PCBs: Here, There and Everywhere

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly toxic compounds that are dangerous to the environment and human health. PCBs were first produced in the 1930s and used in many household products before their adverse effects were understood. In the late 1970s, PCBs were banned as part of environmental regulations. However, despite the ban, they still exist in the environment and pose a significant threat to wildlife and humans. PCBs are carcinogenic, disrupt the endocrine system, and have neurotoxic effects. They are found everywhere and require a comprehensive understanding among the public to support remediation efforts. Effective communication strategies are needed to raise awareness about the dangers of PCBs, especially among high school students.In this context, comic books have emerged as an innovative and compelling medium for science communication. Their visual narrative style is particularly effective in engaging high school students, a demographic crucial for shaping future attitudes and policies regarding environmental issues. By leveraging comics\u27 storytelling and illustrative power, complex scientific concepts about PCBs can be accessible and relatable. This approach not only demystifies the science behind PCBs but also emphasizes the urgency and global scale of the issue. Considering this, this book is an effort to convey the seriousness of PCBs to high schoolers and educate them.@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Aptos;panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:swiss;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:536871559 3 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0in;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Aptos;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-font-kerning:1.0pt;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Aptos;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Aptos;panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:swiss;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:536871559 3 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0in;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Aptos;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-font-kerning:1.0pt;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Aptos;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;

Toxic Relationships

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are “forever” chemicals used extensively in electrical equipment before their production was banned in 1977. PCBs, unfortunately, are “forever” chemicals, and despite the production ban, they remain prevalent in today’s air, water, and soil. Scientists around the globe are trying to figure out ways to remove this chemical from air, water, and soil, however, we need support from the public to build PCB awareness. To help reach the public, we wrote a stage play about PCBs to educate the public about the history of PCBs.Stage plays are a captivating and effective way to build awareness with and convey important information in an engaging way. The stage play narrates the excerpts from Biocidal: Confronting the Poisonous Legacy of PCBs and weaves the history of PCBs with the complexities of human relationships, highlighting the toxic nature of both. Set primarily in the 1920s, the story begins with the ambitious industrialist Theodore and his chemists, who, driven by the promise of wealth and progress, invent PCBs. However, as the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear just how dangerous PCBs\u27 are for humans and the environment. The play cleverly parallels the dangers of PCBs with the insidious nature of toxic human relationships, illustrating how both can be alluring initially but ultimately destructive. The play continues with PCBs becoming widespread and revealing how the damaging effects on the environment and human health are mirrored in the deteriorating relationships among the characters. The play is a poignant reminder of the consequences of unchecked ambition and the importance of recognizing and addressing toxicity, whether in chemicals or relationships. The play serves as an allegory, urging the audience to consider the long-term impacts of their actions and relationships and to strive for a balance between progress and sustainability. We believe this would be a great starter to communicate the seriousness of these forever chemicals, promoting a safe environment for the living

INVESTIGATION OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF URANIUM UNDER IRON-REDUCING CONDITIONS: REDUCTION OF UVI BY BIOGENIC FEII/FEIII HYDROXIDE (GREEN RUST)

The recent identification of green rusts (GRs) as products of the reduction of FeIII oxyhydroxides by dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria, coupled with the ability of synthetic (GR) to reduce UVI species to insoluble UO2, suggests that biogenic green rusts (BioGRs) may play an important role in the speciation (and thus mobility) of U in FeIII-reducing environments. The objective of our research was to examine the potential for BioGR to affect the speciation of U under FeIII-reducing conditions. To meet this objective, we designed and executed a hypothesis-driven experimental program to identify key factors leading to the formation of BioGRs as products of dissimilatory FeIII reduction, to determine the key factors controlling the reduction of UVI to UIV by GRs, and to identify the resulting U-bearing mineral phases. The results of this research significantly increase our understanding of the coupling of biotic and abiotic processes with respect to the speciation of U in iron-reducing environments. In particular, the reduction of UVI to UIV by BioGR with the subsequent formation of U-bearing mineral phases may be effective for immobilizing U in suboxic subsurface environments. This information has direct applications to contaminant transport modeling and bioremediation engineering for natural or enhanced in situ remediation of subsurface contamination

