An assessment of the environmental impact and economic viability of a UK based Scallop Farm

The UK scallop capture fishery’s use of dredging is, at times, both environmentally damaging and economically unsustainable. With demand for seafood continuing to rise, scallop farming may be able to offer an alternative source of supply that addresses increasing consumer concerns over sustainable food production and traceability. This study is based the research conducted on the UK’s first fully integrated scallop farm and hatchery in Torbay Devon. The research focuses on two separate aspects of the scallop farm: its ecological impact on the epibenthic and pelagic organisms at the site and surrounding areas and an assessment of the economic viability of the farm. The ecological impact survey monitored species richness, abundance and assemblage composition of sessile sedentary and mobile epifauna over a 3-year period both at the farm and in two control sites adhering to a Before After Control Impact (BACI) design. Data was collected from underwater video footage at each site for statistical analysis. The results confirm that after 3 years species richness and abundance were significantly higher under the scallop farm’s nets and changes in assemblage composition were observed. The economic viability research was based on the creation of a bioeconomic model that incorporated all the capital and operation costs for the set up and running of the scallop farm and extrapolated these into a 10-year plan. The critical success factors of price and survival rates were modelled using a Monte Carlo simulation. The model showed that hypothetical survival rates of between 20-30% combined with a price per scallop of between £1-£1.50 gives a return on investment above an assumed hurdle rate of 8%. Finally, the study explores the opportunity scallop farming has to become a potential disruptor of the existing scallop fishery. It considers the potential role of the scallop farm in fulfilling the criteria of “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs) and its importance as form of sustainable development through the “triple bottom line” (benefits of economic viability, environmental sustainability and positive social outcomes

A preliminary integrated-taxonomic review of a staphylinid genus (Anotylus Thomson 1859) of the Ãrea de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Taxonomy underpins biological research, names are needed for comparative analysis, conservation status, and even public communication. Yet many species remain undescribed and are therefore vulnerable and unprotected. Whilst the true number of species is unknown, the underrepresented taxonomic groups and geographical regions are, with Neotropical Staphylinidae being amongst the most poorly represented. Barcoding initiatives highlight taxa in need of revision and act as effective estimators of biodiversity using Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) as prospective species. This study acts as a preliminary review of a Staphylinid genus (the Anotylus) in Costa Rica as they have not been revised using modern taxonomy. Here using an integrative taxonomic framework utilising simple morphometric characters and the COI gene, I identified five distinct Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs). With only two species of Anotylus formally identified in Costa Rica this presents a significant increase in the believed biodiversity of the genus within the region. This will ultimately only increase as more comprehensive characteristics are used that facilitate formal species’ descriptions, likely further subdividing the ESU’s into putative species. These subdivisions may already be evidenced by a BIN within this study that possessed distinct morphological variation with genetic support. Despite being unable to differentiate individuals to a species level, there is still an increase to the previously believed biodiversity of Costa Rican Anotylus. Here barcoding demonstrates its effectiveness as a simple biodiversity estimator whilst also displaying its use as a primer for integrative taxonomic studies using BINs as species hypotheses. The easy identification of taxa for review may help mitigate the taxonomic impediment and usher in a wave of rapid species’ descriptions, especially in historically overlooked taxa like the Staphylinidae. This in turn better informs conservation management strategies and our understanding of biological processes

A global meta-analysis of ecological effects from offshore marine artificial structures

Marine artificial structures (MAS), including oil and gas installations (O&G) and offshore wind farms (OWFs), have a finite operational period. Selecting the most suitable decommissioning options when reaching end-of-life remains a challenge, in part because their effects are still largely undetermined. Whether decommissioned structures could act (sensu ‘function’) as artificial reefs (ARs) and provide desired ecological benefits is of particular interest. Here we use a meta-analysis approach of 531 effect sizes from 109 articles to assess the ecological effects of MAS, comparing O&G and OWFs to shipwrecks and ARs, with a view to inform their decommissioning. This synthesis demonstrates that while MAS can bring ecological benefits, important idiosyncrasies exist, with differences emerging between MAS types, habitat types, taxa and ecological metrics. Notably, we find limited conclusive evidence that O&G and OWFs would provide significant ecological benefits if decommissioned as ARs. We conclude that decommissioning options aimed at repurposing MAS into ARs may not provide the intended benefits

Perioperative oxygenation—what\u27s the stress?

