Radiogenic heat production of Late Archaean Bundelkhand granite and some Proterozoic gneisses and granitoids of Central India

Abundances of heat-producing elements, K, U and Th, in some of the granites and gneisses of the Bundelkhand and Bastar terrains have been estimated by in situ gamma-ray spectrometry. The Bundelkhand granite is an I-type, calc-alkaline granite complex made up of porphyritic, coarse-to-medium grained and fine-grained granites. It carries macro enclaves of ~ 3.5 Ga-old tonalitic gneisses. These gneisses have a low heat production of 1.4 μWm-3. The mean heat production of the dominant porphyritic and mediumto- coarse grained Bundelkhand granite is 5.5 μWm-3. The heat production of the Proterozoic Jabalpur granite intruding the Mahakhosal greenstone belt is 3.4 μWm-3. The Tirodi gneisses resulting from migmatization of psammopelites of the Sausar Group, are characterized by a mean heat production of 3.8 μWm-3. The cataclastic biotite gneisses of the Tattapani geothermal area are the highest heat-producing rocks encountered in the Bundelkhand terrain with a mean heat production of 7.4 μWm-3. The tonalitic Amgaon gneisses of the Bastar terrain are characterized by a heat production of 0.7 μWm-3, which is about half of the mean heat production of the tonalitic gneisses occurring as inclusions in the Bundelkhand granite. Mean heat production of the Proterozoic Amgaon and Dongargarh granites are 2.5 and 2.9 μWm-3, respectively. Preliminary heat production data presented here show that the gneisses and granitoids of the Bundelkhand and Bastar terrains may have distinct heat production ranges, with the rocks of the Bundelkhand terrain being more heat-producing

The Economic Impact of Forest Hydrological Services on Local Communities: A Case Study from the Western Ghats of India

The conventional wisdom that 'more forest is always better' has dominated policy making in the management of forested watersheds. In the context of the supposed hydrological regulation service provided by forest ecosystems, however, hydrologists have debated this assumption for more than two decades. Unfortunately, detailed studies of the relationship between forest cover, hydrology and the economic use of water have been relatively scarce, especially in the tropical forests of South Asia. Building upon a larger research project at four sites in the Western Ghats of peninsular India, this study examines the link between stream flow, agricultural water use an economic returns to agriculture. The study attempts to simulate the likely impacts of regeneration of a degraded forest catchment on stream flow and the consequent impact on irrigation tank based agriculture in a downstream village. The authors find that regeneration of forests would reduce the ratio of runoff to rainfall in the forested catchment thereby significantly reducing the probability of filling the well-used irrigation tank. This in turn reduces the probability of the command area farmers being able to cultivate an irrigated paddy crop, particularly in the summer season, thereby reducing expected farm income as well as wage income for landless and marginal landowning households. The study results seem counter intuitive to conventional wisdom. This result is, however, not because the hydrological relationships in this region are peculiar, but because the community immediately downstream of the forest is using water in a particular manner, viz., through irrigation tanks for growing water-intensive crops. The main implication is that policymakers must move away from simplistic notions of forests being good for everything and under all circumstances, and facilitate context-specific, ecologically and economically informed forest governance

New methods for the synthesis of certain alkaloids and terpenoids

The use of ring-fused gem-dihalocyclopropanes, Au(I)-catalyzed cyclization reactions, and chemoenzymatic techniques in the synthesis of natural products is described.We thank the Australian Research Council for generous financial support through the provision of various grants

Oxidative intramolecular cyclization reactions of Cinnamayl ethers mediated by cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN): a stereoselective synthesis of 3,4-trans-disubstitutedtetrahydrofuran derivatives

Various alkoxy-cinnamyl cinnamyl ethers and an alkoxy-cinnamyl prenyl ether underwent stereoselective oxidative cyclizations on treatment with a methanolic solution of cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate to afford 3,4-trans- disubstituted tetrahydrofuran derivatives. Different products were obtained under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Chronic rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease complicating pregnancy: a study of the cardiac events, the maternal and perinatal outcome during 2011-2013 at tertiary care centre

