18 research outputs found

    Southern Hemisphere sea-surface temperatures during the Cenomanian-Turonian:Implications for the termination of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

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    Mesozoic oceanic anoxic events (OAEs) were major perturbations of the Earth system, associated with high CO2 concentrations in the oceans and atmosphere, high temperatures, and widespread organic-carbon burial. Models for explaining OAEs and other similar phenomena in Earth history make specific predictions about the role and pattern of temperature change, which can be tested through comparison with the geological record. Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2) occurred ~94 m.y. ago and is commonly considered as the type example of an OAE. However, temperature change during this event is constrained largely from Northern Hemisphere sites. In order to understand whether such records represent global patterns, we use an organic geochemical paleothermometer (TEX86) to provide the first detailed Cenomanian–Turonian record of paleotemperatures from the Southern Hemisphere (Ocean Drilling Program Site 1138; paleolatitude of ~47°S). Consideration of this record, Northern Hemisphere records, and general circulation model simulations suggests that global temperatures peaked during OAE 2 but remained high into the early Turonian due to elevated CO2. These results suggest that the burial of organic carbon during the whole of OAE 2 did not, of itself, lead to global cooling and that CO2 remained high into the early Turonian. This climatic evolution suggests that cooling was not the driving mechanism for the termination of OAE 2 and that cessation of widespread anoxic conditions required changes in other factors, such as sea levels, the availability of easily weathered silicate rocks, and/or nutrient sequestration in black shales

    Nesta Pain, the entangled media producer.

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    The Entangled Media Histories approach to media historiography has produced new approaches to the practice of media history. The main emphasis in the entangled approach is on transnational and transmedial analysis but there is also an interest in the ‘cultural translator’, an individual who expresses cross-border or cross-boundary entanglement through their professional work. Such a person is the twentieth century BBC producer, Nesta Pain (1905 – 1995) whose career began during the Second World War when she contributed to the ‘Projection of Britain’ for the Overseas Service. Her reputation was made immediately after the end of the war at the time when the Features Department was separated from Drama and the innovative Third Programme was established. Nesta Pain utilised these new opportunities to create highly imaginative cross-genre radio features and especially those dealing with science. She made a major contribution to science education and the popularising of science but at the same time was also a budding radio drama producer. She produced John Mortimer’s Prix Italia winning ‘The Dock Brief’ and her adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’ was ground-breaking. Nesta Pain showed it was possible to ignore the entrenched boundaries of the BBC; gender, departmental and genre as well as the gulf between radio and television and represents an important example of the ‘cultural translator’

    Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

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    Background Improving survival and extending the longevity of life for all populations requires timely, robust evidence on local mortality levels and trends. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study (GBD 2015) provides a comprehensive assessment of all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1980 to 2015. These results informed an in-depth investigation of observed and expected mortality patterns based on sociodemographic measures. Methods We estimated all-cause mortality by age, sex, geography, and year using an improved analytical approach originally developed for GBD 2013 and GBD 2010. Improvements included refinements to the estimation of child and adult mortality and corresponding uncertainty, parameter selection for under-5 mortality synthesis by spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, and sibling history data processing. We also expanded the database of vital registration, survey, and census data to 14 294 geography-year datapoints. For GBD 2015, eight causes, including Ebola virus disease, were added to the previous GBD cause list for mortality. We used six modelling approaches to assess cause-specific mortality, with the Cause of Death Ensemble Model (CODEm) generating estimates for most causes. We used a series of novel analyses to systematically quantify the drivers of trends in mortality across geographies. First, we assessed observed and expected levels and trends of cause-specific mortality as they relate to the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary indicator derived from measures of income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. Second, we examined factors affecting total mortality patterns through a series of counterfactual scenarios, testing the magnitude by which population growth, population age structures, and epidemiological changes contributed to shifts in mortality. Finally, we attributed changes in life expectancy to changes in cause of death. We documented each step of the GBD 2015 estimation processes, as well as data sources, in accordance with Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting (GATHER). Findings Globally, life expectancy from birth increased from 61.7 years (95% uncertainty interval 61.4-61.9) in 1980 to 71.8 years (71.5-72.2) in 2015. Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa had very large gains in life expectancy from 2005 to 2015, rebounding from an era of exceedingly high loss of life due to HIV/AIDS. At the same time, many geographies saw life expectancy stagnate or decline, particularly for men and in countries with rising mortality from war or interpersonal violence. From 2005 to 2015, male life expectancy in Syria dropped by 11.3 years (3.7-17.4), to 62.6 years (56.5-70.2). Total deaths increased by 4.1% (2.6-5.6) from 2005 to 2015, rising to 55.8 million (54.9 million to 56.6 million) in 2015, but age-standardised death rates fell by 17.0% (15.8-18.1) during this time, underscoring changes in population growth and shifts in global age structures. The result was similar for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with total deaths from these causes increasing by 14.1% (12.6-16.0) to 39.8 million (39.2 million to 40.5 million) in 2015, whereas age-standardised rates decreased by 13.1% (11.9-14.3). Globally, this mortality pattern emerged for several NCDs, including several types of cancer, ischaemic heart disease, cirrhosis, and Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. By contrast, both total deaths and age-standardised death rates due to communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional conditions significantly declined from 2005 to 2015, gains largely attributable to decreases in mortality rates due to HIV/AIDS (42.1%, 39.1-44.6), malaria (43.1%, 34.7-51.8), neonatal preterm birth complications (29.8%, 24.8-34.9), and maternal disorders (29.1%, 19.3-37.1). Progress was slower for several causes, such as lower respiratory infections and nutritional deficiencies, whereas deaths increased for others, including dengue and drug use disorders. Age-standardised death rates due to injuries significantly declined from 2005 to 2015, yet interpersonal violence and war claimed increasingly more lives in some regions, particularly in the Middle East. In 2015, rotaviral enteritis (rotavirus) was the leading cause of under-5 deaths due to diarrhoea (146 000 deaths, 118 000-183 000) and pneumococcal pneumonia was the leading cause of under-5 deaths due to lower respiratory infections (393 000 deaths, 228 000-532 000), although pathogen-specific mortality varied by region. Globally, the effects of population growth, ageing, and changes in age-standardised death rates substantially differed by cause. Our analyses on the expected associations between cause-specific mortality and SDI show the regular shifts in cause of death composition and population age structure with rising SDI. Country patterns of premature mortality (measured as years of life lost [YLLs]) and how they differ from the level expected on the basis of SDI alone revealed distinct but highly heterogeneous patterns by region and country or territory. Ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes were among the leading causes of YLLs in most regions, but in many cases, intraregional results sharply diverged for ratios of observed and expected YLLs based on SDI. Communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases caused the most YLLs throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with observed YLLs far exceeding expected YLLs for countries in which malaria or HIV/AIDS remained the leading causes of early death. Interpretation At the global scale, age-specific mortality has steadily improved over the past 35 years; this pattern of general progress continued in the past decade. Progress has been faster in most countries than expected on the basis of development measured by the SDI. Against this background of progress, some countries have seen falls in life expectancy, and age-standardised death rates for some causes are increasing. Despite progress in reducing age-standardised death rates, population growth and ageing mean that the number of deaths from most non-communicable causes are increasing in most countries, putting increased demands on health systems. Copyright (C) The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

    Rumen Development of Artificially-Reared Lambs Exposed to Three Different Rearing Regimens

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    The objective of this study was to examine the effect of three different rearing regimens on rumen development in lambs reared artificially. Romney ram lambs were randomly allocated to one of three treatments: commercial milk replacer fed to 57 d of age and high fibre concentrate pellets (HFP57); commercial milk replacer, high fibre concentrate pellets, and early weaning from milk replacer at 42 d of age (HFP42); high protein milk replacer from 2–16 d of age followed by commercial milk replacer, low fibre concentrate pellets, and early weaning from milk replacer at 42 d of age (LFP42). Lambs were slaughtered at 57 d of age. Volatile fatty acid content in rumen fluid at slaughter was analysed and rumen tissue samples were collected for histological examination. The rumen n-butyric content was greater (p < 0.05) in both LFP42 and HFP42 treatment lambs compared to HFP57 lambs. The n-valeric content was greater (p < 0.05) in LFP42 lambs compared to both HFP57 and HFP42 treatment lambs. Thickness of the rumen dorsal wall determined by ultrasound scanning at 49 d was greater (p < 0.05) in both HFP42 and LFP42 lambs compared to HFP57 lambs. There was an interaction (p < 0.05) between treatment and site of rumen tissue sampling on papillae width, density, and rumen muscular layer thickness. Collectively, early weaning and the provision of a low fibre pellet leads to improved rumen function and physical development

    Growth and Body Composition of Artificially-Reared Lambs Exposed to Three Different Rearing Regimens

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    This study was designed to investigate the influence of pellet fibre level, milk replacer composition and age at weaning on growth and body composition of lambs reared artificially. Romney ram lambs were randomly allocated to one of three rearing treatments; HFP57: commercial milk replacer to 57 days of age, and high fibre concentrate pellets; HFP42: commercial milk replacer with early weaning at 42 days of age, and high fibre concentrate pellets; LFP42: high protein milk replacer from 2–16 days of age followed by commercial milk replacer with early weaning at 42 days of age, and low fibre concentrate pellets. Lambs were slaughtered at 57 days of age. Overall average daily liveweight gain of lambs did not differ (p > 0.05) between treatments. Dressing out percentage, carcass weight, empty small intestine and omental fat were higher (p < 0.05) in HFP57 than in both HFP42 and LFP42 lambs. HFP42 and LFP42 lambs had heavier (p < 0.05) empty rumen weights. Whole body protein content was higher (p < 0.05) in HFP42 lambs compared to both HFP57 and LFP42 lambs. Fat content and daily fat deposition were greater (p < 0.05) in HFP57 lambs than HFP42 and LFP42 lambs. Weaning lambs at 42 days of age with provision of either low or high fibre concentrate pellets, resulted in similar growth rates, reduced whole body fat deposition and was a more cost-effective rearing regimen

    Additional file 6: Table S7. of Functional development of the adult ovine mammary gland—insights from gene expression profiling

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    Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enriched in the ovine mammary gland during late pregnancy. Table S8: Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enriched in the ovine mammary gland during lactation. (XLSX 38 kb

    Increased Dietary Protein to Energy Ratio in Pre-Weaning Lambs Increases Average Daily Gain and Cortical Bone Thickness in the Tibia

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    The objective of this study was to examine if diets differing in crude protein (CP) to metabolizable energy (ME) ratio (CP:ME) pre-weaning altered peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) measures of bone mass and strength in lambs. The left hind leg of lambs were available at the completion of a trial designed to examine the effect that altering the CP:ME ratio in milk replacer had on growth and body composition of pre-weaned lambs reared artificially. Treatments consisted of either normal commercial milk replacer (CMR, n = 10) containing 240 g/kg CP and 21.89 MJ/kg ME, high protein milk replacer (HPM, n = 9) containing CMR with additional milk protein concentrate to reach 478.7 g/kg CP and 19.15 MJ/kg ME or a mix of normal milk replacer and milk protein concentrate adjusted twice-weekly to match optimal CP:ME requirements (MB, n = 8) based on maintenance plus 300 g/d liveweight gain. At 22 kg live weight, lambs were euthanized and the tibia including the surrounding muscle was collected and scanned using pQCT at the mid-diaphysis. Lambs on the HPM and MB diets had a greater average daily gain (p < 0.01). There were limited differences in bone morphology and muscle mass, though notably the higher protein diets (MB and HPM) were associated with greater cortical thickness (p < 0.05) and, therefore, potentially greater peak bone mass at maturity This finding demonstrates that pre-weaning diets, and the protein content in particular, may influence the developmental potential of long bones and attainment of peak bone mass at maturity
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