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Embedding rewilding in policy: perspectives on overcoming barriers and unlocking opportunities
Get PDF1. Rewilding initiatives are increasing in number across Europe and the UK in response to a growing awareness of substantial nature depletion, despite a lack of policy, guidance and legislation.
2. Ongoing transformations of UK environmental policies offer a ‘policy window’ in which rewilding could become established as a key strategy for nature recovery.
3. Here, we present the results of discussion sessions held as part of a British Ecological Society Policy Training workshop. A total of 46 participants, academics, practitioners and young people interested in rewilding attended. Our discussion focused on three pre-determined thematic discussion sessions: (1) barriers to rewilding and trade-offs; (2) species reintroductions; (3) facilitating rewilding in policy. Using thematic analysis, four emerging cross-cutting themes were identified from our workshop discussions: (a) environmental stewardship & public engagement, (b) cross-policy approaches, (c) incentivising rewilding and (d) an evidence base for rewilding.
4. Policy Implications. Given the UK's considerable biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystem processes and function on a large scale is increasingly urgent, and operationalising rewilding through supportive environmental policy structures should be a key priority for government
Simultaneous acoustic perfect absorption and rainbow trapping via topologically optimized sub-wavelength multi-slit sonic crystal metamaterials
Get PDFAcoustic perfect absorption at 500 Hz and across the low-frequency range of 400–1000 Hz is demonstrated using a metamaterial structure composed of graded sub-wavelength multi-slit sonic crystal (MSSC) elements designed through a topology optimization framework that integrates a genetic algorithm with a novel effective medium approach, rigorously accounting for visco-thermal losses in the slits via Stinson’s model, avoiding reliance on artificial loss factors. The effective impedances of the unit cells embedding each MSSC element are precisely tuned to match the surrounding medium, thereby satisfying the critical coupling condition for optimal absorption. Remarkably, the optimized structure exhibits spatially graded acoustic properties that sequentially localize energy at designated frequencies, producing the rainbow-trapping phenomenon. Notably, the largest element measures only 7 cm in diameter—deeply sub-wavelength at about 1/12 the wavelength at 400 Hz. The proposed design and methodology offer promising applications in acoustic filtering, energy harvesting, and noise mitigation, particularly in ventilation systems
Unspecified pain, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain in Lesotho: a population-based cross-sectional study
Get PDFObjectives:
Pain is understudied in Africa, and there are no data on high-impact chronic pain from this region. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of unspecified pain, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain, and their determinants in Lesotho, Southern Africa.
Method:
We conducted a household-based, cross-sectional survey among adults aged 18 years or older in 120 randomly sampled villages across Butha-Buthe and Mokhotlong districts in Lesotho.
Results:
Among the 6039 adults included, the median age was 39 years (interquartile range: 27–58), and 3153 of 6039 participants (52.2%) were female. Overall, 1194 participants (19.8%) had unspecified pain (95% confidence interval [CI]: 18.8–20.8), 909 (15.1%) had chronic pain (95% CI: 14.2–16.0), and 428 (7.1%) had high-impact chronic pain (95% CI: 6.5–7.8) corresponding to 47.1% among the participants with chronic pain. Higher age groups were associated with increasing odds of unspecified pain, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain. Male participants were less likely to have unspecified pain (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.65; 95% CI: 0.55–0.76; P < 0.001) and chronic pain (aOR, 0.79; 95% CI: 0.65–0.96; P = 0.019). There was no association between sex and high-impact chronic pain. Furthermore, high-impact chronic pain was associated with arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, moderate-to-high risk of depression, moderate-to-high risk of generalized anxiety disorder, and household wealth.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain was elevated in our study population. Associations with further noncommunicable chronic conditions, such as arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus, support the need for health systems to provide integrated chronic care which includes pain management
Thermo-mechanical pre-treatments modulate the structure, protein and starch digestibility, and thermal and pasting properties of sorghum flour
Get PDFThis study examined the effects of five thermal-mechanical pre-treatments, including popping, roasting, parboiling, pressure cooking, and extrusion, on the structure, digestibility, and thermal and pasting properties of sorghum flour. The results indicated that dry-heat treatments disrupted the starch-protein matrix, which caused granule swelling, fusion and partial gelatinisation. Protein digestibility was highest after extrusion (76.2 %) and lowest in pressure-cooked sorghum flour (42.6 %). Wet-heat treatments, including parboiling and pressure cooking, consistently increased thermal stability, as evidenced by higher onset and peak temperature (To, Tp) and enthalpy changes (ΔH), while roasting resulted in the lowest ΔH, consistent with partial gelatinisation. FTIR analysis revealed protein unfolding, particularly in dry heat-treated samples, and SEM imaging showed changes in the morphological microstructure, confirming granule swelling and formation of an amorphous matrix. These findings underscore the potential of these treatments to enhance the properties of sorghum flour and broaden its use in food products
New measurement of 50Cr and 53Cr (n,γ) cross sections at n_TOF:a call for chromium nuclear data revision
