June October Research Articles

Deciphering Abiotic Influences on the Seasonal Dynamics of Leaf Folder and Caseworm Infesting Rice in the Konkan Region of Maharashtra

Rice is an essential cereal crop and serves as the primary food source for the majority of people worldwide. It faces significant challenges from various abiotic and biotic stress factors, with insect pests being a major concern. An experiment was conducted during kharif (June–October), 2019 at Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Karjat, Maharashtra, to study how abiotic factors affect the prevalence of leaf folders and caseworms in rice ecosystems. The results showed that the initial detection of rice leaf folders and caseworms occurred during the 31st Standard Meteorological Week (SMW). The highest incidence of rice leaf folders (1.04%) and caseworms (0.69%) was recorded in the 34th SMW. The minimum leaf folder infestation (0.11±0.38%) was recorded in the 40th SMW, while the minimum case worm infestation (0.09±0.25%) occurred during the 37th SMW. Correlation analysis revealed that minimum temperature significantly influenced the population of both the pests. Regression analysis demonstrated that maximum temperature and bright sunshine hours accounted for R2=0.865 of the variability in the leaf folder population and R2=0.798 of the variability in the caseworm population due to maximum temperature. The findings of this study hold significant implications, providing a valuable foundation for predicting pest populations and aiding in the formulation of management strategies in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.

Estimation of the Contribution of Size-Fractionated Phytoplankton in the Kara Sea to Primary Production and Chlorophyll a during Different Seasons

Based on data obtained during seven Kara Sea expeditions (2017–2023), seasonal variation in the contribution of phytoplankton size groups to the total values of primary production (PP) and chlorophyll a (chl a) are examined for the first time. Micro- and nanophytoplankton (MPh + NPh) (>3 µm) dominated in the community composition during the entire ice-free period (June–October). Its predominance was especially noticeable during the spring bloom immediately after first-year sea-ice retreat (up to 97% for PP and up to 93% for chl a). The role of picophytoplankton (PPh) (<3 µm) increased in summer (July, August) (up to 50% for PP and up to 44% for chl a) and decreased by the end of the growing season (September, October). Seasonal variation in the size composition of phytoplankton during the growing season was determined mainly by variability in water temperature and incoming solar radiation. The contribution of PPh to the total chl a increased (up to 51%) at depths of the deep chlorophyll maximum in July and August. The assimilation activity of PPh was higher than that of MPh + NPh in July–September, with an increase in its contribution to the total PP and chl a. For the first time, annual PP of Kara Sea phytoplankton size groups was assessed: 8 ТgС (65%) for MPh + NPh and 5 ТgС (35%) for PPh.

What is the state of play? A nursing and midwifery workplace satisfaction survey across five local health districts

Background The COVID-19 pandemic and recovery period have exacerbated workforce challenges for nurses and midwives. The increasingly complex nature of healthcare, combined with rising workloads and staff attrition highlights the need for initiatives that improve workplace satisfaction and retention. In response, mentoring programs aimed at enhancing job satisfaction and retention are being increasingly implemented. Aims This study sought to measure the workplace satisfaction of nurses and midwives across five New South Wales local health districts, utilising data captured from a wider study investigating the implementation of the Deadly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nursing and Midwifery Mentoring program. Design An exploratory, mixed methods study using purposive sampling was employed. Methods A secondary analysis of a modified version of the Nursing Workplace Satisfaction Questionnaire, was used to quantify intrinsic, extrinsic, and relational workplace satisfaction constructs among nursing and midwifery staff. Open ended questions included in the survey were thematically analysed using methods developed by Braun and Clarke (2022). Results Between June–October 2023, n = 106 participants returned the survey. Differences between intrinsic (items 2 & 5), extrinsic (item 9) relational (items 13-15) constructs were observed for health districts, Aboriginality, age, and professional role characteristics (P < 0.05). Five qualitative themes emerged from the data: Helping people is the priority; Teams make a difference to my workplace satisfaction; Managers impact my satisfaction; Scope and recognition; and Organisational factors. Conclusions Overall, our findings indicate noticeable differences in workforce satisfaction and retention across various factors, including workforce areas, Aboriginality, age, and professional roles. For these groups, initiatives aimed at improving satisfaction and retention should prioritise fostering teamwork and a sense of belonging, as these elements have significant impact on job satisfaction for nurses and midwives and provide valuable guidance for nursing leaders. Impact statement This study identifies that teamwork and belongingness impact workplace satisfaction for nurses and midwives.

