Exploring the Holiday Effect on Air Temperatures.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Jiang S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6298989 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:A worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has forced the Government of Bangladesh to implement a lockdown during April-May 2020 by restricting people's movement; shutdown of industries and motor vehicles; and closing markets, public places, and schools to contain the virus. This type of strict measures caused an outcome, the reduction of urban air pollution, around the world. The present study aims to investigate the reduction of the concentration of pollutants in the air of Dhaka City and the reduction of the Air Quality Index (AQI). Necessary time-series data of the concentration of PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO have been collected from the archive of the Air Quality Monitoring Station of the US Embassy in Dhaka and Sentinel-5P. The time-series data have been analyzed by descriptive statistics, and AQI was calculated following an appropriate formula suggested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on the criteria pollutants. The study found that the concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO during April-May 2020 have been reduced by 26, 30, 07, and 07%, respectively, compared with the preceding year's concentrations. Moreover, the AQI has also been reduced by about 35% on average during the lockdown period than the same times of the previous year. However, the magnitude of pollution reduction in Dhaka is lower than in other cities and countries globally, including Delhi, Sao Paulo, Wuhan, Spain, Italy, the USA. The main reasons may include, among others, the poor implementation of lockdown (especially in the first week of April and the second fortnight of May), pre-existing pollution, transboundary pollution, incineration of solid waste, etc. This study will help policymakers figure out how to regulate pollution sources and improve the air quality of Dhaka.
| S-EPMC8128090 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundA "Christmas holiday effect" showing elevated cardiovascular mortality over the Christmas holidays (December 25 to January 7) was demonstrated previously in study from the United States. To separate the effect of seasonality from any holiday effect, a matching analysis was conducted for New Zealand, where the Christmas holiday period falls within the summer season.Methods and resultsNew Zealand mortality data for a 25-year period (1988-2013) was analyzed based on the same methodology used in the previous study. Locally weighted smoothing was used to calculate an "expected" number of deaths for each day of the year. The expected value was compared with the actual number of deaths. In addition, mean age at death was estimated and used to assess the life-years lost due to excess mortality. There were 738 409 deaths (197 109 coded as cardiac deaths) during the period. We found evidence of a Christmas holiday effect in our of medical facility's cardiac deaths, with an excess event rate of 4.2% (95% CI 0.7-7.7%) leading to ?4 additional deaths per annum. The average age of those with fatal cardiac deaths was 76.8 years (SD 13.5) during the Christmas holiday period, resulting in 148 to 222 years of life lost per annum.ConclusionsCardiac mortality is elevated during the Christmas holiday period relative to surrounding time periods. Our findings are consistent with a previously reported study conducted in the United States, suggesting that cardiac mortality does not take a "summer break."
| S-EPMC5210403 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution and environmental temperatures influence cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent evidence suggests that several air pollutants can promote dyslipidemia; however, the impact of ambient PM2.5 and temperature on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function remains unclear. We hypothesized that daily exposures to higher levels of ambient PM2.5 and colder outdoor temperatures would impair HDL functionality. Lipoproteins, serum cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC), and HDL oxidation markers were measured twice in 50 healthy adults (age 32.1 ± 9.6 years) living in southeast Michigan and associated with ambient and personal-level exposures using mixed models. Although previous 7-day mean outdoor temperature (4.4 ± 9.8°C) and PM2.5 levels (9.1 ± 1.8 µg/m3) were low, higher ambient PM2.5 exposures (per 10 µg/m3) were associated with significant increases in the total cholesterol-to-HDL-C ratio (rolling average lag days 1 and 2) as well as reductions in CEC by -1.93% (lag day 5, p?=?0.022) and -1.62% (lag day 6, p?=?0.032). Colder outdoor temperatures (per 10°C) were also associated with decreases in CEC from -0.62 to -0.63% (rolling average lag days 5 and 7, p?=?0.027 and 0.028). Previous 24-hour personal-level PM2.5 and temperature exposures did not impact outcomes, nor were any exposures associated with changes in HDL-oxidation metrics. In conclusion, we provide the first evidence that ambient PM2.5 (even at low levels) and outdoor temperatures may influence serum CEC, a critical antiatherosclerotic HDL function.
