Insight into organic education

This paper summarizes the research project iPOPY, emphasising main results from all WPs. NB the page numbers in the enclosed pdf file (28-30) are wrong

Harmonising topographic & remotely sensed datasets, a reference dataset for shoreline and beach change analysis.

This paper presents a novel reference dataset for North Norfolk, UK, that demonstrates the value of harmonising coastal field-based topographic and remotely sensed datasets at local scales. It is hoped that this reference dataset and the associated methodologies will facilitate the use of topographic and remotely sensed coastal datasets, as demonstrated here using open-access UK Environment Agency datasets. Two core methodologies, used to generate the novel reference dataset, are presented. Firstly, we establish a robust approach to extracting shorelines from vertical aerial photography, validated against LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and coastal topography surveys. Secondly, we present a standard methodology for quantifying sediment volume change from spatially continuous LiDAR elevation datasets. As coastal systems are monitored at greater spatial resolution and temporal frequency there is an unprecedented opportunity to determine how and why coastal systems have changed in the past with a view to informing future forecasting. With revelation of trends that suggest increasing coastal risk, coastal change research is needed to inform the management and protection of coasts

Defining mangrove-fisheries: A typology from the Perancak Estuary, Bali, Indonesia.

This study develops a definition of what mangrove-fisheries can encompass, incorporating a broad range of their possible characteristics. A detailed case study was conducted to develop a typology of mangrove-fishing in the Perancak Estuary, Bali, Indonesia, using interview surveys to investigate the fishing activities associated with mangroves. This case study demonstrated the complexity that a mangrove-fishery can entail, where fishing is connected to the mangrove forest by fishers of multiple sectors, functions, locations and temporal scales. Through a comparison with other mangrove-fishing communities in Bali, it also highlighted that mangrove-fisheries are variable even when in close proximity. With particular reference to this case study, a framework was developed as a flexible tool for identifying the multiple dimensions of a mangrove-fishery in a local context. Following this framework should encourage researchers and managers to look outside of the groups of fishers traditionally expected to benefit from mangrove fishing. This will enable the development of a broader definition of mangrove-fisheries in a site specific way. Identifying the full scope of fishers that contribute to or benefit from a mangrove-fishery is the first step towards building management measures that reflect the interests of groups of fishers that may otherwise remain under-represented. This is in line with international efforts for sustainability, especially in promoting small-scale fishers' access to sustainable resources under the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Attenuation of high water levels over restored saltmarshes can be limited. Insights from Freiston Shore, Lincolnshire, UK

The managed realignment (MR) of flood protection on low-lying coasts, and the creation, or re-creation, of intertidal saltmarsh habitat between old and new, more landward sea defence lines is an intervention designed to help protect coastal infrastructure and communities against the impact of storm waves and surges. However, the effectiveness of such schemes has rarely been proven in the field. Environmental monitoring has generally been limited to the first few years after implementation and has focussed on sediment accretion and surface elevation change, vegetation establishment and habitat utilization, to the neglect of the study of biophysical processes, such as wave energy dissipation and High Water Level (HWL) attenuation. We address this knowledge gap by analysing HWL attenuation rates in saltmarshes from within, and in front of, the open coast MR site of Freiston Shore (Lincolnshire, UK). For this purpose, a suite of 16 pressure transducers was deployed along four sections (two within and two outside the MR) of identical setup to measure water level variations during the highest spring tides of the year 2017. Our results show that for the conditions encountered during the field monitoring period, the capacity of the Freiston Shore MR site to provide HWL attenuation was limited. HWL attenuation rates were significantly higher over the natural saltmarsh (in front of the MR), where HWL attenuation ranged between 0 and 101 cm km−1 (mean 46 cm km−1). Within the MR site, rates varied between −102 and 160 cm km−1 (mean −3 cm km−1), with even negative attenuation (i.e. amplification) for about half of the measured tides. We argue that the weak performance of the MR site in terms of HWL attenuation was a result of internal hydrodynamics caused by scheme design and meteorological conditions. The latter may have counteracted the HWL attenuating effect caused by the additional shallow water area provided by the restored saltmarsh

