Regional Changes Research Articles

Comparison of the risks and drivers of compound hot-dry and hot-wet extremes in a warming world

Abstract Compound hot-dry (CHD) and compound hot-wet (CHW) extremes have both intensified under global warming, posing exacerbated socio-economic threats compared to univariate extremes. This study presents a comprehensive assessment and comparison of the historical changes and driving factors behind CHD and CHW using observational data and climate model simulations. Findings indicate a notable surge in CHD and CHW occurrences, with CHW experiencing a higher increasing rate. Our investigation further reveals that anthropogenic climate change predominantly drives the increase in both types of compound extremes, especially for CHW. In contrast, land-atmosphere feedbacks have a limited impact on CHW at a global scale, but substantially contributes to the rise in CHD by reinforcing the negative precipitation-temperature coupling. This influence even surpasses that of anthropogenic climate change in specific regions. Understanding these variations and underlying causes is crucial for improving prediction accuracy and mitigating the impacts of compound extremes.

Identification of six new HLA-C variants with nucleotide changes in non-coding regions.

Six novel HLA-C variants with nucleotide changes in non-coding regions: HLA-C*04:32:01:02, -C*07:01:01:142, -C*08:04:01:05, -C*12:03:01:68, -C*12:03:01:69 and -C*16:01:01:41.

Hamstring Muscle-Tendon Geometric Adaptations to Resistance Training Using the Hip Extension and Nordic Hamstring Exercises.

Targeted resistance training stimulates hamstring muscle hypertrophy, but its effect on tendon-aponeurosis geometry is unknown. This study examined changes in hamstring muscle, free tendon, and aponeurosis geometry following a 10 week Nordic or hip extension exercise intervention. Thirty recreationally active males were randomly allocated (n = 10 per group) to a Nordic, hip extension, or control group. Magnetic resonance imaging of both thighs was acquired pre- and post-intervention. Changes in free tendon and aponeurosis volume for each hamstring muscle, biceps femoris long head (BFlh) aponeurosis interface area and muscle volume-to-interface area ratio were compared between groups. Regional changes in muscle CSA were examined via statistical parametric mapping. The change in semimembranosus free tendon volume was greater for the Nordic than control group (mean difference = 0.06 cm3, 95% CI = 0.02-0.11 cm3). No significant between-group differences existed for other hamstring free tendons or aponeuroses. There were no between-group differences in change in BFlh interface area. Change in BFlh muscle volume-to-interface area ratio was greater in the hip extension than Nordic (mean difference = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.007-0.19, p = 0.03) and control (mean difference = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.03-0.22, p = 0.009) groups. Change in muscle CSA following training was greatest in the mid-portion of semitendinosus for both intervention groups, and the mid-portion of BFlh for the hip extension group. There was limited evidence for tendon-aponeurosis hypertrophy after 10 weeks of training with the Nordic or hip extension exercises. For the BFlh, neither intervention altered the interface area although hip extension training stimulated an increase in the muscle volume-to-interface area ratio, which may have implications for localized tissue strains. Alternative muscle-tendon loading strategies appear necessary to stimulate hamstring tendon adaptations.

1624P Total and regional changes in body composition in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients randomized to receive androgen deprivation + enzalutamide +/- zoledronic acid: The BonEnza study

1624P Total and regional changes in body composition in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients randomized to receive androgen deprivation + enzalutamide +/- zoledronic acid: The BonEnza study