| S-EPMC6133768 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Partition coefficients describe the relative concentration of a chemical equilibrated between two phases. In the design of air samplers, the sorbent-air partition coefficient is a critical parameter, as is the ability to extrapolate or predict partitioning at a variety of temperatures. Our specific interest is the partitioning of plant-derived terpenes (hydrocarbons formed from isoprene building blocks) and terpenoids (with oxygen-containing functional groups) in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sorbents. To predict Graphical Abstract
| S-EPMC8607369 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesDecreasing aerosol leaks are of great interest, especially in the recent era of COVID-19. The aim was to investigate intrapulpal heat development, coolant spray patterns, and the preparation efficiency of speed-increasing contra-angle handpieces with the spray air on (mist) or off (water jet) settings during restorative cavity preparations.MethodsStandard-sized cavities were prepared in 80 extracted intact human molar teeth using diamond cylindrical drills with a 1:5 speed-increasing contra-angle handpiece. A custom-made device maintained the standardized lateral drilling force (3 N) and predetermined depth. Temperatures were measured using intrapulpal thermocouple probes. The four experimental groups were as follows: mist cooling mode at 15 mL/min (AIR15), water jet cooling mode at 15 mL/min (JET15), mist cooling mode at 30 mL/min (AIR30), and water jet cooling mode at 30 mL/min (JET30). The coolant spray pattern was captured using macro-photo imaging.ResultsThe JET15 group had the highest increase in temperature (ΔT = 6.02 °C), while JET30 (ΔT = 2.24 °C; p < 0.001), AIR15 (ΔT = 3.34 °C; p = 0.042), and AIR30 (ΔT = 2.95 °C; p = 0.003) had significantly lower increases in temperature. Fine mist aerosol was formed in the AIR15 and AIR30 preparations but not in the JET15 and JET30 preparations (p < 0.001). The irrigation mode had no influence on the preparation time (p = 0.672).ConclusionsWater jet irrigation using coolant at 30 mL/min appeared to be the optimal mode. Considering the safe intrapulpal temperatures and the absence of fine mist aerosols, this mode can be recommended for restorative cavity preparations.Clinical significanceTo increase infection control in dental practices, the water jet irrigation mode of speed-increasing handpieces with coolant flow rates of 30 mL/min should be considered for restorative cavity preparations.
| S-EPMC8212794 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Many tropical and subtropical species are sensitive to sudden temperature changes, especially drops in temperature. During winters 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, unusually cold temperatures occurred in many parts of Florida, USA, resulting in increased mortality of Florida manatees, sea turtles, fish, corals, and other species. The Florida manatee, in particular, is highly susceptible to cold stress and death when water temperatures drop below 20°C. We sought to characterize the magnitude and timing of reports of cold-related manatee carcasses in relation to fluctuations in water and air temperatures in central-east and central-west Florida during the six winters from 2008 to 2014. We used a generalized linear model to predict counts of manatee carcasses with a cold-related cause of death reported over 7-day bins in relation to various short-term (two weeks or less) and cumulative (incrementally summed from the start of the winter) heating-degree-day effects (HDD; < 20°C) and a categorical winter variable. Using water temperature data, the top-ranked model in both regions included a short-term temperature effect (14-day HDD sum) that preceded increases in reports of cold-related manatee carcasses by 7 days. Cumulative exposure to cold weather over the winter amplified effects on mortality in the central-east region. Quantifying the relationship between cold events and manatee mortality helps us prepare for rescue and salvage operations when extremely cold weather is forecast. This is especially important because anticipated loss or degradation of warm-water refuges due to human activities and sea level rise could potentially impact the manatee population in the future. These methods could also be applied to other species susceptible to cold-related mortality.
| S-EPMC6871784 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Although the cellular and molecular responses to exposure to relatively high temperatures (acute thermal stress or heat shock) have been studied previously, only sparse empirical evidence of how it affects cold-water species is available. As climate change becomes more pronounced in areas such as the Western Antarctic Peninsula, both long-term and occasional acute temperature rises will impact species found there, and it has become crucial to understand the capacity of these species to respond to such thermal stress. Here, we use the Antarctic sponge Isodictya sp. to investigate how sessile organisms (particularly Porifera) can adjust to acute short-term heat stress, by exposing this species to 3 and 5 °C for 4 h, corresponding to predicted temperatures under high-end 2080 IPCC-SRES scenarios. Assembling a de novo reference transcriptome (90,188 contigs, >93.7% metazoan BUSCO genes) we have begun to discern the molecular response employed by Isodictya to adjust to heat exposure. Our initial analyses suggest that TGF-β, ubiquitin and hedgehog cascades are involved, alongside other genes. However, the degree and type of response changed little from 3 to 5 °C in the time frame examined, suggesting that even moderate rises in temperature could cause stress at the limits of this organism's capacity. Given the importance of sponges to Antarctic ecosystems, our findings are vital for discerning the consequences of short-term increases in Antarctic ocean temperature on these and other species.
