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Gallbladder cancer is rare but associated with significant morbidity and mortality necessitating the early identification of premalignant and malignant lesions to improve overall prognosis. Despite limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of transabdominal ultrasound (US) in the detection of gallbladder polyps, it plays a key role in current European guidelines. The aim of this study was to investigate gallbladder polyp prevalence in a western European population and assess the diagnostic accuracy of transabdominal US. Data from patients who underwent cholecystectomy for US detected gallbladder polypoid lesions at four hospitals in Ireland and the United Kingdom between 2010 and 2018 were retrospectively collected. Patient demographics, ultrasonographic, and histopathologic findings were analyzed. A total of 134 patients underwent cholecystectomy for US-detected gallbladder polyps. After histopathologic examination, pseudopolyps were found in 75 (56%) specimens with dysplastic or malignant polyps seen in only six (4.5%) specimens. Mean size for neoplastic polyps was 33 mm. The positive predictive value for US in detecting neoplastic polyps in this study was 4.5%, which is significantly lower than the 10%-15% reported previously. Although the prevalence of neoplastic polyps in this study is higher than in the previous literature, the distribution of pseudopolyps and true polyps is as expected. With all malignant polyps being >10 mm in diameter, these findings support the current size thresholds stated in European guidelines. The poor diagnostic accuracy of US demonstrated may have led to significant number of patients undergoing unnecessary surgical intervention, further supporting the argument for improved strategies for the investigation of gallbladder polyps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter housing of dairy cows and beef cattle is common practise in north-western European countries such as the UK and Ireland. In cattle housing, urine and dung are deposited over a large floor surface area from which ammonia (NH 3) emissions may rapidly occur. The application of additives to this emitting layer has the potential to significantly reduce NH 3 volatilisation from cattle housing surfaces. A dynamic flow-through chamber based study was carried out to determine the NH 3 abatement potential of 10 additives applied to dairy cow slurry covered concrete surfaces under simulated northwest European winter housing conditions. Peak NH 3 fluxes for control (slurry only) treatments occurred at approximately 3–5 h post slurry application, peaking at 133 mg [NH 3 –N] m−2 h−1. Acidifiers offered the most potential for cost-effectively abating NH 3 emissions from slurry-fouled surfaces by increasing the NH 4 +:NH 3 ratio. Experimental data suggests that targeting a slurry pH of 6 at the housing floor stage can significantly reduce NH 3 emissions from fresh excreta. Of the tested additives, alum was the most successful at abating NH 3 emissions from slurry; particularly after 6 h (76% NH 3 abatement), where the efficacy of alum was greatest relative to the other acidifiers. Alum was followed by calcium chloride (69%) and sulphuric acid (41%). Actisan, a commercially available bedding disinfectant was another successful NH 3 abatement option (59% after 6 h). Caution is needed in extrapolating results from this chamber-scale study to cow house scale as spatial and temporal variability of excreta deposition and climatic factors create additional complexity. • Additives applied to slurry-fouled cattle floors significantly reduce NH 3 emissions. • 2 mm fresh dairy cow slurry layer at 12 °C simulating NW European housing conditions. • Peak NH 3 fluxes occurred at 3–5 h after excreta deposition, peaking at 133 mg [NH 3 –N] m−2 h−1. • Alum, calcium chloride and sulphuric acid reduced NH 3 emissions by 76, 69 and 41%. • Acidifiers have most potential for abating NH 3 emissions from cattle house surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands are an important terrestrial carbon store, but disturbance has resulted in the degradation of many peatland ecosystems and caused them to act as a net carbon source. Restoration work is being undertaken but monitoring the success of these schemes can be difficult and costly using traditional field-based methods. A landscape-scale alternative is to use satellite data to assess the condition of peatlands and to estimate gaseous carbon fluxes. In this study we used Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products to model Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) over peatland sites at various stages of restoration. We found that the MOD17A2H GPP product overestimates GPP modelled from data collected by eddy covariance towers situated at two ex-forestry sites undergoing restoration towards blanket bog at the Forsinard Flows RSPB reserve, Scotland, UK (one full year of data), and a near-natural Atlantic blanket bog site in Glencar, Ireland (ten-year data series). We calibrated a Temperature and Greenness (TG) model for the Forsinard sites and found it to be more accurate than the MODIS GPP product at local scale. We also found that inclusion of a wetness factor using the Normalised Difference Water Index (NDWI) improved inter-annual accuracy of the model. This TGWa (annual Temperature, Greenness and Wetness) model was then applied to six control sites comprising near-natural bog across the reserve, and to six sites on which restoration began between 1998 and 2006. GPP from 2005 to 2016 was estimated for each site using the model. The resulting modelled trends are positive at all six restored sites, increasing by approximately 5.5 g C/m2/yr every year since restoration began in the Forsinard Flows reserve. The results suggest that peatland sites undergoing restoration at Forsinard Flows reach the carbon assimilation potential of near-natural bog sites between 5 and 10 years after restoration was begun. • Model using data from satellite to estimate photosynthesis developed for peatland. • Model shows good agreement with eddy covariance data from Scotland and Ireland. • Application of the model suggests restoration increases peatland photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For water companies, benchmarking their performance relative to other companies can be an effective way to identify the scope for efficiency gains to be made through infrastructure investment and operational improvements. However, a key limitation to benchmarking is the confounding