Impact of Screening on Breast Cancer Mortality: The UK Program 20 Years On

This study was funded by a grant from the UK Department of Health (no. 106/0001). The grant was awarded to Prof Stephen W Duffy

Macroalgae Decrease Growth and Alter Microbial Community Structure of the Reef-Building Coral, Porites astreoides

This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plosone.org/home.action.With the continued and unprecedented decline of coral reefs worldwide, evaluating the factors that contribute to coral demise is of critical importance. As coral cover declines, macroalgae are becoming more common on tropical reefs. Interactions between these macroalgae and corals may alter the coral microbiome, which is thought to play an important role in colony health and survival. Together, such changes in benthic macroalgae and in the coral microbiome may result in a feedback mechanism that contributes to additional coral cover loss. To determine if macroalgae alter the coral microbiome, we conducted a field-based experiment in which the coral Porites astreoides was placed in competition with five species of macroalgae. Macroalgal contact increased variance in the coral-associated microbial community, and two algal species significantly altered microbial community composition. All macroalgae caused the disappearance of a γ-proteobacterium previously hypothesized to be an important mutualist of P. astreoides. Macroalgal contact also triggered: 1) increases or 2) decreases in microbial taxa already present in corals, 3) establishment of new taxa to the coral microbiome, and 4) vectoring and growth of microbial taxa from the macroalgae to the coral. Furthermore, macroalgal competition decreased coral growth rates by an average of 36.8%. Overall, this study found that competition between corals and certain species of macroalgae leads to an altered coral microbiome, providing a potential mechanism by which macroalgae-coral interactions reduce coral health and lead to coral loss on impacted reefs

Food and nutrition security discursive frames in the context of the Spanish economic crisis

[EN] The recent economic crisis in Spain has provoked a number of food and nutrition security (FNS) impacts that have fuelled a fragmented landscape of food-related debates, although these have not taken the form of a coherent and allembracing public discussion on national food security. This paper is an inductive analysis of such debates, mostly based on media coverage, in an attempt to disentangle the different discourse frames on FNS in Spain, and the role played by the economic crisis in the shaping and underpinning of such frames. For this purpose a frame matrix was constructed, paying particular attention to the stakeholders governance claims in order to confront frame-specific problems. Results show how stakeholders have used elements of the crisis to underpin or reinterpret their core arguments. In addition, governance claims have concentrated on the malfunctioning of the food chain, mostly due to unequal bargaining power, and the way this could be putting at risk crucial components of the food system and future FNS. Also, the short-termism of most stakeholders approaches obscures the long run threats to the Spanish food system.This research is part of the project "Assessment of the impact of global drivers of change on Europe's food security" (TRANSMANGO), granted by the EU under 7th Framework Programme, theme KBBE.2013.2.5-01, Grant agreement no: 613532. Authors gratefully appreciate the comments and suggestions made by the three anonymous reviewers and the editors of the Journal.OOrtiz Miranda, D.; Moreno Pérez, OM.; Arnalte Alegre, EV. (2016). Food and nutrition security discursive frames in the context of the Spanish economic crisis. Food Security. 8(3):665-677. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-016-0574-xS66567783Antentas, J. M., & Vivas, E. (2014). 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The specter of productivism and food democracy. Wisconsin Law Review, 199, 199–233.DEFRA (2008). Ensuring the UK’s food security in a changing world. London: A Defra Discussion Paper.Díaz-Méndez, C., & Gómez-Benito, C. (2010). Nutrition and the Mediterranean diet. A historical and sociological analysis of the concept of a “healthy diet” in Spanish society. Food Policy, 35(5), 437–447.Dibden, J., Gibbs, D., & Cocklin, C. (2013). Framing GM crops as food security solution. Journal of Rural Studies, 29, 59–70.Ericksen, P. J. (2008). Conceptualizing food systems for global environmental change research. Global Environmental Change, 18, 234–245.FAO (2014). The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture. http://www.fao.org/nr/solaw/maps-and-graphs/en/ . Accessed 25 Feb 2015.Fish, R., Lobley, M., & Winter, M. (2013). A license to produce? Farmer interpretations of the new food security agenda. Journal of Rural Studies, 29, 40–49.Grando, S., & Colombo, L. (2015). National Report. Italy. WP2 report Transmango EU-FP7.GREENPEACE (2014). Alimentos bajo amenaza. Valor económico de la polinización y vulnerabilidad de la agricultura española ante el declive de las abejas y otros polinizadores. Madrid: Greenpeace.Hertel, T. W. (2015). The challenges of sustainably feeding a growing planet. Food Security, 7, 185–198.Hispacoop (2012). Estudio sobre desperdicio de alimentos en los hogares. Madrid: Confederación Española de Cooperativas de Consumidores y Usuarios.Lang, T., & Heasman, M. (2004). Food wars. The global battle for mouths, Minds and Markets. London: Earthscan.Lawrence, G., & McMichael, P. (2012). The question of food security. International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture & Food, 19(2), 135–142.MAGRAMA. (2014). La balanza commercial agroalimentaria en 2013. Madrid.Maye, D., & Kirwan, J. (2013). Food security: a fractured consensus. Journal of Rural Studies, 29, 1–6.McKeon, N. (2015). 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Bonn: ZEF.Sáez-Almendros, S., Obrador, B., Bach-Faig, A., & Serra-Majem, L. (2013). Environmental footprints of Mediterranean versus Western dietary patterns: beyond the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Environmental Health, 12, 118.Shepherd, B. (2012). Thinking critically about food security. Security Dialogue, 43(3), 195–212.Sineiro, F. (2012). Situación actual, retos y perspectivas del vacuno de leche. Available at http://www.eumedia.es/portales/files/documentos/2-FSineiro.pdf . Accessed 19 Nov 2015.Van Gorp, B. (2007). The constructionist approach to framing: bringing culture back. Journal of Communication, 57, 60–78.Van Gorp, B., & van der Goot, M. J. (2012). Sustainable food and agriculture: Stakeholder’s frames. Communication, Culture & Critique, 5, 127–148.Vidal, R., Moliner, E., Pikula, A., Mena-Nieto, A., & Ortega, A. (2015). Comparison of the carbon footprint of different patient diets in a Spanish hospital. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 20(1), 39–44

