Daily Intensity Research Articles

Evaluating the performances of gridded satellite/reanalysis products in representing the rainfall climatology of Ethiopia

This study evaluated performances of the Climate Hazard Group Infrared Precipitation with stations version 2.0 (CHIRPS v2.0) and Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation version 2.8 (MSWEP v2.8) products against observed data. Rainfall climatology was simulated for different agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Ethiopia during 1991–2020 at different temporal scales. Performance evaluations were made using continuous and statistical performance measures as well as Probability Density Function (PDF). CHIRPS v2.0 for estimating monthly, seasonal, and annual rainfall totals, and MSWEP v2.8 for daily rainfall have shown better performance over all AEZs. The two products display comparable performance for detecting daily rainfall occurrences over alpine AEZ, but MSWEP v2.8 is superior in the rest four AEZs. CHIRPS v2.0 outperforms MSWEP v2.8 for detecting most of the daily rainfall intensity classes over all AEZs. The findings will play a noteworthy role to improve the quality of hydro-climate studies in Ethiopia.

Metformin in elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus: dose-dependent dementia risk reduction.

This study aimed to investigate the controversial association between metformin use and diabetes-associated dementia in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and evaluate the potential protective effects of metformin, as well as its intensity of use and dose-dependency, against dementia in this population. The study used a time-dependent Cox hazards model to evaluate the effect of metformin use on the incidence of dementia. The case group included elderly patients with T2DM (≥60 years old) who received metformin, while the control group consisted of elderly patients with T2DM who did not receive metformin during the follow-up period. Our analysis revealed a significant reduction in the risk of dementia among elderly individuals using metformin, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.34 (95% confidence interval: 0.33 to 0.36). Notably, metformin users with a daily intensity of 1 defined daily dose (DDD) or higher had a lower risk of dementia, with an adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.46 (0.22 to 0.6), compared to those with a daily intensity of <1 DDD. Additionally, the analysis of cumulative DDDs of metformin showed a dose-response relationship, with progressively lower adjusted hazard ratio across quartiles (0.15, 0.21, 0.28, and 0.53 for quartiles 4, 3, 2 and 1, respectively), compared to never metformin users (P for trend < 0.0001). Metformin use in elderly patients with T2DM is significantly associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of dementia. Notably, the protective effect of metformin demonstrates a dose-dependent relationship, with higher daily and cumulative dosages of metformin showing a greater risk reduction.

Trend Analysis for Temperature and Precipitation Extreme Events over the Headwater of Upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia

Purpose: Increased trends in extreme climate events such as prolonged hot or cold days and intensively rainy days or consecutive dry days have greater negative impacts on society. While studies are conducted on climate variability and impacts most of them focus on the mean climatologies. Extrem events of Tempertaure and preciptation however have profound effect on human health and the environment. The present study aims to examine the spatial and temporal characteristics of means and extremes of temperature and precipitation events in the Tana-Beles Sub-basin for the 1980-2015 periods. Methodology: Daily temperature and preciptaion time series was collected from the Ethiopian meteorological institute covering the 1980-2015. From the daily climate variables 22 daily extreme climate indices are calculated based on the Expert Team on Sector-specific Climate Indices (ET-SCI) definitions. Findings: The Monthly, seasonal and annual temperatures show mostly increasing trends. The mean annual maximum and minimum temperatures increased slightly, respectively, by 0.047 and 0.014 oC/yr. The frequency of cold days/nights has reduced by 33/38 days/nights annually; whereas, the frequency of warm days/nights has increased by 91/83 days/nights. The mean monthly, seasonal and annual precipitations also show mostly increasing trends.Among the selected precipitation indices the number of very heavy rain days (R20mm), Simple Daily Intensity Index (SDII), very wet days exceeding the 95th percentile (R95p), and annual total wet days precipitation (RCPTOT) shows increasing trend; whereas, only the maximum 1-day precipitation (Rx1day), show an insignificant decreasing trend. Precipitation during the study period shows high variability spatially and temporally. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study reveals increasing in number of hot days and vraible prciptation events, hence measures must be taken to reduce risks of extreme tempertures such as direct effect and indirect malaria distributions to new areas that have been cold before, and agricultural advised forming is also suggested to cope with the variabilities of prciptation. Keywords: Climate trends; extremes climate events; Temperature and rainfall; and Tana-Beles Sub basins.

