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It is well-established that increasing physical activity (PA) is important for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although it has been demonstrated that PA predicts CVD independent of commonly measured cardiometabolic risk factors in women, it is unclear whether this association is true in men. The study participants consisted of 5,882 adults (age ≥18 years) from the 1999 to 2004 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Blood pressure, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and waist circumference were categorized using standard clinical thresholds. The participants were divided into the following groups according to the volume of their moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA: active (≥150 min/wk), somewhat active (30 to 149 min/wk), and inactive (<30 min/wk). Logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios for CVD according to PA. After controlling for the basic confounders (age, gender, race, smoking), inactive participants were 52% (95% confidence interval 16% to 98%) more likely than the active participants to have CVD. Additional adjustment for cardiometabolic risk factors did not change the odds ratio for CVD in the inactive group. To further delineate the effects of PA on CVD, the participants were cross-classified according to their PA level and their number of cardiometabolic risk factors. Both PA and cardiometabolic risk factors were independent predictors of CVD (Ptrend <0.0001). The results were not modified by gender. In conclusion, PA was associated with CVD, independent of the common cardiometabolic risk factors, in men and women. The association between PA and CVD risk was not mediated by the measured cardiometabolic risk factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses studies on breast cancer surgical treatments. One study noted that transaxillary retromammary-route approach can become a single standard method for breast-conserving surgery wherever a cancer is situated. Another study analyzed the prognostic and therapeutic impact of axillary staging on recurrence of breast cancer. Another research found that mammary ductoscopy is a useful tool in the evaluation of patients with nipple discharge.

Abstract: A systematic study was carried out to dope single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles with varying amounts of boron using the pulsed laser vaporization technique. Targets containing boron concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 10at.% boron were prepared by mixing elemental boron with carbon paste and the Co/Ni catalysts. The laser-generated products that were obtained from these targets were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), thermoelectric power (TEP) measurements, and Raman scattering experiments. Electron microscopy and Raman studies revealed that the presence of various levels of boron concentration in the target strongly affected the products that were prepared. SWNTs were found in the products prepared from targets containing up through 3at.% boron, and high resolution EELS estimated that less than 0.05–0.1at.% boron is present in the SWNT lattice. The absence of SWNT bundles in the products derived from targets containing more than 3at.% boron implies that the presence of excess boron in the carbon plume severely inhibits the carbon nanotube growth. The overall effect of the boron incorporation primarily leads to: (i) a systematic increase in intensity of the disorder-induced band (D-band) upon boron doping, with increasing D-band intensity observed for higher doping levels, (ii) a systematic downshift in the G′-band frequency due the relatively weaker C–B bond, and (iii) a non-linear variation in the RBM and G′-band intensities which is attributed to shifts in resonance conditions in the doped tubes. Resonant Raman spectroscopy thus provides large changes in the intensity of prominent features even when the dopant concentration is below the detectable limit of EELS (0.05–0.1at.%). Thermoelectric power data also provide complementary evidence for the presence of a small boron concentration in the SWNT lattice which transforms the SWNTs into a permanently p-type material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Composites of high molecular weight polyaniline (PANI) and various weight percentages of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) were fabricated using solution processing. Electrical characteristics of metal–semiconductor (MS) devices fabricated from the PANI/SWNT composites were studied. Current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of these devices indicate a significant increase in current with an increase in carbon nanotube concentration in the composite. The dominant transport mechanisms operating in these devices were investigated by plotting the forward I–V data on a log–log scale, which revealed two power-law regions with different exponents. In the lower voltage range, the exponent is approximately 1, implying that the charge transport mechanism is governed by Ohm''s law. The charge transport mechanism in the higher voltage range, where the exponent varies between 1.1 and 1.7, is consistent with space-charge-limited (SCL) emission in the presence of shallow traps. The critical voltage (Vc), which characterizes the onset of SCL conduction, decreases with increasing SWNT concentration. In addition, Vc was observed to increase with temperature. These initial results indicate that with further improvements in material consistency and reduction in defect densities, the polyaniline/single-walled carbon nanotube composite material can be used to fabricate organic electronic devices leading to many useful applications in microelectronics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

1-Adamantanamine hydrochloride (AdNH 3 + Cl−) is an antiviral drug that is used in the prophylactic or symptomatic treatment of influenza. However, a mutation makes influenza virus, amantadine (AdNH 2) resistant. in order to overcome this disadvantage, a new formulation, which combines Cu(II) and amantadine (AdNH 2) in one entity of formula {[AdNH 3 +·[CuCl 3 −} n , (CA) was developed. • Copper(II) adamantanamines conjugates. • Mutations of influenza virus caused insensitivity to amantadine. • Blocking the proton current. • In vitro and vivo toxic toxicity effect. 1-Adamantanamine hydrochloride (AdNH 3 + Cl−) is an antiviral drug that is used in the prophylactic or symptomatic treatment of influenza. However, a mutation makes influenza virus, amantadine (AdNH 2) resistant. Thus, a new formulation, which combines Cu(II) and amantadine (AdNH 2) in one formula {[AdNH 3 +·[CuCl 3 −}, (CA) was developed. CA was characterized by m.p, conductivity measurements, FT-IR and UV–Vis spectroscopies, and X-ray crystallography. To the best of our knowledge the crystal and molecular structure of CA is the first one of amantadine with Cu(II) ions. CA was tested against the A/WSN/33 wt (M2 N31) virus and its mutations M2 S31N, M2 V27A, M2 L26F, M2 A30T and M2 G34E respectively. CA inhibits the wild virus A/WSN/33 wt-M2 N31, and its mutations -M2 S31N, -M2 L26F and -M2 A30T. The inhibition mechanism involves the increased membrane permeability of the CA , than free Cu(II) ions with simultaneous lower toxicity. CA acts by blocking the proton current of A/WSN/33-M2 S31N in a similar manner to Cu(II) ions. In silico studies confirmed that CA can effectively block proton current mediated by -M2 S31N virus replication. Specifically, [CuCl 3 − blocks the primary gate of the His37 tetrad which is essential for channel conductance and selectivity. The in vitro toxicity of CA was examined against normal human fetal lung fibroblast (MRC-5) cells. No toxic effect was detected when the MRC-5 cells were treated by CA with concentrations up to 30 μΜ. The absence of micronucleus (MN) in MRC-5 cells treated CA (30 μΜ) confirms the in vitro non genotoxic behavior of the compound. Moreover, no any in vivo toxic effect was detected on Artemia salina upon their treatment with CA at a concentration up to 150 μΜ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]