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This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2011 on the actinide and transactinide elements.

Bipolar affective disorder (BD) is a severe, recurrent and disabling disorder with devastating consequences for individuals, families and society. Although these hazards and costs provide a compelling rationale for development of early detection and early intervention strategies in BD, the development of at-risk criteria for first episode mania is still in an early stage of development. In this paper we review the literature with respect to the clinical, neuroantomical and neuropsychological data, which support this goal. We also describe our recently developed bipolar at-risk criteria (BAR). This criteria comprises the peak age range of the first onset of bipolar disorder, genetic risk, presenting with sub-threshold mania, cyclothymic features or depressive symptoms. An initial pilot evaluation of the BAR criteria in 22 subjects indicated conversion rates to proxies of first-episode mania of 23 within 265 days on average, and high specificity and sensitivity of the criteria. If prospective studies confirm the validity of the BAR criteria, then the criteria would have the potential to open up new avenues of research for indicated prevention in BD and might therefore offer opportunities to ameliorate the severity of, or even prevent BD.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2010 on the actinide and transactinide elements.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2010 on scandium, yttrium and the lanthanide elements.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2010 on the elements iron, ruthenium and osmium.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2010 on titanium, zirconium and hafnium.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2009 on scandium, yttrium and the lanthanide elements.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2009 on the actinide and transactinide elements.

This chapter reviews literature reported during 2009 on iron, ruthenium and osmium.

This chapter reviews literature reported during 2009 on titanium, zirconium and hafnium.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2008 on scandium, yttrium and the lanthanide elements.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2008 on the actinide and transactinide elements.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2008 on titanium, zirconium and hafnium.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2008 on iron, ruthenium and osmium.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2007 on the actinide and transactinide elements.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2007 on scandium, yttrium and the lanthanide elements. Such is the volume of work published, that this account necessarily is highly selective, and much fine work, especially in the areas linked to spectroscopy, has not been cited.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2007 on iron, ruthenium and osmium. Because of the limitations of space, this review is deliberately very selective, and much fine work has not been cited.

This chapter reviews the literature reported during 2007 on titanium, zirconium and hafnium. Because of the limitations of space, this review is very selective, and much fine work has not been cited, especially in the area of organometallic chemistry.

Highlights include some remarkable imide chemistry, notably from the Mountford laboratories, whilst applications involving TiO2 continue to multiply.

This Chapter reviews the literature reported during 2006 on the actinide and transactinide elements. The principal highlight is the report of the synthesis of three atoms of element 118. Much fine molecular chemistry of uranium has been reported, especially from the laboratories of Ephritkhine and co-workers, whilst Cloke and co-workers have reported quite singular reactions involving uranium cyclooctatetraene complexes resulting in both a cyclic trimerisation and tetramerisation of CO at ambient pressure and room temperature.

Evans reports the synthesis of the highly congested [Cp*3Ln] (Ln = Gd, Y), in the most striking of a number of important contributions from his laboratories. Other publications feature the first homoleptic CeIV amide and important clarification of the scandium aqua ion, whilst there is significant interest in 45Sc, 89Y and 139La NMR.

The aryl [Li(thf)4][Fe(C6Cl5)4] is notable, as is the nitride [Fe(N)(Me3-cyclam-OAc)]2+, the first FeVI compound apart from the ferrate ion. Interest continues in Fe nitrosyl, oxo- and imide species; there is compelling work on three- and four-coordinate iron. In the case of ruthenium, interest continues in olefin metathesis and complexes of ligands such as bipy, phen and terpy, on account of their photochemical properties.

Much important uranium chemistry is reported, often of great interest. Notable is the work of Ephritikhine and co-workers, especially comparing lanthanide and actinide compounds of the same ligand, and highlights from Andersen’s group include the molecular [(η5-1,2,4-(But)3C5H2)2U = O]. The outstanding work, both in quality and quantity, has come from the laboratories of W. J. Evans. This includes more on [(C5Me5)3UMe] and [(C5Me5)3UCl], the role of cationic species like [(C5Me5)2U][(μ-Ph)2BPh2] in synthesis, and the remarkable benzene-bridged compound [(C5Me5)2U]2(η-η6:η6-C6H6)].

Areas of particular interest this year include further advances in non-haem iron(iv)oxo species, continued activity in five coordinate iron and cobalt polymerisation catalysts and the first example of a spin-crossover compound where the two iron atoms are trapped in different spin states. There is a considerable upsurge in nitrosyl chemistry.