Oxygen is the most used drug in anaesthesia. Despite such widespread use, optimal perioperative oxygen administration remains highly controversial because of concerns about the competing harms of both hyperoxia and hypoxia. Notwithstanding a Cochrane review concluding that routinely administering a fractional inspired oxygen concentration (FiO2) \u3e0.6 intraoperatively might increase postoperative morbidity and mortality, the World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends all anaesthetised patients receive 0.8 FiO2 during and immediately after surgery to reduce surgical site infections. Results from the largest trial available at the time of these two reviews (suggesting long-term survival may be worse with high FiO2, particularly in patients with malignant disease) were considered ‘biologically implausible’ by the WHO\u27s Guideline Development Group. In addition, the integrity of some perioperative oxygen studies has been challenged. Resolving these controversies is of fundamental importance to all perioperative clinicians. This narrative review is based on the inaugural BJA William Mapleson lecture delivered by the senior author (AC) at the 2023 annual meeting of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in Birmingham. We present the current evidence for perioperative oxygen administration and contrast this with how oxygen therapy is targeted in other specialties (e.g. intensive care medicine). We will explore whether anaesthetists follow the WHO recommendations and consider how oxygen administration affects the stress response to surgery. We reason that novel clinical trial designs in combination with targeted experimental medicine studies will be required to improve our understanding of how best to optimise individualised perioperative oxygenation—a cornerstone of anaesthesia

I am here - the collective experience, impacts and sense-making from a shared Summer School experience

This paper aims to offer a practice-inspired contribution to reflect on the role of extracurricular activities in the journey of academics, in particular PhD students, by describing and analysing a particular lived experience at the European Educational Research Summer School. Held at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Porto, Portugal, it focused on “Participatory Approaches in Educational Research”. Being a group of two tutors and six doctoral students, we depict some of the impacts the week had on all participants while sharing and reflecting on the potential of participatory research and processes in both individual projects and collective experience. The group mobilised arts-based research methodologies to start a reflexive dialogue about the transitioning process from doctoral student to becoming a researcher. Inspired by Photovoice (Wang & Burris, 1997) and Image Theatre (Boal, 2002), attending to the multiplicity of our collective visions, voices, and experiences, we endeavoured to foster a safe and creative space for collaboration where thoughts and feelings could be collectively experienced and reflected upon. The use of arts-based research, the rapid growth of trust within the group, and the agency that was felt andtaken up by the participants were the main themes identified in our analysis, which were at the heart of the unexpected way the week unfolded

Physical Activity Patterns Within Dementia Care Dyads

Previous research has explored the physical activity habits of people with dementia and their family carers separately, with little consideration of how physical habits are associated within dyads. In this observational study, we sought to explore the relationship between people with dementia and their carers\u27 physical activity, at a group level and at a dyadic level. Twenty-six participant dyads (persons with dementia and their carer spouses) were asked to wear an accelerometer for 30 days continuously. Comparisons were made at a group level and a dyadic level. People with dementia did not participate in significantly more moderate to vigorous physical activity (M = 15.44 min/day; SD = 14.40) compared with carers (M = 17.95 min/day; SD = 17.01). Within dyads, there were moderately strong associations between daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (r = .48-.54), but not with overall activity levels (r = .24). Despite physical activity habits remaining relatively low within people with dementia and carers, respectively, moderate to vigorous physical activity levels appear to be correlated within dyads. Understanding mutual influence on physical activity levels within dyads is an important pathway to promote an active lifestyle

Transient aseismic vertical deformation across the steeply-dipping Pisia-Skinos normal fault (Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

Geodetically-derived deformation rates are sometimes used to infer seismic hazard, implicitly assuming that short-term (annual-decadal) deformation is representative of longer-term deformation. This is despite geological observations indicating that deformation/slip rates are variable over a range of timescales. Using geodetic data from 2016-2021, we observe an up to 7-fold increase in vertical deformation rate in mid-2019 across the Pisia-Skinos normal fault in Greece. We hypothesise that this deformation is aseismic as there is no temporally correlated increase in the earthquake activity (M\u3e1). We explore four possible physical mechanisms, and our preferred hypothesis is that the transient deformation is caused by centimetre-scale slip in the upper 5km of the Pisia fault zone. This is the first observation of shallow tectonic (i.e. not related to human activities) aseismic deformation on a normal fault globally. Our results suggest that continental normal faults can exhibit variable deformation over shorter timescales than previously observed, and thus care should be taken when utilising geodetic rates to quantify seismic hazard

Incidence of diabetes after SARS-CoV-2 infection in England and the implications of COVID-19 vaccination: a retrospective cohort study of 16 million people

Background: Some studies have shown that the incidence of type 2 diabetes increases after a diagnosis of COVID-19, although the evidence is not conclusive. However, the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine on this association, or the effect on other diabetes subtypes, are not clear. We aimed to investigate the association between COVID-19 and incidence of type 2, type 1, gestational and non-specific diabetes, and the effect of COVID- 19 vaccination, up to 52 weeks after diagnosis. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated the diagnoses of incident diabetes following COVID-19 diagnosis in England in a pre-vaccination, vaccinated, and unvaccinated cohort using linked electronic health records. People alive and aged between 18 years and 110 years, registered with a general practitioner for at least 6 months before baseline, and with available data for sex, region, and area deprivation were included. Those with a previous COVID-19 diagnosis were excluded. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) comparing diabetes incidence after COVID-19 diagnosis with diabetes incidence before or in the absence of COVID-19 up to 102 weeks after diagnosis. Results were stratified by COVID-19 severity (categorised as hospitalised or non-hospitalised) and diabetes type. Findings: 16 669 943 people were included in the pre-vaccination cohort (Jan 1, 2020–Dec 14, 2021), 12 279 669 in the vaccinated cohort, and 3 076 953 in the unvaccinated cohort (both June 1–Dec 14, 2021). In the pre-vaccination cohort, aHRs for the incidence of type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 (compared with before or in the absence of diagnosis) declined from 4·30 (95% CI 4·06–4·55) in weeks 1–4 to 1·24 (1·14–1.35) in weeks 53–102. aHRs were higher in unvaccinated people (8·76 [7·49–10·25]) than in vaccinated people (1·66 [1·50–1·84]) in weeks 1–4 and in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 (pre-vaccination cohort 28·3 [26·2–30·5]) in weeks 1–4 declining to 2·04 [1·72–2·42] in weeks 53–102) than in those who were not hospitalised (1·95 [1·78–2·13] in weeks 1–4 declining to 1·11 [1·01–1·22] in weeks 53–102). Type 2 diabetes persisted for 4 months after COVID-19 in around 60% of those diagnosed. Patterns were similar for type 1 diabetes, although excess incidence did not persist beyond 1 year after a COVID-19 diagnosis. Interpretation: Elevated incidence of type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 is greater, and persists for longer, in people who were hospitalised with COVID-19 than in those who were not, and is markedly less apparent in people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Testing for type 2 diabetes after severe COVID-19 and the promotion of vaccination are important tools in addressing this public health problem. Funding: UK National Institute for Health and Care Research, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Medical Research Council, UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Health Data Research UK, Diabetes UK, British Heart Foundation, and the Stroke Association

Meeting reports

Learning is productive when people with acommon interest come together. The second2-day training event to discuss EducationalResearch in the Biosciences was a collaborationbetween the Biochemical Society and theAnatomical Society. Twenty-five educators(from the UK, Ireland, and the USA) assembledto discuss how to design, evaluate, and publishnew research projects in bioscience education.The workshops were built around collaborativedesign through group discussions, whichprovided an environment to facilitate researchcollaborations and share knowledge onspecific topics of interest. Facilitators sharedtheir experiences and guided the attendees indeveloping their research ideas. The interactionsbetween facilitators and participants wereextremely productive, resulting in learning forboth groups

Evaluating the impact of a UK recovery college on mental well-being: pre- and post-intervention study

Background Recovery colleges provide personalised educational mental health support for people who self-refer. The research evidence supporting them is growing, with key components and the positive experiences of attendees reported. However, the quantitative outcome evidence and impact on economic outcomes is limited. Aims To evaluate the impact of attending a UK recovery college for students who receive a full educational intervention. Method This is a pre- and post-intervention study, with predominantly quantitative methods. Participants recruited over an 18-month period (01.2020-07.2021) completed self-reported well-being (Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS)) and recovery (Process of Recovery (QPR)) surveys, and provided details and evidence of employment and educational status. Descriptive statistics for baseline data and Shapiro-Wilk, Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-intervention scores, with Hedges\u27 g-statistic as a measure of effect size. Medical records were reviewed and a brief qualitative assessment of changes reported by students was conducted. Results Of 101 student research participants, 84 completed the intervention. Well-being (mean SWEMWBS scores 17.3 and 21.9; n = 80) and recovery (mean QPR scores 27.2 and 38.8; n = 75) improved significantly (P \u3c 0.001; Hedges\u27 g of 1.08 and 1.03). The number of economically inactive students reduced from 53 (69%) to 19 (24.4%). No research participants were referred for specialist mental health support while students. \u27Within-self\u27 and \u27practical\u27 changes were described by students following the intervention. Conclusions Findings detail the largest self-reported pre-post data-set for students attending a recovery college, and the first data detailing outcomes of remote delivery of a recovery college