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Community Disassembly in a Fragmented Tropical Landscape Driven by Both Deterministic and Stochastic Processes.
No full textDeforestation is a key driver of habitat loss, transforming extensive forested areas into fragmented, isolated patches with reduced biodiversity. While the patterns of species loss from fragmentation are well documented, the underlying processes driving these patterns remain unclear. We sought to identify the community processes driving the disassembly of tropical insectivorous bat communities in response to forest fragmentation in Malaysia. We measured species richness and four functional diversity metrics across assemblages in continuous forests and forest fragments of varying sizes. Eight traits related to prey detection, acquisition, and processing were used to characterize functional diversity based on a global pool of captured species. We found that species-poor assemblages represented nested subsets of species-rich assemblages, indicating that species loss is non-random. This non-random loss led to a collapse of functional trait space between 11 and 8 species before stabilizing at a lower richness. Analyses of functional diversity against null expectations showed that assemblages in continuous forests were structured by environmental filtering and niche packing, whereas persistence in fragments was driven by stochastic processes. This pattern, alongside the random occupation of fragments, suggests that fragmentation-driven disassembly likely arises from a complex interplay between deterministic and stochastic processes. Insights regarding the relative roles of determinism and stochasticity presented herein highlight the collective contribution of habitat fragments to overall landscape-level diversity and underscore the challenges in identifying priority fragments for conservation. They also emphasize the importance of incorporating functional diversity, rather than solely fragment size and species counts, in landscape-level conservation planning
Application of machine-learning algorithms to identify the key determinants of risk for HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B in primary care settings
No full textTheory and Modelling of high-temperature liquids for environmental applications
Get PDFRecently, it was realised that liquid viscosity has a lower bound which is nearly constant for all liquids and is governed by fundamental physical constants [80]. This theory was validated by comparisons against experimental data in noble and molecular liquids [1]. In this thesis, we perform large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to ascertain this bound in two other important liquid types: the ionic molten salt system LiF and metallic Pb. We also report on results relating to the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of these liquids. These are equally important thermophysical properties to consider when modelling liquids for use in nuclear reactors and are also of interest when considering 14 physical theories of the liquid state. In our results, we explore these ionic and metallic systems. The only systems that remain unexplored are covalent, and long-chain molecules. From our studies we can be confident in stating that liquids will obey the minimum however for long-chain molecules we can anticipate that the larger scale entangling behaviours may cause viscosities to be quite above a theoretical minimu
A comprehensive UK crop yield dataset incorporating satellite, weather, and soil type information
Get PDFAbstract Agricultural research increasingly relies on data-driven approaches for crop yield prediction that complement more established crop growth models, including machine learning techniques. However, these approaches rely on large training datasets. Here, we present the Crop Yields, Climate, Soils, and Satellites (CYCleSS) dataset, a large-scale crop yield dataset derived from precision yield data for 934 fields across England on which a variety of crops are grown. In addition, the data also contains satellite-derived remote sensing data, weather data, and data on soil type, all aligned at a grid resolution of 10 km. Weather data is available at a daily temporal resolution, satellite data at 5-day resolution, while crop yield data is available at yearly resolution. This effort has been made possible through careful anonymisation of the yield data while preserving the alignment with remote sensing, weather, and soil data. This data will be useful both to train machine learning models of yield prediction as well as to parameterize mechanistic crop growth models. Furthermore, the anonymisation procedure itself will be of interest to the research community, as it represents a solution to a common problem on the interface of agricultural research and farming practice.</jats:p
Transforming transfusion safety: Insights from implementing bedside electronic checks at a large UK National Health Service trust.
