Gold vinylidene complexes: intermolecular C(sp3)-H insertions and cyclopropanations pathways.

Highly reactive gold vinylidene species are used for intermolecular C(sp(3))-H insertions into unactivated alkanes (see scheme). In addition, they can be regarded as synthons for alkylidene carbenes. Initiated by cyclopropanation of the vinylidene species/alkylidene carbenoide, cyclobutene derivatives are formed in a diastereoselective fashion by a ring-enlargement cascade in only one step.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare tumor with poor prognosis and is found in the literature only as case reports. The optimal management course remains poorly defined. We present a case of primary basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas metastatic to the liver, which was treated with surgery and systemic chemotherapy.

Regioselectivity switch: gold(I)-catalyzed oxidative rearrangement of propargyl alcohols to 1,3-diketones.

The gold(I)-catalyzed oxidative rearrangement of propargyl alcohols provides an efficient and selective route to 1,3-diketones under mild conditions. Pyridine-N-oxides were used as external oxidants with, different from related substrates, no alkylidenecycloalkanones or oxetan-3-ones formed as side-products.

Oscillating bubbles: a versatile tool for lab on a chip applications.

With the fast development of acoustic and multiphase microfluidics in recent years, oscillating bubbles have drawn more-and-more attention due to their great potential in various Lab on a Chip (LOC) applications. Many innovative bubble-based devices have been explored in the past decade. In this article, we first briefly summarize current understanding of the physics of oscillating bubbles, and then critically summarize recent advancements, including some of our original work, on the applications of oscillating bubbles in microfluidic devices.

Gold catalysis: non-spirocyclic intermediates in the conversion of furanynes by the formal insertion of an alkyne into an aryl-alkyl C-C single bond.

It takes al-kynes: The formation of furyl-substituted heterocycles from furanynes with donor groups on the furan-alkyne tether and mechanistic control experiments indicate the involvement of open-chained carbenium ions in the overall insertion of an alkyne into a C-C bond, rather than the usual spirocyclic intermediates.

From propargylic amides to functionalized oxazoles: domino gold catalysis/oxidation by dioxygen.

A new, highly efficient, and atom-economic access to a series of functionalized 2,5-disubstituted oxazoles from propargylic amides is reported. A series of propargylic amides were transformed to the corresponding alkylideneoxazolines by a gold(I) catalyst. The next step was an autoxidation to hydroperoxides bearing the heteroaromatic oxazoles.

Freezing of a liquid marble.

In this study, we present for the first time the observations of a freezing liquid marble. In the experiment, liquid marbles are gently placed on the cold side of a thermo-electric cooler (TEC), and the morphological changes are recorded and characterized thereafter. These liquid marbles are noticed to undergo a shape transition from a spherical to a flying-saucer-shaped morphology.

Finasteride and methadone use and risk of advanced hepatitis C related liver disease.

Aim: We evaluated the association between two medications that alter bioavailable androgen levels, finasteride and methadone, and risk of advanced HCV-related liver disease.

Background: Males have strikingly greater cirrhosis risk across disease etiologies, including hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study in HCV+ male veterans, we determined medication use by up to 15-year medical record review, and hepatic pathology by the FibroSURE-ActiTest (F3/F4-F4, advanced vs.

Combining gold and palladium catalysis: one-pot access to pentasubstituted arenes from furan-yne and en-diyne substrates.

A series of furan-yne systems was transformed into the corresponding tetrasubstituted annelated phenol derivatives that bear one bromo group. The two-step procedure consisted of a phenol synthesis and a subsequent electrophilic bromination with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). The reactions can be performed in a one-pot procedure with the same precatalyst.

Gold(I)-catalyzed rearrangement of 3-silyloxy-1,5-enynes: an efficient synthesis of benzo[b]thiophenes, dibenzothiophenes, dibenzofurans, and indole derivatives.

With the IPr ligand (IPr=1,3-bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) on gold(I) excellent yields in the benzanellation of 2-substituted thiophenes, benzothiophenes, pyrroles, benzofurans, and indoles were achieved. The 1-siloxybut-3-ynyl side chains, incorporated in the anellation, are easily accessible by the addition of a propargyl metal reagent to a formyl group and silylation of the alcohol. This conveniently allows an anellation at the position of the formyl group under mild conditions.

Shape-directing role of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in the green synthesis of Ag-nanoparticles using Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract.

The shape-directing role of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB, is reported to the green synthesis of Ag-nanoparticles for the first time using Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract. UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns were used to monitor the growth kinetics, morphology and crystalline nature of Ag-nanoparticles, respectively. It was observed that the growths of Ag-nanoparticles are stopped within 40 min of reaction time.

Gold catalysis: one-pot alkylideneoxazoline synthesis/Alder-ene reaction.

