Low-energy hip fractures (HFs) and distal radius fractures (DRFs) are common orthopedic injuries. Although winter increases same-level, low-energy fall rates, the role of specific weather variables, and whether these effects differ by age or fracture type, remains unclear. To evaluate weekly association between weather conditions and HF and DRF incidence over eight-years using age-stratified statistical models. Retrospective review of 1882 HF and 444 DRF patients presenting to a single Level 1 trauma center from January 2017-March 2025. Daily local weather data were merged with injury dates and aggregated into weekly counts. Separate negative binomial regression models were run by fracture type and age group to evaluate associations between weekly mean temperature, relative humidity, rainy days, snow days, and near-freezing days and fracture incidence. Weather-fracture relationships varied by age and fracture type. For HFs, rain days correlated with higher incidence in older and geriatric adults, while snow days were strongest in younger adults. For DRFs, rain and snow days increased incidence in both age groups, especially < 65 years. Higher relative humidity was protective in the oldest DRF cohort. Temperature showed a weak association with increased DRF incidence in younger adults and decreased HF incidence in younger adults. Specific meteorologic conditions, not just seasons, were meaningfully associated with fracture incidence, with effects differing by age and fracture type. Age-stratified weather models may improve orthopedic preparedness, resource allocation, and fall-prevention strategies. As climate change increases precipitation variability and freeze-thaw cycles, weather-fracture associations become important for planning and prevention.
This study introduces a beamforming framework based on physics-informed deep-learning for phased array weather radar systems, with particular emphasis on configurations involving a large number of antenna elements. The proposed approach is designed to achieve both high computational efficiency and reliable weather target detection. Physical constraints governing array behavior are explicitly embedded into the learning process by means of a tailored loss function that minimizes the mismatch between the predicted array output and a predefined reference response. To assess the effectiveness of the physics-informed deep neural network (PIDNN) beamformer, its performance is evaluated against two classical neural network architectures commonly used in the computer science domain and also represent two different learning-based alternatives: a shallow radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) and a deeper convolutional neural network (CNN). Simulation results demonstrate that the PIDNN consistently outperforms these models in terms of beamforming accuracy and computational time. Furthermore, the practical applicability of the proposed method is verified using real-world measurements acquired from the phased array weather radar operated at Osaka University (PAR@OU). The experimental results confirm that the PIDNN enables rapid and accurate reflectivity estimation while exhibiting superior clutter suppression compared with the other methods.
American Indian infants have heightened rates of low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) in the United States. This study aims to evaluate variation by maternal age in racial disparities in these outcomes, indicative of birth risk weathering. Potential mechanisms of these disparities are also considered. We conducted a cross-sectional study of births occurring between 2014 and 2022 to Montana residents who self-identified as non-Hispanic White (NHW) or American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), using Montana birth certificate data. Logistic regression models were used to examine mediators of the association between AI/AN identity and experiencing a PTB (< 37 weeks gestation) and LBW outcome (< 2500 g at birth). Age-interactions tested the weathering hypothesis of maternal age variation in health disparities among AI/AN people. Four mediator variables were considered: pregnancy health risk, adequacy of prenatal care, distance to deliver, and prenatal smoking. Findings indicate that AI/AN individuals had heightened rates of PTB and LBW relative to NHWs (41% and 15% higher odds, respectively). Disparities are larger at older ages. The indirect effects of pregnancy health risk, adequacy of prenatal care, distance to deliver, and prenatal smoking partially explains the association between AI identity and outcomes; but age-graded disparities persist, particularly for PTB. Findings illustrate the importance of addressing maternal social determinants of health that may increase stress during the perinatal period, including by addressing barriers to accessing culturally responsive and safe prenatal care.
