Gender issues in the university research environment

Recruiting and retaining females within science, engineering and technology continues to challenge many European Higher Education Institutions. This study looks at female self-perceptions relating to effective research work and career progression. Focus groups are used to examine the attitudes and experiences of females, and a questionnaire used to explore perceptions in four main skills areas: group work; communication; personal awareness; and project planning and management. The study indicates consistent female concerns on issues pertaining to effective female role models, negative work-role stereotypes and the work-life balance of an academic career. For all four skills areas, the average confidence scores of the female participants fell below that of males, but these differences were only statistically significant for perceptions on group work and communication skills, and prior to an intense skills development course. Based on these findings, a student workshop on gender issues has been developed, an outline of which is presented

Laparoscopic repair of peptic ulcer perforation:Our experience

Aim: To assess the feasibility of laparoscopic repair of peptic ulcer perforation and toanalyse the complications related to laparoscopic repair of peptic ulcer perforation. Material and Method: This was a Prospective, Observational study done in Department of Surgery, N.S.C.B. Medical College, Jabalpur from October 2013 to October 2014. The aim of study is found outcome and complications of laparoscopic repair of peptic ulcer perforation. Observations: A total of 13 cases were included under study criteria which were repaired with laparoscopic technique. There was good success rate with this technique. Intraoperative difficulties like technical difficulties in stabilization of stomach for localization of ulcer and hemodynamic instability for which conversion to open done with a conversion rate of 3 cases out of 13. These difficulties were later rectified. There was postoperative complicationseen with appearance of bilateral mild pleural effusion in single case. There were no postoperative complication like surgical site Infection, wound dehiscence, leak or fistula and no mortality. Conclusion: We concluded that laparoscopic repair of peptic ulcer perforation is a good alternative for open with early to normal life, less hospital stay and no postoperative wound infection

An investigation on the prevalence of microplastic in commercial and open pan salts obtained from Cox's Bazar and Maheshkhali region of Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh)

Abstract Unrestrained utilization of plastic has reached an intemperate state, menacing environment and human lives. The preliminary focus of this research was to investigate and divulge the contemporary status of microplastics (MPs) in commercialized and open pan salts from Cox's Bazar and Maheshkhali channels. A total of 27 samples were obtained. The samples were analyzed for the prevalence of MPs by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy (RS); the prevailing amount, color, size, and shapes were analyzed by stereomicroscope and SEM. The abundance of high‐density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) were detected by FTIR, meanwhile exuberance of cellulose acetate, polypropylene, PET, LDPE, and Nylon 6 were identified by RS. The average quantifications of MPs in Cox's Bazar, Maheshkhali, and packaged salts were found to be 6851.11 ± 538.18, 5638.89 ± 1001.18, and 3405.56 ± 638.57 per kg, respectively. ANOVA resulted in highly significant association between MPs and sampling sites (p = .001*). Post hoc Tukey's test revealed prominent link between commercialized and open pan salts based on the amount of MPs (p = .001*). The most prevalent colors were purple (28%) and blue (27%). The most frequent shapes were fibrous (79%) and fragmented (19.9%) MPs. The smallest MP was detected in commercial salt (1.55 μm), nearly identical and closer to the size of nanoplastics

Asymmetric Aminolytic Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Epoxides Using Recyclable Chiral Polymeric Co(III)-Salen Complexes: A Protocol for Total Utilization of Racemic Epoxide in the Synthesis of (<i>R</i>)‑Naftopidil and (<i>S</i>)‑Propranolol

Chiral polymeric Co­(III) salen complexes with chiral ((<i>R</i>)/(<i>S</i>)-BINOL, diethyl tartrate) and achiral (piperazine and trigol) linkers with varying stereogenic centers were synthesized for the first time and used as catalysts for aminolytic kinetic resolution (AKR) of a variety of terminal epoxides and glycidyl ethers to get enantio-pure epoxides (ee, 99%) and <i>N</i>-protected β-amino alcohols (ee, 99%) with quantitative yield in 16 h at RT under optimized reaction conditions. This protocol was also used for the synthesis of two enantiomerically pure drug molecules (<i>R</i>)-Naftopidil (α₁-blocker) and (<i>S</i>)-Propranolol (β-blocker) as a key step via AKR of single racemic naphthylglycidyl ether with Boc-protected isoproylamine with 100% epoxide utilization at 1 g level. The catalyst <b>1</b> was successfully recycled for a number of times