Switching from serum to plasma: Implementation of BD Vacutainer® Barricor™ Plasma Blood Collection Tubes improves sample quality and laboratory turnaround time.

BACKGROUND: For blood, most 24/7 standard (immuno)chemistry parameters are either measured in serum or in lithium heparin plasma. Standard serum and plasma gel tubes have their shortcomings when timely analysis of high quality results is required. Serum requires clotting time and interference of gel globules in the plasma and adsorption of hydrophobic analytes into the gel layer potentially compromises high quality results from lithium heparin gel tubes. We sought to evaluate the impact of BD Vacutainer® Barricor™ Tube (Barricor™) on laboratory efficiency by measuring its effect on TAT and sample quality, as well as evaluate potential cost opportunities resulting from improved sample quality. METHODS: TAT data and remediation activities were extracted and captured during two 6 months phases. Serum was used as the predominant matrix in the first phase and Barricor™ plasma was used in the second phase. RESULTS: Barricor™ significantly reduced the median TAT, especially for routine-priority samples during peak-hours. The TAT key-performance-indicator (percentage of results available within 90 â€‹min) improved to >90% for STAT as well as routine priority samples. Converting from serum gel, Barricor™ reduced fibrin-related remediation activities from 2.3% to 0.4%. This resulted in remediation-related cost reduction of €6.010,47 over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: By implementing Barricor™, we saw a significant reduction in TAT and a reduction in fibrin-related remediation time and costs, when compared to a predominant serum workflow. The improved TAT opens up the possibility of consolidating to one single priority level, eliminating the need for the use of the STAT priority level.

Palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidative double allylic C-H oxygenation of alkenes: a novel and straightforward route to α,ß-unsaturated esters.

A mild tandem oxidative functionalization of allyl aromatic hydrocarbons was accomplished using the catalytic system of Pd(OAc)2/DMA under 1 atm O2. The green twofold C-O bond formation involving double allylic C-H oxygenation unlocks opportunities for markedly different synthetic strategies. Moreover, the reaction affords aryl α,ß-unsaturated esters directly from readily available terminal olefins in moderate to good yields with excellent chemo- and stereoselectivities.

The budget impact of controlling wastage with smaller vials: A data driven model of session sizes in Bangladesh, India (Uttar Pradesh),Mozambique, and Uganda.

INTRODUCTION: Open vial vaccine wastage in multi-dose vials is a major contributor to vaccine wastage. Although switching from 10-dose vials to 5-dose vials could reduce wastage, a higher total cost could be triggered because smaller vials cost more to purchase and store. METHODS: This study drew field data of daily session sizes in local vaccination facilities from Bangladesh, India (Uttar Pradesh), Mozambique, and Uganda, and used Akaike Information Criteria to determine the best fit statistical distribution across various clinic types. These distributions were input to estimate the vaccine wastage using Lee's (2010) model. Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) immunization was simulated to compare the costs over ten years with 10-dose vials versus 5-dose vials. RESULTS: By switching from 10- to 5-dose vials, the observed open vial wastage rate due to vial size preference and session size for IPV was reduced from 0.25 to 0.11 in Bangladesh, 0.17 to 0.08 in India (Uttar Pradesh), 0.13 to 0.06 in Mozambique, and 0.09 to 0.04 in Uganda, respectively. The cost savings realized from lower IPV wastage did not offset the higher costs of procurement and storage costs associated with smaller dose presentation. CONCLUSION: While our model showed that switching from 10-dose vials to 5-dose vials of IPV reduced open vial wastage, it was not cost-saving.

Palladium-catalyzed cascade annulation to construct functionalized ß- and γ-lactones in ionic liquids.

A highly efficient and mild palladium-catalyzed, one-pot, four-step cascade annulation has been developed to afford functionalized ß- and γ-lactones in moderate to good yields with high regio- and diastereoselectivities in ionic liquids. The employment of ionic liquids under mild reaction conditions makes this transformation green and practical. Especially, this reaction provided a novel and convenient methodology for the construction of naturally occurring biologically active ß- and γ-lactones.

Palladium-catalyzed aerobic oxidative allylic C-H arylation of alkenes with polyfluorobenzenes.

An aerobic oxidative cross-coupling reaction of alkenes with polyfluorobenzenes, through palladium-catalyzed allylic C-H activation, is reported. This attractive route provides a new way to forge allylic C-C bonds of valuable products, in good yields, with high regioselectivity.

Palladium-catalyzed regioselective azidation of allylic C-H bonds under atmospheric pressure of dioxygen.

A palladium-catalyzed allylic azidation of alkenes with sodium azide under atmospheric pressure of dioxygen was developed. This methodology provides a new efficient and simple route for accessing allylic azides. Furthermore, the one-pot process consisting of Pd-catalyzed allylic azidation of alkenes and Cu-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition led directly to the 1,2,3-triazole from the alkene. The formed allylic azide can be also in situ reduced to the allylic amine or oxidized to the alkenyl nitrile.