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Kelp forests form an important biogenic habitat that responds to natural and human drivers. Global concerns exist about threats to kelp forests, yet long-term information is limited and research suggests that trends are geographically distinct. We examined distribution of the bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana over 145 years in South Puget Sound (SPS), a semi-protected inner basin in a fjord estuary complex in the northeast Pacific Ocean. We synthesized 48 historical and modern Nereocystis surveys and examined presence/absence within 1-km segments along 452 km of shoreline. Compared to the earliest baseline in 1878, Nereocystis extent in 2017 decreased 63%, with individual sub-basins showing up to 96% loss. Losses have persisted for decades, across a range of climate conditions. In recent decades, Nereocystis predominantly occurred along shorelines with intense currents and mixing, where temperature and nutrient concentrations did not reach thresholds for impacts to Nereocystis performance, and high current speeds likely excluded grazers. Losses predominated in areas with elevated temperature, lower nutrient concentrations, and relatively low current velocities. The pattern of long-term losses in SPS contrasts with stability in floating kelp abundance during the last century in an area of the Salish Sea with greater wave exposure and proximity to oceanic conditions. These findings support the hypothesis that kelp beds along wave-sheltered shorelines exhibit greater sensitivity to environmental stressors. Additionally, shorelines with strong currents and deep-water mixing may provide refugia within sheltered systems.

Understanding the historical extent of biogenic habitats can provide insight into the nature of human impacts and inform restoration and conservation actions. Kelp forests form an important biogenic habitat that responds to natural and human drivers. Global concerns exist about threats to kelp forests, yet long term information is limited and research suggests that trends are geographically distinct. We examined distribution of the bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana over 145 years in South Puget Sound (SPS), a semi-protected inner basin in a fjord estuary complex in the northeast Pacific Ocean. We synthesized 48 historical and modern Nereocystis surveys and examined presence/absence within 1-km shoreline segments along 452 km of shoreline. Over the last 145 years, Nereocystis has been documented in 26% of the shoreline segments. Its extent decreased 62% basin-wide between the 1870s and 2017, with extreme losses in the two out of three sub-basins (96% in Central and 83% in West). In recent years, almost all Nereocystis occurred in the East sub-basin. In the majority of segments where Nereocystis disappeared, the most recent observation was 4 decades ago, or earlier. Multiple natural and human factors that are known to impact kelp could have contributed to observed patterns, but limited data exist at the spatial and temporal scale of this study. In some areas, recent environmental conditions approached thresholds associated with decreased kelp performance. Longstanding Nereocystis losses occurred exclusively in areas with relatively low current velocities. Remaining Nereocystis predominantly occurred in areas where circulation is stronger. Exceptions to this pattern demonstrate that additional factors outside the scope of this study contributed to trajectories of Nereocystis persistence or loss.

Pamela Sklar and colleagues report a genome-wide association study of bipolar disorder and identify variants in the genes encoding ankyrin-3 and the alpha-1C subunit of the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel as increasing risk. To identify susceptibility loci for bipolar disorder, we tested 1.8 million variants in 4,387 cases and 6,209 controls and identified a region of strong association (rs10994336, P = 9.1 × 10 −9 ) in ANK3 (ankyrin G). We also found further support for the previously reported CACNA1C (alpha 1C subunit of the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel; combined P = 7.0 × 10 −8 , rs1006737). Our results suggest that ion channelopathies may be involved in the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder.

Background Features of new bone formation (NBF) are common in tophaceous gout. The aim of this project was to develop a plain radiographic scoring system for NBF in gout. Methods Informed by a literature review, scoring systems were tested in 80 individual 1st and 5th metatarsophalangeal joints. Plain radiography scores were compared with computed tomography (CT) measurements of the same joints. The best-performing scoring system was then tested in paired sets of hand and foot radiographs obtained over 2 years from an additional 25 patients. Inter-reader reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). NBF scores were correlated with plain radiographic erosion scores (using the gout-modified Sharp-van der Heijde system). Results Following a series of structured reviews of plain radiographs and scoring exercises, a semi-quantitative scoring system for sclerosis and spur was developed. In the individual joint analysis, the inter-observer ICC (95% CI) was 0.84 (0.76–0.89) for sclerosis and 0.81 (0.72–0.87) for spur. Plain radiographic sclerosis and spur scores correlated with CT measurements ( r = 0.65–0.74, P < 0.001 for all analyses). For the hand and foot radiograph sets, the inter-observer ICC (95% CI) was 0.94 (0.90–0.98) for sclerosis score and 0.76 (0.65–0.84) for spur score. Sclerosis and spur scores correlated highly with plain radiographic erosion scores ( r = 0.87 and 0.71 respectively), but not with change in erosion scores over 2 years ( r = −0.04–0.15). Conclusion A semi-quantitative plain radiographic scoring method for the assessment of NBF in gout is feasible, valid, and reproducible. This method may facilitate consistent measurement of NBF in gout.

Background COVID-19 caused a huge backlog of patients in glaucoma clinics. This study describes redesign of an entire glaucoma service with electronic patient triage to three levels and utilisation of the Scottish optometry infrastructure of upskilled optometrists. Methods 2276 patients in glaucoma clinics were identified and triaged to three levels in keeping with Glauc-strat-fast guidance with local amendments. Every patient detail was entered into a bespoke glaucoma database to include demographics, clinical findings and social deprivation scores. The database generated automatic patient, GP and optometrist letters. Level one patients (482) were discharged within the Scottish general optometry service contract. Level two patients (714) were discharged to glaucoma accredited community optometry clinics. The glaucoma consultants would discuss the optometry decision making through screen share once a week. Level three patients (1080) were retained in hospital. All outcomes were audited and analysed 24 months after the new service. Results Statistically significant parameters were found between the three groups, to include more normal eyes, less mean deviation on visual fields and less social deprivation in level one patients. After 24 months level one patients had a return rate of 40.2%, mainly for other diseases with only 20.4% retained within hospital or level two. 9.4% of level two patients returned to hospital with retention of only 2.7% in hospital at 24 months. Conclusion Glaucoma patients in Scotland can be appropriately triaged to glaucoma accredited community optometry clinics. This frees capacity within hospital to see patients with moderate and severe disease in a timely fashion, for best visual outcomes.

Despite compelling evidence for a major genetic contribution to risk of bipolar mood disorder, conclusive evidence implicating specific genes or pathophysiological systems has proved elusive. In part this is likely to be related to the unknown validity of current phenotype definitions and consequent aetiological heterogeneity of samples. In the recent Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium genome-wide association analysis of bipolar disorder (1868 cases, 2938 controls) one of the most strongly associated polymorphisms lay within the gene encoding the GABA A receptor β1 subunit, GABRB1 . Aiming to increase biological homogeneity, we sought the diagnostic subset that showed the strongest signal at this polymorphism and used this to test for independent evidence of association with other members of the GABA A receptor gene family. The index signal was significantly enriched in the 279 cases meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria for schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type ( P =3.8 × 10 −6 ). Independently, these cases showed strong evidence that variation in GABA A receptor genes influences risk for this phenotype (independent system-wide P =6.6 × 10 −5 ) with association signals also at GABRA4, GABRB3 , GABRA5 and GABRR1 . Our findings have the potential to inform understanding of presentation, pathogenesis and nosology of bipolar disorders. Our method of phenotype refinement may be useful in studies of other complex psychiatric and non-psychiatric disorders.

The driven Dicke model, wherein an ensemble of atoms is driven by an external field and undergoes collective spontaneous emission due to coupling to a leaky cavity mode, is a paradigmatic example of a system exhibiting a driven-dissipative phase transition as a function of driving strength. Recently, a similar phenomenon was experimentally observed, not in a cavity setting, but rather in a free-space atomic ensemble. The reason why similar behavior should emerge in free space is not obvious, as the system interacts with a continuum of optical modes, which encodes light propagation effects. Here, we present and solve a simple model to explain the behavior of the free-space system, based on the one-dimensional Maxwell-Bloch equations. On one hand, we show that a free-space ensemble at a low optical depth can exhibit similar behavior as the cavity system, as spatial propagation effects are negligible. On the other hand, in the thermodynamic limit of large atom number, we show that certain observables such as the transmittance or the atomic excited population exhibit non-analytic behavior as a function of the driving intensity, reminiscent of a phase transition. However, a closer analysis reveals that the atomic properties are highly inhomogeneous in space, and based on this we argue that the free-space system does not undergo a phase transition but rather a ``phase separation\", roughly speaking, between saturated and unsaturated regions.

The system used to discipline Queensland police officers is flawed and must be overhauled, a review by the Crime and Misconduct Commission says.

Edith and Denis Schultz delighted the kids by choosing a McDonald's store in Toowoomba to renew their wedding vows.