Average Atmospheric Pressure Research Articles

Effect of meteorological factors and lunar phases on occurrence of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

BackgroundPsychogenicnonepilepticseizures (PNES) lack the abnormal electrographical discharges in electroencephalogram seen in epileptic seizures. The notion of the effects of meteorological factors and lunar phases onoccurrence of seizures in patients with PNES has been the subject of very few research studies and the available evidence in the literature is equivocal. In this study, we aimed to study the influence oflunarphases and meteorological factors on the frequency of PNES and its semiological categories. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients discharged with a diagnosis of PNES from our epilepsy monitoring unit in a 3-year period. The 119 patients who met the inclusion criteria were categorized into hypermotor, hypomotor, or intact sensorium based on semiology of their seizures. The occurrence of PNES, in total and in each semiological category, was correlated with the daily average temperature, atmospheric pressure, and the 4 lunar phases. ResultsThere were 31.8% and 11.1% more-than-expected captured seizures when the average daily atmospheric pressure was lower or higher, respectively, of what is generally considered a comfortable atmospheric pressure. No consistent relation was found between the full moon phases and occurrence of PNES. ConclusionA significant association between atmospheric pressure and the occurrence of nonepileptic seizures was found, whereas no consistent increase in PNES was observed during the full moon phases. There is still an open debate about the effect of the lunar phases on human behavior and neurological disorders such as PNES.

Synoptic causes of torrential rainfall in South-eastern Spain (1941–2017)

The weather types of 68 dates with torrential rainfall (≥200 mm/day) recorded at any weather station in the provinces of Alicante or Murcia during the period between 1941 and 2017 were determined using the Martín-Vide’s 1984 manual synoptic classification. Other relevant synoptic characteristics, as well as the surface pressure, and the value of the Western Mediterranean Oscillation index (WeMOi) on which those dates fell were also considered. The results show the high percentage of the Advection from the East with DANA (isolated high-altitude depression) or ‘gota fría’ type, which is present in more than 50% of the events, followed by the Trough type at 500 hPa and the Dynamic or Cold-core Low type, in the torrential rainfalls of South-eastern Spain. Except for the latter type, the average air pressure is close to or higher than normal. The WeMOi was negative for all events, which is consistent with the nature of this teleconnection pattern.

Analysis on influence and lag effects of meteorological factors on incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease in Shijiazhuang, 2017-2019

Objective: To understand the influence and lag effect of meteorological factors on the incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Shijiazhuang. Methods: The daily incidence data of HFMD in Shijiazhuang during 2017-2019 were collected from Chinese Information System for Disease Control and Prevention. The hourly meteorological data were collected form meteorological stations of Shijiazhuang of Chinese meteorological data network. The distributed lag nonlinear model was built for statistical analysis by software R 3.6.2. Results: When the daily average temperature was 15-26 ℃, the risk of incidence of HFMD increased at lag 3-6 days. However, the risk was highest when the temperature was 25 ℃ at lag 3 days (RR=1.03,95%CI:1.00-1.06). When the daily average relative humidity was more than 80%, the risk of incidence of HFMD increased at lag 5-18 days. However, the risk was highest at lag 9 days (RR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.02-1.06).When the daily average air pressure ranged from 999 hPa to 1 007 hPa, the risk of incidence of HFMD increased at lag 5-8 days. However, the risk was highest at lag 6 days (RR=1.01, 95%CI: 1.00-1.02).When the daily average precipitation ranged from 15 to 32 mm, the risk of incidence of HFMD increased at lag 3-18 days. However, the risk was highest at lag 6 days (RR=1.11, 95%CI: 1.02-1.19). Conclusions: Meteorological factors increased the risk of incidence of HFMD such as higher daily average temperature (15-26 ℃), higher daily average humidity (>80%), lower daily average air pressure (999-1 007 hPa) and higher daily average precipitation (15-32 mm) in Shijiazhuang during 2017-2019. They were all correlated with the incidence of HFMD with certain lag days. It is suggested to use these meteorological indicators for the early warning of HFMD.