Get PDF50Cr and 53Cr are very relevant in criticality safety benchmarks related to nuclear reactors. The discrepancies of up to 30% between the neutron capture cross section evaluations have an important effect on the keff and k∞ in criticality benchmarks particularly sensitive to chromium. In this work, the 50,53Cr(n,γ) cross sections are to be determined between 1 and 100 keV with an 8–10% accuracy following the requirements of the NEA High Priority Request List (HPRL) to solve the current discrepancies. We have measured these reactions by the time-of-flight technique at the EAR1 experimental area of the n_TOF facility, using an array of four C6D6 detectors with very low neutron sensitivity. The highly-enriched samples used are significantly thinner than in previous measurements, thus minimizing the multiple-scattering effects. We have produced, and analysed with the R-matrix analysis code SAMMY, capture yields featuring 33 resonances of 50Cr and 51 of 53Cr with an accuracy between 5% and 9%, hence fulfilling the requirements made by the NEA. The differential and integral cross sections have been compared to previous data and evaluations. The new measured 50,53Cr(n,γ) cross sections provide a valuable input for upcoming evaluations, which are deemed necessary given that the results presented herein do not support the increase in both cross sections proposed in the recent INDEN evaluation
Isolated massive star candidates in NGC 4242 with the Galaxy UV Legacy Project
Get PDFContext. There is considerable debate about the formation of massive stars, including whether a high-mass star must always form with a population of low-mass stars, or if it can also form in isolation. Massive stars found in the field are often considered to be runaways from star clusters or OB associations. However, there is evidence in the Milky Way and the Small Magellanic Cloud of high-mass stars that appear to be isolated in the field and they cannot be related to any known star cluster or OB association. Studies of more distant galaxies have been lacking so far.
Aims. We identified massive star candidates that appear isolated in the field of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 4242 (at a distance of 5.3 Mpc) to explore how many candidates for isolated star formation we find in a galaxy outside the Local Group.
Methods. We identified 234 massive (Mini ≥ 15 M⊙) and young (≤10 Myr) field stars in NGC 4242 using the Hubble Space Telescope Solar Blind Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys, the UVIS channel of the Wide Field Camera 3 from the Galaxy UV Legacy Project (GULP), and optical data from the Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS). We investigated the surroundings of our targets within the range of projected distances expected for runaway stars, 74 pc and 204 pc.
Results. Within the threshold radii, 9.8% and 34.6% of our targets have no young star clusters, OB associations, or massive stars. This causes them to appear isolated. This fraction reduces to 3.2%−11.5% for the total number of massive stars expected from the observed UV star formation rate.
Conclusions. Our results show that there is a small population of young and massive potentially isolated field stars in NGC 4242
Treatments for renal cell carcinoma: NICE Pilot Treatment Pathways Appraisal
Get PDFBackground
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is piloting a new approach to evaluating health technologies, which takes into consideration the full treatment pathway for a condition. This report describes the first pilot topic for the pathways process, which evaluated systemic treatments for advanced renal cell carcinoma.
Objectives
This pilot aimed to develop a decision model representing the treatment pathway that will be used to evaluate new technologies for advanced renal cell carcinoma. The pilot also evaluated a new treatment for renal cell carcinoma: cabozantinib (Cabometyx®; Ipsen, Slough, UK) plus nivolumab (Opdivo®; Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA).
Review methods
A systematic literature review was conducted to identify evidence to inform effectiveness, safety and economic model development, including systematic literature reviews, randomised controlled trials, economic evaluations, utility studies and cost and resource use data. Real-world evidence was sought following the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence real-world evidence framework. Structured expert elicitation informed assumptions about overall survival and progression-free survival. Network meta-analyses were conducted to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of treatments. A de novo state transition model that was constructed with a partitioned survival analysis structure was also presented. The cost perspective of the model was that of the National Health Service and Personal Social Services; the time horizon was 40 years, costs and outcomes were discounted at 3.5% per annum and a 2022 price year was used. The model allowed sequences of up to four active lines of treatment.
Information sources
The review included 118 systematic literature reviews, 30 randomised controlled trials, 122 economic evaluations, 82 studies reporting utility data and 13 studies reporting cost and/or resource use data. A total of 21 real-world evidence sources were identified. Unpublished data were provided by the manufacturer and other stakeholders (competitor companies, patient and clinical organisations). The expert elicitation recruited nine United Kingdom-based oncologists.
Results
Cabozantinib plus nivolumab was associated with better progression-free survival and overall survival than existing tyrosine kinase inhibitors as first-line treatment in the all-risk group. Using the list price of the evaluated interventions, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for cabozantinib plus nivolumab compared to the next non-dominated tyrosine kinase inhibitor monotherapy (pazopanib [Votrient®; Novartis, Slough, UK]) was £275,106 per quality-adjusted life-year in the all-risk population and was £379,222 in the favourable-risk population. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were relatively consistent across the base-case and scenario analyses. In the intermediate-/poor-risk population, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for pembrolizumab (Keytruda®; Merck Sharp & Dohme, London, UK) plus lenvatinib (Lenvima®; Eisai, Hatfield, UK) was £450,638 compared to cabozantinib; cabozantinib plus nivolumab and nivolumab plus ipilimumab were both dominated by cabozantinib and pazopanib monotherapy, respectively, in the base-case analysis. Quality-adjusted life-year gains were similar for cabozantinib plus nivolumab, pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib and nivolumab plus ipilimumab (Yervoy®; Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA). Cabozantinib plus nivolumab was shown to be less effective and less expensive than pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib in most scenarios.
