Search Results (2,075)

Mountain ecosystems, such as Nepal’s Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), are highly vulnerable to climate change, which threatens biodiversity, water resources, and livelihoods. This study examines Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI), climate variability, and community perception and adaptations over a 35-year period (1988–2023) using remote sensing, meteorological data, and community surveys. Vegetation expanded by 19,800 hectares, while barren land declined, reflecting afforestation and land reclamation efforts. NDVI showed improved vegetation health, while NDSI revealed significant snow cover losses, particularly after 1996. Meteorological analysis highlighted intensifying monsoonal rainfall and rising extreme precipitation events at lower elevations. Communities reported increased flooding, unpredictable rainfall, and reduced snowfall, driving adaptive responses such as water conservation, crop diversification, and rainwater harvesting. These findings demonstrate the value of integrating scientific data with local knowledge to inform sustainable adaptation strategies. Contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 13, the findings emphasize the importance of adaptive water management, resilient agriculture, and participatory conservation to enhance climate resilience in mountain ecosystems. Full article

(1) Background: According to the IUCN, Boswellia pirottae is classified as a vulnerable species. However, knowledge of its seed characteristics and germination behaviour is lacking. (2) Methods: The aim of this research was to characterise the seeds and evaluate the effects of seed colour and controlled temperatures on seed germination. The seeds were segregated into the following colour categories: light brown (LB), brown (B), and dark brown (DB). The seeds were evaluated under controlled constant temperatures (23 °C) and at room (fluctuating) temperature independently. One-way ANOVA, t-test, and germination indexes were used for analyses. (3) Results: The results showed significant differences in the mean seed masses of LB, B, and DB seeds. Similarly, the differently coloured seeds varied in their water imbibition rates. The result showed significant differences in the mean germination of the seeds in both the controlled temperature (23 °C) and room-temperature chambers among the LB, B, and DB seeds. However, the t-test revealed no significant differences in the mean germination of the seeds of similar colours between controlled temperature and room temperature conditions. (4) Conclusions: The seed’s colour significantly influenced the seed mass, water imbibition capacity, and germination rate relative to the temperature treatment. Dark brown seeds are recommended for seed collection aimed at seedling propagation. Full article

This study is based on the stock returns of 11 subindustry markets in the international clean energy market from 2010 to 2024 and constructs a skewed t distribution dynamic factor copula model. The time-varying load factor is used to characterize the correlation between a single subindustry market and the entire system, and the joint probability of distress is calculated as a measure of the overall level of systemic risk. Two indicators, Systemic Vulnerability Degree and Systemic Importance Degree, are introduced to evaluate the vulnerability of a single subindustry market in systemic risk and its contribution to systemic risk. A conditional risk-spillover index is constructed to measure the risk-spillover level between subindustry markets. This method fully considers the individual differences and inherent correlations of the international clean energy market subsectors, as well as the fat tail and asymmetry of returns, thus capturing more information and more timely information. This study found that the correlation between subindustry markets changes over time, and during the crisis, the market correlation shows a significant upward trend. In the measurement of the overall level of systemic risk, the joint probability of distress can identify the changes in systemic risk in the international clean energy market. The systemic risk of the international clean energy market presents the characteristics of rapid and multiple outbreaks, and the joint default risk probability of the whole system can exceed 0.6. The outbreak of systemic risk is closely related to a series of major international events, showing a strong correlation. In addition, the systemic vulnerability analysis found that the biofuel market has the lowest systemic vulnerability, and the advanced materials market has the highest vulnerability. The energy efficiency market is considered to be the most important market in the system. The advanced materials market and renewable energy market play a dominant role in the risk contribution to other markets, while the geothermal market, solar market, and wind energy market are net risk overflow parties in the tail risk impact, and the developer market and fuel cell market are net risk receivers. This study provides a theoretical basis for systemic risk management and ensuring the stability of the international clean energy market. Full article

