Prioritising biosecurity investment between protecting agricultural and environmental systems

This paper is motivated by the observation that there is a difference between the time paths of damage valuations for invasions which affect agricultural compared with environmental systems. In particular, unlike agricultural systems, studies have shown that the social valuation of an environmental system is likely to be exponentially positively related to the extent of its deterioration. This paper explores the implications of this difference in determining biosecurity investment priorities. It is concluded that because of this difference an environmental system will often not be prioritised for such protection over an agricultural system even though its ultimate social value exceeds that of the agricultural system

A catchment-based study of endocrine disruption in surface waters: multivariate evaluation of the health of a sentinel fish species exposed to sewage treatment works effluent

Summary of the results in the context of EDCAT 5 project aims: 1. By comparing appropriate biomarkers in fish sampled from STW-impacted sites and control sites during the pre-remediation period, to determine whether there was evidence for any effects that might be attributed to the presence of estrogenic (or androgenic, or anti-androgenic/-estrogenic) endocrine disrupting chemicals in the former. This aim was addressed by measuring concentrations of the estrogen-dependent yolk protein precursor vitellogenin, and the androgen-dependent nest glue spiggin in male and female sticklebacks. In addition histological examination of the gonadal structure of fish captured at the impacted and non-impacted sites was employed to seek evidence of overt alterations in reproductive physiology of the fish. For a subset of matched samples from the two rivers, the relative induction of hepatic choriogenin mRNA, a biomarker of estrogen exposure, was measured. Conclusions: Chemistry data provided by EDCAT3&4 showed that estrogenicity of the effluent was low prior to remediation and lower still following installation of the GAC plant. No evidence of overt estrogenic effects was detected in male sticklebacks in the Ray, VTG and ChG levels were similar in males from both rivers. Nor was there any evidence of alterations in spiggin concentrations in the kidneys of males from the Ray compared to the Ock. However, VTG concentrations in female sticklebacks from the Ray were increased following the STW upgrade as were hepatic ChG transcript levels, and kidney spiggin concentrations. No changes in these elements of the reproductive system were observed in females from the Ock across the same time periods. Chemical analysis of the effluent indicated that prior to installation of the GAC plant substantial concentrations of anti-androgenic chemicals were present, together with a wide range of other organics. Concentrations of these were much reduced following the plant upgrade. It is reasonable to suppose that the changes observed in the female reproductive endocrine system following the upgrade were related to the removal of some or all of this complex mixture of chemicals. The absence of effects in males may be related to the balance between exogenous and endogenous signals, or to the specificity of effects exerted by the chemicals present. No intersex fish were detected from either river. A significant bias in favour of females was detected in the stickleback populations in both rivers suggesting a factor associated with life-history of the fish, rather than contaminant burden, was responsible. 2. By comparing appropriate biomarkers in fish sampled from STW-impacted sites and control sites during the pre-remediation period, to determine whether there was evidence for any effects that might be attributed to the presence of “conventionally” toxic chemicals. This was addressed by measurement of the activity of a key Phase I transforming enzyme in the liver of fish, either using direct enzymatic assay (EROD) or by quantifying the levels of expression of the corresponding gene (CYP1A). Conclusions: EROD activity was significantly greater in fish from the Ray than the Ock in two samples collected prior to the installation of the GAC plant (2006, 2007) and this likely reflects the differential contaminant loading in the two rivers. A single sample following the commissioning of the GAC plant (2008) indicated that EROD activity had increased among fish from the Ock while that in fish from the Ray remained unchanged. While a delayed recovery of this biomarker in fish from the Ray may be expected depending on the route of exposure (direct via water or indirect via contaminated food) the reasons for elevated EROD activity in fish from the Ock/Childrey Brook are not immediately evident. Provision of a full data set for Cyp1A expression awaits the repeat of the assay. When this is complete the factors underlying the EROD findings may become clear. 3. To determine whether the adaptive capacity and energetic status of fish varied between the STW-impacted and non-impacted sites. This was addressed by measurement of indicators of stress (whole-body corticosteroid levels), metabolic status (whole-body glucose levels) and anabolic activity (RNA:DNA ratios). Conclusions: The data provide no evidence that the stress response of fish captured in the Ray prior to installation of the GAC plant was modified by exposure to the effluent. However, large variations in whole-body corticosteroid and glucose concentrations in fish from both rivers, with clear trends over time, were closely linked to perturbations in the river flow regime. Whether there was interaction between environmental and chemical factors in determining corticosteroid and glucose status is difficult to discern but it seems likely that variation in these indicators of the stress axis was driven primarily by environmental factors. The RNA:DNA ratios were closely linked with seasonal change in temperature and closely matched observed patterns of weight and length gain in stickleback populations in the two rivers. The longer growth period enjoyed by fish in the Ray was clearly evident. For both rivers, mean anabolic activity was greater during 2008 than 2007 and it seems likely that this is related to adverse effects associated with the periods of extreme flow change observed on both rivers in 2007. 4. To assess whether there were differences in population size and structure between STW-impacted and non-impacted sites. This was addressed by comparison of key somatic measures, in particular frequency distributions for fork length. Conclusions: Because of the extreme patchiness of the distribution of stickleback populations in both rivers accurate abundance estimates were not obtained. However, the catch per unit effort across the life of the project was similar for both rivers. While population size, and age structure (both rivers hosted annual populations), appeared to be similar fish in the Ray were overall larger than those from the Ock, and spawned earlier. The differences in growth and timing of spawning between the rivers were likely to have been associated with the Rodbourne STW effluent. Downstream of the discharge on the Ray water temperatures were consistently 2 – 3oC above those of the Ock. This temperature difference, in combination with the introduction of additional nutrients into the river which is likely to have affected the availaibility of food, probably accounts for the different growth profile among the sticklebacks in the two rivers. However, over and above this difference, there was a significant increase in size of sticklebacks in the Ray between the matched pre- and post-remediation periods in the Ray while no change in size of the fish in the Ock occurred during the same period. Similarly, the RNA:DNA ratio was higher in fish from the Ock during 2007 but greater in fish from the Ray during 2008. Taken together, these observations suggest that there was an improvement in the status of the fish in the Ray following the commissioning of the GAC plant, while the population in the Ock remained relatively stable. It is reasonable to suppose that this may be linked to the reduction of the chemical load entering the Ray at Rodbourne following the installation of the GAC plant. The Ray is “cleaner” now than was the case prior to remediation but remains nutrient rich and several degrees warmer than the Ock, this combination of factors providing fish in the Ray with greater scope for growth relative to populations in the Ock

