American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus: Reptilia: Crocodilidae) visiting the facilities of a freshwater aquaculture of the Northern Pacific region, Costa Rica, carry tetracycline-resistant Escherichia coli

Apex predators are exposed to antimicrobial compounds and resistant microbes, which accumulate at different trophic levels of the related ecosystems. The study aimed to characterize the presence and the antimicrobial resistance patterns of fecal Escherichia coli isolated from cloacal swab samples obtained from wild-living American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) (n = 53). Sampling was conducted within the distinctive context of a freshwater-intensive aquaculture farm in Costa Rica, where incoming crocodiles are temporarily held in captivity before release. Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were determined in all isolates, while resistant isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analyses. In total, 24 samples contained tetracycline-resistant E. coli (45.3%). Isolates carried either tet(A), tet(B), or tet(C) genes. Furthermore, genes conferring resistance to ß-lactams, aminoglycosides, fosfomycin, sulfonamides, phenicol, quinolones, trimethoprim, and colistin were detected in single isolates, with seven of them carrying these genes on plasmids. Genome sequencing further revealed that sequence types, prevalence of antibiotic resistance carriage, and antibiotic resistance profiles differed between the individuals liberated within the next 24 h after their capture in the ponds and those liberated from enclosures after longer abodes. The overall presence of tetracycline-resistant E. coli, coupled with potential interactions with various anthropogenic factors before arriving at the facilities, hinders clear conclusions on the sources of antimicrobial resistance for the studied individuals. These aspects hold significant implications for both the aquaculture farm's biosecurity and the planning of environmental monitoring programs using such specimens. Considering human-crocodile conflicts from the One Health perspective, the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance underscores the importance of systematical surveillance of antibiotic resistance development in American crocodiles.

Historical changes in the distribution of the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in Sichuan Province, China

The Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is a rare and endangered primate species endemic to China. Conducting research on the population distribution changes of the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey holds paramount importance for its conservation. Our study represented a comprehensive investigation into the population distribution of the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey by integrating data acquired from field surveys, protected areas, and historical records and using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to explore changes in distribution across various time periods, including the historical (the Mid-to-Late Pleistocene), recent (1980-2000), and current (2001-2023). The research findings demonstrate a significant shift in the distribution range of the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey compared to historical time frames. Notably, between 1980 and 2000, there was a sharp decline in distribution area. Analyses revealed that the southernmost distribution county for the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey in Sichuan Province has shifted northward from Huili to Kangding. Furthermore, distribution changes in Sichuan Province are not solely characterized by a reduction in habitat area but also by a decrease in vertical distribution zones. Regions in the northeastern part of Sichuan with elevations below 1000 m, such as Guang'an City, Bazhong City, Dazhou City, and Nanchong City, no longer support the presence of the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey. At present, the distribution range is confined to elevations between 1000 and 4000 m in the two major mountain ranges of Qionglai and Minshan. A holistic approach is required to safeguard this species. The establishment of movement corridors can play a critical role in enhancing the overall connectivity of current distribution areas. Additionally, we propose implementing a hierarchical approach to protect current habitats. Spatially differentiated conservation measures should be implemented to prioritize the protection of key habitats while simultaneously monitoring anthropogenic activities in non-key habitats to prevent further fragmentation and isolation of the monkey's distribution areas.

Small Felids Coexist in Mixed-Use Landscape in the Bolivian Amazon

In the face of global species loss, it is paramount to understand the effects of human activity on vulnerable species, particularly in highly diverse, complex systems. The Greater Madidi Landscape in the Bolivian Amazon includes several biodiverse protected areas that were created with the goal of sustaining healthy and diverse ecosystems while not impeding the livelihoods of local indigenous peoples. In this study, we sought to use camera trap data and single-species occupancy analysis to assess the impacts of different forms of human activity on four species of small felids: ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), margays (Leopardus wiedii), jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), and oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus). We modeled both human variables (proximity to indigenous communities, roads, and tourist camps) and non-human variables (terrain ruggedness, proximity to rivers, canopy height, prey availability, and large cat abundance). Margay occupancy was unaffected by any of these human variables and ocelots showed only weak evidence of being affected by tourism. Ocelots were particularly pervasive throughout the study area and were consistently estimated to have high occupancy probability. We did not obtain sufficient data on jaguarundi or oncilla to reliably model these effects. Our results indicate that small cats successfully coexist both with each other and with the surrounding human activity in this unique landscape, which serves as a model for global protected area management.

[Hydrochemical Characteristics and Genesis Mechanism of Groundwater in the Dry Period in the Zhangjiakou Area]

In order to better support the construction of the capital water conservation functional area and ecological environment support area， research on the chemical characteristics of groundwater and its formation mechanism in the dry period in the Zhangjiakou area can provide a great reference for the rational development and utilization of groundwater resources. A total of 41 groups of groundwater samples were collected， and the hydrochemical types， composition characteristics， and control factors of groundwater in the study area were analyzed by using the combined method of descriptive statistical analysis， Piper triplot， correlation analysis， Gibbs plot， and ion ratio. The results showed that the groundwater in the study area was weakly alkaline， with the total hardness and ρ（TDS） ranging from 105.00 mg·L-1 to 1 433.00 mg·L-1 and 137.00 mg·L-1 to 2 286.00 mg·L-1， respectively. The total hardness and TDS mass concentrations of groundwater in the Bashang area were higher than those in the Baxia area. HCO3- and Na+ were the main dominant anions and cations in the groundwater in the study area. The highest overstandard rate of the main components in groundwater was that of total hardness （36.59%）. The overstandard rate and maximum excess multiple of each component in groundwater in the Bashang area were greater than those in the Baxia area. HCO3-Ca·Mg·Na was the main type of groundwater hydrochemistry in the study area， and there was little difference between the Bashang area and the Baxia area. SO42-， Cl-， HCO3-， Na+， and Mg2+ contributed the most to TDS. The chemical characteristics of groundwater were affected by weathering and filtration of rock minerals such as salt rock， albite， and dolomite； cation exchange； and human activities. Evaporative crystallization and atmospheric precipitation contributed to a small part of the main ion source of groundwater in the area. The effect of human activities on groundwater in the Bashang area was greater than that in the Baxia area， and NO3- mainly originated from agricultural activities.

"It's not just the residents who need to be motivated for activity": a qualitative study of the perspectives of staff on providing activity support for people with psychiatric disabilities in supported housing in Sweden

Background

The goals for staff in Supported Housing for people with psychiatric disabilities include helping to develop the residents' independence and self-confidence in activities. However, staff have expressed frustration about providing this type of support when motivating residents to engage in meaningful activities and also about the difficulty in finding suitable levels of independence within a housing setting with limitations.

Objective

The aim is to explore the views and experiences of housing staff in Supported Housing on how they can stimulate and support engagement in activities for people with psychiatric disabilities.

Methods

Twenty-six members of staff from 20 supported housing units in 10 municipalities in Sweden were interviewed in five focus groups. A semi-structured interview guide was used, and the transcribed material was analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

Three main categories emerged from the analysis: Multi-faceted factors influencing the staff's provision of activity support, Staff's approach for supporting activities, and Staff's struggles to develop their work. Obstacles to participating in activities in the community were identified. Many contrasting factors were found, such as spontaneous or structured activities and individual or group activities, which affected the staff's ability to motivate to activity.

Conclusion

A broad approach encompassing in-house training including a focus on values, recruitment policies, staff supervision and interventions focusing on both residents and staff are ways to support staff in motivating residents toward being more active within Supported Housing.

[Impacts of Human Activities on the Net Primary Productivity of Vegetation in Chengde's Transitional Region from Plateau to Plain in the Context of Climate Change]

Chengde's transitional region from plateau to plain is located in the transition zone of agriculture and livestock and is extremely sensitive to climate change and human activities. This study used the net primary productivity(NPP) of vegetation as an evaluation index to quantify the degree impacts of climate change and human activities on vegetation change in the region. The Thornthwaite Memorial model was used to calculate the potential NPP, and the actual NPP was obtained based on MODIS NPP remote sensing images, using the difference between the actual and potential NPPs to express the amount of change in NPP owing to human activities. We used the slope trend and coefficient of variation method to analyze the trend and stability distribution of the actual NPP, potential NPP, and NPP influenced by human activities, and the correlation between actual NPP and annual precipitation and annual average temperature was analyzed using the correlation coefficient method. Finally, we quantified the impact of climate change and human activities on vegetation change in the region. The results showed that 99.87% of the vegetation in the region was improved and changed steadily, and the proportions of the areas showing positive correlation between actual NPP and annual precipitation and annual average temperature were 99.87% and 91.66%, respectively. The potential NPP showed an increasing trend from northwest to southeast, whereas the trend and stability of the potential NPP both showed an increasing trend from west to east. The area where climate change and human activities played a role in vegetation improvement accounted for 99.71%, and that affected by climate change accounted for 0.14%, with the proportion of human activities leading to vegetation degradation being 0.15%.

