Mapping the optical absorption of a substrate-transferred crystalline AlGaAs coating at 1.5 µm

The sensitivity of 2nd and 3rd generations of interferometric gravitational wave detectors will be limited by thermal noise of the test-mass mirrors and highly reflective coatings. Recently developed crystalline coatings show a promising thermal noise reduction compared to presently used amorphous coatings. However, stringent requirements apply to the optical properties of the coatings as well. We have mapped the optical absorption of a crystalline AlGaAs coating which is optimized for high reflectivity for a wavelength of 1064nm. The absorption was measured at 1550nm where the coating stack transmits approximately 70% of the laser light. The measured absorption was lower than (30.2 +/- 11.1)ppm which is equivalent to (3.6 +/- 1.3)ppm for a coating stack that is highly reflective at 1530nm. While this is a very promising low absorption result for alternative low--loss coating materials, further work will be necessary to reach the requirements of <1ppm for future gravitational wave detectors. Jessica Steinlechner, Iain W Martin, Angus Bell, Garrett Cole, Jim Hough, Steven Penn, Sheila Rowan, Sebastian Steinlechne

Seafood Foresight: From Managing Information to Facilitating Intelligence

With growing concern over sustainable production, consumption and food security, new risks and uncertainties are emerging for the seafood industry. These arise from diverse sources and multiple levels, including supplies availability, market drivers, NGO pressures, regulation etc. In the face of this, our traditional means of establishing ‚what is going on, (periodic forays into industry activity in the form of specific projects) often come up short. These may be suited to stable contexts and simple problems, but seem ill suited to the complex ‚ messes‚ that often characterise these new dynamic challenges facing the seafood industry. The recognition of wicked problems, and appreciating the world as complex dynamic systems in which local contexts are socially constructed, pose the question‚ how is appropriate industry action supported where practices are complex and dynamic? This paper explores this question by reviewing the experience of collaborative working across UK seafood, examining North East Scotland and the Humber region as particular cases experiencing issues of supplies availability. It explores the role of shared narrative as a means of capturing lessons learned and shared understanding in dynamic contexts. It considers the potential in communities of practice, as partially nested learning systems, for providing soft infrastructure enabling shared intelligence across networks. Implications for supporting organisations are highlighted. Finally, examining seafood as communities of practice provides the grounding for a seafood foresight programme of engaged research. Such a programme concerns long term frameworks to facilitate the evolution of shared understanding in key seafood systems on a systematic basis.Keywords: Fisheries Economics, Where Management and Marketing Meet, Fisheries Managemen

Sustainability: Implications for UK Seafood Processors

This paper considers the implications of the sustainability agenda for seafood processors in the UK. A systems approach, using the value chain system as the conceptual framework, is adopted to capture the multifaceted and often subjective nature of ‘sustainability’ and accommodate the changing nature of competitive advantage. It is concluded that, for processors, sustainability means judging seafood not just on price and overall physical quality but on a range of other non-price factors. In responding to the sustainability agenda, UK processors can either pursue offensive or defensive strategies. Strategies should be based on an understanding of the issues in the context of the entire industry chain as success will be dependent on all actors getting it right. Finally the paper considers two contrasting case studies to illustrate the recent experience of UK industry in its handling of the sustainability agenda and concludes that strategies which involve actors across the supply chain appear more robust

Seafood Foresight: From Managing Information to Facilitating Intelligence

With growing concern over sustainable production, consumption and food security, new risks and uncertainties are emerging for the seafood industry. These arise from diverse sources and multiple levels, including supplies availability, market drivers, NGO pressures, regulation etc. In the face of this, our traditional means of establishing ‚what is going on, (periodic forays into industry activity in the form of specific projects) often come up short. These may be suited to stable contexts and simple problems, but seem ill suited to the complex ‚ messes‚ that often characterise these new dynamic challenges facing the seafood industry. The recognition of wicked problems, and appreciating the world as complex dynamic systems in which local contexts are socially constructed, pose the question‚ how is appropriate industry action supported where practices are complex and dynamic? This paper explores this question by reviewing the experience of collaborative working across UK seafood, examining North East Scotland and the Humber region as particular cases experiencing issues of supplies availability. It explores the role of shared narrative as a means of capturing lessons learned and shared understanding in dynamic contexts. It considers the potential in communities of practice, as partially nested learning systems, for providing soft infrastructure enabling shared intelligence across networks. Implications for supporting organisations are highlighted. Finally, examining seafood as communities of practice provides the grounding for a seafood foresight programme of engaged research. Such a programme concerns long term frameworks to facilitate the evolution of shared understanding in key seafood systems on a systematic basis.Keywords: Markets & Trade, Fisheries Economics, Where Management and Marketing Mee

