International Journal of Biometeorology最新文献

Air pollution, primarily resulting from industrial activities and the combustion of fossil fuels, poses a significant health risk in Arak due to elevated levels of PM_2.5 and ozone. This study aims to quantify the health impacts of these pollutants and assess the potential benefits that could be realized through a reduction in their concentrations. The study employs the World Health Organization (WHO) AirQ⁺ and the Environmental Protection Agency’s BenMAP-CE models to estimate the number of premature deaths and illnesses associated with exposure to PM_2.5 and O₃ in Arak from 2017 to 2019. Data from air quality monitoring stations were analyzed, and health impact functions were used to assess the mortality rates linked to each pollutant. During 2017–2019, PM_2.5 concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines were associated with an estimated 729 (95% CI: 499–947), 654 (95% CI: 447–851), and 460 (95% CI: 313–602) premature deaths in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively, among adults aged ≥ 30 years (approximately 294,000–298,000 individuals). Achieving the WHO annual PM_2.5 guideline (10 µg/m³) could prevent an average of 614 premature deaths per year in this population, while a uniform 30% reduction in O₃ concentrations over the study period could avert approximately 145 additional deaths. The AirQ + and BenMAP-CE models produced comparable results, confirming their effectiveness in health impact assessments. These findings underscore the urgent need for the implementation of effective air quality management policies in Arak and highlight the health impacts associated with air pollution.

Various methods, including balneotherapy, are employed in the management of patients with chronic pain. This research investigated the effect of the predominance of central sensitization on responses to balneotherapy applied together with conventional physical therapy in patients with chronic low back and knee pain. This prospective study included 75 patients with chronic low back or knee pain, classified as having predominant central sensitization (n = 35) or not (n = 40). All participants received a three-week course of whole-body balneotherapy combined with conventional physical therapy, including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, hot pack, and therapeutic ultrasound. Pain intensity, as the primary outcome, was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), while quality of life and emotional status were evaluated using the Short Form-12 (SF-12) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), respectively. Disability associated with chronic pain was evaluated using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire in patients with low back pain and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) in those with knee pain. Changes in outcomes over time and between groups were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Improvement in the VAS, SF-12 Physical and Mental Component, HADS-Depression, and HADS-Anxiety scores was observed in both groups post-treatment (between p < 0.01 and p = 0.015). Also, post-treatment improvement in disability scores was observed in both groups (between p < 0.01 and 0.021). Group × time interaction was observed only for the SF-12 mental component score, in favor of the predominant central sensitization group (ΔΔ = 5.95, 95% CI 1.31 to 10.59, p = 0.013). No significant group × time interaction was observed for other outcomes (range: 0.10–0.97). Applied together with physical therapy agents with balneotherapy can reduces pain severity and disability levels, and increases their quality of life in patients with chronic pain with and without predominant central sensitization. Improvements in mental health–related quality of life were more pronounced in patients with predominant central sensitization.

The climatic conditions of northeastern Brazil can induce heat stress, reducing the weight, production, and reproductive rates of sheep. This study aimed to analyze the dynamics of abiotic factors, comfort indices on the seminal quality of Dorper sheep under normal local meteorological conditions and adiabatic evaporative cooling. The study involved 20 rams aged 18 ± 2 months, weighing an average of 70 ± 3 kg, raised in a semiarid region of Brazil from April to June 2023. The animals were kept in an open pen for 22 days and for 43 days under the influence of an adiabatic evaporative cooling system (AECS). Air temperature (AT, ºC), relative humidity (RH, %), and black globe temperature (BGT, ºC) were monitored every 15 min daily, with semen collected and analyzed every three weeks, totaling four collections. Thermal characterization of the pen was determined by temperature and humidity indices, black globe temperature and humidity, and specific enthalpy (kJ kg-1). Semen characteristics were analyzed using a completely randomized design with two treatments and 20 replicates, with means compared using the t-test (p ≤ 0.05). Meteorological variables and comfort indices underwent descriptive statistical analysis. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to these variables and seminal characteristics. During the driest periods, AECS increased pen RH by 8% and reduced AT by 1.24 °C, maintaining THI values below critical levels. The PCA revealed that only sperm plasma membrane integrity (PMI) significantly responded to environmental changes, increasing by 16% during AECS operation, allowing a regression model with R² greater than 0.72 for estimating PMI.

