Efficient synthesis of gamma-alkylidenetetronic esters by sequential Lewis acid catalyzed

A new approach for the synthesis of gamma-alkylidenetetronic acids and esters is reported which involves Me3SiOTf-catalyzed, regio- and stereoselective cyclization of 4-alkoxy-1,3-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)-1,3-butadienes with oxalyl chloride. The alpha-hydroxy group of the butenolides is efficiently functionalized by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions via the corresponding enol triflates.

Efficient synthesis of butenolide-medium ring ether hybrids by a [3 + 2] cyclization-ring-closing metathesis strategy

A new strategy for the synthesis of bicyclic gamma-alkylidenebutenolides, butenolide-medium ring ether hybrids, is reported which involves Me(3)SiOTf-catalyzed cyclization of 1, 3-bis(trimethylsilyloxy)-1,3-butadienes with oxalyl chloride, Mitsunobu reaction, and subsequent ring-closing metathesis.

[Periodic breathing with periodic oxygen variation in infancy]

Oxycardiorespirographies, recording arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), breathing movements, heart rate and ECG with a mean recording time of 22.3 hours, were performed on 85 preterm (mean postconceptional age: 38 weeks) and 81 term infants (mean postconceptional age 42.4 weeks). 83% of the preterm infants showed periodic breathing (PB), in 97% of them this was accompanied by periodic variations of arterial oxygen saturation (PVO). Periodic breathing occurred in 61% of the term infants, 84% of them showed PVO during periodic breathing. The mean variation of oxygen saturation was between 92.8 and 96.8% (+/- 1.7) for preterm and between 92.9 and 96.0% (+/- 2.2) for term infants. In some infants the peak to peak amplitude of the SaO2 cycles was up to 22%, sometimes a further fall of SaO2 occurred. There was a strong correlation of the PVO both at the beginning and end of the episode as well as with the PB-cycle periodicity itself. The fall of the oxygen saturation occurred 3.1 to 7.8 s after the beginning of the first apnea of an episode of periodic breathing, the minimum SaO2 was reached approximately 4.2 to 8.6 s later. This periodic rapid fall of SaO2 from a high oxygenation level cannot be explained by the apneas of a rather short duration during periodic breathing. It is discussed that PVO during periodic breathing may be caused by an ideopathic right to left shunting across fetal circulation pathways which occurs intermittently and periodically. This mechanism could-via patterns of reaction exhibited during the fetal and neonatal time period-lead to acute hypoxemia, as found in apparently life threatening events (ALTE) and as postulated in sudden infant death (SID).