Crystal structure and identification of resonance forms of diethyl 2-(3-oxoiso-1,3-dihydrobenzofuran-1-ylidene)malonate

The research leading to these results received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007–2013]) under grant agreement No. 607411 (MC-ITN EREAN: European Rare Earth Magnet Recycling Network).The reaction of diethyl malonate with phthaloyl chloride in acetonitrile in the presence of triethylamine and magnesium chloride results in the formation of the title compound, diethyl 2-(3-oxo-1,3-dihydro-2-benzofuran-1-ylidene)propanedioate, C15H14O6. One of the ester groups of the diethyl malonate fragment is almost coplanar with the isobenzofuran unit, while the plane of the other group is perpendicular to it [dihedral angles = 5.45(3) and 83.30(3)°, respectively]. The C—C and C—O distances both in the heterocyclic furan ring and the diethyl malonate fragment are indicative of the dipolar delocalization occurring within the isobenzofuran unit. This delocalization is likely to be responsible for the unusual intermolecular O···O contact [2.756(2)Å], established between the O atom of the furan ring and the carbonyl O atom of the diethyl malonate fragment. In the crystal, weak C—H···O interactions are observed, which link the molecules into [100] chains.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Public Talks and Science Listens: A Community-Based Participatory Approach to Characterizing Environmental Health Risk Perceptions and Assessing Recovery Needs in the Wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

In response to the human health threats stemming from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, inter-disciplinary working groups representing P30-funded Centers of the National Institute Environmental Health Sciences were created to assess threats posed by mold, harmful alga blooms, chemical toxicants, and various infectious agents at selected sites throughout the hurricane impact zone. Because of proximity to impacted areas, UTMB NIEHS Center in Environmental Toxicology was charged with coordinating direct community outreach efforts, primarily in south Louisiana. In early October 2005, UTMB/NIEHS Center Community Outreach and Education Core, in collaboration with outreach counterparts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center @ Smithville TX/Center for Research in Environmental Disease sent two groups into southern Louisiana. One group used Lafourche Parish as a base to deliver humanitarian aid and assess local needs for additional supplies during local recovery/reclamation. A second group, ranging through New Iberia, New Orleans, Chalmette, rural Terrebonne, Lafourche and Jefferson Parishes and Baton Rouge met with community environmental leaders, emergency personnel and local citizens to 1) sample public risk perceptions, 2) evaluate the scope and reach of ongoing risk communication efforts, and 3) determine how the NIEHS could best collaborate with local groups in environmental health research and local capacity building efforts. This scoping survey identified specific information gaps limiting efficacy of risk communication, produced a community “wish list” of potential collaborative research projects. The project provided useful heuristics for disaster response and management planning and a platform for future collaborative efforts in environmental health assessment and risk communication with local advocacy groups in south Terrebonne-Lafourche parishes

Evaluation of an Electrodeposited Bimetallic Cu/Ag Nanostructured Screen Printed Electrode for Electrochemical Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (EC-SERS) Investigations

Published VersionThe field of plasmonics has experienced rapid growth over the past decade with a host of emerging applications including single molecule sensing and plasmon-assisted catalysis. The vast majority of these applications use either silver or gold as the plasmonic metal, which are both high cost and face earth-abundance limitations in the next 100 years. Recent efforts have focused on taking advantage of the plasmonic properties of copper, a more abundant and low cost coinage metal as a sustainable route for plasmonic applications. In particular, there has been great interest in developing copper substrates capable of reliable and efficient enhancement of Raman signals for use in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing. Herein we describe a sequential electrodeposition technique whereby highly functional and robust Cu/Ag bimetallic SERS-active screen printed electrodes can be produced rapidly and at low cost, which display excellent plasmonic performance and are capable of supporting surface-plasmon assisted catalysis (SPAC). This modified screen printed electrode allows for the in situ spectroelectrochemical investigation of surface redox processes using a sustainable alternative to traditional monometallic electrodes

Low Efficiency of Homology-Facilitated Illegitimate Recombination during Conjugation in Escherichia coli

Homology-facilitated illegitimate recombination has been described in three naturally competent bacterial species. It permits integration of small linear DNA molecules into the chromosome by homologous recombination at one end of the linear DNA substrate, and illegitimate recombination at the other end. We report that homology-facilitated illegitimate recombination also occurs in Escherichia coli during conjugation with small non-replicative plasmids, but at a low frequency of 3×10−10 per recipient cell. The fate of linear DNA in E. coli is either RecBCD-dependent degradation, or circularisation by ligation, and integration into the chromosome by single crossing-over. We also report that the observed single crossing-overs are recA-dependent, but essentially recBCD, and recFOR independent. This suggests that other, still unknown, proteins may act as mediator for the loading of RecA on DNA during single crossing-over recombination in E. coli

Benign tumors in myotonic dystrophy type I target disease-related cancer sites

Acknowledgments The authors thank Ms. Emily Carver, BS, and Mr. David Ruggieri, BS, both from the Information Management Services Inc. (Calverton, MD, USA) for their important contributions to database management. This study is based on data from the CPRD GOLD database October 2016 release, obtained from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database (Copyright © (2016)), and Office of National Statistics (ONS) database (Copyright ©(2016)) reused with the permission of The Health &Social Care Information Centre. All rights reserved. The interpretation and conclusions contained in this study are those of the authors alonePeer reviewedPublisher PD

