Effects Of Daily Mean Temperature Research Articles

Improving Restoration Efficiency by Modeling Optimal Sowing Periods: A Case Study of Two Native Plants and Restoration of a Site

Efficient ecological restoration techniques are urgently required to minimize seed consumption and labor requirements. Here, we determined the optimal sowing period for two native species, Agastache rugosa (Korean mint) and Astilbe rubra (False goat’s beard), toward their use for ecological restoration of Mt. Gariwang, a site damaged by the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics’ activities. We investigated the effects of daily mean temperature (DMT) and daily temperature range (DTR) on seed germination percentage, which decreased for both species with decreasing DTR and was optimal at a DMT of 25 °C and 17.5 °C for A. rugosa and A. rubra, respectively. We developed a single multiple regression equation that evaluated the effects of DMT and DTR simultaneously and determined the temperature scores when the germination percentage reached 85%. We applied the developed multiple regression equation by analyzing the temperature data of the restoration site. In addition, precipitation data analysis was added to set the optimal sowing period. As a result, the optimal sowing period for the two species was determined from May 21 to the end of May. This makes it possible to minimize seed consumption and labor requirements when sowing seeds. The model developed herein will be useful not only to guide the ecological restoration of Mt. Gariwang, but also for other regions using site-specific temperature data.

Association of Daily Mean Temperature and Temperature Variability With Onset Risks of Acute Aortic Dissection.

BackgroundThe association between ambient temperature and cardiovascular diseases has been well established, but evidence of temporal changes in the risk of acute aortic dissection (AAD) onset is lacking.Methods and ResultsWe conducted an 8‐year time‐series study based on data from 2120 patients diagnosed with AAD at Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China). Daily meteorological parameters were measured in the study area. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was applied to measure the associations between daily meteorological data and air pollution indicators. A distributed lag nonlinear model following quasi‐Poisson regression was used to express the nonlinear exposure‐response relationships and lag effects of daily mean temperature and temperature variability on the occurrence of AAD. Considering a 25‐day lag effect, lower or higher temperatures with reference to 25°C did not alter the onset risk of AAD. The lag effect of daily mean temperature on the incidence of AAD is statistically significant within 2 days, and the impact of daily mean temperature on the risk is most influential on the day. The exposure‐response curve between daily mean temperature and onset risks of AAD at lag 0 showed that the extremely cold temperature (2.5th percentile, 0.5°C) significantly increased the AAD risk for the total (relative risk, 1.733; 95% CI, 1.130–2.658) and type A dissection (relative risk, 3.951; 95% CI, 1.657–9.418). Temperature variability within 1 week did not affect the onset risks of AAD for the total.ConclusionsWe confirmed that extremely cold temperatures significantly increased the AAD risk, which could contribute to early prevention and timely diagnosis of the disease.

Effect of daily temperature fluctuations on virus lifetime

Epidemiological studies based on statistical methods indicate inverse correlations between virus lifetime and both (i) daily mean temperature and (ii) diurnal temperature range (DTR). While thermodynamic models have been used to predict the effect of constant-temperature surroundings on virus inactivation rate, the relationship between virus lifetime and DTR has not been explained using first principles. Here, we model the inactivation of viruses based on temperature-dependent chemical kinetics with a time-varying temperature profile to account for the daily mean temperature and DTR simultaneously. The exponential Arrhenius relationship governing the rate of virus inactivation causes fluctuations above the daily mean temperature during daytime to increase the instantaneous rate of inactivation by a much greater magnitude than the corresponding decrease in inactivation rate during nighttime. This asymmetric behavior results in shorter predicted virus lifetimes when considering DTR and consequently reveals a potential physical mechanism for the inverse correlation observed between the number of cases and DTR reported in statistical epidemiological studies. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a case study on the effect of daily mean temperature and DTR on the lifetime of SARS-CoV-2 was performed for the five most populous cities in the United States. In Los Angeles, where mean monthly temperature fluctuations are low (DTR ≈ 7 °C), accounting for DTR decreases predicted SARS-CoV-2 lifetimes by only 10%; conversely, accounting for DTR for a similar mean temperature but larger mean monthly temperature fluctuations in Phoenix (DTR ≈ 15 °C) decreases predicted lifetimes by 50%. The modeling framework presented here provides insight into the independent effects of mean temperature and DTR on virus lifetime, and a significant impact on transmission rate is expected, especially for viruses that pose a high risk of fomite-mediated transmission.

