Photoluminescence Properties of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Influenced by the Tether Length of Reagents with Two Reactive Sites.

The functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is an effective method for controlling a local band gap, resulting in photoluminescence (PL) in the near-infrared region. Herein, SWNTs were functionalized using a series of bromoalkanes and dibromoalkanes to evaluate the effects of their length on the nanotube PL properties. When bromoalkanes (Cn H2n+1 Br) or dibromoalkanes (Cn H2n Br2 ) with tether lengths of six or more were utilized for six different semiconducting SWNTs, the obtained SWNT adducts exhibited two new PL peaks, whereas dibromoalkanes with tether lengths of 3-5 (Cn H2n Br2 : n=3-5) produced single peaks. Combined with theoretical calculations, the results suggested that the tether length of reagents changes the formation mechanism of functionalized adducts, that is, Cn H2n Br2 (n=3-5) tends to result in kinetic products.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms and related risk factors in Japanese patients with pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteriosis.

The objective of this study was to administer commonly used tools, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Depression subscale (HADS-D), to screen for depressive symptoms in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD). In addition, we sought to identify whether differences existed in the prevalence of depressive symptoms as assessed by CES-D and HADS-D, and by various predictors of depression. The presence of depressive symptoms in 95 patients with NTM-PD was assessed using the CES-D and HADS-D. Data regarding age, body mass index, pulmonary function, dyspnea, cough, and exercise capacity were obtained to examine their independent contribution as predictors of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 37.9% based on CES-D and 26.3% based on HADS-D. The prevalence of depressive symptoms based on CES-D and HADS-D revealed significant differences between the two instruments. Analysis suggested that the presence of cough is a significant predictor of depressive symptoms as assessed by both CES-D and HADS-D. Countermeasures are necessary because some patients with NTM-PD disease have depressive symptoms. It is possible that assessment of the prevalence of depressive symptoms differs in accordance with the screening tool used.

Effects of changes in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions and degradation on their concentrations in Tokyo from 2007 and 2016.

The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aerosol were measured in Shinjuku, which is central Tokyo, Japan, for 10 years from 2007 to 2016. The effects of changes in emission sources and their degradation by reaction with ozone were assessed in this study. There was no significant increasing or decreasing trend of the PAH concentrations during 10 years (P > 0.05). The average selected seven the PAH concentrations (0.88 ng m-3) during 10 years was lower than those in New York and Paris. However, the trend of ozone concentrations is increasing in central Tokyo. This inconsistency raises a question. Did the fact that the ozone concentration was higher than the PAH concentrations promote PAH degradation? To apportion the PAH sources, we used PAH concentration profiles and positive matrix factorization analysis. The contribution of vehicle emissions to the PAHs ranged from 40 to 80%. Ozone concentrations increased by 3.70%/year during 10 years. The theoretical degradation rates of PAHs by ozone, which were calculated using a pseudo-first-order rate equation, suggested that the lifetimes of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) decreased by 1 min from 2007 to 2016. We investigated the aging of BaP using the profile of the isomer ratios. We found that the aging of BaP at the urban and roadside sites were nearly identical indicating aging regardless of the season. Although the decomposition of BaP is promoted by the photochemical oxidation reaction, this result suggests that a certain threshold value exists as the degree of the decomposition. This degradation of PAH can improve chemical loss processes in air quality model.

Clinical significance and safety of combined treatment with chemotherapy and pulmonary rehabilitation regarding health-related quality of life and physical function in nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: In the treatment of patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD), pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has been recommended as a non-pharmacological therapy. However, no study has validated the combination of chemotherapy and PR in this context. This study investigated the effect of chemotherapy and supervised PR on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical function in NTM-PD patients. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with NTM-PD who had a planned hospitalization of at least 3 weeks for chemotherapy and PR. HRQoL (Leicester Cough Questionnaire [LCQ] and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test [CAT]), physical function (incremental shuttle walk distance [ISWD], quadriceps force), and C-reactive protein levels were assessed before and after treatment, and the corresponding data were analyzed in conjunction with clinical data. The adverse events of PR were also investigated. RESULTS: Forty-two patients who met the study criteria were included in the analysis. After treatment, all LCQ item scores, total CAT score and sub-item scores related to respiratory symptoms, ISWD, quadriceps force, and C-reactive protein levels were found to have improved significantly. In the chronic cough with excessive sputum production (CCS) group, the proportions of responders who showed improvements in LCQ and CAT scores and ISWD greater than the corresponding minimal clinically important difference were significantly greater than those in the non-CCS group. No PR-related adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment with chemotherapy and PR may improve HRQoL and physical function, and supervised PR can be provided safely.

