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Neural network-based identification for scallops (<i>Pecten maximus</i>) in natural marine habitats
No full textThe Great Atlantic scallop, or King scallop (Pecten maximus), ranks third in value after mackerel and Nephrops in UK fisheries. Its landings have surged over recent decades, making it the UK's fastest-growing fishery. Scallop stock assessments, crucial for sustainable fisheries management, traditionally rely on fisheries surveys, including underwater imaging and dredge sampling. Data on areas that contain scallops but not fishable using dredges is lacking. Dredge sampling is also potentially destructive. Remote data collection using drop down cameras and towed video are used, but there are few tools available to analyse these data automatically. P. maximus are usually recessed in fine sand and gravel habitats making image identification challenging. This study explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically the NetHarn model from the VIAME toolkit, to identify and count scallops from underwater video transects. The research utilises diverse video footage from NatureScot, captured with custom camera systems (DDV and miniDDV), providing varied habitat, image quality, and camera specifications. Previous AI studies of this species artificially placed scallops on the seabed and are not representative of natural presentation. This research applies the same AI model to survey images featuring scallops in their natural habitat. Results showed moderate performance of the NetHarn model, achieving an F1 score of 0.44 and a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 0.41 when classifying scallops into three categories: king, queen, and dead. Model performance varied across geographic locations, camera platforms, and habitat types, with challenges including blurred images and mislabelling. The study emphasises the need for improved data acquisition, standardised camera systems, and larger annotated datasets to enhance AI model performance. Despite moderate results, this research highlights AI's potential for automating estimation of scallop stock abundance and marine habitat monitoring. Future efforts should focus on addressing image quality issues, increasing sample sizes, and optimising data collection for enhanced marine conservation and fisheries management
An impact evaluation of the Scottish take-home naloxone programme
No full textObjectives To describe the change in opioid-related deaths (ORDs) recorded across Scotland since National ‘Take Home’ Naloxone Programme (NNP) implementation between baseline pre-implementation (2006 – 2010) and 10-year post implementation (2011 – 2020) periods. To describe and contextualise the change in ORDs within 4 weeks of prison release and hospital discharge across the same pre- and post-implementation periods and evaluate the reach of naloxone to people at risk of opioid overdose during this period. Methods Descriptive statistics as part of a pre-post secondary contribution analysis approach. The Better Evaluation Rainbow Framework for impact evaluation was utilised and data was obtained from official statistics and monitoring reports via Public Health Scotland. Results An increase in total ORDs nationwide was observed post-NNP implementation. In 2006–10, 9·8 % of ORDs (193 of 1970) were in people released from prison within 4 weeks of death, whereas only 4·4 % of ORDs (281 of 6439) in 2011–20 followed prison release, representing a 55 % reduction. A similar reduction in ORDs following hospital discharge was not observed. Cumulative reach of take-home naloxone to individuals at risk of opioid overdose across the post-implementation period was 58 %. Conclusions Implementation of the Scottish NNP has coincided with an increase in total ORDs nationwide, increased availability of take-home naloxone for management of opioid overdose and a reduction in the proportion of opioid-related fatalities among recently released prisoners. Unfortunately, the proportion ORDs after hospital discharge remain unchanged suggesting that this population may benefit from further research and additional distribution approaches
Ancient Incans of all classes used coded strings of hair for record keeping – new research
No full textThe travels of Edward Falkener:a Victorian architect in Ottoman Anatolia
No full textIn recent scholarship on the Ottoman Mediterranean, it has become commonplace to challenge narratives of heroic discovery and cultural superiority expounded in publications by European travellers. Rather than taking a polished, published account as its starting point, this paper discusses the travels of Edward Falkener (1814–96), a lesser-known Victorian architect and writer whose extensive tour around Anatolia (1844–5) was never communicated to a broader audience. If Falkener is remembered today, it is usually as the author of the first anglophone monograph on ancient Ephesus and editor of the first British academic journal devoted to classical art and architecture. This paper reviews Falkener’s career, but instead of these publications, the focus is on his remarkable personal archive of diaries, sketchbooks, watercolours, contracts and notes for an incomplete book about his tour of Anatolia. Drawing on this collection, it explores his fluctuating interests in heritage from different periods of Anatolia’s history and well-documented interactions with a variety of local actors who helped or hindered his meandering tour. Representing the first attempt to study Falkener’s journey, this paper explores the utility of his archive for understanding the challenges and contingencies of Victorian travel in the Ottoman Empire
Diving behaviour and physiology of the Korean Haenyeo
No full textThere is a long history of breath-hold diving cultures in East Asia, with references in Japanese chronicles as early as the third century BC. Given evidence of genetic adaptations for phenotypes associated with enhanced diving capacity within such populations1, it is likely they hold the most prodigious human diving abilities — abilities that may be akin to semi-aquatic mammals, and even some marine mammals. Yet, a dearth of fine-scale information exists on the combined natural diving behaviour and physiological responses within these diving populations. One such extraordinary population is the all-female Haenyeo. Here, we assess the fine-scale diving behaviours and physiological responses of these women during natural harvest diving. Our results show that Haenyeo divers demonstrate the highest proportions of time underwater of any humans, also exceeding those of semi-aquatic mammals and being comparable with some marine mammals. Additionally, they do not exhibit an overt cardiovascular depression, or ‘dive response’, classically associated with consummate diving mammals
Adverse drug reactions, particularly liver disorders, drive interruptions in anti‐tuberculosis treatment:a retrospective cohort study
