CATEcor: An Open Science, Shaded-Truss, Externally-Occulted Coronagraph.

We present the design of a portable coronagraph, CATEcor (where CATE stands for Continental-America Telescope Eclipse), that incorporates a novel "shaded-truss" style of external occultation and serves as a proof-of-concept for that family of coronagraphs. The shaded-truss design style has the potential for broad application in various scientific settings. We conceived CATEcor itself as a simple instrument to observe the corona during the darker skies available during a partial solar eclipse, or for students or interested amateurs to detect the corona under ideal noneclipsed conditions.

The SWAP Filter: A Simple Azimuthally Varying Radial Filter for Wide-Field EUV Solar Images.

Unlabelled: We present the SWAP Filter: an azimuthally varying, radial normalizing filter specifically developed for EUV images of the solar corona, named for the (SWAP) instrument on the (PROBA2) spacecraft. We discuss the origins of our technique, its implementation and key user-configurable parameters, and highlight its effects on data via a series of examples. We discuss the filter's strengths in a data environment in which wide field-of-view observations that specifically target the low signal-to-noise middle corona are newly available and expected to grow in the coming years.

Defining the Middle Corona.

The middle corona, the region roughly spanning heliocentric distances from 1.5 to 6 solar radii, encompasses almost all of the influential physical transitions and processes that govern the behavior of coronal outflow into the heliosphere. The solar wind, eruptions, and flows pass through the region, and they are shaped by it.

Investigation of the Middle Corona with SWAP and a Data-Driven Non-Potential Coronal Magnetic Field Model.

Unlabelled: The large field-of-view of the (SWAP) instrument onboard the (PROBA2) spacecraft provides a unique opportunity to study extended coronal structures observed in the EUV in conjunction with global coronal magnetic field simulations. A global non-potential magnetic field model is used to simulate the evolution of the global corona from 1 September 2014 to 31 March 2015, driven by newly emerging bipolar active regions determined from (HMI) magnetograms. We compare the large-scale structure of the simulated magnetic field with structures seen off-limb in SWAP EUV observations.

Mechanistic Development and Recent Applications of the Chan-Lam Amination.

Transition metal-mediated formation of C-N bonds is an essential synthetic methodology. The discovery of the Chan-Lam amination provided a C-N bond forming process that was mild, convenient, and inexpensive, offering an alternative to complementary methods using other transition metals (TMs). Over the past 20 years, this reaction has seen considerable development in its scope of application, uptake into industry, and understanding of its mechanism.

Ni vs. Pd in Suzuki-Miyaura sp-sp cross-coupling: a head-to-head study in a comparable precatalyst/ligand system.

The Suzuki-Miyaura reaction is a cornerstone method for sp-sp cross-coupling in industry. There has been a concerted effort to enable the use of Ni catalysis as an alternative to Pd in order to mitigate cost and improve sustainability. Despite significant advances, ligand development for Ni-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling remains underdeveloped when compared to Pd and, as a consequence, ligands for Ni-catalyzed processes are typically taken from the Pd arena.

Mechanism of Cu-Catalyzed Aryl Boronic Acid Halodeboronation Using Electrophilic Halogen: Development of a Base-Catalyzed Iododeboronation for Radiolabeling Applications.

An investigation into the mechanism of Cu-catalyzed aryl boronic acid halodeboronation using electrophilic halogen reagents is reported. Evidence is provided to show that this takes place via a boronate-driven ipso-substitution pathway and that Cu is not required for these processes to operate: general Lewis base catalysis is operational. This in turn allows the rational development of a general, simple, and effective base-catalyzed halodeboronation that is amenable to the preparation of I-labeled products for SPECT applications.

Interrogating Pd(II) Anion Metathesis Using a Bifunctional Chemical Probe: A Transmetalation Switch.

Ligand metathesis of Pd(II) complexes is mechanistically essential for cross-coupling. We present a study of halide→OH anion metathesis of (Ar)Pd complexes using vinylBPin as a bifunctional chemical probe with Pd(II)-dependent cross-coupling pathways. We identify the variables that profoundly impact this event and allow control to be leveraged.

Detection of drugs of abuse by Raman spectroscopy.

Raman spectroscopy can provide rapid, sensitive, non-destructive analysis of a variety of drug types (e.g. amphetamines, alkaloids, designer drugs, and date rape drugs).

The spectroscopic detection of drugs of abuse on textile fibres after recovery with adhesive lifters.

Fibres are one of the most common forms of evidence associated with forensic investigations. The use of adhesive lifters to recover fibres from crime scene samples has long been established as an effective method to recover such items of evidence. Once fibres have been lifted they are transferred to evidence bags for storage, safe transport and to preserve the chain of evidence.

The spectroscopic detection of drugs of abuse in fingerprints after development with powders and recovery with adhesive lifters.

The application of powders to fingerprints has long been established as an effective and reliable method for developing latent fingerprints. Fingerprints developed in situ at a crime scene routinely undergo lifting with specialist tapes and are then stored in evidence bags to allow secure transit and also to preserve the chain of evidence. In a previous study we have shown that exogenous material within a fingerprint can be detected using Raman spectroscopy following development with powders and lifting with adhesive tapes.

The spectroscopic detection of exogenous material in fingerprints after development with powders and recovery with adhesive lifters.

The application of powders to fingerprints has long been established as an effective and reliable method for developing latent fingerprints. The powders adhere to the ridge pattern of the fingerprint only, thus allowing the image to be visualised. Fingerprints developed in situ at a crime scene routinely undergo lifting with specialist tapes to facilitate subsequent laboratory analysis.