Characterization of Extreme Rainfall and River Discharge over the Senegal River Basin from 1982 to 2021

Extreme hydroclimate events usually have harmful impacts of human activities and ecosystems. This study aims to assess trends and significant changes in rainfall and river flow over the Senegal River Basin (SRB) and its upper basin during the 1982–2021 period. Eight hydroclimate indices, namely maximum river discharge (QMAX), standardized flow index, mean daily rainfall intensity index (SDII), maximum 5-day consecutive rainfall (RX5DAY), annual rainfall exceeding the 95th percentile (R95P), annual rainfall exceeding the 99th percentile (R99P), annual flows exceeding the 95th percentile (Q95P), and annual flows exceeding the 99th percentile (Q95P), were considered. The modified Mann–Kendall test (MMK) and Innovative Trend Analysis (ITA) were used to analyze trends, while standard normal homogeneity and Pettit’s tests were used to detect potential breakpoints in these trends. The results indicate an irregular precipitation pattern, with high values of extreme precipitation indices (R95p, R99p, SDII, and RX5DAY) reaching 25 mm, 50 mm, 20 mm/day, and 70 mm, respectively, in the southern part, whereas the northern part recorded low values varying around 5 mm, 10 mm, 5 mm/day, and 10 mm, respectively, for R95P, R99P, SDII, and RX5DAY. The interannual analysis revealed a significant increase (p-value &lt; 5%) in the occurrences of heavy precipitation between 1982 and 2021, as manifested by a positive slope; a notable breakpoint emerged around the years 2006 and 2007, indicating a transition to a significantly wetter period starting from 2008. Concerning extreme flows, a significant increase was observed between 1982 and 2021 with Sen’s slopes for extreme flows (29.33 for Q95P, 37.49 for Q99P, and 38.55 for QMAX). This study provides a better understanding of and insights into past hydroclimate extremes and can serve as a foundation for future research in the field.

Remote cognitive behavioral therapy utilizing an in-home virtual reality toolkit (Vx Therapy) reduces pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with chronic cervical and lumbar spondylytic pain: A potential alternative to opioids in multimodal pain management

Background ContextVirtual reality (VR) reduces pain through visual and auditory distraction without narcotic-related side effects or dependency. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improves pain-related disability and quality of life, but patient access remains a challenge. We hypothesized that in-home weekly CBT coordinated with daily use of a proprietary VR toolkit will reduce pain, anxiety, and depression for patients with non-operative chronic cervical and lumbar spondylitic pain with and without radiculopathy. MethodsA total of 145 patients with chronic spondylitic pain (63 cervical, 46 noradicular lumbar, 36 radicular lumbar) were enrolled into a guided 14-week VR+CBT program (Vx Therapy) consisting of weekly encounters with a trained therapist and 50 modules. Pain/anxiety severity scores and time to pain recurrence were recorded prospectively by patients. PROMIS measures of overall daily pain intensity, behavior, interference, anxiety, and depression were recorded at baseline and conclusion of the program. ResultsA total of 52% of the 145 patients were male. The average (SD) age of the cohort was 51 (10.7) years (range: 24–76 years). Mean score for all PROMIS domains were significantly improved after 14 weeks of Vx Therapy (pain intensity 36±24 vs. 28±21, interference 39±25 vs. 24±21, behavior 35±21 vs. 25±16, anxiety 51±28 vs. 41±26, depression 58±32 vs. 48±32) for the entire cohort and each diagnosis group. Virtual reality acutely reduced pain on average by 33% (4.5±2.5 vs. 6.7±2.2, p<.05) across all 14 weeks, lasting a mean 2.8 hours after use. Duration of pain relief increased by the final vs. first month (4.5 hours vs. 2.5 hours, p<.05). Virtual reality acutely reduced anxiety on average by 46% (3.5±3 vs. 6.4±2, p<.05) across all 14 weeks lasting a mean 2.7 hours after use. The effect was similar for all 3 groups. ConclusionsFourteen weeks of a remote CBT guided in-home VR toolkit provided effective and sustained pain, anxiety, and depression relief in patients with chronic degenerative neck/back pain with and without radiculopathy. The non-invasive, non-pharmacological nature of Vx Therapy makes it an ideal option for pain management in the post-opioid epidemic era.

