Phosphine-Catalyzed 1,2-cis-Diboration of 1,3-Butadiynes.

Trialkyl phosphines PMe and PEt catalyze the 1,2-cis-diboration of 1,3-butadiynes to give 1,2-diboryl enynes. The products were utilized to synthesize 1,1,2,4-tetraaryl enynes using a Suzuki-Miyaura protocol and can readily undergo proto-deborylation.

Alumanyl-Samarium(II): Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity Studies.

Metal-metal bonded species involving lanthanides are intriguing but rare. The recently reported salt metathesis reaction of an Al anion and SmI(thf) yields novel heterometallic compound possessing two distinctive Al-Sm bonds. Although the Al-Sm bonds were considerably long [3.

[2+2+1+1] Cycloaddition for de novo Synthesis of Densely Functionalized Phenols.

A unique benzannulation strategy for regioselective de novo synthesis of densely functionalized phenols is described. Through metal-mediated formal [2+2+1+1] cycloaddition of two different alkynes and two molecules of CO, a series of densely functionalized phenols were obtained. The benzannulation strategy allows efficient regioselective installation up to five different substituents on a phenol ring.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Remotely Chiral Naphthols and Naphthylamines via Naphthoquinone Methides.

Quinone methides are well-established intermediates in asymmetric synthesis. In contrast, their extended analogues with the carbonyl and methide units distributed across two different rings have not been exploited in asymmetric synthesis. Herein, we achieved the first asymmetric process involving such intermediates.

Al-Sc Bonded Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Reaction with Benzene in the Presence of Alkyl Halide.

An alumanyl anion possessing -bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,3-propanediamine ligand was synthesized and characterized. Transmetalation of this Al anion with diaminoscandium chloride precursors afforded the corresponding Al-Sc complexes possessing an unprecedented Al-Sc bond. The Al-Sc[N(SiMe)] complex underwent intramolecular C-H cleavage to form a bridged dinuclear complex with μ-hydrido and μ-methylene ligands.

Transition Metal-Free Regio- and Stereo-Selective trans Hydroboration of 1,3-Diynes: A Phosphine-Catalyzed Access to (E)-1-Boryl-1,3-Enynes.

We report a transition metal-free, regio- and stereo-selective, phosphine-catalyzed method for the trans hydroboration of 1,3-diynes with pinacolborane that affords (E)-1-boryl-1,3-enynes. The reaction proceeds with excellent selectivity for boron addition to the external carbon of the 1,3-diyne framework as unambiguously established by NMR and X-ray crystallographic studies. The reaction displays a broad substrate scope including unsymmetrical diynes to generate products in high yield (up to 95 %).

Device-assisted continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: A single-centre experience.

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with impaired hand-eye function require helper assistance. Our centre developed a connection device that assists patients with impaired hand-eye function to perform PD exchange themselves, but the clinical outcomes in these patients have not been investigated.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who had device-assisted continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) during 2007-2016 and compared their clinical outcomes with age- and sex-matched patients receiving helper-assisted CAPD.

TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument observations of total column water vapour: Algorithm and validation.

In this paper, we present the total column water vapour (TCWV) retrieval for the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) observations in the visible blue spectral band. The TROPOMI TCWV algorithm is being optimized and validated in the framework of the Sentinel 5 Precursor Product Algorithm Laboratory (S5P-PAL) project from the European Space Agency (ESA). The retrieval was first developed to retrieve TCWV from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2 (GOME-2).

Optical Sensors and Sensing, 2019: introduction to the joint feature issue.

This joint feature issue of Optics Express and Applied Optics highlights contributions from authors who presented their latest research at the OSA Optical Sensors and Sensing Congress, held in San Jose, California, USA from 25-27 June 2019. The joint feature issue comprises 6 contributed papers, which expand upon their respective conference proceedings. The published papers introduced here cover a range of timely research topics in optics and photonics for active open-path sensing, radiometry, and adaptive optics and fiber devices.

First observation of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide from the Environmental Trace Gases Monitoring Instrument onboard the GaoFen-5 satellite.

The Environmental Trace Gases Monitoring Instrument (EMI) is the first Chinese satellite-borne UV-Vis spectrometer aiming to measure the distribution of atmospheric trace gases on a global scale. The EMI instrument onboard the GaoFen-5 satellite was launched on 9 May 2018. In this paper, we present the tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO) vertical column density (VCD) retrieval algorithm dedicated to EMI measurement.

Optical Sensors and Sensing 2019: introduction to the joint feature issue.

This joint feature issue of Optics Express and Applied Optics highlights contributions from authors who presented their latest research at the OSA Optical Sensors and Sensing Congress, held in San Jose, California, USA, from 25-27 June 2019. The joint feature issue comprises six contributed papers, which expand upon their respective conference proceedings. The published papers introduced here cover a range of timely research topics in optics and photonics for active open-path sensing, radiometry, and adaptive optics and fiber devices.

Multi-layer solar radiative transfer considering the vertical variation of inherent microphysical properties of clouds.

A multi-layer solar radiative transfer (RT) scheme is proposed to deal with the vertical variation of inherent microphysical properties of clouds in this study. The exponential expressions are used to represent the vertical variation of optical properties caused by inhomogeneous microphysical properties. A perturbation method, coupled with the Eddington approximation, is used to solve the RT equation.

On the summertime air quality and related photochemical processes in the megacity Shanghai, China.

Summertime surface ozone (O) and related secondary formation of fine particles are the major air quality concerns in the megacity of Shanghai. We performed mobile Cavity Enhanced Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (CE-DOAS) measurements to investigate the spatial distribution of on-road nitrogen dioxide (NO) concentrations along the Inner Ring Elevated Road (IRER) in Shanghai. The observations show a ratio of 4 between CE-DOAS averaged on-road NO and the in-situ ambient measurements, illustrating the strong impact of vehicle emissions over the urban area.

Spatial and seasonal heterogeneity of atmospheric particles induced reactive oxygen species in urban areas and the role of water-soluble metals.

Adverse health effects are associated with exposure to atmospheric particulate matter (PM), which carry various chemical constituents and induce both exogenous and endogenous oxidative stress. This study investigated the spatial and seasonal variability of PM-induced ROS at four sites with different characteristics in Hong Kong. Cytotoxicity, exogenous and endogenous ROS was determined on a dose and time dependent analysis.

Relationship of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and health-related lifestyle in healthy human subjects.

The associations between serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and several health-related lifestyle factors were evaluated in 85 healthy human subjects. Results showed that the frequency of fruit intake, exercise and television watching were associated with serum BDNF level. There was a higher serum BDNF level from the group with fruit intake five to six times per week.