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In 2015, the International Association of Geodesy defined the International Height Reference System (IHRS) as the conventional gravity field-related global height system. The IHRS is a geopotential reference system co-rotating with the Earth. Coordinates of points or objects close to or on the Earth’s surface are given by geopotential numbers C ( P ) referring to an equipotential surface defined by the conventional value W 0  = 62,636,853.4 m 2  s −2 , and geocentric Cartesian coordinates X referring to the International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS). Current efforts concentrate on an accurate, consistent, and well-defined realisation of the IHRS to provide an international standard for the precise determination of physical coordinates worldwide. Accordingly, this study focuses on the strategy for the realisation of the IHRS; i.e. the establishment of the International Height Reference Frame (IHRF). Four main aspects are considered: (1) methods for the determination of IHRF physical coordinates; (2) standards and conventions needed to ensure consistency between the definition and the realisation of the reference system; (3) criteria for the IHRF reference network design and station selection; and (4) operational infrastructure to guarantee a reliable and long-term sustainability of the IHRF. A highlight of this work is the evaluation of different approaches for the determination and accuracy assessment of IHRF coordinates based on the existing resources, namely (1) global gravity models of high resolution, (2) precise regional gravity field modelling, and (3) vertical datum unification of the local height systems into the IHRF. After a detailed discussion of the advantages, current limitations, and possibilities of improvement in the coordinate determination using these options, we define a strategy for the establishment of the IHRF including data requirements, a set of minimum standards/conventions for the determination of potential coordinates, a first IHRF reference network configuration, and a proposal to create a component of the International Gravity Field Service (IGFS) dedicated to the maintenance and servicing of the IHRS/IHRF.

Background:Reduction of adult height by sex steroid treatment was introduced decades ago in tall statured children, but controlled trials are lacking and treatment is controversial. In this study, we wanted to evaluate the phenotypic characteristics in girls referred due to tall stature and the effect of oral administration of 17β-estradiol on predicted adult height in girls.Methods:A single-centre retrospective observational study of 304 girls evaluated consecutively due to tall stature between 1993 and 2013. 207 patients diagnosed with constitutionally tall stature (CTS), 60 (29%) girls ended up being treated with 17β-estradiol with a duration of 1.7 y (1.2; 2.5) (median (25; 75 percentile)), and final height was available in 26 girls.Results:At baseline, 20% of girls with CTS had supranormal IGF-I, whereas reproductive hormones were within the normal range. Final adult height was reduced with 1.6 ± 2.1 cm in the girls treated with 17β-estradiol when compared to initial prediction. Chronological age, bone age, estradiol, and IGF-I at baseline or estrogen dose did not predict height reduction.Conclusions:Serum IGF-I was elevated tall statured children, but did not predict the effect of treatment with 17β-estradiol, which caused a modest reduction in final adult height.

We investigate why the North American Multi‐Model Ensemble (NMME) upper‐level height forecast for December–February (DJF) 2023/24 differs from the expected El Niño response. These atypical height anomalies emerged despite the fact a strong El Niño was forecast. The analysis focuses on diagnosing the NMME forecasts of DJF 2023/24 for SSTs and 200‐hPa heights initialized at the beginning of November 2023 relative to other ensemble mean NMME DJF forecasts dating back to 1982. The results demonstrate that forecasts of the 200‐hPa height anomalies had a large contribution from warming trends in global SSTs. It is the combination of trends and the expected El Niño teleconnection that results in the forecast height anomalies. Increasingly, for forecasts of geopotential height anomalies during the recent El Niño winters, the amplitude of trends is nearly equal to the signal from El Niño and has implications for the climatological base period selection for seasonal forecasts. Plain Language Summary Seasonal forecasts are cast as anomalies as users want to know what can be expected beyond the typical seasonal swings of the climate. This necessitates a choice for the climatological base period relative to which forecast anomalies are computed. It, however, poses a challenge under rapid climate change. In this scenario, climate trends become part of the real‐time forecast anomalies, and if the climatological base period is sufficiently different, may even start to dominate. This was the case for the NMME DJF 2023/24 forecast of 200‐hPa heights which was forecast to be a strong El Niño, and yet, forecast for 200‐hPa heights differed from typical El Niño signal. The analysis implies that seasonal forecasts for some variables, consideration of trends is important and reliance on expected signal from El Niño—Southern Oscillation alone may not be sufficient. Key Points The North American Multi‐Model Ensemble (NMME) seasonal forecasts for December–February (DJF) 2023/24 upper‐level height differ from the expected El Niño signal It is the combination of trends in heights and the expected El Niño signal that results in the forecast NMME ensemble mean heights anomalies The forecast of trends is increasingly important to account for NMME forecast anomaly and their amplitude in recent years can be of same magnitude as the signal from El Niño

A motivic height zeta function associated to a family of varieties parametrised by a curve is the generating series of the classes, in the Grothendieck ring of varieties, of moduli spaces of sections of this family with varying degrees. This text is devoted to the study of the motivic height zeta function associated to a family of varieties with generic fiber having the structure of an equivariant compactification of a vector group. Our main theorem describes the convergence of this motivic height zeta function with respect to a topology on the Grothendieck ring of varieties coming from the theory of weights in cohomology. We deduce from it the asymptotic behaviour, as the degree goes to infinity, of a positive proportion of the coefficients of the Hodge-Deligne polynomial of the above moduli spaces: in particular, we get an estimate for their dimension and the number of components of maximal dimension. The main tools for this are a notion of motivic Euler product for series with coefficients in the Grothendieck ring of varieties, an extension of Hrushovski and Kazhdan’s motivic Poisson summation formula, and a motivic measure on the Grothendieck ring of varieties with exponentials constructed using Denef and Loeser’s motivic vanishing cycles.

An analysis of 16 health-related quantitative traits in approximately 350,000 individuals reveals statistically significant associations between genome-wide homozygosity and four complex traits (height, lung function, cognitive ability and educational attainment); in each case increased homozygosity associates with a decreased trait value, but no evidence was seen of an influence on blood pressure, cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Parental relatedness link to height and intelligence This consortium meta-analysis of 102 cohorts and more than 350,000 individuals investigates the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity, ROH), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Focusing on 16 health-related quantitative traits, the authors find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in a second, general cognitive ability and educational attainment. In each case increased homozygosity associates with decreased trait value. No evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Homozygosity has long been associated with rare, often devastating, Mendelian disorders 1 , and Darwin was one of the first to recognize that inbreeding reduces evolutionary fitness 2 . However, the effect of the more distant parental relatedness that is common in modern human populations is less well understood. Genomic data now allow us to investigate the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Given the low levels of genome-wide homozygosity prevalent in most human populations, information is required on very large numbers of people to provide sufficient power 3 , 4 . Here we use runs of homozygosity to study 16 health-related quantitative traits in 354,224 individuals from 102 cohorts, and find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in one second, general cognitive ability and educational attainment ( P < 1 × 10 −300 , 2.1 × 10 −6 , 2.5 × 10 −10 and 1.8 × 10 −10 , respectively). In each case, increased homozygosity was associated with decreased trait value, equivalent to the offspring of first cousins being 1.2 cm shorter and having 10 months’ less education. Similar effect sizes were found across four continental groups and populations with different degrees of genome-wide homozygosity, providing evidence that homozygosity, rather than confounding, directly contributes to phenotypic variance. Contrary to earlier reports in substantially smaller samples 5 , 6 , no evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Since directional dominance is predicted for traits under directional evolutionary selection 7 , this study provides evidence that increased stature and cognitive function have been positively selected in human evolution, whereas many important risk factors for late-onset complex diseases may not have been.

The summer drought of 2015 affected a large portion of continental Europe and was one of the most severe droughts in the region since summer 2003. The summer of 2015 was characterized by exceptionally high temperatures in many parts of central and eastern Europe, with daily maximum temperatures 2 °C higher than the seasonal mean (1971–2000) over most of western Europe, and more than 3 °C higher in the east. It was the hottest and climatologically driest summer over the 1950–2015 study period for an area stretching from the eastern Czech Republic to Ukraine. For Europe, as a whole, it is among the six hottest and driest summers since 1950. High evapotranspiration rates combined with a lack of precipitation affected soil moisture and vegetation and led to record low river flows in several major rivers, even beyond the drought-hit region. The 2015 drought developed rather rapidly over the Iberian Peninsula, France, southern Benelux and central Germany in May and reached peak intensity and spatial extent by August, affecting especially the eastern part of Europe. Over the summer period, there were four heat wave episodes, all associated with persistent blocking events. Upper-level atmospheric circulation over Europe was characterized by positive 500 hPa geopotential height anomalies flanked by a large negative anomaly to the north and west (i.e., over the central North Atlantic Ocean extending to northern Fennoscandia) and another center of positive geopotential height anomalies over Greenland and northern Canada. Simultaneously, the summer sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were characterized by large negative anomalies in the central North Atlantic Ocean and large positive anomalies in the Mediterranean basin. Composite analysis shows that the western Mediterranean SST is strongly related to the occurrence of dry and hot summers over the last 66 years (especially over the eastern part of Europe). The lagged relationship between the Mediterranean SST and summer drought conditions established in this study can provide valuable skill for the prediction of drought conditions over Europe on interannual to decadal timescales.

Aim: To test the extent to which the vertical structure of tropical forests is determined by environment, forest structure or biogeographical history. Location: Pan-tropical. Methods: Using height and diameter data from 20,497 trees in 112 non-contiguous plots, asymptotic maximum height (H AM ) and height—diameter relationships were computed with nonlinear mixed effects (NLME) models to: (1) test for environmental and structural causes of differences among plots, and (2) test if there were continental differences once environment and structure were accounted for; persistence of differences may imply the importance of biogeography for vertical forest structure. NLME analyses for floristic subsets of data (only/excluding Fabaceae and only/excluding Dipterocarpaceae individuals) were used to examine whether family-level patterns revealed biogeographical explanations of cross-continental differences. Results: H AM and allometry were significantly different amongst continents. H AM was greatest in Asian forests (58.3 ± 7.5 m, 95% CI), followed by forests in Africa (45.1 ± 2.6 m), America (35.8 ± 6.0 m) and Australia (35.0 ± 7.4 m), and height—diameter relationships varied similarly; for a given diameter, stems were tallest in Asia, followed by Africa, America and Australia. Precipitation seasonality, basal area, stem density, solar radiation and wood density each explained some variation in allometry and H AM yet continental differences persisted even after these were accounted for. Analyses using floristic subsets showed that significant continental differences in H AM and allometry persisted in all cases. Main conclusions: Tree allometry and maximum height are altered by environmental conditions, forest structure and wood density. Yet, even after accounting for these, tropical forest architecture varies significantly from continent to continent. The greater stature of tropical forests in Asia is not directly determined by the dominance of the family Dipterocarpaceae, as on average non-dipterocarps are equally tall. We hypothesise that dominant large-statured families create conditions in which only tall species can compete, thus perpetuating a forest dominated by tall individuals from diverse families.

Under the background of global warming, the Eurasian warming features evident spatial heterogeneity, and Northeast Asia (NEA) is one of the regions with the most significant summer warming. Based on reanalysis data and the CESM1.2.2 model, we investigated the possible impacts of spring Eurasian snowmelt on recent NEA summer warming and the relevant mechanisms. Results show that increased (decreased) spring snowmelt over eastern Europe to western Siberia (EEWS) is closely linked to NEA summer warming (cooling). Increased spring snowmelt can wet the soil, weakening surface sensible heating to the atmosphere and cooling the atmosphere. The persistent anomalous soil moisture and surface sensible heat induce geopotential height decrease over EEWS and strengthen the eastward-propagating wave train. Furthermore, positive geopotential height anomalies appear in downstream NEA in summer via the adjustment of the atmospheric circulation. Controlled by the anomalous high pressure system, the west part of NEA is affected by the southerly warm advection, while the east is affected by adiabatic warming induced by the dominant descending motion. Meanwhile, decreased cloud and increased incident solar radiation over NEA favor summer land surface warming. Model results suggest that CESM1.2.2 can basically reproduce the positive correlation between NEA summer land surface temperature and EEWS spring snowmelt. With the positive spring snowmelt forcing, the simulated positive soil moisture and negative sensible heat anomalies persist from spring to summer over EEWS. Consequently, negative geopotential height anomalies appear over the snowmelt region while positive anomalies occur around Lake Baikal, resulting in evident NEA land surface warming.

The Tibetan Plateau (TP; approximately 27.5–37.5° N, 75.5–105.5° E) is the highest and largest plateau on Earth with a mean elevation of over 4 km. This special geography causes strong surface solar ultraviolet radiation (UV), with potential risks to human and ecosystem health, which is mainly controlled by the local stratospheric ozone concentration. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the dominant mode of interannual variability on Earth, is characterised by the tropical Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) and sea level pressure change for the warm-phase El Niño and cold-phase La Niña events. Although some studies have suggested the existence of positive correlation between ENSO and the total column ozone (TCO) over the TP, the mechanism underlying this effect is not fully understood. Here we use the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) merged satellite dataset, the Stratospheric Water and OzOne Satellite Homogenized (SWOOSH) dataset and the TOMCAT three-dimensional (3D) offline chemical transport model forced by ERA5 meteorological reanalyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) over the period 1979–2021 to investigate the influence of ENSO on the TCO over the TP. We find that the El Niño (La Niña) events favour positive (negative) TCO anomalies over the TP from wintertime of its mature phase to springtime of its decaying phase. Through studying the ozone profile, we attribute the positive (negative) TCO anomalies mainly to the increased (decreased) ozone at the 200–70 hPa levels, i.e. in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) regions. Our results suggest that the El Niño events impact the TP TCO via the following potential processes: (1) a negative upper-level geopotential height anomaly associated with El Niño is responsible for a decrease in air column thickness; (2) the thickness decrease modulates reduced tropospheric temperature and thus favours a decrease in the tropopause height (TH); and (3) such a TH decrease tends to induce a change in the relative amounts of ozone-poor tropospheric and ozone-rich stratospheric air in the profile, which increases the partial column ozone in the UTLS and hence corresponds to the TP TCO increase. The La Niña events affect TP TCO in a manner resembling the El Niño events, except with anomalies of opposite sign. This work provides a systematic understanding of the influence of ENSO on ozone over the TP, which has implications for the interannual variability of ozone.

Abstract Disclosure: G.J. Kim: None. E.V. de Albuquerque Albuquerque: None. R.C. Rezende: None. L.D. Cellin: None. L.S. de Santana: None. A.M. Lerario: None. V. de Souza: None. R.D. Scalco: None. A.A. Jorge: Novo Nordisk. Background: Monogenic causes of syndromic tall stature result in a recognizable pattern of clinical characteristics that include dysmorphisms, malformations, and/or neurodevelopmental disorders. Thus far, few articles have been published regarding the diagnosis of syndromic tall stature by genetic testing. The purpose of this study was to use whole exome sequencing (WES) to evaluate a cohort of patients with syndromic tall stature, with the aim of describing genetic causes of and new candidate genes for tall stature. Methods: We included 37 patients referred to a single, tertiary academic center specialized in growth disorders for the evaluation of tall stature from January 2017 to February 2024. Patients included both novel cases and cases being reanalyzed. Trio analysis was performed for four patients, and WES was performed for only the index cases for the remaining patients. Variants were prioritized based on minor allele frequency, prediction to be loss-of-function, inheritance pattern compatibility, and prior reports. Copy number variations (CNVs) were further prioritized based on involved protein-coding genes displaying haploinsufficiency. If diagnosis of a known tall stature disorder could not be achieved, analysis for candidate genes was performed, taking into account the above criteria as well as GWAS catalog associations with height and weight phenotypes, DECIPHER catalog listings of overlapping CNVs, medical literature on our candidate genes, recurrence of rare variants with similar phenotypes, and animal models consistent with the proposed phenotype. Results: Of the 37 patients included in this study, genetic diagnosis was achieved in 11 patients, for a diagnostic yield of 29.7%. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified in FBN1 (3x), PTEN, NSD1, SUZ12, CDH8, and DEPDC5, with some of these results having been previously described in other papers. One patient carried significant variants in two genes, FBN2 and COL5A1. Furthermore, we identified two patients with pathogenic deletions confirmed by chromosomal microarray analysis. Through analysis of the gene content compromised by these deletions, description of other cases with overlapping CNVs, biological plausibility, and data from the literature, two candidate genes for tall stature were identified: PTCH1 and SST. Additionally, three genes (KDM4A, RAP1GAP2 and GRB10) were identified via WES based on gene constraints, recurrence in our cohort (KDM4A), biological plausibility, and additional cases in literature (GRB10). Conclusions: These findings indicate a diagnostic yield of syndromic tall stature by WES that is comparable to those found in studies of other syndromic growth disorders. We also present five new candidate genes for tall stature. Further work is required to continue characterizing the impact of these genes on adult height, as well as to describe novel candidate genes for height. Presentation: Saturday, July 12, 2025