bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symptom-Based Questionnaire for Identifying COPD in Smokers
Authors: Price David B. , Tinkelman David G. , Halbert R.J. , Nordyke Robert J. , Isonaka Sharon , Nonikov Dmitry , Juniper Elizabeth F. , Freeman Daryl , Hausen Thomas , Levy Mark L. , Østrem Anders , van der Molen Thys , van Schayck Constant P.
Published: December 2005

Background: Symptom-based questionnaires may enhance chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) screening in primary care. Objectives: We prospectively tested questions to help identify COPD among smokers without prior history of lung disease. Methods: Subjects were recruited via random mailing to primary care practices in Aberdeen, UK, and Denver, Colo., USA. Current and former smokers aged 40 or older with no prior respiratory diagnosis and no respiratory medications in the past year were enrolled. Participants answered questions covering demographics and symptoms and then underwent spirometry with reversibility testing. A study diagnosis of COPD was defined as fixed airway obstruction as measured by postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC <0.70. We examined the ability of individual questions in a multivariate framework to correctly discriminate between persons with and without COPD. Results: 818 subjects completed all investigations and proceeded to analysis. The list of 54 questions yielded 52 items for analysis, which was reduced to 17 items for entry into multivariate regression. Eight items had significant relationships with the study diagnosis of COPD, including age, pack-years, body mass index, weather-affected cough, phlegm without a cold, morning phlegm, wheeze frequency, and history of any allergies. Individual items yielded odds ratios ranging from 0.23 to 12. This questionnaire demonstrated a sensitivity of 80.4 and specificity of 72.0. Conclusions: A simple patient self-administered questionnaire can be used to identify patients with a high likelihood of having COPD, for whom spirometric testing is particularly important. Implementation of this questionnaire could enhance the efficiency and diagnostic accuracy of current screening efforts.
Hypertension in Sub-Saharan African Populations
Authors: Opie Lionel H. , Seedat Yackoob K.
Published: December 2005

Background—

Hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa is a widespread problem of immense economic importance because of its high prevalence in urban areas, its frequent underdiagnosis, and the severity of its complications.

Methods and Results—

We searched PubMed and relevant journals for words in the title of this article. Among the major problems in making headway toward better detection and treatment are the limited resources of many African countries. Relatively recent environmental changes seem to be adverse. Mass migration from rural to periurban and urban areas probably accounts, at least in part, for the high incidence of hypertension in urban black Africans. In the remaining semirural areas, inroads in lifestyle changes associated with “civilization” may explain the apparently rising prevalence of hypertension. Overall, significant segments of the African population are still afflicted by severe poverty, famine, and civil strife, making the overall prevalence of hypertension difficult to determine. Black South Africans have a stroke rate twice as high as that of whites. Two lifestyle changes that are feasible and should help to stem the epidemic of hypertension in Africa are a decreased salt intake and decreased obesity, especially in women.

Conclusions—

Overall, differences from whites in etiology and therapeutic responses in sub-Saharan African populations are graded and overlapping rather than absolute. Further studies are needed on black Africans, who may (or may not) be genetically and environmentally different from black Americans and from each other in different parts of this vast continent.
Die Heidin: A Late-Medieval Experiment in Cultural Rapprochement between Christians and Saracens
Authors: Classen Albrecht
Published: December 2005

Whereas recent scholarship has primarily focused on the hostile attitudes against the Orient espoused by writers in the European Middle Ages, a number of intriguing narratives also indicate surprising open-minded attitudes. These might reflect utopian fantasies, but they still project noteworthy "tolerant" relationships between Christians and "heathens." This paper examines one of these narratives, the Middle High German Die Heidin (late thirteenth century), where courtly love and 'domestic violence' counterbalance each other, instigating the heathen protagonist to flee with her Christian suitor back to his country because her erstwhile loving husband (heathen) had turned toward brutal behavior. This narrative indicates how little European audiences obviously cared about religious and racial conflicts and subsumed them under the much more fascinating discourse on love.
Substituting a Judgment of Best Interests: Dignity and the Application of Objective Principles to PVS Cases in the U.K.
Authors: Pradella Geoffrey
Published: December 2005

The mêlée that surrounded the last days of Terri Schiavo's life was reminiscent of a classical Greek tragedy. Much like Antigone, Ms. Schiavo became enmeshed in irresistible and opposite forces, resolved to use her situation as an arena for the determination of political and legal issues as diverse as the exercise of states' rights, the extent of individual rights, the role of the judiciary, the re-opening of the abortion debate, and the regulation of stem cell research. As Europeans watched the drama unfold, the forces at play in the United States clashed head-on, in a rhetorically inflammatory spectacle which, on this side of the Atlantic, left many aghast. Most unsettling was the prospect of individuals wielding the power of state and national legislatures in what was, ultimately, an intensely personal affair.In the United Kingdom, the struggle was a stark reminder of the differences, not only between British and American political culture, but between our approaches to legal issues which present themselves at the end of life. The existence of well-established procedures and principles, and the extensive involvement of neutral third parties and the courts in pursuit of an objective determination of an individual patient's 'best interests', are key to the conclusion that Terri Schiavo's case would have been handled at least as effectively and efficiently as it was by the courts in Florida and the United States. That issues of consent and capacity can be determined by British courts on the basis of generally applicable principles leads to the subsequent conclusion that a 'best interests' determination leaves significantly less scope for conflict than the individualistic, much more personal and determinative construct of the 'substituted judgment' test in the United States.
A Festive Spring For Indian Diplomacy
Authors: Ranganathan C.V.
Published: December 2005

