N-heterocyclic germylenes: structural characterisation of some heavy analogues of the ubiquitous N-heterocyclic carbenes

The X-ray crystal structures of three N-heterocyclic germylenes (NHGes) have been elucidated including the previously unknown 1,3-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)diazagermol-2-ylidene (1). In addition, the X-ray crystal structures of the previously synthesised 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)diazagermol-2-ylidene (2) and 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)diazagermol-2-ylidene (3) are also reported. The discrete molecular structures of compounds 1 to 3 are comparable, with Ge-N bond lengths in the range 1.835-1.875 Å, while the N-Ge-N bond angles range between 83.6 and 85.2°. Compound 2 was compared to the analogous N-heterocyclic carbene species, 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes). The major geometrical difference observed, as expected, was the bond angle around the divalent group 14 atom. The N-Ge-N bond angle was 83.6° for compound 2 versus the N-C-N bond angle of 101.4° for IMes. The Sn equivalent of (1), 1,3-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)diazastannol-2-ylidene (4), has also been synthesised and its crystal structure is reported here. In order to test their suitability as ligands, compounds 1 to 3 were reacted with a wide range of transition metal complexes. No NHGes containing metal complexes were observed. In all cases the NHGe either degraded or gave no reaction

Formation of a nonanuclear copper(II) cluster with 3,5-dimethylpyrazolate starting from an NHC complex of copper(I) chloride

The complete nonanuclear cluster in bis[1,3-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)imidazolium] di--chlorido-tetrachloridooctakis(-3,5-dimethylpyrazolato)hexa-3- hydroxido-nonacopper(II) chloroform disolvate, [HIXy]2[Cu9(-pz*)8(3- OH)6(2-Cl)2Cl4]2CHCl3 or (C19H21N2)2[Cu9(C5H7N2)8Cl6(OH)6]2CHCl3, where pz* is the 3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl anion, C5H7N2 , and HIXy is the 1,3- bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)imidazolium cation, C19H21N2 +, is generated by a crystallographic centre of symmetry with a square-planar CuII ion bound to four 3-OH ions lying on the inversion centre. Of the four remaining unique CuII atoms, three adopt CuN2O2Cl square-pyramidal coordination geometries with the chloride ion in the apical position and one has a distorted CuN2OCl tetrahedral geometry. The dianionic nonanuclear core can be described as a 24-membered [CuNN]8 ring that contains a Cu9O6Cl6 core. The cluster features three intramolecular O—H Cl hydrogen bonds. In the crystal, weak C— H N and C—H Cl interactions link the components. Polynuclear paramagnetic clusters of this type are of considerable interest due to their relevance to both the bioinorganic and single-molecule magnets research fields

Social Media in the SME Business to Business Environment and Toolkit

This report responds to the growing appetite for businesses to gain a better understanding of social media marketing and the associated benefits. Over the last twelve months, we have spent time exploring the concept of social media marketing and the impact it can have on B2B campaigns. Academics from Newcastle Business School have spent time talking to SMEs and their marketing teams to help identify and successfully navigate some of the most common challenges surrounding B2B social media marketing. As a consequence of this study, we present a framework of integrated marketing communications (IMC), incorporating social media. This framework underpins the B2B Social Media Toolkit, which is the main outcome of this report. The research findings have been presented using the Social Media Honeycomb developed by Kietzmann et al. (2011). This has allowed us to distil our findings into seven distinct themes, which are presented on the right. The B2B social media toolkit is a practical and easy to follow guide for anyone wanting to improve the effectiveness of their social media activity or a good starting point for any business that has yet to incorporate social media into their wider marketing plan

Book Reviews

Reviews of: Race, P.& McDowell, S.(1996) 500 computing tips for teachers and lecturers. Kogan Page, London. Evans, T. & Nation, D. (eds) (1996) Opening Education - policies and practices from open and distance education. Routledge, London and New York. Raggatt, P., Edwards, R., & Small, N. (eds.) (1996) The Learning Society: Challenges and Trends. Routledge, London and New York. Lockwood, F. (ed.) (1995) Open and Distance Learning Today. Routledge Studies in Distance Education, London

Book Reviews

Reviews of: Race, P.& McDowell, S.(1996) 500 computing tips for teachers and lecturers. Kogan Page, London. Evans, T. & Nation, D. (eds) (1996) Opening Education - policies and practices from open and distance education. Routledge, London and New York. Raggatt, P., Edwards, R., & Small, N. (eds.) (1996) The Learning Society: Challenges and Trends. Routledge, London and New York. Lockwood, F. (ed.) (1995) Open and Distance Learning Today. Routledge Studies in Distance Education, London

