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Planning and licensing for marine aquaculture
Get PDFMarine aquaculture has the potential to increase its contribution to the global food system and provide valuable ecosystem services, but appropriate planning, licensing and regulation systems must be in place to enable sustainable development. At present, approaches vary considerably throughout the world, and several national and regional investigations have highlighted the need for reforms if marine aquaculture is to fulfil its potential. This article aims to map and evaluate the challenges of planning and licensing for growth of sustainable marine aquaculture. Despite the range of species, production systems and circumstances, this study found a number of common themes in the literature; complicated and fragmented approaches to planning and licensing, property rights and the licence to operate, competition for space and marine spatial planning, emerging species and diversifying marine aquaculture production (seaweed production, Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture [IMTA], nutrient and carbon offsetting with aquaculture, offshore aquaculture and co-location and multiuse platforms), and the need to address knowledge gaps and use of decision-support tools. Planning and licensing can be highly complicated, so the UK is used as a case study to show more detailed examples that highlight the range of challenges and uncertainty that industry, regulators and policymakers face across interacting jurisdictions. There are many complexities, but this study shows that many countries have undergone, or are undergoing, similar challenges, suggesting that lessons can be learned by sharing knowledge and experiences, even across different species and production systems, rather than having a more insular focus. [Abstract copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Reviews in Aquaculture published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Establishing authentic partnerships with people living with dementia as educators within a university curriculum
Get PDFThe biomedical narrative of dementia has traditionally been one of loss and decline. This is reinforced by media narratives such as the Tsunami of dementia. The voices of people living with dementia have been absent from such portrayals and within higher education programmes. Health students need to feel confident whilst on placement, seeing the person first before any diagnosis. Involving the public in research and teaching is encouraged by commissioners. This requires authentic partnerships to ensure that the content meets the requirements of the curriculum, helps to develop students understanding, and supports people to share their experiences. The North Wales dementia network was established to improve social learning and collaboration across the health, social care, and academics working to improve support for people living with dementia. A range of expertise has been integral to the network meetings including professional and personal experiences. Initial face-to-face meetings developed into an online regional group and two conferences which were co-produced and planned with people living with dementia. Experts by experience have been supported to share their views and experiences since 2017 within the pre-registration nursing and medicine degrees in addition to extensive involvement within the teaching of the masters in dementia programmes and consulting on the design of new research. The members living with dementia also established a dementia engagement and empowerment project group called Caban supporting students and staff to lead work on the first University in Wales to work towards becoming dementia friendly organisation. The process of embedding personal experiences within health programmes will be shared with feedback from students, educators, and people delivering the sessions. This work could be replicated within other higher education institutions to challenge stigma and inform dementia education and research
Knowledge Is Power:Utilizing Human-Centered Design Principles with People Living with Dementia to Co-Design a Resource and Share Knowledge with Peers
Get PDFThis paper describes the process used by a group of people living with young-onset dementia to inform the development and delivery of a post-diagnosis peer guide. It draws on the four stages of human-centered design and applies them in a new context of supporting resilience for people following a diagnosis of dementia. (1) Discover: The group discussed in-depth their perspectives on what it takes to be resilient while living with dementia and how this can be maintained. (2) Define: The group decided to collate practical information and knowledge based on their personal experiences into a booklet to support the resilience of others following a diagnosis of dementia. (3) Develop: The booklet was designed and developed together with input from other people living with dementia, facilitated by the authors. (4) Deliver: The group guided the professional production of the booklet ‘Knowledge is Power’. Over 8000 copies have been distributed to memory clinics, post-diagnostic support organizations and people living with dementia across Wales. A bilingual English–Scottish Gaelic adaptation and an adaptation for people in England have since been developed. The success of ‘Knowledge is Power’ highlights the importance of working alongside people with dementia to share knowledge and support their resilience
