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This document provides a summary of a hackathon event organized by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Aon, a reinsurance company, to explore the social impacts of climate change. The hackathon focused on developing consistent scenarios for future climate risk, understanding uncertainties in European windstorm modeling, and providing real-time context for extreme weather events. The teams developed tools and methodologies to assess the severity and potential impact of extreme events on insured losses. The collaboration between the MoJ, Aon, and participants from various institutions aims to further research and develop papers and grant proposals in these areas. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: The cartilage-to-bone transition is an essential process in healthy bone development and repair. Our previous work has shown that when the cells found within the human periosteum (the membrane surrounding the bone) are cultured in human serum (HS) as opposed to the standard animal serum (FBS), these cells have greater bone-forming capacity as assessed in an ectopic assay in nude mice. What is not understood is the molecular interactions that permitted this enhanced biological potency. Herein, virtual networks are created to identify the key proteins driving increased bone formation from these cells. Key signalling factors were identified through a network analysis, where FGFR3 was pinpointed as a major differential regulator between cells grown in HS and cells grown in FBS. This analysis was validated through an analysis of human-derived periosteal progenitor cells (PDCs) containing a constitutively active (ca) FGFR3. Following removal and analysis, we found that the FGFR3-ca cells that were implanted on bone void filler scaffolds in mice had an abundance of bone and cartilage that were present compared to the scaffold containing normal/healthy cells. This suggests that these cells were undergoing enhanced cartilage-to-bone transitions and that this protein may be a potentially novel therapeutic target for diseases where the cartilage-to-bone transition is affected such as during poor fracture healing. Human periosteum-derived progenitor cells (hPDCs) have the ability to differentiate towards both the chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages. This coordinated and complex osteochondrogenic differentiation process permits endochondral ossification and is essential in bone development and repair. We have previously shown that humanised cultures of hPDCs enhance their osteochondrogenic potentials in vitro and in vivo; however, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. This study aimed to identify novel regulators of hPDC osteochondrogenic differentiation through the construction of miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks derived from hPDCs cultured in human serum or foetal bovine serum as an alternative in silico strategy to serum characterisation. Sixteen differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMis) were identified in the humanised culture. In silico analysis of the DEMis with TargetScan allowed for the identification of 1503 potential miRNA target genes. Upon comparison with a paired RNAseq dataset, a 4.5% overlap was observed (122 genes). A protein–protein interaction network created with STRING interestingly identified FGFR3 as a key network node, which was further predicted using multiple pathway analyses. Functional analysis revealed that hPDCs with the activating mutation FGFR3N540K displayed increased expressions of chondrogenic gene markers when cultured under chondrogenic conditions in vitro and displayed enhanced endochondral bone formation in vivo. A further histological analysis uncovered known downstream mediators involved in FGFR3 signalling and endochondral ossification to be upregulated in hPDC FGFR3N540K-seeded implants. This combinational approach of miRNA-mRNA-protein network analysis with in vitro and in vivo characterisation has permitted the identification of FGFR3 as a novel mediator of hPDC biology. Furthermore, this miRNA-based workflow may also allow for the identification of drug targets, which may be of relevance in instances of delayed fracture repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to understand how people living with Parkinson's and healthcare professionals perceived their care management and interactions with health services were affected during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: During the COVID‐19 pandemic, many governments introduced restrictions and services that support Parkinson's care management had to cease or be delivered remotely. These changes may have had an impact on the well‐being of people living with Parkinson's. Methods: A qualitative exploratory UK study was carried out. Semi‐structured individual interviews with people living with Parkinson's and health professionals were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using Braun´s and Clarke´s thematic analysis. Eleven patients and 10 health professionals were recruited between April and September 2020. The study was reported using the COREQ. Results: Two main themes were identified. In the first theme, many patients and professionals reported that the COVID‐19 pandemic made some people living with Parkinson's feel isolated and vulnerable due to disruptions to their social networks and usual activities related to Parkinson's disease care. However, other patients remained connected with their networks. In the second theme, patients and most professionals mentioned that some clinical practices were cancelled, delayed or transformed to remote consultation. Conclusion: The COVID‐19 restrictions had an impact on how people living with Parkinson's managed their care and in their interactions with healthcare services. Health professionals should assess the risk of vulnerability, social isolation, physical inactivity and confidence with remote consultations in people living with Parkinson's. This might inform a rethinking of existing clinical interactions with people living with Parkinson's towards a flexible, sustainable, person‐centred care model. Relevance to clinical practice: This study has shown that Parkinson's care management and interactions with healthcare services should provide personalised and flexible support. To meet this challenge, the design of the organisation of health services should include greater involvement of patients and person‐centred care models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with long-term conditions must complete many healthcare tasks such as take medications, attend appointments, and change their lifestyle. This treatment burden and ability to manage it (capacity) is not well-researched in Parkinson's disease. Objective: To explore and identify potentially modifiable factors contributing to treatment burden and capacity in people with Parkinson's disease and caregivers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with nine people with Parkinson's disease and eight caregivers recruited from Parkinson's disease clinics in England (ages 59–84 years, duration of Parkinson's disease diagnosis 1–17 years, Hoehn and Yahr (severity of Parkinson's disease) stages 1–4) were conducted. Interviews were recorded and analyzed thematically. Results: Four themes of treatment burden with modifiable factors were identified: 1) Challenges with appointments and healthcare access: organizing appointments, seeking help and advice, interactions with healthcare professionals, and caregiver role during appointments; 2) Issues obtaining satisfactory information: sourcing and understanding information, and satisfaction with information provision; 3) Managing medications: getting prescriptions right, organizing polypharmacy, and autonomy to adjust treatments; and 4) Lifestyle changes: exercise, dietary changes, and financial expenses. Aspects of capacity included access to car and technology, health literacy, financial capacity, physical and mental ability, personal attributes and life circumstances, and support from social networks. Conclusions: There are potentially modifiable factors of treatment burden including addressing the frequency of appointments, improving healthcare interactions and continuity of care, improving health literacy and information provision, and reducing polypharmacy. Some changes could be implemented at individual and system levels to reduce treatment burden for people with Parkinson's and their caregivers. Recognition of these by healthcare professionals and adopting a patient-centered approach may improve health outcomes in Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the long-acknowledged and widespread association of wind instrumentalists with English cathedrals in the late 16th and 17th centuries, and the continued performance tradition enjoyed by sacred vocal music of the period, the performance practices of English cathedral wind bands during this time have been strangely neglected in the existing literature. Drawing on a combination of traditional musicological and archival research and bespoke practice-led research methodologies, this article discusses some possible solutions to the question of how wind instrumentalists may have been employed in the day-to-day enactment of Prayer Book services during a turbulent period of English history. New archival evidence surrounding the life of William Mather, cornettist at Canterbury Cathedral in the years before the suspension of sung worship in 1642, sheds new light on the interplay between civic and ecclesiastical music-making in the city, contributing to our knowledge of the historical and social contexts of the people and practices involved, and offering a tantalizing glimpse into life in the 17th-century gig economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this technical report is to present the methodology that will be implemented to address the terms of reference of a mandate received from the European Commission (EC). This mandate requests EFSA to assess the effectiveness of some of the control measures related to Category 'A' diseases. More specifically, in this report EFSA illustrates the methodology to assess the following features: i) the sampling of animals and establishments for the detection of category 'A' diseases in terrestrial animals; ii) the monitoring period; and iii) the minimum radius of restricted zones and duration of the disease control measures in restricted zones. The first step was to understand in detail the request of the EC and the outcome of this exercise is reported in the sections dedicated to the interpretation of the terms of reference. For the identification of the most suitable methodology, specific scenarios were identified, for each measure, to ensure that the approach was able to cover as many situations as possible in the field. Once the approach was identified, it was possible to define the data needs and the potential sources of information. Extensive literature search appeared to be essential to retrieve some of the necessary inputs for some diseases and for some important parameters; for this reason, and in the interest of time, EFSA procured this work by means of a public call. In case the scientific literature will not offer the required information, expert knowledge elicitation will serve the purpose. A section was dedicated to the assessment of the uncertainty. In conclusion, this work represents the general methodological framework underpinning the scientific opinions that will be issued for each category 'A' disease. Any unavoidable deviation from the approach as described here will be duly documented in the scientific opinions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic geriatric medicine activity lags behind the scale of clinical activity in the specialty. A meeting of UK academic geriatricians was convened in March 2018 to consider causes and solutions to this problem. The meeting highlighted a lack of research-active clinicians, a perception that research is not central to the practice of geriatric medicine and a failure to translate discovery science to clinical studies. Solutions proposed included better support for early-career clinical researchers, schemes to encourage non-University clinicians to be research-active, wider collaboration with organ specialists to broaden the funding envelope, and the need to co-produce research programmes with end-users. Solutions to grow academic geriatric medicine are essential if we are to provide the best care for the growing older population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions between humans and nature are understood to be beneficial for human well-being. In cities, urban green spaces are believed to provide many benefits to urban populations in terms of mental and emotional well-being. Through a case study of 60 urban green spaces in Birmingham, United Kingdom, this article investigates the spatial and temporal variation of the emotions experienced by individuals whilst using urban green spaces. Using a dataset obtained from Twitter as the basis for emotional explorations, sentiment analysis was performed on over 10,000 tweets to ascertain the positivity/negativity of individuals. Positive responses were more common than negative responses across all seasons, with happiness and appreciation of beauty being the common positive emotions identified. For the negative responses, fear and anger were present in similar amounts, with fewer tweets indicating sadness and disgust. Our findings show that Twitter data is a viable source of information to researchers investigating human interaction and emotional response to space in cities. Such information has implications for urban planners and park managers, enabling the creation of evidence-based spaces which enhance positive outdoor experience. Limitations in using Twitter data are discussed and these should be considered in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the facilitating peer-based formative assessment through online quizzes, using technology to support the learning and retention of vocabulary in modern foreign languages, and discusses how feedback is most beneficial to students when it focuses on strengths and weaknesses.

Purpose: To explore the fear of cataract surgery experienced by the residents of the Kwale district of southern Kenya. Methods: The Kwale Eye Centre (KEC) is the only stationary specialist hospital in the Kwale County of southern Kenya. Patients attending the Centre as a walk-in clients during the data collection period were screened and recruited to the study. Fully informed consent was obtained. Qualitative semi-structured interviews (SSI's) were used for data collection. Each interview followed a question guide and was recorded in a digital-audio format. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis performed on the consequent transcripts. Results: A total of 20 SSI's were performed. Most preoperative fears are directly linked to or provoked by "rumours" that surround cataract surgery; 65% of participants identified fear originating from narratives passed on to them by friends and family. These rumours ranged from inaccurate reporting of the process of cataract surgery to completely unfounded information. The most common intraoperative fear of cataract surgery was concern over the injection. A frequently noted postoperative fear was that of suffering further eye damage. Conclusion: The long-standing service the KEC has provided might have decreased the fear surrounding cataract surgery as a consequence of increased awareness. Yet, even when accurate information is provided, rumours continue to spread. Knowledge of the cataract surgery plays an incredibly important role in decreasing fear across all the operative stages. This study shows a great deal of fear is not rational and may perhaps be significantly lessened if addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The lakes of the eastern Africa Rift often contain great thicknesses of sediment that may provide continuous records of environmental change over decadal to million-year timescales. However interpretation of these changes is greatly compromised without a reliable chronology. Luminescence dating has not been used extensively in lacustrine settings; instead previous studies have often relied upon radiocarbon dating, using extrapolation beyond the upper limit of that technique, and employing opportunistic sampling of tephra and palaeomagnetic signatures where possible. This study from Lake Tana, Ethiopia, demonstrates that recent advances in luminescence methodology can provide long chronologies for lake sediments that are not dependent on the intermittent presence of dateable material, as is the case for radiocarbon and tephra-based methods. Specifically, this study generates luminescence ages that agree with independent chronology based on radiocarbon dating in the upper part of the core, and extends significantly beyond the range of radiocarbon dating to provide one of the longest independently dated lacustrine sediment records in eastern Africa, thus demonstrating the tremendous potential of luminescence for constructing lacustrine sediment chronologies over 100,000 year timescales. Highlights • Recent advances make it timely to apply luminescence methods to date lake sediments. • Luminescence dating can provide long chronologies throughout lake sediment cores. • The application of luminescence dating to sediments from Lake Tana is discussed. • One of the longest independently dated lake records in eastern Africa. • Demonstrates the contribution luminescence dating can make to lacustrine studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock luminescence dating has grown in popularity in recent years, and potentially offers several advantages over traditional sediment luminescence dating. One key advantage when determining burial ages is the potential for an individual rock surface or clast to preserve clear evidence for bleaching prior to the burial event of interest and the subsequent accumulation of dose, and in some circumstances these materials may even preserve a history of multiple exposure and burial events. This previous exposure and burial history is inferred from the study of variation in age with increasing depth away from the rock surface. But such patterns in age-depth profiles in rock may also potentially be influenced by inhomogeneous radionuclide distributions causing spatial variations in the dose rate [1, 2]. In unconsolidated sediment dating it is recognised that various factors such as accuracy and reproducibility of heating [3] and grain size [4] can also influence the assessment of equivalent dose, and the same is anticipated to be true of rock slices. Minimising sources of variability within and between rock slices is important if rock age-depth profiles are to be interpreted appropriately. This study investigates the influence of various parameters on the reproducibility of assessments of equivalent dose from rock slices. The factors explored include the thickness of the materials being measured, beta source calibration, the reproducibility and efficacy of heating rock slices, and variations in optical attenuation. The ability to cut reproducibly thin and flat rock slices minimises the likelihood of variability within and between rock slices for many parameters, and gives greater confidence in the equivalent dose values determined and in their interpretation as part of a rock age-depth profile describing the bleaching and burial history. A method to achieve this routine preparation of uniformly thin and flat rock slices is described. Working with thin rock slices also means that