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Adsorption technique has emerged as one of the promising protocols to mitigate the level of emerging contaminants from aqueous media owing to high viability, flexibility and productive recovery of adsorbent. The suitability of template induced mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles having high surface area to expel out triclosan and chlorpyrifos from aqueous media was investigated in the present study. Biopolymer, xanthan gum templated synthesis of nanosized TiO2 was carried out imposing high frequency sound waves, and the as-synthesized sample was calcined at different temperatures (550–850 °C). The morphological features, crystal phase and size, pore size and surface area, and band gap of TiO2 nanoparticles were evaluated. XRD analysis divulged the 100% pure anatase phase of TiO2 even at 850 °C. Prior to adsorption studies, the persistence studies of triclosan and chlorpyrifos (day 1 to 75) have been carried out which showed the highly persistent nature of both the adsorbates. The nanosorbent anatase TiO2 having 87 m2g−1 surface area and 6.2 nm pore radius showed instant adsorption of triclosan (96%) and chlorpyrifos (89%) optimal conditions. Thermodynamic and adsorption isotherm studies were conducted at different temperatures (293–303 K) and initial concentrations (3–15 mg/L). The calculated thermodynamic parameters ΔG, ΔH and ΔS suggested that the adsorption is spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Further, the recyclability studies demonstrate that mesoporous TiO2 retains the adsorption efficiency for both the adsorbates even after 7 consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles. The findings of the present work have substantial implications for facile elimination of triclosan and chlorpyrifos from aqueous medium with mesoporous TiO2 nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemically modified chitosan-based superhydrophilic adsorbent (CSA) was prepared to prevent its dissolution in acidic medium. Microwave radiations induced free radical polymerization was employed successfully to synthesize CSA with high percentage grafting (2,086%). The process involves the in situ polymerization of biopolymer chitosan as backbone, with monomer acrylic acid in the presence of initiator (K2S2O8). Analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to characterize the synthesized adsorbent. Hydrophilic nature of CSA was reflected from high swelling capacity (1,224%). Batch experiments were performed for removal of organic (synthetic dye Rhodamine 6G [Rh6G]) and inorganic (cadmium [Cd2+] ions). Adsorption parameters such as adsorbent dose, initial concentration of pollutants, contact time and pH of the solutions were optimized for removal of 10 mg/L of 50 mL of Rh6G and 25 mg/L of 50 mL of Cd2+ ions from aqueous solutions. The removal efficiency of CSA for Rh6G was found to be 80.34% at pH 10 and 92.04% for Cd2+ ions at pH 6 for constant CSA dose 1 g/L and the data were subjected to adsorption isotherm analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laboratory experiments were performed for determining the natural and induced degradation of organophosphate pesticide (monocrotophos (MCP)) in aqueous medium. The rate of degradation of MCP was analyzed by the determination of residual concentration using UV–Vis spectrophotometer and HPLC. The persistence experiment showed that MCP and its metabolites persist till 120 d in aqueous medium. The degradation pathway has also been proposed on the basis of identification of formed metabolites by gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry. For biodegradation studies, interesting micro-organisms which are capable of degrading MCP in aqueous stream were isolated from the different contaminated soils of Malwa region of Punjab, India. The isolated microbes were inoculated into minimal media with MCP for 17 d. The result revealed that about 68% of MCP has been successfully degraded in 17 d with isolated microbes and no metabolite has been observed during the biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Utilization of agricultural waste material with approach to enhance the heavy metal remediation properties by carbonizing the biomass at nano size particles has been explored in present investigation from aqueous solutions. In this study the lignocellulosic, nitrogenous agricultural waste biomass Delbergia sissoo pods (DSP) has been tried for sequestering of Cd (II), Pb (II) and Ni (II) metal ions from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were performed for removal of targeted metal ions keeping in consideration the preliminary affecting parameters such as effect of adsorption dose, pH, initial metal ion concentration, stirring speed and contact time. The sorption studies were analyzed by using, Freundlic isotherm and Langmuir isotherm models. The kinetics of the process was evaluated by pseudo pseudo-first order and pseudo second order kinetic models. Studies reveal that the equilibrium was achieved with in 30 min of the contact time at optimized parameters. Analytical studies of biosorbent were done by means of FT-IR, SEM and XRD. Desorption experiments were carried out using HCl solution with a view to regenerate the spent adsorbent and to recover the adsorbed metal ions.

