Decadal Changes Research Articles

Therapeutic Approaches for Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome; Management: Research Advances, Experimental Targets, and Future Directions.

Urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) is a painful chronic condition with persistent pain originating from the pelvis that often leads to detrimental lifestyle changes in the affected patients. The syndrome develops in both sexes, with an estimated prevalence of 5.7% to 26.6% worldwide. This narrative review summarizes currently recommended therapies for UCPPS, followed by the latest animal model findings and clinical research advances in the field. The diagnosis of UCPPS by clinicians has room for improvement despite the changes in the past decade aiming to decrease the time to treatment. Therapeutic approaches targeting growth factors (i.e., nerve growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor), amniotic bladder therapy, and stem cell treatments gain more attention as experimental treatment options for UCPPS. The development of novel diagnostic tests based on the latest advances in urinary biomarkers would be beneficial to assist with the clinical diagnosis of UCPPS. Future research directions should address the role of chronic psychologic stress and the mechanisms of pain refractory to conventional management strategies in UCPPS etiology. Testing the applicability of cognitive behavioral therapy in this cohort of UCPPS patients might be promising to increase their quality of life. The search for novel lead compounds and innovative drug delivery systems requires clinically relevant translational animal models. The role of autoimmune responses triggered by environmental factors is another promising research direction to clarify the impact of the immune system in UCPPS pathophysiology. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This minireview provides an up-to-date summary of the therapeutic approaches for UCPPS with a focus on recent advancements in the clinical diagnosis and treatments of the disease, pathophysiological mechanisms of UCPPS, signaling pathways, and molecular targets involved in pelvic nociception.

Decadal changes in biomass and distribution of key fisheries species on Newfoundland's Grand Banks.

Canadian fisheries management has embraced the precautionary approach and the incorporation of ecosystem information into decision-making processes. Accurate estimation of fish stock biomass is crucial for ensuring sustainable exploitation of marine resources. Spatio-temporal models can provide improved indices of biomass as they capture spatial and temporal correlations in data and can account for environmental factors influencing biomass distributions. In this study, we developed a spatio-temporal generalized additive model (st-GAM) to investigate the relationships between bottom temperature, depth, and the biomass of three key fished species on The Grand Banks: snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio), yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea), and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Our findings revealed changes in the centre of gravity of Atlantic cod that could be related to a northern shift of the species within the Grand Banks or to a faster recovery of the 2J3KL stock. Atlantic cod also displayed hyperaggregation behaviour with the species showing a continuous distribution over the Grand Banks when biomass is high. These findings suggest a joint stock assessment between the 2J3KL and 3NO stocks would be advisable. However, barriers may need to be addressed to achieve collaboration between the two distinct regulatory bodies (i.e., DFO and NAFO) in charge of managing the stocks. Snow crab and yellowtail flounder centres of gravity have remained relatively constant over time. We also estimated novel indices of biomass, informed by environmental factors. Our study represents a step towards ecosystem-based fisheries management for the highly dynamic Grand Banks.

Spatial spillovers of violent conflict amplify the impacts of climate variability on malaria risk in sub-Saharan Africa

Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden, accounting for 94% of malaria cases and deaths worldwide in 2019. It is also a politically unstable region and the most vulnerable continent to climate change in recent decades. Knowledge about the modifying impacts of violent conflict on climate-malaria relationships remains limited. Here, we quantify the associations between violent conflict, climate variability, and malaria risk in sub-Saharan Africa using health surveys from 128,326 individuals, historical climate data, and 17,429 recorded violent conflicts from 2006 to 2017. We observe that spatial spillovers of violent conflict (SSVCs) have spatially distant effects on malaria risk. Malaria risk induced by SSVCs within 50 to 100 km from the households gradually increases from 0.1% (not significant, P>0.05) to 6.5% (95% CI: 0 to 13.0%). SSVCs significantly promote malaria risk within the average 20.1 to 26.9 °C range. At the 12-mo mean temperature of 22.5 °C, conflict deaths have the largest impact on malaria risk, with an approximately 5.8% increase (95% CI: 1.0 to 11.0%). Additionally, a pronounced association between SSVCs and malaria risk exists in the regions with 9.2 wet days per month. The results reveal that SSVCs increase population exposure to harsh environments, amplifying the effect of warm temperature and persistent precipitation on malaria transmission. Violent conflict therefore poses a substantial barrier to mosquito control and malaria elimination efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. Our findings support effective targeting of treatment programs and vector control activities in conflict-affected regions with a high malaria risk.

