Variable toxicity of inorganic mercury compounds to Artemia elicited by coexposure with dissolved organic matter.

The chemical behavior of mercury (Hg) and its interactions with naturally occurring ligands shape its environmental fate and impact. The neurotoxic properties of Hg are widely known and studied both in vitro and in vivo. However, there continues to be limited information on the influence of chelation with large organic ligands on the toxicity to marine macro-organisms.

Mercury Dynamics in the Sea of Azov: Insights from a Mass Balance Model.

The Sea of Azov, an inland shelf sea bounding Ukraine and Russia, experiences the effects of ongoing and legacy pollution. One of the main contaminants of concern is the heavy metal mercury (Hg), which is emitted from the regional coal industry, former Hg refineries, and the historic use of mercury-containing pesticides. The aquatic biome acts both as a major sink and source in this cycle, thus meriting an examination of its environmental fate.

Mercury fingerprint: A comparative evaluation of lability in North Sea drill cuttings.

Quantifying impacts on marine ecosystems remains pivotal in estimating risks associated with offshore industry practices. Cuttings piles, formed during drilling operations, are commonly abandoned in situ, and left to attenuate on the seabed. In the present work, the presence and lability of mercury in samples obtained from drill cuttings piles of two decommissioned North Sea oil platforms (bp Miller and bp North West Hutton) and the surrounding sediment were investigated.

Infectious Disease Preparedness for Homeless Populations: Recommendations from a Community-Academic Partnership.

Background: People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of infectious disease transmission due to congregate living conditions, barriers to healthcare, and excess burden of underlying chronic disease.

Objectives: We are a multisectoral community-academic partnership working to address the intersecting crises of homelessness and health disparities in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. We offer key recommendations for infectious disease preparedness and risk mitigation for homeless populations based on our ongoing community-based participatory research and lessons learned through COVID-19 response and Monkeypox preparations.

Papillitis associated with IgLON5 autoimmunity: A novel clinical phenotype.

Objectives: To describe papillitis as a clinical phenotype of IgLON5 autoimmunity.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with IgLON5 autoimmunity who had optic neuropathy, optic neuritis, or optic disc edema. Sera from patients with recurrent papillitis were tested for IgLON5 antibodies.

High resolution visualisation of tiemannite microparticles, essential in the detoxification process of mercury in marine mammals.

The North Sea is an ecologically rich habitat for marine wildlife which has also been impacted by industrial developments and anthropogenic emissions of contaminants such as mercury. Marine mammals are particularly susceptible to mercury exposure, due to their trophic position, long lifespan, and dependence on (increasingly contaminated) aquatic prey species. To mitigate impact, marine mammals can detoxify methylmercury by binding it to selenium-containing biomolecules, creating insoluble mercury selenide granules.

Inferring lumbar lordosis in Neandertals and other hominins.

Lumbar lordosis is a key adaptation to bipedal locomotion in the human lineage. Dorsoventral spinal curvatures enable the body's center of mass to be positioned above the hip, knee, and ankle joints, and minimize the muscular effort required for postural control and locomotion. Previous studies have suggested that Neandertals had less lordotic (ventrally convex) lumbar columns than modern humans, which contributed to historical perceptions of postural and locomotor differences between the two groups.

Corpus callosum lesions are not inextricably linked to CNS symptoms in reported cases of susac syndrome.

Objective: To evaluate whether corpus callosum (CC) lesions are inextricably linked to CNS symptoms of Susac Syndrome (SuS) by reviewing published cases to find instances where: 1) CC lesions occur without CNS symptoms, and 2) whether patients with CNS symptoms lack CC lesions.

Methods: 100 reported cases of SuS were identified in PubMed. Clinical symptoms, para-clinical testing and MRI data were collected both at presentation and for any available follow-up and analyzed.

Geogenic and anthropogenic interactions at a former Sb mine: environmental impacts of As and Sb.

Mining activities are acknowledged to introduce contaminants into localised environments and cause wider spread diffuse pollution. The concentration, distribution and fate of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) were studied at the former metalliferous Louisa Mine at Glendinning, Scotland. Soils and surface water were sampled and subsequently analysed to map the distribution of contamination and identify pollution sources.

Cervical Rib Synostosis to the First Rib: A Rare Anatomic Variation.

Background: Congenital anatomic variations exist in human anatomy, which create both diagnostic and treatment challenges. Understanding the osteologic and radiographic anatomy of supernumerary ribs arising from the cervical spine and recognizing the morphologic variations thereof is of great importance to clinicians, radiologists, and surgeons alike.

Case Description: This case study describes osteologic morphology and radiologic characteristics of a rare anatomic variant of a cervical rib (CR): a unilateral, right-sided CR synostosis to the first thoracic rib of a 50-year-old South African man of African ancestry.

The traits that predict the magnitude and spatial scale of forest bird responses to urbanization intensity.

As humans continue moving to urban areas, there is a growing need to understand the effects of urban intensification on native wildlife populations. Forest species in remnant habitat are particularly vulnerable to urban intensification, but the mechanisms behind these effects are poorly understood. An understanding of how species traits, as proxies for mechanisms, mediate the effects of urban intensification on forest species can help fill this knowledge gap.

