Rostocker Zentrum zur Erforschung des Demografischen Wandels

One of us has shown that the statistical properties of the measurements of a quantum mechanical system assume their simplest form when expressed in terms of a certain hypercomplex algebra which is commutative but not associative.1 This algebra differs from the non-commutative but associative matrix algebra usually considered in that one is concerned with the commutative expression ½(A × B + B × A) instead of the associative product A × B of two matrices. It was conjectured that the laws of this commutative algebra would form a suitable starting point for a generalization of the present quantum mechanical theory. The need of such a generalization arises from the (probably) fundamental difficulties resulting when one attempts to apply quantum mechanics to questions in relativistic and nuclear phenomena.

Correction for 'Surface modification and endothelialization of biomaterials as potential scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering applications' by Xiangkui Ren et al., Chem. Soc. Rev., 2015, DOI: .

Conversion of propane or isobutane from natural/shale gas into propene or isobutene, which are indispensable for the synthesis of commodity chemicals, is an important environmentally friendly alternative to oil-based cracking processes.

Recent achievements in the use of TBAI (tetrabutylammonium iodide) and TBHP (tert-butyl hydroperoxide) as an oxidation system have been summarized and discussed.

into intermediates, which can further be reduced into methanol. In the first part, molecular catalysts are discussed, organized into: (1) monofunctional, (2) M/NH bifunctional, and (3) aromatization-dearomatization bifunctional molecular catalysts. In the second part, heterogeneous catalysts are elaborated, organized into: (1) metal/metal or metal/support, (2) active-site/N or active-site/OH bifunctional heterogeneous catalysts, and (3) cooperation of catalysts and additives in a tandem process via crucial intermediates. Although many insights have been gained in this transformation, in particular for molecular catalysts, the mechanisms in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts remain descriptive and insights unclear.

This perspective highlights the importance of homogeneous catalysis in the selective and efficient transformation of various types of biomass and platform chemicals to useful chemicals.

This Perspective highlights recent developments in methane conversion into different hydrocarbons and C₁-oxygenates. Our analysis identified possible directions for further research to bring the above approaches to a commercial level.

Ionic liquids are defined as salts composed solely of ions with melting points below 100 °C. These remarkable liquids have unique and fascinating properties and offer new opportunities for science and technology. New combinations of ions provide changing physical properties and thus novel potential applications for this class of liquid materials. To a large extent, the structure and properties of ionic liquids are determined by the intermolecular interaction between anions and cations. In this perspective we show that far infrared and terahertz spectroscopy are suitable methods for studying the cation-anion interaction in these Coulomb fluids. The interpretation of the measured low frequency spectra is supported by density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. We present results for selected aprotic and protic ionic liquids and their mixtures with molecular solvents. In particular, we focus on the strength and type of intermolecular interaction and how both parameters are influenced by the character of the ions and their combinations. We show that the total interaction between cations and anions is a result of a subtle balance between Coulomb forces, hydrogen bonds and dispersion forces. For protic ionic liquids we could measure distinct vibrational modes in the low frequency spectra indicating clearly the cation-anion interaction characterized by linear and medium to strong hydrogen bonds. Using isotopic substitution we have been able to dissect frequency shifts related to pure interaction strength between cations and anions and to different reduced masses only. In this context we also show how these different types of interaction may influence the physical properties of ionic liquids such as the melting point, viscosity or enthalpy of vaporization. Furthermore we demonstrate that low frequency spectroscopy can also be used for studying ion speciation. Low vibrational features can be assigned to contact ion pairs and solvent separated ion pairs. In conclusion we showed how detailed knowledge of the low frequency spectra can be used to understand the change in interaction strength and structure by variation of temperature, solvent polarity and solvent concentration in ionic liquids and their mixtures with molecular solvents. In principle the used combination of methods is suitable for studying intermolecular interaction in pure molecular liquids and their solutions including additive materials such as nanoparticles.

The new routes and strategies for the synthesis of valuable 4(3<italic>H</italic>)-quinazolinones have been summarized.