Daily mean temperature and HFMD: risk assessment and attributable fraction identification in Ningbo China

BackgroundHand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) remains a significant public health issue, especially in developing countries. Many studies have reported the association between environmental temperature and HFMD. However, the results are highly heterogeneous in different regions. In addition, there are few studies on the attributable risk of HFMD due to temperature.ObjectivesThe study aimed to assess the association between temperature and HFMD incidence and to evaluate the attributable burden of HFMD due to temperature in Ningbo China.MethodsThe research used daily incidence of HFMD from 2014 to 2017 and distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to investigate the effects of daily mean temperature (Tmean) on HFMD incidence from lag 0 to 30 days, after controlling potential confounders. The lag effects and cumulative relative risk (CRR) were analyzed. Attributable fraction (AF) of HFMD incidence due to temperature was calculated. Stratified analysis by gender and age were also conducted.ResultsThe significant associations between Tmean and HFMD incidence were observed in Ningbo for lag 0–30. Two peaks were observed at both low (5–11 °C) and high (16–29 °C) temperature scales. For low temperature scale, the highest CRR was 2.22 (95% CI: 1.61–3.07) at 7 °C on lag 0–30. For high temperature scale, the highest CRR was 3.54 (95% CI: 2.58–4.88) at 24 °C on lag 0–30. The AF due to low and high temperature was 5.23% (95% CI: 3.10–7.14%) and 39.55% (95% CI: 30.91–45.51%), respectively. There was no significant difference between gender- and age-specific AFs, even though the school-age and female children had slightly higher AF values.ConclusionsThe result indicates that both high and low temperatures were associated with daily incidence of HFMD, and more burdens were caused by heat in Ningbo.

Association of diurnal temperature range with daily hospitalization for exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases in 21 cities, China

BackgroundThe association between diurnal temperature range (DTR) and hospitalization for exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) was rarely reported.ObjectivesTo examine the association between DTR and daily hospital admissions for exacerbation of CRD and find out the potential effect of modifications on this association.MethodData on daily hospitalization for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and bronchiectasis and meteorology measures from 2013 through 2017 were obtained from 21 cities in South China. After controlling the effects of daily mean temperature, relative humidity (RH), particulate matter < 2.5 μm diameter (PM2.5) and other confounding factors, a standard generalized additive model (GAM) with a quasi-Poisson distribution was performed to evaluate the relationships between DTR and daily hospital admissions of CRD in a two-stage strategy. Subgroup analysis was performed to find potential modifications, including seasonality and population characteristics.ResultElevated risk of hospitalization for exacerbation of CRD (RR = 1.09 [95%CI: 1.08 to 1.11]) was associated with the increase in DTR (the 75th percentile versus the 25th percentile of DTR at lag0–6). The effects of DTR on hospital admissions for CRD were strong at low DTR in the hot season and high DTR in the cold season. The RR (the 75th percentile versus the 25th percentile of DTR at lag0–6) of hospitalization was 1.11 (95%CI: 1.08 to 1.12) for exacerbations of COPD and 1.09 (95%CI: 1.05 to 1.13) for asthma. The adverse effect of DTR on hospitalization for bronchiectasis was only observed in female patients (RR = 1.06 [95%CI: 1.03 to 1.10]).ConclusionOur study provided additional evidence for the association between DTR and daily hospitalization for exacerbation of CRD, and these associations are especially stronger in COPD patients and in the cold season than the hot season. Preventive measures to reduce the adverse impacts of DTR were needed for CRD patients.

