Developing a multi-pollutant conceptual framework for the selection and targeting of interventions in water industry catchment management schemes

In recent years water companies have started to adopt catchment management to reduce diffuse pollution in drinking water supply areas. The heterogeneity of catchments and the range of pollutants that must be removed to meet the EU Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) limits make it difficult to prioritise areas of a catchment for intervention. Thus conceptual frameworks are required that can disaggregate the components of pollutant risk and help water companies make decisions about where to target interventions in their catchments to maximum effect. This paper demonstrates the concept of generalising pollutants in the same framework by reviewing key pollutant processes within a source-mobilisation-delivery context. From this, criteria are developed (with input from water industry professionals involved in catchment management) which highlights the need for a new water industry specific conceptual framework. The new CaRPoW (Catchment Risk to Potable Water) framework uses the Source-Mobilisation-Delivery concept as modular components of risk that work at two scales, source and mobilisation at the field scale and delivery at the catchment scale. Disaggregating pollutant processes permits the main components of risk to be ascertained so that appropriate interventions can be selected. The generic structure also allows for the outputs from different pollutants to be compared so that potential multiple benefits can be identified. CaRPow provides a transferable framework that can be used by water companies to cost-effectively target interventions under current conditions or under scenarios of land use or climate change

A kpc-scale-resolved study of unobscured and obscured star formation activity in normal galaxies at z = 1.5 and 2.2 from ALMA and HiZELS

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) continuum observations of a sample of nine star-forming galaxies at redshifts 1.47 and 2.23 selected from the High-z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS). Four galaxies in our sample are detected at high significance by ALMA at a resolution of 0′′.25 at rest-frame 355 μm. Together with the previously observed H α emission, from adaptive optics-assisted integral-field-unit spectroscopy (∼0′′.15 resolution), and F606W and F140W imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope (∼0′′.2 resolution), we study the star formation activity, stellar and dust mass in these high-redshift galaxies at ∼kpc-scale resolution. We find that ALMA detection rates are higher for more massive galaxies (M* > 1010.5 M⊙) and higher [N II]/H α ratios (>0.25, a proxy for gas-phase metallicity). The dust extends out to a radius of 8 kpc, with a smooth structure, even for those galaxies presenting clumpy H α morphologies. The half-light radii (Rdust) derived for the detected galaxies are of the order ∼4.5 kpc, more than twice the size of submillimetre-selected galaxies at a similar redshift. Our global star formation rate estimates – from far-infrared and extinction-corrected H α luminosities – are in good agreement. However, the different morphologies of the different phases of the interstellar medium suggest complex extinction properties of the high-redshift normal galaxies

Alkyl chain functionalised Ir(iii) complexes: synthesis, properties and behaviour as emissive dopants in microemulsions

Six iridium(III) complexes of the general form [Ir(C^N)2(N^N)]X (where C^N = cyclometalating ligand; N^N = disubstituted 2,2′-bipyridine), and incorporating alkyl chains of differing lengths (C8, C10, C12), have been synthesised and characterised. The complexes have been characterised using a variety of methods including spectroscopies (NMR, IR, UV-Vis, luminescence) and analytical techniques (high resolution mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, X-ray diffraction). Two dodecyl-functionalised complexes were studied for their behaviour in aqueous solutions. Although the complexes did not possess sufficient solubility to determine their critical micelle concentrations (CMC) in water, they were amenable for use as emissive dopants in a N-methyl C12 substituted imidazolium salt microemulsion carrier system with a CMC = 36.5 mM. The investigation showed that the metal doped microemulsions had increased CMCs of 40.4 and 51.3 mM and luminescent properties characterised by the dopant

From peculiar morphologies to Hubble-type spirals: the relation between galaxy dynamics and morphology in star-forming galaxies at z similar to 1.5

