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Environmental factors implicated as affecting world-wide distribution of multiple sclerosis are reviewed. It is suggested that climate may be involved in the etiology of this disease. Diffused solar radiation effects on multiple sclerosis hospital admission rates are demonstrated.
Pyomyositis is an abscess-forming infection of large skeletal muscles, usually with Staphylococcus aureus. Although it is common in the tropics and relatively rare in temperate climates, imported cases due to growing global mobility may be expected to increase its incidence outside tropical regions. Early diagnosis and correct management are imperative in this potentially fatal disorder, and require a high degree of clinical suspicion. A case report is presented demonstrating typical aspects of diagnosis and treatment.
A worm control programme in which heifers were treated with anthelmintic on three occasions during autumn, was tested in Mediterranean-type climatic environment of south-west Western Australia. The experiment aimed to determine if the treatments would prevent the heifers contaminating their pastures with worm eggs during autumn, thereby improving their growth performances the following winter. An attempt was made to measure the availability of infective larvae of abomasal worms on the heifers' pastures during early winter by counting the worms in steers, previously of low worm status, that grazed with the heifers from late autumn until the start of mating in mid-winter. The anthelmintic treatments reduced the contamination of pasture for most of the autumn. The treated heifers that grazed these pastures grew faster, and by the start of mating two months after the last treatment were about 22 kg heavier, than untreated heifers grazing contaminated pasture. At the end of mating six weeks later the difference was 45 kg in favour of the treated heifers. At this time the heifers grew faster than those left untreated, but by late November they had not attained the weight of the heifers grazing uncontaminated pasture. The heifers that grazed uncontaminated pasture produced more calves the following autumn than did those grazing contaminated pasture. The abomasal worm counts of the steers, with a mean of about 46,000 worms, failed to reveal any difference between treatments in the availability of larvae of abomasal worms on pasture. However, it was concluded that the treatments probably exerted their effect on growth rates by reducing the number of infective larvae ingested by heifers grazing the uncontaminated pasture during winter.
East Coast fever (Theileria parva infection) is an important parasitic disease of cattle in East and Central Africa. Past experimental studies have provided a great deal of information on the dynamics of the life cycle of the tick vector, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. This paper describes a mathematical model based on field observations to explain the close relationship between the tick life cycle and climate. The model provides a basis for the future study of different ECF control programmes using computer experiments.
The diphenylhydantoin concentration in ten treated epileptics was determined during a period of two years in Tel-Aviv, Israel where subtropical climate prevails. The data collected showed a significant decrease at the end of Summer and a significant increase at the end of Winter. Since diphenylhydantoin is excreted in the sweat and sweating is excessive during the Summer months in the area where the study was undertaken, it is suggested that the increase of perspiration is responsible for the drop of diphenylhydantoin serum concentration. No other seasonal biological rhythms are known to us which could be incriminating.
A crossover randomized comparison between two different transdermal oestradiol delivery systems has been performed in post-menopausal women of the Bangkok area. Clinical benefits were identical with the use of either a gel, applied once/day on 800 cm2 of skin and which totally evaporated within 3 min, or a patch applied for 3-5 days on 20 cm2 of skin. There was no evidence of pharmacokinetic advantage with the patch, and the day to day intra-individual variations were even greater with patch than with gel. There were no cutaneous side effects with the gel, but unacceptable skin reactions, including itching, vesicular rash and residual pigmentation, were present in 58% of patients during patch use. Therefore a combination, in a small skin area, of adhesive, occlusive effect and high oestradiol concentration does not appear appropriate in hot and humid climate.
Recently, our laboratory has reported significant seasonal differences in [3H]paroxetine binding to platelets in depressed subjects. This study aimed to examine the seasonal variation in [3H]paroxetine binding to platelets and the relationships between [3H]paroxetine binding and climatic variables in healthy volunteers. We took monthly blood samples during one calendar year from 26 healthy volunteers for assay of [3H]paroxetine binding and analyzed the data by means of univariate and multivariate spectral and cosinor analyses. There was a statistically highly significant seasonal pattern in [3H]paroxetine binding to platelets with significant annual, 4-monthly, and bimonthly rhythms, which were expressed as a group phenomenon. [3H]Paroxetine binding to platelets was significantly lower in fall and summer than in winter and spring; lows occurred in summer and peaks in spring. The peak-trough difference in this yearly variation, expressed as a percentage of the mean, was as large as 83.7%. A large part of the variance, that is, 32.5%, in [3H]paroxetine binding could be explained by weather variables, such as ambient temperature, relative humidity, and air pressure. Highly significant common annual rhythms were expressed in [3H]paroxetine binding and ambient temperature or humidity (both inversely related) and changes in temperature the 2 weeks preceding blood samplings (positively related).
