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PubMed1996

Surveillance of community-acquired viral infections due to respiratory viruses in Rhone-Alpes (France) during winter 1994 to 1995.

Nasal swab from patients with acute flu-like illness were evaluated for the presence of respiratory viruses in the Rhone-Alpes region of France from 1 October 1994 through 2 May 1995. The relative frequencies and seasonal distributions of the specific viruses were assessed. In addition, virus type was correlated with specific clinical signs and symptoms. During the study, 962 samples were collected by 75 medical practitioners participating in the Groupe Regional d'Observation de la Grippe surveillance network. One or more viruses were detected from 348 samples (36.1%), including 108 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), 64 influenza virus A type H3N2, 47 influenza virus B, 64 coronavirus, 35 rhinovirus, 22 adenovirus, 5 enterovirus, and 3 parainfluenza-fluenza strains. There were 16 mixed infections. RSV infections peaked in the early winter, and influenza viruses A and B infections peaked during the late winter and early spring. There were two peaks of coronavirus infections (late fall and late winter). Other viruses were detected at lower levels throughout the study period. Patients from whom adenovirus was isolated were significantly more likely to have a fever of > 39.5 degrees C than were patients with other detectable viruses (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between influenza and cough (P < 0.01) and RSV and bronchiolitis (P < .001). Thus, the current study defined the overall and relative frequencies of respiratory virus detection from nasal swab specimens in patients with an acute flu-like illness in the Rhone-Alpes region of France during a 7-month period. Correlation with clinical signs and symptoms and provisional conclusions regarding seasonality were also determined.

Adenovirus Infections, Human↗
PubMed1999

Incidence of upper respiratory tract Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections among outpatients in Rhône-Alpes, France, during five successive winter periods.

In this prospective study, nasal swab samples from patients with acute respiratory infections were evaluated for the presence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This PCR-plus-hybridization-based detection was associated with the detection of other viral agents. During the five winter surveillance periods, 3,897 samples were collected by 75 medical practitioners participating in the Groupe Régional d'Observation de la Grippe surveillance network in Rhône-Alpes (France). M. pneumoniae was detected in 283 samples (7.3%); its rate of detection ranged from 10.1 to 2.0% over the five periods, and it was the second most frequently isolated pathogen during the survey, after influenza A. Three high-prevalence winters were observed, yielding an early winter peak of M. pneumoniae infection which was observed in all age groups. No statistically significant difference was detected between rates of infections in the different age groups, but M. pneumoniae infection was significantly related to lower respiratory tract infection during periods of high prevalence. This study defined the frequency of M. pneumoniae detection from nasal swab specimens in patients with acute respiratory infections, confirming its high prevalence and the presence of large outbreaks due to this pathogen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Screening elite winter athletes for exercise induced asthma: a comparison of three challenge methods.

BACKGROUND: The reported prevalence of exercise induced asthma (EIA) in elite winter athletes ranges from 9% to 50%. Many elite winter athletes do not report symptoms of EIA. At present there is no gold standard test for EIA. OBJECTIVE: To establish the efficacy of screening for EIA and examine the role of the eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (EVH) challenge and laboratory based and sport specific exercise challenges in the evaluation of elite winter athletes. METHODS: 14 athletes (mean (SD) age 22.6 (5.7) years, height 177.2 (7.0) cm, body mass 68.9 (16.9) kg) from the Great Britain short-track speed skating (n = 10) and biathlon teams (n = 4) were studied. Each athlete completed a laboratory based and sport specific exercise challenge as well as an EVH challenge, in randomised order. RESULTS: All 14 athletes completed each challenge. Two had a previous history of asthma. Ten (including the two with a previous history) had a positive test to at least one of the challenges. Ten athletes had a positive response to EVH; of these, only three also had a positive response to the sport specific challenge. No athletes had a positive response to the laboratory based challenge. CONCLUSIONS: Elite athletes should be screened for EIA. EVH is a more sensitive challenge in asymptomatic athletes than sport specific and laboratory based challenges. If sporting governing bodies were to implement screening programmes to test athletes for EIA, EVH is the challenge of choice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Improvement of mild inflammatory changes of the facial skin induced by winter environment with daily applications of a moisturizing cream. A half-side test of biophysical skin parameters, cytokine expression pattern and the formation of cornified envelope.

