Legionellosis is a respiratory infection caused by Legionella sp. that is found in water and soil. Infection may cause pneumonia (Legionnaires’ Disease) and a milder form (Pontiac Fever). Legionella colonizes water systems and results in exposure by inhalation of aerosolized bacteria. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 14 days. Precipitation and humidity may be associated with increased risk. We used Medicare records from 1999 to 2020 to identify hospitalizations for legionellosis. Precipitation, temperature, and relative humidity were obtained from the PRISM Climate Group for the zip code of residence. We used a time-stratified bi-directional case-crossover design with lags of 20 days. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression and distributed lag non-linear models. A total of 37 883 hospitalizations were identified. Precipitation and relative humidity at lags 8 through 13 days were associated with an increased risk of legionellosis. The strongest association was precipitation at day 10 lag (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.05–1.11 per 1 cm). Over 20 days, 3 cm of precipitation increased the odds of legionellosis over four times. The association was strongest in the Northeast and Midwest and during summer and fall. Precipitation and humidity were associated with hospitalization among Medicare recipients for legionellosis at lags consistent with the incubation period for infection.

The use of neutron diffraction to determine some of the structural properties of montmorillonite-water systems at low water concentrations is described. The samples were prepared by compression or suction to give clay samples with between one and three molecular layers of water between the plates.

About 10% of the platelets in the clay are randomly oriented. The remainder are partially oriented in the plane of the sample, with an angular spread of 40° about the mean orientation. It is suggested that these oriented domains are formed from the larger platelets present in the system. The Bragg diffraction pattern is better explained by a disordered lattice model rather than by a mixture model with small particles having a well-defined lattice spacing. We have fitted both the intensities of (00l) reflections and the shape of the (001) reflection quantitatively to a model which allows for a Gaussian spread of platelet spacing about a mean value. The half width of the spread is about 10% of the lattice spacing.

No significant structural differences are found between Li, Na, K, and Cs montmorillonites. The method of preparation has no effect on the structural properties of the large platelet particles but does affect the randomly oriented fraction. The lattice spacing of the latter appears to be better defined for samples prepared by compression.

Experiments on the variation of lattice spacing with humidity indicate that the structural model we have used is adequate except at humidities where the system is changing over from one to two, or two to three water layers.

Previous work has proposed various mechanisms by which the environment may affect the emergence of linguistic features. For example, dry air may cause careful control of pitch to be more effortful, and so affect the emergence of linguistic distinctions that rely on pitch such as lexical tone or vowel inventories. Criticisms of these proposals point out that there are both historical and geographic confounds that need to be controlled for. We take a causal inference approach to this problem to design the most detailed test of the theory to date. We analyse languages from the Bantu language family, using a prior geographic–phylogenetic tree of relationships to establish where and when languages were spoken. This is combined with estimates of humidity for those times and places, taken from historical climate models. We then estimate the strength of causal relationships in a causal path model, controlling for various influences of inheritance and borrowing. We find no evidence to support the previous claims that humidity affects the emergence of lexical tone. This study shows how using causal inference approaches lets us test complex causal claims about the cultural evolution of language.

Many important and interesting hypotheses about cultural evolution are evaluated using cross-cultural correlations: if knowing one particular feature of a culture (e.g. environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity or parasite load) allows you to predict other features (e.g. language features, religious beliefs, cuisine), it is often interpreted as indicating a causal link between the two (e.g. hotter climates carry greater disease risk, which encourages belief in supernatural forces and favours the use of antimicrobial ingredients in food preparation; dry climates make the production of distinct tones more difficult). However, testing such hypotheses from cross-cultural comparisons requires us to take proximity of cultures into account: nearby cultures share many aspects of their environment and are more likely to be similar in many culturally inherited traits. This can generate indirect associations between environment and culture which could be misinterpreted as signals of a direct causal link. Evaluating examples of cross-cultural correlations from the literature, we show that significant correlations interpreted as causal relationships can often be explained as a result of similarity between neighbouring cultures. We discuss some strategies for sorting the explanatory wheat from the co-varying chaff, distinguishing incidental correlations from causal relationships.

