Summary Report on 2018 Residue Monitoring of Irish Farmed Finfish & 2018 Border Inspection Post Fishery Product Testing undertaken at the Marine Institute

On behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), the Marine Institute carries out monitoring of chemical residues in finfish for aquaculture sector. This monitoring is set out in the annual National Residue Control Plan, which is approved by the European Commission, and is an important component of the DAFM food safety controls and is implemented under a service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Since 1999, the Marine Institute has implemented the National Residues Monitoring Programme for aquaculture. This is carried out on behalf of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, which is the responsible organisation for residue controls on farmed finfish. In 2018, in excess of 920 tests and a total of 2,611 measurements were carried out on 171 samples of farmed finfish for a range of residues. Implementation of the Aquaculture 2018 Plan involves taking samples at both farm and processing plant: • 123 target samples taken at harvest: 110 farmed salmon and 13 freshwater trout. • 48 target samples were taken at other stages of production: 40 salmon smolts and 8 freshwater trout. All 2018 samples were compliant. For target sampling of farmed fish, a summary table of the residue results from 2005 - 2018 is outlined in Table 1. Overall, the outcome for aquaculture remains one of consistently low occurrence of residues in farmed finfish, with no non-compliant target residues results for the period 2006-2014, 0.11% and 0.10% non-compliant target residues results in 2015 and 2016 respectively and no non-compliant target results in 2017 and 2018

Assessing the impact of care farms on quality of life and offending: a pilot study among probation service users in England

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of conducting a cost-effectiveness study of using care farms (CFs) to improve quality of life and reduce reoffending among offenders undertaking community orders (COs). To pilot questionnaires to assess quality of life, connection to nature, lifestyle behaviours, health and social-care use. To assess recruitment and retention at 6 months and feasibility of data linkage to Police National Computer (PNC) reconvictions data and data held by probation services. DESIGN: Pilot study using questionnaires to assess quality of life, individually linked to police and probation data. SETTING: The pilot study was conducted in three probation service regions in England. Each site included a CF and at least one comparator CO project. CFs are working farms used with a range of clients, including offenders, for therapeutic purposes. The three CFs included one aquaponics and horticulture social enterprise, a religious charity focusing on horticulture and a family-run cattle farm. Comparator projects included sorting secondhand clothes and activities to address alcohol misuse and anger management. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited 134 adults (over 18) serving COs in England, 29% female. RESULTS: 52% of participants completed follow-up questionnaires. Privatisation of UK probation trusts in 2014 negatively impacted on recruitment and retention. Linkage to PNC data was a more successful means of follow-up, with 90% consenting to access their probation and PNC data. Collection of health and social-care costs and quality-adjusted life year derivation were feasible. Propensity score adjustment provided a viable comparison method despite differences between comparators. We found worse health and higher reoffending risk among CF participants due to allocation of challenging offenders to CFs, making risk of reoffending a confounder. CONCLUSIONS: Recruitment would be feasible in a more stable probation environment. Follow-up was challenging; however, assessing reconvictions from PNC data is feasible and a potential primary outcome for future studies

Summary Report on 2019 Residue Monitoring of Irish Farmed Fish & 2019 Border Inspection Post Fishery Product Testing undertaken at the Marine Institute

On behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), the Marine Institute carries out monitoring of chemical residues in finfish for aquaculture sector. This monitoring is set out in the annual National Residue Control Plan, which is approved by the European Commission, and is an important component of the DAFM food safety controls and is implemented under a service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Since 1999, the Marine Institute has implemented the National Residues Monitoring Programme for aquaculture. This is carried out on behalf of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, which is the responsible organisation for residue controls on farmed finfish. In 2019, in excess of 912 tests and a total of 2,601 measurements were carried out on 176 samples of farmed finfish for a range of residues. Implementation of the Aquaculture 2019 Plan involves taking samples at both farm and processing plant: *118 target samples taken at harvest: 105 farmed salmon and 13 freshwater trout. * 58 target samples were taken at other stages of production: 50 salmon smolts and 8 freshwater trout. All 2019 samples were compliant. For target sampling of farmed fish, a summary table of the residue results from 2005 - 2019 is outlined in Table 1. Overall, the outcome for aquaculture remains one of consistently low occurrence of residues in farmed finfish, with no non-compliant target residues results for the period 2006-2014, 0.11% and 0.10% non-compliant target residues results in 2015 and 2016 respectively and no non-compliant target results for the period 2017 to 2019

