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Natural tree colonisation of organo-mineral soils does not provide a net carbon capture benefit at decadal timescales
Get PDFTree cover is often increased with the aim of increasing ecosystem carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. However, when planting trees in ecosystems with carbon-rich soils, soil disturbance during ground preparation can cause soil carbon losses not counteracted by tree carbon gains at the decadal timescales relevant to climate change mitigation targets. Tree establishment via natural colonisation, which does not involve soil disturbance, might prevent these soil carbon losses, but this is unknown.We measured soil, ground vegetation, and tree carbon stocks and tree inputs along an 8 metre transect from single, native, 25-year-old naturally colonised trees (Pinus sylvestris or Betula spp.) onto Calluna vulgaris-dominated moorland, at sites with carbon-rich organo-mineral soils in the Cairngorms, UK.Along the transect away from the tree, organic soil carbon stocks increased from 4.0 kg C m−2 at 0.5 m, to 6.0 kg C m−2 at 8 m. Meanwhile, carbon stocks in the top 10 cm of the mineral soil horizon, 3.6 kg C m−2, did not vary. Ground vegetation carbon stocks increased only slightly, from 1.0 kg C m−2 at 0.5 m, to 1.3 kg C m−2 at 8 m. Mean carbon stock per tree was 32.4 kg, so overall, sparse natural colonisation resulted in no net ecosystem carbon gain.Policy implications: Sparse natural colonisation of carbon-rich soils by low biomass trees might not result in net ecosystem carbon gains at decadal timescales, and instead lead to unforeseen soil carbon losses. Soil carbon changes should be taken into account when quantifying the climate change mitigation potential of natural colonisation
Whole Genome Sequencing of ‘Mutation-Negative’ Individuals with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome
Get PDFThis study aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of whole genome sequence analysis in a well-characterised research cohort of individuals referred with a clinical suspicion of Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) in whom prior genetic testing had not identified a causative variant. Short read, whole genome sequencing was performed in 195 individuals from 105 families, 108 of whom were affected. 100/108 of the affected individuals had prior relevant genetic testing with no pathogenic variant being identified. The study group comprised 42 trios in which both parental samples were available for testing (42 affected individuals and 126 unaffected parents), 61 singletons (unrelated affected individuals) and two families with more than one affected individual. The results showed that 32 unrelated probands from 105 families (30.5%) had likely causative coding region disrupting variants. Four loci were identified in >1 proband: NIPBL (10), ANKRD11 (6), EP300 (3), EHMT1 (2). Single variants were detected in the remaining genes (EBF3, KMT2A, MED13L, NLGN3, NR2F1, PHIP, PUF60, SET, SETD5, SMC1A, TBL1XR1). Possibly causative variants in non-coding regions of NIPBL were identified in four individuals. Single de novo variants were identified in five genes not previously reported to be associated with any developmental disorder: ARID3A, PIK3C3, MCM7, MIS18BP1 and WDR18. Clustering of de novo non-coding variants implicate a single uORF and a small region in intron 21 in NIPBL regulation. Causative variants in genes encoding chromatin-associated proteins, with no defined influence on cohesin function, appear to result in CdLS-like clinical features. This study demonstrates the clinical utility of whole genome sequencing as a diagnostic test in individuals presenting with CdLS or CdLS-like phenotypes
Transmylohyoid endotracheal intubation in a dog for hard palate surgery
Get PDFA 7 year 2-month-old entire male Springer Spaniel dog was presented to the oncology service at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies for a nasopharyngeal mass. The patient underwent a debulking surgery of the tumour under general anaesthesia, and a transmylohyoid endotracheal intubation was performed for the airway management. The surgery and the anaesthesia were uneventful. No complication associated with the surgical site and intubation incision site was reported. The patient received radiotherapy following the surgery and there was no sign of disease recurrence in the follow up consults
ATP Regeneration from Pyruvate in the PURE System:ACS Synthetic Biology
Get PDFThe “Protein synthesis Using Recombinant Elements” (“PURE”) system is a minimal biochemical system capable of carrying out cell-free protein synthesis using defined enzymatic components. This study extends PURE by integrating an ATP regeneration system based on pyruvate oxidase, acetate kinase, and catalase. The new pathway generates acetyl phosphate from pyruvate, phosphate, and oxygen, which is used to rephosphorylate ATP in situ. Successful ATP regeneration requires a high initial concentration of ∼10 mM phosphate buffer, which surprisingly does not affect the protein synthesis activity of PURE. The pathway can function independently or in combination with the existing creatine-based system in PURE; the combined system produces up to 233 μg/mL of mCherry, an enhancement of 78% compared to using the creatine system alone. The results are reproducible across multiple batches of homemade PURE and importantly also generalize to commercial systems such as PURExpress from New England Biolabs. These results demonstrate a rational bottom-up approach to engineering PURE, paving the way for applications in cell-free synthetic biology and synthetic cell construction
Flexible Compression for Efficient Information Sharing in a Network of Radio Frequency Sensors
