The specificity of body surface temperature of relevant back-shu points in patients with chronic persistent asthma based on infrared thermal imaging technology / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To detect the body surface temperature of the relevant back-shu points in patients with chronic persistent asthma by infrared thermal imaging technology, and observe the specific changes of the body surface temperature of the relevant back-shu points under the condition of lung disease.@*METHODS@#Forty-five patients with chronic persistent asthma (observation group) and 45 healthy subjects (control group) were selected. The body surface temperature of bilateral Feishu (BL 13), Geshu (BL 17), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) were measured by BK-MT02A medical infrared thermography.@*RESULTS@#The body surface temperature of bilateral Feishu (BL 13), Geshu (BL 17), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The body surface temperature of bilateral Feishu (BL 13) and Geshu (BL 17) was higher than that of ipsilateral Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) in the two groups (P<0.01, P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in body surface temperature between ipsilateral Feishu (BL 13) and Geshu (BL 17), between ipsilateral Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The pathological increase of body surface temperature of Feishu (BL 13), Geshu (BL 17), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) in patients with chronic persistent asthma indicates that above acupoints have specificity in reflecting lung diseases. The Feishu (BL 13) and Geshu (BL 17), which have significantly increased body surface temperature, not only provide objective basis for the pathological pathogenesis of "deficiency in origin and excess in symptom" in patients with chronic persistent asthma, but also reflect the different expressions of different acupoints on the same meridian for the lung diseases.

Role of brown adipose tissue in phlegm-dampness metabolic syndrome based on infrared thermal imaging / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the infrared manifestation and role of brown adipose tissue(BAT) in phlegm-dampness me-tabolic syndrome(MS), and to provide objective basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of phlegm-dampness MS. Subjects were selected from the department of endocrinology and ward in the South District of Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from August 2021 to April 2022, including 20 in healthy control group, 40 in non phlegm-dampness MS group and 40 in phlegm-dampness MS group. General information, height and weight of the subjects were collected and body mass index(BMI) was calculated. Waist circumference(WC), systolic blood pressure(SBP) and diastolic blood pressure(DBP) was measured. Triglyceride(TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), fasting blood glucose(FBG), fasting insulin(FINS), leptin(LP), adiponectin(ADP) and fibroblast growth factor-21(FGF-21) were detected. The infrared thermal image of the supraclavicular region(SCR) of the subjects before and after cold stimulation test was collected by infrared thermal imager and the changes of infrared thermal image in the three groups were observed. In addition, the differences in the average body surface temperature of SCR among the three groups were compared, and the changes of BAT in SCR were analyzed. The results showed compared with the conditions in healthy control group, the levels of WC, SBP, DBP, TG and FPG in MS groups were increased(P<0.01), and the HDL-C level was decreased(P<0.01). Compared with non phlegm-dampness MS group, phlegm-dampness MS group had higher conversion score of phlegm dampness physique(P<0.01). According to the infrared heat map, there was no difference in the average body surface temperature of SCR among the three groups before cold stimulation. while after cold stimulation, the average body surface temperature of SCR in MS groups was lower than that in healthy control group(P<0.05). After cold stimulation, the maximum temperature of SCR and its arrival time in the three groups were as follows: healthy control group(3 min)>non phlegm-dampness MS group(4 min)>phlegm-dampness MS group(5 min). The thermal deviation of SCR was increased and the average body surface temperature of left and right sides were higher(P<0.01) in healthy control group and non phlegm-dampness MS group, while the thermal deviation of SCR did not change significantly in the phlegm-dampness MS group. Compared with that in healthy control group, the elevated temperature between left and right sides was lower(P<0.01, P<0.05), and compared with that in non phlegm-dampness MS group, the elevated temperature of left side was lower(P<0.05). The changes of the average body surface temperature of SCR in the three groups were in the order of healthy control group>non phlegm-dampness MS group>phlegm-dampness MS group. Compared with the conditions in healthy control group and non phlegm-dampness MS group, FINS, BMI and FGF-21 levels were increased(P<0.01,P<0.05), while ADP level was decreased(P<0.01, P<0.05) in phlegm-dampness MS group. Moreover, the LP level in phlegm-dampness MS group was higher than that in non phlegm-dampness MS group(P<0.01). It was observed in clinical trials that after cold stimulation, the average body surface temperature of SCR in MS patients was lower than that of the healthy people; the thermal deviation of SCR did not change significantly in the phlegm-dampness MS patients, and the difference in their elevated temperature was lower than that in the other two groups. These characteristics provided objective basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of phlegm-dampness MS. With abnormal BAT related indicators, it was inferred that the content or activity of BAT in SCR of phlegm-dampness MS patients were reduced. There was a high correlation between BAT and phlegm-dampness MS, and thus BAT might become an important potential target for the intervention in phlegm-dampness MS.

Evaluating Urban Greening Scenarios on Urban Heat Islands Effects

An Urban Heat Islands (UHI) are one of the most common phenomena of the 21st century. Climate change, and the associated rising trend of urban temperature is exaggerating the creation and extension of urban heat islands (UHI). This paper investigates various urban greening scenarios in the line with developing the resilient Sydney strategical document. Two different cooling street strategies are investigated in this research including high reflective pavement and green canopy cover. ENVI-Met software has been applied for simulating and quantifying microclimate processes at the urban scale before and after introducing urban greening scenarios. The results of this study show that applying the light-coloured pavement instead of asphalt surface will decrease surface temperature by up to 20°C. Planting short to medium height trees in the side walks will decrease the air temperature by up to 3°C and surface temperature by up to 11°C.

Remote Sensing Based Land Surface Temperature Analysis in Diverse Environment of Lalgudi Block

Introduction: Land Surface Temperature (LST) is a significant climatic variable and defined as how hot the "surface" of the Earth would feel to the physical touch in a particular location. A spatial analysis of the land surface temperature with respect to different land use/cover changes is vital to evaluate the hydrological processes. Methods: The objective of this paper is to assess the spatial variation of land surface temperature derived from thermal bands of the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) by using split window algorithm. Place and Data: The study was conducted in Lalgudi block of Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India. The block has diverse environment like forest area, barren land, river sand bed, water bodies, dry vegetation, cultivated areas (paddy, sugarcane, banana etc.) and settlements. Landsat 8 satellite images for four selected scenes (December 2014 & January 2015 and December 2017 & January 2018) were used to estimate the LST. Results: The spatial and temporal variation of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and LST were estimated. The average NDVI values of cropped fields varied from 0.3 to 0.5 in all the scenes. The maximum value of LST ranging from 35 to 40°C was recorded in river sand bed. Subsequently, semi-urban settlements in the central part of Lalgudi block exhibited higher temperature ranging from 28 – 30°C. The LST of paddy crop and sugarcane was in the range of 23 to 25°C. The water bodies exhibited LST around 20°C. The coconut plantations, forest area and Prosopis juliflora showed LST value ranging from 24 – 29°C. This kind of block level monitoring studies helps in adopting suitable policies to overcome or minimize the problems triggered by increase in land surface temperature.

Spatial Assessment of Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity in the Tropical Littoral City of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

The study examined Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Land Surface Emissivity (LSE) in a tropical coastal city of Port Harcourt and its environs. Satellite remote sensing of multiple-wavelength origin was employed to derive data from the Landsat Enhance Thematic Mapper (ETM+). Statistical mean and range were used to show pattern of LST and LSE. The study established the relationship and characteristics of land use land cover, built-up area and influence of population on land surfaces. With population of over 3,095,342 persons occupying surface area of approximately 458,28 Km2, rapid vegetal and water body lost have put the city area under pressure of 4.7°C heat bias at the interval of 15 years. From rural fringes to the city center, LST varies with 9.3°C in wet season and 4.8°C in the dry season. During the dry season, LSE is severe in the southern part of the city contributed by water bodies, more vegetal cover and urban pavement materials. Emissivity in the wet season varied with 0.0136 and 0.0006 during the dry season but differs with 0.0165 between the two seasons. One critical finding is that LSE decreases from the rural fringes to the city center and LST increases from the rural fringes to the city center. It is recommended that urban greening at the city center should be practiced and the rural fringes should be explored by decongesting activities at the city center to the outskirts in order to ameliorate the effects of urban heat bias without further delay.

Dendroecology of Macrolobium acaciifolium (Fabaceae) in Central Amazonian floodplain forests / Dendroecologia de Macrolobium acaciifolium (Fabaceae) em florestas alagáveis da Amazônia central

The forest dynamics in the Amazonian floodplains is strongly triggered by the flood pulse. Trees respond to unfavorable growth conditions during the flood period by cambial dormancy, which results in the formation of annual growth rings. We determined tree age and compared the mean annual rates of increase in the diameter of Macrolobium acaciifolium with hydrological and climatic factors in three regions of central Amazonian floodplain forest. A wood sample was obtained from each tree using an increment borer. Ring growth was assessed by marginal parenchyma bands to determine tree age and the mean diameter increment. Ring widths were indexed to construct cross-dating chronologies and correlated with climatic and hydrological variables. The analyses demonstrate that the mean annual diameter increment did not differ between the three study sites. The chronologies correlated significantly with the terrestrial phase. There was no significant difference in the ring-width index between El Niño years and other years, and between La Niña and other years. These results show that the hydrological variables can be considered crucial to the rates of tree growth and diameter increment in floodplains, and El Niño signals were not detected in the tree-ring chronologies.

A dinâmica das florestas alagáveis da Amazônia é fortemente influenciada pelo pulso anual de inundação. As árvores respondem às condições de crescimento desfavoráveis durante o período de inundação através da dormência cambial, resultando na formação de anéis de crescimento anuais. Neste estudo, determinamos a idade das árvores e comparamos as taxas anuais médias de incremento em diâmetro de Macrolobium acaciifolium com fatores hidrológicos e climáticos em três regiões de florestas alagáveis na Amazônia central. Para cada árvore, uma amostra de madeira foi obtida usando uma broca dendrocronológica. O crescimento do anel foi avaliado por bandas de parênquima marginal, para determinar a idade da árvore e o incremento médio em diâmetro. As séries de anéis foram indexadas, para construir cronologias, e correlacionadas com variáveis climáticas e hidrológicas. Nossas análises demonstraram que o incremento anual médio em diâmetro não diferiu entre os três locais de estudo. As cronologias correlacionaram-se significativamente com a fase terrestre. Não houve diferença significativa no índice de largura dos anéis entre os anos de El Niño e outros anos, e entre os anos de La Niña e outros anos. Estes resultados mostraram que as variáveis hidrológicas podem ser consideradas cruciais para as taxas de crescimento e de incremento em diâmetro das árvores em florestas alagáveis, e que não foram detectados sinais de El Niño nas cronologias das árvores analisadas.

