Arctic warming is causing substantial compositional, structural, and functional changes in tundra vegetation including shrub and tree-line expansion and densification. However, predicting the carbon trajectories of the changing Arctic is challenging due to interacting feedbacks between vegetation composition and structure, and surface characteristics. We conduct a sensitivity analysis of the current-date to 2100 projected surface energy fluxes, soil carbon pools, and CO2 fluxes to different shrub expansion rates under future emission scenarios (intermediate-RCP4.5, and high-RCP8.5) using the Arctic-focused configuration of E3SM Land Model (ELM). We focus on Trail Valley Creek (TVC), an upland tundra site in the western Canadian Arctic, which is experiencing shrub densification and expansion. We find that shrub expansion did not significantly alter the modeled surface energy and water budgets. However, the carbon balance was sensitive to shrub expansion, which drove higher rates of carbon sequestration as a consequence of higher shrubification rates. Thus, at low shrub expansion rates, the site would become a carbon source, especially under RCP8.5, due to higher temperatures, which deepen the active layer and enhance soil respiration. At higher shrub expansion rates, TVC would become a net CO2 sink under both Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios due to higher shrub productivity outweighing temperature-driven respiration increase. Our simulations highlight the effect of shrub expansion on Arctic ecosystem carbon fluxes and stocks. We predict that at TVC, shrubification rate would interact with climate change intensity to determine whether the site would become a carbon sink or source under projected future climate.

Intestinal obstruction caused by Ascaris lumbricoides (AL) is rare but clinically significant, particularly in endemic regions. We report an 18-year-old Afghan male who presented with a two-month history of intermittent right lower quadrant pain, worsening over the past week with anorexia, constipation, nausea, and fatigue. Examination revealed generalized abdominal tenderness, involuntary guarding, and silent bowel sounds, suggesting an acute abdomen. Initial diagnosis was complicated appendicitis. After stabilization, laparotomy revealed a small bowel obstruction caused by a mass of AL, which was relieved via enterotomy and bowel repair. An incidental appendectomy was performed. Postoperatively, the patient was treated with albendazole and mebendazole. Bowel function returned by postoperative day three, and he was discharged on day five in stable condition. At one-week follow-up, he was asymptomatic with no complications. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of parasitic infections, especially in non-endemic areas, and emphasizes the importance of early imaging, timely surgical intervention, and comprehensive management. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for parasitic causes in bowel obstruction cases, particularly in endemic populations, to ensure prompt diagnosis and optimal outcomes.

全球气候变暖导致冰川积雪加速消融，造成一系列冰川泥石流、冰湖溃决等地质灾害。我国自主研发的LuTan-1（LT-1）卫星在冰川位移监测应用中的实际效果备受关注，且目前研究较少。本文选取我国西藏错朗玛冰川为实验对象，分别采用2022年Sentinel-1A影像和LT-1影像，对冰川位移进行了偏移量监测技术的对比研究，并利用Helmert方差分量估计方法联合两种影像数据解算冰川三维形变速率。研究表明，中值窗口偏移量解算方法和均值窗口偏移量解算方法均能提高偏移量解算的精度，同时表明了LT-1比Sentinel-1A具有更高的偏移量解算精度和结果空间分辨率。实验结果还显示，错朗玛冰川在2022年方位向和视线向（line of sight，LOS）向最大累积形变量分别为21.45 m和-7.61 m。联合解算的三维形变速率结果表明，冰川在2022年4月-9月期间，东西向、南北向和垂直向最大形变速率分别为-0.125 m/d、0.147 m/d和-0.134 m/d。该冰川顶部位移主要向东和北方向，表现出逐渐退缩趋势；冰川中部位移主要向西和北方向，冰川物质逐渐积累；而冰川下部位移主要向东和北方向，...

全球气候变暖导致冰川积雪加速消融，造成一系列冰川泥石流、冰湖溃决等地质灾害。我国自主研发的LuTan-1（LT-1）卫星在冰川位移监测应用中的实际效果备受关注，且目前研究较少。本文选取我国西藏错朗玛冰川为实验对象，分别采用2022年Sentinel-1A影像和LT-1影像，对冰川位移进行了偏移量监测技术的对比研究，并利用Helmert方差分量估计方法联合两种影像数据解算冰川三维形变速率。研究表明，中值窗口偏移量解算方法和均值窗口偏移量解算方法均能提高偏移量解算的精度，同时表明了LT-1比Sentinel-1A具有更高的偏移量解算精度和结果空间分辨率。实验结果还显示，错朗玛冰川在2022年方位向和视线向（line of sight，LOS）向最大累积形变量分别为21.45 m和-7.61 m。联合解算的三维形变速率结果表明，冰川在2022年4月-9月期间，东西向、南北向和垂直向最大形变速率分别为-0.125 m/d、0.147 m/d和-0.134 m/d。该冰川顶部位移主要向东和北方向，表现出逐渐退缩趋势；冰川中部位移主要向西和北方向，冰川物质逐渐积累；而冰川下部位移主要向东和北方向，...

全球气候变暖导致冰川积雪加速消融，造成一系列冰川泥石流、冰湖溃决等地质灾害。我国自主研发的LuTan-1（LT-1）卫星在冰川位移监测应用中的实际效果备受关注，且目前研究较少。本文选取我国西藏错朗玛冰川为实验对象，分别采用2022年Sentinel-1A影像和LT-1影像，对冰川位移进行了偏移量监测技术的对比研究，并利用Helmert方差分量估计方法联合两种影像数据解算冰川三维形变速率。研究表明，中值窗口偏移量解算方法和均值窗口偏移量解算方法均能提高偏移量解算的精度，同时表明了LT-1比Sentinel-1A具有更高的偏移量解算精度和结果空间分辨率。实验结果还显示，错朗玛冰川在2022年方位向和视线向（line of sight，LOS）向最大累积形变量分别为21.45 m和-7.61 m。联合解算的三维形变速率结果表明，冰川在2022年4月-9月期间，东西向、南北向和垂直向最大形变速率分别为-0.125 m/d、0.147 m/d和-0.134 m/d。该冰川顶部位移主要向东和北方向，表现出逐渐退缩趋势；冰川中部位移主要向西和北方向，冰川物质逐渐积累；而冰川下部位移主要向东和北方向，...

全球气候变暖导致冰川积雪加速消融，造成一系列冰川泥石流、冰湖溃决等地质灾害。我国自主研发的LuTan-1（LT-1）卫星在冰川位移监测应用中的实际效果备受关注，且目前研究较少。本文选取我国西藏错朗玛冰川为实验对象，分别采用2022年Sentinel-1A影像和LT-1影像，对冰川位移进行了偏移量监测技术的对比研究，并利用Helmert方差分量估计方法联合两种影像数据解算冰川三维形变速率。研究表明，中值窗口偏移量解算方法和均值窗口偏移量解算方法均能提高偏移量解算的精度，同时表明了LT-1比Sentinel-1A具有更高的偏移量解算精度和结果空间分辨率。实验结果还显示，错朗玛冰川在2022年方位向和视线向（line of sight，LOS）向最大累积形变量分别为21.45 m和-7.61 m。联合解算的三维形变速率结果表明，冰川在2022年4月-9月期间，东西向、南北向和垂直向最大形变速率分别为-0.125 m/d、0.147 m/d和-0.134 m/d。该冰川顶部位移主要向东和北方向，表现出逐渐退缩趋势；冰川中部位移主要向西和北方向，冰川物质逐渐积累；而冰川下部位移主要向东和北方向，...

全球气候变暖导致冰川积雪加速消融，造成一系列冰川泥石流、冰湖溃决等地质灾害。我国自主研发的LuTan-1（LT-1）卫星在冰川位移监测应用中的实际效果备受关注，且目前研究较少。本文选取我国西藏错朗玛冰川为实验对象，分别采用2022年Sentinel-1A影像和LT-1影像，对冰川位移进行了偏移量监测技术的对比研究，并利用Helmert方差分量估计方法联合两种影像数据解算冰川三维形变速率。研究表明，中值窗口偏移量解算方法和均值窗口偏移量解算方法均能提高偏移量解算的精度，同时表明了LT-1比Sentinel-1A具有更高的偏移量解算精度和结果空间分辨率。实验结果还显示，错朗玛冰川在2022年方位向和视线向（line of sight，LOS）向最大累积形变量分别为21.45 m和-7.61 m。联合解算的三维形变速率结果表明，冰川在2022年4月-9月期间，东西向、南北向和垂直向最大形变速率分别为-0.125 m/d、0.147 m/d和-0.134 m/d。该冰川顶部位移主要向东和北方向，表现出逐渐退缩趋势；冰川中部位移主要向西和北方向，冰川物质逐渐积累；而冰川下部位移主要向东和北方向，...

