Search Results (1,199)

To understand the epidemiological characteristics and patterns of mushroom poisoning in Zhejiang Province from 2012 to 2023, and to overcome the limitations of previous descriptive studies in precise early warning and spatial identification, this study explored the feasibility of identifying spatial distribution characteristics and high-risk spatiotemporal clusters. First, descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on 2276 cases from the Foodborne Disease Case Surveillance System and 408 outbreaks from the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System reported over the 12-year period to clarify the basic characteristics and trends of poisoning. Subsequently, spatial autocorrelation analysis (Moran’s I) was employed to reveal spatial dependence and clustering patterns. Finally, spatiotemporal scan statistics (SatScan) were used to precisely identify high-risk spatiotemporal clusters, systematically analyzing the spatiotemporal distribution and clustering patterns of mushroom poisoning cases. The results showed a distinct summer–autumn seasonal peak (June–October), attributed to the subtropical monsoon climate with high temperatures and abundant rainfall, which is conducive to mushroom growth. Farmers were the most affected population (47.93%), and homes were the primary poisoning locations (71.7%), reflecting widespread foraging habits and insufficient risk awareness in rural areas. Chlorophyllum molybdites (36.27%) and Russula japonica (10.05%) were the dominant poisoning mushroom species, with gastrointestinal symptoms being the predominant clinical manifestation (84.07%). Spatial analysis revealed significant spatiotemporal clustering of mushroom poisoning in Zhejiang Province. The global Moran’s I index showed significant positive autocorrelation in some years (p < 0.05), with local hotspots mainly distributed in western Zhejiang counties. This pattern is driven by a dual model of environmental suitability and behavioral risk, resulting from the high forest coverage and humid climate of the western Zhejiang mountainous areas providing suitable habitats, combined with long-standing foraging habits among local residents. Retrospective spatiotemporal scanning identified high-risk clusters for each year from 2018 to 2023, with the Lishui area in 2023 being the most significant cluster (Relative Risk (RR) = 15.44, Log-Likelihood Ratio (LLR) = 114.49). The results confirm that mushroom poisoning in Zhejiang Province exhibits a stable and identifiable spatiotemporal clustering pattern, providing a quantitative basis for precise health education and targeted prevention and control in high-risk counties of western Zhejiang during June–October, thereby shifting the approach from passive reporting to targeted intervention. Full article

Pilot-scale validation of controlled CO₂ curing for reinforced concrete members remains limited. This study developed a 2400 L high-temperature CO₂ curing chamber integrating control of temperature, relative humidity (RH), CO₂ concentration, and pressure with real-time monitoring and automated CO₂ regulation. Its applicability was evaluated using commercial concrete bricks and a reinforced concrete slab through mass monitoring, compressive strength testing, phenolphthalein-based carbonation assessment, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), flexural testing, and carbonation depth measurement. Real-time mass monitoring showed a net mass gain of 50.7 g after 1 h, corresponding to 2.8% of the initial mass. The CO₂-cured bricks achieved a compressive strength of 9.77 MPa, with a calculated CO₂ uptake of 5.72% based on TGA. The CO₂-cured slab exhibited a compressive strength of 41.9 MPa, comparable flexural load capacity to the steam-cured slab, and a higher ductility index of 6.86. Carbonation remained within the concrete cover without reaching the reinforcement. Within the scope of the investigated materials and curing conditions, these results demonstrate the pilot-scale feasibility of controlled CO₂ curing for commercial concrete products and reinforced concrete members and provide a basis for further member-scale validation and process optimization. Full article