Regulators and voluntary corporate sustainability efforts are increasingly adopting time-matching requirements (TMRs) for clean electricity procurement for large loads, such as data centers, and electricity-intensive fuel production, such as hydrogen. We use a stochastic capacity expansion model (CEM) framework to assess how interannual weather variability affects the cost and emissions impact of procurement-driven infrastructure to meet annual and hourly TMRs using the case study of a grid-connected hydrogen producer in Texas. Our approach, which relies on co-optimizing investments and hourly operations over nine weather scenarios, reveals that hourly TMR comes at a higher cost premium compared to annual TMR than previously estimated by single-scenario deterministic modeling, while emissions outcomes remain directionally consistent. Demand flexibility and partial hourly TMR (80-90%) lowers the cost premium while preserving emissions benefits. We further examine how binding renewable portfolio standards (RPS) interact with TMR costs and emissions outcomes. When an RPS is applied to non-H2 electricity demand, annual TMR reduces emissions comparably to hourly TMR at a lower cost. Incorporating H2-related electricity demand directly into the RPS constraint, rather than imposing a separate TMR, achieves similar emissions outcomes at still lower cost, suggesting that TMR-based clean electricity procurement─particularly hourly matching─offers limited additional value in regions with stringent grid decarbonization policies.
Passive radiative cooling effectively reduces energy consumption but often suffers from winter overcooling. To address this challenge, we report a bioinspired rhombic-patterned vanadium dioxide (VO2) metasurface intelligent thermal radiative device (RITD) for self-adaptive all-weather building thermal regulation. Through tailoring of the synergistic coupling between the metal-insulator transition (MIT) of VO2 and the multiple resonances of a Fabry-Pérot (F-P) cavity and subwavelength periodic VO2 arrays, the RITD achieves a dynamic emittance modulation (Δε) of 0.65 (from 0.27 to 0.92) within the atmospheric transparency window (8-14 μm). Crucially, the bioinspired architecture maintains a stable, low solar absorptance (αsol = 0.23), effectively suppressing excessive solar heating and thus maximizing the net cooling power during intense sunlight exposure. With a tungsten-doped tunable phase-transition threshold (25-68 °C), the RITD demonstrates a daytime subambient cooling of ∼14 °C and a nighttime heat retention of ∼3 °C above the ambient temperature. Building energy simulations across multiple Chinese cities reveal that RITD-integrated roofs deliver substantial annual energy savings by simultaneously addressing cooling demands in summer and insulation needs in winter. This mechanism-driven design provides a scalable and robust strategy for advancing zero-energy buildings and sustainable thermal management technologies.
With the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change, heat waves have emerged as a significant public health threat. To date, the potential effect of extreme heat wave events, particularly when combined with air pollution, remains poorly understood for pregnancy outcomes among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). A retrospective study included 15,198 women receiving ART and 7519 fresh embryo transfer cycles between 2020 to 2022 at the Reproductive Center of West China Second University Hospital in Chengdu, China. Heat wave, a climate change indicator for extreme temperature events, was calculated based on daily temperature during the period of 85 days prior to oocyte retrieval. All environmental exposure variables, including weather and pollution, were matched geospatially to day 0 to day 85 before oocyte retrieval. Generalized linear model (GLMM) were used to assess the association between environmental exposures and ART outcomes, with secondary analysis using interaction terms between heat waves and individual pollutants. Exposure to one heat wave event was positively correlated with the likelihood of becoming pregnant (+ 34.9% in univariate model and + 34.5% in multivariate model for heat wave events + 1 time) and this association was more pronounced in women under 35 years of age (+ 53.7% heat wave events + 1 time), while no statistical correlation was observed between exposure to two heat wave events and ART outcomes. Additionally, CO exhibited a significant negative association with biochemical pregnancy for women under 35 years old (-66.2% for CO + 1 mg/m3), and SO2 exhibited a significant negative association on biochemical pregnancy rate for women older than 35 years old (-6.5% for SO2 + 1 μg/m3). Results from the interaction model indicated that concurrent exposure to O3 and two heat wave events was statistical associated with clinical pregnancy (OR = 3.77). Findings from this study suggest that heat waves could be an important climatic indicator that reflects the impact of extreme weather on pregnancy outcomes among women receiving ART treatment. The synergy between exposure to extreme temperatures and air pollution could be further analyzed to provide deeper insight into the environmental impact on reproductive health.
