International Journal of Biometeorology最新文献

The corn leafhopper (CL), Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), has become the most important corn pest in Brazil and other corn-producing countries. This highly efficient insect vector transmits corn stunting pathogens resulting in significant yield losses in corn fields. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CL abundance and pathogen infection in adult CL with weather variables, day of the year (DOY), and corn season in four Brazilian corn-producing areas using artificial neural networks (ANN). We developed three ANN models, using monitoring data from 2019 to 2023, for year-round forewarning of CL populations and infection of corn stunt spiroplasma (CSS) and maize bushy stunt phytoplasma (MBSP) in CL adults. The best-fit models demonstrated strong correlations in the validation set for CL abundance (0.71), and substantial classification agreement for both CSS (0.81) and MBSP (0.81). The final inputs for the models included relative humidity, air temperature, wind speed, DOY, corn season, and CL abundance. The presence of corn plants and DOY are manageable factors for achieving CL and mollicute control. This can be made by eliminating volunteer plants, reducing planting windows, and avoiding late-plantings. Our results are suitable for further predictions and offer essential guidance to be incorporated into the IPM of D. maidis and to better understand CSS and MBSP infection on a large-scale. Lastly, ANN is a reliable machine-learning algorithm to predict vector population dynamics and the infection of phytopathogens in D. maidis.

Despite the significant adverse health effects and economic burden of stroke inpatients, there has been a paucity of research specifically analyzing and quantifying the association between meteorological factors, air pollutants, influenza infection, and stroke admissions. This study assessed the impact of environmental factors and influenza activity on stroke admissions in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2019, utilizing population-based records. We employed the number of weekly stroke admissions as the primary outcome measure and matched the number with meteorological factors and air pollutant concentrations. Strain-specific influenza-like illness-positive (ILI+) rates were used as a proxy indicator of influenza activity. A quasi-Poisson generalized additive model in combination with a distributed-lag non-linear model (DLNM) was employed to elucidate the relationship of interest. Over the 22-year period, a total of 1,170,882 stroke-related admissions were recorded in Hong Kong. The cumulative adjusted relative risk (ARR) of stroke admission was significantly increased (cumulative ARR = 1.106, 95% CI, 1.069-1.143) at the 5th percentile of temperature (i.e., 15.08 °C) compared with the median reference level. Using zero as the reference value, the cumulative adjusted relative risks of stroke admission were 1.030 (95% CI, 1.018-1.042) at the 95th percentile of ILI + A/H1N1 rate, and 1.022 (95% CI, 1.007-1.038) at the 95th percentile of ILI + total rate. In conclusion, cold weather and influenza infection are risk factors to stroke admissions. Public health strategies for preventing stroke should be considered such as advocating influenza vaccination programmes during winter.

Global warming has raised significant concerns about mitigation and adaptation strategies in recent years. This study investigated if consuming spicy food can help improve people's adaptability to hot environment. Onsite measurement and thermal questionnaires were conducted at Chongqing university in summer and winter aged 18 ∼ 30 years old. Participants were categorized into two groups, including frequently eating hotpot (Group-yes) and not (Group-no), and there were respectively 590 and 570 surveys. The results indicated that: (1) Eating hotpot could lower expectations of meteorological conditions. (2) It can decrease thermal sensitivity and expand neutral physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) range (14.89 ∼ 24.74 ℃ in Group-yes and 16.66 ∼ 23.98 ℃ in Group-no). (3) The acceptable PET range in Group-yes was 5.46 ℃ wider than Group-no with a higher preferred PET in Group-yes (24.04 ℃) compared to Group-no (22.63 ℃). (4) Respondents' thermal perception in Group-yes demonstrated a less susceptibility to meteorological variations compared to Group-no, and respondents in Group-no were more influenced by RH in summer. These findings suggest that consuming hotpot can improve thermal adaptation, thereby underscoring the significant influence of dietary habits on thermal adaptability.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is a primary pollutant affecting urban air quality, posing increasing threats to public health and ecological environments. While urban green spaces and meteorological conditions individually influence PM pollution, the mechanisms by which meteorological indicators mediate the relationship between green space patterns and PM concentrations remain unclear. We used daily PM concentration data in the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area (ZMA) in 2021, combined with high-resolution satellite imagery and climate monitoring data. By employing Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we investigated the effects of green spaces and meteorological conditions on PM, highlighting the significant mediating role of key meteorological indicators in the process by which green spaces mitigate PM pollution. Results indicated that PM_2.5 concentrations were more sensitive to green space patterns and meteorological conditions at 1-6 km scales compared to PM₁₀. Significant scale-dependent differences were observed in the coupling between PM concentrations and green spaces. PLS-SEM revealed that key meteorological indicators, particularly wind speed and humidity, significantly mediated the impact of green spaces on PM pollution, with mediation effects peaking at the 4 km scale. The percentage of largest green space patches had the most pronounced mediated effect on PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ through climate factors. Conclusively, to maximize ecological benefits, it is essential to consider wind speed and humidity around green spaces. The findings emphasize the importance of optimizing green space patterns at multiple scales and incorporating local microclimate considerations in future PM pollution management within the ZMA.

