Synthesis of Benzofluorenyl Derivatives Bearing Thiophene Substituents

A four-step synthetic sequence was used to prepare 10-(1, 1-dimethylethyl)-5-thienyl-11 H-benzo[b]fluorene from pivalophenone. The key step of the synthetic sequence involved the Schmittel cascade cyclization reaction of the corresponding benzannulated enyne-allene having a thienyl substituent at the alkynyl terminus. The benzannulated enyne-allene was prepared by an initial condensation of pivalophenone with the lithium acetylide derived from 2-iodophenylethyne to form 3-(2-iodophenyl)-1-(1, 1-dimethylethyl)-l-phenyl-2-propyn-1-ol. Reduction of the propagylic alcohol with triethylsilane in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid then furnished 1-(1,1-iodophenyl)-3-(1, 1-dimethylethyl)-3-phenyl-1-propyne. The Sonogashira reaction with 2-ethynylthiophene then produced the corresponding 10-(1, 1-dimethylethyl)-5-thienyl-11H-benzo[b]fluorene from pivalophenone. Similarly, starting from benzophenone, 10-phenyl-5-thienyl-11 H-benzo[b]fluorene was obtained.;The X-ray crystallographic structure of 10-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-5-thienyl-IIHbenzo[ b]fluorene shows that the thienyl substituent has a perpendicular orientation relative to the backbone of the benzofluorenyl system. As a result, the hydrogen atom on carbon-4 is in the magnetically shielded region of the thienyl ring current and thus shows an upfield-shifted signal at delta 6.45.;The successful Sonogashira reaction between 2,6-bis[(4R)-4,5-dihydro-4-phenyl-2- oxazolyl]-4-ethynylpyridine and iodobenzene is a promising way of making benzannulated enediynes bearing pyridine-2,6-bisoxazoline (pybox) ligands at the acetylenic position leading to benzofluorenyl systems possessing pybox moieties. Such heteroaromatic compounds are potentially useful for enantioselective reactions and for asymmetric catalysis

COMPRENDRE LES DYNAMIQUES DE LA PARTICIPATION ELECTORALE: Cas des élections présidentielles françaises de 2007 et américaines de 2008

International audienceCas des élections présidentielles françaises de 2007 et américaines de 2008 YVES VICTOR MAKAYA, PACTE – SCIENCES PO GRENOBLE Dans les régimes démocratiques, le système politique confère aux citoyens ayant la qualité d'électeur, le pouvoir de choisir au cours d'une élection, les représentants qu'ils jugent capables de les représenter à différents niveaux de l'État. Ainsi, par le vote, les citoyens participent directement au fonctionnement de la démocratie. Or, on assiste depuis quelques décennies à une « désaffection électorale », qui touche notamment la France où la participation électorale décline régulièrement depuis les années 1980 (Bréchon, 2009). Aux États-Unis la participation électorale connait également des fluctuations irrégulières depuis la fin des années 1960 (Wolfinger et Rosenstone, 1980). Cette tendance à la baisse de la participation électorale dont l'explication ne semble pas faire l'unanimité parmi les chercheurs, a tout de même connue une inversion à l'occasion des élections présidentielles françaises de 2007 et américaines de 2008. Considérés comme de véritables moments de « rupture » avec l'abstentionnisme électoral de longue durée, les taux de participation à ces scrutins, avaient alors atteints des niveaux exceptionnellement élevés : 84% au premier tour de l'élection présidentielle française d'avril-mai 2007 (contre 81% en 1981) et 64% à l'élection présidentielle américaine de novembre 2008 (contre 56% en 1972). Dans cette communication, nous comparons la participation électorale aux élections présidentielles françaises de 2007, à celle des élections présidentielles américaines de 2008

A clinical audit of laparoscopic surgery for recto-vaginal endometriosis at a tertiary referral centre in KwaZulu-Natal.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the operative and post-operative complications, and outcomes of laparoscopic surgery using the Harmonic scalpel in patients with recto-vaginal endometriosis (RVE). Furthermore, pre-operative work up and referral patterns were evaluated. Design: Retrospective chart review. Method: Following ethical (BREC No. BE O42/11) and hospital regulatory approvals, a retrospective chart review of the hospital case records of all patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for RVE using the Harmonic scalpel from January 2004 to December 2010 was performed. All relevant clinical information was captured on structured data sheets which were kept confidential and used strictly for the purposes of the audit. Results: The case records of 105 women who had laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis between January 2004 to December 2010 were identified Thirty-three (31.4%) patients with RVE were treated using the Harmonic scalpel as the main energy source. From this cohort of patients, there was one case which required conversion to laparotomy for rectal injury which was successfully repaired; one case required re-laparoscopy for suspected intra-operative bleeding and another required cystoscopy and double J stenting due to anuria of 21 hours post- surgery. The mean hospital stay was 4 days. 76% of women had improvement of pain after surgical intervention and concomitant adjuvant medical therapy was used in 30.3%. Conclusion: The usage of Harmonic scalpel as the energy source in the management of RVE appears to be safe and the morbidity is comparable to other energy sources reported in literature

