Precession-driven changes in Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water penetration and bottom water circulation on Gardar Drift since ~ 200 ka

© The Author(s), 2015. This is the author's version of the work and is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 440 (2015): 561-563, doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.09.042.Benthic foraminiferal stable isotopic records from a transect of sediment cores south of the Iceland-Scotland Ridge reveal that the penetration depth of Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) varied on orbital timescales with precessional pacing over the past ~ 200 kyr. Similar, higher benthic foraminiferal δ13 C values (~ 1.0 ‰) were recorded at all transect sites downstream of the Iceland-Scotland Ridge during interglacial periods (Marine Isotope Chrons 5 and 1), indicating a deeply penetrating ISOW. During glacial periods (Marine Isotope Chrons 6, 4, and 2), benthic foraminiferal δ13C values from the deeper (2700-3300 m), southern sites within this transect were significantly lower (~ 0.5 ‰) than values from the northern (shallower) portion of the transect (~ 1.0 ‰), reflecting a shoaling of ISOW and greater influence of glacial Southern Component Water (SCW) in the deep Northeast Atlantic. Particularly during intermediate climate states, ISOW strength is driven by precesional cycles, superimposed on the large-scale glacial-interglacial ISOW variability. Millennial-scale variability in the penetration of ISOW, likely caused by high-frequency Heinrich and Dansgaard-Oeschger Events, is most pronounced during intermediate climate states.This research was supported by National Science Foundation grant OCE-0095219 to J.D. Wright2016-10-0

Determining optimal locations for urgent care centres in Cornwall using computer modelling

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Mark Allen Healthcare via the DOI in this record.Background/Aims Urgent care centres provide a broad range of services in comparison to minor injury units. In order to establish new urgent care centres, the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership in Cornwall aimed to identify the optimal number and location for these centres, which could then help to reduce the volume of patients attending emergency departments. Methods A computer model that calculated average and maximum travel times, along with number of attendances, for over 4000 potential urgent care centre geographic configurations, was developed. The model predicted that establishing five urgent care centres would significantly minimise travel times for patients across the county. The model also predicted the locations for these centres that would minimise average travel times. Results The results from the model were used to directly inform a decision made by the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. Conclusion The first urgent care centres in Cornwall, at Treliske, Bodmin Community Hospital and West Cornwall Hospital, were established in 2018. The urgent care centre in West Cornwall is now accepting patients; the two other sites are still under construction.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula (NIHR CLAHRC South West Peninsul

Universal Shape Replicators via Self-Assembly with Attractive and Repulsive Forces

We show how to design a universal shape replicator in a self- assembly system with both attractive and repulsive forces. More precisely, we show that there is a universal set of constant-size objects that, when added to any unknown holefree polyomino shape, produces an unbounded number of copies of that shape (plus constant-size garbage objects). The constant-size objects can be easily constructed from a constant number of individual tile types using a constant number of preprocessing self-assembly steps. Our construction uses the well-studied 2-Handed Assembly Model (2HAM) of tile self-assembly, in the simple model where glues interact only with identical glues, allowing glue strengths that are either positive (attractive) or negative (repulsive), and constant temperature (required glue strength for parts to hold together). We also require that the given shape has specified glue types on its surface, and that the feature size (smallest distance between nonincident edges) is bounded below by a constant. Shape replication necessarily requires a self-assembly model where parts can both attach and detach, and this construction is the first to do so using the natural model of negative/repulsive glues (also studied before for other problems such as fuel-efficient computation); previous replication constructions require more powerful global operations such as an “enzyme” that destroys a subset of the tile types.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant EFRI1240383)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CCF-1138967

Universal Shape Replicators via Self-Assembly with Attractive and Repulsive Forces

We show how to design a universal shape replicator in a self- assembly system with both attractive and repulsive forces. More precisely, we show that there is a universal set of constant-size objects that, when added to any unknown holefree polyomino shape, produces an unbounded number of copies of that shape (plus constant-size garbage objects). The constant-size objects can be easily constructed from a constant number of individual tile types using a constant number of preprocessing self-assembly steps. Our construction uses the well-studied 2-Handed Assembly Model (2HAM) of tile self-assembly, in the simple model where glues interact only with identical glues, allowing glue strengths that are either positive (attractive) or negative (repulsive), and constant temperature (required glue strength for parts to hold together). We also require that the given shape has specified glue types on its surface, and that the feature size (smallest distance between nonincident edges) is bounded below by a constant. Shape replication necessarily requires a self-assembly model where parts can both attach and detach, and this construction is the first to do so using the natural model of negative/repulsive glues (also studied before for other problems such as fuel-efficient computation); previous replication constructions require more powerful global operations such as an “enzyme” that destroys a subset of the tile types.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant EFRI1240383)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CCF-1138967