Systematic-ecological estimation of seasonal activity of dehydrogenase in drained swamp soils of interstream of Ob and Tom

Drained peat soils (Histosols) were studied. In the mode of weak and moderate drainage, the trend of seasonal fluctuations (quadratic parabola) shows a weekly average increase in dehydrogenase activity with a weekly average deceleration, in the intensive mode – a weekly average deceleration with a weekly acceleration for June–October. A reliable nonlinear relationship of enzyme activity was revealed: positive – with redox potential and pH, multidirectional – with soil bulk moisture and soil temperature. According to canonical analysis, the discussed set cumulatively determines the seasonal dehydrogenase activity by 50–81%. The hydrological regime is statistically proved as a dominant factor. A negative conjugate interaction of dehydrogenase and peroxidase activity has been established, confirming their participation in the biochemical transformation of organic matter as a whole.

Weed Management through Pre and Post-emergence Herbicides in Groundnut

A field experiment was conducted at Agronomy Instructional Farm, Department of Agronomy, Chimanbhai Patel College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Banaskantha (North Gujarat Agro-climatic Zone of Gujarat) during June–October, 2021 to assess the effect of pre- and post-emergence herbicides on weed control in groundnut crop using Randomized Block Design with ten treatments and four replications. Among different weed management practices, two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS recorded significantly higher number of pods per plant, resulted in significantly higher pod yield and haulm yield (23.70, 1980 kg ha-1 and 3082 kg ha-1, respectively) which was found at par with interculturing and hand weeding at 15 and 30 DAS (22.90, 1892 kg ha-1 and 2950 kg ha-1, respectively), post-emergence application of sodium acifluorfen 16.5+clodinafop-propargyl 8 EC @ 165+80 g ha-1 (22.53, 1835 kg ha-1 and 2864 kg ha-1, respectively) and imazethapyr 35 WG+imazamox 35 WG @ 70 g ha-1 (21.93, 1800 kg ha-1 and 2811 kg ha-1, respectively) due to better weed control of weeds as indicated by significantly lower density of sedges, grasses, broad leaf weeds and total weeds as evidenced by correlation and regression analysis between total weed density at 60 DAS, at harvest with the pod yield. Whereas, significantly lower number of pods per plant, pod yield and haulm yield at harvest were observed under unweeded check (10.30, 846 kg ha-1 and 1333 kg ha-1, respectively) due to significantly higher density of sedges, grasses, broad leaf weeds and total weeds observed in unweeded check.

Immunological Assessment of Interleukin-6 and 8 in Baghdad Patients with β-thalassemia

A genetic disorder known as β-thalassemia major is characterized by a decreased rate of hemoglobin synthesis, which results in inadequate binding of at least one globin chain. Depending on the exact illness, the actuality of deficiencies may vary. The study's model included participants who were not certain they had β-thalassemia, and a control group of fifty people who did not have the disease. The blood tests were assembled by the Medical city Thalassemia Center. between June 1st and October 31, 2023, to be exact. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serum immunological marker levels, namely IL-6 and IL-8, in Iraqi patients suffering from β-thalassemia. The Panel has approved the survey design for the postgraduate examinations at the School of Baghdad. Human interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) unions were evaluated using the protein-associated immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The review's findings demonstrated that individuals diagnosed with β-thalassemia had notably elevated blood levels of IL-6 and IL-8, which is relevant information. IL-6 foci measuring 33.90±3.42 pg/ml were seen in β-thalassemia patients, whereas the reference group showed levels of 25.21±2.93 pg/ml. Comparably, the benchmark group's estimated IL-8 level was found to be 76.86±23.11 pg/ml, but the patient gathering revealed a higher IL-8 degree of 217.10±44.26 pg/ml. The results of this investigation demonstrate that individuals with thalassemia exhibit an insusceptible dysregulation characterized by concurrent inflammation and immunosuppression.

