Duration Of Events Research Articles

Longer Duration of Extreme Cold Events Over East Asia Affected by the Stratospheric Polar Vortex Extension

AbstractUsing long‐term reanalysis data, extreme cold events (ECEs) over East Asia are categorized into long‐duration ECEs (L‐ECEs, lasting more than 7 days) and short‐duration ECEs (S‐ECEs, lasting 3–7 days) according to the duration of ECEs during boreal winters from 1959/1960 to 2019/2020. Our results show that L‐ECEs over East Asia exhibit greater intensity, higher frequency, and longer persistence than S‐ECEs. On annual average, L‐ECEs are 1.8 K colder, contribute over 60% of total ECE days, and dominate in longer durations, persisting beyond day 5 and lasting up to 12 days. L‐ECEs in East Asia are attributed to the extension of the stratospheric polar vortex (SPV) toward the Atlantic‐Euro region. This SPV extension tends to enhance the Atlantic‐Euro trough, which is coupled with a strengthened and persistent Eurasian teleconnection pattern and a strengthened Ural ridge and East Asia trough during the decay of ECEs (after day 3). The strengthened East Asia trough, accompanied with cyclonic circulation, facilitates the transport of cold air from higher to lower latitudes. This process makes the ECEs more persistent and longer in duration, potentially developing into L‐ECEs. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the linkages between the extension of the SPV and ECEs over East Asia from a long‐term climate statistics perspective instead of relying solely on case‐by‐case analysis. This study may offer a valuable new predictor for forecasting long‐lasting ECE events over East Asia.

Apnea After 2-Month Vaccinations in Hospitalized Preterm Infants

Preterm infants are recommended to receive most vaccinations at the same postnatal age as term infants. Studies have inconsistently observed an increased risk for postvaccination apnea in preterm infants. To compare the proportions of hospitalized preterm infants with apnea and other adverse events in the 48 hours after 2-month vaccinations vs after no vaccinations. This randomized, open-label clinical trial took place at 3 US neonatal intensive care units between August 2018 and October 2021. Infants between 6 and 12 weeks' postnatal age who were born at less than 33 weeks' gestational age and were eligible to receive 2-month vaccines were included. Infants were randomized 1:1 to vaccinated (received vaccines within 12 hours of randomization) or unvaccinated (no vaccines received during the study period) groups. Cardiorespiratory data were collected during the 48 hours after vaccination or randomization (unvaccinated group). The primary outcome was apnea, defined as a respiration pause greater than 20 seconds or a respiration pause greater than 15 seconds with associated bradycardia less than 80 beats per minute. Other outcomes included the number and duration of apnea episodes, serious adverse events, respiratory support escalation, and receipt of positive pressure ventilation. Of 223 randomized infants (117 female; median [range] gestational age, 27.6 [23.0-32.9] weeks), 107 (48%) were vaccinated, and 116 (52%) were unvaccinated. For 2 infants in the vaccinated group, the primary outcome was unable to be assessed. The proportion of infants with 1 or more apnea event was 25 of 105 (24%) in the vaccinated group vs 12 of 116 (10%) in the unvaccinated group (adjusted odds ratio, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.27 to 5.73; P = .01). The mean number of apneic episodes did not significantly differ (model point estimate of difference, 0.54; 95% CI, -0.12 to 1.21) between the vaccinated (2.72) and unvaccinated (2.00) groups. The mean duration of apneic episodes did not significantly differ (model point estimate of difference, 4.6; 95% CI, -5.4 to 14.7) between the vaccinated (27.7) and unvaccinated (32.3) groups. No serious adverse events occurred during the 48-hour monitoring period. Other outcomes were not significantly different between groups. In hospitalized preterm infants, the odds of apnea within 48 hours were higher after 2-month vaccinations vs after no vaccinations. The similar number and duration of apneic events and lack of serious adverse events suggest that current vaccination recommendations for hospitalized preterm infants are appropriate. Neonatal clinicians should continue providing evidence-based anticipatory guidance about postvaccination apnea risk. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03530124.

Recovery from spreading depolarization is slowed by aging and accelerated by antioxidant treatment in locusts.

