Pathological characteristics of liver allografts from donation after brain death followed by cardiac death in pigs.

PubMed

Ye, Hui; Wang, Dong-Ping; Zhang, Chuan-Zhao; Zhang, Long-Juan; Wang, Hao-Chen; Li, Zhuo-Hui; Chen, Zhen; Zhang, Tao; Cai, Chang-Jie; Ju, Wei-Qiang; Ma, Yi; Guo, Zhi-Yong; He, Xiao-Shun

2014-10-01

Donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (DBCD) is a unique practice in China. The aim of this study was to define the pathologic characteristics of DBCD liver allografts in a porcine model. Fifteen male pigs (25-30 kg) were allocated randomly into donation after brain death (DBD), donation after circulatory death (DCD) and DBCD groups. Brain death was induced by augmenting intracranial pressure. Circulatory death was induced by withdrawal of life support in DBCD group and by venous injection of 40 mL 10% potassium chloride in DCD group. The donor livers were perfused in situ and kept in cold storage for 4 h. Liver tissue and common bile duct samples were collected for hematoxylin and eosin staining, TUNEL testing and electron microscopic examination. Spot necrosis was found in hepatic parenchyma of DBD and DBCD groups, while a large area of necrosis was shown in DCD group. The apoptosis rate of hepatocytes in DBD [(0.56±0.30)%] and DBCD [(0.50 ± 0.11)%] groups was much lower than that in DCD group [(3.78±0.33)%] (P<0.05). And there was no significant difference between DBD group and DBCD group (P>0.05)). The structures of bile duct were intact in both DBD and DBCD groups, while the biliary epithelium was totally damaged in DCD group. Under electron microscope, the DBD hepatocytes were characterized by intact cell membrane, well-organized endoplasmic reticulum, mild mitochondria edema and abundant glycogens. Broken cell membrane, mild inflammatory cell infiltration and sinusoidal epithelium edema, as well as reduced glycogen volume, were found in the DBCD hepatocytes. The DCD hepatocytes had more profound cell organelle injury and much less glycogen storage. In conclusion, the preservation injury of DBCD liver allografts is much less severe than that of un-controlled DCD, but more severe than that of DBD liver allografts under electron microscope, which might reflect post-transplant liver function to some extent.

Energetic and electronic computation of the two-hydrogen atom donation process in catecholic and non-catecholic anthocyanidins.

PubMed

Ali, Hussein M; Ali, Isra H

2018-03-15

Antioxidant activity of anthocyanidins is greatly affected by the 3-hydroxyl group and/or a catecholic moiety. The two-hydrogen atom donation process is frequently used to explain the high antioxidant activity of polyphenolic compounds leading to the formation of stable diketones e.g. 1,2-quinones. Thermodynamic parameters, HOMO and spin density were computed to identify the favoured path, either through the 3-hydroxyl group or through the catecholic moiety in a series of catecholic and non-catecholic 3-oxy- (and deoxy)-anthocyanidins. DFT calculations showed that the donation process in non-catecholic anthocyanidins depended on the substituents on ring B. Anthocyanidins with 3',5'-diOMe groups showed donation through 3,4'-OH or, otherwise, through 3,5-OH groups. Catecholic 3-oxyanthocyanidins, on the other hand, showed donation through the 3,4'-OH path rather than the catecholic path (4',3'-path). The 3,4'-path was favoured by the formation of planar 3-radicals in the first step and the stabilization of 4'-radicals in the second step by H-bonding with the 3'-OH group. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant activity of selenenamide-based mimic as a function of the aromatic thiols nucleophilicity, a DFT-SAPE model.

PubMed

Kheirabadi, Ramesh; Izadyar, Mohammad

2018-05-18

The mechanism of action of the selenenamide 1 as a mimic of the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was investigated by the density functional theory. The solvent-assisted proton exchange procedure was applied to model the catalytic behavior and antioxidant activity of this mimic. To have an insight into the charge transfer effect, different aromatic thiols, including electron donating substituents on the phenyl ring were considered. The catalytic behavior of the selenenamide was modeled in a four-step mechanism, described by the oxidation of the mimic, the reduction of the obtained product, selenoxide, the reduction of the selenenylsulfide and dehydration of selenenic acid. On the basis of the activation parameters, the final step of the proposed mechanism is the rate determining states of the catalytic cycle. Turnover frequency (TOF) analysis showed that the electron donating groups at the para-position of the phenyl ring of the PhSH do not affect the catalytic activity of the selenenamide in contrast to p-methyl thiophenol which indicates the highest nucleophilicity. The evaluation of the electronic contribution of the various donating groups on the phenyl ring of the aromatic thiols shows that the antioxidant activity of the selenenamide sufficiently increases in the presence of the electron-donating substitutions. Finally, the charge transfer process at the rate-determining state was investigated based on the natural bond orbital analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Substituents on Quinone Methides Strongly Modulate Formation and Stability of Their Nucleophilic Adducts

PubMed Central

Weinert, Emily E.; Dondi, Ruggero; Colloredo-Melz, Stefano; Frankenfield, Kristen N.; Mitchell, Charles H.; Freccero, Mauro; Rokita, Steven E.

2008-01-01

Electronic perturbation of quinone methides (QM) greatly influences their stability and in turn alters the kinetics and product profile of QM reaction with deoxynucleosides. Consistent with the electron deficient nature of this reactive intermediate, electron-donating substituents are stabilizing and electron-withdrawing substituents are destabilizing. For example, a dC N3-QM adduct is made stable over the course of observation (7 days) by the presence of an electron-withdrawing ester group that inhibits QM regeneration. Conversely, a related adduct with an electron donating methyl group is very labile and regenerates its QM with a half-life of approximately 5 hr. The generality of these effects is demonstrated with a series of alternative quinone methide precursors (QMP) containing a variety of substituents attached at different positions with respect to the exocyclic methylene. The rates of nucleophilic addition to substituted QMs measured by laser flash photolysis similarly span five orders of magnitude with electron rich species reacting most slowly and electron deficient species reacting most quickly. The reversibility of QM reaction can now be predictably adjusted for any desired application. PMID:16953635

Quantitative studies on structure-DPPH• scavenging activity relationships of food phenolic acids.

PubMed

Jing, Pu; Zhao, Shu-Juan; Jian, Wen-Jie; Qian, Bing-Jun; Dong, Ying; Pang, Jie

2012-11-01

Phenolic acids are potent antioxidants, yet the quantitative structure-activity relationships of phenolic acids remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to establish 3D-QSAR models able to predict phenolic acids with high DPPH• scavenging activity and understand their structure-activity relationships. The model has been established by using a training set of compounds with cross-validated q2 = 0.638/0.855, non-cross-validated r2 = 0.984/0.986, standard error of estimate = 0.236/0.216, and F = 139.126/208.320 for the best CoMFA/CoMSIA models. The predictive ability of the models was validated with the correlation coefficient r2(pred) = 0.971/0.996 (>0.6) for each model. Additionally, the contour map results suggested that structural characteristics of phenolics acids favorable for the high DPPH• scavenging activity might include: (1) bulky and/or electron-donating substituent groups on the phenol ring; (2) electron-donating groups at the meta-position and/or hydrophobic groups at the meta-/ortho-position; (3) hydrogen-bond donor/electron-donating groups at the ortho-position. The results have been confirmed based on structural analyses of phenolic acids and their DPPH• scavenging data from eight recent publications. The findings may provide deeper insight into the antioxidant mechanisms and provide useful information for selecting phenolic acids for free radical scavenging properties.

Unprecedented chemiluminescence behaviour during peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence of oxalates with fluorescent or electron-donating aryloxy groups.

PubMed

Koike, Ryu; Kato, Yuji; Motoyoshiya, Jiro; Nishii, Yoshinori; Aoyama, Hiromu

2006-01-01

A series of diaryl and bis(4-styrylphenyl) oxalates with electron-donating substituents or fluorescent moieties were subjected to the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (PO-CL) reaction, some of which were found to behave in a unprecedented manner. The reaction of bis(p-methyoxyphenyl) oxalate, as a representative example, emits light due not only to the emission from the externally added excited fluorophore, but also from the presumable excimer of p-methoxyphenol. Also, during the reaction of the bis(4-styrylphenyl) oxalates, the emission based on the fluorescence as well as the excimer of the eliminating group were observed. These experimental results suggest that such emitting species would be formed by an intra- and intermolecular electronic interaction with a high-energy intermediate, such as a dioxetanone. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thiaflavan scavenges radicals and inhibits DNA oxidation: a story from the ferrocene modification.

PubMed

Lai, Hai-Wang; Liu, Zai-Qun

2014-06-23

4-Thiaflavan is a sulfur-substituted flavonoid with a benzoxathiin scaffold. The aim of this work is to compare abilities of sulfur and oxygen atom, hydroxyl groups, and ferrocene moiety at different positions of 4-thiaflavan to trap radicals and to inhibit DNA oxidation. It is found that abilities of thiaflavans to trap radicals and to inhibit DNA oxidation are increased in the presence of ferrocene moiety and are further improved by the electron-donating group attaching to thiaflavan skeleton. It can be concluded that the ferrocene moiety plays the major role for thiaflavans to be antioxidants even in the absence of phenolic hydroxyl groups. On the other hand, the antioxidant effectiveness of phenolic hydroxyl groups in thiaflavans can be improved by the electron-donating group. The influences of sulfur and oxygen atoms in thiaflavans on the antioxidant property of para-hydroxyl group exhibit different manners when the thiaflavans are used to trap radicals and to inhibit DNA oxidation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Trans influence on the rate of reductive elimination. Reductive elimination of amines from isomeric arylpalladium amides with unsymmetrical coordination spheres.

PubMed

Yamashita, Makoto; Cuevas Vicario, Jose V; Hartwig, John F

2003-12-31

To determine the trans effect on the rates of reductive eliminations from arylpalladium(II) amido complexes, the reactions of arylpalladium amido complexes bearing symmetrical and unsymmetrical DPPF (DPPF = bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene) derivatives were studied. THF solutions of LPd(Ar)(NMeAr') (L = DPPF, DPPF-OMe, DPPF-CF3, DPPF-OMe,Ph, DPPF-Ph,CF3, and DPPF-OMe,CF3; Ar = C6H4-4-CF3; Ar' = C6H4-4-CH3, Ph, and C6H4-4-OMe) underwent C-N bond forming reductive elimination at -15 C to form the corresponding N-methyldiarylamine in high yield. Complexes ligated by symmetrical DPPF derivatives with electron-withdrawing substituents on the DPPF aryl groups underwent reductive elimination faster than complexes ligated by symmetrical DPPF derivatives with electron-donating substituents on the ligand aryl groups. Studies of arylpalladium amido complexes containing unsymmetrical DPPF ligands revealed several trends. First, the complex with the weaker donor trans to nitrogen and the stronger donor trans to the palladium-bound aryl group underwent reductive elimination faster than the regioisomeric complex with the stronger donor trans to nitrogen and the weaker donor trans to the palladium-bound aryl group. Second, the effect of varying the substituents on the phosphorus donor trans to the nitrogen was larger than the effect of varying the substituents on the phosphorus donor trans to the palladium-bound aryl group. Third, the difference in rate between the isomeric arylpalladium amido complexes was similar in magnitude to the differences in rates resulting from conventional variation of substituents on the symmetric phosphine ligands. This result suggests that the geometry of the complex is equal in importance to the donating ability of the dative ligands. The ratio of the differences in rates of reaction of the isomeric complexes was similar to the relative populations of the two geometric isomers. This result and consideration of transition state geometries suggest that the reaction rates are controlled more by substituent effects on ground state stability than on transition state energies. In addition, variation of the aryl group at the amido nitrogen showed systematically that complexes with more electron-donating groups at nitrogen undergo faster reductive elimination than those with less electron-donating groups at nitrogen.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of people towards voluntary blood donation in Uttarakhand.

PubMed

Agrawal, Amit; Tiwari, Aseem K; Ahuja, Alok; Kalra, Rakesh

2013-01-01

Blood transfusions form a crucial and irreplaceable part in the medical management of many diseases. The collection of blood from voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors from low risk populations is an important measure for ensuring the availability and safety of blood transfusion. In a state like Uttarakhand which is visited by lakhs of visitors during pilgrimage season and where natural calamities and accidents are very common, the availability of blood is of utmost importance. To find out knowledge, attitude and practices of people towards voluntary blood donation to comprehend the situation and find ways to enhance voluntary blood donation in the state of Uttarakhand. Multi stage methodology was designed to target population including general population, influencers (doctors) and supporting organizations (camp organizers, State AIDS Control Society Officials) who were subjected to in-depth interview using pre-structured questionnaires to assess knowledge/awareness about voluntary blood donation, factors preventing and source of knowledge about voluntary blood donation. The sample population consisted of mostly men (67%) in the age-group of 26-35 years. Requirement of blood and the measures to promote voluntary blood donation have a direct relationship with the total population and literacy level of the population. Awareness about blood donation, source of knowledge about blood donation, reasons for not donating blood are particularly stressed. With increase in educational level, the awareness level was also found to increase. While among illiterates 81 percent of the respondents knew about blood donation, among the post graduates the same ratio was found to be almost cent-percent. Among various reasons cited for not donating blood, lack of awareness being the most common reason. People gathered information about blood donation from several different sources with electronic media being the most prominent. This study illustrates how increasing awareness and marketing 'Voluntary blood donation' can enhance adequacy of blood needs of a state or for that matter the entire country. This study also underlines how different media, especially electronic media, can be used to propagate altruistic blood donation.

Electron transfer properties of peat organic matter: from electrochemical analysis to redox processes in peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sander, Michael; Getzinger, Gordon; Walpen, Nicolas

2017-04-01

Peat organic matter contains redox-active functional groups that can accept and/or donate electrons from and to biotic and abiotic reaction partners present in peatlands. Several studies have provided evidence that electron accepting quinone moieties in the peat organic matter may act as terminal electron acceptors for anaerobic microbial respiration. This respiration pathway may competitively suppress methanogenesis and thereby lead to excess carbon dioxide to methane formation in peatlands. Electron donating phenolic moieties in peat organic matter have long been considered to inhibit microbial and enzymatic activities in peatlands, thereby contributing to carbon stabilization and accumulation in these systems. Phenols are expected to be comparatively stable in anoxic parts of the peats as phenoloxidases, a class of enzymes capable of oxidatively degrading phenols, require molecular oxygen as co-substrate. Despite the general recognition of the importance of redox-active moieties in peat organic matter, the abundance, redox properties and reactivities of these moieties remain poorly studied and understood, in large part due to analytical challenges. This contribution will, in a first part, summarize recent advances in our research group on the analytical chemistry of redox-active moieties in peat organic matter. We will show how mediated electrochemical analysis can be used to quantify the capacities of electron accepting and donating moieties in both dissolved and particulate peat organic matter. We will link these capacities to the physicochemical properties of peat organic matter and provide evidence for quinones and phenols as major electron accepting and donating moieties, respectively. The second part of this contribution will highlight how these electroanalytical techniques can be utilized to advance a more fundamental understanding of electron transfer processes involving peat organic matter. These processes include the redox cycling (i.e., repeated reduction and re-oxidation) of peat organic matter under alternating anoxic-oxic conditions as well as the oxidation of phenolic moieties in peat organic matter by phenol oxidases in the presence of molecular oxygen. Overall, this contribution will attempt to link molecular-level insights into the redox properties of peat organic matter to larger scale redox processes that are important to carbon cycling in peatlands.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mieno, H.; Kabe, R.; Allendorf, M. D.

Here, the first metal–organic framework exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) was developed. The zirconium-based framework (UiO-68-dpa) uses a newly designed linker composed of a terphenyl backbone, an electron-accepting carboxyl group, and an electron-donating diphenylamine and exhibits green TADF emission with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 30% and high thermal stability.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of people towards voluntary blood donation in Uttarakhand

PubMed Central

Agrawal, Amit; Tiwari, Aseem K.; Ahuja, Alok; Kalra, Rakesh

2013-01-01

Introduction: Blood transfusions form a crucial and irreplaceable part in the medical management of many diseases. The collection of blood from voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors from low risk populations is an important measure for ensuring the availability and safety of blood transfusion. In a state like Uttarakhand which is visited by lakhs of visitors during pilgrimage season and where natural calamities and accidents are very common, the availability of blood is of utmost importance. Aim: To find out knowledge, attitude and practices of people towards voluntary blood donation to comprehend the situation and find ways to enhance voluntary blood donation in the state of Uttarakhand. Materials and Methods: Multi stage methodology was designed to target population including general population, influencers (doctors) and supporting organizations (camp organizers, State AIDS Control Society Officials) who were subjected to in-depth interview using pre-structured questionnaires to assess knowledge/awareness about voluntary blood donation, factors preventing and source of knowledge about voluntary blood donation. Result: The sample population consisted of mostly men (67%) in the age-group of 26-35 years. Requirement of blood and the measures to promote voluntary blood donation have a direct relationship with the total population and literacy level of the population. Awareness about blood donation, source of knowledge about blood donation, reasons for not donating blood are particularly stressed. With increase in educational level, the awareness level was also found to increase. While among illiterates 81 percent of the respondents knew about blood donation, among the post graduates the same ratio was found to be almost cent-percent. Among various reasons cited for not donating blood, lack of awareness being the most common reason. People gathered information about blood donation from several different sources with electronic media being the most prominent. Conclusion: This study illustrates how increasing awareness and marketing ‘Voluntary blood donation’ can enhance adequacy of blood needs of a state or for that matter the entire country. This study also underlines how different media, especially electronic media, can be used to propagate altruistic blood donation. PMID:23559768

Unravelling the structural-electronic impact of arylamine electron-donating antennas on the performances of efficient ruthenium sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wang-Chao; Kong, Fan-Tai; Ghadari, Rahim; Li, Zhao-Qian; Guo, Fu-Ling; Liu, Xue-Peng; Huang, Yang; Yu, Ting; Hayat, Tasawar; Dai, Song-Yuan

2017-04-01

We report a systematic research to understand the structural-electronic impact of the arylamine electron-donating antennas on the performances of the ruthenium complexes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Three ruthenium complexes functionalized with different arylamine electron-donating antennas (N,N-diethyl-aniline in RC-31, julolidine in RC-32 and N,N-dibenzyl-aniline in RC-36) are designed and synthesized. The photoelectric properties of RC dyes exhibit apparent discrepancy, which are ascribed to different structural nature and electronic delocalization ability of these arylamine electron-donating system. In conjunction with TiO2 microspheres photoanode and a typical coadsorbent DPA, the devices sensitized by RC-36 achieve the best conversion efficiency of 10.23%. The UV-Vis absorption, electrochemical measurement, incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency and transient absorption spectra confirm that the excellent performance of RC-36 is induced by synergistically structural-electronic impacts from enhanced absorption capacity and well-tuned electronic characteristics. These observations provide valuable insights into the molecular engineering methodology based on fine tuning structural-electronic impact of electron-donating antenna in efficient ruthenium sensitizers.

Influence of oxygenation on the reactivity of ruthenium-thiolato bonds in arene anticancer complexes: insights from XAS and DFT.

PubMed

Sriskandakumar, Thamayanthy; Petzold, Holm; Bruijnincx, Pieter C A; Habtemariam, Abraha; Sadler, Peter J; Kennepohl, Pierre

2009-09-23

Thiolate ligand oxygenation is believed to activate cytotoxic half-sandwich [(eta(6)-arene)Ru(en)(SR)](+) complexes toward DNA binding. We have made detailed comparisons of the nature of the Ru-S bond in the parent thiolato complexes and mono- (sulfenato) and bis- (sulfinato) oxygenated species including the influence of substituents on the sulfur and arene. Sulfur K-edge XAS indicates that S(3p) donation into the Ru(4d) manifold depends strongly on the oxidation state of the sulfur atom, whereas Ru K-edge data suggest little change at the metal center. DFT results are in agreement with the experimental data and allow a more detailed analysis of the electronic contributions to the Ru-S bond. Overall, the total ligand charge donation to the metal center remains essentially unchanged upon ligand oxygenation, but the origin of the donation differs markedly. In sulfenato complexes, the terminal oxo group makes a large contribution to charge donation and even small electronic changes in the thiolato complexes are amplified upon ligand oxygenation, an observation which carries direct implications for the biological activity of this family of complexes. Details of Ru-S bonding in the mono-oxygenated complexes suggest that these should be most susceptible to ligand exchange, yet only if protonation of the terminal oxo group can occur. The potential consequences of these results for biological activation are discussed.

Oxidative versus Non-oxidative Decarboxylation of Amino Acids: Conditions for the Preferential Formation of Either Strecker Aldehydes or Amines in Amino Acid/Lipid-Derived Reactive Carbonyl Model Systems.

PubMed

Zamora, Rosario; León, M Mercedes; Hidalgo, Francisco J

2015-09-16

Comparative formation of both 2-phenylethylamine and phenylacetaldehyde as a consequence of phenylalanine degradation by carbonyl compounds was studied in an attempt to understand if the amine/aldehyde ratio can be changed as a function of reaction conditions. The assayed carbonyl compounds were selected because of the presence in the chain of both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups and included alkenals, alkadienals, epoxyalkenals, oxoalkenals, and hydroxyalkenals as well as lipid hydroperoxides. The obtained results showed that the 2-phenylethylamine/phenylacetaldehyde ratio depended upon both the carbonyls and the reaction conditions. Thus, it can be increased using electron-donating groups in the chain of the carbonyl compound, small amounts of carbonyl compound, low oxygen content, increasing the pH, or increasing the temperature at pH 6. Opposed conditions (use of electron-withdrawing groups in the chain of the carbonyl compound, large amounts of carbonyl compound, high oxygen contents, low pH values, and increasing temperatures at low pH values) would decrease the 2-phenylethylamine/phenylacetaldehyde ratio, and the formation of aldehydes over amines in amino acid degradations would be favored.

Adsorption characteristics of green 5-arylaminomethylene pyrimidine-2,4,6-triones on mild steel surface in acidic medium: Experimental and computational approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Chandrabhan; Olasunkanmi, Lukman O.; Ebenso, Eno E.; Quraishi, M. A.

2018-03-01

The effect of electron withdrawing nitro (-NO2) and electron releasing hydroxyl (-OH) groups on corrosion inhibition potentials of 5-arylaminomethylenepyrimidine-2,4,6-trione (AMP) had been studied. Four AMPs tagged AMP-1, AMP-2, AMP-3 and AMP-4 were studied for their ability to inhibit mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl using experimental and theoretical methods. Gravimetric results showed that inhibition efficiency of the studied inhibitors increases with increasing concentration. The results further revealed that that electron withdrawing nitro (-NO2) group decreases the inhibition efficiency of AMP, while electron donating hydroxyl (-OH) group increases the inhibition efficiency of AMP. SEM and AFM studies showed that the studied compounds inhibit mild steel corrosion by adsorbing at the metal/electrolyte interface and their adsorption obeyed the Temkin adsorption isotherm. Potentiodynamic polarization study revealed that studied inhibitors act as mixed type inhibitors with predominant effect on cathodic reaction. The inhibitive strength of the compounds might have direct relationship electron donating ability of the molecules as revealed by quantum chemical parameters. The order of interaction energies derived from Monte Carlo simulations is AMP-4 > AMP-3 > AMP-2 > AMP-1, which is in agreement with the order of inhibition efficiencies obtained from experimental measurements.

Physician perceptions about living organ donation in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

PubMed

Ansari, S; Bromberg, M B; Gibson, S B

2017-09-01

Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) have expressed desire to become living organ donors but are unable to do so with current organ donation policies. Our objective is to assess ALS patient's interest in organ donation, and perceived concerns of this practice by ALS neurologists. An electronic survey was administered to ALS neurologists across the United States regarding living organ donation in ALS patients prior to respiratory failure. 52 complete responses were received from 121 invites. 67% (35/52) of neurologists expressed no concerns about living organ donation in ALS patients, and 33% had concerns. The concerns related to respiratory failure, anesthesia exposure and renal dysfunction. With their concerns addressed, 71% of neurologists reported that they would endorse living organ donation. 49% of neurologists reported being asked by a patient for information regarding living organ donation. ALS neurologists felt that 22.8% of ALS patients (median 19%) would be interested in learning more about organ donation, while only 6% of neurologists broach this subject with their patients. Our results indicate that 1 in every 4 ALS patients may be interested in exploring options for living organ donation, and this topic is not routinely addressed by ALS clinics. These results indicate an unexplored area of patient interest. To honor a patient's wishes to donate, the transplant community will have to accommodate living organ donation from terminally ill patients, and address neurologist concerns. Such a practice could benefit two groups of patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of electron donating groups on polyphenol-based antioxidant dendrimers.

PubMed

Lee, Choon Young; Nanah, Cyprien N; Held, Rich A; Clark, Amanda R; Huynh, Uyen G T; Maraskine, Marina C; Uzarski, Rebecca L; McCracken, John; Sharma, Ajit

2015-04-01

Numerous studies have reported the beneficial effects of antioxidants in human diseases. Among their biological effects, a majority of antioxidants scavenge reactive radicals in the body, thereby reducing oxidative stress that is associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases. Antioxidant dendrimers are a new class of potent antioxidant compounds reported recently. In this study, six polyphenol-based antioxidant dendrimers with or without electron donating groups (methoxy group) were synthesized in order to elucidate the influence of electron donating groups (EDG) on their antioxidant activities. Syringaldehyde (2 ortho methoxy groups), vanillin (1 ortho methoxy group), and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (0 methoxy group) were derivatized with propargylamine to form building blocks for the dendrimers. All the six dendrimers contain polyether cores, which were synthesized by attaching pentaerythritol and methyl α-d-glucopyranoside to in-house prepared spacer units. To prepare generation 1 antioxidant dendrimers, microwave energy and granulated metallic copper catalyst were used to link the cores and building blocks together via alkyne-azide 1,3-cycloaddition click chemistry. These reaction conditions resulted in high yields of the target dendrimers that were free from copper contamination. Based on DPPH antioxidant assay, antioxidant dendrimers decorated with syringaldehyde and vanillin exhibited over 70- and 170-fold increase in antioxidant activity compared to syringaldehyde and vanillin, respectively. The antioxidant activity of dendrimers increased with increasing number of EDG groups. Similar results were obtained when the dendrimers were used to protect DNA and human LDL against organic carbon and nitrogen-based free radicals. In addition, the antioxidant dendrimers did not show any pro-oxidant activity on DNA in the presence of physiological amounts of copper. Although the dendrimers showed potent antioxidant activities against carbon and nitrogen free radicals, EPR and DNA protection studies revealed lack of effectiveness of these dendrimers against hydroxyl radicals. The dendrimers were not cytotoxic to CHO-K1 cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

Copolymer semiconductors comprising thiazolothiazole or benzobisthiazole, or benzobisoxazole electron acceptor subunits, and electron donor subunits, and their uses in transistors and solar cells

DOEpatents

Jenekhe, Samson A; Subramaniyan, Selvam; Ahmed, Eilaf; Xin, Hao; Kim, Felix Sunjoo

2014-10-28

The inventions disclosed, described, and/or claimed herein relate to copolymers comprising copolymers comprising electron accepting A subunits that comprise thiazolothiazole, benzobisthiazole, or benzobisoxazoles rings, and electron donating subunits that comprise certain heterocyclic groups. The copolymers are useful for manufacturing organic electronic devices, including transistors and solar cells. The invention also relates to certain synthetic precursors of the copolymers. Methods for making the copolymers and the derivative electronic devices are also described.

The Contrasting Alkylations of 4-(Dimethylaminomethyl)pyridine and 4-(Dimethylamino)pyridine: An Organic Chemistry Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jantzi, Kevin L.; Wiltrakis, Susan; Wolf, Lauren; Weber, Anna; Cardinal, Josh; Krieter, Katie

2011-01-01

A critical factor for the increased nucleophilicity of the pyridine nitrogen in 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) is electron donation via resonance from the amino group into the aromatic ring that increases electron density on the pyridine nitrogen. To explore how important this resonance effect is, 4-(dimethylaminomethyl)pyridine (DMAMP) was…

A BPTTF-based self-assembled electron-donating triangle capable of C60 binding.

PubMed

Goeb, Sébastien; Bivaud, Sébastien; Dron, Paul Ionut; Balandier, Jean-Yves; Chas, Marcos; Sallé, Marc

2012-03-25

A kinetically stable self-assembled redox-active triangle is isolated. The resulting electron-donating cavity, which incorporates three BPTTF units, exhibits a remarkable binding ability for electron-deficient C(60), supported by a favorable combination of structural and electronic features.

Design of aromatic-containing cell-penetrating peptide mimics with structurally modified π electronics.

PubMed

deRonde, Brittany M; Birke, Alexander; Tew, Gregory N

2015-02-09

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and their synthetic mimics (CPPMs) represent a class of molecules that facilitate the intracellular delivery of various cargo. Previous studies indicated that the presence of aromatic functionalities improved CPPM activity. Given that aromatic functionalities play prominent roles in membrane biology and participate in various π interactions, we explored whether these interactions could be optimized for improved CPPM activity. CPPMs were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization by using monomers that contained aromatic rings substituted with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups and covered an electrostatic potential range from -29.69 to +15.57 kcal mol(-1) . These groups altered the quadrupole moments of the aromatic systems and were used to test if such structural modifications changed CPPM activity. CPPMs were added to dye-loaded vesicles and the release of carboxyfluorescein was monitored as a function of polymer concentration. Changes in the effective polymer concentration to release 50% of the dye (effective concentration, EC50 ) were monitored. Results from this assay showed that the strength of the electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups incorporated in the CPPMs did not alter polymer EC50 values or activity. This suggests that other design parameters may have a stronger impact on CPPM activity. In addition, these results indicate that a wide range of aromatic groups can be incorporated without negatively impacting polymer activity. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence of a Zr-based metal–organic framework

DOE PAGES

Mieno, H.; Kabe, R.; Allendorf, M. D.; ...

2017-12-22

Here, the first metal–organic framework exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) was developed. The zirconium-based framework (UiO-68-dpa) uses a newly designed linker composed of a terphenyl backbone, an electron-accepting carboxyl group, and an electron-donating diphenylamine and exhibits green TADF emission with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 30% and high thermal stability.

A reversible ratiometric sensor for intracellular Cu2+ imaging: metal coordination-altered FRET in a dual fluorophore hybrid.

PubMed

Chen, Yuncong; Zhu, Chengcheng; Cen, Jiajie; Li, Jing; He, Weijiang; Jiao, Yang; Guo, Zijian

2013-09-07

ICT fluorophore benzoxadiazole with its electron-donating group modified as a Cu(2+) chelator was conjugated with coumarin to construct a new ratiometric sensor with reversible intracellular Cu(2+) imaging ability.

Knowledge and ethical perception regarding organ donation among medical students

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background To determine the knowledge and ethical perception regarding organ donation amongst medical students in Karachi- Pakistan. Methods Data of this cross sectional study was collected by self administered questionnaire from MBBS students of Ziauddin University from 2010 to 2011. Sample size of 158 (83 First years and 75 Fourth years) were selected by convenient sampling and those students who were present and gave consent were included in the study. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 20. Results A total of 158 participants from Ziauddin Medical University filled out the questionnaire out of which 83(52.5%) were first years and 75(47.5%) were fourth year medical students. Mean age of sample was 20 ± 1.7. Majority of students were aware about organ donation with print and electronic media as the main source of information. 81.6% agreed that it was ethically correct to donate an organ. In the students’ opinion, most commonly donated organs and tissues were kidney, cornea, blood and platelet. Ideal candidates for donating organ were parents (81%). Regarding list of options for preference to receive an organ, most of the students agreed on young age group patients and persons with family. Willingness to donate was significantly associated with knowledge of allowance of organ donation in religion (P=0.000). Conclusion Both 1st year and 4th year students are aware of Organ Donation, but there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding the topic. PMID:24070261

Antimalarial Activity of C-10 Substituted Triazolyl Artemisinin.

PubMed

Park, Gab-Man; Park, Hyun; Oh, Sangtae; Lee, Seokjoon

2017-12-01

We synthesized C-10 substituted triazolyl artemisinins by the Huisgen cycloaddition reaction between dihydroartemisinins (2) and variously substituted 1, 2, 3-triazoles (8a-8h). The antimalarial activities of 32 novel artemisinin derivatives were screened against a chloroquine-resistant parasite. Among them, triazolyl artemisinins with electron-withdrawing groups showed stronger antimalarial activities than those shown by the derivatives having electron-donating groups. In particularly, m-chlorotriazolyl artemisinin (9d-12d) showed antimalarial activity equivalent to that of artemisinin and could be a strong drug candidate.

The unexpected roles of σ and π orbitals in electron donor and acceptor group effects on the 13C NMR chemical shifts in substituted benzenes† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental 13C NMR chemical shifts, individual components of the 13C NMR shielding tensor, lists and graphics of NLMO contributions, and tables of NLMO properties. See DOI: 10.1039/c7sc02163a Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Viesser, Renan V.

2017-01-01

Effects of electron-donating (R = NH2) and electron-withdrawing (R = NO2) groups on 13C NMR chemical shifts in R-substituted benzene are investigated by molecular orbital analyses. The 13C shift substituent effect in ortho, meta, and para position is determined by the σ bonding orbitals in the aryl ring. The π orbitals do not explain the substituent effects in the NMR spectrum as conventionally suggested in textbooks. The familiar electron donating and withdrawing effects on the π system by NH2 and NO2 substituents induce changes in the σ orbital framework, and the 13C chemical shifts follow the trends induced in the σ orbitals. There is an implicit dependence of the σ orbital NMR shift contributions on the π framework, via unoccupied π* orbitals, due to the fact that the nuclear shielding is a response property. PMID:28989684

Effects of Alkylthio and Alkoxy Side Chains in Polymer Donor Materials for Organic Solar Cells.

PubMed

Cui, Chaohua; Wong, Wai-Yeung

2016-02-01

Side chains play a considerable role not only in improving the solubility of polymers for solution-processed device fabrication, but also in affecting the molecular packing, electron affinity and thus the device performance. In particular, electron-donating side chains show unique properties when employed to tune the electronic character of conjugated polymers in many cases. Therefore, rational electron-donating side chain engineering can improve the photovoltaic properties of the resulting polymer donors to some extent. Here, a survey of some representative examples which use electron-donating alkylthio and alkoxy side chains in conjugated organic polymers for polymer solar cell applications will be presented. It is envisioned that an analysis of the effect of such electron-donating side chains in polymer donors would contribute to a better understanding of this kind of side chain behavior in solution-processed conjugated organic polymers for polymer solar cells. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Neighbouring group processes in the deamination of protonated phenylalanine derivatives.

PubMed

Lioe, Hadi; O'Hair, Richard A J

2005-10-21

The gas-phase fragmentation of protonated phenylalanine and a series of its derivatives (tyrosine, 4-methylphenylalanine, 4-aminophenylalanine, 4-methoxyphenylalanine, 4-tert-butylphenylalanine, 4-fluorophenylalanine, 4-chlorophenylalanine, 4-bromophenylalanine, 4-iodophenylalanine, 4-cyanophenylalanine, 4-nitrophenylalanine, 3-fluorophenylalanine, and 3,4-dichlorophenylalanine) were examined using a combination of low energy CID in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer as well as DFT calculations and RRKM modelling. In particular, the relationship between the electron-donating ability of the substituent and the competitive losses of H2O + CO and NH3 were explored through the application of the Hammett equation. It was found that electron-donating substituents promote the loss of NH3, while electron-withdrawing substituents suppress the loss of NH3 and favour the H2O + CO loss fragmentation channel instead. These observations are consistent with a neighbouring group pathway operating for the loss of NH3. Molecular orbital calculation (at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory) were also performed for a range of derivatives to compare the relative transition state energy barriers for three competing mechanisms: (i) the combined loss of H2O + CO, which is triggered by an initial intramolecular proton transfer from the ammonium group to hydroxyl OH, followed by the combined loss of H2O and CO to form an immonium ion; (ii) loss of NH3 via an aryl assisted neighbouring group pathway to yield a phenonium ion; (iii) loss of NH3 via a 1,2-hydride migration process, which results in the formation of a benzyl cation. The relative energy barriers for H2O + CO loss remain nearly constant, while that for both NH3 pathways increase as the substituent moves from electron-donating to electron-withdrawing. The relative transition state energy for loss of NH3 via the aryl assisted neighbouring group pathway is always lower than that of the 1,2-hydride migration process. RRKM modelling of the DFT predicted barrier heights suggest that the rate constants for H2O + CO loss are insensitive to the substituent on the ring, while the NH3 loss channels are greatly affected by the substituent. These theoretical results are consistent with the experimental observation of the relative yields of the competing fragmentation channels. Finally, comparisons with published gas phase and condensed phase studies on related systems are made.

Controlling the Conformational Energy of a Phenyl Group by Tuning the Strength of a Nonclassical CH···O Hydrogen Bond: The Case of 5-Phenyl-1,3-dioxane.

PubMed

Bailey, William F; Lambert, Kyle M; Stempel, Zachary D; Wiberg, Kenneth B; Mercado, Brandon Q

2016-12-16

Anancomeric 5-phenyl-1,3-dioxanes provide a unique opportunity to study factors that control conformation. Whereas one might expect an axial phenyl group at C(5) of 1,3-dioxane to adopt a conformation similar to that in axial phenylcyclohexane, a series of studies including X-ray crystallography, NOE measurements, and DFT calculations demonstrate that the phenyl prefers to lie over the dioxane ring in order to position an ortho-hydrogen to participate in a stabilizing, nonclassical CH···O hydrogen bond with a ring oxygen of the dioxane. Acid-catalyzed equilibration of a series of anancomeric 2-tert-butyl-5-aryl-1,3-dioxane isomers demonstrates that remote substituents on the phenyl ring affect the conformational energy of a 5-aryl-1,3-dioxane: electron-withdrawing substituents decrease the conformational energy of the aryl group, while electron-donating substituents increase the conformational energy of the group. This effect is correlated in a very linear way to Hammett substituent parameters. In short, the strength of the CH···O hydrogen bond may be tuned in a predictable way in response to the electron-withdrawing or electron-donating ability of substituents positioned remotely on the aryl ring. This effect may be profound: a 3,5-bis-CF 3 phenyl group at C(5) in 1,3-dioxane displays a pronounced preference for the axial orientation. The results are relevant to broader conformational issues involving heterocyclic systems bearing aryl substituents.

Excitation and emission wavelength ratiometric cyanide-sensitive probes for physiological sensing.

PubMed

Badugu, Ramachandram; Lakowicz, Joseph R; Geddes, Chris D

2004-04-01

We characterize three new fluorescent probes that show both spectral shifts and intensity changes in the presence of aqueous cyanide, allowing for both excitation and fluorescence emission wavelength ratiometric and colorimetric sensing. The relatively high binding constants of the probes for cyanide enables a distinct colorimetric change to be visually observed with as little as 10 microM cyanide. The response of the new probes is based on the ability of the boronic acid group to interact with the CN(-) anion, changing from the neutral form of the boronic acid group R-B(OH)(2) to the anionic R-B(-)(OH)3 form, which is an electron-donating group. The presence of an electron-deficient quaternary heterocyclic nitrogen center and a strong electron-donating amino group in the 6 position on the quinolinium backbone provides for the spectral changes observed upon CN(-) complexation. We have determined the binding constants for the ortho-, meta-, and para-boronic acid probes to be 0.12, 0.17, and 0.14 microM(-3). In addition we have synthesized a control compound that does not contain the boronic acid moiety, allowing for structural comparisons and a rationale for the sensing mechanism to be made. Finally we show that the affinity for monosaccharides, such as glucose or fructose, is relatively low as compared to that for cyanide, enabling the potential detection of cyanide in physiologies up to lethal levels.

Molecules with enhanced electronic polarizabilities based on defect-like states in conjugated polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beratan, David N. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

Highly conjugated organic polymers typically have large non-resonant electronic susceptibilities, which give the molecules unusual optical properties. To enhance these properties, defects are introduced into the polymer chain. Examples include light doping of the conjugated polymer and synthesis, conjugated polymers which incorporate either electron donating or accepting groups, and conjugated polymers which contain a photoexcitable species capable of reversibly transferring its electron to an acceptor. Such defects in the chain permit enhancement of the second hyperpolarizability by at least an order of magnitude.

Hydrogen Peroxide Activated Quinone Methide Precursors with Enhanced DNA Cross-Linking Capability and Cytotoxicity towards Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Wang, Yibin; Fan, Heli; Balakrishnan, Kumudha; Lin, Zechao; Cao, Sheng; Chen, Wenbing; Fan, Yukai; Guthrie, Quibria A.; Sun, Huabing; Teske, Kelly A.; Gandhi, Varsha; Arnold, Leggy A.; Peng, Xiaohua

2017-01-01

Quinone methide (QM) formation induced by endogenously generated H2O2 is attractive for biological and biomedical applications. To overcome current limitations due to low biological activity of H2O2-activated QM precursors, we are introducing herein several new arylboronates with electron donating substituents at different positions of benzene ring and/or different neutral leaving groups. The reaction rate of the arylboronate esters with H2O2 and subsequent bisquinone methides formation and DNA cross-linking was accelerated with the application of Br as a leaving group instead of acetoxy groups. Additionally, a donating group placed meta to the nascent exo-methylene group of the quinone methide greatly improves H2O2-induced DNA interstrand cross-link formation as well as enhances the cellular activity. Multiple donating groups decrease the stability and DNA cross-linking capability, which lead to low cellular activity. A cell-based screen demonstrated that compounds 2a and 5a with a OMe or OH group dramatically inhibited the growth of various tissue-derived cancer cells while normal cells were less affected. Induction of H2AX phosphorylation by these compounds in CLL lymphocytes provide evidence for a correlation between cell death and DNA damage. The compounds presented herein showed potent anticancer activities and selectivity, which represent a novel scaffold for anticancer drug development. PMID:28388522

Exceptionally Strong Electron-Donating Ability of Bora-Ylide Substituent vis-à-vis Silylene and Silylium Ion.

PubMed

Rosas-Sánchez, Alfredo; Alvarado-Beltran, Isabel; Baceiredo, Antoine; Saffon-Merceron, Nathalie; Massou, Stéphane; Branchadell, Vicenç; Kato, Tsuyoshi

2017-08-21

Electropositive boron-based substituent (phosphonium bora-ylide) with an exceptionally strong π- and σ-electron donating character dramatically increases the stability of a new type of N-heterocyclic silylene 2 featuring amino- and bora-ylide-substituents. Moreover, the related silylium ion 4 and transition-metal-silylene complexes, with trigonal-planar geometries around the silicon center, are also well stabilized. Therefore, the N,B-heterocyclic silylene 2 can be used as a strongly electron-donating innocent ligand in coordination chemistry similarly to N-heterocyclic carbenes. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Applications of biochar in redox-mediated reactions.

PubMed

Yuan, Yong; Bolan, Nanthi; Prévoteau, Antonin; Vithanage, Meththika; Biswas, Jayanta Kumar; Ok, Yong Sik; Wang, Hailong

2017-12-01

Biochar is chemically more reduced and reactive than the original feedstock biomass. Graphite regions, functional groups, and redox-active metals in biochar contribute to its redox characteristics. While the functional groups such as phenolic species in biochar are the main electron donating moieties (i.e., reducers), the quinones and polycondensed aromatic functional groups are the components accepting electrons (oxidants). The redox capacity of biochar depends on feedstock properties and pyrolysis conditions. This paper aims to review and summarize the various synthesis techniques for biochars and the methods for probing their redox characteristics. We review the abiotic and microbial applications of biochars as electron donors, electron acceptors, or electron shuttles for pollutant degradation, metal(loid)s (im)mobilization, nutrient transformation, and discuss the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, knowledge gaps that exist in the exploration and differentiation of the electron transfer mechanisms involving biochars are also identified. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in pre- and post-donation platelet function in plateletpheresis donors.

PubMed

Zhou, Q; Yu, X; Cai, Y; Liu, L

2017-11-01

This study aimed to investigate the changes of platelet (PLT) function and coagulation time before and after plateletpheresis donation. The healthy donors were divided into four groups according to the annual number of plateletpheresis donation: 20 times group, 15 times group, 10 times group and 5 times group. The healthy non-blood donors were selected as controls. The donation interval was 14 days. The blood samples were collected before plateletpheresis donation and after 30min, 7 d, and 14 d of donation for determination of coagulation time, PLT function, plasma protein, serum iron and blood routine change. After 30min of plateletpheresis donation, the PLT function decreased and the coagulation time was prolonged. However, PLT function recovered to the pre-collection after 7 d of plateletpheresis donation and coagulation time recovered to the pre-collection after 14 d of plateletpheresis donation. Additionally, there was no difference regarding blood coagulation time and PLT function among blood donors and controls. The plasma protein and serum iron levels in 20 times and 15 times groups were within the normal reference range. The frequency of plateletpheresis donation will not affect PLT function, coagulation time, plasma protein and serum iron in donors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Roles of conjugated double bonds in electron-donating capacity of sorghum grains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Electron-donating and metal ion complexation ability of tannins play key roles as antioxidants and in mold/bird resistance. In this study, rapid, sensitive, and nondestructive fluorescence excitation-emission (EEM) spectrophotometry was utilized to correlate structural attributes of sorghum tannins...

Conversion and origin of normal and abnormal temperature dependences of kinetic isotope effect in hydride transfer reactions.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiao-Qing; Li, Xiu-Tao; Han, Su-Hui; Mei, Lian-Rui

2012-05-18

The effects of substituents on the temperature dependences of kinetic isotope effect (KIE) for the reactions of the hydride transfer from the substituted 5-methyl-6-phenyl-5,6-dihydrophenanthridine (G-PDH) to thioxanthylium (TX(+)) in acetonitrile were examined, and the results show that the temperature dependences of KIE for the hydride transfer reactions can be converted by adjusting the nature of the substituents in the molecule of the hydride donor. In general, electron-withdrawing groups can make the KIE to have normal temperature dependence, but electron-donating groups can make the KIE to have abnormal temperature dependence. Thermodynamic analysis on the possible pathways of the hydride transfer from G-PDH to TX(+) in acetonitrile suggests that the transfers of the hydride anion in the reactions are all carried out by the concerted one-step mechanism whether the substituent is an electron-withdrawing group or an electron-donating group. But the examination of Hammett-type free energy analysis on the hydride transfer reactions supports that the concerted one-step hydride transfer is not due to an elementary chemical reaction. The experimental values of KIE at different temperatures for the hydride transfer reactions were modeled by using a kinetic equation formed according to a multistage mechanism of the hydride transfer including a returnable charge-transfer complex as the reaction intermediate; the real mechanism of the hydride transfer and the root that why the temperature dependences of KIE can be converted as the nature of the substituents are changed were discovered.

Factors limiting deceased organ donation: focus groups' perspective from culturally diverse community.

PubMed

Wong, L P

2010-06-01

In-depth understanding of cultural and religious factors limiting organ donation of three ethnic populations (Malay, Chinese, and Indian) in Southeast Asia is lacking. Identification of factors limiting organ donation among these three ethnic groups will provide insights into culturally appropriate strategies to promote acceptance of organ donation in a multiethnic Asian community. A total of 17 focus group discussions (105 participants) were conducted between September and December 2008. Participants were members of the general public aged 18 to 60 years, recruited through convenient sampling around the Klang Valley area of Malaysia. Although the majority had favorable attitudes toward deceased organ donation and transplantation, a diversity of myths and misinformation were unearthed from the discussions across the ethnic groups. These include perceived religious prohibition, cultural myths and misperceptions, fear of disfigurement, fear of surgery, distrust of the medical system, and family disapproval. Culture and religious beliefs played important prohibitive roles among those opposed to organ donations. There were distinctive ethnic differences in cultural and religious concerns regarding organ donation. Less-educated and rural groups appeared to have more misconceptions than the well-educated and the urban groups. Our findings may assist organ donation and transplantation organizations to reach diverse sociodemographic and ethnic communities with culture-specific information about organ donation. The involvement of community and religious leaders is critical in organ donation requests.

No-carrier-added (NCA) aryl ([sup 18]F) fluorides via the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of electron rich aromatic rings

DOEpatents

Yushin Ding; Fowler, J.S.; Wolf, A.P.

1993-10-19

A method for synthesizing no-carrier-added (NCA) aryl [.sup.18 F] fluoride substituted aromatic aldehyde compositions bearing an electron donating group is described. The method of the present invention includes the step of reacting aromatic nitro aldehydes having a suitably protected hydroxyl substitutent on an electron rich ring. The reaction is The U.S. Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract Number DE-AC02-76CH00016, between the U.S. Department of Energy and Associated Universities Inc.

No-carrier-added (NCA) aryl (18E) fluorides via the nucleophilic aromatic substitution of electron rich aromatic rings

DOEpatents

Ding, Yu-Shin; Fowler, Joanna S.; Wolf, Alfred P.

1993-01-01

A method for synthesizing no-carrier-added (NCA) aryl [.sup.18 F] fluoride substituted aromatic aldehyde compositions bearing an electron donating group is described. The method of the present invention includes the step of reacting aromatic nitro aldehydes having a suitably protected hydroxyl substitutent on an electron rich ring. The reaction is The U.S. Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract Number DE-AC02-76CH00016, between the U.S. Department of Energy and Associated Universities Inc.

On the Brønsted acid-catalyzed homogeneous hydrolysis of furans.

PubMed

Nikbin, Nima; Caratzoulas, Stavros; Vlachos, Dionisios G

2013-11-01

Furan affairs: Electronic structure calculations of the homogeneous Brønsted acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of 2,5-dimethylfuran show that proton transfer to the β-position is rate-limiting and provides support that the hydrolysis follows general acid catalysis. By means of projected Fukui indices, we show this to be the case for unsubstituted, 2-, and 2,5-substituted furans with electron-donating groups. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Reactivity measurement in estimation of benzoquinone and benzoquinone derivatives’ allergenicity

PubMed Central

Mbiya, Wilbes; Chipinda, Itai; Simoyi, Reuben H.; Siegel, Paul D.

2015-01-01

Benzoquinone (BQ) and benzoquinone derivatives (BQD) are used in the production of dyes and cosmetics. While BQ, an extreme skin sensitizer, is an electrophile known to covalently modify proteins via Michael Addition (MA) reaction whilst halogen substituted BQD undergo nucleophilic vinylic substitution (SNV) mechanism onto amine and thiol moieties on proteins, the allergenic effects of adding substituents on BQ have not been reported. The effects of inserting substituents on the BQ ring has not been studied in animal assays. However, mandated reduction/elimination of animals used in cosmetics testing in Europe has led to an increased need for alternatives for the prediction of skin sensitization potential. Electron withdrawing and electron donating substituents on BQ were assessed for effects on BQ reactivity toward nitrobenzene thiol (NBT). The NBT binding studies demonstrated that addition of EWG to BQ as exemplified by the chlorine substituted BQDs increased reactivity while addition of EDG as in the methyl substituted BQDs reduced reactivity. BQ and BQD skin allerginicity was evaluated in the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA). BQD with electron withdrawing groups had the highest chemical potency followed by unsubstituted BQ and the least potent were the BQD with electron donating groups. The BQD results demonstrate the impact of inductive effects on both BQ reactivity and allergenicity, and suggest the potential utility of chemical reactivity data for electrophilic allergen identification and potency ranking. PMID:26612505

Targeted preoperative autologous blood donation in total knee arthroplasty reduces the need for postoperative transfusion.

PubMed

Bou Monsef, Jad; Buckup, Johannes; Mayman, David; Marx, Robert; Ranawat, Amar; Boettner, Friedrich

2013-10-01

Preoperative donation of autologous blood has been widely used to minimize the potential risk of allogeneic transfusions in total knee arthroplasty. A previous study from our center revealed that preoperative autologous donation reduces the allogeneic blood exposure for anemic patients but has no effect for non-anemic patients. The current study investigates the impact of a targeted blood donation protocol on overall transfusion rates and the incidence of allogeneic blood transfusions. Prospectively, 372 patients undergoing 425 unilateral primary knee replacements were preoperatively screened by the Blood Preservation Center between 2009 and 2012. Anemic patients with a hemoglobin level less than 13.5 g/dL were advised to donate blood, while non-anemic patients did not donate. Non-anemic patients who did not donate blood required allogeneic blood transfusions in 5.9% of the patients. The overall rate of allogeneic transfusion was significantly lower for anemic patients who donated autologous blood (group A, 9%) than those who did not donate (group B, 33%; p < 0.001). Donating autologous blood did increase the overall transfusion rate of anemic patients to 0.84 per patient in group A compared to 0.41 per patient in group B (p < 0.001). This investigation confirms that abandoning preoperative autologous blood donation for non-anemic patients does not increase allogeneic blood transfusion rates but significantly lowers overall transfusion rates.

Opinions about donating blood among those who never gave and those who stopped: a focus group assessment.

PubMed

Mathew, Sunitha M; King, Melissa R; Glynn, Simone A; Dietz, Stephen K; Caswell, Scott L; Schreiber, George B

2007-04-01

Understanding what prevents people from ever donating blood, or having donated, what influenced them to stop, are both equally important in devising recruitment strategies. Enlisting new donors and encouraging previous donors to return are vital to increasing collections. Six racially homogeneous focus groups of never donors and lapsed donors were conducted. Both sexes and a range of age groups were represented. The importance of blood donation as a volunteer activity, deterrents, motivations, awareness of need, and effective recruitment messages were topics discussed. Never donors do not see blood donation as an important volunteer activity on par with others like volunteering at hospitals, schools, and support groups. Fear and inconvenience were major barriers to donating. Better education campaigns to allay fears about donating and workplace drives were considered important motivators. Participants were unaware of the need for blood. Media messages that combine safety of the process along with who it benefits were considered most effective. Messages that target the specific needs of minority communities were considered good motivators for their recruitment. Blood collection agencies should increase awareness that blood donation is a worthwhile and important volunteer activity. Another strategy would be to capitalize on the existing perception that donating blood is like donating money or used clothing, by focusing on the concept of giving something tangible. Along with providing convenient opportunities to donate, blood centers need to effectively convey the need for blood and allay fears about the donation process to increase the current donor pool.

An Adapted Post-Donation Motivational Interview Enhances Blood Donor Retention

PubMed Central

Sinclair, Kadian S.; Campbell, Tavis S.; Carey, Patricia M.; Langevin, Eric; Bowser, Brent; France, Christopher R.

2010-01-01

Background Blood donors may hold conflicting thoughts about future donation. While they may perceive the direct benefit to themselves and others, they often report compelling reasons not to give again. As a result the standard encouragements to return may not be sufficient to motivate some donors. The present study examined the effects of a post-donation adapted motivational interview on blood donor attitudes and repeat donation behavior. Study Design and Methods Donors (n=215) were randomly assigned to either an adapted motivational interview (AMI) or a no-interview control group. Approximately one month after their index donation, donors in the AMI group completed a brief telephone interview to clarify individual-specific motivations and values concerning blood donation and address potential barriers. They were then asked to complete questionnaires regarding donation attitudes, anxiety, self-efficacy and intention to donate. Donors in the control group were also contacted one month post-donation and asked to complete the same series of questionnaires. Results Donors in the AMI group reported greater intention to provide a future donation, F = 8.13, p < 0.05, more positive donation attitudes, F = 4.59, p < 0.05, and greater confidence in their ability to avoid adverse reactions, F = 10.26, p < 0.01. Further, AMI was associated with higher rates of attempted donation at 12 months (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.27–4.87). Conclusion Application of an adapted motivational interview may be an effective strategy to increase the donor pool by enhancing retention of existing donors. PMID:20456674

Attitudes and beliefs about deceased organ donation in the Arabic-speaking community in Australia: a focus group study.

PubMed

Ralph, Angelique F; Alyami, Ali; Allen, Richard D M; Howard, Kirsten; Craig, Jonathan C; Chadban, Steve J; Irving, Michelle; Tong, Allison

2016-01-19

To describe the beliefs and attitudes to organ donation in the Arabic-speaking community. Arabic-speaking participants were purposively recruited to participate in 6 focus groups. Transcripts were analysed thematically. 53 participants, aged 19-77 years, and originating from 8 countries, participated in 1 of 6 focus groups. Participants identified as Christian (73%), Islam (26%), Buddhist (2%) or did not identify with any religion (2%). 6 themes (with subthemes) were identified; religious conviction; invisibility of organ donation; medical suspicion; owning the decision; and reciprocal benefit. Although organ donation is considered a generous life-saving 'gift', representative members of the Arabic-speaking community in Australia were unfamiliar with, unnerved by and sceptical about the donation process. Making positive decisions about organ donation would likely require resolving tensions between respecting family, community and religious values versus their individual autonomy. Providing targeted education about the process and benefits of organ donation within the Arabic community may clarify ambiguities surrounding cultural and religious-based views on organ donation, reduce taboos and suspicion towards donation, and in turn, lead to increased organ donation rates. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Identification of Strategies to Facilitate Organ Donation among African Americans using the Nominal Group Technique

PubMed Central

Qu, Haiyan; Shewchuk, Richard; Mannon, Roslyn B.; Gaston, Robert; Segev, Dorry L.; Mannon, Elinor C.; Martin, Michelle Y.

2015-01-01

Background and objectives African Americans are disproportionately affected by ESRD, but few receive a living donor kidney transplant. Surveys assessing attitudes toward donation have shown that African Americans are less likely to express a willingness to donate their own organs. Studies aimed at understanding factors that may facilitate the willingness of African Americans to become organ donors are needed. Design, setting, participants, & measurements A novel formative research method was used (the nominal group technique) to identify and prioritize strategies for facilitating increases in organ donation among church-attending African Americans. Four nominal group technique panel interviews were convened (three community and one clergy). Each community panel represented a distinct local church; the clergy panel represented five distinct faith-based denominations. Before nominal group technique interviews, participants completed a questionnaire that assessed willingness to become a donor; 28 African-American adults (≥19 years old) participated in the study. Results In total, 66.7% of participants identified knowledge- or education-related strategies as most important strategies in facilitating willingness to become an organ donor, a view that was even more pronounced among clergy. Three of four nominal group technique panels rated a knowledge-based strategy as the most important and included strategies, such as information on donor involvement and donation-related risks; 29.6% of participants indicated that they disagreed with deceased donation, and 37% of participants disagreed with living donation. Community participants’ reservations about becoming an organ donor were similar for living (38.1%) and deceased (33.4%) donation; in contrast, clergy participants were more likely to express reservations about living donation (33.3% versus 16.7%). Conclusions These data indicate a greater opposition to living donation compared with donation after one’s death among African Americans and suggest that improving knowledge about organ donation, particularly with regard to donor involvement and donation-related risks, may facilitate increases in organ donation. Existing educational campaigns may fall short of meeting information needs of African Americans. PMID:25635038

Identification of strategies to facilitate organ donation among African Americans using the nominal group technique.

PubMed

Locke, Jayme E; Qu, Haiyan; Shewchuk, Richard; Mannon, Roslyn B; Gaston, Robert; Segev, Dorry L; Mannon, Elinor C; Martin, Michelle Y

2015-02-06

African Americans are disproportionately affected by ESRD, but few receive a living donor kidney transplant. Surveys assessing attitudes toward donation have shown that African Americans are less likely to express a willingness to donate their own organs. Studies aimed at understanding factors that may facilitate the willingness of African Americans to become organ donors are needed. A novel formative research method was used (the nominal group technique) to identify and prioritize strategies for facilitating increases in organ donation among church-attending African Americans. Four nominal group technique panel interviews were convened (three community and one clergy). Each community panel represented a distinct local church; the clergy panel represented five distinct faith-based denominations. Before nominal group technique interviews, participants completed a questionnaire that assessed willingness to become a donor; 28 African-American adults (≥19 years old) participated in the study. In total, 66.7% of participants identified knowledge- or education-related strategies as most important strategies in facilitating willingness to become an organ donor, a view that was even more pronounced among clergy. Three of four nominal group technique panels rated a knowledge-based strategy as the most important and included strategies, such as information on donor involvement and donation-related risks; 29.6% of participants indicated that they disagreed with deceased donation, and 37% of participants disagreed with living donation. Community participants' reservations about becoming an organ donor were similar for living (38.1%) and deceased (33.4%) donation; in contrast, clergy participants were more likely to express reservations about living donation (33.3% versus 16.7%). These data indicate a greater opposition to living donation compared with donation after one's death among African Americans and suggest that improving knowledge about organ donation, particularly with regard to donor involvement and donation-related risks, may facilitate increases in organ donation. Existing educational campaigns may fall short of meeting information needs of African Americans. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.

The effect of repeated blood donations on the iron status of male Saudi blood donors

PubMed Central

Abdullah, Saleh M.

2011-01-01

Background. Regular blood donation can lead to iron deficiency. Screening donors’ serum ferritin levels at the time of first donation and subsequently once every year is a very rational way to pick up iron deficiency in a voluntary blood donor population. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of blood donation and the prevalence of erythropoiesis with iron deficiency (sideropenia) in Saudi male blood donors. Materials and methods. The study was prospectively conducted, between December 2008 and March 2009, on 182 male native Saudi blood donors at King Fahd Central Hospital in Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Each donor gave 450±50 mL of whole blood. Following the donation, samples were removed into 2.5 mL EDTA tubes for measurement of mean cell volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and into 7.5 mL plain tubes for estimation of iron and serum ferritin concentrations. The blood donors were divided into five groups, according to the number of donations they had given in the preceding 3 years. The blood donors in group I were first-time donors, with no previous history of blood donation. Group II donors had donated once in the last 3 years. Subjects in groups III, IV and V had donated more than once in the preceding 3 years and were considered regular donors. Results. The mean serum iron was significantly higher among subjects with no previous history of blood donation (group I) than among regular donors who had donated twice or more. The difference in serum ferritin concentration was statistically significant (p<0.05) when comparing regular donors in group III (72.4 μg/L), group IV (67.4 μg/L) and group V (26.2 μg/L) with first-time blood donors (131.4 μg/L). In contrast, the difference in the concentration of serum ferritin between subjects in group II (98.9 μg/L), who had donated once in the last 3 years, and in first-time blood donors (131.4 μg/L) was not statistically significant (p<0.131). None of the group I donors suffered from iron deficiency, whereas 2.8% of the donors who had donated between two to five times had iron deficiency. The prevalence of erythropoiesis with iron deficiency in regular blood donors was 4.3%. Conclusion. The results of this study show that an increase in the number of donations results in an increase in the frequency of depleted iron stores and subsequently in erythropoiesis with iron deficiency, although the level of haemoglobin remained acceptable for blood donation. This result may indicate the need to review the guidelines on acceptance of donors. PMID:21084007

Knowledge and practice of blood donation: a comparison between medical and non-medical Nepalese students.