the number of slices that can be prepared over a given depth into rock is obviously greater than can be achieved using thicker slices, which can be particularly advantageous for rock types which permit limited penetration of light, improving their potential to provide information on prior bleaching and burial events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devices for imaging luminescence emissions have been used for a number of years [e.g. 1], but where analysis of a sequence of measurements of the luminescence signal following different treatments is required a significant challenge has been to accurately register the images so that a signal measured from a region of interest defined in one image is compared with the corresponding part of the other images. This is particularly an issue with automated instruments where sample repositioning varies from one measurement step to the next, resulting in samples moving laterally and/or rotationally with respect to the EMCCD field of view. The calcitic opercula of Bithynia tentaculata are of interest for their TL emission which grows to doses in excess of 8,000 Gy, meaning it is potentially able to date the entire Quaternary period. The opercula are teardrop shaped and typically 2-4 mm on their longest axis. Imaging using an EMCCD permits spatially resolved equivalent dose determination, but registering the images has been a major impediment to analysis of sequences of measurements. Previous work [2] manually determined the translation and rotation of the opercula using distinctive features on the periphery of the opercula as markers. However, this approach is time consuming, especially where between 30 and 50 images of each opercula may need to be aligned for a sequence of measurements; it is also prone to human error. An automated process of image registration has been developed using ImageJ [3] capable of tracking each opercula. This procedure identifies the outline of the opercula in each image and then registers them. Using the translation and rotation of each image, any region of interest defined on one image looks at the same part of the opercula on all other images. Additionally, since the process identifies the outline of the opercula it allows a series of morphometric measurements to be made automatically, and for a series of regions of interest to be defined within the confines of the outline shape. The new approach is described and illustrated. A number of techniques are used to assess the accuracy of the registration process, and the impact upon the determination of De or other measurements such as pulse annealing are shown. This approach could also have applications for other types of object, such as rock slices, although they would need to be non-circular to be able to assess rotation of the object. It could also be adapted to enable the comparison of images captured by different devices mounted on the same instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rift lakes are perfect places for sediment accumulation and hence potentially contain continous paleoclimate records. Located in the eastern African rift valley, in southern Ethiopia, Lake Chew Bahir preserves a record of environmental change which is pertinent to the story of hominin evolution and dispersal. Independent chronology from various dating techniques is available throughout this 293 m composite core record, from which a coherent Bayesian age-depth model was generated spanning the last 620 ka and providing one of the longest directly-dated lacustrine sediment sequences in eastern Africa [1]. However, there are regions of the core where the age depth model could be improved if further datable materials were available. For instance, beyond ~50 m depth, the quartz OSL signal appears to be saturated and there is a large gap to the first 40Ar/39Ar age. The luminescence signal from feldspars saturates at a greater De value than that from quartz and therefore offers the potential to extend the maximum age range of the luminescence-derived chronology in the core, and to fill in gaps within the quartz-derived chronology where quartz is not available. The luminescence chronology for the Lake Chew Bahir core was refined and extended using the fading corrected post-IR IRSL225 signal from polymineral fine grains. However, there are challenges and complications regarding both assessment of fading and the subsequent application of the fading rates. The duration of the delay times used to assess fading, and the given laboratory dose (two critical factors in measurement of fading rates), were the same for all samples, but because of variability in lithology in the core, it is not clear whether sample specific fading rates should be used or if the mean fading rate of all samples is appropriate. Moreover, selection of the most appropriate fading correction model is critical. To circumvent the complications of fading rate measurement and its application, the recently developed post-Isothermal (pIt) IRSL protocol [2] was therefore also explored. Application of a modified pIt-IRSL225 protocol to polymineral fine grains from this core, demonstrates that this signal is successful in providing accurate ages for this material without any fading correction. Additionally, uncertainty on the derived ages were reduced in comparison with the fading corrected post-IR IRSL225 ages. However, since the calculated De from this protocol relies on the IR50/pIRIR225 De ratio, it seems to be limited to the saturation limit of the IR50 signal. This may be the reason that the pIt-IRSL225 age for one of the older samples in the core (~300 ka) does not agree with its fading corrected post-IR IRSL225 age. Possible modifications to the pIt-IRSL225 protocol to overcome this limitation will be discussed. Furthermore, the suitability of the isothermal annealing step in this protocol to account for the athermal process of signal loss (i.e. fading) was investigated. The data suggest there is a correlation between the isothermal annealing time (for which the De in the pIt- IRSL225 protocol is reached) and the g-values determined using IR50 and pIRIR225 signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: When young people with learning disabilities leave the care system, they can experience many problems. Here we describe some of these problems and what they do (or would like us to do) to improve things. Young people do not always want the same things that professionals or family carers want. We do not spend enough time listening to what young people can tell us. Abstract: Background: Young people with learning disabilities are frequently underrepresented in research accounts. This study describes the experiences of young people moving from the care system. Methods: We scoped the English and Swedish literature for first‐hand accounts and interviewed four young people with learning disabilities leaving the English care system. We combined findings from both sources. Findings: “Grey” and campaigning literature are more likely than academic studies to include the voices of service users, but even then, the voices tend to be those of professional or family carers. Both the literature and interviews demonstrate young peoples’ awareness and understanding of the social as well as financial benefits of work. Good foster care could be precarious, and young people in unhappy placements lacked direction. Exploitation around a young person's housing and finances could be problems. There was evidence of “threshold” difficulties in accessing services. Conclusions: Despite an NHS commitment to listening to users in the UK, and similar aspirations in Sweden, our search of the literature identified few studies reporting care leavers' with learning disabilities own words. Our data add to the voices of a group frequently silent or silenced. We found evidence of resilience and hope as well as difficulties and frustrations. The accounts in the literature and our interviews provide data on what it can be like to try to operate “the system.” The people we spoke with and those whose accounts we found in the literature were thoughtful and engaging. They provide an important source of knowledge for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of the post-blue violet stimulated luminescence (VSL) signal from quartz with respect to thermal treatments is explored. The results suggest that more than one source trap may be responsible for the VSL signal and therefore, the separation of this signal from the preceding blue stimulated luminescence (BSL) signal is challenging. Furthermore, the behavior of the VSL dose response curve (DRC) in a single aliquot regenerative (SAR) protocol is demonstrated to be influenced significantly by the test dose size and the efficacy of signal depletion prior to measurement of the test dose signal, and hence a modified VSL SAR measurement protocol is considered for further investigations in this study. The ability of this protocol to recover a given dose is tested and it is shown that by selecting different integration limits, two signals with distinct dose response characteristics can be separated from the same original VSL decay curve. Dose response curves derived from early signal integration (Signal A) saturate at ∼150 Gy and cannot recover given doses beyond this limit, whereas later signal integration (Signal B) results in a DRC that continues to grow exponentially to doses >> 500 Gy, and can recover given doses up to at least ∼3200 Gy. However, Signal B underestimates by ∼90% the equivalent dose (D e) for a sample with expected D e value of ∼500 Gy. This may suggest thermal instability of Signal B over geological time and needs further investigation. • Test dose size and prior VSL signal depletion influence dose response curves. • Two signals with different dose response characteristics can be isolated. • Dose response curves from early signal