Hourly Values Research Articles

Local contribution of road traffic and residential biomass burning to black carbon aerosols – Modelling and validation

Black carbon (BC) is a harmful pollutant to human health and the environment. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the local contribution of road traffic and residential biomass burning to BC pollution levels at urban scale by implementing an integrated modelling approach with high spatial and temporal resolution. The traffic emission was extended to include BC emission factors considering road network as line emission sources. A new module to calculate emissions from residential biomass burning was developed based on the heating degree days methodology and local surveys. The modelling approach implemented in Coimbra, Portugal, was validated with observations collected during a six-month monitoring campaign at urban traffic and urban background stations using thermo-optical and optical methods. At the traffic station, modelling results showed that 86% of BC concentrations are related to traffic activity, which are mostly due to hot exhaust emissions (76%). Nevertheless, biomass burning has a significant contribution in the whole urban area during winter. The results of monthly average BC concentrations obtained from dispersion modelling revealed a contribution from local road traffic and residential biomass burning emissions of around 4 μg m−3 at both monitoring sites during the coldest period, but this contribution was two times higher for the hotspots identified within the urban area. Moreover, hourly values at hotspots obtained from the modelling may achieve 85 μg m−3, thus stressing the importance of spatial and temporal analysis with high resolution. The validation approach applied in this work highlight the need for more transparency in defining “black carbon” reported by modelling to ensure comparability with measurements obtained by different techniques.

Effects of Meteorological Conditions in Summer and Early Autumn on PM2.5 and O3 Pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Surrounding Areas

PM2.5 pollution remains prominent in autumn, whereas O3 pollution gradually manifests in summer. To understand the dual high characteristics and meteorological effects of PM2.5 and O3 in the summer and early autumn of 2021 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas, the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of PM2.5 and O3 concentrations, as well as meteorological conditions, subtropical high index, and weather situation in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas were analyzed. The results showed that PM2.5 concentration and DPO3 （O3 daily maximum 8h mean minus O3 concentration at 06：00） from June to September 2021 decreased compared with those in the same period in 2020 and 2022, and high concentrations were mainly occurring in June. The overall PM2.5 concentration and DPO3 showed a gradual decrease from the middle to the north and south, with synchronous spatiotemporal changes. The hourly value of PM2.5 concentration presented a multimodal distribution, reaching the peak at 07：00-10：00 and 22：00-24：00. O3 concentration showed an opposite trend of change with PM2.5 concentration, reaching their peak from 14：00-16：00. When DPO3 and the concentration of PM2.5 were high, the characteristics of near-surface meteorological elements were characterized by temperatures ranging from 24.0-28.0℃, relative humidity concentrated at 58.4%-76.3%, and wind speeds ranging from 1.5-3 m·s-1. There was a high lag correlation between the subtropical high index and DPO3. When the subtropical high was farther and stronger from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas, DPO3 was higher. The major weather patterns with both high PM2.5 and O3 concentrations in the study area were near surface low-pressure front, high-pressure type, and frontal type. The high altitude was controlled by high-pressure ridges, and the subtropical high ridge line was stable between 21°-28°N.

Potential environmental impact of the chlorine-containing disinfectants usage during the COVID-19

