Spatial heterogeneity of air-sea energy fluxes over a coral reef-Heron Reef, Australia

The thermal environment of a coral reef is moderated by complex interactions of air-sea heat and moisture fluxes, local to synoptic-scale weather and reef hydrodynamics. Measurements of air-sea energy fluxes over coral reefs are essential to understanding the reef-atmosphere processes that underpin coral reef environmental conditions such as water temperature, cloud, precipitation, and local winds (such as during coral bleaching events). Such measurements over coral reefs have been rare, however, and the spatial heterogeneity of surface-atmosphere energy exchanges due to the different geomorphic and biological zones on coral reefs has not been captured. Accordingly, the heterogeneity of coral reefs with regard to substrate, benthic communities, and hydrodynamic processes has not been considered in the characterization of the surface radiation budget and energy balance of coral reefs. Here, the first concurrent in situ eddy covariance measurements of the surface energy balance and radiation transfers over different geomorphic zones of a coral reef are presented. Results showed differences in radiation transfers and sensible and latent heat fluxes over the reef, with higher Bowen ratios over the shallow reef flat zone. The energy flux divergence between sites increased with wind speed and during unstable, southeasterly trade winds with the net flux of heat being positive and negative over different geomorphic zones. The surface drag coefficient at measurement height ranged from 1 x 10(-3) to 2.5 x 10(-3), with no significant difference between sites. Results confirm that spatial variation in radiation and air-reef-water surface heat and moisture fluxes occurs across a lagoonal platform reef in response to local meteorological conditions, hydrodynamics, and benthic-substrate cover

Scenario-Led Habitat Modelling of Land Use Change Impacts on Key Species

Accurate predictions of the impacts of future land use change on species of conservation concern can help to inform policy-makers and improve conservation measures. If predictions are spatially explicit, predicted consequences of likely land use changes could be accessible to land managers at a scale relevant to their working landscape. We introduce a method, based on open source software, which integrates habitat suitability modelling with scenario-building, and illustrate its use by investigating the effects of alternative land use change scenarios on landscape suitability for black grouse Tetrao tetrix. Expert opinion was used to construct five near-future (twenty years) scenarios for the 800 km2 study site in upland Scotland. For each scenario, the cover of different land use types was altered by 5–30% from 20 random starting locations and changes in habitat suitability assessed by projecting a MaxEnt suitability model onto each simulated landscape. A scenario converting grazed land to moorland and open forestry was the most beneficial for black grouse, and ‘increased grazing’ (the opposite conversion) the most detrimental. Positioning of new landscape blocks was shown to be important in some situations. Increasing the area of open-canopy forestry caused a proportional decrease in suitability, but suitability gains for the ‘reduced grazing’ scenario were nonlinear. ‘Scenario-led’ landscape simulation models can be applied in assessments of the impacts of land use change both on individual species and also on diversity and community measures, or ecosystem services. A next step would be to include landscape configuration more explicitly in the simulation models, both to make them more realistic, and to examine the effects of habitat placement more thoroughly. In this example, the recommended policy would be incentives on grazing reduction to benefit black grouse.This study was part of a PhD studentship funded through the World Pheasant Association (from the Henry Angest Foundation, Howman Charitable Foundation, Mactaggart Third Charitable Trust, PF Charitable Trust and AF Wallace Charity Trust) and the Dalton Research Institute

Health risks at work mean risks at home: Spatial aspects of COVID-19 among migrant workers in precarious jobs in England

