We report on the implementation of the concept of a photochemically elicited two-carbon homologation of a π -donor -π -acceptor substituted chromophore by triple bond insertion. Implementing a phenyl connector between the slide-in module and the chromophore enabled the synthesis of cylohepta[ b ]indole-type building blocks by a metal-free annulative one-pot two-carbon ring expansion of the five-membered chromophore. Post-irradiative structural elaboration provided founding members of the indolo[2,3- d ]tropone family of compounds. Control experiments in combination with computational chemistry on this multi-bond reorganization process founded the basis for a mechanistic hypothesis.Importance To assess early outcomes of intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor treatment in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) before patients have a chance to miss or discontinue treatment. Background Intravitreal VEGF inhibitors used to treat nAMD have been compared in various ways. The present study compared the 4-week responses to the first injection of either aflibercept, bevacizumab, or ranibizumab. Design Observational study. Participants Treatment-naïve nAMD patients with visual acuity (VA) taken 22 to 48 days after the first treatment with an intravitreal VEGF inhibitor. Methods An observational study from a prospectively designed database. Main outcome measures VA change from baseline and proportion of eyes judged active 22 to 48 days after the first treatment. Results The overall mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) VA change at 4 weeks was +3.7 (3.3, 4.0) letters. No pairwise comparisons in crude VA change or VA change after multivariate adjustment between the three agents were significant. However, after multivariate adjustment, more eyes treated with bevacizumab (90%) had active disease 4 weeks after the first injection than ranibizumab (84%; P = .013) and aflibercept (82%; P = .004). Older age, higher baseline vision and larger lesions were associated with lower VA change. Conclusion There was no significant difference in VA gains amongst all three drugs but ranibizumab and aflibercept seemed to be more efficacious in quelling disease activity 4 weeks after the first treatment. VA change after the first injection was driven largely by baseline characteristics such as age, baseline VA and lesion size.Double deprotonation of the diamine 1,1′-( t BuCH 2 NH)-ferrocene ( 1 -H 2 ) by alkaline earth (Ae) or Eu(II) metal reagents gave the complexes 1 -Ae (Ae = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) and 1 -Eu. Complex 1 -Mg crystallized as a monomer with two THF ligands while the heavier complexes crystallized as dimers in which each metal is solvated by one ( 1 -Ca and 1 -Sr) or two ( 1 -Ba) THF ligands; 1 -Eu is isostructural to 1 -Sr. The Fe∙∙∙Mg distance in 1 -Mg (3.4255(6) Å) is too long for a bonding interaction, but short Fe∙∙∙Ae distances in 1 -Ca (3.1129(6) Å), 1 -Sr (3.3204(5) Å) and 1 -Ba (3.4537(4) Å) clearly support bonding interactions. selleck inhibitor Evidence for intramolecular Fe∙∙∙Ae bonding is provided by a tilting of the Cp rings and the related 1 H NMR chemical shift difference between the Cp a and b protons which both increase with metal size. While electrochemical studies are complicated by complex decomposition, UV/vis spectra of these intensely red complexes are in agreement with Fe→Ae dative bonding. A comprehensive bonding analysis of all 1 -Ae complexes using the QTAIM and EDA-NOCV methods shows that the heavier species 1 -Ca, 1 -Sr and 1 -Ba possess genuine Fe→Ae bonds which involve vacant d -orbitals of the alkaline earth atoms and partially filled d -orbitals on Fe. In 1 -Mg a weak Fe→Mg donation into vacant p -orbitals of the Mg atom is observed. These experimental data provide proof for an important role of d -orbitals on the heavier Ae metals Ca, Sr and Ba.Diagnosis of pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD), the most common cause of hereditary non-spherocytic haemolytic anaemia, remains challenging in routine practice and no biomarkers for clinical severity have been characterised. This prospective study enrolled 41 patients with molecularly confirmed PKD from nine North American centres to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of pyruvate kinase (PK) enzyme activity and PKhexokinase (HK) enzyme activity ratio, and evaluate the erythrocyte PK (PK-R) protein level and erythrocyte metabolites as biomarkers for clinical severity. In this population not transfused for ≥90 days before sampling, the diagnostic sensitivity of the PK enzyme assay was 90% [95% confidence interval (CI) 77-97%], whereas the PKHK ratio sensitivity was 98% (95% CI 87-100%). There was no correlation between PK enzyme activity and clinical severity. Transfusion requirements correlated with normalised erythrocyte ATP levels (r = 0·527, P = 0·0016) and PK-R protein levels (r = -0·527, P = 0·0028). PK-R protein levels were significantly higher in the never transfused [median (range) 40·1 (9·8-73·9)%] versus ever transfused [median (range) 7·7 (0·4-15·1)%] patients (P = 0·0014). The PKHK ratio had excellent sensitivity for PK diagnosis, superior to PKLR exon sequencing. Given that the number of PKLR variants and genotype combinations limits prognostication based on molecular findings, PK-R protein level may be a useful prognostic biomarker of disease severity and merits further study.Perhaps for the first time in history, a single statistical measure is now dictating the entirety of UK government policy. The ‘basic reproduction number’, R0 value for Covid‐19 is more directly determining economic and social policy than has ever the inflation rate, interest rate, or exchange rate. It is encouraging to see political policy for once ‘rational’ but disappointing it took a pandemic to make it so. However, is R0 an appropriate and significant measure? Like many mathematics/statistical parameters, R0 is relatively easy to explain, more complicated to understand (even graphically), and very difficult to calculate, or use for modelling. Given its significance for all our lives, it is important to understand a little of its background. This article seeks to explain the issues in a non‐technical way, relegating all equations (used sparingly) to appendices.