Climate change is rapidly reshaping species distributions and threatening ecosystem services, yet continent-wide forecasts for Neotropical hoverflies are virtually absent. Here, we present the first large-scale ecological niche modeling assessment for Dioprosopa clavata (Fabricius, 1794), a key syrphid with dual ecological roles in pollination and aphid control. Using 1,214 curated occurrences and an ensemble of MaxEnt, DOMAIN, and GLM, we combined climatic and physiographic predictors (elevation, compound topographic index, profile curvature) to project suitability under SSP2–4.5 (intermediate) and SSP5–8.5 (high-end) scenarios for 2021–2040 and 2081–2100. Models showed excellent predictive performance, with climate explaining ~ 71% of model contribution and physiography ~ 29%, highlighting the buffering role of topographic heterogeneity. Near-term projections retained most of the current range (≈ 88–89% stability), but late-century forecasts revealed dramatic contractions, up to 43.5% habitat loss under SSP5–8.5, particularly in tropical lowlands of northern South America and Central America. These losses were accompanied by increased spatial fragmentation and modest poleward and upslope gains, suggesting climate-driven range shifts toward cooler, higher-elevation refugia. Our findings indicate that D. clavata habitats will decline most severely where pollination and pest control services are most needed, agricultural regions of tropical South America, potentially reducing local ecosystem service provision. By identifying priority areas for connectivity and microclimatic refugia, this study offers a mechanical aware forecast and actionable hypotheses to guide field validation, monitoring programs, and climate-smart conservation strategies for an understudied yet functionally crucial pollinator group.

The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was used to estimate thermal stress for humans in the South Shetland Islands (West Antarctica), the region in Antarctica with the highest number of scientific stations and visiting tourists. This was done to analyze the duration of comfortable weather conditions, which are crucial for conducting fieldwork and other outdoor tasks. The UTCI is one of the most commonly used climate thermal indices, but it had not previously been calculated for any region in Antarctica. The research was based on hourly data (air temperature, humidity, global solar radiation and wind speed) derived from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station between 2013 and 2023. The range of hourly UTCI values indicates conditions ranging from no thermal stress to extreme cold stress, with predominant strong cold stress (–26.9 to − 13.0 °C; 40.5% of cases) and very strong cold stress (–39.9 to − 27.0 °C; 25.3% of cases). In such conditions, it is recommended that physical activity is increased and that the extremities and face are protected from the cold while working outside, as well as increasing the thermo-isolation properties of clothing. The same thermal stress class remains for more than one day sporadically. The most favourable conditions for spending time outside (without thermal stress or with slight cold stress), which lasted 7–9 consecutive hours, occurred rarely and only from December to March. Due to high wind speed, some UTCI values fall outside the thermal stress scale; nevertheless, the authors classified these as extreme cold stress and suggest developing the UTCI formula to make it more applicable in regions where very high wind speed occur.

Long-term heat exposure as a result of global warming, has become a threat to the overall human well-being and in particular the reproductive health of females. This research, therefore, investigated the ameliorative effect of Amaranthus hybridus aqueous leaf extract on the ovarian function of rats exposed to heat for 21 days. Twenty (20) healthy female rats of Wistar strain were randomly distributed into control group (distilled water), heat-exposed rats (group 2) were exposed to 39–40 °C heat for 4 h/day using two (100 Watts) bulbs to produce heat, group 3 animals were exposed to heat and administered with 55 mg/kg bw of A. hybridus aqueous leaf extract, while group 4 received only A. hybridus aqueous leaf extract. The experiment was for 21 days. From the result, heat exposure caused a decrease in the body weight, protein level as well as decrease in the levels of antioxidant molecules superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)), reduced glutathione (GSH), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). There was an increase in the levels of cortisol, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in the animals exposed to heat. However, when the animals were administered with A. hybridus extract had reduced MDA and cortisol and increase in catalase and SOD activity as well as the LH and prolactin levels. The findings of the study indicated the occurrence of oxidative damage and suggested that extended exposure to high temperatures had disadvantageous impacts on the animals.