Chlorine radicals (Cl) play a crucial role in atmospheric chemistry. The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic significantly increased the use of chlorine-containing disinfectants in China, leading to enhanced emissions of chlorine gas (Cl2) and hypochlorous acid (HOCl). In this study, we use the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model with updated chlorine chemistry to evaluate the potential air quality impact of chlorine emissions from disinfectant usage during February 2020, a month with a large outbreak of COVID-19 in mainland China. Results indicate that during the pandemic, there was a sharp increase of reactive chlorine emissions, with Cl2 and HOCl emissions reaching 773.9 t and 5913.1 t, making 3 times increase. The emissions of chlorine enhanced atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC) through the oxidation of VOC by Cl and OH, with the average enhancement in Shanghai, Beijing and Wuhan areas reaching 4.6% ± 1.8%, 10.3% ± 6.6% and 7.4% ± 4.6%, respectively. Consequently, the use of chlorine-containing disinfectants may have contributed to observed increases in the monthly average of the maximum daily 8-h average ozone (MDA8 O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations by up to 1.5 ppbv (5%) and 1.7 μg/m3 (1%), respectively. Especially, the maximum hourly increase values of O3 and PM2.5 concentrations were 4.8 ppbv and 11.4 μg/m³, 2.5 ppbv and 4.5 μg/m³ in Beijing and Wuhan, respectively. These results indicate that chlorine emissions from the widespread use of disinfectants have had a significant impact on air quality in certain regions (Beijing and Wuhan) and during specific periods (9:00∼12:00).

The Relationship of Surface Ozone Pollution with Meteorological Conditions in Determining Episode Periods

Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, is located in a tropical region with abundant sunlight and high temperatures year-round. Ozone and particulate matter (PM) are critical parameters causing unhealthy air pollution. Meteorological data were obtained from the NASA Power website. This study aims to explore the relationship between ozone formation and meteorological factors in Jakarta. Ozone air quality data were measured using the Backman model 950A ozone Analyzer, which detects concentrations as low as 0.05 ppm, with measurements taken every 40 seconds. From January to October 2023, ozone concentrations increased during the dry months of May to October, with the highest hourly value recorded at 263 μg/m³. During this period, average temperatures ranged from 27-29°C, rainfall was 0.3-5.6 mm, wind speeds were 3.14-4.64 m/s, wind direction was 92-171 degrees, and air humidity was 74-82%. Significant episodes were identified on (i) May 5-9, (ii) July 12-15, (iii) September 6-7, (iv) September 13-14, (v) September 21-22, and (vi) October 29-30, 2023. Daily, monthly, and seasonal ozone variations aligned with meteorological conditions, showing higher concentrations during the dry months. Further studies, including photochemical modeling, are required to identify dominant factors causing high ozone concentrations during these episodes. Understanding NOx or VOC emission sensitivities is crucial for effective ozone abatement strategies in Jakarta.

Observational Study of Growth-Related Knee Pain in Japanese Footballers Aged 12–15 Years: A Subsequent Series Following Children Aged 8–12 Years

This is a subsequent series of studies that examined the factors for growth-related injuries in children aged 8–12 years. We aimed to explore factors associated with growth-related knee pain (GRNP) in Japanese footballers aged 12–15 years. A total of 600 data (200 football players in 7–9th grades) were collected from their parents. Clinical characteristics (age, height, and weight), sports-specific variables (dominant leg, position, and surface), weekly training volume (total days and hours of football), and experience of GRKP (e.g., Osgood–Schlatter disease) within the past 1 year were assessed using a web-based questionnaire. Independent t-tests and chi-square tests were used to investigate the difference between groups with and without GRKP. Logistic regression analyses were also performed to explore risk factors for youth athletes. Additionally, a receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed for the variables used in the logistic regression model. Among junior high school footballers in Japan, 21.0% had experience with GRNP in the past 1 year. Weekly training hours were significantly and positively associated with GRNP (odds ratio, 1.047; 95% confidence interval, 1.016–1.079). The optimal cut-off value for training hours per week was 12.5 h, with low-to-moderate sensitivity (44.4%) and specificity (73.8%). However, clinical and sport-specific characteristics in Japanese footballers aged 12–15 years were not identified as risk factors for recent GRNP. To decrease the risk of GRNP in young Japanese footballers, controlling training volume, which combines adequate recovery or introducing multi-sports events, may be a key strategy for injury prevention.

