Tralomethrin (OMS-3048), a new synthetic pyrethroid against vector mosquitoes.

Tralomethrin (OMS-3048) a synthetic pyrethroid, was tested for its insecticidal properties in the laboratory against normal strains of Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. sitiens, Anopheles stephensi, An. culicifacies, Aedes aegypti and Armigeres subalbatus and against strains of Cx. quinquefasciatus resistant to fenthion and malathion. Tralomethrin showed good larvicidal activity against all the species tested. LC50 ranged between 7.00 x 10(-6) and 9.10 x 10(-3) mg (ai)/l. Resistant strains of Cx. quinquefasciatus showed higher tolerance than the normal strain. Tralomethrin was more effective against adults of An. culicifacies (LD50 0.18 micrograms/cm2) than the other species. Residual activity of this compound lasted for 15 weeks on thatch surface at a dosage of 50 mg (ai)/m2 against all the mosquito species tested. In the field, this compound was effective for a period of 1-2 days in polluted water viz., cesspits and drains and 10-24 days in less polluted water as in cement tanks, when applied at the rate of 0.002-2.0 mg (ai)/l against immatures of Cx. quinquefasciatus.     

Plasma transthyretin as a candidate marker for Alzheimer's disease

Diagnosis of the progressive neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer's disease (AD) can only definitively be made postmortem. The most promising AD biomarkers identified to date are found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Among these, one of the most interesting candidates is transthyretin (TTR), the carrier of thyroxine and retinol, which also binds with amyloid-β (Aβ), and it has been suggested that it protects against Aβ deposition. A biomarker detectable in plasma would have great diagnostic value and could be of use for determining disease progression and the monitoring of therapeutic efficacy due to its greater accessibility over CSF-based markers. We aimed to validate TTR as a prognostic marker in AD and to determine its relation with cognitive measures. We examined the plasma protein levels of TTR in 90 people with late-onset AD and 50 age-matched non-demented controls (NDC) by immunoblotting and found lower plasma TTR levels in AD compared to NDC (p = 0.004). We then quantified plasma TTR by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in a larger independent cohort (n = 270) including subjects with mild to severe AD. Plasma TTR levels were significantly lower in AD cases with rapid cognitive decline and with severe cognitive impairment. Regression analyses showed plasma TTR levels also predicted cognitive decline over the ensuing 6 months. These data indicate that plasma TTR is a strong candidate AD biomarker that should be included in the development of blood based biomarker panels for disease diagnosis and also suggests that plasma TTR is a marker of disease severity and progression.     

Efficacy of ciprofloxacin in urinary tract infections and risk factors for ciprofloxacin-resistant infections

Objectives : The study was undertaken to assess the safety and efficacy of sequential intravenous and oral ciprofloxacin in the treatment of moderate-to-severe urinary tract infections (UTI), and to identify risk factors for acquiring UTI caused by ciprofloxacin-resistant organisms. Materials and Methods : Using a prospective, open, single-centre study design, hospitalized patients with a clinical diagnosis of moderately severe UTI were enrolled. After a minimum of 3 days of intravenous ciprofloxacin, patients were switched to oral therapy. Assessment for response and analysis of risk factors were performed at the end of therapy. Results : Between December 1996 and November 1997, a total of 66 patients met the criteria for efficacy evaluation. Among the 55 patients with ciprofloxacin-sensitive organisms, 51 patients (93%) were cured. Persisting infection was noted in three patients (5%) and one patient (2%) was re-infected with a ciprofloxacin-resistant organism. Of the organisms isolated, 14 (19%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin. The presence of prostatic obstruction (odds ratio 6.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28–28.30, P = 0.02) and recurrent UTI (odds ratio 8.63, 95% CI 1.81–41.17, P = 0.007) were independently associated with infections caused by ciprofloxacin-resistant organisms. Adverse events were reported in 5 patients (8%) but no premature discontinuation or mortality was documented. Conclusion : Sequential therapy with oral therapy after initial parenteral ciprofloxacin is safe and effective in the management of moderate-to-severe UTI in appropriately selected patients.      

Glutamate microinjection at the medial preoptic area enhances slow wave sleep in rats

A large body of evidence has established the role of the medial preoptic area (mPOA) in regulation of slow wave sleep (SWS). Although the mPOA neurons contain excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, its role in sleep-wakefulness is not known. In the present study microinjection of monosodium glutamate (40, 80 and 120 ng) into the mPOA augmented SWS. Earlier reports have shown enhancement of paradoxical sleep by glutamate in other brain areas.     

A randomised clinical trial comparing the flexible fibrescope and the Pentax Airway Scope (AWS)® for awake oral tracheal intubation

We compared awake fibreoptic intubation with awake intubation using the Pentax Airway Scope^® in 40 adult patients. Sedation was achieved using a target‐controlled remifentanil infusion of 1–5 ng.ml^?1 and midazolam. The airway was anaesthetised with lidocaine spray and gargle. The total procedure time – a composite of sedation time, topical anaesthesia time and intubation time – was recorded. The operator's impression of the ease of the procedure and the patients' reported comfort were recorded on a 0–100 mm visual analogue scale. The median (IQR [range]) for total procedure time was 900 (739–1059 [616–1215]) s with the fibrescope and 651 (601–720 [498–900]) s with the Pentax Airway Scope (p = 0.0001). The median (IQR [range]) intubation time was 420 (283–480 [120–608]) s with the fibrescope and 183 (144–220 [107–420]) s with the Pentax Airway Scope (p = 0.0002). The median (IQR [range]) visual analogue scores for the operator's ease of intubation for the fibrescope and Pentax Airway Scope were 83.6 (72.0–98.0 [49.0–100.0]) and 86.8 (84.0–91.0 [61.0–100.0]), respectively (p = 0.3507). The median (IQR [range]) visual analogue score for patient comfort was 85.5 (81.0–97.0 [69.0–100.0]) and 79.4 (74.0–85.0 [59.0–100.0]) for the fibrescope and Pentax Airway Scope, respectively (p = 0.06). Total procedure time was significantly shorter with the Pentax Airway Scope compared with the fibrescope, with no difference in procedure difficulty or patient discomfort.