Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are widely advocated to have multiple benefits, including in flood risk reduction, water quality improvement and ecosystem health. There are, however, few empirical studies quantifying such multi-functionality. Given the ongoing pressures of flooding and poor water quality within Europe, there is an urgent need for empirical evidence to assess the potential for NbS features to address these issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis report discusses the case of a 54-year-old woman with a complex psychiatric history including schizophrenia, tardive dyskinesia, borderline intellectual function, and congenital deafness that reported auditory and visual hallucinations during an acute exacerbation of schizophrenia. After resuming a previous lithium regimen and introducing olanzapine, the patient improved and was discharged without hallucinations. In our report we explore some of the challenges we faced, discuss similar cases, and examine the unresolved debate about whether congenitally deaf patients can experience auditory hallucinations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisinfection byproduct (DBP) formation, prediction, and minimization are critical challenges facing the drinking water treatment industry worldwide where chemical disinfection is required to inactivate pathogenic microorganisms. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrices-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) is used to characterize and quantify fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) components in aquatic systems and may offer considerable promise as a low-cost optical surrogate for DBP formation in treated drinking waters. However, the global utility of this approach for quantification and prediction of specific DBP classes or species has not been widely explored to date.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNatural ecosystems can become significant reservoirs and/or pathways for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination, with the potential to affect nearby microbiological, animal, and ultimately human communities. This is further accentuated in environments that provide direct human exposure, such as drinking water. To date, however, few studies have investigated AMR dissemination potential and the presence of co-selective stressors (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of the natural environment in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistant bacteria has been increasingly recognised in the literature. However, knowledge surrounding the critical factors and mechanisms mediating their occurrence is still limited, particularly in relatively 'pristine' groundwater environments. In the Republic of Ireland (RoI), a country characterised by high groundwater reliance, household-based (unregulated) wells provide drinking water to 11% of the population.
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