Immune function differs among tropical environments but is not downregulated during reproduction in three year-round breeding equatorial lark populations

Seasonal variation in immune function can be attributed to life history trade-offs, and to variation in environmental conditions. However, because phenological stages and environmental conditions co-vary in temperate and arctic zones, their separate contributions have not been determined. We compared immune function and body mass of incubating (female only), chick-feeding (female and male), and non-breeding (female and male) red-capped larks Calandrella cinerea breeding year-round in three tropical equatorial (Kenya) environments with distinct climates. We measured four immune indices: haptoglobin, nitric oxide, agglutination, and lysis. To confirm that variation in immune function between breeding (i.e., incubating or chick-feeding) and non-breeding was not confounded by environmental conditions, we tested if rainfall, average minimum temperature (Tmin), and average maximum temperature (Tmax) differed during sampling times among the three breeding statuses per location. Tmin and Tmax differed between chick-feeding and non-breeding, suggesting that birds utilized environmental conditions differently in different locations for reproduction. Immune indices did not differ between incubating, chick-feeding and non-breeding birds in all three locations. There were two exceptions: nitric oxide was higher during incubation in cool and wet South Kinangop, and it was higher during chick-feeding in the cool and dry North Kinangop compared to non-breeding birds in these locations. For nitric oxide, agglutination, and lysis, we found among-location differences within breeding stage. In equatorial tropical birds, variation in immune function seems to be better explained by among-location climate-induced environmental conditions than by breeding status. Our findings raise questions about how within-location environmental variation relates to and affects immune function.

EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE ON INCIDENCE OF PREECLAMPSIA AND ECLAMPSIA

Background:Preeclampsia and eclampsia continue to be the one of leading causes of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity worldwide. As global warming has become major concern all over the world ,there is need of studies to know its impact on womens health. Aim of this study is To observe the effect of environmental temperature on incidence of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Methods and Material: This is a comparitive study to know the effect of hot and cold months on incidence of preeclampsia and eclampsia , conducted in department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at a tertiary health centre . All the patients admitted in Labor room emergency were included in the study, making total number of 33,267 admissions in 47 months. All records of the patients admitted were reviewed. All the data were arranged month wise on Microsoft excel 2010∙Ink , and calculations were done on this spread sheet. Months were divided into two groups : Hot weather group[ N = 11] comprising of months with average maximum temperature >30ºC and Cold weather group[N=9] comprising of months with average maximum temperature ≤ 18ºC. Temperature range for Hot and Cold weather were in accordance with WHO. Statistical analysis used: Statistic tests used were Chi-square. Results: Of total admissions incidence of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia cases was 2.8%(927/33267).There was no significant effect of hot weather on incidence of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia cases (p > 0.05) while significant effect of cold weather was seen leading to increased incidence of pre-eclapmsia and eclampsia cases (p <0.05). Conclusions: Trend of global warming warrants the need to study the effect of environmental changes on maternal health on large scale.

Time-series forecasting models

Statistical and mathematical models of forecasting are of paramount importance for the understanding and study of databases, especially when applied to data of climatological variables, which enables the atmospheric study of a city or region, enabling greater management of the anthropic activities and actions that suffer the direct or indirect influence of meteorological parameters, such as precipitation and temperature. Therefore, this article aimed to analyze the behavior of monthly time series of Average Minimum Temperature, Average Maximum Temperature, Average Compensated Temperature, and Total Precipitation in Belém (Pará, Brazil) on data provided by INMET, for the production and application forecasting models. A 30-year time series was considered for the four variables, from January 1990 to December 2020. The Box and Jenkins methodology was used to determine the statistical models, and during their applications, models of the SARIMA and Holt-Winters class were estimated. For the selection of the models, analyzes of the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), Autocorrelation Correlogram (ACF), and Partial Autocorrelation (PACF) and tests such as Ljung-Box and Shapiro-Wilk were performed, in addition to Mean Square Error (NDE) and Absolute Percent Error Mean (MPAE) to find the best accuracy in the predictions. It was possible to find three SARIMA models: (0,1,2) (1,1,0) [12], (1,1,1) (0,0,1) [12], (0,1,2) (1,1,0) [12]; and a Holt-Winters model with additive seasonality. Thus, we found forecasts close to the real data for the four-time series worked from the SARIMA and Holt-Winters models, which indicates the feasibility of its applicability in the study of weather forecasting in the city of Belém. However, it is necessary to apply other possible statistical models, which may present more accurate forecasts.

