44 research outputs found
FracPaQ: A MATLABâą toolbox for the quantification of fracture patterns
The patterns of fractures in deformed rocks are rarely uniform or random. Fracture orientations, sizes, and spatial distributions often exhibit some kind of order. In detail, relationships may exist among the different fracture attributes, e.g. small fractures dominated by one orientation, larger fractures by another. These relationships are important because the mechanical (e.g. strength, anisotropy) and transport (e.g. fluids, heat) properties of rock depend on these fracture attributes and patterns. This paper describes FracPaQ, a new open source, cross-platform toolbox to quantify fracture patterns, including distributions in fracture attributes and their spatial variation. Software has been developed to quantify fracture patterns from 2-D digital images, such as thin section micrographs, geological maps, outcrop or aerial photographs or satellite images. The toolbox comprises a suite of MATLABâą scripts based on previously published quantitative methods for the analysis of fracture attributes: orientations, lengths, intensity, density and connectivity.An estimate of permeability in 2-D is made using a parallel plate model. The software provides an objective and consistent methodology for quantifying fracture patterns and their variations in 2-D across a wide range of length scales, rock types and tectonic settings. The implemented methods presented are inherently scale independent, and a key task where applicable is analysing and integrating quantitative fracture pattern data from micro-to macro-scales. The toolbox was developed in MATLABâą and the source code is publicly available on GitHubâą and the Mathworksâą FileExchange. The code runs on any computer with MATLAB installed, including PCs with Microsoft Windows, Apple Macs with Mac OS X, and machines running different flavours of Linux. The application, source code and sample input files are available in open repositories in the hope that other developers and researchers will optimise and extend the functionality for the benefit of the wider community
Establishment of CORONET, COVID-19 Risk in Oncology Evaluation Tool, to Identify Patients With Cancer at Low Versus High Risk of Severe Complications of COVID-19 Disease On Presentation to Hospital
Which physical and social environmental factors are most important for adolescentsâ cycling for transport? An experimental study using manipulated photographs
LOTVS: a global collection of permanent vegetation plots
Analysing temporal patterns in plant communities is extremely important to quantify the extent and the consequences of ecological changes, especially considering the current biodiversity crisis. Long-term data collected through the regular sampling of permanent plots represent the most accurate resource to study ecological succession, analyse the stability of a community over time and understand the mechanisms driving vegetation change. We hereby present the LOng-Term Vegetation Sampling (LOTVS) initiative, a global collection of vegetation time-series derived from the regular monitoring of plant species in permanent plots. With 79 data sets from five continents and 7,789 vegetation time-series monitored for at least 6 years and mostly on an annual basis, LOTVS possibly represents the largest collection of temporally fine-grained vegetation time-series derived from permanent plots and made accessible to the research community. As such, it has an outstanding potential to support innovative research in the fields of vegetation science, plant ecology and temporal ecology
The PREDICTS database: a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts
Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures
such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of
alien species. Existing global databases of speciesâ threat status or population
time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with
broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of
a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of
historical declines and to project â and avert â future declines. We describe and
assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing
over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of
local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic
pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains
measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35)
biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains
more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than
1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups â including flowering
plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans
and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is
therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used
by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database
is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses
of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems â www.predicts.org.uk).
We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database
will be publicly available in 2015
Oral health promotion in the community pharmacy: an evaluation of a pilot oral health promotion intervention
Introduction Poor oral health is a significant public health concern, costing the NHS in England ÂŁ3.4 billion annually.
Community pharmacies are easily accessible, frequently visited by patients and the community pharmacy contractual
framework requires pharmacies to provide healthy living advice to patients - therefore offering a little explored avenue for
the delivery of oral health interventions. Methodology A pilot oral health promotion intervention was introduced in five
pharmacies in deprived areas of County Durham between September and December 2016. A mixed methods approach to
the evaluation was performed, utilising a patient evaluation questionnaire and semi-structured qualitative interviews with
pharmacy staff. Results One thousand and eighty-nine participants received the intervention. Following the intervention
72% of participants perceived their knowledge of oral health as much better, 66% definitely intended to change their oral
health habits and 64% definitely thought a pharmacy was the right place to receive advice about oral health. Three themes
emerged from the qualitative data: (1) intervention feedback, (2) knowledge gap and (3) service development. Discussion
The data demonstrated the acceptability of patients to a community pharmacy based oral health intervention, with most
patients reporting intentions to change their oral healthcare habits after receiving the intervention. Previous literature has
identified a willingness of pharmacy staff to become involved with oral health; this study provides evidence that patients
are also receptive to such services being delivered in the community pharmacy setting. Further work is required to assess
the benefits of a community pharmacy based oral health intervention and the potential for further growth of this role.
Conclusion A community pharmacy is perceived by patients as an acceptable provider of oral health interventions and has
the potential to provide positive changes to the oral health of the population