Search

Background Understanding the potential links between floods and infectious diarrhea is important under the context of climate change. However, little is known about the risk of infectious diarrhea after floods and what factors could modify these effects in China. Objectives This study aims to quantitatively examine the relationship between floods and infectious diarrhea and their effect modifiers. Methods Weekly number of infectious diarrhea cases from 2004 to 2011 during flood season in Hunan province were supplied by the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System. Flood and meteorological data over the same period were obtained. A two-stage model was used to estimate a provincial average association and their effect modifiers between floods and infectious diarrhea, accounting for other confounders. Results A total of 134,571 cases of infectious diarrhea were notified from 2004 to 2011. After controlling for seasonality, long-term trends, and meteorological factors, floods were significantly associated with infectious diarrhea in the provincial level with a cumulative RR of 1.22 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.43) with a lagged effect of 0–1 week. Geographic locations and economic levels were identified as effect modifiers, with a higher impact of floods on infectious diarrhea in the western and regions with a low economic level of Hunan. Conclusions Our study provides strong evidence of a positive association between floods and infectious diarrhea in the study area. Local control strategies for public health should be taken in time to prevent and reduce the risk of infectious diarrhea after floods, especially for the vulnerable regions identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the world argues about whether climate change is real, what if all systems are failing? This paper seeks to ignite further discussion concerning human impact on all aspects of our environment as we move further into the Anthropocene, not only in terms of the pressure we produce, but also how our activity changes the nature of the relationships between Earth's systems. The paper suggests that we currently lack the tools and analytical capacity to understand the significance of these changes and therefore we cannot answer the question, “are all systems failing?”. We discuss how complexity theory, complex networks, and Artificial Intelligence, could contribute part of a solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental change and natural events can impact on multiple dimensions of human life; economic, social, political, physical (built) and natural (ecosystems) environments. Water distribution networks cover both the built and natural realms and are as such inherently vulnerable to accidental or deliberate physical, natural, chemical, or biological threats. An example of such threats include flooding. The damage to water networks from flooding at the building level can include disrupted supply, pipe damage, sink and sewer overflows, fittings and appliance malfunctions etc. as well as the consequential socio-economic loss and distress. It has also been highlighted that the cost of damage caused by disasters including flooding can be correlated to the warning-time given before it occurs. Therefore, contiguous and continuous preparedness is essential to sustain disaster resilience. This paper presents an early stage review to: 1. Understand the challenges and opportunities posed by disaster risks to critical infrastructure at the building level. 2. Examine the role and importance of early warnings within the smart systems context to promote anticipatory preparedness and reduce physical, economic, environmental and social vulnerability 3. Review the opportunities provided by smart water microgrid/net to deliver such an early warning system and 4. Define the basis for a socially-integrated framework for resilience in building water networks based on smart water micro grids and micronets. The objective is to establish the theoretical approach for smart system integration for risk mitigation in water networks at the building level. Also, to explore the importance and scope integration of other social-political dimensions within such framework and associated solutions. The findings will inform further studies to address the gaps in understanding the disaster risks in micro water infrastructure e.g. flooding, and; to develop strategies and systems to strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response and anticipatory action for such risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics is the most crucial aspect in supply demand activities. This aspect become more important in unexpected situation such as in disaster condition. There are a tremendous amount of disaster logistics literatures. However, only limited of them discussed how judgmental adjustment is incorporated in disaster logistics. This research aims to evaluate this issue by doing a critical literature review of academic literatures. The analysis will be focused on inventory system as the part of logistic. In the context of warehouse, judgmental adjustment in term of demand classification, forecasting, and stock control of the item(s) is reviewed. The findings demonstrate that there are very lack studies discussed these terms. Furthermore, there is still no guidance and policy on how human intervene the decision in managing the warehouse in disaster logistic. This preliminary research suggests that there is a huge scope for contributing and further advancing the current stage of knowledge in the area of disaster logistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, Vietnam has been recognized as one of the countries most vulnerable to the impact of climate change and its associated phenomena, including natural disasters and extreme weather events (NDEWEs). The increasing pattern of NDEWEs witnessed over recent times underlines the importance of disaster risk management and disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Vietnam. The Vietnamese built environment, which plays a crucial part in the national economy and facilitates the functions of the entire society, is one that is directly exposed and susceptible to disasters. Nonetheless, the achievements of the Vietnamese built environment in integrating DRR has, due to various problems, remained somewhat limited and research on NDEWEs specific to the country’s built environment is currently nebulous and sporadic. This paper presents an investigation into the progress and