Stereochemical course of the hydroboration of highly hindered steroidal olefins. A ready synthesis of 14 beta- and 8 alpha,14 beta-steroids

Hydroboration of 5 alpha-cholest-8-ene, 5 alpha,14 beta-cholest-8-ene and 5 alpha,14 beta-cholest-7-ene provides a simple route to oxygenated steroids with 14 beta- and 8 alpha,14 beta- unnatural stereochemistry.     

Synthesis of 7 alpha,12 alpha-dihydroxy-3 alpha- [2-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)acetyl]-5 beta-cholan-24-oic acid

A C-glucoside of cholic acid was synthesized by the introduction of an acetyl group at position 3 alpha and direct one-pot C-glucosidation using 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl chloride.     

Metabarcoding reveals seasonal and spatial patterns of arthropod community assemblages in two contrasting habitats: Desert and oasis of the Baja California Peninsula,Mexico

Aim

Desert springs or oases are the only permanent mesic environments in highly water-limited arid regions. Oases have immense cultural, evolutionary and ecological importance for people and a high number of endemic and relic species. Nevertheless, they are also highly vulnerable ecosystems, with invasive species, overexploitation and climate change being the primary threats. We used the arthropod communities' spatiotemporal diversity and distribution patterns as a proxy to understand biodiversity dynamics in two geographically close but ecologically contrasting and highly threatened ecosystems: deserts and oases.

Location

Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.

Methods

Arthropod communities at five oases and surrounding desert scrub areas were sampled in two seasons. Using DNA metabarcoding and traditional taxonomic surveys, we tried to identify what biotic and abiotic characteristics of the habitat are important drivers of arthropod diversity and how these characteristics can change across spatial and temporal scales.

Results

Over 6200 individuals representing 23 orders were collected. In oasis samples, the community composition fluctuated more in space (i.e. among sites) than in time (i.e. seasons). Thus, seasonal changes did not affect oasis community diversity and composition, but the dissimilarity among sites increased with geographic distance. Moreover, anthropic activities negatively correlated with arthropod diversity in oases. On the other hand, the season, geography (e.g. latitude) and biotic characteristics of the habitat (e.g. sampled scrub species) significantly affected the diversity and composition of the desert arthropod communities.

Main Conclusions

Neutral dynamics (e.g. historical climatic events, dispersal limitation and spatial component) and human impact significantly influenced the biodiversity patterns of each oasis. In contrast, the habitat's seasonal variation and biotic characteristics were the most important variables influencing the diversity of the desert communities. Baja California oases harbour distinct invertebrate communities; therefore, each oasis should be conserved individually to preserve these unique assemblages.     

Hemispheric asymmetries in cortical electrical activity during sleep. I

The hypothesis of a predominance of the right hemisphere in stage REM as compared to NREM has been tested through a spectral analysis of the EEG recorded from left (T3) and right (T4) temporal sites in 5 young healthy right-handed male subjects. Variations in the asymmetry coefficient R - L/R + L in different sleep stages have been analyzed by one way ANOVAs and Sheffé's tests. The hypothesis of a progressive increase in left hemisphere activity throughout different REM cycles as one approaches final awakenings have been investigated by comparing variations in the asymmetry coefficient for epochs of REM and stage 2 NREM sampled in different phases of the REM cycle. EEG results do not support either the hypothesized stage dependent or cycle dependent variation in EEG activity during sleep. We question whether variations in EEG amplitude and synchronization can be used as indices of hemispheric asymmetries during sleep.     

An inducible n-alkane hydroxylase system containing cytochrome “O” from Candida lipolytica

Summary In this work the terminal oxidase system of C. lipolytica grown on n-alkanes was identified, and partially purified. Spectral characteristics typical of cytochrome O are obtained, inhibition and photodissociation of CO are reported.