NON-PERFORMING LOANS AND FINANCIAL CONSUMER PROTECTION POLICIES: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM A BROAD INTERNATIONAL SAMPLE
Hanna Murina
This study explores the relationship between policy choices in financial consumer protection (FCP) and non-performing loans (NPLs) in a broad international context, recognising that NPLs negatively affect citizens’ well-being and the social pillar of sustainable development.
Nine FCP indices were constructed to capture distinct regulatory choices based on regulators’ responses to the World Bank FICP surveys. The estimation framework extends standard macroprudential models by adding institutional indicators for the general environment, as well as for the corporate and household credit segment, with the latter being represented by the FCP indices. We estimate seven models using an unbalanced dataset of 113 countries. These include a within model, two supplementary cross-sectional models, and four time–cross-section panel models that serve as the main specifications. Two FCP indices show unfavourable associations with NPL dynamics – financial inclusion (moderate) and credit pricing (small) – while three show favourable associations – financial literacy (moderate), credit reporting (moderate), and regulatory capacity (large).
Four other indices – information disclosure, affordability, fair treatment, and debt resolution – do not show sufficient evidence of association with NPL dynamics.
Financial inclusion shows a concerning association, suggesting a potential trade-off between wider credit access and credit quality, which may be particularly acute under weak responsible-lending requirements. By contrast, the small positive association for credit pricing is economically minor and may be explained by a denominator effect arising from lower pre-COVID NPL levels.
Policies on financial literacy, credit reporting, and regulatory capacity show evidence of robust negative associations, indicating favourable outcomes in terms of NPL dynamics for these policy choices. The FCP policies represented by the other four indices may still be favourable for citizens’ well-being through effects not captured in this NPL-focused analysis, which is also constrained by the short and small panel dataset.
Economics as a science, Business
Dual effects of JAK vs TNF inhibitors on osteoporosis, fractures and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis: a real-world cohort study
Chunyan Huang, Daorong Hong, Yao-Min Hung
et al.
PurposeThis real-world study compared the effects of JAK inhibitors (JAKi) versus TNF inhibitors (TNFi) on bone health and survival in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using the collaborative electronic health records (EHR) database network (2016-2024). After 1:1 propensity score matching, 16, 572 JAKi and 16, 572 TNFi users were included, with follow-up for up to 5 years. Primary outcomes were a composite of “any fracture or osteoporosis, ” individual fracture and osteoporosis events, and all-cause mortality.ResultsIn the propensity score–matched cohort, JAKi use was associated with a lower risk of the composite outcome (HR = 0.930) and osteoporosis (HR = 0.906) compared with TNFi. However, a reduction in fracture risk was not clearly observed. JAKi use was also associated with higher all-cause mortality (HR = 1.582). Subgroup estimates suggested potential heterogeneity, but these findings were exploratory.ConclusionIn this large EHR-based cohort, JAKi initiation was associated with lower rates of osteoporosis-related outcomes but higher all-cause mortality compared with TNFi. Given the observational design, potential residual confounding, and limited follow-up for many patients, these findings should be interpreted as associations and warrant confirmation in other datasets and prospective studies.RationaleTo compare real-world associations of JAKi vs TNFi with bone outcomes and all-cause mortality in RA.Main resultIn a propensity score–matched cohort, JAKi use was associated with lower osteoporosis-related outcomes but higher all-cause mortality compared with TNFi.SignificanceThese observational findings suggest a potential trade-off and highlight the need for individualized risk–benefit discussions and confirmation in other datasets/prospective studies.
Immunologic diseases. Allergy
Invited review: Management of genetic defects in dairy cattle populations
John B. Cole, Christine F. Baes, Sophie A.E. Eaglen
et al.
ABSTRACT: When related animals are mated to one another, genetic defects may become apparent if recessive mutations are inherited from both sides of the pedigree. The widespread availability of high-density DNA genotypes for millions of animals has made it possible to identify and track known defects as well as to identify and track previously unknown defects that cause early embryonic losses. Although the number of known defects has increased over time, the availability of carrier information has been used to dramatically reduce the frequency of many disorders. The economic impact of known genetic defects in the US dairy cattle population has decreased by ∼2/3 since 2016, due largely to the avoidance of carrier-to-carrier matings. Effective population management requires robust systems for reporting new defects, identification of causal mechanisms, and development of commercially available tests. The United States and Canada depend on informal cooperation among many groups, including farmers, purebred cattle associations, genetics companies, and researchers, to identify emerging and causal defects. The structure of a collaborative system including all key sectors of the dairy cattle industry to support long-term population management is described. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the landscape surrounding genetic defects in dairy cattle. Topics covered include current defects of relevance to commercial dairy producers, trends in carrier frequencies over time, how best to manage these defects, strategies for detecting emerging diseases, and marketing and trade considerations.
