Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT) Analysis of the Adaptations to Anatomical Education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in Response to the Covid‐19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has driven the fastest changes to higher education across the globe, necessitated by social distancing measures preventing any face to face teaching. This has led to an almost immediate switch to distance learning by higher education institutions. Anatomy faces some unique challenges. Intrinsically, anatomy is a three-dimensional subject that requires a sound understanding of the relationships between structures, often achieved by the study of human cadaveric material, models and virtual resources. This study sought to identify the approaches taken in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to deliver anatomical education through online means. Data were collected from 14 different universities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and compared adopting a thematic analysis approach. Once themes were generated, they were collectively brought together using a strength, weakness, opportunity, threat (SWOT) analysis. Key themes included the opportunity to develop new online resources and the chance to engage in new academic collaborations. Academics frequently mentioned the challenge that time constrains could place on the quality and effectiveness of these resources; especially as in many cases the aim of these resources is to compensate for a lack of exposure to cadaveric exposure. Comparisons of the actions taken by multiple higher education institutions reveals the ways that academics have tried to balance this demand. Discussions will facilitate decisions being made by higher education institutions regarding adapting the curriculum and assessment methods in anatomy

Role of dissolved nitrate and phosphate in isolates of Mesodinium rubrum and toxin-producing Dinophysis acuminata

Mesodinium rubrum (as prey) is a critical component, in addition to light, for growth and toxin production by the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Dinophysis acuminata. Little is known, however, about the role that dissolved inorganic nutrients play in this predator-prey relationship and system toxicity. A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the possible uptake of dissolved nitrate and phosphate by (1) D. acuminata starved of prey, (2) D. acuminata feeding on M. rubrum, and (3) M. rubrum grown in nutritionally modified medium. All single-clone or mixed cultures were monitored for dissolved and particulate nutrient levels over the growth cycle, as well as for growth rate, biomass, and toxin production when appropriate. Dinophysis acuminata did not utilize dissolved nitrate or phosphate in the medium under nutrient-enriched or nutrientreduced regimes, in the absence or presence of prey, or during any growth phase monitored. Changes in particulate phosphorus and nitrogen in D. acuminata were instead strongly influenced by the consumption of M. rubrum prey, and these levels quickly stabilized once prey were no longer available. Mesodinium rubrum, in contrast, rapidly assimilated dissolved nitrate and phosphate, with maximum uptake rates of 1.38 pmol N cell(-1) d(-1) and 1.63 pmol P cell(-1) d(-1), respectively. While D. acuminata did not benefit directly from the dissolved nitrate and phosphate, its growth (0.37 +/- 0.01 d(-1)) and toxin production rates for okadaic acid, dinophysistoxin-1 and pectenotoxin-2 (0.1, 0.9 and 2.6 pg cell(-1) d(-1), respectively) were directly coupled to prey availability. These results suggest that while dissolved nitrate and phosphate do not have a direct effect on toxin production or retention by D. acuminata, these nutrient pools contribute to prey growth and biomass, thereby indirectly influencing D. acuminata blooms and overall toxins in the system

The CCD and readout electronics for the OMC instrument on Integral

The Optical Monitoring Camera (OMC) on ESA's Integral gamma-ray astronomy satellite is devoted to optical wavelength observations simultaneously covering the same field-of-view as the gamma-ray and X-ray instruments. The OMC consists of a refracting telescope with a CCD as the imaging device in the focal plane. Here we describe the CCD and its associated readout electronics, in particular pointing out features of interest to users of the OMC instrument and its data

Joining the conspiracy? Negotiating ethics and emotions in researching (around) AIDS in southern Africa

AIDS is an emotive subject, particularly in southern Africa. Among those who have been directly affected by the disease, or who perceive themselves to be personally at risk, talking about AIDS inevitably arouses strong emotions - amongst them fear, distress, loss and anger. Conventionally, human geography research has avoided engagement with such emotions. Although the ideal of the detached observer has been roundly critiqued, the emphasis in methodological literature on 'doing no harm' has led even qualitative researchers to avoid difficult emotional encounters. Nonetheless, research is inevitably shaped by emotions, not least those of the researchers themselves. In this paper, we examine the role of emotions in the research process through our experiences of researching the lives of 'Young AIDS migrants' in Malawi and Lesotho. We explore how the context of the research gave rise to the production of particular emotions, and how, in response, we shaped the research, presenting a research agenda focused more on migration than AIDS. This example reveals a tension between universalised ethics expressed through ethical research guidelines that demand informed consent, and ethics of care, sensitive to emotional context. It also demonstrates how dualistic distinctions between reason and emotion, justice and care, global and local are unhelpful in interpreting the ethics of research practice

Processing fluency effects: can the content and presentation of participant information sheets influence recruitment and participation for an antenatal intervention?

Objective: To assess the extent to which the title and font of participant information sheets (PISs) can influence pregnant women’s and trainee midwives’ perceptions of an antenatal intervention. Methods: Pregnant women (n = 35) and trainee midwives (n = 36) were randomly presented with one of four PISs where the title and font of the PIS had been manipulated to create four experimental conditions (i.e., Double-Fluent; Double-Awkward; Fluent Title-Awkward Font; Awkward Title-Fluent Font). After reading the PIS, participants rated their perceptions of the intervention (i.e., attractiveness, complexity, expected risk, required effort) using five-point Likert scales. Results: A 4x2 factorial multivariate analysis of variance revealed that pregnant women rated the Double-Awkward condition as significantly more complex than the Double-Fluent (p = .024) and Awkward Title-Fluent Font (p = .021) conditions. Conclusion: Font influenced pregnant women’s ratings of intervention complexity. Practice Implications: Results have implications for ethical recruitment, and in turn, the optimisation of corresponding interventions

Terrestrial laser scanning to deliver high-resolution topography of the upper Tarfala valley, arctic Sweden

Alpine valleys are experiencing rapidly changing physical, biological and geochemical processes as glacier masses diminish, snowfall patterns change and consequently as hillslopes and valley-floor landforms and sediments adjust. Measurement and understanding of these processes on a valley, landform and surface scale requires topographic data with sufficient spatial coverage and spatial resolution to resolve sources, fluxes and storages of sediment. Most ideally such topographic data will be of a resolution sufficient to resolve important spatial heterogeneity in land cover, topography and surface texture, for example. This study presents the first high-resolution (1 m grid cell size) and freely available topography for the upper part of the Tarfala valley, arctic Sweden. The topography was obtained using terrestrial laser scanning and a bespoke workflow is presented to most efficiently cover a 9.3 km2 area. The unprecedented spatial resolution of this topography, which is 15 times greater than that previously available, reveals a suite of alpine landforms. These landforms span multiple glacier forefields, a variety of bedrock surfaces, various hillslopes and types of mass movement, and valley floor glacial, fluvial and periglacial sediments, for example. Primary and second-order derivatives of this elevation data, and vertical transects are given and will assist future classification of landforms and thus assist future targeted field campaigns. Overall, this study presents (1) baseline data from which future re-surveys will enable quantitative analysis of a dynamic landscape, and (2) an efficient workflow that is readily transferable to any scientific study at any other site. Both of these project outputs will find widespread usage in future alpine studies

LESSONS LEARNT FROM A COMPARISON OF THREE ECOSYSTEM MODELS FOR PORT PHILLIP BAY, AUSTRALIA

Comparing multiple models applied to the same system can be highly instructive, both with regard to the system of interest and the models. In this case, three ecosystem simulation models (ECOSIM, Bay Model 2 [BM2] and the Integrated Generic Bay Ecosystem Model [IGBEM]) were tuned to data from Port Phillip Bay, Australia. ECOSIM is a dynamic biomass model; the other two are biogeochemical ecosystem models. Scenarios of environmental change (altered nutrient loading) and alternative fisheries management strategies (economically and ecologically motivated policies) are run for each model. A comparison of the predictions made by the models for these runs led to several general conclusions, first that large, shallow and enclosed bays, with many fish groups dependent on spawning stocks from outside the immediate area (e.g. Port Phillip Bay), may react more strongly to eutrophication than to fishing. The second conclusion is that a selected set of indicator groups (in this case, sharks, seagrass and chlorophyll a) seems to capture the major ecosystem impacts of alternative management scenarios. This has obvious implications for system monitoring in an adaptive management approach. The third is that multispecies or ecosystem models can identify potential impacts that a series of single-species models cannot (such as non-intuitive changes in biomass when species interactions outweigh fishery-induced pressures). Finally, policies focusing on the protection of species or groups only at higher trophic levels can fail to achieve sensible ecosystem objectives and may push systems into states that are far from pristine. These four findings have important ramifications for sustainable multiple-use management of shallow marine ecosystems. Afr. J. mar. Sci. 26: 219–24

Coupled consolidation in unsaturated soils: an alternative approach to deriving the Governing Equations

The equations governing coupled consolidation in unsaturated soils are known to contain additional parameters when compared to the equations for saturated soils. Nonetheless, the variation of these parameters with suction or degree of saturation is not generally agreed upon. The paper introduces a novel approach to deriving general equations for each of these parameters and their variation, and explains that, for consistency with the constitutive and soil-water retention curve models adopted, these general equations need to be transformed into case-specific expressions. Finally, a conceptual model is presented highlighting how the behaviour of unsaturated soil reflects aspects of its water content

A summary of the BARREL campaigns: Technique for studying electron precipitation.

BARREL observed electron precipitation over wide range of energy and timescalesPrecipitating electron distribution is determined using spectroscopy for 19 January 2013 eventBARREL timing data has accuracy within sampling interval of 0.05 s

Proximate factors underpinning receiver responses to deceptive false alarm calls in wild tufted capuchin monkeys: is it counterdeception?

Previous research demonstrates that tufted capuchin monkeys use terrestrial predator alarm calls in a functionally deceptive manner to distract conspecifics when feeding on contestable resources, although the success of this tactic is limited because listeners frequently ignore these calls when given in such situations. While this decreased response rate is suggestive of a counterstrategy to deception by receivers, the proximate factors underpinning the behavior are unclear. The current study aims to test if the decreased response rate to alarm calls in competitive contexts is better explained by the perception of subtle acoustic differences between predator-elicited and deceptive false alarms, or by receivers varying their responses based on the context in which the signal is received. This was tested by first examining the acoustic structure of predator-elicited and deceptive false alarms for any potentially perceptible acoustic differences, and second by comparing the responses of capuchins to playbacks of each of predator-elicited and false alarms, played back in noncompetitive contexts. The results indicate that deceptive false alarms and predator-elicited alarms show, at best, minimal acoustic differences based on the structural features measured. Likewise, playbacks of deceptive false alarms elicited antipredator reactions at the same rate as did predator-elicited alarms, although there was a nonsignificant tendency for false alarms to be more likely to elicit escape reactions. The lack of robust acoustic differences together with the high response rate to false alarms in noncompetitive contexts suggests that the context in which the signal is received best explains receiver responses. It remains unclear, however, if listeners ascribe different meanings to the calls based on context, or if they generally ignore all signals in competitive contexts. Whether or not the decreased response rate of receivers directly stems from the deceptive use of the calls cannot be determined until these latter possibilities are rigorously tested