Search

Nature-based solutions are seen to benefit both society and biodiversity. However, research into their future resilience is required. Soft capping is a nature-based conservation strategy that mimics the natural colonisation of plants on top of ruined walls and reduces rates of material deterioration. To remain effective, soft capping species must be tolerant of future climatic conditions. We use the Maxent species distribution model to assess the resilience of soft capping species to low and high emission scenarios across Britain and Ireland. We assess the mid- and end-century presence probability of four native and archaeophyte species used in soft capping (Sedum album, S. acre, S. anglicum and Saxifraga granulata). Future presence probabilities were calculated using the climate models HadGEM3-GC31-LL, IPSL-CM6A-LR and MIROC6. Results suggest that current sedum-based soft caps will remain viable until mid-century with additional maintenance (e.g. watering) during droughts, although soft caps predominantly formed of Sedum album may be prone to failure in south-eastern England. In the future, species more resilient to arid conditions may need to be preferentially selected for soft capping to ensure resilience under a warming climate. Species distribution modelling provides a useful way of predicting the future resilience of nature-based solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post mills are a distinctive type of windmill that has had a long history in England. Today only 47 post mills still survive in England. Evidence from 15 of these where their timbers have been subjected to dendrochronological investigations combined with other sources of evidence helps build a picture of the history of each of these mills. Most mills contain timbers from different historical rebuilding phases, but with the main posts often being the oldest component. Bourn Windmill was the earliest of these (the tree from which the main post was made being felled sometime after 1515) but Nutley and Pitstone mills retain almost equally ancient main posts. Scientific timber-dating methods can help corroborate the historical narrative derived from other evidence, such as documentary sources or inscriptions; however, they can also help raise completely new questions, illuminating stages in the history of a structure that were previously unknown or unsuspected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Initiatives to curb hospital antibiotic use might be associated with harm from under-treatment. We examined the extent to which variation in hospital antibiotic prescribing is associated with mortality risk in acute/general medicine inpatients.Methods: This ecological analysis examined Hospital Episode Statistics from 36,124,372 acute/general medicine admissions (≥16y) to 135 acute hospitals in England, 01/April/2010-31/March/2017. Random-effects meta-regression was used to investigate whether heterogeneity in adjusted 30-day mortality was associated with hospital-level antibiotic use, measured in defined-daily-doses (DDD)/1,000 bed-days. Models also considered DDDs/1,000 admissions and DDDs for narrow-spectrum/broad-spectrum antibiotics, parenteral/oral, and local interpretations of World Health Organization Access, Watch, and Reserve antibiotics.Results: Hospital-level antibiotic DDDs/1,000 bed-days varied 15-fold with comparable variation in broad-spectrum, parenteral, and Reserve antibiotic use. After extensive adjusting for hospital case-mix, the probability of 30-day mortality changed -0.010% (95% CI: -0.064,+0.044) for each increase of 500 hospital-level antibiotic DDDs/1,000 bed-days. Analyses of other metrics of antibiotic use showed no consistent association with mortality risk.Conclusions: We found no evidence that wide variation in hospital antibiotic use is associated with adjusted mortality risk in acute/general medicine inpatients. Using low-prescribing hospitals as benchmarks could help drive safe and substantial reductions in antibiotic consumption of up-to one-third in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the UK, during the study period (April to July, 2021), all contacts of people with COVID-19 were required to self-isolate for 10 days, which had adverse impacts on individuals and society. Avoiding the need to self-isolate for those who remain uninfected would be beneficial. We investigated whether daily use of lateral flow devices (LFDs) to test for SARS-CoV-2, with removal of self-isolation for 24 h if negative, could be a safe alternative to self-isolation as a means to minimise onward transmission of the virus. We conducted a randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial in adult contacts identified by COVID-19 contact tracing in England. Consenting participants were randomly assigned to self-isolation (single PCR test, 10-day isolation) or daily contact testing (DCT; seven LFD tests, two PCR tests, no isolation if negative on LFD); participants from a single household were assigned to the same group. Participants were prospectively followed up, with the effect of each intervention on onward transmission established from routinely collected NHS Test and Trace contact tracing data for participants who tested PCR-positive for SARS-CoV-2 during the study period and tertiary cases arising from their contacts (ie, secondary contacts). The primary outcome of the study was the attack rate, the percentage of secondary contacts (close contacts of SARS-CoV-2-positive study participants) who became COVID-19 cases (tertiary cases) in each group. Attack rates were derived from Bernoulli regression models using Huber-White (robust) sandwich estimator clustered standard errors. Attack rates were adjusted for household exposure, vaccination status, and ability to work from home. The non-inferiority margin was 1·9%. The primary analysis was a modified intention-to-treat analysis excluding those who actively withdrew from the study as data from these participants were no longer held. This study is registered with the Research Registry (number 6809). Data collection is complete; analysis is ongoing. Between April 29 and July 28, 2021, 54 923 eligible individuals were enrolled in the study, with final group allocations (following withdrawals) of 26 123 (52·6%) participants in the DCT group and 23 500 (47·4%) in the self-isolation group. Overall, 4694 participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR (secondary cases), 2364 (10·1%) in the self-isolation group and 2330 (8·9%) in the DCT group. Adjusted attack rates (among secondary contacts) were 7·5% in the self-isolation group and 6·3% in the DCT group (difference of –1·2% [95% CI –2·3 to –0·2]; significantly lower than the non-inferiority margin of 1·9%). DCT with 24 h exemption from self-isolation for essential activities appears to be non-inferior to self-isolation. This study, which provided evidence for the UK Government's daily lateral flow testing policy for vaccinated contacts of COVID-19 cases, indicated that daily testing with LFDs could allow individuals to reduce the risk of onward transmission while minimising the adverse effects of self-isolation. Although contacts in England are no longer required to isolate, the findings will be relevant for future policy decisions around COVID-19 or other communicable infections. UK Government Department of Health and Social Care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen the growth of planetary perspectives related to urbanisation and gentrification that have challenged the significance of differentiations of rural and urban space. This paper explores the arguments advanced in these perspectives, highlighting claims that they are based on a critique of methodological territorialism that has long been employed in rural and urban studies, as well as exhibiting an urbanormativity that was arguably absent from some earlier critiques of people such as Ray Pahl. This paper seeks to develop a study of rural gentrification that avoids urbanormativity and methodological territorialism. After reviewing debates related to academic and lay conceptions of the urban and rural, the paper highlights how territorial representations may warrant investigation even when social practices may be seen to routinely traverse boundaries of, for example, the rural. The relevance of these ideas to gentrification is then explored through an investigation of the gentrification of a village, which like many 'urban' settlements, has experienced both industrialisation and de-industrialisation. Drawing on the results of a 'mixed-method questionnaire' conducted in this village in Calderdale, England, the paper explores how the lives of residents are connected into more and less distant urban spaces through an analysis of migrational movements and employment relations, including commuting patterns. It is argued that, in line with arguments advanced within studies of planetary urbanisation/gentrification, there is considerable interconnection between the village and areas that have been classified as urban. However, it is also shown that neither this interconnection, nor the areas industrial past, means that symbolic and affective senses of rurality are insignificant to village residents, or to the practices of gentrification that have emerged. This did not mean that representations of rurality were unimpacted by industry and urban connectivity, with the paper detailing that whilst the village was widely seen as rural, it was also often seen as exhibiting significant unconformity from expectations of rurality. The paper ends by considering how senses of separation and connectivity to urban and industrial spaces link to different types of gentrifiers colonising the village. • Contemporary planetary perspectives often enact urbanormativity. • Questions agrarian constructions of rurality and industrial constructions of urbanity. • Outlines processes of gentrification within a post-industrial rural settlement. • Rurality remains a significant signifier/affect even with strong urban connectivity. • Industry and urban connectivity could be incorporated into assessments of rurality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how conceptions of displacement have been challenged and adapted as the study of gentrification has expanded to encompass a series of new contexts, including post-industrial conversions and new-build urban developments within and beyond the Global North. Attention is draw to Peter Marcuse's work on displacement, and how some of his conceptualisations of different forms of displacement have been significant in cross-contextual discussions of gentrification, although other aspects of his work, such as his discussions of the relationship between abandonment and displacement have received less attention. Drawing on work of Marcuse, the earlier work of George and Eustice Grier, and a series of more contemporary studies, the paper argues for the adoption of more multi-dimensional and temporally sensitive conceptualisations of gentrification displacement. It then seeks to illustrate the value of this conceptualisation in the study of a further context of gentrification, namely the study of rural gentrification. The paper highlights recent debates over the significance of displacement, and thereby gentrification, to the study of demographic change in rural areas of the UK. Attention is drawn to studies that have made reference to displacement impacts of rural gentrification, before drawing on research conducted by the authors in nine villages located in six districts of England. The paper highlights evidence of 'disinvestment displacement' occurring prior to the major onset of gentrification in these villages, through 'reinvestment displacement' and 'direct displacement' at the point of gentrification, 'chain displacement' occurring both before and after the point of property gentrification, and 'exclusionary displacement', and material and experiential 'displacement pressures', operating once gentrification had started to take hold in these locations. Displacement is further shown to involve not only housing but also employment conditions, access to services, and the symbolism, practices and affective relations that people have with human and more-than-human constituents of space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

But Kesselring and Stretton's treatment of this theme is far more thorough than anything hitherto available, including a full discussion of the opposition that the development of alimony jurisdiction generated in the parliament of 1610 and more broadly among common lawyers. Most studies of marriage, separation and divorce in early modern England are based in the records of the church courts. Marriage, Separation, and Divorce in England, 1500-1700: by K. J. Kesselring and Tim Stretton, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2022, 195 pp., £70.00 (hardback), ISBN 9780192849953. [Extracted from the article]

Importance: Compared with the treatment of physical conditions, the quality of care of mental health disorders remains poor and the rate of improvement in treatment is slow, a primary reason being the lack of objective and systematic methods for measuring the delivery of psychotherapy.Objective: To use a deep learning model applied to a large-scale clinical data set of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) session transcripts to generate a quantifiable measure of treatment delivered and to determine the association between the quantity of each aspect of therapy delivered and clinical outcomes.Design, Setting, and Participants: All data were obtained from patients receiving internet-enabled CBT for the treatment of a mental health disorder between June 2012 and March 2018 in England. Cognitive behavioral therapy was delivered in a secure online therapy room via instant synchronous messaging. The initial sample comprised a total of 17 572 patients (90 934 therapy session transcripts). Patients self-referred or were referred by a primary health care worker directly to the service.Exposures: All patients received National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence-approved disorder-specific CBT treatment protocols delivered by a qualified CBT therapist.Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinical outcomes were measured in terms of reliable improvement in patient symptoms and treatment engagement. Reliable improvement was calculated based on 2 severity measures: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), corresponding to depressive and anxiety symptoms respectively, completed by the patient at initial assessment and before every therapy session (see eMethods in the Supplement for details).Results: Treatment sessions from a total of 14 899 patients (10 882 women) aged between 18 and 94 years (median age, 34.8 years) were included in the final analysis. We trained a deep learning model to automatically categorize therapist utterances into 1 or more of 24 feature categories. The trained model was applied to our data set to obtain quantifiable measures of each feature of treatment delivered. A logistic regression revealed that increased quantities of a number of session features, including change methods (cognitive and behavioral techniques used in CBT), were associated with greater odds of reliable improvement in patient symptoms (odds ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.06-1.17) and patient engagement (odds ratio, 1.20, 95% CI, 1.12-1.27). The quantity of nontherapy-related content was associated with reduced odds of symptom improvement (odds ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.85-0.92) and patient engagement (odds ratio, 0.88, 95% CI, 0.84-0.92).Conclusions and Relevance: This work demonstrates an association between clinical outcomes in psychotherapy and the content of therapist utterances. These findings support the principle that CBT change methods help produce improvements in patients' presenting symptoms. The application of deep learning to large clinical data sets can provide valuable insights into psychotherapy, informing the development of new treatments and helping standardize clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ager: Journal of Depopulation & Rural Development Studies / Revista de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo Rural is the property of Rolde de Estudios Aragoneses and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract A Pale-legged Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes was discovered dead after hitting a window at the lighthouse on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, on 21st October 2016. Feathers taken from the bird were sent for DNA analysis, which confirmed the bird to be a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler and eliminated the morphologically similar Sakhalin Leaf Warbler P. borealoides. An earlier record of one of this species pair from Portland, Dorset, on 22nd October 2012 concerned a bird photographed and seen well by several observers, but it was not possible to establish which species was involved. Full details of both sightings are described here. This is the first record of Pale-legged Leaf Warbler for Britain and the Western Palearctic, and the species has been added to Category A of the British List. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Approximately 30 000 emergency laparotomies are performed each year in England and Wales. Patients with pathology of the gastrointestinal tract requiring emergency laparotomy are managed by general surgeons with an elective special interest focused on either the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. This study investigated the impact of special interest on mortality after emergency laparotomy. Methods: Adult patients having emergency laparotomy with either colorectal or gastroduodenal pathology were identified from the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit database and grouped according to operative procedure. Outcomes included all‐cause 30‐day mortality, length of hospital stay and return to theatre. Logistic and Poisson regression were used to analyse the association between consultant special interest and the three outcomes. Results: A total of 33 819 patients (28 546 colorectal, 5273 upper gastrointestinal (UGI)) were included. Patients who had colorectal procedures performed by a consultant without a special interest in colorectal surgery had an increased adjusted 30‐day mortality risk (odds ratio (OR) 1·23, 95 per cent c.i. 1·13 to 1·33). Return to theatre also increased in this group (OR 1·13, 1·05 to 1·20). UGI procedures performed by non‐UGI special interest surgeons carried an increased adjusted risk of 30‐day mortality (OR 1·24, 1·02 to 1·53). The risk of return to theatre was not increased (OR 0·89, 0·70 to 1·12). Conclusion: Emergency laparotomy performed by a surgeon whose special interest is not in the area of the pathology carries an increased risk of death at 30 days. This finding potentially has significant implications for emergency service configuration, training and workforce provision, and should stimulate discussion among all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study investigated: (a) how motivated patients are to use their hearing aid, and (b) whether post-motivational variables (e.g. action planning, coping planning) have anything to offer in terms of developing interventions to boost hearing aid use. Design: participants completed a questionnaire designed to tap Health Action Process Approach constructs prior to their hearing aid prescription and fitting. Study sample: Sixty-seven patients attending NHS audiology clinics. Results: Participants reported very strong intentions to use hearing aids (Median = 7.00 Q1 and Q3 = 6.67, 7.00, on a +1 to +7 scale) and high self-efficacy (Median = 7.00, Q1 and Q3 = 6.00, on a +1 to +7 scale) leaving little room for improvement. In contrast, participants reported moderate levels of post-motivational variables (action planning Median = 4.25, Q1 and Q3 = 1.13, 7.00 and coping planning Median = 2.75, Q1 and Q3 = 1.00, both measured on +1 to +7 scales) thereby showing significant scope for change. Conclusions: Future interventions to increase hearing aid use should focus on ensuring that patients' motivation is translated into action, rather than further trying to boost motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry (AF) is a land use that incorporates growing trees into agricultural crops and/or livestock production on the same piece of land. Due to tree cover and growth, AF has the potential to generate additional products, enhance biogenic carbon capture and storage, reduce soil erosion and surface water run-off and improve soil structure and fertility. These effects are likely to improve farmers' financial return with minimal land loss to agricultural production. To date, there has been very little uptake of AF in the UK despite awareness of these benefits and increasing policy support. This suggests that there are barriers to adopting AF that policy, or market developments, have yet to address. This study set out to identify these barriers, along with potential drivers to further uptake of AF in South-East and East lowland England by means of a survey of 224 farmers and landowners in 2019 covering a range of farm sizes and types. Of those farmers who said they might consider planting small areas of AF, small woods and plantations were the preferred option. Silvo-arable AF was preferred to silvo-pastoral AF. If raised to the regional level, this could take up to some 5 % of the total farmed area. Financial reasons were behind some of the reluctance to plant, as was the view that trees might interfere with other farm operations. Farmers might need both planting grants and maintenance payments to help the UK Government reach their woodland planting goal to achieve the UK net-zero target by 2050. • Some 60 % of farmers in E and SE England might consider planting agroforestry. • The likely new planting would take up 5 % of the current total farmed area. • The planting would be relatively small areas, on average, 6 ha. • Farmers believed they would be able to plant and manage new areas of agroforestry. • Farmers with low profit-maximising objectives were more likely to plant agroforestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and policy-makers have become increasingly interested in re-designing agri-environmental policy to improve both economic efficiency and ecological effectiveness. One idea within this debate has been payments for results (outcomes) rather than payment for actions. Payment for result policies have been argued to have some important advantages, but two key disadvantages are the higher risks faced by landowners, leading to low participation rates; and the potentially high costs of monitoring outcomes. Bartkowski et al. (2021) propose an alternative of payment for modelled results, which claims to avoid these two problems. Our paper provides the first application of this approach to spatially realistic patterns of ecological and economic heterogeneity for farmland biodiversity in England. We compare payment for modelled results findings with approximately equivalent payment for actions schemes intended to deliver increases in the same biodiversity indicators. Key insights are that payment for modelled results delivers superior predicted ecological outcomes for the same budgetary cost as payment for actions, whilst economic surpluses to farmers are also higher. • We simulate the ecological and economic outcomes of alternatives Agri-Environment Schemes. • Payment for modelled results is compared to payment for actions. • Payment for modelled results leads to better biodiversity outcomes and higher surpluses for farmers. • Big spatial variation in where land is converted to conservation land use is predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural flood management (NFM) involves measures to restore and protect natural hydrology and geomorphology to minimise flood risk. NFM is promoted as part of the nation's flood resilience response. Government agencies have created national maps of opportunities for specific NFM measure to target available grant aid and encourage landowners and managers to deliver effective NFM measures where most needed. Mapping opportunities within a regulatory framework ensures that measures are targeted towards areas with a presumption of suitability thus minimising the burden of the application process. The viability of NFM depends on the responsible authority and community at risk accepting the proposed measures as both effective and appropriate. Top-down initiatives can fail to meet their targets when landowners and managers feel left out of the