Landslide initiation thresholds in data-sparse regions: application to landslide early warning criteria in Sitka, Alaska, USA

Abstract. Probabilistic models to inform landslide early warning systems often rely on rainfall totals observed during past events with landslides. However, these models are generally developed for broad regions using large catalogs, with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of landslide occurrences. This study evaluates strategies for training landslide forecasting models with a scanty record of landslide-triggering events, which is a typical limitation in remote, sparsely populated regions. We evaluate 136 statistical models trained on a precipitation dataset with five landslide-triggering precipitation events recorded near Sitka, Alaska, USA, as well as &gt; 6000 d of non-triggering rainfall (2002–2020). We also conduct extensive statistical evaluation for three primary purposes: (1) to select the best-fitting models, (2) to evaluate performance of the preferred models, and (3) to select and evaluate warning thresholds. We use Akaike, Bayesian, and leave-one-out information criteria to compare the 136 models, which are trained on different cumulative precipitation variables at time intervals ranging from 1 h to 2 weeks, using both frequentist and Bayesian methods to estimate the daily probability and intensity of potential landslide occurrence (logistic regression and Poisson regression). We evaluate the best-fit models using leave-one-out validation as well as by testing a subset of the data. Despite this sparse landslide inventory, we find that probabilistic models can effectively distinguish days with landslides from days without slide activity. Our statistical analyses show that 3 h precipitation totals are the best predictor of elevated landslide hazard, and adding antecedent precipitation (days to weeks) did not improve model performance. This relatively short timescale of precipitation combined with the limited role of antecedent conditions likely reflects the rapid draining of porous colluvial soils on the very steep hillslopes around Sitka. Although frequentist and Bayesian inferences produce similar estimates of landslide hazard, they do have different implications for use and interpretation: frequentist models are familiar and easy to implement, but Bayesian models capture the rare-events problem more explicitly and allow for better understanding of parameter uncertainty given the available data. We use the resulting estimates of daily landslide probability to establish two decision boundaries that define three levels of warning. With these decision boundaries, the frequentist logistic regression model incorporates National Weather Service quantitative precipitation forecasts into a real-time landslide early warning “dashboard” system (https://sitkalandslide.org/, last access: 9 October 2023). This dashboard provides accessible and data-driven situational awareness for community members and emergency managers.

Temporal and Spatial Variations of Extreme Climate Events in Northwestern China from 1960 to 2020

In the context of global warming, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and climate events have been increasing. Characterized by scarce water resources and fragile ecosystems, Northwest China has experienced a climate shift since the 1980s. In this study, spatial and temporal patterns of changes in the indices of climate extremes, based on daily maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation at 172 meteorological stations in Northwest China, were analyzed for the period 1960–2020. A total of 26 indices divided into two categories, 16 extreme temperature indices and 10 extreme precipitation indices, were used. Analysis of these indices revealed a general warming trend in the region, which consistent with global warming. The regional occurrence of summer days, tropical nights, growing season length, warm nights, warm days, and warm spell duration index increased by 0.22, 0.14, 0.29, 0.73, 0.46, and 0.11 days/decade, respectively. Over the same period, the occurrence of frost days, icing days, cool nights, cool days, and cold spell duration index decreased by −0.38, −0.21, −0.93, −0.44, and −0.13 days/decade, respectively. The decreasing trends in cold extremes were greater than the increasing trends in warm extremes. Additionally, many regions have experienced increasing trends in several precipitation indices. The annual total wet-day precipitation increased by 5.3 mm/decade. Increasing trends were also evident in simple daily intensity index, heavy precipitation days, very heavy precipitation days, very wet days, and extremely wet days. Consecutive dry days decreased by −1.5 days/decade, while no significant change was observed in consecutive wet days. In contrast to the remarkable spatial consistency of temperature extremes, precipitation extremes exhibited large and expected spatial variability. Most precipitation indices showed increasing trends in the western region of Northwest China and decreasing trends in the eastern part of Northwest China. These results indicate a transition from cold–dry to warm–wet in Northwestern China. Our findings suggest that Northwest China is experiencing more extreme climate events, which could consequently impact hydrological processes, ecological processes, and human health. These observations increase our understanding of the interactions between climate change and regional climate variability, which is conducive to improving disaster prevention.