PubMed

Mamatya, A; Prajapati, R; Yadav, R

2012-12-01

College students form a large and important group of population eligible for blood donation. Studies report that students do not donate much, and medical students' blood donation rate is less as compared to non-medical students. To assess and compare the knowledge, attitude, and practice of blood donation among medical and non-medical Nepalese students. A cross-sectional descriptive study using structured self-administered questionnaire was conducted in students of medical (MBBS) and non-medical programs of different colleges of Nepal. Total 456 students, 177 non-medical and 279 medical, participated; 28.5% students were donors. More medical students donated blood, more often, and were more knowledgeable in all aspects of blood and blood donation related knowledge (p values 0.01 or less). In both groups, proportionately more boys donated than girls. Common reasons for not donating included no request, medically unfit, no information about blood collection services, fear of weakness, and fear related to venepuncture. Moral satisfaction was the commonest reason to donate. Among Nepalese students, medical students donate more and are more knowledgeable than non-medical students. Lack of information and lack of direct requests are important causes of fewer donors in the non-medical group and girls.

Elucidating the Structure-Reactivity Correlations of Phenothiazine-Based Fluorescent Probes toward ClO.

PubMed

Wang, Shichao; Zhang, Boyu; Wang, Wenjing; Feng, Gang; Yuan, Daqiang; Zhang, Xuanjun

2018-06-07

In this work, with the aim of developing effective molecular probes and investigating the structure-reactivity correlation, a short series of phenothiazine-based fluorescent probes are designed for the detection of ClO - with differing electron push-pull groups. Sensing experiment results and single-crystal X-ray analysis with the aid of time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations reveal that substituting groups with increasing electron-withdrawing ability can increase the dihedral angle of the phenothiazine moiety and reduce the gap energy of the probes, leading to enhanced reactivity toward ClO - . Both PT1 and PT2 show two-color switching upon detection of ClO - . PT1, with the strong electron-donating group thiophene, shows a fluorescence color switch from salmon to blue. PT2, with a medium electron-donating/accepting group benzothiazole, shows a fluorescence color switch from red to green. However, both PT1 and PT2 show almost no response to ONOO - . Through the introduction of strong electron-withdrawing ketone combined with a cyano group, PT3 shows a cyan emission upon detection of ClO - and weak red emission upon detection of ONOO - . HRMS and 1 H NMR results confirm that PT1 and PT2 have the same sensing mode, in which the divalent sulfur of phenothiazine can be oxidized to sulfoxide by ClO - . Upon reaction with ClO - , PT3 experiences two-step reactions. It is first oxidized into the sulfone structure by ClO - , and then transformed into sulfoxide phenothiazine aldehyde. Upon encountering ONOO - , PT3 changes into an aldehyde structure and some nonfluorescent byproducts. Owing to their special selectivity and high sensitivity, PT1 and PT2 are applied to image the endogenous ClO - in macrophage cells and zebrafish larvae. This study is expected to provide useful guidelines for probe design for various applications. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Religion and organ donation: the views of UK faith leaders.

PubMed

Randhawa, Gurch; Brocklehurst, Anna; Pateman, Ruth; Kinsella, Suzannah; Parry, Vivienne

2012-09-01

This article reports the findings from the one-to-one interviews with the main UK faith and belief leaders which were commissioned by the Organ Donation Taskforce as part of its evidence gathering. Interviews were arranged with the main faith and belief organisations within the UK. Interviews covered a range of issues related to organ donation. Although some faith groups had some reservations regarding organ donation, interviews with these leaders demonstrated that none of these faith groups have reached a consensus against organ donation. The interviewees stated that the majority opinion in their faith or belief group is to permit organ donation, with some actively supporting it. Interviewees were keen to stress that there is a broad spectrum of opinion on organ transplantation within each faith and belief group and that consequently it is difficult to speak on behalf of an entire group. One complication mentioned by interviewees is that as organ transplantation is a relatively new medical procedure, there is no explicit reference to it in many original religious texts. Consequently, positions on the receipt and donation of organs are based on interpretation. It was felt that a much greater level of engagement is needed, as organ donation is currently not a priority for many faith and belief groups.

Asymmetrical squaraines for high-performance small-molecule organic solar cells with a short circuit current of over 12 mA cm(-2).

PubMed

Chen, Yao; Zhu, Youqin; Yang, Daobin; Luo, Qian; Yang, Lin; Huang, Yan; Zhao, Suling; Lu, Zhiyun

2015-04-11

An asymmetrical squaraine dye (Py-3) with its two electron-donating aryl groups directly linked to the electron-withdrawing squaric acid core possesses an ideal bandgap of 1.33 eV, together with an intense and broad absorption band in the range 550-950 nm. Hence, the resulting solution-processed solar cells display an impressive Jsc of 12.03 mA cm(-2) and a PCE of 4.35%.

Microwave-Assisted Organocatalytic Intramolecular Knoevenagel/Hetero Diels-Alder Reaction with O-(Arylpropynyloxy)-Salicylaldehydes: Synthesis of Polycyclic Embelin Derivatives.

PubMed

Martín-Acosta, Pedro; Feresin, Gabriela; Tapia, Alejandro; Estévez-Braun, Ana

2016-10-21

A highly efficient and regioselective approach to new polycyclic embelin derivatives through a domino Knoevenagel condensation/intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reaction using O-(arylpropynyloxy)-salicylaldehydes in the presence of ethylenediamine diacetate (EDDA) is reported. This organocatalyzed protocol is compatible toward a wide range of aryl-substituted alkynyl ethers with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups. When other active methylene compounds were subjected to this domino reaction the corresponding adducts were obtained in high yield.

Photoswitching Behavior of 5-Phenylazopyrimidines: In Situ Irradiation NMR and Optical Spectroscopy Combined with Theoretical Methods.

PubMed

Čechová, Lucie; Kind, Jonas; Dračínský, Martin; Filo, Juraj; Janeba, Zlatko; Thiele, Christina M; Cigáň, Marek; Procházková, Eliška

2018-05-11

The photoswitching behavior of 5-phenylazopyrimidines was investigated by optical methods and NMR spectroscopy with in situ irradiation sustained by mathematical modeling and DFT calculations. Irradiation of various compounds with electron-donating groups on the pyrimidine ring and substituents with electron-withdrawing as well as electron-donating substituent in the para-position of the phenyl ring were examined. All compounds could be successfully converted to the cis isomer; this isomerization and the subsequent thermal fading were studied. Switching cycles can be repeated without signs of photodegradation for most of the compounds, which makes them adept to molecular photoswitches. Interestingly, the chloro and cyano derivatives can be switched without UV light, which makes them vis(π → π*)-vis(n → π*) photoswitches. Surprisingly equal trans-to- cis photoisomerization quantum yields for π → π* and n → π* excitation indicate the blocking of the inversion pathway following π → π* excitation. In contrast to that, DFT computations suggest the inversion mechanism for the reverse thermal cis-to- trans isomerization of 5-phenylazopyrimidines.

Attitudes and beliefs about deceased organ donation in the Arabic-speaking community in Australia: a focus group study

PubMed Central

Ralph, Angelique F; Alyami, Ali; Allen, Richard D M; Howard, Kirsten; Craig, Jonathan C; Chadban, Steve J; Irving, Michelle; Tong, Allison

2016-01-01

Objectives To describe the beliefs and attitudes to organ donation in the Arabic-speaking community. Design Arabic-speaking participants were purposively recruited to participate in 6 focus groups. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Participants 53 participants, aged 19–77 years, and originating from 8 countries, participated in 1 of 6 focus groups. Participants identified as Christian (73%), Islam (26%), Buddhist (2%) or did not identify with any religion (2%). Results 6 themes (with subthemes) were identified; religious conviction; invisibility of organ donation; medical suspicion; owning the decision; and reciprocal benefit. Conclusions Although organ donation is considered a generous life-saving ‘gift’, representative members of the Arabic-speaking community in Australia were unfamiliar with, unnerved by and sceptical about the donation process. Making positive decisions about organ donation would likely require resolving tensions between respecting family, community and religious values versus their individual autonomy. Providing targeted education about the process and benefits of organ donation within the Arabic community may clarify ambiguities surrounding cultural and religious-based views on organ donation, reduce taboos and suspicion towards donation, and in turn, lead to increased organ donation rates. PMID:26787253

Application of two-dimensional binary fingerprinting methods for the design of selective Tankyrase I inhibitors.

PubMed

Muddukrishna, B S; Pai, Vasudev; Lobo, Richard; Pai, Aravinda

2017-11-22

In the present study, five important binary fingerprinting techniques were used to model novel flavones for the selective inhibition of Tankyrase I. From the fingerprints used: the fingerprint atom pairs resulted in a statistically significant 2D QSAR model using a kernel-based partial least square regression method. This model indicates that the presence of electron-donating groups positively contributes to activity, whereas the presence of electron withdrawing groups negatively contributes to activity. This model could be used to develop more potent as well as selective analogues for the inhibition of Tankyrase I. Schematic representation of 2D QSAR work flow.

Tracking bacterial infection of macrophages using a novel red-emission pH sensor.

PubMed

Jin, Yuguang; Tian, Yanqing; Zhang, Weiwen; Jang, Sei-Hum; Jen, Alex K-Y; Meldrum, Deirdre R

2010-10-01

The relationship between bacteria and host phagocytic cells is key to the induction of immunity. To visualize and monitor bacterial infection, we developed a novel bacterial membrane permeable pH sensor for the noninvasive monitoring of bacterial entry into murine macrophages. The pH sensor was constructed using 2-dicyanomethylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TCF) as an electron-withdrawing group and aniline as an electron-donating group. A piperazine moiety was used as the pH-sensitive group. Because of the strong electron-donating and -withdrawing units conjugated in the sensing moiety M, the fluorophore emitted in the red spectral window, away from the autofluorescence regions of the bacteria. Following the engulfment of sensor-labeled bacteria by macrophages and their subsequent merger with host lysosomes, the resulting low-pH environment enhances the fluorescence intensity of the pH sensors inside the bacteria. Time-lapse analysis of the fluorescent intensity suggested significant heterogeneity of bacterial uptake among macrophages. In addition, qRT-PCR analysis of the bacterial 16 S rRNA gene expression within single macrophage cells suggested that the 16 S rRNA of the bacteria was still intact 120 min after they had been engulfed by macrophages. A toxicity assay showed that the pH sensor has no cytotoxicity towards either E. coli or murine macrophages. The sensor shows good repeatability, a long lifetime, and a fast response to pH changes, and can be used for a variety of bacteria.

Occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals, hormones, personal care products, and endocrine disrupters in a full-scale water reclamation plant.

PubMed

Tran, Ngoc Han; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong

2017-12-01

This study provided the first comprehensive data on the occurrence and removal of twenty-five target emerging contaminants (ECs) in a full-scale water reclamation plant (WRP) in the Southeast Asian region. Nineteen out of the twenty-five ECs were ubiquitously detected in raw influent samples. Concentrations of the detected ECs in raw influent samples ranged substantially from 44.3 to 124,966ng/L, depending upon the compound and sampling date. The elimination of ECs in full-scale conventional activated sludge (CAS) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems at a local WRP was evaluated and compared. Several ECs, such as acetaminophen, atenolol, fenoprofen, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and oxybenzone, exhibited excellent removal efficiencies (>90%) in biological wastewater treatment processes, while some of the investigated compounds (carbamazepine, crotamiton, diclofenac, and iopamidol) appeared to be persistent in the both CAS and MBR systems. Field-based monitoring results showed that MBR outperformed CAS in the elimination of most target ECs. The relationship between molecular characteristics of ECs (i.e. physicochemical properties and structural features) and their removal efficiencies during biological wastewater treatment was also elucidated. Excellent removal efficiencies (>90%) were often noted for ECs with the sole presence of electron donating groups (i.e. phenolic [OH], amine [NH 2 ], methoxy [OCH 3 ], phenoxy [OC 6 H 5 ], or alkyl groups). Conversely, ECs with the absence of electron donating groups or the predominance of strong electron withdrawing groups (e.g. halogenated, carbonyl, carboxyl, and sulfonamide) tended to show poor removal efficiencies (<30%) in biological wastewater treatment processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Standardized Interviews on Organ Donation.

PubMed

Corman Dincer, Pelin; Birtan, Deniz; Arslantas, Mustafa Kemal; Tore Altun, Gulbin; Ayanoglu, Hilmi Omer

2018-03-01

Organ donation is the most important stage for organ transplant. Studies reveal that attitudes of families of brain-dead patients toward donation play a significant role in their decision. We hypothesized that supporting family awareness about the meaning of organ donation, including saving lives while losing a loved one, combined with being informed about brain death and the donation process must be maintained by intensive care unit physicians through standardized interviews and questionnaires to increase the donation rate. We retrospectively evaluated the final decisions of families of 52 brain-dead donors treated at our institution between 2014 and 2017. Data underwent descriptive analyses. The standard interview content was generated after literature search results were reviewed by the authors. Previously, we examined the impact of standardized interviews done by intensive care unit physicians with relatives of potential brain-dead donors regarding decisions to donate or reasons for refusing organ donation. After termination of that study, interviews were done according to the intensivist's orientation, resulting in significantly decreased donation rates. Standardized interviews were then started again, resulting in increased donation rates. Of 17 families who participated in standardized interviews, 5 families (29.4%) agreed to donate organs of their brain-dead relatives. In the other group of families, intensivists governed informing the families of donation without standardized interviews. In this group of 35 families, 5 families (14.3%) approved organ donation. The decision regarding whether to agree to organ donation was statistically different between the 2 family groups (P < .05). Conducting a standard interview between relatives of brain-dead donors and the intensivists, facilitating visits between relatives and the brain-dead patients, and informing relatives about the donation process resulted in an increased rate of organ donation compared with routine protocols.

Donating blood and organs: using an extended theory of planned behavior perspective to identify similarities and differences in individual motivations to donate.

PubMed

Hyde, Melissa K; Knowles, Simon R; White, Katherine M

2013-12-01

Due to the critical shortage and continued need of blood and organ donations (ODs), research exploring similarities and differences in the motivational determinants of these behaviors is needed. In a sample of 258 university students, we used a cross-sectional design to test the utility of an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) including moral norm, self-identity and in-group altruism (family/close friends and ethnic group), to predict people's blood and OD intentions. Overall, the extended TPB explained 77.0% and 74.6% of variance in blood and OD intentions, respectively. In regression analyses, common contributors to intentions across donation contexts were attitude, self-efficacy and self-identity. Normative influences varied with subjective norm as a significant predictor related to OD intentions but not blood donation intentions at the final step of regression analyses. Moral norm did not contribute significantly to blood or OD intentions. In-group altruism (family/close friends) was significantly related to OD intentions only in regressions. Future donation strategies should increase confidence to donate, foster a perception of self as the type of person who donates blood and/or organs, and address preferences to donate organs to in-group members only.

On irreversible adsorption of electron-donating compounds in aqueous solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tamon, Hajime; Atsushi, Masanori; Okazaki, Morio

Activated carbons and synthetic adsorbents have been used for liquid purification and wastewater treatment. The feasibility of an adsorption process depends greatly on the cost of regeneration of spent adsorbents. If irreversible adsorption occurs, regeneration of spent adsorbent is very difficult. Hence, it is very important to understand why irreversible adsorption appears in aqueous solution. In the adsorption of electron-donating compounds such as phenol, aniline, L-phenylalanine, and L-tyrosine from aqueous solution, irreversibility was observed on activated carbon and graphite. The compounds, except L-tyrosine, were reversibly adsorbed on a synthetic adsorbent. In the case where the carbonaceous adsorbents contacted the aqueousmore » solution containing electron-donating compounds for a long time, the irreversible amount adsorbed increased with the contact time. A two-state adsorption model was used to explain why the irreversible adsorption of electron-donating compound appears in aqueous solution. First, the compound is adsorbed in the precursor state for irreversible adsorption, and then moves into its irreversible state over a potential energy barrier after a long contact time. The appearance of irreversible adsorption was qualitatively explained by the two-state adsorption model.« less

Removal of antibiotics from water in the coexistence of suspended particles and natural organic matters using amino-acid-modified-chitosan flocculants: A combined experimental and theoretical study.

PubMed

Jia, Shuying; Yang, Zhen; Ren, Kexin; Tian, Ziqi; Dong, Chang; Ma, Ruixue; Yu, Ge; Yang, Weiben

2016-11-05

Contamination of trace antibiotics is widely found in surface water sources. This work delineates removal of trace antibiotics (norfloxacin (NOR), sulfadiazine (SDZ) or tylosin (TYL)) from synthetic surface water by flocculation, in the coexistence of inorganic suspended particles (kaolin) and natural organic matter (humic acid, HA). To avoid extra pollution caused by petrochemical products-based modification reagents, environmental-friendly amino-acid-modified-chitosan flocculants, Ctrp and Ctyr, with different functional aromatic-rings structures were employed. Jar tests at various pHs exhibited that, Ctyr, owning phenol groups as electron donors, was favored for elimination of cationic NOR (∼50% removal; optimal pH: 6; optimal dosage: 4mg/L) and TYL (∼60% removal; optimal pH: 7; optimal dosage: 7.5mg/L), due to π-π electron donator-acceptor (EDA) effect and unconventional H-bonds. Differently, Ctrp with indole groups as electron acceptor had better removal rate (∼50%) of SDZ anions (electron donator). According to correlation analysis, the coexisted kaolin and HA played positive roles in antibiotics' removal. Detailed pairwise interactions in molecular level among different components were clarified by spectral analysis and theoretical calculations (density functional theory), which are important for both the structural design of new flocculants aiming at targeted contaminants and understanding the environmental behaviors of antibiotics in water. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and investigation of various properties of a novel series of nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores bearing dicyanovinyl (DCV) moiety

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seferoğlu, Nurgul; Bayrak, Yasmina; Yalçın, Ergin; Seferoğlu, Zeynel

2017-12-01

A series of new nonlinear optic (NLO) chromophores containing a dimethine (vinyl) as π-bridge and electron acceptor dicyanomethine and different electron-donating groups and heterocyclic rings were synthesized. The structures of synthesized dyes were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (1H/13C NMR) and mass spectrometry. Their electronic absorption spectra were evaluated in MeOH, THF and DCM. The absorption maxima exhibited little bathochromic shifts for each dye with the increasing dielectric constants of the solvents. The synthesized dyes can absorb in the range of 354-506 nm. The analysis of the electronic spectra showed that the dyes having electron-donating groups or heterocyclic rings showed significant changes relative to the model dye which has no substituent on the phenyl ring. In addition, the absorption maxima moved to the longest wavelength for dye containing N,N-dibutylamino substituent. Experimental absorption wavelengths for the compounds were found to be in good agreement with those predicted using the Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) [B3LYP/6-311 + g(d,p)]. Furthermore, the second order NLO responses of the dyes were calculated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The study reveals that the synthesized chromophores have large first hyperpolarizability (β) values, hence they may have potential applications in the development of NLO materials. For determination of the thermal behaviors of the compounds, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were done. The result showed that all the chromophores exhibited good thermal stabilities with the decomposition temperatures (Td) greater than 260 °C.

Substituent and Solvent Effects on the Absorption Spectra of Cation-π Complexes of Benzene and Borazine: A Theoretical Study.

PubMed

Sarmah, Nabajit; Bhattacharyya, Pradip Kr; Bania, Kusum K

2014-05-29

Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) has been used to predict the absorption spectra of cation-π complexes of benzene and borazine. Both polarized continuum model (PCM) and discrete solvation model (DSM) and a combined effect of PCM and DSM on the absorption spectra have been elucidated. With decrease in size of the cation, the π → π* transitions of benzene and borazine are found to undergo blue and red shift, respectively. A number of different substituents (both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating) and a range of solvents (nonpolar to polar) have been considered to understand the effect of substituent and solvents on the absorption spectra of the cation-π complexes of benzene and borazine. Red shift in the absorption spectra of benzene cation-π complexes are observed with both electron-donating groups (EDGs) and electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs). The same trend has not been observed in the case of substituted borazine cation-π complexes. The wavelength of the electronic transitions corresponding to cation-π complexes correlates well with the Hammet constants (σ p and σ m ). This correlation indicates that the shifting of spectral lines of the cation-π complexes on substitution is due to both resonance and inductive effect. On incorporation of solvent phases, significant red or blue shifting in the absorption spectra of the complexes has been observed. Kamlet-Taft multiparametric equation has been used to explain the effect of solvent on the absorption spectra of complexes. Polarity and polarizability are observed to play an important role in the solvatochromism of the cation-π complexes.

From attitude formation to behavioral response in organ donation: using marketing to increase consent rates.

PubMed

Aldridge, Alicia; Guy, Bonnie; Roggenkamp, Susan

2003-01-01

This article presents a theoretical analysis of attitude formation and the relationship to stated behavioral intentions as it relates to the decision to donate organs. This analysis reveals the presence of three distinct paths to behavior of potential donors, groups differing in their involvement with organ donation. Promotional objectives and campaign strategies designed to influence attitudes and behaviors should differ according to the behavioral path in operation and the involvement of the audience. Mass media campaigns are likely to reach high involvement groups only. Therefore, personal selling, underutilized in previous donation campaigns, should be brought into the donation strategy to appeal to low involvement groups. By recognizing differences in audience involvement and implementing different strategies, overall donation rates could substantially increase.

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of officials of religion about organ donation in Kahramanmaras, an eastern Mediterranean city of Turkey.

PubMed

Ozer, A; Ekerbicer, H C; Celik, M; Nacar, M

2010-11-01

To establish the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the officials of religion, a group with potentially powerful influence on the society, in particular regarding organ donation. This study, performed in Kahramanmaras Province, Turkey, included 416 of 641 officials of religion (64.9%): 295 of 492 imams (59.9%) and 121 of 149 Koran course educators (81.2%). The mean (SD) age of the study group was 37.2 (8.2) years. Only 1.4% had stated that carried organ donation cards. Of participants who had not donated organs asked whether they thought of donation, 14.1% answered yes, 17.1% answered no, and 68.8% were undecided. Of the study group, 88.2% considered organ donation appropriate according to their religion. The imams compared with Koran course educators, and men compared with women demonstrated higher rates of considering organ donation appropriate according to their religion (P < .05). Among participants who stated they had knowledge about organ donation, the 3 leading information sources were television, newspapers or journals, and in-service training by the Directorate of Religious Affairs. The 3 primary organs the study group stated they were aware of being transplanted were kidneys, liver, and heart. Although 88.2% of religious officials in the present study stated that organ donation was appropriate according to their religion, only 1.4% agreed to donate organs. Officials of religion hold an important place in society, and should be well informed and educated about organ donation via in-service training courses, and encourage organ donation by members of society. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, photophysical, structural and electronic properties of novel regioisomerically pure 1,7-disubstituted perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic monoimide dibutylester derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozser, Mustafa E.; Mohiuddin, Obaidullah

2018-04-01

Three new isomerically pure 1,7-disubstituted perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic monoimide dibutylester derivatives namely; N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-1,7-dibromoperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxy monoimide dibutylester (PMD-1), N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-1,7-di(4-tert-butylphenoxy)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxy monoimide dibutylester (PMD-2) and N-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl]-1,7-di(pyrrolidinyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxy monoimide dibutylester (PMD-3), have been synthesized and their electronic absorption spectra, and steady-state fluorescence were investigated experimentally as well as by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. All three compounds show good solubility in toluene and chloroform. Attachment of two tert-butylphenoxy groups at the 1,7-positions in PMD-2 resulted in a red shifted absorption band with an absorption maximum at 518 nm. UV/Vis absorption spectrum of PMD-3 bearing electron donating pyrrolidinyl groups at the 1,7-positions shows a broad absorption band within the visible region, extending to red region. Absorption maximum of lowest energy transition now shifts to 653 nm. In addition to the S0 → S1 absorption bands, bands belonging to S0 → S2 electronic transitions were observed at 378, 386, and 411 nm for PMD-1, PMD-2, and PMD-3 respectively. Compounds PMD-1, PMD-2 and PMD-3 display low fluorescence quantum yields of 0.027, 0.040 and 0.001, respectively in chloroform. DFT calculations revealed that the attachment of electron donating groups at 1,7-positions of perylene core, results in an increase in frontier orbitals energy levels. Observed energy increase in HOMO level is larger in each case, compared to the energy increase in LUMO levels, due to the higher contribution of side groups to HOMO. DFT calculated band gaps for PMD-1, PMD-2 and PMD-3 are 2.68, 2.63 and 2.29 eV respectively.

Do Children with Better Inhibitory Control Donate More? Differentiating between Early and Middle Childhood and Cool and Hot Inhibitory Control.

PubMed

Hao, Jian

2017-01-01

Inhibitory control may play an important part in prosocial behavior, such as donating behavior. However, it is not clear at what developmental stage inhibitory control becomes associated with donating behavior and which aspects of inhibitory control are related to donating behavior during development in early to middle childhood. The present study aimed to clarify these issues with two experiments. In Experiment 1, 103 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers completed cool (Stroop-like) and hot (delay of gratification) inhibitory control tasks and a donating task. The results indicated that there were no relationships between cool or hot inhibitory control and donating behavior in the whole group and each age group of the preschoolers. In Experiment 2, 140 elementary school children in Grades 2, 4, and 6 completed cool (Stroop-like) and hot (delay of gratification) inhibitory control tasks and a donating task. The results showed that inhibitory control was positively associated with donating behavior in the whole group. Cool and hot inhibitory control respectively predicted donating behavior in the second and sixth graders. Therefore, the present study reveals that donating behavior increasingly relies on specific inhibitory control, i.e., hot inhibitory control as children grow in middle childhood.

Physical origins of weak H 2 binding on carbon nanostructures: Insight from ab initio studies of chemically functionalized graphene nanoribbons

DOE PAGES

Ulman, Kanchan; Bhaumik, Debarati; Wood, Brandon C.; ...

2014-05-05

Here, we have performed ab initio density functional theory calculations, incorporating London dispersion corrections, to study the absorption of molecular hydrogen on zigzag graphene nanoribbons whose edges have been functionalized by OH, NH 2, COOH, NO 2, or H 2PO 3. We find that hydrogen molecules always preferentially bind at or near the functionalized edge, and display induced dipole moments. Binding is generally enhanced by the presence of polar functional groups. Furthermore, the largest gains are observed for groups with oxygen lone pairs that can facilitate local charge reorganization, with the biggest single enhancement in adsorption energy found for “strongmore » functionalization” by H 2PO 3 (115 meV/H 2 versus 52 meV/H 2 on bare graphene). We show that for binding on the “outer edge” near the functional group, the presence of the group can introduce appreciable contributions from Debye interactions and higher-order multipole electrostatic terms, in addition to the dominant London dispersion interactions. For those functional groups that contain the OH moiety, the adsorption energy is linearly proportional to the number of lone pairs on oxygen atoms. Mixed functionalization with two different functional groups on a graphene edge can also have a synergistic effect, particularly when electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups are combined. For binding on the “inner edge” somewhat farther from the functional group, most of the binding again arises from London interactions; however, there is also significant charge redistribution in the π manifold, which directly reflects the electron donating or withdrawing capacity of the functional group. These results offer insight into the specific origins of weak binding of gas molecules on graphene, and suggest that edge functionalization could perhaps be used in combination with other strategies to increase the uptake of hydrogen in graphene. They also have relevance for the storage of hydrogen in porous carbon materials, such as activated carbons.« less

Bio-inspired cofacial Fe porphyrin dimers for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 to CO conversion: Overpotential tuning by substituents at the porphyrin rings

PubMed Central

Zahran, Zaki N.; Mohamed, Eman A.; Naruta, Yoshinori

2016-01-01

Efficient reduction of CO2 into useful carbon resources particularly CO is an essential reaction for developing alternate sources of fuels and for reducing the greenhouse effect of CO2. The binuclear Ni, Fe−containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODHs) efficiently catalyzes the reduction of CO2 to CO. The location of Ni and Fe at proper positions allows their cooperation for CO2 to CO conversion through a push−pull mechanism. Bio−inspired from CODHs, we used several cofacial porphyrin dimers with different substituents as suitable ligands for holding two Fe ions with suitable Fe−Fe separation distance to efficiently and selectively promote CO2 to CO conversion with high turnover frequencies, TOFs. The substituents on the porphyrin rings greatly affect the catalysis process. By introducing electron-withdrawing/-donating groups, e.g. electron-withdrawing perfluorophenyl, at all meso positions of the porphyrin rings, the catalysis overpotential, η was minimized by ≈0.3 V compared to that obtained by introducing electron-donating mesityl groups. The Fe porphyrin dimers among reported catalysts are the most efficient ones for CO2 to CO conversion. Control experiments indicate that the high performance of the current CO2 to CO conversion catalysts is due to the presence of binuclear Fe centers at suitable Fe−Fe separation distance. PMID:27087483

Bio-inspired cofacial Fe porphyrin dimers for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 to CO conversion: Overpotential tuning by substituents at the porphyrin rings.

PubMed

Zahran, Zaki N; Mohamed, Eman A; Naruta, Yoshinori

2016-04-18

Efficient reduction of CO2 into useful carbon resources particularly CO is an essential reaction for developing alternate sources of fuels and for reducing the greenhouse effect of CO2. The binuclear Ni, Fe-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODHs) efficiently catalyzes the reduction of CO2 to CO. The location of Ni and Fe at proper positions allows their cooperation for CO2 to CO conversion through a push-pull mechanism. Bio-inspired from CODHs, we used several cofacial porphyrin dimers with different substituents as suitable ligands for holding two Fe ions with suitable Fe-Fe separation distance to efficiently and selectively promote CO2 to CO conversion with high turnover frequencies, TOFs. The substituents on the porphyrin rings greatly affect the catalysis process. By introducing electron-withdrawing/-donating groups, e.g. electron-withdrawing perfluorophenyl, at all meso positions of the porphyrin rings, the catalysis overpotential, η was minimized by ≈0.3 V compared to that obtained by introducing electron-donating mesityl groups. The Fe porphyrin dimers among reported catalysts are the most efficient ones for CO2 to CO conversion. Control experiments indicate that the high performance of the current CO2 to CO conversion catalysts is due to the presence of binuclear Fe centers at suitable Fe-Fe separation distance.

Bio-inspired cofacial Fe porphyrin dimers for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 to CO conversion: Overpotential tuning by substituents at the porphyrin rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahran, Zaki N.; Mohamed, Eman A.; Naruta, Yoshinori

2016-04-01

Efficient reduction of CO2 into useful carbon resources particularly CO is an essential reaction for developing alternate sources of fuels and for reducing the greenhouse effect of CO2. The binuclear Ni, Fe-containing carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODHs) efficiently catalyzes the reduction of CO2 to CO. The location of Ni and Fe at proper positions allows their cooperation for CO2 to CO conversion through a push-pull mechanism. Bio-inspired from CODHs, we used several cofacial porphyrin dimers with different substituents as suitable ligands for holding two Fe ions with suitable Fe-Fe separation distance to efficiently and selectively promote CO2 to CO conversion with high turnover frequencies, TOFs. The substituents on the porphyrin rings greatly affect the catalysis process. By introducing electron-withdrawing/-donating groups, e.g. electron-withdrawing perfluorophenyl, at all meso positions of the porphyrin rings, the catalysis overpotential, η was minimized by ≈0.3 V compared to that obtained by introducing electron-donating mesityl groups. The Fe porphyrin dimers among reported catalysts are the most efficient ones for CO2 to CO conversion. Control experiments indicate that the high performance of the current CO2 to CO conversion catalysts is due to the presence of binuclear Fe centers at suitable Fe-Fe separation distance.

The role of women in the donation consent decision: building on previous research.

PubMed

Dodd-McCue, Diane; Tartaglia, Alexander; Cowherd, Robin

2007-09-01

Recently published findings emphasize the dominant role of women in the donation discussion. With some noteworthy exceptions, the empirical literature on gender and donation, and the role of gender in healthcare decisions as well as donation, is limited. To provide preliminary information needed to begin theoretical or framework development and to initiate more rigorous research on the role of gender in donation discussions. This exploratory study is a descriptive qualitative retrospective study using focus group methodology. Two focus groups were conducted in 2 major cities in the organ procurement organization's service area. Participants were women who were involved in the donation discussion within the past 5 years; 6 participated in 1 session, 8 in the other. The focus group discussions highlight the role of women in the donation process relative to information needs, information usage, and the ensuring dynamics of the donation discussion. Compared to men, women tend to seek more information and reframe this information for others. Because women are frequently central in family communication networks, they serve as a communication conduit for other family members and may influence others. Involving key women decision makers in the early stages of the donation discussion and providing information elaboration build on women's central placement and role in family communication network processes. The significance of women's central placement may carry cultural implications, particularly for racial or ethnic groups with strong matriarchal or extended kinship structures.

The spectroscopic impact of interactions with the four Gouterman orbitals from peripheral decoration of porphyrins with simple electron withdrawing and donating groups.

PubMed

Zhang, Angel; Kwan, Lydia; Stillman, Martin J

2017-11-07

Tetrapyrroles are of great interest for solar cell and photodynamic therapy applications due to their structural analogy with chlorophyll, a natural photosensitizer. Unsubstituted symmetric porphyrins exhibit weak absorption in the red region which makes them unsuitable for these applications. The push-pull peripheral decoration modifies the energies of the frontier molecular orbitals, which in turn influences the tetrapyrrole's spectroscopic properties. The absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and emission spectra were measured for four zinc tetratolylporphyrin compounds substituted peripherally with a fused dimethoxybenzo group as an electron withdrawing group (EWG) on one pyrrole and on the opposite pyrrole, a single acetamido (1), a nitro (2), a proton (3), or a benzoylamino (4) substituent. Unusually, the magnetic circular dichroism spectrum of 2 exhibited a negative A term for the lowest energy absorption band (the Q band) and its emission spectrum was also unlike those of 1, 3, and 4. A complete computational analysis was carried out to obtain the energies and electron distribution, shown by electron density surfaces, of the four Gouterman MOs. TD-DFT calculations showed that for 2, ΔLUMO was greater than ΔHOMO, which accounted for the observed negative A term. The trend in the estimated MCD A term magnitudes, normalized to the absorbance as [A/(dipole strength) BM], provides experimental confirmation of the computationally determined ratio of ΔLUMO/ΔHOMO data. The value of ΔHOMO was confirmed by the trend in oscillator strengths. A series of fictive porphyrins (F1-F5) incorporating simple push-pull substituents were designed and their electronic structures were investigated using TD-DFT calculations. The substituents in the five fictive molecules illustrate the differential effect of the donor and acceptor groups in the β-position of the pyrroles on the relative stabilities of the four Gouterman orbitals. NO 2 groups result in the greatest splitting of the LUMO pair. We show that on using strong EWGs, opposite electron donating groups result in a ΔLUMO > 0, which red-shifts the Q band and introduces a strong dipole. With the nitro and formyl EWGs, ΔLUMO becomes greater than ΔHOMO, resulting in a complex electronic structure of the Q band, recognizable by a negative A term suggesting a design objective for future photosensitizers.

Theoretical study on the electronic structures and phosphorescent properties of four Ir(III) complexes with different substituents on the ancillary ligand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Deming; Shang, Xiaohong; Zhang, Gang; Zhao, Lihui

2013-12-01

The geometry structures, electronic structures, absorption and phosphorescent properties of four Ir(III) complexes {[(F2-ppy)2Ir(pta-X)], where F2-ppy = (2,4-difluoro)phenylpyridine; pta = pyridine-1,2,4-triazole; X = -CF3; -H; -CH3; -N(CH3)2}, are investigated using the density functional method. The results reveal that the electron-accepting group -CF3 has no obvious effect on absorption and emission properties, while the substitutive group -N(CH3)2 with strong electron-donating ability has obvious effect on the emission properties. The mobility of hole and electron were studied computationally based on the Marcus-Hush theory. Calculations of ionisation potential and electron affinity were used to evaluate the injection abilities of holes and electrons into these complexes. We hope that this theoretical work can provide a suitable guide to the future design and synthesis of novel phosphorescent materials for use in the organic light-emitting diodes.

Regioselective copper-catalyzed N(1)-(hetero)arylation of protected histidine.

PubMed

Sharma, Krishna K; Mandloi, Meenakshi; Jain, Rahul

2016-09-26

We report regioselective N(1)-arylation of protected histidine using copper(i) iodide as a catalyst, trans-N,N'-dimethylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine as a ligand and readily available aryl iodides as coupling partners under microwave irradiation at 130 °C for 40 min. The reaction provides rapid access to electron-donating, electron-withdrawing and bulky group substituted N-arylated histidines in high yields, including previously inaccessible N-heteroaryl histidines. These N(1)-(hetero)aryl histidines are promising building blocks in peptide-based drug design and discovery.

New Stable Cu(I) Catalyst Supported on Weakly Acidic Polyacrylate Resin for Green C-N Coupling: Synthesis of N-(Pyridin-4-yl)benzene Amines and N,N-Bis(pyridine-4-yl)benzene Amines.

PubMed

Kore, Nitin; Pazdera, Pavel

2016-12-22

A method for preparation of a new stable Cu(I) catalyst supported on weakly acidic polyacrylate resin without additional stabilizing ligands is described. A simple and efficient methodology for Ullmann Cu(I) catalyzed C-N cross coupling reactions using this original catalyst is reported. Coupling reactions of 4-chloropyridinium chloride with anilines containing electron donating (EDG) or electron withdrawing (EWG) groups, naphthalen-2-amine and piperazine, respectively, are successfully demonstrated.

Effects of heteroatom substitution in conjugated heterocyclic compounds on photovoltaic performance: from sulfur to tellurium.

PubMed

Park, Y S; Kale, T S; Nam, C-Y; Choi, D; Grubbs, R B

2014-07-28

We report a general strategy for fine-tuning the bandgap of donor-acceptor-donor based organic molecules by modulating the electron-donating ability of the donor moiety by changing the benzochalcogenophene donor groups from benzothiophenes to benzoselenophenes to benzotellurophenes. These molecules show red-shifts in absorption and external quantum efficiency maxima from sulfur to selenium to tellurium. In bulk heterojunction solar cell devices, the benzoselenophene derivative shows a power conversion efficiency as high as 5.8% with PC61BM as the electron acceptor.

Controlling the directionality of charge transfer in phthalocyaninato zinc sensitizer for a dye-sensitized solar cell: density functional theory studies.

PubMed

Wan, Liang; Qi, Dongdong; Zhang, Yuexing; Jiang, Jianzhuang

2011-01-28

Density functional theory (DFT) calculation on the molecular structures, charge distribution, molecular orbitals, electronic absorption spectra of a series of eight unsymmetrical phthalocyaninato zinc complexes with one peripheral (E)-2-cyano-3-(5-vinylthiophen-2-yl) acrylic acid substituent at 2 or 3 position as an electron-withdrawing group and a different number of electron-donating amino groups at the remaining peripheral positions (9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24) of the phthalocyanine ring, namely ZnPc-β-A, ZnPc-β-A-I-NH(2), ZnPc-β-A-II-NH(2), ZnPc-β-A-III-NH(2), ZnPc-β-A-I,II-NH(2), ZnPc-β-A-I,III-NH(2), ZnPc-β-A-II,III-NH(2), and ZnPc-β-A-I,II,III-NH(2), reveals the effects of amino groups on the charge transfer properties of these phthalocyanine derivatives with a typical D-π-A electronic structure. The introduction of amino groups was revealed altering of the atomic charge distribution, lifting the frontier molecular orbital level, red-shift of the near-IR bands in the electronic absorption spectra, and finally resulting in enhanced charge transfer directionality for the phthalocyanine compounds. Along with the increase of the peripheral amino groups at the phthalocyanine ring from 0, 2, 4, to 6, the dihedral angle between the phthalocyanine ring and the average plane of the (E)-2-cyano-3-(5-vinylthiophen-2-yl) acrylic acid substituent increases from 0 to 3.3° in an irregular manner. This is in good contrast to the regular and significant change in the charge distribution, destabilization of frontier orbital energies, and red shift of near-IR bands of phthalocyanine compounds along the same order. In addition, comparative studies indicate the smaller effect of incorporating two amino groups onto the 16 and 17 than on 9 and 10 or 23 and 24 peripheral positions of the phthalocyanine ring onto the aforementioned electronic properties, suggesting the least effect on tuning the charge transfer property of the phthalocyanine compound via introducing two electron-donating amino groups onto the 16 and 17 peripheral positions. As expected, compound ZnPc-β-A-I,III-NH(2) with four amino groups at 9, 10, 23, and 24 positions of the phthalocyanine ring shows the best charge transfer directionality among the three phthalocyaninato zinc complexes with four peripheral amino groups.

Congested ferrocenyl polyphosphanes bearing electron-donating or electron-withdrawing phosphanyl groups: assessment of metallocene conformation from NMR spin couplings and use in palladium-catalyzed chloroarenes activation.

PubMed

Mom, Sophal; Beaupérin, Matthieu; Roy, David; Royer, Sylviane; Amardeil, Régine; Cattey, Hélène; Doucet, Henri; Hierso, J-C

2011-11-21

The synthesis of novel substituted cyclopentadienyl salts that incorporate both a congested branched alkyl group (tert-butyl, (triphenyl)methyl, or tri(4-tert-butyl)phenylmethyl) and a phosphanyl group is reported. The introduction of either electron-withdrawing or electron-donating substituents (furyl, i-propyl, cyclohexyl, tert-butyl) on P atoms was generally achieved in high yield. The modular synthesis of ferrocenyl polyphosphanes from an assembly of these cyclopentadienyl salts was investigated, leading to the formation of new triphosphanes (denoted as 9-12) and diphosphanes (denoted as 14-16). The resulting phosphanes are not sensitive to air or moisture, even when electron-rich substituents are present. This set of polyphosphanes displays varied conformational features, which are discussed in the light of their multinuclear NMR characterization in solution and of the X-ray solid state structure of the representative triphosphane 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)-1'-(diisopropylphosphanyl)-3'-(triphenyl)methyl-4-tert-butyl ferrocene, 11. In particular, the existence of a range of significantly different nonbonded ("through-space", TS) spin-spin coupling constants between heteroannular P atoms, for the triphosphanes of this class, allowed their preferred conformation in solution to be appraised. The study evidences an unanticipated flexibility of the ferrocene platform, despite the presence of very congested tert-butyl and trityl groups. Herein, we show that, contrary to our first belief, the preferred conformation for the backbone of ferrocenyl polyphosphanes can not only depend on the hindrance of the groups decorating the cyclopentadienyl rings but is also a function of the substituents of the phosphanyl groups. The interest of these robust phosphanes as ligands was illustrated in palladium catalysis for the arylation of n-butyl furan with chloroarenes, using direct C-H activation of the heteroaromatic in the presence of low metal/ligand loadings (0.5-1.0 mol %). Thus, 4-chlorobenzonitrile, 4-chloronitrobenzene, 4-chloropropiophenone, and 4-(trifluoromethyl)chlorobenzene were efficiently coupled to n-butyl furan, using Pd(OAc)(2) associated to the new diphosphane ligands 1,1'-bis(diisopropylphosphanyl)-3,3'-di(triphenyl)methyl ferrocene (15) or 1,1'-bis(dicyclohexylphosphanyl)-3,3'-di(triphenyl)methylferrocene (16), which respectively hold the electron-rich -Pi-Pr(2) and -PCy(2) groups.

Effects of substituents in silyl groups on the absorption, fluorescence and structural properties of 1,3,6,8-tetrasilylpyrenes.

PubMed

Maeda, Hajime; Suzuki, Tsubasa; Segi, Masahito

2018-05-09

1,3,6,8-Tetrasilylpyrenes and related germyl and stannyl derivatives were synthesized, and their absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic and structural properties were elucidated. The results show that the UV-vis absorption maxima of these substances in CH2Cl2 solutions shift to longer wavelengths as the size of the alkyl groups and numbers of phenyl groups on silicon increase. Fluorescence quantum yields of tetrasilylpyrenes in cyclohexane are larger than that of pyrene, and a pentamethyldisilyl derivative has an emission efficiency of 0.79. Except in the case of the SiMe2H derivative, excimer emission was not observed in concentrated solutions of these substances. The SiMe2H and SiMe3 derivatives were shown to form CT complexes with tetracyanoethylene in CH2Cl2 solutions. The calculated energy barriers for rotation of the silyl groups about the Si-C bond increase as the steric bulk of the silyl group increases. 29Si NMR chemical shifts were found to depend on the sizes of the alkyl groups and numbers of phenyl groups. Data arising from theoretical calculations suggest that the silyl groups act as electron-donating groups, and the donating ability of the groups decreases in the order SiR3 > GeR3 > SnR3.

Public views on the donation and use of human biological samples in biomedical research: a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

Lewis, Celine; Clotworthy, Margaret; Hilton, Shona; Magee, Caroline; Robertson, Mark J; Stubbins, Lesley J; Corfield, Julie

2013-01-01

Objective A mixed methods study exploring the UK general public's willingness to donate human biosamples (HBSs) for biomedical research. Setting Cross-sectional focus groups followed by an online survey. Participants Twelve focus groups (81 participants) selectively sampled to reflect a range of demographic groups; 1110 survey responders recruited through a stratified sampling method with quotas set on sex, age, geographical location, socioeconomic group and ethnicity. Main outcome measures (1) Identify participants’ willingness to donate HBSs for biomedical research, (2) explore acceptability towards donating different types of HBSs in various settings and (3) explore preferences regarding use and access to HBSs. Results 87% of survey participants thought donation of HBSs was important and 75% wanted to be asked to donate in general. Responders who self-reported having some or good knowledge of the medical research process were significantly more likely to want to donate (p<0.001). Reasons why focus group participants saw donation as important included: it was a good way of reciprocating for the medical treatment received; it was an important way of developing drugs and treatments; residual tissue would otherwise go to waste and they or their family members might benefit. The most controversial types of HBSs to donate included: brain post mortem (29% would donate), eyes post mortem (35%), embryos (44%), spare eggs (48%) and sperm (58%). Regarding the use of samples, there were concerns over animal research (34%), research conducted outside the UK (35%), and research conducted by pharmaceutical companies (56%), although education and discussion were found to alleviate such concerns. Conclusions There is a high level of public support and willingness to donate HBSs for biomedical research. Underlying concerns exist regarding the use of certain types of HBSs and conditions under which they are used. Improved education and more controlled forms of consent for sensitive samples may mitigate such concerns. PMID:23929915

Squaraine dyes as efficient coupling bridges between triarylamine redox centres.

PubMed

Völker, Sebastian F; Renz, Manuel; Kaupp, Martin; Lambert, Christoph

2011-12-09

Various indolenine squarylium dyes with additional electron-donating amine redox centres have been synthesised and their redox chemistry has been studied. A combination of cyclic voltammetry, spectro-electrochemistry and DFT calculations has been used to characterise the electronic structure of the mono-, di- and, in one case, trications. All monocations still retain the cyanine-like, delocalised character due to the relatively low redox potential of the squaraine bridge and are therefore compounds of Robin-Day class III. Thus we extended previous studies on organic mixed-valence systems by using the indolenine squaraine moiety as very electron-rich bridge between two electron-donating amine redox centres to provoke a strong coupling between the additional redox centres. We synthesised TA3, which has an N-N distance of 26 bonds between the triarylamine redox centres and is to our knowledge the longest bis(triarylamine) radical cation that is completely delocalised. We furthermore show that altering the symmetry of a squaraine dye by substitution of a squaric ring oxygen atom by a dicyanomethylene group has a direct impact on the optical properties of the monocations. In case of the dications, it turned out that the energetically most stable state of dianisylamine-substituted squaraines is an anti-ferromagnetically coupled open-shell singlet state. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Employing NMR Spectroscopy To Evaluate Transmission of Electronic Effects in 4-Substituted Chalcones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachter-Jurcsak, Nanette; Zamani, Hossein

1999-05-01

Described is an organic synthesis experiment that demonstrates the electronic transmission by substituents. The effect of substitution at the para-position of the styryl ring of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenones (chalcones) by typical electron-donating or -accepting groups can be observed by proton and carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy. A linear correlation is observed when the differences in chemical shift measurements for H are plotted against the corresponding Hammett substituent constant values. Good correlation between carbon-13 chemical shifts of the alpha carbon are also observed. The syntheses of the 4-substituted chalcones is presented as well as a brief discussion of the theory.

Synthesis and carbon-13 NMR studies of liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Hong

2000-08-01

The orientation of different segments of 4'-cyanophenyl 4-heptylbenzoate (7CPB) has been investigated using 13C NMR. The method of proton encoded local field (PELF) spectroscopy was used in combination with off-magic-angle spinning (OMAS) of the sample. High-resolution 2D spectra were obtained and the order parameters were calculated from the spectra. Linear relationships between the obtained order parameters and anisotropic chemical shifts determined by 1D 13C NMR were established and semi-empirical parameters were obtained. A 1:2 mixture of 7CPB and its chain-perfluorinated analog (7PFCPB) shows interesting phase behavior with changing of temperature. The mixture was studied by the use of 13C NMR and polarizing optical microscopy. The order parameters of 7CPB in the smectic A phase of the mixture were calculated using the semi-empirical parameters obtained by the 2D NMR method. Eight series of liquid crystals containing an electron- donating group at one end of a conjugated system and an electron-withdrawing group at the other end have been synthesized. The electron-donating group is 4- n-alkylpiperazinyl group, the electron- withdrawing group is nitro group and the conjugated system is diphenyldiazene with zero, one or two substituents on the phenyl rings. The substituents are -F, -Cl, and -CH3. Two series of compounds with cyano group as electron-withdrawing group were also synthesized. Most of the compounds synthesized are nematogenic and exhibit rather broad liquid crystalline ranges. The effects of the lateral substituents on the optical absorption and phase transition temperatures are correlated with their nature and position of substitution. Birefringence, dielectric anisotropy, elastic constant ratio and rise time of the liquid crystals were carried out using 10 wt% LC mixtures in E7. It has been found that lateral substituents have subtle effects on the properties. The presence of lateral substituents depresses melting points and clearing points of the liquid crystals. All the liquid crystals synthesized in this work have relatively large values of birefiringence, although the dielectric anisotropy values were not as high as desired. The incorporation of a fluorine atom onto the position neighboring the nitro group enhances the conjugation of the push-pull system and liquid crystals with better physical properties were obtained.

The impact of knowledge and religion on organ donation as seen by immigrants in Sweden.

PubMed

Krupic, Ferid; Sayed-Noor, Arkan S; Fatahi, Nabi

2017-12-01

Transplantation of organs is one of the most successful medical advances of the past 60 years and transplantation is the treatment of choice for severe organ failure worldwide. Despite this situation, and the general acknowledgement of organ donation as a global priority, demand for organs outstrips supply in virtually every country in the world. The aim of the study was to elucidate factors that influence immigrant's decisions regarding organ donation. Data were collected through three group interviews using open-ended questions and qualitative content analysis. 32 participants, 16 men and 16 women from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Lebanon and Kosovo participated in focus group interviews (FGI). Analysis of the collected data resulted in two main categories: 'Information about organ donation' and 'Religious aspects of organ donation and a number of subcategories'. Some of the influencing factors concerning organ donation were mainly related to limited information from society as well as limited information from healthcare professionals. Religious aspects, fear and prejudices about organ donation were other factors that mentioned by participants as hamper regarding organ donation. In order to improve immigrants' attitude towards organ donation, information about this issue and identification of the hampering factors, particularly culturally related factors such as the religious aspect, is essential. In this context, different intervention studies are needed to increase monitories groups' attitude towards organ donations. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Exploring Donation Decisions: Beliefs and Preferences for Organ Donation in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyde, Melissa K.; White, Katherine M.

2010-01-01

The authors explored common beliefs and preferences for posthumous and living organ donation in Australia where organ donation rates are low and little research exists. Content analysis of discussions revealed the advantage of prolonging/saving life whereas disadvantages differed according to donation context. A range of people/groups perceived to…

Effect of Repeated Whole Blood Donations on Aerobic Capacity and Hemoglobin Mass in Moderately Trained Male Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Meurrens, Julie; Steiner, Thomas; Ponette, Jonathan; Janssen, Hans Antonius; Ramaekers, Monique; Wehrlin, Jon Peter; Vandekerckhove, Philippe; Deldicque, Louise

2016-12-01

The aims of the present study were to investigate the impact of three whole blood donations on endurance capacity and hematological parameters and to determine the duration to fully recover initial endurance capacity and hematological parameters after each donation. Twenty-four moderately trained subjects were randomly divided in a donation (n = 16) and a placebo (n = 8) group. Each of the three donations was interspersed by 3 months, and the recovery of endurance capacity and hematological parameters was monitored up to 1 month after donation. Maximal power output, peak oxygen consumption, and hemoglobin mass decreased (p < 0.001) up to 4 weeks after a single blood donation with a maximal decrease of 4, 10, and 7%, respectively. Hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, ferritin, and red blood cell count (RBC), all key hematological parameters for oxygen transport, were lowered by a single donation (p < 0.001) and cumulatively further affected by the repetition of the donations (p < 0.001). The maximal decrease after a blood donation was 11% for hematocrit, 10% for hemoglobin concentration, 50% for ferritin, and 12% for RBC (p < 0.001). Maximal power output cumulatively increased in the placebo group as the maximal exercise tests were repeated (p < 0.001), which indicates positive training adaptations. This increase in maximal power output over the whole duration of the study was not observed in the donation group. Maximal, but not submaximal, endurance capacity was altered after blood donation in moderately trained people and the expected increase in capacity after multiple maximal exercise tests was not present when repeating whole blood donations.

A political analysis of corporate drug donations: the example of Malarone in Kenya.

PubMed

Shretta, R; Walt, G; Brugha, R; Snow, R

2001-06-01

This paper describes the introduction of the Malarone Donation Programme in KENYA: Using a policy analysis approach it illustrates the political nature of donation programmes and how they are affected by a large and varied group of national, regional and international stakeholders, with different levels of influence and experience. The paper shows that interaction between these different groups may affect the development and implementation of the donation programme. It ends by raising some more general questions about public/private partnerships and corporate donation programmes, and their potential impact on national drug policies.

Sustainable Management of Electronics

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

To provide information on EPAs strategy for electronics stewardship, certified electronics recyclers and the Challenge; as well as where to donate unwanted electronics, how to calculate benefits, and what's going on with electronics mgmt in their states.

Non-donors' attitudes towards sperm donation and their willingness to donate.

PubMed

Provoost, Veerle; Van Rompuy, Florence; Pennings, Guido

2018-01-01

The aim of this article is to study attitudes about sperm donation and willingness to donate sperm in students who have never shown an interest in sperm donation. The method used in this study is an electronic survey of 1012 male students. Only one third of the respondents (34.3%) would consider donating sperm. Overall, 85.7% indicated a positive attitude towards sperm donation while 14.3% indicated a neutral or negative attitude. The highest scored barriers to donating were the lack of practical information and the fear that the partner would not agree. Almost 40% of the respondents feared that the donation might have a negative impact on their current or future relationship. The majority (83.6%) of those who considered donating thought donors should receive a financial compensation. Money was also one of the main motivators. About 85% of the students thought positively about sperm donation but several factors such as perceived negative views by the social environment, especially the partner, may deter students from donating. This study indicates that the effect of strong incentives, for instance in monetary terms, on a donor pool consisting of students could be limited and that relational factors and donor's perceptions of the views of the wider social network should be taken into account when recruiting donors.

Exploring opinions and beliefs about cord blood donation among Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women.

PubMed

Rucinski, Dianne; Jones, Risé; Reyes, Brenda; Tidwell, Lawon; Phillips, RoiAnn; Delves, Denise

2010-05-01

Despite higher birth rates among non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics, the availability of umbilical cord blood from these groups is lower due to lower donation rates than that of non-Hispanic whites. Similar racial and ethnic disparities in donation rates have been found for blood and organ donation. This study is among the first to explore beliefs and attitudes toward umbilical cord blood donation among Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women. Five focus groups composed of Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women were conducted to explore how women conceptualize information needs about umbilical cord blood donation and from whom women want to receive information about donation. Participants were adult women who had given birth within the past year or were pregnant. Lack of basic information regarding umbilical cord blood, its harvesting and use, and the steps and conditions necessary to donate were primary barriers to donation. Women expressed confusion over the differences between "donation" and "banking." The social value of donation was explicitly weighed in terms of the cost of the donation effort. Doctors were viewed as critical sources for information about donation, although women expressed skepticism about doctors' ability to convey sufficient information during short office visits. Efforts to increase donation rates among Hispanic and non-Hispanic black women should include information about both the technical aspects and the social value of donation. The specific terms "umbilical" and "donation" should be used consistently to prevent misunderstanding. Information should be provided by physicians with follow-up by other health providers.

HRQoL among Older Related HSC Donors (>60 yrs.) is Equivalent to that of Younger Related Donors (18–60 yrs.): An RDSafe Study

PubMed Central

Switzer, Galen E.; Bruce, Jessica; Kiefer, Deidre M.; Kobusingye, Hati; Drexler, Rebecca; Besser, RaeAnne M.; Confer, Dennis L.; Horowitz, Mary M.; King, Roberta J.; Shaw, Bronwen E.; Riches, Marcie; Hayes-Lattin, Brandon; Linenberger, Michael; Bolwell, Brian; Rowley, Scott D.; Litzow, Mark R.; Pulsipher, Michael A.

2016-01-01

The increasing number of older adults with blood-related disorders and the introduction of reduced intensity conditioning regimens has led to increases in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation among older adults and a corresponding increase in the age of siblings who donate HSCs to these patients. Data regarding the donation-related experiences of older donors is lacking. The Related Donor Safety Study (RDSafe) aimed to examine/compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older versus younger HSC donors. 60 peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors ages 18–60 and 104 PBSC donors age >60 completed validated questionnaires at pre-donation, 4 weeks and 1 year post-donation. Prior to donation, older donors had poorer general physical health (t=−3.27; p=.001) but better mental health (t=2.11; p<.05). There were no age differences in multiple other donation-related factors. At 4 weeks post-donation, there were no group differences in general physical/mental health, but older donors were less likely to report donation-related pain (t=−2.26; p<.05) and concerns (t=−3.38; p=.001). At both 4 weeks and 1 year post-donation, there were no significant differences in the percentage of each age group feeling physically back to normal or in the number of days it took donors to feel completely well. There was no evidence that increasing age within the older donor group was associated with poorer donation-related HRQoL. Taken together, these data support the current practice of HSC donation by sibling donors above age 60, providing no evidence of worsening HRQoL up to one year after donation in individuals up to age 76. PMID:27751935

Kinetic and Mechanistic Examination of Acid–Base Bifunctional Aminosilica Catalysts in Aldol and Nitroaldol Condensations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collier, Virginia E.; Ellebracht, Nathan C.; Lindy, George I.

The kinetic and mechanistic understanding of cooperatively catalyzed aldol and nitroaldol condensations is probed using a series of mesoporous silicas functionalized with aminosilanes to provide bifunctional acid–base character. Mechanistically, a Hammett analysis is performed to determine the effects of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups of para-substituted benzaldehyde derivatives on the catalytic activity of each condensation reaction. This information is also used to discuss the validity of previously proposed catalytic mechanisms and to propose a revised mechanism with plausible reaction intermediates. For both reactions, electron-withdrawing groups increase the observed rates of reaction, though resonance effects play an important, yet subtle, role inmore » the nitroaldol condensation, in which a p-methoxy electron-donating group is also able to stabilize the proposed carbocation intermediate. Additionally, activation energies and pre-exponential factors are calculated via the Arrhenius analysis of two catalysts with similar amine loadings: one catalyst had silanols available for cooperative interactions (acid–base catalysis), while the other was treated with a silanol-capping reagent to prevent such cooperativity (base-only catalysis). The values obtained for activation energies and pre-exponential factors in each reaction are discussed in the context of the proposed mechanisms and the importance of cooperative interactions in each reaction. The catalytic activity decreases for all reactions when the silanols are capped with trimethylsilyl groups, and higher temperatures are required to make accurate rate measurements, emphasizing the vital role the weakly acidic silanols play in the catalytic cycles. The results indicate that loss of acid sites is more detrimental to the catalytic activity of the aldol condensation than the nitroaldol condensation, as evidenced by the significant decrease in the pre-exponential factor for the aldol condensation when silanols are unavailable for cooperative interactions. Cooperative catalysis is evidenced by significant changes in the pre-exponential factor, rather than the activation energy for the aldol condensation.« less

Kinetic and Mechanistic Examination of Acid–Base Bifunctional Aminosilica Catalysts in Aldol and Nitroaldol Condensations

DOE PAGES

Collier, Virginia E.; Ellebracht, Nathan C.; Lindy, George I.; ...

2015-12-09

The kinetic and mechanistic understanding of cooperatively catalyzed aldol and nitroaldol condensations is probed using a series of mesoporous silicas functionalized with aminosilanes to provide bifunctional acid–base character. Mechanistically, a Hammett analysis is performed to determine the effects of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups of para-substituted benzaldehyde derivatives on the catalytic activity of each condensation reaction. This information is also used to discuss the validity of previously proposed catalytic mechanisms and to propose a revised mechanism with plausible reaction intermediates. For both reactions, electron-withdrawing groups increase the observed rates of reaction, though resonance effects play an important, yet subtle, role inmore » the nitroaldol condensation, in which a p-methoxy electron-donating group is also able to stabilize the proposed carbocation intermediate. Additionally, activation energies and pre-exponential factors are calculated via the Arrhenius analysis of two catalysts with similar amine loadings: one catalyst had silanols available for cooperative interactions (acid–base catalysis), while the other was treated with a silanol-capping reagent to prevent such cooperativity (base-only catalysis). The values obtained for activation energies and pre-exponential factors in each reaction are discussed in the context of the proposed mechanisms and the importance of cooperative interactions in each reaction. The catalytic activity decreases for all reactions when the silanols are capped with trimethylsilyl groups, and higher temperatures are required to make accurate rate measurements, emphasizing the vital role the weakly acidic silanols play in the catalytic cycles. The results indicate that loss of acid sites is more detrimental to the catalytic activity of the aldol condensation than the nitroaldol condensation, as evidenced by the significant decrease in the pre-exponential factor for the aldol condensation when silanols are unavailable for cooperative interactions. Cooperative catalysis is evidenced by significant changes in the pre-exponential factor, rather than the activation energy for the aldol condensation.« less

A national minority transplant program for increasing donation rates.

