Land settlement planning issues in irrigation management: A review of experiences in Sri Lanka

Irrigation managementSettlementPlanningLand management

Land settlement planning for improved irrigation management: A case study of the Kirindi Oya Irrigation and Settlement Project

Land useSettlement patternsIrrigation managementIrrigated farmingFarmer-agency interactionsFarmers' associationsEconomic aspectsIrrigation programsIrrigable landFarmer participation

Understanding species distribution in dynamic populations : a new approach using spatio‐temporal point process models

Funding: EU consolidator’s grant STATEMIG 310820 (SB).Understanding and predicting a species’ distribution across a landscape is of central importance in ecology, biogeography and conservation biology. However, it presents daunting challenges when populations are highly dynamic (i.e. increasing or decreasing their ranges), particularly for small populations where information about ecology and life history traits is lacking. Currently, many modelling approaches fail to distinguish whether a site is unoccupied because the available habitat is unsuitable or because a species expanding its range has not arrived at the site yet. As a result, habitat that is indeed suitable may appear unsuitable. To overcome some of these limitations, we use a statistical modelling approach based on spatio‐temporal log‐Gaussian Cox processes. These model the spatial distribution of the species across available habitat and how this distribution changes over time, relative to covariates. In addition, the model explicitly accounts for spatio‐temporal dynamics that are unaccounted for by covariates through a spatio‐temporal stochastic process. We illustrate the approach by predicting the distribution of a recently established population of Eurasian cranes Grus grus in England, UK, and estimate the effect of a reintroduction in the range expansion of the population. Our models show that wetland extent and perimeter‐to‐area ratio have a positive and negative effect, respectively, in crane colonisation probability. Moreover, we find that cranes are more likely to colonise areas near already occupied wetlands and that the colonisation process is progressing at a low rate. Finally, the reintroduction of cranes in SW England can be considered a human‐assisted long‐distance dispersal event that has increased the dispersal potential of the species along a longitudinal axis in S England. Spatio‐temporal log‐Gaussian Cox process models offer an excellent opportunity for the study of species where information on life history traits is lacking, since these are represented through the spatio‐temporal dynamics reflected in the model.PostprintPeer reviewe

Ethanol production from xylose by pichia stipitis NRRL Y-7124 in a stirred tank bioreactor

The ethanol production by Pichia stipitis was evaluated in a stirred tank bioreactor using semidefined medium containing xylose (90.0 g/l) as the main carbon source. Experimental assays were performed according to a 22 full factorial design to evaluate the influence of aeration (0.25 to 0.75 vvm) and agitation (150 to 250 rpm) conditions on ethanol production. In the studied range of values, the agitation increase and aeration decrease favored ethanol production, which was maximum (26.7 g/l) using 250 rpm and 0.25 vvm, conditions that gave a volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa value) of 4.9 h-1. Under these conditions, the ethanol yield factor, ethanol productivity, and the process efficiency were 0.32 g/g, 0.32 g/l.h, and 63%, respectively. These results are promising and contribute to the development of a suitable process for ethanol production from xylose by Pichia stipitis.The authors gratefully acknowledge Santander, Fapesp, Capes, and CNPq (Brazil)

Health-impaired employees' job satisfaction: new evidence from Athens, Greece

By utilizing the 2008 Athens Area Study (AAS) data set, this study investigates four aspects of job satisfaction - total pay, promotion prospects, respect received from one's supervisor, and total job satisfaction - between healthy and heath-impaired employees. Health impaired employees are found to be less satisfied according to all job satisfaction measures even when a large number of productivity features, and job characteristics are controlled for. The outcomes suggest also that women are more satisfied with their jobs than men are, regardless of health status. Moreover, the estimations show that health impaired employees' job satisfaction is affected more than healthy employees' job satisfaction by adverse mental health symptoms (life dissatisfaction). Finally, health impaired employees are found to become more satisfied with their jobs with time after disability onset. The study concludes that health impaired employees may have higher expectations about what they will obtain from their work, and that they may have job satisfaction adjustments

Low‐dose digoxin improves cardiac function in patients with heart failure, preserved ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation – the RATE ‐ AF randomized trial