Spreading depolarization (SD) temporarily shuts down neural processing in mammals and insects. Age is a critical factor for predicting the consequences of SD in humans. We investigated the effect of aging in an insect model of SD and explored the contribution of oxidative stress. Aging slowed the recovery of intact locusts from asphyxia. We monitored SD by recording the DC potential across the blood-brain barrier in response to bath application of the Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor, ouabain. Ouabain induced changes to the DC potential that could be separated into two distinct components: a slow, permanent negative shift, like the negative ultraslow potential recorded in mammals and human patients, and rapid, reversible negative DC shifts (SD events). Aging had no effect on the slow shift but increased the duration of SD events. This was accompanied by a decrease in the rate of recovery of DC potential at the end of the SD event. An attempt to generate oxidative stress using rotenone was unsuccessful, but pretreatment with the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine amide, had opposite effects to those of aging, reducing duration, and increasing rate of recovery, suggesting that it prevented oxidative damage occurring during the ouabain treatment. The antioxidant also reduced the rate of the slow negative shift. We propose that the aging locust nervous system is more vulnerable to stress due to a prior accumulation of oxidative damage. Our findings strengthen the notion that insects provide useful models for the investigation of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying SD in mammals.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Anoxia and similar energetic crises trigger a shutdown of central neural processing in a process of spreading depolarization (SD) that is generally pathological in mammals and protective in insects. We show that older animals are slower to recover from SD in an insect model. Moreover, preventing oxidative stress with an antioxidant speeds recovery. These findings demonstrate the role of oxidative stress in contributing to the vulnerability of the aging insect central nervous system (CNS) in energetic emergencies.

Insights into PI3K/AKT signaling in B cell development and chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway is a central regulator of B cell biology, influencing survival, proliferation, metabolism, and immune responses. This Review explores how in both normal and malignant B cells, signaling operates within a finely tuned “comfort zone”, where appropriate levels support cell growth and survival. This comfort zone is dynamically modulated by the developmental stage, costimulatory signals, and the duration, magnitude, and subcellular localization of signaling events. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia, aberrant PI3K/AKT activation drives disease progression and resistance to therapy. Notably, deviations from the comfort zone—whether through excessive hyperactivation or insufficient signaling—can trigger cell death, presenting therapeutic opportunities. Signaling thresholds influence normal B cell development and chronic lymphocytic leukemia pathogenesis, including mechanisms of immune escape and Richter's transformation, an aggressive progression from chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Therapeutic strategies targeting PI3K/AKT are evaluated, with a focus on challenges such as toxicity. By understanding the nuanced modulation of the signaling comfort zone, we can refine therapies to selectively eliminate leukemic cells while preserving normal B cell function, offering new hope for improved treatment outcomes.

Interplay of Transcriptomic Regulation, Microbiota, and Signaling Pathways in Lung and Gut Inflammation-Induced Tumorigenesis.

Inflammation can positively and negatively affect tumorigenesis based on the duration, scope, and sequence of related events through the regulation of signaling pathways. A transcriptomic analysis of five pulmonary arterial hypertension, twelve Crohn's disease, and twelve ulcerative colitis high throughput sequencing datasets using R language specialized libraries and gene enrichment analyses identified a regulatory network in each inflammatory disease. IRF9 and LINC01089 in pulmonary arterial hypertension are related to the regulation of signaling pathways like MAPK, NOTCH, human papillomavirus, and hepatitis c infection. ZNF91 and TP53TG1 in Crohn's disease are related to the regulation of PPAR, MAPK, and metabolic signaling pathways. ZNF91, VDR, DLEU1, SATB2-AS1, and TP53TG1 in ulcerative colitis are related to the regulation of PPAR, AMPK, and metabolic signaling pathways. The activation of the transcriptomic network and signaling pathways might be related to the interaction of the characteristic microbiota of the inflammatory disease, with the lung and gut cell receptors present in membrane rafts and complexes. The transcriptomic analysis highlights the impact of several coding and non-coding RNAs, suggesting their relationship with the unlocking of cell phenotypic plasticity for the acquisition of the hallmarks of cancer during lung and gut cell adaptation to inflammatory phenotypes.

Salinity does not affect late-stage in-egg embryonic, or immediate post-hatch development in an ecologically important land crab species.

