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Although ethical reforms in biological anthropology have gained ground in recent years, there is still a scarcity of ethical standards for work involving historical documented collections (HDCs) at US museums and universities. These collections of deceased individuals were created in the late 19th to mid‐20th centuries under anatomy laws that targeted socially marginalized communities and allowed for the dissection of these individuals without their consent. Due to the extensive information associated with the individuals and made available to researchers, these collections have served as foundational resources for theory and methods development in biological anthropology into the 21st century. Recognizing the need for ethical guidelines for research, teaching and training, community engagement, and curation involving HDCs, we held a workshop called "Ethical Futures for Curation, Research, and Teaching in Biological Anthropology" on November 15–17, 2021. Here we summarize the conversations and major points of consensus among the workshop participants on these topics in order to advance these ethical considerations more broadly across the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 21st century, various unexpected events such as the financial crisis and COVID‐19 have exacerbated the uncertainty of economic policies, whose influence, especially those at the firm level, on the labor share remains to be studied. This article constructs the firm‐level economic policy uncertainty (FEPU) through text analysis and empirically analyzes its impact on labor share. Empirical evidence suggests that FEPU can significantly decrease labor share, particularly among firms with financing constraints, low productivity, and high market shares. And the results hold up after a series of robustness tests. Moreover, mechanism analysis indicates that precautionary saving motives play a crucial role in driving firms' reduction in labor share rather than capital substitution motives. Finally, we further find that although FEPU harms the labor share, it significantly reduces executive payment and has no significant effect on the payment of ordinary employees, thus reducing within‐firm inequality. This study enhances our comprehension of how economic policy uncertainty at the firm level affects firm behavior and provides theoretical and practical guidance for increasing labor share and employee welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The relevance of the research topic is due to the enrichment of the musical language and methods of performing works of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as a significant update in the means of their transmission to the listener. The study aimed to reveal the tendencies of modern pianism in the context of Western (Italy) and Eastern (China) traditions, which contribute to the realisation of its uniqueness in the process of formation of high‐level professionals. This study is based on theoretical and practical methods. Theoretical methods include analysis, comparison and synthesis. Practical methods are online monitoring with systematisation and questioning. In China, the reliance on folklore is manifested in 85%, the philosophical interpretation of the content of musical works and their interpretation in 80%, the perfection of the mastery of performance technique in 95% and the synthesis of the achievements of Chinese and world performance practice in 80%. The spiritual and semantic aspect of piano performance in the framework of both countries is meaningful in 85%, the material and technical basis in 80% and ethnic self‐identification in 82%. The present findings can be used both in pedagogical and performance practices of different countries, traditions and cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a new demographic indicator, the remittances‐adjusted support ratio (RASR), which incorporates the support offered through remittances into the existing support ratio (SR). Remittances have increased rapidly in recent decades due to improved technology, and they play a crucial role in the countries that send migrants abroad. This is important as many countries are still undergoing their demographic transitions, and here remittances are particularly relevant. Our formulation of the RASR suggests an alternative in which population pressures are alleviated through migration, but where migrants send remittances and thus provide support without being present in their home countries. We show that the RASR has diverged substantially from the SR in a range of countries during the last three decades. The RASR, therefore, offers new insight into economic and demographic support and constitutes a useful tool for policymakers and researchers in the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gelisols (permafrost-affected soils in US Soil Taxonomy) are extensive in Alaska, currently occurring on ∼45% of the land area of the state. Gelisol taxonomic criteria rely on the presence of near-surface (less than 2 m deep) permafrost, but ongoing climatic and environmental change has the potential to affect the presence of near-surface permafrost across much of Alaska throughout the 21st century. In this study, we utilized scenarios of near-surface permafrost loss and active layer deepening through the 21st century under low (SRES B1, RCP 4.5), mid- (SRES A1B), and high (SRES A2, RCP 8.5) emissions scenarios, in conjunction with the statewide STATSGO soil map, to generate spatially explicit predictions of the susceptibility of Gelisols and Gelisol suborders to taxonomic change in Alaska. We find that 15%– 53% of Alaskan Gelisols are susceptible to taxonomic change by mid-century and that 41%–69% of Alaskan Gelisols are susceptible to taxonomic change by the end of the century. The extent of potential change varies between suborders and geographic regions, with Gelisols in Northern Alaska being the most resilient to taxonomic change and Western and Interior Alaskan Gelisols most susceptible to taxonomic change. The Orthel suborder is likely to be highly restricted by the late 21st century, while Histels and Tubels are more likely to be of greater extent. These results should be taken into consideration when designing initial survey and re-mapping efforts in Alaska and suggest that Alaskan Gelisol taxa should be considered threatened soil taxa due to the proportional extent of likely loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediation has become a contemporary conflict resolution mechanism in the 21st century that offers an alternative to traditional legal processes. This qualitative study explores the experiences of mediation users in three courts in the Central Region of Ghana, with a focus on procedural fairness. Grounded in the theory of procedural fairness, the study examines how Ghanaian and African conceptions of fairness influence mediation practice. The study found that the Ghanaian and African understanding of procedural fairness is rooted in specific situations—taking into account parties' demands in generating settlement agreements, allowing parties to select their mediators, involving important personalities in mediation, ensuring the fair settlement of cases, and deciding who should speak first. Participants evaluated procedural fairness within the context of confidentiality, neutrality, party empowerment, and the assurance of being heard. These evaluations align with what has been reported in Western literature. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on conflict resolution by providing insights into the significance of procedural fairness within mediation practice, with specific reference to Ghana. The findings underscore the importance of aligning mediation processes with principles of procedural fairness, offering valuable lessons for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers who seek to optimize the efficacy and fairness of mediation as a conflict resolution mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we continue to define anthropology for the 21st century, I argue that ethics—what we mean by ethics, how we invoke ethics, and how we demonstrate our ethics—should be at the center of our conversation. Through this presidential address, I offer a challenge to center an ethics of care in our work that derives not from the Common Rule or broad policies of US institutions, but rather is derived from our responsibility for the impact of our actions, whether intentional or unintentional, and is situated in the moral narratives of the communities that we serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Political interests and power structures shape state‐led crop conservation and food policy. As a crop that relates to culture and belonging, the chile crop is ideal for exploring how food security policy and crop conservation schemes integrate aspects beyond staple crops, calories and/or electoral incentives. What do these