Discussions about the importance of the built environment for healthcare delivery extend at least as far back as Hippocrates 1 (400 BC). The iconic Florence Nightingale (1859) also strongly believed in the influence the indoor environment has on the progress of disease and recovery. Today, the role of the built environment in the healing process is of growing interest to healthcare providers, environmental psychologists, consultants, and architects. Although there is a mounting evidence 1 linking healthcare environments to health outcomes, because of the varying quality of that evidence, there has also been a lack of clarity around what can and cannot be achieved through design. Given the ageing of society and the ever increasing numbers of persons with dementia in the Western World, the need for detailed knowledge about aged care environments has also become increasingly important. The mental and physical health state of these persons is extremely fragile and their needs demand careful consideration. Although environmental interventions constitute only a fraction of what is needed for people with dementia to remain as independent as possible, there is now sufficient evidence (2, 3) to argue they can be used as a first-line treatment, rather than beginning with farmalogical interventions.
Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a major public health concern worldwide. The problem has been reported mainly in southern Asia and, especially, in Bangladesh. Slow-sand filters (SSF) augmented with iron were proven to be a simple, low-cost and decentralized technique for the treatment of arsenic-contaminated sources. In this research, three pilot-scale SSF (flowrate 6 L·h−1) were tested regarding their capability of removing arsenic from groundwater in conditions similar to those found in countries like Bangladesh (70 µg As(III) L−1, 26 °C). From the three, two filters were prepared with mixed media, i.e., sand mixed with corrosive iron matter (CIM filter) and iron-coated sand (ICS filter), and a third conventional SSF was used as a reference. The results obtained showed that the CIM filter could remove arsenic below the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline concentration of 10 µg·L−1, even for inlet concentrations above 150 µg·L−1. After 230 days of continuous operation the arsenic concentration in the effluent started increasing, indicating depletion or saturation of the CIM layer. The effluent arsenic concentration, however, never exceeded the Bangladeshi standard of 50 µg·L−1 throughout the whole duration of the experiments.
MULTIFILE
In cases of sexual assault, the interpretation of biological traces on clothing, and particularly undergarments, may be complex. This is especially so when the complainant and defendant interact socially, for instance as (ex-)partners or by co-habitation. Here we present the results from a study where latent male DNA on female worn undergarments is recovered in four groups with different levels of male-female social interaction. The results conform to prior expectation, in that less interaction tend to result in less male DNA on undergarments. We explore the use of these experimental data for evaluative reporting given activity level propositions in a mock case scenario. We show how the selection of different populations to represent the social interaction between complainant and defendant may affect the strength of the evidence. We further show how datasets of limited size can be used for robust activity level evaluative reporting.
MULTIFILE
Water quality is under pressure worldwide and requires urgent attention according to recent reports, calling for technological development and more cost-effective solutions. One such development is the use of nanobubbels (NBs). NBs have been gaining interest in both scientific and industrial fields over the past years due to their broad applicability and unique characteristics opposed to larger bubbles used in traditional applications, e.g. dissolved air flotation and aeration. NBs is promising in water technology applications, especially in aeration, as due to their small size they provide a large air-water interface and are stable (present in the bulk) for many days. Due to that, different companies have been introducing NBs based technology in the market. The start-up company BIMCO Holland is one of them. They have developed three types of Ultra Fine Bubble (UFB)-generators to integrate in various (household) applications: I) a tap connection for water taps, II) a pipe adaptor for household appliances and III) a shower coupling. In order to prove their concept, BIMCO Holland wants to test the UFB-generators together with NHL Stenden. During these tests, the intended formation of NBs in tap water will be determined, as well as possible effects on the water quality. Additionally, potential applications will be (theoretically) explored, such as reduced water- and surfactant usage and prolonged lifetime of materials and appliances. With NanoBGen, the consortium aims to understand better the functioning of the newly developed UFB-generators. The tests are required to prove the system is (or not) related to the presence of NBs. Also, to support the company finding other applications of the UFB-generators and contribute to bringing the technology to a higher TRL.