Assessing the Efficacy of Submental Liposuction Association in Orthognathic Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Despite the vast literature on submental liposuction, there are few studies describing its simultaneous association in orthognathic surgery. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the available evidence on the effectiveness of the combination between the 2 techniques. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist and used a comprehensive literature search across 7 databases. All studies discussing submental liposuction in orthognathic surgery were eligible for inclusion, regardless of language. The Joanna Briggs Institute assessment tools were used to assess risk of bias. After a 2-step selection process, a total of 10 studies were included, including 2 cohort studies, 1 case-control study, 1 case series, and 6 case reports. Sixty-seven patients from 5 countries were evaluated. Ages ranged from 15.1 to 50 years. The prevalence according to the facial pattern was similar, with a higher incidence in women. The major indications for surgery were related to the presence of skeletal deformities and aesthetic changes in the cervical region. The forms of evaluation used to indicate surgery were photographs (n = 29; 43.28%), visual scale by 2 surgeons (n = 20; 29.85%), clinical examination (n = 23; 34.32%), and cephalometric analysis (n = 17; 25.37%). The postoperative follow-up time ranged from 6 months to 7.9 years. Despite the different forms of evaluation, all articles mentioned benefits with the association of submental liposuction in orthognathic surgery. The most cited complications were sensory changes in the lower lip (n = 4; 5.97), facial nerve injury (n = 2; 2.98%), infection (n = 2; 2.98%), maintenance of submental lipomatosis (n = 2; 2.98%), and skin irregularities (n = 2; 2.98%). This systematic review showed that submental liposuction associated with orthognathic surgery improves cervical aesthetics and that it is safe, with a low rate of complications. However, the number of studies on this topic is limited, and the studies are not standardized. There is lack of information especially regarding the evaluation methods used. Metric techniques such as ultrasound and tissue caliper adipometry could be possibilities for future studies.

Climate change and deer in boreal and temperate regions: From physiology to population dynamics and species distributions.

Climate change causes far-reaching disruption in nature, where tolerance thresholds already have been exceeded for some plants and animals. In the short term, deer may respond to climate through individual physiological and behavioral responses. Over time, individual responses can aggregate to the population level and ultimately lead to evolutionary adaptations. We systematically reviewed the literature (published 2000-2022) to summarize the effect of temperature, rainfall, snow, combined measures (e.g., the North Atlantic Oscillation), and extreme events, on deer species inhabiting boreal and temperate forests in terms of their physiology, spatial use, and population dynamics. We targeted deer species that inhabit relevant biomes in North America, Europe, and Asia: moose, roe deer, wapiti, red deer, sika deer, fallow deer, white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, and reindeer. Our review (218 papers) shows that many deer populations will likely benefit in part from warmer winters, but hotter and drier summers may exceed their physiological tolerances. We found support for deer expressing both morphological, physiological, and behavioral plasticity in response to climate variability. For example, some deer species can limit the effects of harsh weather conditions by modifying habitat use and daily activity patterns, while the physiological responses of female deer can lead to long-lasting effects on population dynamics. We identified 20 patterns, among which some illustrate antagonistic pathways, suggesting that detrimental effects will cancel out some of the benefits of climate change. Our findings highlight the influence of local variables (e.g., population density and predation) on how deer will respond to climatic conditions. We identified several knowledge gaps, such as studies regarding the potential impact on these animals of extreme weather events, snow type, and wetter autumns. The patterns we have identified in this literature review should help managers understand how populations of deer may be affected by regionally projected futures regarding temperature, rainfall, and snow.

A millimetre-scale capacitive biosensing and biophysical stimulation system for emerging bioelectronic bone implants.

Bioelectronic bone implants are being widely recognized as a promising technology for highly personalized bone/implant interface sensing and biophysical therapeutic stimulation. Such bioelectronic devices are based on an innovative concept with the ability to be applied to a wide range of implants, including in fixation and prosthetic systems. Recently, biointerface sensing using capacitive patterns was proposed to overcome the limitations of standard imaging technologies and other non-imaging technologies; moreover, electric stimulation using capacitive patterns was proposed to overcome the limitations of non-instrumented implants. We here provide an innovative low-power miniaturized electronic system with ability to provide both therapeutic stimulation and bone/implant interface monitoring using network-architectured capacitive interdigitated patterns. It comprises five modules: sensing, electric stimulation, processing, communication and power management. This technology was validated using in vitro tests: concerning the sensing system, its ability to detect biointerface changes ranging from tiny to severe bone-implant interface changes in target regions was validated; concerning the stimulation system, its ability to significantly enhance bone cells' full differentiation, including matrix maturation and mineralization, was also confirmed. This work provides an impactful contribution and paves the way for the development of the new generation of orthopaedic biodevices.

