Search

DESIGN AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of two cohorts of consecutive patients (n=226) admitted with IE from 2002 to 2013. Numbers of cases and rates of IE were compared between two cohorts (2002-2006 and 2009-2013). Rate ratios were calculated using Poisson distributions. Poisson regression was used to examine relationship over time. RESULTS: One hundred thirty cases of endocarditis were seen in the first observation period (6 IDU-IE) and 96 in the second observation period (15 IDU-IE). The estimated incidence rate of IE had fallen from 10.1 to 6.45 per 100,000 person-years [rate ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48, 0.85]. In contrast, the estimated incidence rate of IDU-E has risen from 0.48 to 0.79 per 100,000 person-years (rate ratio 1.65, 95% CI 0.59, 4.57). Incidence rate regression suggests that the number of IDU-IE cases is expected to increase by a factor of 1.25 (95%CI 1.09-1.44) for each increase of 1 year. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION(S): Over the last decade, there has been a decrease in incidence rate and total number of cases of IE but a rise in rate and number of cases of IDU-IE. This may indicate increasing IDU or increased rates of endocarditis in intravenous drug users in this region. This finding may inform health-care planning in the area. INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Injecting drug use (IDU) is a major risk factor for infective endocarditis (IE). An understanding of the epidemiology of IE and IDU is vital for delivery of health care for this disease. Our aim was to examine the rates of IDU-associated IE (IDU-IE) in a single centre over the last 12 years.Copyright © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Many species in fire-prone environments germinate after fire including most taxa in the genus Anigozanthos Labill. Following preliminary studies with Anigozanthos manglesii D.Don subsp. manglesii, the response of several Anigozanthos taxa to germination stimulants relating to the post-fire environment including smoke, karrikinolide (KAR1, 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one) and nitrate were compared in seed when freshly collected and after a period of burial. Following after-ripening, the response of seed to water, smoke-water, KAR1 and glyceronitrile (2,3- dihydroxypropanenitrile) was examined. Seed of 16 Anigozanthos taxa, and the related monotypic genus Blancoa Lindl., were highly dormant at maturity. Investigations of eight Anigozanthos taxa and B. canescens indicated that these taxa had morphophysiological dormancy. Following a period of either 3- to 4 months or 1 year of burial and exhumation in autumn, many taxa remained dormant. However, dormancy was alleviated and smoke-water stimulated some germination of A. manglesii subsp. manglesii, A. flavidus DC., A. viridis Endl. subsp. viridis, and A. viridis Endl. subsp. Cataby (S.D. Hopper 1786). Nitrate also stimulated germination of A. flavidus in the light. Following 3–3.5 years of laboratory after-ripening, 13 of the 17 Anigozanthos taxa examined were smoke-responsive. When testing individual smoke-derived compounds these taxa germinated in response to glyceronitrile and not KAR1. In contrast, smoke-responsive B. canescens seed responded to KAR1 and not glyceronitrile. These findings suggest a phylogenetic link between responsiveness to different chemicals in smoke in this family that may shed light on the evolutionary development of these smoke responses.

The synthesis and photophysical properties of pyrrole, furan and thiophene substituted in their 2 and 5 positions by 2'-benzothiazolyl moieties have been investigated. The three species show deep-blue fluorescence with maxima in the 444–450 nm region, originating from excited states of π–π * character. The photoluminescence quantum yields were found to be higher for the pyrrole and furan compounds, 0.42 and 0.47 respectively, compared to the quantum yield of the thiophene species, 0.21. Light Emitting Devices were fabricated using the pyrrole species as 4% dopant in a 4,4',4''-tri(9-carbazoyl) triphenylamine emissive layer, or the same pyrrole species as a neat film. In low concentration of dopant, the device is characterised by deep-blue emission with CIE coordinates of x = 0.182, y = 0.185; on the other hand, a neat film of the dopant produces almost white light emission with CIE x = 0.381, y = 0.400 but at a cost of quantum efficiency due to self-quenching effects.

