Biomarkers of exposures such as infection or environmental chemicals can be measured in small volumes of blood extracted from newborn dried blood spots (DBS) underscoring their potential utility for population-based research. However, few studies have evaluated the feasibility and utility of this resource; particularly the factors associated with parental consent, and the ability to retrieve banked samples with sufficient remaining volume for epidemiologic research. At 8 months postpartum, 5,034 mothers of infants born (2008–2010) in New York (57 counties excluding New York City) were asked to consent for the use of residual DBS for the quantification of cytokines and environmental chemicals. Mothers were part of the Upstate KIDS study, a longitudinal birth cohort designed to evaluate child development through 3 years of age. Information on parental and infant characteristics was obtained from birth certificates and maternal report at 4 months postpartum. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with parental consent and with successful retrieval of DBS. Sixty-two percent (n = 3125) of parents consented. Factors significantly associated with consent included non-Hispanic ethnicity (odds ratio 2.04; 95 % CI: 1.43–2.94), parity (1.29; 1.05–1.57), maternal obesity (1.42; 1.11–1.80) and reported alcohol use during pregnancy (1.51; 1.12–2.06). However, these associations corresponded to small absolute differences in proportions (4 to 8 %), suggesting that the two groups remained comparable. Infant characteristics such as preterm delivery did not significantly differ by consent status among singletons and only ventilator use (OR 2.39; 95 % CI: 1.06–5.41) remained borderline significant among twins in adjusted analyses. Among consented infants, 99 % had at least one 3.2 mm punch successfully retrieved for biomarker analyses and 84 % had a full DBS circle available. Parental characteristics varied slightly by consent, and the availability of samples for research purposes was high, demonstrating the feasibility of this resource for population based research.
We examined the longitudinal associations of age at achieving gross motor milestones and children's development in a US cohort of singletons and twins.In the Upstate KIDS study, a population-based study of children born between 2008 and 2010, information on age at achievement of motor milestones and developmental skills was available in 599 children (314 singletons, 259 twins, and 26 triplets). Mothers reported their children's major motor milestones at ∼4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months. At age 4 years, children's development was clinically assessed by using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-2). Primary analyses by using multivariate linear regressions were conducted in singletons. We also examined the associations in twins.Later achievement of standing with assistance predicted lower BDI-2 scores in singletons in adjusted models (B per SD of age at achievement, -21.9 [95% confidence interval (CI), -41.5 to -2.2]). Post hoc analysis on age of standing with assistance showed that associations were driven by differences in adaptive skills (B = -5.3 [95% CI, -9.0 to -1.6]) and cognitive skills (B = -5.9 [95% CI, -11.5 to -0.4]). Analyses restricted to twins suggested no association between the age at achievement of milestones and total BDI-2 score after adjustment for gestational age and birth weight.This study provides evidence that the age of achieving motor milestones may be an important basis for various aspects of later child development. In twins, key predictors of later development (eg, perinatal factors) overshadow the predictive role of milestones in infancy.
Background: Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide applications has been used as a surrogate for exposure in epidemiologic studies, although little is known about the relationship with levels of pesticides in homes.Objective: We identified determinants of concentrations of agricultural pesticides in dust.Methods: We collected samples of carpet dust and mapped crops within 1,250 m of 89 residences in California. We measured concentrations of seven pesticides used extensively in agriculture (carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, chlorthal-dimethyl, diazinon, iprodione, phosmet, and simazine). We estimated use of agricultural pesticides near residences from a statewide database alone and by linking the database with crop maps. We calculated the density of pesticide use within 500 and 1,250 m of residences for 180, 365, and 730 days before collection of dust and evaluated relationships between agricultural pesticide use estimates and pesticide concentrations in carpet dust.Results: For five of the seven pesticides evaluated, residences with use of agricultural pesticides within 1,250 m during the previous 365 days had significantly higher concentrations of pesticides than did residences with no nearby use. The highest correlation with concentrations of pesticides was generally for use reported within 1,250 m of the residence and 730 days before sample collection. Regression models that also accounted for occupational and home use of pesticides explained only a modest amount of the variability in pesticide concentrations (4–28%).Conclusions: Agricultural pesticide use near residences was a significant determinant of concentrations of pesticides in carpet dust for five of seven pesticides evaluated.