Urban heat exposure poses increasing challenges to human health and thermal comfort, while the visual and olfactory characteristics of plant communities may be related to human thermal experience. A controlled experiment was conducted under neutral-to-slightly-warm conditions (27–28 °C) with three odor conditions (no odor, cedar, and laurel) and eight plant community scenes selected based on field observations. Sixty participants completed subjective assessments and physiological measurements of thermal perception, visual perception, and physiological responses. The relationships of visual spatial perception and visual color perception with thermal perception were also examined. Neither odor condition nor its interaction with plant community scene was significant for any subjective thermal perception measure. Plant community scene showed significant overall effects on thermal comfort, thermal satisfaction, and thermal expectation, but not on thermal sensation. Visual spatial perception and visual color perception differed significantly across scenes. Visual spatial perception was positively associated with thermal satisfaction, whereas visual color perception was positively associated with thermal sensation and negatively associated with thermal expectation, indicating that higher visual warmth ratings were associated with warmer thermal sensation and a greater expectation for cooler conditions. Mean heart rate did not differ significantly across experimental conditions, whereas the root mean square of successive differences differed across odor conditions, and mean skin temperature differed across both odor conditions and plant community scenes. Overall, plant community scenes showed distinct patterns in thermal and visual perception, whereas odor conditions were not associated with subjective thermal perception but differed in some physiological responses. Plant community scenes differed in several thermal perception measures. Spatial perception was positively associated with thermal satisfaction. Color perception was associated with thermal sensation and expectation. Odor conditions did not differ significantly in subjective thermal perception. Physiological responses varied across odor conditions and plant community scenes.
Global warming threatens dairy production worldwide, impacting animal health and welfare as well as production economics. This necessitates the identification of thermotolerance markers. Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) regulates the cellular heat shock response in both humans and animals, yet its genetic architecture has been sparsely evaluated in Bos indicus cows. This study characterizes HSF1 polymorphisms and seasonal expression profiles in two heat-resilient indicine cattle breeds: Sahiwal and Kankrej. We genotyped 100 cows (50 per breed) for two HSF1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): T15531C (intron 3) and G19315T (3’UTR), previously linked to thermotolerance in exotic cattle breeds. Additionally, physiological parameters of the genotyped cows were recorded, and seasonal transcriptional profiling of HSF1 was conducted in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Sanger sequencing revealed that both breeds were completely monomorphic for the CC (T15531C) and GG (G19315T) genotypes. Furthermore, a novel C > T transition at g.19,364 (3’UTR) was identified. This variant was polymorphic (exclusively CT heterozygotes) in the Kankrej cows but monomorphic (CC) in Sahiwal cows. Transcriptional profiling demonstrated a significant upregulation of HSF1 mRNA during the summer and hot-humid seasons in both breeds, a response that directly corresponded with elevated physiological stress indicators such as rectal temperature and respiration rate. These findings highlight the genetic conservation of the targeted HSF1 loci in these populations. The novel g.19,364 variant serves as a descriptive candidate marker that requires future functional validation and genotype-phenotype association in larger populations to evaluate its role in conferring thermotolerance in cows.
Chronic hypoxia and cold climates are major health challenges for high-altitude migrants. Although chronic altitude sickness (CMS) is well studied, research on hypoxic–cold–induced frostbite is limited. In this study, frostbite risk among high-altitude migrants was investigated, and the contributions of the CMS and hematological parameters to this association were evaluated. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 891 healthy adult male lowlanders who migrated to Tibetan regions at altitudes of 4000 m or higher. Frostbite was assessed using self-report questionnaires, and the CMS was evaluated using the Qinghai International Consensus Scoring System. Associations between high-altitude exposure and hematological parameters were analyzed using analysis of covariance. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios and 95
Mental disorders contribute substantially to the global burden of disease, which could be further amplified by harsh weather conditions. However, existing studies have largely focused on the effect of temperature change on mental health, while evidence regarding the potential association between snowfall and mental disorders in urban and rural areas is relatively limited. We collected daily data on mental disorder-related hospitalizations from three cities (Suzhou, Hefei, and Lu’an) and emergency department (ED) visits from Hefei, Anhui Province, eastern China, during the winter of 2016–2019. A space-time stratified case-crossover design was used to examine the association between snowfall and hospitalizations and ED visits for overall and cause-specific mental disorders. Subgroup analyses were conducted for urban and rural areas and different snowfall characteristics. Snowfall was associated with higher odds of mental disorder-related ED visits and hospitalizations, particularly on the day of snowfall. Similar associations were observed for depression and schizophrenia. For depression, the odds ratios (ORs) for ED visits and hospitalizations were 1.830 (95
Climate change has profoundly altered the spatio-temporal dynamics of the tourism industry, particularly in ecologically vulnerable coastal regions. This study evaluates the bio-climatic vulnerability of Iran’s southern coasts by projecting mid-term (2041–2060) tourism climate conditions. A multi-model ensemble of 10 CMIP6 General Circulation Models (GCMs) under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, downscaled via Distribution Mapping (DM), was utilized. Results reveal widespread warming, with projected mean increases in maximum and minimum temperatures of 1.55°C and 1.47°C, respectively. Alongside a slight annual precipitation increase, key winter months exhibit significant reductions (December: 20.36