The aim of the present study is to identify obesogenic environment profiles to find the obesogenic environment pattern for Belo Horizonte City. The current research followed the ecological approach and was substantiated by data from food shops, public sports venues, crime rates (homicides and robberies) and the rate of accidents with pedestrians. Descriptive analyses and principal component analysis (PCA) were conducted in Stata software, version 14.0. Georeferencing and map plotting were carried out in Qgis software, version 2.10. All neighborhoods in Belo Horizonte City (n = 486) were included in the study. The obesogenic pattern comprised the highest mean number of shops selling ultra-processed food, crime rates, and accidents with pedestrians. The generated latent variable was divided into tertiles, and the second and third tertiles represented the most obesogenic environments. Neighborhoods accounting for the highest obesogenic profile also recorded the largest number of shops selling all food types. Furthermore, neighborhoods in the third tertile recorded the highest mean income (BRL 2352.00) (p = 0.001) and the lowest Health Vulnerability Index (HVI = 54.2; p = 0.001). These findings point towards the need for developing actions, policies and programs to improve these environments, such as tax incentives to open healthy food retailers and public sports venues to promote healthier lifestyles and to prevent diseases in the middle and long term. Full article

Background/Objectives: Several social vulnerability index (SVI) components have been associated with adverse obstetrical outcomes and provider bias. The objective of this study is to assess whether betamethasone administration timing among patients at risk for preterm birth differs by social vulnerability index. Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study of pregnant people at a large academic healthcare system between January 2019 and January 2023. Patients with live singleton gestations at risk for preterm birth who received at least one dose of intramuscular betamethasone for fetal lung maturity from 22 to 34 weeks were included. Patients aged less than 18, who received late-preterm corticosteroids and/or had scheduled delivery at 34 weeks were excluded. We analyzed the association between patient SVI quartile and maternal demographic factors on betamethasone timing, with optimal timing defined as the receipt of two doses of betamethasone within 2 to 7 days of delivery. Results: 1686 patients met the inclusion criteria. Only 22.4% of patients had optimally timed betamethasone administration. Among those who did not receive optimal betamethasone timing, 360 patients delivered less than 48 h from the first dose and 948 delivered greater than 7 days from the first dose. Optimal betamethasone timing within 2 to 7 days of delivery was more common in patients with higher SVI values. Patients with lower social vulnerability were more likely to deliver greater than one week from betamethasone administration. Conclusions: Patients in higher SVI quartiles are more likely to have optimally timed betamethasone. This is likely attributed to overtreatment with betamethasone of less socially vulnerable populations. Full article

The rainfed cereal growing regions of Northern Kazakhstan experience significant yield fluctuations due to dependence on weather conditions. Early detection and monitoring of droughts is crucial for effective mitigation strategies in this region. This study emphasises the following objectives: (1) description of the current vegetation condition with a possible separation of short-term weather effects and (2) analysing trends of changes with their directionality and quantification. Terra MODIS satellite images from 2000 to 2023 are used. Differential indices—Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Vegetation Condition Index (VCI)—are used to determine the characteristics of each current season. A key component is the comparison of the current NDVI values with historical maximum, minimum, and average values to identify early indicators of drought. NDVI deviations from multiyear norms and VCI values below 0.3 visually reflect changing vegetation conditions influenced by seasonal weather patterns. The results show that the algorithm effectively detects early signs of drought through observed deviations in NDVI values, showing a trend towards increasing drought frequency and intensity in Northern Kazakhstan. The algorithm was particularly effective in detecting severe drought seasons in advance, as was the case in June 2010 and May 2012, thus supporting early recognition of drought onset. The Integrated Vegetation Index (IVI) and Integrated Vegetation Condition Index (IVCI) time series are used for integrated multiyear assessments, in analysing temporal changes in vegetation cover, determining trends in these changes, and ranking the weather conditions of each growing season in the multiyear series. Areas with high probability of drought based on low IVCI values are mapped. The present study emphasises the value of remote sensing as a tool for drought monitoring, offering timely and spatially detailed information on vulnerable areas. This approach provides critical information for agricultural planning, environmental management and policy making, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The study emphasises the importance of multiyear data series for accurate drought forecasting and suggests that this methodology can be adapted to other drought-sensitive regions. Emphasising the socio-economic benefits, this study suggests that the early detection of drought using satellite data can reduce material losses and facilitate targeted responses. Full article

