Further Studies on Structure-Cardiac Activity Relationships of Diterpenoid Alkaloids.

The cardiac effect of thirty-eight diterpenoid alkaloids was evaluated on the isolated bullfrog heart model. Among them, twelve compounds exhibited appreciable cardiac activity, with compounds 3 and 35 being more active than the reference drug lanatoside. The structure-cardiac activity relationships of the diterpenoid alkaloids were summarized based on our present and previous studies [2]: i) 1α-OMe or 1α-OH, 8-OH, 14-OH, and NH (or NMe) are key structural features important for the cardiac effect of the aconitine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloids without any esters.

Ring A conformation of aconine and pseudaconine in CDCl3.

On the basis of intensive interpretation of the 1H NMR spectroscopic data, the ring A conformation of aconine (1) was speculated as twist boat in CDCl3, and as chair or twist boat in acetone-d6 and pyridine-d5. The ring A of pseudaconine (2) adopts the chair conformation in CDCl3, acetone-d6, and pyridine-ds. Accordingly, the boat conformation of ring A in these two diterpenoid alkaloids in CDCl3 reported in the literature [1] should be revised.

Foreign body removed by the 'Fire and Ice Technique': A case report.

With the introduction of flexible bronchoscopies, several techniques and accessories have been available for the removal of foreign bodies (FB). However, in some cases, using conventional techniques are inappropriate and fail to remove the FB. Here we report a case of a 33-year-old male with 19 years foreign body aspiration history.

Bond strength of silicone to polyurethane following immersion of silicone in cleaning solutions.

Statement Of Problem: The use of polyurethane liners beneath silicone facial prostheses is recommended to improve the effectiveness of water-based adhesives, reduce bacterial colonization, and allow very thin margins. Patients using silicone prostheses with a polyurethane lining often observe different degrees of debonding which may lead to failure of the prosthesis. Aggressive cleaning may be associated with debonding of the silicone to polyurethane.