Thermal acclimation and habitat-dependent differences in temperature robustness of a crustacean motor circuit
Get PDFIntroduction: At the cellular level, acute temperature changes alter ionic conductances, ion channel kinetics, and the activity of entire neuronal circuits. This can result in severe consequences for neural function, animal behavior and survival. In poikilothermic animals, and particularly in aquatic species whose core temperature equals the surrounding water temperature, neurons experience rather rapid and wide-ranging temperature fluctuations. Recent work on pattern generating neural circuits in the crustacean stomatogastric nervous system have demonstrated that neuronal circuits can exhibit an intrinsic robustness to temperature fluctuations. However, considering the increased warming of the oceans and recurring heatwaves due to climate change, the question arises whether this intrinsic robustness can acclimate to changing environmental conditions, and whether it differs between species and ocean habitats.Methods: We address these questions using the pyloric pattern generating circuits in the stomatogastric nervous system of two crab species, Hemigrapsus sanguineus and Carcinus maenas that have seen a worldwide expansion in recent decades.Results and discussion: Consistent with their history as invasive species, we find that pyloric activity showed a broad temperature robustness (>30°C). Moreover, the temperature-robust range was dependent on habitat temperature in both species. Warm-acclimating animals shifted the critical temperature at which circuit activity breaks down to higher temperatures. This came at the cost of robustness against cold stimuli in H. sanguineus, but not in C. maenas. Comparing the temperature responses of C. maenas from a cold latitude (the North Sea) to those from a warm latitude (Spain) demonstrated that similar shifts in robustness occurred in natural environments. Our results thus demonstrate that neuronal temperature robustness correlates with, and responds to, environmental temperature conditions, potentially preparing animals for changing ecological conditions and shifting habitats
Drought-related mortality modifies mixing effects on light absorption and growth in mono-specific and mixed stands of Fagus sylvatica, Alnus glutinosa and Betula pendula.
Get PDFLittle is known about how drought-related mortality influences light absorption of surviving trees and consequent changes in tree species interactions. Here, we used the detailed tree-level light model (Maestra) in combination with measurements of tree dimensions, crown architectures, and stand structures to examine experimental mixing effects of Fagus sylvatica, Alnus glutinosa, and Betula pendula on light dynamics following a drought in Bangor, Wales. The experimental stands, planted in 2004, were composed of clusters with one to three species in different combinations. Droughts occurred in 2011 and 2014 during the growing seasons, and trees were measured in 2014 and 2015. Species mixing resulted, on average, in higher tree growth, absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (APAR), and light-use efficiency (LUE) compared with the mean of the monocultures. An exception was the monoculture of B. pendula, which was the most productive species and had higher growth, APAR, or LUE than some mixtures. Drought-related mortality reduced the stand basal area across all plots by an average of 8.3% and tree density by 11%. This moderate change in the structure did not result in significant increases in individual tree APAR, LUE, or growth. From a management perspective, mortality might need to reduce stand density more strongly than it did in this study before light absorption or LUE is altered
Roadmap on Label-Free Super-resolution Imaging
Get PDFLabel-free super-resolution (LFSR) imaging relies on light-scattering processes in nanoscale objects without a need for fluorescent (FL) staining required in super-resolved FL microscopy. The objectives of this Roadmap are to present a comprehensive vision of the developments, the state-of-the-art in this field, and to discuss the resolution boundaries and hurdles that need to be overcome to break the classical diffraction limit of the label-free imaging. The scope of this Roadmap spans from the advanced interference detection techniques, where the diffraction-limited lateral resolution is combined with unsurpassed axial and temporal resolution, to techniques with true lateral super-resolution capability that are based on understanding resolution as an information science problem, on using novel structured illumination, near-field scanning, and nonlinear optics approaches, and on designing superlenses based on nanoplasmonics, metamaterials, transformation optics, and microsphere-assisted approaches. To this end, this Roadmap brings under the same umbrella researchers from the physics and biomedical optics communities in which such studies have often been developing separately. The ultimate intent of this paper is to create a vision for the current and future developments of LFSR imaging based on its physical mechanisms and to create a great opening for the series of articles in this field
Restoring our lost wildlife: a review of the ecological, social and economic factors in the potential reintroduction of six mammal species to Cornwall
