UK recovery guidance and advice for the remediation of the environment following a chemical incident.

Global events have shown that chemical incidents can have huge consequences on human health, the environment and society. It is important that in the event of such an occurrence, the appropriate tools and technical guidance are available to ensure that remediation can be completed quickly and efficiently. Public Health England (PHE) is leading the development of a series of recovery handbooks with support from other Government Departments and Agencies. The UK Chemical Recovery Handbook was published in 2012[1], and includes guidance and advice on the recovery and remediation of the environment in the post-accident (post-acute) phase and focusses on environmental clean- up methods. The Handbook provides a framework for developing and selecting an effective recovery strategy following a chemical incident, and contains a compendium of practicable, evidence based recovery options for Inhabited Areas, Food Production Systems and Water Environments [2]. Public Health England is also developing a chemical and radiation recovery decision support tool, in collaboration with UK Government Departments and Agencies. It is envisaged that the decision support tool will assist users navigating through the recovery handbooks and provide a consistent methodology to compare remediation techniques and a framework for documenting the parameters, assumptions and information used to reach the decision on how to remediate the affected environment following a chemical or radiation incident. [1] Wyke-Sanders et al. (2012). The UK Recovery Handbook for Chemical Incidents. Available at: https://www. gov.uk/government/collections/recovery- remediation-and-environmental- decontamination [2] Nisbet et al. (2009). UK Recovery Handbooks for Radiation Incidents. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/ government/collections/recovery- remediation-and-environmental- decontaminatio

The detection of Class I methanol masers towards regions of low-mass star formation

Six young bipolar outflows in regions of low-to-intermediate-mass star formation were observed in the 7_0-6_1A+, 8_0-7_1A+, and 5_{-1}-4_0E methanol lines at 44, 95, and 84 GHz, respectively. Narrow features were detected towards NGC 1333IRAS4A, HH 25MMS, and L1157 B1. Flux densities of the detected lines are no higher than 11 Jy, which is much lower than the flux densities of strong maser lines in regions of high-mass star formation. Analysis shows that most likely the narrow features are masers.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Astronomy Report

5-Fluorouracil-induced cardiotoxicity mimicking myocardial infarction: a case report

BACKGROUND: Severe cardiotoxicity is a documented, but very unusual side-effect of intravenous 5-fluorouracil therapy. The mechanism producing cardiotoxicity is poorly understood. CASE PRESENTATION: A case of 5-fluorouracil-induced cardiotoxicity, possibly due to coronary artery spasm, and mimicking acute anterolateral myocardial infarction is presented and discussed. Electrocardiographs highlighting the severity of the presentation are included in the report along with coronary angiograms demonstrating the absence of significant coronary atherosclerosis. CONCLUSION: Severe 5-fluorouracil-induced cardiotoxicity is rare, but can be severe and may mimic acute myocardial infarction, leading to diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. Readministration of 5-fluorouracil is not advised following an episode of cardiotoxicity

The CHESS chemical Herschel surveys of star forming regions: Peering into the protostellar shock L1157-B1. I. Shock chemical complexity

We present the first results of the unbiased survey of the L1157-B1 bow shock, obtained with HIFI in the framework of the key program Chemical Herschel surveys of star forming regions (CHESS). The L1157 outflow is driven by a low-mass Class 0 protostar and is considered the prototype of the so-called chemically active outflows. The bright blue-shifted bow shock B1 is the ideal laboratory for studying the link between the hot (around 1000-2000 K) component traced by H2 IR-emission and the cold (around 10-20 K) swept-up material. The main aim is to trace the warm gas chemically enriched by the passage of a shock and to infer the excitation conditions in L1157-B1. A total of 27 lines are identified in the 555-636 GHz region, down to an average 3 sigma level of 30 mK. The emission is dominated by CO(5-4) and H2O(110-101) transitions, as discussed by Lefloch et al. (2010). Here we report on the identification of lines from NH3, H2CO, CH3OH, CS, HCN, and HCO+. The comparison between the profiles produced by molecules released from dust mantles (NH3, H2CO, CH3OH) and that of H2O is consistent with a scenario in which water is also formed in the gas-phase in high-temperature regions where sputtering or grain-grain collisions are not efficient. The high excitation range of the observed tracers allows us to infer, for the first time for these species, the existence of a warm (> 200 K) gas component coexisting in the B1 bow structure with the cold and hot gas detected from ground

