BACKGROUND The proportion of male births has been shown to be over 50% in temperate climates around the world. Given that fluctuations in ambient temperature have previously been shown to affect sex allocation in humans, we examined the hypothesis that ambient temperature predicts fluctuations in the proportion of male births in New Zealand. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We tested three main...

The population of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) in temperate regions is characterized by discrete periods of seasonal appearance, low initial density, steep and steady growth, clumped spatial distribution, and violent fluctuations from year to year. N. lugens, a temporary inhabitant, arrives from long distances barely in the ricegrowing season. Its high potential fecundity, hi...

asthma is a global problem that affects over 300 million people in the world. the main reason of asthma is allergy and atopy. asthmatic patients are sensitized to allergens that can be resulting asthma attacks. fungi as an allergen can be sensitized atopic people and present a severe asthma. fungi have been found in water-damaged homes of asthmatic patients. allergic asthma is associated with e...

pistachio psylla, agonoscena pistaciae burckhardt & lauterer, is a key pest of pistachio trees in the pistachio-producing regions throughout iran. the investigation of biology of pests under the field condition in each region is the first step that must be taken in developing an integrated pest management program. the seasonal fluctuations of eggs, nymphs and adults of pistachio psylla were inv...

conclusions due to seasonal variations in fruit and vegetable dietary intakes, the interventional and case-control studies should consider seasonality. educational and price controlling programs may control such observed seasonality in the intake of fruit and vegetables. results the highest consumption of vegetables was seen in summer (289 ± 3.4 g/day) while the lowest was in winter (224 ± 3.2 ...

This study was an analytical research across 84 meteorological stations, performed in the Mighan sub-basin over a fifty-year study period (1961–2011).This research seeks to answer the basic question of how declining streamflow, increasing temperatures, and fluctuation in precipitation have impacted water resource allocation in the Mighan sub-basin. The research method is analytical based on Man...

This study was conducted to characterize periphyton biomass, productivity, and algal species composition, and to examine how these parameters changed seasonally over the course of two years in Walker Branch, a temperate forest stream. Seasonal variations in several factors potentially controlling periphyton (irradiance, streamwater nutrient concentrations, temperature, and the incidence of seve...