Importance: Intravenous edaravone is approved as a disease-modifying drug for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but evidence for efficacy is limited to short-term beneficial effects shown in the MCI186-ALS19 study in a subpopulation in which efficacy was expected. Objective: To evaluate the long-term safety and effectiveness of intravenous edaravone therapy for patients with ALS in a real-world clinical setting. Design, Setting, and Participants: Multicenter, propensity score-matched cohort study conducted between June 2017 and March 2020 at 12 academic ALS referral centers associated with the German Motor Neuron Disease Network. Of 1440 patients screened, 738 were included in propensity score matching. Final analyses included 324 patients with ALS comprising 194 patients who started intravenous edaravone treatment (141 received ≥4 consecutive treatment cycles; 130 matched) and 130 propensity score-matched patients with ALS receiving standard therapy. All patients had probable or definite ALS according to the El Escorial criteria, with disease onset between December 2012 and April 2019. Subgroups were defined by applying the MCI186-ALS19 study inclusion criteria to evaluate whether patients would have been considered eligible (EFAS) or ineligible (non-EFAS). Exposures: Intravenous edaravone plus riluzole vs riluzole only. Main Outcomes and Measures: Patient characteristics and systematic safety assessment for patients who received at least 1 dose of intravenous edaravone. Effectiveness assessment of edaravone was conducted among patients who received at least 4 treatment cycles compared with propensity score-matched patients with ALS who received only standard therapy. Primary outcome was disease progression measured by decrease in the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) score. Secondary outcomes were survival probability, time to ventilation, and change in disease progression before vs during treatment. To account for the matched design, patients receiving edaravone and their corresponding matched controls were regarded as related samples in disease progression analyses; stratification for propensity score quintiles was used for survival probability and time to ventilation analyses. Results: A total of 194 patients started intravenous edaravone treatment; 125 (64%) were male, and the median age was 57.5 years (IQR, 50.7-63.8 years). Potential adverse effects were observed in 30 cases (16%), most notably infections at infusion sites and allergic reactions. Disease progression among 116 patients treated for a median of 13.9 months (IQR, 8.9-13.9 months) with edaravone did not differ from 116 patients treated for a median of 11.2 months (IQR, 6.4-20.0 months) with standard therapy (ALSFRS-R points/month, -0.91 [95% CI, -0.69 to -1.07] vs -0.85 [95% CI, -0.66 to -0.99]; P = .37). No significant differences were observed in the secondary end points of survival probability, time to ventilation, and change in disease progression. Similarly, outcomes between patients treated with edaravone and matched patients did not differ within the EFAS and non-EFAS subgroups. Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study using propensity score matching found that, although long-term intravenous edaravone therapy for patients with ALS was feasible and mainly well tolerated, it was not associated with any disease-modifying benefit. Intravenous edaravone may not provide a clinically relevant additional benefit compared with standard therapy alone.

OBJECTIVE: Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ-activating drugs show various salutary effects in preclinical models of neurodegenerative disease. The decade-long clinical usage of these drugs as antidiabetics now allows for evaluation of patient-oriented data sources. METHODS: Using observational data from 2004-2010, we analyzed the association of pioglitazone and incidence of dementia in a prospective cohort study of 145,928 subjects aged ≥60 years who, at baseline, were free of dementia and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. We distinguished between nondiabetics, diabetics without pioglitazone, diabetics with prescriptions of <8 calendar quarters of pioglitazone, and diabetics with ≥8 quarters. Cox proportional hazard models explored the relative risk (RR) of dementia incidence dependent on pioglitazone use adjusted for sex, age, use of rosiglitazone or metformin, and cardiovascular comorbidities. RESULTS: Long-term use of pioglitazone was associated with a lower dementia incidence. Relative to nondiabetics, the cumulative long-term use of pioglitazone reduced the dementia risk by 47% (RR = 0.53, p = 0.029). If diabetes patients used pioglitazone <8 quarters, the dementia risk was comparable to those of nondiabetics (RR = 1.16, p = 0.317), and diabetes patients without a pioglitazone treatment had a 23% increase in dementia risk (RR = 1.23, p < 0.001). We did not find evidence for age effects, nor for selection into pioglitazone treatment due to obesity. INTERPRETATION: These findings indicate that pioglitazone treatment is associated with a reduced dementia risk in initially non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. Prospective clinical trials are needed to evaluate a possible neuroprotective effect in these patients in an ageing population.

