-Heterocyclic Carbene-Catalyzed Enantioselective [3 + 2] Annulation of Enals with Vinyl Ketones.

An unprecedented -heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed enantioselective [3 + 2] annulation of enals with vinyl ketones has been achieved. Unlike chalcones, the β-unsubstituted enones, namely, vinyl ketones, have remained challenging in terms of reactivity, especially enantioselectivity. The disubstituted cyclopentenes were obtained in good yields and excellent stereoselectivities in the presence of Ti(OPr).

Reductive Alkenylation of Ketimines via Hydride Transfer from Aldehydes.

The first direct -heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed preparation of allylic amines bearing a quaternary center (α-tertiary amine) from isatin-derived ketimines in the presence of vinyl selenones and aldehydes is reported. This multicomponent reaction is expected to proceed via unprecedented in situ reduction of imines through a hydride transfer from the aldehydes.

Ligand- and Substrate-Controlled C-H Borylation of Anilines at Room Temperature.

A new catalytic method for borylation of unprotected anilines is described. The catalytic method is developed by designing a new type of ligand framework that enables borylation at room temperature. We showed that whereas previously reported borylation of 2-substituted anilines required multistep protection/deprotection sequences and a high reaction temperature, our method gives a straightforward solution for achieving borylation without such protection/deprotection chemistry at room temperature.

A General Method for α-Oxyacylation of Vinyl Ketones Using Koser's Reagent.

A direct general method for the preparation of α-oxyacylated vinyl ketones using Koser's hypervalent iodine reagent is reported. A variety of acyloxy groups from long-chain aliphatic, aromatic, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids have been installed efficiently for the first time. The oxyacylated adducts were used for the preparation of densely functionalized chiral δ-lactones and cyclopentenes using carbene organocatalysis.

BIRTH ORDER, STAGE OF INFANCY AND INFANT MORTALITY IN INDIA.

Using data from India's National Family Health Survey, 2005-06 (NFHS-3), this article examines the patterns of relationship between birth order and infant mortality. The analysis controls for a number of variables, including mother's characteristics such as age at the time of survey, current place of residence (urban/rural), years of schooling, religion, caste, and child's sex and birth weight. A modest J-shaped relationship between birth order of children and their risk of dying in the neonatal period is found, suggesting that although both first- and last-born children are at a significantly greater risk of dying compared with those in the middle, last-borns (i.

The effects of harassment and victimization on self-rated health and mental health among Canadian adolescents.

Using 1996/1997 to 2000/2001 data from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, this paper examines the effects of harassment on self-rated and mental health status among Canadian adolescents aged 16-17 years. Forty-six percent of the children experienced harassment and victimization (verbal aggression, threat, and physical harm/assault) at school and 40% outside of school. Harassment at school, rather than otherwise, was associated with poor health status and higher levels of depression even when previous health conditions and socio-demographic variables were held constant.

Dissipation behaviour of spinosad insecticide in soil, cabbage and cauliflower under subtropical conditions.

Background: Pesticides used on cauliflower and cabbage, which are important vegetable crops for India, must be investigated for the persistence and magnitude of their residues in the crops and soil to ensure human and environmental safety. The behaviour of spinosad, an effective insecticide with a favourable environmental profile, was investigated in field trials under subhumid and subtropical conditions.

Results: The persistence of spinosad in soil, cabbage and cauliflower was evaluated at two application rates (17.

Racially mixed neighborhoods, perceived neighborhood social cohesion, and adolescent health in Canada.

Using data from the Canadian Census and the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, we examine the effects of neighborhood concentration of racial minorities on general health status and depressive symptoms of Canadian adolescents. We also examine the role of perceived neighborhood cohesion and the extent to which it contributes to adolescent health. Our findings show that the racial concentration of ethnic minorities represents a health disadvantage for visible minority youth while perceived neighborhood cohesion is found to be a protective factor for both health outcomes.

Effect of metal spiking on different chemical pools and chemically extractable fractions of heavy metals in sewage sludge.

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of metal spiking and incubation on some properties and sequentially extractable chemical pools of some heavy metals (F1, two extractions with 0.1 M Sr(NO3)2; F2, one extraction with 1 M NaOAc (pH 5.0); F3, three extractions with 5% NaOCl (pH 8.