Co-influence of the start of thermal growing season and precipitation on vegetation spring green-up on the Tibetan Plateau

The climate in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) has undergone significant change in recent decades, mainly in thermal and water conditions, which plays a crucial role in phenological changes in vegetation spring phenology. However, how the start of the thermal growing season (SOS-T) and the start of the rainy season (SORS) as key climatic factors affect vegetation green-up remains unclear. Given that these factors characterize thermal and water conditions required for vegetation green-up, this study investigated changes in the SOS-T and SORS from 1961 to 2022, using observation-based datasets with long time series. We found that the SOS-T and SORS have advanced across the TP in 1961–2022 and have shown a spatial pattern of advancement in the east and delay in the west in 2000–2022. Further, the co-effect of temperature and precipitation change on the start of vegetation growing season (SOS-V) in 2000–2022 was observed. Averaged across TP, the SOS-V had an early onset of 1.3 d per decade during 2000–2022, corresponding to advanced SOS-T and SORS. Regionally, the SOS-V generally occurred nearly at the same time as the SOS-T in the high-altitude meadow region. A substantial delay in the SOS-V relative to the SOS-T was observed in the desert, shrub, grassland and forest regions and generally kept pace with the SORS. Furthermore, for 50% of the vegetated regions on the TP, inter-annual variation in the delay in the SOS-V relative to the SOS-T was dominated by precipitation change, which was profound in warm-climate regions. This study highlights the co-regulation of precipitation and temperature change in the SOS-V in different vegetation cover regions in the TP, offering a scientific foundation for comprehending the impact of climate change and prospects for vegetation phenology on the TP.

Comparison of inpatient psychiatric care for SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative adults in Vienna

IntroductionThe structure of psychiatric care has undergone many changes in recent decades. In addition, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has posed specific challenges for inpatient psychiatric care. In Vienna, the admission of SARS-CoV-2 positive psychiatric patients has been centralised in one department, the 1st Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Klinik Hietzing.ObjectivesIt will be investigated to what extent the admissions of SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients differ with regard to age, gender, diagnosis, need for involuntary admission, medication, duration of treatment, country of birth and the question of where the patients come from and where they are discharged to.MethodsBetween 15 March 2020 and 21 May 2022 (start and end of cohorting of all Vienna SARS-CoV-2 positive inpatient psychiatric patients in one department), 338 SARS-CoV-2 positive and 1312 SARS-CoV-2 negative patients were treated as inpatients at the 1st Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine of the Klinik Hietzing.ResultsThe results of the study will be shown.ConclusionsThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has presented an outstanding challenge to inpatient psychiatry. An accurate portrayal of differences in the treatment of positive and negative patients is of importance for assessing the impact of the pandemic.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Decadal vegetation changes in a subarctic‐alpine ecosystem: Can effects of Iceland's largest hydropower reservoir, climate change, and herbivory be detected?

