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PubMed1988

Adjusting rations for climate.

Cold conditions resulting from a combination of temperature, wind, and wetness result in increased energy required for maintenance. Constant levels of intake reduce energy available for production. Direct effects of cold include reduced rate and efficiency of growth and milk production. Indirect effects on measures of reproductive efficiency are well documented. Impacts on health and longevity are perhaps less obvious but are no doubt affected. Energy supplementation is an obvious need for cold-stressed animals. For maximum effectiveness, efforts should incorporate a systems approach and integrate the expertise of many disciplines into a logical decision-making process. The entire spectrum of animal response, not just short-term acute response, must be included in environmental management.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1992

Socioeconomic factors in the community fail to explain the high coronary mortality in cold parts of Sweden.

A regional association between cold climate and coronary mortality in Sweden has already been described. This study aimed to investigate whether this association can be explained by differences in socioeconomic factors and found that there was a regional association between coronary mortality and the following socioeconomic factors: prevalence of manual workers (D = 0.22), unemployment rates (D = 0.19), and proportion of low income earners (D = 0.17). However, these associations were substantially weaker than that between cold climate and coronary mortality (D = 0.39), and when cold climate was introduced into the statistical model the explanatory power of the socioeconomic factors diminished substantially and only the percentage of manual workers enhanced the explanatory power of cold climate. Regional variation in coronary mortality could not be attributed to long distance to emergency hospital. To conclude, the strong association between cold climate and coronary mortality could not be attributed to the influence of socioeconomic factors.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The daily incidence of acute heart failure is correlated with low minimal night temperature: cold immersion pulmonary edema revisited?

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggested a higher incidence of acute heart failure (AHF) during cold months in regions with cold climate. We examined the daily incidence of AHF by same-day trough temperature and humidity in a warmer region. METHODS AND RESULTS: All admissions for AHF (340 patients) to a city hospital, providing the sole emergency medical care to a geographical region of approximately 500,000 people were recorded. Patients were followed through admission and for 6 months after discharge. Low minimal trough temperature was associated with an increase in the same-day AHF incidence. Lowest tercile trough night temperatures were associated with higher AHF incidence (3.5 +/- 2.1 versus 2.4 +/- 1.6, events/24 hours, P = .012). This association was mainly from increased AHF events in nights with the predetermined trough temperature of <7 degrees C (4 +/- 2.1 versus 2.5 +/- 1.7, events/24 hours, P = .0013). This association persisted even after excluding the coldest consecutive 30 days from the analysis. Humidity was not associated with increased AHF event rate. In a post-hoc analysis we have observed doubling of 6-month mortality in patients admitted with AHF during days with lower trough night temperature, despite no apparent worse baseline characteristics or disease severity at admission. CONCLUSIONS: AHF rate is increased during days with lower trough night temperature. If confirmed, these results may have implications on issues related to climate control in houses of the elderly or patients susceptible to heart failure.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

Cold--an underrated risk factor for health.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for around 20% of all deaths worldwide (approximately 14 million) and are the principal cause of death in all developed countries, accounting for 50% of all deaths. Variations in the annual per capita death rates in different countries are well documented. Less well known are seasonal variations in death rates, with the highest levels occurring during the colder winter months, which have been described in many countries. This phenomenon is referred to as excess winter mortality. CVD-related deaths account for the majority of excess winter deaths (up to 70% in some countries), while about half of the remaining are due to increases in respiratory diseases. Paradoxically, CVD mortality increases to a greater extent with a given fall in temperature in regions with warm winters. While much of the indirect evidence points to the notion that cold is somehow involved in explaining excess winter deaths, the mechanism by which seemingly mild exposure to cold ambient conditions can increase the risk of death remains unclear. The strong indirect epidemiological evidence coupling cold climate to mortality may be related to indoor rather than outdoor climatic conditions (e.g., cold/damp houses versus warm/dry houses) coupled with a plethora of factors including health status, ageing-related deterioration in physiological and behavioral thermoregulation, toxicology, and socioeconomic factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

An evaluation of the wind chill factor: its development and applicability.

