Deficiency of immunity to poliovirus type 3: a lurking danger?

Background: Europe was certified to be polio-free in 2002 by the WHO. However, wild polioviruses remain endemic in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, occasionally causing polio outbreaks, as in Tajikistan in 2010. Therefore, effective surveillance measures and vaccination campaigns remain important. To determine the poliovirus immune status of a German study population, we retrospectively evaluated the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies (NA) to the poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 (PV1, 2, 3) in serum samples collected from 1,632 patients admitted the University Hospital of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 2001, 2005 and 2010. Methods: Testing was done by using a standardized microneutralization assay. Results: Level of immunity to PV1 ranged between 84.2% (95%CI: 80.3-87.5), 90.4% (88.3-92.3) and 87.5% (85.4-88.8) in 2001, 2005 and 2010. For PV2, we found 90.8% (87.5-90.6), 91.3% (89.3-93.1) and 89.8% (88.7-90.9), in the same period. Seroprevalence to PV3 was 76.6% (72.2-80.6), 69.8% (66.6-72.8) and 72.9% (67.8-77.5) in 2001 and 2005 and 2010, respectively. In 2005 and 2010 significant lower levels of immunity to PV3 in comparison to PV1 and 2 were observed. Since 2001, immunity to PV3 is gradually, but not significantly decreasing. Conclusion: Immunity to PV3 is insufficient in our cohort. Due to increasing globalization and worldwide tourism, the danger of polio-outbreaks is not averted - even not in developed countries, such as Germany. Therefore, vaccination remains necessary

The Oxidation of Aroyl Propionic Acids by Sodium Hypochlorite

Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohi

Hybrid Material Based on the Lindquist Polyoxometalate [W6O19]2− and the organosulfur donor o-Me2TTF: A Combined Structural and Spectroscopic Study

International audienceThe synthesis, crystal structure and spectroscopic properties of the hybrid radical cation salt containing oxidized o-3,4-dimethyltetrathiafulvalene (o-Me2TTF) and the Lindquist polyoxometalate anion [W6O19]2− are reported. The title salt represents the first time a Lindquist polyoxometalate has been utilized as the counter anion with this unsymmetrical member of the TTF family of derivatives. The salt crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1¯ with a = 7.6211(7) Å, b = 9.5231(9) Å, c = 12.2148(11) Å, α = 105.5870(10)°, β = 106.8340(10)° and γ = 95.6950(10)°. Resolution of the solid state structure revealed that the o-Me2TTF radical cations aggregate as isolated face-to-face dimers with intradimer interactions between neighboring sulfur atoms at distances <3.6 Å. Hydrogen bonding was also observed between hydrogen atoms bound to sp 2-hybridized carbon atoms of o-Me2TTF and bridging oxygen atoms of [W6O19]2−. Single crystal IR and Raman spectra were also collected and provide further evidence that the o-Me2TTF donors have been oxidized to their corresponding radical cationic states

Electron-molecular vibration coupling in (DMtTTF)Br and (o-DMTTF)2[W6O19] salts studied by vibrational spectroscopy

International audienceA novel 1:1 salt encompassing radical cations of DMtTTF (DMtTTF = dimethyltrimethylene-tetrathiafulvalene) and the Br−anion has been synthesized. Close inspection of the salt's solid state structure revealed the presence of quasi-isolated dimers containing DMtTTF radical cations, a specific arrangement whereby the microscopic parameters of DMtTTFradical dot+ might be studied. Analysis of the corresponding single crystal IR and Raman spectra of (DMtTTF)Br allowed us to study the material's electronic and vibrational structure and to evaluate the electron-molecular coupling constants via the isolated dimer model. Additionally, using previously published IR data, analogous calculations were performed on the salt (o-DMTTF)2[W6O19] (o-DMTTF = o-3,4-dimethyltetrathiafulvalene), which also contains well isolated dimers of o-DMTTF radical cations. These calculations revealed that the coupling constants for the unsymmetrical donors studied herein are comparable to those for symmetric TTF derivatives

Nonlinear response of dense colloidal suspensions under oscillatory shear: Mode-coupling theory and FT-rheology experiments

Using a combination of theory, experiment and simulation we investigate the nonlinear response of dense colloidal suspensions to large amplitude oscillatory shear flow. The time-dependent stress response is calculated using a recently developed schematic mode-coupling-type theory describing colloidal suspensions under externally applied flow. For finite strain amplitudes the theory generates a nonlinear response, characterized by significant higher harmonic contributions. An important feature of the theory is the prediction of an ideal glass transition at sufficiently strong coupling, which is accompanied by the discontinuous appearance of a dynamic yield stress. For the oscillatory shear flow under consideration we find that the yield stress plays an important role in determining the non linearity of the time-dependent stress response. Our theoretical findings are strongly supported by both large amplitude oscillatory (LAOS) experiments (with FT-rheology analysis) on suspensions of thermosensitive core-shell particles dispersed in water and Brownian dynamics simulations performed on a two-dimensional binary hard-disc mixture. In particular, theory predicts nontrivial values of the exponents governing the final decay of the storage and loss moduli as a function of strain amplitude which are in excellent agreement with both simulation and experiment. A consistent set of parameters in the presented schematic model achieves to jointly describe linear moduli, nonlinear flow curves and large amplitude oscillatory spectroscopy

Draft genome sequence of Lactobacillus fermentum Lf2, an exopolysaccharide-producing strain isolated from Argentine cheese

Lactobacillus fermentum Lf2, an Argentine cheese isolate, can produce high concentrations of exopolysaccharides (EPS). These EPS were shown to improve the texture and rheology of yogurt, as well as to play a protective role in mice exposed to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Three gene clusters potentially involved in EPS production were identified in different locations of the L. fermentum Lf2 genome

Order-disorder phase transition induced by proton transfer in a co-crystal of 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid and trimethylamine N-oxide

The crystalline binary adduct between the trimethylamine N-oxide (TMANO) and 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid (2,4-DCBA) molecules was obtained by slow evaporation from acetonitrile. The obtained molecular complex is formed by a racemic mixture of molecular complexes crystallizing in the orthorhombic space group Pbca. An exhaustive analysis of the temperature dependence of the cell parameters and the behavior of the acidic hydrogen position and carboxilate group were studied by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. The molecular system was thermally characterized, subsequently demonstrating a order-disorder transition. Finally, the intermolecular interactions were analyzed via Hirshfeld surface analysis

Cupriphication of gold to sensitize d10–d10 metal–metal bonds and near-unity phosphorescence quantum yields

Outer-shell s0/p0 orbital mixing with d10 orbitals and symmetry reductionuponcupriphicationofcyclic trinucleartrigonal-planargold(I) complexes are found to sensitize ground-state Cu(I)–Au(I) covalent bonds and near-unity phosphorescence quantum yields. Heterobimetallic Au4Cu2 {[Au4(μ-C2,N3-EtIm)4Cu2(μ-3,5-(CF3)2Pz)2], (4a)}, Au2Cu {[Au2(μ-C2,N3-BzIm)2Cu(μ-3,5-(CF3)2Pz)], (1) and [Au2(μ-C2, N3-MeIm)2Cu(μ-3,5-(CF3)2Pz)], (3a)}, AuCu2 {[Au(μ-C2,N3-MeIm)Cu2(μ3,5-(CF3)2Pz)2], (3b) and [Au(μ-C2,N3-EtIm)Cu2(μ-3,5-(CF3)2Pz)2], (4b)} and stacked Au3/Cu3 {[Au(μ-C2,N3-BzIm)]3[Cu(μ-3,5-(CF3)2Pz)]3, (2)} formuponreactingAu3 {[Au(μ-C2,N3-(N-R)Im)]3 ((N-R)Im = imidazolate; R =benzyl/methyl/ethyl =BzIm/MeIm/EtIm)} with Cu3 {[Cu(μ-3,5(CF3)2Pz)]3 (3,5-(CF3)2Pz = 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolate)}. The crystal structures of 1 and 3a reveal stair-step infinite chains whereby adjacent dimer-of-trimer units are noncovalently packed via twoAu(I)⋯Cu(I)metallophilicinteractions,whereas 4a exhibitsa hexanuclear cluster structure wherein two monomer-of-trimer units are linked by a genuine d10–d10 polar-covalent bond with ligandunassisted Cu(I)–Au(I) distances of 2.8750(8) Å each—the shortest such an intermolecular distance ever reported between any two d10 centers so as to deem it a “metal–metal bond” vis-à-vis “metallophilic interaction.” Density-functional calculations estimate 35– 43kcal/molbindingenergy,akintotypicalM–Msingle-bondenergies. Congruently, FTIR spectra of4a showmultiple far-IR bands within 65– 200 cm−1, assignable to vCu-Au as validated by both the Harvey–Gray method of crystallographic-distance-to-force-constant correlation and dispersive density functional theory computations. Notably, the heterobimetallic complexes herein exhibit photophysical properties that are favorable to those for their homometallic congeners, due to threefold-to-twofold symmetry reduction, resulting in cuprophilicsensitizationinextinctioncoefficientandsolid-state photoluminescence quantum yields approaching unity (ΦPL = 0.90–0.97 vs. 0–0.83 for Au3 and Cu3 precursors), which bodes well for potential future utilization in inorganic and/or organic LED applications

Increase of Direct C-C Coupling Reaction Yield by Identifying Structural and Electronic Properties of High-Spin Iron Tetra-azamacrocyclic Complexes

Macrocyclic ligands have been explored extensively as scaffolds for transition metal catalysts for oxygen and hydrogen atom transfer reactions. C–C reactions facilitated using earth abundant metals bound to macrocyclic ligands have not been well-understood but could be a green alternative to replacing the current expensive and toxic precious metal systems most commonly used for these processes. Therefore, the yields from direct Suzuki–Miyaura C–C coupling of phenylboronic acid and pyrrole to produce 2-phenylpyrrole facilitated by eight high-spin iron complexes ([Fe3+L1(Cl)2]+, [Fe3+L4(Cl)2]+, [Fe2+L5(Cl)]+, [Fe2+L6(Cl)2], [Fe3+L7(Cl)2]+, [Fe3+L8(Cl)2]+, [Fe2+L9(Cl)]+, and [Fe2+L10(Cl)]+) were compared to identify the effect of structural and electronic properties on catalytic efficiency. Specifically, catalyst complexes were compared to evaluate the effect of five properties on catalyst reaction yields: (1) the coordination requirements of the catalyst, (2) redox half-potential of each complex, (3) topological constraint/rigidity, (4) N atom modification(s) increasing oxidative stability of the complex, and (5) geometric parameters. The need for two labile cis-coordination sites was confirmed based on a 42% decrease in catalytic reaction yield observed when complexes containing pentadentate ligands were used in place of complexes with tetradentate ligands. A strong correlation between iron(III/II) redox potential and catalytic reaction yields was also observed, with [Fe2+L6(Cl)2] providing the highest yield (81%, −405 mV). A Lorentzian fitting of redox potential versus yields predicts that these catalysts can undergo more fine-tuning to further increase yields. Interestingly, the remaining properties explored did not show a direct, strong relationship to catalytic reaction yields. Altogether, these results show that modifications to the ligand scaffold using fundamental concepts of inorganic coordination chemistry can be used to control the catalytic activity of macrocyclic iron complexes by controlling redox chemistry of the iron center. Furthermore, the data provide direction for the design of improved catalysts for this reaction and strategies to understand the impact of a ligand scaffold on catalytic activity of other reactions

Catalytic intramolecular hydroamination of aminoallenes using titanium complexes of chiral, tridentate, dianionic imine-diol ligands

Alkylation of D- or L-phenylalanine or valine alkyl esters was carried out using methyl or phenyl Grignard reagents. Subsequent condensation with salicylaldehyde, 3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylaldehyde, or 5-fluorosalicylaldehyde formed tridentate, X_2L type, Schiff base ligands. Chiral shift NMR confirmed retention of stereochemistry during synthesis. X-ray crystal structures of four of the ligands show either inter- or intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. The ligands coordinate to the titanium reagents Ti(NMe_2)_4 or TiCl(NMe_2)_3 by protonolysis and displacement of two equivalents of HNMe_2. The crystal structure of one example of Ti(X_2L)Cl(NMe_2) was determined and the complex has a distorted square pyramidal geometry with an axial NMe_2 ligand. The bis-dimethylamide complexes are active catalysts for the ring closing hydroamination of di- and trisubstituted aminoallenes. The reaction of hepta-4,5-dienylamine at 135 °C with 5 mol% catalyst gives a mixture of 6-ethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridine (40–72%) and both Z- and E-2-propenyl-pyrrolidine (25–52%). The ring closing reaction of 6-methyl-hepta-4,5-dienylamine at 135 °C with 5 mol% catalyst gives exclusively 2-(2-methyl-propenyl)-pyrrolidine. The pyrrolidine products are obtained with enantiomeric excesses up to 17%