3,439 research outputs found
A review of Australian approaches for monitoring, assessing and reporting estuarine condition: III. Evaluation against international best practice and recommendations for the future
In this final component of a three-part review, we present a national synthesis and evaluation of approaches for monitoring, assessing and reporting estuarine condition across Australia. Progress is evaluated against objective criteria that together provide a model of international best practice. We critically assess the limitations, inconsistencies and gaps that are evident across Australian jurisdictions, and identify common obstacles to future progress. Major strengths and successes are also highlighted, together with specific examples of best practice from around Australia that are transferable to other States and beyond. Significant obstacles to greater national coordination of monitoring and reporting practices include inconsistent spatial scales of management, pluralistic governance structures and the lack of any overarching legislation. Nonetheless, many perceptible advances have been made over the last decade across Australia in estuarine monitoring and health assessment, and there is great potential for further progress. Finally, we provide a list of recommendations to address some of the most pressing limitations and gaps, and support improved future monitoring, assessment and reporting for Australian estuaries
A review of Australian approaches for monitoring, assessing and reporting estuarine condition: I. International context and evaluation criteria
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd Given the immeasurable value of estuaries and their severe and growing pressures, sound understanding and reporting of estuarine condition is essential for their effective management and sustainable development. In light of this, we aim to provide a timely and comprehensive three-part review of the approaches currently employed for monitoring, assessing and reporting estuarine condition, focussing on Australian systems. Here, in Part 1, we establish the national and international context of our review and define globally-relevant evaluation criteria against which to assess Australian progress. We achieve this by examining effective monitoring, assessment and reporting programs from around the world and characterising âbest practiceâ. We then highlight the Australian historical context and consider recent policies, frameworks, guidelines and legislation relating to the monitoring and reporting of estuarine condition nationwide
First description of myxozoans from Syria: novel records of hexactinomyxon, triactinomyxon and endocapsa actinospore types
Oligochaete worms collected in late March and early April 2005 from 3
freshwater biotopes in Syria were surveyed over an 11 wk period for
myxosporean parasites (Myxozoa). Three types of novel actinospore
stages were identified from 1 host species, Psammoryctides albicola. A
hexactinomyxon was found in 6 P. albicola (7.5%) collected from a
branch of the River Orontes, north of the city of Hama. A
triactinomyxon and an endocapsa were found in single P. albicola
specimens from the Al-Thaurah region of the Euphrates River (Lake
Assad). No oligochaetes collected from Al-Ghab fish farm (Orontes
region) released actinospores during the observation period. The
present study is the first description of myxosporeans, including
actinospore stages, from Syria. The 3 types described herein differ
morphologically and molecularly (18S rDNA) from published records
Probabilistic soil moisture projections to assess Great Britain's future clay-related subsidence hazard
Clay-related subsidence is Great Britainâs (GB) most damaging soil-related geohazard, costing the economy up to ÂŁ500 million per annum. Soil-related geohazard models based on mineralogy and potential soil moisture deficit (PSMD) derived from historic weather data have been used in risk management since the 1990s. United Kingdom Climate Projections (UKCP09) suggest that regions of GB will experience hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters through to 2050. As a result, PSMD fluctuations are expected to increase, exacerbating the shrinkage and swelling of clay soils. A forward-looking approach is now required to mitigate the impacts of future climate on GBâs built environment. We present a framework for incorporating probabilistic projections of PSMD, derived from a version of the UKCP09 stochastic weather generator, into a clay subsidence model. This provides a novel, national-scale thematic model of the likelihood of clay-related subsidence, related to the top 1-1.5m soil layer, for three time periods; baseline (1961-1990), 2030 (2020-2049) and 2050 (2040-2069). Results indicate that much of GB, with the exception of upland areas, will witness significantly higher PSMDs through to the 2050âs. As a result, areas with swelling clay soils will be subject to proportionately increased subsidence hazard. South-east England will likely incur the highest hazard exposure to clay-related subsidence through to 2050. Potential impacts include increased incidence of property foundation subsidence, alongside deterioration and increased failure rates of GBâs infrastructure networks. Future clay-subsidence hazard scenarios provide benefit to many sectors, including: finance, central and local government, residential property markets, utilities and infrastructure operators.EPSR
Soil geohazard mapping for improved asset management of UK local roads
Unclassified roads comprise 60% of the road network
in the United Kingdom (UK). The resilience of this locally
important network is declining. It is considered by the
Institution of Civil Engineers to be âat riskâ and is ranked
26th in the world. Many factors contribute to the degradation
and ultimate failure of particular road sections. However,
several UK local authorities have identified that in drought
conditions, road sections founded upon shrinkâswell susceptible
clay soils undergo significant deterioration compared
with sections on non-susceptible soils. This arises from the
local road network having little, if any, structural foundations.