Role of Methionine in Fetal Development of Beef Cattle

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether total amino acids (AA) or methionine have an effect on fetal programming of calves using 108 Angus Brangus cows. Treatments were 1) Control, limpograss hay with molasses plus urea (16% CP as fed basis) at 2.72 kg./hd/d, 2) Fishmeal, Control plus 0.33 kg./hd/d of fishmeal ( methionine 2.85 % of RUP), and 3) Methionine, Control plus 10 g/hd/d of MetaSmart liquid (Addisseo Alpharetta, GA) . Fishmeal and Methionine treatments supplied similar amounts of metabolizable methionine. Weight of cows and calves along with body condition score of cows were measured at the start and end of the 120 day supplementation period, and milk yield was measured at 3 time points by weigh-suckle-weigh technique. In Year 2, 24 steer calves conceived during the treatment period in Year 1 were fed individually during a metabolism experiment following weaning at approximately 7 months of age. Body weight, feed intake, plasma metabolites, and nutrient digestibility were measured in steers during the metabolism experiment. Body weight and body condition score change of cows were not different among treatments during the treatment period in Year 1. Treatment did not affect calf weight gain even though there was a trend for Methionine dams to have greater energy-corrected milk yield and for Fishmeal and Methionine dams to have greater milk protein content than Control dams. In Year 2, treatment did not affect weaning weight of calves conceived during the treatment period in Year 1. During the post weaning metabolism experiment, Average daily gain, final body weight (FBW), and gain: feed ratio were greater in steers whose dams supplemented with Fishmeal or Methionine during early gestation. Steers born to Control and Methionine dams had greater plasma urea nitrogen concentrations before and after feeding, and tended to have greater change in plasma urea nitrogen concentration than steers born to Fishmeal dams. Steers born to Methionine dams had lower plasma glucose concentration before and after feeding, but greater change in plasma glucose concentration than steers born to Fishmeal dams. There was a trend for treatment to effect Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and Acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibility with steers born to Methionine dams having greater digestibility than steers born to Control or Fishmeal dams. In conclusion, methionine is a key nutrient in fetal programming and can be used in conjunction with poor quality forage to improve performance of offspring

The impact of minor injury unit closures on travel time and attendances

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Mark Allen Healthcare via the DOI in this record Data availability: An anonymised version of the full data used to parameterise the model, along with the full outputs of the model, may be provided on request.Geographic modelling techniques provide a means of optimising the location of services, or understanding the potential impact of geographic service reconfigurations. In response to commissioner queries, we assessed the potential impact on patient travel time and attendances of the closure of four minor injury units (MIUs) in a locality of South West England. We used the MPMileCharter add-in for Microsoft MapPoint and the attendance records of 90252 minor injury unit patients to calculate car travel time data to the units in the locality. We then built a geographic model of the existing configuration of MIUs in Microsoft Excel, and used 'what if' analysis to determine the potential impact of the proposed closures. The model predicted that if the four MIUs were closed, there would be only a trivial increase in average travel time across all patients, but a significant increase of around 20 minutes per patient for those whose nearest unit was closed. The model also predicted that the closure of one of the MIUs could lead to significant increased demand at the walk-in centre located at the acute hospital. Using these results, the local commissioners decided to close only three of the four units.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR

Effect of four plant species on soil 15N-access and herbage yield in temporary agricultural grasslands

