Design, synthesis via a one-pot approach and molecular docking studies of novel pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives

This new investigation describes an efficient three-component approach for the stereoselective synthesis of pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines from readily available isatins, chalcones and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline without using any metal catalyst or additive.

Electrophilic Sulfur Reagent Design Enables Catalytic syn-Carbosulfenylation of Unactivated Alkenes

A multi-component approach to structurally complex organosulfur products is described via the nickel-catalyzed 1,2-carbosulfenylation of unactivated alkenes with organoboron nucleophiles and tailored organosulfur electrophiles. Key to the development of this transformation is the identification of a modular N-alkyl-N-(arylsulfenyl)arenesulfonamide family of sulfur electrophiles. Tuning the electronic and steric properties of the leaving group in these reagents controls pathway selectivity, favoring three-component coupling and suppressing side reactions, as examined via computational studies. The unique syn-stereoselectivity differs from traditional electrophilic sulfenyl transfer processes involving a thiiranium ion intermediate and arises from the directed arylnickel(I) migratory insertion mechanism, as elucidated through reaction kinetics and control experiments. Reactivity and regioselectivity are facilitated by a collection of monodentate, weakly coordinating native directing groups, including sulfonamides, alcohols, amines, amides, and azaheterocycles.

Key failure factors of start-up women owned SMEs in service sector in Kigali: a principal component analysis approach

Purpose This study aims to develop and test a framework for studying the failure of new women entrepreneurs in the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 114 unsuccessful entrepreneurs in Kigali, Rwanda, this study aimed to identify key failure factors of women-owned SMEs. This study used mixed methods where quantitative data were analysed using the principal component approach with Varimax rotation to reduce the variables to only three clusters. Findings The study findings revealed that the failure of women-owned SMEs results from the entrepreneur’s inability followed by the enterprise incompetence, which are both internally controllable factors and the inauspicious business environment. These findings contribute to the validity of the dynamic capability theory by explaining how well internal and external factors must stay glued together to avoid failure among women-owned SMEs, something that was not yet previously well documented so far. Originality/value New SMEs are considered a noteworthy constituent of Rwandan development. Unfortunately, most new SMEs, in general, do not grow; their failure rate is high (70%), which raised many worries for both researchers and policymakers as to why this occurs at this stage of business growth. Therefore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge this paper is the first to analyse the reasons for the failure of Rwandan women-owned SMEs in the service sector. These findings are important because they suggest that policies designed to reduce the incidence of SMEs’ failure should take account of the two main factors influencing failure among women entrepreneurs.

Case Report: Implementation of a Multi-Component Behavioral Health Integration Program in Obstetrics for Perinatal Behavioral Health

Despite growing research and policy attention, perinatal behavioral health conditions (i.e., mental health and substance use disorders) remain prevalent, burdensome for families, and largely untreated in the US. Researchers have documented an array of barriers to accurate detection, linkage with effective treatment, and improved outcomes for perinatal women with behavioral health disorders. It is clear that a multi-component approach that integrates evidence-based detection and management of perinatal behavioral health in the context of obstetrics care can be effective. This paper presents the initial development of a clinical quality improvement program that includes evidence-based components of behavioral health integration in obstetrics in the state of Florida in the US. The FL BH Impact (Improving Maternal and Pediatric Access, Care and Treatment for Behavioral Health) program, guided by the RE-AIM model for program implementation, has been developed over the past 2 years. Program components, initial implementation, and preliminary findings are presented. Following the implementation phase, the program has enrolled 12 obstetrics practices and 122 obstetrics providers in program engagement and training activities. The primary program component allows for obstetrics clinician telephone access to a statewide listing of behavioral health referral resources for patients and access to consultation with psychiatry. Since program implementation, the program has received a total of 122 calls to this line, with an expected increasing trajectory of calls over time. Results suggest this program is feasible to implement across a large geographic area. Challenges to implementation and future directions are discussed. These types of multi-component approaches to improved management and outcomes for perinatal behavioral health are promising and must be expanded and sustained in the US.

Angel Faces, Killer Kids, and Appetites for Excess: Reapproaching Moral Panic

<p>It is argued that the contemporary era is one proliferated with moral panics (Thompson, 1998). This is just as the concept of moral panic, which has enjoyed nearly forty years of analytical purchase, is being ‘rethought’ with an impetus to connect its processes with developments in social theory. Underpinning this rethink is a primary question: what are moral panics extreme examples of? It is evident in the literature, however, that there is a varying degree to which a more longstanding question – why moral panics occur – is addressed as part of this rethink. I propose in this thesis that these questions are intimate with each other; that only by understanding why real episodes occur can a supposition of what the concept of moral panic is in an abstract sense begin. Another – related – proposal is that while the conjectural question remains elusive the approach to empirical cases of moral panic be in real-type/ideal-type terms. That is, that at the same time as the concept is employed to understand phenomena occurring in tangible social situations, a reflection upon the concept (the ideal-type) is undertaken in relation to how the real-type case under investigation challenges and/or supports its interpretative parameters. To demonstrate these relationships and their study, I examine in this thesis the case of ‘killer kids’, which emerged in 2002 and spanned across the sociopolitical landscape of Aotearoa/New Zealand for the next six years. At the heart of this case was a set of news images of a child, who at twelve years of age had been involved in a heinous crime resulting in the death of pizza delivery person Michael Choy. Seeking to understand how and why these images were fundamental to how this ‘real-type’ episode of moral panic unfolded in this space and time, I employ a two-component approach inspired by Norman Fairclough’s (1995a) Critical Discourse Analysis. The first component deconstructs the realtype case via a three-tiered analytical framework: content, process, and context. The second component reflects upon these tiers (in parts and as a whole) in relation to Stanley Cohen’s (1972) application of a ‘cycle of deviance amplification’ in addition to the stages of panic as described in his seminal work Folk Devils and Moral Panics. From the processual and contextual factors identified at play in the construction of ‘killer kids’ I conclude with a suggestion that moral panic can be thought of as a set of appetites that come together in an explosive discharge of excess energy.</p>

Angel Faces, Killer Kids, and Appetites for Excess: Reapproaching Moral Panic

<p>It is argued that the contemporary era is one proliferated with moral panics (Thompson, 1998). This is just as the concept of moral panic, which has enjoyed nearly forty years of analytical purchase, is being ‘rethought’ with an impetus to connect its processes with developments in social theory. Underpinning this rethink is a primary question: what are moral panics extreme examples of? It is evident in the literature, however, that there is a varying degree to which a more longstanding question – why moral panics occur – is addressed as part of this rethink. I propose in this thesis that these questions are intimate with each other; that only by understanding why real episodes occur can a supposition of what the concept of moral panic is in an abstract sense begin. Another – related – proposal is that while the conjectural question remains elusive the approach to empirical cases of moral panic be in real-type/ideal-type terms. That is, that at the same time as the concept is employed to understand phenomena occurring in tangible social situations, a reflection upon the concept (the ideal-type) is undertaken in relation to how the real-type case under investigation challenges and/or supports its interpretative parameters. To demonstrate these relationships and their study, I examine in this thesis the case of ‘killer kids’, which emerged in 2002 and spanned across the sociopolitical landscape of Aotearoa/New Zealand for the next six years. At the heart of this case was a set of news images of a child, who at twelve years of age had been involved in a heinous crime resulting in the death of pizza delivery person Michael Choy. Seeking to understand how and why these images were fundamental to how this ‘real-type’ episode of moral panic unfolded in this space and time, I employ a two-component approach inspired by Norman Fairclough’s (1995a) Critical Discourse Analysis. The first component deconstructs the realtype case via a three-tiered analytical framework: content, process, and context. The second component reflects upon these tiers (in parts and as a whole) in relation to Stanley Cohen’s (1972) application of a ‘cycle of deviance amplification’ in addition to the stages of panic as described in his seminal work Folk Devils and Moral Panics. From the processual and contextual factors identified at play in the construction of ‘killer kids’ I conclude with a suggestion that moral panic can be thought of as a set of appetites that come together in an explosive discharge of excess energy.</p>

Coupling Moving Morphable Voids and Components Based Topology Optimization of Hydrogel Structures Involving Large Deformation

A coupling of moving morphable void and component approach for the topology optimization of hydrogel structures involving recoverable large deformation is proposed in this paper. In this approach, the geometric parameters of moving morphable voids and components are set as design variables to respectively describe the outline and material distribution of hydrogel structures for the first time. To facilitate the numerical simulation of large deformation behavior of hydrogel structures during the optimization process, the design variables are mapped to the density field of the design domain and the density field is then used to interpolate the strain energy density function of the element. Furthermore, the adjoint sensitivity of the optimization formulation is derived and combined with the gradient-based algorithm to solve the topology optimization problem effectively. Finally, two representative numerical examples of the optimization of isotropic hydrogel structures are used to prove the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the optimization design of an anisotropic bionic hydrogel structure is presented to illustrate the applicability of the method. Experimental results are also presented to demonstrate that the explicit topologies obtained from the method can be directly used in the manufacture of hydrogel-based soft devices.

Strategic and principled approach to the ethical challenges of epilepsy monitoring unit triage

Electroencephalographic monitoring provides critical diagnostic and management information about patients with epilepsy and seizure mimics. Admission to an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) is the gold standard for such monitoring in major medical facilities worldwide. In many countries, access can be challenged by limited resources compared to need. Today, triaging admission to such units is generally approached by unwritten protocols that vary by institution. In the absence of explicit guidance, decisions can be ethically taxing and are easy to challenge. In an effort to address this gap, we propose a two-component approach to EMU triage that takes into account the unique landscape of epilepsy monitoring informed by triage literature from other areas of medicine. Through the strategic component, we focus on the EMU wait list management infrastructure at the institutional level. Through the principled component, we apply a combination of the ethical principles of prioritarianism, utilitarianism and justice to triage; and we use individual case examples to illustrate how they apply. The effective implementation of this approach to specific epilepsy centres will need to be customised to the nuances of different settings, including diverse practice patterns, patient populations and constraints on resource distribution, but the conceptual consolidation of its components can alleviate some of the pressures imposed by the complex decisions involved in EMU triage.