At no time since India's independence in 1947 has the South Asian part of the globalising world presented such positive indications of a different future. Taken together, these could work in India's favour both in South and Southeast Asia. High-level visits since Rajiv Gandhi's visit to China in 1988 have helped in articulating common expectations that both countries seek from the fast changing international political, social and economic situation. The world has begun to see India and China as drivers of the Asian (and international) economy and this can be seen as a paradigm shift from the earlier ‘China versus India’ syndrome. Both countries are committed to strengthening their bilateral relations on the one hand, and multilateralism in regional organisations, the UN and other international institutions on the other, while displaying sensitivity to the reasonable socioeconomic and security interests of all major powers. Both India and China do not seek to confront, either singly or jointly, the global presence or interests of the US although they have reservations about its unilateralist actions. In seeking to expand their mutual relations, the challenge both India and China face is to persuade American policymakers that it is for the purposes of peace, development and stability in Asia that an Asian ‘arc of advantage’ is important.
India–Japan Relations
Authors: Naidu G.V.C.
Published: December 2005

Unlike the previous visits by Japanese prime ministers, Koizumi's sojourn has underscored the need to elevate India–Japan relations to a ‘strategic partnership’, premised on shared interests and concerns at global, regional and bilateral levels. The Joint Statement is the most comprehensive declaration of intent ever issued by the two countries, encompassing wide-ranging issues from information and communication technology to joint research on advanced technologies. The annual security dialogue has been further strengthened and the path is cleared for greater bilateral interaction between the armed forces. India's emergence as the largest recipient of aid and growing concerns about China are likely to promote greater Japanese investments and trade, the weakest link. Without doubt, India–Japan relations have decisively entered a new phase, which will have considerable impact, especially on the Asia-Pacific.
Changing Spaces
Authors: Klingle Matthew
Published: December 2005

Environmental historians have tended, until recently, to overlook how inequality is generated and reinforced in the metropolitan landscape. One way to historicize urban environmental justice is to analyze the transformation of property through space and time. This article explores how engineers and reformers in early twentieth-century Seattle launched several earthmoving projects, called regrades, to renovate the downtown core. The regrades removed millions of tons of earth, flattened hills, and erased tidelands, but they also unleashed landslides and ripped apart neighborhoods populated by poor and minority residents. Environmental volatility and social inequality thus reinforced one another to shape Seattle’s political and physical geography. By telling spatial stories about property, urban environmental historians can better map social power against shifting landscapes.
Behavioral Treatments for Pediatric Feeding Disorders
Authors: Linscheid Thomas R.
Published: December 2005

The effectiveness of behavioral interventions for pediatric feedings problems has been well documented. However, the application of these procedures in the real world is often more complex and difficult than research reports reveal. Multiple factors such as the child's medical condition and history, medical monitoring requirements, and the need to adjust treatment procedures as intervention progresses make it difficult to follow the best-laid plans developed from reading structured and highly controlled experimental applications. This article details factors to be considered in the actual clinical-based application of behavioral procedures in the treatment of pediatric feeding problems. A description of how referrals are generated and initial assessment is conducted, and a model for inpatient treatment is presented. In addition, the need for efficient and effective treatment in the real world is stressed.
Screening and Identification in Pediatric Primary Care
Authors: Simonian Susan J.
Published: December 2005

This article reviews issues related to behavioral screening in pediatric primary care settings. Structural-organizational issues affecting the use of pediatric primary care screening are discussed. This study also reviewed selected screening instruments that have utility for use in the primary care setting. Clinical and research issues related to screening for behavior problems in pediatric primary care are presented.
Behavioral Assessment and Intervention in Pediatric Diabetes
Authors: Wysocki Tim
Published: December 2005

This article reviews the empirical research literature on behavioral assessment and intervention methods in the context of diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents. The review summarizes the pathophysiology, medical management, and monitoring of pediatric type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Next, the article describes common behavioral barriers to acceptable diabetes management and adequate metabolic control and the role of behavior change agents in evaluation and intervention for these problems. Validated approaches to the assessment of diabetes-specific behavioral problems are described for the measurement of treatment adherence, diabetes-related fears and avoidance behaviors, diabetes-specific social skills, and disease-related stressors. Behavioral interventions that have empirical support are discussed, including treatments that target treatment adherence, social skills, coping skills, family communication and problem solving, anxiety and stress management, and weight control. The article concludes with clinical practice recommendations for behavior change specialists who have the opportunity to work with this population.
The European Regional Convergence Process, 1980-1995: Do Spatial Regimes and Spatial Dependence Matter?
Authors: Ertur Cem , Le Gallo Julie , Baumont Catherine
Published: December 2005

The authors show that spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity matter in the estimation of the β-convergence process among 138 European regions over the 1980 to 1995 period. Using spatial econometrics tools, the authors detect both spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity in the form of structural instability across spatial convergence clubs. The estimation of the appropriate spatial regimes spatial error model shows that the convergence process is different across regimes. The authors also estimate a strongly significant spatial spillover effect: the average growth rate of per capita GDP of a given region is positively affected by the average growth rate of neighboring regions.
Trying Out the Wheelchair
Authors: Winance Myriam
Published: December 2005

Focusing on the interactions between people suffering from neuromuscular diseases and their wheelchairs, the author raises the question of action: how is action made possible for people suffering from neuromuscular diseases? Starting with actor-network theory, the author shows that action not only results from distribution and delegation to heterogeneous entities but emerges from hard and lengthy work that makes the relation between them possible (or not) and transforms the entities involved. The author describes this work, called the process of adjustment, as work on the links making a person, his or her body, and his or her world. Through this work, new possibilities of action emerge for the person, but also new (dis)abilities; the person’s identity is transformed and shaped. This analysis leads to a particular conception of the person as made up through his or her relations to other entities (human and nonhuman).
The politics of punishing
Authors: Barker Vanessa
Published: December 2005

This article asks why some American states are more likely to rely on imprisonment in response to crime than others. Employing comparative historical methodology it brings new kinds of data to address contested questions in the field. In three case studies, it examines archival material, including citizens' letters to political leaders, transcripts from townhall meetings, internal government reports, public testimony; and it uses extensive secondary sources, including statistical data and political histories to tease out complex causal processes of crime control policy formation and its impact on imprisonment patterns. Analyzing evidence both temporarily and spatially, the article introduces a new account of American imprisonment variation based on the democratic process itself.
Listening to young people with special needs
Authors: Burke Peter
Published: December 2005

The article reports on the experiences of group activities within an area of Yorkshire that helped young people with special needs to express their views and opinions. Significant issues were raised by the ethics of undertaking work with young people and these are reviewed. The young people involved in the research reported that their participation in the groups developed their self-confidence and advocacy skills. This led them to be more confident in expressing their needs at school and in the community. To establish wider generalizability for the study findings, the Yorkshire group activities were compared with another similar group in London where further data were collected from the young people involved. In facilitating group activities, willing staff were an important addition to the group because their presence provided and encouraged positive reactions to the distinctive achievements of the young people themselves. In both groups, members were committed to participation in project-based activities that raised their self-esteem and helped establish a sense of their own identity and purpose.
Association of Testosterone, Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I, and C-Reactive Protein with Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Middle-Aged Men with a Family History of Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Tong Peter C. Y. , Ho Chung-Shun , Yeung Vincent T. F. , Ng Maggie C. Y. , So Wing-Yee , Ozaki Risa , Ko Gary T. C. , Ma Ronald C. W. , Poon Emily , Chan Norman N. , Lam Christopher W. K. , Chan Juliana C. N.
Published: December 2005

Context: Age-related declines in testosterone and IGF-I are associated with deposition of visceral fat, a component of the metabolic syndrome (MES).

Objective: Testosterone and IGF-I may interact with familial disposition to diabetes mellitus to increase the association with MES.

Design: We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study.

Setting: The study was conducted in a university teaching hospital.

Subjects: Study subjects included 179 middle-aged men with a family history of diabetes (FH) (aged 39.1 ± 8.1 yr) and 128 men without FH (aged 43.8 ± 8.5 yr).

Main Outcome Measures: Clinical characteristics, frequency of MES using the World Health Organization criteria with Asian definitions of obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2), and serum levels of total testosterone, IGF-I, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured.

Results: Men with FH had higher frequency of MES than those without FH [39.1 vs. 23.4% (P = 0.004)]. On multivariate analysis, smoking (former and current smokers), low total testosterone, and IGF-I but elevated hs-CRP levels explained 35% of the MES variance in men with FH. The frequency of MES increased with declining tertiles of total testosterone and IGF-I but increasing tertiles of hs-CRP. After adjustment for age and smoking history, subjects with all three risk factors had a 13-fold increase in risk association with MES compared with those without hormonal and inflammatory risk factors. These risk associations were not found in men without FH in whom only smoking (ex and current) and low total testosterone level were independent predictors for MES, which explained 14% of the variance.

Conclusions: Clustering of FH, hormonal abnormalities, and high hs-CRP is associated with MES in Chinese middle-aged men.
The Mimecan Gene Expressed in Human Pituitary and Regulated by Pituitary Transcription Factor-1 as a Marker for Diagnosing Pituitary Tumors
Authors: Hu San-Mei , Li Feng , Yu Hui-Min , Li Rong-Ying , Ma Qin-Yun , Ye Ting-Jun , Lu Zhen-Yu , Chen Jia-Lun , Song Huai-Dong
Published: December 2005

Context: Mimecan, a secretory protein, belongs to a family of small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs). The physiological functions of mimecan have not been fully understood.

Objective: We hypothesize that the mimecan gene expressed in the human pituitary and regulated by pituitary transcription factor-1 (Pit-1) might act as a marker for diagnosing pituitary tumors.

Design: The clinical aspect of our work was a cross-sectional study.

Setting and Patients: In total, 20 pituitary tumor samples were collected from January 1, 2002, to December 30, 2002, in Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Intervention: The number of pituitary tumors was limited. Collection of more pituitary tumor samples for additional observation will be necessary.

Main Outcome Measures: The main outcomes were measured by Northern blot, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemical analysis, and so on.