effect of exogenous factors, which may not be factored in to benchmarking methodologies. The purpose of this study was to provide an unbiased comparison of efficiency across a sample of water and sewage companies, accounting for important exogenous factors. Bias-corrected economic and environmental efficiency estimates with explanatory factors were evaluated for a sample of 13 water and sewage companies in the UK and Ireland, using a double-bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach. Bias correction for economic and environmental efficiency changed the rankings of nine and eight companies, respectively. On average, companies could reduce economic inputs by 19% and carbon outputs by 16% if they performed at the efficiency frontier. Variables explaining efficiency were: source of water, leakage rate, per capita consumption and population density. Population density showed statistical significance with both economic (p-value 0.002) and environmental (p-value 0.001) efficiency. Consequently, a rurality factor was defined for each company's operational area, which was then regressed against normalised water company performance data. More rural water companies spend more per property (R2 of 0.633), in part reflecting a larger number of smaller sewage treatment works serving rural populations (R2 of 0.823). These findings provide new insight into methods for benchmarking, and factors affecting, water company efficiency, pertinent for both regulators and water companies. • Economic and environmental inputs could reduce by 19.4% and 15.8%. • Bias correction changed the rankings of over 65% of companies. • Population density and surface water % significantly linked to higher efficiencies. • Rurality has relationship with increased spending (R2 of 0.63). • No. of sewage treatment works linked to rurality/spending relationship (R2 of 0.82). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The gold standard for research is publication within a peer-reviewed journal. There is a discrepancy between the number of abstracts presented at scientific meetings and the number published as full articles. We identified publication rates for the 2012 meetings of four British surgical societies. These were the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain & Ireland (ASGBI), the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland, the British Transplantation Society (BTS), and the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI). We also compared publication rates with these societies' 2001 meetings and identified univariate factors associated with publication. Materials and methods PubMed was searched to identify publications stemming from meeting abstracts. We extracted abstract characteristics to identify factors associated with publication and also characteristics of subsequent publications to enable comparison. Results Publication rates were 24.1% (ASGBI), 24.6% (BTS), 21.7% (ACPGBI), and 39.4% (Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland). Rates for ASGBI, BTS, and ACPGBI meetings were significantly lower compared to 2001 meetings (P = 0.001-0.026). Mean time to publication was 12.1-22.0 mo. Mean 5-y impact factor differed significantly between meetings (P = 0.001), with the BTS meeting having the highest mean 5-y impact factor (4.658). Factors associated with publication included being an oral presentation (ASGBI P = 0.001), multi-institution study (ASGBI P = 0.003), or randomized-controlled trial (BTS P = 0.049). Conclusions Reduced publication rates may represent increased acceptance of low-quality abstracts at meetings or a more competitive journal submission process. Further data are required to strengthen conclusions. Nonetheless, authors and meeting organizers should push for higher quality abstracts to promote future peer-reviewed journal publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to: 1) observe intertidal drainage patterns in a range of sedimentary shores; 2) predict the shoreline behaviour and fate of oil; and 3) 'invert' these objectives by using well-documented spill data to calibrate predictions of drainage. Transect surveys of twelve (12) shores in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland with different sediments and tidal ranges highlighted intertidal drainage variability. Periods of low water (emersion) on spring and neap tides were studied in spring and autumn. Using piezometers, tensiometers, surveying, and sediment grain size analysis, 346 water table 'cases' were analysed by correlation and multiple regression. Sediment elevation, distance downshore and grain size parameters were selected by multi-regression to 'explain' statistical variability in drainage. For sands, drainage was explained (percentage reduction in the regression sums of squares) by distance downshore in combination with phi standard deviation (27%) for neap tides, and by distance downshore with phi mean (38%) for spring tides. In muds, drainage was also explained by distance downshore with phi mean (76%) for neap and (26%) for spring tides. The drainage (ebb) and imbibition (flood) curves during emersion were ebb-asymmetrical (i.e., slow ebb-tide drainage) in fine-grained sediments due to their low permeability, and more symmetrical (U-shaped) in coarser sediments with higher permeability and quicker ebb-tide drainage. Contrasts between spring and neap tides were due to more water entering the beachface on spring tides leading to slower, shallower ebb-tide drainage. On marshes, this depended on spring high tides overtopping the vegetated plateau. Seaward-decreasing amplitudes of water table fluctuations on sand shores were locally modified by bar and trough topography. The multi-regression models were then used successfully to predict drainage characteristics on shores affected by significant spills with varying sensitivities to oil pollution. The 1989 'Exxon Valdez' spill provided an excellent opportunity to ground truth the model predictions, having used similar surveying, hydrology and sedimentology methods to the UK/Ireland study. Coarse, dry sandy gravels allowed oil infiltration, some of which persisted due to lower-energy waves than expected (resulting in higher sensitivity) and due to organic-rich laminations. Despite low sediment matrix permeability, some muddy sediments elsewhere allowed oil penetration via biogenic macropores (e.g., UK spills in 1969 and 1983; Saudi Arabian mudflats and marsh in 1991 Gulf War; and Nigerian mangroves at Bodo in 2008). These examples: 1) confirm that deep oil penetration into sediments increased oil residence time, and 2) they endorse high sensitivity rankings for gravels, marshes and mangroves. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the available guidelines, good practices for calculating nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission factors (EFs) for livestock excreta and manure application include that sampling duration should be of at least one year after the nitrogen (N) application or deposition. However, the available experimental data suggest that in many cases most emissions are concentrated in the first months following N application. Therefore resources could be better deployed by measuring more intensively during a shorter period. This study aimed to assess the contribution of the N 2 O flux in the period directly after N application to the annual net emission. We used a database of 100 year-long plot experiments from different excreted-N sources (dung, urine, farmyard manure and slurry) used to derive EFs for the UK and Ireland. We explored different shorter potential measurement periods that could be used as proxies for cumulative annual emissions. The analysis showed that the majority of emissions occur in the first months after application, especially in experiments that i) had urine as the N source, ii) had spring N application, iii) were conducted on fine-textured soils, or iv) showed high annual emissions magnitude. Experiments that showed a smaller percentage of emissions in the first months also had a low magnitude of annual net emissions (below 370 gN 2 O–N ha−1 year−1), so the impact of measuring during a shorter period would not greatly influence the calculated EF. Accurate EF estimations were obtained by measuring for at least 60 days for urine (underestimation: 7.1%), 120 days for dung and slurry (4.7 and 5.1%) and 180 days for FYM (1.4%). At least in temperate climates, these results are promising in terms of being able to estimate annual N 2 O fluxes accurately by collecting data for less than 12 months, with significant resource-saving when conducting experiments towards developing country-specific EFs. • Sampling period to calculate country-specific N 2 O emission factors was revised. • We analyzed data from 100 year-long IPCC compliant manure and excreta experiments. • A high proportion of annual emissions occurred in the months directly after N application. • Accurate EFs were measured at 60–180 days, with significant resource saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two competing accounts for explaining Britain's technological transformation during the Industrial Revolution. One sees it as the inevitable outcome of a largely exogenous increase in the supply of new ideas and ways of thinking. The other sees it as a demand side response to economic incentives--that in Britain, it paid to invent the technology of the Industrial Revolution. However, this second interpretation relies on the assumption that inventors were sufficiently responsive to new commercial opportunities. This paper tests this assumption, using a new dataset of Scottish and Irish patents. It finds that the propensity of inventors to extend patent protection into Scotland and/or Ireland was indeed closely correlated with the relative market opportunity of the patented invention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the economic growth and energy consumption patterns, most countries are striving to solve the problems of CO 2 emissions reduction to achieve sustainable development. This paper employs an improved DEA model to measure energy and environmental efficiency for some selected countries in central and western Europe. In addition, the DEA window evaluation technique is applied to measure cross-sectional efficiency using two inputs (energy consumption, labor force), a desirable output (gross domestic product), and an undesirable output (CO 2 emission) for the period from 2010 to 2014. The study finds that the UK ranks the highest position in term of energy and environmental efficiency. This shows that the UK has more effective policies regarding energy efficiency, consumption, production, import and energy intensity measures for sustainable economic growth as well as environmental protection. Ireland is the second-best country after the United Kingdom. The efficiency scores of the two countries are 0.99 and 0.89 respectively. On the empirical outcomes, this study suggests effective reforms in energy sector for countries with less energy efficiency that are still facing the problem of environmental degradation. •There is an urgent need to balance sustainable development and economic growth. •DEA window technique was applied to measure cross-sectional efficiency. •Ireland is second best country after UK with energy and environmental efficiency. •The market-centric structure would be more useful and advantageous for the society. •We provide recommendations about emission reduction with moderate economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epilepsy Deaths Register (EDR) differs from typical registries which concentrate primarily on clinical information. It is completed by bereaved relatives and focuses on the circumstances immediately before, and the support following, a death. It can be augmented by copies of death certificates from the families of the deceased, and all epilepsy associated deaths can be entered. The EDR is underpinned by the research and experience of the SUDEP Action team and the clinical advisors who helped design the methodology and the web-based platform. The EDR has been open since 2013 and currently has over 750 entries from over 20 different countries, the majority from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The bereaved have shown that they place their trust in the register as a vehicle to be involved in research, even under the most difficult of circumstances. As the EDR matures, we hope to identify the common and rarer patterns of epilepsy-associated death; maintaining our dual ambitions to remain committed to listen, and to make every death count. This paper is for the Special Issue: Prevent 21: SUDEP Summit - Time to Listen. • The EDR focuses on the circumstances immediately before, and the support following, a death. • The EDR has been open since 2013 and currently has over 750 entries from over 20 different countries. • Normalising the identification of epilepsy-associated deaths is an important factor in addressing medical error. • The EDR is well-situated to study SUDEP deaths in minority groups such as children and the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]