Comparing Discrete and Empirical Troposphere Delay Models: A Global IGS‐Based Evaluation

AbstractZenith tropospheric delay (ZTD) is an important atmospheric parameter in radio‐space‐geodetic techniques such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), which is pivotal for GNSS positioning, navigation and meteorology. The Vienna Mapping Function (VMF) data server is a widely utilized source for implementing ZTD, offering two types of models, that is, the empirical one and the discrete one with Grid‐wise and Site‐wise models. Therefore, to evaluate the accuracy of these models becomes the focus of this article. Specifically, this study investigates their performances in terms of calculation of ZTD, using the hourly values derived from the International GNSS Service data as references. The results show that the root mean square err (RMSE) of the Site‐wise, Grid‐wise and global pressure and temperature 3 model are 11.71/13.03/38.56 mm, respectively, indicating the discrete model performs generally better than the empirical model, and the Site‐wise model is the better of the two discrete models. From the perspective of spatial resolution, the performance of these three models in ZTD calculation shows obvious influences of latitude changes and elevation differences. From the temporal analysis, the accuracy of the discrete model shows differences over different UTC epochs, while the empirical model can only express the seasonal ZTD characteristics with the average RMSE at different epochs being similar, the specifically values are 39.67, 39.26, 39.38 and 39.18 mm at UTC 0:00, 6:00, 12:00 and 18:00, respectively. The histogram and boxplot well indicate the accuracy differences of the three models in different seasons. Additionally, the time series of three models at different latitudes were also explored in this research. These explorations are conducive to the selection of appropriate models for calculating ZTD based on specific requirements.

Impact of air quality model settings for the evaluation of emission reduction strategies to curb air pollution

For air quality management, while numerical tools are mainly evaluated to assess their performances on absolute concentrations, this study assesses the impact of their settings on the robustness of model responses to emission reduction strategies for the main criteria pollutants. The effect of the spatial resolution and chemistry schemes is investigated. We show that whereas the spatial resolution is not a crucial setting (except for NO2), the chemistry scheme has more impact, particularly when assessing hourly values of the absolute potential of concentrations. The analysis of model responses under the various configurations triggered an analysis of the impact of using online models, like WRF-chem or WRF-CHIMERE, which accounts for the impact of aerosol concentrations on meteorology. This study informs the air quality modeling community on what extent some model settings can affect the expected model responses to emission changes. We suggest to not activate online effects when analyzing the effect of an emission reduction strategy to avoid any confusion in the interpretation of results even if an online simulation should represent better the reality.

Differences in sum-of-hourly and daily reference evapotranspiration for a rice–wheat cropping system in Ganga Basin, India

ABSTRACT Estimating reference evapotranspiration (ETo) at 24 h timesteps has been considered sufficiently accurate for a long time. However, recent advances in weather data acquisition have made it feasible to apply hourly procedures in ETo computation. Hourly timesteps can improve the accuracy of ETo estimates, as data averaged daily may misrepresent evaporative power during parts of the day. This study investigates the differences between daily ETo computations performed at 24 h (ETo,d) and sum of hourly (ETo,h) for rice–wheat cropping systems in the Ganga Basin, India. The meteorological data were collected from an automatic weather station located in an experimental plot at IIT Kanpur, India. Daily and sum-of-hourly ETo computations were performed according to the FAO-PM equation for rice and wheat cropping seasons. Diurnal variations of meteorological variables resulted in an underestimation of ETo when the daily timestep was considered. No significant difference was observed during wet periods. The sum-of-hourly estimates of ETo were able to capture the abrupt changes in climate variables, while the daily ETo failed to represent it as it considered the average values only. As a result, the sums of hourly ETo estimates are more reliable in the Ganga Plains.