Trends in extreme rainfall and their relationship to flooding episodes in Vhembe district, South Africa

Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, are being increased by climate change in various regions, and such events often cause floods. This study examined the trends and variability of extreme rainfall indices using daily rainfall data (1981–2023) from three study sites at different socio-economic development spectra in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The analyses focus on indices such as the annual total rainfall from wet days (PRCPTOT), the maximum number of consecutive dry days (CDD) and wet days (CWD), annual maximum 1-day and 5-day rainfall (RX1 day and RX5 day), the Simple Daily Intensity Index (SDII), the number of days exceeding varying amounts of precipitation (R10, R20, R40) and the annual number of wet days with rainfall greater than the 95th and 99th percentile (R95p and R99p) of the 1981–2023 daily rainfall. We discuss the observed trends in extreme rainfall indices in light of the actual flood occurrences to establish linkages. Several statistically significant and marginal changes in extreme rainfall trends were identified and provided key insights into reported flooding events in the district—flooding episodes were mainly attributed to the significant increases in total precipitation (PRCPTOT) and rainfall exceeding the 99th percentile of daily rainfall (R99p). Other significant contributors were declining CDD and increasing RX1day at Duthuni, increasing R40 at Musina as well as increasing R1 and declining CDD at Sane. However, the low altitude, urbanization, poor waste management and inadequate drainage systems were among the key non-climatic drivers of flood risk across the study sites, but these warrant further investigation. The complex interplay between climatic and non-climatic drivers of flood risk underscores the importance of localized climate studies and the need for adaptive strategies to minimize loss and damage. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into localized extreme rainfall trends, which are essential for developing site-specific flood mitigation and adaptation strategies. However, such initiatives require placing vulnerable communities at the centre in order to develop solutions that are locally led and relevant.

Comparing the process of converting land use purposes between socio-economic regions in Vietnam from 2007 to 2020

Abstract Reporting land use changes over time is important for evaluating land resource management. This study applied GIS technology to determine land use fluctuations for the entire mainland territory in Vietnam. In particular, the research focused on two main issues: (1) spatial fluctuations of some main land groups in Vietnam, and(2) the rate of land use change in socio-economic regions in the two periods 2007–2016 and 2016–2020. Research results showed that the Forests land group showed a growth of over 14% and spatial fluctuations took place in all regions, except for two regions with little change in this land group: Red River Delta (RRD) and Mekong River Delta (MRD). Meanwhile, crops decreased by over 16% from 2007–2020 and appeared heavily in the Northern Midlands and Mountains (NMR), North Central and Central Coast regions (NCR), and Central Highlands region (CHR). Urban land group increased by 3% during 2007–2020. The speed of land use conversion also showed different results between economic regions and inthe two research periods. The results showed that the recent research period witnessed a higher rate of land use conversion in the regions compared to the period 2007–2016. In particular, the NMR region showed that the conversion rate was the largest in both stages.

Study on the Effects of Acupuncture with the "Yizhi Tiaoshen" Acupoint Formula on Blood Oxygen Metabolism and Neural Function in Key Brain Regions of AD Rats.

Exploring the effects of acupuncture at the "Yizhi Tiaoshen" acupoint on blood oxygen metabolism and neurological function changes in the brain regions of AD model rats. The AD model was replicated by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose combined with bilateral hippocampal CA1 injection of Okadaic acid (OA). Thirty rats with successfully replicated model were selected through Morris water maze experiment and randomly divided into model group, donepezil hydrochloride group, and acupuncture group, with 10 rats in each group. After treatment, fNIRs were used to detect changes in Oxy Hb, Deoxy Hb, and Total Hb in the cerebral cortex of rats in each group, in order to evaluate the neurological function changes in key brain areas. The escape latency of the donepezil hydrochloride group and the acupuncture group was shortened, the number of crossings through the original platform increased, and the duration of stay in the quadrant where the original platform was located was prolonged. Based on fNIRs detection, the main differential channels of blood oxygen metabolism in AD rats were identified as 2-2 and 8-7, corresponding to the prefrontal and parietal lobes, respectively. The concentrations of Oxy Hb and Total Hb were significantly increased in both treatment groups, while the concentration of Deoxy Hb was significantly decreased. Acupuncture with the "Yizhi Tiaoshen" acupoint formula and donepezil hydrochloride can improve the learning and memory function of AD rats, and its mechanism may be related to improving blood oxygen metabolism in the prefrontal and parietal regions and protecting neuronal function.

Shifting soil dynamics: Unveiling physicochemical changes in Punjab region

Shifting soil dynamics: Unveiling physicochemical changes in Punjab region

Geochronology of a sedimentary core in the northwest of South China Sea and regional paleoenvironmental changes over the last million years

The South China Sea (SCS) is ones of the largest marginal seas on the Earth. Apart from IODP/ODP sites, limited progress has been made in establishing chronostratigraphy for long-term geological sequences spanning millions of years. In this study, we present findings from a sediment core (NH-01) collected from the eastern part of Hainan Island, northwest SCS, in terms of magnetostratigraphy and sedimentary/paleoenvironmental changes in the past 1 Myr. The main findings are as follows: (1) Two magnetic polarity zones in core NH-01 can be preliminarily correlated with the upper part of the intervening Matuyama chron and the Brunhes normal chrons, respectively. (2) By tuning the color indices of core NH-01 to the stacked benthic δ18O record, the age-depth model was refined, and the sediment accumulation rates are estimated as 10–30 cm/kyr (3) The sedimentary processes in the study area display a dominant 100-kyr cycle, with contributions from precession and obliquity bands, underscoring the influence of regional sea-level changes and monsoonal evolution. Comparisons between the NH-01 sedimentary record and various global climate proxies indicate a significant shift in regional sedimentary processes around 430 kyr, which can be attributed to the pronounced impact of theMid-Brunhes event, potentially linking it to climatic changes in the Southern Hemisphere. Consequently, sedimentary records from the northwest SCS not only capture regional environmental history but also provide insights into potential connections between different climatic systems.

Fascicle Behavior and Muscle Activity of The Biceps Femoris Long Head during Running at Increasing Speeds.

Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are prevalent in sports involving high-speed running and most of the HSIs are biceps femoris long head (BFlh) injuries. The primary cause for HSIs during high-speed running remains controversial due to the lack of in vivo measurement of the BFlh muscle behavior during running. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to quantify the muscle-tendon unit (MTU) and fascicle behavior of BFlh during running. Seven college male sprinters (22.14 ± 1.8 years; 177.7 ± 2.5 cm; 70.57 ± 5.1 kg; personal bests in 100m: 11.1 ± 0.2 s) were tested on a motorized treadmill instrumented with two force plate for running at 4, 5, 6m/s. The ground reaction force (GRF), 3D lower limb kinematics, EMG, and ultrasound images of biceps femoris long head (BFlh) in the middle region were recorded simultaneously. BFlh fascicles undergo little length change (about 1 cm) in the late swing phase during running at three submaximal speeds. BFlh fascicle lengthening accounted for about 30% of MTU length change during the late swing phase. BFlh was most active during the late swing and early stance phases, ranging from 83%MVC at a running speed of 4 m/s to 116%MVC at 6 m/s. Muscle fascicles in the middle region of BFlh undergo relatively little lengthening relative to the MTU in the late swing phase during running in comparison to results from simulation studies. These results suggest that there is a decoupling between the fascicle in the middle region and MTU length changes during the late swing phase of running.

Ecological risks linked with ecosystem services in the Upper Reach of the Yellow River under global changes

There is growing interest in introducing ecological risks (ERs) and ecosystem services (ESs) into environmental policies and practices. However, the integration of ESs and ERs into actual decision-making remains insufficient. We simulated the spatiotemporal dynamics of ESs (e.g., carbon storage, water yield, habitat quality, and soil conservation) and ERs in the upper reach of the Yellow River (URYR) from 2000 to 2100. Additionally, we explored their relationships by combining the InVEST model and a landscape ecological risk model with CMIP6 data. Our main findings showed that regional ERs change in response to land use and environmental dynamics. Specifically, the ER area decreased by 27,673 m2 during 2000-2020, but it is projected to increase by 13,273, 438, and 68 m2 under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively. We also observed remarkable spatial differences in ESs and ERs between past and future scenarios. For instance, the source area of the URYR exhibited high ESs and low ERs (P<0.001), while the ESs and ERs are declining and increasing, respectively, in the northeastern URYR (P<0.05). Finally, we proposed a spatial optimization framework to improve ESs and reduce ERs, which will support regional sustainable development.

Flexible emulation of the climate warming cooling feedback to globally assess the maladaptation implications of future air conditioning use

Abstract Rising affluence and a warming climate mean that the demand for air conditioning (AC) is rising rapidly, as society adapts to climate extremes. Here we present findings from a new methodological framework to flexibly couple and emulate these growing demands into a global integrated assessment model (IAM), subsequently representing the positive feedbacks between rising temperatures, growth in cooling demand, and carbon emissions. In assessing global and regional climate change impacts on cooling energy demand, the emulator incorporates climate model uncertainties and can explore behavioural and adaptation-related assumptions on setpoint temperature and access to cooling. It is also agnostic to the emissions and climate warming trajectory, enabling the IAM to run new policy-relevant scenarios (Current Policies, 2 °C and 1.5 °C) with climate impacts that do not follow Representative Concentration Pathways. We find that climate model uncertainty has a significant effect, more than doubling the increase in electricity demand, when comparing the 95th percentile cases to the median of the climate model ensemble. Residential AC cooling energy demands are expected to increase by 150% by 2050 whilst providing universal access to AC would result in the order of a 400% increase. Depending on the region, under current policies and limited mitigation, climate change could bring in the order of 10%–20% higher cooling-related electricity demands by 2050, and approximately 50% by 2100. Set point temperature has an important moderating role—increasing internal set-point from 23 °C to 26 °C, approximately halves the growth in electricity demand, for the majority of scenarios and regions. This effect is so strong that the change in set point temperature to both residential and commercial sectors outweighs the growth in demand that would occur by providing universal access to AC by 2050 to the 40% of the global population who would otherwise not afford it.

Abstract 55: Mouse Offspring Exposed to Preeclampsia/Eclampsia-like Symptoms Exhibit Changes in Regional Cerebral Perfusion at 2 months of age

Children born to mothers with preeclampsia, a hypertensive pregnancy disorder, or eclampsia, new-onset seizures during pregnancy, are more likely to develop learning and memory deficits and are more susceptible to neurovascular diseases compared to those born from normal pregnancies. The contributing mechanisms are unknown. The objective of this study was to determine whether mice exposed to reduced uteroplacental perfusion (RUPP), to mimic preeclampsia with or without pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) injection (to induce seizures and model eclampsia), results in regional cerebral perfusion changes at 2 months of age. On gestational day (GD) 13.5, pregnant C57BL/6 mice underwent sham or RUPP surgery followed by injection or no treatment with PTZ (40 mg/kg) on GD 18.5. At 2 months of age, cerebral perfusion was measured using Laser Speckle Imaging, and averaged to obtain mean data per sex, per litter (n = 3-6 average datapoints per group). Perfusion data were normalized to the area of each region of interest. Data were analyzed using Two-Way ANOVA. Our findings indicate a reduction in cerebral perfusion in offspring exposed indirectly to RUPP specifically of the right parietal cortex (p = 0.013), superior sagittal sinus (p = 0.003), cerebellum (p = 0.003) and whole brain (p = 0.021). We also observed an overall significant reduction in perfusion, after indirect PTZ exposure, in the right parietal cortex (p = 0.002), transverse sinus (p = 0.003), and cerebellum (p &lt; 0.001); and increase in prefrontal cortex perfusion (p = 0.001). Further observation showed an overall difference in hematocrit (p = 0.001), SPO2 (p &lt; 0.001), and cerebellum water content (p = 0.007) after indirect PTZ exposure. There was no difference in perfusion of the left parietal cortex, body weight, organ weight (except brain, where RUPP exposure led to overall increased brain weight; p = 0.030). Together, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to preeclampsia/eclampsia conditions leads to changes in offspring cerebrovascular function, with a net reduction in perfusion. Reduced cerebral perfusion is generally associated with reduced cognitive function. Whether this occurs along with changes in capillary density, or is exacerbated with age are areas of active investigation.