Consequently, droughts in East Anglia have resulted
in millions of pounds of damage, leading authorities to seek
emergency governmental funding.
This paper assesses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments
in providing soil-informed maintenance strategies
for the asset management of the locally important road network
of the UK. A case study draws upon the UK administrative
county of Lincolnshire, where road assessment data have
been analysed against mapped clay-subsidence risk. This reveals
a statistically significant relationship between road condition
and susceptible clay soils. Furthermore, incorporation
of UKCP09 future climate projections within the geohazard
models has highlighted roads likely to be at future risk of
clay-related subsidence
Enhanced visualization of the flat landscape of the Cambridgeshire Fenlands
The Fenlands of East Anglia, England, represent a subtle landscape, where topographic highs rarely exceed 30 m above sea level. However, the fens represent an almost full sequence of Quaternary deposits which, together with islands of Cretaceous and Jurassic outcrops, make the area of geological importance. This feature discusses the advantages of using 3D visualization coupled with high-resolution topographical data, over traditional 2D techniques, when undertaking an analysis of the landscape. Conclusions suggest that the use of 3D visualization will result in a higher level of engagement, particularly when communicating geological information to a wider public
Against Prevailing Currents: The History of Them Days Magazine in Labrador
For more than four decades, Them Days magazine has portrayed Labradorians in their own words through publishing a quarterly periodical and multiple books about Labrador as well as creating a public archive. This article will focus on the historical aspects of the magazineâs inception and the challenges its creators faced as they built a storehouse of Labrador narratives that would represent the cultures that make Labrador unique and document a way of life considered to be in precipitous decline. It will also discuss how individuals, peoples, and even magazines must continually negotiate their identities through power relations in a settler-colonial state.Depuis plus de quatre dĂ©cennies, la revue Them Days dĂ©peint les gens du Labrador dans leurs propres mots grĂące Ă la publication dâun numĂ©ro trimestriel et de nombreux livres sur le Labrador, ainsi quâĂ la crĂ©ation dâun fonds dâarchives publiques. Cet article sâintĂ©resse principalement aux aspects historiques de la fondation de la revue et aux dĂ©fis que ses fondateurs ont dĂ» relever pour construire un stock de rĂ©cits du Labrador qui reprĂ©senteraient les cultures qui font lâoriginalitĂ© du Labrador et qui documenteraient un mode de vie considĂ©rĂ© comme en dĂ©clin rapide. Il examine Ă©galement comment les individus, les peuples et mĂȘme les revues doivent continuellement nĂ©gocier leur identitĂ© Ă travers des rapports de force dans un Ătat de peuplement colonial
Fifty Years of Innovation in Plastic Surgery
© 2016 The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.Background Innovation has molded the current landscape of plastic surgery. However, documentation of this process only exists scattered throughout the literature as individual articles. The few attempts made to profile innovation in plastic surgery have been narrative, and therefore qualitative and inherently biased. Through the implementation of a novel innovation metric, this work aims to identify and characterise the most prevalent innovations in plastic surgery over the last 50 years. Methods Patents and publications related to plastic surgery (1960 to 2010) were retrieved from patent and MEDLINE databases, respectively. The most active patent codes were identified and grouped into technology areas, which were subsequently plotted graphically against publication data. Expert-derived technologies outside of the top performing patents areas were additionally explored. Results Between 1960 and 2010, 4,651 patents and 43,118 publications related to plastic surgery were identified. The most active patent codes were grouped under reconstructive prostheses, implants, instruments, non-invasive techniques, and tissue engineering. Of these areas and other expert-derived technologies, those currently undergoing growth include surgical instruments, implants, non-invasive practices, transplantation and breast surgery. Innovations related to microvascular surgery, liposuction, tissue engineering, lasers and prostheses have all plateaued. Conclusions The application of a novel metric for evaluating innovation quantitatively outlines the natural history of technologies fundamental to the evolution of plastic surgery. Analysis of current innovation trends provides some insight into which technology domains are the most active
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