Dairy processing. Dairy products, Dairying
Appropriate or appropriative? Diversity ideologies, judgment factors, and condemnation of cultural appropriation
Rui Zhang, Melody M. Chao, Jaee Cho
et al.
Cultural appropriation is a critique of cultural borrowing or outgroup cultural use, typically when a more powerful cultural group adopts cultural elements from a less powerful group. Accusations of appropriation have been fiercely debated in recent years, which raises questions about appropriate vs. appropriative adoption of another group's culture. We propose that these different evaluations hinge in part on diversity ideologies. In four studies of U.S. participants (total N = 1,549), we examined the differing effects of three diversity ideologies (colorblindness, multiculturalism, and polyculturalism) on judgments of common cases of cultural appropriation. We found that multiculturalism was associated with harsher judgment, whereas colorblindness and polyculturalism were associated with more lenient judgment. Additionally, we explored the perception of the costs and benefits involved in cultural appropriation and found the associations between diversity ideologies and judgments to be mediated by perceived misrepresentation, permission, distinctiveness, and honorific intent. We conclude that each diversity ideology makes different trade-offs salient in the perceived costs and benefits of cultural use across groups.
The Power of Collaboration: Resilience of the Apparel Industry in Ghana during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Cynthia Akua Chichi, Benjamin Kwablah Asinyo, Eunice Owusu-Antwi
et al.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the collaborative efforts that were utilised in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, where industries worldwide faced unparalleled challenges that disrupted standards and demanded rapid adjustment. This study examines how public-private collaboration enhanced operational resilience in Ghana's apparel industry during COVID-19 supply chain disruptions, using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) production as a critical adaptive response.
Methodology/Design: This study employed a descriptive case study approach that analysed 38 semi-structured interviews across three enterprise tiers (5 T1, 7 T2, 26 T3) and 1 (one) representative from The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry (MOTAI), supplemented by documentary analysis of production records and policy documents. This approach was used to examine the powerful collaboration between the apparel industry in Ghana. Data obtained was analysed using thematic analysis and themes related to products manufactured before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration, resilience strategies, and outcomes were identified and categorised based on the research objectives.
Findings: By examining these unique efforts of government, stakeholders, and organisations, this study highlights the power of collaborative proposals in mitigating the extraneous effects of the pandemic and moving the industry toward sustainable growth. The study reveals the strategies and partnerships that emerged, ultimately underscoring how collaboration stood as a pillar in navigating the unacquainted terrains of the pandemic. The crisis response generated $18.7M in domestic PPE contracts, preserving 86% of pre-pandemic employment levels through three key mechanisms: 1) cross-tier production associations, 2) government-backed raw material financing, and 3) workforce reskilling enterprises.
Practical and Social Implications: This study has implications for government intervention in policy-making and investment in the apparel industry in Ghana. If these are utilised, they will enhance the capacity for expansion through local sourcing from the Textile industry in Ghana, which will create more jobs and strengthen the local economy. Improvements will be seen in the supply chain and operations of companies in the industry, helping them penetrate the global market.
Originality: This study highlights the outstanding resilience of the industry, which also serves as evidence of the capacity collaborative efforts can play in ensuring a dynamic and adjustable business in the face of unparalleled situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
Trade, Political Distance and the World Trade Organization
Samuel Hardwick
Trade agreements are often understood as shielding commerce from fluctuations in political relations. This paper provides evidence that World Trade Organization membership reduces the penalty of political distance on trade at the extensive margin. Using a structural gravity framework covering 1948 to 2023 and two measures of political distance, based on high-frequency events data and UN General Assembly votes, GATT/WTO status is consistently associated with a wider range of products traded between politically distant partners. The association is strongest in the early WTO years (1995 to 2008). Events-based estimates also suggest attenuation at the intensive margin, while UN vote-based estimates do not. Across all specifications, GATT/WTO membership increases aggregate trade volumes. The results indicate that a function of the multilateral trading system has been to foster new trade links across political divides, while raising trade volumes among both close and distant partners.