schemes mean for the food and ingredients we love? Reflecting from this perspective can be useful to grasp, re‐frame and create more effective and inclusive food policies—ones that embody and valorise flavour, identities and territories beyond statements on paper. Summary: In line with the Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) international action plan for crop genetic resources, the Mexican state inaugurated the National System of Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (SINAREFI) in 2002. In this paper, I explore SINAREFI's interest in landraces and in situ conservation through the case of chile pepper, set under the Ministry of Agriculture's interests of promoting industrial agriculture and paternalistic food security welfare programmes.Through the analyses of existing literature on food security in Mexico state programmes, archival work and interviews, this article analyses how discourses on food security shape research trajectories, some of which are inevitably constrained by current market‐based agricultural systems.By exploring the state's chile research and conservation programme, this work demonstrates the complexity of international food security discourse and its application domestically. Particularly, this analysis highlights the limitations of state crop research and conservation efforts imposed by contradictory agricultural policies. In the case of chile, its link to Mexican culture and diet uncovers an important, but often overlooked, aspect of food security: flavour.In the case of chile, a non‐staple but culturally symbolic crop, welfare programmes remained paternalistic and focused on caloric intake despite the transformation of national discourse on food security towards the integration of landraces and local cultures through the inauguration of SINAREFI. This case study reflects on the limits of current framings and strategies regarding food security and the need to direct policies towards local food sovereignty to achieve the necessary stability for food security to endure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are crucial components of the Earth's system, interacting with various processes such as the hydrological cycle, energy exchanges with the atmosphere, and global nitrogen and carbon cycles. The future trajectory of wetlands is anticipated to be influenced not only by direct human activities, but also by climate change. Here we present our assessment of climate‐driven global changes in wetlands extent, focusing on the main wetland complexes. We used an approach based on the Topographic Hydrological model (TOPMODEL) and soil liquid water content projections from 14 models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Our analysis reveals a consistent decrease in wetlands extent in the Mediterranean, Central America, and northern South America, with a substantial loss of 28% in the western Amazon Basin for the end of the 21st century (2081–2100) under the SSP370 scenario. Conversely, Central Africa exhibits an increase in wetlands extent, except in the Congo Basin. Nevertheless, most of the areas studied (80%) present uncertain results, due to conflicting projections of changes between the models. Notably, we show that there is significant uncertainty among CMIP6 models regarding liquid soil water content in high latitudes. By narrowing our focus to 10 models, which seem to better represent the thawing of permafrost, we obtain a better inter‐model agreement. We then find a modest declines in the overall global area (<5%), but an average loss of 13% beyond 50°N. Specific areas like the Hudson Bay Lowlands experiencing a 21% decrease and the Western Siberian Lowlands a 15% decrease. Plain Language Summary: Wetlands are vital ecosystems, that exchange matter and energy with other components of the Earth's system. They are expected to face changes in their functioning and extent due to both human activities and climate change. Our assessment using advanced models reveals consistent shrinking of wetlands extent in the Mediterranean, Central America, and parts of South America, with a significant loss projected in the western Amazon Basin. Conversely, Central Africa may see an increase, except in the Congo Basin. However, much of our findings carry uncertainty due to conflicting model projections, particularly regarding soil water content in high latitudes. Focusing on models better representing permafrost thawing, we find a modest global decline in wetland area, with notable decreases in specific regions like the Hudson Bay and Western Siberian Lowlands. Key Points: Projections of climate‐driven changes in wetlands extent are analyzed using the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison ProjectConsistent decrease in wetlands extent are projected over the Mediterranean, Central America, and Amazon Basin in South AmericaThere is significant uncertainty among models in high latitudes, but a subsample of models indicate a decrease in boreal wetlands extent [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although universities are often characterised as ‘elite’, institutions can attain status in multiple dimensions—reputation, research, money and selectivity. We studied 21st century public universities in the United States, using latent profile analysis to identify which universities followed each path to status. Most universities pursued none, and very few pursued all four. Membership in the four groups was stable over time, indicating limited mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the triple‐dip La Niña during 2020–2022 by comparing it with the previous (1973–1975 and 1998–2000) La Niña events. We found that the cold sea surface temperature (SST) in the eastern equatorial Pacific was moderate during the study period; however, the accompanying near‐surface easterly wind anomaly was unusually stronger during its lifecycle than during the previous two events. The maintenance of 2020–2022 La Niña appeared to be attributable to the strong zonal SST gradient. The strong zonal SST gradient resulted from the La‐Niña‐associated interannual SST anomaly, which was further enhanced by a warming trend in the western equatorial Pacific (165°E−160°W, 5°S–5°N) and the interdecadal oscillation of the Pacific‐Decadal‐Oscillation‐associated cold SST in the eastern tropical Pacific. The warming trend in the western equatorial Pacific, with a faster warming speed than global warming, also modified the La‐Niña‐associated Pacific–North American teleconnection to shifted eastward. Plain Language Summary: The La Niña during 2020–2022 was the first triple‐dip event in the 21st century. It induced several major disasters worldwide, such as the record flooding in Pakistan caused 30 million people to lose their homes and took the lives of more than 1,000 individuals. However, how this long‐duration La Niña was maintained remained unclear. The physical processes related to the 2020–2022 La Niña were investigated by comparing them with those of the previous 3‐year La Niña events (1973–1975 and 1998–2000). The major distinctive feature of the 2020–2022 La Niña was the moderate negative sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly in the eastern equatorial Pacific, which was accompanied by an unusually strong near‐surface easterly wind anomaly in the central equatorial Pacific. Our study revealed the maintenance of the triple‐dip La Niña during 2020–2022 was attributable to the strong zonal SST gradient between the western and eastern equatorial Pacific, with the western waters being dominated by a warming trend and the eastern waters being influenced by the cold phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. The warming trend in the western equatorial Pacific provided a favorable background for a triple‐dip La Niña event and also modified the La‐Niña‐associated Pacific–North American teleconnection so that it shifted eastward. Key Points: The La‐Niña‐associated cold SST was moderate during 2020–2022, but the accompanying easterly wind anomaly reached an unusual highThe strong easterly was in response to the zonal SST gradient between the warm western tropical Pacific and cold eastern tropical PacificThe western equatorial Pacific SST, with a faster warming speed than global warming, modulated the PNA teleconnection to shift eastward [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simulation study was conducted for assessing the climate change impact on wheat cultivars (HD2967 and PBW725) under RCP 4.5 and RCP 6.0 scenarios for four agroclimatic zones (AZ) of Punjab. The yield trend during 70 years (2025–95) using the CERES‐Wheat model was assessed for different sowing windows (end October to end November). The maximum/minimum temperature and rainfall, respectively, during the season varied between 25–27°C/9–12°C and 27–103 mm (AZ II), 24–27°C/8–13°C and 37–105 mm (AZ III), 24–26°C/9–12°C and 20–80 mm (AZ IV) and 23–26°C/9–12°C and 30–71 mm (AZ V). The climatic conditions largely