integration (Signal A) saturate at low doses (∼150 Gy). • Dose response curves from late signal integration (Signal B) grow to high doses (>> 500 Gy). • D e underestimation suggests Signal B is unstable over geologic time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS), genito-urinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), sleep disturbance, sexual dysfunction and mood disturbance are common during the menopause transition. The degree of "bother" from symptoms should guide discussions about treatment. Moderate dose estrogen-containing hormone therapy (HT) is currently the most effective treatment for VMS and also improves vaginal dryness. The indication for HT is moderate to severe VMS in women without contraindications. It should not be prescribed or continued for the treatment of chronic disease. GSM can effectively be treated with vaginal (topical) estrogens. The dose, delivery system and duration of treatment for HT should be individualised to relieve symptoms. For most healthy women aged 50-59 years, the risks of HT are low. Several widely available non-hormonal agents can treat VMS for those who should avoid or do not wish to take estrogen. These include selected antidepressants and gaba-agonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluations of ‘natural experiments’ in public policy are typically considered ‘weak’ evidence. Challenges include: making credible claims for causal inference (internal validity); generalizing beyond the case (external validity); and providing useful evidence for decision makers. In public health, where experimental evidence is encouraged by funders and enjoys a degree of rhetorical favour, in theory if not practice, current guidance for evaluating natural experiments focuses largely on methods for strengthening internal validity. Using a case study of the evaluation of free bus travel for young people in London, UK, we demonstrate a pragmatic approach to strengthening both internal and external validity in evaluations through integrating the logic of quasi-experimental methods with inductive qualitative analysis. Combining theoretical and inductive analysis in this way to address questions of policy interest through evaluations of natural experiments may be fruitful, and have methodological advantages over randomized designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To investigate the chemotactic accuracy of peripheral blood neutrophils from patients with chronic periodontitis compared with matched healthy controls, before and after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Material & Methods Neutrophils were isolated from patients and controls ( n = 18) by density centrifugation. Using the Insall chamber and video microscopy, neutrophils were analysed for directional chemotaxis towards N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine [fMLP (10 nM), or CXCL8 (200 ng/ml)]. Circular statistics were utilized for the analysis of cell movement. Results Prior to treatment, neutrophils from patients with chronic periodontitis had significantly reduced speed, velocity and chemotactic accuracy compared to healthy controls for both chemoattractants. Following periodontal treatment, patient neutrophils continued to display reduced speed in response to both chemoattractants. However, velocity and accuracy were normalized for the weak chemoattractant CXCL8 while they remained significantly reduced for fMLP. Conclusions Chronic periodontitis is associated with reduced neutrophil chemotaxis, and this is only partially restored by successful treatment. Dysfunctional neutrophil chemotaxis may predispose patients with periodontitis to their disease by increasing tissue transit times, thus exacerbating neutrophil-mediated collateral host tissue damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives. To determine the feasibility and acceptability of using trained volunteers as mealtime assistants for older hospital inpatients. Background. Poor nutrition among hospitalised older patients is common in many countries and associated with poor outcomes. Competing time pressures on nursing staff may make it difficult to prioritise mealtime assistance especially on wards where many patients need help. Design. Mixed methods evaluation of the introduction of trained volunteer mealtime assistants on an acute female medicine for older people ward in a teaching hospital in England. Methods. A training programme was developed for volunteers who assisted female inpatients aged 70 years and over on weekday lunchtimes. The feasibility of using volunteers was determined by the proportion recruited, trained, and their activity and retention over one year. The acceptability of the training and of the volunteers' role was obtained through interviews and focus groups with 12 volunteers, nine patients and 17 nursing staff. Results. Fifty-nine potential volunteers were identified: 38 attended a training session, of whom 29 delivered mealtime assistance, including feeding, to 3911 (76%) ward patients during the year (mean duration of assistance 5-5 months). The volunteers were positive about the practical aspects of training and ongoing support provided. They were highly valued by patients and ward staff and have continued to volunteer. Conclusions. Volunteers can be recruited and trained to help acutely unwell older female inpatients at mealtimes, including feeding. This assistance is sustainable and is valued. Relevance to clinical practice. This paper describes a successful method for recruitment, training and retention of volunteer mealtime assistants. It includes a profile of those volunteers who provided the most assistance, details of the training programme and role of the volunteers and could be replicated by nursing staff in other healthcare units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the impact of visual impairment (VI) on utility values in Sub-Saharan Africa and compare findings with other studies from low- and high-income countries. Methods: Patients with normal vision and various levels of VI were recruited from a secondary eye clinic in rural Kenya and interviewed using time trade-off (TTO). VI was classified using the World Health Organization definition of (normal vision, visual acuity ≥20/60, VI 20/80-20/200, severe VI 20/240-20/400, and blindness <20/400). Results: Mean age of the total sample ( N = 303) was 50.3 years (standard deviation, SD, ±18.17 years), and 51.5% of patients were male. Most were small-scale farmers and illiteracy was high at 40%. Mean TTO scores per group were: normal vision 0.93 (SD ± 0.10), VI 0.88 (SD ± 0.14), severe VI 0.86 (SD ± 0.13), blindness 0.73 (SD ± 0.17; p ≤ 0.001). Lower TTO scores were independently associated with worse visual acuity ( p ≤ 0.001), longer duration of disease ( p ≤ 0.001) and illiteracy ( p = 0.011), but not with cause of VI, age, sex, marital status, socioeconomic status, or systemic comorbidities in multivariate analyses. Overall, TTO scores were considerably higher than those reported from high-income countries at similar levels of VI. Conclusion: In this rural African population, duration and extent of vision loss, rather than cause, socioeconomic factors and comorbidities affected vision-related quality of life. Our findings underline the importance of providing sight-restoring treatment as timely as possible and the necessity of enhancing rehabilitation efforts for those with non-curable eye diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite eastern Africa being a key location in the emergence of Homo sapiens and their subsequent dispersal out of Africa, there is a paucity of long, well-dated climate records in the region to contextualize this history. To address this issue, we dated a ∼293 m long composite sediment core from Chew Bahir, south Ethiopia, using three independent chronometers (radiocarbon, 40Ar/39Ar, and optically stimulated luminescence) combined with geochemical correlation to a known-age tephra. The site is located in a climatically sensitive region, and is close to Omo Kibish, the earliest documented Homo sapiens fossil site in eastern Africa, and to the proposed dispersal routes for H. sapiens out of Africa. The 30 ages generated by the various techniques are internally consistent, stratigraphically coherent, and span the full range of the core depth. A Bayesian age-depth model developed using these ages results in a chronology that forms one of the longest independently dated, high-resolution lacustrine sediment records from eastern Africa. The chronology illustrates that any record of environmental change preserved in the composite sediment core from Chew Bahir would span the entire timescale of modern human evolution and dispersal, encompassing the time period of the transition from Acheulean to Middle Stone Age (MSA), and subsequently to Later Stone Age (LSA) technology, making the core well-placed to address questions regarding environmental change and hominin evolutionary adaptation. The benefits to such studies of direct dating and the use of multiple independent chronometers are discussed. • Four independent dating methods applied to ∼293 m lake core from southern Ethiopia. • Reveals 620 ka high-resolution sedimentary record near key fossil hominin sites. • Mean accumulation rate of 0.47 mm/a comparable to other African lacustrine sediments. • Accumulation rate fell to 0.1 mm/a during MIS 2, likely due to reduced sediment supply. • Use of multiple independent chronometers is a powerful approach in lake settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Have particular weather events shaped your enjoyment of the subject? I would have been very happy to stay in the Operations Centre in Exeter, but then an opportunity came up that was too good to miss: I was offered a job as a regional BBC Weather Presenter on I Spotlight i , Southwest England. What advice would you give a young weather enthusiast seeking a professional career today?. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Falls are common in Parkinson's disease, and a recognised research priority. Falls lead to physical and psychological morbidity in people with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers, however, those with cognitive impairment/ dementia and caregivers have often been excluded from previous studies. This qualitative study explored how people with Parkinson's disease and their family caregivers understood and experienced falling and healthcare services relating to falls prevention and management. Methods: A varied and purposive sample of 20 people with Parkinson's disease (40% confirmed or suspected cognitive impairment/ dementia) and 18 caregivers took part in semi-structured interviews. Eight people with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers were interviewed as a dyad, 22 participants were interviewed alone. Interviews were analysed through inductive thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were developed: (i) struggling with thoughts and feelings about falling, (ii) recognising and managing risks surrounding falling, (iii) navigating health and care provision for falling, and (iv) changing as a couple due to falling. Different aspects of falls provoked a range of negative emotions and a variety of coping strategies were adopted. Falls and trying to avoid falls burdened a couple in a number of ways; beyond physical health they also affected functioning, physiological wellbeing, and relationships. Dyads analysed falls to understand their aetiology and described working together to manage them. This often happened in the absence of adequate support and advice with little involvement of healthcare professionals. When cognitive impairment/ dementia was present this brought additional challenges to falls management, with caregivers taking on a greater and more frustrating role. Conclusion: Dyads required relevant falls-related information and the difficulties associated with cognitive decline should be recognised by researchers and healthcare professionals. Dyads required support in attributing reasons for falls, and increased awareness of healthcare professionals' different roles to improve patient- professional communication and facilitate patient-centred care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the vast array of different geochronological tools available, dating the Paleolithic remains one of the discipline's greatest challenges. This review focuses on two different dating approaches: trapped charge and amino acid geochronology. While differing in their fundamental principles, both exploit time-dependent changes in signals found within crystals to generate a chronology for the material dated and hence, the associated deposits. Within each method, there is a diverse range of signals that can be analyzed, each covering different time ranges, applicable to different materials and suitable for different paleoenvironmental and archaeological contexts. This multiplicity of signals can at first sight appear confusing, but it is a fundamental strength of the techniques, allowing internal checks for consistency and providing more information than simply a chronology. For each technique, we present an overview of the basis for the time-dependent signals and the types of material that can be analyzed, with examples of their archaeological application, as well as their future potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep and goats of different ages may have to be killed on‐farm for purposes other than slaughter (where slaughter is defined as killing for human consumption) either individually (i.e. on‐farm killing of unproductive, injured or terminally ill animals) or on a large scale (i.e. depopulation for disease control purposes and for other situations, such as environmental contamination and disaster management) outside the slaughterhouses. The purpose of this opinion was to assess the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the on‐farm killing of sheep and goats. The whole killing procedure was divided into Phase 1 (pre‐killing) – that included the processes (i) handling and moving the animals to the killing place and (ii) restraint of the animals before application of the killing methods and Phase 2 – that included stunning and killing of the animals. The killing methods for sheep and goats were grouped into three categories: (1) mechanical, (2) electrical and (3) lethal injection. Welfare consequences that sheep and goats may experience during each process were identified (e.g. handling stress, restriction of movements and tissue lesions during restraint) and animal‐based measures (ABMs) to assess them were proposed. During application of the killing method, sheep and goats will experience pain and fear if they are ineffectively stunned or if they recover consciousness. ABMs related to the state of consciousness can be used to indirectly assess pain and fear. Flowcharts including ABMs for consciousness specific to each killing method were included in the opinion. Possible welfare hazards were identified for each process, together with their origin and related preventive and corrective measures. Outcome tables linking hazards, welfare consequences, ABMs, origins, preventive and corrective measures were developed for each process. Mitigation measures to minimise welfare consequences were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control of cell behaviour in an effort to create highly homogeneous cultures is becoming an area of intense research, both to elucidate fundamental biology and for regenerative applications. The extracellular matrix (ECM) controls many cellular processes in vivo, and as such is a rich source of cues that may be translated in vitro. Herein, we describe the creation of cell culture coatings from porcine decellularised hyaline cartilage through enzymatic digestion. Surprisingly, heat-mediated sterilisation created a coating with the capacity to rapidly and robustly induce chondrogenic differentiation of human periosteal cells. This differentiation was validated through the alteration of cell phenotype from a fibroblastic to a cuboidal/cobblestone chondrocyte-like appearance. Moreover, chondrogenic gene expression further supported this observation, where cells cultured on heat sterilised ECM-coated plastic displayed higher expression of COL2A1, ACAN and PRG4 (p < 0.05) compared to non-coated plastic cultures. Interestingly, COL2A1 and ACAN expression in this context were sensitive to initial cell density; however, SOX9 expression appeared to be mainly driven by the coating independent of seeding density. The creation of a highly chondrogenic coating may provide a cost-effective solution for the differentiation and/or expansion of human chondrocytes aimed towards cartilage repair strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting appropriate diagnostic methods that take account of the type of vaccine used is important when implementing a vaccination programme against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). If vaccination is effective, a decreased viral load is expected in the samples used for diagnosis, making molecular methods with high sensitivity the best choice. Although serological methods can be reasonably sensitive, they may produce results that are difficult to interpret. In addition to routine molecular monitoring, it is recommended to conduct viral isolation, genetic sequencing and phenotypic characterisation of any HPAI virus detected in vaccinated flocks to detect escape mutants early. Following emergency vaccination, various surveillance options based on virological testing of dead birds ('bucket sampling') at defined intervals were assessed to be effective for early detection of HPAIV and prove disease freedom in vaccinated populations. For ducks, virological or serological testing of live birds was assessed as an effective strategy. This surveillance could be also applied in the peri‐vaccination zone on vaccinated establishments, while maintaining passive surveillance in unvaccinated chicken layers and turkeys, and weekly bucket sampling in unvaccinated ducks. To demonstrate disease freedom with > 99% confidence and to detect HPAI virus sufficiently early following preventive vaccination, monthly virological testing of all dead birds up to 15 per flock, coupled with passive surveillance in both vaccinated and unvaccinated flocks, is recommended. Reducing the sampling intervals increases the sensitivity of early detection up to 100%. To enable the safe movement of vaccinated poultry during emergency vaccination, laboratory examinations in the 72 h prior to the movement can be considered as a risk mitigation measure, in addition to clinical inspection; sampling results from existing surveillance activities carried out in these 72 h could be used. In this Opinion, several schemes are recommended to enable the safe movement of vaccinated poultry following preventive vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A diagnosis of Parkinson's often leads to uncertainty about the future and loss of perceived control. Peer support may offer a means to address these concerns and promote self-management. Design: A programme evaluation of the feasibility and potential effects of 'First Steps', utilising a pragmatic step wedge approach. Comparing First Steps (intervention) to (control) conditions. Setting: In the community at four sites in southern England. Participants: Newly diagnosed (≤ 12months) people with Parkinson's. Intervention: First Steps was a 2-day peer-conceived, developed and led intervention to support self-management. Main measures: At 0, 12 and 24 weeks anxiety and depression (Hospital, Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS), daily functioning (World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule, WHODAS), physical activity, quality of life (EQ5D), carer strain and service utilisation were assessed. Results: Between February 2018 and July 2019, 36 participants were enrolled into intervention and 21 to control conditions, all were included in statistical analysis. Lost to follow up was n = 1 (intervention) and n = 1 adverse event was reported (control, unrelated). Of the 36 allocated to the intervention n = 22 participants completed both days of First Steps during the study period. Completion of outcome measures was >95% at 24 weeks. Small effects favouring the intervention were found for HADS (odds ratio (OR) = 2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24:17.84), Carer Strain Index (OR = 2.22, 95% CI 0.5:9.76) and vigorous (d = 0.42, 95% CI −0.12:0.97) and total physical activity (d = 0.41, 95% CI −0.13:0.95). EQ5D, WHOSDAS and service utilisation, was similar between groups. Conclusions: First Steps was feasible and safe and we found potential to benefit physical activity, mental health and carer strain. Further research with longer-term follow up is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid qualitative assessment has been done by performing a theoretical analysis on the transmission of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) via fresh meat from poultry reared or kept in captivity for the production of meat (raw poultry meat) or raw table eggs. A predetermined transmission pathway followed a number of steps from a commercial or non‐commercial poultry establishment within the EU exposed to LPAI virus (LPAIV) to the onward virus transmission to animals and humans. The combined probability of exposure and subsequent LPAIV infection via raw poultry meat containing LPAIV is negligible for commercial poultry and humans exposed via consumption whereas it is very unlikely for non‐commercial poultry, wild birds and humans exposed via handling and manipulation. The probability of LPAIV transmission from an individual infected via raw poultry meat containing LPAIV is negligible for commercial poultry and humans, whereas it is very unlikely for non‐commercial poultry and wild birds. The combined probability of exposure and subsequent LPAIV infection via raw table eggs containing LPAIV is negligible for commercial poultry and humans and extremely unlikely to negligible for non‐commercial poultry and wild birds. The probability of LPAIV transmission from an individual infected via raw table eggs containing LPAIV is negligible for commercial poultry and humans and very unlikely to negligible for non‐commercial poultry and wild birds. Although the presence of LPAIV in raw poultry meat and table eggs is very unlikely to negligible, there is in general a high level of uncertainty on the estimation of the subsequent probabilities of key steps of the transmission pathways for poultry and wild birds, mainly due to the limited number of studies available, for instance on the viral load required to infect a bird via raw poultry meat or raw table eggs containing LPAIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid qualitative assessment has been done by performing a theoretical analysis on the transmission of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) via fresh meat from poultry reared or kept in captivity for the production of meat (raw poultry meat) or raw table eggs. A predetermined transmission pathway followed a number of steps from a commercial or non‐commercial poultry establishment within the EU exposed to LPAI virus (LPAIV) to the onward virus transmission to animals and humans. The combined probability of exposure and subsequent LPAIV infection via raw poultry meat containing LPAIV is negligible for commercial poultry and humans exposed via consumption whereas it is very unlikely for non‐commercial poultry, wild birds and humans exposed via handling and manipulation. The probability of LPAIV transmission from an individual infected via raw poultry meat containing LPAIV is negligible for commercial poultry and humans, whereas it is very unlikely for non‐commercial poultry and wild birds. The combined probability of exposure and subsequent LPAIV infection via raw table eggs containing LPAIV is negligible for commercial poultry and humans and extremely unlikely to negligible for non‐commercial poultry and wild birds. The probability of LPAIV transmission from an individual infected via raw table eggs containing LPAIV is negligible for commercial poultry and humans and very unlikely to negligible for non‐commercial poultry and wild birds. Although the presence of LPAIV in raw poultry meat and table eggs is very unlikely to negligible, there is in general a high level of uncertainty on the estimation of the subsequent probabilities of key steps of the transmission pathways for poultry and wild birds, mainly due to the limited number of studies available, for instance on the viral load required to infect a bird via raw poultry meat or raw table eggs containing LPAIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the impact of credit constraints on household welfare in Ethiopia. We use a three-wave panel dataset for rural and small-town households to estimate the effects of household borrowing constraints on two alternative indicators of household welfare: consumption expenditure and asset ownership. The presence of a constraint is treated as an endogenous regressor, using an instrumental variable based on Baumol's theory of contestable markets. We find that credit constraints have a significantly negative effect on both outcomes. These results are robust to several alternative specifications of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Homecare workers provide essential care at home for people at end-of-life but are often poorly trained and supported. Aim: To explore the experiences and needs of homecare workers and the views of homecare clients and carers, and other community-based health and social care staff about the homecare worker role, including identification of good practice. Methods: In this qualitative exploratory study, we will conduct 150 semi-structured interviews with homecare workers within three geographic English localities chosen for maximum socio-demographic variation. Eligible participants will be consenting adults providing care services (workers [n = 45], managers [n = 15] community practitioners [n = 30]), receiving care (clients thought to be in the last 6 months of life [n = 30], family carers [n = 15], or commissioners of homecare services supporting end-of-life care [n = 15]. Interviews may adopt a Pictor-guided or standard semi-structured approach according to their preference. Managers and commissioners can contribute to an online focus group if preferred. A range of recruitment strategies will be used, including through homecare agencies, local authorities, local NHS services, charities, voluntary sector groups and social media. Interviews and focus groups will be recorded, transcribed, anonymised, and analysed adopting a case-based approach for each geographic area within-case and then comparison across cases using reflexive thematic analysis. The design and analysis will be informed by Bronfenbrenner's Adapted Ecological Systems theory. This study is registered on the Research Registry (No.8613). Contribution: We will provide evidence on ways to improve the experiences and address the needs of homecare workers in relation to caring for people nearing end-of-life. It will offer insight into good practice around supporting homecare workers including responding to their training and development needs. Findings will inform subsequent stages of an evaluation-phase study of a training resource for homecare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality care for older people is best delivered by multidisciplinary teams involving a range of professions. Similarly, if research evidence is to effectively inform practice, it needs to be designed and executed by teams that are both multidisciplinary and multiprofessional. Here, we summarise the discussions from a 1-day workshop convened by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre in Spring 2021, which focussed on multidisciplinary academic teams. Barriers to success include small numbers of clinical academic researchers across all professions focussing on older people, and lack of career pathways, role models and support for non-medical clinical researchers. The workshop identified strengths in the tradition of multidisciplinary working in the care of older people, research questions that lend themselves naturally to multidisciplinary working, increasing interest from funders in multidisciplinary research, and untapped opportunities for greater commercial engagement. Initiatives to improve engagement of students and trainees, mentorship, career pathways, networking across research centres and possibly developing a national School of Older People's Care Research are all ways that we can ensure the growth of multidisciplinary research to best serve older people's health and social care in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of housing on financial adequacy of New Zealand retirees using the Survey of Family, Income, and Employment (SoFIE) data for the period 2002–2009. We examine the differential effect of housing liquidation options, rent imputation and asset liquidity on financial adequacy. We report evidence of financial adequacy variation across five housing liquidation options and this is influenced by rent imputation. The results show that non-homeowners are less financially adequate than homeowners. We find that Māori, renters and individuals living in multi-dwelling occupancies have much lower levels of financial adequacy. Individuals of Pākehā or Asian ethnicity, homeowners and those living alone benefit more from imputed rent derived