Get PDFIn 2016, the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership (CIoS LNP) and Cornwall Council launched the ‘Environmental Growth Strategy’. To support this, Cornwall Council created a draft 'Local Nature Recovery Strategy'. Part of this strategy explores reintroducing lost species. Cornwall Council commissioned the Derek Gow Consultancy to undertake a feasibility study into the reintroduction of six mammal species: beaver, pine marten, red squirrel, water vole, wild boar and wildcat. The report explores whether mammal reintroductions can help meet environmental and social goals, including habitat recovery, flood management, carbon capture and social well-being. It also aligns with one of Cornwall Council's key principles of “the right habitat in the right place”. Scope This report is the outcome of the feasibility study and provides a strong evidence base. This can support decision-makers considering reintroducing any of the six mammals. It is not an intention by Cornwall Council to reintroduce any of the species either wholly or as a contributing party. Nor is it a statement of intent on behalf of any other party. Methods The study used a variety of methods to assess the reintroduction process for each species. Species profiles used desk-based reviews of existing literature. They contain information about the mammal, their historical presence in Britain and Cornwall and the benefits they provide. They also give examples of previous reintroduction experience from Britain and Europe. Risk tables assess the level of risk posed to the species, the release environment and human interests. Scores are for the likelihood of the risk occurring and the consequence if they did occur. Each risk has suggested mitigation strategies. Experts advised on health screening requirements and disease risk mitigation for each species. This is a guide and not a replacement for a full Disease Risk Analysis (DRA). The legislation and licensing considerations for a reintroduction are presented for each species. Desk-based assessments and expert knowledge and experience provides cost estimates for each phase of a reintroduction. Online surveys captured the public and stakeholder’s views and opinions regarding reintroductions. Stakeholders attended an in-person workshop to give views on management requirements of reintroductions, as well as to discuss principles of engagement for consultations. These views give context of the current level of support for each species. The findings are not a replacement for local engagement during reintroduction projects. Expert modelling techniques created habitat availability maps for each species. For beavers and water voles the map shows the highest number of dams a waterbody 5 Information Classification: CONTROLLED could support. For the four other species maps show the woodland blocks available across Cornwall
Highly discriminative and adaptive feature extraction method based on NMF-MFCC for event recognition of Φ-OTDR
Get PDFTo enhance the capability of phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometers (Φ-OTDR) to recognize disturbance events, an improved adaptive feature extraction method based on NMF-MFCC is proposed, which replaces the fixed filter bank used in the traditional method to extract the mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) features by a spectral structure obtained from the Φ-OTDR signal spectrum using nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF). Three typical events on fences are set as recognition targets in our experiments, and the results show that the NMF-MFCC features have higher distinguishability, with the corresponding recognition accuracy reaching 98.47%, which is 7% higher than that using the traditional MFCC features.</p
Are local students disadvantaged?:Understanding institutional, local and national sense of belonging in higher education
Get PDFResearch on inequality in higher education (HE) is often dominated by class-based assumptions about traditional and non-traditional students. This binary distinction emphasising students’ socio-economic status tends to oversimply the complexity of educational inequality, neglecting crucial factors which affect the perception of social position. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the understanding of inequalities in HE with new data on the meaning of locality, using evidence from comparative studies of institutions. Locality is interpreted as an inclusive concept capturing place identity as well as local attachments based on language, culture and the natural environment. The qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 192 participants in three distinctly different HE institutions, which were deliberately selected according to their socio-economic, cultural, and institutional status. This mixed methods research confirms the importance of different types of belonging at institutional, local and national levels, and their different effects on student groups. The study captures to what extent geographical mobility is associated with social class, by examining students’ sense of belonging and their interpretation of locality in universities across Wales. It challenges the notion of disadvantaged background, and poses a critical question about cultural and geographical familiarity. This study therefore enriches the current debates about the impact of social inequality alongside social class on students’ belonging, success and retention in HE