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PubMed1998

The association of psychiatric diagnosis with weather conditions in a large urban homeless sample.

Assessment of psychiatric disorders encounters unique complexities in homeless populations. Although the use of structured diagnostic instruments has significantly improved research methodology in this area, questions remain about the validity of using cross-sectional diagnostic methods derived from studies of more general populations. In particular, the validity of structured diagnostic instruments in the assessment of schizophrenia, depression, drug use disorder, and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in homeless populations has been questioned. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of psychiatric diagnoses with the weather. It was hypothesized that self-report of psychiatric illness may be affected by prevailing weather conditions. Nine hundred homeless subjects randomly sampled from St. Louis shelters, day centers, and unsheltered locations were interviewed over a 1-year period. Official average daily temperature and amount of precipitation on the day of each subject's interview were compared with lifetime and current psychiatric diagnoses ascertained by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Similar analyses were performed in general population data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. The study found that among homeless men, inclement weather on the day of interview was associated with lifetime and current diagnoses of major depression, lifetime drug use disorder, lifetime diagnosis of ASPD, and current alcohol use disorder. These findings, however, were not present in homeless women and not reflected in the general population. The results, although limited, suggest that weather may confound cross-sectional, standardized methods of psychiatric diagnosis in homeless men. Weather-related factors among homeless men are associated with ascertainment of both lifetime and current diagnosis of major depression, as well as lifetime drug use disorder and ASPD and current alcohol use disorder. Possible interpretations of these findings are discussed, with implications for intervention strategies for psychiatric disorders in the larger context of homelessness and social problems.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Using weather indices to predict survival of winter wheat in a cool temperate environment.

Seven years of winter survival data for winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) were collected on a loam soil located on the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa, Ontario (45 degrees 23'N, 75 degrees 43'W). The site was low-lying and subject to frequent winter flooding and ice-sheet formation. Two cultivars, a soft white and a hard red winter wheat, were planted in September. Crop establishment was measured in late fall and the percentage survival was measured in April of the following year. Meteorological data, which were available from the nearby weather site, were used to develop a large set of monthly weather indices that were felt to be important for winter survival. The objective of the study was to use genetic selection algorithms and artificial neural networks to select a subset of critical weather factors and topographic features and to model winter survival. The six weather indices selected were the total rain depth for December (mm), the total rain depth for February (mm), the number of days of the month with snow on the ground for January, the extreme minimum observed daily air temperature for March ( degrees C), the number of days of the month with snow on the ground for March, and the number of days of April with a daily maximum air temperature greater than 0 degrees C. It was found 89% of the variation in winter survival could be explained by these six weather indices, the cultivar, elevation and plot location.

Forecasting↗
PubMed1998

Biometeorological classification of daily weather types for the humid tropics.

This paper describes the methodology for an objective classification of weather types for biometeorological purposes in a tropical-humid climate, such as the Cuban climate. The classification considers the daily behavior of extreme air temperatures, the mean partial vapor pressure, the mean diurnal cloudiness, the wind speed at 1300 hours local time, and the occurrence of precipitation during the day, in order to identify up to 18 weather types. Descriptions are given of the main biometeorological characteristics of some significant weather types, considering typical geographical locations, and their seasonal variations related to the seasonal pattern of asthma and acute respiratory infections. The relationship between the daily occurrence of diseases and the distribution of these local weather types is also described. A significant relationship was found between the incidence of cardiovascular and neurological diseases and the occurrence of hot stress, while the presence of cold and very cold days was closely related with increases of bronchial asthma in adults and children. The appearance of large meteoropathological reactions in the native population could be explained by the day to day pattern of change in the weather types.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Predicting days of high allergenic risk during Betula pollination using weather types.

The aim of this study was to build up a picture of the influence of meteorological conditions on pollen and pollinosis, taking account of weather types, pollen concentrations in the air and pollinosis symptoms, with the aim of preventing allergic responses. The study took place in Burgundy from 1996 to 1998, during the pollination of the birch (Betula), which is the most important arborean allergen in this region. We used daily pollen data from four Hirst volumetric traps, identified weather types by Bénichou's classification, and obtained data on the occurrence of rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma and coughing from a sample of 100 patients. These data were analysed by multiple-component analysis. The results show that pollen dispersal is favoured by windy conditions, low relative humidity, precipitation below 2 mm and temperatures above 6 degrees C. Such weather also favours pollinosis, but other particular meteorological situations, even if they do not assist pollen dispersal, can act directly on the development of symptoms: a decrease of temperature (3 degrees C) led to the development of rhinitis and conjunctivitis, while strong winds were associated with many cases of conjunctivitis and asthma, owing to the irritant effect of cold or wind; asthma was favoured by temperature inversions with fog, probably because such weather corresponds to high levels of pollution, which act on bronchial hyperreactivity. Because the weather types favouring pollination and pollinosis are predicted by the meteorological office, this can constitute a tool for reducing the effect of high-risk allergenic days.

