A Global Perspective on Firefly Extinction Threats

Abstract Insect declines and their drivers have attracted considerable recent attention. Fireflies and glowworms are iconic insects whose conspicuous bioluminescent courtship displays carry unique cultural significance, giving them economic value as ecotourist attractions. Despite evidence of declines, a comprehensive review of the conservation status and threats facing the approximately 2000 firefly species worldwide is lacking. We conducted a survey of experts from diverse geographic regions to identify the most prominent perceived threats to firefly population and species persistence. Habitat loss, light pollution, and pesticide use were regarded as the most serious threats, although rankings differed substantially across regions. Our survey results accompany a comprehensive review of current evidence concerning the impact of these stressors on firefly populations. We also discuss risk factors likely to increase the vulnerability of certain species to particular threats. Finally, we highlight the need to establish monitoring programs to track long-term population trends for at-risk firefly taxa.

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Liquidity and the Performance of the Nigerian Manufacturing Firms: an Economic Value-added Approach

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT ◽

10.37394/232015.2021.17.5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

pp. 47-55

Author(s):

Olusegun Osho ◽

Alexander Ehimare Omankhanlen ◽

Mojisola Fasanmi ◽

Victoria Akinjare

Keyword(s):

Manufacturing Industry ◽

Economic Value ◽

Value Added ◽

Economic Value Added ◽

Economic Sectors ◽

Manufacturing Firm ◽

Development Indicators ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact

Considering the possibility of finding a gap and a room for improvement, so much have been written about liquidity and performance. Notwithstanding, the emphasis has been on profitability as a yardstick for performance and little has been done on other areas of performance measurement. The emphasis has also been more on various economic sectors with the exception of the manufacturing industry. This paper intends to look at the impact, if any, of liquidity provision and availability on Nigeria’s manufacturing firm’s performance from the perspective of Economic Value Added (EVA). Economic value-adding is beyond just profitability or liquidity. The firm's value to the stakeholders, its sustainability and long-term values are defined. The study would apply liquidity theories, profitability and the economic value-added theories as it applies to a manufacturing firm in a developing economy like Nigeria. On its methodology, the article data is obtained from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators-WDI and then a regression analysis will be run on the data using the SPSS software and then an analysis of the results of the regression. The last section of the article would conclude and make recommendations from the study outcome and the empirical analysis with respect to the theories.

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Long-Term Growth in Phenylketonuria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11092070 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2070 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fatma Ilgaz ◽

Alex Pinto ◽

Hülya Gökmen-Özel ◽

Julio César Rocha ◽

Esther van Dam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Normal Growth ◽

Optimal Growth ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Dietary Practices ◽

Dietary Treatments ◽

The Impact

There is an ongoing debate regarding the impact of phenylketonuria (PKU) and its treatment on growth. To date, evidence from studies is inconsistent, and data on the whole developmental period is limited. The primary aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of a phenylalanine (Phe)-restricted diet on long-term growth in patients with PKU. Four electronic databases were searched for articles published until September 2018. A total of 887 results were found, but only 13 articles met eligibility criteria. Only three studies had an adequate methodology for meta-analysis. Although the results indicate normal growth at birth and during infancy, children with PKU were significantly shorter and had lower weight for age than reference populations during the first four years of life. Impaired linear growth was observed until the end of adolescence in PKU. In contrast, growth impairment was not reported in patients with mild hyperphenylalaninemia, not requiring dietary restriction. Current evidence indicates that even with advances in dietary treatments, “optimal” growth outcomes are not attained in PKU. The majority of studies include children born before 1990s, so further research is needed to show the effects of recent dietary practices on growth in PKU.

