Temporal dynamics of contaminants in an estuarine system affected by acid mine drainage discharges.

The estuary of Huelva is constituted by the common mouth of the Odiel and Tinto rivers, which are extreme cases of acid mine drainage contamination due to the Iberian Pyrite Belt, the world's largest sulfide mineral province. The drained acidic waters are subjected to seawater mixing and thus, to dilution and precipitation processes that drive the load of contaminants entering the oceanic environment. This research reports the distribution of major metal(loid)s present in the highly acidic waters across the entire Tinto and Odiel estuarine systems as they are subjected to acid mine drainage neutralization, until reaching the ocean. The datasets presented are divided in low- and high-flow periods, corresponding to dry/warm and wet/cold seasons, respectively. Iron and Al were almost entirely removed from solution with pH increase at both periods due to their precipitation as schwertmannite and basaluminite, respectively. These mineral phases also, controlled the behavior of As, Cu and Pb, which were removed from solution, with >90 % of their concentration ending up in the particulate phase due to sorption processes. However, at pH >7, As returned entirely to the dissolved phase at both sampled seasons because of desorption, similarly to Cu at the low-flow period. On the other hand, concentrations of Zn, Cd, Mn, Co and Ni in solution decreased only by dilution with seawater, with null partitioning to any sorption processes during estuarine mixing until reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

Effects of forest age and season on soil microbial communities in Chinese fir plantations.

Understanding changes in the distribution patterns and diversity of soil microbial communities from the perspectives of age-related changes, seasonal variations, and the interaction between the two factors can facilitate the management of plantations. In Chinese fir plantations, we collected soils from different depths in over-mature forests, mature forests, near-mature forests, middle-aged forests, and young forests in summer, autumn, and winter in China's subtropical regions. As the forests developed, bacterial and fungal communities' diversity changed, reached a minimum value at near-mature forests, and then increased in mature forests or over-mature forests. Near-mature forests had the lowest topological properties. The Shannon index of microbial communities varied with seasonal changes (P < 0.05). Bacterial and fungal community composition at genus level was more closely related to temperature indicators (including daily average temperature, daily maximum temperature, and daily minimum temperature) (P < 0.01, 0.5554 < R2 <0.8185) than daily average precipitation (P > 0.05, 0.0321 < R2 <0.6773). Bacteria were clustered by season and fungi were clustered by forest age. We suggested that extending the tree cultivation time of plantations could promote microbial community recovery. In addition, we found some species worthy of attention, including Bacteroidetes in autumn in over-mature forests, and Firmicutes in summer in young forests.IMPORTANCEChinese fir [Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook] is an important fast-growing species with the largest artificial forest area in China, with the outstanding problems of low quality in soil. Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in soil fertility by decomposing organic matter, optimizing soil structure, and releasing essential nutrients for plant growth. In order to maintain healthy soil quality and prevent nutrient depletion and land degradation, it is crucial to understand the changes of soil microbial composition and diversity. Our study determined to reveal the change of soil microbial community from stand age, season, and the interaction between the two aspects, which is helpful to understand how interannual changes in different years and seasonal changes in one year affect soil fertility restoration and sustainable forest plantation management. It is a meaningful exploration of soil microbial communities and provides new information for further research.

"Seasonal Dynamics in Burn Profiles: A Comprehensive Analysis at the Burn Care Centre, Islamabad."

Seasons have a major impact on the frequency and characteristics of burn injuries; in warmer months, thermal burns from outdoor activities are more common, while in cooler months, incidents involving heating sources and fires are more common. It is essential to comprehend these trends in order to customise safety precautions and awareness initiatives. Studies on the impact of seasonal variations help burn centres allocate resources more effectively in order to prepare for variations in patient volume and severity. Data from January 2016 to December 2022, with an emphasis on burn types excluding non-burn cases, were analysed retrospectively over a seven-year period at the Burn Care Centre in PIMS, Islamabad. The research examined hospital stays, demographics, burn causes, admissions, total burned surface area, and death rates while dividing the years into winter and summer seasons for analysis. With 4,014 admitted patients, the study found that winter admissions increased by 11.007%, with winter admissions accounting for 55.503% of all admissions and summer admissions for 44.496%. The gender distribution stayed the same, with 54.59% of the population being male and 45.99% being female. Hospital stays were longer for summer admissions (16.428) than for winter admissions (11.285). Summertime saw a rise in electric burn cases (307 cases), with a 43 case fatality rate. With 1699 cases, flame burns predominated in the epidemiology of burns, followed by scald burns with 1384 cases. In conclusion, seasonal differences have a substantial impact on burn profiles, with winter seeing a marked rise in occurrences. Men are also more likely to sustain electric burns, particularly in the summer. Effective management and prevention techniques depend on an understanding of these patterns.

Land-use intensification exerts a greater influence on soil microbial communities than seasonal variations in the Taihu Lake region, China.

The Taihu Lake region has undergone intensive land-use conversions from natural wetlands (NW) to conventional rice-wheat rotation fields (RW) and further to greenhouse vegetable fields (GH). Nevertheless, the effects of these conversions on soil microbes, particularly in wetland ecosystem, are not well explicit. To explore the impact of land-use intensification on soil microbial communities, monthly soil samples were obtained from replicate plots representing three land-use types (NW, RW, and GH) in subtropical wetlands and then subjected to amplicon sequencing. Land-use intensification had direct effects on bacterial and fungal community composition, with a more pronounced impact on bacteria than on fungi. These changes in bacterial communities were closely correlated with variations in soil environmental variables, such as NO3--N, pH, and electrical conductivity. Land-use intensification led to a decrease in bacterial deterministic processes, with an opposing trend observed in the fungal community. In addition, arable lands (RW and GH), which are affected by anthropogenic activities, exhibited more complex networks. Potential metabolic functional groups in GH had higher absolute abundance. Seasonal variations significantly influenced microbial diversity, composition, and potential metabolic functional groups within each land-use type, particularly in summer, although the magnitude of this impact was much smaller than the impact of land-use intensification. Our findings emphasize the importance of comprehending the ecological consequences of land-use intensification in wetlands for sustainable resource management and biodiversity conservation.

Seasonal variation of serum potassium in hemodialysis patients: myth or reality? A narrative review of literature.

Research has shown that patients undergoing hemodialysis experience seasonal variations in their serum potassium levels. There was inconsistent seasonal fluctuation in serum potassium levels among the hemodialysis population across different locations. In the form of narrative review for the first time, the article discusses the seasonal changes of serum potassium in this population and its potential reasons, this article demonstrates that it is primarily attributable to seasonal dietary potassium intake. However, existing studies have not quantified seasonal dietary potassium intake, so the results are still speculative. Furthermore, future research ought to further expound upon the clinical implications of seasonal variations in serum potassium levels among dialysis patients, as well as other influencing mechanisms such as the pathophysiological causes of these seasonal changes, particularly those pertaining to dietary, geographical, and regional factors. These findings contribute to a more thorough interpretation of laboratory results in hemodialysis patients and provide important guidance for their individualized dietary management.

Seasonal isotopic and isotopomeric signatures of nitrous oxide produced microbially in a eutrophic estuary.

Anthropogenic input of excess nutrients stimulates massive nitrous oxide (N2O) production in estuaries with distinct seasonal variations. Here, nitrogen isotopic and isotopomeric signatures were utilized to investigate the seasonal dynamics of N2O production and nitrification at the middle reach of the eutrophic Pearl River Estuary in the south of China. Elevated N2O production primarily via ammonia oxidation (> 1 nM-N d-1) occurred from April to November, along with increased temperature and decreased dissolved oxygen concentration. This consistently oxygenated water column showed active denitrification, contributing 20-40 % to N2O production. The water column microbial N2O production generally constituted a minor fraction (10-15 %) of the estuarine water-air interface efflux, suggesting that upstream transport and tidal dilution regulated the dissolved N2O inventory in the middle reach of the estuary. Nitrification (up to 3000 nM-N d-1) played a critical role in bioavailable nitrogen conversion and N2O production, albeit with N2O yields below 0.05 %.

Seasonal variations of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in atmospheric deposition, and their contribution to soil loading.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are ubiquitous in surface soil, and atmospheric deposition is considered to be the major pollution source. However, the research on the environmental transport behaviors of OPEs between atmospheric deposition and soil is very limited. In this study, we investigated the contamination levels and seasonal variations of OPEs in atmospheric deposition samples (n = 33) collected from an area of South China every month between February 2021 and January 2022, and evaluated the contribution of OPEs in atmospheric deposition to soil. The concentrations of ∑21target-OPEs ranged from 3670 to 18,600 ng/g dry weight (dw), with a mean of 8200 ng/g dw (median: 7600 ng/g dw). ∑21target-OPEs concentrations in all atmospheric deposition samples exhibited significant seasonal differences (p < 0.05) with higher concentrations observed in winter and lower concentrations in summer. Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate (TDTBPP) was the most dominant target OPE in atmospheric deposition (4870 ng/g dw), and its seasonal variation trend was consistent with ∑21OPEs (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, in order to further explore the effect of atmospheric deposition on the levels of OPEs in soil of the study region, input fluxes and accumulation increments were estimated. Ten OPEs (including seven target OPEs and three suspect OPEs) exhibited high input flux means and accumulation increments, indicating that these compounds are prone to accumulate in soil via atmospheric deposition. It is noteworthy that the non-target phosphonate analyte bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) dibutyl ethane-1,2-diylbis(phosphonate) (BDTBPDEDBP) was detected at highest median concentration (8960 ng/g dw) in atmospheric deposition. Correspondingly, the average input flux and accumulation increment of BDTBPDEDBP were higher than those of all target and suspect OPEs. Collectively, this study quantifies the environmental transport behavior of OPEs between atmospheric deposition and soil, and provides new evidences for the fact that atmospheric deposition is the important pollution source of OPEs in soil.

Seasonal dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements in a subtropical coastal ecosystem: Implications for environmental health risks.

Antibiotic resistance poses a considerable global public health concern, leading to heightened rates of illness and mortality. However, the impact of seasonal variations and environmental factors on the health risks associated with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their assembly mechanisms is not fully understood. Based on metagenomic sequencing, this study investigated the antibiotic resistome, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and microbiomes in a subtropical coastal ecosystem of the Beibu Gulf, China, over autumn and winter, and explored the factors influencing seasonal changes in ARG and MGE abundance and diversity. Results indicated that ARG abundance and diversity were higher in winter than in autumn, with beta-lactam and multidrug resistance genes being the most diverse and abundant, respectively. Similarly, MGE abundance and diversity increased in winter and were strongly correlated with ARGs. In contrast, more pronounced associations between microbial communities, especially archaea, and the antibiotic resistome were observed in autumn than in winter. The co-occurrence network identified multiple interactions between MGEs and various multidrug efflux pumps in winter, suggesting a potential for ARG dissemination. Multivariate correlation analyses and path modeling indicated that environmental factors driving microbial community changes predominantly influenced antibiotic resistome assembly in autumn, while the relative importance of MGEs increased significantly in winter. These findings suggest an elevated health risk associated with antimicrobial resistance in the Beibu Gulf during winter, attributed to the dissemination of ARGs by horizontal gene transfer. The observed seasonal variations highlight the dynamic nature of antibiotic resistance dissemination in coastal ecosystems, emphasizing the need for comprehensive surveillance and management measures to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance in vulnerable environments.

Evaluation of water quality and trophic status in relation to seasonal water mixing in a highland Lake Ardibo, Ethiopia.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the spatio-temporal variability of various physical and chemical parameters of water quality and to determine the trophic state of Lake Ardibo. Water samples were collected from October 2020 to September 2021 at three sampling stations in four different seasons. A total of 14 physico-chemical parameters, such as water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity, turbidity, alkalinity, Secchi-depth, nitrate, ammonia, silicon dioxide, soluble reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus, chloride, and fluoride were measured using standard methods. The results demonstrated that temporal variation existed throughout the study period. Except for turbidity, the water quality of the lake varied significantly within the four seasons (ANOVA, p < 0.05). DO levels decreased significantly during the dry season following water mixing events. Chlorophyll-a measurements showed significant seasonal differences ranging from 0.58 µg L-1 in the main-rainy season to 8.44 µg L-1 in the post-rainy period, indicating moderate algal biomass production. The overall category of Lake Ardibo was found to be under a mesotrophic state with medium biological productivity. A holistic lake basin approach management is suggested to maintain water quality and ecological processes and to improve the lake ecosystem services.

Seasonal variations and sources of atmospheric EPFRs in a megacity in severe cold region: Implications for the influence of strong coal and biomass combustion.