Get PDFThe efficient extraction of useful information from radio frequency (RF) sensors is one important application for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) approaches. In particular, there is a desire to maximise efficiency when sharing positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) information captured by distributed networks of low size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C) RF sensors when operating in congested or contested electromagnetic environments (EMEs). By implementing effective PNT information sharing strategies, these networks can more easily position the sensors or characterise targets of interest. In this work, we propose a novel ML-inspired compression design framework that improves efficiency when sharing PNT information in a network of sensors receiving radar waveforms. In addition, through novel learning procedures, the network can adapt to unforeseen EMEs such that network efficiency can be maintained in the presence of unforeseen RF waveforms and sensor surroundings. We show that our intelligent, model-driven, ML-inspired data reduction strategies can outperform alternative strategies that do not best-utilise the information content of waveforms within the EME. In addition, we demonstrate the ability of our strategies to adapt to changing mission goals by balancing different types of PNT information and learning from developing EMEs
Self-Supervised Deep Hyperspectral Inpainting with Plug-and-Play and Deep Image Prior Models
Get PDFHyperspectral images are typically composed of hundreds of narrow and contiguous spectral bands, each containing information regarding the material composition of the imaged scene. However, these images can be affected by various sources of noise, distortions, or data loss, which can significantly degrade their quality and usefulness. This paper introduces a convergent guaranteed algorithm, LRS-PnP-DIP(1-Lip), which successfully addresses the instability issue of DHP that has been reported before. The proposed algorithm extends the successful joint low-rank and sparse model to further exploit the underlying data structures beyond the conventional and sometimes restrictive unions of subspace models. A stability analysis guarantees the convergence of the proposed algorithm under mild assumptions, which is crucial for its application in real-world scenarios. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed solution consistently delivers visually and quantitatively superior inpainting results, establishing state-of-the-art performance
An evaluation of lived experience email peer support for young people with eating disorders
No full textPeer support is where individuals with the same shared experience provide mutual support. Using a non-controlled repeated measure design, this study evaluates initial efficacy of one-to-one email peer support. Young people with an eating disorder were matched with a recovered volunteer befriender, for up to one year, providing 1-3 email contacts a week. All participants completed measures (self-esteem, self-efficacy, wellbeing) at start of service, two and four-month intervals for recipients (n=92) and peer befrienders (n=86) respectively, and at end of service. Recipients also completed measures of social connectedness, impact of eating disorder, and goal-based outcomes. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression models indicated significant improvements across all outcomes for recipients by 4 months, apart from self-esteem, and improvements self-efficacy, eating disorder impact and goal-based outcomes maintained at end of service. Peer befrienders did not show changes in self-esteem or self-efficacy, but there was a small significant reduction in wellbeing. The study provides evidence for email peer support for young people with eating disorders and highlights the need for robust support for befriending roles
Incentives for Smoking cessation
Get PDFAbstractBackground: Financial incentives (money, vouchers, or self-deposits) can be used to positively reinforce smoking cessation. They may be used as one-off rewards, or in various schedules to reward steps towards sustained smoking abstinence (known as contingency management). They have been used in workplaces, clinics, hospitals, and community settings, and to target particular populations. This is a review update. The previous version was published in 2019.Objectives: Primary To assess the long-term effects of incentives and contingency management programmes for smoking cessation in mixed and pregnant populations. Secondary To assess the long-term effects of incentives and contingency management programmes for smoking cessation in mixed populations, considering whether incentives were offered at the final follow-up point. To assess the difference in outcomes for pregnant populations, considering whether rewards were contingent on abstinence or guaranteed.Search methods: For this update, we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and two trials registers on 2 November 2023, and the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialised Register on March 2023, together with reference checking, citation searching, and contact with study authors to identify additional studies.Selection criteria: We considered only randomised controlled trials (RCTs), allocating individuals, workplaces, groups within workplaces, or communities to smoking cessation incentive schemes or control conditions. We included studies in a mixed-population setting (e.g. community-, work-, clinic- or institution-based), studies with specific populations (e.g. those with diagnosed mental health conditions), and studies in pregnant people who smoke.Data collection and analysis: We used standard Cochrane methods. The primary outcome measure in the mixed-population studies was abstinence from smoking at longest follow-up (at least six months from the start of the intervention). In the trials of pregnant people, we used abstinence from smoking measured at the longest follow-up, and at least to the end of the pregnancy. Where available, we pooled outcome data using a Mantel-Haenszel random-effects model, with results reported as risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), using adjusted estimates for cluster-randomised trials. We analysed studies carried out in mixed populations separately from those carried out in pregnant populations.Main results: Forty-eight mixed-population studies met our inclusion criteria, recruiting more than 21,924 participants; 15 of these are new to this version of the review. Studies were set in varying locations, including community settings, clinics or health centres, workplaces, and outpatient drug clinics. We judged eight studies to be at low risk of bias, and 16 to be at high risk of bias, with the remaining 24 studies at unclear risk. Thirty-three of the trials were run in the USA, two in Thailand, one in the Philippines, one in Hong Kong, and one in South Africa. The rest were European. Incentives offered included cash payments, self-deposits, or vouchers for