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In Bernard Suits' The Grasshopper and Return of the Grasshopper, game-play is claimed to be the 'ideal of existence' and the only activity that could sustain us through the 'endless and endlessly boring summer' of utopia. Christopher Yorke has challenged these claims by way of a constructive dilemma. If these games are sufficiently akin to the games we play, then they are not adequate to the task of rendering immortality tolerable. If these games are importantly different than the games we play, then, in being 'unknown and unknowable', they would characterize a form of life that is importantly different from our own and, so, would be inappropriate objects of social and political aspiration. Against Yorke's skepticism, I argue that the games that constitute the ideal of existence are intelligible to us because we already play what the Grasshopper calls 'open games'. Steffen Borge concedes that utopian games are intelligible, but argues that such games would fail to 'grab our minds and imagination'. In the second half of the paper, I contend, against Borge, that such open games are adequate to the task of sustaining the interest of an immortal community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of characteristics of the boreal summer season June-July-August measured daily maximum 2-m air temperatures and associated heat waves (HWs) for 1961–2018 was conducted for three locations on the Croatian Adriatic coast representing its northern (Rijeka), central (Split) and southern (Dubrovnik) extents. Greater values occurred in the second part of the period (1990–2018) than in the first part (1961–1989), including significant (α = 0.01) trends in mean seasonal averages (0.44 to 0.69 °C per decade), extremes, frequencies, duration, and intensity. Exceedances and HWs spanning from 10 June to 24 August were determined in 53 years (out of 58 years) by the 95th and in 9 years by the 99th percentile criteria. Since heat stress often affects health at the beginning of HWs, exceedances of one or more days were all considered regardless of a minimum length or separation. In 30 years, the exceedances occurred at all locations in the same year. There were 122–147 (30–36) HW cases lasting 245–259 (51–54) days for the 95th (99th) thresholds. The maximum event duration was between 9 and 12 (5) days for the 95th (99th) thresholds. During the longest duration event, synoptic conditions were characterized by propagation of a strong and broad ridge of the Azores High extending into southern Europe and by blocking lows from the north. These results show that the Croatian coast, as part of the Mediterranean hot spots, is experiencing a significant increase in warming and associated frequency of HWs, which is likely to continue in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to analyze the probabilities of transitioning between controlled, uncontrolled, and partially controlled states of asthma patients and investigate the influence of age, smoking, dust allergy, and obesity on these probabilities. Methods: This study aimed to analyze the probabilities of transitioning between controlled, uncontrolled, and partially controlled states of asthma patients and investigate the influence of age, smoking, dust allergy, and obesity on these probabilities. Results: Results showed that controlled patients were more likely to remain in that state, with approximately 79 out of 100 patients expected to stay in optimal control in the long term. A discrete nonhomogeneous time Markov Model with the stationarity criterion was used to examine the factors affecting patient states and transitions. Patients seen during the spring and summer seasons were more likely to move into a controlled state compared with those seen in the fall and winter seasons. Patients with dust allergies and obesity significantly impacted asthma exacerbation, with overweight patients more likely to transition into a controlled state. The study estimated the transition intensities matrix under certain conditions, assuming the regularity of patients. In the long term, the probability of an asthmatic patient being in a controlled state was approximately 0.8. Conclusion: This study provided insights into the probabilities and factors influencing asthma progression in Morocco. Dust allergy and obesity were identified as significant contributors to asthma exacerbation, emphasizing the need for effective management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the urban tree cover percentage (TCP) is widely recognized as an efficient way to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The cooling efficiency of urban trees can be either enhanced or attenuated on hotter days, depending on the physiological response of urban trees to rising ambient temperature. However, the response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature remains poorly quantified for China's cities. In this study, we quantify the response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature at noontime [∼1330 LT (local time), LT=UTC+8] in 17 summers (June, July, and August) from 2003–19 in 70 economically developed cities of China based on satellite observations. The results show that urban trees have stronger cooling efficiency with increasing temperature, suggesting additional cooling benefits provided by urban trees on hotter days. The enhanced cooling efficiency values of urban trees range from 0.002 to 0.055°C %−1 per 1°C increase in temperature across the selected cities, with larger values for the low-TCP-level cities. The response is also regulated by background temperature and precipitation, as the additional cooling benefit tends to be larger in warmer and wetter cities at the same TCP level. The positive response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature is explained mainly by the stronger evapotranspiration of urban trees on hotter days. These results have important implications for alleviating urban heat risk by utilizing urban trees, particularly considering that extreme hot days are becoming more frequent in cities under global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal rainfall plays a vital role in both environmental dynamics and decision-making for rainfed agriculture in Ethiopia, a country often impacted by extreme climate events such as drought and flooding. Predicting the onset of the rainy season and providing localized rainfall forecasts for Ethiopia is challenging due to the changing spatiotemporal patterns and the country's rugged topography. The Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station Data (CHIRPS), ERA5-Land total precipitation and temperature data are used from 1981–2022 to predict spatial rainfall by applying an artificial neural network (ANN). The recurrent neural network (RNN) is a nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous input (NARX), which includes feed-forward connections and multiple network layers, employing the Levenberg Marquait algorithm. This method is applied to downscale data from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts fifth-generation seasonal forecast system (ECMWF-SEAS5) and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (CMCC) to the specific locations of rainfall stations in Ethiopia for the period 1980–2020. Across the stations, the results of NARX exhibit strong associations and reduced errors. The statistical results indicate that, except for the southwestern Ethiopian highlands, the downscaled monthly precipitation data exhibits high skill scores compared to the station records, demonstrating the effectiveness of the NARX approach for predicting local seasonal rainfall in Ethiopia's complex terrain. In addition to this spatial ANN of the summer season precipitation, temperature, as well as the combination of these two variables, show promising results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Through exposure to the sun's ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the skin produces more than ninety percent of the body's vitamin D3 needs. The primary objective of this study was to estimate and compare the mean concentration of vitamin D3 (IU) produced by daily exposure to UV light during the summer and winter seasons. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the summer of 2022 and the winter of 2023, with male participants recruited exclusively. All participants resided in the Agadir region (30.428° N). A total of 324 men were included in the summer study and 345 in the winter study, with ages ranging from 18 to 100 years. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview questionnaire. The objective was to assess sun exposure variables in order to estimate the amount of vitamin D3 produced by sunlight. The findings revealed that during the summer, vitamin D synthesis was below the recommended value of 600 IU/day in 0% of participants, between 600 and 1200 IU/day in 44.44% of participants, and ≥ 1200 IU/day in 55.55% of participants. During the winter period, 13.33% of participants exhibited a mean vitamin D synthesis below the recommended value of < 600 IU/day. In contrast, 74.20% exhibited a synthesis between 600 and 1200 IU/day, while 12.46% exhibited a synthesis of ≥ 1200 IU/day. For all groups of Moroccan men, daily vitamin D production by UV solar exposure appears to be sufficient to meet the daily vitamin D requirement in summer but not in winter. The primary predictors of mean daily vitamin D production by UV solar exposure are the fraction of the body exposed, age, and season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐level Jets (LLJs) play a critical role in triggering nocturnal rainfall in many areas on our planet. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the vertically resolved evolution of LLJs preceding rainfall. Here, the high‐resolution wind measurements from a radar wind profiler network in Beijing are used to monitor the continuous evolution of boundary‐layer jets (BLJs) and synoptic‐system‐related LLJs (SLLJs) before nocturnal rainfall under the southwesterlies synoptic pattern for the summers of 2020–2023. The results show that inertial oscillations precede LLJ‐induced nocturnal rainfall. The typical northward propagation of LLJ is driven primarily by horizontal advection. Starting 48 min before rainfall, the BLJ nose rapidly strengthens and moves downward from 0.8 km above ground level (AGL), while the SLLJ nose moves upward to 2.4 km AGL. This leads to enhanced moisture transport and convergence, which triggers nocturnal rainfall. The findings are of great significance for improving the forecast skill of nocturnal rainfall. Plain Language Summary: The role of low‐level jets (LLJs) in triggering nocturnal rainfall remains elusive, largely due to the dearth of vertical atmospheric observations. To address this issue, we used high‐resolution vertical wind measurements from a radar wind profiler (RWP) network near Beijing to characterize both boundary‐layer jets (BLJs) and synoptic‐system‐related LLJs (SLLJs) preceding nocturnal summer rainfall under the influence of synoptic‐scale southwesterly winds. The LLJs propagate northward ahead of the nocturnal rainfall. The noses of both types of LLJs are found to intensify dramatically within 48 min before nocturnal rainfall, along with warm and moist advection. This implies that the high‐resolution LLJs obtained from the RWP network exert a significant impact on the onset of summertime nocturnal rainfall in Beijing. Key Points: Radar wind profiler network captures the fine‐scale evolution of low‐level jet (LLJ) that triggers the nocturnal rainfallBoundary‐layer (synoptic‐system‐related) jet nose enhanced sharply 48 min ahead of rainfall onsetThe surge in LLJ is key to enhancing moisture transport within 30 min preceding nocturnal rainfall [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the accessibility conditions for carrying out research work for an exemplary site in the southern Baltic Sea region. The basic parameter of the state of the marine environment was the significant wave height determined at a frequency of one hour based on the ERA 5 model data covering the period between 1940 and 2022. A statistical analysis of the variability of this height on a monthly basis, taking into account its conversion into the time of potential availability in conditions enabling research, showed its strong seasonal variability in the form of differences in the number of hours that can be used for operating purposes. This number, depending on the research vessel capabilities, may even be an order of magnitude higher in the summer months than in winter. Additionally, it was found that the variability of the significant wave height has not changed substantially over the last 82 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Challenger Deep (CD) is the deepest known hadal trench in the world. Due to challenges in data sampling at extreme ocean depths, the Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) transport and ocean circulation structure in the CD remain unclear. By analyzing data from an extra-deep current meter mooring array, here we find a three-layer circulation in the CD, transitioning downward from westward LCDW flow (about −1.866 ± 2.953 Sv, 1 Sv = 106 m3/s) to cyclonic circulation, and then to anticyclonic circulation. The westward flow reverses its direction during summer, giving evidence for bidirectional connectivity of deep-sea basins, while the cyclonic-anticyclonic circulation is relatively steady. The LCDW intrusion, local topography and turbulent mixing are crucial for modulating the three-layer circulation. Turbulent mixing plays a key role in driving the anticyclonic circulation. Our findings provide insights for understanding the hydrodynamic environment in the ocean's deepest areas. The study presents data from moorings in the Challenger Deep, the deepest known hadal trench in the world, showing a three-layer circulation structure, modulated by deep-water intrusion, topography and turbulent mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Heat stress during pregnancy can negatively affect the intrauterine environment, compromising fetal development and resulting in long-term physiological and structural changes that impact the postnatal outcomes of the offspring. The aim of this retrospective longitudinal study was to identify how exposure to summer season at different trimesters of intrauterine development and dam parity affect postpartum disease incidence, milk production, and herd lifespan of the offspring (F1 generation) of Holstein cows. Our preliminary findings confirmed less milk production capacity and greater culling risk in offspring experiencing the summer season during the first trimester of their intrauterine development than those during later stages. Daughters born to nulliparous dams had a lower risk of dystocia and metritis, a higher risk of retained placenta, and were more likely to remain in the herd than those born to parous dams. Minimizing summer heat exposure during the early intrauterine development of offspring through implementing heat-abatement strategies may help alleviate the risk of future production losses. A suboptimal intrauterine environment during gestation may result in the programming of long-lasting structural and physiological alterations in the developing fetus, leading to health and production complications in adulthood. This observational study aimed to identify the impact of exposure to the summer season at different trimesters of gestation, dam parity, and their interaction on the postpartum disease incidence, first-lactation milk production, and herd lifespan of the offspring (F1 generation). Using a dataset collected from two commercial herds, the female offspring were categorized into three groups based on the trimester their dams experienced summer season during pregnancy: (1) first trimester (n = 2345), (2) second trimester (n = 3513), and (3) final trimester (n = 4988). The estimated 305-day milk production was lower in daughters (as a first-lactation cow) born to dams exposed to summer season during the first vs. third trimester. Summer season exposure during the first vs. third trimester resulted in the offspring that were less likely to remain in the herd (hazard ratio = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.84–0.95). Daughters of parous vs. nulliparous dams were more likely to experience dystocia and metritis but less likely to experience retained placenta. The risk of culling was higher in daughters of parous vs. nulliparous dams. Our preliminary findings suggest that the first trimester is a critical determinant of the female progeny's future productive performance and survivability. Dam parity was also identified as an influential factor affecting offspring health, as dystocia and metritis were more prevalent, and the culling risk was greater in daughters born to parous dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litter decomposition is expected to be positively associated with precipitation despite evidence that decomposers of varying sizes have different moisture dependencies. We hypothesized that higher tolerance of macro-decomposers to aridity may counterbalance the effect of smaller decomposers, leading to similar decomposition rates across climatic gradients. We tested this hypothesis by placing plant litter baskets of different mesh sizes in seven sites along a sharp precipitation gradient, and by characterizing the macro-decomposer assemblages using pitfall trapping. We found that decomposers responded differently to precipitation levels based on their size. Microbial decomposition increased with precipitation in the winter while macro-decomposition peaked in arid sites during the summer. This led to similar overall decomposition rates across the gradient except in hyper-arid sites. Macro-decomposer richness, abundance, and biomass peaked in arid environments. Our findings highlight the importance of macro-decomposition in arid-lands, possibly resolving the dryland decomposition conundrum, and emphasizing the need to contemplate decomposer size when investigating zoogeochemical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from summer stratification to winter stratification is considered for deep, dimictic Lake Superior. The fall transition is dynamically distinct from the better‐studied spring transition; it is characterized by a wind‐driven collapse of weakening summer stratification, a surface‐cooling–driven period during which the water column is essentially isothermal, and eventual onset of inverse (cold upper layer) stratification, after which sub‐thermocline water temperatures are largely fixed for the rest of the season. Due to the small value of thermal expansivity near the temperature of maximum density, temperature gradients do not impart much stability to the water column, and it is difficult for winter stratification to form immediately upon dropping below the temperature of maximum density. Instead, the water column continues to cool until the thermal expansivity is sufficiently large in magnitude to allow temperature gradients to impart stability. This observation implies that the temperature locked into the deep water for the winter season will be a consequence of the specific meteorological forcing experienced in a given year; there may be long‐term climate change driven trends in the timing of the onset of stratification but not trends in winter deep‐water temperature. To address this hypothesis, 15 yr of moored temperature data collected in Lake Superior are examined, and a scaling argument and climatological data are applied to better understand interannual variability in the onset of winter stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land–atmospheric feedback influences the occurrence and severity of flash droughts. However, the observed and projected changes in flash droughts and associated land–atmospheric coupling have not been examined over India. Moreover, the causes of the rapid depletion of soil moisture during flash droughts are not well known. We identify major flash droughts and associated soil moisture–vapor pressure deficit (SM–VPD) coupling in India using ERA5 and simulations from global climate models (CMIP6-GCMs). The summer monsoon season (June–September) witnesses more than 60% of the flash drought events and a relatively higher rate of flash drought development. The flash drought frequency has mainly decreased during India's observed climate (1980–2019), which is projected to decline further in the future warming climate. On the other hand, the flash drought development rate has significantly increased during the observed period, which is projected to enhance further under the warming climate. SM–VPD coupling during the flash drought onset-development phase is considerably higher (threefold to fivefold) than during the normal condition (in the absence of flash drought). The high (low) SM–VPD coupling explains the faster (slower) flash drought development rate in the observed and future warming climate. The strength of SM–VPD coupling has increased in the recent period and is projected to increase further in the future warming climate. The increased SM–VPD coupling can intensify future flash droughts in India, especially during the summer monsoon season, with considerable implications for agriculture, water resources, and ecosystems. Significance Statement: This study aims to understand better the role of land–atmospheric coupling in explaining flash drought characteristics (frequency and development rate) in India. Strong land–atmospheric (SM–VPD) feedback might influence the regional weather patterns during flash drought, which often negatively impacts humans and the ecosystem. We explain the causes and drivers of increasing (decreasing) flash drought development rate (frequency) in India. The long-term change in SM–VPD coupling drives the frequency of flash drought, whereas an anomalous instantaneous change in coupling controls the flash drought development rate. More intense flash droughts contributed by the increased land–atmospheric coupling are projected in the future. Predicting the SM–VPD coupling metric can facilitate more time for preparedness, resulting in minimizing the flash drought impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to screen air pollution-induced stress in some plant species in the Sejzi industrial region (Isfahan, Iran). An assessment of APTI and other physiological and biochemical features of significant species in the area was conducted across three seasons: spring, summer, and autumn. The physiological and biochemical factors of the following species were evaluated: Limonium persicum, Atriplex lentiformis, Nitraria schoberi, Haloxylon persicum, Tamarix hispida, Zygophyllum atriplicoides, Karelinia caspica, and Prosopis farcta. The physiological factors assessed included acidity and relative humidity content, while the biochemical factors assessed included proline, sugar, ascorbic acid, and total chlorophyll. Subsequently, a thorough evaluation was carried out on the species under investigation to ascertain their biomonitors' capabilities and APTI. The study findings indicated that the species P. farcta, N. schoberi, and K. caspica consistently had high APTI values during the spring, autumn, and summer seasons, classifying them as tolerant plant species. Conversely, the observed traits showed significant fluctuations across the seasons. The investigation's findings indicate that the species L. persicum, N. schoberi, and K. caspica exhibit higher annual averages of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid compared to other species. The examination of the annual variation in the tolerance levels of plant species to pollution ranked from highest to lowest was as follows: N. schoberi, P. farcta, K. caspica, Z. atriplicoides, H. persicum, T. hispida, L. persicum, and A. lentiformis. Moreover, based on the annual average, the primary determinants that impact the APTI in the species being studied include ascorbic acid (35%), leaf acidity (19%), total chlorophyll content (35%), and relative humidity content (69%). Furthermore, a distinct and significant correlation was found between proline and sugar levels and the annual APTI values. Additionally, the species P. farcta had the highest API compared to other species. The study revealed the high potential of some plant species against air pollution induced stress which can be used in air and dust pollution management in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial hybrids are the main germplasm source for developing maize lines in breeding programs in Brazil; additionally, nitrogen (N) is one the major limiting maize production in Brazilian tropical areas. Here, we assessed the combining ability among ten commercial hybrids under contrasting N inputs and selected the best parental hybrids to develop breeding populations for optimal and N-stress environments. We evaluated the 45 F1 crosses for agronomic traits under contrasting N inputs and over two summer seasons. A mixed model approach was used to estimate the variance components of general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) as well as to predict the GCA and SCA effects. N-stress caused a reduction in GY (33.25%) of F1 crosses averaged across seasons. We found presence of combining ability (GCA and SCA) x N input interaction for grain yield (GY), days to pollen and plant stature. The parental hybrids showed differences in GCA for cycle and plant stature but not for GY, irrespective of N inputs. Additionally, the variance components of SCA were not significant (P>0.10) for GY under LN, whereas SCA was the major component accounting for variation among F1 crosses under HN. Based on estimates of GCA effects for cycle and plant height, we selected the hybrids BAL188, BM3061, GNZ7210, BRS1060 and DKB390 as sources of favorable alleles for earlier maturing and shorter stature maize for both N conditions and suggested that hybrids GNZ7201 and DKB390, and AG1051 and NS70, which presented very small estimates of SCA for GY, must be recombined to develop two synthetic populations to begin a reciprocal recurrent selection program, mainly for non N-stress environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate models exhibit biases in the mean state and in variability across different regions of the Earth. For example, atmosphere‐only models have a poleward bias in summertime jet streams across the Northern Hemisphere (NH). This can result from many processes, including misrepresentation of Rossby waves that can propagate in different directions and thereby interact with jet streams. However, Rossby‐wave biases can result from biased background state of the climate system as well. The propagation speed of Rossby waves depends on jet stream strength, thus a poleward displacement of the jet stream can hinder westward propagation of Rossby waves at higher latitudes and displace eastward propagating Rossby waves (downstream development). These biases then impact other regions resulting in biased atmospheric circulation across the NH. Indeed, in this study we confirm this via regional nudging experiments within the Norwegian Earth System Model. Namely, nudged horizontal winds over the North Pacific can improve Rossby wave statistics and thereby atmospheric circulation over Eurasia (i.e., upstream). However, nudging over the North Atlantic has little effect on boreal summer atmospheric circulation. This implies that improving biases over the North Pacific is crucial for a better representation of modelled boreal summer circulation over Eurasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atlantic Niño, a primary climatic variability mode in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean, exhibits pronounced variability not only in boreal summer but also in winter. However, the role of the winter Atlantic Niño in trans-basin interactions remains underexplored compared to its summer counterpart. Through analysis of observational reanalysis data since the mid-twentieth century, here we found that the winter Atlantic Niño significantly influences the development of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), surpassing the impact of summer Atlantic Niño, with a longer lead time. This effect is reasonably captured in the CMIP6 Historical simulations from a multi-model ensemble perspective. Further analysis of the global warming scenario projects that the influence of winter Atlantic Niño on ENSO will persist into the future, in contrast to the reduced impact of summer Atlantic Niño. Therefore, these findings underscore the importance of further investigating the winter Atlantic Niño to gain a comprehensive understanding of trans-basin interactions and their future changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal‐range predictability of summer climate in northwestern Europe is generally considered to be low. This is an increasing issue given the worsening impact of summer heatwaves, droughts and intense convective rainfall in a rapidly changing climate. In wintertime, predictive skill in the region is derived from a variety of sources, not least teleconnections with the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Summer ENSO teleconnections, however, are often considered to be negligible. In this paper, we revisit the topic of summer teleconnections between ENSO and the North Atlantic‐European region. We build on previous work identifying upper tropospheric responses to tropical forcing, since dynamical teleconnections are most apparent at this level. Our results confirm that significantly increased geopotential heights are found stretching over the North‐Atlantic region and into western Europe when La Niña conditions are prevalent during summer. This pattern is part of the previously identified 'circumglobal' pattern of wider northern‐hemisphere height changes. We then look for these responses in a range of climate models used in operational seasonal prediction. While parts of the circumglobal pattern are weakly present, none of them produce the response seen over the North Atlantic, even when the effect of sampling on the observed teleconnection is accounted for. We additionally estimate the contribution of the previous (wintertime) phase of ENSO on the following summer. We find a significant delayed response, particularly in heights, to the earlier phase. The combination of the delayed and current responses gives height anomalies that are larger, on average, when ENSO changes phase from winter to summer. Finally, we show that a modest level of regional prediction skill from ENSO does exist. There is a contribution to skill in heights from the previous ENSO phase, but the