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PubMed2004

Weather changes associated with hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases and stroke in California, 1983-1998.

Poisson regression models were used to evaluate associations between temperature, precipitation, days of extreme heat, and other weather changes (lagged 7 days), as well as El Niño events, with hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, and stroke in three California regions. Temperature changes were defined as a 3 degrees C decrease in maximum temperature or a 3 degrees C increase in minimum temperature. Temperature and precipitation were analyzed separately for normal weather periods and El Niño events, and for both weather periods combined. Associations varied by region, age, and gender. In Los Angeles, temperature changes resulted in small changes in hospitalizations. Among San Francisco residents 70+ years of age, temperature changes increased hospitalizations for nearly all outcomes from 6% to 13%. Associations among Sacramento residents were similar to those in San Francisco: among men 70+ years of age, temperature changes increased hospitalizations by 6%-11% for acute myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure, and 10%-18% for stroke. El Niño events were consistently and significantly associated with hospitalizations only in San Francisco and Sacramento, and then only for angina pectoris (increasing hospitalizations during El Niño events). These exploratory analyses merit further confirmation to improve our understanding of how admissions to hospitals for cardiovascular disease and stroke change with changing weather. Such an understanding is useful for developing current public health responses, for evaluating population vulnerability, and for designing future adaptation measures.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

The association between arthritis and the weather.

Despite the prevasiveness of the idea that arthritis is influenced by the weather, scientific evidence on the matter is sparse and non-conclusive. This study, conducted in the Australian inland city of Bendigo, sought to establish a possible relationship between the pain and rigidity of arthritis and the weather variables of temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and precipitation. Pain and rigidity levels were scored by 25 participants with osteoarthritis and/or rheumatoid arthritis four times per day for 1 month from each season. Mean pain and rigidity scores for each time of each day were found to be correlated with the meteorological data. Correlations between mean symptoms and temperature and relative humidity were significant (P < 0.001). Time of day was included in the analysis. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that meteorological variables and time of day accounted for 38% of the variance in mean pain and 20% of the variance in mean rigidity when data of all months were considered. A post-study telephone questionnaire indicated 92% of participants perceived their symptoms to be influenced by the weather, while 48% claimed to be able to predict the weather according to their symptoms. Hence, the results suggest (1) decreased temperature is associated with both increased pain and increased rigidity and (2) increased relative humidity is associated with increased pain and rigidity in arthritis sufferers.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Effect of daily variation in weather and sleep on seasonal affective disorder.

Analysis of daily self-ratings of energy for 10 patients diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) revealed statistically significant seasonal patterns in eight patients (with all patients showing the most energy in the summer and the least energy in the winter). When weather was controlled for, the seasonal patterns in energy persisted in seven of the eight patients. In a lesser number of subjects (four), there were significant effects of weather after controlling for season; however, when the effects of weather on energy were examined separately for each season, 8 of the 10 subjects were found to be influenced by weather in at least one season. Daily sleep data showed statistically significant seasonal patterns in all 10 patients (with 6 subjects showing maximum sleep in winter and 4 in summer). As for the relationship between energy and sleep, a loss of energy appeared to predict longer sleep on that night and the next night (7 of 10 patients), whereas there was no evidence that prolonged sleep influenced energy on the following and subsequent days.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Ultramicroscopic observations on morphological changes in hair during 25 years of weathering.

Weathering or long-term burial may cause profound morphological and histological changes in hair, which may affect the results of forensic and archaeological investigations. We therefore used ultramicroscopic techniques to assay the changes in weathering hair shafts caused by burial for up to 25 years. We found that the middle portion of hair shafts from living individuals shows the expected histological hair structure, while the cuticle layer was absent from the terminal portion of the same hairs, which may be due to the increased weathering experienced by the terminal portion. In hair samples taken 5 years after death, no significant changes in morphology were observed. By 15 years after death, however, we observed losses in various layers of the hair, including the cuticle layer. At 25 years after death, hair shafts showed a number of pores extending into the medulla, with only some hair shafts retaining their cortical layers. To our knowledge, this is the first ultramicroscopic study on weathering of hair for up to 25 years after death. Our results may therefore provide a basis for similar studies in the fields of forensic science and physical anthropology.

