Bilateral tinea nigra in a temperate climate

Studies and experimental data on the microstructure of the surface of samples of epoxy сarbon-fiber-reinforced plastics that have undergone long-term (up to 5 years) climatic aging in different climatic zones of Russia have been conducted: under conditions of the industrial zone of temperate climate (Moscow, MTsKI); temperate warm climate (Gelendzhik, GTsKI); a warm humid climate (Sochi, GNIP RAS). It is established that the determining factor for aging of carbon plastics is the duration of the complex effect of climatic factors: the longer the period of climatic aging, the more significant changes occur in the microstructure of the surface of the materials. The intensity of the aging process and the degree of microstructural changes in the surface of carbon plastics are affected by the features of the climatic zone. general regularities and features of the destruction of the surface of carbon plastics after a long-term exposure to climatic factors have been established on the basis of the analysis and systematization of the results of microstructural studies.

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Including Urban Heat Island in Bioclimatic Early-Design Phases: A Simplified Methodology and Sample Applications

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13115918 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 5918

Author(s):

Giacomo Chiesa ◽

Yingyue Li

Keyword(s):

Urban Heat Island ◽

Urban Climate ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Heat Island ◽

Climate Data ◽

Degree Days ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Early Design ◽

Correct Definition ◽

Urban Heat

Urban heat island and urban-driven climate variations are recognized issues and may considerably affect the local climatic potential of free-running technologies. Nevertheless, green design and bioclimatic early-design analyses are generally based on typical rural climate data, without including urban effects. This paper aims to define a simple approach to considering urban shapes and expected effects on local bioclimatic potential indicators to support early-design choices. Furthermore, the proposed approach is based on simplifying urban shapes to simplify analyses in early-design phases. The proposed approach was applied to a sample location (Turin, temperate climate) and five other climate conditions representative of Eurasian climates. The results show that the inclusion of the urban climate dimension considerably reduced rural HDD (heating degree-days) from 10% to 30% and increased CDD (cooling degree-days) from 70% to 95%. The results reveal the importance of including the urban climate dimension in early-design phases, such as building programming in which specific design actions are not yet defined, to support the correct definition of early-design bioclimatic analyses.

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The Effect of the Thermal Mass of the Building Envelope on Summer Overheating of Dwellings in a Temperate Climate

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14144117 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (14) ◽

pp. 4117

Author(s):

Tadeusz Kuczyński ◽

Anna Staszczuk ◽

Piotr Ziembicki ◽

Anna Paluszak

Keyword(s):

Building Materials ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Building Envelope ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Maximum Temperature ◽

Thermal Mass ◽

Occupant Behavior ◽

Average Maximum ◽

Night Ventilation

The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of increasing the thermal capacity of a residential building by using traditional building materials to reduce the risk of its excessive overheating during intense heat waves in a temperate climate. An additional objective is to show that the use of this single passive measure significantly reduces the risk of overheating in daytime rooms, but also, though to a much lesser extent, in bedrooms. Increasing the thermal mass of the room from light to a medium heavy reduced the average maximum daily temperature by 2.2K during the first heat wave and by 2.6K during the other two heat waves. The use of very heavy construction further reduced the average maximum temperature for the heat waves analyzed by 1.4K, 1.2K and 1.7K, respectively, giving a total possible reduction in maximum daily temperatures in the range of 3.6 °C, 3.8 °C and 4.3 °C. A discussion of the influence of occupant behavior on the use of night ventilation and external blinds was carried out, finding a significant effect on the effectiveness of the use of both methods. The results of the study suggest that in temperate European countries, preserving residential construction methods with heavy envelopes and partitions could significantly reduce the risk of overheating in residential buildings over the next few decades, without the need for night ventilation or external blinds, whose effectiveness is highly dependent on individual occupant behavior.

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Biochar Improves Maize Growth but Has a Limited Effect on Soil Properties: Evidence from a Three-Year Field Experiment

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13073617 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 3617

Author(s):

Agnieszka Medyńska-Juraszek ◽

Agnieszka Latawiec ◽

Jolanta Królczyk ◽

Adam Bogacz ◽

Dorota Kawałko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Temperature ◽

Field Experiment ◽

Soil Properties ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Maize Growth ◽

Chemical Soil ◽

Physical And Chemical

Biochar application is reported as a method for improving physical and chemical soil properties, with a still questionable impact on the crop yields and quality. Plant productivity can be affected by biochar properties and soil conditions. High efficiency of biochar application was reported many times for plant cultivation in tropical and arid climates; however, the knowledge of how the biochar affects soils in temperate climate zones exhibiting different properties is still limited. Therefore, a three-year-long field experiment was conducted on a loamy Haplic Luvisol, a common arable soil in Central Europe, to extend the laboratory-scale experiments on biochar effectiveness. A low-temperature pinewood biochar was applied at the rate of 50 t h−1, and maize was selected as a tested crop. Biochar application did not significantly impact the chemical soil properties and fertility of tested soil. However, biochar improved soil physical properties and water retention, reducing plant water stress during hot dry summers, and thus resulting in better maize growth and higher yields. Limited influence of the low-temperature biochar on soil properties suggests the crucial importance of biochar-production technology and biochar properties on the effectiveness and validity of its application in agriculture.

