle-income regions�was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing�and in some countries reversal�of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories. © 2019, The Author(s)

Methodological considerations in using accelerometers to assess habitual physical activity in children 0-5 years

This paper reviews the evidence behind the methodological decisions accelerometer users make when assessing habitual physical activity in children aged 0–5 years. The purpose of the review is to outline an evidence-guided protocol for using accelerometry in young children and to identify gaps in the evidence base where further investigation is required. Studies evaluating accelerometry methodologies in young children were reviewed in two age groups (0–2 years and 3–5 years) to examine: (i) which accelerometer should be used, (ii) where the accelerometer should be placed, (iii) which epoch should be used, (iv) how many days of monitoring are required, (v) how many minutes of monitoring per day are required, (vi) how data should be reduced, (vii) which cut-point definitions for identifying activity intensity should be used, and (viii) which physical activity outcomes should be reported and how. Critique of the available evidence provided a basis for the development of a recommended users protocol in 3–5-year olds, although several issues require further research. Because of the absence of methodological studies in children under 3 years, a protocol for the use of accelerometers in this age range could not be specified. Formative studies examining the utility, feasibility and validity of accelerometer-based physical activity assessments are required in children under 3 years of age. Recommendations for further research are outlined, based on the above findings, which, if undertaken, will enhance the accuracy of accelerometer-based assessments of habitual physical activity in young children

Monitoring for PCBs at the Pilot Plant Complex, Aberdeen Proving Ground

The US Army`s Aberdeen Proving Ground has been a test site for a variety of munitions, including chemical warfare agents. The Pilot Plant Complex (PPC) at Aberdeen was the site of the development, manufacture, storage, and disposal of a number of chemical warfare agents. The objective of this study was to determine if there is polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the PPC. The results of screening done by Argonne indicate that PCBs in the air of the PPC are well below acceptable levels. The total PCB burden of the surfaces in the PPC appears to be well below the 50-ppM regulatory level. However, the study identified contaminated floor surfaces that exceed the acceptable level of 10 {mu}g/100 cm{sup 2} for a workplace. Areas in Building E5618 exceed 1,000 {mu}g/100 cm{sup 2}, with a high reading of 21,100 {mu}g/100 cm{sup 2} in room C103. Building E5625 has several areas where PCBs exceed 100 {mu}g/cm{sup 2}

Latent-transforming growth factor beta-binding protein-2 (LTBP-2) is required for longevity but not for development of zonular fibers

Latent-transforming growth factor beta-binding protein 2 (LTBP-2) is a major component of arterial and lung tissue and of the ciliary zonule, the system of extracellular fibers that centers and suspends the lens in the eye. LTBP-2 has been implicated previously in the development of extracellular microfibrils, although its exact role remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the three-dimensional structure of the ciliary zonule in wild type mice and used a knockout model to test the contribution of LTBP-2 to zonule structure and mechanical properties. In wild types, zonular fibers had diameters of 0.5–1.0 micrometers, with an outer layer of fibrillin-1-rich microfibrils and a core of fibrillin-2-rich microfibrils. LTBP-2 was present in both layers. The absence of LTBP-2 did not affect the number of fibers, their diameters, nor their coaxial organization. However, by two months of age, LTBP-2-depleted fibers began to rupture, and by six months, a fully penetrant ectopia lentis phenotype was present, as confirmed by in vivo imaging. To determine whether the seemingly normal fibers of young mice were compromised mechanically, we compared zonule stress/strain relationships of wild type and LTBP-2-deficient mice and developed a quasi-linear viscoelastic engineering model to analyze the resulting data. In the absence of LTBP-2, the ultimate tensile strength of the zonule was reduced by about 50%, and the viscoelastic behavior of the fibers was altered significantly. We developed a harmonic oscillator model to calculate the forces generated during saccadic eye movement. Model simulations suggested that mutant fibers are prone to failure during rapid rotation of the eyeball. Together, these data indicate that LTBP-2 is necessary for the strength and longevity of zonular fibers, but not necessarily for their formation.Y. Shi, W. Jones, W. Beatty, Q. Tan, R.P. Mecham, H. Kumra, D.P. Reinhardt, M.A. Gibson, M.A. Reilly, J. Rodriguez and S. Bassnet

Wrist accelerometer cut points for classifying sedentary behavior in children

INTRODUCTION: To examine the validity and accuracy of wrist accelerometers for classifying sedentary behavior (SB) in children. METHODS: Fifty-seven children (5-8y and 9-12y) completed a ~170min protocol including 15 semi-structured activities and transitions. Nine ActiGraph (GT3X+) and two GENEActiv wrist cut-points were evaluated. Direct observation was the criterion measure. The accuracy of wrist cut-points was compared to that achieved by the ActiGraph hip cut-point (≤25 counts/15s) and the thigh-mounted activPAL3. Analyses included equivalence testing, Bland-Altman procedures and area under the receiver operating curve (ROC-AUC). RESULTS: The most accurate ActiGraph wrist cut-points (Kim, vector magnitude: ≤3958 counts/60s and vertical axis: ≤1756 counts/60s) demonstrated good classification accuracy (ROC-AUC = 0.85-0.86) and accurately estimated SB time in 5-8y (equivalence p=0.02; mean bias: 4.1%, limits of agreement [LoA]: -20.1-28.4%) and 9-12y (equivalence p<0.01; -2.5%, -27.9-22.9%). Mean bias of SB time estimates from Kim were smaller than ActiGraph hip (5-8y: 15.8%, -5.7-37.2%; 9-12y: 17.8%, -3.9-39.5%) and similar to or smaller than activPAL3 (5-8y: 12.6%, -39.8-14.7%; 9-12y: -1.4%, -13.9-11.0%), although classification accuracy was similar to ActiGraph hip (ROC-AUC = 0.85) but lower than activPAL3 (ROC-AUC = 0.92-0.97). Mean bias (5-8y: 6.5%, -16.1-29.1%; 9-12y: 10.5%, -13.6-34.6%) for the most accurate GENEActiv wrist cut-point (Schaefer: ≤0.19g) was smaller than ActiGraph hip, and activPAL3 in 5-8y, but larger than activPAL3 in 9-12y. However, SB time estimates from Schaefer were not equivalent to direct observation (equivalence p>0.05) and classification accuracy (ROC-AUC = 0.79-0.80) was lower than for ActiGraph hip and activPAL3. CONCLUSION: The most accurate SB ActiGraph (Kim) and GENEActiv (Schaefer) wrist cut-points can be applied in children with similar confidence as the ActiGraph hip cut-point (≤25 counts/15s), although activPAL3 was generally more accurate.This study was funded by the National Heart Foundation of Australia (G11S5975). DPC is supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE140101588). ADO is supported by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Career Development Fellowship (CR11S 6099). TH is funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship (APP1070571). The work of UE and SB is funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/3). ST is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence on Sitting Time and Chronic Disease Prevention (APP1057608)