Ipsilateral vagotomy to unilaterally ovariectomized pre-pubertal rats modifies compensatory ovarian responses

The present study evaluates the participation of the vagus nerve in pre-pubertal rats with unilateral ovariectomy on puberty onset, and on progesterone, testosterone and estradiol serum levels, and the compensatory responses of the ovary. Unilateral vagotomy did not modify the onset of puberty in unilaterally ovariectomized rats. Ovulation rates of animals with the left vagus nerve sectioned and the left ovary in-situ was lower than in rats with only unilateral ovariectomy. Sectioning the left vagus to 32-day old rats with the left ovary in-situ resulted in lower compensatory ovarian hypertrophy than in rats with right unilateral ovariectomy. Twenty-eight or 32-day old animals with sectioning of the right vagus nerve and the right ovary in situ showed higher compensatory ovulation. Twenty-eight -day old rats with the right ovary in situ had higher progesterone and testosterone levels than animals of the same age with the left ovary in-situ. Compared to animals with the right ovary in situ, animals treated at 32-days of age, sectioning the ipsi-lateral vagus nerve resulted in higher progesterone levels. Higher progesterone levels were observed in 28- and 32 days old rats with the left ovary in situ and left vagus nerve sectioned. Thirty-two day old animals with the right ovary in situ and right vagus nerve sectioned had higher progesterone levels than rats of the same age with the left ovary in situ and left vagus nerve sectioned. Left vagotomy to 28-day old rats with the left ovary in situ resulted in higher testosterone levels, a reverse response to that observed in animals with sectioning of the right vagus and the right ovary in situ. Thirty-two day old rats with the left ovary in situ and left vagus nerve sectioned showed lower testosterone levels than animals without vagotomy and with the left ovary in situ

Assessing the feasibility of adaptation options: methodological advancements and directions for climate adaptation research and practice

The Paris Agreement put adaptation prominently on the global climate action agenda. Despite a surge in research and praxis-based knowledge on adaptation, a critical policy roadblock is synthesizing and assessing this burgeoning evidence. We develop an approach to assess the multidimensional feasibility of adaptation options in a robust and transparent manner, providing direction for global climate policy and identifying knowledge gaps to further future climate research. The approach, which was tested in the IPCC Special Report on 1.5 °C (SR1.5) to assess 23 adaptation options, is underpinned by a systematic review of recent literature, expert elicitation, and iterative peer review. It responds to the challenge of limited agreement on adaptation indicators, lack of fine-scale adaptation data, and challenges of assessing synergies and trade-offs with mitigation. The findings offer methodological insights into how future assessments such as the IPCC Assessment Report (AR) six and regional, national, and sectoral assessment exercises could assess adaptation feasibility and synthesize the growing body of knowledge on climate change adaptation

Study of thermodynamic indices in forecasting pre-monsoon thunderstorms over Kolkata during STORM pilot phase 2006-2008

The pre-monsoon convective atmosphere over Kolkata (22.52°N, 88.37°E) during STORM field phase 2006–2008 is investigated using 12 UTC radiosonde data and thermodynamic indices. In the present study, an attempt has been made to assess the skill of various indices and parameters and to propose suitable threshold values in forecasting the occurrence of thunderstorm activity at Kolkata. The thermodynamic indices and parameters used in the present study are lifted index (LI), K index (KI), severe weather threat index (SWEAT), total totals index (TTI), convective available potential energy (CAPE), deep convection index (DCI), humidity index (HI), Boyden index (BI), dew point temperature at 850 hpa (DEW), relative humidity at 700 hpa (RH), and bulk Richardson number (BRN). Validation of the suggested threshold values of indices was conducted on the days of thunderstorm activity. It was found that one index alone cannot predict the occurrence of thunderstorm over Kolkata region. The present study suggests that the indices with highest skill for thunderstorm prediction are KI, DCI, SWEAT, DEW, HI, RH, LI, TTI, while the prediction efficiency is poor for CAPE, BRN, and BI. Observed values of these indices also reveal that scattered, multi-cellular thunderstorms are possible over Kolkata during pre-monsoon months