The enhanced antiferromagnetic interaction and tunable temperature coefficient of resistivity in antiperovskite compounds Mn3−xCoxAgN (0≤x≤0.2)

The magnetic and electric evolution with the substitution level of Co element has been investigated in Mn[Formula: see text]CoxAgN. The DC magnetic measurements demonstrate that the substitution of Co for Mn enhances the antiferromagnetic (AFM) interaction and weakens the magnetic irreversibility at low temperature. The strengthening of AFM order in Mn[Formula: see text]CoxAgN has been attributed to the enhanced Co–Mn AFM interaction and weakened Co–N–Mn ferromagnetic (FM) interaction. Additionally, with the gradual increase of Co content, the temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) in paramagnetic (PM) region changes from a positive one to a negative one gradually. When [Formula: see text], the TCR value is only [Formula: see text]5[Formula: see text]ppm/K, which is one magnitude smaller than that of conventional standard resistor materials. The negative TCR phenomenon is closely associated with the Co-element-induced lattice disorder, which leads to the weak localization of conduction electrons.

A Preliminary Study of the Types and Locational Characteristics of the Pseudo-housing: A Case study of Regional Changes in Sungui-dong, Incheon

A Preliminary Study of the Types and Locational Characteristics of the Pseudo-housing: A Case study of Regional Changes in Sungui-dong, Incheon

카자흐스탄 남부지역 거점 도시의 문화 정체성: 쉼켄트, 투르키스탄의 문화적 특성과 발전 정책 분석을 중심으로

This study focuses on the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, and the scope of the research space includes Shymkent and Turkistan, cities of the southern region. There are a number of reasons why this region was chosen as the scope of the study, including the lack of existing domestic research. Administrative changes in the southern region took place in 2018. In the case of Shymkent, the ethnic composition and forms of economic trade are unique in relation to Uzbekistan. In the case of Turkistan, the city has recently established itself as a new tourism-specialised city, based on its perception as a spiritual city. In this context, this researcher aims to analyze the current status and cultural characteristics of these cities based on his own experience of visiting them, and to derive their cultural identities. In addition, I will discuss the urban development policies and future prospects that the Kazakh government is pursuing in both cities.

Hourly Downscaling of Daily Climate Projection Data for the Nakdong River Basin using the Nearest Neighbor Search Method

Hydrological and water quality models have been continuously improved for assessing the impacts of climate change. Accordingly, meteorological data with high spatial and temporal resolutions are required. Current climate change scenario-based projections provide meteorological data on monthly and daily scales, which are too coarse for regional climate change assessments. In this study, we propose a temporal downscaling method based on the nearest neighbor search methodology for temporal downscaling from daily time-step meteorological data to hourly time-step data. To verify the temporal downscaling method, historical meteorological data from weather stations located in the Nakdong River basin were used, and the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) between observational and simulated data was calculated. Consequently, the simulation errors were approximately 2–4% for temperature and precipitation, and approximately 7–16% for wind speed, relative humidity, and solar radiation. Next, using the temporal downscaling method, hourly future climate projection data were derived from the daily SSP5-8.5 climate scenario projections retrieved from weather stations in the target area. According to the downscaled hourly climate projection results, under the SSP5-8.5 climate change scenario, the future annual maximum temperature is projected to increase by up to 7.0 ℃ and 5.6 ℃ at Daegu and Busan weather stations, compared to the reference period maximum temperatures of 36.2 ℃ and 33 ℃, respectively. The annual precipitation duration is projected to decrease by up to 103.3 h (21.25%) and 157.2 h (27.57%), compared to the reference period durations of 486.2 h and 570.2 h, respectively. Annual precipitation intensity is projected to increase by up to 0.71 mm/h (33.5%) and 0.83 mm/h (31.2%), compared to the reference period precipitation intensities of 2.12 mm/h and 2.66 mm/h, respectively. The temporal downscaling method presented in this study is expected to contribute to the preparation of meteorological input data to effectively simulate detailed hourly rainfall runoff and the behavior of water quality factors, thereby improving the assessment of climate change impacts.