Questionnaire survey on the continuity of home oxygen therapy after a disaster with power outages

AbstractBackgroundAfter the Great East Japan Earthquake, oxygen-dependent patients in areas experiencing power outages could not continue home oxygen therapy (HOT) without oxygen cylinders. The purpose of this study was to examine use of oxygen cylinders in areas experiencing power outages and the effects of HOT interruption on patients' health.MethodsQuestionnaires were mailed to 1106 oxygen-dependent patients and HOT-prescribing physicians in Akita, near the disaster-stricken area. We investigated patients' actions when unable to use an oxygen concentrator and classified the patients based on oxygen cylinder use. Patients who experienced an interruption of or reduction in oxygen flow rate by their own judgment were assigned to the “interruption” and “reduction” groups, respectively; those who maintained their usual flow rate were assigned to the “continuation” group. Differences were tested using analysis of variance and the χ2 tests.ResultsIn total, 599 patients responded to the questionnaire. Oxygen cylinders were supplied to 574 patients (95.8%) before their oxygen cylinders were depleted. Comparison of the continuation (n=356), reduction (n=64), and interruption (n=154) groups showed significant differences in family structure (p=0.004), underlying disease (p=0.014), oxygen flow rate (p<0.001), situation regarding use (p<0.001), knowledge of HOT (p<0.001), and anxiety about oxygen supply (p<0.001). There were no differences in changes in physical condition.ConclusionsMost patients could receive oxygen cylinders after the disaster. Some patients discontinued their usual oxygen therapy, but their overall health status was not affected

Electrospun Porous Nanofibers with Imprinted Patterns Induced by Phase Separation of Immiscible Polymer Blends

[Image: see text] Nanofibrous nonwoven fabrics have attracted attention as porous adsorbents with high specific surface areas for the safe and efficient treatment of spilled organic dyes and petroleum. For this purpose, a method of fabricating porous nanofibers with high specific surface areas would be highly beneficial. In this study, the phase separation in nanofibers electrospun from blended solutions of immiscible polymers [poly(styrene) (PS) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP)] was investigated. The removal of PVP as a sacrificial polymer afforded the imprinting of mesopores (40–70 nm) in the PS nanofibers. The effects of solution composition (PS/PVP in N,N-dimethylformamide) on the structure formation in the fibers were investigated. The nanofibers thus obtained could selectively adsorb low-molecular-weight hydrophobic dyes, such as Nile Red and Oil Red O. Thus, it is expected that the combined approach of electrospinning of immiscible polymer blends and phase separation-induced patterning can be applied to the fabrication of functional nanofibers for diverse applications

Sodium Phenoxide Mediated Hydroxymethylation of Alkynylsilanes with N-[(Trimethylsiloxy)methyl]phthalimide

International audienceThe hydroxymethylation of alkynylsilanes with formaldehyde generated in situ from N‐[(trimethylsiloxy)methyl]phthalimide proceeds in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of NaOPh. The reaction occurs at room temperature by using an operationally simple one‐step procedure. A variety of alkynylsilanes possessing electron‐donating, electron‐withdrawing, and halogen groups (including heteroaryl‐substituted alkynylsilanes) provide hydroxymethylated products

High Field Magnetization Process in a Dodecanuclear Fe(III) Ring Cluster

A high field magnetization technique is applied to study the field-dependent behaviors of the molecular magnet, dodecanuclear Iron(III) ring cluster [Fe(OCH3)(2)(dbm)](12), in which twelve numbers of Fe3+ (S = 5/2) ions form a finite chain ring, where dbm = dibenzoylmethane. The low-lying states of the spin manifold are dramatically revealed by the observation of magnetization process using pulsed high magnetic field up to 55 T at temperature down to 0.1 K. We observed four distinct magnetization steps with nearly equal field separation of 10T, arising from energy-level crossings for the discrete quantum states in the finite spin system. We discuss the structure of energy levels and the relaxation phenomena in the magnetization process around the level-crossing fields. It is found that the anomalous magnetization curve observed at 1.3 K, showing an unusual shape with characteristic hysteresis for increasing and decreasing field, is well reproduced by Phonon Bottleneck effect caused by the week heat exchange between sample and liquid-He bath during the fast field passage. Our results are compared and discussed with those obtained in the other iron magnets showing the step-like magnetization process due to quantum discrete energy levels

Synthesis of 3-Carboxylated Indoles through a Tandem Process Involving Cyclization of 2-Ethynylanilines Followed by CO₂ Fixation in the Absence of Transition Metal Catalysts

In this study, a facile synthesis of 3-carboxylated indoles involving a tandem-type cyclization of 2-ethynylanilines and subsequent CO₂ fixation at the 3-position of the indole ring is realized. The reaction proceeds efficiently at 65 °C under 10 atm of CO₂, giving rise to variously substituted 3-carboxylated indoles, generally in high yields. An inorganic base, such as K₂CO₃, is the only reagent required, and the addition of transition metal catalysts is not necessary. The method provides a novel, simple, and promising strategy for CO₂ fixation in the research field of heterocyclic chemistry

Synthesis of 3-Carboxylated Indoles through a Tandem Process Involving Cyclization of 2-Ethynylanilines Followed by CO₂ Fixation in the Absence of Transition Metal Catalysts

In this study, a facile synthesis of 3-carboxylated indoles involving a tandem-type cyclization of 2-ethynylanilines and subsequent CO₂ fixation at the 3-position of the indole ring is realized. The reaction proceeds efficiently at 65 °C under 10 atm of CO₂, giving rise to variously substituted 3-carboxylated indoles, generally in high yields. An inorganic base, such as K₂CO₃, is the only reagent required, and the addition of transition metal catalysts is not necessary. The method provides a novel, simple, and promising strategy for CO₂ fixation in the research field of heterocyclic chemistry

Magnetic Properties of Fe12 Ring: ESR and Magnetization Measurements

An account on recent EPR/ESR and high field magnetization measurements revealing the electronic structure of a ring-like Fe12 antiferromagnetic cluste

Quantum Level Structure of Molecular Magnets, Fe12 and V15

We review our recent work on molecular magnets, Fe12 and V15 with focus on the determination of low-lying quantum energy levels which have permanent importance in understanding their unique quantum magnetism

Quantum level structure of molecular magnets, Fe12 and V15

Ajiro Y, Inagaki Y, Itoh H, et al. Quantum level structure of molecular magnets, Fe12 and V15. In: Iye Y, Maekawa S, eds. Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Low Temperature Physics (LT23). Physica B: Condensed Matter. Vol 329-333. ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV; 2003: 1138-1139.We review our recent work on molecular magnets, Fe12 and V15 with focus on the determination of low-lying quantum energy levels which have permanent importance in understanding their unique quantum magnetism. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved