HTM advocates 'holistic approach'.

Dr Nick Hill, a fellow of IHEEM, and chair of the Institute's Water Technical Platform, whose career encompasses over 25 years' experience working on all aspects of water, considers some of the key guidance contained in the new Health Technical Memorandum, HTM 04-01, Safe Water in Healthcare Premises (2016), which was published last month.

Probing the interactions of phenol with oxygenated functional groups on curved fullerene-like sheets in activated carbon.

The mechanism(s) of interactions of phenol with oxygenated functional groups (OH, COO and COOH) in nanopores of activated carbon (AC) is a contentious issue among researchers. This mechanism is of particular interest because a better understanding of the role of such groups in nanopores would essentially translate to advances in AC production and use, especially in regard to the treatment of organic-based wastewaters. We therefore attempt to shed more light on the subject by employing density functional theory (DFT) calculations in which fullerene-like models integrating convex or concave structure, which simulate the eclectic porous structures on AC surface, are adopted.

Spillover effects of a community-managed marine reserve.

The value of no-take marine reserves as fisheries-management tools is controversial, particularly in high-poverty areas where human populations depend heavily on fish as a source of protein. Spillover, the net export of adult fish, is one mechanism by which no-take marine reserves may have a positive influence on adjacent fisheries. Spillover can contribute to poverty alleviation, although its effect is modulated by the number of fishermen and fishing intensity.

Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter.

The loss of organic matter from agricultural lands constrains our ability to sustainably feed a growing population and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Addressing these challenges requires land use activities that accumulate soil carbon (C) while contributing to food production. In a region of extensive soil degradation in the southeastern United States, we evaluated soil C accumulation for 3 years across a 7-year chronosequence of three farms converted to management-intensive grazing.

Mathematical and computer simulation modelling of intracameral forces causing pupil block due to air bubble use in Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty: the mechanics of iris buckling.

Background: Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty has been associated with a steep learning curve. Angle closure post Descemet's Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty has been reported, either because of air posterior to the iris causing iridocorneal adhesions, or by air anterior to the iris causing pupillary block. The mechanics of floppy iris syndrome and pupil block have not been discussed.

2D ultrasound augmented by virtual tools for guidance of interventional procedures.

Many intracardiac procedures can currently be performed on the heart only after it has been arrested, and the patient has been placed on cardio-pulmonary bypass. We have developed a new method for operating on multiple targets inside the beating heart, and describe a procedure for accessing them under virtual-reality (VR)-assisted image guidance that combines real-time ultrasound with a virtual model of tools, and the surgical environment acquired from pre-operative images. This paper presents preliminary results aimed at assessing the operator's ability to accurately position and staple an artificial valve to a "valve orifice" within a cardiac phantom when guidance is performed via ultrasound alone, and with US augmented by the VR environment.

Repeatability of a novel technique for in vivo measurement of three-dimensional patellar tracking using magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: To determine the repeatability of a novel noninvasive MRI-based technique for measuring patellofemoral kinematics in vivo.

Materials And Methods: The patellar kinematics measurement method relies on registering bone models (with associated coordinate systems) developed from a high resolution MRI scan to loaded bone positions derived from fast, low resolution MRI scans. The intrasubject variability, high resolution to low resolution registration error, and interexperimenter repeatability were quantified in experiments on three healthy subjects.

Will revolution bring chaos?

A waste revolution, potentially greater in impact than the changes in clinical waste disposal practices in the 1990s, is just over the horizon. There are many new initiatives and regulations relating to waste, its production, recycling and disposal. This article focuses on hazardous waste, a new category of waste with a much broader scope than the current special waste category.