VOC Detections by p-Type Semiconducting Sensors Using Nano-Sized SmFeO3 Particles.

Nano-sized SmFeO3 particles are prepared by the pyrolysis of heteronuclear cyano-complex, Sm[Fe(CN)6]·4H2O at a temperature of 600 °C in ozone. The low temperature decomposition followed in ozone successfully yielded fine particles with a high specific surface area of 20.0 m3/g (sample A). The fine particles were classified into further smaller particles with a unimodal size distribution and this process yielded a high specific surface area of 26.0 m3/g (sample B). These semiconducting powders were deposited on a sensor electrode by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and tested on their sensing properties to VOCs. The sensors consisting of samples A and B both showed good responses to ethanol at 285 and 320 °C. The sensor with sample B showed extraordinarily good selectivity of ethanol for toluene at 320 °C. This could be because the detection film of sample B with moderately grown particles selectively reduced the reaction activity of toluene. The sensor with sample B also exhibited good selectivity of ethanol for hexane and dichloromethane.

A robust polyfunctional Pd(II)-based magnetic amphiphilic nanocatalyst for the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction.

Herein, a robust Pd(II)-based polyfunctional magnetic amphiphilic artificial metalloenzyme was prepared by anchoring a Pd(2,2'-dipyridylamine)Cl2 bearing hydrophilic monomethyl ether poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) chains on the surface of amino-functionalized silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles. The 2,2'-dipyridylamine (dpa) has shown excellent complexation properties for Pd(II) and it could be easily anchored onto functionalized magnetic support by the bridging nitrogen atom. Moreover, the bridging nitrogen atom at the proximity of Pd(II) catalytic center could play an important role in dynamic suppramolecular interactions with substrates. The leaching, air and moisture resistant [Pd(dpa)Cl2] complex endow the dynamic and robust structure to the designed artificial enzyme. Moreover, the water dispersibility of designed artificial metalloenzyme raised from mPEG chains and the magnetic nanoparticles core which could function as protein mimics endow it other necessary characters of artificial enzymes. The prepared artificial metalloenzyme displayed remarkable activity in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction employing low-palladium loading under mild conditions, with the exceptionally high turnover frequency, clean reaction profile, easy work-up procedure, good to excellent products yields and short reaction times. The designed air- and moisture-stable artificial metalloenzyme could recycle more than fifteen times with easy separation procedure in aqueous solution under aerobic conditions without any noticeable loss in activity.

Synthesis of new sugar derivatives and evaluation of their antibacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A series of sugar derivatives (1-13) were synthesized and evaluated for antibacterial activity against Mycobacteriumtuberculosis (MTB), especially multi-drug resistant (MDR) MTB, and the structure-activity relationships of these compounds were studied. The results showed that the compound OCT313 (2-acetamido-2deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl N,N-dimethyldithiocarbamate) (4) exhibited significant in vitro bactericidal activity, and that the dithiocarbamate group at C-1 position of the glucopyranoside ring was requisite for the antibacterial activity.

[Hospital pharmacists prevented advance of lithium intoxication through pharmaceutical interventions].

Lithium carbonate is used to treat depressive episodes in patients with manic depressive disorder. Lithium toxicity is closely related to serum levels of lithium, and can occur with doses of lithium carbonate close to those used in therapy. Herein we report a case in which pharmaceutical intervention led to a patient's early recovery. The patient was hospitalized with a complaint of dyspnea, and clinical findings revealed signs of bradyarrhythmia. We investigated the medications the patient brought with him and the record of his prescribed medications in his drug notebook. From this we found that he had been taking imidapril (an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) in addition to lithium carbonate, and surmised that lithium toxicity may have occurred from the drug interactions between the lithium carbonate and imidapril in this patient. To prevent the level of toxicity from advancing, we proposed to the physician in charge that the patient's serum lithium levels be measured immediately and that all drugs be discontinued. By receiving care centered on detoxification, the patient avoided measures such as placement of a permanent pacemaker and thereby made a quick recovery from a dangerous state. This is a good example of a case in which pharmaceutical intervention improved the patient's quality of life (QOL) and contributed to conserving limited medical resources. As shown by this case, regular checks of patients' current medications and drug notebooks at the time of hospitalization are an effective means of implementing pharmaceutical interventions that can contribute to medical care.