Get PDFBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bedside electronic transfusion checks (BETC) enhance transfusion safety by reducing errors associated with manual processes. Despite national recommendations, BETC adoption in the United Kingdom remains limited. This study reports on the implementation of BETC at four hospitals at Barts Health NHS Trust, aiming to share insights on the implementation process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The main implementation was split into three phases: (1) pre-pilot, (2) pilot and (3) main implementation (2022-2025). Staff surveys on training satisfaction and key performance indicators (KPIs) on transfusion activity were used to evaluate the uptake of the BETC system. Statistical process control (SPC) charts were used to identify trends, variation and patterns in the data following the implementation of BETC. RESULTS: A total of 5079 staff were trained and 404 personal digital assistant (PDA) devices deployed across four hospitals. Early implementation highlighted that training 60% of staff was insufficient for optimal system use, increasing this threshold to 80% improved adoption. BETC was initially more commonly used for blood administration than group and screen (G&S) sample labelling. Over time, increased usage of BETC for G&S labelling correlated with a marked reduction in sample rejection rates across all sites. Staff reported high satisfaction with training, with 99.5% rating it positively. CONCLUSION: Early adopters played a pivotal role, but achieving widespread adoption required extended training and support. Addressing technical and workflow barriers, coupled with mandatory system use, could enhance the speed of impact of BETC. These insights offer guidance for future adopters aiming to improve transfusion safety and efficiency
The impact of the UK soft drink industry levy on ethnic inequalities in admission rates for caries-related extractions.
Get PDFOBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) on ethnic inequalities in hospital admissions for caries-related extractions among children in England. METHODS: NHS hospital admission rates for caries-related extractions among 0-17-year-olds, between March 2007 and December 2024, were stratified into five ethnic groups (white, black, South Asian, mixed and others). Absolute and relative inequalities in admission rates were assessed using the weighted mean difference from the reference group (WMDR) and the Theil index, respectively. The impact of the SDIL on each ethnic inequality measure was quantified in a segmented regression model against a counterfactual scenario of no implementation. RESULTS: Compared to the counterfactual scenario of no implementation, there were no absolute reductions in the WMDR at 22 months (0.04, 95% CI: -0.58 to 0.65) and 80 months (-0.16, 95% CI: -1.21 to 0.88) after implementation. Similarly, there were no absolute reductions in the Theil index at 22 months (-0.66, 95% CI: -8.01 to 6.68) and 80 months (-6.15, 95% CI: -19.36 to 7.07). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of the SDIL was not associated with reductions in ethnic inequalities in admission rates for caries-related extractions
Early Prediction of Heart Failure from Routine Cardiac CT Using Radiomic Phenotyping of Epicardial Fat
No full textPathways to Facilitate Early Recognition and Diagnosis of Hypochondroplasia.
No full textINTRODUCTION: Hypochondroplasia (HCH) is a disproportionate short-statured skeletal dysplasia condition caused by gain-of-function pathogenic variants in the fibroblast growth receptor 3 gene (FGFR3). Although HCH typically becomes clinically apparent after the first year of life, when height discrepancy compared with the general population becomes more pronounced, diagnosis is often delayed by several years. Early recognition of HCH is challenging because of wide phenotypic variability and subtle clinical and radiographic features, leading to delayed or missed diagnosis. Furthermore, wide variant heterogeneity and restrictive testing criteria can contribute to diagnostic delays. Early diagnosis may facilitate timely clinical management and psychosocial support. However, no standardized diagnostic criteria for HCH currently exist, nor are diagnostic pathways well described in the literature. METHODS: In October 2024, 14 experts across multiple specialties completed an online survey on current clinical practices for diagnosing HCH. A subset convened in person to discuss strategies to optimize clinical diagnostic pathways, which were subsequently refined by the collective group. RESULTS: Age-specific diagnostic opportunities were identified. Prenatally, sonographic features of HCH may be detectable from approximately 20 weeks' gestation. Postnatally, features suggestive of HCH include a sustained fall in length/height centiles over the first 2 years of life, relative macrocephaly, neonatal seizures, and specific radiographic and neuroimaging findings. Between ages 2-3 years, a characteristic growth pattern including limb shortening and body disproportion may become evident. Neurocognitive involvement including neurodevelopmental challenges may become apparent. HCH should be considered in the differential diagnosis of idiopathic or isolated short stature. Genetic testing panels that include FGFR3 and evaluation of short-statured parents can support diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of HCH is achievable when age-specific key clinical and radiologic features are recognized and supported by molecular testing using appropriate diagnostic platforms. This work represents an important first step towards developing consensus-based diagnostic guidelines for HCH
