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The synthesis and gas permeation properties of addition-type poly­(3,3-bis­(trimethylsilyl)­tricyclononene-7) (PTCNSi2g) are first reported. High molecular weight PTCNSi2g was obtained via addition polymerization of 3,3-bis­(trimethylsilyl)­tricylononene-7 on a Pd-containing catalyst. It possessed a BET surface area as high as 790 m2/g. This new polymer is distinguished by extra high gas permeability and solubility controlled permeation of hydrocarbons. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy revealed extremely large size of free volume elements (8.3 Å). PTCNSi2g is a promising membrane material for separation of natural gas.

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Knowing target regions undergoing strfuncti changes caused by behavioural interventions is paramount in evaluating the effectiveness of such practices. Here, using a systematic review approach, we identified 25 peer-reviewed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies demonstrating grey matter changes related to mindfulness meditation. An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis (n = 16) revealed the right anterior ventral insula as the only significant region with consistent effect across studies, whilst an additional functional connectivity analysis indicates that both left and right insulae, and the anterior cingulate gyrus with adjacent paracingulate gyri should also be considered in future studies. Statistical meta-analyses suggest medium to strong effect sizes from Cohen’s d ~ 0.8 in the right insula to ~ 1 using maxima across the whole brain. The systematic review revealed design issues with selection, information, attrition and confirmation biases, in addition to weak statistical power. In conclusion, our analyses show that mindfulness meditation practice does induce grey matter changes but also that improvements in methodology are needed to establish mindfulness as a therapeutic intervention.

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