Blackcurrant Alters Physiological Responses and Femoral Artery Diameter During Sustained Isometric Contraction

Blackcurrant is rich in anthocyanins that may affect exercise-induced physiological responses. We examined tissue oxygen saturation, muscle activity, cardiovascular responses and femoral artery diameter during a submaximal sustained isometric contraction. In a randomised, double-blind, crossover design, healthy men (n = 13, age: 25 ± 4 years, BMI: 25 ± 3 kg·m−2, mean ± SD) ingested New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract (600 mg·day−1 CurraNZ™) or placebo (PL) for 7-days separated by 14-days washout. Participants produced isometric maximal voluntary contractions (iMVC) and a 120-s 30%iMVC of the quadriceps with electromyography (EMG), near-infrared spectroscopy, hemodynamic and ultrasound recordings. There was no effect of NZBC extract on iMVC (NZBC: 654 ± 73, PL: 650 ± 78 N). During the 30%iMVC with NZBC extract, total peripheral resistance, systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure were lower with increased cardiac output and stroke volume. With NZBC extract, EMG root mean square of the vastus medialis and muscle oxygen saturation were lower with higher total haemoglobin. During the 30%iMVC, femoral artery diameter was increased with NZBC extract at 30 (6.9%), 60 (8.2%), 90 (7.7%) and 120 s (6.0%). Intake of NZBC extract for 7-days altered cardiovascular responses, muscle oxygen saturation, muscle activity and femoral artery diameter during a 120-s 30%iMVC of the quadriceps. The present study provides insight into the potential mechanisms for enhanced exercise performance with intake of blackcurrant

Hyperfunctional complement C3 promotes C5-dependent atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome in mice

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is frequently associated in humans with loss-of-function mutations in complement-regulating proteins or gain-of-function mutations in complement-activating proteins. Thus, aHUS provides an archetypal complement-mediated disease with which to model new therapeutic strategies and treatments. Herein, we show that, when transferred to mice, an aHUS-associated gain-of-function change (D1115N) to the complement-activation protein C3 results in aHUS. Homozygous C3 p.D1115N (C3KI) mice developed spontaneous chronic thrombotic microangiopathy together with hematuria, thrombocytopenia, elevated creatinine, and evidence of hemolysis. Mice with active disease had reduced plasma C3 with C3 fragment and C9 deposition within the kidney. Therapeutic blockade or genetic deletion of C5, a protein downstream of C3 in the complement cascade, protected homozygous C3KI mice from thrombotic microangiopathy and aHUS. Thus, our data provide in vivo modeling evidence that gain-of-function changes in complement C3 drive aHUS. They also show that long-term C5 deficiency is not accompanied by development of other renal complications (such as C3 glomerulopathy) despite sustained dysregulation of C3. Our results suggest that this preclinical model will allow testing of novel complement inhibitors with the aim of developing precisely targeted therapeutics that could have application in many complement-mediated diseases.</p

The Inverted City: London and the Constitution of Homosexuality, 1885-1914

PhDThis thesis examines the ways in which male homosexuality came to be closely associated with urban life between 1885 and 1914. It focuses on London and argues that particular aspects of the city's history and reputation were integral to the social, sexual and political aspects of emerging homosexual identities. The thesis draws on literature, sexology, the largely overlooked diaries and scrapbooks of George Ives (an early campaigner for homosexual law reform), and previously unexamined newspaper reports. The first chapter outlines changes to London during the period, and examines the intensification of concerns about poverty, degeneracy, decadence and sexual profligacy. The chapters that follow show how these changes and concerns informed understanding and expressions of homosexuality. Chapter two looks at the history of homosexuality in London, and indicates the significance of urban change in shaping patterns of behaviour. Chapter three examines legislation, the ways in which men were policed and surveyed in London, and newspaper accounts of court cases. Chapter four shows how sexology strengthened and elaborated this connection between homosexuality and the city. The last two chapters consider material written by, and explicitly or implicitly concerning, men involved in homosexual activity. Chapter five discusses how the city provided an ideal locale for a decadent understanding of desire, and the final chapter focuses on writing that attempted to counter this decadence with an appeal to Hellenism and pastoralism. It shows how the city was envisaged as a locus for the formation of political and sexual identities that might initiate a process of social change

