Evaluation Of Seasonal Changes Research Articles

Evaluation of seasonal changes in physicochemical and bacteriological parameters of Gomti River in Bangladesh

Evaluation of seasonal changes in physicochemical and bacteriological parameters of Gomti River in Bangladesh

Evaluation of seasonal changes in the diagnosis of acute leukemia in Turkey

Objective: The etiology of acute leukemia (AL) has been under investigation for decades but the exact cause is still unknown. There are studies suggesting that infection plays a critical role in the development of AL in conjunction with other risk factors. In some studies, it has been shown that the incidence of AL increases after influenza endemics. This shows that viruses may play a role in the etiology. The theory that viruses might have a role in the etiopathogenesis created the idea that AL frequency may peak during some specific months; therefore, in this study, we aimed to research the relationship between AL diagnosis frequency and seasons in Turkey. 
 Method: 186 patients who were diagnosed with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) diagnosis at our center were included in the study.
 Results: The frequency of ALL diagnoses were as follows: 25 (34.3%) in winter, 19 (26%) in spring, 15 (20.5%) in autumn, and 14 (19.2%) in summer. The frequency of AML diagnose was as follows: 24 (21.2%) in winter, 30 (26.6%) in spring, 27 (23.8%) in autumn and 32 (28.4%) in summer. In our study, we did not find a statistically significant relationship between AL diagnosis frequency and seasons.
 Conclusion: According to our literature review, there are two studies including our study, searching for a relationship between AL diagnosis frequency and seasons in Turkey. Neither of the studies found a relationship between AL and seasons. According to our analysis the numbers of the patient in studies are limited; therefore the studies with high number of patients are needed to find out a relation between seasons and diagnosis time of AL.

Evaluation of Seasonal Changes in Temperature and Precipitation for Iran Five Provincial Centres during 1960-2017

Climate change is one of the key challenges of our era and it is a threat to sustainable development. Global warming has many meteorological consequences including rising air temperatures across the world. Undoubtedly, human activity has been one of the key factors to global warming followed by increased greenhouse gas emissions which will exacerbate changes in the Earth’s climate variables. So, any research work related to the climate around the world including Iran due to climate change may cause to better understand the cause and effect and make a better adaptation. This study investigates the regional warming in five meteorological stations in central provinces of Iran, based on seasonal changes in precipitation and temperatures over the period of 1960-2017 (study period). The seasonal drought severity based on Palmer index during 1960-2005 was used to monitor the drought intensity in the study areas which are in drought risk situation. The classification of drought severity using Palmer index shows the severe drought intensity in Arak, Qom, Semnan, Tehran and Isfahan respectively in all four seasons, especially during fall and summer. The slight changes in the coefficients of seasonal maximum, minimum and mean temperatures have been resulted. According to these results, the highest maximum (minimum) temperature rise has been calculated for Qom (Tehran) station during spring and winter (fall) seasons ~0.44°C (~0.67°C) in a decade during 1960-2017. However, the highest decrease in precipitation over Arak station has been calculated ~13.8 mm in a decade in winter during study period.

Evaluation of Seasonal Changes in Fitness, Anthropometrics, and Body Composition in Collegiate Division II Female Soccer Players.