Influence of Fe2+-catalysed iron oxide recrystallization on metal cycling

Abstract Recent work has indicated that iron (oxyhydr-)oxides are capable of structurally incorporating and releasing metals and nutrients as a result of Fe 2 + -induced iron oxide recrystallization. In the present paper, we briefly review the current literature examining the mechanisms by which iron oxides recrystallize and summarize how recrystallization affects metal incorporation and release. We also provide new experimental evidence for the Fe 2 + -induced release of structural manganese from manganese-doped goethite. Currently, the exact mechanism(s) for Fe 2 + -induced recrystallization remain elusive, although they are likely to be both oxideand metal-dependent. We conclude by discussing some future research directions for Fe 2 + -catalysed iron oxide recrystallization. Metal incorporation in iron oxides Natural iron (oxyhydr-)oxides are rarely pure. Instead, they often contain structural trace metal impurities (e.g. Key words: goethite, haematite, iron oxide, magnetite, metal cycling, recrystallization. Abbreviations used: XAS, X-ray absorption spectroscopy. 1 To whom correspondence should be addressed (email [email protected]). In the present paper, we provide a brief overview of the evidence and possible mechanisms of Fe 2 + -catalysed iron oxide recrystallization in the absence of secondary transformations and summarize recent findings on metal incorporation and/or release during recrystallization. We also present some new results demonstrating Mn 2 + release from goethite in the presence of aqueous Fe 2 + and provide some closing remarks on future research directions for Fe 2 + -catalysed iron oxide recrystallization. Fe 2 + -catalysed iron oxide recrystallization of goethite, haematite and magnetite There were some clear early indications in the literature that the reaction of aqueous Fe 2 + with the more stable iron oxides, such as goethite, haematite and magnetite, was more dynamic than a simple adsorption reaction. For example, Tronc et al. [25

Prenormative verification and validation of a protocol for measuring magnetite–maghemite ratios in magnetic nanoparticles

An important step in establishing any new metrological method is a prenormative interlaboratory study, designed to verify and validate the method against its stated aims. Here, the 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometric ‘centre of gravity’ (COG) method was tested as a means of quantifying the magnetite/maghemite (Fe3O4/γ-Fe2O3) composition ratio in biphasic magnetic nanoparticles. The study involved seven laboratories across Europe and North and South America, and six samples—a verification set of three microcrystalline mixtures of known composition, and a validation set of three nanoparticle samples of unknown composition. The spectra were analysed by each participant using in-house fitting packages, and ex post facto by a single operator using an independent package. Repeatability analysis was performed using Mandel’s h statistic and modified Youden plots. It is shown that almost all (83/84) of the Mandel h statistic values fall within the 0.5% significance level, with the one exception being borderline. Youden-based pairwise analysis indicates the dominance of random uncertainties; and in almost all cases the data analysis phase is only a minor contributor to the overall measurement uncertainty. It is concluded that the COG method is a robust and promising candidate for its intended purpose

Chitayat-Hall and Schaaf-Yang syndromes: a common aetiology: expanding the phenotype of MAGEL2-related disorders

