Detailed Advice Research Articles

Peri-operative Replacement of Exogenous Steroids (PREdS): a national audit of current peri-operative prescribing for patients taking therapeutic steroids.

Approximately 1% of the UK population take oral corticosteroids for ≥ 28 days each year, for broadly two reasons: deficiency in corticosteroid requiring replacement; or therapeutic corticosteroid for inflammatory conditions. Acute deficiency can occur at times of physiological stress (e.g. surgery), potentially leading to major complications. The Association of Anaesthetists' 2020 consensus guideline provides detailed advice for the management of glucocorticoids during the peri-operative period for patients with adrenal insufficiency. This national audit aimed to assess compliance with this guideline. Data were collected from 59 Trusts over 14 consecutive days for all eligible patients undergoing procedures under the care of an anaesthetist. Patients who were prescribed ≥ 5 mg oral prednisolone equivalents pre-operatively, in whom supplementary corticosteroid would be indicated, were compared with those prescribed < 5 mg oral prednisolone equivalents. Operations for 21,731 patients were audited: 277 (1.3%) patients were taking therapeutic corticosteroids. Detailed peri-operative data were collected for all patients receiving therapeutic corticosteroids: 201/277 (73%) were ASA physical status ≥ 3; 184/277 (66%) underwent elective procedures; and 252/277 (91%) were prescribed prednisolone pre-operatively, of whom 219/277 (79%) were prescribed ≥ 5 mg oral prednisolone equivalents. In the patients who were prescribed ≥ 5 mg oral prednisolone equivalents, 186/219 (85%) received pre-operative glucocorticoid supplementation and 97/219 (42%) received it postoperatively; however, only 67/219 (31%) and 43/219 (20%) respectively received glucocorticoid supplementation according to the guidelines. Overall, peri-operative prescribing was compliant in 19/219 (9%) patients. A similar proportion, 30/219 (14%), received no supplementation. In the patients taking < 5 mg oral prednisolone equivalents pre-operatively, 28/58 (48%) received inappropriate supplementation. Despite 125/277 (45%) of anaesthetists reporting Association of Anaesthetists' guidelines use, compliance remained low, with adherence in only 27/125 (22%) patients. Further research is required to identify the correct peri-operative strategy for patients taking therapeutic corticosteroids.

Effectiveness of a novel consultant nurse-led breast pain clinic in secondary care.

Patients with breast pain are usually seen in 'one-stop clinic' (OSC) with breast imaging. In the absence of associated red flag features, the incidence of breast cancer is extremely low. With increase in referrals the OSC capacity is over-stretched. We developed a consultant nurse-led dedicated 'breast pain clinic' in September 2021 without routine breast imaging. After meticulous history and examination, patients obtained detailed counselling and advice regarding breast pain management. If any abnormality was noted then appointment was given for OSC. To assess the effectiveness of a consultant nurse-led dedicated 'breast pain clinic'. A prospective study of all consecutive patients seen in 'breast pain clinic' from September 2021 until September 2022. Feedback was sought from all patients. Altogether 429 patients were seen. The mean age was 48.7years (range 18-86). 87.6% (n = 376) patients required no breast imaging. Only 12.4% (n = 53) patients needed referral to OSC and subsequently 2 patients (0.46%) were diagnosed with breast cancer. Ninety-eight percent of patients felt reassured and 99.2% patients were extremely likely/likely to recommend this service to family and friends. Out of 376 patients who were discharged from breast pain clinic, 12 patients were referred again over a median follow-up period of 15months, and 2 out of them were diagnosed with breast cancer. A consultant nurse-led 'breast pain clinic' provides service improvement as it eases the pressure on the OSC. Most patients were managed without breast imaging with high level of patient satisfaction and low rereferral rate.

The Construction and Government of Lunatic Asylums and Hospitals for the Insane, by John Conolly

SUMMARYThis article offers a review of John Conolly's book of 1847 concerning the construction and administration of asylums for the mentally ill, which gives detailed advice on the selection and management of staff and remarks on the role of the medical superintendent.