equivalent contribution to the skill of zonal winds is smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandy beaches and their surf zones characterise many of the world's open coastlines. They are important breeding, nursery and feeding areas for many species of fish. Despite the commonness and importance of sandy beach surf zones, the dynamics, space occupancy and diversity patterns of residing fish is in many places poorly understood. The aim of this study was to (1) characterise the fish community structure in 11 simple structured sandy surf zones of the northern Baltic Sea and (2) relate variation in fish abundance and community structure to a set of chosen abiotic variables. Using beach seine, weekly or biweekly sampling was conducted at fixed sites at 10 occasions throughout a summer season. A total of 60,006 fish individuals belonging to 20 species were recorded. Changes in abundance and community structure were mainly driven by the variation of only five species reflecting species‐specific recruitment patterns and different spatial responses to abiotic variables. Dominating groups were Gasterosteidae, Ammodytidae and Gobiidae that together formed 86% of the total adult fish catches. Larval numbers were completely dominated by Gobiidae. Multivariate analyses indicated species‐specific responses to measured environmental variables, most important being a combination of wave exposure, beach slope, bottom roughness, and temperature. The present study shows that changes in fish abundance on simple structured sandy sublittoral beaches in the northern Baltic Sea are large over the course of a breeding season. It also reveals that variation in adult and juvenile fish are driven by a set of abiotic factors that influence on the fish assemblage structure through mainly species‐specific, rather than through generic responses. Unravelling the degree to which the sandy shore fish community vary in the northern Baltic Sea will help in managing coastal environments that are increasingly being threatened by many anthropogenic stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiome of animals is affected by external environmental factors and can assist them in adapting to changing environments effectively. Consequently, elucidating the gut microbes of animals under different environmental conditions can provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of their adaptations to environmental change, with a particular focus on animals in extreme environments. In this study, we compared the structural and functional differences of the gut microbiome of grazing yaks between the summer and winter seasons through metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. The results indicated that the composition and function of microbes changed significantly. The study demonstrated an increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and a higher ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B) in winter, this process facilitated the adaptation of yaks to the consumption of low‐nutrient forages in the winter. Furthermore, the network structure exhibited greater complexity in the winter. Forage nutrition exhibited a significant seasonal variation, with a notable impact on the gut microbiota. The metagenomic analysis revealed an increase in the abundance of enzymes related to amino acid metabolism, axillary activity, and mucin degradation in the winter. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the gut microbiome of grazing yaks exhibits several adaptive characteristics that facilitate better nutrient accessibility and acid the host in acclimating to the harsh winter conditions. Furthermore, our study offers novel insights into the mechanisms of highland animal adaptation to external environments from the perspective of the gut microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoplankton and zooplanktonic communities form the base of the Antarctic food web. This study examines the evolution of the mesozooplanktonic system in Terra Nova Bay during the austral summer (December–February), focusing on the impact of sea ice dynamics and the resulting phytoplankton blooms. Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea) offers a valuable context given its high productivity and ecological variability. Using a diachronic approach, we analyzed data spanning twelve years to understand how the system's structure and functionality change over time. A novel key metric, Days since Sea Ice Melting, was employed to track shifts in phytoplankton community development and trophic dynamics. The results indicate that the system enters the summer season increasing primary productivity and creating the support for the development of a more complex and organized system during the season. The phytoplankton bloom recorded during mid-season, coped by an increase in biomass, is followed by the establishment of a well-organized grazing system. A secondary phytoplankton bloom is observed towards the end of the summer, but it does not significantly affect mesozooplankton communities. Overall, this study highlights the dynamic nature of Terra Nova Bay's mesozooplanktonic community and evaluates the influence of climate change on Antarctic marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change with time in parameter S, which characterizes the relation of the critical frequency foF2 to the height hmF2 of the ionospheric F 2 layer is considered. The results of measurements by the vertical sounding method at two stations (Moscow and Juliusruh) are analyzed. The dependence of foF2 on hmF2 is plotted for three intervals: 1957–1980, 1996–2023, and 2011–2023. Five near-noon LT moments and two seasons (winter (January and February) and summer (June and July)) are considered. It is found for both stations and both seasons that the S value has been increasing systematically from the earlier to later periods. At the same time, the winter S values are approximately by a factor of 3 higher than the summer ones for all periods. It is suggested that the found changes in parameter S could provide valuable information on long-term variations (trends) in thermospheric parameters with the help of current theoretical models of the TIEGCM or WACCM-X type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stratiform and convective precipitation regions are examined in three phases (Phase 1 to Phase 3) during the Indian summer monsoon season 2022 using C-band radar observations over Thiruvananthapuram, India. Nearly 72% of the pixels are identified with stratiform precipitation region and the radar reflectivity value peaks near the melting layer in all phases of the monsoon. The convective precipitation accounts for ∼ 28% of the precipitating area, and radar reflectivity profiles peak near 2 km height. An estimation of convective and stratiform precipitation amounts using Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) and Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) measurements shows the ratio is 32–68% over the study region. A fuzzy-logic-based hydrometeor identification method is implemented using the radar polarimetric variables, which shows stratiform (convective) precipitation is dominated by drizzle (rain) hydrometers near the surface levels. Above the melting layer, the aggregates and crystals are the dominant hydrometeors types in both stratiform and convective precipitation. The WRF simulation using the Thompson and SBM scheme for a heavy precipitating event (70 mm) on 17th October 2022 shows that the graupel and snow mixing ratio above the melting layer contributed to the precipitation. The simulated hydrometeor properties differ considerably between the SBM and bulk microphysics, partly due to variations in their ice particle size distributions, as revealed by comparisons with polarimetric measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air quality (AQ) of a given location depends mostly on two factors: emissions and meteorological conditions. For most places on Earth, the meteorology of an area changes seasonally. For central Europe, winters are associated with poor dispersion conditions, which, in combination with high emissions from local heating systems, lead to significantly higher concentrations than during summer. In this study, the seasonality of AQ is analysed using hourly measurements from 44 monitoring stations in Slovakia for the years 2007–2023 for NO2, PM10 and PM2.5. Two factors are used to evaluate the seasonality—the difference and ratio of the winter and summer mean concentrations. It was found that the seasonal difference has been gradually decreasing for all pollutants since 2017. In the case of PM2.5, the seasonal ratio drops from a value of around 2.5 in 2018 to approximately 1.7 in 2023. While in the past, the seasonal ratio was the highest for PM2.5, in the last three years it is the highest for NO2 with values larger than 2. Our results imply that summer sources of PM emissions start to play a more important role for the AQ than in the past. The observed seasonality was compared with two full-year chemical-transport model simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since COVID-19, mpox was the first emerging pathogen to have spread globally in 2022. Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has proven to be an efficient early warning system for detecting potential resurgences. This report aims to provide insight into the development and implementation of WBS of mpox in Slovenia and to incorporate the surveillance results into the development of public health interventions. WBS of mpox was conducted during the period from 1 June 2023 to 30 September 2023 at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) Ljubljana and WWTP Koper. The selected detection method of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) in the wastewater sample was based on PCR analysis. The implemented laboratory method showed that the sample preparation and concentration method enables a stable procedure for MPXV detection in wastewater samples. The laboratory analysis of wastewater samples from the selected WWTPs did not detect the MPXV during the monitoring period. In the event of MPXV detection in a wastewater sample, targeted public health interventions would be implemented, focusing on increasing awareness among the groups of men who have sex with other men and searching for positive mpox cases. We recommend that the developed system be retained in the case of an emergency epidemiological situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the potential impact of the 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games in Paris on the risk of dengue outbreaks in the region. It highlights the rise in dengue cases globally in 2024 and the presence of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes capable of transmitting dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses in mainland France. The article emphasizes the importance of surveillance, vector-control measures, and healthcare provider awareness to prevent and manage potential dengue outbreaks during and after the Olympics. Additionally, it mentions the lack of antiviral treatment for dengue and the licensing of a live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine for consideration in France. [Extracted from the article]

Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) is a transcription factor protein-coding gene, considered a master regulator of the cellular stress response. The genetic variations of the NRF2 could influence its transcriptional profile and, subsequently, the stress resilience in all cell types, including sperm cells. Therefore, the sperm-borne antioxidants abundance in association with the genetic variation of a GCC microsatellite located at the 5′ upstream region of the NRF2 gene was investigated in young (n = 8) and old (n = 8) Holstein bulls' sperm cells at different seasons. The sperm DNA was sequenced using Sanger sequencing, while- the sperm-borne mRNA analysis was carried out using the synthesized cDNA and qPCR. The data were statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism 10.0.2 software. The results showed that two bulls had a heterozygous genotype of eight and nine GCC repeats, while biallelic of eight, nine, and fifteen repeats were identified in two, ten, and two bulls, respectively. The computational in silico analysis revealed that the NRF2 upstream sequence with 15, 9, and 8 GCC repeats bound with 725, 709, and 707 DNA-binding transcription factor proteins, respectively. Lower quality of sperm DNA was detected in the spring season compared to other seasons and in young bulls compared to old ones, particularly in the summer and autumn seasons. The mRNA expression analysis revealed that the PRDX1 gene was the abundant transcript among the studied sperm-borne antioxidants and was significantly determined in old bulls' spermatozoa. Moreover, two transcripts of the NRF2 gene and antioxidant (SOD1, CAT, GPX1, TXN1, NQO1) genes displayed differential expression patterns between the age groups across seasons in an antioxidant-dependent manner. The bulls with a heterozygous GCC sequence exhibited elevated sperm-borne mRNA levels of NRF2 and PRDX1 transcripts. Taken together, the findings suggest that the NRF2-GCC microsatellite may contribute to the transcription regulation of NRF2 transcripts and their subsequent downstream antioxidants in bovine sperm cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bright band (BB) is an important symbol of the ice–water transition zone in stratiform precipitation, and the presence or absence of BB will lead to different microphysical processes. In this paper, the characteristics of BB and precipitation characteristics with and without BB in summer at Tibetan Plateau (TP) as well as Central-eastern China (CEC) are analyzed by using Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and the fifth generation ECMWF atmospheric reanalysis of the global climates (ERA5) datasets. The results show the freezing level height and BB height in TP are 0.5 km higher than those in CEC. With the increase in rain rate, the BB height decreases in TP but increases in CEC. The BB width becomes wider with the increase in maximum radar reflectivity. Secondly, the maximum reflectivity factor and particle diameter of stratiform precipitation with BB appear at 5 km, while the maximum reflectivity factor of stratiform precipitation without BB and convective precipitation appear near the ground. The particle diameter first decreases and then increases from the cloud top to the ground. Thirdly, the land surface temperature of convective precipitation is about 2.5 °C higher than stratiform precipitation with BB, indicating higher land surface temperatures are more likely to trigger convection. Lastly, BB can lead to a decrease in brightness temperature and an increase in polarized difference at 89 GHZ and 166 GHZ in CEC, likely due to the increasing ice particles in stratiform precipitation with BB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boreal lakes experience pronounced seasonal variation in abiotic factors, especially light, temperature, and oxygen. A deep boreal humic lake was sampled year‐round to test putative changes in total fish catch, species composition, catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE), habitat use, fish size, and condition. Monthly sampling was conducted in Lake Pääjärvi, southern Finland, during one full year in 2020–2021 as well as in March and August 2021 and 2022. The fish community was dominated by cyprinid species in all months, but the percentage of percid fish caught increased during the warm summer period. Most fish were caught in littoral habitats and the highest catches occurred in summer, but some species (e.g., ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernua, and pikeperch, Sander lucioperca) remained abundant in the winter catch. The body size of fish was larger in the winter catch, while condition factor was higher in summer for most species. Fish species proportions in total catch, CPUE, and average size of fish were closest to the annual mean values in September, which may be used as the optimal period to monitor fish communities of similar deep boreal lakes. Our findings highlight the need for year‐round research to reveal the impacts of rising temperatures and diminishing ice‐covered periods in fish communities and lake food webs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer high temperature is an important climate issue. Severe heat waves occurred over China during summer 2022. Using daily temperature, we examine the severity of the 2022 high‐temperature event, and explore the dominance of summer cumulative temperature from the frequency and intensity of high temperature, for both the interannual variation of the 63 years (1960–2022) and the year of 2022. Corresponding to different "high" temperature thresholds, the frequency (number of the days) of high temperature, the summer cumulative temperature, and the intensity of high temperature are obtained for each summer with the daily data. Statistical tests show that cumulative temperature can be linearly regressed to frequency and intensity, which can help find the dominance from the two factors. For interannual variation, the comparison of the normalized regression coefficients suggests that, in the variation of cumulative temperature, the relative importance can vary from "dominated by intensity", which corresponds to low temperature threshold (28°C), to "dominated by frequency", which corresponds to high threshold (36°C). For the year 2022, we compare the two terms in the regression, which uses the coefficients from multi‐year regression along with the normalized frequency and intensity of this year, to determine the relative importance. Results show that overall it also varies from "dominated by intensity" to "dominated by frequency", with the increase in threshold. Note that, for the two cases, these are the overall situation for the whole country; however, for each specific station, whether frequency or intensity dominates needs to be determined with the measures. A moderate threshold of 32°C, which considers both frequency and intensity, is suggested for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictability barriers (PBs) significantly limit the prediction skill of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The EP-El Niño predictions often encounter the impact of the spring PB, while the CP-El Niño predictions usually have PB phenomenon in summer. Using a data analysis approach for predictability dynamics and the pre-industrial control runs from the CCSM4 model outputs, the study explores the PB mechanism for EP- and CP-El Niño by tracing the evolution of initial errors. It is found that the significant spring PB for EP-El Niño and the notable summer PB for CP-El Niño often occur during the transition period from warm to cold phase of the initial sea surface temperature (SST) error evolution in the east-central tropical Pacific; however, there still exist respective initial errors that have specific spatial patterns leading to summer PB for EP-El Niño and spring PB for CP-El Niño. A comparison is made among the initial errors causing PBs for the two types of El Niño, and the results show that the initial errors resulting in the summer PB of CP-El Niño events tend to have more positive SST errors than those causing the spring PB for EP-El Niño in both the tropics and the Victoria mode (VM) region in the Northeast Pacific. These particular positive characteristics of the initial errors causing the summer PB pose a role that hinders the dissipation of the tropical Pacific positive SST errors and thus delay the spring transition phase of SST error, consequently triggering the occurrence of the summer PB for CP-El Niño. The role of the VM mode on SST in the tropical Pacific is inextricably linked to CP-El Niño formation and also sheds light on why the CP-El Niño tends to occur PB in summer. These findings provide a theoretical basis for advancing forecasting skills of El Niño diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer low-temperature in Northeast China (NEC) could cause local grain reduction. Recent studies have highlighted a notable increase in low-surface air temperature (SAT) events during June in NEC, which diverges significantly from the patterns observed in July, August, and the overall summer average. An analysis of June SAT over NEC from 1961 to 2020 reveals an interdecadal shift