Synthesis and characterization of n-heterocyclic phosphenium and arsenium salts

Two ligand types were employed for the one-step preparations of heavy group 15 cations, namely, diazabutadiene (DAB) and bis(imino)acenaphthene (BIAN). By exploiting the redox properties of these ligands, in conjunction with two different synthetic strategies, it was possible to synthesize a variety of phosphenium and arsenium salts in relatively high yields. The first synthetic method took advantage of the known equilibrium between PI/PI3 in solution. The second synthetic route employed SnCl2 as the reducing agent for converting the reactive trihalides ECl3 into the corresponding “ECl” moieties (E = P, As).Chemistr

Barriers to a Consistent Philosophy: An Analysis of the Depatment of Health and Human Services Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services

In 2004, under the directive of the Governor and the Legislature, Maine\u27s Department of Human Services and department of Behavioral & Developmental Services merged to form the department of Health and human Services. As a result of the merger, the Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services was created to coordinate all licensing activities of the newly merged departments

Dynamic Formation of Metastable Intermediate State Patterns in Type-I Superconductors

Structure of the intermediate state in type-I superconducting lead (Pb) is shown to be very sensitive to the ramp rate of an applied magnetic field. The configurations of resulting static patterns depend sensitively on the shape of the specimen. In particular, geometric barrier, present in the samples with rectangular cross-section, plays an important role in determining the sharp boundary between the phases of different topology. We propose that seemingly laminar (stripe) pattern obtained as a result of the fast field ramp is simply an imprint left behind by the fast-moving flux tubes. Our results confirm that flux tube phase is topologically favorable.Comment: to be presented at LT-25 (Amsterdam, 2008

A tale of three kingdoms: Members of the Phylum Nematoda independently acquired the detoxifying enzyme cyanase through horizontal gene transfer from plants and bacteria

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has played an important role in the evolution of nematodes. Among candidate genes, cyanase, which is typically found only in plants, bacteria and fungi, is present in more than 35 members of the Phylum Nematoda, but absent from free-living and clade V organisms. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the cyanases of clade I organisms Trichinella spp., Trichuris spp. and Soboliphyme baturini (Subclass: Dorylaimia) represent a well-supported monophyletic clade with plant cyanases. In contrast, all cyanases found within the Subclass Chromadoria which encompasses filarioids, ascaridoids and strongyloids are homologous to those of bacteria. Western blots exhibited typical multimeric forms of the native molecule in protein extracts of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae, where immunohisto- chemical staining localized the protein to the worm hypodermis and underlying muscle. Recombinant Trichinella cyanase was bioactive where gene transcription profiles support functional activity in vivo. Results suggest that: (1) independent HGT in parasitic nematodes originated from different Kingdoms; (2) cyanase acquired an active role in the biology of extant Trichinella; (3) acquisition occurred more than 400 million years ago (MYA), prior to the divergence of the Trichinellida and Dioctophymatida, and (4) early, free-living ances- tors of the genus Trichinella had an association with terrestrial plants

The Stockholm Paradigm: Lessons for the Emerging Infectious Disease Crisis

The emerging infectious disease (EID) crisis represents an immediate existential threat to modern humanity. Current policies aimed at coping with the EID crisis are ineffective and unsustainably expensive. They have failed because they are based on a scientific paradigm that produced the parasite paradox. The Stockholm paradigm (SP) resolves the paradox by integrating four elements of evolutionary biology: ecological fitting, sloppy fitness space, coevolution, and responses to environmental perturbations. It explains why and how the EID crisis occurs and is expanding and what happens after an EID emerges that sets the stage for future EIDs. The SP provides a number of critical insights for changing scientific and public policy in a manner that allows us to begin coping with the EID crisis in an effective manner. It provides hope that we can anticipate EIDs and prevent them or at least mitigate their impacts. This article has been produced in support of and with appreciation for the efforts by Gábor Földvári of the Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, and the Centre for Eco-Epidemiology, National Laboratory for Health Security (both located at 1121 Budapest, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, Hungary). Through his untiring efforts, team building, and leadership, he has secured the first EU-wide team research grant. This work was supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office in Hungary (RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00006) and the COST Action CA21170 “Prevention, anticipation and mitigation of tick-borne disease risk applying the DAMA protocol (PRAGMATICK),” which represent the first funded efforts to apply the principles of the DAMA protocol

Vergleichende Qualitätsuntersuchungen von alten und neuen Gemüsesorten zur Entwicklung von Zuchtzielen für den ökologischen Gemüsebau

Am Beispiel der Gemüsearten Möhren und Kohl wurden alte und neue Sorten sowie Sorten aus biologisch-dynamischer Selektion auf ihre Qualitätsmerkmale hin verglichen. Der Anbau erfolgte nach biologisch-dynamischen Landbaumethoden auf dem Dottenfelderhof in Bad Vilbel. Im Projekt kam ein breites Methodenspektrum zum Einsatz, das Geschmacksuntersuchungen mittels Humansensorik und instrumenteller Analytik umfasste. Diese Untersuchungen geben Aufschluss über die Zusammenhänge verschiedener äußerer und innerer Qualitätsmerkmale von insgesamt 39 Möhren- und 30 Kohlsorten. Bei Möhren wurden durch die Humansensorik in beiden Jahren Hybridsorten (Espredo, Bolero) aufgrund ihrer hohen Süße als die jeweils beliebteste Sorte ermittelt. Diese Feststellung ist in Übereinstimmung mit Ergebnissen der Ernährungswissenschaft, dass allgemein eine Prefärenz zu sehr süßen Nahrungsmitteln zu verzeichnen ist. Aus der Sicht des ökologischen Landbaus werden allerdings samenfeste Sorten bevorzugt, die neben dem süßen Geschmack auch ein typisches Aroma charakterisiert aufweisen. Die am Dottenfelderhof angewendete Selektion auf Geschmack zeigt hierbei insbesondere bei den Rodelika-Typen einen deutlichen Züchtungsfortschritt in Richtung auf eine höhere sensorische Qualität. Durch die Aromaanalytik mittels Festphasen-Mikroextraktion konnten die Terpene Myrcen und Caryophyllen als Negativkomponenten (Off-flavour) ermittelt werden. Hier sollte geprüft werden, inwieweit sich diese Inhaltsstoffe als Markersubstanzen für eine Geschmacksselektion eignen. Bei Kohl zeichnet sich die Sorte Holsteiner Platter durch die höchste Beliebtheit aus. Zwischen dem Gehalt an Glusosinolaten (gesundheitlich positiv und negativ wirksame Inhaltsstoffe) und den anderen Qualitätsparametern, insbesondere dem Geschmack, besteht kein strenger Zusammenhang. Im Ertrag stehen die samenfesten Sorten gleichrangig neben den Hybridsorten. Eine weitere Bearbeitung bezüglich der Uniformität der samenfesten Sorten wäre aber wünschenswert. Auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse können Ziele für eine qualitätsorientierte Züchtung im ökologischen Gemüsebau erarbeitet werden

The 3P Framework: A Comprehensive Approach to Coping with the Emerging Infectious Disease Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest example of the profound socioeconomic impact of the emerging infectious disease (EID) crisis. Current health security measures are based on a failed evolutionary paradigm that presumes EID is rare and cannot be predicted because emergence requires the prior evolution of novel genetic capacities for colonizing a new host. Consequently, crisis response through preparation for previously emerged diseases and palliation following outbreaks have been the only health security options, which have become unsustainably expensive and unsuccessful. The Stockholm paradigm (SP) is an alternative evolutionary framework that suggests host changes are the result of changing conditions that bring pathogens into contact with susceptible hosts, with novel genetic variants arising in the new host after infection. Host changes leading to EID can be predicted because preexisting capacities for colonizing new hosts are highly specific and phylogenetically conservative. This makes EID prevention through limiting exposure to susceptible hosts possible. The DAMA (Document, Assess, Monitor, Act) protocol is a policy extension of the SP that can both prevent and mitigate EID by enhancing traditional efforts through adding early warning signs and predicting transmission dynamics. Prevention, preparation, and palliation compose the 3P framework, a comprehensive plan for reducing the socioeconomic impact of EID. This article has been produced in support of and with appreciation for the efforts by Gábor Földvári of the Institute of Evolution, Centre for Ecological Research, and the Centre for Eco-Epidemiology, National Laboratory for Health Security (both located at 1121 Budapest, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, Hungary). Through his untiring efforts, team building, and leadership, he has secured the first EU-wide team research grant. This work was supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office in Hungary (RRF-2.3.1-21-2022-00006) and the COST Action CA21170 “Prevention, anticipation and mitigation of tick-borne disease risk applying the DAMA protocol (PRAGMATICK),” which represent the first funded efforts to apply the principles of the DAMA protocol