The photocatalytic degradation of lignin obtained from wheat straw kraft digestion has been investigated by using TiO2 and ZnO semiconductors. ZnO has been found to be a better photocatalyst than TiO2. The different variables studied, include catalyst dose, solution pH, oxidant concentration and initial concentration of the substrate. The degradation of lignin was favorable at pH 11. Optimum values of catalyst dose and oxidant concentration were found to be 1g/l and 12.2×10−6 M, respectively. The degradation of the organic compound was also evaluated as COD removal and increase in the COD removal was observed with increase in degradation rate. An attempt has also been made to explore the applicability of ZnO in immobilized mode for the degradation of lignin under solar light for industrial scale application. Further the comparative evaluation of ZnO in slurry/immobilized mode has been carried out. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present work describes the development of TiO 2 /SeO 2 nanostructure as a potential candidate for visible light photocatalysis as well as selective fluorophore for the sensing of picric acid. The obtained nanostructure consists of uniform globular nanoparticles having approximate size of 170 nm and possess an optical band gap of 2.33 eV with absorption maxima at 473 nm. The photocatalyst was able to achieve 90.34% degradation efficiency for 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) with rate constant of 0.0046 min -1 in the visible region. Further the nanostructure was able to serve as a selective fluorophore for sensing of Picric acid portraying more than 95% of fluorescence quenching when the concentration of PA is 10 -4  M. Theoretical calculations indicate the interaction of organic pollutants with the nanostructure and reveal that both picric acid (- 66.21 kcal/mol) and 2,4-DCP (- 12.31 kcal/mol) possess more negative binding energy values demonstrating a strong interaction of both with the nanostructure, making it suitable for the degradation as well as sensing of organic pollutants. Thus this study explains the potential of prepared catalyst for waste water treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: People with severe mental illness (SMI) such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are at a substantially higher risk of premature death in that they die between 10 and 20 years earlier than the general population. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes are the main potentially avoidable contributors to early death. Research that explores the experiences of people with SMI highlights their struggles in engaging with health professionals and accessing effective and timely interventions for physical health conditions. A consequence of such struggles to navigate and access physical healthcare results in many people with SMI relying heavily on support provided by informal carers (e.g., family members, close friends). Despite this, the experiences of informal carers, and the roles they undertake in relation to supporting the physical health and psychotropic medication use of people with SMI, remains under-researched., Aims: To explore the impacts of providing care for physical health in severe mental illness on informal carers., Method: Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with eight informal carers of people with SMI in United Kingdom (UK) national health services., Results: Informal carers played an active part in the management of the patient's conditions and shared their illness experience. Involvement of informal carers was both emotional and practical and informal carers' own lives were affected in ways that were sometimes deeply profound. Informal carers were involved in both 'looking after' the patient from the perspective of doing practical tasks such as collecting dispensed medication from a community pharmacy (caring for) and managing feelings and emotions (caring about)., Conclusions: Providing care for the physical health of someone with SMI can be understood as having two dimensions - 'caring for' and 'caring about'. The findings suggest a bidirectional relationship between these two dimensions, and both have a cost for the informal carer. With appropriate support informal carers could be more actively involved at all stages of care without increasing their burden. This should be with an awareness that carers may minimise the information they share about their own needs and impacts of their role to spare the person they care and themselves any distress., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The combination of diazabicyclic compound i.e. 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) and dicarboxylate linker 1,4-dicarboxylic acid are employed to self-assemble with three divalent metal ions such as Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Ni 2+ led to the formation of highly stable pillar layered luminescent metal-organic frameworks. The emissive response of as-synthesized MOFs was studied in organic solvents with different functionalities resulting in the development of fluoroprobes having excellent recognition ability for 4-nitroaniline with detection limit upto micromolar. All the MOFs display a good linear relation between the fluorescence intensity and concentration of 4-NA in the range of 10-90 µmol L -1 . The values of K sv for Zn-MOF, Cd-MOF, and Ni-MOF are found to be 1.75 × 10 4  mol -1 L, 1.25 × 10 4  mol -1 L, and 28.0 × 10 4  mol -1 L, respectively. The calculated detection limit values are 19.7 µmol L -1 , 27.6 µmol L -1 , and 1.19 µmol L -1 respectively. Moreover, the study was further extended to fabricate the solid membrane-based fluoroprobe using a linear chitosan polysaccharide and act as an efficient solid fluoroprobe for the detection of 4-NA. This proposed synthesis of polymeric membrane facilitates the MOF@chitosan fluorophore to transfer its fluorescence-emissive nature to a solid state., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures have been successfully synthesized via template-assisted and template-free route using three different synthetic methods, i.e., sonochemical, mechanochemical, and hydrothermal. Biopolymer xanthan gum (XG) served as sacrificial template for ZnO synthesis as provided the surface for the growth of nanostructures in a controlled manner. The employment of multifarious synthetic techniques resulted in fabrication of ZnO nanoparticles with diverse morphologies such as needle shaped, hexagonal, and spherical particles. Further, the template-assisted protocols generated thermally stable highly crystalline nanostructures along with high surface area, larger pore size, and low band gap energies in contrast to template-free protocol. The structural and other physicochemical studies were manifested by XRD, N 2 adsorption desorption, FESEM, TGA, and UV-Vis spectral analysis. The template-assisted ZnO nanostructures were explored as a potential photocatalyst for the catalytic degradation of emerging pollutants, i.e., triclosan (TCS) and imidacloprid (IMD) under the exposure of UV light. The products formed during the photocatalytic reaction were monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy and HPLC. The results obtained revealed the high catalytic efficiency of ZnO synthesized via template-assisted sonochemical method for TCS (99.60%) and IMD (96.09%) which is attributed to the high surface area and lower band gap energy of the catalyst. The high catalytic potential of the sonochemically synthesized ZnO also substantiated from the kinetic data as high-rate constant was obtained. Thus, the template-assisted protocols developed led to preparation of nanostructures having tailored properties for efficient photocatalysis and can rapidly degrade selected emerging contaminants such as personal care products and organophosphate pesticides. Hence, environment-friendly synthesized photocatalyst can be appropriately employed to wastewater treatment contaminated with emerging pollutants., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A water-soluble azo functionalized oligomeric chitosan reagent (β-NAC) has been developed for the visual detection and quantification of KMnO 4 at micromolar concentrations. The β-NAC sensor was also explored as a detection probe for the spectrophotometric and spectrofluorometric detection of several metal ions and anions. The synthesized reagent was characterized by TGA-DTA-DTG analysis, DLS studies, BET analysis, and spectral analysis. The β-NAC reagent produces conspicuous colours with different concentrations and different pH values of KMnO 4 solution. This provides evidence for high selectivity in the visual detection of KMnO 4 up to the micromolar level because of its interactions in the case of KMnO 4 only. The colour of the β-NAC reagent after interacting with KMnO 4 (10 -3 M) changes from brown to blood red. Furthermore, the β-NAC sensor was employed for the spectrophotometric detection of KMnO 4 . The absorption spectrum of β-NAC shows a peak at 327 nm and on interacting with KMnO 4 , it shows a bathochromic shift to 331 nm. The intensity of the peak at 331 nm increases as the concentration of KMnO 4 was increased from 1 μM to 0.01 M. The detection and quantification limits in the spectrophotometric detection of KMnO 4 were found to be 4.55 μM and 15.17 μM, respectively. The results of pH studies show that there is a pH effect of the KMnO 4 solution on KMnO 4 detection. The stability of the complex was determined by investigating the effect of time on the absorption intensity. In the spectrofluorometric detection, the fluorescence intensity of β-NAC at the 427 nm emission maxima was decreased on adding KMnO 4 solution. The fluorescence quenching increased on increasing the KMnO 4 concentration from 1 μM to 0.008 M. The optimum pH for fluorescence quenching was found to be 8. The detection and quantification limits in the spectrofluorometric detection of KMnO 4 were found to be 0.967 μM and 3.223 μM, respectively. The Stern-Volmer constant value was found to be 41 366.2 L mol -1 , confirming the significant complexation between KMnO 4 and the β-NAC reagent. Interference studies were conducted to analyse the effect of various metal ions and anions on KMnO 4 detection. Electrochemical studies were also performed to analyse the mechanism of complex formation.