Perspective on ultramicroporous carbon as sulphur host for Li–S batteries

Lithium-sulphur (Li-S) batteries are currently considered as next-generation battery technology. Sulphur is an attractive positive electrode for lithium metal batteries, mainly due to its high capacity (1675 mAh g-1) and high specific energy (2600 Wh kg-1). The electrochemical reaction of lithium with sulphur in non-aqueous electrolytes results in the formation of electrolyte soluble intermediate lithium-polysulphides. The dissolved polysulphides shuttle to the anode and get reduced at the anode resulting in Li metal corrosion. The solubility of polysulphide gradually reduces the amount of sulphur in the cathode, thereby limiting the cycle life of Li-S batteries. Several strategies have been proposed to improve the cycling stability of Li-S batteries. A unique approach to eliminate the polysulphide shuttle is to use ultramicroporous carbon (UMC) as a host for sulphur. The pore size of UMC which is below 7 Å, is the bottleneck for carbonate solvents to access sulphur/polysulphides confined in the pores, thereby preventing the polysulphide dissolution. This perspective article will emphasise the role of UMC host in directing the lithiation mechanism of sulphur and in inhibiting polysulphide dissolution, including the resulting parasitic reaction on the lithium anode. Further, the challenges that need to be addressed by UMC-S based Li-S batteries, and the strategies to realise high power density, high Coulombic efficiency, and resilient Li-S batteries will be discussed

