Influence of the Mega-Urban Heat Island on Spatial Transfer of Summer Thermal Comfort: Evidence from Tianjin, China

Human thermal comfort in urban spaces deteriorates as rapid urbanization proceeds. However, effective tests and discoveries of spatial statistic patterns are currently absent. This study collected remote sensing images and measured meteorological data of the summers of 1992–2017, Tianjin of China and aims to clarify patterns of spatial transfer and thermal comfort changes caused by a mega-UHI (Urban Heat Island). An analytic transfer matrix and the spatial autocorrelation were developed to study spatial pattern changes and features of the spatial transfer of thermal comfort caused by UHI. Results show these patterns in the affected areas can be divided into different levels: patterns of low-level affected areas transferred by circular expansion into block-mass jumping, while the position of high-level affected areas remains stable. The spatial transfer of thermal comfort in the affected areas shows two apparent stages: the transfer from areas of high-density and low-storied buildings and into areas of multiple storied buildings, and transfer from areas of low and multiple storied buildings into those of high storied buildings. This implies changes in urban planning can guide spatial, structural, and functional evolution. The study identifies features of spatial change and spatial patterns related to the influence of Mega-UHI on thermal comfort

Planning and coordinated response mechanism of economic and ecological services in urban expansion

Against the backdrop of urban sustainable development around the world, how to coordinate both economic growth and ecological benefits in urban space becomes an important problem. Therefore, this study simulated and predicted the spatiotemporal changes in urban economy and ecosystem service value (E.S.V.) equivalent ratio under the current policies by 2030, and analysed how adjusting planning policies influences economy and ecology. This process was based on the future land use simulation (F.L.U.S.) model of coupled neural network, and on methods assessing the spatial changes in ecosystem services and land economy. This study aims to analyse urban land economy and E.S.V., and assess how China’s land spatial planning guides and promotes high-quality urban economic development. Results show that artificial intelligence (A.I.) simulation can forecast the results of spatial planning policies of national lands, to make policy-making more forwardlooking. The guidance of planning policies on urban expansion accelerates the increase in economic value of urban residential and commercial lands, thereby promoting the economic growth. However, adjusted planning policies may lead to ecological destruction. So, this study provides model verifications and path guidance to realise coordinated sustainable development between economy and ecology, serving as an important reference to formulating proper policies for urban development

Spatial Evolution of the Effects of Urban Heat Island on Residents\u27 Health

Rising summer temperatures caused by the urban heat island (UHI) has considerable effects on the physical and mental health of urban residents globally. To categorize residents’ health risk areas and evaluate the characteristics of urban spatial evolution, based on data analysis methods, such as ArcGIS, ENVI software, and geostatistical analysis, data from meteorological stations, satellite images, and electronic maps were used to investigate spatial evolution and the process by which UHI affects the respiratory, circulatory, and cardiovascular systems and emotional health of the residents of Tianjin. Results show the UHI significantly increases respiratory, circulatory, and cardiovascular diseases. The emotional health of residents is also significantly affected with the affected level moving from level 1 to level 2-4. Highly concentrated areas in the urban center and patches with high health risks are found to be scattered and fragmented, as indicated by the phased pattern of spatially deteriorating hotspots. Hotspots expansion occurs unidirectionally to the south, surrounding the city center, while shrinking from the inside to the outside. The study identifies urban health space risks and provides theoretical guidance for urban space optimization and healthy urban planning

Scale response of summer urban heat island to building plot ratio and its warning parameter

