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We summarize what we assess as the past year's most important findings within climate change research: limits to adaptation, vulnerability hotspots, new threats coming from the climate–health nexus, climate (im)mobility and security, sustainable practices for land use and finance, losses and damages, inclusive societal climate decisions and ways to overcome structural barriers to accelerate mitigation and limit global warming to below 2°C.
Technical summary
We synthesize 10 topics within climate research where there have been significant advances or emerging scientific consensus since January 2021. The selection of these insights was based on input from an international open call with broad disciplinary scope. Findings concern: (1) new aspects of soft and hard limits to adaptation; (2) the emergence of regional vulnerability hotspots from climate impacts and human vulnerability; (3) new threats on the climate–health horizon – some involving plants and animals; (4) climate (im)mobility and the need for anticipatory action; (5) security and climate; (6) sustainable land management as a prerequisite to land-based solutions; (7) sustainable finance practices in the private sector and the need for political guidance; (8) the urgent planetary imperative for addressing losses and damages; (9) inclusive societal choices for climate-resilient development and (10) how to overcome barriers to accelerate mitigation and limit global warming to below 2°C.
Social media summary
Science has evidence on barriers to mitigation and how to overcome them to avoid limits to adaptation across multiple fields.
Excess unabsorbed iron in the gastrointestinal tract may select for enteric pathogens and increase the incidence and severity of infectious disease. Aspergillus oryzae (Ao) is a filamentous fungus that has the ability to accumulate and store large amounts of iron, and when used as a supplement or fortificant, has similar absorption to ferrous sulphate (FeSO4) in humans. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of iron-enriched Ao (Ao iron) compared with FeSO4 on iron accumulation, growth and motility of the Gram-negative enteric pathogen, S. Typhimurium. S. Typhimurium was cultured in media containing no added iron or 1 μM elemental iron as either Ao iron or FeSO4. S. Typhimurium cultured with FeSO4 accumulated more iron than those cultured with Ao iron. Genes regulated by the iron-activated transcriptional repressor, Fur, did not differ between control and Ao iron, but decreased in S. Typhimurium cultured with FeSO4 compared with both groups. Growth of S. Typhimurium was greater when cultured with FeSO4 compared with Ao iron and control. S. Typhimurium swam faster, had greater acceleration and travelled further when cultured with FeSO4 compared with Ao iron and control; swim speed, acceleration and distance travelled did not differ between Ao iron and control. These findings provide evidence that Ao iron reduces the virulence of a common enteric pathogen in vitro. Further research is required to determine whether iron-enriched Ao is a suitable iron supplement to improve iron delivery in areas with a high infection burden.
Background: There are uncertainties regarding the optimal management of acutely symptomatic carotid stenosis (“hot carotids”). We sought to explore the approaches of stroke physicians to anti-thrombotic management, imaging, and revascularization in patients with “hot carotids”. Methods: We used a qualitative descriptive methodology to examine decision-making approaches of physicians regarding the management of hot carotids. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 stroke physicians from various specialties in 16 centers across 4 continents. Results: Important themes regarding anti-thrombotic included limitations of existing clinical trial evidence, competing physician preferences, antiplatelet therapy while awaiting revascularization and various regional differences. Timely imaging availability, breadth of information gained, and surgeon/interventionalist preferences were important themes influencing the choice of imaging modality. The choice of revascularization intervention was influenced by healthcare system factors such as use of multidisciplinary review and operating room/angiography suite availability, and patient factors like age and infarct size. Many themes related to uncertainties in the management of hot carotids were also discussed. Conclusions: Our study revealed themes that are important to international stroke experts. We highlight common and divergent practices while underscoring important areas of clinical equipoise and uncertainty. Teams designing international carotid trials may wish to accommodate identified variations in practice patterns and areas of uncertainty.
