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During the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater surveillance was leveraged as a powerful tool for monitoring community-scale health. Further, the well-known persistence of some pharmaceuticals through wastewater treatment plants spurred concerns that increased usage of pharmaceuticals during the pandemic would increase the concentrations in wastewater treatment plant effluent. We collected weekly influent and effluent samples from May 2020 through May 2021 from two wastewater treatment plants in central Pennsylvania, the Penn State Water Reclamation Facility and the University Area Joint Authority, that provide effluent for beneficial reuse, including for irrigation. Samples were analyzed for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (influent only), two over-the-counter medicines (acetaminophen and naproxen), five antibiotics (ampicillin, doxycycline, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim), two therapeutic agents (remdesivir and dexamethasone), and hydroxychloroquine. Although there were no correlations between pharmaceutical and virus concentration, remdesivir detection occurred when the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 increased, and dexamethasone detection co-occurred with the presence of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators. Additionally, Penn State decision-making regarding instruction modes explained the temporal variation of influent pharmaceutical concentrations, with detection occurring primarily when students were on campus. Risk quotients calculated for pharmaceuticals with known effective and lethal concentrations at which 50% of a population is affected for fish, daphnia, and algae were generally low in the effluent; however, some acute risks from sulfamethoxazole were high when students returned to campus. Remdesivir and dexamethasone persisted through the wastewater treatment plants, thereby introducing novel pharmaceuticals directly to soils and surface water. These results highlight connections between human health and water quality and further demonstrate the broad utility of wastewater surveillance.

One approach to control dengue virus transmission is the symbiont Wolbachia, which limits viral infection in mosquitoes. Despite plans for its widespread use in Aedes aegypti, Wolbachia's mode of action remains poorly understood. Many studies suggest that the mechanism is likely multifaceted, involving aspects of immunity, cellular stress and nutritional competition. A previous study from our group used artificial selection to identify a new mosquito candidate gene related to viral blocking; alpha-mannosidase-2a (alpha-Mann-2a) with a predicted role in protein glycosylation. Protein glycosylation pathways tend to be involved in complex host-viral interactions; however, the function of alpha-mannosidases has not been described in mosquito-virus interactions. We examined alpha-Mann-2a expression in response to virus and Wolbachia infections and whether reduced gene expression, caused by RNA interference, affected viral loads. We show that dengue virus (DENV) infection affects the expression of alpha-Mann-2a in a tissue- and time-dependent manner, whereas Wolbachia infection had no effect. In the midgut, DENV prevalence increased following knockdown of alpha-Mann-2a expression in Wolbachia-free mosquitoes, suggesting that alpha-Mann-2a interferes with infection. Expression knockdown had the same effect on the togavirus chikungunya virus, indicating that alpha-Mann-2a may have broad antivirus effects in the midgut. Interestingly, we were unable to knockdown the expression in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. We also provide evidence that alpha-Mann-2a may affect the transcriptional level of another gene predicted to be involved in viral blocking and cell adhesion; cadherin87a. These data support the hypothesis that glycosylation and adhesion pathways may broadly be involved in viral infection in Ae. aegypti.

Thousands of babies are given toys for their zeroth birthday … But what happens if that baby is admitted to neonatal intensive care? In a global first, we describe the population of toys found in incubators on neonatal intensive care unit.

AIMS Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a disease associated with high mortality and morbidity, low birthweight and prematurity are risk factors. This study reports outcomes of babies having emergency laparotomy for NEC, examining institutional trends and exploring impact of multiple variables on mortality at 30 days and 1 year post-operatively. METHODS Case records of babies with ICD coding for NEC were examined from 2000 to 2015. After exclusions, 243 cases were identified-confirmed by operative findings and histology. Cohort demographics and trends in mortality were investigated, and the relationship of common variables to mortality was modelled with univariate and multivariate logistic regression to generate a mortality prediction tool. RESULTS Mean gestational age was 28 + 4 weeks. A 30-day mortality was 18.9%. Gestation, birthweight and area of bowel affected were significant of outcome (mortality), and the presence of pre-operative pneumoperitoneum was strongly correlated. Year of surgery and congenital cardiac pathology requiring intervention were not significant. Using multivariate regression modelling, a mortality outcome prediction tool has been developed. CONCLUSION Good survival following operation for NEC (>70%) is feasible, even in those babies born extremely premature ( 32 weeks), mortality is uncommon.

Culverts reduce connectivity for aquatic animals by being both a hydraulic and physical barrier. However, altered light intensity may also be a behavioural barrier to fish movement, especially for diurnal species that have adapted to moving when it is light. We propose that knowledge of optical physiology and fish behaviour, two important mechanisms underpinning movement, can inform efforts to improve fish movement through culverts. We firstly review the sensory systems of fish with reference to visual sense and explore how this affects fish movement. We then highlight theoretical knowledge that can help us understand fish behaviour and the potential mismatch between the conditions under which fish have evolved and altered conditions within culverts. We describe potential knowledge gaps and directions for future research to improve our understanding of how culverts may affect fish movement. Finally, we explore the potential costs and ecological benefits of different mitigation options to identify those with the most promise for managing the light environment in culverts to facilitate movement. For researchers and managers exploring this subject, we suggest an approach that: (a) identifies light requirements for movement by different species, (b) tests movement under different light conditions and (c) considers an integrative assessment method for testing fish behaviour around culverts. Understanding how optical physiology, fish behaviour and culvert design influence fish movement can improve connectivity for a range of species.

