The impact of the new homes bonus on attitudes and behaviours

An evaluation of the impact of the New Homes Bonus on attitudes towards new house building, carried out for the Department of Communities and Local Government

Stepped frequency GPR survey with a multi-element array antenna: Results from field application on archaeological sites

The value of large scale GPR surveys to landscape archaeology is becoming increasingly important (e.g. Nishimura and Goodman, 2000; Neubauer et al., 2002; Leckebusch, 2003; Linford, 2004). However, the use of conventional single channel instrumentation requires either a significant investment of time for data acquisition or a compromise between sampling methodology and the area of coverage. The recent development of multi-channel, vehicle towed GPR arrays offers the potential to obtain very d..

Complete Genome Sequences of Paenibacillus Larvae Phages BN12, Dragolir, Kiel007, Leyra, Likha, Pagassa, PBL1c, and Tadhana

We present here the complete genomes of eight phages that infect Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American foulbrood in honeybees. Phage PBL1c was originally isolated in 1984 from a P. larvae lysogen, while the remaining phages were isolated in 2014 from bee debris, honeycomb, and lysogens from three states in the USA

Benchmark experiments for higher-order and full-Stokes ice sheet models (ISMIP-HOM)

We present the results of the first ice sheet model intercomparison project for higher-order and full-Stokes ice sheet models. These models are compared and verified in a series of six experiments of which one has an analytical solution obtained from a perturbation analysis. The experiments are applied to both 2-D and 3-D geometries; five experiments are steady-state diagnostic, and one has a time-dependent prognostic solution. All participating models give results that are in close agreement. A clear distinction can be made between higher-order models and those that solve the full system of equations. The full-Stokes models show a much smaller spread, hence are in better agreement with one another and with the analytical solution

Concert recording 2013-03-28

[Track 01]. Fanfares liturgiques. Procession du Vendredi-Saint / Henri Tomasi -- [Track 02]. The good soldier Schweik suite. Overture / Robert Kurka -- [Track 03]. The good soldier Schweik suite. Lament / Robert Kurka -- [Track 04]. The good soldier Schweik suite. March / Robert Kurka -- [Track 05]. The good soldier Schweik suite. War Dance / Robert Kurka -- [Track 06]. The good soldier Schweik suite. Pastoral / Robert Kurka -- [Track 07]. The good soldier Schweik suite. Finale / Robert Kurka -- [Track 08]. Serenade no. 11 in E flat major, KV 375. Allegro maestoso / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- [Track 09]. Prelude, fugue and riffs / Leonard Bernstein

Design and results of the ice sheet model initialisation experiments initMIP-Greenland: an ISMIP6 intercomparison

Earlier large-scale Greenland ice sheet sea-level projections (e.g. those run during the ice2sea and SeaRISE initiatives) have shown that ice sheet initial conditions have a large effect on the projections and give rise to important uncertainties. The goal of this initMIP-Greenland intercomparison exercise is to compare, evaluate, and improve the initialisation techniques used in the ice sheet modelling community and to estimate the associated uncertainties in modelled mass changes. initMIP-Greenland is the first in a series of ice sheet model intercomparison activities within ISMIP6 (the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6), which is the primary activity within the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) focusing on the ice sheets. Two experiments for the large-scale Greenland ice sheet have been designed to allow intercomparison between participating models of (1) the initial present-day state of the ice sheet and (2) the response in two idealised forward experiments. The forward experiments serve to evaluate the initialisation in terms of model drift (forward run without additional forcing) and in response to a large perturbation (prescribed surface mass balance anomaly); they should not be interpreted as sea-level projections. We present and discuss results that highlight the diversity of data sets, boundary conditions, and initialisation techniques used in the community to generate initial states of the Greenland ice sheet. We find good agreement across the ensemble for the dynamic response to surface mass balance changes in areas where the simulated ice sheets overlap but differences arising from the initial size of the ice sheet. The model drift in the control experiment is reduced for models that participated in earlier intercomparison exercises

Evaluating the use of dominant microbial consumers (testate amoebae) as indicators of blanket peatland restoration

Peatlands represent globally-important ecosystems and carbon stores. However, large areas of peatland have been drained for agriculture, or peat has been harvested for use as fuel or in horticulture. Increasingly, these landscapes are being restored through ditch blocking and rewetting primarily to improve biodiversity and promote peat accumulation. To date we have little knowledge of how these interventions influence the microbial communities in peatlands. We compared the responses of dominant microbial consumers (testate amoebae) to drainage ditch restoration relative to unblocked ditches in a UK upland blanket peatland (Migneint, North Wales). Two techniques were used for restoration: (i) dammed ditches with re-profiling; and (ii) dammed ditches with pools of open water behind each dam. Testate communities in the inter-ditch areas changed markedly over time and between treatments illustrating the potential of this group of organisms as indicators of blanket peatland restoration status. However, the responses of testate amoebae to peat rewetting associated with restoration were partially obscured by inter-annual variability in weather conditions through the course of the experiment. Although there was considerable variability in the response of testate amoebae communities to peatland drain blocking, there were clearly more pronounced changes in samples from the dammed and reprofiled treatments including an increase in diversity, and the appearance of unambiguous wet-indicator species in relatively high abundances (including Amphitrema stenostoma, Archerella flavum, Arcella discoides type, Difflugia bacillifera and Difflugia bacillarium). This reflects a shift towards overall wetter conditions across the site and the creation of new habitats. However, water-table was not a significant control on testate amoebae in this case, suggesting a poor relationship between water table and surface moisture in this sloping blanket peatland. Our findings highlight the potential of testate amoebae as bioindicators of peatland restoration success; however, there is a need for caution as mechanisms driving change in the microbial communities may be more complex than first assumed. Several factors need to be taken into account when implementing biomonitoring studies in peatlands including: (i) the natural variability of the peatland ecosystem under changing weather conditions; (ii) any disturbance connected with the restoration procedures; and (iii) the timescales over which the ecosystem responds to the management intervention. Our results also suggest an indicator species approach based on population dynamics may be more appropriate for biomonitoring peatland restoration than examining changes at the community level

Disordered microbial communities in asthmatic airways.

A rich microbial environment in infancy protects against asthma [1], [2] and infections precipitate asthma exacerbations [3]. We compared the airway microbiota at three levels in adult patients with asthma, the related condition of COPD, and controls. We also studied bronchial lavage from asthmatic children and controls.We identified 5,054 16S rRNA bacterial sequences from 43 subjects, detecting >70% of species present. The bronchial tree was not sterile, and contained a mean of 2,000 bacterial genomes per cm(2) surface sampled. Pathogenic Proteobacteria, particularly Haemophilus spp., were much more frequent in bronchi of adult asthmatics or patients with COPD than controls. We found similar highly significant increases in Proteobacteria in asthmatic children. Conversely, Bacteroidetes, particularly Prevotella spp., were more frequent in controls than adult or child asthmatics or COPD patients.The results show the bronchial tree to contain a characteristic microbiota, and suggest that this microbiota is disturbed in asthmatic airways