Determinants of soil organic matter chemistry in maritime temperate forest ecosystems

While the influence of climate, vegetation, management and abiotic site factors on total carbon budgets and turn-over is intensively assessed, the influences of these ecosystem properties on the chemical complexity of soil organic matter (SOM) remains poorly understood. This study addresses the chemical composition of NaOH-extracted SOM from maritime temperate forest sites in Flanders (Belgium) by pyrolysis-GC/MS. The studied forests were chosen based on dominant tree species (Pinus sylvestris, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur and Populus spp.), soil texture and soil-moisture conditions. Differences in extractable-SOM pyrolysis products were correlated to site variables including dominant tree species, management of the woody biomass, site history, soil properties, total carbon stocks and indicators for microbial activity. Despite of a typical high intercorrelation between these site variables, the influence of the dominant tree species is prominent. The extractable-SOM composition is strongly correlated to litter quality and available nutrients. In nutrient-poor forests with low litter quality, the decomposition of relatively recalcitrant compounds (i.e. short and mid-chain alkanes/alkenes and aromatic compounds) appears hampered, causing a relative accumulation of these compounds in the soil. However, if substrate quality is favorable, no accumulations of recalcitrant compounds were observed, not even under high soil-moisture conditions. Former heathland vegetation still had a profound influence on extractable-SOM chemistry of young pine forests after a minimum of 60 year

Defining the architecture of the human TIM22 complex by chemical crosslinking

The majority of mitochondrial proteins are nuclear encoded and imported into mitochondria as precursor proteins via dedicated translocases. The translocase of the inner membrane 22 (TIM22) is a multisubunit molecular machine specialized for the translocation of hydrophobic, multi‐transmembrane‐spanning proteins with internal targeting signals into the inner mitochondrial membrane. Here, we undertook a crosslinking‐mass spectrometry (XL‐MS) approach to determine the molecular arrangement of subunits of the human TIM22 complex. Crosslinking of the isolated TIM22 complex using the BS3 crosslinker resulted in the broad generation of crosslinks across the majority of TIM22 components, including the small TIM chaperone complex. The crosslinking data uncovered several unexpected features, opening new avenues for a deeper investigation into the steps required for TIM22‐mediated translocation in humans

The association between active tumor volume, total lesion glycolysis and levels of S-100B and LDH in stage IV melanoma patients

Introduction: The Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) in single lesions on F-18-FDG PET/CT scans and serum S-100B concentrations are inversely associated with disease-free survival in stage IV melanoma. The aim of this study was to assess the association between biomarkers (S-100B, LDH) and the PET-derived metrics SUVmean/max, metabolic active tumor volume (MATV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) in stage IV melanoma in order to understand what these biomarkers reflect and their possible utility for follow-up. Methods: In 52 stage IV patients the association between PET-derived metrics and the biomarkers S-100B and LDH was assessed and the impact on survival analyzed. Results: S-100B was elevated (>0.15 mu g/l) in 37 patients (71%), LDH in 11 (21%). There was a correlation between S-100B and LDH (R-2 = 0.19). S-100B was correlated to both MATV (R-2 = 0.375) and TLG (R-2 = 0.352), but LDH was not. Higher MATV and TLG levels were found in patients with elevated S-100B (p 250 U/l) (p <0.001). There was no association between the biomarkers and SUVmean/max. Survival analysis indicated that LDH was the only predictor of melanoma-specific survival. Conclusion: In newly diagnosed stage IV melanoma patients S-100B correlates with F-18-FDG PET/CT derived MATV and TLG in contrast to LDH, is more often elevated than LDH (71% vs. 21%) and seems to be a better predictor of disease load and disease progression. However, elevated LDH is the only predictor for survival. The biomarkers, S-100B and LDH appear to describe different aspects of the extent of metastatic disease and of tumornecrosis. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Vanadium (β-(Dimethylamino)ethyl)cyclopentadienyl Complexes with Diphenylacetylene Ligands

Reduction of the V(III) (β-(dimethylamino)ethyl)cyclopentadienyl dichloride complex [η5:η1-C5H4(CH2)2NMe2]VCl2(PMe3) with 1 equiv of Na/Hg yielded the V(II) dimer {[η5:η1-C5H4(CH2)2NMe2]V(µ-Cl)}2 (2). This compound reacted with diphenylacetylene in THF to give the V(II) alkyne adduct [η5:η1-C5H4(CH2)2NMe2]VCl(η2-PhC≡CPh). Further reduction of 2 with Mg in the presence of diphenylacetylene resulted in oxidative coupling of two diphenylacetylene groups to yield the diamagnetic, formally V(V), bent metallacyclopentatriene complex [η5:η1-C5H4(CH2)2NMe2]V(C4Ph4).