CHEMREP 2022-028

On behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), the Marine Institute carries out monitoring of chemical residues in finfish for aquaculture sector. This monitoring is set out in the annual National Residue Control Plan, which is approved by the European Commission, and is an important component of the DAFM food safety controls and is implemented under a service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Since 1999, the Marine Institute has implemented the National Residues Monitoring Programme for aquaculture. This is carried out on behalf of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, which is the responsible organisation for residue controls on farmed finfish. In 2021, in excess of 632 tests and a total of 1,870 measurements were carried out on 120 samples of farmed finfish for a range of residues. Implementation of the Aquaculture 2021 Plan involves taking samples at both farm and processing plant: *80 target samples taken at harvest: 70 farmed salmon and 10 freshwater trout. *40 target samples were taken at other stages of production: 30 salmon smolts and 10 freshwater trout. All 2021 samples were compliant. For target sampling of farmed fish, a summary table of the residue results from 2005 - 2021 is outlined in Table 1. Overall, the outcome for aquaculture remains one of consistently low occurrence of residues in farmed finfish, with no non-compliant target residues results for the period 2006-2014, 0.11% and 0.10% non-compliant target residues results in 2015 and 2016 respectively and no non-compliant target results for the period 2017 to 2021

Impact and cost-effectiveness of care farms on health and well-being of offenders on probation: a pilot study

Background Care farms (CFs), in which all or part of the farm is used for therapeutic purposes, show potential for improving well-being for disadvantaged groups. We assessed the feasibility of determining the cost-effectiveness of CFs in improving quality of life compared with comparator sites among probationers undertaking community orders (COs). Objectives (1) To conduct a systematic review of CF impacts and mechanisms in improving health and logic model development; (2) to inform future studies by estimating differences in quality of life and other outcomes, identifying factors driving CO allocation and ways to maximise recruitment and follow-up; and (3) to assess feasibility of cost-effectiveness analysis. Review methods A mixed-methods synthesis following Campbell Collaboration guidelines. Pilot study: three probation service regions in England, each with a CF and a comparator CO site. Participants were adult offenders (aged ≥ 18 years) serving COs. The primary outcome was quality of life [as measured via the Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation–Outcome Measure (CORE-OM)]. Other outcomes were health behaviours, mental well-being, connectedness to nature and reconvictions. Data sources In November 2014, we searched 22 health, education, environmental, criminal justice and social science electronic databases, databases of grey literature and care farming websites across Europe. There were no language restrictions. A full list of databases searched is given in Appendix 1; some examples include Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (via EBSCOhost), The Campbell Library, Criminal Justice Abstracts (via EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (via Ovid) and Scopus (Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands). Results Our systematic review identified 1659 articles: 14 qualitative, 12 quantitative and one mixed-methods study. Small sample sizes and poor design meant that all were rated as being at a high risk of bias. Components of CFs that potentially improve health are being in a group, the role of the farmer and meaningful work, and interaction with animals. There was a lack of quantitative evidence indicating that CFs improve quality of life and there was weak evidence of improved mental health, self-efficacy, self-esteem, affect and mood. In the pilot study we recruited 134 respondents, and only 21 declined; 37% were allocated to three CFs and the remainder to comparators. This was below our recruitment target of 300. Recruitment proved challenging as a result of the changes in probation (probation trusts were disbanded in 2014) and closure of one CF. We found significant differences between CFs and comparator users: those at CFs were more likely to be male, smokers, substance users, at higher risk of reoffending (a confounder) and have more missing CORE-OM questions. Despite these differences, the use of propensity analysis facilitated comparison. Participants consented to our team accessing, and we were able to link, probation and police reconviction data for 90% of respondents. We gained follow-up questionnaire data from 52% of respondents, including health and social care use cost data. We transformed CORE-OM into CORE-6D, allowing derivation of quality-adjusted life-years. As a pilot, our study was not powered to identify significant differences in outcomes. Qualitatively, we observed that within COs, CFs can be formally recognised as rehabilitative but in practice can be seen as punitive. Limitations Changes in probation presented many challenges that limited recruitment and collection of cost data. Conclusions Recruitment is likely to be feasible in a more stable probation environment. Retention among probationers is challenging but assessing reconvictions from existing data is feasible. We found worse health and risk of reoffending among offenders at CFs, reflecting the use of CFs by probation to manage challenging offenders. Future work A sufficiently powered natural experiment is feasible and of value. Using reconvictions (from police data) as a primary outcome is one solution to challenges with retention. Propensity analysis provides a viable method for comparison despite differences in participants at CFs and comparator sites. However, future work is dependent on stability and support for CFs within probation services. Study registration This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42014013892 and SW2013–04 (the Campbell Collaboration). Funding details The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme

Role of potassium and calcium channels in sevoflurane-mediated vasodilation in the foeto-placental circulation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sevoflurane has been demonstrated to vasodilate the foeto-placental vasculature. We aimed to determine the contribution of modulation of potassium and calcium channel function to the vasodilatory effect of sevoflurane in isolated human chorionic plate arterial rings.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Quadruplicate <it>ex vivo </it>human chorionic plate arterial rings were used in all studies. <b><it>Series 1 and 2 </it></b>examined the role of the K⁺channel in sevoflurane-mediated vasodilation. Separate experiments examined whether tetraethylammonium, which blocks large conductance calcium activated K⁺(K_Ca++) channels (<b><it>Series 1A+B</it></b>) or glibenclamide, which blocks the ATP sensitive K⁺(K_ATP) channel (<b><it>Series 2</it></b>), modulated sevoflurane-mediated vasodilation. <b><it>Series 3 – 5 </it></b>examined the role of the Ca⁺⁺channel in sevoflurane induced vasodilation. Separate experiments examined whether verapamil, which blocks the sarcolemmal voltage-operated Ca⁺⁺channel (<b><it>Series 3</it></b>), SK&F 96365 an inhibitor of sarcolemmal voltage-independent Ca⁺⁺channels (<b><it>Series 4A+B</it></b>), or ryanodine an inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca⁺⁺channel (<b><it>Series 5A+B</it></b>), modulated sevoflurane-mediated vasodilation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sevoflurane produced dose dependent vasodilatation of chorionic plate arterial rings in all studies. Prior blockade of the K_Ca++and K_ATPchannels augmented the vasodilator effects of sevoflurane. Furthermore, exposure of rings to sevoflurane in advance of TEA occluded the effects of TEA. Taken together, these findings suggest that sevoflurane blocks K⁺channels. Blockade of the voltage-operated Ca⁺⁺channels inhibited the vasodilator effects of sevoflurane. In contrast, blockade of the voltage-independent and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca⁺⁺channels did not alter sevoflurane vasodilation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Sevoflurane appears to block chorionic arterial K_Ca++and K_ATPchannels. Sevoflurane also blocks voltage-operated calcium channels, and exerts a net vasodilatory effect in the <it>in vitro </it>foeto-placental circulation.</p