Association between ambient temperature and injury by intentions and mechanisms: A case-crossover design with a distributed lag nonlinear model

Although injury is a leading cause of death worldwide, the association between ambient temperature and injury has received little research attention compared to the association of temperature with mortality and morbidity from non-external causes. With current climate change and increases in weather extremes, assessing the association between temperature and injury is important for determining public health priorities. Therefore, the present study examined the association between ambient temperature and injury risk with a focus on the intentions and mechanisms of injury. Using the national emergency database, we identified a total of 703,503 injured patients who had visited emergency departments in Seoul, South Korea from 2008 to 2016. We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study using a conditional Poisson regression model, and applied a distributed lag nonlinear model to explore possible nonlinear and delayed effects of daily mean temperature on injury risk. Injury risk was significantly associated with ambient temperature, and temperature-injury association curves markedly differed with respect to intentions and mechanisms of injury. Although unintentional injuries increased significantly at both high and low temperatures, intentional injuries – including self-harm and assault – significantly increased only at high temperatures. The mechanism-specific analyses showed that injuries caused by traffic accidents and burns significantly increased at both high and low temperatures. However, injuries caused by all other mechanisms (i.e., fall, blunt object, machinery, penetration, and poisoning) significantly increased only at high temperatures, while injury due to slipping increased at low temperatures. Our study provides evidence that ambient temperature is associated with risk of injury, and this association differs depending on the intentions and mechanisms of injury. Overall, our findings help foster a more comprehensive understanding of the association between temperature and injury that can be used to establish appropriate public health policies and targeted interventions.

Effect of temperature on accidental human mortality: A time-series analysis in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province in China

Health-risk assessments of temperature are central to determine total non-accidental human mortality; however, few studies have investigated the effect of temperature on accidental human mortality. We performed a time-series study combined with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to quantify the non-linear and delayed effects of daily mean temperature on accidental human mortality between 2013 and 2017 in Shenzhen, China. The threshold for effects of temperature on accidental human mortality occurred between 5.6 °C and 18.5 °C. Cold exposures, but not hot exposures, were significantly associated with accidental human mortality. All of the observed groups were susceptible to cold effects, with the strongest effects presented in females (relative risk [RR]: 3.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.44–6.84]), followed by poorly educated people (RR: 2.63, 95% CI [1.59–4.36]), males (RR: 1.79, 95% CI [1.10–2.92]), and well-educated people (RR: 1.20, 95% CI [0.58–2.51]). Pooled estimates for cold effects at a lag of 0–21 days (d) were also stronger than hot effects at a lag of 0–2 d. Our results indicate that low temperatures increased the risk of accidental human mortality. Females and poorly educated people were more susceptible to the low temperatures. These findings imply that interventions which target vulnerable populations during cold days should be developed to reduce accidental human mortality risk.

Ambient temperature and non-accidental mortality: a time series study.

Under the background of global climate change, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of daily mean temperature and diurnal temperature range (DTR) on the non-accidental mortality. Poisson generalized linear model (PGLM) combined with distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to evaluate these effects after adjusting the relative humidity and major air pollutants. All effects were presented as relative risk (RR), with 75th percentiles of daily mean temperature and DTR compare with their lowest RRs corresponding values. Daily mean temperature was associated with the non-accidental mortality with a U-shaped curve, and the non-accidental mortality increased by 1.8% (95% CI: 0.7~3.0%) when the temperature was 24.4°C (20°C as the reference). Additionally, the non-accidental mortality increased by 1.4% (95% CI: 0.1~2.7%) on lag6 day when DTR was 11.3°C (7°C as the reference). The elderly (≥ 65years) were more susceptible to daily mean temperature and DTR, and females were more susceptible to high DTR effect than males. Our study provides evidence that daily mean temperature and DTR are significantly associated with non-accidental mortality and have delayed effects. Both females and elderly people are vulnerable to the potential adverse effects.

Short-term effects of ambient temperature on the risk of premature rupture of membranes in Xinxiang, China: A time-series analysis