Positive plant diversity-productivity relationships have been reported for experimental semi-natural grasslands (Cardinale et al. 2006; Hector et al. 1999; Tilman et al. 1996) as well as temporary agricultural grasslands (Frankow-Lindberg et al. 2009; Kirwan et al. 2007; Nyfeler et al. 2009; Picasso et al. 2008). Generally, these relationships are explained, on the one hand, by niche differentiation and facilitation (Hector et al. 2002; Tilman et al. 2002) and, on the other hand, by greater probability of including a highly productive plant species in high diversity plots (Huston 1997). Both explanations accept that diversity is significant because species differ in characteristics, such as root architecture, nutrient acquisition and water use efficiency, to name a few, resulting in composition and diversity being important for improved productivity and resource use (Naeem et al. 1994; Tilman et al. 2002). Plant diversity is generally low in temporary agricultural grasslands grown for ruminant fodder production. Grass in pure stands is common, but requires high nitrogen (N) inputs. In terms of N input, two-species grass-legume mixtures are more sustainable than grass in pure stands and consequently dominate low N input grasslands (Crews and Peoples 2004; Nyfeler et al. 2009; Nyfeler et al. 2011). In temperate grasslands, N is often the limiting factor for productivity (Whitehead 1995). Plant available soil N is generally concentrated in the upper soil layers, but may leach to deeper layers, especially in grasslands that include legumes (Scherer-Lorenzen et al. 2003) and under conditions with surplus precipitation (Thorup-Kristensen 2006). To improve soil N use efficiency in temporary grasslands, we propose the addition of deep-rooting plant species to a mixture of perennial ryegrass and white clover, which are the most widespread forage plant species in temporary grasslands in a temperate climate (Moore 2003). Perennial ryegrass and white clover possess relatively shallow root systems (Kutschera and Lichtenegger 1982; Kutschera and Lichtenegger 1992) with effective rooting depths of <0.7 m on a silt loamy site (Pollock and Mead 2008). Grassland species, such as lucerne and chicory, grow their tap-roots into deep soil layers and exploit soil nutrients and water in soil layers that the commonly grown shallow-rooting grassland species cannot reach (Braun et al. 2010; Skinner 2008). Chicory grown as a catch crop after barley reduced the inorganic soil N down to 2.5 m depth during the growing season, while perennial ryegrass affected the inorganic soil N only down to 1 m depth (Thorup-Kristensen 2006). Further, on a Wakanui silt loam in New Zealand chicory extracted water down to 1.9 m and lucerne down to 2.3 m soil depth, which resulted in greater herbage yields compared with a perennial ryegrass-white clover mixture, especially for dryland plots (Brown et al. 2005). There is little information on both the ability of deep- and shallow-rooting grassland species to access soil N from different vertical soil layers and the relation of soil N-access and herbage yield in temporary agricultural grasslands. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to test the hypotheses 1) that a mixture comprising both shallow- and deep-rooting plant species has greater herbage yields than a shallow-rooting binary mixture and pure stands, 2) that deep-rooting plant species (chicory and lucerne) are superior in accessing soil N from 1.2 m soil depth compared with shallow-rooting plant species, 3) that shallow-rooting plant species (perennial ryegrass and white clover) are superior in accessing soil N from 0.4 m soil depth compared with deep-rooting plant species, 4) that a mixture of deep- and shallow-rooting plant species has greater access to soil N from three soil layers compared with a shallow-rooting two-species mixture and that 5) the leguminous grassland plants, lucerne and white clover, have a strong impact on grassland N acquisition, because of their ability to derive N from the soil and the atmosphere

Fractured neck of femur patients: Rehabilitation and the acute hospital

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Mark Allen Healthcare via the DOI in this record Typically, fractured neck of femur patients admitted to an acute hospital are discharged to a community hospital for a period of rehabilitation after their treatment. However, there is concern that this might unnecessarily extend the total period of hospitalisation for these patients. Using data from a local acute hospital, we used discrete event simulation to predict the practicability of fractured neck of femur patients remaining in an acute hospital for their entire superspell (the overall length of stay across hospitals). We tested scenarios in which patient superspell duration was shortened, as well as a scenario in which no reduction in superspell length was observed. The model predicts that - even assuming that the superspell of fractured neck of femur patients could be significantly reduced - bed occupancy levels at the acute hospital would increase to operationally infeasible levels. Therefore, it is unlikely that fractured neck of femur patients could remain in a typical acute hospital unless there were sufficient increases in available resources.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR

The hospital discharge game : A game theory-inspired workshop to encourage cooperation between health and social care organisations

Traditionally, health and social care organisations have operated independently, with minimal interaction and poor integration of the various services with which a patient comes into contact. In some cases, 'perverse' systemic incentives have discouraged cooperation and led to a 'silo mentality'. In this paper, we present an interactive workshop game that can be played with those working in and around health and social care. The game places teams in the roles of community and acute hospitals, and asks them to make discharge decisions about patients. However, a 'perverse' incentive is present in the system, and opposing teams are not allowed to communicate, which leads to increasingly 'selfish' decision making. We outline the details of this game, and show how it can be used as a tool to facilitate understanding of the benefits of cross-organisational communication and cooperation. We also present data from an initial pilot of this workshop.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR