Molecular catalysis of CO2 reduction: recent advances and perspectives in electrochemical and light-driven processes with selected Fe, Ni and Co aza macrocyclic and polypyridine complexes.

Earth-abundant Fe, Ni, and Co aza macrocyclic and polypyridine complexes have been thoroughly investigated for CO2 electrochemical and visible-light-driven reduction. Since the first reports in the 1970s, an enormous body of work has been accumulated regarding the two-electron two-proton reduction of the gas, along with mechanistic and spectroscopic efforts to rationalize the reactivity and establish guidelines for structure-reactivity relationships. The ability to fine tune the ligand structure and the almost unlimited possibilities of designing new complexes have led to highly selective and efficient catalysts. Recent efforts toward developing hybrid systems upon combining molecular catalysts with conductive or semi-conductive materials have converged to high catalytic performances in water solutions, to the inclusion of these catalysts into CO2 electrolyzers and photo-electrochemical devices, and to the discovery of catalytic pathways beyond two electrons. Combined with the continuous mechanistic efforts and new developments for in situ and in operando spectroscopic studies, molecular catalysis of CO2 reduction remains a highly creative approach.

Relevance of a subjective quality of life questionnaire for long-term homeless persons with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of programs are addressing the specific needs of homeless people with schizophrenia in terms of access to housing, healthcare, basic human rights and other domains. Although quality of life scales are being used to evaluate such programs, few instruments have been validated for people with schizophrenia and none for people with schizophrenia who experience major social problems such as homelessness. The aim of the present study was to validate the French version of the S-QoL a self-administered, subjective quality of life questionnaire specific to schizophrenia for people with schizophrenia who are homeless. METHODS: In a two-step process, the S-QoL was first administered to two independent convenience samples of long-term homeless people with schizophrenia in Marseille, France. The objective of the first step was to analyse the psychometric properties of the S-QoL. The objective of the second step was to examine, through qualitative interviews with members of the population in question, the relevance and acceptability of the principle quality of life indicators used in the S-QoL instrument. RESULTS: Although the psychometric characteristics of the S-QoL were found to be globally satisfactory, from the point of view of the people being interviewed, acceptability was poor. Respondents frequently interrupted participation complaining that questionnaire items did not take into account the specific context of life on the streets. CONCLUSIONS: Less intrusive questions, more readily understandable vocabulary and greater relevance to subjects' living conditions are needed to improve the S-QoL questionnaire for this population. A modular questionnaire with context specific sections or specific quality of life instruments for socially excluded populations may well be the way forward.

[Mobile laboratories for rapid deployment and their contribution to the containment of emerging diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa, illustrated by the example of Ebola virus disease]. / Laboratoires mobiles et leur contribution dans l'endiguement de pathologies émergentes en Afrique subsaharienne illustrée par l'exemple de la maladie à virus Ebola.

The Ebola virus, which became a global health concern in 2014, is an example of an emerging pathogen. Ebola virus disease can only be diagnosed in biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratories, which provide the security required to avoid exposure of both the staff and the environment to the pathogen. These laboratories are often far from the site of outbreaks, which may occur in rural areas or border regions (when the disease is imported from a neighboring country). Rapidly deployable laboratory units can bring the diagnosis closer to the outbreak site and thus significantly shorten the time to delivery of results, thus facilitating epidemic containment. Here we report our experience from the first months of implementation in Mali of a mobile laboratory unit of the same type as the European mobile labs and we describe the workflow in the laboratory as well as the training of its Malian staff. Based on our experience and the reports of other projects, we propose a framework in which these mobile laboratory units can strengthen epidemiological surveillance and contribute to containing outbreaks of emerging diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

GRACE, time-varying gravity, Earth system dynamics and climate change.

