User guide for the British Geological Survey Blockfields dataset

This report presents a description of the Blockfields dataset developed by the British Geological Survey (BGS). The dataset provides screening-level data that gives an indication of the geological suitability of the subsurface for the presence of blockfields. The dataset is designed to be used by those involved in the strategic assessment of the subsurface for the management or development of sites in Great Britain. It may be particularly valuable for spatial planners and local authorities who wish to undertake a strategic assessment. The dataset is derived from a combination of BGS national datasets and the DTM of Great Britain at 5m resolution © Bluesky International Limited elevation data to show the environmental suitability for blockfield presence in Great Britain. The approach was developed by geologists using basic landscape characteristics from a large sample of observed blockfields, and implemented by specialists in geologically derived products at BGS. The purpose of this user guide is to enable those licensing this dataset to have a better appreciation of how this dataset has been created and therefore gain a better understanding of its potential applications and limitations

Solvatochromism in Perylene Diimides; Experiment and Theory

We report an experimental and computational investigation into the solvatochromism of a perylene diimide derivative. The alkyl swallowtail substituents allowed solubility in many solvents of widely differing polarity, with a complicated resultant behaviour, illustrating both negative and positive solvatochromism as a function of dielectric constant. Luminescence quantum yield and optical absorption linewidth displayed an inverse correlation, indicating varying degrees of intermolecular aggregation, and a remarkably similar trend was found between the peak absorption wavelength and the solvent boiling point, illustrating the dependency of aggregation on the solvent interactions. These outline trends may be parameterised by an empirically derived dimensionless quantity, as a tool to be used in more sophisticated future models of solvatochromism in small molecule chromophoresPeer reviewe

Is the Scottish population living dangerously? Prevalence of multiple risk factors: the Scottish Health Survey 2003

<b>Background:</b> Risk factors are often considered individually, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of combinations of multiple behavioural risk factors and their association with socioeconomic determinants.<p></p> <b>Methods:</b> Multinomial logistic regression was used to model the associations between socioeconomic factors and multiple risk factors from data in the Scottish Health Survey 2003. Prevalence of five main behavioural risk factors - smoking alcohol, diet, overweight/obesity, and physical inactivity, and the odds in relation to demographic, individual and area socioeconomic factors.<p></p> <b>Results:</b> Full data were available on 6,574 subjects (80.7% of the survey sample). Nearly the whole adult population (97.5%) reported to have at least one behavioural risk factor; while 55% have three or more risk factors; and nearly 20% have four or all five risk factors. The most important determinants for having four or five multiple risk factors were low educational attainment which conferred around a 3-fold increased odds compared to high education; and residence in the most deprived communities (relative to least deprived) which had greater than 3-fold increased odds.<p></p> <b>Conclusions:</b> The prevalence of multiple behavioural risk factors was high and the prevalence of absence of all risk factors very low. These behavioural patterns were socioeconomically determined. Policy to address factors needs to be joined up and better consider underlying socioeconomic circumstances.<p></p&gt

Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification

International audienceAlthough now over 100 years old, the classification of climate originally formulated by Wladimir Köppen and modified by his collaborators and successors, is still in widespread use. It is widely used in teaching school and undergraduate courses on climate. It is also still in regular use by researchers across a range of disciplines as a basis for climatic regionalisation of variables and for assessing the output of global climate models. Here we have produced a new global map of climate using the Köppen-Geiger system based on a large global data set of long-term monthly precipitation and temperature station time series. Climatic variables used in the Köppen-Geiger system were calculated at each station and interpolated between stations using a two-dimensional (latitude and longitude) thin-plate spline with tension onto a 0.1°×0.1° grid for each continent. We discuss some problems in dealing with sites that are not uniquely classified into one climate type by the Köppen-Geiger system and assess the outcomes on a continent by continent basis. Globally the most common climate type by land area is BWh (14.2%, Hot desert) followed by Aw (11.5%, Tropical savannah). The updated world Köppen-Geiger climate map is freely available electronically in the Supplementary Material Section

Development of the text of the Ramsar Convention: 1965–1971

The ‘Ramsar’ Convention on Wetlands was the first of the modern era global biodiversity conventions and remains the only multilateral environmental agreement focused on a single group of ecosystem types. At the time of initial discussions within the wetland conservation science community in the late 1960s, its ambition was unprecedented, with no successful models to draw upon, especially with regard to novel concepts such as the modus for an ‘internationally protected site’. Drawing on previously unpublished draft texts, we track the Convention’s textual development to its ultimate agreement in 1971. During this period its geographic scope changed from an initial European to global focus, whereas core obligations related to the designation of internationally important wetlands and the provision of secretariat coordination functions were substantively developed. We present (as supplementary material) all draft texts, from 1965 to 1971, previously unavailable online

Heat Capacity in Magnetic and Electric Fields Near the Ferroelectric Transition in Tri-Glycine Sulfate

Specific-heat measurements are reported near the Curie temperature ($T_C$~= 320 K) on tri-glycine sulfate. Measurements were made on crystals whose surfaces were either non-grounded or short-circuited, and were carried out in magnetic fields up to 9 T and electric fields up to 220 V/cm. In non-grounded crystals we find that the shape of the specific-heat anomaly near $T_C$ is thermally broadened. However, the anomaly changes to the characteristic sharp $\lambda$-shape expected for a continuous transition with the application of either a magnetic field or an electric field. In crystals whose surfaces were short-circuited with gold, the characteristic $\lambda$-shape appeared in the absence of an external field. This effect enabled a determination of the critical exponents above and below $T_C$, and may be understood on the basis that the surface charge originating from the pyroelectric coefficient, $dP/dT$, behaves as if shorted by external magnetic or electric fields.Comment: 4 Pages, 4 Figures. To Appear in Applied Physics Letters_ January 200

The low dimensional dynamical system approach in General Relativity: an example

In this paper we explore one of the most important features of the Galerkin method, which is to achieve high accuracy with a relatively modest computational effort, in the dynamics of Robinson-Trautman spacetimes.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Effects of once-weekly semaglutide on appetite, energy intake, control of eating, food preference and body weight in subjects with obesity.

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of action for body weight loss with semaglutide. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover trial investigated the effects of 12 weeks treatment with once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide, dose-escalated to 1.0 mg, in 30 subjects with obesity. Ad libitum energy intake, ratings of appetite, thirst, nausea and well-being, control of eating, food preference, resting metabolic rate, body weight and body composition were assessed. RESULTS: After a standardised breakfast, semaglutide, compared with placebo, led to a lower ad libitum energy intake during lunch (-1255 kJ; P < 0.0001), and during the subsequent evening meal (P = 0.0401) and snacks (P = 0.0034), resulting in a 24% reduction in total energy intake across all ad libitum meals throughout the day (-3036 kJ; P < 0.0001). Fasting overall appetite suppression scores were improved with semaglutide versus placebo, while nausea ratings were similar. Semaglutide was associated with less hunger and food cravings, better control of eating and a lower preference for high-fat foods. Resting metabolic rate, adjusted for lean body mass, did not differ between treatments. Semaglutide led to a reduction from baseline in mean body weight of 5.0 kg, predominantly from body fat mass. CONCLUSION: After 12 weeks' treatment, ad libitum energy intake was substantially lower with semaglutide versus placebo with a corresponding loss of body weight observed with semaglutide. In addition to reduced energy intake, likely mechanisms for semaglutide-induced weight loss included less appetite and food cravings, better control of eating and lower relative preference for fatty, energy-dense foods

Computing stationary free-surface shapes in microfluidics

A finite-element algorithm for computing free-surface flows driven by arbitrary body forces is presented. The algorithm is primarily designed for the microfluidic parameter range where (i) the Reynolds number is small and (ii) force-driven pressure and flow fields compete with the surface tension for the shape of a stationary free surface. The free surface shape is represented by the boundaries of finite elements that move according to the stress applied by the adjacent fluid. Additionally, the surface tends to minimize its free energy and by that adapts its curvature to balance the normal stress at the surface. The numerical approach consists of the iteration of two alternating steps: The solution of a fluidic problem in a prescribed domain with slip boundary conditions at the free surface and a consecutive update of the domain driven by the previously determined pressure and velocity fields. ...Comment: Revised versio