AbstractAimsWhile plot‐based vegetation surveys provide means to precisely track changes in plant species abundance and distribution, ecosystems are continuously influenced by numerous drivers, confounding interpretation of monitoring results. Following the making of Iceland's largest hydropower reservoir in 2006, a decadal vegetation monitoring was set up. Relating our results to those of different types of environmental monitoring associated with the hydropower project, we aimed to gain insights into the forces driving the spatio‐temporal vegetation pattern.LocationSubarctic‐alpine area near Hálslón reservoir, East Iceland.MethodsAt the time of its making, we conducted a baseline plant survey in a total of 72 plots, spread around Hálslón reservoir's vicinity (each containing ten 0.25 m2 subplots). Plots were located in three different habitat types (heathlands, wetlands, poorly vegetated land), at three different sites regarding direction and distance from the reservoir. A decade later, we resurveyed the plots and reviewed the results of other environmental monitoring projects in the area, mostly presented in the gray literature.ResultsTemporal changes in vegetation were mostly inconsistent between and within habitat types, but some general trends were noticed, that is, decreased lichen and fern cover in heathlands. Distance from the reservoir did not significantly affect changes in vegetation cover. The greatest overall changes were detected where great changes in herbivore land usage had been recorded during the study.ConclusionsDirect effects of Hálslón reservoir on vegetation in our study plots were not noticed. Most likely, the reservoir indirectly impacted vegetation in our study through loss of grazing area, affecting herbivore land usage, coupled with an unrelated population growth of two of the area's main wild herbivores before and during the study period. Response to climate change was not detected, potentially concealed by substantial land‐use change and a short study period.

Simulated reproductive allocation to fisheries-induced evolution among small yellow croaker populations in the Yellow and Bohai Seas

Fishery-induced evolution (FIE) affects the body size and reproduction of offspring, resulting in feedback regulation of fish survival and stock recruitment. Small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) is a species of high ecological and commercial importance in the Yellow and Bohai Seas, with large fluctuations in abundance linked to overfishing and environmental changes in recent decades. To better understand the maturation size and age, threshold reproduction cost, and energy trade-offs of small yellow croaker under environmental changes (e.g. conditions) and human impacts (e.g. fishing) in the Yellow and Bohai Seas, we utilised a two-pool uncertain growth model containing the growth threshold of reproductive energy and reproductive energy cost. The results showed that for growth, maturation age, and reproduction under the baseline scenario based on field survey data from the 1950 s, when resources for small yellow croaker were underexploited, the average age was 5–6 years old and the average body length was approximately 220 mm. As the model parameters for fishing pressure and condition mortality increased, small yellow croaker tended to mature earlier, had a smaller body size, and allocated more energy to reproduction, resulting in higher population fecundity but shorter lifespan. Higher reproductive costs led to a greater proportion of reproductive energy being allocated during the spawning period, resulting in an older age of sexual maturity, shorter lifespan for spawning populations, and poor physical conditions, resulting in higher post-reproductive mortality and a limited capacity for stock recruitment. The key life-history traits of small yellow croaker, including maturity age, mean age of the population, age-specific body weight, and spawn production at different age stages, can change under different conditions. The model represents the main life history strategies and energy allocation characteristics of small yellow croaker. The simulated age and body size were within the observed range and the predicted fecundity aligned with the observed values. This study provides a prediction tool for protecting the spawning and recruitment of small yellow croaker and establishes a biological reference for sustainable management of small yellow croaker populations in the Yellow and Bohai Seas in the future.

Sustaining the Pearl River: A Critical Review of Changes in Fluvial Geomorphological Processes and the Driving Forces in the Pearl River Basin

The Pearl River is one of China’s large rivers, the second-largest river and the fourth-longest river in China. Its unique geography, landform, and climate conditions create unique fluvial geomorphological processes. Affected by human activities and climate change, the fluvial geomorphological processes in the Pearl River Basin have undergone significant changes in recent decades, seriously affecting the river’s sustainable development. This paper critically reviews changes in fluvial geomorphological processes and analyzes influencing factors in the Pearl River Basin with a focus on possibilities for policy overhaul and strategic adjustments.

Decadal changes in surface CO2 concentrations and CO2 fluxes in a mountain lake

AbstractClimate warming impacts biogeochemical cycles in lakes. However, the factors controlling CO2 dynamics in mountain lakes over multidecadal scales are poorly understood. Here, we capitalized on long‐term monthly data (1995–2022) of oligotrophic mountain Lake Tovel and calculated surface CO2 concentrations and flux by applying geochemical relationships and the thin boundary layer approach. Advanced time‐series and regression modeling was used to determine temporal patterns and environmental parameters explaining surface CO2 concentrations and flux. Surface CO2 concentrations were highest from 2009 to 2017 (annual mean: 109.1 μmol CO2 L−1) but lower before and after this period. Concomitantly, the air–water CO2 flux (μmol CO2 m−2 d−1) showed a period of lowest (mean1995–2010: 6.4 ± 0.7), highest (mean2011–2017: 35.7 ± 2.1), and intermediate emissions (mean2018–2022: 19.3 ± 4.7). Temporal modeling showed that hypolimnetic and deep hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen (DO) had the same change points and trends as surface CO2 concentrations. In multiple linear regression, hypolimnetic DO, silica, and the standardized precipitation index (pseudo‐R2adj. = 0.62; p < 0.01) best predicted annual mean surface CO2 concentrations. Regression results and the overlap between temporal trend patterns indicated that surface CO2 concentrations of Lake Tovel were positively influenced by external (loading of allochthonous carbon) and internal (lake autumn mixing) factors. The recent decline in surface CO2 concentrations from the year 2018 was attributed to increased stratification that offset lake autumn mixing and thus lead to the observed decline. These results help us to better understand the carbon cycle in mountain lakes in a changing climate.

Decadal Change in Income Diversification of Small and Marginal Farmers of Assam in Climate-Vulnerable Situations

The cross-sectional, micro-level study was conducted to determine the changing trends of some income-related variables and income diversification in a decade among marginal and small farmers of Assam. The base years were 2010 and 2020. The number of samples was selected randomly to make it three hundred from the three districts of Assam, viz., Jorhat, Majuli and Golaghat. Data were collected during 2021. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Simpson Index of Diversity. The findings asserted that between 2010 and 2020, landholding declined among the respondents. The average annual income of respondents also did not increase between 2010 and 2022. Respondents still preferred to stay in the joint family type. The findings show that farmers in 2020 preferred to change income sources. Many farmers’ income diversification also increased, though income did not increase. The study identified that in a decade, there was a decrease in operational landholdings, no increase in annual income, and marginal and small farmers opted for income diversification. So, it suggested that livestock and non-farm-based income sources may be provided to improve the income of marginal and small farmers of Assam. The study suggests that the scientists and policymakers of government going for more micro-level study would help develop different policies for small and marginal farmers.

Local social-ecological context explains seasonal rural-rural migration of the poorest in south-west Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the countries most affected by climate change. Internal migration is often presented as a response to environmental degradation. Here, using a people-centred perspective, we explore the complexity of the links between climate-induced change, environmental degradation caused by waterlogging and seasonal rural migration. We used an inductive qualitative approach in social sciences, conducting fourteen semi-directed interviews and six focus group discussions in March-April 2022. We related those results to a rainfall analysis on CHIRPS data for 1981-2021and we represented interactions and feedback between changes and livelihoods in a model. A complex picture of the situation is emerging, showing the interweaving effects of non-climatic and climatic changes, their interplay at different scales, their cumulative effects, the interactions between livelihood types and feedback between social and natural systems. Most of the climate-induced changes gradually become noticeable over the past 25 years. Climate data confirm these changes in recent decades, with July being wetter and January being dryer. Villagers reported waterlogging as the most significant change in their community, pointing to its multiple causes, originating in non-local and local, non-climatic anthropic changes, exacerbated by shrimp farm enclosures and worsened by climate-induced changes such as heavier rains, wetter monsoons and cyclones. Tiger prawn farms, reported as a lucrative and local adaptation to waterlogging and salinisation for the ones who can afford it, worsen the situation for the less wealthy, causing waterlogging and salinisation of the adjacent agricultural lands and buildings, the disappearance of traditional fishing and a reduction of the local job market. In addition, erratic rain patterns, droughts and cyclones affect local production and labour markets. COVID-19 lockdowns, by impacting markets and mobilities, further aggravated the situation. Inequality has increased as the range of adaptations of the less wealthy appears limited in this context of multiple crises.