shortcomings in integrating DRR into the construction and maintenance of the built environment in Vietnam. The investigation is based on a comprehensive review of legislative documents and related literature which was conducted as part of a wider research which aims to establish a framework that employs various instruments and strategies to integrate DRR more effectively into the built environment in Vietnam. The challenges identified by the study include lack of capacity and coordination at the national level; gaps in legal frameworks and lack of guidance for implementation; complex institutional arrangements; incompatibility of building codes and lack of enforcement; lack of qualified human resources; and inadequate understanding among the general public. These findings are of special importance to further research into developing a complete collection of measures to overcome the existing challenges in the application of DRR in the built environment and urban infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooding is increasingly global challenge due to climate change and urban development practices. It can also be devastating to those affected. In the United Kingdom, it is projected that the number of people at high risk of flooding could rise from 1.5 to 3.5 million by 2080. Currently 400,000 homes and 75,000 businesses in England have an annual chance of flooding. In the UK, the Environment Agency provides useful information on flood risks for a given location. This information is supported with different guides by the local Councils on how to prepare for, and get help during flooding. What remains unclear and easy to access are customisable retrofit actions based on local flood risks, necessary for an individual or household to implement anticipatory retrofit actions, thereby improving the resilience of their homes. With this in mind, and knowing that studies about flood impacts focuses more on new construction or infrastructure solutions, this study aimed to provide a tangible solution to raise the awareness of people living in a flood area about the level of risk they are exposed to, and to aid decision-making about effective preventive solutions specifically designed for their house, in an autonomous way. The output is a decision-support tool developed to consolidate information about flood risks and present customised retrofit measures. The tool refers to the notions of damage and vulnerability of private housing to inform its operational diagnostic methodology. The output is a “to do list” of retrofitable work to increase resilience of the house against flood. 40 potential users evaluated and delivered positive feedback on the usefulness and functionality of the tool to raise awareness and improve resilience action. Future studies aim to fine-tune the tool and scale up the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different categories of human beings have been affected due to a range of disasters in Sri Lanka. The effects of such disasters vary according to these categories, in particular, the effect on adolescents’ reports as vital. However, there is a dearth of research with regard to this in Sri Lanka. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the flood disaster at Rahula College in May 2016 on adolescents in terms of physical, educational, economical and interpersonal relations and mental aspects. The randomly selected sample considered of flood disaster affected students of grade 10-11; 25 males and 25 females. The quantitative data was collected using a survey questionnaire. The survey data was triangulated with semi- structured interviews with teachers (10) and students (6) and analyzed using SPSS. Fact findings revealed that the effect in terms of physical, mental, educational, economical and interpersonal relations on both girls and boys was at considerable amount. The majority have been affected by post trauma stress disorder (PTSD), whilst the effect of social problems was high among females than males. The support received from friends, school teachers, social workers and Media recorded as powerful in resolving most of the problems encountered by adolescents due to flood disaster. This study is offered insights of professional counselors, about how to design counseling programs on coping skills for disaster affected adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, global warming has become one of the major topics to be considered by the world community. Considerable evidence exists to prove that the highest portion of this warming is caused by anthropogenic activities. Calculating Carbon Footprint (CFP) is the valuable first step towards making quantifiable emission reduction because it denotes how human react on global warming as a person, organization, country and world. Different types of organizations such as universities, fire brigades, rescue services, food manufacturers, hotels, hospitals have estimated their CFP nowadays. Among these organizations, Divisional secretariat offices play a major role for the general public as the main government organizations in the country. Therefore, main objectives of this study were to assess the CFP of a divisional secretariat office in Thihagoda in southern Sri Lanka and suggest suitable methods for reducing their CFP. After defining the organizational and operational boundaries according to Green House Gas (GHG) protocol using three scopes 1, 2 and 3, CFP of each emission sources and activities were calculated in tCO 2e /year by multiplying activity data with emission factors (EF). Emission factors were developed according to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Activity data were collected from bills, data sheets, personal communication and questionnaire for transportation by company own vehicle, food waste disposal, usage of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), backup generator (scope 1), for purchased electricity (scope 2) and for employee commuting and usage of water (scope 3). The results show that total CFP of this organization is 36.09 tCO 2-e /year, which is comparatively less than other organizations in Sri Lanka. The CFP under scope 1, 2, and 3 are 25.3%, 17.7% and 57.1% of the total respectively. Since the highest percentage of CFP depicts under scope 3 and it is due to employee commuting (56.73%), employees should be encouraged to use public transportation rather than private transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is considered as the major threat to the human beings in the future. Vulnerability