Methanol maps of low-mass protostellar systems: the Serpens Molecular Core

Observations of Serpens have been performed at the JCMT using Harp-B. Maps over a 4.5'x5.4' region were made in a frequency window around 338 GHz, covering the 7-6 transitions of methanol. Emission is extended over each source, following the column density of H2 but showing up also particularly strongly around outflows. The rotational temperature is low, 15-20 K, and does not vary with position within each source. The abundance is typically 10^-9 - 10^-8 with respect to H2 in the outer envelope, whereas "jumps" by factors of up to 10^2 -10^3 inside the region where the dust temperature exceeds 100 K are not excluded. A factor of up to ~ 10^3 enhancement is seen in outflow gas. In one object, SMM4, the ice abundance has been measured to be ~ 3x10^-5 with respect to H2 in the outer envelope, i.e., a factor of 10^3 larger than the gas-phase abundance. Comparison with C18O J=3-2 emission shows that strong CO depletion leads to a high gas-phase abundance of CH3OH not just for the Serpens sources, but for a larger sample of protostars. The observations illustrate the large-scale, low-level desorption of CH3OH from dust grains, extending out to and beyond 7500 AU from each source, a scenario which is consistent with non-thermal (photo-)desorption from the ice. The observations also illustrate the usefulness of CH3OH as a tracer of energetic input in the form of outflows, where methanol is sputtered from the grain surfaces. Finally, the observations provide further evidence of CH3OH formation through CO hydrogenation proceeding on grain surfaces in low-mass envelopes.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A

Molecular excitation in the Interstellar Medium: recent advances in collisional, radiative and chemical processes

We review the different excitation processes in the interstellar mediumComment: Accepted in Chem. Re

Multi-stakeholder consensus on a target product profile for an HIV cure

Developing a cure for HIV is a global priority. Target product profiles are a tool commonly used throughout the drug development process to align interested parties around a clear set of goals or requirements for a potential product. Three distinct therapeutic modalities (combination therapies, ex-vivo gene therapy, and in-vivo gene therapy) for a target product profile for an HIV cure were identified. Using a process of expert face-to-face consultation and an online Delphi consultation, we found a high degree of agreement regarding the criteria for the optimum target product profile. Although the minimum attributes for a cure were debated, the broad consensus was that an acceptable cure need not be as safe and effective as optimally delivered antiretroviral therapy. An intervention that successfully cured a reasonable fraction of adults would be sufficient to advance to the clinic. These target product profiles will require further discussion and ongoing revisions as the field matures

The case for an HIV cure and how to get there

In light of the increasing global burden of new HIV infections, growing financial requirements, and shifting funding landscape, the global health community must accelerate the development and delivery of an HIV cure to complement existing prevention modalities. An effective curative intervention could prevent new infections, overcome the limitations of antiretroviral treatment, combat stigma and discrimination, and provide a sustainable financial solution for pandemic control. We propose steps to plan for an HIV cure now, including defining a target product profile and establishing the HIV Cure Africa Acceleration Partnership (HCAAP), a multidisciplinary public-private partnership that will catalyse and promote HIV cure research through diverse stakeholder engagement. HCAAP will convene stakeholders, including people living with HIV, at an early stage to accelerate the design, social acceptability, and rapid adoption of HIV-cure products

Multi-stakeholder consensus on a target product profile for an HIV cure

Developing a cure for HIV is a global priority. Target product profiles are a tool commonly used throughout the drug development process to align interested parties around a clear set of goals or requirements for a potential product. Three distinct therapeutic modalities (combination therapies, ex-vivo gene therapy, and in-vivo gene therapy) for a target product profile for an HIV cure were identified. Using a process of expert face-to-face consultation and an online Delphi consultation, we found a high degree of agreement regarding the criteria for the optimum target product profile. Although the minimum attributes for a cure were debated, the broad consensus was that an acceptable cure need not be as safe and effective as optimally delivered antiretroviral therapy. An intervention that successfully cured a reasonable fraction of adults would be sufficient to advance to the clinic. These target product profiles will require further discussion and ongoing revisions as the field matures