Chinese physicians’ perceptions and willingness to use telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed the rapid uptake of telemedicine as a vital tool for physicians to provide healthcare services to patients. However, despite the potential advantages of telemedicine, there remains a paucity of research examining physicians’ attitudes and utilisation patterns towards this mode of healthcare delivery. Therefore, this study investigated the factors impacting physicians’ telemedicine utilisation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and protection motivation theory, a cross-sectional survey was conducted between June 3rd and October 26th, 2022. A structural equation model was subsequently developed to validate the response-based research model. Of the 296 physicians surveyed, 134 reported an increase in the frequency of telemedicine use following the COVID-19 pandemic, and 88.9% of respondents supported the implementation of telemedicine services at their hospitals. The analysis revealed that perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, performance expectations, effort expectations, and facilitating conditions were significant factors influencing physicians’ willingness to adopt telemedicine. Importantly, the results suggest that strategies to enhance the usefulness and convenience of telemedicine systems are imperative for fostering adoption. Such efforts will be instrumental in expediting the promotion and implementation of internet-based healthcare services to enhance the accessibility of healthcare services in China.

Catch composition and fishing season of blue swimming crab using a collapsible trap in Pemalang coastal water, Central Java

Abstract The blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) is an economically important fishery resources that has penetrated the export market that requires proper management. Pemalang Regency is still entirely dependent on natural catches, so information on seasonal patterns of blue swimming crab fishing is essential for fishermen to support the efficiency and effectiveness of the fishing activity. This research was conducted in Danasari village, Pemalang sub-district, in January–December 2022 with the aim of determining the composition of collapsible trap catches based on the crab fishing season in the waters of Pemalang Regency. Danasari fishermen classify the blue swimming crab fishing season into two, the west season starts in November–May (high rainfall), and the east season starts in June–October (low rainfall). The survey method was performed by collecting data of blue swimming crab catch as the main target and bycatch. Carapace width of the blue swimming crab was also measured. The data obtained was analyzed descriptively using Microsoft Excel 2010 software. The results showed that the catch composition of collapsible traps in Pemalang consisted of crustaceans, fish, and mollusks. The best season to catch blue swimming crabs was during the west season because the catch is more stable than during the east season.

Potential Impacts of Future Climate Change on Super-Typhoons in the Western North Pacific: Cloud-Resolving Case Studies Using Pseudo-Global Warming Experiments

Potential impacts of projected long-term climate change toward the end of the 21st century on rainfall and peak intensity of six super-typhoons in the western North Pacific (WNP) are assessed using a cloud-resolving model (CRM) and the pseudo-global warming (PGW) method, under two representative concentration pathway (RCP) emission scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Linear long-term trends in June–October are calculated from 38 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) models from 1981–2000 to 2081–2100, with warmings of about 3 °C in sea surface temperature, 4 °C in air temperature in the lower troposphere, and increases of 20% in moisture in RCP8.5. The changes in RCP4.5 are about half the amounts. For each typhoon, three experiments are carried out: a control run (CTL) using analysis data as initial and boundary conditions (IC/BCs), and two future runs with the trend added to the IC/BCs, one for RCP4.5 and the other for RCP8.5, respectively. Their results are compared for potential impacts of climate change. In future scenarios, all six typhoons produce more rain rather consistently, by around 10% in RCP4.5 and 20% in RCP8.5 inside 200–250 km from the center, with increased variability toward larger radii. Such increases are tested to be highly significant and can be largely explained by the increased moisture and water vapor convergence in future scenarios. However, using this method, the results on peak intensity are mixed and inconsistent, with the majority of cases becoming somewhat weaker in future runs. It is believed that in the procedure to determine the best initial time for CTL, which yielded the strongest TC, often within a few hPa in minimum central sea-level pressure to the best track data, an advantage was introduced to the CTL unintentionally. Once the long-term trends were added in future runs, the environment of the storm was altered and became not as favorable for subsequent intensification. Thus, the PGW approach may have some bias in assessing the peak intensity of such super-typhoon cases, and caution should be practiced.