No full textAims: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a key driver of missed doses of anti‐tuberculosis (TB) therapy. We aimed to determine the relative burden of ADR‐driven missed doses, the missed dose patterns associated with ADRs, and the association between specific ADRs and missed doses. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, adults (≥18 years) who began the standard 6‐month drug‐sensitive anti‐TB regimen in an outpatient facility in Riga, Latvia (May 2015–September 2022) and missed at least one dose of treatment were included. Data were collected from medical records and observed therapy records. Missed doses were subdivided into early discontinuation or sporadically missed. Descriptive analyses and lasagne plots were used. Results: Across 174 patients, 54 (31.0%, CI: 24.2–37.9%) missed doses due to ADRs. Of 31 320 doses, 4217 (13.5%, CI: 13.1–13.9%) were missed, 20.9% (880/4217, CI: 19.6–22.1%) were due to ADRs. Eighteen (10.3%) of the 174 patients discontinued treatment early, two of which (11.1%) were due to ADRs. Doses missed due to ADRs caused longer yet less frequent periods of sporadic missed doses: 56.4% (479/849) of sporadic missed doses were 1 day in length vs. only 9.1% (7/77) for ADR‐related ones. Hepatobiliary disorders were the leading ADR group causing missed doses. Hepatobiliary ADRs caused long median durations of missed doses (median 15.0, CI: 13.0–22.0). Conclusion: Our study underscores the importance of ADRs as a cause of missed doses of treatment, particularly hepatobiliary disorders. Regimens that are less prone to ADRs and strong healthcare system support structures for patients with ADRs are required to minimize missed doses, reducing unfavourable outcomes
Invasive mosquitofish impact a threatened toothcarp through water quality impairment and resource competition
No full textInvasive non-native species are an important cause of biodiversity loss, particularly in fresh waters. The mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki are among the world’s worst invasive species: they have caused extirpations of native species and are known to sometimes cause trophic cascades and ecosystem effects. This invasive species is also known to impact threatened fishes such as the Spanish toothcarp (Aphanius iberus), which is endemic to Mediterranean Spain. However, it is unclear if the impact of mosquitofish on many fishes is more through resource competition, agonistic interactions or predation, and how often mosquitofish cause trophic cascades. To clarify these questions, we performed a 48-day mesocosm experiment in eutrophic conditions to test for interspecific effects and clarify the impact mechanism using six treatments: the two fish species alone each at two densities, and the two fish species mixed or separated with a net that prevented direct interactions among them. We observed clear fish treatment effects on several variables. At low initial fish densities, the population growth rate of mosquitofish was orders of magnitude greater than that of the Spanish toothcarp, likely contributing to its invasive success and ecological impact. At high fish densities, turbidity, chlorophyll a concentration and daytime dissolved oxygen percentage increased, whereas total phosphorus decreased; crucially, the trophic cascade caused by mosquitofish was stronger than that by toothcarp. The experiment also demonstrated that the interspecific effects of mosquitofish on toothcarp were more important than those of intraspecific competition. The invasive species produced effects on population growth rate, size structure, and fish condition (mass-length relationship) of toothcarp. Effects on population growth rate of toothcarp seem more caused by resource competition, whereas impacts on size structure and condition seem also caused by more direct interactions. The diversity of effects of mosquitofish underscores the difficulty of predicting the impact of invasive species. Our study further provides an approach to differentiate the effects of resource competition from other more direct ecological interactions and so to clarify the impact mechanism of aquatic invasive species
Distinguishing between the material reality and social reality
No full textIn the so-called “post-truth age” that commenced in the mid-2010s, fake news and unsubstantiated claims have gained popularity mostly stemming from the human observer’s confusion between the material reality and social reality. The article proposes a logical grid for testing whether an object or phenomenon under scrutiny belongs to the former or latter type of reality, and whether, from the human observer’s perspective, its existence is objective or subjective within such a given reality’s confines. The discussion is foregrounded with the history of spatialized conceptualizations of the material and social reality, and concludes with a reflection on the prospect of a rising non-human (machine-generated) social reality
Green revenue generation and sales contribution:are consumers willing to bear the cost of sustainability?
No full textThis study examines the strategic implications of environmental activities on firm performance, specifically focusing on contribution per dollar sale and operational cost efficiency within US companies. Using a comprehensive dataset of 17,735 firm-year observations from 2008 to 2023, we find that firms engaging in green revenue generation do not pass the associated costs on to consumers through higher prices, leading to a reduction in contribution per dollar sale. However, these firms enhance their operational cost efficiency to offset this impact and maintain profitability, underscoring the operational efficiencies gained from sustainability initiatives. To address potential endogeneity, we employ two-stage least squares and difference-in-differences approaches. Our results indicate that the relationship between green revenue generation, cost efficiency and profitability remains robust regardless of regulatory pressures, indicating that sustainability efforts are embedded within broader strategic and operational practices. We also find that firms adjust marketing expenditures to absorb costs, illustrating a purposeful alignment of sustainability goals with competitive positioning. This study contributes to the strategic management literature by highlighting the role of environmental activities in shaping firm performance and operational strategy. We offer valuable insights for businesses, policymakers and standard setters seeking to balance sustainability with financial performance
The UK Co-Benefits Atlas: An Interactive Visualisation Atlas to Understand the Impacts of Achieving Climate Action Targets
No full textThe UK Co-Benefits Atlas is an interactive visual interface for communicating the co-benefits of reaching net zero across the UK. The overarching aim of this project is to support stakeholders in the making of a just and sustainable net zero United Kingdom.Climate actions are designed to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but the gains for society reach further. For example, electric cars reduce air pollution, retrofitting homes minimises cold, damp and mould growth, and our health outcomes in turn improve.The CO-BENS project models 11 additional benefits for the climate actions recommended by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) in its Seventh Carbon Budget (2025) to assist the United Kingdom with meeting its net zero target