Another Year of Record Heat for the Oceans.

Changes in ocean heat content (OHC), salinity, and stratification provide critical indicators for changes in Earth's energy and water cycles. These cycles have been profoundly altered due to the emission of greenhouse gasses and other anthropogenic substances by human activities, driving pervasive changes in Earth's climate system. In 2022, the world's oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum. According to IAP/CAS data, the 0-2000 m OHC in 2022 exceeded that of 2021 by 10.9 ± 8.3 ZJ (1 Zetta Joules = 1021 Joules); and according to NCEI/NOAA data, by 9.1 ± 8.7 ZJ. Among seven regions, four basins (the North Pacific, North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and southern oceans) recorded their highest OHC since the 1950s. The salinity-contrast index, a quantification of the "salty gets saltier-fresh gets fresher" pattern, also reached its highest level on record in 2022, implying continued amplification of the global hydrological cycle. Regional OHC and salinity changes in 2022 were dominated by a strong La Niña event. Global upper-ocean stratification continued its increasing trend and was among the top seven in 2022.

Recent ENSO evolution and its real-time prediction challenges.

The frequent occurrences of the second-year surface cooling condition in the eastern equatorial Pacific, as observed in late 2021, are attributed to decadal changes in the thermocline depth, which determine the relative dominances of local cooling effect in the east and subsurface warming effect remotely from the west. Coupled models need to adequately represent these processes in a balanced way, thus being able to successfully predict the observed sea surface temperature evolution in late 2021.

[Evaluate the Efficacy of Electroacupuncture Therapy on Abdominal Fat in Obese Women by Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) therapy on abdominal fat in obese women by using magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). METHODS: Thirty abdominal obesity women patients were randomly divided into control group (n=15) and EA group (n=15). The obesity patients of the control group did not receive any treatment for weight reduction, and those of the EA group were treated by EA stimulation of bilateral Neiting (ST 44), Fenglong (ST 40), Zusanli (ST 36), Huaroumen (ST 24), Tianshu (ST 25), Wailing (ST 26), Shuidao (ST 28), Fujie (SP 14), Daheng (SP 13), etc. for 25 min, once every other day, 3 times per week for 3 months. The patient's body weight, height, waist circumference (WC) were mea-sured with different devices, and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and the subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness at the inferior edges of L4, L5 and S3 and the superior edge of the pubic symphysis and the total abdominal fat volume between the L4 and S3 levels were detected using MRI systems before and after the treatment. RESULTS: The effects of the EA group were significantly superior to those of the control group in lowering difference values (between pre- and post-treatment) of BMI, WC and subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness at the levels of the inferior edges of L4, L5, S3 and the superior edge of the pubic symphysis(all P<0.01)and in reducing total abdominal fat volume between L4 and S3 (all P<0.01). After the treatment, the subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness at the superior edge of the pubic symphysis (P<0.01) and the total abdominal fat volume between L4 and S3 (P<0.05) were significantly decreased in the EA group compared to pre-treatment. There were no significant differences between post- and pre-treatment in BMI, WC, subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness at the levels of the L4, L5 and S3 in both EA and control groups and in the subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness at the level of the superior edge of the pubic symphysis and the total abdominal fat volume between L4 and S3 in the control group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EA intervention can effectively reduce abdominal fat in obese women based on the evaluation of MRI.

ENSO Modulations due to Interannual Variability of Freshwater Forcing and Ocean Biology-induced Heating in the Tropical Pacific.

Recent studies have identified clear climate feedbacks associated with interannual variations in freshwater forcing (FWF) and ocean biology-induced heating (OBH) in the tropical Pacific. The interrelationships among the related anomaly fields are analyzed using hybrid coupled model (HCM) simulations to illustrate their combined roles in modulating the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The HCM-based supporting experiments are performed to isolate the related feedbacks, with interannually varying FWF and OBH being represented individually or collectively, which allows their effects to be examined in a clear way. It is demonstrated that the interannual freshwater forcing enhances ENSO variability and slightly prolongs the simulated ENSO period, while the interannual OBH reduces ENSO variability and slightly shortens the ENSO period, with their feedback effects tending to counteract each other.