Evolutionarily diverse origins of deformed wing viruses in western honey bees

Novel transmission routes can allow infectious diseases to spread, often with devastating consequences. Ectoparasitic varroa mites vector a diversity of RNA viruses, having switched hosts from the eastern to western honey bees (Apis cerana to Apis mellifera). They provide an opportunity to explore how novel transmission routes shape disease epidemiology. As the principal driver of the spread of deformed wing viruses (mainly DWV-A and DWV-B), varroa infestation has also driven global honey bee health declines. The more virulent DWV-B strain has been replacing the original DWV-A strain in many regions over the past two decades. Yet, how these viruses originated and spread remains poorly understood. Here, we use a phylogeographic analysis based on whole-genome data to reconstruct the origins and demography of DWV spread. We found that, rather than reemerging in western honey bees after varroa switched hosts, as suggested by previous work, DWV-A most likely originated in East Asia and spread in the mid-20th century. It also showed a massive population size expansion following the varroa host switch. By contrast, DWV-B was most likely acquired more recently from a source outside East Asia and appears absent from the original varroa host. These results highlight the dynamic nature of viral adaptation, whereby a vector's host switch can give rise to competing and increasingly virulent disease pandemics. The evolutionary novelty and rapid global spread of these host-virus interactions, together with observed spillover into other species, illustrate how increasing globalization poses urgent threats to biodiversity and food security

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Awassi-Jo sheep breed (Ovis aries) in Jordan

Using high-throughput sequencing technology, the complete mitochondrial genome of Awassi-Jo breed (Ovis aries) was decoded. Mitochondrial genome was 16,617 bp in length. The genome contained 37 genes (13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, and 2 rRNA) and a control region (D-loop region). The genes were encoded on the H-strand, except for the ND6 gene and 8 tRNA genes, which were encoded on the L-strand. The GC content is 38.9%. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to compare Awassi-Jo with other sheep breeds. The phylogenetic tree showed that Awassi-Jo diverged earlier than related breeds (Turkey, Italy, Germany, and Netherland) with a common ancestor in haplogroup HB. The results revealed the importance of mitochondrial data in studying sheep evolution and domestication

Synthesis of <i>P</i>‑Chiral Dihydrobenzooxaphospholes Through Negishi Cross-Coupling

An efficient Negishi cross-coupling was developed for the synthesis of the biaryl axes present in useful <i>P</i>-chiral dihydrobenzooxaphosphole ligands. This approach has allowed for the synthesis of new derivatives of these ligands that were not accessible by the previous route employing Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling. The use of Pd₂(dba)₃/<b>BI-DIME</b> as the catalyst system affords the desired biaryl compounds in good yields with excellent rates and with catalyst loadings as low as 0.25 mol %

Synthesis of Pyridyl-dihydrobenzooxaphosphole Ligands and Their Application in Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unfunctionalized Alkenes

Synthesis of the electron-rich 2-substituted-6-(phenyl­sulfonyl)­pyridines is presented. A series of air-stable, tunable, <i>P</i>-chiral pyridyl-dihydrobenzooxaphosphole ligands were designed and synthesized by a diastereoselective S_NAr substitution of the corresponding sulfonyl pyridines. The ligands were successfully applied in the Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of unfunctionalized alkenes with good enantioselectivities

Synthesis of Pyridyl-dihydrobenzooxaphosphole Ligands and Their Application in Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unfunctionalized Alkenes

Synthesis of the electron-rich 2-substituted-6-(phenyl­sulfonyl)­pyridines is presented. A series of air-stable, tunable, <i>P</i>-chiral pyridyl-dihydrobenzooxaphosphole ligands were designed and synthesized by a diastereoselective S_NAr substitution of the corresponding sulfonyl pyridines. The ligands were successfully applied in the Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of unfunctionalized alkenes with good enantioselectivities

Development of a Safe and Economical Synthesis of Methyl 6‑Chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)nicotinate: Trifluoromethylation on Kilogram Scale

Reported herein is a safe and economical synthesis of methyl 6-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)­nicotinate, an intermediate in the synthesis of novel anti-infective agents. The key to this process is the trifluoromethylation of an aryl iodide using an inexpensive methyl chlorodifluoroacetate (MCDFA)/KF/CuI system, with an emphasis on the development work which led to this effective process

Heart-Cutting Two-Dimensional Ultrahigh-Pressure Liquid Chromatography for Process Development: Asymmetric Reaction Monitoring

This contribution presents the first application of two-dimensional, ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (2D-UHPLC) for monitoring asymmetric reactions in process development. Several asymmetric transformations were studied to illustrate the operation of the instrument and evaluate the performance of 2D-UHPLC. Two-dimensional UHPLC is particularly advantageous because it allows a simultaneous analysis of the reaction conversion and its enantiomeric excess. By employing UHPLC the analysis time can be reduced significantly, and the achiral–chiral 2D coupling approach allows for direct injection of the reaction mixture. This study demonstrates the utility of 2D-UHPLC in asymmetric transformations for drug development

A Highly Convergent and Efficient Synthesis of a Macrocyclic Hepatitis C Virus Protease Inhibitor BI 201302

A highly convergent large scale synthesis of a 15-membered macrocyclic hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor BI 201302 was achieved, in which the key features are the practical macrocyclization by Ru-catalyzed ring-closing metathesis (0.1 mol % Grela catalyst, 0.1–0.2 M concentration) and the efficient sulfone-mediated S_NAr reaction