A detailed understanding of reaction mechanisms and kinetics is required in order to develop and optimize catalysts and catalytic processes. Temporal analysis of products (TAP) is an instrument capable of providing such understanding.

Earth-abundant NiO/TiO₂ heterostructures lead to enhanced H₂ production by methanol photoreforming due to favorable band bending at the interface of the NiO/anatase TiO₂ p–n heterojunction.

Mechanistic studies of the catalyst [Pd₂(dba)₃/1,1′-bis(<italic>tert</italic>-butyl(pyridin-2-yl)phosphanyl)ferrocene,<bold>L2</bold>] for olefin alkoxycarbonylation reactions are described.

We review current synthetic routes to magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications. We classify the different approaches used depending on their ability to generate magnetic particles that are either single-core (containing only one magnetic core, i.e. a single domain nanocrystal) or multi-core (containing several magnetic cores, i.e. single domain nanocrystals). The synthesis of single-core magnetic nanoparticles requires the use of surfactants during the particle generation, and careful control of the particle coating to prevent aggregation. Special attention has to be paid to avoid the presence of any toxic reagents after the synthesis if biomedical applications are intended. Several approaches exist to obtain multi-core particles based on the coating of particle aggregates; nevertheless, the production of multi-core particles with good control of the number of magnetic cores per particle, and of the degree of polydispersity of the core sizes, is still a difficult task. The control of the structure of the particles is of great relevance for biomedical applications as it has a major influence on the magnetic properties of the materials.

State-of-the-art Pd-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation: catalyst development and applications.

Nitrogen modified cobalt catalysts supported on carbon were prepared by pyrolysis of the mixture generated from cobalt(ii) acetate in aqueous solution of melamine or waste melamine resins, which are widely used as industrial polymers. The obtained nanostructured materials catalyze the transfer hydrogenation of N-heteroarenes with formic acid in the absence of base. The optimal Co/Melamine-2@C-700 catalyst exhibits high activity and selectivity for the dehydrogenation of formic acid into molecular hydrogen and carbon dioxide and allows for the reduction of diverse N-heteroarenes including substrates featuring sensitive functional groups.

Formic acid dehydrogenation (FAD) is considered as a promising process in the context of hydrogen storage.

Various sulfonamides have been synthesized from triazenes and sulfur dioxide. In the presence of just a catalytic amount of BF3·OEt2, a series of 1-aryl-triazenes were converted into sulfonyl hydrazines in good to excellent yields. When using CuCl2 as the catalyst, the corresponding sulfonamides can be produced from the 1-aryl triazenes in good yields.

BACKGROUND: This study estimates the prevalence and incidence rates of primary open -angle glaucoma (POAG) as well as risk factors based on a dataset from the largest German health insurance company. METHODS: A random sample of 250,000 persons at age 50+ of the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK) from 2010 to 2013 was used. Selected risk factors of POAG incidence were analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: The age-standardized prevalence of POAG at age 50+ in 2010 was 2.79% (95%-CI: 2.72-2.85%). The age-standardized total incidence rate was 0.38 (0.36-0.39) per 100 person-years. Sex differences were significant for total prevalence and total incidence rates, with higher prevalence and incidence rates for women compared to men. The Cox model revealed a strong age effect, a significantly 19% higher incidence for women (p ≤ 0.001), injuries of the eye and orbit (175%, p ≤ 0.001), degeneration of iris and ciliary body (155%, p = 0.022), myopia (155%, p ≤ 0.001), retinal vascular occlusions (134%, p ≤ 0.001), hypertension (13%, p ≤ 0.001) and diabetes mellitus (23%, p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: Health claims data are an important data source for estimating POAG occurrence and help overcome the problems of small sample sizes. These results may help to understand the causal pathways of POAG and to develop intervention strategies to increase the awareness of patients and physicians with the aim of reducing POAG incidence.