An Educational Video Improves Consent in Pediatric Lumbar Puncture: A Randomized Control Trial.

Background: Lumbar puncture is a low-risk procedure performed on pediatric patients for a variety of indications. Parents give consent to this procedure but are often left with concerns. There are no published studies on the nature of the concerns of parents in North America and no studies examining a process to improve pediatric lumbar puncture consent.

Effect of alcohol consumption on food energy intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The relationship between alcohol consumption and body weight is complex and inconclusive being potentially mediated by alcohol type, habitual consumption levels and sex differences. Heavy and regular alcohol consumption has been positively correlated with increasing body weight, although it is unclear whether this is due to alcohol consumption per se or to additional energy intake from food. This review explores the effects of alcohol consumption on food energy intake in healthy adults.

Physiographical variability in arsenic dynamics in Bangladeshi soils.

Rice plants grown on soils with elevated arsenic have been shown to have increased arsenic content in their grains. To gain a better understanding of the likelihood of high grain arsenic in rice grown in different soils, it is important to understand the factors affecting the bioavailability and mobility of arsenic. Paddy soils from six different physiographic regions of Bangladesh were collected, and diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) were used to assess the porewater and solid phase arsenic.

Insights into the biodegradation of weathered hydrocarbons in contaminated soils by bioaugmentation and nutrient stimulation.

The potential for biotransformation of weathered hydrocarbon residues in soils collected from two commercial oil refinery sites (Soil A and B) was studied in microcosm experiments. Soil A has previously been subjected to on-site bioremediation and it was believed that no further degradation was possible while soil B has not been subjected to any treatment. A number of amendment strategies including bioaugmentation with hydrocarbon degrader, biostimulation with nutrients and soil grinding, were applied to the microcosms as putative biodegradation improvement strategies.

CaCO3 and SrCO3 bioprecipitation by fungi isolated from calcareous soil.

The urease-positive fungi Pestalotiopsis sp. and Myrothecium gramineum, isolated from calcareous soil, were examined for their properties of CaCO3 and SrCO3 biomineralization. After incubation in media amended with urea and CaCl2 and/or SrCl2 , calcite (CaCO3 ), strontianite (SrCO3 ), vaterite in different forms [CaCO3 , (Cax Sr1-x )CO3 ] and olekminskite [Sr(Sr,Ca)(CO3 )2 ] were precipitated, and fungal 'footprints' were observed on mineral surfaces.

Hospitalized head and spine injuries on Saskatchewan farms.

Introduction: With over 44,000 individual farms, farm dwellers account for 11% of the population of Saskatchewan. There is limited data on brain and spine injuries acquired on farms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of head and spine injuries on Saskatchewan farms to assist the development of injury prevention initiatives.

The Living with Dysarthria group for post-stroke dysarthria: the participant voice.

Background: The Living with Dysarthria group programme, devised for people with post-stroke dysarthia and family members, was piloted twice. Feedback from those who experience an intervention contributes to the evaluation of speech and language therapy programmes, giving the participant view of the intervention's value and guiding further developments.

Research Question: What feedback do participants in the Living with Dysarthria programme provide, informing on its perceived usefulness and guiding its future development?

Methods & Procedures: Nine people with chronic dysarthria following stroke and four family members who completed the Living with Dysarthria programme all contributed to Focus Group (FG) discussion, transcribed and thematically analysed, and completed an Anonymous Questionnaire Evaluation (AQE), comprising closed statements and open questions.

The potential applications of SOS-lux biosensors for rapid screening of mutagenic chemicals.

The environmental fate and potency of mutagenic compounds is of growing concern. This has necessitated the development and application of rapid assays to screen large numbers of samples for their genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. Despite the development of biosensors for genotoxicity assessment, these have not been calibrated against traditional microbial bioassays.

The living with dysarthria group: implementation and feasibility of a group intervention for people with dysarthria following stroke and family members.

Background: The broad life implications of acquired dysarthria are recognized, but they have received little attention in stroke management. Reports of group therapy, which may be a suitable approach to intervention, are not available for stroke-related dysarthria.

Aims: To examine the operational feasibility of and response to a new eight-session weekly group intervention programme, Living with Dysarthria, designed for people with chronic dysarthria following stroke and their main communication partners.

The biodegradation of cable oil components: impact of oil concentration, nutrient addition and bioaugmentation.

The effect of cable oil concentration, nutrient amendment and bioaugmentation on cable oil component biodegradation in a pristine agricultural soil was investigated. Biodegradation potential was evaluated over 21 d by measuring cumulative CO(2) respiration on a Micro-Oxymax respirometer and (14)C-phenyldodecane mineralisation using a (14)C-respirometric assay. Cable oil concentration had a significant effect upon oil biodegradation.

Dysarthria following stroke: the patient's perspective on management and rehabilitation.

Objective: To explore the perceptions of people with stroke-related dysarthria in relation to the management and rehabilitation of dysarthria.

Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews.

Setting: Community setting Subjects: Twenty-four people with an acquired dysarthria as a result of a stroke in the previous three years.