Long-term decrease in Asian monsoon rainfall and abrupt climate change events over the past 6,700 years.

Asian summer monsoon (ASM) variability and its long-term ecological and societal impacts extending back to Neolithic times are poorly understood due to a lack of high-resolution climate proxy data. Here, we present a precisely dated and well-calibrated tree-ring stable isotope chronology from the Tibetan Plateau with 1- to 5-y resolution that reflects high- to low-frequency ASM variability from 4680 BCE to 2011 CE. Superimposed on a persistent drying trend since the mid-Holocene, a rapid decrease in moisture availability between ∼2000 and ∼1500 BCE caused a dry hydroclimatic regime from ∼1675 to ∼1185 BCE, with mean precipitation estimated at 42 ± 4% and 5 ± 2% lower than during the mid-Holocene and the instrumental period, respectively. This second-millennium-BCE megadrought marks the mid-to late Holocene transition, during which regional forests declined and enhanced aeolian activity affected northern Chinese ecosystems. We argue that this abrupt aridification starting ∼2000 BCE contributed to the shift of Neolithic cultures in northern China and likely triggered human migration and societal transformation.

Exploring vertebral artery stump syndrome: An overlooked cause of posterior ischemic strokes. A narrative review of current management options.

INTRODUCTION: Stump syndrome is defined as a clinical syndrome resulting from a distal intracranial vessel embolic stroke due to an extracranial vessel occlusion. Similar to the anterior circulation, the recurrence of ischemic strokes in territories supplied by the posterior circulation in the presence of vertebral artery occlusion is termed Vertebral Artery Stump Syndrome (VASS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a literature review, identifying 72 patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or ischemic strokes attributed to VASS, according to Kawano criteria. We categorized all patients in two groups focusing on the therapeutic management those who underwent primary medical treatment and those who received endovascular or surgical treatment either in acute or chronic phase. RESULTS: In the anticoagulant therapy group, only 1 patient had a stroke recurrence. Among the 4 on antiplatelets, all had recurrences, but 3 benefited from switching to anticoagulants or endovascular therapy. In the endovascular therapy group, worse outcomes were linked to acute large vessel occlusion. Endovascular treatment of the vertebral artery, in a chronic phase, was explored in literature for recurrent TIAs or minor strokes suggesting that this could be a viable therapeutic alternative when medical treatment failed in preventing recurrence of ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Some studies suggest that anticoagulant medical therapy may be beneficial for VASS and endovascular therapy has also been reported for selected patients. However, data on treatment outcomes and prognosis are still underreported, making treatment decisions challenging. Randomized Controlled Trials are needed to establish the optimal treatment approach.

Cerebral vasomotor reactivity in the acute phase and after 6 months in non-disabling stroke/TIA: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Cerebral Vasomotor Reactivity (VMR) is a property of cerebral hemodynamics that protects from cerebrovascular disease. We aimed to explore the VMR longitudinal changes in patients with acute non-disabling stroke/Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) to understand its implication in stroke ethiopatogenesis. METHODS: VMR by Transcranial Doppler Breath Holding test was performed at 48-72 h from stroke onset (T1) and after 6 months (T2) on MCA of the non-affected hemisphere and PCA of the affected hemisphere. RESULTS: We consecutively enrolled 124 patients with a median age of 66.0 (IQR 54.75-74.25) years with a median NIHSS 2 (IQR 1-3). Both MCA (1.38 %/s SD 0.58) and PCA (1.35 %/s SD 0.75) BHI at T1 did not differ among different stroke subtypes (p=0.067 and p=0.350; N=124). MCA and PCA BHI decreased from T1 to T2 (respectively 1.39 %/s SD 0.56 vs 1.18%/s SD 0.44 and 1.30 %/s SD 0.69 vs 1.20 %/s SD 0.51; N=109) regardless of ethiopatogenesis (respectively p<0.0001 and p=0.111). CONCLUSION: The VMR is higher in acute phase than at 6 months in patients with non-disabling stroke/TIA, regardless of etiopathogenesis. The higher VMR in acute phase could be sustained by an increased Cerebral Blood Flow due to collateral circulation activation supporting the ischemic zone.