Aims: To compare the effect of digoxin versus beta‐blockers on left ventricular function, in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) and symptoms of heart failure within the RATE‐AF randomized trial. Methods and results: Blinded echocardiograms were performed at baseline and 12‐month follow‐up using a pre‐defined imaging protocol and the index‐beat approach. The change in systolic and diastolic function was assessed, stratified by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Overall, 145 patients completed follow‐up, with median age 75 years (interquartile range 69–82) and 44% women. In 119 patients with baseline LVEF ≥50%, a significantly greater improvement in systolic function was noted in patients randomized to low‐dose digoxin versus beta‐blockers: adjusted mean difference for LVEF 2.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.3–4.2; p = 0.021), s′ 1.1 cm/s (95% CI 1.0–1.2; p = 0.001) and stroke volume 6.5 ml (95% CI 0.4–12.6; p = 0.037), with no difference in global longitudinal strain (p = 0.11) or any diastolic parameters. There were no significant differences between groups for patients with LVEF 40–49% and <40%. Digoxin reduced N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide compared to beta-blockers (geometric mean difference 0.77; 95% CI 0.64–0.92; p = 0.004), improved New York Heart Association functional class (odds ratio [OR] 11.3, 95% CI 4.3–29.8; p < 0.001) and modified European Heart Rhythm Association arrhythmia symptom class (OR 4.91, 95% CI 2.36–10.23; p < 0.001), with substantially less adverse events (incident rate ratio 0.21, 95% CI 0.13–0.31; p < 0.001). There were no interactions between treatment effects and baseline LVEF for these outcomes (interaction p = 0.62, 0.49, 0.07 and 0.13, respectively).Conclusions: Low-dose digoxin in patients with symptoms of heart failure, preserved LVEF and permanent AF leads to a significantly greater improvement in systolic function compared to treatment with beta-blockers

Aboriginal young people’s perspectives and experiences of accessing sexual health services and sex education in Australia: A qualitative study

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) young people seek information and access health services for their sexual health needs. This study examined Aboriginal young people’s perspectives on sexual health services and sex education in Australia. Overall, 51 Aboriginal people aged 16–26 years were interviewed by peer researchers in Sydney, Australia in 2019–2020. The findings suggest that the internet was used to assess information quickly and confidentially, but Aboriginal young people questioned its reliability and accuracy. Family, Elders and peers were seen as sources of advice because they had real-life experience and highlighted intergenerational learning that occurs in Aboriginal communities. School-based sex education programmes had mixed reviews, with a preference for programmes delivered by external specialists providing anonymity, clear and accurate information about sex and relationships and positive approaches to sex education, including how to gain consent before sex. There was a need identified for school-based programmes to better consider the needs of Aboriginal young people, including those who identified as LGBTQI +. Aboriginal Medical Services were highly valued for providing culturally safe access to services, while sexual health clinics were valued for providing specialised confidential clinical services with low levels of judgement

Transfer of thawed frozen embryo versus fresh embryo to improve the healthy baby rate in women undergoing IVF : the E-Freeze RCT

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A next generation, pilot-scale continuous sterilization system for fermentation media

A new continuous sterilization system was designed, constructed, started up, and qualified for media sterilization for secondary metabolite cultivations, bioconversions, and enzyme production. An existing Honeywell Total Distributed Control 3000-based control system was extended using redundant High performance Process Manager controllers for 98 I/O (input/output) points. This new equipment was retrofitted into an industrial research fermentation pilot plant, designed and constructed in the early 1980s. Design strategies of this new continuous sterilizer system and the expanded control system are described and compared with the literature (including dairy and bio-waste inactivation applications) and the weaknesses of the prior installation for expected effectiveness. In addition, the reasoning behind selection of some of these improved features has been incorporated. Examples of enhancements adopted include sanitary heat exchanger (HEX) design, incorporation of a “flash” cooling HEX, on-line calculation of F(o) and R(o), and use of field I/O modules located near the vessel to permit low-cost addition of new instrumentation. Sterilizer performance also was characterized over the expected range of operating conditions. Differences between design and observed temperature, pressure, and other profiles were quantified and investigated