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.

Relationship Between Visceral Fat and Plasma Aldosterone Concentration in Patients With Primary Aldosteronism.

CONTEXT: The involvement of visceral fat in aldosterone secretion has not been reported in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA). Patients with PA are complicated by metabolic syndrome more frequently than those without PA. An excess of visceral fat has been hypothesized to cause an elevation of aldosterone secretion in patients with PA. OBJECTIVES: To clarify the role of visceral fat in the pathophysiology of PA, we investigated the correlation between plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and visceral fat parameters in patients with PA. DESIGN: This retrospective observational study comprised 131 patients diagnosed with PA between April 2007 and April 2017 at Sapporo City General Hospital. We divided participants into two PA subtypes, aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA; n = 47) and idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA, n = 84), utilizing adrenal venous sampling. We analyzed the correlations of PAC with visceral fat percentage (VF%), visceral fat area (VFA), and subcutaneous fat area, by evaluating computed tomography studies in each subtype group. RESULTS: Patients with IHA showed a positive correlation of PAC with VF% (r = 0.377, P < 0.001) and VFA (r = 0.443, P < 0.001). The correlation was not evident in patients with APA. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a relationship between visceral adipose tissue and aldosterone production only in patients with IHA.