Reconstructing and understanding the impacts of storms and surges, southern North Sea

Coastal barriers are ubiquitous globally and provide a vital protective role to valuable landforms, habitats and communities located to landward. They are, however, vulnerable to extreme water levels and storm wave impacts. A detailed record of sub-annual to annual; decadal; and centennial rates of shoreline retreat in frontages characterized by both high (> 3 m) and low (< 1 m) dunes is established for a barrier island on the UK east coast. For four storms (2006–2013) we match still water levels and peak significant wave heights against shoreline change at high levels of spatial densification. The results suggest that, at least in the short-term, shoreline retreat, of typically 5–8 m, is primarily driven by individual events, separated by varying periods of barrier stasis. Over decadal timescales, significant inter-decadal changes can be seen in both barrier onshore retreat rates and in barrier extension rates alongshore. Whilst the alongshore variability in barrier migration seen in the short-term remains at the decadal scale, shoreline change at the centennial stage shows little alongshore variability between a region of barrier retreat (at 1.15 m a$^{−1}$) and one of barrier extension. A data-mining approach, synchronizing all the variables that drive shoreline change (still water level, timing of high spring tides and peak significant wave heights), is an essential requirement for validating models that predict future shoreline responses under changing sea level and storminess.This paper was completed while the first author (SB) was a recipient of a Leverhulme Research Fellowship (RF-2015-045) for a project entitled Development and Application of a shoreline response model. This paper is a contribution to NERC BESS Consortium grant A hierarchical approach to the examination of the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem service flows across coastal margins (grant reference NE/J015423/1). Table 1 reports information gathered as part of an EU FP7 Collaborative Project (grant agreement no: 603458) Resilience-Increasing Strategies for Coasts – toolkit (http://www.risckit.eu).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.390

‘Learning to sing together’: developing a community of research practice through dialogue

This paper explores the processes involved when a group of academics within a small teaching-led institution set out to build a community of research practice. Through a narrative account that gives voice to each member of the group, the paper depicts the dialogic processes by which members of the group explored their current academic identities, in a search for new research identities. In establishing a community of research practice the group were able, through dialogue, to move away from hierarchical conceptions of ‘novice’ and ‘experienced researcher’ towards a ‘mutuality’ which set aside hierarchical power relations. In this way the authors add their collective voice to recent challenges to the dominant discourse of academic knowledge production. The paper concludes by arguing for the need to have such communities of research practice in order to facilitate the time and/or space for meaningful, transformative dialogue, at a time of increasing demands upon academic staff

Modelling the Transition from Secondary to Tertiary Mathematics Education: Teacher and Lecturer Perspectives

The transition from school to tertiary study of mathematics is rightly coming under increasing scrutiny in research. This paper employs Tall’s model of the three worlds of mathematical thinking to examine key variables in teaching and learning as they relate to this transition. One key variable in the transition is clearly the teacher/lecturer and we consider the perspectives of both teachers and lecturers on teaching related matters relevant to upper secondary and first year tertiary calculus students. While this paper deals with a small part of the data from the project, which aims to model the transition, the results provide evidence of similarities and differences in the thinking of teachers and lecturers about the transition process. They also show that each group lacks a clear understanding of the issues involved in the transition from the other’s perspective, and there is a great need for improved communication between the two sectors

Evaluating the viability of coastal wet grassland to a changing management regime through flood hazard modelling

The high-risk nature of low-lying coastal areas means that many are characterised by protective dikes, sea walls, and earthen embankments. Across Europe, such structures are employed to limit landward sea flooding and have been used historically to reclaim wetlands, many of which have since gained international protected habitat status. Sea level rise and storms threaten the future viability of fixed flood defences which will be overtopped with increasing frequency and, in extreme cases, breached. This raises questions surrounding defence maintenance and the fate of the reclaimed wetlands they encircle and support. One approach is to design defences with the expectation that they will be overtopped during extreme events, but that catastrophic failure as a result of breaching will be prevented. Such an approach was recently implemented at Blakeney Freshes, North Norfolk Coast, UK, an embanked area of reedbeds and coastal wet grassland. Lowering and widening of the Freshes embankment was undertaken following extensive breaching during the 5 December 2013 storm surge. In this paper we develop and apply a numerical model chain, comprising storm surge water levels, waves, and overtopping, to explore inundation extent, depth, and duration resulting from storm surge induced flooding under several sea level rise scenarios. Modelling results revealed that 99.5% of the flood volume of the 2013 event resulted from embankment breaching. Simulating the same storm event after embankment reprofiling shows that flooding of the Freshes is reduced by 97%, largely because the lower, wider embankments preclude breaching. However, under future sea level rise scenarios, storm surge induced overtopping results in increased inundation depths and drainage times, raising questions regarding the resilience of vegetation communities within the Freshes. By 2100 under the lowest SLR scenario, and by 2050 under the mid SLR scenario, over half of the Freshes will be inundated for >10 days, a potentially critical threshold for current wet grassland survival. Our findings suggest that while effective defence redesign may increase the viability of reclaimed wetland habitats in the short term, as sea levels rise, lengthened inundation durations may render these habitats increasingly vulnerable to ecosystem change under extreme events

