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PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of solar and geomagnetic activity on population dynamics among residents of Russia].

Basing on the annual data of mortality and birth-rate in Russia in 1867-1897 an attempt to evaluate the role of solar (sunspot number W) and geomagnetic activity (Kp-index) in the population was made. It was shown that mortality is affected by the solar activity and by the absolute value of geomagnetic activity deviation from the mean level: Mi = 3.29 + 0.0044Wi + 1 + 0.030 delta Kp,i (r = 0.78). For the birth-rate the following expression was obtained: Bi = 5.00-0.049 delta Kp,i + 1-0.0012Wi + 3; (r = -0.67). The correlation coefficients between the observed variations of the mortality (and birth-rate) and indices Mi and Bi amounts the values 0.78 and -0.67 correspondingly.

Birth Rate↗
PubMed1994

Time series analyses of global change data.

The hypothesis that statistical analyses of historical time series data can be used to separate the influences of natural variations from anthropogenic sources on global climate change is tested. Point, regional, national, and global temperature data are analyzed. Trend analyses for the period 1901-1987 suggest mean annual temperatures increased (in degrees C per century) globally at the rate of about 0.5, in the USA at about 0.3, in the south-western USA desert region at about 1.2, and at the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed in south-eastern Arizona at about 0.8. However, the rates of temperature change are not constant but vary within the 87-year period. Serial correlation and spectral density analysis of the temperature time series showed weak periodicities at various frequencies. The only common periodicity among the temperature series is an apparent cycle of about 43 years. The temperature time series were correlated with the Wolf sunspot index, atmospheric CO(2) concentrations interpolated from the Siple ice core data, and atmospheric CO(2) concentration data from Mauna Loa measurements. Correlation analysis of temperature data with concurrent data on atmospheric CO(2) concentrations and the Wolf sunspot index support previously reported significant correlation over the 1901-1987 period. Correlation analysis between temperature, atmospheric CO(2) concentration, and the Wolf sunspot index for the shorter period, 1958-1987, when continuous Mauna Loa CO(2) data are available, suggest significant correlation between global warming and atmospheric CO(2) concentrations but no significant correlation between global warming and the Wolf sunspot index. This may be because the Wolf sunspot index apparently increased from 1901 until about 1960 and then decreased thereafter, while global warming apparently continued to increase through 1987. Correlation of sunspot activity with global warming may be spurious but additional analyses are required to test this hypothesis. Given the inconclusive correlation between temperature and solar activity, the significant intercorrelation between time, temperature, and atmospheric CO(2) concentrations, and the suggestion of weak periodicity in the temperature data, additional research is needed to separate the anthropogenic component from the natural variability in temperature when assessing local, regional, and global warming trends.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

[Periodicity and seasonal variations in the incidence of rheumatism and their relation to various exogenous biorhythms].

The nature of the relationship between rheumatic fever morbidity on some islands in the Estonian SSR and certain heliogeophysical factors was studied over the 25-year period (1958-1983). Altogether 923 patients with rheumatic fever at the active stage were followed up. Periodicity of an increase (every 5-6 yrs) in the number of patients with active rheumatic fever was noted. Changes in the morbidity curve for many years were connected with the frequency of sharp changes of the solar activity. Season and meteorological factors should be regarded as interrelated exogenous factors of risk in rheumatic fever morbidity. Rheumatic fever is a meteotropic disease. The range of meteopathic reactions in patients is associated with certain forms of disease and the presence of chronic infection foci. Meteosensitivity is more typical of familial rheumatic fever.

Estonia↗
PubMed2003

The sun and heliosphere at solar maximum.

Recent Ulysses observations from the Sun's equator to the poles reveal fundamental properties of the three-dimensional heliosphere at the maximum in solar activity. The heliospheric magnetic field originates from a magnetic dipole oriented nearly perpendicular to, instead of nearly parallel to, the Sun's rotation axis. Magnetic fields, solar wind, and energetic charged particles from low-latitude sources reach all latitudes, including the polar caps. The very fast high-latitude wind and polar coronal holes disappear and reappear together. Solar wind speed continues to be inversely correlated with coronal temperature. The cosmic ray flux is reduced symmetrically at all latitudes.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Lithopanspermia in star-forming clusters.