OBJECTIVE: Based on our previous findings that, reflecting mild inflammation, the exposed facial skin shows much poorer functional properties of the stratum corneum (SC) in the dry and cold winter than those evaluated in the same individuals in the warm and humid summer time, we conducted a half-side test on the face to determine how the facial skin changes induced by a winter environment are improved by daily applications of a moisturizing cream as assessed by non-invasive biophysical and cytological methods. METHODS: One side of the face of 16 young females was treated with a moisturizing cream twice daily for 6 weeks, with the other side serving as the non-treated control. Before treatment, 3 and 6 weeks after the start of the treatment, high-frequency conductance as a parameter of the skin surface hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), a parameter of the water barrier function of the skin, and the skin surface lipid level were measured on the cheeks. Obtaining the SC from the skin surface by adhesive tape, interleukin (IL) 1alpha and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) in the SC and cornified envelope (CE) maturation were determined. RESULTS: At first, baseline measurements conducted before treatment showed rather high TEWL values suggestive of an impaired skin barrier. During the treatment with the moisturizing cream, significantly higher conductance values and lower TEWL values were found on the moisturizer-treated side, accompanied by a decreasing IL-1ra/IL-1alpha ratio and immature CEs. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the daily application of a moisturizing cream is effective in improving mild subclinical inflammation that is induced on the facial skin by the winter environment.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1995

The influence of comorbid disorders and of continuation light treatment on remission and recurrence in winter depression.

The objectives of this prospective study were to investigate the influence of comorbid disorders and that of continuation light treatment on remission rates and on a subsequent onset of a depressive episode in outpatients (n = 20) with winter depression. The effects of light treatment were evaluated by the structured clinical interviews and by the self-ratings of mood scored monthly for a follow-up period of 1 year. The remission rates of the patients (n = 8) who proceeded light treatment until the late winter were not significantly different from those of the patients (n = 6) who stopped treatment early during the winter. A more extensive variation in the rates during the year was observed in the former group of patients among whom the comorbid avoidant personality was more frequent, indicating an increased risk of an earlier onset of a depressive episode.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Dawn simulation treatment of winter depression: a controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether dawn simulation was superior to a shorter dimmer "placebo" dawn signal in treating winter depression. METHOD: In a randomized, parallel design, 22 patients with winter depression were treated with either 1 week of a 2-hour dawn simulation peaking at 250 lux or 1 week of a 30-minute dawn simulation peaking at 0.2 lux. The subjects were told that they would receive either a "gradual" dawn or a "rapid" dawn reaching an intensity that would be dimmer than standard bright light treatment. At the end of both the baseline week and the treatment week, subjects were assessed in a blind manner with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Analysis of covariance was used to compare the two dawn treatments. RESULTS: The 2-hour, 250-lux dawn simulation resulted in Hamilton depression scale scores that were significantly lower than scores after the 30-minute, 0.2-lux dawn simulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that dawn simulation is an effective treatment for winter depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The influence of time on dietary data: differences in reported summer and winter food consumption.

A pilot study was conducted to test whether or not the time of data collection affected subjects' responses to a dietary questionnaire and could therefore bias the results of a study. A 117 item food frequency questionnaire was administered to 43 subjects--16 in the summer and 27 in the winter. The summer and winter consumption per person per month was calculated and compared. Of the 117 foods, 105 (89%) showed differences between summer and winter consumption. While differences in summer fruit and hot cereal might be expected, this study showed that many other foods not usually thought of as seasonal were seasonally consumed by the population tested. Since food consumption is affected by supply and demand factors, and the reported memory of food intake is biased toward the present, the time of data collection could greatly influence reported intake for a great number of foods. Recommendations for enhancing dietary studies are given. These recommendations include the development of a gold standard of consumption for each food in a given population, incorporating the elements of person, place and time into study design, building the rate and length of data collection into the study plan and using the gold standard and improved design to produce a new generation of dietary studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Quality of life in patients with seasonal affective disorder: summer vs winter scores.