Coastal marine habitats deterioration according to users' perception: the case of Cap de Creus Marine Protected Area (NE Spain).

Assessing how different users of a Marine Protected Area perceive environmental changes can contribute to design management strategies. We assess how locals and tourists perceive environmental changes in the Cap de Creus protected area (NW Mediterranean, Spain). To identify locally perceived changes, we first conducted semi-structured interviews with locals (n = 38). Reported environmental changes were then used to construct a survey applied to locals and tourists (n = 427). In semi-structured interviews, environmental changes were the least reported changes compared to economic and social changes; reports of negative environmental changes dominated over reports of positive environmental changes. Overall, all survey participants reported a decline of the health status of the local environment, with locals displaying higher levels of agreement with statements referring to coastal environmental deterioration than tourists. The predominance of responses reporting economic versus environmental changes can be explained by the recent radical transformation of the area towards tourism. Reports of coastal marine area deterioration are in line with available instrumental data. Higher levels of agreement with statements referring to environmental deterioration among locals than among tourists highlight the importance of people's connection with nature to assess change. Considering that Cap de Creus has been protected for more than two decades, our findings raise concerns regarding its ongoing deterioration and underscore the importance of monitoring the effectiveness of marine protection to modulate management strategies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10113-024-02322-4.

A critical thermal transition driving spring phenology of Northern Hemisphere conifers.

Despite growing interest in predicting plant phenological shifts, advanced spring phenology by global climate change remains debated. Evidence documenting either small or large advancement of spring phenology to rising temperature over the spatio-temporal scales implies a potential existence of a thermal threshold in the responses of forests to global warming. We collected a unique data set of xylem cell-wall-thickening onset dates in 20 coniferous species covering a broad mean annual temperature (MAT) gradient (-3.05 to 22.9°C) across the Northern Hemisphere (latitudes 23°-66° N). Along the MAT gradient, we identified a threshold temperature (using segmented regression) of 4.9 ± 1.1°C, above which the response of xylem phenology to rising temperatures significantly decline. This threshold separates the Northern Hemisphere conifers into cold and warm thermal niches, with MAT and spring forcing being the primary drivers for the onset dates (estimated by linear and Bayesian mixed-effect models), respectively. The identified thermal threshold should be integrated into the Earth-System-Models for a better understanding of spring phenology in response to global warming and an improved prediction of global climate-carbon feedbacks.

Stereoselective [2 + 2] photodimerization: a viable strategy for the synthesis of enantiopure cyclobutane derivatives.

The [2 + 2] photodimerization of cinnamic acid derivatives to afford enantiopure cyclobutanes has been investigated. The use of a chiral auxiliary represents a convenient and straightforward method to exert enantiocontrol on the reaction. By exploiting Evans oxazolidinones, the stereoselective light-driven cyclisation affords a functionalised cyclobutane ring with up to 99% enantiocontrol after removing the chiral auxiliary. In-flow experiments allowed us to improve further the efficiency of the methodology, leading to high conversion and excellent enantioselectivity.

Photoperiod and temperature as dominant environmental drivers triggering secondary growth resumption in Northern Hemisphere conifers.

Wood formation consumes around 15% of the anthropogenic CO2 emissions per year and plays a critical role in long-term sequestration of carbon on Earth. However, the exogenous factors driving wood formation onset and the underlying cellular mechanisms are still poorly understood and quantified, and this hampers an effective assessment of terrestrial forest productivity and carbon budget under global warming. Here, we used an extensive collection of unique datasets of weekly xylem tissue formation (wood formation) from 21 coniferous species across the Northern Hemisphere (latitudes 23 to 67°N) to present a quantitative demonstration that the onset of wood formation in Northern Hemisphere conifers is primarily driven by photoperiod and mean annual temperature (MAT), and only secondarily by spring forcing, winter chilling, and moisture availability. Photoperiod interacts with MAT and plays the dominant role in regulating the onset of secondary meristem growth, contrary to its as-yet-unquantified role in affecting the springtime phenology of primary meristems. The unique relationships between exogenous factors and wood formation could help to predict how forest ecosystems respond and adapt to climate warming and could provide a better understanding of the feedback occurring between vegetation and climate that is mediated by phenology. Our study quantifies the role of major environmental drivers for incorporation into state-of-the-art Earth system models (ESMs), thereby providing an improved assessment of long-term and high-resolution observations of biogeochemical cycles across terrestrial biomes.

Daily timings of sap production in sugar maple in Quebec, Canada.

Global warming is affecting plant phenology, with potential consequences on the dynamics of growth reactivation of sugar maple and the timings of maple syrup production. In this study, we assess the temperatures inducing the daily reactivation or cessation of sap production. We selected 19 sugarbushes across Quebec, Canada, using a tapping method associated with the tubing system, we recorded the daily timings of onset and ending of sap production during winter and spring 2018, and we associated the hourly temperatures at each site. Sap production occurred from mid-February to the end of April, starting on average between 10 and 11 AM, and ending from 6 to 8 PM. We observed a seasonal pattern in the onset and ending of sap production during spring, with the onset showing a greater change than the ending. Onset and ending of sap production occurred mostly under temperatures ranging between -2 and 2 °C. The production of sap in maple is closely related to circadian freeze-thaw cycles and occurs under nighttime and daytime temperatures fluctuating below and above 0 °C. The daily lengthening of the duration of sap production mirrors the changes in the timings of freeze and thaw events and can be explained by the physical properties of the water and the physiological processes occurring during growth reactivation. The ongoing warming will result in earlier and warmer springs, which may anticipate the cycles of freeze and thaw and advance sap production in sugar maple.

Laboratory Scale Continuous Flow Systems for the Enantioselective Phase Transfer Catalytic Synthesis of Quaternary Amino Acids.

The use of stereoselective phase-transfer catalysis as a reliable method for the enantioselective synthesis of optically active α-amino acid derivatives using achiral Schiff base esters has been well-developed in batch in the last 40 years. Recently, continuous flow technology has become of great interest in the academy and industry, since it offers safer process operating conditions and higher efficiency compared to a traditional batch processing. Herein, we wish to report the first example of enantioselective phase transfer benzylation of alanine Schiff base ester, under continuous flow conditions. Two different methodologies were investigated: a liquid-solid phase transfer catalytic benzylation using a packed-bed reactor and a liquid-liquid phase transfer catalytic benzylation in continuous stirred-tank reactors. Liquid-liquid phase transfer process in flow showed slightly better productivity than the batch process, while solid-liquid phase transfer benzylation proved much more advantageous in terms of productivity and space-time yield. Furthermore, continuous flow system allowed the isolation of benzylated product without any work up, with a significant simplification of the process. In both cases, phase transfer asymmetric benzylation promoted by Maruoka catalyst demonstrated high enantioselectivity of target quaternary amino ester in flow, up to 93% ee.

Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Nitroalkenes and Preliminary Studies of Their Enantioselective Organocatalytic Reduction.

Starting from commercially available ketones, a reproducible and reliable strategy for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted nitroalkenes was successfully developed, using a two-step procedure; the HWE olefination of the ketone to form the corresponding α,ß-unsaturated esters is followed by a nitration reaction to introduce the nitro group in the α position of the ester group. The enantioselective organocatalytic reduction of these compounds has also been preliminarily studied, to access the functionalized enantioenriched nitroalkanes, which are useful starting materials for further synthetic elaborations. The absolute configuration of the reduction product was established by chemical correlation of the chiral nitroalkane with a known product; preliminary DFT calculations were also conducted to rationalize the stereochemical outcome of the organocatalytic enantioselective reduction.

Enantioselective Organophotocatalytic Telescoped Synthesis of a Chiral Privileged Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient.

The continuous flow, enantioselective, organophotoredox catalytic asymmetric alkylation of aldehydes was studied, by using a homemade, custom-designed photoreactor for reactions under cryogenic conditions. Going from microfluidic conditions up to a 10 mL mesofluidic reactor, an increase of productivity by almost 18000 % compared to the batch reaction was demonstrated. Finally, for the first time, a stereoselective photoredox organocatalytic continuous flow reaction in a fully telescoped process for an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)synthesis was successfully achieved. The final process consists of four units of operation: visible light-driven asymmetric catalytic benzylation under continuous flow, inline continuous work-up, neutralisation and a final oxidative amidation step afforded the pharmaceutically active molecule in 95 % e.e.

Functional trade-offs in volume allocation to xylem cell types in 75 species from the Brazilian savanna Cerrado.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Xylem is a crucial tissue for plant survival, performing the functions of water transport, mechanical support and storage. Functional trade-offs are a result of the different assemblages of xylem cell types within a certain wood volume. We assessed how the volume allocated to different xylem cell types can be associated with wood functional trade-offs (hydraulics, mechanical and storage) in species from the Cerrado, the Brazilian savanna. We also assessed the xylem anatomical characters linked to wood density across species. METHODS: We analysed cross-sections of branches collected from 75 woody species belonging to 42 angiosperm families from the Cerrado. We estimated the wood volume fraction allocated to different cell types and performed measurements of vessel diameter and wood density. KEY RESULTS: The largest volume of wood is allocated to fibres (0.47), followed by parenchyma (0.33) and vessels (0.20). Wood density is positively correlated to cell wall (fibre and vessel wall), and negatively to the fractions of fibre lumen and gelatinous fibres. We observed a trade-off between hydraulics (vessel diameter) and mechanics (cell wall fraction), and between mechanics and storage (parenchyma fraction). The expected positive functional relationships between hydraulics (vessel diameter) and water and carbohydrate storage (parenchyma and fibre lumen fractions) were not detected, though larger vessels are linked to a larger wood volume allocated to gelatinous fibres. CONCLUSIONS: Woody species from the Cerrado show evidence of functional trade-offs between water transport, mechanical support and storage. Gelatinous fibres might be potentially linked to water storage and release by their positive relationship to increased vessel diameter, thus replacing the functional role of parenchyma and fibre lumen cells. Species can profit from the increased mechanical strength under tension provided by the presence of gelatinous fibres, avoiding expensive investments in high wood density.

Upscaling xylem phenology: sample size matters.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Upscaling carbon allocation requires knowledge of the variability at the scales at which data are collected and applied. Trees exhibit different growth rates and timings of wood formation. However, the factors explaining these differences remain undetermined, making samplings and estimations of the growth dynamics a complicated task, habitually based on technical rather than statistical reasons. This study explored the variability in xylem phenology among 159 balsam firs [Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.]. METHODS: Wood microcores were collected weekly from April to October 2018 in a natural stand in Quebec, Canada, to detect cambial activity and wood formation timings. We tested spatial autocorrelation, tree size and cell production rates as explanatory variables of xylem phenology. We assessed sample size and margin of error for wood phenology assessment at different confidence levels. KEY RESULTS: Xylem formation lasted between 40 and 110 d, producing between 12 and 93 cells. No effect of spatial proximity or size of individuals was detected on the timings of xylem phenology. Trees with larger cell production rates showed a longer growing season, starting xylem differentiation earlier and ending later. A sample size of 23 trees produced estimates of xylem phenology at a confidence level of 95 % with a margin of error of 1 week. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the high variability in the timings of wood formation among trees within an area of 1 km2. The correlation between the number of new xylem cells and the growing season length suggests a close connection between the processes of wood formation and carbon sequestration. However, the causes of the observed differences in xylem phenology remain partially unresolved. We point out the need to carefully consider sample size when assessing xylem phenology to explore the reasons underlying this variability and to allow reliable upscaling of carbon allocation in forests.

The early bud gets the cold: Diverging spring phenology drives exposure to late frost in a Picea mariana [(Mill.) BSP] common garden.

Under climate change, the increasing occurrence of late frost combined with advancing spring phenology can increase the risk of frost damage in trees. In this study, we tested the link between intra-specific variability in bud phenology and frost exposure and damages. We analysed the effects of the 2021 late frost event in a black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) common garden in Québec, Canada. We hypothesised that the timing of budbreak drives the exposure of vulnerable tissues and explains differences in frost damage. Budbreak was monitored from 2015 to 2021 in 371 trees from five provenances originating between 48° and 53° N and planted in a common garden at 48° N. Frost damages were assessed on the same trees through the proportion of damaged buds per tree and related to the phenological phases by ordinal regressions. After an unusually warm spring, minimum temperatures fell to -1.9°C on May 28 and 29, 2021. At this moment, trees from the northern provenances were more advanced in their phenology and showed more frost damage. Provenances with earlier budbreak had a higher probability of damage occurrence according to ordinal regression. Our study highlights the importance of intra-specific variability of phenological traits on the risk of frost exposure. We provide evidence that the timings of bud phenology affect sensitivity to frost, leading to damages at temperatures of -1.9°C. Under the same conditions, the earlier growth reactivation observed in the northern provenances increases the risks of late frost damage on the developing buds.

Supported Eosin Y as a Photocatalyst for C-H Arylation of Furan in Batch and Flow.

Eosin Y is one of the most popular organic dyes used as a photoredox catalyst and is largely employed in photochemical reactions both as a homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalyst after immobilization. Immobilization of Eosin Y onto a solid support has many advantages, such as the possibility of recovery and reuse of the photocatalyst and the possibility of its use under flow conditions. In this paper, we report our findings on the immobilization of Eosin Y onto Merrifield resin and its application in the direct photochemical arylation of furan with aryldiazonium salts. The synthesized supported photocatalyst was used in batch reactions under heterogeneous conditions with different aryl diazonium salts, and its recovery and recycle were demonstrated for up to three times. The immobilized photocatalyst was then loaded in a packed-bed reactor and used under continuous flow conditions. The flow reaction allowed the arylated products to be obtained with higher productivity and space-time-yield than the batch in a very short reaction time.

Environmental and developmental factors driving xylem anatomy and micro-density in black spruce.

Wood density is the product of carbon allocation for structural growth and reflects the trade-off between mechanical support and water conductivity. We tested a conceptual framework based on the assumption that micro-density depends on direct and indirect relationships with endogenous and exogenous factors. The dynamics of wood formation, including timings and rates of cell division, cell enlargement, and secondary wall deposition, were assessed from microcores collected weekly between 2002 and 2016 from five black spruce stands located along a latitudinal gradient in Quebec, Canada. Cell anatomy and micro-density were recorded by anatomical analyses and X-ray measurements. Our structural equation model explained 80% of micro-density variation within the tree-ring with direct effects of wall thickness (σ = 0.61), cell diameter (σ = -0.51), and photoperiod (σ = -0.26). Wood formation dynamics had an indirect effect on micro-density. Micro-density increased under longer periods of cell-wall deposition and shorter durations of enlargement. Our results fill a critical gap in understanding the relationships underlying micro-density variation in conifers. We demonstrated that short-term responses to environmental variations could be overridden by plastic responses that modulate cell differentiation. Our results point to wood formation dynamics as a reliable predictor of carbon allocation in trees.

Contrasting temporal variations in responses of leaf unfolding to daytime and nighttime warming.

Earlier spring phenological events have been widely reported in plants under global warming. Recent studies reported a slowdown in the warming-induced advanced spring phenology in temperate regions. However, previous research mainly focused on daily mean temperature, thus neglecting the asymmetric phenological responses to daytime and nighttime temperature. Using long-term records of leaf unfolding in eight deciduous species at 1300 sites across central Europe, we assessed and compared the effects of daytime temperature, nighttime temperature, and photoperiod on leaf unfolding during 1951-1980 and 1981-2013. Although leaf unfolding was advanced by daytime warming during 1951-2013, the advancing responses of leaf unfolding significantly decreased from 1951-1980 to 1981-2013 due to a lower accumulation of chilling units by daytime warming. Nighttime warming delayed leaf unfolding during 1951-1980 but advanced it during 1981-2013 due to a higher accumulation of chilling units by nighttime warming. In contrast, critical daylength and plasticity of leaf unfolding dates remained unchanged between 1951 and 2013. Our study provided evidence that daytime warming instead of nighttime warming accounts for the slowdown in the advancing spring phenology and implied that nighttime warming-induced earlier spring phenology may be buffering the slowdown of the advanced spring phenology by daytime warming. The response of spring phenology to nighttime temperature may override that to daytime temperature under the actual trends in global warming.

Modulating the Enantiodiscrimination Features of Inherently Chiral Selectors by Molecular Design: A HPLC and Voltammetry Study Case with Atropisomeric 2,2'-Biindole-Based Monomers and Oligomer Films.

A family of inherently chiral electroactive selectors based on the 2,2'-biindole atropisomeric scaffold, of easy synthesis and modulable functional properties, is studied in cascade in two enantioselection contexts. They are at first investigated as probes in enantioselective HPLC, studying molecular structure and temperature effects, and achieving very efficient semipreparative enantioseparation. The enantiomers thus obtained, of remarkable chiroptical features (optical rotation as well as circular dichroism), are successfully applied as selectors in chiral voltammetry in different media for discrimination of the enantiomers of chiral electroactive probes, either by conversion into enantiopure electroactive electrode surfaces by electrooligomerization on glassy carbon substrate (the two monomers with shorter alkyl chains), or as chiral additive in achiral ionic liquid (the monomer with longest alkyl chains). Discrimination is conveniently and reproducibly achieved in terms of significant potential differences for the two enantiomers, specularly inverting either probe or selector configuration. In one case successful discrimination is also observed with the two probe enantiomers concurrently present, either as racemate or with enantiomeric excesses, neatly accounted for by the peak current ratios.

Electrochemical Organic Synthesis of Electron-Rich Biaryl Scaffolds: An Update.

Biaryl scaffolds are widely spread in biologically important natural products, in numerous therapeutic agents, but they are also considered a privileged class of ligands and (organo)catalysts; therefore, the development of efficient alternative methodologies to prepare such compounds is always attracting much attention. The present review discusses the organic electrosynthesis of biaryls starting from phenols, anilines, naphthols, and naphthylamines. The most significant examples of the works reported in the last decade are presented and classified according to the single class of molecules: after the introduction, the first three sections relate to the reactions of phenols, naphthols, and anilines, respectively; the other two sections refer to cross-coupling and miscellaneous reactions.

Wood anatomical traits in black spruce reveal latent water constraints on the boreal forest.

The effects of climate change on high-latitude forest ecosystems are complex, making forecasts of future scenarios uncertain. The predicted lengthening of the growing season under warming conditions is expected to increase tree growth rates. However, there is evidence of an increasing sensitivity of the boreal forest to drought stress. To assess the influence of temperature and precipitation on the growth of black spruce (Picea mariana), we investigated long-term series of wood anatomical traits on 20 trees from four sites along 600 km, the latitudinal range of the closed boreal forest in Quebec, Canada. We correlated the anatomical traits resolved at intraring level with daily temperature, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and precipitation during the 1943-2010 period. Tree-ring width, number of cells per ring and cell wall thickness were positively affected by spring and summer daily mean and maximum temperature at the northern sites. These results agree with the well-known positive effect of high temperatures on tree ring formation at high latitudes. However, we captured, for the first time in this region, the latent impact of water availability on xylem traits. Indeed, in all the four sites, cell lumen area showed positive correlations with daily precipitation (mostly at low latitude), and/or negative correlations with daily mean and maximum temperature and VPD (mostly at high latitude). We inferred that drought, due to high temperatures, low precipitations, or both, negatively affects cell enlargement across the closed boreal forest, including the northernmost sites. The production of tracheids with narrower lumen, potentially more resistant to cavitation, could increase xylem hydraulic safety under a warmer and drier climate. However, this would result in lower xylem conductivity, with consequent long-term hydraulic deterioration, growth decline, and possibly lead to tree dieback, as observed in other forest ecosystems at lower latitudes.