Genus Araucaria is globally known for its medicinal, economic, and ornamental values. Most of its species have not been extensively studied yet for their chemical composition and biological activities. Therefore, the phytochemical investigation and antioxidant potential of Araucaria columnaris (G. Forst.) Hook. has been analyzed. This work aims to investigate the isolation, characterization, and antioxidant potential of bioactive compounds from the bark extract of the exemplar plant. Their structures were elucidated by virtue of physicochemical properties and spectroscopic methods. The antioxidant potential was further discussed through various assays including DFT and molecular docking. The isolation of pure compounds from bioactive extract has been carried out chromatographically. Their structures were elucidated by 1D, 2D NMR, FT-IR, UV, MS, and RP-HPLC-DAD data analysis. In vitro, the antioxidant potential was evaluated by the DRSC, FRAP, and TAC assays and in-silico studies by DFT and molecular docking. For the first time, pure compounds such as stigmasterol (IC1) and diosgenin (IC2) were isolated from the bark extract of Araucaria columnaris. In vitro antioxidant activity has been demonstrated that IC2 has higher values of DRSC, FRAP, and TAC than IC1, due to higher reactivity of IC2 than IC1 as represented by quantum reactivity parameters like lower energy gap, higher dipole moment, and higher electron-donor power. Further, antioxidant potential was also confirmed by molecular docking against two stress proteins such as 3MNG (IC2: -7.70 Kcal/mol > IC1: -7.32 Kcal/mol > ascorbic acid: -5.56 Kcal/mol) and 1N3U (heme: -12.42 Kcal/mol > IC2: -11.15 Kcal/mol > IC1: -9.45 Kcal/mol). In conclusion, the phytosteroids exhibited excellent antioxidant potential, which could enlighten their ethnomedical use. The exemplar plant offered powerful and available antioxidant besides significantly active phytoconstituents., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

What Is New and Objectives: Older people from ethnic minorities experience the intersectionality of age and ethnicity in relation to complex medication management and polypharmacy. Minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom are at risk of poor medication management because factors such as cultural beliefs, language barriers, lack of knowledge of how the healthcare system works may affect their ability to safely manage their medications. The aim of this systematic review was to review the literature focussing on medication management in the older population amongst ethnic minority communities in United Kingdom., Methods: The review was conducted and reported according to methods in the Cochrane Handbook and in the PRISMA 2020 statement using databases such as EMBASE, ASSIA, MEDLINE, PsychINFO and others. Studies conducted in the United Kingdom on individuals over 60 years of age and from a minority ethnic background were included. A thematic analysis was used to synthesize the results., Results and Discussion: Nine studies (eight from initial searches, one from a search update in 2021) met the inclusion criteria. Three main themes were identified: misbeliefs around medications, poor health literacy, communication and education as possible intervention to improve medication management. Misbeliefs around long-term illnesses exert a negative impact on medication management. Poor health literacy around medications influences patients' adherence to treatments. Poor communication is perceived as barrier to successful medication management. Despite extensive searching, the team identified a limited number of studies and a lack of intersectional studies focussing on minority ethnic groups and the older population., What Is New and Conclusion: Our findings suggest tailored education as a possible intervention to improve medication management amongst these minority groups. Future research should look at recruiting participants from specific ethnic groups and from rural as well as urban areas to explore how medication management operates in different areas of the United Kingdom., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

There has been much growth in the interest in and use of family-level and dyadic level theories and methodologies to explore the influence of social relationships on health and the influence of health on social relationships. Social relationships include those with romantic partners, friends, siblings, children and care professionals these individuals play a significant role in the physical health, mental health and well-being of a patient. An important part of this includes medicines optimisation and illness management. Studying health and well-being and consideration of both partners in the context of these close social relationships is clearly important in health research; as such both partners become the unit of study - also known as a dyad. The aim of this paper is to provide an introduction and overview