The surface heat and moisture transfer from the human body are normally characterized by the thermal insulation and moisture vapor resistance, which are important parameters in environmental engineering. In the past, due to the limitation of measurement technology, simultaneous measurement of these two parameters was not possible and hence there is a lack of clear understanding on the interaction of surface heat and moisture transfer. In this paper, through the experimental measurements on a newly developed sweating/non-sweating fabric manikin (named WALTER) under varying climatic conditions and "walking" speeds, we show that the surface thermal insulation is little affected by moisture transfer. The surface moisture vapor resistances measured under isothermal conditions tend to be greater than those measured under non-isothermal conditions, especially when the wind velocity is less than 2.0m/s. The Lewis Relation holds under non-isothermal conditions, but should be corrected under isothermal condition when the wind velocity is small.
This study presents a literature review on the treatment of domestic sewage in controlled environments having the anaerobic process and specifically the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) concept as the core, under natural hot conditions. The UASB process application is however beset by the preponderance of suspended solids, and the paper looks at its optimization via pre- and post-treatments to curb the prevailing problems, in the light of possible discharge and re-use/recycling/resource recovery, leading to efficient environmental protection. Pre-treatment clarification could be done with ferric chloride/polyelectrolyte, so that phosphate precipitates during the process. The pre-treated liquid phase can be submitted to a high rate anaerobic process, using the simple and robust UASB technology. In a subsequent post-treatment step, ammonium can be removed by ion exchange using a zeolite column through which the wastewater percolates after leaving the anaerobic digester. The various stages can also eliminate a large fraction of the pathogens present in the raw wastewater, mainly through the pre-treatment sedimentation and the ion exchange filtration. The sludge produced in the precipitation stage can be stabilized in a conventional anaerobic digester. Integration of the different treatment steps provides a sustainable technology to treat domestic sewage under hot climate conditions.
As a part of a broader research into the nutrition of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.), the variation of calcium concentrations was investigated in needles and soil in two subsequent, climatologically diverse years. Statistically significant differences between plots were determined in Ca concentrations in soils. Concentrations of Ca in needles were statistically different regarding plot, defoliation class, sampling date within the same year and also between years. Fir trees on acid-rock based soils had lower, often inadequate concentrations of Ca in needles; the opposite was true for trees growing on Ca-rich soils. Trees of lower vitality generally exhibited poor Ca nutrition. Drought in the second year of research caused poor absorption of Ca on all plots and in all defoliation classes, but the combined influence of climate and soil properties affected especially trees of low vitality on acid-rock based soils.
The grain quality and seed microbiome of Daqu wheat are fundamental determinants of Daqu fermentation performance; however, the mechanisms by which cultivation environments influence these traits via rhizosphere microbial communities remain unclear. Bacterial and fungal communities across the bulk soil-rhizosphere-seed continuum of three wheat cultivars grown in four ecoregions were characterized using absolute quantitative amplicon sequencing. The rhizosphere microbiome was treated as a central intermediary, while the response variables were seed microbial diversity and grain-quality traits, including starch content, protein content, and grain hardness. Twelve physicochemical properties of soil and 11 climatic factors were integrated into a multidimensional association framework. Environmental conditions exerted stronger influences on both seed quality traits and microbial diversity than cultivar identity. Distinct regional signatures were also evident in rhizosphere microbiomes, with environmental gradients explaining community variation more effectively than geographic distance. Bacterial communities exhibited greater sensitivity to environmental fluctuations than fungi. Mantel analyses identified available nitrogen, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure as significant drivers of core rhizosphere taxa (P < 0.05). iCAMP revealed that stochastic processes predominantly governed rhizosphere bacterial assembly, whereas stochastic and deterministic mechanisms jointly shaped fungal assembly. Partial least squares path modeling further uncovered a rhizosphere-mediated environment-seed cascade, wherein sunlight intensity and duration, atmospheric pressure, and soil nitrogen directly or indirectly affected seed wet gluten content, grain hardness, and seed microbial diversity through their influences on rhizosphere microbiota. Rhizosphere bacterial diversity was negatively associated with seed bacterial diversity (path coefficient = -0.118, P < 0.05), indicating that rhizosphere communities may shape seed endophytic bacterial assemblages via environmental filtering and competitive interactions. Collectively, these findings elucidate how environments shape the quality and seed microbiomes of Daqu wheat, providing scientific guidance for optimal site selection and the standardized production of high-quality brewing wheat for industrial Baijiu.
A dynamic population model of Ixodes scapularis, the vector of a number of tick-borne zoonoses in North America, was developed to simulate effects of temperature on tick survival and seasonality. Tick development rates were modelled as temperature-dependent time delays, calculated using mean monthly normal temperature data from specific meteorological stations. Temperature also influenced host-finding success in the model. Using data from stations near endemic populations of I. scapularis, the model reached repeatable, stable, cyclical equilibria with seasonal activity of different instars being very close to that observed in the field. In simulations run using data from meteorological stations in central and eastern Canada, the maximum equilibrium numbers of ticks declined the further north was the station location, and simulated populations died out at more northerly stations. Tick die-out at northern latitudes was due to a steady increase in mortality of all life stages with decreasing temperature rather than a specific threshold event in phenology of one life stage. By linear regression we investigated mean annual numbers of degree-days >0 degrees C (DD>0 degrees C) as a readily mapped index of the temperature conditions at the meteorological stations providing temperature data for the model. Maximum numbers of ticks at equilibrium were strongly associated with the mean DD>0 degrees C (r2>0.96, P<0.001), when the Province of origin of the meteorological station was accounted for (Quebec>Ontario, beta=103, P<0.001). The intercepts of the regression models provided theoretical limits for the establishment of I. scapularis in Canada. Maps of these limits suggested that the range of southeast Canada where temperature conditions are currently suitable for the tick, is much wider than the existing distribution of I. scapularis, implying that there is potential for spread. Future applications of the model in investigating climate change effects on I. scapularis are discussed.
This paper describes disease severity and quality of life of 286 patients who underwent climate therapy. The lowest disease severity and better life quality occurred 2 weeks after therapy. However, by 4 and 8 months after therapy, all measures had returned to approximately the same level as before treatment.
Recent developments in performance assessment biosphere models have begun to emphasise the importance of natural accumulation pathways. In contrast to the agricultural pathways, the database for natural ecosystem pathways is less well developed, leading to a mismatch in quality of representations of the two types of system. At issue is the lack of reliable soil-plant and animal ingestion transfer factors for key radionuclides in natural ecosystems. The relative importance of the agricultural vs. natural ecosystem pathways is investigated here, in the context of a temperate site in present day, Eastern France. The BIOMASS Candidate Critical Group (CCG) methodology has been applied to map a set of eight candidate critical groups derived from the present-day societal context onto physical locations within a simple model of a river catchment system. The overall assessment model has been implemented using the Aquabios code. Annual individual dose to each of the CCGs has been calculated for each of the key radionuclides (79Se, 94Nb, 99Tc, 129I, 135Cs and 237Np) released to the valley aquifer and river. In addition to the traditional agricultural pathways, lifestyle groups exploiting natural habitats are explicitly addressed. Results show the susceptibility of different candidate critical groups to different radionuclides. A reference database typical of those employed in long-term performance assessment models is employed. Doses from external exposure (94Nb) and dust inhalation (237Np) are shown to dominate agricultural food consumption by factors of more than six, but, with the reference data set, foodstuffs obtained from natural ecosystems do not contribute significantly to critical group dose and, at most, show similar exposures to the agricultural pathways. This may lead to the conclusion that natural food can be ruled out of consideration in performance assessment models. However, systematic parametric sensitivity studies carried out on soil-plant and animal ingestion transfer factors restrict the validity of this observation and demonstrate the limitations of existing databases. Remaining uncertainties can be reduced by improving structural models for performance assessment and by better characterisation of sources of locally obtained foods. Improved characterisation of radionuclide accumulation in natural ecosystems in temperate as well as alternative future climate states should complement the modelling approach.
Annual growth increments were examined from shells of the ocean quahog (Arctica islandica L.) from northwest Norway and from tree-ring samples of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from nearby coastal areas. The reconstructed annual growth increments were used to compare growth variability in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Spatiotemporal comparison of the growth records showed statistically significant correlation during the 19th century A.D., indicative of ecosystem-independent response to pre-anthropogenic climate variations. Geographical correlation between marine and terrestrial records was only observed at the local scale. Years with particularly low winter or high summer North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices showed the best synchronization of marine and terrestrial growth. Despite strong correlation during historical time, our palaeoecological evidence suggests that marine and terrestrial ecosystems may show dissimilar growth reaction to recently observed positive winter-NAO phases.