This paper considers the lithopanspermia hypothesis in star-forming groups and clusters, where the chances of biological material spreading from one solar system to another is greatly enhanced (relative to action in the field) because of the close proximity of the systems and lower relative velocities. These effects more than compensate for the reduced time spent in such crowded environments. This paper uses approximately 300,000 Monte Carlo scattering calculations to determine the cross sections for rocks to be captured by binaries and provides fitting formulae for other applications. We assess the odds of transfer as a function of the ejection speed v (eject) and number N(.) of members in the birth aggregate. The odds of any given ejected meteoroid being recaptured by another solar system are relatively low, about 1:10(3)-10(6) over the expected range of ejection speeds and cluster sizes. Because the number of ejected rocks (with mass m > 10 kg) per system can be large, N (R) approximately 10(16), virtually all solar systems are likely to share rocky ejecta with all of the other solar systems in their birth cluster. The number of ejected rocks that carry living microorganisms is much smaller and less certain, but we estimate that N (B) approximately 10(7) rocks can be ejected from a biologically active solar system. For typical birth environments, the capture of life-bearing rocks is expected to occur N (bio) asymptotically equal to 10-16,000 times (per cluster), depending on the ejection speeds. Only a small fraction (f (imp) approximately 10(4)) of the captured rocks impact the surfaces of terrestrial planets, so that N (lps) asymptotically equal to 10(3)-1.6 lithopanspermia events are expected per cluster (under favorable conditions). Finally, we discuss the question of internal versus external seeding of clusters and the possibility of Earth seeding young clusters over its biologically active lifetime.

Astronomical Phenomena↗
PubMed2004

Evidence for cooler European summers during periods of changing meltwater flux to the North Atlantic.

We analyzed fossil chironomids (nonbiting midges) and pollen in two lake-sediment records to reconstruct and quantify Holocene summer-temperature fluctuations in the European Alps. Chironomid and pollen records indicate five centennial-scale cooling episodes during the early- and mid-Holocene. The strongest temperature declines of approximately 1 degrees C are inferred at approximately 10,700-10,500 and 8,200-7,600 calibrated 14C years B.P., whereas other temperature fluctuations are of smaller amplitude. Two forcing mechanisms have been presented recently to explain centennial-scale climate variability in Europe during the early- and mid-Holocene, both involving changes in Atlantic thermohaline circulation. In the first mechanism, changes in meltwater flux from the North American continent to the North Atlantic are responsible for changes in the Atlantic thermohaline circulation, thereby affecting circum-Atlantic climate. In the second mechanism, solar variability is the cause of Holocene climatic fluctuations, possibly triggering changes in Atlantic thermohaline overturning. Within their dating uncertainty, the two major cooling periods in the European Alps are coeval with substantial changes in the routing of North American freshwater runoff to the North Atlantic, whereas quantitatively, our climatic reconstructions show a poor agreement with available records of past solar activity. Thus, our results suggest that, during the early- and mid-Holocene, freshwater-induced Atlantic circulation changes had stronger influence on Alpine summer temperatures than solar variability and that Holocene thermohaline circulation reductions have led to summer-temperature declines of up to 1 degrees C in central Europe.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Cyclic variation and solar forcing of Holocene climate in the Alaskan subarctic.

High-resolution analyses of lake sediment from southwestern Alaska reveal cyclic variations in climate and ecosystems during the Holocene. These variations occurred with periodicities similar to those of solar activity and appear to be coherent with time series of the cosmogenic nuclides 14C and 10Be as well as North Atlantic drift ice. Our results imply that small variations in solar irradiance induced pronounced cyclic changes in northern high-latitude environments. They also provide evidence that centennial-scale shifts in the Holocene climate were similar between the subpolar regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific, possibly because of Sun-ocean-climate linkages.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

[The causality of lunar changes on cardiovascular mortality].

The author confirmed, based on different ways of processing of 1437 sudden cardiovascular deaths, that the frequency of these deaths changes in the course of the synodic moon with two maxima during the lunar quarters. Processing by the method of transfer of epochs made it possible to shift steadily the mortality curves according to the phase of solar activity. This made the author assume that the cause of the phenomenon of two-phasic change of mortality during lunation cannot be only gravitation (sudden tides) and that in addition the interfering influence of solar corpuscular radiation is involved. It is known that this radiation causes geomagnetic disorders. Consistent with the above view it was proved that in the course of lunation the greatest number of geomagnetic disorders occur at a time close to the lunar quarters. Then, as the author proved--aurora polaris is more frequent. The increased cardiovascular mortality is thus associated with an increased geomagnetic activity. The relationship is certainly not direct. The author indicates further trends of research to disclose the immediate causes which exert an unfavourable effect on our cardiovascular system.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2006

Solar wind neon from Genesis: implications for the lunar noble gas record.

