Lake Tagimaucia Montane Lake as a Potential Late Holocene Environmental Archive in Fiji\u27s Volcanic Highlands

Lake Tagimaucia, a montane volcanic lake on Taveuni Island, is Fiji\u27s only high-elevation lake. This study examined a lacustrine sediment core to explore the lake\u27s potential as a palaeoenvironmental archive through the Late Holocene. Dating reveals no simple age-depth relationship due to sediment age-reversals. However, phases of fire activity are evidenced by two distinct charcoal bands. Catchment burns were probably related to significant ENSO-driven drought, although fire ignition by volcanic eruptions on Taveuni cannot be ruled out. Above the dominant charcoal band, the sediment profile exhibits notable positive shifts in organic matter, bulk density, δ13C, and C:N ratio. These peaks suggest a phase of accelerated catchment erosion, possibly triggered by post-burn instability. We introduce a conceptual model to explain the influence of sedge peat swamps on lake sedimentation processes. Surrounding sedge-dominated peatlands have extensively encroached Lake Tagimaucia. Floating peat mats, gradually accumulating through time, act as a repository of organic material that is stored directly on the lake surface. Episodes of drought and fire release old organics directly into the lake itself, probably contributing to the complex chronological sequence in the Late Holocene stratigraphy

The long-term temperature record from Markree Observatory, County Sligo, from 1842 to 2011

This study analysed long-term temperature patterns in the north-west of Ireland using a previously unexplored data-set from Markree Observatory, County Sligo. The Markree series extends back to 1842, making it one of the longest instrumental temperature records in Ireland and is renowned for holding the lowest recorded temperature for the island of Ireland, 198C on 16 January 1881. Despite its length, this record has been largely absent from past analyses of Ireland’s long-term temperature trends, rendering spatial coverage for the extended Irish climate chronology incomplete. Daily data stored in a variety of the historical archives were gathered and digitised and monthly records created. Calibrations to account for instrumentation, time of reading and exposure were applied where possible in order to standardise the record. Trends were subsequently investigated for seasonal averages of daily minimum, maximum and mean temperatures, and a comparison with previously published long Irish temperature records was carried out to situate the Markree record among the existing long-term series. Although the Markree series follows similar patterns to the other long-term temperature records, it displays more decadal variability, particularly in its minimum values which show a higher rate of late twentieth century warming compared to the other records. Due to its geographic location and surrounding topography shielding the site from direct ocean influences and prevailing south-westerly winds, Markree displays characteristic features of a more inland station (low minimum temperatures and large diurnal ranges) even though it is located only 7 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Such findings highlight the necessity of including the Markree data-set in future Irish climate change research

Validating the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema modified for people with learning disabilities in a low‐risk secure forensic setting

Background: Research has shown that an empowering and nurturing yet challenging work climate is beneficial for people receiving clinical services as it increases patient satisfaction, motivation, engagement, therapeutic alliance and functional improvement. Therefore, for inpatients, monitoring, encouraging and understanding ward climate holds considerable potential for improving forensic mental health services. To date, the most widely employed tool for ward-climate, the EssenCES, has been evidenced as useful in medium and high security hospitals, but little tested with people with learning disabilities or in low security services. Aims: To establish the internal consistency and factor validity of the EssenCES, modified for easier reading, in a low secure hospital unit for people with learning disabilities. Method: Language in the EssenCES was simplified and picture supplements added to facilitate comprehension. Patients completed the scale as part of their clinical routine, supported by NHS employed psychology assistants. The research team, entirely independent of NHS staff, extracted data form the electronic records of purposively sampled residents in a low-secure forensic hospital setting for people with learning disabilities. Findings: 276 records (70% men) were acquired. The EssenCES was shown to have good factor validity and retained the original three factor model including the subscales: therapeutic hold, safety and cohesion. One single-item from the ‘therapeutic hold’ subscale was removed to improve the internal consistency (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study adds preliminary support for the use of the EssenCES (with removal of one item) in individuals with learning disabilities within low-risk secure forensic hospital settings

Examining the Role of Chloride Ligands on Defect Removal in Imperfectly Attached Semiconductor Nanocrystals for 1D and 2D Attachment Cases

Semiconducting, core-shell nanocrystals (NCs) are promising building blocks for the construction of higher dimensional artificial nanostructures using oriented attachment. However, the assembly and epitaxial attachment steps critical to this construction introduce disorder and defects which inhibit the observation of desirable emergent electronic phenomena. Consequently, understanding defect formation and remediation in these systems as a function of dimensionality is a crucial step to perfecting their synthesis. In this work, we use in situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy to examine the role of chloride ligands as remediator agents for imperfect attachment interfaces between CdSe/CdS core-shell NCs for both 1D and 2D attachment cases. In the 1D case, we find that the presence of chloride additives in imperfectly attached NC dimers can result in defect removal speeds nearly twice as large as those found in their plain, non-chloride treated counterparts. However, when we increased the dimensionality of the system and examined 2D NC arrays, we found no statistically significant difference in attachment interface quality between the chloride and non-chloride treated samples. We propose that this discongruity arises from fundamental differences between 1D and 2D NC attachment and discuss synthetic guidelines to inform future nanomaterial superlattice design.Comment: 35 pages, 6 figures, work conducted at the University of California, Berkele

Exploring the Feasibility of a Self-Managed Lifestyle Intervention, Based on Exercise and Behaviour Support, as an Adjunct Therapy to Compression: A Sub-Study Focusing on People with Venous Leg Ulcers and Early Neuro-Degenerative Diseases (FISCU-NDD)

Background: The aim of this study was to adapt the “FISCU Home” intervention (a co-produced, self-managed and expert-supported lifestyle intervention comprising exercise and behaviour support aimed at people with Venous Leg Ulcers (VLUs), in a way that is suitable for the needs of people with combined VLUs and early-stage, Neuro-degenerative diseases (NDDs), and to explore its feasibility (e.g., estimate rates of recruitment and completion of sessions, calculate study adherence rates, assess participant satisfaction via participant interviews, and assess ease of data collection) within this clinical sub-group. Methods: We recruited seven people belonging to this VLUs sub-group (e.g., people with early-stage dementia or Parkinson’s), who were ≥18 years’ old, had VLU(s) of diameter ≥1 cm, ABPI ≥ 0.8, had the ability to tolerate lower-leg compression and were receiving VLU treatment at home. In Phase 1, participants helped us adapt the intervention. In Phase 2 we carried out a 4-week “training crash-course”. This consisted of three, 1 h, self-managed, exercise sessions per week (12 sessions in total), among the participants that completed the interviews. For Phase 3, we carried out post-interviews with all participants to investigate their study experiences, which were analysed using content analysis. Results: All assessments were completed successfully (100% retention and assessment completion), with no exercise-related adverse events. All participants completed the 4-week intervention (100%; all sessions completed by all participants). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the adapted intervention is feasible, enjoyable and well-received, and has the potential to provide clinical benefits to the participants