Direct Stereoselective Synthesis of 2-Deoxyglycosides via Visible-Light-Induced Photoacid-Catalyzed Activation of Glycosyl -[1-(-MeO-Phenyl)vinyl]benzoates (PMPVBs) as Donors.

The photoacid-catalyzed synthesis of 2-deoxy glycosides is presented using stable glycosyl -[1-(-MeO-Phenyl)vinyl]benzoate (PMPVB) donors and employing the eosin Y and diphenyl disulfide (PhSSPh) catalytic system in the presence of blue LED lights. The remote activation of the alkene functionality under the photoacid catalysis followed by a 5-- cyclization led to the generation of oxocarbenium ions that were trapped to provide the glycosylated products in excellent yields and decent selectivities under mild conditions. This method is also useful for the photoacid-catalyzed synthesis of -methoxybenzyl-alkyl ethers.

Triple Role of Proton Sponge (DMAN) in the Palladium-Catalyzed Direct Stereoselective Synthesis of -Aryl Glycosides from Glycals.

The triple role of 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene (proton sponge) as a reductant, ligand precursor, and organic base in the palladium-catalyzed Heck-type coupling reaction of glycals with aryl iodides affords the rapid and stereoselective synthesis of 2',3'-unsaturated α--aryl glycosides in excellent yields. The role of the proton sponge in reducing palladium(II) to (0) has been studied using cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis, HRMS, and other spectroscopic techniques. This is the first example of a palladium proton sponge complex utilized in coupling reactions.

Exploiting the Strained Ion-Pair Interactions of Sterically Hindered Pyridinium Salts Toward S2 Glycosylation of Glycosyl Trichloroacetimidates.

We demonstrate here that strained and sterically hindered protonated 2,4,6-tri--butylpyridinium (TTBPy) tetrafluoroborate, a crystalline, bench stable salt serves as a mild and efficient organocatalyst for the S2 type displacement of glycosyl trichloroacetimidates toward the stereoselective synthesis of both α- and β-glycosides. The strained ion-pair interactions between the sterically hindered pyridinium cation and the tetrafluoroborate anion infuse unusual reactivity to the ions resulting in the unique anion assisted activation of alcohol. This mild activation of alcohol facilitates the S2 type displacement of glycosyl αtrichloroacetimidates into β-glycosides in a highly diastereoselective manner.

Synthesis of chiral functional polyhydroxylated arenes via Mukaiyama aldol reaction from Perlin aldehydes.

Functionalized aryl polyhydroxylated compounds could be of great synthetic value for natural product synthesis. However, the synthesis of such compounds usually requires multi-step synthesis or the usage of sensitive reagents. We present here a practically simple route for the synthesis of such functionalized arylpolyols from glycal derived α,β-unsaturated 2,3-dideoxy aldehyde as well as α,β-saturated 2,3-dideoxy aldehyde (Perlin aldehydes) via Mukaiyama cross aldol condensation in the presence of silyl enol ether and TiCl It was observed that the nature of the electronic substitution of the silyl enol ether does not play any role in the yield of the desired products.

Alarm Fatigue among Nurses Working in Critical Care Setting in a Tertiary Hospital, Nepal.

Background Alarm fatigue is a well-recognized patient safety concern in critical care settings. It occurs when nurses become overwhelmed by the total number of alarm signals which can result in alarm desensitization and eventually contributes to missing of serious and important changes in a patient's condition, thus failing to respond properly. Objective To find out alarm fatigue and its associated factors among nurses working in critical care setting.

-[1-(-MeOPhenyl)vinyl]benzoate PMPVB as a recyclable auxiliary for C-O and C-S bond formation reactions under Brønsted acid catalysis.

A practically simple and useful method is reported for the synthesis of ethers and thioethers Brønsted acid-catalyzed activation of -[1-(-MeOphenyl)vinyl]benzoate (PMPVB) donors derived from alcohols. The mechanism of action is based on the remote activation of an active alkene followed by intramolecular 5- cyclization leading to a reactive intermediate that can react a substrate dependent S1 or S2 mechanism with alcohols and thiol nucleophiles providing facile access to ether and thioether functionalities, respectively.

Study on the morpho-anatomy of Lepisorus species through light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and its systematic implications.

The genus Lepisorus is often associated with complex lineages in Polypodiaceae, which leads to difficulty in understanding taxonomic relationships among the species. The taxa is mostly epiphytic with some distinct features like rhizomes covered with clathrate scales, simple fronds, sori in a single row, intermixed with peltate paraphyses. In this study, we precisely focus on the Lepisorus species and seek a broader understanding of the taxonomic relationships that prevail in this genus.

Glycosyl -[1-(-MeO-Phenyl)vinyl]benzoates (PMPVB) as Easily Accessible, Stable, and Reactive Glycosyl Donors for O-, S-, and C-Glycosylations under Brønsted Acid Catalysis.

Methods suitable for the synthesis of both O- and S-glycosylations are relatively rare because commonly used promoters like halonium sources or gold catalysts are incompatible with thiols as nucleophiles. Here, we present (-MeO)phenylvinylbenzoates (PMPVB) as easily accessible, stable, and reactive alkene-based glycosyl donors that can be activated with catalytic amounts of a Brønsted acid. This activation protocol not only allows us to synthesize -glycosides but also can successfully provide S- and C-linked glycosides.