as to how dyads might be used in medicines optimisation and illness management research. This aim will be achieved through the following objectives: dyadic study designs used in health research; some of the challenges that can occur in recruitment and data collection and strategies that can be used to overcome them; dyadic data analysis: some methodological and substantive considerations that require consideration when using dyadic data analysis., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Informal carers play an important role in the care of patients with mental illness. Little is known of the relationship experience of the patient and their informal carer (caring dyad) as the context for the intersection between physical and mental health., Aim: This study aimed to explore the impact of comorbid cardiometabolic risk (CMR), metabolic syndrome (MetS) and related diseases and severe mental illness (SMI) on the caring dyad., Design: Between October 2018 and March 2020, we conducted 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews across 6 adult caring dyads, interviewing each individual separately., Setting: Dyads were recruited within the United Kingdom; informal carers were nominated by the patient as a person who provided a significant amount of support., Variable Being Studied: Participants were asked about the impacts of illness and caring on daily life., Data Analysis: Data were analysed at the dyad level using thematic analysis, comparing and contrasting responses from each individual., Results: Themes were identified: enhanced closeness, dissonance and balance within the caring dyad., Discussion and Conclusions: This study uses a particular population of patients with comorbid CMR factors, MetS and related diseases and SMI and their informal carers to explore the relevance and utility of caring dyads as an analytical framework to inform practice and policy. Future interventions should consider factors impacting on dyadic relationships to formulate effective and sustainable dyadic care and treatment to improve health outcomes for both patients with SMI and their informal carers., Patient/public Involvement: In this study, patients and informal carers were participants. Topic guides were piloted with a patient and informal carer., (© 2021 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Individuals with severe mental illness, e.g. schizophrenia have up to a 20% shortened life expectancy compared to the general population. Cardiovascular disease, due to cardiometabolic risk and metabolic syndrome, accounts for most of this excess mortality. A scoping search revealed that there has not been a review of published studies on the role of pharmacy in relation to cardiometabolic risk, metabolic syndrome and related diseases (e.g. type 2 diabetes) in individuals with severe mental illness., Methods: A mixed-methods systematic review was performed. Eleven databases were searched using a comprehensive search strategy to identify English-language studies where pharmacy was involved in an intervention for cardiometabolic risk, metabolic syndrome or related diseases in severe mental illness in any study setting from any country of origin. First, a mapping review was conducted. Then, implementation strategies used to implement the study intervention were classified using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Taxonomy. Impact of the study intervention on the process (e.g. rate of diagnosis of metabolic syndrome) and clinical (e.g. diabetic control) outcomes were analysed where possible (statistical tests of significance obtained for quantitative outcome parameters reported). Quality assessment was undertaken using a modified Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool., Results: A total of 33 studies were identified. Studies were heterogeneous for all characteristics. A total of 20 studies reported quantitative outcome data that allowed for detailed analysis of the impact of the study intervention. The relationship between the total number of implementation strategies used and impact on outcomes measured is unclear. Inclusion of face-to-face interaction in implementation of interventions appears to be important in having a statistically significantly positive impact on measured outcomes even when used on its own. Few studies included pharmacy staff in community or general practitioner practices (n = 2), clinical outcomes, follow up of individuals after implementation of interventions (n = 3). No studies included synthesis of qualitative data., Conclusions: Our findings indicate that implementation strategies involving face-to-face interaction of pharmacists with other members of the multidisciplinary team can improve process outcomes when used as the sole strategy. Further work is needed on clinical outcomes (e.g. cardiovascular risk reduction), role of community pharmacy and qualitative studies., Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42018086411.

