A new method for the preparation of 1,5-disubstituted-1Z,4Z-pentadienes by the addition of alkenyl cuprates to vinyltriphenylphosphonium bromide followed by an aldehyde is described. This method is used for the syntheses of 6Z,9Z-heneicosadiene and 15,15-(diethyldithio)-13S-t-butyldiphenylsilyloxy-6Z,9Z,11E-pentadecatriene. Syntheses of $(-)$-(5R)-argentilactone and (+)-(5R)-goniothalamin are described. Model studies towards the synthesis of the novel antileukemic agent CI-920 were carried out.

No description available.

No description available.

Experiments detailed in this thesis investigated the bacterial response towards electrophiles and how this could be exploited as a novel target for antimicrobial chemotherapy. The principal conclusions are: (1) The root colonising bacterium <I>P. putida</I> does not appear to have a potassium efflux system similar to KefB and KefC. The exposure of log-phase <I>P. putida</I> cultures to sublethal concentrations of NEM resulted in a temporary viable non-culturable state, which could be suppressed by the presence of specific peptides in the recovery medium. Stationary phase cultures were more resistant to NEM, partially due to a faster metabolism, and did not undergo the temporary viable but non-culturable state. (2) Micotitre assays suitable for automated screening were developed to screen the Zeneca chemical library for activators of KefB and KefC and for activators and inhibitors of methylglyoxal synthase (MGS). (3) MGS was partially purified for <I>E. coli</I> and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined. This led to the identification of the gene encoding MGS, <I>mgsA</I>. An MGS over-expression vector and a chromosomal knock-out strain were constructed. (4) The over-expression of MGS resulted in an accumulation of MGS to approximately 25% of the total cell protein, corresponding to up to 900-fold enhanced MGS activity in crude extract. High level MGS expression had little effect on growth and viability of cells growth in LB, K₁₀ glucose or medium limited in phosphate. Severe growth inhibition was observed in cells over-expressing MGS in K₁₀ with either glycerol or xylose as the sole carbon source. (5) An MGS-deficient strain grew normally in LB, on glucose, glycerol, xylose, and in medium limited in phosphate or nitrogen. The MGS knock-out strain was severely inhibited during elevated xylose metabolism in the absence of methylglyoxal (MG) production. This suggests a prominent role for MGS in adaptation from "famine" (limited carbon) to "feast" (elevated carbon metabolism) conditions.

No description available.

Escalating cancer rates and an increase in the complexity and duration of chemotherapy regimens have brought the issue of cancer treatment at home to the forefront. For the participants of this study, home chemotherapy was offered as a potential treatment choice. Ten patients who accepted were interviewed using the methodology of Interpretive Description. They shared their experiences of receiving chemotherapy at home, and identified home as being a 'natural habitat' in which they were better able to adapt to their circumstances. Patients were able to redistribute their resources including time, energy, and finances in ways that were meaningful to them. They felt the care provided was enhanced and they were more receptive to teaching. Lastly, participants viewed themselves as being less ill and were better able to cope with their treatments. Given the results of this study and other research available, chemotherapy at home should be considered an option for patients with cancer.

This simple quantitative research investigated whether patients with cancer developed depression whilst receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, and whether there was a particular time in the treatment cycle that it was likely to develop. A longitudinal survey method was chosen and the instrument of use was the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). The content of this survey include factors that reflect negative attitudes towards self, performance impairment and somatic disturbances as well as general factors of depression. Twenty-six participants were given the BDI-II, and asked to report on side effects that they had experienced every two weeks whilst they were receiving chemotherapy. The study took place in two regional oncology clinics. This report demonstrates that, patients can develop depression whilst receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. The study revealed that the 5th fortnight into a patient’s chemotherapy treatment was a more vulnerable point in their treatment to develop depression. Descriptive analysis illustrated that more females than males suffered depression and that those receiving treatment for breast cancer were more likely to develop depression. Correlation statistics demonstrated a relationship between fatigue and depressive symptoms. There was no statistically significant correlation between the number of side effects experienced by participants and depression. In summary, the findings suggest that patients were more vulnerable to developing depression around the 5th fortnight of their chemotherapy cycle. This research has demonstrated throughout that depression does occur in patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and that female patients are more likely to develop depression than males. Due to the small sample size though, the results were not statistically significant. The findings from this research could provide direction for more thorough studies in the future. The style of reporting used throughout this thesis has been the Harvard referencing style to ensure compliance with the university requirements and to maintain consistency.

Title page, table of contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / Mucositis is a common side-effect of chemotherapy, which is characterised by ulceration to the epithelium lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Recently, a non-invasive breath test, the ¹³C-sucrose breath test (SBT), has been developed and applied as a biomarker to detect small intestinal damage associated with methotexate (MTX)-induced mucositis in rats. This thesis extended this work, and concluded that the non-invasive SBT is a biomarker of small intestinal function that can be applied easily and cost-effectively, in both animals and humans, to monitor gut function in relation to chemotherapy agents and/or potential anti-mucositis treatments. This thesis has illustrated the important application of the SBT in the arena of supportive cancer care, where new chemotherapy and anti-mucositis agents can be assessed in relation to small intestinal toxicity. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1277572 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, 2007

Title page, table of contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / Mucositis is a common side-effect of chemotherapy, which is characterised by ulceration to the epithelium lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Recently, a non-invasive breath test, the ¹³C-sucrose breath test (SBT), has been developed and applied as a biomarker to detect small intestinal damage associated with methotexate (MTX)-induced mucositis in rats. This thesis extended this work, and concluded that the non-invasive SBT is a biomarker of small intestinal function that can be applied easily and cost-effectively, in both animals and humans, to monitor gut function in relation to chemotherapy agents and/or potential anti-mucositis treatments. This thesis has illustrated the important application of the SBT in the arena of supportive cancer care, where new chemotherapy and anti-mucositis agents can be assessed in relation to small intestinal toxicity. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1277572 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, 2007

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 65 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-65).