Measuring trade costs and analyzing the determinants of trade growth between Cambodia and major trading partners: 1993 to 2019
Borin Keo, Bin Li, Waqas Younis
High trade costs pose substantial barriers to the process of trade liberalization. This study aims to measure trade costs and explore the driving forces behind the growth of bilateral trade between Cambodia and its top 30 trading partners from 1993 to 2019. Using a micro-founded measure of trade costs derived from the gravity model, we find that Cambodia's average trade costs decreased by 35.43 percent between 1993 and 2019. Fluctuations in average trade costs persisted until 2014, despite Cambodia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2004. Since then, these costs have declined more rapidly. Cambodia's bilateral trade costs are lower with its major trading partners in Southeast Asia and East Asia than with those in South Asia, Oceania, Europe, and North America. Cambodia's average trade costs with developing and emerging economies are lower than those with developed economies. Between 2014 and 2019, Cambodia experienced a notable decline in average trade costs with trading partners along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) corridors by 34.78 percent, twice as fast as with non-BRI trading partners. Regarding the decomposition of trade growth, we find that the expansion of Cambodian trade over the period from 1993 to 2019 was driven by three factors: the rise in income (59.65 percent), the decline in trade costs (56.69 percent), and the decline in multilateral resistance (minus 16.34 percent). The findings of this study have significant implications for a better understanding of Cambodia's development process toward global trade integration over the past two decades. Our results suggest that Cambodia can optimize its trade expansion potential by focusing on its relations with trading partners exhibiting high economic growth potential and those showing substantial reductions in trade costs.
A Game Theoretic Treatment of Contagion in Trade Networks
John S. McAlister, Jesse L. Brunner, Danielle J. Galvin
et al.
Global trade of material goods involves the potential to create pathways for the spread of infectious pathogens. One trade sector in which this synergy is clearly critical is that of wildlife trade networks. This highly complex system involves important and understudied bidirectional coupling between the economic decision making of the stakeholders and the contagion dynamics on the emergent trade network. While each of these components are independently well studied, there is a meaningful gap in understanding the feedback dynamics that can arise between them. In the present study, we describe a general game theoretic model for trade networks of goods susceptible to contagion. The primary result relies on the acyclic nature of the trade network and shows that, through the course of trading with stochastic infections, the probability of infection converges to a directly computable fixed point. This allows us to compute best responses and thus identify equilibria in the game. We present ways to use this model to describe and evaluate trade networks in terms of global and individual risk of infection under a wide variety of structural or individual modifications to the trade network. In capturing the bidirectional coupling of the system, we provide critical insight into the global and individual drivers and consequences for risks of infection inherent in and arising from the global wildlife trade, and any economic trade network with associated contagion risks.
No Trade Under Verifiable Information
Spyros Galanis
No trade theorems examine conditions under which agents cannot agree to disagree on the value of a security which pays according to some state of nature, thus preventing any mutual agreement to trade. A large literature has examined conditions which imply no trade, such as relaxing the common prior and common knowledge assumptions, as well as allowing for agents who are boundedly rational or ambiguity averse. We contribute to this literature by examining conditions on the private information of agents that reveals, or verifies, the true value of the security. We argue that these conditions can offer insights in three different settings: insider trading, the connection of low liquidity in markets with no trade, and trading using public blockchains and oracles.
Trade and pollution: Evidence from India
Malin Niemi, Nicklas Nordfors, Anna Tompsett
What happens to pollution when developing countries open their borders to trade? Theoretical predictions are ambiguous, and empirical evidence remains limited. We study the effects of the 1991 Indian trade liberalization reform on water pollution. The reform abruptly and unexpectedly lowered import tariffs, increasing exposure to trade. Larger tariff reductions are associated with relative increases in water pollution. The estimated effects imply a 0.11 standard deviation increase in water pollution for the median district exposed to the tariff reform.
Will AI Trade? A Computational Inversion of the No-Trade Theorem
Hanyu Li, Xiaotie Deng
Classic no-trade theorems attribute trade to heterogeneous beliefs. We re-examine this conclusion for AI agents, asking if trade can arise from computational limitations, under common beliefs. We model agents' bounded computational rationality within an unfolding game framework, where computational power determines the complexity of its strategy. Our central finding inverts the classic paradigm: a stable no-trade outcome (Nash equilibrium) is reached only when "almost rational" agents have slightly different computational power. Paradoxically, when agents possess identical power, they may fail to converge to equilibrium, resulting in persistent strategic adjustments that constitute a form of trade. This instability is exacerbated if agents can strategically under-utilize their computational resources, which eliminates any chance of equilibrium in Matching Pennies scenarios. Our results suggest that the inherent computational limitations of AI agents can lead to situations where equilibrium is not reached, creating a more lively and unpredictable trade environment than traditional models would predict.