Data availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.Copyright © 2023 The Authors. During COVID-19 lockdowns in England, ‘key workers’ including factory workers, carers and cleaners had to continue to travel to workplaces. Those in key worker jobs were often from more marginalised communities, including migrant workers in precarious employment. Recognising space as materially and socially produced, this qualitative study explores migrant workers’ experiences of navigating COVID-19 risks at work and its impacts on their home spaces. Migrant workers in precarious employment often described workplace COVID-19 protection measures as inadequate. They experienced work space COVID-19 risks as extending far beyond physical work boundaries. They developed their own protection measures to try to avoid infection and to keep the virus away from family members. Their protection measures included disinfecting uniforms, restricting leisure activities and physically separating themselves from their families. Inadequate workplace COVID-19 protection measures limited workers' ability to reduce risks. In future outbreaks, support for workers in precarious jobs should include free testing, paid sick leave and accommodation to allow for self-isolation to help reduce risks to workers’ families. Work environments should not be viewed as discrete risk spaces when planning response measures; responses and risk reduction approaches must also take into account impacts on workers’ lives beyond the workplace.National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programm

Health risks at work mean risks at home: Spatial aspects of COVID-19 among migrant workers in precarious jobs in England.

During COVID-19 lockdowns in England, 'key workers' including factory workers, carers and cleaners had to continue to travel to workplaces. Those in key worker jobs were often from more marginalised communities, including migrant workers in precarious employment. Recognising space as materially and socially produced, this qualitative study explores migrant workers' experiences of navigating COVID-19 risks at work and its impacts on their home spaces. Migrant workers in precarious employment often described workplace COVID-19 protection measures as inadequate. They experienced work space COVID-19 risks as extending far beyond physical work boundaries. They developed their own protection measures to try to avoid infection and to keep the virus away from family members. Their protection measures included disinfecting uniforms, restricting leisure activities and physically separating themselves from their families. Inadequate workplace COVID-19 protection measures limited workers' ability to reduce risks. In future outbreaks, support for workers in precarious jobs should include free testing, paid sick leave and accommodation to allow for self-isolation to help reduce risks to workers' families. Work environments should not be viewed as discrete risk spaces when planning response measures; responses and risk reduction approaches must also take into account impacts on workers' lives beyond the workplace

COVID-19 vaccination decisions among Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities: A qualitative study moving beyond “vaccine hesitancy”

Data availability: The data that has been used is confidential.Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Background Many people refuse vaccination and it is important to understand why. Here we explore the experiences of individuals from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller groups in England to understand how and why they decided to take up or to avoid COVID-19 vaccinations. Methods We used a participatory, qualitative design, including wide consultations, in-depth interviews with 45 individuals from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller, communities (32 female, 13 male), dialogue sessions, and observations, in five locations across England between October 2021 and February 2022. Findings Vaccination decisions overall were affected by distrust of health services and government, which stemmed from prior discrimination and barriers to healthcare which persisted or worsened during the pandemic. We found the situation was not adequately characterised by the standard concept of “vaccine hesitancy”. Most participants had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, usually motivated by concerns for their own and others’ health. However, many participants felt coerced into vaccination by medical professionals, employers, and government messaging. Some worried about vaccine safety, for example possible impacts on fertility. Their concerns were inadequately addressed or even dismissed by healthcare staff. Interpretation A standard "vaccine hesitancy" model is of limited use in understanding vaccine uptake in these populations, where authorities and health services have been experienced as untrustworthy in the past (with little improvement during the pandemic). Providing more information may improve vaccine uptake somewhat; however, improved trustworthiness of health services for GRT communities is essential to increase vaccine coverage.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme

Necropolitics and Necroresistance: A Qualitative Research with Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this article based on participatory research, we demonstrate how members of the Gypsy, Traveller, and Roma communities experienced the pandemic during a period of increasing criminalisation. Our investigation of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic among community members was enriched by having a criminologist from a Gypsy/Traveller background as part of the research team. The rich data gleaned during interviews provided insight into the broader context of the lives of Gypsy, Traveller, and Roma communities during the pandemic. Using Mbembe's theory of necropolitics to consider how these marginalised communities were experiencing the pandemic, we illustrate necroresistance, small acts of resistance to the pandemic and Governmental responses by communities and individuals. This article explores how individuals took responsibility for their families and broader networks' survival during the pandemic in conditions exacerbated by escalating systemic hostility.This paper is independent research commissioned and funded by the National Institute for Health Research Policy Research Programme. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research, the Department of Health and Social Care or its arm's length bodies, and other Government departments