Potential Linkage between Heavy Metal Pollution Risk Assessment and Dissolved Organic Matter Spectra in the WWTPs-River Integrated Area-Case Study from Ashi River

Direct sewage discharge can cause severe damage to the water environment of the river. However, the impacts of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the discharge on the original pattern of DOM and the distribution of heavy metals (HMs) in the river are little known. How to monitor such areas in a long-term and systematic manner also needs to be urgently addressed. In this paper, we characterized the DOM of the sediments in the WWTPs (wastewater treatment plants)-river integrated zone by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) combined with parallel factor (PARAFAC) method. The effects of WWTP on receiving waters were investigated, and the potential link between DOM and HM pollution was explored. Hg (Igeo: 3.94 ± 0.65; EF: 44.83 ± 31.11), Cd (Igeo: 1.81 ± 0.69; EF: 8.02 ± 2.97), Cu (Igeo: 1.61 ± 0.83; EF: 6.85 ± 2.37), Zn (Igeo: 1.55 ± 0.54; EF: 7.24 ± 3.58), and Ni (Igeo: 1.46 ± 0.56; EF: 6.12 ± 1.99) in rivers were the primary risk sources of HM. The combined pollution risk indicates that the WWTPs-river integrated area is in a high pollution risk state. Moreover, α(254) has a significant correlation with pollution indicators and can be used as a proxy indicator. These results help to understand better the impact of WWTPs on receiving water bodies and the potential connection between DOM and HM pollution and provide new ideas for monitoring the water environment in highly polluted areas.

Impacts of physiological characteristics and human activities on the species distribution models of orchids taking the Hengduan Mountains as a case

The biogeography research of orchids through species distribution models (SDMs), a vital tool in the biogeography field, is critical to understanding the fundamental geographic distribution patterns and identifying conservation priorities. The correspondence between species occurrence and environmental information is crucial to the model's performance. However, ecological preferences unique to different orchid species, such as their life forms, are often overlooked during the modeling process. This oversight can introduce bias and increase model uncertainty. Additionally, human activities, as an important potential predictor, have not been quantified in any orchid SDMs. Taking the Hengduan Mountains as an example, we preprocessed all orchid species' occurrences based on physiological characteristics. Choosing five spatial factors related to human activities to quantify the interference and enter into models as HI factor. Using different modeling methods (GLM, MaxEnt, and RF) and evaluation indices (AUC, TSS, and Kappa), diverse modeling strategies have been constructed in the study. A double-ranking method has been adopted to select the critical orchid distribution regions. The results showed that classification models based on physiological characteristics significantly improved the model's accuracy while adding the HI factor had the same effect but the absence of enough significance. Suitability maps indicated that highly heterogeneous mountainous areas were vital for the distribution of orchids in the Hengduan Mountains. Different distribution patterns and critical regions existed between various orchid life forms geographically - terrestrial orchids were dominant in the mountain, and mycoherterophical orchids were primarily located in the north, more influenced by vegetation and temperature. Critical regions of epiphytic orchids were in the south due to a greater dependence on precipitation and temperature. These studies are informative for understanding the orchids' geographic distribution patterns in the Hengduan Mountains, promoting conservation and providing references for similar research beyond orchids.

Human footprints in the Global South accelerate biomass carbon loss in ecologically sensitive regions

Human activities have placed significant pressure on the terrestrial biosphere, leading to ecosystem degradation and carbon losses. However, the full impact of these activities on terrestrial biomass carbon remains unexplored. In this study, we examined changes in global human footprint (HFP) and human-induced aboveground biomass carbon (AGBC) losses from 2000 to 2018. Our findings show an increasing trend in HFP globally, resulting in the conversion of wilderness areas to highly modified regions. These changes have altered global biomes' habitats, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. We also found accelerated AGBC loss driven by HFP expansion, with a total loss of 19.99 ± 0.196 PgC from 2000 to 2018, especially in tropical regions. Additionally, AGBC is more vulnerable in the Global South than in the Global North. Human activities threaten natural habitats, resulting in increasing AGBC loss even in strictly protected areas. Therefore, scientifically guided planning of future human activities is crucial to protect half of Earth through mitigation and adaptation under future risks of climate change and global urbanization.

Analysis of Net Primary Productivity Variation and Quantitative Assessment of Driving Forces-A Case Study of the Yangtze River Basin

Net primary productivity (NPP) can indirectly reflect vegetation's capacity for CO2 fixation, but its spatiotemporal dynamics are subject to alterations to some extent due to the influences of climate change and human activities. In this study, NPP is used as an indicator to investigate vegetarian carbon ability changes in the vital ecosystems of the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) in China. We also explored the NPP responses to climate change and human activities. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the temporal dynamics and spatial variations in NPP within the YRB ecosystems from 2003 to 2020. Furthermore, we employed residual analysis to quantitatively assess the contributions of climate factors and human activities to NPP changes. The research findings are as follows: (1) Over the 18-year period, the average NPP within the basin amounted to 543.95 gC/m2, displaying a noticeable fluctuating upward trend with a growth rate of approximately 3.1 gC/m2; (2) The areas exhibiting an increasing trend in NPP account for 82.55% of the total study area. Regions with relatively high stability in the basin covered 62.36% of the total area, while areas with low stability accounted for 2.22%, mainly situated in the Hengduan Mountains of the western Sichuan Plateau; (3) NPP improvement was jointly driven by human activities and climate change, with human activities contributing more significantly to NPP growth. Specifically, the contributions were 65.39% in total, with human activities contributing 59.28% and climate change contributing 40.01%. This study provides an objective assessment of the contributions of human activities and climate change to vegetation productivity, offering crucial insights for future ecosystem development and environmental planning.

Sexual Minority College Undergraduate Students Have Worse Health-Related Quality of Life, Diet Quality, and Weight Dissatisfaction Than Their Heterosexual Peers

OBJECTIVE

Assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL), diet quality (DQ), and weight dissatisfaction in sexual minority (SM) undergraduates.

METHODS

Undergraduates (n = 690) at 2 universities completed a survey assessing HRQOL, body mass index, DQ, and weight dissatisfaction. A multivariate analysis of covariance assessed HRQOL between SM and heterosexual students. Chi-square tests and independent t tests measured weight dissatisfaction and DQ. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Significant differences in HRQOL were observed (F[6,584] = 8.89; P < 0.001; Wilk's Λ = 0.916; partial η2 = 0.084). Sexual minority students experienced more days per month feeling sad/blue/depressed (12.0 ± 9.7 vs 6.3 ± 7.8 days; P < 0.001) and worried/tense/anxious (18.1 ± 10.2 vs 10.9 ± 9.8 days; P < 0.001); and fewer days feeling healthy and full of energy (6.8 ± 6.5 vs 11.4 ± 8.7 days; P < 0.001). Sexual minority students consumed more sugar (14.4 ± 7.9 g vs 10.2 ± 7.1 g; P = 0.020), had higher body mass indexes (25.8 ± 6.1 vs 24.4 ± 4.8; P = 0.005), and were less satisfied with their weight (30.7% vs 44.0%; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Sexual minority undergraduates experience similar health disparities as other SM populations and have indicators of poorer DQ.

Demographic Comparison of Information Security Behavior Toward Health Information System Protection: Survey Study

BACKGROUND

The health information system (HIS) functions are getting wider with more diverse users. Information security in the health industry is crucial because it involves comprehensive and strategic information that might harm human life. The human factor is one of the biggest security threats to HIS.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the information security behavior (ISB) of HIS users using a comprehensive assessment scale suited to the information security concerns in health care. Patients are increasingly being asked to submit their own data into HIS systems. As a result, this study examines the security behavior of health workers and patients, as well as their demographic variables.

METHODS

We used a quantitative approach using surveys of health workers and patients. We created a research instrument from 4 existing measurement scales to measure prosecurity and antisecurity behavior. We analyzed statistical differences to test the hypotheses, that is, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney test. The descriptive analysis was used to determine whether the group exhibited exemplary behavior when processing the survey results. A correlational test using the Spearman correlation coefficient was performed to establish the significance of the relationship between ISB and age as well as level of education.

RESULTS

We analyzed 421 responses from the survey. According to demographic factors, the hypotheses tested for full and partial security behavior reveal substantial differences. Education levels most significantly affect security behavior differences, followed by user type, gender, and age. The health workers' ISB is higher than that of the patients. Women are more likely than men to engage in prosecurity actions while avoiding antisecurity behaviors. The older the HIS user, the more likely it is that they will participate in prosecurity behavior and the less probable it is that they will engage in antisecurity behavior. According to this study, differences in prosecurity behavior are mostly impacted by education level. Higher education, on the other hand, does not guarantee improved ISB for HIS users. All demographic characteristics, particularly concerning user type, show discrepancies that are caused mainly by antisecurity behavior rather than prosecurity behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

Since patients engage in antisecurity behavior more frequently than health workers and may pose security risks, health care facilities should start to consider information security education for patients. More comprehensive research on ISB in health care facilities is required to better understand the patient's perspective, which is currently understudied.

Hogs sleep like logs: Wild boars reduce the risk of anthropic disturbance by adjusting where they rest

Many animals living in anthropized landscapes try to avoid encountering people by being active at night. By doing so, however, they risk being disturbed while at rest during the day. To mitigate this risk, diurnally resting species may be highly selective about where they rest. Here, we used GPS and activity sensors to study how wild boars (Sus scrofa) might adjust their resting site selection and revisitation patterns to the risk of disturbance by people. We evaluated the probability of daytime relocation to assess the efficacy of wild boars' resting strategy in reducing the risk of human encounter while at rest. We attempted to identify the cause of some relocations using audio recordings. Generally, we found that wild boars did not specifically avoid resting near villages or roads, that is, where the risk of encountering people is higher, if they could find sites with suitable vegetation cover. The risk of disturbance by people was low, even near villages. Resting sites located close to villages were visited more repeatedly than those located further away, suggesting that focusing on a few familiar and quiet resting sites was a successful strategy for resting undisturbed in an anthropized landscape.