Evaluation of soil water content and bulk electrical conductivity across the U.S. Climate Reference Network using two electromagnetic sensors

AbstractSoil bulk electrical conductivity (BEC) was evaluated alongside soil volumetric water content (VWC) and soil temperature measurements using the HydraProbe (model HydraProbe, Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc.) (hereafter called HP) with accuracy range of BEC ≤ 0.3 S m−1, and the time domain reflectometry (TDR)‐315L Probe (model TDR‐315L, Acclima, Inc.) (hereafter called AP) suitable for BEC up to 0.6 S m−1, at 23 stations of the U.S. Climate Reference Network. Previous evaluations revealed inconsistent performance of both sensors in some clay soils using manufacturer‐recommended calibrations in converting dielectric permittivity measurements to VWC. Here, we found that hourly values of BEC reached 0.6 S m−1 in high clay content soils and exceeded 2 S m−1 in high saline soils, and these high values of BEC were associated with poor performance and failures of both HP and AP sensors. Large values of BEC occurred in predominantly saturated soils where VWC values reached about 0.5 m3 m−3 for saline soils and about 0.7 m3 m−3 for clay soils, while low magnitudes of BEC were associated with low soil water content and seldomly saturated soils. Low hourly BEC values of less than 0.1 S m−1 were observed in wide variety of soil types, where sensor performance was typically excellent. The most influential factor on BEC was high soil water content conditions. Although dielectric permittivity measurements in estimating the soil water content were sensitive to BEC as some high clay content and high salinity soils increased BEC, the impact of large BEC on dielectric permittivity measurements was smaller in the well‐drained top soil layers than in deep soil layers that remained near saturation. Soil temperature had only a small impact on BEC. With high clay content and high salinity, the specific area of clay minerals was also associated with the magnitude of BEC.

Abstract P201: Adherence to Time-Restricted Eating is Related to Long-Term Weight Changes Among Women

Introduction: Chronic disruption of circadian rhythms is linked to weight gain and metabolic dysregulation. Time-restricted eating (TRE), a form of intermittent fasting, has shown effectiveness in improving short-term weight loss and energy homeostasis. However, associations between habitual adherence to TRE and long-term weight change remain understudied. Hypothesis: We tested whether adherence to TRE assessed by the gold-standard seven-day dietary records (7DDRs) was related to 5-year change in body weight among women. Methods: The present analysis included 650 women (mean [SD]: age 63 [9] y; BMI 26.4 [5.3] kg/m 2 ) without cardiovascular disease at baseline who completed 7DDRs in a sub-study of the Nurses’ Health Studies (NHS/NHSII), the Women’s Lifestyle Validation Study (WLVS) (2010-12). TRE was indicated by 4-12 hours of daily eating window (EW). The adherence to TRE was assessed by summing up the TRE days in a week. We also calculated 7-day averaged values of EW hours, last/first time of eating occasion (EO), and within-person variability of these variables. Weight change from baseline to a follow-up survey (NHS: 2016-18; NHSII: 2015-17) were analyzed. Total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity expenditure (PAEE) were measured at baseline using the doubly labeled water dilution method. Results: Longer averaged hours of EW were related to greater weight gain (β 0.7 [0.3] kg per 2 hours) after adjusting for covariates of demographic factors, total energy intake, physical activity, alcohol, within-person variation of EW, the averaged time of last EO, and the initial body weight ( p =0.02). Consistently, adherence to TRE was associated with less weight gain (β -0.25 [SE 0.1] kg per day increment; p =0.03) in a model adjusting for these covariates. We found that lower adherence to TRE and longer hours of EW were associated with weight gain ( p <0.05 for both) when the last eating time occurred at a later time in the day than at an earlier time. The baseline energy metabolism (TEE and PAEE) modified the associations between the hours of EW and weight changes ( P interaction-EW-TEE = 0.006; P interaction-EW-PAEE =0.01), showing significant relationships particularly among women with higher levels of adiposity and greater energy expenditure at baseline. Conclusions: Adherence to TRE and fewer habitual hours of eating were related to long-term weight changes among middle-aged and elderly women. The last eating time and energy homeostasis may partly modify the associations.

