Memories of nursing in Singapore - an oral history approach.

Background: Documentation of the voices of nurses provided valuable insight and a greater understanding of the nursing experience in Singapore.

Aim: To record nurses' experiences of journey of nursing profession in the acute care setting in Singapore from the early days of formalisation of nursing education to today's practice as a profession with various specialisation and career tracks.

Method: An oral history research approach was adopted, with purposive and snowball sampling to recruit nurses (both current and retired) who had trained in Singapore from 1956 which marked the beginning of the founding of the School of Nursing to current.

Neuromuscular Blocking Agents and Monitoring in China: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Current Management.

Background: Little is known about the recent use of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) and monitoring in China. This paper presents the results of a nationwide survey conducted to obtain information regarding the current management of NMBAs in China.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent to Chinese anesthesiologists inviting them to participate in the study.

New meroterpenoids and C-methylated flavonoid isolated from Baeckea frutescens.

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Baeckea frutescens resulted in the isolation of three new mono- or sesquiterpene-based meroterpenoids, frutescones S-U (1-3), and one pair of new (±)-5,7-dihydroxy-8-isobutyryl-6-methyldihydroflavonol (4). Their structures and absolute configurations were established by HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and quantum chemical ECD calculation. Compound 1 exhibited inhibitory effect on NO production in LPS-activated RAW 264.

International tuberculosis research collaborations within Asia.

Background: Asia bears more than half the global tuberculosis (TB) burden. Economic development in the region has increased available funding for biomedical research and opportunity for collaboration. We explored the extent of international tuberculosis research collaborations between institutions within Asia.

Optically pure polyfluoroalkanesulfinamides: synthesis and application as promising and monitorable chiral auxiliaries.

Efficient synthesis of enantiopure polyfluoroalkanesulfinamides (PFSAs) has been achieved. Their application as novel chiral auxiliaries with an electron-withdrawing and (19)F NMR monitorable polyfluoroalkyl group was initially demonstrated in an asymmetric Strecker reaction under mild conditions.

Bidirectional synthesis of the central amino acid of chloptosin.

[reaction: see text] An efficient total synthesis of (2S,2'S,3aR,3'aR,8aR,8'aR)-6,6'-dichloro-3a,3'a-dihydroxy-1,1',2,2',3,3a,3',3'a,8,8a,8',8'a-dodecahydro-5,5'-bipyrrolo[2,3-b]indole-2,2'-dicarboxylic acid, the central amino acid component of chloptosin (1), is described. Starting from m-chloronitrobenzene, this C(2)-symmetrical amino acid was synthesized by using a 14-step route, in which a Zinin benzidine rearrangement, intramolecular Heck reaction, and selenocyclization and oxidative deselenation served as key steps. The absolute stereochemistry of the target was confirmed by X-ray single-crystal studies on a key intermediate (17).