Peart, AN, Nicks, CR, Mangum, M, and Tyo, BM. Evaluation of seasonal changes in fitness, anthropometrics, and body composition in collegiate division II female soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 2010-2017, 2018-The purpose of this study was to investigate anthropometrics, body composition, aerobic and anaerobic fitness of collegiate Division II female soccer players throughout a calendar year. Eighteen (20 ± 0.9 years) National Collegiate Athletics Association division II female soccer players from the same team participated in the study. Anthropometrics and body composition variables were assessed in addition to the counter movement jump (CMJ), Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAT), and peak oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak). Data were collected over 5 time points: end of competitive seasons (ECS1 and ECS2), beginning of off-season (BOS), end of off-season (EOS), and preseason (PS). Repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted to compare test scores among all 5 data collection points. Where appropriate, Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to determine which points were significantly different. Hip circumference decreased significantly (p < 0.001) from EOS (98.47 ± 6.5 cm) to PS (94.46 ± 6.8 cm). Fat mass (12.73 ± 5.4 kg) was significantly different in ECS2 compared with BOS and EOS means (p ≤ 0.05) and percentage of body fat (%BF) (20.08 ± 5.44) significantly different in ECS2 compared with ECS1, BOS, and EOS means (p ≤ 0.05), whereas fat-free mass (FFM) was maintained from ECS1 to ECS2. Counter movement jump, WAT, and V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak performance did not significantly change from ECS1 to ECS2. Anthropometrics and body composition results are similar to previous studies measuring Division II to professional female soccer players. Counter movement jump results remained consistent and are comparable to results on Division I female soccer players. Coaches and researchers can use these data to help design and evaluate training programs throughout a calendar year.

Heavy Metals Size Distribution in PM10 and Environmental-Sanitary Risk Analysis in Acerra (Italy)

The present research has been focused on the evaluation of seasonal changes in mass concentrations and compositions of heavy metals in Particular Matters (PM)10 collected from a typical urban-industrial site in Acerra, a city located in an area called “triangle of death”. No significant (p &lt; 0.05) seasonal variation was evidenced for the PM10 concentration, but in all the seasons (except for autumn) exceedances of daily concentrations (50 μg m−3) were observed. Airborne PM was analyzed for these heavy metals: Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, V and Zn, which represented about 8% of the PM10 concentrations. None of the metals classified by IARC as carcinogenic in humans (group 1) exceeded on average the annual EU’s and Italy’s limit. For the mentioned heavy metals the enrichment factors (EnFs) were analyzed and highlighted high enrichment for Cd, Sb, Pb, As, Cu and Zn. Principal component analysis (PCA) for the heavy metals in PM10 identified oil combustion, vehicle and industrial emissions as major sources. To assess the health risk related to the inhalation to airborne PM10 metals, we applied the Cancer Risk (CR) and Target Hazard Quotient (THQ). The results showed that the CR was similar for a child and an adult, while the THQ proved to be higher for a child than for an adult. The low PM metals risk in the urban industrial site was in agreement with the ongoing lowering trend of metals in Italy and Europe.

Evaluation of seasonal changes of triterpenic acid contents in Viscum album from different host trees

Context: Viscum album L. (Loranthaceae) is a semi-parasitic plant used in pharmacy and medicine mostly for its hypotensive and anticancer activity. The effects may be related to the presence of triterpenic acids, such as betulinic (BA) and oleanolic (OA) acids.Objectives: In our investigations the content of triterpenic acids in V. album from different host trees depending on the season of harvest was determined.Material and methods: V. album herb was dried and extracted with ethyl acetate using ultrasound energy. The reversed phase HPLC-PDA method was used for the analysis of triterpenic acids. The structure of the target components was confirmed by mass spectrometry with an electrospray ionization source.Results: Diversity in the content of both compounds was noted; however, OA was the dominant triterpenic acid and the amount thereof was ∼10 times higher than that of BA. The analysis of changes in the amount of triterpenic acids during the spring-winter period revealed the highest content of OA in summer (from 6.84 to 13.65 mg/g). In turn, in the other seasons of harvest, the content was in the range of 4.41–9.83, 6.41–9.56 and 5.59–12.16 mg/g for spring, autumn and winter, respectively. In most cases, a similar tendency was observed for BA.Discussion and conclusion: In most cases, the highest amount of the investigated compounds was found in summer; thus, this period seems to be optimal for acquisition of plant material rich in triterpenic acids.