Environmental drivers such as salinity can impact the timing, and duration of developmental events in aquatic early life stages of crustaceans, including terrestrial crabs of the family Gecarcinidae. Low salinity delays larval development in land crabs, but nothing is known about its influence on the crucial late-stage encapsulated embryonic, or immediate post-hatch development. Therefore, we exposed fertilised late-stage embryos of the Christmas Island red crab (Gecarcoidea natalis) to differing salinities (100, 75, 50, or 25 % sea water) for 24 h during their spawning period and measured some key developmental and physiological traits. We found no effect of salinity on time of first heartbeat, time of hatching, first in-egg embryonic and post-hatching heart rate (bpm), or post-hatch activity duration (h). These results highlight the importance of considering all early life stages when fully characterising the effects of environmental drivers on crustacean development, including under climate change.

Preparing for stormy weather: building VA health system resilience for dialysis emergency preparedness in the era of climate change.

Climate change has been implicated as the driver for the increasing number, intensity, duration, and consequences of catastrophic weather events. As a result of extreme weather events, climate change has also been implicated as an important mediator of adverse kidney health outcomes, not only increasing the risk for the development of acute and chronic kidney diseases, but also disrupting the delivery of critical kidney health services. In particular, the delivery of dialysis services during major emergencies remains an ongoing and increasing problem, with a recognized need for improved emergency preparedness and disaster management (EP-DM) strategies to mitigate the increased risk of morbidity and mortality associated with missed dialysis treatment. There are increasing reports detailing the challenges of kidney dialysis care in times of crisis, to include those resulting from both man-made and natural disasters. Optimized management of the high-risk vulnerable dialysis patient population must include both facility-facing comprehensive continuity of operations and emergency response plans, and ongoing patient-facing emergency preparedness education. This review discusses the adverse impact of climate change-related natural disasters on the delivery of dialysis services, and the evolving EP-DM strategies developed and implemented by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) to optimize the care and well being of the vulnerable end stage kidney disease (ESKD) patient population.

Impact of climatic variabilities and extreme incidences on the physical environment, public health, and people’s livelihoods in Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by high poverty rates, rapid population growth, increasing prevalence of vector-borne diseases, and heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture. This narrative review aims to compile existing data on the impacts of climate extremes on the physical environment, public health, and livelihoods in Ethiopia, thereby highlighting the significance of this region for such a study. Data were sourced from peer-reviewed journal articles from databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, as well as reports and other unpublished documents. Results show that Ethiopia is facing increasing frequency, severity, duration, and timing of climate-related extreme events. Key challenges include environmental degradation, reduced crop yields, recurring floods, droughts, famines, increased heat waves, and spread of infectious diseases. Average daily rainfall is projected to decrease from 2.04 mm (1961–1990) to 1.97 mm (2070–2099), indicating a worsening climate trend. Moreover, the average annual temperature has risen by 1.3°C since 1960, at a rate of 0.28°C per decade. Flood records indicate a sharp rise, with 274 flood incidents recorded in 2020, causing extensive damage, including an annual soil loss of 1 billion tons in the Ethiopian highlands, reducing land productivity by 2.2% annually. Droughts from 1964 to 2023 affected 96.5 million people, reduced GDP by 4%, decreased agricultural output by 12%, and increased inflation rates by 15%. The regions of Afar, Somali, Gambella, and Benshangul Gumuz exhibit extreme vulnerability to health impacts due to rising temperatures. Addressing climate extremes is critical to mitigate their adverse effects on Ethiopia’s environment, public health, and livelihoods.

Comparative evaluation of SanAgileTMSA01 ultrasonic scalpel and Johnson & Johnson GEN11, and HAR36 for efficacy and safety

ABSTRACT Background The advent of ultrasonic scalpels has remarkably advanced minimally invasive surgery; however, the Chinese market’s reliance on imports highlights the urgent need for a cost-effective, efficient, and domestically produced surgical scalpel. This study aimed to compare SanAgileTMSA01 with the Johnson & Johnson GEN11, and HAR36 surgical devices. Research design and methods In total, 152 participants requiring urological or general laparoscopic surgery were randomly and equally divided between the two hospitals and randomized to the test and control groups. Clinical outcomes, adverse event rates, intraoperative bleeding, and surgery duration were compared between the two devices. Results The clinical application rate of both devices was 100%. There were no significant differences between the two groups in intraoperative bleeding, surgery duration, and incidence of adverse events. In the test group, five device-related adverse events occurred (6.58%), compared to two (2.63%) in the control group (no significant difference). The device-related adverse events did not result in any sequelae. Conclusions The clinical performance of the SanAgileTMSA01 was comparable to that of the Johnson & Johnson GEN11 and HAR36. The SanAgileTMSA01 device may serve as a viable alternative ultrasonic surgical tool, thereby providing clinicians with additional options. Trial registration Registration number of Shanghai Medical Equipment Preparation 20,190,114

