Impact of seasonal biometeorological conditions and particulate matter on asthma and COPD hospital admissions.

Climate change and air pollution are pressing public health concerns, necessitating monitoring of their impact, particularly on respiratory diseases like obstructive lung diseases. This retrospective study analyzed medical records of patients hospitalized at the Warmia and Mazury Centre for Pulmonary Diseases in Olsztyn, Poland (2012-2021) for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. Data included meteorological factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, precipitation, and levels of PM2.

Impact of urbanization and agriculture on zooplankton interactions: A network modelling approach in a lowland river.

Land use patterns play a critical role in shaping abiotic conditions, which in turn influence interspecies interactions within aquatic ecosystems. This study tested the hypothesis that catchment management practices significantly alter water parameters and consequently affect the dynamics, importance, and nature of relationships within the zooplankton community structure of a postglacial river (northern Poland). Zooplankton interspecies interactions were assessed using network graph modeling across four diverse catchment sections: natural (NAT), urban (URB), urban/agricultural (URB/AGR), and agricultural (AGR).

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lung cancer diagnosis in northern Poland-addressing the COVID-19 debt.

Introduction: Lung cancer, one of the leading causes of death due to neoplasms, requires prompt diagnosis and immediate treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic affected healthcare systems worldwide, having adverse effects on all aspects, particularly on the fate of patients with suspected neoplastic diseases. Limited access to healthcare, disruptions in regular operations (reassigning roles to some wards), postponed hospital admissions, prolonged diagnostic processes, and other factors have collectively led to the phenomenon known as COVID-19 debt.

Zooplankton functional diversity as a bioindicator of freshwater ecosystem health across land use gradient.

Zooplankton are critical indicators of pressures impacting freshwater ecosystems. We analyzed the response of zooplankton communities across different sub-catchment types-headwaters, natural, urban, urban-agricultural, and agricultural-within the Łyna river-lake system in Northern Poland. Using taxonomic groups and functional traits (body size, feeding strategies), we applied Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS-R) to elucidate the relationships between environmental conditions, land use, and zooplankton metacommunity structure.

Physicochemical characteristics of lakes along the southern Baltic Sea coast.

We present a unique data set of selected physicochemical parameters characterizing the environment of the Baltic coastal lakes within Polish borders. The peculiarity of the system derives principally from the interaction of the lakes with a sea of relatively low salinity. In contrast to our best understanding of the state of biological knowledge, the abiotic parameters of coastal lakes along the southern Baltic Sea have never previously been so comprehensively supplemented.

Heat and cold stress increases the risk of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is a common arrhythmia in adults. Its occurrence depends on the presence of the reentry circuit and the trigger of the paroxysm. Stress, emotional factors, and comorbidities favour the occurrence of such an episode.

Response of Macrophyte Diversity in Coastal Lakes to Watershed Land Use and Salinity Gradient.

Coastal lakes are subject to multiple stressors, among which land use, hydrological connectivity, and salinity have the greatest effect on their biodiversity. We studied the effects that various land cover types (CORINE) of coastal lake watersheds had on macrophyte diversity in ten coastal lakes along the southern Baltic coast as characterised by twelve phytocenotic indices: these being a number of communities, Shannon-Wiener diversity, evenness, and indices of taxonomic distinctiveness of plant communities: vegetation coverage; colonisation index; share of the phytolittoral area in the total lake area, as well as shares of nympheides, pondweeds, charophytes, marine, emerged and submerged communities in the total lake area. The effects were checked for three groups of lakes distinguished by differences in salinity-freshwater (F, 5), transitional (T, 4), and brackish (B, 1)-in which a total of 48 macrophyte communities were identified.

Salinity as a Determinant Structuring Microbial Communities in Coastal Lakes.

The response of bacterioplankton structure to salinity level in coastal lakes (n = 9) along the southern Baltic Sea coastline was studied. In terms of mean salinity levels (0.2−5.

Phytoplankton Sensitivity to Heavy Metals in Baltic Coastal Lakes.

This study aimed to compare concentrations of chlorophyll-a between individual phytoplankton groups for four shallow Baltic coastal lakes, varying in type of connection with the sea. For two years, the research focused on quantifying the effects of abiotic factors-concentrations of heavy metals (Ba, Bi, Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and hydrological connectivity-on phytoplankton composition, biomass, and photosynthetic activity. Our results show that hydrological factors are the main predictors of phytoplankton structure.

Universal Climate Thermal Index as a prognostic tool in medical science in the context of climate change: A systematic review.

The assessment of the impact of meteorological factors on the epidemiology of various diseases and on human pathophysiology and physiology requires a comprehensive approach and new tools independent of currently occurring climate change. The thermal comfort index, i.e.

Water as a Source of Indoor Air Contamination with Potentially Pathogenic in Aquaculture.

Human activities influence the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria in indoor air. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the experimental rearing of European grayling and European perch in a recirculating aquaculture system on the contamination of indoor air with potentially pathogenic (PPAH) and the resulting health risks to humans. The PPAH counts, their resistance to seven antibiotics, and the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index were determined in samples of indoor air and water from rearing tanks.

Are the levels of uric acid associated with biometeorological conditions?

Hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for renal and cardiovascular diseases and is closely associated with gout episodes. It is caused, inter alia, by nutritional habits and genetic factors, and also displays seasonal variability conditioned by meteorological factors. The impact of meteorological factors, including both cold and heat stress, on the human physiology is presented based on the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) - a biometeorological index derived from an analysis of human thermal balance.

