Ab Initio Study of Structural, Electronic and Magnetic Properties of TM&(B@C) (TM = V, Cr) Sandwich Clusters and Infinite Molecular Wires.

The geometrical structure, electronic and magnetic properties of B-endoped C (B@C) ligand sandwich clusters, TM&(B@C) (TM = V, Cr), and their one-dimensional (1D) infinite molecular wires, [TM&(B@C)], have been systematically studied using first-principles calculations. The calculations showed that the TM atoms can bond strongly to the pentagonal (η-coordinated) or hexagonal rings (η-coordinated) of the endoped C ligands, with binding energies ranging from 1.90 to 3.

Genetics of healthy aging in Europe: the EU-integrated project GEHA (GEnetics of Healthy Aging).

The aim of the 5-year European Union (EU)-Integrated Project GEnetics of Healthy Aging (GEHA), constituted by 25 partners (24 from Europe plus the Beijing Genomics Institute from China), is to identify genes involved in healthy aging and longevity, which allow individuals to survive to advanced old age in good cognitive and physical function and in the absence of major age-related diseases. To achieve this aim a coherent, tightly integrated program of research that unites demographers, geriatricians, geneticists, genetic epidemiologists, molecular biologists, bioinfomaticians, and statisticians has been set up. The working plan is to: (a) collect DNA and information on the health status from an unprecedented number of long-lived 90+ sibpairs (n = 2650) and of younger ethnically matched controls (n = 2650) from 11 European countries; (b) perform a genome-wide linkage scannning in all the sibpairs (a total of 5300 individuals); this investigation will be followed by linkage disequilibrium mapping (LD mapping) of the candidate chromosomal regions; (c) study in cases (i.