PubMed

Callender, C; Burston, B; Yeager, C; Miles, P

1997-01-01

Since 1982, our group efforts demonstrated statistically significant improvements in minority donation rates which have applicability to all minority populations. As we continue to reach out to the various ethnic communities, we must listen to the needs of the community understanding that all ethnic communities have various beliefs and cultural barriers that will need to be addressed. For instance, the African-American population revealed the previously mentioned five obstacles to donation. The Hispanic population has revealed relatively the same fears to donation as the African-American population. In addition, the tribes within the Native-American population each have their own belief systems which will have to be addressed appropriately. The fears and obstacles toward donation within the Asians and Pacific Islanders and the Alaska Native groups are being defined. However, initial research reveals that all of the minority groups have very similar, if not the same, fears that were identified with the initial focus group in 1978. This simple methodology that has been established can ultimately help achieve the overall desired goal--an increase in minority donation rates.

Iron supplementation and 2-unit red blood cell apheresis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

PubMed

Radtke, Hartmut; Mayer, Beate; Röcker, Lothar; Salama, Abdulgabar; Kiesewetter, Holger

2004-10-01

The benefits of 2-unit red blood cell (RBC) apheresis are evident, but iron depletion may be a limiting factor in using this technology. Regular iron supplementation may allow a better utilization of this technique. In this study, 260 regular blood donors donated 2-unit RBCs on each of a total of seven visits at intervals of 8 to 10 weeks. The volunteers were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg of iron(II) or placebo daily. Group A received iron capsules after the first three donations, and Group B after the second three donations, respectively. Hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and serum iron were measured before each donation. Mean serum ferritin concentration decreased after each donation in the placebo phase of both treatment groups, but it remained largely constant during the iron phase in Group A, and even increased during the iron phase in Group B. Regular iron supplementation prevents iron depletion in the majority of donors after 2-unit RBC apheresis within an 8- to 10-week period.

The 'donations for decreased ALT (D4D)' prosocial behavior incentive scheme for NAFLD patients.

PubMed

Sumida, Yoshio; Yoshikawa, Toshikazu; Tanaka, Saiyu; Taketani, Hiroyoshi; Kanemasa, Kazuyuki; Nishimura, Tekeshi; Yamaguchi, Kanji; Mitsuyoshi, Hironori; Yasui, Kohichiroh; Minami, Masahito; Naito, Yuji; Itoh, Yoshito

2014-12-01

Physicians often experience difficulties in motivating patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to undergo lifestyle changes. The aim of this study is to examine whether 'Donations for Decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT)' (D4D) prosocial behavior incentive can serve as an effective intrinsic motivational factor in comparison with conventional dietary and exercise intervention alone for NAFLD patients. Twenty-five NAFLD patients with elevated ALT were randomly assigned to a control group that received conventional dietary and exercise intervention alone, or a donation group whereby, as an incentive, we would make a monetary donation to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) based on the decrease in their ALT levels achieved over 12 weeks, in addition to receiving control intervention. In a donation group, we would donate US$1 to the WFP for every 1 IU/l of decrease in their ALT levels. There were no differences of pre-treatment clinical characteristics between the two groups. Significant reductions of ALT levels were achieved only in a donation group, although post-treatment ALT levels were not different between the two groups. These patients raised a total of $316 for the WFP. Promoting patients' intrinsic motivation by incorporating 'D4D' prosocial behavior incentive into conventional dietary and exercise intervention may provide a means to improve NAFLD. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Does Donating Blood for the First Time During a National Emergency Create a Better Commitment to Donating Again?

PubMed Central

Tran, Sheri; Lewalski, Eva A.; Dwyre, Denis M.; Hagar, Yolanda; Beckett, Laurel; Janatpour, Kim A.; Holland, Paul V.

2009-01-01

Background and Objectives Emergency situations often elicit a generous response from the public. This occurred after attacks on the US on September 11, 2001 when many new blood donors lined up to donate. This study was performed to compare return rates for first time donors (FTD) after September 11th, 2001 to FTD during a comparable period in 2000. Materials and Methods 3315 allogeneic whole blood donations from FTD at a regional blood center were collected between September 11th and 30th, 2001. Subsequent donations by the FTD before March 31, 2002 were reviewed. This (test) group was compared to 1279 FTD(control group) donating during the same time period in September 2000 and to their return rate in the subsequent six months. Results Following September 11, 2001, 1087/3315 (32.8%) FTD returned by March 31, 2002. This return rate was similar to the control group (427/1279 (33.4%)). The deferral rate during the donor screening process for the control group was significantly higher than the deferral rate for the September 11–30, 2001 group (p < 0.01). The odds of an individual FTD returning increased with age, and the chance of a female donor returning was 1.13 times higher than a male (p = 0.06). There was a carryover effect after Sept. 11, 2001 too. Conclusion A national emergency, September 11, 2001, inspired people to donate blood for the first time. However, the proportion of return donations amongst them was not increased. Females and males in certain age groups were more likely to become repeat donors due to the residual effect of September 11, 2001. Additional efforts are needed to retain eligible FTD in donor pools. PMID:20002621

Analysis of knowledge of the general population and health professionals on organ donation after cardiac death.

PubMed

Bedenko, Ramon Correa; Nisihara, Renato; Yokoi, Douglas Shun; Candido, Vinícius de Mello; Galina, Ismael; Moriguchi, Rafael Massayuki; Ceulemans, Nico; Salvalaggio, Paolo

2016-09-01

To evaluate the knowledge and acceptance of the public and professionals working in intensive care units regarding organ donation after cardiac death. The three hospitals with the most brain death notifications in Curitiba were selected, and two groups of respondents were established for application of the same questionnaire: the general public (i.e., visitors of patients in intensive care units) and health professionals working in the same intensive care unit. The questionnaire contained questions concerning demographics, intention to donate organs and knowledge of current legislation regarding brain death and donation after cardiac death. In total, 543 questionnaires were collected, including 442 from family members and 101 from health professionals. There was a predominance of women and Catholics in both groups. More females intended to donate. Health professionals performed better in the knowledge comparison. The intention to donate organs was significantly higher in the health professionals group (p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in the intention to donate in terms of education level or income. There was a greater acceptance of donation after uncontrolled cardiac death among Catholics than among evangelicals (p < 0.001). Most of the general population intended to donate, with greater intentions expressed by females. Education and income did not affect the decision. The type of transplant that used a donation after uncontrolled cardiac death was not well accepted in the study population, indicating the need for more clarification for its use in our setting.

Impact of a Full-Time Donor Management Protocol on Donors' Liver Biopsy Findings: Progress to Date.

PubMed

Mojtabaee, Meysam; Shamsaeefar, Alireza; Gholami, Siavash; Mohsenzadeh, Mojtaba; Sadegh Beigee, Farahnaz

2017-02-01

This study investigated a fixed coordinator-directed donor management strategy's impact on donated liver quality, as determined by definitive biopsy results. We collected donated liver biopsy results from donations both before and after implementing a fixed coordinator-directed donor management strategy. This strategy involved full-time attendance by a donor coordinator and continued resuscitation of brain-dead donors. All donations took place in a single organ procurement unit. We also followed up results of biopsies from the Liver Transplantation Center database of Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, Iran. We compared biopsy findings of 192 livers donated from 2012 to 2013 (group A) with 276 livers donated from 2015 until August 2016 (group B). Data analysis showed that 67 livers (34.9%) in group A were rejected for transplant owing to severe steatosis in 17 (8.9%), moderate/severe fibrosis in 9 (4.7%), moderate/severe necrosis in 28 (14.6%), and 13 (6.8%) rejected for other pathologies. Among group B livers, 59 (21.4%) were not deemed suitable for transplant owing to severe steatosis in 37 (13.5%), moderate/severe fibrosis in 6 (2.1%), and moderate/ severe necrosis in 16 (5.7%). Overall, steatosis was found in 94 livers (49.2%) in group A versus 175 livers (63.3%) in group B (P = .007). Donor age in group A averaged 36.5 years versus 47.9 years in group B (P = .02). Necrosis was found in 33 livers (17.2%) in group A and 22 livers (7.9%) in group B (P = .008). One-month survival rates were 95.3% and 96.3% for groups A and B (P = .08). Donated liver disqualification before transplant noticeably decreased despite the shift in demographic patterns from 2012 to 2016. In group A, brain-dead liver donors were younger and more often died from trauma, whereas group B donors had more cerebrovascular accident-induced deaths. This achievement took place alongside increased rates of steatosis and decreased rates of necrosis.

A study of planar anchor groups for graphene-based single-molecule electronics.

PubMed

Bailey, Steven; Visontai, David; Lambert, Colin J; Bryce, Martin R; Frampton, Harry; Chappell, David

2014-02-07

To identify families of stable planar anchor groups for use in single molecule electronics, we report detailed results for the binding energies of two families of anthracene and pyrene derivatives adsorbed onto graphene. We find that all the selected derivatives functionalized with either electron donating or electron accepting substituents bind more strongly to graphene than the parent non-functionalized anthracene or pyrene. The binding energy is sensitive to the detailed atomic alignment of substituent groups over the graphene substrate leading to larger than expected binding energies for -OH and -CN derivatives. Furthermore, the ordering of the binding energies within the anthracene and pyrene series does not simply follow the electron affinities of the substituents. Energy barriers to rotation or displacement on the graphene surface are much lower than binding energies for adsorption and therefore at room temperature, although the molecules are bound to the graphene, they are almost free to move along the graphene surface. Binding energies can be increased by incorporating electrically inert side chains and are sensitive to the conformation of such chains.

A study of planar anchor groups for graphene-based single-molecule electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Steven; Visontai, David; Lambert, Colin J.; Bryce, Martin R.; Frampton, Harry; Chappell, David

2014-02-01

To identify families of stable planar anchor groups for use in single molecule electronics, we report detailed results for the binding energies of two families of anthracene and pyrene derivatives adsorbed onto graphene. We find that all the selected derivatives functionalized with either electron donating or electron accepting substituents bind more strongly to graphene than the parent non-functionalized anthracene or pyrene. The binding energy is sensitive to the detailed atomic alignment of substituent groups over the graphene substrate leading to larger than expected binding energies for -OH and -CN derivatives. Furthermore, the ordering of the binding energies within the anthracene and pyrene series does not simply follow the electron affinities of the substituents. Energy barriers to rotation or displacement on the graphene surface are much lower than binding energies for adsorption and therefore at room temperature, although the molecules are bound to the graphene, they are almost free to move along the graphene surface. Binding energies can be increased by incorporating electrically inert side chains and are sensitive to the conformation of such chains.

Understanding barriers and outcomes of unspecified (non-directed altruistic) kidney donation from both professional’s and patient’s perspectives: research protocol for a national multicentre mixed-methods prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Gare, Rebecca; Gogalniceanu, Petrut; Maple, Hannah; Burnapp, Lisa; Clarke, Alexis; Williams, Lynsey; Norton, Sam; Chilcot, Joseph; Gibbs, Paul; Mitchell, Annie; McCrone, Paul; Draper, Heather; Mamode, Nizam

2017-01-01

Introduction Living donation accounts for over one-third of all kidney transplants taking place in the UK. 1 The concept of anonymously donating a kidney to a stranger (non-directed altruistic or unspecified kidney donation (UKD)) remains uncomfortable for some clinicians, principally due to concerns about the motivations and long-term physical and psychological outcomes in this donor group. Aims The research programme aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the unspecified donor programme in the UK. It aims to identify reasons for variations in practice across centres, explore outcomes for donors and ascertain barriers and facilitators to UKD, as well as assess the economic implications of unspecified donation. Methods The research programme will adopt a mixed-methods approach to assessing UKD nationally using focus groups, interviews and questionnaires. Two study populations will be investigated. The first will include transplant professionals involved in unspecified kidney donation. The second will include a 5-year prospective cohort of individuals who present to any of the 23 UK transplant centres as a potential unspecified living kidney donor. Physical and psychological outcomes will be followed up to 1 year following donation or withdrawal from the donation process. A matched sample of specified donors (those donating to someone they know) will be recruited as a control group. Further qualitative work consisting of interviews will be performed on a purposive sample of unspecified donors from both groups (those who do and do not donate). Dissemination The findings will be reported to NHS Blood and Transplant and the British Transplant Society with a view to developing national guidelines and a protocol for the management of those presenting for unspecified donation. Trial registration number ISRCTN23895878, Pre-results. PMID:28939572

Understanding barriers and outcomes of unspecified (non-directed altruistic) kidney donation from both professional's and patient's perspectives: research protocol for a national multicentre mixed-methods prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Gare, Rebecca; Gogalniceanu, Petrut; Maple, Hannah; Burnapp, Lisa; Clarke, Alexis; Williams, Lynsey; Norton, Sam; Chilcot, Joseph; Gibbs, Paul; Mitchell, Annie; McCrone, Paul; Draper, Heather; Mamode, Nizam

2017-09-21

Living donation accounts for over one-third of all kidney transplants taking place in the UK. 1 The concept of anonymously donating a kidney to a stranger (non-directed altruistic or unspecified kidney donation (UKD)) remains uncomfortable for some clinicians, principally due to concerns about the motivations and long-term physical and psychological outcomes in this donor group. The research programme aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the unspecified donor programme in the UK. It aims to identify reasons for variations in practice across centres, explore outcomes for donors and ascertain barriers and facilitators to UKD, as well as assess the economic implications of unspecified donation. The research programme will adopt a mixed-methods approach to assessing UKD nationally using focus groups, interviews and questionnaires. Two study populations will be investigated. The first will include transplant professionals involved in unspecified kidney donation. The second will include a 5-year prospective cohort of individuals who present to any of the 23 UK transplant centres as a potential unspecified living kidney donor. Physical and psychological outcomes will be followed up to 1 year following donation or withdrawal from the donation process. A matched sample of specified donors (those donating to someone they know) will be recruited as a control group. Further qualitative work consisting of interviews will be performed on a purposive sample of unspecified donors from both groups (those who do and do not donate). The findings will be reported to NHS Blood and Transplant and the British Transplant Society with a view to developing national guidelines and a protocol for the management of those presenting for unspecified donation. ISRCTN23895878, Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The effect of functional groups on reduction and activation of quinone bioreductive agents by DT-diaphorase.

PubMed

Fourie, Jeanne; Oleschuk, Curtis J; Guziec, Frank; Guziec, Lynn; Fiterman, Derek J; Monterrosa, Cielo; Begleiter, Asher

2002-02-01

Bioreductive antitumor agents are an important class of anticancer drugs that include the clinically used drug, mitomycin C, and new agents such as EO9 and tirapazamine that have recently been tested in clinical trials. These agents require activation by reductive enzymes such as DT-diaphorase or NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase. A major focus for improving cancer chemotherapy has been to increase the selectivity and targeting of antitumor drugs to tumor cells. Bioreductive antitumor agents are ideally suited to improving tumor selectivity by an enzyme-directed approach to tumor targeting. However, none of the bioreductive agents developed to date has been specific for activation by a single reductive enzyme. This is in part due to a lack of knowledge about structural factors that confer selectivity for activation by reductive enzymes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of specific functional groups to modify reduction and activation of quinone bioreductive agents by DT-diaphorase. We used a series of model benzoquinone mustard (BM) bioreductive agents and compared the parent compound BM to MBM, which has a strong electron-donating methoxy group, MeBM, which has a weaker electron-donating methyl group, CBM, which has an electron-withdrawing chloro group, and PBM and its structural isomer, meta-PBM (m-PBM), which both have sterically bulky benzene rings attached to the quinone moiety. We determined the rate of reduction of these agents by purified human DT-diaphorase under hypoxic and aerobic conditions. We also measured the cytotoxic activity of these agents in human tumor cell lines with and without the DT-diaphorase inhibitor, dicoumarol. Under hypoxic conditions in vitro, the t(1/2) values for reduction of the analogs by purified DT-diaphorase were 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 21 min for BM, MeBM, CBM, MBM, PBM and m-PBM, respectively. Under aerobic conditions the rank order of redox cycling after two-electron reduction by DT-diaphorase was MBM > MeBM > BM approximately CBM approximately PBM approximately m-PBM. The rate of reduction by DT-diaphorase of HBM, a non-alkylating analog of BM, was similar to that of BM under hypoxic conditions, and the rate of redox cycling under aerobic conditions was comparable to that of BM, suggesting that structural changes to the cytotoxic group of these BMs do not affect DT-diaphorase-mediated reduction and redox cycling potential. MBM, MeBM and PBM were more toxic than BM in the NCI-H661 human non-small-cell lung cancer cells and SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cells, while CBM displayed significantly increased cytotoxic activity compared to BM only in the NCI H661 cells. m-PBM had similar cytotoxic activity compared with BM in both cell lines. These cell lines have moderate to high levels of DT-diaphorase activity. When cells were pretreated with the DT-diaphorase inhibitor, dicoumarol, the cytotoxic activity of BM increased while that of MBM decreased in both cell lines, suggesting that BM was inactivated by DT-diaphorase while MBM was activated by this enzyme. Pretreatment of the SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells with dicoumarol resulted in an increased cytotoxic activity of MeBM, but pretreatment of the NCI-H661 cells did not affect the cytotoxicity of MeBM. This suggests, that similar to the results with BM, DT-diaphorase is an inactivating enzyme for MeBM in the SK-MEL-28 cell line. Dicoumarol had no significant effect on the cytotoxicity of CBM, PBM or m-PBM in both cell lines. These studies demonstrated that functional groups can significantly affect the reduction and activation of bioreductive agents by DT-diaphorase. All the functional groups decreased the rate of reduction of the quinone group by DT-diaphorase. Since MeBM and MBM, with electron-donating functional groups, and CBM with an electron-withdrawing functional group had similar half-lives of reduction by DT-diaphorase, steric rather than electronic effects of the functional groups appear to be more important for modifying the rate of reduction by DT-diaphorase. Steric effects on reduction by DT-diaphorase were also influenced by the position of the functional group on the quinone ring moiety, as the reduction of m-PBM was much slower than the reduction of PBM. The electron-donating methoxy and methyl functional groups increased the ability of the reduced products of MBM and MeBM to undergo redox cycling. DT-diaphorase appeared to be an activating enzyme for MBM. This may have resulted in part from increased formation of reactive oxygen species resulting from the increased redox cycling by MBM. In contrast, DT-diaphorase was an inactivating enzyme for BM, and for MeBM in the SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells, possibly because the hydroquinone product of BM and MeBM may be less cytotoxic than the semiquinone produced by one-electron reduction by NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase.

Investigation of the Redox Chemistry of Anthraquinone Derivatives Using Density Functional Theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bachman, Jonathan E.; Curtiss, Larry A.; Assary, Rajeev S.

2014-09-25

Application of density functional calculations to compute electrochemical properties such as redox windows, effect of substitution by electron donating and electron withdrawing groups on redox windows, and solvation free energies for ~50 anthraquinone (AQ) derivatives are presented because of their potential as anolytes in all-organic redox flow batteries. Computations suggest that lithium ions can increase (by ~0.4 V) the reduction potential of anthraquinone due to the lithium ion pairing by forming a Lewis base-Lewis acid complex. To design new redox active species, the substitution by electron donating groups are essential to improve the reduction window of AQ with adequate oxidativemore » stability. For instance, a complete methylation of AQ can improve its reduction window by ~0.4 V. The quantum chemical studies of the ~50 AQ derivatives are used to derive a relationship that connects the computed LUMO energy and the reduction potential that can be applied as a descriptor for screening thousands of AQ derivatives. Our computations also suggest that incorporating oxy-methyl dioxolane substituents in the AQ framework can increase its interaction with non-aqueous solvent and improve its solubility. Thermochemical calculations for likely bond breaking decomposition reactions of un-substituted AQ anions suggest that the dianions are relatively stable in the solution. These studies provide ideal platform to perform further combined experimental and theoretical studies to understand the electrochemical reversibility and solubility of new quinone molecules as energy storage materials.« less

Outcomes of pregnancies achieved by double gamete donation: A comparison with pregnancies obtained by oocyte donation alone.

PubMed

Preaubert, Lise; Vincent-Rohfritsch, Aurélie; Santulli, Pietro; Gayet, Vanessa; Goffinet, François; Le Ray, Camille

2018-03-01

Women increasingly resort to oocyte donation to become pregnant. The high risk of preeclampsia found in oocyte donation pregnancies and the separate risk of preeclampsia associated with sperm donation may be cumulative in double donation pregnancies. We aimed to study the obstetrical and perinatal outcomes of pregnancies obtained by double donation (both oocyte and sperm) in comparison with those obtained by oocyte donation alone (oocyte donation and partner's sperm). This cohort study included all women aged 43 and older who became pregnant after oocyte donation and gave birth between 2010 and 2016 in a tertiary maternity center. Primary outcomes were preeclampsia and hypertensive gestational disorders. Secondary outcomes were gestational diabetes, placental abnormalities, postpartum hemorrhage, perinatal death, and preterm delivery. We used univariate and multivariate analysis to compare IVF with double donation and IVF with oocyte donation alone for obstetric and perinatal outcomes. 247 women, 53 with double donations and 194 with oocyte donations alone, gave birth to 339 children. We observed no significant differences between groups for any obstetric or perinatal complications, except for the risk of gestational diabetes, which was more frequent in women with double donations compared with oocyte donation alone (26.4% vs. 12.9%, P = 0.02) and remained significant after adjustment (aOR = 2.80 95%CI[1.26-6.17]). Rates of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were high, but similar between groups (20.7% vs. 26.3%, P = 0.41, and 18.9% vs. 17.5%, P = 0.82). Women undergoing oocyte donation should be fully informed of its high rates of obstetric and perinatal risks. However, except for a higher observed risk of gestational diabetes, double donation does not appear to be associated with a higher risk of complications than oocyte donation alone. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and antioxidant activity of curcumin analogs.

PubMed

Zheng, Qu-Tong; Yang, Ze-Hua; Yu, Liu-Ying; Ren, Yu-Yan; Huang, Qiu-Xia; Liu, Qiu; Ma, Xiang-Yu; Chen, Zi-Kang; Wang, Zong-Bao; Zheng, Xing

2017-05-01

Numerous biological activities including antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammation, and antivirus of the natural product curcumin were reported. However, the clinical application of it was significantly limited by its instability, poor solubility, less body absorbing, and low bioavailability. This review focuses on the structure modification and antioxidant activity evaluation of curcumin. To study the structure-activity relationship (SAR), five series of curcumin analogs were synthesized and their antioxidant activity were evaluated in vitro. The results showed that electron-donating groups, especially the phenolic hydroxyl group are an essential component to improve the antioxidant activity.

TFB:TPDSi2 interfacial layer usable in organic photovoltaic cells

DOEpatents

Marks, Iobin J [Evanston, IL; Hains, Alexander W [Evanston, IL

2011-02-15

The present invention, in one aspect, relates to a solar cell. In one embodiment, the solar cell includes an anode; an active organic layer comprising an electron-donating organic material and an electron-accepting organic material; and an interfacial layer formed between the anode and active organic layer, where the interfacial layer comprises a hole-transporting polymer characterized with a hole-mobility higher than that of the electron-donating organic material in the active organic layer, and a small molecule that has a high hole-mobility and is capable of crosslinking on contact with air.

2016 America's Recycle Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-15

A sign points the way to the electronic waste collection site, where NASA Kennedy Space Center employees donated computers, monitors, vacuum cleaners and other electronics in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more. The two-day event was sponsored by Kennedy's Sustainability team.

Electronic Tool for Distribution and Allocation of Heart on Donation and Transplantation in Mexico.

PubMed

Maqueda Tenorio, S E; Meixueiro Daza, L A; Maqueda Estrada, S

2016-03-01

In Mexico and globally, organs and/or tissues donated from deceased people are insufficient to cover the demand for transplants. In 2014, a rate of 3.6 organ donors per million in habitants was recorded; this is reflected in the transplants performed, including heart transplantation, with a rate of 0.4 per million population. According to the legal framework of Mexico, the National Transplant Center is responsible for coordinating National Subsystem of donation and transplantation, and one of its functions is to integrate and backup information regarding donation and transplantation through the National Transplant Registry System. In July 2015, 45 people were registered in the database of patients waiting for a heart transplant, of which 34.61% were female recipients and 65.39% male. Distribution and allocation processes are a key element to provide a fair distribution for those patients waiting for that organ; thus the creation of an electronic tool is proposed, one that aims to support the decision of the donation and/or transplants coordination committee by providing the necessary elements to make this process more efficient. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Donations as an alternative to wilderness user fees: the case of the desolation wilderness

Treesearch

Steven R. Martin

2000-01-01

Day-use visitors to the Desolation Wilderness were asked about making voluntary donations at the trailhead. Of the 111 visitors who used one of the four trailheads at which voluntary donations were requested, 55% reported making a donation, with an average reported donation amount of $4.20. Subjects were categorized into three groups: donors, would-be donors, and...

The Substituent Effects on π-type Pnicogen Bond Interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jian-Qing; Cao, Sheng-Wei; Wang, Wei; Xu, Xiao-Lu; Xu, Hui-Ying

2017-05-01

Intermolecular interactions between PH2Cl and Ar-R (R=H, OH, NH2, CH3, Br, Cl, F, CN, NO2) were calculated by using MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ quantum chemical method. It has been shown from our calculations that the aromatic rings with electron-withdrawing groups represent much weaker binding affinities than those with electron-donating groups. The charge-transfer interaction between PH2Cl and Ar-R plays an important role in the formation of pnicogen bond complexes, as revealed by NBO analysis. The π-type halogen bond was also calculated and comparison of these two π-type interactions was made. It has been revealed that the π-type pnicogen bond systems are more stable than the halogen bond ones.

Circumventing the “Ick” Factor: A Randomized Trial of the Effects of Omitting Affective Attitudes Questions to Increase Intention to Become an Organ Donor

PubMed Central

Doherty, Sally; Dolan, Elizabeth; Flynn, Jennifer; O’Carroll, Ronan E.; Doyle, Frank

2017-01-01

Objectives: Including or excluding certain questions about organ donation may influence peoples’ intention to donate. We investigated the effect of omitting certain affective attitudinal items on potential donors’ intention and behavior for donation. Design: A cross-sectional survey with a subgroup nested randomized trial. Methods: A total of 578 members of the public in four shopping centers were surveyed on their attitudes to organ donation. Non-donors (n = 349) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group 1 completed items on affective and cognitive attitudes, anticipated regret, intention, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. Group 2 completed all items above but excluded affective attitudes. Group 3 completed all items but omitted negatively worded affective attitudes. The primary outcome was intention to donate, taking a donor card after the interview was a secondary behavioral outcome, and both were predicted using linear and logistic regression with group 1 as the reference. Results: Mean (SD) 1–7 intention scores for groups 1, 2 and 3 were, respectively: 4.43 (SD 1.89), 4.95 (SD 1.64) and 4.88 (SD 1.81), with group 2 significantly higher than group 1 (β = 0.518, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18 to 0.86).At the end of the interview, people in group 2 (66.7%; OR = 1.40, 95% CI 0.94 to 2.07, p = 0.096) but not those in group 3 (61.7%; OR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.75, p = 0.685), were marginally more likely to accept a donor card from the interviewer than people in group 1 (59.7%). Conclusion: Omitting affective attitudinal items results in higher intention to donate organs and marginally higher rates of acceptance of donor cards, which has important implications for future organ donation public health campaigns. PMID:28894429

Smoot Group Cosmology

Science.gov Websites

__________________________________________________ Nobel Prize funds will be donated to Fellowships: Berkeley Nobel laureates donate prize money to charity SF Gate New Nobel Laureate Donates Prize Money to Local Charity The Daily Californian Nobel laureate

THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION AND RELIGION ON ORGAN DONATION, AS SEEN BY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA.

PubMed

Sadic, Sahmir; Sadic, Jasna; Krupic, Rasim; Fatahi, Nabi; Krupic, Ferid

2016-10-01

Transplantation of organs is the treatment of choice for severe organ failure worldwide. The aims of the present study were to determine the influence of religion on attitudes towards organ donation among staff at schools in Tuzla. In the Tuzla region there are 42 schools and 1580 school staff. A total of 21 schools were selected randomly, which were stratified by geographical location. 499 employees were invited to participate in the study, and 475 agreed to participate. According to the definition of their attitude towards religion the subjects were divided into three groups: non-religious, only religious and practical believers. None of the subjects possesses a donor card. To the question whether the subjects support the idea of organ transplantation, most replied that they support the idea of donating organs both during life and after death. Regarding this question there is a significant difference between the groups (p = 0.0063). To the question whether they are prepared to donate an organ of a deceased family member, most replied that they would consent to donating an organ, whilst a significant number also replied that they were not sure. The results show that there is no significant difference between the replies given by the groups (p = 0.7694). To the question regarding to whom they were prepared to donate an organ, most said they were prepared to donate one to a member of their family, then to a close relative, whilst the least would donate to a stranger. The results show that there is a significant difference between the groups (p = 0.0002). In order to reduce the wide disparity between the need and organ donation amongst other things a more active relationship is necessary between health workers, religious officials and school staff.

Electron transfer capacity dependence of quinone-mediated Fe(III) reduction and current generation by Klebsiella pneumoniae L17.

PubMed

Li, Xiaomin; Liu, Liang; Liu, Tongxu; Yuan, Tian; Zhang, Wei; Li, Fangbai; Zhou, Shungui; Li, Yongtao

2013-06-01

Quinone groups in exogenous electron shuttles can accelerate extracellular electron transfer (EET) from bacteria to insoluble terminal electron acceptors, such as Fe(III) oxides and electrodes, which are important in biogeochemical redox processes and microbial electricity generation. However, the relationship between quinone-mediated EET performance and electron-shuttling properties of the quinones remains incompletely characterized. This study investigates the effects of a series of synthetic quinones (SQs) on goethite reduction and current generation by a fermenting bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae L17. In addition, the voltammetric behavior and electron transfer capacities (ETCs) of SQ, including electron accepting (EAC) and donating (EDC) capacities, is also examined using electrochemical methods. The results showed that SQ can significantly increase both the Fe(III) reduction rates and current outputs of L17. Each tested SQ reversibly accepted and donated electrons as indicated by the cyclic voltammograms. The EAC and EDC results showed that Carmine and Alizarin had low relative capacities of electron transfer, whereas 9,10-anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid (AQDS), 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (2-HNQ), and 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (5-HNQ) showed stronger relative ETC, and 9,10-anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid (AQC) and 9,10-anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (AQS) had high relative ETC. Enhancement of microbial goethite reduction kinetics and current outputs by SQ had a good linear relationship with their ETC, indicating that the effectiveness of quinone-mediated EET may be strongly dependent on the ETC of the quinones. Therefore, the presence of quinone compounds and fermenting microorganisms may increase the diversity of microbial populations that contribute to element transformation in natural environments. Moreover, ETC determination of different SQ would help to evaluate their performance for microbial EET under anoxic conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Will My Soul Go to Heaven If They Take My Brain? Beliefs and Worries About Brain Donation Among Four Ethnic Groups.

PubMed

Boise, Linda; Hinton, Ladson; Rosen, Howard J; Ruhl, Mary

2017-08-01

Studying the brain through autopsy is an essential component of Alzheimer's disease research. Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in Alzheimer's research generally and, in particular, in the number of completed brain autopsies. We explored beliefs about and attitudes toward brain donation among African American, Chinese, Caucasian, and Latino research subjects and their family members through focus groups at 4 NIH-funded Alzheimer's Disease Centers. Eighteen focus groups were conducted with 61 research subjects and 34 family members. Because the primary purpose of the focus groups was to identify the range of considerations that may influence the decision to participate in brain donation, data from focus groups were pooled and then analyzed. We found that many of the concerns, attitudes, and beliefs about brain donation were similar across the 4 ethnic groups. Concerns and attitudes fell into 3 categories: (a) concerns and misconceptions about brain research and the process of brain removal, (b) religious beliefs, and (c) the role of the family. Our findings suggest that interventions to enhance enrollment in brain donation that target factors identified in this study are likely to be relevant to people from a broad range of backgrounds and ethnicities. Nonetheless, we observed some potential differences among racial/ethnic groups that may affect how research volunteers and their families approach a decision about donating their brain for research. Further study is warranted to explore these and other possible culturally distinct attitudes and beliefs about brain donation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Saudi Nursing and Medical Student’s Knowledge and Attitude toward Organ Donation- A Comparative Cross-Sectional study

PubMed Central

Majeed, Farrukh

2016-01-01

Objectives Proper awareness among health professionals about organ donation is important for increasing organ procurement. Personal commitment and attitude of nurses are imperative as they have key role in identifying potential donors. The aim of this study was to compare prevailing knowledge and attitude of undergraduate female Saudi nursing and medical students’ toward organ donation. Methodology A cross sectional questionnaire using 29 item were filled by nursing (n=46) and medical (n=63) students’ at University of Dammam (KSA) during academic year 2014–15, to check and compare their knowledge and attitude about organ donation. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics; chi square test and bivariate analysis to find out correlation. Results Level of knowledge of nursing group were significantly lower (p=0.000) than medical group while no significant difference in attitude score (p=0.591) between the two groups were found. Major source of knowledge for nursing was media (65.2%) and college/university for medical (50.8%) group. Both groups chose “anyone in need” as preferred recipients’ upon donation (nursing 60.3% and medical 52.2%) and opted “anyone” as donor in case of recipient (nursing 52.2% and medical 49.2%). The results indicate positive correlation between level of knowledge and attitude toward organ donation. Conclusions Nursing students have low knowledge toward organ donation as compared to medical students although they shows positive attitude toward this issue. This study ascertains the need of an effective educational program for nursing students of Saudi Arabia to improve their knowledge regarding organ donation and to raise organ procurement. PMID:27103903

Attitudes and beliefs about organ donation among different racial groups.

PubMed Central

Yuen, C. C.; Burton, W.; Chiraseveenuprapund, P.; Elmore, E.; Wong, S.; Ozuah, P.; Mulvihill, M.

1998-01-01

Many people on the waiting list for organ donation die each year without receiving organs. The shortage of organs is even more pronounced in minority communities. Despite the fact that minorities are at higher risk, they may be less likely to support or consent to organ donation. This investigation was undertaken to study racial factors in organ donation, by focusing on differences in awareness, attitudes, and behavior. Three family practice centers in the Bronx with racially diverse but socioeconomically homogenous communities were studied. The study population consisted of a convenience sample of 163 patients who were approached for participation while they waited to see a doctor. Respondents filled out a 25-item survey that measured demographic information; their exposure to, awareness of, and attitudes toward organ donation; and whether they had signed an organ donor card. The results demonstrated overwhelming support for organ donation across all racial groups. Racial differences were found on awareness of and attitudes toward organ donation, and in the signing of organ donation cards. In contrast to other studies, racial minorities were not less likely than whites to support organ donation. These results suggest that making it easier for racial minorities to obtain organ donor cards could increase their rates of consenting to donate organs. PMID:9473924

Chemical structure-based predictive model for the oxidation of trace organic contaminants by sulfate radical.

PubMed

Ye, Tiantian; Wei, Zongsu; Spinney, Richard; Tang, Chong-Jian; Luo, Shuang; Xiao, Ruiyang; Dionysiou, Dionysios D

2017-06-01

Second-order rate constants [Formula: see text] for the reaction of sulfate radical anion (SO 4 •- ) with trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) are of scientific and practical importance for assessing their environmental fate and removal efficiency in water treatment systems. Here, we developed a chemical structure-based model for predicting [Formula: see text] using 32 molecular fragment descriptors, as this type of model provides a quick estimate at low computational cost. The model was constructed using the multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) methods. The MLR method yielded adequate fit for the training set (R training 2 =0.88,n=75) and reasonable predictability for the validation set (R validation 2 =0.62,n=38). In contrast, the ANN method produced a more statistical robustness but rather poor predictability (R training 2 =0.99andR validation 2 =0.42). The reaction mechanisms of SO 4 •- reactivity with TrOCs were elucidated. Our result shows that the coefficients of functional groups reflect their electron donating/withdrawing characters. For example, electron donating groups typically exhibit positive coefficients, indicating enhanced SO 4 •- reactivity. Electron withdrawing groups exhibit negative values, indicating reduced reactivity. With its quick and accurate features, we applied this structure-based model to 55 discrete TrOCs culled from the Contaminant Candidate List 4, and quantitatively compared their removal efficiency with SO 4 •- and OH in the presence of environmental matrices. This high-throughput model helps prioritize TrOCs that are persistent to SO 4 •- based oxidation technologies at the screening level, and provide diagnostics of SO 4 •- reaction mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Children's Positive Self-Perceptions on Donating Behavior in a Naturalistic Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holte, Carol S.; And Others

1984-01-01

Investigated the effects of self-perceptions on the donating behavior of 43 fourth-grade students who had two opportunities to donate gum to another class. Students who received feedback after the first donation period indicating that they were particularly generous subsequently gave more than children in the control group. (JAC)

2016 America's Recycle Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-15

Computers, monitors, vacuum cleaners and other electronics have been donated by employees at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more.

A brief motivational interview promotes internal motivation to donate blood among young adults with and without a prior donation history.

PubMed

Livitz, Irina E; Fox, Kristen R; Himawan, Lina K; France, Christopher R

2017-06-01

Recruitment and retention of first-time and repeat donors is essential to maintain a stable blood supply. Recent evidence has shown that promoting internal motivation may be an effective strategy to enhance donation behavior. We tested the efficacy of an in-person motivational interview at increasing internal motivation and intention to donate. A sample of 219 donors and nondonors (69.4% female; mean ± SD age, 19.2 ± 1.1 years; 52.1% nondonors) were randomly assigned to either a motivational or a knowledge interview. Immediately before and after the interview participants completed a measure of donation intention and the Blood Donor Identity Survey, which is a multidimensional measure of donor motivation. A latent profile analysis revealed three distinct latent classes, which were identified as low internal motivation, mid internal motivation, and high internal motivation. Comparison of change in latent class from pre- to postinterview revealed that a higher proportion of participants in the motivational interview group moved to a more internally motivated class compared to the knowledge interview group (i.e., 34% vs. 4%, respectively). Further, relative to the knowledge interview group, participants in the motivational interview group reported greater increases in intention to donate. A brief motivational interview may enhance donation intention and intrinsic motivation among both experienced donors and nondonors alike. © 2017 AABB.

Chemoselective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed cross-benzoin reactions: importance of the fused ring in triazolium salts.

PubMed

Langdon, Steven M; Wilde, Myron M D; Thai, Karen; Gravel, Michel

2014-05-28

Morpholinone- and piperidinone-derived triazolium salts are shown to catalyze highly chemoselective cross-benzoin reactions between aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. The reaction scope includes ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted benzaldehyde derivatives with a range of electron-donating and -withdrawing groups as well as branched and unbranched aliphatic aldehydes. Catalytic loadings as low as 5 mol % give excellent yields in these reactions (up to 99%).

Cyclometalated ruthenium(II) complexes with a bis-carbene CCC-pincer ligand.

PubMed

Zhang, You-Ming; Shao, Jiang-Yang; Yao, Chang-Jiang; Zhong, Yu-Wu

2012-08-21

The first series of cyclometalated ruthenium complexes with a CCC-pincer bis-carbene ligand have been obtained as bench-stable compounds. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of one of these complexes with 4'-di-p-anisylamino-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine is presented. The Ru(II/III) redox potentials and MLCT absorptions of these complexes can be varied by attaching an electron-donating or -withdrawing group on the noncyclometalating ligand.

Physical origins of weak H{sub 2} binding on carbon nanostructures: Insight from ab initio studies of chemically functionalized graphene nanoribbons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ulman, Kanchan; Bhaumik, Debarati; Wood, Brandon C.

2014-05-07

We have performed ab initio density functional theory calculations, incorporating London dispersion corrections, to study the absorption of molecular hydrogen on zigzag graphene nanoribbons whose edges have been functionalized by OH, NH{sub 2}, COOH, NO{sub 2}, or H{sub 2}PO{sub 3}. We find that hydrogen molecules always preferentially bind at or near the functionalized edge, and display induced dipole moments. Binding is generally enhanced by the presence of polar functional groups. The largest gains are observed for groups with oxygen lone pairs that can facilitate local charge reorganization, with the biggest single enhancement in adsorption energy found for “strong functionalization” bymore » H{sub 2}PO{sub 3} (115 meV/H{sub 2} versus 52 meV/H{sub 2} on bare graphene). We show that for binding on the “outer edge” near the functional group, the presence of the group can introduce appreciable contributions from Debye interactions and higher-order multipole electrostatic terms, in addition to the dominant London dispersion interactions. For those functional groups that contain the OH moiety, the adsorption energy is linearly proportional to the number of lone pairs on oxygen atoms. Mixed functionalization with two different functional groups on a graphene edge can also have a synergistic effect, particularly when electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups are combined. For binding on the “inner edge” somewhat farther from the functional group, most of the binding again arises from London interactions; however, there is also significant charge redistribution in the π manifold, which directly reflects the electron donating or withdrawing capacity of the functional group. Our results offer insight into the specific origins of weak binding of gas molecules on graphene, and suggest that edge functionalization could perhaps be used in combination with other strategies to increase the uptake of hydrogen in graphene. They also have relevance for the storage of hydrogen in porous carbon materials, such as activated carbons.« less

The two faces of hydrogen-bond strength on triple AAA-DDD arrays.

PubMed

Lopez, Alfredo Henrique Duarte; Caramori, Giovanni Finoto; Coimbra, Daniel Fernando; Parreira, Renato Luis Tame; da Silva, Éder Henrique

2013-12-02

Systems that are connected through multiple hydrogen bonds are the cornerstone of molecular recognition processes in biology, and they are increasingly being employed in supramolecular chemistry, specifically in molecular self-assembly processes. For this reason, the effects of different substituents (NO2, CN, F, Cl, Br, OCH3 and NH2) on the electronic structure, and consequently on the magnitude of hydrogen bonds in triple AAA-DDD arrays (A=acceptor, D=donor) were evaluated in the light of topological [electron localization function (ELF) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM)], energetic [Su-Li energy-decomposition analysis (EDA) and natural bond orbital analysis (NBO)], and geometrical analysis. The results based on local H-bond descriptors (geometries, QTAIM, ELF, and NBO) indicate that substitutions with electron-withdrawing groups on the AAA module tend to strengthen, whereas electron-donating substituents tend to weaken the covalent character of the AAA-DDD intermolecular H-bonds, and also indicate that the magnitude of the effect is dependent on the position of substitution. In contrast, Su-Li EDA results show an opposite behavior when compared to local H-bond descriptors, indicating that electron-donating substituents tend to increase the magnitude of H-bonds in AAA-DDD arrays, and thus suggesting that the use of local H-bond descriptors describes the nature of H bonds only partially, not providing enough insight about the strength of such H bonds. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Comparison of outcomes of kidney transplantation from donation after brain death, donation after circulatory death, and donation after brain death followed by circulatory death donors.

PubMed

Chen, Guodong; Wang, Chang; Ko, Dicken Shiu-Chung; Qiu, Jiang; Yuan, Xiaopeng; Han, Ming; Wang, Changxi; He, Xiaoshun; Chen, Lizhong

2017-11-01

There are three categories of deceased donors of kidney transplantation in China, donation after brain death (DBD), donation after circulatory death (DCD), and donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (DBCD) donors. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of kidney transplantation from these three categories of deceased donors. We retrospectively reviewed 469 recipients who received deceased kidney transplantation in our hospital from February 2007 to June 2015. The recipients were divided into three groups according to the source of their donor kidneys: DBD, DCD, or DBCD. The primary endpoints were delayed graft function (DGF), graft loss, and patient death. The warm ischemia time was much longer in DCD group compared to DBCD group (18.4 minutes vs 12.9 minutes, P < .001). DGF rate was higher in DCD group than in DBD and DBCD groups (22.5% vs 10.2% and 13.8%, respectively, P = .021). Urinary leakage was much higher in DCD group (P = .049). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that 1-, 2-, and 3-year patient survivals were all comparable among the three groups. DBCD kidney transplantation has lower incidences of DGF and urinary leakage than DCD kidney transplant. However, the overall patient and graft survival were comparable among DBD, DCD, and DBCD kidney transplantation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Increased Electron-Accepting and Decreased Electron-Donating Capacities of Soil Humic Substances in Response to Increasing Temperature.

PubMed

Tan, Wenbing; Xi, Beidou; Wang, Guoan; Jiang, Jie; He, Xiaosong; Mao, Xuhui; Gao, Rutai; Huang, Caihong; Zhang, Hui; Li, Dan; Jia, Yufu; Yuan, Ying; Zhao, Xinyu

2017-03-21

The electron transfer capacities (ETCs) of soil humic substances (HSs) are linked to the type and abundance of redox-active functional moieties in their structure. Natural temperature can affect the chemical structure of natural organic matter by regulating their oxidative transformation and degradation in soil. However, it is unclear if there is a direct correlation between ETC of soil HS and mean annual temperature. In this study, we assess the response of the electron-accepting and -donating capacities (EAC and EDC) of soil HSs to temperature by analyzing HSs extracted from soil set along glacial-interglacial cycles through loess-palaeosol sequences and along natural temperature gradients through latitude and altitude transects. We show that the EAC and EDC of soil HSs increase and decrease, respectively, with increasing temperature. Increased temperature facilitates the prevalence of oxidative degradation and transformation of HS in soils, thus potentially promoting the preferentially oxidative degradation of phenol moieties of HS or the oxidative transformation of electron-donating phenol moieties to electron-accepting quinone moieties in the HS structure. Consequently, the EAC and EDC of HSs in soil increase and decrease, respectively. The results of this study could help to understand biogeochemical processes, wherein the redox functionality of soil organic matter is involved in the context of increasing temperature.

Health-Related Quality of Life among Older Related Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors (>60 Years) Is Equivalent to That of Younger Related Donors (18 to 60 Years): A Related Donor Safety Study.

PubMed

Switzer, Galen E; Bruce, Jessica; Kiefer, Deidre M; Kobusingye, Hati; Drexler, Rebecca; Besser, RaeAnne M; Confer, Dennis L; Horowitz, Mary M; King, Roberta J; Shaw, Bronwen E; Riches, Marcie; Hayes-Lattin, Brandon; Linenberger, Michael; Bolwell, Brian; Rowley, Scott D; Litzow, Mark R; Pulsipher, Michael A

2017-01-01

The increasing number of older adults with blood-related disorders and the introduction of reduced-intensity conditioning regimens has led to increases in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation among older adults and a corresponding increase in the age of siblings who donate HSCs to these patients. Data regarding the donation-related experiences of older donors are lacking. The Related Donor Safety Study aimed to examine/compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older versus younger HSC donors. Sixty peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors ages 18 to 60 years and 104 PBSC donors age >60 years completed validated questionnaires before donation and 4 weeks and 1 year after donation. Before donation, older donors had poorer general physical health (t = -3.27; P = .001) but better mental health (t = 2.11; P < .05). There were no age differences in multiple other donation-related factors. At 4 weeks after donation, there were no group differences in general physical/mental health, but older donors were less likely to report donation-related pain (t = -2.26; P < .05) and concerns (t = -3.38; P = .001). At both 4 weeks and 1 year after donation, there were no significant differences in the percentage of each age group feeling physically back to normal or in the number of days it took donors to feel completely well. There was no evidence that increasing age within the older donor group was associated with poorer donation-related HRQoL. Taken together, these data support the current practice of HSC donation by sibling donors above age 60, providing no evidence of worsening HRQoL up to 1 year after donation in individuals up to age 76. Copyright © 2017 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prosocial Conformity: Prosocial Norms Generalize Across Behavior and Empathy.

PubMed

Nook, Erik C; Ong, Desmond C; Morelli, Sylvia A; Mitchell, Jason P; Zaki, Jamil

2016-08-01

Generosity is contagious: People imitate others' prosocial behaviors. However, research on such prosocial conformity focuses on cases in which people merely reproduce others' positive actions. Hence, we know little about the breadth of prosocial conformity. Can prosocial conformity cross behavior types or even jump from behavior to affect? Five studies address these questions. In Studies 1 to 3, participants decided how much to donate to charities before learning that others donated generously or stingily. Participants who observed generous donations donated more than those who observed stingy donations (Studies 1 and 2). Crucially, this generalized across behaviors: Participants who observed generous donations later wrote more supportive notes to another participant (Study 3). In Studies 4 and 5, participants observed empathic or non-empathic group responses to vignettes. Group empathy ratings not only shifted participants' own empathic feelings (Study 4), but they also influenced participants' donations to a homeless shelter (Study 5). These findings reveal the remarkable breadth of prosocial conformity. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Where does the electron go? The nature of ortho/para and meta group directing in electrophilic aromatic substitution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Shubin, E-mail: shubin@email.unc.edu

Electrophilic aromatic substitution as one of the most fundamental chemical processes is affected by atoms or groups already attached to the aromatic ring. The groups that promote substitution at the ortho/para or meta positions are, respectively, called ortho/para and meta directing groups, which are often characterized by their capability to donate electrons to or withdraw electrons from the ring. Though resonance and inductive effects have been employed in textbooks to explain this phenomenon, no satisfactory quantitative interpretation is available in the literature. Here, based on the theoretical framework we recently established in density functional reactivity theory (DFRT), where electrophilicity andmore » nucleophilicity are simultaneously quantified by the Hirshfeld charge, the nature of ortho/para and meta group directing is systematically investigated for a total of 85 systems. We find that regioselectivity of electrophilic attacks is determined by the Hirshfeld charge distribution on the aromatic ring. Ortho/para directing groups have most negative charges on the ortho/para positions, while meta directing groups often possess the largest negative charge on the meta position. Our results do not support that ortho/para directing groups are electron donors and meta directing groups are electron acceptors. Most neutral species we studied here are electron withdrawal in nature. Anionic systems are always electron donors. There are also electron donors serving as meta directing groups. We predicted ortho/para and meta group directing behaviors for a list of groups whose regioselectivity is previously unknown. In addition, strong linear correlations between the Hirshfeld charge and the highest occupied molecular orbital have been observed, providing the first link between the frontier molecular orbital theory and DFRT.« less

Synthesis, computational, and spectroscopic analysis of tunable highly fluorescent BN-1,2-azaborine derivatives containing the N-BOH moiety.

PubMed

Saint-Louis, Carl Jacky; Shavnore, Renée N; McClinton, Caleb D C; Wilson, Julie A; Magill, Lacey L; Brown, Breanna M; Lamb, Robert W; Webster, Charles Edwin; Schrock, Alan K; Huggins, Michael T

2017-12-13

Nine new polycyclic aromatic BN-1,2-azaborine analogues containing the N-BOH moiety were synthesized using a convenient two-step, one-pot procedure. Characterization of the prepared compounds show the luminescence wavelength and the quantum yields of the azaborines were tunable by controlling the power and location of the donor and acceptor substituents on the chromophore. UV-visible spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) computations revealed that the addition of electron-donating moieties to the isoindolinone hemisphere raised the energy of the HOMO, resulting in the reduction of the HOMO-LUMO gap. The addition of an electron-accepting moiety to the isoindolinone hemisphere and an electron-donating group to the boronic acid hemisphere decreased the HOMO-LUMO gap considerably, leading to emission properties from partial intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states. The combined effect of an acceptor on the isoindolinone side and a donor on the boronic acid side (strong acceptor-π-donor) gave the most red-shifted absorption. The polycyclic aromatic BN-1,2-azaborines emitted strong fluorescence in solution and in the solid-state with the largest red-shifted emission at 640 nm and a Stokes shift of Δλ = 218 nm, or Δν = 8070 cm -1 .

Attitude toward blood donation among medical and nonmedical students across Karachi

PubMed Central

Anwer, Muhammad Osama; Ul Fawwad, Shaikh Hamiz; Anwer, Sanam; Ali, Arif

2016-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the factors that motivate and discourage medical and nonmedical students from donating blood voluntarily and to assess the level of awareness and knowledge regarding blood donation. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study from August 2011 to May 2012 across different universities of Karachi covering both private and public sector. Predesigned questionnaires were filled by students. A total of 690 students participated in the study, 345 from each. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS Version 17.0. Simple frequencies and percentages were calculated, and Pearson Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied to calculate association between different variables with P value set as significant when <0.05. Results: Mean age of the students was found to be between 21 and 23 (64.6%) in medical, whereas in nonmedical, 66.7% fell in this age group. Astonishingly, blood donors in nonmedical (27%) were quite more than that in medical group, where they were only 18%. Males constituted the majority in both of the groups. Most commonly reported factor that motivated blood donation in medical group was feeling of self-satisfaction (40.2%), whereas in nonmedical group, 32.9% reported that they had only donated blood when their friends/family were in need. When asked about the adverse effects after blood donation, weakness was common among both medical and nonmedical, i.e. 46.8% and 46.7%, respectively. Among the factors that impeded our subjects from donating blood were primarily health concerns in medical students (19%), whereas in nonmedical students they claimed they were not approached by anyone and were unaware of the importance of blood donation (34.8%). Conclusion: Proportion of blood donors was significantly low in both medical and nonmedical students, especially in females. Most important motivating factor in medical students was feeling of self–satisfaction, whereas in nonmedical students, it was family/friend in need of blood transfusion. Never approached by anyone/awareness about the importance of donating blood was the major discouragement factor seen in both medical and nonmedical groups. PMID:27605846

Attitude toward blood donation among medical and nonmedical students across Karachi.

PubMed

Anwer, Muhammad Osama; Ul Fawwad, Shaikh Hamiz; Anwer, Sanam; Ali, Arif

2016-01-01

To evaluate the factors that motivate and discourage medical and nonmedical students from donating blood voluntarily and to assess the level of awareness and knowledge regarding blood donation. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study from August 2011 to May 2012 across different universities of Karachi covering both private and public sector. Predesigned questionnaires were filled by students. A total of 690 students participated in the study, 345 from each. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS Version 17.0. Simple frequencies and percentages were calculated, and Pearson Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied to calculate association between different variables with P value set as significant when <0.05. Mean age of the students was found to be between 21 and 23 (64.6%) in medical, whereas in nonmedical, 66.7% fell in this age group. Astonishingly, blood donors in nonmedical (27%) were quite more than that in medical group, where they were only 18%. Males constituted the majority in both of the groups. Most commonly reported factor that motivated blood donation in medical group was feeling of self-satisfaction (40.2%), whereas in nonmedical group, 32.9% reported that they had only donated blood when their friends/family were in need. When asked about the adverse effects after blood donation, weakness was common among both medical and nonmedical, i.e. 46.8% and 46.7%, respectively. Among the factors that impeded our subjects from donating blood were primarily health concerns in medical students (19%), whereas in nonmedical students they claimed they were not approached by anyone and were unaware of the importance of blood donation (34.8%). Proportion of blood donors was significantly low in both medical and nonmedical students, especially in females. Most important motivating factor in medical students was feeling of self-satisfaction, whereas in nonmedical students, it was family/friend in need of blood transfusion. Never approached by anyone/awareness about the importance of donating blood was the major discouragement factor seen in both medical and nonmedical groups.

Willingness to Be a Brain Donor: A Survey of Research Volunteers From 4 Racial/Ethnic Groups.

PubMed

Boise, Linda; Hinton, Ladson; Rosen, Howard J; Ruhl, Mary C; Dodge, Hiroko; Mattek, Nora; Albert, Marilyn; Denny, Andrea; Grill, Joshua D; Hughes, Travonia; Lingler, Jennifer H; Morhardt, Darby; Parfitt, Francine; Peterson-Hazan, Susan; Pop, Viorela; Rose, Tara; Shah, Raj C

2017-01-01

Racial and ethnic groups are under-represented among research subjects who assent to brain donation in Alzheimer disease research studies. There has been little research on this important topic. Although there are some studies that have investigated the barriers to brain donation among African American study volunteers, there is no known research on the factors that influence whether or not Asians or Latinos are willing to donate their brains for research. African American, Caucasian, Asian, and Latino research volunteers were surveyed at 15 Alzheimer Disease Centers to identify predictors of willingness to assent to brain donation. Positive predictors included older age, Latino ethnicity, understanding of how the brain is used by researchers, and understanding of what participants need to do to ensure that their brain will be donated. Negative predictors included African/African American race, belief that the body should remain whole at burial, and concern that researchers might not be respectful of the body during autopsy. The predictive factors identified in this study may be useful for researchers seeking to increase participation of diverse ethnic groups in brain donation.

Self-Assembly of Electron Donor-Acceptor-Based Carbazole Derivatives: Novel Fluorescent Organic Nanoprobes for Both One- and Two-Photon Cellular Imaging.

PubMed

Zhang, Jinfeng; Chen, Wencheng; Kalytchuk, Sergii; Li, King Fai; Chen, Rui; Adachi, Chihaya; Chen, Zhan; Rogach, Andrey L; Zhu, Guangyu; Yu, Peter K N; Zhang, Wenjun; Cheah, Kok Wai; Zhang, Xiaohong; Lee, Chun-Sing

2016-05-11

In this study, we report fluorescent organic nanoprobes with intense blue, green, and orange-red emissions prepared by self-assembling three carbazole derivatives into nanorods/nanoparticles. The three compounds consist of two or four electron-donating carbazole groups linked to a central dicyanobenzene electron acceptor. Steric hindrance from the carbazole groups leads to noncoplanar 3D molecular structures favorable to fluorescence in the solid state, while the donor-acceptor structures endow the molecules with good two-photon excited emission properties. The fluorescent organic nanoprobes exhibit good water dispersibility, low cytotoxicity, superior resistance against photodegradation and photobleaching. Both one- and two-photon fluorescent imaging were shown in the A549 cell line. Two-photon fluorescence imaging with the fluorescent probes was demonstrated to be more effective in visualizing and distinguishing cellular details compared to conventional one-photon fluorescence imaging.

Concern for Group Reputation Increases Prosociality in Young Children.

PubMed

Engelmann, Jan M; Herrmann, Esther; Tomasello, Michael

2018-02-01

The motivation to build and maintain a positive personal reputation promotes prosocial behavior. But individuals also identify with their groups, and so it is possible that the desire to maintain or enhance group reputation may have similar effects. Here, we show that 5-year-old children actively invest in the reputation of their group by acting more generously when their group's reputation is at stake. Children shared significantly more resources with fictitious other children not only when their individual donations were public rather than private but also when their group's donations (effacing individual donations) were public rather than private. These results provide the first experimental evidence that concern for group reputation can lead to higher levels of prosociality.

Simultaneous control of emission localization and two-photon absorption efficiency in dissymmetrical chromophores

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tretiak, Sergei

2009-01-01

The aim of the present work is to demonstrate that combined spectral tuning of fluorescence and two-photon absorption (TPA) properties of multipolar chromophores can be achieved by introduction of slight electronic chemical dissymmetry. In that perspective, two novel series of structurally related chromophores have been designed and studied: a first series based on rod-like quadrupolar chromophores bearing different electron-donating (D) end groups and a second series based on three-branched octupolar chromophores built from a trigonal donating moiety and bearing various acceptor (A) peripheral groups. The influence of the electronic dissymmetry is investigated by combined experimental and theoretical studies of themore » linear and nonlinear optical properties of dissymmetric chromophores compared to their symmetrical counterparts. In both types of systems (i.e. quadrupoles and octupoles) experiments and theory reveal that excitation is essentially delocalized and that excitation involves synchronized charge redistribution between the different D and A moieties within the multipolar structure (i.e. concerted intramolecular charge transfer). In contrast, the emission stems only from a particular dipolar subunit bearing the strongest D or A moieties due to fast excitation localization after excitation prior to emission. Hence control of emission characteristics (polarization and emission spectrum) in addition to localization can be achieved by controlled introduction of electronic dissymmetry (i.e. replacement of one of the D or A end-groups by a slightly stronger D{prime} or A{prime} units). Interestingly dissymmetrical functionalization of both quadrupolar and octupolar compounds does not lead to significant loss in TPA responses and can even be beneficial due to the spectral broadening and peak position tuning that it allows. This study thus reveals an original molecular engineering route strategy allowing major TPA enhancement in multipolar structures due to concerted multidimensional ICT while providing for spatial control of emission localization. Such route could be extended to more intricate (dendritic) and multipolar systems (3D).« less

Volume-dependent hemodynamic effects of blood collection in canine donors - evaluation of 13% and 15% of total blood volume depletion.

PubMed

Ferreira, Rui R F; Gopegui, Rafael R; De Matos, Augusto J F

2015-03-01

There is no consensus regarding the blood volume that could be safely donated by dogs, ranging from 11 to 25% of its total blood volume (TBV). No previous studies evaluated sedated donors. To evaluate the hemodynamic effects of blood collection from sedated and non-sedated dogs and to understand if such effects were volume-dependent. Fifty three donations of 13% of TBV and 20 donations of 15% TBV were performed in dogs sedated with diazepam and ketamine. Additionally, a total of 30 collections of 13% TBV and 20 collections of 15% TBV were performed in non-sedated dogs. Non-invasive arterial blood pressures and pulse rates were registered before and 15 min after donation. Post-donation pulse rates increased significantly in both sedated groups, with higher differences in the 15% TBV collections. Systolic arterial pressures decreased significantly in these groups, while diastolic pressures increased significantly in 13% TBV donations. Non-sedated groups revealed a slight, but significant, SBP decrease. No clinical signs related to donations were registered. These results suggest that the collection of 15% TBV in sedated donors induces hemodynamic variations that may compromise the harmlessness of the procedure, while it seems to be a safe procedure in non-sedated dogs.

Guinean Population Emigrant to Spain Has Very Little Awareness of the Donation and Transplantation of Organs.

PubMed

Ríos, A; Carrillo, J; López-Navas, A I; Martínez-Alarcón, L; Ayala, M A; Garrido, G; Ramis, G; Hernández, A M; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2018-03-01

The Guinean population is an emerging group in Europe, but the group's awareness of organ donation and transplantation has not been studied. To analyze the attitude toward organ donation among the population born in Guinea living in Spain. The population older than 15 years, born in Guinea, and resident in Spain was studied, stratified by age and sex, according to census data and immigrant assistance associations. The valuation tool used was the attitude questionnaire toward organ donation PCID-DTO RIOS (questionnaire on "Donor International Collaborative Project" on organ donation and transplantation developed by Dr Ríos). A random selection of people to survey was based on stratification. Support from African immigration support associations was needed to advise on the location of potential respondents. The completion was anonymous and self-administered. A descriptive statistic was performed, and Student t, χ 2 , and Fisher tests and a logistic regression analysis were applied. In all, 181 Guineans were surveyed, of whom 32% (n = 58) were in favor of the donation of their own organs after death, 32% (n = 57) were against, and 36% (n = 66) were undecided. The variables that are associated with attitude toward donation are separated mainly into 4 large groups (P < .001): (1) knowledge about the process of donation and organ transplantation; (2) attitude toward the manipulation of the body; (3) religious variables; and (4) sociofamily variables, especially in relation to the couple. The Guinean population emigrant to Spain has an unfriendly attitude toward organ donation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Public Face of Transplantation: The Potential of Education to Expand the Face Donor Pool.