Continuous observations of temporal variations in the Earth's gravity field have recently become available at an unprecedented resolution of a few hundreds of kilometers. The gravity field is a product of the Earth's mass distribution, and these data-provided by the satellites of the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE)-can be used to study the exchange of mass both within the Earth and at its surface. Since the launch of the mission in 2002, GRACE data has evolved from being an experimental measurement needing validation from ground truth, to a respected tool for Earth scientists representing a fixed bound on the total change and is now an important tool to help unravel the complex dynamics of the Earth system and climate change. In this review, we present the mission concept and its theoretical background, discuss the data and give an overview of the major advances GRACE has provided in Earth science, with a focus on hydrology, solid Earth sciences, glaciology and oceanography.

Mental health outreach and street policing in the downtown of a large French city.

CONTEXT: Marseille, the second largest city in France, has a large population of homeless persons. A mental health outreach team was created in 2005 as a response to high rates of mental illness among this group. In a national political context where security is a government priority, a new central police station was created in Marseille in 2006 to address robberies, violence and illegal traffic in the downtown area of the city. While not directly related to such crimes, police also are responsible for public safety or behavioral issues related to the presence of individuals who are homeless in this area. OBJECTIVE: This report on a two-year pilot study (2009-2011) addresses collaborative work between a mental health outreach team and the police department responding to the clinical needs of persons who are homeless with serious psychiatric disorders. It also describes the homeless persons' interactions with, and perceptions of the presence of, police and mental health professionals on the streets. METHODS: Investigators adopted a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected on 40 interactions using brief standardized report for each interaction. Focus groups were conducted with police officers, outreach team members, peer workers, and service users. Minutes of partnership meetings between police officers and outreach workers also served as a source of qualitative data. RESULTS: Outreach workers initiated just over half (n=21) of the encounters (n=40) between police and outreach workers. Interactions mainly involved persons with psychosis (77%), the vast majority (80%) of which involved persons in an acute phase of psychosis. Two key themes that emerged from data analysis included the violent nature of life on the streets and the high percentage of ethnic minorities among subjects of the interactions. In addition, it was found that the practices of the outreach workers are sometimes similar to those of the police, especially when outreach workers use coercive methods. "Users" (homeless persons) described police as sometimes using less coercion than the outreach team, and noted that they were more fearful of psychiatrists than police. CONCLUSION: Formal initiatives between mental health outreach teams and police departments involve some common street practices. This study demonstrates the potential for closer working relationships between the two parties to help persons who are homeless with mental illnesses receive needed care, and to reduce inappropriate coercion including involuntary hospitalization and arrests.

Solvation dynamics of electron produced by two-photon ionization of liquid polyols. III. Glycerol.

The solvation dynamics of excess electrons in glycerol have been measured by the pump-probe femtosecond laser technique at 333 K. The electrons are produced by two-photon absorption at 263 nm. The change in the induced absorbance is followed up to 450 ps in the spectral range from 440 to 720 nm. The transient signals of electron solvation have been analyzed by two kinetic models: a stepwise mechanism and a continuous relaxation model, using a Bayesian data analysis method. The results are compared with those previously published for ethylene glycol (J. Phys. Chem. A 2006, 110, 175) and for propanediols (J. Phys. Chem. A 2007, 111, 4902). From the comparison, it is pointed out that solvation dynamics in glycerol is very fast despite its high viscosity. This is interpreted as the existence of efficient traps for the electrons in glycerol with low potential energy. The small shift of the absorption band of the excess electron indicates that the potential of these traps is very close to that corresponding to the fully solvated electron.

Solvation dynamics of electron produced by two-photon ionization of liquid polyols. II. Propanediols.

Temporal evolution of transient absorption spectra of electrons produced by two-photon ionization of two isomers, propane-1,2-diol (12PD) and propane-1,3-diol (13PD), with 263 nm femtosecond laser pulses has been studied on picosecond time scale. The two-photon absorption coefficients of 12PD and 13PD at 263 nm were determined to be beta = (2.0 +/- 0.3) x 10(-11) and (2.4 +/- 0.3) x 10(-11) m W(-1), respectively. Time-resolved absorption spectra ranging from 440 to 720 nm have been measured, showing a blue shift for the first tens of picoseconds for both solvents. However, the observed solvation dynamics of electron appears faster in 13PD than in 12PD. The transient signals of electron solvation have then been reconstructed with different models (stepwise mechanism or continuous relaxation model) using a Bayesian data analysis method. Results are discussed, compared with those previously obtained in ethylene glycol (J. Phys. Chem. A 2006, 110, 1705) and corroborate the interpretation, according to which the solvation of electrons is mainly governed by continuous solvent molecular motions.

