Search

This research applies text mining techniques to examine sentiments and themes among Filipino students adjusting to full in-person classes after pandemic-driven flexible learning, focusing on their experiences during April to June 2023–a period usually marked by vacations due to intense heat. By applying the natural language toolkit (NLTK) for sentiment analysis and Scikit-learn for topic modeling, the study gathered data from Filipino students on their in-person class experiences during this unique calendar shift. Post data cleaning, NLTK was used for sentiment analysis and latent Dirichlet allocation for topic modeling. The findings indicate that the high temperatures adversely affected students, as evidenced by frequent references to terms such as “room,” “focus,” and “hard.” The study identified a mix of positive and negative sentiments and highlighted key issues like academic challenges and the learning environment’s impact. This study also offered insights into students’ coping strategies during extreme heat. These results stressed the importance of considering environmental factors in educational planning and provide actionable insights for institutions to enhance the in-person learning experience, particularly in challenging weather conditions. Moreover, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of sentiment analysis and topic modeling in understanding and unraveling student experiences in specific contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Vertical surfaces in urban environments represent a potential expansion of niche space for lithophytic fern species. There are, however, few records of differential success rates of fern species in urban environments. Methods: The occurrence rates of 16 lithophytic fern species native to the northeastern USA in 14 biomes, including four urban environments differentiated by percentage of impervious surfaces, were evaluated. In addition, the natural macroclimatic ranges of these species were analyzed to test whether significant differences existed in climatic tolerance between species that occur in urban environments and species that do not. Results: Three species appear to preferentially occur in urban environments, two species may facultatively occur in urban environments, and the remaining 11 species preferentially occur in nondeveloped rural environments. The natural range of fern species that occur in urban environments had higher summer temperatures than the range of species that do not, whereas other macroclimatic variables, notably winter temperatures and precipitation, were less important or insignificant. Conclusions: Vertical surfaces in urban environments may represent novel niche space for some native lithophytic fern species in northeastern USA. However, success in this environment depends, in part, on tolerance of the urban heat island effect, especially heating of impervious surfaces in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental changes induced by urbanization may significantly alter plant survival strategies, thereby introducing uncertainties in their ability to withstand extreme heat. This study, centered on Jinhua City, distinguished urban, suburban, and rural areas to represent the various intensities of urbanization. It examined the leaf function properties of evergreen and deciduous trees common in these regions, focusing on leaf and branch characteristics. Employing an analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and path analysis (PA) of the plant functional traits and the climatic factors of each region, this study assessed the impact of urbanization on plant survival strategies. By tracking changes in plant functional traits from June to August, it explored the capacity of plants to acclimate to urban-warming-related heat stress across different urbanization gradients. The findings revealed that leaf thickness (LT) and stomatal size (SS) initially decreased and then increased, whereas specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf tissue density (LTD) first rose and then declined, from rural to urban regions. From June to August, branch wood density (WD), chlorophyll (Chl) content, LTD, and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) increased, whereas SLA and leaf water content (LWC) diminished, in all regions. PCA suggested that there was no significant change in the resource allocation strategy of plants (p > 0.05), with drought tolerance significantly reduced in the suburbs on the gradient of urbanization (p < 0.05). During the summer, with high temperature, plants were predominantly biased towards slow-return, conservative strategies, particularly among evergreen species. Compared to precipitation, PA revealed a significant urban warming effect. During summer, temperature was the main factor influencing resource investment strategy and drought resistance, with a notably stronger impact on the former. The high temperature in summer promoted a conservative survival strategy in plants, and the urbanization effect increased their tolerance to high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of different levels of betaine (Bet) inclusion in the diet on the intestinal health of growing rabbits under summer heat. A total of 100 weaned Qixing meat rabbits aged 35 d with body weight of 748.61 ± 38.59 g were randomly divided into 5 treatment groups: control group (basal diet) and Bet groups (basal diet + 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 g/kg Bet). The average daily temperature in the rabbitry during the experiment was 30.48 °C and the relative humidity was 69.44%. Results Dietary addition of Bet had no significant effect on growth performance and health status of growing rabbits (P > 0.05), but it increased ileal secretory immunoglobulin A content compared to the control under summer heat (P

Global warming has been a matter of serious concern in recent years, and therefore, there is a need for lower carbon emissions in all human activities. In order to achieve this goal, new technologies are being developed. However, at present, a good amount of energy is being spent to get protection from the summer heat as well as the winter cold using appliances across the globe. Due to poor economic conditions, many people still cannot afford such appliances to live comfortably in these extreme climatic conditions. Additionally, those working directly under the sun during summer may even lose their lives due to sunstroke. Therefore, an easier and cheaper alternative method is described in this study for protection from the summer heat as well as the winter cold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of different levels of betaine (Bet) inclusion in the diet on the intestinal health of growing rabbits under summer heat. A total of 100 weaned Qixing meat rabbits aged 35 d with body weight of 748.61 ± 38.59 g were randomly divided into 5 treatment groups: control group (basal diet) and Bet groups (basal diet + 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 g/kg Bet). The average daily temperature in the rabbitry during the experiment was 30.48 °C and the relative humidity was 69.44%. Results: Dietary addition of Bet had no significant effect on growth performance and health status of growing rabbits (P > 0.05), but it increased ileal secretory immunoglobulin A content compared to the control under summer heat (P < 0.05). Addition of 0.75 g/kg Bet up-regulated jejunal IL-4, down-regulated ileal TNF-α expression (P < 0.05). The addition of 1.0 g/kg Bet increased the villi height (VH) in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Serum glucose levels were reduced, and the expression of SLC6A20 was up-regulated in jejunum and ileum of rabbits fed with 1.5 g/kg Bet (P < 0.05). When added at 2.0 g/kg, Bet reduced serum HSP70 content, increased jejunal VH, and up-regulated duodenal SLC7A6, SLC38A2, mTOR and 4EBP-2 expression (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that intestinal mTOR expression was significantly and positively correlated with SLC7A6, SLC38A2, SLC36A1 and IL-4 expression (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Dietary addition of Bet can up-regulate the expression of anti-inflammatory factors through the AAT/mTOR pathway, improve the intestinal immune function, alleviate intestinal damage in growing rabbits caused by summer heat, and improve intestinal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental changes induced by urbanization may significantly alter plant survival strategies, thereby introducing uncertainties in their ability to withstand extreme heat. This study, centered on Jinhua City, distinguished urban, suburban, and rural areas to represent the various intensities of urbanization. It examined the leaf function properties of evergreen and deciduous trees common in these regions, focusing on leaf and branch characteristics. Employing an analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and path analysis (PA) of the plant functional traits and the climatic factors of each region, this study assessed the impact of urbanization on plant survival strategies. By tracking changes in plant functional traits from June to August, it explored the capacity of plants to acclimate to urban-warming-related heat stress across different urbanization gradients. The findings revealed that leaf thickness (LT) and stomatal size (SS) initially decreased and then increased, whereas specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf tissue density (LTD) first rose and then declined, from rural to urban regions. From June to August, branch wood density (WD), chlorophyll (Chl) content, LTD, and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) increased, whereas SLA and leaf water content (LWC) diminished, in all regions. PCA suggested that there was no significant change in the resource allocation strategy of plants (p > 0.05), with drought tolerance significantly reduced in the suburbs on the gradient of urbanization (p < 0.05). During the summer, with high temperature, plants were predominantly biased towards slow-return, conservative strategies, particularly among evergreen species. Compared to precipitation, PA revealed a significant urban warming effect. During summer, temperature was the main factor influencing resource investment strategy and drought resistance, with a notably stronger impact on the former. The high temperature in summer promoted a conservative survival strategy in plants, and the urbanization effect increased their tolerance to high temperatures.

Simple Summary: Rodents in the Mu Us Desert may respond to increasing summer heat through behavioral or physiological adjustments. We studied the ambient temperatures that Meriones meridianus and Meriones unguiculatus might experience in their habitats. The results showed that both the heat-sensitive Meriones meridianus and the heat-tolerant Meriones unguiculatus were threatened by extreme summer heat. In addition, although vegetation and rodent burrows increased the variety of ambient temperature in the habitat, only rodent burrows were effective in providing protection from the stress of extreme summer heat. Therefore, behavioral adjustments may be the major way in which small rodents in this region avoid continuous heat stress in summer. Climate change combined with human activities has altered the spatial and temporal patterns of summer extreme heat in the Mu Us Desert. To determine how those rodents living in the desert respond to increased extreme heat in summer, in July 2022, during the hottest month, we examined the rodent species, vegetation coverage, and small-scale heterogeneity in ambient temperature in the southeastern Mu Us Desert. The results showed that Meriones meridianus, Meriones unguiculatus, and Cricetulus longicaudatus were found in the study area, where the vegetation coverage is 33.5–40.8%. Moreover, the maximum temperature of the desert surface was 61.8 °C. The maximum air temperature at 5 cm above the desert surface was 41.3 °C. The maximum temperature in the burrow at a depth of 15 cm was 31 °C. M. unguiculatus might experience 4–9.3 h of heat stress in a day when exposed outside the burrow, whereas M. meridianus would experience 8.5–10.8 h of heat stress. Yet, inside the burrow, both species were barely exposed to heat stress. In conclusion, adjustments in behavioral patterns can be the main way that rodents in the Mu Us Desert adapt to the extreme heat in the summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urbanization process has contributed to the deterioration of the urban thermal environment and increased the frequency of heat waves in summer that damage public health. Urban green space is the space for the public to escape the summer heat. The cooling effect of urban green space (UGS) can encourage outdoor activities and enhance public health. Analysis of when and how the public utilizes UGS under summer heat can serve as a guide for UGS improvements. In this study, the Hot Spring Park in Fuzhou City, China was utilized as a case study to examine the characteristics of the public recreational behaviors and their influencing factors under summer heat. Results showed the following observations: (1) Canopy density and turf coverage played key roles in regulating the thermal environment. (2) UGS can accommodate multiple summertime behaviors with considerable spatiotemporal variations. (3) In the hot summer, the frequency of recreational activities in UGS was negatively correlated with temperature. Dynamic behaviors were significantly impacted by temperature. Older and younger groups were less heat-tolerant. Based on this, we propose countermeasures and suggestions that are tailored to the needs of urban residents and their behavior characteristics for the planning and management of urban parks in the summer heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change combined with human activities has altered the spatial and temporal patterns of summer extreme heat in the Mu Us Desert. To determine how those rodents living in the desert respond to increased extreme heat in summer, in July 2022, during the hottest month, we examined the rodent species, vegetation coverage, and small-scale heterogeneity in ambient temperature in the southeastern Mu Us Desert. The results showed that Meriones meridianus, Meriones unguiculatus, and Cricetulus longicaudatus were found in the study area, where the vegetation coverage is 33.5–40.8%. Moreover, the maximum temperature of the desert surface was 61.8 °C. The maximum air temperature at 5 cm above the desert surface was 41.3 °C. The maximum temperature in the burrow at a depth of 15 cm was 31 °C. M. unguiculatus might experience 4–9.3 h of heat stress in a day when exposed outside the burrow, whereas M. meridianus would experience 8.5–10.8 h of heat stress. Yet, inside the burrow, both species were barely exposed to heat stress. In conclusion, adjustments in behavioral patterns can be the main way that rodents in the Mu Us Desert adapt to the extreme heat in the summer.

