Changes in source contributions to the oxidative potential of PM2.5 in urban Xiamen, China.

The toxicity of PM2.5 does not necessarily change synchronously with its mass concentration. In this study, the chemical composition (carbonaceous species, water-soluble ions, and metals) and oxidative potential (dithiothreitol assay, DTT) of PM2.5 were investigated in 2017/2018 and 2022 in Xiamen, China. The decrease rate of volume-normalized DTT (DTTv) (38%) was lower than that of PM2.5 (55%) between the two sampling periods. However, the mass-normalized DTT (DTTm) increased by 44%. Clear seasonal patterns with higher levels in winter were found for PM2.5, most chemical constituents and DTTv but not for DTTm. The large decrease in DTT activity (84%-92%) after the addition of EDTA suggested that water-soluble metals were the main contributors to DTT in Xiamen. The increased gap between the reconstructed and measured DTTv and the stronger correlations between the reconstructed/measured DTT ratio and carbonaceous species in 2022 were observed. The decrease rates of the hazard index (32.5%) and lifetime cancer risk (9.1%) differed from those of PM2.5 and DTTv due to their different main contributors. The PMF-MLR model showed that the contributions (nmol/(min·m3)) of vehicle emission, coal + biomass burning, ship emission and secondary aerosol to DTTv in 2022 decreased by 63.0%, 65.2%, 66.5%, and 22.2%, respectively, compared to those in 2017/2018, which was consistent with the emission reduction of vehicle exhaust and coal consumption, the adoption of low-sulfur fuel oil used on board ships and the reduced production of WSOC. However, the contributions of dust + sea salt and industrial emission increased.

Development of a coupled model to simulate and assess arsenic contamination and impact factors in the Jinsha River Basin, China.

With the increasing severity of arsenic (As) pollution, quantifying the environmental behavior of pollutant based on numerical model has become an important approach to determine the potential impacts and finalize the precise control strategies. Taking the industrial-intensive Jinsha River Basin as typical area, a two-dimensional hydrodynamic water quality model coupled with Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was developed to accurately simulate the watershed-scale distribution and transport of As in the terrestrial and aquatic environment at high spatial and temporal resolution. The effects of hydro-climate change, hydropower station construction and non-point source emissions on As were quantified based on the coupled model. The result indicated that higher As concentration areas mainly centralized in urban districts and concentration slowly decreased from upstream to downstream. Due to the enhanced rainfall, the As concentration was significantly higher during the rainy season than the dry season. Hydro-climate change and the construction of hydropower station not only affected the dissolved As concentration, but also affected the adsorption and desorption of As in sediment. Furthermore, As concentration increased with the input of non-point source pollution, with the maximum increase about 30%, resulting that non-point sources contributed important pollutant impacts to waterways. The coupled model used in pollutant behavior analysis is general with high potential application to predict and mitigate water pollution.

Environmental sympatry through time: spatio-temporal distribution and conservation status of two sympatric anuran species (Leptodactylidae) in South America / Simpatría ambiental a través del tiempo: distribución espacio-temporal y estado de conservación de dos especies de anuros simpátricos (Leptodactylidae) en América del Sur

Abstract Introduction: Leptodactylus latinasus and Physalaemus cuqui are sympatric anuran species with similar environmental requirements and contrasting reproductive modes. Climatic configuration determines distribution patterns and promotes sympatry of environmental niches, but specificity/selectivity determines the success of reproductive modes. Species distribution models (SDM) are a valuable tool to predict spatio-temporal distributions based on the extrapolation of environmental predictors. Objectives: To determine the spatio-temporal distribution of environmental niches and assess whether the protected areas of the World Database of Protected Areas (WDPA) allow the conservation of these species in the current scenario and future. Methods: We applied different algorithms to predict the distribution and spatio-temporal overlap of environmental niches of L. latinasus and P. cuqui within South America in the last glacial maximum (LGM), middle-Holocene, current and future scenarios. We assess the conservation status of both species with the WDPA conservation units. Results: All applied algorithms showed high performance for both species (TSS = 0.87, AUC = 0.95). The L. latinasus predictions showed wide environmental niches from LGM to the current scenario (49 % stable niches, 37 % gained niches, and 13 % lost niches), suggesting historical fidelity to stable climatic-environmental regions. In the current-future transition, L. latinasus would increase the number of stable (70 %) and lost (20 %) niches, suggesting fidelity to lowland regions and a possible trend toward microendemism. P. cuqui loses environmental niches from the LGM to the current scenario (25 %) and in the current-future transition (63 %), increasing the environmental sympathy between both species; 31 % spatial overlap in the current scenario and 70 % in the future. Conclusion: Extreme drought events and rainfall variations, derived from climate change, suggest the loss of environmental niches for these species that are not currently threatened but are not adequately protected by conservation units. The loss of environmental niches increases spatial sympatry which represents a new challenge for anurans and the conservation of their populations.