With the aim of evaluating the effects of combining a natural additive composed of a blend of essential oils plus vitamin D3 (EOD3) with Bacillus subtilis (BS) or with the antibiotic virginiamycin (VM) on growth-performance and carcass traits of finishing lambs subjected to high ambient heat load, 48 intact male lambs (initial weight = 33.71 ± 3.21 kg) were used in a feeding trial lasting 61 d. Treatments consisted of supplementing (as a feed basis) a total mixing finishing diet (90:10 concentrate-to-forage ratio) as follows: (1) without feed additives (Control); (2) supplemented with EOD3 (a blend of 100 mg essential oils plus 0.10 mg vitamin D3/kg diet); (3) diet supplemented with EOD3 plus 2 g Bacillus subtilis PB6/kg diet to provide 2.2 × 10⁸ CFU (EOD3+BS); and (4) basal diet supplemented with EOD3 plus 25 mg virginiamycin/kg diet (EOD3+VM). The temperature–humidity index (THI) during the experiment averaged 82.52 ± 1.10. Compared to non-supplemented lambs, lambs that received EOD3 alone showed greater (p < 0.03) average daily gain (ADG; 15.3%), gain-to-feed ratio (GF; 12.3%), and observed-to-expected dietary NE ratio (5.9%). The combination of EOD3 with BS resulted in identical ADG but a numerically larger DMI (7.1%, p = 0.087) than the EOD3 treatment, leading to lower (p = 0.024) GF and a lower (p < 0.01) observed-to-expected dietary NE ratio. In contrast to our expectation, combining VM and EOD3 did not increase growth response (p = 0.69), GF (p = 0.49), or dietary energy utilization efficiency (p = 0.09) when compared to EOD3 alone. Because the lambs that received supplemental EOD3 alone and their combinations showed greater final weight, hot carcass weight was heavier than in controls; however, no effects were observed on the other carcass variables evaluated, including whole cuts and shoulder tissue composition. Lambs that received EOD3 and their combinations showed a lower relative intestinal mass than controls (p < 0.04). This result confirms the role of EOD3 as a tool to minimize the negative impact of high ambient temperature on the performance of fattening lambs. Combining EOD3 with Bacillus subtilis or with VM did not improve energy utilization efficiency or carcass traits compared with EOD3 supplementation alone in lambs fattening under high ambient heat load. Further research is needed to better understand the interactions among different additives and to propose more effective supplementation strategies in animals subjected to different environmental conditions. Full article

This study presents and validates a modular Internet of Farming (IoF) sensing architecture designed for high-fidelity microclimate monitoring to address the spatial biases in reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) estimation for precision viticulture. Deployed in a Mediterranean vineyard in Antalya, Türkiye, the system demonstrated high operational robustness with a 98.6% data completion rate over an annual cycle. Comparative analysis between field-level IoF data and regional meteorological station (TSMS) records revealed a systematic overestimation of ET₀ by regional networks (MBE = −0.695 mm/day, MAPE = 10.56%). Sensitivity analysis identified discrepancies in wind speed (36.6%), net radiation (31%), and relative humidity (30%) as the primary physical drivers of this spatial bias, with air temperature serving as a seasonal index for their integrated intensification rather than as a direct dominant contributor (~2.4%). Results indicate that reliance on regional data would lead to an irrigation surplus of approximately 97.5 mm (11.4%) during the growing season. The findings underscore the critical role of localized sensing layers in resolving microclimatic heterogeneities that regional grids fail to capture within the specific site and year examined. While these results motivate further investigation into IoF-based architectures as a potentially transferable framework for ET₀ bias correction, broader generalisation to other crops, climate regimes, and management systems remains a promising avenue for future multi-site, multi-year validation rather than an established conclusion of the present study. Full article

Heat stress is frequently associated with reduced dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield, and physiological alterations in Holstein dairy cows. The aim was to evaluate how prior exposure to heat stress affects feed intake, milk production, energy balance, blood metabolites, and infrared thermography, with special emphasis on the cows’ ability to recover and re-establish normal physiological and productive responses. Thirty multiparous lactating Holstein cows (days in milk = 87 ± 19.6 days) and previous milk yield (30.8 ± 3.95 kg/d) were monitored over 21 days, divided into three 7-day phases: thermoneutral (TN), cows kept at a constant temperature–humidity index (THI) of 69; heat stress (HS), cows at a THI of 82 for 9 h and 69 for 15 h, and recovery (REC), cows at a constant THI of 69. Milk yield decreased by 16.1% during HS and remained 17.3% lower during REC compared with TN. Dry matter intake was reduced by 5.8 and 4.2 kg/d for HS and REC compared to TN cows. Plasma insulin was higher in REC compared to HS. Under the conditions of the present study, heat stress was associated with impaired productive performance, altered metabolism, and changes in the physiological status of mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows, with some effects persisting after the cows returned to thermoneutral conditions. Full article