Burial↗
PubMed2005

Effects of vegetation and fertilization on weathered particles of coal gob in Shanxi mining areas, China.

Combined application of sewage sludge and chemical fertilizer in weathered particles of coal gob (WPCG) was studied by pot-scale trials. The accumulation of available nutrients and weathering process of coal gob piles were also investigated by field trial. It was showed that combined application of sewage sludge and chemical fertilizer increased yields of tall fescue, improved WPCG fertility especially its biological fertility. After application of sewage sludge, the microbial biomass carbon, urease activity and total microorganism population were, respectively, increased by 0.3-2.4, 1.8-2.8 and 34-150 times. Heavy metals did not accumulate in tall fescue after application of sewage sludge in WPCG. Available nutrients were accumulated in topsoil eight years after reclamation in the field trial. Moreover, the effects of biological weathering exceeded that of natural weathering in coal gob piles. The percentage of coal gob particle diameter smaller than 3mm in the reclamation sites was increased by 85-203%, but 30% in the un-reclaimed sites. While that of greater than 10 mm in the un-reclaimed sites was decreased by 19%, however, 62-74% in the reclamation sites. It was concluded that combined application of sewage sludge and chemical fertilizer could help quickly establishing a self-maintaining vegetation system in the primary process of reclamation.

Biomass↗
PubMed2004

Lead contamination in shooting range soils from abrasion of lead bullets and subsequent weathering.

Contamination of shooting range soils from the use of Pb bullets is under increasing scrutiny. Past research on Pb contamination of shooting ranges has focused on weathering reactions of Pb bullets in soil. The objective of this study was to determine the significance of abrasion of Pb bullets in contributing to soil Pb contamination. This was accomplished by firing a known mass of bullets into sand and analyzing for total Pb after removing bullets, through field sampling of a newly opened shooting range, and a laboratory weathering study. Forty-one mg of Pb were abraded per bullet as it passed through the sand, which accounted for 1.5% of the bullet mass being physically removed. At a shooting range that had been open for 3 months, the highest Pb concentration from the pistol range berm soil was 193 mg/kg at 0.5 m height, and from the rifle range berm soil was 1142 mg/kg at 1.0 m height. Most soils from the field abrasion experiment as well as soil collected from the rifle range had SPLP-Pb >15 microg/l (Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure). Typically, Pb concentration in the rifle range was greater than that of the pistol range. Based on a laboratory weathering study, virtually all metallic Pb was converted to hydrocerussite (Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2), as well as to a lesser extent cerussite (PbCO3) and massicot (PbO) within one week. Our study demonstrated that abrasion of lead bullets and their subsequent weathering can be a significant source of lead contamination in soils of a newly opened shooting range.

Firearms↗
PubMed1998

Emergency room visits of asthmatic children, relation to air pollution, weather, and airborne allergens.

BACKGROUND: The worldwide increase in the incidence, prevalence, and severity of asthma may suggest that environmental factors play a role in these epidemiologic changes. OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlations between air pollutants, weather conditions, airborne allergens, and the incidence of emergency room (ER) visits of children with acute asthma attacks. DESIGN: One-year prospective study. Data of daily concentration of air pollutants, weather conditions, and selective airborne allergens were collected and compared with the number of ER visits of asthmatic children. SUBJECTS: 1076 asthmatic children (aged 1 to 18 years) who presented at the Pediatric ER between January 1 and December 31, 1993. RESULTS: Correlations between fluctuations in ER visits of asthmatic children and various environmental parameters were more relevant for weekly than for daily values. Emergency room visits correlated positively with concentrations of NOx, SO2 and with high barometric pressure; and negatively with O3 concentration and minimal and maximal temperature. There were no significant correlations with concentrations of particulates, humidity, or airborne pollen and spores. An exceptionally high incidence of ER visits of asthmatic children was observed during September. This peak coincided with the beginning of the school year and the Jewish holidays. The correlations between ER visits and the environmental factors increased significantly when the September peak was excluded, revealing that 61% of the variance in ER visits was explained by NOx, SO2, and 03 concentrations, 46% by weather parameters, 66% by NOx, SO2 and barometric pressure, and 69% by the combination of air pollutants and weather parameters. CONCLUSION: The major factors found to be associated with ER visits of asthmatic children were high NOx, high SO2, and high barometric pressure. Negative correlation was found between ER visits of asthmatic children and ozone concentrations. The particularly high number of ER visits at the beginning of the school year and the Jewish holidays was probably associated with an increase in the number of viral infections and/or emotional stress.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Eye-tracking dysfunction and birth-month weather in schizophrenia.

