Unusual traits of cis and trans-2,3-dibromo-1,1-dimethylindane on the way from 1,1-dimethylindene to 2-bromo-, 3-bromo-, and 2,3-dibromo-1,1-dimethylindene

Do not rely on the widely accepted rule that vicinal, sp(3)-positioned protons in cyclopentene moieties should always have more positive (3)J NMR coupling constants for the cis than for the trans arrangement: Unrecognized exceptions might misguide one to wrong stereochemical assignments and thence to erroneous mechanistic conclusions. We show here that two structurally innocent-looking 2,3-dibromo-1,1-dimethylindanes violate the rule by means of their values of (3)J(cis) = 6.1 Hz and (3)J(trans) = 8.4 Hz. The stereo-selective formation of the trans diastereomer from 1,1-dimethylindene was improved with the tribromide anion (Br-3(-)) as the brominating agent in place of elemental bromine;the ensuing, regiospecific HBr elimination afforded 3-bromo-1,1-dimethylindene. The addition of elemental bromine to the latter compound, followed by thermal HBr elimination, furnished 2,3-dibromo-1,1-dimethylindene, whose Br/Li interchange reaction, precipitation, and subsequent protolysis yielded only 2-bromo-1,1-dimethylindene

Unusual traits of cis and trans-2,3-dibromo-1,1-dimethylindane on the way from 1,1-dimethylindene to 2-bromo-, 3-bromo-, and 2,3-dibromo-1,1-dimethylindene

Do not rely on the widely accepted rule that vicinal, sp(3)-positioned protons in cyclopentene moieties should always have more positive (3)J NMR coupling constants for the cis than for the trans arrangement: Unrecognized exceptions might misguide one to wrong stereochemical assignments and thence to erroneous mechanistic conclusions. We show here that two structurally innocent-looking 2,3-dibromo-1,1-dimethylindanes violate the rule by means of their values of (3)J(cis) = 6.1 Hz and (3)J(trans) = 8.4 Hz. The stereo-selective formation of the trans diastereomer from 1,1-dimethylindene was improved with the tribromide anion (Br-3(-)) as the brominating agent in place of elemental bromine;the ensuing, regiospecific HBr elimination afforded 3-bromo-1,1-dimethylindene. The addition of elemental bromine to the latter compound, followed by thermal HBr elimination, furnished 2,3-dibromo-1,1-dimethylindene, whose Br/Li interchange reaction, precipitation, and subsequent protolysis yielded only 2-bromo-1,1-dimethylindene

Development and objectives of the "expert:innenforum startchancen" initiative

In diesem Bericht wird mit dem Expert:innenforum Startchancen (ExSta) ein Format für die Vernetzung von Expert*innen aus Wissenschaft, Politik, Praxis und Zivilgesellschaft vorgestellt, das die Robert Bosch Stiftung und das Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB) gemeinsam durchführen. ExSta hat zum Ziel, Expertise für die Umsetzung des Startchancen-Programms, aber auch darüber hinaus zur Verbesserung von Bildungschancen für Schulen in benachteiligen Lagen zu generieren, zu bündeln und für relevante Akteur*innen im Mehrebenensystem der Bildungssteuerung verfügbar zu machen. (DIPF/Orig.)This report describes the “Expert:innenforum Startchancen” (ExSta), an initiative for the networking of experts from academia, politics, practice, and civil society, which is jointly conducted by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Berlin Social Science Research Center (WZB). ExSta aims to generate and bundle expertise and attempts to make it available to relevant actors in the multi-level system of educational governance – both on issues related to the implementation of the “Startchancen”-Program and on educational opportunities for students in socially disadvantaged settings in general. (DIPF/Orig.

