Trans-Di-μ-acetato-[μ-N,N-bis-(diphenyl-phosphino)aniline] bis-[chlorido-molybdenum(II)](Mo - Mo)-dichloro-methane-tetra-hydro-furan (1/0.3/1.7)

The mol-ecular structure of the title compound, [Mo2(CH 3COO)2Cl2(C30H25NP 2)]·0.3CH2Cl2·1.7C 4H8O, features an Mo - Mo dumbbell bridged by two acetate groups which are trans to each other. Perpendicular to the plane spanned by the acetate groups, the Ph2PN(Ph)PPh2 ligand bridges both Mo atoms, having a P - N - P angle of 114.09 (19)°. In a trans position to the PNP ligand are two Cl atoms, one on each molybdenum centre. The Mo - Mo bond distance is 2.1161 (9) Å, within the range known for Mo - Mo quadruple bonds. The Mo complex is located on a crystallographic twofold rotation axis which runs through the N - C bond of the ligand. The site occupation factors of the disordered solvent molecules were fixed to 0.15 for dichloromethane and 0.85 for tetrahydrofuran. © 2009

[N,N-Bis(diphenyl­phosphino)isopropyl­amine]dibromidonickel(II)

The title compound, [NiBr2(C27H27NP2)], was synthesized by the reaction of NiBr2(dme) (dme is 1,2-dimethoxy-ethane) with N,N-bis-(diphenyl-phosphino)isopropyl-amine in methanol/tetra-hydro-furan. The nickel(II) center is coordinated by two P atoms of the chelating PNP ligand, PH2PN(iPr)PPH2, and two bromide ions in a distorted square-planar geometry

1,1,2,2-Tetra-phenyl-15-diphosphane 1-sulfide

In the title mol-ecule, C24H20P2S, the P - P bond length is 2.2263 (5) Å. The two phenyl rings attached to the three- and five-coordinated P atoms, respectively, form dihedral angles of 56.22 (5) and 71.74 (5)°

Meridional Circulation and Global Solar Oscillations

We investigate the influence of large-scale meridional circulation on solar p-modes by quasi-degenerate perturbation theory, as proposed by \cite{lavely92}. As an input flow we use various models of stationary meridional circulation obeying the continuity equation. This flow perturbs the eigenmodes of an equilibrium model of the Sun. We derive the signatures of the meridional circulation in the frequency multiplets of solar p-modes. In most cases the meridional circulation leads to negative average frequency shifts of the multiplets. Further possible observable effects are briefly discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, submittted to Solar Physics Topical Issue "HELAS

Born Knowing: Tentacled Snakes Innately Predict Future Prey Behavior

Background: Aquatic tentacled snakes (Erpeton tentaculatus) can take advantage of their prey’s escape response by startling fish with their body before striking. The feint usually startles fish toward the snake’s approaching jaws. But when fish are oriented at a right angle to the jaws, the C-start escape response translates fish parallel to the snake’s head. To exploit this latter response, snakes must predict the future location of the fish. Adult snakes can make this prediction. Is it learned, or are tentacled snakes born able to predict future fish behavior? Methods and Findings: Laboratory-born, naïve snakes were investigated as they struck at fish. Trials were recorded at 250 or 500 frames per second. To prevent learning, snakes were placed in a water container with a clear transparency sheet or glass bottom. The chamber was placed over a channel in a separate aquarium with fish below. Thus snakes could see and strike at fish, without contact. The snake’s body feint elicited C-starts in the fish below the transparency sheet, allowing strike accuracy to be quantified in relationship to the C-starts. When fish were oriented at a right angle to the jaws, naïve snakes biased their strikes to the future location of the escaping fish’s head, such that the snake’s jaws and the fish’s translating head usually converged. Several different types of predictive strikes were observed. Conclusions: The results show that some predators have adapted their nervous systems to directly compensate for the future behavior of prey in a sensory realm that usually requires learning. Instead of behavior selected during their lifetime

Lateralized Kinematics of Predation Behavior in a Lake Tanganyika Scale-Eating Cichlid Fish

Behavioral lateralization has been documented in many vertebrates. The scale-eating cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis is well known for exhibiting lateral dimorphism in its mouth morphology and lateralized behavior in robbing scales from prey fish. A previous field study indicated that this mouth asymmetry closely correlates with the side on which prey is attacked, but details of this species' predation behavior have not been previously analyzed because of the rapidity of the movements. Here, we studied scale-eating behavior in cichlids in a tank through high-speed video monitoring and quantitative assessment of behavioral laterality and kinematics. The fish observed showed a clear bias toward striking on one side, which closely correlated with their asymmetric mouth morphologies. Furthermore, the maximum angular velocity and amplitude of body flexion were significantly larger during attacks on the preferred side compared to those on the nonpreferred side, permitting increased predation success. In contrast, no such lateral difference in movement elements was observed in acoustically evoked flexion during the escape response, which is similar to flexion during scale eating and suggests that they share a common motor control pathway. Thus the neuronal circuits controlling body flexion during scale eating may be functionally lateralized upstream of this common motor pathway

EnGraft: a multicentre, open-label, randomised, two-arm, superiority study protocol to assess bioavailability and practicability of Envarsus® versus Advagraf™ in liver transplant recipients

Background Graft rejection and chronic CNI toxicity remain obstacles to organ transplant success. Current formulations of tacrolimus, such as Prograf® and Advagraf™, exhibit limitations in terms of pharmacokinetics and tolerability, related in part to suboptimal bioavailability. As dosing non-compliance can result in graft rejection, the once daily formulation of tacrolimus, Advagraf™, was developed (vs 2x/day Prograf®). Benefits of Advagraf™ are counterbalanced by delayed achievement of therapeutic trough levels and need for up to 50% higher doses to maintain Prograf®-equivalent troughs. Envarsus® is also a prolonged-release once-daily tacrolimus formulation, developed using MeltDose™ drug-delivery technology to increase drug bioavailability; improved bioavailability results in low patient drug absorption variability and less pronounced peak-to-trough fluctuations. In phase III de novo kidney transplant studies, Envarsus® proved non-inferior to twice-daily tacrolimus; however, no phase IV studies show superiority of Envarsus® vs Advagraf™ in de novo liver transplant (LTx) recipients. Methods The EnGraft compares bioavailability and tests superiority of Envarsus® (test arm) versus Advagraf™ (comparator arm) in de novo LTx recipients. A total of 268 patients from 15 German transplant centres will be randomised 1:1 within 14 days post-LTx. The primary endpoint is dose-normalised trough level (C/D ratio) measured 12 weeks after randomisation. Secondary endpoints include the number of dose adjustments, time to reach first defined trough level and incidence of graft rejections. Additionally, clinical and laboratory parameters will be assessed over a 3-year period. Discussion C/D ratio is an estimate for tacrolimus bioavailability. Improving bioavailability and increasing C/D ratio using Envarsus could reduce renal dysfunction and other tacrolimus-related toxicities; previous trials have shown that a higher C/D ratio (i.e. slower tacrolimus metabolism) is not only associated with improved renal function but also linked to reduced neurotoxic side effects. A higher C/D ratio could improve clinical outcomes for LTx recipients; EnGraft has begun, with one third of patients recruited by January 2022

A precise measurement of the solar differential rotation by tracing small bright coronal structures in SOHO-EIT images

Aims. We precisely determine the solar rotation velocity during most of the 23rd solar cycle, in the years 1998-2006. We measure the solar differential rotation by tracing small bright coronal structures (SBCS) in SOHO-EIT images. Methods. The 28.4 nm EIT channel was used and positions of more than 55 000 structures were measured applying an interactive and improved automatic method of data reduction. Results. We achieve the closest representation of the observational data when all three solar differential rotation parameters are used and obtain the formula ω (b) = 14.499 (±0.006) – 2.54 (±0.06) sin2 b – 0.77 (±0.09) sin4b. This result represents the sidereal rotation velocity in deg day-1 and is produced by the automatic method applied in 1998-2006. A north-south rotational asymmetry and a rigid component of the solar rotation at high latitudes were found. Conclusions. A more differential rotation profile of SBCS than of sunspots and sunspot groups was found. The rotation velocity of SBCS is very similar to those obtained by small photospheric magnetic features. The north-south rotational asymmetry of SBCS was interpreted with a model of the relationship between solar rotation and activity. The rigid component of the solar rotation at high latitudes, identifiable only from the results of the automatic method, was related to larger structures mostly identified by that method, in contrast to the interactive method, which detected smaller structures