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In this paper, we propose a novel Total Electron Content (TEC) map prediction model, named ED‐AttConvLSTM, using a Convolutional Long Short‐Term Memory (ConvLSTM) network and attention mechanism based on encoder‐decoder structure. The inclusion of the attention mechanism enhances the efficient utilization of spatiotemporal features extracted by the ConvLSTM, emphasizing the significance of crucial spatiotemporal features in the prediction process and, as a result, leading to an enhancement in predictive performance. We conducted experiments in East Asia (10°N–45°N, 90°E−130°E). The ED‐AttConvLSTM was trained and evaluated using the International GNSS Service TEC maps over a period of six years from 2013 to 2015 (high solar activity years) and 2017 to 2019 (low solar activity years). We compared our ED‐AttConvLSTM with IRI‐2016, COPG, LSTM, GRU, ED‐ConvLSTM and ED‐ConvGRU. The results indicate that our model surpasses the comparison models in forecasting both high and low solar activity years, across most months and UT moments in a day. Moreover, our model exhibits notably superior prediction performance during the most severe phases of a magnetic storm when compared to the comparison models. Subsequently, we then also discuss how the prediction performance of our model is affected by latitude. Finally, we discuss the diminishing performance of our model in multi‐day predictions, demonstrating that its reliability for forecasts ranging from one to 4 days in advance. Beyond the fifth day, there is a pronounced decline in the model's performance. Plain Language Summary: High precision prediction of Total Electron Content (TEC) is of great significance for improving the accuracy of global satellite navigation systems. In this paper, we introduced the attention mechanism into the ionospheric TEC map prediction model to adaptively weight the ionospheric TEC spatiotemporal features, highlighting the contribution of important spatiotemporal features in TEC map prediction. Results showed that the prediction performance of our model is improved compared with the other six models. Key Points: Introducing ED‐AttConvLSTM, a novel Total Electron Content (TEC) map prediction model utilizing Convolutional Long Short‐Term Memory and an attention mechanism in an encoder‐decoder frameworkThe incorporation of attention mechanisms markedly decreased root mean square error in TEC map predictions for 2015 and 2019Our model excels over 6 state‐of‐the‐art models, affirming its robustness and reliability for TEC map prediction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sporadic E‐layer (Es) exhibits unique opportunity for exploring the coupling from lower to upper atmosphere. It was found that the East Asia is with the highest intensity and occurrence probability of Es. By using the long‐term data of 21 ionosonde stations in China and Japan over the past 60 yrs, this paper explores the probable control on the Es layer from the lower layers. It is found that the intensity of the Es layer is strongly correlated with the surface atmospheric temperature, terrain, and land‐sea boundary. The correlation coefficient of the intensity of Es with surface temperature is as high as 0.8204, while that with the terrain and land‐sea boundary is up to 0.6668. Based on the coupling between the lower and upper atmosphere, this paper reveals the probable controls from lower layers on the intensity of the Es in East Asia. Plain Language Summary: As an occasional ionized layer of the ionosphere, the sporadic E‐layer (Es) exhibits unique opportunity for exploring the coupling from lower to upper atmosphere. Despite extensive research on both behavior and mechanism of the Es, none have adequately explained the strong inhomogeneous of its global morphology. It is found in fact that the East Asia is with the highest intensity and occurrence probability of Es. By using the long‐term data of 21 ionosondes in China and Japan over the past 60 yrs, this letter explores the formation mechanism of the strongest Es regions in the world. It is found that the intensity of the Es layer is strongly correlated with the surface atmospheric temperature, terrain, and land‐sea boundary. The correlation coefficient between the intensity of Es and surface temperature is highest, while that with the terrain and land‐sea boundary is also high. By analyzing the data as long as six decades, this letter reveals the probable controls from lower layers on the intensity of the Es in East Asia. Key Points: By analyzing the six‐decade data of 21 ionosondes in East Asia, it reveals probable controls on the strongest Es layer from lower layersFor the first time, it is found that the intensity of Es layer is highly correlated with the surface atmospheric temperatureAn interesting coupling from lower to upper atmosphere may be found by taking advantage of observations longer than half of a century [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The globally expanding doctoral education and the diminishing availability of academic job opportunities have prompted an increasing proportion of PhD graduates to seek employment beyond academia, drawing a growing scholarly interest. However, the existing literature on doctoral career pathways tends to be fragmented and dispersed, given the idiosyncratic individual and educational characteristics of doctorates grappling with the complex structural factors. To depict a comprehensive picture of the diversifying employment trajectories of doctorates across various geographical, disciplinary and sectoral contexts, this study conducts a systematic review, scouring 831 pertinent journal articles from the Web of Science. Following a set of inclusion criteria, 31 papers were ultimately selected to identify the key factors shaping employment trajectories of PhD graduates at structural (national supply and demand), institutional (employers' perceptions) and individual (doctorates' characteristics) levels. Drawing on the boundaryless and value‐based career theories, the authors develop a four‐dimension analytical framework, within which the findings of the 31 papers in East Asian and Western contexts are analysed. Overall, stakeholders in Western systems generally recognise the trend of PhD graduates securing non‐academic employment, whereas East Asian nations appear less receptive to this agenda. Meanwhile, due to their strong emphasis on research skills utilisation and employment stability, PhD graduates in certain economies find it challenging to pursue satisfying and successful careers, warranting increased attention. Building on the findings, we propose a four‐quadrat model in an effort to provide a tool for evaluating the capacity to absorb doctoral workforces of specific systems by categorising the doctoral professions. Highlighting shared patterns observed across various higher education systems and distinct trends prevalent in specific economies, this paper addresses key topics in doctoral education and doctorate employment literature such as labour market conditions, employment outcomes, job satisfaction, skills (mis)matches and sustainable careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain decoupling in the US–China confrontation has generated serious uncertainties for private businesses. This paper focuses on machinery international production networks in East Asia and tries to find quantitative evidence on supply chain decoupling by using international trade statistics, particularly from the viewpoint of middle powers such as Japan. While data on the sectoral level of trade do not show any clear evidence of supply chain decoupling, some specific US export controls indeed affect international transactions when examined at a finely disaggregated level. We econometrically measure the effect of some of the US policies on Japanese exports to China. The recent strengthening of US export controls related to supercomputers and advanced integrated circuits is likely to generate further effects. Nevertheless, the supply chain decoupling seems to end up as a partial one, and a large portion of International Production Networks (IPNs) may remain active. In conclusion, the paper briefly discusses the policy implications of the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Summary The discovery of a new genus within the family Thismiaceae, known as fairy lanterns, marks a significant scientific milestone in Japan, a country renowned for its botanical research. The unearthing of a new genus, especially in a well‐documented flora like Japan, is both rare and monumental. Unlike other fairy lanterns that bloom under leaf litter and can be easily overlooked, the new genus and species, Relictithismia kimotsukiensis, often does not even emerge above the surface of the soil when flowering. This captivating characteristic not only enriches our knowledge of botanical diversity but also emphasizes the importance of preserving natural habitats that harbor such rare species.The family Thismiaceae, known as “fairy lanterns”, is distinguished by its urn‐ or bell‐shaped, glasswork‐like flowers with basally fused tepals and its dependence on specific fungi for carbon. A new genus and species, Relictithismia kimotsukiensis, has been discovered in southern Japan. This species is notable for its unique anther‐stigma contact, hitherto unreported in the other Thismiaceae. Unlike typical fairy lanterns that bloom just above the leaf litter, Relictithismia often flowers beneath it. The underground habit is potentially associated with self‐pollination. The discovery of Relictithismia enhances our understanding of evolutionary pathways within the Thismiaceae, as it possesses characteristics previously thought to be unique to Thismia (the annulus with drooping stamens) as well as traits found in other genera (free stamens without expanded connectives). This paper reviews the morphology, ecology, and evolutionary history of Relictithismia, offering insights into the peculiarities of these enigmatic plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong cooling event refers to a sharp change in the average temperature over a short period. The rapid change of temperature has important effect on human health and is highly concerned recent years. Based on the observed temperature data set from stations in Southwest China (SWC) from 1979 to 2017, this paper analyses the characteristics of the strong cooling event (SCE). The result shows that SCE occurs with the highest frequency during the time from February to May. Among them, the frequency of SCE in February exhibits an abrupt change before and after 2005 with a significant increase. Further study reveals that the change of SCE frequency in February is associated with the large‐scale background circulation patterns. After 2005, there is a cyclonic circulation anomaly in Northeast Asia and an anticyclonic circulation anomaly in the Tibet Plateau (TP). This pattern provides a favourable condition for the southward movement of cold air mass, thereby increasing the frequency of SCE in SWC. Furthermore, it is revealed that there is a strong correlation between the variation of SCE frequency in February and sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Northwest Pacific in January before 2005. The cold SST anomaly could favour the occurrence of extreme TD events