Adjustment of recall errors in duration data using SIMEX

It is widely accepted that due to memory failures retrospective survey questions tend to be prone to measurement error. However, the proportion of studies using such data that attempt to adjust for the measurement problem is shockingly low. Arguably, to a great extent this is due to both the complexity of the methods available and the need to access a subsample containing either a gold standard or replicated values. Here I suggest the implementation of a version of SIMEX capable of adjusting for the types of multiplicative measurement errors associated with memory failures in the retrospective report of durations of life-course events. SIMEX is a method relatively simple to implement and it does not require the use of replicated or validation data so long as the error process can be adequately specified. To assess the effectiveness of the method I use simulated data. I create twelve scenarios based on the combinations of three outcome models (linear, logit and Poisson) and four types of multiplicative errors (non-systematic, systematic negative, systematic positive and heteroscedastic) affecting one of the explanatory variables. I show that SIMEX can be satisfactorily implemented in each of these scenarios. Furthermore, the method can also achieve partial adjustments even in scenarios where the actual distribution and prevalence of the measurement error differs substantially from what is assumed in the adjustment, which makes it an interesting sensitivity tool in those cases where all that is known about the error process is reduced to an educated guess.

Multi-Secular Trend of Drought Indices in Padua, Italy

The aim of this work is to investigate drought variability in Padua, northern Italy, over a nearly 300-year period, from 1725 to 2023. Two well-established and widely used indices are calculated, the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). They are compatible with a data series starting in the early instrumental period, as both can be estimated using only temperature and precipitation data. The Padua daily precipitation and temperature series from the early 18th century, which were recovered and homogenized with current observations, are used as datasets. The standard approach to estimate SPI and SPEI based on gamma and log-logistic probability distribution functions, respectively, is questioned, assessing the fitting performance of different distributions applied to monthly precipitation data. The best-performing distributions are identified for each index and accumulation period at annual and monthly scales, and their normality is evaluated. In general, they detect more extreme drought events than the standard functions. Moreover, the main statistical values of SPI are very similar, regardless of the approach type, as opposed to SPEI. The difference between SPI and SPEI time series calculated with the best-fit approach has increased since the mid-20th century, in particular in spring and summer, and can be related to ongoing global warming, which SPEI takes into account. The innovative trend analysis applied to SPEI12 indicates a general increasing trend in droughts, while for SPI12, it is significant only for severe events. Summer and fall are the most affected seasons. The critical drought intensity–duration–frequency curves provide an easily understandable relationship between the intensity, duration and frequency of the most severe droughts and allow for the calculation of return periods for the critical events of a certain duration. Moreover, the longest and most severe droughts over the 1725–2023 period are identified.

A Comparison of the Efficacy of High-Dose Vitamin C Infusion and Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Infusion in Patients With Sepsis: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background and objective Vitamin C and thiamine possess properties that may mitigate the harmful effects of sepsis. However, there is a dearth of studies in the literature comparing these two vitamins with each other and with a placeboregarding their efficacy against sepsis. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes associated with high-dose infusions of vitamin C and thiamine in septic patients, thereby seeking to contribute valuable insights into the optimal management of sepsis. The primary objective was to compare the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and C-reactive protein (CRP) levelimprovement on Day Six among the vitamin C, thiamine, and placebo groups after the intervention for five days. Methodology This prospective randomized comparative study involved 75 patients. Patients were randomized into three groups of 25 each. The first group received high-dose vitamin C infusion along with standard treatment for sepsis; the second group received high-dose thiamine infusionalong with standard treatment for sepsis; and the third group, the placebo group, received only standard treatment for sepsis for five days. The SOFA score, CRP level, and other parameters were evaluated on Day Six. Results The SOFA score (p=0.043) and CRP level(p=0.0161) on Day Six were lower in the vitamin C group than in the placebo group. The CRP level on Day Six was significantly lower in the thiamine group than in the placebo group (p=0.016). The duration of vasopressor therapy was significantly lower in the vitamin C group than in the placebo group (p=0.0276) and the thiamine group (p=0.0236). Conclusions Based on our findings, vitamin C infusion helps improve the SOFA score and CRP levelin sepsis patients. It can also decrease the duration of vasopressor therapy and serious adverse events whereas thiamine can reduce CRP levels in these patients.

Epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of public health emergency events of varicella in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, 2006-2021

To explore the epidemiological characteristics of public health emergency events (PHEE) of varicella in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and analyze its related influencing factors. Excel was used to organize the varicella data in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 2006 to 2021, reported by the management information system of PHEE, to describe the epidemiological characteristics of varicella events. Spatial autocorrelation and spatial scanning methods were used to test and determine its spatial clusters. Geographic detectors were used to analyze the impact of socio-economic factors. From 2006 to 2021, there were 644 reported varicella events in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, with a total of 18 052 cases and an incidence rate of 2.78%. The number, duration and response time M (Q1, Q3) of each reported event were 22 (15, 35) cases, 19 (7, 34) days and 7 (4, 17) days, respectively. Hebei Province had a shorter response time and duration of events compared to Beijing and Tianjin. The most reported varicella events were in 2006 and 2007, with 112 and 106 events, respectively. By 2014, the number of events had decreased yearly, and there was a small peak from 2017 to 2019 between 2014 and 2021. From 2006 to 2021, the PHEE of varicella showed a seasonal bimodal distribution from March to June and from October to January of the following year, with peaks in May and December. There was a total of 500 reported varicella events in primary schools, including 218 events in rural primary schools (34%), 142 events in county and town primary schools (22%) and 140 events in urban primary schools (22%). The distribution of varicella events showed a positive spatial autocorrelation and strong spatial clustering, with Moran's I of 0.31. The Class 1 clustering area was centered in Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County, Chengde City, with a radius of 207 km and included 58 districts (LLR=3 550.23, RR=3.78). The most explanatory factor among socio-economic factors was the proportion of the population aged 0-24 years old (q=0.22), and the interaction effect between each factor was stronger than the independent effect. Overall, there are differences in the level of handling varicella events across Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. The main occurrence of varicella events is in primary schools, especially in rural areas. Varicella events exhibit spatial clustering. Population structure-related factors have a strong impact on the risk of the incidence of varicella events.

Framework Construction and Dynamic Characteristics of Spring Low-Temperature Disasters Affecting Winter Wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai Region, China

The accurate and sub-daily identification of agricultural low-temperature disasters (LTDs) facilitates the understanding of their dynamic evolution, the evaluation of the characteristics of disaster events, and informs effective strategies aimed at disaster prevention and mitigation. In order to ensure the timely, precise, and comprehensive capture of disaster processes, we have developed a dynamic evaluation framework for winter wheat spring LTD in the Huang-Huai-Hai (HHH) region, driven by meteorological data. This framework consists of two primary components: a disaster classification module and a dynamic simulation-assessment module. Through disaster mechanisms and comprehensive statistical analysis, we have established the input features and structural framework of the classification module using a decision tree algorithm. The dynamic simulation evaluation module is based on our newly developed index for the cumulative hourly intensity of low-temperature stress (CHI) and its grade indicators. This index integrates the interaction between cold stress (low-temperature intensity, cooling amplitude, and duration) and mitigating conditions (air humidity) during the evolution process of LTD. Based on CHI, we found that as the intensity of low temperatures and the amplitude of cooling rise, along with an extended duration of stress and a reduction in relative humidity, the severity of spring LTDs in winter wheat get worse. The overall validation accuracy of the evaluation framework is 92.6%. High validation accuracy indicates that our newly established framework demonstrates significant efficacy in identifying LTDs and assessing grade. Through the analysis of the characteristics of the disaster process, spring LTDs affecting winter wheat are mainly mild, with frost identified as the primary category of LTD. The duration of freeze injury typically exceeds 24 h, while the duration of frost damage and cold damage is less than 24 h. From 1980 to 2022 in the HHH region, the frequency of spring freeze injury and frost damage on winter wheat showed an overall decreasing trend, with a particularly significant decrease in frost damage occurrences. Conversely, cold damage occurrences are on the rise. In addition, the duration of individual disaster events for the three categories of spring LTDs is decreasing, while both the average intensity and extremity of these events show increasing trends. This study has important practical value for the sub-daily scale evaluation of the spring LTD affecting winter wheat in the HHH region and serves as an effective guide for agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as for the formulation of planting strategies.