Chitayat-Hall syndrome, initially described in 1990, is a rare condition characterised by distal arthrogryposis, intellectual disability, dysmorphic features and hypopituitarism, in particular growth hormone deficiency. The genetic aetiology has not been identified.Background Chitayat-Hall syndrome, initially described in 1990, is a rare condition characterised by distal arthrogryposis, intellectual disability, dysmorphic features and hypopituitarism, in particular growth hormone deficiency. The genetic aetiology has not been identified. Methods and results We identified three unrelated families with a total of six affected patients with the clinical manifestations of Chitayat-Hall syndrome. Through whole exome or whole genome sequencing, pathogenic variants in the MAGEL2 gene were identified in all affected patients. All disease-causing sequence variants detected are predicted to result in a truncated protein, including one complex variant that comprised a deletion and inversion. Conclusions Chitayat-Hall syndrome is caused by pathogenic variants in MAGEL2 and shares a common aetiology with the recently described Schaaf-Yang syndrome. The phenotype of MAGEL2-related disorders is expanded to include growth hormone deficiency as an important and treatable complicationhe McLaughlin Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, and Fondation Jeanne et Jean- Louis Lévesque (JLM). The Centre for Genetic Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. FDL has a fellowship funded by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/84650/2010)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How a Diverse Research Ecosystem Has Generated New Rehabilitation Technologies: Review of NIDILRR’s Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers

Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challenging needs remain. Within the US, a major effort aimed at the creation and evaluation of rehabilitation technology has been the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. As envisioned at their conception by a panel of the National Academy of Science in 1970, these centers were intended to take a “total approach to rehabilitation”, combining medicine, engineering, and related science, to improve the quality of life of individuals with a disability. Here, we review the scope, achievements, and ongoing projects of an unbiased sample of 19 currently active or recently terminated RERCs. Specifically, for each center, we briefly explain the needs it targets, summarize key historical advances, identify emerging innovations, and consider future directions. Our assessment from this review is that the RERC program indeed involves a multidisciplinary approach, with 36 professional fields involved, although 70% of research and development staff are in engineering fields, 23% in clinical fields, and only 7% in basic science fields; significantly, 11% of the professional staff have a disability related to their research. We observe that the RERC program has substantially diversified the scope of its work since the 1970’s, addressing more types of disabilities using more technologies, and, in particular, often now focusing on information technologies. RERC work also now often views users as integrated into an interdependent society through technologies that both people with and without disabilities co-use (such as the internet, wireless communication, and architecture). In addition, RERC research has evolved to view users as able at improving outcomes through learning, exercise, and plasticity (rather than being static), which can be optimally timed. We provide examples of rehabilitation technology innovation produced by the RERCs that illustrate this increasingly diversifying scope and evolving perspective. We conclude by discussing growth opportunities and possible future directions of the RERC program

The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization

Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation

Intratumoral Genetic and Functional Heterogeneity in Pediatric Glioblastoma.

Pediatric glioblastoma (pGBM) is a lethal cancer with no effective therapies. To understand the mechanisms of tumor evolution in this cancer, we performed whole-genome sequencing with linked reads on longitudinally resected pGBM samples. Our analyses showed that all diagnostic and recurrent samples were collections of genetically diverse subclones. Clonal composition rapidly evolved at recurrence, with less than 8% of nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variants being shared in diagnostic-recurrent pairs. To track the origins of the mutational events observed in pGBM, we generated whole-genome datasets for two patients and their parents. These trios showed that genetic variants could be (i) somatic, (ii) inherited from a healthy parent, or (iii) de novo in the germlines of pGBM patients. Analysis of variant allele frequencies supported a model of tumor growth involving slow-cycling cancer stem cells that give rise to fast-proliferating progenitor-like cells and to nondividing cells. Interestingly, radiation and antimitotic chemotherapeutics did not increase overall tumor burden upon recurrence. These findings support an important role for slow-cycling stem cell populations in contributing to recurrences, because slow-cycling cell populations are expected to be less prone to genotoxic stress induced by these treatments and therefore would accumulate few mutations. Our results highlight the need for new targeted treatments that account for the complex functional hierarchies and genomic heterogeneity of pGBM. SIGNIFICANCE: This work challenges several assumptions regarding the genetic organization of pediatric GBM and highlights mutagenic programs that start during early prenatal development.Graphical Abstract: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/79/9/2111/F1.large.jpg.Wellcome Trust Royal Societ