Genome-wide association study reveals genetic variants associated with HIV-1C infection in a Botswana study population

Although there have been many studies of gene variant association with different stages of HIV/AIDS progression in United States and European cohorts, few gene-association studies have assessed genic determinants in sub-Saharan African populations, which have the highest density of HIV infections worldwide. We carried out genome-wide association studies on 766 study participants at risk for HIV-1 subtype C (HIV-1C) infection in Botswana. Three gene associations (AP3B1, PTPRA, and NEO1) were shown to have significant association with HIV-1C acquisition. Each gene association was replicated within Botswana or in the United States–African American or United States–European American AIDS cohorts or in both. Each associated gene has a prior reported influence on HIV/AIDS pathogenesis. Thirteen previously discovered AIDS restriction genes were further replicated in the Botswana cohorts, extending our confidence in these prior AIDS restriction gene reports. This work presents an early step toward the identification of genetic variants associated with and affecting HIV acquisition or AIDS progression in the understudied HIV-1C afflicted Botswana population

Cooperative reduction by Ln2+ and Cp*− ions: synthesis and properties of Sm, Eu, and Yb complexes with 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone

The first examples of samarium, europium, and ytterbium complexes with 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone (3,6-dbbq) in the form of catecholate have been obtained by reactions of the quinone with the corresponding lanthanocenes, Image ID:c5dt03573b-t2.gif (n = 1 or 2) in solution. In the course of the reactions lanthanide ions lose one or two Cp* ligands, which take part in reduction of a quinone molecule into a catecholate anion (dbcat, 2−). As a result of the reactions, Sm and Yb clearly yield dimeric complexes [(LnCp*)2(dbcat)2], where each Ln ion loses one Cp* ligand. Eu forms a trimeric complex [(EuCp*)(Eu·thf)2(dbcat)3], in which one Eu ion is coordinated by one Cp* ligand, while two Eu ions have lost all Cp* ligands and are coordinated by THF molecules instead. Magnetic properties corroborate the assignment of oxidation states made on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction: all the quinone ligands are present in the catecholate state; both Sm/Yb ions in the dimers are in the +3 oxidation state, whereas the Eu trimer contains two Eu(II) and one Eu(III) ions. Cyclovoltammetry studies show the presence of two reversible oxidation waves for all complexes, presumably concerned with the redox transitions of the dbcat ligands

Genome-wide sequence analyses of ethnic populations across Russia

The Russian Federation is the largest and one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, however no centralized reference database of genetic variation exists to date. Such data are crucial for medical genetics and essential for studying population history. The Genome Russia Project aims at filling this gap by performing whole genome sequencing and analysis of peoples of the Russian Federation. Here we report the characterization of genome-wide variation of 264 healthy adults, including 60 newly sequenced samples. People of Russia carry known and novel genetic variants of adaptive, clinical and functional consequence that in many cases show allele frequency divergence from neighboring populations. Population genetics analyses revealed six phylogeographic partitions among indigenous ethnicities corresponding to their geographic locales. This study presents a characterization of population-specific genomic variation in Russia with results important for medical genetics and for understanding the dynamic population history of the world's largest country

From Moscow with love

One of the less researched aspects of postcolonial India’s “progressive” culture is its Soviet connection. Starting in the 1950s and consolidating in the 1960s, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics invested in building up “committed” networks amongst writers, directors, actors, and other theater- and film-practitioners across India. Thus, an entire generation of cultural professionals was initiated into the anticolonial solidarity of emerging Afro-Asian nations that were seen, and portrayed, by the Soviets as being victims of “Western” imperialism. The aspirational figure of the New Soviet Man was celebrated through the rise of a new form of “transactional sociality” (Westlund 2003). This paper looks at selected cases of cultural diplomacy—through the lens of cultural history—between the USSR and India for two decades after India’s Independence, exploring the possibility of theorizing it from the perspective of an anticolonial cultural solidarity that allowed agency to Indian interlocutors

Protonated paramagnetic redox forms of di-o-quinone bridged with p-phenylene-extended TTF: A EPR spectroscopy study

The chemical oxidation and reduction processes of deprotonated, direduced o-quinone-exTTF-o-quinone in protic solvents were studied by EPR spectroscopy. The formation of relatively stable paramagnetic protonated redox forms of the parent triad was very surprising. The character of spin-density distribution in the semiquinone–quinone and semiquinone–catechol redox forms indicates that the p-phenylene-extended tetrathiafulvalene connector provides a quite effective electronic communication channel between dioxolene coordination sites. It was found that the deprotonated, direduced o-quinone-exTTF-o-quinone is capable to reduction of the metal copper in solution. The radical anion species formed in this reaction exists in solution as a solvent-separated ion pair with a copper cation. A character of spin-density distribution in a radical anion species leads to the conclusion that the ligand corresponds to type III of the Robin–Day classification

Ytterbocenes as one- and two-electron reductants in their reactions with diazadienes: YbIII mixed-ligand bent-sandwich complexes containing a dianion of diazabutadiene

International audienc

Heteroligand o‑Semiquinonato-Formazanato Cobalt Complexes

Two novel heteroligand o-semiquinonato-formazanato cobalt complexes [Co­(3,6-SQ)­(Form)] (<b>1</b>) and [Co­(3,6-SQ)₂(Form)] (<b>2</b>) (3,6-SQ is 3,6-di-<i>tert</i>-butyl-o-benzosemiquinonate radical anion; Form is 1,3,5-triphenylformazanate anion) were synthesized and characterized in detail. The molecular structures of [Co­(3,6-SQ)­(Form)] and [Co­(3,6-SQ)₂(Form)] were determined by X-ray analysis. Magnetic susceptibility measurements and spectroscopic studies have shown that square-planar complex <b>1</b> is diamagnetic with a residual paramagnetism due to antiferromagnetic exchange metal–ligand. Complex <b>2</b> includes cobalt­(III) in the low-spin state and two anionic-radical o-semiquinonato and one formazanate ligand

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Carboxylate Phosphabetaines Derivatives with Alkyl Chains of Various Lengths

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of fifteen novel nanosized alkyl esters of carboxylate phosphabetaine: β-(carboxyalkyl)ethyltriphenylphosphonium bromides 4–8, β-(carboxyalkyl)-β-methylethyltriphenylphosphonium bromides 9–13, and β-(carboxyalkyl)-α-methylethyltriphenylphosphonium bromides 14–18. The in vitro microbiological activity of the synthesized phosphonium bromides against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and the yeast Candida albicans was determined in comparison to standard agents. Microbiological results indicate that the synthesized phosphonium salts 4–18 possess a broad spectrum of activity against the tested microorganisms. Every newly synthesized compound was characterized by elemental analyses, IR, 1H NMR, and 31P NMR spectral studies