3,921 research outputs found
Public preferences for multiple dimensions of bird biodiversity at the coast: insights for the cultural ecosystem services framework
This work was funded by the NERC Research project Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (CBESS) project Grant NE/J015644/1 with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011â2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme.Biodiversity is valuable to society, including through its contribution to cultural benefits: âthe non-material benefits people obtain from biodiversity and ecosystem services through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiencesâ. Biodiversity encompasses numerous measures, but the distinct values of these measures have been little studied. We conducted a discrete choice experiment to elicit respondentsâ (nâŻ=âŻ3,000) willingness to pay for increases in four measures of bird diversity in UK coastal ecosystems: number of bird species (species richness), number of individual birds (abundance), probability of seeing rare or unusual bird species, and probability of seeing large flocks of birds (wildlife spectacles). Respondents had a positive willingness to pay (through one-time voluntary donations) for increases in all four measures (mean ÂŁ3 to ÂŁ5 per household). However, using latent class analysis we found considerable heterogeneity of preferences, identifying four classes of respondents with strikingly different levels of marginal willingness to pay for the four measures. Income, age, environmental activity, visits to environmental settings, and gender were important determinants of class membership. While focusing on birds, our results demonstrate the importance of a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of biodiversity in broader ecosystem management, rather than focussing on a single aspect such as species richness or abundance. Our findings also highlight the implications of heterogeneous public preferences for biodiversity for conservationists, planners, shoreline managers and developers. These need to be considered in the development of new frameworks for ecosystem services, and when planning and funding conservation actions so that the cultural benefits will accrue across a range of social groups.PostprintPeer reviewe
Bifidobacterium breve reduces apoptotic epithelial cell shedding in an exopolysaccharide and MyD88-dependent manner
Certain members of the microbiota genus Bifidobacterium are known to positively influence host well-being. Importantly, reduced bifidobacterial levels are associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, who also have impaired epithelial barrier function, including elevated rates of apoptotic extrusion of small intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) from villiâa process termed âcell sheddingâ. Using a mouse model of pathological cell shedding, we show that mice receiving Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 exhibit significantly reduced rates of small IEC shedding. Bifidobacterial-induced protection appears to be mediated by a specific bifidobacterial surface exopolysaccharide and interactions with host MyD88 resulting in downregulation of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic responses to protect epithelial cells under highly inflammatory conditions. Our results reveal an important and previously undescribed role for B. breve, in positively modulating epithelial cell shedding outcomes via bacterial- and host-dependent factors, supporting the notion that manipulation of the microbiota affects intestinal disease outcomes
Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Panchromatic data release (far-UVâfar-IR) and the low-z energy budget
We present the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) Panchromatic Data Release (PDR) constituting over 230 deg2 of imaging with photometry in 21 bands extending from the farUV to the far-IR. These data complement our spectroscopic campaign of over 300k galaxies, and are compiled from observations with a variety of facilities including: GALaxy Evolution eXplorer, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Visible and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA), Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, and Herschel, with the GAMA regions currently being surveyedbyVLTSurveyTelescope(VST)andscheduledforobservationsbyAustralianSquare Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). These data are processed to a common astrometric solution, from which photometry is derived for âŒ221373 galaxies with r < 19.8 mag. Online tools are provided to access and download data cutouts, or the full mosaics of the GAMA regions in each band. We focus, in particular, on the reduction and analysis of the VISTA VIsta Kilo-degree INfrared Galaxy data, and compare to earlier data sets (i.e. 2MASS and UKIDSS) before combining the data and examining its integrity. Having derived the 21-band photometric catalogue, we proceed to fit the data using the energy balance code MAGPHYS. These measurements are then used to obtain the first fully empirical measurement of the
0.1â500 ÎŒm energy output of the Universe. Exploring the cosmic spectral energy distribution
across three time-intervals (0.3â1.1, 1.1â1.8, and 1.8â2.4 Gyr), we find that the Universe is currently generating (1.5 ± 0.3) Ă 1035 h70 W Mpcâ3, down from (2.5 ± 0.2) Ă 1035 h70 W Mpcâ3 2.3 Gyr ago. More importantly, we identify significant and smooth evolution in the integrated photon escape fraction at all wavelengths, with the UV escape fraction increasing from 27(18) per cent at z= 0.18 in NUV(FUV) to 34(23) per cent at z= 0.06. The GAMA PDR can be found at: http://gama-psi.icrar.org/
Evolution of oesophageal adenocarcinoma from metaplastic columnar epithelium without goblet cells in Barrett's oesophagus
Supported by the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) and Cancer Research UK (CR-UK). This work was supported by Cancer Research UK (grant number A14895
Coexisting conical bipolar and equatorial outflows from a high-mass protostar
The BN/KL region in the Orion molecular cloud is an archetype in the study of
the formation of stars much more massive than the Sun. This region contains
luminous young stars and protostars, but it is difficult to study because of
overlying dust and gas. Our basic expectations are shaped to some extent by the
present theoretical picture of star formation, the cornerstone of which is that
protostars acrete gas from rotating equatorial disks, and shed angular momentum
by ejecting gas in bipolar outflows. The main source of the outflow in the
BN/KL region may be an object known as radio source I, which is commonly
believed to be surrounded by a rotating disk of molecular material. Here we
report high-resolution observations of silicon monoxide (SiO) and water maser
emission from the gas surrounding source I; we show that within 60 AU (about
the size of the Solar System), the region is dominated by a conical bipolar
outflow, rather than the expected disk. A slower outflow, close to the
