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Precipitation plays a critical role in the hydrological cycle and significantly influences the biodiversity of the Earth's ecosystems. It also regulates socioeconomic systems by impacting agricultural production and water resources. Analyzing climate-driven changes in precipitation patterns is essential for understanding the hydrological cycle's response to global warming. This study analyzed the projections of five general circulation models (GCMs) from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) to evaluate variations in the seasonal and annual patterns of future precipitation over the northern highlands of Pakistan (NHP). The analysis focused on precipitation variations projected for the near future (2021–2050), in comparison to the historical climate (1985–2014), utilizing two combined scenarios from the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways and the Representative Concentration Pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). This study employed the multi-model ensemble (MME) approach, which demonstrated notable seasonal and annual variations in precipitation across the NHP. The average annual precipitation is expected to decrease in both scenarios, with SSP2-4.5 expecting a reduction of −21.42% and SSP5-8.5 expecting a decrease of −22.43%, compared to the historical average precipitation. In both scenarios, the seasonal precipitation patterns are similar. However, the changes are more noticeable in the spring and summer. Both SSPs predict a 15% decrease in summer precipitation, while SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 predict a 5% and 4% decrease in spring precipitation, respectively. These changes can result in more frequent and intense periods of drought, which might adversely impact agriculture, human health, the environment, hydropower generation, and the surrounding ecosystem. This study provides important insights into projected seasonal and annual precipitation changes over the NHP, which is particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change. Thus, it is crucial to understand these predicted changes in precipitation in order to develop strategies for adapting to the climate, assuring water security, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na0.44MnO2 with tunnel structure is considered a promising low‐cost cathode material for sodium‐ion batteries. However, the sluggish Na+ transport kinetics and low initial Coulombic efficiency restrict its practical applications in rechargeable sodium‐ion batteries. Herein, a manganese‐based tunnel‐structured cathode with high rate capability and high initial Coulombic efficiency is prepared by niobium doping and sodium compensation. Via materials characterizations and theoretical calculations, it is demonstrated that a proper amount of niobium doping in tunnel structure can effectively improve its structural stability and charge transport kinetics, resulting in outstanding rate capability (76.6% capacity retained from 0.5 to 30 C) and superior cycling performance (82.3% capacity retention after 800 cycles at 5 C) for the optimized Nb‐doped Na0.44MnO2 cathode (Na0.44Mn0.98Nb0.02O2). Furthermore, NaCrO2 is added into the Na0.44Mn0.98Nb0.02O2 cathode as a self‐sacrificing sodium compensation additive, and a high initial Coulombic efficiency close to 100% is achieved for the composite cathode. This work establishes a facile strategy to design advanced manganese‐based cathode materials for large‐scale energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Polyester-based advanced thin films have versatile industrial applications, especially in the fields of textiles, packaging, and electronics. Recent advances in polymer science and engineering have resulted in the development of advanced amorphous and semi-crystalline polyesters with exceptional performance compared to those of conventional polymeric films. Among these, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) and cyclic-monomer-based polyesters have gained considerable attention for their exceptional characteristics and potential applications in smart films. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of CHDM and cyclic-monomer-based advanced polymers for smart film applications. It discusses the structure–property relationships of these innovative polyesters and highlights their unique characteristics, including thermal, mechanical, and barrier characteristics. Furthermore, this article also emphasizes the solution, melt, and solid-state polymerizations of the polymers. Special emphasis is placed on the influence of the addition of a second diol or second diacid on the performance characteristics of synthesized polyesters/copolyesters to explore their versatile industrial applications. Additionally, the impact of the stereochemistry of the monomers is explored to optimize the characterization of polyesters suitable for industrial applications. Furthermore, this article explores the potential of these advanced polyesters to be considered as materials for smart film applications, especially in the field of flexible electronics. Finally, this article examines the challenges and future recommendations for the development of CHDM and cyclic-monomer-based polyesters for smart film applications. It discusses potential avenues for further research, including in-depth studies for the synthesis and characterization of polyesters, the development of sustainable and biodegradable alternatives to cyclic monomers, alternative green approaches for the synthesis of polymers, etc. This review article provides valuable insight for researchers in academia and industry who are working in the fields of polymer science and materials engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offers a comprehensive overview of the literature on policy advisory systems (PAS), motivated by its significance, growing interest in the field among policy scholars, and the substantial body of recent research published recently. The study conducted a quantitative bibliometric analysis of 62 articles on PAS published between 1993 and 2022, using data extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The analysis included performance analysis, collaboration analysis, and science mapping (co‐citation and co‐word analysis). The dataset comprises articles published in 29 different journals, with 17.2% of these journals publishing three or more articles on PAS. Of the 80 authors in the dataset, 78.8% had only one publication. Over the past 5 years, there has been a 69% increase in the production of research on PAS, with the majority of output coming from Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands. The intellectual structure of the field was examined through co‐citation analysis, revealing two main clusters named dynamics of PAS and Policy Advice & Policy Analysts' Role. The former focuses on the variations and dynamics of PAS, while the latter is more concerned with the nature of policy advice and the role of policy analysts. The co‐word analysis identified the most relevant issues linked with PAS, including policy advice, externalization, politicization, and policy capacity. The study has also provided operationalization of the concept with the support of empirical evidence and categorized it into internal and external PAS. Externalization is the dominant trend in Anglophone countries, while public service in Europe and Canada has been the focus of internal PAS research. The study identifies gaps in the literature and calls for further research on the application of PAS in the Global South, the demand for policy advice, and comparative analysis of PAS across different contexts and dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rainfed areas, precipitation variations directly impact wheat growth stages such as emergence, tillering, jointing and booting, and maturity. Evaluating the impact of climate change on precipitation patterns during these critical growth stages is crucial for adapting climate change and ensuring global food security. In this study, projections of five General Circulation models (GCMs) under two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) were used to predict the changing characteristics of precipitation during four main growth stages of wheat in the rainfed region of the Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan. Historical datasets of daily precipitation at six weather stations were analyzed to check the past changes in the precipitation patterns. During the baseline period (1985–2014), the annual average precipitation decreased at a rate of −9.75 mm/decade, while the amount of precipitation during the rabi season (wheat-growing season) decreased at a rate of −20.47 mm/decade. An increase in the precipitation was found during the fourth (flowering) stage of crop growth, while the first three stages experienced a decrease in the precipitation amount. The multimodal ensembled data, under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, revealed a significant decline (at the rate of −16.63 mm/decade) in the future annual precipitation. However, it is projected that, under SSP2-4.5, there may be a slight increase (4.03 mm/decade) in the total precipitation amount during the future rabi season. Under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, average annual precipitation exhibited a slightly increasing trend, increasing by 1.0 mm/decade. However, during the rabi season, there was a possibility of a decrease in precipitation amount, with a rate of 11.64 mm/decade. It is also expected that the precipitation amount may vary significantly during the crown root initiation, jointing and booting, and flowering stages in the near future. These results provide a framework for the planning of wheat production in the Pothwar region of Pakistan, taking into account the potential impact of shifting weather patterns, particularly in terms of uneven precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]