Bidirectional switching of near IR emitting boradiazaindacene fluorophores

(Graph Presented) Two novel distyryl-boradiazaindacene dyes with dimethylaminostyryl and pyridylethenyl substituents display opposite spectral shifts on protonation with TFA in organic solvents. This bidirectional switching of the dyes can be shown to be directly related to ICT donor and acceptor characteristics of the substituents attached to the BODIPY core. The observed spectral response of these dyes could be very useful in the design of novel NIR fluorescent ratiometric probes for pH. © 2008 American Chemical Society

Over restrictive elimination of foods in children with foodallergy

Background. Previous studies demonstrated critical deficits in diagnosis and management of childhood foodallergy (FA), and recent developments in FA research support adopting a proactive approach in FA management.Our objective was to describe FA knowledge and management patterns of pediatricians.Method. We applied a 24-item survey to 170 general pediatricians, pediatric allergists and pediatricgastroenterologists practicing in Turkey.Results. Some IgE-mediated symptoms of FA such as cough, urticaria, wheezing and anaphylaxis were falselyrecognized as symptoms of non-IgE-mediated FA by 30%, 29%, 25% and 19% of the participants, respectively.By contrast, 50% of the participants falsely recognized bloody stool, a finding of IgE-mediated FA. Mostfrequently and least frequently used diagnostic tools were specific IgE (30.5%) and oral food challenge test(1.7%), respectively. Maternal diet restrictions and infant diet restrictions were advised by 82% and 82%,respectively. Percentages of physicians eliminating only 1 food were 21%, 19%; 2 foods were 15%, 11%; 3 foodswere 7%, 8%; 4-5 foods were 8%, 11%; 5 to 10 foods were 21%, 26%; and >10 foods were 28%, 25% from thematernal and infant diet, respectively. Cow’s milk, cheese, butter, yoghurt, baked milk products and hen’s eggwere the most commonly restricted items.Conclusion. Overall, FA knowledge of pediatricians was fair. Pediatricians utilize an overly restrictive approachwhen advising diet eliminations in FA. Recent developments favor a more proactive approach to induce immunetolerance and need to be encouraged in pediatric clinical practice. Future educational efforts should focus onemphasizing the deleterious effects of injudicious and extensive eliminations

Treatment of Nail Psoriasis: Common Concepts and New Trends

The lifetime incidence of nail involvement in psoriatic patients is estimated to be 80–90%, and the nails can be affected in 10% to 55% of psoriatic patients. Psoriasis may also solely involve the nails, without any other skin findings, in which the treatment can be more challenging. Nail psoriasis may lead to considerable impairment in quality of life due to aesthetic concerns and more importantly limitations in daily activities resulting from the associated pain, which may be overlooked by the physicians. Several topical and systemic treatment modalities, as well as radiation and light systems, have been used in the treatment of nail psoriasis. In the last decade, the introduction of biologic agents and the utilization of laser systems have brought a new insight into the treatment of nail psoriasis. This paper focuses on the recent advances, as well as the conventional methods, in treating nail psoriasis in adults and children, in reference to an extensive literature search

Effective PET and ICT switching of boradiazaindacene emission: A unimolecular, emission-mode, molecular half-subtractor with reconfigurable logic gates

We report a unimolecular system functioning as a combinatorial logic circuit for half-subtractor. The emission characteristics can be modulated by chemical inputs, and when followed at two different wavelengths, two functionally integrated logic gates XOR and INHIBIT are obtained. Both logic gates function in the emission mode, and with very large differences in the signal intensity allowing unequivocal assignment of logic-0 and logic-1

Cation modulation of carbonyldipyrrinone (CDP) fluorescence: emission-ratiometric sensing of calcium

Optically dilute solutions of 2,3,7,8-tetraethyl-N,N'-carbonyldipyrrinone displays an absorbance peak at 401 nm and an emission peak at 493 nm in acetonitrile. The two carbonyl groups in the structure seems to be optimally placed for cation coordination, and when calcium ions are added in the form of a perchlorate salt, a remarkable bathochromic change in the absorption and emission spectrum takes place: the absorption peak shifts by 24 nm and the emission peak shifts by 49 nm towards the red end of the visible spectrum. The shift in the emission spectrum allows wavelength ratiometric assessment of calcium concentration. In addition, the response is highly selective with respect to the cations added

