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Considerable evidence exists regarding the role housing plays in the determination of health and well-being outcomes. Despite the scale of health concerns arising from housing considerations, there are very few economic analyses of housing programs that seek to improve health outcomes by addressing the physical infrastructure of the living environment. The NSW Housing for Health (HfH) program is an environmental health initiative funded and administered by NSW Health, that addresses health-related hardware in residential accommodation to ensure the home environment supports healthy living practices to ultimately improve health outcomes for residents. This study reviews the economic methods that have been applied to comparable programs and identifies relevant costs and benefits that should be addressed. Founded on the requirement from decision makers, and the insights from the review, the paper outlines a protocol for a cost-benefit analysis that accounts for the disparate health, social, economic and intangible benefits generated from the HfH program and the resources utilised to realise these outcomes.

El consentimiento sexual es un tema ético fundamental en las sociedades contemporáneas, cuyos desafíos han sido recientemente evidenciados por movimientos globales como #MeToo. Este artículo propone un enfoque sociológico y feminista que aboga por comprender el consentimiento en el marco de las relaciones sexuales cotidianas, las relaciones de género y poder, y las estructuras sociales. Explora tres dimensiones: las arquitecturas sociales que enmarcan las relaciones de género, las narrativas sexuales y las normas de los actores, y las escenas interactivas en las que se gestiona el consentimiento. Este enfoque analítico busca capturar su naturaleza matizada, contextual y relacional, trascender dicotomías simplistas y reconocer la intrincada red de poder, deseo y normas sociales en las interacciones íntimas.

This article examines the role of working people in the energy transition that played out in Puerto Rico in the 1930s and 1940s – from a private, fossil fuel-based regime to a public, hydroelectric system. It argues that by withholding their labor, organizing boycotts, and sabotaging energy infrastructure, working people disrupted the energy systems that powered Puerto Rico and helped to initiate a nearly-decade-long transition to public hydropower. For the present-day Puerto Ricans fighting the privatization of energy in the streets and on the picket lines, this history should be both affirming and instructive. It reminds us that public power took shape in those same spaces. For others across the globe who see an energy transition as essential to a more humane and equitable future, this history suggests that energy systems can be made and unmade through class struggle.

Although average body size in the U.S. has increased in recent decades, stigma directed at individuals with higher weight has not diminished. In this study, we explored this phenomenon by investigating the relationship between people's perceived social norms regarding higher weight and their reported levels of weight bias (i.e., anti-fat attitudes). Our predictions for perceived social norms drew on the concepts of intergroup contact and ingroup favoritism, which were also probed in this study. We hypothesized that both greater descriptive norms and more favorable injunctive norms regarding higher weight would be associated with lower reported weight bias. Individuals' quantity and quality of social contact with people with higher weight were also predicted to be associated with lower weight bias. Finally, we predicted that individuals who perceived themselves as heavier would display ingroup favoritism (i.e., report less weight bias). Participants (N = 272) from the United States completed a set of online questionnaires about their perceived social norms, social contact with people with higher weight, and explicit weight bias. We found support for each of these pre-registered predictions (ps < 0.03), and post hoc analyses revealed that quality, but not quantity, of social contact with individuals with higher weight was an important predictor of lower weight bias. Together, these findings provide insight into the social psychology of weight bias and help to lay a theoretical foundation for future efforts to reduce weight stigma.

El reconocimiento y el respeto hacia la diversidad de género se ha transformado en un importante desafío para el sistema educativo. La siguiente investigación tuvo por objetivo comprender las creencias de docentes en formación y en ejercicio acerca de la educación con perspectiva en identidad de género. Para ello, y desde un enfoque cualitativo de carácter fenomenológico, se realizaron diez entrevistas semiestructuradas: cinco a profesores(as) en formación y cinco a docentes en ejercicio, todos con experiencias educativas con estudiantes de la comunidad LGBTQ+. De las entrevistas analizadas por medio del análisis de contenido cualitativo emergieron cuatro categorías: (1) Definición de identidad de género; (2) Perfil del estudiante; (3) Incorporación de la identidad de género en el aula y (4) Formación en educación con perspectiva en identidad de género. Los principales hallazgos revelan creencias positivas respecto de la educación con enfoque en identidad de género, asociadas a la convicción de que el trabajo colaborativo de la comunidad escolar es esencial para un cambio de paradigma. No obstante, se advierte la falta de recursos teóricos y prácticos que se ajusten a las necesidades educativas del estudiantado LGBTQ+. Se concluye la necesidad de instaurar espacios formativos en esta materia tanto para el profesorado en formación como en ejercicio, con el propósito de avanzar hacia una educación igualitaria, justa e inclusiva.