Controversy surrounds seasonal variations in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) incidence and course. Investigating weather effects associated with weather fronts may provide more insights. Meteorological parameters are grouped into classes describing biotropic weather conditions influencing human health. Known as bio-synop classes, they impact human health by influencing biological processes. Our study explores the relationship between these classes and aSAH occurrence and severity using data from our neurovascular center and the German national weather registry. Data from 605 aSAH patients treated between 2006 and 2021 was analyzed. The Kruskal-Wallis Test was used to assess the incidence and severity of aSAH, classified by Hunt&Hess (HH) grades across bio-synop classes. Additionally, we explored seasonal clustering of aSAH events. While no significant difference in ASAH incidence across specific bio-synop classes was observed (p = 0.165), class 4 "Low-pressure with cold air advection" was significantly associated with a higher incidence of poorer HH grades (p = 0.022). Further, we observed a decrease in aSAH cases in June in month-to-month comparisons (May vs. June p < 0.001). Although bio-synop classes may not directly affect aSAH incidence, they appear linked to aSAH severity. The reduction in June aSAH cases suggests a potential seasonal influence, indicating a complex interplay of environmental factors warranting further investigation.

Stroke, a key cardiovascular disease, is impacted by cold spells and heat waves. However, limited sample size and unclear impact on the aging population's prevalence and incidence remain concerns. We aim to explore the association between cold spells and heat waves frequency and stroke in middle-aged and elderly people in China. Utilizing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), this study conducted cross-sectional (16,766 participants aged 45 and above in 2011) and longitudinal analyses (tracked 15,215 stroke-free participants from 2011 to 2018). Cold spells and heat waves are defined by temperature thresholds and duration for a given community. The stroke cases were identified through self-reports. Logistic regression, Cox proportional-hazards model and time-varying Cox proportional hazards regression model were employed in our analysis. In the cross-sectional study, 469 (2.8%) participants suffered stroke. Every 1 event increased in cold spells frequency (OR: 1.205, 95% CI: 1.067,1.361) and heat waves frequency (OR: 1.087, 95% CI: 1.017,1.162) was positively associated with stroke prevalence. In the cohort study, 1,028 (6.8%) developed stroke during an average follow-up of 6.3 years. We observed consistent adverse effects of cold spells on stroke incidence (HR: 1.149, 95% CI: 1.062, 1.243), whereas heat waves showed no significant association. Considering exposure changes during follow-up, both cold spells and heat waves significantly increased stroke incidence. Subgroup analyses showed a significant interaction between heat waves and geographic location, which indicated northern residents exhibited higher risks. Our study suggests that cold spells elevate stroke risk among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Meantime, the impact of heat waves on stroke incidence is also worth noting for northern residents. This finding provides evidence of temperature fluctuation's impact on this cardiovascular event in the nationwide population, suggesting temperature-control optimization could be an effective disease-control measure.

This study uses a crop simulation model driven by 40 years (1981-2020) of daily gridded meteorological data from PRISM to assess the impacts of spring freeze events on cherry trees, a representative temperate perennial tree-fruit crop, across six regions of the central and eastern USA: the Northern and Southern Great Plains (NGP, SGP), Upper Midwest (UMW), Ohio Valley (OHV), New York-Pennsylvania (NY-PA), and Virginia-North Carolina (VA-NC). Freeze damage exhibits a clear latitudinal gradient, with damage frequency and severity decreasing from south to north. The most frequent and severe damage occurs in the SGP, followed by VA-NC, while the least is observed in the UMW and NY-PA. Damage frequency decreases as phenological stage advances, with the first two vegetative stages being the most affected. False spring events, defined as early side-green onset followed by freeze damage, mirror this spatial pattern and are more closely linked to the timing of side-green dates than to freeze-damage frequency. Trends in damage day frequency and severity show notable longitudinal variability, with decreasing trends in the lower OHV flanked by increasing trends in the SGP and VA-NC. Decreasing trends are also observed in northern parts of the UMW and NGP, though significant trends are limited to small areas. These patterns reflect the interplay between spring warm-up timing, phenological development, and seasonal vulnerability, modulated by sub-freezing temperature frequency and severity. The findings highlight the complexity of overwintering crops' responses to climate variability and the need for caution in assessing cold injury risks under future climate scenarios.

