Anuran interorbital distance variation:the role of ecological and behavioral factors

Eye position varies significantly among taxonomic levels,and this variation is often shaped by ecological and behavioral factors.Eye position is often positively associated with interorbital distance where species with broad visualfields possess a large distance between the left and right eye.Selective pressures underlying the evolution of the eye position are especially studied in birds and mammals.However,selective pressures underlying the evo-lution of anuran eye position which can be indicated by interorbital distance keep unknown.Here,we investigated the effects of ecological(e.g.habitat type,light availability)and behavioral factors(e.g.activity pattern,foraging mobility,and defensive strategy)on variations in interorbital distance among 260 anuran species in China.Our results showed that variations of the interorbital distance can be significantly predicted by the activity pattern.Noc-turnal species had larger interorbital distance than both nocturnal and diurnal species.We also found that foraging mobility and defensive strategy markedly affected variation of interorbital distance.Species having slower foraging mobility and possessing poison glands had larger interorbital distance than species having faster foraging mobility and possessing non-position glands.Light availability tended to be associated with variation of interorbital distance,indicating that species living in weak light tended to possess larger interorbital distance.However,variations of the interorbital space were not associated with habitat type in anurans.Ourfindings suggest that anuran behaviors play key roles in shaping visualfields and eye position,thus affecting the evolution of interorbital distance.

Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Obesity among Adolescents in Secondary School in Onitsha, South East Nigeria

Background: The prevalence of obesity among adolescent has been on the increase worldwide. This is probably a result of increase in the sedentary life style and the increasing shift to western diet. Obesity in children and adolescents has adverse consequences. These include increase in the rate of Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, etc with resultant increase in premature deaths. Objectives: To determine the socio-demographic and behavioral factors associated with overweight and obesity in apparently healthy secondary school adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of secondary school adolescents aged 10 - 19 years randomly selected from two public schools and three private schools. The weight and heights of study subjects were measured using standard equipment. Body mass index (BMI) was appropriately calculated and the WHO growth reference standard for age and gender, specific percentile for BMI was used to define overweight 85th to 97th and obese (97th percentile and above). Results: Data were initially collected from 1250 participants, but 52 were excluded due to improperly completed questionnaires. Thus, a total of 1198 students were ultimately included in the study, giving a response rate of 95.8%. These included 621 females (51.8%) and 577 males (48.2%) aged 10 - 19 years giving a F:M ratio of 1:0.9. The mean age of the students was 15.07 ± 1.96 years overall, 15.13 ± 2.08 years for males and 15.03 ± 1.83 years for females. There was no statistically significant difference between male and female in the distribution of age groups (p = 0.12). The mean BMI was 21.51 ± 3.57 kg/m2 for females and 20.22 ± 3.16 kg/m2 for males. The BMI was significantly higher in females in all age groups (p < 0.001) except those aged 10 - p = 0.13). The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were higher in females than males (17.7% vs 10.7%, 5.6% vs 4.5% respectively;p ≤ 12 yrs;p = 0.04). The frequent consumption of sugar based beverages (p p p = 0.03) were significantly associated with both overweight and obesity (p p p < 0.001) were also significantly associated with obesity. Conclusion: Sociodemographic factors such as gender, socioeconomic status and behavioral patterns were major contributors to obesity. Behavioral interventions including regulating the intake of sugar based beverages and reducing the time spent on sedentary activities could be useful strategies in reducing the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents.

Association between Selenium in Soil and Diabetes in Chinese Residents Aged 35–74 Years:Results from the 2010 National Survey of Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance

Objective To explore the association between soil selenium levels and the risk of diabetes in Chinese adults aged 35–74 years.Methods Data for this study were derived from the China Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance 2010 survey.Selenium concentrations in soil were obtained from the Atlas of Soil Environmental Background Values in China.A two-level binary logistic regression model was used to determine the association between soil selenium concentrations and the risk of diabetes,with participants nested within districts/counties.Results A total of 69,332 participants aged 35–74 years,from 158 districts/counties were included in the analysis.Concentrations of selenium in soil varied greatly across the 158 districts/counties,with a median concentration of 0.219 mg/kg(IQR:0.185–0.248).The results showed that both Quartile 1(0.119–0.185 mg/kg)and Quartile 4(0.249–0.344 mg/kg)groups were positively associated with diabetes compared to a soil selenium concentration of 0.186–0.219 mg/kg(Quartile 2),crude odds ratios(ORs)(95%CI)were 1.227(1.003–1.502)and 1.280(1.048–1.563).The P values were 0.045 and 0.013,for Quartile 1 and Quartile 4 groups,respectively.After adjusting for all confounding factors of interest,the Quartile 1 group became non-significant,and the Quartile 4 group had an adjusted OR(95%CI)of 1.203(1.018–1.421)relative to the reference group(Quartile 2),the P values was 0.030.No significant results were seen for the Quartile 3 group(0.220–0.248 mg/kg)compared to the reference group.Conclusion Excessive selenium concentrations in soil could increase the risk of diabetes among Chinese adults aged 35–74 years.

Constructing Statistical Intervals for Small Area Estimates Based on Generalized Linear Mixed Model in Health Surveys

Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) has been widely used in small area estimation for health indicators. Bayesian estimation is usually used to construct statistical intervals, however, its computational intensity is a big challenge for large complex surveys. Frequentist approaches, such as bootstrapping, and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, are also applied but not evaluated in terms of the interval magnitude, width, and the computational time consumed. The 2013 Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data was used as a case study. County-level estimated prevalence of three health-related outcomes was obtained through a GLMM;and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were generated from bootstrapping and MC simulation. The intervals were compared to 95% credential intervals through a hierarchial Bayesian model. The results showed that 95% CIs for county-level estimates of each outcome by using MC simulation were similar to the 95% credible intervals generated by Bayesian estimation and were the most computationally efficient. It could be a viable option for constructing statistical intervals for small area estimation in public health practice.

Sedentary lifestyle among adults in Jordan,2007

Objective:Sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for physical and mental problems,such as cardiovascular,musculoskeletal diseases,and psychological stress.About 60% of the world’s population is not sufficiently physically active in leisure time or during work and social activities.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of inactive Jordanian adults and describe their demo-graphic and behavioral characteristics.Methods:The study used data from the behavioral risk factors surveillance survey conducted in Jordan in 2007.The sample size was 3654.Respondents who were physically inactive for more than 240 min daily(sleep time not included)were considered to have a sedentary lifestyle.Data were analyzed with the program SPSS.Results:The prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle was 82.8%(2965 respondents),with a mean sedentary time of 587 min(95%confidence interval 581-594 min).Among the physically inactive adults,52.6% were men,one third of them aged 35-44 years.Sedentary lifestyle was reported by 30% of those with a secondary level of education or above.Of those with a sedentary lifestyle,37.6% were housewives and 37.5% were employees;66% of them were overweight and obese.Of the physically inactive people,2.5%had a history of heart failure and 1.3%had a history of cer-ebrovascular accidents;57.2% of them tried to engage more in physical activity and almost three quarters of them were interested in improving their dietary habits.Conclusion:Most Jordanian adults have a sedentary lifestyle,which emphasizes that there is a public health problem.Many of them are attempting to lead a healthier lifestyle.Therefore,there is an urgent need to launch an applicable national plan that enables people to practice a healthier lifestyle.