Influences on older people’s decision making regarding choice of topical or oral NSAIDs for knee pain: qualitative study

Objective To explore the factors that influence older people’s decision making regarding use of topical or oral ibuprofen for their knee pain.Design Qualitative interview study nested within a randomised controlled trial and a patient preference study that compared advice to use oral or topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for knee pain in older people.Setting 11 general practices.Participants 30 people aged ≥50 with knee pain. Results Participants’ decision making was influenced by their perceptions of the associated risk of adverse effects, presence of other illness, nature of their pain, advice received, and practicality. Although participants’ understanding of how the medications worked was sometimes poor their decision making about the use of NSAIDs seemed logical and appropriate. Participants’ model for treatment was to use topical NSAIDs for mild, local, and transient pain and oral NSAIDs for moderate to severe, generalised, and constant pain (in the absence of other more serious illness or risk of adverse effects). Participants showed marked tolerance and normalisation of adverse effects.Conclusion Participants had clear ideas about the appropriate use of oral and topical NSAIDs. Taking such views into account when prescribing may improve adherence, judgment of efficacy, and the doctor-patient relationship. Tolerance and normalisation of adverse effects in these patients indicate that closer monitoring of older people who use NSAIDs might be needed.     

Clinical applications of non-invasive multi and hyperspectral imaging of cell and tissue autofluorescence beyond oncology

Hyperspectral and multispectral imaging of cell and tissue autofluorescence employs fluorescence imaging, without exogenous fluorophores, across multiple excitation/emission combinations (spectral channels). This produces an image stack where each pixel (matched by location) contains unique information about the sample's spectral properties. Analysis of this data enables access to a rich, molecularly specific data set from a broad range of cell-native fluorophores (autofluorophores) directly reflective of biochemical status, without use of fixation or stains. This non-invasive, non-destructive technology has great potential to spare the collection of biopsies from sensitive regions. As both staining and biopsy may be impossible, or undesirable, depending on the context, this technology great diagnostic potential for clinical decision making. The main research focus has been on the identification of neoplastic tissues. However, advances have been made in diverse applications—including ophthalmology, cardiovascular health, neurology, infection, assisted reproduction technology and organ transplantation.     

Punica granatum waste to ethanol valorisation employing optimized levels of saccharification and fermentation

Pomegranate peels (PPW) as municipal waste is inexpensive biomass that could be a renewable source of sugars particularly rich in hemicellulosic contents. The subsequent conversion of available sugars in PPW can provide prospective strategy for cost-effective bioenergy production. In this study, an experimental setup based on CCD was implemented with the aim of bioconversion of biomass into bioethanol. The factors considered were Hydrochloric acid concentration (X₁), the hydrolysis temperature (X₂) and time (X₃) for optimization with dilute Hydrochloric acid (HCl) saccharification. The present study investigates the optimised level of bioethanol synthesis from acid pre-treated PPW explained by RSM. Subsequently, three yeasts viz. Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7, Metschnikowia sp. Y31 and M. cibodasensis Y34 were utilized for fermentation of acid hydrolysed and detoxified feed stocks. Optimum values of reducing sugars 48.02 ± 0.02 (gL^?1) and total carbohydrates 205.88 ± 0.13 (gL^?1) were found when PPW was hydrolyzed with 1% HCl concentration at 100?C of temperature for 30 min. Later on, fermentation of PPWH after detoxification with 2.5% activated charcoal. The significant ethanol (g ethanol/g of reducing sugars) yields after fermentation with Metschnikowia sp. Y31 and M. cibodasensis Y34 found to be 0.40 ± 0.03 on day 5 and 0.41 ± 0.02 on last day of experiment correspondingly. Saccharomyces cerevisiae K7 also produce maximum ethanol 0.40 ± 0.00 on last day of incubation utilizing the PPWH. The bioconversion of commonly available PPW into bioethanol as emphasize in this study could be a hopeful expectation and also cost-effective to meet today energy crisis.     

