Overturning established chemoselectivities : selective reduction of arenes over malonates and cyanoacetates by photoactivated organic electron donors

The prevalence of metal-based reducing reagents, including metals, metal complexes, and metal salts, has produced an empirical order of reactivity that governs our approach to chemical synthesis. However, this reactivity may be influenced by stabilization of transition states, intermediates, and products through substrate-metal bonding. This article reports that in the absence of such stabilizing interactions, established chemoselectivities can be overthrown. Thus, photoactivation of the recently developed neutral organic superelectron donor 5 selectively reduces alkyl-substituted benzene rings in the presence of activated esters and nitriles, in direct contrast to metal-based reductions, opening a new perspective on reactivity. The altered outcomes arising from the organic electron donors are attributed to selective interactions between the neutral organic donors and the arene rings of the substrates

Nutrition rehabilitation of undernourished children utilizing Spiruline and Misola

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition constitutes a public health problem throughout the world and particularly in developing countries. AIMS: The objective of the study is to assess the impact of an elementary integrator composed of Spiruline (Spirulina platensis) and Misola (millet, soja, peanut) produced at the Centre Medical St Camille (CMSC) of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on the nutritional status of undernourished children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 550 undernourished children of less than 5 years old were enrolled in this study, 455 showed severe marasma, 57 marasma of medium severity and 38 kwashiorkor plus marasma. We divided the children randomly into four groups: 170 were given Misola (731 ± 7 kcal/day), 170 were given Spiruline plus traditional meals (748 ± 6 kcal/day), 170 were given Spiruline plus Misola (767 ± 5 kcal/day). Forty children received only traditional meals (722 ± 8 kcal/day) and functioned as the control group. The duration of this study was eight weeks. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Anthropometrics and haematological parameters allowed us to appreciate both the nutritional and biological evolution of these children. The rehabilitation with Spiruline plus Misola (this association gave an energy intake of 767 ± 5 kcal/day with a protein assumption of 33.3 ± 1.2 g a day), both greater than Misola or Spiruline alone, seems to correct weight loss more quickly. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that Misola, Spiruline plus traditional meals or Spiruline plus Misola are all a good food supplement for undernourished children, but the rehabilitation by Spiruline plus Misola seems synergically favour the nutrition rehabilitation better than the simple addition of protein and energy intake

Recent advances in the chemistry of SmI2–H2O

Recent work from our laboratories has shown SmI2–H2O to be a versatile, readily-accessible and non-toxic reductant that is more powerful than SmI2. This review describes the reduction of functional groups that were previously thought to lie beyond the reach of SmI2 and complexity-generating cyclisations and cyclisation cascades triggered by the reduction of the ester carbonyl group with SmI2–H2O

CERN-SPS Wire Scanner Impedance and Wire Heating Studies

This article describes a study performed on one of the CERN-SPS vertical rotational wire scanners in order to investigate the breakage of the wire, which occurred on several occasions during operation in 2012. The thermionic emission current of the wire was measured to evaluate temperature changes, and was observed to rise significantly as the wire approached the ultimate LHC beam in the SPS, indicating the possibility of strong coupling between the beam’s electromagnetic field and the wire. Different laboratory measurements, complemented by CST Microwave Studio simulations, have therefore been performed to try and understand the RF modes responsible for this heating. These results are presented here, along with the subsequent modifications adopted on all of the operational SPS wire scanners