Results: The mimecan gene was expressed at a moderate level in the mouse pituitary gland by Northern blot analysis. Expression of mimecan mRNA and protein is also observed in the human anterior pituitary gland. Luciferase reporter analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays show that Pit-1 activates the human mimecan promoter through Pit-1 response element sites. In addition, our data also show that almost all the ACTH- or GH-positive pituitary tumors likely express mimecan protein, and only a portion of prolactin-, TSH-, FSH-, and LH-positive pituitary tumors express mimecan protein.

Conclusions: This work provides insight into the regulating mechanism of mimecan in pituitary and suggests that mimecan may be an unidentified pituitary secretory protein, and certain pituitary cells secreting ACTH or GH also secrete mimecan.
Variants in the Ghrelin Gene Are Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in the Old Order Amish
Authors: Steinle Nanette I. , Pollin Toni I. , O’Connell Jeffrey R. , Mitchell Braxton D. , Shuldiner Alan R.
Published: December 2005

Context: Mature ghrelin has been shown to stimulate eating and to participate in the regulation of insulin signaling and glucose homeostasis. Its gene, GHRL, is located on chromosome 3 in a region where we have shown linkage to eating behavior, percentage body fat, and total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in subjects of the Amish Family Diabetes Study.

Objective: Our objective was to determine whether mutations in GHRL might influence eating behavior and risk for metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and related traits.

Design: We genotyped 856 Amish samples for three missense polymorphisms in GHRL, Arg51Gln, Leu72Met (rs696217), and Gln90Leu (rs4684677) and performed association analyses with eating behavior traits and metabolic syndrome as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines.

Subjects: Our subjects were adult participants in the Amish Family Diabetes Study.

Results: The allele frequencies of these variants were 0.03, 0.04, and 0.03, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was lower among those carrying the 51Gln allele (3.8 vs. 15.8%; age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio = 0.22; P = 0.031). Hunger scores tended to be lower among 51Gln allele carriers but did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.07). The Leu72Met variant was also associated with increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (23.2 vs. 13.4%; age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio = 2.57; P = 0.02) as well as higher fasting glucose, lower high-density lipoprotein, and higher triglyceride levels (P = 0.02, P = 0.007, and P = 0.04, respectively). The two variants were not in linkage disequilibrium with each other, suggesting independent effects. We conclude that mutations in GHRL may confer risk for the metabolic syndrome.
Sulfur Amino Acids in Cushing’s Disease: Insight in Homocysteine and Taurine Levels in Patients with Active and Cured Disease
Authors: Faggiano Antongiulio , Melis Daniela , Alfieri Raffaele , De Martino MariaCristina , Filippella Mariagiovanna , Milone Francesco , Lombardi Gaetano , Colao Annamaria , Pivonello Rosario
Published: December 2005

Background: Cushing’s syndrome is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Although a series of cardiovascular risk factors have been identified, sulfur amino acids (SAAs), recently indicated as independent cardiovascular risk factors, have been poorly investigated in patients with Cushing’s syndrome.

Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional controlled study was to evaluate serum and urinary levels and urinary excretion rate (ER) of SAAs in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) during the active disease and after long-term disease remission.

Subjects and Methods: Forty patients with CD (20 with active disease and 20 with cured disease for at least 5 yr) and 40 controls entered the study. Serum and urinary concentrations and urinary ER of SAAs, namely methionine, cystine, homocysteine, and taurine, were measured by means of cationic exchange HPLC. Serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels were also evaluated in patients and controls and correlated to SAA levels.

Results: CD patients with active disease had higher serum and urinary concentrations of cystine and homocysteine, and lower serum and higher urinary concentrations and ER of taurine than cured patients and controls. Vitamin B12 levels were significantly decreased in patients with active disease compared with cured patients and controls, whereas folic acid levels were slightly decreased in patients than in controls. In patients with active CD, urinary cortisol concentrations were significantly and inversely correlated to serum taurine and directly correlated to taurine urinary ER, and fasting serum glucose levels were significantly correlated to taurine urinary ER. At the multiple regression analysis, urinary cortisol concentrations were the best predictors of taurine ER.

Conclusions: CD is associated with hyperhomocysteinemia and hypotaurinemia. Glucocorticoid excess, acting directly or indirectly, seems to be the most responsible for this imbalance in SAA levels. The long-term disease remission is accompanied by normalization of SAA levels. Hyperhomocysteinemia and hypotaurinemia might contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk of CD.
Lower Incidence of Symptomatic Vasospasm after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage owing to Ruptured Vertebrobasilar Aneurysms
Authors: Hirashima Yutaka , Kurimoto Masanori , Hori Emiko , Origasa Hideki , Endo Shunro
Published: December 2005

OBJECTIVE:

In this study, we evaluated the difference in incidence of symptomatic vasospasm between ruptured aneurysms in the anterior and posterior circulation using multiple logistic regression analysis.

METHODS:

A total of 145 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for aneurysms within 72 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were studied.