PubMed

Plana, Natalie M; Kimberly, Laura L; Parent, Brendan; Khouri, Kimberly S; Diaz-Siso, J Rodrigo; Fryml, Elise M; Motosko, Catherine C; Ceradini, Daniel J; Caplan, Arthur; Rodriguez, Eduardo D

2018-01-01

Despite the growing success of facial transplantation, organ donor shortages remain challenging. Educational health campaigns can effectively inform the general public and institute behavioral modifications. A brief educational introduction to facial transplantation may positively influence the public's position on facial donation. The authors anonymously surveyed 300 participants, gathering basic demographic information, donor registration status, awareness of facial transplantation, and willingness to donate solid organs and facial allografts. Two-hundred of these participants were presented an educational video and subsequently resurveyed on facial donation. Factorial parametric analyses were performed to compare exposure responses before and after watching video exposure. Among participants completing the survey alone (control group), 49 percent were registered donors, 78 percent reported willingness to donate solid organs, and 52 percent reported willingness to donate facial allograft. Of participants who watched the video (video group) 52 percent were registered; 69 and 51 percent were willing to donate solid organs and face, respectively. Following educational intervention, 69 percent of participants in the video group reported willingness to donate facial tissue, an 18 percent increase (p < 0.05), that equated to those willing to donate solid organs. The greatest increase was observed among younger participants (23 percent); women (22 percent); Jewish (22 percent), Catholic (22 percent), and black/African American (25 percent) participants; and respondents holding a higher degree. No significant differences according to gender or ethnicity were observed. Educational interventions hold much promise for increasing the general public's awareness of facial transplantation and willingness to participate in donation of facial allografts.

Improving first-time donor attendance rates through the use of enhanced donor preparation materials.

PubMed

Masser, Barbara; France, Christopher R; Foot, Jayne; Rozsa, Amy; Hayman, Jane; Waller, Daniel; Hunder, Everard

2016-06-01

Many nondonors are positive about blood donation and this motivates booking an appointment to donate. However, as their appointment approaches barriers to donating-such as anxiety-may become salient and deter attendance. Building on research of France and colleagues demonstrating the positive effect of enhanced preparation materials on donor recruitment, this study sought to determine whether these materials could effectively boost first donation appointment attendance. A field study comprising a 3 (brochure: none, e-mail, hard copy) × 2 (national call center [NCC] contact: none, call) between-subjects design was conducted with 3646 nondonors who had scheduled their first appointment. Participants in the brochure conditions received either a hard copy or an e-mailed link to electronic materials modeled on the donor preparation research of France and colleagues. Participants in the NCC call condition also received a call scripted in line with these preparation materials. The key outcome was new donor attendance rate. Although first-appointment attendance rates were high in the control (no additional contact) condition at 85.07% of those not canceling in advance, dual exposure to the preparation materials through a NCC call and an electronic brochure boosted attendance. The relative risk of attending in the NCC call and electronic brochure condition was 1.0836 (95% confidence interval, 1.0352-1.1343; p = 0.0006), with attendance 8.36% higher than in the control. This gain in attendance came at a relative increase in recruitment costs of 2%. The use of tailored communication to address new donors' concerns and prepare them for donating bolsters attendance rates. © 2016 AABB.

Hindered Csbnd N bond rotation in triazinyl dithiocarbamates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Taesub; Do, Hee-Jin; Son, Jongwoo; Song, Jae Hee; Cha, Wansik; Kim, Yeong-Joon; Lee, Kyung-Koo; Kwak, Kyungwon

2018-01-01

The substituent and solvent effects on the rotation around a Csbnd N amide bond were studied for a series of triazine dibenzylcarbamodithioates. The Gibbs free energies (ΔG‡) were measured to be 16-18 kcal/mol in DMSO-d6 and toluene-d8 using variable-temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (VT-1H NMR) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduced the experimental observations with various substituents, as well as solvents. From the detailed analysis of the DFT results, we found that the electron donating dibenzyl amine group increased the electron population on the triazinyl ring, which decreased the rotational barrier of the Csbnd N bond in the dithiocarbamate group attached to the triazinyl ring. The higher electron population on the triazine moiety stabilizes the partial double bond character of the Ssbnd C bond, which competitively excludes the double bond character of the Csbnd N bond. Therefore, the rotational dynamics of the Csbnd N bond in dithiocarbamates can be a sensitive probe to small differences in the electron population of substituents on sulfur.

Harms of unsuccessful donation after circulatory death: An exploratory study.

PubMed

Taylor, Lauren J; Buffington, Anne; Scalea, Joseph R; Fost, Norman; Croes, Kenneth D; Mezrich, Joshua D; Schwarze, Margaret L

2018-02-01

While donation after circulatory death (DCD) has expanded options for organ donation, many who wish to donate are still unable to do so. We conducted face-to-face interviews with family members (N = 15) who had direct experience with unsuccessful DCD and 5 focus groups with professionals involved in the donation process. We used qualitative content analysis to characterize the harms of nondonation as perceived by participants. Participants reported a broad spectrum of harms affecting organ recipients, donors, and donor families. Harms included waste of precious life-giving organs and hospital resources, inability to honor the donor's memory and character, and impaired ability for families to make sense of tragedy and cope with loss. Donor families empathized with the initial hope and ultimate despair of potential recipients who must continue their wait on the transplant list. Focus group members reinforced these findings and highlighted the struggle of families to navigate the uncertainty regarding the timing of death during the donation process. While families reported significant harm, many appreciated the donation attempt. These findings highlight the importance of organ donation to donor families and the difficult experiences associated with current processes that could inform development of alternative donation strategies. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Becoming a mother by non-anonymous egg donation: secrecy and the relationship between egg recipient, egg donor and egg donation child.

PubMed

van Berkel, D; Candido, A; Pijffers, W H

2007-06-01

The object of the study was to investigate secrecy in non-anonymous egg donation, to explore some characteristics of this kind of egg donation arrangement and the relationship of the recipient with her non-genetic child. Forty-four egg recipients and 62 IVF patients with a child conceived through egg donation and/or IVF were recruited. A semi-structured questionnaire was sent to all the participants. Chi-square and T-tests were used to examine the differences between the groups. There were no significant differences on the following aspects. The same high proportion of egg donation mothers (77%) and IVF mothers (87%) had the intention of telling their child about the conception but most women thought disclosure at a later time preferable. Two thirds of the recipients and IVF mothers said the way of conception had no influence on the relationship with their child. The two groups differed however in their argumentation about secrecy and named different feelings. Egg donation mothers expressed more denial and showed more defensive reactions, anxieties and uncertainty. It is suggested that recognition of a certain difference between a natural conception and egg donation could be helpful in early disclosure and could help to diminish anxieties in egg donation mothers.

Past, present and future of kidney paired donation transplantation in India

PubMed Central

Kute, Vivek B; Patel, Himanshu V; Shah, Pankaj R; Modi, Pranjal R; Shah, Veena R; Rizvi, Sayyed J; Pal, Bipin C; Modi, Manisha P; Shah, Priya S; Varyani, Umesh T; Wakhare, Pavan S; Shinde, Saiprasad G; Ghodela, Vijay A; Patel, Minaxi H; Trivedi, Varsha B; Trivedi, Hargovind L

2017-01-01

One third of healthy willing living kidney donors are rejected due to ABO blood group incompatibility and donor specific antibody. This increases pre-transplant dialysis duration leading to increased morbidity and mortality on the kidney transplantation waiting list. Over the last decade kidney paired donation is most rapidly increased source of living kidney donors. In a kidney transplantation program dominated by living donor kidney transplantation, kidney paired donation is a legal and valid alternative strategy to increase living donor kidney transplantation. This is more useful in countries with limited resources where ABO incompatible kidney transplantation or desensitization protocol is not feasible because of costs/infectious complications and deceased donor kidney transplantation is in initial stages. The matching allocation, ABO blood type imbalance, reciprocity, simultaneity, geography were the limitation for the expansion of kidney paired donation. Here we describe different successful ways to increase living donor kidney transplantation through kidney paired donation. Compatible pairs, domino chain, combination of kidney paired donation with desensitization or ABO incompatible transplantation, international kidney paired donation, non-simultaneous, extended, altruistic donor chain and list exchange are different ways to expand the donor pool. In absence of national kidney paired donation program, a dedicated kidney paired donation team will increase access to living donor kidney transplantation in individual centres with team work. Use of social networking sites to expand donor pool, HLA based national kidney paired donation program will increase quality and quantity of kidney paired donation transplantation. Transplant centres should remove the barriers to a broader implementation of multicentre, national kidney paired donation program to further optimize potential of kidney paired donation to increase transplantation of O group and sensitized patients. This review assists in the development of similar programs in other developing countries. PMID:28507916

Past, present and future of kidney paired donation transplantation in India.

PubMed

Kute, Vivek B; Patel, Himanshu V; Shah, Pankaj R; Modi, Pranjal R; Shah, Veena R; Rizvi, Sayyed J; Pal, Bipin C; Modi, Manisha P; Shah, Priya S; Varyani, Umesh T; Wakhare, Pavan S; Shinde, Saiprasad G; Ghodela, Vijay A; Patel, Minaxi H; Trivedi, Varsha B; Trivedi, Hargovind L

2017-04-24

One third of healthy willing living kidney donors are rejected due to ABO blood group incompatibility and donor specific antibody. This increases pre-transplant dialysis duration leading to increased morbidity and mortality on the kidney transplantation waiting list. Over the last decade kidney paired donation is most rapidly increased source of living kidney donors. In a kidney transplantation program dominated by living donor kidney transplantation, kidney paired donation is a legal and valid alternative strategy to increase living donor kidney transplantation. This is more useful in countries with limited resources where ABO incompatible kidney transplantation or desensitization protocol is not feasible because of costs/infectious complications and deceased donor kidney transplantation is in initial stages. The matching allocation, ABO blood type imbalance, reciprocity, simultaneity, geography were the limitation for the expansion of kidney paired donation. Here we describe different successful ways to increase living donor kidney transplantation through kidney paired donation. Compatible pairs, domino chain, combination of kidney paired donation with desensitization or ABO incompatible transplantation, international kidney paired donation, non-simultaneous, extended, altruistic donor chain and list exchange are different ways to expand the donor pool. In absence of national kidney paired donation program, a dedicated kidney paired donation team will increase access to living donor kidney transplantation in individual centres with team work. Use of social networking sites to expand donor pool, HLA based national kidney paired donation program will increase quality and quantity of kidney paired donation transplantation. Transplant centres should remove the barriers to a broader implementation of multicentre, national kidney paired donation program to further optimize potential of kidney paired donation to increase transplantation of O group and sensitized patients. This review assists in the development of similar programs in other developing countries.

Hispanic/Latino concerns about living kidney donation: a focus group study.

PubMed

Gordon, Elisa J; Mullee, Jack O; Ramirez, Daney I; MacLean, Jessica; Olivero, Maria; Feinglass, Joseph; Carney, Paula; O'Connor, Kate; Caicedo, Juan Carlos

2014-06-01

Given the shortage of kidneys for transplant, living kidney donation (LKD) is increasingly used to expand the organ donor pool. Although Hispanics/Latinos need disproportionately more kidney transplants, they receive a smaller proportion of living donor kidney transplants than other ethnic/racial groups. To assess Hispanics' awareness, perceptions, misconceptions, cultural beliefs, and values about and barriers to LKD. Nine focus groups were conducted with 76 adult Hispanics in Chicago, Illinois, between January and March 2012. Focus groups included kidney transplant recipients, living kidney donors, dialysis patients, and the general Hispanic public. Several themes emerged as perceived barriers to LKD. Many participants identified knowledge deficits about LKD, expressing uncertainty about the differences between LKD and deceased donation, and whether kidney disease simultaneously afflicts both kidneys. Many believed that donors experience dramatically shorter life expectancies, are unable to have children, and are more susceptible to kidney disease after donating. Recipients and donors reported that family members were involved in discussions about the donor's decision to donate, with some family members discouraging donation. Financial barriers cited included fear of becoming unable to work, losing one's job, or being unable to pay household bills while recovering. Participants also identified logistic barriers for undocumented immigrants (eg, the inability to obtain government insurance for transplant candidates and uncertainty about their eligibility to donate). Donors desired information about optimizing self-care to promote their remaining kidney's health. Culturally competent interventions are needed to redress Hispanics' knowledge deficits and misconceptions and reduce LKD disparities among Hispanics.

Iridium-Catalysed ortho-Directed Deuterium Labelling of Aromatic Esters--An Experimental and Theoretical Study on Directing Group Chemoselectivity.

PubMed

Devlin, Jennifer; Kerr, William J; Lindsay, David M; McCabe, Timothy J D; Reid, Marc; Tuttle, Tell

2015-06-25

Herein we report a combined experimental and theoretical study on the deuterium labelling of benzoate ester derivatives, utilizing our developed iridium N-heterocyclic carbene/phosphine catalysts. A range of benzoate esters were screened, including derivatives with electron-donating and -withdrawing groups in the para- position. The substrate scope, in terms of the alkoxy group, was studied and the nature of the catalyst counter-ion was shown to have a profound effect on the efficiency of isotope exchange. Finally, the observed chemoselectivity was rationalized by rate studies and theoretical calculations, and this insight was applied to the selective labelling of benzoate esters bearing a second directing group.

Literature overview highlights lack of paediatric donation protocols but identifies common themes that could guide their development.

PubMed

Vileito, A; Siebelink, M J; Verhagen, Aae

2018-05-01

Paediatric donation is a unique and extremely sensitive process that requires specific knowledge and competencies. Most countries use protocols for organ and tissue donation to ensure optimal care for the donor and family, but these mainly focus on adults. However, the donation process for children differs from adults in many ways. An overview of the literature was performed to identify protocols for the paediatric population. PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and the Internet were searched up to March 2016 for papers or other sources in English related to specific organ and tissue donation protocols for children and neonates. This comprised title, abstract and then full-text screening of relevant data. We included 12 papers and two electronic sources that were mainly from North America and Europe. Most discussed donations after cardiac death. The recurring themes included identifying potential donors, approaching parents, palliative care and collaboration with organ procurement organisations. Most papers called for paediatric donation policies to be standardised. Scientific publications in English on paediatric donation protocols are very scarce. No comprehensive paediatric donation protocol was found. We identified several recurring themes in the literature that could be used to develop such protocols. ©2018 The Authors. Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

Benzoin Radicals as Reducing Agent for Synthesizing Ultrathin Copper Nanowires.

PubMed

Cui, Fan; Dou, Letian; Yang, Qin; Yu, Yi; Niu, Zhiqiang; Sun, Yuchun; Liu, Hao; Dehestani, Ahmad; Schierle-Arndt, Kerstin; Yang, Peidong

2017-03-01

In this work, we report a new, general synthetic approach that uses heat driven benzoin radicals to grow ultrathin copper nanowires with tunable diameters. This is the first time carbon organic radicals have been used as a reducing agent in metal nanowire synthesis. In-situ temperature dependent electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic studies show that the active reducing agent is the free radicals produced by benzoins under elevated temperature. Furthermore, the reducing power of benzoin can be readily tuned by symmetrically decorating functional groups on the two benzene rings. When the aromatic rings are modified with electron donating (withdrawing) groups, the reducing power is promoted (suppressed). The controllable reactivity gives the carbon organic radical great potential as a versatile reducing agent that can be generalized in other metallic nanowire syntheses.

Modelling antecedents of blood donation motivation among non-donors of varying age and education.

PubMed

Lemmens, K P H; Abraham, C; Ruiter, R A C; Veldhuizen, I J T; Dehing, C J G; Bos, A E R; Schaalma, H P

2009-02-01

Understanding blood donation motivation among non-donors is prerequisite to effective recruitment. Two studies explored the psychological antecedents of blood donation motivation and the generalisability of a model of donation motivation across groups differing in age and educational level. An older well-educated population and a younger less well-educated population were sampled. The studies assessed the role of altruism, fear of blood/needles and donation-specific cognitions including attitudes and normative beliefs derived from an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Across both samples, results showed that affective attitude, subjective norm, descriptive norm, and moral norm were the most important correlates of blood donation intentions. Self-efficacy was more important among the younger less well-educated group. Altruism was related to donation motivation but only indirectly through moral norm. Similarly, fear of blood/needles only had an indirect effect on motivation through affective attitude and self-efficacy. Additional analyses with the combined data set found no age or education moderation effects, suggesting that this core model of donation-specific cognitions can be used to inform future practical interventions recruiting new blood donors in the general population.

Catalytic trimerization of aromatic nitriles for synthesis of polyimide matrix resins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, L. C.

1974-01-01

Aromatic nitriles may be trimerized at moderate temperature and pressure with p-toluenesulfonic acid as catalyst. Studies were conducted to establish the effect of the reaction temperature, pressure, time, and catalyst concentration on yield of the trimerized product. Trimerization studies were also conducted to establish the effect of substituting electron donating or withdrawing groups on benzonitrile. Preliminary results of using the catalytic trimerization approach to prepare s-triazine cross-linked polyimide/graphite fiber composites are presented.

Determination of adiabatic ionization potentials and electron affinities of energetic molecules with the Gaussian-4 method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manaa, M. Riad

2017-06-01

Adiabatic ionization potentials (IPad) and electron affinities (EAad) are determined with the Gaussian-4 (G4) method for the energetic molecules PETN, RDX, β-δ-HMX, CL-17, TNB, TNT, CL-14, DADNE, TNA, and TATB. The IPad and EAad values are in the range of 8.43-11.73 and 0.74-2.86 eV, respectively. Variations are due to substitutional effects of electron withdrawing and donating functional groups. Enthalpies of formation are also determined for several of these molecules to augment the list of recently reported G4 values. The calculated IPad and EAad provide quantitative assessment of such molecular properties as chemical hardness, molecular electronegativity, and "intrinsic" molecular physical hardness.

Quantitative studies on structure-ORAC relationships of anthocyanins from eggplant and radish using 3D-QSAR.

PubMed

Jing, Pu; Zhao, Shujuan; Ruan, Siyu; Sui, Zhongquan; Chen, Lihong; Jiang, Linlei; Qian, Bingjun

2014-02-15

The 3-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models were established from 21 anthocyanins based on their oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC) and were applied to predict anthocyanins in eggplant and radish for their ORAC values. The cross-validated q(2)=0.857/0.729, non-cross-validated r(2) = 0.958/0.856, standard error of estimate = 0.153/0.134, and F = 73.267/19.247 were for the best QSAR (CoMFA/CoMSIA) models, where the correlation coefficient r(2)pred = 0.998/0.997 (>0.6) indicated a high predictive ability for each. Additionally, the contour map results suggested that structural characteristics of anthocyanins favourable for the high ORAC. Four anthocyanins from eggplant and radish have been screened based on the QSAR models. Pelargonidin-3-[(6''-p-coumaroyl)-glucosyl(2 → 1)glucoside]-5-(6''-malonyl)-glucoside, delphinidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucoside, and delphinidin-3-[(4''-p-coumaroyl)-rhamnosyl(1 → 6)glucoside]-5-glucoside potential with high ORAC based the QSAR models were isolated and also confirmed for their relative high antioxidant ability, which might attribute to the bulky and/or electron-donating substituent at the 3-position in the C ring or/and hydrogen bond donor group/electron donating group on the R1 position in the B ring. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observation of inductive effects that cause a change in the rate-determining step for the conversion of rhenium azides to imido complexes.

PubMed

Travia, Nicholas E; Xu, Zhenggang; Keith, Jason M; Ison, Elon A; Fanwick, Phillip E; Hall, Michael B; Abu-Omar, Mahdi M

2011-10-17

The cationic oxorhenium(V) complex [Re(O)(hoz)(2)(CH(3)CN)][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] [1; Hhoz = 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-2-oxazoline] reacts with aryl azides (N(3)Ar) to give cationic cis-rhenium(VII) oxoimido complexes of the general formula [Re(O)(NAr)(hoz)(2)][B(C(6)F(5))(4)] [2a-2f; Ar = 4-methoxyphenyl, 4-methylphenyl, phenyl, 3-methoxyphenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, and 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]. The kinetics of formation of 2 in CH(3)CN are first-order in both azide (N(3)Ar) and oxorhenium(V) complex 1, with second-order rate constants ranging from 3.5 × 10(-2) to 1.7 × 10(-1) M(-1) s(-1). A strong inductive effect is observed for electron-withdrawing substituents, leading to a negative Hammett reaction constant ρ = -1.3. However, electron-donating substituents on phenyl azide deviate significantly from this trend. Enthalpic barriers (ΔH(‡)) determined by the Eyring-Polanyi equation are in the range 14-19 kcal mol(-1) for all aryl azides studied. However, electron-donating 4-methoxyphenyl azide exhibits a large negative entropy of activation, ΔS(‡) = -21 cal mol(-1) K(-1), which is in sharp contrast to the near zero ΔS(‡) observed for phenyl azide and 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl azide. The Hammett linear free-energy relationship and the activation parameters support a change in the mechanism between electron-withdrawing and electron-donating aryl azides. Density functional theory predicts that the aryl azides coordinate via N(α) and extrude N(2) directly. For the electron-withdrawing substituents, N(2) extrusion is rate-determining, while for the electron-donating substituents, the rate-determining step becomes the initial attack of the azide. The barriers for these two steps are inverted in their order with respect to the Hammett σ values; thus, the Hammett plot appears with a break in its slope.

Living organ donation: the effect of message frame on an altruistic behaviour.

PubMed

McGregor, Lesley M; Ferguson, Eamonn; O'Carroll, Ronan E

2012-09-01

This experimental study investigates the impact of message frame and risk perceptions upon willingness to consider living organ donation. A 2 (gain vs. loss) by 2 (liver vs. kidney) by 2 (involved vs. not involved) between-group study was conducted. Eighty-seven participants completed a questionnaire after reading a vignette designed to invite participants to consider living kidney or liver donation. Within a gain frame scenario, willingness to donate was significantly higher when the risk of donating was lower. The results have important implications for the generalizability of framing theories and the promotion of living organ donation.

A comparison of the bonding in Cr(NO)4 and Ni(CO)4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.; Siegbahn, P. E. M.

1986-01-01

The bonding in Cr(NO)4 is very ionic, with about 1.5 electrons donated from the Cr to the NO 2pi orbitals. There is also a NO sigma donation of about 0.5 electrons to the Cr, yielding a net charge of Cr of about 1. A large MCSCF expansion is needed to describe both the ionic and covalent contributions to the Cr 3d-NO 2pi bonding. This bonding is compared to that in the isoelectronic Ni(CO)4.

2016 America's Recycle Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-15

Computers, monitors, vacuum cleaners and other electronics have been donated by employees at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more. The two-day event was sponsored by Kennedy's Sustainability team.

Defining Dogma: Quantifying Crystalloid Hemodilution in a Prospective Randomized Control Trial with Blood Donation as a Model for Hemorrhage.

PubMed

Ross, Samuel Wade; Christmas, A Britton; Fischer, Peter E; Holway, Haley; Seymour, Rachel; Huntington, Ciara R; Heniford, B Todd; Sing, Ronald F

2018-06-04

The concept of hemodilution after blood loss and crystalloid infusion is a surgical maxim that remains unproven in humans. We sought to quantify the effect of hemodilution after crystalloid administration in voluntary blood donors as a model for acute hemorrhage. A prospective, randomized control trial was conducted in conjunction with community blood drives. Donors were randomized to receive no IV fluid(noIVF), two liters normal saline(NS), or two liters lactated ringers(LR) after blood donation. Blood samples were taken before donation of 500 mL of blood, immediately after donation, and following IV fluid administration. Hemoglobin(Hgb) was measured at each time point. Hgb between time points were compared between groups using standard statistical tests and the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p≤0.0167. Of 165 patients consented, 157 patients completed the study. Average pre-donation Hgb was 14.3 g/dL. There was no difference in the mean Hgb levels after blood donation between the three groups(p>0.05). Compared to the control group, there was a significant drop in Hgb in the crystalloid infused groups from the post-donation level to post-resuscitation(13.2 vs 12.1 vs 12.2 g/dL, p<0.0001). A formula was created to predict hemoglobin levels from a given estimated blood loss(EBL) and volume replacement(VR): Hemodilution Hgb=(MeanPre-donation Hgb - hemorrhage Hgb drop - equilibration hemoglobin drop - resuscitation Hgb drop)=MeanPre-donation Hgb - [(EBL/TBV)*l] - [(EBL/TBV)*h] - [(VR/TBV)*r], l = 5.111g/dL = blood loss coefficient, h=6.722 g/dL=equilibration coefficient, r= 2.617g/dL= resuscitation coefficient. This study proves the concept of hemodilution and derived a mathematical relationship between blood loss and resuscitation. This data may help to estimate response of hemoglobin levels to blood loss and fluid resuscitation in clinical practice. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The electron donating capacity of biochar is dramatically underestimated

PubMed Central

Prévoteau, Antonin; Ronsse, Frederik; Cid, Inés; Boeckx, Pascal; Rabaey, Korneel

2016-01-01

Biochars have gathered considerable interest for agronomic and engineering applications. In addition to their high sorption ability, biochars have been shown to accept or donate considerable amounts of electrons to/from their environment via abiotic or microbial processes. Here, we measured the electron accepting (EAC) and electron donating (EDC) capacities of wood-based biochars pyrolyzed at three different highest treatment temperatures (HTTs: 400, 500, 600 °C) via hydrodynamic electrochemical techniques using a rotating disc electrode. EACs and EDCs varied with HTT in accordance with a previous report with a maximal EAC at 500 °C (0.4 mmol(e−).gchar−1) and a large decrease of EDC with HTT. However, while we monitored similar EAC values than in the preceding study, we show that the EDCs have been underestimated by at least 1 order of magnitude, up to 7 mmol(e−).gchar−1 for a HTT of 400 °C. We attribute this existing underestimation to unnoticed slow kinetics of electron transfer from biochars to the dissolved redox mediators used in the monitoring. The EDC of other soil organic constituents such as humic substances may also have been underestimated. These results imply that the redox properties of biochars may have a much bigger impact on soil biogeochemical processes than previously conjectured. PMID:27628746

IR and TPD studies of the interaction of alkenes with Cu + sites in CuNaY and CuNaX zeolites of various Cu content. The heterogeneity of Cu + sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datka, J.; Kukulska-Zajaç, E.; Kozyra, P.

2006-08-01

Cu + ions in zeolites activate organic molecules containing π electrons by π back donation, which results in a distinct weakening of multiple bonds. In this study, we followed the activation of alkenes (ethene and propene) by Cu + ions in CuY and CuX zeolites of various Cu content. We also studied the strength of bonding of alkenes to Cu + ions. IR studies have shown that there are two kinds of Cu + sites of various electron donor properties. We suppose that they could be attributed to the presence of Cu + ions of various number of oxygen atoms surrounding the cation. IR studies have shown that Cu ions introduced into Y and X zeolites in the first-order (at low Cu content) form Cu + ions of stronger electron donor properties (i.e. activate alkenes to larger extend) than Cu ions introduced in the next order (at higher Cu content). IR and TPD studies of alkenes desorption evidenced that Cu + ions of stronger electron donor properties bond alkenes stronger than less electron donor ones. It suggests that π back donation has more important contribution to the strength of bonding alkenes to cation than π donation.

Complex Contagion of Campaign Donations.

PubMed

Traag, Vincent A

2016-01-01

Money is central in US politics, and most campaign contributions stem from a tiny, wealthy elite. Like other political acts, campaign donations are known to be socially contagious. We study how campaign donations diffuse through a network of more than 50,000 elites and examine how connectivity among previous donors reinforces contagion. We find that the diffusion of donations is driven by independent reinforcement contagion: people are more likely to donate when exposed to donors from different social groups than when they are exposed to equally many donors from the same group. Counter-intuitively, being exposed to one side may increase donations to the other side. Although the effect is weak, simultaneous cross-cutting exposure makes donation somewhat less likely. Finally, the independence of donors in the beginning of a campaign predicts the amount of money that is raised throughout a campaign. We theorize that people infer population-wide estimates from their local observations, with elites assessing the viability of candidates, possibly opposing candidates in response to local support. Our findings suggest that theories of complex contagions need refinement and that political campaigns should target multiple communities.

Complex Contagion of Campaign Donations

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Money is central in US politics, and most campaign contributions stem from a tiny, wealthy elite. Like other political acts, campaign donations are known to be socially contagious. We study how campaign donations diffuse through a network of more than 50000 elites and examine how connectivity among previous donors reinforces contagion. We find that the diffusion of donations is driven by independent reinforcement contagion: people are more likely to donate when exposed to donors from different social groups than when they are exposed to equally many donors from the same group. Counter-intuitively, being exposed to one side may increase donations to the other side. Although the effect is weak, simultaneous cross-cutting exposure makes donation somewhat less likely. Finally, the independence of donors in the beginning of a campaign predicts the amount of money that is raised throughout a campaign. We theorize that people infer population-wide estimates from their local observations, with elites assessing the viability of candidates, possibly opposing candidates in response to local support. Our findings suggest that theories of complex contagions need refinement and that political campaigns should target multiple communities. PMID:27077742

Cultivating Fluorescent Flowers with Highly Luminescent Carbon Dots Fabricated by a Double Passivation Method.

PubMed

Han, Shuai; Chang, Tao; Zhao, Haiping; Du, Huanhuan; Liu, Shan; Wu, Baoshuang; Qin, Shenjun

2017-07-07

In this work, we present the fabrication of highly luminescent carbon dots (CDs) by a double passivation method with the assistance of Ca(OH)₂. In the reaction process, Ca 2+ protects the active functional groups from overconsumption during dehydration and carbonization, and the electron-withdrawing groups on the CD surface are converted to electron-donating groups by the hydroxyl ions. As a result, the fluorescence quantum yield of the CDs was found to increase with increasing Ca(OH)₂ content in the reaction process. A blue-shift optical spectrum of the CDs was also found with increasing Ca(OH)₂ content, which could be attributed to the increasing of the energy gaps for the CDs. The highly photoluminescent CDs obtained (quantum yield: 86%) were used to cultivate fluorescent carnations by a water culture method, while the results of fluorescence microscopy analysis indicated that the CDs had entered the plant tissue structure.

Attitude towards organ donation in German medical students.

PubMed

Terbonssen, Tobias; Settmacher, Utz; Wurst, Christine; Dirsch, Olaf; Dahmen, Uta

2016-12-01

It is well known that personal decision making in respect to organ donation is highly dependent on the balance of knowledge, trust, and fear. We wanted to explore the attitude of German medical students towards organ donation and investigate the relationship between knowledge, trust, and fear in this special subgroup. We conducted an online survey utilizing (1) the snowball effect of using Facebook groups and advertisement as well as (2) mailing lists of medical faculties in Germany for distribution. We surveyed 1370 medical students. 75.8 % (N = 988) of the participants stated to carry an organ donor card and allowed their organs to be donated. 1.8 % (N = 23) refused donation. 22.5 % (N = 293) did not carry an organ donor card. Analysis of the "decided" versus the "undecided" group revealed substantial differences regarding transplantation knowledge (mean knowledge score of 4.23 vs. 3.81; P < 0.001), trust in (mean trust score 4.11 vs. 3.39; P < 0.001), and fear of (mean fear score 1.63 vs. 2.22; P < 0.001) organ donation. 45.9 % of the undecided group (N = 134) opted for accessing additional information material. After reading the info material, 22.7 % (N = 29) stated their willingness to sign a donor card, whereas 76.6 % (N = 98) still could not reach a decision. The willingness to potentially act as organ donor was related to the pre-existent knowledge, trust, and fear. Access to information material did promote the decision towards organ donation in a group of previously undecided medical students. This advocates initiating information campaigns even in population groups with strong medical background.

Community Preferences for the Allocation & Donation of Organs--the PAraDOx Study.

PubMed

Howard, Kirsten; Jan, Stephen; Rose, John; Chadban, Steven; Allen, Richard D M; Irving, Michelle; Tong, Allison; Wong, Germaine; Craig, Jonathan C; Cass, Alan

2011-05-25

Transplantation is the treatment of choice for people with severe organ failure. However, demand substantially exceeds supply of suitable organs; consequently many people wait months, or years to receive an organ. Reasons for the chronic shortage of deceased organ donations are unclear; there appears to be no lack of 'in principle' public support for organ donation. The PAraDOx Study examines community preferences for organ donation policy in Australia. The aims are to 1) determine which factors influence decisions by individuals to offer their organs for donation and 2) determine the criteria by which the community deems the allocation of donor organs to be fair and equitable. Qualitative and quantitative methods will be used to assess community preferences for organ donation and allocation.Focus group participants from the general community, aged between 18-80, will be purposively sampled to ensure a variety of cultural backgrounds and views on organ donation. Each focus group will include a ranking exercise using a modified nominal group technique. Focus groups of organ recipients, their families, and individuals on a transplant waiting list will also be conducted.Using the qualitative work, a discrete choice study will be designed to quantitatively assess community preferences. Discrete choice methods are based on the premise that goods and services can be described in terms of a number of separate attributes. Respondents are presented with a series of choices where levels of attributes are varied, and a mathematical function is estimated to describe numerically the value respondents attach to different options. Two community surveys will be conducted in approximately 1000 respondents each to assess community preferences for organ donation and allocation. A mixed logit model will be used; model results will be expressed as parameter estimates (β) and the odds of choosing one option over an alternative. Trade-offs between attributes will also be calculated. By providing a better understanding of current community preferences in relation to organ donation and allocation, the PAraDOx study will highlight options for firstly, increasing the rate of organ donation and secondly, allow for more transparent and equitable policies in relation to organ allocation.

Abandoning the dead donor rule? A national survey of public views on death and organ donation.

PubMed

Nair-Collins, Michael; Green, Sydney R; Sutin, Angelina R

2015-04-01

Brain dead organ donors are the principal source of transplantable organs. However, it is controversial whether brain death is the same as biological death. Therefore, it is unclear whether organ removal in brain death is consistent with the 'dead donor rule', which states that organ removal must not cause death. Our aim was to evaluate the public's opinion about organ removal if explicitly described as causing the death of a donor in irreversible apneic coma. We conducted a cross-sectional internet survey of the American public (n=1096). Questionnaire domains included opinions about a hypothetical scenario of organ removal described as causing the death of a patient in irreversible coma, and items measuring willingness to donate organs after death. Some 71% of the sample agreed that it should be legal for patients to donate organs in the scenario described and 67% agreed that they would want to donate organs in a similar situation. Of the 85% of the sample who agreed that they were willing to donate organs after death, 76% agreed that they would donate in the scenario of irreversible coma with organ removal causing death. There appears to be public support for organ donation in a scenario explicitly described as violating the dead donor rule. Further, most but not all people who would agree to donate when organ removal is described as occurring after death would also agree to donate when organ removal is described as causing death in irreversible coma. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Evaluation of the Motivation to Consent to and to Refuse Organ Donation Among Participants of Educational Meetings Concerning Organ Transplantation.

PubMed

Milaniak, I; Wilczek-Rużyczka, E; Wierzbicki, K; Sadowski, J; Kapelak, B; Przybyłowski, P

2016-06-01

Improvement of the consent rate for solid organ donation from deceased donors is a key component of strategies applied in many countries aiming to increase the availability of organs for transplantation. Attitudes toward living and posthumous donation are favorable. Research shows that the outlook on organ donation and the degree of the willingness to become an organ donor are associated with a wide range of variables. The main objective of this study was to identify factors that influence the willingness to donate organs and the reasons for refusing consent. The study included 191 participants (135 female and 56 male) aged 16 to 61 years (mean age 26.86 ± 12.88). A cross-sectional study was conducted during educational meetings concerning organ donation that was addressed to students, teachers, and nurses. Survey tools included the Individual Questionnaire: Study of attitudes toward transplantation, consisting of 26 closed questions (with the consent of the Statistical Office in Krakow). In all, 97.4% of the respondents accepted transplantation from living donors, and 95.8% accepted deceased donations. Of the respondents, 78.5% agreed to posthumous life-saving organ donation. There was a significant difference between the respondents' sex, age, social group, place of living, and the reasons for their willingness to donate organs both posthumously and during their lifetime, as well as reasons for refusal. Our findings showed that the study group in general had favorable views on treatment involving transplantation and declared willingness to make a posthumous organ donation. These views vary depending on demographic variables. The education on the subject of organ and tissue donation has a positive impact on donation and transplantation rates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Demography and donation frequencies of blood and plasma donor populations in Germany].

PubMed

Ritter, Sabine; Willand, L; Reinhard, B; Offergeld, R; Hamouda, O

2008-08-01

According to Article 22 of the Transfusion Act, the Robert Koch Institute collects and evaluates nationwide data on the prevalence and incidence of transfusion-relevant infections among blood and plasma donors in Germany. Due to revision of the Transfusion Act in 2005 not only the number of donations but also the number of donors has become available for analysis. Here we give a detailed account on the demographic profile and donation frequencies of German whole blood, plasma and platelet donors in 2006. Overall, 4 % of the German population eligible to donate were active as repeat whole blood donors in 2006; 0.3 % repeatedly donated plasma or platelets. Irrespective of the type of donation, the percentage of donors among the general population was highest among the youngest age group (18 to 24 years). While the age distribution of whole blood repeat donors roughly resembled that of the general population, with the greatest number among those aged 35 to 44, younger age groups were overrepresented among repeat plasma donors. Donation frequency varied depending on donor age and sex, with an average of 1.9 per year for whole blood donations, 11.9 for plasmapheresis and 4.0 for plateletpheresis. With the exception of the latter, men donated more frequently than women. For both sexes, donation frequency increased with age. Detailed knowledge of the demographic profile and changes in the composition of donor populations are essential for planning adequate blood supply. The data presented may serve as reference for assessing the consequences of measures that affect the number of donors and/or donations (for example changing deferral criteria) in Germany.

Computational Studies on Optoelectronic and Nonlinear Properties of Octaphyrin Derivatives

PubMed Central

Islam, Nasarul; Lone, Irfan H.

2017-01-01

The electronic and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of octaphyrin derivatives were studied by employing the DFT/TDFT at CAM-B3LYP/6-311++G (2d, 2p) level of the theory. Thiophene, phenyl, methyl and cyano moieties were substituted on the molecular framework of octaphyrin core, in order to observe the change in optoelectronic and nonlinear response of these systems. The frontier molecular orbital studies and values of electron affinity reveals that the studied compounds are stable against the oxygen and moisture present in air. The calculated ionization energies, adiabatic electron affinity and reorganization energy values indicate that octaphyrin derivatives can be employed as effective n-type material for Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs). This character shows an enhancement with the introduction of an electron withdrawing group in the octaphyrin framework. The polarizability and hyperpolarizability values of octaphyrin derivatives demonstrate that they are good candidates for NLO devices. The nonlinear response of these systems shows enhancement on the introduction of electron donating groups on octaphyrin moiety. However, these claims needs further experimental verification. PMID:28321394

Translation strategies, contradiction, and the theory of social representations: Why discussing needles may improve blood donor retention.

PubMed

Moloney, Gail; Hayman, Jane; Gamble, Marguerite; Smith, Geoff; Hall, Rob

2017-06-01

Retaining blood donors is a cost-effective way of ensuring a safe blood supply, yet despite the plethora of research, only 5.1% of the eligible population in Australia donate blood and 40% of these do not make a second donation. We offer an alternative to traditional approaches by conceptualizing blood donation within social representations theory as socially derived symbolic knowledge with a specific focus on cognitive polyphasia and Guimelli's (1998) normative and functional dimensions. An online survey, completed by 703 residents from NSW Australia, comprised a blood donation word association task, Likert-style questions constructed from previous word association data and contextualized blood donation statements. Individual difference scaling analysis revealed all donor groups (including non-donors) associated blood donation with a few central, albeit contradictory ideas/beliefs. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis performed on a split data set of the Likert-style items reiterated this finding. Interpreted through Guimelli's dichotomy, all donor groups were aware of these contradictory normative and functional ideas/beliefs but when explicitly asked, it was the functional aspect that differentiated the groups. We argue the key to retaining donors is understanding the interdependence between how blood donation is socially understood at the societal level of discourse and donor behaviour. Translational strategies for recruitment and retention are discussed. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

On the bonding mechanism of CO to Pt(111) and its effect on the vibrational frequency of chemisorbed CO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illas, F.; Zurita, S.; Márquez, A. M.; Rubio, J.

1997-04-01

The chemisorption of CO on the atop site of Pt(111) has been simulated by a Pt4 cluster model. Ab initio self consistent field (SCF) and complete active space self consistent field (CASSCF) cluster model wave functions have been obtained for the electronic ground state. Likewise, ab initio SCF wavefunctions have been obtained for two other electronic states. The optimum geometry and vibrational frequencies of chemisorbed CO are reported for the three states. The interaction energy and vibrational shift of chemisorbed CO, with respect to free gas phase CO, have been analyzed for the three electronic states. This analysis is carried out by means of the constrained space orbital variation (CSOV) method. In all cases the bond is found to be dominated by σ donation and π back-donation, known as Blyholder's mechanism. This mechanism is further supported by SCF calculations on a larger, Pt13, cluster model. For both clusters, the CSOV analysis of the vibrational frequency definitely shows that, contrary to previous recent studies, a major contribution to the experimentally observed vibrational shift comes from the π back-donation mechanism. However, we found that, contrary to common belief, σ donation also acts to lower the CO frequency and not to increase it. Physical reasons for such unexpected behaviour are given.

Increased incidence of preeclampsia in mothers of advanced age conceiving by oocyte donation.

PubMed

Dior, Uri P; Laufer, Neri; Chill, Henry H; Granovsky-Grisaru, Sorina; Yagel, Simcha; Yaffe, Haim; Gielchinsky, Yuval

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of preeclampsia in women of advanced age who conceived through donated oocytes as compared with natural conceptions. A historical prospective study of singleton live births of parturients ≥ 45 years of age at four university hospitals was conducted. For the purpose of the study, the population was divided by the mode of conception into two groups: oocyte donation and natural conception. The main outcome variable in this study was preeclampsia. Secondary outcomes included pregnancy-induced hypertension and Small for Gestational Age. Two hundred and seventy pregnancies were achieved naturally and 135 women conceived by oocyte donation. Mean age at delivery for the natural conception and oocyte donation groups was 45.7 and 47.8, respectively. Preeclampsia complicated 3 out of 270 (1.1%) natural conception pregnancies and 17 out of 135 (12.6%) oocyte donation conceptions. After adjusting for confounders, oocyte donation pregnancies were found to be associated with a 12-fold increased risk for preeclampsia (P = 0.001). Among oocyte donation pregnancies, the risk of preeclampsia was not affected by parity or age. A substantially increased risk for preeclampsia was found in oocyte donation pregnancies, suggesting that the foreign oocyte may play a specific biologic role in the development of preeclampsia after the age of 45.

Correlation among Singlet-Oxygen Quenching, Free-Radical Scavenging, and Excited-State Intramolecular-Proton-Transfer Activities in Hydroxyflavones, Anthocyanidins, and 1-Hydroxyanthraquinones.

PubMed

Nagaoka, Shin-Ichi; Bandoh, Yuki; Nagashima, Umpei; Ohara, Keishi

2017-10-26

Singlet-oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) quenching, free-radical scavenging, and excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) activities of hydroxyflavones, anthocyanidins, and 1-hydroxyanthraquinones were studied by means of laser, stopped-flow, and steady-state spectroscopies. In hydroxyflavones and anthocyanidins, the 1 O 2 quenching activity positively correlates to the free-radical scavenging activity. The reason for this correlation can be understood by considering that an early step of each reaction involves electron transfer from the unfused phenyl ring (B-ring), which is singly bonded to the bicyclic chromen or chromenylium moiety (A- and C-rings). Substitution of an electron-donating OH group at B-ring enhances the electron transfer leading to activation of the 1 O 2 quenching and free-radical scavenging. In 3-hydroxyflavones, the OH substitution at B-ring reduces the activity of ESIPT within C-ring, which can be explained in terms of the nodal-plane model. As a result, the 1 O 2 quenching and free-radical scavenging activities negatively correlate to the ESIPT activity. A catechol structure at B-ring is another factor that enhances the free-radical scavenging in hydroxyflavones. In contrast to these hydroxyflavones, 1-hydroxyanthraquinones having an electron-donating OH substituent adjacent to the O-H---O═C moiety susceptible to ESIPT do not show a simple correlation between their 1 O 2 quenching and ESIPT activities, because the OH substitution modulates these reactions.

Modulation of spatial spin polarization at organic spinterface by side groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Shuai; Zhang, Zhao; Miao, Yuan-yuan; Zhang, Guang-ping; Ren, Jun-feng; Wang, Chuan-kui; Hu, Gui-chao

2018-01-01

Spin polarization at benzene/Ni organic/ferromagnetic interface is investigated by applying different substituting side groups. Based on first-principle calculations, it is demonstrated that the spin polarization of the states may be tuned in magnitude and sign by the side groups, which depends on the type of side groups as well as their position in the aromatic ring. Especially, a spatial spin polarization modulation is realized at the surface with the utilization of electron donating group sbnd NH2 or electron accepting group sbnd NO2. The analysis of projected density of states onto the pz orbital of carbon atoms indicates that the side group reduces the structural symmetry of the molecule and changes the pz orbital of carbon atom at different position, which further modifies the pz-d orbital hybridization as well as the spin transfer between the molecule and the ferromagnet. This work indicates a feasible way to modulate the spatial spin polarization at organic spinterface by side groups, which deserves to be measured by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy.

Acquiring High-Performance Deep-Blue OLED Emitters through an Unexpected Blueshift Color-Tuning Effect Induced by Electron-Donating -OMe Substituents.

PubMed

Peng, Song; Zhao, Yihuan; Fu, Caixia; Pu, Xuemei; Zhou, Liang; Huang, Yan; Lu, Zhiyun

2018-06-07

A series of blue-emissive 7-(diphenylamino)-4-phenoxycoumarin derivatives bearing -CF 3 , -OMe, or -N(Me) 2 substituents on the phenoxy subunit were synthesized. Although both the -CF 3 and -N(Me) 2 modifications were found to trigger redshifted fluorescence, the -OMe substitution was demonstrated to exert an unexpected blueshift color-tuning effect toward the deep-blue region. The reason is that the moderate electron-donating -OMe group can endow coumarins with unaltered HOMO but elevated LUMO energy levels. Moreover, the -OMe substitution was found to be beneficial to the thermal stability of these coumarins. Therefore, the trimethoxy-substituted objective compound can act as a high-performance deep-blue organic light-emitting diode (OLED) emitter, and OLED based on it emits deep-blue light with CIE coordinates of (0.148, 0.084), maximum luminance of 7800 cd m -2 , and maximum external quantum efficiency of 5.1 %. These results not only shed light on the molecular design strategy for high-performance deep-blue OLED emitters through color-tuning, but also show the perspective of coumarin derivatives as deep-blue OLED emitters. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of the capping ligands, linkers and oxide surface on the electron injection mechanism of copper sulfide quantum dot-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Suárez, Javier Amaya; Plata, Jose J; Márquez, Antonio M; Sanz, Javier Fdez

2017-06-07

Quantum dot-sensitized solar cells, QDSCs, are a clean and effective alternative to fossil fuels to reduce CO 2 emissions. However, the different components that constitute the QDSCs and the difficulty of isolating experimentally their effects on the performance of the whole system slow down the development of more efficient devices. In this work, DFT calculations are combined with a bottom-up approach to differentiate the effect of each component on the electronic structure and absorption spectra. First, Cu 2 S QDs were built including a U parameter to effectively describe the localization of electrons. The effect of capping agents is addressed using ligands with different electron-donating/withdrawing groups. The role of linkers and their adsorption on the oxide surface are also examined. Finally, we propose a main indirect electron injection mechanism based on the position of the peaks of the spectra.

Factors influencing the decision to donate: racial and ethnic comparisons.

PubMed

Glynn, Simone A; Schreiber, George B; Murphy, Edward L; Kessler, Debra; Higgins, Martha; Wright, David J; Mathew, Sunitha; Tu, Yongling; King, Melissa; Smith, James W

2006-06-01

Understanding factors that encourage different racial and ethnic groups to donate is crucial for donor recruitment and retention. A 28-item self-administered questionnaire was completed in 2003 by 1862 Asian, 1479 black, 1641 Hispanic, and 2940 White US donors who had given whole blood within the past year. With a 1 to 5 scale, donors were asked to rate the importance of 17 factors in their last donation decision. Logistic regression was conducted to compare the odds of a factor being important or very important (score of 4 or 5) in one's decision to donate between race or ethnic groups, stratified by first-time and repeat status. More than 90 percent of each respondent group cited a desire, responsibility, or perceived duty to help others as an important or very important motivator. Being asked to donate at work was also an important motivator for all race and ethnic groups (56-70%). Getting the results of a health screen appealed to many (approx. 30% found it important or very important) and was most important to Black and Hispanic donors (odds ratios of 1.3-1.9 compared to White donors; p<0.003). Recruitment and retention programs should build on people's sense of social responsibility. Direct requests to donate are particularly effective motivators. Of a variety of incentives evaluated, offering more comprehensive health screens may motivate many donors, especially Black and Hispanic donors.

Blue emitting 1,8-naphthalimides with electron transport properties for organic light emitting diode applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulla, Hidayath; Kiran, M. Raveendra; Garudachari, B.; Ahipa, T. N.; Tarafder, Kartick; Adhikari, Airody Vasudeva; Umesh, G.; Satyanarayan, M. N.

2017-09-01

In this article, the synthesis, characterization and use of two novel naphthalimides as electron-transporting emitter materials for organic light emitting diode (OLED) applications are reported. The molecules were obtained by substituting electron donating chloro-phenoxy group at the C-4 position. A detailed optical, thermal, electrochemical and related properties were systematically studied. Furthermore, theoretical calculations (DFT) were performed to get a better understanding of the electronic structures. The synthesized molecules were used as electron transporters and emitters in OLEDs with three different device configurations. The devices with the molecules showed blue emission with efficiencies of 1.89 cdA-1, 0.98 lmW-1, 0.71% at 100 cdm-2. The phosphorescent devices with naphthalimides as electron transport materials displayed better performance in comparison to the device without any electron transporting material and were analogous with the device using standard electron transporting material, Alq3. The results demonstrate that the naphthalimides could play a significant part in the progress of OLEDs.

Computational design of intrinsic molecular rectifiers based on asymmetric functionalization of N-phenylbenzamide

DOE PAGES

Ding, Wendu; Koepf, Matthieu; Koenigsmann, Christopher; ...

2015-11-03

Here, we report a systematic computational search of molecular frameworks for intrinsic rectification of electron transport. The screening of molecular rectifiers includes 52 molecules and conformers spanning over 9 series of structural motifs. N-Phenylbenzamide is found to be a promising framework with both suitable conductance and rectification properties. A targeted screening performed on 30 additional derivatives and conformers of N-phenylbenzamide yielded enhanced rectification based on asymmetric functionalization. We demonstrate that electron-donating substituent groups that maintain an asymmetric distribution of charge in the dominant transport channel (e.g., HOMO) enhance rectification by raising the channel closer to the Fermi level. These findingsmore » are particularly valuable for the design of molecular assemblies that could ensure directionality of electron transport in a wide range of applications, from molecular electronics to catalytic reactions.« less

Do the myths still exist? Revisiting people's negative beliefs about organ donation upon death.

PubMed

Hyde, Melissa K; Wihardjo, Kylie R; White, Katherine M

2012-01-01

The prevalence of myths preventing people partial to donation in Australia from consenting is unknown. Respondents (N = 468: 381 donors, 26 non-donors, 61 undecided) were surveyed about their (negative) donation beliefs. Approximately 30% of donors were neutral or supported negative beliefs about organ allocation, especially donation to undesirable organ recipients and a black market organ trade. Confusion about brain death, lack of family and religious support, and discomfort with donation were negative beliefs endorsed by some respondents irrespective of donor preference. Proportionally, donors had greater trust in hospitals/doctors than other groups. Some myths still exist but may vary with donation preference.

Hot-hole extraction from quantum dot to molecular adsorbate.

PubMed

Singhal, Pallavi; Ghosh, Hirendra N

2015-03-09

Ultrafast thermalized and hot-hole-transfer processes have been investigated in CdSe quantum dot (QD)/catechol composite systems in which hole transfer from photoexcited QDs to the catechols is thermodynamically favorable. A series of catechol derivatives were selected with different electron-donating and -withdrawing groups, and the effect of these groups on hole transfer and charge recombination (CR) dynamics has been investigated. The hole-transfer time was determined using the fluorescence upconversion technique and found to be 2-10 ps depending on the molecular structure of the catechol derivatives. The hot-hole-transfer process was followed after monitoring 2S luminescence of CdSe QDs. Interestingly, hot-hole extraction was observed only in the CdSe/3-methoxycatechol (3-OCH3) composite system owing to the higher electron-donating property of the 3-methoxy group. To confirm the extraction of the hot hole and to monitor the CR reaction in CdSe QD/catechol composite systems, ultrafast transient absorption studies have been carried out. Ultrafast transient-absorption studies show that the bleach recovery kinetics of CdSe QD at the 2S excitonic position is much faster in the presence of 3-OCH3. This faster bleach recovery at the 2S position in CdSe/3-OCH3 suggests hot-hole transfer from CdSe QD to 3-OCH3. CR dynamics in CdSe QD/catechol composite systems was followed by monitoring the excitonic bleach at the 1S position and was found to decrease with free energy of the CR reaction. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Willingness to communicate organ donation intention.

PubMed

McDonald, Deborah Dillon; Ferreri, Ruth; Jin, Carol; Mendez, Anthea; Smail, Julie; Balcom, Patricia; Shoemaker, Sheila; Kamuzora, Paul Lwekaza; Durham, Rebecca; Dibble, Jaqueline

2007-01-01

The study tested an intervention exposing people who planned to donate organs to written information about communicating with family their intention to donate organs. A pretest posttest double-blind experiment compared participants given written information about communicating with family and basic organ donation information, with participants given written information about only basic organ donation information. Participants included 109 adults who had not yet communicated their plans with family. Participants first responded to previous experience with organ donation, thoughts about organ donation, willingness to communicate with family about organ donation, and knowledge about organ donation. After reading the respective pamphlet, participants again responded to thoughts about communicating with their family and willingness to communicate with family. Both groups responded with the same high willingness to communicate before the intervention and a small but significant increase in willingness to communicate afterwards. Participants expressed a high degree of willingness to communicate about their organ donation intentions even though they had thus far not communicated their intentions. Factors in addition to willingness to communicate need to be identified in order to encourage better communication about organ donation intentions.

Long-range coupling of electron-hole pairs in spatially separated organic donor-acceptor layers

PubMed Central

Nakanotani, Hajime; Furukawa, Taro; Morimoto, Kei; Adachi, Chihaya

2016-01-01

Understanding exciton behavior in organic semiconductor molecules is crucial for the development of organic semiconductor-based excitonic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes and organic solar cells, and the tightly bound electron-hole pair forming an exciton is normally assumed to be localized on an organic semiconducting molecule. We report the observation of long-range coupling of electron-hole pairs in spatially separated electron-donating and electron-accepting molecules across a 10-nanometers-thick spacer layer. We found that the exciton energy can be tuned over 100 megaelectron volts and the fraction of delayed fluorescence can be increased by adjusting the spacer-layer thickness. Furthermore, increasing the spacer-layer thickness produced an organic light-emitting diode with an electroluminescence efficiency nearly eight times higher than that of a device without a spacer layer. Our results demonstrate the first example of a long-range coupled charge-transfer state between electron-donating and electron-accepting molecules in a working device. PMID:26933691

Influence of functional groups on the photophysical properties of dimethylamino chalcones as laser dyes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibnaouf, K. H.; Elzupir, A. O.; AlSalhi, M. S.; Alaamer, Abdulaziz S.

2018-02-01

In this report, a series of 3-(4-(Dimethylamino) phenyl)-1-(4,3 di-substituted phenyl)-(2E) - propen -1-one chalcones was synthesised and examined as optical materials. The influence of functional groups (FG) and solvents on their photophysical properties was investigated. These include absorption, fluorescence, Stokes shift, and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The absorption spectra of all compounds showed a wavelength band in the range 404-429 nm, whereas the fluorescence spectra exhibited a band at 470-535 nm. We found that the fluorescence intensity was inversely proportional to the concentration of chalcones. The FGs and solvents had an amazing effect on the photophysical properties of the synthesised materials. Unexpectedly, the electron withdrawing group showed a highly red shift, whereas the electron donating group exhibited a blue shift. Further, these compounds showed large Stokes shifts (up to 5800 cm-1). ASE was observed under pump pulse laser excitation, and the wavelengths were tuned from 509 to 566 nm.

Understanding disparities in donor behavior: race and gender differences in willingness to donate blood and cadaveric organs.

PubMed

Boulware, L Ebony; Ratner, Lloyd E; Cooper, Lisa A; Sosa, Julie Ann; LaVeist, Thomas A; Powe, Neil R

2002-02-01

Recent efforts to recruit blood and organ donors have only marginally improved demographic disparities in willingness to donate. Few studies have examined which factors are most important in explaining race and gender disparities in willingness to donate. To assess race and gender differences in willingness to donate blood and cadaveric organs, and to determine the extent to which several factors (including sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes about religion and mistrust of hospitals) might explain differences in willingness to donate. Cross-sectional telephone survey of Maryland households contacted via random-digit dialing. Past blood donation, organ-donor status on driver's license, and measures of medical mistrust and religious and spiritual salience. Persons age 18 to 75 living in the Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area. Of 385 respondents (84% of randomized households), 114 were black females, 46 were black males, 110 were white females, and 69 were white males. Before adjustment, black females were least willing to donate blood (41%), and black males were least willing to become cadaveric donors (19%) among all race-gender groups. Adjustment for respondent concerns about mistrust of hospitals and discrimination in hospitals explained most differences in willingness to donate blood, whereas adjustment for respondents' beliefs regarding the importance of spirituality and religion explained most differences in willingness to donate cadaveric organs. Both race and gender are important identifiers of those less willing to donate. To maximize efficiency, donor recruitment efforts should focus on race-gender groups with lowest levels of willingness. Potential donor concerns regarding mistrust in hospitals and religion/spirituality may serve as important issues to address when developing programs to improve donation rates.

Nucleophilic fluorination of aromatic compounds

DOEpatents

Satyamurthy, Nagichettiar; Barrio, Jorge R

2014-03-18

Iodylbenzene derivatives substituted with electron donating as well as electron withdrawing groups on the aromatic ring are used as precursors in aromatic nucleophilic substitution reactions. The iodyl group (IO.sub.2) is regiospecifically substituted by nucleophilic fluoride to provide the corresponding fluoroaryl derivatives. No-carrier-added [F-18]fluoride ion derived from anhydrous [F-18](F/Kryptofix, [F-18]CsF or a quaternary ammonium fluoride (e.g., Me.sub.4NF, Et.sub.4NF, n-Bu.sub.4NF, (PhCH.sub.2).sub.4NF) exclusively substitutes the iodyl moiety in these derivatives and provides high specific activity F-18 labeled fluoroaryl analogs. Iodyl derivatives of a benzothiazole analog and 6-iodyl-L-dopa derivatives have been synthesized as precursors and have been used in the preparation of no-carrier-added [F-18]fluorobenzothiazole as well as 6-[F-18]fluoro-L-dopa.

A Qualitative Study of Turning Points or Aha! Moments in Older Adults' Discussions About Organ Donation.

PubMed

Downing, Kimberly; Jones, Linda L

2018-01-01

Older adults (50-70 years old) have lower organ donor registration rates than younger adults. Older adults have different informational needs and donor registration behavior than younger age groups. The objective of this qualitative study was to understand insights of older adults about organ donation to effectively address the barriers to becoming an organ donor. This study identified turning points as "Aha!" moments that occurred during a dialogue intervention where older adults discussed benefits, barriers, and process to organ donation. Dialogues were held with small groups of older adults in 11 communities in a Midwestern organ procurement organization service area. Participants were positive to organ donation, but not registered as an organ donor. Methods/Approach: Qualitative analysis of verbatim comments from the dialogue and a follow-up survey were used to examine turning points or "Aha!" moments of participants' decision-making about organ donation and organ donor registration. Twenty-one separate in-depth dialogues were conducted with 198 participants, with mean age of 60.57 years. There were 2757 separate comments coded with 465 of the comments (17%) identified as providing Aha! moments during the dialogue. Three themes include benefits of organ donation (30%), barriers about organ donation (39%), and organ donation process (31%). The research identified moments in the dialogue where possible learning about organ donation may have occurred. After participation in the dialogue process, there was an increase in intent to register to be an organ donor, organ donation discussion with family and friends, and organ donor registration.

A metal-organic framework based on nanosized hexagonal channels as fluorescent indicator for detection of nitroaromatic explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Xiao-Li; Wang, Xin-Long; Su, Zhong-Min

2018-02-01

A novel Zn-MOF (metal organic framework) [Zn3(NTB)2(DMA)2]·12DMA (NTB = 4,4‧,4″-nitrilotrisbenzoic acid; DMA = N,N-dimethylacetamide) (1) was obtained under solvothermal condition. The resulted MOF which is based on {Zn3} SBU displays an interesting (3,6)-connected three-dimensional net with nanosized, hexagonal channels. Additionally, 1 can be a useful fluorescent indicator for the detection of nitroaromatic explosives qualitatively and quantitatively via a strong quenching effect, especially for picric acid (PA). With increasing - NO2 groups, energy transfer from the electron-donating framework to high electron deficiency becomes more, making the effect of fluorescence quenching more obvious. The result demonstrates that the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) is responsible for the emission quenching.

Electrooxidation of morin hydrate at a Pt electrode studied by cyclic voltammetry.

PubMed

Masek, Anna; Chrzescijanska, Ewa; Zaborski, Marian

2014-04-01

The process and the kinetics of the electrochemical oxidation of morin in an anhydrous electrolyte have been investigated using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry. The oxidation mechanism proceeds in sequential steps related to the hydroxyl groups in the three aromatic rings. The oxidation of the 2',4'dihydroxy moiety at the B ring of morin occurs first, at very low positive potentials, and is a one-electron, one-proton irreversible reaction. The rate constant, electron transfer coefficient and diffusion coefficients involved in the electrochemical oxidation of morin were determined. The influence of the deprotonation of the ring B hydroxyl moiety is related to the electron/proton donating capacity of morin and to its radical scavenging antioxidant activity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Living donation decision making: recipients' concerns and educational needs.

PubMed

Waterman, Amy D; Stanley, Sara L; Covelli, Tonie; Hazel, Erik; Hong, Barry A; Brennan, Daniel C

2006-03-01

Despite the advantages of living donor transplantation, evidence suggests that some potential recipients with living donors have psychological concerns that prevent them from pursuing living donation. Addressing these concerns through education may increase the rates of living donation. To understand the psychological barriers and educational needs of potential kidney recipients regarding living donation. Qualitative focus group study of kidney transplant recipients, donors, and family members to explore their assessment of the advantages of dialysis and deceased donor transplantation over living donation, their concerns about living donation, and what types of living donation education would be most helpful. Kidney recipients reported that they might not pursue living donation because they felt guilty and indebted to the donor, did not want to harm or inconvenience the donor, did not want to accept a kidney that a family member might need later, and did not want to disappoint the donor if the kidney failed. Recipients were generally unaware that donors could personally benefit from donating and would rather wait for donor volunteers than ask anyone directly. Both donors and recipients thought that training on how to make the donation request and education about living donors' motivations for donation and transplant experience could help more renal patients pursue living donation.

Impact of Cognitive Load on Family Decision Makers' Recall and Understanding of Donation Requests for the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Project.

PubMed

Siminoff, Laura A; Wilson-Genderson, Maureen; Mosavel, Maghboeba; Barker, Laura; Trgina, Jennifer; Traino, Heather M; Nathan, Howard M; Hasz, Richard D; Walters, Gary

2018-01-01

Genomic research projects that collect tissues from deceased organ and tissue donors must obtain the authorization of family decision makers under difficult circumstances that may affect the authorization process. Using a quasi-experimental design, the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) substudy of the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project compared the recall and understanding of the donation authorization process of two groups: family members who had authorized donation of tissues to the GTEx project (the comparison group) and family members who had authorized organ and tissue donations in years previous, who subsequently participated in two different mock-authorization processes that mimicked the GTEx authorization process (the intervention groups). Participants in the comparison and intervention groups were matched on key demographic characteristics. We found that participants in the intervention groups who experienced a mock-authorization process demonstrated better recall of the tissue donation request than members of the comparison group. Our data indicate that the stress associated with the loss of a loved one limited the ability of family members to recall details about the GTEx project. However, we found a similar lack of knowledge in both the comparison and the intervention group participants, suggesting lack of knowledge may be due to the complexity and unfamiliarity of the information presented to them during the authorization process. We discuss these findings in the context of everyday clinical decision making in cognitively challenging conditions. Copyright 2018 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.

Effects of structured education program on organ donor designation of nursing students and their families: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Murakami, Minoru; Fukuma, Shingo; Ikezoe, Masaya; Iizuka, Chizuko; Izawa, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Yosuke; Yamazaki, Shin; Fukuhara, Shunichi

2016-11-01

Little is known about the effect of education programs on changing attitudes and behaviors of participants and their families toward deceased organ donation. The subjects of this randomized trial were Japanese nursing students who were not previously designated organ donors. They were randomly assigned to either the education program or information booklet group. The program comprised a lecture followed by group discussion and information booklet. The primary outcome was self-reported organ donor designation. Outcomes were assessed by questionnaire. Data of 203 (99.0%) students were analyzed. At study end, seven of 102 students (6.9%) of the program group and one of 101 students (1.0%) of the booklet group consented to donate organs (proportion ratio 6.93 [95% CI 0.87-55.32]). There were significant between-group differences in willingness to consent for donation (54.9% vs 39.6%; proportion ratio 1.39 [95% CI 1.03-1.87]), family discussion (31.4% vs 15.9%; 1.98 [1.16-3.38]), and organ donor designation of family members (11.8% vs 2.0%; 5.94 [1.36-25.88]). No group differences were found in willingness for organ donation by students and family members. Although there were no significant between-group differences in organ donor designation, the program seems to indirectly promote consent to organ donation by their families. © 2016 The Authors. Clinical Transplantation Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Synthesis, characterization and nonlinear optical properties of symmetrically substituted dibenzylideneacetone derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunil Kumar Reddy, N.; Badam, Rajashekar; Sattibabu, Romala; Molli, Muralikrishna; Sai Muthukumar, V.; Siva Sankara Sai, S.; Rao, G. Nageswara

2014-11-01

We report here the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of eight bis-chalcones of D-π-A-π-D type. These dibenzylideneacetone (DBA) derivatives are synthesized by Claisen-Schmidt reaction. The compounds are characterized by UV-vis, FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy and powder XRD. By substituting different groups (electron withdrawing and electron donating) at 'para' and 'meta' positions of the aromatic ring, we observed an enhancement in second harmonic generation with substitution at 'para' position. These compounds have also showed higher two-photon absorption compared to other chalcones reported in literature. These compounds, exhibiting both second and third order NLO effects, are plausible candidate materials in photonic devices.

Hyperpolarizable compounds and devices fabricated therefrom

DOEpatents

Therien, Michael J.; DiMagno, Stephen G.

1998-01-01

Substituted compounds having relatively large molecular first order hyperpolarizabilities are provided, along with devices and materials containing them. In general, the compounds bear electron-donating and electron-withdrawing chemical substituents on a polyheterocyclic core.

How Research on Charitable Giving Can Inform Strategies to Promote Human Milk Donations to Milk Banks.

PubMed

Stevens, Jack; Keim, Sarah A

2015-08-01

Many hospitalized preterm infants do not exclusively receive mother's own milk, so milk from another mother may be sought. Previous research indicated that just 1% of US women who express breast milk actually donate it for another family. Therefore, strategies to boost donation rates should be identified. We draw upon the experimental literature on charitable giving of monetary donations to offer 6 strategies to promote breast milk donations to milk banks in North America. These strategies include (1) highlighting a potential identifiable recipient of donated breast milk as opposed to highlighting groups of potential recipients; (2) emphasizing similarities between the potential donor and potential beneficiaries; (3) emphasizing similarities between the potential donor and previous donors; (4) using negative arousal to promote donations; (5) emphasizing the self-interest of those asking for breast milk donations; and (6) highlighting the specific effect of breast milk donations. Potential limitations of these strategies are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Reduced social preferences in autism: evidence from charitable donations

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background People with autism have abnormal preferences, ranging from an apparent lack of preference for social stimuli to unusually strong preferences for restricted sets of highly idiosyncratic stimuli. Yet the profile of preferences across social and nonsocial domains has not been mapped out in detail, and the processes responsible remain poorly understood. Methods To assess preferences across a range of stimuli, we measured real monetary donations to 50 charities spanning categories pertaining to people, mental health, animals, or the environment. We compared the donations made by 16 high-functioning adults with autism to those made by neurotypical controls matched on age, gender and education. We additionally collected ratings of how people evaluated the different charities. Results Compared with controls, high-functioning adults with autism donated less overall and also showed a significantly disproportionate reduction in donations to people charities compared with donations to the other charities. Furthermore, whereas controls discriminated strongly between different people charities, choosing to donate a lot of money to some and very little to others, much less discrimination was seen in the autism group. Ratings that probed how participants constructed their preferences did not differ between groups, except for a difference in the perceived impact of pictures and text information about people charities. Strikingly, there were some charities related to mental health, and autism in particular, to which the autism group donated considerably more than did the controls. Conclusions People with autism were found to have reduced preference and sensitivity towards charities benefiting other people. The findings provide evidence for a domain-specific impairment in social cognition in autism spectrum disorder, and in particular in linking otherwise intact social knowledge to the construction of value signals on which preferences regarding other people are based. PMID:22958506

Reduced social preferences in autism: evidence from charitable donations.

PubMed

Lin, Alice; Tsai, Karin; Rangel, Antonio; Adolphs, Ralph

2012-05-17

People with autism have abnormal preferences, ranging from an apparent lack of preference for social stimuli to unusually strong preferences for restricted sets of highly idiosyncratic stimuli. Yet the profile of preferences across social and nonsocial domains has not been mapped out in detail, and the processes responsible remain poorly understood. To assess preferences across a range of stimuli, we measured real monetary donations to 50 charities spanning categories pertaining to people, mental health, animals, or the environment. We compared the donations made by 16 high-functioning adults with autism to those made by neurotypical controls matched on age, gender and education. We additionally collected ratings of how people evaluated the different charities. Compared with controls, high-functioning adults with autism donated less overall and also showed a significantly disproportionate reduction in donations to people charities compared with donations to the other charities. Furthermore, whereas controls discriminated strongly between different people charities, choosing to donate a lot of money to some and very little to others, much less discrimination was seen in the autism group. Ratings that probed how participants constructed their preferences did not differ between groups, except for a difference in the perceived impact of pictures and text information about people charities. Strikingly, there were some charities related to mental health, and autism in particular, to which the autism group donated considerably more than did the controls. People with autism were found to have reduced preference and sensitivity towards charities benefiting other people. The findings provide evidence for a domain-specific impairment in social cognition in autism spectrum disorder, and in particular in linking otherwise intact social knowledge to the construction of value signals on which preferences regarding other people are based.

DFT studies on the ligand effect on electronic and optical properties of three series of functionalized Ir(III) complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shujie; Li, Yangen; Hu, Xiaoying; Liu, Xiangdong; Guan, Bo

2018-01-01

With the help of DFT and TDDFT, a series of functionalized mononuclear iridium (III) complexes were systematically investigated to make clear the effect of auxiliary ligands on their electrionic and photophysical properties. It can be found that introducing electron withdrawing group (sbnd CF3) on benzene moiety can stabilize HOMO level, thus leading to wider HOMO-LUMO gap and blue shift in spectrum. More importantly, introducing sbnd CF3 on benzene moiety can also significantly improve the radiative decay rate (kr). On the other hand, the incorporation of electron donating groups (such as -Ph(CH3)3) into pyridine moiety on ligand reduce kr. The complexes 1c-3c and 1d-3d have improved charge balance ability and larger percentage of metal character. The results revealed the nature of the different substituents have a significant effect on the HOMO, LUMO energy levels and kr, resulting in the change of emission color and the quantum efficiency (Φp).

Tandem catalysis by palladium nanoclusters encapsulated in metal–organic frameworks

DOE PAGES

Li, Xinle; Guo, Zhiyong; Xiao, Chaoxian; ...

2014-08-25

A bifunctional Zr-MOF catalyst containing palladium nanoclusters (NCs) has been developed. The formation of Pd NCs was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). Combining the oxidation activity of Pd NCs and the acetalization activity of the Lewis acid sites in UiO-66-NH 2, this catalyst (Pd@UiO-66-NH 2) exhibits excellent catalytic activity and selectivity in a one-pot tandem oxidation-acetalization reaction. This catalyst shows 99.9% selectivity to benzaldehyde ethylene acetal in the tandem reaction of benzyl alcohol and ethylene glycol at 99.9% conversion of benzyl alcohol. We also examined various substituted benzyl alcohols and found thatmore » alcohols with electron-donating groups showed better conversion and selectivity compared to those with electron-withdrawing groups. As a result, we further proved that there was no leaching of active catalytic species during the reaction and the catalyst can be recycled at least five times without significant deactivation.« less

3 CFR 8491 - Proclamation 8491 of April 1, 2010. National Donate Life Month, 2010

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... of circumstances through organ, tissue, stem cell, and blood donation. During National Donate Life... groups, and private organizations to join forces to boost the number of organ, tissue, blood, and stem cell donors throughout our Nation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of...

Why don't women volunteer to give blood? A study of knowledge, attitude and practice of women about blood donation, Yazd, Iran, 2005.

PubMed

Javadzadeh Shahshahani, H

2007-12-01

The most important aim of all blood transfusion centres is to recruit blood donors from low-risk groups of society to donate blood voluntarily and regularly. In the city of Yazd, Iran, only 5% of blood donors are women. The aim of this study was to assess barriers of donation of blood by women and the level of knowledge, attitude and practice regarding blood donation. In this cross-sectional study, 1602 women were selected by cluster sampling method and asked to fill a specially formatted questionnaire. Data were analysed by ANOVA and the t-test. Levels of knowledge were different between the various groups. Illiterate women and housewives had the least levels of knowledge. Fifteen per cent of the women had donated blood at least once in the past. The most important motivational factor was sense of moral duty with a spiritual reward and the most important barriers for donating blood were anaemia, fear, lack of time and difficulty in access to donation sites. A significant percentage of women had false beliefs about blood donation. Increase in the level of knowledge of women and correction of false beliefs should be the topmost priority. Further studies are needed to determine whether addressing anaemia and women's health can tend to increase the number of female blood donors.

Giving Your Last Gift: A Study of the Knowledge, Attitude and Information of Greek Students Regarding Organ Donation.

PubMed

Katsari, Vasiliki; Domeyer, Philip J; Sarafis, Pavlos; Souliotis, Kyriakos

2015-07-02

Organ donation rates in Greece are the lowest in the European Union. Studying and improving young students' awareness may increase organ donation rates. This study aimed to investigate young students' knowledge, attitude and information regarding organ donation and whether they are modified by putative predictors. A 62-item electronic questionnaire was sent to 1451 eligible students aged 18-30 years in 16 Greek public technical schools. Two composite scales (knowledge and attitude) were created. The multivariate statistical analysis included ordinal logistic and linear regression, as appropriate. Only 37.9% of the students knew the correct definition of organ donation, 40.3% knew which organs can be donated, 27.4% were informed about the new Greek legislation, and 83.1% acknowledged the need for better information. Although 60.5% would donate an organ after death, only 16.1% would become living donors. Although 83.1% of the students declared knowing what brain death means, 18.6% believe that a brain-dead person could fully recover and 32.3% are unsure about it. Being a health professional or a blood donor, the parent's educational level, the wish to donate all organs after death, the information from announcements or posters, the fear of organ removal after death without prior consent, the consent for autopsy, the wish for better information, and the misbelief that a brain-dead person could fully recover emerged as important predictors of the knowledge and attitude, regarding organ donation. An important lack of knowledge and misperceptions were noted regarding organ donation. Significant predictors were identified.

HIV, HCV, HBV and syphilis rate of positive donations among blood donations in Mali: lower rates among volunteer blood donors.

PubMed

Diarra, A; Kouriba, B; Baby, M; Murphy, E; Lefrere, J-J

2009-01-01

Good data on background seroprevalence of major transfusion transmitted infections is lacking in Mali. We gathered data on the rate of positive donations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and syphilis among blood donations in Mali for calendar year 2007. Donations with repeatedly reactive results on screening enzyme immunoassay (EIA) were considered to be seropositive. Rate of positive donations per blood unit collected was 2.6% for HIV, 3.3% for HCV, 13.9% for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 0.3% for syphilis. For HIV, HBsAg and syphilis, rate of positive donations was significantly (p<0.001) higher among donations from replacement donors than those from volunteer donors, while HCV rate of positive donations was similar in the two groups. Rate of positive donations was also significantly (p<0.0001) lower in blood units from regular than from first-time donors. These data reinforce WHO recommendations for increasing the number of regular, volunteer blood donors in Africa.

Molecular modification of coumarin dyes for more efficient dye sensitized solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanchez-de-Armas, Rocio; San-Miguel, Miguel A.; Oviedo, Jaime

2012-05-21

In this work, new coumarin based dyes for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have been designed by introducing several substituent groups in different positions of the NKX-2311 structure. Two types of substitutions have been considered: the introduction of three electron-donating groups (-OH, -NH{sub 2}, and -OCH{sub 3}) and two different substituents with steric effect: -CH{sub 2}-CH{sub 2}-CH{sub 2}- and -CH{sub 2}-HC=CH-. The electronic absorption spectra (position and width of the first band and absorption threshold) and the position of the LUMO level related to the conduction band have been used as theoretical criteria to evaluate the efficiency of the newmore » dyes. The introduction of a -NH{sub 2} group produces a redshift of the absorption maximum position and the absorption threshold, which could improve the cell efficiency. In contrast, the introduction of -CH{sub 2}-CH{sub 2}-CH{sub 2}- does not modify significantly the electronic structure of NKX-2311, but it might prevent aggregation. Finally, -CH{sub 2}-HC=CH- produces important changes both in the electronic spectrum and in the electronic structure of the dye, and it would be expected as an improvement of cell efficiency for these dyes.« less

Charge-transfer complexes and their role in exciplex emission and near-infrared photovoltaics.

PubMed

Ng, Tsz-Wai; Lo, Ming-Fai; Fung, Man-Keung; Zhang, Wen-Jun; Lee, Chun-Sing

2014-08-20

Charge transfer and interactions at organic heterojunctions (OHJs) are known to have critical influences on various properties of organic electronic devices. In this Research News article, a short review is given from the electronic viewpoint on how the local molecular interactions and interfacial energetics at P/N OHJs contribute to the recombination/dissociation of electron-hole pairs. Very often, the P-type materials donate electrons to the N-type materials, giving rise to charge-transfer complexes (CTCs) with a P(δ+) -N(δ-) configuration. A recently observed opposite charge-transfer direction in OHJs is also discussed (i.e., N-type material donates electrons to P-type material to form P(δ-) -N(δ+) ). Recent studies on the electronic structures of CTC-forming material pairs are also summarized. The formation of P(δ-) -N(δ+) -type CTCs and their correlations with exciplex emission are examined. Furthermore, the potential applications of CTCs in NIR photovoltaic devices are reviewed. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Higher organ donation consent rates by relatives of potential uncontrolled donors versus potential controlled donors after death.

PubMed

Wind, Jentina; van Mook, Walther N K A; Willems, Monique E C; van Heurn, L W Ernest

2012-11-01

Refusal to consent to organ donation is an important cause of the persisting gap between the number of potential organ donors and effectuated donors. In the Netherlands, organ donors include both uncontrolled donors: donors who die unexpectedly after cardiac death (DCD), after failed resuscitation and donors in whom death can be expected and donors after brain death, and controlled DCD donors: those who die after the withdrawal of treatment. Different donor type implies a different setting in which relatives are requested to consent to organ donation. It is unknown whether the setting influences the eventual decision for donation or not. Therefore, we compared the consent rate in potential donors who died unexpectedly (UD group) and in whom death was expected. A total of 523 potential organ donors between 2003 and 2011 in the 715-bed Maastricht University Medical Centre, the Netherlands were included. Both the patients' registration in the national donor register (DR) and the relatives' refusal rate in the two groups were retrospectively assessed using data from the donation application database. There were 109 unexpected and 414 expected potential donors The potential donors in the UD group were younger (mean age 52 versus 55 years, P = 0.032) and more often male (68 versus 52%, P = 0.003). There were no significant differences in registration in the DR between the groups. The relatives' consent rate in non-registered potential donors, or those who mandated the relatives for that decision, was higher in the UD group (53 versus 29%, P < 0.001). Less than 50% of the potential donors were registered in the national DR. Therefore, the relatives have an important role in the choice for organ donation. The relatives of potential donors who died unexpectedly consented more often to donation than those in whom death was expected.

Design, Synthesis, Structural and Spectroscopic Studies of Push-Pull Two-Photon Absorbing Chromophores with Acceptor Groups of Varying Strength

PubMed Central

Morales, Alma R.; Frazer, Andrew; Woodward, Adam W.; Ahn-White, Hyo-Yang; Fonari, Alexandr; Tongwa, Paul; Timofeeva, Tatiana; Belfield, Kevin D.

2013-01-01

A new series of unsymmetrical diphenylaminofluorene-based chromophores with various strong π-electron acceptors were synthesized and fully characterized. The systematic alteration of the structural design facilitated the investigation of effects such as molecular symmetry and strength of electron-donating and/or withdrawing termini have on optical nonlinearity. In order to determine the electronic and geometrical properties of the novel compounds, a thorough investigation was carried out by a combination of linear and nonlinear spectroscopic techniques, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and quantum chemical calculations. Finally, on the basis of two-photon absorption (2PA) cross sections, the general trend for π -electron accepting ability, i.e., ability to accept charge transfer from diphenylamine was: 2-pyran-4-ylidene malononitrile (pyranone) > dicyanovinyl > bis(dicyanomethylidene)indane > 1-(thiophen-2-yl)propenone > dicyanoethylenyl > 3-(thiophen-2-yl)propenone. An analog with the 2-pyran-4-ylidene malononitrile acceptor group exhibited a nearly three-fold enhancement of the 2PA< δ (1650 GM at 840 nm), relative to other members of the series. PMID:23305555

How does the general public view posthumous organ donation? A meta-synthesis of the qualitative literature

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Many individuals are unwilling to become posthumous organ donors, resulting in a disparity between the supply and demand for organ transplants. A meta-synthesis of the qualitative literature was therefore conducted to determine how the general public views posthumous organ donation. Methods Three online databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus) were searched for articles published between January 1990 and May 2008 using the following search terms: organ donation, qualitative, interview. Eligibility criteria were: examination of beliefs about posthumous organ donation; utilization of a qualitative research design; and publication in an English peer-reviewed journal. Exclusion criteria were examining how health professionals or family members of organ donors viewed posthumous organ donation. Grounded theory was used to identify the beliefs emerging from this literature. Thematically-related beliefs were then grouped to form themes. Results 27 articles from 24 studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The major themes identified were: religion, death, altruism, personal relevance, the body, the family, medical professionals, and transplant recipients. An altruistic motivation to help others emerged as the most commonly identified motivator for becoming an organ donor, although feeling a sense of solidarity with the broader community and believing that donated organs are put to good use may be important preconditions for the emergence of this motivation. The two most commonly identified barriers were the need to maintain bodily integrity to safeguard progression into the afterlife and the unethical recovery of organs by medical professionals. The influence of stakeholder groups on willingness to become an organ donor was also found to vary by the level of control that each stakeholder group exerted over the donation recovery process and their perceived conflict of interest in wanting organ donation to proceed. Conclusions These findings afford insights into how individuals perceive posthumous organ donation. PMID:21988839

A Randomized, Prospective, Parallel Group Study of Laparoscopic vs. Laparoendoscopic Single Site Donor Nephrectomy for Kidney Donation

PubMed Central

Aull, Meredith J.; Afaneh, Cheguevara; Charlton, Marian; Serur, David; Douglas, Melissa; Christos, Paul J.; Kapur, Sandip; Del Pizzo, Joseph J.

2014-01-01

Few prospective, randomized studies have assessed benefits of laparoendoscopic single site donor nephrectomy (LESS-DN) over laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN). Our center initiated such a trial in January 2011, following subjects randomized to LESS-DN vs. LDN from surgery through 5 years post-donation. Subjects complete recovery/satisfaction questionnaires at 2, 6, and 12 months post-donation; transplant recipient outcomes are also recorded. 100 subjects (49 LESS-DN, 51 LDN) underwent surgery; donor demographics were similar between groups, and included a predominance of female, living unrelated donors, mean age of 47 years who underwent left donor nephrectomy. Operative parameters (overall time, time to extraction, warm ischemia time, blood loss) were similar between groups. Conversion to hand-assist laparoscopy was required in 3 LESS-DN (6.1%) vs. 2 LDN (3.9%; P=0.67). Questionnaires revealed 97.2% of LESS-DN vs. 79.5% of LDN (P=0.03) were 100% recovered by two months after donation. No significant difference was seen in satisfaction scores between the groups. Recipient outcomes were similar between groups. Our randomized trial comparing LESS donor nephrectomy to LDN confirms that LESS-DN offers a safe alternative to conventional LDN in terms of intra- and post-operative complications. LDN and LESS-DN offer similar recovery and satisfaction after donation. PMID:24934732

An investigation of the impact of Melbourne Zoo's "Seal-the-Loop" donate call-to-action on visitor satisfaction and behavior.

PubMed

Mellish, Sarah; Sanders, Ben; Litchfield, Carla A; Pearson, Elissa L

2017-05-01

Modern zoos are uniquely positioned to educate the public about environmental issues and promote conservation action. This report investigates the introduction of a donation request during an interactive fur seal presentation (as part of Melbourne Zoo's "Seal-the-Loop" initiative) on visitor satisfaction, perceptions of donation as a way to help wild fur seals, and donation behaviors. Comparisons are made between three groups surveyed upon exit: (1) viewed the interactive fur seal presentation prior to the donation request implementation (pledge-presentation: N = 86; see Mellish, Pearson, Sanders, and Litchfield []; International Zoo Yearbook 129:129-154); (2) viewed the interactive fur seal presentation including the donation request (donate-presentation: N = 82); and (3) viewed the fur seal exhibit and donation point but not the presentation and were not directly asked to make a donation (donate-exhibit: N = 82). Findings demonstrate visitor satisfaction with the interactive fur seal presentation was not negatively impacted following the implementation of the donate request (with >92% of pledge-presentation and donate-presentation visitors providing a "satisfied" or "very satisfied" rating). Only the donate-presentation visitors reported donation as a conservation action to help wild fur seals (19.18%; 0% for pledge-presentation visitors). While both donate-exhibit (39.51%) and donate-presentation visitors (60.75%) self-reported making donations or intending to do so, donation behavior was significantly increased for visitors who had viewed the fur seal presentation. Findings provide preliminary support that zoos may utilize interactive educational presentations to effectively ask visitors for donations to support specific conservation projects, without negatively impacting on satisfaction and with a relatively high level of visitor engagement. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hyperpolarizable compounds and devices fabricated therefrom

DOEpatents

Therien, M.J.; DiMagno, S.G.

1998-07-21

Substituted compounds having relatively large molecular first order hyperpolarizabilities are provided, along with devices and materials containing them. In general, the compounds bear electron-donating and electron-withdrawing chemical substituents on a polyheterocyclic core. 13 figs.

Liver transplant using donors after cardiac death: a single-center approach providing outcomes comparable to donation after brain death.

PubMed

Vanatta, Jason M; Dean, Amanda G; Hathaway, Donna K; Nair, Satheesh; Modanlou, Kian A; Campos, Luis; Nezakatgoo, Nosratollah; Satapathy, Sanjaya K; Eason, James D

2013-04-01

Organ donation after cardiac death remains an available resource to meet the demand for transplant. However, concern persists that outcomes associated with donation after cardiac death liver allografts are not equivalent to those obtained with organ donation after brain death. The aim of this matched case control study was to determine if outcomes of liver transplants with donation after cardiac death donors is equivalent to outcomes with donation after brain death donors by controlling for careful donor and recipient selection, surgical technique, and preservation solution. A retrospective, matched case control study of adult liver transplant recipients at the University of Tennessee/Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute, Memphis, Tennessee was performed. Thirty-eight donation after cardiac death recipients were matched 1:2, with 76 donation after brain death recipients by recipient age, recipient laboratory Model for End Stage Liver Disease score, and donor age to form the 2 groups. A comprehensive approach that controlled for careful donor and recipient matching, surgical technique, and preservation solution was used to minimize warm ischemia time, cold ischemia time, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Patient and graft survival rates were similar in both groups at 1 and 3 years (P = .444 and P = .295). There was no statistically significant difference in primary nonfunction, vascular complications, or biliary complications. In particular, there was no statistically significant difference in ischemic-type diffuse intrahepatic strictures (P = .107). These findings provide further evidence that excellent patient and graft survival rates expected with liver transplants using organ donation after brain death donors can be achieved with organ donation after cardiac death donors without statistically higher rates of morbidity or mortality when a comprehensive approach that controls for careful donor and recipient matching, surgical technique, and preservation solution is used.

The strategies to reduce iron deficiency in blood donors randomized trial: design, enrolment and early retention

PubMed Central

Bialkowski, W.; Bryant, B. J.; Schlumpf, K. S.; Wright, D. J.; Birch, R.; Kiss, J. E.; D’Andrea, P.; Cable, R. G.; Spencer, B. R.; Vij, V.; Mast, A. E.

2014-01-01

Background and Objectives Repeated blood donation produces iron deficiency. Changes in dietary iron intake do not prevent donation-induced iron deficiency. Prolonging the interdonation interval or using oral iron supplements can mitigate donation-induced iron deficiency. The most effective operational methods for reducing iron deficiency in donors are unknown. Materials and Methods ‘Strategies To Reduce Iron Deficiency’ (STRIDE) was a two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study in blood donors. 692 donors were randomized into one of two educational groups or one of three interventional groups. Donors randomized to educational groups either received letters thanking them for donating, or, suggesting iron supplements or delayed donation if they had low ferritin. Donors randomized to interventional groups either received placebo, 19-mg or 38-mg iron pills. Results Iron deficient erythropoiesis was present in 52.7% of males and 74.6% of females at enrolment. Adverse events within 60 days of enrolment were primarily mild gastrointestinal symptoms (64%). The incidence of de-enrolment within 60 days was more common in the interventional groups than in the educational groups (P = 0.002), but not more common in those receiving iron than placebo (P = 0.68). Conclusion The prevalence of iron deficient erythropoiesis in donors enrolled in the STRIDE study is comparable to previously described cohorts of regular blood donors. De-enrolment within 60 days was higher for donors receiving tablets, although no more common in donors receiving iron than placebo. PMID:25469720

The strategies to reduce iron deficiency in blood donors randomized trial: design, enrolment and early retention.

PubMed

Bialkowski, W; Bryant, B J; Schlumpf, K S; Wright, D J; Birch, R; Kiss, J E; D'Andrea, P; Cable, R G; Spencer, B R; Vij, V; Mast, A E

2015-02-01

Repeated blood donation produces iron deficiency. Changes in dietary iron intake do not prevent donation-induced iron deficiency. Prolonging the interdonation interval or using oral iron supplements can mitigate donation-induced iron deficiency. The most effective operational methods for reducing iron deficiency in donors are unknown. 'Strategies To Reduce Iron Deficiency' (STRIDE) was a two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study in blood donors. 692 donors were randomized into one of two educational groups or one of three interventional groups. Donors randomized to educational groups either received letters thanking them for donating, or, suggesting iron supplements or delayed donation if they had low ferritin. Donors randomized to interventional groups either received placebo, 19-mg or 38-mg iron pills. Iron deficient erythropoiesis was present in 52·7% of males and 74·6% of females at enrolment. Adverse events within 60 days of enrolment were primarily mild gastrointestinal symptoms (64%). The incidence of de-enrolment within 60 days was more common in the interventional groups than in the educational groups (P = 0·002), but not more common in those receiving iron than placebo (P = 0·68). The prevalence of iron deficient erythropoiesis in donors enrolled in the STRIDE study is comparable to previously described cohorts of regular blood donors. De-enrolment within 60 days was higher for donors receiving tablets, although no more common in donors receiving iron than placebo. © 2014 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Umbilical cord blood: a guide for primary care physicians.

PubMed

Martin, Paul L; Kurtzberg, Joanne; Hesse, Brett

2011-09-15

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants are used to treat a variety of oncologic, genetic, hematologic, and immunodeficiency disorders. Physicians have an important role in educating, counseling, and offering umbilical cord blood donation and storage options to patients. Parents may donate their infant's cord blood to a public bank, pay to store it in a private bank, or have it discarded. The federal government and many state governments have passed laws and issued regulations regarding umbilical cord blood, and some states require physicians to discuss cord blood options with pregnant women. Five prominent medical organizations have published recommendations about cord blood donation and storage. Current guidelines recommend donation of umbilical cord blood to public banks when possible, or storage through the Related Donor Cord Blood Program when a sibling has a disease that may require a stem cell transplant. Experts do not currently recommend private banking for unidentified possible future use. Step-by-step guidance and electronic resources are available to physicians whose patients are considering saving or donating their infant's umbilical cord blood.

Motivations to donate blood: demographic comparisons.

PubMed

Glynn, Simone A; Kleinman, Steven H; Schreiber, George B; Zuck, Thomas; Combs, Suzanne Mc; Bethel, James; Garratty, George; Williams, Alan E

2002-02-01

Understanding blood donor motivations is crucial to improving effectiveness of donor recruitment and retention programs. Data from a 1998 survey of 92,581 U.S. blood donors were used to evaluate factors influencing the decision to donate in various demographic groups. Data were weighted to adjust for response and sample design. Of 52,650 respondents, 45,588 gave whole-blood (WB) donations. Among all demographic groups, the major reasons to donate were altruism (75-87%) and awareness of the need for blood (34-43%). Except for first-time donors and those

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Motivations towards Blood Donation among King Abdulaziz Medical City Population.

PubMed

Alfouzan, Najd

2014-01-01

Background. Blood donation is remarkably safe medical procedure. However, attitudes, beliefs, and level of knowledge may affect it. Objectives. To measure the level of knowledge regarding blood donation, find out positive and negative attitudes, identify the obstacles, and suggest some motivational factors. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC). Participants were selected by convenient nonrandom sampling technique. A self-created questionnaire was used for data collection. Results. The study included 349 individuals. About 45.8% of the participants claimed that they have a history of blood donation. Reported causes for not donating blood were blood donation not crossing their mind (52.4%), no time for donation (45%), and difficulty in accessing blood donation center (41.3%). Reported motivating factors for donating blood were one day off (81.4%), mobile blood donation caravans in public areas (79.1%), token gifts (31.5%), and finally paying money (18.9%). Conclusion. People in the age group 31-50 years, males, higher education and military were more likely to donate blood as well as People who showed higher knowledge level and positive attitude towards blood donation. More educational programs to increase the awareness in specific targeted populations and also to focus on some motivational factors are recommended.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Motivations towards Blood Donation among King Abdulaziz Medical City Population

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background. Blood donation is remarkably safe medical procedure. However, attitudes, beliefs, and level of knowledge may affect it. Objectives. To measure the level of knowledge regarding blood donation, find out positive and negative attitudes, identify the obstacles, and suggest some motivational factors. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC). Participants were selected by convenient nonrandom sampling technique. A self-created questionnaire was used for data collection. Results. The study included 349 individuals. About 45.8% of the participants claimed that they have a history of blood donation. Reported causes for not donating blood were blood donation not crossing their mind (52.4%), no time for donation (45%), and difficulty in accessing blood donation center (41.3%). Reported motivating factors for donating blood were one day off (81.4%), mobile blood donation caravans in public areas (79.1%), token gifts (31.5%), and finally paying money (18.9%). Conclusion. People in the age group 31–50 years, males, higher education and military were more likely to donate blood as well as People who showed higher knowledge level and positive attitude towards blood donation. More educational programs to increase the awareness in specific targeted populations and also to focus on some motivational factors are recommended. PMID:25431668

Understanding the Role of Clergy in African American Organ and Tissue Donation Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Jacob Arriola, Kimberly R.; Perryman, Jennie P.; Doldren, Michelle A.; Warren, Carmen M.; Robinson, Dana H. Z.

2012-01-01

Objectives To describe and understand the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences towards organ and tissue donation among African American clergy in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The secondary objective is to understand what messages clergy are providing to their parishioners relative to organ and tissue donation, and what their perceived role is in donation education. Design A qualitative study in which African American clergy (n = 26) participated in four focus groups. Results African American clergy, though generally supportive of organ and tissue donation in principle, have serious reservations about donation due to perceived inequalities in the donation and transplantation system. The clergy did not personally hold religious concerns about donation, but expressed that these concerns were a major barrier to donation among their parishioners. None of the clergy knew the written position that their religion took on donation; they acknowledged the need for more education for them and their parishioners on this topic. They also felt that as religious leaders, they could play an important role in promoting organ and tissue donation among African American parishioners. Conclusions African American clergy and religious leaders may play an important role towards improving willingness to donate among African American parishioners, but more education and advocacy is needed to prepare them for this role. PMID:17978944

Canadian Guidelines for Controlled Pediatric Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death-Summary Report.

PubMed

Weiss, Matthew J; Hornby, Laura; Rochwerg, Bram; van Manen, Michael; Dhanani, Sonny; Sivarajan, V Ben; Appleby, Amber; Bennett, Mary; Buchman, Daniel; Farrell, Catherine; Goldberg, Aviva; Greenberg, Rebecca; Singh, Ram; Nakagawa, Thomas A; Witteman, William; Barter, Jill; Beck, Allon; Coughlin, Kevin; Conradi, Alf; Cupido, Cynthia; Dawson, Rosanne; Dipchand, Anne; Freed, Darren; Hornby, Karen; Langlois, Valerie; Mack, Cheryl; Mahoney, Meagan; Manhas, Deepak; Tomlinson, Christopher; Zavalkoff, Samara; Shemie, Sam D

2017-11-01

Create trustworthy, rigorous, national clinical practice guidelines for the practice of pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death in Canada. We followed a process of clinical practice guideline development based on World Health Organization and Canadian Medical Association methods. This included application of Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. Questions requiring recommendations were generated based on 1) 2006 Canadian donation after circulatory determination of death guidelines (not pediatric specific), 2) a multidisciplinary symposium of national and international pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death leaders, and 3) a scoping review of the pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death literature. Input from these sources drove drafting of actionable questions and Good Practice Statements, as defined by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation group. We performed additional literature reviews for all actionable questions. Evidence was assessed for quality using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation and then formulated into evidence profiles that informed recommendations through the evidence-to-decision framework. Recommendations were revised through consensus among members of seven topic-specific working groups and finalized during meetings of working group leads and the planning committee. External review was provided by pediatric, critical care, and critical care nursing professional societies and patient partners. We generated 63 Good Practice Statements and seven Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation recommendations covering 1) ethics, consent, and withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy, 2) eligibility, 3) withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy practices, 4) ante and postmortem interventions, 5) death determination, 6) neonatal pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death, 7) cardiac and innovative pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death, and 8) implementation. For brevity, 48 Good Practice Statement and truncated justification are included in this summary report. The remaining recommendations, detailed methodology, full Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tables, and expanded justifications are available in the full text report. This process showed that rigorous, transparent clinical practice guideline development is possible in the domain of pediatric deceased donation. Application of these recommendations will increase access to pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death across Canada and may serve as a model for future clinical practice guideline development in deceased donation.

MicroRNA-146b-5p Identified in Porcine Liver Donation Model is Associated with Early Allograft Dysfunction in Human Liver Transplantation

PubMed Central

Li, Cheukfai; Zhao, Qiang; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Maogen; Ju, Weiqiang; Wu, Linwei; Han, Ming; Ma, Yi; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Wang, Dongping; Guo, Zhiyong; He, Xiaoshun

2017-01-01

Background Poor transplant outcome was observed in donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (DBCD), since the donor organs suffered both cytokine storm of brain death and warm ischemia injury. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as promising disease biomarkers, so we sought to establish a miRNA signature of porcine DBCD and verify the findings in human liver transplantation. Material/Methods MiRNA expression was determined with miRNA sequencing in 3 types of the porcine model of organ donation, including donation after brain death (DBD) group, donation after circulatory death (DCD) group, and DBCD group. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to reveal the potential regulatory behavior of target miRNA. Human liver graft biopsy samples after reperfusion detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization were used to verify the expression of target miRNA. Results We compared miRNA expression profiles of the 3 donation types. The porcine liver graft miR-146b was significantly increased and selected in the DBCD group versus in the DBD and DCD groups. The donor liver expression of human miR-146b-5p, which is homologous to porcine miR-146b, was further examined in 42 cases of human liver transplantations. High expression of miR-146b-5p successfully predicted the post-transplant early allograft dysfunction (EAD) with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) 0.759 (P=0.004). Conclusions Our results revealed the miRNA signature of DBCD liver grafts for the first time. The miR-146b-5p may have important clinical implications for monitoring liver graft function and predicating transplant outcomes. PMID:29227984

Psychosocial Outcomes 3 to 10 Years After Donation in the Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study (A2ALL)

PubMed Central

Dew, Mary Amanda; DiMartini, Andrea F.; Ladner, Daniela P.; Simpson, Mary Ann; Pomfret, Elizabeth A.; Gillespie, Brenda W.; Merion, Robert M.; Zee, Jarcy; Smith, Abigail R.; Holtzman, Susan; Sherker, Averell H.; Weinrieb, Robert; Fisher, Robert A.; Emond, Jean C.; Freise, Chris E.; Burton, James R.; Butt, Zeeshan

2016-01-01

Background Studies of liver donors’ psychosocial outcomes focus on the short-term and rely largely on quality-of-life measures not specific to donation. We sought to examine long-term donation effects on three psychosocial domains: perceived physical, emotional, and socioeconomic outcomes. Methods Individuals donating 3–10 years previously at nine centers were eligible for telephone surveys. Survey responses were examined descriptively. Cluster analysis was used to identify distinct donor groups based on response profiles across psychosocial domains. Potential predictors of response profiles were evaluated with regression analysis. Results 517 donors (66%) participated (M=5.8 years postdonation, SD=1.9). 15%–48% of donors endorsed current donation-related physical health problems and concerns, and 7%–60% reported socioeconomic concerns (e.g., insurance difficulties, financial expenditures). However, on average, donors experienced high psychological growth, and 90% felt positively about donation. Cluster analysis revealed five donor groups. One group showed high psychological benefit, with little endorsement of physical or socioeconomic concerns (15% of donors). Four groups showed less favorable profiles, with varying combinations of difficulties. The largest such group showed high endorsement of physical concerns and financial expenditures, and only modest psychological benefit (31% of donors). Men and non-Hispanic whites were most likely to have unfavorable response profiles (p<.01). Compared with donors aged 19–30, older donors were less likely to have unfavorable profiles; these differences were significant for donors aged >40–50 (p’s<.008). Conclusions Even many years postdonation, donors report adverse physical and socioeconomic effects, but positive emotional effects as well. Identification of response profiles and predictors may improve targeting of postdonation surveillance and care. PMID:27152918

Female College Students' Perceptions of Organ Donation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boland, Kathleen; Baker, Kerrie

2010-01-01

The current process of organ donation in the U.S. relies on the premise of altruism or voluntary consent. Yet, human organs available for donation and transplant do not meet current demands. The literature has suggested that college students, who represent a large group of potential healthy organ donors, often are not part of donor pools. Before…

Motivating first-time, group O blood donors to return: Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial of a post-donation telephone interview

PubMed Central

France, Janis L.; France, Christopher R.; Carlson, Bruce W.; Kessler, Debra A.; Rebosa, Mark; Shaz, Beth H.; Madden, Katrala; Carey, Patricia M.

2015-01-01

First-time blood donors are essential to the US donor pool, providing nearly a third of all donations. Unfortunately, there are a wide variety of obstacles to repeat donation and new donors are extremely difficult to retain. Because each donor experiences a unique set of deterrents, we developed a post-donation interview based on motivational interview principles in order to flexibly address individual barriers. The primary aim of this randomized clinical trial is to examine retention of first-time, group O blood donors who are randomly assigned to receive either a telephone-delivered interview with motivational and action planning components or a standard-of-care control call approximately six weeks after their donation. Measures of donation attitude, perceived behavioral control, intention, and motivational autonomy will be measured before and after the telephone contact using online surveys, and donation attempts will be tracked for one year using blood center donor databases. We hypothesize that, compared to controls, donors who receive the telephone interview will be more likely to make a donation attempt over the following year. In addition, we will examine possible mechanisms of action of the interview using key predictors of donation behavior as described by Self Determination Theory (i.e., motivational autonomy) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (i.e., attitude, perceived behavioral control, and intention). Results of this intervention may help to support a novel strategy to enhance retention of selected blood donors in an effort to better meet the nation’s blood supply needs. PMID:26247570

Shewanella oneidensis cytochrome c nitrite reductase (ccNiR) does not disproportionate hydroxylamine to ammonia and nitrite, despite a strongly favorable driving force.

PubMed

Youngblut, Matthew; Pauly, Daniel J; Stein, Natalia; Walters, Daniel; Conrad, John A; Moran, Graham R; Bennett, Brian; Pacheco, A Andrew

2014-04-08

Cytochrome c nitrite reductase (ccNiR) from Shewanella oneidensis, which catalyzes the six-electron reduction of nitrite to ammonia in vivo, was shown to oxidize hydroxylamine in the presence of large quantities of this substrate, yielding nitrite as the sole free nitrogenous product. UV-visible stopped-flow and rapid-freeze-quench electron paramagnetic resonance data, along with product analysis, showed that the equilibrium between hydroxylamine and nitrite is fairly rapidly established in the presence of high initial concentrations of hydroxylamine, despite said equilibrium lying far to the left. By contrast, reduction of hydroxylamine to ammonia did not occur, even though disproportionation of hydroxylamine to yield both nitrite and ammonia is strongly thermodynamically favored. This suggests a kinetic barrier to the ccNiR-catalyzed reduction of hydroxylamine to ammonia. A mechanism for hydroxylamine reduction is proposed in which the hydroxide group is first protonated and released as water, leaving what is formally an NH2(+) moiety bound at the heme active site. This species could be a metastable intermediate or a transition state but in either case would exist only if it were stabilized by the donation of electrons from the ccNiR heme pool into the empty nitrogen p orbital. In this scenario, ccNiR does not catalyze disproportionation because the electron-donating hydroxylamine does not poise the enzyme at a sufficiently low potential to stabilize the putative dehydrated hydroxylamine; presumably, a stronger reductant is required for this.

Voluntary whole-blood donors, and compensated platelet donors and plasma donors: motivation to donate, altruism and aggression.

PubMed

Trimmel, Michael; Lattacher, Helene; Janda, Monika

2005-10-01

To establish if voluntary whole-blood donors and compensated platelet donors and plasma donors may differ in their motivation to donate, altruism, aggression and autoaggression. Whole-blood (n=51), platelet (n=52) and plasma donors (n=48) completed a battery of validated questionnaires while waiting to donate. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of variance and t-tests were performed to detect differences between groups as noted. Altruism (mean=40.2) was slightly higher in whole-blood donors than in platelet (mean=38.3) and plasma donors (mean=39.1) (p=0.07). Blood donors (mean=2.8) scored lower in the spontaneous aggression measure than platelet (mean=4.1) and plasma donors (mean=4.4) (p=0.01). Plasma donors (mean=4.9) had higher auto-aggression than whole-blood donors and platelet donors (mean for both groups=3.4) (p=0.01). Differences between the three groups were mediated by sociodemographic variables (MANCOVA). Whole-blood donors donated to help others, platelet and plasma donors mostly to receive the compensation. However, those platelet and plasma donors, who would continue to donate without compensation were similar in altruism and aggression to whole-blood donors. While most platelet donors and plasma donors were motivated by the compensation, those who stated that they would continue to donate without compensation had altruism and aggression scores similar to voluntary whole-blood donors.

Organ and tissue donation in clinical settings: a systematic review of the impact of interventions aimed at health professionals

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

In countries where presumed consent for organ donation does not apply, health professionals (HP) are key players for identifying donors and obtaining their consent. This systematic review was designed to verify the efficacy of interventions aimed at HPs to promote organ and tissue donation in clinical settings. CINAHL (1982 to 2012), COCHRANE LIBRARY, EMBASE (1974 to 2012), MEDLINE (1966 to 2012), PsycINFO (1960 to 2012), and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses were searched for papers published in French or English until September 2012. Studies were considered if they met the following criteria: aimed at improving HPs’ practices regarding the donation process or at increasing donation rates; HPs working in clinical settings; and interventions with a control group or pre-post assessments. Intervention behavioral change techniques were analyzed using a validated taxonomy. A risk ratio was computed for each study having a control group. A total of 15 studies were identified, of which only 5 had a control group. Interventions were either educational, organizational or a combination of both, and had a weak theoretical basis. The most common behavior change technique was providing instruction. Two sets of interventions showed a significant risk ratio. However, most studies did not report the information needed to compute their efficacy. Therefore, interventions aimed at improving the donation process or at increasing donation rates should be based on sound theoretical frameworks. They would benefit from more rigorous evaluation methods to ensure good knowledge translation and appropriate organizational decisions to improve professional practices. PMID:24628967

Ethnicity and attitudes to deceased kidney donation: a survey in Barbados and comparison with Black Caribbean people in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Morgan, Myfanwy; Adams, O Peter; Seed, Paul T; Jones, Roger

2010-05-21

Black minority ethnic groups in the UK have relatively low rates of deceased donation and report a higher prevalence of beliefs that are regarded as barriers to donation. However there is little data from migrants' countries of origin. This paper examines community attitudes to deceased kidney donation in Barbados and compares the findings with a survey conducted in a disadvantaged multi-ethnic area of south London. Questionnaires were administered at four public health centres in Barbados and at three private general practices. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated to compare attitudinal responses with a prior survey of 328 Caribbean and 808 White respondents in south London. Questionnaires were completed by 327 respondents in Barbados (93% response); 42% men and 58% women, with a mean age of 40.4 years (SD 12.6). The main religious groups were Anglican (29%) and Pentecostal (24%). Educational levels ranged from 18% not completing 5th form to 12% with university education. Attitudes to the notion of organ donation were favourable, with 73% willing to donate their kidneys after their death and only 5% definitely against this. Most preferred an opt-in system of donation. Responses to nine attitudinal questions identified 18% as having no concerns and 9% as having 4 or more concerns. The highest level of concern (43%) was for lack of confidence that medical teams would try as hard to save the life of a person who has agreed to donate organs. There was no significant association between age, gender, education or religion and attitudinal barriers, but greater knowledge of donation had some positive effect on attitudes. Comparison of attitudes to donation in south London and Barbados (adjusting for gender, age, level of education, employment status) indicated that a significantly higher proportion of the south London Caribbean respondents identified attitudinal barriers to donation. Community attitudes in Barbados are favourable to deceased donation based on a system of informed consent. Comparison with south London data supports the hypothesis that the relatively high prevalence of negative attitudes to deceased donation among disadvantaged ethnic minorities in high income countries may reflect feelings of marginalization and lack of belonging.

Theoretical study on the optical response behavior to hydrogen chloride gas of a series of Schiff-base-based star-shaped structures.

PubMed

Wang, Fei; Qi, Tianhong; Su, Zhongmin; Xie, Yuzhong

2018-02-17

Schiff-base compounds have many applications in the field of optoelectronic materials and chemical sensing because of their appealing coordination ability, and simple and easily accessible use in structural modification. Herein, five kinds of star-shaped Schiff-base compounds were designed and their optical response behavior to hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas was studied using dependent/time-dependent density functional theory (DFT/TDDFT). Moreover, the relationship between structures and properties was investigated upon changing the benzene group into N atom or triazine group at the core-position and introducing a methoxyl (-OCH 3 ) or nitro (-NO 2 ) group into the star-shaped Schiff-bases at the tail of the branches. The results show that all five Schiff-bases could be candidates for HCl gas sensing materials. Furthermore, introducing an electron-donating group at either the core or the tail forms a charge transfer channel with the electron deficient H-bonded imino group, which is convenient for charge transfer and subsequently promotes a red-shift in absorption spectra and fluorescence quenching.

Bar code-based pre-transfusion check in pre-operative autologous blood donation.

PubMed

Ohsaka, Akimichi; Furuta, Yoshiaki; Ohsawa, Toshiya; Kobayashi, Mitsue; Abe, Katsumi; Inada, Eiichi

2010-10-01

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a bar code-based identification system for the pre-transfusion check at the bedside in the setting of pre-operative autologous blood donation (PABD). Between July 2003 and December 2008 we determined the compliance rate and causes of failure of electronic bedside checking for PABD transfusion. A total of 5627 (9% of all transfusions) PABD units were administered without a single mistransfusion. The overall rate of compliance with electronic checking was 99%. The bar code-based identification system was applicable to the pre-transfusion check for PABD transfusion. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acetonitrile Ion Suppression in Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colizza, Kevin; Mahoney, Keira E.; Yevdokimov, Alexander V.; Smith, James L.; Oxley, Jimmie C.

2016-11-01

Efforts to analyze trace levels of cyclic peroxides by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry gave evidence that acetonitrile suppressed ion formation. Further investigations extended this discovery to ketones, linear peroxides, esters, and possibly many other types of compounds, including triazole and menadione. Direct ionization suppression caused by acetonitrile was observed for multiple adduct types in both electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. The addition of only 2% acetonitrile significantly decreased the sensitivity of analyte response. Efforts to identify the mechanism were made using various nitriles. The ion suppression was reduced by substitution of an acetonitrile hydrogen with an electron-withdrawing group, but was exacerbated by electron-donating or steric groups adjacent to the nitrile. Although current theory does not explain this phenomenon, we propose that polar interactions between the various functionalities and the nitrile may be forming neutral aggregates that manifest as ionization suppression.

The investigation of substituent effects on the fragmentation pathways of pentacoordinated phenoxyspirophosphoranes by ESI-MSn.

PubMed

Cui, Xiaoyan; Sun, Can; Zhao, Pei; Wang, Yanyan; Guo, Yanchun; Zhao, Yufen; Cao, Shuxia

2018-04-01

The fragmentation pathways of pentacoordinated phenoxyspirophosphoranes were investigated in the positive mode by electrospray ionization multistage mass spectrometry. The results demonstrate that the sodium adducts of the title compounds undergo two competitive fragmentation pathways, and the fragmentation patterns are heavily dependent on the various substituent patterns at the phenolic group. An electron-withdrawing substituent at the ortho-position always results in the removal of a corresponding phenol analogue, while cleavage by spiroring opening becomes the predominant fragmentation pathway if an electron-donating substituent is at the phenolic group. The substituent effects on the competitive fragmentation pathways were further elucidated by theoretical calculations, single crystal structure analysis, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The results contribute to the understanding of the gas-phase fragmentation reactions and the structure identification of spirophosphorane analogues by electrospray ionization multistage mass spectrometry. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gabapentin-base synthesis and theoretical studies of biologically active compounds: N-cyclohexyl-3-oxo-2-(3-oxo-2-azaspiro[4.5] decan-2-yl)-3-arylpropanamides and N-(tert-butyl)-2-(3-oxo-2-azaspiro[4.5]decan-2-yl)-2-arylacetamide derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirani Poor, Mahboobe; Darehkordi, Ali; Anary-Abbasinejad, Mohammad; Mohammadi, Marziyeh

2018-01-01

An intermolecular Ugi reaction of 2-(1-(aminomethyl)cyclohexyl)acetic acid (gabapentin) with glyoxal and cyclohexyl isocyanide or aromatic aldehyde and tertbutyl isocyanide under mild conditions in ethanol have been developed to produce two novel class of N-cyclohexyl-3-(aryl)-3-oxo-2-(3-oxo-2-azaspiro[4.5]decan-2-yl)propanamideins and N-(tert-butyl)-2-(3-oxo-2-azaspiro[4.5]decan-2-yl)-2-arylacetamide derivatives in good to excellent yields. This presents the first report for the intermolecular Ugi three component reaction of gabapentin, glyoxal, and an isocyanide. Also according to the theoretical studies the electron-donating groups increase the strength of intramolecular hydrogen bond and electron-withdrawing groups decrease the strength of intramolecular hydrogen bond.

Polymer blend compositions and methods of preparation

DOEpatents

Naskar, Amit K.

2016-09-27

A polymer blend material comprising: (i) a first polymer containing hydrogen bond donating groups having at least one hydrogen atom bound to a heteroatom selected from oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, or an anionic version of said first polymer wherein at least a portion of hydrogen atoms bound to a heteroatom is absent and replaced with at least one electron pair; (ii) a second polymer containing hydrogen bond accepting groups selected from nitrile, halogen, and ether functional groups; and (iii) at least one modifying agent selected from carbon particles, ether-containing polymers, and Lewis acid compounds; wherein, if said second polymer contains ether functional groups, then said at least one modifying agent is selected from carbon particles and Lewis acid compounds. Methods for producing the polymer blend, molded forms thereof, and articles thereof, are also described.

Unit asking: a method to boost donations and beyond.

PubMed

Hsee, Christopher K; Zhang, Jiao; Lu, Zoe Y; Xu, Fei

2013-09-01

The solicitation of charitable donations costs billions of dollars annually. Here, we introduce a virtually costless method for boosting charitable donations to a group of needy persons: merely asking donors to indicate a hypothetical amount for helping one of the needy persons before asking donors to decide how much to donate for all of the needy persons. We demonstrated, in both real fund-raisers and scenario-based research, that this simple unit-asking method greatly increases donations for the group of needy persons. Different from phenomena such as the foot-in-the-door and identifiable-victim effects, the unit-asking effect arises because donors are initially scope insensitive and subsequently scope consistent. The method applies to both traditional paper-based fund-raisers and increasingly popular Web-based fund-raisers and has implications for domains other than fund-raisers, such as auctions and budget proposals. Our research suggests that a subtle manipulation based on psychological science can generate a substantial effect in real life.

Cultivating Fluorescent Flowers with Highly Luminescent Carbon Dots Fabricated by a Double Passivation Method

PubMed Central

Chang, Tao; Zhao, Haiping; Du, Huanhuan; Liu, Shan; Wu, Baoshuang; Qin, Shenjun

2017-01-01

In this work, we present the fabrication of highly luminescent carbon dots (CDs) by a double passivation method with the assistance of Ca(OH)2. In the reaction process, Ca2+ protects the active functional groups from overconsumption during dehydration and carbonization, and the electron-withdrawing groups on the CD surface are converted to electron-donating groups by the hydroxyl ions. As a result, the fluorescence quantum yield of the CDs was found to increase with increasing Ca(OH)2 content in the reaction process. A blue-shift optical spectrum of the CDs was also found with increasing Ca(OH)2 content, which could be attributed to the increasing of the energy gaps for the CDs. The highly photoluminescent CDs obtained (quantum yield: 86%) were used to cultivate fluorescent carnations by a water culture method, while the results of fluorescence microscopy analysis indicated that the CDs had entered the plant tissue structure. PMID:28686178

An Exploratory Study on University Students' Perceptions of Posthumous Organ Donation Base on the Theory of Reasoned Action.

PubMed

Wong, Shui Hung; Chow, Amy Yin Man

2017-08-01

In view of the general support for organ donation but low registration rate in Hong Kong, the present research attempted to understand the attitude-behavior inconsistency by identifying the underlying beliefs for organ donation through employing the theory of reasoned action. A qualitative approach using semi-structured focus groups was adopted and 19 students from three universities in Hong Kong participated; 10 constructs were identified: attitude, subjective norm, helping, continuation, contribution, body intact, distrust to the medical system, indifference to organ donation, negative affect, and family burden. Findings suggested that their attitudes toward organ donation were of both the cognitive and affective nature; subjective norm of family, friends, and people they respect were identified as influential to students' views on organ donation. The study provided insight in promoting organ donation, that the cognitive concerns about keeping the body intact, and the negative affects introduced should also be addressed.

Overcoming beneficiary race as an impediment to charitable donations: social dominance orientation, the experience of moral elevation, and donation behavior.

PubMed

Freeman, Dan; Aquino, Karl; McFerran, Brent

2009-01-01

Three studies examined the relationship between social dominance orientation (SDO), the experience of moral elevation, and Whites' donations to charitable organizations. Study 1 used video clips depicting acts of moral excellence to elicit a state of moral elevation (a distinctive feeling of warmth and expansion, which is accompanied by admiration, affection, and even love for people whose exemplary moral behavior is being observed). Results show that moral elevation increased participants' willingness to donate to a Black-oriented charity and attenuated the negative effect of the group-based dominance (GBD) component of SDO on donation behavior. Studies 2 and 3 replicate and extend these findings by using a written story to elicit a state of moral elevation and examining actual donations to a Black-oriented charity. Results show that moral elevation increased donations to the Black-oriented charity and neutralized the negative influence of GBD.

[Attitude and opinion of medical students about organ donation and transplantation].

PubMed

Galvao, Flavio H F; Caires, Renato A; Azevedo-Neto, Raimundo S; Mory, Eduardo K; Figueira, Estela R R; Otsuzi, Thiago S; Bacchella, Telesforo; Machado, Marcel C C

2007-01-01

We analyzed the opinion and understanding of medical students about organ donation and transplantation. 347 students voluntarily completed a questionnaire with 17 queries concerning organ donation and transplantation. They were analyzed to identify general tendencies and divided into five groups, according to their year of study (first through sixth year), to assess differences among the years. Students of the fifth and sixth years were placed in the same group. Results were analyzed by the Chi-square test. The intention to become a post mortem or living donor was of 89% and 90% respectively; however, only 62% were aware of living donation risks. 70% of the 347 students admitted regular or little knowledge of the subject, 90.2% considered organ transplantation an important issue for a medical graduation program, 76.9% considered informed/expressed consent the best organ donation criterion and 64.3% of them chose severity of patient disease as the best allocation condition. As students progressed in their studies their understanding about transplantation improved. Students of the fourth, fifth and sixth year manifested a negative attitude about organ donation to alcohol addicts, non donors, drug users, law offenders and foreigners. This data show the great interest and positive attitude of medical students toward organ donation and transplantation, despite the fact that most of them admitted having insufficient knowledge on the subject. A negative attitude by students of the fourth, fifth and sixth year on organ donation to alcohol addicts, non donors, drug users, law offenders and foreigners was also observed.

The Hammett relationship and reactions in the excited electronic state: hemithioindigo Z/E-photoisomerization.

PubMed

Cordes, Thorben; Schadendorf, Torsten; Priewisch, Beate; Rück-Braun, Karola; Zinth, Wolfgang

2008-01-31

The photochemical reaction dynamics of a set of photochromic compounds based on thioindigo and stilbene molecular parts (hemithioindigos, HTI) are presented. Photochemical Z/E isomerization around the central double bond occurs with time constants of 216 ps (Z --> E) and 10 ps (E --> Z) for a 5-methyl-hemithioindigo. Chemical substitution on the stilbene moiety causes unusually strong changes in the reaction rate. Electron-donating substituents in the position para to the central double bond (e.g., para-methoxy) strongly accelerate the reaction, while the reaction is drastically slowed by electron-withdrawing groups in this position (e.g., para-nitrile). We correlate the experimental data of seven HTI-compounds in a quantitative manner using the Hammett equation and present a qualitative explanation for the application of ground-state Hammett constants to describe the photoisomerization reaction.

A new look into conformational, vibrational and electronic structure analysis of 3,4-dimethoxybenzonitrile.

PubMed

Arjunan, V; Devi, L; Remya, P; Mohan, S

2013-09-01

The FTIR and FT-Raman spectra of 3,4-dimethoxybenzonitrile (34DMBN) have been analysed. Quantum chemical studies were performed with B3LYP method using 6-311++G(d,p), 6-31G(d,p) and cc-pVTZ basis sets. The electron donating effect of -OCH3 and electron withdrawing effect of -C≡N groups on the ring parameters were thoroughly analysed. The structural parameters, energies, thermodynamic properties, vibrational frequencies and the NBO charges of 34DMBN were determined. The (1)H and (13)C chemical shifts with respect to TMS were investigated and also calculated theoretically using the gauge independent atomic orbital method and compared with the experimental data. The delocalisation energy of different types of bonding interactions was investigated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amino-siloxane composition and methods of using the same

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Brien, Michael Joseph; Farnum, Rachel Lizabeth; Perry, Robert James

An amino-siloxane composition is presented. The amino-siloxane composition includes structure (I): ##STR00001## wherein R 1 is independently at each occurrence a C 1-C 5 aliphatic radical; R 2 is a C 3-C. 4 aliphatic radical; R 3 is a C 1-C 5 aliphatic radical or R 4, wherein R 4 comprises structure (II): ##STR00002## and X is an electron donating group. Methods of reducing an amount of carbon dioxide in a process stream using the amino-siloxane composition are also presented.