Hyperodapedontine rhynchosaurs, a group of specialized herbivorous archosauromorphs, are restricted to the Late Triassic Lower Maleri Formation of the Pranhita-Godavari (P-G) basin, India and their remains are found mostly within the thick red mudstone unit, calcirudite and mixed mud-sand lithologies. A good number of specimens (~ 210) of these rhynchosaurs, belonging to a minimum of 30 individuals, had been collected historically since 1960s, dominantly from six key accumulation sites near Kothapalle, Bheemini, Narlapuram, Venkatapur, Achlapur and Rampur, Telangana, India. Classical taphonomic studies on these specimens indicated highly fragmentary, transported, weathered and altered bones. This implied significant effects of high energy fluvial transportation on the bones, punctuated by episodes of long subaerial exposures in floodplains. Here, multivariate and spatial statistics have been employed to objectively infer a compact taphonomic framework, conduct a robust taphofacies analysis and precisely reconstruct the palaeoenvironment for the entire rhynchosaur assemblage of the Lower Maleri Formation, P-G basin. Five taphofacies and three taphofacies-lithofacies association (TL1, TL2, TL3) are derived from the combined analyses. TL1 is the dominant association, with a mix of articulated and weathered remains preserved within intercalated parallel-laminated and massive sandstone, indicating considerable transport followed by rapid burial, accompanying the waning of high-energy pulses. TL2 is characterized by fragmented and abraded bones preserved in a finely laminated and stratified mudstone, with occasionally articulated elements, indicating deposition from waning floodwaters in abandoned channel settings. TL3 represents the inter-flood stability phase, where prolonged subaqueous exposure and low sedimentation rates facilitated biological encrustation and early cementation.
Extreme weather poses threats to human health. Island communities are especially at risk of compounding disasters. This study assessed the prevalence of post-hurricane-related flooding and essential services disruptions among women with gynecological cancer in Puerto Rico and how these stressors impacted their quality of life (QoL). Interview-administered surveys to women with gynecological cancer (n = 271) were conducted between 2019-2020 to gather sociodemographic, clinical, service disruption, and QoL data (physical and mental health) at three time points. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models with Difference-in-Differences (DiD) interaction terms were used to isolate the effect of hurricane-related stressors on changes in each QoL outcome across time among women with gynecological cancer. Participants' mean age was 58.9 years (SD±13.2), and 62.8% lived below the poverty level (<$20,000). After the hurricane, most participants reported service disruption of waste (57.1%) and debris (55.6%) collection, telecommunications (76.8%), water (85.9%) and electricity (100%). After adjusting for covariates and considering interaction terms, compared to the pre-hurricane period, individual hurricane-related stressors affected at least one health outcome in each QoL domain. Those who experienced compound stressors were more likely to report frequent mental distress (AOR:1.38, CI:1.07,1.80) and frequent activity limitations (AOR:1.55, CI:1.22, 1.98), compared with those who did not experience compounded stressors. Addressing the impact of extreme weather events on health outcomes is vital for island communities. Immediate action and improvements in health services and public infrastructure are needed to support cancer care and mitigate the impact of hurricane-related disruptions on the QoL of cancer survivors.
Although back pain is common among horticulture workers, effective prevention and management strategies are lacking. The first phase of a study using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment Framework is described with aims to characterize stakeholder perceptions of: 1) the need to address back pain, 2) attitudes towards pain medication including opioids, 3) contextual factors, and 4) preferences for training related to musculoskeletal injury prevention. In-depth interviews were completed in English or Spanish (n = 14) with consultants, owners, supervisors, and workers and in English or Spanish. Transcripts were recorded, transcribed, and coded, followed by qualitative inductive-deductive thematic analysis. While back pain is widespread, productivity requirements and working through pain may lead to de-emphasizing awareness and practices to prevent and manage back pain. Nursery and landscape workers tend to work regardless of pain, often using over-the-counter pain relievers to get through the day. Use of pain medication is seldom discussed, including risks of opioids and owners and consultants were hesitant to provide Naloxone in the workplace. Non-modifiable but variable contextual factors to consider when designing training are seasons and weather, type of horticulture, business models, productivity goals, and income needs. Training, policies, administrative controls, and worker knowledge and attitudes towards pain are potentially modifiable. Most current training is informal and on-the-job, and supervisors play a critical intermediary role. Integrating training into current work practices could minimize reductions in work time. Proactive interventions to limit and manage back pain and increase awareness of medication risks are needed for horticulture workers. Themes will be useful to design horticulture-specific training: 1) variability in contextual factors (weather, seasons, business models) requires training options that can be used at down-times and in different locations, 2) productivity drivers and worker tendencies to work through pain to protect their income require short, practical strategies and training without disrupting workflow, and appropriate messaging, 3) need for a supportive workplace culture, and 4) importance of involving supervisors. The non-modifiable and modifiable contextual findings from this study will be helpful for designing prevention training in the horticulture industry and could potentially apply to other outdoor physically challenging occupations.
Nanofiltration (NF) is an effective barrier for removing nanoplastics (NPs) from water. However, NPs can deposit on the membrane surface and remain even after backwash, altering surface properties and reducing filtration performance. In this study, laser-induced breakdown detection (LIBD) is coupled in-line with a bench-scale NF system to quantify the deposition and release of polystyrene (PS) particles and weathered NPs at environmentally relevant concentrations (1-500 µg/L; 107-109 particles/mL). Particle deposition during filtration and release during backwash were successfully determined in all experiments, supported by theoretical analysis of the interplay between hydrodynamic and intermolecular forces. At permeate fluxes higher than 100 L/m2.h, 50-100% of PS particles were deposited by the end of filtration experiments, forming cake layers up to 9 particle diameters thick. In contrast, weak permeate drag forces corresponding to fluxes below 50 L/m2.h (i.e., just beyond the critical flux) resulted in insignificant deposition. Backwash fluxes from 15 to 57 L/m2.h exhibited negligible differences in the release of deposited particles owing to only a little increase in backwash drag force. Two mechanisms were observed for the release of NPs during backwash: i) complete release in small circular areas (diameter ≤2 µm) for thin deposits and ii) fracturing of the cake layer for thick deposits. For weathered NPs, irreversible deposition on the membrane surface was observed, although potential particle aggregation and polydispersity must be accounted for to obtain truly quantitative results. The successful quantification of particle deposition and release showcases LIBD as an effective method for fundamental investigations on NP transport during membrane filtration.
The utilization of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in search and rescue (SAR) operations has become increasingly prevalent because the deployment of UAVs is expected to facilitate a higher degree of operational flexibility while simultaneously reducing costs. Currently, commercially available UAVs can be equipped with low-resolution thermal infrared (IR) cameras with typical resolutions of 640 × 512 pixels, which generally are evaluated manually by the SAR teams during an operation. Automatic person detection in IR images still remains a challenge. The objective of the proposed AIResQ dataset is to significantly enhance the performance of object detectors in the IR domain, employed in SAR operations for missing and potentially injured persons. AIResQ comprises 9,788 IR images with a resolution of up to 2048 × 1536 pixels captured from drone perspectives with a handheld camera under varying weather conditions and in different terrains. Additionally, AIResQ displays persons in atypical poses. In order to test new object detectors in the context of SAR, we established a benchmark dataset stemming from exercises with real drone flights together with SAR organizations.
The study addresses the urgent need to evaluate groundwater security in a fast-growing megacity challenged by complex geogenic and anthropogenic threats. Thus, the main objective was to study the occurrence, geochemical behavior and radiation risk of radium isotopes (226Ra and 228Ra) and heavy metal contamination in groundwater samples of Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Hydrochemical analysis showed that reverse ion-exchange and silicate weathering control the groundwater chemistry rather than evaporation trends. Heavy metals were at low-to-medium levels of pollution according to the contamination index (Cd); however, the Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI) identifies isolated areas of significant contamination. Notably, mercury (average 1.97 ± 0.16 µg L-1) exceeds safety thresholds. The 3H activities suggested that the groundwater was young and hosted in unconsolidated sand-rock aquifers radiologically. Combined radium activities were above the USEPA threshold (0.185 Bq L-1) and 226Ra, 228Ra and 40K were above WHO guidelines, with higher 228Ra activity. The spatial distribution analysis showed relatively higher radium enrichment in the northern and north-eastern parts of the studied area. Radium mobilization was governed by the reduced adsorption capacity controlled by ambient redox conditions, elemental concentrations, and the natural processes such as α-recoil, mineral dissolution and desorption from aquifer materials. The annual effective doses were higher than the WHO limits and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) indicates 228Ra as the main radiological risk. Broader implications highlight significant, interrelated geochemical and radiological health risks to Dhaka's water supply. These results give crucial details for the sustainable management of groundwater operations, especially in areas where groundwater resources are limited.