A Comparison of Extreme and Ordinary Freezing Rain Events of Long Duration and High Integrated Vapor Transport in Eastern North America

Abstract Freezing rain events of long duration (LD, at least 12-h) in two study domains of eastern North America gleaned from the database of McCray et al. (2019) are examined using ERA5 reanalysis-based integrated vapor transport (IVT) to investigate how parent cyclones with high IVT (HIVT; surrogate for atmospheric rivers) contribute to severe freezing rain events. Although not necessary for an LD freezing rain event to occur, HIVT-influenced parent cyclones are associated with most (70%) events occurring in the southeastern Canada/ northeastern U.S. study domain (CAUS) and with the majority (78%) of very long (at least 24-h) LD events in the region over a 38-year period (1979-2016). Comparing extreme and ordinary LD events involving HIVT-influenced parent cyclones over the CAUS and southeastern U.S. study domains shows the importance in extreme events of slow movement and phasing between the continental parent cyclone located over eastern North America and a corresponding mid-latitude anticyclone to the northeast of the CAUS domain that provides cold dry air needed in the near-surface cold layer to offset opposing diabatic effects. A corresponding sub-tropical anticyclone assists the parent cyclone in supplying warm and humid air at mid-levels of freezing rain events to the northern reaches of the study domain, extending spatial and temporal scales of extreme events. Most ordinary LD event parent cyclones are progressive and impact the study domain only briefly. An abrupt end of ordinary LD events having a slow-moving parent cyclone occurs either when its center moves over the study domain or a second, newly dominant cyclone emerges.

Variations in Present and Future Hourly Extreme Rainfall: Insights from High-Resolution Data and Novel Temporal Disaggregation Model

Extreme rainfall-induced events adversely affect agriculture, infrastructure, and socioeconomic development in a region. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of their occurrences and past and future variability in the context of global warming is imperative, especially at the fine temporal (sub-daily) and spatial (local to regional) scales for better contextualizing inferences from a policymaking perspective. This study provides a detailed analysis of global warming’s impacts on extreme rainfall in Jiangsu Province, utilizing the latest high-resolution ERA5-Land reanalysis data and the latest climate models. A novel temporal disaggregation model was developed to predict future hourly extreme rainfall. The results show that the bias-corrected model reduced the overestimation of extremes by as much as ~7.4% for the location parameter and accurately reproduced the spatial variability of rainfall. Projections from eight climate models indicate a future increase in rainfall intensity by an average of over 7%. Moreover, the projections indicate two contrasting trends for different event durations: short-duration events (e.g., 1 h) show a 7.1% increase at the 5-year return period and a more pronounced 8.9% increase at the 50-year return period. Conversely, long-duration events (e.g., 24 h) experience an 8.4% increase at the 5-year return period and a smaller 6.0% increase at the 50-year return period. This suggests that rarer, short-duration events are expected to increase more than less rare ones, while rarer, long-duration events show a smaller increase than their less rare counterparts. Addressing spatial heterogeneity in extreme rainfall patterns provides actionable insights for climate adaptation and mitigation, supporting initiatives like the ‘Jiangsu Province Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan’. This study underscores the need for policy-driven, community-led climate actions to mitigate flood risks and enhance resilience in a region vulnerable to flooding amidst global warming and increasing human interventions.