Three Pseudomonas putida FNR Family Proteins with Different Sensitivities to O-2

The Escherichia coli fumarate-nitrate reduction regulator (FNR) protein is the paradigm for bacterial O2-sensing transcription factors. However, unlike E. coli, some bacterial species possess multiple FNR proteins that presumably have evolved to fulfill distinct roles. Here, three FNR proteins (ANR, PP_3233, and PP_3287) from a single bacterial species, Pseudomonas putida KT2440, have been analyzed. Under anaerobic conditions, all three proteins had spectral properties resembling those of [4Fe-4S] proteins. The reactivity of the ANR [4Fe-4S] cluster with O2 was similar to that of E. coli FNR, and during conversion to the apo-protein, via a [2Fe-2S] intermediate, cluster sulfur was retained. Like ANR, reconstituted PP_3233 and PP_3287 were converted to [2Fe-2S] forms when exposed to O2, but their [4Fe-4S] clusters reacted more slowly. Transcription from an FNR-dependent promoter with a consensus FNR-binding site in P. putida and E. coli strains expressing only one FNR protein was consistent with the in vitro responses to O2. Taken together, the experimental results suggest that the local environments of the iron-sulfur clusters in the different P. putida FNR proteins influence their reactivity with O2, such that ANR resembles E. coli FNR and is highly responsive to low concentrations of O2, whereas PP_3233 and PP_3287 have evolved to be less sensitive to O2

Survival strategies of a frugivore, the sun bear, in a forest-oil palm landscape

As large areas of forest are lost throughout the tropics, prime habitat of many species decline and become fragmented. The island of Borneo is a prime example, with accelerated clearing of forests primarily for oil palm expansion. Borneo is recognized as an important stronghold for the conservation of the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), but it is unclear how habitat reduction and fragmentation is affecting this frugivore. We used camera traps and sign surveys to understand patterns of sun bear habitat use in a matrix of fragmented forests and extensive oil palm development, which has existed as such for > 15 years: the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Within these small forest fragments, squeezed between a major river and oil palm plantations, bears exhibited selection for areas farther from human activity (plantations, river boat traffic, and buildings), and were rarely active during the day, demonstrating both spatial and temporal avoidance of potential human-related threats. They selected large trees to feed and rest, and also exploited adjacent plantations to feed on oil palm fruits. We conclude that even relatively small forest fragments (~ 2000 ha) within large agricultural landscapes can be important for sun bears. Our research highlights the remarkable adaptations this species has employed to persist in a drastically modified landscape

Does Reader Performance with Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Vary according to Experience with Two-dimensional Mammography?

Purpose To assess whether individual reader performance with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and two-dimensional (2D) mammography varies with number of years of experience or volume of 2D mammograms read. Materials and Methods After written informed consent was obtained, 8869 women (age range, 29-85 years; mean age, 56 years) were recruited into the TOMMY trial (A Comparison of Tomosynthesis with Digital Mammography in the UK National Health Service Breast Screening Program), an ethically approved, multicenter, multireader, retrospective reading study, between July 2011 and March 2013. Each case was read prospectively for clinical assessment and to establish ground truth. A retrospective reading data set of 7060 cases was created and randomly allocated for independent blinded review of (a) 2D mammograms, (b) DBT images and 2D mammograms, and (c) synthetic 2D mammograms and DBT images, without access to previous examinations. Readers (19 radiologists, three advanced practitioner radiographers, and two breast clinicians) who had 3-25 (median, 10) years of experience in the U.K. National Health Service Breast Screening Program and read 5000-13 000 (median, 8000) cases per annum were included in this study. Specificity was analyzed according to reader type and years and volume of experience, and then both specificity and sensitivity were analyzed by matched inference. The median duration of experience (10 years) was used as the cutoff point for comparison of reader performance. Results Specificity improved with the addition of DBT for all readers. This was significant for all staff groups (56% vs 68% and 49% vs 67% [P < .0001] for radiologists and advanced practitioner radiographers, respectively; 46% vs 55% [P = .02] for breast clinicians). Sensitivity was improved for 19 of 24 (79%) readers and was significantly higher for those with less than 10 years of experience (91% vs 86%; P = .03) and those with total mammographic experience of fewer than 80 000 cases (88% vs 86%; P = .03). Conclusion The addition of DBT to conventional 2D screening mammography improved specificity for all readers, but the gain in sensitivity was greater for readers with less than 10 years of experience.Study supported by National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme (09/22/182)