decision making and their experiential local knowledge is at odds with the spatial prioritisation derived from national datasets. This interdisciplinary paper assesses the applicability of a technical-based national mapping approach with local stakeholders for identifying opportunities for woodland and runoff management measures to reduce flood risk within the lowland catchments of the West Thames River Basin, in southern England. Farmer surveys supported the technical map in terms of targeting areas of deep clay and silt soils over mudstone as high priority for improved land and soil management to reduce rapid runoff. However, while incentives correctly target the problem areas, farmers desired greater flexibility in choice of NFM measures to reflect local soil knowledge and the sustainability of management practices within farm systems. It is argued that a more integrated and co-designed mapping approach would enhance NFM uptake and thus achieve a greater reduction in downstream flood risk. • This paper assesses the relevance of national maps to identify opportunities for NFM in lowland agricultural catchments. • Farmers' experiential knowledge confirm the map correctly target areas with soils prone to degradation and surface runoff. • The farmers favoured soil-based NFM measures that support continued agricultural use such as cover crops and minimal tillage. • Farmers were resistant to woodland creation incentives and would prefer more support for soil and land management practices. • Our study highlights the need for co-development of NFM incentives to aid delivery of national policy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To establish risk factors for Clostridium difficile colonization among hospitalized patients in England.Methods: Patients admitted to elderly medicine wards at three acute hospitals in England were recruited to a prospective observational study. Participants were asked to provide a stool sample as soon as possible after enrolment and then weekly during their hospital stay. Samples were cultured for C. difficile before ribotyping and toxin detection by PCR. A multivariable logistic regression model of risk factors for C. difficile colonization was fitted from univariable risk factors significant at the p < 0.05 level.Results: 410/727 participants submitted ≥1 stool sample and 40 (9.8%) carried toxigenic C. difficile in the first sample taken. Ribotype 106 was identified three times and seven other ribotypes twice. No ribotype 027 strains were identified. Independent predictors of colonization were previous C. difficile infection (OR 4.53 (95% C.I. 1.33-15.48) and malnutrition (MUST score ≥2) (OR 3.29 (95% C.I. 1.47-7.35)). Although C. difficile colonised patients experienced higher 90-day mortality, colonization was not an independent risk for death.Conclusions: In a non-epidemic setting patients who have previously had CDI and have a MUST score of ≥2 are at increased risk of C. difficile colonization and could be targeted for active surveillance to prevent C. difficile transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Detailed information regarding treatment practices and outcomes of MDR-TB treatment in the UK is required as a baseline for care improvements.Methods: 100 consecutive cases between 2008 and 2014 were reviewed retrospectively at 4 MDR-TB treatment centres in England to obtain information on drug treatment choices, hospital admission duration and outcomes for MDR-TB.Results: Initial hospital admission was long, median 62.5 (IQR 20-106, n = 92) days, and 13% (12/92) of patients lost their home during this period. Prolonged admission was associated with pulmonary cases, cavities on chest radiograph, a public health policy of waiting for sputum culture conversion (CC) and loss of the patient's home. Sputum CC occurred at a median of 33.5 (IQR 16-55, n = 46) days. Treatment success was high (74%, 74/100) and mortality low (1%, 1/100). A significant proportion of the cohort had "neutral" results due to deportation and transfer overseas (12%, (12/100)). 14% (14/100) had negative outcomes for which poor adherence was the main reason (62%, 9/14).Conclusions: Successful outcome is common in recognised centres and limited by adherence rather than microbiological failure. Duration of hospital admission is influenced by lack of suitable housing and some variation in public health practice. Wider access to long-term assisted living facilities could improve completion rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the HIV/Hepatitis C disaster that engulfed those suffering from haemophilia in Ireland, Scotland, England/Wales and Finland during the 1980s and 1990s; the largest health scandal since the Thalidomide controversy. In its aftermath a succession of inquiries and tribunals focused on what government knew (about HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C), and when (the blood supply had been compromised). The origins to the blood crisis were therefore located firmly in the failure on the part of key decision-makers to manage adequately the risk from HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. This article is concerned with an altogether different task; it offers an explanation of why the crisis emerged. Put simply, it was not about how the risk was managed, but assessed. After a sustained period of regulatory reform, and the New Right's determination to reduce the role of state intervention, a reconfiguration of risk in politics anticipated that decisions were no longer refracted exclusively through the institutions of government, for they now involved multinational private actors, according far more emphasis to the decision of the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the moult and ageing of male falcated ducks in autumn. It mentions a previous study which sought to determine the age of a male falcated duck seen in Devon, England in winter 2006/2007, findings of which indicate that it is an adult due to its plumage. It relates the moult cycle of the ducks which starts with a drab eclipse plumage. It also provides evidence to classify the male falcated duck in the previous study as a first-winter, one of which is its tertials.