Measuring Crop Productivity Index of Agro Ecological Zones of Punjab and Its Relationship with Climate Factors

measure of crop productivity index and test its validity for climate variables in agricultural ecological zones (AEZs) of Punjab province. Our study followed the FAO’s definition of AEZs in this regard. Crop productivity index is developed with the application of principal component analysis, including major crops like Maize, Sugarcane, Rice, Jowar, Cotton and Wheat. The data on crops from the year 1981-2018, are used. To develop productivity indices on AEZs with same ecological conditions is one of novel features of the present study. Study reveals diverse empirical results. The zones 2, 4 and 6 are ranked as highest productive areas. These zones include D.G. Khan, Rahimyar Khan, Multan and Muzaffargarh areas. The empirical findings confirm the validity and stability of this new construct. Among the climate factors, average maximum temperature plays a significant role for productivity.

ANNUAL AND SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE EXTREMES AND RAINFALL IN BANGLADESH, 1989–2018

Based on temperature and rainfall recorded at 34 meteorological stations in Bangladesh during 1989–2018, the trends of yearly average maximum and minimum temperatures have been found to be increasing at the rates of 0.025∘C and 0.018∘C per year. Analysis of seasonal average maximum temperature showed increasing trend for all seasons except the late autumn season. The increasing trend was particularly significant for summer, rainy and autumn seasons. Seasonal average minimum temperature data also showed increasing trends for all seasons. The trend of yearly average rainfall has been found to be decreasing at a rate of 0.014[Formula: see text]mm per year in the same period; especially, for most of the meteorological stations the rainfall demonstrates an increasing trend for rainy season and a decreasing trend in the winter season. It means that in Bangladesh dry periods became drier and wet periods became wetter.

Walking is regulated by environmental temperature

The mechanisms that regulate human walking are not fully understood, although there has been substantial research. In our study, we hypothesized that, although walking can be volitionally modified, it is also involuntary and controlled by evolutionary factors, such as the relationship between temperature and movement speed in poikilotherms. This study aimed to determine the effects of environmental temperature on speed, step length, and cadence during unrestrained walking over long periods. Customers of a private insurance company were asked to use a background smartphone GPS application that measured walking parameters. Participants were 1065 app users (298 men and 767 women) aged 14–86 years. Observed walking speed and cadence were higher in winter (average maximum temperature: 10.2 °C) than in summer (average maximum temperature: 29.8 °C) (p < 0.001). The walking parameters were closely related to environmental temperature, with cadence most strongly correlated with daily maximum temperature (r = − 0.812, p < 0.001) and indicating a curvilinear relationship. A decrease in environmental temperature was found to increase cadence when the temperature was below 30 °C. The findings suggest that walking may be regulated by environmental temperature and potentially by the autonomic nervous system’s response to environmental temperature.

Coexistence without conflict, the recovery of Ireland’s endangered wild grey partridge Perdix perdix