Assessment of surface temperatures of buffalo bulls (Bubalus bubalis) raised under tropical conditions using infrared thermography / Avaliação de temperaturas superficiais de touros bubalinos (Bubalus bubalis) criados em ambiente tropical com uso da termografia infravermelha

This paper aimed to evaluate the surface temperatures of buffalo bulls using infrared thermography, considering four distinct anatomical parts over time, and to correlate surface temperatures and thermal comfort indexes. The humid tropical climate (Kõppen's Afi) was predominant in the research station where the experiment was performed and the trial lasted from April to August. Ten bulls (n=10) were evaluated every 25 days (morning: 6:00-9:00; afternoon: 12:00-15:00) and the parameters assessed were respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), and the thermograms of surface temperature for orbital area (ORB), right flank (RF), left flank (LF) and scrotum (SCR). Climatological data was continuously monitored and the Temperature and Humidity Index (THI) and the Index of Comfort of Benezra (ICB) were calculated. The average values of THI were ≥78, and significant differences between shifts were observed (P<0.05). The ICB ranged from 1.96 to 2.25 and significant differences were observed for shifts and throughout the months (P<0.05). The averages of surface temperatures were RT=38.2±0.5°C, ORB=36.1±0.8°C, LF=33.5±2.5°C, RF=35.4±1.7ºC and SCR=33.3±1.1°C, which exhibited significant differences for shifts and throughout the months (P<0.05). Positive correlations were obtained between THI and ORB (0.72), RF (0.77), LF (0.75) and SCR (0.41) (P<0.0001). The maximum temperature of ORB showed the highest correlation with RT (0.58, P<0.0001). Therefore, the surface temperatures are subject to climatic variations and increase throughout the day, due to the variation in thermal comfort indexes, and the maximum ORB temperature was the parameter most related to rectal temperature. Lastly, the results indicate that IRT may be a useful non-invasive and accurate tool to detect the variations in ORB, LF, RF and SCR temperature in buffalo bulls.

O presente trabalho visou avaliar as temperaturas superficiais de diferentes regiões anatômicas de búfalos ao longo do tempo, por meio da termografia infravermelha, e correlacioná-las a índices bioclimatológicos de conforto térmico. O ensaio foi realizado em região de clima tropical úmido (Afi de Kõppen), de abril a agosto. Dez touros (n=10) foram avaliados a cada 25 dias (manhã: seis-nove horas; tarde: 12-15h), quanto à frequência respiratória (FR), temperatura retal (TR) e imagens termográficas da órbita ocular (ORB), flanco direito (FLd), flanco esquerdo (FLe) e escroto (ESC). Os dados climatológicos foram ininterruptamente monitorados, e calculados o índice de temperatura e umidade (ITU) e o índice de conforto de Benezra (ICB). O ITU foi ≥78, com diferença entre turnos (P<0,05). Já o ICB variou de 1,96 a 2,25 e apresentou diferenças ao longo dos meses e entre turnos (P<0,05). As temperaturas observadas foram de TR=38,2±0,5ºC, ORB=36,1±0,8ºC, FLd=33,5±2,5ºC, FLe=35,4±1,7ºC e ESC=33,3±1,1ºC, as quais variaram significativamente ao longo dos meses e entre turnos (P<0,05). O ITU apresentou correlações positivas com ORB (0,72), FLd (0,77), FLe (0,75) e ESC (0,41) (P<0,0001). A temperatura máxima de ORB apresentou a maior correlação com a TR (0,58; P<0,0001). Portanto, as temperaturas superficiais dos animais sofrem interferências das variações climáticas e se elevam ao longo do dia, devido à variação nos índices de conforto térmico; a temperatura máxima de ORB foi o parâmetro mais condicionado à temperatura retal. Também, as oscilações de temperatura de superfície de ORB, FLd, FLe e ESC podem ser aferidas em bubalinos com o uso da termografia infravermelha, de modo preciso e não invasivo.

Effect of Acupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP6) on the Infrared Temperature of Guanyuan (CV4) and Sanyinjiao in Dysmenorrhea Patients / 上海针灸杂志

Objective By using infrared thermal imager (Flir-SC620), to observe the effect of needling Sanyinjiao (SP6) on the skin temperature at Guanyuan (CV4) and Sanyinjiao in patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) of cold and dampness stagnation pattern, and to explore the probability of using infrared thermal imaging for diagnosis and as an objective index for evaluating the action and needling qi of acupuncture. Method Thirty-six subjects were recruited and divided into four group, a health control group (group A), a control group of PD of cold and dampness stagnation pattern (group B), a needling-qi-expected group (group C) and a needling-qi-unexpected group (group D). Group A and B were not given acupuncture treatment, while group C and D were treated with acupuncture at bilateral Sanyinjiao with needles retained for 30 min, and the needling sensations were recorded. The infrared thermal imager was used to detect the skin temperature at Guanyuan and bilateral Sanyinjiao for 40 min for each group, and the temperature was recorded every 10 min. The temperature during different periods of time, 0-10 min, 20-20 min, 20-30 min, 30-40 min, 0-30 min, and 0-40 min were then calculated. In group C, those obtained the needling qi sensation were further grouped into C-1 and those didn’t obtain the sensation were into C-2; in group D, those obtained needling qi sensation were further grouped into D-1 and those didn’t obtain the sensation were into D-2. SPSS 17.0 was adopted for data processing, and the data were analyzed by using MANOVA of repeated measuring. Result Compared to group A (6 cases), the temperature at Guanyuan in group B (6 cases) was significantly decreased during 0-30 min and 0-40 min (P<0.05), the temperature at the left Sanyinjiao during 0-40 min in group B was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the temperatures at bilateral Sanyinjiao during 30-40 min in group B significantly dropped (P<0.05). Compared to group B, the temperatures at Guanyuan during 0-30 min and 0-40 min in group C1 (12 cases) and group D1 (11 cases) were significantly increased (P<0.05), the temperature at left Sanyinjiao during 0-40 min in group D1 was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the temperatures at bilateral Sanyinjiao during 30-40 min in group D1 were significantly increased (P<0.05). There was no case in group C2 and only 1 case in group D2, hence, the data were not enough for analysis. Conclusion Decrease of the infrared temperature at Guanyuan and Sanyinjiao can be taken as one of the diagnostic criteria for dysmenorrhea of cold stagnation pattern. Increase of the infrared temperature at Guanyuan can be regarded as one of the objective evidences for the along-meridian transmission characteristic in needling Sanyinjiao.

The Change of Surface Temperature in Healing Process of Wound and Burn in Porcine Model

PURPOSE: The goal of wound managements are to prevent further tissue injury during dressing changes, and absorb the excessive exudates, provide moist condition, reduce the infection. But the usual dressing methods have several limitations to serve the information about wound surface environment. Moist, pressure, temperature, pH are the important factors that give us the information about the healing process phase, speed of healing, & the risk of infection. METHODS: We made full thickness wounds & burn on porcine model, then assessed the surface temperature intermittently until repithelialization were completed, and size measurement were done with Image Pro Plus 6.0. RESULTS: In wound areas, the surface temperature was lowest at post operation #1 day, then slightly increased till POD #21 days, and again down slope curvature. In burn area, the surface temperature was highest at POD #1 day, then slightly decreased till POD # 21 days, and more fall curvature. Modern sensing technology along with wireless radio frequency communication technology is posed to make significant advances in wound management. Our result will be a basic data for the future researches about the surface temperature monitor to detect the early infection and the intervention to modulate the surface temperature to increase the rate of epithelialization. CONCLUSION: The result of the correlation between the surface temperature and area reduction have weak or moderate negative Pearson correlation coefficient.

São Paulo urban heat islands have a higher incidence of dengue than other urban areas

Urban heat islands are characterized by high land surface temperature, low humidity, and poor vegetation, and considered to favor the transmission of the mosquito-borne dengue fever that is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. We analyzed the recorded dengue incidence in Sao Paulo city, Brazil, in 2010-2011, in terms of multiple environmental and socioeconomic variables. Geographical information systems, thermal remote sensing images, and census data were used to classify city areas according to land surface temper- ature, vegetation cover, population density, socioeconomic status, and housing standards. Of the 7415 dengue cases, a majority (93.1%) mapped to areas with land surface temperature >28 ◦ C. The dengue incidence rate (cases per 100,000 inhabitants) was low (3.2 cases) in high vegetation cover areas, but high (72.3 cases) in low vegetation cover areas where the land surface temperature was 29 ± 2 ◦ C. Interestingly, a multiple cluster analysis phenogram showed more dengue cases clustered in areas of land surface temperature >32 ◦ C, than in areas characterized as low socioeconomic zones, high population density areas, or slum-like areas. In laboratory experiments, A. aegypti mosquito larval development, blood feeding, and oviposition associated positively with temperatures of 28-32 ◦ C, indicating these temperatures to be favorable for dengue transmission. Thus, among all the variables studied, dengue incidence was most affected by the temperature.