Although the incidence of childhood asthma and wheezing (AW) is increasing worldwide, the impact of ambient temperature on this is unclear. An infant birth cohort was established, and the children were followed up until two years of age. During this period, the exposure levels to atmospheric factors were individually evaluated on a daily basis as well as covariates information was collected. Both a nested case-control study and a case-crossover design were embedded to control for confounding bias and cross-validate the association between ambient temperature and childhood AW. A total of 5819 children in the birth cohort completed two years of follow-up, and 84 children were diagnosed with AW. The HRs for short-term high temperature on childhood AW were 1.659 (95% CI: 1.314, 2.095), 2.341 (95% CI: 1.712, 3.200), and 3.367 (95% CI: 1.987, 5.703) at a lag of 3, 2, and 1 days, respectively, by the distributed lag non-linear model based on the nested case-control study. The high temperature was further validated to be significantly associated with childhood AW during the 3 days before the onset, by the generalized additive model based on the case-crossover design.

Heat stress is a major occupational hazard in hot environments. This narrative review evaluated the limitations of the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index across different climatic zones and explored alternative or complementary indices. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SID for articles published between January 2013 and December 2024 with English and Persian language. Keywords used in the search included “WBGT”, “Wet Bulb Globe Temperature”, “heat stress index”, “occupational exposure”, and “Iran climate” (Boolean combinations). After removing duplicated papers and screening the remained articles by two independent reviewers, 42 papers were included for qualitative synthesis. In arid/dry regions, WBGT tended to underestimate physiological strain (low wet-bulb temperature despite high radiant heat), while in humid coastal areas, it sometimes overestimated the heat strain risk (high wet-bulb temperature but complex interactions with airflow and clothing). Comparative analyses showed UTCI and PHS can improve physiological prediction in specific contexts, but it requires more data and equipment. WBGT remains practical for many workplaces, but country- or climate-specific calibration, integration with physiological monitoring (e.g., heart rate), and hybrid approaches are recommended to improve worker protection.

The normalization of mask-wearing in the post-pandemic era has raised concerns regarding its potential thermal burden during outdoor physical activities, especially in hot and humid climates. This study examines the combined effects of face mask type (no mask, surgical mask, and KN95 mask) and walking duration on physiological responses and thermal comfort in shaded outdoor environments during summer. Field experiments were conducted in Guangzhou with 28 participants walking at three speeds (1.2, 1.4, and 1.6 m/s). Key physiological parameters (mean skin temperature, heart rate, tympanic temperature) and subjective thermal comfort votes (respiratory sensation, facial thermal sensation, and overall thermal sensation) were recorded. Findings revealed that mask-wearing had negligible effects on core physiological indicators due to compensatory thermoregulation but significantly elevated subjective discomfort, particularly with KN95 masks. A linear increase in thermal discomfort was observed with prolonged walking, reaching up to 1.3 units in thermal sensation votes after 30 min. A dynamic thermal comfort prediction model was developed by integrating static PET-based and walking-induced components, achieving high predictive accuracy (R² > 0.78). These results underscore the importance of incorporating mask effects and exposure duration into urban outdoor thermal planning and pedestrian design guidelines in hot-humid regions.

Real-world evidence on the effectiveness of balneotherapy in osteoarthritis remains limited. This study evaluated patient-reported outcomes collected during routine sulfurous balneotherapy practice. A retrospective analysis was conducted using routinely collected data from 90 consecutive patients with knee (n = 45), hip (n = 30), or hand (n = 15) osteoarthritis who underwent a standard 12-day balneotherapy protocol at the Saturnia Thermal Center (October 2023). Outcomes included pain intensity assessed with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), functional disability measured using the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and psychological well-being evaluated with the General Health Questionnaire–12 (GHQ-12). Within-group changes were analyzed using paired t-tests (p < 0.05). Results: VAS scores decreased from 65.0 ± 18.0 mm to 60.5 ± 17.5 mm (Δ = −4.5 mm, p < 0.001), corresponding to 22.5% of the established minimal clinically important difference. HAQ scores improved significantly from baseline to day 12 (mean change − 1.0, p < 0.001), exceeding the instrument’s minimal clinically important difference. GHQ-12 scores also decreased significantly (p < 0.001). No adverse events were reported. Conclusions: In routine clinical practice, sulfurous balneotherapy was associated with statistically significant improvements in pain, functional disability, and psychological well-being. While short-term pain reduction remained below established clinical significance thresholds, the intervention demonstrated a favorable safety profile. These observational findings warrant confirmation in controlled studies with longer treatment durations and follow-up.