Versatile Coordination of Cyclopentadienyl-Arene Ligands and Its Role in Titanium-Catalyzed Ethylene Trimerization

Cationic titanium(IV) complexes with ansa-(η5-cyclopentadienyl,η6-arene) ligands were synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The strength of the metal-arene interaction in these systems was studied by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy. Complexes with a C1 bridge between the cyclopentadienyl and arene moieties feature hemilabile coordination behavior of the ligand and consequently are active ethylene trimerization catalysts. Reaction of the titanium(IV) dimethyl cations with CO results in conversion to the analogous cationic titanium(II) dicarbonyl species. Metal-to-ligand backdonation in these formally low-valent complexes gives rise to a strongly bonded, partially reduced arene moiety. In contrast to the η6-arene coordination mode observed for titanium, the more electron-rich vanadium(V) cations [cyclopentadienyl-arene]V(NiPr2)(NC6H4-4-Me)+ feature η1-arene binding, as determined by a crystallographic study. The three different metal-arene coordination modes that we experimentally observed model intermediates in the cycle for titanium-catalyzed ethylene trimerization. The nature of the metal-arene interaction in these systems was studied by DFT calculations.

The benefits of statins in people without established cardiovascular disease but with cardiovascular risk factors: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objectives To investigate whether statins reduce all cause mortality and major coronary and cerebrovascular events in people without established cardiovascular disease but with cardiovascular risk factors, and whether these effects are similar in men and women, in young and older (>65 years) people, and in people with diabetes mellitus

The human remains from early medieval Domburg (Netherlands) and other coastal communities in international perspective: towards an international research agenda for the cemeteries of the North Sea Emporia

THIS PAPER ADDRESSES THE QUESTION, who were the people who were buried at the early medievalNorth Sea emporia? Conclusions about the mercantile character of the North Sea emporia are often based on portablematerial culture. In recognition of the fact that it is difficult to draw conclusions about the identities of people basedon finds assemblages, two pilot projects have been completed that involved bioarchaeological analyses of cemetery pop-ulations associated with these sites. The first of these, the Investigating the Dead in Early Medieval Domburg project,undertook multi-disciplinary analyses of the (very small) surviving burial population from the mostly destroyed sitesin the Domburg area (Netherlands), combining isotope analysis, radiocarbon dating, biological anthropology, dendro-chronology, and provenancing and study of previous use of coffin wood. The second, the Medieval Migrants of theNorth Sea World project, inventoried available isotopic evidence for human remains from emporia sites in England,the Netherlands and Scandinavia, alongside contextual archaeological information. This paper presents both projects,providing the detailed information from Domburg in its wider, international context, and highlighting the need for acomprehensive research agenda to fill current gaps in our understanding of early medieval emporia populations.Classical & Mediterranean Archaeolog

Development, implementation, and pilot study of a sentinel network ("The Watchtowers") for monitoring emergency primary health care activity in Norway

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Norway there is a shortage of valid health activity statistics from the primary care out-of-hours services and the pre-hospital emergency health care system. There is little systematic information available because data registration is lacking or is only recorded periodically, and definitions of variables are not consistent.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A representative sample of Norwegian municipalities and out-of-hours districts was contracted to establish a sentinel network, "The Watchtowers", and procedures were developed for collecting continuous data from out-of-hours services. All contacts, either per telephone or direct attendance, are recorded during day and night. The variables are registered in a computer program developed by the National Centre for Emergency Primary Health Care, and sent by email in Excel-file format to the Centre on a monthly basis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The selection process yielded a group of 18 municipalities, with a fair degree of representativeness for Norwegian municipalities as a whole. The sample has 212,921 inhabitants, which constitutes 4.6% of the total Norwegian population. During a pilot period lasting three months the Watchtowers recorded all individual contacts. The procedures for registration, submitting and checking data worked satisfactorily. There was little data missing, and during the last three months of 2006 a total of 23,346 contacts were registered.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have been able to establish a sentinel network with a fair degree of representativeness for Norwegian out-of-hours districts and municipalities. The data collected reflect national activities from casualty clinics in Norway. Such data are useful for both research and system improvements.</p