Solvatochromism and fluoride sensing of thienyl-containing benzodiazaboroles

Schwedler S, Eickhoff D, Brockhinke R, Cherian D, Weber L, Brockhinke A. Solvatochromism and fluoride sensing of thienyl-containing benzodiazaboroles. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2011;13(20):9301-9310.Static and time-resolved fluorescence studies were carried out to investigate the photophysical properties and fluoride sensing abilities of highly fluorescent thienyl-containing 1,3-diethyl-1,3,2-benzodiazaboroles. Absorption and fluorescence spectra were measured in various solvents, showing the fluorophores to emit in the visible wavelength region with colors varying from blue to orange and quantum yields ranging between 0.21 and 1. Measured Stokes shifts of 2898 cm(-1) to 9308 cm(-1) were used to calculate the difference between excited-and ground-state dipole moments of the fluorophores. Values up to 18.8 D are of the same magnitude as for designed polarity probes such as PRODAN, supporting the idea of internal charge transfer transitions. Quenching studies with pyridine observing static and time-resolved fluorescence revealed a purely dynamic quenching mechanism and low Lewis acidity of the boron within the benzodiazaborolyl moiety compared to other triarylboranes. In contrast to this, quenching with fluoride was shown to stem from adduct formation. Reversible complexation of fluoride follows a simple mechanism for multi-functionalized benzodiazaboroles 2b and 2c, while those containing only one benzodiazaborole moiety (1 and 2a) show a more complicated behaviour, which might be explained by aggregation. Combining a benzodiazaborole group and a dimesitylborane function results in spectrally switchable fluoride sensors 3a and 3b, since the two boron sides can be deactivated for fluorescence in a stepwise manner

Masticatory performance in oral function assessment: alternative methods.

BACKGROUND Masticatory function declines with age or disease, implicating a poor chewing efficiency and an often-unconscious change for a less healthy, yet easy to chew diet. Timely screening of masticatory function may foster an early-onset diagnosis and potential treatment. The aim of this study was to compare alternative diagnostic tools for masticatory function to a Jelly-scan test. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients aged 70 years and older who were hospitalized for rehabilitation were recruited for this study. A total of four different tests for masticatory function were administered. The Japanese Society of Gerodontology glucose extraction test (Jelly-scan) was used as reference to compare a colour-changing gum test (Gum1-colour) as well as a mixing ability test with a visual (Gum2-visual) and opto-electronical (Gum2-digital) analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to establish the discriminative value, kappa-values were used to estimate individual agreements and correlations were verified using Spearman's tests. RESULTS Sixty-one patients (Men n=23, Women n=38) aged 82.4±6.8 years participated in the experiments. The average number of natural teeth was 16.5 ± 10.5, 34.4% of the participants wore removable dentures. For all tests, the sum of sensitivity and specificity was >150%. All test correlated with Jelly-scan (absolute Rho >0.5). With Jelly-scan 51 participants (83.6%) were diagnosed with "masticatory hypofunction". After reducing the cut-off value of the test from 100 mg/dl to 65 mg/dl, only 33 participants (54%) fulfilled the diagnosis. This post-hoc analysis increased the sensitivity of the Gum2-tests and the agreement to kappa >0.5 for all three tests. CONCLUSION All three tests can be considered useful screening alternatives. In its original version, Jelly-scan may tend to over-diagnose masticatory hypofunction, hence a novel cut-off with better agreement between tests is suggested

Brigatinib versus other second-generation ALK inhibitors as initial treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase positive non-small cell lung cancer with deep phenotyping: study protocol of the ABP trial

Background!#!Availability of potent anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has pushed the median survival of ALK!##!Methods/design!#!In this exploratory prospective phase II clinical trial, newly diagnosed ALK!##!Discussion!#!Besides supporting therapeutic decisions for enrolled patients, the ABP trial primarily aims to deepen the understanding of the underlying biology and facilitate development of a framework for individualized management of ALK!##!Trial registration!#!Clinicaltrials.gov , NCT04318938. Registered March 182,020, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04318938 Eudra-CT, 2019-001828-36. Registered September 302,019, https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/search?query=2019-001828-36

Validation of a novel diagnostic tool for decreased tongue pressure.

INTRODUCTION Reduced tongue pressure may render eating and swallowing difficult. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the tongue training device can also be used as a diagnostic device and whether its sensitivity and specificity are equal to the numerical tongue pressure measuring device. MATERIAL AND METHODS The target group is patients aged 70 years and over who are hospitalised for rehabilitation. Tongue pressure was measured by both, a tongue pressure measuring instrument and a tongue training tool. The diagnosis of the reduced tongue pressure was made with the tongue pressure measuring instrument and set the verified with the novel tongue training tool. RESULTS Sixty-two participants were included in the study. Forty-five were classified by the tongue pressure measuring device and 53 by the tongue training device as 'low tongue pressure'. Spearman correlation confirmed a positive correlation between the tongue pressure measuring device and the tongue training device rs  = 0.800, p = 0.01 level (2-tailed). The tongue training device test identified sensitivity was 100%, and its specificity was 52.9%. The AUC of the ROC curve is 0.901. CONCLUSION The tongue training device seems a simple, safe and readily available alternative to the tongue pressure measuring device for the diagnosis of low tongue pressure, with an excellent sensitivity and very good specificity