Aim: To measure the cost-effectiveness of adding text message (TMB), exercise (EB) and abstinent-contingent financial incentive-based (CFIB) stop smoking interventions to standard smoking cessation support for pregnant women in England. Design: Modelling cost-effectiveness outcomes by separately adding three cessation interventions to standard cessation care offered to pregnant women in England. English National Health Service Stop Smoking Services (NHS SSS) statistics from 2019 to 2020 were used for estimating the base quit rate. Intervention effectiveness and cost data for interventions were taken from trial reports. Cost-effectiveness was derived using the economics of smoking in pregnancy (ESIP) model from a health service and personal social services perspective. Interventions were compared with each other as well as against standard cessation care. Setting: English NHS SSS. Participants/cases: A total of 13 799 pregnant women who accessed NHS SSS. Interventions and comparator; comparator: standard stop smoking support comprising behavioural intervention and an offer of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Three additive interventions were TMB, EB and CFIB. Measurements: Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios per quality-adjusted life-years gained for both mothers and offspring over their life-times; return on investment (ROI); and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (CEACs). Findings: The addition of any of the interventions compared with standard care alone was preferred, but only significant for the addition of CFIB, with the CEAC suggesting an at least 90% chance of being favoured to standard care alone. When compared against each other CFIB appeared to yield the largest returns, but this was not significant. The estimated ROI for CFIB was £2 [95% confidence interval (CI) = £1–3] in health-care savings for every £1 spent by the NHS on the cessation intervention. Conclusions: For a health system which currently provides behavioural support and an offer of nicotine replacement therapy as standard stop smoking support for pregnant women, the greatest economic gains would be provided by operating an abstinent-contingent financial incentives scheme alongside this.

Contents Summary 1749 I. The circadian system is responsive to environmental change 1749 II. Photoassimilates regulate circadian timing 1750 III. Retrograde signals contribute to circadian timing 1750 IV. Conclusions 1752 Acknowledgements 1752 References 1752 SUMMARY: The circadian system comprises interlocking transcriptional-translational feedback loops that regulate gene expression and consequently modulate plant development and physiology. In order to maximize utility, the circadian system is entrained by changes in temperature and light, allowing endogenous rhythms to be synchronized with both daily and seasonal environmental change. Although a great deal of environmental information is decoded by a suite of photoreceptors, it is also becoming apparent that changes in cellular metabolism also contribute to circadian timing, through either the stimulation of metabolic pathways or the accumulation of metabolic intermediates as a consequence of environmental stress. As the source of many of these metabolic byproducts, mitochondria and chloroplasts have begun to be viewed as environmental sensors, and rapid advancement of this field is revealing the complex web of signalling pathways initiated by organelle perturbation. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of how this metabolic regulation influences circadian timing.

A failure of protein degradation may underpin Lewy body disease (LBD) where α-synuclein is assimilated into the pathognomic Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. We investigated histological alterations in lysosomes and autophagosomes in the substantia nigra (SN) and cingulate gyrus (CG) in 34 patients with LBD employing antibodies against phosphorylated α-synuclein and lysosomal (lysosomal associated membrane proteins 1 and 2 (LAMP-1 and LAMP-2), cathepsin D (CTSD)) and autophagosomal (microtubule-associated protein light chain 3α (LC3A)) proteins. Immunostained sections were qualitatively and semi-quantitatively assessed for the appearance, distribution and intensity of staining. Four LBD patients had mutations in GBA1. There was significantly less LAMP-1, LAMP-2 and CTSD immunostaining in neurons of the SN in LBD cases compared to control cases and marginally less LAMP-1 in patients with GBA1 mutations compared to those without. Loss of LAMP-1 and CTSD immunoreactivity correlated with cell loss from the SN. There were no changes in LC3A immunoreactivity in the SN, nor any major changes in the CG, or glial cell activity in the SN and CG, for any of the markers. A proportion of amyloid plaques in both the LBD and control cases was immunoreactive for LAMP-1 and LAMP-2, but not CTSD or LC3A proteins. These immunohisochemical features were seen in glial cells, which were negative for amyloid-β. Alterations in lysosomal structure or function, but not macroautophagy, may underpin the pathogenesis of LBD.

Background and aims Little is known about the long-term economic consequences of smoking during pregnancy. We estimated the association between smoking in pregnancy and the costs of delivering health-care to infants and children in England, and investigated which aspects of care are the key drivers of these costs. Methods We used Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) linked with Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) data in England from January 2003 to January 2015 in children with longitudinal data for at least 1, 5 and 10 years after birth. Poisson regression provided rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing health-care episode rates between those exposed and not exposed to smoking during pregnancy. Linear regression was used to compare estimated costs between groups ( pound sterling, 2015 prices) and generalized linear multivariable (GLM) models adjusted for potentially moderating factors. Results A total of 93152 singleton pregnancies with the required data were identified. Maternal smoking in pregnancy was associated with higher primary care, prescription and hospital in-patient episode rates, but lower out-patient visit and diagnostic test rates. Adjusting for year of birth, socio-economic deprivation, parity, sex of child and delivery method showed that maternal smoking in pregnancy was associated with increased child health-care costs at 1 year [average cost difference for children of smokers, beta = pound 91.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = pound 47.52-134.83 and 5 years of age (beta = pound 221.80, 95% CI = pound 17.78-425.83], but not at 10 years of age (beta = pound 365.94, 95% CI = - pound 192.72 to pound 924.60). Conclusion In England, maternal smoking in pregnancy is associated with increased child health-care costs over the first 5 years of life; these costs are driven primarily by greater hospital in-patient care.

We develop the organizational characteristics element of Stone and Colella’s (1996) framework by drawing on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) model to assess the relationship between High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) and work-related disability disadvantage. We develop competing ‘enabling’ and ‘disabling’ hypotheses concerning the influence of selected HPWPs (competency testing, performance appraisal, individual performance-related pay, teamworking and functional flexibility) on disabled relative to nondisabled employees. An empirical assessment of these competing hypotheses using matched employer-employee data from the nationally representative British Workplace Employment Relations Study 2011 reveals a negative relationship between these HPWPs when used in combination and the proportion of disabled employees at the workplace, although this relationship disappears in workplaces with a wide range of disability equality practices. Although disabled employees report lower work-related well-being than their non-disabled counterparts we find limited evidence that this is associated with the presence of HPWPs.

Aims To estimate the effectiveness of pregnancy smoking cessation support delivered by SMS text message and key parameters needed to plan a definitive trial. Design Multicentre, parallel-group, single-blinded, individual randomised controlled trial Setting 16 antenatal clinics in England. Participants 407 participants were randomised to the intervention (n = 203) or usual care (n = 204). Eligible women were 5 pre-pregnancy), were able to receive and understand English SMS texts and were not already using text-based cessation support. Intervention All participants received a smoking cessation leaflet; intervention participants also received a 12-week programme of individually-tailored, automated, interactive, self-help smoking cessation text messages (MiQuit). Outcome Measurements Seven smoking outcomes including validated continuous abstinence from 4 weeks post-randomisation until 36 weeks gestation, design parameters for a future trial and cost-per-quitter. Findings Using the validated, continuous abstinence outcome, 5.4% (11/203) of MiQuit participants were abstinent versus 2.0% (4/204) of usual care participants (odds ratio [OR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93 to 9.35). The Bayes Factor for this outcome was 2.23. Completeness of follow up at 36 weeks gestation was similar in both groups; provision of self-report smoking data was 64% (MiQuit) and 65% (usual care) and abstinence validation rates were 56% (MiQuit) and 61% (usual care). The incremental cost-per-quitter was £133.53 (95% CI -£395.78 to £843.62). Conclusions There was some evidence, though not conclusive, that a text messaging programme may increase cessation rates in pregnant smokers when provided alongside routine NHS cessation care.

Light intensity within a vertical‐slot fishway was manipulated to determine the effect on fish movement. Three treatments (darkness, low light, artificial light) were tested with natural daylight used as a control. Light intensity varied from 0 to 1,692 lux for the three treatments and from 1 to 4,550 lux for the control. Light intensity outside the fishway ranged from 31 to 80 900 lux. A total of 64 385 fish were collected from six species. The abundance of Australian smelt Retropinna semoni (Webber), unspecked hardyhead Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum fulvus Ivantsoff, Crowley and Allen, bony herring Nematalosa erebi (Gunther), carp gudgeon Hypseleotris spp. and Eastern gambusia Gambusia holbrooki (Girard) moving upstream reduced significantly under low‐light conditions. Conversely, movement of macroinvertebrates (freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium australiense Holthuis and freshwater prawn Paratya australiensis Kemp) increased at low‐light intensities. The number of fish moving under artificial light (28 617) was similar to that under natural daylight (33 919). Movements of Australian freshwater fish and macroinvertebrates were found to be influenced by changes in light intensity. Instream structures that alter light conditions, such as road culverts, may thus act as behavioural barriers to fish movement, and this could be mitigated by the provision of natural or artificial light.

Objective To characterize metabolic correlates of working memory impairment in clinically defined subtypes of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Background Established models of working memory suggest a key role for frontal lobe function, yet the association in Alzheimer's disease between working memory impairment and visuospatial and language symptoms suggests that temporoparietal neocortical dysfunction may be responsible. Methods Twenty-four patients with predominantly early-onset Alzheimer's disease were clinically classified into groups with predominantly amnestic, multidomain or visual deficits. Patients underwent neuropsychological evaluation focused on the domains of episodic and working memory, T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and brain fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography data were analysed by using a region-of-interest approach. Results Patients with multidomain and visual presentations performed more poorly on tests of working memory compared with amnestic Alzheimer's disease. Working memory performance correlated with glucose metabolism in left-sided temporoparietal, but not frontal neocortex. Carriers of the apolipoprotein E4 gene showed poorer episodic memory and better working memory performance compared with noncarriers. Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesis that working memory changes in early-onset Alzheimer's disease are related to temporoparietal rather than frontal hypometabolism and show dissociation from episodic memory performance. They further support the concept of subtypes of Alzheimer's disease with distinct cognitive profiles due to prominent neocortical dysfunction early in the disease course. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Issue addressed Partnerships were used to increase healthy eating and active living in children for the Obesity Prevention and Lifestyle (OPAL) program, a systems-wide, community-based childhood obesity prevention program in South Australia. This part of the multi-component evaluation examines stakeholders' perceptions of how OPAL staff worked in partnership and factors contributing to strong partnerships. Methods Pre- and post-interviews and focus groups with multi-sector stakeholders (n=131) across six OPAL communities were analysed using NVivo8 qualitative data analysis software. Results Stakeholders reflected positively on projects developed in partnership with OPAL, reporting that staff worked to establish co-benefits. They identified several factors that contributed to the strengthening of partnerships: staff skills, visibility, resources and sustainability. Conclusions Rather than implementing projects with stakeholders with shared organisational goals, local shared projects were implemented that included a breadth of co-benefits, allowing multi-sector stakeholders to meet their own organisational goals. Practitioners who have the capacity to be flexible, persistent, knowledgeable and skilled communicators are required to negotiate projects, achieving benefit for both health and stakeholders' organisational goals. So what? Engaging in partnership practice to broker co-benefits at the micro or program level has been an effective model for community engagement and change in OPAL. It foregrounds the need for the inclusion of value to partners, which differs from situations in which organisations come together around common goals.

Issue addressed The context of community-based childhood obesity prevention programs can influence the effects of these intervention programs. Leadership readiness for community mobilisation for childhood obesity prevention is one such contextual factor. This study assessed perceived community leadership readiness (PCLR) at two time points in a state-wide, multisite community-based childhood obesity prevention program. Methods PCLR was assessed across 168 suburbs of 20 intervention communities participating in South Australia's Obesity Prevention and Lifestyle (OPAL) program. Using a validated online PCLR tool, four key respondents from each community rated each suburb within their respective community on a nine-point scale for baseline and 2015. Average PCLR and change scores were calculated using the general linear model with suburbs nested in communities. Relationships between demographic variables and change in PCLR were evaluated using multiple regression. Ease of survey use was also assessed. Results Average PCLR increased between baseline (3.51, s.d.=0.82) and 2015 (5.23, s.d.=0.89). PCLR rose in 18 of 20 intervention communities. PCLR was inversely associated with suburb population size (r2=0.03, P=0.03, β=-0.25) and positively associated with intervention duration (r2 change=0.08, P=0.00, β=0.29). Only 8% of survey respondents considered the online assessment tool difficult to use. Conclusions PCLR increased over the course of the OPAL intervention. PCLR varied between and within communities. Online assessment of PCLR has utility for multisite program evaluations. So what? Use of a novel, resource-efficient online tool to measure the key contextual factors of PCLR has enabled a better understanding of the success and generalisability of the OPAL program.

Aims In pregnant smoking cessation trial participants, to estimate (1) among women abstinent at the end of pregnancy, the proportion who re-start smoking at time-points afterwards (primary analysis) and (2) among all trial participants, the proportion smoking at the end of pregnancy and at selected time-points during the postpartum period (secondary analysis). Methods Trials identified from two Cochrane reviews plus searches of Medline and EMBASE. Twenty-seven trials were included. The included trials were randomized or quasi-randomized trials of within-pregnancy cessation interventions given to smokers who reported abstinence both at end of pregnancy and at one or more defined time-points after birth. Outcomes were validated biochemically and self-reported continuous abstinence from smoking and 7-day point prevalence abstinence. The primary random-effects meta-analysis used longitudinal data to estimate mean pooled proportions of re-starting smoking; a secondary analysis used cross-sectional data to estimate the mean proportions smoking at different postpartum time-points. Subgroup analyses were performed on biochemically validated abstinence. Results The pooled mean proportion re-starting at 6 months postpartum was 43% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 16–72%, I2 = 96.7%] (11 trials, 571 abstinent women). The pooled mean proportion smoking at the end of pregnancy was 87% (95% CI = 84–90%, I2 = 93.2%) and 94% (95% CI = 92–96%, I2 = 88%) at 6 months postpartum (23 trials, 9262 trial participants). Findings were similar when using biochemically validated abstinence. Conclusions In clinical trials of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy only 13% are abstinent at term. Of these, 43% re-start by 6 months postpartum.