[Proposal for a new tool to evaluate clinical pharmacy practice based on the percentage of pharmaceutical interventions that influence medical treatments].

Clinical pharmacy practice needs quality safeguards and proper evaluation to ensure good performance of hospital pharmacists. We propose a method for evaluating performance using the indicator of whether pharmaceutical interventions conducted in clinical practice affect the treatment carried out by the physician. To illustrate the usefulness of this method, we report one example of the response of a physician to our clinical practice. We first designed a worksheet on which information related to pharmaceutical interventions would be recorded. The worksheet included sections for the details of the pharmaceutical intervention, whether decisions about interventions were active (pharmacists' decisions) or passive (requests from the physician), the timing of the intervention (before or after prescription), the grounds for the intervention, and whether it had any influence on the treatment, as well as a detailed record of the course of the intervention. These worksheets were used to record pharmaceutical interventions from July to December 2005. During that period, a total of 347 pharmaceutical interventions for 164 patients were recorded. Each intervention was examined from the different perspectives of type of intervention, timing (before or after prescription was issued), and reason for the intervention. Overall, it was found that 91.6% of all interventions had some influence on treatment. Because numerical results can be obtained with this method, it has the benefit of being an objective means of evaluating the contribution of pharmaceutical services. Furthermore, the validity of even those interventions that had no influence on treatment can be examined using medical and pharmaceutical findings and may improve the quality of pharmacists.

Analysis of hydrolytic activity of phospholipase Calpha from porcine retina on retinyl ester and phosphatidylcholine using non-denaturing two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry.

Hydrolysis of retinyl esters and phospholipids is important for visual functions of the animal retina. This study aimed to examine hydrolytic activity of an enzyme with native substrates such as retinyl esters and phospholipids responsible for this function in porcine retina. After cytosolic proteins were extracted from porcine retina, the proteins were separated using non-denaturing two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE). Some major proteins and phospholipase Calpha were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) or electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). The phospholipase Calpha showed hydrolytic activities with not only alpha-naphtyl acetate but also with retinyl palmitate and phosphatidylcholine when effects of different substrates were investigated using enzyme activity staining on 2DE or MALDI-TOF-MS. Results indicated that hydrolytic activity of the enzyme with non-native and native substrates could be examined using a combination of non-denaturing 2DE and MALDI-TOF-MS.

[Factors related to access to family dentists and regular dental checkups--results of oral health examination of an adult population].

In February 2000, we examined the oral health status of 578 government employees (males 408, females 170). We also asked them to complete questionnaires on oral health. The following results were obtained. Of the total sample, 39.2% had a family dentist. There were significantly more women, and older workers, who had a family dentist. The reasons to visit family dentists were "treatment (75.9%)," "prevention (14.4%)," and "regular checkups (8.8%)." Workers who had family dentists had more filled teeth and fewer present teeth than those without family dentists, and the difference was significant. Less than half (42.7%) of the workers were receiving dental checkups regularly, more commonly at the work site (76.3%) than by family dentists (22.4%). There was no significant difference in oral health status between workers who received/did not receive regular dental checkups. Workers who repeatedly went to the clinic for treatment considered their dentist as a "family dentist." This indicated that dental professionals and ordinary people have a different concept of a "family dentist." The habit of visiting a dentist regularly seeking checkups and prevention is not yet popular. To improve this condition, it would be necessary to undertake efforts to change the concept on family dentists for both patients and dental professionals, to improve the school oral health system, to use mass dental examination at work sites effectively, and to reform the health insurance system to be prevention-oriented.