Walking more, not faster, is associated with bone health in China of community-dwelling older women:A cross-sectional study

AimsTo examine the association between daily steps and step intensity with bone health in Chinese community-dwelling older women. MethodsData from 1116 women in the Physical Activity and Health in Older Women Study in China, 2021. Three bone parameters: bone quality index (BQI), speed of sound (SOS), and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) were measured in the left heel using an ultrasound bone densitometer and transformed into dichotomous variables from medians. Daily steps and step intensity (slow step time, brisk step time, peak 1-min cadence, peak 30-min cadence, and peak 60-min cadence) were measured using a triaxial accelerometer. Participants with high BQI, SOS, and BUA levels were used as references for logistic regression models to explore the association of daily steps and step intensity with bone health. ResultsDaily steps were positively associated with the BQI (odds ratio [OR] = 0.94, confidence interval [CI] = 0.89,1.00), SOS (OR = 0.93, CI = 0.88,0.99), and BUA (OR = 0.93, CI = 0.88,0.99) among older women. There was no significant association between peak cadence and bone health. Slow step time was positively associated with the BQI (OR = 0.94, CI = 0.90,0.99) and SOS (OR = 0.93, CI = 0.88,0.97), while brisk step time was positively associated with the BQI (OR = 0.89, CI = 0.82,0.97), SOS (OR = 0.87, CI = 0.80,0.94), and BUA (OR = 0.89, CI = 0.82,0.97). Moreover, 10,000 steps/day or more was significantly associated with the BQI (OR = 0.52, CI = 0.33,0.81), SOS (OR = 0.55, CI = 0.35,0.86), and BUA (OR = 0.45, CI = 0.28, 0.70) compared to <6000 steps/day. ConclusionIncreasing the number of daily steps or the duration of walking, whether fast or slow, may benefit the bone health of older women.

Exploring the Spatial Patterning of Sociodemographic Disparities in Extreme Heat Exposure at Multiple Scales Across the Conterminous United States.

Climate change has led to an increase in heat-related morbidity and mortality. The impact of heat on health is unequally distributed amongst different socioeconomic and demographic groups. We use high-resolution daily air temperature-based heat wave intensity (HWI) and neighborhood-scale sociodemographic information from the conterminous United States to evaluate the spatial patterning of extreme heat exposure disparities. Assuming differences in spatial patterns at national, regional, and local scales; we assess disparities in heat exposure across race, housing characteristics, and poverty level. Our findings indicate small differences in HWI based on these factors at the national level, with the magnitude and direction of the differences varying by region. The starkest differences are present over the Northeast and Midwest, where primarily Black neighborhoods are exposed to higher HWI than predominantly White areas. At the local level, we find the largest difference by socioeconomic status. We also find that residents of nontraditional housing are more vulnerable to heat exposure. Previous studies have either evaluated such disparities for specific cities and/or used a satellite-based land surface temperature, which, although correlated with air temperature, does not provide the true measure of heat exposure. This study is the first of its kind to incorporate high-resolution gridded air temperature-based heat exposure in the evaluation of sociodemographic disparities at a national scale. The analysis suggests the unequal distribution of heat wave intensities across communities-with higher heat exposures characterizing areas with high proportions of minorities, low socioeconomic status, and homes in need of retrofitting to combat climate change.

