Reconfigurable, zero-energy, and wide-temperature loss-assisted thermal nonreciprocal metamaterials.

Thermal nonreciprocity plays a vital role in chip heat dissipation, energy-saving design, and high-temperature hyperthermia, typically realized through the use of advanced metamaterials with nonlinear, advective, spatiotemporal, or gradient properties. However, challenges such as fixed structural designs with limited adjustability, high energy consumption, and a narrow operational temperature range remain prevalent. Here, a systematic framework is introduced to achieve reconfigurable, zero-energy, and wide-temperature thermal nonreciprocity by transforming wasteful heat loss into a valuable regulatory tool. Vertical slabs composed of natural bulk materials enable asymmetric heat loss through natural convection, disrupting the inversion symmetry of thermal conduction. The reconfigurability of this system stems from the ability to modify heat loss by adjusting thermal conductivity, size, placement, and quantity of the slabs. Moreover, this structure allows for precise control of zero-energy thermal nonreciprocity across a broad temperature spectrum, utilizing solely environmental temperature gradients without additional energy consumption. This research presents a different approach to achieving nonreciprocity, broadening the potential for nonreciprocal devices such as thermal diodes and topological edge states, and inspiring further exploration of nonreciprocity in other loss-based systems.

Low ambient temperature and incident myocardial infarction with or without obstructive coronary arteries: a Chinese nationwide study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although non-optimum ambient temperature is a major non-traditional risk factor for acute myocardial infarction, there is no prior knowledge on whether non-optimum ambient temperature could differentially affect myocardial infarction with obstructive coronary artery disease (MI-CAD) and myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA). METHODS: Using the Chinese Cardiovascular Association database-Chest Pain Center Registry, a nationwide, time-stratified, case-crossover investigation was conducted from 2015 to 2021. Meteorological data were obtained from an established satellite-based model, and daily exposures were assigned according to the onset of myocardial infarction in each patient. A conditional logistic regression model combined with distributed lag non-linear models (10 days) was used to estimate the exposure-response relationships. RESULTS: A total of 83 784 MINOCA patients and 918 730 MI-CAD patients were included. The risk of MINOCA and MI-CAD associated with low temperature occurred at lag 2 day and lasted to 1 week. Extremely low temperature was associated with a substantially greater odds ratio (OR) of MINOCA [OR 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-1.90] than MI-CAD (unmatched: OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23-1.43; equally matched by age and sex: OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.04-1.50), compared with the corresponding reference temperatures (30°C, 35°C, and 30°C). Stronger associations were observed for patients who were aged ≥65 years, female, or resided in the south. There was no significant difference for the impacts of high temperature on MINOCA and MI-CAD. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study highlights the particular susceptibility of MINOCA patients to ambient low temperature compared with that of MI-CAD patients.

The cold response regulator CBF1 promotes Arabidopsis hypocotyl growth at ambient temperatures.

Light and temperature are two core environmental factors that coordinately regulate plant growth and survival throughout their entire life cycle. However, the mechanisms integrating light and temperature signaling pathways in plants remain poorly understood. Here, we report that CBF1, an AP2/ERF-family transcription factor essential for plant cold acclimation, promotes hypocotyl growth under ambient temperatures in Arabidopsis. We show that CBF1 increases the protein abundance of PIF4 and PIF5, two phytochrome-interacting bHLH-family transcription factors that play pivotal roles in modulating plant growth and development, by directly binding to their promoters to induce their gene expression, and by inhibiting their interaction with phyB in the light. Moreover, our data demonstrate that CBF1 promotes PIF4/PIF5 protein accumulation and hypocotyl growth at both 22°C and 17°C, but not at 4°C, with a more prominent role at 17°C than at 22°C. Together, our study reveals that CBF1 integrates light and temperature control of hypocotyl growth by promoting PIF4 and PIF5 protein abundance in the light, thus providing insights into the integration mechanisms of light and temperature signaling pathways in plants.

GSK3s promote the phyB-ELF3-HMR complex formation to regulate plant thermomorphogenesis.