through home ownership. Our study highlights the need for the New Zealand government to address the lack of suitable public housing, rising housing and rental prices and mandate compulsory contributory retirement savings plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of in vitro osteoclast cultures (e.g. cell number) often relies on manual counting methods. These approaches are labour intensive, time consuming and result in substantial inter- and intra-user variability. This study aimed to develop and validate an automated workflow to robustly quantify in vitro osteoclast cultures. Using ilastik, a machine learning-based image analysis software, images of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase-stained mouse osteoclasts cultured on dentine discs were used to train the ilastik-based algorithm. Assessment of algorithm training showed that osteoclast numbers strongly correlated between manual- and automatically quantified values (r = 0.87). Osteoclasts were consistently faithfully segmented by the model when visually compared to the original reflective light images. The ability of this method to detect changes in osteoclast number in response to different treatments was validated using zoledronate, ticagrelor, and co-culture with MCF7 breast cancer cells. Manual and automated counting methods detected a 70% reduction (p < 0.05) in osteoclast number, when cultured with 10 nM zoledronate and a dose-dependent decrease with 1–10 μM ticagrelor (p < 0.05). Co-culture with MCF7 cells increased osteoclast number by ≥ 50% irrespective of quantification method. Overall, an automated image segmentation and analysis workflow, which consistently and sensitively identified in vitro osteoclasts, was developed. Advantages of this workflow are (1) significantly reduction in user variability of endpoint measurements (93%) and analysis time (80%); (2) detection of osteoclasts cultured on different substrates from different species; and (3) easy to use and freely available to use along with tutorial resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection with Gyrodactylus salaris was assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular, the criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on its eligibility to be listed, Annex IV for its categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as laid down in Article 9 and Article 8 for listing animal species related to infection with G. salaris. The assessment was performed following the ad hoc method for data collection and assessment previously developed by AHAW panel and already published. The outcome reported is the median of the probability ranges provided by the experts, which indicates whether each criterion is fulfilled (lower bound ≥ 66%) or not (upper bound ≤ 33%), or whether there is uncertainty about fulfilment. Reasoning points are reported for criteria with an uncertain outcome. According to the assessment here performed, it is uncertain whether infection with G. salaris can be considered eligible to be listed for Union intervention according to Article 5 of the AHL (33–70% probability). According to the criteria in Annex IV, for the purpose of categorisation related to the level of prevention and control as in Article 9 of the AHL, the AHAW Panel concluded that Infection with G. salaris does not meet the criteria in Section 1 and 3 (Category A and C; 1–5% and 10–33% probability of fulfilling the criteria, respectively) and it is uncertain whether it meets the criteria in Sections 2, 4 and 5 (Categories B, D and E; 33–80%, 33–66% and 33–80% probability of meeting the criteria, respectively). The animal species to be listed for infection with G. salaris according to Article 8 criteria are provided. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8324/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8326/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8327/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.4783full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8028/full [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection with salmonid alphavirus (SAV) was assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular the criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on its eligibility to be listed, Annex IV for its categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as laid out in Article 9 and Article 8 for listing animal species related to infection with SAV. The assessment was performed following the ad hoc method on data collection and assessment developed by AHAW Panel and already published. The outcome reported is the median of the probability ranges provided by the experts, which indicates whether each criterion is fulfilled (lower bound ≥ 66%) or not (upper bound ≤ 33%), or whether there is uncertainty about fulfilment. Reasoning points are reported for criteria with an uncertain outcome. According to the assessment, it was uncertain whether infection with salmonid alphavirus can be considered eligible to be listed for Union intervention according to Article 5 of the AHL (50–80% probability). According to the criteria in Annex IV, for the purpose of categorisation related to the level of prevention and control as in Article 9 of the AHL, the AHAW Panel concluded that infection with salmonid alphavirus does not meet the criteria in Section 1 (Category A; 5–10% probability of meeting the criteria) and it is uncertain whether it meets the criteria in Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 (Categories B, C, D and E; 50–90%, probability of meeting the criteria). The animal species to be listed for infection with SAV according to Article 8 criteria are provided. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8324/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8326/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8325/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.4783full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8028/full [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial kidney disease (BKD) was assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular the criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on its eligibility to be listed, Annex IV for its categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as laid out in Article 9 and Article 8 for listing animal species related to BKD. The assessment was performed following the ad hoc method on data collection and assessment developed by AHAW Panel and already published. The outcome reported is the median of the probability ranges provided by the experts, which indicates whether each criterion is fulfilled (lower bound ≥ 66%) or not (upper bound ≤ 33%), or whether there is uncertainty about fulfilment. Reasoning points are reported for criteria with an uncertain outcome. According to this assessment, BKD can be considered eligible to be listed for Union intervention according to Article 5 of the AHL (66–90% probability). According to the criteria in Annex IV, for the purpose of categorisation related to the level of prevention and control as in Article 9 of the AHL, the AHAW Panel concluded that BKD does not meet the criteria in Sections 1, 2 and 3 (Categories A, B and C; 1–5%, 33–66% and 33–66% probability of meeting the criteria, respectively) but meets the criteria in Sections 4 and 5 (Categories D and E; 66–90% and 66–90% probability of meeting the criteria, respectively). The animal species to be listed for BKD according to Article 8 criteria are provided. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8324/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8325/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8327/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.4783full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8028/full [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC) was assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular the criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on its eligibility to be listed, Annex IV for its categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as in Article 9 and Article 8 for listing animal species related to SVC. The assessment was performed following the ad hoc method for data collection and assessment previously developed by the AHAW panel and already published. The outcome reported is the median of the probability ranges provided by the experts, which indicates whether each criterion is fulfilled (lower bound ≥ 66%) or not (upper bound ≤ 33%), or whether there is uncertainty about fulfilment. Reasoning points are reported for criteria with an uncertain outcome. According to the assessment performed here, it is uncertain whether SVC can be considered eligible to be listed for Union intervention according to Article 5 of the AHL (45–90% probability). According to the criteria in Annex IV, for the purpose of categorisation related to the level of prevention and control as in Article 9 of the AHL, the AHAW Panel concluded that SVC does not meet the criteria in Section 1 (Category A; 5–33% probability of meeting the criteria) and it is uncertain whether it meets the criteria in Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5 (Categories B, C, D and E; 33–66%, 10–66%, 45–90% and 45–90% probability of meeting the criteria, respectively). The animal species to be listed for SVC according to Article 8 criteria are provided. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8325/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8326/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8327/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.4783full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8028/full [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several vaccines have been developed against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), mostly inactivated whole‐virus vaccines for chickens. In the EU, one vaccine is authorised in chickens but is not fully efficacious to stop transmission, highlighting the need for vaccines tailored to diverse poultry species and production types. Off‐label use of vaccines is possible, but effectiveness varies. Vaccines are usually injectable, a time‐consuming process. Mass‐application vaccines outside hatcheries remain rare. First vaccination varies from in‐ovo to 6 weeks of age. Data about immunity onset and duration in the target species are often unavailable, despite being key for effective planning. Minimising antigenic distance between vaccines and field strains is essential, requiring rapid updates of vaccines to match circulating strains. Generating harmonised vaccine efficacy data showing vaccine ability to reduce transmission is crucial and this ability should be also assessed in field trials. Planning vaccination requires selecting the most adequate vaccine type and vaccination scheme. Emergency protective vaccination is limited to vaccines that are not restricted by species, age or pre‐existing vector‐immunity, while preventive vaccination should prioritise achieving the highest protection, especially for the most susceptible species in high‐risk transmission areas. Model simulations in France, Italy and The Netherlands revealed that (i) duck and turkey farms are more infectious than chickens, (ii) depopulating infected farms only showed limitations in controlling disease spread, while 1‐km ring‐culling performed better than or similar to emergency preventive ring‐vaccination scenarios, although with the highest number of depopulated farms, (iii) preventive vaccination of the most susceptible species in high‐risk transmission areas was the best option to minimise the outbreaks' number and duration, (iv) during outbreaks in such areas, emergency protective vaccination in a 3‐km radius was more effective than 1‐ and 10‐km radius. Vaccine efficacy should be monitored and complement other surveillance and preventive efforts. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal article: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.p211001 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On request of the EU Commission, EFSA carried out an Extensive Literature Review (ELR) to provide a list of vector species or reservoirs species of pathogens of crustaceans, listed in Annex II to the AHL, aiming to update the Annex of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882. In this Technical Report, the detailed review protocol of the ELR and assessment of potential vector and reservoir species is described of the crustacean pathogens listed in Annex II to the AHL: Taura syndrome virus (TSV), Yellow head virus (YHV) or White spot syndrome virus (WSSV). In total 2,530 research publications were collected for abstract screening and from these, 110 were selected for further full text analysis. In the final data collection and assessment 34 relevant research publications were used for extracting information on vector and reservoir species of the above crustacean pathogens. The results for crustacean species for which scientific evidence indicates that a role as vector species or reservoir species is likely are presented as tables in the supplementary material of this report. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8172/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8173/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8174/full This publication is linked to the following EFSA Supporting Publications articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2023.EN-8123/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2023.EN-8124/full [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On request of the EU Commission, EFSA carried out an Extensive Literature Review (ELR) to provide a list of vector species or reservoirs species of pathogens of crustaceans, listed in Annex II to the AHL, aiming to update the Annex of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882. In this Technical Report, the detailed review protocol of the ELR and assessment of potential vector and reservoir species is described of the crustacean pathogens listed in Annex II to the AHL: Taura syndrome virus (TSV), Yellow head virus (YHV) or White spot syndrome virus (WSSV). In total 2,530 research publications were collected for abstract screening and from these, 110 were selected for further full text analysis. In the final data collection and assessment 34 relevant research publications were used for extracting information on vector and reservoir species of the above crustacean pathogens. The results for crustacean species for which scientific evidence indicates that a role as vector species or reservoir species is likely are presented as tables in the supplementary material of this report. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8172/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8173/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8174/full This publication is linked to the following EFSA Supporting Publications articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2023.EN-8122/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2023.EN-8124/full [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vector or reservoir species of five mollusc diseases listed in the Animal Health Law were identified, based on evidence generated through an extensive literature review, to support a possible updating of Regulation (EU) 2018/1882. Mollusc species on or in which Mikrocytos mackini, Perkinsus marinus, Bonamia exitiosa, Bonamia ostreae and Marteilia refringens were detected, in the field or during experiments, were classified as reservoir species with different levels of certainty depending on the diagnostic tests used. Where experimental evidence indicated transmission of the pathogen from a studied species to another known susceptible species, this studied species was classified as a vector species. Although the quantification of the risk of spread of the pathogens by the vectors or reservoir species was not part of the terms of reference, such risks do exist for the vector species, since transmission from infected vector species to susceptible species was proven. Where evidence for transmission from infected molluscs was not found, these were defined as reservoir. Nonetheless, the risk of the spread of the pathogens from infected reservoir species cannot be excluded. Evidence identifying conditions that may prevent transmission by vectors or reservoir mollusc species during transport was collected from scientific literature. It was concluded that it is very likely to almost certain (90–100%) that M. mackini, P. marinus, B. exitiosaB. ostreae and M. refringens will remain infective at any possible transport condition. Therefore, vector or reservoir species that may have been exposed to these pathogens in an affected area in the wild or at aquaculture establishments or through contaminated water supply can possibly transmit these pathogens. For transmission of M. refringens, the presence of an intermediate host, a copepod, is necessary. This publication is linked to the following EFSA Journal articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8172/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8174/full This publication is linked to the following EFSA Supporting Publications articles: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2023.EN-8122/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2023.EN-8123/full, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2023.EN-8124/full [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The recent introduction of post-IR IRSL measurement protocols has prompted a resurgence in luminescence applications using feldspar, some of which are affected by anomalous fading related signal loss. Many fading-corrected feldspar ages are reported in the literature, however few of those ages have been corrected using the model of Huntley (2006) [Huntley, D.J., 2006. An explanation of the power-law decay of luminescence. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 18(4), 1359–1365]. Here we present a new R function that calculates fading-corrected ages using the model of Huntley (2006), implemented with either a single-saturating exponential (1EXP) or general-order kinetic (GOK) fit. We evaluate the performance of the model through (i) contrasting measured and modelled field saturation values for a suite of 41 published saturated samples, and (ii) through using the model to fading-correct feldspar ages of samples with independent age control. Our results indicate that when implemented with 1EXP this model has an accuracy of 10% for predicting sample saturation, but that independent ages may be overestimated when the model is used to fading-correct samples across a range of timescales. In contrast, providing that the dose response curve has been characterised beyond 600 Gy, implementing the Huntley (2006) model with a GOK fit yields accurate age estimations. Modelled age overestimation for 1EXP is associated with dose response curve deviation from a single-saturating exponential. Finally we contrast the laboratory measured light levels of a suite of 50 saturated samples with their corresponding fading rates. We show that these saturated samples may yield D e values below 2D 0 , and thus that 2D 0 is not an effective screening criterion for sample saturation where no anomalous fading correction is made. Highlights • Fading correction of feldspar luminescence is explored using known age samples. • Dose response deviation from a single saturating exponential causes age overestimation. • A general order kinetic fit results in accurate age determination. • 2D 0 cannot be used to evaluate feldspar saturation, unless fading is corrected for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]