Weakening polar temperature gradients are associated with increasingly persistent weather patterns, increasing the risk of extreme environmental events. While disturbances, such as marine heat waves, have received growing attention, others, including negative sea level anomalies, remain understudied. Prolonged and extreme low-water conditions can impose strong physiological stress on coastal organisms and alter community structure, yet such events lack a consistent operational definition, limiting their detection and assessment. Here, we define and quantify extreme negative sea level anomalies, termed Dry Tides, as anomalous (below the 10th percentile of historical records) and prolonged (> 5 days) water level depressions that restrict submersion of intertidal and shallow subtidal organisms. Using a global analysis of tidal gauge records from 25 locations, we show that Dry Tides occur worldwide but are most frequent and intense in microtidal and semi-enclosed systems. These events typically last one to 2 weeks, with extreme cases up to 97 days and reaching amplitude depressions of up to 37% of the local tidal range. Contrary to expectations based on trends in other climate-related disturbances, we detect no consistent increase in Dry Tide frequency or intensity over the past three decades, which, together with their dependence on tidal regime, suggests that Dry Tides arise from interacting physical drivers rather than a single cause. We discuss the ecological relevance of Dry Tides in light of existing ecological literature, provide tools for their identification using local tide-gauge databases, and highlight priorities for integrating physical and ecological observations to better assess their impacts under ongoing climate change.
Previous studies up to early 2000s found that leptospirosis incidence in humans was high across the Caribbean region (CR), yet up-to-date and reliable surveillance data are scarce. Limited research capacity in the region has further contributed to less robust characterisation of transmission drivers, perpetuating a cycle of neglect. To address these gaps and support evidence-based public health responses, this study aims to update incidence estimates in the CR by integrating data from multiple data sources, including peer-reviewed publications, surveillance reports and environmental and sociodemographic datasets. We used mixed-effects hierarchical negative binomial models at the country/territory-year level, incorporating covariates (precipitation, temperature, gross domestic product, biodiversity loss, human footprint, population density, populations exposed to crop areas and frequency of extreme weather events) to estimate annual case numbers by country/territory. Temporal patterns in case fatality rate (CFR) were modelled using locally estimated scatterplot smoothing regressions. Between 2001 and 2023, we estimated 38,659 (95%CI 26,006-56,527) cases in the region. Annual incidence (cases/100,000 population) with small- to medium-sized population islands exhibiting the highest estimated incidence (Guadeloupe 23.0 (95%CI 17.2-30.3) and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 21.3 (95%CI 11.3-36.0)). Estimated CFR increased over the study period, from 8.8% (95%CI 4.1-13.4) in 2001 to 12.2% (2.2-22.2 in 2022). Leptospirosis remains an important public health concern in the CR, where small island developing states bear a disproportionate burden of the disease. These findings underscore the urgent need for strengthening surveillance systems and laboratory capacity in the region, particularly in small states, to provide accurate data to prioritise public health and environmental health interventions to reduce transmission and improve diagnosis and treatment.