Although conventionally quantified as an urban–rural thermal anomaly, urban heat islands are systematic expressions of development choices that shape unequal exposures and health risks across cities. This article develops an integrated urban development-health framework explaining how imperviousness, vegetation deficit, landscape configuration, urban morphology, thermally absorptive materials and nocturnal heat retention connect heat exposure with physical disease, mental well-being and climate-responsive planning. A critical integrative review reported using PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-ScR principles, organised evidence from urban climate, public health, environmental epidemiology and planning. The synthesis covers the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Local Climate Zones (LCZs), sky-view factor (SVF), height-to-width ratio (H/W), land-surface temperature (LST), Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET), wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and nocturnal minimum temperature, together with cardiovascular, respiratory, psychiatric, sleep, mortality and well-being outcomes. Six recurrent amplification pathways were identified: imperviousness and low canopy cover; nocturnal heat retention; social vulnerability; blue-green and cool infrastructure; heat–pollution–humidity interaction; and sleep/mental-health disruption. The Urban Heat-Health Development Index (UHHDI) and Urban Heat-Health Amplification Pattern (UHHAP) are proposed as transparent, review-derived tools for urban diagnosis and policy prioritisation. A Spanish/Mediterranean climatic-zone transition analysis illustrates how future climatic severity can be translated into planning-relevant exposure potential. The findings support a shift from simply describing urban heat to diagnosing development-driven heat-health risk, with implications for urban regeneration, thermal justice, public-health adaptation and healthy-city governance. Full article

Heat stress represents one of the most economically and biologically consequential environmental challenges facing modern dairy production, with projected intensification under ongoing climate change. Intraruminal bolus sensors have emerged as a uniquely capable platform for heat stress surveillance in lactating dairy cows: once administered, they provide continuous, lifetime access to reticuloruminal temperature—a reliable indicator of core body thermal status—alongside behavioral parameters, in a configuration entirely shielded from external environmental interference. This review examines the scientific basis and practical capabilities of bolus-based heat stress monitoring and its potential to optimize dairy production systems. We describe the physiological rationale for reticuloruminal temperature as a heat stress indicator, the principal confounding factors including drinking-water effects and diurnal variation, and the evidence base for interpreting temperature signals in the context of breed, parity, milk yield, and the temperature–humidity index. We review controlled studies characterizing the determinants of reticuloruminal temperature across breeds and seasons, and a four-level machine-learning processing architecture for bolus data integration. Individual baseline calibration—rather than fixed population thresholds—is identified as a prerequisite for reliable detection, enabling targeted cooling interventions, improved reproductive management, and enhanced disease surveillance. We further review bolus developments extending sensing to heart-rate monitoring and low-power wide area network communication, and discuss machine-learning methodologies suited to bolus-derived time-series data. Methodological challenges—including drinking-water effects, sensor precision, communication reliability, and the absence of standardized crossbreed validation protocols—are critically appraised, and future research priorities are identified. Full article

Environmental regulation in caged broiler houses requires strict control of temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation, as abnormal indoor conditions may adversely affect broiler health and productive performance. However, existing research has paid insufficient attention to environmental changes at multiple spatial locations within broiler houses, and some studies have focused solely on a single rearing cycle without seasonal differences in the indoor rearing environment. Therefore, this study proposes a GRU–Transformer prediction model based on task-adaptive fusion. By integrating data from multiple indoor temperature sensors, central relative humidity, outdoor environmental conditions, broiler age, and control signals from environmental control devices, the model predicts central temperature, central relative humidity, and temperatures at six specific locations within the house, namely the front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower positions. Additionally, the model calculates the temperature–humidity index (THI) using the predicted central temperature and central relative humidity. The model was trained using environmental data spanning multiple complete rearing cycles across four seasons and validated on four independent test sets. The validation results show that the proposed model achieved the lowest mean absolute error (MAE) in 10 out of 12 single-step tasks for central temperature, central relative humidity, and THI. Additionally, the model demonstrated relatively stable predictive performance in multi-point predictions. Furthermore, multi-step prediction tasks, ablation experiments, and random seed experiments were conducted to further verify the model’s cross-seasonal generalization capability, robustness, and tracking performance. In the future, the developed model can serve as a predictive basis to support intelligent environmental regulation using MPC (Model Predictive Control) or RL (Reinforcement Learning) frameworks. Full article

