An investigation of the genotoxic potential of a well-characterized yerba mate extract.

Yerba Mate () is historically used as a beverage and its extracts are considered traditional medicine in South America. Extract use has been expanding to North American and European markets and the currently available genetic toxicology literature indicate discrepancies in genotoxicity findings for yerba mate. As botanical extract use expands, assumption in safety should be made with caution assuring a good understanding of the test material characterization.

A cohort study on blood coagulation in childhood cancer survivors.

Cancer survivors are at an increased risk of thromboembolism compared to the general pediatric population. Anticoagulant therapy decreases the risk of thromboembolism in cancer patients. We hypothesized that pediatric cancer survivors are in a chronically hypercoagulable state compared to healthy controls.

Walking on Visual Illusions.

In nature, sensory and physical characteristics of the environment tend to match; for example, a surface that looks bumpy is bumpy. In human-built environments, they often don't. Here, we report observations from people exploring if mismatch between visual and physical characteristics affected their perceived walking experience.

Development of a facile fluorophosphonate-functionalised titanium surface for potential orthopaedic applications.

Background: Aseptic loosening of total joint replacements (TJRs) continues to be the main cause of implant failures. The socioeconomic impact of surgical revisions is hugely significant; in the United Kingdom alone, it is estimated that £137 m is spent annually on revision arthroplasties. Enhancing the longevity of titanium implants will help reduce the incidence and overall cost of failed devices.

An assessment of adult mosquito collection techniques for studying species abundance and diversity in Maferinyah, Guinea.

Background: Several mosquito collection methods are routinely used in vector control programmes. However, they target different behaviours causing bias in estimation of species diversity and abundance. Given the paucity of mosquito trap data in West Africa, we compared the performance of five trap-lure combinations and Human Landing Catches (HLCs) in Guinea.

A comparison of two high spatial resolution imaging techniques for determining carbide precipitate type and size in ferritic 9Cr-1Mo steel.

Two high spatial resolution imaging techniques, focused gallium ion beam imaging in conjunction with XeF gas (FIB/XeF) and high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), were used to analyse 9Cr-1Mo ferritic steel samples, which had been exposed for extended periods to hot CO gas containing traces of CO, H, HO and CH. The carbide precipitates embedded in the metal matrix were observed and their morphology, size and spatial distribution were quantified using these two techniques. The lower resolution of the FIB/XeF imaging technique suggested that small carbide precipitates (<50 nm) may be missed, while the existence of a limited flow layer introduced by sample preparation may influence the HS-AFM results.

Expanding Universe Illusion.

We present a new induced movement illusion from global expansion or contraction in a triangular region filled with rising or falling textures. Objective global expansion or contraction induces lateral movement in the oblique edges of the triangle. The effects may be due to common and relative movements operating within a single texture.

Chromosome 18 gene dosage map 2.0.

In 2009, we described the first generation of the chromosome 18 gene dosage maps. This tool included the annotation of each gene as well as each phenotype associated region. The goal of these annotated genetic maps is to provide clinicians with a tool to appreciate the potential clinical impact of a chromosome 18 deletion or duplication.

The Chromosome 18 Clinical Resource Center.

Background: The Chromosome 18 Clinical Research Center has created a pediatrician-friendly virtual resource center for managing patients with chromosome 18 abnormalities. To date, children with rare chromosome abnormalities have been cared for either symptomatically or palliatively as a reaction to the presenting medical problems. As we enter an era of genomic-informed medicine, we can provide children, even those with individually unique chromosome abnormalities, with proactive medical care and management based on the most contemporary data on their specific genomic change.

Monosomy 18p is a risk factor for facioscapulohumeral dystrophy.

Background: 18p deletion syndrome is a rare disorder caused by partial or full monosomy of the short arm of chromosome 18. Clinical symptoms caused by 18p hemizygosity include cognitive impairment, mild facial dysmorphism, strabismus and ptosis. Among other genes, structural maintenance of chromosomes flexible hinge domain containing 1 () is hemizygous in most patients with 18p deletions.

The Impact of Alkaliphilic Biofilm Formation on the Release and Retention of Carbon Isotopes from Nuclear Reactor Graphite.

C is an important consideration within safety assessments for proposed geological disposal facilities for radioactive wastes, since it is capable of re-entering the biosphere through the generation of C bearing gases. The irradiation of graphite moderators in the UK gas-cooled nuclear power stations has led to the generation of a significant volume of C-containing intermediate level wastes. Some of this C is present as a carbonaceous deposit on channel wall surfaces.

Potential impurities in drug substances: Compound-specific toxicology limits for 20 synthetic reagents and by-products, and a class-specific toxicology limit for alkyl bromides.

This paper provides compound-specific toxicology limits for 20 widely used synthetic reagents and common by-products that are potential impurities in drug substances. In addition, a 15 μg/day class-specific limit was developed for monofunctional alkyl bromides, aligning this with the class-specific limit previously defined for monofunctional alkyl chlorides. Both the compound- and class-specific toxicology limits assume a lifetime chronic exposure for the general population (including sensitive subpopulations) by all routes of exposure for pharmaceuticals.

Top-down design of magnonic crystals from bottom-up magnetic nanoparticles through protein arrays.

We show that chemical fixation enables top-down micro-machining of large periodic 3D arrays of protein-encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) without loss of order. We machined 3D micro-cubes containing a superlattice of NPs by means of focused ion beam etching, integrated an individual micro-cube to a thin-film coplanar waveguide and measured the resonant microwave response. Our work represents a major step towards well-defined magnonic metamaterials created from the self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticles.

-Aceto-nitrile-tricarbon-yl(di-methyl-carbamodi-thio-ato-κ,')rhenium(I): crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis.

The title compound, [Re(CHNS)(CHN)(CO)], features an octa-hedrally coordinated Re atom within a CNS donor set defined by three carbonyl ligands in a arrangement, an aceto-nitrile N atom and two S atoms derived from a symmetrically coordinating di-thio-carbamate ligand. In the crystal, di-thio-carbamate-methyl-H⋯O(carbon-yl) inter-actions lead to supra-molecular chains along [36-1]; both di-thio-carbamate S atoms participate in intra-molecular methyl-H⋯S inter-actions. Further but weaker aceto-nitrile-C-H⋯O(carbonyl) inter-actions assemble mol-ecules in the plane.

[,-Bis(2-hy-droxy-eth-yl)di-thio-carbamato-κ,']bis-(tri-phenyl-phosphane-κ)copper(I) chloro-form monosolvate: crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and solution NMR measurements.

The title compound, [Cu(CHNOS)(CHP)]·CHCl, features a tetra-hedrally coordinated Cu atom within a PS donor set defined by two phosphane P atoms and by two S atoms derived from a symmetrically coordinating di-thio-carbamate ligand. Both intra- and inter-molecular hy-droxy-O-H⋯O(hydroxy) hydrogen bonding is observed: the former closes an eight-membered {⋯HOCNCO} ring, whereas the latter connects centrosymmetrically related mol-ecules into dimeric aggregates eight-membered {⋯H-O⋯H-O} synthons. The complex mol-ecules are arranged to form channels along the axis in which reside the chloro-form mol-ecules, being connected by Cl⋯π(arene) and short S⋯Cl [3.

Identification and characterization of antibacterial compound(s) of cockroaches (Periplaneta americana).

Infectious diseases remain a significant threat to human health, contributing to more than 17 million deaths, annually. With the worsening trends of drug resistance, there is a need for newer and more powerful antimicrobial agents. We hypothesized that animals living in polluted environments are potential sources of antimicrobials.

Examination of Surface Deposits on Oldbury Reactor Core Graphite to Determine the Concentration and Distribution of 14C.

Pile Grade A graphite was used as a moderator and reflector material in the first generation of UK Magnox nuclear power reactors. As all of these reactors are now shut down there is a need to examine the concentration and distribution of long lived radioisotopes, such as 14C, to aid in understanding their behaviour in a geological disposal facility. A selection of irradiated graphite samples from Oldbury reactor one were examined where it was observed that Raman spectroscopy can distinguish between underlying graphite and a surface deposit found on exposed channel wall surfaces.

A Study of the Oxidation Behaviour of Pile Grade A (PGA) Nuclear Graphite Using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Tomography (XRT).

Pile grade A (PGA) graphite was used as a material for moderating and reflecting neutrons in the UK's first generation Magnox nuclear power reactors. As all but one of these reactors are now shut down there is a need to understand the residual state of the material prior to decommissioning of the cores, in particular the location and concentration of key radio-contaminants such as 14C. The oxidation behaviour of unirradiated PGA graphite was studied, in the temperature range 600-1050°C, in air and nitrogen using thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray tomography to investigate the possibility of using thermal degradation techniques to examine 14C distribution within irradiated material.

What's up with witch rings?

'Witch rings' are well-known novelty rings that show a size-change illusion when rotated. We have replicated the illusion of expansion of the reflections in the rings in a variety of contexts with animations, though not as yet so successfully imitated the sense that the whole ring expands and contracts.

A review of 18p deletions.

Since 18p- was first described in 1963, much progress has been made in our understanding of this classic deletion condition. We have been able to establish a fairly complete picture of the phenotype when the deletion breakpoint occurs at the centromere, and we are working to establish the phenotypic effects when each gene on 18p is hemizygous. Our aim is to provide genotype-specific anticipatory guidance and recommendations to families with an 18p- diagnosis.

Consequences of chromsome18q deletions.

Providing clinically relevant prognoses and treatment information for people with a chromsome18q deletion is particularly challenging because every unrelated person has a unique region of hemizygosity. The hemizygous region can involve almost any region of 18q including between 1 and 101 genes (30 Mb of DNA). Most individuals have terminal deletions, but in our cohort of over 350 individuals 23% have interstitial deletions.

Hemizygosity for SMCHD1 in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Type 2: Consequences for 18p Deletion Syndrome.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is most often associated with variegated expression in somatic cells of the normally repressed DUX4 gene within the D4Z4-repeat array. The most common form, FSHD1, is caused by a D4Z4-repeat array contraction to a size of 1-10 units (normal range 10-100 units). The less common form, FSHD2, is characterized by D4Z4 CpG hypomethylation and is most often caused by loss-of-function mutations in the structural maintenance of chromosomes hinge domain 1 (SMCHD1) gene on chromosome 18p.

Development of a toxicogenomics signature for genotoxicity using a dose-optimization and informatics strategy in human cells.

The development of in vitro molecular biomarkers to accurately predict toxicological effects has become a priority to advance testing strategies for human health risk assessment. The application of in vitro transcriptomic biomarkers promises increased throughput as well as a reduction in animal use. However, the existing protocols for predictive transcriptional signatures do not establish appropriate guidelines for dose selection or account for the fact that toxic agents may have pleiotropic effects.

Histone markers identify the mode of action for compounds positive in the TK6 micronucleus assay.

The in vitro micronucleus assay with TK6 cells is frequently used as part of the genotoxicity testing battery for pharmaceuticals. Consequently, follow-up testing strategies are needed for positive compounds to determine their mode of action, which would then allow for deployment of appropriate in vivo follow-up strategies. We have chosen 3 micronucleus positive compounds, the clastogen etoposide, the aneugen noscapine and the cytotoxicant tunicamycin to evaluate different approaches to determine their aneugenic or clastogenic properties.

Whole arm deletions of 18p: medical and developmental effects.

Deletions of the short arm of chromosome 18 have been well-described in case reports. However, the utility of these descriptions in clinical practice is limited by varied and imprecise breakpoints. As we work to establish genotype-phenotype correlations for 18p-, it is critical to have accurate and complete clinical descriptions of individuals with differing breakpoints.