Credit Crunch: Implications for Uk Seafood Processors

The credit crunch has had a dramatic effect within the seafood industry. Recent years saw a buoyant UK economy with increasing sales of chilled seafood material and a growing interest in sustainability. Credit tightening and declining consumer confidence has placed pressures on these trends. This is unlikely to be reversed in the near future and raises questions over how seafood processors balance the requirements of sustainability in a cost conscious environment. As part of the Seafish range of strategic studies, this study set out to consider the implications of the credit crunch for UK seafood processors. A systems approach was adopted with value chain and life-cycle concepts used as the study framework. This allowed the range of competitive pressures within seafood to be described. Drawing on primary and secondary research sources, the study sought to capture how the credit crunch affected customers, processors and suppliers and how the behaviour of these actors reverberates through the industry system. Findings suggest the industry is exposed to a widening set of risk factors, and the credit crunch exacerbates this. Different strategies can be pursued as a response, depending on context. Large processors may be more oriented towards lean and cost control, small and medium sized processors may be more agile but struggle to contain costs. Both have advantages and disadvantages and these may be exposed depending on future global conditions. Future scenarios are identified: a price focussed world (continued recession) and a price plus sustainability world (recovery) to understand relative strengths and weaknesses.Keywords: Fisheries Economics, Markets and Trad

Yellowfin Tuna: A Global and Uk Supply Chain Analysis

Introduction Tuna is one of the worlds most traded and sought after species of fish. The global tuna market is worth in the region of $6billion and annual catch volumes of around 4 million tonnes. The tuna supply chain is global and it is broad and complex involving multiple stakeholders. There are a wide range of different factors affecting tuna supply chains and driving stakeholder behaviour in the chain. Objective The paper aims to identify key developments and options for UK based suppliers and processors of tuna. Methods This paper draws on primary based research with UK processors alongside secondary research in order to understand and characterise the different aspects of tuna supply chains. The paper provides an overview of the main tuna supply routes including catching, trading and processing activities and the main consumption patterns. For each of these parts of the chain we identified a range of environmental/market factors. A key factor was international trade rules which have a significant impact upon the tuna trade. This paper also provides an overview of the key consumption areas of Japan, USA and the EU and an analysis of the UK market. Results The findings suggest that there are a number of areas of risk for UK tuna processors and suppliers. Amongst these are international trade agreements, trading conditions and trade data deficiencies. Declining stocks and pressure on these stocks, particularly from the tuna canning industry, is another key risk. The paper recommends that to reduce their exposure to these risks UK processors and suppliers should: review the above developments and identify key risk areas; identify opportunities to influence and so mitigate risk areas; and agree possible stakeholder actions.Keywords: Markets and Trade, Fisheries EconomicsKeywords: Markets and Trade, Fisheries Economic

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

Insight into real-world complexities is required to enable effective response from the aquaculture sector to climate change

This study demonstrates how a comprehensive knowledge base can be used by the aquaculture industry, researchers, and policymakers as a foundation for more targeted and detailed climate change impact analysis, risk assessments and adaptation planning. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) production in Norway was used as a case study and to illustrate the need to consider impacts from multiple stressors across different production stages and the wider supply chain. Based on literature searches and industry news, a total of 45 impacts and 101 adaptation responses were identified. Almost all impacts were linked to multiple climate stressors, and many adaptation responses can be used for a range of impacts. Based on the research, a move towards more targeted and detailed assessments is recommended. This can be facilitated through a strong knowledge base, further research to address complexities, and better communication between all stakeholders. The results also demonstrate the need for more climate change research that reflects the challenges that the aquaculture sector faces, where multiple stressors and the range of impacts across production stages and the wider supply chain are included. Highlighting the wide range of stressors, impacts and adaptation responses provides a more holistic understanding of the real-world complexities that aquaculture producers face. This again could facilitate adoption of more effective responses to climate change needed to maintain or increase production sustainably