There are some striking reports, concerning the reduction of a titanium phosphine complex, under a N2 atmosphere, which afford P–N bonds; a deprotonation of a titanium formate complex, resulting in decarbonylation leading to a Ti(iv) oxoanion complex; and theoretical calculations that predict the possibility of titanium-substituted hydrocarbons.

The highlight this year is surely the activation of dinitrogen by [(C5Me4H)2Zr] and its subsequent transformation into ammonia.1,2

Many interesting new results have been reported, both from the “usual suspects” (research groups of Evans, Ephritikhine, Lappert, Marks, Parker et al.) and from other groups, notably that of Mayer. Highlights this year include the synthesis of anhydrous uranyl iodide, following last year's report of hydrated uranyl iodide; remarkable addition reactions of a uranium(iii) tris(aryloxide) including a complex of linear-bound CO2, and evidence for alkane co-ordination to an uranium (indeed, there seems to be much more interest in uranium chemistry as a whole); continued advances in organolanthanide catalysis; and more N2 complexes of the lanthanides. And, of course, first reports have appeared concerning the syntheses of elements 113 and 115.

Highlights include advances in understanding the structures of cytochrome P450 enzymes and model compounds that can readily metabolise unreactive hydrocarbons; continued activity in simple alkyls, notably three co-ordinate iron(ii) alkyls that have been synthesised using a bidentate diketiminate as a supporting ligand; a novel halide ion-templated synthesis of nickel cage complexes; striking addition reactions of a three coordinate nickel complex of a bulky terdentate thiolate; the reinvestigation of some classic Werner complexes; and some interesting homoleptic carbenes of nickel and cobalt.

Highlights include a tris(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)uranium(dinitrogen) complex; the characterization of the hitherto shadowy uranyl iodide as the etherate UO2I2(OH2)2·4Et2O; a remarkable uranyl(v) species, [UO2(OPPh3)4](OTf); a detailed analysis of agostic interactions in the pyramidal amides [Ln{(N(SiMe3)2)3}] and alkyls [Ln{(CH(SiMe3)2)3}]; increased interest in lanthanide alkyls, both cationic and neutral; and the variety of co-ordination chemistry of the lanthanides with terdentate N-donors.

Highlights include developments in the area of iron dioxygen and Fe&z.dbd;O linkages; a remarkable air-stable two coordinate iron alkyl; a nickel(iv) norbornyl, again with considerable stability; a stable hydrido tetraamine cobalt(iii) complex; continued work on five co-ordinate Fe and Co complexes as olefin oligomerisation catalysts, and more on iron cyano/carbonyl complexes.

It is again easier to identify areas of activity than to point towards specific advances, with active research dominated by organometallics with a view to catalytic activity; alkoxides, amides and related compounds that can afford thin films of compounds like TiO2; and TiO2 itself. Lesser delights include the identification of the TBPY [ZrCl5]− anion and the giant titanium polyoxotungstate with four tri-Tiiv-1,2,3-substituted α-Dawson substructures.

A consideration of the available evidence, drawn largely from X-ray diffraction data on crystalline scandium complexes, as well as aqueous solutions, points strongly to the co-ordination number of Sc3+ in aqueous solution being 7, an exceptional value for this region of the Periodic Table. Whilst the only [Sc(OH2)n]3+ion isolated from solution has n=9, it is shown that this is an exceptional case; consideration particularly of three dimers containing [(H2O)5Sc(μ-OH)2Sc(H2O)5]4+ ions with seven co-ordinate scandium indicates that their Sc-OH2 bond length of 2.18-2.19Å is close to that found from diffraction studies on solutions of Sc(III) salts, strong evidence for [Sc(OH2)7]3+ being the principal species in aqueous solution.

In the last few years there have been considerable changes in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Arguably the most significant of these has been the introduction of competition. Central to this development has been the introduction of general practice (GP) fundholding, whereby practices purchase health care for their patients directly from competing suppliers. Those practices which have become fundholders have faced considerable challenges in developing their purchasing function, given the complexities of contracting within the context of the NHS internal market. Although one of the original aims of GP fundholding was to facilitate locally responsive purchasing, such have been the complexities of contracting that many fundholding practices have attempted to reduce the managerial demands of purchasing through membership of purchasing consortia. Based on an in-depth study of GP fundholders across Scotland, this paper explores the development of consortium-based purchasing. Specifically, this paper seeks to address three issues central to the evolution of such consortium-based purchasing. Firstly, the patterns of organizational structure and the operational dynamics of such consortia. Secondly, the impact of such consortia on the process of fundholder purchasing. Thirdly, the managerial implications of purchasing through such consortia for the participating practices. In addressing these issues, it will examine whether such patterns of purchaser development have impacted on the evolution of locally responsive purchasing.