to the climate change refers to the potential of a system to be harmed by an external threat and it is a function of exposure, sensitivity to impacts and the ability or lack of ability to cope or adapt. Adaptive capacity (AC) represents the ability of a region or community to cope with and thrive in the face of change. In this context, an attempt has been made to construct indexes to measure the adaptive capacity using five assets as economic, social, human, physical and natural. The data were obtained from Sri Lanka Household and Expenditure Survey covering 25000 households. One purpose of this research is to demonstrate a method of aggregating adaptive capacity indicators that result in a composite index. Indicators of Adaptive capacity are developed and a Weighted Principal Components Analysis (WPCA) is performed on assets. Households, who are dominantly dependent upon several resources, have always been adjusting their livelihood against the vagaries of climate. Multiple Factor Analysis for Mixed Data (FAMD) is used to handle the household data. As output shown in the analysis that the positive relationship between adaptive capacity and social assets are clearly followed by economic assets and physical assets, but human assets have been attributed a negative association. Batticaloa, Jaffna, Ampara, Moneragala, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Puttlam districts had lower adaptive capacity, along with Colombo and Gampaha had a higher level of adaptive capacity. Furthermore, inter-household analysis of AC indicate that the poor households with less recourses are risky anywhere, irrespective of where they are located. Policy measures and development efforts should be focused towards improving the AC of the less owners of the assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International collaborations in the context of Disaster Resilience (DR) is pivotal due to several reasons. It helps to propose ways to create more coherent international approaches on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and resilience strengthening; it helps to enhance risk management capabilities by bridging the gap between science and legal/policy issues; it helps to address the issue of efficient management of trans-boundary crises. The need to optimise international cooperation in relation to resourcing research, capacity building to undertake research and facilitating its uptake is mentioned throughout the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR). Given their different capacities, as well as the linkage between the level of support provided to them and the extent to which they will be able to implement the SFDRR, developing countries require an enhanced provision of means of implementation, including adequate, sustainable and timely resources, through international cooperation and global partnerships for development, and continued international support, so as to strengthen their efforts to reduce disaster risk. The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of engagement of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in developing countries in Asia in international collaborations to improve their Research and Innovation (R&I) capacities in DR. Based on a project entitled ASCENT (Advancing Skills Creation and Enhancement), the findings of the paper focuses on three Asian countries, i.e. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Other than an extant literature review, the paper findings are drawn from a questionnaire survey carried out in eight HEIs from the said countries. There are already several regional initiatives that promote collaboration among HEIs towards building resilience. These networks should be supported and encouraged to grow. These global networks should collaborate with existing bodies to ensure that the role of higher education is understood and can be made use of. Findings of this paper supports the need for an enhanced international partnership to improve the science-policy interface in DR and to achieve the objectives of the SFDRR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dhaka is one of the most vulnerable cities of the world to the adverse effects of climate change and variables. Children of Dhaka are the most vulnerable group of people to any crucial change in weather pattern or climate; i.e. heat wave and heavy precipitation. However, little research has been conducted with children on their perception of climate change which is important for developing coping strategies - resilience to inform urban development and planning policies for the city. This mixed method research conducted a cross-sectional survey on children of three schools in Dhaka. Analysis of the survey shows that socio-economic and educational background of the children defines their access to infrastructure, services and facilities; thus frame their experience and perception of vulnerabilities. Children have clear perception on the changes in temperature and rainfall in Dhaka. Although they feel more comfortable with heavy precipitation than increased heat, yet both the conditions affect their physiological health and daily activities negatively. The actions they suggested to cope with the negative impacts of climate change are mostly reactive than anticipatory in nature illustrating dependency on adults to increase their adaptive capacity. However their concern for every-day stress and well-being affected by the deteriorating weather conditions illustrate a sense of anxiety among them. The children also identified a few coping strategies - resilience to adapt to the impacts of extreme weather events that may inform to develop a comprehensive urban design guideline and planning policy for Dhaka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of 21 st century challenges including globalisation, urbanisation, climate change and anti-microbial resistance, disaster risk governance must ensure top-level buy-in from city leaders. The Sendai Framework calls for focused action in strengthening disaster risk governance. Over the last decade Greater Manchester has transformed its disaster risk governance to reflect a more sophisticated understanding of resilience. At the start of this century, the UK experienced a series of crises that led to modernisation of its civil protection arrangements. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 enabled Greater Manchester to formalise existing partnership structures to strengthen the local platform for disaster risk reduction. This created the multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder Greater Manchester Resilience Forum which coordinates civil protection activities for nearly 3 million residents. The UK recognises that local and national platforms need to work together and this alignment is delivered through a specialist Government team working closely with the Forum. In 2014 Greater Manchester joined the UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign. Use of the campaign’s toolkit led to a review of governance and renewed trans-disciplinary collaboration across multiple thematic local partnerships. A role model city within the campaign, Greater Manchester also participated in an EU-funded project (USCORE) to pilot the UNISDR’s Disaster Resilience Scorecard. Outcomes highlighted the importance of place-based assurance together with relevant metrics to inform decisions. This case study draws on this experience of strengthening disaster risk governance arrangements, a journey which will continue as Greater Manchester works with the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perspectives and knowledge of decision makers, especially those at the provincial level, have great impact on the progress of climate change adaptation in China. Therefore, identifying knowledge gaps and enhancing climate adaptation awareness of decision makers at that level is very important. Based on this aim, we conducted a survey of climate change adaptation awareness among 85 administrative and management personnel from governmental departments responsible for climate change adaptation planning in five provinces. Study findings revealed that over half of respondents have knowledge of climate change adaptation measures, but the extent of understanding varied across different adaptation aspects and regions. Among the different aspects, understanding of measures related to human health protection was the lowest. A large majority of respondents indicated an eagerness to obtain knowledge and information about climate change adaptation, but the main barrier is a lack of training and learning material. When making adaptation plans or policies, the greatest obstacle expressed was a funding shortage. Information generated from this study can provide direction and guidance for training and educating provincial decision makers in order to improve the levels of adaptation planning and policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of climate change are already visible throughout the world. Recognizing the threats posed by climate change, the Durban Platform, the 17th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 17), underscores that the global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible cooperation and ambitious action by all countries. A crucial starting point for the design of effective and publicly acceptable policies is to explore public preferences for climate policy instruments. Using a choice experiment, this study investigates public preferences for carbon tax attributes in a developing country context. The results account for heterogeneity in preferences and show that Turkish people prefer a carbon tax with a progressive cost distribution rather than one with a regressive cost distribution. The private cost has a negative effect on the probability of choosing the tax. Earmarking carbon tax revenues increases the public acceptability of the tax. Moreover, there is a preference for a carbon tax that promotes public awareness of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of seasonal weather differences on the human body's heat losses in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. The provinces of Adana, Antakya, Osmaniye, Mersin and Antalya were chosen for the research, and monthly atmospheric temperatures, relative humidity, wind speed and atmospheric pressure data from 2007 were used. In all these provinces, radiative, convective and evaporative heat losses from the human body based on skin surface and respiration were analyzed from meteorological data by using the heat balance equation. According to the results, the rate of radiative, convective and evaporative heat losses from the human body varies considerably from season to season. In all the provinces, 90% of heat loss was caused by heat transfer from the skin, with the remaining 10% taking place through respiration. Furthermore, radiative and convective heat loss through the skin reached the highest values in the winter months at approximately between 110 and 140 W/m 2 , with the lowest values coming in the summer months at roughly 30–50 W/m 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A high-resolution peat record from Eastern Belgium reveals the chronology of dust deposition for the last 2500years. REE and lithogenic elements in addition to Nd and Pb isotopes were measured in a 173cm age-dated peat profile and provide a continuous chronology of dust source and intensity. Calculated dust flux show pronounced increases c. 300BC, 600AD, 1000AD, 1200AD and from 1700AD, corresponding to local and regional human activities combined with climate change. The Industrial Revolution samples (1700–1950AD) are characterised by a significant enrichment in Sc-normalised REE abundance (sum REE/Sc>25) due to intensive coal combustion. For the pre-Industrial Revolution samples, the Sc-normalised REE abundance (10

Abstract: Background: Considerable uncertainty exists concerning the interaction between climate and human health. We explored this issue by evaluating the relationship between meteorological events and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) events. Methods: 9406 patients in 29 countries at 440 Early versus Delayed, Provisional Eptifibatide in Acute Coronary Syndromes (EARLY ACS) clinical trial sites were linked to a weather station by location. Temperature, barometric pressure, precipitation, wind speed and combined temperature and relative humidity were normalized by location for the 37days prior to the index ACS event that precipitated study enrollment. A meteorological event was defined as a change in any weather metric that was expected to occur in less than 10% of the exposure intervals: four separate 48-hour intervals within the seven days prior to an ACS event (T1, day of event and −1day; T2, −2 to −3days; T3, −4 to −5days; and T4, −6 to −7days). Results are reported as ratio of observed to expected events for the meteorological parameter. Results: There were 10% more drops in temperature observed in T4 (95%CI: 3–17%), and more increases in temperature observed during T1 (4%; 95%CI −2–9%). An excess number of wind speed increases (9%;95%CI 2–16%) and relative humidity increases (6%; 95%CI 0.1–14%) occurred during T4. Additionally, female patients in this cohort presented less often than male patients following drops in average temperature. Conclusions: Using a new method for integrating meteorological data into a clinical trial dataset, we identified associations between changes in weather conditions and the likelihood of an ACS event. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Temperature–mortality analyses are challenging in rural and remote communities with small populations, but this information is needed for climate change and emergency planning. The geographic health areas of British Columbia, Canada were aggregated into four ecoregions delineated by microclimatic conditions. Time series models were used to estimate the effect of maximum apparent temperature on daily non-traumatic mortality. The population of the coldest ecoregion was most sensitive to hot weather, while the population of the hottest ecoregion was least sensitive. The effects were consistently strongest in decedents aged less than 75 years. A province-wide total of 815 deaths was attributed to hot weather over the 25-year study period, with 735 deaths in the most populous ecoregion. The framework described could be adapted to other climatically variable regions with urban, rural, and remote populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Effects of ozone on mortality have been widely assessed in developed countries but rarely in developing countries, and the effects of season and temperature on these associations remain unclear. The present study aimed to explore the modifying effects of temperature on the association of ozone with mortality, and to examine the lag effect structure in Guangzhou, China. Daily non-accidental mortality, air pollution and meteorological data from January 1st 2006 to December 31st 2008 in Guangzhou were collected. Generalized additive models (GAM) and distributed lag models (DLM) were used to estimate the excess risk (ER) of ozone on daily mortality and capture the lag effect structure. Results revealed that, in cold season, an increment in the ozone concentration of 10 μg m− 3 was associated with a 0.87% (95% CI: −0.06 to 2.29%) and 3.34% (95%CI: 1.36–5.35%) increase of mortality for lag0 and lag0–6, respectively. However, no significant effects were observed in the warm season. Daily average temperature and ozone concentration had interactive negative effects on non-accidental mortality in the cold season and at daily average temperatures in the 0–25th percentile, and mortality displacement was also found in these conditions. Therefore, the short-term effect of ambient ozone on mortality is modified by temperature in Guangzhou, China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To explore the effect of aspirin on the thermoregulatory responses of men during exposure to 12°C air (acute cold exposure) for a period of 120 minutes and recovery in 25°C air (rewarming) for 120 minutes. Methods: Seven male subjects (26.1 ± 2.4 yr) underwent pre-experimental testing to determine peak VO2 and body composition. Participants underwent 3 trials in which they ingested the following for 1 week prior to each experimental trial: a capsule filled with cellulose (placebo), 81 mg · day−1 of aspirin (low-dose aspirin), or 650 mg · day−1 of aspirin (high-dose aspirin). Each trial consisted of a 30-minute baseline period, 120 minutes of exposure to 12°C air, and 120 minutes of recovery in 25°C air. Mean skin temperature and rectal temperature (Tre) were measured, and heat production was calculated. Results: During both acute cold exposure and rewarming, analysis of variance revealed a main effect for time (P < .05) with respect to Tre, mean skin temperature, and heat production. However, there were no significant differences between the treatments or treatment by time interactions. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that aspirin had no significant effect on the thermal and metabolic responses during acute cold exposure and rewarming. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The notion that climate change will generally increase human and wildlife diseases has garnered considerable public attention, but remains controversial and seems inconsistent with the expectation that climate change will also cause parasite extinctions. In this review, we highlight the frontiers in climate change–infectious disease research by reviewing knowledge gaps that make this controversy difficult to resolve. We suggest that forecasts of climate-change impacts on disease can be improved by more interdisciplinary collaborations, better linking of data and models, addressing confounding variables and context dependencies, and applying metabolic theory to host–parasite systems with consideration of community-level interactions and functional traits. Finally, although we emphasize host–parasite interactions, we also highlight the applicability of these points to climate-change effects on species interactions in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A critical analysis of 34 radiocarbon dates, selected from a total of 42 published and unpublished dates from Holocene fluvial environments in Basilicata (southern Italy), has identified eight periods of increased fluvial activity in this area, namely: 7200–6800; 4800–4550; 4300–4100; 3400–3100; 2350–1850; 1700–1320; 1050–800 and 300–120calyears BP. Many of these phases coincide with the main flooding events recorded elsewhere in the Mediterranean. The record is discussed in relation to high-resolution central-southern Italy pollen and lake level records and Alps and Apennine (central Italy) glacier variations to identify relationships between geomorphic activity and Holocene environmental change. The data comparison suggests that aggradational and incisional episodes were primarily climatically driven, whereas flooding coincided with colder and moister phases, while incision (i.e. gully formation) occurred during dry-warm periods due to high magnitude, low frequency alluvial events. Phases of widespread fine-grained aggradation occurred in the last 2000years, also suggesting that anthropogenic impact has intensified these processes, adding its effects to the climate impact. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The spread of anatomically modern humans (AMH) into Europe occurred when shifts in the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation triggered a series of large and abrupt climate changes during the last glacial. However, the role of climate forcing in this process has remained unclear. Here we present a last glacial record that provides insight into climate-related environmental shifts in the eastern Mediterranean region, i.e. the gateway for the colonisation of Europe by AMH. We show that the environmental impact of the Heinrich Event H5 climatic deterioration c. 48 kyr ago was as extreme as that of the glacial maximum of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 when most of Europe was deserted by Neanderthals. We argue that Heinrich H5 resulted in a similar demographic vacuum so that invasive AMH populations had the opportunity to spread into Europe and occupy large parts before the Neanderthals were able to reoccupy this territory. This spread followed the resumption of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at the beginning of Greenland Interstadial (GIS) 12 c. 47 kyr ago that triggered an extreme and rapid shift from desert-steppe to open woodland biomes in the gateway to Europe. We conclude that the extreme environmental impact of Heinrich H5 within a situation of competitive exclusion between two closely related hominids species shifted the balance in favour of modern humans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Geographers have a long history of contributing to basic, use-inspired, and applied research on one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced: global climate change. Their contributions cut across all the major traditions and subfields within geography, have aimed at a variety of scales, and have connected to the scholarship of other disciplines. Building on these past accomplishments, this paper argues that geographers must continue their interdisciplinary endeavors and engage now–even more so than before–in practice-relevant research, particularly in the area of the human dimensions of climate change. The paper points to a range of critical research needs in the area of vulnerability and adaptation, particularly focused on the US, and argues for rapid capacity building and far-reaching changes in the incentive structure for geographers to engage in practice-relevant research and in interaction with policy-makers and resource managers at the science-practice interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), seasonality and increased sensitivity to the fluctuation of seasons in biological and psychological parameters can manifest to varying degrees across a normal population. The serotonin-2A (5-HT2A) receptor gene has long been suggested as a candidate for the genetic basis of this phenomenon. We hypothesized that functional sequence variation in this gene could contribute to seasonality and the development of winter- and/or summer-type seasonal depression. Seasonality was measured by the self-rating Global Seasonality Score (GSS) of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire, and SAD by the Seasonal Health Questionnaire (SHQ). We analysed associations between GSS or SAD scores and 5-HTR2A receptor gene polymorphisms rs731779, rs985934 and rs6311, in 609 individuals. People carrying the GG genotype of rs731779 were six times more likely to manifest winter or summer SAD compared to GT or TT genotypes (OR = 6.47), and the chance of having winter-type SAD was almost nine-fold (OR = 8.7) with the GG genotype. GG subjects of rs731779 also scored significantly higher on the GSS scale compared to carriers of the T allele. In the haplotype analysis subjects carrying the G allele of rs731779 scored higher on the GSS scale, while the presence of the T allele leads to lower scores. These results suggest that variations in the 5-HTR2A gene play a significant role in the development of seasonality and especially in winter-type SAD. The fact that the above polymorphism showed association not only with clinical SAD but also seasonality symptoms in a general population provides evidence for the spectrum nature of this connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Neandertals were an anatomically distinct hominoid species inhabiting a vast geographical area ranging from Portugal to western Siberia and from northern Europe to the Middle East. The species became extinct 28,000years ago, coinciding with the arrival of anatomically modern humans (AMHs) in Europe 40,000years ago. There has been considerable debate surrounding the main causes of the extinction of Neandertals. After at least 200,000years of successful adaption to the climate, flora and fauna of Eurasia, it is not clear why they suddenly failed to survive. For many years, climate change or competition with anatomically modern human (AMH) have been the leading hypotheses. Recently these hypotheses have somewhat fallen out of favour due to the recognition that Neandertals were a highly developed species with complex social structure, culture and technical skills. Were AMHs lucky and survived some catastrophe that eradicated the Neandertals? It seems unlikely that this is the case considering the close timing of the arrival of AMHs and the disappearance of Neandertals. Perhaps the arrival of AMHs also brought additional new non-human microscopic inhabitants to the regions where Neandertals lived and these new inhabitants contributed to the disappearance of the species. We introduce a medical hypothesis that complements other recent explanations for the extinction of Neandertals. After the ancestors of Neandertals left Africa, their immune system adapted gradually to the pathogens in their new Eurasian environment. In contrast, AMHs continued to co-evolve with east African pathogens. More than 200,000years later, AMHs carried pathogens that would have been alien to pre-historic Europe. First contact between long separated populations can be devastating. Recent European and American history provides evidence for similar events, where introduction of viral, protozoan or bacterial pathogens to immunologically naïve populations lead to mass mortality and local population extinction. We propose that a virus, possibly from the family Herpesviridae, contributed to Neandertal extinction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Studies on the relationship between climate and unipolar depression rates have yielded mixed results, which could be attributed to the inclusion of heterogeneous clinical samples and the use of admission rather than onset dates. This study aimed to overcome these methodological issues. During an 8-year