A surprising steric effect on a tandem cycloaddition/ring-opening reaction : rapid syntheses of difluorinated analogues of (hydroxymethyl)conduritols

Difluorinated analogues of (hydroxymethyl)conduritols can be synthesised from selected furans and a difluorinated dienophile in two reaction steps

Highly-functionalised difluorinated cyclohexane polyols via the Diels–Alder reaction : regiochemical control via the phenylsulfonyl group

A difluorinated dienophile underwent cycloaddition reactions with a range of furans to afford cycloadducts whichcould be processed regio- and stereoselectively via episulfonium ions, generated by the reaction between their alkenyl groups and phenylsulfenyl chloride. The oxabicyclic products were oxidised to the phenylsulfonyl level and ring opened via E1CB or reductive desulfonative pathways to afford, ultimately, difluorinated cyclohexene or cyclohexane polyols

A stereodivergent asymmetric approach to difluorinated aldonic acids

A (bromodifluoromethyl)alkyne has been deployed in a stereoselective route to difluorinated aldonic acid analogues, in which a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction and diastereoisomer separation set the stage for phenyl group oxidation

Indigenizing City Planning Processes in Saskatoon, Canada

The article examines how the City of Saskatoon’s strategies for working with Indigenouscommunities in high-level planning processes leading to its Strategic Plan 2013-2023 relate to three concepts framing the academic literature on how to re-calibratestate-Indigenous society relations at the urban municipal level: Indigenization, coproduction,and coexistence. We argue that indigenizing mainstream city planningprocesses through authentic forms of partnership will increase Indigenous densitywithin our shared cities. Qualitative interviews with leaders from City Hall andAboriginal communities revealed a disconnection between municipal and Indigenousparticipants’ ideas about inclusion. The City’s mechanisms of consultation engagedIndigenous communities as stakeholder interest groups, but not as autonomouspolitical communities wanting to share control as full partners. A civic culture andinstitutional structures that affirm and operationalize indigeneity would have improvedthe outcome of Saskatoon’s planning processes

Towards conformationally-locked difluorosugar analogues : an unexpected sense of dihydroxylation

Difluorinated cyclooctenones, synthesised using RCM, can be used as templates for stereoselective oxidative transformations to products that undergo transannular reactions to afford conformationally-locked analogues of 2-deoxy-2,2-difluorosugars with different stereochemical relationships between the C-2 and C-3 hydroxyl groups

Changes in dietary patterns and body composition within 12 months of liver transplantation

Background: Cardiometabolic risk factors are increasing in liver transplant recipients (LTR). Influencing dietary factors have not been assessed. The aim of this observational study was to assess changes in weight, metabolic function, dietary intake and eating behaviours in the first year after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods: Consecutive recruitment of 17 patients (14 males) awaiting OLT at a single tertiary hospital. Dietary intake, food behaviours and anthropometry were recorded at baseline, and 6 and 12 months posttransplant. Results: By 12 months, patients had gained on average 7.3% of body weight. The prevalence of overweight or obesity increased from baseline 53% to 77% (P=0.001). By 6 months, 65% (n=11/17) of patients had altered glucose metabolism. Dietary intake was consistent with a Western-style dietary pattern with high saturated fat. Over half of the patients (69%, n=11/16) reported low to no depressive feelings and rated their self-esteem as good (53%, n=9/16). The Power of Food Scale increased between pre and post-transplant, indicating a stronger appetitive drive. Conclusions: Weight gain occurs early post-transplant, with significant metabolic dysfunction present within 6 months, however is not associated with significant psychological distress. Early dietary intervention designed to limit weight gain and target cardiometabolic health is recommended for this unique patient population

Suppression-induced forgetting:a pre-registered replication of the think/no-think paradigm

Post-traumatic stress disorder is characterised by recurring memories of a traumatic experience despite deliberate attempts to forget (i.e., suppression). The Think/No-Think (TNT) task has been used widely in the laboratory to study suppression-induced forgetting. During the task, participants learn a series of cue-target word pairs. Subsequently, they are presented with a subset of the cue words and are instructed to think (respond items) or not think about the corresponding target (suppression items). Baseline items are not shown during this phase. Successful suppression-induced forgetting is indicated by the reduced recall of suppression compared to baseline items in recall tests using either the same or different cues than originally studied (i.e., same- and independent-probe tests, respectively). The current replication was a pre-registered collaborative effort to evaluate an online experimenter-present version of the paradigm in 150 English-speaking healthy individuals (89 females; MAge = 31.14, SDAge = 7.73). Overall, we did not replicate the suppression-induced forgetting effect (same-probe: BF01 = 7.84; d = 0.03 [95% CI: −0.13; 0.20]; independent-probe: BF01 = 5.71; d = 0.06 [95% CI: −0.12; 0.24]). These null results should be considered in light of our online implementation of the paradigm. Nevertheless, our findings call into question the robustness of suppression-induced forgetting

Towards novel difluorinated sugar mimetrics; syntheses and conformational analyses of highly-functionalised difluorinated cyclooctenones

Highly-functionalised difluorinated cyclooctenones were synthesised from trifluoroethanol using either metallated difluoroenol acetal or carbamate chemistry, followed by a [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement or aldol reaction. Efficient RCM reactions afforded the title compounds which showed rather restricted fluxional behaviour by VT 19F NMR. Topological characterisation by molecular modelling and NOESY/ROESY experiments offered a number of challenges, but allowed the identification of two favoured boat-chair conformers which interconverted by pseudorotation with relatively large activation barriers

Weight based tacrolimus trough concentrations post liver transplant

Tacrolimus is one of the most widely used liver transplant medications. With the increasing number of obese patients requiring liver transplants, knowledge of the effect of body size affecting post-transplant outcomes e.g. drug exposure is increasingly required.1) To investigate whether patient body size (i.e. total body weight) affect trough plasma concentrations of tacrolimus when a standard mg/kg dosing regimen is used; 2) To investigate whether obese patients have different number of plasma concentrations outside the therapeutic range compared to the non-obese patients in the first months after liver transplant.Using a transplant database, data tacrolimus concentrations were available for 69 patients. Tacrolimus was initially dosed at a standard 0.1mg/kg/day after liver transplant, and adjusted to maintain a target trough concentration. Trough blood samples, phenotypic and outcome variables were analysed.Trough concentrations were similar between the obese and non-obese patients (p>0.05) at each sampling day. At day-7 post-transplant, 85.7% and 79.5% of the observed plasma concentrations were outside the recommended therapeutic range for the obese and the non-obese patients respectively; at day-30, 52.9% and 57.4% and at 6 months, 18.7% and 27.5%.In the first week post-transplant, tacrolimus trough concentrations after standard mg/kg dosing post liver transplant appear to be corrected by total body weight. Obese patients have similar number of trough plasma concentrations outside the therapeutic range compared to the non-obese patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Intentional injury and violence in Cape Town, South Africa : an epidemiological analysis of trauma admissions data

While violence has been the subject of great study, data remains limited on the impacts and nature of interpersonal injury. Injury continues to be a global health issue, however. Through the analysis of injury surveillance of hospital admissions in South Africa, this study presents evidence-based interventions to reduce the burden of intentional injury. Researchers find a strong link between young males, substance use and violence, and link these trends to the context of increased urban migration and inequality in the Khayelitsha township