Stepping-stones and Mediators of Pandemic Expansion—A Context for Humans as Ecological Super-spreaders

Humans represent ecological super-spreaders in the dissemination and introduction of pathogens. These processes, consistent with the dynamics of the Stockholm paradigm, are exemplified in the origin and globalized distributions of SARS-CoV-2 since initial recognition in central Asia during 2019 and 2020. SARS-like viruses are not widespread in mammals but appear widespread in chiropterans. Bats are isolated ecologically from most other assemblages of mammals in terrestrial systems. Humans may be the stepping-stone hosts for broad global dissemination and wider infection (given the opportunity) among diverse assemblages of mammals in which host and viral capacity are compatible. Human globalization mediated insertion in global ecosystems along primary and secondary pathways initially with localized to regional circulation across continents. Origins and persistence of cycles involving variants and viral transmission among other mammals and the potential for secondary exposure (retrocolonization) of people occurs on multidirectional pathways. Humans were responsible for the initial breakdown in ecological isolation of the virus that facilitated colonization events from chiropterans to other mammals. In the absence of these human drivers, environmental or ecological interfaces (boundary zones among habitats) limiting the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 are unlikely to have been crossed, leaving a diverse assemblage of SARS-like viruses (Sarbecovirus) remaining relatively hidden and isolated in southeast Asia

The Suprafroth (Superconducting Froth)

The structure and dynamics of froths have been subjects of intense interest due to the desire to understand the behaviour of complex systems where topological intricacy prohibits exact evaluation of the ground state. The dynamics of a traditional froth involves drainage and drying in the cell boundaries, thus it is irreversible. We report a new member to the froths family: suprafroth, in which the cell boundaries are superconducting and the cell interior is normal phase. Despite very different microscopic origin, topological analysis of the structure of the suprafroth shows that statistical von Neumann and Lewis laws apply. Furthermore, for the first time in the analysis of froths there is a global measurable property, the magnetic moment, which can be directly related to the suprafroth structure. We propose that this suprafroth is a new, model system for the analysis of the complex physics of two-dimensional froths

Ending a decade of deception: a valiant failure, a not-so-valiant failure, and a success story

Prior studies involving two methods, Brooks Parsimony Analysis (BPA) and TreeMap, have found BPA to be the more reliable method. Recent criticisms leveled at these studies argue that the tests were unfairly created and biased in favor of BPA. The authors of a recent critique offered new exemplars to demonstrate flaws in BPA, plus a simple fix to correct the flaws found in TreeMap. A re-evaluation of their exemplars clearly shows that the authors' calculations are incorrect, their understanding of the methods is lacking, and that their simple fix does not work. Additional analyses using TreeMap 2.02 are run to show that TreeMap 2.02, like TreeMap 1.0, cannot adequately deal with widespread parasites, contrary to the claims of its supporters. Furthermore, the exemplars corroborate previous findings that BPA, when calculated correctly, is more reliable than TreeMap1.0 and TreeMap 2.02 and therefore the method of choice in coevolutionary and biogeographic studies.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75083/1/j.1096-0031.2003.00011.x.pd