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) can pose exposure risks by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species. As a new class of pollutants, EPFRs have been frequently detected in atmospheric particulate matters. In this study, the seasonal variations and sources of EPFRs in a severe cold region in Northeastern China were comprehensively investigated, especially for the high pollution events. The geomean concentration of EPFRs in the total suspended particle was 6.58 × 1013 spins/m3 and the mean level in winter was one order of magnitude higher than summer and autumn. The correlation network analysis showed that EPFRs had significantly positive correlation with carbon component, K+ and PAHs, indicating that EPFRs were primarily emitted from combustion and pyrolysis process. The source appointment by the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model indicated that the dominant sources in the heating season were coal combustion (48.4%), vehicle emission (23.1%) and biomass burning (19.4%), while the top three sources in the non-heating season were others (41.4%), coal combustion (23.7%) and vehicle emissions (21.2%). It was found that the high EPFRs in cold season can be ascribed to the extensive use of fossil fuel for heating demand; while the high EPFRs occurred in early spring were caused by the large-scale opening combustion of biomass. In summary, this study provided important basic information for better understanding the pollution characteristics of EPFRs, which suggested that the implementation of energy transformation and straw utilization was benefit for the control of EPFRs in severe cold region.

Rising Incidence of Acute Epiglottitis in Eastern China: An Eight-Year Retrospective Study and Its Association with the 24 Solar Terms.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of acute epiglottitis (AE) patients in East China and examine the correlation between the incidence of AE and the 24 solar terms (24 STs). Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted on patients diagnosed with AE between January 2014 and December 2021 at a single-center medical institution in East China. The clinical characteristics of patients with AE and their correlation with the 24 STs were investigated. Results: A total of 287 patients with AE were included in this study, among which there were 179 males (62.37%) and 108 females (37.63%), with a mean age of 47.79 ± 13.83 years (range 16-87 years). Of these patients, 100 (34.84%) had at least one comorbidity and the most common comorbidities were hypertension, smoking and type 2 diabetes. The duration of hospitalization was 3 days (IQR, 1-16 days). All patients, except for one who required tracheal intubation, were cured with intravenous antibiotic administration and the combined use of corticosteroids. The incidence of AE showed significant fluctuations between the 24 STs and the highest number of cases occurred during the Summer solstice (24 cases, 8.36%). Conclusion: The incidence of AE was seen to increase annually in this study. The main features of AE are sore throat, dysphagia, odynophagia and fever, which may be accompanied by inflammation in surrounding areas. A clear correlation exists between the incidence of AE and the fluctuations within the 24 STs, notably with the peak incidence observed during the Summer solstice, which approximately corresponds to June 21 to July 7 in the Gregorian calendar.

Differential responses of temperature sensitivity of greenhouse gases emission to seasonal variations in plateau riparian zones.

Riparian zones, regarded as hotspots for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, where the variation in temperature sensitivity (Q10) of GHG emissions is crucial for assessing GHG budgets under global warming. However, the seasonal Q10 of GHG emissions from high-elevation riparian zones and underlying microbial mechanisms are poorly documented. This study focuses on seasonal Q10 patterns of GHG emissions from riparian zones along the Lhasa River on the Tibetan Plateau. CO2 and CH4 emissions from riparian soils were more sensitive to temperature in spring than in summer. The opposite trend was observed for Q10 of N2O emissions. Soil organic carbon (SOC) had relatively large direct effects on the Q10-CO2 value in summer, whereas soil nitrate nitrogen (SNO3--N) was the determinant of Q10-CO2 value in spring. mcrA:pmoA and soil microbial biomass C (SMBC) had strong direct effects on the Q10 of CH4 emissions in summer; the Q10-CH4 value in spring was significantly affected by the mcrA abundance. SMBC and the nirK + nirS abundance were key factors affecting the Q10-N2O value. Q10-CO2 and Q10-CH4 values exhibited strong seasonalities in the lower reaches of riparian soils, mainly due to the seasonalities of SNO3--N and mcrA:pmoA, respectively. The Q10-N2O value in the middle and upper reaches of riparian soils presented seasonality, which was largely due to the seasonalities of soil ammonia nitrogen and microbial biomass carbon. During thawing, plant productivity increased, substrate carbon was sufficient, microbial biomass increased, and inorganic nitorgen and denitrifier abundance decreased, causing 29.67% and 37.47% decreases in the Q10-CO2 and Q10-CH4 values, respectively, and a 70.85% increase in the Q10-N2O value, indicating that the potential release of N2O from riparian zones along the plateau river was more susceptible to seasonal variations. Our findings are conducive to accurately evaluating the potential contribution of GHG emissions from high-elevation riparian zones to global warming.

