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The bioactivity of a range of microstructured silicon materials should be assessed since it has been demonstrated that low porosity microporous silicon is “bioactive”. Work reported here shows that certain types of polycrystalline silicon are also bioactive, being corroded and exhibiting surface deposits of calcium phosphate (see Figure) when kept in simulated body fluids (SBF). magnified image

A simple but effective method for estimating the spring constant of commercially available atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers is presented, based on estimating the cantilever thickness from knowledge of its length, width, resonant frequency and the presence or absence of an added mass, such as a colloid probe at the cantilever apex, or a thin film of deposited material. The spring constant of the cantilever can then be estimated using standard equations for cantilever beams. The results are compared to spring constant calibration measurements performed using reference cantilevers. Additionally, the effect of the deposition of Cr and Ti thin films onto rectangular Si cantilevers is investigated.

Background: Increased oxidative stress is a well described feature of haemodialysis (HD). This is secondary to an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species and impaired antioxidant mechanisms. Telomeres are the specialized ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and consist of tandemly repeated DNA sequences. Telomeres shorten with each cell division and it is well known that telomere length in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) decreases with age. Telomere shortening rate is increased by oxidative stress. In this study we have examined a possible relationship between oxidative stress and telomere shortening in haemodialysis. Methods: 20 control subjects, 20 non-diabetic and 18 diabetic HD patients were studied. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell telomere length, plasma malondialdehyde plus 4-hydroxyalkenal (MDA+4-HAE) concentration (a marker of oxidative stress) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration were measured. Results: MDA+4-HAE and CRP were significantly higher in the HD patients (CRP, controls 7.5 ± 1.5, HD patients 16.4 ± 3.1 mg/l, p < 0.05). There was no difference in mean telomere length between the HD patients and controls (control, 8,283 ± 179 bp; non-diabetic HD, 7,966 ± 160 bp; diabetic HD, 8,033 ± 197 bp) but age adjusted residual telomere length was inversely associated with the length of time on dialysis (r = –0.35, p = 0.03). Conclusion: These results suggest that length of time on dialysis is independently associated with increased telomere shortening in HD patients. We hypothesise that this reflects cumulative DNA exposure to oxidative stress.

We conclude that the difference between nursing homes and hospital wards in terms of their institutionalizing capacities is not as profound as policy-makers believe.

Herein is described the development of a large-scale manufacturing process for molnupiravir, an orally dosed antiviral that was recently demonstrated to be efficacious for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The yield, robustness, and efficiency of each of the five steps were improved, ultimately culminating in a 1.6-fold improvement in overall yield and a dramatic increase in the overall throughput compared to the baseline process.

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