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The Congo Basin represents 70 percent of the African continent's forest cover and constitutes a large portion of Africa's biodiversity. The objective of the two-year exercise was to analyze and get a better grasp of the deforestation dynamics in the Basin. The primary goal of the exercise was to give stakeholders (and particularly policy makers) a thorough understanding of how economic activities (agriculture, transport, mining, energy, and logging) could impact the region's forest cover through an in-depth analysis of the connections between economic developments and forest loss. Historically, the Congo Basin forest has been under comparatively little pressure, but there are signs that this situation is likely to change as pressure on the forest and other ecosystems increases. Until very recently, low population density, unrest and war, and low levels of development hampered conversion of forests into other land uses; however, satellite-based monitoring data now show that the annual rates of gross deforestation in the Basin have doubled since 1990. There is indeed some evidence that the Basin forests may be at a turning point of heading to higher deforestation and forest degradation rates. The forest ecosystems have not yet suffered the damage observed in other tropical regions (Amazonia, Southeast Asia) and are quite well preserved. The low deforestation rates mainly result from a combination of such factors as poor infrastructure, low population densities, and political instability that have led to the so-called passive protection. However, signs that the Congo Basin forests could be under increasing pressure from a variety of forces-both internal and external range from mineral extraction, road development, agribusiness, and biofuels to agriculture expansion for subsistence and population growth. All of these factors could drastically amplify the pressure on natural forests in the coming decades and trigger the transition from the 'high forest/low deforestation' profile into a more intense pace of deforestation.

Prenylated indole alkaloids such as the calmodulin-inhibitory malbrancheamides and anthelmintic paraherquamides possess great structural diversity and pharmaceutical utility. Here, we report complete elucidation of the malbrancheamide biosynthetic pathway accomplished through complementary approaches. These include a biomimetic total synthesis to access the natural alkaloid and biosynthetic intermediates in racemic form and in vitro enzymatic reconstitution to provide access to the natural antipode (+)-malbrancheamide. Reductive cleavage of an l -Pro– l -Trp dipeptide from the MalG non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) followed by reverse prenylation and a cascade of post-NRPS reactions culminates in an intramolecular [4+2] hetero-Diels–Alder (IMDA) cyclization to furnish the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane scaffold. Enzymatic assembly of optically pure (+)-premalbrancheamide involves an unexpected zwitterionic intermediate where MalC catalyses enantioselective cycloaddition as a bifunctional NADPH-dependent reductase/Diels–Alderase. The crystal structures of substrate and product complexes together with site-directed mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate how MalC and PhqE (its homologue from the paraherquamide pathway) catalyse diastereo- and enantioselective cyclization in the construction of this important class of secondary metabolites. The complete biosynthesis of the fungal indole alkaloid malbrancheamide, which culminates in an intramolecular [4+2] hetero-Diels–Alder cyclization to produce the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane scaffold, has now been discovered. Chemical synthesis and protein structural analysis were used to provide mechanistic insight into this enzyme-dependent diastereo- and enantioselective cycloaddition.

\"In this toxic atmosphere, you must understand that Connie Mack is my opponent. He is not my enemy,\" Nelson told an enthusiastic crowd about 9 p.m. Tuesday. He told supporters he will \"try to reach across the aisle and build consensus so that we can govern this country.\" Mack addressed his supporters at 9:30 p.m. and told them that it was \"with some sadness tonight that we didn't win but, I'll tell you this: I'm very proud of the campaign we ran.\" \"He's very comfortable,\" the elder Mack said. \"He's got it\" under control.

\"The public is calling and screaming, pleading with us to concentrate on bills that give us jobs, put food on our table and lower our cost of living,\" said Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, one of six Republicans to join with Democrats to stop the bill from being heard. Another 23 bills were withdrawn from committees without controversy, including a proposal that would ban courts from using religious or foreign law in legal decisions. Rules Chairman Sen. John Thrasher said he tried to bring the antiabortion bill to the floor at the request of sponsor Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, which is not unusual. \"I think that vote expressed where they're at,\" [Mike Haridopolos] said of senators.

\"It doesn't make sense for the state to join that lawsuit,\" Gov. Rick Scott said. \"We have a plan to make sure that our state is treated fairly with regard to getting reimbursed by British Petroleum for the damages to our state.\" \"Caution and prudence are always the best guidelines, so I would have advised to preserve our claims by entering an appearance into that lawsuit,\" he said Tuesday. \"I believe all avenues of reparation should be pursued.\" \"I just can't believe the courage that the governor and the attorney general displayed by deciding to stay out of that litigation,\" said Carl Nelson, a lawyer at Fowler White Boggs in Tampa. \"It's important to follow this claims process.\"

\"What you're seeing in Florida isn't an idea that is being hatched in Florida,\" said Ron Meyer, lawyer and lobbyist for the Florida Education Association, the teachers' union. \"They're simply trying to apply a national square peg into the Florida round hole.\" \"It's empowering them to say, 'You know what? I don't agree with what my union does politically. ... I don't want to support their candidates for office,\"' [Chris Dorworth] said. \"The taxpayers of the state of Florida are basically saying let's get out of the business of collecting dues for union members,\" he said \"Let the unions do it themselves. If they're doing such a great job with their members, I think they'll do fine.\"

\"Speaker [Dean Cannon] feels that legislative action is premature at this point given the ongoing investigations as well as the upcoming convening of the Seminole County grand jury,\" spokeswoman Katie Betta said via email. \"Speaker Cannon will be closely monitoring the situation and any new developments that may arise in the case. He will also make recommendations to Gov. (Rick) Scott regarding appointments to the Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection which will review the 'Stand Your Ground' law after the investigation by the special prosecutor.\" A Times/Herald analysis of the new congressional map submitted by Florida Democrats on Monday in Leon County Circuit Court shows that the proposed districts would create 13 Republican-leaning districts, 11 Democrat-leaning districts and three swing districts. That compares to the map created by the Legislature that creates 16 GOP-leaning districts and nine Democrat-leading districts with only two swing districts. More significantly, the map shifts the sprawling congressional district of U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville into a more compact district, creates more minority districts than the Legislature's map and does it without reducing the minority population in Brown's map - leaving it at 48.9 percent black voting age population.