HIV risk behaviors among Asian drug users in San Francisco.

This study identified patterns of drug use and HIV risk behaviors in relation to cultural factors among Asian drug users in San Francisco. A sample of 92 Asian drug users (35 Chinese, 31 Filipino, 26 Vietnamese) who were not currently enrolled in drug treatment programs were recruited through targeted sampling methods and interviewed using a questionnaire with open-ended questions. The study evaluated responses of the participants based on content analyses. Compared with Chinese and Vietnamese, Filipino drug users had engaged in riskier behaviors in terms of injection drug use, having sex while on drugs, and having sex with injection drug users (IDUs). Cultural factors such as stigma of injection drug use and fear of needles were cited as reasons for not injecting drugs. Among IDUs, half cited trust as a reason for having shared needles. AIDS prevention programs targeting Asian drug users should consider specific cultural factors among high-risk groups (i.e., Filipinos, immigrants, women, and IDUs).

Drug use behaviors among Asian drug users in San Francisco.

Due to a pervasive bias toward Asian Americans, such as tendency to view Asian Americans as model minorities, drug use behaviors among them are often ignored by health professionals, researchers, and community members, including Asian community members. This study identified patterns of drug use behaviors in relation to cultural factors among Asian drug users in San Francisco, CA. A sample of 92 Asian drug users (35 Chinese, 31 Filipino, 26 Vietnamese) who were not currently enrolled in drug treatment programs were recruited through targeted sampling methods and interviewed using a questionnaire with open-ended questions. The study evaluated responses of the participants and used content analyses. This study clearly revealed that the patterns of drug use among Asian drug users are unique to their ethnicity, gender, immigrant status, and age groups. Also, Asian drug users share cultural constructs related to drug use such as fear of addiction and injecting drugs, and stigma attached to drug users in the community. Therefore, drug abuse prevention programs should address both common factors among Asian drug users, as well as unique factors in specific target groups (e.g., ethnic groups, Asian immigrants, Asian women, refugees, and adolescents).

Substance abuse treatment: cultural barriers in the Asian-American community.

Asians constitute the largest growing minority in the United States. However, inaccurate perceptions and stereotypes continue to mask a full understanding of the state of knowledge regarding their alcohol and other drug abuse. Much of the existing research has continued this trend by categorizing Asians as "others" or persisting in its attempts to explain low incidence rates by investigating metabolic phenomena. More recent community-based studies have shown alarming incidence rates of specific substance abuse among different Asian ethnic groups. Asian heterogeneity and cultural barriers have also contributed to the lack of knowledge regarding substance abuse prevalence rates. Issues related to taboo, denial, and loss of face further mask understanding of the extent of the problem. Institutional barriers and the lack of community infrastructure make treatment efforts difficult in serving a myriad of Asian groups. For most Asians undergoing treatment, cultural factors need to be considered, including the involvement of the family as well as the risk related to its transition under immigration and the following acculturation patterns. An example of a specific treatment program and activity is discussed in relationship to the cultural factors indicated above. Finally, recommendations are specified for future treatment policy, research, and services.

Studies on uricosuric diuretics. III. Substituted 1,3-dioxolo[4,5-f]-1,2-benzisoxazole-6-carboxylic acids and 1,3-dioxolo[4,5-g]-1,2-benzisoxazole-7-carboxylic acids.

A series of substituted 1,3-dioxolo[4,5-f]-1,2-benzisoxazole-6-carboxylic acids 13 and 1,3-dioxolo[4,5-g]-1,2-benzisoxazole-7-carboxylic acids 14 were synthesized and evaluated for diuretic and uricosuric activities in rats. Most of the benzisoxazole derivatives 13 and 14 showed potent diuretic activities. Moderate uricosuric activities were also found in 14a, 14b, and 14f.

Studies on uricosuric diuretics. 4. Three-dimensional structure-activity relationships and receptor mapping of (aryloxy)acetic acid diuretics.

Attempts to develop new (aryloxy)acetic acids with a better profile of diuretic and uricosuric activities as well as with fewer side effects have produced a series of compounds in which the ring system has been varied. Diuretic screening of these analogues in rats indicated that the great difference in the activity between these compounds might be ascribed to a difference in the ring system rather than that in the substituent effect and that the annulation hypothesis described before is not necessarily applicable to all of these compounds. This prompted us to study the relationship between the structure and the diuretic activity of the (aryloxy)acetic acids. An active model (receptor model) was created with the indanone moiety of R-(-)-3 and the dihydrobenzofuran-2-carboxylic acid moiety of S-(+)-4. The three-dimensional structure-activity study of known compounds 2-4, and 5a using the active model showed that the degree of fitting to the model is related to the diuretic activity of these compounds. This was also confirmed for compounds 6a, 6b, 9a, 10a, 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a, 15a, and 16a, and the relation between the structure and the diuretic activity was rationalized qualitatively. With these insights in mind, a modified receptor model was constructed. We believe that this model is useful for a prediction of the activity of compounds not yet synthesized as well as for designing new (aryloxy)acetic acid diuretics.

Studies on uricosuric diuretics. II. Substituted 7,8-dihydrofuro[2,3-g]-1,2-benzisoxazole-7-carboxylic acids and 7,8-dihydrofuro[2,3-g]benzoxazole-7-carboxylic acids.

A series of substituted 7,8-dihydrofuro[2,3-g]-1,2-benzisoxazole-7-carboxylic acids 9 and 7,8-dihydrofuro[2,3-g]benzoxazole-7-carboxylic acids 12 were synthesized and evaluated for uricosuric and diuretic activities in rats. Many of the benzisoxazole derivatives 9 showed uricosuric and only weak diuretic activities, whereas the benzoxazoles 12 exhibited potent diuretic activities with little affecting urate excretion. Among these compounds, 5-chloro-7,8-dihydro-3-phenylfuro[2,3-g]-1,2-benzisoxazole-7-carbo xylic acid (9b, AA-193) was found to be a potent uricosuric agent without diuretic activity and was selected for further development.

The activity of AA-193, a new uricosuric agent, in animals.

A new uricosuric agent, 5-chloro-7,8-dihydro-3-phenylfuro[2,3-g]-1,2-benzisoxazole-7-carbo xylic acid (AA-193), was compared with other uricosurics in the rat, mouse and cebus monkey. In rats, probenecid and tienilic acid increased the urate excretion, but benzbromarone did not have the uricosuric activity. Thus, the presecretory reabsorption of urate is probably dominant in rats. We found that in rats AA-193 was the most potent uricosuric tested. In mice, probenecid not only had so-called paradoxical actions but stimulated urinary urate wasting after administration of pyrazinamide. These data suggest that the renal transport system of urate in the mouse is similar to that in man. AA-193 as well as benzbromarone enhanced the urate excretion dose-dependently, but the effects were different in pyrazinamide suppression tests in mice. In cebus monkeys, the uricosuric and hypouricemic effects of AA-193 were more potent than those of probenecid and similar to those of tienilic acid, but less than those of benzbromarone. Benzbromarone had a considerable role in postsecretory reabsorption in the monkey. These results suggest that AA-193 is a new class of uricosuric agent that controls the renal reabsorption of filtered urate particularly.

Semisynthetic beta-lactam antibiotics. III. Effect on antibacterial activity and comt-susceptibility of chlorine-introduction into the catechol nucleus of 6-[(R)-2-[3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-3-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1-ureido]-2- phenylacetamido]penicillanic acid.

The resistance of 6-[(R)-2-[3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-3-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1-ureido]-2- phenylacetamido]penicillanic acid (1a) to metabolism by catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) was increased by introduction of the chlorine atom into the catechol moiety. Penicillins (1b-1d) having one or two chlorine atoms at the positions adjacent to the hydroxyl group were found to have greater stability to COMT. This resulted in greater efficiency in vivo in experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli infections. In vitro activities were essentially unchanged.

Semisynthetic beta-lactam antibiotics. II. Effect on antibacterial activity of ureido N-substituents in the 6-[(R)-2-[3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-1- ureido]-2-phenylacetamido]penicillanic acids.

The synthesis and the relationship between in vitro and in vivo activities of 6-[(R)-2-[3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-3-R1-1-ureido]-2- phenylacetamido]penicillanic acids having C2 approximately 8 alkyl or substituted alkyl groups as the substituents (R1) are described. In this series, 6-[(R)-2-[3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-3-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1-ureido] -2-phenylacetamido]penicillanic acid (1b, AO-1100) showed the most potent protective effect on mice in experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, although it did not have the strongest in vitro activity among the penicillins we synthesized.