Emotional dysregulation (ED) has not yet been defined as a clinical entity, although it plays an important role in child and adolescent psychopathology. It is a transdiagnostic construct defined as the inability to regulate the intensity and quality of emotions to produce an appropriate emotional response, to cope with excitability, mood instability, and emotional over-reactivity. The aim of this study is to assess, in a sample of female patients with internalizing disorders and suicidal behavior, the correlation between cognitive profile (assessed with Wechsler Scales) and the dimensions of emotion regulation assessed with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). We also investigated whether a discrepancy between the General Ability Index (GAI) and the Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI) could have predictive value for certain ED domains. Our results confirmed a statistically significant prediction of the ΔGAI-CPI for individual DERS domains and for the total (p = 0.014 for DERS-TOT, p = 0.04 for GOALS, p = 0.002 for STRATEGIES and p = 0.015 for CLARITY); furthermore, IAG and PRI correlate with worse ability to find ER strategies (p = 0.04, p = 0.010). These results suggest the importance of examining the impact of cognitive vulnerabilities on the ability to manage emotions and psychopathology in general, even with normal FSIQ/GAI. Full article

Landslides are among the most serious and frequent environmental disasters, involving the fall of large masses of rock and soil that can significantly impact human structures and inhabited areas. Anticipating these events is crucial to reduce risks through real-time monitoring of areas at risk during extreme weather events, such as heavy rains, allowing for early warnings. This study aims to develop a methodology to enhance the prediction of landslide susceptibility, creating a more reliable system for early identification of risk areas. Our project involves creating a model capable of quickly predicting the susceptibility index of specific areas in response to extreme weather events. We represent the terrain using cellular automata and implement a random forest model to analyze and learn from weather patterns. Providing data with high spatial accuracy is vital to identify vulnerable areas and implement preventive measures. The proposed method offers an early warning mechanism by comparing the predicted susceptibility index with the current one, allowing for the issuance of alarms for the entire observed area. This early warning mechanism can be integrated into existing emergency protocols to improve the response to natural disasters. We applied this method to the area of Prunella, a small village in the municipality of Melito di Porto Salvo, known for numerous historical landslides. This approach provides an early warning mechanism, allowing for alarms to be issued for the entire observed area, and it can be integrated into existing emergency protocols to enhance disaster response. Full article

The southeastern hilly region of China is ecologically significant but highly vulnerable to climate change and human activities. This study developed a Modified Remote Sensing Ecological Index (MRSEI) using satellite imagery and Human Footprint data to assess ecological quality across 14 cities surrounding the Wuyi Mountains. We applied Sen’s slope analysis, the Mann–Kendall test, and spatial autocorrelation to evaluate spatiotemporal ecological changes from 2000 to 2020, and used partial correlation analysis to explore the drivers of these changes. The main findings are as follows: (1) Ecological quality generally improved over the study period, with significant year-to-year fluctuations. The eastern region, characterized by higher altitudes, consistently exhibited better ecological quality than the western region. The area of low-quality ecological zones significantly decreased, while Ji’an, Ganzhou, Heyuan, and Meizhou saw the most notable improvements. In contrast, urban areas experienced a marked decline in ecological quality. (2) The region is undergoing warming and wetting trends. Increased precipitation, especially in the western and northern regions, improved ecological quality, except in urban areas, where it heightened flood risks. Rising temperatures had mixed effects: they enhanced ecological quality in high-altitude areas (~516 m) but negatively impacted low-altitude regions (~262 m) due to intensified heat stress. (3) Although industrial restructuring reduced environmental pressure, rapid population growth and urban expansion created new ecological challenges. This study provides an innovative method for the ecological monitoring of hilly regions, effectively integrating human activity and climatic factors into ecological assessments. The findings offer valuable insights for sustainable development and ecological management in similar sensitive regions. Full article

