Benchmark Response (BMR) Values for In Vivo Mutagenicity Endpoints

The benchmark dose (BMD) approach constitutes the most effective and pragmatic strategy for the derivation of a point of departure (PoD) for comparative potency analysis, risk assessment, and regulatory decision‐making. There is considerable controversy regarding the most appropriate benchmark response (BMR) for genotoxicity endpoints. This work employed the Slob (2017) Effect Size (ES) theory to define robust BMR values for the in vivo transgenic rodent (TGR) and Pig‐a mutagenicity endpoints. An extensive database of dose–response data was prepared and curated; BMD analyses were used to determine endpoint‐specific maxima (i.e., parameter c) and within‐group variance (i.e., var). Detailed analyses investigated the dependence of var on experimental factors such as tissue, administration route, treatment duration, and post‐exposure tissue sampling time. The overall lack of influence of these experimental factors on var permitted the determination of typical values for the endpoints investigated. Typical var for the TGR endpoint is 0.19; the value for the Pig‐a endpoint is 0.29. Endpoint‐specific var values were used to calculate endpoint‐specific BMR values; the values are 47% for TGR and 60% for Pig‐a. Endpoint‐specific BMR values were also calculated using the trimmed distribution of study‐specific standard deviation (SD) values for concurrent controls. Those analyses yielded endpoint‐specific BMR values for the TGR and Pig‐a endpoints of 33% and 58%, respectively. Considering the results obtained, and the in vivo genetic toxicity BMR values noted in the literature, we recommend a BMR of 50% for in vivo mutagenicity endpoints. The value can be employed to interpret mutagenicity dose–response data in a risk assessment context

A statistical assessment of the equivalence between creep and hot tensile behaviour of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel

It is important to be able to predict the creep life of materials used in power plants. Levi De Oliveira Bueno has suggested an equivalence between creep and high temperature tensile testing for 2.25Cr-1Mo steel. This offers the potential for reducing the development cycle for new materials designed to operate at ever higher temperatures. This paper reviews the literature to identify some suitable statistical tests for this equivalence. When applied to 2.25Cr-1Mo steel, it was found that this equivalence was only valid if it the Monkman-Grant exponent equalled -1. However, this constraint was not accepted by the data based on the proposed statistical tests, and when this constraint was relaxed the equivalence between these different types of test data disappeared

Surviving the Seleucids: Subject Peoples and the Manipulation of Imperial Ideology

This thesis seeks to create a new approach to the study of the Seleucid Empire. Existing Seleucid scholarship examines the empire from a ‘top-down’ perspective and is primarily concerned with the activities of the Seleucids themselves. This thesis offers a new approach to the study of the Seleucids by examining the interactions between subject and ruler from the perspective of the subjects themselves. Four case studies, tackling different types of evidence and different scales of communities, show a variety of ways in which subjects of the Seleucids could react to the imperial ideology of their overlords

“I felt belittled and ridiculed for being in pain”: An online survey of Autistic people's experience of care for pregnancy loss (perinatal loss) in the United Kingdom✰

Background: Around 3% of people are Autistic; women may be under-diagnosed. Autistic people report lack of staff understanding, stigma and environmental barriers to using midwifery services. It is not known if these issues are present in perinatal loss services. Aim: To understand Autistic people's experiences of care for perinatal loss. Methods: An online survey for Autistic adults in the United Kingdom who had been pregnant, using closed and open questions. Data were analysed descriptively, using Kruskal-Wallis tests and thematically. Results: The majority of losses appeared to be early in pregnancy. Among 67 participants, over half (58.2 %, n=39) always sought healthcare during a perinatal loss, but 28.4% (n=19) never accessed care. Of those who received healthcare (n=48; 71.6%), over half (n=27; 56.3%) did not know they were Autistic at the time, and just one person told health professionals that they were Autistic. Four participants identified instances where staff were supportive or kind, but the majority of experiences were negative, with reported issues focused on communication, the way support was provided, inadequate pain relief and the hospital environment. We generated one overarching theme: “trauma”. Conclusion: Autistic people from the UK identified significant Disability-related access issues with perinatal loss care in addition to issues reported by a general population. UK Perinatal loss services need urgent investment to be able to provide person-centred care to all. Staff supporting perinatal loss should receive neurodiversity-affirming Autism training and be aware that many Autistic people experiencing perinatal loss will not have or share a diagnosis

