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The boreal winter of 2022/23 was notable as a third consecutive winter in which La Niña had an influence on the European weather. The GloSea6 seasonal forecast system predicted a blocked circulation pattern in the North Atlantic in early winter (December), and then a transition through mid‐winter (January) into a more zonal pattern in late winter (February), consistent with the canonical La Niña teleconnection pattern seen previously. The seasonal forecast for the UK was an increased likelihood of near average temperatures, and drier‐ and calmer‐than‐average conditions. Both the predicted broad‐scale circulation patterns and UK winter mean weather conditions verified well against observations, and we show that seasonal forecasts of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over the last 10 winters show similar skill to previously reported hindcasts. Throughout the winter, the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) was particularly active. On three occasions, it exhibited strong phases 6 and 7. There was also a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) that occurred on 16th February. This was followed by colder conditions and associated impacts similar to the canonical negative NAO response over the UK, although the main impact fell in March and so did not affect the winter (December–January–February) mean conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explores the effect of differential food treatment on the migratory phenology of redheaded bunting (Emberiza bruniceps). Birds were divided into four groups (N = 10 each) on the basis of the food provided. Group I was fed with seeds of Setaria italica (kakuni), while group II was provided with protein-rich diet (combination of; 3 parts egg white and 1 part kakuni seeds). Likewise, group III birds received fat-rich food (i.e. 3 parts sesame seeds and 1 part kakuni seeds). Birds in group IV were provided with all three food items mentioned above separately. The experiment continued until the appearance of 7 cycles of zugunruhe. The results reveal a significant impact of food on locomotor activity and food intake behavior of birds, although the physiological response as demonstrated by a gain in body mass, fat score, and gonadal recrudescence was mainly influenced by the LHS. Besides the behavioral and physiological responses, the hypothalamic expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in infundibular complex (INc) was significantly high for group IV, highlighting the importance of “variety” in food intake. Thus, the present study suggests a significant role of food in influencing seasonal responses via hypothalamic NPY stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish invasions can damage the ecological environment of invaded areas, causing negative effects such as monotony of ecological types in invaded waters and endangerment of native species. It is important to monitor their presence and spread in invaded areas. This study aims to update the available data on non-native fish species in the inland waters of Guangxi and to determine their seasonal and spatial distribution in this region. Taking the inland waters of Guangxi as the study area, 34 sampling sites were set up in the major river systems, and systematic sampling was conducted in four seasons in 2023. The data showed that a total of 7690 non-native fish were collected from 23 species, belonging to 7 orders, 13 families, and 20 genera. Of the non-native fish species, 19 species were introduced for aquaculture purposes, and three species were introduced for ornamental purposes. The most non-native fish species were found in summer with 21 species, which were followed by 20 species in winter, 18 species in spring, and only 15 species in autumn. However, the distribution composition was similar in each season, with Coptodon zillii being dominant in each season, which was followed by Oreochromis niloticus. The Hongshuihe River had the highest number of non-native fish species with 16 species, followed by the Xunjiang River with 14 species, the Qianjiang River with 13 species, and the Npanjiang River had the lowest number of non-native fish species with 7 species. In addition, the Xunjiang River and the Qianjiang River showed significant separation in the PCoA results, and the overall test showed significant differences in non-native fish composition among the river system. The main reasons for the differences in their spatial distribution are geographical location and temperature. O. niloticus and C. zillii were found in all river systems and have become the main invasive non-native fish species in the inland waters of Guangxi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East African "short rains" from October–December (OND) are crucial for the region's cultural and agricultural landscape. Traditional climate studies have often treated these rains as a single mode, representing the average rainfall across the region. This approach, however, fails to capture the complex geographical variations in seasonal rainfall. In our study, we analyse 4200 reforecasts from a seasonal prediction system spanning 1981–2022, identifying distinct clusters that represent different geographical patterns of the short rains. We explore the influence of tropical sea‐surface temperature patterns, upper‐level tropospheric flow, and low‐level moisture fluxes on these clusters. A key revelation of our research is the limited predictability of certain geographical rainfall structures based on large‐scale climatic drivers. This finding highlights a gap in current forecasting methodologies, emphasising the necessity for further research to understand and predict these intricate patterns. Our study illuminates the complexities of regional rainfall variability in East Africa, underlining the importance of continued investigation to improve climate resilience strategies in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Our study will analyze patients' clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and complications with deep neck infection (DNI) using their medical records for five years. Methods: The present study included 111 patients diagnosed with DNI in our clinic between January 2018 and March 2023. The patients' complaints at admission, sociodemographic characteristics, season of diagnosis, findings from laboratory tests, radiological imaging performed at the time of first diagnosis, abscess localization, medical and surgical treatment methods used, and complications developing during follow‐up were retrospectively examined. Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 38.51 ± 16.92 (6–87 years). There was a significant correlation between chronic disease, smoking behaviours, oral hygiene, and DNI among patients based on their sociodemographic characteristics and medical history (p <.005). DNI development did not differ by season (p >.005). Physical examination findings predominantly revealed neck masses (39.6%) and peritonsillar abscesses (32.4%), and patients with peritonsillar abscesses had a shorter length of hospital stay than those with other localizations. No severe complications occurred during the clinical follow‐up. Conclusion: Chronic diseases, smoking, and poor oral hygiene are the primary risk factors for developing DNIs. If an abscess is located in a critical area, it may require extended hospitalization and surgery under general anesthesia. Therefore, addressing these risk factors and encouraging good oral hygiene practices are crucial to preventing DNIs and reducing the need for intensive treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study aimed to determine the serum levels of vitamin D in captive pachyderms in Europe, and whether there were any seasonal differences. For some species, comparing the temperature and UVB irradiation of the current captive locations with the wild-ranging areas, the required conditions may be met in summer. In contrast, for other species, this might not be the case. Therefore, the animals may be unable to endogenously produce vitamin D, leading to calcium and phosphorus imbalances that were only reported in captive pachyderms. For some of the pachyderms, it is known that they can absorb cholecalciferol from the digestive tract, but this is not the case for all studied pachyderms. Tapirs had very low vitamin D levels, similar to horses. The higher vitamin D levels of elephants and rhinoceroses could indicate that they are capable of producing vitamin D or absorb more cholecalciferol from their diet. When comparing both rhinoceros and elephant species in this study, differences with regard to their capability in endogenous production of vitamin D were shown. Indian rhinoceroses seem capable of producing enough endogenous vitamin D year-round, while both elephant species and the black rhinoceros are not. This study aimed to detect seasonal and species differences in serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations during summer and winter months in captive pachyderms in Europe. Both elephant species had low 25(OH)D while African elephants did not show a seasonal variation. Asian elephants had significantly higher 25(OH)D compared to their African counterparts but also did not show a seasonal difference. Both rhinoceros species investigated had higher 25(OH)D compared to both elephant species; the Indian rhinoceros had high circulating levels year-round, while the black rhinoceroses showed significantly lower 25(OH)D in winter. Malayan tapirs have very low 25(OH)D, comparable to horses. The higher 25(OH)D of elephants and rhinoceroses could indicate that elephants and rhinoceroses are capable of producing vitamin D. This might indicate that the Indian rhinoceroses are capable of producing enough endogenous vitamin D year-round at latitudes around 52° N, while both elephant species and the black rhinoceros are not. This study also showed that it is likely that both elephant species and rhinoceros species are capable of absorbing cholecalciferol from the digestive tract, according to the existing literature, while tapirs may not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tritium content in the surface water of the Suifen River in China was measured using an ultra low-level