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Ezra Prentice Homes (EP) is a public housing complex located in the industrial, southernmost tip of Albany, NY, dissected by a busy state highway and adjacent to the Port of Albany. Residents, community leaders, and environmental activists drew attention to residents' environmental health concerns and residents requested a community-based health survey. In response to this attention, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation launched the Albany South End Community Air Quality Study, observing traffic related air pollutants (TRAPs) at 'considerably higher' levels in the EP community compared to the rest of the neighborhood (Report October 2019). AIM: Measure the impact of living at Ezra Prentice homes on asthma prevalence. METHODS: The South End Community Health Survey of EP households, in partnership with local community-based organizations, began in 2016. A Resident Outreach Worker (ROWs) model was developed. ROWs connected with neighbors, introduced the survey, and created appointments for graduate students to administer an in-depth health survey. In 2018, it expanded to Creighton Storey Homes (CS), a public housing complex in a residential section of the South End that is surrounded by green space, to capture data from a demographically similar group. RESULTS:119 households (301 individuals) from EP (66%) and 66 households (164 individuals) from CS (52%) participated. When tested by z-score for 2 population proportions, the number of children under 18 with active asthma was significantly higher at EP (34%) than CS (18%) (p=.02). A similar pattern was observed for all ages combined: 34% and 21%, p=.0002, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Initial analysis of the South End Community Health Study data observed significantly higher rates of asthma at a public housing complex where elevated TRAPs have been documented. Analyses adjusted for race and smoking status will be explored. Results will be shared with the community to inform future policy. KEYWORDS: Environmental justice, asthma, traffic-related air pollutants (TRAPS), public housing
The authors previously developed an apple bucket that was modified by use of a hip belt to reduce muscle fatigue. The intervention of belt use was accepted by workers and shown not to interfere with productivity. However, use of this intervention did not appear to reduce muscle fatigue when measured by tests of voluntary muscle strength. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the intervention's effect on muscle fatigue employing surface electromyographic (EMG) amplitude. Amplitude measurements on 15 muscles were taken from 10 laboratory volunteers who were carrying a full bucket of apples, once while wearing the intervention belt and once without the intervention. These measurements were taken for seven different postures (four angles of trunk flexion (0°, 20°, 45°, 90°) and three raised-arm positions (both up, dominant up, non-dominant up)) common to apple harvest work. Participants were measured in these conditions both with the bucket carried in front and with the bucket carried to the side. Significant reductions in amplitude favouring the intervention were seen for 11 of the 15 muscles in models considering the four body flexion angles. Ten of these were of the middle and lower back. These control/intervention differences were seen with both bucket-carrying positions (front vs. side) and tended to increase with increasing flexion angle. In contrast, no significant intervention effects were observed in models considering treatment by arm-raised position. One significant main effect (upper trapezius, side bucket) showed an amplitude reduction in the treatment condition. Another main effect showing increased amplitude in the intervention condition use was observed in the dominant levator scapulae (side bucket). Thus, the use of the intervention belt reduces EMG amplitude among a number of mid- and lower-back muscles. This is suggestive of a protective effect against back strain.
Our study describes the design and operation of a novel codend developed in New Zealand to reduce fish damage during trawling, haul back and unloading. The Modular Harvesting System (MHS) is a membrane-like fabric tube with escapement holes that replaces the mesh codend of a trawl. The terminal section of the MHS is non-porous, which allows fish to be lifted aboard in a fluid environment. During its development, the MHS was deployed on a variety of vessels (18–82 m, 300–5400 kW) across various fisheries in New Zealand. The hydrodynamic (water flow) and hydrostatic (pressure) environment created by the MHS was investigated via computational modelling, in situ flow measurement (acoustic Doppler current profiling), accelerometry and videography of fish behaviour. The graded flow reduction and open geometry of the MHS was observed to reduce the impact of factors that cause physical damage and fatigue to the catch in mesh codends. Accelerometry measurements demonstrated the MHS moved less and maintained a more stable position during trawling than conventional codends. The low damage capture environment afforded by the MHS enabled fishers and vessel owners to evolve their fishing strategies and modify onboard handling equipment to derive maximum value from their limited quota.
Bovine β-lactoglobulin A (BLGA) is a well characterized globular protein whose tertiary structure has been investigated in detail. BLGA undergoes a pH-dependent conformational change which X-ray data described as involving mostly the loop connecting strands E and F and the deprotonation of a glutamic acid residue (Glu89). These structural changes have been investigated using, among other techniques, fluorescence spectroscopy. The intrinsic fluorescence of BLGA is dominated by two Trp residues. These residues are located far from the EF loop and would not be expected to probe the pH-induced conformational change of the protein. Trp19 is located at the bottom of the interior β-barrel, whereas Trp61 is located at the aperture of the barrel near the CD loop and is "silent" in the emission of native BLGA because of the proximity of a disulfide moiety. Our study suggests that, surprisingly, the fluorescence of Trp19 has the characteristic of a more polar environment than structural models from X-ray data would suggest and that at least two distinct conformations (or rotamers) of Trp19 contribute to the fluorescence of the protein. The less populated rotamer (relative amplitude (α) ∼20%, τ ∼ 3 ns) probes a more polar environment and a pH-dependent conformational change of BLGA in the region of Trp19 which X-ray data do not detect. Finally, our study provides the estimate of the fluorescence lifetime of Trp61 in the "unquenched" form.