in SWC through vertical circulation. After 2005, the correlation between SCE and Northwest Pacific SST is not significant. The sea ice in the northern Barents Sea and Kara Sea becomes the dominant impact factor. The abnormally low sea ice concentration is conducive to strengthen the meridional circulation over East Asia, leading to an increasing frequency of SCE in SWC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to contribute to global social theory by contextualizing modernity/coloniality in East Asia. It begins with a reconstruction and evaluation of three sociological accounts of East Asian modernity, namely Kazuko Tsurumi's theory of endogenous development, Sun Liping's theory of communist civilization, and Chang Kyung Sup's theory of compressed modernity. Despite their insights, these theorists fail to transcend the Eurocentrism and methodological nationalism implicit in the paradigm of latecomer modernization. These problems can be better addressed by anti‐colonial perspectives, including Tani Barlow's colonial modernity, Chen Kuan‐Hsing's inter‐Asia, Xie Lizhong's post‐Western sociology, and Wang Mingming's civilizational anthropology. Yet European hegemony continues to define the spatiotemporal frame of these perspectives. To overcome the lingering problem of Eurocentrism, Laura Doyle's notion of inter‐imperiality is employed to highlight the power‐laden interaction and interdependence among imperial powers in the global and regional history of East Asia. This alternative approach, I argue, can shed new light on East Asian modernity and delineate its dialectical formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the shift in career strategies among Japanese women due to the globalization of Japan's economy since the 1980s. It highlights how economic changes led to a gender‐based division of labor, propelling women to seek opportunities abroad. The research draws on interviews with 81 women who moved to financial centers in East Asia, mainly in Hong Kong and Shanghai, examining their experiences in the workforce, the impact of human resource agencies in their migration, and the challenges and opportunities they encountered. The study reveals a complex landscape where Japanese women navigate gendered expectations and discrimination both in Japan and abroad in pursuit of career advancement. The conclusion emphasizes three points. First, women found opportunities abroad to do what they wanted, even if it was not what they initially expected before leaving Japan. Second, although supportive and subordinate to male managers, their work was indispensable to the management of Japanese companies abroad. Their contribution has long been underestimated but needs to be considered. Third, the experience abroad gave them direct interaction with various clients and colleagues and a view of rapid societal change in Hong Kong and China, contributing to choosing their diverse career trajectories and life plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM) onset and withdrawal have critical impacts on the climate of East Asia. However, using different reanalysis data may lead to the uncertainty of the SCSSM. This study uses reanalysis datasets including JRA‐55, ERA5, NCEP‐NCAR NCEP‐1 and NCEP‐DOE NCEP‐2 to calculate onset and withdrawal dates and index of SCSSM from 1991 to 2020, analyses the uncertainty and figures out the possible reasons. Results reveal that the four reanalysis datasets have obvious uncertainty in calculating the withdrawal date of SCSSM, with the deviation being up to 3.4 pentads. Further analysis shows that large differences in thermal conditions and lead to the uncertainties. From the perspective of precipitation, Greater uncertainty exists in the relationship between monsoon retreat and September–October precipitation, NCEP1 and NCEP2 datasets show weak correlation in southern China and Indonesia. Moreover, the uncertainty can be also found in the correlations of SCSSM with global sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. JRA‐55 and ERA5 show a strong correlation of with SST in several areas, and exhibit a distinct Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) mode with monsoon onset, while NCEP‐1 and NCEP‐2 have a weaker correlation with SST anomalies than JRA‐55 or ERA5. Comparing multiple factors comprehensively, this paper concludes that JRA‐55 may be more representative in the monsoon study, followed by ERA data. In short, depending on the specific research questions, researchers can choose appropriate data sources to study the SCSSM based on the different aspects and the uncertainty also deserve our special attention when selecting the reanalysis datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glazed tiles were prestigious building materials reserved for embellishing the roofs of royal architectures of ancient states in East Asia. This paper, by studying glazed tiles from the palace precincts of Shangjingcheng, Xigucheng, and Baliancheng, three capital cities of the Bohai state (698–926 ad), aims to expose the vibrant technological and economic interactions among ancient states of East Asia untold in historical chronicles. Although it is well recorded that Bohai maintained intimate political, cultural, and commercial engagements with the Tang empire and the Yamato state, it is obscure what kinds of technology and commodities were involved in these activities. It appears that the bodies of these tiles were produced of local iron‐rich clays, and the glazes were made of compounds of the same clays and lead materials. The glazing technique may have been transmitted from the Tang empire yet modified in response to local circumstances. Lead materials were acquired from various sources, partly from the one for the Huangye sancai wares in the Tang empire, and partly from the one for Nara sancai wares of the Yamato state in Japan. Archaeology is therefore capable of enriching our knowledge of the human past, even in the historical period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantitative relationship between Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) and floods over East Asia has not been established. In this study, MCSs are clustered into four types with Self‐Organizing Map approach. Floods in June‐August of 2000–2021 are linked with different types of MCS by automated algorithms we constructed. We find that among the major floods (potential flood peak periods), 91% (87%) are related to MCS, 65% (78%) are dominated by MCS, and 38% (20%) are dominated by multi‐types of MCS. Types 1 and 2 MCS have higher flood‐inducing efficiencies than common MCS (Type‐4). Type‐1 MCS, characterized by the least number (2% of the total number), the largest precipitation volume, longest lifetime, slowest moving, strongest precipitation, can most efficiently produce floods. Type‐2 MCS, characterized by the second largest precipitation volume, more numerous than Type‐1 particularly over land, can induce floods not only relatively efficiently but also more frequently than Type‐1. Plain Language Summary: Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) can cause large flood events but how they work in East Asia at climatic scale remains unexplored. In this study, we tracked MCS over the time period of 2000–2021 and grouped them into four types using the Self‐Organizing Map approach. We connected summer floods with the four types of MCS using automated algorithms. We found that most large flood events and potential flood peak periods are dominated by MCS. Type‐1 MCS, which features large land‐rain area, longest lifetime, slowest movement and strongest precipitation, is most efficient in inducing floods. A Longer lifetime not only contributes to greater total precipitation volume but also increases the overlap area, thereby enhancing the precipitation volume per area. The slow movement further increases the overlap area. The high overlap area helps reduce the proportion of precipitation absorbed by the soil. Type‐2 MCS, which features with the second largest precipitation volume, occurs more frequently than Type‐1 especially over land, and can cause floods more frequently than Type‐1. These findings can enhance our understanding of flood formation over East Asia. Key Points: Among the major floods (potential flood peak periods) occurred in 2000–2021 summer, 91% (87%) are related to Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS), and 66% (78%) are dominated by MCSType‐1 MCS is the most efficient among the four types in causing floods for its strongest precipitation rate, longest lifetime and slowest movementLong lifetime and slow movement increase the overlap area, boosting precipitation per area and reducing the proportion of rainfall absorbed by soil [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sub‐sampling method has been used to isolate the dynamic effects of the response of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Siberian High (SH) from the total response to projected Arctic sea‐ice loss under 2°C global warming above preindustrial levels in very large initial‐condition ensemble climate simulations. Thermodynamic effects of Arctic warming are more prominent in Europe while dynamic effects are more prominent in Asia/East Asia. This explains less‐severe cold extremes in Europe but more‐severe cold extremes in Asia/East Asia. For Northern Eurasia, dynamic effects overwhelm the effect of increased moisture from a warming Arctic, leading to an overall decrease in precipitation. We show that the response scales linearly with the dynamic response. However, caution is needed when interpreting inter‐model differences in the response because of internal variability, which can largely explain the inter‐model spread in the NAO and SH response in the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project. Plain Language Summary: The projected loss of Arctic sea‐ice under 2°C global warming will cause large warming in the Arctic region and climate and weather anomalies outside the Arctic. The warming in the Arctic will mean warmer airmasses coming from the Arctic and also more moisture from the open Arctic Ocean. Furthermore, it will also change atmospheric circulation. These effects together will determine the impacts of Arctic warming. In this study, we introduce a novel sub‐sampling method to isolate atmospheric circulation change in response to the Arctic warming. The method involves selecting members of simulations from the experiment with future Arctic sea‐ice conditions, the average of which is equal to the average of the members of simulations in the experiment with present‐day Arctic sea‐ice conditions. We found that atmospheric circulation change in European regions is relatively weak so that warming effects will dominate the climate and weather response there. On the other hand, atmospheric circulation change will dominate the climate and weather response in East Eurasia. We also found that stronger atmospheric circulation changes will generally increase the response to the Arctic warming. We suggest caution when assessing whether different responses in different models can be interpreted as true differences in model physics. Key Points: A novel sub‐sampling method is introduced to isolate the role of dynamics in the response to projected Arctic sea‐ice lossA dynamical Siberian High response dominates the temperature response