Operationalising coastal resilience to flood and erosion hazard: A demonstration for England.

Resilience is widely seen as an important attribute of coastal systems and, as a concept, is increasingly prominent in policy documents. However, there are conflicting ideas on what constitutes resilience and its operationalisation as an overarching principle of coastal management remains limited. In this paper, we show how resilience to coastal flood and erosion hazard could be measured and applied within policy processes, using England as a case study. We define resilience pragmatically, integrating what is presently a disparate set of policy objectives for coastal areas. Our definition uses the concepts of resistance, recovery and adaptation, to consider how the economic, social and environmental dimensions of coastal systems respond to change. We develop a set of composite indicators for each dimension, grounded empirically with reference to national geospatial datasets. A prototype Coastal Resilience Model (CRM) has been developed, which combines the dimensions and generates a quantitative resilience index. We apply it to England's coastal hazard zone, capturing a range of different stakeholder perspectives using relative indicator weightings. The illustrative results demonstrate the practicality of formalising and quantifying resilience. To re-focus national policy around the stated desire of enhancing resilience to coastal flooding and erosion would require firm commitment from government to monitor progress towards resilience, requiring extension of the present risk-based approach, and a consensus methodology in which multiple (and sometimes conflicting) stakeholder values are explicitly considered. Such a transition may also challenge existing governance arrangements at national and local levels, requiring incentives for coastal managers to engage with and apply this new approach, more departmental integration and inter-agency cooperation. The proposed Coastal Resilience Model, with the tools to support planning and measure progress, has the potential to help enable this transition.

Patient reported outcomes of autologous fat grafting after breast cancer surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Autologous fat grafting (AFG) can be used as an adjunct in breast cancer surgery to improve contour defects. Few previous studies have assessed patient reported outcomes (PROs) for AFG. This study analysed AFG use and assessed PROs in terms of physical and psychosocial well-being. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing AFG were identified from a prospective database and asked to complete the validated BREAST-Q questionnaire and a tool to assess patient-perceived change after AFG (5-point Likert-type scale). Descriptive statistics were computed for all BREAST-Q and perceived change subscales. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare scores on each of the BREAST-Q and perceived change subscales by type of breast cancer surgery and radiotherapy status. RESULTS: 156 AFG sessions were performed over 4 years on 119 breasts in 88 patients. Fifty-seven patients received AFG after reconstruction and 19 after breast conserving surgery. Forty-six patients (52%) completed the questionnaire. BREAST-Q scores (out of 100) and patient-perceived change after AFG (out of 5) were respectively: 54 and 4.0 for Breast satisfaction, 69 and 3.3 for Physical well-being and 60 and 3.6 for Psychosocial well-being. Radiotherapy status and type of surgery made little difference. Number of AFG procedures positively correlated with perceived improvement. DISCUSSION: Autologous fat grafting was associated with improved patient satisfaction despite small volumes transferred. BREAST-Q scores were comparable with previously published series on reconstructive breast surgery. Perceived change after AFG was no different in patients receiving radiotherapy.

Implementation of a 3D ocean model to understand upland lake wind-driven circulation.

A community numerical ocean model is used to extend the understanding of wind-driven circulation in small upland lakes. A 3D model of a case study lake (Llyn Conwy, Wales, UK) is calibrated against measured velocity profiles via adjustment of the bottom roughness coefficient. Validation against a separate set of measured velocity profiles confirms the ability of the model to resolve key features of the flow field. Sensitivity analysis shows that the velocity field responds rapidly to changes in the wind forcing. Analysis of the gross circulation using Empirical Orthogonal Functions reveals a persistent two-gyre circulation pattern in the upper half layer of the water column driven by the interaction of wind and bathymetry. At the bottom, the flow is characterised by locally strong currents and analysis of vertical circulation over short time scales shows strong currents in the deepest parts of the lake basin and the responsiveness of the water column to changes in wind speed and direction. Even in small lakes, the assumption of uniform wind stress across the water surface is not always justified and topographic sheltering or other catchment roughness effects give rise to heterogeneity in the wind field. An idealized experiment for the case study lake shows that differences in circulation emerge if the wind stress is allowed to vary across the lake. Energetic wind forcing in upland areas can drive an energetic lake circulation that has important implications for mixing and sediment dynamics. 3D numerical modelling of wind-driven circulation should be more widely used to provide insights into physical limnology to support a wide range of ecological, biogeochemical and palaeoenvironmental studies.

Risk factors for lymphoedema in women with breast cancer: A large prospective cohort.

A prospective study was conducted to identify women at increased risk for lymphoedema (LE) based on axillary surgery. Assessment occurred prior to surgery, within 4 weeks, and at 6, 12 and 18 months following surgery. Following post-surgery assessment, women were asked to complete weekly diaries regarding events that occurred in the previous week. Risk factors were grouped into demographic, lifestyle, breast cancer treatment-related, arm swelling-related, and post-surgical activities. Bioimpedance spectroscopy thresholds were used to determine presence of LE. At 18-months, 241 women with <5 nodes removed and 209 women with ≥5 nodes removed were assessed. For those with <5 nodes removed, LE was present in 3.3% compared with 18.2% for those with ≥5 nodes removed. There were insufficient events to identify risk factors for those with <5 nodes removed; for those with >5 nodes removed, independent risk factors included presence of arm swelling at 12-months (Odds Ratio (OR): 13.5, 95% CI 4.8, 38.1; P < 0.01), at 6-months (5.6 (2.0, 16.9); P < 0.01), and radiotherapy to the axilla (2.6 (0.7, 8.9); P = 0.14). Arm swelling at 6 and 12 months was associated with taxane-based chemotherapy, high body weight at diagnosis and arm swelling within 4 weeks post-surgery. Of the post-surgical events assessed in a sub-group of women with >5 nodes removed and who maintained weekly diaries, only blood drawn from the 'at-risk' arm was identified as a potential risk (OR 2.0; 0.8, 5.2). For women with ≥5 nodes removed, arm swelling in the first year poses a very strong risk for presence of LE at 18-months.

Use of phage battery to investigate the actinofloral layers of termite gut microflora.

AIMS: The termite gut microbiota can include a variety of micro-organisms from the three domains: Bacteria, Archaea and Eucarya. The bacterial groups from the gut systems are mainly affiliated to the proteobacteria, the Gram-positive groups Bacterioiodes/Flavobacterium branch and the spirochetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. However, culture independent molecular studies have revealed that the majority of these microbial gut symbionts have not yet been cultured, including actinobacterial clusters associated with termite guts. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to selectively isolate the actinofloral layers of gut associated microflora of the Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt) species located at the Sunshine Coast Region of Queensland, Australia to increase our knowledge on the diversity of actinobacterial taxa present in the termite guts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Actinofloral layers associated with the guts of the wood-eating subterranean termite C. lacteus were investigated by exploiting the phage susceptibility of different gut associated bacteria which impede the growth of actinomycetes on isolation plates. These unwanted microbial taxa were removed by exposing the gut contents to polyvalent bacteriophages specifically targeting different background bacterial taxa and after their removal from the isolation plates previously undetected and novel actinomycetes were successfully cultured from the gut samples. CONCLUSIONS: Use of bacteriophages as a means of selective pressure successfully revealed the presence of novel actinomycete species within the guts of C. lacteus. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Molecular ecology has undoubtedly revealed the fascinating diversity of micro-organisms, which cannot be cultured. However, these advances in the field still have not provided the ability to detect and isolate micro-organisms effectively from their ecological niches. Accordingly, studies like the one described here have importance in increasing the chances of uncultured taxa to be isolated to complement molecular microbial ecological efforts towards the establishment of an understanding on the diversity of termite gut microflora.

Glutathione transferases and glutathione-binding proteins of termites: purification and characterisation.

Termites have an important role in the cycling of carbon and trace elements in the biosphere through their degradation of wood, grasses and humus. Glutathione transferases (GSTs) are detoxication enzymes found in all organisms; GSTs are known to protect insects from the toxic effects of plant chemicals and pesticides. The activities and characteristics of termite GSTs were investigated in three Australian termite families. Multiple GST isozymes were purified from whole body preparations of the three termite species by affinity chromatography and subsequent chromatofocusing. Termite GSTs exhibited a broad range of activities toward model substrates but were most active with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. The pI values of termite GSTs ranged between 7.4 and 5.8, while the apparent molecular weights of subunits ranged between 25.9 and 27.7 kDa. The N-terminal sequence of a glutathione-binding protein that was purified from Mastotermes darwiniensis was similar to the N-terminal sequence of a streptococcal protein of unknown function previously implicated in glomerulonephritis in humans.

Social effects of diazepam use: a longitudinal field study.

A longitudinal panel study examined the effects of actual use of diazepam (Valium) on subjective reports of life quality, affect, performance, stress, social support, control, coping and other variables related to mental health. Standardized interviews were conducted with 675 persons from the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Based on prescription records, diazepam users and nonusers were selected to represent a variety of sociodemographic characteristics rather than to be a completely random sample. Significant others in work and in personal life were also interviewed. Four interviews took place, one approximately every 6 weeks. Testing for social effects was conducted by within- and across-person analyses of 367 respondents who reported taking the medication at some time during the study and by comparisons with 308 respondents who did not report taking Valium. Users of Valium tended to take less Valium than prescribed. They also reported consuming less alcohol when using Valium than at other times and less than non-Valium users. Although there was a modest, positive cross-sectional relation between Valium use and distress, numerous multivariate analyses controlling for levels of stress and health indicated no notable effects of Valium use on any of the social or psychological indicators, including anxiety. Several interpretations of the results are examined including the possibility that the effects of Valium use were short-lived rather than long-term and that Valium may have been taken in anticipation of anxiety rather than after its occurrence.

Response of the european elm bark beetle,Scolytus multistriatus, to host bacterial isolates.

The response of the European elm bark beetle,Scolytus multistriatus, to host bacterial isolates was studied qualitatively under field conditions. Initial experiments indicated that such isolates were attractive to in-flight beetles. These isolates, identified asBacillus subtilis (five strains),B. pumilus, andEnterobacter cloacae, were grown on nutrient agar in glass vials and attached to sticky traps in elm woods. Although beetles were caught on the bacterial isolate-baited traps, the catches were variable, inconsistent, and often contradictory from one experiment to another. High numbers ofS. multistriatus were caught on traps baited with three strains ofB. subtilis, but in addition to thesubtilis strains, there were also aerial contaminants in the treatments, namelyE. aerogenes, Corynebacterium sp., andFlavobacterium sp. Also, relatively high catches were recorded on nutrient agar controls. When elm wood-bark plugs, sterilized (by gamma irradiation) and unsterilized, were placed in vials with the host bacterial isolates, the presence or absence of fresh elm, gamma irradiated or not, had no noticeable effect on beetle attractancy.

Nitrogen fixation by bacteria from the hindgut of termites.

Anaerobically grown bacteria isolated from the hindgut contents of the termites Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt), Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt and Nasutitermes exitiosus (Hill) were nitrogenase-positive as assayed by acetylene reduction. Nitrogen fixation, confirmed with 15N2, was highest in the isolate from M. darwiniensis. All isolates were identified as Citrobacter freundii (Braak) Werkman & Gillen.