vary across the state, because of which only AZs II, III and V were found productive for wheat crop with most of the years lying in the high yield (>5000 kg/ha) category. The sowing of HD2967 during mid to end November would be suitable adaptation strategy for wheat growers in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elementary‐school students enrolled in a trauma‐informed program participated in a prepost longitudinal study of resilience. The study assesses increases in various components of resilience, the effects of the afterschool program on resilience, and the relationship between resilience and school performance. A shortened version of a reliable resilience survey was developed from Madsen Thompson's Trauma Resilience Scale and administered at students' entry and exit from 3 yearly sessions. The high response rate provided a sample of 103 students, 37 of whom were new students with no ceiling effects. Statistical analysis demonstrated that both contextual and individual resilience increased significantly, with protective components impacting one another. Regression analyses found that the afterschool program supports significantly affected individual resilience increases, and high levels of individual resilience led to increases in school performance. The results suggest that trauma‐informed contextual supports may be useful in increasing young students' well‐being and closing gaps in academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between property and citizenship by engaging in a genealogy of one property in Portland, Oregon, "Block 16", which details how this property was first enacted and then maintained into the 21st century. The paper foregrounds how normative definitions of liberal subjectivity were applied to Indigenous peoples originally living on this land, as well as valuations of citizenship for marginalised renters and the residents of a homeless encampment "illegally" occupying this property, to justify the dispossession and displacement of the groups using this same plot of land over time. I argue that the spatial enactment and maintenance of private property is contingent upon producing political subjects demarcated as "improper", deviants from the normative or ideal liberal subject and citizen. To highlight how property shapes propriety, the paper engages in landscape analysis to reveal how the social relations producing land as property rely upon representations of impropriety and moral deficit to maintain the ownership model of private property against the historical use values of the land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Industrialization continues to increase in the 21st century, as industries start moving towards automation. Manufacturing of a component/item requires a lot of resources and energy. Usage of water in industries has increased in recent years, as it is used as both a resource and an energy generating source. Neutralization of a processed liquid is carried out by addition of solution through final control elements and most industries are utilizing pneumatic‐based control valves, which have a disadvantage in the regulation of additives. RESULTS: A motorized valve system is introduced, which is compared with the pneumatic system in terms of their performance. The proposed system is implemented with different controllers such as proportional–integral controller tuned using linear matrix inequalities, modified internal model controller, model predictive controller and nonlinear autoregressive (NAR) model, where the final control elements are tested for pH neutralization. On implementation of the proposed system the NAR model has proven to be better under the motorized control valve system for the neutralization process, with a peak value of 7.08 (pH), settling time of 75.16 s, rise time of 5.96 s, maximum overshoot of 10.1%, slew rate of 0.21 per second, integral square error of 0.95, integral absolute error of 0.48 and integral time absolute error of 1.88. CONCLUSION: Based on the results obtained it is observed that the NAR controller utilized with motorized control valve has better functionality in neutralizing a solution. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the twentieth century, in the Soninke‐speaking area of West Africa, women sang to praise migrants and mock immobile men, before such songs were abandoned at the beginning of the twenty‐first century. These songs have commonly been read as reinforcing a normative order of migration whereby migration functioned as proof of manhood. The study of an original corpus, collected by a radio station since the 1980s, makes it possible to reconsider these songs as imaginative devices allowing women to take various stances on male migration, through their performance as much as in the metadiscourse on migration conveyed by stories about these songs. Calling for a finer attention to texts in the burgeoning scholarship on migration and imagination, the study of the ‘non‐migrant song’, and of its abrupt end, inscribes the imaginative processes about migration and gender roles in a long history that pre‐dates the tightening of borders and the global circulation of images. It highlights the analytical potential of studying textual engagements with technology to enrich the understanding of imagination processes in migration contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PAIR‐UP is a new conceptual framework for developing a diverse scientific workforce for the 21st century. PAIR‐UP stand for Partnering to Advance Imaging Research for Underrepresented scientists Program. The goal of PAIR‐UP is to solve the longstanding and wicked problem of underrepresentation of Black scientists in the imaging science field. PAIR‐UP uses a multipronged approach designed to create culturally responsive environments at historically white colleges and universities (HWCUs) where Black scientists are culturally isolated. The PAIR‐UP model shows that maintaining a strong cultural identity empowers Black scientists to be more creative and productive and therefore persistent in the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peter Holmes, renowned teacher, statistical educator, and founding editor of this journal, passed away peacefully on April 2, 2024, age 86 years. Peter was one of the great UK pioneers of statistical education in the 20th and 21st centuries. He developed a reputation nationally and internationally for his teaching ability, innovative ideas for pedagogy, and resource creation for students and teachers in statistics. Many people benefitted from his skills and generosity of ideas, both in the United Kingdom and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the variations in air–sea heat fluxes and temperatures in two ocean front regions, the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA) and the Drake Passage, widely recognized as hotspot areas with significant influences on South America weather and climate. We analyse means and trends of latent and sensible heat fluxes (LHF and SHF) and their associated air–sea temperatures (SAT and SST), based on monthly ERA5 (1985–2014) and eight CMIP6 models, for historical and long‐term simulations (2015–2099). The ERA5 trend for all parameters was positive over SWA, contrasting with the negative values observed in the Drake Passage, indicating surface warming and cooling, respectively. In the SWA, the ERA5 and CMIP6 multi‐model ensemble (MME) align in SST and SAT values, with a historical trend of 0.1°C·decade−1 and a significantly increasing trend in warming estimated by 0.4°C·decade−1 up to 2099. The ERA5 LHF and SHF trends were 4 and 0.6 W·m−2·decade−1, respectively. The MME shows historical (SSP5‐8.5) trends of 0.2 (1.3) W·m−2·decade−1 for LHF and −0.2 (−0.1) W·m−2·decade−1 for SHF. In the Drake Passage, the models accurately reproduced the air–sea mean temperatures; however, they failed to simulate negative trends observed in SAT and SST. Under the high emissions scenario, all CMIP6 models predict an increasing warming trends of 0.1–0.4°C·decade−1 and ocean heat gain of −0.2 to −1.2 (−1 to −2) W·m−2·decade−1 for LHF (SHF). For both regions, spatial analyses of SST and SAT highlight the coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere, alongside changes in air–sea heat fluxes. Our findings reveal inhomogeneous patterns of SST warming trends by the end of the 21st century, which are approximately 2–4 times greater than historical trends. The results suggest the persistence and enhancement of these regions as hotspots with significant potential to influence oceanic and atmospheric dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the interdecadal change in the interannual relationship between winter sea surface temperature (SST) in the tropical central‐eastern Pacific and the subsequent summer Arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) and its possible mechanism using 1979–2023 monthly SST and SIC data from Hadley Center and atmospheric reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR. It is found that the relationship between the winter tropical Pacific SST and the subsequent summer SIC of Beaufort Sea experienced an obvious interdecadal change from a significant negative correlation to a weak and insignificant correlation before and after the early 2000s, respectively. Before the early 2000s, when winter SST warming (cooling) anomalies occurred in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, it could sustain into summer and enhance a Rossby wave propagating from Tropic to high latitude, forming negative (positive) pressure anomalies in the North Pacific. Influenced by such anomalies, it is conducive to maintaining negative (positive) SST anomalies in the North Pacific from winter to subsequent summer. The summer SST cooling (warming) in the North Pacific could form a favourable atmospheric circulation anomaly for less (more) SIC. In contrast, after the early 21st century, the strong SST anomalies in winter over the eastern tropical Pacific would weaken with time and subsequently diminish in spring, leading to the SST anomalies in the North Pacific persist to spring, which can hardly affect summer SIC anomaly in the Beaufort Sea. Therefore, the relationship collapses after the the early 2000s due to the weakened persistence of the eastern tropical Pacific SST anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate simulation and reliable projection of temperature and precipitation over China under climate change is important for proposing adaptation measures for future natural ecosystems. This study proposes a novel method to construct an optimal reliability ensemble averaging (REA) subset from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) based on their historical performance in simulating temperature and precipitation across different subregions. The optimal REA ensemble outperforms the multi‐model ensemble mean (MMEM) and single optimal model in reproducing the spatial patterns of historical annual mean temperature and precipitation over China from 1985 to 2014. Under the examined Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios (SSP1‐2.6, SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5), the REA projects persistent warming and increased precipitation towards the end of the 21st century, intensifying under higher emissions. Nationwide mean temperature rises of 1.39, 2.69 and 5.05°C, and precipitation increases of 9%, 10% and 20% are projected in the long‐term (2081–2100) relative to 1995–2014 under SSP1‐2.6, SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5 scenarios, respectively. Northwestern China and the Tibetan Plateau are expected to experience amplified warming and precipitation increases, respectively. Compared to the MMEM, the REA generally indicates reduced warming but larger precipitation increases, especially over the Tibetan Plateau under higher‐emissions scenarios. The REA exhibits lower projection uncertainty than the MMEM for both temperature and precipitation, primarily attributed to reduced internal variability. The novel optimal framework for REA shows the potential for extracting robust regional climate information applicable to different subregions of China. This study may contribute to new comprehension of future climate change over China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hegemonic understanding of the green transition will require a massive surge in mineral extraction. We contend that this entails wider, radical shifts in 21st century financialised capitalism. While there has been increasing critical interest in the role of finance capital in development, the links between finance, extraction, and the green transition have been largely overlooked. We fill this gap by arguing that the green transition, understood as a transformation of global capitalism, is marked by new rounds of appropriation, exploitation, and extraction, (re)producing dependencies for resource‐rich Global South countries. These emergent geographies of the green transition are best evaluated through what we call the "finance‐extraction‐transitions nexus". The nexus highlights the interplay between finance capital, mineral extraction, and the material, socio‐economic, and environmental implications of the green transition. This provides new ways to theoretically, conceptually, and methodologically engage with resource extraction and the green transition in the age of financialised capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edaphic and vegetation conditions can render climatically suitable sites inadequate for a species to persist, constraining the amount of suitable habitat and the possibilities of tracking preferred climatic conditions as they shift in response to climate change. We combined climatic and remotely sensed data to model current and future distributions of nine extant taxa of ateline primates across the Amazon basin. We used the models to identify and quantify potential range changes and refugia of suitable habitat from the present to the latter half of the 21st century. We applied an ensemble forecasting approach for species distribution models using 596 spatially rarefied occurrences. We parameterised these models combining reflectance data from a basin‐wide Landsat TM/ETM+ image composite, and three sets of bioclimatic layers containing data for the current time period, and two different (moderate and worst‐case) climate change scenarios for 2041–2070. Eight out of nine taxa are likely to experience pronounced range losses, with seven of them predicted to lose over 50% of their currently suitable habitats irrespective of climate change scenarios. Modelled ateline richness exhibited a broad decrease in high‐richness areas, and a possible redistribution along the northernmost parts of western Amazonia. Refugia from 21st century climate change for the whole complex were mostly concentrated in western Amazonia, especially in its southern part. We identified hotspots of vulnerability to climate change and 21st century refugia for all Amazonian atelines while accounting for habitat characteristics that are important to guarantee the continued existence of suitable habitats for these strictly arboreal taxa. Increasing the understanding of climate change impacts on Amazonia's largest primates can help to inform spatial conservation planning decisions and management to sustain forest‐dwelling biodiversity over large areas such as Amazonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a major military incursion on Ukrainian territory, thereby initiating one of the biggest international conflicts of the twenty‐first century. Not only has this conflict claimed the lives of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians, but it has also resulted in mass migration. Against this backdrop, this paper sets out to answer the following question: what are the main legal aspects of the migration policy adopted by the Brazilian state in response to the Ukrainian diaspora? The findings of this research indicate that the Brazilian Federal Government has passed ordinances that can protect the human rights of these people on a temporary basis. Although these ordinances have a precarious nature, their beneficiaries will be able to apply for refugee status when their provisions cease to produce legal effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rewilding presents a unique opportunity to better understand the processes influencing ecological communities and how they function. Although empirical evidence on the effects of rewilding is growing rapidly, knowledge gain is unbalanced, particularly for invertebrates, despite this group representing a large proportion of biodiversity and being fundamental to key ecosystem processes. Here, we advocate for more targeted systematic monitoring and experimental research, providing a site‐based framework for practitioners to evaluate project effects on invertebrate biodiversity. This framework utilizes taxonomic indicators of change, representative of processes important to ecosystem functioning. Implementation of this framework and the associated opportunities and challenges for practitioners are discussed. Adopting this framework would broaden the taxonomic groups and ecosystem processes evaluated by rewilding projects, transform the sector from opinion‐based to evidence‐based, and help address some of the most pressing ecological and conservation questions of the twenty‐first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues for more research on neighborhoods. Concern about neighborhood change, especially gentrification, has mounted in cities throughout the world. Not‐in‐My‐Backyard versus Yes‐in‐My‐Backyard (YIMBY) battles over local housing proposals have intensified. Meanwhile, people around the world are spending more time in their neighborhoods than they did previously, due to greater flexibility to work from home. But despite the increased public focus on neighborhoods, I