Snake ownership is popular; however, housing and care may not always satisfy the animal's welfare needs. For example, snakes are often kept in environmental conditions that restrict their ability to stretch out fully or move around, using rectilinear locomotion. To date, little empirical data exist on the housing and husbandry of captive snakes and how these impact welfare. This study analyses survey responses from 744 snake owners worldwide and explores potential welfare concerns for snakes kept within private homes. It documents the most common housing and husbandry methods and compares the three most common families (Pythonids, Boids and Colubrids). Owner-reported data were used to derive scores for two potential welfare indicators: number of clinical signs of ill health and the number of reported negative (abnormal) behaviours. Using these indicators, associations were tested with snake-keeping variables, such as enclosure size, level of enrichment, temperature and humidity. Owners reported that 90.7% (n = 675) of snakes adopted rectilinear (straight-line or near straight-line) positions or movements. Snakes kept in enclosures > 1 snake length tended to have more enrichment types and were reported with fewer clinical signs of ill health. Some snakes were housed at unknown temperature (7.7%) or humidity (48.1%) ranges or in environmental conditions not in keeping with current recommended guidelines. Corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) were the most likely species to be kept at a humidity which did not match recommendations which may present a welfare concern. This study's results can be used to target husbandry guidance for future recommendations and care manuals.

Climate change effects on host–parasite interactions have been poorly studied in arid or semi-arid habitats. Here, we conducted an experiment aimed to increase the temperature inside European roller Coracias garrulus nest boxes located in a semi-arid habitat on different nest-site types to look for effects on different ectoparasite abundances and nestling growth. Average nest temperature was slightly higher in heated nests than in control nests, although differences were not statistically significant. However, relative humidity was significantly lower at night in heated nests as compared to control nests. The abundance of sand flies, mites and carnid flies was significantly higher in heated, less humid, nests while biting midge abundance was significantly lower in heated nests. Other ectoparasites were not significantly affected by treatment. Relative humidity was high even in heated nests, reaching more than 60%. Sand fly abundance was higher in nests located in sandstone walls, while mite abundance was higher in isolated farmhouses. In addition, sand fly prevalence was higher in nests located in isolated farmhouses and sandstone walls. Heat treatment, nest-site type or ectoparasite abundances did not affect the nestling body mass, wing length or their growth at different nestling ages.

Many recent palaeoclimatic studies have focused on Pleistocene interglacials, especially Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 5e and 11, as analogs to our modern interglacial (MIS 1). In continental area, archives allowing comparison between interglacials remain scarce. Calcareous tufa deposits, as they are characteristic of these periods and can provide long, almost continuous, palaeoclimatic records through their isotopic content, appear highly suitable for such investigation. In this paper, δ18O and δ13C values from the three well-dated tufas of Saint-Germain-le-Vasson, Caours, and La Celle are combined to compare temperature and moisture conditions prevailing during MIS 1, 5e, and 11, in the Paris Basin. Both Pleistocene interglacials, and especially their optima, appear stronger than the Holocene: MIS 11 was wetter and warmer than both the Holocene and MIS 5e, which itself experienced wetter conditions than the Holocene. These observations are consistent with palaeontological data from the studied sites, especially malacological assemblages, which record, as at other European tufa sites, a relative depletion of molluscan diversity during the Holocene compared with the Pleistocene (MIS 5 and 11) interglacials.

A simple and effective strategy is proposed for fabricating honeycomb-patterned ethyl cellulose (EC) films via a combination of the dip-coating and breath figure methods under a wide humidity range (40–90%). A mixture of toluene and methanol as a volatile solvent/nonsolvent pair was used to effectively control the surface morphology. Additionally, honeycomb patterns were successfully formed via dip-coating under a low humidity (relative humidity less than 40%), when water was directly added into the mixed solution. The important factors that influenced the morphology of EC honeycomb-patterned films were investigated, such as the humidity, solution concentration, and the withdrawal speed during dip-coating. The pore sizes could be controlled by changing the film-formation conditions. Water contact angle enables a transition from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The possible mechanisms of honeycomb pattern formation are discussed. The fabrication of an ordered honeycomb-patterned film in a cost-effective and convenient manner will have broad application potential in the future.

In this study, the surface morphology of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers was investigated. PCL was dissolved in various solvent/nonsolvent systems (acetone/dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF)/DMF, dichloromethane (DCM)/DMF, chloroform (CF)/DMF, acetone/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), THF/DMSO, DCM/DMSO, CF/DMSO) at a fixed ratio of 80/20 v/v. PCL solutions from these solvent systems were electrospun under varying high relative humidity (60–90%), and also room humidity. Characterization of fibers was evaluated by a scanning electron microscope, an atomic force microscope, water contact angle measurements, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, and a strain–stress test. Results revealed that the surface texture of individual fibers changed with the presence of different types of pores and surface roughness depending on both humidity and solvent/nonsolvent properties. Miscibility with water was another factor to be taken into account for understanding mechanisms that contributed to the formation of surface defects. Fibrous materials having such a surface architecture, especially the porous ones, are potential candidates for various applications such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, catalysis, and filtration.

Application timing and environmental factors reportedly influence the efficacy of auxinic herbicides. In resistance-prone weed species such as Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson), efficacy of auxinic herbicides recently adopted for use in resistant crops is of utmost importance to reduce selection pressure for herbicide-resistance traits. Growth chamber experiments were conducted comparing the interaction of different environmental effects with application time to determine the influence of these factors on visible phytotoxicity and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) formation in A. palmeri. Temperature displayed a high degree of influence on 2,4-D and dicamba efficacy in general, with applications at the low-temperature treatment (31/20 C day/night) resulting in an increase in phytotoxicity compared with high-temperature treatments (41/30 C day/night). Application time across temperature treatments significantly affected 2,4-D–induced phytotoxicity, resulting in a ≥30% increase across rates with treatments at 4:00 PM compared with 8:00 AM. Temperature differential had a significant influence on dicamba efficacy based on visible phytotoxicity data, with a ≥46% increase with a high (37/20 C day/night) compared with a low differential (41/30 C day/night). Concentration of H2O2 in herbicide-treated plants was 34% higher under a high temperature differential compared with the low differential. Humidity treatments and application time interactions displayed undetected or inconsistent effects on visible phytotoxicity and H2O2 production. Overall, temperature-related influences seem to have the largest environmental effect on auxinic herbicides within conditions evaluated in this study. Leaf concentration of H2O2 appears to be generally correlated with phytotoxicity, providing a potentially useful tool in determining efficacy of auxinic herbicides in field settings.

The seasonality of individual influenza subtypes/lineages and the association of influenza epidemics with meteorological factors in the tropics/subtropics have not been well understood. The impact of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic on the prevalence of seasonal influenza virus remains to be explored. Using wavelet analysis, the periodicities of A/H3N2, seasonal A/H1N1, A/H1N1pdm09, Victoria and Yamagata were identified, respectively, in Panzhihua during 2006–2015. As a subtropical city in southwestern China, Panzhihua is the first industrial city in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The relationship between influenza epidemics and local climatic variables was examined based on regression models. The temporal distribution of influenza subtypes/lineages during the pre-pandemic (2006–2009), pandemic (2009) and post-pandemic (2010–2015) years was described and compared. A total of 6892 respiratory specimens were collected and 737 influenza viruses were isolated. A/H3N2 showed an annual cycle with a peak in summer–autumn, while A/H1N1pdm09, Victoria and Yamagata exhibited an annual cycle with a peak in winter–spring. Regression analyses demonstrated that relative humidity was positively associated with A/H3N2 activity while negatively associated with Victoria activity. Higher prevalence of A/H1N1pdm09 and Yamagata was driven by lower absolute humidity. The role of weather conditions in regulating influenza epidemics could be complicated since the diverse viral transmission modes and mechanism. Differences in seasonality and different associations with meteorological factors by influenza subtypes/lineages should be considered in epidemiological studies in the tropics/subtropics. The development of subtype- and lineage-specific prevention and control measures is of significant importance.