The effect of nitrogen dioxide and atmospheric pressure on hospitalization risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Guangzhou, China

BackgroundThe relationship between air pollution and meteorological factors on diseases has become a research hotspot recently. Nevertheless, few studies have touched the inferences of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and atmospheric pressure (AP) on hospitalization risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ObjectivesTo investigate the short-term impact of particulate air pollutants and meteorology factors on hospitalizations for COPD and quantify the corresponding risk burden of hospital admission. MethodsIn our study, COPD cases were collected from Guangzhou Panyu Central Hospital (n = 11,979) from Dec of 2013 to Jun 2019. The 24-h average temperature, relative humidity (RH), wind speed (V), AP and other meteorological data were obtained from Guangzhou Meteorological Bureau. Air pollution data were collected from Guangzhou Air Monitoring Station. The influence of different NO2 and AP values on COPD risk was quantified by a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) combined with Poisson Regression and Time Series analysis. ResultsWe found that NO2 had a non-linear relationship with the incidence of COPD, with an approximate “M" type, appearing at the peaks of 126 μg/m³ (RR = 1.32, 95%CI, 1.07 to 1.64) and 168 μg/m³ (RR = 1.21, 95%CI, 0.94 to 1.55), respectively. And the association between AP and COPD incidence exhibited an approximate J-shape with a peak occurring at 1035 hPa (RR = 1.16, 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.31). ConclusionsThe nonlinear relationship of NO2 and AP on COPD admission risk in different periods of lag can be used to establish an early warning system for diseases and reduce the possible outbreaks and burdens of COPD in a sensitive population.

Analysis of the variation in potential evapotranspiration and surface wet conditions in the Hancang River Basin, China

Evapotranspiration is an important component of the water cycle, and possible trends in evapotranspiration can, among others, influence water management and agricultural production. Potential evapotranspiration (ETp) is a measure of the ability of the atmosphere to remove water from the surface through the processes of evaporation and transpiration. It plays an important role in assessing regional dry–wet conditions and variations in meteorological conditions. This study analyzed the change trends of monthly ETp and surface dryness and wetness in the Hancang River Basin and, through principal component analysis and correlation analysis, explored the main meteorological factors that affected ETp and the interactions between meteorological factors; ETp values were estimated using the FAO-56 Penman–Monteith method. The results showed that there was a large gap in ETp between different months in the Hancang River Basin, with a trend of first increasing and then decreasing within a year. The highest monthly evapotranspiration was 114.119 mm (July), and the lowest was 42.761 mm (January). The maximum relative humidity index was 0.822 (August), and the minimum was -0.979 (January). The average temperature, precipitation, average relative humidity, and solar radiation are positive factors that affect ETp, while average air pressure is a negative factor that affects ETp. This study provides a reference for the wet conditions of small watersheds and for countermeasures to address climate change.

Immediate and Delayed Meteorological Effects on COVID-19 Time-Varying Infectiousness in Tropical Cities

The novel coronavirus, which was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has been spreading globally at an unprecedented rate, leading to the virus being declared a global pandemic by the WHO on 12 March 2020. The clinical disease, COVID-19, associated with the pandemic is caused by the pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Aside from the inherent transmission dynamics, environmental factors were found to be associated with COVID-19. However, most of the evidence documenting the association was from temperate locations. In this study, we examined the association between meteorological factors and the time-varying infectiousness of COVID-19 in the Philippines. We obtained the daily time series from 3 April 2020 to 2 September 2020 of COVID-19 confirmed cases from three major cities in the Philippines, namely Manila, Quezon, and Cebu. Same period city-specific daily average temperature (degrees Celsius; °C), dew point (degrees Celsius; °C), relative humidity (percent; %), air pressure (kilopascal; kPa), windspeed (meters per second; m/s) and visibility (kilometer; km) data were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—National Climatic Data Center. City-specific COVID-19-related detection and intervention measures such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing and community quarantine measures were extracted from online public resources. We estimated the time-varying reproduction number (Rt) using the serial interval information sourced from the literature. The estimated Rt was used as an outcome variable for model fitting via a generalized additive model, while adjusting for relevant covariates. Results indicated that a same-day and the prior week’s air pressure was positively associated with an increase in Rt by 2.59 (95% CI: 1.25 to 3.94) and 2.26 (95% CI: 1.02 to 3.50), respectively. Same-day RT-PCR was associated with an increase in Rt, while the imposition of community quarantine measures resulted in a decrease in Rt. Our findings suggest that air pressure plays a role in the infectiousness of COVID-19. The determination of the association of air pressure on infectiousness, aside from the testing frequency and community quarantine measures, may aide the current health systems in controlling the COVID-19 infectiousness by integrating such information into an early warning platform.

Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Its Response to Climate Factors in the Ili River Valley Region of China.

Background: As the global climate changes, the number of cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is increasing year by year. This study comprehensively considers the association of time and space by analyzing the temporal and spatial distribution changes of HFMD in the Ili River Valley in terms of what climate factors could affect HFMD and in what way. Methods: HFMD cases were obtained from the National Public Health Science Data Center from 2013 to 2018. Monthly climate data, including average temperature (MAT), average relative humidity (MARH), average wind speed (MAWS), cumulative precipitation (MCP), and average air pressure (MAAP), were obtained from the National Meteorological Information Center. The temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of HFMD from 2013 to 2018 were obtained using kernel density estimation (KDE) and spatiotemporal scan statistics. A regression model of the incidence of HFMD and climate factors was established based on a geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model and a generalized additive model (GAM). Results: The KDE results show that the highest density was from north to south of the central region, gradually spreading to the whole region throughout the study period. Spatiotemporal cluster analysis revealed that clusters were distributed along the Ili and Gongnaisi river basins. The fitted curves of MAT and MARH were an inverted V-shape from February to August, and the fitted curves of MAAP and MAWS showed a U-shaped change and negative correlation from February to May. Among the individual climate factors, MCP coefficient values varied the most while MAWS values varied less from place to place. There was a partial similarity in the spatial distribution of coefficients for MARH and MAT, as evidenced by a significant degree of fit performance in the whole region. MCP showed a significant positive correlation in the range of 15–35 mm, and MAAP showed a positive correlation in the range of 925–945 hPa. HFMD incidence increased with MAT in the range of 15–23 °C, and the effective value of MAWS was in the range of 1.3–1.7 m/s, which was positively correlated with incidences of HFMD. Conclusions: HFMD incidence and climate factors were found to be spatiotemporally associated, and climate factors are mostly non-linearly associated with HFMD incidence.

Climatic variations and vertigo diseases in outpatients clinic of ENT

Objective:The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between climatic variations and vertigo diseases in outpatients clinic of ENT. Methods:A retrospective analysis of patients in the vertigo clinic of the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University in 2019 was performed, and basic information, onset date and related data were recorded, and 12 months of meteorological data were recorded. Spearman rank correlation was used for data analysis. To analyze the relationship between climatic variations and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo （BPPV） vestibular migraine （VM）, Meniere's disease （MD）. Results:There were correlations between BPPV patients and change in atmospheric pressure, the average water atmospheric pressure, minimum relative humidity or change in temperature. There was no correlation between BPPV patients and sunshine exposure or wind speed. There were correlations between VM patients and change in atmospheric pressure or change in temperature. There was no correlation between VM patients and humidity, sunshine exposure or wind speed. There were correlations between MD patients and change in atmospheric pressure, minimum relative humidity or average relative humidity. There was no correlation between MD patients and change in temperature, sunshine exposure or wind speed. Conclusion:The onset of BPPV, VM, and MD are all related to changes in air pressure. Two or three diseases in the same patient may have a common cause. In the future, we can learn more about the pathophysiological correlation of the three. Patients with vertigo should pay attention to weather changes and prepare medications in advance.

Meteorological Factors and the Transmissibility of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Xiamen City, China.