Rheumatic diseases pose a significant challenge in Uganda, where access to care is limited. Patient self-management is an effective strategy for improving health outcomes. In collaboration with The Arthritis Association of Uganda (TAAU), a patient-led organization, we developed and piloted a virtual patient education series to support self-management. We hypothesized that it would be feasible and acceptable, and that we could collect measures regarding readiness for self-management and disease-related knowledge. With input from TAAU, four sessions were developed: Introduction to Arthritis, Exercise & Nutrition, Women's Health & Rheumatic Disease, and Understanding My Disease & Rheumatology Medications. Adults receiving care at Mulago Hospital Rheumatology Clinic were invited to participate, and completed surveys assessing demographics, pre- and post-session self-management readiness via the Patient Activation Measure® (PAM®) and knowledge. Feasibility metrics were analyzed descriptively. Pre-post measures were evaluated using t-tests. On average, 21 participants attended each session (48 ± 14 years, 64% women). Diagnoses included rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, and psoriatic arthritis. 33 enrollment and 41 Exit Surveys were collected. Most participants reported finding the sessions useful and the virtual format acceptable. Challenges included language barriers, internet connectivity, loss of hardcopy surveys, and weather-related delays. Mean PAM® levels increased from 2.2 to 2.9 (p < 0.001). Knowledge scores also improved across sessions (0.95 to 2.24 out of 4, p < 0.001). This study demonstrates the feasibility and potential for virtual education to improve self-management and knowledge among patients with rheumatic diseases in Uganda. Future studies should address logistical challenges and assess long-term impacts. Key Points • A virtual patient education series focused on self-management, developed with patient input, was feasibility and acceptably implemented in a low-resource rheumatology clinic setting. • Measures regarding patient activation (readiness) for self-management and disease-related knowledge were successfully collected and preliminarily demonstrated improvement after the educational sessions. • Identified logistical challenges will help guide the future scale-up of self-management support interventions for patients with rheumatic disease in Uganda and similar low-resource settings.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a genetically diverse Andean crop valued for its nutrition and adaptability to varied agro-climatic conditions with potential for cultivation in European and Mediterranean, particularly on marginal lands. Low temperatures during early sowing can impair germination, while delayed sowing increases the risk of poor maturation due to unfavourable autumn weather. To assess the adaptation of quinoa to low-temperature conditions, that reflect cold stress, we evaluated germination and phenotypic variation in 60 accessions from highland and coastal ecotypes across three sowing dates in South-Western Germany: late winter (S1), early spring (S2) and spring (S3). Early sowing under low-temperature conditions in S1 delayed seedling-emergence and reduced emergence percentages, yet these plants produced the highest average seed yield per plot (64 g) compared to S2 (46 g) and S3 (35 g). Highland accessions showed earlier seedling-emergence and with higher emergence percentages, while coastal types matured earlier and gave higher yields across sowing dates. A complementary laboratory experiment assessed germination under cold (4.4°C) and control (18.3°C) conditions, using both manual scoring and image analysis via a Mask R Convolutional Neural Network, to track seedling growth. This confirmed the beneficial germination performance of highland accessions under low-temperature conditions, with strong agreement between manual and automated scoring. Our findings suggest that quinoa demonstrates resilience to cold stress with highland quinoa exhibiting superior germination traits, and early sowing, despite reduced emergence, can lead to higher yields. We conclude that combining favourable traits such as faster maturity and higher yield of coastal ecotypes with superior germination traits of highland accessions is a promising avenue for breeding improved quinoa varieties for cold-climatic regions.
Background: Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) levels and low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c)/ApoB ratio have emerged as potential more accurate markers of cardiovascular (CV) risk, than LDL-c concentration alone. However, prognostic values in predicting CV outcomes, including major adverse cardiac and limb events (MACE and MALE) in peripheral artery disease (PAD) remains to be elucidated. Aim is to assess weather correlations exist between lipid parameters and PAD outcomes. Patients and methods: Consecutive PAD patient's first visit data from the Peripheral ARTEry Disease (PARTED) registry (2022-2024) were analysed. Demographic, clinical variables, and lipid parameters (LDL-c, Lp(a) and ApoB concentrations) were collected at time of inclusion. PAD patients were stratified in tertiles based on LDLc/ApoB ratio values. MACE and MALE outcomes arising prior to study inclusion were evaluated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: A total of 339 chronic PAD patients were included. Mage was 71 years, 68% were males. M LDL-c concentration was 1.9 mmol/L, and only 27% of patients were on target (LDL-c ≤ 1.4 mmol/L). Significant association with prior MACE was found in the lowest and intermediate LDL-c/ApoB tertile group (low: OR 2.09, C-I 1.04-4.21, p < .05; intermediate: OR 2.06, C-I 1.04-4.09, p < .05) while no significant association was found between past MACE and LDL-c or ApoB tertiles. Conclusions: Lower LDL-c/ApoB ratios (LAR) remained associated with prior MACE after multivariable adjustment, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive lipid profile assessment. Whether LAR tracks with treatment intensification or retains associative value with historical events needs to be clarified.