around 2003, characterized by decreased periodicity and increased interannual variability. This study investigates the influence of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the North Atlantic during the preceding February on this shift. It is found that the North Atlantic tripole SSTAs (NAT_SST) has a significant impact on June SAT in NEC post-2003. A proposed mechanism is that February NAT_SST can maintain the tripole anomalies into May-June, and inducing SSTAs over the tropical eastern Pacific (SST_EP) after 2003. Both observational and model simulation results support that NAT_SST influences June SAT in NEC through a wave train originating from the North Atlantic, while SST_EP affects SAT in NEC via the Circumglobal teleconnection and British-Baikal corridor-like patterns. The combined effects of May-June NAT_SST and SST_EP resonate to amplify June SAT anomalies over NEC, enhancing both the amplitude of SAT anomalies and interannual variability. Meanwhile, the periodicity of June SAT in NEC shifts to a 2–4 years cycle, aligning with the post-2003 alternation of NAT_SST. This contrasts with the period before 2002, where the relationship between February NAT_SST and May-June SST_EP was inverse, offsets the effects of the two SSTAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During boreal summer, large scale subsidence and a persistent northerly flow, known as the Etesians, characterize the tropospheric circulation over the eastern Mediterranean. The Etesians bring clear skies and alleviate the impact of heat waves over the region. The intraseasonal variability of the Etesians and subsidence over the eastern Mediterranean has been thought to be influenced by the South Asian monsoon and atmospheric processes over the North Atlantic. Here, we employ causal effect networks and causal maps, obtained by applying the Peter and Clark Momentary Conditional Independence (PCMCI) causal discovery algorithm, to identify causal precursors of Etesians. We find that both wave train activity over the North Atlantic/North American region and convective activity over South Asia associated with the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) are causally related to the Etesians at 3-day time scale. Thus, intraseasonal ISM variability affects the eastern Mediterranean circulation, though its influence is conveyed via a Middle East ridge. On longer weekly time scale, the mid-latitude influence weakens, while the influence of the tropical convective activity via the Middle East ridge remains stable. Moreover, the heat low over the Arabian Peninsula, a feature strongly responsible for the development of the Etesians, is caused by a stronger Middle East ridge and not by North Atlantic wave activity. Finally, we discuss potential implication for circulation changes in the eastern Mediterranean due to anthropogenic global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce the optimized dynamic mode decomposition algorithm for constructing an adaptive and computationally efficient reduced order model and forecasting tool for global atmospheric chemistry dynamics. By exploiting a low-dimensional set of global spatio-temporal modes, interpretable characterizations of the underlying spatial and temporal scales can be computed. Forecasting is also achieved with a linear model that uses a linear superposition of the dominant spatio-temporal features. The DMD method is demonstrated on three months of global chemistry dynamics data, showing its significant performance in computational speed and interpretability. We show that the presented decomposition method successfully extracts known major features of atmospheric chemistry, such as summertime surface pollution and biomass burning activities. Moreover, the DMD algorithm allows for rapid reconstruction of the underlying linear model, which can then easily accommodate non-stationary data and changes in the dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the text of a speech that I gave at the AAPT summer 2024 meeting when I received the Lillian McDermott Medal. This plenary speech is very dear to me; it was an opportunity for me to talk about my career and life and share what I've learned. Unfortunately, this will be my final opportunity to share some words with you all. I am gravely ill, as you will read below. I hope you enjoy these words. I have always loved words and ideas, so consider this article as a sonnet from me to you. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asian atmospheric rivers (ARs) exhibit the most pronounced activity in summer with significant impacts on monsoon rainfall. However, their occurrence mechanisms are yet to be revealed in detail. In this study, we unravel the inherently complex nature of East Asian summer ARs by applying a multiscale index that quantifies the relative importance of high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) moisture transports in AR development. It is found that both HF and LF processes contribute to shaping the summertime ARs in East Asia, contrasting to the wintertime ARs dominated by HF processes. Stratification of ARs with the multiscale index reveals that HF-dominant ARs are driven by baroclinically deepening extratropical cyclones, analogous to the widely accepted definition of canonical ARs. In contrast, LF-dominant ARs result from an enhanced monsoon southwesterly between a quasi-stationary cyclone and an anticyclone with the latter being the anomalous expansion of the western North Pacific subtropical high. Such a pattern is reminiscent of the classical monsoon rainband. While HF-dominant ARs are transient, LF-dominant ARs are quasi-stationary with a higher potential for prolonged local impacts. The intermediate ARs, constituting a majority of East Asian summer ARs, exhibit synoptic conditions that combine HF- and LF-dominant ARs. Therefore, East Asian summer ARs cannot be explained by a single parent system but should be considered as a continuum of extratropical-cyclone-induced and fluctuating monsoon-flow-induced moisture plumes. This finding would serve as a base for the advanced understanding of hydrological impacts, variability, and projected change of East Asian ARs. Significance Statement: Despite the accumulation of studies on summertime atmospheric rivers (ARs) in East Asia, a comprehensive explanation for their occurrence mechanisms remains elusive. This study disentangles their complicated nature through case-level multiscale analyses. In contrast to wintertime ARs, summertime ARs are shaped by both high- and low-frequency moisture transports. The high-frequency moisture transport is associated with migratory extratropical cyclones which are suppressed but still active in summer, while the low-frequency moisture transport arises from the fluctuation of a quasi-stationary monsoon southwesterly along the periphery of the western North Pacific subtropical high. The varying relative contribution of high- and low-frequency components from one AR to another suggests that East Asian summer ARs represent a continuum of extratropical and monsoonal moisture plumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved strontium (Sr) concentrations from Southern Ocean water samples and Sr export fluxes from sediment trap moorings at 1,000 m were used to assess particulate organic carbon (POC) export associated with Acantharia for 2010, 2018, and 2020. The dissolved Sr data revealed a prominent vertical gradient with lower surface Sr concentrations depleted up to 1.5% relative to deep waters. A strong latitudinal surface gradient was observed, ranging from 86.8 μmol kg−1 near the northern end to 88.0 μmol kg−1 near the southern end of a transect through the Australian sector of the Southern Ocean. The vertical and latitudinal gradients are associated with celestite (SrSO4) precipitation by Acantharia and subsequent export to depth. Seasonal variability in Sr export fluxes can be large, particularly during intense events in summer, and reaches a maximum of 11.7 mmol Sr m−2 yr−1, contributing up to 7% of the POC export flux. The coincidence of Sr flux with the second peak of POC export flux implies an association of Acantharia biomass with summertime productivity. Plain Language Summary: Acantharia are tiny marine organisms found worldwide. Their skeletons, composed of a heavy mineral called strontium sulfate (SrSO4, or celestite), make Acantharia important in the oceanic strontium cycling. They also form cysts by resorbing their skeletons and main cellular components, allowing them to sink quickly to depths for reproduction. Despite their dense skeletons and cysts, which could act as effective ballasts, Acantharia were previously thought to have little impact on carbon export in the deeper ocean layers due to their high solubility in seawater. Our study focused on understanding how Acantharia influence strontium cycling and contribute to carbon export in the Southern Ocean. We discovered that Acantharia efficiently remove strontium from the ocean's surface and release it at intermediate depths. These organisms exhibit seasonal variations and are particularly abundant in summer, contributing up to 7% to POC export during the summer productive season. This is significant for the Southern Ocean as a major region for carbon sequestration and global climate buffering. Key Points: Strong vertical and latitudinal gradients of dissolved Sr observed in the Southern Ocean were driven by AcanthariaSr export fluxes exhibited seasonal variations with peaks occurring annually in summer, contributing up to 7% to particulate organic carbon fluxElevated Acantharia biomass is possibly associated with summertime productivity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Southern Ocean (SO) is central to the global overturning circulation. South of the Antarctic Polar Front, Antarctic Winter Water (WW) forms in the wintertime mixed layer (ML) and becomes a subsurface layer following summertime restratification of the ML, overlaying upwelled deep waters. Model simulations show that WW acts as a conduit to seasonally transform upwelled deep waters into intermediate waters. Yet, there remains little observational evidence of the distribution and seasonal characteristics of WW. Using 18 years of in situ observations, we