Synthesis and Stereochemical Properties of Chiral Square Complexes of Iron(II)

Der hexadentate und ditopische Ligand 2,5-Bis([2,2']bipyridin-6-yl)pyrazin bildet bei der Selbstorganisationsreaktion mit Fe²⁺-Ionen einen chiralen, quadratförmigen Tetramerkomplex. Das Racemat dieses Komplexes wurde mit Hilfe von Antimonyltartrat in die Enantiomere getrennt. Die Reinheit des Enantiomers wurde durch NMR-Spektroskopie unter Zuhilfenahme eines chiralen, diamagnetischen Shift-Reagenzes untersucht, wie auch duch die Beobachtung des Circulardichroismus (CD). Das CD-Spektrum wurde zudem mit zeitabhängiger Dichtefunktionaltheorie berechnet, wobei die vorhergesagte Korrelation zwischen CD-Spektrum und Konfiguration des Komplexes durch Röntgenstrukturanalyse bestätigt wurde. Die Verwendung einer chiralisierten Variante des Liganden ergab den entsprechenden Eisenkomplex in diastereomerenreiner Form.The hexadentate, and ditopic ligand 2,5-bis([2,2']bipyridin-6-yl)pyrazine yields a chiral, tetrameric, square-shaped, self-assembled species upon complexation with Fe²⁺ ions. The racemate of this complex was resolved with antimonyl tatrate as the chiral auxiliary. The purity of the enantiomer was determined by NMR spectroscopy, by using a chiral, diamagnetic shift reagent, and by circular dichroism (CD). The CD spectrum was also calculated by time-dependent density functional theory, and the correlation that was found between CD spectrum and configuration was confirmed by X-ray cristallography. When a chiralised version of the ligand was used instead, the corresponding iron complex was obtained in diastereomerically pure form

Photophysical properties of porphycene derivatives (18 π porphyrinoids)

Absorption and fluorescence spectral data and triplet energy content, as well as quantum yields of fluorescence, of triplet state formation, and of sensitized generation of singlet molecular oxygen, O₂(¹∆g), of 38 porphycene derivatives are reported. Long-wavelength absorption and the efficiency of fluorescence and O₂(¹∆g) sensitization qualify most of these porphycenes as potential photodynamic therapy agents (so-called second-generation sensitizers), unless steric or electronic effects by substitution perturb the parent aromatic 18 π system.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

First report in italy of the exotic mosquito species Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus, a potential vector of arboviruses and filariae

BACKGROUND: In the Veneto region (north-eastern Italy) an entomological surveillance system has been implemented since the introduction of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in 1991. During the routine monitoring activity in a tiger mosquito-free area, an unexpected mosquito was noticed, which clearly did not belong to the recorded Italian fauna. FINDINGS: At the end of May 2011, twelve larvae and pupae were collected in a small village in Belluno province (Veneto region) from a single manhole. Ten adults reared in the laboratory were morphologically and genetically identified as Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus (Edwards, 1917), a species native to Southeast Asia. The subsequent investigations carried out in the following months in the same village provided evidence that this species had become established locally. Entomological and epidemiological investigations are currently ongoing in the surrounding area, to verify the eventual extension of the species outside the village and to trace back the route of entry into Italy. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report in Italy of the introduction of the exotic mosquito Ae. koreicus. This species has been shown experimentally to be competent in the transmission of the Japanese encephalitis virus and of the dog heartworm Dirofilaria immitis and is considered a potential vector of other arboviruses. Thus, the establishment of this species may increase the current risk or pose new potential threats, for human and animal health. This finding considerably complicates the entomological monitoring of the Asian tiger mosquito Ae. albopictus in Italy and stresses the importance of implementing the entomological surveillance for the early detection of and the rapid response against invasive mosquito species

Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH) – a community perspective

This paper is the outcome of a community initiative to identify major unsolved scientific problems in hydrology motivated by a need for stronger harmonisation of research efforts. The procedure involved a public consultation through on-line media, followed by two workshops through which a large number of potential science questions were collated, prioritised, and synthesised. In spite of the diversity of the participants (230 scientists in total), the process revealed much about community priorities and the state of our science: a preference for continuity in research questions rather than radical departures or redirections from past and current work. Questions remain focussed on process-based understanding of hydrological variability and causality at all space and time scales. Increased attention to environmental change drives a new emphasis on understanding how change propagates across interfaces within the hydrological system and across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, the expansion of the human footprint raises a new set of questions related to human interactions with nature and water cycle feedbacks in the context of complex water management problems. We hope that this reflection and synthesis of the 23 unsolved problems in hydrology will help guide research efforts for some years to come

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance.

Investment in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences that have been generated and used to track the pandemic on the continent, a number that now exceeds 100,000 genomes. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries that are able to sequence domestically and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround times and more-regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and illuminate the distinct dispersal dynamics of variants of concern-particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron-on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve while the continent faces many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

trans-Diaceto­nitrile­di­bromo­palladium(II)

In the title compound, [PdBr2(C2H3N)2], the square-planar PdII atom, on an inversion centre, has trans arrangements of the MeCN and of the bromo ligands. The mol­ecules pack with weak C—H⋯Br inter­actions supporting a three-dimensional network

Trans-diiodobis(triisopropylphosphino)platinum(II)

In the title compound, [PtI2(C9H21P)(2)], the PtII atom occupies an inversion centre and Ci molecular symmetry results, with trans arrangements of iodo and of triisopropylphosphino ligands completing a square-planar coordination. The crystal packing reveals weak C-H center dot center dot center dot I interactions

[[mu]-Ferrocene-1,1'-diylbis(diphenylphosphine)-[kappa]2P:P']bis[chloridogold(I)]

A triclinic polymorph of the title compound, [Au2Cl2-Fe(C17H14P)(2)] or C34H28Au2Cl2FeP2, for which a monoclinic structure has already been found, is reported. It contains two linear gold(I) centres bridged by a 1,1`-bis(diphenylphosphine) ferrocenyl ligand. Molecules assemble into a three-dimensional network through weak Cl center dot center dot center dot HCphenyl hydrogen bonds