Ecological countermeasures to prevent pathogen spillover and subsequent pandemics.

This is the final version. Available on open access from Nature Research via the DOI in this record. Substantial global attention is focused on how to reduce the risk of future pandemics. Reducing this risk requires investment in prevention, preparedness, and response. Although preparedness and response have received significant focus, prevention, especially the prevention of zoonotic spillover, remains largely absent from global conversations. This oversight is due in part to the lack of a clear definition of prevention and lack of guidance on how to achieve it. To address this gap, we elucidate the mechanisms linking environmental change and zoonotic spillover using spillover of viruses from bats as a case study. We identify ecological interventions that can disrupt these spillover mechanisms and propose policy frameworks for their implementation. Recognizing that pandemics originate in ecological systems, we advocate for integrating ecological approaches alongside biomedical approaches in a comprehensive and balanced pandemic prevention strategy.National Science FoundationDefense Advanced Research Projects AgencyNational Institutes of HealthNatural Environment Research Council (NERC)Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and ResponseMontpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute On Transition

More-than-food: Diplomats, practitioners, and animal feeding in the zoo. A historical and sociological investigation into the change over time of zoo feeding and nutrition.

In the 1930s chimpanzees at Edinburgh Zoo were allowed to smoke and drink alcohol, at Dublin Zoo the animals’ received drops of Guinness as part of the daily diet. As greater understanding of zoo animals has progressed and anthropomorphic ideals have subsided through conservation movements the zoo animals’ diet has changed significantly within the last 80 to 100 years. Arguably it has changed more in the last 40 years than at any other time in modern zoo history. How and why decisions and changes of the zoo animal diet have been enacted is not as clear as knowing that diets changed. Individual zoos, zoo associations, and government policy has impacted and affected zoo animal diets. Zoo feeding is acutely traditional and has focused historically on ensuring the animals life is maintained. However the move to conservation goals and aims of modern progressive zoos has seen a shift in thinking from maintaining captive animal lives to ensuring they flourish within their artificial captive environment. This thesis aims to provide a voice to those involved in feeding zoo animals. Analysis of historic scientific literature from the late 20th century through to interviews with global leaders in zoo nutrition, zoo veterinarians, and expert zookeepers, the thesis provides a voice to the science of zoo animal nutrition and the art of practical zoo feeding. It highlights the differences in practices of zoo professionals and how care of zoo animals is enacted within the zoo through feeding.Wellcome Trus

Lab on a Secchi disk: A prototype open‐source profiling package for low‐cost monitoring in aquatic environments

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordOwing to the high cost of commercial optical sensors, there is a need to develop low-cost optical sensing packages to expand monitoring of aquatic environments, particularly in under-resourced regions. Visual methods to monitor the optical properties of water, like the Secchi disk and Forel-Ule color scale, remain in use in the modern era owing to their simplicity, low-cost and long history of use. Yet, recent years have seen advances in low-cost, electronic-based optical sensing. Here, the designs of a miniaturized hand-held device (mini-Secchi disk) that measures the Secchi depth and Forel-Ule color are updated. We then extend the device by integrating a small electronic sensing package (Arduino-based) into the Secchi disk, for vertical profiling, combining historic and modern methods for monitoring the optical properties of water into a single, low-cost sensing device, that measures positioning (GPS), light spectra, temperature, and pressure. It is charged and transfers data wirelessly, is encased in epoxy resin, and can be used to derive vertical profiles of spectral light attenuation and temperature, in addition to Secchi depth and Forel-Ule color. We present data from a series of deployments of the package, compare its performance with commercially available instruments, and demonstrate its use for validation of satellite remotely sensed data. Our designs are made openly available to promote community-based development and have potential in communicating and teaching science, participatory science, and low-cost monitoring of aquatic environments.UK Research and InnovationGordon and Betty Moore Foundatio

Nonpharmacological interventions for psychotic symptoms in people with dementia

Abstract Background: Psychotic symptoms are common in people with dementia. They are associated with an increased burden of care and higher rates of institutionalisation. Pharmacological interventions lack sufficient efficacy and are associated with numerous deleterious side effects. The present thesis aims to build a rationale and an evidence base to enable the development of a non-pharmacological intervention specifically targeting psychotic symptoms in people with dementia, to provide an effective and safer alternative to current pharmacological treatments. Methods: Two empirical studies were conducted to determine whether psychotic symptoms in people with dementia are associated with reduced quality of life in community dwelling individuals and people living in nursing homes. A Delphi study, incorporating a detailed scoping review, was conducted to identify the best nonpharmacological intervention that could be readily adapted to target psychotic symptoms in people with dementia. Study 1: Impact of psychotic symptoms on living well in people with dementia living in the community This study aimed to investigate whether psychotic symptoms impact the ability of community-dwelling people with dementia to live well by assessing three outcome measures: quality of life (QoL), wellbeing and life satisfaction. The analysis was conducted on cross-sectional data from 1257 community-dwelling people with dementia and their caregivers, using data from the “Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL)” study cohort. This cohort consists mainly of individuals with mild dementia. The study examined differences on three validated measures of living well - Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease scale, World Health Organization-Five Well-being Index and Satisfaction with Life Scale – for people with dementia experiencing or not experiencing delusions and for people with dementia experiencing or not experiencing auditory hallucinations. Analysis of co-variance was used to determine the confounding contributions of cognition (assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination), depression (assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale-10), caregivers stress *assessed with the Relative Stress Scale) and antipsychotic usage. Delusions were not associated with more impaired QoL, reduced wellbeing or altered satisfaction with life. The presence of auditory hallucinations was however associated with lower scores for QoL [p<0.001, η2=0.013], wellbeing [p<0.001, η2=0.016] and satisfaction with life [p<0.001, η2=0.010]. After controlling for confounding factors, the relationship between auditory hallucinations and QoL [p=0.003, pη2= 0.011] and wellbeing [p <0.001, pη2= 0.018] remained significant, but there was no significant association with satisfaction with life. In summary, the presence of auditory hallucinations but not delusions were associated with lower QoL and wellbeing in people with dementia living in the community. The results help refine a treatment target for a non-pharmacological therapy for the treatment of a key psychotic symptom in people with dementia Study 2: Impact of psychotic symptoms and concurrent neuropsychiatric symptoms on QoL in people with dementia living in nursing homes This study aimed to investigate whether psychotic symptoms had an impact on QoL in people with dementia living in nursing homes. Cross-sectional data from971 people with dementia was obtained from the “Improving Well-being and Health for people with dementia (WHELD)” study, a cohort exclusively consisting of people with dementia living in nursing homes. Additionally, this chapter investigates the mediating impact of other concurrent neuropsychiatric symptoms QoL. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory - Nursing Home (NPI-NH) version was completed by informant interview. The study compared mean differences in proxy-rated QoL scores (DEMQOL-Proxy) for people with dementia experiencing or not experiencing delusions and for people with dementia experiencing or not experiencing hallucinations. Backward multiple regression was used to determine the added contributions of agitation (Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory), anxiety (NPI-NH-Anxiety), depression (Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia), dementia severity (Clinical Dementia Rating – sum of boxes score), pain (Abbey Pain Scale) and antipsychotic prescription. Mediation analysis was conducted for agitation, anxiety and depression. The presence of both delusions (p<0.001, B = -8.39) and hallucinations (p<0.00, B = -7.78) was associated with more impaired QoL. Both associations remained significant after controlling for other factors. Agitation, anxiety and depression partially mediated the relationship between each psychotic symptom and QoL. In summary, delusions and hallucinations in people with dementia are associated with more impaired QoL among people with dementia living in nursing homes. The effects remain significant after adjusting for confounding variables. Direct effects of each symptom-maintained significance, with further significant mediation from concurrent neuropsychiatric symptoms. Study 3: Adapting nonpharmacological interventions to manage psychotic symptoms in dementia: a Delphi study This study aimed to determine which nonpharmacological interventions could be best adapted to target psychotic symptoms in people with dementia. Nonpharmacological interventions are recommended as the first line option for treatment, however there is a paucity of evidence for any specific nonpharmacological interventions to primarily target psychotic symptoms. A modified Delphi process was used in the study to establish a consensus from a panel of experts, identify which interventions would most be suitable for adaption. Two rounds of feedback were conducted, and a directed scoping review was undertaken. The expert panel included 12 members with clinical and research expertise in managing psychotic symptoms in people with dementia The study was not able to reach consensus regarding which nonpharmacological treatment could be most readily adaptable to manage psychotic symptoms. However, there were three top nominated treatment options: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), family intervention, and environmental/sensory interventions. The suggestions focused strongly on assessing individual situations and triggers, with a further recommendation for a combination of nonpharmacological treatments to be used depending upon the specific needs of an individual with dementia experiencing psychotic symptoms. In summary, whilst consensus could not be reached, there were clear recommendations for three nonpharmacological options to be adapted and clear suggestion for a combination of options to be implemented depending on individual circumstances. General result summary: In people with dementia living in the community, auditory hallucination but not delusions were associated with reduced quality of life. In people with dementia living in nursing homes both delusions and hallucinations were associated with lower quality of life. The Delphi identified 3 therapeutic approaches for possible adaptation of the treatment of psychosis in people with Alzheimer’s disease: cognitive behavioural therapy, family intervention and environmental intervention. Conclusions and Implications: Psychotic symptom are associated with reduced quality of life for people with dementia dwelling in the community and or people with dementia living in nursing homes. The different environments and the different severity of dementia across these two settings has important implications with respect to the selection of the most appropriate psychological intervention and the types of adaptation that will need to be made. It is likely that the development of the interventions suggested by the Delphi will need to be undertaken in several different ways to ensure they are adapted to the needs of the different groups of individuals

Lessons for the Future of NAMs from History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science

This is the final version. Available on open access from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this recordThis paper explores what we can learn from the humanities and social sciences about how standards operate in and around science in order to understand more about how ‘the gold standard’ can be shifted away from the use of animals in research and testing to new approach methodologies (NAMs). These fields allow us to consider potential futures of NAMs as alternatives, replacements, or complements to animal testing and research. As we demonstrate, the questions that we pose and how they are framed are as important as the answers that result. Rather than asking how to ‘redefine the gold standard,’ norms and expectations for NAMs must be actively debated and transparently defined, based in part on what has been learned in the past from non-human animal models and systems, but also using norms within the fields from which the NAMs derive and in light of the rich broader contexts within which they are being developed. As we argue, notions such as ‘a gold standard’ are limited and must be replaced by contextualized standards that depend on the scientific, sociocultural, and other factors that contribute to our understan¬¬ding of a particular method (new or otherwise) as ‘good’ for a particular purpose.Australian Research Council (ARC)Wellcome Trus

Viscous dissipation and dynamics in simulations of rotating, stratified plane-layer convection (article)

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Oxford University Press via the DOI in this recorddata availability: The codes used to produce the simulations in this paper, and selected outputs from the simulations themselves, are available for download in ORE at https://doi.org/10.24378/exe.4945Convection in stars and planets must be maintained against viscous and Ohmic dissipation. Here, we present the first systematic investigation of viscous dissipation in simulations of rotating, density-stratified plane layers of convection. Our simulations consider an anelastic ideal gas, and employ the open-source code Dedalus. We demonstrate that when the convection is sufficiently vigorous, the integrated dissipative heating tends towards a value that is independent of viscosity or thermal diffusivity, but depends on the imposed luminosity and the stratification. We show that knowledge of the dissipation provides a bound on the magnitude of the kinetic energy flux in the convection zone. In our non-rotating cases with simple flow fields, much of the dissipation occurs near the highest possible temperatures, and the kinetic energy flux approaches this bound. In the rotating cases, although the total integrated dissipation is similar, it is much more uniformly distributed (and locally balanced by work against the stratification), with a consequently smaller kinetic energy flux. The heat transport in our rotating simulations is in good agreement with results previously obtained for 3D Boussinesq convection, and approaches the predictions of diffusion-free theory.Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)European Research Council (ERC

Supporting self-management for patients with Interstitial Lung Diseases: Utility and acceptability of digital devices

This is the final version. Available from Public Library of Science via the DOI in this record. Data Availability Statement: The fully de-identified research data supporting this publication are openly available as S1 Data and at 10.6084/m9.figshare.24569851INTRODUCTION: Patients diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD) use devices to self-monitor their health and well-being. Little is known about the range of devices, selection, frequency and terms of use and overall utility. We sought to quantify patients' usage and experiences with home digital devices, and further evaluate their perceived utility and barriers to adaptation. METHODS: A team of expert clinicians and patient partners interested in self-management approaches designed a 48-question cross-sectional electronic survey; specifically targeted at individuals diagnosed with ILD. The survey was critically appraised by the interdisciplinary self-management group at Royal Devon University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust during a 6-month validation process. The survey was open for participation between September 2021 and December 2022, and responses were collected anonymously. Data were analysed descriptively for quantitative aspects and through thematic analysis for qualitative input. RESULTS: 104 patients accessed the survey and 89/104 (86%) reported a diagnosis of lung fibrosis, including 46/89 (52%) idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with 57/89 (64%) of participants diagnosed >3 years and 59/89 (66%) female. 52/65(80%) were in the UK; 33/65 (51%) reported severe breathlessness medical research council MRC grade 3-4 and 32/65 (49%) disclosed co-morbid arthritis or joint problems. Of these, 18/83 (22%) used a hand- held spirometer, with only 6/17 (35%) advised on how to interpret the readings. Pulse oximetry devices were the most frequently used device by 35/71 (49%) and 20/64 (31%) measured their saturations more than once daily. 29/63 (46%) of respondents reported home-monitoring brought reassurance; of these, for 25/63 (40%) a feeling of control. 10/57 (18%) felt it had a negative effect, citing fluctuating readings as causing stress and 'paranoia'. The most likely help-seeking triggers were worsening breathlessness 53/65 (82%) and low oxygen saturation 43/65 (66%). Nurse specialists were the most frequent source of help 24/63 (38%). Conclusion: Patients can learn appropriate technical skills, yet perceptions of home-monitoring are variable; targeted assessment and tailored support is likely to be beneficial.Health Education Englan

Enhancing the mobility of small-scale robots via nonlinear structural springs exhibiting negative stiffness

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers via the DOI in this recordData accessibility: The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to the potential use for further publications, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable requestCompared to traditional robotic systems, small-scale robots, ranging from several millimetres to micrometres in size, are capable of reaching narrower and vulnerable regions with minimal damage. However, conventional small-scale robots' limited maneuverability and controlability hinder their ability to effectively navigate in the intricate environments, such as the gastrointestinal tract. Self-propelled capsule robots driven by vibrations and impacts emerge as a promising solution, holding the potentials to enhance diagnostic accuracy, enable targeted drug delivery, and alleviate patient discomfort during gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures. This paper builds upon our previous work on self-propelled capsule robots, exploring the potential of nonlinear connecting springs to enhance its propulsion capabilities. Leveraging a mathematical model for self-propelling robots with a von Mises truss spring, which is verified using a finite element model, we investigate the effects of negative stiffness and snap-back within the nonlinear structural spring on the robots' propelling speed. Our analysis reveals that the negative stiffness of the von Mises truss can significantly reduce the sensitivity of the propelling speed to excitation frequency. As a result, the capsule robot exhibits a remarkably wider operational band where it maintains a high average propelling speed, surpassing its linear counterpart. This work sheds light on the potential for developing customised nonlinear structural systems for diverse scenarios in small-scale robot applications, opening up new possibilities for enhanced functionality and maneuverability in various biomedical applications.National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaSichuan Science and Technology ProgramSichuan Science and Technology ProgramNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaZhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation in China.University of Exete

India synthesis report 2024

This is the final version. Available from SHEFS via the link in this recordThis report presents a food systems perspective on the production, distribution, and consumption of food in India. The report is a result of five years of research conducted under the Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems (SHEFS) programme. The SHEFS programme consists of a consortium of institutions in India, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, that conduct research on food systems, with the aim of providing policymakers and practitioners with current and novel evidence. This report presents five insights from SHEFS research, and five policy actions to address the social and environmental sustainability of food systems. The insights are oriented to answering two urgent questions that face policymakers, namely: 1 How to ensure equitable nutrition and health in the face of rapid urbanisation? 2 How to meet food demands in the face of climate change and limited land and water? Research under the SHEFS programme was conducted by various collaborating institutes across different sites in India, using different methodological approaches, from economics to ecology. The five insights include: i. socioeconomic inequality is limiting people’s access to healthy and nutritious foods; ii. urbanising lifestyles are changing people’s aspirations and choice of food to purchase and consume; iii. producing and consuming locally adapted crops, can improve farm sustainability and the health of farmers; iv. educating consumers on food footprints, safety, and wastage can curb negative impacts and inequity of food systems; and v. empowering localised food systems and sharing best practice across regions can accelerate innovation in food systems. Based on the research insights above, the current report recommends that: i. environmental sustainability is more explicitly and synergistically tied to policy objectives across all food policy areas: from agricultural production to nutritional health and social welfare; ii. nutrition awareness and education is mainstreamed to reduce food and nutritional inequalities across socioeconomic gradients and gender; iii. farmers are supported by extension services to develop capacity to produce food sustainably; iv. fiscal and market instruments are used to incentivise sustainable food production and reduce a reliance on unsustainable agricultural inputs; and v. land use policies are adapted to enable sustainable food production and protect livelihoods. Throughout this report ongoing policies and programmes have been highlighted that can channel these recommended actions to promote sustainable and healthy food systems in India

Synthesis of the land carbon fluxes of the Amazon region between 2010 and 2020

This is the final version. Available on open access from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordData availability: The spatial dataset of the main figures are available in a raster format and can be found at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10423522. The annual carbon fluxes from each model used in this research (disturbances, old-growth sink and net flux) for the Brazilian Amazon and whole Biogeographical Amazon are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8348434.Code availability: The code and tables used to reproduce the main paper graphics of Figs. 2a, b, 3a, b, 4a and 5a are available in Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8348435. Further editions to combine the layout of graphics and maps were made in a design software (InkScape).The Amazon is the largest continuous tropical forest in the world and plays a key role in the global carbon cycle. Human-induced disturbances and climate change have impacted the Amazon carbon balance. Here we conduct a comprehensive synthesis of existing state-of-the-art estimates of the contemporary land carbon fluxes in the Amazon using a set of bottom-up methods (i.e., dynamic vegetation models and bookkeeping models) and a top-down inversion (atmospheric inversion model) over the Brazilian Amazon and the whole Biogeographical Amazon domain. Over the whole biogeographical Amazon region bottom-up methodologies suggest a small average carbon sink over 2010-2020, in contrast to a small carbon source simulated by top-down inversion (2010-2018). However, these estimates are not significantly different from one another when accounting for their large individual uncertainties, highlighting remaining knowledge gaps, and the urgent need to reduce such uncertainties. Nevertheless, both methodologies agreed that the Brazilian Amazon has been a net carbon source during recent climate extremes and that the south-eastern Amazon was a net land carbon source over the whole study period (2010-2020). Overall, our results point to increasing human-induced disturbances (deforestation and forest degradation by wildfires) and reduction in the old-growth forest sink during drought.Newton FundRECCAP2 projectEuropean Union Horizon 2020UK National Centre for Earth ObservationState of Sao Paulo Science Foundation (FAPESP