Entire UK Research Articles

Urological issues following gender reassignment surgery.

It has been estimated that 0.2% of the UK population identifies as transgender. For those who seek gender reassignment, the pathway can involve the expertise of multiple disciplines, including primary care, psychology, endocrinology and speech and language therapy. A small but significant number of the transgender population will also elect to undergo gender-affirming genital surgery in order to achieve gender congruence. In the UK, very few specialist centres provide genital gender-affirming surgery for trans-men and women. The population accessing these services spans the entire UK, and with such geographical dispersion, trans-patients with uro-genital complications after surgery in both the short and long term are likely to present locally, with initial assessment/management often conducted in a non-specialist setting. This article aims to help familiarise nurses with genital gender reassignment/affirming surgery and the resultant altered anatomy. It explores the urological issues trans-men and women may experience as a consequence of surgery.

A new precipitation and drought climatology based on weather patterns.

ABSTRACTWeather‐pattern, or weather‐type, classifications are a valuable tool in many applications as they characterize the broad‐scale atmospheric circulation over a given region. This study analyses the aspects of regional UK precipitation and meteorological drought climatology with respect to a new set of objectively defined weather patterns. These new patterns are currently being used by the Met Office in several probabilistic forecasting applications driven by ensemble forecasting systems. Weather pattern definitions and daily occurrences are mapped to Lamb weather types (LWTs), and parallels between the two classifications are drawn. Daily precipitation distributions are associated with each weather pattern and LWT. Standardized precipitation index (SPI) and drought severity index (DSI) series are calculated for a range of aggregation periods and seasons. Monthly weather‐pattern frequency anomalies are calculated for SPI wet and dry periods and for the 5% most intense DSI‐based drought months. The new weather‐pattern definitions and daily occurrences largely agree with their respective LWTs, allowing comparison between the two classifications. There is also broad agreement between weather pattern and LWT changes in frequencies. The new data set is shown to be adequate for precipitation‐based analyses in the UK, although a smaller set of clustered weather patterns is not. Furthermore, intra‐pattern precipitation variability is lower in the new classification compared to the LWTs, which is an advantage in this context. Six of the new weather patterns are associated with drought over the entire UK, with several other patterns linked to regional drought. It is demonstrated that the new data set of weather patterns offers a new opportunity for classification‐based analyses in the UK.

Empirical Insights on the Trading Behavior of the UK Leveraged ETFs

Objective. This paper focuses on UK leveraged Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and examines their ability to meet their daily targets, the impact of volatility on targets’ achievement, and their pricing efficiency.Methodology. Standard regression analysis is used to evaluate performance, tracking efficiency and persistence in tracking failures, and the relationship between tracking efficiency and market volatility. Moreover, the pricing efficiency is examined along with the persistence in premium and the influence of market factors on premium.Findings. Results reveal that ETFs achieve their targets but occasionally tracking error can be significant. Furthermore, increases in market volatility relate to higher and lower tracking errors for bull and bear ETFs respectively. Moreover, average premiums testify a sufficient fit between trading prices and net asset values whereas the premiums are eliminated sharply. Moreover, the pricing efficiency of bear ETFs is positively associated with benchmark returns. The opposite is the case for bull ETFs. Finally, the pricing deviations are positively related to benchmarks’ volatility.Limitations. A possible limitation is that our sample includes just nine bear and sixteen bull ETFs even though more than 90 leveraged ETFs are traded on the UK market and our results may not be indicative of the entire UK leveraged ETF market. However, we had to use a small sample of ETFs because the trading activity of the rest ETFs has been very poor and, consequently, our analysis could have been biased by a thin trading effect. Originality/Value. This is the first study to examine the UK market of leveraged ETFs.

Automated retinal image quality assessment on the UK Biobank dataset for epidemiological studies

Morphological changes in the retinal vascular network are associated with future risk of many systemic and vascular diseases. However, uncertainty over the presence and nature of some of these associations exists. Analysis of data from large population based studies will help to resolve these uncertainties. The QUARTZ (QUantitative Analysis of Retinal vessel Topology and siZe) retinal image analysis system allows automated processing of large numbers of retinal images. However, an image quality assessment module is needed to achieve full automation. In this paper, we propose such an algorithm, which uses the segmented vessel map to determine the suitability of retinal images for use in the creation of vessel morphometric data suitable for epidemiological studies. This includes an effective 3-dimensional feature set and support vector machine classification. A random subset of 800 retinal images from UK Biobank (a large prospective study of 500,000 middle aged adults; where 68,151 underwent retinal imaging) was used to examine the performance of the image quality algorithm. The algorithm achieved a sensitivity of 95.33% and a specificity of 91.13% for the detection of inadequate images. The strong performance of this image quality algorithm will make rapid automated analysis of vascular morphometry feasible on the entire UK Biobank dataset (and other large retinal datasets), with minimal operator involvement, and at low cost.