Influence of air temperature and interrelationship with greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) over Iraq using AIRS data

Global and regional observations of air temperature (AT) and specific atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are required for a variety of applications, including constraining global or regional estimates of their significant impacts on the climate system. The present study employs Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) -Level3 monthly products for AT, CH4, and CO2, at two standard pressure levels (925 and 500 hPa) over Iraq during 2010–2016. Both CO2 and CH4 shows significant seasonal variation, with maximum (minimum) CO2 observed in June (October), while CH4 recorded three maximum peaks during April, August, and November, and a minimum in February. CH4 shows a negative correlation during winter (DJF), spring (MAM), summer (JJA), and autumn (SON) with correlation coefficients (R) −0.627, −0.734, −0.491, and −0.688, respectively. The P-value is below 0.05 (4.14 × 10−15, 2.13 × 10−22, 1.1 × 10−8, and 5.2 × 10−19) for the four seasons, indicating a negative linear relationship. CO2 shows a low negative correlation in DJF and SON, and a low positive correlation in MAM and JJA seasons, with R values equal to −0.315, −0.221, 0.059, and 0.079, for DJF, SON, MAM and JJA seasons, respectively. The P-value was greater than 0.05 (0.061, 0.728, 0.647, and 0.195) for the four seasons, respectively, indicating a nonlinear relationship with AT. The monthly averaged time-series for CH4 and CO2 shows an evident increase, with an annual average increase of 1.81% (4.75) ppbv/year and 3.31% (1.84) ppm/year, respectively. Analysis reveals that the major sink and sources for CH4 are the presence of hydroxyl (OH) radicals and vegetation, whereas the major sources for CO2 are anthropogenic emissions, burning fossil fuels, and land-use change. The satellite observations of AIRS can efficiently show the spatiotemporal variations of air temperature versus CH4 and CO2 for the study area.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy and its association with quality of life among people with HIV in the United States

ABSTRACT Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical for people with HIV (PWH) to achieve and maintain virologic suppression and minimize drug resistance. This study aimed to use real-world data to characterize ART adherence and its effect on quality of life (QoL) in PWH. Data were drawn from the Adelphi HIV Disease Specific Programme™, a cross-sectional survey of physicians and PWH in the United States, conducted June–October 2021. Demographic and clinical characteristics, ART adherence and treatment satisfaction for PWH were reported by physicians. PWH completed standardized QoL questionnaires. Adherence level was categorized into completely, mostly and less adherent. Regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with adherence and the association between adherence and QoL measures. Of 578 PWH, 189 (32.7%) were not completely adherent. Having AIDS-defining illnesses, anxiety/depression or being symptomatic was significantly associated with lower adherence. Reasons for poor adherence included forgetting, difficulties integrating into routine and side effects. QoL scores were significantly higher in the completely adherent group. These findings highlight the strong association between suboptimal adherence and QoL among PWH and key factors and PWH reasons that may lead to suboptimal adherence. Interventions aimed at improving the QoL of PWH by understanding these factors are warranted.

Extreme Rainfall Events Triggered Loess Collapses and Landslides in Chencang District, Shanxi, China, during June–October 2021