Usefulness of deep-ocean water pumping for the seasonal monitoring of mesozooplankton

The Okhotsk Sea is the southernmost seasonally ice-covered ocean in the Northern Hemisphere. Because of the ice coverage during winter, seasonal monitoring of zooplankton is difficult by ordinary ship-board observation. To overcome this issue, zooplankton monitoring of samples collected by deep-ocean water pumping may be useful. In this study, we evaluated seasonal changes in the zooplankton community based on the samples collected by deep-ocean water pumped from a 350-m depth off of Rausu Harbor in the southern Okhotsk Sea at 2.5-day intervals over two and a half years. Zooplankton abundance and biomass ranged from 20–550 inds. m−3 and 6–902 mg WM m−3, respectively. Both parameters showed similar seasonal changes throughout the study period. Copepods were the most dominant taxa throughout the year and accounted for 90% and 76% of the annual mean zooplankton abundance and biomass, respectively. A total of 20 genera and 33 copepod species were observed. Metridia okhotensis and M. pacifica accounted for 61% and 12% of the annual mean copepod abundance, respectively. In general, the abundance and biomass of zooplankton collected by pumped-up deep-ocean water were lower than they were in the epipelagic layer (both characteristics of the former corresponded to approximately 60% of the latter). The combined effects of low zooplankton density at the deep layer (350 m) and the low filtering rate of deep-water pumping are considered to be a possible cause of the low zooplankton abundance and biomass in the pumped-up deep-ocean water. For the zooplankton samples from pumped-up deep-ocean water, there was a high abundance of benthopelagic mysids and copepods (Xanthocalanus spp.). Because the water inlet of the deep-ocean water pumping is located near the sea bottom, the collected samples may be useful for the evaluation of seasonal changes in the population structure of the less-studied benthopelagic species.

Evaluation of seasonal changes of serum and plasma estradiol-17β, progesterone and testosterone in dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) by chemiluminescence.

Aim:The purpose of the research was to test and validate an innovative and safe chemiluminescence method to evaluate sexual hormones in serum and plasma samples of Tursiops truncatus.Materials and Methods:The research was performed on 9 bottlenose dolphins entertained in Oltremare and in Zoomarine aquatic parks, sampled by the tail vein or from the ventral one and an ultrasound monitoring, throughout a 6 months period. Blood samples were analyzed using a chemiluminescence method. Data obtained were compared to radioimmunoassay and enzyme immuno assay reference data, with the purpose to test and validate this method, through the calculation of the coefficient of variability, and its reliability on serum and plasma samples. A one-way analysis of variance was applied to test the effect of time on serum and plasma hormonal changes.Results:Mean concentrations of estradiol-17β in serum were equal to 149.07±6.82 pmol/L, and in plasma equal to 159.14±12.99 pmol/L; mean values of progesterone in serum were equal to 0.69±0.05 pmol/L, and in plasma equal to 0.64±0.05 pmol/L; mean values of testosterone in serum were equal to 44.43±14.42 nmol/L, and in plasma equal to 48.99±11.20 nmol/L.Conclusion:It would be interesting to widen the investigations on a larger number of subjects, in which the relationship between the concentrations of free and binding steroid hormones, with the dosing of binding proteins, would define the physiological ranges of reference in the T. truncatus.

Utilization of ground-based digital photography for the evaluation of seasonal changes in the aboveground green biomass and foliage phenology in a grassland ecosystem

We investigated the usefulness of a ground-based digital photography to evaluate seasonal changes in the aboveground green biomass and foliage phenology in a short-grass grassland in Japan. For ground-truthing purposes, the ecological variables of aboveground green biomass and spectral reflectance of aboveground plant parts were also measured monthly. Seasonal change in a camera-based index (rG: ratio of green channel) reflected the characteristic events of the foliage phenology such as the leaf-flush and leaf senescence. In addition, the seasonal pattern of the rG was similar to that of the aboveground green biomass throughout the year. Moreover, there was a positive linear relationship between rG and aboveground green biomass (R2=0.81, p<0.05), as was the case with spectra-based vegetation indices. On the basis of these results, we conclude that continuous observation using digital cameras is a useful tool that is less labor intensive than conventional methods for estimating aboveground green biomass and monitoring foliage phenology in short-grass grasslands in Japan.