Abstract Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a novel intervention technique that allows individuals to experience anxiety-evoking stimuli in a safe environment, recognise specific triggers and gradually increase their exposure to perceived threats. Public-speaking anxiety (PSA) is a prevalent form of social anxiety, characterised by stressful arousal and anxiety generated when presenting to an audience. In self-guided VRET, participants can gradually increase their tolerance to exposure and reduce anxiety-induced arousal and PSA over time. However, creating such a VR environment and determining physiological indices of anxiety-induced arousal or distress is an open challenge. Environment modelling, character creation and animation, psychological state determination and the use of machine learning (ML) models for anxiety or stress detection are equally important, and multi-disciplinary expertise is required. In this work, we have explored a series of ML models with publicly available data sets (using electroencephalogram and heart rate variability) to predict arousal states. If we can detect anxiety-induced arousal, we can trigger calming activities to allow individuals to cope with and overcome distress. Here, we discuss the means of effective selection of ML models and parameters in arousal detection. We propose a pipeline to overcome the model selection problem with different parameter settings in the context of virtual reality exposure therapy. This pipeline can be extended to other domains of interest where arousal detection is crucial. Finally, we have implemented a biofeedback framework for VRET where we successfully provided feedback as a form of heart rate and brain laterality index from our acquired multimodal data for psychological intervention to overcome anxiety.

Objectives: To trial methods for a future longitudinal study to: a) assess how the redevelopment of a large social housing estate affects the health of tenants; and b) act on health needs identified throughout the redevelopment. Type of program or service: Self-reported health assessment with referral to community-based link worker. Methods: Participants recruited from the tenant population completed (online or face-to-face) a health questionnaire covering self-reported health status and behaviours, housing conditions, sense of community, and demographics. Those identified as being at moderate/high risk of psychological distress and/or alcohol use disorder were contacted by a community-based link worker, who connected them with health/human services as appropriate. Results: A total of 24 tenants were recruited for the pilot study against a target sample size of 50. The health questionnaire and referral process worked as expected, with no issues reported. Lessons learnt: This pilot study successfully trialled methods for: a) assessing tenants’ health; and b) referring those identified as being likely to have unmet health service needs to a community-based link worker, leveraging existing collaborations between academics, the local health district and community groups. Fewer tenants than expected, and none aged younger than 35 years, participated in the survey. Furthermore, the substantial number of suspicious/fraudulent responses was not anticipated. Recruitment and data collection approaches must be reviewed to address these issues if this study is to be scaled up. Although only a pilot project, we connected several tenants who had unmet health needs with a health service. While it is impossible to generalise from our small sample, the number of referrals (one-quarter of participants) indicates a potentially large unmet need for health services in the community. It highlights the importance of link workers or other person-centred integrated care interventions in social housing populations.

Abstract A series of treatments were designed to evaluate the efficacy of feeding commercial multispecies probiotics feeding with enzymes and fermentation process on the growth parameters and culture environment of Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931), in an intensive culture system. Commercial multispecies probiotics and enzymes (PEs) were continuously applied in three different doses, namely (i) 0.2, (ii) 0.4, and (iii) 0.6 mg L−1 and designated as 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 PE during the first 30 days of intensive culture of Pacific white shrimp, L. vannamei (Boone, 1931). The probiotics were continually applied every alternate day, while the enzymes were added every sixth day throughout the trial period. The PE dose for all treated tanks was increased by 0.2 ppm after 30 days of culture and another 0.2 ppm after day 60. Meanwhile, fermentation technique, which has become the common method applied in Indonesia in the control treatment, was added on the same day with the PE group with increasing dosage, following the same trend with the 0.6 PE group. Results showed that the group receiving 0.6 PE showed higher final biomass, higher mean weight, and protein retention efficiency as well as a lower feed conversion ratio compared with the control treatment. Abundance of Vibrio spp. remained below 103 cfu mL−1 throughout the trial. Water quality indicators TAN, NO2N and NO3N peaked in weeks 3–5 and then declined after that until the end of the culture period in all tanks. This decline was significantly faster in PE‐treated tanks. Multispecies PEs have potential applications in controlling Vibrio spp., maintaining proper water quality condition, and enhancing the growth of shrimp in intensive culture system.

Abstract Functional implications of left ventricular (LV) morphological characterization in congenital heart disease are not widely explored. This study qualitatively and quantitatively assessed LV shape associations with a) LV function and b) thoracic aortic morphology in patients with aortic coarctation (CoA) with/without bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), and healthy controls. A statistical shape modelling framework was employed to analyse three-dimensional (3D) LV shapes from cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) data in isolated CoA (n = 25), CoA + BAV (n = 30), isolated BAV (n = 30), and healthy controls (n = 25). Average 3D templates and deformations were computed. Correlations between shape data and CMR-derived morphometric parameters (i.e., sphericity, conicity) or global and apical strain values were assessed to elucidate possible functional implications. The relationship between LV shape features and arch architecture was also explored. The LV template was shorter and more spherical in CoA patients. Sphericity was overall associated with global and apical radial (p = 0.001, R2 = 0.09; p

Background: A significant proportion of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience speech, language and communication difficulties which are associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes. Speech and language therapy (SLT) interventions are an important way to address these communication difficulties, yet there is limited available evidence to provide information about the effectiveness of the different approaches used for this heterogeneous group. Aims: To review the evidence available for the effectiveness of SLT interventions aimed at improving communication for adults with ID. Methods & Procedures: A systematic search across relevant databases was performed. Information on methodological details of each relevant study, along with descriptions of the SLT interventions employed, were extracted and the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT) was used to assess quality. Findings were discussed in a narrative synthesis grouped by target communication skill. Outcomes & Results: A total of 10 relevant studies met the inclusion criteria. These were predominantly interventions aimed directly at adults with ID to improve speech, increase augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) use and develop interaction skills, with one study addressing work with carers. The included studies were all rated as low quality. There is weak preliminary evidence that SLT input can improve the communication skills of adults with ID. Conclusions & Implications: There is insufficient evidence to draw strong conclusions about the effectiveness of SLT in this population. Further high-level evidence across speech, language and communication domains is urgently needed.

Educational research results on teachers and teaching are often criticized due to the lack of connection between knowledge production in academic settings and the reality of teachers' work. One of the main critiques of research is the lack of methodological options to address the complexity of teaching. In fact, research results have often been considered to be decontextualized and far removed from teachers' every day practices. Based on a study of teacher quality in La Araucanía, this paper is a methodological reflection on the use of Visual Research Methods, particularly photo elicitation, as a method to address the complexity of teaching. Hereby, I explore three contributions from using photo elicitation in research on teachers and teaching: First, the use of pictures provides rich descriptions of teachers' context of practice. Second, the use of pictures helps to understand better what teachers mean and interpret. Third, it allows researchers and participants to negotiate the interpretations of pictures, by contrasting participants' views viz-à-viz researchers' perceptions about the contexts where teachers develop their practice.

84.5% of disabled students (Disabled Students UK, 2022) reported that the continuation of online or distance learning and teaching options post-pandemic would be beneficial. While concerns about quality of experience, isolation, wellbeing, access to technology and poor pedagogy in online and hybrid interactions are legitimate and must form part of decision-making, so too must considerations about the affordances of these ways of working and teaching. Framed around inclusive practice, and flexibility and sustainability drivers to enhance belonging, community and collaboration, we argue there are imperatives for us to learn the hard lessons of the pandemic and to listen to the voices of those who benefitted from changes in how and where teaching and assessment happened, especially in terms of so called ‘hybrid’ teaching. Our argument is framed by reflections on our own institution’s approach to hybrid teaching and working, the literature on experiences of remote learning during the pandemic, and – most centrally – the experiences and perspectives of students with disabilities.

In this study, we examine the long-term trajectory of violence in societies that inhabited the coast of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile using three lines of evidence: bioarchaeology, geoarchaeology and socio-cultural contexts (rock art, weapons, and settlement patterns). These millennia-old populations adopted a way of life, which they maintained for 10,000 years, based on fishing, hunting, and maritime gathering, complementing this with terrestrial resources. We analyzed 288 adult individuals to search for traumas resulting from interpersonal violence and used strontium isotopes 87Sr/86Sr as a proxy to evaluate whether individuals that showed traces of violence were members of local or non-local groups. Moreover, we evaluated settlement patterns, rock art, and weapons. The results show that the violence was invariant during the 10,000 years in which these groups lived without contact with the western world. During the Formative Period (1000 BC-AD 500), however, the type of violence changed, with a substantial increase in lethality. Finally, during the Late Intermediate Period (AD 1000-1450), violence and lethality remained similar to that of the Formative Period. The chemical signal of Sr shows a low frequency of individuals who were coastal outsiders, suggesting that violence occurred between local groups. Moreover, the presence of weapons and rock art depicting scenes of combat supports the notion that these groups engaged in violence. By contrast, the settlement pattern shows no defensive features. We consider that the absence of centralized political systems could have been a causal factor in explaining violence, together with the fact that these populations were organized in small-scale grouping. Another factor may have been competition for the same resources in the extreme environments of the Atacama Desert. Finally, from the Formative Period onward, we cannot rule out a certain level of conflict between fishers and their close neighbors, the horticulturalists.

Soil invertebrates are an integral part of Arctic ecosystems through their roles in the breakdown of litter, soil formation, and nutrient cycling. However, studies examining soil invertebrates in the Arctic are limited and our understanding of the abiotic and biotic drivers of these invertebrate communities remains understudied. We examined differences in soil invertebrate taxa (mites, collembolans, enchytraeids) among several undisturbed upland tundra heath sites in Nunavut Canada and identified the drivers (vegetation and substrate cover, soil nutrients and pH) of the soil invertebrate community across these sites. Soil invertebrate densities were similar to that of other Arctic studies. While invertebrate communities were relatively consistent between our sites, cover of rocks, woody litter, and the lichen Alectoria nigricans had significant, positive influences on the density of all invertebrates studied. Mites and collembolans were more closely associated with cover of lichens, whereas enchytraeids were more closely associated with woody litter and rocks. Our results suggest that anthropogenic (e.g., resource exploration and extraction) and/or natural (e.g., climate change) disturbances that result in changes to the vegetation community and woody litter inputs will likely impact soil invertebrates and the ecosystem services they provide.

Thermal drift of optical systems employed for surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT) adds uncertainty to patient setup and monitoring. This work describes methods to measure the drift of individual camera pods as well as the drift of the combined clinical signal. It presents results for four clinical C-Rad Catalyst+ HD systems. Based on the measured clinical drift, recipes are provided on how to calculate relevant uncertainties in patient setup and patient position monitoring with SGRT. Strategies to reduce the impact of drift are explained. While the results are specific to the systems investigated, the methodology is transferable and the clinical recipes are universally applicable.

Artificial intelligence tools for education (AIEd) have been used to automate the provision of learning support to mainstream learners. One of the most innovative approaches in this field is the use of data and machine learning for the detection of a student's affective state, to move them out of negative states that inhibit learning, into positive states such as engagement. In spite of their obvious potential to provide the personalisation that would give extra support for learners with intellectual disabilities, little work on AIEd systems that utilise affect recognition currently addresses this group. Our system used multimodal sensor data and machine learning to first identify three affective states linked to learning (engagement, frustration, boredom) and second determine the presentation of learning content so that the learner is maintained in an optimal affective state and rate of learning is maximised. To evaluate this adaptive learning system, 67 participants aged between 6 and 18 years acting as their own control took part in a series of sessions using the system. Sessions alternated between using the system with both affect detection and learning achievement to drive the selection of learning content (intervention) and using learning achievement alone (control) to drive the selection of learning content. Lack of boredom was the state with the strongest link to achievement, with both frustration and engagement positively related to achievement. There was significantly more engagement and less boredom in intervention than control sessions, but no significant difference in achievement. These results suggest that engagement does increase when activities are tailored to the personal needs and emotional state of the learner and that the system was promoting affective states that in turn promote learning. However, longer exposure is necessary to determine the effect on learning.

Abstract Chronic eczema, a persistent inflammatory skin condition, affects 1 in 12 adults in the United Kingdom and negatively influences quality of life. Self‐management can potentially influence chronic conditions, such as eczema, reducing symptoms and positively influencing quality of life; however, there is a lack of public education for eczema. Anxiety and depression negatively influence quality of life, and frequently present alongside eczema. Psychological interventions for anxiety and depression have shown to be effective for eczema‐related quality of life. This study aimed at examining the relationship between self‐management, anxiety, and depression, on quality of life in individuals with chronic eczema. The main hypothesis proposed that anxiety and depression reduce the influence of eczema self‐management on quality of life, potentially as individuals might be less likely to support their eczema treatment when experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. A cross‐sectional design and opportunistic sampling were used to analyse the data from 77 participants who responded to four self‐report scales to assess self‐management understanding, anxiety, depression and quality of life in participants with chronic eczema. Data were analysed by a hierarchical multiple linear regression to assess the variance contributed by each variable added to the model. Results from this sample shows a trend whereby self‐management of eczema contributes less variance to quality of life alongside comorbid anxiety and depression; this suggests that self‐management has reduced influence on eczema‐related quality of life when anxiety and depression are present. Furthermore, low self‐management, high anxiety, and high depression significantly negatively influence quality of life. The three variables combined accounted for 41.1% of variance in quality of life scores, suggesting anxiety, depression and self‐management influence quality of life in the sample. Self‐management, anxiety, and depression significantly influence eczema‐related quality of life, and participants who reported comorbid anxiety and depression were more likely to report lower levels of self‐management in this sample.

Algunos valles del norte de Chile presentan alto contenido de boro en sus aguas (> 25 mg/L), reservorios naturales para el consumo humano. En las poblaciones precolombinas del norte de Chile, este consumo conllevó una sobreingesta de boro, elemento nocivo para la salud, que causa problemas gastrointestinales, entre otros. Las aguas de los valles de Lluta y Camarones presentan los promedios más elevados de boro (14 y 25 mg/L respectivamente) y el valle de Azapa, los más bajos (1 mg/L). Considerando estos antecedentes, mediante espectrofotometría de absorción molecular se estudiaron muestras de costillas de 211 individuos de los valles señalados para estimar las concentraciones de boro en poblaciones precolombinas del norte de Chile. Todas las muestras estudiadas presentaron valores promedios entre aproximadamente 7 a 23 veces más que los reportados para poblaciones modernas (10,2 mg/Kg de boro). Las poblaciones que habitaron los valles de Lluta (235,52 mg/Kg) y Camarones (119,09 mg/Kg) fueron las más afectadas, seguidas por el valle de Azapa (69,97 mg/Kg). Concluimos que las antiguas poblaciones del norte de Chile fueron significativamente afectadas por la sobreingesta de boro y que la calidad de las aguas debería ser considerada en las discusiones sobre el poblamiento y trayectorias bioculturales precolombinas.

