We studied the Aa geomagnetic index (aa index daily average) behavior on a monthly timescale using data from 1868 to 2015 for cycles 11–24. We identified solarand lunar-associated periodicities in the Aa time series and found statistically significant Aa minima values a few days before the full Moon and high Aa values during the new Moon. When considering all the cycles, it was clear that the d...

BACKGROUND Studies indicate that a fraction of nursing professionals believe in a "lunar effect"-a purported correlation between the phases of the Earth's moon and human affairs, such as birth rates, blood loss, or fertility. PURPOSE This article addresses some of the methodological errors and cognitive biases that can explain the human tendency of perceiving a lunar effect where there is non...

BACKGROUND The time distribution of injuries is not random. To assess the potential impact of weather and the phase of the moon on accidents, adjustment for known periodic and nonperiodic factors may be important. We compared the incidence of injuries with quantitative and qualitative weather variables as well as the lunar cycle, after correction for calendar and holiday-related factors. METH...

(Matter 1, 560–562, September 4, 2019) The affiliation of the single author Preview “Nanowires Pin Neurons: a Nano ‘Moon Landing,’” Xingcai Zhang, was incorrectly published as his prior postdoctoral position with Harvard University. At time publication, Dr. Zhang full Scientific Editor at Matter under employment Cell Press. and contact email has been revised accordingly. Editorial team apologiz...

the chronobiology of the acute myocardial infarction (ami) is an interesting matter for recognition of the biological mechanism that might trigger ami. the present study was aimed to investigate the circadian, seasonal and circannual variation of the ami occurrence with solar, lunar, and christian months. a retrospective study of 1174 cases with diagnosis of ami was conducted. all cases include...

To return to the ecologically optimal zone of the beach, the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Montagu) maintains a constant sea-land direction based on the sun and moon compasses. In this study, we investigated the role of the skylight gradient of luminance in sun and moon identification under natural and artificial conditions of illumination. Clock-shifted (inverted) sandhoppers tested under the ...

We measured downwelling spectral vector irradiance (from 350 to 800 nm) during evening civil and nautical twilight (solar elevation down to -12°). Nine sets of measurements were taken to cover the first half of the lunar cycle (from the new to full moon) and were also used to calculate chromaticity (CIE 1976 u'v'). The lunar phase had no consistent effect on downwelling irradiance until solar e...

Nocturnal underwater counts of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr were made on four consecutive occasions (two lunar cycles, samplings at both the full and new moon) at four 40m long sites in the Sainte-Marguerite River, Québec, Canada, between 30 June and 14 August 2003. Atlantic salmon parr counts did not differ significantly between moon phases. Cloud cover ranged from 0 to 100% during the stu...