Background: As an emerging infectious disease, the prevention and control of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) poses a significant challenge to the development of public health in China. In this study, we aimed to explore the mechanism of the seasonal transmission characteristics of HFMD and to reveal the correlation and potential path between key meteorological factors and the transmissibility of HFMD.Methods: Combined with daily meteorological data such as average temperature, average relative humidity, average wind velocity, amount of precipitation, average air pressure, evaporation capacity, and sunshine duration, a database of HFMD incidence and meteorological factors was established. Spearman rank correlation was used to calculate the correlation between the various meteorological factors and the incidence of HFMD. The effective reproduction number (Reff) of HFMD was used as an intermediate variable to further quantify the dynamic relationship between the average temperature and Reff.Results: A total of 43,659 cases of HFMD were reported in Xiamen from 2014 to 2018. There was a significantly positive correlation between the average temperature and the incidence of HFMD (r = 0.596, p < 0.001), and a significantly negative correlation between the average air pressure and the incidence of HFMD (r = −0.511, p < 0.001). There was no correlation between the average wind velocity (r = 0.045, p > 0.05) or amount of precipitation (r = 0.043, p > 0.05) and incidence. There was a temperature threshold for HFMD's transmissibility. Owing to the seasonal transmission characteristics of HFMD in Xiamen, the temperature threshold of HFMD's transmissibility was 13.4–18.4°C and 14.5–29.3°C in spring and summer and in autumn and winter, respectively.Conclusions: HFMD's transmissibility may be affected by the average temperature; the temperature threshold range of transmissibility in autumn and winter is slightly wider than that in spring and summer. Based on our findings, we suggest that the relevant epidemic prevention departments should pay close attention to temperature changes in Xiamen to formulate timely prevention strategies before the arrival of the high-risk period.

The effects of weather on the spread of COVID-19: evidence from Ghana

BackgroundClimatic factors have been shown to influence communicable disease dynamics especially in tropical regions where temperature could swing from extreme heat and dryness to wet and cold within a short period of time. This is more pronounced in the spread of airborne diseases. In this study, the effect of some local weather variables (average temperature, average relative humidity, average wind speed and average atmospheric pressure) on the risk of Severe Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Ghana is investigated. The daily confirmed new COVID-19 cases were compiled from the Ghana Health Service and the weather data extracted from Weatherbase. The type of relationship between the climatic variable and risk of spread were explored using the Generalized Additive Model (GAM).ResultsResults obtained showed that wind speed and atmospheric pressure have positive linear relationship with the spread of infection an increase in the risk of COVID-19 spread. In addition, the risk of spread fluctuates for temperature between 24 and 29 °C but sharply decreases when average temperature exceeds 29 °C. The risk of spread of COVID-19 significantly decrease for relative humidity between 72 and 76% and leveled afterwards.ConclusionThe results indicate that wind speed and pressure have a positive linear relationship with the risk of spread of COVID-19 whilst temperature and humidity have a non-linear relationship with the spread of COVID-19. These findings highlight the need for policy makers to design effective countermeasures for controlling the spread as we are still within the low temperature season.

Analysis of the effects of meteorological parameters on radio refractivity, equivalent potential temperature and field strength via Mann-Kendall test

Trend analysis of meteorological parameters (temperature, pressure, and relative humidity) as well as calculated refractivity, equivalent potential temperature (EPT) for a pseudo-adiabatic process, and field strength in Calabar, Southern Nigeria has been analyzed using Mann-Kendall (M-K) trend test and Sen’s slope estimator (SSE). Data of the meteorological parameters were obtained from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in Calabar for 14 years (2005–2018). Results show that the maximum and average temperature, atmospheric pressure, refractivity, EPT, and field strength all exhibited a positive Kendall Z value with 2.52, 0.33, 3.83, 0.77, 0.44, and 3.18 respectively which indicated an increase in trend over time, with only maximum temperature, atmospheric pressure and field strength showing a significant increase at 5% (0.05) level of significance, since their calculated p values (0.012, 0.0001, and 0.001) were less than 0.05. The relative humidity and minimum ambient temperature had a decrease in trend over time as they both had negative Kendall Z values (− 0.11 and − 1.09 respectively); however, together with the average ambient temperature and refractivity, their trend was not significant at 5% level of significance since their calculated p values were all more than 0.05. Linear regression, correlation, and partial differentiation showed that relative humidity has the most effect on the changes in seasonal refractivity and an indirect relationship with field strength variability. The novel relationship between EPT and refractivity has been discovered to be very strong and positive. Descriptive statistics has been used to portray the seasonal and annual trend of all parameters.