OBJECTIVE: To compare perceived quality of life (QoL) in patients diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter and summer months. METHODS: Twenty-six patients who were enrolled in an ongoing multicentre study in Canada completed 2 measures of QoL (the 20-item Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey [SF-20] and the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, [Q-LES-Q]) during the winter, when suffering from depression, and again during the summer months. RESULTS: Both general and health-related QoL scores were significantly improved in patients with SAD during the summer months, with scores for the most part falling within normal range. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived QoL in patients with SAD is markedly impaired during the winter months but shows a substantial rebound during the summer months. The findings of this study provide further evidence that SAD is a distinct diagnostic entity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Multiple deprivation and excess winter deaths in Scotland.

The recent publication of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) has allowed some tentative statistical correlations to be undertaken to assess the impact poverty may have on mortality and morbidity. During the period 1989 to 2001, Scotland registered around 51,600 excess winter deaths (EWDs). An EWD is taken as the additional deaths during December to March than occurred in the preceding and subsequent four-month periods. Almost all of these EWDs were in the population aged over 65. This represents 50 more deaths per day in January than in July. The SIMD measured five criteria by region: income; employment; health and disability; education, skills and training; and geographical access to services. Glasgow was the most deprived region with an SIMD score of 46.88 and East Dunbartonshire, the least deprived region, with a score of 9.07. For the over 65s, the chance of becoming an EWD in Glasgow is one in 36, rising to one in 68 for North Ayrshire. The SIMD is positively correlated with EWD by region (0.35 at the 5% confidence level). This correlation appears to go against the influence of climatic variations, house type, energy efficiency and access to the gas network which favours urban areas. Although some of the additional winter deaths have been ascribed to outdoor cold exposure--exacerbated by inappropriate clothing or culturally determined behaviour--the majority of EWDs are premature and essentially preventable if the elderly can be kept warm in their homes during the winter months.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Season of birth in schizophrenia. Evidence for confinement of an excess of winter births to patients without a family history of mental disorder.

Although it is well recognised that schizophrenic patients are more often born in winter, the significance of this finding remains obscure. Data relating to season of birth and family history were analysed for 561 patients with an ICD-9 diagnosis of schizophrenia. Patients with no family history of any psychiatric disorder group were significantly more likely to be born in winter than patients with a first-degree relative affected by schizophrenia. In comparison with normal population controls, only those without a family history exhibited a significant excess of winter births, suggesting an environmental factor of greater aetiological significance in these patients.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2003

Automated syndromic surveillance for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The 2002 Olympic Winter Games were held in Utah from February 8 to March 16, 2002. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the anthrax release in October 2001, the need for bioterrorism surveillance during the Games was paramount. A team of informaticists and public health specialists from Utah and Pittsburgh implemented the Real-time Outbreak and Disease Surveillance (RODS) system in Utah for the Games in just seven weeks. The strategies and challenges of implementing such a system in such a short time are discussed. The motivation and cooperation inspired by the 2002 Olympic Winter Games were a powerful driver in overcoming the organizational issues. Over 114,000 acute care encounters were monitored between February 8 and March 31, 2002. No outbreaks of public health significance were detected. The system was implemented successfully and operational for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and remains operational today.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2004

Reproductive function during summer and winter in Norwegian men living north and south of the Arctic circle.

Seasonal, daylight-dependent variation in human spermatozoa counts, with lowest values during summer, has been suggested. To test this hypothesis, we performed a longitudinal study of semen quality and reproductive hormone levels in Norwegian men living north and south of the Arctic Circle. An ejaculate and a serum specimen were obtained both in summer and in winter from 92 volunteers in Tromsoe (69 degrees north latitude) and 112 in Oslo (60 degrees north latitude). Semen analyses were performed, and serum was assayed for FSH and inhibin B. The median spermatozoa concentration in Tromsoe after adjustment for abstinence period length was 49 x 10(6)/ml in summer and 54 x 10(6)/ml in winter. Corresponding values for Oslo were 59 x 10(6)/ml and 54 x 10(6)/ml. The seasonal differences in spermatozoa concentration were not statistically significant, nor were significant differences observed in median total spermatozoa count, semen volume, percentage progressive motile spermatozoa, or FSH. In Tromsoe, but not Oslo, inhibin B concentration was slightly, but significantly (P = 0.02) higher in winter than summer (229 ng/liter vs. 223 ng/liter). The length of the daylight period may have a slight impact on hormonal markers of spermatogenesis but does not cause substantial changes in spermatozoa numbers and motility.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3: exposure to winter sunlight in Boston and Edmonton will not promote vitamin D3 synthesis in human skin.

