Theoretical study on the protonation of AZA-aromatics

The protonation of azanaphthalenes and azabenzenes has been studied theoretically using CNDO/2 wavefunctions and perturbation theory in order to examine the correlation between pKa values and quantum-mechanical quantities

Diazanaphthalenes: A 13C NMR investigation on the site of protonation and pKa values

The pH dependence of the 13C chemical shifts (δ) of the diazanaphthalenes has been recorded. From this dependence the pKa values have been determined using the Henderson-Hasselbach equation. The change in 13C chemical shifts under the influence of nitrogen protonation (Δδ) has been predicted using the Δδ values of quinoline and isoquinoline. The correlation between observed and expected Δδ values of the symmetric diazanaphthalenes is very good. Assuming these changes in chemical shifts to be of general validity, the site of protonation in the asymmetric diazanaphthalenes has been determined by comparison of the expected Δδ values for α- and ß-nitrogen protonation with the observed ones. The site of protonation for 1,6- and 1,7-naphthyridine is the ß-nitrogen atom, whereas for cinnoline both monoprotonated species are present in a significant amount

Sedimentary geology of the Middle Carboniferous of the Donbas region (Dniepr-Donets basin, Ukraine)

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

AIECE general report; report submitted at the general meeting of 5-6 November 2009

The worst part of the financial crisis is behind us. Nevertheless, the fall in global output in 2009 will be the largest of the post-war period. As a result, unemployment and government deficits are rising steeply this year, while inflation will be very low. Financial market support measures and expansionary macroeconomic policy have brought the steep output drop to an end and are leading to a tentative recovery of world output and world trade from the third quarter onwards. This upswing will continue next year, provided that the gradual return to normalcy now taking place in financial markets holds. The uncertainty that surrounds future international developments remains high.

More and Better Jobs in Home-Care Services

[Excerpt] This study examines recruitment and retention measures in community-based care and support services for adults with disabilities and health problems. It focuses on 10 EU Member States: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. It examines 30 case studies from these countries, analysing initiatives that were successful either in creating more jobs in the provision of health and social care for adults in the community or in improving the quality of jobs, with the aim of both attracting new recruits and retaining existing staff

Bifidobacteria and their role as members of the human gut microbiota

Members of the genus Bifidobacterium are among the first microbes to colonize the human gastrointestinal tract and are believed to exert positive health benefits on their host. Due to their purported health-promoting properties, bifidobacteria have been incorporated into many functional foods as active ingredients. Bifidobacteria naturally occur in a range of ecological niches that are either directly or indirectly connected to the animal gastrointestinal tract, such as the human oral cavity, the insect gut and sewage. To be able to survive in these particular ecological niches, bifidobacteria must possess specific adaptations to be competitive. Determination of genome sequences has revealed genetic attributes that may explain bifidobacterial ecological fitness, such as metabolic abilities, evasion of the host adaptive immune system and colonization of the host through specific appendages. However, genetic modification is crucial toward fully elucidating the mechanisms by which bifidobacteria exert their adaptive abilities and beneficial properties. In this review we provide an up to date summary of the general features of bifidobacteria, whilst paying particular attention to the metabolic abilities of this species. We also describe methods that have allowed successful genetic manipulation of bifidobacteria

Farmers’ upheaval, climate crisis and populism

This article aims to unravel underlying reasons for the enigmatic outburst of farmers’ fury that swept large parts of Europe in the autumn of 2019. It does so by focussing on the Netherlands where the upheaval was particularly striking. Farmers’ resentment against ‘agribashing’ was a common theme in the many protests. This refers to, and simultaneously delegitimizes, all critiques of the current organization of farming and the unequal international patterns in which it is embedded. The article argues that the currently emerging farmers’ movement basically represents a regressive populism. It ignores the many-sided crisis of agriculture (related to ever increasing use of nitrogen, pesticides and energy that contribute to the climate crisis and loss of biodiversity) and the politico-economic processes and unequal power relations underlying this. Although this movement creates many smoke screens, it is essentially fighting for the reproduction of the same order that makes a substantial contribution to these multiple crises. As international comparison shows, this new form of right-wing, rural populism reflects the degree to which entrepreneurial agriculture has internalized the logic of capital: it needs ongoing expansion, both for material and symbolic reasons. Peasant agriculture could provide a much needed counter-image to this. In practice, though, it is highly segmented and dispersed and is in urgent need of a new unifying device.</p