The role of parental achievement goals in predicting autonomy-supportive and controlling parenting

Although autonomy-supportive and controlling parenting are linked to numerous positive and negative child outcomes respectively, fewer studies have focused on their determinants. Drawing on achievement goal theory and self-determination theory, we propose that parental achievement goals (i.e., achievement goals that parents have for their children) can be mastery, performance-approach or performance-avoidance oriented and that types of goals predict mothers' tendency to adopt autonomy-supportive and controlling behaviors. A total of 67 mothers (aged 30-53 years) reported their goals for their adolescent (aged 13-16 years; 19.4 % girls), while their adolescent evaluated their mothers' behaviors. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that parental performance-approach goals predict more controlling parenting and prevent acknowledgement of feelings, one autonomy-supportive behavior. In addition, mothers who have mastery goals and who endorse performance-avoidance goals are less likely to use guilt-inducing criticisms. These findings were observed while controlling for the effect of maternal anxiety

Gas-Particle Partitioning of Atmospheric Hg(II) and Its Effect on Global Mercury Deposition

Atmospheric deposition of Hg(II) represents a major input of mercury to surface environments. The phase of Hg(II) (gas or particle) has important implications for deposition. We use long-term observations of reactive gaseous mercury (RGM, the gaseous component of Hg(II)), particle-bound mercury (PBM, the particulate component of Hg(II)), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and temperature (T) at five sites in North America to derive an empirical gas-particle partitioning relationship log10(K−1) = (10±1)–(2500±300)/T where K = (PBM/PM2.5)/RGM with PBM and RGM in common mixing ratio units, PM2.5 in μg m−3, and T in K. This relationship is within the range of previous work but is based on far more extensive data from multiple sites. We implement this empirical relationship in the GEOS-Chem global 3-D Hg model to partition Hg(II) between the gas and particle phases. The resulting gas-phase fraction of Hg(II) ranges from over 90 % in warm air with little aerosol to less than 10 % in cold air with high aerosol. Hg deposition to high latitudes increases because of more efficient scavenging of particulate Hg(II) by precipitating snow. Model comparison to Hg observations at the North American surface sites suggests that subsidence from the free troposphere (warm air, low aerosol) is a major factor driving the seasonality of RGM, while elevated PBM is mostly associated with high aerosol loads. Simulation of RGM and PBM at these sites is improved by including fast in-plume reduction of Hg(II) emitted from coal combustion and by assuming that anthropogenic particulate Hg(p) behaves as semi-volatile Hg(II) rather than as a refractory particulate component. We improve the simulation of Hg wet deposition fluxes in the US relative to a previous version of GEOS-Chem; this largely reflects independent improvement of the washout algorithm. The observed wintertime minimum in wet deposition fluxes is attributed to inefficient snow scavenging of gas-phase Hg(II).Earth and Planetary SciencesEngineering and Applied Science

Defending the genome from the enemy within:mechanisms of retrotransposon suppression in the mouse germline

The viability of any species requires that the genome is kept stable as it is transmitted from generation to generation by the germ cells. One of the challenges to transgenerational genome stability is the potential mutagenic activity of transposable genetic elements, particularly retrotransposons. There are many different types of retrotransposon in mammalian genomes, and these target different points in germline development to amplify and integrate into new genomic locations. Germ cells, and their pluripotent developmental precursors, have evolved a variety of genome defence mechanisms that suppress retrotransposon activity and maintain genome stability across the generations. Here, we review recent advances in understanding how retrotransposon activity is suppressed in the mammalian germline, how genes involved in germline genome defence mechanisms are regulated, and the consequences of mutating these genome defence genes for the developing germline

Faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) can help to rule out colorectal cancer in patients presenting in primary care with lower abdominal symptoms:a systematic review conducted to inform new NICE DG30 diagnostic guidance

__Background:__ This study has attempted to assess the effectiveness of quantitative faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) for triage of people presenting with lower abdominal symptoms, where a referral to secondary care for investigation of suspected colorectal cancer (CRC) is being considered, particularly when the 2-week criteria are not met. __Methods:__ We conducted a systematic review following published guidelines for systematic reviews of diagnostic tests. Twenty-one resources were searched up until March 2016. Summary estimates were calculated using a bivariate model or a random-effects logistic regression model. __Results:__ Nine studies are included in this review. One additional study, included in our systematic review, was provided as 'academic in confidence' and cannot be described herein. When FIT was based on a single faecal sample and a cut-off of 10 μg Hb/g faeces, sensitivity estimates indicated that a negative result using either the OC-Sensor or HM-JACKarc may be adequate to rule out nearly all CRC; the summary estimate of sensitivity for the OC-Sensor was 92.1%, based on four studies, and the only study of HM-JACKarc to assess the 10 μg Hb/g faeces cut-off reported a sensitivity of 100%. The corresponding specificity estimates were 85.8% (95% CI 78.3-91.0%) and 76.6%, respectively. When the diagnostic criterion was changed to include lower grades of neoplasia, i.e. the target condition included higher risk adenoma (HRA) as well as CRC, the rule-out performance of both FIT assays was reduced. __Conclusions:__ There is evidence to suggest that triage using FIT at a cut-off around 10 μg Hb/g faeces has the potential to correctly rule out CRC and avoid colonoscopy in 75-80% of symptomatic patients. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO 4201603772