| S-EPMC6896943 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Hypothermia is associated with many adverse clinical outcomes in pediatric patients, and thus, it is important to find an effective and safe method for preventing peri-operative hypothermia and its associated adverse outcomes in pediatric patients. This study aimed to investigate the effect of forced-air warming blankets with different temperatures on changes in the transforming growth factor-? (TGF-?), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-?, interleukin (IL)-1?, and IL-10 levels in children undergoing surgical treatment for developmental displacement of the hip (DDH). METHODS:The study included 123 children undergoing surgery for DDH under general anesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned to three groups, using a random number table: the 32, 38, and 43°C groups according to the temperature setting of the forced-air warming blankets. For each patient, body temperature was recorded immediately after anesthesia induction and intubation (T0), at initial incision (T1), at 1 h after incision (T2), at 2 h after incision (T3), at the end of surgery (T4), immediately upon return to the ward after surgery (T5), and then at 12 h (T6), 24 h (T7), 36 h (T8), and 48 h (T9) after the surgery. The serum levels of TGF-?, TNF-?, IL-1?, and IL-10 were measured at T0 and T4 for all groups. RESULTS:The number of patients with fever in the 38°C group was significantly less than those in the 32 and 43°C groups (??=?6.630, P?=?0.036). At T0, the body temperatures in the 38 and 43°C groups were significantly higher than that in the 32°C group (F?=?17.992, P?<?0.001). At T2, the body temperature was significantly higher in the 43°C group than those in the 32 and 38°C groups (F?=?12.776, P?<?0.001). Moreover, at T4, the serum levels of TGF-? (F?=?3286.548, P?<?0.001) and IL-10 (F?=?4628.983, P?<?0.001) were significantly increased in the 38°C group, and the serum levels of TNF-? (F?=?911.415, P?<?0.001) and IL-1? (F?=?322.191, P?<?0.001) were significantly decreased in the 38°C group, compared with the levels in the 32 and 43°C groups. CONCLUSION:Force-air warming blankets set at 38°C maintained stable body temperature with less adverse outcome and effectively inhibited the inflammatory response in pediatric patients undergoing surgery for DDH. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:ChiCTR1800014820; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=25240.
| S-EPMC7469994 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Climate change is expected to increase future temperatures, potentially resulting in reduced crop production in many key production regions. Research quantifying the complex relationship between weather variables and wheat yields is rapidly growing, and recent advances have used a variety of model specifications that differ in how temperature data are included in the statistical yield equation. A unique data set that combines Kansas wheat variety field trial outcomes for 1985-2013 with location-specific weather data is used to analyze the effect of weather on wheat yield using regression analysis. Our results indicate that the effect of temperature exposure varies across the September-May growing season. The largest drivers of yield loss are freezing temperatures in the Fall and extreme heat events in the Spring. We also find that the overall effect of warming on yields is negative, even after accounting for the benefits of reduced exposure to freezing temperatures. Our analysis indicates that there exists a tradeoff between average (mean) yield and ability to resist extreme heat across varieties. More-recently released varieties are less able to resist heat than older lines. Our results also indicate that warming effects would be partially offset by increased rainfall in the Spring. Finally, we find that the method used to construct measures of temperature exposure matters for both the predictive performance of the regression model and the forecasted warming impacts on yields.
| S-EPMC4460489 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The ubiquitous nature of satellite data has led to an explosion of studies on the surface urban heat island (SUHI). Relatively few have simultaneously used air temperature measurements to compare SUHI with the canopy UHI (CUHI), which is more relevant to public health. Using crowdsourced citizen weather stations (>50,000) and satellite data over Europe, we estimate the CUHI and SUHI intensity in 342 urban clusters during the 2019 heat wave. Satellites produce a sixfold overestimate of UHI relative to station measurements (mean SUHI 1.45°C; CUHI 0.26°C), with SUHI exceeding CUHI in 96% of cities during daytime and in 80% at night. Using empirical evidence, we confirm the control of aerodynamic roughness on UHI intensity, but find evaporative cooling to have a stronger overall impact during this time period. Our results support urban greening as an effective UHI mitigation strategy and caution against relying on satellite data for urban heat risk assessments.
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