Search

This article proposes a milder approach for C(sp2=−H functionalization of 2,2‐disubstituted cyclopentene‐1,3‐dione via formal 1° amination utilizing water as a solvent. In addition, this approach also offers C(sp2)−O, C(sp2)−I bond formation for the first time using sodium azide. The said highly scalable transformation does not require any prefunctionalization of the starting material. Moreover, this methodology is metal free, requires no ligand and all these reactions are carried out in an open‐air atmosphere with broad substrate scope. We have also explored a novel BF3.OEt2 mediated dehalogenation using mild reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global rise of zoonotic bacteria resistant to multiple antimicrobial classes and the growing occurrence of infections caused by Aeromonas spp. resistant to β-lactam antibiotics pose a severe threat to animal and human health. However, the contribution of natural environments, particularly aquatic ecosystems, as ideal settings for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a key concern. Investigating the phenotypic antibiotic resistance and detection of β-lactamase producing Aeromonas spp. in Lamellidens marginalis, which inhabit all freshwater ecosystems of the Indian subcontinent, is essential for implications in monitoring food safety and drug resistance. In the present investigation, 92 isolates of Aeromonas spp. were recovered from 105 bivalves and screened for their antimicrobial resistance patterns. In vitro antibiotic resistance profiling showed a higher Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index of 0.8 with the highest resistance against ampicillin/sulbactam (82%), while 58, 44, 39 and 38% of the isolates were resistant to cephalothin, erythromycin, cefoxitin and imipenem, respectively. PCR results revealed that these isolates carried the blaTEM gene (94%), which was followed by the blaCTX-M gene (51%) and the blaSHV gene (45%). A combination of blaSHV, blaCTX-M, and blaTEM genes was found in 17% of the isolates, indicating the presence of all three resistance genes. This is the first investigation which highlights the importance of multidrug-resistant Aeromonas spp. in L. marginalis. The identification of extended-spectrum-β-lactamases (ESBLs) genes demand the necessity of continuous surveillance and systematic monitoring, considering its potential health risks for both animals and human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plankton are promising ecological monitoring tool that responds quickly to any sort of aquatic ecological alteration, of which many of them are much susceptible to ecological variations. Therefore, monitoring shifts in plankton composition can indicate changes in water quality and aid to identify potential pollution sources. In the present study, the variation in plankton dynamics in relation to ecological variables were monitored in the freshwater zone of the Hooghly estuary from May 2020 to April 2021. The study was conducted in the interval of every six hours. i.e., at 6 A.M., 12 P.M., 6 P.M., and 12 A.M. The present finding revealed the occurrence of 54 phytoplankton and 20 zooplankton taxa/species. Diel variation revealed that among different time intervals, the highest abundance of phytoplankton was recorded 28,307 cells l−1 at 12 P.M, while the lowest was recorded 10,632 cells l−1 at 6 A.M. However, the highest zooplankton abundance was observed 804 ind l−1 at 6 A.M., and the lowest was recorded 156 ind l−1 at 6 P.M. The ANOVA (p < 0.05) analysis indicated significant diel variation for many planktonic genera. The CCA exhibited that most of the phytoplankton were influenced by multiple water quality variables such as temperature, turbidity, calcium, pH, salinity, DO, and nutrients. However, the majority of the zooplankton were affected by turbidity, total phosphorus, sulphate, calcium and available nitrogen. Significant seasonal variation in plankton composition has also been observed. The present study will help to determine the varying diel pattern of planktons in retort to alterations in the water quality parameters and varying ecological niches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The River Ganga produces a substantial amount of its fish from small native species, defined here as those with a maximum length of 25 cm. The FiSAT program was utilized to estimate stock assessments of four important small indigenous species from the River Ganga: Johnius coitor, Cabdio morar, Salmostoma bacaila, and Gudusia chapra. Fish samples were collected monthly for a year (April 2020–May 2021) from four predetermined sampling sites along the River Ganga (Farakka, Berhampore, Balagarh, and Tribeni) in West Bengal, India. The estimated exploitation rate for Johnius coitor, Salmostoma bacaila, and Gudusia chapra was relatively lower than the optimum level of 0.5 and considerably lower than Emax values, indicating that their stocks are experiencing low fishing pressure in the region. The FiSAT results indicated that the species Cabdio morar was found to be heavily exploited. The total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M), and fishing mortality (F) rates for all four of the SIF species were examined, and they were contrasted with data from previous studies. On the lower stretch of the River Ganga, all of the fish stocks are optimally exploited (Eopt), except for the species Cabdio morar. The population dynamics of all of the species have been described for the first time on the lower stretch of the River Ganga. According to the findings, all of the fish stocks throughout the lower stretch of River Ganga are optimally exploited (Eopt), except for Cabdio morar. The study also emphasizes the importance of increasing sustainable fishing efforts, focusing on SIFs throughout the lower stretch of the River Ganga in order to safeguard the livelihood and nutritional status of fishermen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we have disclosed metal‐free 1,8‐diazabicyclo(5.4.0)undec‐7‐ene (DBU)‐catalyzed protocol for the deformylative/dehalogenative carbonylation and Michael addition of β‐bromovinyl aldehydes with acrylates and carbonylation followed by etherification with benzyl bromides to synthesize δ‐oxo esters and vinyl ethers respectively in good yields under an open atmosphere with broad substrate scope. Regeneration of starting material from vinyl ethers, organo‐catalytic and nucleophilic behavior of DBU is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds are some of the most significant compounds that are produced artificially or