Decoding temporal patterns and trends of PM10 pollution over Delhi: a multi-year analysis (2015-2022).

The current study delved into an extensive analysis of multi-year observations on PM10 to have trends at various time scales in Delhi, India. High-resolution ground observations from all 37 monitoring stations from 2015 to 2022 were used. This study used non-parametric generalized additive model (GAM) based smooth-trend and Theil-Sen slope estimator techniques to analyze temporal trends and variations. The long-term PM10 concentration, both in its ambient and de-seasonalized forms, exhibited a statistically significant decreasing trend. An average decrease of - 7.57 [95% confidence interval (CI) - 16.51, 0.18] µg m-3 year-1 for ambient PM10 and - 8.45 [95% CI - 11.96, - 5.58] µg m-3 year-1 for de-seasonalized PM10 mass concentration was observed. Breaking it down into seasons, we observed significant declines in PM10 concentrations during monsoon (- 10.71 µg m-3 year-1, p < 0.1) and post-monsoon (- 7.49 µg m-3 year-1, p < 0.001). On the other hand, summer and winter displayed statistically insignificant declining trends of - 5.32 µg m-3 year-1 and - 6.06 µg m-3 year-1, respectively. Remarkably, all months except March displayed declining PM10 concentrations, suggesting a gradual reduction in particle pollution across the city. Further analysis of PM10 across various wind sectors revealed a consistent decreasing trend in all wind directions. The most substantial decrease was observed from the northwest (- 10.24 µg m-3 year-1), while the minimum reduction occurred from the east (- 5.67 µg m-3 year-1). Throughout the 8-year study period, the daily average PM10 concentration remained at 228 ± 124 µg m-3, ranging from 33 to 819 µg m-3. Seasonal variations were apparent, with concentrations during winter, summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons averaging 279 ± 133, 224 ± 117, 135 ± 95, and 323 ± 142 µg m-3, respectively. November had the highest and August had the lowest concentration. Weekend PM10 concentration is slightly lower than weekdays. These findings emphasize the need for more stringent government action plans.

Analyzing vegetation health dynamics across seasons and regions through NDVI and climatic variables.

This study assesses the relationships between vegetation dynamics and climatic variations in Pakistan from 2000 to 2023. Employing high-resolution Landsat data for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) assessments, integrated with climate variables from CHIRPS and ERA5 datasets, our approach leverages Google Earth Engine (GEE) for efficient processing. It combines statistical methodologies, including linear regression, Mann-Kendall trend tests, Sen's slope estimator, partial correlation, and cross wavelet transform analyses. The findings highlight significant spatial and temporal variations in NDVI, with an annual increase averaging 0.00197 per year (p < 0.0001). This positive trend is coupled with an increase in precipitation by 0.4801 mm/year (p = 0.0016). In contrast, our analysis recorded a slight decrease in temperature (- 0.01011 °C/year, p < 0.05) and a reduction in solar radiation (- 0.27526 W/m2/year, p < 0.05). Notably, cross-wavelet transform analysis underscored significant coherence between NDVI and climatic factors, revealing periods of synchronized fluctuations and distinct lagged relationships. This analysis particularly highlighted precipitation as a primary driver of vegetation growth, illustrating its crucial impact across various Pakistani regions. Moreover, the analysis revealed distinct seasonal patterns, indicating that vegetation health is most responsive during the monsoon season, correlating strongly with peaks in seasonal precipitation. Our investigation has revealed Pakistan's complex association between vegetation health and climatic factors, which varies across different regions. Through cross-wavelet analysis, we have identified distinct coherence and phase relationships that highlight the critical influence of climatic drivers on vegetation patterns. These insights are crucial for developing regional climate adaptation strategies and informing sustainable agricultural and environmental management practices in the face of ongoing climatic changes.

Grey water footprint for evaluating Zefta wastewater treatment plant: a case study.

The numbers of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Egypt are increasing, yet the general level of pollution associated with wastewater discharge after treatment has not been evaluated. Grey water footprint (GWF) was used to assess the effluent discharges from Zefta WWTP. GWF, before and after treatment, was calculated and followed up to determine its impact on the receiving freshwater body. 150 samples were collected and analysed for BOD5 to determine the optimum operating conditions. Averages values were DO = 2.2, SV30 = 500, SVI = 167, SA = 9.3 d, MLVSS = 2392 mg/L, f/m = 0.16, MLSS in RAS = 7922 mg/L, WAS = 140 m3/d and the HRT = 12 h. The removal efficiency of COD and TSS in the primary settling tank reached 39% and 69%, respectively. Average calculations of removal efficiency percentile reached 90-93%. Average freshwater quantities required to reduce pollutants in the receiving body stream were seasonally determined for Zefta WWTP as 5.3 × 107 m3/year. The average influent BOD5 was 376 mg/L, it was reduced to 47 mg/L in the effluent, wherever the Cmin is 6 mg/L and Cnat is 10 mg/L. Statistical analysis has shown a significant direct relation between ΔWFG,mef and WFG,ref reached 0.952 and a significant inverse relation with Cef -0.982. WFG,T has shown a significant direct relation with Cr 0.974. WFG,T- ref has shown a significant direct relation with Cr as 0.971 and WFG,T as 0.803. It can be concluded that ΔWF is effective in evaluating the efficiency of wastewater treatment and its effect on the quality of receiving water bodies.

Seasonal variations of profiles of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factor genes in household dust from Beijing, China revealed by the metagenomics.

Household-related microbiome is closely related with human health. However, the knowledge about profiles of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) which are carried by microbes inside homes and their temporal dynamics are rather limited. Here we monitored the seasonal changes of bacterial community (especially pathogenic bacteria), ARGs, and VFGs in household dust samples during two years. Based on metagenomic sequencing, the dust-related bacterial pathogenic community, ARGs, and VFGs all harbored the lowest richness in spring among four seasons. Their structure (except that of VFGs) also exhibited remarkable differences among the seasons. The structural variations of ARGs and VFGs were almost explained by mobile genetic elements (MGEs), bacterial pathogens, and particulate matter-related factors, with MGEs explaining the most. Moreover, the total normalized abundance of ARGs or VFGs showed no significant change across the seasons. Results of metagenomic binning and microbial network both showed that several pathogenic taxa (e.g., Ralstonia pickettii) were strongly linked with numerous ARGs (mainly resistant to multidrug) and VFGs (mainly encoding motility) simultaneously. Overall, these findings underline the significance of MGEs in structuring ARGs and VFGs inside homes along with seasonal variations, suggesting that household dust is a neglected reservoir for ARGs and VFGs.

Sub-pilot scale sequential microalgal consortium-based cultivation for treatment of municipal wastewater and biomass production.

Municipal wastewater (MWW) was treated by a sequential pilot microalgal cultivation process. The cultivation was performed inside a specifically designed low-cost photobioreactor (PBR) system. A microalgal consortium 2:1 was developed using Tetraselmis indica (TS) and Picochlorum sp. (PC) in the first stage and PC:TS (2:1) in the second stage and the nutrient removal efficiency and biomass production and biomolecules production was evaluated and also compared with monoculture in a two-stage sequential cultivation system. This study also investigated the effect of seasonal variations on microalgae growth and MWW treatment. The results showed that mixed microalgal consortium (TS:PC) had higher nutrient removal efficiency, with chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphate (TP), and total nitrate (TN) removal efficiencies of 78.50, 84.49, and 84.20%, respectively, and produced a biomass of 2.50 g/L with lipid content of 37.36% in the first stage of cultivation under indoor conditions. In the second stage of indoor cultivation, the PC:TS consortium demonstrated maximum COD, TP, and TN removal efficiencies of 92.49, 94.24, and 94.16%, respectively. It also produced a biomass of 2.65 g/L with a lipid content of 40.67%. Among all the seasonal variations, mass flow analysis indicated that the combination of mixed consortium-based two-stage sequential process during the winter season favored maximum nutrient removal efficiency of TN i.e. 88.54% (84.12 mg/L) and TP i.e., 90.18% (43.29 mg/L), respectively. It also enhanced total biomass production of 49.10 g in 20-L medium, which includes lipid yield ∼15.68 g compared to monoculture i.e., 82.06% (78.70 mg/L) and 82.87% (40.26 mg/L) removal of TN and TP, respectively, and produced biomass 43.60 g with 11.90 g of lipids.