Evaluation of flowability for granulated powder using a test of powder discharge by pressurized air

This study experimentally and theoretically examined the flowability and the cohesiveness for powder using a test of powder discharge through an orifice by the pressurized air. The powder used consisted of two kinds of Calcium hydroxide which have different particle sizes by granulation. These sizes are 11µm and 176µm, those called Ca(OH)2 -A and -B. Cohesiveness is characterized by the Bond number which is the ratio of separation force to the gravity force. Flowability is evaluated by the relationship between the mass flow rate and the average air pressure acting on the powder bed. We found that the Bond number of Ca(OH)2 -B was much lower than Ca(OH)2 -A. The relation between the mass flow rate of the powder and the average air pressure indicates Ca(OH)2 -B is easily flowing at the lower pressure region, and Ca(OH)2 -A was scattered at the higher pressure region. This means Ca(OH)2 -B has good flowability by the particle granulation in comparison with Ca(OH)2 -A.

Use of meteorological parameters for forecasting scarlet fever morbidity in Tianjin, Northern China.

The scarlet fever incidence has increased drastically in recent years in China. However, the long-term relationship between climate variation and scarlet fever remains contradictory, and an early detection system is lacking. In this study, we aim to explore the potential long-term effects of variations in monthly climatic parameters on scarlet fever and to develop an early scarlet-fever detection tool. Data comprising monthly scarlet fever cases and monthly average climatic variables from 2004 to 2017 were retrieved from the Notifiable Infectious Disease Surveillance System and National Meteorological Science Center, respectively. We used a negative binomial multivariable regression to assess the long-term impacts of weather parameters on scarlet fever and then built a novel forecasting technique by integrating an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) method with a nonlinear autoregressive neural network (NARNN) based on the significant meteorological drivers. Scarlet fever was a seasonal disease that predominantly peaked in spring and winter. The regression results indicated that a 1°C increment in the monthly average temperature and a 1-h increment in the monthly aggregate sunshine hours were associated with 17.578% (95% CI 7.674 to 28.393%) and 0.529% (95% CI 0.035 to 1.025%) increases in scarlet fever cases, respectively; a 1-hPa increase in the average atmospheric pressure at a 1-month lag was associated with 12.996% (95% CI 9.972 to 15.919%) decrements in scarlet fever cases. Based on the model evaluation criteria, the best-performing basic and combined approaches were ARDL(1,0,0,1) and ARDL(1,0,0,1)-NARNN(5, 22), respectively, and this hybrid approach comprised smaller performance measures in both the training and testing stages than those of the basic model. Climate variability has a significant long-term influence on scarlet fever. The ARDL-NARNN technique with the incorporation of meteorological drivers can be used to forecast the future epidemic trends of scarlet fever. These findings may be of great help for the prevention and control of scarlet fever.

SYNTHESIS OF MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF PARTICULATE MATTER CONCENTRATIONS IN OUTDOOR SPACES

The size of the dust particles, their chemical composition and the elements adsorbed on their surface directly affect the health of people. Different models and systems are used for monitoring and forecasting dust pollution levels. In the presented work a linear multiple regression model is developed to reveal a causal relationship between the concentration of PM10 and the following independent variables: average daily air temperature, average daily solar radiation, wind speed, wind direction, aver-age daily atmospheric pressure. STATGRAPHICS statistical software package was used to perform the necessary analyzes and calculations.