Background: Objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of chronic rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease complicating pregnancy, study the maternal and perinatal outcome, and indications for termination of pregnancy.Methods: Preconception counseling, antenatal care by pregnancy heart team as per protocol. One 2nd gravida (G2A1) with 26 weeks gestation, underwent mitral valve replacement during 26th week gestation i/v/o infective endocarditis associated with severe mitral regurgitation.Results: Authors had CRHD: CHD = 29:21, out of 50 cases, the ratio was 1.3:1 in this study. Atrial septal defect (ASD) was the predominant lesion in this study -29% ASD alone and 9% associated with pulmonary artery hypertension. Eisenmenger's syndrome, was associated with ASD in three and VSD in two. Corrected lesions were 24%. In the rheumatic heart disease, mitral stenosis was the predominant lesion and PBMV was done in four (13.7%) cases. In CRHD cases, surgically corrected by prosthetic heart valve were -11 (37.9%). In CRHD total corrected cases, by prosthetic heart valve and percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy (PBMV) account for 51.7%. One patient had PBMV procedure during 5th month of present pregnancy i/v/o severe mitral stenosis with mitral valve area -0.8 cm2 and another patient had PBMV during her first pregnancy. In this study 42% were in NYHA class I. 14% were in NYHA class IV. CHF was seen in 10%. Termination of pregnancy was necessary in 6 with CHD and 5 with CRHD. There were 39 deliveries with one set of twins. All the babies were alive. Maternal mortality was confirmed in one case with Eisenmenger’s syndrome + HELLP syndrome. Live birth rate was higher in cases with NYHA class I/II than in those with NYHA class III/IV (82.8% versus 66.60%).Conclusions: Management by a pregnancy heart team as per guidelines would reduce mortality

Peripartum cardiomyopathy management-multidisciplinary approach 2011-2013 at Care Institute of Medical Sciences

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is one of the rare causes of heart failure in pregnant women. It occurs in late pregnancy or up to 5 months post-partum. It is associated with high mortality and morbidity but with chances of full recovery. This paper discusses the treatment of peripartum cardiomyopathy, Peripartum cardiomyopathy management -multidisciplinary approach. 2011-2013 at CIMS.Methods: This is an observational study conducted at CARE institute of medical sciences, CIMS, during 2011-2013 years. Women fulfilling the criteria for the diagnosis of PPCM were included in the study. In this study we have analysed the obstetric intervention, the duration of ICU stay, hospital stay, maternal and perinatal outcomes. The cardiac drugs to manage each individual case suited to her condition have been mentioned.Results: Six cases were diagnosed to have PPCM in pregnancy when there was sudden onset of shortness of breath, cough, and palpitations. Four cases had history of PPCM in previous pregnancies and were managed in the current pregnancy. One rare case had features of cardiomyopathy seen in early gestational period, during the first trimester at eight weeks, when she was treated for ectopic gestation. Patients were managed by pregnancy cardiac team. There was no case of maternal mortality.Conclusions: PPCM is a rare condition. It requires a high index of suspicion and awareness among primary care givers for early diagnosis and prompt management. A pregnancy cardiac team approach benefits this subset of patients. Delayed time of presentation, LVEF and dilated ventricle are factors determining recovery

Facile synthesis of 4H-chromene derivatives via base-mediated annulation of ortho-hydroxychalcones and 2-bromoallyl sulfones