BackgroundStudies on the effects of extreme ambient temperature on the risk of adverse birth outcomes are limited, and the results are inconsistent. In this study, we evaluated the short-term effects of daily mean temperature on the risk of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) in Xinxiang, China. MethodsDaily hospitalization data for PROM, daily meteorological data, and ambient pollution data in Xinxiang from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017 were collected. A quasi-Poisson generalized additive model (GAM) combined with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was applied to assess the short-term impact of temperature on PROM. The model was adjusted for relative humidity, air pollution, time trend, day of the week, and public holidays. ResultsThe number of daily hospitalizations for PROM during the study period was 3255. With a reference median temperature of 17 °C, there were significant associations between the temperature deviation from the threshold temperature (2 °C, 12th percentile; 29 °C, 91st percentile) and PROM hospitalization at lag 0–2 days. Exposure to extreme cold (−2 °C, 1st percentile) or extreme heat (32 °C, 99th percentile) were associated with 0.528 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.278–0.986) and 2.161 (95% CI: 1.240–3.764) increased risks of PROM, respectively. Younger mothers with age <35 years were more sensitive to the impact of extreme temperature. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that heat temperature is associated with higher PROM risk, while cold temperature might be a protective factor against PROM in Xinxiang, China. Given the adverse consequences of PROM and concerns over global climate change, pregnant women should take special precautions in summer when there are sudden increases in temperature.

Association between air pollution and asthma exacerbations in Badalona, Barcelona (Spain), 2008–2016

Introduction and objectiveAir pollution has been widely associated with respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, association between air pollution and exacerbations of asthma in our area has been less studied. To analyse the effect of air pollution on exacerbations of asthma in Badalona. Material and methodsThis was an observational study conducted in Badalona. The number of daily hospital admissions and accident and emergency visits related to exacerbation of asthma between 2008 and 2016 was obtained. We used simple Poisson regressions to test the effects of daily mean temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, and NO2, SO2 and CO levels on asthma-related emergencies and hospitalisations the same day and 1–4 days after. All p-values were corrected for multiple comparisons. ResultsThe number of hospitalisations was associated with low temperature (lags 0–4) and higher levels of NO2 (lags 0, 1, 2 and 4) and atmospheric pressure (lags 2 and 3). The number of accident and emergency visits was associated with low temperature (lags 0–4) and higher levels of NO2 (lags 2, 3 and 4). ConclusionsThe number of accident and emergency visits and hospitalisations for exacerbation of asthma is associated with higher levels of NO2 and with lower temperatures.

Effects of ambient temperature on ambulance emergency call-outs in the subtropical city of Shenzhen, China.

The associations between meteorological factors and mortality have been well documented worldwide, but limited evidence is available for the non-fatal health impacts of ambient temperature, particularly there are few population-based investigations on the impacts of emergency ambulance dispatches in Asia. In this study, based on 809,906 ambulance emergency call-outs (AECOs) for the total population from 2010–2016 in the subtropical city of Shenzhen, China, a Poisson regression combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model was used to simultaneously assess the nonlinear and lag effects of daily mean temperature on AECOs. Stratified analyses by age and sex were performed to identify vulnerable subpopulations. A U-shaped relationship was found between temperature and AECOs. Cold effects were delayed and persisted for 3–4 weeks, with a cumulative relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.23 (1.10–1.38) and 1.25 (1.16–1.35) over lag 0–28 when comparing the 1st and 5th percentile of the temperature distribution to the optimal (i.e. minimum AECOs) temperature, respectively. Hot effects were immediate and diminished quickly in 5 days, with an increase of 19% (RR = 1.19, 95%CI: 1.14–1.23) and 21% (RR = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.16–1.26) in AECOs over lag 0–5 when comparing the 95th and 99th percentile of temperature to the optimal temperature. Children and the elderly were more vulnerable to cold effects. The youth and middle-aged people suffered more from high temperature. The effects of temperature were similar between males and females. In summary, significant increases were observed in the frequency of AECOs during cold and hot days, and the weather-associated increases in AECOs are different among age groups. This information has valuable implications in ambulance demand prediction and service provision planning.