What Can One Minute of the Day Tell about Physical Activity?

High cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) allows individuals to perform daily activities and operate at a higher intensity level. This study investigates the connection between the CRF and peak intensity of physical activity (PA) in absolute and relative terms. A total of 3587 participants (1447 men, 51.9 ± 13.0 years; 2140 women, 50.0 ± 13.0 years) provided substantial accelerometer wear time, and their CRF was estimated via the 6 min walking test. Participants were divided into CRF thirds by age group and sex. Daily one-minute peak intensities were captured in both absolute terms and relative to individual CRF levels. In absolute terms, the highest CRF third had the highest intensity value for men (6.4 ± 1.7 MET; 5.9 ± 1.4 MET; 5.3 ± 1.0 MET) and for women (6.4 ± 1.6 MET; 5.9 ± 1.3 MET; 5.4 ± 1.1 MET). In relative terms, the highest CRF third utilized the least aerobic capacity for men (49 ± 14%; 51 ± 13%; 56 ± 14%) and for women (52 ± 13%; 54 ± 12%; 62 ± 15%). One minute of daily activity offers valuable insights into an individual's CRF and the effort demanded during PA. Fitter individuals can sustain higher PA intensity levels in absolute terms, whereas individuals with lower CRF utilize a greater fraction of their aerobic capacity. Consequently, heightened CRF not only allows for enhanced intensity levels but also safeguards against strenuous PA during daily routines.

Optimizing Solar Parabolic Trough Receivers with External Fins: An Experimental Study on Enhancing Heat Transfer and Thermal Efficiency

Several researchers have shown that the heat transfer performance of solar parabolic trough (SPT) receivers may be improved by increasing their surface area or by adding internal fins to the tubes. Unfortunately, the manufacture of internally finned tubes involves complex processes, resulting in significant cost increases. On the other hand, the addition of external fins to tubes is more technically and economically feasible in a low-resource setting. This study investigates the potential benefits of integrating external fins on the receiver tubes of a low-cost SPT collector system. Experiments were conducted using an SPT system with a focal length of 300 mm and a collector length of 5.1 m, and they were positioned by an automated Sun tracking system. Tests were undertaken using both smooth and externally finned receiver tubes operating at five different water flow rates. The solar receiver with a finned tube was able to provide a maximum water temperature of 59.34 °C compared with that of 56.52 °C for a smooth tube at a flow rate of 0.5 L per minute. The externally finned absorber tube was also found to have a maximum efficiency of 18.20% at an average daily solar intensity of 834.61 W/m2, which is approximately 48% more efficient than the smooth tube. The calculations indicate that the experimental SPT system using finned tubes potentially avoids 0.2726 metric tons of CO2e per year, with finned tubes outperforming smooth tubes by up to 44%. The results show that using externally finned receiver tubes can significantly enhance the thermal performance of SPT collector systems.

Weathered bedrock converts hydrological processes in loess hilly-gully critical zone

Weathered bedrock ecohydrology is indispensable for terrestrial ecosystem stability; however, the influence on the hydrological processes is poorly understood in loess hilly-gully critical zone. Using simulation experiments and in-suit observations, this study evaluated the intervention of weathered bedrock particles on profile infiltration and evaporation, investigated rock core sample characteristics and detected the spatiotemporal water variation in hillslopes of woodland and shrubland. Results showed that adding weathered bedrock particles interfered with infiltration and evaporation processes. Infiltration simulation discovered that stable infiltration rates increased linearly with weathered bedrock thicknesses, which accelerated by 0.5–5.7 times more than bulk soil layers. Interestingly, due to water separation at soil-rock interface, there existed nonlinear initial and average infiltration intensity fluctuations. Evaporation simulation demonstrated that cumulative evaporation presented a linear decrease with weathered bedrock, while the initial daily evaporation intensity increased, reaching a maximum of 15.4 ± 2.2 mm d−1. Moreover, borehole investigations manifested that weathered bedrock layers presented a thickness of more than 5.0 m, and the weathering intensity gradually decreased with depth, which was related to terrains and locations in hillslopes. Furthermore, profile water movement monitoring between woodland and shrubland slopes demonstrated that weathered bedrock optimized profile hydrological allocation. The average rock moisture reached about twofold than soil moisture, with average soil and rock moisture of 0.07 ± 0.04 cm3 cm−3 and 0.15 ± 0.05 cm3 cm−3 in woodland, 0.08 ± 0.03 cm3 cm−3 and 0.15 ± 0.03 cm3 cm−3 in shrubland, respectively. Besides, the profile water storage changed dynamically in equilibrium and escalated linearly with weathering layer thickness. Fundamentally, a conceptual structure model covering soil and rock water balance, vegetation dynamics, and climate change was constructed and discussed throughout the Earth’s critical zone, which was then applied in describing water circulation participating by rock moisture under relative water shortage and abundance scenarios in loess hilly-gully regions. This study would furnish insights for improving and deepening the water cycle in shallow soils, and provide new horizons for enriching water resources utilization under climate change.

