Search Results (968)

Olea europaea L. pollen is one of the main causes of pollinosis and respiratory diseases in the Iberian Peninsula (IP). The aim of this study was to provide a pollen calendar in different regions of the IP, which could help allergists and allergic patients in the management of Olea europaea allergic diseases, and to update/complement what has already been reported on olive trees’ aeropalynology in this region. Airborne Olea pollen dynamics were analyzed over a period of 8 years in a total of 21 localities, 7 in Portugal and 14 in Spain. Airborne pollen monitoring was carried out using the Hirst-type spore trap method and following the recommendations of the Quality Control Working Group of the European Aerobiology Society. The daily pollen count, the annual pollen profile, the Annual Pollen Integral (APIn), the Seasonal Pollen Integral (SPIn) and the Pollen Peak, all expressed in number of pollen grains per cubic metre of air, together with the main pollen season and its characteristics, the Start Day, the End Day and the length of the pollen season, were calculated for each sampling station. Differences in mean Olea pollen concentration between odd and even years were also analyzed. On average, the main pollen season (MPS) started in April/May and ended in June, with Pollen Peaks recorded in May, except in Burgos, where it was recorded in June. The longest MPS occurred in Lisbon, Oviedo and Valencia (53 days) and the shortest in Vitoria (25 days). A high daily pollen concentration (i.e., >200 grains/m³) was recorded between 1 and 38 days along the year in all sampling stations of the southwest quadrant of the IP and in Jaén. A biannual pattern, characterized by alternating years of high and low pollen production, was found in the southwest of the IP. In conclusion, the study provided a deeper understanding of the pollination behaviour of olive trees in the IP and allowed the establishment of a representative Olea pollen calendar for this region. In addition, our results suggest the usefulness of investigating more detailed relationships between annual Olea pollen, allergen sensitization and symptoms, both for allergists involved in the study and management of allergic respiratory diseases caused by this species and for the self-management of disease in allergic subjects. Full article

Due to the changing climate and human activity, more and more researchers started to focus on non-stationarity in hydrology. In the Wei River Basin, which is the largest tributary of the Yellow River, there is a significant reduction in the total amount of water resources which has been found in past decades. Additionally, the distribution of water resources within the basin is unbalanced, with the lower reaches and southern regions having relatively abundant water resources and other regions lacking these resources. Within this situation, it is important to consider the spatial aspect of water resource management. Four non-stationarity detection methods have been applied to investigate variation in seasonal discharge series. Two meteorological factors have also been analyzed. Based on test results and Köppen Geiger Climate classification, the water resource management has been investigated spatially. As for results, the Baojixia Channel has significant impact on the abrupt change of discharge, while the precipitation and temperature may have an impact on the discharge trend change. In addition, there was no clear evidence to prove that the climate zones impact spatially on the non-stationarity of discharge. Full article

In recent decades, vegetation phenology, as one of the most sensitive and easily observed features under climate change, has changed significantly under the influence of the global warming as a result of the green house effect. Vegetation phenological change is not only highly related to temperature change, but also to precipitation, a key factor affecting vegetation phenological change. However, the response of vegetation phenology to climate change is different in different regions, and the current research still does not fully understand the climate drivers that control phenological change. The study focuses on the Loess Plateau, utilizing the GIMMS NDVI3g dataset to extract vegetation phenology parameters from 1982 to 2015 and analyzing their spatial–temporal variations and responses to climate change. Furthermore, by incorporating emission scenarios of RCP4.5 (medium and low emission) and RCP8.5 (high emission), the study predicts and analyzes the changes in vegetation phenology on the Loess Plateau from 2030 to 2100. The long-term dynamic response of vegetation phenology to climate change and extreme climate is explored, so as to provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development of the fragile Loess Plateau. The key findings are as follows: (1) From 1982 to 2015, the start of the growing season (SOS) on the Loess Plateau shows a non-significant delay (0.06 d/year, p > 0.05), while the end of the growing season (EOS) is significantly delayed at a rate of 0.1 d/year (p < 0.05). (2) In the southeastern part of the Loess Plateau, temperature increases led to a significant advancement of SOS. Conversely, in the Maowusu Desert in the northwest, increased autumn precipitation caused a significant delay in EOS. (3) From 2030 to 2100, under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, temperatures are projected to rise significantly at rates of 0.018 °C/year and 0.06 °C/year, respectively. Meanwhile, precipitation will either decrease insignificantly at −0.009 mm/year under RCP4.5 or increase significantly at 0.799 mm/year under RCP8.5. In this context, SOS is projected to advance by 19 days and 28 days, respectively, under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, with advancement rates of 0.049 days/year and 0.228 days/year. EOS is projected to be delayed by 14 days and 27 days (p < 0.05), respectively, with delay rates of 0.084 d/year and 0.2 d/year. Full article