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Towards Financial Valuation in Data-Driven Companies

Oriental journal of computer science and technology ◽

10.13005/ojcst12.02.01 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 28-33

Author(s):

M. Eugenia Pérez-Pons ◽

Alfonso González-Briones ◽

Juan M. Corchado

Keyword(s):

Economic Value ◽

Indirect Costs ◽

Added Value ◽

Data Driven ◽

Financial Valuation ◽

External Data ◽

Time Period ◽

The Impact ◽

A Company

The following work presents a methodology of determining the economic value of the data owned by a company in a given time period. The ability to determine the value of data at any point of its lifecycle, would make it possible to study the added value that data gives to a company in the long term. Not only external data should be considered but also the impact that the internal data can have on company revenues. The project focuses on data-driven companies, which are diﬀerent to the data-oriented ones, as explained below. Since some studies aﬃrm that data-driven companies are more profitable, the indirect costs of using those data must be allocated somewhere to understand their financial value14 and to present a possible alternative for measuring the financial impact of data on the revenue of companies.

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Renal Denervation for Treating Resistant Hypertension: Current Evidence and Future Insights from a Global Perspective

International Journal of Hypertension ◽

10.1155/2013/513214 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Y. Castro Torres ◽

Richard E. Katholi

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Resistant Hypertension ◽

Renal Denervation ◽

Pressure Control ◽

Reduce Blood Pressure ◽

Global Perspective ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Consensus Statements ◽

Stage 1

Adequate blood pressure control represents an important goal for all physicians due to the complications of hypertension which reduce patients' quality of life. A new interventional strategy to reduce blood pressure has been developed for patients with resistant hypertension. Catheter-based renal denervation has demonstrated excellent results in recent investigations associated with few side effects. With the growing diffusion of this technique worldwide, some medical societies have published consensus statements to guide physicians how to best apply this procedure. Questions remain to be answered such as the long-term durability of renal denervation, the efficacy in patients with other sympathetically mediated diseases, and whether renal denervation would benefit patients with stage 1 hypertension.

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Frostbite: an ancient affliction – have we made progress? A case series and review of best practice.

Journal of The Royal Naval Medical Service ◽

10.1136/jrnms-103-114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 103 (2) ◽

pp. 114-119

Author(s):

R J Thomas ◽

K Heil ◽

K Johnson ◽

A M Wood

Keyword(s):

Military Personnel ◽

Best Practice ◽

Early Recognition ◽

Case Series ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Medical Facility ◽

Preventative Measures ◽

Field Environment ◽

The Impact

AbstractFrostbite represents a spectrum of injuries that can have long term, permanent sequelae, resulting in lifelong disability of otherwise young, fit, economically active individuals. Furthermore, it is generally preventable. Military personnel are put at risk of this condition by the nature of their occupation. With preventative measures, early recognition, appropriate evacuation and repatriation to a medical facility, the impact of this condition can be minimised.This article describes a case series of Royal Marines who were medically evacuated due to frostbite during an exercise, and a review of current evidence supporting the management of frostbite in the field environment through to definitive care.

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Biomarkers to Evaluate Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer and Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration: Old Drugs, New Concerns

Frontiers in Oncology ◽

10.3389/fonc.2021.734881 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Vérane Achard ◽

Kelly Ceyzériat ◽

Benjamin B. Tournier ◽

Giovanni B. Frisoni ◽

Valentina Garibotto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Androgen Deprivation Therapy ◽

Androgen Deprivation ◽

Cortical Activation ◽

Current Evidence ◽

The Impact

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a standard treatment for prostate cancer patients, routinely used in the palliative or in the curative setting in association with radiotherapy. Among the systemic long-term side effects of ADT, growing data suggest a potentially increased risk of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease in prostate cancer patients treated with hormonal manipulation. While pre-clinical data suggest that androgen ablation may have neurotoxic effects due to Aβ accumulation and increased tau phosphorylation in small animal brains, clinical studies have measured the impact of ADT on long-term cognitive function, with conflicting results, and studies on biological changes after ADT are still lacking. The aim of this review is to report on the current evidence on the association between the ADT use and the risk of cognitive impairment in prostate cancer patients. We will focus on the contribution of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, namely through imaging, to investigate potential ADT-induced brain modifications. The evidence from these preliminary studies shows brain changes in gray matter volume, cortical activation and metabolism associated with ADT, however with a large variability in biomarker selection, ADT duration and cognitive outcome. Importantly, no study investigated yet biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease pathology, namely amyloid and tau. These preliminary data emphasize the need for larger targeted investigations.