liquid scintillation spectrometer. In August and October, a total of 30 samples were collected (15 per month) The measured 3H activity concentration ranged from 5.08 to 9.75 Bq L−1, and the annual effective dose ranged from 0.07 to 0.13 μSv. These values are below WHO's recommendations, indicating no risk to human health. Although the 3H activity concentration was higher in October than in August, statistical analysis did not show a significant difference between the two months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor PM2.5 samples were collected for 34 months in Pretoria, South Africa from 18 April 2017 to 28 February 2020. The average total PM2.5 concentration was 23.2 ± 17.3 µg.m3 (0.69–139 µg.m−3), with the highest mean recorded during winter and the lowest during summer (p < 0.05). The sources were determined by means of cross referencing the US EPA PMF 5.0 program and the NOAA HYsplit model. The sources of the total PM2.5 were mining (33%), resuspended dust (24%), industry (15%), general exhaust (12%), vehicular emissions (12%) and biomass burning (4%). Sources of air pollutants are both ubiquitous and seasonal. Highlights: In central Pretoria, the largest contributing sources of PM2.5 are resuspended dust matrix and mining from surrounding areas; A winter analysis was run where As, Se and Pb was included in the dataset, confirming biomass burning sources which were typically higher during the winter season; and Air quality management policies should address both ubiquitous and seasonal sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Onychostoma macrolepis have a unique survival strategy, overwintering in caves and returning to the river for reproduction in summer. The current knowledge on the developmental status of its testes during winter and summer is still undiscovered. We performed RNA-seq analysis on O. macrolepis testes between January and June, using the published genome (NCBI, ASM1243209v1). Through KEGG and GO enrichment analysis, we were able to identify 2111 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and demonstrate their functions in signaling networks associated with the development of organism. At the genomic level, we found that during the overwintering phase, genes associated with cell proliferation (ccnb1, spag5, hdac7) were downregulated while genes linked to testicular fat metabolism (slc27a2, scd, pltp) were upregulated. This indicates suppression of both mitosis and meiosis, thereby inhibiting energy expenditure through genetic regulation of testicular degeneration. Furthermore, in January, we observed the regulation of autophagy and apoptosis (becn1, casp13), which may have the function of protecting reproductive organs and ensuring their maturity for the breeding season. The results provide a basis for the development of specialized feed formulations to regulate the expression of specific genes, or editing of genes during the fish egg stage, to ensure that the testes of O. macrolepis can mature more efficiently after overwintering, thereby enhancing reproductive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract İstanbul is the largest city located in the Mediterranean Basin and has a medium to high risk of climate change and future climate risks. Changes in temperature and other weather variables have had significant impacts on İstanbul. In this context, there is a need for studies on the issues of climate monitoring and climate change vulnerability to reduce the adverse impacts. The aim of this study is to investigate the temperature trends of synoptic weather station in İstanbul Atatürk Airport between 1973 and 2023 to have a general idea about how the temperature has changed over the last half-century and to establish statistically whether a trend is significant or not. The values of minimum (Tmin), maximum (Tmax) and mean (Tmean) temperature related parameters were estimated. Annual, monthly and seasonal temperature trends are also analyzed. The findings of this study indicate a significant (p

PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII (PTPN VIII) is a State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN). It operates in the plantation sector. The leading commodity is tea. The demand for tea produced by PTPN VIII is increasing. Thus, planning tea production is necessary. One of the production planning efforts is through forecasting based on previous data. Tea production data is time-series data. It contains seasonal elements and is dependent on other locations. We will analyze data with these criteria using space-time models, one of which is vector autoregressive (VAR). VAR models the relationship between observations on certain variables at one time. It also models the observation of the variable itself at previous times. Additionally, VAR models the relationship between observations and other variables at previous times. This paper explains how to forecast tea production. It uses the reconstituted VAR and Seasonal Autoregressive Moving Average (SARIMA) models. The results showed that the reconstituted VAR model was better than the SARIMA model in predicting tea production. The tea production prediction was at the Sedep and Santosa plantations in Bandung Regency.

Introduction: Tidal marsh wetlands provide essential and valuable services to the wider interconnected marine and coastal environment, although the complex intertwined processes in morphological evolution remain insufficiently understood owing to synchronized data scarcity, limiting the development of numerical models and management strategies. Methods: This study investigated the hydrodynamic, biological, sediment and morphological processes on the Doulong tidal wetlands, Jiangsu, China, using a one-year field dataset that captured spatial and seasonal variations. Results and discussion: Our results indicate that biophysical interactions among multiple processes could result in some overlooked sedimentary behaviours and bio-morphological patterns in tidal marsh wetlands. Firstly, the dominance of alongshore currents caused a rapid alongshore expansion of saltmarsh patches, by which the marsh edge achieved seaward advancing, markedly different from the widely reported cross-shore expansion. Secondly, results showed that the particle size of sediment near the marsh edge coarsened when plants withered and then fined when plants grew, indicating that the seasonal variation trend of sediment grain size in saltmarshes was opposite to the trend of vegetation biomass. Thirdly, the interaction between vegetation and stranded marine debris formed banded debris zones within the saltmarsh, where debris bands could cause a biomass reduction of up to 58%, disrupting the commonlyobserved parabolic biomass-elevation relationship. Meanwhile, the seasonal variation of vegetation and hydrodynamics could alter the debris positions and hence result in the formation of multiple parallel debris bands. Overall, this study provides a synchronized dataset and elucidates specific bio-morphological relationships and processes that have thus far not been systematically documented, enhancing the comprehensive understanding of tidal marsh wetland evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flashiness refers to the rapidity and frequency of fluctuations in river flow. It can provide insights into flooding, by capturing dramatic increases in river flow, as well as contaminant transport, relating to concentrations of diffuse pollution. Despite a very well gauged river system, there is limited research in Great Britain targeting this component of river flow. This study addresses that gap in knowledge, with a detailed spatio-temporal analysis of river flashiness in Great Britain. Using 513 gauging stations, with historical records of at least 30 years, the average Richards–Baker flashiness index ( R B I ¯ ) was calculated for 1990–2020, showing an overall west- (0.6–0.8) to east-coast (0.1–0.2) gradient, being higher in the west (with the exception of some gauges in the south-east). Employing random forest models, the main predictor for flashiness was found to be soil composition, with some additional region-specific predictors. These include flood attenuation by reservoirs and catchment areas, affecting flashiness in the north and west of Great Britain. Additionally, using a subset of 208 gauging stations with data recorded from 1970 to 2020, a temporal analysis examined significant breakpoints and/or trends in yearly flashiness, using the Pettitt test and Mann–Kendall trend test, respectively. Increases in flashiness were found mainly in the north-east and south-west of Great Britain, with implications in flooding and river health. On a seasonal scale, and using a monthly R B I ¯ , the timing of flashy events was found to oscillate between autumn and spring over the 50 years, gravitating around winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting precipitation δ18O accurately is crucial for understanding water cycles, paleoclimates, and hydrological applications. Yet forecasting its spatio-temporal distribution remains challenging due to complex climate interactions and extreme events. We developed a method combining spatio-temporal clustering and deep learning neural networks to improve multi-site, multi-year precipitation δ18O predictions. Using a comprehensive dataset from 33 German sites (1978–2012), our model considers precipitation δ18O and its controlling factors, including precipitation and temperature distribution. We applied the K-means ++ method for classification and divided data into training and prediction sets. The convolutional neural network (CNN) model extracted spatial features, while the bi-directional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) model focused on temporal features. Spatio-temporal clustering using K-means ++ improved forecast accuracy and reduced errors. This study highlights the potential of deep learning and clustering techniques for forecasting complex spatio-temporal data and offers insights for future research on isotope distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate seasonal heat acclimatization in active adolescents following summer. Fifteen (5 females) active adolescents (14.6 ± 1.0 y) completed a 45-min heat response test (HRT) walking at 60% $\dot {\rm