Is length of stay a reliable efficiency measure?

344 British Journal of Healthcare Management 2015 Vol 21 No 7 © 2 01 5 M A H ea lth ca re L td seen commencing around May of 2007. This step-like change in admissions leads to 10% higher admissions in every month from May 2007 through to September 2008. after which admissions step down to the underlying trend. Somewhere around one to two months later, deaths show a similar step-like increase while bed days increase around the same point that deaths increase. It is also clear from Figure 1 that this particular outbreak had a far greater effect on morbidity than mortality and this concurs with existing knowledge regarding the outbreaks (Jones, 2015a; e). The actual effect upon LOS is complicated by the fact that average LOS in Belfast commences a longerterm trend downward in 2006 as measures to reduce LOS were introduced across the whole of Northern Ireland. Hence, the stepchange in LOS appears to occur later than in reality and its magnitude is diminished by underlying LOS initiatives. Nevertheless, LOS shows a step-like change as do all the other parameters. Admissions probably contain a time cascade of conditions/complexity and never fully return to the baseline position after deaths have dropped back (Jones, 2015b). This event seen in 2007, in Belfast, swept across the entire UK with deaths for the UK as a whole peaking in the 2008 calendar year (Jones, 2015a–b)—which has never been officially explained. In Rod Jones Is length of stay a reliable efficiency measure?

The Annals of the Parish: Referendum Year 2014

The decisive No vote in the Scottish independence referendum on 18 September 2014 was not a vote for the constitutional status quo, although it confirmed that Scotland would remain part of the United Kingdom. The referendum outcome is likely to have far-reaching consequences for the power relations between London and Edinburgh and, perhaps more than expected, for the constitutional future of the entire UK. A tight timetable for the delivery of extra powers for the Scottish Parliament is in place, and the ‘elephant in the room’, the constitutional status and governance of England, is now firmly on the agenda. There is also pressure for decentralisation in Scotland itself. And the huge ‘democratic awakening’ which characterised this ‘national conversation’ about Scotland's future, with massive democratic participation and a record turnout, demands that these changes will have to be brought about in a participative way – and not ‘top-down’, as a Westminster or Holyrood ‘stitch-up’.

Unexplained infectious events leading to deaths and medical admissions

Twelve month period ending at to integrate health and social care (Jones, 2013a–b; 2014c; 2015b). It has been recently pointed out that emergency medical admissions do not grow as a continuous trend, as would be expected from the above ‘explanations’, but tends to grow in distinct spurts which coincides with points at which deaths show an unexplained large increase (Jones, 2013a; 2014a–d; 2015a; Jones and Beauchant, 2015). A running twelve-month total of deaths in Belfast from 1992 to 2013 is shown in Figure 1 to illustrate these periods of unexplained increase in deaths. On this occasion a second order polynomial curve fit has been applied to the ongoing trend downward in total deaths and the actual deaths relative to this long-term trend are shown in Figure 1. There has never been an adequate explanation for the peaks in death and in the absence of such an explanation they have largely been ignored as ‘one of those things’. The peaks in death show distinct spatial spread across the entire UK (Jones, 2015a). In Northern Ireland the 2012 event shows the maximum 12-month difference commencing in August 2011 in Belfast and Larne through to December 2012 in Castlereagh—i.e. spread across the whole of Northern Ireland takes around 16 months. Similar slow spatial spread has been observed in all parts of the UK (Jones, 2014a–e; Jones and Beauchant, 2015). Due to the fact that emergency admissions tend to cluster in the last months of life, there is a welldocumented relationship between occupied bed days and deaths (Jones, 2011). A potential link with the deaths in Figure 1 and medical emergency admissions is therefore explored in Figure 2, where it can be seen that Rod Jones Unexplained infectious events leading to deaths and medical admissions

Unexpected Single-year-of-age Changes in the Elderly Mortality Rate in England and Wales During 2012

Aims: To evaluate single-year-of-age specificity in deaths in England and Wales associated with a large, unexpected and unexplained increase in 2012. To demonstrate that this type of event has occurred previously across the entire UK. To demonstrate that infectious-like spread at a regional level in England may be involved. Study Design: Longitudinal study of annual (calendar year) deaths (all-cause mortality) in the United Kingdom and England and Wales using publically available statistics available from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Place and Duration of Study: United Kingdom, England & Wales, local authorities within England & Wales covering a variety of time spans designed to illustrate various key points. Methodology: Deaths between 1974 and 2012 in the United Kingdom. Live population and deaths for residents of England and Wales and of English local authorities. Calculation of single-year-of-age death rates in 2011 and 2012 which are the years before and after the large and unexpected increase in deaths. Results: A recurring series of infectious-like events can be demonstrated which prior to 2000 had been largely assumed to be due to influenza epidemics. The event in 2012 shows specificity for the elderly particularly above age 75, which is somewhat expected given increased susceptibility to the environment as we age. The single year of age mortality rate shows saw tooth behavior for deaths in 2011 and even more exaggerated saw tooth behavior is seen in the difference between 2011 and 2012. Similar saw tooth behavior is seen in the difference between single-year-of-age standardized admissions Original Research Article British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 4(16): 3196-3207, 2014 3197 via the emergency department in England between 2008 and 2012. The infectious spread across England behind this phenomenon is illustrated at regional level and probably results in a 40% underestimation of the saw tooth behavior. Conclusion: The saw tooth behavior is known to be associated with what is called ‘original antigenic sin’. Hence the saw tooth behavior appears to indicate that the unexpected high elderly mortality in 2012 was due to an outbreak of an infectious agent which has multiple strains. This behavior confirms the results of other studies investigating simultaneous increase in medical admissions to hospital during the time that the deaths increase. The ubiquitous herpes virus, cytomegalovirus may be involved, although at the moment this virus provides a prototype for the sort of immune modulating agent that may be responsible. The use of five year age bands to age standardize mortality and medical admission rates may be subject to misleading outcomes where the periodicity behind these outbreaks and their cumulative effect on immune mediated responses is out of synchrony with the basic saw tooth behavior seen in both mortality and admission rates. This has major implication to the calculation of hospital standardized mortality rates (HSMR).

Mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions embodied in food through realistic consumer choices

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embodied in 66 different food categories together with self-reported dietary information are used to show how consumer choices surrounding food might lead to reductions in food-related GHG emissions. The current UK-average diet is found to embody 8.8kgCO2eperson−1day−1. This figure includes both food eaten and food wasted (post-purchase). By far the largest potential reduction in GHG emissions is achieved by eliminating meat from the diet (35% reduction), followed by changing from carbon-intensive lamb and beef to less carbon-intensive pork and chicken (18% reduction). Cutting out all avoidable waste delivers an emissions saving of 12%. Not eating foods grown in hot-houses or air-freighted to the UK offers a 5% reduction in emissions. We show how combinations of consumer actions can easily lead to reductions of 25% in food related GHG emissions. If such changes were adopted by the entire UK population this would be equivalent to a 71% reduction in the exhaust pipe emissions of CO2 from the entire UK passenger car fleet (which totalled 71MtCO2eyear−1 in 2009).

Bias or rationality? The case of UK commercial real estate investment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that investment decision making in the UK direct property market does not conform to the assumption of economic rationality underpinning portfolio theory.Design/methodology/approachThe developing behavioural real estate paradigm is used to challenge the idea that investor “man” is able to perform with economic rationality, specifically with reference to the analysis of the spatial dispersion of the entire UK “investible stock” and “investible locations” against observed spatial patterns of institutional investment. Location quotients are derived, combining different data sets.FindingsConsiderably greater variation in institutional property holdings is found across the UK than would be expected given the economic and stock characteristics of local areas. This appears to provide evidence of irrationality (in the strict traditional economic sense) in the behaviour of institutional investors, with possible herding underpinning levels of investment that cannot be explained otherwise.Research limitations/implicationsOver time a lack of distinction has developed between the cause and effect of comparatively low levels of development and institutional property investment across the regions. A critical examination of decision making and behaviour in practice could break this cycle, and could in turn promote regional economic growth.Originality/valueThe entire “population” of observations is used to demonstrate the relationships between economic theory and investor performance exploring, for the first time, stock and local area characteristics.