Field trial of the efficacy of praziquantel for the treatment of monieziosis in naturally infected sheep

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of praziquantel at 3.75 mg/kg b.w. and 5 mg/kg b.w. in treating Moniezia expansa and to observe the appearance of the parasite in the faeces of sheep following the treatment. Thirty-six sheep (24 male + 12 female), naturally infected with Moniezia expansa, were allocated to three groups according to the following dosage regimes: Group 1-3.75 mg/kg b.w., n = 12; Group 2-5 mg/kg b.w., n = 12; Control group, n = 12. The sheep were around 6-7 months old and weighed between 17.7 - 35 kg. Sheep were randomly divided into equal groups based on mean weight and sex. Faeces were collected after 12, 36, 60, 84, 108, 132 and 156 hours and just before slaughter (final 24 hours faeces) into faecal collection bags in the treatment groups. The collected faeces were then examined macroscopically for any parasite segments and microscopically for parasite eggs. After treatment the sheep excreted parasite segments as either normal parasite forms or deformed forms (melted and capsule or rosary forms). Equal numbers of animals (3 from each group) were slaughtered 10, 11, 12 and 13 days following treatment and their intestinal contents examined for the presence of parasites. None of the treated animals either in group 1 or group 2 had strobilae or scolices of M. expansa in their intestine contents after the slaughter. In contrast, sheep in the control group had 0.5-61 ml strobilae and 1-8 scolices belonging to M. expansa, Thysaniezia giardi and Stilesia globipunctata. It was concluded that praziquantel at the dose rates used in the study was 100 % effective against Moniezia expansa

Expanding the Genotypic Spectrum of Bathing Suit Ichthyosis.

Importance: Bathing suit ichthyosis (BSI) is a rare congenital disorder of keratinization characterized by restriction of scale to sites of relatively higher temperature such as the trunk, with cooler areas remaining unaffected. Fewer than 40 cases have been reported in the literature. Bathing suit ichthyosis is caused by recessive, temperature-sensitive mutations in the transglutaminase-1 gene (TGM1). Clear genotype-phenotype correlations have been difficult to establish because several of the same TGM1 mutations have been reported in BSI and other forms of congenital ichthyosis. We identify novel and recurrent mutations in 16 participants with BSI. Objective: To expand the genotypic spectrum of BSI, identifying novel TGM1 mutations in patients with BSI, and to use BSI genotypes to draw inferences about the temperature sensitivity of TGM1 mutations. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 16 participants with BSI from 13 kindreds were identified from 6 academic medical centers. A detailed clinical history was obtained from each participant, including phenotypic presentation at birth and disease course. Each participant underwent targeted sequencing of TGM1. Main Outcomes and Measures: Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics in these patients from birth onward. Results: Of the 16 participants, 7 were male, and 9 were female (mean age, 12.6 years; range, 1-39 years). We found 1 novel TGM1 indel mutation (Ile469_Cys471delinsMetLeu) and 8 TGM1 missense mutations that to our knowledge have not been previously reported in BSI: 5 have been previously described in non-temperature-sensitive forms of congenital ichthyosis (Arg143Cys, Gly218Ser, Gly278Arg, Arg286Gln, and Ser358Arg), and 3 (Tyr374Cys, Phe495Leu, and Ser772Arg) are novel mutations. Three probands were homozygous for Arg264Trp, Arg286Gln, or Arg315Leu, indicating that these mutations are temperature sensitive. Seven of 10 probands with a compound heterozygous TGM1 genotype had a mutation at either arginine 307 or 315, providing evidence that mutations at these sites are temperature sensitive and highlighting the importance of these residues in the pathogenesis of BSI. Conclusions and Relevance: Our findings expand the genotypic spectrum of BSI and the understanding of temperature sensitivity of TGM1 mutations. Increased awareness of temperature-sensitive TGM1 genotypes should aid in genetic counseling and provide insights into the pathophysiology of TGM1 ichthyoses, transglutaminase-1 enzymatic activity, and potential therapeutic approaches