V}$ V ˙ O2peak in 40°C and 30% relative humidity before and after summer (i.e. November 2022 and March 2023). During the HRT, gastro-intestinal temperature (Tgi), skin temperature (Tsk), heart rate, local sweat rate (LSR) and whole-body sweat loss (WBSL) were recorded. Carbon monoxide rebreathing and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans determined resting hematological measures and body composition. Participants completed physical activity (PA) diaries and wore an accelerometer for two one-week periods (pre- and post-summer). Daytime wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) was calculated for each summer day. Data are presented as posterior mean and 90% credible intervals. Participants reported 7 ± 4 h·wk−1 of outdoor PA, and daytime WBGT was 21.2 ± 4.6°C. Following summer, resting Tgi and heart rate were reduced by 0.2°C [−0.3, −0.1; probability of direction = 99%] and 7 beats·min−1 [−10, −3; 100%], respectively. During the HRT, there was an earlier onset of sweating (−0.2°C [−0.3, −0.0; 98%]), an attenuated rise of Tgi (0.2°C [−0.5, 0.0; 92%]) and mean Tsk changed by −0.2°C [−0.5, 0.1; 86%]. There was minimal evidence for heat adaptations in LSR or WBSL, hematological parameters or perceptual measures. This is the first study to demonstrate seasonal heat adaptations in active adolescents. Reductions in resting Tgi and exercising Tsk and a lower Tgi at the onset of sweating were associated with a smaller rise in Tgi during the HRT following summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal variation in the quality of water from River Wupa, Abuja, Nigeria was studied by collecting sixty water samples in both dry and wet seasons which were analyzed using standard methods. The respective results for in dry and wet seasons were pH (7.13±0.09, 7.31±0.06), temperature (21.51±0.51, 27.66±0.49 °C), EC (247.19±46.21, 152.43±17.76 µS/cm), TDS (156.80±39.74, 75.39±9.23 mg/dm³), TSS (33.38±14.12, 333.85±43.45 mg/dm³), turbidity (26.20±13.04, 361.51±52.89 NTU), alkalinity (34.49±4.12, 29.31±3.78 mg/dm³), DO (7.73±0.29, 8.95±0.87 mg/dm³), BOD (17.00±4.90, 15.70±2.98 mg/dm³), COD (40.36±14.01, 28.28±8.18 mg/dm³), hardness (33.74±2.10, 34.82±3.82 mg/dm³), sulphate (41.09±1.01, 28.82±1.05 mg/dm³), nitrate (12.12±2.02, 12.23±1.78 mg/dm³), nitrite (0.08±0.02, 0.06±0.02 mg/dm³), phosphate (2.09±0.33, 2.15±0.35 mg/dm³) and chloride (40.96±3.53, 32.23±3.82 mg/dm³). Correlation results shows that during the dry season there is a strong and positive correlation between (EC and TDC, r =0.910), (TSS and Turbidity, r = 0.976), (TSS and BOD, r = 0.945), (TSS and COD, r = 0.912), (Turb and BOD, r = 0.868), (Turbidity and COD, r = 0.820), (BOD and COD, r = 0.979), (pH and nitrite, r = 0.750) (pH and Cl, r = 0.737), (TSS and Cl, r = 0.748) and (Turb and Cl, r = 0.761). During the wet season strong and positive correlation is between (EC and TDS, r = 0.879), (BOD and COD, r = 0.756) and (Turbidity and sulpate, r = 0.730). Results for all parameters were below the limits recommended by NSDWQ except for turbidity, DO and phosphate, also in both seasons there was no significant difference for all parameters except for turbidity and COD. It is concluded that the variation in these two parameters is attributable to runoffs from farmlands and direct discharge of domestic and industrial effluent during the wet season and the strong and positive correlation indicates that the pollutants that affect water quality parameters come from the same sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along‐shelf wind stresses drive substantial along‐coast variations in sea level that result in significant along‐coast pressure gradients in the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) at time scales from days to years. Forty years of sea‐level data and reanalysis wind stresses are examined to determine the characteristics and dynamics of pressure gradients along the New England and Central MAB coasts. Along‐coast dynamic sea level (pressure) gradients often exceed 5 cm/100 km at daily time scales, 2 cm/100 km at monthly time scales and 0.2 cm/100 km at yearly time scales. Along‐shelf wind stresses account for more than 50% of the along‐coast pressure gradient variance at daily and monthly time scales and more than 25% at yearly time scales. Pressure gradients along the New England coast are primarily driven by local wind stresses along the New England shelf, while pressure gradients along the Central MAB shelf are driven by both local wind stresses along the Central MAB shelf and remote wind stresses along the New England shelf. A steady depth‐average model (Csanady, 1978, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520‐0485(1978)008<0047:tatw>2.0.co;2) accurately reproduces the wind‐driven along‐coast pressure gradients in both regions. The along‐coast pressure gradients typically oppose the local wind stress and, in the along‐shelf momentum balance, are 50%–80% of the along‐shelf wind stress over the inner shelf (water depth 15 m). Plain Language Summary: Along‐coast variations in the wind‐driven set up or set down of coastal sea level results in along‐coast pressure gradients that are an important part of the dynamics that establish currents over the continental shelf. Coastal sea level from tide gauges along the East Coast of the United States from North Carolina to Massachusetts for the 40 year period from 1982 to 2021 are used to estimate the along‐coast pressure gradients and investigate their characteristics. The established along‐coast pressure gradients tend to oppose the local wind stress and consequently reduce the strength of the resulting along‐shelf currents. However, along‐coast pressure gradients are also driven by winds to the north and east of the tide gauge because of a tendency for sea level variations to preferentially spread along the coast from the northeast toward the southwest. This component of the along‐coast pressure gradient forces along‐shelf currents caused by remote wind forcing. A simple, wind‐forced, model that includes this remote forcing accurately reproduces the observed coastal pressure gradients. Key Points: Along‐shelf wind stresses setup substantial along‐coast pressure gradients in the Middle Atlantic Bight at time scales from days to yearsThe along‐coast pressure gradients tend to oppose the wind stress and are driven by both local and remote wind stressesA steady, depth‐averaged, barotropic model proposed by Csanady (1978) accurately reproduces the observed along‐coast pressure gradients [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding visitors’ park experience in urban tourist destinations to enhance their satisfaction is crucial for effective park management and urban planning. Through a topic modelling analysis using user-generated data from TripAdvisor and employing the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm, 20 attributes of urban park experience are identified and grouped into three categories and five dimensions. Besides confirming some of the attributes of park experience identified in previous research, this study also uncovers new attributes that provide insights into visitors’ urban park experience related to the historical and cultural aspects (e.g. filming location, carriage rides and rickshaws). Furthermore, positive and negative effects of each attribute on visitor satisfaction are identified. Findings also suggest significant seasonal difference in attributes of visitors’ urban park experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctic sea ice extent has been persistently low since late 2016, possibly owing to changes in atmospheric and oceanic conditions. However, the relative contributions of the ocean, the atmosphere and the underlying mechanisms by which they have affected sea ice remain uncertain. To investigate possible causes for this sea‐ice decrease, we establish a seasonal timeline of sea ice changes following 2016, using remote sensing observations. Anomalies in the timing of sea ice retreat and advance are examined along with their spatial and interannual relations with various indicators of seasonal sea ice and oceanic changes. They include anomalies in winter ice thickness, spring ice removal rate due to ice melt and transport, and summer sea surface temperature. We find that the ice season has shortened at an unprecedented rate and magnitude, due to earlier retreat and later advance. We attribute this shortening to a winter ice thinning, in line with ice‐albedo feedback processes, with ice transport playing a smaller role. Reduced ice thickness has accelerated spring ice area removal as thinner sea ice requires less time to melt. The consequent earlier sea ice retreat has in turn increased ocean solar heat uptake in summer, ultimately delaying sea ice advance. We speculate that the observed winter sea ice thinning is consistent with previous evidence of subsurface warming of the Southern Ocean. Plain Language Summary: Following 2016, the Antarctic sea ice cover has been persistently low. To understand why, we retrace the seasonal timeline of sea ice and oceanic changes, using satellite observations. We find that the sea ice season has been significantly shorter following 2016, due to a later start and an earlier end. This shortening is likely caused by thinner sea ice in winter, accelerating sea ice melt in spring and causing sea ice to disappear earlier. In turn, this has caused the ice‐free ocean to absorb more solar heat in summer, and to take longer to cool down in the fall, ultimately delaying the ice season onset. Warmer waters beneath the Southern Ocean's surface, as evidenced by previous studies, could be a plausible cause of the observed thinning, by increasing the heat supply to sea ice. Key Points: The Antarctic sea ice season duration has undergone an unprecedented shortening since 2016The changes include thinner ice, faster melt, earlier retreat, larger ocean heat uptake, later advance, in line with the ice‐albedo feedbackThe near‐circumpolar ice thinning suggests a possible increase in sensible heat supply by the ocean [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of 40 years of tide gauge data and reanalysis wind stresses from the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) indicate that along‐shelf wind stresses are a dominant driver of coastal dynamic sea level (sea level plus atmospheric pressure) variability at daily to yearly time scales. The sea‐level response to along‐shelf wind stress varies substantially along the coast and is accurately reproduced by a steady, barotropic, depth‐averaged model (Csanady, 1978, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520‐0485(1978)008<0047:tatw>2.0.co;2, Arrested Topographic Wave). The model indicates that the sea‐level response in the MAB depends primarily on the along‐shelf distribution of the along‐shelf wind stress, the Coriolis frequency, the bottom drag coefficient, and the cross‐shelf bottom slope. The along‐shelf wind stress varies along the MAB shelf due primarily to changes in the shelf orientation. The sea‐level response depends on both the local and upstream (in the sense of Kelvin wave propagation) along‐shelf wind stresses. Consequently, sea‐level variability at daily, monthly and yearly time scales along much of the central MAB coast is more strongly driven by upstream winds along the southern New England shelf than by local winds along the central MAB shelf. The residual coastal sea‐level variability, after removing the wind‐driven response and the trend, is roughly uniform along the MAB coast. The along‐coast average of the residual sea level at monthly and yearly time scales is caused by variations in shelf water densities primarily associated with the large annual cycle in water temperature and interannual variations in salinity. Plain Language Summary: Winds parallel to the coast (along‐shelf) are an important driver of coastal sea level variability that contributes to coastal flooding and erosion. This study examines the relationship between along‐shelf winds and coastal sea level along the East Coast of the United States from North Carolina to Massachusetts from tide gauges for the 40 year period from 1982 to 2021. The along‐shelf winds vary in this region due to changes in the coastline orientation. The sea level variability at a given tide gauge depends not only on the local winds, but also winds to the north and east of the tide gauge because of a tendency for sea level variations to preferentially spread along the coast from the northeast toward the southwest. A simple, wind‐forced, model that includes this preferential along‐coast spreading accurately reproduces the observed coastal sea level variations in this region. Key Points: Along‐shelf wind stress is a major driver of coastal sea‐level variability in the Middle Atlantic Bight at daily to yearly time scalesThe sea‐level response varies along the coast and depends on both local and remote along‐shelf wind stressesA steady, barotropic, depth‐averaged model proposed by Csanady, 1978, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520‐0485(1978)008<0047:tatw>2.0.co;2 accurately reproduces the observed sea level response [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

İstanbul is the largest city located in the Mediterranean Basin and has a medium to high risk of climate change and future climate risks. Changes in temperature and other weather variables have had significant impacts on İstanbul. In this context, there is a need for studies on the issues of climate monitoring and climate change vulnerability to reduce the adverse impacts. The aim of this study is to investigate the temperature trends of synoptic weather station in İstanbul Atatürk Airport between 1973 and 2023 to have a general idea about how the temperature has changed over the last half-century and to establish statistically whether a trend is significant or not. The values of minimum (Tmin), maximum (Tmax) and mean (Tmean) temperature related parameters were estimated. Annual, monthly and seasonal temperature trends are also analyzed. The findings of this study indicate a significant (p < 0.001) rise in the mean air temperature (Tmean) of İstanbul over the past 51 years (1973–2023), with an annual warming trend of 0.06 °C. The strongest increasing trend in seasonal mean air temperatures has been observed in the summer season, with an increase of 0.08 °C per year. The trend analysis also shows a statistically non-significant increase in yearly average minimum temperature (Tmin) between 1973 and 2023, with a rate of 0.04 °C per year. However, the annual maximum temperature (Tmax) has shown no changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall variability over Australia is revisited from the viewpoint of the atmospheric moisture budgets in three regions: the extratropics, Subtropics, and Tropics. The budgets are calculated using three‐hourly European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) and ERA5‐Land data between 1979 and 2022. The use of the moisture budget at short time‐scales enables the investigation of the relationship between synoptic weather‐scale processes and the longer term variability of the rainfall climate. The total variability in the vertically integrated moisture flux divergence (VIMD) is significantly larger than the evaporation minus precipitation (E − P), to a large extent due to the sub‐daily time‐scales. E − P is related more closely to moisture flux convergence in winter (summer) over south (north) Australia, suggesting a clear seasonality in the relationship between the two budget terms. The E − P–VIMD relationship is nearly in phase in the Tropics, whereas VIMD leads E − P by 9–15 hr with eastward‐propagating signals in the extratropics and Subtropics. Such seasonal and regional discrepancies in the relationship are attributed to the background state of moisture availability and temperature as represented by relative humidity and lifting condensation levels. The variability of the budget imbalance and its seasonality are dominated by the variability in VIMD. The imbalance reduces rapidly with temporal smoothing, with the storage term approaching zero at approximately 20 days, which can be thought of as making a transition time‐scale from high‐frequency weather‐related variability into slow‐varying background conditions. Weather‐related variability (cyclones, fronts, and thunderstorms) dominates the overall E − P variability in the extratropics and Subtropics, whereas slow‐varying background conditions contribute equally to the total variability in the Tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global influenza‐associated acute respiratory infections contribute to 3–5 million severe illnesses requiring hospitalization annually, with 90% of hospitalizations occurring among children < 5 years in developing countries. In Bangladesh, the inadequate availability of nationally representative, robust estimates of influenza‐associated hospitalizations limits allocation of resources for prevention and control measures. Methods: This study used data from the hospital‐based influenza surveillance (HBIS) system in Bangladesh from 2010 to 2019 and healthcare utilization surveys to determine hospital utilization patterns in the catchment area. We estimated annual influenza‐associated hospitalization numbers and rates for all age groups in Bangladesh using WHO methods, adjusted for a 6‐day‐a‐week enrollment schedule, selective testing of specimens from children under five, and healthcare‐seeking behavior, based on the proportion of symptomatic community participants seeking healthcare within the past week. We then estimated national hospitalization rates by multiplying age‐specific hospitalization rates with the corresponding annual national census population. Results: Annual influenza‐associated hospitalization rates per 100,000 population for all ages ranged from 31 (95% CI: 27–36) in 2011 to 139 (95% CI: 130–149) in 2019. Children < 5 years old had the highest rates of influenza‐associated hospitalization, ranging from 114 (95% CI: 90–138) in 2011 to 529 (95% CI: 481–578) in 2019, followed by adults aged ≥ 65 years with rates ranging from 46 (95% CI: 34–57) in 2012 to 252 (95% CI: 213–292) in 2019. The national hospitalization estimates for all ages during 2010–2019 ranged from 47,891 to 236,380 per year. Conclusions: The impact of influenza‐associated hospitalizations in Bangladesh may be considerable, particularly for young children and older adults. Targeted interventions, such as influenza vaccination for these age groups, should be prioritized and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A circadian rhythm of myocardial infarction has been described but there is little data on its relation with seasons and months. Methods: From June 2013 to June 2018, we analyzed the alerts for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a Spanish region with 6.64 million inhabitants, universal health coverage, and an organized STEMI reperfusion network. We selected those patients which an identifiable culprit plaque. Results: We recruited 6765 cases of STEMI due to type I acute myocardial infarction (type-I AMI), with mean age of 63.2 years (range 17–101, standard deviation [SD] 13.7), 5238 were males (77.4%) and 2801 (41.9%) were 65 years or older. The hourly distribution followed a fixed pattern in all months, with most of the events occurring between 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM, a peak at approximately 01:00 PM and a valley between 10:00 PM and 06:00 AM. No significant difference was found when comparing the mean time to first medical contact between July (the month with more daylight hours) and December (the month with shortest days). No significant differences were found between male and female patients, or between patients aged 65 years or older and younger patients. There was a close correlation between the number of events per month and the number of events occurring during the day (6 AM to 6 PM, r = 0.988, p = 0.001) and during the night (6 PM to 6 AM, r = 0.944, p < 0.001), with different slopes of the regression lines (t-test, p < 0.001), so that the difference between day-night occurrences increased with the total incidence. Conclusions: There is a circadian pattern in the presentation of STEMI that is not influenced by sex and age. The different incidence of STEMI at different times of the year does not affect the circadian pattern in terms of the shape of the curve or the mean time of presentation, although diurnal events increase more than nocturnal events, suggesting