Background: The epidemiology of injury in Paralympic football has received little attention. A study of all sports at the London 2012 Paralympic Games identified football 5-a-side as the sport with the highest injury rate, meriting further detailed analysis, which may facilitate the development of strategies to prevent injuries.Objective: To examine the injury rates and risk factors associated with injury in Paralympic football.Design: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of injuries to football 5-a-side and football 7-a-side athletes.Setting: London 2012 Paralympic Games.Participants: Participants included 70 football 5-a-side athletes and 96 football 7-a-side athletes. Athletes from all but one country chose to participate in this study.Methods: The Paralympic Injury and Illness Surveillance System was used to track injuries during the Games, with data entered by medical staff.Main Outcome Measurements: Injury incidence rate (IR) and injury incidence proportion (IP).Results: The overall IR for football 5-a-side was 22.4 injuries/1000 athlete-days (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.1-33.8) with an IP of 31.4 injuries per 100 athletes (95% CI, 20.9-43.6). In 5-a-side competition, 62.5% of injuries were associated with foul play. The overall IR for football 7-a-side was 10.4 injuries/1000 athlete-days (95% CI, 5.4-15.5), with an IP of 14.6 injuries per 100 athletes (95% CI, 7.5-21.6). The most commonly injured body region in both sports was the lower extremity.Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine IR and risk factors associated with injury in Paralympic football. Future studies are needed to determine mechanisms of injury and independent risk factors for injury, thus informing prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite improvements in dental caries levels since the widespread introduction of fluoride toothpastes, it is still a disease which is considered to be a priority in many countries around the world. Individuals at higher risk of caries can be targeted with products with a high fluoride concentration to help reduce the amount and severity of the disease. This paper compares guidance from around the world on the use of products with a high fluoride concentration and gives examples of how guidance has been translated into activity in primary care dental practice. A rapid review of electronic databases was conducted to identify the volume and variation of guidance from national or professional bodies on the use of products with a high fluoride concentration. Fifteen guidelines published within the past 10 years and in English were identified and compared. The majority of these guidelines included recommendations for fluoride varnish use as well as for fluoride gels, while a smaller number offered guidance on high fluoride strength toothpaste and other vehicles. Whilst there was good consistency in recommendations for fluoride varnish in particular, there was sometimes a lack of detail in other areas of recommendation for other vehicles with a high fluoride concentration. There are good examples within the UK, such as the Childsmile project and Delivering Better Oral Health, which highlight that the provision of evidence-based guidance can be influential in directing scarce resources towards oral health improvements. Policy can be influenced by evidence-based national recommendations and used to help encourage dental professionals and commissioners and third-party payers to adopt higher levels of practices aimed at oral health improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity has been identified as an independent risk factor for a wide range of health conditions. Therefore, there is a clear need for high quality Bariatric research in order to improve patient selection, outcomes and safety for patients with obesity. We sought to identify and compare the quantitative and qualitative publication output from Bariatric centres in England. We identified 42 National Health Service (NHS) Trusts and 162 surgeons providing Bariatric services in England. A median of 4 (range 1–7) Bariatric surgeons were identified per centre. Eight NHS Trusts (19%) and 75 surgeons (46.3%) had no Bariatric publications during the study period, while 87 surgeons published a total of 432 Bariatric papers. Only 15 surgeons (9%) had ≥10 publications within the study period. However, these surgeons produced >50% of all Bariatric publications. Departments with more than 4 surgeons produced a significantly higher number of Bariatric publications (median 8.5 vs 2, p = 0.01). There is significant variation in research contribution amongst Bariatric centres in England. Academia should be encouraged and promoted across all bariatric services in order to broaden our understanding on Bariatric outcomes by expanding the service and proportional increase in funding. Given that a number of health conditions can afflict individuals living with obesity, bariatric surgery research becomes all the more important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper explores the concept of baroque rurality through employing concepts of affect and affordance within a study of an English village experiencing rural gentrification. The paper begins by outlining the concept of baroque rurality, contrasting it with so-called romantic approaches that have employed abstract notions of environmental or natural factors in accounts of rural in-migrational decision making. This paper then outlines conceptions of affect, affordance and more-than-representational perspectives before moving to an empirical examination of the relations that residents in a gentrifying village in the East Midlands of England have with the natures that surrounds them. The presence of positive and negative emotions with respect to a range of actants taken to be natural is highlighted, along with the significance of non-representation and pre- or semi-conscious relations with these actants. Attention is also drawn to the range of material affordances and ecologically embedded positionings and sensings described in accounts of rural living and rural in-migrational decision making. The paper concludes by considering the diversity of such positioning and the complexity associated with studies of baroque ruralities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Swiss Journal of Sociology / Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents speech by Martin Rees, Lord Rees of Ludlow, delivered at the Association for Science Education (ASE) Annual Conference, held at the University of Reading in England in January 2013, in which he discussed the reasons for importance of ASE mission, how science is a part of global culture, and science of astronomy.

After a troubled past in England and Northern Ireland the supergrass has returned. The revival of this notorious character by the police forces in both countries to combat organised crime and paramilitary gangs has caused increasing controversy. Through exploring the troubled past, this discussion demonstrates that underlying this controversy is the question of the legitimacy of a process. The ultimate lesson of the past is that in order to achieve legitimacy the supergrass process must be successfully institutionalized. In seeking to answer whether the new process has learnt this lesson, the discussion identifies and analyzes three key stages in the process: pre-trial, trial and post-trial. Whilst institutionalisation has largely been achieved at the pre-trial stage, the trial and post-trial stages remain haunted by ghosts from the past, which challenge the values to which the criminal justice system aspires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a genetic analysis of the two accepted specimens of an eastern subspecies of Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava simillima, added to the British list, and a record of a putative eastern Yellow Wagtail trapped at Colyton, Devon in December 2010. The analysis showed that the 1912 Fair Isle bird, probably a British Yellow Wagtail M. f. flavissima was of western origin, while the 1909 Fair Isle and 2010 Devon birds were of eastern origin.

Copyright of Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Reforms to the British National Health Service introduce major changes to how health care will be delivered. The core elements include the creation of new purchaser organizations, Clinical Commissioning Groups, which unlike their predecessors will be able to recruit and reject general practices and their patients without geographical restriction. The Clinical Commissioning Groups are to transition from statutory bodies to freestanding organizations, with most of their functions privatized and an increasingly privatized system of provision. In this paper, we explore the likely consequences of these proposals, drawing in particular on the experience of managed care organizations in the United States, whose approach has influenced the English proposals extensively. We argue that the wrong lessons are being learned and the English reforms are likely to fundamentally undermine the principles on which the British National Health Service was founded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the setting of British composer Edward Elgar's Psalm 48, "Great is the Lord," which was dedicated to Joseph Armitage Robinson who was the Dean of Westminster in London, England from 1902 to 1911. It provides an overview of Elgar's life and his working relationship with Robinson at the time he started to work on the Psalm 48 setting. It also notes the letters and other documents depicting their communication and friendship during the period.

The Conservative-led government in the United Kingdom is embarking on massive changes to the National Health Service in England. These changes will create a competitive market in both purchasing and provision. Although the opposition Labour Party has stated its intention to repeal the legislation when it regains power, this may be difficult because of provisions of competition law derived from international treaties. Yet there is an alternative, illustrated by the decision of the devolved Scottish government to reject competitive markets in health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines evidence about the scale of commercial trade in rare species of birds at the Leadenhall Market in London, England. Rare birds reportedly turned up regularly at the Market which is deemed the most famous venue where poultry and game have been sold since the 14th century. It talks about Leadenhall as a potential vehicle for fraud and its relevance to trade in rarities, noting that fraud has been a constant feature of ornithological recording in Britain since the 1800s.

A biography of writer Elizabeth Lynn Linton is presented. She was born in 1822 and the youngest child of reverend James Lynn and Charlotte Carlisle. She moved to London to pursue her dream to be a famous writer and her first novel was published in 1847 then joined the "Morning Chronicle" as a journalist in 1848. She moves to Malvern at Brougham house, where she meets the Elgars. She continues to meet the Elgars till 1896 and died on July 14, 1898 at the age of 76 because of bronchial pneumonia.