The prevalence of eye-tracking dysfunction (ETD) is significantly elevated in individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and in their nonschizophrenic relatives, suggesting that ETD marks a familial (most likely genetic) risk factor for schizophrenia. Birth in a season with intemperate weather is also a widely reported risk factor for schizophrenia and is particularly marked for the subgroup with no family history of the disorder. This study examined how these two risk factors covaried in 78 patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) diagnosis of schizophrenia. Eye tracking and birth-month weather were independently assessed. As hypothesized, patients without ETD were significantly more likely to be born in months with intemperate weather (both hot and cold) than either patients with ETD or people in the general population. Etiologic factors associated with severe weather near birth may be important sources of nonfamilial schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1955

The swine lungworm as a reservior and intermediate host for swine influenza virus. V. Provocation of swine influenza by exposure of prepared swine to adverse weather.

Twenty-five swine, infested with lungworms infected with masked swine influenza virus, were exposed to adverse weather conditions on one or more occasions. Of these, 4 came down with apparent swine influenza, while 6 others developed serological evidence of infection with swine influenza virus. The remaining 15 prepared swine, as well as 8 lungworm-free control swine, failed to show evidence of swine influenza virus infection, despite repeated exposures to adverse weather. The data presented indicate that, in the 10 swine in which swine influenza virus infections were elicited, some feature of the weather to which the animals were exposed was responsible for provoking masked influenza virus to infectivity. The exact constituent of the meteorological complex comprising "weather", responsible for the provocation, cannot be determined from the data obtained.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

It's not the heat, it's the humidity: wet weather increases legionellosis risk in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area.