Background and Aims: A major germination-promoting chemical in smoke-water is 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one (karrikinolide, KAR1). However, not all species that germinate in response to smoke-water are responsive to KAR1, such as Tersonia cyathiflora (Gyrostemonaceae). In this study, a test was made of whether two Gyrostemon species (Gyrostemonaceae) that have previously been shown to respond to smoke-water, respond to KAR1. If not, then the smoke-derived chemical that stimulates germination of these species is currently unknown. Recently, glyceronitrile was isolated from smoke-water and promoted the germination of certain Anigozanthos species (Haemodoraceae). Whether this chemical promotes Gyrostemon racemiger germination is also examined. Furthermore, an investigation was carried out into whether these species germinate in response to smoke-water derived from burning cellulose alone. Methods: Gyrostemon racemiger and G. ramulosus seeds were buried after collection and retrieved in autumn the following year when dormancy was alleviated and seeds had become responsive to smoke-water. Anigozanthos flavidus seeds were after-ripened at 35 °C to alleviate dormancy. Gyrostemon and Anigozanthos seeds were then tested with ‘Seed Starter’ smoke-water, KAR1, glyceronitrile and cellulose-derived smoke-water.Key Results: Although Gyrostemon racemiger, G. ramulosus and A. flavidus were all stimulated to germinate by ‘Seed Starter’ smoke-water, none of these species responded to KAR1. Gyrostemon racemiger germination was not promoted by glyceronitrile. This is in contrast to A. flavidus, where glyceronitrile, at concentrations of 1–500 µm, promoted germination, although seedling growth was inhibited at ≥400 µm. Maximum A. flavidus germination occurred at glyceronitrile concentrations of 25–300 µm. Some Gyrostemon germination was promoted by cellulose-derived smoke-water. Conclusions: KAR1 and glyceronitrile, chemicals in smoke-water that are known to stimulate germination i

The coordination chemistry of 2,5-dicarbothioamidopyrrole ligands, namely N2,N5-dibutyl-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-bis(carbothioamide) and N2,N5,3,4-tetraphenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-10 bis(carbothioamide) has been investigated with Cu(II) metal centres by means of X-ray crystallography. This resulted in the formation of the expected planar S,N,S’ coordinated complex for the former ligand, and unexpected ring-closure reactions, with formation of benzothiazole sidearms for the latter. Both Cu(II) and Cu(I), used in large excess, were found to favour the ring-closurereaction, although the structural characterisation of the resulting complexes, contained only 15 Cu(II) cations, with varying coordination geometries ranging from square planar and square-based pyramidal to tetrahedral. By repeating the reaction using a slight excess of Cu(II) (2:1) two more different structures were obtained where the metal was coordinated to the original ligand, N2,N5,3,4-tetraphenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-bis(carbothioamide), or to the mixed ligand where only one of the thioamide substituents had converted to a benzothiazole. The essential role of Cu for the 20 ring closure reaction was also established by comparing its complex with structural features of the analogous Co(II) complex, the latter revealing no ring closure to give benzothiazole substituents and co-crystallisation of a mixed Co(II)/Co(III) complex.Finally, the structure and photophysical properties of the corresponding 3,4-diphenyl-2,5-bis(benzothiozol-5-yl)-pyrrole ligand, obtained via treatment of the thioamide with K3[Fe(CN)6], were also investigated revealing a blue-centered 25 emission.

Metal complexes of 2,5-dicarboxamidopyrroles and 2,5-dicarbothioamidopyrroles have been structurally characterised for the first time, complementing the significant amount of work that has been reported for the analogous pyridine ligands. N,N!-Bis(3,5-dinitrophenyl)-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxamide forms octahedral bis(tridentate) complexes with cobalt(III) and nickel(II), where the ligands are bound to the metal centres through deprotonated pyrrole and amide N atoms. N,N!-Dibutyl-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxthioamide and N,N!-diphenyl-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxthioamide also form bis(tridentate) cobalt complexes but are only deprotonated at the pyrrole N atom, the remainder of the coordination sphere comprising the thioamide S atoms. The dibutyl derivative was isolated as a Co(II) complex, whereas the diphenyl system deposited a Co(III) complex. In contrast, N,N!-dibutyl-3,4-dichloro-1H-pyrrole-2,5- dicarboxamide was found to act as a bidentate ligand, in an octahedral cobalt(II) complex comprising of two bidentate pyrrole ligands, and two aqua ligands. Synthesis of N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-3,4-diphenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-carboxamide gave a pyrrole ligand with increased denticity. Reaction with cobalt(II) chloride resulted in the isolation of a dinuclear helicate complex. The ligand was found to have undergone addition of a methoxy group to one of the linking methylene carbons, presumably as a result of the oxidative addition of solvent methanol.