We aimed to (1) compare external training loads obtained in futsal players during pre-season and in-season training weeks to explore how these loads are periodized by the coaching staff; and (2) compare the external training loads using the match day minus approach during the pre-season and in-season periods to determine how the within-microcycle training load varies between these periods. A total of 432 recordings were obtained of twelve national-level male amateur players using IPS devices. These data were collected over four consecutive microcycles from the beginning to the end of the pre-season, as well as during four additional consecutive microcycles at the start of the in-season. The external load variables evaluated were: total distance covered (TD; m), relative distance covered (Drel; m/min), high-speed running (HSR; m > 18.8 km/h), sprint distance (SPR; m > 25.2 km/h), number of intense accelerations (ACC; >2.5 m/s²) and decelerations (DEC; >−2.5 m/s²). Results indicated significant week-by-week variation (p < 0.05) in all external load variables during the pre-season. During the in-season, significant variations (p < 0.05) were observed only in Drel, HSR, and ACC. In both phases, all variables were higher (p < 0.05) two days before the match. In conclusion, it is important to consistently quantify the external loads of futsal players to ensure appropriate variation in loading and tapering within the microcycle, as well as during the pre-season and in-season periods. Full article

Operational crop monitoring applications, including crop type mapping, condition monitoring, and yield estimation, would benefit from the ability to robustly detect and map crop phenology measures related to the crop calendar and management activities like emergence, stem elongation, and harvest timing. However, this has proven to be challenging due to two main issues: first, the lack of optimised approaches for accurate crop phenology retrievals, and second, the cloud cover during the crop growth period, which hampers the use of optical data. Hence, in the current study, we outline a novel calibration procedure that optimises the settings to produce high-quality $NDVI$ time series as well as the thresholds for retrieving the start of the season (SOS) and end of the season (EOS) of different crops, making them more comparable and related to ground crop phenological measures. As a first step, we introduce a new method, termed UE-WS, to reconstruct high-quality $NDVI$ time series data by integrating a robust upper envelope detection technique with the Whittaker smoothing filter. The experimental results demonstrate that the new method can achieve satisfactory performance in reducing noise in the original $NDVI$ time series and producing high-quality $NDVI$ profiles. As a second step, a threshold optimisation approach was carried out for each phenophase of three crops (winter wheat, corn, and sugarbeet) using an optimisation framework, primarily leveraging the state-of-the-art hyperparameter optimization method (Optuna) by first narrowing down the search space for the threshold parameter and then applying a grid search to pinpoint the optimal value within this refined range. This process focused on minimising the error between the satellite-derived and observed days of the year (DOY) based on data from the German Meteorological Service (DWD) covering two years (2019–2020) and three federal states in Germany. The results of the calculation of the median of the temporal difference between the DOY observations of DWD phenology held out from a separate year (2021) and those derived from satellite data reveal that it typically ranged within ±10 days for almost all phenological phases. The validation results of the detection of dates of phenological phases against separate field-based phenological observations resulted in an $RMSE$ of less than 10 days and an R-squared value of approximately 0.9 or greater. The findings demonstrate how optimising the thresholds required for deriving crop-specific phenophases using high-quality $NDVI$ time series data could produce timely and spatially explicit phenological information at the field and crop levels. Full article

