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Microbial activities are responsible for reducing the harmful effects of pollutants in different burial environments. Within wetlands in particular, microorganisms play an important role in the transformation of heavy metals and metalloids via direct or indirect oxidation/reduction. In turn, these microbial transformations can lead to the detoxification of pollutant elements such as copper, chromium and arsenic that comprise CCA-treated wood. CCA was the most commonly used wood preservative in the UK (up until its partial ban in 2004). CCA prolongs the service life of wood by making it resistant to microbiological attack. As such, it has been regularly used in the construction of platforms and boardwalks in wetlands. However, recent concerns over the impact of the chemical constituents of this treatment on both the environment and human health have prompted the introduction of legislation in order to ensure that this type of treated wood is disposed of in accordance with the relevant health and safety guidelines. In light of this information, it is important to assess changes in the physico-chemical and microbial nature of wetlands associated with the leaching of CCA from wooden structures. The results will not only provide a greater scope for understanding the implications associated with the in situ preservation of the archaeological resource contained within these environments, but also highlight the potential ramifications for wetland ecosystem dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High blood pressure variability (BPV) is a predictor of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in people with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and a marker of aging in geriatric populations. Nevertheless, the relationship between BPV and geriatric syndromes, such as frailty, in people with ESKD is not well understood., Objective: To examine the association between very short-term BPV and frailty in people with ESKD and receiving hemodialysis., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Three dialysis units in the United Kingdom., Participants: Sixty-nine people receiving hemodialysis (median age=62.0 years, interquartile range [IQR]=19.0; 52.2% male; median dialysis vintage=1.1 years, IQR=2.4)., Measurements: Systolic and diastolic BPV were recorded using continuous, non-invasive BP monitoring (Task Force Monitor). The very low, low, and high frequency components of BPV (VLF-BPV, LF-BPV, and HF-BPV), as well as the power spectral density (PSD-BPV) and low frequency/high frequency ratio of BPV (LF/HF-BPV) were analyzed. Frailty was evaluated using the Fried frailty phenotype., Results: Twenty-six (37.7%) participants were classified as frail and 43 (62.3%) as non-frail. Frail participants had higher median systolic (2.1, IQR=5.2 mmHg2 vs. 1.1, IQR=1.6 mmHg2, p=0.002) and diastolic HF-BPV (0.9, IQR=2.3 mmHg2 vs. 0.5, IQR=1.0 mmHg2, p=0.048) compared to their non-frail counterparts. In addition, frail participants had higher median systolic VLF-BPV (3.2, IQR=12.5 mmHg2 vs. 2.0, IQR=2.4 mmHg2, p=0.012), LF-BPV (2.0, IQR=3.8 mmHg2 vs. 1.1, IQR=2.0 mmHg2, p=0.016), and PSD-BPV (6.6, IQR=27.6 mmHg2 vs. 4.5, IQR=5.9 mmHg2, p=0.005) compared to the non-frail participants. In age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression analyses, only systolic VLF-BPV (odds ratio [OR]=1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.01-1.26, p=0.035), HF-BPV (OR=1.26, 95%CI:1.01-1.57, p=0.044), and PSD-BPV (OR=1.06, 95%CI:1.01-1.12, p=0.029) were associated with increased odds of being frail., Conclusion: Higher systolic BPV is associated with frailty in people receiving hemodialysis. Beat-to-beat assessments of BPV through continuous, non-invasive BP monitoring may be useful in evaluating frailty in ESKD populations., Competing Interests: The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.