Sunlight has long been recognized as a major provider of vitamin D for humans; radiation in the UVB (290-315 nm) portion of the solar spectrum photolyzes 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to previtamin D3, which, in turn, is converted by a thermal process to vitamin D3. Latitude and season affect both the quantity and quality of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface, especially in the UVB region of the spectrum, but little is known about how these influence the ability of sunlight to synthesize vitamin D3 in skin. A model has been developed to evaluate the effect of seasonal and latitudinal changes on the potential of sunlight to initiate cutaneous production of vitamin D3. Human skin or [3 alpha-3H]7-dehydrocholesterol exposed to sunlight on cloudless days in Boston (42.2 degrees N) from November through February produced no previtamin D3. In Edmonton (52 degrees N) this ineffective winter period extended from October through March. Further south (34 degrees N and 18 degrees N), sunlight effectively photoconverted 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3 in the middle of winter. These results quantify the dramatic influence of changes in solar UVB radiation on cutaneous vitamin D3 synthesis and indicate the latitudinal increase in the length of the "vitamin D winter" during which dietary supplementation of the vitamin may be advisable.

Alberta↗
PubMed2006

Acclimation to different thermal conditions in a northerly wintering shorebird is driven by body mass-related changes in organ size.

Seasonal acclimatization and experimental acclimation to cold in birds typically results from increased shivering endurance and elevated thermogenic capacity leading to improved resistance to cold. A wide array of physiological adjustments, ranging from biochemical transformations to organ mass variations, are involved in this process. Several studies have shown that improved cold endurance is accompanied by increases in summit metabolic rate (M(sum)), a measure of maximal heat production and an indicator of the level of sustainable thermogenic capacity. However, improved endurance to cold can also be achieved without significant changes in M(sum). The same is true for basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is known to increase in association with cold acclimatization or acclimation in some species but not in others. We investigated cold acclimation in a migrant shorebird known for extreme physiological flexibility, the red knot (Calidris canutus, the northerly wintering subspecies islandica). We measured BMR and M(sum) over two months in birds caught in the wild and transferred to experimentally controlled conditions representative of aspects of their seasonal thermal environment (two groups at constant 25 degrees C, one group at constant 4 degrees C and two groups experiencing variable outdoor temperatures). Birds maintained in both cold and variable ambient temperatures showed a 14-15% higher body mass, 33-45% higher food intake, and 26% and 13% elevations in BMR and M(sum), respectively, compared with birds kept at thermoneutrality. These results, together with data on alimentary tract size and pectoral muscle thickness measured by ultrasonography, suggest that red knots acclimate to cold primarily through modulation of (lean) body mass components. Heavier individuals have larger muscles, which allow higher maximal heat production and better thermal compensation. Cold acclimation effects on BMR are most probably due to changes in the size of visceral organs, although not the alimentary tract in this specific case. The liver, known for its thermogenic capacity, is a probable candidate. Overall, our results indicate that relatively small changes in body mass and muscle size allow enough reserve capacity in terms of heat production to cope with typical wintering ambient temperature variations as measured on the red knot's wintering grounds.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1994

ACTIVE Na+-, Cl-- AND HCO3--DEPENDENT ACID EXTRUSION IN ATLANTIC COD RED BLOOD CELLS IN WINTER ACTIVATED BY HYPERCAPNIA

The relationship between intracellular pH (pHi) and extracellular pH (pHe) was investigated in red blood cells from the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in carbon dioxide/bicarbonate-buffered salines. In summer animals (August/September), similar transmembrane distribution ratios of chloride ([Cl-]i/[Cl-]e=rCl-) and protons ([H+]e/[H+]i=rH+) suggested a passive Donnan distribution of these ions across the red blood cell membrane at pHe 6.7&shy;8.4. In winter animals (February/March), a marked discrepancy occurred between rH+ and rCl- at low pHe values. The pronounced increase in rH+ resulted in significantly higher pHi values compared with those of red blood cells from summer animals and at pHe 6.7 pHi exceeded pHe by 0.3 units. The increases in rH+ values were completely abolished by cyanide and 2,4-dinitrophenol. The high disequilibrium rH+ values were sodium-, chloride- and bicarbonate-dependent. During hypercapnic acidosis, proton equivalents were extruded from the red blood cell. The resulting high rH+ values were accompanied by a reduced chloride shift into the red blood cell and a ouabain-insensitive net sodium influx. The net sodium influx into red blood cells from winter animals was significantly reduced in the presence of DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid). The results suggest the activation of a Na+-dependent Cl-/HCO3-exchanger at low pHe in the red blood cells of the Atlantic cod in winter.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Injuries among disabled athletes during the 2002 Winter Paralympic Games.