Comprehensive evaluation system for vegetation ecological quality: a case study of Sichuan ecological protection redline areas

Dynamic monitoring and evaluation of vegetation ecological quality (VEQ) is indispensable for ecological environment management and sustainable development. Single-indicator methods that have been widely used may cause biased results due to neglect of the variety of vegetation ecological elements. We developed the vegetation ecological quality index (VEQI) by coupling vegetation structure (vegetation cover) and function (carbon sequestration, water conservation, soil retention, and biodiversity maintenance) indicators. The changing characteristics of VEQ and the relative contribution of driving factors in the ecological protection redline areas in Sichuan Province (EPRA), China, from 2000 to 2021 were explored using VEQI, Sen's slope, Mann-Kendall test, Hurst index, and residual analysis based on the XGBoost (Extreme gradient boosting regressor). The results showed that the VEQ in the EPRA has improved over the 22-year study period, but this trend may be unsustainable in the future. Temperature was the most influential climate factor. And human activities were the dominant factor with a relative contribution of 78.57% to VEQ changes. This study provides ideas for assessing ecological restoration in other regions, and can provide guidance for ecosystem management and conservation.

Socioeconomic development shows positive links to the conservation efficiency of China's protected area network

While the protected area (PA) covers >15% of the planet's terrestrial land area and continues to expand, factors determining its effectiveness in conserving endangered species are being debated. We investigated the links between direct anthropogenic pressures, socioeconomic settings, and the coverage of vertebrate taxa by China's PA network, and indicated that high socioeconomic status and low levels of human pressure correlate with high species coverage, with threatened mammals more effectively conserved than reptiles or amphibians. Positive links between conservation outcomes and socioeconomic progress appear linked to local livelihood improvements triggering positive perceptions of local PAs-aided further by ecological compensation and tourism schemes introduced in wealthy areas and reinforced by continued positive conservation outcomes. Socioeconomic development of China's less developed regions might assist regional PA efficiency and achievement of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, while also addressing potential shortcomings from an insufficient past focus on socioeconomic impacts for biodiversity conservation.

[Impacts of Climate Change and Human Activities on Vegetation Restoration in Typical Grasslands of China]

Grasslands, as one of the key ecosystems relevant to the terrestrial ecosystem carbon and water cycles as well as the ecological security in China, are very sensitive to climate change and human activities. However, the relative contributions of climate change and human activities on the vegetation restoration in those regions are still controversial. Using ecosystem net primary production (NPP) as an ecological indicator, this study quantified the relative roles of climate change and human activities on vegetation restoration in Chinese typical grasslands (northern temperate grasslands and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau alpine grasslands) by comparing the trends of actual NPP derived from MODIS and potential NPP estimated by the Thornthwaite Memorial model during 2000-2020. The results showed that approximately 93% of the grasslands in the study area experienced a recovering tendency, with an average increase of NPP (carbon) by 2.12 g·(m²·a)^-1(P<0.01). Therein, nearly half of the vegetation-restored areas were jointly-dominated by climate change and human activities, whereas approximately 36% and 10% of the restored areas were controlled individually by climate change and human activities, respectively. In addition, the share of climate-change dominated areas differed greatly by grassland types, characterized by a much larger area percentage in the alpine grasslands than that in the temperate grasslands and an increasing area share with a drying background climate. This study suggested that human activities were not primarily responsible for the vegetation restoration in northern temperate grasslands and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau alpine grasslands, but they could decrease and even cancel the possible vegetation degeneration caused by worsening climate in a few regions. Long-term monitoring of vegetation dynamics and a multi-method comparison are needed in future studies.

[Spatial-temporal Variation in Net Primary Productivity in Terrestrial Vegetation Ecosystems and Its Driving Forces in Southwest China]

Studying the spatial-temporal variation in net primary productivity (NPP) in terrestrial vegetation ecosystems and its driving forces in southwest China is of great importance for regional eco-environmental protection. The spatial and temporal changes in net primary productivity (NPP) in terrestrial vegetation ecosystems and its responding characteristics to climate change and human activities were explored in this study on the basis of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NPP from 2000 to 2021, in situ meteorological data from 1999 to 2021, and land use type datasets from 2000 to 2020 using principal component analysis, residual analysis, Theil-Sen Median analysis, and partial correlation analysis. The results showed that on a temporal scale, the vegetation NPP showed a fluctuating upward trend, with a rate of 3.54 g·(m²·a)^-1in southwest China from 2000 to 2021. Meanwhile, under the influence of climate change and human activities, NPP of farmland, grassland, and forests all showed an upward trend, but the magnitude of the increasing trends of farmland NPP was the most significant. On the spatial scale, the areas with an upward trend in vegetation NPP accounted for 89.06% in southwest China, and the areas with significant and extremely significant increases were mainly distributed in southern Guangxi, eastern Sichuan, western Chongqing, and the junction areas of Yunnan and Guizhou. Climate change and human activities had dual effects on vegetation growth in southwest China, and the proportions of the areas with upward trends in farmland NPP were higher than that of grassland and forests both under the influences of climate change and human activities. The correlations between vegetation NPP and climate factors showed obvious regional differences in southwest China. On the regional scale, the areas with a positive correlation between vegetation NPP and temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration were greater than that of the areas with a negative correlation. However, an opposite relationship could be found between vegetation NPP and biological aridity/humidity index. Among them, the areas with a positive correlation between vegetation NPP and temperature were greater than that with other climate factors. In terms of different vegetation ecosystems, temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration had a stronger role in promoting NPP variation in the grassland ecosystem than in farmland and forest ecosystems. The transformation of other land use types to forest land had contributed to vegetation improvement in southwest China.

Activities Carried Out during the First COVID-19 Lockdown by Italian Citizens

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has altered how citizens engage in activities. This study describes the new activities citizens engaged in during the first lockdown, factors that helped them cope with the confinement, the supports they used the most, and which supports they would have liked to receive. This cross-sectional study consists of an online survey made of 49 questions that was completed by the citizens of the province of Reggio Emilia (Italy) from 4 May until 15 June 2020. The outcomes of this study were explored by focusing on four of the survey questions. Of the 1826 citizens who responded, 84.2% had started new leisure activities. Males, participants who lived in the plain or foothills, and those who experienced nervousness engaged less in new activities, while those whose employment status changed, whose lifestyle worsened, or whose use of alcohol increased engaged in more activities. The support of family and friends, leisure activities, continuing to work, and an optimistic attitude were perceived to be of help. Grocery delivery and hotlines providing any type of information and mental health support were used frequently; a lack of health and social care services and of support in reconciling work with childcare was perceived. Findings may help institutions and policy makers to better support citizens in any future circumstances requiring prolonged confinement.

IDENTIFICATION OF ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACT ON NATURAL HABITATS BY ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE QUANTIFICATION IN TWO NEOTROPICAL WILD CATS AND THEIR GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS

Human activities such as habitat degradation and fragmentation threaten biodiversity in Neotropical areas. This work proposes an analytical methodology to identify natural areas in Central America with anthropogenic impact, analyzing the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in accordance with their theoretical relationship with human-related activities. Sixteen ARGs were quantified in feces of different individuals of 13 jaguars (Panthera onca) and 13 pumas (Puma concolor) in three conservation areas in Costa Rica by real-time PCR. At least one ARG was detected in all samples. Of the ARGs encoding tetracycline resistance, the most frequent were tetQ and tetY (85% and 69%, respectively). The sulfonamides (sulI and sulII; 69% each), phenicols (catI and catII; 19% and 54%, respectively), and quinolones (qnrS; 12%) were also detected. The presence of human settlements, livestock farms (pigs, cattle, and poultry), roads, human health centers, flood zones, and rivers were identified within each area to generate an index of human activity. We found no difference between the presence of ARG by roads, agricultural activities, and human settlements (P>0.05). However, tetW showed higher percentages with porcine and bovine farms; both tetY and tetW were more frequent in jaguars than in pumas. Of concern is that many of the most contaminated samples were taken from national parks, such as Braulio Carrillo and Tortuguero, where animals should not have direct contact with humans.

Effects of Human Activities on Evapotranspiration and Its Components in Arid Areas

With the increasing impact of human activities on the environment, evapotranspiration (ET) has changed in arid areas, which further affects the water resources availability in the region. Therefore, understanding the impact of human activities on ET and its components is helpful to the management of water resources in arid areas. This study verified the accuracy of Fisher's model (PT-JPL model) for ET estimation in southern Xinjiang, China by using the evaporation complementarity theory dataset (AET dataset). The ET and the evapotranspiration components (T:E) of six land-use types were estimated in southern Xinjiang from 1982 to 2015, and the impact of human activities on ET was analyzed. In addition, the impact of four environmental factors (temperature (Temp), net radiation (Rn), relative humidity (RH), and NDVI) on ET were evaluated. The results showed that the calculated ET values of the PT-JPL model were close to the ET values of the AET dataset. The correlation coefficient (R2) was more than 0.8, and the NSE was close to 1. In grassland, water area, urban industrial and mining land, forest land, and cultivated land, the ET values were high, and in unused land types, the ET values were the lowest. The T:E values varied greatly in urban industrial and mining land, forest land, and cultivated land, which was due to the intensification of human activities, and the values were close to 1 in summer in recent years. Among the four environmental factors, temperature largely influenced the monthly ET. These findings suggest that human activities have significantly reduced soil evaporation and improved water use efficiency. The impact of human activities on environmental factors has caused changes in ET and its components, and appropriate oasis expansion is more conducive to regional sustainable development.