Distributed System Contract Monitoring

The use of behavioural contracts, to specify, regulate and verify systems, is particularly relevant to runtime monitoring of distributed systems. System distribution poses major challenges to contract monitoring, from monitoring-induced information leaks to computation load balancing, communication overheads and fault-tolerance. We present mDPi, a location-aware process calculus, for reasoning about monitoring of distributed systems. We define a family of Labelled Transition Systems for this calculus, which allow formal reasoning about different monitoring strategies at different levels of abstractions. We also illustrate the expressivity of the calculus by showing how contracts in a simple contract language can be synthesised into different mDPi monitors.Comment: In Proceedings FLACOS 2011, arXiv:1109.239

Surgical fixation compared with cast immobilisation for adults with a bicortical fracture of the scaphoid waist: the SWIFFT RCT

Background: Scaphoid fractures account for 90% of carpal fractures and occur predominantly in young men. Immediate surgical fixation of this fracture has increased. Objective: To compare clinical and cost-effectiveness of surgical fixation with cast treatment and early fixation of those that fail to unite for scaphoid waist fractures in adults. Design: Multicentre, pragmatic, open-label, parallel two-arm randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation and nested qualitative study. Setting: Orthopaedic departments of 31 hospitals in England and Wales recruited from July 2013 with final follow-up in September 2017. Participants: Adults (aged ≥ 16 years), presenting within two weeks of injury with a clear bicortical fracture of the scaphoid waist on plain radiographs. Interventions: Early surgical fixation using CE marked headless compression screws. Below elbow cast immobilisation for six to ten weeks, and urgent fixation of confirmed non-union. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome and end-point was the Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) total score at 52 weeks, with a clinically relevant difference of six points. Secondary outcomes included PRWE pain and function subscales, Short Form 12-item questionnaire (SF-12), bone union, range of movement, grip strength, complications and return to work. Results: The mean age of 439 participants was 33 years, 363 were male (83%) and 269 had an undisplaced fracture (61%). The primary analysis was on 408 participants providing valid PRWE outcome data for at least one post-randomisation time-point (surgery n=203 of 219; cast n=205 of 220). There was no clinically relevant difference in the total PRWE at 52 weeks: cast group mean 14.0 [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.3 to 16.6] and surgery group mean 11.9 (95% CI 9.2 to 14.5); adjusted mean difference of -2.1 in favour of surgery (95% CI -5.8 to 1.6, p=0.27). Non-union rate was low (surgery group n=1; cast group n=4). Eight participants in the surgery group had 11 re-operations, and one participant in the cast group required a re-operation for non-union. The base-case economic analysis at 52 weeks found the cost of surgery was £1,295 more per patient (95% CI £1,084 to £1,504) than cast treatment. The base-case analysis of a lifetime extrapolated model confirmed that the cast treatment pathway was the most cost-effective option. The nested qualitative study identified patients desire to have a “sense of recovering” which surgeons should address at the outset. Limitation: There were 17 participants who had initial cast treatment and surgery for confirmed non-union, 14 within six months from randomisation and three after six months. Three of four participants in the cast group, who had a non-union at 52 weeks, were not offered surgery. Conclusions: Adult patients with an undisplaced or minimally displaced scaphoid waist fracture should have cast immobilisation and suspected non-unions immediately confirmed and urgently fixed. Future work: Patients will be followed-up at five years to investigate the effect of partial union, degenerative arthritis, malunion and screw problems on their quality of life

Astro2020 Science White Paper: Triggered High-Priority Observations of Dynamic Solar System Phenomena

Unexpected dynamic phenomena have surprised solar system observers in the past and have led to important discoveries about solar system workings. Observations at the initial stages of these events provide crucial information on the physical processes at work. We advocate for long-term/permanent programs on ground-based and space-based telescopes of all sizes - including Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs) - to conduct observations of high-priority dynamic phenomena, based on a predefined set of triggering conditions. These programs will ensure that the best initial dataset of the triggering event are taken; separate additional observing programs will be required to study the temporal evolution of these phenomena. While not a comprehensive list, the following are notional examples of phenomena that are rare, that cannot be anticipated, and that provide high-impact advances to our understandings of planetary processes. Examples include: new cryovolcanic eruptions or plumes on ocean worlds; impacts on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune; extreme eruptions on Io; convective superstorms on Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune; collisions within the asteroid belt or other small-body populations; discovery of an interstellar object passing through our solar system (e.g. 'Oumuamua); and responses of planetary atmospheres to major solar flares or coronal mass ejections.Comment: Astro2020 white pape