Current Forest–Savanna Transition in Northern South America Departs from Typical Climatic Thresholds

The forest–savanna transition is the most widespread ecotone in the tropics, with important ecological, climatic, and biogeochemical implications at local to global scales. However, the factors and mechanisms that control this transition vary among continents and regions. Here, we analyzed which factors best explain the transition in northern South America (Llanos ecoregion and northwestern Amazon), where common thresholds on typical environmental factors (for example, mean annual precipitation (MAP), wet season precipitation) fail to predict it. For instance, savannas in the Llanos occur at MAP levels (> 1500 mm) which are typical of forests in other tropical regions. We examined the transition’s climate features, soils, and disturbance (fire frequency) spaces using remotely sensed data. We used logistic generalized linear models to assess the effect of seasonal (season length) and intra-seasonal (daily precipitation frequency and intensity) precipitation metrics during the dry season, soil silt content, and fire frequency, on the transition using canopy cover, tree cover, and the maximum Plant Area Volume Density as vegetation structure descriptor variables. Fire frequency and precipitation frequency were the most important variables explaining the transition. Although most fires occur in savannas, we found that a significant percentage of savanna pixels (46%) had no fires. This study indicates that the transition should be characterized regionally in response to biogeographic differences (for example, climatic space) among regions and continents. Our results highlight the importance of fire frequency and intra-seasonal precipitation in determining the transition in northern South America. Furthermore, future studies should consider regional differences in the climatic space of forest and savanna to improve projections of global change impacts on these highly diverse ecosystems.

Neural Correlates of Pain-Autonomic Coupling in Patients With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Treated by Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Motor Cortex

ObjectivesComplex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition involving autonomic dysregulation. In this study, we report the results of an ancillary study to a larger clinical trial investigating the treatment of CRPS by neuromodulation. This ancillary study, based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), evaluated the neural correlates of pain in patients with CRPS in relation to the sympathetic nervous system and for its potential relief after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex. Materials and MethodsEleven patients with CRPS at one limb (six women, five men, aged 52.0 ± 9.6 years) were assessed before and one month after the end of a five-month repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy targeting the motor cortex contralateral to the painful limb, by means of electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) measurement, daily pain intensity scores on a visual numerical scale (VNS), and fMRI with motor tasks (alternation of finger movements and rest). The fMRI scans were analyzed voxelwise using ESC and VNS pain score as regressors to derive their neural correlates. The criterion of response to rTMS therapy was defined as ≥30% reduction in VNS pain score one month after treatment compared with baseline. ResultsAt baseline, ESC values were reduced in the affected limb vs the nonaffected limb. There was a covariance of VNS with brain activation in a small region of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) contralateral to the painful side on fMRI investigation. After rTMS therapy on motor cortex related to the painful limb, the VNS pain scores significantly decreased by 22% on average. The criterion of response was met in six of 11 patients (55%). In these responders, at one month after treatment, ESC value increased and returned to normal in the CRPS-affected limb, and overall, the increase in ESC correlated with the decrease in VNS after motor cortex rTMS therapy. At one month after treatment, there also was a covariance of both variables (ESC and VNS) with fMRI activation of the S1 region previously mentioned. The fMRI activation of other brain regions (middle frontal gyrus and temporo-parietal junction) showed correlation with ESC values before and after treatment. Finally, we found a positive correlation at one month after treatment (not at baseline) between VNS pain score and fMRI activation in the temporo-parietal junction contralateral to painful side. ConclusionsThis study first shows a functional pain-autonomic coupling in patients with CRPS, which could involve a specific S1 region. However, the modulation of sympathetic sudomotor activities expressed by ESC changes was rather correlated with functional changes in other brain regions. Finally, the pain relief observed at one month after rTMS treatment was associated with a reduced activation of the temporo-parietal junction on the side in which rTMS was performed. These findings open perspectives to define new targets or biomarkers for using rTMS to treat CRPS-associated pain. Clinical Trial RegistrationThe Clinicaltrials.gov registration number for the study is NCT02817880.