The wind chill factor has become a standard meteorologic term in cold climates. Meteorologic charts provide wind chill temperatures meant to represent the hypothetical air temperature that would, under conditions of no wind, effect the same heat loss from unclothed human skin as does the actual combination of air temperature and wind velocity. As this wind chill factor has social and economic significance, an investigation was conducted on the development of this factor and its applicability based on modern heat transfer principles. The currently used wind chill factor was found to be based on a primitive study conducted by the U.S. Antarctic Service over 50 years ago. The resultant equation for the wind chill temperature assumes an unrealistic constant skin temperature and utilizes heat transfer coefficients that differ markedly from those obtained from equations of modern convective heat transfer methods. The combined effect of these two factors is to overestimate the effect of a given wind velocity and to predict a wind chill temperature that is too low.

Air↗
PubMed2003

Review of operation of urban drainage systems in cold weather: water quality considerations.

Cold climate imposes special requirements on urban drainage systems, arising from extended storage of precipitation and pollutants in the catchment snowpack, processes occurring in the snowpack, and changes in catchment surface and transport network by snow and ice. Consequently, the resulting catchment response and runoff quantity differ from those experienced in snow- and ice-free seasons. Sources of pollutants entering urban snowpacks include airborne fallout, pavement and roadside deposits, and applications of de-icing and anti-skid agents. In the snowpack, snow, water and chemicals are subject to various processes, which affect their movement through the pack and eventual release during the melting process. Soluble constituents are flushed from the snowpack early during the melt; hydrophobic substances generally stay in the pack until the very end of melt and coarse solids with adsorbed pollutants stay on the ground after the melt is finished. The impacts of snowmelt on receiving waters have been measured mostly by the snowmelt chemical composition and inferences about its environmental significance. Recently, snowmelt has been tested by standard bioassays and often found toxic. Toxicity was attributed mostly to chloride and trace metals, and contributed to reduced diversity of benthic and plant communities. Thus, snowmelt and winter runoff discharged from urban drainage threaten aquatic ecosystems in many locations and require further studies with respect to advancing their understanding and development of best management practices.

Cities↗
PubMed2003

Seasonal variations in road runoff quality in Luleå, Sweden.

In regions with cold climate the urban drainage and highway runoff processes become much more complex, compared to temperate regions. Therefore, climatic conditions should be taken into account in planning and design of BMPs and snow handling strategies. In order to increase the knowledge of road runoff quality during melt and rain periods, respectively, measurements were carried out at a field site during a two-month period. The field site was situated at Södra Hamnleden, a road with 7,400 vehicles/day, in the central part of Luleå. Runoff samples were analysed for suspended solids and heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd, Ni and Zn). The results showed that the concentrations of suspended solids, lead, copper and cadmium were higher for the melt period, compared to rain generated runoff on the catchment without snow, and the highest concentrations were found during the rain-on-snow events. The results indicate a flow dependent increase in the concentration of suspended solids during the melt period. A comparison of the total mass of suspended solids over a one-month period showed that the melt period produced about 3 times more suspended solids. Metal elements during melt period were more particulate bound as compared to the rain period characterised by a higher percentage of the dissolved fraction.

Climate↗
PubMed2005

Treatment of gully pot liquor containing heavy metals with constructed wetlands in Scotland.

The aim of this investigation was to assess the treatment efficiencies for gully pot liquor of 12 experimental vertical-flow constructed wetland filters containing Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (Common Reed) and filter media of different adsorption capacities in a cold climate. Seven of the twelve filters received inflow water spiked with heavy metals. For one year, hydrated copper nitrate and hydrated nickel nitrate were added to sieved gully pot liquor to simulate contaminated primary treated storm water runoff. The inflow concentrations for dissolved copper, nickel and nitrate-nitrogen were approximately 1.0, 1.0 and 1.45 mg/l, respectively, which represent mean loading rates of 0.063 g/m2/d for Filters 2 and 7 to 11, and 0.115 g/m2/d for Filter 12. For these filters receiving metals, an obvious breakthrough of dissolved nickel was recorded after road gritting and salting during winter. Sodium chloride was responsible for nickel leaching. Reductions of copper, nickel, biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids were frequently insufficient compared to international secondary wastewater treatment standards. Moreover, the overall filtration performance for all filters was similar.