goods and groceries, offered directly or collected and redeemable online. The pooled RR for quitting with incentives at longest follow-up (six months or more) compared with controls was 1.52 (95% CI 1.33 to 1.74; I2 = 23%; 39 studies, 18,303 participants; high-certainty evidence). Results were not sensitive to the exclusion of seven studies that offered an incentive for cessation at long-term follow-up (result excluding those studies: RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.73; I2 = 26%; 32 studies, 15,082 participants), suggesting the impact of incentives continues for at least some time after incentives cease (at least six months). For this update, we included an adjusted analysis incorporating three cluster-RCTs. The pooled odds ratio was 1.57 (95% CI 1.37 to 1.79; I2 = 30%; 43 studies, 23,960 participants; high-certainty evidence). Although not always clearly reported, the total financial amount of incentives varied considerably between trials, from zero (self-deposits), to a range of between 45 US dollars (USD) and USD 1185. There was no clear difference in effect between trials offering low or high total value of incentives, nor those encouraging redeemable self-deposits. We ran an updated exploratory meta-regression and found no significant association between the outcome and the total value of the financial incentive (P = 0.963). Any such indirect comparison is particularly crude in this context, due to differences in the cultural significance of financial amounts (e.g. USD 50 might have different significance in different contexts). We included 14 studies of 4314 pregnant people (11 conducted in the USA, one in France, and two in the UK). We judged four studies to be at low risk of bias, two at high risk of bias, and eight at unclear risk. When pooled, the 13 trials with usable data delivered a risk ratio at longest follow-up (up to 48 weeks postpartum) of 2.13 (95% CI 1.58 to 2.86; I2 = 31%; 13 studies, 3942 participants; high-certainty evidence), in favour of incentives.Authors' conclusions: Overall, our conclusion from this latest review update remains that there is high-certainty evidence that incentives improve smoking cessation rates at long-term follow-up in mixed population studies. The evidence demonstrates that the effectiveness of incentives is sustained even when the last follow-up occurs after the withdrawal of incentives. There is also now high-certainty evidence that incentive schemes conducted amongst pregnant people who smoke improve smoking cessation rates, both at the end of pregnancy and postpartum. This represents a change from the previous update in which we rated this evidence as moderate certainty. Current and future research might more precisely explore differences between trials offering low or high cash incentives and self-incentives (deposits), within a variety of smoking populations, focusing on low- and middle-income countries where the burden of tobacco use remains high.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01526265 NCT03163056.Copyright © 2025 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.PubMed Disclaime
N-doped Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles loaded-carbon foam for a highly efficient and recyclable desalination-photocatalysis solar evaporator
Get PDFSolar-powered evaporation technology is a green and sustainable solution to freshwater scarcity. However, massive evaporation of seawater may lead to localized accumulation of pollutants in the waterbody, causing secondary pollution. Herein, we developed a recyclable solar evaporator with a synergistic effect of solar thermal evaporation and photocatalysis by introducing Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) into carbon foam scaffold. The incorporation of Fe3O4 NPs can not only enhance the light absorption capability of carbon foam composite from visible to infrared regions, but also, the photocatalytic activity of the loaded Fe3O4 has been facilitated due to the dopant of N on Fe3O4 during the carbonization process. Additionally, the combined magnetic carbon foam (N-Fe3O4@CF) exhibits sustained stability, salt resistance and good recyclability, which can avoid secondary pollution. As a result, the integrated desalination-photocatalysis system achieved an evaporation efficiency up to 93.27 % under 1.0 solar irradiation, evaporation rate reached 1.5303 kg m−2 h−1 and simultaneously the degradation rate of organic pollutant reached more than 96 % within 1 h, which provides a feasible solution to alleviate global water/energy scarcity.</p
Exploring public support for novel tobacco and alcohol control policies in Great Britain 2021-2023:A population-based cross-sectional survey
Get PDFObjective and rationale: This study assessed support for novel tobacco compared with alcohol control policies among adults in Great Britain in 2021-2023. Objectives were to assess 1) overall level of support for tobacco compared to alcohol control policies; 2) level of support for tobacco compared to alcohol control policies among people who smoke tobacco or who consume alcohol at increasing and higher risk levels, or who do both; 3) level of support for tobacco compared to alcohol control policies among different sociodemographic groups?Methods: Data were collected in September/October 2021-2023 in a monthly population-based survey on smoking and drinking behaviour of adults across Great Britain (N = 6311), weighted to match the overall population. Outcome measure was level of support for each seven tobacco and alcohol control policies.Results: More people were in support of tobacco than alcohol control policies (e.g., 57 % vs. 51 % for tax-related policies). This trend was apparent across all sociodemographic subgroups. With one exception, the policies included in this study were supported by more than half of the participants. The exception was decreasing the visibility of alcohol products in shops, which received 41 % of support. People who engaged in the behaviour targeted by policies (tobacco more so than alcohol use) were generally less supportive.Conclusion: Overall, public support for tobacco and alcohol control policies is high in Great Britain. With one exception, the policies were supported by over half of participants, suggesting that the public is in favour of government regulations to reduce smoking and drinking prevalence in Great Britain
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