Racial and ethnic disparities in mortality among World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees with post‐9/11 cancer
Rebecca D. Kehm, Jiehui Li, James E. Cone
Abstract Introduction There are well‐documented racial and ethnic disparities in mortality after cancer in the general population, but less is known about whether disparities also exist in disaster‐exposed populations. Methods We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of 4341 enrollees in the World Trade Center Health Registry (WTCHR) with a first‐ever primary invasive cancer diagnosis after 9/11/2001 and followed through 2020. We examined associations of race and ethnicity with all‐cause mortality risk and cause‐specific mortality risk using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models and Fine and Gray's proportional sub‐distribution hazards models, respectively. Models were adjusted for baseline characteristics and tumor characteristics. We also examined models further adjusted for socioeconomic status (SES), and we used inverse odds weighting to formally test for mediation by SES. Results Compared to non‐Hispanic White enrollees with cancer, non‐Hispanic Blacks had higher risks for all‐cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.02–1.41) and non‐cancer mortality (aHR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.09–2.01) in the full model. In the model without SES, Hispanic enrollees with cancer had higher risks for all‐cause mortality (aHR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.09–1.60) and cancer mortality (aHR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.05–1.64) compared to non‐Hispanic Whites; these associations became not statistically significant in the full model. In the inverse odds weighting analysis, SES explained 24% and 29% of the disparity in all‐cause mortality risk observed in non‐Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics, respectively, compared to non‐Hispanic Whites. Conclusion This study found that there are racial and ethnic disparities in mortality after cancer in the WTCHR. Additional studies are needed to further explore the factors mediating these disparities.
Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens
International Trade Flow Prediction with Bilateral Trade Provisions
Zijie Pan, Stepan Gordeev, Jiahui Zhao
et al.
This paper presents a novel methodology for predicting international bilateral trade flows, emphasizing the growing importance of Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) in the global trade landscape. Acknowledging the limitations of traditional models like the Gravity Model of Trade, this study introduces a two-stage approach combining explainable machine learning and factorization models. The first stage employs SHAP Explainer for effective variable selection, identifying key provisions in PTAs, while the second stage utilizes Factorization Machine models to analyze the pairwise interaction effects of these provisions on trade flows. By analyzing comprehensive datasets, the paper demonstrates the efficacy of this approach. The findings not only enhance the predictive accuracy of trade flow models but also offer deeper insights into the complex dynamics of international trade, influenced by specific bilateral trade provisions.
Quantifying Global Food Trade: A Net Caloric Content Approach to Food Trade Network Analysis
Xiaopeng Wang, Chengyi Tu, Shuhao Chen
et al.
As the global population and the per capita demand for resource intensive diets continues to grow, the corresponding increase in food demand challenges the global food system, enhancing its reliance on trade. Most previous research typically constructed either unweighted networks or weighted solely by tonnage to represent food trade, and focused on bilateral trade relationships between pairs of countries. This study investigates the properties of global food trade constructed in terms of total food calories associated with all the main food products exchanged along each trade link (edge of the food trade network). Utilizing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization between 1986 and 2022, we construct a directed, weighted network of net caloric flows between countries. This approach highlights the importance of considering nutritional value in discussions of food security and trade policies, offering a more holistic view of global food trade dynamics. Our analysis reveals significant heterogeneity in trade patterns, with certain countries emerging as major exporters or importers of food calories. Moreover, we employ network measures, including network connectivity, network heterogeneity, network modularity, and node correlation similarity, to elucidate the structural dynamics of global net food calorie trade networks that are relevant to the stability and resilience of the global food system. Our work provides a more nuanced understanding of global food trade dynamics, emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies to enhance the resilience and sustainability of food trade networks.
Identifying where nature-based solutions can offer win-wins for carbon mitigation and biodiversity across knowledge systems
Christopher M. Raymond, Alex M. Lechner, Minttu Havu
et al.