Although elevated ambient temperature causes many effects on plant growth and development, the mechanisms of plant high-ambient temperature sensing remain unknown. In this study, we show that GLYCOGEN SYNTHASE KINASE 3s (GSK3s) negatively regulate high-ambient temperature response and oligomerize upon high-temperature treatment. We demonstrate that GSK3 kinase BIN2 specifically interacts with the high-temperature sensor phytochrome B (phyB) but not the high-temperature sensor EARLY FLOWER 3 (ELF3) to phosphorylate and promote phyB photobody formation. Furthermore, we show that phosphorylation of phyB by GSK3s promotes its interaction with ELF3. Subsequently, we find that ELF3 recruits the phyB photobody facilitator HEMERA (HMR) to promote its association with phyB. Taken together, our data reveal a mechanism that GSK3s promote the phyB-ELF3-HMR complex formation in regulating plant thermomorphogenesis.

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) As Hydrogen Storage Materials At Near-Ambient Temperature.

Hydrogen may play a critical role in our efforts to de-carbonize by 2050. However, there remain technical challenges in the storage and transport of hydrogen. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown significant promise for hydrogen storage at cryogenic temperatures. A material that can meet the US department of energy (DOE) ultimate goal of 6.5 wt. % for gravimetric performance and 50 g/L for volumetric storage at near-ambient temperatures would unlock hydrogen as a future fuel source for on-board applications. Metal-organic frameworks typically have low heat of adsorptions (i. e. 4-7 kJ/mol), whereas for storing significant quantities of hydrogen at near-ambient temperatures, 15-25 kJ/mol is likely required. In this review we explore the current methods used (i. e., open-metal sites, alkali dopants and hydrogen spillover) for promoting strong adsorption within MOFs. Further we discuss MOF-based materials with respect to the technical aspects of deliverable capacity, kinetics and stability.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-dependent mechanisms mediate sleep responses to microbial and thermal stimuli.

Prostaglandins (PGs) play a crucial role in sleep regulation, yet the broader physiological context that leads to the activation of the prostaglandin-mediated sleep-promoting system remains elusive. In this study, we explored sleep-inducing mechanisms potentially involving PGs, including microbial, immune and thermal stimuli as well as homeostatic sleep responses induced by short-term sleep deprivation using cyclooxygenase-2 knockout (COX-2 KO) mice and their wild-type littermates (WT). Systemic administration of 0.4 µg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced increased non-rapid-eye movement sleep (NREMS) and fever in WT animals, these effects were completely absent in COX-2 KO mice. This finding underscores the essential role of COX-2-dependent prostaglandins in mediating sleep and febrile responses to LPS. In contrast, the sleep and fever responses induced by tumor necrosis factor α, a proinflammatory cytokine which activates COX-2, were preserved in COX-2 KO animals, indicating that these effects are independent of COX-2-related signaling. Additionally, we examined the impact of ambient temperature on sleep. The sleep-promoting effects of moderate warm ambient temperature were suppressed in COX-2 KO animals, resulting in significantly reduced NREMS at ambient temperatures of 30 °C and 35 °C compared to WT mice. However, rapid-eye-movement sleep responses to moderately cold or warm temperatures did not differ between the two genotypes. Furthermore, 6 h of sleep deprivation induced rebound increases in sleep with no significant differences observed between COX-2 KO and WT mice. This suggests that while COX-2-derived prostaglandins are crucial for the somnogenic effects of increased ambient temperature, the homeostatic responses to sleep loss are COX-2-independent. Overall, the results highlight the critical role of COX-2-derived prostaglandins as mediators of the sleep-wake and thermoregulatory responses to various physiological challenges, including microbial, immune, and thermal stimuli. These findings emphasize the interconnected regulation of body temperature and sleep, with peripheral mechanisms emerging as key players in these integrative processes.

The molecular genetic regulation of vegetative-generative transition in wheat from environmental perspective.

The key to wide geographical distribution of wheat is its high adaptability. One of the most commonly used methods for studying adaptation is the investigation of transition between the vegetative-generative phase and the subsequent intensive stem elongation process. These processes are largely determined by changes in ambient temperature, the diurnal and annual periodicity of day length, and the composition of light spectrum. Many genes are involved in the perception of external environmental signals, forming a complex network of interconnections that are then integrated by a few integrator genes. This hierarchical cascade system ensures the precise occurrence of the developmental stages that enable maximum productivity. This review presents the interrelationship of molecular-genetic pathways (earliness per se, circadian/photoperiod length, vernalization - cold requirement, phytohormonal - gibberellic acid, light perception, ambient temperature perception and aging - miRNA) responsible for environmental adaptation in wheat. Detailed molecular genetic mapping of wheat adaptability will allow breeders to incorporate new alleles that will create varieties best adapted to local environmental conditions.