A influência do evento El Niño - Oscilação Sul e Atlântico Equatorial na precipitação sobre as regiões norte e nordeste da América do Sul / Influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Equatorial Atlantic on rainfall over northern and northeastern regions of South America

The impacts of anomalous events in the Pacific Ocean associated with the El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on rainfall over northern and northeastern regions of South America were evaluated for the period from 1900 to 2007 using composite analyses. The El Niño (La Niña) events in the Pacific, that together with a cold (warm) Atlantic Equatorial Mode (AEM) form an interbasin gradient between the Pacific and Atlantic were analyzed considering separately those for which the gradient forms during the ENSO onset phase from those for which the gradient forms during the ENSO demise phase. The results show that the rainfall pattern over the northern and northeastern region of South America is reinforced under an interbasin gradient during the initial phase of the ENSO event. In this case, a possible explanation is that the AEM with opposite sign of the ENSO event in its onset stage creates favorable conditions for the development of an interhemispheric gradient in the Tropical Atlantic acting in the same direction of the interbasin gradient, and collaborating to reinforce the El Niño (La Niña) effect on the precipitation. On the other hand, for ENSO events for which the interbasin gradient forms in the demise stage, the impact on the precipitation is more significative in the northern and central-western regions of the basin. A possible explanation for these differences is linked to the alterations in the east-west atmospheric circulation associated with the east-west gradient of the SST anomalies. The result of this study might be useful mainly for climate monitoring purposes.

Os impactos de eventos anômalos no oceano Pacífico associados ao El Niño-Oscilação Sul (ENOS) na precipitação da região norte e nordeste da América do Sul foram avaliados para o período de 1900 a 2007, fazendo-se uso de análise de composições. Os eventos El Niño (La Niña) no Pacífico que juntamente com um Modo Equatorial no Atlântico (MEA) frio (quente) formam um gradiente interbacias entre o Pacífico e Atlântico foram analisados considerando, separadamente, aqueles para os quais o gradiente se forma na fase inicial do ENOS daqueles em que o gradiente se forma na fase de decaimento do ENOS. Os resultados mostram que o padrão de precipitação na região norte e nordeste da América do Sul é reforçado mediante a configuração do gradiente interbacias durante a fase inicial do ENOS. Nesse caso, uma possível explicação é que o MEA de sinal contrário ao ENOS durante sua fase inicial cria condições favoráveis para o desenvolvimento de um gradiente inter-hemisférico no Atlântico Tropical atuando no mesmo sentido do gradiente interbacias, e colaborando para fortalecer o efeito do El Niño (La Niña) na precipitação. Por outro lado, para os eventos ENOS em que o gradiente se forma em sua fase de decaimento, o impacto na precipitação é mais significativo na região norte e centro-oeste da bacia. Uma possível explicação para essas diferenças está associada às mudanças que ocorrem na circulação atmosférica leste-oeste associada ao gradiente leste-oeste de anomalias da TSM. Os resultados deste estudo podem ser úteis, principalmente, para fins de monitoramento climático.

Parâmetros fisiológicos, características de pelame e gradientes térmicos em novilhas nelore no verão e inverno em ambiente tropical / Physiological parameters, hair coat characteristics and thermal gradients in nellore heifers in summer and winter in tropical environment

Investigou-se a influência da estação do ano sobre as características termorreguladoras e de pelame bem como os gradientes térmicos em novilhas da raça Nelore. Utilizaram-se quinze animais com idade inicial e final de 12 e 18 meses, respectivamente. Foram avaliadas as temperaturas retal (TR), da epiderme (TEP) e da superfície corporal (TSC), bem como as frequências cardíaca (FC) e respiratória (FR), taxa de sudação (TS), comprimento do pelo, peso e número dos pelos e os gradientes térmicos entre temperaturas retal e do ar (TR-TAR), temperaturas da superfície corporal e do ar (TSC-TAR) e temperaturas retal e da superfície corporal (TR-TSC). No inverno, as médias de TR, TEP e TSC foram de 39,6ºC; 36,4ºC e 35,9ºC, respectivamente, e no verão foram de 39,1ºC; 37,6ºC e 37,3ºC, respectivamente. A média da FR, FC e TS no inverno foram de 33,6 mpm, 68,9 bpm e 82 g.m-2h-1, respectivamente, e no verão foram de 31,4 mpm, 74,7 bpm e 210,7 g.m-2h-1, respectivamente. No inverno o número médio (601,13 pelos/cm2) e o comprimento (1,04 mm) de pelos foram maiores em relação ao verão que foram, respectivamente, 289,2 pelos/cm2 e 0,59 mm. No verão, o gradiente TSC-TAR (10,20) foi superior ao inverno (8,63) e o gradiente TR-TSC no verão (1,85) foi inferior ao inverno (3,74). Os parâmetros fisiológicos, gradientes térmicos e características do pelame se encontraram dentro da normalidade, ou seja, novilhas da raça Nelore não tiveram dificuldade em manter o equilíbrio térmico, o que confirma que são adaptadas ao ambiente tropical.

