Imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthrolines: Versatile ligands for the design of metallomesogens

2-Aryl-substituted imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthrolines were used as building blocks for metal-containing liquid crystals (metallomesogens). Imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthrolines are versatile ligands because they can form stable complexes with various d-block transition metals, including platinum(II) and rhenium(I), as well as with lanthanide(III) and uranyl ions and they can easily be structurally modified by a judicious choice of benzaldehyde precursor. None of the ligands designed for this study were liquid-crystalline. However, mesomorphism could be induced by their coordination to various metallic fragments. The thermal behavior of the metal complexes depended on the metal-to-ligand ratio and the substitution pattern of the coordinating ligands. Complexes with a metal-to-ligand ratio of 1:1 [ML, with M = Pt(II), Re(I)] were not liquid-crystal line. The lanthanide(III) complexes with a metal-to-ligand ratio of 1:2 [ML2 with M = Ln(III)] formed an enantiotropic cubic mesophase or were not liquid-crystalline, depending on the nature of the lanthanide(III) ion and the substitution pattern of the ligands. A 1:3 uranyl complex of the type [ML3](2+) exhibited a hexagonal columnar mesophase over a broad temperature range. Self-assembled monolayers of a europium(III) complex were investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy, which revealed that the complex formed well-ordered structures over long distances at the 1-octanoic acid-graphite interface. The rhenium(I) complexes and the europium(III) complexes with 2-thenoyl-trifluoroacetonate or dibenzoylmethanate and imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline showed good luminescence properties.

Understanding the migratory orientation program of birds: extending laboratory studies to study free flying migrants in a natural setting

For many years, orientation in migratory birds has primarily been studied in the laboratory. Although a laboratory-based setting enables greater control over environmental cues, the laboratory-based findings must be confirmed in the wild in free-flying birds to be able to fully understand how birds orient during migration. Despite the difficulties associated with following free-flying birds over long distances, a number of possibilities currently exist for tracking the long distance, sometimes even globe-spanning, journeys undertaken by migrating birds. Birds fitted with radio transmitters can either be located from the ground or from aircraft (conventional tracking), or from space. Alternatively, positional information obtained by onboard equipment (e.g., GPS units) can be transmitted to receivers in space. Use of these tracking methods has provided a wealth of information on migratory behaviors that are otherwise very difficult to study. Here, we focus on the progress in understanding certain components of the migration-orientation system. Comparably exciting results can be expected in the future from tracking free-flying migrants in the wild. Use of orientation cues has been studied in migrating raptors (satellite telemetry) and thrushes (conventional telemetry), highlighting that findings in the natural setting may not always be as expected on the basis of cage-experiments. Furthermore, field tracking methods combined with experimental approaches have finally allowed for an extension of the paradigmatic displacement experiments performed by Perdeck in 1958 on the short-distance, social migrant, the starling, to long-distance migrating storks and long-distance, non-socially migrating passerines. Results from these studies provide fundamental insights into the nature of the migratory orientation system that enables experienced birds to navigate and guide inexperienced, young birds to their species-specific winter grounds.

Nurses' experiences providing palliative care to individuals living in rural communities aspects of the physical residential setting

Introduction: Efforts are needed to improve palliative care in rural communities, given the unique characteristics and inherent challenges with respect to working within the physical aspects of residential settings. Nurses who work in rural communities play a key role in the delivery of palliative care services. Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore nurses’ experiences of providing palliative care in rural communities, with a particular focus on the impact of the physical residential setting.

Methods: This study was grounded in a qualitative approach utilizing an exploratory descriptive design. Individual telephone interviews were conducted with 21 community nurses. Data were analyzed by thematic content analysis.

Results: Nurses described the characteristics of working in a rural community and how it influences their perception of their role, highlighting the strong sense of community that exists but how system changes over the past decade have changed the way they provide care. They also described the key role that they play, which was often termed a ‘jack of all trades’, but focused on providing emotional, physical, and spiritual care while trying to manage many challenges related to transitioning and working with other healthcare providers. Finally, nurses described how the challenges of working within the physical constraints of a rural residential setting impeded their care provision to clients who are dying in the community, specifically related to the long distances that they travel while dealing with bad weather.