Asthma↗
PubMed1987

Pollution episodes at Venice related to weather types: an analysis for a better predictability.

In order to obtain a rational strategy for the control and management of emissions from the industrial area of Venice, determination of the air quality is made from different perspectives. A source-receptor oriented approach shows a remarkable scatter of data due to the complex source field and variability of atmospheric conditions at a coastal site. As many pollution episodes are initiated by local diffusion potentials induced by the interaction between topographic irregularities (i.e. Alpine chain and Adriatic Sea) and the mesoscale atmospheric circulation system, a correlation between pollution events and synoptic conditions is made. Two periods of two years each were considered, the former characterized by very frequent, moderate episodes, the latter by more rare but potentially more severe episodes, although the emission rate was reduced. Four different criteria (i.e. weather types as classified by the U.K. Meteorological Office, by Borghi and Giuliacci, and by Urbani, and the passage of fronts) are considered and compared in order to describe the synoptic conditions and to make a reasonable prediction of the local dynamic climatology. A risk index (RI) is computed for each weather type. The U.K. classification appears to be the most suitable as it classifies the maximum number of synoptic maps and has the greatest spread of RI, thus making a more sound prediction. The analysis shows that the pollution episodes are associated with instability phenomena, i.e. passage of fronts or the onset of moderate to fresh winds, and not with stationary conditions. Also, the areal extension over which the highest pollution levels are recorded is related to particular weather types. The statistics of the meteorological weather types occurring during the pollution events give satisfactory results for some weather types, especially for those correlating highly or poorly with pollution events.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2005

Influence of atmospheric pressure, outdoor temperature, and weather phases on the onset of spontaneous pneumothorax.

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of meteorological factors such as atmospheric pressure (AP), outdoor temperature (T) changes, and weather phases (WP) on the occurrence of spontaneous pneumothorax (SP). METHODS: Retrospective study, including 659 patients with primary SP and SP associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), conservatively treated in a 5-year period. In the analyzed period, 548 days with SP were compared both with 3 days preceding the onset of SP and with days without pneumothorax. The comparison was made depending on weather phases and on different aspects of AP and T. RESULTS: Seasons of the year did not significantly influence the occurrence of SP. No significant difference was found between SP and non-SP days depending on different aspects of AP and T changes. Most patients were admitted in "clusters" with not more than 2, 3, or 4 days between two successive admissions. The occurrence of SP was significantly correlated with weather phases 2ts (anticyclonic situation with warm and dry weather) and 5 hv (passing of the cold front). Biological sense and possible explanations of this correlation are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Among all analyzed meteorological factors, significant correlation was found only between weather phases 2ts and 5hv and the occurrence of SP.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Impact of weather and climate on the incidence of acute coronary syndromes.

BACKGROUND: First investigations of the interactions between weather and the incidence of acute myocardial infarctions date back to 1938. The early observation of a higher incidence of myocardial infarctions in the cold season could be confirmed in very different geographical regions and cohorts. While the influence of seasonal variations on the incidence of myocardial infarctions has been extensively documented, the impact of individual meteorological parameters on the disease has so far not been investigated systematically. Hence the present study intended to assess the impact of the essential variables of weather and climate on the incidence of myocardial infarctions. METHODS: The daily incidence of myocardial infarctions was calculated from a national hospitalization survey. The hourly weather and climate data were provided by the database of the national weather forecast. The epidemiological and meteorological data were correlated by multivariate analysis based on a generalized linear model assuming a log-link-function and a Poisson distribution. RESULTS: High ambient pressure, high pressure gradients, and heavy wind activity were associated with an increase in the incidence of the totally 6560 hospitalizations for myocardial infarction irrespective of the geographical region. Snow- and rainfall had inconsistent effects. Temperature, Foehn, and lightning showed no statistically significant impact. CONCLUSIONS: Ambient pressure, pressure gradient, and wind activity had a statistical impact on the incidence of myocardial infarctions in Switzerland from 1990 to 1994. To establish a cause-and-effect relationship more data are needed on the interaction between the pathophysiological mechanisms of the acute coronary syndrome and weather and climate variables.

