Impact assessment of heavy metals pollution of Vartur lake, Bangalore

The unscientific disposal of wastes and pollution in urban water bodies has caused immense problems not only to human beings but also to the aquatic biodiversity. Assessment of heavy metals in Vartur Lake, Bangalore, revealed that Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), and Lead (Pb) all exceeded drinking water standards. Nevertheless, Chromium (Cr) exceeded the CPCB’s tolerance limits for water bodies subjected to effluent discharge. In Eichornia crassipes, Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni were critical. In the sediments, Cadmium (Cd) and Nickel (Ni) exceeded the Probable Effect Level (PEL). Sediment Geo-accumulation Index of the lake showed moderate contamination with Mn, Cu, and Pb. Cr had the highest plant/sediments metal concentration factor even though its bioavailability in plants (71.5 ppm) was lower compared to Manganese (192.3 ppm). This calls for immediate action to be implemented to carry out necessary environmental mitigation measures for the lake

Protocol for a mixed methods process evaluation of the Smoking Treatment Optimisation in Pharmacies (STOP) trial

This article is a preprint from medRxiv and has not been peer-reviewe

Heavy metals accumulation in macrophytes in the lakes of Bangalore urban

This study was mainly focused upon the impact of heavy metals pollution (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in aquatic macrophytes of the littoral zones of the lakes of Bangalore Urban region. The heavy metals concns. were as follows: Manganese (257.6 ± 39.6) ppm; Lead (66 ± 12.5)​ppm; Chromium (64.9 ± 6.2)​; Nickel (42.3 ± 3.2)​, Cobalt (18.8 ± 4.0) and Cadmium (4.7 ± 0.7)​. Copper, Manganese and Zinc were largely within normal range while Chromium, Lead, Cobalt and Nickel were in crit. range. There were more statistically significant correlations between metals in the dry than in the west sea..

Depression in Visual Impairment Trial (DEPVIT): A Randomized Clinical Trial of Depression Treatments in People With Low Vision

Supported by Guide Dogs (Grant OR-2009 07b)

A qualitative evaluation of Southwark Council’s public health response to mitigating the mental health impact of the 2017 London bridge and borough market terror attack

Background Over recent years there have been several major terror attacks in cities across Europe. These attacks result in deaths, physical injuries, and pose long-term threats to mental health and wellbeing of large populations. Although psychologists have completed important work on mental health responses to disaster exposure including terrorist attacks, the mental health impacts of such attacks have been comparatively less examined in academic literature than the acute health response to physical injuries. This paper reflects on Southwark Council’s pioneering public mental health response to the June 2017 terror attack at London Bridge and Borough Market. It aims to explore perceptions of the mental health impact of the incident by those living and working in the borough. Methods A rapid qualitative evaluation informed by the logic underpinning Southwark Council’s response was conducted. Seven formative interviews were undertaken with individuals involved in the response planning and/or delivery, enabling the evaluation team to establish the response’s theoretical basis. Subsequently, nineteen semi-structured interviews with consenting Council employees, residents, business owners, and workers from the Borough were conducted to understand perceived mental health impacts of the attack and the success of the Council response. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews was undertaken to evaluate the extent to which the response was implemented successfully. Results Participants reported feeling the attack had a wide-reaching negative impact on the mental health of residents, those working in the borough and visitors who witnessed the attack. Delivering the response was a challenge and response visibility within the community was limited. Participants suggested a comprehensive systematic approach to health needs assessment informed by knowledge and relationships of key Council workers and community stakeholders is imperative when responding to terrorist incidents. Improved communication and working relationships between statutory organisations and community stakeholders would ensure community groups are better supported. Prioritising mental health needs of terror attack responders to mitigate persisting negative impacts was highlighted. Conclusions This article highlights a potential public health approach and need for developing robust practical guidance in the aftermath of terror attacks. This approach has already influenced the response to the Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019.Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity

Evaluating NHS Stop Smoking Service engagement in community pharmacies using simulated smokers: fidelity assessment of a theory-based intervention

NIHR Programme grant RP-PG-0609-1018

Contrasting Views of the Post-bariatric Surgery Experience between Patients and their Practitioners: a Qualitative Study