Artichokes (Cynara scolymus L.) are valuable foods, thanks to their health benefits, but they generate significant waste during their production, harvesting, and processing, which poses sustainability issues. This study applied an agroprospecting approach to convert Tema artichoke biowaste (TB) into valuable resources, starting from a global perspective of the production chain to the targeted applications based on chemical and biological analysis. The major TB was identified in the outer bracts of the immature flower heads, which were collected throughout the harvesting season, extracted, and analyzed. The most abundant compounds were phenolic acids including chlorogenic acid and caffeoylquinic derivatives. Among flavonoids, cynaroside was the most abundant compound. Multivariate analysis distinguished batches by collection period, explaining 77.7% of the variance, with most compounds increasing in concentration later in the harvest season. Subsequently, TB extracts were analyzed for their potential in wound healing and anti-aging properties. Fibroblasts were used to assess the effect of selected extracts on cell migration through a scratch wound assay and on cellular senescence induced by etoposide. The results show a significant decrease in senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, γH2AX nuclear accumulation, and both p53 and p21 protein levels. Overall, this study ascribes relevant anti-skin aging effects to TB, thus increasing its industrial value in cosmeceutical and nutraceutical applications. Full article

The study analyzed available data series of the Sava River’s water temperature measured at the Zagreb gauging station. Official data from the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) in Zagreb were utilized. Over the 73 years from 1948 to 2020, there are only 53 years with complete measurement records. Despite this limiting fact, it was considered important to analyze the behavior of the Sava River’s water temperatures in Zagreb over the past 70 years, during which a significant increase in air temperatures has been observed in the region, particularly in the city of Zagreb. Analyses were conducted on the characteristic (minimum, mean, and maximum) water temperatures over timescales of years, months, and days. The relationship between water temperatures (TW) and air temperatures (TA) measured at the Grič Observatory and the flows (Q) of the Sava River in Zagreb were investigated. A trend of rising water temperatures was observed throughout the entire period from 1948 to 2020, with the intensity significantly increasing in the recent period starting from 1988. The trend of rising air temperatures is the primary driver of the increase in the water temperatures of the Sava River in Zagreb. However, the impact of reduced water flow, especially during the warm season, should not be overlooked. This effect is amplified by the observed trend of decreasing minimum flows of the Sava during the warm season, from June to September. As a result, the most significant rise in water temperatures of the Sava River in Zagreb occurs during prolonged low-water summer periods, particularly in July. A strong trend has been observed in the increasing number of days per year with mean daily water temperatures of the Sava River exceeding 20 °C. This higher water temperature occurs increasingly earlier in the year, lasts longer, and ends later, often extending into September. Full article

The use of individual protective covers (IPCs) to protect newly planted citrus trees from Huanglongbing (HLB) infection is being widely adopted in Florida, an HLB-endemic citrus-producing area. It is known that IPCs positively influence most horticultural traits, increasing tree growth, flush expansion, and leaf size, enabling trees to sustain balanced carbohydrate metabolism by preventing Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) infection, and inducing higher leaf chlorophyll levels. This may result in more productive trees. However, as the tree grows, IPCs eventually are removed, typically between 2 and 3 years after their initial installation. Once IPCs are removed, trees become exposed to the Asian citrus psyllid (ACPs) and ultimately become infected. In this work, we covered Valencia sweet orange trees with IPCs for 30 months, until the trees entered fruit-bearing age. We investigated how the IPC protection of newly planted trees for 30 months influenced the fruit quality and yield of “Valencia” trees for three consecutive seasons after IPC removal compared to non-covered trees. The use of IPCs kick-started the newly planted citrus trees, resulting in higher yields and fruits with better internal and external quality. After 30 months of IPC protection, tree canopies were larger and denser, supporting more fruit per tree than non-protected trees for three consecutive seasons, even though by the end of the first season after IPC removal, the trees were HLB-positive. Tree height, scion diameter, canopy volume, and leaf area were significantly improved compared to non-covered trees. Additionally, fruit quality was significantly improved in the three seasons following IPC removal compared to non-covered trees. However, a decline in quality was measurable in fruit from IPC trees after the second harvesting season, with trees affected by HLB. Based on the results from this study, we conclude that the benefits from IPC protection may last for at least three consecutive seasons once trees enter the productive age, despite CLas infection within 12 months after IPC removal. Full article