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Shifts in soil and plant functional diversity along an altitudinal gradient in the French Alps

BMC Research Notes ◽

10.1186/s13104-021-05468-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alexia Stokes ◽

Guillermo Angeles ◽

Fabien Anthelme ◽

Eduardo Aranda-Delgado ◽

Isabelle Barois ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Community ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Biophysical Properties ◽

Tropical Zone ◽

Soil Microbial

Abstract Objectives Altitude integrates changes in environmental conditions that determine shifts in vegetation, including temperature, precipitation, solar radiation and edaphogenetic processes. In turn, vegetation alters soil biophysical properties through litter input, root growth, microbial and macrofaunal interactions. The belowground traits of plant communities modify soil processes in different ways, but it is not known how root traits influence soil biota at the community level. We collected data to investigate how elevation affects belowground community traits and soil microbial and faunal communities. This dataset comprises data from a temperate climate in France and a twin study was performed in a tropical zone in Mexico. Data description The paper describes soil physical and chemical properties, climatic variables, plant community composition and species abundance, plant community traits, soil microbial functional diversity and macrofaunal abundance and diversity. Data are provided for six elevations (1400–2400 m) ranging from montane forest to alpine prairie. We focused on soil biophysical properties beneath three dominant plant species that structure local vegetation. These data are useful for understanding how shifts in vegetation communities affect belowground processes, such as water infiltration, soil aggregation and carbon storage. Data will also help researchers understand how plant communities adjust to a changing climate/environment.

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Molecular characterization of Polychromophilus parasites of Scotophilus kuhlii bats in Thailand

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s003118202000222x ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Chatree Chumnandee ◽

Nawarat Pha-obnga ◽

Oskar Werb ◽

Kai Matuschewski ◽

Juliane Schaer

Keyword(s):

Blood Cells ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Diverse Group ◽

Malaria Parasites ◽

Climate Zones ◽

Haemosporidian Parasites ◽

South And Southeast Asia ◽

Molecular Investigation

Abstract Parasites of the haemosporidian genus Polychromophilus have exclusively been described in bats. These parasites belong to the diverse group of malaria parasites, and Polychromophilus presents the only haemosporidian taxon that infects mammalian hosts in tropical as well as in temperate climate zones. This study provides the first information of Polychromophilus parasites in the lesser Asiatic yellow bat (Scotophilus kuhlii) in Thailand, a common vespertilionid bat species distributed in South and Southeast Asia. The gametocyte blood stages of the parasites could not be assigned to a described morphospecies and molecular analysis revealed that these parasites might represent a distinct Polychromophilus species. In contrast to Plasmodium species, Polychromophilus parasites do not multiply in red blood cells and, thus, do not cause the clinical symptoms of malaria. Parasitological and molecular investigation of haemosporidian parasites of wildlife, such as the neglected genus Polychromophilus, will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of malaria parasites.

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Influenza vaccine failure in the tropics: a retrospective cohort study of waning effectiveness

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268820002952 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 148 ◽

Author(s):

B. E. Young ◽

T. M. Mak ◽

L. W. Ang ◽

S. Sadarangani ◽

H. J. Ho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Influenza Virus ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Influenza Vaccine ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Influenza Infection ◽

Winter Season ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Vaccine Failure ◽

Virus Activity

Abstract Influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) wanes over the course of a temperate climate winter season but little data are available from tropical countries with year-round influenza virus activity. In Singapore, a retrospective cohort study of adults vaccinated from 2013 to 2017 was conducted. Influenza vaccine failure was defined as hospital admission with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed influenza infection 2–49 weeks after vaccination. Relative VE was calculated by splitting the follow-up period into 8-week episodes (Lexis expansion) and the odds of influenza infection in the first 8-week period after vaccination (weeks 2–9) compared with subsequent 8-week periods using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for patient factors and influenza virus activity. Records of 19 298 influenza vaccinations were analysed with 617 (3.2%) influenza infections. Relative VE was stable for the first 26 weeks post-vaccination, but then declined for all three influenza types/subtypes to 69% at weeks 42–49 (95% confidence interval (CI) 52–92%, P = 0.011). VE declined fastest in older adults, in individuals with chronic pulmonary disease and in those who had been previously vaccinated within the last 2 years. Vaccine failure was significantly associated with a change in recommended vaccine strains between vaccination and observation period (adjusted odds ratio 1.26, 95% CI 1.06–1.50, P = 0.010).

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