Detrimental effects of scene manipulations on temperature-based time since death estimation.

In forensic casework, time since death (TSD) estimations may play a crucial role to establish chains of events as well as for alibi assessment in homicide cases. Classical TSD estimation relies on reasonably stable ambient temperatures and a correct documentation of ambient and rectal temperatures. This constancy is in some cases disturbed by post-discovery alterations of the crime scene, e.g. opening a window. In order to develop a better understanding of this alteration-based detrimental impact on TSD estimation as well as to identify feasible recommendations for casework, the present pilot study examined ambient temperature effects of different window opening scenarios regarding various time intervals (5 to 360 min) in a furnished 10 m2 apartment during winter. In this context, in addition to the ambient temperature and thus the cooling rate of the room, re-approximation to initial room temperature, potential influences on a nomogram-based time since death estimation using a fictitious case, and the impact of the measurement height above the ground were investigated. Our data indicate a significant reduction of the mean temperature decrease rate after 15 min regardless of the remaining opening time and a correlation with the size of the respective opening surfaces. Re-approximation to initial room temperatures was observed with up to three times longer than the initial opening time. There was no evidence of a substantial advantage of temperature measurements above the level of the corpse (> 0.1 m). The limitations of the study and its applicability for forensic casework are critically reviewed.

An assessment of the Henssge method for forensic death time estimation in the early post-mortem interval.

BACKGROUND: Time-since-death (TSD) diagnostics are crucial in forensic medical casework. The compound method by Henssge and Madea, which combines temperature and non-temperature-based techniques, is widely used to estimate TSD. This study aims to validate the predictive ability of this method in a cohort of 76 deceased individuals with known times of death (TOD). METHODS: A convenience sample of 76 deceased individuals was examined at the Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. The study included individuals who died at the hospital and those with sudden death in public. Exclusion criteria included age under 18, known infection or sepsis, polytrauma, bleeding, and hyperthermia. The TSD interval was calculated using the Deathtime software. RESULTS: The overall agreement between the actual TOD and the 95% prediction interval for the TSD was 36.8% (95% CI: 26.1 to 48.7). Warm-stored corpses showed a higher agreement (61.9% [95% CI: 38.4 to 81.9]) compared to cold-stored corpses (27.3% [95% CI: 16.1 to 41.0]). Factors such as body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA) were found to influence the odds of agreement. Assuming a plausible range of ambient temperatures between death and admission improved the agreement in cold-stored cases. CONCLUSION: The study found low to moderate agreement between the actual TOD and the 95% prediction interval using the Henssge method. Incorporating BMI and BSA could improve the predictive accuracy of TSD estimations. Further research with larger sample sizes and external validation is recommended to refine the model.

Is there an association between daylight hours and serum testosterone levels in men?

BACKGROUND: Studies assessing variability of serum testosterone levels associated with seasonal environmental factors have been contradictory. DESIGN: We assessed associations between the seasons and changes (δ) in seasonality indices and male serum total testosterone (δTT) variability. PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Data were collected in 144 men with paired serum TT samples (126 non-fasting/18 fasting) analysed at Walsall Manor Hospital, UK (52.3 degrees North). Seasonal factors (ambient temperature within 15 min of sampling, humidity, precipitation, duration of daylight on the day of sampling, monthly average ambient temperature, and precipitation) were obtained from local weather-station archives. Sign-rank test determined inter-sample differences between TT and seasonality indices. Linear regression analyses studied associations between δTT and δ seasonal indices in the total cohort and subgroups (stratified by medians of age, TT and men with paired non-fasting samples). Sign-rank determined whether serum TT differed between the seasons. RESULTS: Median inter-sample interval was 63 days. No significant inter-sample differences were evident regarding serum TT levels and seasonality indices. No associations were noted between δTT and δ seasonality indices in the total cohort and subgroups stratified by age and TT. Interestingly, δ ambient temperature (p = 0.012) and daylight duration (p = 0.032) were inversely associated with δTT in the 126 men in the non-fasting group (dependent variable). Only a small degree of the variability in the δTT was accounted by the above-mentioned independent variables. The seasons did not appear to influence serum TT values. CONCLUSIONS: No relation was shown between seasonality and serum TT in the total cohort, thus possibly eliminating a confounding variable that could affect laboratory and clinical practice. It may be that seasonal variation in length of day is too modest at this latitude to demonstrate significant associations, hence our findings are latitude specific. We suggest that further data analysis to address this question in areas with greater seasonal variation would be appropriate.

Formaldehyde Ambient-Temperature Decomposition over Pd/Mn3O4-MnO Driven by Active Sites' Self-Tandem Catalysis.

The widespread presence of formaldehyde (HCHO) pollutant has aroused significant environmental and health concerns. The catalytic oxidation of HCHO into CO2 and H2O at ambient temperature is regarded as one of the most efficacious and environmentally friendly approaches; to achieve this, however, accelerating the intermediate formate species formation and decomposition remains an ongoing obstacle. Herein, a unique tandem catalytic system with outstanding performance in low-temperature HCHO oxidation is proposed on well-structured Pd/Mn3O4-MnO catalysts possessing bifunctional catalytic centers. Notably, the optimized tandem catalyst achieves complete oxidation of 100 ppm of HCHO at just 18 °C, much better than the Pd/Mn3O4 (30%) and Pd/MnO (27%) counterparts as well as other physical tandem catalysts. The operando analyses and physical tandem investigations reveal that HCHO is primarily activated to gaseous HCOOH on the surface of Pd/Mn3O4 and subsequently converted to H2CO3 on the Pd/MnO component for deep decomposition. Theoretical studies disclose that Pd/Mn3O4 exhibits a favorable reaction energy barrier for the HCHO → HCOOH step compared to Pd/MnO; while conversely, the HCOOH → H2CO3 step is more facilely accomplished over Pd/MnO. Furthermore, the nanoscale intimacy between two components enhances the mobility of lattice oxygen, thereby facilitating interfacial reconstruction and promoting interaction between active sites of Pd/Mn3O4 and Pd/MnO in local vicinity, which further benefits sustained HCHO tandem catalytic oxidation. The tandem catalysis demonstrated in this work provides a generalizable platform for the future design of well-defined functional catalysts for oxidation reactions.

Characterizing the seasonal influenza disease burden attributable to climate variability: A nationwide time-series modelling study in Japan, 2000-2019.

BACKGROUND: Ambient temperature and humidity are established environmental stressors with regard to influenza infections; however, mapping disease burden is difficult owing to the complexities of the underlying associations and differences in vulnerable population distributions. In this study, we aimed to quantify the burden of influenza attributable to non-optimal ambient temperature and absolute humidity in Japan considering geographical differences in vulnerability. METHODS: The exposure-lag-response relationships between influenza incidence, ambient temperature, and absolute humidity in all 47 Japanese prefectures for 2000-2019 were quantified using a distributed lag non-linear model for each prefecture; the estimates from all the prefectures were then pooled using a multivariate mixed-effects meta-regression model to derive nationwide average associations. Association between prefecture-specific indicators and the risk were also examined. Attributable risks were estimated for non-optimal ambient temperature and absolute humidity according to the exposure-lag-response relationships obtained before. RESULTS: A total of 25,596,525 influenza cases were reported during the study period. Cold and dry conditions significantly increased influenza incidence risk. Compared with the minimum incidence weekly mean ambient temperature (29.8 °C) and the minimum incidence weekly mean absolute humidity (20.2 g/m3), the cumulative relative risks (RRs) of influenza in cold (2.5 °C) and dry (3.6 g/m3) conditions were 2.79 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.78-4.37) and 3.20 (95% CI: 2.37-4.31), respectively. The higher RRs for cold and dry conditions were associated with geographical and climatic indicators corresponding to the central and northern prefectures; demographic, socioeconomic, and health resources indicators showed no clear trends. Finally, 27.25% (95% empirical CI [eCI]: 5.54-36.35) and 32.35% (95% eCI: 22.39-37.87) of all cases were attributable to non-optimal ambient temperature and absolute humidity (6,976,300 [95% eCI: 1,420,068-9,306,128] and 8,280,981 [95% eCI: 8,280,981-9,693,532] cases), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings could help identify the most vulnerable populations in Japan and design adaptation policies to reduce the attributable burden of influenza due to climate variability.