naturally. These heterocyclic rings are virtually always present in the biological system, from the smallest eukaryotes to the largest prokaryotic cell. The compounds that are synthesized by the help of azomethine ylides that fall in this category are quite important because they bind with our biological living cells. One cannot ignore the possibility of using different derivatives of these azomethine ylide skeletons not only as medications but also as organo-electroznic materials, fluorescent probes, etc. The synthesis of several scaffold derivatives during the last few years utilizing a range of methods is the main topic of this review. We outlined the precise synthetic routes for each technique and highlighted the yield variance from a variety of perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fishes are poikilothermic animals and are rapid responders to any sort of ecological alteration. The responses in the fish can be easily assessed from their hematological and biochemical responses. To study the variation in the hemato-biochemical parameters in retort to ecological alteration and ecological regime, a study was conducted at six different sampling stations of the middle and lower stretches of river Ganga. Various hematological and biochemical responses of fishes were also monitored in response to multiple ecological alterations. For the assessment of ecological alteration, various indices were calculated such as the water pollution index (WPI), National Sanitation Foundation–water quality index (NSF-WQI), and Nemerow's pollution index (NPI) has been calculated based on various water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total alkalinity (TA), total hardness (TH), electrical conductivity (EC), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chlorinity (CL), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). The hematological parameters such as WBC, RBC, platelet, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were monitored. The serum biochemical parameters such as SGPT, SGOT, ALP, amylase, bilirubin, glucose, triglyceride (TRIG), and cholesterol (CHOL) were investigated. The study revealed that NSF-WQI varied from 45.08 at Buxar to 110.63 at Rejinagar and showed a significantly positive correlation with SGPT, SGOT, ALP, TRIG, CHOL, and WBC, whereas a significantly negative correlation was observed between TRIG and RBC. WPI varied from 19 to 23 and showed a significant positive correlation with SGOT and a negative correlation was observed with total nitrogen. The PCA analysis illustrated the significance of both natural as well as anthropogenic factors on riverine ecology. Strong positive loading was observed with SGPT, SGOT, ALP, and platelet. The study signified the need for monitoring the hemato-biochemical responses of fishes in response to alterations in the ecological regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication between a child's health care provider, child care and other community providers (cross-system communication) may facilitate access and referral to early intervention (EI). This study examined (a) factors associated with cross-system communication and (b) whether cross-system communication was associated with receiving EI among U.S. toddlers ages 1 to 2 years. This study used data from the National Survey of Children's Health 2016 and included 1,184 children of ages 1 to 2 years, whose parents indicated a need for cross-system communication. Dependent variable was having an EI plan. Primary independent variable was cross-system communication. Children who had cross-system communication had almost three times (2.9) higher odds of receiving EI services as compared to those who did not have cross-system communication (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2, 6.9, p =.014). This study found that cross-system communication was associated with receiving EI services for U.S. children of ages 1 to 2 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ganga river is one of the important water bodies harbouring different aquatic communities especially sedentary benthic organisms. We determined several macrobenthic molluscan faunas including 24 species comprising of 18 gastropods and 6 bivalves. The maximum species diversity with a value of 2.08 was recorded during monsoon, whereas the species richness was found to be highest (0.809) during winter. To determine the correlation between the physicochemical parameters of water, sediment and macrobenthic organisms, we have employed the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) for middle, lower and estuarine stretches of river Ganga. The water CCA components, CCA1 and CCA2, explained 48.64%, 47.01%, 45.11% (p = 0.568, 0.019 and 0.417) and 18.11%, 26%, 23.9% (p = 0.98, 0.292 and 0.978) between the environmental parameters and macrobenthos correlation, respectively. Similarly, the CCA components for soil showed a percentage of 41.82%, 41.58%, 24.73% in CCA1 (p = 0.156, 0.026 and 0.922) and the CCA2 revealed a percentage value of 24.23%, 25.58%, 23.59% (p = 0.446, 0.174 and 0.488) of the mentioned parameters. The present study explored a dual relationship between the organisms and environmental factors according to their abundance and distribution pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aulacoseira granulata (Ehrenberg) Simonsen 1979 are considered as the eco-variable species which varies in density and diversity along with their morphological traits with the interference of environmental changes, so it is considered as one of the major ecological indicators of the water quality of lotic as well as lentic aquatic ecosystems. To assess major environmental factors which contribute to A. granulata bloom in the riverine system, a study was carried out from 2018 to 2019 comprising four different seasons at 11 sampling sites of river Ganga in the middle and lower stretch of river Ganga comprising freshwater and estuarine zones. For the analysis, different univariate, as well as multivariate, analytical tools such as principal component analysis (PCA) and water pollution index (WPI) were used. In the finding, it was observed that the average abundance of A. granulata was found maximum during the winter season. Among all the studied sites, the maximum average abundance was at Balagarh (71,576 cell l−1) and minimum at Diamond Harbour (68 cell l−1). The environmental factors such as dissolved oxygen, depth, and altitude showed a significant influence on the growth of A. granulata, while the water temperature negatively influenced the growth rate of A. granulata. The WPI showed a significantly negative correlation with cell length. Finally, the study concludes that the blooming of A. granulata is highly influenced by varied environmental conditions along the river Ganga, suggesting possible eutrophication. Therefore, a certain minimum flow and depth especially during the lean season have to be maintained for the sustenance of planktonic biota in the river Ganga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Parental Medicaid eligibility has been shown to be linked to positive academic and school outcomes for children. However, the impact of adult Medicaid expansion on children's school absenteeism is largely unexplored in the literature. The aim of this study was to examine whether Medicaid expansion for adults under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), affected school absenteeism of children. METHODS: This study used data from the National Survey of Children's Health 2016 to 2017 and the difference‐in‐differences method. RESULTS: The decrease in the predicted probability of missing 11 or more school days in Louisiana, after Medicaid expansion, among school‐going children from low‐income families, was greater by 18 percentage points (p =.007), as compared to the decrease in the predicted probability of missing 11 or more school days in the neighboring nonexpansion states of Texas and Mississippi. CONCLUSION: The positive impacts of Medicaid expansion are not limited to adults, but also extend to children's school absenteeism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospitals are an integral part of community resiliency during and after a disaster or emergency event. In addition to community-level planning through healthcare coalitions, hospitals are required to test and update emergency plans to comply with accreditation standards at their own expense. Justifying costs related to investments in emergency preparedness can be a barrier, as these events are relatively rare. Little is known about the crosscutting benefits of investments in daily operations including patient care. This study investigated whether hospital investments in emergency preparedness had a perceived impact on daily operations from a senior leadership perspective. Using a cross-sectional study design, a 39-item survey was emailed and mailed to chief executive officers of all 105 Nebraska hospitals. Most respondents indicated that drills and exercises, staff training, and updating emergency plans had a positive impact on daily operations. A relatively small proportion (≤11%) of respondents indicated that costs of buying decontamination equipment, personal protective equipment, and costs associated with staff training and drills/exercises had a negative impact on daily operations. No differences were noted between rural and urban locations or between hospitals that allocate funds in the budget versus those that do not. The majority of hospitals in our study are likely to continue to invest over the next 3 years, inferring a sincere commitment by hospital senior leadership to continue to invest in emergency preparedness. Future research using longitudinal design and objective measures of investments and daily benefits is needed to support a business case for hospital preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An iTech company ponders how to price its range of products. A journey to understanding communication differences between various arms of an organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The semiconductor market has become more competitive than ever before with new players joining the industry. There is pressure for innovation and differentiation in this industry to maintain leadership. The resultant innovative products have wide application but are sold in hypercompetitive market. The industry requires price management at transaction level to achieve efficiency and excellence with each of the diverse customers. The pricing in the semiconductor industry is done more scientifically as compared to other industries like FMCG, consumer durables, and health care. Pricing software aid managers in determining the appropriate price. This research looks holistically at the pricing issues especially faced by market leader with focus on Universal Serial Bus (USB) customers. The market leader traditionally does premium pricing in semiconductor industry. We question that--Should a market leader always charge price premium in all its product lines? Which pricing strategy is better-- skimming pricing strategy or penetrative pricing strategy? The objective of the research is to find appropriate pricing strategy for the specific product category. A right price would lead to enhanced revenue besides better customer conversion ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fatty acid vesicles have attracted views as model protocell membranes in understanding the emergence of life, but their properties can be further modified in the presence of some external molecules. In this work, we have investigated the spontaneous formation of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) of oleic acid in aqueous medium in presence of a popular imidazolium-based cationic surface active ionic liquid (SAIL) [C16mim]Cl and studied the micelle-vesicle transition of aqueous [C16mim]Cl solution in presence of different molar fractions (f) of oleic acid. This newly formed oleic acid/[C16mim]Cl vesicles exhibit some modified properties compared to the pure fatty acid vesicles. Unlike pure fatty acid vesicles, these vesicles are stable in the pH range of 2 to 11.2. We have observed the fusion process of these oleic acid/SAIL vesicles to form giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) in presence of low concentration of NaCl solution. To investigate the dynamics of different oleic acid/[C16mim]Cl self-assemblies, we have used fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). The translational diffusion behavior of three different dyes, Rhodamine 6G, DCM and Pyrromethene 597, which are non-covalently bound to the different regions of the oleic acid/SAIL self-assemblies, have been determined using FCS during the micelle-vesicle transition and upon varying the pH of the vesicular solution.Graphical Abstract: Oleic acid vesicles prepared in presence of a surface active ionic liquid [C16mim]Cl have been characterized. Modified properties of these vesicles like stability towards a greater pH range as compared to pure oleic acid vesicles and fusion of vesicles in presence of low concentration of NaCl solution have been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]