No abstract

Quantitative buffy coat (QBC) analysis has been reported to have a high degree of methodical sensitivity in the detection of human filariasis. This study was conducted to evaluate its usefulness in the diagnosis of filariasis using a Dirofilaria immitis/dog model. By necropsy of 244 stray dogs, 40.6% of the animals were found to harbor 1-58 worms of D. immitis (mean 6.5 +/- 8.4 worms/infected dog). The QBC analysis and thick blood smear (TBS) method detected microfilaremia in 31.6% and 21.3% of these dogs, respectively. The results of these two methods were highly correlated with the presence of bisexual worms in the dogs. The QBC analysis was more sensitive (55% versus 39%) and efficient (79% versus 72%) than the conventional TBS method. However, accurate speciation of the microfilariae was impossible using the QBC analysis. Although this technique is more sensitive, simpler, and less time-consuming and does not require as much skill or experience in comparison with the conventional TBS method, the failure in speciation of the parasites may limit its usefulness.

In a nonprotic solvent, a (H 2 O) 2 (COOH) 3 (L) supramolecular synthon was found to guide the formation of five new crystal structures together with HPB-3a (1,3,5-tris(4carboxyphenyl)-2,4,6-tris(4-tert-butylphenyl)benzene). This synthon acted as a 3-connected trigonal planar nodeand 5 [(HPB-3a)(bipy-eta) 0.5 (H 2 O) 2 ] (bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine, azopy = azopyridine, bipy-ete = trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene, bipy-eta = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane). The formation of this synthon could be attributed to the C 3 -symmetry of planar HPB-3a molecules and the hydrophobic interactions between tert-butyl groups. 1 represents a continuously interdigitated 6 3 -hcb layer structure. 2−5 are with the same topology and display amazing 2D homochiral bilayers, which were penetrated in parallel by two others ("above" and "below") with the opposite chirality to form overall 3D racemic networks. However, the synthon was not as robust in the presence of protic solvents. In 6 [(HPB-3a)(MeOH) 3 ], carboxyl groups interact directly with hydroxyl groups of methanol to form 1D hydrogen bonding chains. The structure is a 3-fold interpenetrated 4 9 •6 6 -acs network.