The effects of forestry on hen harriers Circus cyaneus

Changes in the Scottish hen harrier population over the past 50 years appear to be associated with the development of coniferous afforestation. Increases or range extensions have occurred in some areas with recently established first rotation forests, where harriers are believed to have benefited from the increased cover and prey resources that result from fencing. Conversely, population declines have been reported in areas where maturing trees have reduced the availability of open and semi-open ground for nesting and hunting. Clear-felled plantations restocked with trees could potentially provide suitable habitat for a further period, although current evidence suggests that harriers make only sporadic use of second rotation forests for nesting. The extent to which harriers utilise first and second rotation forests for hunting has not previously been quantified, yet this knowledge is vital if we are to manage harrier populations effectively. This study examines time budget information from watches of breeding harriers which had access to various types of forest and moorland habitat. The relative use made of each habitat was determined, and preferences related to measures of vegetation cover and structure and estimates of prey abundance. Site occupancy and breeding success were related to the availability of the habitats studied. The study was undertaken in Argyll, west Scotland. Habitat selection by foraging harriers was investigated at 2 scales, the first reflecting the process by which a harrier came to be in a particular habitat, the second identifying specific components within habitats that were selected. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

Public perceptions of a white-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla L.) restoration program

The historic persecution and decline of European raptor populations precipitated the use of reintroduction as a species restoration tool in the late twentieth century. One of the key requirements of the World Conservation Union reintroduction guidelines concerns the need for social feasibility studies to explore the attitudes of local human populations toward restoration and reintroduction proposals. Ahead of any formal proposals to reintroduce white-tailed sea eagles to Cumbria, United Kingdom, we conducted a baseline public attitudinal survey (n = 300). We identified broad public support for this reintroduction, which transcended differences in the demographic, geographic, and employment profiles of the study cohort. There was public recognition that white-tailed sea eagles could deliver a broad range of socioeconomic and environmental benefits with few detrimental impacts. Although the value of attitudinal surveys of this nature has been questioned, we would argue that they provide a useful baseline “snapshot” ahead of a more structured and focused reintroduction consultation. These results reinforce the emergence of public interest in the restoration of European raptors in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century

Optimising Large Animal Models of Sustained Atrial Fibrillation: Relevance of the Critical Mass Hypothesis

From Frontiers via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: collection 2021, received 2021-04-04, accepted 2021-05-24, epub 2021-06-15Publication status: PublishedBackground: Large animal models play an important role in our understanding of the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF). Our aim was to determine whether prospectively collected baseline variables could predict the development of sustained AF in sheep, thereby reducing the number of animals required in future studies. Our hypothesis was that the relationship between atrial dimensions, refractory periods and conduction velocity (otherwise known as the critical mass hypothesis) could be used for the first time to predict the development of sustained AF. Methods: Healthy adult Welsh mountain sheep underwent a baseline electrophysiology study followed by implantation of a neurostimulator connected via an endocardial pacing lead to the right atrial appendage. The device was programmed to deliver intermittent 50 Hz bursts of 30 s duration over an 8-week period whilst sheep were monitored for AF. Results: Eighteen sheep completed the protocol, of which 28% developed sustained AF. Logistic regression analysis showed only fibrillation number (calculated using the critical mass hypothesis as the left atrial diameter divided by the product of atrial conduction velocity and effective refractory period) was associated with an increased likelihood of developing sustained AF (Ln Odds Ratio 26.1 [95% confidence intervals 0.2–52.0] p = 0.048). A receiver-operator characteristic curve showed this could be used to predict which sheep developed sustained AF (C-statistic 0.82 [95% confidence intervals 0.59–1.04] p = 0.04). Conclusion: The critical mass hypothesis can be used to predict sustained AF in a tachypaced ovine model. These findings can be used to optimise the design of future studies involving large animals

Application of Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) to UK rail safety of the line incidents

Minor safety incidents on the railways cause disruption, and may be indicators of more serious safety risks. The following paper aimed to gain an understanding of the relationship between active and latent factors, and particular causal paths for these types of incidents by using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) to examine rail industry incident reports investigating such events. 78 reports across 5 types of incident were reviewed by two authors and cross-referenced for interrater reliability using the index of concordance. The results indicate that the reports were strongly focused on active failures, particularly those associated with work-related distraction and environmental factors. Few latent factors were presented in the reports. Different causal pathways emerged for memory failures for events such a failure to call at stations, and attentional failures which were more often associated with signals passed at danger. The study highlights a need for the rail industry to look more closely at latent factors at the supervisory and organisational levels when nvestigating minor safety of the line incidents. The results also strongly suggest the importance of a new factor – operational environment – that captures unexpected and non-routine operating conditions which have a risk of distracting the driver. Finally, the study is further demonstration of the utility of HFACS to the rail industry, and of the usefulness of the index of concordance measure of interrater reliability

A systematic review of group work interventions in UK high secure hospitals

Background: Rehabilitating high secure hospital patients poses significant challenges. Group work is thought to play a key role in patient recovery; however, there have been no reviews conducted specifically assessing group work interventions for high secure hospital patients. Objectives: To review the focus of group work interventions that are being implemented and evaluated with high secure hospital patients in the UK, and to examine the effectiveness of these interventions and the methods used to assess intervention effectiveness. Method: A systematic literature search combined with reference screening was conducted examining group work interventions with high secure hospital patients in the UK. Results: In total, 28 manuscripts (outlining 29 group work intervention evaluations) were identified for review inclusion. Across these, ten focuses of group work intervention emerged: anger/aggression, offence-specific, enhancing insight and understanding of mental illness, thinking skills/problem solving, substance misuse, self-harm, relationships, self-esteem and well-being, relapse prevention, and moving on. Positive outcomes were generally reported across all ten areas. Conclusions: Studies assessing the impact of group work interventions could be improved by increasing sample sizes, reducing sole reliance on self-report measures, employing clear statistical and clinical significance testing, and increasing the use of follow-up assessments and control groups

European space integration A legal-systemic inquiry

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:D59987 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo