How to stay afloat in the lacrimal pool

Compensating for a diagnostic RGP contact lens fit flatter or more steeply than the cornea when ordering a prescription has been a concern of optometrists since the invention of rigid contact lenses. Traditionally, the convention of considering the lacrimal lens induced power has been a means of attaining the compensating power when a lens is ordered. The convention is SAMFAP, steep add minus, flat add plus. When a lens is fitted steeply, minus must be added to the ordered lens, and the converse for a flat lens. While this has usually resulted in a satisfactory lens for the patient, the reason for the convention is incorrect and has created a misunderstanding for those prescribing. The lacrimal lens induced by a steeply fit contact lens is not a plus lens as understood by most students but is really a minus lens. While the lacrimal lens is a useful memory device, it should not be used as an explanation for adding minus power to a steeply fit rigid contact lens. Furthermore, the convention overestimates the amount of minus to be ordered by 0.31 D for every diopter that it is fitted steep

Exploring the generation and use of acylketenes with continuous flow processes

The generation and use of reactive intermediates is well suited to continuous flow processing owing to the ability to scale up reactions, contain hazards and heat solvents past their atmospheric temperature boiling points. Herein we explore the chemistry of acylketenes, generated from commercially available 2,2,6-trimethyl-4H-1,3-dioxin-4-one (TMD, 10) under continuous flow conditions. The developed flow chemistry system is capable of permitting a wide range of applications of these acylketene intermediates, including access to equilibrating processes that result in ketone exchange. Some of the dioxinone products resulting from this study are destabilised towards acylketene generation, this is demonstrated through their ability to generate acylketene at lower reaction temperatures

Can genomic research make a useful contribution to social policy?

As genetic research into outcomes beyond health gathers pace, largely through the use of genome-wide association studies, interest from policy-makers has grown. In the last year, two UK reports have explored the policy implications of genomic research, one from the UK Government Office for Science and one from the Early Intervention Foundation. In this article, we explore areas of consensus between these two reports and use them to propose priorities for policy-makers as we prepare for what some have termed a 'genetic revolution'. Both reports agree on two clear recommendations for science and policy communities. One of these relates to public education and engagement, and the other to ensuring that genomic databases are ancestrally diverse. Both reports agree that-even if it is found to be a viable and ethical idea in the medium-term future-DNA data should not be incorporated into social policy before these two issues have been comprehensively addressed. In the article, we argue that scientists are taking the lead on tackling the diversity deficit but that there is a clear role for policy-makers to play in addressing low genetic literacy in society, and that this is a matter of urgency

Cloning and expression of activation induced cytidine deaminase from Bos taurus'

Activation induced cytidine deaminase is an enzyme crucial to somatic hypermutation and gene conversion, processes that are essential for the diversification of Ig V genes. The bovine Ig repertoire appears to be diversified by mechanisms that are significantly different to those that operate in humans and mice. This study set out to test the hypothesis that differences in the organization, coding sequence, expression or genomic location of the bovine AICDA gene enables the encoded enzyme to catalyse the unusual Ig diversification mechanism seen in cattle as well as conventional antigen-driven mutation. Characterization of bovine AICDA excluded the first two possibilities. AICDA expression was detected in lymphoid tissues from neonatal and older cattle, but AICDA cDNA could not be detected in muscle tissue. The pattern of gene expression did not therefore differ from that in other vertebrates. The AICDA cDNA was cloned and expressed successfully in Escherichia coli generating a phenotype consistent with the mutating action of this deaminase. Using a whole genome radiation hybrid panel, bovine AICDA was mapped to a region of bovine chromosome 5 syntenic with the location of human AICDA on chromosome 12. We conclude that the unusual nature of Ig diversification in cattle is unlikely to be attributable to the structure, sequence, activity or genomic location of bovine AICDA

Ending Youth Violence Lab: An Evidence Manifesto

This report was first published in December 2023, and is available to download as a free PDF. This work was undertaken by the Ending Youth Violence Lab at the Behavioural Insights Team. The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is a global social purpose company that generates and applies behavioural insights to inform policy, improve public services and deliver results for citizens and society