Solvation dynamics of the electron produced by two-photon ionization of liquid polyols. 1. Ethylene glycol.

Solvated electrons have been produced in ethylene glycol by two-photon ionization of the solvent with 263 nm femtosecond laser pulses. The two-photon absorption coefficient of ethylene glycol at 263 nm is determined to be beta = (2.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(-11) m W(-1). The dynamics of electron solvation in ethylene glycol has been studied by pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy. So, time-resolved absorption spectra ranging from 430 to 710 nm have been measured. A blue shift of the spectra is observed for the first tens of picoseconds. Using the Bayesian data analysis method, the observed solvation dynamics are reconstructed with different models: stepwise mechanisms, continuous relaxation models, or combinations of stepwise and continuous relaxation. Comparison between models is in favor of continuous relaxation, which is mainly governed by solvent molecular motions.

[Validation of the French version of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS-F)]. / Validation de la version française du Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS-F).

OBJECTIVE: This study reports the validation of the French version of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS-F), a questionnaire developed to measure health and social functioning of people with mental illness. METHOD: Once each statement was tested for readability, the scale was administered to 3 samples of people suffering from severe mental disorders to estimate its reliability and validity. More specifically, tests were run to establish the internal consistency, the stability, and the interrater reliability of the HoNOS-F. Confirmative factor analyses and mean differences according to age, sex, and diagnosis were also conducted to evaluate respectively construct- and criterion-related validity. RESULTS: Coefficients obtained from the various tests show that the scale is reliable only when the total score is used. The confirmatory factor analyses indicate that the observed data do not fit the 2 proposed models, a unidimensional model and a 4-dimension model. However, the scale did show criterion-related validity. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the present study converge with those obtained on the original widely used English version. Therefore, we suggest that clinicians use the questionnaire by referring to each item separately and by considering such patient characteristics as age, sex, and diagnosis. We also suggest that researchers wishing to evaluate health and social functioning of persons with serious mental disorders use the total score. Caution is, however, warranted when interpreting the total score for a French-speaking population, because the factorial solution 1-dimension model did not prove to be satisfactory.

[Distribution of opisthorchiid liver flukes in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in western Brandenburg]. / Zur Verbreitung opisthorchiider Leberegel bei Rotfüchsen (Vulpes vulpes) in Westbrandenburg.

226 (= 43.9%) out of 515 red foxes originating from the western districts of the Federal State Brandenburg were positive for opisthorchiid flukes. Metorchis bilis, Opisthorchis felineus and Pseudamphistomum truncatum occurred in prevalences of 36.9, 8.9 and 0.2% respectively. Although low fluke burden were predominant the maximum number of each fluke species isolated was 419, 46, and 78 respectively. No clear relations were found between the liver fluke prevalence and the proportion of surface waters of the different administrative districts. However, most positive foxes originated from municipalities closely situated to rivers, canals, and lakes.

[Assessment of quality of life and needs of homeless mentally ill people: perceptions of an outreach team.]. / Évaluation de la qualité de vie et des besoins des personnes itinérantes atteintes de troubles mentaux graves : perceptions d'une équipe itinérance-outreach.

This project established by an outreach team from the CLSC des Faubourgs in autumn 1998, studies how the members of this team perceive the impact of their clinical intervention with homeless people suffering of severe mental illness. A convenience sample (n=52) was selected within the team's clientele. The clientele's needs were evaluated with the Camberwell Assessment of Needs (CAN-F, Phelan et al., 1995). Quality of life was measured twice with the Wisconsin Quality of Life Questionnaire (Becker et al., 1993). The project shows that clinical intervention is associated with an improvement in quality of life of severely mentally ill homeless people and this despite the existence of numerous other needs that are not met. The study suggests the work done by the outreach team touches the clinical aspects and is associated with the improvement of social problems of severely mentally ill homeless people.

