Inhibition of the in vitro growth of Babesia bigemina, Babesia caballi and Theileria equi parasites by trifluralin analogues.

Bovine and equine babesiosis caused by Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina and Babesia caballi, along with equine theileriosis caused by Theileria equi are global tick-borne hemoprotozoan diseases characterized by fever, anemia, weight losses and abortions. A common feature of these diseases are transition from acute to chronic phases, in which parasites may persist in the hosts for life. Antiprotozoal drugs are important for managing infection and disease. Previous research demonstrated that trifluralin analogues, designated (TFLAs) 1-15, which specifically bind to regions of alpha-tubulin protein in plants and protozoan parasites, have the ability to inhibit the in vitro growth of B. bovis. The inhibitory activity of TFLAs 1-15 minus TFLA 5 was tested in vitro against cultured B. bigemina, B. caballi and T. equi. The four TFLAs with greatest inhibitory activity were then analyzed for hemolytic activity and toxicity against erythrocytes. All TFLAs tested in the study showed inhibitory effects against the three parasite species. TFLA 2, TFLA 11, TFLA 13 and TFLA 14 were the most effective inhibitors for the three species tested, with estimated IC50 between 5.1 and 10.1µM at 72h. The drug's solvent (DMSO/ethanol) did not statistically affect the growth of the parasites nor cause hemolysis. Also, TFLA 2, 13 and 14 did not cause statistically significant hemolytic activity on bovine and equine erythrocytes at 15µM, and TFLA 2, 11 and 13 had no detectable toxic effects on bovine and equine erythrocytes at 15µM, suggesting that these drugs do not compromise erythrocyte viability. The demonstrated ability of the trifluralin analogues to inhibit in vitro growth of Babesia spp. and Theileria equi, and their lack of toxic effects on erythrocytes supports further in vivo testing and eventually their development as novel alternatives for the treatment of babesiosis and theileriosis.

Picosecond structural relaxation of abietic acid based amine end capped para-phenylenevinylene trimers in solution.

The synthesis and photophysical properties of six new abietic acid based amine end-capped p-phenylenevinylene trimers (AECPV3) in their lowest excited singlet states are presented. The AECPV3 compounds show a large red-shift of both the absorption (25-30 nm) and emission (37-42 nm) maxima with respect to those of the corresponding trimers. Picosecond time-resolved fluorescence data reveal the presence of a fast conformational relaxation process (40-62 ps) of the initially excited compounds, leading to more planar conformers. The conformational relaxation time is proportional to the volume of both the side chain and the amine groups.

[Obstetrical inpatient care and hospitalization risks in hospitals of Brazil]. / Assistência obstétrica e risco de internação na rede de hospitais do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze variations in early neonatal mortality, stillbirth rates, and a set of indicators collected from obstetric hospitals affiliated to the Brazilian National Unified Health System (SUS) for their monitoring through the Hospital Data System (SIH/SUS) and Live Births Data System (SINASC). METHODS: One-hundred and thirty five hospitals in the state of Rio de Janeiro were assessed in 1997. Factor analysis was conducted using principal components. Score distribution for the first two components were established, which allowed to classify hospitals according to maternal risk profile and care outcomes. RESULTS: Hospitals affiliated to SUS were responsible for 77.8% of all deliveries in the state of Rio de Janeiro and 23% of them performed fewer than 100 deliveries a year. Among hospitals of extreme high maternal risk and low performance, there were several units considered as referral centers for high-risk pregnancy. It was also observed that 5% of hospital units with low complexity infrastructures showed a profile of high maternal risk and questionable care outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The Hospital Information Data System affiliated to the National Unified Health System has proven to be an important information source for monitoring hospital stillbirth and early neonatal mortality rates as well as for planning surveillance actions for health services providing obstetric and/or neonatal care.

Squaraines inside Zeolites: Preparation, Stability, and Photophysical Properties.

A series of four symmetrical squaraines (ditoylyl, di-m-xylyl, dianisyl, and diresorcinyl) incorporated inside zeolites Y, mordenite, and ZSM-5 have been obtained by treating squaric acid and the corresponding arene in the presence of acid zeolites. Acid sites and high reaction temperatures (150 degrees C) were found to be crucial for the success of the preparation procedure. Surprisingly, this method failed for the preparation of the squaraine derived from N,N-dimethylaniline, which is known to be readily formed from squaric acid in homogeneous phase without a catalyst. The solid samples containing squaraines were characterized by diffuse reflectance and Raman spectroscopies and by thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry. Among the hosts, mordenite was found to be the most general and convenient zeolite for the preparation of the squaraines, while in the other solids either the organic content adsorbed was comparatively smaller (ZSM-5) or some squaraines were not very stable (Y zeolite for ditolyl and dixylyl squaraines). The absorption spectra of the samples correspond to the J-aggregation state of the squaraines, except for some ZSM-5 samples, where simultaneous observation of the bands due to both monomers and aggregates occurs. Aggregation also changes with the water content of the samples. Treatment of the zeolite-bound diresorcinyl squaraine with basic aqueous solutions leads to remarkable variations in the diffuse reflectance and Raman spectra. These changes in the Raman spectrum of the diresorcinyl squaraine were found to be reversible by basic or acid washings. Laser flash photolysis using the 355- or 532-nm output of a Nd-YAG laser (<10 ns pulses;