Flash vacuum pyrolyses (FVP) of benzoic 3-methyl-2-benzofurancarboxylic anhydride (12) and benzoic 2-methyl-3-benzofurancarboxylic anhydride (13) at 550 degrees C and ca. 10(-2) torr both give methylenebenzocyclobutenone (21) as the major product and indenone (22) as the minor one. A mechanism involving generation of alpha-oxo-o-quinodimethane 11 as the primary pyrolysis product from FVP of 13, followed by elimination of a CO molecule to give carbene 24, which undergoes a vinylcarbene-cyclopropene rearrangement and a ring contraction of the resulting carbene 23, is proposed to account for the observed results. The proposed mechanism is further supported by a deuterium-labeling study on FVP of (2-benzofuryl)methyl-alpha,alpha-d2 benzoate (28-d2).

Purposes:The primary purposes of this study were 1) to examine relationships among stress, coping and comorbidity and 2) to test the interaction effect of comorbidity.Background:Hemodialysis imposes a variety of physical and psychosocial stressors that challenge patients. Comorbidity is a risk factor for many health outcomes. Research on how comorbidity influences the relationship between coping and stress is limited.Method:In this cross-sectional study using face to face interviews, we interviewed 2642 hemodialysis patients fifteen years or older on dialysis for at least 3 months from October 2002 to January 2003. The Hemodialysis Stressor Scale measured stressors and the Jalowiec Coping Scale were used to measure coping strategies. A hierarchical regression was used to analyze the data.Results:Hemodialysis patients with comorbidities were found to have higher levels of stress. Comorbidity had a moderating effect between choice of problem-oriented responses and isolated thoughts as coping strategies. These findings show that hemodialysis patients with comorbidities often choose positive coping strategies.Conclusion:HD patients with comorbidity have a higher stress scores than those without comorbidities. Comorbidity not only has a direct impact on stress but also has a moderating effect on the relationship between coping and stress. Therefore, taking into account the comorbidity factor became very crucial when assessing the HD patients’ level of stress.