Herbicide active ingredients, formulation type, ambient temperature, and humidity can influence volatility. A method was developed using volatility chambers to compare relative volatility of different synthetic auxin herbicide formulations in controlled environments. 2,4-D or dicamba acid vapors emanating after application were captured in air-sampling tubes at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after herbicide application. The 2,4-D or dicamba was extracted from sample tubes and quantified using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Volatility from 2,4-D dimethylamine (DMA) was determined to be greater than that of 2,4-D choline in chambers where temperatures were held at 30 or 40 C and relative humidity (RH) was 20% or 50%. Air concentration of 2,4-D DMA was 0.399 µg m−3 at 40 C and 20% RH compared with 0.005 µg m−3 for 2,4-D choline at the same temperature and humidity at 24 h after application. Volatility from 2,4-D DMA and 2,4-D choline increased as temperature increased from 30 to 40 C. However, volatility from 2,4-D choline was lower than observed from 2,4-D DMA. Volatility from 2,4-D choline at 40 C increased from 0.00458 to 0.0263 µg m−3 and from 0.00341 to 0.025 µg m−3 when humidity increased from 20% to 50% at 72 and 96 h after treatment, respectively, whereas, volatility from 2,4-D DMA tended to be higher at 20% RH compared with 50% RH. Air concentration of dicamba diglycolamine was similar at all time points when measured at 40 C and 20% RH. By 96 h after treatment, there was a trend for lower air concentration of dicamba compared with earlier timings. This method using volatility chambers provided good repeatability with low variability across replications, experiments, and herbicides.

Piglet mortality in outdoor production systems varies across the year, and a reason for this variation could be fluctuations in hut climate, as ambient temperature might influence piglet survival, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of farrowing hut climate and year variation on stillbirth and liveborn mortality. A large-scale observational study was conducted at five commercial organic pig-producing herds in Denmark from June 2015 to August 2016. Both year variation (F3,635=4.40, P=0.004) and farrowing hut temperature (F2,511=6.46, P=0.002) affected the rate of stillbirths. The risk of stillborn piglets was lowest in winter and during this season larger changes in hut temperature between day 1 prepartum and the day of farrowing increased the risk of stillbirths (F1,99=6.39, P=0.013). In addition, during the warm part of the year stillbirth rate increased at temperatures ⩾27°C. Year variation also affected liveborn mortality (F3,561=3.86, P=0.009) with a lower rate of liveborn deaths in spring. However, the hut climate did not influence liveborn deaths. Consequently, other factors than hut climate may explain the influence of year variation on liveborn mortality. These could be light differences causing seasonality in reproduction and lactation.

Planets that orbit M-class dwarf stars in their habitable zones are expected to become tidally-locked in the first billion years of their history. Simulations of potentially habitable planets orbiting K and G-class stars also suggest that many will become tidally-locked or become pseudo-synchronous rotators in a similar time frame where certain criteria are fulfilled. Simple models suggest that such planets will experience climatic regions organized in broadly concentric bands around the sub-stellar point, where irradiation is maximal. Here, we develop some of the quantitative, as well as the qualitative impacts of such climate on the evolutionary potential of life on such worlds, incorporating the effects of topography and ocean currents on potential biological diversity. By comparing atmospheric circulation models with terrestrial circulation and biological diversity, we are able to construct viable thought models of biological potential. While we await the generation of atmospheric circulation models that incorporate topography and varying subaerial landscape, these models can be used as a starting point to determine the overall evolutionary potential of such worlds. The planets in these thought-models have significant differences in their distribution of habitability that may not be apparent from simple climate modelling.

The effects of temperature, relative humidity (RH) and light on absorption and translocation of 14C-glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] in common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. ‘Common’] and the effect of temperature and stage of growth on glyphosate activity in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense L.) were determined. 14C-glyphosate was used to evaluate the absorption and translocation of foliar-applied herbicide in bermudagrass plants grown at 22 or 31 C and 35 or 80% RH and absorption in excised leaf tips and stem sections. Autoradiography of bermudagrass indicated that downward translocation of 14C was extensive with large accumulations in new roots and rapidly growing stolons. RH of 35% decreased 14C-glyphosate translocation to the untreated foliage of plants grown at 31 C as compared to 80% RH. RH of 35% also decreased the translocation of 14C to the rhizomes and roots of plants grown at 22 C. The absorption of 14C was greater in excised leaf tips than stem sections and was greater in the light than in the dark. Horsenettle plants grown at 32 C had shoots which were more rapidly killed by glyphosate but had more regrowth than plants treated at 13 C. Shoots of plants treated while blooming were also more rapidly killed than those treated in the prebloom stage of growth, but the regrowth was not significantly different.