Introduction: The "ball-in-socket" design of the Medial-Pivot knee system (MicroPort Orthopedics, Arlington, Tennessee, USA) aims to reproduce normal knee kinematics by medializing its rotational axis. The goal of this study was to measure knee range of motion (ROM) with this implant after a mean follow-up of 10 years and to report the survivorship and long-term clinical and radiological outcomes. We hypothesized the prosthetic knee would have at least 120° flexion at 10 years., Material and Methods: This was retrospective, single-centre study of 74 Medial-Pivot knees implanted in 71 patients (average age of 69 years) between May 2005 and November 2007. All patients who received a Medial-Pivot knee were included consecutively. The mean follow-up was 10 years. Clinical and radiological assessments were performed using the Knee Society Score (KSS) and Ewald's score. Kaplan-Meir survival analysis was used to calculate survivorship., Results: Seven percent of cases were lost to follow-up. The knee ROM was 110° at 10 years. The survivorship was 93% for all revision causes and 95.9% when revisions due to trauma or infection were excluded. The mean KSS score was 195. Stable radiolucent lines were found in 14% of cases. No aseptic loosening was observed., Conclusion: Our hypothesis was not confirmed. Knee flexion at the final follow-up was comparable to other semi-constrained implant designs but was not as large as expected. The survival of the Medial-Pivot knee at 10 years is good. Its radiological and clinical outcomes are satisfactory., Level of Evidence: IV (retrospective cohort study)., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Objectives: To determine the efficacy of colposcopy plus ZedScan, which measures changes in tissue electrical impedance, for detecting intraepithelial high-grade lesions compared to colposcopy alone., Methods: A prospective study conducted at a university hospital colposcopy clinic. Patients referred following abnormal cervical cytology or colposcopic follow up were examined by colposcopy plus ZedScan to assess the cervix. The results of ZedScan directed and colposcopically directed biopsies were compared., Results: Ninety-one patients were included in this study. The median age was 33 years. Eighty (88%) were referred with abnormal cytology; LSIL 45%, ASCUS 27%, ACS-H 8%, HSIL 7%, AGC 1% and 12% follow-up postconisation or colposcopic follow up. Colposcopy alone detected 18 high-grade lesions with 64 women undergoing biopsy with a total of 115 biopsies being taken with a sensitivity of 60% and NPV estimated at 81.7%. ZedScan with colposcopy increased the detection of high-grade lesions by 47.3%, identifying 27 high-grade lesions and one case of invasive cancer. Sensitivity was 93.1% and NPV estimated at 91.3%. A combination of normal colposcopy practice and ZedScan had a sensitivity and NPV of 100%., Conclusion: ZedScan used in conjunction with the colposcopy improves sensitivity in detecting high-grade lesions at the expense of a moderate increase in the number of biopsies., (Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background People diagnosed with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder are frequently treated with antipsychotics. National guidance advises the use of shared decision-making (SDM) in antipsychotic prescribing. There is currently little data on the opinions of health professionals on the role of SDM. Objective To explore the views and experiences of UK mental health pharmacists regarding the use of SDM in antipsychotic prescribing in people diagnosed with SMI. Setting The study was conducted by interviewing secondary care mental health pharmacists in the UK to obtain qualitative data. Methods Semi-structured interviews were recorded. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted using the method of constant comparison. Main outcome measure Themes evolving from mental health pharmacists on SDM in relation to antipsychotic prescribing in people with SMI. Results Thirteen mental health pharmacists were interviewed. SDM was perceived to be linked to positive clinical outcomes including adherence, service user satisfaction and improved therapeutic relations. Despite more prescribers and service users supporting SDM, it was not seen as being practised as widely as it could be; this was attributed to a number of barriers, most predominantly issues surrounding service user's lacking capacity to engage in SDM and time pressures on clinical staff. The need for greater effort to work around the issues, engage service users and adopt a more inter-professional approach was conveyed. Conclusion The mental health pharmacists support SDM for antipsychotic prescribing, believing that it improves outcomes. However, barriers are seen to limit implementation. More research is needed into overcoming the barriers and measuring the benefits of SDM, along with exploring a more inter-professional approach to SDM., Competing Interests: No conflicts of interest were identified.

