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We examined the initial excited state before photoinduced phase transition in a charge transfer complex (EDO-TTF)2PF6 and revealed the conversion process to the photoinduced phase and the electronic coherence at the excited state.

Abstract Background Urinary incontinence (UI) is a distressing problem for older people. To investigate the relationship between UI and respiratory symptoms among middle-aged and older men, a community-based study was conducted in Japan. Methods A convenience sample of 668 community-dwelling men aged 40 years or above was recruited from middle and southern Japan. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form, the Medical Research Council's dyspnoea scale and the Australian Lung Foundation's Feeling Short of Breath scale, were administered by face-to-face interviews to ascertain their UI status and respiratory symptoms. Results The overall prevalence of UI was 7.6%, with urge-type leakage (59%) being most common among the 51 incontinent men. The presence of respiratory symptoms was significantly higher among incontinent men than those without the condition, especially for breathlessness (45% versus 30%, p = 0.025). The odds of UI for breathlessness was 2.11 (95% confidence interval 1.10-4.06) after accounting for age, body mass index, smoking and alcohol drinking status of each individual. Conclusions The findings suggested a significant association between UI and breathlessness in middle-aged and older men.

Abstract Background To investigate the relationship between soy consumption, COPD risk and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, a case-control study was conducted in Japan. Methods A total of 278 eligible patients (244 men and 34 women), aged 50–75 years with COPD diagnosed within the past four years, were referred by respiratory physicians, while 340 controls (272 men and 68 women) were recruited from the community. All participants underwent spirometric measurements of respiratory function. Information on demographics, lifestyle characteristics and habitual food consumption was obtained using a structured questionnaire. Results Total soy consumption was positively correlated with observed lung function measures. The mean soy intake was significantly higher among controls (59.98, SD 50.23 g/day) than cases (44.84, SD 28.5 g/day). A significant reduction in COPD risk was evident for highest versus lowest quartile of daily intake of total soybean products, with adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.392, 95% CI 0.194–0.793, p for trend 0.001. Similar decreases in COPD risk were associated with frequent and higher intake of soy foods such as tofu and bean sprouts, whereas respiratory symptoms were inversely associated with high consumption of soy foods, especially for breathlessness (OR 0.989, 95% CI 0.982–0.996). Conclusion Increasing soy consumption was associated with a decreased risk of COPD and breathlessness.

The effect of annealing on the properties of chemical bath deposited (CBD) cadmium sulfide (CdS) buffer layer CuInS2 (CIS) solar cell with respect to cell performance is reported. The CdS layer was deposited on the CIS film from CdI2 and thiourea [CS(NH2)2] solutions using ammonia as the complexing agent. Results showed that post-conditional process of chemical bath deposition of CdS layer affected the performance of the CIS solar cells. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that CdS buffer layers show a hexagonal structure with preferred orientation along the (101) axis without Cd(OH)2 peak at 200°C. The morphologies of CdS films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The performance of the CdS/CIGS solar cells was discussed on the basis of characteristics and post-deposition conditions of the chemical bath deposited CdS layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary What is known and Objective: Montelukast, a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 antagonist, is safe and efficacious in patients with asthma. The mechanisms underlying the significant interpatient variability in response to montelukast are not clear but are believed to be, in part, because of genetic variability. Methods: To examine the associations between polymorphisms in candidate genes in the leukotriene pathway and outcomes in patients with asthma on montelukast for 4-8 weeks, we evaluated the changes in peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1·0) and patients' subjective symptom before and after montelukast treatment. DNA was collected from 252 Japanese participants. Results and Discussion: Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ALOX5 (rs2115819) and LTA4H (rs2660845) genes were successfully typed. There was no difference between members of the general population ( n = 200) and patients ( n = 52) in each genotype frequency. Significant associations were found between SNP genotypes in the LTA4H gene and changes in PEF and FEV1·0. The PEF and FEV1·0 responses to montelukast in the A/A genotypes ( n = 4) for the LTA4H SNP were significantly higher than those in the G allele carriers (A/G+G/G) ( n = 17). What is new and Conclusion: Despite the small sample size, our results suggest that genetic variation in leukotriene pathway candidate genes contributes to variability in clinical responses to montelukast in Japanese patients with asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fast microtomography combined with local crack driving force analysis has been employed to analyze crack-tip stress/strain singularities in an aluminum alloy. The application of fast microtomography has made it possible to observe real crack initiation and propagation behaviors without intermediate unloading. The details of a crack and its local propagation behaviors are readily observed with this technique along with evidence of microstructure/crack interactions. After a preliminary investigation of the achieved spatial resolution, we show that conventional stationary and growing crack singularities can be quantitatively validated by deriving the local crack opening displacement. This is to our knowledge the first three-dimensional validation of conventional fracture mechanics during a real time continuous experiment that has been mainly developed via surface observations so far. We also reveal that there is a spatial transition from a stationary crack singularity to a growing crack singularity in addition to the well-known temporal transition that occurs with the onset of crack propagation. Local crack propagation behaviors are also discussed on the basis of this validation. To separate the effects of complex crack geometry from those of microstructure, we also perform an image-based numerical simulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between vegetable and fruit consumption and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a case-control study was conducted in central Japan in 2006. METHODS: A total of 278 referred patients with COPD diagnosed within the past four years and 340 community-based controls undertook spirometric measurements of respiratory function. A structured questionnaire was administered face-to-face to obtain information on demographics, lifestyle and habitual food consumption. RESULTS: The mean vegetable and fruit intakes of cases (155.62 (SD 88.84) and 248.32 (SD 188.17) g/day) were significantly lower (p<0.01) than controls (199.14 (SD 121.41) and 304.09 (SD 253.72) g/day). A substantial reduction in COPD risk was found by increasing daily total vegetable intake, p for trend=0.037. The prevalence of breathlessness also decreased with vegetable consumption, the adjusted odds ratio being 0.49 (95% CI 0.27-0.88) for the highest versus lowest quartile of intake. However, the effects of fruit consumption were not significant. Among the nutrients contained in vegetables and fruits, vitamin A was particularly significant (p=0.008) with an estimated 52% reduction in COPD risk at the highest level of intake. CONCLUSION: The study provided evidence of an inverse association between vegetable consumption and the risk of COPD for Japanese adults.Copyright © 2009 by Elsevier Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Transparent and conductive Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited on substrates including alkali-free glass, quartz glass, Si, and SiO2 buffer layer on alkali-free glass by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The effects of different substrates on the structural, electrical and optical properties of the AZO films were investigated. It was found that the crystal structures were remarkably influenced by the type of the substrates due to their different thermal expansion coefficients, lattice mismatch and flatness. The AZO film (100 nm in thickness) deposited on the quartz glass exhibited the best crystallinity, followed sequentially by those deposited on the Si, the SiO2 buffer layer, and the alkali-free glass. The film deposited on the quartz glass showed the lowest resistivity of 5.14×10−4 Ω cm among all the films, a carrier concentration of 1.97×1021 cm−3 and a Hall mobility of 6.14 cm2/v·s. The average transmittance of this film was above 90% in the visible light spectrum range. Investigation into the thickness-dependence of the AZO films revealed that the crystallinity was improved with increasing thickness and decreasing surface roughness, accompanied with a decrease in the film resistivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new concept of electrocatalytic reactor for ultimate NOx decomposition by nanostructural and compositional control of a NiO–YSZ electrocatalytic electrode has been proposed. Here, we present the electrochemically induced formation of nanosize Ni grains surrounded by nanopores in the NiO/YSZ interface of an electrocatalytic electrode under the reactor operation. In such an electrochemically assembled nanostructure, the reversibly produced 10–50 nm Ni grains are an effective place for selective NOx decomposition. Oxygen ionic current passed through the network of YSZ particles surrounding the Ni grains removed the produced oxygen species and permitted the reaction to reoccur. In such reactors, the electrical power required for NO decomposition in the presence of 10% of oxygen is at least 60 times lower than for traditional cells. The reactors'' efficiency should lead to them replacing catalytic systems for exhaust gas purification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]