Abstract Managing nature-based solutions (NBS) in urban areas for carbon mitigation and biodiversity outcomes is a global policy challenge, yet little is known about how to both assess and weave diverse knowledge systems and values into carbon-biodiversity trade-off assessments. This paper examines the spatial relationships between biophysical and social values for carbon sequestration potential (measured as carbon dioxide, CO2, flux) and biodiversity in Helsinki, Finland, using integrated valuation. The approach combines methods from carbon sequestration modelling, expert scoring approaches to biodiversity assessment and public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS). Results indicate strong spatial associations between biophysical assessment of CO2 flux and biodiversity priorities, and weaker associations between biophysical and social values. Integration of social and biophysical values leads to multiple pathways for protection of NBS to achieve carbon mitigation and biodiversity outcomes, as well as options for the spatial targeting of education and capacity building programs to areas of local concern.
Urbanization. City and country, City planning
Automated face recognition using deep neural networks produces robust primate social networks and sociality measures
Daniel P. Schofield, Gregory F. Albery, Josh A. Firth
et al.
Abstract Longitudinal video archives of behaviour are crucial for examining how sociality shifts over the lifespan in wild animals. New approaches adopting computer vision technology hold serious potential to capture interactions and associations between individuals in video at large scale; however, such approaches need a priori validation, as methods of sampling and defining edges for social networks can substantially impact results. Here, we apply a deep learning face recognition model to generate association networks of wild chimpanzees using 17 years of a video archive from Bossou, Guinea. Using 7 million detections from 100 h of video footage, we examined how varying the size of fixed temporal windows (i.e. aggregation rates) for defining edges impact individual‐level gregariousness scores. The highest and lowest aggregation rates produced divergent values, indicating that different rates of aggregation capture different association patterns. To avoid any potential bias from false positives and negatives from automated detection, an intermediate aggregation rate should be used to reduce error across multiple variables. Individual‐level network‐derived traits were highly repeatable, indicating strong inter‐individual variation in association patterns across years and highlighting the reliability of the method to capture consistent individual‐level patterns of sociality over time. We found no reliable effects of age and sex on social behaviour and despite a significant drop in population size over the study period, individual estimates of gregariousness remained stable over time. We believe that our automated framework will be of broad utility to ethology and conservation, enabling the investigation of animal social behaviour from video footage at large scale, low cost and high reproducibility. We explore the implications of our findings for understanding variation in sociality patterns in wild ape populations. Furthermore, we examine the trade‐offs involved in using face recognition technology to generate social networks and sociality measures. Finally, we outline the steps for the broader deployment of this technology for analysis of large‐scale datasets in ecology and evolution.
Theoretical foundation for the Pareto distribution of international trade strength and introduction of an equation for international trade forecasting
Mikrajuddin Abdullah
I propose a new terminology, international trade strength, which is defined as the ratio of a country's total international trade to its GDP. This parameter represents a country's ability to generate international trade by utilizing its GDP. This figure is equivalent to GDP per capita, which represents a country's ability to use its population to generate GDP. Trade strength varies by country. The intriguing question is, what distribution function does the trade strength fulfill? In this paper, a theoretical foundation for predicting the distribution of trade strength and the rate of change of trade strength were developed. These two quantities were found to satisfy the Pareto distribution function. The equations were confirmed using data from the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) and the World Bank by comparing the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) to five types of distribution functions (exponential, lognormal, gamma, Pareto, and Weibull). I also discovered that the fitting Pareto power parameter is fairly close to the theoretical parameter. In addition, a formula for forecasting a country's total international trade in the following years was also developed.
Trajectories of sickness absence and disability pension days among 189,321 white-collar workers in the trade and retail industry; a 7-year longitudinal Swedish cohort study
Kristin Farrants, Kristina Alexanderson
Abstract Objective 1) identify different trajectories of annual mean number of sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP) days among privately employed white-collar workers in the trade and retail industries and 2) investigate if sociodemographic and work-related characteristics were associated with trajectory membership. Methods A longitudinal population-based cohort register study of all white-collar workers in the trade and retail industry in 2012 in Sweden (N = 189,321), with SA and DP data for 2010–2016. Group-based trajectory analysis was used to identify groups of individuals who followed similar trajectories of SA/DP days. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine associations between sociodemographic and work-related factors and trajectory membership. Results We identified four trajectories of SA/DP days. Most individuals (73%) belonged to the trajectory with 0 days during all seven years, followed by a trajectory of few days each year (24%). Very small minorities belonged to a trajectory with increasing SA/DP days (1%) or to constantly high SA/DP (2%). Men had a lower risk of belonging to any of the three trajectories with SA/DP than women (OR Low SA/DP 0.42, 95% CI 0.41–0.44; Increasing SA/DP 0.34, 0.30–0.38; High SA/DP 0.33, 0.29–0.37). Individuals in occupations with low job control had a higher risk of belonging to the trajectory High SA/DP (OR low demands/low control 1.51; 95% CI 1.25–1.83; medium demands/low control 1.47, 1.21–1.78; high demands/low control 1.35, 1.13–1.61). Conclusion Most white-collar belonged to trajectories with no or low SA/DP. Level of job control was more strongly associated with trajectory memberships than level of job demands.