Burn is still a frequent accident in children and particularly occurs in young children under 4years. The majority were caused by hot liquids (scalds) with mixed-dermal burns and is commonly treated conservatively with surgery performed at 10-15 days post-injury after healing of superficial burn. Patients with burns greater than 10% need early fluid resuscitation and adequate nutritional support to avoid deepening with infection, improve healing and survival. Hypovolemic shock could be very abrupt in children. Prophylactic prevention of infection and optimization of healing before 21 days improve quality of scar. Management with rehabilitation team is more important in children than in adults because hypertrophic scar and retraction can restrain growth and function particularly for palmar hand burns occurring at the beginning of walking. Follow-up is essential during the growth to assess scar tension requiring secondary surgery. Better knowledge of injury mechanisms should facilitate education and prevention programs and decrease the incidence., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

This article outlines a good practice guide to prescribing anti-dementia medication developed jointly by a lead nurse for memory services and a clinical pharmacist. The guide brings together current evidence to produce a concise prescribing guideline for practitioners.

The present study reports the degradation of the persistent and toxic organophosphate, quinalphos, by employing microorganisms that were already members of the natural soil community for degradation. Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp., both of which are capable of degrading quinalphos from aqueous streams, were isolated from different contaminated soils. Batch experiments were performed to determine the natural and induced biodegradation of quinalphos in the aqueous medium. The rate of degradation was analyzed through determination of residual concentration using UV-Vis spectrophotometer and high-performance liquid chromatography. A single peak of a metabolite was observed on the 160th day, and identified as dihydroxy quinalphos oxon by mass spectrometry. The presence of quinalphos and its metabolite in water over an extended period prompted the authors to investigate its induced biodegradation using indigenous microbes extracted from soil. For biodegradation studies, the isolated microbes were inoculated into minimal media with quinalphos for 17 days. The results revealed that > 80% of quinalphos was degraded in 17 days in the presence of isolated microbes, and no metabolite was observed during the biodegradation process.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a method for measuring fluorophore lifetimes with microscopic spatial resolution, providing a useful tool for cell biologists to detect, visualize, and investigate structure and function of biological systems. In this chapter, we begin by introducing the basic theory of fluorescence lifetime, including the characteristics of fluorophore decay, followed by a discussion of factors affecting fluorescence lifetimes and the potential advantages of fluorescence lifetime as a source of image contrast. Experimental methods for creating lifetime maps, including both time- and frequency-domain experimental approaches, are then introduced. Then, FLIM data analysis methods are discussed, including rapid lifetime determination, multiexponential fitting, Laguerre polynomial fitting, and phasor plot analysis. After, data analysis methods are introduced that improve lifetime precision of FLIM maps based upon optimal virtual gating and total variation denoising. The chapter concludes by highlighting several recent FLIM applications for quantitative biological imaging, including Förster resonance energy transfer-FLIM, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy-FLIM, multispectral-FLIM, and multiphoton-FLIM., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study evaluates the effect of integrated solar-assisted advanced oxidation process (AOP) and biological treatment on the extent of degradation of effluents from chlorination (C) and first alkaline extraction (E(1)) stages of soda pulp bleaching in agro-residue-based pulp and paper mill. Biodegradation of the effluents was attempted in suspended mode using activated sludge from the functional pulp and paper industry effluent treatment plant acclimatized to effluents in question. The photocatalytic treatment was employed using zinc oxide (ZnO) in slurry mode for decontamination of effluents in a batch manner and the degradation was evaluated in terms of reduction in chemical oxygen demand. The biological treatment (24 h) of C and E(1) effluent resulted in 30 and 57 % of degradation, respectively. Solar-induced AOP of C and E(1) effluents resulted in 53 and 43 % degradation under optimized conditions (2.5 g L(-1) ZnO at pH 8.0) after 6 h of exposure. For C effluent, a short duration of solar/ZnO (1 h) prior to biological treatment reduced the time required at biological step from 24 to 12 h for almost same extent (92 %) of degradation. However, sequential biological treatment (24 h) followed by solar/ZnO (2 h) resulted in 85.5 % degradation. In contrast, in the case of E(1) effluent, sequential biological (24 h)-solar/ZnO (2 h) system effectively degrades effluent to 95.4 % as compared to 84.8 % degradation achieved in solar/ZnO (2 h)-biological treatment (24 h) system. In the present study, the sequencing of photocatalysis with the biological treatment is observably efficient and technically viable process for the complete mineralization of the effluents.