Background: Whereas the beneficial effect of antiplatelet therapy for recurrent stroke prevention is well-established, uncertainties remain regarding the optimal anti-thrombotic regimen for acutely symptomatic carotid stenosis (“hot carotid”), particularly as patients await revascularization. We sought to explore the approaches of stroke physicians to peri-procedural anti-thrombotic management of patients with “hot carotids”. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews regarding “hot carotid” management with purposive sampling of 20 stroke physicians from 14 centres in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. We identified key themes using conventional qualitative content analysis. Results: Important themes revealed from our discussion included limitations of existing clinical trial evidence, competing surgeon versus neurologist/internist preferences, and single vs dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) while awaiting revascularization. Areas of uncertainty included the management of stroke while on aspirin, implications of non-stenotic features of carotid disease (intraluminal thrombus, plaque morphology), the role of newer anti-platelet agents or anticoagulants, platelet aggregation testing, and how soon to start DAPT. Conclusions: Our qualitative analysis revealed themes that were important to stakeholders in stroke care. Teams designing international trials will have to accommodate identified variations in anti-thrombotic practice patterns and take into consideration areas of uncertainty, such as newer anti-thrombotic agents, and the implication of non-stenotic features of carotid disease.
Background: Evidence informing the choice between endarterectomy and stenting for acutely symptomatic carotid stenosis (“hot carotid”) is dated, and uncertainties remain regarding the optimal imaging modality. We sought to explore the thoughts of stroke physicians regarding the perioperative management of patients with acute symptomatic carotid stenosis. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews regarding “hot carotid” management with purposive sampling of 20 stroke physicians from 14 centres in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. We identified key themes using conventional qualitative content analysis. Results: Timely imaging availability, breadth of information gained, and surgeon/interventionalist preference emerged as important themes informing the choice of imaging modality. Multidisciplinary decision making, operating room/angiography suite availability, and implications of patient age and infarct size were important themes related to the choice of revascularization. Areas of uncertainty included utility of carotid plaque imaging, timing of revascularization, and the role of intervention with borderline stenosis or intraluminal thrombus. Conclusions: Our qualitative analysis revealed themes that were important to stroke experts. Teams designing international trials will have to accommodate identified variations in practice patterns and take into consideration areas of uncertainty, such as timing of revascularization, imaging of carotid plaque and non-stenotic features of carotid disease (intraluminal thrombus, plaque morphology).
In spite of continuous refinements in tympanoplasty techniques, results are variable, and it is not uncommon to see a discharging eardrum even after a good graft uptake. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of total annulus excision tympanoplasty in comparison with conventional underlay tympanoplasty.
Method
This was a double blinded, randomised, controlled trial performed at a tertiary care centre. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were met, 56 patients were enrolled and randomised, and 28 patients were allocated to each group (group A (conventional tympanoplasty) and group B (total annulus excision)). Patients and evaluators were blind to the procedure performed.
Results
Patients in group B (total annulus excision) showed better graft uptake and no discharge with better gains in air conduction thresholds (p < 0.05) when compared with group A (conventional tympanoplasty).
Conclusion
In view of the advantages it offers, total annulus excision tympanoplasty may be preferred over the conventional techniques in patients with central perforations.
The study area belongs to the Singhbhum metamorphic belt of Jharkhand, situated in the eastern part of India. The spatial distribution of the index minerals in the pelitic schists of the area shows Barrovian type of metamorphism. Three isograds, viz. garnet, staurolite and sillimanite, have been delineated and the textural study of the schists has revealed a time relation between crystallization and deformation. Series of folds with shifting values of plunges in the supracrustal rocks having axial-planar schistosity to the folds have been widely cited. Development of these folds could be attributed to the second phase of deformation. In total, two phases of deformation, D1 and D2, in association with two phases of metamorphism, M1 and M2, have been lined up in the study area. Chemographic plots of reactant and product assemblages corresponding to various metamorphic reactions suggest that the pattern of metamorphic zones mapped in space is in coherence with the temporal-sequential change during prograde metamorphism. The prograde P–T evolution of the study area has been obtained using conventional geothermobarometry, internally consistent winTWQ program and Perple_X software in the MnNCKFMASHTO model system. Our observations suggest that the progressive metamorphism in the area is not related to granitic intrusion or migmatization but that it was possibly the ascending plume that resulted in the M1 phase of metamorphism followed by D1 deformation. The second and prime metamorphic phase, M2, with its possible heat source generated by crustal overloading, was preceded by D1 and it lasted until late- to post-D2 deformation.
A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2014 to 2017 in 13 organised pig farms located in eight states of India (Northern, North-Eastern and Southern regions) to identify the risk factors, pathotype and antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli associated with pre- and post-weaning piglet diarrhoea. The data collected through questionnaire survey were used to identify the risk factors by univariable analysis, in which weaning status, season, altitude, ventilation in the shed, use of heater/cooler for temperature control in the sheds, feed type, water source, and use of disinfectant, were the potential risk factors. In logistic regression model, weaning and source of water were the significant risk factors. The piglet diarrhoea prevalence was almost similar across the regions. Of the 909 faecal samples collected (North – 310, North-East – 194 and South – 405) for isolation of E. coli, pathotyping and antibiotic screening, 531 E. coli were isolated in MacConkey agar added with cefotaxime, where 345 isolates were extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producers and were positive for blaCTX-M-1 (n = 147), bla TEM (n = 151), qnrA (n = 98), qnrB (n = 116), qnrS (n = 53), tetA (n = 46), tetB (n = 48) and sul1 (n = 54) genes. Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index revealed that 14 (2.64%) isolates had MAR index of 1. On the virulence screening of E. coli, 174 isolates harboured alone or combination of Stx1, Stx2, eaeA, hlyA genes. The isolates from diarrhoeic and post-weaning samples harboured higher number of virulence genes than non-diarrhoeic and pre-weaning. Alleviating the risk factors might reduce the piglet diarrhoea cases. The presence of multidrug-resistant and ESBL-producing pathogenic E. coli in piglets appears a public health concern.
A cross-sectional study on six dairy farms was conducted to ascertain the occurrence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli in calves. Two-hundred and seventy-nine isolates of E. coli were recovered from 90 faecal samples from apparently healthy (45) and diarrhoeal (45) calves. The isolates were screened for phenotypic susceptibility to carbapenems and production of metallo β-lactamase, as well as five carbapenemase resistance genes by PCR, and overexpression of efflux pumps. Eighty-one isolates (29.03%) were resistant to at least one of three carbapenem antibiotics [meropenem (23.30%), imipenem (2.15%) and ertapenem (1.43%)], and one isolate was positive for the blaVIM gene which was located on an Incl1 plasmid of a novel sequence type (ST 297) by multilocus sequence typing. The majority (83.95%) of isolates had an active efflux pump. Calves housed on concrete floors were approximately seven times more likely to acquire meropenem-resistant isolates than those housed on earthen floors (95% CI 1.27–41.54). In India, carbapenem drugs are not used in food animal treatment, hence carbapenem-resistant strains in calves possibly originate from the natural environment or human contact and is of public health importance. To our knowledge, this is the first report of blaVIM carbapenemases gene in calves from India.
Depression frequently co-occurs with disorders of glucose and insulin homeostasis (DGIH) and obesity. Low-grade systemic inflammation and lifestyle factors in childhood may predispose to DGIH, obesity and depression. We aim to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among DGIH, obesity and depression, and to examine the effect of demographics, lifestyle factors and antecedent low-grade inflammation on such associations in young people.
Methods
Using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children birth cohort, we used regression analyses to examine: (1) cross-sectional and (2) longitudinal associations between measures of DGIH [insulin resistance (IR); impaired glucose tolerance] and body mass index (BMI) at ages 9 and 18 years, and depression (depressive symptoms and depressive episode) at age 18 years and (3) whether sociodemographics, lifestyle factors or inflammation [interleukin-6 (IL-6) at age 9 years] confounded any such associations.
Results
We included 3208 participants. At age 18 years, IR and BMI were positively associated with depression. These associations may be explained by sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. There were no longitudinal associations between DGIH/BMI and depression, and adjustment for IL-6 and C-reactive protein did not attenuate associations between IR/BMI and depression; however, the longitudinal analyses may have been underpowered.
Conclusions
Young people with depression show evidence of DGIH and raised BMI, which may be related to sociodemographic and lifestyle effects such as deprivation, smoking, ethnicity and gender. In future, studies with larger samples are required to confirm this. Preventative strategies for the poorer physical health outcomes associated with depression should focus on malleable lifestyle factors.