Community-led responses to COVID-19 within Gypsy and Traveller communities in England: A participatory qualitative research study

Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Individuals were asked to play an active role in infection control in the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet while government messages emphasised taking responsibility for the public good (e.g. to protect the National Health Service), they appeared to overlook social, economic and political factors affecting the ways that people were able to respond. We co-produced participatory qualitative research with members of Gypsy and Traveller communities in England between October 2021 and February 2022 to explore how they had responded to COVID-19, its containment (test, trace, isolate) and the contextual factors affecting COVID-19 risks and responses within the communities. Gypsies and Travellers reported experiencing poor treatment from health services, police harassment, surveillance, and constrained living conditions. For these communities, claiming the right to health in an emergency required them to rely on community networks and resources. They organised collective actions to contain COVID-19 in the face of this ongoing marginalisation, such as using free government COVID-19 tests to support self-designed protective measures including community-facilitated testing and community-led contact tracing. This helped keep families and others safe while minimising engagement with formal institutions. In future emergencies, communities must be given better material, political and technical support to help them to design and implement effective community-led solutions, particularly where government institutions are untrusted or untrustworthy.National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme

Community-led responses to COVID-19 within Gypsy and Traveller communities in England: A participatory qualitative research study.

Individuals were asked to play an active role in infection control in the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet while government messages emphasised taking responsibility for the public good (e.g. to protect the National Health Service), they appeared to overlook social, economic and political factors affecting the ways that people were able to respond. We co-produced participatory qualitative research with members of Gypsy and Traveller communities in England between October 2021 and February 2022 to explore how they had responded to COVID-19, its containment (test, trace, isolate) and the contextual factors affecting COVID-19 risks and responses within the communities. Gypsies and Travellers reported experiencing poor treatment from health services, police harassment, surveillance, and constrained living conditions. For these communities, claiming the right to health in an emergency required them to rely on community networks and resources. They organised collective actions to contain COVID-19 in the face of this ongoing marginalisation, such as using free government COVID-19 tests to support self-designed protective measures including community-facilitated testing and community-led contact tracing. This helped keep families and others safe while minimising engagement with formal institutions. In future emergencies, communities must be given better material, political and technical support to help them to design and implement effective community-led solutions, particularly where government institutions are untrusted or untrustworthy

Suppression of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transitioning (EMT) Enhances Ex Vivo Reprogramming of Human Exocrine Pancreatic Tissue towards Functional Insulin Producing β-Like Cells

Because of the lack of tissue available for islet transplantation, new sources of β-cells have been sought for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine whether the human exocrine-enriched fraction from the islet isolation procedure could be reprogrammed to provide additional islet tissue for transplantation. The exocrine-enriched cells rapidly dedifferentiated in culture and grew as a mesenchymal monolayer. Genetic lineage tracing confirmed that these mesenchymal cells arose, in part, through a process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitioning (EMT). A protocol was developed whereby transduction of these mesenchymal cells with adenoviruses containing Pdx1, Ngn3, MafA, and Pax4 generated a population of cells that were enriched in glucagon-secreting α-like cells. Transdifferentiation or reprogramming toward insulin-secreting β-cells was enhanced, however, when using unpassaged cells in combination with inhibition of EMT by inclusion of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) and transforming growth factor-β1 inhibitors. Resultant cells were able to secrete insulin in response to glucose and on transplantation were able to normalize blood glucose levels in streptozotocin diabetic NOD/SCID mice. In conclusion, reprogramming of human exocrine-enriched tissue can be best achieved using fresh material under conditions whereby EMT is inhibited, rather than allowing the culture to expand as a mesenchymal monolayer