that triggers are most likely to act during vulnerable periods as determined by a circadian-based rhythm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of dissolved oxygen (O2) in the Arctic's surface ocean provides insights into gas transfer between the atmosphere‐ice‐ocean system, water mass dynamics, and biogeochemical processes. In the Arctic Ocean's Canada Basin mixed layer, higher O2 concentrations are generally observed under sea ice compared to open water regions. Annual cycles of O2 and O2 saturation, increasing from summer through spring and then sharply declining to late summer, are tightly linked to sea ice cover. The primary fluxes that influence seasonal variability of O2 are modeled and compared to Ice‐Tethered Profiler O2 observations to understand the relative role of each flux in the annual cycle. Findings suggest that sea ice melt/growth dominates seasonal variations in mixed layer O2, with minor contributions from vertical entrainment and atmospheric exchange. While the influence of biological activity on O2 variability cannot be directly assessed, indirect evidence suggests relatively minor contributions, although with significant uncertainty. Past studies show that O2 molecules are expelled from sea ice during brine rejection; sea ice cover can then inhibit air‐sea gas exchange resulting in winter mixed layers that are super‐saturated. Decreasing mixed layer O2 concentrations and saturation levels are observed during winter months between 2007 and 2019 in the Canada Basin. Only a minor portion of the decreasing trend in wintertime O2 can be attributed to decreased solubility. This suggests the O2 decline may be linked to more efficient air‐sea exchange associated with increased open water areas in the winter sea ice pack that are not necessarily detectable via satellite observations. Plain Language Summary: Dissolved oxygen (O2) is a valuable ocean property that allows us to better understand the exchange of gases between the different ocean layers, sea ice, and atmosphere, and the physical and biological processes that control its variability. Understanding how and why O2 concentrations in the Arctic Ocean mixed layer vary spatially and seasonally is crucial for interpreting its evolution over timescales of years to decades that are influenced by global warming. We use physical and thermodynamical relationships to model the main factors that influence O2 concentrations in the mixed layer of the Arctic Ocean's Canada Basin, which we compare to observations made by Ice‐Tethered Profilers. Model results indicate that seasonal variations in O2 concentrations are dominated by the effects of sea ice growth and melt. Other processes that modulate mixed layer O2, including air‐sea exchange and ocean mixing, have a lesser influence. Between 2007 and 2019, mixed‐layer O2 has decreased in winter months, which we attribute to more openings in the sea‐ice pack during wintertime in the Canada Basin. Key Points: Spatial and seasonal distributions of O2 concentrations in the Canada Basin mixed layer are linked to the seasonal evolution of sea iceModeled fluxes suggest brine rejection and meltwater dilution during sea ice melt/formation dominate seasonal variability of mixed layer O2Decreases in mixed‐layer O2 during winter (over 2007–2019) suggest outgassing, likely driven by changes in the wintertime sea ice pack [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The boreal winter of 2022/23 was notable as a third consecutive winter in which La Niña had an influence on the European weather. The GloSea6 seasonal forecast system predicted a blocked circulation pattern in the North Atlantic in early winter (December), and then a transition through mid‐winter (January) into a more zonal pattern in late winter (February), consistent with the canonical La Niña teleconnection pattern seen previously. The seasonal forecast for the UK was an increased likelihood of near average temperatures, and drier‐ and calmer‐than‐average conditions. Both the predicted broad‐scale circulation patterns and UK winter mean weather conditions verified well against observations, and we show that seasonal forecasts of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over the last 10 winters show similar skill to previously reported hindcasts. Throughout the winter, the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) was particularly active. On three occasions, it exhibited strong phases 6 and 7. There was also a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) that occurred on 16th February. This was followed by colder conditions and associated impacts similar to the canonical negative NAO response over the UK, although the main impact fell in March and so did not affect the winter (December–January–February) mean conditions.

This study examines the spatiotemporal variability and trends of rainfall in the central highlands of Abbay Basin using the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG-06) dataset. Parameters on onset and cessation dates, dry spells, Coefficient of Variation (CV%), and Standardized Rainfall Anomalies were utilized to evaluate rainfall variability and seasonality. Trend analysis was carried out using Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator. The results highlighted a consistent pattern of late onset and early cessation of rainfall. The CV values for annual (10.7%), kiremt (11.7%), and belg (10.6%) seasons rainfall indicate moderate variability, while bega (22.6%) rainfall showed higher variability. SRA findings reveal episodic fluctuations between wet and dry years. The trend analysis demonstrates a statistically significant increasing trend in annual (9.14 mm/year) and belg seasons (6.94 mm/year) rainfall. However, kiremt season exhibited statistically non-significant (p > 0.05) decreasing trend. The temporal variability in rainfall onset, cessation dates and duration significantly impacts agricultural processes such as tillage and planting operations, affecting crop production. While the study area holds potential for agricultural activities, climate variability may reduce productivity. Therefore, the study findings are valuable for agricultural developers, planners and water resource managers. Including additional weather elements is crucial to enhance the precision and reliability of these findings for practical applications.

Abstract Purpose Our study will analyze patients' clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and complications with deep neck infection (DNI) using their medical records for five years. Methods The present study included 111 patients diagnosed with DNI in our clinic between January 2018 and March 2023. The patients' complaints at admission, sociodemographic characteristics, season of diagnosis, findings from laboratory tests, radiological imaging performed at the time of first diagnosis, abscess localization, medical and surgical treatment methods used, and complications developing during follow‐up were retrospectively examined. Results The mean age of the patients included in the study was 38.51 ± 16.92 (6–87 years). There was a significant correlation between chronic disease, smoking behaviours, oral hygiene, and DNI among patients based on their sociodemographic characteristics and medical history (p .005). Physical examination findings predominantly revealed neck masses (39.6%) and peritonsillar abscesses (32.4%), and patients with peritonsillar abscesses had a shorter length of hospital stay than those with other localizations. No severe complications occurred during the clinical follow‐up. Conclusion Chronic diseases, smoking, and poor oral hygiene are the primary risk factors for developing DNIs. If an abscess is located in a critical area, it may require extended hospitalization and surgery under general anesthesia. Therefore, addressing these risk factors and encouraging good oral hygiene practices are crucial to preventing DNIs and reducing the need for intensive treatment.

Abstract This study aimed to explore seasonal variations in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) prevalence in South Korea, utilizing nationwide population-based big data. Data corresponding to the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code of K07.6, which identifies TMD, were extracted from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service online platform for the period from 2010 to 2022. Additionally, we integrated these data with climate temperature records from the Korean Meteorological Administration. We subsequently conducted a statistical analysis of TMD patient data on a monthly and seasonal basis over the past 13 years to assess prevalence. Over the past 13 years, the number of TMD patients in Korea has steadily increased. The prevalence of TMD rose from 0.48% (224,708 out of a total population of 50,515,666) in 2010 to 0.94% (482,241 out of a total population of 51,439,038) in 2022, marking a 1.96-fold increase. Among children under 10 years of age, no significant differences were observed in TMD prevalence between boys and girls. However, a distinct female predominance emerged after the age of 10, with an average female-to-male ratio of 1.51:1. The peak prevalence of TMD occurred in individuals in their 20 s, followed by adolescents in their late 10 s. The majority of TMD patients were concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi province, with metropolitan areas accounting for 50% of the total patient count. Seasonally, TMD patient numbers showed no significant increase in winter compared with spring or summer. The temperature difference, defined as the absolute difference between the highest and lowest temperatures for each month, showed a positive correlation with TMD patient counts. A greater temperature difference was associated with higher patient counts. The strongest correlation between temperature differences and TMD patient numbers was observed in winter (r = 0.480, p

Across 133 confirmed mpox zoonotic index cases reported during 1970–2021 in Africa, cases occurred year-round near the equator, where climate is consistent. However, in tropical regions of the northern hemisphere under a dry/wet season cycle, cases occurred seasonally. Our findings further support the seasonality of mpox zoonotic transmission risk.

Objective: We aim to investigate the prevalence of low vitamin D levels in pregnant women receiving medical care at a tertiary hospital by analyzing the seasonal variations in these levels. Methods: This study was conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology outpatient facility of a tertiary medical institution between February 2020 and February 2024. The demographic data, including maternal age, parity, gestational age, smoking status, vitamin D level, and seasonal information, were duly captured from the first antenatal medical examination records. Results: After the exclusion of individuals who did not meet the predetermined criteria, a total of 1101 pregnant women were selected to partake in the study. Among the pregnant women, a large proportion (866, 79%) had serum 25(OH)D concentrations lower than 20 ng/mL, with an additional 132 out of 866 (15.2%) having levels below 5 ng/mL. The overall sample group showed a mean vitamin level of 13.71±9.18, while the subset of participants with a vitamin D deficiency had a recorded value of 9.85±4.62. During the fall and summer seasons, a considerable 82% and 72.8% respectively exhibited a significant prevalence of hypovitaminosis D. The trend curve for the seasonal vitamin D levels of the vitamin D-deficient group shows a relatively flat pattern, with an R²=0.0097 score. Conclusion: The findings from our investigation corroborate the implementation of prenatal multivitamins enriched with vitamin D as a preventive measure against musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions for maternal and neonatal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals vary in their ability to taste, and some individuals are more sensitive to certain tastes than others. Taste sensitivity is a predictor of various factors, such as diet, eating behavior, appetite regulation, and overall health. Furthermore, taste sensitivity can fluctuate within an individual over short to long periods of time: for example, in daily (diurnal) cycles, monthly (menstrual) cycles (in females), and yearly (seasonal) cycles. Understanding these temporal patterns is important for understanding individual eating habits and food preferences, particularly in the context of personalized and precision nutrition. This review provides a summary of the literature on taste sensitivity patterns across 3 temporal dimensions: daily, monthly, and yearly. Good evidence for diurnal patterns has been observed for sweet taste and fat taste, although the evidence is limited to rodent studies for the latter. Obese populations showed limited variation to sweet and fat taste sensitivities over a day, with limited variation in sweet taste sensitivity being linked to insulin resistance. There were mixed observations of temporal variation in sensitivity to sour and umami tastes, and there were no patterns in sensitivity to bitter taste. Menstrual patterns in sweet taste sensitivity were consistent with patterns in food intake. Other taste modality investigations had mixed findings that had little agreement across studies. Hormonal changes in females influence taste sensitivity to some degree, although the overall patterns are unclear. Seasonal patterns have been less well studied, but there is weak evidence that sweet, salty, and bitter taste sensitivities change across seasons. Differences in seasonal taste patterns have been observed in subgroups susceptible to mental health disorders, requiring further investigation. Patterns of taste sensitivity are evident across multiple temporal dimensions, and more research is needed to determine the influence of these patterns on food intake. Dysregulation of these patterns may also be a marker of certain diseases or health conditions, warranting further investigation. Notably, the alimentary tastes (umami, fat, and carbohydrate) are underrepresented in this research area and require additional investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Placing wind turbines within large migration flyways, such as the North Sea basin, can contribute to the decline of vulnerable migratory bird populations by increasing mortality through collisions. Curtailment of wind turbines limited to short periods with intense migration can minimize these negative impacts, and near‐term bird migration forecasts can inform such decisions. Although near‐term forecasts are usually created with long‐term datasets, the pace of environmental alteration due to wind energy calls for the urgent development of conservation measures that rely on existing data, even when it does not have long temporal coverage.Here, we use 5 years of tracking bird radar data collected off the western Dutch coast, weather and phenological variables to develop seasonal near‐term forecasts of low‐altitude nocturnal bird migration over the southern North Sea.Overall, the models explained 71% of the variance and correctly predicted migration intensity above or below a threshold for intense hourly migration in more than 80% of hours in both seasons. However, the percentage of correctly predicted intense migration hours (top 5% of hours with the most intense migration) was low, likely due to the short‐term dataset and their rare occurrence. We, therefore, advise careful consideration of a curtailment threshold to achieve optimal results.Synthesis and applications: Near‐term forecasts of migration fluxes evaluated against measurements can be used to define curtailment thresholds for offshore wind energy. We show that to minimize collision risk for 50% of migrants, if predicted correctly, curtailments should be applied during 18 h in spring and 26 in autumn in the focal year of model assessments, resulting in an estimated annual wind energy loss of 0.12%. Drawing from the Dutch curtailment framework, which pioneered the 'international first' offshore curtailment, we argue that using forecasts developed from limited temporal datasets alongside expert insight and data‐driven policies can expedite conservation efforts in a rapidly changing world. This approach is particularly valuable in light of increasing interannual variability in weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When animals are exposed to higher-than-optimal temperatures, they are expected to thermoregulate by decreasing their activity and seeking cooler areas. However, individuals of certain species continue performing reproductive behaviors instead of thermoregulatory behaviors during challenging conditions. This trade-off has been demonstrated in aquatic animals, but not in terrestrial ectotherms. This research gap is important given the relevance of survival-reproduction trade-offs in evolutionary ecology and the pace of current habitat warming. We explored this potential trade-off in territorial males of the lizard Sceloporus ochoterenae, which mate during the hot-dry season in seasonally dry tropical forest. We first assessed the existence of a temporal trade-off between performing push-ups (territorial behavioral display) versus sheltering in the shade (thermoregulatory behavior), then used confirmatory path analysis to explore how it was affected by tree cover, microclimate temperature, and the presence of a conspecific intruder. We found that territories with less tree cover had higher microclimate temperatures, where focal males spent more time performing push-ups at the expense of sheltering in the shade. Focal males also spent more time performing push-ups the longer an intruder was present, who was also affected by the environmental variables. Territorial males spent more time in sunny spots when performing push-ups despite the potential loss of moisture and energy reserves, perhaps because the display is more effective when performed in the open. The potential effects of continued habitat warming on this trade-off could intensify it or driving lizards to change their daily activity rhythms. Significance: We explored a fundamental life history trade-off: self-maintenance vs. reproduction. Specifically, we evaluated the potential trade-off between sheltering in the shade to cool off and performing dynamic territorial displays in a lizard endemic to seasonally dry tropical forest in Mexico. This trade-off is expected to be especially strong because this species breeds during the hottest, driest, and most food-limited season of the year. We found support for the trade-off, as performing push-ups was negatively related to both shade use and tree cover, and path analysis showed that males sacrifice time in the shade in favor of displaying (not vice-versa). These results are similar to dynamics reported in aquatic animals, but this is to our knowledge the first such report in a terrestrial vertebrate. These findings are especially relevant in the context of habitat warming due to deforestation and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land‐ice flow in Antarctica has experienced multi‐annual acceleration in response to increased rates of ice thinning, ice‐shelf collapse and grounding‐line retreat. Superimposed upon this trend, recent observations have revealed that land‐ice flow in the Antarctic Peninsula exhibits seasonal velocity variability with distinct summertime speed‐ups. The mechanism, or mechanisms, responsible for driving this seasonality are unconstrained at present, yet detailed, process‐based understanding of such forcing will be important for accurately estimating Antarctica's future contributions to sea level. Here, we perform time‐series analysis on an array of remotely sensed, modeled and reanalysis data sets to examine the influence of potential drivers of ice‐flow seasonality in the Antarctic Peninsula. We show that both meltwater presence and ocean temperature act as statistically significant precursors to summertime ice‐flow acceleration, although each elicits an ice‐velocity response after a distinct lag, with the former prompting a more immediate response. Furthermore, we find that the timing and magnitude of these local drivers are influenced by large‐scale climate phenomena, namely the Amundsen Sea Low and the El Niño Southern Oscillation, with the latter initiating an anomalous wintertime ice‐flow acceleration event in 2016. This hitherto unidentified link between seasonal ice flow and large‐scale climatic forcing may have important implications for ice discharge at and beyond the