Writing Modern Geoscience

Scientific writing is a cornerstone component of modern geoscience practice. Despite this, the subject rarely benefits from any explicit instruction during graduate training. This editorial attempts to address that gap by providing a simplified approach to writing modern geoscience papers. Implementation of this approach requires aspiring scientific writers to first consider why we as scientists write papers and what our goals should be for our audience. From there, specific and detailed advice is provided on how to best structure the idea flow and presentation within each of the primary components of a peer-reviewed manuscript (e.g. introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, and abstracts). Examples of annotated, illustrative text are provided throughout. Considerable attention is paid to the notion of a scientific paper as an argument (as presented primarily in it's discussion section) in favor of some proposition, and the key aspects of what makes an argument compelling. The goal is to provide new or struggling scientific writers with an explicit mechanism to construct impactful peer-reviewed manuscripts more easily.

Pediatricians’ Interventions Aimed to Reduce Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents in Primary Healthcare in Poland. A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents are associated with serious health problems and a higher risk of obesity in adults. Objectives This study aimed to determine how often pediatricians identify the condition of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents based on anthropometric measurements. The researchers also wanted to obtain information on counseling provided by pediatricians regarding diet and physical activity in patients. Material and methods In 2022, an observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 55 pediatricians working in primary health care sector in the city of Lodz. An anonymous questionnaire consisted of sections regarding the characteristics of the treated patient population, barriers and improvements in the process of patient assessment, control, and management, as well as the health status and health behaviors of pediatricians. Results About 90.9% of the pediatricians declared that they measured body weight on a scale. Similarly, 89.1% of them measured body height. Among the surveyed doctors, 67.3% calculated waist circumference or the ratio of waist-to-hip ratio. All the pediatricians provided advice on diet/eating habits and physical activity to both healthy and overweight/obese patients. In most cases, the study participants indicated that this counseling was provided „often” (83.6%). Only every tenth pediatrician provided detailed dietary advice and every sixth detailed advice on physical activity at each patient visit. A higher chance of providing dietary advice to children and adolescents was observed among pediatricians providing ≤ 100 patient visits during a routine work week (OR = 5.13; p &lt; 0.05). Normal BMI (OR = 12.35; p &lt; 0.05) and having ≤ 100 patient visits per week during a routine work week (OR = 8.28; p &lt; 0.05) were significant correlates of physical activity advice. Conclusions Pediatricians should perform accurate anthropometric measurements to prevent obesity in children and adolescents. During each patient visit, the pediatrician should give advice on diet and physical activity.

The correlation of spot urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio with 24-h urinary protein excretion in various glomerulopathies.

Proteinuria is an important and well-known biomarker of many forms of kidney injury. Its quantitation is of particular importance in the diagnosis and management of glomerular diseases. Its quantification can be done by several methods. Among these, the measurement of 24-h urinary protein excretion is the gold standard method. However, it is cumbersome, time-consuming, and inconvenient for patients and is not completely foolproof. Many alternative methods have been tested over time albeit with conflicting results. Among the latter, the measurement of urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (uPCR) in single-voided urinary samples is widely used. The majority of studies found a good correlation between uPCR in single urine samples with 24-h urinary protein estimation, whereas others did not. To investigate the correlation of spot uPCR with 24-h urinary protein estimation in patients suffering from different forms of glomerulopathies at a single large-volume nephrological center in Pakistan. This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted at the Department of Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan from September 2017 to March 2018. All newly presenting adult patients with proteinuria who were being investigated for suspected glomerulonephritis and persistent proteinuria with ages between 18 to 60 years were enrolled. All patients were given detailed advice regarding 24-h urine collection starting at 7:00 AM for total protein and creatinine excretion estimations. A spot urine sample was collected the next day at the time of submission of a 24-h urine sample for measuring uPCR along with a blood sample. The data of patients were collected in a proforma. SPSS version 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. A total of 157 patients were included. Their mean age was 30.45 ± 12.11 years. There were 94 (59.8%) males and 63 (40.2%) females. The mean 24-h urinary protein excretion was 3192.78 ± 1959.79 mg and the mean spot uPCR was 3.16 ± 1.52 in all patients. A weak but significant correlation was observed between spot uPCR and 24-h urinary protein excretion (r = 0.342, P = 0.01) among all patients. On subgroup analysis, a slightly better correlation was found in patients older than 47 years (r = 0.78), and those with body mass index > 25 kg/m2 (r = 0.45). The Bland and Altman's plot analysis comparing the differences between spot uPCR and 24-h protein measurement also showed a wide range of the limits of agreement between the two methods. Overall, the results from this study showed a significant and weakly positive correlation between spot uPCR and 24-h urinary protein estimation in different forms of glomerulopathies. The agreement between the two methods was also poor. Hence, there is a need for careful interpretation of the ratio in an unselected group of patients with kidney disease.

A Pragmatic Approach to Preparing Novice Doctoral Qualitative Researchers

Fifty percent of social science and education doctoral students in the United States fail to complete their programs. Within this context, studies addressing research methods pedagogy and qualitative methods in particular, continue to be limited. This mixed-methods case study addresses these issues by: 1) using the Ready Develop Integrate Perform (RDIP) model to frame the competency-based design and implementation of an introductory doctoral qualitative core course and its supporting learning management system; and, 2) examining effectiveness using a framework of direct and indirect assessment evidence from online and face-to-face learners. The current design scaffolds students through qualitative research methodology and methods learning and culminates with the implementation of an individually-chosen authentic research project. A sample of online and face-to-face students, representing 37% of eligible participants (n=23), reported a stronger sense of readiness for independent research and dissertation work. In addition to expanding the qualitative methods pedagogical literature and supporting the improvement of doctoral research education, this paper a competency-based design that may be implemented in any disciplinary setting. The detailed blueprint and implementation advice for university teachers makes this work relevant to a broad multidisciplinary and international audience.

Generating ICS vulnerability playbooks with open standards

Organizations face attacks on industrial control systems (ICS) as vulnerabilities are pervasive. However, patching vulnerable systems by simply updating to the newest version is often not an option and shifts focus to workarounds. Beyond pure patching, workarounds specify other remediation measures (e.g., firewall or VPN configuration) that must be taken due to system availability requirements, complexity, or heterogeneous devices. In this paper, we introduce vulnerability playbooks based on open standards. Pushing the envelope of cybersecurity playbooks—steps organizations should follow when responding to cybersecurity incidents reactively—for ICS vulnerability management offers organizations a more transparent, repeatable process and faster, possibly automated actions. We have designed a process model to collect and transform security advisories in Common Security Advisory Framework (CSAF) format and generate Collaborative Automated Course of Action Operations (CACAO) playbooks based on listed remediation advice. With a proof of concept, we demonstrate that structured CSAF documents can be seamlessly transformed into CACAO playbooks. For our industrial use case, we must also use unstructured security advice highlighting quality differences (compared to CSAF). Our generated 79 standard conformant CACAO playbooks with 485 identified actions hint at imbalanced advice toward patching. Preferably, vendors should include detailed technical remediation advice, provide APIs, and go beyond patching recommendations in their security advisories. Subscribers should structure their assets and use machine learning to normalize, generate, and prioritize CACAO playbooks. With CSAF and CACAO, we see two open standards for handling vulnerabilities.

Computing Legal Analysis: A Guided Approach to Problem Solving in Contract Law

The paper proposes a guided methodology for problem solving in a first-year undergraduate contract law module. Developed from our teaching practice and inspired by theories of computational modelling, our approach helps students to identify and extract legal information from primary and secondary sources, and to organise what they have learned into structured frameworks. The method creates scaffolding for learning and a framework through which legal issues can be identified. These frameworks can be used to locate legal information relevant to the construction of analysis and argument to the point of producing legal advice with confidence. The paper describes our approach in five distinct stages: (1) extracting doctrinal content from legal sources, (2) organising such content into a coherent framework, (3) applying the framework to problem scenarios, (4) constructing , and (5) writing up detailed, authoritative, and persuasive legal advice.. Our methodology embeds essential skills aided by a “semantic web” of concepts from which one could draw inferences, and uses computer-inspired visualisation for constructing arguments. Computational thinking allows students to visualise connections between the initial categorisation of legal information and the constitutive elements of a persuasive legal argument to articulate and demystify the process of producing legal advice.

Recipients and Non-Recipients of Career Counselling Insights of Pakistani Professionals and Career Counsellors

Career counselling is integral for high school students in shaping their future professional journey. Counsellors provide sessions encouraging healthy thought processes that could help make positive decisions regarding emotional and professional concerns. This qualitative research explored the perspectives of nine Pakistani professionals who had received career counselling as students and six professionals who had not received it and how successful they were in their professional lives. Additionally, this study examined the perceptions of five career counsellors regarding career counselling as a mandatory part of the school curriculum. Findings showed that most participants without career counselling could not decide what career pathways to choose because of a lack of guidance. In contrast, those who had received counselling were better prepared for professional lives and had successful careers. Moreover, counsellors consider that career counselling should be mandatory for guiding students to successful professional tracks. Therefore, this research posits that career guidance should be implemented in schools with clear policies monitored and accompanied by detailed career advice.