Introduction: Falls are common in older people and increase in prevalence with advancing old age. There is limited knowledge about their impact in those aged 85 years and older, the fastest growing age group of the population. We investigated the prevalence and impact of falls, and the overlap between falls, dizziness and blackouts, in a populationbased sample of 85 year olds. Methods: Design: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from Newcastle 85+ Cohort Study. Setting: Primary care, North- East England. Participants: 816 men and women aged 85 years. Measurements: Structured interview with research nurse. Cost-consequence analysis of fall-related healthcare costs. Results: Over 38% (313/816) of participants had fallen at least once in the previous 12 months and of these: 10.6% (33/312) sustained a fracture, 30.1% (94/312) attended an emergency department, and 12.8% (40/312) were admitted to hospital. Only 37.2% (115/309) of fallers had specifically discussed their falls problem with their general practitioner and only 12.7% (39/308) had seen a falls specialist. The average annual healthcare cost per faller was estimated at £202 (inter-quartile range £174-£231) or US$329 ($284-$377). 'Worry about falling' was experienced by 42.0% (128/305) of fallers, 'loss of confidence' by 40.0% (122/305), and 'going out less often' by 25.9% (79/305); each was significantly more common in women, odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for women: men of 2.63 (1.45-4.55), 4.00 (2.27-7.14), and 2.86 (1.54-5.56) respectively. Dizziness and blackouts were reported by 40.0% (318/796) and 6.4% (52/808) of participants respectively. There was marked overlap in the report of falls, dizziness and blackouts. Conclusions: Falls in 85 year olds are very common, associated with considerable psychological and physical morbidity, and have high impact on healthcare services. Wider use of fall prevention services is needed. Significant expansion in acute and preventative services is required in view of the rapid growth in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) is a local modelling technique to estimate regression models with spatially varying relationships. Generally, the Euclidean distance is the default metric for calibrating a GWR model in previous research and applications; however, it may not always be the most reasonable choice due to a partition by some natural or man-made features. Thus, we attempt to use a non-Euclidean distance metric in GWR. In this study, a GWR model is established to explore spatially varying relationships between house price and floor area with sampled house prices in London. To calibrate this GWR model, network distance is adopted. Compared with the other results from calibrations with Euclidean distance or adaptive kernels, the output using network distance with a fixed kernel makes a significant improvement, and the river Thames has a clear cut-off effect on the parameter estimations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The project entitled Legacy of Partition, 1947-2009, funded at the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland by the Museums, Libraries and Archives partnership, was aimed at gathering the memories of Leicestershire people who lived through the upheaval of Indian partition in 1947 and exploring the understanding of these events among the younger generation today. The article explores the methodology of the oral history interviews, the new resources collected by the archive as a result of the project, the inter-generational learning that resulted in the schools which piloted the teaching resources, and the implications of such community projects for the traditional archive, involving people who never thought of themselves as having any interest in history as depositors of records for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Eucalypts have been planted widely outside of their native habitat for the purposes of commercial forestry. Mycorrhizal fungi are known to have spread with these trees around the world but little is known of the degree to which pre-existing mutualistic associations are maintained, or new associations are formed with Eucalyptus spp. outside of their native range. Molecular methods were used in this study to assess ectomycorrhizal communities colonising eucalypts in England. Our analyses revealed that only a dozen, mainly exotic, fungi were associated with eucalypts and that these mycorrhizal communities were dominated by a Laccaria sp. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective To determine whether the use of sidecar cribs on the postnatal ward affects breastfeeding duration. Design A randomised non-blinded parallel trial comparing sidecar cribs with standalone cots. Setting Postnatal wards of the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne. Participants 1204 pregnant women intending to breastfeed were recruited at 20 weeks' gestation and randomised at 34 weeks to use either a sidecar crib attached to their bed (n=601) or a standalone cot adjacent to their bed (n=603). Main outcome measures Duration of any, and exclusive, breastfeeding up to 26 weeks obtained by telephone follow-up. Results 334 mothers were withdrawn or lost to follow-up from the trial; infant feeding data were therefore obtained for 870 mothers (433 intervention; 437 controls). Using an intention-to-treat Cox regression analysis, no significant difference was found between the two groups for duration of any breastfeeding (sidecar crib vs cot, hazard ratio (HR) 0.96, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.18), or exclusive breastfeeding (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.16) adjusting for maternal age, education, previous breastfeeding and delivery type. Bed sharing was not significantly more common in mothers randomised to sidecar cribs (67% vs 64%, adjusted difference 2.8%, 95% CI -3.5% to 9.0%). There were no adverse events. Conclusion The use of sidecar cribs for mothers and infants did not improve the duration of any or exclusive breastfeeding, or frequency of bed sharing at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the construction of the replacement of rail overbridge in Stratford in preparation for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in East London, England. It looks at how the constraints and associated retaining walls and structures of the bridge were addressed. The construction process of the bridge has demonstrated the importance of an effective communications strategy.

The article focuses on the construction of the new underpass under the Northern Outfall Sewer in Stratford. It notes that the underpass is part of the major regeneration and redevelopment in preparation for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, England. It aims to provide a cost effective way of improving headroom road access and adding capacity in the area despite the many technical and engineering challenges in the construction.

The article looks into the engineering and aesthetics of the Stratford Town Centre Link in London, England which is a landmark structure forming the gateway to the Stratford City development in East London. It discusses the conceptual design on the development of the bridge as well as its execution. It affirms that a high quality workmanship and innovative construction techniques were combined in the execution of the design.