Effect of non-optimal ambient temperature on preterm birth stratified by social positioning in Nepal: A space-time-stratified case-crossover study.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing increase in the mean global temperature due to human induced climate change, indicates that women and infants will have higher exposure to heat events leading to adverse outcomes. The study investigates the effect of non-optimal ambient temperature on the risk of preterm birth stratified by social position in Nepal. METHOD: This is a space-time-stratified case-crossover design, based on hospital-registered perinatal data between 2017 and 2021 (n = 47,807). A daily count of pregnant women residing in seven heat-prone districts was extracted together with their social status (ethnicity), obstetric complication and gestation of birth. The daily count of events was matched with the daily ambient temperature of their residence using the NOAA spatial temperature recording. Ambient temperature exposure was analysed using conditional Poisson regression and distributed lag non-linear models. FINDINGS: In the general population, with exposure to ambient temperature at the 75th centile (28 °C) the cumulative risk of preterm birth over 28 days was 1·29 times higher (RR, 1·29; 95% CI; 1·09, 1·54) than at median temperature (24.1 °C), and even higher among the socially disadvantaged population. Cumulative risk of preterm birth to cold ambient temperature at the 1st centile was high but not significant. Exposure to ambient temperature at the 90th centile (32·5 °C) had the highest cumulative risk of preterm birth for pregnant women from socially disadvantaged populations (RR 1·81; 95% CI; 1·28, 2·55). The delayed effect after exposure to temperatures above the 75th percentile was more prolonged in the disadvantaged than the advantaged social group. CONCLUSION: Although exposure to cold with certain effect on preterm births, heat (increase in ambient temperature) carries a risk of preterm birth in Nepal, and is more profound among socially disadvantaged populations.

The effect of ambient temperature on lipid metabolism in children: From a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is increasingly recognized as an essential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, few studies illustrated the effects of ambient temperature exposure (TE) on lipid levels in children. The study aimed to examine the association between ambient TE and lipid levels in children. METHODS: Based on a prospective cohort, a total of 2423 children (with 4466 lipids measure person-time) were collected from 2014 to 2019. The meteorological observation data and adjusted variables were collected. Mixed-effect models and generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) were applied to investigate the association between ambient TE and lipid levels. RESULTS: A significant negative association was observed between TE and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or total cholesterol (TC) levels both in all children [LDL-C, ß(95%CI) = -0.350(-0.434,-0.265), P < 0.001; TC, ß(95%CI) = -0.274(-0.389,-0.160), P < 0.001] and by different sex group. However, no significant association was found in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or triglycerides (TG) levels. The estimated optimal ambient TEs for LDL-C were 18.273 °C and 18.024 °C for girls and boys, respectively. For TC, the optimal ambient TEs were 17.949 °C and 18.024 °C, respectively. With ambient TE decreased, the risk of dyslipidemia increased for both boys [OR = 0.032(0.006,0.179), P < 0.001] and girls [OR = 0.582(0.576,0.587), P < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: This study provided a comprehensive illustration about the associations between ambient TE and lipid levels in different sex and ages from a prospective cohort study. The findings will provide evidence for the government to prevent dyslipidemia in vulnerable children through regulating TE.