Computational image restoration finds wide applicability for fluorescence intensity imaging. Relatively little work in this regard has been performed on FLIM images, which also suffer from diminished spatial resolution. In this work, we report two separate approaches to enhance FLIM image quality while maintaining lifetime accuracy. A 2D-image restoration algorithm was employed to improve resolution in gated intensity images of various samples including fluorescent beads, living cells and fixed tissue samples. The restoration approach improved lifetime image quality without significant variation in lifetime. Further, overlaying a restored-intensity image over the native lifetime image provided even better results, where the resulting lifetime map had spatial features similar to the intensity map. 2D and 3D image restoration also benefit from advances in computational power and hence holds potential for enhancing FLIM resolution, particularly in ICCD-based wide-field FLIM systems, without sacrificing vital quantitative information.

This paper reports the feasibility of using various agricultural residues viz. sugarcane bagasse (SCB), maize corncob (MCC) and Jatropha oil cake (JOC) for the removal of Cd(II) from aqueous solution under different experimental conditions. Effect of various process parameters, viz., initial metal ion concentration, pH, and adsorbent dose has been studied for the removal of cadmium. Batch experiments were carried out at various pH (2-7), adsorbent dose (250-2000 mg), Cd(II) concentration (5-500 mg l(-1)) for a contact time of 60 min. The maximum cadmium removal capacity was shown by JOC (99.5%). The applicability of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm suggests the formation of monolayer of Cd(II) ions onto the outer surface of the adsorbents. Maximum metal removal was observed at pH 6.0 with a contact time of 60 min at stirring speed of 250 rpm with an adsorbent dose of 20 g l(-1) of the test solution. The maximum adsorption of cadmium (II) metal ions was observed at pH 6 for all the adsorbents viz; 99.5%, 99% and 85% for JOC, MCC, and SCB, respectively. Order of Cd(II) removal by various biosorbents was JOC>MCC>SCB. JOC may be an alternative biosorbent for the removal of Cd(II) ions from the aqueous solution. FT-IR spectra of the adsorbents (before use and after exhaustion) were recorded to explore number and position of the functional groups available for the binding of Cd(II) ions on to studied adsorbents. These results can be helpful in designing a batch mode system for the removal of cadmium from dilute wastewaters.

In the present study, effect of adsorbent dose, pH and agitation speed on nickel removal from aqueous medium using an agricultural waste biomass, Sugarcane bagasse has been investigated. Batch mode experiments were carried out to assess the adsorption equilibrium. The influence of three parameters on the removal of nickel was also examined using a response surface methodological approach. The central composite face-centered experimental design in response surface methodology (RSM) by Design Expert Version 6.0.10 (Stat Ease, USA) was used for designing the experiments as well as for full response surface estimation. The optimum conditions for maximum removal of nickel from an aqueous solution of 50 mg/L were as follows: adsorbent dose (1500 mg/L), pH (7.52) and stirring speed (150 rpm). This was evidenced by the higher value of coefficient of determination (r(2)=0.9873).