Evaluating the dimensionality of perceived cognitive function.

Decrements in cognitive function are common in cancer patients and other clinical populations. As direct neuropsychological testing is often not feasible or affordable, there is potential utility in screening for deficits that may warrant a more comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Furthermore, some evidence suggests that perceived cognitive function (PCF) is independently associated with structural and functional changes on neuroimagery, and may precede more overt deficits. To appropriately measure PCF, one must understand its components and the underlying dimensional structure. The purpose of this study was to examine the dimensionality of PCF in people with cancer. The sample included 393 cancer patients from four clinical trials who completed a questionnaire consisting of the prioritized areas of concerns identified by patients and clinicians: self-reported mental acuity, concentration, memory, verbal fluency, and functional interference. Each area contained both negatively worded (i.e., deficit) and positively worded (i.e., capability) items. Data were analyzed by using Cronbach's alpha, item-total correlations, one-factor confirmatory factor analysis, and a bi-factor analysis model. Results indicated that perceived cognitive problem items are distinct from cognitive capability items, supporting a two-factor structure of PCF. Scoring of PCF based on these two factors should lead to improved assessment of PCF for people with cancer.

Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations renegotiating a post-prophylactic mastectomy identity: self-image and self-disclosure.

The Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) website is devoted to women at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. One of the most frequently discussed topics on the archived messaged board has been prophylactic mastectomy (PM) for women with a BRCA1/2 mutation. We reviewed the messages, over a 4 year period, of 21 high risk women and their "conversational" partners who originally posted on a thread about genetic testing, genetic counseling and family history. We used a qualitative research inductive process involving close reading, coding and identification of recurrent patterns, relationships and processes in the data. The women sought emotional support, specific experiential knowledge and information from each other. They frequently found revealing their post PM status problematic because of possible negative reactions and adopted self-protective strategies of evasion and concealment outside of their web-based community. The FORCE message board was considered to be a safe place in which the women could be truthful about their choices and feelings. Results are discussed in terms of Goffman's concepts "stigma" and "disclosure" and Charmaz's concepts "interruptions," "intrusions" and a "dreaded future."

A photochemical route to discrete, ternary metal chalcogenide clusters.

Ternary clusters Cu(9)In(10)S(9)(SEt)(21)(PPh(3))(3) and Cu(11)In(6)S(7)(S(t)Bu)(15) were isolated from the UV-photolysis products of precursors (PPh(3))(2)CuIn(SEt)(4) and (PPh(3))(2)CuIn(S(t)Bu)(4), respectively, and structurally characterized.

Ring-borylated 15-electron and 17-electron ansa-chromocene complexes, their physical properties and molecular structures.

A detailed study of the thermal decomposition of the zwitterionic, ring-borylated ansa-chromocene hydrido carbonyl complex [Cr(CO)H{Me(4)C(2)(C(5)H(4))[C(5)H(3)B(C(6)F(5))(3)]}] (2) is described. This complex is formed in the reaction between [Cr(CO){Me(4)C(2)(C(5)H(4))(2)}] (1) and B(C(6)F(5))(3) in toluene at -78 degrees C. Above -25 degrees C, 2 decomposes to a 50:50 mixture of the low-spin, 17e Cr(III) complexes [Cr(CO){Me(4)C(2)(C(5)H(4))[C(5)H(3)B(C(6)F(5))(3)]}] (3b) and [Cr(CO){Me(4)C(2)(C(5)H(4))(2)}][HB(C(6)F(5))(3)] (4). Carbon monoxide elimination from 3 b generates high-spin, 15 e [Cr{Me(4)C(2)(C(5)H(4))[C(5)H(3)B(C(6)F(5))(3)]}] (3a), which coordinates two other electron-donating ligands, such as xylyl isocyanide, PMe3, and PPh(2)Me to form the low-spin, 17 e electron complexes 3c, 3d, and 3e, respectively. High-spin, 15 e [Cr{Me(4)C(2)(C(5)H(4))(2)}][HB(C(6)F(5))(3)] (5) is generated by heating 3 b in toluene at 100 degrees C and periodically removing the evolved CO. Efforts to isolate more than a few X-ray quality crystals of 5 were thwarted by its tendency to form an insoluble precipitate (6) with the same molecular formula. Heating the solution of 5 at 120 degrees C results in its partial conversion (ca. 28 %) to 3a, thereby allowing the formation of 3a in yields as high as 74 % from the reaction between 1 and B(C(6)F(5))(3). The X-ray crystal structures of 3 b-e and 5 are described. Cyclic voltammetry measurements on 3 a-e reveal a dramatic reduction in the redox potentials of the complexes relative to their non-borylated analogues. DFT calculations show that this is due primarily to electrostatic stabilization of the oxidized species by the negatively charged borylate group. EPR and 19F NMR spectroscopy allow 3a to be distinguished from its Lewis base adducts 3 b-e and reveal the relative affinities of different Lewis bases for the chromium.

Peer-support in coping with medical uncertainty: discussion of oophorectomy and hormone replacement therapy on a web-based message board.

The Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) website is devoted to women at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers (HBOC). To understand the unique health concerns and emotional support needs of these women, we examined threads on the FORCE archived message boards with relevance to the broader HBOC community. We report on a thread discussing the controversial decision to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) following prophylactic oophorectomy (PO). We used a qualitative research inductive process involving close reading, coding and identification of recurrent patterns, relationships and processes in the data. Twenty-nine women posted 177 messages over 7 months. Two main groups of women posted: (1) Women who were BRCA+, had completed PO, and were debating or adjusting their HRT options in terms of optimizing both quality and quantity of life. (2) Women who were BRCA+, were contemplating PO, but wanted to better understand the potential physical and psychological consequences of surgical menopause before deciding. Frustrated by physicians' lack of knowledge and contradictory media articles about the long-term consequences of HRT in BRCA+ women, they sought resources, emotional support and specific experiential knowledge from each other and generated a unique sense of community and a high level of trust.

Preparation of ultrafine chalcopyrite nanoparticles via the photochemical decomposition of molecular single-source precursors.

The synthesis and characterization of ultrafine CuInS2 nanoparticles are described. Ultraviolet irradiation was used to decompose a molecular single source precursor, yielding organic soluble approximately 2 nm sized nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution. UV-vis absorption, 1H and 31P{1H} NMR, and fluorescence spectroscopies and mass spectrometry were used to characterize decomposition of the precursors and nanoparticle formation. The nanoparticles were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction, inductively coupled plasma analysis, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. They have a wurzite-type crystal structure with a copper-rich composition. The hypsochromic shift in their emission band due to quantum confinement effects is consistent with the size of the nanocrystals indicated in the HRTEM and XRD analyses.

Interest in services among prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy.

Treatment side effects and decreased quality of life associated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) suggest the need for supportive services for prostate cancer (PC) patients receiving ADT. Nonetheless, uptake of services is low, suggesting that PC patients' preferences are not being addressed. We examined interest in supportive services and predictors of interest among 118 PC patients receiving ADT. Overall interest in services was associated with lower quality of life (p = 0.01). The majority of participants expressed interest in informational services (70%), with a minority (22%) expressing interest in psychosocial services. Interest in psychosocial services was associated with younger age (p = 0.02), and shorter duration of ADT (p < 0.04), but was unrelated to psychological distress or social support. Although most men (68%) reported that they would prefer not to take medication for depression, 75% would do so if advised by their physician. Overall, results suggest that PC patients on ADT prefer individualized informational support. Substantial interest (61%) in Oncolink, an internet-based informational resource, suggests the Internet may provide an acceptable mode of service delivery. Health care providers should consider integrating increased informational support into routine care and, more generally, consider patient preferences in prioritizing and designing support services.

Distress, psychiatric morbidity, and prescriptions for psychotropic medication in a breast cancer waiting room sample.

We examined relationships among psychiatric screening, the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity, and prescription rates for psychotropic medication in a waiting room sample of breast cancer patients (N=113). Rates of distress (29%), major depressive disorder (MDD; 9%), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; 6%) were low and similar to those found in primary care settings. A substantial proportion of patients (52%) had received psychotropic medication during treatment, including almost half (48%) of those without a current psychiatric diagnosis. Most individuals with MDD received pharmacotherapy during cancer treatment (80%), although only half of those with GAD were treated. Overall high rates psychotropic medication negatively impacted the efficiency of screening, and individuals with elevated distress were about 6 times less likely to represent a case of untreated psychiatric morbidity than to be a new case. We conclude that the risk of psychiatric morbidity attributable to breast cancer may be lower and treatment rates for psychiatric morbidity higher than previously believed and that screening is unlikely to provide efficient identification of untreated psychiatric morbidity. Adequacy of follow-up care is unclear and medication may be prescribed nonspecifically. The low rate of untreated psychiatric morbidity may signal a need for multisite collaborations to generate adequate numbers of participants in clinical trials.

Isolation and structural characterization of the first thermally robust and air stable Cr(4+) bent-metallocene complex.

The first thermally robust and air stable bent-sandwich chromocene complex with chromium in the +4 oxidation state has been isolated and fully characterized.

Zwitterionic ring-borylated ansa-chromocene complexes.

Ring borylation of [Me4C2(eta5-C5H4)2CrCO] by B(C6F5)3 affords the zwitterionic complex {Me4(eta5-C5H4)(eta5-C4H3B(C6F5)3)}CrH(CO) (1), the first structurally characterized bent-metallocene complex of Cr(4+). This species decomposes thermally to the zwitterionic species {Me4(eta5-C5H4)(eta5-C4H3B(C6F5)3)}Cr (2) and the ionic species [Me4C2(eta5-C5H4)2CrCO][HB(C6F5)3] (3). The molecular structure of 2 is also described.

Heteroatom Derivatives of Cyclopentadienylaluminum: X-ray Crystal Structure of (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))(2,6-t-Bu-4-Me-C(6)H(2)O)(2)Al.

The cyclopentadienylaluminum aryloxide derivatives bis(cyclopentadienyl)(2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenoxy)aluminum (1) and (eta(5)-cyclopentadienyl)bis(2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenoxy)aluminum (2) have been prepared via the alcoholysis of tricyclopentadienylaluminum with 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol. The X-ray crystal structure of 2 was determined. The molecule crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a = 15.4870(6) Å, b = 11.5404(5) Å, c = 18.3294(7) Å, beta = 103.0990(10) degrees, Z = 4, and V = 3190.7(2) Å(3) (R[I > 2sigma(I)] = 0.0755, R(w) = 0.1489). In the solid state, the cyclopentadienyl ring is bound eta(5) to the aluminum atom. Ab initio calculations on model compounds indicate that the pentahapto geometry of the cyclopentadienyl ring is due to the electron-withdrawing nature of the aryloxide ligands which allows greater pi-interaction between the aluminum center and the cyclopentadienyl ligand.