The effects of climate on the incidence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common vestibular disorders. An investigation into the factors related to BPPV could contribute to its prevention and appropriate management. We investigated the association between climatic factors and incidence of BPPV in this study. A total of 365 patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic BPPV in the emergency room of our hospital in 2015 were included. The number of patients diagnosed with BPPV per week was calculated (every week). Climatic factors, including daily average humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure, cloud amount, sunshine amount, and daylight time, were documented daily. The weekly mean climatic value in each week was calculated. Simple correlation analysis and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify climatic factors associated with the number of patients diagnosed with BPPV. Simple correlation analysis revealed a significant association between the humidity (r = 0.276, p = 0.048), temperature (r = 0.275, p = 0.049), and cloud amount (r = 0.293, p = 0.035) and the number of BPPV patients diagnosed per week. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that only the cloud amount was a statistically significant factor associated with the number of BPPV patients diagnosed every week. A significant positive association was discovered between the cloud amount and BPPV incidence. Cloud amount can therefore have an association with the incidence of BPPV.

EFFECT OF SOME RADIO CLIMATIC FACTORS ON DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION SIGNAL IN A SAHEL SAVANNAH CITY OF NIGERIA

This study investigates the effect of some radio climatic factors on the Received Signal Strength (RSS) of a Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcast Station (DTTBS) in Katsina City, Nigeria. The RSS was measured at intervals along selected routes around the station using a digital signal strength meter. GPS receiver was used to log the line of sight, geographic coordinates and heights of data points from the station. The atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity corresponding to data points were concurrently measured using a compact weather station whereas the corresponding surface radio refractivity (Ns) values were computed. Data were collected during dry and wet season months’ in the year 2017. Results shown that, Ns is inversely proportional to RSS irrespective of routes and seasons with correlation coefficients of -0.51 and -0.57 during dry and wet season months respectively. Higher mean value of, 358.50 (N-units) was deduced during wet compared to the dry season months of 301.20 (N-units). Average atmospheric pressure of 951.92 and 949.61 (hPa) and as well as humidity values of 32.25 and 77.93 %RH were deduced during dry and wet season months’ respectively. Findings also show that pressure is inversely proportional to RSS. The overall effects of pressure, temperature and humidity on RSS is better understood using the effect of Ns since the latter is derived from those parameters. This study concludes that the specified radio climatic factors have attenuation effect on UHF signal and should be put into consideration when planning link’s design and power budgets on the UHF band.&#x0D;

Analysis of Streptococcal Infection and Correlation with Climatic Factors in Cultured Tilapia Oreochromis spp. in Taiwan

Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), a prominent warm water food fish, is one of the major fish species grown in the aquaculture industry in south-east Asia. Tilapia can tolerate adverse water quality and other stressors, like diverse salinity and fluctuation of pH value, better than most other commercial aquaculture species. Environmental fluctuations are one of the main factors that affect the outbreak of infectious diseases in cultured tilapia. Cultured tilapia in Taiwan appears to be more susceptible to infections caused by Streptococci during the summer season. The present study emphasizes the Streptococcus spp. infection in tilapia in Taiwan and is the first study on the analysis of the potential impact of climate change on streptococcal infection in cultured tilapia in Asia. The data collected from the treatment and diagnosis system (TDS) of the aquatic animal diseases database from 2006 to 2015 were used to analyze the endemic streptococcal infection and the effect of climatic factors. Based on the results, the factor, average atmospheric pressure, is negatively correlated to streptococcal infection, while the other three, including average temperature, ultraviolet (UV) index, and rainfall, are positively correlated to streptococcal infection. A multivariate logistic regression model with these four factors was also built. When the average temperature is above 27.0 °C, the average atmospheric pressure is lower than 1005.1 hPa, or the UV index is above 7.2, the percentage of cumulated positive farms from all submitted tilapia cases was more than 50%. In addition, within 3 days of rain, rainfall is relevant to the occurrence of Streptococcus in tilapia. Using TDS to alert the occurrence of streptococcal infection in tilapia can be a very useful tool for veterinary aquatic animal inspection stations, and reducing economic losses and labour costs in aquatic agriculture.