Floods are a significant and pervasive threat globally, exacerbated by climate change and increasing extreme weather events. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its follow-on mission (GRACE-FO) provide crucial insights into terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA), which are vital for understanding flood dynamics. However, the observational gap between these missions presents challenges for flood monitoring, affecting the estimation of long-term trends and limiting the analysis of interannual variability, thereby impacting overall analysis accuracy. Reconstructing the missing data between GRACE and GRACE-FO is essential for systematically understanding the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and driving mechanisms of interannual changes in regional water reserves. In this study, the Generative Adversarial Imputation Network (GAIN) is applied to improve the monitoring capability for flood events in the Pearl River Basin (PRB). First, the GRACE/GRACE-FO TWSA data gap is imputed with GAIN and compared with long short-term memory (LSTM) and k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) methods. Using the reconstructed data, we develop the Flood Potential Index (FPI) by integrating GRACE-based TWSA with precipitation data and analyze key characteristics of FPI variability against actual flood events. The results indicate that GAIN effectively predicts the GRACE/GRACE-FO TWSA gap, with an average improvement of approximately 50.94% over LSTM and 68.27% over KNN. The reconstructed FPI proves effective in monitoring flood events in the PRB, validating the reliability of the reconstructed TWSA. Additionally, the FPI achieves a predictive accuracy of 79.7% for real flood events, indicating that short-term flood characteristics are better captured using TWSA. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of GAIN in enhancing data continuity, providing a reliable framework for large-scale flood risk assessment and offering valuable insights for flood management in vulnerable regions. Full article

Frailty refers to a state of increased vulnerability to mortality and other adverse outcomes as a consequence of age-related decline in physiologic reserve and function. Comparative biomedical scientists are relied upon to innovate approaches to enhance understanding of the similarities and differences between humans and other animal species that can impact healthy aging. The research aim of this study was to develop a clinical frailty index (FI) in the Exceptional Aging in Rottweilers Study (EARS) and test its ability to predict all-cause mortality in elderly dogs. EARS is an ongoing lifetime cohort study of pet dogs with extreme longevity living in North America. Living 30% longer than the breed average, these dogs represent the canine counterpart to human centenarians. A 34-item FI (EARS-FI) was constructed to assess deficit accumulation using clinical data collected by telephone interviews with owners of 93 dogs with extreme longevity. Health deficits across multiple domains, including cognitive and sensory, cardiovascular and endocrine, and mobility, were included. The association between EARS-FI and subsequent mortality was tested in Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and in age-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models. Median (interquartile range) EARS-FI was 0.43 (0.38–0.50), and the estimated frailty limit was 0.68, consistent with data reported in humans with extreme longevity. Frailty index increased with increasing chronological age (p < 0.001). Deficit accumulation was significantly associated with increased mortality risk. Age-adjusted hazard ratio for mortality per 0.01 unit increase in FI was 1.05 (95%CI, 1.02–1.08; p = 0.001). This work provides the first demonstration of a strong association between frailty and mortality risk in pet dogs with extreme longevity. Notably, EARS-FI showed key features observed in the evaluation of frailty in aging human populations: heterogeneity, increase with chronological age, and estimated limit of <0.7. Validated here as a predictor of mortality in aged pet dogs, EARS-FI offers a useful tool for further comparative analyses of the linkages between deficit accumulation, mortality, and other adverse health outcomes. Full article

This publication aimed at the revision of scientific publications on the discovery of ozone, tracing its scientific history and how the early perspectives of the beneficial ozone impact on respiratory diseases and how they shifted with advancements in scientific knowledge: once considered a health index, ozone is now recognized as an atmospheric pollutant with detrimental effects on human health. The global increase in tropospheric ozone exposure, along with the associated rise in morbidity and mortality, highlights the urgent need to reduce emissions of ozone precursors to protect public health. Given the large at-risk population, tropospheric ozone exposure poses a significant public health concern. To address this, it is crucial to implement strategies that mitigate the harmful effects of tropospheric ozone, especially for vulnerable individuals. If these measures are not effectively implemented, a worsening of health impacts can be expected. The October 2024 update on stratospheric ozone recovery reveals its fragility and erratic behaviour, underscoring the need for continued and stringent control measures to protect human health. To our knowledge, no prior publications have addressed such a comprehensive time frame as we have in this study. Full article