Abstract Background Cycling for transport provides many health and social benefits – including physical activity and independent access to jobs, education, social opportunities, health care and other services (accessibility). However, some population groups have less opportunity to reach everyday destinations, and public transport stops, by bicycle – owing in part to their greater aversion to riding amongst motor vehicle traffic. Health equity can therefore be improved by providing separated cycleway networks that give more people the opportunity to access places by bicycle using traffic-free routes. The aim of this study was to assess the health equity benefits of two bicycle infrastructure development scenarios – a single cycleway, and a complete network of cycleways – by examining the distributions of physical activity and accessibility benefits across gender, age and income groups. Methods Travel survey data collected from residents in Sydney (Australia) were used to train a predictive transport mode choice model, which was then used to forecast the impact of the two intervention scenarios on transport mode choice, physical activity and accessibility. The latter was measured using a utility-based measure derived from the mode choice model. The distributions of the forecast physical activity and accessibility benefits were then calculated across gender, age and income groups. Results The modelled physical activity and accessibility measures improve in both intervention scenarios. However, in the single cycleway scenario, the benefits are greatest for the male, high-income and older age groups. In the complete network scenario, the benefits are more equally distributed. Forecast increases in cycling time are largely offset by decreases in walking time – though the latter is typically low-intensity physical activity, which confers a lesser health benefit than moderate-intensity cycling. Conclusions Separated cycleway infrastructure can be used to improve health equity by providing greater opportunities for transport cycling in population groups more averse to riding amongst motor vehicle traffic. Disparities in the opportunity to access services and economic/social activities by bicycle – and incorporate more physical activity into everyday travel – could be addressed with connected, traffic-free cycleway networks that cater to people of all genders, ages and incomes.

Abstract Boreal peatlands are critical ecosystems globally because they house 30%–40% of terrestrial carbon (C), much of which is stored in permafrost soil vulnerable to climate warming‐induced thaw. Permafrost thaw leads to thickening of the active (seasonally thawed) layer and alters nutrient and light availability. These physical changes may influence community‐level plant functional traits through intraspecific trait variation and/or species turnover. As permafrost thaw is expected to cause an efflux of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from the soil to the atmosphere, it is important to understand thaw‐induced changes in plant community productivity to evaluate whether these changes may offset some of the anticipated increases in C emissions. To this end, we collected vascular plant community composition and foliar functional trait data along gradients in aboveground tree biomass and active layer thickness (ALT) in a rapidly thawing boreal peatland, with the expectation that changes in above‐ and belowground conditions are indicative of altered resource availability. We aimed to determine whether community‐level traits vary across these gradients, and whether these changes are dominated by intraspecific trait variation, species turnover, or both. Our results highlight that variability in community‐level traits was largely attributable to species turnover and that both community composition and traits were predominantly driven by ALT. Specifically, thicker active layers associated with permafrost‐free peatlands (i.e., bogs and fens) shifted community composition from slower‐growing evergreen shrubs to faster‐growing graminoids and forbs with a corresponding shift toward more productive trait values. The results from this rapidly thawing peatland suggest that continued warming‐induced permafrost thaw and thermokarst development alter plant community composition and community‐level traits and thus ecosystem productivity. Increased productivity may help to mitigate anticipated CO2 efflux from thawing permafrost, at least in the short term, though this response may be swamped by increase CH4 release.

The Algarve region of Portugal is experiencing severe water scarcity with existing water supplies insufficient to meet demand, with limited resilience to drought. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) can provide intermediate storage and bridge the gap between water availability and demand, with success depending on the water available and the aquifer capacity to accept and store the water. We present the results of a regional study quantifying both these aspects to estimate the regional potential for MAR. Our results demonstrate that MAR can comprise 10% of the total water demand of the region (24 Mm3/yr) using water that is not otherwise captured, with quality that meets the requirements of the Groundwater Directive. MAR can replace 15 Mm3/yr of surface water used in the public irrigation perimeters and 9 Mm3/yr can be used to develop and maintain a strategic groundwater resource in the aquifers of the Central Algarve. Although climate change is predicted to result in an 8–13% decrease in MAR recharge, this can be addressed by incrementally increasing MAR design capacity. MAR has similar water resource benefits to the planned major infrastructure projects (desalination and River Guadiana abstraction), with reduced environmental impacts and lower costs than almost all feasible alternatives. We conclude that MAR is an important measure to increase water supply security and drought resilience in the Algarve region.

Abstract Plant‐derived products have been suggested to partially replace fishmeal in aquafeed; however, often at decreased growth performance, inflammatory responses, and increased susceptibility to diseases. This study assessed the effects of the commercial phytogenic feed additive Digestarom PEP MGE on the growth, nutritional performance, and immune response of L. vannamei. Juvenile shrimp (N = 540) were stocked in 36 tanks (V = 100 L) for 63 days and fed one of the four experimental diets: (i) standard formulation (control, 24% fishmeal), (ii) low fishmeal diet (5%), (iii) low fishmeal diet plus 0.2 g/kg Digestarom PEP MGE, and (iv) low fishmeal diet plus 0.4 g/kg Digestarom PEP MGE. The results obtained after 63 days of feed supplementation suggest that the blend of essential oils tested compensated for the negative performance and health consequences of the low fishmeal diet. Particularly, the survival, FCR, total hemocyte count, and respiratory burst of the shrimp fed a low fishmeal diet supplemented with this phytogenic improved up to the levels recorded for shrimp fed a high fishmeal diet. Overall, results suggest that Digestarom PEP MGE can be incorporated into shrimp low fishmeal diets to compensate for the negative performance and immunological effects of partially replacing fishmeal with plant‐based protein.

The Vale do Lobo sector of the Campina de Faro aquifer system in the Algarve (Portugal) is at risk of seawater intrusion. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is being considered to avoid groundwater quality deterioration. Numerical modelling was undertaken to assess the feasibility of several proposed MAR schemes. Although some data is available, many aspects of system behaviour are not well understood or measured. We demonstrate the use of a structurally simple but parametrically complex model for decision-making in a coastal aquifer. Modelling was designed to facilitate uncertainty reduction through data assimilation where possible, whilst acknowledging that which remains unknown elsewhere. Open-source software was employed throughout, and the workflow was scripted (reproducible). The model was designed to be fast-running (rapid) and numerically stable to facilitate data assimilation and represent prediction-pertinent uncertainty (robust). Omitting physical processes and structural detail constrains the type of predictions that can be made. This was addressed by assessing the effectiveness of MAR at maintaining the fresh-seawater interface (approximated using the Ghyben-Herzberg relationship) below specified thresholds. This enabled the use of a constant-density model, rather than attempting to explicitly simulating the interaction between fresh and seawater. Although predictive uncertainty may be increased, it is outweighed by the ability to extract information from the available data. Results show that, due to the limit on water availability and the continued groundwater extraction at unsustainable rates, only limited improvements in hydraulic heads can be achieved with the proposed MAR schemes. This is an important finding for decision-makers, as it indicates that a considerable reduction in extraction in addition to MAR will be required. Our approach identified these limitations, avoiding the need for further data collection, and demonstrating the value of purposeful model design.

The changes to ecosystems and ecosystem functioning induced by anthropogenic reactive nitrogen deposition continue to be studied in a range of habitats. In semi-natural habitats, these effects can be pronounced, often with negative impacts on the native flora. An experimental site established on an ombrotrophic bog provides a unique opportunity for the study of the effect of long-term simulated N deposition. The response of enchytraeid worms to different forms of nitrogen deposition (as ammonia, ammonium or nitrate) was assessed at this site, which has been receiving N treatments since 2002: previous studies on the site have shown that high N deposition (64 kg N ha-1 yr-1) has changed the above- ground vegetation. In this study, the below-ground response of enchytraeids to N treatment was shown to be dependent on site wetness. Under favourable site conditions, i.e. when the peat moisture content was high, enchytraeid abundance was negatively affected by N deposition in the form of ammonia or nitrate, whereas addition of ammonium, ammonium plus PK (=K2HPO4), and to a lesser extent, nitrate plus PK, appeared to increase enchytraeid abundance. However, when the bog was drier, enchytraeid numbers were similar across all treatments and appeared to be insensitive to N.

Research suggests that robotics can provide an engaging learning experience for learners with special educational needs. However, further work is required to explore the impact of robots within the classroom, particularly for learners with intellectual disabilities (ID). This paper seeks to further explore the potential effects of robots on such learners through examining engagement and goal achievement within teaching sessions. Eleven participants with ID were recruited from two countries to take part in the study using an ABAB design where the participants acted as their own controls. An appropriate learning goal for each participant was selected by the teacher and equivalent control sessions designed seeking to achieve the same learning goal but without the robot. Engagement, using eye-gaze, learning goal achievement with and without help and goals not achieved provided the outcome measures from the sessions. This study found no significant difference between the robot and the control sessions for any of the outcome measures utilized suggesting robots are as effective as teaching tools as traditional methods. Through an increased sample size and a rigorously applied experimental protocol, this study provides new data and methodological considerations for further work based on the techniques applied in this study.

Probiotic feed additives can support the gut health of shrimp and thereby improve performance, production efficiency and disease resistance. Two experiments in white leg shrimp aimed to investigate the effects of a multi-species probiotic feed supplement (AquaStar®, 3 g/kg feed, Biomin GmbH, Getzersdorf, Austria) in feed formulations with different marine meal levels (32% and 15%) on growth performance and resistance against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Juvenile shrimp were stocked in a recirculating aquaculture tank system at a density of 20 shrimp/46.8 L and were fed diets with and without the probiotic supplementation for 8 weeks. Afterwards, a bath immersion with V. parahaemolyticus was performed and mortality was observed over a period of 14 days. Independent of the diet formulation, probiotic supplementation significantly improved the survival rate of the shrimp and the specific growth rate while decreasing feed consumption and feed conversion ratio when compared to the control (p ≤ 0.042). After the Vibrio immersion challenge, mortality was significantly decreased by 13.33% with probiotic supplementation in the high marine meal diet experiment (p = 0.042) and numerically decreased by 11.67% in the low marine meal diet experiment (p = 0.133). Overall, the results suggest that the beneficial effects of the probiotic can occur independently of the diet formulation.

Background: "Transforming Care" is making mixed progress in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and complex needs, move to more appropriate specialist accommodations closer to home. Community support staff often spend greatest amounts of time with service-users, yet are some of the least heard voices about why placements succeed and fail to varying extents. Method: Managers and support staff (n = 13), working in ostensibly "specialist" community placements, were interviewed about perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing "Transforming Care." Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Participants identified difficulties balancing people's rights, safety and quality of life needs, and felt the system's expectations of them are hard to deliver within the resources, legislation, values and support models provided them. Multidisciplinary expertise was highly valued for both emotional and practical support, but was least valued when perceived as overly blaming or inspectorial. Specialist health input was seen to withdraw prematurely for this particular client group. Conclusion: Recommendations are provided for how staff perspectives should inform "Transforming Care" in interests of service-users.

The exact timing, route, and process of the initial peopling of the Americas remains uncertain despite much research. Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of humans as far as southern Chile by 14.6 thousand years ago (ka), shortly after the Pleistocene ice sheets blocking access from eastern Beringia began to retreat. Genetic estimates of the timing and route of entry have been constrained by the lack of suitable calibration points and low genetic diversity of Native Americans. We sequenced 92 whole mitochondrial genomes from pre-Columbian South American skeletons dating from 8.6 to 0.5 ka, allowing a detailed, temporally calibrated reconstruction of the peopling of the Americas in a Bayesian coalescent analysis. The data suggest that a small population entered the Americas via a coastal route around 16.0 ka, following previous isolation in eastern Beringia for ~2.4 to 9 thousand years after separation from eastern Siberian populations. Following a rapid movement throughout the Americas, limited gene flow in South America resulted in a marked phylogeographic structure of populations, which persisted through time. All of the ancient mitochondrial lineages detected in this study were absent from modern data sets, suggesting a high extinction rate. To investigate this further, we applied a novel principal components multiple logistic regression test to Bayesian serial coalescent simulations. The analysis supported a scenario in which European colonization caused a substantial loss of pre-Columbian lineages.

BackgroundAlthough there is substantial evidence of differential hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity in both generalized and abdominal obesity, consistent trends in obesity-related HPA axis perturbations have yet to be identified.ObjectivesTo systematically review the existing literature on HPA activity in obesity, identify possible explanations for inconsistencies in the literature, and suggest methodological improvements for future study.Data sourcesIncluded papers used Pubmed, Google Scholar, and the University of California Library search engines with search terms body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference, sagittal diameter, abdominal versus peripheral body fat distribution, body fat percentage, DEXA, abdominal obesity, and cortisol with terms awakening response, slope, total daily output, reactivity, feedback sensitivity, long-term output, and 11β-HSD expression.Study eligibility criteriaEmpirical research papers were eligible provided that they included at least one type of obesity (general or abdominal), measured at least one relevant cortisol parameter, and a priori tested for a relationship between obesity and cortisol.ResultsA general pattern of findings emerged where greater abdominal fat is associated with greater responsivity of the HPA axis, reflected in morning awakening and acute stress reactivity, but some studies did show underresponsiveness. When examined in adipocytes, there is a clear upregulation of cortisol output (due to greater expression of 11β-HSD1), but in hepatic tissue this cortisol is downregulated. Overall obesity (BMI) appears to also be related to a hyperresponsive HPA axis in many but not all studies, such as when acute reactivity is examined.LimitationsThe reviewed literature contains numerous inconsistencies and contradictions in research methodologies, sample characteristics, and results, which partially precluded the development of clear and reliable patterns of dysregulation in each investigated cortisol parameter.Conclusions and implicationsThe literature to date is inconclusive, which may well arise from differential effects of generalized obesity vs. abdominal obesity or from modulators such as sex, sex hormones, and chronic stress. While the relationship between obesity and adipocyte cortisol seems to be clear, further research is warranted to understand how adipocyte cortisol metabolism influences circulating cortisol levels and to establish consistent patterns of perturbations in adrenal cortisol activity in both generalized and abdominal obesity.