Factors associated with burden in primary caregivers of mentally ill patients.

The objectives of this study are to describe caregivers' subjective burden and to identify the predictors of burden in primary caregivers of mentally ill outpatients recruited from eight hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Patient and primary caregiver variables, were regressed on perceived burden using hierarchical regression analysis. The variables describing the patient's current state contributed the most to explaining variance in subjective burden. The variables related to psychiatric history and to outpatient treatment also explained a significant proportion of the variance in the burden scores. Better understanding of the factors associated with subjective burden will enable researchers and practitioners to identify those caregivers that are at greater risk for higher levels of burden, and to develop more focused and appropriate interventions.

Liver fluke (Opisthorchiidae) findings in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the eastern part of the Federal State Brandenburg, Germany--a contribution to the epidemiology of opisthorchiidosis.

Parasitological examination of 677 livers from red foxes shot in connection with a rabies control programme were carried out in the eastern districts of the Federal State Brandenburg/Germany in 1996. Of the foxes, 32.5% were positive for opisthorchiid flukes. Metorchis bilis, the most frequently occurring fluke was found in 28.1% of foxes with numbers between 1 and 185. Opisthorchis felineus was found in 6.7% of fox livers. A maximum of 169 specimens was removed from one animal. Pseudamphistomum truncatum was present in only 2 foxes. The percentage of positive foxes in different districts varied between 15.8 and 43.3%. Significant differences in fluke prevalence were found between districts with a high share of surface water compared with a district with a low percentage of surface water. No sex-dependent differences in opisthorchiid prevalence were established.

[Psychosocial determinants of lithium compliance in patients with bipolar disorder]. / Déterminants psychosociaux de l'assiduité au lithium chez des clients présentant un trouble bipolaire.

Physical, cognitive, and social factors play a central role in the lithium compliance of people with bipolar disorder. However, studies provide only a partial understanding of this phenomenon and there is currently no nursing model that takes into consideration a combination of factors. This study, based on Pender's preventive health beliefs model, was intended to identify the psychosocial determinants of lithium compliance. A random sample (n = 149) of outpatients at a large Montreal psychiatric hospital was used to measure lithium compliance on the basis of 5 criteria: compliance according to the nurse and according to the patient, appointment compliance, and compliance according to two criteria related to hyperuricemia. Polytomous logistic regression analyses were computed by regressing a composite of these criteria on sociodemographic variables and on the variables of the Pender model: susceptibility, seriousness, control over health, motivation to be healthy, perceived benefits and obstacles, and triggering factors. It appears that being female, being elderly, living with a partner, and perceived treatment benefits and obstacles are determining factors in lithium compliance. These results are all the more important in light of Quebec's newly implemented drug insurance plan, which could increase the obstacles to medication. Nurses will have to be increasingly vigilant with respect to these new obstacles and will have to adjust their interventions accordingly.

Empirical verification of a theoretical model derived from the Roy adaptation model: findings from five studies.

This article presents a theoretical model derived from the Roy adaptation model and the findings of an empirical verification of this model from five studies. Four groups of subjects were included in the studies: informal caregivers of demented relatives at home, informal caregivers of psychiatrically ill relatives at home, professional caregivers of elderly institutionalized patients, and aged spouses in the community. In at least three studies, a number of theoretical propositions derived from the Roy adaptation model were supported using LISREL VIII, thus adding credence to some tenets of Roy's model. Particularly, the focal stimulus of perceived stress, the contextual stimulus of conflicts in the exchange of social support, and one component of the coping mechanisms (the passive/avoidance coping strategies) were positively linked directly or indirectly with psychological distress, which is an indicator of adaptation in the self-concept mode. Given their importance, these elements should be considered in the development of a middle-range theory of psychological adaptation derived from the Roy adaptation model.

Hindlimb deformities (ectromelia, ectrodactyly) in free-living anurans from agricultural habitats.

High prevalences of hindlimb deformities were recorded in wild-caught green frogs (Rana clamitans), northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens), American toads, (Bufo americanus), and bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) from agricultural sites exposed to pesticide runoff in the St. Lawrence River Valley of Québec, Canada, between July and September 1992 and 1993. Of 853 metamorphosing anurans examined in 14 farmland habitats, 106 (12%; range 0 to 69%) had severe degrees of ectromelia and ectrodactyly, compared to only two (0.7%; range 0 to 7.7%) of 271 in 12 control sites. However, the variation in the proportion of deformities among sites was too large to conclude that there was a significant difference between control and pesticide-exposed habitats. Clinical signs varied and were characterized by segmental hypoplasia or agenesis of affected limbs. Conspicuous abnormalities interfered with swimming and hopping, and likely constituted a survival handicap. Because of circumstances and the frequency of these malformations in nine distinct habitats, and in three different species from one of our study sites, we propose a teratogenic action of exogenous factors. Despite the fact that many biotic and abiotic agents are potentially harmful to limb development, agricultural contaminants were suspected as primary aggressors. Thus, clinical examination and frequency of deformities in anurans might be an economical screening tool to assess ecosystem health and the presence of environmental contaminants.

Prostaglandin mediation of hemodynamic responses to pulmonary microembolism in rabbits: effects of ibuprofen and meclofenamate.

The effect of the cyclooxygenase inhibitors ibuprofen and meclofenamate were studied to assess the role of prostaglandin release in mediating the hemodynamic response to acute pulmonary microembolism in awake rabbits. In Group I (n = 10), a control group receiving only saline infusion, there was no change in pulmonary artery pressure, thermodilution cardiac output, or pulmonary vascular resistance. Group II (n = 12) received sequential intravenous doses of polyacrylamide microspheres averaging 34 mu in diameter, and demonstrated a progressive decrease in cardiac output and stroke volume and increases in pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. Pretreatment with either ibuprofen (Group III; n = 10) or meclofenamate (Group IV; n = 9) resulted in no change in resting hemodynamics and only minimally altered the effect of microembolism on pulmonary artery pressure. However, both ibuprofen and meclofenamate abolished the microembolism-induced decrease in cardiac output and stroke volume and blunted the increases in pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. The hemodynamic consequences of pulmonary microembolism in awake rabbits, particularly the decrease in cardiac output, are partly mediated by prostaglandin release, which alters pulmonary vascular tone and/or myocardial function.

Comparison of the electrocardiographic and hemodynamic responses to ionic and nonionic radiocontrast media during left ventriculography: a randomized double-blind study.

The ECG and hemodynamic responses to a standard ionic radiographic contrast agent (diatrizoate) were measured and compared to those induced by iopamidol, a newly developed nonionic agent, during left ventriculography. Studies were performed using randomized double-blind techniques in 46 patients with suspected coronary artery disease who were scheduled for cardiac catheterization. A nuclear probe was used to measure left ventricular ejection fraction and relative ventricular volume before and immediately after left ventriculography. Bolus injections of diatrizoate and iopamidol induced similar significant decreases in left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume and similar significant increases in both left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (p less than 0.05) and systolic ejection fraction (p less than 0.01 vs baseline). Both agents induced modest increases in heart rate, but only the increase induced by diatrizoate was significant (p less than 0.01). The maximal rate of left ventricular pressure rise was not significantly altered by either agent. Iopamidol induced a slight increase in QRS duration (p less than 0.05); neither agent effected a significant change in QT duration. We conclude that the hemodynamic effects during left ventriculography using diatrizoate and iopamidol are similar. These findings do not justify the large-scale substitution of more expensive nonionic radiographic contrast agents for standard ionic agents such as diatrizoate in left ventriculography.