The thermoregulatory functions of rats acclimated to heat given daily at a fixed time are altered, especially during the period in which they were previously exposed to heat. In this study, we investigated the existence of similar phenomena in humans. Volunteers were exposed to an ambient temperature (Ta) of 46°C and a relative humidity of 20% for 4 h (1400-1800) for 9-10 consecutive days. In t...

OBJECTIVE To explore the spatial-temporal interaction effect within a Bayesian framework and to probe the ecological influential factors for tuberculosis. METHODS Six different statistical models containing parameters of time, space, spatial-temporal interaction and their combination were constructed based on a Bayesian framework. The optimum model was selected according to the deviance infor...

In regions with intense solar radiation it is common the use of aluminated covers in greenhouses, with the aim of reducing the inside temperature. However, the use of these covers reduces photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) transmitted into the greenhouse. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different covers on microclimate in greenhouses cultivated with cherry...

Temperature and humidity are essential parameters in monitoring the health of patients critical care. An optical fibre sensor has been developed for simultaneous measurement relative (RH) temperature at a single tip based on reflected intensity. Combining these measurements enables absolute values to be obtained. The is first modified with coating poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) / silica n...

The occurrence of non-fatal acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is examined in relation with the local bioclimatic conditions in the Ierapetra area, in the southernmost part of Crete Island, Greece, during the period 2004-2007. Daily ACS counts and corresponding meteorological parameters, such as maximum and minimum air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and cloudiness, were analyzed. Beside...

In 1995, daily mortality in a district of Chongqing, China, was analyzed from January through December for associations with daily ambient sulfur dioxide and fine particles (airborne particles with diameters less than or equal to 2.5 microm; PM2.5. The mean concentration of PM2.5 was 147 microg/m3 (maximum, 666 microg/m3), and that of SO2 was 213 microg/m3 (maximum, 571 microg/m3). On average, ...

The water content of human stratum corneum has been measured gravimetrically in vitro in relation to relative humidity (RH) and temperature. Water content increased with increasing RH. Stratum corneum water content increased 50% when the temperature was raised from 20 to 35 degrees C at RH below 60%. Temperature dependence decreased with increasing RH until there was essentially no temperature ...

BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important viral agent causing severe respiratory disease in infants and children. In temperate climates, RSV activity typically peaks during winter. We have described the seasonal variation in RSV activity and investigated which meteorological variables are related to RSV outbreaks for different time lags. METHODS Eleven laboratories in...

We present an 800-year δO chronology from the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The chronology dates back to AD 1193 and was sampled in AD 1996 from living Juniperus tibetica trees. This first long-term tree-ringbased δO chronology for eastern Tibet provides a reliable archive for hydroclimatic reconstructions. Highly significant correlations were obtained with hydroclimatic variables (...

Radiosonde humidity records represent the only in situ observations of tropospheric water vapor content with multidecadal length and quasi-global coverage. However, their use has been hampered by ubiquitous and large discontinuities resulting from changes to instrumentation and observing practices. Here a new approach is developed to homogenize historical records of tropospheric (up to 100 hPa)...