Control of exciton confinement in quantum dot-organic complexes through energetic alignment of interfacial orbitals.

PubMed

Frederick, Matthew T; Amin, Victor A; Swenson, Nathaniel K; Ho, Andrew Y; Weiss, Emily A

2013-01-09

This paper describes a method to control the quantum confinement, and therefore the energy, of excitonic holes in CdSe QDs through adsorption of the hole-delocalizing ligand phenyldithiocarbamate, PTC, and para substitutions of the phenyl ring of this ligand with electron-donating or -withdrawing groups. These substitutions control hole delocalization in the QDs through the energetic alignment of the highest occupied orbitals of PTC with the highest density-of-states region of the CdSe valence band, to which PTC couples selectively.

Photoaffinity Labeling via Nitrenium Ion Chemistry: Protonation of the Nitrene Derived from a 4-Amino-3-nitrophenylazide to Afford Reactive Nitrenium Ion Pairs

PubMed Central

Voskresenska, Valentyna; Wilson, R. Marshall; Panov, Maxim; Tarnovsky, Alexander N.; Krause, Jeanette A.; Vyas, Shubham; Winter, Arthur H.; Hadad, Christopher M.

2009-01-01

Phenyl azides with powerful electron-donating substituents are known to deviate from the usual photochemical behavior of other phenyl azides. They do not undergo ring expansion, but form basic nitrenes that protonate to form nitrenium ions. The photochemistry of the widely used photoaffinity labeling system 4-amino-3-nitrophenyl azide, 5, has been studied by transient absorption spectroscopy from femtosecond to microsecond time domains and from a theoretical perspective. The nitrene generation from azide 5 occurs on the S2 surface, in violation of Kasha's rule. The resulting nitrene is a powerful base and abstracts protons extremely rapidly from a variety of sources to form a nitrenium ion. In methanol, this protonation occurs in about 5 ps, which is the fastest intermolecular protonation observed to date. Suitable proton sources include alcohols, amine salts, and even acidic C-H bonds such as acetonitrile. The resulting nitrenium ion is stabilized by the electron-donating 4-amino group to afford a diiminoquinone-like species that collapses relatively slowly to form the ultimate cross-linked product. In some cases in which the anion is a good hydride donor, cross-linking is replaced by reduction of the nitrenium ion to the corresponding amine. PMID:19624129

The untimely death of the UK Donation Ethics Committee.

PubMed

Shaw, David

2017-01-01

This brief report describes the contribution of the UK Donation Ethics Committee to organ donation and transplantation in the UK, and explains why the committee has met an early demise. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Does quality improvement work? Evaluation of the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative.

PubMed

Howard, David H; Siminoff, Laura A; McBride, Virginia; Lin, Monica

2007-12-01

The Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative is a quality improvement initiative to encourage adoption of "best practices" for identifying potential donors and obtaining consent for deceased organ donation. We evaluate the impact of the first phase on organ donation rates. We study donation rates in the 95 hospitals that participated in the first phase and a control group of 125 hospitals. We use a controlled pre/post design. The preperiod is the year before the start of the Collaborative (September 2002 to August 2003), the postperiod is the final 6 months of the first phase (March 2004 to August 2004). We use administrative data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to compute the conversion rate in each hospital group and time period. The conversion rate is the proportion of eligible donors who became actual donors. Preperiod conversion rates in Collaborative and control hospitals were similar: 52 and 51 percent, respectively. In the postperiod, the conversion rate increased to 60 percent among Collaborative hospitals and remained at 51 percent among control hospitals. The relative change was 8 percentage points (95 percent confidence interval: 2-13: p<.001). Our findings suggest that the Breakthrough Collaborative led to an increase in donation rates at participating hospitals.

Organ donation as an 'altruistic gift': incentives and reciprocity in deceased organ donation from a UK Polish migrant perspective.

PubMed

Sharp, Chloe; Randhawa, Gurch

2014-01-17

Incentives and reciprocity have been widely debated within the literature as an alternative to altruism to motivate the public to register and consent to organ donation. This pilot study was the first to examine the views of the UK Polish migrant community toward these issues. One-to-one and small group interviews were conducted in English and Polish to collect data. The interviews were recorded and transcribed and interviews in Polish were translated into English. All transcripts were coded, codes were grouped by theme and emergent themes were constantly compared to the new data until saturation. Participants were motivated to donate altruistically but would accept reciprocity for organs once consent was given. Payment for organs was viewed as unfavourable but participants would accept contribution toward funeral expenses. Deceased organ donation was viewed as an 'altruistic gift'. 'Altruism' and 'gift' are problematic in deceased organ donation and could explain the challenges that arise in the incentives and reciprocity debate. Mauss's gift exchange theory could frame incentives as forming the 'obligation to give' and could encourage registration but could lead to coercion. Reciprocity could benefit families and be viewed as 'fair' and a token of gratitude.

Immediate effects of blood donation on physical and cognitive performance-A randomized controlled double-blinded trial.

PubMed

Eliassen, Håkon S; Hervig, Tor; Backlund, Sebastian; Sivertsen, Joar; Iversen, Vegard Vereide; Kristoffersen, Morten; Wengaard, Eivind; Gramstad, Arne; Fosse, Theodor; Bjerkvig, Christopher K; Apelseth, Torunn; Doughty, Heidi; Strandenes, Geir

2018-06-01

The success of implementing damage control resuscitation principles pre-hospital has been at the expense of several logistic burdens including the requirements for resupply, and the question of donor safety during the development of whole blood programs. Previous studies have reported effects on physical performance after blood donation; however, none have investigated the effects of blood donation on cognitive performance. We describe a prospective double-blinded, randomized, controlled study comprised of a battery of tests: three cognitive tests, and VO2max testing on a cycle ergometer. Testing was performed 7 days before blinded donation (baseline day), immediately after donation (Day 0), and 7 days (Day 7) after donation. The inclusion criteria included being active blood donors at the Haukeland University Hospital blood bank, where eligibility requirements were met on the testing days, and providing informed consent. Participants were randomized to either the experimental (n = 26) or control group (n = 31). Control group participants underwent a 'mock donation" in which a phlebotomy needle was placed but blood was not withdrawn. In the experimental group, mean ± SEM VO2max declined 6% from 41.35 ± 1.7 mLO2/(min·kg) at baseline to 39.0 ± 1.6 mLO2/(min·kg) on Day 0 and increased to 40.51 ± 1.5 mLO2/(min·kg) on Day 7. Comparable values in the control group were 42.1 ± 1.8 mLO2/(min·kg) at baseline, 41.6 ± 1.8 mLO2/(min·kg)) on Day 1 (1% decline from baseline), and 41.8 ± 1.8 mLO2/(min·kg) on Day 7.Comparing scores of all three cognitive tests on Day 0 and Day 7 showed no significant differences (p > 0.05). Our main findings are that executive cognitive and physical performances were well maintained after whole blood donation in healthy blood donors. The findings inform postdonation guidance on when donors may be required to return to duty. Randomized, controlled, double-blinded prospective trial study, level 1.

Blood donation practices and willingness to donate among residents of an urban slum in Lagos Nigeria.

PubMed

Sekoni, A O; Balogun, M R; Odukoya, O O; Inem, V; Onigbogi, O O

2014-03-01

This study was carried out to assess the blood donation practices and willingness to donate among residents of an urban slum. Cross sectional descriptive study design with a qualitative and quantitative component. Multistage sampling was used to select 400 respondents for the questionnaire interview while three FGD sessions were conducted guide among three groups of participants namely youths, men and women. The information collected was analyzed manually (FGD) and with Epi info version 3.5.3. Majority of the questionnaire respondents were female, married, traders, had at least secondary school education, with mean age of 37.6 years. Only 12.0% had donated in the past, the main reason given by non donors was that they had never been asked to donate; this was also a key finding in the FGD. Willingness to donate was positively associated with being a male, single and Christian, age was a significant predictor of previous donation while more of the previous donors were still willing to donate, more for family/friends (p=0.036) than voluntarily (p=0.001) this view was supported by the participants at the FGD. Members of this urban slum had poor practice of blood donation,had positive attitude and were willing to donate, there is need to mobilise and organise outreach blood donation programs to convert attitude into actual practice.

Intensive care staff, the donation request and relatives’ satisfaction with the decision: a focus group study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Effectiveness of the donation request is generally measured by consent rates, rather than by relatives’ satisfaction with their decision. Our aim was to elicit Dutch ICU staffs’ views and experiences with the donation request, to investigate their awareness of (dis)satisfaction with donation decisions by relatives, specifically in the case of refusal, and to collect advice that may leave more relatives satisfied with their decision. Methods Five focus groups with a total of 32 participants (IC physicians, IC nurses and transplant coordinators) from five university hospitals in the Netherlands. Transcripts were examined using standard qualitative methods. Results Four themes (donation request perceived by ICU staff from the perspective of relatives; donation request perceived by ICU staff from their own perspective; aftercare; donation in society) divided into 14 categories were identified. According to ICU staff, relatives mentioned their own values more frequently than values of the potential donor as important for the decision. ICU staff observed this imbalance, but reacted empathically to the relatives’ point of view. ICU staff rarely suggested reconsideration of refusal and did not ask relatives for arguments. ICU staff did not always feel comfortable with a request in the delicate context of brain death. Sometimes the interests of patient, relatives and those on the waiting list were irreconcilable. ICU staff were mostly unaware of relatives’ regret following their decisions. Aftercare did not provide this type of information. Donation request by IC physicians was influenced by the way organ donation has been regulated in society (law, donor register, education, media). Conclusions Our findings lead to the hypothesis that giving relatives more time and inviting them to reconsider their initial refusal will lead to a more stable decision and possibly more consent. PMID:25057260

Outcomes for primary kidney transplantation from donation after Citizens' death in China: a single center experience of 367 cases.

PubMed

Xue, Wujun; Tian, Puxun; Xiang, Heli; Ding, Xiaoming; Pan, Xiaoming; Yan, Hang; Hou, Jun; Feng, Xinshun; Liu, Linjuan; Ding, Chenguang; Tian, Xiaohui; Li, Yang; Zheng, Jin

2017-04-04

The cases of donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (DBCD) and donation after cardiac death (DCD) have been increased year by year in China. Further research is needed to understand in the outcomes and risk factors of delayed graft function (DGF) in order to minimize the risk of DGF and ameliorate its potential impact on long-term outcomes. This study was to explore the differences in outcomes between DBCD and DCD transplant and the main risk factors for DGF in DBCD. Retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 367donations after citizens' death kidney transplant procedures (donors and recipients) between July 2012 and August 2015 at our center. During the study period, the donation success rate was 25.3%. 164 cases of DBCD and 35 cases of DCD had been implemented and 367 kidneys were transplanted. The incidence of DGF in DBCD group were significantly lower than that of DCD group (12.0% vs. 27.0%, p = 0.002). The 1-year percent freedom from acute rejection (AR) was significantly higher in DBCD group compared with it of DCD group (94% vs. 82%, p = 0.036). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the kidney transplants revealed that the high risk factors for DGF after renal transplantation in DBCD were history of hypertension (Odds Ratio [OR] = 5.88, 95% CI: 1.90 to 18.2, p = 0.002), low blood pressure (BP < 80 mmHg) (OR = 4.86, 95% CI: 1.58 to 14.9, p = 0.006) and serum creatinine of donor (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.16, p = 0.003) before donation. The outcomes of DBCD could be better than DCD in DGF and AR. The main risk factors for DGF in DBCD kidney transplants are donors with a history of hypertension, low blood pressure, and serum creatinine of donor before donation.

Why Do Blood Donors Lapse or Reduce Their Donation's Frequency?

PubMed

Charbonneau, Johanne; Cloutier, Marie-Soleil; Carrier, Élianne

2016-01-01

Finding effective ways to retain blood donors is crucial. This study seeks to compare, in a context of a voluntary and nonremunerated system, donor demographics and deterrents to blood donation among plasma/platelet donors (PPDs), regular whole blood donors (WBDs), and lapsed whole blood donors (LWBD). Among 1879 participants to a survey on motivations, time use, and blood donation, 207 WBDs (26%) and 148 PPDs (31%) said that they reduced their donation frequency over the last 5 years. Participants to this survey also included 609 LWBDs, who did not donate in the past 5 years. We asked about reasons why they reduce or cease to donate blood and demographic variables. χ(2) Tests were completed to determine which deterrents stand out across the 3 blood donor groups. The deterrent indicating the highest percentage was "time constraints related to work or studies" (43% for all respondents). Comparison of WBDs, LWBDs, and PPDs shows that results for 7 deterrents were statistically different between the 3 groups. Obstacles to donating blood also vary based on sex, age (life course), and level of education. Blood collection agencies should consider developing new retention strategies tailored to blood donors, taking into account the specific profiles of female/male donors, events that typically occur at various stages of life, and particular challenges associated with differences in levels of education. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structures and spectroscopic properties of nonperipherally and peripherally substituted metal-free phthalocyanines: a substitution effect study based on density functional theory calculations.

PubMed

Zhong, Aimin; Zhang, Yuexing; Bian, Yongzhong

2010-11-01

The molecular structures, molecular orbitals, atomic charges, electronic absorption spectra, and infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of a series of substituted metal-free phthalocyanine compounds with four (1, 3, 5, 7) or eight (2, 4, 6, 8) methoxyl (1, 2, 5, 6) or methylthio groups (3, 4, 7, 8) on the nonperipheral (1-4) or peripheral positions (5-8) of the phthalocyanine ring are studied by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations. The calculated structural parameters and simulated electronic absorption and IR spectra are compared with the X-ray crystallography structures and the experimentally observed electronic absorption and IR spectra of the similar molecules, and good agreement between the calculated and experimental results is found. The substitution of the methoxyl or methylthio groups at the nonperipheral positions of the phthalocyanine ring has obvious effects on the molecular structure and spectroscopic properties of the metal-free phthalocyanine. Nonperipheral substitution has a more significant influence than peripheral substitution. The substitution effect increases with an increase in the number of substituents. The methylthio group shows more significant influence than the methoxyl group, despite the stronger electron-donating property of the methoxyl group than the methylthio group. The octa-methylthio-substituted metal-free phthalocyanine compounds have nonplanar structures whose low-lying occupied molecular orbitals and electronic absorption spectra are significantly changed by the substituents. The present systematical study will be helpful for understanding the relationship between structures and properties in phthalocyanine compounds and designing phthalocyanines with typical properties. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Strategic Planning Tool for Increasing African American Blood Donation.

PubMed

Singleton, Ashley; Spratling, Regena

2018-05-01

Historically, African Americans (AAs) have been underrepresented as blood donors. Having a lack of racially diverse blood donors contributes to transfusion complications, particularly in patients with sickle cell disease, who are both disproportionately AA and the recipients of frequent transfusions. Increasing AA blood donation is a complex public health issue. This review article serves to fill a gap in translating research regarding known hindrances and facilitators of AA blood donation to improve real-world donation practice and ultimately, patient outcomes. We incorporate findings from a literature review to develop a tool that blood centers, provider organizations, and patient advocacy groups can use to aid strategic planning efforts aimed at increasing AA blood donation.

Opto-electronic conversion logic behaviour through dynamic modulation of electron/energy transfer states at the TiO2-carbon quantum dot interface.

PubMed

Wang, Fang; Zhang, Yonglai; Liu, Yang; Wang, Xuefeng; Shen, Mingrong; Lee, Shuit-Tong; Kang, Zhenhui

2013-03-07

Here we show a bias-mediated electron/energy transfer process at the CQDs-TiO(2) interface for the dynamic modulation of opto-electronic properties. Different energy and electron transfer states have been observed in the CQDs-TNTs system due to the up-conversion photoluminescence and the electron donation/acceptance properties of the CQDs decorated on TNTs.

Attitudes to deceased organ donation and registration as a donor among minority ethnic groups in North America and the U.K.: a synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research.

PubMed

Morgan, Myfanwy; Kenten, Charlotte; Deedat, Sarah

2013-01-01

A systematic review and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research were undertaken to examine attitudes to deceased donation and registration as an organ donor among ethnic minorities in the U.K. and North America. A systematic search and assessments of relevance and quality were conducted. Parallel syntheses were then undertaken of 14 quantitative and 12 qualitative papers followed by their integration. The synthesis was organised around five barriers that emerged as key issues: (1) knowledge regarding deceased donation and registration as a donor; (2) discussion of donation/registration with family members; (3) faith and cultural beliefs; (4) bodily concerns including disfigurement and intactness; and (5) trust in doctors and the health care system. In all countries, knowledge of organ donation and registration remained low despite public campaigns, with African-Americans and Black African and Black Caribbean populations in the U.K. often regarding organ donation as a 'white' issue. Each of the four attitudinal barriers was also more prevalent among ethnic minorities compared with the majority population. However, the significance of trust and uncertainties regarding religion/faith differed between groups, reflecting salient aspects of ethnic identity and experiences. Differences were also identified within ethnic groups associated with age and generation, although respect for the views of elders often influenced younger peoples' willingness to donate. There is a need for a more nuanced understanding of ethnicity and of variations in attitudes associated with country of origin, age/generation, socio-economic status and area of residence, to inform public campaigns and promote sensitive discussions with bereaved ethnic minority families. The traditional focus on knowledge and attitudes also requires to be complemented by a greater emphasis on organisational and service-related barriers and changes required to enhance ethnic minorities' access to registration as a donor and consent to deceased donation.

Efficient n-doping of graphene films by APPE (aminophenyl propargyl ether): a substituent effect.

PubMed

Kim, Youngsoo; Yoo, Je Min; Jeon, Hak Rim; Hong, Byung Hee

2013-11-14

We report the synthesis and applications of APPE (aminophenyl propargyl ether) as a novel n-type dopant for graphene. The characteristics of APPE-doped graphene films were investigated using Raman spectroscopy as well as electron transport measurements. The Raman 2D/G peak ratio decreased by more than 40%, and the minimum conductivity voltage (Dirac voltage) was shifted to -133 V as the pristine graphene was doped with APPE, indicating that the graphene was strongly n-doped. We suppose that the electron donating property of the amine group (-NH2) is the origin of such an intense n-doping effect. In contrast, a similar molecule with an electron withdrawing nitro group (-NO2) (nitrophenyl propargyl ether, NPPE) showed a slight p-doping effect. Thus, we conclude that the doping effect of a molecular framework strongly depends on the functional substituents, which can be represented by the Hammett equation. We also confirmed that the sheet resistance of the APPE doped graphene film was reduced by ∼70%, which is crucial to enhance the electrical conductivity of graphene for various electronic applications. In addition, the acetylene group of APPE appears promising to be utilized in "click chemistry" to further functionalize the π-surface of graphene for sensors and bio applications.

Body donation in India: social awareness, willingness, and associated factors.

PubMed

Rokade, Shrikant A; Gaikawad, Anjana P

2012-01-01

With the attendant rise of the number of medical colleges in India over past few decades, the demand for cadavers used in medical education and research is growing. However, there is an insufficient supply of donated cadavers available for dissection. This study was undertaken to assess the general population's awareness of body donation programs and willingness to donate in the State of Maharashtra, India. The willingness of participants to donate was compared with age, gender, and education of the respondents. A total of 625 adult individuals from the State of Maharashtra participated in a survey composed of questions about age, sex, education, awareness of body donation programs, and willingness to donate. It was found that 90.9% of the medical colleges surveyed reported an inadequate supply of cadavers. Of the general population, 32.1% of respondents were aware of body donation, compared to 95.83% of health care professionals. However, only 19.5% of the general population and 44.9% of health care professionals were willing to donate their bodies for anatomical education. Younger age groups, males, graduates, and postgraduates were found more willing to donate their bodies. Organ donation was preferred over body donation. A lack of awareness about body donation was the main factor responsible for respondents' "no body donation" response in the general population, along with firm religious beliefs and customs, the fear that the donated body will not be treated with respect and dignity, and the unacceptability of the dissection of one's own body. To overcome the current shortage of donated cadavers, efforts should be undertaken to change the mindset of the wider Indian society toward body donation. The authors believe this is possible through awareness campaigns and that prospective donors' concerns should be addressed appropriately. Proper guidance and assistance regarding body donation should be easily available for potential donors. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

Biocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial chemicals, steroid hormones and pesticides in a membrane distillation-enzymatic bioreactor.

PubMed

Asif, Muhammad B; Hai, Faisal I; Kang, Jinguo; van de Merwe, Jason P; Leusch, Frederic D L; Price, William E; Nghiem, Long D

2018-01-01

Laccase-catalyzed degradation of a broad spectrum of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) by a membrane distillation (MD)-enzymatic membrane bioreactor (EMBR) was investigated. The MD component effectively retained TrOCs (94-99%) in the EMBR, facilitating their continuous biocatalytic degradation. Notably, the extent of TrOC degradation was strongly influenced by their molecular properties. A significant degradation (above 90%) of TrOCs containing strong electron donating functional groups (e.g., hydroxyl and amine groups) was achieved, while a moderate removal was observed for TrOCs containing electron withdrawing functional groups (e.g., amide and halogen groups). Separate addition of two redox-mediators, namely syringaldehyde and violuric acid, further improved TrOC degradation by laccase. However, a mixture of both showed a reduced performance for a few pharmaceuticals such as primidone, carbamazepine and ibuprofen. Mediator addition increased the toxicity of the media in the enzymatic bioreactor, but the membrane permeate (i.e., final effluent) was non-toxic, suggesting an added advantage of coupling MD with EMBR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motivations for donating blood and reasons why people lapse or never donate in Leeds, England: a 2001 questionnaire-based survey.

PubMed

Kuruvatti, J; Prasad, V; Williams, R; Harrison, M A; Jones, R P O

2011-11-01

Blood donors' motivations and reasons for lapsing and never donating were determined from a questionnaire completed by 489 adults (89 regular donors, 105 lapsed donors, 295 never donors) in Leeds, UK. The free text responses were classified according to themes that arose. Altruistic motivations including reciprocation and kinship towards family, friends, and unknowns were most numerous. Other motivations related to the NHS or National Blood Service, obligation, occupation, self-interest, convenience, peer-influence, health benefits, a rare blood group, donations being useful, a TV programme, or ethnicity. Reasons for non-donation were personal, medical, donation centre- or procedure-related, exclusions, and age-related. Suggestions are offered to increase the blood supply. © 2011 The Author(s). Vox Sanguinis © 2011 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Molecular and electronic structures of mononuclear iron complexes using strongly electron-donating ligands and their oxidized forms.

PubMed

Strautmann, Julia B H; George, Serena DeBeer; Bothe, Eberhard; Bill, Eckhard; Weyhermüller, Thomas; Stammler, Anja; Bögge, Hartmut; Glaser, Thorsten

2008-08-04

The ligand L (2-) (H 2L = N, N'-dimethyl- N, N'-bis(3,5-di- t-butyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)-1,2-diaminoethane) has been employed for the synthesis of two mononuclear Fe (III) complexes, namely, [LFe(eta (2)-NO 3)] and [LFeCl]. L (2-) is comprised of four strongly electron-donating groups (two tert-amines and two phenolates) that increase the electron density at the coordinated ferric ions. This property should facilitate oxidation of the complexes, that is, stabilization of the oxidized species. The molecular structures in the solid state have been established by X-ray diffraction studies. [LFeCl] is five-coordinate in a square-pyramidal coordination environment with the ligand adopting a trans-conformation, while [LFe(eta (2)-NO 3)] is six-coordinate in a distorted octahedral environment with the ligand in a beta-cis conformation. The electronic structures have been studied using magnetization, EPR, Mossbauer (with and without applied field), UV-vis-NIR, and X-ray absorption spectroscopies, which demonstrate highly anisotropic covalency from the strong sigma- and pi-donating phenolates. This analysis is supported by DFT calculations on [LFeCl]. The variations of the well-understood spectroscopic data in the solid state to the spectroscopic data in solution have been used to obtain insight in the molecular structure of the two complexes in solution. While the molecular structures of the solid states are retained in solutions of nonpolar aprotic solvents, there is, however, one common molecular structure in all protic polar solvents. The analysis of the LMCT transitions and the rhombicity E/ D clearly establish that both compounds exhibit a beta-cis conformation in these protic polar solvents. These two open coordination sites, cis to each other, allow access for two potential ligands in close proximity. Electrochemical analysis establishes two reversible oxidation waves for [LFeCl] at +0.55 V and +0.93 V vs Fc (+)/Fc and one reversible oxidation wave at +0.59 V with an irreversible oxidation at +1.07 V vs Fc (+)/Fc for [LFe(eta (2)-NO 3)]. The one- and the two-electron oxidations of [LFeCl] by chronoamperometry have been followed spectroscopically. The increase of a strong band centered at 420 nm indicates the formulation of [LFeCl] (+) as a Fe (III) monophenoxyl radical complex and of [LFeCl] (2+) as a Fe (III) bisphenoxyl radical complex. These studies imply that the ligand L (2-) is capable of providing a flexible coordination geometry with two binding sites for substrates and the allocation of two oxidation equivalents on the ligand.

Impact of organ donation education on US undergraduate nursing students.

PubMed

Kurz, Jane McCausland

2014-06-01

Experts advocate educational programs addressing misinformation regarding donation decisions to increase the potential donor pool. However, few researchers have measured outcomes with nursing students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on nursing students' knowledge, attitudes, registering as an organ donor, and family discussions. This quasi-experimental study used a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The research group consisted of 42 volunteers and the control group consisted of 73 volunteers. The written survey included 15 true-false knowledge items and 8 Likert items asking about attitude toward donation, registering as an organ donor, and family discussion. Normally distributed data showed no significant differences between groups on the pretest. The research group had no change in knowledge level 3 months later, but the control group had a significantly decreased knowledge level at that point. More members of the research group than the control group registered as organ donors after the intervention (χ2 = 4.5, P= .03). The control group had no change in registering as an organ donor between the pretest and posttest. Family discussions did not differ significantly from pretest to posttest in either group. One lecture/laboratory experience did make a difference in registering as an organ donor but not in discussing the decision with family members. Students can learn about organ donation from more than one specific class. Recommendations for educators and future research are provided.

Post-operative course of coronary artery bypass surgery patients who pre-donate autologous blood.

PubMed

Jovin, Ion S; Stelzig, Georg; Strelitz, Joachim C; Taborski, Uwe; Jovin, Angelika; Heidinger, Kathrin; Klövekorn, Wolf-Peter; Müller-Berghaus, Gert

2003-12-01

Pre-operative autologous blood donation is used to reduce the need of allogeneic blood in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery operations, but it is not clear what impact the blood donation has on the post-operative course of these patients. We studied the post-operative course of 210 patients who pre-donated autologous blood before their coronary bypass operation (donors) and of 67 patients who were eligible to pre-donate but did not (controls). The clinical variables and the technical operative parameters of the patients in the two groups were similar. There was no significant difference between the duration of assisted ventilation post-operatively (756 +/- 197 vs. 802 +/- 395 min; P=0.54) or length of stay in the intensive care unit (1.8 +/- 1.1 vs. 1.7 +/- 0.9 days; P=0.52) of the two groups. The number of autologous units of packed red cells and of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) received by the donors was significantly higher than the number of units of allogeneic packed red cells (1.5 +/- 0.9 vs. 0.3 +/- 0.9; P=0.001) and the units of homologous FFP received by the controls (2.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 0.6 +/- 1; P=0.001). We found no evidence that autologous blood donation exerted a negative influence on the post-operative course of patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. Patients who pre-donated blood received no allogeneic blood products, but the number of autologous blood products received by donors was higher than the number of blood products received by patients who did not pre-donate.

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Elderly Living Kidney Donors: Risk Comparison Before and After Donation Using QRISK Equation.

PubMed

Kadhum, Murtaza; Abbas, Madiha; Ghazanfar, Abbas

2017-04-01

This study aimed to assess whether donor age would increase the risk of cardiovascular comorbidities during the first few years after donation. Cardiovascular risk was calculated using the QRISK tool (University of Nottingham and EMIS, Nottingham, UK). Data were collected from 221 living renal transplant donors at St. George's University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust between 2008 and 2012 before and after donation (at 6, 12, and 24 mo). QRISK scores were calculated for each patient at these time points before stratifying our patients into 2 cohorts: cohort A (age ≤ 59 y) and cohort B (age ≥ 60 y). QRISK scores were then compared using unpaired t tests. Before donation, mean QRISK scores were 3.4% in cohort A and 12.4% in cohort B (P < .001). At 6, 12, and 24 months after kidney donation, the risks were 3.3% and 12.2% (P < .001), 3.8% and 13.6% (P < .001), and 5% and 15.4% (P < .001) in cohort A versus cohort B. When we analyzed risk before donation, both age groups showed a significant increase in cardiovascular risk at 24 months. This subtle increase in cardiovascular risk in the 2 groups may be attributed to changing patient demographics, such as the increasing age of patients, rather than the donation itself. Elderly kidney donors, therefore, are a key source of donation after satisfactory cardiovascular work-up. However, elderly kidney donors will require long-term postoperative follow-up care and specific counseling aimed at reducing modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.

Canadian Guidelines for Controlled Pediatric Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death—Summary Report*

PubMed Central

Hornby, Laura; Rochwerg, Bram; van Manen, Michael; Dhanani, ; Sonny; Sivarajan, V. Ben; Appleby, Amber; Bennett, Mary; Buchman, Daniel; Farrell, Catherine; Goldberg, Aviva; Greenberg, Rebecca; Singh, Ram; Nakagawa, Thomas A.; Witteman, William; Barter, Jill; Beck, Allon; Coughlin, Kevin; Conradi, Alf; Cupido, Cynthia; Dawson, Rosanne; Dipchand, Anne; Freed, Darren; Hornby, Karen; Langlois, Valerie; Mack, Cheryl; Mahoney, Meagan; Manhas, Deepak; Tomlinson, Christopher; Zavalkoff, Samara; Shemie, Sam D.

2017-01-01

Objectives: Create trustworthy, rigorous, national clinical practice guidelines for the practice of pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death in Canada. Methods: We followed a process of clinical practice guideline development based on World Health Organization and Canadian Medical Association methods. This included application of Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. Questions requiring recommendations were generated based on 1) 2006 Canadian donation after circulatory determination of death guidelines (not pediatric specific), 2) a multidisciplinary symposium of national and international pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death leaders, and 3) a scoping review of the pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death literature. Input from these sources drove drafting of actionable questions and Good Practice Statements, as defined by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation group. We performed additional literature reviews for all actionable questions. Evidence was assessed for quality using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation and then formulated into evidence profiles that informed recommendations through the evidence-to-decision framework. Recommendations were revised through consensus among members of seven topic-specific working groups and finalized during meetings of working group leads and the planning committee. External review was provided by pediatric, critical care, and critical care nursing professional societies and patient partners. Results: We generated 63 Good Practice Statements and seven Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation recommendations covering 1) ethics, consent, and withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy, 2) eligibility, 3) withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy practices, 4) ante and postmortem interventions, 5) death determination, 6) neonatal pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death, 7) cardiac and innovative pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death, and 8) implementation. For brevity, 48 Good Practice Statement and truncated justification are included in this summary report. The remaining recommendations, detailed methodology, full Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tables, and expanded justifications are available in the full text report. Conclusions: This process showed that rigorous, transparent clinical practice guideline development is possible in the domain of pediatric deceased donation. Application of these recommendations will increase access to pediatric donation after circulatory determination of death across Canada and may serve as a model for future clinical practice guideline development in deceased donation. PMID:28925929

National evaluation of healthcare provider attitudes toward organ donation after cardiac death.

PubMed

Mandell, M Susan; Zamudio, Stacy; Seem, Debbie; McGaw, Lin J; Wood, Geri; Liehr, Patricia; Ethier, Angela; D'Alessandro, Anthony M

2006-12-01

Organ donation after cardiac death will save lives by increasing the number of transplantable organs. But many healthcare providers are reluctant to participate when the withdrawal of intensive care leads to organ donation. Prior surveys indicate ethical concerns as a barrier to the practice of organ donation after cardiac death, but the specific issues that characterize these concerns are unknown. We thus aimed to identify what barriers healthcare providers perceive. We conducted a qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts to identify issues of broad importance. Healthcare setting. Participants included 141 healthcare providers representing critical care and perioperative nurses, transplant surgeons, medical examiners, organ procurement personnel, neurosurgeons, and neurologists. Collection and analysis of information regarding healthcare providers' attitudes and beliefs. All focus groups agreed that increased organ availability is a benefit but questioned the quality of organs recovered. Study participants identified a lack of standards for patient prognostication and cardiopulmonary death and a failure to prevent a conflict between patient and donor interests as obstacles to acceptance of organ donation after cardiac death. They questioned the practices and motives of colleagues who participate in organ donation after cardiac death, apprehensive that real or perceived impropriety would affect public perception. Healthcare providers are uncomfortable at the clinical juncture where end-of-life care and organ donation interface. Our findings are consistent with theories that care providers are hesitant to perform medical tasks that they consider to be outside the focus of their practice, especially when there is potential conflict of interest. This conflict appears to impose moral distress on healthcare providers and limits acceptance of organ donation after cardiac death. Future research is warranted to examine the effect of standardized procedures on reducing moral distress. The hypothesis generated by this qualitative study is that use of neutral third parties to broach the subject of organ donation may improve acceptance of organ donation after cardiac death.

Role of Religion in Organ Donation-Development of the United Kingdom Faith and Organ Donation Action Plan.

PubMed

Randhawa, G; Neuberger, J

2016-04-01

At a national policy level, the United Kingdom is at the forefront of recognizing the role of faith and its impact on organ donation. This is demonstrated by the recommendations of the Organ Donation Taskforce, National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on organ donation, All-Party Parliamentary Kidney Group, and National Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Taskforce Alliance. Evidence to date shows that further thought is required to ensure the active engagement of faith communities with organ donation in the UK. The "Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020" strategy was launched in July 2013 by National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in collaboration with the Department of Health and Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish governments and seeks to increase the number of people, from all sections of the UK's multiethnic and multifaith population, who consent to and authorize organ donation in their life. NHSBT seeks to work in partnership with faith leaders and this culminated in a Faith and Organ Donation Summit. Faith leaders highlight that there is a need for engagement at both national and local levels concerning organ donation as well as diagnosis and definition of death. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fostering repeat donations in Ghana.

PubMed

Owusu-Ofori, S; Asenso-Mensah, K; Boateng, P; Sarkodie, F; Allain, J-P

2010-01-01

Most African countries are challenged in recruiting and retaining voluntary blood donors by cost and other complexities and in establishing and implementing national blood policies. The availability of replacement donors who are a cheaper source of blood has not enhanced repeat voluntary donor initiatives. An overview of activities for recruiting and retaining voluntary blood donors was carried out. Donor records from mobile sessions were reviewed from 2002 to 2008. A total of 71,701 blood donations; 45,515 (63.5%) being voluntary donations with 11,680 (25%) repeat donations were collected during the study period. Donations from schools and colleges contributed a steady 60% of total voluntary whilst radio station blood drives increased contribution from 10 to 27%. Though Muslim population is less than 20%, blood collection was above the 30-donation cost-effectiveness threshold with a repeat donation trend reaching 60%. In contrast Christian worshippers provided <25 unit/session and 30% repeat donations. Repeat donation trends amongst school donors and radio blood drives were 20% and 70% respectively. Repeat donations rates have been variable amongst different blood donor groups in Kumasi, Ghana. The impact of community leaders in propagating altruism cannot be overemphasized. Programs aiming at motivating replacement donors to be repeat donors should be developed and assessed. Copyright 2009 The International Association for Biologicals. All rights reserved.

The nature of the metal-CO interaction and bonding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bagus, P. S.; Nelin, C. J.; Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.

1984-01-01

The adsorption of CO on metal surfaces is represented by molecular orbital cluster models of CO at an on top site and adsorbed normal to the surface carbon end down. Ab initio SCF and MCSCF calculations are performed for several clusters. The new constrained space orbital variation CSOV approach is used to analyze the bonding and to compare CO adsorption on Al, representative of sp metals, with that on Cu, representative of transition metals. There is a large repulsion between the superposed free CO and metal charge distributions which is considerably smaller for Cu than for Al because there are fewer valence sigma electrons for Cu than for Al. The CSOV analysis shows that the metal to CO pi donation is much more important than the CO to metal sigma donation. It is also shown that for Cu, the d pi contribution to the metal pi donation is larger than the valence 4p pi contribution. The d pi donation is compared between Fe, Ni, and Cu and this donation and the metal-CO interaction are found to be different in the order Fe greater than Ni greater than Cu.

Marketing blood drives to students: a case study.

PubMed

Leigh, Laurence; Bist, Michael; Alexe, Roxana

2007-01-01

The aim of this paper is to motivate blood donation among international students and demonstrate the applicability of marketing techniques in the health care sector. The paper uses a combination of focus groups and a questionnaire-based survey. The paper finds that donors primarily find gratification from their altruistic acts through awareness of their contribution to saving lives. Receiving information on how each individual donation is used is seen as a powerful means of reinforcement. Practical benefits such as receiving free blood test information are also useful motivators, while communicating the professionalism of the blood collection techniques are important for reassuring the minority of prospective donors who expressed fears about possible risks associated with blood donation. Since this was a small-scale study among Hungarian and international students in Budapest, further research is necessary to validate its results among other demographic groups. Findings were reported to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Hungary in order to increase blood donations among students in Hungary. Subject to validation through further research, applying recommended approaches in different countries and other demographic groups is suggested. This is the first research paper on motivation toward blood donation among international students and offers new and practical suggestions for increasing their level of participation in blood drives.

Assessment of motivations for return donation among deferred blood donors. American Red Cross ARCNET Study Group.

PubMed

Munsterman, K A; Grindon, A J; Sullivan, M T; Trouern-Trend, J; Blackmon, M J; Watkins, J; Williams, A E

1998-01-01

The recent addition of a computerized donor deferral registry to American Red Cross blood donation procedures has enabled blood center staffs to identify, before donation, persons who attempt to donate despite previous deferral. The current study investigated reasons that deferred donors return to donate, despite having been notified that they are ineligible. Anonymous mail surveys requesting demographic information, details of last donation or attempted donation, and assessments of incentives for donating were sent to 311 donors presenting inappropriately at blood drives and 849 matched controls in three American Red Cross regions between April and July 1996. Responses were received from a total of 113 deferred donors and 388 matched controls. Analysis of the 49 permanently deferred donors indicated that they were more likely than controls to donate blood to receive test results or to be awarded community service credit. Responses also revealed that some deferred donors may return to donate blood because of a misunderstanding of the deferral message or erroneous recruitment by blood center staff. There is a need before donation for the provision of educational materials regarding the window period of infection and for careful consideration of the use of incentives to attract donors to blood centers. It is also important to provide to donors a clear and consistent message regarding their test results and deferral status.

Organ donation among undocumented hispanic immigrants: an assessment of knowledge and attitudes.

PubMed

Baru, Joshua S; Lucas, Brian R; Martinez, Carmen; Brauner, Daniel

2013-01-01

Undocumented immigrants can donate their organs, but lack access to organ transplantation.This challenges foundational principles of organ donation: fairness and informed consent. Little is known about undocumented immigrants' knowledge of barriers to their access to organ transplantation or how this might affect their decision to donate their organs. The study was performed in an urban, university-affiliated, safety-net hospital.We interviewed hospitalized patients who self-identified as undocumented immigrants and were unaware of having any contraindication to organ donation (for example, cancer). We first recorded their demographic characteristics and knowledge and attitudes regarding organ donation. We then assessed the effects of informing participants about limits to their access to organ transplants on their willingness to donate. This group of 59 uninsured Hispanic immigrants had adequate knowledge about organ donation. Participants were suspicious about inequality within the medical system, but most were willing to donate their organs (74 percent). Most participants (74 percent) were aware that they would have to pay to receive an organ, but they dramatically underestimated the out-of-pocket expenses.Yet willingness to donate their organs was unaffected by participants being explicitly informed of the low likelihood that they would be able to afford to receive an organ transplant. Despite being well informed about the organ donation system, undocumented Hispanic immigrants underestimate the costs and overestimate their likelihood of receiving an organ. Even when they are given this information, they remain willing to donate their own organs.

How regular blood donors explain their behavior.

PubMed

Belda Suárez, Isabel Maria; Fernández-Montoya, Antorio; Rodríguez Fernández, Andrés; López-Berrio, Antorio; Cillero-Peñuela, Manuel

2004-10-01

To understand repeated donation, it is crucial to know its meaning. This issue was explored by asking a sample of regular donors to explain why they maintain this behavior. Discourse analysis was conducted in five groups of regular donors, selected according to the setting and number of their donations (from 1990 to 2001), on their motivation, attitudes, commitment to donation, personality, and self-concept. Three discursive positions were distinguished in relation to the different cultural meanings attributed to blood donation. Blood donation was understood in a rational and evaluative manner by the majority but in an emotional, personalized, and stereotyped manner by a minority. Continual donation as a form of help was rationalized as a function of internal and external factors, notably personal convenience in comparison to other helping behaviors and ease of access to collection points. The discourse referents offered to the donor greatly influence the meanings they attribute to their behavior. Some promotional materials should be revised because they may not connect with the reasons for donating that people find most comprehensible.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of antecedents of blood donation behavior and intentions.

PubMed

Bednall, Timothy C; Bove, Liliana L; Cheetham, Ali; Murray, Andrea L

2013-11-01

This meta-analysis sought to identify the strongest antecedents of blood donation behavior and intentions. It synthesized the results of 24 predictive correlational studies of donation behavior and 37 studies of donation intentions. The antecedents were grouped into six research programs: (1) the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and its extensions, (2) prosocial motivation, (3) affective expectations, (4) donor site experience, (5) past donation behavior, and (6) donor demographics. Antecedent categories were cross-validated by multiple coders, and combined effect sizes were analyzed using a random-effects model. For donation behavior, medium positive associations were found with five of the constructs from the extended TPB: intentions to donate, perceived behavioral control, attitude toward donation, self-efficacy and donor role identity. Other antecedents displaying a positive association with donation behavior included anticipated regret for not donating, number of past donations and donor age. Donor experiences at the collection site in the form of temporary deferral or adverse reactions had a medium negative association with behavior. For donation intentions, strong positive associations were observed for perceived behavioral control, attitude, self-efficacy, role identity and anticipated regret. Medium positive associations were observed for personal moral norm, subjective norm, satisfaction, and service quality. All other potential antecedents had weak or non-significant associations with behavior and intentions. Several of these associations were moderated by between-study differences, including donor experience, the period of data collection in which donation behavior was observed, and the use of a nominal (yes/no return) versus a ratio measure of donation behavior. Collectively, the results underscore the importance of enhancing donors' attitudes towards donation and building their perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy to donate. Further, minimizing the risk of adverse reactions and enacting re-recruitment policies for temporarily deferred donors will help protect future donation behavior. Implications of these findings for blood collection agencies and researchers are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Functional Groups in Redox-Active Organic Molecules: A High-Throughput Screening Approach

DOE PAGES

Pelzer, Kenley M.; Cheng, Lei; Curtiss, Larry A.

2016-12-08

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries have attracted recent attention with their potential for high electrochemical storage capacity, with organic electrolytes serving as solvents with a wide electrochemical stability window. Organic molecules can also serve as electroactive species, where molecules with low reduction potentials or high oxidation potentials can provide substantial chemical energy. To identify promising electrolytes in a vast chemical space, high-throughput screening (HTS) of candidate molecules plays an important role, where HTS is used to calculate properties of thousands of molecules and identify a few organic molecules worthy of further attention in battery research. Here, in this work, we presentmore » reduction and oxidation potentials obtained from HTS of 4178 molecules. The molecules are composed of base groups of five- or six-membered rings with one or two functional groups attached, with the set of possible functional groups including both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups. In addition to observing the trends in potentials that result from differences in organic base groups and functional groups, we analyze the effects of molecular characteristics such as multiple bonds, Hammett parameters, and functional group position. In conclusion, this work provides useful guidance in determining how the identities of the base groups and functional groups are correlated with desirable reduction and oxidation potentials.« less

Effects of Functional Groups in Redox-Active Organic Molecules: A High-Throughput Screening Approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pelzer, Kenley M.; Cheng, Lei; Curtiss, Larry A.

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries have attracted recent attention with their potential for high electrochemical storage capacity, with organic electrolytes serving as solvents with a wide electrochemical stability window. Organic molecules can also serve as electroactive species, where molecules with low reduction potentials or high oxidation potentials can provide substantial chemical energy. To identify promising electrolytes in a vast chemical space, high-throughput screening (HTS) of candidate molecules plays an important role, where HTS is used to calculate properties of thousands of molecules and identify a few organic molecules worthy of further attention in battery research. Here, in this work, we presentmore » reduction and oxidation potentials obtained from HTS of 4178 molecules. The molecules are composed of base groups of five- or six-membered rings with one or two functional groups attached, with the set of possible functional groups including both electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups. In addition to observing the trends in potentials that result from differences in organic base groups and functional groups, we analyze the effects of molecular characteristics such as multiple bonds, Hammett parameters, and functional group position. In conclusion, this work provides useful guidance in determining how the identities of the base groups and functional groups are correlated with desirable reduction and oxidation potentials.« less

Motivating Factors and Potential Deterrents to Blood Donation in High School Aged Blood Donors

PubMed Central

Phan-Tang, Michelle

2016-01-01

Background. To ensure an adequate supply of blood, collection centers must design campaigns that successfully recruit and maintain an active donor pool. Understanding factors that motivate and deter individuals from donating may help centers develop targeted recruitment campaigns. These factors among high school aged blood donors have not yet been fully investigated. Study Design and Methods. A voluntary, anonymous survey was administered to student donors at high school mobile blood drives. The survey instrument asked the students to rate several potential motivating factors in their importance in the decision to donate blood and several potential deterring factors in their future decision whether or not to donate blood again. The survey also asked the students to rate the desirability of several potential incentives. Results. Motivating factors that reflected prosocial, empathetic, and altruistic thoughts and beliefs were rated highly by students. Pain from phlebotomy was most commonly chosen as potential deterrent. Movie tickets and cookies/snacks at the drive were rated as the most attractive incentives. Conclusion. High school aged blood donors are similar to other donor groups in their expressed motives for donating blood. This group may be unique in the factors that deter them from donating and in their preferences for different incentives. PMID:27293985

Heterocyclic Schiff bases as non toxic antioxidants: Solvent effect, structure activity relationship and mechanism of action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanty, Angamaly Antony; Mohanan, Puzhavoorparambil Velayudhan

2018-03-01

Phenolic heterocyclic imine based Schiff bases from Thiophene-2-carboxaldehyde and Pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde were synthesized and characterized as novel antioxidants. The solvent effects of these Schiff bases were determined and compared with standard antioxidants, BHA employing DPPH assay and ABTS assay. Fixed reaction time and Steady state measurement were used for study. IC50 and EC50 were calculated. Structure-activity relationship revealed that the electron donating group in the phenolic ring increases the activity where as the electron withdrawing moiety decreases the activity. The Schiff base derivatives showed antioxidant property by two different pathways namely SPLET and HAT mechanisms in DPPH assay. While in ABTS method, the reaction between ABTS radical and Schiff bases involves electron transfer followed by proton transfer (ET-PT) mechanism. The cytotoxicity of these compounds has been evaluated by MTT assay. The results showed that all these compounds are non toxic in nature.

Microbially-mediated method for synthesis of non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles

DOEpatents

Phelps, Tommy J.; Lauf, Robert J.; Moon, Ji Won; Rondinone, Adam J.; Love, Lonnie J.; Duty, Chad Edward; Madden, Andrew Stephen; Li, Yiliang; Ivanov, Ilia N.; Rawn, Claudia Jeanette

2014-06-24

The invention is directed to a method for producing non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, the method comprising: (a) subjecting a combination of reaction components to conditions conducive to microbially-mediated formation of non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, wherein said combination of reaction components comprises i) anaerobic microbes, ii) a culture medium suitable for sustaining said anaerobic microbes, iii) a metal component comprising at least one type of metal ion, iv) a non-metal component containing at least one non-metal selected from the group consisting of S, Se, Te, and As, and v) one or more electron donors that provide donatable electrons to said anaerobic microbes during consumption of the electron donor by said anaerobic microbes; and (b) isolating said non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, which contain at least one of said metal ions and at least one of said non-metals. The invention is also directed to non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticle compositions produced as above and having distinctive properties.

Factors Associated With Medical and Nursing Students' Willingness to Donate Organs.

PubMed

Tumin, Makmor; Tafran, Khaled; Tang, Li Yoong; Chong, Mei Chan; Mohd Jaafar, Noor Ismawati; Mohd Satar, NurulHuda; Abdullah, Nurhidayah

2016-03-01

Malaysia suffers from a chronic shortage of human organs for transplantation. Medical and nursing students (MaNS) are future health professionals and thus their attitude toward organ donation is vital for driving national donation rates. This study investigates MaNS' willingness to donate organs upon death and the factors influencing their willingness. A cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 500 students (264 medical and 236 nursing) at the University of Malaya. A self-administrated questionnaire was used. The responses were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. Of all respondents, 278 (55.6%) were willing to donate organs upon death, while the remaining 222 (44.4%) were unwilling to donate. Only 44 (8.8%) had donor cards. The multiple logistic regression revealed that the minorities ethnic group was more willing to donate organs than Malay respondents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.98, P = 0.010). In addition, medical students were more willing to donate than nursing students (aOR = 2.53, P = 0.000). Respondents who have a family member with a donor card were more willing to donate than respondents who do not (aOR = 3.48, P = 0.006). MaNS who believed that their religion permits deceased donation were more willing to donate than their counterparts (aOR = 4.96, P = 0.000). Household income and sex were not significant predictors of MaNS' willingness to donate organs upon death. MaNS have moderate willingness, but low commitment toward deceased organ donation. Strategies for improving MaNS' attitude should better educate them on organ donation, targeting the most the Malay and nursing students, and should consider the influence of family attitude and religious permissibility on MaNS' willingness.

Factors Associated With Medical and Nursing Students’ Willingness to Donate Organs

PubMed Central

Tumin, Makmor; Tafran, Khaled; Tang, Li Yoong; Chong, Mei Chan; Mohd Jaafar, Noor Ismawati; Mohd Satar, NurulHuda; Abdullah, Nurhidayah

2016-01-01

Abstract Malaysia suffers from a chronic shortage of human organs for transplantation. Medical and nursing students (MaNS) are future health professionals and thus their attitude toward organ donation is vital for driving national donation rates. This study investigates MaNS’ willingness to donate organs upon death and the factors influencing their willingness. A cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 500 students (264 medical and 236 nursing) at the University of Malaya. A self-administrated questionnaire was used. The responses were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression. Of all respondents, 278 (55.6%) were willing to donate organs upon death, while the remaining 222 (44.4%) were unwilling to donate. Only 44 (8.8%) had donor cards. The multiple logistic regression revealed that the minorities ethnic group was more willing to donate organs than Malay respondents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.98, P = 0.010). In addition, medical students were more willing to donate than nursing students (aOR = 2.53, P = 0.000). Respondents who have a family member with a donor card were more willing to donate than respondents who do not (aOR = 3.48, P = 0.006). MaNS who believed that their religion permits deceased donation were more willing to donate than their counterparts (aOR = 4.96, P = 0.000). Household income and sex were not significant predictors of MaNS’ willingness to donate organs upon death. MaNS have moderate willingness, but low commitment toward deceased organ donation. Strategies for improving MaNS’ attitude should better educate them on organ donation, targeting the most the Malay and nursing students, and should consider the influence of family attitude and religious permissibility on MaNS’ willingness. PMID:27015207

Dissociation of protonated N-(3-phenyl-2H-chromen-2-ylidene)-benzenesulfonamide in the gas phase: cyclization via sulfonyl cation transfer.

PubMed

Wang, Shanshan; Dong, Cheng; Yu, Lian; Guo, Cheng; Jiang, Kezhi

2016-01-15

In the tandem mass spectrometry of protonated N-(3-phenyl-2H-chromen-2-ylidene)benzenesulfonamides, the precursor ions have been observed to undergo gas-phase dissociation via two competing channels: (a) the predominant channel involves migration of the sulfonyl cation to the phenyl C atom and the subsequent loss of benzenesulfinic acid along with cyclization reaction, and (b) the minor one involves dissociation of the precursor ion to give an ion/neutral complex of [sulfonyl cation/imine], followed by decomposition to afford sulfonyl cation or the INC-mediated electron transfer to give an imine radical cation. The proposed reaction channels have been supported by theoretical calculations and D-labeling experiments. The gas-phase cyclization reaction originating from the N- to C-sulfonyl cation transfer has been first reported to the best of our knowledge. For the substituted sulfonamides, the presence of electron-donating groups (R(2) -) at the C-ring effectively facilitates the reaction channel of cyclization reaction, whereas that of electron-withdrawing groups inhibits this pathway. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Impact and Evaluation of Two School-Based Interventions on Intention to Register an Organ Donation Preference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reubsaet, A.; Brug, J.; Kitslaar, J.; Van Hooff, J. P.; van den Borne, H. W.

2004-01-01

The present paper describes the impact and evaluation of two intervention components--a video with group discussion and an interactive computer-tailored program--in order to encourage adolescents to register their organ donation preference. Studies were conducted in school during regular school hours. The video with group discussion in class had a…

Through the Use of Gilbert's Behavioral Engineering Model, What Changes Can Management Make to Increase Blood Donations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Heather Gordy

2010-01-01

The mixed method study focused on increasing blood donations from staff who work in a blood collecting organization and relies on Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model as a framework. The qualitative phase of the study involved focus groups. Information from the focus groups and the literature review were used to create hypotheses. A survey was…

NOSH-Aspirin Inhibits Colon Cancer Cell Growth: Effects Of Positional Isomerism.

PubMed

Vannini, Federica; Kodela, Ravinder; Chattopadhyay, Mitali; Kashfi, Khosrow

2015-08-01

NOSH-aspirin, a novel hybrid that releases nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) was designed to overcome the potential side effects of aspirin. We compared the cell growth inhibitory properties of ortho-, meta-, and para-NOSH-aspirins. Effects of electron donating/withdrawing groups on the stability and biological activity of these novel compounds were also evaluated. Cell line: HT-29 (Cyclooxygenase, COX-1 & -2 expressing) and HCT 15 (COX null) human colon adenocarcimoa; Cell growth: MTT; Cell cycle phase distribution: Flow cytometry; Apoptosis: subdiploid (sub-G 0 /G 1 ) peak in DNA content histograms; Proliferation: PCNA; ROS: measured hydrogen peroxide and super oxide by flow cytometry using DCFDA and DHE dyes. The IC 50 s for growth inhibition in µM at 24h were, HT-29: ortho-NOSH-ASA (0.04±0.011), meta-NOSH-ASA (0.24±0.11), para-NOSH-ASA (0.46±0.17); significance between the groups were: o vs m P>0.05, o vs p P<0.05, m vs p P>0.05; HCT 15: ortho-NOSH-ASA (0.062±0.006), meta-NOSH-ASA (0.092±0.004), para-NOSH-ASA (0.37±0.04); significance between the groups were: o vs m P<0.01, o vs p P<0.001, m vs p P<0.001. Electron donating/withdrawing groups significantly affected these IC 50 s. All positional isomers qualitatively had similar effects on proliferation, apoptosis, and caused G 0 /G 1 cell cycle arrest in both colon cancer cell lines. The underlying mechanism for these observations appeared to be mediated through ROS, as pretreatment of the cells with N-acetylcysteine, partially blocked these effects. Positional isomerism affects the potency of NOSH-aspirin. The effects appear to be COX independent. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Organ Donation Campaigns: Perspective of Dialysis Patient's Family Members.

PubMed

Tumin, Makmor; Raja Ariffin, Raja Noriza; Mohd Satar, NurulHuda; Ng, Kok-Peng; Lim, Soo-Kun; Chong, Chin-Sieng

2014-07-01

Solving the dilemma of the organ shortage in Malaysia requires educating Malaysians about organ donation and transplantation. This paper aims at exploring the average Malaysian households ' preferred channels of campaigns and the preferred campaigners in a family setting, targeting at the dialysis family members. We analyzed the responses of 350 respondents regarding organ donation campaigns. The respondents are 2 family members of 175 dialysis patients from 3 different institutions. The information on respondents' willingness to donate and preferred method and channel of organ donation campaign were collected through questionnaire. Malaysian families have a good tendency to welcome campaigns in both the public and private (their homes) spheres. We also found that campaigns facilitated by the electronic media (Television and Radio) and executed by experienced doctors are expected to optimize the outcomes of organ donation, in general. Chi-square tests show that there are no significant differences in welcoming campaigns among ethnics. However, ethnics preferences over the campaign methods and campaigners are significantly different (P <0.05). Ethnic differences imply that necessary modifications on the campaign channels and campaigners should also be taken under consideration. By identifying the preferred channel and campaigners, this study hopes to shed some light on the ways to overcome the problem of organ shortage in Malaysia.

Organ Donation Campaigns: Perspective of Dialysis Patient's Family Members

PubMed Central

TUMIN, Makmor; RAJA ARIFFIN, Raja Noriza; MOHD SATAR, NurulHuda; NG, Kok-Peng; LIM, Soo-Kun; CHONG, Chin-Sieng

2014-01-01

Abstract Background Solving the dilemma of the organ shortage in Malaysia requires educating Malaysians about organ donation and transplantation. This paper aims at exploring the average Malaysian households ’ preferred channels of campaigns and the preferred campaigners in a family setting, targeting at the dialysis family members. Methods We analyzed the responses of 350 respondents regarding organ donation campaigns. The respondents are 2 family members of 175 dialysis patients from 3 different institutions. The information on respondents’ willingness to donate and preferred method and channel of organ donation campaign were collected through questionnaire. Results Malaysian families have a good tendency to welcome campaigns in both the public and private (their homes) spheres. We also found that campaigns facilitated by the electronic media (Television and Radio) and executed by experienced doctors are expected to optimize the outcomes of organ donation, in general. Chi-square tests show that there are no significant differences in welcoming campaigns among ethnics. However, ethnics preferences over the campaign methods and campaigners are significantly different (P <0.05). Conclusion Ethnic differences imply that necessary modifications on the campaign channels and campaigners should also be taken under consideration. By identifying the preferred channel and campaigners, this study hopes to shed some light on the ways to overcome the problem of organ shortage in Malaysia. PMID:25909060

Ethical, legal, and societal issues and recommendations for controlled and uncontrolled DCD.

PubMed

Haase, Bernadette; Bos, Michael; Boffa, Catherine; Lewis, Penney; Rudge, Chris; Valero, Ricard; Wind, Tineke; Wright, Linda

2016-07-01

This report deals with organ retrieval procedures in both controlled and uncontrolled DCD, looking at the ethical, legal, and psychosocial aspects during the different phases of the process. A recently published report by the UK Donation Ethics Committee (UKDEC) has served as an important reference document to outline the steps in the controlled DCD patient-donor pathway (Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. UK Donation Ethics Committee. An ethical framework for controlled donation after circulatory death. December 2011). For uncontrolled DCD, the UKDEC pathway description was adapted. At the 6th International Conference in Organ Donation held in Paris in 2013, an established expert European Working Group reviewed the UKDEC reports, which were then considered along with the available published literature. Along this pathway, the crucial ethical, legal, and psychosocial aspects have been flagged, and relevant recommendations have been formulated based on a consensus of the working group. © 2015 Steunstichting ESOT.

A mass mediated intervention on Hispanic live kidney donation.

PubMed

Alvaro, Eusebio M; Siegel, Jason T; Crano, William D; Dominick, Alexander

2010-06-01

This research examines the impact of a Spanish language mass media campaign on living organ donation attitudes and behavioral intentions among Spanish dominant Hispanics in Tucson, Arizona. Impact was assessed via a pretest/posttest control group quasiexperimental design with Tucson, Arizona, as the intervention community and Phoenix, Arizona, as the control. Preintervention focus groups provided qualitative data to guide intervention development, while telephone surveys in both communities provided quantitative data to assess campaign impact. Analyses reveal pretest/posttest differences in the intervention community such that posttest intentions regarding living organ donation behaviors increased from pretest. No such differences were observed in the control community. Subsequent analyses revealed differences between respondents in the intervention community exposed to the campaign vs. those in the same community not exposed to the campaign. Exposed respondents reported more positive living organ donation behavioral intentions than nonexposed respondents. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Does the position of the electron-donating nitrogen atom in the ring system influence the efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell? A computational study.

PubMed

Biswas, Abul Kalam; Barik, Sunirmal; Das, Amitava; Ganguly, Bishwajit

2016-06-01

We have reported a number of new metal-free organic dyes (2-6) that have cyclic asymmetric benzotripyrrole derivatives as donor groups with peripheral nitrogen atoms in the ring, fluorine and thiophene groups as π-spacers, and a cyanoacrylic acid acceptor group. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations were employed to examine the influence of the position of the donor nitrogen atom and π-conjugation on solar cell performance. The calculated electron-injection driving force (ΔG inject), electron-regeneration driving force (ΔG regen), light-harvesting efficiency (LHE), dipole moment (μ normal), and number of electrons transferred (∆q) indicate that dyes 3, 4, and 6 have significantly higher efficiencies than reference dye 1, which exhibits high efficiency. We also extended our comparison to some other reported dyes, 7-9, which have a donor nitrogen atom in the middle of the ring system. The computed results suggest that dye 6 possesses a higher incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) than reported dyes 7-9. Thus, the use of donor groups with peripheral nitrogen atoms appears to lead to more efficient dyes than those in which the nitrogen atom is present in the middle of the donor ring system. Graphical Abstract The locations of the nitrogen atoms in the donor groups in the designed dye molecules have an important influence on DSSC efficiency.

2016 America's Recycle Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-15

Members of the Sustainability team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida accept items donated by employees in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more.

Single-molecular diodes based on opioid derivatives.

