Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer with and without the assistance of vibronic-transition-induced skeletal deformation in phenol–quinoline

Skeletal deformation motion is demonstrated from the specific vibronic excitation of phenol–quinoline molecules.

First description of a type v osteogenesis imperfecta clinical case with severe skeletal deformities caused by a mutation p.119C> T in IFITM5 gene in Russia

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a hereditary connective tissue disorder. Main clinical manifestations include recurring pathological fractures and progressive skeletal deformation. Five types of OI are distinguished based on clinical symptoms. In most cases, the disease is caused by mutations in the COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes, leading to a defect of type 1 collagen synthesis, which is the main component of the bone matrix. Up to 5% of patients with OI have a mutation in IFITM5 gene, which leads to the development of OI type V. Approximately 150 cases of the OI type V are described in the literature, and mutation c.-14C T in IFITM5 gene is found in most of the cases. Only 5 patients have a c.119C T: p.S40L.mutation. Pathogenesis of OI type V is not fully understood. It is assumed that mutations in the IFITM5 gene cause impaired osteoblastogenesis, decreased bone mineral density and multiple low-traumatic fractures. There is probably a phenotype-genotypic correlation in cases with different mutations of the IFITM5. However, it is currently difficult to assess the relationship in view of the variability of the characters and the low prevalence of the OI type V. We present the first description in Russia of the clinical case of an adult patient with OI type V due to a rare mutation p.119C T: p.S40L in the IFITM5 gene.

Sulphur-Containing Compounds as a Response in Sea Urchins Exposed to Alkylated Silicon Nanocrystals and SiO2-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

We report the effects of exposure to alkylated silicon nanocrystals (‘alkyl-SiNCs’ at concentration ~ 7.2 mg/L) and -Fe2O3 nanoparticles coated with ultra-thin silica (‘SiO2-coated IONPs’ at concentration ~ 150 mg/L) on sea urchins Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula, respectively, studied with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscpoies using excitation from a synchrotron light source. A remarkably low mortality and low incidence of skeletal deformation is observed for exposure to both types of nanoparticles studied, despite the high concentrations employed in this work. XRF mapping demonstrates that both types of nanoparticle are found to agglomerate in the body of the sea urchins. FTIR spectra indicates that alkyl-SiNCs remain intact after ingestion and corresponding XRF maps show increased an oxygen throughout the organisms, possibly related to oxidation products arising from reactive oxygen species generated in the presence of the nanoparticles. Exposure to SiO2-coated IONPs is found to produce sulphur-containing species, which may be the result of a biological response in order to reduce the toxicity of the nanomaterial.

Effects of Long Term Corseting on the Female Skeleton: A Preliminary Morphological Examination

This 2012/2013 study looks at corset dimensions and skeletal rib deformation in female remains from three time periods and two locations to understand certain aspects of longevity. All artifacts and skeletal remains originate from the Early Modern, Victorian, and Edwardian periods. The corsets are held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and range in date from 1750-1908. The data on the skeletal remains are the result of the author’s examination of collections held in the Musée de l’Homme in Paris, France, and the Centre for Human Bioarchaeology at the Museum of London Archaeology (MoL) in London, England. An anachronistic view of corseted women posits that they lived short and painful lives. I examine these skeletal remains with an eye toward establishing that rich or poor, young or old, corseted women lived comparatively long lives, and that the corset was not, in itself, a death sentence. My findings indicate that although women experienced skeletal deformation because of corseting, they also lived longer than the average age for their times.

Suitability of PLLA as Piezoelectric Substrates for Tissue Engineering Evidenced by Microscopy Techniques

Since the discovery of the piezoelectric character of bone, the suitability of some piezoelectric materials have been studied for bone repair; they are thought to act like transducers converting the mechanical energy of skeletal deformation in electrical stimuli capable of controlling osteogenic growth. The mechanisms underlying this process are far from being understood and systematic studies at a local scale are required. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a unique way to observe phenomena at the nanoscale and liquid imaging provides a unique tool to assess biological phenomena at the nanoscale. So in this study, aiming at a better understanding of the role of piezoelectricity in the osteogenic growth, the interaction between a poled piezoelectric material, in this case poly (L-lactic) acid and an adhesion promoting protein, the fibronectin, and bone-like cells is evaluated by scanning probe microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).