© 2018, The Author(s). Background: The superiority of obesity surgery for improving medical and weight outcomes in severely obese patients when compared to other weight loss interventions remains undisputed. However, knowledge about the psychological impact of the procedure on patients’ lives is limited. Systematic reviews indicate persisting psychological distress after surgery compared to control groups especially longer term, suggesting the need for postoperative psychological support and assessment. Research literature also infers limited knowledge regarding the postoperative patient experience of obesity surgery. This may form a barrier in health practitioners’ understanding of these patients’ ongoing needs. Methods: Ten patients who had obesity surgery two or more years ago and eight obesity surgery practitioners were recruited within hospital settings and individually interviewed by the researcher to capture their accounts of the postoperative experience. Concordance between the two groups was explored to gauge awareness of patients’ subsequent health needs. Results: Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews elicited a key finding around ‘post-surgical cliffs in patient care’ within a heavily structured service. Participants reported some unmet needs, namely, psychological aftercare to facilitate adjustment following drastic weight loss and excess skin, acceptance of their non-obese self and perceived stigma. The impact of contrasting views of success between patients and practitioners on postoperative care within the service context was highlighted. Conclusions: Obesity surgery is a great weight loss catalyst for severe obesity. However, lack of psychological aftercare may threaten early gains in health outcomes over the longer term. More qualitative and quantitative studies are needed to validate current study results

The roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems

Almost every ecosystem has been amended so that plants and animals can be used as food, fibre, fodder, medicines, traps and weapons. Historically, wild plants and animals were sole dietary components for hunter–gatherer and forager cultures. Today, they remain key to many agricultural communities. The mean use of wild foods by agricultural and forager communities in 22 countries of Asia and Africa (36 studies) is 90–100 species per location. Aggregate country estimates can reach 300–800 species (e.g. India, Ethiopia, Kenya). The mean use of wild species is 120 per community for indigenous communities in both industrialized and developing countries. Many of these wild foods are actively managed, suggesting there is a false dichotomy around ideas of the agricultural and the wild: hunter–gatherers and foragers farm and manage their environments, and cultivators use many wild plants and animals. Yet, provision of and access to these sources of food may be declining as natural habitats come under increasing pressure from development, conservation-exclusions and agricultural expansion. Despite their value, wild foods are excluded from official statistics on economic values of natural resources. It is clear that wild plants and animals continue to form a significant proportion of the global food basket, and while a variety of social and ecological drivers are acting to reduce wild food use, their importance may be set to grow as pressures on agricultural productivity increase.</jats:p

Using factor analyses to estimate the number of female sex workers across Malawi from multiple regional sources

Purpose: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risks are heterogeneous in nature even in generalized epidemics. However, data are often missing for those at highest risk of HIV, including female sex workers. Statistical models may be used to address data gaps where direct, empiric estimates do not exist. Methods: We proposed a new size estimation method that combines multiple data sources (the Malawi Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey, the Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts study, and the Malawi Demographic Household Survey). We used factor analysis to extract information from auxiliary variables and constructed a linear mixed effects model for predicting population size for all districts of Malawi. Results: On average, the predicted proportion of female sex workers among women of reproductive age across all districts was about 0.58%. The estimated proportions seemed reasonable in comparing with a recent study Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts II (PLACE II). Compared with using a single data source, we observed increased precision and better geographic coverage. Conclusions: We illustrate how size estimates from different data sources may be combined for prediction. Applying this approach to other subpopulations in Malawi and to countries where size estimate data are lacking can ultimately inform national modeling processes and estimate the distribution of risks and priorities for HIV prevention and treatment programs

Evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Smoking Treatment Optimisation in Pharmacies (STOP) intervention: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: NHS community pharmacies provide effective smoking cessation services; however, there is scope for increasing throughput and improving quit rates. This trial examines whether the Smoking Treatment Optimisation in Pharmacies (STOP) intervention can improve smoker engagement to increase service throughput, retention and quitting. METHODS: This study is a pragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial in 60 pharmacies in England and Wales. All workers in intervention pharmacies are offered STOP training while control pharmacies provide usual care. The STOP intervention, based on behavioural and organisational theories, comprises educational sessions for staff and environmental prompts in the pharmacy. Intervention fidelity is assessed by actors visiting pharmacies posing as smokers. The primary outcome is throughput, defined as the number of smokers who join the programme, set a firm quit date and undergo at least one stop smoking treatment session, and is measured using routinely collected data. Secondary outcomes include retention and quit rates at 4 weeks and continuous abstinence at 6 months verified by salivary cotinine. Cost-effectiveness is estimated using quality-adjusted life years and the probability that the intervention is effective at different levels of willingness to pay is calculated. DISCUSSION: The trial will generate evidence to inform the public health smoking cessation strategy in England and Wales, and may help to shape service commissioning decisions. The STOP intervention model may help inform the undertaking of a range of health behaviour change tasks in community pharmacies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN16351033. Retrospectively registered on 21 March 2017