Impact of Season Variation on Semen Quality: A Comprehensive Retrospective Analysis of Data From Patients at an Eastern Iranian Tertiary Care Fertility Center Over a Decade.

Seasonal changes are assumed to affect various sperm characteristics based on photoperiods, temperature, and air pollution. According to the literature, most studies were performed on populations of Western countries, and there are limited studies performed in the Middle East with variable results. This study evaluated the seasonality of sperm characteristics among men of reproductive age in an andrology center in Kerman, Iran, where the seasonal temperature varies significantly, with average temperatures ranging from 50 °F (10 °C) to 75.2 °F (24 °C). We retrospectively evaluated the sperm analysis test record. Sperm samples were obtained from 2,948 men during 10 years, excluding those with azoospermia. Samples were assessed for volume, concentration, motility, and morphology according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. We performed a comprehensive comparative literature review of the studies investigating the association between seasonal variation and sperm quality. The mean semen volume was higher in the summer compared with other seasons (p = .04). The mean percentage of sperm motility was higher in the spring and less in winter (p = .03). Sperm morphology-related parameters, measured by the percent of normal morphology, were significantly better in winter (p = .03). Our findings suggest seasonality of sperm characteristics among men of fertility age. Semen volume, motility, and morphology were affected by the photoperiod of reproductive seasons. Results might support the influential role of seasonal variations in the possibility of fertility, especially among those using assisted reproductive technologies and those with oligospermia.

The effects of ambient temperature and feeding regimens on cecum bacteria composition and circadian rhythm in growing rabbits.

Seasonal environmental shifts and improper eating habits are the important causes of diarrhea in children and growing animals. Whether adjusting feeding time at varying temperatures can modify cecal bacterial structure and improve diarrhea remains unknown. Three batches growing rabbits with two groups per batch were raised under different feeding regimens (fed at daytime vs. nighttime) in spring, summer and winter separately, and contents were collected at six time points in 1 day and used 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the effects of feeding regimens and season on the composition and circadian rhythms of cecum bacteria. Randomized forest regression screened 12 genera that were significantly associated with seasonal ambient temperature changes. Nighttime feeding reduced the abundance of the conditionally pathogenic bacteria Desulfovibrio and Alistipes in summer and Campylobacter in winter. And also increases the circadian rhythmic Amplicon Sequence Variants in the cecum, enhancing the rhythm of bacterial metabolic activity. This rhythmic metabolic profile of cecum bacteria may be conducive to the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the host cecum. In addition, this study has identified 9 genera that were affected by the combination of seasons and feeding time. In general, we found that seasons and feeding time and their combinations affect cecum composition and circadian rhythms, and that daytime feeding during summer and winter disrupts the balance of cecum bacteria of growing rabbits, which may adversely affect cecum health and induce diarrhea risk.

Distribution, sources, and eco-risk of Current-Use Pesticides (CUPs) in the coastal waters of the northern Shandong Peninsula, China.

This study investigated the spatial distributions and seasonal variations of 19 CUPs in the coastal areas of the Shandong Peninsula and its surrounding rivers and assessed their ecological risk. In freshwater and seawater, insecticides (chlorpyrifos, methoxychlor, and pyridaben), as well as fungicides (fenarimol) and herbicides (dichlobenil) were the main pollutants (Detection Frequency: 100 %). Spatially, during winter, the regional pollution levels of Σ19CUPs in seawater showed a trend of Laizhou Bay (LZB, mean:4.13 ng L-1) > Yellow River Estuary (YRE, mean:2.57 ngL-1) > Bohai Bay (BHB, mean:2.21 ng L-1) > Yanwei Area (YWA, mean:1.94 ng L-1). The similarities of major substances between rivers and the marine environment suggest that river discharge is the main source of CUPs pollution in coastal areas. In summer, CUPs in rivers posed a high risk. In winter, the risk significantly decreased, indicating a moderate overall risk. Seawater exhibited a low risk in winter.