The impact of heat waves on daily mortality in Belgrade (Serbia) during summer

In this paper, we are dealing with two extreme events in temperature and population – heat wave and mortality. Our aim is to assess the relation between high temperatures and daily mortality counts during the summer months in the period 2000–2010 in Belgrade (Serbia). In order to establish this connection, we used Poisson regression and two different measures of heat wave: Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) and apparent temperature (T _app). As mean daily temperature increases over 90th, 95th and 99th percentiles, average number of deaths increases for 15.3% (p?<?.01), 22.4% (p?<?.05) and 32.0% (insignificant for p?<?.1). We tested three different thresholds (90th, 95th, 99th) for WSDI and T _app in order to separate the hottest heat-wave episodes. On average, mortality is higher than expected for 13.4%, 16.7% and 28.3% (90th, 95th and 99th percentiles for WSDI) and 16.1%, 17.3% and 32.5% (90th, 95th and 99th percentiles for T _app). Estimated mortality excess with heat-wave indices is in accordance with regression output, meaning that WSDI and T _app are good tools for heat-wave identification. During the most severe episode in July 2007, absolute temperature maximum (43.6°C) and daily maximum mortality counts (94 dead) were recorded in the same day (24 July 2007).     

Preferential incubation positions for different sized eggs and their influence on incubation period and hatching asynchrony in Snares crested (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eudyptes robustus</Emphasis>) and yellow-eyed penguins (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Megadyptes antipodes</Emphasis>)

In crested penguins (Eudyptes spp.), second-laid eggs typically hatch before first eggs. Amongst a variety of factors that have been considered as mechanisms underlying this reversal, has been the idea that crested penguins can adjust the degree of hatching asynchrony by manipulating egg positions (i.e. placing the smaller first egg in the supposedly thermally disadvantaged anterior position) during incubation (termed Preferential Incubation Hypothesis). We tested this in the Snares crested penguin (Eudyptes robustus) and the closely related, but synchronously-hatching, yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes). Snares crested penguins were more likely to place their first eggs, which are smaller than second eggs, in the anterior incubation position than were yellow-eyed penguins, which have a clutch of two similar-sized eggs. But when yellow-eyed penguins, a non-brood reducing species, were provided with an artificial size-dimorphic clutch, they also placed smaller eggs more frequently in the anterior position, suggesting that a general preference exists among penguins to place smaller eggs in the anterior position. Egg temperatures of small first eggs of Snares crested penguins were higher in the anterior than in the posterior position. Large first eggs in lesser size-dimorphic clutches experienced high temperature differences in relation to position, while small first eggs in greater size-dimorphic clutches were incubated at similar temperatures. In yellow-eyed penguins, large eggs within clutches generally had higher egg temperatures than small eggs. Incubation periods of second eggs declined with increasing egg size. Egg-size variation, rather than egg positioning behaviour, influenced hatching patterns in Snares crested penguins. In lesser size-dimorphic clutches, second eggs were more likely to hatch first while in greater size-dimorphic clutches, small first eggs were more likely to hatch at the same time or before the second eggs. This was similar in yellow-eyed penguins, where second eggs hatched earlier in clutches with large first eggs. Our data contradicts the Preferential Incubation Hypothesis and we conclude that this hypothesis is unlikely to explain the reversed hatching asynchrony in crested penguins.Communicated by C. Brown     

FeCl3改性MOFs在低温下对Hg0的吸附性能

为提高吸附剂对Hg0（零价汞）的吸附效率,利用MOFs（金属有机框架）材料发达的孔隙结构和高比表面积（1 997.010 0 m2/g）,采用FeCl₃溶液浸渍改性,制备了吸附剂FeCl₃@MIL-101（Cr）用于脱除Hg0.在小型固定床反应器上考察了浸渍浓度、反应温度、氧含量等对Hg0去除的影响.结果表明:FeCl₃@MIL-101（Cr）在进口ρ（Hg0）为2×10-3 mg/L,c（FeCl₃）为0.2 mol/L,反应温度60℃,气体流速400 mL/min,φ（O₂）为1%的条件下,吸附穿透时间长达62 h,相应的吸附容量为14.27 mg/g.在此基础上,进一步利用BET（比表面积测试）、SEM（扫描电镜）-EDX（能量色散X射线光谱）、XRD（X射线衍射）、XPS（X射线光电子能谱）等常用表征手段研究了改性前后吸附剂的物理化学特性,证明了吸附剂FeCl₃@MIL-101（Cr）吸附零价汞是物理吸附与化学吸附共同作用的结果,含氯官能团在吸附Hg0过程中也发挥了相当大的作用,并且氧气可促进其吸附效果.最后,分析了其吸附机理.研究显示,该种吸附剂在低温条件下具有较为优良的脱汞性能,应用前景良好.      

