Mobility of antimony, arsenic and lead at a former mine, Glendinning, Scotland

Elevated concentrations of antimony (Sb), arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) in upland organic-rich soils have resulted from past Sb mining activities at Glendinning, southern Scotland. Transfer of these elements into soil porewaters was linked to the production and leaching of dissolved organic matter and to leaching of spoil material. Sb was predominantly present in truly dissolved (< 3 kDa) forms whilst As and Pb were more commonly associated with large Fe-rich/organic colloids. The distinctive porewater behaviour of Sb accounts for its loss from deeper sections of certain cores and its transport over greater distances down steeper sections of the catchment. Although Sb and As concentrations decreased with increasing distance down a steep gully from the main spoil heap, elevated concentrations (~ 6-8 and 13-20 μg L− 1, respectively) were detected in receiving streamwaters. Thus, only partial attenuation occurs in steeply sloping sections of mining-impacted upland organic-rich soils and so spoil-derived contamination of surface waters may continue over time periods of decades to centuries

Nutrition in cardiovascular disease: salt in hypertension and heart failure

There is much evidence for a causal relationship between salt intake and blood pressure (BP). The current salt intake in many countries is between 9 and 12 g/day. A reduction in salt intake to the recommended level of 5-6 g/day lowers BP in both hypertensive and normotensive individuals. A further reduction to 3-4 g/day has a much greater effect. Prospective studies and outcome trials have demonstrated that a lower salt intake is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Increasing evidence also suggests that a high salt intake is directly related to left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) independent of BP. Both raised BP and LVH are important risk factors for heart failure. It is therefore possible that a lower salt intake could prevent the development of heart failure. In patients who already have heart failure, a high salt intake aggravates the retention of salt and water, thereby exacerbating heart failure symptoms and progression of the disease. A lower salt intake plays an important role in the management of heart failure. Despite this, currently there is no clear evidence on how far salt intake should be reduced in heart failure. Our personal view is that these patients should reduce their salt intake to <5 g/day, i.e. the maximum intake recommended by the World Health Organisation for all adults. If salt intake is successfully reduced, there may well be a need for a reduction in diuretic dosag

New proof-of-concept in viral inactivation: virucidal efficacy of 405 nm light against feline calicivirus as a model for norovirus decontamination

The requirement for novel decontamination technologies for use in hospitals is ever present. One such system uses 405 nm visible light to inactivate microorganisms via ROS-generated oxidative damage. Although effective for bacterial and fungal inactivation, little is known about the virucidal effects of 405 nm light. Norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis outbreaks often occur in the clinical setting, and this study was designed to investigate potential inactivation effects of 405 nm light on the NoV surrogate, feline calicivirus (FCV). FCV was exposed to 405 nm light whilst suspended in minimal and organically-rich media to establish the virucidal efficacy and the effect biologically-relevant material may play in viral susceptibility. Antiviral activity was successfully demonstrated with a 4 Log10 (99.99%) reduction in infectivity when suspended in minimal media evident after a dose of 2.8 kJ cm−2. FCV exposed in artificial faeces, artificial saliva, blood plasma and other organically rich media exhibited an equivalent level of inactivation using between 50–85% less dose of the light, indicating enhanced inactivation when the virus is present in organically-rich biologically-relevant media. Further research in this area could aid in the development of 405 nm light technology for effective NoV decontamination within the hospital environment

‘It’s my own fault’: Accounts and consequences of falling when living with rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) leads to biomechanical joint changes which increases risk of falling. The consequence of falling may be physical injury. However, as important can be the psychological consequences including fear of falling. Methods: Participants were recruited from a larger prospective study which explored the incidence of falls in people with RA. Purposive sampling considered age, sex, time since diagnosis and fall history. The recruitment site was a regional hospital. Data from semi-structured qualitative interviews and, after each fall, brief telephone interviews. Thematic analysis methods were used to investigate the psychological and social impact of falling in people with RA. Results: Twelve participants were interviewed (aged 64-85, mean 74 years: 6 had fallen between 1-23 times: 6 had no reported fall in last 12 months). Data was supplemented with telephone notes from 287 post-fall telephone calls. Three themes were developed: 1) The falls Imaginary illustrates that fear of falling is not dependent on experience; 2) Agentic risk management reports on the ways people self-manage and display resilience when at risk of falling; 3) The absence of the health professional explores the ways in which people reported being unsupported by health care services. Conclusion: Fear of falling when living with RA is tangible in those who have and have not fallen. This fear may limit opportunities for full participation in life. However some people display personal resourcefulness continuing to live purposeful lives. Understanding personal responses to falling will support the development of community interventions specific to this high risk group

Association between viral seasonality and meteorological factors

Abstract Numerous viruses can cause upper respiratory tract infections. They often precede serious lower respiratory tract infections. Each virus has a seasonal pattern, with peaks in activity in different seasons. We examined the effects of daily local meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, “humidity-range” and dew point) from Edinburgh, Scotland on the seasonal variations in viral transmission. We identified the seasonality of rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza A and B viruses, human parainfluenza viruses 1–3 (HPIV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) from the 52060 respiratory samples tested between 2009 and 2015 and then confirmed the same by a generalised linear model. We also investigated the relationship between meteorological factors and viral seasonality. Non-enveloped viruses were present throughout the year. Following logistic regression adenovirus, influenza viruses A, B, RSV and HMPV preferred low temperatures; RSV and influenza A virus preferred a narrow “humidity-range” and HPIV type 3 preferred the season with lower humidity. A change (i.e. increase or decrease) in specific meteorological factors is associated with an increase in activity of specific viruses at certain times of the year

Transparency Too Little, Too Late? Why and How Health Canada Should Make Clinical Data and Regulatory Decision-Making Open to Scrutiny in the Face of COVID-19

Hard-won gains in the transparency of therapeutic product data in recent years1 have occurred alongside growing reliance by regulators upon expedited review processes.2 The concurrence of these two trends raises fundamental questions for the future of pharmaceutical regulation about whether the institutionalization of transparency will foster improved oversight of drugs, biologics, vaccines, and other interventions, or else, provide cover for a relaxing of regulatory standards of safety, effectiveness, and quality.3 The urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, has brought this tension into immediate and sharp relief. During the course of the global health crisis, regulatory bodies have markedly expanded the number and use of expedited review processes for COVID-19 therapies, and at the same time, the proliferation of misinformation about any potential SARS-CoV-2 intervention4 reveals the limitations of recently implemented transparency measures

A Structurally Characterized Cobalt(I) σ-Alkane Complex

The synthesis, and x-ray structure, of a cobalt s -alkane complex, [Co(Cy 2 P(CH 2 ) 4 PCy 2 )( norbornane )][BAr F 4 ], is achieved by a single-crystal to single-crystal solid/gas hydrogenation from a norbornadiene precursor. Magnetic data show this complex to be a triplet. Periodic DFT and electronic structure analyses identify weak C-H ··· Co σ -interactions, augmented by dispersive stabilisation between the alkane ligand and the anion-microenvironment. The calculations are most consistent with a η 1 : η 1 -alkane binding mode