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Citizen science monitoring of common birds often involves volunteers visiting selected survey locations twice per year, with interannual differences in the number of birds detected used to infer population trends. Two processes, changes in the timing of migration and breeding in response to climate change, and changes in the timing of surveys by volunteers, may cause variation in the number of birds detected, leading to biases in inferred population trends. We assessed the magnitude of potential biases using the UK Breeding Bird Survey, comparing survey timing, species phenologies and apparent trend biases between 1994–98 and 2013–17. To control for large-scale geographic effects, we focussed on a subset of 888 surveyed 1 km squares in South-East England. Survey dates became significantly earlier, advancing by 2–4 days on average. We calculated seasonal patterns of bird abundance for 68 species. After standardising these to remove long-term abundance trends, median detection dates were advanced by 0.82 days on average. At the species level, the majority of changes were ± 2 days and only five species showed a significant advancement in median detection date. However, species’ phenological changes alone are capable of inducing between an 8% suppression and 21% enhancement of species’ trends, although the majority are ± 2%. Effects of a similar magnitude are apparent if survey timings are also allowed to change, although different species are affected. Small modifications to the statistical model used to generate trends can control for changes in survey timing, but without additional survey visits, or using data from other sources, we cannot currently control for seasonal variation in detectability. Although the average effects shown here are small, biases could become increasingly important for some species, and we recommend organisers of biodiversity monitoring schemes assess whether their methods are resistant to variations in species phenology and survey timing.

Around fifteen thousand fieldworkers annually count breeding birds using standardized protocols in 28 European countries. The observations are collected by using country-specific and standardized protocols, validated, summarized and finally used for the production of continent-wide annual and long-term indices of population size changes of 170 species. Here, we present the database and provide a detailed summary of the methodology used for fieldwork and calculation of the relative population size change estimates. We also provide a brief overview of how the data are used in research, conservation and policy. We believe this unique database, based on decades of bird monitoring alongside the comprehensive summary of its methodology, will facilitate and encourage further use of the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme results., Measurement(s) population Technology Type(s) Count Factor Type(s) time scale • geographic location Sample Characteristic - Organism Aves Sample Characteristic - Location Europe Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.13240760

Information on the status of biodiversity is crucial for species conservation and management. Large scale assessments are only feasible through citizen science but some taxa are poorly monitored because few people specialise in them. We explore alleviating this problem by using data collected for poorly monitored species as an add-on to existing bird surveys. Since 1995, participants in the annual Breeding Bird Survey have recorded the abundance of mammals during their surveys. We demonstrate the value of these data by developing spatial models of relative abundance for nine common and easily detected mammal species. Rabbit, brown hare and mountain hare all showed widespread declines. Conversely, deer showed increases throughout their ranges, with the exception of the red deer whose population was predominantly stable. The grey squirrel continues to increase in several areas. The red fox, the only carnivore with enough data, showed significant large declines. The collection of data on taxa other than the primary target has particular merit where the secondary taxa can be detected effectively by methods devised for the core survey. In such cases the data are inexpensive and inherit some of the benefits of the underlying structure and power of the core survey. However, the efficacy of the primary study design may vary for the members of secondary taxa and may not be temporally or spatially suitable for all of them. Although more volunteer training may be required, there are also opportunities to engage and enthuse people about conservation issues of other species groups.

Citizen science is increasingly recognised as one of the most cost-effective means of achieving large-scale and long-term biodiversity monitoring. Here we assess the potential for citizen scientists to contribute to the long-term monitoring of land cover, land use and habitat change through ongoing field data collection. Land cover monitoring is most commonly carried out via remote sensing or professional surveys but these can be costly, low detail or spatiotemporally limited. We used ongoing habitat data collection by citizen scientists participating in a structured survey of breeding birds to assess whether there is the potential for citizen scientists more broadly to play a role in the long-term monitoring of habitat extent and condition. Categorical habitat data has been collected annually by over 2500 volunteers as part of the UK Breeding Bird Survey since 1994 and we used this to quantify temporal variation in the reporting of different habitats in the British countryside. Where possible we validated our estimates of habitat cover and change using independent estimates from professional surveys and other datasets. We detected increases in woodland cover, in particular mixed woodland, and declines in farmland cover, particularly livestock farming. Our habitat cover estimates closely matched alternative land cover estimates but there was little correspondence in estimates of change between survey types and we discuss why discrepancies may occur. Although the data we used were not initially designed for this purpose, our results suggest that there is considerable potential to use citizen science for cost-effective identification of temporal patterns in land use, habitat-type and management in ways that could complement other methods.