Resumen Introducción: Leptodactylus latinasus y Physalaemus cuqui son especies de anuros simpátricos con requerimientos ambientales similares y modos reproductivos contrastantes. La configuración climática determina los patrones de distribución y promueve la simpatría de los nichos ambientales, pero la especificidad/selectividad determina el éxito de los modos reproductivos. Los modelos de distribución de especies (MDE) son una herramienta valiosa para predecir distribuciones espacio-temporales basadas en la extrapolación de predictores ambientales. Objetivos: Determinar la distribución espacio-temporal de los nichos ambientales y evaluar si las áreas protegidas de la base de Datos Mundial de Áreas Protegidas (DMAP) permiten la conservación de estas especies en el escenario actual y futuro. Métodos: Aplicamos diferentes algoritmos para predecir la distribución y superposición espacio-temporal de nichos ambientales de L. latinasus y P. cuqui dentro de América del Sur en el último máximo glacial (UGM), Holoceno medio, actual y futuro. Evaluamos el estado de conservación de ambas especies con las unidades de conservación de la DMAP. Resultados: Todos los algoritmos aplicados mostraron un alto rendimiento para ambas especies (TSS = 0.87, AUC = 0.95). Las predicciones de L. latinasus mostraron amplios nichos ambientales desde LGM hasta el escenario actual (49 % de nichos estables, 37 % de nichos ganados y 13 % de nichos perdidos), sugiriendo fidelidad histórica por regiones climático-ambientales estables. En la transición actual-futura L. latinasus incrementaría la cantidad de nichos estables (70 %) y perdidos (20 %), sugiriendo fidelidad por regiones de tierras bajas y la posible tendencia hacia el microendemismo. P. cuqui pierde nichos ambientales desde el LGM al escenario actual (25 %) y en la transición actual-futura (63 %), incrementando la simpatría ambiental entre ambas especies; 31 % de superposición espacial en el escenario actual y 70 % en el futuro. Conclusión: Los eventos de sequía extrema y las variaciones de precipitaciones, derivados del cambio climático, sugieren la pérdida de nichos ambientales para estas especies, actualmente no se encuentran amenazadas, pero no están adecuadamente protegidas por las unidades de conservación. La pérdida de nichos ambientales aumenta la simpatría espacial que representa un nuevo desafío para estos anuros y la conservación de sus poblaciones.

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment Status Change for Practicing Pharmacists.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in health care workers experiencing temporary or permanent changes in employment due to layoffs, quits, and postpandemic increased job demand. Analyzing the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with employment changes and results of changes for practicing pharmacists and understanding the associations with demographic and work-related factors could inform practice, policy, and educational programs. This study aimed to explore the frequency, characteristics, and results of employment status changes (ESCs) experienced by pharmacists practicing pharmacy in March 2020 (ie, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic). METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design was used to collect data from a random sample of 93,990 licensed pharmacists in the United States. The study team developed an online survey questionnaire designed to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacists' work and work-life. The survey items used for this study related to ESCs, work-life characteristics, work characteristics in March 2020 and 2022, and demographic variables. A total of 4947 usable responses were received between November 2022 and January 2023. RESULTS: Overall, 36.4% of respondents reported experiencing an ESC and approximately 70% of those reporting an ESC reported experiencing just 1 ECS. Overall, 39.5% of respondents who experienced an ESC stopped working (ie, were unemployed) pursuant to an ESC. Respondents who experienced an ESC reported significantly lower levels of work exhaustion and interprofessional disengagement and significantly higher levels of professional fulfillment in their current employment than respondents that did not experience an ESC. CONCLUSION: The overall increase in demand for workers in the health care sector appeared to provide opportunities for pharmacists, especially pharmacists with 1 to 10 years of experience, to change their employment situation, resulting in better work-life characteristics. Given projections of a pharmacist shortage, research, policy, and educational programs could determine the best practices to improve work settings and the work-life characteristics of practicing pharmacists to improve the health of the current pharmacist workforce.

