Photoreductive dissolution of cerium oxide nanoparticles and their size-dependent absorption properties.

Cerium oxide has attracted attention recently for its photocatalytic properties, but there are gaps in understanding its performance, especially at low and high pH. UV irradiation of ceria nanoparticles causes electrons from photogenerated electron-hole pairs to localize as small polarons, yielding Ce3+ ions. In pH 10 solution, ceria nanoparticles capped with polyacrylic acid ligands can accumulate large numbers of Ce3+ defects as revealed by strong bleaching of the absorption onset.

Crystallization kinetics of cerium oxide nanoparticles formed by spontaneous, room-temperature hydrolysis of cerium(iv) ammonium nitrate in light and heavy water.

A stable sol of cerium oxide nanoparticles forms spontaneously when cerium(iv) ammonium nitrate (CAN) is dissolved in room-temperature water at mM concentrations. Electron microscopy experiments reveal the formation of highly crystalline cerium oxide particles several nm in diameter and suggest that they are formed from amorphous particles that are similar in size. Under the low pH conditions of the experiments, the nanoparticles form a stable dispersion and show no evidence of aggregation, even many months after synthesis.

Emergency admissions. Change the record.

The rise in emergency admissions has been 2-3 per cent over the last 20 years and shows no sign of abatement. Medical emergencies account for most of the increase Emergency admissions should be divided into short and long stays. This type of analysis shows that the bulk of the increase in emergency admissions has been for short-stay patients.

Hospital reconfiguration. Going places.

Two major hospital moves in Lanarkshire were completed smoothly by predicting the number of emergency admissions likely over the crucial periods and involving GPs and all the hospitals concerned. An analysis of emergency admissions was one factor in deciding which days the moves should take place on. A workshop after the first move was finished proved important.

Waiting lists. Richly deserving.

The poor wait longer on waiting lists and have less access to elective treatment than more affluent groups. Hospitals have a long way to go if they are to ensure a more equitable system. Managing waiting lists to discriminate in favour of the poor should be considered.

Winter pressures. Lazy days of summer.

The relationship between increased emergency admissions and longer waiting lists in winter has not been proven. Waiting lists are more likely to be affected by patterns of elective work than emergency admissions. Slowdown in elective work in summer is at the root of winter problems.

NHS costs. Age-old myths.

The ageing of the UK population will not automatically lead to increased demands on the NHS. If people live longer they stay healthy longer. The cost of caring for them is shifted, not increased.

Managers. Bureaucracy: hit and myth.

The poor image of NHS management is largely undeserved. The greatest expansion in the number of managers took place before the introduction of the internal market. Many of the white paper proposals, including the establishment of primary care groups, suggest a substantial bureaucracy.

Health service indicators for radiology departments: how meaningful are they?

The Health Service Indicator (HSI) for Radiology Services in the UK is represented by a cost per case figure based on annual expenditure and workloads in individual departments. These show significant variations betweeen departments for a number of predictable reasons. Detailed analysis shows good correlation between population-based radiology costs and workloads and that departments with low cost per case values have above average workloads.