Lakes in Southwest Alaska are a critical habitat to many species and provide livelihoods to many communities through subsistence fishing, transportation, and recreation. Consistent and reliable data are rarely available for even the largest lakes in this sparsely populated region, so data-intensive methods utilizing long-term observations and physical data are not possible. To address this, we used optical remote sensing (MODIS 2002–2016) to establish a phenology record for key lakes in the region, and we modeled lake-ice formation and breakup for the years 1982–2022 using readily available temperature and solar radiation-based predictors in a survival modeling framework that accounted for years when lakes did not freeze. Results were validated with observations recorded at two lakes, and stratification measured by temperature arrays in three others. Our model provided good predictions (mean absolute error, freeze-over = 11 days, breakup = 16 days). Cumulative freeze-degree days and cumulative thaw-degree days were the strongest predictors of freeze-over and breakup, respectively. Lake volume appeared to mediate lake-ice phenology, as ice-cover duration tended to be longer and less variable in lower-volume lakes. Furthermore, most lakes < 10 km³ showed a trend toward shorter ice seasons of −1 to −6 days/decade, while most higher-volume lakes showed undiscernible or positive trends of up to 2 days/decade. Lakes > 20 km³ also showed a greater number of years when freeze-over was neither predicted by our model (37 times, n = 200) nor observed in the MODIS record (19 times, n = 60). While three lakes in our study did not commonly freeze throughout our study period, four additional high-volume lakes began experiencing years in which they did not freeze, starting in the late 1990s. Our study provides a novel approach to lake-ice prediction and an insight into the future of lake ice in the Boreal region. Full article

Scapular dyskinesia, glenohumeral internal rotation deficit, upper posterior labral anterior tears, and rotator cuff injuries are common in athletes who play “overhead” sports due to their repetitive excessive movements. The aims of this study are to propose a new protocol with kinematic analysis coupled with sEMG and to objectively analyze the effect of a specific prevention exercise protocol. Thirty-two subjects (age: 22 ± 4 years, height: 183 ± 3.2 cm, BMI: 23 ± 0.96 kg/m²), including sixteen healthy subjects (Group A) and sixteen male water polo athletes (Group B), underwent a three-dimensional motion analysis based on optoelectronic and sEMG systems. A functional evaluation was performed on Group A and Group B to assess the reliability of the operator-dependent tasks and collect a series of normative data, before starting the prevention protocol (T0) and after 8 weeks (T1). The athletes performed a specific exercise protocol to prevent shoulder injuries. In Group B, the movements of abduction (T0: 111° ± 24°; T1: 140° ± 13°) and extension (T0: 72°± 10°; T1: 84° ± 2.8°) of the glenohumeral joint and the scapulothoracic joint (T0: 33° ± 8.36°; T1: 40.5° ± 10.6°) significantly improved. A significant reduction (in %) in the maximum voluntary contraction (MCV) at T1 of the upper trapezius, teres minor, and pectoralis major was observed. This protocol provides objective data in a simple and reliable way for the functional assessment of the shoulder in water polo players during the sport season. Full article

Phenology and photosynthetic capacity both regulate carbon uptake by vegetation. Previous research investigating the impact of phenology on vegetation productivity has focused predominantly on the start and end of growing seasons (SOS and EOS), leaving the influence of peak phenology metrics—particularly in typical climatic transition zones—relatively unexplored. Using a 24-year (2000–2023) enhanced vegetation index (EVI) dataset from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), we extracted and examined the spatiotemporal variation for peak of season (POS) and peak growth (defined as EVI_max) of forest vegetation in the Funiu Mountain region, China. In addition to quantifying the factors influencing the peak phenology metrics, the relationship between vegetation productivity and peak phenological metrics (POS and EVI_max) was investigated. Our findings reveal that POS and EVI_max showed advancement and increase, respectively, negatively and positively correlated with vegetation productivity. This suggested that variations in EVI_max and peak phenology both increase vegetation productivity. Our analysis also showed that EVI_max was heavily impacted by precipitation, whereas SOS had the greatest effect on POS variation. Our findings highlighted the significance of considering climate variables as well as biological rhythms when examining the global carbon cycle and phenological shifts in response to climate change. Full article

