A one-pot electrochemical synthesis of 2-aminothiazoles from active methylene ketones and thioureas mediated by NH4I.

The electrochemical preparation of 2-aminothiazoles has been achieved by the reaction of active methylene ketones with thioureas assisted by ᴅʟ-alanine using NH4I as a redox mediator. The electrochemical protocol proceeds in an undivided cell equipped with graphite plate electrodes under constant current conditions. Various active methylene ketones, including ß-keto ester, ß-keto amide, ß-keto nitrile, ß-keto sulfone and 1,3-diketones, can be converted to the corresponding 2-aminothiazoles. Mechanistically, the in situ generated α-iodoketone was proposed to be the key active species.

Efficient detection of hazardous catechol and hydroquinone with MOF-rGO modified carbon paste electrode.

Reduced graphite oxide (rGO) was incorporated into a metal organic framework (MOF) MIL-101(Cr) for the modification of carbon paste electrode. Taking advantages of the large surface area of MOF and the electrical conductivity of rGO, the resulted electrodes exhibited high sensitivity and reliability in the simultaneous electrochemical identification and quantification of catechol (CC) and hydroquinone (HQ). Specifically, in the mixture solution of catechol and hydroquinone (constant concentration of an analyte), the linear response ranges for catechol and hydroquinone were 10-1400 µM and 4-1000 µM, and detection limits were 4 µM and 0.66 µM (S/N = 3) for individual catechol and hydroquinone, respectively. Therefore, the relatively easy fabrication of modified CPE and its fascinating reliability towards HQ and CC detection may simulate more research interest in the applications of MIL-101(Cr)-rGO composites for electrochemical sensors.

Boron Nitride Nanosheet-Anchored Pd-Fe Core-Shell Nanoparticles as Highly Efficient Catalysts for Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling Reactions.

Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) were used to anchor bimetallic Pd-Fe nanoparticles for Suzuki-Miyaura coupling catalysts. The bimetallic nanoparticles were found to be core-shell in structure, and their formation was likely facilitated by their interactions with the BNNS. The Pd-Fe/BNNS catalysts were highly effective in representative Suzuki-Miyaura reactions, with performances matching or exceeding those of the state-of-the-art methods. Specifically, the superior catalytic activities were characterized by generally shortened reaction times, minimal Pd usage, excellent reusability of the catalysts and high or nearly quantitative conversion yields in a benign solvent system without the need for any special conditions, such as ligands and surfactants or inert gas protection. The obvious advantages of the Pd-Fe/BNNS over similar catalysts based on other supports, such as reduced graphene oxide (rGO), suggest that BNNS may be developed into a versatile platform for many other important catalytic reactions.

[Hereditary tendency of varicocele].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hereditary tendency of varicocele. METHODS: We included in this study 112 varicocele patients, 117 direct male relatives of the patients, and 100 healthy men as controls. We compared the incidence of varicocele tween the direct relative group and the control group. RESULTS: The direct male relatives of the varicocele patients had a significantly higher incidence of varicocele than the healthy controls (36.8% vs 17%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The increased incidence of varicocele in the direct male relatives of the patients indicated a hereditary tendency of the disease.

[Relationship of body mass index with cancer detection in prostate biopsy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of body mass index with cancer detection on prostate biopsy. METHODS: A total of 168 patients undergoing a prostate biopsy were divided into obese and non-obese groups by BMI ≥ 25 or < 25. Then the differences of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, prostate volume, prostate cancer detection rate and pathology result between two groups. RESULTS: The obese group had a higher rate of cancer detection than the non-obese group [67.1% (51/76) vs 48.9% (45/92), P < 0.05]. Logistics regression analysis showed that BMI ≥ 25 had a positive correlation with cancer detection on biopsy. CONCLUSION: Body mass index can raise the risk of prostate cancer on biopsy.