The influence of season on thermo regulators traits and hair coat characteristics was investigated, as well as the thermal gradients in Nellore heifers. Fifteen animals with initial and final age of 12 and 18 months, respectively, were used. The rectal (RT), skin (ST) and body surface (BST) temperatures, heart (HR), respiratory (RR) and sweating (SR) rates, the length, weight and number of hairs, the thermal gradients between rectal and air temperatures (RT-AT), body surface and air temperatures (BST-AT) and rectal and body surface temperatures (RT-BST) were evaluated. In winter, the RT, ST and BST averages were 39.6ºC, 36.4ºC and 35.9°C, respectively, and in summer were 39.1°C, 37.6°C and 37.3°C respectively. The RR, HR and SR averages in winter were 33.6 mpm, 68.9 bpm and 82 g.m-2h- 1, respectively, and in summer were 31.4 mpm, 74.7 bpm and 210.7 g.m-2/h-1, respectively. In winter the average number (601.13 hairs/cm2) and the hair length (1.04 mm) were higher than in summer, that were respectively 289.2 hairs/cm2 and 0.59 mm. In summer, the BST-AT gradient (10.20) was higher than in winter (8.63) and RT-BST gradient in summer (1.85) was lower than in winter (3.74). The physiological parameters, thermal gradients and hair coat characteristics are normal, in other words, the Nellore heifers had no difficulty in maintaining the thermal balance, which indicates that they are adapted to the tropical environment.

Appraisal of Phlebotomus argentipes habitat suitability using a remotely sensed index in the kala-azar endemic focus of Bihar, India

Visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, is recognised as a serious emerging public health problem in India. In this study, environmental parameters, such as land surface temperature (LST) and renormalised difference vegetation indices (RDVI), were used to delineate the association between environmental variables and Phlebotomus argentipes abundance in a representative endemic region of Bihar, India. The adult P. argentipes were collected between September 2009-February 2010 using the hand-held aspirator technique. The distribution of P. argentipes was analysed with the LST and RDVI of the peak and lean seasons. The association between environmental covariates and P. argentipes density was analysed a multivariate linear regression model. The sandfly density at its maximum in September, whereas the minimum density was recorded in January. The regression model indicated that the season, minimum LST, mean LST and mean RDVI were the best environmental covariates for the P. argentipes distribution. The final model indicated that nearly 74% of the variance of sandfly density could be explained by these environmental covariates. This approach might be useful for mapping and predicting the distribution of P. argentipes, which may help the health agencies that are involved in the kala-azar control programme focus on high-risk areas.

Warming of one hand causes sustained increases in skin surface temperature and water content of the contralateral forearm / 体力科学

This study aimed to develop a new method of increasing water content in the cutaneous stratum corneum under a dry skin condition. For this purpose, the experiments were performed using 10 healthy women (age: 20 ± 5 years, height: 158 ± 4 cm, weight: 50 ± 6 kg) in winter to ensure the dry condition. The subjects immersed the right hand into a 42˚C bath for 10 min. Skin surface temperature and water content in the stratum corneum of the left forearm were simultaneously measured during and for 1 h after the hand warming. The skin surface temperature began to increase (P<0.05) 15 min after the hand warming and thereafter remained increased for 1 h. Similarly, the water content in the stratum corneum began to increase immediately after the hand warming and remained increased throughout the experiment. The present results suggest that warming of one hand is effective in enhancing skin moisture in the other forearm and thereby maintaining barrier function of the skin.

Global Model selection for evaluation of Climate Change projections in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape / Selección del Modelo Global para la evaluación de las proyecciones de Cambio Climático en el Paisaje Marino del Pacífico Tropical Oriental

Two methods for selecting a subset of simulations and/or general circulation models (GCMs) from a set of 30 available simulations are compared: 1) Selecting the models based on their performance on reproducing 20th century climate, and 2) random sampling. In the first case, it was found that the performance methodology is very sensitive to the type and number of metrics used to rank the models and therefore the results are not robust to these conditions. In general, including more models in a multi-model ensemble according to their rank (of skill in reproducing 20th century climate) results in an increase in the multi-model skill up to a certain point and then the inclusion of more models degrades the skill of the multi-model ensemble. In a similar fashion when the models are introduced in the ensemble at random, there is a point where the inclusion of more models does not change significantly the skill of the multi-model ensemble. For precipitation the subset of models that produces the maximum skill in reproducing 20th century climate also showed some skill in reproducing the climate change projections of the multi-model ensemble of all simulations. For temperature, more models/simulations are needed to be included in the ensemble (at the expense of a decrease in the skill of reproducing the climate of the 20th century for the selection based on their ranks). For precipitation and temperature the use of 7 simulations out of 30 resulted in the maximum skill for both approaches to introduce the models.

Se emplearon dos métodos para escoger un subconjunto a partir de treinta simulaciones de Modelos de Circulación General. El primer método se basó en la habilidad de cada uno de los modelos en reproducir el clima del siglo XX y el segundo en un muestreo aleatorio. Se encontró que el primero de ellos es muy sensible al tipo y métrica usada para categorizar los modelos, lo que no arrojó resultados robustos bajo estas condiciones. En general, la inclusión de más modelos en el agrupamiento de multi-modelos ordenados de acuerdo a su destreza en reproducir el clima del siglo XX, resultó en un aumento en la destreza del agrupamiento de multi-modelos hasta cierto punto, y luego la inclusión de más modelos/simulaciones degrada la destreza del agrupamiento de multi-modelos. De manera similar, en la inclusión de modelos de forma aleatoria, existe un punto en que agregar más modelos no cambia significativamente la destreza del agrupamiento de muti-modelos. Para el caso de la precipitación, el subconjunto de modelos que produce la máxima destreza en reproducir el clima del siglo XX también mostró alguna destreza en reproducir las proyecciones de cambio climático del agrupamiento de multi-modelos para todas las simulaciones. Para temperatura, más modelos/simulaciones son necesarios para ser incluidos en el agrupamiento (con la consecuente disminución en la destreza para reproducir el clima del siglo XX). Para precipitación y temperatura, el uso de 7 simulaciones de 30 posibles resultó en el punto de máxima destreza para ambos métodos de inclusión de modelos.