Evaluation of Seasonal Changes in Body Composition and Fitness Parameters Among Collegiate Women Soccer Players

Evaluation of Seasonal Changes in Body Composition and Fitness Parameters Among Collegiate Women Soccer Players

Evaluation of Seasonal Changes in Physico-chemical and Bacteriological Characteristics of Water from the Narmada River (India) Using Multivariate Analysis

The river Narmada is a major source of fresh water for the highly populated areas, predominantly the rural populations in Madhya Pradesh (Central India) and Gujarat (Western India). Modernization and industrialization in these areas have become a matter of concern due to changing environment and increasing social activities that influence the quality of water directly or indirectly. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the quality of water along the banks of the river Narmada at different sampling sites using physico-chemical and bacteriological methods. The samples collected were analyzed per standard method parameters and were measured in situ. The correlation matrix indicated strong mutual dependency between the measured parameters (P < 0.05). Principal components analysis of the data indicates that two components (PC1 and PC2) influence the water quality to the extent of 57.4, 64.5 and 61.0% during rainy, winter and summer seasons, respectively. The mean values of the physico-chemical parameters of the river water samples were consistently higher than the levels certified by the World Health Organization and other regulatory bodies as polluted water. The presence of coliform bacteria in the water samples warrants for proper measures to reduce the pollution at point sources and requires proper remediation strategies to combat contamination in the river water.

Nutritional Evaluation of Seasonal Changes in Muscle Fatty Acid Composition of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Karamik Lake, Turkey

The present study aims to determine seasonal changes of nutritional value of common carp in Karamık Lake by determining the fatty acid composition. The levels of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in 100 g total fatty acid were found to be 28.73, 25.31, and 38.19 g in winter; 29.39, 24.06, and 35.75 g in spring; 31.05, 35.02, and 24.86 g in summer; 29.85, 32.39, and 30.92 g in autumn, respectively. Total ω3 and ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in 100 g fatty acid in muscle of the common carp ranged from 12.90 g to 25.97 g and from 10.73 g to 14.59 g, respectively. The ratio of total ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was higher than that of total ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in all seasons. The ratios of ω6/ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and arachidonic/eicosapentaenoic acids were the lowest in winter (0.41, 0.64) and highest (0.98, 2.72) in autumn. The amount of eicosapentaenoic + docosahexaenoic acids was also highest in winter and was composed of 22.50 g of 100 g total fatty acid in muscle of pike.

Use of the hypo-osmotic swelling test and aniline blue staining to improve the evaluation of seasonal sperm variation in native Spanish free-range poultry

The season may affect the values of fresh semen variables and therefore influence the success of cryopreservation. The aim of this study was to improve the evaluation of seasonal changes in semen quality in Spanish Black Castellana roosters maintained under natural environmental conditions. Semen was collected from 11 Black Castellana roosters (housed under natural photoperiod and temperature conditions) by massage twice every month for 12 mo. In addition to determining ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, and sperm motility (the classic sperm variables), we used the hypo-osmotic swelling test to examine the membrane integrity of the spermatozoa. Further, morphological abnormalities and acrosome integrity were assessed via aniline blue staining. Semen volume (P < 0.05), sperm concentration (P < 0.01), and the percentage of spermatozoa with an intact acrosome (P < 0.01) were significantly affected by the season of the year. The annual profile of the percentage of spermatozoa showing acrosome integrity followed a trend roughly parallel to annual variations in temperature (Spearman rank correlation = 0.77, P < 0.01). According to the hypo-osmotic swelling test, membrane integrity fell in July (P < 0.05 compared with all other months), the month of highest temperatures. Aniline blue staining and the hypo-osmotic swelling test provide an easy and useful means of evaluating sperm abnormalities, including acrosome morphology and membrane integrity, and could be easily introduced into routine avian semen quality assessments. The results show that high semen quality is associated with long day photoperiods. Extreme heat or cold appear to exert a negative influence on sperm quality.