A fieldwork manual as a regulatory device: Instructing, prescribing and describing documentation work

Research on how archaeological fieldwork manuals, a sub-category of methods handbooks, regulate research documentation is limited. Qualitative content analysis of 25 English-language archaeological field manuals from the early 1900s to 2010s showed that they instruct how to describe the documentation work, prescribe practices and workflows, and function as often pre-coordinated descriptions of work. A manual forms a ‘working space’ that is sometimes adopted as such by following the detailed advice given in some of the texts but likely more often used as a more general point of reference. The fact that many manuals do not provide exact recipes for the fieldwork as a whole means that they function as comprehensive representations and documentation (paradata) of actual fieldwork practices only when read in parallel with field documentation.

The influence of dietary diversity on anthropometric status among young children ages 12 and 24 months in Wuhan, China.

The relative research on investigating the association between dietary diversity scores and anthropometric status among young children is few and inconsistent. Since understanding this association is quite essential to give more detailed advice about diet to ensure young children's healthy growth, we sought to determine the association between dietary diversity levels and anthropometric status among young children under 24 months. The study included 1408 mother-child pairs from the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort, whose children range in age from 12 to 24 months. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the effect of dietary diversity on children's anthropometric failure and obesity. All obese children aged 12 and 24 months had low-medium diverse diets in their first year of life. Risks of anthropometric failure for 12-month young children consumed low-medium diverse diets in their first year and 24-month young children consumed low-medium diverse diets in their second year are, respectively, 1.27 (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.06-1.53]) and 1.19 (OR, 95%CI = [1.02-1.40]) times of those who consumed high diverse diets in corresponding year. The risk of anthropometric failure for 24-month-old children who consumed low-medium diverse diets during their first year of life is 4.70 (OR, 95%CI = [1.62-19.91])times that of young children who consumed highly diverse diets during their first year of life. Introducing more diverse diets to young children under 24 months of age may be an effective strategy to prevent anthropometric failure and obesity in young children in later life.

579 Audit to Measure if &amp;gt;5% Reduction in Weight Occurred, as Recommended by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), for Patients Suffering from Osteoarthritis Before Their Scheduled Total Joint Replacements, at Darwen Health Link Surgery

Abstract Aim Osteoarthritis causes damage to synovial joints, manifesting as pain, loss of function, and disability. A high BMI is correlated with an increased incidence of osteoarthritis, for which NICE recommends a &amp;gt;5% (ideally &amp;gt;10%) decrease in baseline weight to improve pain and functionality. This audit aims to measure Darwen Health Link’s adherence to NICE guidelines 226 “Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management” for the management of osteoarthritis patients regarding weight-loss. Method This audit analysed 15 osteoarthritis patients with a BMI&amp;gt;30 who underwent total joint replacements from November 2021 to November 2022. Patient records were analysed for their weight management from 3-12 months prior to surgery, up till their surgery period to assess: if weight-loss advice was provided, and if &amp;gt;5% weight-loss took place. Standards were designated per clinician recommendations and NICE guidelines. Results All osteoarthritic patients (n = 15) were given weight-loss advice at presentations before surgery. However, only 20% (n = 3) of patients lost &amp;gt;5% of their baseline weight before their joint replacements, against the 50% standard. Therefore, interventions to improve weight-loss in patients and clinician guidance were implemented. These include a targeted poster, detailed weight-loss advice packs for patients, and clinician education about weight-loss programmes available locally. Conclusions The first part of the audit indicates suboptimal performance by Darwen Health Link. Their performance will be re-audited in 3 months post-interventional implementation. Reducing osteoarthritis’s burden on patients in primary care can significantly reduce pain and the need for surgery.

Withholding of Hormone Replacement Therapy Prior to Total Joint Arthroplasty Surgery to Reduce the Risk of Postoperative Thromboembolic Events: Is It Justified?—A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines

BackgroundHormone replacement therapy (HRT), menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), and estrogen-containing medications are frequently withheld before elective lower limb arthroplasty, based on a perceived risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, evidence linking HRT, MHT, and an increased VTE risk is equivocal. This systematic review evaluated the concordance of international clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on the withholding of HRT or MHT. MethodsThe PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane, and Ovid databases were searched for CPGs for the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative management of patients on HRT and MHT undergoing elective lower limb arthroplasty. This was supplemented by an internet search. There were 7 international CPGs in English, from Europe and North America, published between January 2000 and February 2023 reviewed against the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation Instrument (AGREE-II) criteria, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. ResultsThe guidelines reviewed revealed a mixed picture on HRT or MHT withdrawal and use in arthroplasty, with some featuring detailed advice on the preoperative and postoperative management of HRT or MHT (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network), while others featured no guidance (American College of Chest Physicians). The evidence referenced in these guidelines highlighted studies showing HRT or MHT to play a limited role in increasing VTE risk, with most studies from the 1990s and 2000s. ConclusionsBased on current evidence, non-estrogen-containing transdermal HRT or MHT should not be withheld in patients undergoing elective joint arthroplasty, though further evidence is required to justify withholding estrogen-containing forms.

FTP4.9 An audit to measure if &amp;gt;5% reduction in weight occurred, as recommended by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), for patients suffering from osteoarthritis before their scheduled total joint replacement surgery, at Darwen Health Link Surgery

Abstract Aim Osteoarthritis causes damage to synovial joints, manifesting as pain, loss of function, and disability. A high BMI is correlated with an increased incidence of osteoarthritis, for which NICE recommends a &amp;gt;5% (ideally &amp;gt;10%) decrease in baseline weight to improve pain and functionality. This audit aims to measure Darwen Health Link’s adherence to NICE guidelines 226 “Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management” for the management of osteoarthritis patients regarding weight-loss. Method This audit analysed 15 osteoarthritis patients with a BMI&amp;gt;30 who underwent total joint replacements from November 2021 to November 2022. Patient records were analysed for their weight management from 3-12 months prior to surgery, up till their surgery period to assess: if weight-loss advice was provided and if &amp;gt;5% weight-loss took place. Standards were designated per clinician recommendations and NICE guidelines. Results All osteoarthritic patients (n=15) were given weight-loss advice at presentations before surgery. However, only 20% (n=3) of patients lost &amp;gt;5% of their baseline weight before their joint replacements, against the 50% standard. Therefore, interventions to improve weight-loss in patients and clinician guidance were implemented. These include a targeted poster, detailed weight-loss advice packs for patients, and clinician education about weight-loss programmes available locally. Conclusion The first part of the audit indicates suboptimal performance by Darwen Health Link. Their performance will be re-audited in 3 months post-interventional implementation. Reducing osteoarthritis’s burden on patients in primary care can significantly reduce pain and the need for surgery.

A shared love: reciprocity and hopefulness in romantic relationships of young adults with chronic pain.

Chronic pain (≥3 months) creates pain-related challenges that may negatively affect how young adults perceive themselves, and, indeed, they often report feeling different compared to peers and prospective romantic partners. Most studies of romantic relationships in young adults living with a long-term condition (including pain), do not consider the perspective of their partner. We present the findings of a qualitative, exploratory interview study (Phase 2 of a mixed methods study). This qualitative phase aimed to explore how young adults with chronic pain and their partners navigate romantic relationships. We focused on how young adults perceive and experience their romantic relationships and the impact, challenges, and benefits associated with living with chronic pain. This study used remote (videoconferencing) photo-elicitation interviews with a convenience sample of young adults with chronic pain (aged 18-25 years, UK and Canada) and their partners. Recruitment occurred via social media, pain-related websites and organizations, and professional networks. Five young adults with chronic pain from the UK and Canada formed the e-Advisory Group and provided detailed advice throughout the study. Data analysis used the principles of inductive reflexive thematic analysis to explore the dimensions and meaning of romantic relationships from the views of young adults with chronic pain and their romantic partners. Sixteen young adults participated (seven couples plus two young adults with pain who were interviewed without their partner). The young adults with chronic pain were ages 18-24 years (mean 21.88 years, SD 2.23). Four major interpretive themes were generated: Kindred spirits-we just sort of work; Loving in everyday acts-it's not above and beyond, it's concerned supportiveness; It's OK to be vulnerable with each other-we can talk it through; and You can't see over the horizon-hopes and fears for the future. Hopefulness and reciprocity were key to the stories shared by the young adults in the current study. Despite the challenges and limitations imposed by chronic pain, their relationships were characterized by partnership and reciprocity, and they were able to be vulnerable with each other and offer each other support.

Priorities to improve woman-centred gestational diabetes mellitus care: A qualitative study to compare views between clinical and consumer end-users.

