Management of primary chest wall tuberculosis

The elderly are persons over age 65, now comprising 12% of our population. The normal elderly function normally both in their self care, and also in their social activities of daily living, which we tabulate. The current terms for the normally functioning elderly who show only mild psychological deficits are age-associated memory impairment and age-related cognitive decline, which we define, criticize and tabulate. The psychological deficits of the elderly consist of mild generalized slowing and inaccuracies compared to normal young persons. These deficits are measured by objective psychological tests which mimic real daily living situations--the name-face test, fire alarm test, two delayed recall tests, misplaced objects test, shopping list test, and digit symbol test, which we describe. A longer early formal education is preventive of mental dulling during normal aging. Treating using overlearning, by cognitive training, is significantly beneficial.     

Stereoisomers of N-[1-hydroxy-(2-phenylethyl)-3-methyl-4-piperidyl]- N-phenylpropanamide: synthesis, stereochemistry, analgesic activity, and opioid receptor binding characteristics

N-[1-(2-Hydroxy-2-phenylethyl)-3-methyl-4-piperidyl]-N-phenylpropanamide (ohmefentanyl,1) is an extremely potent analgesic agent with high affinity and selectivity for opioid mu receptors. There are three chiral carbons in 1, so eight optically active isomers are possible. Respective reaction of optically active 3-methyl-N-phenyl-4 -piperidinamines (5a-d) with (R)- or (S)-styrene oxide produced eight optically active intermediates which were subsequently converted to eight optically active isomers of 1 (1a-h). The absolute configurations of 1a-h were determined by X-ray analysis of (3R,4S,2'R)-(-)-cis-1a and (3R,4R,2'S)-(-)-trans-1g. The analgesic activity (mice, ip, hot plate) revealed their extreme stereodifferences; the ED50 values of (3R,4S,2'R)-(-)-cis-1a and (3R,4S,2'S)-(+)-cis-1b, which are the most potent isomers among eight isomers, were 0.004 65 (2990 times that of morphine) and 0.001 06 mg/kg (13 100 times that of morphine), respectively, while the corresponding antipodes 1d,c were the least potent compounds among the eight isomers. In agreement with pharmacological results, both 1a,b also had the highest receptor affinity and selectivity for the opioid mu receptor. The ratio of K(i)(DPDPE)&K(i)(DAMGO) was 22 800 for 1a and 22 500 for 1b. All isomers except 1c,d strongly inhibited the electrically evoked smooth muscle contraction of GPI and MVD but not that of RVD, and the inhibitory effects could be reversed by naloxone, which indicated that these compounds were potent mu agonists in GPI and MVD. There was a good linear correlation between the analgesic potencies (ED50) and the receptor affinities (K(i)(DAMGO)) or inhibitory effects (IC50) to GPI and MVD. These results suggested that the analgesic effects of ohmefentanyl are mediated by interaction between the agents and opioid mu receptors in the central nervous system and the 3R,4S configuration at the piperidine 3- and 4-carbon atoms and the S configuration at the phenylethyl 2-carbon atom are beneficial for analgesic potency and inhibitory effects in GPI and MVD and the same for an S or R configuration at the phenylethyl 2-carbon atom besides the 3R,4S configuration for receptor mu affinity and selectivity.     

Gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow assay for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B

The lateral flow assay (LFA), a rapid, sensitive, and reproducible technique, was successfully applied to detect staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). The assay was based on a double-antibody sandwich format on a porous nitrocellulose membrane. When SEB-containing samples were applied to the LFA-device, the toxin initially reacted with polyclonal antibody (Pab)-coated colloidal gold particles and then reacted with the fixed Pab on the membrane. These reactions resulted in a red line at the detection zone, with intensity proportional to the SEB concentration (under 100 ng/ml). With this method, 1 ng/ml of SEB can be detected in less than 5 min and was highly reproducible. Signal can be amplified to 10 pg/ml by silver enhancement. This assay also showed no cross-reaction with other SEs, such as SEA, SEC, SED and SEE. The assay was significantly faster than the ELISA or real-time PCR assay and should facilitate early and rapid SEB detection in clinical and food samples.     

Photoreduction of the fluorescent dye 2'-7'-dichlorofluorescein: a spin trapping and direct electron spin resonance study with implications for oxidative stress measurements

The photoreduction of 2'-7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) was investigated in buffer solution using direct electron spin resonance (ESR) and the ESR spin-trapping technique. Anaerobic studies of the reaction of DCF in the presence of reducing agents demonstrated that during visible irradiation (lambda > 300 nm) 2'-7'-dichlorofluorescein undergoes one-electron reduction to produce a semiquinone-type free radical as demonstrated by direct ESR. Spin-trapping studies of incubations containing DCF, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) and either reduced glutathione (GSH) or reduced NADH demonstrate, under irradiation with visible light, the production of the superoxide dismutase-sensitive DMPO/*OOH adduct. In the absence of DMPO, measurements with a Clark-type oxygen electrode show that molecular oxygen is consumed in a light-dependent process. The semiquinone radical of DCF, when formed in an aerobic system, is immediately oxidized by oxygen, which regenerates the dye and forms superoxide.