Limitations
Most interventions were supported by only one trial and data quality was poor. Outcomes reported in clinical trials were generally more favourable than those reported in real-world evidence, suggesting that trials may overestimate treatment benefits.
Conclusions
This pilot demonstrated the feasibility of producing a reference model, which is open source and available to relevant stakeholders without restriction. This will improve consistency in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s decision-making and allow for the evaluation of optimum treatment sequences for advanced renal cell carcinoma.
Future work
Future research is needed to resolve uncertainties in clinical effectiveness estimates for treatments for advanced renal cell carcinoma, including long-term effectiveness of combination treatments and their effectiveness in the favourable-risk subgroup. This would also inform further evaluation of optimal treatment sequences for advanced renal cell carcinoma.
This evaluation included the use of confidential data, including commercially sensitive data provided by the manufacturers of treatments for renal cell carcinoma. Where feasible, references to confidential data have been removed from this monograph. Any remaining instances of confidential data have been redacted.
Study registration
A final review protocol was submitted to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in advance. Due to confidentiality issues surrounding the analysis plan, this was not deposited with PROSPERO.
Funding
This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Evidence Synthesis programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR136008) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 30, No. 1. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information
Search for β-delayed fission of 178mgAu and an updated systematics in the region of neutron-deficient nuclei
Get PDFAccountability for learning in contexts of fragile school attendance in India
Get PDFAccountability-focused governance reforms aiming to address the ‘learning crisis’ in schools across the global South have generated a performative orientation that diverts from a sustained focus on student learning. How education system actors perceive accountability for ensuring that all enrolled children attend school and learn even if children’s attendance is irregular remains a critical question which this paper addresses. A global scholarly preoccupation with enrolment and absence that is inattentive to student attendance and its relationship with accountability for learning is first identified. The empirical investigation focuses on India, where despite near universal enrolment, the average rate of primary school attendance is about 70 per cent. Field sites are three government-run elementary schools, with poor material conditions, in the Adivasi region of southern Rajasthan. The paper first disaggregate the rates of learner attendance the schools report and identifies distinct temporal patterns which are captured in a typology. This is applied in a qualitative investigation of accountability for learning that uses student attendance patterns as a prism. It finds that while teachers holds themselves to account for delivering teaching, differing learner attendance patterns elicit different responses from teachers, such that teacher accountability does not extend to enabling good quality learning opportunities for all students. It shows that teacher and parent views of accountability for ensuring that children attend regularly are misaligned. The conclusion summarises the evidence-based learning for policy and argues that promoting systemic accountability for learning requires a firmer focus on the attendance – learning relationship in general, and ‘fragile’ attendance in particular, in both India and other global South country contexts
From dogma to data:charting a path forward for clinico-immunological research in Ethiopian cutaneous leishmaniasis
Get PDFBackground: Rooted in long-standing assumptions and adapted from classifications mainly used for Latin American cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), the nationally recommended clinical categories in Ethiopia for CL remain limited to localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL), mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL), and diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL). However, these categories are associated with immune mechanisms which have not been validated in the Ethiopian context and thus risk misrepresenting the true clinical and immunopathological diversity. In this opinion piece, we will therefore outline key knowledge gaps and challenges in current clinico-immunological research on Ethiopian CL. Main body: In Ethiopia, Leishmania aethiopica is often assumed as the causative agent of these ‘LCL’, ‘MCL’ and ‘DCL’ forms, yet significant gaps in knowledge urge caution. For example, adoption of this ‘LCL’, ‘MCL’ and ‘DCL’ terminology and the associated immune mechanisms has led to inconsistent results. Most immunological studies on Ethiopian CL have focused on peripheral blood, resulting in little information about immune processes in the lesion, the original site of infection. Adding to the complexity, other species (including L. major, L. donovani and L. tropica as well as L. aethiopica hybrids) also circulate, with reports of Leishmania RNA virus co-infection. To address these challenges, we propose a multidimensional approach that combines standardized clinical documentation with appropriate lesion and blood sampling for in-depth profiling of both immune responses and parasite diversity. Adopting this holistic approach will require inclusive (inter)national collaborations with a focus on promoting equitable biobank and data sharing which will strengthen local research capacities. Conclusions: By addressing the main challenges and knowledge gaps in current clinico-immunological research through a multidimensional approach, this opinion aims to provide the tools to achieve a better and unbiased understanding of the immunopathogenesis of Ethiopian CL, a severe yet under-investigated disease. Such progress is essential for improving CL management in Ethiopia and aligns with the World Health Organization priority on controlling CL
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