BackgroundAlthough there is substantial evidence of differential hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity in both generalized and abdominal obesity, consistent trends in obesity-related HPA axis perturbations have yet to be identified.ObjectivesTo systematically review the existing literature on HPA activity in obesity, identify possible explanations for inconsistencies in the literature, and suggest methodological improvements for future study.Data sourcesIncluded papers used Pubmed, Google Scholar, and the University of California Library search engines with search terms body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference, sagittal diameter, abdominal versus peripheral body fat distribution, body fat percentage, DEXA, abdominal obesity, and cortisol with terms awakening response, slope, total daily output, reactivity, feedback sensitivity, long-term output, and 11β-HSD expression.Study eligibility criteriaEmpirical research papers were eligible provided that they included at least one type of obesity (general or abdominal), measured at least one relevant cortisol parameter, and a priori tested for a relationship between obesity and cortisol.ResultsA general pattern of findings emerged where greater abdominal fat is associated with greater responsivity of the HPA axis, reflected in morning awakening and acute stress reactivity, but some studies did show underresponsiveness. When examined in adipocytes, there is a clear upregulation of cortisol output (due to greater expression of 11β-HSD1), but in hepatic tissue this cortisol is downregulated. Overall obesity (BMI) appears to also be related to a hyperresponsive HPA axis in many but not all studies, such as when acute reactivity is examined.LimitationsThe reviewed literature contains numerous inconsistencies and contradictions in research methodologies, sample characteristics, and results, which partially precluded the development of clear and reliable patterns of dysregulation in each investigated cortisol parameter.Conclusions and implicationsThe literature to date is inconclusive, which may well arise from differential effects of generalized obesity vs. abdominal obesity or from modulators such as sex, sex hormones, and chronic stress. While the relationship between obesity and adipocyte cortisol seems to be clear, further research is warranted to understand how adipocyte cortisol metabolism influences circulating cortisol levels and to establish consistent patterns of perturbations in adrenal cortisol activity in both generalized and abdominal obesity.

A shallow Mw 5.3 earthquake near Lake Muir in the stable continental region (SCR) crust of southwest Western Australia on the 16 September 2018 was followed on the 8 November by a proximal Mw 5.2 event. Focal mechanisms produced for the events suggest reverse and strike-slip rupture, respectively. Field mapping, guided by Sentinel-1 InSAR data, reveals that the first event produced an approximately 3 km long and up to 0.4–0.6 m high west-facing surface rupture, consistent with reverse slip on a moderately east-dipping fault. The InSAR data also show that the surface scarp relates to a subsurface rupture ∼ 5 km long, bound at its northern and southern extremities by bedrock structures. The November event produced a surface deformation envelope that is spatially coincident with that of the September event but did not result in discrete surface rupture. Almost 900 aftershocks were recorded by a temporary seismometer deployment. Hypocentre locations correlate poorly with the rupture plane of their respective mainshocks but correlate well with regions of increased Coulomb stress. The spatial and temporal relationships between the Mw>5.0 events and their aftershocks reveals dependencies with implications for how other less well-documented SCR earthquake sequences could be interpreted. Furthermore, the September Mw 5.3 Lake Muir earthquake was the ninth event documented to have produced surface rupture in Australia in historical times. These nine ruptures are located exclusively in the Precambrian non-extended SCR rocks of central and western Australia, and none could have been identified and mapped using topographic signature prior to the historical event. Consistent, though fragmentary, evidence exists from analogous regions worldwide. Our analysis of the Lake Muir earthquake sequence therefore provides constraint on models describing mechanisms for strain accumulation and localized release as earthquakes in non-extended SRC crust.

Organised attacks on a computer system to test existing defences, i.e., penetration testing, have been used extensively to evaluate network security. However, penetration testing is a time-consuming process. Additionally, establishing a strategy that resembles a real cyber-attack typically requires in-depth knowledge of the cybersecurity domain. This paper presents a novel architecture, named deep cascaded reinforcement learning agents, or CRLA, that addresses large discrete action spaces in an autonomous penetration testing simulator, where the number of actions exponentially increases with the complexity of the designed cybersecurity network. Employing an algebraic action decomposition strategy, CRLA is shown to find the optimal attack policy in scenarios with large action spaces faster and more stably than a conventional deep Q-learning agent, which is commonly used as a method for applying artificial intelligence to autonomous penetration testing.