BACKGROUND: Legionella species are abundant in the environment and are increasingly recognized as a cause of severe pneumonia. Increases in cases of community-acquired legionellosis in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area (GPMA) led to concern that changing environmental factors could influence occurrence of disease. METHODS: We evaluated the association between weather patterns and occurrence of legionellosis in the GPMA, using both traditional Poisson regression analysis and a case-crossover study approach. The latter approach controls for seasonal factors that could confound the relationship between weather and occurrence of disease and permits the identification of acute weather patterns associated with disease. RESULTS: A total of 240 cases of legionellosis were reported between 1995 and 2003. Cases occurred with striking summertime seasonality. Occurrence of cases was associated with monthly average temperature (incidence rate ratio [IRR] per degree Celsius, 1.07 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.09]) and relative humidity (IRR per 1% increase in relative humidity, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.06-1.12]) by Poisson regression analysis. However, case-crossover analysis identified an acute association with precipitation (odds ratio [OR], 2.48 [95% CI, 1.30-3.12]) and increased humidity (OR per 1% increase in relative humidity, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.05-1.11]) 6-10 days before occurrence of cases. A significant dose-response relationship for occurrence of cases was seen with both precipitation and increased humidity. CONCLUSIONS: Although, in the GPMA, legionellosis occurred predominantly during summertime, the acute occurrence of disease is best predicted by wet, humid weather. This finding is consistent with the current understanding of the ecological profile of this pathogen and supports the contention that sporadic legionellosis occurs through contamination of water sources.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Relationship between weather temperature and mortality: a time series analysis approach in Barcelona.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have reported that heatwaves increase mortality. However, it is not certain whether less pronounced rises in temperature also increase it. Such information might be important for predicting the impact of potential weather changes on mortality. We have assessed the relationship between daily mortality and moderate increases in weather temperature in Barcelona, Spain, following a time series approach. METHODS: The study included the period from 1 January 1985 to 30 December 1989. For all the population resident in Barcelona, Spain, we considered the following daily data: total mortality, mortality of those > 65 years, and cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. The meterological variables were: minimum temperature, maximum temperature, dew point temperature and relative humidity. Several transfer function (ARIMA) models were estimated for the entire period and for both winters and summers separately. RESULTS: We found that unusual periods of at least three consecutive days of increased weather temperature increased mortality, independently of the V-shaped relationship also found. The occurrence of an unusual period increased total daily mortality by 2% on average (1.7% on summers) and by 2.6% in those over 65 (2% on summers). Cardiovascular mortality rose by 4.6% (4.2% on summers) and respiratory mortality by 21.6% (13.2% on summers). However, only those unusual periods with an excess temperature and humidity were associated with mortality increases. CONCLUSIONS: The unusual periods observed in the present study cannot be classified as heatwaves because the weather temperature never reached high values and most of them occurred during the winter. The association of unusual periods with mortality was stronger during winters than in summers, maybe because unusual winter periods showed a temperature deviation from the average twice that in summer or because humidity during unusual winter periods was higher than in summer.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Probabilistic consideration of consequences of long-duration accidental releases based on complete weather data.

This paper presents a method based on chronological weather data for estimating how variations in weather conditions during a radioactive release affect the consequences of the release. The modifications of the method made in the computer-based applications owing to the limited calculation resources are also studied. Additionally, the length of the chronological weather data observation period needed to satisfactorily support the assessments was tested. The results of the different duration times for the normalized concentration--which is the concentration divided by the release rate, and called here the dispersion factor--are presented and compared with the commonly used sector average model and the generic wind meandering method. The new method can be used for a variety of release durations and it makes realistic estimates, managing to avoid the weaknesses of the methods compared. The necessary length of the weather data is on the order of 1 y to get statistically satisfactory results.

Accidents↗
PubMed2001

Relationship between weather and seasonal factors and trauma admission volume at a Level I trauma center.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine whether trauma patient admission volume to our Level I trauma center was correlated with observable weather or seasonal phenomena. METHODS: Trauma registry data and national weather service data for the period between September 1, 1992, and August 31, 1998, were combined into a common data set containing trauma admission data and weather data for each day. Sequential linear regression models were constructed to determine relationships between variables in the data set. RESULTS: There is a highly significant relationship (p < 0.00001) between maximum daily temperature and trauma admissions (R = 0.22). Rain is associated with a decrease in overall trauma volume. Rain had no effect on the number of admissions because of motor vehicle crash, however. Neither humidity nor snowfall affects trauma admission volume. Trauma admissions are significantly more frequent in July and August, and on Saturdays and Sundays (p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis identified maximum temperature, precipitation, day of week, and month as independent predictors of trauma admission volume (p < 0.001, R = 0.328). CONCLUSION: There is a significant relationship between weather and trauma center activity; temperature and precipitation are independently associated with trauma admission volume at our institution. Statistical models of trauma incidence should consider these phenomena. Evaluation of a larger, population-based data set is needed to confirm these relationships.

Boston↗
PubMed2006

Infectious diseases of severe weather-related and flood-related natural disasters.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present review will focus on some of the possible infectious disease consequences of disastrous natural phenomena and severe weather, with a particular emphasis on infections associated with floods and the destruction of infrastructure. RECENT FINDINGS: The risk of infectious diseases after weather or flood-related natural disasters is often specific to the event itself and is dependent on a number of factors, including the endemicity of specific pathogens in the affected region before the disaster, the type of disaster itself, the impact of the disaster on water and sanitation systems, the availability of shelter, the congregating of displaced persons, the functionality of the surviving public health infrastructure, the availability of healthcare services, and the rapidity, extent, and sustainability of the response after the disaster. Weather events and floods may also impact disease vectors and animal hosts in a complex system. SUMMARY: Weather or flood-related natural disasters may be associated with an increased risk of soft tissue, respiratory, diarrheal, and vector-borne infectious diseases among survivors and responders.