Suspended sediment yield under alternating dry/wet cycles in a Mediterranean river catchment: the case of the Ofanto River, southern Italy

ABSTRACT This paper investigates how hydrological drought affected suspended sediment yield (SSY) in the Mediterranean Ofanto River basin, southern Italy, and in its five sub-basins from 1951 to 1989. The Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index over a scale of 12 months (SPEI12) has been used to compute the hydrological drought in the investigated span of time. SPEI12, mean and maximum monthly discharge (Qmean and Qmax), monthly rainfall erosivity, monthly simple daily intensity index and monthly SSY were used to assess the relationships between dry/wet cycles, streamflow and SSY through the Pearson correlation matrix. Qmean and Qmax are significantly correlated with SSY, while SPEI12 and rainfall intensity do not show good correlation with SSY. Furthermore, from the overall analyses it emerges that sediment yield estimations were higher mainly during the wet period following a period of drought or during a drought period.

Insights into Rainfall Extremities Across the Agroclimatic Zones of Tamil Nadu, India

Rainfall is a crucial agrometeorological parameter that impacts hydrology and agricultural planning in a region. The spatiotemporal changes in the occurrences of precipitation extremes must be monitored to reduce the hazards caused by the fluctuating rainfall pattern. The extreme rainfall indices for each year categorized under excess, normal and deficit rainfall categories were calculated over the agroclimatic zones of Tamil Nadu using the high-resolution CHIRPS datasets from 1991 to 2022. The results highlighted that High Rainfall Zone has more consecutive wet days (22 days), minimum consecutive dry days (25 days) and Daily Intensity Index with threshold of 2.5 mm (28.6 mm) compared to other zones. The maximum consecutive dry days of 99 days, a high rainy day of 142 days, and minimum daily intensity of 8.9 mm are experienced by the Cauvery Delta Zone, High Altitude and Hilly Zone, and Western Zone, respectively. Overall, the High Rainfall Zone faces a higher number of extreme rainfall events in terms of wet days and intensity, whereas the average maximum consecutive dry days and minimum rainfall intensity is observed over the north eastern zone and north western zone, respectively indicating high dry periods.

Measuring nocturnal near-surface urban heat island intensity in the small, mid-latitude city of Inverness, Scotland

ABSTRACT Few publications have considered the urban heat island (UHI) effect in small settlements. This paper, therefore, presents the findings of a UHI study conducted in the small, mid-latitude city of Inverness, Scotland (population: 63,220). The study aimed to provide an initial appraisal of the scale of UHI phenomena in Inverness and to understand the factors associated with its presence. Mobile vehicular traverses of a study transect were conducted on 30 dates during June, July & August 2019. Measurements of near-surface air temperature were recorded at 19 local climate zone observation points between 20:00 and 23:00 BST. Daily mean UHI intensity (UHII) during the study ranged from 0.7 to 3.5°C, with an overall mean UHII of 1.6°C. Land use characteristics impacted the UHII, with areas with higher fractions of impervious surface cover returning significantly higher air temperatures. UHII increased with the onset of sunset, and the highest UHII occurred on dates with up to 1–2 oktas of cloud cover, low relative humidity, and high cloud base height. The results align with previous studies and comparisons are drawn between Inverness and other settlements globally. Further research in Inverness is recommended to better understand UHI effects and influence national planning policy.

