Baseline ecological data collection from the marine area around Filfla (Malta, Central Mediterranean Sea)

Acoustic and limited video sampling were carried out in a 1.1 nautical mile-radius area around Filfla, an islet 4.4 to the south-west of Malta, to characterize the benthos and the habitat type distribution. In addition, identified priority areas were sampled during SCUBA diving surveys. A total of 173 species were recorded during the current survey. Rhodophytes were the most represented (29 species), followed by molluscs (25 species). The biotic assemblages recorded from the marine area around Filfla are generally representative of those found in Maltese inshore waters.peer-reviewe

Development of a Methodology for the Quantitative Assessment of Ireland’s Inshore Kelp Resource

Lead Partner: Queen’s University, Belfast. Project Partners: University College Cork and Envision Mapping Ltd.The main aim of the project was to develop and demonstrate an acoustic methodology for the estimation of kelp biomass based on a low-cost commercial marine acoustic system and modification of the standard software. The approach will be of significant value to regulatory authorities for the monitoring of healthy kelp beds and their associated fauna and flora. It will also provide a scientific basis for future kelp harvesting trials, be instrumental in developing appropriate management plans for such practices and will aid in the evaluation of the recovery in harvested areas.This project (Grant-Aid Agreement No. PBA/SW/07/002(01)) was carried out under the Sea Change strategy with the support of the Marine Institute and the Marine Research Sub-Programme of the National Development Plan 2007–2013.Funder: Marine Institut

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Breast cancer management pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the UK ‘Alert Level 4’ phase of the B-MaP-C study

Abstract: Background: The B-MaP-C study aimed to determine alterations to breast cancer (BC) management during the peak transmission period of the UK COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of these treatment decisions. Methods: This was a national cohort study of patients with early BC undergoing multidisciplinary team (MDT)-guided treatment recommendations during the pandemic, designated ‘standard’ or ‘COVID-altered’, in the preoperative, operative and post-operative setting. Findings: Of 3776 patients (from 64 UK units) in the study, 2246 (59%) had ‘COVID-altered’ management. ‘Bridging’ endocrine therapy was used (n = 951) where theatre capacity was reduced. There was increasing access to COVID-19 low-risk theatres during the study period (59%). In line with national guidance, immediate breast reconstruction was avoided (n = 299). Where adjuvant chemotherapy was omitted (n = 81), the median benefit was only 3% (IQR 2–9%) using ‘NHS Predict’. There was the rapid adoption of new evidence-based hypofractionated radiotherapy (n = 781, from 46 units). Only 14 patients (1%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during their treatment journey. Conclusions: The majority of ‘COVID-altered’ management decisions were largely in line with pre-COVID evidence-based guidelines, implying that breast cancer survival outcomes are unlikely to be negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, in this study, the potential impact of delays to BC presentation or diagnosis remains unknown

Broad scale biological mapping of Lundy Marine Nature Reserve with particular reference to reefs

A collaborative study between English Nature and the Benthic Mapping & Assessment Project, Newcastle Univ. (GB)SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3775.10607(231) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Broadscale mapping of habitats and biota of the sublittoral seabed of the Wash Final report of the 1996 Broadscale Mapping Project (BMP) survey

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3775.10607(238) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Broad scale remote survey and mapping of sublittoral habitats and biota Technical report of the Broadscale Mapping Project

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:8313.903(no 167) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Mapping survey of the sublittoral and littoral biotopes of the Berwickshire coast

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:8313.903(60) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo