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Responses of fish to nationwide improvements in the water quality of a densely populated and heavily modified country over four decades
Get PDFGlobally, fish have been severely affected by the widespread, chronic degradation of fresh waters, with a substantial proportion of species declining in abundance or range in recent decades. This has especially been the case in densely populated countries with an industrial heritage and intensive agriculture, where the majority of river catchments have been affected by deteriorations in water quality and changes in land use. This study used a spatially and temporally extensive dataset, encompassing 16,124 surveys at 1180 sites representing a wide range of river typologies and pressures, to examine changes in the fish populations of England's rivers over four decades (1980s–2010s). The analyses revealed gradual, nationwide increases in mean fish species richness and diversity across the range of pressure gradients. In the majority of cases, increases were most pronounced in the 1980s, since when any further changes have been comparatively minor, but there were no declining trends across the full time series. There were also temporal, nationwide changes in fish assemblage structure, driven largely by variations in the densities of brown trout Salmo trutta or roach Rutilus rutilus, but no consistent increases in the abundance of sensitive, pollution-intolerant species in response to improvements in wastewater treatment and, consequently, water quality. Although the increases in fish species richness and diversity over the last four decades are encouraging, subtle and contrasting changes in the abundance of a range of species require further investigation, and causal relationships between fish assemblage structure and putative drivers should be modelled at a national scale. This study is the first to examine long-term, nationwide trends in the freshwater fish populations of England, and significantly advances our understanding of the ecological health of rivers in densely populated and heavily modified countries
Comparing the technical and individual possession statistics of academy players across different age groups in match-play
Get PDFBackground Youth soccer players in the UK transition into the professional game at 16 years of age. Understanding the differences between youth and professional standards can help coaches and clubs to support player development during this transition. Objectives To (i) assess the differences in technical and possession statistics between different age groups (U16, U18, U23) and outfield positions (central defender [CD], wide defender [WD], central midfielder [CM], attacking midfielder [AM], wide midfielder [WM], striker [ST]), within an English academy soccer programme, during match-play. Methods All matches were monitored using foot-mounted inertial measurements units (F-IMU; Playermaker™) to quantify the technical (touches and releases from the feet) and individual possession statistics (Time on the ball, Time on the ball per possession) from each match. Teams were instructed to play a 1-4-3-3 formation as part of their clubs playing philosophy, with positions defined per this formation. Data were analysed using a multi-variate ANOVA Two-tailed statistical significance was accepted as p ≤ 0.05 and measures of effect size were calculated using partial eta-squared (η2). Magnitude of the effect sizes were small (0.2<ES<0.6), moderate (0.6<ES<1.2), large (1.2<ES<2) and very large (≥2). Results Trivial to small effect sizes were observed across age groups for both technical and possession-based statistics during match-play. Across all age groups and positions, CD`s had the highest number of technical actions (touches and releases), whereas ST`s & AM`s, had the highest amount of time in possession of the ball. Further, positional analysis showed ST`s and AM`s had moderate to large decreases in time on the ball per possession at the U23’s age group in comparison to the U16 and U18’s, with no technical differences observed within the same positional analysis. Conclusion Attacking players (AM & ST) are required to move the ball quicker as they progress from U16 to U23’s within the current English football academy. Further exploration is required to assess if these changes are context specific given requirements of those age groups
Family-Integrated Advance Care Planning for Cancer Patients: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study
Get PDFContext: Advance care planning programs which focus on facilitating conversations among families are scant. We developed a family-integrated Serious Illness Conversation Guide (SICG-Fam). Objectives: This study aims to examine the ability and acceptability of the SICG-Fam for advanced cancer patients, family members and physicians in Japan. Methods: Trained physicians provided their patients and family members with serious illness conversations using the SICG-Fam. Data regarding ability and acceptability were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with patients, family members and physicians. Descriptive statistics and thematic analyses were conducted for data analysis. Results: From February to May 2023, 10 physicians and 22 dyads comprising 22 patients and 24 family members participated. Physicians had a median of 19 years’ experience. Each item in the SICG-Fam was delivered by physicians in 18-22 of