Phase transfer catalysis in solid phase peptide synthesis. Preparation of cyclo[Xxx-Pro-Gly-Yyy-Pro-Gly] model peptides and their conformational analysis.

Relatively small cyclic peptides that contain functionalized side chains provide interesting model compounds for studying side chain-side chain interactions, peptide backbone flexibility (especially if X-Pro bonds are included), and as potential enzyme mimetics. In order to develop more efficient synthetic routes to compounds such as cyclo(Xxx-Pro-Gly-Yyy-Pro-Gly), using the Merrifield method, we have investigated several orthogonal solid phase synthesis strategies and contrasted the use of two solid phase peptide-resin cleavage techniques for preparing partially protected linear sequences. Phase transfer catalysis using tetrabutyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate in THF with saturated aqueous K2CO3 provides peptide acid salts in which most of the common protecting groups (Arg(NO2), Tyr(Bzl), Z-Lys, Lys(Boc), and Glu(tBu)) are not affected. Using 500 MHz proton NMR, peptides having a cyclo (L-L-Gly-L-L-Gly) sequence generally display two conformers in DMSO-d6 with the major isomer being the bis-cis conformer, while the minor form contains two beta turns. For peptides with a cyclo(D-L-Gly-L-L-Gly) sequence, the major conformer contains one cis and one trans X-Pro bond and one Type II beta turn, as previously predicted for related structure by Kopple and others.     

Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate–based silver nanoparticles and their potent application as antibiofilm,antimicrobial agent,and trace level determination of amlodipine

Herein, we presented the synthesis and application of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate–based silver nanoparticles (termed as SDBS-AgNPs). The SDBS reverse micelles (RMs) in ethanol was used as nanoreactor for green AgNPs synthesis. The size, structure, and shape of SDBS-AgNPs were well distinct by UV/visible (UV/Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The SDBS-AgNPs were quite stable even at high temperature (80 °C), salt concentration (up to 300 μM), and wide pH range (2 to 12). Moreover, SDBS-AgNPs were found to be highly sensitive and selective colorimetric sensor for antihypertensive drug amlodipine (AML). The interaction of AML with SDBS-AgNPs resulted as a substantial increase in the absorbance and a prominent blue shift in wavelength from 426 to 400 nm. DLS results were further confirmed that the SDBS-AgNPs break into smaller sized particles. Similarly, FTIR results also verified the SDBS-AgNPs etching–based sensing of AML molecules due to the strong attraction by amine and carbonyl functional groups on the target drug. The proposed sensor exhibited linear response in the range of 0.001–200 μM (R² = 0.9917) with limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 0.161 and 0.49 μM, respectively. The probe remained selective against AML, even in the presence of equimolar interfering species (including other drugs and metal ions). Furthermore, findings proposed that the SDBS-AgNPs might be used as effective substitute to minimize infection severity by obstructing the biofilm formation against nosocomial and urinary tract infection (UTI) causing pathogens.

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Inhibition of oxytocin-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover in rat myometrium by pertussis and cholera toxins may involve protein kinase a activation

Both pertussis and cholera toxins inhibit oxytocin-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover in rat myometrium. The actions of pertussis and cholera toxins as well as those of CPTcAMP are reversed by H-8, an inhibitor of protein kinase A. H-8 does not have a major effect on cAMP elevation by the toxins in the presence of oxytocin. The results suggest that the stimulation by oxytocin of phosphoinositide turnover does not involve direct obligatory coupling to a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein. Rather, indirect effects on protein kinase A activation may contribute to the inhibitory effects of both cholera and pertussis toxins. This study suggests that caution must be exercised in interpreting inhibition of phosphoinositide turnover by pertussis toxin in whole cell experiments as indicative of direct involvement of a toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein.     

Identification and C-13 N.M.R. spectrum of stachydrine from Cadaba fruticosa

Cadabine, a compound isolated from the leaves of Cadaba fruticosa has been identified as stachydrine and its C-13 NMR studied.