RESULTS:

The ruptured aneurysm was in the anterior circulation in 128 patients (88.3%) and in the posterior circulation in 17 patients (11.7%). Forty patients (27.6%) had symptomatic vasospasm and 105 patients (72.4%) did not. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess relationships among various variables and the occurrence of symptomatic vasospasm after SAH. Finally, Grade III to V (Hunt and Hess grade) and Group 3 (Fisher's classification) on admission were found to be independently positively associated with the occurrence of symptomatic vasospasm while ruptured vertebrobasilar aneurysm were negatively associated.

CONCLUSION:

Although a poor clinical grade and a severe SAH classification on admission such as Hunt and Hess grade and Fisher's classification are established powerful predictors of symptomatic vasospasm, ruptured vertebrobasilar aneurysm are for the first time reported to be a predictor of symptomatic vasospasm based on results of a recent reliable statistical analysis.
Efficient Peroxide Decoloration of C.I. Acid Orange 7 Catalyzed by Manganese Mesoporphyrin Dimer Derivatives in Micellar Solutions
Authors: Kondo Masaharu , Kawashima Noriyoshi , Mitsui Tatsuro , Ito Shingo , Ishigure Syuichi , Hashimoto Takafumi , Umemura Ryoko , Dewa Takehisa , Yamashita Keiji , Mino Hiroyuki , Itoh Shigeru , Nango Mamoru
Published: December 2005

Manganese mesoporphyrin derivatives with hydrogen peroxide efficiently catalyzed the decoloration of C.I. Acid Orange 7 in micellar solutions under mild conditions such as pH 8.0 and 25 °C. The maximum peroxide oxidation rate was observed for histidine-linked manganese mesoporphyrin dimer in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelle.
Self-assembled Nanocages of Anthracene by Liquid–Liquid Interface Recrystallization Technique
Authors: Hawaldar Ranjit , Jadkar Sandesh , Kale Bharat , Mulik Uttam , Sathaye Shivram , Amalnerkar Dinesh
Published: December 2005

Nanoparticulate films of anthracene were formed by liquid–liquid interface recrystallization technique at the water surface by spreading 0.2 mL of precursor solution (anthracene/benzene/CCl4) containing 10−5 M anthracene solution in benzene. XRD confirmed the presence of monoclinic anthracene. TEM and AFM investigations revealed the formation of nanocages presumably by interlocking of anthracene chains in spontaneously self-assembled process. The optical spectrum for such nanoparticulate films displays 3 excitonic features that are signatures of anthracene molecule.
Facile Synthesis of Narrowly Dispersed Silver Nanoparticles in Hydrogel
Authors: Zhang Jian , Wang Xudong , Zhao Baohui , Li Chenxi
Published: December 2005

A novel method to prepare narrowly dispersed silver nanoparticles in hydrogel is reported. Gelator, the conjugate of cholic acid and polyethylene glycol 400, was used to form the gel, and it acted not only as the stabilizer preventing the silver particles from further growth and aggregation, but also as a reducing agent. Through this single-step synthesis, narrowly dispersed Ag nanoparticles were obtained in the hydrogel system at ambient temperature. The approach here is simple, economical, and environmentally benign.
Simple Fabrication of Carbon Nanotube Monolayer Film
Authors: Matsui Jun , Iko Manabu , Inokuma Nobuhiro , Orikasa Hironori , Mitsuishi Masaya , Kyotani Takashi , Miyashita Tokuji
Published: December 2005

We report a simple fabrication method for creating a monolayer film of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The MWCNTs, which were synthesized using alumina template method, was dispersed in aqueous ethanol solution. Then toluene was added to the dispersion. After sonicating the solution, the MWCNTs form a monolayer at the liquid–liquid interface. The monolayer was transferred onto a solid substrate using simple dipping method. An AFM image showed the formation of a densely packed MWCNT monolayer film.
Capture‐Related Stressors Impair Immune System Function in Sablefish
Authors: Lupes Sarah C. , Davis Michael W. , Olla Bori L. , Schreck Carl B.
Published: December 2005

The sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria is a valuable North Pacific Ocean species that, when not targeted in various commercial fisheries, is often a part of discarded bycatch. Predictions of the survival of discarded fish are dependent on understanding how a fish responds to stressful conditions. Our objective was to describe the immunological health of sablefish exposed to capture stressors. In laboratory experiments designed to simulate the capture process, we subjected sablefish to various stressors that might influence survival: Towing in a net, hooking, elevated seawater and air temperatures, and air exposure time. After stress was imposed, the in vitro mitogen‐stimulated proliferation of sablefish leukocytes was used to evaluate the function of the immune system in an assay we validated for this species. The results demonstrated that regardless of fishing gear type, exposure to elevated seawater temperature, or time in air, the leukocytes from stressed sablefish exhibited significantly diminished proliferative responses to the T‐cell mitogen, concanavalin A, or the B‐cell mitogen, lipopolysaccharide. There was no difference in the immunological responses associated with seawater or air temperature. The duration and severity of the capture stressors applied in our study were harsh enough to induce significantly elevated levels of plasma cortisol and glucose, but there was no difference in the magnitude of levels among stressor treatments. These data suggest that immunological suppression occurs in sablefish subjected to capture‐related stressors. The functional impairment of the immune system after capture presents a potential reason why delayed mortality is possible in discarded sablefish. Further studies are needed to determine whether delayed mortality in discarded sablefish can be caused by increased susceptibility to infectious agents resulting from stressor‐mediated immunosuppression.
The Value of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment
Authors: Scanlan Brian C.
Published: December 2005

Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) provides guidance in planning care for elderly patients. The goals of CGA include reduction of health care cost, early recognition and treatment of geriatric syndromes and improved survival and quality of life for patients. Evidence from randomized controlled studies has identified the value of CGA and some of its limitations. Studies of CGA in institutional settings and in home care provide the basis for specific interventions to targeted groups of high-risk patients. Strategies for fall prevention, appropriate use of pharmacotherapy, and prevention of in-hospital delirium have grown out of the application of this multidisciplinary tool. Future research focused on a more precise definition of the potential financial benefits of CGA may facilitate the task of communicating its value to decision makers.
Psychological and medical predictors of disease course in breast cancer: a prospective study
Authors: Kreitler Shulmaith , Kreitler Hans , Chaitchik Samario , Shaked Shlomo , Shaked Tal
Published: December 2005

The goals were to examine the prognostic value of psychological and medical variables with regard to disease course in breast cancer. The subjects were 96 stage I and II breast cancer patients (mean age: 53.13 years). They were administered a background information questionnaire, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Locus of Control Scale. The predictors were stage, progesterone and oestrogen receptor status, adjustment, anxiety, and control. Dependent variables were state of health 3 and 5 years post‐surgery and survival 5 years post‐surgery. Results showed that state and survival were predicted significantly (about 31 per cent better than chance), mostly by both medical and psychological variables, and that medical variables played a larger role in 5 year predictions than in 3 year ones. The most important medical predictor was stage, and the most important psychological one adjustment, especially adjustment with regard to sexual relationships and in the sphere of social relations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Charge-transfer Interactions of Octaethylporphycenatozinc(II) with 2,6-Dichloro-3,5-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone
Authors: D'SOUZA FRANCIS , POLLOCK JAMIE L. , NANTSIS EVANGELOS A. , ZANDLER MELVIN E.
Published: December 2005

Charge-transfer interactions of octaethylporphycenatozinc(II), ( OEPc ) Zn with 2,6-dichloro-3,5-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone, DDQ, in non-aqueous solvents are reported. Both optical absorption and cyclic voltammetry studies reveal the formation of stable charge-transfer complexes between ( OEPc ) Zn and DDQ. New redox couples corresponding to reduction of the charge-transfer complex have been electrochemically detected. The formation of charge-transfer complexes between ( OEPc ) Zn and doubly reduced DDQ is examined and the present electrochemical studies reveal the possible existence of such complexes in solution. Based on semiempirical AM1 and PM3 calculations, interaction through the zinc(II) metal center of ( OEPc ) Zn and cyanide nitrogen of the quinone is proposed.
Large Third-order Optical Non-linearities of Spin-cast Thin Films of Novel Metallo-naphthalocyanines
Authors: NALWA HARI SINGH , KOBAYASHI SETSUO
Published: December 2005

Third-order non-linear optical susceptibilities of silicon, germanium, tin, aluminum, manganese and vanadium naphthalocyanine derivatives measured by third-harmonic generation technique from 1.05 μm to 2.1 μm are reported. Our results show the dependence of χ(3)(–3ω;ω,ω,ω) values on the variation of the central metal atom associated to different metal-ligand charge-transfer interactions. Silicon naphthalocyanines ( SiNc ) showed the χ(3)(–3ω;ω,ω,ω) values on the order of 10−10 esu at 1.5 μm, this does not appear to be due to a three-photon resonance, instead the increase in χ(3) could be the two-photon resonance lying just above the one-photon state. Degenerate four-wave mixing measurements on thin films of a SiNc derivative yielded the χ(3)(–3ω;ω,ω,ω) value as high as 5.0 × 10−7 esu at 800 nm, enhanced by one-photon resonance near the Q-band peak region. The figure of merit χ(3)/α at 800 nm is quite large corresponding to 4.2 × 10−12 esu cm. Effect of the metal atoms and plausible resonance contribution accounting for large third-order optical non-linearity of naphthalocyanines are discussed.
Axial Ligand Effects in Sterically Strained Porphyrins: A Crystallographic Study of Five- and Six-coordinated Metal Complexes of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-Octaethyl-5,10,15,20-tetranitroporphyrin
Authors: SENGE MATHIAS O.
Published: December 2005

