Publications by authors named "Fiona Dunn"

Short chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), are replacement chemicals for environmentally persistent, long-chain PFAS. Although GenX and PFBS have been detected in surface and ground water worldwide, few studies provide information on the metabolic alterations or risks associated with their exposures. In this study, larval zebrafish were used to investigate the toxicity of early-life exposure to GenX or PFBS.

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Article Synopsis
  • Wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 helps track COVID-19 trends but faces challenges in regions without centralized wastewater systems, particularly concerning the decay of viral RNA in the environment.
  • A study tested the effects of sunlight on the decay of a specific gene target (N1) in SARS-CoV-2 and found minimal photolysis in controlled conditions, but significant decay in shallow wastewater.
  • Factors like water depth, seasonal changes, and geographical location significantly influence the rate of decay, indicating that sunlight's impact on the N1 gene target is generally low, supporting the reliability of wastewater-based epidemiology.
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Background: In response to COVID-19, attention was drawn to indoor air quality and interventions to mitigate airborne COVID-19 transmission. Of developed interventions, Corsi-Rosenthal (CR) boxes, a do-it-yourself indoor air filter, may have potential co-benefits of reducing indoor air contaminant levels.

Objective: We employed non-targeted and suspect screening analysis (NTA and SSA) to detect and identify volatile and semi-volatile organic contaminants (VOCs and SVOCs) that decreased in indoor air following installation of CR boxes.

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Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs; the genetic material in bacteria that encode for resistance to antibiotics) have been found in the aquatic environment, raising concerns of an environmental transmission route. In an effort to contribute to models predicting the fate of ARGs in the environment-to design control measures, predict health risks, inform ARG surveillance activities, and prioritize policy interventions-and given the importance of sunlight in damaging DNA, we evaluated the sunlight photolysis kinetics of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and ARGs under laboratory conditions, focusing on SMS-3-5 and its ARGs and . Experiments were conducted in the absence of photosensitizers, and ARG decay rates were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with short and long amplicon targets.

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The updated Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards of proficiency for nurses emphasise the importance of nurse leadership, while the NHS has also developed models to support leadership development. There are several approaches to leadership that are applicable in nursing practice. Transformational leadership is an approach that focuses on the attributes and behaviours of the leader required to empower and motivate team members.

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