Communicable Disease Control↗
PubMed2006

Weather and emergency room visits for migraine headaches in Ottawa, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Self-reported surveys have indicated that weather can trigger migraine headaches. However, to date, we know of no previous study that has examined the relationship between weather and emergency room (ER) visits for this condition. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between ER visits for migraines and selected meteorological conditions within the 24 hours preceding the visit. DESIGN AND METHODS: A case-crossover design was used to study 4039 visits for migraines (ICD-9: 346) that occurred at an Ottawa hospital between 1993 and 2000. Meteorological conditions were defined using hourly readings from a fixed-site monitoring station. Conditional logistic regression was used to compare the occurrence of meteorological conditions during the 24 hours leading up to the time of the visit to control periods occurring 1 week before and after. RESULTS: Precipitation-related weather events (fog, snow, rain, thunder) were not associated with migraine visits. Similarly, no associations were observed with changes in atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and relative humidity during the 24 hours preceding presentation. No statistically significant differences in the frequency distribution of clusters defined by relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, and temperature were found between case and control intervals. Conversely, a mean wind speed in excess of 19 km per hour was associated with a reduction in ER visits 8 to 12 hours later. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide little support for the hypothesis that ER visits for migraines are related to weather conditions occurring within the 24 hours preceding presentation. These results should be interpreted cautiously as some comparisons are based on a small number of cases, and ER visits for migraine may represent a highly selective group of patients who suffer from this condition.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Rotavirus gastroenteritis and weather.

During 5.5 years of a study in Washington, D.C., hospitalizations of children for rotavirus gastroenteritis tended to be more common after a month of cold or dry weather than after a corresponding calendar month of warm or wet weather. Overall, there were 84% more (178 versus 97) inpatients with rotavirus gastroenteritis after a set of relatively colder individual months taken as a group than after an equal number of warmer corresponding calendar months taken as a group. Comparable differences were not seen with nonrotavirus gastroenteritis patients. There also were 45% more rotavirus hospitalizations after the set of months with the least depth of precipitation compared with the set of corresponding calendar months with the greatest depth of precipitation. Rotavirus infection in young infants, the children least likely to be directly exposed to outdoor conditions, showed some of the most marked weather-associated effects. These findings suggest that weather-related low indoor relative humidity and indoor crowding may be key factors in the epidemiology of rotavirus disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Effect of weather conditions on rheumatic patients.

In a one month prospective study of 62 rheumatic patients--16 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 24 with osteoarthritis (OA), 11 with inflammatory arthritis, 11 with fibromyalgia joint pain--swelling and everyday activity was compared with changes in daily weather conditions. In most patients weather changes increased arthritic symptoms. Women were more sensitive to weather than men (62% v 37%). Pain was affected positively by barometric pressure and temperature in RA, by temperature, rain, and barometric pressure in OA, and by barometric pressure in fibromyalgia. These results support the belief of most rheumatic patients that weather conditions significantly influence their day to day symptoms.

Arthritis↗
PubMed2003

Effect of weather on attendance with injury at a paediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: To ascertain whether the weather affects the attendance rate of children with injuries at a paediatric accident and emergency department. METHODS: The maximum daily temperature and weather conditions (rain/cloud/sun) were noted over a three month period in spring/summer 2002, together with the number of children attending with new injuries or trauma. RESULTS: There was a direct association between trauma attendance and clement weather with higher attendances on dry and sunny days. There was a less obvious association between maximum daily temperature and attendance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the anecdotal belief that warm sunny weather results in a higher attendance of paediatric injuries.

Child↗