Semisynthetic beta-lactam antibiotics. I. Synthesis and antibacterial activity of new ureidopenicillin derivatives having catechol moieties.

The synthesis and antibacterial activity of new ureidopenicillin derivatives having catechol moieties in the 6-acyl side chain are described. These compounds showed remarkably strong activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Especially, 6-[(R)-2-[3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl)-3-methyl-1-ureido]-2- phenylacetamido]penicillanic acid (7a) had the most potent activity in vitro against Gram-negative bacteria, its activity being 30 approximately 60-fold greater than that of piperacillin against most strains of P. aeruginosa.

Social perspective-taking and adjustment in emotionally disturbed, learning-disabled, and normal children.

Preadolescent emotionally disturbed, learning-disabled, and normal boys were compared on social perspective-taking and behavioral measures to examine possible contributions of social cognitive deficits to children's adjustment problems. Antisocial-prosocial and withdrawn-gregarious behavior dimensions were studied through subscales derived from teacher ratings. Results indicated that across all groups, high perspective-taking was associated with significantly less withdrawal than was low perspective-taking; within groups, this finding was significant only for the emotionally disturbed boys. Contrary to theoretical assumptions, antisocial behavior was not significantly related to perspective-taking across the sample. Among emotionally disturbed boys, relatively higher affective perspective-taking was significantly correlated with higher antisocial behavior. This positive correlation for the emotionally disturbed group was significantly different from the nonsignificant negative correlation between antisocial behavior and perspective-taking among normals. Findings for learning-disabled boys were intermediate between results for emotionally disturbed and normal boys on both perspective-taking and behavioral measures, and the learning-disabled group generally did not differ significantly from either other group. Theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

[Adsorption and desorption of organic solvent vapours using silica gel (author's transl)].

For a simple analysis of organic solvent vapours in working environmental air, we investigated the following method. First, join the adsorption tube (2 ml of 60--80 mesh silica gel packed in a 5 mm phi x 18 cm glass tube) to hand vacuum pump and suck 200 ml of the sample air. After adsorption, join this adsorption tube to the sampling bottle under reduced pressure. Second, open the cock of the sampling bottle and heat only the adsorption tube in an oven for 3 min. In the operation mentioned above, organic solvent vapours desorbed from the silica gel transfer smoothly into the sampling bottle. After desorption, take 1 ml of air from the sampling bottle and determine the sample quantities with the gas chromatograph. Sample solvents used were as follows: n-hexane, cyclohexane, benzene, toluene, m-xylene, styrene, 1.1.1-trichloroethane, dichloromethane, tetrachloroethylene, ethylacetate, acetone, methyl-ethylketone, methylisobutylketone, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, and n-butanol. We obtained the following results. (1) 60--80 mesh silica gel is appropriate for this method. (2) Heating temperature to get 100% recovery varies with the type of organic solvent. m-Xylene and styrene require 250 degrees C, methylisobutylketone and n-butanol 200 degrees C, and the others 150 degrees C. (3) If the adsorption tube is preserved in a freezer at -20 degrees C, no decrease is observed for up to 7 days. At room temperatures, however, 1.1.1-trichloroethane, dichloromethane, tetrachloroethylene, n-hexane, and cyclohexane decreased by the amount 4-10% in the tube for each 24-hour period. These sample should be preserved at lower temperatures soon after absorbing on the silica gel. This method is simple and accurate, so valid for analysis of organic solvent vapours in the working environmental air.

Relationship between the structures of fatty acid amide derivatives and their antimicrobial activities.

The structure-activity relationships of derivatives of the antibiotic cerulenin were investigated by chemically modifying dodecanoic acid, its skeletal back-bone. The dimethylamide derivatives were active against both gram-positive and -negative bacteria, and fungi. Among the compounds having modified groups at positions C2 and C4, the most active were those with a carbonyl group at C4 and a double bond at C2. The dimethylamide and pyrrolidine amide derivatives of this structure type were the most active. Activity against bacteria and yeast increased with the number of carbon atoms in the skeleton, with the maximum activity being observed at C=12. No significant differences in activity against fungi were observed with change in chain length.