Eight shallow water Posidonia oceanica meadows were sampled in June 1999 along 300 km of the Ligurian coast and were compared through shoot density and lepidochronology. The growth of the seagrass was examined in the light of climate fluctuations and local stresses, colonisation by alien, invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia, and effects of the oil spill from the tanker "Haven", and other anthropogenic impacts. Both shoot density and lepidochronology pointed to a generalised state of regression of all the meadows. The analysis of long-term growth curves of the rhizomes showed a positive trend parallel to the increase of air temperature. Two main groups of meadows were individuated on the basis of growth curve similarity. The first included four meadows, namely Ventimiglia, Imperia, Noli and Prelo, that were characterised by average values of rhizome growth of 8-9.1 mmyear(-1) and shoot density greater than 200 shootsm(-2). Although the Imperia meadow was the only one where the alien invasive alga C. taxifolia was found, it did not show differences for rhizome growth in comparison to the other meadows. The second group was formed by meadows that had suffered past anthropogenic impacts: Arenzano and Monterosso al Mare. They showed higher rhizome growth rates (9.4-10.6 mmyear(-1)) and shoot densities between 200 and 100 shootsm(-2). At Arenzano, where "Haven" oil was stranded in April 1991, no rhizome older than 8 years was found, thus confirming the shoot mortality induced by the oil spill event. The two last meadows exhibited growth curves very different from all the others: Portovenere, is a shallow meadow where P. oceanica merely survives in an extremely degraded situation with highest rhizome growth rate (12 mmyear(-1)), the other, Riva Trigoso, is the only meadow implanted on rock and had the lowest growth rates (7.1 mm year(-1)).
This work proposes a water quality model based on the pooled effects of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and orthophosphate concentration as the main causatives of environmental water quality changes. One of the main characteristics of the model is assigning an environmental weight for each variable (zeta(i)) according to threshold concentrations of nutrients capable of inducing water changes condition. The model validation demonstrated adequate sensitivity to different data arrangements; as observed in an arid climate bay, showing annual stratification resulting in a variable content in nitrogen-forms and phosphorous. The model can be continuously calibrated over time by adding more N and P data to specific nutrient functions, and tested on sites with high NO(3), NO(2) or NH(4) concentrations.
We conducted a time-series analysis of 1997-1999 data records of air temperature and all-cause mortality in Greater Beirut, using bi-linear Poisson auto-regressive models, and published our findings in the Science of the Total Environment [El-Zein, A., Tewtel-Salem, M., Nehme, G., 2004. A time-series analysis of mortality and air temperature in Greater Beirut. Sci. Total Environ. 330, 71-80]. We compared our results to those of Curriero et al. [Curriero, F.C., Heiner, K.S., Samet, J.M., Zeger, S.L., Strug, L., Patz, J.A., 2002. Temperature and mortality in 11 cities of the Eastern United States. Am. J. Epidemiol. 155(1) 80-87.], who subsequently reported that their original results were inaccurate and published new results [Curriero, F.C., Heiner, K.S., Samet, J.M., Zeger, S.L., Strug, L., Patz, J.A., 2002. Temperature and mortality in 11 cities of the Eastern United States. Am. J. Epidemiol. 155(1) 80-87; Curriero, F.C., Samet, J.M., Zeger, S.L., 2003. Letter to the Editor re. On the Use of Generalized Additive Models in Time-Series Studies of Air Pollution and Health" and "Temperature and Mortality in 11 Cities of the Eastern United States". Am. J. Epidemiol. 158(1) 93-94.]. In this letter, we report two changes in the interpretation of our findings as a result of the change in the results of Curriero et al. [Curriero, F.C., Heiner, K.S., Samet, J.M., Zeger, S.L., Strug, L., Patz, J.A., 2002. Temperature and mortality in 11 cities of the Eastern United States. Am. J. Epidemiol. 155(1) 80-87]. Their newly-reported results reinforce our conclusion that heat-related mortality can be a significant public health issue even in temperate to warm climates. However, our findings raise a question concerning the ability of socioeconomic indicators to explain differences in vulnerability to heat between high-income and low-income countries.