Associated social factors of prevalent asthma in adults and the very old in the UK

Social determinants of asthma in adults and the very old have received little attention. Hence, it was aimed to examine social determinants of asthma in adults and the very old in a national population-based setting. Data were analyzed in the UK Longitudinal Household Survey, 2009-2010. Information on demographics, living and work conditions, self-reported ever asthma and age of onset was obtained by household interview. Regional difference was also examined. Analysis involved t-test and logistic regression modeling. Of 50 994 people included in the cohort, 6269 (12.3%) had ever asthma. In 2977 people, it occurred in the adulthood (16+ years) and only 91 people had their first asthma (incident asthma) at the age when they were interviewed. Education was borderline associated with asthma in the very old. In the young and middle-aged adults, however, birth place had a significant impact. Additionally, there was no regional difference in asthma prevalence across the entire UK.

Health and wellbeing of offenders on probation in England: an exploratory study

BackgroundA growing amount of published work indicates that offenders in incarcerated settings have much poorer mental and physical health than does the general population. However, little is known about the health status of offenders, especially those on probation. Identification of these issues and engagement with health services is essential. The aim of this study was to assess self-reported health status, quality of life, and access to health services in a sample of probationers in England to inform policy makers of future service requirements. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was undertaken between May, and July, 2011, in Reading and Newbury, UK. Self-administered questionnaires including the SF-36 health survey (version 2), alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT), drug abuse screening test, and questions about access to health services and lifestyle indicators were administered to a pragmatic sample of 132 offenders older than 18 years who presented at probation offices. All statutory cases were eligible when they attended probation offices on a predetermined study day, except when the offender was assessed as presenting a high risk of harm to staff. Data were anonymised and completed questionnaires were analysed with descriptive statisitcs, t tests for independent sample means, and Z tests for the difference between two independent proportions. Additionally, we used multiple stepwise logistic regression with backward stepwise elimination to identify factors associated with poor mental health. FindingsMost participants were men (n=109 [83%]), which is similar to the national probation caseload (Z test, p=0·59). Mean age of participants was 34·9 years (SD 12·8), and their age distribution was similar to the national probation caseload, except that more participants were older than 50 years (19·7%vs 5·7%; Z=6·58; p<0·0001). Further, study participants were of similar ethnic composition to the national probation data, with most white British. The probationers had significantly lower SF-36 scores on all eight subscales than the general UK population. The mental component summary (MCS) score was significantly lower than in the general population (40·9 vs 50·0, 95% CI for difference −10·8 to −7·4; p<0·0001), even in individuals from socioeconomic class V (40·9 vs 49·9, −10·9 to −7·2, p<0·0001). 65% (95% CI 45·1–85·3) of female and 43% (33·7–52·5) of male probationers screened positive for depression (as identified by a cutoff of <42 of the Mental Component summary score of SF-36 V2 scale). After accounting for confounding factors, poor mental health was significantly associated with history of self-harm (odds ratio [OR] 3·33, 95% CI 1·1–7·2; p=0·011), drug misuse (1·23, 1·1–1·4; p=0·003), and visit to a general practitioner in the past 12 months (4·05, 1·4–8·5; p=0·002). About 44% of female and 43% of male probationers were deemed to be hazardous drinkers (AUDIT >8). Prevalence of hazardous drinking in female probationers was significantly higher than women in the general population (44%vs 15%, 95% CI for difference −0·49 to −0·08; p<0·0001) and was similar to that for female prisoners (Z test, p=0·665). 46% of male and 30% of female probationers reported a significantly larger use of illegal drugs in the previous year by contrast with 13% of men, and 8% of women in the general population (for men, Z=–9·57, p<0·0001; for women, Z=3·93, p<0·0001). Of 57 probationers who were identified as hazardous drinkers, only 13 (23%) had accessed drug and alcohol services in the previous year. Similarly, 62 probationers were screened positive for depression in our group, of whom only 16 (26%) managed to get access to a mental health service in the previous year. InterpretationThe results of this study confirm that probationers have poorer health—especially mental health—than the general population and are less likely to access health-care services. There are some limitations in interpretation of the results. Ours was a small pragmatic sample so is subject to large sampling error, which makes extrapolation of results to the entire UK probation population difficult. Nevertheless, these results are important for a hard-to-reach population, and especially if they are replicated in similar settings with time. Commissioners should be aware of the needs of this group. FundingNHS Berkshire West, Reading and Thames Valley Probation Agency.

