Assessing hydrologic alteration: Evaluation of different alternatives according to data availability

The natural flow regime of rivers across the world has been largely modified. Understanding the extent to which the flow regime deviates from natural conditions is necessary for designing sound management and restoration measures. In this regard, ‘Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration’ is currently considered one of the most effective approaches for assessing hydrologic alteration (HA). However, several generalized drawbacks such as the climatic variability between the pre- and post-impacted series and the scarcity of hydrological data in many impaired rivers should be addressed. In this study, a protocol with the following five alternative designs based on data availability is presented: (1) Paired-Before–After Control–Impact (BACIP), (2) Before–After (BA), (3) Control–Impact (CI), (4) Hydrological Classification (HC) and (5) Predicted Hydrological indices (HP). BACIP compares the status of the impacted gauge before and after the perturbation is started, in addition to controlling for natural climatic changes. Hence, it has been considered as the reference benchmark for all other designs. When this protocol was applied to 11 reservoirs situated in the northern third of the Iberian Peninsula, the BA design was able to correctly identify most of the non-significant HA but failed in almost one quarter of the significant alterations. Similarly, BACIP and CI showed an agreement of >80%. This suggests that the method is suitable when proper data are unavailable for BACIP or BA. In addition, our results indicated that the critical thresholds for HA varied depending on the hydrological index being considered. Significant HAs ranged from <5% for the number of days with increasing and decreasing flows to >64% for the duration of low-flow pulses. To delineate adequate thresholds, further research combining hydrological analyses with the biological response to the HA is warranted. Finally, the application of HC and HP designs revealed a significant degree of uncertainty related to the intra-class variability and the predictive error of the models. Therefore, 25% of the analysis could not be evaluated. However, in the evaluable cases, the HC and HP designs correctly assessed >75% of the HA, which highlighted the potential of this method in cases of scarce streamflow data.     

Fish communities’ response to implementation of restoring measures in a highly artificialized estuary

Over the years, the Mondego estuary has undergone various anthropogenic impacts. One of the most serious was the closing of the communication between the two arms of the system (north and south), in the 1990s, which promoted eutrophication and a consequent water quality decline in the south arm. Several mitigation measures were subsequently implemented, in particular the re-establishing of the communication between the two arms in 2006, increasing water flow and reducing water residence time in the south arm. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of management measures on the ecological and conservation condition of the Mondego estuary, through a longitudinal assessment of the structure and composition of the fish communities over a decade. The Mondego fish community showed important modifications over the years, in terms of structure, ecological quality and conservation value. The fish community status improved following the reconnection of both arms. In the south arm those changes appear to be more evident than in the other estuarine areas, where an inverse pattern was observed in the last few years. A redistribution of the fish species within the system may have been responsible for those unexpected alterations in the north arm and upstream area.     

Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry

The experience of burnout has been the focus of much research during the past few decades. Measures have been developed, as have various theoretical models, and research studies from many countries have contributed to a better understanding of the causes and consequences of this occupationally‐specific dysphoria. The majority of this work has focused on human service occupations, and particularly health care. Research on the burnout experience for psychiatrists mirrors much of the broader literature, in terms of both sources and outcomes of burnout. But it has also identified some of the unique stressors that mental health professionals face when they are dealing with especially difficult or violent clients. Current issues of particular relevance for psychiatry include the links between burnout and mental illness, the attempts to redefine burnout as simply exhaustion, and the relative dearth of evaluative research on potential interventions to treat and/or prevent burnout. Given that the treatment goal for burnout is usually to enable people to return to their job, and to be successful in their work, psychiatry could make an important contribution by identifying the treatment strategies that would be most effective in achieving that goal.     

Adaptations to isolated shoulder fatigue during simulated repetitive work. Part II: Recovery

The shoulder allows kinematic and muscular changes to facilitate continued task performance during prolonged repetitive work. The purpose of this work was to examine changes during simulated repetitive work in response to a fatigue protocol. Participants performed 20 one-minute work cycles comprised of 4 shoulder centric tasks, a fatigue protocol, followed by 60 additional cycles. The fatigue protocol targeted the anterior deltoid and cycled between static and dynamic actions. EMG was collected from 14 upper extremity and back muscles and three-dimensional motion was captured during each work cycle. Participants completed post-fatigue work despite EMG manifestations of muscle fatigue, reduced flexion strength (by 28%), and increased perceived exertion (∼3 times). Throughout the post-fatigue work cycles, participants maintained performance via kinematic and muscular adaptations, such as reduced glenohumeral flexion and scapular rotation which were task specific and varied throughout the hour of simulated work. By the end of 60 post-fatigue work cycles, signs of fatigue persisted in the anterior deltoid and developed in the middle deltoid, yet perceived exertion and strength returned to pre-fatigue levels. Recovery from fatigue elicits changes in muscle activity and movement patterns that may not be perceived by the worker which has important implications for injury risk.     

Adaptations to isolated shoulder fatigue during simulated repetitive work. Part I: Fatigue

Upper extremity muscle fatigue is challenging to identify during industrial tasks and places changing demands on the shoulder complex that are not fully understood. The purpose of this investigation was to examine adaptation strategies in response to isolated anterior deltoid muscle fatigue while performing simulated repetitive work. Participants completed two blocks of simulated repetitive work separated by an anterior deltoid fatigue protocol; the first block had 20 work cycles and the post-fatigue block had 60 cycles. Each work cycle was 60 s in duration and included 4 tasks: handle pull, cap rotation, drill press and handle push. Surface EMG of 14 muscles and upper body kinematics were recorded. Immediately following fatigue, glenohumeral flexion strength was reduced, rating of perceived exertion scores increased and signs of muscle fatigue (increased EMG amplitude, decreased EMG frequency) were present in anterior and posterior deltoids, latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior. Along with other kinematic and muscle activity changes, scapular reorientation occurred in all of the simulated tasks and generally served to increase the width of the subacromial space. These findings suggest that immediately following fatigue people adapt by repositioning joints to maintain task performance and may also prioritize maintaining subacromial space width.     

‘Would it sell more pork?’ Pig farmers’ perceptions of Real Welfare,the welfare outcome component of their farm assurance scheme

In the UK, the pig industry is leading the way in the adoption of welfare outcome measures as part of their farm assurance scheme. The welfare outcome assessment (WOA), known as Real Welfare, is conducted by the farmers’ own veterinary surgeon. For the first time, this has allowed the pig industry to evaluate welfare by directly assessing the animal itself and to document the welfare of the UK pig industry as a whole. Farmer perspectives of the addition of a welfare outcome assessment to their farm assurance scheme have yet to be explored. Here, we investigate how the introduction of the Real Welfare protocol has been perceived by the farmers involved, what value it has (if any), whether any practical changes on farm have been a direct consequence of Real Welfare and ultimately whether they consider that the welfare of their pigs has been improved by the introduction of the Real Welfare protocol. Semi-structured interviews with 15 English pig farmers were conducted to explore their perceptions and experiences of the Real Welfare process. Our findings fall into three key areas: the lived experience of Real Welfare, on-farm changes resulting from Real Welfare and suggested improvements to the Real Welfare process as it currently stands. In all the three areas, the value farmers placed on the addition of WOA appeared to reflect their veterinary surgeon’s attitude towards the Real Welfare protocol. If the vet was engaged in the process and actively included the farmer, for example through discussion of their findings, the farmers interviewed had a greater appreciation of the benefits of Real Welfare themselves. It is recommended that future similar schemes should work with veterinary surgeons to ensure their understanding and engagement with the process, as well as identifying and promoting how the scheme will practically benefit individual farmers rather than assuming that they will be motivated to engage for the good of the industry alone. Retailers should be encouraged to use Real Welfare as a marketing tool for pig products to enhance the perceived commercial value of this protocol to farmers.     

Assessment of welfare indicators in dairy farms offering pasture at differing levels

In terms of animal welfare, farming systems of dairy cows are perceived positively by consumers when compared to pigs or poultry. A main reason is that the majority of consumers associate dairy farming with pasture, which in turn they relate with benefits for animal health and welfare. However, holistic scientific assessments of the effects of pasturing on animal welfare are rare. Hence, it was the aim to study the animal welfare level in 61 German loose housing dairy farms by using the measures of the Welfare Quality® protocol for dairy cattle (WQP). Data were collected twice per farm at the end of the pasture season (July to October) and approximately 6 months later at the end of the barn season (December to April). Farms were classified based on the duration cows had access to pasture per day during the pasture season: group 1 (G1)>10 h; group 2 (G2) 6 to 10 h; group 3 (G3)<6 h and group 4 (G4) without pasture access. The average herd size was 129 Holstein-Friesian or Red-Holstein cows (range 58 to 527). In addition to WQP data, performance data were gathered from routine herd data recordings. The indicators were aggregated to criteria applying the scoring system of the WQP. G4 received lower scores at the first than at the second visit for the criterion absence of hunger, while there were no differences between visits in the other groups (P=0.58 – group×farm visit effect). All pasturing groups were scored better at the end of the pasture season than G4 for the criterion comfort around resting (P<0.01). Compared with G1 for both farm visits and G2 for the end of the barn season, G4 reached inferior scores for the criterion absence of injuries, including indicators such as hairless patches, lesions, and swellings and lameness. At both assessments G2 was scored higher than the other groups for the criterion absence of diseases (P=0.04). In conclusion, pasture access had positive effects only on selected welfare indicators, however, these effects were not maintained throughout the barn season.     

Process analytical technologies to monitor the liquid phase of anaerobic cultures

Recent advances in sensor development and miniaturization offer new possibilities to monitor and control bioprocesses. Specific requirements for anaerobic processes in terms of low costs and high robustness against insoluble fractions and impurities in media led to a decelerated penetration of new technology in this field. Since no regulatory framework demands for process monitoring and documentation like in the pharmaceutical industry, the implementation of new sensors beyond long-established methods is not conducted as intensively.Nevertheless, many attempts have been made in recent years to adopt sensors and show their applicability in anaerobic fermentation processes. New possibilities arise for improved monitoring, control and faster process development through digitalization. This review aims to provide an overview over these recent attempts with the focus on the liquid phase in the upstream part of pure culture bioprocesses for anaerobic bulk compound, food, and beverage production. In particular, methods that monitor the viability, metabolic activity or related parameters are discussed, like electrochemical, impedance and spectroscopy probes, and methods related to fluid flow and gradient formation, like acoustic and mobile sensors.     

New insights into the binding mode of pyridine-3-carboxamide inhibitors of E. coli DNA gyrase

Previously we have reported on a series of pyridine-3-carboxamide inhibitors of DNA gyrase and DNA topoisomerase IV that were designed using a computational de novo design approach and which showed promising antibacterial properties. Herein we describe the synthesis of additional examples from this series aimed specifically at DNA gyrase, along with crystal structures confirming the predicted mode of binding and in vitro ADME data which describe the drug-likeness of these compounds.