First results of the potential gradient variation in a tropical station in South America (Ica, Peru)

Measurements of the potential gradient (PG) under fair weather conditions at new locations are crucial for monitoring the global electric circuit. In this study, we analyzed the variations in PG recorded in Ica city, Peru, during the period from March 2018 to December 2022. Our analysis involved a detailed comparison of PG with various meteorological parameters such as rainfall, wind speed and direction, dust storms, dust devils and fog to establish the characteristic PG curve under fair weather conditions (referred to as the standard curve). We identified a significant threshold of 3.5 m/s for strong winds, which helps prevent the influence of sea breeze and dust lifting on PG. Our results showed the impact of 'Paracas' dust storms on PG, which aligns with patterns observed in other arid regions worldwide. Subsequently, we calculated monthly, seasonal, and annual averages of the standard curve which showed a response likely associated with local convective processes on the PG diurnal variation. Furthermore, the seasonal variation of PG reveals higher values during June, July, and August compared to December, January, and February. These differences are attributed to seasonal changes in aerosol concentrations, potentially influenced by biomass-burning activities in Peru. Additionally, we performed a wavelet transform analysis of PG hourly values. We found the periodicities of 1 day, ∼188 days, and 360 days which are related to the diurnal, semiannual and annual periods. During the months between January and March 2018 was found an intense period of ∼45-day likely associated with one of the strongest Madden-Julian Oscillation events. Through this comprehensive investigation, we deepen our understanding of the intricate relationships among meteorological conditions, sea breeze, dust storms, and the PG in arid regions like Ica.

Variations of Inter‐Hemispheric Field‐Aligned Currents: Observations From Ground Geomagnetic Measurements

AbstractThe east–west component of the geomagnetic field (Y‐component) at the Trivandrum (TRD) station, an equatorial site, is used to investigate the characteristics of Inter‐Hemispheric Field‐Aligned Currents (IHFACs) in the Indian sector during solar cycles 21 and 22. The observations reveal an annual variation of IHFAC in the dawn/noon sector with positive/negative peaks around northern summer. Furthermore, it is noted that IHFAC amplitudes are modulated by solar activity, superimposed with seasonal effects, with consistently higher amplitudes during the northern summer months. The dusk‐time IHFAC also shows a pattern modulated by seasons and solar cycles, with negative peaks around northern summer only during the low solar active years. The seasonal pattern of IHFAC shows a similar trend from April to September, where dawn/noon IHFAC is south/north directed, and for the remaining months, both are northward directed. The dusk‐side IHFAC is mostly south‐directed irrespective of the season. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the seasonal pattern of dawn and noon‐time IHFAC amplitudes show a strong to moderate correlation with amplitudes of Sq asymmetries between two hemispheres, but dusk‐time IHFAC does not follow this trend. The IHFAC directions at TRD follow the Fukushima model for May to September during the dawn‐noon sector for 70%–95% of the days and less than 50% of the days for remaining months. The noon‐dusk sector shows Fukushima model‐type polarity for ∼60% of days in June–July and less than 50% for remaining months. The global analysis of IHFAC, using monthly averages of hourly values from eight observatories spanning Asia, Africa, and America, reveals spatial differences in amplitude and directions. The directions of noon‐time IHFAC in the Indian‐East Asian and East‐African sectors follow similar trends, and the amplitude variations of noon‐time IHFAC can be explained by DE‐3 tidal effects. The IHFAC from the South American and West African sectors show intense southward and northward currents compared to other sites, indicating the influence of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA).