Multiple pressures and vegetation conditions shape the spatiotemporal variations of ecosystem services in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Human activities and environmental change can impact the supply of ecosystem services (ESs) as pressures. Understanding the mechanisms of these impacts is crucial to support ecological conservation and restoration policy and applications. In this study, we highlighted the contribution of vegetation to mitigating these impacts on ESs in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) of China. First, we identified hot and cold spots of pressures from human activities and environmental factors and mapped the cumulative provision of five ESs (i.e., water yield, soil retention, carbon sequestration, habitat quality, and landscape aesthetics). Then, we clustered these ESs into five bundles based on their supply level. Furthermore, structural equation modeling was used to quantify the pathways of multiple pressures on ESs. The results indicated that 1) for 2000, 2010 and 2019, the percentages of hot spots with high pressure were 28.88%, 27.59% and 45.66% respectively, with significant spatial heterogeneity from northwest to southeast; 2) both regions with high and low cumulative ES values experienced increased volatility; and 3) the joint effects of multiple pressures shaped ESs through pressure-ES (direct) and pressure-vegetation-ES (indirect) pathways. Specifically, precipitation had the largest positive effect on regulating services (rα ≥ 0.76), and landscape fragmentation had the largest negative effect on cultural services (-0.10 ≤ rα ≤ -0.07). Vegetation played an important role in modulating multiple pressures on ESs. This study contributes to ecosystem management by effectively coping with anthropogenic and environmental pressures and sustaining the supply of ESs, particularly in alpine and plateau regions.

Analyzing the Trends of COVID-19 and Human Activity Intensity in Malaysia

COVID-19 has struck the world with multiple waves. Each wave was caused by a variant and presented different peaks and baselines. This made the identification of waves with the time series of the cases a difficult task. Human activity intensities may affect the occurrence of an outbreak. We demonstrated a metric of time series, namely log-moving-average-ratio (LMAR), to identify the waves and directions of the changes in the disease cases and check-ins (MySejahtera). Based on the detected waves and changes, we explore the relationship between the two. Using the stimulus-organism-response model with our results, we presented a four-stage model: (1) government-imposed movement restrictions, (2) revenge travel, (3) self-imposed movement reduction, and (4) the new normal. The inverse patterns between check-ins and pandemic waves suggested that the self-imposed movement reduction would naturally happen and would be sufficient for a smaller epidemic wave. People may spontaneously be aware of the severity of epidemic situations and take appropriate disease prevention measures to reduce the risks of exposure and infection. In summary, LMAR is more sensitive to the waves and could be adopted to characterize the association between travel willingness and confirmed disease cases.

[Spatio-temporal Variation in Vegetation Cover and Its Driving Mechanism Exploration in Southwest China from 2000 to 2020]

Using the MOD13A3 NDVI time series from 2000 to 2020, climate date from 1999 to 2020, and land use type data in 2000 and 2020, the spatio-temporal variation in vegetation cover and the driving mechanisms of climate change and human activities to vegetation variation were analyzed based on Theil-Sen Median analysis, the Mann-Kendall significance test, the multi-collinearity test, residual analysis, and relative analysis. The results showed that the vegetation cover exhibited a fluctuating and increasing trend with a magnitude of 0.0016 a^-1 in southwest China from 2000 to 2020. The increasing trend of vegetation cover was mostly significant in the Guangxi Hills and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and slightly significant in the Tibet Plateau. The vegetation cover had increased in the context of climate change and human activities, with an increasing rate of 0.0010 a^-1 and 0.0006 a^-1, respectively. The vegetation improvement was mostly dominated by the combination effects of climate change and human activities. The vegetation improvement was dominated by climate change, and the relative role of climate change reached 61.86%. What is more, the vegetation degradation was dominated by human activities, and the relative role of human activities reached 58.39%. Vegetation cover was positively related to minimum temperature, precipitation, maximum temperature, potential evapotranspiration rate, and relative humidity and negatively related to mean temperature, atmosphere pressure, sunshine duration, warmth index, and humidity index. As a whole, the minimum temperature, sunshine duration, and precipitation were the dominant climate factors affecting the vegetation variation in southwest China. Furthermore, the land use and land cover change were significantly related to vegetation variation in southwest China. The implementation of ecological afforestation projects could be beneficial to regional vegetation improvement, whereas the vegetation degradation was mostly conducted by the built-up land expansion.

Assessing the Effects of Human Activities on Terrestrial Net Primary Productivity of Grasslands in Typical Ecologically Fragile Areas

Global enhanced human activities have deeply influenced grassland ecosystems. Quantifying the impact of human activities on grasslands is crucial to understanding the grassland dynamic change mechanism, such as grassland degradation, and to establishing ecosystem protection measures. In this study, potential net primary productivity (PNPP), actual NPP (ANPP), and the forage harvest NPP (HNPP) were employed to establish the human activities index (HAI) to reveal the spatiotemporal changes of the effects of human activities on grassland ecosystems in eastern Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2017, and to further explore the relationship between human activities and grassland degradation. The results showed that the total average PNPP, ANPP, and HNPP of grasslands in eastern Inner Mongolia were 187.2 Tg C yr^-1, 152.3 Tg C yr^-1, and 8.9 Tg C yr^-1, respectively, during the period of 2000 to 2017. The HAI exhibited a clear decreasing trend during the study period, with annual mean values ranging from 0.75 to 0.47, which indicates that the NPP loss induced by human activities is weakening, and this trend is dominated by the difference between potential NPP and actual NPP. About 42.4% of the study area was non-degraded grassland, and the declining grassland degradation index (GDI) indicated that the degradation grade in eastern Inner Mongolia improved from moderate to light degradation. A positive relationship was found between HAI and GDI. This relationship was more significant in Xilingol League, which is a typical ecologically fragile area, than that in Xing'an League and Hulunbuir City.

Environmental Factors Affecting Freshwater Snail Intermediate Hosts in Shenzhen and Adjacent Region, South China

Sound knowledge of the local distribution and diversity of freshwater snail intermediate hosts and the factors driving the occurrence and abundance of them is crucial to understanding snail-borne parasitic disease transmission and to setting up effective interventions in endemic areas. In this study, we investigated the freshwater snails, water quality parameters, physical characteristics of habitats, predators and competitors, and human activity variables at 102 sites during December 2018 and August 2019 in Shenzhen and adjacent areas in China. We used decision tree models and canonical correspondence analysis to identify the main environmental and biotic factors affecting the occurrence and abundance of snail species. A total of nine species of snail were collected throughout the study area, with Biomphalaria straminea, Sinotaia quadrata, and Physella acuta being the most predominant species. Our study showed that the most important variables affecting the abundance and occurrence of snail species were the presence of predators and competitors, macrophyte cover, chlorophyll-a, substrate type, river depth, and water velocity. In terms of human activities, snail species occurred more frequently and in larger numbers in water bodies affected by human disturbances, especially for sewage discharge, which may reduce the occurrence and abundance of snail predators and competitors. These findings suggest that proper management of water bodies to reduce water pollution may increase the abundance of snail predators and competitors, and should be considered in integrated snail control strategies in the study area.

Net Primary Productivity Variations Associated with Climate Change and Human Activities in Nanjing Metropolitan Area of China

Rapid economic development has changed land use and population density, which in turn affects the stability and carbon sequestration capacity of regional ecosystems. Net primary productivity (NPP) can reflect the carbon sequestration capacity of ecosystems and is affected by both climate change and human activities. Therefore, quantifying the relative contributions of climate change and human activities on NPP can help us understand the impact of climate change and human activities on the carbon sequestration capacity of ecosystems. At present, researchers have paid more attention to the impact of climate change and land use change on NPP. However, few studies have analyzed the response of the NPP to gross domestic product (GDP) and population density variations on a pixel scale. Therefore, this paper analyzes the impact of climate change and human activities to NPP on a pixel scale in the Nanjing metropolitan area. During the period 2000-2019, the annual mean NPP was 494.89 g C·m^-2·year^-1, and the NPP in the south of the Nanjing metropolitan area was higher than that in the north. The NPP was higher in the forest, followed by unused land, grassland, and cropland. In the past 20 years, the annual mean NPP showed a significant upward trend, with a growth rate of 3.78 g C·m^-2·year^-1. The increase in temperature and precipitation has led to an increasing trend of regional NPP, and the impact of precipitation on NPP was more significant than that of temperature. The transformation of land use from low-NPP type to high-NPP type also led to an increase in NPP. Land use change from high-NPP type to low-NPP type was the main cause of regional NPP decline. Residual analysis was used to analyze the impact of human activities on NPP. Over the last 20 years, the NPP affected by human activities (NPP_hum) showed a high spatial pattern in the south and a low spatial pattern in the north, and the annual mean NPP_hum also showed a fluctuating upward trend, with a growth rate of 2.00 g C·m^-2·year^-1. The NPP_hum was influenced by both GDP and population density, and the impact of population density on NPP was greater than that of GDP.