timeframe, onset rates of unipolar depressive episodes requiring hospitalization from individuals living up to 15 km from a selected meteorological station were stratified by clinical subtypes and modeled as Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) functions of orthogonal climatic factors obtained by Principal Components Analysis (PCA). For comparison purposes, onset rates stratified by demographic factors and by diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and admission rates were also modeled. The main findings were a negative 1--month delayed relationship between onset rates of episodes with melancholic features and a climatic factor mainly composed of ambient temperature/sunlight, and a negative 1-month delayed relationship between onset rates of episodes with psychotic features and a climatic factor mainly composed of barometric pressure. Results of this study support a climatic–rather than seasonal–influence in specific subtypes of depression. If replicated, they may have nosological and therapeutic implications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Due to global climate change, the world will, on average, experience a higher number of heat waves, and the intensity and length of these heat waves is projected to increase. Knowledge about the implications of heat exposure to human health is growing, with excess mortality and illness occurring during hot weather in diverse regions. Certain groups, including the elderly, the urban poor, and those with chronic health conditions, are at higher risk. Preventive actions include: establishing heat wave warning systems; making cool environments available (through air conditioning or other means); public education; planting trees and other vegetation; and modifying the built environment to provide proper ventilation and use materials and colors that reduce heat build-up and optimize thermal comfort. However, to inspire local prevention activities, easily understood information about the strategies’ benefits needs to be incorporated into decision tools. Integrating heat health information into a comprehensive adaptation planning process can alert local decision-makers to extreme heat risks and provide information necessary to choose strategies that yield the largest health improvements and cost savings. Tools to enable this include web-based programs that illustrate effective methods for including heat health in comprehensive local-level adaptation planning; calculate costs and benefits of several activities; maps showing zones of high potential heat exposure and vulnerable populations in a local area; and public awareness materials and training for implementing preventive activities. A new computer-based decision tool will enable local estimates of heat-related health effects and potential savings from implementing a range of prevention strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many birds living in regions with seasonal fluctuations in ambient temperatures (T a) typically respond to cold by increasing insulation and adjusting metabolic rate. Seasonal variation in thermal physiology has not been studied for the Caprimulgiformes, an order of birds that generally have basal metabolic rates (BMR) lower than predicted for their body mass. We measured the metabolic rate and thermal conductance of Australian owlet-nightjars (Aegotheles cristatus) during summer and winter using open-flow respirometry. Within the thermoneutral zone (TNZ; 31.3 to 34.8 °C), there was no seasonal difference in BMR or thermal conductance (C), but body temperature was higher in summer- (38.2±0.3 °C) than winter-acclimatized (37.1±0.5 °C) birds. Below the TNZ, resting metabolic rate (RMR) increased linearly with decreasing T a, and RMR and C were higher for summer- than winter-acclimatized birds. The mean mass-specific BMR of owlet-nightjars (1.27 mL O2 g−1 h−1) was close to the allometrically predicted value for a 45 g Caprimulgiformes, but well below that predicted for birds overall. These results suggest that owlet-nightjars increase plumage insulation to cope with low winter T a, which is reflected in the seasonal difference in RMR and C below the TNZ, rather than adjusting BMR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Proper adjustments of the thermoregulatory mechanisms ensure survival in the natural environment. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that laboratory golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) housed under seminatural outdoor conditions are able to acclimatize to daily and seasonal changes in the environment despite their long history of breeding in captivity. The animals experienced natural changes in the photoperiod and ambient temperature characteristic for central Poland. During experiments in the thermal gradient system, the daily rhythms of body temperature (measured as the temperature of brown adipose tissue, TBAT), preferred ambient temperature (PTa) and activity were measured in summer, autumn and spring. We found that mean TBAT was highest in autumn and least in summer, reflecting seasonal changes in the capacity for nonshivering thermogenesis (NST). In summer, TBAT followed the robust daily rhythm with the amplitude of 1.1±0.1 °C. This amplitude was depressed in autumn (0.2±0.1 °C) and partially restored in spring (0.4±0.1 °C). Seasonal changes in the daily amplitude of TBAT recorded during both transitional periods, i.e., in autumn and spring, seem to be associated with hamsters'' hibernation. In autumn, mean daily PTa was lower than in summer and spring, indicating the lowering of a set point for core body temperature (Tb) regulation. Locomotor activity was much higher in spring than in summer and autumn, and it always predominated at night. We conclude that laboratory golden hamsters housed under seminatural conditions express daily and seasonal changes in the thermoregulatory mechanisms that, despite long history of breeding in captivity, enable proper acclimatization to seasonally changing environment and ensure successful hibernation and winter survival. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A total of 193 dates are listed from the Eastern Cape. Middle Stone Age hunter-gatherers existed in the Drakensberg prior to the rigours of cold climatic conditions after ca. 22,000 BP. These uplands were reoccupied under more favourable climatic conditions after ca. 12,600 BP but were apparently abandoned between ca. 6000 BP and 3000 BP. Hunter-gatherer occupation throughout the Holocene is indicated at lower altitudes, with in-migration of pastoralists ca. 1800 BP in the Fish River area, and with Iron Age farmers entering coastal districts and adjacent river valleys from ca. 1400 BP. Sand dunes accumulated in the Holocene adjacent to the Indian Ocean. Flood plain development in the early Holocene was succeeded by incision of rivers in the later Holocene. Flood plain deposition began again in the Southern Drakensberg ca. 1000 BP. Palynological studies evidence marked climatic oscillations around the Late Glacial/Holocene boundary, with apparent stability at high altitude subsequent to 2700 BP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