Antarctic Peninsula in the future, depending upon how the magnitude, frequency and duration of such climate phenomena evolve in a warming world. Plain Language Summary: Over the past three decades, the speed of Antarctica's seaward‐flowing glaciers has accelerated, resulting in increased ice mass‐loss to the ocean and corresponding global sea‐level rise. Recent work has found that glaciers in the Antarctic Peninsula also experience changes in their flow speed throughout the year, with faster flow (of up to 15% relative to annual‐averaged rates) occurring during the summertime. The physical processes responsible for controlling this seasonal behavior, however, are unknown. Here, we examine a range of satellite, atmosphere, and ocean records to determine the main environmental drivers of this seasonal response. Our results show that both surface and oceanic processes are important in driving this behavior, but that the influence of surface processes is more immediate than the relatively time‐delayed, or "lagged," effects of the ocean. We also find that both surface and oceanic processes are themselves subject to the influence of larger‐scale climate phenomena, including the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Overall, our results provide new insights into the environmental controls on the recently observed seasonal pattern of ice flow in Antarctica. Key Points: Surface meltwater extent and sea‐ice‐modulated oceanic forcing act as statistically significant precursors to summertime ice‐flow acceleration in the Antarctic PeninsulaSurface meltwater presence and enhanced ocean temperatures presage summertime acceleration with different temporal lead timesA relationship exists between El Niño Southern Oscillation and Antarctic ice‐flow seasonality, with the unprecedented magnitude El Niño event of 2016 driving an anomalous wintertime speed‐up through enhanced local surface and oceanic forcing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic forcing and landscape properties control catchments' hydrological responses over both seasonal and mean annual timescales. Controls on annual and seasonal water balances are usually studied separately which limits and fragments understanding of catchment behaviour. Establishing process controls on hydrological responses that act across multiple time scales could better unify hydrological theory. Here, we use streamflow and climate data from 56 catchments in the Ozarks and Appalachian regions (US) to test how climate (aridity index) and soil drainage together shape seasonal and mean annual water balances for these humid, snow‐free catchments with little precipitation seasonality. We calibrate a simple conceptual model to observed seasonal streamflow and obtain an effective parameter that summarizes the nonlinearity of drainage of soil moisture to groundwater. Our comparative analysis of catchments in the Ozarks and the Appalachian regions indicates that catchments in the more humid climates have lower streamflow seasonality and higher mean annual flow, irrespective of the nonlinearity of soil drainage. In contrast, in relatively drier climates, more nonlinear soil drainage increases the seasonality of streamflow and reduces mean annual flow. Additional testing across 204 humid catchments with little precipitation seasonality and snowfall in the Southeastern United States further supports our hypothesis that soil drainage nonlinearity significantly modulates seasonal and mean annual water balances. These results reveal how soil drainage nonlinearity provides a process interpretation that connects seasonal and annual water balances and highlights the importance of nonlinearity of soil drainage in hydrological modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore seasonal variations in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) prevalence in South Korea, utilizing nationwide population-based big data. Data corresponding to the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases code of K07.6, which identifies TMD, were extracted from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service online platform for the period from 2010 to 2022. Additionally, we integrated these data with climate temperature records from the Korean Meteorological Administration. We subsequently conducted a statistical analysis of TMD patient data on a monthly and seasonal basis over the past 13 years to assess prevalence. Over the past 13 years, the number of TMD patients in Korea has steadily increased. The prevalence of TMD rose from 0.48% (224,708 out of a total population of 50,515,666) in 2010 to 0.94% (482,241 out of a total population of 51,439,038) in 2022, marking a 1.96-fold increase. Among children under 10 years of age, no significant differences were observed in TMD prevalence between boys and girls. However, a distinct female predominance emerged after the age of 10, with an average female-to-male ratio of 1.51:1. The peak prevalence of TMD occurred in individuals in their 20 s, followed by adolescents in their late 10 s. The majority of TMD patients were concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi province, with metropolitan areas accounting for 50% of the total patient count. Seasonally, TMD patient numbers showed no significant increase in winter compared with spring or summer. The temperature difference, defined as the absolute difference between the highest and lowest temperatures for each month, showed a positive correlation with TMD patient counts. A greater temperature difference was associated with higher patient counts. The strongest correlation between temperature differences and TMD patient numbers was observed in winter (r = 0.480, p < 0.01), followed by summer (r = 0.443, p < 0.01), and spring (r = 0.366, p < 0.05). Temperature differences demonstrated a significantly stronger correlation with the increase in the number of TMD patients than absolute climate temperatures. This aspect should be a key consideration when examining seasonal trends in TMD prevalence in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Met Office GloSea5‐GC2 sub‐seasonal‐to‐seasonal 40‐member lagged ensemble consists of members who are up to 10 days different in age such that the between‐ensemble‐member bias is not internally consistent. Reforecasts tend to be used to convert these ensemble forecasts into anomalies from a normal state. These anomalies are however not that useful for applications where individual ensemble members are needed to drive downstream applications in the hazard and impact space. Here we explore whether there is a way of correcting for the within‐ensemble bias without using reforecasts. An investigation into the individual daily precipitation distributions from the JJAS 2019 Indian monsoon season, stratified by forecast horizon, highlights how the distribution changes, and shows that the model distribution is markedly different to the observed. Initial results suggest that it could be better to use recent model forecast distribution(s) as the reference for adjusting the model rainfall accumulations as a function of lead day horizon, that is, not attempting to correct the members to a vastly different (observed) distribution shape, but a more subtle shift towards the model's best guess of reality, rather than reality itself, to remove the between‐ensemble‐member bias. A combination of Exponential and Generalized Pareto distributions are used for parametric quantile mapping to remove this internal ensemble bias using computationally efficient pre‐computed lookup tables. Within‐ and out‐of‐sample results for the 2019 and 2020 monsoon seasons show that the method is effective in tightening precipitation gradients, with improvements in spread, accuracy and skill, especially for low accumulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response of the North Atlantic large‐scale circulation to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exhibits distinct differences between early (November–December) and late (January–February) winter. However, the reasons for this are unclear, particularly regarding the early winter response. Here we examine the role of storm‐track dynamics in influencing the intraseasonal variability of the ENSO teleconnection to the North Atlantic. During late winter there a broad weakening of the eddy heat flux upstream of the North Atlantic storm track during the El Niño phase, which is associated with a broad southward jet shift across North America and the North Atlantic. The late winter response is reinforced by synoptic eddies through enhanced cyclonic wave breaking, consistent with previous studies. However, a stronger teleconnection occurs during early winter. There are modest changes in the North Atlantic eddy heat flux, but strong changes in the upper‐level storm track associated with ENSO, with increased anticyclonic wave breaking during El Niño reinforcing the jet across the central North Atlantic. During early winter there are less frequent northern eddy‐driven jet occurrences in El Niño years and more frequent northern eddy‐driven jet occurrences in La Niña years. These poleward North Atlantic jet excursions typically follow peaks in the eddy heat flux; however, in El Niño years this relationship breaks down and the jet does not transition to the northern position as frequently, despite no clear changes in the upstream eddy heat flux. Composite analysis reveals that precursor storm‐track anomalies upstream over the eastern North Pacific/North America are important in suppressing the poleward jet excursions. These precursors map onto the seasonal mean North Pacific storm‐track anomalies during El Niño. Measured across all years, there is a clear relationship between the mean early winter eastern North Pacific storm‐track activity and eastern North Atlantic eddy‐driven jet, which can explain the early winter ENSO teleconnection to the North Atlantic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diatom assemblages from ARA2B-1A taken in the Chukchi Sea shelf were analyzed to reconstruct paleoenvironmental changes during the last 10 ka BP. The main factors controlling the distribution of diatom in the Chukchi Sea are the relatively warm and nutrient-rich Pacific water inflow after the opening of the Bering Strait. Based on the selected diatoms, three diatom assemblage zones are