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Habitat Management of the Endemic and Critical Endangered Montseny Brook Newt (Calotriton arnoldi)

10.20944/preprints202110.0383.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Guinart ◽

Sonia Solórzano ◽

Fèlix Amat ◽

Jordina Grau ◽

Daniel Fernández-Guiberteau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Forest Restoration ◽

Habitat Management ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Water Withdrawal ◽

Technical Knowledge ◽

New Taxon ◽

Essential Information ◽

The Impact ◽

Water Catchments

Calotriton arnoldi is an endemic amphibian inhabiting Montseny Natural Park and Biosphere Re-serve (PNRBM). It was recognized as a new taxon in 2005 by means of genetic and morphologi-cal analyses and, due to its small distribution range and population size, it was listed as “Criti-cally endangered (CR)” by IUCN. Its area of distribution is small and fragmented less than line-ar 5 km. The Montseny Brook Newt is adapted to mountain streams and requires a pristine hab-itat, one which is currently being affected by conservation issues linked to climate change and human activities (logging, water catchments, visitor’s frequency, among others). At the end of 2016, the Life Tritó del Montseny (LifeTM) project (LIFE15 NAT/ES/000757) was launched. This project’s aim was to promote around fifty actions to ensure the conservation of C. arnoldi and its natural habitat, in the Montseny SCI of the Natura 2000 Network, with five strategic lines: 1) To increase scientific and technical knowledge with regard to C. arnoldi conservation status and its habitat management. 2) To ensure its genetic conservation and expand its geographic distribu-tion 3) To eliminate or minimize threats that exist in the riparian habitat. 4) To Involve and en-gage stakeholders and local residents in the conservation of Montseny brook newt riparian hab-itats. 5) To establish proper legal coverage and define long-term strategic planning. Since 2017, several actions linked to the strategic lines 1 and 3 have been initiated. Many unforeseen events have been overcome and there have been some failures, but there have also been several satis-factory results that allow us to be optimistic about the future of the species. These achievements and failures obtained throughout the process provide us with essential information to develop an adaptive habitat management. Dozens of monitoring surveys have been carried out which allow us to understand the evolution of natural populations, to improve our knowledge re-garding their biology and to assess the impact of conservation actions. In relation to eliminating or minimizing threats to the newt’s habitat, some of the actions that are being carried out are: a) Land acquisitions and land exchanges with different private properties. b) Land stewardship with two custody agreements being signed. c) Reduction of water withdrawal with nine water catchments and distribution being remodeled. e) Improvement of water treatments and storage by installing ecological wastewater treatment facilities. f) Ensure ecological connectivity and ri-parian forest restoration by removing twenty-two river connectivity barriers removed and exe-cuting twelve forestry and bioengineering interventions within the riverside habitat. With re-gard to analyzing the conservation status, management activities and scientific and technical knowledge, active long-term monitoring of the newt population and hydrological conditions has begun. Here we present an evaluation of the actions carried out to improve the habitat of this species, including the necessary considerations for them to be implemented correctly and to be successful in a natural area, which is under public-private management.

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Effects on Puberty of Nutrition-Mediated Endocrine Disruptors Employed in Agriculture

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13114184 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 4184

Author(s):

Anastasia Konstantina Sakali ◽

Alexandra Bargiota ◽

Ioannis G. Fatouros ◽

Athanasios Jamurtas ◽

Djuro Macut ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Delayed Puberty ◽

Postnatal Exposure ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Endocrine Disrupting ◽

Human Reproductive ◽

System Access ◽

The Impact

Pesticide residues are largely found in daily consumed food because of their extensive use in farming and their long half-life, which prolongs their presence in the environment. Many of these pesticides act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals after pre- or postnatal exposure, significantly affecting, among other things, the time of puberty onset, progression, and completion. In humans, precocious or delayed puberty, and early or delayed sexual maturation, may entail several negative long-term health implications. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on the impact of endocrine-disrupting pesticides upon the timing of the landmarks of female and male puberty in both animals (vaginal opening, first estrus, and balanopreputial separation) and humans (thelarche, menarche, gonadarche). Moreover, we explore the possible mechanisms of action of the reviewed endocrine-disrupting pesticides on the human reproductive system. Access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food is fundamental for the maintenance of health and wellbeing. Eliminating the presence of hazardous chemicals in largely consumed food products may increase their nutritional value and be proven beneficial for overall health. Consequently, understanding the effects of human exposure to hazardous endocrine-disrupting pesticides, and legislating against their circulation, are of major importance for the protection of health in vulnerable populations, such as children and adolescents.