Elevated electricity consumption during summer heat poses significant challenges for urban energy management. This study employs a novel data-driven bottom-up machine learning approach to predict electricity consumption and identify influential building-related characteristics in Beijing, China. Through mobile survey campaigns, we collected comprehensive electricity consumption data (24,439 records) and detailed building information for 2,087 buildings in 209 neighborhoods. Our models achieved high accuracy, with R2 of 0.80 (RMSE 11.77 kWh, MAE 8.70 kWh) at the household level and R2 of 0.95 (RMSE 4.56 kWh, MAE 3.13 kWh) at the building level. We identified specific building characteristics associated with higher electricity demand, including housing sizes of 86–221 m2, floors 10–25, >3 households per floor per unit, buildings over 19 years old, and higher housing prices. At the neighborhood level, a building density of 21.7%–22.3% and low road network density were linked to higher electricity demand. Notably, summer electricity consumption was 20.08% higher on workweeks and 21.29% higher on weekends compared to autumn. This comprehensive approach provides valuable insights for targeted energy efficiency strategies and urban planning. • Two mobile survey campaigns were conducted to collect data on electricity consumption and building information. • The electricity consumption data contains 24,439 samples. • Total electricity consumption was predicted for 2087 residential buildings in an administrative District, Beijing. • During summer heat, electricity consumption was 20.08% higher on weekdays and 21.29% higher on weekends compared to autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Summer cooling demands have risen significantly in both extreme and cumulative values • Temperate zones outpace tropical/subtropical zones in extreme daily CDD increase rate • Urban meteorological stations exhibit CDD rates ∼1.5 times higher than rural stations • Urbanization contributes significantly (72 %∼79 %) to ΔCDD increases at urban stations • After surpassing 44 % ΔURs, urbanization not only amplifies but accelerates ΔCDDs Annual land cover data and daily air temperature data in China from 1980 to 2023 were obtained to attribute the urbanization effect on cooling degree days (CDDs). Significant growth in both extreme daily CDDs and total summer CDDs was observed throughout China, excluding the Tibet Plateau. Urban stations exhibited a substantial increase, with extreme daily CDDs and total summer CDDs rising at rates of 0.46 °C·10 yr⁻¹ and 54.32 °C·10 yr⁻¹, respectively, which were ∼1.5 times higher than those observed at rural stations. The mean trends of extreme daily ΔCDDs and total summer ΔCDDs across 218 urban-rural station pairs were 0.19 °C·10 yr⁻¹, and 21.37 °C·10 yr⁻¹. Urban-rural urbanization ratio differences (ΔURs) exhibited significant correlations with both extreme daily ΔCDDs (r=0.85) and total summer ΔCDDs (r=0.89), attributing 72 %∼79 % of the increases to urbanization. For 66 % and 43 % of the urban-rural station pairs, growing speeds of extreme daily ΔCDDs and total summer ΔCDDs surpassed 0.2 °C·10 yr⁻¹ and 20 °C·10 yr⁻¹, respectively. After surpassing the 44 % threshold in ΔURs, the growth of both extreme daily ΔCDDs and total summer ΔCDDs accelerated with increasing ΔURs. The study emphasizes an increasing summer cooling demand in Chinese cities, necessitating prompt attention from urban planners amidst global warming and urbanization challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urbanization process has contributed to the deterioration of the urban thermal environment and increased the frequency of heat waves in summer that damage public health. Urban green space is the space for the public to escape the summer heat. The cooling effect of urban green space (UGS) can encourage outdoor activities and enhance public health. Analysis of when and how the public utilizes UGS under summer heat can serve as a guide for UGS improvements. In this study, the Hot Spring Park in Fuzhou City, China was utilized as a case study to examine the characteristics of the public recreational behaviors and their influencing factors under summer heat. Results showed the following observations: (1) Canopy density and turf coverage played key roles in regulating the thermal environment. (2) UGS can accommodate multiple summertime behaviors with considerable spatiotemporal variations. (3) In the hot summer, the frequency of recreational activities in UGS was negatively correlated with temperature. Dynamic behaviors were significantly impacted by temperature. Older and younger groups were less heat-tolerant. Based on this, we propose countermeasures and suggestions that are tailored to the needs of urban residents and their behavior characteristics for the planning and management of urban parks in the summer heat.

The effects from rising temperatures, a symptom of climate change, have become a significant concern. This study finds that one additional day with a maximum temperature of 30–32 °C (86–89.6 °F), relative to a day with a temperature of 28–30 °C (82.4–86 °F), decreases the birth rate 9 months later by 0.24%, or 92 babies per month in South Korea. This result is robust to various specifications and samples. This study also found that the impact of the temperature bin did not vary according to the mother's characteristics, including education and age. That is, high temperature has no differential effect on mothers of different backgrounds. Finally, we found no significant temperature effect on birth outcomes, but we cannot rule out that children born 9 months after summer heat are a selected (healthy) group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of species contributes to both ecological restoration and regional economics, while serving as a potential strategy to conserve species under rapid climate change. Despite an anticipated significant increase in temperature at high latitudes by the end of the 21st century, very few experimental migration trials have been conducted regarding large climate range changes. We employed a provenance trial by introducing a temperate sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) of three provenances with a mean annual temperature of 3.0 °C in Manitoba, 4.2 °C in Quebec and 9.4 °C in Ontario, Canada, to 15.8 °C at an introduced site in subtropical China. We measured survival, growth, summer photosynthesis in the field and stress-resistance responses under a temperature gradient in growth chambers with first-year seedlings. We found that the Ontario provenance had the highest propensity for survival and growth, followed by the Quebec provenance, while the Manitoba provenance had the lowest. The photosynthetic parameters of the seedlings changed over time of the day, with the Ontario provenance having a higher photosynthesis rate and stomatal conductance than the Quebec and Manitoba provenances. Furthermore, the growth chamber results revealed that the Ontario provenance had the best physiological adjustment for self-protection from heat stress, followed by the Quebec and Manitoba provenances. Our results suggested that the change in climate range drove the survival and growth of introduced seedlings and that the tolerance to summer heat stress through physiological mechanisms was responsible for the success of species introduction, from a cold to a warm climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer air temperatures will continue to rise in metropolitan regions due to climate change and urbanization, intensifying daytime and nighttime air temperatures and result in greater thermal discomfort for city dwellers. Urban heat may be reduced by trees which provide shade, decreasing air and surface temperatures underneath their canopies. We asked whether tree height and canopy density can help to identify species that provide greater microclimate benefits during day and night. We also asked if increased canopy cover of street trees provides similar microclimate benefits. We used continuous measurements of near-surface air temperatures under 36 park trees and from two urban streets to assess these questions. In the park, trees were grouped according to their height (20 m) and canopy density (low, high), while the effect of canopy cover was tested using streets with high (31%) and low (11%) cover. Daytime near-surface air temperature declined with increasing height and canopy density providing significant cooling benefits. However, this trend was reversed at night when tall trees with dense canopies restricted longwave radiative cooling and trapped warm air beneath their crowns. High canopy cover of street trees reduced daytime air temperatures more, resulting in a lower number of days with hot (>35 °C) and extreme (>40 °C) air temperatures compared to the street that had low canopy cover. These findings suggest that tree species and streetscapes with dense canopy cover improve local thermal conditions during the day but do not seem ideal to allow for nighttime cooling, creating potential discomfort for residents during hot summer nights. Our results indicate that classifying trees using a simple metric can assist in selecting tree species that can alleviate the local negative effect of urban heat during the day, but at the same time, their effect in preventing optimal longwave radiative cooling during the night must be factored into planting strategies.

This paper analyzed the effect of summer heat on academic achievement. Summer heat can negatively affect student learning, as previous studies have shown that high temperatures in laboratory settings have a negative effect on cognitive abilities. For this analysis, the test scores of five different cohorts were combined with city-level daily temperature data. To control for unobserved heterogeneity, the test scores of students within the same school were compared over time (school-fixed effects estimation). Summer heat negatively affected student test scores. Specifically, an additional day with a maximum daily temperature exceeding 34 °C (93.2 °F) during the summer, relative to a day with a maximum temperature between 28 °C (82.4 °F) and 30 °C (86 °F), decreased the scores of math and English tests by 0.0042 and 0.0064 standard deviations, respectively. No significant effects were found on the reading test scores. In addition, these effects were larger in relatively cooler cities, but did not differ based on gender. Finally, the previous year's summer also had negative effects on the current year's test scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The REGKLAM project (Development and Testing of an Integrated Regional Climate Change Adaption Programme for the Model Region Dresden) forms part of the KLIMZUG programme (Managing Climate Change in the Regions for the Future) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It is concerned with the adaptation of important sectors of the Dresden region to climate change. One aim is to investigate and where necessary reduce the vulnerability of buildings and settlement structures to changing climatic conditions. This paper looks at flood damage as an example for the potential of climate change impacts on buildings. In ex-post analyses and projections, the article presents the results of regional climatological studies. Interfaces between meteorology and civil engineering are discussed. On the basis of a typology of building stock in the region, the vulnerability of given building types to given impacts was analysed in the form of impact models. The examples of environmental causes chosen were summer heat and flooding. The paper concludes with a discussion of how buildings can be adapted to cope with the impacts described.