High-frequency dynamics of pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature in the coastal ecosystems of the Tanga-Pemba Seascape: implications for upwelling-enhanced ocean acidification and deoxygenation

Ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and warming are three interconnected global change challenges caused by increased anthropogenic carbon emissions. These issues present substantial threats to marine organisms, ecosystems, and the survival of coastal communities depending on these ecosystems. Coastal upwelling areas may experience significant declines in pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and temperature levels during upwelling events, making marine organisms and ecosystems in these areas more susceptible to ocean acidification and deoxygenation. Understanding the dynamics of pH, DO, and temperature in coastal upwelling areas is essential for evaluating the susceptibility of resident organisms and ecosystems to lower pH and DO conditions occurring during upwelling events. To accomplish this, we used the pH and the DO loggers to measure high-frequency data for pH and DO, respectively, over six months in the open ocean and for a 24-hour cycle within the mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef ecosystems of the Tanga-Pemba Seascape (T-PS) during the northeast monsoon season. Our findings revealed the occurrence of multiple upwelling events, with varying durations, that result in significant declines in pH, DO, and temperature within the seascape. This is the first study to confirm the occurrence of multiple upwelling events in the T-PS. Moreover, the study has revealed a pH threshold value of 7.43 for ocean acidification in the T-PS. This is the first study to report a threshold value for ocean acidification in coastal upwelling areas of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). Furthermore, it revealed that the extremely low levels of pH that occurred during upwelling events were above the pH threshold value of 7.43 for ocean acidification, while the extremely low levels of DO fell below the oxygen threshold value of 4.6 mg/L for deoxygenation. During upwelling events, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems, but not mangrove ecosystems, demonstrated elevated mean hourly values of pH and DO compared to those of the open ocean. These findings show that marine organisms and ecosystems in the T-PS are frequently exposed to lower pH and DO conditions due multiple upwelling events. However, their susceptibility to these conditions is reduced to some extent by the presence of seagrass meadows within these interconnected systems.

Postupak određivanja energetske karakteristike zgrade prema ISO 52016-1

With the idea of harmonizing with current EU regulation regarding methodology used for energy certification of buildings, and with aim of achieving energy savings in the building sector, the dynamic hourly calculation methodology for determining energy needs of the building for heating and cooling was presented and analyzed. The presented method is based on the new, currently valid standard SRPS EN ISO 52016-1. Unlike the previous so-called three-node method, determined by the now extracted standard SRPS EN ISO 13790, this method does not group layers of the construction envelope, but treats separately each layer of each element of the construction envelope. Accordingly, the new calculation method is based on forming energy balance equations not only for the internal and external boundary surface, but also for each layer of the building element, and their coupled solution for boundary conditions that change on an hourly basis. Due to complexity of this methodology, which in addition to the hourly temperatures of the external air, hourly values of solar irradiance, radiation to the sky, but also the own radiation of all solid surfaces, also takes into account dynamic behavior of all elements of the building's thermal envelope (resistance to heat conduction and heat accumulation of each layer of the envelope), a special software was developed, verification of which, as well as verification of methodology, was performed on the example of determining energy needs of a model object for heating and cooling.

Early Prediction of Bloodstream Infection with Complete Blood Count Parameters: an Ex-Vivo Human Whole Blood Model.

Despite the advanced laboratory technologies available today, blood culture is the gold standard method in the diagnosis of bloodstream infections. Automated blood culture devices give blood culture results for laboratories approximately in 2 - 3 days up to 7 days. Moreover, some microorganisms like nonreproducible bacteria, fungi or viruses cannot be produced in culture. Among all samples taken for blood culture on suspicion of infection approximately 10% are determined as positive whereas the false positive rate due to contamination is 5%. Especially in life-threatening severe conditions such as sepsis early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial. Based on this the aim of this study is to investigate complete blood count parameters as potential early markers in Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans bloodstream infections using an ex vivo whole blood model. Blood samples collected from healthy donors (n = 10) were treated with suspensions containing a certain concentration of microorganisms (107 CFU/mL for both E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 29213, 106 CFU/mL for C. albicans ATCC 14053). After bacteremia and candidemia were induced, complete blood count parameters were analyzed hourly in the samples until the end of the 4th hour with a Mindray BC-6800 hematology analyzer. Statistical analysis was performed by Tukey-Kramer post-hoc multiple comparison test and statistical significance was accepted as p < 0.05. When platelet derived parameter baseline values were compared to hourly values in E. coli and S. aureus induced whole blood samples, it was found that the decrease in PLT, P-LCC and the increase in IPF% was significant from the first hour whereas the increase in IMG% was found to be significant only from the 3rd hour onward. In the experiments with C. albicans, it was observed that the increase in IPF% and IMG% was significant from the 2nd and 3rd hour onward, respectively. There was no relationship between MPV, P-LCR, and NLR baseline and hourly results in any microorganism induced model. IPF% can guide clinicians in the early diagnosis and management of treatment of infections caused by S. aureus, E. coli, and C. albicans.

Reproductive performance of Zebra Fish (Danio rerio) exposed to palm oil mill eflluent in chronic toxicity

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is potentially harmful to the aquatic environment. POME contains high organic material including COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) TTS (Total Suspended Solid) and various type of heavy metals. of zebra fish (Danio rerio). Reproductin has an important role in producing new individuals which directly affect the population. Impaired reproductive performance potentially impairs juvenile production optimization. The present study investigated how sub-chronic toxicity of POME impact the reproductive performance used Completely randomized Design (CRD) in three treatments and four replicates based on value of LC50-96 hours (5.156 ml/l): Control (0 ml/L), treatment A 10% POME (0,5 ml/L), treatment B 20 % POME (1 ml/L). The fecundity, relative fecundity, GSI, and egg diameter were analyzed. Data was analyzed with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and followed with Least Significance Difference (LSD) test. Results showed that fecundity in treatment A (149 ± 38.70) and treatment B (85± 11.35) were significantly decreased compared to the control (219 ± 42.38) (P&lt;0.05). While relative fecundity significantly decreased in treatment B (0.33 ± 0.13) rather than control (0,87 ± 0,14). Significantly decline is also observed on GSI in tretment A (4.79 ± 2.55%) and treatment B (2.55 ± 0.21%) compared to control (6.96 ± 1.70%). While the egg diameter only shows a significantly decline in treatment B (0.57 ± 0.18 mm) compared to control (0.71 ± 0.27 mm).

Performance evaluation of ionospheric models over equatorial Indian region

An extensive year-long evaluation of Total Electron Content (TEC) obtained from NCAR Thermosphere-Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM) simulations along with TEC obtained from International Reference Ionosphere (IRI-2020) is carried out with respect to observations made by a GPS TEC receiver over the dip equatorial location of Thiruvananthapuram (8.5° N, 77° E, 0.5° magnetic), in the Indian region during solar minimum period of 2005–2006. The TIE-GCM model and IRI model were run for the period of 2005 (November December) and till October 2006 for each day, and the hourly values of TEC were compared to GPS TEC observations. Overall the temporal and seasonal characteristics of TEC over Thiruvananthapuram were simulated reasonably well by the TIE-GCM model and IRI model. The skill scores of normalized Root Mean Square Error (nRMSE), Prediction Efficiency (P.E), and Ratio between maximum and minimum values were estimated for both models to evaluate their performance. The mean percentage difference between the measured and the simulated TEC was found to be around −25% for IRI, indicating underestimation of the observations, and between −40% and −50% for TIE-GCM again indicating underestimation. A comprehensive analysis revealed that there is good conformity between the modeled and measured values for the whole observation period, with a correlation coefficient R-value of 0.8 and 0.9 for the TIE-GCM and IRI models respectively. This study brings out the competence of the two models in simulating the temporal and seasonal pattern of variability of ionospheric TEC over the equatorial Indian region.

