Health disparities among older adults following tropical cyclone exposure in Florida

Tropical cyclones (TCs) pose a significant threat to human health, and research is needed to identify high-risk subpopulations. We investigated whether hospitalization risks from TCs in Florida (FL), United States, varied across individuals and communities. We modeled the associations between all storms in FL from 1999 to 2016 and over 3.5 million Medicare hospitalizations for respiratory (RD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We estimated the relative risk (RR), comparing hospitalizations during TC-periods (2 days before to 7 days after) to matched non-TC-periods. We then separately modeled the associations in relation to individual and community characteristics. TCs were associated with elevated risk of RD hospitalizations (RR: 4.37, 95% CI: 3.08, 6.19), but not CVD (RR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.24). There was limited evidence of modification by individual characteristics (age, sex, or Medicaid eligibility); however, risks were elevated in communities with higher poverty or lower homeownership (for CVD hospitalizations) and in denser or more urban communities (for RD hospitalizations). More research is needed to understand the potential mechanisms and causal pathways that might account for the observed differences in the association between tropical cyclones and hospitalizations across communities.

Simple synthesis of modafinil derivatives and their anti-inflammatory activity

Simple synthesis of modafinil derivatives and their biological activity are described. The key synthetic strategies involve substitution and coupling reactions. We determined the anti-inflammatory effects of modafinil derivatives in cultured BV2 cells by measuring the inhibition of nitrite production and expression of iNOS and COX-2 after LPS stimulation. It was found that for sulfide analogues introduction of aliphatic groups on the amide part (compounds 11a–d) resulted in lower anti-inflammatory activity compared with cyclic or aromatic moieties (compounds 11e–k). However, for the sulfoxide analogues, introduction of aliphatic moieties (compounds 12a–d) showed higher anti-inflammatory activity than cyclic or aromatic fragments (compounds 12e–k) in BV-2 microglia cells.

Prognostic factors for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: clinical, physiologic, pathologic, and molecular aspects

BACKGROUND

Previous studies identified clinical and physiologic factors of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that are related to an increased risk of mortality. But there are few studies about histologic and molecular approach.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether the C-reactive protein (CRP), fibroblastic foci, phosphorylated Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3), tumor growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), TGF-beta receptor II (TbetaRII), and the polymorphism of the TGF-beta1 codon 10 are associated with the progression of IPF patients.

DESIGN

Eighty-six IPF patients who underwent surgical lung biopsies were examined. For each patient, clinical and physiologic parameters were investigated, and we performed immunohistochemical staining for p-Smad2/3 and TbetaRII, and genotyping of the TGF-beta1 codon 10 polymorphism.

RESULTS

Age at diagnosis, gender, symptom duration, and smoking status did not show a significant association. However, the amount of smoking (p = 0.002), severe reduction in the percentages of predicted forced vital capacity (p = 0.013) and diffusion lung capacity of carbon monoxide (p = 0.023), CRP (p = 0.009) at diagnosis, and fibroblastic foci (p = 0.026) were associated with a poor prognosis. Cellularity, fibrosis, expression level of p-Smad2/3 and TbetaRII, and genotype of the TGF-beta1 codon 10 polymorphism did not have a statistically significant association with the prognosis.

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed the amount of smoking, abrupt decrease in follow-up pulmonary function parameters, fibroblastic foci, and increased levels of CRP concentration at diagnosis were significantly associated with poor survival. Larger studies are required to confirm all prognostic factors including CRP.

Kelvin probe force microscopy for conducting nanobits of NiO thin films

We demonstrated the writing and reading of conducting nanobits on a NiO thin film deposited on Pt/TiO(2)/SiO(2)/Si substrates for a resistive random access memory (RRAM) application using conducting atomic force microscopy (CAFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM). A Pt/NiO/Pt RRAM capacitor showed a typical unipolar switching behavior with bistable resistances. Conducting nanobits with diameters of 22 nm written with a bias of 3.0 V on the NiO thin film were observed with CAFM. The conducting nanobits observed by KFM exhibited negative potentials relative to the insulating regions when there was no bias at the Pt bottom electrode because image charges were induced by charges formed at the end of the KFM tip by the reference AC bias. Enhancement of the KFM signals for conducting nanobits was achieved using specific biases at the Pt bottom electrode, which provided clear KFM images for conducting nanobits.

Multichannel acousto-optic Bragg cell for real-time electroholography

A multichannel acousto-optic Bragg cell was made by the joining of acousto-optic cells that have the shape of symmetrical trapezoidal prisms. This acousto-optic Bragg cell has an aperture length equal to the sum of its component acousto-optic cells but has an aperture time equal to that of each acousto-optic cell. We tested the performance of the multichannel acousto-optic Bragg cell by joining six TeO(2) acousto-optic cells together with 300-microm gaps between one another. The holographic fringe data prepared by computer were divided into six equal segments. Each data segment was again divided into six equal parts and then fed into the corresponding acousto-optic cell. The holographic images were reconstructed by the periodical illumination of a green (lambda = 0.5145 microm) pulse laser beam onto the multichannel acousto-optic Bragg cell. The reconstructed images are sharp and clear. This indicates that the multichannel acousto-optic Bragg cell is working properly.

Visual method of measuring reflection-type characteristics of holographic optical elements

A highly diverging laser beam is used to measure angular and spectral selectivities and grating vector direction for reflection-type holographic optical elements (HOE's). The intensity distribution of the beam transmitted from the HOE's reveals dark, ring-shaped patterns. Since these ring patterns are formed as a result of the beam diffracted by the HOE's, the thicknesses and the diameters of the ring patterns convey information on both the angular and the spectral selectivities of the HOE's. In addition the deviation of the ring centers relative to the center of the intensity distribution reveals the grating vector direction. Determination of values related to the ring patterns permits highly accurate measurement of HOE characteristics, such as the upper limit of the diffraction wavelength, the angular and the spectral selectivities, and the grating vector direction. This is proved experimentally.

Achromatized transmission-type holographic screen for a multiview stereoscopic image system

The main drawback of the use of transmission-type holographic screens is poor color reproduction caused by their high spectral dispersion. For overcoming this drawback, a long, narrow diffusing slit is used as an object when recording the screen. The necessary size and position of the slit relative to the photoplate and to the recording and reconstruction beams are determined by the phase relations of the beams. By use of the slit, holographic screens of 30 cm x 40 cm are recorded with a diverging reference beam and are used to display a multiview full-color stereoscopic image. The images displayed on the screen show no sign of color separation except near the edges of the screen. The image brightness on the screen is high enough that it can be watched in a normally illuminated room.

Direct image transmission through a multimode optical fiber

One-way transmission of a multipixel image through the multimode optical fiber based on the phase-conjugation principle is realized. Adistortion-compensating hologram for each pixel of an image to be transmitted is superposed on a photoplate. Each hologram is recorded with a reference beam of different beam incidence angle to provide proper wave-front correction for each pixel without any interference from other pixels. The reference beams are holographically generated from a photoplate in which small holographic lenslets are aligned in a matrix pattern. Images of up to 25 pixels are transmitted through the fiber experimentally.

Optimization of a three-dimensional object composite Fourier hologram

It was found that the optimum subhologram dimension of the composite Fourier-transform hologram for minimizing image blur depends on object depth and information reduction ratio. Optimization of the subhologram dimension permits us to calculate the parameters of the composite Fourier-transform hologram for its applications to hologram transmission systems and to electroholographic three-dimensional displays.