A functional definition to distinguish ponds from lakes and wetlands

Ponds are often identified by their small size and shallow depths, but the lack of a universal evidence-based definition hampers science and weakens legal protection. Here, we compile existing pond definitions, compare ecosystem metrics (e.g., metabolism, nutrient concentrations, and gas fluxes) among ponds, wetlands, and lakes, and propose an evidence-based pond definition. Compiled definitions often mentioned surface area and depth, but were largely qualitative and variable. Government legislation rarely defined ponds, despite commonly using the term. Ponds, as defined in published studies, varied in origin and hydroperiod and were often distinct from lakes and wetlands in water chemistry. We also compared how ecosystem metrics related to three variables often seen in waterbody definitions: waterbody size, maximum depth, and emergent vegetation cover. Most ecosystem metrics (e.g., water chemistry, gas fluxes, and metabolism) exhibited nonlinear relationships with these variables, with average threshold changes at 3.7 ± 1.8 ha (median: 1.5 ha) in surface area, 5.8 ± 2.5 m (median: 5.2 m) in depth, and 13.4 ± 6.3% (median: 8.2%) emergent vegetation cover. We use this evidence and prior definitions to define ponds as waterbodies that are small (< 5 ha), shallow (< 5 m), with < 30% emergent vegetation and we highlight areas for further study near these boundaries. This definition will inform the science, policy, and management of globally abundant and ecologically significant pond ecosystems.Fil: Richardson, David C.. State University of New York at New Paltz; Estados UnidosFil: Holgerson, Meredith A.. Cornell University; Estados UnidosFil: Farragher, Matthew J.. University of Maine; Estados UnidosFil: Hoffman, Kathryn K.. No especifíca;Fil: King, Katelyn B. S.. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Alfonso, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Andersen, Mikkel R.. No especifíca;Fil: Cheruveil, Kendra Spence. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Coleman, Kristen A.. University of York; Reino UnidoFil: Farruggia, Mary Jade. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Fernandez, Rocio Luz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Hondula, Kelly L.. No especifíca;Fil: López Moreira Mazacotte, Gregorio A.. Leibniz - Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; AlemaniaFil: Paul, Katherine. No especifíca;Fil: Peierls, Benjamin L.. No especifíca;Fil: Rabaey, Joseph S.. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Sadro, Steven. University of California at Davis; Estados UnidosFil: Sánchez, María Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Smyth, Robyn L.. No especifíca;Fil: Sweetman, Jon N.. State University of Pennsylvania; Estados Unido

Making Connections - Envisioning Springfield\u27s North End

This work explores a service learning strategy in the context of the senior Urban Design Studio taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The primary goal of this project is to stimulate a conversation in the neighborhoods of the North End, to develop green design strategies, to improve services and businesses for residents and the employees of local businesses, and to foster cultural engagement and interaction in the North End that will enhance the vibrancy, resilience, and quality of life of this urban community. Making connections - Envisioning Springfield\u27s North End proposes improved connectivity in a physical, cultural, and social sense will be key to attaining these goals and to engaging and synergizing individuals and community groups in the North End - residents, businesses, schools, churches, employers, and employees. Six sustainable learning and planning principles have emerged from this studio: 1. Input and interaction – Visioning workshops connect campus and community 2. Community-building art - Expression of place and people 3. Healthy living - Urban agriculture and education 4. Urban greenways – Abandoned railways and urban rivers and streams 5. Green infrastructure - Green streets as networks and structural framework 6. Sustainable urban form – Mixed use and pedestrian friendly neighborhood

A Reliable Method for the Selection of Exploitable Melanoma Archival Paraffin Embedded Tissues for Transcript Biomarker Profiling

The source tissue for biomarkers mRNA expression profiling of tumors has traditionally been fresh-frozen tissue. The adaptation of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues for routine mRNA profiling would however be invaluable in view of their abundance and the clinical information related to them. However, their use in the clinic remains a challenge due to the poor quality of RNA extracted from such tissues. Here, we developed a method for the selection of melanoma archival paraffin-embedded tissues that can be reliably used for transcript biomarker profiling. For that, we used qRT-PCR to conduct a comparative study in matched pairs of frozen and FFPE melanoma tissues of the expression of 25 genes involved in angiogenesis/tumor invasion and 15 housekeeping genes. A classification method was developed that can select the samples with a good frozen/FFPE correlation and identify those that should be discarded on the basis of paraffin data for four reference genes only. We propose therefore a simple and inexpensive assay which improves reliability of mRNA profiling in FFPE samples by allowing the identification and analysis of “good” samples only. This assay which can be extended to other genes would however need validation at the clinical level and on independent tumor series