Simulations of the human heat balance during Mount Everest summit attempts in spring and winter

The majority of research dealing with the impacts of the Himalayan climate on human physiology focuses on low air temperature, high wind speed, and low air pressure and oxygen content, potentially leading to hypothermia and hypoxia. Only a few studies describe the influence of the weather conditions in the Himalayas on the body’s ability to maintain thermal balance. The aim of the present research is to trace the heat exchange between humans and their surroundings during a typical, 6-day summit attempt of Mount Everest in the spring and winter seasons. Additionally, an emergency night outdoors without tent protection is considered. Daily variation of the heat balance components were calculated by the MENEX_HA model using meteorological data collected at automatic weather stations installed during a National Geographic expedition in 2019–2020. The data represent the hourly values of the measured meteorological parameters. The research shows that in spite of extreme environmental conditions in the sub-summit zone of Mount Everest during the spring weather window, it is possible to keep heat equilibrium of the climbers’ body. This can be achieved by the use of appropriate clothing and by regulating activity level. In winter, extreme environmental conditions in the sub-summit zone make it impossible to maintain heat equilibrium and lead to hypothermia. The emergency night in the sub-peak zone leads to gradual cooling of the body which in winter can cause severe hypothermia of the climber’s body. At altitudes < 7000 m, climbers should consider using clothing that allows variation of insulation and active regulation of their fit around the body.

Comparison of typical meteorological year generation methods for building energy simulation in marine climate of China

The unique marine climate can affect the applicability of typical meteorological year (TMY) methods, which has not been adequately discussed in previous research. Based on meteorological data of five islands of Dongsha, Xisha, Nansha, Meiji, and Yongshu in China, this study selected their respective TMY using four methods including CTYW, Danish, Festa-Ratto and Sandia. Then, the suitability of various methods in marine climate, low-latitude sea area, was evaluated through the deviation between TMY data and measured data, as well as the precision of the building energy loads. The conclusions indicate that TMY chosen through CTYW method exhibits the lowest deviations in predicting the monthly mean value of meteorological elements with an average NRMSE value of 2.98%, and the hourly value with a cumulative Filkenstein-Schafer (FS) value of 20.8. It was followed by Sandia method with NRMSE of 3.44% and FS of 21.7. Compared with the mean building energy loads calculated using long-term measured data, the result calculated based on TMY chosen through CTYW exhibits the lowest error rate, followed by Sandia method, with the average NRMSE values of 2.06% and 2.48%, respectively. In summary, the TMY chosen by CTYW has a reliable representativeness in long-term climate characterization and energy loads simulation for low-latitude sea areas of China.

Results of the testing of an automated control system and the application of natural gas burners

Purpose. Testing an automated control system to improve the accuracy of calculating natural gas costs in coalfields and provide reliable information to suppliers and consumers regarding mutual settlements. Research methods. The conditions of operation of the mine degassing system and the methods of monitoring its operational indicators for effective management of the technical condition of the object in the real conditions of the mine environment are considered. Approaches to continuous monitoring of well parameters using structural modules of the ACS of the DSH have been determined. Findings. The DSH ACS module was implemented in the real conditions of the mine environment, which made it possible to carry out automatic monitoring of the methane-air mixture, measurement and preparation for issuing to the operational personnel the current values of pressure drops on the diaphragms, absolute pressure, temperature and volume flow of gas. Originality. A new method of increasing the accuracy of commercial accounting of natural gas of coal deposits has been developed, which consists in constant monitoring of the technical condition of the degassing system and automated accounting of natural gas based on the «DIYA» measuring complex. The average hourly values of gas mass flow were obtained, as well as the difference between the data of the channel of the operating ASUTP KS and the channel of the "Ergomera"-126.MU controller in the complex with the "DIYA" operator station. Practical implications. A mine experiment was conducted on monitoring and control of mine degassing gas pipelines using innovative technical solutions for the rapid and systematic delivery of information about the parameters of the mine degassing system to the dispatch service. The structure, principle of operation, methodology for calculating the consumption of natural gases and coal field gases were developed, and industrial tests of an experimental sample of the ACS of the DSH were carried out with automatic entry of results into electronic reporting journals.