Urbanization has caused irreversible changes. Apart from fostering development, urban areas have modified their surroundings. Annual and seasonal pollution averages from 2006 to 2010 reveal that there are apparent increases in pollution levels, especially for NO2, SPM and RSPM. However, these pollution levels are not constant; rather, they fluctuate with the seasonal changes.
These changes impact human health. The link between health and environment is complex. The impact of air pollution on human health has been analyzed by correlating air pollution levels and number of deaths caused by it.
Results reveal that asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia are responsible for most deaths due to air pollution in Delhi. Spatial and temporal analysis of mortality from these diseases presented for Delhi (2001–2012) reveals that there has been an increase in the number of deaths of children due to respiratory illness. The other major age group facing the impact of rising pollution levels is the age group greater than 60 years old.
Background: Children diagnosed with medulloblastoma (MB) that are refractory to upfront therapy or experience recurrence have very poor prognoses. Reports of phase I and II studies for these children exist, but bear significant treatment related morbidity and mortality. Methods: A retrospective review of children diagnosed with a pediatric MB from 2002-2015 from the McMaster Pediatric Brain Tumour Study Group (PBTSG) captured a number of pediatric recurrent MB. Results: Over the 13-year period, 31 children with a histological diagnosis of MB were treated. At two years, 21 (67.7%) of 31 patients were free of recurrence and 25 (80.6%) survived. Thirteen children had recurrent or treatment refractory MB. mean time to recurrence was 14.6 months. The mean follow-up for survivors of recurrent MB was 4.0 years. In 3 recurrent MB, the disease had significantly progressed and the patients palliated. For the remaining children, therapy offered included surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy agents either in isolation or in varying combinations. Conclusions: Recurrent MB in our cohort carried a poor prognosis despite administration of salvage therapy. Though there is standardization of the upfront treatment exists, we observed great heterogeneity in the treatment of our 13 patients experiencing recurrence. A greater understanding of the biology of recurrent MB has the potential to guide salvage therapy.
Introduction: The GridlockED game is a serious game aimed at teaching junior learners about flow and organization in the emergency department(ED). With serious games, the mechanism of learning is thought to be via the gameplay experience. Objectives built into gameplay are aimed at teaching players about a specific concept; in this case, we hoped to teach players about interprofessional collaboration and basic mechanics that drive flow in the ED. However, before a player can be taught, he or she must be engaged and have a positive gameplay experience. From the GridlockED gameplay, we aim to explore how a players gameplay experience related to observed actions while playing the game, including participating in decision making and keeping the team organized. Methods: From April-August 2017, participants were invited to play 4 turns of a GridlockED game session. They were video recorded during gameplay. After playing the game, they were surveyed using the previously derived Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) to measure their gameplay experience. The videos were reviewed by two research team members (SH, EJ), tallying various observed game actions. We conducted Pearson correlation between players GEQ total score and their observed actions. Results: A total of 32 participants (13 attendings, 5 senior residents, 10 junior residents, and 4 nurses) played the game. The average total GEQ was 67.2/132 (SD=10.7), suggesting most players had a moderately good gameplay experience. The total GEQ score correlated with component subscores within the questionnaire. Overall observed activity correlated well with each observed action subtype. However, the GEQ total score did not correlate significantly with the total observed action (Pearsons r=0.18,p=0.32). GEQ total score was found to be moderately correlated to an observation that a player participated in determining strategy during gameplay (r=0.36,p=0.04). There was a moderate negative correlation between determining strategy during gameplay and teaching about the game (r=-0.37,p=0.04) or emergency medicine concepts (r=-0.47,p<0.01). Conclusion: The GEQ is internally consistent, but does not have a strong relationship to observed actions, suggesting that game experience does not necessarily correlate with observable actions. This suggests that players may be intellectually stimulated or engaged without necessarily completing any observable actions during gameplay.