Omjer građevne čestice je značajan pokazatelj arhitektonskog rasporeda koji utječe na urbani toplinski otok (UHI - urban heat island). Prethodna su istraživanja usredotočena na omjer visina/težina, gustoću zgrada i ostale pokazatelje povezane s omjerom građevne čestice, ali ne uspijevaju uspješno opisati odnos vrijeme-prostor između omjera građevne čestice i UHI te točno voditi planiranje i projekt kako bi se smanjila učinkovitost UHI-a. Metoda stupnja osjetljivosti predložena je za analiziranje reakcije vrijeme-prostor UHI-a na omjer građevne čestice u svrhu reguliranja intenziteta UHI (UHII) do kojeg je došlo prihvatljivim omjerom građevne čestice tijekom planiranja i projektiranja. Osjetljivost omjera građevnih čestica u različitim prostornim omjerima prema UHI tijekom dana izračunata je redom pomoću 3S tehnologije, MATLABa, SPSS-a i drugih platformi zasnovanih na teoriji razmjere ekologije pejzaža i metodi geo-statističke analize. Razmatrana je krivulja promjene reakcije omjera građevne čestice na UHI u najosjetljivijoj prostornoj ljestvici. Tada je izrađen standard prevencije i kontrole UHI-a ljeti prema temperaturi tijekom najtoplijih ljetnih dana i ljudskoj fiziološkoj reakciji kod visokih temperatura, i odgovarajućim nacionalnim pravilima. Dano je upozorenje na parametre omjera građevne čestice na temelju porasta temperature UHI-a zbog omjera građevne čestice. Rezultati pokazuju da postoji skala osjetljivosti između omjera građevne čestice i UHI. Po danu se odnos između osnovnog omjera građevne čestice i ljetnog UHI-a pomiče od negativne ka pozitivnoj korelaciji. Učinak porasta temperature poslije podne veći je od jutarnjeg rashlađenja. Osnovni omjer građevne čestice je u linearnom odnosu s ljetnim UHII. Povećanje prosječnog omjera čestice dovodi do smanjenja UHI za 0,76 °C ujutro i porasta za 0,97 °C poslije podne. Optimalni radijus osjetljivosti omjera građevne čestice na ljetni UHI iznosi 230 m. Mehanizam reakcije omjera građevne čestice na UHI nastaje uglavnom zbog obujma pohranjene topline i zaustavljanja topline zračenja. Zaključak ove analize može pružiti podršku znanstveno teoretskom parametru u arhitektonskom dizajnu i urbanom planiranju i dizajnu.Plot ratio is an important indicator of architectural layout that affects urban heat island (UHI). Previous studies focus on street height/weight ratio, building density, and other indicators related to plot ratio but fail to effectively describe the time-space relationship between plot ratio and UHI and accurately guide the planning and design to reduce the UHI in the effective scale. The scale sensitivity method was proposed to study the time-space response of UHI to plot ratio to control the UHI intensity (UHII) caused by plot ratio during planning and design in a reasonable scale. The sensitivity of plot ratios in different space scales to UHI in the daytime was repeatedly calculated on 3S technology, MATLAB, SPSS, and other data analysis platforms based on the scale theory of landscape ecology and the method of geo-statistics analysis. The change curve of the response of plot ratio on UHI in the most sensitive space scale was discussed. The prevention and control standard of summer UHI was then constructed in accordance with the temperature in dog days of summer, human physiological reaction under high temperature, and relevant national regulations. The warning control was taken on the parameters of plot ratio on the basis of the temperature rise of UHI caused by plot ratio. Results show that scale sensitivity exists between plot ratio and UHI. In the daytime, the relationship between core plot ratio and summer UHI shifts from negative correlation to positive correlation. The temperature-rising effect in the afternoon is greater than the cooling effect in the morning. Core plot ratio has a linear relationship with summer UHII. The increase in the average core plot ratio reduces the UHII by 0,76 °C in the morning and increases it by 0,97 °C in the afternoon. The optimal sensitive radius of the core plot ratio on summer UHI is 230 m. The response mechanism of plot ratio on UHI is mainly due to heat storage volume and block to radiation heat. The study conclusion can provide scientific theoretical parameter support for architectural design and urban planning and design

Health risk appraisal of urban thermal environment and characteristic analysis on vulnerable populations

Continuous global warming and frequent extreme high temperatures keep the urban climate health risk increasing, seriously threatening residents’ emotional health. Therefore, analysis on spatial distribution of the health risk that the urban heat island (UHI) effect imposes on emotional health as well as basic research on the characteristics of vulnerable populations need to be conducted. This study, with Tianjin city as the case, analyzed data from Landsat remote-sensing images, meteorological stations, and digital maps, explored the influence of summer UHI effect on distress (a typical negative emotion factor) and its spatiotemporal evolution, and conducted difference analysis on the age groups, genders, family state, and distress levels of vulnerable populations. The results show: (1) During the period of 1992–2020, the level and area of UHI influence on residents’ distress drastically increased–influence level elevated from level 2–4 to level 4–7, and highlevel influence areas were concentrated in six districts of central Tianjin. (2) Influence of the UHI effect on distress varied in different age groups–generally dropping with fluctuations as residents got older, especially residents aged 50–59. (3) Men experienced a W-shaped pattern in distress and were more irritable and unsteady emotionally; while women were more sensitive to distress in the beginning, but they became more placid as temperature got higher. (4) Studies on family status show that couples living together showed sound heat resistance in the face of heat stress, while middle-aged and elderly people living alone or with children were relatively weak in adjusting to high ambient temperature

Development and application of an antigen capture ELISA assay for diagnosis of Japanese encephalitis virus in swine, human and mosquito

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a serious zoonosis caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) which is a mosquito-borne pathogen of the family <it>Flavivirus</it>. However, the application of several developed laboratory methods for the detection of JEV antigens or antibodies are limited by their requirements of laboratory operations, skilled technicians and special facilities.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To develop a method for detecting JEV antigen in swine, human, mosquito and other clinical specimens specifically, conveniently and effectively, an antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was established in this study. Sensitivity, specificity, repeatability and stability of the developed method were evaluated, and 60 clinical samples were tested in this study. The results demonstrated that the antigen capture ELISA was capable in detecting JEV antigen with high sensitivity and specificity compared with conventional methods. 14 samples showed the positive result with coincidence rate of 70%, and 46 displayed negative result with coincidence rate of 100% as compared to that of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The developed ELISA assay provides a convenient and specific method for the large-scale determination of JEV antigen in infected swine, human and mosquito samples with high sensitivity and specificity.</p