An unusual high ozone event over the North and Northeast China during the record-breaking summer in 2018

Under the background of global warming, the summer temperature of the North and Northeast China (NNEC) has significantly increased since 2017, which was accompanied by the aggravated ozone (O₃) pollution. In 2018, the NNEC experienced a record-breaking summer of the past 40 years. Influenced by the abnormal high temperatures, a regional ozone event occurred on 2-3 August, over 63% of 79 selected cities in the NNEC were exposed to O₃ pollution, and the maximum value of MDA8 O₃ reached 268 μg/m³. Observations indicated that ozone concentrations agree well with the maximum temperature at 2 meters (MT2M) over NNEC with a correlation coefficient of 0.69. During the pollution episode, strong downdraft in the local high (35°N-42.5°N, 112.5°E-132.5°E; LH) over the NNEC created the favourable meteorological conditions for O₃ formation. By analyzing the horizontal wind and wave activity fluxes (WAFs) at 200 hPa, we found that the LH formation was resulted from the Rossby wave propagation from upstream along the mid-latitude Asian jet. The split polar vortex intrusion further strengthened the amplitude of the Rossby wave and reinforced the LH. Moreover, a secondary circulation between Typhoon Jongdari and the LH contributed to the enhanced LH with strong subsidence. On the other hand, the stratospheric intrusions under the deep subsidence also contributed to the enhanced surface O₃. In this study, the deep-seated meteorological dynamical mechanisms contributing to the abnormal high temperatures were investigated, which can lead to a better understanding of the regional O₃ pollution over NNEC under the global-warming background.     

中国高温下臭氧抑制事件的时空特征及其影响因素

温度是影响臭氧生成的关键气象因子，通常情况下，臭氧和温度呈显著正相关关系，即臭氧浓度随着温度的升高而上升.然而这种关系在极高温时可能发生改变，当温度超过某个阈值时，臭氧浓度呈下降趋势，称为臭氧抑制事件.臭氧抑制事件导致气候变化背景下未来空气质量预测具有更多不确定性.基于全国空气质量监测数据和气象观测数据，采用Z检验方法，系统分析了2013~2020年暖季（4~9月）我国臭氧抑制事件频次及临界温度（T_x）的时空特征，并分析了引起臭氧抑制事件发生的可能影响因素.结果表明，2013~2020年暖季，我国约有18%的站点发生臭氧抑制事件，发生频率较高的站点主要分布在四川、新疆、陕西等中国中西部地区，平均达到10次·a^-1.发生臭氧抑制事件的T_x介于19.2~39.3℃，且大多数站点的T_x呈逐年上升趋势；T_x高值区主要分布在四川、重庆、湖南和湖北等中西部地区，而T_x低值区则集中在青藏高原一带.与T_x年变化趋势相反，2013~2020年暖季京津冀的臭氧抑制事件频率显著下降，汾渭平原、长三角和成渝地区的臭氧抑制事件频率呈"升高-降低-升高"变化特征.珠三角城市群极端高温抑制臭氧的作用最显著.此外，臭氧前体物（例如NO₂）和气象条件（风速、风向）是导致臭氧抑制事件的可能原因.     

低温环境下人工湿地植物组配对养殖废水的处理效果研究

强化低温环境下人工湿地的污水处理能力,对于促进人工湿地的应用推广具有重要的意义。本研究利用绿狐尾藻(Myriophyllum aquaticum)和菖蒲(Acorus calamus L.)两种湿地植物,在室外低温环境下(＜15℃),研究人工湿地植物组配对不同负荷养殖废水的处理效应及关键影响因素。结果表明,在不种、单种和不同顺序混种绿狐尾藻(M.aquaticum)和菖蒲(A.calamus L.)处理下,菖蒲+绿狐尾藻组合湿地(AM)对TN、TP和COD去除率均为最高,在低负荷和高负荷环境下平均去除率分别为74.2%、71.3%、83.0%和67.3%、81.9%、75.3%。相较于空白对照和植物单种的湿地系统,植物混种系统的DO较高,且AM处理在低负荷和高负荷环境下均能保持较高的C∶N。根据Pearson相关性以及PCA分析,DO与TN、NH⁺₄-N去除率显著相关(P<0.05),C∶N与COD去除关联性最好。可见,菖蒲+绿狐尾藻植物组合可能通过改善DO和C∶N等湿地微环境条件来增强湿地对污染物的去除,能够作为低温环境下强化湿地对污染物去除的一种有效措施。     

基于MODIS数据的地表组分温度反演研究

组分温度的反演是当前定量遥感的一个难点。与众多的陆面温度遥感模型相比,成熟的组分温度遥感模型相对较少。通过对近地面热红外辐射能量的线性展开,建立了MODIS多波段植被、土壤组分温度反演模型。该模型将组分温度与地表温度定量联系起来,模型中所涉及到的参数充分考虑到研究区湿地环境的特点。在计算组分温度时,首先利用单窗算法得到的MODIS陆面温度反演模型计算地表温度,然后由所建立的组分温度模型计算植被、土壤温度。选用2005年10月31日的鄱阳湖地区MODIS数据试验,与实测的植被、土壤温度相比,反演的组分温度的误差在15~21℃;通过对模型参数的敏感性分析,表明该模型具有一定的稳定性。实践证明,该方法能够有效实现组分温度的分离,是一种组分温度反演的较好方法。     

Impacts of climatic change and low frequency variability in reference series on daily maximum and minimum temperature in southern South America

Understanding the climate and its variability, in particular with regard to their socioeconomic impact, requires specific measurements of precipitation and temperature and their circulations. This becomes more important in applications to diverse systems. In order to improve knowledge about temporal changes and trends in temperature, we analyzed series of maximum and minimum daily surface temperatures at eight reference stations in southeastern South America during variable periods, with the longest periods of around 100 years. To study the evolution of the temperature series and to reduce the number of parameters, a nonhierarchical cluster analysis was performed. The algorithm assigns each day to one of four groups: warm, wet, cold and dry. Low frequency variations were found in these groups and their association with circulation structure, circulation patterns and precipitation. We concluded that the set of wet days is one of the main factors driving secular variations of maximum and minimum temperature and variations in precipitation. We also inferred that after 1920 till 1930, a low frequency oscillation is observed in the form of linear trends (increase of warm days and decrease of cold days).     

Composition and Some Ecological Features of Winter Zooplankton in Deep Stratified Lakes

For the first time, zooplankton and environmental factors have been studied in winter in the deep stratified lakes Siverskoe, Borodaevskoe, and Vydogoshch. The zooplankton consists of 18–22 species of rotifers, copepods, and cladocerans, including 15–18 specifically winter, cryophilic and eurythermic forms. The populations of zooplankters reproduce actively: males and egg-bearing females (in copepods), females with embryos and eggs in brood pouches (in cladocerans), and females with attached eggs (in rotifers) are present. In lakes Siverskoe and Borodaevskoe (depth 20–24 m), where oxygen deficiency is observed only in the bottom water layer, the zooplankton populates the greater part of the water column and forms a large aggregation in the oxycline and near the bottom. The abundance of bacteria in these zones is high (up to 4–6 × 10⁶ cells/ml). In Lake Vydogoshch (depth 16 m), oxygen deficiency extends to the middle layers, and all zooplankton is distributed above the oxycline. The biomass of winter zooplankton in Lake Siverskoe in 1983 averaged 1.26 g/m³, with a maximum of 4 g/m³; in 1993, 1.4 and 8.04 g/m²; the respective values in Lake Borodaevskoe were 0.98 and 3.1 in 1983 and 0.14 and 1.6 in 1993; in Lake Vydogoshch, 0.15 and 0.24 in 1983 and 1.25 g/m³ in 1993. The development of winter zooplankton is limited by the size of the zone of oxygen deficiency and depends on the amount of food (bacterioplankton). The distribution of zooplankton in the water column and its biomass in individual layers is determined by the rate of methane formation and oxidation.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 3, 2005, pp. 201–214.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Rivier.