Climate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Temperature and wetland plant species effects on wastewater treatment and root zone oxidation.

Constructed wetlands are widely used for wastewater treatment, but there is little information on processes affecting their performance in cold climates, effects of plants on seasonal performance, or plant selection for cold regions. We evaluated the effects of three plant species on seasonal removal of dissolved organic matter (OM) (measured by chemical oxygen demand and dissolved organic carbon) and root zone oxidation status (measured by redox potential [Eh] and sulfate [SO4(2-)]) in subsurface-flow wetland (SSW) microcosms. A series of 20-d incubations of simulated wastewater was conducted during a 28-mo greenhouse study at temperatures from 4 to 24 degrees C. Presence and species of plants strongly affected seasonal differences in OM removal and root zone oxidation. All plants enhanced OM removal compared with unplanted controls, but plant effects and differences among species were much greater at 4 degrees C, during dormancy, than at 24 degrees C, during the growing season. Low temperatures were associated with decreased OM removal in unplanted controls and broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia L.) microcosms and with increased removal in beaked sedge (Carex rostrata Stokes) and hardstem bulrush [Schoenoplectus acutus (Muhl. ex Bigelow) A. & D. Löve var. acutus] microcosms. Differences in OM removal corresponded to species' apparent abilities to increase root zone oxygen supply. Sedge and bulrush significantly raised Eh values and SO4(2-) concentrations, particularly at 4 degrees C. These results add to evidence that SSWs can be effective in cold climates and suggest that plant species selection may be especially important to optimizing SSW performance in cold climates.

Cold Temperature↗
PubMed2000

Relationship between carbohydrate concentration and root growth potential in coniferous seedlings from three climates during cold hardening and dehardening.

Greenhouse-cultured, container-grown seedlings of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.), radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don), and interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) were cold acclimated and deacclimated in growth chambers over 24 weeks. Needle and root cold hardiness and root growth potential (RGP) were measured weekly. Root, needle and stem analyses for soluble sugars and starch were performed biweekly. In all tissues, there was a close correspondence between cold hardiness and the absolute concentration of soluble sugars, as well as between the increase and decrease in concentration of soluble sugars during cold hardening and dehardening, respectively, supporting the theory that soluble sugars function as cryoprotectants in plant tissues. The magnitude of starch concentration did not parallel the magnitude of the cold hardiness attained, and changes in starch concentration were related to production and consumption factors, rather than timing of changes in cold hardiness. The rise and fall of RGP paralleled the rise and fall of total carbohydrate concentration in roots. The behavior of the three species was surprisingly similar, considering the different climates to which they are adapted.

Carbohydrates↗
PubMed1991

Smoking habits, sales of fat and antihypertensives fail to explain the high coronary mortality in cold regions of Sweden.

A previous study has shown a strong regional association between cold climate and coronary mortality in Sweden. The present study intended to elucidate further this association, in particular whether or not it could be attributed to smoking, hypertension and fat consumption. The 284 Swedish municipalities were used as units. The outcome was mortality (SMR) from acute myocardial infarction in men aged 40-64. Prevalence of smoking and use of snuff was estimated by interviews. Sales of antihypertensive drugs were used to estimate prevalence of hypertension. Sales of butter and estimates of consumption of saturated fat by interviews were used to estimate the consumption of fat. Weighted determination coefficients (D) were calculated. Apart from the strong association between cold climate and coronary mortality (D = 0.39), an association was shown between fat consumption and coronary mortality (D = 0.22). A weaker association was found between prevalency of snuffing and coronary mortality (D = 0.15) and between sales of butter and coronary mortality (D = 0.10) and the weakest between sales of antihypertensives and coronary mortality (D = 0.06). No association was found between prevalence of smoking and coronary mortality. When the other explanatory factors were added to cold climate in the model no substantial enhancement of the association was achieved. Cold exposure was correlated to the other explanatory factors. To conclude, this study showed that the strong association between cold exposure and coronary mortality was not affected by the regional variation in the estimates of fat consumption, hypertension or tobacco use.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed2005

Cold-temperate climate: a factor for selection of ammonia oxidizers in upland soil?