equatorial plane of the protostellar system, extends to radii of 1,000 AU.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. Accepted by Nature. To appear December 199
Electrically controlled long-distance spin transport through an antiferromagnetic insulator
Spintronics uses spins, the intrinsic angular momentum of electrons, as an
alternative for the electron charge. Its long-term goal is in the development
of beyond-Moore low dissipation technology devices. Recent progress
demonstrated the long-distance transport of spin signals across ferromagnetic
insulators. Antiferromagnetically ordered materials are however the most common
class of magnetic materials with several crucial advantages over ferromagnetic
systems. In contrast to the latter, antiferromagnets exhibit no net magnetic
moment, which renders them stable and impervious to external fields. In
addition, they can be operated at THz frequencies. While fundamentally their
properties bode well for spin transport, previous indirect observations
indicate that spin transmission through antiferromagnets is limited to short
distances of a few nanometers. Here we demonstrate the long-distance, over tens
of micrometers, propagation of spin currents through hematite (\alpha-Fe2O3),
the most common antiferromagnetic iron oxide, exploiting the spin Hall effect
for spin injection. We control the spin current flow by the interfacial
spin-bias and by tuning the antiferromagnetic resonance frequency with an
external magnetic field. This simple antiferromagnetic insulator is shown to
convey spin information parallel to the compensated moment (N\'eel order) over
distances exceeding tens of micrometers. This newly-discovered mechanism
transports spin as efficiently as the net magnetic moments in the best-suited
complex ferromagnets. Our results pave the way to ultra-fast, low-power
antiferromagnet-insulator-based spin-logic devices that operate at room
temperature and in the absence of magnetic fields
The Leeds Evaluation of Efficacy of Detoxification Study (LEEDS) project: An open-label pragmatic randomised control trial comparing the efficacy of differing therapeutic agents for primary care detoxification from either street heroin or methadone [ISRCTN07752728]
BACKGROUND:
Heroin is a synthetic opioid with an extensive illicit market leading to large numbers of people becoming addicted. Heroin users often present to community treatment services requesting detoxification and in the UK various agents are used to control symptoms of withdrawal. Dissatisfaction with methadone detoxification [8] has lead to the use of clonidine, lofexidine, buprenorphine and dihydrocodeine; however, there remains limited evaluative research. In Leeds, a city of 700,000 people in the North of England, dihydrocodeine is the detoxification agent of choice. Sublingual buprenorphine, however, is being introduced. The comparative value of these two drugs for helping people successfully and comfortably withdraw from heroin has never been compared in a randomised trial. Additionally, there is a paucity of research evaluating interventions among drug users in the primary care setting. This study seeks to address this by randomising drug users presenting in primary care to receive either dihydrocodeine or buprenorphine.
METHODS/DESIGN:
The Leeds Evaluation of Efficacy of Detoxification Study (LEEDS) project is a pragmatic randomised trial which will compare the open use of buprenorphine with dihydrocodeine for illicit opiate detoxification, in the UK primary care setting. The LEEDS project will involve consenting adults and will be run in specialist general practice surgeries throughout Leeds. The primary outcome will be the results of a urine opiate screening at the end of the detoxification regimen. Adverse effects and limited data to three and six months will be acquired
The effect of providing a USB syllabus on resident reading of landmark articles
Background: The acquisition of new knowledge is a primary goal of residency training. Retrieving and retaining influential primary and secondary medical literature can be challenging for house officers. We set out to investigate the effect of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive loaded with landmark scientific articles on housestaff education in a pilot study. Methods: We created a USB syllabus that contains 187 primary scientific research articles. The electronic syllabus had links to the full-text articles and was organized using an html webpage with a table of contents according to medical subspecialties. We performed a prospective cohort study of 53 house officers in the internal medicine residency program who received the USB syllabus. We evaluated the impact of the USB syllabus on resident education with surveys at the beginning and conclusion of the nine-month study period. Results: All 50 respondents (100%) reported to have used the USB syllabus. The self-reported number of original articles read each month was higher at the end of the nine-month study period compared to baseline. Housestaff rated original articles as being a more valuable educational resource after the intervention. Conclusions: An electronic syllabus with landmark scientific articles placed on a USB drive was widely utilized by housestaff, increased the self-reported reading of original scientific articles and seemed to have positively influenced residents’ attitude toward original medical literature
Duration of shedding of respiratory syncytial virus in a community study of Kenyan children
Background: Our understanding of the transmission dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection will be better informed with improved data on the patterns of shedding in cases not limited only to hospital admissions.
Methods: In a household study, children testing RSV positive by direct immunofluorescent antibody test (DFA) were enrolled. Nasal washings were scheduled right away, then every three days until day 14, every 7 days until day 28 and every 2 weeks until a maximum of 16 weeks, or until the first DFA negative RSV specimen. The relationship between host factors, illness severity and viral shedding was investigated using Cox regression methods.
Results: From 151 families a total of 193 children were enrolled with a median age of 21 months (range 1-164 months), 10% infants and 46% male. The rate of recovery from infection was 0.22/person/day (95% CI 0.19-0.25) equivalent to a mean duration of shedding of 4.5 days (95%CI 4.0-5.3), with a median duration of shedding of 4 days (IQR 2-6, range 1-14). Children with a history of RSV infection had a 40% increased rate of recovery i.e. shorter duration of viral shedding (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% CI 1.01-1.86). The rate of cessation of shedding did not differ significantly between males and females, by severity of infection or by age.
Conclusion: We provide evidence of a relationship between the duration of shedding and history of infection, which may have a bearing on the relative role of primary versus re-infections in RSV transmission in the community
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