Thermal rearrangements in the tetra-arylcyclopropene series

The literature provides many examples of thermal rearrangements of small-ring compounds to yield systems involving less bond-angle strain. In the arylcyclopropene series these involve, in many cases, fairly complex pathways, and only formalized mechanisms have been suggested

Studies in the cycloproparene series: cycloaddition reactions of diarylmethylidenecycloproparenes

Journal ArticleDiarylmethylidenecyclopropanaphthalenes 4b-d add diphenylisobenzofuran (DPIBF) and α-pyrone across the exocyclic double bond to give ring expanded products 11b-d and 13b-d that result from subsequent relief of ring strain in the non-isolable spirocyclic intermediates 10 and 12, respectively. The benzene homologues 3b and 3c add DPIBF across the bridge bond to give the norcaradiene adducts 19b and 19c

A legacy of Lancashire: its chemists, biochemists and industrialists

Preface Although he probably does not remember it, it was Roy Jackson of Monash University in Melbourne and from Bacup in Lancashire who asked me if I was aware of the number of chemists coming from our mutual county. He then proceeded to rattle off the names of some for me. That was back in late 1988 when I was on leave at Monash, using the late Roger Brown’s pyrolysis equipment as we had none in Wellington. That snippet of information lay dormant in the grey matter for some 25 years, emerging only after I had agreed to write a series on Unremembered Chemists (as Peter Hodder, the then editor of Chemistry in New Zealand insisted the series be titled - after all if I knew of them then they were not forgotten) and selected the first few subjects. I found that several Lancastrian chemists were appropriate, remembered Roy’s comment, and decided to see just how many I could find. This booklet is the culmination of these efforts. Through the good graces of Chris Moody at Nottingham University, many living chemists who have distinguished themselves, but whom I had failed to recognise because it is many years since I left the UK, are now included. It is more than likely that there are others who should be here but are omitted, and to them I apologise. Apart from Roy and Chris, I am indebted to many of those whose details are included within these pages. Their willingness to provide information not easily available otherwise has made the writing and compiling of this ‘Legacy‘ so much the easier, and hopefully more interesting and useful. The free provision of images from numerous organisations, institutions and individuals is gratefully acknowledged for it puts the faces to the names. The pages that follow give the names of the chemists in sequence from William Henry (b. 1774) to the present with a profile of each that provides some indication of the person and the work for which they are recognised. It is not surprising, therefore, that early scientists attract a more detailed account than those still practising the profession and adding to the kudos that they already have gained. Brian Halton Wellington February 201

Against the Tide. A Critical Review by Scientists of How Physics and Astronomy Get Done

Nobody should have a monopoly of the truth in this universe. The censorship and suppression of challenging ideas against the tide of mainstream research, the blacklisting of scientists, for instance, is neither the best way to do and filter science, nor to promote progress in the human knowledge. The removal of good and novel ideas from the scientific stage is very detrimental to the pursuit of the truth. There are instances in which a mere unqualified belief can occasionally be converted into a generally accepted scientific theory through the screening action of refereed literature and meetings planned by the scientific organizing committees and through the distribution of funds controlled by "club opinions". It leads to unitary paradigms and unitary thinking not necessarily associated to the unique truth. This is the topic of this book: to critically analyze the problems of the official (and sometimes illicit) mechanisms under which current science (physics and astronomy in particular) is being administered and filtered today, along with the onerous consequences these mechanisms have on all of us.\ud \ud The authors, all of them professional researchers, reveal a pessimistic view of the miseries of the actual system, while a glimmer of hope remains in the "leitmotiv" claim towards the freedom in doing research and attaining an acceptable level of ethics in science

Indigenous Sustainable Wisdom: First-Nation Know-How for Global Flourishing

Indigenous Sustainable Wisdom: First Nation Know-How for Global Flourishing’s contributors describe ways of being that reflect a worldview that has guided humanity for 99% of human history; they describe the practical traditional wisdom stemming from Nature-based relational cultures that were or are guided by this worldview. Such cultures did not cause the kinds of anti-Nature and de-humanizing or inequitable policies and practices that now pervade our world. Far from romanticizing Indigenous histories, Indigenous Sustainable Wisdom offers facts about how human beings, with our potential for good and evil behaviors, can live in relative harmony again. Contributions cover views from anthropology, psychology, sociology, leadership, native science, native history, native art

Incident vertebral fractures in children with leukemia during the four years following diagnosis

Objectives: The purpose of this article was to determine the incidence and predictors of vertebral fractures (VF) during the 4 years after diagnosis in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients and Methods: Children were enrolled within 30 days of chemotherapy initiation, with incident VF assessed annually on lateral spine radiographs according to the Genant method. Extended Cox models were used to assess the association between incident VF and clinical predictors. Results:Atotal of 186 children with ALL completed the baseline evaluation (median age, 5.3 years; interquartile range, 3.4 -9.7 years; 58% boys). The VF incidence rate was 8.7 per 100 person-years, with a 4-year cumulative incidence of 26.4%. The highest annual incidence occurred at 12 months (16.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.2-22.7), falling to 2.9% at 4 years (95% CI, 1.1-7.3). Half of the children with incident VF had a moderate or severe VF, and 39% of those with incident VF were asymptomatic. Every 10 mg/m2 increase in average daily glucocorticoid dose (prednisone equivalents) was associated with a 5.9-fold increased VF risk (95% CI, 3.0 -11.8; P \u3c .01). Other predictors of increased VF risk included VF at diagnosis, younger age, and lower spine bone mineral density Z-scores at baseline and each annual assessment. Conclusions: One quarter of children with ALL developed incident VF in the 4 years after diagnosis; most of the VF burden was in the first year. Over one third of children with incident VF were asymptomatic. Discrete clinical predictors of a VF were evident early in the patient\u27s clinical course, including a VF at diagnosis

High incidence of vertebral fractures in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia 12 months after the initiation of therapy

Purpose: Vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis are a potential complication of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). To date, the incidence of vertebral fractures during ALL treatment has not been reported. Patient and Methods: We prospectively evaluated 155 children with ALL during the first 12 months of leukemia therapy. Lateral thoracolumbar spine radiographs were obtained at baseline and 12 months. Vertebral bodies were assessed for incident vertebral fractures using the Genant semiquantitative method, and relevant clinical indices such as spine bone mineral density (BMD), back pain, and the presence of vertebral fractures at baseline were analyzed for association with incident vertebral fractures. Results: Of the 155 children, 25 (16%; 95% CI, 11% to 23%) had a total of 61 incident vertebral fractures, of which 32 (52%) were moderate or severe. Thirteen (52%) of the 25 children with incident vertebral fractures also had fractures at baseline. Vertebral fractures at baseline increased the odds of an incident fracture at 12 months by an odds ratio of 7.3 (95% CI, 2.3 to 23.1; P = .001). In addition, for every one standard deviation reduction in spine BMD Z-score at baseline, there was 1.8-fold increased odds of incident vertebral fracture at 12 months (95% CI, 1.2 to 2.7; P = .006). Conclusion: Children with ALL have a high incidence of vertebral fractures after 12 months of chemotherapy, and the presence of vertebral fractures and reductions in spine BMD Z-scores at baseline are highly associated clinical features. © 2012 by American Society of Clinical Oncology