Seasonal changes in the relationship between photochemical reflectance index and photosynthetic light use efficiency of Japanese larch needles

We investigated seasonal changes in the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and its relation to the diurnal profile of photosynthetic light use efficiency (LUE) in mature Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi Sarg.) forest throughout the growing season from June to October 2003. The daily mean value of needle PRI showed seasonal variation, strongly correlated with the chlorophyll concentration and carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio of the needles. During the green period from early June to late September, the hourly values of both PRI and LUE showed significant midday depression, and were positively correlated. In late October, however, because the PRI of yellowing needles tended to increase slightly at midday in contrast to the LUE, this correlation became negative. Even before autumn senescence, the sensitivity of PRI to LUE changed with the season. Correlation analysis indicated that the slope and intercept of the regression line of the PRI–LUE relationship increased during summer, with peaks in July and August, respectively. The seasonal change in slope was strongly correlated with the foliar photosynthetic pigment concentration, nitrogen concentration, air temperature and the daily mean value of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The value of the intercept was positively correlated with the daily mean PRI. These results suggest that although diurnal change in LUE cannot be estimated quantitatively from PRI on its own throughout the growing season, the combined use of PRI and other variables such as foliar pigments or NDVI could improve the remote evaluation of seasonal changes in LUE of deciduous tree leaves.

Analysis of Voltammetric Data for the Evaluation of Seasonal Changes of the Ni, Cd, Pb and Cu Content in Atmospheric Particulate PM2.5

In this paper, the preliminary results of a study on concentration of heavy metals in PM2.5 (atmospheric particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microm) fractions of atmospheric particulate matter, sampled in Milan, are presented. This work aims to develop an electroanalytical method to analyse Pb, Cu, Cd and Ni in PM2.5 and to investigate seasonal and weekly trends in the amount of PM2.5 and its composition for considered metals. The samples have been selected within the seasons ranging from September 2002 to November 2003 so that they represent the possible seasonal changes; the samples within this period have been chosen in order to have data relevant to both working days and holidays. The determination of Cd, Pb and Cu has been carried out by Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, whereas the concentration of Ni has been determined by Differential Pulse Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry. The concentrations of the metals in the sampled atmosphere and in the PM2.5 have been evaluated; through ANOVA possible seasonal or weekly variations in the above cited concentrations have been investigated.

Models of CO 2 and water vapour fluxes from a sparse millet crop in the Sahel

Canopy fluxes of water vapour and CO 2 from a sparse millet crop are simulated on the basis of a leaf scale model designed to predict stomatal conductance, leaf temperature, transpiration rate and photosynthetic rate for millet on a diurnal basis. The modelled leaf fluxes are extrapolated using two different big-leaf approaches. In the traditional big-leaf approach, all leaves are exposed to the same microenvironment which is different from the environmental conditions above the canopy, whereas in the modified big-leaf approach the canopy is regarded as a partly shaded big-leaf. In the sun/shade big-leaf model, soil reflection, diffuse radiation and separate evaluations of the radiation load on sunlit and shaded leaf surfaces are taken into account. Due to the low fraction of shaded leaves in the sparse canopy, the two types of big-leaf models predict both canopy fluxes equally well. The sensitivity of the modelled fluxes to the various input parameters was ranked for the identification of the most important parameters controlling photosynthesis and transpiration. This information is used for identification of more simple scaling models aimed at predicting daily canopy fluxes. The influx of sensible heat to the leaf was found to be an important energy source for transpiration. It was confirmed that daily transpiration can be parameterized by the air humidity gradient using only the leaf area index (LAI) for the evaluation of seasonal changes in bulk stomatal conductance. The photosynthetic rate was found to be most sensitive to radiation and leaf temperature. It is shown that the daily canopy photosynthesis can be estimated on the basis of LAI and midday values (1200 h) of incoming radiation density and leaf temperature.