Assessing the utility of geospatial technologies to investigate environmental change within lake systems

Over 50% of the world's population live within 3. km of rivers and lakes highlighting the on-going importance of freshwater resources to human health and societal well-being. Whilst covering c. 3.5% of the Earth's non-glaciated land mass, trends in the environmental quality of the world's standing waters (natural lakes and reservoirs) are poorly understood, at least in comparison with rivers, and so evaluation of their current condition and sensitivity to change are global priorities. Here it is argued that a geospatial approach harnessing existing global datasets, along with new generation remote sensing products, offers the basis to characterise trajectories of change in lake properties e.g., water quality, physical structure, hydrological regime and ecological behaviour. This approach furthermore provides the evidence base to understand the relative importance of climatic forcing and/or changing catchment processes, e.g. land cover and soil moisture data, which coupled with climate data provide the basis to model regional water balance and runoff estimates over time. Using examples derived primarily from the Danube Basin but also other parts of the World, we demonstrate the power of the approach and its utility to assess the sensitivity of lake systems to environmental change, and hence better manage these key resources in the future

Mercury (Hg) concentrations in predatory bird livers and eggs as an indicator of changing environmental concentrations: a Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme (PBMS) report

Concern over the potential health effects of mercury (Hg) has prompted an international agreement, the Minamata Convention on Mercury, that aims to control anthropogenic releases to the environment and reduce potential impacts on humans and wildlife. Monitoring is required to determine to what extent the convention is successful. The PBMS has monitored long-term trends in environmental Hg concentration using raptors and fish-eating birds as sentinels to track changes in exposure. Overall, PBMS monitoring of Hg in predatory birds provides an evidence base by which the impact of the Minamata Convention on environmental mercury concentrations in Britain can be assessed. The current study consisted of four main aims that would help rationalize and inform our long-term Hg monitoring. (i) Updating long-term data for liver Hg concentrations in sparrowhawks, (Accipiter nisus), a sentinel for exposure in lowland terrestrial habitats. (ii) Exploration of the use of alternative tissues for monitoring Hg in sparrowhawks. (iii) Comparison of trends in liver Hg residues in sparrowhawks and kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) to examine if trends in sparrowhawks, which feed on relatively mobile avian prey, reflect those in kestrels which mainly feed on small mammals that are more likely to reflect local contamination. (iv) Completion of work initiated last year to explore the potential for using Hg concentrations in the eggs of inland-feeding golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) as a sentinel to track changes in Hg bioavailability and uptake by biota in upland terrestrial systems. We measured liver Hg residues in sparrowhawks that had died in 2013 and 2014 to quantify current Hg exposure in lowland terrestrial habitats and to add to previously reported long-term data. Mercury residues in birds that died in 2013 and 2014 were largely consistent with those reported in recent previous years and were below those associated with mortalities. Three birds had residues higher than those associated with potential adverse effects on reproduction. Analysis of long-term data (1990-2014) indicated liver Hg residues in sparrowhawks vary with age and sex; concentrations are highest in adult males. Starvation also elevates liver Hg concentrations. Taking age and sex into account and using only data for non-starved birds, we investigated temporal trends and found that, although there has been between-year variation in liver Hg concentrations, there has been no consistent upward or downward trend. We used the long-term dataset to define “current baseline” liver Hg concentrations against which levels in future years, and consistent time trends, can be quantitatively and rapidly assessed. We found that total Hg concentrations in sparrowhawk liver, kidney and brain were closely related. We conclude it is possible to transfer our long-term monitoring of Hg in sparrowhawks (including retrospective calculation of “current baseline concentrations”) to analysis of kidney or brain. This would preserve [what are relatively small] sparrowhawk livers for other analyses. Comparison of historic trends in liver Hg in sparrowhawks and kestrels indicated that rates of decline during 1980-1998 were similar in the two species. This is consistent with the premise that sparrrowhawks are as likely as kestrels to be representative of changes in environmental exposure to (and associated bioaccumulation of) Hg in lowland terrestrial systems. The conclusion of our work on Hg concentrations in golden eagle eggs enabled us to quantify a “baseline concentration” for eggs laid by females feeding predominantly on terrestrial prey. We can use this to identify significant changes in future exposure and associated bioaccumulation and thereby use our measurements as sentinel of future change in Hg bioavailability in upland habitats in northern Britain

Use of Machine Learning for energy efficiency in present and future mobile networks

© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.Given the current evolution trends in mobile cellular networks, which is approaching us towards the future 5G paradigm, novel techniques for network management are in the agenda. Machine Learning techniques are useful for extracting knowledge out of raw data; knowledge that can be applied to improving the experience in the operation of such systems. This paper proposes the use of Machine Learning applied to energy efficiency, which is set to be one major challenge in future network deployments. By studying the cell-level traces collected in a real network, we can study traffic patterns and derive predictive models for different cell load metrics with the aid of different machine learning techniques. Such models are applied into a simulation environment designed to test different algorithms which, according to cell load predictions, dynamically switch on and off base stations with the aim of providing energy savings in a mobile cellular network.Postprint (author's final draft

Exploring the Information Base Needed for Sustainable Management of Rangeland Resources for Improved Livelihoods