Background: The prognostic value of the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is recognized by many in hematology. However, there is no consensus on the utilization of alternative abbreviated methods to assess disabilities in elderly patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (B-NHLs). Aim: The aim of this study was to prospectively analyze the prognostic value of selected CGA tools in predicting adverse events (AEs) and outcomes of R-CHOP or R-CHOP-like treatment in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) or mantle cell lymphomas (MCLs). Methods: All patients who participated in this study underwent the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (iADL) scale, the Vulnerable Elders Survey-13 (VES-13), the Groningen Frailty Index (GFI), and the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) before starting anticancer treatment. Selected clinical predictors were also included in the study. Results: A total of 62 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCLs or MCLs, treated with R-CHOP in the Department of Hematology, Blood Neoplasm and Bone Marrow Transplantation of Wroclaw University Hospital between 1 July 2018, and 1 July 2020, were included in the study. The median age upon initiation of the treatment was 72 years (range: 61–68). Multinomial logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis demonstrated that the iADL scale was significantly associated with response to treatment (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02–1.44, p = 0.03), was inversely related to non-hematological AEs (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71–0.92, p = 0.001), and was a statistically significant predictor of longer overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.79–0.89, p < 0.001) and longer progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83–0.99, p = 0.03). Conclusions: These results underscore the effectiveness of the iADL scale as a quick, easy-to-use, and universal CGA tool for evaluating crucial functional status before treatment in elderly hematological patients with DLBCLs or MCLs. Full article

The current research on rocky desertification primarily prioritizes large-scale surveillance, with minimal attention given to internal agricultural areas. This study offers a comprehensive framework for bedrock extraction in agricultural areas, employing spatial constraints and spatio-temporal fusion methodologies. Utilizing the high resolution and capabilities of Gaofen-2 imagery, we first delineate agricultural land, use these boundaries as spatial constraints to compute the agricultural land bedrock response Index (ABRI), and apply the spatial and temporal adaptive reflectance fusion model (STARFM) to achieve spatio-temporal fusion of Gaofen-2 imagery and Sentinel-2 imagery from multiple time periods, resulting in a high-spatio-temporal-resolution bedrock discrimination index (ABRI*) for analysis. This work demonstrates the pronounced rocky desertification phenomenon in the agricultural land in the study area. The ABRI* effectively captures this phenomenon, with the classification accuracy for the bedrock, based on the ABRI* derived from Gaofen-2 imagery, reaching 0.86. The bedrock exposure area in the farmland showed a decreasing trend from 2019 to 2021, a significant increase from 2021 to 2022, and a gradual decline from 2022 to 2024. Cultivation activities have a significant impact on rocky desertification within agricultural land. The ABRI significantly enhances the capabilities for the dynamic monitoring of rocky desertification in agricultural areas, providing data support for the management of specialized farmland. For vulnerable areas, timely adjustments to planting schemes and the prioritization of intervention measures such as soil conservation, vegetation restoration, and water resource management could help to improve the resilience and stability of agriculture, particularly in karst regions. Full article

Background: Malaria remains a public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite gains from strategies like Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Intermittent Preventive Treatment during pregnancy (IPTp), significant socioeconomic inequalities persist, particularly among pregnant women and children under five. This study analyzed temporal and socioeconomic inequalities in malaria prevention in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: Nationally representative Demographic Health Surveys from 10 SSA countries (Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, and Cameroon) were used, comparing two time periods. Changes in ITN use by pregnant women and children under five, as well as IPTp coverage, were assessed. Inequalities based on socioeconomic status (SES) and residence were analyzed using the Erreygers Normalized Concentration Index and Theil index. Results: The results revealed significant variability in ITN use and IPTp coverage within countries. Eight countries showed improvements in ITN use during pregnancy, with Nigeria seeing a 173.9% increase over five years. Burkina Faso and Tanzania consistently reported high ITN use (~87%) in children under five. IPTp coverage increased in all countries except Kenya. Decomposition using the Theil index indicated that within-group inequalities, particularly based on SES and residence, were the primary drivers of disparities. Conclusions: To ensure progress toward universal health coverage, malaria prevention programs must prioritize vulnerable populations and be continuously evaluated. Full article