We present an analysis of the gas dynamics of star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5 using data from the KMOS Galaxy Evolution Survey. We quantify the morphology of the galaxies using HST CANDELS imaging parametrically and non-parametrically. We combine the H α dynamics from KMOS with the high-resolution imaging to derive the relation between stellar mass (M∗) and stellar specific angular momentum (j∗). We show that high-redshift star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 1.5 follow a power-law trend in specific stellar angular momentum with stellar mass similar to that of local late-type galaxies of the form j∗ ∝ M0.53 ± 0.10 ∗ . The highest specific angular momentum galaxies are mostly disc-like, although generally both peculiar morphologies and disc-like systems are found across the sequence of specific angular momentum at a fixed stellar mass. We explore the scatter within the j∗ – M∗ plane and its correlation with both the integrated dynamical properties of a galaxy (e.g. velocity dispersion, Toomre Qg, H α star formation rate surface density SFR) and its parametrized rest-frame UV / optical morphology (e.g. Sersic ´ index, bulge to total ratio, clumpiness, asymmetry, and concentration). We establish that the position in the j∗ – M∗ plane is strongly correlated with the star-formation surface density and the clumpiness of the stellar light distribution. Galaxies with peculiar rest-frame UV / optical morphologies have comparable specific angular momentum to disc- dominated galaxies of the same stellar mass, but are clumpier and have higher star formation rate surface densities. We propose that the peculiar morphologies in high-redshift systems are driven by higher star formation rate surface densities and higher gas fractions leading to a more clumpy interstellar medium.This work was supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/L00075X/1). SG acknowledges the support of the Science and Technology Facilities Council through grant ST/N50404X/1 for support. EI acknowledges partial support from FONDECYT through grant N◦ 1171710. We thank the FMOSCOSMOS team for their invaluable contributions to the KGES target selection. ALT acknowledges support from STFC (ST/L00075X/1 and ST/P000541/1), ERC Advanced Grant DUSTYGAL (321334), and a Forrest Research Foundation Fellowship. LC is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT180100066) funded by the Australian Government. Parts of this research were conducted by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D), through project number CE170100013

Pharmacogenetic meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of LDL cholesterol response to statins

Statins effectively lower LDL cholesterol levels in large studies and the observed interindividual response variability may be partially explained by genetic variation. Here we perform a pharmacogenetic meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in studies addressing the LDL cholesterol response to statins, including up to 18,596 statin-treated subjects. We validate the most promising signals in a further 22,318 statin recipients and identify two loci, SORT1/CELSR2/PSRC1 and SLCO1B1, not previously identified in GWAS. Moreover, we confirm the previously described associations with APOE and LPA. Our findings advance the understanding of the pharmacogenetic architecture of statin response

Mortality of interhospital transfers originating from an Emergency Department in Perth, Western Australia

Background: Interhospital transfer (IHT) is an integral part of emergency practice and required to access specialist care. Aim: To identify factors that predict in-hospital mortality for IHT originating from an Emergency Department (ED). Method: A retrospective cohort study utilising linked health data from the ED Information System database, Death Register and the Hospital Morbidity Data examined all IHTs originating from a public hospital ED and transferred to a tertiary hospital ED (ED-ED IHT), January 1st 2002-December 31st 2006. Results: There were 27,776 ED-ED IHTs. In-hospital mortality was 2.1% (95% CI 1.9-2.3%). Age, male sex, clinical deterioration by one or =2 levels on the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) and circulatory or respiratory disease increased risk of mortality. Clinical improvement by one level on the ATS, injury or poisoning, digestive disease, transfer from 2004 to 2006 and exposure to access block reduced risk of mortality. Other than year of transfer, injury or poisoning, digestive and respiratory disease, these factors were also predictive of mortality within 1-day of transfer. Conclusion: Multiple factors influence mortality following IHT from an ED. Awareness of these factors helps to optimise risk reduction. The limited infrastructure and resourcing available in non-tertiary hospitals are important considerations

Border crossing

Non peer reviewe