©2018 The Authors.Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,provided the original work is properly cited. Freshwater ecosystems are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors acting over different spatial and temporal scales, resulting in toxic algal blooms, reduced water quality and hypoxia. However, while catchment characteristics act as a ‘filter’ modifying lake response to disturbance, little is known of the relative importance of different drivers and possible differentiation in the response of upland remote lakes in comparison to lowland, impacted lakes. Moreover, many studies have focussed on single lakes rather than looking at responses across a set of individual, yet connected lake basins. Here we used sedimentary algal pigments as an index of changes in primary producer assemblages over the last ~200 years in a northern temperate watershed consisting of 11 upland and lowland lakes within the Lake District, United Kingdom, to test our hypotheses about landscape drivers. Specifically, we expected that the magnitude of change in phototrophic assemblages would be greatest in lowland rather than upland lakes due to more intensive human activities in the watersheds of the former (agriculture, urbanization). Regional parameters, such as climate dynamics, would be the predominant factors regulating lake primary producers in remote upland lakes and thus, synchronize the dynamic of primary producer assemblages in these basins. We found broad support for the hypotheses pertaining to lowland sites as wastewater treatment was the main predictor of changes to primary producer assemblages in lowland lakes. In contrast, upland headwaters responded weakly to variation in atmospheric temperature, and dynamics in primary producers across upland lakes were asynchronous. Collectively, these findings show that nutrient inputs from point sources overwhelm climatic controls of algae and nuisance cyanobacteria, but highlights that large-scale stressors do not always initiate coherent regional lake response. Furthermore, a lake's position in its landscape, its connectivity and proximity to point nutrients are important determinants of changes in production and composition of phototrophic assemblages. This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number 1095396, (HM), the Environment Agency (HM), Universitas 21 (HM), NSERC (PRL & ZET), Canada Foundation for Innovation (PRL) and Canada Research Chairs (PRL & IGE). Faculty yes

This article uses matched employee–employer data from the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey to examine the relationship between employee psychological health and workplace performance in 2004 and 2011. Using two measures of work-related psychological health — namely employee-reported job anxiety and manager-reported workforce stress, depression and anxiety — we find a positive relationship between psychological ill-health and absence, but not quits. The association between psychological ill-health and labour productivity is less clear, with estimates sensitive to sector, time period and the measure of psychological health. The 2004–2011 panel is further used to explore the extent to which change in psychological health is related to change in performance.

The circadian system allows plants to coordinate metabolic and physiological functions with predictable environmental variables such as dusk and dawn. This endogenous oscillator is comprised of biochemical and transcriptional rhythms that are synchronized with a plant's surroundings via environmental signals, including light and temperature. We have used chlorophyll fluorescence techniques to describe circadian rhythms of PSII operating efficiency (Fq'/Fm') in the chloroplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana. These Fq'/Fm' oscillations appear to be influenced by transcriptional feedback loops previously described in the nucleus, and are induced by rhythmic changes in photochemical quenching over circadian time. Our work reveals that a family of blue photoreceptors, phototropins, maintain robust rhythms of Fq'/Fm' under constant blue light. As phototropins do not influence circadian gene expression in the nucleus our imaging methodology highlights differences between the modulation of circadian outputs in distinct subcellular compartments.

Summary Environmental rehabilitation budgets are often limited, and management actions need to be prioritised to achieve the best outcomes. Prioritisation can best be done when evidence informs the decision-making process. We acoustically tagged twenty Golden Perch (Macquaria ambigua) in the Loddon River, Australia, and tracked their movements to gain an understanding on the requirements for fish passage at a major regulating structure, the Box Creek regulator. The movements of these fish were monitored through a network of receivers located throughout the lower Loddon River and Pyramid Creek system. Five fish moved 50–120 km upstream, four of which reached the Box Creek regulator before moving back downstream to the entrance of the Kerang Lakes system. Most long distance upstream movements were associated with an increase in river discharge. The remaining 15 fish moved

Summary 1.Disentangling the role of nutrient pollution and climate change on lake ecosystem functioning is paramount to protect water quality in lake catchments worldwide. For more effective management, however, we need to determine whether these two forcing factors interact at different spatial and temporal scales. 2.This study compares centennial-scale archival data and lake sediment records of eutrophication from Blelham Tarn and previously published data from Lake Windermere's North Basin in the English Lake District. We aimed to quantify how lake morphometry, catchment characteristics and landscape position influence the relationship between climate, local land use and algal community change. 3.Redundancy analysis revealed that increases in cyanobacterial pigments and stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon in sediments of Blelham Tarn from the 1970s onwards correlate strongly with rising densities of sheep and cattle in the catchment. Concomitant installation of piped water and sewage processing facilities appeared to lead to the expansion of filamentous cyanobacteria. In contrast, elevated fossil pigments from siliceous algae after 1990 were related inversely to winter precipitation, suggesting seasonal changes in hydraulic flushing also influenced the algal community response to centennial-scale fertilisation. 4.Abundance of vernal algae increased synchronously in Blelham Tarn and Lake Windermere's North Basin after regional agricultural intensification in the mid-nineteenth century. In contrast, differences in timing of wastewater disposal and treatment at each site led to asynchronous changes in summer taxa such as filamentous cyanobacteria. 5.This study highlights that lake catchments can act as local filters to regional climate change, both due to differences in localised land-use and intrinsic hydrological features (e.g. catchment:lake area, flushing rate). Further, this paper highlights the ability of palaeolimnology to aid identification of significant nutrient sources over different spatial scales for effective catchment water management.

