International Journal of Biometeorology最新文献

The study analyzed the effectiveness of a two-week cycle of sulfurous water therapy at Frasassi Thermal Springs ("Terme di Frasassi - S. Vittore", located in the Province of Ancona, Italy) on 8 patients suffering from rhinogenic deafness caused by chronic rhinosinusitis associated with nasal polyps and respiratory allergies. Patients underwent 12 sessions of sulfurous aerosol therapy and 12 bilateral tubal insufflations (1 aerosol and 1 insufflation per day). Pre- and post-treatment assessments included tympanometric measurements and a subjective evaluation of symptomatic improvement on a scale from 1 to 10. The median reported improvement was 9.5 (min: 7; max: 10). By the end of the treatment, all patients achieved a bilateral type A/A tympanogram, indicating restored tubal function. The results suggest that sulfurous water thermal therapy can be a useful treatment for rhinogenic deafness associated with chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyps, and respiratory allergies, with significant improvements in both auditory function and quality of life. Further studies are needed to compare this treatment with other therapies and to precisely evaluate the duration of the benefit over time.

Thalassotherapy refers to the therapeutic use of controlled exposure to marine environments and their natural elements for health promotion. This review aims to summarize evidence-based clinical applications of thalassotherapy. A narrative review was conducted, with PubMed searched in September 2024 for clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of thalassotherapy. Relevant evidence was summarized and critically analyzed. A total of 566 articles were identified, of which 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. Thalassotherapy was primarily studied for its effects on skin disorders, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and vitiligo, as well as rheumatic conditions like fibromyalgia and ankylosing spondylitis. The intervention showed significant improvements in disease severity and patient quality of life, with the strongest evidence seen in psoriasis and fibromyalgia treatment. Thalassotherapy appears beneficial for symptom relief in several conditions, particularly skin and rheumatic disorders. However, further research is needed to quantify its effect size, evaluate long-term benefits, assess potential risks, and identify factors that may influence treatment outcomes.

Sapropelic muds have been used for centuries to treat various illnesses, but their effects and mechanisms are still under research. In this study the effects of Techirghiol sapropelic mud on tissue oxygenation in elderly patients diagnosed with neuromuscular disorders were investigated using spatial and spectral information provided by hyperspectral imaging technique. A group of 38 elderly patients with neuromuscular disorders for which they received mud therapy was studied. Sapropelic mud was applied to the lumbar region of each patient for 30 min, directly on the skin in a thick layer, while a symmetrical area of ​​15 × 10 cm in the same region was covered with a medical patch to serve as the control area. The mud is typically heated to a temperature of 40-45 °C before application. Hyperspectral images were taken before, after the first day of therapy, and at day seven. Oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations and oxygen saturation values were calculated from the hyperspectral images and compared to control areas. The results revealed that, in the treated area, the mean oxyhemoglobin concentration increased with + 0.2127 ± 0.1096 mol cm∕L, while deoxyhemoglobin concentration decreased by -0.0509 ± 0.0558 mol cm∕L. Local tissue oxygen saturation raised to over 98% in all patients. Lesser improvements were recorded for the control areas: oxyhemoglobin increased with + 0.1673 ± 0.1059 mol cm∕L, and deoxyhemoglobin decreased with - 0.0525 ± 0.0578 mol cm∕L. A good level of agreement was found between values of oxygen saturation measured with hyperspectral imaging method and the classical pulse oximetry method. Thus, improvement in local circulation was demonstrated after mud therapy. In conclusion, therapy with Techirghiol sapropelic mud improved local tissue oxygenation, hyperspectral imaging being a reliable and non-invasive tool for monitoring these changes.

The applicability of the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) at the urban pedestrian level is analysed in relation to the approach for the vertical wind speed profile (VWSP) used in the UTCI basics. As the UTCI refers to the human-biometeorological reference height (z_h-b) of 1.1 m above ground level (agl), all meteorological input variables for UTCI calculations should also be originated from z_h-b. Since the development of the UTCI considered meteorological conventions for stations routinely operated by national weather services, the wind speed (v) as one of four meteorological input variables is initially required at 10 m agl (v_{10 m}). In order to calculate v at z_h-b from v_{10 m}, the logarithmic law for the VWSP is implemented in the UTCI basics, but only for neutral atmospheric stability and a roughness length (z₀) for short-cut grassland (z₀ = 0.01 m). This methodological approach cannot be changed in the UTCI basics so far. The UTCI developers also recommend the application of the same logarithmic law, if v values at lower heights have to be extrapolated to 10 m agl. However, the use of this VWSP approach disregards basic air flow findings and principles in the urban canopy layer (UCL). If the UTCI is nevertheless applied at the urban pedestrian level, inaccuracies in the UTCI values will occur. With reference to z₀ = 0.80 m, which is more typical for the UCL, they can be up to 7 K, as shown in the example of three different climate zones.

Heatwave and cold spell have been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. However, due to the varying definitions of heatwave and cold spell, their impacts on CVD mortality are inconsistent.

Methods: A time series study in Hunan province, central of China, from 2018 to 2022, was conducted to test the relationship between heatwave, cold spell and CVD mortality. According to different percentiles of daily mean temperatures and exposure duration, we built 9 kind of definitions for heatwave and cold spell. Distributed lag non-linear model was used to analyze the associations between heatwave, cold spell and CVD mortality, and the attributable fraction (AF) were estimated.

Results: The relative risks of CVD mortality associated with heatwave and cold spell varied depending on the definitions, ranging from 1.154 (95% CI: 1.148-1.160) to 1.229 (95% CI: 1.215-1.243) for heatwaves, and from 1.196 (95% CI: 1.192-1.201) to 1.290 (95% CI: 1.282-1.297) for cold spells. Under the definition of 95th percentile with ≥ 4-d duration (P95_4d), the total AF of CVD mortality attributable to heatwave was the largest at 8.43 (95% CI: 7.92-8.94). For the definition of 5th percentile with ≥ 3-d duration (P5_3d), the total AF attributable to cold spell was the largest at 12.96 (95% CI: 12.64-13.28). For heatwave and cold spell, higher CVD mortality risks were observed in females and the elderly over 75 years than males and young people.

Discussion: We found that both heatwave and cold spell could increase the mortality risk of CVD. The results highlight the importance of implementing warning systems for extreme temperature.

Increased use of electronic devices such as smartphones has led to an increase in neck and shoulder stiffness to the forefront of the public people. It is said that prolonged posture with the head tilted forward causes excessive muscle activity in the head and neck region, resulting in muscle fatigue symptoms such as stiff shoulders. Various bathing methods have been proposed as a means of recovering from muscle stiffness, and in particular, contrast water therapy (CWT) is said to be highly effective in recovering from muscle fatigue. In the present study, we examined the effect of CWT with hot and cold stimulation of the neck and shoulders (CWTNS) on muscle fatigue recovery. As the result, in the CWTNS condition, the effects of vasodilation and vasoconstriction were observed, and muscle hardness was significantly lower than that in the Control condition in 20 subjects (2 males, 18 females). Stress hormones were also decreased during and after bathing compared to those before bathing. These results motivate further exploration of the possibility that the effects of CWTNS could be muscle-recovery without high stress load.

Accurately estimating gross primary productivity (GPP) is crucial for simulating the carbon cycle and addressing the challenges of climate change. However, estimating GPP is challenging due to the absence of direct measurements at scales larger than the leaf level. To overcome this challenge, researchers have developed indirect methods such as remote sensing and modeling approaches. This study estimated GPP in a humid páramo ecosystem in the Andean Mountains using machine learning models (ML), specifically Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Regression (SVR), and compared them with traditional models. The study's objective was to analyze the strength and complex nonlinear relationships that govern GPP and to perform an uncertainty analysis for future climate projections. The methodology used to estimate GPP showed that ML-based models outperformed traditional models. The performance of ML models varied significantly among seasons, with the correlation coefficient (R) ranging from 0.24 to 0.86. The RF model performed better in capturing the temporal changes and magnitude of GPP in the less humid season, displaying the highest R (0.86), lowest root mean squared error (0.37 g C*m^-2), and percentage bias (-3%). Additionally, the analysis indicates that solar radiation is the primary predictor of GPP in the páramo biome, rather than water. The study presents a method for deriving daily GPP fluxes and evaluates the impact of various variables on GPP estimates. This information can be employed in the development of vegetation prediction models.