The Ursinus Weekly, November 23, 1964

Write me a murder, a skillful presentation of a weak play • Junior class announces \u27S no ball turnabout • WSGA report on women\u27s programs • Judy Collins to appear in campus folk concert: Performance tickets remain on sale • Ursinus receives $1,500 grant from Sears-Roebuck Foundation • Work camps topic of slide lecture • Debaters prepare for Temple novice tournament • Ursinus students attend Sheraton collegiate council • Human Relations Commission starts tutoring program • SWC abandons Sunday vespers • Editorial: Hats off! • Progress keyword in dining hall construction • Annual college music competition • Spotlight: UC abroad; Student\u27s stay in Stockholm • Letters to the editor • Advice column • U.C. history: The pipe dream • Volleyball league begins • Soccermen split 0-5 and 4-3 • Soccermen finish season with 5-5-1 record • UC drops final game to F&M, 20-6 • Bible fellowship sponsors Paul Little, speaker • Greek gleaningshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1235/thumbnail.jp

Probabilistic approaches to coastal risk decision-making under future sea level projections

Coastal communities are increasingly threatened by flooding from climate change-induced sea level rise and potential increases in storminess. Informed decisions on risk and resilience related to flood risk need to be made, but the assessment process is complex. It is difficult to bring all of the climate science and sea level rise projections to decision-making, and as a result, decisions are made without a real understanding of the uncertainties involved, a problem magnified the further projections go into the future (Figure 1)

The Interplay of Obesity, Dyslipidemia and Immune Dysfunction: A Brief Overview on Pathophysiology, Animal Models, and Nutritional Modulation

Obesity has emerged as a leading global health concern. It is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, which impairs insulin signaling, lipid metabolism and immune function. Recent findings from animal and clinical studies have begun to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of immune dysfunction seen in the context of obesity. Here, we provide a brief review on the current understanding of the interplay between obesity, dyslipidemia and immunity. We also emphasize the advantages and shortcomings of numerous applicable research models including rodents and large animal swine that aim at unraveling the molecular basis of disease and clinical manifestations. Although there is no perfect model to answer all questions at once, they are often used to complement each other. Finally, we highlight some emerging nutritional strategies to improve immune function in the context of obesity with a particular focus on choline and foods that contains high amounts of choline

Recommendations for change in infection prevention programs and practice

Fifty years of evolution in infection prevention and control programs have involved significant accomplishments related to clinical practices, methodologies, and technology. However, regulatory mandates, and resource and research limitations, coupled with emerging infection threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic, present considerable challenges for infection preventionists. This article provides guidance and recommendations in 14 key areas. These interventions should be considered for implementation by United States health care facilities in the near future

Shuttle walk tests in people with COPD who demonstrate exercise-induced oxygen desaturation: An analysis of test repeatability and cardiorespiratory responses

© 2017, © The Author(s) 2017. Exercise-induced oxygen desaturation (EID) is prevalent in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This article reports a sub-analysis from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in people with COPD and EID (COPD/EID). The primary aim, in people with COPD/ EID, was to determine the repeatability of the distance and time walked in the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) and endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT), respectively. A secondary aim was to determine whether any participant characteristics predicted those who did not demonstrate improvements on a repeat ISWT or ESWT. Participants with nadir oxygen saturation (SpO2) &lt; 90% on the 6-minute walk test were recruited to the RCT. Two ISWTs and two ESWTs were then performed as part of the baseline assessments, and participants were included in this sub-analysis if their nadir SpO2was &lt;90% during the better of two ISWTs. Repeatability of the tests was analysed using Bland–Altman plots and paired t-tests. Participant characteristics of age, lung function, level of nadir SpO2and end-test dyspnoea were used to predict those who were not likely to demonstrate improvements on a repeat test using receiver operating curves. Eighty-seven participants (mean age (standard deviation, SD) 70 (7) years; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 47 (17)% predicted) were included. The mean differences (coefficient of repeatability) for the ISWTs and ESWTs were 9 m (55 m) and 19 seconds (142 seconds) respectively (p &lt; 0.05). No participant characteristic predicted the absence of improvement on the second ISWT (area under the curve (AUC) ranged from 0.49 to 0.58, all p &gt; 0.2) or the second ESWT (AUC ranged from 0.43 to 0.52, all p &gt; 0.3). Although repeating the tests showed only small improvements in distance (ISWT) and time (ESWT) walked in people with COPD/EID, the variability was large making definite conclusions about test repeatability in these individuals difficult