argue that real estate economists are not paying enough attention. Although many have produced excellent, even pathbreaking, work on the trajectories of neighborhoods and their importance in shaping life outcomes, many real estate scholars focus on cities or metros as the unit of analysis, ignoring within‐city variation, and those who look within cities often treat neighborhoods as fixed effects to absorb unobserved variation, without giving much thought to what it is that is happening inside that black box of neighborhoods. I argue that neighborhoods are more interesting and puzzling than ever, they are more significant to our lives, and new data enhance our ability to analyze them. Specifically, I lay out seven key reasons to study neighborhoods and to study them now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of extreme precipitation significantly affects flow‐producing processes and flooding. Previous studies on heavy rainfall have mainly emphasized the temporal distribution characteristics, with little emphasis on rainfall spatial patterns. We objectively classified 3‐h scale extreme precipitation spatial patterns (EPSPs) in Guangdong Province, China. We calculated the importance of the influencing factors on EPSPs, analysed weather backgrounds corresponding to various EPSPs, and explained the causes of extreme precipitation. We found that the incidence of most EPSPs increased significantly over this 40‐year period, and this increase has been particularly pronounced since the beginning of the 21st century. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) was found to be the main factor influencing the extreme precipitation events (EPEs) in western Guangdong, and the weakening of the PDO contributed to the occurrence of EPEs in these areas. Urbanization was the main factor contributing to the increase in EPEs in the southern and coastal areas of Guangdong. The EPSPs in central Guangdong were caused by a southwest jet stream and topographic uplift. Extreme precipitation in southern and coastal Guangdong was mainly triggered by the convergent shear of southwesterly winds. The EPSPs over western Guangdong were caused by the low vortex in western Guangdong and the influx of large amounts of water vapour from the southern ocean. This study has provided new ideas for the study of the formation process and mechanism of localized heavy precipitation as well as an important reference for the simulation of runoff in coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points: If we can't stand the heat, let's stop climate change — Richard WenningScience in agriculture is helping achieve global sustainability in the 21st century — Fridom Nikolas Lalus, Alberto Loin, Antonius Umbu Ana Rato, and Hardianto HitimalaDecisions, values, and balance: There's no green free lunch — Glenn SuterHumans set fires, control fires, and change ecosystems — Glenn SuterWater and the plight of Sin City in the desert — Glenn SuterAnimals are people, too — Richard Wenning [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mississippi River is a vital economic corridor used for generating hydroelectric power, transporting agricultural products, and municipal and industrial water use. Communities, industries, and infrastructure along the Mississippi River face an uncertain future as it grows more susceptible to climate extremes. A key challenge is determining whether Mississippi river discharge will increase or decrease during the 21st century. Because the 20th century record is limited in time, paleoclimate data and model simulations provide enhanced understanding of the basin's hydroclimate response to external forcing. Here, we investigate how anthropogenic forcing in the 20th century shifts the statistics of river discharge compared to a Last Millennium (LM) baseline using simulations from the Community Earth System Model Last Millennium Ensemble. We present evidence that the 20th century exhibits wetter conditions (i.e., increased river discharge) over the basin compared to the pre‐industrial, and that land use/land cover changes have a significant control on the hydroclimatic response. Conversely, while precipitation is projected to increase in the 21st century, the basin is generally drier (i.e., decreased river discharge) compared to the 20th century. Overall, we find that changes in greenhouse gases contribute to a lower risk of extreme discharge and flooding in the basin during the 20th century, while land use changes contribute to increased risk of flooding. The additional climate information afforded by the LM simulations offers an improved understanding of what drove extreme flooding events in the past, which can help inform the development of future regional flood mitigation strategies. Key Points: We evaluate past and future hydroclimate patterns in the Mississippi River Basin from 850 to 2100 CE in the Community Earth System Model Last Millennium EnsembleThe basin is wetter during the 20th century compared to the pre‐industrial period, but shifts toward drier conditions in the 21st centurySingle‐forcing experiments reveal a dominant role of land use/land cover changes in modulating basin hydroclimate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special topic forum (STF) on Transformative Supply Chain Research introduces a new direction in logistics and supply chain research to guide scholars in addressing the wicked problems facing 21st century society. Supply chain professionals are increasingly addressing corporate social responsibility, changing expectations from customers, resource scarcity, a changing climate, civic and political unrest, to name but a few issues of our times. But scholars have only begun to address these issues from a transformative lens, in which we consider the role of logistics and supply chain management in creating well‐being outcomes for the benefit of society. This editorial presents a 5‐pronged research agenda to guide researchers, while highlighting the three articles in this STF that serve as exemplars of transformative supply chain research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the global power structure entered a period of geopolitical transition. An evolved vision in the twenty‐first century shows the arrival of the geopolinomic order based on the combination of economic, political and territorial codes. Geopolinomic codes, in synergy with the global political economy, regulate the territorial and infrastructural arrangement of the world order in periods of geopolitical transition between hegemonic and emerging powers. Spatialization of power politics requires going through a set of geopolitical representations and this adds a thin discursive layer to the territorial hegemonic order. I argue that the development of geopolinomic codes allows for a more significant infusion of political economy through the centrality of territorial communication networks. A country with more manoeuvring power in adjusting geopolinomic codes and its triple levels can change the balance of global power structures in its favour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century in Latin America began with a widespread shift to the left politically, a phenomenon called the 'pink tide'. Following a period of right‐wing re‐ascendancy, left wing governments are again gaining traction across the continent. This article analyses the end of the last pink tide via a dialogue between the post‐extractivism and degrowth literature by examining Bolivia, Ecuador, and Brazil. This is done through a look at the impacts of both economic growth as a normative policy aim and extractivism as the engine to produce this growth on political developments in these countries. In the tradition of Gramsci this is interpreted as a hegemonic force, recast here as growth‐through‐extraction, that serves to perpetuate the interests of wealthy classes despite political changes. This article concludes with a brief analysis of how academic debates and political processes have moved on since Escobar 2015 and what this might mean for the new left‐wing governments of Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly three decades ago, Gramling and Freudenburg (1996) urged that greater attention be given to middle‐range efforts in environmental sociology. In this article, I will argue that since Gramling and Freudenburg offered their advice, there has been a critical mass of work in environmental sociology undertaken from the perspective of middle‐range theory, but this has been undervalued in our never‐ending odyssey in search for grand theory. To illustrate this, I review sociological enquiry into risk and risk communication. To make a case of my own for a middle‐range sociology appropriate to the second quartile of the 21st century, I advocate the development of a "sociology of environmental morality" (see Farrell, 2015; Hannigan forthcoming, 2024; Stock, 2020) to be pursued via a middle‐range perspective. I conclude by outlining two strategies for pursuing a middle‐range sociology of environmental morality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the future of language learning in a technology-driven world. It emphasizes the importance of human teachers in guiding learners' understanding of technology and highlights the challenges and opportunities of online language teaching. The article argues against the complete replacement of face-to-face teaching with digital resources and suggests task-based language teaching as an effective methodology. It also emphasizes the importance of fostering a sense of community in online language courses. The article promotes the integration of technology and second language pragmatics in language learning to enhance linguistic proficiency, cultural understanding, and empathy. It also highlights the value of virtual exchanges in promoting cross-cultural practice and breaking down stereotypes. Overall, technology has the potential to revolutionize language learning and prepare students for success in a globalized world. [Extracted from the article]