From negative feelings to impairments: A longitudinal study on the development of climate change anxiety.

People may experience anxiety and related distress when they come in contact with climate change (i.e., climate change anxiety). Climate change anxiety can be conceptualized as either emotional-based response (the experience of anxiety-related emotions) or impairment-based response (the experience of impairment in daily functioning). To date, it remains uncertain how these distinct manifestations of climate change anxiety are related. Conceptually, the experience of climate change anxiety may transform from an adaptive and healthy emotional response to an impairment in daily functioning. We conducted two two-wave longitudinal studies to examine the possible bidirectional relationships between three manifestations of climate change anxiety. We recruited 942 adults (mean age = 43.1) and 683 parents (mean age = 46.2) in Studies 1 and 2, respectively. We found that Time 1 emotion-based response was positively linked to Time 2 cognitive-emotional impairment, while Time 1 cognitive-emotional impairment was positively related to Time 2 functional impairment. In Study 2, we also found a bidirectional positive relationship between generalized anxiety and emotion-based climate change anxiety over time. Overall, our findings provide initial support to the temporal relationships between different manifestations of climate change anxiety, corroborating that climate change anxiety may develop from emotional responses to impairment in functioning.

Effects of environmental changes on soil respiration in arid, cold, temperate, and tropical zones.

Soil respiration (Rs) is projected to be substantially affected by climate change, impacting the storage, equilibrium, and movement of terrestrial carbon (C). However, uncertainties surrounding the responses of Rs to climate change and soil nitrogen (N) enrichment are linked to mechanisms specific to diverse climate zones. A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted to address this, evaluating the global effects of warming, increased precipitation, and N enrichment on Rs across various climate zones and ecosystems. Data from 123 studies, encompassing a total of 10,377 worldwide observations, were synthesized for this purpose. Annual Rs were modeled and their uncertainties were associated with a 1-km2 resolution global Rs database spanning from 1961 to 2022. Calibrating Rs using ensemble machine learning (EML) and employing 10-fold cross-validation, 13 environmental covariates were utilized. The meta-analysis findings revealed an upsurge in Rs rates in response to warming, with tropical, arid, and temperate climate zones exhibiting increases of 12 %, 13 %, and 16 %, respectively. Furthermore, increased precipitation led to stimulated Rs rates of 11 % and 9 % in tropical and temperate zones, respectively, while N deposition affected Rs in cold (+6 %) and tropical (+5 %) climate zones. The machine learning technique estimated the global soil respiration to range from 91 to 171 Pg C yr-1, with an average Rs of 700 ±â€¯300 g C m-2 yr-1. The values ranged between 314 and 2500 g C m-2 yr-1, with the lowest and highest values observed in cold and tropical zones, respectively. Spatial variation in Rs was most pronounced in low-latitude areas, particularly in tropical rainforests and monsoon zones. Temperature, precipitation, and N deposition were identified as crucial environmental factors exerting significant influences on Rs rates worldwide. These factors underscore the interconnectedness between climate and ecosystem processes, therefore requiring explicit considerations of different climate zones when assessing responses of Rs to global change.

The evolution of habitat quality and its response to land use change in the coastal China, 1985-2020.

The coastal region of China is a typical area characterized by a developed economy, yet it faces prominent resource and environmental issues, and it is of great significance to quantitatively assess the ecological effects resulting from rapid urbanization and industrialization. Based on the land use data from 1985 to 2020, and the InVEST modeling and relevant spatial data sources, the paper analyzed the spatial and temporal changes in land use cover and habitat quality in the coastal China over the past 30 years. The results show that: 1) land use cover in the coastal China has changed significantly during the study period, with the area of cultivated land continuing to decrease and construction land expanding; 2) the trend of habitat quality degradation in was obvious, with the area of low-value habitat quality continuing to increase. Spatially, they were mainly located in the three major urban agglomerations undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization; 3) The average degradation of habitats increased significantly between 1990 and 2000 and 2010-2020. The rate of change in areas with different degradation levels from 1990 to 2000 was higher than in other periods. The low-value areas of habitat degradation are mainly located in hilly and mountainous regions. 4) The transfer of habitat grades was generally characterized by a shift from high grade to low grade. This trend of conversion was due to the large-scale occupation of cultivated land by construction land and the long-term encroachment of ecological land by cultivated land. For future development, it is recommended to improve the land use regulation system based on the principles of sustainable development, with a particular focus on habitat protection. Additionally, efforts should be made to strengthen the development of ecological agriculture, carry out ecological protection and restoration, and improve the mechanisms for coordinating land and sea management.

Discerning the dynamics of urbanization-climate change-flood risk nexus in densely populated urban mega cities: An appraisal of efficient flood management through spatiotemporal and geostatistical rainfall analysis and hydrodynamic modeling.

While the contribution of climate change towards intensifying urban flood risks is well acknowledged, the role of urbanization is less known. The present study, for the first time in flood management literature, explores whether and how unplanned-cum-urbanization may overshadow the contribution of extreme rainfall to flood impacts in densely populated urban regions. To establish this hypothesis and exemplify our proposed framework, the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi in India, infamous for its concurrent flood episodes is selected. The study categorically explores whether the catastrophic 2023 urban flood could have resulted in a similar degree of urban exposure and damage, had it occurred anytime in the past. A comprehensive spatiotemporal and geo-statistical analysis of rainfall over 11 stations brought about through Innovative trend analysis, Omnidirectional and directional Semi-variogram analysis, and Gini Index indicates a rise in extreme rainfalls. High-resolution land-use maps indicate about 39.53 %, 52.66 %, 56.60 %, and 69.18 % of urban footprints during 1993, 2003, 2013, and 2023, while gradient direction maps indicate a prominent urban surge towards the North-West, West, and Southwest corridors. A closer inspection of the Greenness and Urbanity indices reveals a gradual decline in the green footprints and concurrent escalation in the urban footprints over the decades. A 3-way coupled MIKE+ model was set up to replicate the July 2023 flood event; indicating about 13 % of the area experience "high" and "very-high" flood hazards. By overlaying the flood inundation and hazard maps over land-use maps for 1993, 2003, and 2013, we further establish that a similar flood event would have resulted in lesser damage and building exposure. The study offers a set of flood management options for refurbishing resilience and limiting flood risks. The study delivers critical insights into the existing urban flood management strategies while delving into the urban growth-climate change-flood risk nexus.

Elevated temperature as the dominant stressor on the harmful algal bloom-causing dinoflagellate Prorocentrum obtusidens in a future ocean scenario.

Marine dinoflagellates are increasingly affected by ongoing global climate changes. While understanding of their physiological and molecular responses to individual stressors anticipated in the future ocean has improved, their responses to multiple concurrent stressors remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the individual and combined effects of elevated temperature (26 °C relative to 22 °C), increased pCO2 (1000 µatm relative to 400 µatm), and high nitrogen: phosphorus ratio (180:1 relative to 40:1) on a harmful algal bloom-causing dinoflagellate Prorocentrum obtusidens under short-term (28 days) exposure. Elevated temperature was the most dominant stressor affecting P. obtusidens at physiological and transcriptomic levels. It significantly increased cell growth rate and maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm), but reduced chlorophyll a, particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen, and particulate organic phosphorus. Elevated temperature also interacted with other stressors to produce synergistic positive effects on cell growth and Fv/Fm. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that elevated temperature promoted energy production by enhancing glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and nitrogen and carbon assimilation, which supported rapid cell growth but reduced material storage. Increased pCO2 enhanced the expression of genes involved in ionic acid-base regulation and oxidative stress resistance, whereas a high N:P ratio inhibited photosynthesis, compromising cell viability, although the effect was alleviated by elevated temperature. The combined effect of these multiple stressors resulted in increased energy metabolism and up-regulation of material-synthesis pathways compared to the effect caused by elevated temperature alone. Our results underscore ocean warming as the predominant stressor for dinoflagellates and highlight the complex, synergistic effects of multi-stressors on dinoflagellates.

Enhanced pH-sensitive anthocyanin film based on chitosan quaternary ammonium salt: A promising colorimetric indicator for visual pork freshness monitoring.

An intelligent pH response indicator film is an easy-to-use device for the real-time monitoring of meat freshness during transport and storage. Therefore, a novel pH-sensitive anthocyanin indicator film composed of polyvinyl alcohol-blueberry anthocyanin (BA)-2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) called PAH-2.0 with 1.2 mg/mL HACC to monitor meat freshness using HACC as the colorimetric enhancer has been developed. BA and HACC were mixed and immobilized in the polyvinyl alcohol matrix by hydrogen bonds, as confirmed via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The inclusion of HACC improved the color stability and antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the PAH-2.0 film. When applied to pork for freshness monitoring at 4 °C, three freshness stages, including fresh, sub-fresh, and spoiled, could be clearly distinguished based on the color variations of the PAH-2.0 film. The distinct hierarchical color change from purple to blue-violet and finally to grayish-blue was highly correlated with the indicators of pork freshness: pH values, total volatile basic nitrogen, and total viable count. This study provides a simple and promising approach for fabricating meat freshness indicator films with high color recognition accuracy, thereby offering new possibilities for visual meat freshness monitoring.

Global tropical and extra-tropical tropospheric ozone trends and radiative forcing deduced from satellite and ozonesonde measurements for the period 2005-2020.

Tropospheric ozone (TPO) is considered as a "near-term climate forcer", whose impact on climate depends on its radiative forcing (RF), which is a change in the Earth's energy flux. Here, we use the ground-based and satellite measurements during the period 2005-2020 to deduce the trends of TPO, which is significantly positive in the tropical and extra-tropical northern hemisphere (0.2-0.5 DU/yr) and southern extra-tropics (0.1-0.2 DU/yr). Furthermore, the trends derived using a multiple linear regression model (MLR) also confirm these estimates, which are about 0.05-0.1 /DU/yr and the regions with higher trends (> 0.06 /DU/yr) are statistically significant. We also use a standalone Rapid Radiative Transfer Model coupled with a convective model (Radiative-Convective Model; RCM) to assess the climate forcing of ozone using its vertical profiles from the Modern Era Retrospective Reanalysis (MERRA)-2 reanalysis. The estimated temperature rise due to the radiative forcing of ozone in the tropical troposphere (1000-100 hPa) is about 0.2-0.3 °C for the study period. In brief, there is a positive trend in the tropospheric ozone in the tropics and extra-tropics, which is a great concern for regional warming, public health and ecosystem dynamics.

Road to referral success in COPD: Enhancing patient engagement through dedicated conversations about pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

RESEARCH QUESTION: From the perspectives of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) known to tertiary care, what influences successful referrals to a pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP)? METHODS: This cross-sectional qualitative study was informed by a critical realist perspective. We purposively sampled people with COPD and HCPs who deliver COPD care and used semi-structured interviews and focus groups to explore determinants of a successful referral to a PRP. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Data were available on 38 HCPs and 15 people with COPD. We generated three core themes pertaining to successful referrals. The first theme was that HCPs should be mindful of how professional responsibilities (such as their personal value and interest in a PRP, their degree of understanding of PRPs, and the organisational culture the PRPs are embedded within) shape decision-making during a therapeutic interaction. The second theme, there's more to me than my COPD, characterised psychological perceptions that shape a person's readiness to engage in a PRP. The third theme, communication is a two-way street that requires careful navigation, characterised the interpersonal dynamic between HCP and patient, and how dedicated conversations about PRPs can encourage successful referrals. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic interactions that include dedicated conversations about PRPs can foster successful referrals among people with COPD. During these interactions, HCPs should take the time to understand and carefully unpack psychological perceptions whilst imparting value, interest and enthusiasm for PRPs. Doing so can shape patient engagement toward referral success.

Quantifying the historical and future heat-related mortality above the heat alert thresholds of the inaugural Chinese national heat-health action plan.

BACKGROUND: China published its inaugural national heat-health action plan (HHAP) in 2023, but the mortality burden associated with temperatures exceeding the heat alert thresholds specified by this HHAP (maximum temperatures >35, 37, or 40 °C) remains unknown. We aimed to estimate the historical and future mortality burden associated with temperatures above the heat alert thresholds of the Chinese national HHAP. METHODS: We conducted time-series analyses to estimate the mortality burden associated with temperatures exceeding the three heat alert thresholds from 2016-2019 in Jiangsu Province (including 13 cities, population ∼80.7 million), China. A quasi-Poisson regression in conjunction with a distributed lag non-linear model was used to estimate the dose-response association between maximum temperature and mortality risk from 2016-2019, adjusting for potential covariates. We then projected the future mortality burden associated with temperatures exceeding these thresholds under three distinct levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios via scenario shared socioeconomic pathways [SSP] 1-2.6 (low), SSP2-4.5 (intermediate), and SSP5-8.5 (high), respectively, by assuming that there will be no adaptation to heat. Climate scenarios derived from the General Circulation Model (GCM) under the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) were used. RESULTS: From 2016-2019, temperatures above 35 °C were associated with 0.51% of mortality, including 0.40% associated with 35 °C - 37 °C and 0.11% associated with >37 °C. Heat-related mortality risk was most prominent in those who were single/divorced/widowed and had <10 years of education. Under SSP2-4.5, compared with the 2020s, the excess mortality associated with >37 °C would increase by 1.4 times in the 2050s and 1.7 times in the 2090s. Under SSP5-8.5, the annual number of days with maximum temperature >37 °C would approximately double every 20 years (67 days annually in the 2090s). Consequently, compared with the 2020s, the excess mortality associated with >37 °C would increase by 2.8 times in the 2050s and 18.4 times in the 2090s. CONCLUSION: Significant mortality risk is associated with temperatures above the lowest heat alert threshold of the Chinese national HHAP (35 °C). If the high GHG emission scenario occurred, the annual number of days and excess mortality associated with maximum temperatures >37 °C would largely increase in the coming decades.

Anisotropic cellulose-based phase change aerogels for acoustic-thermal energy conversion and management.

Porous materials are usually used as sound-absorbing materials to alleviate noise pollution problems. However, the heat energy conversed from the acoustic energy is wasteful. Herein, anisotropic cellulose-based phase change aerogels (MXene/CNF-C/PEG aerogels) are fabricated by facile directional freeze casting method with anisotropic porous structure, efficient sound wave absorption, acoustic-thermal conversion and thermal management capability. MXene/CNF-C/PEG aerogels with shape stability are formed by hydrogen bonding forces between carboxylated cellulose nanofibers (CNF-C) and PEG without chemical crosslinking. The addition of MXene not only increases thermal conductive performance to 150 % but also enhances acoustic-thermal conversion ability effectively. Moreover, the directional porous MXene/CNF-C/PEG aerogels (DMCPs) possess high energy storage density (143.0 J/g) and acoustic-thermal conversion performance, which open up broad application prospect in the field of acoustic to heat energy conversion and storage.

Identifying motivational interviewing techniques in Quitline smoking cessation counselling sessions from Queensland, Australia.

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a common approach for smoking cessation counselling, yet little is known about the use of MI techniques in practice. This qualitative content analysis applied a published classification of content and relational MI techniques to a sample of 30 Quitline transcripts (January-March 2019) from Queensland, Australia. Overall, 36 MI techniques (94.7%) were identified at least once within the total sample. On average, 20 techniques (52.6%) were used in an individual conversation with a small difference observed between initial and follow-up calls. Techniques most frequently applied across conversations were largely relational, while techniques addressing client ambivalence/resistance were less frequently/never applied. Variability in techniques between individual initial and follow-up calls highlights the high degree of personalisation when applying MI to smoking cessation. Further investigations exploring associations of individual techniques and cessation outcomes are warranted. The classification may prove useful for assessments of fidelity for training and monitoring activities.

Can internal range structure predict range shifts?

Poleward and uphill range shifts are a common-but variable-response to climate change. We lack understanding regarding this interspecific variation; for example, functional traits show weak or mixed ability to predict range shifts. Characteristics of species' ranges may enhance prediction of range shifts. However, the explanatory power of many range characteristics-especially within-range abundance patterns-remains untested. Here, we introduce a hypothesis framework for predicting range-limit population trends and range shifts from the internal structure of the geographic range, specifically range edge hardness, defined as abundance within range edges relative to the whole range. The inertia hypothesis predicts that high edge abundance facilitates expansions along the leading range edge but creates inertia (either more individuals must disperse or perish) at the trailing range edge such that the trailing edge recedes slowly. In contrast, the limitation hypothesis suggests that hard range edges are the signature of strong limits (e.g. biotic interactions) that force faster contraction of the trailing edge but block expansions at the leading edge of the range. Using a long-term avian monitoring dataset from northern Minnesota, USA, we estimated population trends for 35 trailing-edge species and 18 leading-edge species and modelled their population trends as a function of range edge hardness derived from eBird data. We found limited evidence of associations between range edge hardness and range-limit population trends. Trailing-edge species with harder range edges were slightly more likely to be declining, demonstrating weak support for the limitation hypothesis. In contrast, leading-edge species with harder range edges were slightly more likely to be increasing, demonstrating weak support for the inertia hypothesis. These opposing results for the leading and trailing range edges might suggest that different mechanisms underpin range expansions and contractions, respectively. As data and state-of-the-art modelling efforts continue to proliferate, we will be ever better equipped to map abundance patterns within species' ranges, offering opportunities to anticipate range shifts through the lens of the geographic range.

Bending the curve of global freshwater biodiversity loss: what are the prospects?

Freshwater biodiversity conservation has received substantial attention in the scientific literature and is finally being recognized in policy frameworks such as the Global Biodiversity Framework and its associated targets for 2030. This is important progress. Nonetheless, freshwater species continue to be confronted with high levels of imperilment and widespread ecosystem degradation. An Emergency Recovery Plan (ERP) proposed in 2020 comprises six measures intended to "bend the curve" of freshwater biodiversity loss, if they are widely adopted and adequately supported. We review evidence suggesting that the combined intensity of persistent and emerging threats to freshwater biodiversity has become so serious that current and projected efforts to preserve, protect and restore inland-water ecosystems may be insufficient to avert substantial biodiversity losses in the coming decades. In particular, climate change, with its complex and harmful impacts, will frustrate attempts to prevent biodiversity losses from freshwater ecosystems already affected by multiple threats. Interactions among these threats will limit recovery of populations and exacerbate declines resulting in local or even global extinctions, especially among low-viability populations in degraded or fragmented ecosystems. In addition to impediments represented by climate change, we identify several other areas where the absolute scarcity of fresh water, inadequate scientific information or predictive capacity, and a widespread failure to mitigate anthropogenic stressors, are liable to set limits on the recovery of freshwater biodiversity. Implementation of the ERP rapidly and at scale through many widely dispersed local actions focused on regions of high freshwater biodiversity and intense threat, together with an intensification of ex-situ conservation efforts, will be necessary to preserve native freshwater biodiversity during an increasingly uncertain climatic future in which poorly understood, emergent and interacting threats have become more influential. But implementation of the ERP must be accompanied by measures that will improve water, energy and food security for humans - without further compromising the condition of freshwater ecosystems. Unfortunately, the inadequate political implementation of policies to arrest widely recognized environmental challenges such as climate change do not inspire confidence about the possible success of the ERP. In many parts of the world, the Anthropocene future seems certain to include extended periods with an absolute scarcity of uncontaminated surface runoff that will inevitably be appropriated by humans. Unless there is a step-change in societal awareness of - and commitment to - the conservation of freshwater biodiversity, together with necessary actions to arrest climate change, implementation of established methods for protecting freshwater biodiversity may not bend the curve enough to prevent continued ecosystem degradation and species loss.

An approach to persons who are not willing to engage in behavioural change.

