62880 research outputs found
Sort by
Interaction of the monsoon trough and western disturbance ignites multiday extreme rainfall event in July 2023 over North India
No full textThe present paper aims to investigate the atmospheric processes that led to an extreme rainfall resulting in destructive flash flooding and loss of life and property in the northwestern region of India on 8–9 July 2023. Exceptionally heavy precipitation occurred in the Western Himalaya and adjoining regions, leading to widespread disruption of communication, electricity, and inundation of houses. Flash floods, combined with debris flows, caused massive devastation in northern India, with the overall death toll surging to 91. Records from automatic weather stations highlight the severity of the event, with several stations breaking twenty-year records. This study examines the synoptic drivers, dynamic and thermodynamical features associated with the rainfall episode. Prior to the extreme precipitation, the monsoon trough migrated northwards, and its interaction with an incoming western disturbance (WD) passing over northwest India led to deep tropospheric instability over the Western Himalaya. The dynamic coupling of the monsoon trough with an unusually strong and slow-moving WD, caused by an extratropical cutoff low, facilitated moisture exchange, which further intensified, resulting in a severe rainstorm. The high moisture convergence was driven by extremely high amounts of moisture flux directed from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea towards the Western Himalaya by the combined monsoon trough-WD system. Alongside this, an intense jet streak associated with the WD led to additional ageostrophic forcing over the western Hindukush Himalayas from 7 July, creating conducive conditions for deep ascent. Vorticity and moisture budget analyses highlight the main dynamical drivers (horizontal vorticity advection and vertical moisture transport) of the event
The role of equatorial waves in triggering precipitation extremes in the Maritime Continent
No full textThis review offers a comprehensive analysis of convectively coupled equatorial waves (CCEWs) and their pivotal role in driving precipitation extremes across the Maritime Continent. It examines the current understanding of CCEWs, evaluates the performance of numerical models and forecasting techniques in predicting these phenomena, and pinpoints critical areas for improvement. The discussion centers on three key types of equatorial waves: equatorial Rossby waves, Kelvin waves, and mixed Rossby–gravity waves. By connecting scientific insights with practical forecasting applications, the review sheds light on the challenges of predicting these waves while identifying opportunities to advance both fundamental knowledge and forecasting accuracy. Designed as an educational resource, it targets operational forecasting centers, meteorologists, and researchers, aiming to enhance the prediction of extreme weather events in the region
Development and optimization of resveratrol-loaded NLCs via low-energy methods: a promising alternative to conventional high-energy or solvent-based techniques
Full text linkHigh-energy methods dominate the development of lipid nanoparticles but often require specialized equipment that increases production costs. Low-energy approaches, particularly those free of organic solvents, offer a promising alternative. This study aimed to obtain nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) using a solvent-free, low-energy process combining microemulsification and phase inversion. Cetearyl alcohol and PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil were selected as the solid lipid and surfactant, respectively; the formulation and process were optimized through a Box–Behnken Design. Incorporation of the ionic surfactant extended colloidal stability, while the poloxamer in the aqueous phase enhanced steric stabilization. Resveratrol was efficiently encapsulated (E.E. = 98%), contributing to reduced particle size (291 nm), improved homogeneity (PDI = 0.25), and positive surface charge (+43 mV). Scale-up yielded stable particles carrying resveratrol with a mean size of 507 nm, PDI = 0.24, and ZP = +52 mV. The optimized formulation remained stable for 90 days at 8 °C. In vitro release demonstrated a sustained and controlled release profile, with significantly lower resveratrol release compared to the free compound. Thermal analysis confirmed drug incorporation within the lipid matrix, while transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed spherical particles (~200 nm) and SAXS indicated a nanostructure of ~50 nm. Overall, this study demonstrates that solvent-free, low-energy processing can produce stable and scalable NLC formulations, successfully encapsulating resveratrol with favorable physicochemical properties and controlled release behavior. These findings highlight a simple, cost-effective strategy for developing lipid-based nanocarriers with potential applications in drug delivery
Association of lipoprotein lipase genetic risk score with cardiometabolic risk indicators in a healthy Qatari population using the Qatar Biobank data
Full text linkGenetic variations within the Lipoprotein Lipase ( LPL) gene have been shown to influence the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. However, their associations with cardiometabolic disease-related markers remain underexplored in Arab Qatari populations. Hence, we examined the association between a genetic risk score (GRS) based on three LPL single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and cardiometabolic indicators in a healthy Qatari population. A cross-sectional genetic association study was conducted using data from the Qatar Biobank population-based cohort, involving a sample of metabolically healthy Qatari adults (n = 6,919). The LPL- GRS was computed as the unweighted sum of risk alleles from three LPL SNPs: rs295 (C/A), rs301 (C/T), and rs320 (G/T). Associations between the GRS and metabolic markers were assessed using a generalized linear model, adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index. Individuals with high GRS (>5 risk alleles) showed a significant association with lower fat-free mass index values (β = −0.064, p = 0.029). In addition, a positive association was observed between GRS and fasting insulin levels (β = 0.035, p = 0.016). In addition, high GRS was significantly associated with lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (β = −0.025, p = 0.001) and higher triacylglycerol concentrations (β = 0.027, p = 0.0003) and systolic blood pressure (β = 0.007, p = 0.002), respectively. Our study shows that the LPL -GRS is associated with key cardiometabolic risk factors in this self-reported healthy Qatari population. These findings highlight the need for additional research to replicate these findings in independent and ethnically diverse cohorts, as well as the use of longitudinal studies to evaluate the predictive value of the GRS for future metabolic outcomes
The chair buffering role in relation to the CEO during company turnaround execution: a UK-based qualitative study
No full textWhile in recent years there has been a surge of studies examining the role and contribution of the chair of the board, there is still a surprising paucity of work examining the leadership role and behaviour of the chair under specific company and environmental conditions. Specifically, not much literature examines the chair role in relation to the CEO during company turnarounds, or more generally during crisis. This study conducts elite interviews with 30 chairs and CEOs of large UK listed companies to examine the chair role in relation to the CEO during turnaround execution. Findings from thematic analysis, characterize the chair leadership as a dynamic buffering role that insulates the CEO and management team from unwarranted performance pressures arising from shareholders and other stakeholders (for example market analysts), while simultaneously regulating CEO emotion, cognition and behaviour towards such pressures, thereby ensuring strategic alignment and direction during the turnaround execution
Subcomponents of reward processing in adolescent anhedonia
No full textAnhedonia is increasingly linked to dysfunctional reward processing and has been consistently reported to emerge during adolescence, a period of major developmental changes in the neurobiological and social aspects of reward experiences. Understanding anhedonia and the reward dysfunction that might underpin it could inform prevention and intervention efforts among young people, particularly for major depressive disorder. In this Review, we critically examine the relationship between anhedonia and reward processing in adolescence, including evidence from retrospective self-report questionnaires, task-based measures and ecological momentary assessment. We structure our synthesis according to the reward process subcomponents (consummatory pleasure, anticipation, motivation and learning) and with reference to the positive valence systems domain of the Research Domain Criteria framework and developmental perspectives. We discuss key limitations in the assessment of reward processing in adolescents and propose future directions to map real-time subjective anhedonia experiences to observable behaviour using objective task-based assessments
Pesticides and habitat loss additively reduce wild bees in crop fields
Full text linkPesticide use and habitat loss are major anthropogenic drivers of bee decline, raising global concerns about impaired crop pollination. However, the relative importance of these stressors and their combined impact on bee assemblages comprising species with different traits, such as body size or nesting strategy, remains unknown. Here we addressed these key knowledge gaps in a global quantitative synthesis analysing bee assemblage data from 681 crop fields across three continents. We found that both local pesticide hazards and decreasing proportions of semi-natural habitats in surrounding landscapes negatively affected wild bee abundance and species richness in crop fields, while pesticides additionally reduced functional and phylogenetic diversity. Semi-natural habitat availability did not buffer against these negative pesticide effects, nor did we identify any specific traits rending bees more vulnerable to one of the two drivers. Our findings highlight the pressing need to reduce non-target effects of pesticide use and emphasize that conservation and restoration of semi-natural habitats successfully promote wild bees, but are insufficient strategies to mitigate pesticide-driven losses of wild bee pollinators from crop fields
Attribution of non-state actor conduct during armed conflict
No full textProvides a detailed exploration of attribution within the specific context of armed conflict
Includes a comprehensive analysis of the six rules of attribution relating to non-State actors
Uses case studies to demonstrate how the rules of attribution apply to real examples of non-State actor conduct during conflic
A dynamic priority-aware task offloading and resource allocation strategy assisted by RSU-relay in Vehicular Edge Computing
Full text linkThe rapid advancement of the Internet of Vehicular has enabled a wide range of vehicular applications, intensifying the demand for low-latency and high-efficiency computation. However, the limited onboard computing capabilities and the highly dynamic nature of vehicular networks present significant challenges for task offloading and resource allocation. To tackle these challenges, Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) incorporates Roadside Units (RSU) not only as computing nodes but also as relay nodes capable of multi-hop task forwarding, effectively extending the offloading scope and mitigating transmission constraints in sparse or high-mobility scenarios. Moreover, due to the diversity of task demands and fluctuating resource availability, it becomes essential to dynamically adjust task priorities to ensure timely task completion and efficient resource utilization. In this paper, we propose a novel Computing Offloading and Resource Allocation strategy under Relay Collaboration (CORA-RC). CORARC exploits the dual roles of RSU as computing and relay nodes to extend the offloading range and improve flexibility, while jointly optimizing task offloading, dynamic priority adjustment, and resource allocation. Simulation results demonstrate that CORA-RC ensures the timely completion of security-related tasks while effectively reducing the average task delay, thereby achieving the lowest average weighted cost among all compared strategies
Is GATT Article XXI on security exceptions responsive to addressing the contemporary national security interests of States?: an assessment of the security exceptions in WTO law and in cases of cybersecurity, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe distinguishing features of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Article on
Security Exceptions present an arguably self-judging nature, ambiguous terminologies, and
leniency compared with other exceptions. World Trade Organization (WTO) Panels have
clarified certain aspects of the Article, especially regarding its justiciability and its self-judging
features. Nonetheless, the Article remains ambiguous and vague, especially in relation to the
circumstances for its invocation.
In this thesis, I point to the gaps in the Article through an analysis of existing literature, WTO
legal texts, and WTO case law. I then use hypothetical case studies relating to cybersecurity,
climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic (the 3Cs) to demonstrate how the Article can be
invoked in these cases, and assess whether any lack of robustness as a result of its gaps can
lead to abuse and discriminatory practices.
The Article has been dormant for a long time. Recently, however, national security interests
came to the fore as certain countries took unilateral trade measures and invoked the Article as
an affirmative defence. The move by the United States to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium
to protect its economic security, Ukraine filing a complaint against Russia over the latter’s
measures concerning the importation and transit of certain of its products, and Qatar filing a
complaint against Saudi Arabia over measures concerning intellectual property rights are
prominent cases that this thesis covers. The unilateral tariffs imposed by the United States in
2025 to protect its economic interests and exert global influence underline the rising
prominence of national security and its link to economic security.
I use an analytical framework to test the responsiveness of the security exception to the 3Cs.
Finally, I come up with recommendations to clarify and to improve the operability and prevent
the abuse of this GATT Article. In this respect, practices relating to national security in
investment treaties and human rights law are pertinent. As such, I include a dedicated chapter
on these two other branches of international law