The impact of climate change on cultural heritage: evidence and response

This paper presents the first broadbased research on the impact of climate change on historic buildings, buried archaeology, parks and gardens. Research coincided with the publication of the UKCIP02 climate change scenarios and other studies assessing regional climate change and the impact on nature conservation and gardens. The methodology consisted of an assessment of climate change and adaptation literature, a questionnaire, site visits, regional and policy workshops. It conflated evidence from climate and heritage specialists, pointing to physical changes in cultural heritage and concluding with several policy recommendations

Discussion: Foundation design for gravity retaining walls under earthquake

The discussers read the paper by Pender (2018) with great interest. The author addresses the important issue of computing the pseudostatic critical acceleration of gravity/cantilever retaining walls, corresponding to which a plastic mechanism is activated within the soil–structure system and the wall starts to move under the applied earthquake. In fact, the critical acceleration is the key ingredient for the seismic design of these structures, controlling both the maximum internal forces and the final displacement (Conti and Caputo, 2018; Conti et al., 2013)

The longitudinal heterogeneity of autistic traits: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Previous reviews have characterised the mean stability of autistic traits (ATs) across samples on a single measure. However, no review has yet assessed mean change across a range of measures, or described the longitudinal heterogeneity of ATs, i.e. variation in direction and degree of change. METHOD: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE up to May 31 2020. Forty-four studies meeting inclusion criteria were identified. RESULTS: Retrieved studies ranged from N = 20 to N = 9,744. Ages spanned one to 15 years at baseline and two to 23 years at follow-up. The proportion of female participants per study ranged from 0 to 51%. There is some evidence that overall ATs tend to reduce over time for autistic children, reflecting decreases in social communication difficulties but not restricted behaviours. This effect was strongest in clinical samples and using parent-report measures. However, there was good evidence that statistics of mean change obscure between-person differences in within-person change. Decreasing ATs appear linked to higher verbal and non-verbal IQ and female gender in autistic participants. Four patterns of change: increasing, decreasing and stable high and low best characterised the data. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals experience diverse patterns of change over time. More general population studies are needed to reduce male bias. More work is needed to characterise the relationship between trajectories and well-being, functioning and quality of life outcomes. This will help to understand factors that promote resilience and reduce risk, and therefore to improve the timing and targets of intervention

Understanding current retrofit practices to prevent the unintended consequences affecting IEQ and health

The climate crisis demands an urgent societal shift, and the UK government has responded with a strong policy targeting energy retrofit to improve the energy performance of homes to achieve the net zero target by 2050. However, research has shown that standard retrofit measures have resulted in undesirable unintended consequences. Incorrect interventions such as using incompatible materials can affect the equilibrium of the building, increasing the risk of surface and interstitial condensation due to excessive humidity levels. Mould growth may develop under high levels of humidity, damaging the building fabric but also posing a risk to the occupants; it has been linked to asthma exacerbation and other respiratory infections. Therefore, what is needed is a well-integrated retrofit approach that not only reduces energy use but protects the building and the health and well-being of its occupants. This paper discusses the retrofit practices, the main challenges that retrofit practitioners face in the UK, and which guidance and tools they work with through the lens of the impact on occupants. A deeper understanding of the current practices is needed if those unintended consequences are to be avoided. For instance, replacing a 'fabric-first' mindset with a 'people-first' approach that considers more factors like the causes of thermal discomfort, and the gains to be made from passive and adaptive comfort approaches, could contribute to deliverer energy and carbon savings and increased building's indoor environment quality and usability justified

The Occurrence of Autoimmune Diseases in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Families

The aims of this study were to determine whether the occurrence of autoimmune diseases is increased in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their families and whether this is influenced by the type of MS. We conducted a case-control study using a questionnaire design to determine whether the prevalence of 11 autoimmune diseases is increased in patients with MS and their first-degree relatives compared to a random population control group and their first-degree relatives. We found that the total combined prevalence of the 11autoimmune diseases was higher in the MS patients than in the controls, with an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% confidence interval 0.9-3.2; P= 0.10) increasing to 1.9 (1.0-3.5; P= 0.05) after adjusting for age. For persons aged under 60 years, the odds ratio was 2.3 (1.1-4.6). We also found that there was a significant increase in the total combined prevalence of the autoimmune diseases in the first-degree relatives of MS patients compared to the first-degree relatives of the control group (P= 0.003, odds ratio 2.2, confidence interval 1.3-3.7). Patients with primary progressive MS did not differ from patients with relapsing-remitting or secondary progressive MS in the personal or familial occurrence of autoimmune disease. In conclusion, although there were sources of possible bias, this study suggests that individuals with MS have a genetic predisposition to autoimmunity in general

Policies for improved land management and agricultural market development in the Ethiopian highlands

“The objectives of this workshop are to review and discuss the main findings and policy implications of recent research conducted on these topics by IFPRI, Wageningen University and Research Center (WUR), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Mekelle University (MU), the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO) and other Ethiopian collaborators; to discuss options for improving the development of agricultural markets and land management in Ethiopia, considering different stakeholders’ perspectives; and to develop recommendations for priority policy actions and further research based upon lessons learned from the research and remaining knowledge gaps. IFPRI has worked for more than a decade in Ethiopia studying the root causes of the interrelated problems of famine, rural poverty, low agricultural productivity and natural resource degradation, and helping to identify strategies and policies to overcome these problems. The need for effective and efficient markets for agricultural commodities and productive inputs, as well as effective measures to combat land degradation are clearly recognized by the government of Ethiopia in its current rural development strategy and poverty reduction strategy. Ethiopia has made great strides in recent years in increasing farmers’ access to productive technologies. Yet as we are all increasingly aware, these advances are necessary but not sufficient to achieve the goal of agriculturally led industrialization. Market development and sustainable natural resource management are essential building blocks of a successful rural development strategy, requiring policy makers and other stakeholders to identify and invest in an appropriate mix of institutions, infrastructure, information, and innovation systems. This workshop is intended to help contribute to these important efforts by taking stock of what is known and what we have learned from several years of recent research on sustainable land management and agricultural market development