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a shift to remote instruction in educational institutions worldwide, relying heavily on technology like Zoom. While these platforms allowed for interaction and integration of web content, they weakened students' sense of belonging. As schools return to face-to-face instruction, questions arise about effectively incorporating technology. There is a perception that digital tutorials and AI programs have made personal language instruction obsolete, leading to a decline in language enrollments. Language educators must articulate the value of language study, understand technology's limitations, and guide critical engagement with it. The text discusses the use of online translation tools and generative AI systems in language learning, highlighting their limitations and potential harm. It explores theoretical frameworks for second language acquisition and emphasizes the importance of understanding how technology mediates language use and learning. The text also discusses the role of human teachers in the digital age, incorporating technology into teaching practice while considering learning goals and available resources. It concludes by emphasizing the significance of human teachers in guiding students' language development and engaging them in language research. [Extracted from the article]

Since the 21st century, transparent flexible sensors (TFSs) have been widely employed in abundant fields, such as smart glasses, intelligent watches, robots, electronic skin, especially biomedicine. Presently, various materials have been developed, such as metal‐based, carbon‐based, conductive polymer‐based, and ionic liquid‐based (IL‐based) materials. Compared with the first three materials, IL, as a novel material, with the tendency of green chemistry development, has a high application prospect in TFSs. Based on this, this paper mainly discusses recent advances in TFSs based on ILs, with special emphasis on the role of ILs and the factors influencing transparency as well as electricity. The current challenges and opportunities for each type of sensors based on IL are also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty first century faces unprecedented challenges for the management of global waterways. The Himalayan waterways in Asia are exposed to unpredictable climatic warming together with anthropogenic perturbations caused by population growth, land use change and socio‐economic development. Given the increased public concerns on the Himalayan Mountain development programmes including the hydropower and tourism, there has been a growing need of the use of interdisciplinary scientific approaches to address water resources challenges that the Himalayan region has faced during the 21st century. Ecohydrology is an emerging scientific tool that explores key hydrological processes regulating structure and function of ecosystems, as well as assessing the impact of biological processes on water cycle variables under rapidly changing environment. The International Geosphere‐Biosphere Programme and the International Hydrological Programme hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization have adopted ecohydrology as a sustainable development tool by linking water resources and poverty eradication and ecosystem restoration, irrigation, energy and sanitation. However, ecohydrology tool needs to be reconfigured for sustainable development of rapidly changing Himalayan waterways. Here we propose the advancement of ecohydrology by developing various integrated frameworks of ecology, hydrology, hydraulics and sociology for resilient waterways in the Asian Himalayas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three characteristics of developed twenty‐first century countries are high levels of state capacity, democracy, and economic freedom. This article compares countries that lack one of the characteristics with countries that have more even levels of institutional development. Countries which lack democracy use other means to secure political legitimacy, and those without strong states are geographically concentrated in Latin America and eastern Europe. Those without liberalised economic institutions are an idiosyncratic group that have unconventional historical paths. These findings speak to the prospects for development outside the liberal democratic path, the nature of development in the absence of a state, and unexplored determinants of economic freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have suggested that global ocean circulation would be significantly changed under global warming, while the change of North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) and its mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we investigate the location and intensity changes of NECC under global warming based on CESM1 high‐resolution long‐term simulations from the perspective of the Inter‐Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), considering the close connection between NECC and ITCZ and well‐established changes of ITCZ. It is found that the annual‐mean NECC shifts equatorward of 0.39° and weakens by 21.71% in the RCP8.5 scenario at the end of 21st century. The NECC change is seasonally dependent, with maximum shift and weakening during spring, consistent with the changes of ITCZ. Both the location and intensity changes of ITCZ are important in the NECC changes, especially for spring. The weakening and equatorward shift of ITCZ contributes almost equally to the strongest decrease of spring NECC (47.63%). Plain Language Summary: Global ocean circulation is suggested to exhibit significant changes under global warming, but whether and why the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) would change is still unclear. It is well known that the NECC and Inter‐Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) are closely coupled through air‐sea interaction. Under global warming, previous studies found that the ITCZ would move closer to the equator with maximum shift in spring and the annual‐mean NECC would be weakened in response to the enhanced equatorial warming. Hence, it is important to investigate whether the NECC would change following the ITCZ change. Here, based on long‐term simulations from a high‐resolution climate model, it is found that the NECC will indeed move closer to the equator under global warming following the equatorward shift of ITCZ. The NECC also gets weakened under global warming following the weakened ITCZ convergence, although the ITCZ precipitation gets stronger due to more moisture under warming. In spring, the largest equatorward shift of ITCZ has a comparable contribution to the largest decrease of NECC. Key Points: The North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) would be southward shift and weakened under global warmingThe future changes of NECC are seasonally dependent, with maximum southward shift and weakening in springThe NECC changes are closely related to the location and intensity changes of Inter‐Tropical Convergence Zone, especially in spring [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐resolution models have brought about capabilities in forecasting that could barely have been envisaged decades ago. The same advances in computer power and atmospheric science that enabled successful high‐resolution modelling have also led to useful forecasts further into the medium range and beyond. However, there remain problems forecasting at very short range, in particular concerning convection, for which new products and techniques are being trialled at the Met Office. We examine how these latest developments present the forecaster not only with exciting opportunities, but also fresh challenges, in particular, interpreting the plethora of output now available, whilst adhering to tight operational deadlines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Striae distensae are a permanent skin