Unraveling the gut microbiome of the long-lived naked mole-rat.

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a subterranean mouse-sized African mammal that shows astonishingly few age-related degenerative changes and seems to not be affected by cancer. These features make this wild rodent an excellent model to study the biology of healthy aging and longevity. Here we characterize for the first time the intestinal microbial ecosystem of the naked mole-rat in comparison to humans and other mammals, highlighting peculiarities related to the specific living environment, such as the enrichment in bacteria able to utilize soil sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor to sustain an anaerobic oxidative metabolism.

Carboxylation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Bromides and Triflates with CO by Dual Visible-Light-Nickel Catalysis.

We report the efficient carboxylation of bromides and triflates with K CO as the source of CO in the presence of an organic photocatalyst in combination with a nickel complex under visible light irradiation at room temperature. The reaction is compatible with a variety of functional groups and has been successfully applied to the synthesis and derivatization of biologically active molecules. In particular, the carboxylation of unactivated cyclic alkyl bromides proceeded well with our protocol, thus extending the scope of this transformation.

Preparation of Supported Palladium Catalysts using Deep Eutectic Solvents.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) dissolve metal salts or oxides and are used as solvent and carbon source for the preparation of supported palladium catalysts. After dissolving of the palladium salt in the DES, the pyrolysis of the mixture under nitrogen atmosphere yields catalytically active palladium on supporting material composed of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen (CNO) by a simple single step preparation method without further activation. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and CHNS/O elementary analysis.

Solar insolation in springtime influences age of onset of bipolar I disorder.

Objective: To confirm prior findings that the larger the maximum monthly increase in solar insolation in springtime, the younger the age of onset of bipolar disorder.

Method: Data were collected from 5536 patients at 50 sites in 32 countries on six continents. Onset occurred at 456 locations in 57 countries.

A systematic study of the influence of mesoscale structuring on the kinetics of a chemical reaction.

In this contribution, we (i) link the mesoscopic structuring of the binary structured solvent mixture HO/tert-butanol (TBA) to the kinetics and the efficacy of the oxidation of benzyl alcohol (BA) to the corresponding aldehyde catalyzed by HPMoVO. We also compare the catalytic efficacy of this reaction in the mesoscopically structured solvent HO/TBA to an unstructured (or very weakly structured) solvent HO/ethanol (EtOH). In this context, we (ii) also give a methodological outline on how to study systematically the catalytic efficacy of chemical reactions as a function of the mesoscale structuring of a binary solvent.

Photochromic Dopamine Receptor Ligands Based on Dithienylethenes and Fulgides.

We describe the incorporation of the well-investigated class of photochromic dithienylethenes (DTEs) and fulgides into known dopamine receptor ligands such as 1,4-disubstituted aromatic and hydroxybenzoxazinone piperazines as well as aminoindanes. Subtype and functional selective photochromic ligands were obtained and characterized by NMR and UV/VIS spectroscopic measurements. The photophysical properties of the DTE based dopamine ligands revealed a high fatigue resistance for the diarylmaleimides, but the ringclosure could not be accomplished in polar solvents due to a known twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT).

No evidence for punishment in communally nursing female house mice (Mus musculus domesticus).

Punishment is claimed as an important mechanism to stabilise costly cooperation in humans, but its importance in social animals has been questioned recently due to both conceptual considerations and a lack of empirical evidence (only few published studies). We empirically tested whether there is evidence for punishment in communally nursing house mice (Mus musculus domesticus, direct descendants of "wild" animals). Communally breeding females pool their litters and raise all offspring together, indiscriminately caring for own and other offspring.

Crystal structures of three -(3-acetyl-phen-yl)quinoline-2-carboxamides.

In the title compounds, -(5-acetyl-2-methyl-phen-yl)quinoline-2-carboxamide [CHNO, (I)], -(5-acetyl-2-bromo-phen-yl)quinoline-2-carboxamide [CHBrNO, (II)] and -(5-acetyl-2-ethynylphen-yl)quinoline-2-carboxamide [CHNO, (III)], the quinoline ring system is essentially planar and forms a dihedral angles of 3.68 (5) (I), 5.59 (7) (II) and 1.

Isolation, biochemical and molecular identification of Nocardia species among TB suspects in northeastern, Tanzania; a forgotten or neglected threat?

Background: Pulmonary nocardiosis mimic pulmonary tuberculosis in most clinical and radiological manifestations. In Tanzania, where tuberculosis is one of the major public health threat clinical impact of nocardiosis as the cause of the human disease remains unknown. The objective of the present study was to isolate and identify Nocardia isolates recovered from TB suspects in Northeastern, Tanzania by using biochemical and molecular methods.

Prevalence, clonality, and pathogenicity of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates in newborn feces.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are the most prevalent pathogens causing late-onset sepsis in neonates. The question is whether neonates acquire endemic hospital-adapted clones or incidentally occurring CoNS strains after birth during their hospital stay. Therefore, a prospective study was performed on the prevalence of CoNS in the stool of babies (born vaginally or by cesarean section) during their first days of life.

Psychiatric and physical comorbidities and their impact on the course of bipolar disorder: A prospective, naturalistic 4-year follow-up study.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to increase the available evidence on how physical and psychiatric comorbidities influence the long-term outcome in bipolar I and II disorder.

Methods: We examined the prevalence of comorbid physical (metabolic, cardiovascular, thyroid, and neurological) diseases and psychiatric (neurotic, stress-related, somatoform, and personality) disorders and their impact on the risk of relapse in bipolar disorder. A total of 284 consecutively admitted patients with ICD-10 bipolar I (n=161) and II (n=123) disorder were followed up naturalistically over a period of 4 years.

Sensitization-Initiated Electron Transfer for Photoredox Catalysis.

Photosynthetic organisms exploit antenna chromophores to absorb light and transfer excitation energy to the reaction center where redox reactions occur. In contrast, in visible-light chemical photoredox catalysis, a single species (i.e.

Photochromic histone deacetylase inhibitors based on dithienylethenes and fulgimides.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a crucial role in numerous biological processes and therefore are targeted in anticancer research and in the field of epigenetics. Dithienylethenes (DTEs) and fulgimides were functionalized with hydroxamic acids, which is a known moiety binding to zinc dependent HDACs, to gain photoswitchable HDAC inhibitors. The new DTE based inhibitors showed moderate photochromic properties in polar solvents and the inhibitory activity changes up to a factor of four.

SURVEILLANCE FOR VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI IN A TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN SOUTH WESTERN NIGERIA.

Background: Enterococci are responsible for up to 12% of cases of healthcare associated infections worldwide and cause life threatening infections among critically ill patients. They show intrinsic and acquired resistance to a wide range of antimicrobial agents. Glycopeptide resistance is due to , , , , , and genes.

Crystal structure of -(2-benzoyl-5-ethynylphen-yl)quinoline-2-carboxamide.

In the title compound, CHNO, the quinoline ring system is essentially planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.030 (1) Å, and forms a dihedral angle of 20.9 (1)° with benzoyl benzene ring.

Lanthanide Ions Coupled with Photoinduced Electron Transfer Generate Strong Reduction Potentials from Visible Light.

Metal ions can have beneficial effects on photoinduced electron transfer. Merging such metal-ion-coupled electron transfer (MCET) with consecutive photoinduced electron transfer (conPET) enables the one-electron reduction of chlorobenzene with blue light in the presence of diisopropylethylamine as an electron donor. The presence of the metal ions extends the substrate scope of the photoredox catalysis to extreme reduction potentials (beyond -3 V vs.

Tuning the Excimer Emission of Amphiphilic Platinum(II) Complexes Mediated by Phospholipid Vesicles.

Two new amphiphilic platinum(II) complexes, [Pt(2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(4-dodecyloxyphenyl)pyridine) (acac)] (Pt-1) and [Pt(2-(4-dodecyloxyphenyl)-5-(thien-2-yl)-c-cyclopentenepyridine) (acac)] (Pt-2), where acac is acetylacetonate, were synthesized and characterized. Apart from conventional phosphorescence of single molecules (ME-monomer emission), complexes Pt-1 and Pt-2 also exhibit excimer emission (EE) when embedded into phospholipid vesicles, that is assigned to emissive Pt-Pt excimers. The EE intensity in vesicular media appeared to depend on the viscosity of the vesicles and the concentration of the embedded complex.

Direct C-H Phosphonylation of Electron-Rich Arenes and Heteroarenes by Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysis.

The direct transformation of ubiquitous, but chemically inert C-H bonds into diverse functional groups is an important strategy in organic synthesis that improves the atom economy and faclitates the preparation and modification of complex molecules. In contrast to the wide applications of aryl phosphonates, their synthesis via direct C-H bond phosphonylation is a less explored area. We report here a general, mild, and broadly applicable visible-light photoredox C-H bond phosphonylation method for electron-rich arenes and heteroarenes.

Real-world experience with the all-oral, interferon-free regimen of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in the German Hepatitis C Registry.

Real-world studies are relevant to complement clinical trials on novel antiviral therapies against chronic hepatitis C; however, clinical practice data are currently limited. This study investigated effectiveness and safety of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r)±dasabuvir (DSV)±ribavirin (RBV) for treatment of HCV genotype (GT) 1 and GT4 infection in a large real-world cohort. The German Hepatitis C Registry is an observational cohort study prospectively collecting clinical practice data on direct-acting antiviral therapies.

High group B streptococcus carriage rates in pregnant women in a tertiary institution in Nigeria.

Introduction: In contrast to industrialized countries, until recently Group B Streptococcus (GBS) was infrequently reported in the developing world. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence of GBS maternal colonization and to analyze the serotype distribution among the isolates.

Methods: Vagino-rectal swabs collected from pregnant women were cultured for GBS using conventional media.

Photocatalytic N-formylation of amines via a reductive quenching cycle in the presence of air.

Photochemical N-formylation of amines was performed under simple and mild reaction conditions. Amines are common electron donors in reductive photocatalysis, which then typically decompose after donating an electron to the photocatalyst. We have found that these oxidized amines can be utilized to give N-formamides in the presence of air without additional formylating agents.

Synthesis of Arylated Nucleobases by Visible Light Photoredox Catalysis.

Arylated nucleobases were synthesized by visible light photocatalysis using rhodamine 6G as photoredox catalyst and N,N-diisopropylethylamine as sacrificial electron donor. The high redox potential of this catalyst system is achieved by a consecutive photoinduced electron transfer process (conPET) and allows the room temperature conversion of brominated and chlorinated nucleobases or nucleobase precursors as starting materials. In contrast to many transition-metal-based syntheses, a direct C-H arylation of nitrogen-containing halogenated heterocycles is possible without protection of the N-H groups.

Solvent-free, visible-light photocatalytic alcohol oxidations applying an organic photocatalyst.

A method for the solvent-free photocatalytic conversion of solid and liquid substrates was developed, using a novel rod mill apparatus. In this setup, thin liquid films are realized which is crucial for an effective photocatalytic conversion due to the low penetration depth of light in heterogeneous systems. Several benzylic alcohols were oxidized with riboflavin tetraacetate as photocatalyst under blue light irradiation of the reaction mixture.

ABCG2/BCRP: Specific and Nonspecific Modulators.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells is the development of resistance to a variety of structurally and functionally nonrelated anticancer drugs. This phenomenon has become a major obstacle to cancer chemotherapy seriously affecting the clinical outcome. MDR is associated with increased drug efflux from cells mediated by an energy-dependent mechanism involving the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, mainly P-glycoprotein (ABCB1), the MDR-associated protein-1 (ABCC1), and the breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2).

Visible-Light-Accelerated C-H Sulfinylation of Heteroarenes.

Heteroaromatic sulfoxides are a frequent structural motif in natural products, drugs, catalysts, and materials. We report a metal-free visible-light-accelerated synthesis of heteroaromatic sulfoxides from sulfinamides and peroxodisulfate. The reaction proceeds at room temperature with blue-light irradiation and allows the C-H sulfinylation of electron-rich heteroarenes, such as pyrroles and indoles.