The relationship between sea surface temperature and chlorophyll concentration of phytoplanktons in the Black Sea using remote sensing techniques.

Present work investigated the relationship between Chlorophyll (Chl), of phytoplankton biomass, and sea surface temperature (SST) of the Black Sea, using Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite imagery. Satellite derived data could provide information on the amount of sea life present (Brown algae, called kelp, proliferate, supporting new species of sea life, including otters, fish, and various invertebrates) in a given area throughout the world. SST from AVHRR from 1993 to 2008 showed seasonal, annual and interannual variability of temperature, monthly variability Chl from SeaWiFS from 1997 to 2009 has also been investigated. Chl showed two high peaks for the year 1999 and 2008. The correlation between SST and Chl for the same time has been found to be 60%. Correlation was significant at p<0.05. The information could also be useful in connection with studies of global changes in temperature and what effect they could have on the total abundance of marine life.

Clima y temperatura sub-superficial del mar en Bahía Culebra, Golfo de Papagayo, Costa Rica / Climate and subsurface sea temperature in Bahía Culebra, Costa Rica

Climate and subsurface sea temperature in Bahía Culebra, Costa Rica. Bahía Culebra, Golfo de Papagayo, Costa Rica is a seasonal upwelling area. To determine the relationship of climate and the subsurface temperature variability at Bahía Culebra, we analyzed nine records of sea subsurface temperature from the Bay, continuously recorded from 1998 to 2010. The analysis characterized the annual cycle and explored the influence of different climate variability sources on the subsurface sea temperature and air temperature recorded in Bahía Culebra. Data from an automatic meteorological station in the bay were studied, obtaining the annual and daily cycle for air surface temperature and wind speed. Sea surface temperature (SST) trend from 1854 to 2011 was calculated from reanalysis for the region that coverts 9-11°N, 85-87°W. Because of the positive SST trend identified in this region, results showed that annual and daily cycles in Bahía Culebra should be studied under a warming scenario since 1854, that is coherent with the global warming results and its climate variability is influenced by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the Equatorial Pacific and by atmospheric forcing triggered by climate variability with Atlantic Ocean origin, because warm (cold) events in Bahía Culebra tend to occur in concordance with positive & negative (negative & positive) anomalies in Niño 3.4 (NAO) index.

Bahía Culebra, Golfo de Papagayo, Costa Rica es una región de afloramiento estacional. Para determinar la relación entre el clima y la variabilidad de la temperatura sub-superficial, se analizaron los registros de la temperatura sub-superficial del mar de nueve estaciones localizadas en la Bahía. El análisis permitió caracterizar su ciclo anual y explorar su relación con fuentes de variabilidad climática que influencian el clima regional para el periodo 1998-2010. Los resultados se contextualizaron usando además los datos de una estación meteorológica automática que funcionó en la bahía junto con el registro de la temperatura superficial del mar para una rejilla que cubre la región de 9-11°N, 85-87°W, para el periodo 1854-2011. Debido a la tendencia positiva encontrada en la región para la temperatura superficial del mar, se concluye que los resultados mostrados asociados a los ciclos anuales y diarios en Bahía Culebra deben ser interpretados bajo un escenario de cambio climático, asociado a un calentamiento ocurrido desde 1854, además coherente con lo observado globalmente, y que su variabilidad climática está influenciada no sólo por aquella ligada a la de El Niño-Oscilación del Sur, en el Pacífico Ecuatorial, sino también por influencias de tipo atmosférico relacionadas con la variabilidad en el Océano Atlántico, debido a que los eventos cálidos (fríos) en Bahía Culebra tienden a ocurrir en concordancia con anomalías positivas y negativas (negativas y positivas) de los índices Niño 3.4 y OAN, respectivamente.

Relación entre las capturas de Megapitaria squalida (Bivalvia: Veneridae) y la temperatura superficial del mar en la Bahía de la Paz, Baja California Sur, México

Megapitaria squalida (Bivalvia: Veneridae) fishery landings and temperature relationship in Bahía de la Paz, México. The clam Megapitaria squalida is a fishing resource with increasing importance in Northwestern Mexico. Nevertheless, this fishery has shown important variations that could be related to environmental factors. To assess this, monthly landings of M. squalida were analyzed during 2002-2005 for Bahía de La Paz, B.C.S., and were related with monthly time series of sea surface temperature, derived from MODIS-Aqua Sensor. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between sea surface temperature and clam landings. The likely impact of anomalous conditions of sea temperature on this resource is discussed. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (1): 151-157. Epub 2011 March 01.