The construction of a power grillage is of great significance for promoting local economic development. Identifying the characteristics of foundation damage is a prerequisite for ensuring the normal service of the power grillage. To investigate the bearing mechanism and failure mode of the grillage root foundations, a novel research method with a transparent soil material was used to conduct model tests on different types of foundations using particle image velocimetry (PIV) technology. The results indicate that, compared to traditional foundations, the uplift and horizontal bearing capacities of grillage root foundations increased by 34.35% to 38.89% and by 10.76% to 14.29%, respectively. Furthermore, increasing the base plate size and burial depth can further enhance the extent of the soil displacement field. Additionally, PIV analysis revealed that the roots improve pile-soil interactions, transferring the load to the surrounding undisturbed soil and creating a parabolic displacement field during the uplift process, which significantly suppresses foundation displacement. Lastly, based on experimental data, an Elman neural network was employed to construct a load-bearing capacity prediction model, which was optimized using genetic algorithms (GAs) and the whale optimization algorithm (WOA), maintaining a prediction error within 3%. This research demonstrates that root arrangement enhances the bearing capacity and stability of foundations, while optimized neural networks can accurately predict the bearing capacity of grillage root foundations, thus broadening the application scope of transparent soil materials and offering novel insights into the application of artificial intelligence technology in geotechnical engineering. For stakeholders in the bearing manufacturing industry, this study provides important insights on how to improve load-bearing capacity and stability through the optimization of the basic design, which can help reduce material costs and construction challenges, and enhance the reliability of power grillage infrastructure.

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is an important vegetable in Ethiopia due to its nutritional value and culinary uses. However, its production is hindered by several challenges. Key issues include diseases like powdery mildew, fusarium wilt, and viral infections, which significantly reduce yields, and pests such as aphids, whiteflies, and fruit borers that further damage crops. The scarcity of improved okra varieties and insufficient drought management exacerbate these challenges. Farmers' perceptions of okra as a low-value crop affect investment and cultivation practices. Additionally, drought, compounded by poor irrigation infrastructure, poses a severe threat to okra production. Despite these challenges, Ethiopia's diverse agro-climatic conditions and fertile soils in regions like Amhara and Oromia offer favorable environments for cultivating okra, with potential yields reaching up to 20 tons per hectare under optimal management. To overcome these constraints, it is essential to improve disease and pest management, develop and distribute drought-resistant varieties, and educate farmers on better practices. Changing perceptions through awareness and community engagement, coupled with supportive government policies, are crucial for enhancing okra production, thereby improving food security and economic stability for Ethiopian farmers in the future.

Ironmaking- steelmaking is a material and energy intensive process with a resource efficiency of only - 33 %. Resource efficiency enhancement requires recovering the wasted/unutilized material by-products and the energy associated with them in various forms. This review attempts to identify the material leakages and energy losses at each step of steelmaking (from iron ore mining) and explores approaches to plug the energy and material leakage; material efficiency brings in energy savings indirectly. Besides the material loss, accumulation of the byproducts (slime/tailings, steel slag, etc.), carbon emission, etc., cause environmental and ecological damage. The review discusses the prospects of slimes/tailings beneficiation through physical and physicochemical methods (often after some pretreatments). The manuscript also discusses the need to recover heat from molten slags (BF slag and BOF slag) to reduce the energy intensity. Further, it discusses the endeavors to overcome the latent hydraulic activity of granulated BF slag and ways to enhance the acceptability of BOF slag in different applications. A brief sum-up of global efforts towards net zero emission (in line with the Paris Declaration) through carbon recycling, low emission intensity processes, alternate fuels, etc., is included. Lastly, the authors list the challenges of the Indian iron & steel industry and the efforts from the government and steel industries towards achieving the projected crude steel production (300 million tons) without crossing the emission intensity thresholds (Paris Declaration). The endeavors strengthen the sustainability of the steel industry.