all the 22 conversations. Patients and family members, except for one family member, judged the conversation as being helpful to discuss their respective views on patients’ wishes. Two patients and four family members evaluated the conversation as distressing. Family context, including family relationships, and how physicians engage with them, including supportive attitudes and encouraging patients and family members to express their views, affected the perceived helpfulness of the conversation. Conclusion: The SICG-Fam was delivered by physicians and accepted by patients and family members. However, how physicians consider the family perception of the conversation may mitigate potential patient and family member distress. Future studies should focus on further refining the intervention to address the identified challenges and rigorously investigate the effectiveness of this approach
Developing palliative and end-of-life care research partnerships in the North East and North Cumbria: A report on the first year of the RIPEN network
Get PDFBackgroundThe North East is one of the most disadvantaged areas of England with end-of-life care needs shaped by high levels of disability, physical and mental ill health. This programme of work aimed to set the foundation for the development of a palliative and end-of-life care research community, equipped to meet local and national challenges.Objectives-Develop a self-sustaining research culture in North East palliative and end-of-life care.-Build research collaborations around older age, frailty, multiple long-term conditions and inequalities and submit at least one research proposal.-Convene a diverse patient and public advisory group.Methods and findingsTo establish cross-institutional collaborations, we worked with patient and public partners and key stakeholders from local National Health Service trusts, hospices, social care, our National Institute for Health and Care Research infrastructure (Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria, Policy Research Unit Older People and Frailty, National Institute for Health and Care Research Innovation Observatory, Comprehensive Research Network, and Research Design Service). A series of events were hosted to foster a research culture, including establishing a monthly seminar programme, research sandpits, bespoke research training and dissemination events. A diverse community of patient and public involvement partners was established to support and shape the developing research. Multiple project and two fellowship applications were supported by the partnership. A qualitative study identified issues pertinent to local access to data that could support research.ConclusionsThis work has been a catalyst for palliative and end-of-life care research and practice collaborations to develop. Funding success and ongoing research and training events should provide a platform for sustained research development in this area
The way bubbles gallop
Get PDFThis paper is associated with a video winner of a 2024 American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD) Gallery of Fluid Motion Award for work presented at the DFD Gallery of Fluid Motion. The original video is available online at the Gallery of Fluid Motion, https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2024.GFM.V2684816
Spontaneous unsteadiness and effects of particle size sorting in simulated pyroclastic density currents and the impacts on their deposits
No full textPyroclastic density currents form from a range of volcanic eruption styles, as well as lava dome collapse and retrogressive failure of existing deposits. These source conditions, combined with erosion and particle evolution through transport, result in diverse grain sizes and componentry in currents. The deposits from pyroclastic density currents can show grading and stratification, highlighting these differences, but most commonly these deposits preserve unsorted or poorly sorted massive layers. This chapter explores the controls on these different behaviors in relation to the energy and structure of the currents that deposit them. We start by using powder flume experiments to explore the steadiness of currents supplied with a continuous mass flux and find that these currents are spontaneously unsteady, developing pulses that dominate the depositional behavior further downstream. By using a variety of grain sizes. we explore the formation of graded deposits and then discuss the implications of widespread massive lapilli tuffs in natural deposits. These heterogeneous, unsorted sediments imply relatively rapid deposition from currents in which large-scale mixing processes exceed the ability of granular segregation processes to generate grading
Fixed Duration Ibrutinib-Venetoclax, a Redefinition of the CLL Treatment Landscape
