11 research outputs found
Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe
Pollen exposure weakens the immunity against certain seasonal
respiratory viruses by diminishing the antiviral interferon response. Here we investigate whether the same applies to the
pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2), which is sensitive to antiviral interferons, if infection waves coincide with high airborne pollen concentrations. Our
original hypothesis was that more airborne pollen would lead to
increases in infection rates. To examine this, we performed a crosssectional and longitudinal data analysis on SARS-CoV-2 infection,
airborne pollen, and meteorological factors. Our dataset is the
most comprehensive, largest possible worldwide from 130 stations, across 31 countries and five continents. To explicitly investigate the effects of social contact, we additionally considered
population density of each study area, as well as lockdown effects,
in all possible combinations: without any lockdown, with mixed
lockdown−no lockdown regime, and under complete lockdown.
We found that airborne pollen, sometimes in synergy with humidity and temperature, explained, on average, 44% of the infection
rate variability. Infection rates increased after higher pollen concentrations most frequently during the four previous days. Without lockdown, an increase of pollen abundance by 100 pollen/m3
resulted in a 4% average increase of infection rates. Lockdown
halved infection rates under similar pollen concentrations. As
there can be no preventive measures against airborne pollen exposure, we suggest wide dissemination of pollen−virus coexposure dire effect information to encourage high-risk individuals
to wear particle filter masks during high springtime pollen
concentrations.
COVID-19 | pollen | viral infection | aerobiology</p
Biografieforschung: theoretische Perspektiven und methodologische Konzepte für eine re-konstruktive Geschlechterforschung
Die Biografieforschung bezeichnet einen komplexen Forschungsansatz, der auf eine lange Geschichte des wissenschaftlichen Interesses an "persönlichen Dokumenten" verweisen kann. Sie ist eine voraussetzungsvolle Forschungsperspektive, die sich in zentralen Aspekten ihres Vorgehens auf Biografien als theoretisches Konzept, als historisch-empirischen Gegenstand und als komplexe methodologische Strategie bezieht. Andere Begriffe, welche oftmals synonym gebraucht, in der Biografieforschung aber systematisch unterschieden werden, sind "Lebensgeschichte" und "Lebenslauf". Die Autorin skizziert die Perspektiven einer rekonstruktiven Geschlechterforschung innerhalb der Biografieforschung, wozu sie auf die Differenzierungen empirischer Forschung, die methodologischen Prinzipien sowie auf Datenerhebung und Datenanalyse eingeht. Sie hebt insbesondere drei Kontextrelationen bei der Interpretation eines biografischen Textes hervor: Biografie, Interaktion, kulturelle Muster und soziale Regeln. Das skizzierte Konzept von Biografieforschung begreift sie als ein offenes Programm, das vielfältige Anknüpfungspunkte zu aktuellen theoretischen Diskussionen in der Geschlechterforschung aufweist. (ICI2
Thunderstorm Asthma: in search for relationships with airborne pollen and fungal spores from 23 sites in Bavaria, Germany - a rare incident or a common threat? [Abstract]
The phenomenon of thunderstorm asthma in Bavaria, Southern Germany: a statistical approach
Higher incidences of asthma during thunderstorms can pose a serious health risk. In this study, we estimate the thunderstorm asthma risk using statistical methods, with special focus on Bavaria, Southern Germany. In this approach, a dataset of asthma-related emergency cases for the study region is combined with meteorological variables and aeroallergen data to identify statistical relationships between the occurrence of asthma (predictand) and different environmental parameters (set of predictors). On the one hand, the results provide evidence for a weak but significant relationship between atmospheric stability indices and asthma emergencies in the region, but also show that currently thunderstorm asthma is not a major concern in Bavaria due to overall low incidences. As thunderstorm asthma can have severe consequences for allergic patients, the presented approach can be important for the development of emergency strategies in regions affected by thunderstorm asthma and under present and future climate change conditions
Thunderstorm asthma: an under-estimated public health threat? Implicated aeroallergens and impact on allergic symptoms
Biografieforschung: Theoretische Perspektiven und methodologische Konzepte für eine re-konstruktive Geschlechterforschung
Die Biografieforschung bezeichnet einen komplexen Forschungsansatz, der auf eine lange Geschichte des wissenschaftlichen Interesses an "persönlichen Dokumenten" verweisen kann. Sie ist eine voraussetzungsvolle Forschungsperspektive, die sich in zentralen Aspekten ihres Vorgehens auf Biografien als theoretisches Konzept, als historisch-empirischen Gegenstand und als komplexe methodologische Strategie bezieht. Andere Begriffe, welche oftmals synonym gebraucht, in der Biografieforschung aber systematisch unterschieden werden, sind "Lebensgeschichte" und "Lebenslauf". Die Autorin skizziert die Perspektiven einer rekonstruktiven Geschlechterforschung innerhalb der Biografieforschung, wozu sie auf die Differenzierungen empirischer Forschung, die methodologischen Prinzipien sowie auf Datenerhebung und Datenanalyse eingeht. Sie hebt insbesondere drei Kontextrelationen bei der Interpretation eines biografischen Textes hervor: Biografie, Interaktion, kulturelle Muster und soziale Regeln. Das skizzierte Konzept von Biografieforschung begreift sie als ein offenes Programm, das vielfältige Anknüpfungspunkte zu aktuellen theoretischen Diskussionen in der Geschlechterforschung aufweist. (ICI2
Potential impacts of geothermal energy use and storage of heat on groundwater quality, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes
Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe
Pollen exposure weakens the immunity against certain seasonal respiratory viruses by diminishing the antiviral interferon response. Here we investigate whether the same applies to the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is sensitive to antiviral interferons, if infection waves coincide with high airborne pollen concentrations. Our original hypothesis was that more airborne pollen would lead to increases in infection rates. To examine this, we performed a cross-sectional and longitudinal data analysis on SARS-CoV-2 infection, airborne pollen, and meteorological factors. Our dataset is the most comprehensive, largest possible worldwide from 130 stations, across 31 countries and five continents. To explicitly investigate the effects of social contact, we additionally considered population density of each study area, as well as lockdown effects, in all possible combinations: without any lockdown, with mixed lockdown−no lockdown regime, and under complete lockdown. We found that airborne pollen, sometimes in synergy with humidity and temperature, explained, on average, 44% of the infection rate variability. Infection rates increased after higher pollen concentrations most frequently during the four previous days. Without lockdown, an increase of pollen abundance by 100 pollen/m3 resulted in a 4% average increase of infection rates. Lockdown halved infection rates under similar pollen concentrations. As there can be no preventive measures against airborne pollen exposure, we suggest wide dissemination of pollen−virus coexposure dire effect information to encourage high-risk individuals to wear particle filter masks during high springtime pollen concentrations.</p