In recent years, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events has exacerbated the severity of geological disasters. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms of geological disasters under extreme rainfall conditions. From June to October 2021, Baoji City, Shanxi Province, China, experienced some extreme and continuous heavy rainfalls, which triggered more than 30 geological disasters. Those geo-disasters threatened the lives of 831 people and the safety of 195 houses. The field investigations found that most of these geological disasters were devastating collapses that occurred in the loess layer, primarily due to the cave dwelling construction. The shear strength, montmorillonite content, disintegration degree, and plasticity index of two typical loesses, namely the Sanmen Formation stiff clay and the Hipparion red clay, were analyzed, and their water sensitivities were evaluated. The failure mechanisms of the landslides, ground fissures, and collapses were analyzed and most of them were controlled by the cave dwelling construction and the strong water sensitivity of the loess. This study provides data for understanding shallow geological disasters induced by extreme rainfall in the loess area, which are more threatening than large geological disasters. We proposed an intensity–duration (I–D) rainfall threshold as I = 90 D−0.92, which relates the rainfall intensity (I) to the rainfall event duration (D). The empirical threshold provides some useful information for the early warning of collapses or landslides in similar geological settings in the loess area.

Strong pCO2 Undersaturation in an Arctic Sea: A Decade of Spatial and Temporal Variability in Baffin Bay

AbstractUtilizing an 11‐year (2011–2021) data set, we report surface‐ocean pCO2 in Baffin Bay during the open‐water season (June–October) to establish a baseline understanding of surface seawater carbon dynamics in this region. We found pCO2 was strongly undersaturated (70–130 μatm below saturation, depending on year), albeit with substantial regional variability. Though temperature was found to be a generally strong control of pCO2, sea‐ice dynamics and other non‐thermal drivers controlled pCO2 at certain times and in certain regions. The Baffin Island Current region (western Baffin Bay) experienced relatively high pCO2 during instances of high sea‐ice cover, usually in early spring. Average pCO2 was comparatively lower in the West Greenland Current region (eastern Baffin Bay) which is ice‐free substantially longer (by 3–4 months) and where temperature acted as the dominant control to pCO2. With respect to temporal variations, June had the lowest pCO2 of the open‐water season, coinciding with active sea‐ice melt. Surface‐ocean pCO2 then increased month‐to‐month through July and August due to warming and decreased meltwater dilution, increasing again into September before stabilizing into October. Generally, non‐thermal controls acted to decrease pCO2 during mid‐summer (possibly primary production, sea‐ice melt, and circulation), but acted to increase pCO2 during early fall (vertical mixing). Despite spatial and temporal variation over the open‐water season, persistent undersaturation suggests that Baffin Bay is a potentially strong CO2 sink, even in comparison to other uptake regions across the western Arctic.

On the characterization of Cloud occurrence and its impact on solar radiation in Mbour, Senegal

The objective of this study is to evaluate the clouds seasonal occurrence characteristics, and to estimate their impact on solar radiation in Mbour, Senegal, West Africa. Here, we use datasets from various sources including: i) observations from the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System satellite sensors, ii) in situ shortwave radiation measurement obtained from the Mbour station, and iii) the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis data. Results show a marked seasonality, associated with high spatial variation in terms of cloud occurrence over Senegal. The maximum cloud occurrences are observed during the wet summer season (June–October), whilst the minimum cloud occurrences are recorded during the long-dry season from November to May. During the monsoon season the cloud activity becomes more intense with a total cloud cover of about 80%, a cloud optical depth of around 7, and a high convective activity illustrated by a low OLR (below 240 W/m2). Likewise, across Senegal a strong north-south gradient of the cloud characteristics is observed. Based on quantitative comparison between cloud occurrence and radiation measurement, results show an important seasonal impact on available solar potential in Mbour. Conversely to the cloud occurrence, the maximum of both direct normal and global solar potentials is recorded during the dry season, coinciding with the period with clean sky. An investigation of the cloud influence on solar radiation on selected study cases indicates a decrease of 60% (80%) for the total (direct normal) radiation during the peak of the summer monsoon season.