By 1995, Ireland’s wild grey partridge (Perdix perdix) was extinct nationally as a breeding species on farmland. The two populations remaining were confined to Ireland’s industrial cutaway peat bogs. One of these populations was deemed viable. In 1996, the National Parks and Wildlife Service of Ireland and the Irish Grey Partridge Conservation Trust established a conservation project to prevent the extirpation of this population. In this paper, we explore the impact of each management factor on two key demographic response variables: chick survival rates and the number of breeding pairs. The numbers of linear metres of nesting strips had the most significantly positive effect on spring pairs, followed by the total number of supplementary food hoppers and the total hectares of brood-rearing and over-winter cover. Counterintuitively, encounters with Hen Harriers (Circus cyaneus) did not negatively affect chick survival or the number of spring pairs. While we cannot rule out the contribution of each explanatory variable, none had a statistically significant effect on chick survival, suggesting there may be locally confounding factors that our model could not capture. The weather conditions during the peak hatching period had a significant influence on chick survival, with the average maximum temperature observed in June having the strongest positive association with an increase of 1 °C in the average maximum temperature in June associated with an increase in chick survival of 9.4% on average. Conversely, for every additional 1 mm of rain in June, there was a 0.23% drop in chick survival on average.

Influence of Climate Warming on Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Phenology in Conditions of Central Europe (Slovakia)

The impact of warming on the phenology of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) in conditions of central Europe was evaluated at the locality of Dolné Plachtince in the Slovakian wine region. In Welschriesling and Pinot Blanc model varieties, the onset of phenophases as defined in the BBCH scale over the period of 1985 to 2018 was observed. Based on the data obtained, the influence of the average and average maximum temperature and GDD on the onset of phenophases was evaluated. The results observed indicate earlier budburst by five to seven days, earlier beginning of flowering by 7 to 10 days, earlier berry softening by 18 days, and harvest dates advanced by 8 to 10 days on average. In both varieties, the highest influence of the average monthly temperature in March on budburst, the highest influence of the average monthly temperature and the average maximum temperature in May on the beginning of flowering, and the highest statistically significant influence of the average maximum temperature in June on the softening of berries was found. Warming observed in moderate climate conditions of northern wine regions in central Europe (Slovakia) has not yet caused changes in the grapevine phenology stable enough to require serious adaptation measures.

Influence of Climate Warming on Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Phenology in Conditions of Central Europe (Slovakia)

The impact of warming on the phenology of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) in conditions of Central Europe was evaluated at the locality of Doln&eacute; Plachtince in the Slovakian wine region. In Welschriesling and Pinot Blanc model varieties there was observed onset of phenophases as defined in BBCH scale over 1985&ndash;2018 period. Based on the data obtained there was evaluated the influence of average and average maximum temperature and GDD on the onset of phenophases. The results observed indicate earlier budburst by 5&ndash;7 days, earlier beginning of flowering by 7&ndash;10 days, and earlier berry softening by 18 days, and harvest dates advanced by 8&ndash;10 days on average. In both varieties there was found the highest influence of the average monthly temperature in March on budburst, the highest influence of the average monthly temperature and the average maximum temperature in May on the beginning of flowering, and the highest, statistically significant influence of the average maximum temperature in June on grape veraison. The warming observed in moderate climate conditions of northern wine regions in Central Europe (Slovakia) has not caused yet the changes in the grapevine phenology stable enough to require serious adaptation measures.

Influence of Climate Warming on Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Phenology in Conditions of Central Europe (Slovakia)

The impact of warming on the phenology of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) in conditions of Central Europe was evaluated at the locality of Doln&eacute; Plachtince in the Slovakian wine region. In Welschriesling and Pinot Blanc model varieties there was observed onset of phenophases as defined in BBCH scale over 1985&ndash;2018 period. Based on the data obtained there was evaluated the influence of average and average maximum temperature and GDD on the onset of phenophases. The results observed indicate earlier budburst by 5&ndash;7 days, earlier beginning of flowering by 7&ndash;10 days, and earlier berry softening by 18 days, and harvest dates advanced by 8&ndash;10 days on average. In both varieties there was found the highest influence of the average monthly temperature in March on budburst, the highest influence of the average monthly temperature and the average maximum temperature in May on the beginning of flowering, and the highest, statistically significant influence of the average maximum temperature in June on grape veraison. The warming observed in moderate climate conditions of northern wine regions in Central Europe (Slovakia) has not caused yet the changes in the grapevine phenology stable enough to require serious adaptation measures.