This study investigated whether higher intensity of resistance exercise habit not only lead to greater muscle strength but also higher levels of hypertension and arterial stiffness, while these cardiovascular risks would be reduced by bathing habit in older adults. One hundred ninety-six older adults asked questionnaire about resistance exercise and bathing habits, along with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Long form to evaluate physical activity and aerobic exercise habits. Maximum knee extension strength (MVC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured in fall. Participants with resistance exercise habits (n = 34 of 196) were included in the further analysis, and an exploratory analysis was conducted on participants with resistance exercise habits but without aerobic exercise habits (n = 19 of 34). According to the exploratory analysis, MVC was moderately associated with exercise intensity regardless of bathing habits. Exercise intensity was significantly correlated with SBP (r = 0.592, p = 0.012). This relationship became stronger after adjusting for bathing habits (r = 0.744, p = 0.006). BaPWV was positively correlated with exercise intensity after adjusting for bathing habits (r = 0.563, p = 0.036). Older adults who habitually perform high-intensity resistance exercise had greater muscle strength but aggravate hypertension and arterial stiffness. Bathing habits partly prevent cardiovascular risk without diminishing the improvements in muscle strength induced by high-intensity resistance exercises. Importantly, BP is increasing in winter and decreasing in summer. Our results set the stage of the future research that investigates how reduce the cardiovascular risk in older adults with high-intensity resistance training habits in each season, especially in winter.

Studies point to an increase in the frequency of heatwaves, revealing that they are longer lasting and more intense, with noticeable impacts from climate change observed in the south of Brazil. This study evaluates the impact of a heatwave event in Curitiba, Brazil, and investigates whether the excessive heat caused during this period influenced the thermal perception reported by participants in a fieldwork carried out during dynamic microclimatic surveys on a university campus. To this end, volunteers took part in thermal walks accompanied by a researcher carrying a portable equipment for monitoring environmental variables, covering points of interest previously defined in a walking circuit with different morphological and land cover configurations. Concurrently, the volunteers' thermal perception was assessed at five stops using standard perceptual and affective questionnaires. The sample during six campaigns comprised 50 participants, which cast a total of 300 subjective thermal perception responses along the walking circuit. As a means to compare participants' subjective responses during the heatwave, we used a database of surveys with pedestrians conducted in a previous study that also covered the summer season, though without the influence of a heatwave. A lower thermal sensitivity of respondents was observed, expressed through the variation between the thermal sensation vote and the Dynamic Thermal Sensation (DTS) during the heatwave days. During the thermal walk, subjects experienced thermal respite in a vegetated area on campus, potentially with positive alliesthesia.

The association of low-level ozone (O₃) exposure with the mortality risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke remains to be investigated. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between low-level O₃ exposure and mortality risk of IHD and stroke in Yibin, a city in southwestern China. A Poisson distribution lagged nonlinear model was used to assess the effect of O₃ exposure on IHD and stroke mortality and to explore the susceptible population according to gender and age subgroups and the susceptible season according to seasonal subgroups and to analyse the health effects under low O₃ exposure compared with high O₃ exposure. The mean O₃ exposure concentration from 2014 to 2020 was approximately 48.3 μg/m3. There was a major lagged effect of O₃ exposure on IHD and stroke. For every 10.0 μg/m³ increase in O₃ concentration, the cumulative risks of death for the two diseases were 1.0211 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.0064, 1.0358) and 1.0211 (95% CI: 1.0064, 1.0357), respectively. The mortality risks of IHD and stroke for women were 1.0064 (95% CI: 1.0016, 1.0113) and 1.0030 (95% CI: 1.0008, 1.0051), and for those aged > 65 years, they were 1.0082 (95% CI: 1.0026, 1.0139) and 1.0018 (95% CI: 1.0002, 1.0034), and the mortality risks in the warm season were 1.0043 (95% CI: 1.0007, 1.0080) and 1.0038 (95% CI: 1.0005, 1.0072), respectively. The introduction of other pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, CO) to construct a dual-pollutant model showed that the effect of O₃ on the mortality risk of IHD and stroke remained statistically significant. This study consolidates the evidence for a positive correlation between low-level O₃ exposure and the mortality risk of IHD and stroke. The findings provide preliminary exploratory insights into the potential impact of air pollution on these diseases, offering a valuable reference for future research.