Public aspects of medicine
Life history trade-offs associated with exposure to low maternal capital are different in sons compared to daughters: Evidence from a prospective Brazilian birth cohort
Jonathan C. K. Wells, Tim J. Cole, Mario Cortina-Borja
et al.
BackgroundEnvironmental exposures in early life explain variability in many physiological and behavioural traits in adulthood. Recently, we showed that exposure to a composite marker of low maternal capital explained the clustering of adverse behavioural and physical traits in adult daughters in a Brazilian birth cohort. These associations were strongly mediated by whether or not the daughter had reproduced by the age of 18 years. Using evolutionary life history theory, we attributed these associations to trade-offs between competing outcomes, whereby daughters exposed to low maternal capital prioritised investment in reproduction and defence over maintenance and growth. However, little is known about such trade-offs in sons.MethodsWe investigated 2,024 mother–son dyads from the same birth cohort. We combined data on maternal height, body mass index, income, and education into a composite “maternal capital” index. Son outcomes included reproductive status at the age of 18 years, growth trajectory, adult anthropometry, body composition, cardio-metabolic risk, educational attainment, work status, and risky behaviour (smoking, violent crime). We tested whether sons' early reproduction and exposure to low maternal capital were associated with adverse outcomes and whether this accounted for the clustering of adverse outcomes within individuals.ResultsSons reproducing early were shorter, less educated, and more likely to be earning a salary and showing risky behaviour compared to those not reproducing, but did not differ in foetal growth. Low maternal capital was associated with a greater likelihood of sons' reproducing early, leaving school, and smoking. High maternal capital was positively associated with sons' birth weight, adult size, and staying in school. However, the greater adiposity of high-capital sons was associated with an unhealthier cardio-metabolic profile.ConclusionExposure to low maternal investment is associated with trade-offs between life history functions, helping to explain the clustering of adverse outcomes in sons. The patterns indicated future discounting, with reduced maternal investment associated with early reproduction but less investment in growth, education, or healthy behaviour. However, we also found differences compared to our analyses of daughters, with fewer physical costs associated with early reproduction. Exposure to intergenerational “cycles of disadvantage” has different effects on sons vs. daughters, hence interventions may have sex-specific consequences.
Public aspects of medicine
Responses of leaf functional traits to different hydrological regimes and leaf economics spectrum in the water level fluctuation zone of Three Gorges Reservoir, China
Xiaoling Li, Xiaoling Li, Di He
et al.
A unique riparian ecosystem has been created as a result of anti-seasonal flooding after reservoir operations, which notably influences the distribution patterns of plant communities and their functional characteristics in the riparian zone. Plant functional traits which reflect the physiological and ecological processes of plants in particular ecosystems are crucial for indicating the variations in the ecosystem structure and function. To better understand the adaptation strategies of plants to hydrological changes and provide a scientific basis for the selection of species in the re-vegetation of the newly formed ecosystems, 14 leaf functional traits and leaf economics spectrum (LES) of 19 dominant plants under different hydrological conditions were investigated in the water level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). The results showed that anti-seasonal flooding has significant effects on the leaf functional traits of plants (P < 0.05). The net photosynthetic rate of annual plants was significantly higher than that of perennial plants (P < 0.05), and there was a significant correlation between leaf phenotypic and photosynthetic traits (P < 0.05). Canonical correspondence analysis showed that soil water content and available phosphorus were the main factors affecting the leaf function of dominant species, indicating that hydrologic factors were still important environmental factors affecting leaf functional traits of dominant species in the WLFZ. And annuals from the WLFZ have characteristics of thick leaves, high photosynthetic rate, short lifespan, and high nutrient concentrations, which make them close to the fast investment-return end of LES. On the contrary, perennials are close to the slow investment-return end of LES. The high productivity investment of annuals is better than the high defense investment of perennials for adapting to the special habitats in the WLFZ. These results indicated that different functional plants in the WLFZ of the TGR under different hydrological regimes can adopt different strategies by weighing the associations and trade-offs between their economic traits.