La almeja chocolate Megapitaria squalida es un recurso pesquero con creciente importancia en el noroeste de México al registrarse un incremento en los volúmenes de captura. Sin embargo, esta pesquería ha observado variaciones importantes en las capturas que podrían estar relacionadas con factores ambientales. Se obtuvieron datos mensuales de producción de M. squalida durante 2002- 2005 y se estimaron series de tiempo de temperatura superficial del mar en la Bahía de La Paz B.C.S. a partir de imágenes mensuales derivadas del sensor MODIS-Aqua. Los resultados indican una relación positiva significativa entre la temperatura superficial del mar y los volúmenes de captura, razón por la cual nuestro trabajo tiene como objetivo estudiar las relaciones entre capturas de Megapitaria squalida (Bivalvia: Veneridae) y la temperatura superficial del mar en La Bahía de la Paz, Baja California Sur, México.

Reproducción, dieta y pesquería del pulpo Octopus (Octopus) hubbsorum (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) en la costa de Oaxaca, México

Reproduction, diet and fishery of Octopus (Octopus) hubbsorum (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) in the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico. The octopus Octopus hubbsorum (Berry 1953) ranges widely and is important for the artisanal fishery in Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, Mexico. Samples were taken approximately at every two weeks from January 2002 to November 2003. All organisms were measured for dorsal mantle length (DLM) and total weight; sex and maturity gonadic stage were registered. For the stomach content analysis, frequency of occurrence and emptying indexes were used. The 352 organisms caught ranged from 4 to 18 cm in DLM; the sex ratio was different from 1 (X² = 24.2, p<0.05) throughout the year. The maximum values of the GSI appeared in May (4.1917 for females; 1.2675 in males). LDM for first sexual maturity (LDM50%) was 16 cm (females) and 14 cm (males). Octopus hubbsorum moves from deep waters to the coast, probably in search of better conditions, and lays masses of eggs on rocky substrata. They are fished from March to October, with higher intensity in April and May. Fishing effort was related to the oceanographic characteristics and the atmospheric conditions of the area. From April to September the CPUE monthly mean was 20-10 kg/divers/day. Using the CPUE and environmental condition relationship, the estimated adequate superficial temperature for fishing is 29.5 °C. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (1-2): 63-78. Epub 2009 June 30.

Se analizan algunos aspectos de la biología y pesquería de Octopus hubbsorum capturado por pesca artesanal en Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca, México. Las muestras se obtuvieron de enero 2002 a noviembre 2003 con una periodicidad quincenal. A cada uno de los organismos se les registró la longitud dorsal del manto (LDM), peso total, sexo y estado de madurez gonádica. Asímismo se obtuvo el Índice Gonadosomático (IGS). Para el análisis del contenido estomacal se utilizaron los índices de frecuencia de presencia y vaciado. Se analizaron 352 organismos, con un intervalo de tallas de 4 a 19 cm LDM; la proporción de sexos fue diferente de 1 (.2= 24.2, p<0.05) todo el año. Los valores máximos del IGS se presentaron en mayo (4.1917 hembras; 1.2675 machos). La LDM de primera madurez sexual para las hembras es de 16 cm (machos 14 cm). Octopus hubbsorum viaja a la costa con el fin de colocar las masas de huevos sobre sustratos rocosos y probablemente en busca de condiciones más adecuadas que a mayores profundidades. La pesca se realiza todo el año con un incremento en las capturas de marzo a octubre, con mayor intensidad en abril y mayo. El esfuerzo de pesca se encuentra relacionado con las características oceanográficas y las condiciones atmosféricas de la zona. De abril a septiembre la captura por unidad de esfuerzo (CPUE) promedio mensual varió entre 10 y 20 kg/buzo/día. A partir de la relación entre la CPUE y las variables ambientales, se estimó una temperatura superficial del mar (TSM) óptima, la cual es de 29.5 °C para la captura de esta especie.

Study of the Pathophysiology of Hot Flush and Cold Feet by Using an Infrared Thermometer / 日本東洋医学雑誌

[Purpose] We studied the pathophysiology of hot flush and cold feet.[Methods] By using an infrared thermometer, we measured the surface temperature of 98 female patients. We classified the patients into 4 groups : Group A patients without hot flushes or cold feet ; Group B patients with hot flushes but without cold feet ; Group C, patients without hot flushes but with cold feet ; and Group D patients with both hot flushes and cold feet. We measured the surface temperature of their tongues, upper abdomen, lower abdomen, and soles.[Results] The tongue temperature in Group B was significantly higher than that in Group A. The difference in the temperatures between the tongue and upper abdomen in Group B was also significantly greater than that in group A. Groups C and D, on the other hand, showed similar surface temperatures. Then, we examined the relationship between tongue temperatures, and the difference in the temperatures between the tongue and sole (Diff T-S) by using a correlation coefficient test : a significant correlation (r=0.77) was observed in Group C but not in Group D. Next, the patients in Group D were divided into 3 subgroups on the basis of their Diff T-S ; we found that these subgroups were characterized by the constitutionally ordinary symptoms (COS) of “yin and yang” and “deficiency and excess.”[Discussion] The occurrence of hot flush with cold feet was shown to depend on the slope of the body temperature, which was influenced by COS.[Conclusion] The occurrence of hot flush is associated with COS.