No full textThe fixed-duration combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax (IV) has emerged as a highly effective therapeutic strategy for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), marking a significant shift in the treatment paradigm for this disease. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the synergistic anti-leukemic effects of the elements of this regimen and therefore provide a strong rationale for their combined use in the clinical setting. Clinical trial data of IV has demonstrated substantial improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) rates across both treatment-naïve and relapsed/refractory CLL. Notably, a considerable proportion of patients have achieved undetectable measurable residual disease (uMRD), a key marker of deep remission. However, several critical questions remain unanswered, including the optimal duration of IV and the prognostic significance of uMRD, particularly in high-risk CLL subsets. Whilst uMRD is widely considered a surrogate for deep remission, the precise correlation of this parameter with long-term survival outcomes in IV-treated patients requires further clarification. Moreover, emergent evidence suggests that a prolonged duration of IV therapy, beyond that currently employed, may enhance MRD clearance. Future research should focus on the optimization of BTKi/venetoclax fixed-duration regimens, particularly for elderly and medically unfit patients. In this context, the development of more selective BTKis that minimize adverse events whilst maintaining effective disease control will be crucial
Techno-economic and life cycle assessment of power-to-formic acid production using direct air capture and green hydrogen
Get PDFThe chemical industry is responsible for a significant portion of global carbon emissions. Defossilising the chemical industry is crucial for achieving climate change targets. Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) has emerged as a promising alternative for chemicals production. Formic acid is increasingly important in the global economy as a versatile chemical used in agriculture, food preservation, and as a potential hydrogen storage.To this direction, this study assesses the environmental and the economic performance of producing formic acid (FA) through a Power-to-Formic Acid (PtFA) process, focusing on the utilisation of green hydrogen and carbon dioxide captured from direct air capture (DAC). A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted, focusing on the climate change, fossil depletion and water consumption, using the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) while the minimum selling price (MSP) has been used as the main economic indicator.The economic assessment identified the DAC and the electrolyser as the major contributors to Capital expenditures (CAPEX), while catalyst and electricity cost are the main Operating expenditures (OPEX) contributors. The resulted MSP of the PtFA is more than two times higher than the price of the conventional FA, at £1290 per tonne vs £560 per tonne, respectively. Additionally, the LCA revealed that the PtFA process reduces by 92% the CO2eq. emissions compared to the conventional production process (190.72 vs. 2190 kg CO2eq./tonne FA), uses 94% less water, and consumes 92% fewer fossil resources. The primary drivers of carbon emissions are the chemicals consumed in FA synthesis, and electricity generation.This study provided new and important information regarding a sustainable chemical industry and it is the first attempt to holistically assess from a technical, economic and environmental perspective a PtFA process that contributes to the defossilisation efforts of the chemicals sector
Sediment transport in turbidity currents: internal structure and flow energetics
Get PDFThis project investigates the material-transport dynamics of natural-scale turbidity currents. The sediment-laden gravity-driven flows are a dominant control on the sediment transport between continents and deep marine systems. The resulting sediment architectures are expected to record the previous millennia of environmental events such as tectonic events or relative sea-level changes. In spite of their importance as paleo-environmental record, and a key geohazad, their dynamics are still poorly constrained due to the limitations of observation, computational costs, and the destructive nature of turbidity currents. Indeed, key knowledge gaps include the internal structures and flow energetics of turbidity currents, which dictate the dynamics and thus sediment transport mechanics and deposits of such flows.Data compilation and laboratory-scale experiments of turbidity currents, on which this work is based, have been conducted. The velocity and density profiles of pseudo-steady flows were gathered from laboratory experiments and natural-scale events to investigate the key factors that control the vertical flow structure. Laboratory experiments were designed to fill the gaps between the compiled data from the past literature and provide high-resolution observations.The statistical analysis of pseudo-steady turbidity currents’ compiled velocity and concentration profiles provides valuable insights into the material-transport dynamics. The empirical models for predicting flow velocity and concentration profile of turbidity currents are developed using machine learning techniques. Implications of the analysis and the developed models are that the internal structures of turbidity currents enhance their material-transport efficiency as the flow is decelerated.The theoretical analysis of the energetics of turbidity currents revealed that the previous fluvial-based energetics theory significantly underestimated the sediment-load capacity of turbidity currents. The direct implication is that the traditional micro-scale turbulent energy production cannot explain the energetics ofgravity currents.To conclude, the findings of this thesis contribute to a better understanding of the material-transport dynamics of turbidity currents, identifying useful research areas for future works