Avian Influenza (H5N1) Virus in Waterfowl and Chickens, Central China

In 2004, 3 and 4 strains of avian influenza virus (subtype H5N1) were isolated from waterfowl and chickens, respectively, in central People’s Republic of China. Viral replication and pathogenicity were evaluated in chickens, quails, pigeons, and mice. We analyzed the sequences of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes of the isolates and found broad diversity among them

A Survey of Chinese Pig Farms and Human Healthcare Isolates Reveals Separate Human and Animal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Populations.

There has been increasing concern that the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming is contributing to the burden of antimicrobial resistance in people. Farmed animals in Europe and North America, particularly pigs, provide a reservoir for livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA ST398 lineage) found in people. This study is designed to investigate the contribution of MRSA from Chinese pig farms to human infection. A collection of 483 MRSA are isolated from 55 farms and 4 hospitals in central China, a high pig farming density area. CC9 MRSA accounts for 97.2% of all farm isolates, but is not present in hospital isolates. ST398 isolates are found on farms and hospitals, but none of them formed part of the "LA-MRSA ST398 lineage" present in Europe and North America. The hospital ST398 MRSA isolate form a clade that is clearly separate from the farm ST398 isolates. Despite the presence of high levels of MRSA found on Chinese pig farms, the authors find no evidence of them spilling over to the human population. Nevertheless, the ST398 MRSA obtained from hospitals appear to be part of a widely distributed lineage in China. The new animal-adapted ST398 lineage that has emerged in China is of concern

Comparative Genomics of Mycoplasma: Analysis of Conserved Essential Genes and Diversity of the Pan-Genome

Mycoplasma, the smallest self-replicating organism with a minimal metabolism and little genomic redundancy, is expected to be a close approximation to the minimal set of genes needed to sustain bacterial life. This study employs comparative evolutionary analysis of twenty Mycoplasma genomes to gain an improved understanding of essential genes. By analyzing the core genome of mycoplasmas, we finally revealed the conserved essential genes set for mycoplasma survival. Further analysis showed that the core genome set has many characteristics in common with experimentally identified essential genes. Several key genes, which are related to DNA replication and repair and can be disrupted in transposon mutagenesis studies, may be critical for bacteria survival especially over long period natural selection. Phylogenomic reconstructions based on 3,355 homologous groups allowed robust estimation of phylogenetic relatedness among mycoplasma strains. To obtain deeper insight into the relative roles of molecular evolution in pathogen adaptation to their hosts, we also analyzed the positive selection pressures on particular sites and lineages. There appears to be an approximate correlation between the divergence of species and the level of positive selection detected in corresponding lineages

Transcription analysis on response of swine lung to H1N1 swine influenza virus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As a mild, highly contagious, respiratory disease, swine influenza always damages the innate immune systems, and increases susceptibility to secondary infections which results in considerable morbidity and mortality in pigs. Nevertheless, the systematical host response of pigs to swine influenza virus infection remains largely unknown. To explore it, a time-course gene expression profiling was performed for comprehensive analysis of the global host response induced by H1N1 swine influenza virus in pigs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At the early stage of H1N1 swine virus infection, pigs were suffering mild respiratory symptoms and pathological changes. A total of 268 porcine genes showing differential expression (DE) after inoculation were identified to compare with the controls on day 3 post infection (PID) (Fold change ≥ 2, p < 0.05). The DE genes were involved in many vital functional classes, mainly including signal transduction, immune response, inflammatory response, cell adhesion and cell-cell signalling. Noticeably, the genes associated with immune and inflammatory response showed highly overexpressed. Through the pathway analysis, the significant pathways mainly concerned with Cell adhesion molecules, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway, suggesting that the host took different strategies to activate these pathways so as to prevent virus infections at the early stage. However, on PID 7, the predominant function classes of DE genes included signal transduction, metabolism, transcription, development and transport. Furthermore, the most significant pathways switched to PPAR signaling pathway and complement and coagulation cascades, showing that the host might start to repair excessive tissue damage by anti-inflammatory functions. These results on PID 7 demonstrated beneficial turnover for host to prevent excessive inflammatory damage and recover the normal state by activating these clusters of genes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study shows how the target organ responds to H1N1 swine influenza virus infection in pigs. The observed gene expression profile could help to screen the potential host agents for reducing the prevalence of swine influenza virus and further understand the molecular pathogenesis associated with H1N1 infection in pigs.</p