Lunar soils have been thought to contain two solar noble gas components with distinct isotopic composition. One has been identified as implanted solar wind, the other as higher-energy solar particles. The latter was puzzling because its relative amounts were much too large compared with present-day fluxes, suggesting periodic, very high solar activity in the past. Here we show that the depth-dependent isotopic composition of neon in a metallic glass exposed on NASA's Genesis mission agrees with the expected depth profile for solar wind neon with uniform isotopic composition. Our results strongly indicate that no extra high-energy component is required and that the solar neon isotope composition of lunar samples can be explained as implantation-fractionated solar wind.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Some heliogeophysical characteristics of a series of especially dangerous crimes].

Geo- and heliophysical situations have been evaluated specially for the days of serial crimes committed during 1980-1990 in USSR. The analysis of 150 episodes (ten separate series) shows that the crimes are most probable immediately or 1-3 days after sharp decrease of solar activity (Wolf numbers), geomagnetic activity (A3 and K indices) and of lowest daily surface and air temperature.

Crime↗
PubMed2001

Strong coherence between solar variability and the monsoon in Oman between 9 and 6 kyr ago.

Variations in the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth are thought to influence climate, but the extent of this influence on timescales of millennia to decades is unclear. A number of climate records show correlations between solar cycles and climate, but the absolute changes in solar intensity over the range of decades to millennia are small and the influence of solar flux on climate is not well established. The formation of stalagmites in northern Oman has recorded past northward shifts of the intertropical convergence zone, whose northward migration stops near the southern shoreline of Arabia in the present climate. Here we present a high-resolution record of oxygen isotope variations, for the period from 9.6 to 6.1 kyr before present, in a Th-U-dated stalagmite from Oman. The delta18O record from the stalagmite, which serves as a proxy for variations in the tropical circulation and monsoon rainfall, allows us to make a direct comparison of the delta18O record with the Delta14C record from tree rings, which largely reflects changes in solar activity. The excellent correlation between the two records suggests that one of the primary controls on centennial- to decadal-scale changes in tropical rainfall and monsoon intensity during this time are variations in solar radiation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1981

Correlation between convulsive seizure and geomagnetic activity.

The annual percentage of patients with convulsive seizure in the Neurological Department of the Bangur Institute of Neurology, Calcutta, is found to be significantly correlated with the annual values of sunspot numbers and geomagnetic activity indices for the period 1955--1971. For a particular geomagnetic activity index the correlation coefficient is significant at a 99% confidence level. The study shows that a proper choice of elements in the series is important in studies undertaken to establish the biological effects of solar activity.

Astronomical Phenomena↗
PubMed2005

Kinetic studies on the tensile state of water in trees.

The solar-powered generation and turnover of tensile, cohesive water in trees is described as a kinetic phenomenon of irreversible thermodynamics. A molecular kinetic model for tensile water formation and turnover is presented, which is found to be mathematically equivalent with an autocatalytic reaction (Brusselator). It is also shown to be consistent with the van der Waals equation for real liquid-gas systems, which empirically considers intermolecular forces. It can therefore be used to explain both the irreversible thermodynamics and the kinetics of the tensile liquid state of water. A nonlinear bistable evaporation behavior of tensile water is predicted, which has not yet been experimentally characterized in trees. Conventional sap flow techniques in combination with infrared imaging of heat flow around a local heat source were used to study the dynamics and energetics of water transport of trees during the eclipse of August 11, 1999. The evaporative "pulling force" in a tree was demonstrated with infrared techniques and shown to respond within seconds. While the ambient temperature during the eclipse did not drop by more than 2 degrees C, evaporative water transport was reduced by a factor of up to 2-3. The expected hysteresis (with an up to 50% decrease in energy-conversion-related entropy production) was measured, reflecting a bistable mode of conversion of solar energy into tensile water flow. This nonlinear (autocatalytic) phenomenon, together with tensile molecular order, damped the oscillating behavior of xylem tensile water, and its occasional all-or-none rupture (cavitation) can thus be explained by the nonlinear nature of intermolecular forces active in the water conduit/parenchyma environment. This characterizes the physical chemistry and energetics of tensile water in trees as an active-solar-energy-driven self-organizing process. Water is handled in the form of microcanonical ensembles and transformed into a stretched, metastable icelike state with stronger hydrogen bonding and increased heat of evaporation. The discussed model may open new opportunities for research and understanding toward innovative water technologies.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1988

[The relation of calcium biorhythms to helio-geophysical factors].