Immigrants worldwide have a two-fold higher risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) than women of the host country. Providing culturally appropriate woman-centred GDM care to attenuate adverse maternal and neonatal health outcomes is a persistent challenge for health services. Underpinned by the Knowledge to Action Framework, understanding and comparing the views of patients from different ethnic backgrounds and healthcare professionals (HCPs) about current and optimal GDM care can highlight priority areas to improve woman-centred care. This qualitative study aimed to compare the views of ethnic Chinese and Australian-born Caucasian women and their HCPs, including endocrinologists, obstetricians, midwives, diabetes nurse educators and dietitians, about what constitutes optimal GDM care and how to improve woman-centred GDM care. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 42 Chinese and 30 Caucasian women with GDM and 17 HCPs from two large Australian hospital maternity services to complete in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Patients' and HCPs' views were thematically analysed and compared. Four out of nine themes showed misalignments between patients' and HCPs' views on GDM care, reflecting priority areas to improve woman-centred care by (i) reaching agreement on the attitudes towards different treatment targets between HCPs; (ii) enhancing inter-professional communication; (iii) improving GDM care transition to postpartum care; and (iv) providing detailed dietary advice tailored to Chinese patients' cultural diet. Further research on reaching consensus on treatment targets, enhancing inter-professional communication, developing a perinatal care transition model from pregnancy to postpartum, and developing Chinese patient-oriented educational resources is required to improve woman-centred care.

Just Bad Quality or Just Good Quality? The Meaning of Macroscopic Growth Features of Timber in Ship-Archaeological Analyses

Abstract The particular macroscopic growth features of the timbers of Bremen-Cog, a late 14th-century cargo vessel, were the subject of a detailed analysis during the European Research Council (ERC) research project TIMBER at the University of Copenhagen. The unexpected depth of the results of this examination led to the feasibility study presented in this paper, which evaluates the meaning of macroscopic growth features in ship archaeological analyses. In the past, the perception of wood in ship-archaeological analyses often seems to be either ignored or strongly idealised causing macroscopic growth features to be missing in many cases as decisive analytical features. The idea of a shipwright, who personally chooses only the best material, was likely born out of an idealised image of the past and influenced by recent shipbuilding practices. Detailed advice on the choice of high-quality timber for shipbuilding only appeared during the 20th century, long after wood was superseded by steel for most vessels, and the competition for shipbuilding timber on the market had ceased. In some cases, this has produced a somewhat distorted interpretation of ships and shipbuilding. As a holistic approach to features of growth can provide information beyond timber quality, such as environmental influences and human impacts on this resource. In certain cases, such an approach can draw conclusions on economic and social circumstances. The information gathered from building timber can alter the interpretation of boats and ships. This paper discusses the demand for shipbuilding timber and its quality in northwest Europe, and aims to reflect on possible social, economic, or environmental reasons for the shipwright’s choices.

Developing Supportive Bioeconomy Policies

Developing Supportive Bioeconomy Policies

Does straw returning affect the root rot disease of crops in soil? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Straw returning is a sustainable way that does not destroy soil ecology in agronomic management. Some studies have found that straw returning may aggravate or reduce soilborne diseases in the past few decades. Despite the increasing number of independent studies investigated the effect of straw returning on root rot of crops, the quantitative analysis regarding the relationship between straw returning and crop root rot is still undefined. In this study, keywords co-occurrence matrix was extracted from 2489 published studies (published from 2000 to 2022, the same below) on controlling soilborne diseases of crops. The methods used for soilborne diseases prevention have shifted from chemical to biological and agricultural control since 2010. As root rot is the soilborne disease with the largest weight in keyword co-occurrence according to statistics, we further collected 531 articles focusing on crop root rot. Notably, the 531 studies are mainly distributed in the United States, Canada, China and other countries in Europe and the south and southeast of Asia, and focus on the root rot of soybean, tomato, wheat and other important grain crops or economic crops. Based on the meta-analysis of 534 measurements in 47 previous studies, we explored how 10 management factors (soil pH/texture, type/size of straw, depth/rate/cumulative amount of application, days after application, beneficial/pathogenic microorganism inoculated before application and annual N-fertilizer input) during straw returning affect root rot onset worldwide. The results showed that straw size and microorganisms inoculated before straw returning are the key factors affecting the incidence of root rot. In combination with actual agricultural production, detailed advice applicable to traditional farming system on the optimization management of straw returning was given. This study emphasized the significance of straw pretreatment and farmland management to reduce soilborne diseases during straw returning.