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A study of chemical runoff following the use of acetamiprid as a pre-treatment and top-up spray to prevent damage from the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) to young trees was undertaken at a restock site in mid-Wales. The site was specifically selected to pose a high risk of chemical runoff, being a high elevation, headwater catchment with stagnopodzol soils, subject to high rainfall. Water samples were collected before, during and after each treatment from six points around the site, as well as from a nearby stream that acted as a control. Only 1 of the 90 water samples collected detected acetamiprid at levels above the limit of quantification of 0.005 μg l−1 (i.e. 0.000000005 g in 1 l of water) and this appeared to be due to wash-off of residues from the plastic bags the trees had been delivered to the site in, which had been temporarily placed within a dry road drain. The recorded concentration of 0.1022 μg l−1 of acetamiprid was low, being only 20 per cent of the Predicted No Effect Concentration (PNEC) of 0.5 μg l−1. Neither of the top-up spray applications resulted in water contamination at any of the sampling points. The results show that the good forestry practice measures employed were effective in preventing contamination of stream waters by acetamiprid. The use of 10-m buffers between forest drains and receiving streams, as per standard good forestry practice in the UK, should be more than adequate to prevent any chemical runoff contaminating watercourses. However, it is recommended that forest practice is further tightened in relation to the placement and handling of planting bags on site. Bags should not be placed within or near road or forest drains, and they should be removed from the site at the end of each day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical thinning can be used where conventional felling and extraction of trees is impractical or uneconomic. An experiment was established to examine the efficacy of a range of thinning treatments and to investigate subsequent H. annosum infection on Scots pine and Japanese larch. Ring barking, traditional applications of liquid glyphosate and glyphosate encapsulated as Ecoplug Max® were compared. Ecoplugs were more effective and faster acting on larch compared with conventional glyphosate treatments, killing 100 per cent of trees within 17 months, whilst both glyphosate treatments killed 88 per cent of pines. Most treatments allowed ingress of Heterobasidion annosum, although this did not directly relate to treatment wound size. Persistence of the pathogen within the trees, and the possibility of using prophylactic fungicidal products alongside thinning treatments requires further study. Ultimately, the speed of kill achieved is probably too slow for defoliating trees infected with Phytophthora ramorum in Britain, where sanitation felling remains the recommended option. Where thinning treatments are used, the impacts of H. annosum infection are unlikely to be significantly greater than those represented by conventional harvesting operations but this possibility requires further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestry Commission and ADAS experiments on the inter-row managementof vegetation within wide spaced (3 m between rows) new farm woodlands are described. Strip weeding with mowing proved to be a cost effective method of establishing new woods on fertile lowland former agricultural sites. Sowing kale was also effective, and provided game cover early in a woodland's life. Sowing of a grass-wild flower mix inter-row enhanced diversity, but can be expensive, and seeded species need to be chosen carefully. Maintaining completely weed-free conditionsmaximized tree growth, but was costly and impractical. However, maintaining around 90 per cent weed-free conditions can be achieved relatively cheaply, although the potential for leaching and soil erosion may be increased. Carrying out no vegetation management significantly reduced tree growth and survival, and is not recommended. Planting trees at closer spacings (2 x 2 m or less) may be a quicker and more reliable means of establishing a woodland environment, within which other objectives can be achieved, if necessary through carrying out an early thinning or respacing regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: One academic medical center's efforts to move toward compliance with requirements of United States Pharmacopeia ( USP ) chapter 800 through a multidepartmental collaborative initiative are described., Summary: Requirements of USP general chapter 800 (enforceable as of December 2019) address the handling of hazardous drugs (HDs) throughout the entire operational and clinical cycle, from receiving to compounding, administration, and waste disposal. Due to the variety of pharmacy operational areas in which HDs are encountered at University of North Carolina Medical Center (UNCMC), multiple pharmacy managers oversee the safe handling of HDs. To determine baseline compliance with USP chapter 800 requirements, a common assessment tool was developed to ensure a standardized approach to compliance assessment in all areas. An interdepartmental workgroup was created to ensure institutionwide support for a collaborative compliance initiative, a uniform understanding of compliance risks, and robust action planning. UNCMC has taken a number of steps toward USP chapter compliance in areas such as engineering controls, environmental quality and controls, use of personal protective equipment, hazard communication programs, personnel training, spill control, and medical surveillance., Conclusion: Achieving USP chapter 800 compliance presented several operational, clinical, and financial challenges for the medical center, requiring months of preparation and diligence by the hospital leadership. The pharmacy department-led compliance collaborative allowed departments to proactively align while implementing practice and quality standards to foster safety for patients, workers, and the environment., (Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: To assess the educational impact of engaging second professional year student pharmacists in active, direct patient care experiences in health system practice., Educational Activity and Setting: Student pharmacists in their second professional year completed a redesigned, skill-based four-week introductory pharmacy practice experience in health system practice. The immersion consisted of experiences in both operational and clinical pharmacy environments. Students were assessed with skill development checklist assessments. Pre-post surveys were also collected. Data were analyzed using a mixed methods approach., Findings: Twenty-eight student pharmacists were included; of those, 26 completed both surveys (92.9% response rate). Survey results revealed significant increases in 81.8% of operational and 100% of clinical self-efficacy statements (p<0.05) and positive perceptions of the program overall. Overall, findings suggested that student pharmacists developed skills in health system practice while identifying additional areas for emphasized learning., Summary: Student pharmacists engaged in early, hands-on, direct patient care experiences enhanced their skill development in operational and clinical pharmacy practice., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Binding parameters for the interactions of four types of tannins: tea catechins, grape seed proanthocyanidins, mimosa 5-deoxy proanthocyanidins, and sorghum procyanidins (mDP=17), with gelatin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been determined from isothermal titration calorimetry data. Equilibrium binding constants determined for the interaction with gelatin were in the range 10(4) to 10(6) M(-1) and in the order: sorghum procyanidins > grape seed proanthocyanidins > mimosa 5-deoxy proanthocyanidins > tea catechins. Interaction with BSA was generally weaker, with equilibrium binding constants of < or =10(3)M(-1) for grape seed proanthocyanidins, mimosa 5-deoxy proanthocyanidins and tea catechins, and 10(4)M(-1) for the sorghum procyanidins. In all cases the interactions with proteins were exothermic and involved multiple binding sites on the protein. The data are discussed in relation to the structures and the known nutritional effects of the condensed tannins.

Binding parameters for the interactions of pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) and four hydrolyzable tannins (representing gallotannins and ellagitannins) with gelatin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been determined from isothermal titration calorimetry data. Equilibrium binding constants determined for the interaction of PGG and isolated mixtures of tara gallotannins and of sumac gallotannins with gelatin and BSA were of the same order of magnitude for each tannin (in the range of 10(4)-10(5) M(-1) for stronger binding sites when using a binding model consisting of two sets of multiple binding sites). In contrast, isolated mixtures of chestnut ellagitannins and of myrabolan ellagitannins exhibited 3-4 orders of magnitude greater equilibrium binding constants for the interaction with gelatin (approximately 2 x 10(6) M(-1)) than for that with BSA (approximately 8 x 10(2) M(-1)). Binding stoichiometries revealed that the stronger binding sites on gelatin outnumbered those on BSA by a ratio of at least approximately 2:1 for all of the hydrolyzable tannins studied. Overall, the data revealed that relative binding constants for the interactions with gelatin and BSA are dependent on the structural flexibility of the tannin molecule.