Optimized hot injection and HCl purification for high quality Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoparticles

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is a narrow band gap, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly semiconductor with important properties for photovoltaic and electro-/photo-catalytic applications. In this study, we report on the synthesis of CZTS nanoparticles (NPs) by a simple and promising hot-injection technique using environmentally friendly, earth-abundant, and low-cost copper and zinc acetates in combination with tin chloride and elemental sulphur. Oleylamine was used as solvent and capping agent. The influence of injection temperatures on the crystalline size, morphology and crystal structure were studied. The formation of detrimental phases has been investigated, as well as their removal by using an HCl treatment during the purification step of the CZTS NPs synthesis process. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were used to investigate the formation mechanism of the CZTS NPs. The experimental results showed that the injection temperature influences the NPs growth. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) analyses were used to confirm the removal of both organic traces and detrimental phases. It was found that HCl treatment plays a key role in the successful removal of impurities without altering the final crystalline composition profile or NPs surface

Levelling-up national economies through regional development? a panel fsQCA approach applied to Great Britain

There is currently renewed policy focus on ‘levelling-up’ economic performance across Great Britain’s regions and nations. Heterogeneous historical regional economic experiences lead to questions over the need for policy differences and trade-offs, and roles of regional, versus national level, policies in the longer term. This paper examines, using panel fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), combinations of education and human capital, entrepreneurship, and economic activity conditions driving economic development differences across local authorities in Great Britain. Analysis identifies three and six condition-based pathways for presence and absence of high local economic development (LED) respectively, absence pathways having a particular geographic focus. This identifies different sets of regions, where disadvantage is “deep-rooted” (and non-traditional policymaking is needed), advantage is long-established, or where policy is most likely to make a positive difference. It also identifies a need to tailor policy according to the pathway(s), rather than assuming homogeneous approaches are appropriate. Finally, exemplar regions offer case studies of how future policy can assist movement from absence to presence of high LED

Preliminary assessment of the use of intertidal grazers to create ‘self-cleaning’ boat slipways

Boat slipways present a unique management challenge to local authorities as they need to be maintained in an algal free state, so they are safe and accessible for recreational and commercial use. Current slipway management techniques are ineffective, short-lived, and environmentally harmful. There is, therefore, a global demand for the development of a new approach to slipway management. In this thesis, a new approach is proposed using limpets to maintain slipways in an algal free state through grazing. A major impediment to using grazers such as limpets to clean slipways is that slipways lack refugia and thus grazers are at high risk of being trampled by foot and vehicle traffic. Substrate refuges (e.g., grooves) may provide protection from such stressors and therefore allow for greater grazer control. To investigate the association between limpets and algal cover, a quadrat survey was conducted on existing unused slipways in Pembrokeshire, Wales (UK). To investigate how alternative substrate designs influence refuge use of common limpets, Patella vulgata, on slipways, an experiment was carried out in which limpets were added to caged tiles with various refugia that were secured to a slipway in Pembrokeshire. Limpets were associated with lower cover of an opportunistic green alga (Ulva spp.) on existing slipways, suggesting they are controlling their abundance. In the experiment, limpet refuge use was higher than expected based in the proportional availability of refuge space during the day, and much lower and more in line with expectations at night. This shows that limpets rest in trample-safe refugia during periods of high foot traffic on slipways (daytime tidal emersion) and then move more freely throughout the surface of the slipway to graze at nighttime tidal emersion when the slipway is not in use.My findings indicate that, if slipway surfaces are modified to include refugia, limpets may be effective in cleaning the surface of slipways, without being trampled by foot/vehicle traffic. This would reduce the use of bleach and pressure washers to clean slipways, which are environmentally harmful to species on the slipway and adjacent ecosystems

Holography for confined and deformed theories: TsT-generated solutions in type IIB supergravity

n this paper, we present a series of solutions of type IIB Supergravity, obtained through the TsT deformation of a seed background that is holographically dual to = 4 Super Yang-Mills theory compactified on a circle (with a twist). We explore various holographic observables, focusing on disentangling the contributions of confinement, marginal deformations, and their interplay. Additionally, we provide a detailed analysis of how certain observables are influenced by the dynamics of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes arising from the circle compactification. Our results offer an improved understanding of the connections between the type IIB deformed backgrounds and the dual QFTs