Loss of skeletal muscle strength is a well-recognized feature of ageing and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Reductions in muscle size provide only a partial explanation for this loss of strength, and additional contributory factors remain undetermined. We hypothesized that reductions in skeletal muscle strength, as measured in the ankle dorsiflexor muscles, would be reduced with ageing and COPD as a result of changes in both size and composition of the tibialis anterior muscle. Twenty healthy young subjects, 18 healthy elderly subjects and 17 patients with COPD were studied. Ankle dorsiflexor muscle strength was assessed by maximal voluntary contraction (ADMVC) and 100 Hz supramaximal electrical stimulation of the peroneal nerve (100 HzAD). Tibialis anterior cross-sectional area (TACSA) and composition, as assessed by echo intensity (TAEI), were measured using ultrasonography. Despite a lack of differences in TACSA between groups, ADMVC and 100 HzAD were significantly reduced in COPD patients compared with both healthy elderly and healthy young subjects, when expressed as absolute values and when normalized to TACSA (P < 0.01). The TAEI was, however, higher in COPD patients compared with healthy elderly (P = 0.025) and healthy young subjects (P = 0.0008), suggesting increased levels of non-contractile tissue. Across all participants, ADMVC and 100 HzAD correlated positively with TACSA (r = 0.78, P < 0.0001) and negatively with TAEI (r = -0.46, P < 0.0005). The variance in 100 HzAD was best explained with a regression model incorporating TACSA, TAEI, age and COPD status (r(2) = 0.822, P = 0.001). These data demonstrate that the loss of skeletal muscle strength in COPD is related to changes in muscle composition, with infiltration of non-contractile tissue beyond that seen during normal ageing.

Background Clinical criteria are important for improving diagnostic accuracy and ensuring comparability of patient cohorts in research studies. Objective The aim was to assess the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia in AD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Methods Two hundred twelve consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed AD or FTLD who were clinically assessed in a specialist cognitive unit were identified. Fifty-five patients were excluded predominantly because of insufficient clinical information. Anonymized clinical data were rated against the NIA-AA criteria by raters who were blinded to clinical and pathologic diagnosis. Results The NIA-AA AD dementia criteria had a sensitivity of 65.6% for probable and 79.5% for possible AD and a specificity of 95.2% and 94.0% for probable and possible, respectively. Conclusion In patients with FTLD and predominantly early-onset AD, the NIA-AA AD dementia criteria have high specificity but lower sensitivity. The high specificity is due to the broad exclusion criteria.

Summary Construction of instream barriers, preventing fish from accessing spawning, nursery and feeding habitat, is a major issue impacting fisheries sustainability throughout the world. Since European settlement, development in the Murray-Darling Basin for irrigation and potable water supplies has led to the construction of over 10,000 barriers to fish movement. The Native Fish Strategy listed fish passage as a major driving action and was proactive in progressing cost-effective solutions to help inform large-scale rehabilitation programmes. The strategy identified a list of high-priority barriers for mitigation works based on feedback from jurisdictional agencies. Research initiatives were then implemented, with measurable outcomes, to help address key knowledge gaps. Research demonstrated that a project to restore passage to the Murray River main channel was meeting all ecological and engineering objectives. Follow-on work identified low-cost mechanisms to improve the effectiveness of existing fishways without compromising ecological functionality. The Native Fish Strategy was also explicit in addressing fish passage issues at irrigation infrastructure and wetland regulators. Work to minimise these impacts included quantifying the scale of irrigation-associated infrastructure and also optimising screen designs to be retrofitted to pump systems to prevent fish entrainment. Options to enhance lateral movement were also identified. The objective of this study is to summarise the fish passage issues progressed by the Native Fish Strategy to develop basin-wide solutions to enhance fish passage over the long term.

Data from the UK Labour Force Survey (LFS) are used to examine two methodological issues in the analysis of the relationship between age and work-related health. First, the LFS is unusual in that it asks work-related health questions to those who are not currently employed. This facilitates a more representative analysis than that which is constrained to focus only on those currently in work. Second, information in the LFS facilitates a comparison of work-related health problems that stem from current employment to a more encompassing measure that includes those related to a former job. We find that accounting for each of these sources of bias increases the age work-related health risk gradient, and suggest that ignoring such effects will underestimate the work-related health implications of current policies to extend working lives.

This paper explores the synergy between distributed leadership and digital collaborative learning. It argues that distributed leadership offers an important theoretical lens for understanding and explaining how digital collaboration is best supported and led. Drawing upon evidence from two online educational platforms, the paper explores the challenges of leading and facilitating digital collaborative learning. The paper concludes that distributed leadership is integral to effective digital collaboration and is an important determinant of productive collaboration in a virtual environment.

Matched employee–employer data from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey are used to examine differences in work-related perceptions between disabled and non-disabled employees. Even after accounting for differences in personal, job and workplace characteristics, disabled employees are found to hold more negative views on the treatment of workers by managers and, consistent with this, they express less job satisfaction and commitment towards their organization. The influence of disability is also examined across workplaces defined by sector, the presence of disability-related policies and practices, and employee views of management to explore the role of corporate culture.