Decreased incremental shuttle walk test distance characterized by fibrocavitary lesions in non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) have impaired exercise capacity, but the underlying factors are unknown. We investigated the characteristics of patients with NTM-PD and impaired exercise capacity. METHODS: In total, 149 patients with NTM-PD participated in this study. Patients completed the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) to assess exercise capacity. Peripheral muscle strength and pulmonary function were also assessed. Radiological findings were classified into three phenotypes: non-cavitary nodular bronchiectatic (NC-NB) form, cavitary nodular bronchiectatic form, and fibrocavitary (FC) form. RESULTS: The median ISWT distance (ISWD) and %ISWD were 450 meters and 88%. Participants were classified into three groups according to %ISWD, with %ISWD <60% as the severely decreased group, 60%-80% as the moderately decreased group, and >80% as the normal or mildly decreased group. In a comparison of %ISWD among phenotypes, FC form had significantly lower %ISWD than those with NC-NB form. In the severely decreased group, peripheral muscle strength and pulmonary function were significantly lower than the other two groups. From a radiological standpoint, significantly more patients had FC form in the group with severely decreased %ISWD. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased ISWD is characterized by a deterioration in physical function and the presence of FC lesions in NTM-PD.

Influence of chronic sputum symptoms on quality of life in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of chronic sputum (CS) symptoms on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) has not been studied. The aim of this study was to clarify the differences in the clinical characteristics of NTM-PD patients with and without CS and to investigate the effect of CS on HRQOL. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included patients with NTM-PD who were prescribed pulmonary rehabilitation at the Fukujuji Hospital from March 2016 to June 2019. HRQOL was evaluated using the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS: Of the 99 subjects studied, 71 had CS (CS+) (71.7%), and 28 (28.3%) did not have CS (CS-). Patients in the CS + group had a lower body mass index, forced vital capacity percent predicted, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s percent predicted. Regarding the radiological evaluation, the proportion of patients with the fibrocavitary form and the radiological score were significantly higher in the CS + group. The mental component summary (MCS) score of the SF-36 were significantly lower in the CS + group. Multiple regression analysis showed that the presence of CS was independently associated with a lower MCS score of the SF-36. CONCLUSIONS: NTM-PD patients with CS had more severe disease, with reduced pulmonary function and severe radiological findings. CS was shown to independently affect HRQOL, especially mental status.

Is the Leicester Cough Questionnaire useful for nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease?

BACKGROUND: Although the incidence of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD) is increasing worldwide, there is no established standard of care leading to eradication. Therefore, research on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is important for patients with NTM-LD. HRQOL is commonly evaluated using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), developed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, NTM-LD differs from COPD in that few patients complain of dyspnea or wheezing, and cough and sputum are their main symptoms. The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) is an HRQOL questionnaire dedicated to cough, but few studies have used it for NTM-LD. This study evaluated HRQOL in patients with NTM-LD using the SGRQ and LCQ and clarified the usefulness of the LCQ. METHODS: Information on age, height, weight, lung function, percent ideal body weight, laboratory data, radiological scores, exercise capacity, SGRQ, and LCQ were collected from the medical records of 81 patients. Correlations between SGRQ and LCQ domains were assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Multivariate analysis was performed with SGRQ and LCQ total scores. RESULTS: Statistically significant correlations were observed between all domains, and the correlation between the total scores was -0.67 (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis with total scores as the dependent variable showed that the explanatory variables were lung function (p < 0.05) and radiological score (p < 0.05) in the SGRQ, and radiological score (p < 0.05) and C-reactive protein level (p < 0.05) in the LCQ. CONCLUSION: The LCQ, which evaluates an inflammatory response involved in the diagnosis of NTM-LD, may be useful to assess HRQOL in patients with NTM-LD.

Effects of pain on depression, sleep, exercise tolerance, and quality of life in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

ABSTRACT: The experience and causes of pain in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) have not been clarified.This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of bodily pain (BP) in patients with NTM-PD. We also investigated the clinical indicators that contribute to pain.We used a retrospective cross-sectional study design. The participants were 114 NTM-PD patients (109 women) with a mean age of 65 years. The prevalence and severity of pain were measured using 2 items from the 36-Item Short Form Survey version 2 (SF-36), and the BP score was calculated. Functional limitation due to dyspnea was quantified using the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC), depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); health-related quality of life was assessed using the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), and exercise tolerance was measured using the Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT).Pain was reported by 70.2% of the patients (n = 80), and of these, 35.7% (n = 25) reported moderate to very severe pain. NTM-PD patients with high levels of pain had significantly higher scores on the mMRC, CES-D, and PSQI scores, and significantly lower performance on the ISWT and LCQ. Multiple regression analysis identified ISWT, CES-D, and PSQI as independent factors that affected BP scores.Our findings suggest that pain significantly impacts daily life associated with reduced exercise tolerance, the presence of depressive symptoms, and poor sleep quality in patients with NTM-PD.

Fluorescence and chemiluminescence behavior of distyrylbenzene bearing two arms of dipicolylaminomethyl groups: Interactions with zinc ion and ATP.

The absorption and fluorescence spectral study of the distyrylbenzene bearing two arms of the dipicolylaminomethyl groups, the effective ligands for Zn2+, was studied in the presence of Zn2+ and ATP. Upon complexation of the distyrylbenzene with zinc ions in acetonitrile, enhancement of the fluorescence intensity was observed due to inhibition of intramolecular PET (photo-induced electron transfer) quenching, but no effect was found in aqueous media because the equilibrium laid to the free form of the ligands. In contrast, the addition of ATP disodium salt was effective to enhance the fluorescence intensity of the combination of the distyrylbenzne and Zn2+ in aqueous media. This assembly was applied to the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence system and a significant increase in the intensity was observed, which provides a potential detection for ATP by chemiluminescence.