Synthesised and naturally formed Akaganéite: impact on the corrosion of iron

Akaganéite (β-FeOOH) corrodes iron in contact with it due to its hygroscopicity and the mobility of its surface adsorbed chloride.1,2 The high hygroscopicity of β-FeOOH means corrosion can occur down to 15% relative humidity.3 Aqueous washing removes either some or all surface adsorbed chloride, according to the washing process and its temperature, reducing the ability of β-FeOOH to corrode iron.1 Chloride occluded in the crystal structure of β-FeOOH, does not corrode iron since it is trapped in the Hollandite tunnel structure of the crystal.1,4 Research into its properties of β-FeOOH mostly employs synthesised samples, produced either by precipitation or solid state corrosion, as both processes mirror how it might be formed on objects. Since sufficiently pure naturally formed β-FeOOH is difficult to obtain in quantities suitable for use in experiments, it is often asked whether synthetically produced β-FeOOH reflects how the naturally formed product impacts on corrosion of archaeological objects. This study compares natural β-FeOOH from a 1st century AD Roman shipwreck at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, with β-FeOOH, synthesised by acid hydrolysis of FeCl3 solution5 and by a solid state method of FeCl2.4H2O/iron powder mixture to high humidity6 (Turgoose 1983). Their crystal structure is identified, the impact of each on the corrosion rate of iron was determined quantitatively and their chloride content was measured. Corrosion rates are compared to recently published data on the corrosion rates of over 100 archaeological iron objects.

The effect of βFeOOH synthesis routes on its ability to corrode iron

Akaganeite (βFeOOH) occludes chloride within its crystal structure and adsorbs it onto it surface during its formation. βFeOOH was synthesised by solid-state and aqueous precipitation routes. The amount of adsorbed chloride removed by a single aqueous wash was measured. The impact of the synthesised βFeOOH on the oxidation rate of iron was determined by using a remote oxygen sensing technique to record oxygen concentrations within a sealed vessel, internally controlled to 80% relative humidity and containing mixture of βFeOOH and iron powder. The oxidation rate of iron was directly related to the mass% of adsorbed chloride removed by the aqueous wash. This contributes to understanding of both iron corrosion and the development of conservation treatments

Anastrozole for prevention of breast cancer in high-risk postmenopausal women (IBIS-II) : an international, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

This study was funded by Cancer Research UK (C569/A5032), the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia (GNT300755, GNT569213), Sanofi-Aventis, and AstraZeneca. Sanofi-Aventis and AstraZeneca provided anastrozole and matching placebo. The study sponsor was Queen Mary University of London.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Alcohol consumption in tertiary education students

Background Heavy alcohol consumption among adolescents and young adults is an issue of significant public concern. With approximately 50% of young people aged 18-24 attending tertiary education, there is an opportunity within these settings to implement programs that target risky drinking. The aim of the current study was to survey students and staff within a tertiary education institution to investigate patterns of alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, knowledge of current National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines for alcohol consumption and intentions to seek help for alcohol problems. Methods Students of an Australian metropolitan university (with staff as a comparison group) participated in a telephone interview. Questions related to knowledge of NHMRC guidelines, drinking behaviour, alcohol-related problems and help-seeking intentions for alcohol problems. Level of psychological distress was also assessed. Results Of the completed interviews, 774 (65%) were students and 422 (35%) were staff. While staff were more likely to drink regularly, students were more likely to drink heavily. Alcohol consumption was significantly higher in students, in males and in those with a history of earlier onset drinking. In most cases, alcohol-related problems were more likely to occur in students. The majority of students and staff had accurate knowledge of the current NHMRC guidelines, but this was not associated with lower levels of risky drinking. Psychological distress was associated with patterns of risky drinking in students. Conclusions Our findings are consistent with previous studies of tertiary student populations, and highlight the disconnect between knowledge of relevant guidelines and actual behaviour. There is a clear need for interventions within tertiary education institutions that promote more effective means of coping with psychological distress and improve help-seeking for alcohol problems, particularly among young men

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Herpes Virus Fusion and Entry: A Story with Many Characters

Herpesviridae comprise a large family of enveloped DNA viruses all of whom employ orthologs of the same three glycoproteins, gB, gH and gL. Additionally, herpesviruses often employ accessory proteins to bind receptors and/or bind the heterodimer gH/gL or even to determine cell tropism. Sorting out how these proteins function has been resolved to a large extent by structural biology coupled with supporting biochemical and biologic evidence. Together with the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus, gB is a charter member of the Class III fusion proteins. Unlike VSV G, gB only functions when partnered with gH/gL. However, gH/gL does not resemble any known viral fusion protein and there is evidence that its function is to upregulate the fusogenic activity of gB. In the case of herpes simplex virus, gH/gL itself is upregulated into an active state by the conformational change that occurs when gD, the receptor binding protein, binds one of its receptors. In this review we focus primarily on prototypes of the three subfamilies of herpesviruses. We will present our model for how herpes simplex virus (HSV) regulates fusion in series of highly regulated steps. Our model highlights what is known and also provides a framework to address mechanistic questions about fusion by HSV and herpesviruses in general