The aqueous chemistry of radium

Available literature data on the aqueous chemistry of radium are compiled. There are limited available experimental data and a significant portion of the data has been estimated using electrostatic techniques, typically based on the corresponding data of barium. The available data are compared with the corresponding data of barium (and strontium) and a methodology for estimating additional radium thermochemical data is described

Determining Stability Constants Using the AKUFVE Technique

The AKUFVE techniques were developed by Rydberg and co-workers in the 1960s. The main aim was to be able to perform a series of liquid-liquid extraction data varying one or more parameters and at the same time achieve very pure phases. As such, this technique was later used for short-lived isotope studies in the SISAK system, but also as a standalone unit for a large number of thermodynamic studies of extraction systems both for fundamental understanding as well as more applied investigations. In this paper, the apparatus with modifications made over the decades is described. In addition, studies with stability constant determinations for the zirconium-water-acetylacetone system as well as lanthanide extraction using bromodecanoic acid are exemplified to demonstrate the potential use of the technique. The results shown clearly demonstrate the versatility and ability of the AKUFVE system

The pervasive relevance of COVID-19 within routine paediatric palliative care consultations during the pandemic: a conversation analytic study

Background: The importance of caring for children with complex and serious conditions means that paediatric palliative care must continue during pandemics. The recent pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) provides a natural experiment to study health communication during pandemic times. However, it is unknown how communication within consultations might change during pandemics. Aim: This study, a sub-study of a larger project, aimed to examine real-world instances of communication in paediatric palliative care consultations prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand how clinicians and families talk about the pandemic. Design: Paediatric palliative care consultations prior to, during, and immediately following the initial peak of COVID-19 cases in Australia were video recorded and analysed using Conversation Analysis methods. Setting/Participants: Twenty-five paediatric palliative care consultations (including face-to-face outpatient, telehealth outpatient and inpatient consultations) were video recorded within a public children's hospital in Australia. Participants included 14 health professionals, 15 child patients, 23 adult family members and 5 child siblings. Results: There was a pervasive relevance of both serious and non-serious talk about COVID-19 within the consultations recorded during the pandemic. Topics typical of a standard paediatric palliative care consultation often led to discussion of the pandemic. Clinicians (55%) and parents (45%) initiated talk about the pandemic. Conclusions: Clinicians should not be surprised by the pervasiveness of COVID-19 or other pandemic talk within standard paediatric palliative care consultations. This awareness will enable clinicians to flexibly address family needs and concerns about pandemic-related matters that may impact health and wellbeing.Katie Ekberg, Lara Weinglass, Stuart Ekberg, Susan Danby and Anthony Herber