Fire-induced reductions in biomass limit the likelihood of reburning during early vegetation recovery in several crown-fire ecosystems; however, it is unclear how this negative fire-fuel feedback will buffer the rising fire activity expected with climate change. Although the feedback weakens with increasing time since the last fire and with increasing fire-weather severity, how the spatial configuration of fuel influences fire-return intervals remains unknown. Using a detailed 204-y fire history reconstruction along a 300-km longitudinal transect in eastern Canadian boreal forests, we show that interior areas of large fires (>8 km from the fire edge) are much less likely to reburn at short intervals than edges (<2 km from the edge), indicating a strengthening of the feedback within large burns. This process results in fewer fires in immature stands that are vulnerable to poor tree regeneration, thus conferring substantial resistance against compositional changes. However, the reduction in short-interval fires also fosters the development of large patches of mature forest that become extremely fire-prone after 4 to 5 decades and thereby predisposes landscapes to recurrent large fires. This study highlights an overlooked mechanism by which increases in fire size due to climate change may expose boreal forests of eastern Canada to large fires burning at longer intervals rather than to more frequent short-interval fires, which should sustain their capacity to recover.
The evolution of plant genomics has been shaped by several pioneering milestones, beginning with the introduction of restriction fragment length polymorphism-based genetic linkage maps in the mid-1980s. Among the global contributors, Prof. Chittaranjan Kole stands as a distinguished figure whose work fundamentally shifted the trajectory of plant genomics and molecular breeding. This tribute highlights his scientific journey and groundbreaking contributions, from being the first Indian scientist to physically map and sequence a plant gene in barley to establishing the foundations of molecular cytogenetics, comparative genomics, and molecular evolution and phylogenetic relationships in plants. His landmark research on Brassica genomics, including high-resolution mapping, Mendelization of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), and innovative use of recombinant inbred lines, enabled unprecedented insights into trait evolution, stress biology, and genome homology between Brassica species and Arabidopsis. Prof. Kole's work on mapping genes and QTLs associated with flowering time, biotic stress resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and genome evolution has provided a framework now integral to marker-assisted selection, genomic breeding, and climate-resilient crop development. This article offers a scholarly reflection on his pioneering contributions, establishing Prof. Kole as a founding architect of plant genomics research in India and one of its most influential contributors globally. This article discusses the life and achievements of Prof. Chittaranjan Kole, a world‐renowned scientist in plant genetics referred to as the “Father of Plant Genomics in India.” Prof. Kole was able to revolutionize agriculture through the application of “genomics,” or the study of an entire plant's code of genes, to learn how plants grow and live. Prof. Kole was also the first Indian scientist to physically map out and read the chemical code in a plant gene, specifically in barley plants. This was significant because it provided a blueprint on how scientists could identify important genes in plants. This was particularly significant in improving “Brassica” plants like mustard and cabbage because he was able to identify genes that protect plants from harmful diseases like “white rust,” as well as genes that allow plants to survive harsh weather conditions in winter. By discovering these “markers,” Prof. Kole was able to develop a system where plant breeders could select the best seedlings without having to wait for them to fully grow, a system that is now essential in developing plants that can withstand the effects of climate variabilities. Prof. Kole was also able to develop “agri‐nanotechnology” to improve crop production and establish international organizations to facilitate cooperation among scientists worldwide to address food security issues. Prof. Kole's decades‐long research in plant genetics were able to transform agriculture from traditional farming to a high‐tech “precision breeding.”.
Dynamics associated with the expanding Hadley Circulation (HC) are gaining attention owing to their far-reaching consequences on tropical and subtropical weather and climate. In the present communication, the co-variability of ascending and descending regions of the HC at regional scales is investigated. The results from four decades of ERA-5 reanalysis emphatically show that the ascending and descending regions of the HC move in tandem with profound zonal asymmetry in their degree of co-variability, and their long-term trends show similar signs with notable differences in magnitude. In more than half of the longitudinal sectors, the relative movement between the ascending and descending boundaries of each hemisphere is in unison. At this juncture, where there are debates on the causative mechanism for the observed expansion of HC as well as their zonal asymmetries, the present results provide new insights into the regional HC dynamics by emphasizing the coherent variations of ascending and descending regions of the HC at regional scales for the first time. The results discussed in the study will be useful for identifying differences in the regional forcing of HC expansion and for quantifying the regional expansion rates of both ascending and descending regions of the HC.