Association of ambient temperature and diurnal temperature range with the outcome of in vitro fertilization in women from Hubei, China: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between ambient temperature and DTR and pregnancy outcomes in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic monosperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) women. METHODS: The study included 5264 women who were treated with IVF/ICSI-ET at two centers in Hubei province from 2017 to 2022. The daily mean, daily maximum, and daily minimum temperatures at the subjects' home addresses were extracted, and DTR values were calculated based on latter two. The associations between ambient temperature and DTR with clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were assessed using multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for covariates. Subgroup analyses were also conducted to explore potential modifiers. RESULT: High/low temperatures as well as a larger DTR had a significant effect on pregnancy outcomes in fresh cycles, but not in FET cycles. Specifically, hot weather exposure to high temperatures was associated with reduced clinical pregnancy rates: Period 4 (embryo transfer to serum HCG testing) (aOR = 0.873, 95%CI: 0.763-0.999). Ambient temperature in cold weather was positively associated with live birth rate: Period 2 (Gn initiation to oocyte retrieval) (aOR = 1.082, 95% CI: 1.01-1.170), Period 3 (oocyte retrieval to embryo transfer) (aOR = 1.111, 95% CI: 1.019-1.212), Period 4 (aOR = 1.134, 95% CI: 1.028-1.252), and Period 7 (85 days prior to oocyte retrieval to serum hCG testing) (aOR = 1.105, 95% CI: 1.007-1.212). For DTR, exposure to larger DTR (Q3) at Period 2, Period 3, and Period 6 (Gn initiation to embryo transfer) reduces clinical pregnancy and live birth rates compared with Q1. Subgroup analyses revealed susceptibility profiles across age groups and residential address populations in different sensitivity windows. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that exposure to hot and cold weather and higher DTR reduces clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates in women undergoing fresh embryo transfer, but has no significant effect on FET cycles.

The impact of ambient temperature and air pollution on SARS-CoV2 infection and Post COVID-19 condition in Belgium (2021-2022).

INTRODUCTION: The associations between non-optimal ambient temperature, air pollution and SARS-CoV-2 infection and post COVID-19 condition (PCC) remain constrained in current understanding. We conducted a retrospective analysis to explore how ambient temperature affected SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals who later developed PCC compared to those who did not. We investigated if these associations were modified by air pollution. METHODS: We conducted a bidirectional time-stratified case-crossover study among individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between May 2021 and June 2022. We included 6302 infections, with 2850 PCC cases. We used conditional logistic regression and distributed lag non-linear models to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for non-optimal temperatures relative to the period median temperature (10.6 °C) on lags 0 to 5. For effect modification, daily average PM2.5 concentrations were categorized using the period median concentration (8.8 µg/m3). Z-tests were used to compare the results by PCC status and PM2.5. RESULTS: Non-optimal cold temperatures increased the cumulative odds of infection (OR = 1.93; 95%CI:1.67-2.23, OR = 3.53; 95%CI:2.72-4.58, for moderate and extreme cold, respectively), with the strongest associations observed for non-PCC cases. Non-optimal heat temperatures decreased the odds of infection except for moderate heat among PCC cases (OR = 1.32; 95%CI:0.89-1.96). When PM2.5 was >8.8 µg/m3, the associations with cold were stronger, and moderate heat doubled the odds of infection with later development of PCC (OR = 2.18; 95%CI:1.01-4.69). When PM2.5 was ≤8.8 µg/m3, exposure to non-optimal temperatures reduced the odds of infection. CONCLUSION: Exposure to cold increases SARS-CoV2 risk, especially on days with moderate to high air pollution. Heated temperatures and moderate to high air pollution during infection may cause PCC. These findings stress the need for mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change to reduce increasing trends in the frequency of weather extremes that have consequences on air pollution concentrations.

Disparities in the association between ambient temperature and preterm birth according to individual and regional characteristics: a nationwide time-stratified case-crossover study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that climate change elevates heat exposure in pregnant women and high temperatures during pregnancy are associated with preterm births (PTBs). Although the association might be disproportionate, related evidence remains sparse. We evaluated the disproportionate risk of PTB associated with ambient temperature during pregnancy by individual and regional characteristics in South Korea. METHODS: We collected data on birth certificates and daily mean temperatures during the period from 2011 to 2019. A time-stratified case-crossover design was used to investigate the association between temperature and PTB and stratified analyses were conducted to examine the effect modification of individual and regional characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 160,067 singleton PTBs were recorded in Korea from 2011 to 2019. A 5℃ increase in the mean temperature during the last four weeks before delivery was associated with an increased risk of PTB with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 1.05), and the association was more evident in mothers aged ≥35 years (OR: 1.06 [95% CI: 1.03, 1.10]) and with low education levels (OR: 1.04 [95% CI: 1.02, 1.05]). Additionally, the estimated risk was evident in districts with lower medical resources and more prominent disparities were shown by individual and regional characteristics in rural areas than in urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that the risk of PTB related to ambient temperature is disproportionate by individual and regional characteristics and suggests the need for public health policies to alleviate the disparities, especially in rural areas.