over East Eurasia while that of the North Atlantic Oscillation is weakInter‐model differences in Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project likely contain a large fraction of internal variability due to the unconstrained dynamic effects [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obvious biases in simulating tropical cyclone (TC) genesis of the current climate models hamper our understanding of TC changes. In this study, we found a delay of the seasonal cycle of TC genesis frequency over the western North Pacific (WNP) in most Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models. During the active TC season, the simulated south‐warming and north‐cooling surface temperature bias amplifies the meridional gradient and excites thermal winds. This weakens the western North Pacific Subtropical High and easterly monsoon trough, which further reduces TC genesis frequency over the western WNP in summer. But in autumn, positive TC genesis biases were only observed in coupled models over the eastern WNP. Both seasons contribute to the delayed seasonal cycle of TC frequency in models. Our findings highlight the importance of accurate simulation of surface temperature by climate models to TC simulations and aid in future model improvements. Plain Language Summary: Tropical cyclone (TC) is a devastating weather system generated over the tropical ocean, and the climate model serves as an important tool to study the long‐term variability of TC activity. Hence, it is imperative to explore the biases of climate models in simulating TC genesis. In this investigation, we find a substantial influence of surface temperature bias in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) climate models on the simulation of the seasonal cycle of TC genesis frequency over the western North Pacific (WNP). The delay in the seasonal cycle of TC genesis frequency is widespread among most CMIP6 models. During boreal summer and autumn, the simulated bias of south‐warming and north‐cooling surface temperature increases its meridional gradient and triggers thermal winds. In summer, the weak western North Pacific Subtropical High and easterly monsoon trough, two crucial large‐scale circulation systems, cause a large negative TC genesis bias in models over the western WNP, substantially contributing to the delay of the seasonal cycle. Meanwhile, the relatively small positive bias of coupled models over the eastern WNP in autumn makes a secondary contribution. The combined contributions of these biases cause delays in seasonal simulation of TC genesis frequency. Key Points: Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 models produce delayed seasonal cycles of tropical cyclone genesis frequency over the western North PacificBiases in East Asia summer monsoon and western North Pacific subtropical high lead to underestimation of tropical cyclone genesis during summerThe biased large‐scale circulation systems are further related to a warm southern and cold northern surface temperature bias [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to examine the factors associated with treatment outcomes in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) after 1 year of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) treatment. Method: We obtained electronic medical records from a medical center in Southern Taiwan between January 2015 and September 2021. Participants aged ≥60 who were newly diagnosed with AD and had been prescribed AChEIs were included. Cognitive assessments were performed before the AChEIs were prescribed and at the 1 year follow‐up. Cognition progressors were defined as a Mini‐Mental State Examination decline of >3 or a Clinical Dementia Rating decline of ≥1 after 1 year of AChEI treatment. The relationship between the baseline characteristics and cognitive status after follow‐up was investigated using logistic regression analysis after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 1370 patients were included in our study (mean age, 79.86 ± 8.14 years). After adjustment, the body mass index (BMI) was found to be significantly lower in the progressor group [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.970, 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs): 0.943 to 0.997, P = 0.033]. The usage of antipsychotics was significantly higher in the progressor group (AOR: 1.599, 95% CIs: 1.202 to 2.202, P = 0.001). The usage of benzodiazepine receptor agonists also tended to be significantly higher in the progressor group (AOR: 1.290, 95% CIs: 0.996 to 1.697, p = 0.054). Conclusion: These results suggest that patients with AD who receive 1 year of AChEI treatment and have a lower BMI or concurrent treatment with antipsychotics and benzodiazepine receptor agonists are more likely to suffer from cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes in the East Asian polar‐front jet (EAPJ) and the East Asian subtropical jet (EASJ) profoundly impact the weather and climate in East Asia. However, the link between aerosols and the jet streams is still unclear. Here, we investigated the decadal co‐variation of aerosols and the East Asian jet streams in the boreal winter during the period of 1980–2019. In synch with a positive change in aerosol optical depth over East Asia, 300‐hPa winds show an equatorward shift of the land branch of the EASJ, and weakened EAPJ and oceanic branch of the EASJ. This can be linked to the enhanced meridional temperature gradient along 30°–50° N but weakened in northern regions and the decreasing synoptic‐scale transient eddy kinetic energy over subtropical Pacific. Relative importance estimation of aerosols and ocean signals emphasized the contributions of aerosols in jet variations. In turn, meteorological conditions related to jet streams also contribute to variations in aerosols, the decadal co‐variations are a result of their interactions, particularly for the oceanic branch of EASJ. The findings would be helpful in providing potential indicators of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires emit atmospheric aerosols, affecting climate and air quality. Siberia is a known source region of wildfires. However, comprehensive knowledge regarding the impact associated with particulate matter pollution due to Siberian wildfires on climate and air quality and their effects on mortality and the economy under present and near‐future warmer atmospheric conditions remains poor. Thus, we performed model sensitivity experiments (atmospheric model and coupled atmosphere‐ocean model settings) simulating the effects of changing Siberian wildfire emissions under the present and near‐future climate conditions, using the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate version 5 (MIROC5). Increased Siberian wildfire smoke likely caused a cooling effect in broad areas of the Northern Hemisphere and worsened the air quality near the source and in the downwind region (i.e., East Asia). The more Siberian wildfires occur, the more air pollution is present in those regions, which likely increases mortality and welfare losses there. However, the total impact of changing temperature on the gross domestic product under present and near‐future climate conditions is ambiguous. Our comprehensive results on the air quality changes due to Siberian wildfires under present and near‐future climate conditions suggest that increased efforts to limit the aerosol impact of Siberian wildfires are crucial to prevent possible excess mortality and economic losses. Plain Language Summary: Comprehensive knowledge of worsening air quality due to increased Siberian wildfires and its impact on climate and economy is needed to assess the impact of such fires both near their source and in the surrounding regions. Therefore, we performed global climate model simulations and analyzed the changing atmospheric aerosol emissions, including a precursor gas, from Siberian wildfires under the present and near‐future climate conditions using the Japanese global climate model called MIROC5. The increased aerosol emissions from Siberian wildfires generated a cooling effect in broad areas of the Northern Hemisphere and worsened the air quality near the source and in the downwind areas of East Asia. The effects we observed are associated with excess mortality and economic welfare losses. Future studies are needed to fully understand and prevent those negative impacts. Key Points: Comprehensive impacts of increasing Siberian wildfires on air quality, climate, and economy were estimated using the MIROC5 climate modelWe observed a cooling effect broadly across the Northern Hemisphere and worsened air quality near wildfire source and downwind regionsThe effects are closely related to lowering achievement rates of PM2.5 environmental standards, excess mortality, and economic losses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change exacerbates the threat of water scarcity over the drylands in East Asia (DEA), the world's most densely populated arid region. The water cycle continuously supplies water to support all life. Previous studies have focused on the change in individual hydrological components over DEA; however, how the projected water cycle changes under climate warming remains unclear. We demonstrate the projected response of the water cycle to global warming in different seasons utilizing the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6. Winter in the DEA presents an intensification of the water cycle, reflected in coherent increases in evapotranspiration (E), precipitation (P), runoff, and surface soil moisture. In contrast, summer will experience a weakened water cycle in the northwestern DEA, while the southeastern part exhibits the opposite trend. From the surface and atmospheric water balance perspective, we further attribute the changes in E and P to gain a more comprehensive understanding. The increasing E is attributed to the combined effects of P and the vapor pressure deficit during summer, whereas it is dominated by P in winter. The increased P in summer is primarily attributed to the horizontal dynamic and vertical thermodynamic components associated with the strengthening and westward expansion of East Asia summer monsoon in the future. During winter, the increased P is mainly due to the vertical dynamic and horizontal thermodynamic components associated with the enhancement of vertical ascending motion and increased moisture. Plain Language Summary: Water scarcity threatens 1–2 billion people living in drylands worldwide, with drylands in East Asia (DEA) having the largest population. Future climate change can alter the availability of water resources by altering the water cycle. Therefore, analyzing the water cycle's response to global warming during both summer and winter is vital for water management and climate adaptation, particularly in DEA. Under a high‐emissions scenario, winter will experience an intensified water cycle, manifested as coherent increases in evapotranspiration (E), precipitation (P), runoff, and surface soil moisture. In summer, a weakened water cycle is anticipated in northwestern DEA, while southeastern DEA is expected to show the opposite trend. Furthermore, we offer a quantitative attribution of the response of E and P to global warming to gain a more profound understanding. The attribution of E indicates that the supply of