show seasonal climatologies of WW thickness, depth, core temperature, and salinity, revealing a distinct regionality and seasonality of WW. The seasonal cycle of WW characteristics is tied to the annual sea ice evolution, whereas the spatial distribution is impacted by the main topographic features in the SO driving an equatorward flux of WW. Through the identification of these localized northward export regions of WW, this study provides further evidence suggesting an alternative view from the conventional "zonal mean" perspective of the overturning circulation. We show that specific overturning pathways connecting the subpolar ocean to the global ocean can be explained by ocean‐topography interactions. Plain Language Summary: The Southern Ocean (SO) around Antarctica is central to the global ocean circulation system. The cold wintertime atmosphere drives ocean cooling and sea ice formation, which causes surface waters to become denser, mixing with deep waters that rise to the surface from the deep ocean. As the ocean surface layer warms in summer, there remains a cold layer below the surface known as Antarctic Winter Water (WW). This layer warms throughout the summer, thinning the WW layer. However, the properties of WW (temperature, salinity, thickness, and depth) vary in space and in erosion rate around the SO. By compiling 18 years of ocean observations, we investigate the physical dynamics that determine how WW changes in space and over the average annual cycle. We find that there are localized regions across the SO where WW properties are transported northward as part of the ocean circulation system, which typically aligns with large topographic features and acts to connect SO water masses to the global ocean. Key Points: Seasonal climatologies of Antarctic Winter Water (WW) and its properties are mapped using 18 years of in situ observationsObservations reveal the distinct seasonal and regional characteristics of WW and their potential link to processes such as sea ice formationLocalized redistribution of WW properties equatorward is steered by large topographic features [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the Antarctic coast is covered by seasonal landfast sea ice (fast ice), which serves as an important habitat for ice algae. Fast‐ice algae provide a key early season food source for pelagic and benthic food webs, and contribute to biogeochemical cycling in Antarctic coastal ecosystems. Summertime fast ice is undergoing a decline, leading to more seasonal fast ice with unknown impacts on interconnected Earth system processes. Our understanding of the spatiotemporal variability of Antarctic fast ice, and its impact on polar ecosystems is currently limited. Evaluating the overall productivity of fast‐ice algae has historically been hampered by limitations in observations and models. By linking new fast‐ice extent maps with a one‐dimensional sea‐ice biogeochemical model, we provide the first estimate of the spatio‐seasonal variability of Antarctic fast‐ice algal gross primary production (GPP) and its annual primary production on a circum‐Antarctic scale. Experiments conducted for the 2005–2006 season provide a mean fast ice‐algal production estimate of 2.8 Tg C/y. This estimate represents about 12% of overall Southern Ocean sea‐ice algae production (estimated in a previous study), with the mean fast‐ice algal production per area being 3.3 times higher than that of pack ice. Our Antarctic fast‐ice GPP estimates are probably underestimated in the Ross Sea and Weddell Sea sectors because the sub‐ice platelet layer habitats and their high biomass are not considered. Plain Language Summary: Antarctic landfast sea ice (fast ice) is sea ice fastened to the coastline of Antarctica and provides a prolific habitat for microalgae. These ice algae are ecologically important because their production takes place early in the season when water column primary production is low. By combining a new satellite data set and a biogeochemical sea‐ice algal growth model, this study provides the first estimate of circum‐Antarctic fast‐ice algal production: 2.8 million tonnes of carbon per year, which is about 12% of the total Antarctic sea‐ice algal production. The mean algal primary production per area in fast ice is 3.3 times higher than that of pack ice. Key Points: First estimate of circum‐Antarctic landfast sea‐ice annual gross primary production, with a focus on the 2005–2006 seasonMean landfast sea‐ice algal primary production is 2.8 TgC/y, representing 12% (range 5%–19%) of total Southern Ocean ice algal productivityMean modeled landfast sea‐ice algal production per area is 3.3 times higher than that of pack ice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Injuries from Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs), particularly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, are considered a significant public health concern. The aim of this study was to show epidemiology of RTIs among the elderly people in the Eastern Azerbaijan province of Iran. Method: This cross‐sectional study included all patients over 60 years old who admitted to the Shohada Hospital from 2006 to 2016. Data were extracted from the Hospital Information System. Injuries types were classified based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐10). Descriptive statistics (Mean, median and frequency) and inferential statistics (The Pearson Chi‐square test) were used for data analysis through SPSS‐24 software. Results: A total of 3509 RTAs involving patients over 60 years old from 2006 to 2016. These traffic‐related injuries comprised 15% of all recorded injuries (23,321 cases). The mean age of the patients was 69.91 ± 7.61 years, with a predominant male representation (2324 patients, 64.74%). The median Length of Stay (LOS) in hospital was 3 days. Injuries most commonly affected the knee and lower leg regions (27.5%). The most frequent types of accidents were those involving car passengers (40.47%) and pedestrians (36.33%). The majority of RTAs occurred during the summer season. There was a significant difference in the rate of RTAs based on variables such as sex, age, season, and LOS (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study highlights traffic‐related injuries among the elderly, mostly affecting the knee and lower leg regions, especially during the summer season. The efforts should include enhancing safety measures for car passengers and pedestrians, particularly during the high‐risk summer months. Also, it emphasizes the need for public transportation to improve safety for older people due to lower accident rates and senior‐friendly features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tokyo Bay is one of the most productive coastal systems in the world. Surrounded by a growing urban metropolis, the bay has experienced large fluctuations in water quality over the past decades due to eutrophication and regulatory requirements for wastewater treatment. However, the spatial and temporal variability of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and associated environmental factors remains unclear. In this study, water temperature, salinity, light condition, Chl a and nutrient concentrations was investigated monthly at three stations in the inner area from November 2016 to October 2020. In the surface water, the Chl a and nutrient concentrations largely fluctuated seasonally. In the summer season (May–September), with sufficient nutrient input from rivers and wastewater treatment plants, Chl a concentration in the northwestern part of the bay (St. AO) was positively correlated with water temperature with extremely high concentration (mean, 90.5 µg L−1). On the other hand, those in the northern (St. CB) and central (St. F3) areas were negatively correlated with nutrient concentrations, especially DIP and DSi which sometimes decreased to below the detection limit (BDL). In the winter–spring season (January–April), the Chl a concentration was relatively high at St. CB (mean, 25.9 µg L−1), which could be attributed to light availability, sufficient light penetration to the bottom, and vertical mixing of the entire water column. These results indicated that the factors controlling Chl a differed among areas and seasons in the bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol–cloud–precipitation interaction (ACPI) plays a pivotal role in the global and regional water cycle and the earth's energy budget; however, it remains highly uncertain due to the different underlying physical mechanisms. Therefore, this study aims to systematically analyze the effects of aerosols and meteorological factors on ACPI in the co-located precipitating clouds (PCs) and non-precipitating clouds (NPCs) in winter and summer seasons by employing the long-term (2001–2021) retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) coupled with the National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis-II datasets over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The results exhibit a decadal increase in aerosol optical depth (AOD) over Lahore (5.2 %), Delhi (9 %), Kanpur (10.7 %), and Gandhi College (22.7 %) and a decrease over Karachi (- 1.9 %) and Jaipur (- 0.5 %). The most stable meteorology with high values of lower-tropospheric stability (LTS) is found in both seasons over Karachi. In the summer season, the occurrence frequency of clouds is high (74 %) over Gandhi College, 60 % of which are PCs. Conversely, the lowest number of PCs is found over Karachi. Similarly, in the winter season, the frequency of cloud occurrence is low over Karachi and high over Lahore and Gandhi College. The analysis of cloud top pressure (CTP) and cloud optical thickness (COT) indicates high values of cloud fraction (CF) for thick and high-level clouds over all study areas except Karachi. The microphysical properties such as cloud effective radius (CER) and cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) bear high values (CER ≳ 15 µm and CDNC ≳ 50 cm -3) for both NPCs and PCs in summer. The AOD–CER correlation is good (weak) for PCs (NPCs) in winter. Similarly, the sensitivity value of the first indirect effect (FIE) is high (ranging from 0.2 ± 0.13 to 0.3 ± 0.01 in winter and from 0.19 ± 0.03 to 0.32 ± 0.05 in summer) for