It is well documented that space weather can impact electricity infrastructure, and several incidents have been observed in recent decades and directly linked to large geomagnetic storms (e.g., the Hydro Québec incident in 1989). However, less is understood about the impact of lower‐level geomagnetically induced currents on the health of transformers in the long term. In this study, the long term impact of geomagnetic activity on 13 power station transformers in the UK is investigated. Dissolved gas measurements from 2010 to 2015 were used to look for evidence of a link between degradation of the transformer and heightened levels of the global SYM‐H index and normaldBnormaldt $\frac{\mathrm{d}B}{\mathrm{d}t}$ as measured at Eskdalemuir magnetometer station in southern Scotland. First, case studies of the most significant storms in this time period were examined using dissolved gas analysis methods, specifically the Low Energy Degradation Triangle. These case studies were then augmented with a statistical survey, including Superposed Epoch Analysis of multiple storm events. No evidence of a systematic space weather impact can be found during this time period, likely owing to the relatively quiet nature of the Sun during this epoch and the modernity of the transformers studied.

Rationale Low‐molecular‐weight amines are encountered in pharmaceutical analysis, e.g. as reactants in chemical syntheses, but are challenging to analyse using ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS) due to their high polarity causing poor retention. Ion chromatography/mass spectrometry (IC/MS) is an emerging technique for polar molecule analysis that offers better separation. A generic IC/MS method would overcome problems associated with using UHPLC/MS in drug discovery and development environments. Methods Amine standards were analysed using IC/MS with gradient elution (variety of column temperatures evaluated). An electrospray ionisation (ESI) quadrupole mass spectrometer was operated in positive ion polarity in scanning mode. The make‐up flow composition was evaluated by assessing the performance of a range of organic modifiers (acetonitrile, ethanol, methanol) and additives (acetic acid, formic acid, methanesulfonic acid). The ESI conditions were optimised to minimise adduct formation and promote generation of protonated molecules. Results The performance attributes were investigated and optimised for low‐molecular‐weight amine analysis. Organic solvents and acidic additives were evaluated as make‐up flow components to promote ESI, with 0.05% acetic acid in ethanol optimal for producing protonated molecules. The hydrogen bonding capability of amines led to abundant protonated molecule–solvent complexes; optimisation of source conditions reduced these, with collision‐induced dissociation voltage having a strong effect. The detection limit was ≤1.78 ng for the amines analysed, which is fit‐for‐purpose for an open‐access chemistry environment. Conclusions This study demonstrates the value of IC/MS for analysing low‐molecular‐weight amines. Good chromatographic separation of mixtures was possible without derivatisation. Ionisation efficiency was greatest using a make‐up flow of 0.05% acetic acid in ethanol, and optimisation of ESI source conditions promoted protonated molecule generation for easy determination of molecular weight.

Determining the influence of temperature changes in the non-painful range on itch is not only of clinical interest, but also relevant for basic psychophysical research, which often requires that itch intensity can be reliably modulated within a matter of seconds in an on-off fashion. We characterized the effect of short-term temperature changes on two types of itch sensations; histamine and cowhage-induced itch. Our result shows that both itch pathways can be modulated by short-term changes in temperature, potentially enabling statistically powerful neuroimaging studies, to further elucidate the cortical network underpinning the clinically relevant sensation of itch. While temperatures in the noxious range are wellknown to inhibit acute itch, the impact of temperature in the innocuous temperature range is less well understood. We investigated the effect of alternating shortterm temperature changes in the innocuous range on histamine and cowhage-induced acute itch, taking into account individual differences in baseline skin temperature and sensory thresholds. Results indicate that cooling the skin to the cold threshold causes a temporary increase in the intensity of histamine-induced itch, in line with previous findings. Skin warming increased cowhage-induced itch intensity. Potential mecha nisms of this interaction between thermosensation and pruritoception could involve cold-sensitive channels such as TRPM8, TREK-1 or TRPC5 in the case of histamine. The rapid modulation of cowhage induced itch-but not histamine-induced itch-by transient skin warming could be related to the lower temperature threshold of pruriceptive polymodal C-fibres (cowhage) as compared to the higher temperature threshold of the mechanoinsensitive C-fibres conveying histaminergic itch.