Graphical Elicitation of a Prior Distribution for a Clinical Trial

1 online resource (PDF, 27 pages

Dynamic Carboniferous tropical forests: new views of plant function and potential for physiological forcing of climate

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138385/1/nph14700_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138385/2/nph14700.pd

Using microalgae in the circular economy to valorise anaerobic digestate::Challenges and Opportunities

Managing organic waste streams is a major challenge for the agricultural industry. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of organicwastes is a preferred option in the waste management hierarchy, as this processcangenerate renewableenergy, reduce emissions from wastestorage, andproduce fertiliser material.However, Nitrate Vulnerable Zone legislation and seasonal restrictions can limit the use of digestate on agricultural land. In this paper we demonstrate the potential of cultivating microalgae on digestate as a feedstock, either directlyafter dilution, or indirectlyfromeffluent remaining after biofertiliser extraction. Resultant microalgal biomass can then be used to produce livestock feed, biofuel or for higher value bio-products. The approach could mitigate for possible regional excesses, and substitute conventional high-impactproducts with bio-resources, enhancing sustainability withinacircular economy. Recycling nutrients from digestate with algal technology is at an early stage. We present and discuss challenges and opportunities associated with developing this new technology

Caring for Those Who Take Care of Others: Developing Systemic and Sustainable Mental Health Support for the Diverse Healthcare Workforce in the United Kingdom

Pressures such as high workload, stretched resources, and financial stress are resulting in healthcare workers experiencing high rates of mental health conditions, high suicide rates, high rates of staff absences from work, and high vacancy rates for certain healthcare professions. All of these factors point to the fact that a systematic and sustainable approach to mental health support at different levels and in different ways is more important than ever. In response, we present a holistic analysis of the mental health and wellbeing needs of healthcare workers across the United Kingdom healthcare ecosystem. We recommend that healthcare organisations should consider the specific circumstances of these staff and develop strategies to counter the negative impact of these factors and help safeguard the mental health of their staff

Multi-Locus Sequence Analysis Reveals Profound Genetic Diversity among Isolates of the Human Pathogen Bartonella bacilliformis

Bartonella bacilliformis is the aetiological agent of human bartonellosis, a potentially life threatening infection of significant public health concern in the Andean region of South America. Human bartonellosis has long been recognised in the region but a recent upsurge in the number of cases of the disease and an apparent expansion of its geographical distribution have re-emphasized its contemporary medical importance. Here, we describe the development of a multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for B. bacilliformis and its application to an archive of 43 isolates collected from patients across Peru. MLST identified eight sequence types among these isolates and the delineation of these was generally congruent with those of the previously described typing scheme. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated sequence data derived from MLST loci revealed that seven of the eight sequence types were closely related to one another; however, one sequence type, ST8, exhibited profound evolutionary divergence from the others. The extent of this divergence was akin to that observed between other members of the Bartonella genus, suggesting that ST8 strains may be better considered as members of a novel Bartonella genospecies

Environmental context and contaminant biotransport by Pacific salmon interact to mediate the bioaccumulation of contaminants by stream-resident fish

1. The extent to which environmental context mediates the uptake of biotransported contaminants by stream-resident organisms is not understood. For example, there is no clear understanding of the extent to which contaminant type, instream characteristics, or resident fish identity interact to influence the uptake of contaminants deposited by Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) during their spawning runs. 2. To address this uncertainty, we sampled four stream-resident fish species from 13 watersheds of the Laurentian Great Lakes in locations with and without salmon across a gradient of instream and watershed characteristics. We determined the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and mercury (Hg) concentration along with the stable isotope ratio of C and N for each stream-resident fish. 3. We found that stream-resident fish PCB concentrations were 24-fold higher in reaches with salmon and were positively related to δ15N. In contrast, stream-resident fish Hg concentrations were similar or lower in reaches with salmon and either exhibited a negative or no relationship with δ15N. 4. Based upon AICc, stream-resident fish exhibited species-specific PCB concentrations that were positively related to salmon PCB flux. Hg burdens exhibited an interaction between fish length and salmon Hg flux – as salmon Hg inputs increased, Hg levels decreased with increasing resident fish length. We found no support for models that included the mediating influence of instream or watershed factors. Salmon eggs are enriched in PCBs but have very low Hg concentrations, so our results may be driven by the consumption of salmon eggs by stream-resident fish. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight that contaminants bioaccumulate differently depending on contaminant type, species identity, and the trophic pathway to contamination. Consequently, consideration of the recipient food web and route of exposure is critical to understanding the fate of biotransported contaminants in ecosystems. The transfer of contaminants by migratory organisms represents an understudied stressor in ecology. Effective management of biotransported contaminants will require the delineation of “hot-spots” of biotransport and implementation of best management practices in those watersheds that receive contaminants from spawning salmon

Foliar Morphology And Anatomy Of The Gigantopterid Plant Delnortea Abbottiae, From The Lower Permian Of West Texas

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142005/1/ajb214202.pd

Bayesian Life Test Planning for the Log-Location-Scale Family of Distributions

This paper describes Bayesian methods for life test planning with censored data from a log-location-scale distribution, when prior information of the distribution parameters is available. We use a Bayesian criterion based on the estimation precision of a distribution quantile. A large sample normal approximation gives a simplified, easy-tointerpret, yet valid approach to this planning problem, where in general no closed form solutions are available. To illustrate this approach, we present numerical investigations using the Weibull distribution with Type II censoring. We also assess the effects of prior distribution choice. A simulation approach of the same Bayesian problem is also presented as a tool for visualization and validation. The validation results generally are consistent with those from the large sample approximation approach