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A comparative study between three experimentally known beryllium chelators (EDTA, NTP, and 10-HBQS) and two tetradentate tripodal di-pyridine-based receptors (HL and HL-NH 2 ), specifically designed to bind Be 2+ cations, has been undertaken in the aqueous phase at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) computational level. The relative binding energies of these five ligand systems to a variety of first row and pre-transition metal cations have been calculated, specifically to investigate their binding strength to Be 2+ and the binding enhancement that a second sphere hydrogen bonding interaction could afford to the pyridyl based systems. The complexes of EDTA were calculated to have the highest average binding energy; followed by those of NTP, HL-NH 2 , HL, and finally 10-HBQS. The calculated binding energy of the HL-NH 2 Be complex, which includes second sphere interactions, was found to be almost 9% greater than the HL Be complex, with an average binding energy increase of 13.5% observed across all metals upon inclusion of second sphere hydrogen bonding., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Two series of tetradentate tripodal di-pyridine-based receptors designed to bind Be 2+ cations have been studied in the aqueous phase at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) computational level. The first series comprise simple tetrahedral receptors; the second series incorporates additional scaffolding groups capable of second sphere hydrogen-bonding in order to more finely tune the binding strength towards the Be 2+ cation. Out of the five ligand candidates, one containing a tri-pyridyl N-donor along with a phenolato O-donor (L1) exhibited a significant improvement in binding energy stabilisation (47.8 kJ mol -1 ) towards the Be 2+ cation in the presence of second-sphere H-bonding interactions.

Kinase/phosphatase balance governs cardiac excitability in health and disease. Although detailed mechanisms for cardiac kinase regulation are established, far less is known regarding cardiac protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulation. This is largely due to the complexity of the PP2A holoenzyme structure (combinatorial assembly of three subunit enzyme from >17 subunit genes) and the inability to segregate "global" PP2A function from the activities of multiple "local" holoenzyme populations. Here we report that PP2A catalytic, regulatory, and scaffolding subunits are tightly regulated at transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels to tune myocyte function at base line and in disease. We show that past global read-outs of cellular PP2A activity more appropriately represent the collective activity of numerous individual PP2A holoenzymes, each displaying a specific subcellular localization (dictated by select PP2A regulatory subunits) as well as local specific post-translational catalytic subunit methylation and phosphorylation events that regulate local and rapid holoenzyme assembly/disassembly (via leucine carboxymethyltransferase 1/phosphatase methylesterase 1 (LCMT-1/PME-1). We report that PP2A subunits are selectively regulated between human and animal models, across cardiac chambers, and even within specific cardiac cell types. Moreover, this regulation can be rapidly tuned in response to cellular activation. Finally, we report that global PP2A is altered in human and experimental models of heart disease, yet each pathology displays its own distinct molecular signature though specific PP2A subunit modulatory events. These new data provide an initial view into the signaling pathways that govern PP2A function in heart but also establish the first step in defining specific PP2A regulatory targets in health and disease.

At present UK Law states that the unborn child only becomes a legal person invested with legal rights and full protections, like other human persons, at birth. This article critiques the present legal position of setting the threshold for legal personality at birth, showing its inconsistencies and fundamentally pragmatic basis. Against this background, it is argued that a principled approach towards unborn life is necessary, which reflects in law the reality that the unborn child is a type of human person deserving protection as it develops through the continuum of human personhood--from embryonic personhood, to infant personhood and ultimately into adult personhood Human personhood is defined as a union of a material and immaterial self meaning that at every stage of their development they are never a "potential person," but rather a "person with potential" even if it is not actualized through miscarriage, premature death, or disability. This moral and philosophical reasoning is what justifies protecting the sanctity of unborn life in law. The rest of the article explores and critiques the alternative static legal threshold for ascribing legal personality, at conception, implantation and viability. Having considered the practical moral, legal and philosophical problems of these alternatives; the final proposal for law reform combines all three of these thresholds in a proposal for a "dynamic" threshold for legal personality commencing at conception, which would render birth as an irrelevant threshold for moral and legal reasoning about the unborn.

This review examines the potential for producing biomass on restored landfills using willow and poplar species in short rotation energy forestry. In southern England, the potential production may be about 20 t ha(-1) of dry stem wood annually. However, actual yields are likely to be constrained by detrimental soil conditions, including shallow depth, compaction, low water holding capacity and poor nutritional status. These factors will affect plant growth by causing drought, waterlogging, poor soil aeration and nutritional deficiencies. Practical solutions to these problems include the correct placement and handling of the agricultural cap material, soil amelioration using tillage and the addition of organic matter (such as sewage sludge), irrigation (possibly using landfill leachate), the installation of drainage and the application of inorganic fertilizers. The correct choice of species and clone, along with good site management are also essential if economically viable yields are to be obtained. Further investigations are required to determine the actual yields that can be obtained on landfill sites using a range of management inputs.

The prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis in 488 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for the investigation of chest pain was compared with that in 868 subjects from a population sample. The presence and severity of angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) (defined as mean diameter stenosis > 50%), total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, history of systemic hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, family history and drug therapy were assessed. Low HDL cholesterol (< 0.9 mmol/liter [35 mg/dl]) was more prevalent in patients with CAD than in the population sample in both men (44% [95% confidence interval 38 to 48] vs 21% [12 to 28]; p < 0.01) and women (12% [9 to 15] vs 1% [0 to 3]; p < 0.01). There were no differences in total cholesterol levels between these 2 groups. Total:HDL cholesterol ratios were significantly greater in patients with CAD. History of systemic hypertension was more prevalent in both men and women with CAD than in the population sample (47% [37 to 57] vs 20% [16 to 25] for men, and 31% [26 to 36] vs 21% [17 to 26] for women; p < 0.01). The prevalence of other risk factors was not significantly different between the 2 groups. In patients with CAD, the severity of disease was inversely correlated with levels of HDL cholesterol in both men and women (p < 0.01), and positively correlated with total cholesterol in men aged < 55 years (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)