Estimation of Functional Reserve in Patients with Hospital-Associated Deconditioning

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to analyze the applicability of sit-to-stand (STS) muscle power tests for evaluating functional reserve in patients with hospital-associated deconditioning (HAD).

METHODS

This study is a single group preliminary observational study. STS tests were performed in the early stages of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment, and the interval changes in the clinical indicators were assessed after four weeks of clinical observation. A STS capacity ratio was estimated by the time duration of five STS repetitions (5r-STS) and the maximum number of STS repetitions over 30 s (30s-STS); the activities were measured using a three-dimension motion capture system and force plate.

RESULTS

After 4 weeks of comprehensive rehabilitation, the 10 m gait speed (p = 0.004), hand grip power (p = 0.022), hip extensor power (p = 0.002), Berg balance scale (p < 0.001), and modified Barthel index (MBI) (p = 0.001), respectively, were significantly improved. The force plate-derived (FPD) 30s-STS power and the number of repeats in the FPD 30s-STS showed a positive correlation with improvements in the hand grip power (Spearman's Rho = 0.477, p = 0.045), hip extensor power (Spearman's Rho = 0.482, p = 0.043), and MAI (Spearman's Rho = 0.481, p = 0.043), respectively. The STS capacity ratio was correlated with higher improvements in the 10 m gait speed (Spearman's Rho = 0.503, p = 0.034), hip extensor power (Spearman's Rho = 0.494, p = 0.037), and MBI (Spearman's Rho = 0.595, p = 0.009). Despite individual variability in the differences between the FPD and estimated STS power, the results for the correlation between the STS capacity ratio and clinical outcomes were consistent.

CONCLUSIONS

The STS capacity ratio showed a positive correlation with the clinical outcomes, including gait speed, and may reflect a part of the functional reserve excluding the individual variability of performance.

Evaluation of the Occurrence of Staphylococcaceae with Reduced Susceptibility to Cefoxitin in Wild Ungulates in Brandenburg, Germany, Based on Land Use-Related Factors

Interactions between natural and human-used environments have a significant influence on the spread of antimicrobial resistance in wild ecosystems. Despite current knowledge, fundamental questions about the degree of impact of land use-related factors on the spread of antimicrobial-resistant staphylococci in European wild game animal populations have not yet been answered with certainty. In this study, we evaluated the occurrence of Staphylococcaceae showing reduced susceptibility to cefoxitin in nasal swabs of fallow deer (Dama dama), red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and wild boar (Sus scrofa) hunted in Brandenburg, Germany. Evaluations were focused on the use of open-source data regarding the extent as well as the degree of land use, especially for settlement or animal husbandry. Results showed that the detection rate of Staphylococcaceae showing a non-wild-type phenotype for cefoxitin differed between animal species of the studied hunting districts. Statistical analyses of results combined with data on land use features revealed that a high density of cattle or poultry in a county may be associated with an increased detection rate in roe deer or wild boar, respectively. Furthermore, positive correlations were determined between the prevalence of non-wild-type Staphylococcaceae in roe deer or fallow deer and the proportional extent of surface water bodies in the corresponding area. The presented approach establishes a general basis for a risk-oriented assessment of the effects of human activities on the epidemiology of transmissible microorganisms in the human-animal-environment interface, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. IMPORTANCE Intensive research regarding the impact of land use-related factors on the prevalence and distribution of antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcaceae in game ungulate populations is necessary for adequately determining risks related to interactions between wild animals, domestic animals, and humans in common geographic locations. This systematic approach for the analysis of the observations in specific hunting districts of Brandenburg, Germany, adds an innovative value to the research strategy of antimicrobial resistance in wild game animals, which is in accordance with current recommendations worldwide. Thus, results and information obtained in this study build a relevant foundation for future risk assessment regarding the safety of game products. Furthermore, the data generated represent an important basis for improving existing guidelines in land use practices and hunting practices. The use of existing open source data collections provided by official governmental and nongovernmental entities increases not only the impact but also the applicability and comparability of information beyond the regional level.

Vegetation Dynamics in Response to Climate Change and Human Activities in a Typical Alpine Region in the Tibetan Plateau

Understanding past and future vegetation dynamics is important for assessing the effectiveness of ecological engineering, designing policies for adaptive ecological management, and improving the ecological environment. Here, inter-annual changes in vegetation dynamics during 2000-2020, contributions of climate change (CC) and human activities (HA) to vegetation dynamics, and sustainability of vegetation dynamics in the future were determined in Gannan Prefecture (a typical alpine region in the Tibetan Plateau), China. MODIS-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), air temperature, precipitation, and land cover data were used, and trend analysis, multiple regression residuals analysis, and Hurst exponent analysis were employed. NDVI increased at a rate of 2.4 × 10^-3∙a^-1 during the growing season, and vegetation improved in most parts of the study area and some sporadically degraded areas also existed. The increasing rate was the highest in the Grain to Green Project (GTGP) areas. The vegetation in the southern and northern regions was mainly affected by CC and HA, respectively, with CC and HA contributions to vegetation change being 52.32% and 47.68%, respectively. The GTGP area (59.89%) was most evidently affected by HA. Moreover, a Hurst exponent analysis indicated that, in the future, the vegetation in Gannan Prefecture would continuously improve. The study can assist in formulating ecological protection and restoration projects and ensuring sustainable development.

Holocene landscape evolution and its interaction with human activities in the southern piedmont of Taihang Mountain, Central China

Piedmont zones have been witnessing intensive human activities since ancient times. However, it remains unclear when it comes to the environmental mechanism for early humans exploiting piedmont zones. Here we present a case study about the interactions between early human activities and landscape evolution in the piedmont of Taihang Mountain, an area with prominent ecological and cultural significance in Chinese history. Based on chronological and pollen analyses, we reconstruct the regional landscape evolution in the Fengtougang (FTG) site of southern Taihang Mountain during the Holocene. The results show that the area has been dominated by terrestrial plants since the late Longshan culture (4000 BP), including a large number of Pinus, Artemisia, Spiraea, and Gramineae, a few Cattails, and some other aquatic herbs. During the early history (4000-2000 BP), there is a combination of Pinus, Artemisia, Spiraea, Compositae, and Selaginella Chinensis, with a few aquatic plants. Since the late history (500 BP), the Chinese selaginella, Pinus, Selaginella, and Sedge families dominate, with no aquatic plant pollen found. Combining the detailed geoarchaeological survey, grain size analysis, and magnetic susceptibility analysis, we demonstrate that there should be a landscape of extensive floodplain during the early-middle Holocene (10000-4000 BP). During the late Longshan culture (about 4000 BP), the study area should be dominated by a landscape of sparse forest grassland with interlacing rivers and lakes. With river downcutting and watercourse fixation since the late Longshan culture, the flooded area massively shrinks, providing suitable habitat for human settlement. From then on, human activities begin to move to the study area on a large scale, followed by continuous cultural development and thriving early civilization.

[Characteristics and Sources of DOM in Lake Sediments Under Different Inundation Environments]

The characteristics and sources of DOM in sediments are significantly affected by fluctuations in lake water levels. However, the impact of spatial differences on water levels remain unclear. Here, 36 sediment samples were collected from the flood passage and coastal beach of East Dongting Lake. The differences in the composition and source of DOM in sediments under perennial inundation and seasonal inundation were studied using UV-visible absorbance (UV-Vis) and fluorescent excitation-emission matrix (EEM)-parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Three fluorescent components of DOM in the sediment were identified. The relative abundance of protein-like components was as high as (72.95±8.94)%, including tryptophan (C2) and tyrosine (C3). However, the humic-like component (C1) abundance was (27.05±8.94)%. Compared with that in perennial inundation, DOM in seasonal inundation had a higher and lower relative abundance of protein-like components and humic-like components, respectively. Further, the aromatic and hydrophobic components were higher in perennial inundation, showing a spatial pattern of the middle>entrance>outlet of the lake, which was more conducive to the migration of pollutants. The high FI (1.93) and BIX (0.91) and low HIX (1.57) indicated that the DOM in sediments had the mixed characteristics of being mainly endogenic and relatively weakly terrigenous. This was mainly influenced by human input and sediment characteristics. The direct effect of sewage discharge was intensified by sediment exposure in the seasonal inundation zone. Additionally, the contents of clay and total nitrogen (TN) were significantly positively correlated with FI, indicating that high nutrients and clay in sediments enhanced the endogenous input of DOM (FI>1.9). The perennial inundation zone was influenced by external runoff input. At the same time, the pH and C/N were significantly positively correlated with HIX and C1, indicating that DOM in the sediments had higher terrigenic characteristics (HIX=1.38±0.57) than those in the seasonal inundation zone owing to the alkaline environment (pH>7.5) and runoff input. The results above revealed the relevant theories of the response of DOM in sediment to water quality and pollution in the process of hydrology and human activities and provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of sediment pollution in lakes.