Climate↗
PubMed2005

A year's trauma admissions and the effect of the weather.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To study the admissions to a busy trauma unit on a day-by-day basis over a 1 year period, and to look for any correlation with local weather variation or temporal factors (day of the week, weekends/school holidays, etc.). METHOD: Admissions data for the Trauma Unit at the Leicester Royal Infirmary was collected from an administrative database and ward records for the calendar year of 1998. Admissions were split into four groups: all admissions, adult admissions, admissions for proximal femoral fractures (neck of femur (NOF)) and paediatric admissions. Weather information for the local area was obtained from the Meteorological Office. Details of school holidays were obtained from the local Education Department. The above variables were examined using Poisson regression analysis for their potential importance in explaining day-to-day variation in admission rates for the four groups. RESULTS: For adult and NOF admissions, none of the weather factors appeared to explain variation in incidence, only day of the week appears to be important, with the earlier part of the week yielding a highly statistically significant increase in the relative incidence of trauma admissions. For both paediatric and total admissions, a number of factors appear important, including maximum and minimum temperatures, hours of sunshine, day of the week and month of the year. Daily rainfall, significant weather and whether the day was a school day or school holiday did not appear to be important on univariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Trauma admissions are related to both weather and temporal factors. This may have implications both in terms of prevention and in planning of care provision in trauma units.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Seasonality and daily weather conditions in relation to myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1979 to 2002.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the relationship of season and weather types with myocardial infarction (MI) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a geographically defined population, and tested the hypothesis that the increased risk in winter was related to weather. BACKGROUND: Winter peaks in coronary heart disease (CHD) have been documented. Yet, it is uncertain if seasonality exists for both incident events and deaths, and the role of weather conditions is not clear. METHODS: The daily occurrence of incident MI and SCD in Olmsted County was examined with data from the National Weather Service. Poisson regression models were used to assess the relative risks (RRs) associated with season and climatic variables. Subsequent analysis stratified SCD into those with and without antecedent CHD (unexpected SCD). RESULTS: Between 1979 and 2002, 2,676 MI and 2,066 SCD occurred. The age-, gender-, and year-adjusted RR of SCD, but not of MI, was increased in winter versus summer (1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03 to 1.32) and in low temperatures (1.20, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.35, for temperatures below 0 degrees C vs. 18 degrees C to 30 degrees C). These associations were stronger for unexpected SCD than for SCD with prior CHD (p < 0.05). After adjustment for all climatic variables, low temperature was associated with a large increase in the risk of unexpected SCD (RR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.73), while the association with winter declined (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.35). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the winter peak in SCD can be accounted for by daily weather.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Arsenic speciation of solvent-extracted leachate from new and weathered CCA-treated wood.

For the past 60 yr, chromate-copper-arsenate (CCA) has been used to pressure-treat millions of cubic meters of wood in the United States for the construction of many outdoor structures. Leaching of arsenic from these structures is a possible health concern as there exists the potential for soil and groundwater contamination. While previous studies have focused on total arsenic concentrations leaching from CCA-treated wood, information pertaining to the speciation of arsenic leached is limited. Since arsenic toxicity is dependent upon speciation, the objective of this study was to identify and quantify arsenic species leaching from new and weathered CCA-treated wood and CCA-treated wood ash. Solvent-extraction experiments were carried out by subjecting the treated wood and the ash to solvents of varying pH values, solvents defined in the EPA's Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), rainwater, deionized water, and seawater. The generated leachates were analyzed for inorganic As(III) and As(V) and the organoarsenic species, monomethylarsonic acid (MMAA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA), using high-performance liquid chromatography followed by hydride generation and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-HG-AFS). Only the inorganic species were detected in any of the wood leachates; no organoarsenic species were found. Inorganic As(V) was the major detectable species leaching from both new and weathered wood. The weathered wood leached relatively more overall arsenic and was attributed to increased inorganic As(III) leaching. The greater presence of As(III) in the weathered wood samples as compared to the new wood samples may be due to natural chemical and biological transformations during the weathering process. CCA-treated wood ash leached more arsenic than unburned wood using the SPLP and TCLP, and ash samples leached more inorganic As(III) than the unburned counterparts. Increased leaching was due to higher concentrations of arsenic within the ash and to the conversion of some As(V) to As(III) during combustion.

Arsenates↗
PubMed2000

A population-based study of the associations of stroke occurrence with weather parameters in Siberia, Russia (1982-92).