identified. The diatom assemblage zone I shows a rare or very low abundance, which corresponds to the early Holocene (10–8 ka BP). The diatom assemblage zone II corresponds to the mid-to-late Holocene (8–2 ka BP). It is a seasonal sea-ice environment with relatively abundant diatom valves and Chaetoceors resting spores, as well as sea-ice species, cold-water species, coastal species, and upwelling species. The diatom assemblage zone III corresponds to the late Holocene (2–0 ka BP), and the the sea-ice species generally decreased compared to zone II, while the coastal species Paralia sulcata occurred abundantly. In particular, the Thalassiosira antarctica, a cold-water species, increased distinctly during this time interval. After ∼2 ka BP, T. antarctica rapidly increased while sea-ice species rarely appeared, indicating limited open-marine environments. In particular, after 1 ka BP, T. antarctica decreased while the sea-ice species increased, suggesting that the sea-ice increased again before the recent global warming of the Arctic, the late Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal variations of gravity‐wave parameters over the northern and southern Tibetan Plateau are studied using high vertical‐resolution L‐band radiosonde data during the period 2014 to 2019. The wave parameters include wavelength, frequency, phase speed, group velocity, perturbation energies and momentum fluxes. The synoptic effects on the gravity‐wave parameters are discussed and assessed with the Pearson correlation. The tropospheric vertical wavelengths as estimated from the zonal wind perturbation were found to show a pronounced decrease over the southern Tibetan Plateau in the warm season. The tropospheric (stratospheric) horizontal wavelength is shortest (longest) in summer, and the stratospheric horizontal wavelength is longer than the tropospheric horizontal wavelength. The ratio of the intrinsic frequency to the Coriolis parameter is 2.5–5 (2–4.5) with a summer (winter) maximum in the troposphere (lower stratosphere). The ratio is generally higher in the north than in the south. The typical value of the mean tropospheric (stratospheric) intrinsic‐phase speed is 3.5–6 (2–11) m·s−1. The mean intrinsic‐phase speed in the south is mostly larger than that in the north. The tropospheric zonal ground‐based group velocities are dominantly eastward in all seasons. The stratospheric zonal ground‐based group velocity shifts from eastward in summer to westward in winter. In the troposphere, the seasonal cycles of the kinetic energy (KE) and potential energy (PE) exhibit regional differences. The tropospheric vertical fluctuation energy (VE) is independent of both season and region. The stratospheric KE, PE and VE are smaller in the warm season. The negative zonal momentum flux ρu′w′‾ and positive meridional momentum flux ρv′w′‾ are strongest in winter and summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphagic hibernators such as the golden-mantled ground squirrel (GMGS; Callospermophilus lateralis) can fast for months and exhibit profound seasonal fluctuations in body weight, food intake, and behavior. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates cellular and systemic metabolism via mechanisms that are conserved across mammalian species. In this study, we characterized regional changes in BDNF with hibernation, hypothermia, and seasonal cycle in GMGS. Analysis of BDNF protein concentrations by ELISA revealed overlapping seasonal patterns in the hippocampus and hypothalamus, where BDNF levels were highest in summer and lowest in winter. BDNF is the primary ligand for receptor tyrosine kinase B (TrkB), and BDNF/TrkB signaling in the brain potently regulates energy expenditure. To examine the functional relevance of seasonal variation in BDNF, hibernating animals were injected with the small molecule TrkB agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) daily for 2 wk. When compared with vehicle, DHF-treated animals exhibited fewer torpor bouts and shorter bout durations. These results suggest that activating BDNF/TrkB disrupts hibernation and raise intriguing questions related to the role of BDNF as a potential regulatory mechanism or downstream response to seasonal changes in body temperature and environment. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: Golden-mantled ground squirrels exhibit dramatic seasonal fluctuations in metabolism and can fast for months while hibernating. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is an essential determinant of cellular and systemic metabolism, and in this study, we characterized seasonal fluctuations in BDNF expression and then administered the small molecule BDNF mimetic 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) in hibernating squirrels. The results indicate that activating BDNF/TrkB signaling disrupts hibernation, with implications for synaptic homeostasis in prolonged hypometabolic states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Outdoor aeroallergens, such as pollens and molds, are known triggers of asthma exacerbation; however, few studies have examined children’s aeroallergen response based on sensitization. Objective: Our aim was to compare the relative impact of aeroallergen levels on asthma exacerbation between pediatric patients with asthma who tested positive or negative for sensitization to particular allergens. Methods: A case-crossover design study was conducted to examine associations between outdoor aeroallergen levels and asthma exacerbation events among children living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who were treated within a large pediatric care network. Sensitization to common allergens was characterized in a subset of patients with asthma exacerbation who had undergone skin prick testing (5.5%). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were estimated in all patients with asthma exacerbation and in those sensitized or not sensitized to aeroallergens. Results: Children who were sensitized to a particular allergen had higher odds of asthma exacerbation with exposure to the allergen (ie, early-season tree pollen, oak tree pollen, early-season weed pollen, and late-season molds) than did all patients with asthma or nonsensitized patients. For example, the association between early-season tree pollen and asthma exacerbation among sensitized children (>90th percentile vs ≤25th, OR = 2.28 [95% CI = 1.23-4.22]) was considerably stronger than that estimated among all patients (OR = 1.34 [95% CI = 1.19-1.50]), and it was also substantially different from the lack of association seen among nonsensitized children (OR = 0.89 [95% CI = 0.51-1.55] [P value for heterogeneity = .03]). Conclusion: More prevalent allergy testing may be useful for prevention of asthma exacerbation by informing interventions targeted to sensitized children and tailored for particular aeroallergens.

Malaria vector abundance has been linked to certain agricultural practices. This work examined the impact of the agricultural practice of irrigation on the composition and seasonal distribution of malaria vectors in agrarian communities of Kano state. Longitudinal data collection was done four times a year, corresponding to different transmission seasons from early rains to late rainy season, early dry season to late dry season. Indoor-biting adult mosquitoes were collected using standard pyrethrum spray collection (PSC) techniques. Female Anopheles mosquitoes collected from houses were morphologically identified to species level. Molecular characterisation of the members of the Anopheles gambiae complex was carried out using PCR technique. Two thousand four hundred fifty-two (2452) adult female Anopheles species were collected throughout the study period. The Large Irrigation (LIC) and Urban Irrigation Communities (UIC) had a higher mean abundance of female Anopheles mosquitoes across seasons. There was a significant difference in the mean adult mosquito catch across the season (F =113.49, p≤0.001) and across the three communities (F = 44.73; p ≤0.001). Anopheles gambiae sl. was the most encountered among the four species, with a mean abundance of 11.94±11.76, 5.39±7.45 and 2.58 ±3.41 for LIC, UIC and NIC, respectively. Molecular characterisation of An. gambiae s.l. by PCR showed the presence of three sibling species, An. coluzzi, An. gambiae ss and An. arabiensis. An. Coluzzi was significantly more abundant across the three communities during the wet and dry seasons. The predominance of this species has implications for malaria control. This study shows that irrigation is likely to influence mosquito breeding, thus exposing community members to a higher risk of being bitten by infected vectors. A review of the ecology of Anopheles species, especially in urban environments, is needed, considering the current abundance of malaria vectors in the urban community. Keywords: Seasonal, Abundance, Composition, Anopheles species, Irrigation, Urban

Abstract Background While the use of cumulative susceptibility reports, antibiograms, is recommended for improved empiric therapy and antibiotic stewardship, the predictive ability of antibiograms has not been well-studied. While enhanced antibiograms have been shown to better capture variation in susceptibility profiles by characteristics such as infection site or patient age, the potential for seasonal or spatial variation in susceptibility has not been assessed as important in predicting likelihood of susceptibility. Methods Utilizing Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained in outpatient settings from a nationwide provider of care, the Veterans Health Administration, and a local provider of care, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, standard, seasonal and spatial antibiograms were created for five commonly used antibiotic classes: cephalosporins, clindamycin, macrolides, tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Results A total of 338,681 S. aureus isolates obtained in VHA outpatient settings from 2010 to 2019 and 6,817 isolates obtained in UIHC outpatient settings from 2014 to 2019 were used to generate and test antibiograms. Logistic regression modeling determined the capacity of these antibiograms to predict isolate resistance to each antibiotic class. All models had low predictive capacity, with areas under the curve of