Efficient and General Synthesis of Novel β-Polyfluoroalkoxy Vinamidinium Salts

Novel β-polyfluoroalkoxy vinamidinium salts 3 and/or 4 were synthesized in good yields by the reaction of N-(2- polyfluoroalkoxy-3 ,3-difluoro-1-propenyI)trimethylammonium iodides (2), prepared from N-(2,3,3-trifluoro-1-propenyl)trimethylammonium iodide (1), with secondary amines in MeCN at 70 °C for 1 h. The salts were also obtainable in comparable yields by the one-pot reaction of 1 with sodium polyfluoroalkoxide followed by treatment with amines

Classical and Quantum Cosmology of Multigravity

Recently, a multigraviton theory on a simple closed circuit graph corresponding to the discretization of $S^1$ compactification of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) theory has been considered. In the present paper, we extend this theory to that on a general graph and study what modes of particles are included. Furthermore, we generalize it in a possible nonlinear theory based on the vierbein formalism and study classical and quantum cosmological solutions in the theory. We found that scale factors in a solution for this theory repeat acceleration and deceleration.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, RevTeX4.1, revised versio

Physical activity environment and Japanese adults’ body mass index

Evidence about the impacts of the physical activity environment on adults’ weight in the context of Asian countries is scarce. Likewise, no study exists in Asia examining whether Walk Score®—a free online walkability tool—is related to obesity. This study aimed to examine associations between multiple physical activity environment measures and Walk Score® ratings with Japanese adults’ body mass index (BMI). Data from 1073 adults in the Healthy Built Environment in Japan study were used. In 2011, participants reported their height and weight. Environmental attributes, including population density, intersection density, density of physical activity facilities, access to public transportation, and availability of sidewalks, were calculated using Geographic Information Systems. Walk Scores® ratings were obtained from the website. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between each environmental attribute and BMI. Adjusting for covariates, all physical activity environmental attributes were negatively associated with BMI. Similarly, an increase of one standard deviation of Walk Score® was associated with a 0.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) of –0.49-–0.09) decrease in BMI. An activity-friendly built environment was associated with lower adults’ BMI in Japan. Investing in healthy community design may positively impact weight status in non-Western context

Associations of online religious participation during COVID-19 lockdown with subsequent health and well-being among UK adults.

Background In-person religious service attendance has been linked to favorable health and well-being outcomes. However, little research has examined whether online religious participation improves these outcomes, especially when in-person attendance is suspended. Methods Using longitudinal data of 8951 UK adults, this study prospectively examined the association between frequency of online religious participation during the stringent lockdown in the UK (23 March –13 May 2020) and 21 indicators of psychological well-being, social well-being, pro-social/altruistic behaviors, psychological distress, and health behaviors. All analyses adjusted for baseline socio-demographic characteristics, pre-pandemic in-person religious service attendance, and prior values of the outcome variables whenever data were available. Bonferroni correction was used to correct for multiple testing. Results Individuals with online religious participation of ≥1/week (v. those with no participation at all) during the lockdown had a lower prevalence of thoughts of self-harm in week 20 (odds ratio 0.24; 95% CI 0.09–0.62). Online religious participation of <1/week (v. no participation) was associated with higher life satisfaction (standardized β = 0.25; 0.11–0.39) and happiness (standardized β = 0.25; 0.08–0.42). However, there was little evidence for the associations between online religious participation and all other outcomes (e.g. depressive symptoms and anxiety). Conclusions There was evidence that online religious participation during the lockdown was associated with some subsequent health and well-being outcomes. Future studies should examine mechanisms underlying the inconsistent results for online v. in-person religious service attendance and also use data from non-pandemic situations

Walkable Urban Design Attributes and Japanese Older Adults\u27 Body Mass Index: Mediation Effects of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to examine associations between objectively measured walkable urban design attributes with Japanese older adults’ body mass index (BMI) and to test whether objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary behavior mediated such associations. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Participants: Participants were 297 older residents (aged 65-84 years) randomly selected from the registry of residential addresses. Measures: Walkable urban design attributes, including population density, availability of physical activity facilities, intersection density, and access to public transportation stations, were calculated using geographic information systems. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and BMI were measured objectively. Analysis: The relationships of walkable urban design attributes, Walk Score®, and BMI were examined by multiple linear regression with adjustment for covariates in all models. Mediation effects of the physical activity and sedentary behavior variables in these relationships were tested using a product-of-coefficients test. Results: Higher population density and Walk Score® were associated with lower BMI. Light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activities partially mediated the relationships between these walkable urban design attributes and BMI. Conclusions:Developing active-friendly environmental policies to (re)design neighborhoods may not only promote active transport behaviors but also help in improving residents’ health status in non-Western contexts

KINEMATIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ‘ONE-FOOTED’ AND ‘TWO-FOOTED’ YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS KICKING WITH THE NON-PREFERRED LEG

The purpose of this study was to examine kinematic differences between ‘one-footed’ and ‘two-footed’ players when kicking with the non-preferred leg at a target and with maximal effort. Eighteen highly-trained young soccer players were categorised as one-footed (n=9) and two-footed (n=9) based on results of a kicking test. Motion analysis data showed that two-footed players run-up straighter and have less pelvic rotation at ball-foot impact than one-footed players and the differences are likely to be meaningful (ES differences of 0.89 and 0.99 respectively). Run-up angle and pelvic rotation angle are significantly correlated (P < 0.1). The study found that two-footed players are significantly smaller in stature than one-footed players (P < 0.1). Practical implications for soccer coaches arose from the study

Self-trapped electrons and holes in PbBr2_2 crystals

We have directly observed self-trapped electrons and holes in PbBr$_{2}$ crystals with electron-spin-resonance (ESR) technique. The self-trapped states are induced below 8 K by two-photon interband excitation with pulsed 120-fs-width laser light at 3.10 eV. Spin-Hamiltonian analyses of the ESR signals have revealed that the self-trapping electron centers are the dimer molecules of Pb$_2$$^{3+}$ along the crystallographic a axis and the self-trapping hole centers are those of Br$_2$$^-$ with two possible configurations in the unit cell of the crystal. Thermal stability of the self-trapped electrons and holes suggests that both of them are related to the blue-green luminescence band at 2.55 eV coming from recombination of spatially separated electron-hole pairs.Comment: 8 pages (7 figures, 2 tables), ReVTEX; revised the text and figures 1, 4, and

Renal cell carcinoma with a tumor thrombus in the ureter: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Renal cell carcinoma (RCCs) is the most common malignancy of the kidney. When RCC progresses, it is known to form tumor thrombus in the renal vein and/or inferior vena cava. However, RCC does not normally form tumor thrombus in the ureter or renal pelvis.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 43-year-old man presented to our department for the treatment of a renal tumor with asymptomatic gross hematuria. In a dynamic CT study, contrast enhancement revealed a tumor suspected to be RCC, but atypical finding as a tumor thrombus that filled the renal pelvis and the whole ureter was also observed. Nephroureterectomy was performed, and the tumor was diagnosed histopathologically as RCC.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We report here a very rare case of RCC with a tumor thrombus in the whole ureter.</p