Demanding stories: television coverage of sustainability, climate change and material demand

This paper explores the past, present and future role of broadcasting, above all via the medium of television, in shaping how societies talk, think about and act on climate change and sustainability issues. The paper explores these broad themes via a focus on the important but relatively neglected issue of material demand and opportunities for its reduction. It takes the outputs and decision-making of one of the world’s most influential broadcasters, the BBC, as its primary focus. The paper considers these themes in terms of stories, touching on some of the broader societal frames of understanding into which they can be grouped. Media decision-makers and producers from a range of genres frequently return to the centrality of ‘story’ in the development, commissioning and production of an idea. With reference to specific examples of programming, and drawing on interviews with media practitioners, the paper considers the challenges of generating broadcast stories that can inspire engagement in issues around climate change, and specifically material demand. The concluding section proposes actions and approaches that might help to establish material demand reduction as a prominent way of thinking about climate change and environmental issues more widely. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Material demand reduction’

Controls on development and diversity of Early Archean stromatolites

The ≈3,450-million-year-old Strelley Pool Formation in Western Australia contains a reef-like assembly of laminated sedimentary accretion structures (stromatolites) that have macroscale characteristics suggestive of biological influence. However, direct microscale evidence of biology—namely, organic microbial remains or biosedimentary fabrics—has to date eluded discovery in the extensively-recrystallized rocks. Recently-identified outcrops with relatively good textural preservation record microscale evidence of primary sedimentary processes, including some that indicate probable microbial mat formation. Furthermore, we find relict fabrics and organic layers that covary with stromatolite morphology, linking morphologic diversity to changes in sedimentation, seafloor mineral precipitation, and inferred microbial mat development. Thus, the most direct and compelling signatures of life in the Strelley Pool Formation are those observed at the microscopic scale. By examining spatiotemporal changes in microscale characteristics it is possible not only to recognize the presence of probable microbial mats during stromatolite development, but also to infer aspects of the biological inputs to stromatolite morphogenesis. The persistence of an inferred biological signal through changing environmental circumstances and stromatolite types indicates that benthic microbial populations adapted to shifting environmental conditions in early oceans

Observation of Magnetic Supercooling of the Transition to the Vortex State

We demonstrate that the transition from the high-field state to the vortex state in a nanomagnetic disk shows the magnetic equivalent of supercooling. This is evidence that this magnetic transition can be described in terms of a modified Landau first-order phase transition. To accomplish this we have measured the bulk magnetization of single magnetic disks using nanomechanical torsional resonator torque magnetometry. This allows observation of single vortex creation events without averaging over an array of disks or over multiple runs.Comment: 11 pages preprint, 4 figures, accepted to New Journal of Physic

A severity-of-illness score in patients with tuberculosis requiring intensive care

Background. We previously retrospectively validated a 6-point severity-of-illness score aimed at identifying patients at risk of dying of tuberculosis (TB) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Parameters included septic shock, HIV infection with a CD4 count <200 cells/µL, renal dysfunction, a ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen (P/F) <200 mmHg, a chest radiograph demonstrating diffuse parenchymal infiltrates, and no TB treatment on admission.Objectives. To prospectively validate the severity-of-illness scoring system in patients with TB requiring intensive care, and to refine and simplify the score in order to expand its clinical utility.Methods. We performed a prospective observational study with a planned post hoc retrospective analysis, enrolling all adult patients with confirmed TB admitted to the medical ICU of a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, from 1 February 2015 to 31 July 2018. The admission data of all adult patients with TB requiring admission to the ICU were used to calculate the 6-point severity-of-illness score and a refined 4-point score (based on the planned post hoc analysis). Descriptive statistics and χ2 or Fisher’s exact tests (where indicated) were performed on dichotomous categorical variables, and t-tests on continuous data. Patients were categorised as hospital survivors or non-survivors.Results. Forty-one of 78 patients (52.6%) died. The 6-point scores of non-survivors were higher than those of survivors (mean (standard deviation (SD)) 3.5 (1.3) v. 2.7 (1.2); p=0.01). A score ≥3 v. <3 was associated with increased mortality (64.0% v. 32.1%; odds ratio (OR) 3.75; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25 - 10.01; p=0.01). Post hoc, a P/F ratio <200 mmHg and no TB treatment on admission failed to predict mortality, whereas any immunosuppression did. A revised 4-point score (septic shock, any immunosuppression, acute kidney injury and lack of lobar consolidation) demonstrated higher scores in non-survivors than survivors (mean (SD) 2.8 (1.1) v. 1.6 (1.1); p<0.001). A score ≥3 v. ≤2 was associated with increased mortality (78.4% v. 29.3%; OR 8.76; 95% CI 3.12 - 24.59; p<0.001).Conclusions. The 6-point severity-of-illness score identified patients at increased risk of death. We were able to derive and retrospectively validate a simplified 4-point score with superior predictive power

Quantitative trait loci mapping of polyphenol metabolites from a 'Latham' x 'Glen Moy' red raspberry (<i>Rubus idaeus L</i>) cross

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic control of polyphenol accumulation in red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L).Methods: The levels of total anthocyanins and 37 individual polyphenol metabolites were measured over three years in a raspberry biparental mapping population. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for these traits were mapped onto a high-density SNP linkage map.Results: At least one QTL was detected for each trait, with good consistency among the years. On four linkage groups (LG), there were major QTLs affecting several metabolites. On LG1, a QTL had large effects on anthocyanins and flavonols containing a rutinoside or rhamnose group. On LG4, a QTL had large effects on several flavonols and on LG5 and LG6 QTLs had large effects on ellagic acid derivatives. Smaller QTLs were found on LG2 and LG3.Conclusion: The identification of robust QTLs for key polyphenols in raspberry provides great potential for marker-assisted breeding for improved levels of potentially health beneficial components.</p

Manipulating ultracold atoms with a reconfigurable nanomagnetic system of domain walls

The divide between the realms of atomic-scale quantum particles and lithographically-defined nanostructures is rapidly being bridged. Hybrid quantum systems comprising ultracold gas-phase atoms and substrate-bound devices already offer exciting prospects for quantum sensors, quantum information and quantum control. Ideally, such devices should be scalable, versatile and support quantum interactions with long coherence times. Fulfilling these criteria is extremely challenging as it demands a stable and tractable interface between two disparate regimes. Here we demonstrate an architecture for atomic control based on domain walls (DWs) in planar magnetic nanowires that provides a tunable atomic interaction, manifested experimentally as the reflection of ultracold atoms from a nanowire array. We exploit the magnetic reconfigurability of the nanowires to quickly and remotely tune the interaction with high reliability. This proof-of-principle study shows the practicability of more elaborate atom chips based on magnetic nanowires being used to perform atom optics on the nanometre scale.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Material Stock Demographics: Cars in Great Britain.

Recent literature on material flow analysis has been focused on quantitative characterization of past material flows. Fewer analyses exist on past and prospective quantification of stocks of materials in-use. Some of these analyses explore the composition of products' stocks, but a focus on the characterization of material stocks and its relation with service delivery is often neglected. We propose the use of the methods of human demography to characterize material stocks, defined herein as stock demographics, exploring the insights that this approach could provide for the sustainable management of materials. We exemplify an application of stock demographics by characterizing the composition and service delivery of iron, steel, and aluminum stocks of cars in Great Britain, 2002-2012. The results show that in this period the stock has become heavier, it is traveling less, and it is idle for more time. The visualization of material stocks' dynamics demonstrates the pace of product replacement as a function of its usefulness and enables the formulation of policy interventions and the exploration of future trends.This work was supported by EPSRC, grant reference EP/N02351X/1.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the American Chemical Society via https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b0501

Effect of stem cell source on long-term chimerism and event-free survival in children with primary immunodeficiency disorders after fludarabine and melphalan conditioning regimen

BACKGROUND: Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens are increasingly being used in the transplantation of patients with primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs), but there are no large studies looking at long-term lineage-specific chimerism. OBJECTIVES: We sought to analyze long-term chimerism and event-free survival in children undergoing transplantation for PIDs using RIC with fludarabine and melphalan (Flu/Melph) and to study the effect of donor type and stem cell source. METHODS: One hundred forty-two children underwent transplantation with RIC by using Flu/Melph and for PIDs by using bone marrow (n = 93) or peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs; n = 49). Donors were matched unrelated donors (n = 72), mismatched unrelated donors (n = 37), matched sibling donors (n = 14), matched family donors (n = 12), and mismatched family donors (n = 7). RESULTS: Overall survival at a median follow-up of 7.5 years was 78%, irrespective of stem cell source or donor type. When bone marrow was used as the stem cell source, 26% of patients ended up with very low levels of donor chimerism (50% donor chimerism) in all lineages. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of our experience, we would suggest that PBSCs should be the stem cell source of choice in children with PIDs undergoing transplantation with Flu/Melph RIC from a matched donor source. This is most likely to ensure sustained high-level donor chimerism