Temperature and Fall-Related Hospital Admissions in Hong Kong Sar, China

Background/AimPrevious studies have found increased fall incidence during winter months. However, most of the studies were conducted among the elderly only. Few studies have directly examined the impact of weather on the occurrence of falls. The findings of these studies are also not consistent. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the influences of temperatures on falls.MethodsBetween 1998 and 2011, daily falls-related hospital admission were obtained from Hong Kong Hospital Authority, which were compiled with daily meteorological and air pollutants data obtained from the Hong Kong Observatory and Environmental Protection Department, respectively. Generalized Additive Models were used to estimate the effects of daily mean temperature (&amp;#176;C) on daily falls-related hospital admissions while controlling for other meteorological factors, air pollutants, day of the week, seasonality and long-term trends. Lagged effects were also considered.ResultsA total of 400,737 fall-related hospital admissions were analyzed. The highest falls incidence rate was observed in January, while the lowest in May. A reverse J-shaped association was found. Below a threshold temperature of 28.5&amp;#176;C, daily mean temperature was significantly negatively associated with fall-related hospital admissions. A daily mean temperature of 19.5&amp;#176;C (25th percentile) and 14.5&amp;#176;C (5th percentile) over lags 0-7 were associated with a 11% higher [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 1.15] and 21% higher [95% CI: 1.15, 1.21] falls risks when compared to 28.5&amp;#176;C, respectively.ConclusionsA reverse J-shaped association was found between ambient temperature and falls in the general population in a subtropical Asian city. Since falls are predicted to become the 17th leading cause of death by 2030, it is important to better understand the impacts of the changing climate on falls. Preventive plans such as providing proper heating may help decrease the risk of falls associated with low temperatures.

Asociación entre la contaminación ambiental y las agudizaciones de asma bronquial en Badalona (Barcelona), 2008-2016

Introduction and objectiveAir pollution has been widely associated with respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, association between air pollution and exacerbations of asthma in our area has been less studied. To analyse the effect of air pollution on exacerbations of asthma in Badalona. Material and methodsThis was an observational study conducted in Badalona. The number of daily hospital admissions and accident and emergency visits related to exacerbation of asthma between 2008 and 2016 was obtained. We used simple Poisson regressions to test the effects of daily mean temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, and NO2, SO2 and CO levels on asthma-related emergencies and hospitalisations the same day and 1-4 days after. All p-values were corrected for multiple comparisons. ResultsThe number of hospitalisations was associated with low temperature (lags 0 to 4) and higher levels of NO2 (lags 0, 1, 2 and 4) and atmospheric pressure (lags 2 and 3). The number of accident and emergency visits was associated with low temperature (lags 0 to 4) and higher levels of NO2 (lags 2, 3 and 4). ConclusionsThe number of accident and emergency visits and hospitalisations for exacerbation of asthma is associated with higher levels of NO2 and with lower temperatures.

Effect of Air Pollution on Exacerbations of Bronchiectasis in Badalona, Spain, 2008–2016

Introduction: Air pollution has been widely associated with respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, the association between air pollution and exacerbations of bronchiectasis has been less studied. Objective: To analyze the effect of air pollution on exacerbations of bronchiectasis. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in Badalona. The number of daily hospital admissions and emergency room visits related to exacerbation of bronchiectasis (ICD-9 code 494.1) between 2008 and 2016 was obtained. We used simple Poisson regressions to test the effects of daily mean temperature, SO₂, NO₂, CO, and PM₁₀ levels on bronchiectasis-related emergencies and hospitalizations on the same day and 1–4 days after. All p values were corrected for multiple comparisons. Results: SO₂ was significantly associated with an increase in the number of hospitalizations (lags 0, 1, 2, and 3). None of these associations remained significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. The number of emergency room visits was associated with higher levels of SO₂ (lags 0–4). After correcting for multiple comparisons, the association between emergency room visits and SO₂ levels was statistically significant for lag 0 (p = 0.043), lag 1 (p = 0.018), and lag 3 (p = 0.050). Conclusions: The number of emergency room visits for exacerbation of bronchiectasis is associated with higher levels of SO₂.