Previous studies have established a seasonal variation in stroke occurrence, but none have assessed the influence of inclement weather conditions on stroke incidence in a general population of Russia. We performed a stroke population-based study in the Oktiabrsky District of Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia. Included in the analysis were 1929 patients with their first occurrence of ischemic stroke (IS), 215 patients with their first occurrence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and 64 patients with their first occurrence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH): all patients were aged between 25 and 74 years. The cumulative daily occurrence of total strokes and stroke subtypes was evaluated in relation to aggregated daily mean values of ambient temperature, relative humidity and air pressure by means of Poisson regression analysis to estimate the rate ratio (RR) with corresponding confidence interval (CI) and to identify the weather parameters of most importance. In a multivariate analysis, with adjustment for the effects of season, solar and geomagnetic activity, and age of the patients, low ambient temperature (RR 1.32; 95% CI 1.05-1.66) and mean value of air pressure (RR 0.986; 95% CI 0.972-0.999) were important predictors of IS occurrence, while mild ambient temperature (RR 1.52; 95% CI 1. 04-2.22) was an important predictor of ICH occurrence. No relationship between SAH occurrence and any one of the weather parameters studied was revealed. There was no interaction between any meteorological variables that was statistically significant. Inclement weather conditions are associated with the occurrence of IS and ICH in Siberia, Russia. Among the meteorological parameters studied, low ambient temperature and mean air pressure are the most important predictors of IS occurrence, whereas the occurrence of ICH is associated with mild ambient temperature. There is no association between any one of the weather parameters studied and the occurrence of SAH.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Weather patterns, food security and humanitarian response in sub-Saharan Africa.

Although considerable achievements in the global reduction of hunger and poverty have been made, progress in Africa so far has been very limited. At present, a third of the African population faces widespread hunger and chronic malnutrition and is exposed to a constant threat of acute food crisis and famine. The most affected are rural households whose livelihood is heavily dependent on traditional rainfed agriculture. Rainfall plays a major role in determining agricultural production and hence the economic and social well being of rural communities. The rainfall pattern in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by large-scale intra-seasonal and inter-annual climate variability including occasional El Niño events in the tropical Pacific resulting in frequent extreme weather event such as droughts and floods that reduce agricultural outputs resulting in severe food shortages. Households and communities facing acute food shortages are forced to adopt coping strategies to meet the immediate food requirements of their families. These extreme responses may have adverse long-term, impacts on households' ability to have sustainable access to food as well as the environment. The HIV/AIDS crisis has also had adverse impacts on food production activities on the continent. In the absence of safety nets and appropriate financial support mechanisms, humanitarian aid is required to enable households effectively cope with emergencies and manage their limited resources more efficiently. Timely and appropriate humanitarian aid will provide households with opportunities to engage in productive and sustainable livelihood strategies. Investments in poverty reduction efforts would have better impact if complemented with timely and predictable response mechanisms that would ensure the protection of livelihoods during crisis periods whether weather or conflict-related. With an improved understanding of climate variability including El Niño, the implications of weather patterns for the food security and vulnerability of rural communities have become more predictable and can be monitored effectively. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how current advances in the understanding of climate variability, weather patterns and food security could contribute to improved humanitarian decision-making. The paper will propose new approaches for triggering humanitarian responses to weather-induced food crises.

Africa South of the Sahara↗
PubMed2001

Association of normal weather periods and El Niño events with hospitalization for viral pneumonia in females: California, 1983-1998.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined associations between weather and hospitalizations of females for viral pneumonia during normal weather periods and El Niño events in the California counties of Sacramento and Yolo, San Francisco and San Mateo, and Los Angeles and Orange. METHODS: Associations between weather and hospitalizations (lagged 7 days) for January 1983 through June 1998 were evaluated with Poisson regression models. Generalized estimating equations were used to adjust for autocorrelation and overdispersion. Data were summed over 4 days. RESULTS: Associations varied by region. Hospitalizations in San Francisco and Los Angeles increased significantly (30%-50%) with a 5 degrees F decrease in minimum temperature. Hospitalizations in Sacramento increased significantly (25%-40%) with a 5 degrees F decrease in maximum temperature difference. The associations were independent of season. El Niño events were associated with hospitalizations only in Sacramento, with significant decreases for girls and increases for women. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that viral pneumonia could continue to be a major public health issue, with a significant association between weather and hospitalizations, even as the global mean temperature continues to rise. An understanding of population sensitivity under different weather conditions could lead to an improved understanding of virus transmission.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Weather types and traffic accidents.

