Evaluation of a sampling strategy for estimation of long-term PM2.5 exposure for epidemiological studies.

As part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) PM2.5 (particles collected with an upper 50% cut point of 2.5 microm aerodynamic diameter) was measured using an EPA-WINS (Environmental Protection Agency Well Impactor Ninety-six) sampler. The monitoring schedule was restricted to 7 days per month for one year. Simultaneously, during this one year study period a collocated Harvard Impactor (HI) was run on a daily basis in Erfurt, Germany. Here we validated the reliability of annual, seasonal and monthly means estimated using the ECRHS scheme (measurements taken less than 25% of the whole study period) with the 'true' long-term averages, which were estimated using all available daily means. The daily PM2.5 means, obtained by both instruments operated in parallel, were only slightly different (the mean difference between EPA-WINS and HI was 1.8 microg m(-3) and 2.8 microg m(-3) for the winter means). The values obtained by the two instruments were highly correlated (r = 0.95). In view of that negligible difference, no additional bias was seen with respect to the annual and the winter means estimated by the two different sampling strategies (the difference was 1.7 microg m(-3) and 2.7 microg m(-3), respectively). Monthly means, however, can only be considered to be a crude estimate that may substantially under- or overestimate the true monthly mean value.

Energy level alignment at metal-octaethylporphyrin interfaces.

We studied the electronic structure of copper-octaethylporphyrin (CuEOP) adsorbed on three metal surfaces--Ag(001), Ag(111), and Cu(111)--by means of ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The adsorption-induced work function shifts saturate roughly beyond two monolayers. The saturation values are substrate dependent, negative, and range from -1.30 to -0.85 eV. This shift is larger than that for tetraphenylporphyrins. The two highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO and HOMO-1) of the organic are clearly resolved in the UPS spectra. The origin of the negative work function shift is discussed.

Daytime melatonin administration enhances sleepiness and theta/alpha activity in the waking EEG.

It is still controversial whether the pineal hormone melatonin can be characterized as a hypnotic. We therefore measured subjective sleepiness and waking EEG power density in the range of 0.25-20 Hz after a single dose of melatonin (5 mg). During an 8 h mini-constant routine protocol, melatonin administered in a double blind cross-over design to healthy young men at 1300 h or 1800 h increased subjective sleepiness, as rated half-hourly on three different scales (Visual Analogue Scale, Akerstedt Sleepiness Symptoms Check List, Akerstedt Sleepiness Scale) and objective fatigue as evidenced by augmented waking EEG power density in the theta/alpha range (5.25-9 Hz). The increase in subjective sleepiness reached significance 40 min and 90 min after melatonin administration (at 1300 h and 1800 h, respectively) and lasted for 3 h (at 1300 h) and 5 h (at 1800 h). The increase in the theta/alpha frequencies of the waking EEG occurred immediately after melatonin ingestion and stayed significantly higher parallel to the higher sleepiness ratings. However, the EEG changes appeared before the subjective symptoms of sleepiness became manifest. There was a significant correlation between salivary melatonin levels and the timing of increased subjective sleepiness. Melatonin had no effects on mood.