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in various upland soils show a rather large diversity with respect to their amoA genes (coding for a subunit of the ammonium monooxygenase). It is known that the community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in upland soils is influenced by different selective factors, such as pH, gravimetric water content, fertilizer treatment, and temperature. The question, from an ecological point of view, is whether a particular ecophysiological factor, such as temperature, could select for a particular community structure of ammonia oxidizers in upland soils that would be represented by distinct clusters of the amoA gene (AmoA cluster). Studying the literature, including recent publications and our own unpublished results, we found that AmoA clusters 3a, 3b, and 9-12 apparently exhibited no preference for either subtropical/tropical soils (i.e., warm regions) or temperate cold soils. However, AmoA clusters 1 and 4 (and perhaps cluster 2) seem to occur predominantly in soils from cold-temperate regions. Here we review the evidence for a temperature effect on the global distribution of amoA genes in warm- and cold-temperate soils.

Ammonia↗
PubMed2004

PREDICTOL: a computer program to determine the thermophysiological duration limited exposures in various climatic conditions.

PREDICTOL is a PC program used to determine the thermophysiological duration limited exposures (DLE) in humans, nude or clothed, submitted to various climatic conditions (hot and cold climates) at rest or during a physical exercise. DLE are determined following different standards of the International Standardization Organization (ISO), especially ISO 7933 for hot environment and ISO-TR 11079 for cold environment. The original aspect of this program is that it can be used whatever the climatic conditions. The program presents two modes: an educational interactive mode and a scenario mode. The educational interactive mode demonstrates the thermophysiological effects, expressed as DLE, of different parameter changes (temperature, humidity, wind speed, metabolic heat production by physical exercise, clothing insulation and water vapor permeability). The scenario mode determines DLE for given various linked sequences as encountered in occupational, military or even recreational activities, each sequence being characterized by its climatic conditions, physical activities performed and by physical clothing properties. DLE given by PREDICTOL are correlated to those obtained in various controlled climatic laboratory conditions (r = 0.86; P < 0.001). PREDICTOL is written in Visual Basic 6.0. A "help menu" is provided to explain the use of the program and give information concerning the equations used to calculate both the thermal balance and DLE.

Body Temperature Regulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Dynamics of the changes in metabolic and endocrine processes in helicopter crews on commercial flights].

Metabolic and hormonal variations of crewmembers of MI-6 and MI-8 helicopters were investigated. The investigation was performed on 61 pilots, including 18 in the hot and 43 in the cold climate. The following parameters were measured before and after flight: nonesterified fatty acids, lactic acid, insulin, and cortisol in blood, and catecholamines and cortisol in urine. In the hot climate the content of nonesterified fatty acids, lactic acid and insulin increased. The renal excretion of catecholamines and cortisol grew drastically. In the cold climate nonesterified fatty acids increased postflight. Insulin, catecholamines and cortisol tended to grow.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Water hardness does not contribute substantially to the high coronary mortality in cold regions of Sweden.

Earlier studies have shown an association between cold climate and high coronary mortality. The aim of this study was to elucidate in more detail the effect of drinking water hardness on this association. Drinking water parameters were obtained from 259 municipalities in Sweden over a 10-year period. During the same period a 'cold index' was calculated for each municipality. Standardized coronary mortality rates in men aged 40-64 years were used. A negative association was found between water hardness and coronary mortality (coefficient of determination k = 0.080). A much stronger association was found between coronary mortality and cold index (D = 0.389). When coronary mortality was explained by both water hardness and cold index, the association was not significantly strengthened (D = 0.391). Water hardness was negatively correlated with cold index (r = 0.55). We conclude that the association between cold climate and coronary mortality was stronger than that between drinking water hardness and coronary mortality, and that it persisted after stratification for water hardness.

Adult↗