Computing bias and variance for Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) biomass estimated from aerial surveys in California nearshore waters

Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) stocks off the U.S. Pacific coast undergo boom and bust cycles modulated by decadal changes in oceanic and atmospheric conditions. During periods of low abundance, Pacific sardine may contract into nearshore waters, making it more challenging to be surveyed by research vessels that cannot operate in the shallowest habitats, 0 to 40.00 m. In response, a new transect-based design and methods were developed to compute bias and variance of biomass estimated from a collaborative aerial survey implemented in nearshore waters. From experimental aerial surveys conducted in 2010 and from 2018 to 2020, two professional aerial fish spotters underestimated school biomass by 10.5% and 12.6%, whereas most of the variability of aerial biomass was due to within-transect variance, with no significant contribution from the among-transect variance. Implementation of the new transect-based design to aerial surveys from 2020 to 2023 in southern and northern California showed that a substantial biomass of Pacific sardine occurred in nearshore waters, representing 69.9% of total biomass estimated from acoustic surveys in spring 2021, and 36.5% in summer 2021. Seasonal biomass estimates were variable within each region, affected by school dynamics during daytime in nearshore waters and the timing of aerial surveys as determined by weather and environmental conditions. Given that nearshore aerial biomass comprised a measurable proportion of total biomass estimates for Pacific sardine during the recent period of low abundance, it has been used to inform acoustic survey catchability, which is no longer assumed to be 1.0 in recent Pacific sardine stock assessments.

Decadal changes of macrofauna community in a semi-enclosed Bay of Yueqing in East China Sea

To reveal the long-term variation of macrofauna community in Yueqing Bay, an aquacultural bay famous for its shellfish culturing in the East China Sea, macrofauna samples were collected in three period from 2002 to 2003 and 2006–2007 to 2020–2021. The results show that macrofaunal community structure in this area has changed significantly (ANOSIM, p < 0.01) in nearly two decades with significant decreases in species number, biodiversity index and average biomass. Meanwhile, the taxa composition also changed significantly as the dominance of annelid increased while that of mollusks, echinoderms and vertebrates decreased. As a consequence of the variation of taxa composition and total biomass, macrofauna community showed a tendency of miniaturization as individuals with smaller body size and lower biomass dominated the community. According to the results of CCA analysis, temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen content were the main environmental factors that restricted the species composition of macrofauna community. Further studies still needed to reveal the main reasons that cause the variation of macrofauna community. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the present status of Yueqing Bay benthic ecosystem is concerning from a macrobenthos perspective, as the biodiversity index and biomass of macrofauna decreased significantly. Effective measures should be taken in urgently to restrain the safety and function of coastal ecosystems.

National Identity in Qatar: A Systematic Literature Review

AbstractThe Arabian Gulf region has witnessed tremendous social, political and economic change in recent decades. The State of Qatar's ambitious global visions mean that it is a significant player in both creating and riding these transformational waves. Yet with a minority citizen population of only ~12%, protecting the language, culture and values of the nation in the midst of rapid development and modernization presents unique challenges that most governments do not have to grapple with. This has led to strategic and legal stances and policies as well initiatives by governmental and non‐governmental organizations to maintain and develop national identity and Qatari culture. Through a systematic literature review, this paper synthesizes available evidence regarding national identity for Qatari citizens. It explores dominant themes that emerged in the literature related to identity in Qatar, namely: architecture, education and language policy, gender, media and social media, museums, politics and governance, and sports. Each are synthesized, from which we offer reflections on what is (not) known regarding national identity, identifying a number of areas in need of research related to better understanding the complexity and diversity within the citizen population.

An Intercomparison of Snow Mass Budget over Arctic Sea Ice Simulated by CMIP6 Models