The effects of ambient temperature on non-accidental mortality in the elderly hypertensive subjects, a cohort-based study.

BACKGROUND: The association between ambient temperature and mortality has yielded inconclusive results with previous studies relying on in-patient data to assess the health effects of temperature. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the effect of ambient temperature on non-accidental mortality among elderly hypertensive patients through a prospective cohort study conducted in northeastern China. METHODS: A total of 9634 elderly hypertensive patients from the Kailuan research who participated in the baseline survey and follow-up from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2017, were included in the study. We employed a Poisson generalized linear regression model to estimate the effects of monthly ambient temperature and temperature variations on non-accidental mortality. RESULTS: After adjusting for meteorological parameters, the monthly mean temperature (RR = 0.989, 95% CI: 0.984-0.993, p < 0.001), minimum temperature (RR = 0.987, 95% CI: 0.983-0.992, p < 0.001) and maximum temperature (RR = 0.989, 95% CI: 0.985-0.994, p < 0.001) exhibited a negative association with an increased risk of non-accidental mortality. The presence of higher monthly temperature variation was significantly associated with an elevated risk of mortality (RR = 1.097, 95% CI:1.051-1.146, p < 0.001). Further stratified analysis revealed that these associations were more pronounced during colder months as well as among male and older individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased temperature and greater variations in ambient temperature were observed to be linked with non-accidental mortality among elderly hypertensive patients, particularly notable within aging populations and males. These understanding regarding the effects of ambient temperature on mortality holds clinical significance for appropriate treatment strategies targeting these individuals while also serving as an indicator for heightened risk of death.

Examining the non-linear association between ambient temperature and mental health of elderly adults in the community: evidence from Guangzhou, China.

The association between ambient temperature and mental health has been explored previously. However, research on the psychological effect of temperature in vulnerable groups and neighborhood scales have been scarce. Based on the survey and temperature data collected from 20 neighborhoods in Guangzhou, China, this study estimated the association between ambient temperature and community mental health among the elderly, adopting a fixed-effects methodology. According to this empirical analysis, compared to a comfortable temperature range of 20℃-25℃, measures of worse mental health among elderly were significant in high and low temperatures with increases in negative outcomes observable at both ends of the temperature range, leading to the U-shaped relationship. Second, the association between ambient temperature and worse mental health was found in the subcategories of gender, income, and symptom events. Specifically, from the hot temperature aspect, elderly males were more sensitive than elderly females. The effect on the low was far more than on the middle-high income group, and the probability of each symptom of the elderly's mental health significantly increased. From the cool temperature aspect, the temperature in the range of 5ºC-10ºC was significantly associated with the probability of some symptoms (feeling down, not calm, downheartedness, and unhappiness) and the middle-high income group. Our research enriches the empirical research on ambient temperature and mental health from a multidisciplinary perspective and suggests the need for healthy aging and age-friendly planning in Chinese settings.

Association of ambient temperature on acute ischemic stroke in Yancheng, China.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a major global public health issue. There is limited research on the relationship between ambient temperature and AIS hospital admissions, and the results are controversial. Our objective is to assess the short-term impact of ambient temperature on the risk of AIS hospital admissions in Yancheng, China. METHODS: We collected data on daily AIS hospital admissions, meteorological factors, and air quality in Yancheng from 2014 to 2019. We used Poisson regression to fit generalized linear models and distributed lag non-linear models to explore the association between ambient temperature and AIS hospital admissions. The effects of these associations were evaluated by stratified analysis by sex and age. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2019, we identified a total of 13,391 AIS hospital admissions. We observed that the influence of extreme cold and heat on admissions for AIS manifests immediately on the day of exposure and continues for a duration of 3-5 days. Compared to the optimal temperature (24.4 °C), the cumulative relative risk under extreme cold temperature (-1.3 °C) conditions with a lag of 0-5 days was 1.88 (95%CI: 1.28, 2.78), and under extreme heat temperature (30.5 °C) conditions with a lag of 0-5 days was 1.48 (95%CI: 1.26, 1.73). CONCLUSIONS: There is a non-linear association between ambient temperature and AIS hospital admission risk in Yancheng, China. Women and older patients are more vulnerable to non-optimal temperatures. Our findings may reveal the potential impact of climate change on the risk of AIS hospital admissions.