Some recent rural radio talks

Cream stirring is important. - D.C. Mickle Crossbreeding in pig production. - P. Beck Salmonella infection in sheep. - I.J. Miller Useful sprays for the home garden. A.A. Holland Tapeworm of dogs and cats. P.B. Lewis The poison plant and the animal. - R.D. Royce Sire surveys to prove bulls. K. Needham Peat as a substitute for horse manure. - L.T. Jone

Neonatal pneumococcal colonisation caused by Influenza A infection alters lung function in adult mice

There is emerging epidemiological data to suggest that upper respiratory tract bacterial colonisation in infancy may increase the risk of developing respiratory dysfunction later in life, and respiratory viruses are known to precipitate persistent colonisation. This study utilized a neonatal mouse model of Streptococcus pneumonia (SP) and influenza A virus (IAV) co-infection, where bronchoalveolar leukocyte infiltration had resolved by adulthood. Only co-infection resulted in persistent nasopharyngeal colonisation over 40 days and a significant increase in airway resistance in response to in vivo methacholine challenge. A significant increase in hysteresivity was also observed in IAV and co-infected mice, consistent with ventilatory heterogeneity and structural changes in the adult lung. Airway hyper-responsiveness was not associated with a detectable increase in goblet cell transdifferentiation, peribronchial smooth muscle bulk or collagen deposition in regions surrounding the airways. Increased reactivity was not observed in precision cut lung slices challenged with methacholine in vitro. Histologically, the airway epithelium appeared normal and expression of epithelial integrity markers (ZO-1, occludin-1 and E-cadherin) were not altered. In summary, neonatal co-infection led to persistent nasopharyngeal colonisation and increased airway responsiveness that was not associated with detectable smooth muscle or mucosal epithelial abnormalities, however increased hysteresivity may reflect ventilation heterogeneity

Grain-size controls on the morphology and internal geometry of river-dominated deltas

Predictions of a delta's morphology, facies, and stratigraphy are typically derived from its relative wave, tide, and river energies, with sediment type playing a lesser role. Here we test the hypothesis that, all other factors being equal, the topset of a relatively noncohesive, sandy delta will have more active distributaries, a less rugose shoreline morphology, less topographic variation in its topset, and less variability in foreset dip directions than a highly cohesive, muddy delta. As a consequence its stratigraphy will have greater clinoform dip magnitudes and clinoform concavity, a greater percentage of channel facies, and less rugose sand bodies than a highly cohesive, muddy delta. Nine self-formed deltas having different sediment grain sizes and critical shear stresses required for re-entrainment of mud are simulated using Deflt3D, a 2D flow and sediment-transport model. Model results indicate that sand-dominated deltas are more fan-shaped while mud-dominated deltas are more birdsfoot in planform, because the sand-dominated deltas have more active distributaries and a smaller variance of topset elevations, and thereby experience a more equitable distribution of sediment to their perimeters. This results in a larger proportion of channel facies in sand-dominated deltas, and more uniformly distributed clinoform dip directions, steeper dips, and greater clinoform concavity. These conclusions are consistent with data collected from the Goose River Delta, a coarse-grained fan delta prograding into Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada. A reinterpretation of the Kf-1 parasequence set of the Cretaceous Last Chance Delta, a unit of the Ferron Sandstone near Emery, Utah, USA uses Ferron grain-size data, clinoform-dip data, clinoform concavity, and variance of dip directions to hindcast the delta's planform. The Kf-1 Last Chance Delta is predicted to have been more like a fan delta in planform than a birdsfoot delta

Understanding the psychosocial impact of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility Type: A qualitative interview study

Purpose: Little attention has been paid to psychosocial factors in Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (hypermobility type). This study sought to identify the psychosocial impact by examining participants’ lived experiences; and identify characteristics of effective coping. Materials and methods: Adults with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (Hypermobility Type) were invited to discuss their own lived experiences and the impact of the condition. All met recognized criteria for clinically significant joint hypermobility, and had a self-confirmed diagnosis. The transcripts were coded and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Seventeen participants (14 women, 3 men) purposively selected to broadly represent different genders, ages and ethnicities. Analysis identified five key themes: healthcare limitations, a lack of awareness of Joint Hypermobility, and Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome (Hypermobility Type) among healthcare professionals; a restricted life; social stigma; fear of the unknown; and ways of coping. Conclusions: The results highlight the significant psychosocial impact on participants’ lives. Coping approaches identified included acceptance, building social networks, learning about joint hypermobility, and adapting activities. Physiotherapists supported regular exercise. Further research should consider potential interventions to improve information provision, address psychological support, and increase awareness of hypermobility among healthcare professionals.Implications for rehabilitation Participants who had help from family members to complete activities described guilt and shame, highlighting the need for a greater rehabilitation focus on maintaining independence. Difficulties with sexual relationships due to prolapse or erectile dysfunction, and associated anxieties have indicated a need for greater awareness of these issues within primary care. The provision of reliable information and materials is vital, both for healthcare professionals and patients, to reduce misinformation and fear. Physiotherapists with knowledge of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome hypermobility type were cited as sources of support and hope, which helped people to cope with and manage their condition

Improving the operating efficiency of the more electric aircraft concept through optimised flight procedures

The increasing awareness of the environmental risks and costs due to the growing demand in aviation has prompted both academic and industrial research into short-term and long-term technologies which could help address the challenges. Among these, the more electric aircraft has been identified as a key design concept which would make aircraft more environmentally friendly and cost effective in the long run. Moreover, the notion of free-flight and optimised trajectories has been identified as a key operational concept which would help curb the environmental effects of aircraft as well as reduce overall costs. The research in this paper presents a methodology in which these two concepts can be coupled to study the benefits of more electric aircraft (MEA) flying optimised trajectories. A wide range of issues from aircraft performance, engine performance, airframe systems operation, power off-take penalties, emission modelling, optimisation algorithms and optimisation frameworks has been addressed throughout the study. The case study is based on a popular short haul flight between London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol. The culmination of the study establishes the advantage of the MEA over conventional aircraft and also addresses the enhanced approach to the classical aircraft trajectory optimisation problem. The study shows that the operation procedures to achieve a minimum fuel burn are significantly different for a conventional aircraft and MEA. Trajectory optimisation reduced the fuel burn by 17.4% for the conventional aircraft and 12.2% for the more electric compared to the respective baseline cases. Within the constraints of the study, the minimum fuel burn trajectory for the MEA consumed 9.9% less fuel than the minimum fuel burn trajectory for the conventional aircraft

Comparing nuclear power trajectories in Germany and the UK: from ‘regimes' to ‘democracies’ in sociotechnical transitions and Discontinuities

This paper focuses on arguably the single most striking contrast in contemporary major energy politics in Europe (and even the developed world as a whole): the starkly differing civil nuclear policies of Germany and the UK. Germany is seeking entirely to phase out nuclear power by 2022. Yet the UK advocates a ‘nuclear renaissance’, promoting the most ambitious new nuclear construction programme in Western Europe.Here,this paper poses a simple yet quite fundamental question: what are the particular divergent conditions most strongly implicated in the contrasting developments in these two countries. With nuclear playing such an iconic role in historical discussions over technological continuity and transformation, answering this may assist in wider understandings of sociotechnical incumbency and discontinuity in the burgeoning field of‘sustainability transitions’. To this end, an ‘abductive’ approach is taken: deploying nine potentially relevant criteria for understanding the different directions pursued in Germany and the UK. Together constituted by 30 parameters spanning literatures related to socio-technical regimes in general as well as nuclear technology in particular, the criteria are divided into those that are ‘internal’ and ‘external’ to the ‘focal regime configuration’ of nuclear power and associated ‘challenger technologies’ like renewables. It is ‘internal’ criteria that are emphasised in conventional sociotechnical regime theory, with ‘external’ criteria relatively less well explored. Asking under each criterion whether attempted discontinuation of nuclear power would be more likely in Germany or the UK, a clear picture emerges. ‘Internal’ criteria suggest attempted nuclear discontinuation should be more likely in the UK than in Germany– the reverse of what is occurring. ‘External’ criteria are more aligned with observed dynamics –especially those relating to military nuclear commitments and broader ‘qualities of democracy’. Despite many differences of framing concerning exactly what constitutes ‘democracy’, a rich political science literature on this point is unanimous in characterising Germany more positively than the UK. Although based only on a single case,a potentially important question is nonetheless raised as to whether sociotechnical regime theory might usefully give greater attention to the general importance of various aspects of democracy in constituting conditions for significant technological discontinuities and transformations. If so, the policy implications are significant. A number of important areas are identified for future research, including the roles of diverse understandings and specific aspects of democracy and the particular relevance of military nuclear commitments– whose under-discussion in civil nuclear policy literatures raises its own questions of democratic accountability