The National Health Security Preparedness Index: National Advisory Committee Meeting

This meeting of the National Advisory Committee for the National Health Security Preparedness Index program discussed strategies for improving the theoretical framework, measures, and analytic methodologies used in assessing and comparing preparedness levels across U.S. states and the nation as a whole

Lethal microbial blooms delayed freshwater ecosystem recovery following the end-Permian extinction

Harmful algal and bacterial blooms linked to deforestation, soil loss and global warming are increasingly frequent in lakes and rivers. We demonstrate that climate changes and deforestation can drive recurrent microbial blooms, inhibiting the recovery of freshwater ecosystems for hundreds of millennia. From the stratigraphic successions of the Sydney Basin, Australia, our fossil, sedimentary and geochemical data reveal bloom events following forest ecosystem collapse during the most severe mass extinction in Earth’s history, the end- Permian event (EPE; c. 252.2 Ma). Microbial communities proliferated in lowland fresh and brackish waterbodies, with algal concentrations typical of modern blooms. These initiated before any trace of post-extinction recovery vegetation but recurred episodically for \u3e100 kyrs. During the following 3 Myrs, algae and bacteria thrived within short-lived, poorly-oxygenated, and likely toxic lakes and rivers. Comparisons to global deep-time records indicate that microbial blooms are persistent freshwater ecological stressors during warming-driven extinction events

An evaluation of Social Impact Bonds in Health and Social Care: Interim Report

This interim report describes the progress of the nine ‘Trailblazer’ projects that received funds from the Social Enterprise Investment Fund in 2013 to investigate the feasibility of setting up Social Impact Bond (SIB) projects in health and social care in England. The findings discussed in this report are based on a literature review of the SIB literature and on documentary analysis and qualitative interviews with key informants involved in UK SIB development undertaken between May and November 2014

Defending evidence informed policy making from ideological attack.

The world faces a new era of greater hostility to experts and evidence, argue Chris Bonell and colleagues. The antidote, they say, is to remind the public how evidence based policy making evolved- A nd of its advantages and limitations

Freeze casting of porous monolithic composites for hydrogen storage

Hydrogen storage by adsorption offers operational benefits over energy intensive compression techniques. Incorporating physisorption materials in compression stores could improve hydrogen capacities, reducing the volume or pressure needed for storage vessels. However, such materials are often presented as fine powders and development efforts to date have predominantly focused on improving hydrogen uptake alone. Without due attention to industry-relevant attributes, such as handling, processability, and mechanical properties it is unlikely that these materials will find commercial application. In the paper, the desirable mechanical properties of hydrogen-adsorbent PIM-1 are exploited to yield a series of composite monoliths doped with a high surface area activated carbon, intended to act as pressure vessel inserts. Freeze casting techniques were successfully adapted for use with chloroform, facilitating the production of coherent and controlled three-dimensional geometries. This included the use of an innovative elastomeric mould made by additive manufacture to allow facile adoption, with the ability to vary multiple forming factors in the future. The composite monolith formed exhibited a stiffness of 0.26 GPa, a compressive strength of 6.7 MPa, and an increased BET surface area of 847 m2 g−1 compared to PIM-1 powders, signifying the first steps towards producing hydrogen adsorbents in truly useful monolithic forms

Solvent Sorption-Induced Actuation of Composites Based on a Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity

Materials that are capable of actuation in response to a variety of external stimuli are of significant interest for applications in sensors, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. Here, we present a class of actuators using composites based on a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM). By adding an activated carbon (AX21) filler to a PIM, the composite exhibits repeatable actuation upon solvent evaporation and wetting and it is possible to achieve highly controlled three-dimensional actuation. Curled composite actuators are shown to open upon exposure to a solvent and close as a result of solvent evaporation. The degree of curling and actuation is controlled by adjusting the amount of filler and evaporation rate of the solvent casting process, while the actuation speed is controlled by adjusting the type of solvent. The range of forces and actuation speed produced by the composite is demonstrated using acetone, ethanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide as the solvent. The maximum contractile stress produced upon solvent desorption in the pure PIM polymer reached 12 MPa, with an ultimate force over 20 000 times the weight of a sample. This form of the composite actuator is insensitive to humidity and water, which makes it applicable in an aqueous environment, and can survive a wide range of temperatures. These characteristics make it a promising actuator for the diverse range of operating conditions in robotic and medical applications. The mechanism of actuation is discussed, which is based on the asymmetric distribution of the carbon filler particles that leads to a bilayer structure and the individual layers expand and contract differently in response to solvent wetting and evaporation, respectively. Finally, we demonstrate the application of the actuator as a potential drug delivery vehicle, with capacity for encapsulating two kinds of drugs and reduced drug leakage in comparison to existing technologies

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Resolving the End-Guadalupian Extinction

The transition from the middle to late Permian (Guadalupian–Lopingian) is claimed to record one or more extinction events that rival the ‘Big Five’ in terms of depletion of biological diversity and reorganization of ecosystem structure. Yet many questions remain as to whether the events recorded in separate regions were synchronous, causally related, or were of a magnitude rivaling other major crises in Earth\u27s history. In this paper, we survey some major unresolved issues related to the Guadalupian–Lopingian transition and offer a multidisciplinary approach to advance understanding of this under-appreciated biotic crisis by utilizing records in Southern Hemisphere high-palaeolatitude settings. We focus on the Bowen-Gunnedah-Sydney Basin System (BGSBS) as a prime site for analyses of biotic and physical environmental change at high palaeolatitudes in the middle and terminal Capitanian. Preliminary data suggest the likely position of the mid-Capitanian event is recorded in regressive deposits at the base of the Tomago Coal Measures (northern Sydney Basin) and around the contact between the Broughton Formation and the disconformably overlying Pheasants Nest Formation (southern Sydney Basin). Initial data suggest that the end-Capitanian event roughly correlates to the transgressive “Kulnura Marine Tongue” in the middle of the Tomago Coal Measures (northern Sydney Basin) and strata bearing dispersed, ice-rafted gravel in the Erins Vale Formation (southern Sydney Basin). Preliminary observations suggest that few plant genera or species disappeared in the transition from the Guadalupian to Lopingian, and the latter interval saw an increase in floristic diversity

Cues and knowledge structures used by mental-health professionals when making risk assessments

Background: Research into mental-health risks has tended to focus on epidemiological approaches and to consider pieces of evidence in isolation. Less is known about the particular factors and their patterns of occurrence that influence clinicians’ risk judgements in practice. Aims: To identify the cues used by clinicians to make risk judgements and to explore how these combine within clinicians’ psychological representations of suicide, self-harm, self-neglect, and harm to others. Method: Content analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews conducted with 46 practitioners from various mental-health disciplines, using mind maps to represent the hierarchical relationships of data and concepts. Results: Strong consensus between experts meant their knowledge could be integrated into a single hierarchical structure for each risk. This revealed contrasting emphases between data and concepts underpinning risks, including: reflection and forethought for suicide; motivation for self-harm; situation and context for harm to others; and current presentation for self-neglect. Conclusions: Analysis of experts’ risk-assessment knowledge identified influential cues and their relationships to risks. It can inform development of valid risk-screening decision support systems that combine actuarial evidence with clinical expertise