Traffic forecasting for city highways of the radial direction Evgeny V. Parsaev, Irina A. Teterina

The article presents a method for determining the predicted traffic intensity on city highways with a radial direction. The main stages of the technique are presented in the form of an algorithm with step-by-step implementation. The main problems associated with determining the predicted intensity on urban highways of the road network are noted. The results of the implementation of the proposed methodology are presented, on the example of the projected road network of one of the micro districts of the city of Omsk. Graphically presented are the results of measurements of changes in the daily traffic intensity of both directions on the projected section of the road network. The assumption about the influence of the period of continuous survey of traffic intensity on the occurrence of an error in the obtained numerical values was experimentally confirmed. The time interval for measuring traffic intensity is recommended to obtain the most correct research results. Keywords: forecasting, traffic flows, road network, traffic intensity, micro district, city highway

The Dichotomy of Wet and Dry Trends Over India by Aerosol Indirect Effects in CMIP5 Models

AbstractAerosol‐cloud interactions, also known as aerosol indirect effect (AIE), substantially impact rainfall frequency and intensity. Here, we analyze NEX‐GDDP, a multimodel ensemble of high‐resolution (0.25°) historical simulations and future projections statistically downscaled from 21 CMIP5 models, to quantify the importance of AIE on extreme climate indices, specifically consecutive dry days (CDD), consecutive wet days (CWD), and simple daily intensity index (SDII). The 21 NEX‐GDDP CMIP5 models are classified into models with reliable (REM) and unreliable (UREM) monsoon climate simulated over India based on their simulations of the climate indices. The REM group is further decomposed based on whether the models represent only the direct (REMADE) or the direct and indirect (REMALL) aerosol effects. Compared to REMADE, including all aerosol effects significantly improves the model skills in simulating the observed historical trends of all three climate indices over India. Specifically, AIE enhances dry days and reduces wet days in India in the historical period, consistent with the observed changes. However, by the middle and end of the 21st century, there is a relative decrease in dry days and an increase in wet days and precipitation intensity. Moreover, the REMALL simulated future CWD and CDD changes are mostly opposite to those in REMADE, indicating the substantial role of AIE in the future projection of dry and wet climates. These findings underscore the crucial role of AIE in future projections of the Indian hydroclimate and motivate efforts to accurately represent AIE in climate models.

Pain-Related Stigma and Its Associations With Clinical and Experimental Pain Severity in Youth With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions.

Many children with chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions experience stigma which can have negative downstream consequences. This study compares ratings of clinical pain (current pain intensity and pain interference), experimental pain (temporal summation, cold water tolerance, and cold pain intensity), and pain-related stigma among three groups of youth with rheumatic conditions. The relations among ratings of pain-related stigma and pain variables were explored. Eighty-eight youth aged 8-17 years with a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA = 32), juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM = 31), or non-specific chronic pain (NSCP = 25) completed measures of clinical pain ratings (average 7-day pain intensity, day of assessment pain (DoA), and pain interference), experimental pain (cold pain tolerance, cold pain intensity, and temporal summation of mechanical pain), and pain-related stigma. Data analysis compared pain-related stigma and pain ratings across the three groups and examined the relations among pain-related stigma and pain ratings. Youth with JFM reported higher ratings of clinical pain and pain-related stigma than their counterparts with NSCP or JIA. However, there were no differences in experimental pain. Pain-related stigma was associated with greater ratings of pain interference, particularly for those with JIA and NSCP. Pain-related stigma was also associated with greater average daily pain intensity but not DoA. Youth with medically unexplained pain report greater stigma and worse pain than their peers; thus, robust assessment of pain in this population is necessary. Future work should longitudinally explore the impact of pain-related stigma on pain outcomes and treatment responses.