The neural crest is a population of mesenchymal cells that after migrating from the neural tube gives rise to structure and cell types: the jaw, part of the peripheral ganglia, and melanocytes. Although much is known about neural crest development in jawed vertebrates, a clear picture of trunk neural crest development for elasmobranchs is yet to be developed. Here we present a detailed study of trunk neural crest development in the bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium punctatum. Vital labeling with dioctadecyl tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) and in situ hybridization using cloned Sox8 and Sox9 probes demonstrated that trunk neural crest cells follow a pattern similar to the migratory paths already described in zebrafish and amphibians. We found shark trunk neural crest along the rostral side of the somites, the ventromedial pathway, the branchial arches, the gut, the sensory ganglia, and the nerves. Interestingly, C. punctatum Sox8 and Sox9 sequences aligned with vertebrate SoxE genes, but appeared to be more ancient than the corresponding vertebrate paralogs. The expression of these two SoxE genes in trunk neural crest cells, especially Sox9, matched the Sox10 migratory patterns observed in teleosts. Also of interest, we observed DiI cells and Sox9 labeling along the lateral line, suggesting that in C. punctatum, glial cells in the lateral line are likely of neural crest origin. Although this has been observed in other vertebrates, we are the first to show that the pattern is present in cartilaginous fishes. These findings demonstrate that trunk neural crest cell development in C. punctatum follows the same highly conserved migratory pattern observed in jawed vertebrates.

A series of radiocarbon dates from two Epipalaeolithic sites - Kharaneh IV and Ayn Qasiyya - in the Azraq Basin of eastern Jordan provide a new perspective on the chronology and settlement patterns of this part of southwest Asia during the Late Pleistocene. We discuss the implications to our understanding of the chronology of Late Pleistocene lithic industries, particularly in regard to current hypotheses for the abandonment of eastern Jordan's 'mega-sites', Kharaneh IV and Jilat 6. Modelling a series of accelerator mass spectrometry dates from Kharaneh IV indicates a much shorter span of occupation for the site than previously assumed by the size and density of its deposits. Given the high density of material accumulated over a relatively short time span, we show that Kharaneh IV was an aggregation site occupied intensively by a significant number of people, providing new perspectives on the east Jordanian phenomenon of Epipalaeolithic 'mega-sites'. Copyright # 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased long-term risk of stroke, heart failure, and mortality. Previous studies have demonstrated the suboptimal use of anticoagulation therapy in patients with AF. Methods: A retrospective survey of patients (N = 1,113) fitted with dual-chamber pacemakers found 71 patients (age 69 ± 35, mean ± standard deviation) with atrial tachycardia and AF (defined as >5 minutes per day). Their medical records and anticoagulation status were investigated and used to stratify each patient for stroke risk with the Birmingham 2009 schema (CHA2DS2-VASc) and assessed to determine the rate of appropriate thromboembolism (TE) prophylaxis prescription. Results: The most common overall concomitant risk factor for stroke was hypertension (54%), followed by age ≥75 (51%), being female and previous stroke/transient ischemic attack/TE (39%). The average CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.7 ± 1.6. Fifty-six percent of the patients were not receiving appropriate anticoagulation therapy. Conclusion: This study demonstrates an underutilization of the oral anticoagulant warfarin in patients with known AF and that the clinicians may not be regarding current stroke risk factors when adopting a thromboprophylaxis strategy. (PACE 2012; 35:935–942)

Objective Disagreement exists on how to define recovery from eating disorders. Definitions typically include a combination of physical, cognitive, emotional, psychological and social factors. However, none provides multidimensional recovery models, addressing and comparing sufferers'1 and clinicians' viewpoints. This study investigates those recovery perspectives. Method Two-hundred and thirty-eight participants (individuals with eating difficulties and clinicians working in the field) completed a checklist, rating the importance of somatic, psychological, emotional, social, eating-related and body experience-related recovery criteria. Results Recovery criteria fell into meaningful factors (psychological–emotional–social, weight-controlling behaviours, non-life-threatening and life-threatening features and evaluation of one's own appearance). Sufferers and clinicians agreed on the ranking of importance of these factors. However, sufferers considered ‘psychological–emotional–social’ and ‘evaluation of one's own appearance’ criteria as more important to recovery than clinicians. Discussion Findings are discussed in relation to existing research, together with study limitations and future research. Clinical implications are outlined, focusing on the facilitation of recovery. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

This paper integrates two strands of literature on overskilling and disability using the 2004 British Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS). It finds that disabled workers are significantly more likely to be skill mismatched in the labour market and that the adverse effect of mismatch on earnings is particularly acute for this group. Giving workers more discretion over how they perform their work may significantly reduce these negative effects.

Please cite this paper as: Sproul K, Jones M, Mathur R, Azziz R, Goodarzi M. Association study of four key folliculogenesis genes in polycystic ovary syndrome. BJOG 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02527.x. Polycystic ovaries and impaired fertility are the result of abnormal folliculogenesis. Our objective was to determine the role of four candidate folliculogenesis genes in the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Women with and without PCOS (335 cases; 198 controls) were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms in GDF9, BMP15, AMH, and AMHR2. Variants in these genes were not associated with PCOS. Certain GDF9 variants were associated with hirsutism scores and parity in PCOS patients. GDF9 may thus serve as a modifier gene. These results suggest that inherited defects in folliculogenesis are not major factors in the genetic susceptibility to PCOS.

This paper uses data from the Health Survey for England between 1991 and 2004 to examine the labour market impact of the Disability Discrimina- tion Act 1995 (DDA). Consistent with previous evidence in the UK and the USA, this study finds no evidence of a positive employment effect of the introduction of the DDA. Sensitivity analysis, using the small firm exemption of the DDA, and controlling for changes in the composition of the disabled, is used to test the robustness of the main results.

– Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) are a major freshwater invader and knowledge of their movements is important for planning control efforts. To investigate the movement patterns of common carp, radio-tags were implanted into 46 adult fish; 37 near a large floodplain wetland, the Barmah-Millewa forest, and 9 in the Murray River approximately 175 km upstream. Tagged fish were located every second week between August 1999 and March 2001. Common carp occupied total linear ranges (TLR) between 0.4 and 238 km (mean 30 ± 61 km), with 25 fish (62.5%) occupying a TLR 0.05) in TLR. Monthly distance from release varied from 0.04 to 238 km (mean 15 ± 44 km), and was not significantly related to river discharge and water temperature, but 29 of 31 (93.5%) fish tagged at Barmah moved from the Murray River into adjacent floodplain habitats upon flooding. Five fish (12.5%) moved large distances (>127 km) upstream of the Barmah-Millewa forest. Fourteen fish (35%) showed site fidelity to within 20 m and usually occupied one or two home sites. Twenty-six fish (65%) showed site fidelity to within 100 m occupying up to five sites during the study period. Movement patterns of common carp were complex, and individuals exhibited different strategies, which is typical of invasive species. Efforts to control and potentially reduce common carp populations in regulated river-floodplain environments should target key floodplain access points and over-wintering habitats to reduce adult biomass, spawning and recruitment levels.

This paper uses data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey in the UK (1997‐2006) and changes in the coverage of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), that result from the removal of the small firm exemption, to assess the labour market impact of the legislation. The data support a narrowing of the employment gap between the disabled and non-disabled over the post DDA period. However, the evidence based on small firms does not support this being a direct result of the employment provisions of the DDA.

– Native Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) are listed as a nationally vulnerable species, whereas non-native common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are widespread and abundant. Understanding key aspects of life history, such as movement patterns and habitat selection by juvenile Murray cod and common carp, might be useful for conserving Murray cod populations and controlling common carp numbers. We used radio-telemetry to track eight juvenile Murray cod and seven juvenile common carp in the Murray River, Australia, between March and July 2001. Common carp occupied a significantly greater total linear range (mean ± SD: 1721 ± 1118 m) than Murray cod (mean ± SD: 318 ± 345 m) and the average daily movement was significantly greater for common carp (mean ± SD: 147 ± 238 m) than for Murray cod (mean ± SD: 15 ± 55 m). All Murray cod and five of the seven common carp displayed site fidelity or residency to one, two or three locations. Murray cod were found only in the mainstream Murray River among submerged woody habitats, whereas common carp occurred equally in mainstream and offstream areas, and among submerged wood and aquatic vegetation. Murray cod were found in deeper (mean ± SD: 2.3 ± 0.78 m) and faster waters (mean ± SD: 0.56 ± 0.25 m·s−1) compared with common carp (mean ± SD: 1 ± 0.54 m; 0.08 ± 0.09 m·s−1) respectively. The presence of juvenile Murray cod only amongst submerged wood is an indication that these habitats are important and should be preserved. Conversely, juvenile common carp were equally present among all habitats sampled, suggesting that habitat selection is less specific, possibly contributing to their widespread success.

Low-back pain;measurement error;random error;spinal mobility;systematic bias Aim: Evidence of the reliability of measurements in children is scarce, particularly in children with low-back pain. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the measurement error associated with repeated measures of spinal mobility measures in children with and without low-back pain by establishing 95% limits of agreement. Methods: A repeated measures study was performed involving 119 children aged 11–16 y. Of this sample 30 subjects reported recurrent low-back pain and were classified as symptomatic, the remaining 89 subjects were asymptomatic. Standardized measures were taken, including the sit-and-reach test, hip range of motion (Leighton flexometer), lumbar flexibility (modified Schober test) and lateral flexion of the spine. The same experimenter performed all testing, with 1 wk between the repeated measures. Results: Correlation coefficients suggested that all measures exhibited good reliability in both the symptomatic (r= 0.80–0.95) and asymptomatic groups (r= 0.88–0.99). In contrast, the limits of agreement showed that all measures exhibited random error. The magnitude of random error was typically greater in the symptomatic subjects, suggesting that low-back pain may influence the reliability of typical measures used in this population. Conclusion: The magnitude of error must be interpreted in relation to analytical goals and the expected magnitude of change. In the authors' opinion the error presented appears acceptable for the serial monitoring of patients, although this will depend on the differences in mobility typically found.