Salinity as a Key Factor on the Benthic Fauna Diversity in the Coastal Lakes.

Benthic communities were studied in nine Polish coastal lakes of the Baltic Sea; representing three levels of hydrological connection with the sea (isolated, periodically connected, and permanently connected), with resultant differences in salinity (freshwater, transitional, and brackish). The lakes classified in this way allowed us to investigate biodiversity in relation to the degree of environmental pressure. Stress intensity in coastal water bodies, resulting from contrasting marine and terrestrial influences, varied from mild to severe.

Response of Benthic Fauna to Habitat Heterogeneity in a Shallow Temperate Lake.

We investigated the response of benthic macroinvertebrates in the eulittoral, infralittoral, and sublittoral zones, in two segments of the freshwater Lake Wicko on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Our results showed that the morphometry of lakes plays a major role as a factor structuring the macroinvertebrates communities. Two parts of the lake, different in size and depth, show decreasing differences in the trophic state, abundance, diversity and number of indicator species of benthic fauna with the depth gradient.

The association between the biometeorological indicators and emergency interventions due to fainting: A retrospective cohort study.

The association of fainting with specific situations and circumstances, such as the sight of blood, response to pain, prolonged standing position and fatigue, is well recognized and described in medical literature. Clinical experience also indicates that specific, local physical conditions, such as exposure to heat or remaining in a small, stuffy room may also trigger fainting. This paper verifies the hypothesis concerning the association between atmospheric conditions and the incidence of fainting.

Assessment of the Consultation Rate with General Practitioners in the Initial Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the functioning of healthcare systems (HSs) in a way that was difficult to foresee earlier. It quickened the introduction of e-medicine, and changed the manner and number of services provided in the open medical setting. To assess variations in the consultation rate of patients in primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in consecutive months of the pandemic.

Relationship between biometeorological factors and the number of hospitalizations due to asthma.

The incidence of asthma exacerbation depends on atmospheric conditions, including such meteorological factors as the ambient temperature, relative air humidity or concentration of atmospheric aerosols. An assessment of relations between the frequency of asthma exacerbation and environmental conditions was made according to the meteorological components, the biometeorological index UTCI (Universal Thermal Climate Index), as well as selected air quality parameters, including concentrations of PM and PM. The study was conducted on the basis of a retrospective analysis of medical data collected at the Independent Public Hospital of Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Diseases in Olsztyn (Poland).

Are the Levels of Lipid Parameters Associated with Biometeorological Conditions?

Lipid disorders, especially hypercholesterolemia, are one of the most thoroughly investigated cardiovascular risk factors. Their correlation with biometeorological conditions has been reported, with authors stressing seasonal increases of total cholesterol (TC) levels, mostly occurring in winter. This study aims at determining the correlation between the level of lipid parameters (LP) and meteorological conditions, analyzing seasonal variations in LP levels, and attempting to answer the following questions: do changes in LP levels result from the organism's response to cold or heat stress, or are they secondary to seasonal dietary variations? An observational study comprised ambulatory patients from the city of Olsztyn (Poland), for whom laboratory test were performed in 2016-2018, with 106,325 records of TC, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (TG).

UTCI as a bio-meteorological tool in the assessment of cold-induced stress as a risk factor for hypertension.

Background: Hypertension (HT) affects >1/3 of adult populations in developed countries. Several studies reported periodic changes in blood pressure (BP) values depending on atmospheric conditions, and analyzed the impact of outdoor temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity and other meteorological parameters. The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) is a bio-meteorological index derived from an analysis of human thermal balance that comprehensively describes the impact of meteorological factors, including both cold stress and heat stress and their physiological consequences.

The effects of environmental parameters on the microbial activity in peat-bog lakes.

Microbiological activity is an important parameter for understanding the functioning of different environments. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to estimate the quantity and contribution of metabolically active at the single-cell level bacteria in the microbial community in peat-bog lakes. To determine different aspects of the metabolic activity of bacteria, four fluorescent staining methods (Dehydrogenase/Electron Transport System Activity -CTC+, Nucleoid Containing Cells- NuCC+, Active Bacteria with Intact Ribosome Structures- RIB+ and Active Bacteria With an Intact Membrane-MEM+) were applied.

Applicability of the universal thermal climate index for predicting the outbreaks of respiratory tract infections: a mathematical modeling approach.

Respiratory tract infections (RTI) are one of the most frequent reasons for medical consultations. As air temperature decreases, but also in connection with other meteorological parameters, evident seasonal fluctuations in the number of consultations for RTI can be observed. The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) is a complex meteorological index derived from an analysis of human thermal balance that depends on air temperature, air humidity, and wind speed.

Reproduction of endangered river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) in controlled conditions.

The research reported focuses on reproduction of the river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis,(Linnaeus, 1758) in controlled conditions. There was specific emphasis on fish harvesting dates (autumn and spring), holding conditions and reproduction in a controlled environment. Attempts were also made to synchronize the time of ovulation among river lampreys, egg and sperm collections.

Environmental controls on the abundance of methanotrophs and methanogens in peat bog lakes.

The aim of the present study was to identify the factors that influence the composition of methanogens and methanotrophs in the background prokaryotic community in peat bog lakes. We hypothesized that the microbial composition is a function of the physicochemical conditions of the water and a function of depth-dependent oxygen (DO) concentrations. To address this aim, we collected water samples from subsurface and near-bottom layers, representing oxic and anoxic conditions in 4 peat bog lakes in NE Poland.