At present, many economies are suffering from environmental problems that have significant effects on the climate and life of human beings, thus, the governments and institutions work to reduce the industrial negative effects on the environment. Based on the Porter Hypothesis, agency theory, and management and organization theory, this study examines the connection between environmental regulations, corporate social responsibility and firm innovation with the moderating role of CEO power and ownership concentration. Importantly, this study divided CEOs into male and female CEO. This study classifies firm innovation into two kinds, such as firm input innovation and firm output innovation. This study selects the sample of Pakistani manufacturing firms and uses the panel data for the period 2008 to 2018. For the analysis purpose, this study employs ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed-effect (FE) model, generalized method of moments (GMM). For more robust results, this study employs the feasible generalized least square (FGLS) model. Based on the findings from the empirical analysis, this study concludes that environmental regulations and corporate social responsibility have a positive relationship with firm innovation (Input and Output). Moreover, a powerful CEO and ownership concentration are valuable for firm innovation (Input and Output), because these factors are positively connected with firm innovation (Input and Output). Majorly, this study contends that environmental regulations and corporate social responsibility are positively connected with firm innovation (Input and Output) because of the interactive role of CEO power. This study supported the role of both male and female CEOs for firm innovative practices. Therefore, firms of developing economies should also consider the female CEO. Besides, environmental regulations and corporate social responsibility also positively connected with firm innovation (Input and Output) because of the interactive role of ownership concentration. Moreover, this study offers various policy implications for governments and policymakers. • This study examines the moderating role of CEO power and ownership concentration in environmental regulations, CSR and firm innovation. • This study uses data of Pakistani firms from 2008 to 2018, and analyze it by employing OLS, fixed-effect (FE) model, GMM model and FGLS models. • This study concludes that environmental regulations and CSR are positively associated with firm innovation. • This study endorses positive connection of environmental regulations, CSR and firm innovation with CEO power and ownership concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This response letter addresses two points raised by le Bourg when discussing our previous paper entitled “Exploring the impact of climate on human longevity”. First, the arguments explaining the accuracy of the numbers of centenarian in Okinawa are developed, and second the composition and healthfulness of the traditional Okinawan diet are described as well as the changes in dietary pattern and their impact on longevity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Estimates and predictions of people displaced by environmental changes have been highly instrumental in the ever-increasing attention given to environmental migration in the media. Yet no consensual estimate exists, let alone a commonly agreed methodology. As a result, predictions and estimates have become one of the most contentious issues in the debates on environmental migration. This article seeks to review the key estimates and predictions existing in the literature, as well as the methodologies they are built on, and the problems and caveats they are fraught with. The first part reviews the figures related to current estimates of people displaced by environmental changes, while a second part examines the predictions for future displacements. The next section synthesises the key methodological difficulties and a final section suggests some possible avenues for improvement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Attempts to quantify the numbers of migrants generated by changes in climate have commonly been calculated by projecting physical climate changes on an exposed population. These studies generally make simplistic assumptions about the response of an individual to variations in climate. However, empirical evidence of environmentally induced migration does not support such a structural approach and recognises that migration decisions are usually both multi-causal and shaped through individual agency. As such, agent-based modelling offers a robust method to simulate the autonomous decision making process relating to environmental migration. The Theory of Planned Behaviour provides a basis that can be used to effectively break down the reasoning process relating to the development of a behavioural intention. By developing an agent-based model of environmental migration for Burkina Faso from the basis of a combination of such theoretical developments and data analysis we further investigate the role of the environment in the decision to migrate using scenarios of future demographic, economic, social, political, and climate change in a dryland context. We find that in terms of climate change, it can be seen that that change to a drier environment produces the largest total and international migration fluxes when combined with changes to inclusive and connected social and political governance. While the lowest international migration flows are produced under a wetter climate with exclusive and diverse governance scenarios. In summary this paper illustrates how agent-based models incorporating the Theory of Planned Behaviour can be used to project evidence based future changes in migration in response to future demographic, economic social and climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]