PCs and low for NPCs. The sensitivity value for the second indirect effect (SIE) is relatively higher (such as 0.6 ± 0.14 in winter and 0.4 ± 0.04 in summer) than FIE. Sensitivity values of the aerosol–cloud interaction (ACI) are low (i.e., - 0.06 ± 0.09) for PCs in summer. Furthermore, the precipitation rate (PR) exhibits high values in the summer season, primarily due to the significant contribution from optically thick clouds with lower CDNC (≲ 50 cm -3) and larger CER and the intermediate contribution from optically thick clouds with higher CDNC (≳ 50 cm -3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microparticles of anthropogenic origin, such as microplastics and microfibers, are pervasive pollutants in the marine environment of the world. These microparticles pollute water and can be ingested by biota; however, while microplastics are often monitored, very few studies focus on microfibers. Coastal areas, such as beaches, are more vulnerable to pollution due to their location between terrestrial and marine environments and their recreational and touristic functions. In this study, microparticle occurrence frequency was investigated along the Calabria coast, Italy, in one touristic beach in comparison with an unpopular one. High amounts of microparticles of anthropogenic origin were found in all sediment samples, despite the evident different tourist exploitation of the two examined beaches. Sediments of the most touristic beach had values between 729.5 ± 212.3 and 1327 ± 125.8 items/kg, instead, the less popular beach between 606.3 ± 102.8 and 1116.5 ± 226.9 items/kg (average and st. dev). Microparticle abundance varied before and after the touristic summer season, increasing in the most popular beach and decreasing in the unpopular one. Differences in microparticle abundance between foreshore and backshore were present too; however, statistical analyses did not show evident relations between microparticle abundance and the distance from the see. Grain size influenced the abundance of microparticles in sediments. Our results improve knowledge on microparticle pollution in marine environments, highlighting information about micropollution in coastal areas. Future studies are needed to understand better microparticle dynamics and ecological impacts in marine and terrestrial systems, implementing new strategies to monitor pollution state, enhancing the natural intermediate environments, and providing useful and sustainable measure of conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to study the seasonal impact on pollutant removal efficiency of constructed wetland (CW) units which treat domestic wastewater in the region of Rabat, Morocco. In this context, four vertical flow-constructed wetlands (VFCWs) were investigated for one year. Each CW unit has a surface area of 1m² and a depth of 60 cm. The difference between the units is the vegetation. The experiments are conducted on a laboratory scale and outdoors, to investigate also the direct effect of the climate. The purpose is to investigate the CWs performances with two different plant species (Phragmites Australis and Arundo Donax) and plant arrangements (mono-culture and poly-cultures). Since the region of Rabat has a semi-arid climate, plants behave during seasonal changes was explored. The elimination of organic matters showed a seasonal variation in the CW systems, with higher rates during the hot season and lower rates during the cold ones. Planted systems outperformed the unplanted system and the polyculture system was the most effective, reaching removal rates of 99.47%, 99.58%, and 85.64%, for, COD, BOD5, and TSS in the summer season where the temperature reaches its maximum promoting plant growth as well as microbial activity. Anyhow, results showed that the VFCWs used in this study are a successful technology for the region that is cost-effective and requires low energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on situational crisis communication theory, this study designs a research framework to identify differences in crisis communication practises on beach hotel websites in different Adriatic countries and between three consecutive summer seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative inductive content analysis of official pandemic-related guidelines/recommendations from national and international competent organizations was carried out. Subsequently, an overlooked repeated measures design with deductive quantitative content analysis of crisis communications on hotel websites during the three summer seasons was conducted. Employing the McNemar test, the Cochran's Q-test and Friedman test with post-hoc comparisons, it was discovered that (1) beside the bolstering strategy, the new 'ignore strategy' of crisis communication was also identified, which has many implications, (2) communication of anti-COVID-19 measures is statistically significant and relatively strongly associated with the country in which hotels are located, and (3) the number of different announcements on anti-COVID-19 measures is significantly different only between two seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construal level theory states that the psychological distance to events and objects affects their construal level. But how do humans get to the psychological distance in the first place? We argue that language plays a key role. Communicating a distance typically requires a particular measurement unit, and the distance and its resolution affect the perceived psychological distance. There is an important difference between an invitation to a wedding on August 3rd and next summer. To substantiate our claims, we replicate the BIF task (n = 358) and the open-ended activity descriptions (n = 357) from Liberman and Trope (1998), and the concreteness in New York Times articles (n = 15,075) from Bhatia and Walasek (2016). We show the added value in understanding the effect of communicating distances, spotlighting its relevance for academic work that studies construal based on language or uses construal to explain further social situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of Photovoltaic-double skin facade (Photovoltaic-DSF) system in summer has been critical. Owing to high solar ingress, cooling requirement of a building significantly increases. Photovoltaic-DSF system provides a shield and controls the heat gain through fenestration in the interior spaces. In the present article, mathematical correlations are developed for energy characterization of forced-ventilated Photovoltaic-DSF system in India's hot summer zone i.e. Jaipur. The Photovoltaic-DSF system has been installed and monitored for Jaipur's summer months (May to July). L25 Orthogonal array of design parameters (air cavity thickness, air velocity, and PV panel's transparency) and their respective levels have been developed using Taguchi design to perform experiments. Based on experimental results, multiple linear regression has been used to forecast solar heat gain coefficient, PVs electrical power and daylighting illuminance indoors as function of design factors. The statistical significance of mathematical relationships is sorted by variance analysis, which is found to be in good accord with field measurements (R² > 0.90). The proposed correlations are pragmatic in designing Photovoltaic-DSF systems for hot summer conditions. The Photovoltaic-DSF system with 30% transmittance and air velocity of 5 metres per second in 200 mm air cavity thickness achieved maximum energy performance in hot summers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of rising greenhouse gas concentrations, our study investigates the intricate regional dynamics of hydrological responses across three vital river basins of the Western Ghats of India. Employing advanced eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) ensemble models based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) data, the article explores the anticipated changes in the climate variables under two future scenarios. The findings reveal a compelling narrative of temperature fluctuations, with increased warming in future decades from November to June ushering in warmer winters and extended summer seasons. These climatic shifts carry profound implications for rainfall patterns, potentially disrupting rainfall during the pivotal months of June and July up to the decade 2030s, with a more pronounced increase in the Purna River Basin (PRB) after the decade 2050s. The projected future climate scenarios indicate that the Vamanapuram River Basin (VRB) and PRB will experience contrasting patterns of dry and wet events, with the VRB facing severe to extreme dry and the PRB witnessing increased moderate to extreme wet events under high-emission scenarios. Additionally, the PRB may experience the paradox of increasing wetness and aridity. These insights provide crucial guidance for policy formulation and adaptation measures to safeguard agriculture and other vital sectors in the face of evolving climate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Length‐weight relationships are useful for stock assessments and modeling alternative conservation and management strategies for both native and non‐native fishes. We developed length‐weight relationships for 18 native and non‐native riverine fishes in the lower Red River catchment. Fishes were sampled in the summer and autumn seasons between May 2021 and March 2024 via electrofishing and gill nets. Measurements for each specimen consisted of total length (mm) and weight (g). We provide L‐W relationships for 14 native fishes consisting of 5 families (Lepisosteidae, Catostomidae, Ictaluridae, Sciaenidae, and Polyodontidae) and 4 non‐native species belonging to the family Cyprinidae. We collected 6,845 individuals ranging from 67 alligator gar to 1,848 smallmouth buffalo. All the L‐W relationships were significant (p < 0.05), and the majority (72% of species) of relationships between length and weight had r2 values > 0.70. Our findings provide insight into the L‐W relationships of riverine fishes and can be useful for modeling alternatives targeted at native fishes of recreational value and the removal efforts of non‐native fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]