Variation in Vegetation and Its Driving Force in the Pearl River Delta Region of China

Vegetation is an important part of a regional ecological environment and vegetation coverage can reflect the health of a regional ecological environment. Through an analysis of and research into changes in the vegetation NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and its driving factors in the Pearl River Delta region, the spatial−temporal pattern of vegetation changes and the driving factors can be measured. It is of significance to improve the ecological environment quality of the Pearl River Delta region and to promote the sustainable development of the regional economy. Based on SPOT/VEGETATION NDVI satellite remote sensing data, meteorological data, population density data, and gross domestic product (GDP) data during the period 2000−2019, this paper analyzed the temporal and spatial trends of the vegetation NDVI as well as the climate factors and human activities in the Pearl River Delta on a pixel scale. The correlations between the vegetation NDVI and precipitation, temperature, population density, GDP, and other factors were also estimated. The results showed that during the period 2000−2019, the annual mean NDVI significantly increased, with a growth rate of 0.0044 (R2 = 0.71, p < 0.0001). The NDVI in the center of the Pearl River Delta was lower than that in other regions. As far as the driving factors of the NDVI were concerned, among the climatic factors, the response of the NDVI to temperature was higher than that for precipitation in the Pearl River Delta. Human activities had changed from a negative hindering effect on the NDVI to a positive promoting effect. The correlation between the NDVI and the GDP was higher than that for population density. Policy factors such as the “Grain for Green Project” as well as an increase in the sown area of crops and land use changes were also important driving factors of the NDVI. It is suggested that the NDVI can be increased by the implementation of artificial afforestation policies, building a “Green City”, and moderately increasing the sown area of crops.

[Responding Mechanism of Vegetation Cover to Climate Change and Human Activities in Southwest China from 2000 to 2020]

Studying vegetation cover variation and its responding mechanism to climate change and human activities is of great significance for regional ecological protection and vegetation restoration. In this study, on the basis of MODIS NDVI, in situ climate data, and land use type data using Theil-Sen Median analysis, the Mann-Kendall significance test, residual analysis, partial correlation analysis, and multi-correlation analysis, the spatial and temporal variation in vegetation cover and its response to climate change and the land use/land cover change in each geomorphological unit in southwest China were analyzed. The vegetation cover showed a fluctuant increasing trend, and the changing trend exhibited obvious spatial heterogeneity, with the increasing rate being higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest of southwest China from 2000 to 2020. The vegetation variation was dominated by positive effects of the climate change and human activities in southwest China, and the positive effects were stronger in Guangxi Hill than those in other geomorphological units. Furthermore, from 2000 to 2020 the vegetation cover was positively associated with precipitation and temperature and negatively correlated with relative humidity and sunshine duration in southwest China. Temperature was considered to be the dominate climate factor controlling the vegetation variation in the study area. Urban expansion had decreased the region vegetation cover, but the overall vegetation cover had increased in southwest China due to the suitable regional climate conditions and the implementation of ecological reforestation projection. These results can provide scientific references for ecological protection and economic sustainable development in southwest China.

Lake Chemodiversity Driven by Natural and Anthropogenic Factors

As extremely active sites processing terrestrially derived dissolved organic matter (DOM), lakes deserve sufficient attention. Because of high-complexity interactions between DOM and the surrounding environment, the natural and anthropogenic drivers controlling the composition and chemodiversity of DOM molecules in lakes remain unclear. Here, 13,952 DOM molecules were identified and assessed in 45 lakes across China via ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the effects of both natural and anthropogenic factors on the DOM composition, DOM chemodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions were investigated. The majority of the variations in DOM chemical composition could be attributed to the differences in the hydrology and nutrient concentrations of the lakes, and human activities also played a role, mainly through atmospheric pollution. Environmental factors mainly influenced DOM chemodiversity in the form of S-containing compounds. N-containing compounds exhibited a positive correlation with CO₂ emissions, while N- and S-free compounds exhibited a positive correlation with N₂O emissions. These results facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between lake DOM and the surrounding environment, thereby providing a reference for the formulation of strategies aimed at the harmonious development of human and natural environments.

[Provenance of Groundwater Solute and Its Controlling Factors in Yancheng Area]

Affected by human activities and climate change, the deterioration of groundwater quality could continue to intensify, and it is difficult to repair after being polluted. In order to reduce the vulnerability of groundwater safety, it is urgent to strengthen research on groundwater quality. To analyze the characteristics of hydrochemical composition and control factors and to explore the impact of human activities, groundwater sampling was conducted in the alluvial and marine plains of Yancheng area, where industrial and agricultural activities were intense. The results showed that:① the TDS value of shallow groundwater was between 211 and 3790 mg·L^-1, of which, brackish water samples accounted for 30.28% in Yancheng. The order of the concentration of anions and cations was:HCO₃^->Cl^->SO₄^2->NO₃^- and Na⁺>Ca²⁺>Mg²⁺>K⁺. However, from Type Ⅰ/Ⅱ water to Type Ⅴ water, with the increase in TDS value, the dominant anions and cations evolved from HCO₃ type to Cl/SO₄ type and from Ca type to Na type, respectively. ② In the initial Type Ⅰ/Ⅱ water bodies, Na⁺ should have mainly originated from the weathering erosion of albite, whereas Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and HCO₃^- should have had a common rock weathering source. In the subsequent water quality evolution process, the factors that led the TDS value to increase, or even to exceed the standard, were not limited to rock weathering, and the effects of evaporation-concentration and ion exchange were also very worthy of attention. ③ The enrichment factor analysis showed that the Cl^- and SO₄^2- were mainly from the input of sea salt sources, and their proportions were gradually increasing from the freshwater areas of Type Ⅰ/Ⅱ in the west to the brackish water areas in the east. However, Ca²⁺, K⁺, and HCO₃^- were mainly derived from crustal sources, and Ca²⁺ was precipitated due to saturation. ④ The NO₃^- derived from agricultural fertilizers was limited to water of category Ⅰ/Ⅱ and Ⅲ-1 (500 mg·L^-1 < TDS ≤ 750 mg·L^-1). Discharge of urban sewage mainly affected Type Ⅲ water bodies. The nitrates formed by agricultural organic fertilizers were mainly distributed in the water of Type Ⅳ and Ⅴ, which was the main rice-producing area of Sheyang, Jiangsu, and the SO₄^2- formed by human activities in this area could be ignored. These should be one of the achievements in the development of regional ecological agriculture.

Estimation of the Seasonal Inhaled Deposited Dose of Particulate Matter in the Respiratory System of Urban Individuals Living in an Eastern Mediterranean City

In this study, we present an estimation for the inhaled deposited dose rate in adult males and females during common exposure scenarios to urban background aerosols in an Eastern Mediterranean city (Amman, Jordan) based on a one-year database of measured particle number size distribution. The dose rates show seasonal variations reflecting the physical characteristics (i.e., modal structure) of the particle number size distribution. An additional factor was the varying deposition fraction (DF) for different regions and different human activities (exercising versus resting). The total dose rate was 3 × 10⁹-65 × 10⁹ particles/h (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ doses 1-22 µg/h and 9-210 µg/h; respectively) depending on the gender, activity, and season. Based on the particle number metrics, the inhaled deposited dose in the head, Tracheobronchial, and alveolar were 7-16%, 16-28%, and 56-76%; respectively. Based on the PM_2.5 metric, the corresponding dose rate was 9-41%,13-19%; and 46-72% respectively. As for the PM₁₀ metric, they were 25-75%, 7-35%, and 15-55%; respectively.

Assessment of Climate Change and Human Activities on Vegetation Development in Northeast China

Vegetation in Northeast China (NEC) has faced dual challenges posed by climate change and human activities. However, the factors dominating vegetation development and their contribution remain unclear. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the response of vegetation in different land cover types, climate regions, and time scales to water availability from 1990 to 2018 based on the relationship between normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). The effects of human activities and climate change on vegetation development were quantitatively evaluated using the residual analysis method. We found that the area percentage with positive correlation between NDVI and SPEI increased with time scales. NDVI of grass, sparse vegetation, rain-fed crop, and built-up land as well as sub-humid and semi-arid areas (drylands) correlated positively with SPEI, and the correlations increased with time scales. The negatively correlated area was concentrated in humid areas or areas covered by forests and shrubs. Vegetation water surplus in humid areas weakens with warming, and vegetation water constraints in drylands enhance. Moreover, potential evapotranspiration had an overall negative effect on vegetation, and precipitation was a controlling factor for vegetation development in semi-arid areas. A total of 53% of the total area in NEC showed a trend of improvement, which is mainly attributed to human activities (93%), especially through the implementation of ecological restoration projects in NEC. The relative role of human activities and climate change in vegetation degradation areas were 56% and 44%, respectively. Our findings highlight that the government should more explicitly consider the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the influence of human activities and water availability on vegetation under changing climate and improve the resilience of regional water resources. The relative proportions and roles map of climate change and human activities in vegetation change areas provide a basis for government to formulate local-based management policies.

[Historical Changes and Responses to Human Activities of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Lake Sediments from Northern China During the Past 100 Years]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of concern globally because of their carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic, and bio-accumulative effects. Northern China is one of the regions in China with a high density of lakes; however, the lake aquatic environment is becoming seriously deteriorated, especially from PAH pollution due to the intensification of human activities during the past 100 years. Therefore, the spatial distribution and historical changes in PAHs in lake sediments from northern China were analyzed to indicate their response to anthropogenic emissions and pollution reduction actions. The ω(PAHs) in lake sediments ranged from 18.2 to 1205.0 ng·g^-1, and low molecular weight PAHs were the dominant compounds. PAH concentrations increased from the 1950s to a peak level in the 2000s, which was induced mainly by increased energy consumption and rapid economy development, with PAH levels decreasing subsequently in the last 10 years due to craft improvement of wastewater treatment plants and the promotion of new energy policies. Spatially, PAHs pollution in Northeast and North China was more serious than that in Northwest China due to the higher level of economic development and energy consumption. Source apportionment results revealed that historical PAH emissions transferred from biomass combustion to a mixture of coal and petroleum combustion. In addition, the results of ecological risk assessment showed that the synthetic sediment quality index (SeQI) of northern China ranged from 36 to 75, and North and Northeast China posed higher ecological risk than that in Northwest China, with phenanthrene (Phe), acenaphthylene (Ace), acenaphthylene (Acy), and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (DahA) as the main risk contributors.