PubMed

Siqueira, M R S; Corrêa, S M; Gester, R M; Del Nero, J; Neto, A M J C

2015-12-01

We propose an efficient single-molecule rectifier based on a derivative of opioid. Electron transport properties are investigated within the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism combined with density functional theory. The analysis of the current-voltage characteristics indicates obvious diode-like behavior. While heroin presents rectification coefficient R>1, indicating preferential electronic current from electron-donating to electron-withdrawing, 3 and 6-acetylmorphine and morphine exhibit contrary behavior, R<1. Our calculations indicate that the simple inclusion of acetyl groups modulate a range of devices, which varies from simple rectifying to resonant-tunneling diodes. In particular, the rectification rations for heroin diodes show microampere electron current with a maximum of rectification (R=9.1) at very low bias voltage of ∼0.6 V and (R=14.3)∼1.8 V with resistance varying between 0.4 and 1.5 M Ω. Once most of the current single-molecule diodes usually rectifies in nanoampere, are not stable over 1.0 V and present electrical resistance around 10 M. Molecular devices based on opioid derivatives are promising in molecular electronics.

Substituent Effects in the Benzene Dimer are Due to Direct Interactions of the Substituents with the Unsubstituted Benzene

PubMed Central

Wheeler, Steven E.; Houk, K. N.

2009-01-01

The prevailing views of substituent effects in the sandwich configuration of the benzene dimer are flawed. For example, in the polar/π model of Cozzi and co-workers (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 5729), electron-withdrawing substituents enhance binding in the benzene dimer by withdrawing electron density from the π-cloud of the substituted ring, reducing the repulsive electrostatic interaction with the non-substituted benzene. Conversely, electron-donating substituents donate excess electrons into the π-system and diminish the π-stacking interaction. We present computed interaction energies for the sandwich configuration of the benzene dimer and 24 substituted dimers, as well as sandwich complexes of substituted benzenes with perfluorobenzene. While the computed interaction energies correlate well with σm values for the substituents, interaction energies for related model systems demonstrate that this trend is independent of the substituted ring. Instead, the observed trends are consistent with direct electrostatic and dispersive interactions of the substituents with the unsubstituted ring. PMID:18652453

Electronic Interplay between TTF and Extended-TCNQ Electrophores along a Ruthenium Bis(acetylide) Linker.

PubMed

Vacher, Antoine; Auffray, Morgan; Barrière, Frédéric; Roisnel, Thierry; Lorcy, Dominique

2017-11-17

A bis(TTF-butadiynyl) ruthenium D-D'-D complex, with intramolecular electronic interplay between the three electron-donating electrophores, was easily converted through a cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclization with TCNQ into a D-A-D'-A-D pentad complex, which exhibits an intense intramolecular charge transfer together with an electronic interplay between the two acceptors along the conjugated organometallic bridge.

Outcomes of Adult Liver Transplantation from Donation After Brain Death Followed by Circulatory Death in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiabin; Ren, Hui; Sun, Yanling; Li, Zhijie; Wang, Hongbo; Liu, Zhenwen; Zhou, Shaotang

2018-05-01

BACKGROUND Organ donation from a deceased donor, which is donation after brain death followed by circulatory death, is a unique transplantation practice in China. Pathological features of grafts help guide the utilization of grafts. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed our experiences in 188 DBCD allografts from May 2014 to April 2017. We divided 183 transplanted allografts into 3 groups according to pretransplant histology: the good quality graft group (n=62), the preservation injury group (n=27), and the steatotic graft group (n=94). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors in the steatotic graft group predicting the prognoses. RESULTS The prevalence rates of allografts in the good quality, steatotic liver, and preservation injury groups were 33.0% (62/188), 50.0% (94/188), and 14.4%(27/188), respectively, and the discarded rate was 2.7% (5/188). The 1- and 3-year overall survival rates were 92.1% and 88.1%, respectively. There were no differences in 1- and 3-year patient survival among the 3 groups (p=0.615). Some complications occurred: acute rejection in 7 cases, lung infection in 11 recipients, biliary stricture and bile leak in 9 patients, and portal thrombosis in 1 recipient; 17 recipients died of various causes. Cox multivariate analysis revealed that longer cold storage time was associated with worse outcome in the steatotic graft group. CONCLUSIONS Clinical outcomes of adult liver transplantation from deceased donation in China are acceptable.

Donors to charity gain in both indirect reciprocity and political reputation.

PubMed Central

Milinski, Manfred; Semmann, Dirk; Krambeck, Hans-Jürgen

2002-01-01

Darwinian evolution can explain human cooperative behaviour among non-kin by either direct or indirect reciprocity. In the latter case one does not expect a return for an altruistic act from the recipient as with direct reciprocity, but from another member of the social group. However, the widespread human behaviour of donating to poor people outside the social group, for example, to charity organizations, that are unlikely to reciprocate indirectly and thus are equivalent to defectors in the game is still an evolutionary puzzle. Here we show experimentally that donations made in public to a well-known relief organization resulted both in increased income (that the donors received from the members of their group) and in enhanced political reputation (they were elected to represent the interests of their group). Donations may thus function as an honest signal for one's social reliability. PMID:12028769

International collaborative donor project.

PubMed

Ríos Zambudio, Antonio

2018-02-01

The International Donor Collaborative Project (PCID) research group was created in 1996 in Spain with the aim of promoting research in the field of organ donation and transplantation, led by Spanish surgeons. During this period they have developed the questionnaires of the PCID, both the attitude towards cadaver and live donation, which are the most used questionnaires in publications in indexed journals. They have been the driving group of stratified studies representative of the populations under study, and of the performance of multivariate statistical analyzes in the field of psycho-social research in organ donation and transplantation. The main contributions of the group focus on the analysis of health center professionals and emerging migrant groups. In recent years, studies have been extended to the United States, Latin America (mainly Mexico) and Europe. Copyright © 2017 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Molecular glasses of azobenzene for holographic data storage applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarins, Elmars; Balodis, Karlis; Ruduss, Armands; Kokars, Valdis; Ozols, Andris; Augustovs, Peteris; Saharovs, Dmitrijs

2018-05-01

A series of D-N=N-A type molecular glasses where the electron acceptor part (A) contains several electron withdrawing substituents, but the electron donating part (D) of the glassy azochromophores contains amorphous phase promoting non-conjugated bulky triphenyl or hydroxyl groups have been synthesized and investigated. Results showed that the azodye physical properties depend not only on the incorporated electron withdrawing substituents but are also influenced by the bonding type of covalently attached bulky moieties. Synthesized glassy azocompounds showed glass transition temperatures up to 106 °C and thermal stability up to 312 °C. The ability to form holographic gratings in spin-cast thin films of the glassy azodyes was investigated using 532 nm and 633 nm lasers obtaining diffraction efficiency up to 57%, self-diffraction efficiency up to 15% and photosensitivity as high as 3.7 J/(cm2%). Surface relief grating (SRG) depths reached 1.1 μm and in some cases even exceeded the thickness of the films.

Photocatalytic fluoroalkylation reactions of organic compounds.

PubMed

Barata-Vallejo, Sebastián; Bonesi, Sergio M; Postigo, Al

2015-12-14

Photocatalytic methods for fluoroalkyl-radical generation provide more convenient alternatives to the classical perfluoroalkyl-radical (Rf) production through chemical initiators, such as azo or peroxide compounds or the employment of transition metals through a thermal electron transfer (ET) initiation process. The mild photocatalytic reaction conditions tolerate a variety of functional groups and, thus, are handy to the late-stage modification of bioactive molecules. Transition metal-photocatalytic reactions for Rf radical generation profit from the redox properties of coordinatively saturated Ru or Ir organocomplexes to act as both electron donor and reductive species, thus allowing for the utilization of electron accepting and donating fluoroalkylating agents for Rf radical production. On the other hand, laboratory-available and inexpensive photoorgano catalysts (POC), in the absence of transition metals, can also act as electron exchange species upon excitation, resulting in ET reactions that produce Rf radicals. In this work, a critical account of transition metal and transition metal-free Rf radical production will be described with photoorgano catalysts, studying classical examples and the most recent investigations in the field.

Enhancing blood donation intentions using multimedia donor education materials.

PubMed

France, Christopher R; France, Janis L; Wissel, Mary Ellen; Kowalsky, Jennifer M; Bolinger, Elizabeth M; Huckins, Jamie L

2011-08-01

Prior research has shown that education materials that directly address prospective donor concerns and provide specific coping suggestions are particularly effective at enhancing donation attitudes and intentions to give blood. This study compared the effect of donor coping materials, provided in written and audiovisual formats, as potential tools to enhance recruitment of prospective blood donors. The role of initial attitudes toward blood donation on responses to these materials was also considered. Young adults (62% female; mean [SD] age=19.1 [1.4]; mean [range] prior blood donations=1.32 [0-13]) were randomly assigned to 1) read a brochure addressing common blood donor concerns and suggesting specific coping strategies, 2) view a video addressing blood donor concerns and illustrating coping techniques, 3) read the brochure and view the video, or 4) read a control brochure on healthy eating and exercise. Measures of blood donation attitudes, anxiety, confidence, and intentions to give blood were completed before and after the intervention. Relative to the control brochure, all the intervention groups showed larger reductions in anxiety, more positive changes in attitude, and greater increases in donation confidence and intentions. The combination of the brochure and video outperformed either intervention alone in further improving donation attitudes among participants with high initial donation attitudes. Blood donation coping materials, presented in either written or audiovisual formats, significantly enhance willingness to donate blood among young adults regardless of their initial attitudes toward blood donation. © 2011 American Association of Blood Banks.

Characteristics of donors who do or do not return to give blood and barriers to their return

PubMed Central

Wevers, Anne; Wigboldus, Daniël H.J.; de Kort, Wim L.A.M.; van Baaren, Rick; Veldhuizen, Ingrid J.T.

2014-01-01

Background In the Netherlands about 50% of whole blood donors return to give blood after an invitation to donate. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of donor return behaviour and to gain insight into the barriers to blood donation reported by the donors themselves. Materials and methods A total of 4,901 whole blood donors were invited to donate in week 39 of 2009. Barriers mentioned by donors who informed the blood bank for not donating were registered for 1 month. Logistic regression analyses assessed relevant characteristics of return behaviour, such as age and blood type, in men and women separately. Results Of the invited donors, 55% returned to give a donation, whereas 45% did not return. Male donors were more likely to return when they were older, had a higher previous return rate and had no past deferrals. The same pattern was found among women, but was less strong. The main barriers were: time constraints (35%), preference to postpone donation due to general physical problems although being eligible to donate (29%), and being ineligible to donate due to medical deferral criteria (9%). Discussion Specific donor characteristics are associated with return behaviour. Not donating due to time constraints could mean that donors do not feel the urgency of donating blood. Interventions targeted to increase commitment among specific donor groups should be tested further. PMID:23522891

Characteristics of donors who do or do not return to give blood and barriers to their return.

PubMed

Wevers, Anne; Wigboldus, Daniël H J; de Kort, Wim L A M; van Baaren, Rick; Veldhuizen, Ingrid J T

2014-01-01

In the Netherlands about 50% of whole blood donors return to give blood after an invitation to donate. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of donor return behaviour and to gain insight into the barriers to blood donation reported by the donors themselves. A total of 4,901 whole blood donors were invited to donate in week 39 of 2009. Barriers mentioned by donors who informed the blood bank for not donating were registered for 1 month. Logistic regression analyses assessed relevant characteristics of return behaviour, such as age and blood type, in men and women separately. Of the invited donors, 55% returned to give a donation, whereas 45% did not return. Male donors were more likely to return when they were older, had a higher previous return rate and had no past deferrals. The same pattern was found among women, but was less strong. The main barriers were: time constraints (35%), preference to postpone donation due to general physical problems although being eligible to donate (29%), and being ineligible to donate due to medical deferral criteria (9%). Specific donor characteristics are associated with return behaviour. Not donating due to time constraints could mean that donors do not feel the urgency of donating blood. Interventions targeted to increase commitment among specific donor groups should be tested further.

Complications associated with blood donations in a blood bank at an Indian tertiary care hospital.

PubMed

Meena, Monika; Jindal, Tarun

2014-09-01

Blood donation, though safe, has a few potentially avoidable complications associated with it. They are important reasons for the failure of the donors to return for repeat donations. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and identify the possible factors associated with increased risk of blood donation related complications so that they can be minimized. A prospective study was done over a period of four months in the blood bank of an Indian tertiary care hospital to record the donation related complications. Out of 7450 blood donations, total donation associated complications were 74, of which majority were vasovagal reactions (VVRs) (n=48), followed by venous hematomas (n=24) and arterial punctures (n=2). The incidence of VVRs was more, though not statistically significant, in females, replacement/repeat donors, donors between 21-30 y of age and who had a body-mass-index (BMI) of 18.5-24.9. VVRs were more common in April (p=0.002) and in those who donated 450ml of blood (p<0.001). Though hematomas were more frequent in females, voluntary donors, donors in age-group of 41-50, those with BMI<18.5 and in those who donated 350ml of blood, statistically significant association was seen only in repeat donors (p<0.001). Our study emphasizes that blood donation in our country has a complication rate of nearly 1%.

Structure-Property Relationship of Phenylene-Based Self-Assembled-Monolayers for Record Low Work Function of Indium Tin Oxide.

PubMed

Benneckendorf, Frank S; Hillebrandt, Sabina; Ullrich, Florian; Rohnacher, Valentina; Hietzschold, Sebastian; Jänsch, Daniel; Freudenberg, Jan; Beck, Sebastian; Mankel, Eric; Jaegermann, Wolfram; Pucci, Annemarie; Bunz, Uwe H F; Müllen, Klaus

2018-06-20

Studying the structure-property relations of tailored dipolar phenyl and biphenylphosphonic acids we report self-assembled monolayers with a significant decrease of the work function (WF) of indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. While the strengths of the dipoles are varied through the different molecular lengths and the introduction of electron-withdrawing fluorine atoms, the surface energy is kept constant through the electron-donating N,N dimethylamine head groups. The self-assembled monolayer formation and its modification of the electrodes are investigated via infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and photoelectron spectroscopy. The WF decrease of ITO correlates with increasing molecular dipoles. The lowest ever recorded WF of 3.7 eV is achieved with the fluorinated biphenylphosphonic acid.

FT IR spectral investigations of toxic material dibrom using DFT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parvathy, M.; Gopika, M. S.; Mary, B. L. Bincy; Nimmi, D. E.; Praveen, S. G.; Binoy, J.

2018-05-01

Since, dibrom is widely used organophosphate pesticide, the exploration of its structural features is of immense research interest, and can be effectively carried out using infrared spectroscopy aided by DFT simulation. The present work aims to investigate the interrelation between carbon-halogen bond strength and electronegativity halogen. The resonance of phosphate in dibrom and the deviation from resonant structure due to bridging of oxygen by electron donating methyl group has been investigated in detail. The molecular docking study has been performed to explore the bioactivity of dibrom and to assess the strength of interaction of dibrom towards DNA and BSA.

Adhesion of a fluorinated poly(amic acid) with stainless steel surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Youngsuk; Song, Sunjin; Kim, Sangmo; Yang, Yooseong; Chae, Jungha; Park, Tai-Gyoo; Dong Cho, Myung

2013-01-01

The authors elucidate an origin and probable mechanism of adhesion strength change at an interface of fluorinated poly(amic acid) and stainless steel. Fluorination provides favorable delamination with release strength weaker than 0.08 N/mm from a metal surface, once the amount of residual solvent becomes less than 35 wt. %. However, the release strength critically depends on film drying temperature. Characterization on stainless steel surfaces and thermodynamic analyses on wet films reveal a drying temperature of 80 °C fosters interaction between the metal oxides at stainless steel surface and the free electron donating groups in poly(amic acid).

Amino-siloxane composition and methods of using the same

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Brien, Michael Joseph; Farnum, Rachel Lizabeth; Perry, Robert James

2016-08-30

An amino-siloxane composition is presented. The amino-siloxane composition includes structure (I): ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 is independently at each occurrence a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 aliphatic radical; R.sup.2 is a C.sub.3-C.sub.4 aliphatic radical; R.sup.3 is a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 aliphatic radical or R.sup.4, wherein R.sup.4 comprises structure (II): ##STR00002## and X is an electron donating group. Methods of reducing an amount of carbon dioxide in a process stream using the amino-siloxane composition are also presented.

Impression management during evaluation and psychological reactions post-donation of living kidney donors.

PubMed

Hildebrand, Lee; Melchert, Timothy P; Anderson, Rebecca C

2014-08-01

Many healthcare providers have been concerned about the extent to which potential kidney donors use impression management or concealment of important information regarding their medical history, current functioning, or other circumstances that could affect whether they are accepted as donors. To date, however, there has been very little empirical examination of these questions. It is also not known whether donors' use of impression management pre-donation is related to their reactions and adjustment post-donation. This study surveyed 76 individuals who had donated a kidney one to six yr previously regarding their use of impression management and their concealing of information during their psychological evaluations. They were also asked about their reactions to the donation and whether they would make the same decision again. In addition, 21 of these donors participated in focus groups that explored these questions in depth. Many of the kidney donors reported that they possessed very strong motivation to donate and consequently used impression management in their interactions with medical professionals pre-donation. Very few donors, however, indicated that they concealed information during their pre-donation evaluations. The donors' psychological reactions post-donation were generally positive, and nearly all indicated that they would make the same decision again. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dynamics in charity donation decisions: Insights from a large longitudinal data set

PubMed Central

Leliveld, Marijke C.; Risselada, Hans

2017-01-01

Despite the vast body of research on charitable giving and its drivers, no research has investigated the longitudinal dynamics of individual donation decisions. We analyzed unique data with nearly 300,000 real donation decisions made by more than 20,000 individuals for a period of 10 months. Each decision entailed a choice of what to do with money received for completing a survey (on average, €0.67 per survey): keep it or donate to charity. We found that most of the participants (89%) always chose to keep the money. Within the group of people who sometimes kept and sometimes donated the money (that is, Switchers), we find that people do not change their decision very often (cf. moral consistency). However, the likelihood of donating increases when people kept the money the previous time, and the amount at stake differs substantially (both positively and negatively). Finally, once Switchers donated, they are more likely to keep the money next time if they can earn more (for example, €2 now versus €0.50 last time), signaling moral compensation. These longitudinal data provide a first step to better understand charity donation decisions, not only in terms of a more nuanced description of decision-makers but also in terms of the dynamics of charity donations. PMID:28948218

Attitudes Toward Living Donation in the Bolivian Population Residing in Spain.

PubMed

Rios, A; Lopez-Navas, A; Fernández-Olivares, P; Martinez-Alarcón, L; Mikla, M; Ramis, G; Ramirez, P; Parrilla, P

2015-11-01

Living donation is increasingly necessary to address the shortage of organs for transplantation. Analyzing attitudes and influences toward living donation is essential. This study sought to analyze the attitude toward living donation in the population of Bolivians residing in Spain, and the variables that influence their attitude. We selected a sample of Bolivians living in Spain. Respondents were selected using a stratified sampling by age and sex. We used a validated questionnaire of psychosocial aspects (the questionnaire of Proyecto Colaborativo Internacional Donante about Living Kidney Donation [Donación de Vivo Renal in Spanish]), which is self-administered and anonymous. The Student t test, χ(2), and Fisher tests, as well as logistic regression analysis, were used to analyze the gathered data. Of all respondents (n = 206), 83% (n = 170) were in favor of living-related donation, and 32% (n = 66) were in favor of living-unrelated donation. The rest, 8.5% (n = 18) were not in favor of living donation and 8.5% (n = 18) were undecided. Acceptance of the living donation was associated with the religious beliefs of the respondent (P = .014), with no worry about the scars that may remain after the donation (P = .016), and with the risk evaluation of living donation (P = .029). On multivariate analysis, the most important variable was the risk associated with living donation (odds ratio, 6.329; 95% CI, 30.303-1.328; P = .021). Attitudes toward living donation among the Bolivian population residing in Spain is favorable, and represents a group that may be encouraged to become donors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A-π-D-π-A Electron-Donating Small Molecules for Solution-Processed Organic Solar Cells: A Review.

PubMed

Wang, Zhen; Zhu, Lingyun; Shuai, Zhigang; Wei, Zhixiang

2017-11-01

Organic solar cells based on semiconducting polymers and small molecules have attracted considerable attention in the last two decades. Moreover, the power conversion efficiencies for solution-processed solar cells containing A-π-D-π-A-type small molecules and fullerenes have reached 11%. However, the method for designing high-performance, photovoltaic small molecules still remains unclear. In this review, recent studies on A-π-D-π-A electron-donating small molecules for organic solar cells are introduced. Moreover, the relationships between molecular properties and device performances are summarized, from which inspiration for the future design of high performance organic solar cells may be obtained. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Blood donation: knowledge and attitudes of a university population in Chile].

PubMed

Vásquez, Marcela; Ibarra, Patricia; Maldonado, Mónica

2007-11-01

To evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of students, professors, and other staff at the University of Talca, Chile, regarding voluntary blood donation. From June to July 2002 a previously-validated survey was administered to 487 individuals in the university community. The survey sought to measure their understanding of blood donation, i.e., motivators and reasons for becoming a blood donor and the myths and fears that might deter blood donation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Only 14% of survey participants had donated blood in the past, and most of these (43.3%) were professors or other academics. Of the participants who were planning to donate blood in the future, students were the majority (88.1%). When the males in the group that was planning to donate were compared to the females, the difference was not statistically significant (90.0% vs. 84.2%, respectively). Of the deterrents to blood donation, 73.4% said the collection instruments might not be sterile. The university population represents a pool of desirable donors; an informative and motivating campaign could successfully convert the 87.3% potential donors into actual volunteer blood donors.

Cultural diversity and patients with reduced capacity: the use of ethics consultation to advocate for mentally handicapped persons in living organ donation.

PubMed

Spike, J

2001-01-01

Living organ donation will soon become the source of the majority of organs donations for transplant. Should mentally handicapped people be allowed to donate, or should they be considered a vulnerable group in need of protection? I discuss three cases of possible living organ donors who are developmentally disabled, from three different cultures, the United States, Germany, and India. I offer a brief discussion of three issues raised by the cases: (1) cultural diversity and cultural relativism; (2) autonomy, rationality, and self-interest; and (3) the proper use and role for clinical ethics consults.

2016 America's Recycle Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-15

Members of the Sustainability team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida look over appliances donated for reuse or recycling in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more.

2016 America's Recycle Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-15

Members of the Sustainability team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida sort through items donated for reuse or recycling in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more.

Blood donation practices, motivations and beliefs in Montreal's Black communities: the modern gift under a new light.

PubMed

Tran, Nathalie Y L; Charbonneau, Johanne; Valderrama-Benitez, Valeria

2013-01-01

Through the conceptual lens of the archaic and modern gift, this study aims to examine perceived limitations and facilitators to increasing blood donations within Black communities in Montreal, Canada. The overall objective is to support blood agencies, such as Héma-Québec, in understanding the challenges and opportunities they face in promoting blood donation among Black communities in pluralistic societies. Thirty-three semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with donors and leaders of ethnocultural groups in Montreal: of these, 6 were Héma-Québec employees; 3 were Caribbean blood drive organizers; 14 were leaders of African, Caribbean or Black multiethnic churches and community groups; and finally, 10 were donors, including 2 African, 4 French-speaking Haitian and 4 English-speaking Caribbean. The existence of multiple Black communities in Montreal reflects the various facilitators and obstacles facing Héma-Québec. Caribbean and African communities have their own experiences with regard to blood donation as well as different relationships with the broader Quebec society, both of which have great impact on how they perceive the cause. Questions of trust, of giving to the family and to the community, as well as perceived social exclusion appear to be fundamental issues for our informants. The current participation of groups interested in bettering the lives of those affected by sickle cell anaemia combined with the fact that leaders felt more comfortable donating to someone close to the community suggests that the promotion of blood donation through this angle would be well received. Trust issues, perceived discrimination and social exclusion have structural and historical roots that can only be partly overcome with long-term efforts to increase awareness, develop collaborative partnerships and increase institutional efforts to adapt to the challenges of blood donation from Black citizens.

"Super-Reducing" Photocatalysis: Consecutive Energy and Electron Transfers with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Brasholz, Malte

2017-08-21

Donation welcome: Recent developments in visible-light photocatalysis allow the utilization of increasingly negative reduction potentials. Successive energy and electron transfer with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons enables the catalytic formation of strongly reducing arene radical anions, classical stoichiometric reagents for one-electron reduction in organic synthesis. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Humin as an electron donor for enhancement of multiple microbial reduction reactions with different redox potentials in a consortium.

PubMed

Zhang, Dongdong; Zhang, Chunfang; Xiao, Zhixing; Suzuki, Daisuke; Katayama, Arata

2015-02-01

A solid-phase humin, acting as an electron donor, was able to enhance multiple reductive biotransformations, including dechlorination of pentachlorophenol (PCP), dissimilatory reduction of amorphous Fe (III) oxide (FeOOH), and reduction of nitrate, in a consortium. Humin that was chemically reduced by NaBH4 served as an electron donor for these microbial reducing reactions, with electron donating capacities of 0.013 mmol e(-)/g for PCP dechlorination, 0.15 mmol e(-)/g for iron reduction, and 0.30 mmol e(-)/g for nitrate reduction. Two pairs of oxidation and reduction peaks within the humin were detected by cyclic voltammetry analysis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing-based microbial community analysis of the consortium incubated with different terminal electron acceptors, suggested that Dehalobacter sp., Bacteroides sp., and Sulfurospirillum sp. were involved in the PCP dechlorination, dissimilatory iron reduction, and nitrate reduction, respectively. These findings suggested that humin functioned as a versatile redox mediator, donating electrons for multiple respiration reactions with different redox potentials. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human immunodeficiency virus prevalence, incidence, and residual transmission risk in first-time and repeat blood donations in Zimbabwe: implications on blood safety.

PubMed

Mapako, Tonderai; Mvere, David A; Chitiyo, McLeod E; Rusakaniko, Simbarashe; Postma, Maarten J; van Hulst, Marinus

2013-10-01

National Blood Service Zimbabwe human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk management strategy includes screening and discarding of first-time donations, which are collected in blood packs without an anticoagulant (dry pack). To evaluate the impact of discarding first-time donations on blood safety the HIV prevalence, incidence, and residual risk in first-time and repeat donations (wet packs) were compared. Donor data from 2002 to 2010 were retrieved from a centralized national electronic donor database and retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test was used to compare HIV prevalence with relative risk (RR), and the RR point estimates and 95% confidence interval (CI) are reported. Trend analysis was done using Cochran-Armitage trend test. HIV residual risk estimates were determined using published residual risk estimation models. Over the 9 years the overall HIV prevalence estimates are 1.29% (n = 116,058) and 0.42% (n = 434,695) for first-time and repeat donations, respectively. The overall RR was 3.1 (95% CI, 2.9-3.3; p < 0.0001). The overall mean residual transmission risk of HIV window phase donations in first-time was 1:7384 (range, 1:11,308-1:5356) and in repeat donors it was 1:5496 (range, 1:9943-1:3347). The significantly high HIV prevalence estimates recorded in first-time over repeat donations is indicative of the effectiveness of the HIV risk management strategy. However, comparable residual transmission risk estimates in first-time and repeat donors point to the need to further review the risk management strategies. Given the potential wastage of valuable resources, future studies should focus on the cost-effectiveness and utility of screening and discarding first-time donations. © 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.

Statement of the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group Regarding Payments to Families of Deceased Organ Donors.

PubMed

Capron, Alexander Morgan; Delmonico, Francis L; Dominguez-Gil, Beatriz; Martin, Dominique Elizabeth; Danovitch, Gabriel M; Chapman, Jeremy

2016-09-01

Governmental and private programs that pay next of kin who give permission for the removal of their deceased relative's organs for transplantation exist in a number of countries. Such payments, which may be given to the relatives or paid directly for funeral expenses or hospital bills unrelated to being a donor, aim to increase the rate of donation. The Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group-in alignment with the World Health Organization Guiding Principles and the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking in Human Organs-has adopted a new policy statement opposing such practices. Payment programs are unwise because they produce a lower rate of donations than in countries with voluntary, unpaid programs; associate deceased donation with being poor and marginal in society; undermine public trust in the determination of death; and raise doubts about fair allocation of organs. Most important, allowing families to receive money for donation from a deceased person, who is at no risk of harm, will make it impossible to sustain prohibitions on paying living donors, who are at risk. Payment programs are also unethical. Tying coverage for funeral expenses or healthcare costs to a family allowing organs to be procured is exploitative, not "charitable." Using payment to overcome reluctance to donate based on cultural or religious beliefs especially offends principles of liberty and dignity. Finally, while it is appropriate to make donation "financially neutral"-by reimbursing the added medical costs of evaluating and maintaining a patient as a potential donor-such reimbursement may never be conditioned on a family agreeing to donate.

Sufficient blood, safe blood: can we have both?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The decision in September 2011 in the UK to accept blood donations from non-practicing men who have sex with men (MSM) has received significant public attention. Will this rule change substantially boost the number of blood donations or will it make our blood less safe? Clearly, most European countries have a blood procurement problem. Fewer young people are donating, while the population is aging and more invasive therapies are requiring more blood. Yet if that was the reason for allowing non-practicing MSM to donate, clearly re-admission of some other, much larger populations that are currently deferred from donation should likewise be considered. As far as risks for blood safety are concerned, evidence has been provided that the current quality of infectious disease marker testing significantly mitigates against, although does not completely eradicate, risks associated with admission of donors with a high risk of carrying certain blood-transmissible agents. However, it could be argued that more effective recruitment of the non-donor pool, which is substantially larger than the group of currently ineligible donors, would be a better strategy. Recruitment of this group will benefit the availability of blood without jeopardizing the current excellent safety profile of blood. PMID:22439656

Enhanced subgenual cingulate response to altruistic decisions in remitted major depressive disorder

PubMed Central

Pulcu, Erdem; Zahn, Roland; Moll, Jorge; Trotter, Paula D.; Thomas, Emma J.; Juhasz, Gabriella; Deakin, J.F.William; Anderson, Ian M.; Sahakian, Barbara J.; Elliott, Rebecca

2014-01-01

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with functional abnormalities in fronto-meso-limbic networks contributing to decision-making, affective and reward processing impairments. Such functional disturbances may underlie a tendency for enhanced altruism driven by empathy-based guilt observed in some patients. However, despite the relevance of altruistic decisions to understanding vulnerability, as well as everyday psychosocial functioning, in MDD, their functional neuroanatomy is unknown. Methods Using a charitable donations experiment with fMRI, we compared 14 medication-free participants with fully remitted MDD and 15 demographically-matched control participants without MDD. Results Compared with the control group, the remitted MDD group exhibited enhanced BOLD response in a septal/subgenual cingulate cortex (sgACC) region for charitable donation relative to receiving simple rewards and higher striatum activation for both charitable donation and simple reward relative to a low level baseline. The groups did not differ in demographics, frequency of donations or response times, demonstrating only a difference in neural architecture. Conclusions We showed that altruistic decisions probe residual sgACC hypersensitivity in MDD even after symptoms are fully remitted. The sgACC has previously been shown to be associated with guilt which promotes altruistic decisions. In contrast, the striatum showed common activation to both simple and altruistic rewards and could be involved in the so-called “warm glow” of donation. Enhanced neural response in the depression group, in areas previously linked to altruistic decisions, supports the hypothesis of a possible association between hyper-altruism and depression vulnerability, as shown by recent epidemiological studies. PMID:24936421

Prevalence of selected viral infections among temporarily deferred donors who returned to donate blood: American Red Cross blood donor study.

PubMed

Zou, Shimian; Musavi, Fatemeh; Notari, Edward P; Fujii, Karen E; Dodd, Roger Y

2005-10-01

Health history questions are introduced into the predonation interview to identify blood donors believed to pose a higher risk of infectious diseases to recipients. This study assesses the current impact of some of those questions. Donor deferral and donation data were extracted from a research database of the American Red Cross. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen or antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, or human T-lymphotropic virus was obtained for different groups of donors who were temporarily deferred in 2000 through 2001 and later returned to donate blood in 2000 through 2003. The results were compared with either first-time or repeat donors in 2000 through 2003, while controlling for differences in sex, age, and year of donation. Of donors temporarily deferred in 2000 through 2001 who had had no donation or deferral during the previous 2 years, only 22.08 percent subsequently returned to donate blood in 2000 through 2003. Donations from returning donors who had been deferred for potential infectious disease risk did not show a higher prevalence for any of the viral markers when those with no donation or deferral during the previous two years were compared with first-time donations, and those with prior donation were compared with repeat donations. Blood donors temporarily deferred in 2000 through 2001 for potential risk of viral infection who later returned to donate blood did not appear to pose a higher risk compared to first-time or repeat donors. The effectiveness of some of the currently used deferral questions in reducing viral risks warrants further study.

Awareness and Attitudes toward Organ Donation in Rural Puducherry, India.

PubMed

Balajee, K L; Ramachandran, N; Subitha, L

2016-01-01

For many of the end-stage organ diseases, organ transplantation is the most preferred treatment. The need for the organ transplantation is higher than the availability. For the transplantation program to be successful, awareness regarding organ donation is needed and people must have a positive attitude toward donating organs. This study aims to assess the awareness and attitudes regarding organ donation among the rural population and to evaluate the sociodemographic factors associated with their awareness. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 people living in 4 villages of Puducherry. Face-to-face interviews were carried out using pretested questionnaire, which included the sociodemographic data. Data were entered into Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Of 360 participants, 88% (317/360) were aware of organ donation. Among these 317 participants, awareness was highest in the age group 18-30 years 98.8% (87/88), male 91% (147/161), higher secondary and above 100% (58/58), and Class 1 socioeconomic status 92% (13/14). Source of awareness about organ donation was primarily through media 83% (263/317). The majority of the participants 88% (281/317) felt that the purpose of organ donation was to save life. Most of the participants 91% (290/317) said that all healthy adults are eligible organ donors and 87% (275/317) of the participants said that monetary benefits could not be accepted for organ donation. Most of the participants 70% (223/317) were willing to donate their organs after death. Among the participants who refused to donate their organs, family refusal 57% (25/44) was the most common reason. This study shows that there is a high level of awareness about organ donation among rural people and most of the participants are willing to donate their organs.

Estimation of potential donors after cardiocirculatory death in Elche University General Hospital (Alicante, Spain).

PubMed

Tenza, E; Valero, R; Arraez, V

2017-04-01

To evaluate the number and characteristics of potential organ donors among cardiocirculatory death cases. A retrospective observational study was made of individuals between 15-65 years of age who died in the period 2006-2014 in Elche University General Hospital (Alicante, Spain). A univariate analysis and binary logistic regression predictive model were performed to discriminate factors related to donation contraindication. Identification of patients with donation contraindication. Of the 1510 patients who died in the mentioned period, 1048 were excluded due to the application of exclusion criteria; 86 due to evolution towards brain death; and 20 due to losses. A total of 356 patients were analyzed, divided into two groups: 288 in non-heart beating donation II and 68 in non-heart beating donation III. Seventy patients were found to be potential non-heart beating donation II and 10 were found to be potential non-heart beating donation III, which could increase donation activity by 8-9 donors a year. The patients died in the ICU, Resuscitation, Emergency Care, Internal Medicine, Digestive Diseases and Neurology. The following protective factors against organ donation contraindication were identified: death in Emergency Care, cardiorespiratory arrest before or during admission, and heart, respiratory and neurological disease as the cause of admission. Death in Internal Medicine was associated to an increased risk of donation contraindication. Implementing a non-heart beating donation protocol in our hospital could increase the donation potential by 8-9 donors a year. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

Awareness of eye donation in the rural population of India.

PubMed

Krishnaiah, Sannapaneni; Kovai, Vilas; Nutheti, Rishita; Shamanna, Bindiganavale R; Thomas, Ravi; Rao, Gullapalli N

2004-03-01

To determine the "awareness of eye donation" and "willingness to pledge eyes for donation" in the rural population of Andhra Pradesh, southern India. A total of 7,775 subjects of all ages, representative of the rural population of Andhra Pradesh, participated in the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study (APEDS). Subjects older than 15 years were interviewed regarding awareness of eye donation and willingness to pledge eyes for donation. Age-gender adjusted prevalence of awareness of eye donation in this population was 30.7% (95% CI: 29.5-31.9) but only 0.1% (age-gender adjusted prevalence) (95% CI: 0.05-0.25) had pledged eyes. On multivariate analysis the awareness of eye donation was significantly less in those subjects > or = 70 years old (OR 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.8), illiterates (OR 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.2), females (OR 0.8; 95% CI: 0.7-0.9), lower socioeconomic status group (OR 0.4; 95% CI: 0.4-0.5) and Christians (OR 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.6). Media comprised the major source of information about eye donation. Of those aware of eye donation, 32.9% were willing to pledge eyes, and 50.6% needed more information to decide whether or not to pledge their eyes. There needs to be more transfer of knowledge if more eyes are to be pledged. One-third of those aware of eye donation have not pledged their eyes, and an additional 50.6% needed more information to decide. This means only about one-fifth of those aware of eye donations have pledged their eyes.

Communication prompts donation: exploring the beliefs underlying registration and discussion of the organ donation decision.

PubMed

Hyde, Melissa K; White, Katherine M

2009-09-01

To use a theory of planned behaviour (TPB) framework to explore the beliefs underlying communication of the donation decision for people who had not previously registered their consent on a donor register or discussed their decision with significant others. Initially, a focus group study elicited the common TPB (behavioural, normative, and control) beliefs about registering and discussing the organ donation decision. The main study assessed the important TPB belief predictors of intentions to register and discuss the donation decision. University students and community members from Queensland, Australia (N=123) completed items assessing their intentions and the TPB behavioural, normative, and control beliefs for registering and discussing their donation decision. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses revealed significant paths between people's intentions to register their donation decisions and underlying behavioural (e.g. enabling efficient donation procedures), normative (e.g. friends, doctors/medical professionals), and control (e.g. lack of motivation, knowing details about transplant recipients) beliefs (R2=.30). There were also significant paths between people's intentions to discuss their donation decision and underlying behavioural (e.g. feeling uncomfortable talking about death related topics) and normative (e.g. partner/spouse, family members) beliefs, but not control beliefs (R2=.33). There was a significant path between intentions to register and intentions to discuss one's donation decision. Results highlight the importance of focusing on behavioural and normative beliefs about communicating the donation decision, specifically for people who have not previously communicated their decision, and suggest potential targets for interventions designed to promote decision communication.

Trends in age and red blood cell donation habits among several racial/ethnic minority groups in the United States.

PubMed

Yazer, Mark H; Vassallo, Ralph; Delaney, Meghan; Germain, Marc; Karafin, Matthew S; Sayers, Merlyn; van de Watering, Leo; Shaz, Beth H

2017-07-01

To meet the needs of a diverse patient population, an adequate supply of red blood cells (RBCs) from ethnic/racial minority donors is essential. We previously described the 10-year changes in minority blood donation in the United States. This study describes donation patterns by donor status, age, and race/ethnicity. Data on the age and the number of unique black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and white RBC donors were obtained from eight US blood collectors for 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2015. Donors self-identified their race/ethnicity. First-time (FT) and repeat (R) donors were analyzed separately. Overall, for both FT and R donor groups, whites constituted the majority of unique donors (FT 66.7% and R 82.7%) and also donated the greatest proportion of RBC units (FT 66.6% and R 83.8%). Donors less than 20 years old comprised the greatest proportion of FT donors for all racial/ethnic groups (39.2%) and had the highest mean number of RBC donations per donor (1.12) among FT donors. Conversely, R donors less than 20 years old had some of the lowest mean number of RBC donations per donor (1.55) among R donors, whereas R donors at least 60 years old had the highest mean (1.88). Year by year, the percentage of FT donors who were less than 20 years old increased for all race/ethnicities. For R donors, whites were more frequently older, while Hispanics/Latinos and Asians were younger. Greater efforts to convert FT donors less than 20 years into R donors should be undertaken to ensure the continued diversity of the blood supply. © 2017 AABB.

Quantitative study of interactions between oxygen lone pair and aromatic rings: substituent effect and the importance of closeness of contact.

PubMed

Gung, Benjamin W; Zou, Yan; Xu, Zhigang; Amicangelo, Jay C; Irwin, Daniel G; Ma, Shengqian; Zhou, Hong-Cai

2008-01-18

Current models describe aromatic rings as polar groups based on the fact that benzene and hexafluorobenzene are known to have large and permanent quadrupole moments. This report describes a quantitative study of the interactions between oxygen lone pair and aromatic rings. We found that even electron-rich aromatic rings and oxygen lone pairs exhibit attractive interactions. Free energies of interactions are determined using the triptycene scaffold and the equilibrium constants were determined by low-temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy. An X-ray structure analysis for one of the model compounds confirms the close proximity between the oxygen and the center of the aromatic ring. Theoretical calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level corroborate the experimental results. The origin of attractive interactions was explored by using aromatic rings with a wide range of substituents. The interactions between an oxygen lone pair and an aromatic ring are attractive at van der Waals' distance even with electron-donating substituents. Electron-withdrawing groups increase the strength of the attractive interactions. The results from this study can be only partly rationalized by using the current models of aromatic system. Electrostatic-based models are consistent with the fact that stronger electron-withdrawing groups lead to stronger attractions, but fail to predict or rationalize the fact that weak attractions even exist between electron-rich arenes and oxygen lone pairs. The conclusion from this study is that aromatic rings cannot be treated as a simple quadrupolar functional group at van der Waals' distance. Dispersion forces and local dipole should also be considered.

Giving blood and enrolling on the stem cell donor registry: ranking of obstacles and motives in Switzerland.

PubMed

Bart, Thomas; Volken, Thomas; Fischer, Yvonne; Taleghani, Behrouz Mansouri

2014-07-01

To obtain a better understanding of factors affecting blood and blood stem cell donation behavior in Switzerland, a series of studies has been performed. In the recent study of this series, which is described here, motivators and barriers in the field of blood and blood stem cell donation were identified. Web-based survey data from a non-random sample of the Swiss population 2012/2013 (n = 3,153) were used to describe and compare the ranking of motives and obstacles to donate blood and to enroll on the Swiss blood stem cell registry. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Spearman's rank correlations were used to assess differences and associations between ranks and groups. The prospect of saving lives and solidarity were the top two motives to donate blood or to enroll on the blood stem cell registry. The top two obstacles to enroll on the blood stem cell registry were lack of general information on blood stem cell donation and on its risks, whereas the top two obstacles to donate blood were the lack of information where and when to donate and deferral of or exclusion from blood donation. Classical altruistic motives are top drivers for giving blood as well as registering for blood stem cell donation. Recruitment campaigns should focus on these motivators. Similarities in motivational factors as well as in obstacles regarding blood and blood stem cell donation can be found.

Effect of pre-donation fluid intake on fluid shift from interstitial to intravascular compartment in blood donors.

PubMed

Deepika, Chenna; Murugesan, Mohandoss; Shastry, Shamee

2018-02-01

Fluid shifts from interstitial to intravascular space during blood donation helps in compensating the lost blood volume. We aimed to determine the volume of fluid shift following donation in donors with and without pre-donation fluid intake. We studied the fluid shift in 325 blood donors prospectively. Donors were divided in groups- with no fluid intake (GI) and either water (GII) or oral rehydrating fluids (GIII) before donation. Fluid shift following donation was calculated based on the difference between the pre and post donation blood volume. The influence of oral fluid intake, age, gender and body mass index (BMI) on volume of fluid shift was analyzed. The fluid shift was significant between donors without fluids (GI: 127 ± 81 ml) and donors with fluid intake (GII & III: 96 ± 45 ml) (p < 0.05). The difference was not significant between donors with water intake (GII: 106 ± 52 ml) and oral rehydrating fluid intake (GIII: 87 ± 41 ml). The shifted fluid volume increased with increasing BMI and decreased with increasing age in females. The fluid shift increased in females than in males. The age, gender, BMI and VVR did not significantly contribute to the volume of fluid shift following donation. As per our observation, the oral fluids before donation might not contribute to increase in fluid shift in blood donors after donation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Positional effects of hydroxy groups on catalytic activity of proton-responsive half-sandwich Cp*Iridium(III) complexes

DOE PAGES

Suna, Yuki; Fujita, Etsuko; Ertem, Mehmed Z.; ...

2014-11-12

Proton-responsive half-sandwich Cp*Ir(III) complexes possessing a bipyridine ligand with two hydroxy groups at the 3,3'-, 4,4'-, 5,5'- or 6,6'-positions (3DHBP, 4DHBP, 5DHBP, or 6DHBP) were systematically investigated. UV-vis titration data provided average pK a values of the hydroxy groups on the ligands. Both hydroxy groups were found to deprotonate in the pH 4.6–5.6 range for the 4–6DHBP complexes. One of the hydroxy groups of the 3DHBP complex exhibited the low pK a value of < 0.4 because the deprotonation is facilitated by the strong intramolecular hydrogen bond formed between the generated oxyanion and the remaining hydroxy group, which in turnmore » leads to an elevated pK a value of ~13.6 for the second deprotonation step. The crystal structures of the 4– and 6DHBP complexes obtained from basic aqueous solutions revealed their deprotonated forms. The intramolecular hydrogen bond in the 3DHBP complex was also observed in the crystal structures. The catalytic activities of these complexes in aqueous phase reactions, at appropriate pH, for hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (pH 8.5), dehydrogenation of formic acid (pH 1.8), transfer hydrogenation reactions using formic acid/formate as a hydrogen source (pH 7.2 and 2.6) were investigated to compare the positional effects of the hydroxy groups. The 4– and 6DHBP complexes exhibited remarkably enhanced catalytic activities under basic conditions because of the resonance effect of the strong electrondonating oxyanions, whereas the 5DHBP complex exhibited negligible activity despite the presence of electron-donating groups. The 3DHBP complex exhibited relatively high catalytic activity at low pH owing to the one strong electron-donating oxyanion group stabilized by the intramolecular hydrogen bond. DFT calculations were employed to study the mechanism of CO₂ hydrogenation by the 4DHBP and 6DHBP complexes, and comparison of the activation free energies of the H₂ heterolysis and CO₂ insertion steps indicated that H₂ heterolysis is the rate-determining step for both complexes. The presence of a pendent base in the 6DHBP complex was found to facilitate the rate-determining step, and renders 6DHBP a more effective catalyst for formate production.« less

Mechanistic aspects of hydrogen abstraction for phenolic antioxidants. Electronic structure and topological electron density analysis.

PubMed

Singh, Nakul; O'Malley, Patrick J; Popelier, Paul L A

2005-02-21

Density functional calculations using the B3LYP functional are used to provide insight into the hydrogen abstraction mechanism of phenolic antioxidants. The energy profiles for 13 ortho, meta, para and di-methyl substituted phenols with hydroperoxyl radical have been determined. An excellent correlation between the enthalpy (DeltaH) and activation energy (DeltaEa) was found, obeying the Evans-Polanyi rule. The effects of hydrogen bonding on DeltaEa are also discussed. Electron donating groups at the ortho and para positions are able to lower the activation energy for hydrogen abstraction. The highly electron withdrawing fluoro substituent increases the activation energies relative to phenol at the meta position but not at the para position. The electron density is studied using the atoms in molecules (AIM) approach. Atomic and bond properties are extracted to describe the hydrogen atom abstraction mechanism. It is found that on going from reactants to transition state, the hydrogen atom experiences a loss in volume, electronic population and dipole moment. These features suggest that the phenol hydroperoxyl reactions proceed according to a proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) as opposed to a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanism.

Models of Charity Donations and Project Funding in Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojciechowski, Adam

One of the key fundaments of building a society is common interest or shared aims of the group members. This research work is a try to analyze web-based services oriented towards money collection for various social and charity projects. The phenomenon of social founding is worth a closer look at because its success strongly depends on the ability to build an ad-hoc or persistent groups of people sharing their believes and willing to support external institutions or individuals. The paper presents a review of money collection sites, various models of donation and money collection process as well as ways how the projects' results are reported to their founders. There is also a proposal of money collection service, where donators are not charged until total declared help overheads required resources to complete the project. The risk of missing real donations for declared payments, after the collection is closed, can be assessed and minimized by building a social network.

Confidential unit exclusion at the regional blood bank in Montes Claros - Fundação Hemominas

PubMed Central

Maia, Caroline Nogueira; Ruas, Munic de Oliveira; Urias, Elaine Veloso Rocha

2012-01-01

Objective This study aimed at analyzing the rate of self-exclusion at the Regional Blood Bank in Montes Claros. Methods Data of self-excluding donors from August 2008 to August 2010 were analyzed. The following variables were considered: age, marital status, gender, ethnical background, blood group, Rh factor, number of donations, type of donation and serologic results. Results During the analyzed period, 34,778 individuals donated blood, 215 (0.62%) of which were self-excluded; 12% of donors did not answer, 6.3% ballots were spoilt and 13.6% of the responses were considered non-compliant. The profile of the donors was: male (81.9%), single (50.7%), aged between 19 and 29 years old (52.1%), Mulatto (48.3%), blood group O (32.1%) and positive Rh (32.1%). Most individuals were donating for the 2ndto 5th time (43.7%) and had negative serology (94.4%). Conclusion It was not evident that self-excluding donors had higher rates of seropositivity. PMID:23049378

Stepwise sequential analysis of stable multiradicals formation in polyphenolic myricetin active OH groups throughout the antioxidant process to scavenge free radicals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barzegar, Abolfazl; Rezaei-Sadabady, Rogaie

2017-10-01

Five galvinoxyl radicals (Grad) reduction by one polyphenolic myricetin (Myc, 3,3‧,4‧,5,5‧,7-Hexahydroxyflavone) molecule-using EPR method-demonstrated that each Myc should donate at least five H atoms resulted in multiradicals Myc5rad (5 Grad + 1Myc → 5 GH + 1 Myc5rad). The process that five H atoms donation occurs from different OH sites of Myc lead to appearing of five unpaired valence electrons of Myc5rad via two possible different mechanisms. First; concerted five H atoms donation from five different OH groups that directly results in Myc5rad radicals (Myc → Myc5rad). Second; the step-wise radical formation in five different OH groups of Myc (Myc → Mycrad → Myc2rad → Myc3rad → Myc4rad → Myc5rad). Computational DFT method was used to analyze all the six different OH groups of Myc which involved in free radical reactions for the purposes of clarification the stable multiradicals Myc5rad formation mechanism. The fast semi-empirical combined quantum method, AM1/DFT, as well as full DFT geometry optimization approaches of B3LYP functional DFT/DFT with different basis sets of 6-31G (d), 6-311 + G (d,p) and 6-311 + G (2d,2p) confirmed the stepwise H atom abstraction trend on the main three hydroxyl sites as 4‧-Orad → 4‧-Orad3-Orad → 4‧-Orad3-Orad-7Orad both in the gas and water phase. Spin delocalization over the entire Myc, adding the co-planarity, contributed to the stabilization of respective radical species. The excellent stability of Myc radicals should give an effective chain-breaking antioxidant activity for Myc in biological environment which is expected to have far fewer side effects. These findings may be useful to elucidate the radical scavenging mechanism of other flavonoids regarding to design novel antioxidants.

[Knowledge, trust, and the decision to donate organs : A comparison of medical students and students of other disciplines in Germany].

PubMed

Terbonssen, T; Settmacher, U; Dirsch, O; Dahmen, U

2018-02-01

Following the organ transplant scandal in Germany in 2011, the willingness to donate organs postmortem decreased dramatically. This was explained by a loss of confidence in the German organ donation system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between knowledge, trust, and fear in respect to organ donation and the explicit willingness to potentially act as an organ donor by comparing medical students to students of other disciplines. We conducted a Facebook-based online survey (June-July 2013). The participating students were divided into two groups according to their discipline: medical students and other students. Based on questions covering different aspects of organ donation, a knowledge, trust, and fear score was established and calculated. The answers were related to an explicitly expressed decision to donate organs as expressed in a signed organ donor card. In total, 2484 participants took part in our survey. Of these, 1637 were students, 83.7% (N = 1370) of which were medical students and 16.3% (N = 267) other students. As expected, medical students reached a higher knowledge score regarding organ donation compared with other students (knowledge score 4.13 vs. 3.38; p < 0.001). They also demonstrated more confidence in organ donation, resulting in a higher confidence score (3.94 vs. 3.33; p < 0.001) and expressed less fear towards organ donation as indicated by the lower fear score (1.76 vs. 2.04; p < 0.01). Medical students declared their written willingness to donate organs more often than did other students (78.2% vs. 55.2%; p < 0.001). Entries on organ donation cards did not differ significantly between medical students and other students. Medical students possessing an organ donor card showed a higher knowledge and a higher trust score than did medical students without an organ donor card. In contrast, other students possessing an organ donor card showed a higher trust score but did not show a higher knowledge score. The higher level of knowledge and trust demonstrated by the medical students was associated with a higher rate of written decisions to donate organs. In contrast, the lower level of knowledge and trust observed in the non-medical students was associated with a lower rate of organ donor cards. Interestingly, in the group of non-medical students, the decision regarding organ donation was associated with a higher level of trust, but not with a higher level of knowledge. It would appear that knowledge, trust, and the decision to donate organs are closely related. In cases of a low level of knowledge, confidence is even more important. Therefore, organ donation campaigns should focus on increasing knowledge and fostering trust.

Mechanisms for the adsorption of substituted nitrobenzenes by smectite clays.

PubMed

Boyd, S A; Sheng, G; Teppen, B J; Johnston, C T

2001-11-01

To more fully understand the potential for transport of nitroaromatic compounds in soils and subsoils,the adsorption of a series of para- and meta-substituted nitrobenzenes (SNBs) by K-smectite clay was measured. Adsorption isotherms were fit to the Freundlich equation, and the resultant Freundlich adsorption coefficients (log(Kf) were positively correlated with the Hammett substituent constant (r2 = 0.80). This relationship and a positive reaction constant (p = 1.15) indicate that the adsorption reaction is favored by electron-withdrawing substituents. These results are consistent with an electron donor (smectite)-acceptor (substituted nitrobenzene) mechanism offered previously. However, quantum calculations did not reveal any systematic relationship between the Hammett constant and the electron density on the aromatic ring, which would explain a donor-acceptor relationship. Rather, electron density donated by a second substituent on nitrobenzene appears to be appropriated by the nitro group leaving ring electron density unchanged. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed shifts in the -NO2 vibrational modes of 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) upon adsorption to K+-smectite that were consistent with the complexation of K+ by -NO2 groups. Such TNB vibrational shifts were not observed for SWy-1 saturated with more strongly hydrated cations (i.e., Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and Ba2+). The simultaneous interaction of multiple -NO2 groups with exchangeable K+ was indicated by molecular dynamic simulations. Adsorption of SNBs by smectite clays appears to result from the additive interactions of -NO2 groups and secondary substituents with interlayer K+ ions. Adsorption occurs to a greater or lesser extent depending on the abilities of substituents to complex additional interlayer cations and the water solubilities of SNBs. We conclude that the adsorption trends of SNBs on K-SAz-1 can be explained without recourse to hypothetical electron donor-acceptor complexes.

Beyond the 'embryo question': human embryonic stem cell ethics in the context of biomaterial donation in the UK.

PubMed

Bahadur, G; Morrison, M; Machin, L

2010-12-01

Discussion about the ethics of human embryonic stem cell (ESC) research in the UK tends to be dominated by the divisive and potentially intractable issue of the moral status of the embryo. This can have the effect of silencing or marginalizing other concerns, especially in the context of public engagement with science in this field. One such area of potential public concern is the donation of oocytes and embryos to stem cell research. Contemporary research on the views of donors and potential donors about a wide range of biomaterials, from solid organs to gametes and bone marrow, is reviewed and used to illustrate the range and types of ethical concerns articulated by this important group of stakeholders. Attitudes to donation are found to vary according to the type of tissue being donated or collected, the purpose for which donation is being sought and the nature of the recipient of the donation. Pertinently, attitudes towards donating oocytes are found to differ in some respects from donation of embryos or fetal tissue. The implications of these findings for ensuring ethically robust informed consent and publicly acceptable sourcing of human biomaterials for stem cell research are then considered. Copyright © 2010 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Manufacture of silicon-based devices having disordered sulfur-doped surface layers

DOEpatents

Carey, III; Edward, James [Newton, MA; Mazur, Eric [Concord, MA

2008-04-08

The present invention provides methods of fabricating a radiation-absorbing semiconductor wafer by irradiating at least one surface location of a silicon substrate, e.g., an n-doped crystalline silicon, by a plurality of temporally short laser pulses, e.g., femtosecond pulses, while exposing that location to a substance, e.g., SF.sub.6, having an electron-donating constituent so as to generate a substantially disordered surface layer (i.e., a microstructured layer) that incorporates a concentration of that electron-donating constituent, e.g., sulfur. The substrate is also annealed at an elevated temperature and for a duration selected to enhance the charge carrier density in the surface layer. For example, the substrate can be annealed at a temperature in a range of about 700 K to about 900 K.

Negative hyperconjugation and red-, blue- or zero-shift in X-Z∙∙∙Y complexes.

PubMed

Joy, Jyothish; Jemmis, Eluvathingal D; Vidya, Kaipanchery

2015-01-01

A generalized explanation is provided for the existence of the red- and blue-shifting nature of X-Z bonds (Z=H, halogens, chalcogens, pnicogens, etc.) in X-Z∙∙∙Y complexes based on computational studies on a selected set of weakly bonded complexes and analysis of existing literature data. The additional electrons and orbitals available on Z in comparison to H make for dramatic differences between the H-bond and the rest of the Z-bonds. The nature of the X-group and its influence on the X-Z bond length in the parent X-Z molecule largely controls the change in the X-Z bond length on X-Z∙∙∙Y bond formation; the Y-group usually influences only the magnitude of the effects controlled by X. The major factors which control the X-Z bond length change are: (a) negative hyperconjugative donation of electron density from X-group to X-Z σ* antibonding molecular orbital (ABMO) in the parent X-Z, (b) induced negative hyperconjugation from the lone pair of electrons on Z to the antibonding orbitals of the X-group, and (c) charge transfer (CT) from the Y-group to the X-Z σ* orbital. The exchange repulsion from the Y-group that shifts partial electron density at the X-Z σ* ABMO back to X leads to blue-shifting and the CT from the Y-group to the σ* ABMO of X-Z leads to red-shifting. The balance between these two opposing forces decides red-, zero- or blue-shifting. A continuum of behaviour of X-Z bond length variation is inevitable in X-Z∙∙∙Y complexes.

Leptin, gastrointestinal and stress hormones in response to exercise in fasted or fed subjects and before or after blood donation.

PubMed

Sliwowski, Z; Lorens, K; Konturek, S J; Bielanski, W; Zoładź, J A

2001-03-01

Leptin, an ob gene product of adipocytes, plays a key role in the control of food intake and energy expenditure but little is known about leptin response to strenuous exercise in fasted and fed subjects or before and after blood donation. This study was designed to determine the immediate effects of strenuous exercise in healthy volunteers under fasting or fed conditions and before and one day after blood donation (450 ml) on plasma levels of leptin and gut hormones [gastrin, cholecystokinin (CCK), pancreatic polypeptide (PP) and insulin], as well as on "stress" hormones (cortisol, catecholamines and growth hormone. Two groups (A and B) of healthy non-smoking male volunteers were studied. All subjects performed incremental exercise tests until exhaustion (up to maximal oxygen uptake--VO2max), followed by 2 h of rest session. Group A perfomed the tests on a treadmill, while group B on a cycloergometer. In group A, one exercise was performed under fasting conditions and the second following ingestion of a standard liquid meal. In group B, one exercise test was performed as a control test and the second 24 h after blood donation (450 ml). Blood samples were withdrawn 5 min before the start of the test, at the VO2max, and 2 h after finishing the exercise. No significant change in plasma teptin were observed both immediately and 2 h after the exercise in fasted subjects, but after the meal the plasma leptin at VO2max and 2 h after the test was significantly higher, while after blood donation was significantly reduced. The postprandial rise in plasma leptin was accompanied by a marked increment in gut hormones; gastrin, CCK and PP and stress hormones such as norepinephrine, cortisol and GH. These hormonal changes could contribute to the postprandial rise in plasma leptin concentrations, while the fall of leptin after blood donation could be attributed to the inadequate response of stress hormones and autonomic nervous system to exhausting exercise. We conclude that strenuous physical exercise; 1) fails to affect plasma leptin level but when performed after meal but not after blood withdrawal it results in an increase and fall in plasma leptin, and 2) the release of gut hormones (gastrin, CCK and PP) and stress hormones (norepinephrine, cortisol, GH) increase immediately after exercise independently of feeding or blood donation and 3) following blood donation the strenuous exercise resulted in a marked reduction in the plasma leptin, cortisol and GH concentrations, possibly due to the impairment in the autonomic nervous control of these hormones.

[The effects of charity advertising on donations and donors' explicit and implicit evaluations of recipients].

PubMed

Kawamura, Yuta; Kusumi, Takashi

2015-04-01

Advertisements for charity generally employ one of two advertising strategies. The first appeals to the efficacy of support, while the second appeals to the necessity of support. Two experiments investigated the effect of each type of charity advertising on donations and on donors' explicit and implicit evaluations of the recipients. The results indicated that although participants' explicit evaluations of charity recipients were not changed by efficacy-based advertising, they were negatively influenced by necessity-based advertising. Furthermore, Experiment 1 detected moderating effects of empathic concern. The explicit evaluations of participants in the necessity-based advertising group were negatively correlated with their empathic concern. Implicit evaluations were consistently negative in both groups. Both advertising strategies were more effective at securing donations than the control group, which did not use any strategies. These findings suggest practical implications for charity advertising.

The results of nucleic acid testing in remunerated and non-remunerated blood donors in Lithuania

PubMed Central

Kalibatas, Vytenis; Kalibatienė, Lina

2014-01-01

Background In Lithuania, governmentally covered remuneration for whole blood donations prevails. Donors may choose to accept or reject the remuneration. The purpose of this study was to compare the rate of nucleic acid testing (NAT) discriminatory-positive markers for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in seronegative, first-time and repeat, remunerated and non-remunerated donations at the National Blood Centre in Lithuania during the period from 2005 to 2010. Materials and methods All seronegative whole blood and blood component donations were individually analysed by NAT for HIV-1, HBV and HCV. Only discriminatory-positive NAT were classified. The prevalence of discriminatory-positive NAT per 100,000 donations in the donor groups and the odds ratios comparing the remunerated and non-remunerated donations were determined. Results Significant differences were observed for HBV NAT results: 47.42 and 26.29 per 100,000 remunerated first-time and repeat donations, respectively, compared to 10.6 and 3.58 per 100,000 non-remunerated first-time and repeat, seronegative donations, respectively. The differences were also significant for HCV NAT results: 47.42 and 51.99 for remunerated first-time and repeat donations, respectively, compared to 2.12 and 0 per 100,000 non-remunerated first-time and repeat, seronegative donations, respectively. No seronegative, discriminatory-positive NAT HIV case was found. The odds of discriminatory HBV and HCV NAT positive results were statistically significantly higher for both first-time and repeat remunerated donations compared to first-time and repeat non-remunerated donations. Discussion First-time and repeat remunerated seronegative donations were associated with a statistically significantly higher prevalence and odds for discriminatory-positive HBV and HCV NAT results compared to first-time and repeat non-remunerated donations at the National Blood Centre in Lithuania. PMID:24120587

NMR structural study of the prototropic equilibrium in solution of Schiff bases as model compounds.