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Pathophysiology of Bone Loss in Patients with Prostate Cancer Receiving Androgen-Deprivation Therapy and Lifestyle Modifications for the Management of Bone Health: A Comprehensive Review

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers12061529 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1529

Author(s):

Tae Jin Kim ◽

Kyo Chul Koo

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Prostate Cancer ◽

Androgen Deprivation Therapy ◽

Bone Health ◽

Androgen Deprivation ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Lifestyle Modifications ◽

Comprehensive Review

Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is a systemic therapy administered for the management of advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Although ADT may improve survival, long-term use reduces bone mass density (BMD), posing an increased risk of fracture. Considering the long natural history of PCa, it is essential to preserve bone health and quality-of-life in patients on long-term ADT. As an alternative to pharmacological interventions targeted at preserving BMD, current evidence recommends lifestyle modifications, including individualized exercise and nutritional interventions. Exercise interventions include resistance training, aerobic exercise, and weight-bearing impact exercise, and have shown efficacy in preserving BMD. At the same time, it is important to take into account that PCa is a progressive and debilitating disease in which a substantial proportion of patients on long-term ADT are older individuals who harbor axial bone metastases. Smoking cessation and limited alcohol consumption are commonly recommended lifestyle measures in patients receiving ADT. Contemporary guidelines regarding lifestyle modifications vary by country, organization, and expert opinion. This comprehensive review will provide an evidence-based, updated summary of lifestyle interventions that could be implemented to preserve bone health and maintain quality-of-life throughout the disease course of PCa.

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Valgus Knee Braces May Have No Long-term Effect on Pain Improvement and Functional Activity in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials

10.21203/rs.3.rs-31302/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yinuo Fan ◽

zhongfeng Li ◽

Haitao Zhang ◽

Guoju Hong ◽

Zhongshu Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Pain Score ◽

Functional Activity ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Specific Effect ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Valgus Knee ◽

Knee Braces ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background:KOA as a high incidence of old age seriously affects the quality of life of the elderly. The valgus knee bracesareaimportantphysical therapy for KOA, but its specific effect is not clear.This meta-analysisis to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of valgus knee braces on pain and function improvement in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Methods :A meta-analysis of clinical randomized controlled trials(RCTs) on pain and functional changes in patients with KOA after using valgus knee braces. The search period is from the self-built database to May 2020, and the search range is PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. First, two authors independently screened the literature, formulated inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, and determined the included literature. The researchers then extracted the interventions and outcome indicators of included literature, and assessed the risk of bias through Cochrane Handbook 5.0.1. Finally, Revman5.3 was used for data analysis.Results :A total of 10 articles were included in this study, including 739 patients. 8 articles related to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, the results showed that RR = -0.29, 95% CI [-0.73, 0.15], P = 0.20; There were 4 articles on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) function score, the results showed that RR = -0.15, 95% CI [-0.41,0.11], P = 0.26; Two articles related to the impact of Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) score, the results showed that RR = 0.58, 95% CI [-4.25, 5.42], P = 0.81; 3articles were related to KOOS activities of daily living (KOOS-ADL) score, the results showed that RR = 0.04, 95% CI [-0.62,0.69], P = 0.91.These results indicated that the valgus knee braces have no statistically significant in pain and functional activity improvement of patients with KOA. The subgroup analysis showed that the follow-up time was the source of the heterogeneity of the VAS pain score. Conclusion :The current evidence suggests that valgus knee braces may not effectively improve pain symptom and functional activity in KOA patients in the long-term, but only benefit KOA patients in the short-term.

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