Research on the correlation between otorhinolaryngologic diseases and environmental meteorological factors in children

Objective:To explore the correlation between acute otitis media（AOM）, acute pharyngitis（AP） and allergic rhinitis（AR） and environmental-meteorological factors in children in Lanzhou. Method:Data were collected in 2015-2017 from the outpatient department and emergency department of Otolaryngology of one hospital in Lanzhou. The association between clinical data and the environmental meteorological factors during the same period, including the air quality index（AQI）, PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO₂, SO₂, O3, average temperature, average air pressure, average wind speed, average humidity in Lanzhou, was analyzed. Result:The incidence of AOM was positively correlated with AQI, PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO₂, SO₂, average air pressure, and was negatively correlated with O3, average wind speed and average air temperature, but not correlated with average humidity. The incidence of AP was positively correlated with average temperature and average humidity, and not correlated with other 9 factors. The incidence of AR was correlated with all 10 environmental meteorological factors except for O3.The number of children with AOM, AP and AR varied with different seasons. Environmental meteorological factors have single lag and cumulative lag effects on the incidence of children with AOM, AP and AR, and difference between the single lag and cumulative lag time was observed. Conclusion:There may be some correlation between the environmental meteorological factors and the incidence of AOM, AP, AR in children, and there is a lag effect. The incidence of pediatric AOM, AP and AR is affected by seasonal factors.

Mathematical modeling of ixodiс ticks and their hosts of the Non-Black Earth Zone

The article discusses the impact of exogenous factors on the population of ixodic ticks and small mammals. It is known that parasitic arthropods, mouse-like rodents are very susceptible to changes in climatic factors of a certain habitat. For the development of their population, it is necessary to study many factors: a certain air temperature, humidity or rainfall, daylight hours, cloud cover, and atmospheric pressure. The survival of small mammals, and therefore the number of ticks in the future, depends on exogenous factors. Mathematical modeling in parasitology opens up great opportunities for predicting outbreaks of vector-borne infections and infestations without serious material costs. As a result, calculation models of small mammals for the Kaluga Region and data on the most influence of the average atmospheric pressure, air temperature, and humidity on the arthropod population were obtained. The higher the ambient temperature is within the normal range for a certain territory, the more favorable the conditions for propagation are. Rainfall has the opposite effect. The analysis of the obtained model by ixodic ticks shows the strongest effect on the arthropod population of average atmospheric pressure. The advantage of the applied modeling allows taking into account the impact on the observed object of a combination of all factors and their interaction effects.

Stability of the Liquid Water Phase on Mars: A Thermodynamic Analysis Considering Martian Atmospheric Conditions and Perchlorate Brine Solutions.

The stability of the liquid water phase on Mars has been examined on the basis of fundamental thermodynamic principles. The analysis considers the atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions prevalent on Mars. Because of the very low atmospheric pressure on Mars, water cannot exist in the liquid form. However, salt dissolution can reduce the freezing point and elevate the boiling point of aqueous solutions. This is interesting in the light of the discovery of perchlorate, sulphate, sodium, potassium, and calcium ions over the Martian surface. The effect of different perchlorate salts on the freezing and boiling points of water while considering their saturation solubility under varying ionic conditions is key to this analysis. It is shown that under an average atmospheric pressure of 600 Pa, the saturated solution of sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) is stable in the liquid phase in the temperature range between 240 and 275 K. The triple point of water under this condition is shifted to 269 K with a saturation solubility of 14.4 mass % of the salt. However, a saturated solution of magnesium perchlorate (Mg(ClO4)2) renders this temperature range wider from 198 to 296 K, with the triple point being located at 269 K (salt saturation at 13.5 mass % salt). In case the water is contaminated with a mixture of these salts, an increased stability is predicted for liquid water down to 180 K and up to at least 298 K. This is caused by the increased ionic strength that enhances the freezing point depression and boiling point elevation of the solution. Thus, in the extreme and uneventful conditions of saturation by mixtures of salts, liquid water can be stable on Mars between 180 K and at least up to 298 K. Below this temperature, water exists as a glacier and above, as steam only.