Atmospheric Organic Nitrogen Deposition in Strategic Water Sources of China after COVID-19 Lockdown

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition (AND) may lead to water acidification and eutrophication. In the five months after December 2019, China took strict isolation and COVID-19 prevention measures, thereby causing lockdowns for approximately 1.4 billion people. The Danjiangkou Reservoir refers to the water source in the middle route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China, where the AND has increased significantly; thus, the human activities during the COVID-19 period is a unique case to study the influence of AND to water quality. This work monitored the AND distribution around the Danjiangkou Reservoir, including agricultural, urban, traffic, yard, and forest areas. After lockdown, the DTN, DON, and Urea-N were 1.99 kg · hm⁻² · month⁻¹, 0.80 kg · hm⁻² · month⁻¹, and 0.15 kg · hm⁻² · month⁻¹, respectively. The detected values for DTN, DON, and Urea-N in the lockdown period decreased by 9.6%, 30.4%, and 28.97%, respectively, compared to 2019. The reduction in human activities is the reason for the decrease. The urban travel intensity in Nanyang city reduced from 6 to 1 during the lockdown period; the 3 million population which should normally travel out from city were in isolation at home before May. The fertilization action to wheat and orange were also delayed.

[Driving Mechanism of the Spatiotemporal Evolution of Vegetation in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020]

The NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) was used as the vegetation coverage index. Based on the NDVI and weather data from 2000 to 2020, the characteristics of the spatiotemporal evolution and the driving mechanism of vegetation were investigated by using correlation analysis, the Theil-Sen estimator, the Mann-Kendall method, and multivariate residual trend analysis. The results showed that the growing season average NDVI in the Yellow River basin was a fluctuating upward trend of 0.005 a^-1 from 2000 to 2020. Areas with significantly improved vegetation in the basin were mainly distributed in the Qinling Mountains, the Northern Shaanxi Plateau, and the Lvliang Mountains in the midstream. The average value of the partial correlation coefficient between the growing season average NDVI and rainfall in the Yellow River basin was 0.57, and the average value of the partial correlation coefficient between the growing season average NDVI and temperature was 0.49. The impact of rainfall on vegetation was higher than that of temperature. The areas where human activities significantly improved vegetation growth were mainly distributed in the northern Shaanxi Plateau, the Lvliang Mountains, and southern Ningxia. The areas where human activities inhibited vegetation growth were mainly distributed in cities with strong human activities such as Yinchuan, Baotou, Xi'an, Luoyang, Zhengzhou, and Taiyuan. Human activities and climate change contributed to 72% and 28% of the vegetation change in the Yellow River basin. Driven by human activities and climate change, the area where vegetation growth has improved in the Yellow River basin accounted for 96.4% of the basin area, of which the contribution rate of human activities greater than 80% of the area accounted for 34.3%, which was mainly distributed in the middle and southeast of the basin. The area with a contribution rate of climate change greater than 80% accounted for 4.2%, which was mainly distributed in the Sichuan-Tibet Plateau and Longzhong Loess Plateau in the basin. The results of this research can provide scientific support for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.

Landscape Evolution and It's Impact of Ecosystem Service Value of the Wuhan City, China

Rapid urbanization and industrialization and enhanced ecological protection measures have greatly influenced landscape change, which has exacerbated regional landscape competition and conflicts and indirectly affected the supply of ecosystem services. Clarifying the relationship between ecosystem service change and landscape change is useful for understanding the impact of ecosystem conversion on socio-economic development and providing a knowledge base for relevant policy decisions. In this study, we used remote sensing technology to process Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI imageries, combined with transformation analysis and kernel density analysis to study the spatial and temporal characteristics of land use change in Wuhan City from 1980 to 2020. We also estimated the ESV in the region using the improved unit area value equivalent method to reveal the trends of ESV changes in Wuhan. The results showed that land use changes in Wuhan during 1980–2020 occurred mainly in terms of decreases in farmland, forestland, and bare land, as well as increases in built-up land and water bodies. The built-up land was mainly concentrated in the main urban areas, but its area in each suburban area has increased in recent years. In contrast, farmland was mainly distributed in suburban areas, and its area has been decreasing in recent years due to the impact of urban expansion. However, the reduction is compensated for by the reclamation of ecological land such as grassland and forestland, which has aggravated the loss of ecosystem service values in the study area. In addition, human activities such as urban expansion have increased the demand for water resources, while also leading to ecological problems such as water scarcity and water quality degradation, which have caused serious losses to key ecosystem services in Wuhan city. Therefore, in order to alleviate the competition and conflicts in the landscape and mitigate the loss of ecosystem service values in this area, we have proposed some constructive suggestions for future urban planning and water quality improvements in Wuhan. The focus of these suggestions is on controlling the expansion of built-up land, as well as the conservation of ecological land and resource protection. Meanwhile, our findings can also provide reference information for land resource planning and ecological monitoring, and help researchers to understand the contribution of ecosystem service functions in relation to socio-economic development.

Impacts of Human Activities on Ecosystem Service Value in Arid and Semi-Arid Ecological Regions of China

The quantitative and spatial–temporal variations in the characteristics of ecosystem value can be helpful to improve environmental protection and climate adaptation measures and adjust the balance between economic development and the ecological environment. The arid and semi-arid regions of China are undergoing the effects of climate change across the entire northern hemisphere. Their ecological environments are fragile and in conflict with anthropogenic activities, which significantly altered more ecosystems services in these regions. Therefore, estimating the effects of anthropogenic activities on ecosystem services is important for formulating ecological policy and regional environmental mitigation plans of these regions. This study employed the model of ecosystem service value (ESV) assessment and the bivariate spatial autocorrelation method to reveal the spatiotemporal variations in the characteristics of ecosystem value in the arid and semi-arid ecological regions of China and its interaction with human activities. Results showed that (1) the total value of ES of the study area increased from USD 487,807 billion in 2000 to USD 67,831,150 billion 2020; (2) the ES value provided by forest land first increased by 5.60% from 2000 to 2020; (3) the ESV provided by grassland showed an overall decline over the 20 years. Food and raw material production showed the lowest ES value, and climate regulation and soil conservation decreased from 2000 to 2020; (4) the index of human footprint patches decreased from 45.80% in 2000 to 17.63% in 2020, while the high and very high human footprint index areas increased significantly, mainly due to the rapid urbanization and improvement of railway networks in these areas. Spatially, the regions with high human footprint were mostly dispersed in the northeastern of China such as Shanxi and Gansu, whereas the regions with a low human footprint remained mainly located in the central and southwestern parts of China; (5) significant spatial dependencies between changes in ESV and the human footprint index were recorded. Our study could provide a scientific basis for ecosystem functions regulation and land development security in arid and semi-arid ecological regions.

Association between health literacy and physical activity in older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Physical inactivity is common in older people and contributes to morbidity and mortality. Health literacy might play a role in motivating people to become or stay physically active. However, little is known about the influence of health literacy on physical activity in older people. This review aims to determine the association between health literacy and physical activity in older people. A systematic search was conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychINFO and CENTRAL. Inclusion criteria: (i) community-dwelling people with an average age of ≥55 and (ii) reported on the association between health literacy and physical activity. Exclusion criteria: (i) population with a health condition and (ii) case study or qualitative study. Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. Risk of bias was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist. A meta-analysis was conducted using random-effects models with inverse variance. Thirteen articles were included in the review and five articles were selected for the meta-analysis. Older people with inadequate health literacy were 38% less likely than older people with adequate health literacy to report engaging in physical activity on ≥5 days per week [odds ratio = 0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55-0.77]. Only two articles used activity monitors; the mean number of steps taken per day was not significantly different between older people with adequate and inadequate health literacy (standardized mean difference = -0.15, 95% CI -0.30 to 0.01). Physical activity could potentially be fostered by increasing health literacy and empowering older people to make beneficial health decisions.

Exploring Spatial Variations in the Relationships between Landscape Functions and Human Activities in Suburban Rural Communities: A Case Study in Jiangning District, China

There is a complicated and contradictory relationship between landscape functions and human activities, especially in the suburban rural communities of metropolises. Previous studies focused on human interference to landscape function, ignoring the impact of landscape functions on human activities. Hence, the present study is focused on the impact of landscape function (based on ecosystem services) on human activities in suburban rural communities of China. The study evaluated the intensity of human activities based on big data; furthermore, the authors analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics through spatial autocorrelation, and probed into the spatial variations in the relationship between human activities and landscape functions using ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models. The result indicates that there are obvious spatial distribution differences in the intensity of human activities in suburban rural communities; that is, the intensity decreases from the inner to the outer suburban areas. Positive influencing factors of human activities are construction area, bus station, road network density, and leisure entertainment, among which, construction area is the principal driver; cultural heritage, hydrological regulation, and provision of aesthetics are negatively or positively correlated with human activities in various regions. The results offer insights for the sustainable development of rural environment in suburban areas and the big data-driven rural research.