Pastoralism is one of the most sustainable production systems worldwide and plays a major role in safeguarding ecosystem services and biodiversity in rangelands. The unique biological and cultural diversity of rangelands contributes to goods, services and knowledge that benefit humans also beyond the herding communities. Yet data currently available on grassland, forestry, agriculture and livestock are inadequate for informing policymaking on rangeland-based livestock systems. A review of global environmental assessments, online databases, peer-reviewed literature and international project documents showed that available information seldom disaggregates rangelands from other ecosystems or pastoralists from other rural dwellers. Few peer-reviewed publications address pastoral and rangeland issues combined. While some international projects present contextualised information on cases of pastoralism and rangelands, most do not share the data on their websites. A challenge encountered when seeking information is the inconsistency in defining pastoralists and rangelands. Estimates of the total number of pastoralists vary from 22 million to over half a billion; estimates of area covered by rangelands vary from 18% to 80% of the world’s land surface. The variation in definitions and lack of disaggregation of data lead to significant knowledge gaps on the condition and trends of pastoralism and rangelands. These therefore tend to be devalued. Underrating benefits of livestock mobility and inaccurate data on rangeland degradation could cause governments to blame and dismantle traditionally sustainable pastoral systems – in other words, ‘fix’ something that’s not broken. Without good data on pastoralists and rangelands, the impacts of current policies on these livelihoods and ecosystems cannot be assessed, and sustainable use and management of rangelands for improved livelihoods may be hindered. Improving the information base is high on the agenda of the initiative for an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists to increase global awareness of the importance of rangelands and pastoralists for livelihoods and healthy ecosystems

Process controls on the development of stratigraphic trap potential on the margins of confined turbidite systems and aids to reservoir evaluation

Stratigraphic trapping at pinch-out margins is a key feature of many turbidite-hosted hydrocarbon reservoirs. In systems confined by lateral or oblique frontal slopes, outcrop studies show that there is a continuum between two geometries of pinch-out configuration. In type A, turbidites thin onto the confining surface—although the final sandstone pinch-out is commonly abrupt—and individual beds tend not to erode into earlier deposits. In type B, turbidite sandstones commonly thicken toward the confining slope, and beds may incise into earlier deposits. These two types may occur in combination, to give a wide spectrum of pinch-out characteristics. Our analysis suggests the principal control in determining pinch-out character is flow magnitude, with smaller flows producing type A and larger flows producing type B. In areas of poor seismic control it can be difficult to assess either pinch-out character or the proximity of wells to confining slopes. Because estimates of paleoflow magnitude can be made from core or high-quality log image data, however, it is possible to make reasonable estimates of pinch-out character even from wells such as exploration wells, which may be placed conservatively, away from the field margins. Furthermore, systematic paleoflow variations and thickness trends are commonly seen in individual turbidite sandstones as they approach confining slopes. For example, dispersal directions indicate flow deflection parallel with the strike of confining topography; beds thin toward type A onlaps and thicken toward type Bonlaps. These relationships can be exploited via analysis of vertical successions to constrain well position with respect to the slope. Similarly, the presence, location, and frequency of locally derived debrites can provide information on the presence and proximity of confining slopes

Microscopy & microanalysis: Challenges & opportunities in eResearch

In an age dominated by streamlining and optimisation of data capture and analysis, the investment in and adoption of advanced cyber-infrastructure has been identified as rudimentary and an epoch making breakthrough for the Australian characterisation community in materials informatics – microscopy and microanalysis. Realisation of this vision for leading edge e-Research initiatives involves significant technological requirements in establishing a collaborative network of shared characterisation facilities accessible throughout Australia, networking specialist equipment nodes in major capital cities to smaller, remote nodes via high speed networks in the form of active or passive telepresence microscopy. Investment in cyber-infrastructure is not only essential, but fundamental in increasing accessibility, robustness and interoperability of the underlying ICT structure and participation in e-Research initiatives, providing significant impact in delivering research outcomes to researchers in remote locations, broadening the user base of selected instrumentation, broadcasting and disseminating training courses and seminars, and providing productive and cost effective interaction between operational committees of the characterisation community. Providing such an interface for collaboration means addressing challenges limiting its uptake. Lack of awareness of available facilities; lack of software support; incorporation of legacy systems; lack of standardised user interfaces and interoperable systems across nodes; and lack of skills and expertise in accessing and utilising facilities are hindering the overall strategic plan. Overcoming the current challenges limiting the uptake of e-Research infrastructure involves employing specialist personnel to be embedded within and move between specific projects and nodes within the characterisation community, transferring knowledge to enhance awareness, skills and capabilities to maximise existing and future investment in instruments, people and research – a collaborative force towards e-Research, with microscopy on the cusp of this challenge. This presentation will encompass the current trends, opportunities and challenges for e-Research in microscopy and microanalysis

Projections of use and supply of long-term care in Europe: Policy implications. ENEPRI Policy Brief No. 12, 12 April 2012

Projections of use and supply of formal and informal care carried out in Work Package 6 of the ANCIEN project show that if current patterns of care use and supply prevail, supply of care is likely to fall behind demand. This paper discusses the key policy implications of these findings. Meeting the required care capacity poses multifarious challenges for European welfare states, namely: how to limit the growing burden of LTC expenditure on social security or government budgets, especially in countries that rely heavily on formal care, and how to avoid an increased informal caregiver burden, while at the same time ensuring adequate care for disabled older persons. Technological advances could help close the care gap, by reducing the need for care and boosting the productivity of formal and informal care workers, or by lessening the need for care. As it is impossible to assess whether these efficiency gains will suffice to bridge the care gap, policies should anticipate an increasing care burden and plan accordingly for how to deal with its consequences