Phase I study of TP300 in patients with advanced solid tumors with pharmacokinetic, pharmacogenetic and pharmacodynamic analyses

Background: A Phase I dose escalation first in man study assessed maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and recommended Phase II dose of TP300, a water soluble prodrug of the Topo-1 inhibitor TP3076, and active metabolite, TP3011. <p/>Methods: Eligible patients with refractory advanced solid tumors, adequate performance status, haematologic, renal, and hepatic function. TP300 was given as a 1-hour i.v. infusion 3-weekly and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of TP300, TP3076 and TP3011 were analysed. Polymorphisms in CYP2D6, AOX1 and UGT1A1 were studied and DNA strand-breaks measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). <p/>Results: 32 patients received TP300 at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 mg/m2. MTD was 10 mg/m2; DLTs at 12 (2/4 patients) and 10 mg/m2 (3/12) included thrombocytopenia and febrile neutropenia; diarrhea was uncommon. Six patients (five had received irinotecan), had stable disease for 1.5-5 months. TP3076 showed dose proportionality in AUC and Cmax from 1--10 mg/m2. Genetic polymorphisms had no apparent influence on exposure. DNA strand-breaks were detected after TP300 infusion. <p/>Conclusions: TP300 had predictable hematologic toxicity, and diarrhea was uncommon. AUC at MTD is substantially greater than for SN38. TP3076 and TP3011 are equi-potent with SN38, suggesting a PK advantage

Ag(I) bipyridyl coordination polymers containing functional anions

The single crystal diffraction structures of seven coordination polymers formed by Ag(I) and bipyridyl azine ligands are described and compared. All contain organic anions derived from intrinsically functional molecules, either Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API = salicylate or diclofenac) or carboxylate or sulfonate monoazo dyes. Five of the seven coordination polymers, including all those that feature API species, are found to display variations on a common structural motif, with polymeric [Ag(azine)]n chains linked into pairs through argentophillic Ag-Ag contacts supported by a pair of AgOXOAg (X = C or S) bridges. Also reported are the crystal structures of two Ag(I) complexes of sulfonated monoazo dyes, including the first such structure to feature a Ag to azo dative bond

Establishment of a pipeline to analyse non-synonymous SNPs in Bos taurus

BACKGROUND: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are an abundant form of genetic variation in the genome of every species and are useful for gene mapping and association studies. Of particular interest are non-synonymous SNPs, which may alter protein function and phenotype. We therefore examined bovine expressed sequences for non-synonymous SNPs and validated and tested selected SNPs for their association with measured traits. RESULTS: Over 500,000 public bovine expressed sequence tagged (EST) sequences were used to search for coding SNPs (cSNPs). A total of 15,353 SNPs were detected in the transcribed sequences studied, of which 6,325 were predicted to be coding SNPs with the remaining 9,028 SNPs presumed to be in untranslated regions. Of the cSNPs detected, 2,868 were predicted to result in a change in the amino acid encoded. In order to determine the actual number of non-synonymous polymorphic SNPs we designed assays for 920 of the putative SNPs. These SNPs were then genotyped through a panel of cattle DNA pools using chip-based MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Of the SNPs tested, 29% were found to be polymorphic with a minor allele frequency >10%. A subset of the SNPs was genotyped through animal resources in order to look for association with age of puberty, facial eczema resistance or meat yield. Three SNPs were nominally associated with resistance to the disease facial eczema (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We have identified 15,353 putative SNPs in or close to bovine genes and 2,868 of these SNPs were predicted to be non-synonymous. Approximately 29% of the non-synonymous SNPs were polymorphic and common with a minor allele frequency >10%. Of the SNPs detected in this study, 99% have not been previously reported. These novel SNPs will be useful for association studies or gene mapping

The crafting of an (un)enterprising community: context and the social practice of talk

YesThis article examines a ‘deprived’ UK community to identify how (dis)connections between context and enterprise are produced within accounts of a particular locality. We used a discursive psychological approach to examine how the community depicted itself as a context for enterprise. Our analysis identified three discursive repertoires mobilised by a range of voices in the community which combined to portray an unenterprising community and create a conceptual deadlock for enterprise. We suggest it is too deterministic to assume context is fixed and controls the potential for entrepreneurial development. Instead, we should consider social practices, including talk, that help construct the contexts in which entrepreneurship is expected to occur.The research resorted in this article was funded by an Economic and Social Research Council studentship