Abstract The cesium carbonate-mediated reaction of 2-bromoallyl sulfones and ortho-hydroxychalcones furnished 3-arylsulfonyl-4H-chromene derivatives in 58-67% yield (18 examples). 2-Bromoallyl sulfones functioned as synthetic surrogates for allenyl sulfones in the reaction. Findings Benzo [b]dihydropyran, commonly known as 4H-chromene (1), is a privileged heterocyclic scaffold that is found in a variety of biologically active natural and synthetic products The utility of some of these methods are limited by drawbacks such as lengthy substrate synthesis, high cost of catalysts and tedious procedures. Therefore, general synthetic methods for accessing substituted chromene derivatives from readily available materials are still in demand. During the course of our recent investigations on annulation reactions of unsaturated sulfones The facile cyclocondenzation of salicylaldehyde with 2a (Scheme 1, path c) prompted us to explore analogous annulation reactions for the synthesis of functionalized chromene derivatives. The biological activities exhibited by many 4H-chromene derivatives provided an added incentive for this investigation Scheme 2: Base-mediated cyclization reaction of o-hydroxychalcone 7a and 2-bromoallyl sulfone 2a. In the 1 H NMR spectrum of 8aa, three sets of doublet of doublets were visible at δ 4.52 (1H, J = 2.3 and 9.0 Hz), δ 3.58 (1H, J = 2.3 and 17.1 Hz) and δ 3.33 (1H, J = 9.0 and 17.1 Hz) arising from the -CH 2 -CH-fragment. The methyl group protons resonated as a singlet at δ 2.51. A peak at δ 197.4 in the 13 C NMR spectrum along with the absorption peak at 1680 cm −1 in the IR spectrum confirmed the presence of the keto group. All other signals were in agreement with the assigned structure. In order to explore the scope and generality of this facile 4H-chromene synthesis, a variety of o-hydroxychalcones were prepared as previously described (Scheme 3) The cesium carbonate-mediated reaction of 2-bromoallyl sulfones 2a,b with o-hydroxychalcones 7a-i proceeded uneventfully to afford the corresponding 2-methyl-3-arylsulfonyl-4H-chromene derivatives 8aa-8ib (Scheme 4). The annulation reaction appears to be general as evident from the results in Scheme 4. The chalcone component can accommodate chloro, bromo and methoxy groups as aromatic substituents. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon frameworks (naphthalene and anthracene rings) as well as a representative heterocyclic ring (furan) may be incorporated into the 4H-chromene skeleton product by using chalcones (7c, 7d, and 7e, respectively) functionalized with these moieties. Disappointingly, attempts to extend the annulation reaction to phenols with other Michael acceptors at the ortho-position (such as unsaturated esters, enals and nitroolefins) were not successful. Additionally, a very low yield (ca. 10%) of the product 8aa was obtained when the chalcone formation (7a) and its annulation reaction with 2a were combined into a one-pot operation (mediated by KOH in ethanol). A plausible mechanistic rationalization of the 4H-chromene formation is presented in Scheme 5. Cesium carbonate mediates the dehydrobromination of 2a to produce the allenyl sulfone 5 (see Scheme 1, path d). Additionally, deprotonation of 7a by Cs 2 CO 3 generates the phenoxide anion 9. A hetero-Michael addition of 5 and 9 results in the formation of a stabilized carbanion which may be represented as the resonance structures 10 or 11. The α-sulfonyl carbanion 11 then undergoes an intramolecular Michael addition to the β-carbon of the enone unit to afford the enolate 12. Isomerization of the exocyclic olefin moiety of 12 into the endocyclic position may be assisted by internal proton transfer. Tautomerization of the resultant enol 13 to its keto form affords the final product 8aa. It may be Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 16-21. 19 noted that the key carbon-carbon bond forming event (conversion of 11 to 12) here is completely regioselective as the Michael addition of the stabilized carbanion 11 occurs selectively at the α-sulfonyl position (not at the less hindered terminal of the allylic carbanion 11). Conclusion In conclusion, a base-mediated, facile synthesis of 3-sulfonyl-4H-chromenes from o-hydroxychalcones and 2-bromoallyl sulfones was developed. The starting materials are easily available and the reaction conditions are mild. 2-Bromoallyl sulfones Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 16-21. 20 Scheme 5: A plausible mechanistic rationalization for the formation of 4H-chromene derivative 8aa from 7a and 2a

Economic impact of forest hydrological services on local communities : a case study from the Western Ghats of India

The conventional wisdom that ‘more forest is always better’ has dominated policy making in the management of forested watersheds. In the context of the supposed hydrological regulation service provided by forest ecosystems, however, hydrologists have debated this assumption for more than two decades. Unfortunately, detailed studies of the relationship between forest cover, hydrology and the economic use of water have been relatively scarce, especially in the tropical forests of South Asia. Building upon a larger research project at four sites in the Western Ghats of peninsular India, this study examines the link between stream flow, agricultural water use and economic returns to agriculture. The study attempts to simulate the likely impacts of regeneration of a degraded forest catchment on stream flow and the consequent impact on irrigation tankbased agriculture in a downstream village. The authors find that regeneration of forests would reduce the ratio of runoff to rainfall in the forested catchment thereby significantly reducing the probability of filling the well-used irrigation tank. This in turn reduces the probability of the command area farmers being able to cultivate an irrigated paddy crop, particularly in the summer season, thereby reducing expected farm income as well as wage income for landless and marginal landowning households. The study results seem counter intuitive to conventional wisdom. This result is, however, not because the hydrological relationships in this region are peculiar, but because the community immediately downstream of the forest is using water in a particular manner, viz., through irrigation tanks for growing water-intensive crops. The main implication is that policymakers must move away from simplistic notions of forests being good for everything and everybody under all circumstances, and facilitate context-specific, ecologically and economically informed forest governance