Neuropsychological Assessment of Learning and Memory in Rats Following Ketamine Exposure during Late Adolescence

With the prevalent issue of drug abuse in society, research regarding the effects of ketamine, a drug frequently abused by youth in club settings, has increased. Despite its potential for misuse, ketamine has demonstrated potential as a fast-acting antidepressant and seems to work well for relieving treatment-resistant depression. However, previous research has shown ketamine use may cause impairments in frontal and medial temporal lobe functioning, leading to problems with memory. While under the influence of ketamine, individuals also display problems with spatial working memory when compared to individuals not dosed with ketamine. The majority of previous research has examined the short-term impact of ketamine use with studies on neurodevelopment largely confined to postnatal exposure. In the present study, the long-term effects on memory caused by repeated ketamine exposure during late adolescence were examined. Rats were used as nonhuman models in order to investigate the cognitive risks resulting from chronic use of ketamine. The results indicated that low-ketamine dosed rats demonstrated significantly better spatial memory recall compared to high-ketamine dosed rats. In addition, high-ketamine dosed rats appeared to struggle more with working memory than the rats in the low-ketamine and control groups. Similarly, both drug groups showed significantly more working memory and reference memory errors than the control group. This indicates that higher doses of ketamine during late adolescence may cause working and spatial memory impairments later in life.

Phase transitions between tropical,subtropical,and extratropical cyclones:A review from IWTC-10

This review,which was adapted from a Tenth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones(IWTC-10)report,discusses research findings and operational practices relevant to cyclone types and phase transitions(extratropical,subtropical,and tropical).The cyclone phase space(CPS)method is widely used in both historical investigations and real-time evaluation of cyclone type and transition;however,CPS parameter values depend on input data resolution,and universal thresholds do not currently exist to delineate when a cyclone transitions from one type to another.Assessments of phase transitions in a changing climate highlight potential latitude shifts in extratropical transition and increased potential for tropical transition,but realistic projections of future trends likely require high-resolution simulations that can capture the cyclone warm core.Operational meteorological centers apply varied approaches to cyclone classification via CPS parameters and other criteria,some of which depend on the tropical basin,yet these approaches cannot fully address challenges in operational classification and subsequently in communicating risks associated with these phase transitions.We recommend a multivariate historical assessment of tropical and subtropical cyclones across all basins in which they occur,including the South Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea,to identify the potential for a more universal cyclone classification approach that meets operational needs.

The world meteorological organization Tenth International Workshop on tropical cyclones(IWTC-10):A summary

The Tenth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones(IWTC-10)occurred from 5 to 9 December 2022 in Bali,Indonesia.This workshop continued the goal of the original IWTC,held in 1985 in Bangkok,Thailand,to bring together forecasters and researchers from countries around the world that are impacted by tropical cyclones(TCs)to discuss the latest research and forecast advances and share best practices to improve TC forecasts globally.The workshops have continued as a regular feature of WMO efforts to encourage the advancement of TC forecasting and improve ways of communicating TC hazards to the general public.Global TC forecasting efforts in the past 10–15 years have emphasized hazards and impacts of landfalling TCs beyond just track and intensity.Additionally,there has been a growing interest in improving the communication of these hazards and impacts,using concepts from social and behavioral sciences,in ways that can lead to effective decision-making from stakeholders(e.g.,government officials,emergency managers,media,general public).As such,the theme for IWTC-10 was“Improved TC science and services for better decision-making.”More about this theme,how the workshop was structured around it,and key outcomes from the workshop are discussed in this summary article.©2023 The Shanghai Typhoon Institute of China Meteorological Administration.Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.on behalf of KeAi Communication Co.Ltd.This is an open access article under the CC BY license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

RECENT ADVANCES IN RESEARCH AND FORECASTING OF TROPICAL CYCLONE TRACK, INTENSITY, AND STRUCTURE AT LANDFALL

This review prepared for the fourth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclone Landfall Processes(IWTCLP-4) summarizes the most recent(2015-2017) theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of tropical cyclone(TC) track, intensity, and structure rapid changes at or near landfall. Although the focus of IWTCLPIV was on landfall, this summary necessarily embraces the characteristics of storms during their course over the ocean prior to and leading up to landfall. In the past few years, extremely valuable observational datasets have been collected for TC forecasting guidance and research studies using both aircraft reconnaissance and new geostationary or low-earth orbiting satellites at high temporal and spatial resolution. Track deflections for systems near complex topography such as that of Taiwan and La Réunion have been further investigated, and advanced numerical models with high spatial resolution necessary to predict the interaction of the TC circulation with steep island topography have been developed. An analog technique has been designed to meet the need for longer range landfall intensity forecast guidance that will provide more time for emergency preparedness. Probabilistic track and intensity forecasts have also been developed to better communicate on forecast uncertainty. Operational practices of several TC forecast centers are described herein and some challenges regarding forecasts and warnings for TCs making landfall are identified. This review concludes with insights from both researchers and forecasters regarding future directions to improve predictions of TC track, intensity, and structure at landfall.