energy and water commonly dominate the increase in E during summer. The attribution of P illustrates that the westward expansion of the monsoon with enhanced southeastern winds favors increased P during summer. In winter, strengthened vertical ascending motions and increased water vapor content provide favorable conditions for enhancing P. Water cycle intensification is accompanied by more frequent extreme events, necessitating increased attention. Key Points: Future global warming will intensify the water cycle of drylands in East Asia in winterDuring summer, evapotranspiration will increase due to precipitation and vapor pressure deficit; in winter, it is dominated by the formerIn winter and summer, the dominant roles of the dynamic and thermodynamic components influencing future precipitation are different [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitation plays a significant role in human society and the environment, and how large‐scale climatic features influence precipitation has obtained worldwide attention. The nonhomogeneous hidden Markov model (NHMM) is a typical method to downscale large‐scale climatic elements to the regional level for many hydrologic applications. The traditional NHMM using point estimates of parameters has the risk to have no solutions for parameter estimation, but the Bayesian‐NHMM provides a Bayesian method to estimate parameters and avoids the risk. In this study, the suitability of the Bayesian‐NHMM in East Asia is evaluated. Two typical regions (i.e., the Yangtze River basin and the Zhujiang River basin in China) dominated by different climates were chosen to check model performance. Results show that: (1) the model could divide rainy‐season precipitation into several hidden states, whose variation is correspondent to the variability of monsoon and flux moisture transportation; (2) the model captures seasonality and inter‐annual variation of precipitation amount and also wet days during rainy season well in both river basins. These results suggest that the model could improve the prediction of daily precipitation in East Asia, which in turn could help many regions with similar climatic conditions worldwide to supervise floods and droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on outputs of 28 coupled models from the Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), we show that the response of the Southeast Asian summer monsoon to the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during post‐ENSO summer will likely strengthen in a warmer climate, which can be attributed to concurrently weakened sea‐surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the western equatorial Pacific (WEP). The weakened WEP SSTAs are primarily caused by enhanced latent heat damping due to increased surface wind speed anomalies, which are associated with the eastward shift of the El Niño‐induced anomalous Walker circulation due to El Niño‐like sea surface temperature change in the tropical Pacific under global warming. Besides, the climatological zonal ocean currents will slow down due to the weakening of climatological Walker circulation, which also acts to weaken the WEP SSTAs via reducing the advection of anomalous temperature by the mean current. Plain Language Summary: As an important component of the Asian monsoon system, the Southeast Asian summer monsoon (SEASM) is crucial for the livelihoods of billions of people in East Asia, and is closely connected to a climate phenomenon called El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Understanding how the relationship between SEASM and ENSO will change in the future is important for enhancing our knowledge of climate change in East Asia. Outputs of 28 climate models from the Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project show that ENSO will exert enhanced impacts on the SEASM in a warmer climate. The enhanced influences of ENSO on the monsoon will exacerbate the reduction of rainfall over the western North Pacific during the post‐El Niño summer. We find that such projected changes are mainly caused by weakened warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (SSTAs) in the western equatorial Pacific (WEP). Further analyses indicate that the change in WEP SSTAs can be linked to the El Niño‐like change in climatological SSTs in the tropical Pacific. This study depicts detailed physical processes responsible for the projected changes in ENSO's impacts on the SEASM. Key Points: The effects of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation on the Southeast Asian summer monsoon will strengthen under global warmingThe enhanced El Niño's impacts result from the weakened warm sea‐surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the western equatorial Pacific (WEP)The weakened WEP SST anomalies are related to the eastward shift of anomalous Walker circulation and the slackened mean zonal ocean currents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of mid‐Pliocene boundary conditions on Afro‐Asian summer monsoon (AfroASM) rainfall is examined using the fully coupled Earth System Model EC‐Earth3‐LR. Our focus lies on the effects of varying CO2 concentration, diminished ice sheets and vegetation dynamics. We find that the enhanced AfroASM rainfall is predominantly caused by the "warmer‐gets‐wetter" mechanism due to elevated CO2 levels. Additionally, the ice sheet, similar in size to that of the mid‐Pliocene era, creates several indirect effects. These include sea ice‐albedo feedback and inter‐hemispheric atmosphere energy transport. Such influences result in the southward shift of Hadley circulation and formation of Pacific‐Japan pattern, leading to reduced rainfall in North