California wildfire smoke contributes to a positive atmospheric temperature anomaly over the western United States

Abstract. Wildfires in the southwestern United States, particularly in northern California (nCA), have grown in size and severity in the past decade. As they have grown larger, they have been associated with large emissions of absorbing aerosols and heat into the troposphere. Utilizing satellite observations from MODIS, CERES, and AIRS as well as reanalysis from MERRA-2, the meteorology associated with fires during the wildfire season (June–October) was discerned over the nCA-NV (northern California and Nevada) region during the period 2003–2022. Wildfires in the region have a higher probability of occurring on days of positive temperature (T) anomalies and negative relative humidity (RH) anomalies, making it difficult to discern the radiative effects of aerosols that are concurrent with fires. To attempt to better isolate the effects of large fire emissions on meteorological variables, such as clouds and precipitation, variable anomalies on high fire emission days (90th percentile) were compared with low fire emission days (10th percentile) and were further stratified based on whether surface relative humidity (RHs) was anomalously high (75th percentile) or low (25th percentile) compared with typical fire season conditions. Comparing the simultaneously high fire emission and high RHs data with the simultaneously low fire emission and high RHs data, positive tropospheric T anomalies were found to be concurrent with positive AOD anomalies. Further investigation found that due to shortwave absorption, the aerosols heat the atmosphere at a rate of 0.041 ± 0.016 to 0.093 ± 0.019 K d−1, depending on whether RH conditions are anomalously positive or negative. The positive T anomalies were associated with significant negative 850–300 hPa RH anomalies during both 75th percentile RHs conditions. Furthermore, high fire emission days under high RHs conditions are associated with negative CF anomalies that are concurrent with the negative RH anomalies. This negative CF anomaly is associated with a significantly negative regional precipitation anomaly and a positive net top-of-atmosphere radiative flux anomaly (a warming effect) in certain areas. The T, RH, and CF anomalies under the simultaneously high fire emission and high RHs conditions compared with the simultaneously low fire emission and high RHs conditions have a significant spatial correlation with AOD anomalies. Additionally, the vertical profile of these variables under the same stratification is consistent with positive black carbon mass mixing ratio anomalies from MERRA-2. However, causality is difficult to discern, and further study is warranted to determine to what extent the aerosols are contributing to these anomalies.

Westerlies-driven transboundary transport of atmospheric mercury to the north-central Tibetan Plateau

The transboundary mercury (Hg) pollution has caused adverse effects on fragile ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Yet, knowledge of transport paths and source regions of atmospheric Hg on the inland TP remains poor. Continuous measurements of atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM) were conducted in the central TP (Tanggula station, 5100 m a.s.l., June–October). Atmospheric TGM level at Tanggula station (1.90 ± 0.30 ng m−3) was higher than the background level in the Northern Hemisphere. The identified high-potential source regions of atmospheric TGM were primarily located in the northern South Asia region. TGM concentrations were lower during the Indian summer monsoon (ISM)-dominant period (1.81 ± 0.25 ng m−3) than those of the westerly-receding period (2.18 ± 0.40 ng m−3) and westerly-intensifying period (1.91 ± 0.26 ng m−3), contrary to the seasonal pattern in southern TP. The distinct TGM minima during the ISM-dominant period indicated lesser importance of ISM-transported Hg to Tanggula station located in the northern boundary of ISM intrusion, compared to stations in proximity to South and Southeast Asia source regions. Instead, from the ISM-dominant period to the westerly-intensifying period, TGM concentrations showed an increasing trend as westerlies intensified, indicating the key role of westerlies in transboundary transport of atmospheric Hg to the inland TP.

Water Deficit Severity during the Preceding Year Determines Plant Tolerance to Subsequent Year Drought Stress Challenges: A Case Study in Damask Rose

Damask rose is an important essential oil crop. In the present study, plants were subjected to three different water deficit levels (70, 40, and 10% available water content) for two periods (June–October). Plant phenology, growth, essential oil yield, gas exchange features, membrane stability and major antioxidant defense elements were monitored across two years. Soil water deficit was related to quicker completion of the growth cycle (up to 7.4 d), and smaller plants (up to 49.7%). Under these conditions, biomass accumulation was jointly constrained by decreased leaf area, chlorophyll content, CO2 intake, and photosynthetic efficiency (up to 82.8, 56.9, 27.3 and 68.2%, respectively). The decrease in CO2 intake was driven by a reduction in stomatal conductance (up to 41.2%), while the decrease in leaf area was mediated by reductions in both number of leaves, and individual leaf area (up to 54.3, and 64.0%, respectively). Although the reactive oxygen species scavenging system was activated (i.e., proline accumulation, and enhanced activity of three antioxidant enzymes) by water deficit, oxidative stress symptoms were still apparent. These effects were amplified, as soil water deficit became more intense. Notably, the adverse effects of water deficit were generally less pronounced when plants had been exposed to water severity during the preceding year. Therefore, exposure to water deficit elicited plant tolerance to future exposure. This phenotypic response was further dependent on the water deficit level. At more intense soil water deficit across the preceding year, plants were less vulnerable to water deficit during the subsequent one. Therefore, our results reveal a direct link between water deficit severity and plant tolerance to future water stress challenges, providing for the first time evidence for stress memory in damask rose.