PURPOSE: This prospective injury surveillance study was conducted to better understand the types of and risk factors of injuries sustained by athletes with disabilities competing in adapted winter sports at the elite level. METHODS: Detailed information was collected on all injuries evaluated by polyclinic or venue medical personnel during the operational 20-d period of the 2002 Winter Paralympics. RESULTS: A total of 39 injuries involving 9% of the Paralympic athletes were recorded in the injury registry. Most of these injuries were of acute, traumatic onset and involved the disciplines of alpine skiing and sledge hockey. Sprains (32%), fractures (21%), and strains and lacerations (14% each) represented the most common diagnoses. Of the recorded injuries, eight (21%) resulted in time lost from training or competition. CONCLUSIONS: The injury patterns observed among winter Paralympians in this study are not appreciably different from able-bodied athletes competing in similar disciplines, although in many instances the risk factors for sport-specific injury appear to be unique to disabled or adapted competition. Our preliminary observations suggest that several of the more severe injuries were potentially preventable. Ongoing data collection by the International Paralympic Committee should enable feasible injury prevention strategies to be designed and implemented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Molecular characterization of sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase and sucrose:fructan 6-fructosyltransferase associated with fructan accumulation in winter wheat during cold hardening.

We isolated two cDNAs of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), designated wft1 and wft2, which encoded sucrose:fructan 6-fructosyltransferase (6-SFT) and sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SST; EC 2.4.1.99), respectively, which are involved in the synthesis of fructan in wheat. wft1 and wft2 were cloned by screening of a cDNA library with probed-cDNA fragments corresponding to plant fructosyltransferase and invertase. The identity of the clones was verified by functional characterization of recombinant proteins expressed in methylotrophic yeast, Pichiapastoris. Northern blotting showed that the level of wft2 transcripts increased from autumn to early winter in the crown tissues of all field-grown wheat cultivars examined. Higher levels of wft1 and wft2 transcripts were found in leaf tissues of snow mold-resistant cultivars, which accumulated more fructan than other cultivars. Our results showed that Wft1 and Wft2 were important in fructan accumulation during cold hardening of winter wheat.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Subjective symptoms among female workers and winter working conditions in a consumer cooperative.

Subjective musculoskeletal symptoms are more frequently complained about in cold store work and in related conditions than in normal temperature work. This cross sectional study was undertaken (a) to explore the prevalence of subjective symptoms in winter among a group of female workers engaged in classification of cold storage goods, and in a group of female checkers in several supermarkets of a large consumer cooperative; and (b) to give recommendations for improving the winter working conditions of these workers. The subjects consisted of 46 workers engaged in classification of cold storage goods, 56 checkers operating a laser scanner in supermarkets and 59 office workers (control group). Work loads for the three groups were estimated according to the recommended criteria. A self-administered questionnaire covering age, occupational career, smoking, alcohol drinking and physical exercise, present or past history of diseases, individual protective measures against cold, and subjective symptoms (54 items) was used. The air temperature of the working site at the opening time for classification workers was 4.8 degrees C which was significantly lower than those measured for the other two work places (12.1 degrees C and 15.8 degrees C). About 70 to 80% of classification workers complained of cold sensation in different body regions, as well as shoulder stiffness, and problems related to the back. The supermarket checkers and office workers had a high prevalence of cold sensation in their feet. The frequencies of using warm clothes and foot heaters, as an individual measure to work comfortably in winter among the classification workers and the checkers were significantly higher than that among the office workers. We concluded that work difficulty due to moderate cold exposure among workers in the consumer cooperative could be reduced by some physical activity as well as proper clothes.

Adult↗