Non-linear effects of mean temperature and relative humidity on dengue incidence in Guangzhou, China

BackgroundDengue fever is an important infectious disease in Guangzhou, China; previous studies on the effects of weather factors on the incidence of dengue fever did not consider the linearity of the associations. MethodsThis study evaluated the effects of daily mean temperature, relative humidity and rainfall on the incidence of dengue fever. A generalized additive model with splines smoothing function was performed to examine the effects of daily mean, minimum and maximum temperatures, relative humidity and rainfall on incidence of dengue fever during 2006–2014. ResultsOur analysis detected a non-linear effect of mean, minimum and maximum temperatures and relative humidity on dengue fever with the thresholds at 28°C, 23°C and 32°C for daily mean, minimum and maximum temperatures, 76% for relative humidity, respectively. Below the thresholds, there was a significant positive effect, the excess risk in dengue fever for each 1°C in the mean temperature at lag7–14days was 10.21%, (95% CI: 6.62% to 13.92%), 7.10% (95% CI: 4.99%, 9.26%) for 1°C increase in daily minimum temperature in lag 11days, and 2.27% (95% CI: 0.84%, 3.72%) for 1°C increase in daily maximum temperature in lag 10days; and each 1% increase in relative humidity of lag7–14days was associated with 1.95% (95% CI: 1.21% to 2.69%) in risk of dengue fever. ConclusionsFuture prevention and control measures and epidemiology studies on dengue fever should consider these weather factors based on their exposure-response relationship.

Impact of daily mean temperature, cold spells, and heat waves on stroke mortality a multivariable Meta-analysis from 12 counties of Hubei province, China

Objective: To assess the acute effects of daily mean temperature, cold spells, and heat waves on stroke mortality in 12 counties across Hubei province, China. Methods: Data related to daily mortality from stroke and meteorology in 12 counties across Hubei province during 2009-2012, were gathered. Distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was first used, to estimate the county-specific associations between daily mean temperature, cold spells, heat waves and stroke mortality. Multivariate Meta-analysis was then applied to pool the community-specific relationships between temperature and stroke mortality (exposure-response relationship) as well as both cold- and- heat-associated risks on mortality at different lag days (lag-response relationship). Results: During 2009-2012, a total population of 6.7 million was included in this study with 42 739 persons died of stroke. An average of 2.7 (from 0.5 to 6.0) stroke deaths occurred daily in each county, with annual average mean temperature as 16.6 ℃ (from 14.7 ℃ to 17.4 ℃) during the study period. An inverse J-shaped association between temperature and stroke mortality was observed at the provincial level. Pooled mortality effect of cold spells showed a 2-3-day delay and lasted about 10 days, while effect of heat waves appeared acute but attenuated within a few days. The mortality risks on cold-spell days ranged from 0.968 to 1.523 in 12 counties at lag 3-14, with pooled effect as 1.180 (95%CI:1.043-1.336). The pooled mortality risk (ranged from 0.675 to 2.066) on heat-wave days at lag 0-2 was 1.114 (95%CI: 1.012-1.227). Conclusions: An inverse J-shaped association between temperature and stroke mortality was observed in Hubei province, China. Both cold spells and heat waves were associated with increased stroke mortality, while different lag patterns were observed in the mortality effects of heat waves and cold spells.

Effects of ambient temperature on daily hospital admissions for mental disorders in Shanghai, China: A time-series analysis

BackgroundEvidence for extreme ambient temperature effects on the risk of mental disorders (MDs) is limited. In this study, we evaluated the short-term effects of daily mean temperature on hospital admissions of MDs in Shanghai, China. MethodsWe obtained daily hospital admission data for MDs, daily meteorological and ambient pollution data in Shanghai from January 2008 to December 2015. Adjusted for time trend, air pollution, relative humidity and other confounders, a quasi-Poisson generalized additive model (GAM) combined with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to analyze the lag-exposure-response relationship between daily mean temperature and hospital admissions for MDs. ResultsTotal daily hospital admissions for MDs during the study period were 93,971. With a reference of median temperature (18.3°C), there was a significant positive association between the temperature above threshold (24.6°C) and MD hospital admission visits at a lag of 0–1days. The relative risks of extreme hot temperatures (33.1°C, 99% percentile) over the lag 0–1days compared to median temperature were 1.266 (95% confidence intervals: 1.074–1.493). No effect of cold weather on the hospital admissions for MDs was observed. ConclusionsThis study suggests that extreme hot temperature poses significant risks on MD; health counseling and cooling measures should be considered for the susceptible population.

Acute effect of daily mean temperature on ischemic heart disease mortality: a multivariable meta-analysis from 12 counties across Hubei Province, China

Objective: To evaluate the acute effects of daily mean temperature on ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality in 12 counties across Hubei Province, China. Methods: We obtained the daily IHD mortality data and meteorological data of the 12 counties for 2009-2012. The distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was used to estimate the community-specific association between mean temperature and IHD mortality. A multivariate meta-analysis was then applied to pool the community-specific relationship between temperature and IHD mortality, and the effects of cold and heat on mortality risk. Results: In 2009-2012, of the 6 702 012 people included in this study, 19 688 died of IHD. A daily average of 1.2 IHD deaths occurred in each community. The annual average mean temperature was 16.6 ℃ during the study period. A nonlinear temperature-IHD mortality relationship was observed for different cumulative lag days at the provincial level. The pooled heat effect was acute but attenuated within 2 days. In contrast, the cold effect was delayed and persisted for more than 2 weeks. Compared with a reference temperature (25th percentile of mean temperature during the study period, P25), the cold effect for P10 of mean temperature was associated with IHD mortality, the RR(95% CI) was 1.084 (1.008-1.167) at lag 0-14, and 1.149 (1.053-1.253) at lag 0-21. For the P1 cold temperature, the mortality RR (95% CI) values were 1.116 (0.975-1.276) and 1.220 (1.04-1.428), respectively. We found no significant association between high temperatures and IHD mortality in the present study at different lag days. Conclusion: In Hubei Province, low temperature was associated with increased IHD mortality risk, and cold effects lasted for several days; no significant effect of high temperature was observed.

Population Abundance of the Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (oliv.) Adults on date Palm Plantations in Baharia Oases Giza Governorate - Egypt

This is the first study on Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliv.) in Baharia Oases. The aim of the present work was to study the population abundance of R. ferrugineous (Oliv.) adults in relation to two climatic factors using attracting pheromone traps on date palm plantation. This work was carried out during January 2013 to December 2014 in Baharia Oases, Giza Governorate- Egypt. The obtained results recorded that adults emerging continually throughout the year. The lowest adults population was recorded during January and December in the two tested years, the population showed two peaks of adult population for each year. The first peak in 2013 recorded at the second week of April while the second peak recorded at second week of October. In 2014 the first peak recorded at second week of March and the second peak at the second week of September. There were different effects of daily mean temperature and relative humidityon the population activity of R. ferrugineous. The sex ratios of male to female were 1: 2.5 and 1: 2.4 during 2013 and 2014 respectively.

National and regional death burden attributable to ambient temperatures: epidemiological evidence from 89 Chinese communities

BackgroundAmbient temperature is an important risk factor for human health. However, little evidence is available on the attributable burden, such as absolute or relative excess of mortality, due to temperature. We investigated the burden ofdeath attributable toambient temperature in China. MethodsWe used the national database comprising daily death data for 89 Chinese communities for 2007–2013, covering 106·1 million permanent residents, according to China's 2010 population census. A distributed lag non-linear model was used to estimate the community-specific mortality effects of daily mean temperature. Pooled estimates of national and regional effects (southern, northern, western and eastern; rural and urban), were then calculated through multivariate meta-analysis. Attributable deaths were calculated for cold and heat, defined as ambient temperatures below and above the minimum-mortality temperature. This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (201214). FindingsOur analysis included 1 727 143 non-accidental deaths during the study period, with a total of 228 213 (95% empirical CI 192 835–244 597) deaths attributed to non-optimum ambient temperatures. The national attributable fraction was 13·21% (95% empirical CI 11·34–14·16), most of which was linked to low temperatures (11·96%, 10·04–12·94). There was significant between-region heterogeneity in the attributable fractions for non-optimal temperature (I2=56·1%, p<0·0001, ranging from 12·18% (8·49–14·33) in northern regions to 18·16% (8·73–22·92) in western regions. Death burdens attributed to ambient temperatures were similar between urban (13·37%, 10·68–15·09) and rural regions (13·46%, 10·46–15·08). InterpretationAmbient temperature was responsible for 13·21% of deaths in China, and the burden attributable to this factor varied significantly across different regions. Most of this burden was caused by low temperature. This study has implications for policymakers developing protective strategies to mitigate the health effects of adverse ambient temperatures. FundingNational Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant No 2012CB955504). No funding bodies had any role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.