Trust and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Dominican Republic: a national cross-sectional household survey, June–October 2021

ObjectiveThis study investigates the role of trust in shaping COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the Dominican Republic (DR) during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignCross-sectional household survey.SettingRandomly selected households across 134 clusters in the...

Impacts of Urban Flooding on Gender in a Slum of Bangladesh

Urban flooding is a frequent disaster during the monsoon period (June–October), hindering the daily lives of city dwellers, especially slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This study assessed the impact of urban flooding on the lives of Baganbari slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh using Moser analytical tools to explore how urban flooding affects individuals of different genders. Participatory and survey methods involving 50 slum dwellers (25 men, 25 women) were carried out to collect feedback and comments. Additionally, focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured and key informant interviews (KII) were also conducted to express gender-related discrimination (e.g., men vs. women). Women are usually involved in “double day” roles (100% in reproductive and 72% in productive roles) while 92% of men are found to have no contribution in those roles. Moreover, women’s participation in community roles is significantly affected during urban flooding (almost 100%) as it imposes a compulsion for them to stay home and carry out their reproductive work. Thus, women encounter numerous challenges in meeting their practical and strategic needs, including ensuring food supplies, managing diseases and menstrual health, upholding sanitation, restricted movement, education obstacles, and more. The result shows that women in the Baganbari slum are found to have only 35% access and 6% control over resources, benefits, health facilities, and decision-making power during urban flooding. The significant decline in the access and control profile of women during urban flooding aggregates their difficulties and drives them into vulnerable positions in their own households.

Heat transport process associated with the 2021 eruption of Aso volcano revealed by thermal and gas monitoring

The thermal activity of a magmatic–hydrothermal system commonly changes at various stages of volcanic activity. Few studies have provided an entire picture of the thermal activity of such a system over an eruptive cycle, which is essential for understanding the subsurface heat transport process that culminates in an eruption. This study quantitatively evaluated a sequence of thermal activity associated with two phreatic eruptions in 2021 at Aso volcano. We estimated plume-laden heat discharge rates and corresponding H2O flux during 2020–2022 by using two simple methods. We then validated the estimated H2O flux by comparison with volcanic gas monitoring results. Our results showed that the heat discharge rate varied substantially throughout the eruptive cycle. During the pre-eruptive quiescent period (June 2020–May 2021), anomalously large heat discharge (300–800 MW) were observed that were likely due to enhanced magma convection degassing. During the run-up period (June–October 2021), there was no evident change in heat discharge (300–500 MW), but this was accompanied by simultaneous pressurization and heating of an underlying hydrothermal system. These signals imply progress of partial sealing of the hydrothermal system. In the co-eruptive period, the subsequent heat supply from a magmatic region resulted in additional pressurization, which led to the first eruption (October 14, 2021). The heat discharge rates peaked (2000–4000 MW) the day before the second eruption (October 19, 2021), which was accompanied by sustained pressurization of the magma chamber that eventually resulted in a more explosive eruption. In the post-eruptive period, enhanced heat discharge (~ 1000 MW) continued for four months, and finally returned to the background level of the quiescent period (< 300 MW) in early March 2022. Despite using simple models, we quantitatively tracked transient thermal activity and revealed the underlying heat transport processes throughout the Aso 2021 eruptive activity.Graphical abstract