In the course of 64 days the calcium concentration was daily determined in the blood serum of 6 male rabbits. From the first to the 32nd day round of research the rabbits were intact, and from the 33rd to 64th day round they were singularly immunized with human antimeasles gamma-globulin. With the help of the original algorithm the monthly rhythms' hierarchy was determined in the individual calcium dynamics as well as in the dynamics of synchronously measured solar activity indexes. It is discovered that singular immunization turned the 10-day calcium biorhythms' phase in reverse direction failing to affect the mean level, period length and the amplitude of them. Normal half-month calcium biorhythms stood in an anti-phase position to the analogous Wolf numbers' change and solar radio emanation in the wave of 2800 MHz rhythms.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

[Morphological aspects of the science of human ecology].

Human ecology is the science on interaction of the man with the environment including the social surrounding. In the human ecological morphology biogenic and sociogenic peculiarities are distinguished; they are formed in the phylo- or ontogenesis. Peculiarities of the body integument, proportions, development of the fat component of the body mass etc. are related with the biogenic signs of the phylogenic origin, since they are connected with life in certain climato-natural conditions. These signs have certain analogues among Mammalia. The sociogenic signs of the phylogenic origin include complexes of bepedality, labour and informative-speech activity. They are characteristic for the human being only. The sociogenic peculiarities of the ontogenic origin include certain changes of the organism connected with professional and sporting activities. According to the human organism state, observed in dynamics, it is possible to judge on biogenic and sociogenic consequences of the environmental influences. For this purpose the data of anthropometric observations in newborn are considered to be important. The role of the biogenic changes is followed in the example of shifts of the body dimensions in time, connected with the solar activity cycles; the sociogenic changes are considered in an example of growth processes under conditions of different gas-pollution of the atmosphere with industrial waste.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1991

[The possibility of long-term prognosis in influenza A pandemics].

On the basis of the analysis of the most significant influenza A pandemics over the period of 300 years, compared with periodic long-term changes in the climate and the cycles of solar activity, regularities in the manifestation of the biorhythms of the epidemic activity of influenza A virus have been established. The prognosis of pandemics for near and remote future is proposed.

Climate↗
PubMed1991

[The cause of the activation of an epidemic process of intestinal infections in the 70s].

In the seventies a considerable rise in dysentery morbidity was observed in all republics of the USSR, in the whole of the USSR, in Bulgaria and in the German Democratic Republic. An increase in cholera morbidity in the world, as well as in the number of countries affected by this infection, was registered. A tendency towards a rise in virus hepatitis incidence was observed in the USSR. The dynamic study of the ozone content in the stratosphere, solar activity, disturbances in the magnetic field of the Earth, air temperature for the period of 1967-1980 was carried out. Strong and moderate correlation between dysentery and air temperature in summer was established. The maximum morbidity level in the USSR in 1972 was probably the consequence of unusually high air temperature in summer.

Bulgaria↗
PubMed1992

Cosmic ray LET spectra and doses on board Cosmos-2044 biosatellite.

Results of the experiments on board Cosmos-2044 (Biosatellite 9) are presented. Various nuclear track detectors (NTD) (dielectric, AgCl-based, nuclear emulsions) were used to obtain the LET spectra inside and outside the satellite. The spectra from the different NTDs have proved to be in general agreement. The results of LET spectra calculations using two different models are also presented. The resultant LET distributions are used to calculate the absorbed and equivalent doses and the orbit-averaged quality factors (QF) of the cosmic rays (CR). Absorbed dose rates inside (approximately 20 g cm-2 shielding) and outside (1 g cm-2) the spacecraft, omitting electrons, were found to be 4.8 and 8.6 mrad d-1, respectively, while the corresponding equivalent doses were 8.8 and 19.7 mrem d-1. The effects of the flight parameters on the total fluence of, and on the dose from, the CR particles are analyzed. Integral dose distributions of the detected particles are also determined. The LET values which separate absorbed and equivalent doses into 50% intervals are estimated. The CR-39 dielectric NTD is shown to detect 20-30% of the absorbed dose and 60-70% of the equivalent dose in the Cosmos-2044 orbit. The influence of solar activity phase on the magnitude of CR flux is discussed.

Cosmic Radiation↗