Courtyard-cluster layouts are common in rural public buildings in hot-humid regions, but their open-space types remain poorly quantified. We assessed a completed elderly-care center in Shaoguan, South China, using steady-state RANS CFD (simpleFoam, standard k–ε, OpenFOAM 8), porous-media vegetation, Solar Cal-based mean radiant temperature (MRT), and pedestrian-level Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). Published component-level validation was used to assess toolchain reliability. Simulations represented peak heat stress at noon on 24 July (air temperature 30.3 °C, relative humidity 69%, southwesterly wind 2.9 m/s). Relative to an unobstructed reference (MRT 60.1 °C; UTCI 40.0 °C), architectural open spaces reduced mean MRT by 21.2 °C (35%) and UTCI by 5.3 °C (13%). Covered, laterally open grey spaces were coolest (mean MRT 34.63 °C; UTCI 33.61 °C), whereas open courtyards were warmer (41.79 °C; 35.34 °C) but 18% better ventilated (0.87 versus 0.74 m/s) and served as ventilation nodes. With uniform air temperature and humidity, UTCI variation was strongly associated with MRT (R = 0.989) and weakly with wind speed (R = −0.182). These scenario-bounded results support a shade-first strategy in which courtyards supply ventilation to adjacent covered spaces. Full article

Heat stress (HS) suppresses voluntary feed intake in lactating sows, yet individual-level characterization of indoor and outdoor Temperature–Humidity Index (THI) linked to feed intake is rare in Mediterranean commercial settings. This prospective observational study enrolled 272 F1-crossbred sows (parities 1–7) farrowing from May–October 2025 at a commercial Greek farm. Outdoor THI was computed from 8760 hourly records and indoor THI from calibrated dataloggers; individual daily lactation feed intake (days 1–30) was recorded via RFID transponder-feeders. Building cooling (ΔTHI = 3.7–14.3) attenuated but did not eliminate mild-to-moderate indoor stress from June–September. Only parity and stillbirth count were Bonferroni-significant correlates of feed intake (parity: β = +0.142, p = 0.002). A sow-day Gradient Boosting model, evaluated by grouped cross-validation to prevent within-sow leakage, achieved CV-R² = 0.406 ± 0.045, providing a validated, herd-tested framework for parity-stratified feeding management, pending external validation across farms, genetics, and climates. Full article

Mass concentrations of particulate matter are a fundamental metric for air quality and health impact assessment; however, they are insufficient for accurately characterizing exposure. They do not capture particle size distribution or number concentration. Therefore, aerosol assessment should include particle number concentration (PNC), which better represents toxicologically relevant fractions and enables more precise source identification. The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of particle number concentration (PNC) measurements in the 0.3–10 µm size range obtained using three low-cost Sensirion SPS30 particle sensors under field conditions in an urban environment. The analyses included an assessment of agreement between the SPS30 sensors, an evaluation of their measurement performance against the OPS 3330 optical particle spectrometer, and the development of calibration models. The SPS30 sensors showed high inter-device repeatability for PNC in the 0.3–1.0 µm range (CV_d < 2%). However, measurement performance declined with increasing particle size, with the index of agreement (IOA) decreasing from 0.8 (0.3–0.5 µm) to −0.5 (2.5–10 µm). Sensor accuracy was influenced by meteorological conditions: relative humidity primarily affected short-term variability (precision and dynamic agreement), while temperature controlled systematic bias. Although incorporating these variables into advanced calibration models improved performance, SPS30 sensors remained unsuitable for PNC measurements in the 2.5–10 µm range, exhibiting systematic errors of ~25% even after nonlinear correction. The findings support the responsible use of low-cost particle sensors for supplementary air quality monitoring, contributing to accessible environmental data and sustainable urban air quality management. Full article

Institutional and commercial cooks may experience sustained heat exposure from combustion-based cooking, yet field evidence on thermal conditions following the introduction of electric cooking remains limited. This exploratory before-and-after case study examined three purposively selected kitchens in Kampala, Uganda, combining five-minute temperature and relative humidity monitoring at three spatial positions with cooking diaries, repeated thermal comfort and sensation votes, and enumerator observations. Heat Index (HI) was used as a temperature–humidity screening proxy, and Kampala weather data were used to calculate weather-adjusted differences. On documented active e-cooking days, mean hourly near-stove HI fell from 33.26 °C to 26.00 °C at Site A, 31.35 °C to 29.55 °C at Site B, and 31.71 °C to 27.50 °C at Site C. Time in the Safe HI category increased from 23.5% to 67.8%, 17.0% to 33.3%, and 25.4% to 53.0%, respectively. Day-level tests and a sensitivity analysis using all weather-matched intervention period logger days showed the same overall direction. Raw cooking durations declined for several meals, although, after normalisation by the number of people served, the reductions remained statistically detectable only for Site B breakfast and lunch. The results provide exploratory evidence of lower environmental thermal exposure under documented active e-cooking conditions. Sequential timing, purposive sampling, workload differences, incomplete intervention records and the absence of radiant, air speed and physiological measurements prevent causal interpretation as reduced occupational heat strain. Full article

Kelp is a high-moisture, flexible, sheet-like marine biomass whose drying behavior is strongly affected by the coupled effects of radiative heating, convective vapor removal, internal moisture migration, tissue shrinkage, curling, and material overlap. Traditional sun drying and hot-air drying remain widely used but are limited by long processing cycles, environmental dependence, high energy consumption, and inconsistent product quality. With the development of infrared heating, heat-pump dehumidification, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled sensing, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication, multiphysics simulation, and digital control, kelp drying is progressively shifting toward monitored, model-assisted, and intelligent processing. This review critically summarizes recent advances in kelp and related seaweed drying, with particular emphasis on infrared-assisted heat and mass transfer, drying kinetics, coupled computational fluid dynamics–finite element method (CFD–FEM) simulation, quality evaluation, and intelligent control. Representative published studies demonstrate the engineering potential of these approaches. In a suspended infrared-array kelp drying system, an infrared power density of 1.2 kW m−2 combined with an air velocity of 3 m s−1 maintained the drying temperature at approximately 55–62 °C, while relative humidity decreased from about 80% to 20–30%. Under these conditions, the Page model achieved R² = 0.987 and RMSE = 0.019, the rehydration ratio exceeded 94%, and the total color difference remained below ΔE = 6.5. A recent CFD–FEM–MATLAB workflow further reported a composite operating-condition index of J = 0.4535, with mapped mean and maximum kelp surface temperatures of 62.23 and 63.57 °C, respectively. These quantitative results indicate that the key challenge in infrared kelp drying is not simply to increase heat input, but to coordinate radiation distribution, airflow organization, internal moisture transport, structural response, and quality preservation. Future research should therefore focus on experimentally validated heat–mass-transfer models, adaptive sensing and control, multi-objective optimization, and pilot-scale verification under realistic production conditions. Full article

Urban areas face increasing challenges related to heat stress and urban heat islands, necessitating effective strategies for microclimate regulation and thermal comfort enhancement. This study investigates the cooling effect of three tree species, Ficus retusa, Ficus benjamina and Fraxinus spp. (Ash trees), on urban microclimates and thermal comfort in downtown Annaba, Algeria, during the summer. The methodology comprises two complementary methods. First, field measurements of air temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH), and wind speed (Ws) were recorded hourly from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Second, collected data was inputted into the ENVI-met microclimate model to simulate various urban canopy scenarios. Microclimate variations, including air temperature (Ta), mean radiant temperature (T_mrt), relative humidity, wind speed, and the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index, were computed over a 13 h period, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., to examine the cooling effect of each species and their impact on outdoor thermal comfort. The results demonstrate the notable cooling effect of Ficus species and Fraxinus spp. with Ficus species generally exhibiting larger reductions in air temperature (0.9 °C to 2 °C) and PET index (7.3 °C to 7.7 °C), and higher increases in relative humidity (5.6% to 6.8%) compared to Ash trees. Full article

To address uneven temperature and relative humidity distributions, localized heat accumulation, and insufficient air velocity in an enclosed stacked-cage laying hen house, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the laying hen house was developed using field-measured structural and environmental data, and a porous-media model was established for the cage zone. Model validation showed that the normalized mean square error (NMSE) values for temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity were all below 0.25, confirming the reliability of the CFD model. Through visualization analysis of the contour maps, the problems of uneven airflow distribution in the original ventilation system and significant heat accumulation at the fan end were identified. On this basis, numerical simulations were conducted for six air-inlet configurations by varying two key parameters: air-inlet spacing and air-inlet number. The simulation results showed that, compared with the original model, the configuration with an air-inlet spacing of 1.14 m and a total of 32 air inlets on the two gable walls improved the uniformity of temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity by 18.00%, 10.54%, and 18.38%, respectively, while reducing the mean effective temperature index (ETI) in the cage zone by 0.5 °C. This configuration effectively alleviated localized heat accumulation and improved air-velocity uniformity. These findings provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the structural optimization and environmental regulation of enclosed stacked-cage laying hen houses. Full article