Риск-ориентированный подход к осуществлению контрольно-надзорной деятельности в области промышленной безопасности и охраны труда. Индикаторы риска соблюдения обязательных требований

The reform of the state and supervision activities is carried out in order to improve the efficiency of supervision activities due to the optimal use of human, material, and financial resources used for the state control (supervision), reduction of expenses of legal bodies, individual entrepreneurs, and improving the performance of activities by the state control (supervision) bodies when organizing specific types of the state control (supervision). One of the most efficient methods to reach the goals is the implementation of the risk-oriented approach which is a method of organization and implementation of the state control (supervision) based on the choice of intensity (form, duration, and periodicity) of events of control and is determined by the classification of activities of a legal body, individual entrepreneur, and (or) production facilities used by them during such activities to a certain risk category or to a certain hazard class (category). The adoption of the Federal Law «On the state control (supervision) in the Russian Federation» gave new impetus to the application of the risk-oriented approach. It introduced a number of new approaches to the practices of control and supervision activities. The classification criteria as four hazard classes of facilities are legislatively established for hazardous production facilities in industrial safety. The Ministry of Labor of Russia classified such facilities in accordance with five risk categories. The Federal Law «On the state control (supervision) in the Russian Federation» stipulates that unscheduled supervisory inspections are mainly conducted based on the risk indices, the list of which must be approved by a federal executive body. Such lists were approved by Rostechnadzor in 2021 and by the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation in 2023. They were updated in 2023 and will be expanded in the future. The implementation of the risk-oriented approach in Rostechnadzor and the Ministry of Labor helped to reduce the number of scheduled inspections and increase the number of unscheduled inspections conducted based on the activation of risk indices.

Wolbachia infection modifies phloem feeding behavior but not plant virus transmission by a hemipteran host.

Wolbachia-infected and uninfected subpopulations of beet leafhoppers, Circulifer tenellus (Baker) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), co-occur in the Columbia Basin region of Washington and Oregon. While facultative endosymbionts such as Hamiltonella defensa have demonstrably altered feeding/probing behavior in hemipteran hosts, the behavioral phenotypes conferred by Wolbachia to its insect hosts, including feeding/probing, are largely understudied. We studied the feeding/probing behavior of beet leafhoppers with and without Wolbachia using electropenetrography, along with corresponding inoculation rates of beet curly top virus, a phloem-limited plant pathogen vectored by beet leafhoppers. Insects carrying the virus with and without Wolbachia were individually recorded for four hours while interacting with a potato plant, and wavelengths annotated following established conventions. Virus inoculation rates and the duration of phloem salivation events did not vary. Wolbachia-infected insects more than tripled the duration of phloem ingestion, but despite this, Wolbachia infection was linked with marginally lower, not enhanced, acquisition. Regardless, results suggest potential for Wolbachia to increase the acquisition rate of other phloem-limited plant pathogens.

Shortcutting Photorespiration Protects Potato Photosynthesis and Tuber Yield Against Heatwave Stress.

Over two growing seasons, a chloroplast localized synthetic glycolate metabolic pathway expressed in potato, enhanced tuber biomass. We confirmed that this yield benefit did not come at the cost of tuber quality. In 2022, after two early season natural heatwaves, we observed enhanced daily carbon assimilation rates and increased photosynthetic capacity, with transformed plants having up to 23% higher Vcmax and 13% higher Jmax during tuber bulking stages, indicating that transformed plants were better able to withstand growing season heatwaves than untransformed controls. The increases in photosynthetic capacity and potato tuber mass after early season heatwaves were greater than in seasons without heatwaves and present the AP3 pathway as a promising avenue for yield increases in the face of forecast increased intensity and duration of heatwave events as a result of global warming.

Efficacy and Safety of Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Intensive Care Units: A Systematic Review

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is a potential intervention for managing nicotine withdrawal symptoms in critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness and safety of NRT in adult ICU patients with a history of nicotine dependence or tobacco use. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from January 31, 2010, to September 31, 2024, using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Eight studies that assessed the impact of NRT on nicotine withdrawal symptoms, ICU stay duration, delirium incidence, mortality, and adverse events were included in the review. These results suggest that NRT may be effective in reducing nicotine withdrawal symptoms in patients in the ICU. However, evidence regarding its impact on ICU outcomes, such as length of stay and delirium incidence, is inconclusive. Some studies reported potential adverse effects, including increased agitation and delirium, whereas others found no significant increase in adverse events. The safety profile of NRT in the ICU setting remains controversial, and further, highquality randomized controlled trials are required to establish its efficacy and safety in critically ill patients. This review highlights the importance of individualized patient management and the needs for a balanced approach when incorporating NRT into ICU care, considering factors such as nicotine dependence severity, cardiovascular health, and the overall clinical profile. Future research should focus on optimizing NRT use in the ICU, exploring optimal formulations and dosages, and investigating the potential interactions with common ICU medications.