Protective actions of des-acylated ghrelin on brain injury and blood-brain barrier disruption after stroke in mice

The major ghrelin forms, acylated ghrelin and des-acylated ghrelin, are novel gastrointestinal hormones. Moreover, emerging evidence indicates that these peptides may have other functions including neuro- and vaso-protection. Here, we investigated whether post-stroke treatment with acylated ghrelin or des-acylated ghrelin could improve functional and histological endpoints of stroke outcome in mice after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo). We found that des-acylated ghrelin (1 mg/kg) improved neurological and functional performance, reduced infarct and swelling, and decreased apoptosis. In addition, it reduced blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in vivo and attenuated the hyper-permeability of mouse cerebral microvascular endothelial cells after oxygen glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD + RO). By contrast, acylated ghrelin (1 mg/kg or 5 mg/kg) had no significant effect on these endpoints of stroke outcome. Next we found that des-acylated ghrelin's vasoprotective actions were associated with increased expression of tight junction proteins (occludin and claudin-5), and decreased cell death. Moreover, it attenuated superoxide production, Nox activity and expression of 3-nitrotyrosine. Collectively, these results demonstrate that post-stroke treatment with des-acylated ghrelin, but not acylated ghrelin, protects against ischaemia/reperfusion-induced brain injury and swelling, and BBB disruption, by reducing oxidative and/or nitrosative damage

An investigation to determine the cause of haemorrhagic enteritis in commercial pig grower units in the northern parts of South Africa

Necropsies were performed on 36 grower pigs that died peracutely on farms in the northern parts of South Africa. All these pigs were suffering from haemorrhagic enteritis and suspected toxaemia. Samples of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were taken for histopathological examination and a section of ileum was collected for microbiological examination from each animal. Histological lesions characteristic of enterotoxigenic Clostridium infection were found. Large, Gram-positive bacilli were sometimes abundant in sections and mucosal smears of the intestine. However, only 40% of the cultures were positive for Clostridium perfringens

Women’s Involvement in Adult Education and Family Literacy: Consequences for Social Networks, Social Support, and Mental Health

This paper presents preliminary findings from a mixed-methods study that examines how women use adult education and family literacy programs to construct supportive social networks, and, in turn, how these influence their mental health. We argue that these programs offer opportunities to form friendships and to access emotional, informational, and material support, thereby alleviating psychological distress arising from poverty, caregiving, and other stressors. However, intentional efforts to cultivate social ties and support systems among adult learners are needed

Will nature work with us? Erosion and flooding impacts on a UK barrier

‘Barrier island’ refers to a diverse collection of coastal landforms that often support substantial human populations, critical infrastructures, and ecosystems. Globally, many coastal barriers are experiencing climatically altered environmental forcing coupled with increasing anthropogenic pressures. This paper undertakes high resolution shoreline change analysis to reveal how Blakeney Point, a mixed sandy-gravel barrier located on the UK’s East Coast, has evolved over centennial, decadal and event timescales. We seek to establish the implications of barrier evolution, under contrasting management regimes, for present erosion and flooding hazards. Interrogating a series of alternative shoreline proxies reveals a series of interdependent behaviors. Over the 130-year period of study, Blakeney Point is shown to be rolling landward at a mean rate of 0.60 m a-1. Assuming continued landward retreat over the coming decades, future flood-generating storm events will encounter more landward shoreline positions than today. Superimposed on this trend, we observe the presence of alongshore migrating erosional hotspots which give rise to unpredictable morphologies at any given location on the spit. Finally, we find that instances of barrier setback are driven by individual storm events, which makes barrier retreat both highly variable and discontinuous in time and space. This is illustrated by the presence of overwash, particularly along stretches of the barrier that have experienced a recent shift in management regime towards a non-interventionist approach.This work was funded by the NERC/ESRC Data, Risk and Environmental Analytical Methods (DREAM) Centre, Grant/Award Number: NE/M009009/1. It is also a contribution to the NERC-funded project “Physical and Biological dynamic coastal processes and their role in coastal recovery” (BLUEcoast), Grant Award Number: NE/N015924/1