Porphyrins with steric hindrance at the periphery are known to exhibit severely non-planar macrocycle conformations. Among other dodecasubstituted porphyrins, the title compound has been studied widely and shows a typical saddle-distorted macrocycle. The specific conformation of the porphyrin leads to the formation of distinct cavities on both sides of the macrocycle. Compared to planar porphyrins this should increase steric interactions between the macrocycle and axial ligands in five- and six-coordinated metal derivatives. In order to study the influence of different axial ligands on the conformation (or vice versa) a variety of five- and six-coordinated metal derivatives of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-5,10,15,20-tetranitroporphyrin (oetnp) were prepared and their conformation investigated by X-ray crystallography. Structural data for Zn II oetnp (L) where L is imidazole, 1-methylimidazole, 2-methylimidazole, 4-methylimidazole and 3,5-lutidine clearly indicated that a mutual influence exists between axial ligands and non-planar porphyrins. An asymmetric macrocycle distortion and axial ligand orientation was found in the sterically hindered 2- and 4-methylimidazole derivatives. The presence of four electron-withdrawing nitro-groups led to the formation of the novel polymeric porphyrins ( Zn II oetnp )n and ( Co II oetnp )n where polymer formation was achieved via the utilization of nitro oxygen atoms as axial ligands to the metal centre of neighbouring porphyrins. The structure of the six-coordinated Ni II oetnp ( pyr )2 (where pyr is pyridine) yielded first structural data on neutral, non-planar, high-spin Ni ( II ) porphyrins. A comparison with the respective low-spin Ni II oetnp clearly showed that a change to the high-spin form leads to a less non-planar macrocycle conformation further proving that spin state changes can have a profound effect on the conformation in distorted porphyrins.
Optical Second Harmonic Generation Spectra in Vacuum-deposited Thin Films of Various Phthalocyanines
Authors: YAMADA TOSHIKI , MANAKA TAKAAKI , HOSHI HAJIME , ISHIKAWA KEN , TAKEZOE HIDEO
Published: December 2005

We have observed fairly strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) in vacuum-deposited thin films of phthalocyanines (Pc) having central metal atoms; Co , Cu , Zn , VO , TiO , Pb , Sn and a metal-free Pc. Based on the remarkable spectral dependences, the SHG was concluded to be due to higher-order mechanisms: in all the films, a resonance peak due to an electric quadrupole transition was observed at the SH wavelength corresponding to the higher-energy side of the Q band. The spectral structures in the molecules with a similar shape are similar to each other, indicating that the electronic states responsible for the spectra are ascribed to Pc macrocycles. The χ(2) values corresponding to [Formula: see text] in C ∞v symmetry and the conventional electric dipole mechanism are in the range of 1.4 ∼ 10 × 10−9 esu for these Pc films.
Kinetics of the Metallation of Coproporphyrin-I in Water with Cadmium(II) and Manganese(II)
Authors: BARTOCCI VITO , GIOVANNETTI RITA , CARSETTI ENRICO
Published: December 2005

The reaction of 3,8,13,18-tetramethyl-21H,23H-porphine-2,7,12,17-tetrapropionic acid or coproporphyrin-I ( CPI ) with cadmium(II) was studied spectrophotometrically and its kinetic and equilibrium constants were determined. The influence of temperature on the reaction rate was also studied. At different ratios of [ CPI ]/[ Cd(II) ] two types of complex were formed: CdII ( CPI ) and ( CdII )2( CPI ); an investigation of the solution properties and the mechanism of aggregation of ( CdII )2( CPI ) at different pH were performed. It is verified that cadmium(II) accelerates the reaction of the incorporation of manganese(II) into CPI by the substitution of cadmium(II) with manganese(II) in the CdII ( CPI ) complex; the kinetics and mechanism of this substitution reaction at alkaline pH were studied. A sensitive kinetic method for the determination of cadmium(II) at ppb levels has been established; the molar absorptivity and the Sandell's sensitivity (for A = 0.001) of the recommended procedure at 458 nm and 300 s after the start of the reaction are (6.175 ± 0.026) × 105 1 mol−1 cm−1 and (1.820 ± 0.008) × 10−4 μg cm−2 respectively.
Photoelectric Effect of Tetrasulfonated Gallium Phthalocyanine on a Nanostructured TiO2 Electrode
Authors: DENG HUIHUA , MAO HAIFANG , ZHANG HONG , LU ZUHONG , XU HUIJUN
Published: December 2005

The photoelectric conversion and surface photovoltage spectrum of tetrasulfonated gallium phthalocyanine ( GaTsPc ) on a titanium dioxide ( TiO 2) nanostructured electrode are reported. As a comparison, the surface photovoltage spectrum of the sublimed film of GaTsPc deposited on an indium tin oxide conducting glass held at 10 ± 0.1°C is also reported. The GaTsPc molecule exists mainly as a dimer on the nanostructured titanium dioxide electrode and in the sublimed film. The absorption of the GaTsPc dimer on the nanostructured titanium dioxide electrode does not convert into a photocurrent or a surface photovoltage while that of the GaTsPc dimer in the sublimed film contributes to the generation of a surface photovoltage, which is due to the different orientation of the GaTsPc molecule aggregation.
Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Study of a Tetrapyridylporphyrin Modified with Four Bis-(1,10-phenanthroline)chlororuthenium(II) Complexes
Authors: ARAKI KOITI , ARAÚJO ADRIANO L. , TOYAMA MARCOS M. , FRANCO MARCELO , AZEVEDO CARLA M. N. , ANGNES LÚCIO , TOMA HENRIQUE E.
Published: December 2005

A new modified tetrapyridylporphyrin symmetrically coordinated to four [ Ru ( phen )2 Cl ]+ groups has been synthesized and its structural and electrochemical properties have been investigated by means of 1 H and COSY NMR, UV-vis and luminescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. The presence of the phenanthroline ligands has improved the stability of the molecular films generated on the surface of conventional solid electrodes in comparison with the analogous bipyridine derivative. The performance of the modified electrodes has been evaluated for the detection of dopamine, with excellent results.
Synthesis and Characterization of meso-Tetraphenylporphyrin-Corrole Unsymmetrical Dyads
Authors: PAOLESSE ROBERTO , MACAGNANO ANTONELLA , MONTI DONATO , TAGLIATESTA PIETRO , BOSCHI TRISTANO
Published: December 2005