Diagnoses, deaths and infectious outbreaks

Over the years 2002–2003 and again in 2007–2008 there were up to 31 100 and 23 100 excess deaths respectively across the entire UK. These excess deaths have been linked to the spread of a presumed infectious agent. Analysis of death within 90 days of admission to hospital during 2008/09 reveals that the majority of the excess deaths were associated with just 460 diagnoses (out of 1,380 potential diagnoses associated with deaths within 90 days of admission). Of these 460 diagnoses the main causes for excess deaths (number of excess deaths in brackets) were lower respiratory tract diseases and infections (3,020), symptoms and unknown causes of morbidity (2940), cancers (750), injury and poisoning (340), diabetes (290), perinatal and congenital conditions (200), mental health (170), other infectious diseases (140). Approximately 70% of patients died in hospital. This pattern of diagnoses is consistent with increased hospital admission following recurring events which appear to be outbreaks of a previously uncharacterised infectious immune impairment, hence, an increase in diagnoses related to inflammation or infection including poor outcomes after trauma or anaesthesia.

Towards culture change in the operating theatre: Embedding a complex educational intervention to improve teamwork climate

Background: Changing teamwork climate in healthcare through a collective shift in attitudes and values may be a necessary precursor to establishing a positive teamwork culture, where innovations can be more readily embedded and sustained. A complex educational intervention was initiated across an entire UK Trust's surgical provision, and then sustained. Attitudes towards teamwork were measured longitudinally to examine if the intervention produced sustainable results.Aims: The research aimed to test whether sustaining a complex education intervention to improve teamwork would result in an incremental, longitudinal improvement in attitudes and values towards teamwork. The intervention's larger aim is to progress the historical default position of multi-professional work to authentic inter-professional teamwork, as a positive values climate translates in time into behavioural change defining a safety culture.Method: Attitudes were measured at three points across all surgical team personnel over a period of 4 years, using a validated Safety Attitudes Questionnaire with a focus on the ‘teamwork climate’ domain. Pre- and post-intervention ‘teamwork climate’ scores were compared to give a longitudinal measure as a test of sustainability.Results: Mean ‘teamwork climate’ scores improved incrementally and significantly following the series of educational interventions, showing that practitioners’ valuing of teamwork activity can be improved and sustained.Conclusions: Longitudinal positive change in attitudes and values towards teamwork can be sustained, suggesting that a deliberate, designed complex intervention can shape a safety climate as a necessary prerequisite for the establishment of a sustainable safety culture.

Organisational psychosocial hazard exposures in UK policing

PurposeThere is a paucity of contemporary evidence on the organisational (as opposed to operational) psychosocial hazard (OPH) exposures of UK police officers. The purpose of this study is to report on OPH exposures measured via an instrument developed by the UK government – the management standards indicator tool – among police officers sampled from an entire UK force. The study seeks to provide reference values for UK police officers' OPH exposures, to consider these in relation to government exposure targets, and to examine the association between officers' OPH exposures and perceived work‐related stress.Design/methodology/approachPolice officers (n=1,729) completed the management standards indicator tool which measures perceived exposure to seven psychosocial work environment dimensions: demands, control, managerial support, peer support, relationships, role, and change. In addition, a single‐item measure of perceived work‐related stress was applied.FindingsSector‐specific reference values were generated by job role and rank on each of the seven dimensions assessed by the indicator tool. Scores on all seven dimensions were below government target levels (indicating that scores fell below the 80th percentile in relation to benchmark data). In total, 46 per cent of police officers reported their work to be very or extremely stressful. A significant positive correlation (p &lt;0.01) was found between scores on each of the seven psychosocial work characteristics and perceived work‐related stress.Originality/valueThis study is the first to report on the assessment of UK police officers' OPH exposure using the management standards indicator tool. It provides reference values that UK forces will find useful for benchmarking and intervention‐targeting purposes, and against which progress in reducing OPH exposures can be assessed.