Based on the gold-catalyzed synthesis of methyleneoxazolines, a one-pot combination with an Alder-ene reaction was developed. For azodicarboxylates, good to very good yields (51-99%) of the oxazolemethylhydrazinedicarboxylates were achieved with 3 mol% of the Gagosz catalyst, [Ph(3)PAuNTf(3)]. In a less-selective reaction, 4-phenyl-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3,5(4H)-dione gave lower yields (41-49%) of the corresponding oxazolemethylphenyltriazolidinediones.

Renal tumors in young adults: a single-center experience from a developing country.

Purpose: To determine the pattern and outcome of renal tumors in young adults in a large surgical series in Pakistan.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 133 young adults (age: ≥ 16 to ≤ 40 years) with 136 renal tumors, who underwent surgical treatment for suspected renal cancer from 1994 till 2010. The clinical and pathological parameters were determined and their impact on final outcome was analyzed.

Bladder preservation by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: experience at Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation (SIUT).

Objective: To identify any additional benefit and note the safety profile of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to concurrent chemoradiation in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Methods: Forty three patients with T2b-T4N0M0 bladder cancer underwent maximal TURBT followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy cisplatinum 75 mg/m[2] D1+ gemcitabine 1000 mg/m[2] D1, D8 & D15 repeated every 28 days for three cycles followed by concurrent radiation 65Gy and weekly cisplatinum 30 mg/m[2] or gemcitabine 100 mg/m[2]. Complete response (CR) was defined as no tumour seen on cystoscopy and biopsy.

Outcome of trimodality protocol for invasive bladder cancer patients at Karachi, Pakistan.

Objectives: To evaluate the outcomes of patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer managed by trimodality protocol with assessment of factors that may predict treatment response, risk of recurrences and survival of such patients in our population.

Methods: A prospective, single arm study was conducted between July 2006 and December 2009 at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantion, Karachi. One hundred and sixteen patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer T2-T3N0M0 were treated with concurrent chemoradiation (total dose 6500 cGy) after maximal transurethral resection.

Anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with dengue fever and their correlation with symptom severity.

Objective: To study the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with dengue and to examine their correlation with symptom severity.

Methods: In this cross sectional study, 531 consecutive patients who met the World Health Organization criteria for dengue fever admitted to Mayo Hospital, Lahore between September and November 2011 were administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). In addition to the HADS, the severity of their symptoms, like headache, myalgias/arthralgias, fever, and retro/periorbital pain, was assessed on a 3-point scale (mild, moderate, and severe).

Magnetic resonance angiography in paced complex heterotaxy syndrome with Fontan conduit obstruction and venovenous collateral decompression.

Imaging of complex congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in children is challenging. This article reviews the complementary role of high temporal and high spatial resolution magnetic resonance (MR) angiographic imaging techniques in evaluation of a patient with complex congenital cardiovascular disease and related postsurgical complications. A 4-year-old female patient with complex CHD and multiple previous palliative surgical procedures underwent MR angiography to evaluate the cause of refractory hypoxia.

Capecitabine induced cardiotoxicity: a case report and review of literature.

Capecitabine is an oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) which is converted in tumor cells to 5-FU by the enzyme thymidine phosphorylase. Nowadays, it is being widely used into the management of colorectal, breast and head and neck cancers because of its oral route and its comparable efficacy with 5-FU. 5-FU induced cardiotoxicity (angina and myocardial infarction) has been reported the literature, but capecitabine induced cardiotoxicity is less reported event.

Gold catalysis in total synthesis--an update.

In this critical review, the strongly increasing amount of new applications of gold catalysis in total synthesis is summarised and, for the new developed methods, the mode of activation of the substrate by the gold catalyst is discussed (47 references).

Sternoclavicular osteomyelitis: a new complication of misplaced tracheostomy tube.

We report a patient who presented with erythema and swelling over the chest and neck several days after the placement of a tracheostomy tube. Sternoclavicular osteomyelitis and anterior mediastinal abscess occurred, as complications of inadvertent pretracheal tracheostomy tube placement, which were treated with right sternoclavicular resection and mediastinal drainage.

Polymorphisms in the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase gene and their unique combinations are associated with an increased susceptibility to the renal cancers.

Aims: Two single nucleotide polymorphisms in the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, 677C/T and 1298A/C, encode the thermolabile isoforms of the MTHFR enzyme that adversely affect the folic acid metabolic pathway. In the present study, these polymorphisms were investigated for their associations with the risk and prognosis of the renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) in Pakistani patients.

Results: The study included 168 RCC patients and 178 controls.

Histopathology of surgically treated renal tumours in young adults: a developing country perspective.

Background: There is no data on the histopathological characteristics of renal tumours in young adults in Pakistan.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analysed 133 young adults (age: 16 to ≤40 years) who underwent nephrectomy for suspected renal cancer from 1994 till July 2010. The demographical and pathological parameters were determined from original surgical biopsy reports and case files, and analysed.