African and South Asian monsoon regions but increased rainfall in East Asian monsoon region. Interestingly, while dynamic vegetation feedback has a minimal direct effect on AfroASM rainfall, it significantly influences rainfall in the mid‐high latitudes of the North Hemisphere by enhancing water vapor feedback. Plain Language Summary: The mid‐Pliocene (3.3–3.0 Ma) was a pre‐Quaternary warming period with similar high CO2 level as we have today. The period is often considered as an analog for future greenhouse driven climate projections. Previous studies indicate that the Afro‐Asian summer monsoon (AfroASM) rainfall was more abundant then. However, the underlying mechanisms of relative contributions of boundary conditions on increased AfroASM rainfall remains to be clarified. Here, we use an Earth System Model, performed nine simulations to study the separate effects of CO2 level, ice sheets size, and vegetation dynamics on AfroASM rainfall patterns during the mid‐Pliocene. We found that (a) A rise in CO2 concentration during the mid‐Pliocene enhanced AfroASM rainfall through "warmer‐gets‐wetter" mechanism. (b) The dynamics of the ice sheet during this period, including both melting and distribution changes, contributed to more pronounced warming in South Hemisphere than the north due to ice‐albedo feedback. This change affected global atmospheric circulation, leading to decreased rainfall in North Africa and South Asia, but increased rainfall in East Asia. (c) We observed that during the mid‐Pliocene, vegetation expanded and move further north in the North Hemisphere. This increases summer rainfall at Northern mid‐high latitudes through local water vapor feedback. Key Points: Elevated CO2 levels during mid‐Pliocene increase Afro‐Asian summer monsoon rainfall mainly due to the "warmer‐gets‐wetter" mechanismMid‐Pliocene ice sheets changes favor to reduce North African/South Asian monsoon rainfall and increase East Asian monsoon rainfallDynamic vegetation feedback has less effect on Afro‐Asian monsoon, but more on mid‐high latitudes rainfall [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miscanthus is a genus of perennial grasses native to East Asia that shows promise as a biofuel energy source. Breeding efforts for increasing biofuel capability in this genus have focused on two species, namely M. sinensis (Msi) and M. sacchariflorus (Msa). For these efforts to succeed, it is critical that both Msi and Msa, as well as their interspecific crosses, can be grown at a wide range of latitudes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how well existing data from Msi and Msa trials grown at locations throughout the northern hemisphere can train state‐of‐the‐art genomic selection (GS) models to predict genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) of dry yield for untested Msi and Msa accessions in untested environments. We found that accounting for genotype by environment interaction in the GS model did not notably improve predictive ability. Additionally, we observed that locations at lower latitudes showed higher predictive ability relative to locations at higher latitudes. These results suggest that it is crucial to increase the number of trial locations at higher latitude locations to investigate the source of this correlation. This will make it possible to train GS models using data from environments that are similar to growing conditions at the locations targeted by Msi and Msa breeders. Such an increase of trial locations in target environments could pave the way toward advancing breeding efforts for overwintering ability in Msi and Msa, and ultimately support the potential of Miscanthus as a biofuel crop. We evaluated the extent to which existing data from two Miscanthus species grown at multiple locations can be used for genomic prediction. We assessed the ability of two multi‐environment genomic prediction models to predict breeding values of yield for genotypes and environments that were not included in a training set. We found that considering genotype‐by‐environment interactions did not substantially improve predictive ability, and that predictive abilities tended to be lower at locations at higher latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations of Eurasian otters Lutra lutra, one of the most widely distributed apex predators in Eurasia, have been depleted mainly since the 1950s. However, a lack of information about their genomic diversity and how they are organized geographically in East Asia severely impedes our ability to monitor and conserve them in particular management units. Here, we re‐sequenced and analyzed 20 otter genomes spanning continental East Asia, including a population at Kinmen, a small island off the Fujian coast, China. The otters form three genetic clusters (one of L. l. lutra in the north and two of L. l. chinensis in the south), which have diverged in the Holocene. These three clusters should be recognized as three conservation management units to monitor and manage independently. The heterozygosity of the East Asian otters is as low as that of the threatened carnivores sequenced. Historical effective population size trajectories inferred from genomic variations suggest that their low genomic diversity could be partially attributed to changes in the climate since the mid‐Pleistocene and anthropogenic intervention since the Holocene. However, no evidence of genetic erosion, mutation load, or high level of inbreeding was detected in the presumably isolated Kinmen Island population. Any future in situ conservation efforts should consider this information for the conservation management units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]