Assessment of the Evolution of Groundwater Chemistry and Its Controlling Factors in the Huangshui River Basin of Northwestern China, Using Hydrochemistry and Multivariate Statistical Techniques

Groundwater is an eco-environmental factor and critical resource required for human life and socioeconomic development. Understanding the evolution of groundwater chemistry and its controlling factors are imperative for preventing its deterioration and ensuring its sustainable use. We studied the characteristics of groundwater chemistry in the Huangshui River Basin in Qinghai Province, China using hydrochemical techniques. Additionally, we identified the controlling factors of groundwater chemistry in this region using multivariate statistical techniques. Seventeen hydrochemical parameters of groundwater were investigated at 156 sites in June 2019. The results showed that total hardness, Fe, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, and Cl⁻ were primary pollution factors of groundwater in this region, and that 33.3%, 35.3%, 8.97%, 23.1%, and 7.69% of the samples exceeded Grade III standards for groundwater quality in China, respectively. Land use types also significantly affected groundwater hydrochemistry. The hydrochemical composition of groundwater in industrial areas is more strongly influenced by human activities. The major hydrochemical types identified in the region were HCO₃-Ca·Mg and HCO₃·SO₄-Ca·Mg. Additionally, high proportions of SO₄ (50.6%), Na (32.1%), and Cl (13.5%) groundwater types revealed the influence of anthropogenic activities on the groundwater hydrochemistry. Rock weathering was the major factor influencing the groundwater hydrochemistry, while evaporation–condensation and anthropogenic activities also influenced the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater. The hydrochemical composition of groundwater was mainly controlled by silicate rock weathering. The main controlling factors of groundwater hydrochemistry were water–rock interactions, “physicochemical” factors (nature processes), domestic sewage, chemical fertilizer, and industrial sewage (human activities).

Investment in science can mitigate the negative impacts of land use on declining primate populations

Changes in land use and the conversion of natural forests to agricultural fields and cattle pastures are threatening the survival of many species of wild animals, including nonhuman primates. Given its almost 1.4 billion people, China faces a difficult challenge in balancing economic development, human well-being, environmental protection, and animal conservation. We examined the effects of poverty, anthropogenic land use (cropland and pasture/grazing), human population growth, government investment in science and public attention to primates during the period from the 1980s to 2015 on primate population persistence in China. We analyzed these data using generalized mixed-effects models, structural equation models (SEM) and random forests (a machine learning technique). We found that 16 of 21 (76%) primate species in China, for which data are available, have experienced a population decline over the past 35 years. Factors contributing most to primate population decline included human poverty and the conversion of natural habitat to cropland. In contrast, the five species of primates that were characterized by recent population increases were the subjects of substantial government research funding and their remaining distribution occurs principally in protected areas (PAs). We argue that increased funding for research, the establishment and expansion of PAs, a national policy focused on reducing poverty, and educational programs designed to inform and encourage local people to participate in scientific investigation and wildlife protection, can mitigate the negative impacts of historical patterns of land conversion on primate population survival in China.

Effects of human activity on the habitat utilization of Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) in Zoige wetland

Human activity is increasingly and persistently disturbing nature and wild animals. Affected wildlife adopts multiple strategies to deal with different human influences. To explore the effect of human activity on habitat utilization of Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana), habitat utilization patterns of three neighboring marmot populations in habitats affected differently by human activities were recorded and compared. We found that (a) distance between reproductive burrows (a represent of reproductive pairs) becomes shorter under the influence of human activities, and more burrows were dug as temporary shelters, resulting in shorter distance between those shelters and shorter distance flee to those shelters and, consequently, shorter flight initiation distance when threatened. More burrows that are closer to the disturbed habitats improve the ability to escape from threats. (b) Reproductive burrow site selection of the species is determined by the availability of mounds in the habitat, and breeding pairs selectively build reproductive (also the hibernation) burrows on mounds, potentially to improve surveillance when basking and the drainage of burrows. Human activities generally drive breeding pairs away from the road to dig their reproductive burrows likely to reduce disturbance from vehicles. However, even heavy human activity exerts no pressure on the distance of reproductive burrows from the road or the mound volume of the high disturbance population, potentially because mounds are the best burrowing site to reproduce and hibernate in the habitat. Marmots deal with disturbance by digging more burrows in the habitat to flee more effectively and building reproductive burrows on mounds to gain better vigilance and drainage efficiency.

Assessing the Country-Level Excess All-Cause Mortality and the Impacts of Air Pollution and Human Activity during the COVID-19 Epidemic

The impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on cause-specific mortality has been investigated on a global scale. However, less is known about the excess all-cause mortality and air pollution-human activity responses. This study estimated the weekly excess all-cause mortality during COVID-19 and evaluated the impacts of air pollution and human activities on mortality variations during the 10th to 52nd weeks of 2020 among sixteen countries. A SARIMA model was adopted to estimate the mortality benchmark based on short-term mortality during 2015-2019 and calculate excess mortality. A quasi-likelihood Poisson-based GAM model was further applied for air pollution/human activity response evaluation, namely ground-level NO2 and PM2.5 and the visit frequencies of parks and workplaces. The findings showed that, compared with COVID-19 mortality (i.e., cause-specific mortality), excess all-cause mortality changed from -26.52% to 373.60% during the 10th to 52nd weeks across the sixteen countries examined, revealing higher excess all-cause mortality than COVID-19 mortality in most countries. For the impact of air pollution and human activities, the average country-level relative risk showed that one unit increase in weekly NO2, PM2.5, park visits and workplace visits was associated with approximately 1.54% increase and 0.19%, 0.23%, and 0.23% decrease in excess all-cause mortality, respectively. Moreover, compared with the impact on COVID-19 mortality, the relative risks of weekly NO2 and PM2.5 were lower, and the relative risks of weekly park and workplace visits were higher for excess all-cause mortality. These results suggest that the estimation based on excess all-cause mortality reduced the potential impact of air pollution and enhanced the influence of human activities compared with the estimation based on COVID-19 mortality.

Interpersonal Perception of Time-Use Patterns in Romantic Relationships: Protocol for the IP-COUPLES Study

BACKGROUND

Perceptual congruence has been defined as the level of agreement between partners on various aspects of their shared lives, including perceived engagement in individual and jointly performed activities. While the level of adjustment made by partners to such activities is thought to contribute to a couple's sense of mutuality, perceptions of time use concerning activity engagement has yet to be considered. As such, this study will determine the level of perceptual congruence between partners with respect to perceived time use in their respective and shared activities.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of the IP-COUPLES study is to determine the similarities and differences between partners in terms of their perceptual congruence with respect to independent and jointly performed activities. This study will also examine the association between independent and joint activities in terms of perceptual congruence of time use and the strength of this association.

METHODS

This descriptive observational study includes 100 couples from Western Switzerland who are recruited using snowball sampling methods. The Life Balance Inventory (LBI), a self-report questionnaire that captures activity configuration congruence, will measure independent and joint perceptions of both time use allocated to daily activities and corresponding satisfaction. Due to COVID-19, the protocol can be administered virtually by the primary investigator. The mean scores of perceptual congruence variables will be used for analysis, namely perceived congruence of time use in terms of independent and jointly performed activities. For the first objective, an independent t test will be used for each variable to compare the mean score between activities on the LBI. For the second objective, the correlations between the mean scores for these activities will be calculated for each variable using the Pearson correlation.

RESULTS

The IP-COUPLES study protocol was developed in 2019 and 2020. Enrollment began in June 2020. Data collection will continue until October 2021 to account for time needed for recruitment due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Analysis and presentation of results are expected in 2022.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is exploratory, as it is the first to our knowledge to investigate how perceived time-use patterns with respect to independent or jointly performed activities are similar or different among romantic couples. By investigating the interpersonal perception of time-use patterns among couples, the IP-COUPLES study is an important first step to understanding how romantic partners' daily activities are contributing to the level of satisfaction as a partner and as a couple and to the sense of mutuality between partners in a romantic relationship.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/21306.

Validity and Reliability of IPAQ-SF and GPAQ for Assessing Sedentary Behaviour in Adults in the European Union: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Current lifestyles are marked by sedentary behaviour; thus, it is of great importance for policymaking to have valid and reliable tools to measure sedentary behaviour in order to combat it. Therefore, the aim of this review and meta-analysis is to critically review, assess, and compile the reliability, criterion validity, and construct validity of the single-item sedentary behaviour questions within national language versions of most commonly used international physical activity questionnaires for adults in the European Union: The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. A total of 1749 records were screened, 287 full-text papers were read, and 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results and quality of studies were evaluated by the Quality Assessment of Physical Activity Questionnaires checklist. Meta-analysis indicated moderate to high reliability (r_w = 0.59) and concurrent validity (r_w = 0.55) of national language versions of single-item sedentary behaviour questions. Criterion validity was rather low (r_w = 0.23) but in concordance with previous studies. The risk of bias analysis highlighted the poor reporting of methods and results, with a total bias score of 0.42. Thus, we recommend using multi-item SB questionnaires and smart trackers for providing information on SB rather than single-item sedentary behaviour questions in physical activity questionnaires.