Traffic accident data for the Zagreb area for the 1981-1982 period were analyzed to investigate possible relationships between the daily number of accidents and the weather conditions that occurred for the 5 consecutive days, starting two days before the particular day. In the statistical analysis of low accident days weather type classification developed by Poje was used. For the high accident days a detailed analyses of surface and radiosonde data were performed in order to identify possible front passages. A test for independence by contingency table confirmed that conditional probability of the day with small number of accidents is the highest, provided that one day after it "N" or "NW" weather types occur, while it is the smallest for "N1" and "Bc" types. For the remaining 4 days of the examined periods dependence was not statistically confirmed. However, northern ("N", "NE" and "NW") and anticyclonic ("Vc", "V4", "V3", "V2" and "mv") weather types predominated during 5-days intervals related to the days with small number of accidents. On the contrary, the weather types with cyclonic characteristics ("N1", "N2", "N3", "Bc", "Dol1" and "Dol"), that are generally accompanied by fronts, were the rarest. For 85% days with large number of accidents, which had not been caused by objective circumstances (such as poor visibility, damaged or slippery road etc.), at least one front passage was recorded during the 3-days period, starting one day before the day with large number of accidents.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2005

Mood effects of weather conditions of the Zagreb population, Croatia.

The level of information on biometeorologic reports and mood effects of weather conditions on the Zagreb population were assessed in a sample of 782 subjects. Only 103 (13.2%) study subjects had not been informed on biometeorologic reports. Mood effects of weather conditions were reported by more than 76% of study subjects, 18.3% of them reporting meteorosensitivity. Meteorosensitivity showed a female predominance, and increased with age and level of education. 88% of chronic patients reported discomforts caused by changes in atmospheric conditions. Apathy and sleepiness were the most common mood changes associated with weather changes, whereas humid weather was indicated as a weather type that caused most discomforts in study subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Oxyradical accumulation and rapid deterioration of soybean seeds due to field weathering.

The effect of field weathering on oxyradical accumulation and subsequent changes were studied in the seeds of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cv. JS 71-05. Electron spin resonance (ESR) quantification of oxyradical revealed that field weathering plays an important role in acceleration of their accumulation. One week of weathering increased the accumulation of oxyradicals to almost 2-fold and triggered the deteriorative cascade, by enhancing the lipid peroxidation and membrane perturbation, leading to cell death in seed tissues and poor germinability and vigour of soybean seeds. Thus, the weather conditions at the time of physiological maturity to harvesting of crop are very crucial and the field weathering plays a critical role for the maintenance of seed quality.

Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The central hemodynamic reaction of patients with ischemic heart disease to the climatic and weather conditions of an arid zone].

Central hemodynamics of coronary patients living in the arid zone (215 males aged 40-72 and 150 females aged 40-75) was assessed in comfortable weather conditions, 1-2 days before the invasion of the dust storm, upon its invasion and in hot weather season (+26-30 degrees C). Angina of effort functional class I, II and III was in 102, 198 and 65 patients, respectively. Atmospheric conditions before the invasion of the dust storm form a hypoxic type of weather while on the day of the storm the weather appears spastic resulting in arterial hypertension, elevated total peripheral resistance and heart beat in diminution of cardiac output and stroke volume. Hot weather brings about a hypotensive response, total peripheral resistance falls, cardiac output increases at the expense of enhanced heart beat as stroke volume decreases. It is concluded that under the climatic conditions of an arid zone coronary patients develop a complex of hemodynamic responses which function with strain to supply blood to organs and tissues.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Is there a gestosis weather? Correlation of EPH gestosis with meteorologic conditions].

A historical survey on the subject of weather and eclampsy is given in the introduction, at the beginning of which the names Smellie (1752), Boutteilloux (1816), Lachapelle (1925) and Zangemeister (1900) are mentioned. In the ten-year report the gestosis indices according to Goecke (n = 56,461) in the grouping 0/I-III/ = greater than IV are correlated with six general weather situations in each of the four seasons. From the chi 2 component test according to Krauth a relevant chi 2 limit of 8,95 is established. Only the following four out of altogether (6 x 4 =) 24 weather situations prove to be associated with lower (I-III) and higher (= greater than 4) indices of gestosis. 1. Anticyclonic situations with central high in winter with indices of gestosis I-III; 2. cyclonic flow-patterns in autumn with indices of gestosis I-III; 3. situations with central low in summer with indices of gestosis = greater than IV; 4. low gradient cyclonic situations in summer with fewer indices of gestosis. In spring the indices groups do not reach or exceed the limit of significance in any of the six weather situations. The four weather situations connected with gestosis are demonstrated by means of typical examples of infrared and visual satellite photos. Summing up, the different valence of scientific evidence and clinic relevance of the results is indicated.

Adult↗