The relative greenhouse gas impacts of realistic dietary choices

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embodied in 61 different categories of food are used, with information on the diet of different groups of the population (omnivorous, vegetarian and vegan), to calculate the embodied GHG emissions in different dietary scenarios. We calculate that the embodied GHG content of the current UK food supply is 7.4kg CO2eperson−1day−1, or 2.7tCO2eperson−1y−1. This gives total food-related GHG emissions of 167MtCO2e (1Mt=106 metric tonnes; CO2e being the mass of CO2 that would have the same global warming potential, when measured over 100 years, as a given mixture of greenhouse gases) for the entire UK population in 2009. This is 27% of total direct GHG emissions in the UK, or 19% of total GHG emissions from the UK, including those embodied in goods produced abroad. We calculate that potential GHG savings of 22% and 26% can be made by changing from the current UK-average diet to a vegetarian or vegan diet, respectively. Taking the average GHG saving from six vegetarian or vegan dietary scenarios compared with the current UK-average diet gives a potential national GHG saving of 40MtCO2ey−1. This is equivalent to a 50% reduction in current exhaust pipe emissions from the entire UK passenger car fleet. Hence realistic choices about diet can make substantial differences to embodied GHG emissions.

Enterprise Zones/ Do they create or transfer value?

This paper considers whether any lessons have been learnt from the Enterprise Zones (EZs) of the 1980s and whether providing economic stimuli creates, distorts or simply transfers value. Key issues include/—How do the 2011 EZs differ from their 1980s predecessors?—Land value as a residual, determined by the economic activity that can take place on a plot of land; therefore bestowing economic advantages selectively will distort land values.—Enterprise Zones will undoubtedly cause the displacement of existing jobs to more economically marginal areas.—Previous attempts at creating areas which enjoy economic advantages include Regional Development Agencies and Freeports; this paper examines what lessons, if any, can be learned from these that could be applied to EZs.—Could EZ benefits be applied across the entire UK?—The benefits of the 1980s EZs were largely captured by property and land owners rather than local businesses; who will receive the benefits from the current generation of EZs?—Jobs are as likely to be generated in the retail sector as the manufacturing sector; does this matter?—The success of the London Docklands Enterprise Zone can largely be attributed to improved transport infrastructure; such transport proposals are missing from the current proposals.

P54 CHASE-B (Chinese Hepatitis Awareness, Surveillance and Education): a pilot of targeted case finding for hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the British-Chinese community

IntroductionChronic HBV (cHBV) is a frequent cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Many infected individuals are unaware of their condition. Migrants from countries with high prevalence of cHBV, such as...

A model to evaluate mass vaccination against pneumococcus as a countermeasure against pandemic influenza

A mathematical model has been developed for the purpose of evaluating vaccination against pneumococcus as a countermeasure against pandemic influenza. As the characteristics of a future pandemic cannot be known in advance, three distinct pandemic scenarios were considered, corresponding to a 1918-like pandemic, a 1957/1968-like pandemic and a 2009-like pandemic. Model estimates for each of these pandemic scenarios are presented for two options of vaccination programme; universal vaccination of the entire UK population and vaccination only of those people considered to be at heightened risk of developing influenza complications. We find that the benefits of each option (in terms of estimated number of deaths and hospital admissions avoided and the courses of antibiotics saved) are high in a 1918-like pandemic and very small in a 2009-like pandemic. Given that the decision regarding deployment of the counter measure would occur prior to knowledge of the flu-strain characteristics being available, we also present the weighted average of the outcomes from the three pandemic scenarios. Based on the historical occurrence of pandemics over the last 100 years, the weighted average of outcomes is an estimated 1400 deaths prevented by the universal vaccination option and 400 deaths saved by the targeted vaccination option (at a cost of approximately 400 million and 50 million courses of vaccine respectively). Finally, the longer term implications of using PPV as a countermeasure against pandemic influenza have been considered by estimating the expected number of courses of vaccine bought and the expected number of deaths and hospital admissions prevented over time under each policy.

Defining simple and comprehensive assessment units for CO2 storage in saline formations beneath the UK North Sea and continental shelf

In the UK, by far the largest CO2 storage opportunities lie offshore. The North Sea in particular has a long and complex geological history, with potential reservoirs geographically widespread and occurring at multiple stratigraphic levels. Diverse storage estimates have been made, using a range of working methods, and yielding different values, e.g. SCCS (2009); Bentham (2006). Consequently the UK Storage Appraisal Project (UKSAP), commissioned and funded by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), is undertaking the most comprehensive assessment to date, using abundant legacy seismic and borehole data. This study has a remit to use best current practice, consistent between locations, to calculate the CO2 storage capacity of the entire UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) within saline aquifers and hydrocarbon fields. The potential storage formations have been subdivided into units for assessment, and filtered to remove units with only a small estimated storage capacity to concentrate resources on more viable units. The size of potential storage units approximate to a power law distribution, similar to that of hydrocarbon fields, with a large number of small units and a small number of large units.