Flat and gable meso-tetraphenylporphyrin-corrole heterodimers have been synthesized following a stepwise approach. The macrocyclic precursor for both isomers is a functionalized meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) bearing a formyl group at one of the peripheral phenyl groups. The preparation of these starting materials has been improved with respect to the previously reported method. Acidic condensation with pyrrole 8 allows the preparation of a TPP-dipyrromethane intermediate. Subsequent decarboxylation followed by reaction with formylpyrrole 2 affords the corresponding TPP–a,c-biladiene species. Final cyclization of this intermediate affords the desired heterodimer. Attempts to use the functionalized corrole 5 as starting material were unsuccessful, as this corrole failed to condense with pyrrole and benzaldehyde. This synthetic approach provides new examples of tetrapyrrolic heterodimers, which can represent useful biomimetic models to study photochemical processes.
Synthesis, Spectro-Electrochemical Properties and Photoreaction with O2 of Lutetium Bis-ethyltetraazaporphyrin
Authors: RICCIARDI GIAMPAOLO , BELVISO SANDRA , D'AURIA MAURIZIO , LELJ FRANCESCO
Published: December 2005

The synthesis, spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of the Lu ( oepz )2 (oepz ≡ 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octakis(ethyl)-5,10,15,20-porphyrazinato) complex are reported. The complex, as inferred from UV-vis spectra recorded at different concentrations, strongly aggregates in solution, the most likely association mode being dimerization. The complex shows a weak near-IR absorption (λ max = 834 nm) that is considerably blue-shifted compared with the near-IR absorption of bis(π-radical) lutetium analogues. The Lu ( oepz )2 neutral species is electrochemically stable between 0.73 and -0.98 V (vs Ag/AgCl), which is the largest range of stability for neutral lutetium di- tetrapyrrole complexes. Lu ( oepz )2 shows excellent Type II photodynamic activity, as indicated by the value of the singlet oxygen generation quantum yield φΔ of 0.94 obtained by comparison with meso-tetraphenylporphyrin.
Highly Efficient Pure‐White‐Light‐Emitting Diodes from a Single Polymer: Polyfluorene with Naphthalimide Moieties
Authors: Tu G. L. , Mei C. Y. , Zhou Q. G. , Cheng Y. X. , Geng Y. H. , Wang L. X. , Ma D. G. , Jing X. B. , Wang F. S.
Published: December 2005

Light‐emitting diodes exhibiting efficient pure‐white‐light electroluminescence have been successfully developed by using a single polymer: polyfluorene derivatives with 1,8‐naphthalimide chromophores chemically doped onto the polyfluorene backbones. By adjusting the emission wavelength of the 1,8‐naphthalimide components and optimizing the relative content of 1,8‐naphthalimide derivatives in the resulting polymers, white‐light electroluminescence from a single polymer, as opposed to a polymer blend, has been obtained in a device with a configuration of indium tin oxide/poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)(50 nm)/polymer(80 nm)/Ca(10 nm)/Al(100 nm). The device exhibits Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage coordinates of (0.32,0.36), a maximum brightness of 11 900 cd m–2, a current efficiency of 3.8 cd A–1, a power efficiency of 2.0 lm W–1, an external quantum efficiency of 1.50 %, and quite stable color coordinates at different driving voltages, even at high luminances of over 5000 cd m–2.
Multifaceted and Nanobored Particle Arrays Sculpted Using Colloidal Lithography
Authors: Choi D.‐G. , Jang S. G. , Kim S. , Lee E. , Han C.‐S. , Yang S.‐M.
Published: December 2005

A novel method of fabricating multifaceted and nanobored particle arrays via colloidal lithography using colloidal‐crystal layers as masks for anisotropic reactive‐ion etching (RIE) is reported. The shape of the sculpted particles is dependent on the crystal orientation relative to the etchant flow, the number of colloidal layers, the RIE conditions, and the matrix (or mask) structure in colloidal lithography. Arrays of non‐spherical particles with sculpted shapes, which to date could not otherwise be produced, are fabricated using a tilted anisotropic RIE process and the layer‐by‐layer growth of a colloidal mask. These non‐spherical particles and their ordered arrays can be used for antireflection surfaces, biosensors, and nanopatterning masks, as well as non‐spherical building blocks for novel colloidal crystals. In addition, polymeric particles with patterned holes of controlled depths obtained by the present method can be applied to the fabrication of functional composite particles.
Polymer Nanofibers and Nanotubes: Charge Transport and Device Applications
Authors: Aleshin A. N.
Published: December 2005

A critical analysis of recent advances in the synthesis and electrical characterization of nanofibers and nanotubes made of different conjugated polymers is presented. The applicability of various theoretical models is considered in order to explain results on transport in conducting polymer nanofibers and nanotubes. The relationship between these results and the one‐dimensional (1D) nature of the conjugated polymers is discussed in light of theories for tunneling in 1D conductors (e.g., Luttinger liquid, Wigner crystal). The prospects for nanoelectronic applications of polymer fibers and tubes as wires, nanoscale field‐effect transistors (nanoFETs), and in other applications are analyzed.