Fatal Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Infection of Two Young Asian Elephants

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) can cause a devastating haemorrhagic disease in young Asian elephants worldwide. Here, we report the death of two young Asian elephants after suffering from acute haemorrhagic disease due to EEHV-1A infection. We detected widespread distribution of EEHV-1A in various organs and tissues of the infected elephants. Enveloped viral particles accumulated within and around cytoplasmic electron-dense bodies in hepatic endothelial cells were detected. Attempts to isolate the virus on different cell cultures showed limited virus replication; however, late viral protein expression was detected in infected cells. We further showed that glycoprotein B (gB) of EEHV-1A possesses a conserved cleavage site Arg-X-Lys/Arg-Arg that is targeted by the cellular protease furin, similar to other members of the Herpesviridae. We have determined the complete 180 kb genome sequence of EEHV-1A isolated from the liver by next-generation sequencing and de novo assembly. As virus isolation in vitro has been unsuccessful and limited information is available regarding the function of viral proteins, we have attempted to take the initial steps in the development of suitable cell culture system and virus characterization. In addition, the complete genome sequence of an EEHV-1A in Europe will facilitate future studies on the epidemiology and diagnosis of EEHV infection in elephants

Genotype-Environment Interactions Reveal Causal Pathways That Mediate Genetic Effects on Phenotype

Unraveling the molecular processes that lead from genotype to phenotype is crucial for the understanding and effective treatment of genetic diseases. Knowledge of the causative genetic defect most often does not enable treatment; therefore, causal intermediates between genotype and phenotype constitute valuable candidates for molecular intervention points that can be therapeutically targeted. Mapping genetic determinants of gene expression levels (also known as expression quantitative trait loci or eQTL studies) is frequently used for this purpose, yet distinguishing causation from correlation remains a significant challenge. Here, we address this challenge using extensive, multi-environment gene expression and fitness profiling of hundreds of genetically diverse yeast strains, in order to identify truly causal intermediate genes that condition fitness in a given environment. Using functional genomics assays, we show that the predictive power of eQTL studies for inferring causal intermediate genes is poor unless performed across multiple environments. Surprisingly, although the effects of genotype on fitness depended strongly on environment, causal intermediates could be most reliably predicted from genetic effects on expression present in all environments. Our results indicate a mechanism explaining this apparent paradox, whereby immediate molecular consequences of genetic variation are shared across environments, and environment-dependent phenotypic effects result from downstream integration of environmental signals. We developed a statistical model to predict causal intermediates that leverages this insight, yielding over 400 transcripts, for the majority of which we experimentally validated their role in conditioning fitness. Our findings have implications for the design and analysis of clinical omics studies aimed at discovering personalized targets for molecular intervention, suggesting that inferring causation in a single cellular context can benefit from molecular profiling in multiple contexts

Canadian newspaper coverage on harm reduction featuring bereaved mothers: A mixed methods analysis

A growing body of evidence suggests that news media which includes a sympathetic portrayal of a mother bereaved by substance use can increase public support for harm reduction initiatives. However, the extent to which such news media coverage occurs in Canada is unknown, and research has not documented how the news media in Canada covers such stories. We undertook a mixed-method secondary analyses of 5681 Canadian newspaper articles on harm reduction (2000–2016). Quantitative analyses described the volume and content of harm reduction reporting featuring a mother whose child’s death was related to substance use while qualitative thematic analysis provided in-depth descriptions of the discourses underlying such news reporting. Newspaper articles featuring a mother whose child’s death was related to substance use were rarely published (n = 63; 1.1% of total harm reduction media coverage during the study period). Deductive content analysis of these 63 texts revealed that coverage of naloxone distribution (42.9%) and supervised drug consumption services (28.6%) were prioritized over other harm reduction services. Although harm reduction (services or policies) were advocated by the mother in most (77.8%) of these 63 texts, inductive thematic analysis of a subset (n = 52) of those articles revealed that mothers’ advocacy was diminished by newspaper reporting that emphasized their experiences of grief, prioritized individual biographies over structural factors contributing to substance use harms, and created rhetorical divisions between different groups of people who use drugs (PWUD). Bereaved mothers’ advocacy in support of harm reduction programs and services may be minimized in the process of reporting their stories for newspaper readers. Finding ways to report bereaved mothers’ stories in ways that are inclusive of all PWUD while highlighting the role of broad, structural determinants of substance use has the potential to shift public opinion and government support in favour of these life-saving services

Verkenning gevolgen GLB-voorstellen voor landbouwinkomens in Nederland

The legislative proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the 2021-2027 period give Member States a great deal of freedom in granting payments from the first pillar. The impact of the planned revision of the CAP on the income of agricultural and horticultural organisations depends to a large extent on the choices made by the Netherlands in granting these payments. These consequences will be either limited or very significant. The study provides insight into which choices lead to which consequences based on five possible scenarios for the implementation of the first pillar of the CAP for the 2021-2027 perio