Purpose To investigate breast cancer risk after supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy administered to young women with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in a much larger cohort than previously to provide data for patient follow-up and screening individualized according to treatment type, age, and time point during follow-up. Patients and Methods Breast cancer risk was assessed in 5,002 women in England and Wales treated for HL with supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy at age < 36 years from 1956 to 2003, who underwent follow-up with 97% completeness until December 31, 2008. Results Breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ developed in 373 patients, with a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 5.0 (95% CI, 4.5 to 5.5). SIRs were greatest for those treated at age 14 years (47.2; 95% CI, 28.0 to 79.8) and continued to remain high for at least 40 years. The maximum absolute excess risk was at attained ages 50 to 59 years. Alkylating chemotherapy or pelvic radiotherapy diminished the risk, but only for women treated at age ≥ 20 years, not for those treated when younger. Cumulative risks were tabulated in detail; for 40-year follow-up, the risk for patients receiving ≥ 40 Gy mantle radiotherapy at young ages was 48%. Conclusion This article provides individualized risk estimates based on large numbers for patients with HL undergoing follow-up after radiotherapy at young ages. Follow-up of such women needs to continue for 40 years or longer and may require more-intensive screening regimens than those in national general population programs. Special consideration is needed of potential measures to reduce breast cancer risk for girls treated with supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy at pubertal ages.

Purpose To evaluate low-dose extended duration interferon alfa-2a as adjuvant therapy in patients with thick (≥ 4 mm) primary cutaneous melanoma and/or locoregional metastases. Patients and Methods In this randomized controlled trial involving 674 patients, the effect of interferon alfa-2a (3 megaunits three times per week for 2 years or until recurrence) on overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was compared with that of no further treatment in radically resected stage IIB and stage III cutaneous malignant melanoma. Results The OS and RFS rates at 5 years were 44% (SE, 2.6) and 32% (SE, 2.1), respectively. There was no significant difference in OS or RFS between the interferon-treated and control arms (odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% CI, 0.75 to 1.18; P = .6; and OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.75 to 1.10; P = .3; respectively). Male sex (P = .003) and regional lymph node involvement (P = .0009), but not age (P = .7), were statistically significant adverse features for OS. Subgroup analysis by disease stage, age, and sex did not show any clear differences between interferon-treated and control groups in either OS or RFS. Interferon-related toxicities were modest: grade 3 (and in only one case, grade 4) fatigue or mood disturbance was seen in 7% and 4% respectively, of patients. However, there were 50 withdrawals (15%) from interferon treatment due to toxicity. Conclusion The results from this study, taken in isolation, do not indicate that extended-duration low-dose interferon is significantly better than observation alone in the initial treatment of completely resected high-risk malignant melanoma.

Background Modern treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) has transformed its prognosis but causes late effects, including premature menopause. Cohort studies of premature menopause risks after treatment have been relatively small, and knowledge about these risks is limited. Methods Nonsurgical menopause risk was analyzed in 2127 women treated for HL in England and Wales at ages younger than 36 years from 1960 through 2004 and followed to 2003 through 2012. Risks were estimated using Cox regression, modified Poisson regression, and competing risks. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results During follow-up, 605 patients underwent nonsurgical menopause before age 40 years. Risk of premature menopause increased more than 20-fold after ovarian radiotherapy, alkylating chemotherapy other than dacarbazine, or BEAM (bis-chloroethylnitrosourea [BCNU], etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan) chemotherapy for stem cell transplantation, but was not statistically significantly raised after adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (ABVD). Menopause generally occurred sooner after ovarian radiotherapy (62.5% within five years of >= 5 Gy treatment) and BEAM (50.9% within five years) than after alkylating chemotherapy (24.2% within five years of >= 6 cycles), and after treatment at older than at younger ages. Cumulative risk of menopause by age 40 years was 81.3% after greater than or equal to 5Gy ovarian radiotherapy, 75.3% after BEAM, 49.1% after greater than or equal to 6 cycles alkylating chemotherapy, 1.4% after ABVD, and 3.0% after solely supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy. Tables of individualized risk information for patients by future period, treatment type, dose and age are provided. Conclusions Patients treated with HL need to plan intended pregnancies using personalized information on their risk of menopause by different future time points.

Children in their first two years of formal education (kindergarten and year one) were assessed for handwriting performance. Those with poor handwriting were given practice on one of three tasks: kinaesthetic acuity, kinaesthetic memory and perception or a handwriting task. Both forms of kinaesthetic sensitivity practice produced significant improvement in handwriting performance by the year one children, while handwriting practice did not. The younger children did not demonstrate as clear cut gains as the older. These results support the findings of previous research which indicates the importance of kinaesthetic ability for performance of complex motor tasks.