Cypsela diversity in some members of Compositae through LM study and its taxonomic significance.

Compositae (Asteraceae), also known as the sunflower family has evolved to become the most diverse and advanced angiosperm family. However, with high diversity, taxonomic complexities also arise at several levels. A reliable tool in resolving such taxonomic conundrums in this family is the characteristic fruit of Compositae known as "cypsela.

Evaluation of the Reggio Approach to Early Education.

We evaluate the Reggio Approach using non-experimental data on individuals from the cities of Reggio Emilia, Parma and Padova belonging to one of five age cohorts: ages 50, 40, 30, 18, and 6 as of 2012. The treated were exposed to municipally offered infant-toddler (ages 0-3) and preschool (ages 3-6) programs. The control group either did not receive formal childcare or were exposed to programs offered by the state or religious systems.

Prospective bacterial quorum sensing inhibitors from Indian medicinal plant extracts.

Unlabelled: As virulence of many pathogenic bacteria is regulated by the phenomenon of quorum sensing (QS), the present study aimed to find the QS-inhibiting (QS-I) property (if any) in 61 Indian medicinal plants. The presence of QS-I compound in the leaf extract was evaluated by its ability to inhibit production of pigment in Chromobacterium violaceum MTCC 2656 (violacein) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 2297 (pyocyanin) or swarming of P. aeruginosa MTCC 2297.

Anticancer activity of proapoptotic peptides is highly improved by thermal targeting using elastin-like polypeptides.

Inducing apoptosis in cancer cells is an effective strategy for cancer therapy. The cationic α-helix forming KLAKLAKKLAKLAK peptide (KLAK) has been known to induce apoptosis by disrupting the mitochondria. In the present study, we have designed a thermally targeted KLAK peptide by genetically engineering the KLAK sequence to the carboxy terminus of the heat responsive biopolymer elastin-like polypeptide (ELP).

Thermal targeting of an acid-sensitive doxorubicin conjugate of elastin-like polypeptide enhances the therapeutic efficacy compared with the parent compound in vivo.

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) aggregate in response to mild hyperthermia, but remain soluble under normal physiologic conditions. ELP macromolecules can accumulate in solid tumors because of the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Tumor retention of ELPs can be further enhanced through hyperthermia-induced aggregation of ELPs by local heating of the tumor.

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for bilateral metachronous aldosteronomas.

Introduction: Primary aldosteronism affects 5% to 13% of patients with hypertension. Idiopathic bilateral hyperplasia (IHA) and unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) are the most common types of primary aldosteronism. Bilateral APA is a very rare entity with only a few reports in the literature.

A thermally responsive biopolymer conjugated to an acid-sensitive derivative of paclitaxel stabilizes microtubules, arrests cell cycle, and induces apoptosis.

Poor aqueous solubility limits the therapeutic index of paclitaxel as an anti-cancer drug. Synthesis of soluble prodrugs of paclitaxel, or conjugation of the drug to macromolecular carriers have been reported to increase its water-solubility. Macromolecular drug carriers have an added advantage of targeting the drug to the tumor site due to the abnormal tumor blood and lymphatic vasculature.

Therapeutic peptides for cancer therapy. Part II - cell cycle inhibitory peptides and apoptosis-inducing peptides.

Background: Therapeutic peptides have great potential as anticancer agents owing to their ease of rational design and target specificity. However, their utility in vivo is limited by low stability and poor tumor penetration.

Objective: The authors review the development of peptide inhibitors with potential for cancer therapy.

Inhibition of ovarian cancer cell proliferation by a cell cycle inhibitory peptide fused to a thermally responsive polypeptide carrier.

Current treatment of solid tumors is limited by normal tissue tolerance, resulting in a narrow therapeutic index. To increase drug specificity and efficacy and to reduce toxicity in normal tissues, we have developed a polypeptide carrier for a cell cycle inhibitory peptide, which has the potential to be thermally targeted to the tumor site. The design of this polypeptide is based on elastin-like polypeptide (ELP).

Bone mass density in adults with sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) leads to many complications including osteoporosis and osteopenia. We studied the prevalence and predisposing factors of low bone mass density (BMD) in adults with SCD. In this retrospective study, dual X-ray absorptiometry bone scans were used to determine BMD in the lumbar spine, femoral neck and ultra distal radius of 103 patients (73 females, 30 males, aged 15-80 years).

Hemoglobin A1c levels in non-diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving hemodialysis.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level represents an established tool to monitor glycemic control in diabetic patients, but the previous commonly used tests of HbA1c in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may not be reliable because of the presence of anemia, assay interference from uremia, and decreased red blood cell (RBC) life span. HbA1c level measured by turbidimetric immunoassay method is not affected by the above factors. We enrolled 40 non-diabetic ESRD patients receiving hemodialysis and 55 non-diabetic patients without ESRD for this study.

Serum leptin concentration in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

Objective: To assess the potential effect of serum leptin levels in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related wasting.

Methods: Morning serum leptin levels of 94 randomly chosen HIV-infected patients were measured and correlated with age, sex, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), routine blood chemistries (SMA 18), complete blood cell count, HIV viral load, and CD4/CD8 ratio.

Results: The mean serum leptin level was 7.