Abstract: Novel, unsaturated diacteylene-terminated polyimides and processes for their preparation are disclosed herein. These new polyimides are derivatives of anhydride-terminated aromatic polyimides from which they can be prepared by amidation to provide new unsaturated amide groups having a terminal group containing the structure --C.tbd.C--C.tbd.C--, hereinafter sometimes referred to as "conjugated diynes". These new compositions are more tractable than the original anhydride-terminated polyimides and can be converted at appropriate lower temperature to crosslinked, insoluble, infusible polymers without by-product formation, thereby extending greatly the applications for which the aromatic polyimides can be employed. Moreover, these new polyimides can undergo the Diels-Alder type of addition with a large number of dienophiles. Certain monomeric materials are also described.

Abstract: A novel class of compounds which are useful as plant growth regulators is disclosed, having the general structural formula: ##STR1## In which R is C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl, alkenyl or aklynyl to which may be attached phenyl, pyridyl, benzoyl, phenoxy, halophenoxy, halobenzoyl, N-phenylcarbamyl, N-alkylcarbamyl, N-trifluoromethylthiadiazolylcarbamyl, carboxy, carbalkoxy or halo substituents,R.sup.1 is H, C.sub.1 to C.sub.3 alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl to which may be attached phenyl, halophenyl or phenoxy groups, acetyl, or R and R.sup.1 together may be C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 alkylene,Ar is phenyl or benzoyl,R.sup.2 is C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl, alkoxy, alkylene, alkylamino or alkylthio, phenoxy, benzyloxy, carbalkoxy, acetyl, methylenedioxy, trifluoromethyl, nitro, halo or cyano and n may be zero or an integer from 1 to 4, with the provision that at least one position ortho to the point of attachment of a phenyl ring of the Ar structure must be unsubstituted,R.sup.

Abstract: There is provided a process for the preparation of an amido or an ureido derivative of certain 4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-7-oxobenzo[b]thiophenes or certain 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-4-oxonaphthalenes which can be employed as an animal growth regulant. The process comprises: oxidizing in the presence of a cobalt catalyst a compound having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each a substituent selected from the group consisting of alkanoyl C.sub.1 -C.sub.7, halogen-substituted alkanoyl C.sub.1 -C.sub.7, carboalkoxy C.sub.1 -C.sub.4, ##STR2## and ##STR3## R.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 ; R.sub.4 is selected from the group consisting of hydr ogen, alkyl C.sub.1 -C.sub.8, alkanoyl C.sub.2 -C.sub.4, halogen-substituted alkanoyl (C.sub.2 -C.sub.