defect that can affect 50%–90% of the population. The appearance of the changes resembles spindle‐shaped skin bands. The skin in this area is wrinkled, thin and looks like a scar. Most often, the changes are found on the skin of the abdomen, buttocks, breasts, thighs, and back. The appearance of striae means that the skin in this area has no hair follicles, sebaceous, and sweat glands. This skin is flabby, not very elastic and, what is very characteristic, the pigmentation of the skin affected by striae is much lower than in healthy skin. Cosmetology in the 21st century is developing very dynamically, new technologies are being developed, new cosmetological devices are being created and combined with treatments that have been known for a long time. Today's science offers hope for people who have struggled with reducing striae for many years and nowadays, nothing is impossible. Aims: The objective of this article is to provide information about cosmetological treatment used to reduce striae. Methods: In this article, we reviewed the published literature, article published in peer‐reviewed journals. Results: Today's cosmetology offers a wide range of numerous treatments, but the best results are achieved through a synergy of two or more treatments. But we should not forget that we should respond to each customer individually. Conclusion: The striae are not a problem that should be ignored. The beauty therapist is able to reduce them and help the client to improve the appearance of their skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Information on lentigo maligna (LM) and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) in the 21st century is scarce. We aimed to elucidate the incidence of LM and LMM using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 17 Registries. Methods: The data of patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2019 were extracted from the SEER database. The percentage of LM/LMM cases among all melanoma patients, age‐standardized incidence rates, estimated annual percentage changes, and the cumulative incidence of LMM after LM were calculated. Results: The SEER data yielded 95,175 patients with LM/LMM between 2000 and 2019. Cases of LM/LMM accounted for 15.7% of all melanomas. The age‐standardized incidence per 100,000 person‐years for LM increased from 4.16 to 5.61 and for LMM from 1.33 to 2.35 between 2000 and 2019. The annual increase in incidence of LM was 2.42%, and that of LMM was 3.32%. The cumulative incidence of LMM after a primary LM after 10‐year follow‐up was 0.94%. Conclusions: This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the epidemiological status of LM/LMM in the United States in the 21st century using the population‐based SEER data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the recent prominence of intelligence in post‐Ukraine global policy, it is a Cinderella in international relations studies. Using English School (ES) theorisation, we locate intelligence within the constellation of primary and secondary institutions in international society. Through looking at the Five Eyes, we explore where intelligence sits within widespread claims of a crisis of the post‐1945 liberal international order (LIO) and what role intelligence plays in diplomacy, war and great power management in the context of shifting global power dynamics. Following major twenty‐first century Western intelligence controversies, we argue against raison d'état approaches and for raison de système thinking. In the face of claims of a new Cold War between Russia, China and the West, we see an urgency for policymakers in open societies to re‐think intelligence from an international society perspective that is realistic and normative, and that pays attention to Global South dynamics. Insulating intelligence from politicisation is more important than ever but does not mean that intelligence is a value‐neutral government function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in toxicity testing and the development of new approach methodologies (NAMs) for hazard assessment, the ecological risk assessment (ERA) framework for terrestrial wildlife (i.e., air‐breathing amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) has remained unchanged for decades. While survival, growth, and reproductive endpoints derived from whole‐animal toxicity tests are central to hazard assessment, nonstandard measures of biological effects at multiple levels of biological organization (e.g., molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, organism, population, community, ecosystem) have the potential to enhance the relevance of prospective and retrospective wildlife ERAs. Other factors (e.g., indirect effects of contaminants on food supplies and infectious disease processes) are influenced by toxicants at individual, population, and community levels, and need to be factored into chemically based risk assessments to enhance the "eco" component of ERAs. Regulatory and logistical challenges often relegate such nonstandard endpoints and indirect effects to postregistration evaluations of pesticides and industrial chemicals and contaminated site evaluations. While NAMs are being developed, to date, their applications in ERAs focused on wildlife have been limited. No single magic tool or model will address all uncertainties in hazard assessment. Modernizing wildlife ERAs will likely entail combinations of laboratory‐ and field‐derived data at multiple levels of biological organization, knowledge collection solutions (e.g., systematic review, adverse outcome pathway frameworks), and inferential methods that facilitate integrations and risk estimations focused on species, populations, interspecific extrapolations, and ecosystem services modeling, with less dependence on whole‐animal data and simple hazard ratios. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:725–748. © 2023 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA. Key Points: Characterizations of adverse effects in ecological risk assessments focused on wildlife have generally relied on toxicity data for survival, growth, and reproduction for new chemicals and pesticides.While exposure–response relationships for survival and reproduction will likely remain central to wildlife risk assessment in the near term, other endpoints at many levels of the biological organization have the potential to improve efficiency, reliability, and realism for the longer term.The value of new approach methodologies to ecotoxicological hazard assessment has been acknowledged for some time, but their development seems to have targeted aquatic species and phylogenetically lower forms, and applications for terrestrial wildlife are less apparent.We recommend increased attention to linkages of nonstandard molecular‐ to organism‐level endpoints to effects on wildlife at the population level, as well as to interactions at the community and ecosystem levels with a goal of preventing harmful effects of contaminants on wildlife populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model species (e.g., granivorous gamebirds, waterfowl, passerines, domesticated rodents) have been used for decades in guideline laboratory tests to generate survival, growth, and reproductive data for prospective ecological risk assessments (ERAs) for birds and mammals, while officially adopted risk assessment schemes for amphibians and reptiles do not exist. There are recognized shortcomings of current in vivo methods as well as uncertainty around the extent to which species with different life histories (e.g., terrestrial amphibians, reptiles, bats) than these commonly used models are protected by existing ERA frameworks. Approaches other than validating additional animal models for testing are being developed, but the incorporation of such new approach methodologies (NAMs) into risk assessment frameworks will require robust validations against in vivo responses. This takes time, and the ability to extrapolate findings from nonanimal studies to organism‐ and population‐level effects in terrestrial wildlife remains weak. Failure to adequately anticipate and predict hazards could have economic and potentially even legal consequences for regulators and product registrants. In order to be able to use fewer animals or replace them altogether in the long term, vertebrate use and whole organism data will be needed to provide data for NAM validation in the short term. Therefore, it is worth investing resources for potential updates to existing standard test guidelines used in the laboratory as well as addressing the need for clear guidance on the conduct of field studies. Herein, we review the potential for improving standard in vivo test methods and for advancing the use of field studies in wildlife risk assessment, as these tools will be needed in the foreseeable future. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:699–724. © 2023 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA. Key Points: Improving current approaches for laboratory animal and field effects assessment methods and simultaneously evaluating how to efficiently reduce the numbers of test subjects for the long term are worthy investments of resources.As in vivo animal testing will be required in some form in the near future, it is worth revisiting updates to standard test guidelines to address shortcomings.Clear regulatory guidance is required for field study design and conduct.It is important to fill critical knowledge gaps on the sensitivity of terrestrial amphibians, reptiles, and bats to environmental contaminants compared to current animal models and if necessary validate alternative methods for toxicological effects assesment pertaining to these taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought has a paramount impact on global agriculture and food security. However, the study on future cropland areas that can incur drought is inadequate. This paper uses input parameters from 7 CMIP6 models for 7 future scenarios (SSP1‐1.9, SSP1‐2.6, SSP4‐3.4, SSP2‐4.5, SSP4‐6.0, SSP3‐7.0, and SSP5‐8.5) to measure South Asian cropland exposure to drought and its underlying factors. Some defined epochs such as 2021–2040 (near‐term), 2041–2060 (mid‐term), 2081–2100 (long‐term), and 1995–2014 (reference period) are designed to explore diverse outlooks of the change. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index and the Run theory methods are applied to detect drought. Results indicate an intensified cropland (under SSP4‐3.4, SSP3‐7.0, and SSP5‐8.5) in the Indo‐Gangetic Plain region of South Asia, where mostly the variation occurs among scenarios and periods. Notably, the future cropland exposed to drought will increase in the 2021–2040, and 2041–2060 periods, but it intends to decline during the 2081–2100. Relatively, the exposed cropland will upturn highest by 49.2% (SSP3‐7.0) in the mid‐term period and decrease by −8.2% (SSP5‐8.5) in the end future. Spatially, distributed cropland in the central, south‐west, and portion of the northeast of South Asia are subjective to be exposed largely, but it can drop greatly across the eastern part by the end future. Importantly, the climate change effect plays a grounding role in future exposure change over the region during the near to mid‐term periods, while the cropland change effect is predominant in the long‐term perspectives. However, these findings signify the urgency of policymaking focusing on drought mitigation to ensure food security. Plain Language Summary: Estimating drought‐induced cropland exposure is the pivotal aspect of agricultural risk assessment for drought impacts. The purposes of this study are to explore (a) how much of the cropland area would be exposed to drought under SSP scenarios; and (b) the degree to which climate change and cropland change effects contribute to changes in exposure. In this regard, we conducted a multi‐model and multi‐scenario‐based analysis to reveal variations in the cropland area exposed to drought in South Asia. Among the seven scenario combinations, the highest percentage of cropland exposed to drought was found at 49.2% (SSP3‐7.0) in the mid‐term epoch (2041–2060). The climate change effect seems to be the key contributor in the near‐term to mid‐term period, whereas it is the cropland change effect long‐term. To reduce drought risk, we recommend focusing on strong climate change mitigation policy development in the near‐ and mid‐term periods at a global scale and strict land‐use management policy interventions in the long‐term period at the regional level. Key Points: Larger cropland area will experience drought in the 2040–2060 period, while it will decline by the end of 21st centuryThe exposed cropland will increase by 49.2% under SSP3‐7.0 than that of historical timeThe climate change effect is the pivotal contributor in exposure changes over South Asia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twenty‐first century has been one of democratic backsliding. This has stimulated wide‐ranging scholarship on the causes of democratic erosion. Yet an overarching framework that identifies actors, behaviors, and decision processes has not been developed. I offer such a structure that includes elites (e.g., elected officials, the judiciary), societal actors (e.g., social movements, interest groups, media), and citizens. I discuss erosive threats stemming from each actor and the concomitant role of psychological mechanisms. The framework highlights the challenge of arriving at a holistic explanation of erosion within a given country during a finite period. It also accentuates why scholars should regularly consider the implications of their specific findings for democratic stability. I conclude by discussing various lessons and suggestions for how to study democratic backsliding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of extreme precipitation events has attracted wide attention throughout the world. However, the analysis of precipitation extremes is not sufficient in the short period of instrumental observation and it is complicated by their non‐stationary behaviours. As a period dominated by natural forcing, the last millennium is helpful for understanding long‐term changes in precipitation extremes. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) investigate changes in daily and subdaily precipitation extremes in China from the last millennium to the end of the twenty‐first century, (2) detect the non‐stationarity of precipitation extremes and (3) compare design storms by using stationary and non‐stationary distributions. The annual maximum 1‐day precipitation (RX1day) and annual maximum 3‐hour precipitation (RX3hour) are used to quantify variations of precipitation extremes. The results show that the trend of RX1day was insignificant for the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, 950–1250) and the Little Ice Age (LIA, 1500–1800). For the historical period (1850–2014), the trend of RX1day and RX3hour was insignificant in most subregions. In addition, the differences for RX1day between the historical period and the MCA/LIA were mostly in the range of −5% to 5%. For the future period (2015–2100), RX1day and RX3hour are projected to increase in almost all land grids compared with the historical period, and they show greater increases in western China than eastern China. The non‐stationarity of RX1day and RX3hour is mainly found under the high‐emission scenario. Moreover, stationary generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution underestimates 50‐year return levels for RX1day and RX3hour in most areas compared with non‐stationary GEV distribution under the high‐emission scenario. Overall, this study suggests that daily and subdaily extreme precipitation will intensify over China in the future. For design storms, non‐stationary methods need to be used for risk management and engineering design under the high‐emission scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, there has been a resurgence of public participation in participatory settings. Such participatory processes are often long and arduous, and sometimes involve seemingly endless meetings of deliberation between various stakeholders and citizens before a policy decision or plan of action is made. While there is much known about the social forces that constrain how people deliberate in meetings, there is more to know about the discursive frames that actors use to deliberate and legitimize in these settings. To explore this, I draw on an analysis of a debate in a small coastal town surrounding a dam removal across two municipally sponsored spheres: listening sessions and select board meetings. I found that people debated the same issue differently across different contexts using different discursive frames, and the frames developed in the listening sessions were not transferable to select board meetings, the site where a policy decision was imminent. To explain this, I analyze how a meeting's empowerment in a given participatory process influences which styles of discursive frames actors use and are valued during deliberation. Understanding this provides a piece to the larger puzzle of what constrains and enables deliberative discourse in the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Met Office guidance forecasters continue to add value to NWP products, but in ways that could scarcely have been imagined half a century ago. We focus on how technological advances including 'Field Modification' have facilitated the creation of forecast products and new forms of graphical guidance to assist in the communication of the preferred weather story. We also describe a new impact‐based severe weather warnings service. This involves the interpretation of forecast outputs, including ensembles, and collaboration with other agencies to assess risks and impacts, thus enabling appropriate mitigating action to be taken in support of local and national resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]