The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influences climate and weather over much of the globe, so uncertainties in its response to external forcing 1 hinder long-range climate predictability. Modeling studies have argued that such forcings may affect ENSO either via the seasonal cycle [2][3][4][5][6] or extratropical influences [7][8][9] , but this link is poorly constrained by the short instrumental record. Here we synthesize a pan-Pacific network of high-resolution marine biocarbonates spanning discrete snapshots of the Holocene (past ∼ 10,000 years), which we use to constrain a set of global climate model (GCM) simulations via a forward model 10 and a consistent treatment of uncertainty. Observations suggest important reductions in ENSO variability throughout the interval, most consistently during 3-5 kyBP, when ∼2/3 reductions are inferred. The magnitude and timing of these ENSO variance reductions bear little resemblance to those simulated by GCMs, or to equatorial insolation. The central Pacific witnessed a notable mid-Holocene increase in seasonality, at odds with the reductions 11 simulated by GCMs. Finally, while GCM aggregate behavior is consistent with an inverse relationship between seasonal amplitude and ENSO-band variance in sea-surface temperature 3,6,12, 13 , this relationship is not borne out by these observations. The synthesis suggests that tropical Pacific climate is highly variable, but exhibited millennia-long periods of reduced ENSO variability whose origins, whether forced or unforced, are a crucial issue for model development and long-term climate prediction.2 ENSO, the non-linear interaction between the tropical Pacific atmosphere and ocean, is the leading pattern of global interannual variability, with important physical, ecological, and human impacts. Yet, predicting its long-term behavior in the face of continued greenhouse forcing has proven elusive 1 . While the predictive skill of climate models at interannual timescales can be tested using instrumental observations, such records are too short to evaluate the fidelity of modelsimulated tropical Pacific variability on decadal-to centennial-timescales, i.e. those relevant for future climate projections. This motivates the use of paleoclimate observations, which cover a much longer time span and predate the observations used to develop and tune climate models, hence providing an out-of-sample test of their predictive ability 14 .The mid-Holocene (MH, ca 6,000 yrs before present; 6 kyBP) represents a key target for evaluating the simulated response of ENSO to changes in external forcing. While ice volume and greenhouse gas concentrations were essentially similar to today, the latitudinal and seasonal distribution of incoming solar radiation (insolation) was markedly different as a result of precession 15 : seasonal contrast was amplified in the northern hemisphere and reduced in the southern hemisphere. Thus, the mid-Holocene provides an opportunity to explore the link between changes in the seasonal cycle, meridional asymmetry in th...

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Background Several coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines have already been authorized and distributed in different countries all over the world, including Bangladesh. Understanding public acceptance of such a novel vaccine is vital, but little is known about the topic. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the determinants of intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and willingness to pay (WTP) among people in Bangladesh. Methods An anonymous and online-based survey of Bangladeshi people (mean age = 29.96 ± 9.15 years; age range = 18–60 years) was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire consisting of socio-demographics, COVID-19 experience, and vaccination-related information as well as the health belief model (HBM). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intent and WTP. Results Of the 894 participants, 38.5% reported a definite intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, whereas 27% had a probable intention, and among this intent group, 42.8% wanted to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Older age, feeling optimistic about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination, believing that vaccination decreases worries and risk of COVID-19 infection, and being less concerned about side effects and safety of COVID-19 vaccination under the HBM construct were found to be significant factors in COVID-19 vaccination intention. Most of the participants (72.9%) were willing to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine, with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) amount of BDT 400/US$ 4.72 (IQR; BDT 200–600/US$ 2.36–7.07) per dose. Factors associated with higher WTP were younger age, being male, having higher education, residing in an urban area, having good self-rated health status, positivity towards COVID-19 vaccination's effectiveness, and being worried about the likelihood of getting infected with COVID-19. Participants who were COVID-19 vaccination intent preferred an imported vaccine over a domestically-made vaccine (22.9% vs. 14.8%), while 28.2% preferred a routine immunization schedule. Conclusion The findings indicate a considerable proportion of Bangladeshi people intended to get vaccinated and had WTP for the COVID-19 vaccine. However, urgent education and awareness programs are warranted to alleviate public skepticism regarding the COVID-19 vaccination.

We present 12 seasonally resolved δ 18 O profiles of giant clams (Tridacna sp.) from the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, spanning discrete periods of time (9-38 years) over the past 60 ka. The interannual anomaly time series of these shells are used to reconstruct interannual variability which can predominantly be attributed in the modern climate to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in this region. We have found a significant reduction in interannual δ 18 O variance during the early Holocene, whereas during Marine Isotope Stage 3 there were at least some periods with variance not significantly different to the twentieth century. We show that ENSO variability seen during the late twentieth century is rare but not unprecedented within glacial climates.

Post-COVID syndrome can be defined as symptoms of COVID-19 that persist for longer than 12 weeks, with several studies reporting persistent symptoms relating to the sensory organs (eyes, ears, and nose). The aim of this systematic review was to examine the prevalence of persistent anosmia, hyposmia, ageusia, and hypogeusia, as well as eye/vision and ear/hearing related long-COVID symptoms. Authors searched the electronic databases from inception to November 2021. Search terms included words related to long-COVID, smell, taste, eyes/vision, and ears/hearing, with all observational study designs being included. A random effects meta-analysis was undertaken, calculating the prevalence proportions of anosmia, hyposmia, ageusia, and hypogeusia, respectively. From the initial pool, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria (total n 4,707; median n per study 125; median age = 49.8; median percentage female = 59.2%) and 14 were included in the meta-analysis The prevalence of anosmia was 12.2% (95% CI 7.7–16.6%), hyposmia 29.9% (95% CI 19.9–40%), ageusia 11.7% (95% CI 6.1–17.3%), and hypogeusia 31.2% (95% 16.4–46.1%). Several eye/vision and ear/hearing symptoms were also reported. Considering that changes in the sensory organs are associated with decreases in quality of life, future research should examine the etiology behind the persistent symptoms.Systematic review registration[www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero], identifier [CRD42021292804].