Liberté et universalité dans la philosophie de Kant

Liberty and universality are criteria of morality ; they are grounded in reason and admitnothing relative. In this study, relativism is put into question as being at the origin of today’smoral crisis. More to the point, this school of thought raises a doubt about the unity ofreason, and therefore the liberty and universality for mankind. In this perspective, the thesisconfronts relativism to the Kantian philosophy, which puts forward the concepts of ‘freedom’and ‘universality’ as fundamental in understanding morality that is timeless and goes beyondthe scope of any experience. In fact, we understand better Kant's premise which consists inputting forward the principle of party autonomy as the unique and universal criteria ofmorality (to mankind) and in disapproving all moral doctrines which are based, for example,on culture, religion or personal happiness. From a Kantian point of view, one cannot derivemorality from the latters.La liberté et l'universalité sont des critères de la moralité fondés en raison et qui n'admettentrien de relatif. Dans cette étude, nous soupçonnons le relativisme d’être à l’origine de la crisemorale d’aujourd’hui. Ensuite, parce ce que ce courant de pensée soulève un doute sur l’unitéde la raison, et donc de la liberté et de l’universalité pour le genre humain. Pour cela, nousvoulons opposer au relativisme la philosophie kantienne, laquelle pose la liberté etl’universalité comme étant deux concepts fondamentaux dans la conception kantienne de lamoralité, atemporels et dépassant le champ de toute expérience. De fait, nous comprenonsmieux l’effort de Kant qui consiste à poser l’autonomie de la volonté comme le principeunique et universel de la morale (pour le genre humain) et à désapprouver toutes les doctrinesmorales qui sont fondées par exemple sur la culture, la religion ou le bonheur personnel. AvecKant, on ne peut donc dériver la morale de tout cela

Schematic structure and the modulation of propositions in economics forecasting text

Working within the framework of the branch of Linguistics known as discourse analysis, and more specifically within the current approach of genre analysis, this thesis presents an analysis of the English of economic forecasting. The language of economic forecasting is highly specialised and follows certain conventions of structure and style. This research project identifies these characteristics and explains them in terms of their communicative function. The work is based on a corpus of texts published in economic reports and surveys by major corporate bodies. These documents are targeted at an international expert readership familiar with this genre. The data is analysed at two broad levels: firstly, the macro-level of text structure which is described in terms of schema-theory, a currently influential model of analysis, and, secondly, the micro-level of authors' strategies for modulating the predictions which form the key move in the forecasting schema. The thesis aims to contribute to the newly developing field of genre analysis in a number of ways: firstly, by a coverage of a hitherto neglected but intrinsically interesting and important genre (Economic Forecasting); secondly, by testing the applicability of existing models of analysis at the level of schematic structure and proposing a genre-specific model; thirdly by offering insights into the nature of modulation of propositions which is often broadly classified as `hedging' or `modality', and which has been recently described as lq`an area for prolonged fieldwork'. This phenomenon is shown to be a key feature of this particular genre. It is suggested that this thesis, in addition to its contribution to the theory of genre analysis, provides a useful basis for work by teachers of English for Economics, an important area of English for Specific Purposes

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Lessons from epidemiological studies

SummaryRecent epidemiological studies have demonstrated that nearly half of all patients with heart failure (HF) have preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFPEF). Compared to those with reduced EF, patients with HFPEF are older, more likely to be women, less likely to have coronary artery disease, and more likely to have hypertension and atrial fibrillation. Patients with HFPEF receive different pharmacological as well as nonpharmacological treatments from those with reduced EF. Morbidity and mortality in patients with HFPEF are largely similar to those with reduced EF. Although much information has recently been obtained about the clinical characteristics, medications, and outcomes of HFPEF by large-scale clinical and epidemiological studies, effective management strategies need to be established for this type of HF

Advancements in Designing, Producing, and Operating Off-Earth Infrastructure

Sending humans to the Moon and Mars in the near future requires appropriate infrastructure to support and subsequently sustain human activities. This includes infrastructure to shield from environmental conditions, generate energy, and facilitate mobility and communication. Construction of such infrastructure aims to use in-situ resources and reduce the use of supplies from Earth. The establishment and maintenance of the required infrastructure, equipment, and hardware involves the development of adequate manufacturing techniques, which can enable maximal use of the local resources. Those techniques can be based on processing of local materials into construction materials, extraction of useful elements from local materials or in combination with materials brought from Earth. The required manufacturing techniques address the range of needs for sustained human activities, from smaller scale manufactured items to large built structures. The design of such structures is associated with a number of space systems’ engineering challenges, ranging from the accurate definition of all resource budgets (mass, volume, power, data) to the design of the interfaces between all subsystems making use of these resources. The interplanetary spacecraft used to transport the required materials (and eventually, crew) from Earth to the final site would probably need to be designed ad-hoc for this specific application, given its peculiar mass and volume constraints, especially in case a reusable concept is adopted. Other engineering aspects involved in the design of the infrastructure systems include the selection of an appropriate power generation approach and the definition of the radiation environment in order to provide sufficient shielding to the habitats. This Spool CpA #4 issue investigates challenges of designing, engineering, constructing, operating, and maintaining off-Earth infrastructure

Animal health research and development

A book chapter on veterinary health services in Zimbabwe.Zimbabwe’s veterinary delivery system and research capability have been shaped by the need to prevent, control, manage and/or eradicate animal diseases.202 Although major epidemics like rinderpest, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and African east coast fever have been eradicated, there is still need to ensure that any reintroduction of these diseases is prevented. The Department of Veterinary Services has the mandate to provide animal health services and has had to put in place special control measures for some of the endemic diseases such as foot and mouth disease, contagious abortion, anthrax, beef measles and salmonellosis. These diseases affect both the export and domestic beef markets. For purposes of foot and mouth disease surveillance and control, the country is divided into foot and mouth disease control zones through a network of cattle and buffalo proof cordon fences. Epidemiological surveillance, monitoring and reporting of specified diseases and pests as of2004 relied on a countrywide network of veterinary infrastructure that comprised the following: eight provincial and 53 district offices; 308 subdistrict animal management and health centres in the smallholder sector and six in commercial fanning areas; one central veterinary laboratory; and three provincial diagnostic laboratories in Bulawayo, Mutare and Masvingo