Background: Football, as the most popular sport worldwide, has long been under suspicion of causing varus knee alignment as early as adolescence. However, no causal relationship has yet been found. The first step to do so would be to determine the prevalence of lower leg malalignment among male junior football players depending on age, performance level and the number of active seasons played. Methods: Leg axis alignment in frontal plane was determined in male junior football players of different age levels between 7 and 18 years by measuring the intercondylar/intermalleolar distance (ICD/IMD) in an upright position. In addition to anthropometric data, multiple sport-specific data such as the start of their football career or training time per week were collected by means of questionnaires (clinical trial registration number: DRKS00020446). Results: 207 male junior football players were included in this survey. The mean age was 12.8 years. Within the group of 15 to 18 year olds, the prevalence of varus knee malalignment was highest at just under a third (32.1%). In the subpopulation that played actively for more than ten seasons, 28.9% showed varus leg axis. Regarding performance level, the highest IMD/ICD values and highest prevalence of varus alignment were found among football players who play on a semi-professional level (16.7%), compared to amateur (11.4%) and high-performance levels (2.8%). Conclusions: Further research is necessary to investigate if this high prevalence of varus knee in children of a higher age and higher playing levels is due to the selection bias of football players with varus knee or a real development of varus knee in individuals. Full article

In the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, which is the region with the highest urbanization intensity in China, the development of cities leads to changes in land surface temperature (LST), while vegetation phenology varies with LST. To investigate the spatial and temporal changes in vegetation phenology and its response to LST in the study area, this study reconstructed the time series of the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) based on the MODIS EVI product and extracted the vegetation phenology indicators in the study area from 2002 to 2020, including the start of the growing season (SOS), the end of the growing season (EOS), and the growing season length (GSL), and analyzed the temporal–spatial patterns of vegetation phenology and LST in the study area, as well as the correlation between them. The results show that (1) SOS was advanced, EOS was postponed, and GSL was extended in the study area from 2002 to 2020, and there were obvious differences in the vegetation phenology indicators under different land covers and cities; (2) LST was higher in the southeast than in the northwest of the study area from 2002 to 2020, with an increasing trend; and (3) there are differences in the response of vegetation phenology to LST across land covers and cities, and SOS responds differently to LST at different times of the year. EOS shows a significant postponement trend with the annual mean LST increase. Overall, we found differences in vegetation phenology and its response to LST under different land covers and cities, which is important for scholars to understand the response of vegetation phenology to urbanization. Full article

(1) Background: The analysis of women’s tennis performance has not been extensively explored by the scientific community, necessitating further research to understand the tactical actions occurring in matches. This research aimed to examine the chance of winning a point in professional women’s tennis based on the key variables that influence performance in the sport. (2) Methods: Data from 3239 points were examined across three distinct court surfaces, sourced from the final rounds (starting with the quarterfinals) of three Grand Slam tournaments in the 2021 season. An observational methodology was employed, using various analysis techniques: descriptive and chi-square analyses, with a significance level of p < 0.05. (3) Results: The probability of winning a point on the first serve was 61% on clay, 70% on grass, and 69% on hard courts. For second serves, the probability of winning the point varied between 55% and 57%, depending on the court surface. Additionally, the majority of points, ranging from 70% to 71%, concluded with short rallies, involving one to four shots. On clay courts, the server won up to 65% of points with a first serve and a short rally, while the success rate increased to 75% on both grass and hard courts. For medium-length rallies (5–8 shots), the probability of winning the point dropped to 55–57%. The point outcome (winner, forced error, and unforced error) varied according to court surface, serve type, and rally length. (4) Conclusions: Descriptive data from this research on the probability of winning a point could assist coaches and players in developing match strategies. Full article

The Montenegrin climate is characterised as very heterogeneous due to its complex topography. The viticultural heritage, dating back to before the Roman empire, is settled in a Mediterranean climate region, located south of the capital Podgorica, where climate conditions favour red wine production. However, an overall increase in warmer and drier periods affects traditional viticulture. The present study aims to discuss climate change impacts on Montenegrin viticulture. Bioclimatic indices, ensembled from five climate models, were analysed for both historical (1981–2010) and future (2041–2070) periods upon three socio-economic pathways: SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5. CHELSA (≈1 km) was the selected dataset for this analysis. Obtained results for all scenarios have shown the suppression of baseline conditions for viticulture. The average summer temperature might reach around 29.5 °C, and the growing season average temperature could become higher than 23.5 °C, advancing phenological events. The Winkler index is estimated to range from 2900 °C up to 3100 °C, which is too hot for viticulture. Montenegrin viticulture requires the application of adaptation measures focused on reducing temperature-increase impacts. The implementation of adaptation measures shall start in the coming years, to assure the lasting productivity and sustainability of viticulture. Full article