With its unique position, primary health care (PHC) can provide health promotion and prevention services, including lifestyle behavioural counselling. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours are very prevalent among patients attending PHC, with many patients unwilling to change or in the precontemplation stage. While patients in the contemplation stage are better managed using the 5As approach of motivational interviewing counselling, those unwilling or not ready for change necessitate a different approach, such as the 5Rs of motivational interviewing (MI) counselling. The 5Rs MI approach holds promise in motivating unwilling individuals to consider embarking on the journey of behavioural change. The 5Rs approach is not a stand-alone checklist of tasks implemented in isolation but is best integrated within a theoretical behavioural change framework. Of the four health-related behavioural change theoretical frameworks that are frequently used, the transtheoretical stages of the change model are the most used. This continued professional development article provides a summary review of the literature on behavioural change theories as they apply to lifestyle health behaviour change and presents the 5Rs approach as a feasible and practical approach to manage patients who are unwilling to change or in the precontemplation stage. This offers a beacon of hope for improved patient outcomes in a PHC system saddled with high prevalence of modifiable unhealthy lifestyle behaviours.

Climate Change Projections for Stroke Incidence in Taiwan: Impact of 2 °C and 4 °C Global Warming Level.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to establish the exposure-lag-response effect between daily maximum temperature and stroke-related emergency department visits and to project heat-induced stroke impacts under global warming levels (GWL) of 2 °C and 4 °C. METHODS: Stroke-related emergency department visits in Taiwan from 2001 to 2020 were identified using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). The study population consisted of 1,100,074 initial stroke cases matched with 2,200,148 non-stroke controls. We employed Distributed Lag Nonlinear Models (DLNM) in a case-crossover study to investigate the association between temperature and stroke. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models with a Poisson function were used to correlate high-temperature exposure with annual stroke incidence rates. Projections were made under two global warming scenarios, GWL 2.0 °C and 4.0 °C, using Coupled General Circulation Model (GCMs). Baseline data from 1995 to 2014 were transformed for spatial distribution at the township level. Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis was performed using Quantum GIS 3.2.0 software. RESULTS: DLNM exposure-lag-response effect revealed that daily maximum temperature exceeding 34 °C significantly increased the risk of stroke-related emergency department visits, particularly for ischemic stroke. Under the 2 °C GWL scenario, the frequency of days with temperatures surpassing 34 °C is projected to rise substantially by the median year of 2042, with a further increase to 92.6 ± 18.0 days/year by 2065 under the 4 °C GWL scenario. Ischemic stroke showed the highest increase in temperature-related incidence rates, notably rising from 7.80% under the GWL 2 °C to 36.06% under the GWL 4 °C. Specifically, the annual temperature-related incidence rate for ischemic stroke is expected to increase significantly by 2065. Regions such as Taichung, Hsinchu, Yilan, and Taitung demonstrated pronounced changes in heat-related ischemic stroke incidence under the GWL 4 °C. CONCLUSIONS: The findings emphasize the importance of addressing temperature-related stroke risks, particularly in regions projected to experience significant temperature increases. Effective mitigation strategies are crucial to reduce the impact of rising temperatures on stroke incidence and safeguard public health.

Assessing agricultural vulnerability to climate change through dynamic indexing approach.

The present study aims to assess agricultural vulnerability in the context of climate change, focusing on the diverse districts of Odisha. Acknowledging that vulnerability is influenced by exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, our research incorporates the growth rate and instability of vital performance indicators to evaluate the relative vulnerability of each district. A key strength of this approach is the use of normalized indicators, weighted in accordance with the proportional acreage of major crops in each district relative to the state, culminating in a comprehensive vulnerability index through the aggregation of these weighted components. Our findings reveal significant variability in the vulnerability profiles across districts, thereby necessitating state-level intervention through tailored "Location Performance Vulnerability" based adaptation strategies. These strategies, including early weather warning systems, development of new and early maturing crop varieties, and adjustment of crop planting dates, are crucial for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture. The study's methodology and findings offer significant contributions to the field, providing policymakers and stakeholders with a district-specific framework for climate change adaptation. This approach is especially relevant for the international academic and policy-making communities, as it highlights the importance of localized adaptation strategies in the broader context of global climate change resilience.