Abstract The Arctic has experienced rapid changes in recent decades. For the first time, we intercompare five snow mass budget processes over Arctic sea ice simulated by 22 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) using new diagnostics that have not been available for previous CMIPs. Our analysis suggests that snowfall accumulation (melt) is the dominant process contributing to nearly 100% (70.4% ± 10.1%) of the annual snow growth (loss). Snow mass change through sea ice dynamics, snow–ice conversion, and sublimation contribute 10.9% ± 4.9%, 9.7% ± 5.9%, and 9.0% ± 7.7% to the total snow mass loss. The seasonal cycle of various snow processes simulated by most of the CMIP6 models generally follows similar variations. There is reduced snowfall accumulation, melt, and sea ice dynamics during 1993–2014. However, substantial temporal and spatial discrepancies are noteworthy between the CMIP6 models. There is a large spread of snowfall accumulation and snowmelt in summer and fall, snow–ice conversion from autumn to spring, sublimation in late spring and summer, and snow mass change due to sea ice dynamics from winter to midspring. About half the models show decreasing trends of snowfall accumulation during 1993–2014, with no trends in others. Divergent trends in snow–ice conversion and sublimation occur in the Greenland and Barents Seas. The discrepancies are attributed equally to internal variability and model structural differences. Future projections that remove the identified outlier models suggest a significant reduction in snowfall accumulation, snowmelt, and snow mass change due to sea ice dynamics in the Arctic Ocean from 2015 to 2099. Snow–ice conversion and sublimation are also projected to be reduced but with less confidence.

Multi-spectral remote sensing and GIS-based analysis for decadal land use land cover changes and future prediction using random forest tree and artificial neural network

The integration of multi-spectral remote sensing and GIS-based analysis is significant for studying land cover changes, providing valuable insights for informed land management and sustainable development. The present study aims to examine land use land cover (LULC) changes of three decades from 1991 to 2021 and predict the future LULC change in Binh Duong province, Vietnam to explore a future research direction on land use change and associated challenges in the study region. Multi-spectral remote sensing data and random forest tree (RFT) were utilized to generate LULC maps. Areal statistics and annual change rate were considered to analyze the categorical land use change detection. Statistical measures such as user's accuracy, producer’s accuracy, kappa coefficient, and confusion matrix were employed to assess the accuracy of LULC classification. To predict future LULC and simulate the spatio-temporal change, we considered previous year LULC maps, independent spatial variables and a combined artificial neural network (ANN) multi-layer perceptron approach. The analysis revealed that there was a huge transition from agricultural lands to residential land with industry and commerce which resulting an expansion of impervious lands and a rapid decline of agricultural land as well as of scrub land and barren lands, and a changeability of forest and plantation, croplands, and waterbodies. Our study revealed that the impervious land has expanded 10 times within 30 years and will increase in the future.

A systematic assessment of the revised Nutri‐Score algorithm: Potentials for the implementation of front‐of‐package nutrition labeling across Europe

AbstractFront‐of‐package nutrition labeling (FOPNL) is an important public health tool, and the introduction of harmonized FOPNL in Europe is one of the most ambitious food labeling changes in decades. Nutri‐Score (NS) has been considered for implementation across Europe. However, NS is subject to strong opposition, particularly from the food industry and some agricultural sectors (such as cheese and cured meat), but also from some nutrition scientists and public health professionals, which highlights that the system is not sufficiently aligned with food‐based dietary guidelines and the latest scientific literature. These concerns were recently addressed in a revised version of NS (NS2023), aiming to overcome the limitations of its predecessor (NS2021). Our aim was to assess whether these limitations were addressed and to investigate their alignment with dietary guidelines. A systematic literature review identified 20 limitations of NS, assigned to 3 groups (Food‐based, Component‐based, and Other Dimensions of Food Quality). Subsequent assessment of NS employed a large representative branded food database of 19,510 pre‐packed foods. Alignment with dietary guidelines was assessed based on agreement with the WHO Europe nutrient profile (WHOE). NS2023 was shown as notably stricter compared to NS2021 (7% fewer products received the higher grades A or B) and more aligned with WHOE (κNS2021 = .59, κNS2023 = .65). Overall, most (65%) of the limitations were addressed to some extent; these were mostly Food‐based limitations, followed by Component‐based, whereas the Other Dimension of Food Quality (processing, sustainability, portion sizes) remained mostly unaddressed. We can conclude that the revised NS2023 increased its potential for implementation across Europe. Our review identified all limitations, relevant or not, which were mentioned in the scientific literature. Therefore, some mentioned limitations may never be solvable in the scope of nutrient profiling. Others could be further addressed by adaptation of the visual presentation, but increased complexity of the labeling message would also reduce the potential of the FOPNL to support consumers in healthier food choices. Additional research is also necessary to explore the potential impact of the revised NS2023 on food reformulation and its perception among consumers.

Family obligation in Chinese adolescents: Consequences and parental antecedents.

Adolescents' family obligation is a cultural strength that shows enduring prevalence in China. Given that the meaning of family obligation has undergone rapid changes in recent decades, it is crucial to examine the role of family obligation in adolescent adjustment in contemporary China. More importantly, although past research has investigated the consequences of family obligation on adolescents' adjustment, little is known about the antecedents of Chinese adolescents' family obligation. Using a two-wave longitudinal sample of 450 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 13.78 years, SD = .71 years; 49% female) and their parents, the current research explored two questions. First, this study examined the role of family obligation in adolescents' academic achievement, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems over early adolescence. Second, this study explored the role of parents in predicting Chinese adolescents' family obligation, specifically whether parental expectations or parental acceptance was predictive of adolescents' family obligation over time. Third, this study investigated whether family obligation is an underlying mechanism between parenting and Chinese adolescents' adjustment. Results showed that Chinese adolescents' family obligation was longitudinally associated with increased academic achievement and reduced externalizing problems. Moreover, perceived parental acceptance, but not parental expectations, was longitudinally associated with Chinese adolescents' greater family obligation. Notably, family obligation mediated the longitudinal effect of parental acceptance on Chinese adolescents' externalizing problems. By studying both the consequences and antecedents of Chinese adolescents' family obligation, this study helps provide a comprehensive understanding of this cultural strength.

Impact of large wood on sediment (dis)connectivity in a meandering river

Large wood (LW) can exert strong influence on sediment storage patterns in fluvial systems. However its specific impact on sediment routing is largely dependent on the stability of individual LW pieces or LW jams. We used sediment (dis)connectivity principles to quantify the impact of LW on sediment erosion and storage along a meandering river reach. Decadal spatiotemporal changes of LW and fluvial landforms are appraised along a 3.65 km long reach of the Odra River (Czechia). Detailed orthophotos at two-year intervals from 2012 to 2022 are analysed alongside field inventories. During this study period, there was a single flood event with a 5–10-year recurrence interval, and three smaller flow events with a recurrence interval of up to 2 years. We assessed the sediment deposition, bank protection, and erosion effects of LW, finding that the impact of LW on decelerating sediment fluxes was more pronounced. Specifically, LW-related deposition varied between 13.6 m2 and 36.7 m2 per 100 m of channel length during the individual two-year periods. In contrast, we detected only 0.5 m2 to 7.8 m2 per 100 m of channel length of newly eroded material during the same periods. Additionally, 6.3 % to 7.8 % of the lengths of the outer meander bends were protected by persistent LW elements against erosion during these two-year periods. Finally, we developed a three-stage conceptual model depicting the impact of LW on sediment (dis)connectivity in a meandering river at different relative timescales. Our model accounts for the dependence of interactions between LW and fluvial sediments based on the LW stability and frequency-magnitude of the hydrogeomorphic processes. In general, our observations suggest that the presence of stable LW in meandering rivers primarily leads to the deceleration of the lateral and longitudinal dimensions of sediment (dis)connectivity.

Aerosol forcing regulating recent decadal change of summer water vapor budget over the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau (TP), known as the Asian water tower, has been getting wetter since the 1970s. However, the primary drivers behind this phenomenon are still highly controversial. Here, we isolate the impacts of greenhouse gases (GHG), aerosols, natural forcings and internal climate variability on the decadal change of summer water vapor budget (WVB) over the TP using multi-model ensemble simulations. We show that an anomalous Rossby wave train in the upper troposphere travelling eastward from central Europe and equatorward temperature gradient in eastern China due to the inhomogeneous aerosol forcing in Eurasia jointly contribute to anomalous easterly winds over the eastern TP. Such anomalous easterly winds result in a significant decrease in water vapor export from the eastern boundary of the TP and dominate the enhanced summer WVB over the TP during 1979-2014. Our results highlight that spatial variation of aerosol forcing can be used as an important indicator to project future WVB over the TP.