Homoconjugated Acids as Low Cyclosiloxane-Producing Silanol Polycondensation Catalysts.

Polycondensation of α,ω-disilanols is a foundational technology for silicones producers. Commercially, this process is carried out with strong Brønsted acids and bases, which generates cyclosiloxane byproducts. Homoconjugated acids (a 2:1 complex of acid:base or a 1:1 complex of acid:salt), a seldom used class of silanol polycondensation catalysts, were evaluated for their ability to polymerize α,ω-disilanols while forming low levels of cyclosiloxane byproducts.

Computational and Experimental Studies of Regioselective SAr Halide Exchange (Halex) Reactions of Pentachloropyridine.

The Halex reaction of pentachloropyridine with fluoride ion was studied experimentally and computationally with a modified ab initio G3MP2B3 method. The G3 procedure was altered, as the anionic transition state optimizations failed due to the lack of diffuse functions in the small 6-31G* basis set. Experimental Halex regioselectivities were consistent with kinetic control at the 4-position.

A safety culture transformation: its effects at a children's hospital.

Objective: To improve pediatric patient safety at a tertiary, 200-bed children's hospital by changing the safety culture and implementing processes, practices, and measures to sustain improvements. Although many core quality and safety measures exist for adult acute-care facilities, equivalent measures for pediatrics are lacking.

Methods: Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, part of the Spectrum Health system, led a 2-year initiative beginning in late 2007 to improve pediatric patient safety.

One-pot synthesis of Mo(0) dinitrogen complexes possessing monodentate and multidentate phosphine ligands.

Mo(0) dinitrogen complexes bearing electron-rich mono- and bidentate phosphines can be synthesized in good yields from inexpensive and readily accessible MoCl(5) via a one-step mild reduction with Mg metal. trans-[(N(2))(2)Mo(PMePh(2))(PPh(CH(2)CH(2)PPh(2))(2))] can also be obtained via this strategy. However, in the presence of tri- and tetradentate ligands that are sterically restrictive, the analogous reduction leads to either (η(6)-arene) formation or [Mo(multidentate phosphine)(m)](n) oligomer complexes that have no dinitrogen ligands.

Insurance-associated disparities in hospitalization outcomes of Michigan children.

Objective: To investigate whether children in Michigan with private insurance have better hospitalization-related outcomes than those with public or no insurance.

Study Design: Population-based hospitalization rates were calculated for newborns and children aged <18 years in Michigan for the years 2001-2006 and stratified by age, disease grouping, and health insurance status using inpatient records from the Michigan Inpatient Database and population estimates from the US Census Current Population Survey.

Results: Michigan children with public/no insurance had significantly higher overall hospital admission rates and admission rates for ambulatory-sensitive conditions, and were more likely to be admitted through the emergency room, compared with those with private health insurance.