Skilled nursing home facilities (SNFs) house a vulnerable population frequently exposed to respiratory pathogens. Our study aims to gain a better understanding of the transmission of nursing home-acquired viral respiratory infections in non-epidemic settings. Symptomatic surveillance was performed in three SNFs for residents exhibiting acute respiratory symptoms. Environmental surveillance of five high-touch areas was performed to assess possible transmission. All resident and environmental samples were screened using a commercial multiplex polymerase chain reaction platform. Bayesian methods were used to evaluate environmental contamination. Among nursing home residents with respiratory symptoms, 19% had a detectable viral pathogen (parainfluenza-3, rhinovirus/enterovirus, RSV, or influenza B). Environmental contamination was found in 20% of total room surface swabs of symptomatic residents. Environmental and resident results were all concordant. Target period prevalence among symptomatic residents ranged from 5.5 to 13.3% depending on target. Bayesian analysis quantifies the probability of environmental shedding due to parainfluenza-3 as 92.4% (95% CI: 86.8–95.8%) and due to rhinovirus/enterovirus as 65.6% (95% CI: 57.9–72.5%). Our findings confirm that non-epidemic viral infections are common among SNF residents exhibiting acute respiratory symptoms and that environmental contamination may facilitate further spread with considerable epidemiological implications. Findings further emphasise the importance of environmental infection control for viral respiratory pathogens in long-term care facilities.
Declining pulse production has caused wide concern in recent years. A field experiment was conducted to investigate effects of balance fertilizers based on soil test values and targeted yield equations on soil biological activities, soil quality, nutrient acquisition and grain yield of lentil. Treatments included the use of farmyard manure (FYM), bio-inoculants and inorganic fertilizers at different rates and combinations. The results revealed significant improvement in nodulation, microbial counts, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil respiration, soil enzymes and soil organic carbon (SOC) with integrated approaches (i.e. fertilizer plus FYM or bio-inoculants); these improvements led to achievement of the specific target yield of 1.50 t/ha. Although the highest yield was achieved with fertilizers applied for a target yield of 2.0 t/ha, there was significant decline in nodulation, microbial counts, MBC, soil respiration, soil enzymes, SOC and soil quality. Correlation between soil quality index (SQI) and grain yield suggested a significant influence of balanced fertilization based on soil tests and target yield. Principal component analysis revealed the average contribution of soil quality indicators towards SQI was in descending order of SOC > acid phosphatase activity > total culturable fungi > available phosphorus > BMC, which are crucial for sustainable lentil production in alluvial soils.
Measurement of Excitation Functions and their Analysis
In the introductory part of this monograph, it has already been mentioned that various interesting phenomena are associated with heavy ion interactions; they have attracted the attention of many researchers during the last couple of decades. In heavy ion reactions, when the projectile energy is more than the Coulomb barrier, the fusion of incident ion and target nucleus is the most likely process. The composite nucleus so formed is excited and is likely to decay initially via particle emission; when the excitation energy decreases, it decays by emitting gamma radiations. Such reactions in which the projectile completely fuses with the target nucleus are referred to as the complete fusion (CF) reactions, as already mentioned in earlier chapters. These complete fusion reactions are dominant at energies slightly above the Coulomb barrier. On the other hand, at considerably higher energies, the interaction between the incident and the target heavy ions proceeds in a different way; only a part of the incident ion fuses with the target nucleus while the remaining unfused part moves on without any interaction. This is referred to as incomplete fusion (ICF), which is likely to dominate at considerably higher incident energies. However, in recent years, it has been observed that incident ions such as 12C and 16O that have an alpha cluster structure exhibit a significant contribution of incomplete fusion (ICF) even at low energies where the CF is expected to dominate. Further, in some recent experiments where non-alpha cluster beams like 19F were used, significant contributions by ICF were observed. With the objective to study the dynamics of complete and incomplete fusion reactions in heavy ion interactions in a variety of projectile–target combinations, several experiments have been carried out using both alpha cluster as well as non-alpha cluster projectiles. Since a direct evidence of incomplete fusion may be obtained from the measurement of the excitation function of a specific reaction channel, excitation functions for a large number of reaction channels have been measured using the stacked foil activation technique. Table 4.1 lists the systems for which excitation functions have been measured, along with the energy range of study and the height of the Coulomb barrier for each system. The specified energy range covers from near the Coulomb barrier to well above it for each system.