PubMed

Ortegón-Reyna, David; Garcías-Morales, Cesar; Padilla-Martínez, Itzia; García-Báez, Efren; Aríza-Castolo, Armando; Peraza-Campos, Ana; Martínez-Martínez, Francisco

2013-12-31

An NMR titration method has been used to simultaneously measure the acid dissociation constant (pKa) and the intramolecular NHO prototropic constant ΔKNHO on a set of Schiff bases. The model compounds were synthesized from benzylamine and substituted ortho-hydroxyaldehydes, appropriately substituted with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups to modulate the acidity of the intramolecular NHO hydrogen bond. The structure in solution was established by 1H-, 13C- and 15N-NMR spectroscopy. The physicochemical parameters of the intramolecular NHO hydrogen bond (pKa, ΔKNHO and ΔΔG°) were obtained from 1H-NMR titration data and pH measurements. The Henderson-Hasselbalch data analysis indicated that the systems are weakly acidic, and the predominant NHO equilibrium was established using Polster-Lachmann δ-diagram analysis and Perrin model data linearization.

Substituent effects in double-helical hydrogen-bonded AAA-DDD complexes.

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Bo; Mudraboyina, Bhanu P; Wisner, James A

2012-01-27

Two series of DDD and AAA hydrogen-bond arrays were synthesized that form triply-hydrogen-bonded double-helical complexes when combined in CDCl(3) solution. Derivatization of the DDD arrays with electron-withdrawing groups increases the complex association constants by up to a factor of 30 in those arrays examined. Derivatization of the AAA arrays with electron donating substituents reveals a similar magnitude effect on the complex stabilities. The effect of substitution on both types of arrays are modeled quite satisfactorily (R(2) > 0.96 in all cases) as free energy relationships with respect to the sums of their Hammett substituent constants. In all, the complex stabilities can be manipulated over more than three orders of magnitude (>20 kJ mol(-1)) using this type of modification. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Gender Disparity in Living-Donor Kidney Transplant Among Minority Ethnic Groups.

PubMed

Peracha, Javeria; Hayer, Manvir Kaur; Sharif, Adnan

2016-04-01

We have limited data on gender disparities between living kidney transplant donors and recipients across ethnic groups. This was a retrospective cohort study of all living-donor kidney transplants performed at a single center in an ethnically diverse region of England. Data were extracted from the United Kingdom National Transplant Database and University Hospitals Birmingham electronic medical records. We analyzed 713 living-donor kidney transplant procedures that were performed from 1987 to 2014. Gender disparities were observed, with women more likely to be living donors (54.7%) and less likely to be recipients (39.4%). Most male recipients received kidneys from female donors versus male donors (70.2% vs 29.8%), whereas the proportion of men receiving kidneys from women (50.9%) and from men (49.1%) were similar (P < .001). Black, Asian, and donors from other minority groups comprised 18.7% of the donor cohort. South Asian partner-to-partner transplants (n = 22) were predominantly men receiving transplants from women (90.9%) versus women receiving transplants from men (9.1%; P = .003). Male patients more commonly donated their kidney to children than to women (10.2% vs 6.4%; P = .046). South Asian donations to children were similar between males and females; however, boys exclusively received kidneys from male donors (8/8) versus from female donors (8/12). Gender disparity exists in living-donor kidney transplant, with disparities more pronounced in some ethnic groups and among particular relationships. This finding requires targeted counseling and research to understand whether the cause is medical or sociocultural obstacles.

41 CFR 101-42.1102-6 - Noncertified and certified electronic products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... radiation test to determine the acceptability for use and/or modification to bring it into compliance with..., noncertified black and white television receivers, and noncertified microwave ovens. (2) Donation of electronic... it: (A) Is aware of the potential danger in using the product without a radiation test to determine...

Psychological factors related to donation behaviour among Chinese adults: results from a longitudinal investigation.

PubMed

Hu, H; Wang, T; Fu, Q

2017-10-01

Little is known about the psychological factors currently influencing blood donation in China. This study investigated the structure of psychological factors and their correlation with donation behaviour of adults in a transforming city in China over a 6-month period. Participants were recruited in Nanjing from May 2013 to April 2014. Preliminary focus group interviews with 102 participants were conducted to generate new items for a Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed by 300 participants, and responses were subjected to factor analysis. We confirmed the resulting factorial structure with 861 respondents and examined the associations between these factors and donation behaviour during the next 6 months using structural equation modelling. Factor analysis and structural equation modelling of the data supported an extended TPB model with self-reported past donation behaviour as a covariate. After controlling for past donation behaviour, attitudes towards blood donation (β = 0·288), subjective norm (β = 0·149), self-efficacy (β = 0·199), trust in third-party health professionals (β = 0·237), mistrust towards blood collection agencies (BCAs) (β = -0·085) and traditional Chinese beliefs (β = -0·046) were significantly related to donation intention, whilst donation intention was positively (β = 0·212) associated with donation behaviour. These findings confirm that psychological factors such as attitudes are predictors of blood donation. Recruitment efforts using public information campaigns and interpersonal communications should focus on strengthening positive attitudes, increasing trust in third-party health professionals, elevating self-efficacy, changing traditional Chinese beliefs and relieving mistrust in blood collection agencies (BCAs). © 2017 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Nigerian Immigrant Population in Spain Is Little Sensitized to Living-Related Kidney Donation.

PubMed

Ríos, A; Carrillo, J; López-Navas, A I; Ayala, M A; Garrido, G; Sebastián, M J; Martínez-Alarcón, L; Ramis, G; Hernández, A M; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2018-03-01

The Nigerian population is an emerging group in Spain and in Europe, but their sensitization toward living kidney donation has not been studied. The aim of this work was to analyze the attitude toward related renal donation while alive among the population born in Nigeria resident in Spain. A population older than 15 years born in Nigeria and resident in Spain, stratified by age and sex, was studied with the use of the attitude questionnaire about living kidney donation, "PCID-DVR-Ríos." People were randomly selected based on stratification. African immigration support associations advised on the location of potential respondents. Completion of the questionnaire was anonymous and self-administered. Verbal consent was requested to assist in the study. Statistical methods included Student t test, χ 2 , Fisher exact test, and logistic regression analysis. A total of 179 respondents were included in the study: 70% (n = 125) were in favor of living-related kidney donation, and 30% (n = 54) remained against or undecided. This attitude was associated with different psychosocial factors: marital status (P = .001), having offspring (P = .029), risk assessment of live donation (P < .001), partner's opinion about donation (P < .001), previous relationship with donation and/or transplantation (P < .001), religion (P < .001), and fear of mutilation after donation (P < .001). In the multivariate analysis, the previous relationship with donation and/or transplantation (odds ratio, 8.064) persisted as the main related factor. The Nigerian immigrant population in Spain has a less favorable attitude toward living kidney donation than the native western European and Spanish population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Demography and donation frequencies of blood and plasma donor populations in Germany. Update 2010 and 5-year comparison].

PubMed

Ritter, S; Hamouda, O; Offergeld, R

2012-08-01

The Robert Koch Institute collects and evaluates nationwide data on the incidence and prevalence of transfusion-relevant infections among blood and plasma donors in Germany. Since 2006 data not only on the number of donations tested but also on the number of the respective donors have become available. The demographic profile and donation frequencies of German whole blood, plasma and platelet donors in 2010 and the percentages among the general population are described and compared to data from 2006. Although the general population eligible to donate blood is on the decline since 2003, with a loss of 2% between 2006 and 2010, this has not led to a decrease in the number of blood donors and donations. Instead, the number of new and repeat whole blood donors increased by 8% and 7%, respectively. At the same time, the number of new plasma donors grew by 23%, that of repeat plasma donors by 41%. In 2010 more than 4.3% of the population aged 18-68 years was active as repeat whole blood donors; 0.4% repeatedly donated plasma or platelets. Since 2006 the percentage of donors among the general population increased significantly, especially among the youngest age group (18-24 years). Donation frequency varied depending on donor age and sex, with an average of 1.9 per year for whole blood donations, 12.5 for plasmapheresis and 5.0 for plateletpheresis. While the donation frequency for whole blood remained unchanged since 2006, the frequency of apheresis donations increased, especially among older donors. By recruiting more new donors and retaining and reactivating existing ones more effectively, the number of whole blood and apheresis donations was augmented.

What population factors influence the decision to donate blood?

PubMed

Hollingsworth, Bruce; Wildman, John

2004-02-01

Donations of blood in most of the developed world are by nonremunerated volunteers. As such factors, which impact upon the motivation of individuals to donate, are critical to achieving a stable supply, we analyze the factors, which influence the decision to donate. Using data on 130,356 [corrected] individuals from 1999 and 2000, we investigate which factors determine the proportion of blood donors in postcode areas. Variables analyzed include blood donation status and sociodemographic characteristics in order to provide information on donation decisions. We find the proportion of donors in an area is significantly increased by higher proportions of women aged 20-29 and 40-49, and of men aged 60-69. Conversely, a higher proportion of males aged 20-29 significantly reduces proportion of donors. Also, a higher proportion of individuals born overseas significantly reduces the proportion of blood donors in an area. To increase supplies, blood collection agencies should target specific groups. Young men and men and women aged 30-49 need to be encouraged to donate. Collection agencies also need to target individuals who are born overseas to participate in the process. Using these results to aid targeting should help to maintain the blood supply.

The Rule of Threes: three factors that triple the likelihood of families overriding first person consent for organ donation in the UK

PubMed Central

Hopkinson, Cathy; Hudson, Cara; Murphy, Paul; Gardiner, Dale; McGowan, Olive; Miller, Cathy

2017-01-01

Between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2015, 263 of the 2244 families in the UK whose loved ones had registered to donate organs for transplantation after their death on the NHS Organ Donor Register chose to override this decision; an override rate of 11.7%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to data relating to various aspects of the family approach in order to identify factors associated with such overrides. The factors associated with family overrides were failure to involve the Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation in the family approach (odds ratio 3.0), donation after circulatory death (odds ratio 2.7) and Black, Asian or Minority Ethnicity (odds ratio 2.7). This highlights the need to further engage with these groups in exploring donation as an end of life choice, and suggests that there may be, from the perspective of the family, fundamental differences between donation after brainstem death and circulatory death. It further adds to the body of data linking involvement of the Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation in the family approach to improved UK consent rates.

The Rule of Threes: three factors that triple the likelihood of families overriding first person consent for organ donation in the UK.

PubMed

Morgan, James; Hopkinson, Cathy; Hudson, Cara; Murphy, Paul; Gardiner, Dale; McGowan, Olive; Miller, Cathy

2018-05-01

Between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2015, 263 of the 2244 families in the UK whose loved ones had registered to donate organs for transplantation after their death on the NHS Organ Donor Register chose to override this decision; an override rate of 11.7%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to data relating to various aspects of the family approach in order to identify factors associated with such overrides. The factors associated with family overrides were failure to involve the Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation in the family approach (odds ratio 3.0), donation after circulatory death (odds ratio 2.7) and Black, Asian or Minority Ethnicity (odds ratio 2.7). This highlights the need to further engage with these groups in exploring donation as an end of life choice, and suggests that there may be, from the perspective of the family, fundamental differences between donation after brainstem death and circulatory death. It further adds to the body of data linking involvement of the Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation in the family approach to improved UK consent rates.

Organ donation agency: A discourse analysis of correspondence between donor and organ recipient families.

PubMed

Galasiński, Dariusz; Sque, Magi

2016-11-01

Studies about the psychosocial issues concerning organ donation and transplantation tend to focus on the experiences of donor or recipient families. Little is known about the part played by correspondence exchanged between these two groups; in particular how they perceive the agency of organ donation. This is the first analysis to address the representation of the act of donation from the viewpoint of both donor and recipient families through interrogation of archived correspondence data, using linguistic techniques. The data was drawn from a collection of letters, from four USA organ procurement organisations, exchanged between donor and transplant recipient families. Donor families consistently linguistically ascribed agency and accountability for donation to the person who died, the donor. For the recipient families, on the other hand, the 'giver' was mainly implied, ambiguous or ascribed to the donor family. © 2016 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

Public ideas and values concerning the commercialization of organ donation in four European countries.

PubMed

Schweda, Mark; Schicktanz, Silke

2009-03-01

Against the background of the increasing academic and political debate on financial incentives for organ donation, we conducted a qualitative investigation on the conditions under which European citizens would actually consider or refuse financial incentives for organ donation. Our paper combines an analysis of data that were collected in eight Focus Group discussions on transplantation medicine with lay people and patients from four European countries (Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden) with a critical re-assessment of the dichotomy between gift and commodity in the recent political and academic discourse. We find that the distinction between living and post mortem donation on the one hand, and between different models of financial incentives on the other, plays a crucial role for the participants' values and ideas about organ donation. We discuss the significance of our results with particular respect to the central role of reciprocity and draw conclusions for the bioethical and biopolitical debate.

Organ donation video messaging in motor vehicle offices: results of a randomized trial.

PubMed

Rodrigue, James R; Fleishman, Aaron; Fitzpatrick, Sean; Boger, Matthew

2015-12-01

Since nearly all registered organ donors in the United States signed up via a driver's license transaction, motor vehicle (MV) offices represent an important venue for organ donation education. To evaluate the impact of organ donation video messaging in MV offices. A 2-group (usual care vs usual care+video messaging) randomized trial with baseline, intervention, and follow-up assessment phases. Twenty-eight MV offices in Massachusetts. Usual care comprised education of MV clerks, display of organ donation print materials (ie, posters, brochures, signing mats), and a volunteer ambassador program. The intervention included video messaging with silent (subtitled) segments highlighting individuals affected by donation, playing on a recursive loop on monitors in MV waiting rooms. Aggregate monthly donor designation rates at MV offices (primary) and percentage of MV customers who registered as donors after viewing the video (secondary). Controlling for baseline donor designation rate, analysis of covariance showed a significant group effect for intervention phase (F=7.3, P=.01). The usual-care group had a significantly higher aggregate monthly donor designation rate than the intervention group had. In the logistic regression model of customer surveys (n=912), prior donor designation (β=-1.29, odds ratio [OR]=0.27 [95% CI=0.20-0.37], P<.001), white race (β=0.57 OR=1.77 [95% CI=1.23-2.54], P=.002), and viewing the intervention video (β=0.73, OR=1.54 [95% CI=1.24-2.60], P=.01) were statistically significant predictors of donor registration on the day of the survey. The relatively low uptake of the video intervention by customers most likely contributed to the negative trial finding.

2016 America's Recycle Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-15

A sign tells NASA Kennedy Space Center employees they have come to the right place to donate items for reuse or recycling in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more. The two-day event was sponsored by Kennedy's Sustainability team.

2016 America's Recycle Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-15

Members of the Sustainability team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida set up giveaway items and sort through donations for reuse or recycling in conjunction with America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting recycling in the United States. Kennedy partnered with several organizations in order to donate as many of the items as possible to those who could use them the most in the Space Coast community. Space center personnel brought in electronic waste, gently used household goods, clothing and more. The two-day event was sponsored by Kennedy's Sustainability team.

Hydroxide Degradation Pathways for Substituted Benzyltrimethyl Ammonium: A DFT Study

DOE PAGES

Long, Hai; Pivovar, Bryan S.

2014-11-01

The stability of cations used in the alkaline exchange membranes has been a major challenge. In this paper, degradation energy barriers were investigated by density functional theory for substituted benzyltrimethyl ammonium (BTMA+) cations. Findings show that electron-donating substituent groups at meta-position(s) of the benzyl ring could result in increased degradation barriers. However, after investigating more than thirty substituted BTMA+ cations, the largest improvement in degradation barrier found was only 6.7 kJ/mol. This suggests a modest (8×) improvement in stability for this type of approach may be possible, but for anything greater other approaches will need to be pursued.

Aromatic hydroxylation by cytochrome P450: model calculations of mechanism and substituent effects.

PubMed

Bathelt, Christine M; Ridder, Lars; Mulholland, Adrian J; Harvey, Jeremy N

2003-12-10

The mechanism and selectivity of aromatic hydroxylation by cytochrome P450 enzymes is explored using new B3LYP density functional theory computations. The calculations, using a realistic porphyrin model system, show that rate-determining addition of compound I to an aromatic carbon atom proceeds via a transition state with partial radical and cationic character. Reactivity is shown to depend strongly on ring substituents, with both electron-withdrawing and -donating groups strongly decreasing the addition barrier in the para position, and it is shown that the calculated barrier heights can be reproduced by a new dual-parameter equation based on radical and cationic Hammett sigma parameters.

Bicarbonate stimulates the electron donation from Mn²⁺ to P₆₈₀⁺ in isolated D1/D2/cytochrome b559 complex.

PubMed

Zharmukhamedov, S K; Allakhverdiev, S I; Smolova, T N; Klimov, V V

2013-12-05

Influence of bicarbonate on the efficiency of the electron donation from Mn(2+) to P₆₈₀(+) in isolated D1/D2/cytochrome b559 complex was investigated. All the experiments were carried out in a medium depleted of HCO₃(-)/CO₂. Kinetics of photoinduced absorbance changes (ΔA) at different wavelengths and decrease of chlorophyll fluorescence yield (-ΔF) related to photoaccumulation of reduced pheophytin, the intermediary electron acceptor of photosystem II (PSII), in the presence of Mn(2+) under anaerobic conditions were measured. Addition of bicarbonate (1 mM) increased the amplitude of these ΔA and -ΔF at least by a factor of 3. Measurements of the photoinduced ΔA, related to photooxidation of the primary electron donor of PSII, chlorophyll P₆₈₀, were done in the presence of silicomolybdate as electron acceptor. These results show that the addition of 0.05 mM Mn(2+) alone or jointly with 1 mM bicarbonate induces a 20% and 70%-decrease of the magnitude of the ΔA at 680 nm. The effect of Mn(2+) (in the presence and absence of bicarbonate) was completely eliminated by the addition of 12 mM EDTA. All these bicarbonate effects were not observed if MgCl₂ or formate were used instead of MnCl₂ and bicarbonate, respectively. In the absence of Mn(2+), bicarbonate induced none of the mentioned above effects (increase of photoaccumulation of reduced pheophytin and decrease of photooxidation of P680). The presented data suggest that bicarbonate stimulates the electron donation from Mn(2+) to D1/D2/cyt b559 reaction center evidently due to formation of easily oxidizable Mn-bicarbonate complexes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of classroom education on knowledge and attitudes regarding organ donation in ethnically diverse urban high schools

PubMed Central

Cárdenas, Vicky; Thornton, John Daryl; Wong, Kristine A.; Spigner, Clarence; Allen, Margaret D.

2010-01-01

School-based health education is a promising approach for improving organ donation rates, but little is known about its efficacy among ethnically diverse youth. The impact of a classroom intervention was examined in a multicultural high school population where students’ ethnicities were 45% African American, 30% Asian American, and 33% Caucasian (allowing for multiracial choices). A baseline survey was administered to all health classes within 2 weeks prior to intervention. On the intervention day, classes randomly assigned to the intervention group received an educational session, followed by a second survey; in control classes, the second survey was taken before the educational session. At baseline, non-Caucasian ethnicity and male gender were each associated with lower levels of willingness to donate. Following the intervention, students in the intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge scores (p<0.001), as well as positive movement of opinion regarding willingness to donate (p<0.0001). Most importantly, the positive changes in opinion occurred independently of ethnicity and gender, in spite of these both being negative predictors of opinion at baseline. These results demonstrate that even a single classroom exposure can impact knowledge levels, correct misinformation, and effect opinion change on organ donation among an ethnically diverse adolescent population. PMID:20088915

Synthesis and photophysical characterizations of thermal-stable naphthalene benzimidazoles.

PubMed

Erten-Ela, Sule; Ozcelik, Serdar; Eren, Esin

2011-07-01

Microwave-assisted synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties of thermal-stable naphthalene benzimidazoles and naphthalimides are studied in this paper. Microwave-assisted synthesis of naphthalene benzimidazoles provide higher yields than the conventional thermal synthesis. Comparative photophysical properties of naphthalene benzimidazoles and naphthalimides are revealed that conjugation of electron-donating group onto naphthalimide moiety increases fluorescence quantum yields. Fluorophore-solvent interactions are also investigated using Lippert-Mataga equation for naphthalimides and naphthalene benzimidazoles. Thermal stabilities of naphthalene benzimidazoles are better than naphthalimides due to increased aromaticity. The experimental E(LUMO) levels of naphthalene benzimidazoles are found to be between 3.15 and 3.28 eV. Therefore, naphthalene benzimidazole derivatives consisting of anchoring groups are promising materials in organic dye sensitized solar cells. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Synthesis, structure and photochromic properties of novel highly functionalized spiropyrans of 1,3-benzoxazin-4-one series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozhogin, Ilya V.; Tkachev, Valery V.; Lukyanov, Boris S.; Mukhanov, Eugene L.; Rostovtseva, Irina A.; Lukyanova, Maria B.; Shilov, Gennady V.; Strekal, Natalya D.; Aldoshin, Sergey M.; Minkin, Vladimir I.

2018-06-01

Based on a new polyfunctional derivative of dihydroxyisophtalic aldehyde (1) spiropyrans of 1,3-benzoxazin-4-one series with two carbonyl and a hydroxygroup in the [2H]-chromene fragment were synthesized. The results of single crystal X-ray analysis of 6‧-carbomethoxy-3,5-dimethyl-8‧-formyl-5‧-hydroxy-4-oxospiro[1,3-benzoxazine-2,2‧-chromene] (7a) helped to establish that condensation of 1,3-benzoxazine-4-onium perchlorates with (1) leading to the formation of spiropyrans occurs on the formyl group located at the position 3 of the starting aldehyde. The obtained spropyrans demonstrate photochromic activity at room temperature. Introduction of an electron donating methoxy group into the heteroarene part of the spiropyran molecule enhances its photocolorability.

The short circuit current improvement in P3HT:PCBM based polymer solar cell by introducing PSBTBT as additional electron donor.

PubMed

Sun, Lu; Shen, Liang; Mengd, Fanxu; Xu, Peng; Guo, Wenbin; Ruan, Shengping

2014-05-01

Here we demonstrate the influence of electron-donating polymer addition on the performance of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):1 -(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6) C61 (PCBM) solar cells. Poly[(4,42-bis(2-ethylhexyl) dithieno [3,2-b:22,32-d] silole)-2,6-diylalt-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)-4,7-diyl] (PSBTBT) was chosen as the electron-donating polymer to improve the short circuit current (J(sc)) due to its distinct absorption in the near-IR range and similar HOMO level with that of P3HT. In the study, we found that J(sc) was improved for ternary blend (P3HT:PSBTBT:PCBM) solar cells. The dependence of device performance was investigated. J(sc) got decreased with increasing the ratio of PSBTBT. Result showed that J(sc) of ternary blend solar cells was improved greatly after thermal annealing at 150 degrees C, close to that of the binary blend (PSBTBT:PCBM) solar cells.

Factors That Affect the Attitudes of the Bolivian Population in Spain With Regard to Organ Donation for Transplant.

PubMed

Ríos, A; López-Navas, A I; Sánchez, Á; Ayala, M A; Garrido, G; Sebastián, M J; Martínez-Alarcó, L; Ramis, G; Hernández, A M; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2018-03-01

The Bolivian population is an emerging Latin American immigrant group in Spain, several of whom have been transplanted or are awaiting transplant. We aimed to assess attitudes toward organ donation among Bolivians currently residing in Spain. The population screened was born in Bolivia but living in Spain, stratified by gender and age. The appraisal tool used was a questionnaire that assesses attitudes toward organ donation for transplant ("PCID-DTO Ríos"). Support from immigration associations in Spain was needed for advice on locations of potential respondents. Survey participation was anonymized and the questionnaire was self-administered. Verbal consent was obtained before participation. There were 206 respondents: 49% (n = 101) in favor of donating their organs after death; 21% (n = 44) against donation; and 30% (n = 61) undecided. Their attitudes were found to be associated with level of education (P = .008), previous experience with donation and transplant (P = .011), concern regarding mutilation after donation (P = .002), knowing the attitude of their religion toward transplant (P = .001), the opinion of their partner (P < .001), and the possibility of needing a future transplant (P = .050). In the multivariate study, the main factor was having a partner in favor of organ donation (odds ratio = 16.129; P = .003). Attitudes toward organ donation among Bolivians residing in Spain are far more negative compared with rest of the Spanish population, due to various factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A practical Israeli strategy for appealing for organ donation.

PubMed

Ashkenazi, Tamar; Klein, Moti

2013-06-01

CONTEXT-Most reports on organ donation have been related to the importance of support for families, explanations of brain death, and the appeal for organ donation. In contrast, no reports have addressed organ donation from the perspective of intervention in cases of "sudden mourning" and the practical aspects of how to facilitate donation in such cases. OBJECTIVE-To develop a specific strategy for professional intervention in cases of imminent death to bring the family to a state of cognitive and emotional preparedness that will enable them to accept the tragic news, donate organs, and then take leave of the deceased. METHOD-The strategy presented here was developed on the basis of the records of donor coordinators who documented their interaction with families; consultations with professionals in the fields of marketing, persuasion, and negotiating; research conducted on families who did or did not donate organs; and statements made by family members of donors in focus and support groups in more than 10 years. RESULTS-The strategic approach includes early-stage rules such as staff self-awareness, and then later, critical stages of the process that take place before and at the time of determination of brain death: preparation for and the notification of death itself and the request for organ donation, including persuasion skills, coping with resistance and expressions of anger, and physical leave-taking from the deceased. CONCLUSIONS-The flexible, strategic approach set out here is designed to maximize the chances of procuring organ donation while protecting the family's rights and welfare.

A sequential decision framework for increasing college students' support for organ donation and organ donor registration.

PubMed

Peltier, James W; D'Alessandro, Anthony M; Dahl, Andrew J; Feeley, Thomas Hugh

2012-09-01

Despite the fact that college students support social causes, this age group has underparticipated in organ donor registration. Little research attention has been given to understanding deeper, higher-order relationships between the antecedent attitudes toward and perceptions of organ donation and registration behavior. To test a process model useful for understanding the sequential ordering of information necessary for moving college students along a hierarchical decision-making continuum from awareness to support to organ donor registration. The University of Wisconsin organ procurement organization collaborated with the Collegiate American Marketing Association on a 2-year grant funded by the US Health Resources and Services Administration. A total of 981 association members responded to an online questionnaire. The 5 antecedent measures were awareness of organ donation, need acknowledgment, benefits of organ donation, social support, and concerns about organ donation. The 2 consequence variables were support for organ donation and organ donation registration. Structural equation modeling indicated that 5 of 10 direct antecedent pathways led significantly into organ donation support and registration. The impact of the nonsignificant variables was captured via indirect effects through other decision variables. Model fit statistics were good: the goodness of fit index was .998, the adjusted goodness of fit index was .992, and the root mean square error of approximation was .001. This sequential decision-making model provides insight into the need to enhance the acceptance of organ donation and organ donor registration through a series of communications to move people from awareness to behavior.

Neural correlates of prosocial peer influence on public goods game donations during adolescence.

PubMed

Van Hoorn, Jorien; Van Dijk, Eric; Güroğlu, Berna; Crone, Eveline A

2016-06-01

A unique feature of adolescent social re-orientation is heightened sensitivity to peer influence when taking risks. However, positive peer influence effects are not yet well understood. The present fMRI study tested a novel hypothesis, by examining neural correlates of prosocial peer influence on donation decisions in adolescence. Participants (age 12-16 years; N = 61) made decisions in anonymous groups about the allocation of tokens between themselves and the group in a public goods game. Two spectator groups of same-age peers-in fact youth actors-were allegedly online during some of the decisions. The task had a within-subjects design with three conditions: (1) EVALUATION: spectators evaluated decisions with likes for large donations to the group, (2) Spectator: spectators were present but no evaluative feedback was displayed and (3) Alone: no spectators nor feedback. Results showed that prosocial behavior increased in the presence of peers, and even more when participants received evaluative feedback from peers. Peer presence resulted in enhanced activity in several social brain regions including medial prefrontal cortex, temporal parietal junction (TPJ), precuneus and superior temporal sulcus. TPJ activity correlated with donations, which suggests similar networks for prosocial behavior and sensitivity to peers. These findings highlight the importance of peers in fostering prosocial development throughout adolescence. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Theoretical Study of Electron Transfer Properties of Squaraine Dyes for Dye Sensitized Solar Cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juwita, Ratna; Tsai, Hui-Hsu Gavin

2018-01-01

The environmental issues and high cost of Ru create many scientists to explore cheaper and safer sensitizer as alternative for dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Dyes play an important role in solar energy conversion efficiency. The squaraine (SQ) dyes has good spectral match with the solar spectra, therefore, SQ dyes have great potential for the applications in DSCs. SQ01_CA is an unsymmetrical SQ dye, reported by Grätzel and colleagues in 2007, featuring a D-π-spacer-A framework and has a carboxylic acid anchoring group. The electron donating ability of indolium in SQ01_CA and SQ01_CAA dyes is relatively weak, better performance may be achieved by introducing an additional donor moiety into indolium [1]. In this study, we investigate six unsymmetrical SQ dyes adsorbed on a (TiO2)38 cluster [2] using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT to study electron transfer properties of squaraine dyes on their photophysical. SQ01_CA, WH-SQ01_CA, and WH-SQ02_CA use a carboxylic acid group as its electron acceptor. Furthermore, SQ01_CAA, WH-SQ01_CAA, and WH-SQ02_CAA use a cyanoacrylic acid group as its electron acceptor. WH-SQ01_CA and WH-SQ01_CAA have an alkyl, while WH-SQ02_CA and WH-SQ02_CAA have alkoxyl substituted diarylamines to the indolium donor of sensitizer SQ01_CA. Our calculations show with additional diarylamines in donor tail of WH-SQ02_CAA, the SQ dyes have red-shifted absorption and have slightly larger probability of electron density transferred to TiO2 moiety. Furthermore, an additional -CN group as electron a withdrawing group in the acceptor exhibits red-shifted absorption and enhances the electron density transferred to TiO2 and anchoring moiety after photo-excitation. The tendency of calculated probabilities of electron density being delocalized into TiO2 and driving force for excited-state electron injection of these studied SQ dyes is compatible with their experimentally observed.

Microbially-mediated method for synthesis of non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phelps, Tommy J.; Lauf, Robert J.; Moon, Ji-Won

The invention is directed to a method for producing non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, the method comprising: (a) subjecting a combination of reaction components to conditions conducive to microbially-mediated formation of non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, wherein said combination of reaction components comprises i) anaerobic microbes, ii) a culture medium suitable for sustaining said anaerobic microbes, iii) a metal component comprising at least one type of metal ion, iv) a non-metal component comprising at least one non-metal selected from the group consisting of S, Se, Te, and As, and v) one or more electron donors that provide donatable electrons to said anaerobic microbes duringmore » consumption of the electron donor by said anaerobic microbes; and (b) isolating said non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, which contain at least one of said metal ions and at least one of said non-metals. The invention is also directed to non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticle compositions produced as above and having distinctive properties.« less

Detection of nitrite based on fluorescent carbon dots by the hydrothermal method with folic acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Haitao; Ding, Liyun; Zhang, Bingyu; Huang, Jun

2018-05-01

A fluorescent carbon dots probe for the detection of aqueous nitrite was fabricated by a one-pot hydrothermal method, and the transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, UV-Vis absorption spectrometer and fluorescence spectrophotometer were used to study the property of carbon dots. The fluorescent property of carbon dots influenced by the concentration of aqueous nitrite was studied. The interaction between the electron-donating functional groups and the electron-accepting nitrous acid could account for the quenching effect on carbon dots by adding aqueous nitrite. The products of the hydrolysis of aqueous nitrite performed a stronger quenching effect at lower pH. The relationship between the relative fluorescence intensity of carbon dots and the concentration of nitrite was described by the Stern-Volmer equation (I0/I - 1 = 0.046[Q]) with a fine linearity (R2 = 0.99). The carbon dots-based probe provides a convenient method for the detection of nitrite concentration.

Defining Electron Bifurcation in the Electron-Transferring Flavoprotein Family.

PubMed

Garcia Costas, Amaya M; Poudel, Saroj; Miller, Anne-Frances; Schut, Gerrit J; Ledbetter, Rhesa N; Fixen, Kathryn R; Seefeldt, Lance C; Adams, Michael W W; Harwood, Caroline S; Boyd, Eric S; Peters, John W

2017-11-01

Electron bifurcation is the coupling of exergonic and endergonic redox reactions to simultaneously generate (or utilize) low- and high-potential electrons. It is the third recognized form of energy conservation in biology and was recently described for select electron-transferring flavoproteins (Etfs). Etfs are flavin-containing heterodimers best known for donating electrons derived from fatty acid and amino acid oxidation to an electron transfer respiratory chain via Etf-quinone oxidoreductase. Canonical examples contain a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) that is involved in electron transfer, as well as a non-redox-active AMP. However, Etfs demonstrated to bifurcate electrons contain a second FAD in place of the AMP. To expand our understanding of the functional variety and metabolic significance of Etfs and to identify amino acid sequence motifs that potentially enable electron bifurcation, we compiled 1,314 Etf protein sequences from genome sequence databases and subjected them to informatic and structural analyses. Etfs were identified in diverse archaea and bacteria, and they clustered into five distinct well-supported groups, based on their amino acid sequences. Gene neighborhood analyses indicated that these Etf group designations largely correspond to putative differences in functionality. Etfs with the demonstrated ability to bifurcate were found to form one group, suggesting that distinct conserved amino acid sequence motifs enable this capability. Indeed, structural modeling and sequence alignments revealed that identifying residues occur in the NADH- and FAD-binding regions of bifurcating Etfs. Collectively, a new classification scheme for Etf proteins that delineates putative bifurcating versus nonbifurcating members is presented and suggests that Etf-mediated bifurcation is associated with surprisingly diverse enzymes. IMPORTANCE Electron bifurcation has recently been recognized as an electron transfer mechanism used by microorganisms to maximize energy conservation. Bifurcating enzymes couple thermodynamically unfavorable reactions with thermodynamically favorable reactions in an overall spontaneous process. Here we show that the electron-transferring flavoprotein (Etf) enzyme family exhibits far greater diversity than previously recognized, and we provide a phylogenetic analysis that clearly delineates bifurcating versus nonbifurcating members of this family. Structural modeling of proteins within these groups reveals key differences between the bifurcating and nonbifurcating Etfs. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Defining Electron Bifurcation in the Electron-Transferring Flavoprotein Family

PubMed Central

Garcia Costas, Amaya M.; Poudel, Saroj; Miller, Anne-Frances; Schut, Gerrit J.; Ledbetter, Rhesa N.; Seefeldt, Lance C.; Adams, Michael W. W.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Electron bifurcation is the coupling of exergonic and endergonic redox reactions to simultaneously generate (or utilize) low- and high-potential electrons. It is the third recognized form of energy conservation in biology and was recently described for select electron-transferring flavoproteins (Etfs). Etfs are flavin-containing heterodimers best known for donating electrons derived from fatty acid and amino acid oxidation to an electron transfer respiratory chain via Etf-quinone oxidoreductase. Canonical examples contain a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) that is involved in electron transfer, as well as a non-redox-active AMP. However, Etfs demonstrated to bifurcate electrons contain a second FAD in place of the AMP. To expand our understanding of the functional variety and metabolic significance of Etfs and to identify amino acid sequence motifs that potentially enable electron bifurcation, we compiled 1,314 Etf protein sequences from genome sequence databases and subjected them to informatic and structural analyses. Etfs were identified in diverse archaea and bacteria, and they clustered into five distinct well-supported groups, based on their amino acid sequences. Gene neighborhood analyses indicated that these Etf group designations largely correspond to putative differences in functionality. Etfs with the demonstrated ability to bifurcate were found to form one group, suggesting that distinct conserved amino acid sequence motifs enable this capability. Indeed, structural modeling and sequence alignments revealed that identifying residues occur in the NADH- and FAD-binding regions of bifurcating Etfs. Collectively, a new classification scheme for Etf proteins that delineates putative bifurcating versus nonbifurcating members is presented and suggests that Etf-mediated bifurcation is associated with surprisingly diverse enzymes. IMPORTANCE Electron bifurcation has recently been recognized as an electron transfer mechanism used by microorganisms to maximize energy conservation. Bifurcating enzymes couple thermodynamically unfavorable reactions with thermodynamically favorable reactions in an overall spontaneous process. Here we show that the electron-transferring flavoprotein (Etf) enzyme family exhibits far greater diversity than previously recognized, and we provide a phylogenetic analysis that clearly delineates bifurcating versus nonbifurcating members of this family. Structural modeling of proteins within these groups reveals key differences between the bifurcating and nonbifurcating Etfs. PMID:28808132

Legal and ethical aspects of organ donation after euthanasia in Belgium and the Netherlands.

PubMed

Bollen, Jan; Ten Hoopen, Rankie; Ysebaert, Dirk; van Mook, Walther; van Heurn, Ernst

2016-08-01

Organ donation after euthanasia has been performed more than 40 times in Belgium and the Netherlands together. Preliminary results of procedures that have been performed until now demonstrate that this leads to good medical results in the recipient of the organs. Several legal aspects could be changed to further facilitate the combination of organ donation and euthanasia. On the ethical side, several controversies remain, giving rise to an ongoing, but necessary and useful debate. Further experiences will clarify whether both procedures should be strictly separated and whether the dead donor rule should be strictly applied. Opinions still differ on whether the patient's physician should address the possibility of organ donation after euthanasia, which laws should be adapted and which preparatory acts should be performed. These and other procedural issues potentially conflict with the patient's request for organ donation or the circumstances in which euthanasia (without subsequent organ donation) traditionally occurs. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Structural features, kinetics and SAR study of radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of phenolic and anilinic compounds

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Phenolic compounds are widely distributed in plant kingdom and constitute one of the most important classes of natural and synthetic antioxidants. In the present study fifty one natural and synthetic structurally variant phenolic, enolic and anilinic compounds were examined as antioxidants and radical scavengers against DPPH, hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals. The structural diversity of the used phenolic compounds includes monophenols with substituents frequently present in natural phenols e.g. alkyl, alkoxy, ester and carboxyl groups, besides many other electron donating and withdrawing groups, in addition to polyphenols with 1–3 hydroxyl groups and aminophenols. Some common groups e.g. alkyl, carboxyl, amino and second OH groups were incorporated in ortho, meta and para positions. Results SAR study indicates that the most important structural feature of phenolic compounds required to possess good antiradical and antioxidant activities is the presence of a second hydroxyl or an amino group in o- or p-position because of their strong electron donating effect in these positions and the formation of a stable quinone-like products upon two hydrogen-atom transfer process; otherwise, the presence of a number of alkoxy (in o or p-position) and /or alkyl groups (in o, m or p-position) should be present to stabilize the resulted phenoxyl radical and reach good activity. Anilines showed also similar structural feature requirements as phenols to achieve good activities, except o-diamines which gave low activity because of the high energy of the resulted 1,2-dimine product upon the 2H-transfer process. Enols with ene-1,2-diol structure undergo the same process and give good activity. Good correlations were obtained between DPPH inhibition and inhibition of both OH and peroxyl radicals. In addition, good correlations were obtained between DPPH inhibition and antioxidant activities in sunflower oil and liver homogenate systems. Conclusions In conclusion, the structures of good anti radical and antioxidant phenols and anilines are defined. The obtained good correlations imply that measuring anti DPPH activity can be used as a simple predictive test for the anti hydroxyl and peroxyl radical, and antioxidant activities. Kinetic measurements showed that strong antioxidants with high activity have also high reaction rates indicating that factors stabilizing the phenoxyl radicals lower also the activation energy of the hydrogen transfer process. PMID:23497653

Influence of religious and spiritual values on the willingness of Chinese-Americans to donate organs for transplantation.

PubMed

Lam, W A; McCullough, L B

2000-10-01

The rate of organ donation among minority groups in the United States, including Chinese-Americans, is very low. There is currently very little data in the biomedical literature that builds on qualitative research to quantify the attitudes of Chinese Americans toward organ donation. The present study quantitatively assesses the religious and cultural reasons that Chinese-Americans appear to be less willing to donate their organs than other populations. It also seeks to determine whether Confucian, Buddhist, or Daoist ideals are a significant factor in their overall reluctance to donate organs among respondents in this sample. A questionnaire distributed to Chinese American adults asked about general feelings toward organ donation and Buddhist, Confucian, Christian, Daoist, and other spiritual objections. The results suggest that Chinese-Americans are indeed influenced by Confucian values, and to a lesser extent, Buddhist, Daoist, and other spiritual beliefs, that associate an intact body with respect for ancestors or nature. Another significant finding is that the subjects were most willing to donate their organs after their deaths, to close relatives, and then in descending order, distant relatives, people from their home country, and strangers. This 'negotiable' willingness has enormous implications for clinicians, who may be able to increase organ donation rates among Chinese-Americans by, first, recognizing their diverse spiritual beliefs, and, second, offering a variety of possibilities for the organ procurement and allocation.

Severe hepatitis C virus recurrence is nearly universal after donation after cardiac death liver transplant.

PubMed

Ortiz, Jorge; Feyssa, Eyob L; Parsikia, Afshin; Azhar, Ashaur; Hashemi, Nikroo; Campos, Stalin; Khanmoradi, Kamran; Zaki, Radi; Balasubramanian, Manjula; Araya, Victor

2011-04-01

The rate of hepatitis C virus recurrence after donation after cardiac death liver transplant is not clearly defined. This is a retrospective review of 39 donations after cardiac death-liver transplant recipients. Biopsies were performed at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months for all hepatitis C virus positive donation after cardiac death recipients. The 6-, 12-, 24-, and 36-month severe hepatitis C virus recurrence rates were 60%, 73%, 87%, and 94%. A histologic comparison group of 26 long-surviving hepatitis C virus positive donation after neurologic death recipients had severe hepatitis C virus recurrence 27%, 31%, 42%, and 52% of the time. Six of the 19 hepatitis C virus donation after cardiac death patients developed cirrhosis at a median of 56 months (range, 14-119 months). There was no significant 3-year allograft and patient survival difference between hepatitis C virus and nonhepatitis C virus donation after cardiac death recipients. The factors most associated with decreased survival in the entire cohort included biliary and vascular complications. Organs procured by our institution's attending surgeons were associated with a better 3-year allograft survival. Severe hepatitis C virus recurrence was nearly universal but did not lead to increased graft loss when compared with nonhepatitis C virus donation after cardiac death at 3 years. These data may justify early interferon treatment in these at-risk patients.

Egg donation for stem cell research: ideas of surplus and deficit in Australian IVF patients' and reproductive donors' accounts.

PubMed

Waldby, Catherine; Carroll, Katherine

2012-05-01

We report on a study undertaken with an Australian in vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinic to understand IVF patients' and reproductive donors' perceptions of oocyte (egg) donation for stem cell research. Such perspectives are particularly valuable because IVF patients form a major recruitment group for oocyte donation for research, and because patients and donors have direct experience of the medical procedures involved. Similar studies of oocyte donation have been carried out elsewhere in the world, but to date very little social science research has been published that reports on donation for research, as distinct from donation for reproduction. Our respondents expressed a distinct unwillingness to donate viable oocytes for stem cell research. In our analysis we consider a number of factors that explain this unwillingness. These include the labour of oocyte production, the inscrutability of oocytes (the lack of a test to identify degrees of fertility) and the extent to which the oocytes' fertility sets the parameters for all downstream reproductive possibilities. We draw on the science studies literature on affordances to make sense of the social intractability of oocytes, and compare them with the respondents' much greater willingness to donate frozen embryos for human embryonic stem cells research. © 2011 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2011 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Organ donation among Malaysian Muslims: the role of mosques.

PubMed

Tumin, Makmor; Raja Ariffin, Raja Noriza; Mohd Satar, NurulHuda; Abdullah, Nawi; Wan Md Adnan, Wan Ahmad Hafiz; Ismail, Ahmad Zuhdi; Che Soh, Mazlan

2015-04-13

Malaysia, a country of Muslim majority, is suffering from a severe organ shortage due to the lack of donors. Mosques are the main gateways into the Muslim community. Hence, it is imperative to explore their role in facilitating organ donation. A self-administered survey was conducted between October and December 2013. We distributed 700 pilot-tested questionnaires to 82 mosques in Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs. The respondents were stratified into 2 groups: the mosque committees and the Muslim Jama'ah (individuals who come regularly to mosque for prayer). Data collected from a survey on 653 Malaysian Muslims reveals that the main factors that hamper organ donation-related activities at the mosques in Malaysia are the lack of experts and financial resources. The level of autonomy of the mosque is also another main issue. The respondents believe that talks and dialogues are the best methods for organ donation campaigns at the mosques. Conclusions We argue that if the mosques are to play a role in imparting knowledge on organ donation, there should be ample opportunity for the mosque committee to choose the content of religious talks held in their community. The mosques in Malaysia are not sufficiently facilitated to channel the information on organ donation to the Muslim community. Providing financial support and expert campaigners are expected to increase organ donation-related activities at the mosques and subsequently could increase awareness regarding organ donations among Malaysian Muslims.

Knowledge Attıtudes and Behavıors About Organ Donatıon Among Fırst- and Sıxth-class Medıcal Students: A Study From Turkey.

PubMed

Naçar, M; Çetinkaya, F; Baykan, Z; Elmalı, F

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of Erciyes University School of Medicine students regarding organ donation. This descriptive study was conducted in 2014 on Erciyes University School of Medicine first- and sixth-grade students via questionnaire. It was to be conducted on all 490 students; in total, 464 students were enrolled-304 from first grade and 160 from sixth grade. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, χ(2) test, and binary logistic regression analysis. The mean age was 20.9 ± 2.8 years and it was found that 48.9% were male, 65.5% were in first grade; 50.0% of the students who participated in the study were considering donating their organs and this rate is 45.4% in the first grade and 58.8% at sixth grade. Those who donated their organs were 3.4% in the entire group and were 1.6% and 6.9% consequently in first and sixth grades. Those who are; at the sixth grade, female gender, those who feel themselves responsible for the donation of society, who think organ donation is appropriate in terms of religion and conversations within family about organ donations significantly want organ donation more statistically. However, grade and gender had no effect on wishing donating organs according to binary logistic regression analysis. The rate of feeling themselves responsible from the donation in society was 73.9% and finding organ donation appropriate in terms of religion was 75.6% and there wasn't significant difference between first and sixth grades. Although there are increases in many variables about this issue at sixth grade, students are unable to gain sufficient attitude and behavior about organ donation. Training can be planned during medical educations in terms of gaining attitudes and behaviors about the issue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and attitudes of Canadian First Nations people toward organ donation and transplantation: a quantitative and qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Davison, Sara N; Jhangri, Gian S

2014-11-01

Organ donation and transplantation rates are low for aboriginal people in Canada, despite a high demand. An explanatory mixed-methods design was used to describe knowledge of and preferences for organ donation and transplantation among First Nations people and identify factors that may influence these preferences. We recruited on- and off-reservation First Nations adults. A 45-item survey was administered to 198 participants, of whom 21 were assessed further with a qualitative interview using a multiple case study approach. In an iterative process, themes were identified from qualitative data using critical realism as the theoretical framework. Critical realism is an approach that describes the interface between natural and social worlds to explain human behavior. Although 83% of participants were in favor of transplantation, only 38% were willing to donate their organs after death, 44% had not thought about organ donation, and 14% did not believe it was important. Only 18.7% of participants reported that their cultural beliefs influenced their views on organ donation and transplantation. In the multivariable analysis, the only factors associated with willingness to donate organs were higher education and considering organ donation important. Four themes emerged from qualitative data: importance of traditional beliefs, recognition of need due to the epidemic of diabetes among Canadian aboriginal people, reconciliation between traditional beliefs and need, and general apathy in the community. Cultural, socioeconomic, and political diversity exist between and within aboriginal groups. Findings may not be generalizable to other aboriginal communities. Willingness to donate organs was lower in these First Nations participants compared to the general population. Education to address knowledge deficits, emphasize the negative impact of organ failure on the community, and contextualize organ donation within the older traditional native beliefs to help First Nations people understand how organ donation may be integrated into native spirituality likely is required to increase donation rates. Copyright © 2014 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Awareness and Attitudes toward Organ Donation in Rural Puducherry, India

PubMed Central

Balajee, KL; Ramachandran, N; Subitha, L

2016-01-01

Background: For many of the end-stage organ diseases, organ transplantation is the most preferred treatment. The need for the organ transplantation is higher than the availability. For the transplantation program to be successful, awareness regarding organ donation is needed and people must have a positive attitude toward donating organs. Aim: This study aims to assess the awareness and attitudes regarding organ donation among the rural population and to evaluate the sociodemographic factors associated with their awareness. Subjects and Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 people living in 4 villages of Puducherry. Face-to-face interviews were carried out using pretested questionnaire, which included the sociodemographic data. Data were entered into Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results: Of 360 participants, 88% (317/360) were aware of organ donation. Among these 317 participants, awareness was highest in the age group 18–30 years 98.8% (87/88), male 91% (147/161), higher secondary and above 100% (58/58), and Class 1 socioeconomic status 92% (13/14). Source of awareness about organ donation was primarily through media 83% (263/317). The majority of the participants 88% (281/317) felt that the purpose of organ donation was to save life. Most of the participants 91% (290/317) said that all healthy adults are eligible organ donors and 87% (275/317) of the participants said that monetary benefits could not be accepted for organ donation. Most of the participants 70% (223/317) were willing to donate their organs after death. Among the participants who refused to donate their organs, family refusal 57% (25/44) was the most common reason. Conclusion: This study shows that there is a high level of awareness about organ donation among rural people and most of the participants are willing to donate their organs. PMID:28503345

Spanish-Latin American multicenter study of attitudes toward organ donation among personnel from hospital healthcare centers.

PubMed

Ríos, Antonio; López-Navas, Ana; Ayala-García, Marco Antonio; Sebastián, María José; Abdo-Cuza, Anselmo; Alán, Jeannina; Martínez-Alarcón, Laura; Ramírez, Ector Jaime; Muñoz, Gerardo; Suárez-López, Juliette; Castellanos, Roberto; Ramírez, Ricardo; González, Beatriz; Martínez, Miguel Angel; Díaz, Ernesto; Ramírez, Pablo; Parrilla, Pascual

2014-01-01

Hospital personnel are a group which has an influence on the opinion of the rest of the population about healthcare matters. Any unfavorable attitude of this group would be an obstacle to an increase in organ donation. To analyze the attitude of hospital workers toward the donation of one's own organs in Spanish and Latin American hospitals and to determine the factors affecting this attitude. Eleven hospitals from the "International Collaborative Donor Project" were selected, 3 in Spain, 5 in Mexico, 2 in Cuba and one in Costa Rica. A random sample was stratified by the type of service and job category. Attitude toward donation and transplantation was assessed using a validated survey. The questionnaire was completed anonymously and was self-administered. Student's t-test, the χ2 test and logistic regression analysis. Of the 2,785 workers surveyed, 822 were from Spain, 1,595 from Mexico, 202 from Cuba and 166 from Costa Rica and 79% (n=2,191) were in favor of deceased organ donation. According to country, 94% (n=189) of Cubans were in favor, compared to 82% (n=1,313) of the Mexicans, 73% (n=121) of the Costa Ricans and 69% (n=568) of the Spanish (P<.001). In the multivariate analysis, the following variables had the most specific weight: 1) originating from Cuba (odds ratio=8.196; P<.001); 2) being a physician (OR= 2.544; P<.001); 3) performing a job related to transplantation (OR = 1.610; P=.005); 4) having discussed the subject of donation and transplantation within the family (OR= 3.690; P<.001); 5) having a partner with a favorable attitude toward donation and transplantation (OR= 3.289; P<.001); 6) a respondent's belief that his or her religion is in favor of donation and transplantation (OR= 3.021; P=.001); 7) not being concerned about the possible mutilation of the body after donation (OR= 2.994; P<.001); 8) the preference for other options apart from burial for treating the body after death (OR= 2.770; P<.001); and 9) acceptance of carrying out an autopsy if one were needed (OR= 2.808; P<.001). Hospital personnel in Spanish and Latin American healthcare centers had a favorable attitude toward donation, although 21% of respondents were not in favor of donating. This attitude was more favorable among Latin American workers and was very much conditioned by job-related and psychosocial factors. Copyright © 2013 AEC. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Health content analysis of organ donation and transplantation news on Turkish television channels and in Turkish print media.

PubMed

Colak, M Yavuz; Hekimoglu, D; Ersoy, K; Sozen, F; Haberal, M

2010-01-01

The media affects individuals' behaviors, especially by means of news and advertisements. In this study, we evaluated health content of organ donation and transplantation news in the printed media and on television programs for a 1-year period in Turkey. We examined 2449 news items in 230 newspapers and magazines; 1179 news programs on 45 television channels, all concerning organ donation and transplantation. The news obtained from the Media Pursuit Center were transferred to an electronic file to evaluate the format and content of the news. Nine variables were examined about the scope and the formal characteristics of the news: the publication name, its type, the province, the date, the headline, the title length, the presence of a photograph, or its kind, the news size, and the page number. In the content analysis of the news, we also examined 9 variables: the topic, the message of the headline, the property of the words in the title, the identification of photographs in the news, the age, gender of actors in the news, as well as donor or recipient. In a summary, print media and television channels, failed to show sufficient information about organ donation and transplantation. The percentage of news about organ donation and transplantation was small and mostly negative items in the media. On television channels, sufficient place was not given to organ donation and transplantation. The news in printed media and on television channels was not about motivated or altruistic behavior. The pattern of organ donation and transplantation news is important in terms of perception and comment by the public. Furthermore it directly affects the perception of the news by the reader.

Vasculitis Foundation

MedlinePlus

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Influence of functional groups on charge transport in molecular junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mowbray, D. J.; Jones, G.; Thygesen, K. S.

2008-03-01

Using density functional theory (DFT), we analyze the influence of five classes of functional groups, as exemplified by NO2, OCH3, CH3, CCl3, and I, on the transport properties of a 1,4-benzenedithiolate (BDT) and 1,4-benzenediamine (BDA) molecular junction with gold electrodes. Our analysis demonstrates how ideas from functional group chemistry may be used to engineer a molecule's transport properties, as was shown experimentally and using a semiempirical model for BDA [Nano Lett. 7, 502 (2007)]. In particular, we show that the qualitative change in conductance due to a given functional group can be predicted from its known electronic effect (whether it is σ /π donating/withdrawing). However, the influence of functional groups on a molecule's conductance is very weak, as was also found in the BDA experiments. The calculated DFT conductances for the BDA species are five times larger than the experimental values, but good agreement is obtained after correcting for self-interaction and image charge effects.

Molecular complexes of some anthraquinone anti-cancer drugs: experimental and computational study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Gogary, Tarek M.

2003-03-01

It is known that anti-cancer drugs target DNA in the cell. The mechanism of interaction of anti-cancer drugs with DNA is not fully understood. It is thought that the forces of interaction have some contribution from charge-transfer (CT) binding. The ability of some anthraquinones (AQs) anti-cancer drugs to form CT complexes with well-known electron donor molecules was investigated by NMR. The NMR spectroscopy has indicated the formation of CT complexes between 1,4-bis{[2-(dimethylamino) ethyl]amino}-5,8-dihydroxyanthracene-9,10-dione, (AQ4), and its des-hydroxylated equivalent 1,4-bis{[2-(dimethylamino) ethyl]amino}anthracene-9,10-dione, (AQ4H), as electron acceptors and pyrene (PY) and hexamethylbenzene (HMB) as electron donors. Association constants of the formed CT complexes were determined from the NMR data. AQ4 showed weaker electron accepting power than AQ4H, which could be easily explained on the basis of the electron donating nature of the two-hydroxyl groups. AQ4 and AQ4H have higher stability constant with PY than with HMB. This reflects the weaker interaction of the AQs with the latter, which is a direct effect of the six bulky methyl groups. Electronic absorption spectroscopy of the studied system was performed in chloroform and showed the absence of new absorption bands. The extent of interaction between AQs and donors has been computed using molecular mechanics and quantum mechanics. The computed values were compared with the experimental results of association constants.

Impact of the May 12, 2008, Earthquake on blood donations across five Chinese blood centers.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Huang, Yi; Wang, Jingxing; Bi, Xinhong; Li, Julin; Lu, Yunlai; Wen, Xiuqiong; Yao, Fuzhu; Dong, Xiangdong; He, Weilan; Huang, Mei; Ma, Hongli; Mei, Heili; King, Melissa; Wright, David J; Ness, Paul M; Shan, Hua

2010-09-01

On May 12, 2008, a severe earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province. The nationwide outpouring of charity resulted in a surge of subsequent blood donations. The quantity and quality of these donations were examined in comparison with routine donations. Whole blood and apheresis donations from five geographically different blood centers collected within 1 week postearthquake were compared with those collected during the rest of the year. Regional differences, demographic characteristics, first-time and repeat donor status, and infectious disease screening markers associated with these donations were compared by earthquake status using chi-square statistics. Poisson regression analysis examined the number of daily donations by earthquake status after adjusting for center, day of week, and seasonal variations. The number of daily donations across five blood centers increased from 685 on a typical day to 1151 in the postearthquake week. The surge was observed in both sexes and across different education levels, age, and ethnicity groups and three blood centers and was significant after adjusting for confounding covariates. The influx of first-time donors (89.5%) was higher than that of repeat donors (34%). There was a significant change in the overall screening reactive marker rates excluding alanine aminotransferase (2.06% vs. 1.72%% vs. 4.96%). However, when the individual screening test was analyzed separately, no significant differences were found. Timely donations in response to a disaster are crucial to ensure emergency blood transfusion. The dramatically increased postearthquake donations suggest that Chinese blood centers are capable of handling emergency blood needs. Measures to maintain blood safety should be taken in times of emergency. © 2010 American Association of Blood Banks.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, Daniel P.; Tymińska, Nina; Zurek, Eva, E-mail: ezurek@buffalo.edu

Dispersion corrected Density Functional Theory calculations were employed to study the adsorption of benzenes derivatized with functional groups encompassing a large region of the activated/deactivated spectrum to the Ag(111) surface. Benzenes substituted with weak activating or deactivating groups, such as methyl and fluoro, do not have a strong preference for adsorbing to a particular site on the substrate, with the corrugations in the potential energy surface being similar to those of benzene. Strong activating (N(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}) and deactivating (NO{sub 2}) groups, on the other hand, possess a distinct site preference. The nitrogen in the former prefers to lie abovemore » a silver atom (top site), but in the latter a hollow hexagonal-closed-packed (H{sub hcp}) site of the Ag(111) surface is favored instead. Benzenes derivatized with classic activating groups donate electron density from their highest occupied molecular orbital to the surface, and those functionalized with deactivating groups withdraw electron density from the surface into orbitals that are unoccupied in the gas phase. For benzenes functionalized with two substituents, the groups that are strongly activating or deactivating control the site preference and the other groups assume sites that are, to a large degree, dictated by their positions on the benzene ring. The relative stabilities of the ortho, meta, and para positional isomers of disubstituted benzenes can, in some cases, be modified by adsorption to the surface.« less

Charitable Giving for HIV and AIDS: Results from a Canadian National Survey

PubMed Central

Allman, Dan; Calzavara, Liviana; Worthington, Catherine; Tyndall, Mark; Adrien, Alix; Walters, Melissa; White, Samantha; Jones, Marcella K.

2014-01-01

Background For the first time, a national survey of adults in Canada posed questions on charitable giving for HIV and AIDS. The objective of this analysis was to explore the behaviour and attitudes of this population in terms of charitable giving. Methods In 2011, individuals in Canada 16 years of age or older were recruited for a survey from an online panel supplemented by random digit dial telephone interviewing. The margin of error was +/−2.1 percentage points (95%). Chi-square tests were used to detect bivariate associations. A multivariate logistic regression model was fit to compare those who had donated to HIV and AIDS in the past 12 months with those who had donated to other disease or illness charities. Results 2,139 participated. 82.5% had donated to a charitable cause in the past 12 months. 22.2% had ever donated to HIV and AIDS, with 7.8% doing so in the past 12 months. Individuals who had donated to HIV and AIDS versus other disease or illness charities tended to be younger (p<0.05), single (p<0.005), more highly educated (p<0.001) and to self-identify as a member of a sexual minority group (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed individuals who self-identified as a member of a sexual minority group were significantly much more likely to have donated to HIV and AIDS than to other disease or illness charities in the past 12 months (OR, 7.73; p<0.001; CI 4.32–13.88). Discussion Despite a generally philanthropic orientation, relatively few respondents had ever been involved in charitable giving for HIV and AIDS. Those who had could be understood relationally as individuals at closer social proximity to HIV and AIDS such as members of sexual minority groups. PMID:25153827

Trends in US minority red blood cell unit donations.

PubMed

Yazer, Mark H; Delaney, Meghan; Germain, Marc; Karafin, Matthew S; Sayers, Merlyn; Vassallo, Ralph; Ziman, Alyssa; Shaz, Beth

2017-05-01

To provide the appropriately diverse blood supply necessary to support alloimmunized and chronically transfused patients, minority donation recruitment programs have been implemented. This study investigated temporal changes in minority red blood cell (RBC) donation patterns in the United States. Data on donor race and ethnicity from 2006 through 2015, including the number of unique donors, collections, RBCs successfully donated, and average annual number of RBC donations per donor (donor fraction), were collected from eight US blood collectors. Minority donors were stratified into the following groups: Asian, black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, white, multiracial/other, and no answer/not sure. Over the 10-year period, white donors annually constituted the majority of unique donors (range, 70.7%-73.9%), had the greatest proportion of collections (range, 76.1%-79.8%), and donated the greatest proportion of RBC units (range, 76.3%-80.2%). These donors also had the highest annual donor fraction (range, 1.82-1.91 units per donor). Black or African American donors annually constituted between 4.9 and 5.2% of all donors during the study period and donated between 4.0 and 4.3% of all RBC units. Linear regression analysis revealed decreasing numbers of donors, collections, and donated RBC units from white donors over time. Although the US population has diversified, and minority recruitment programs have been implemented, white donors constitute the majority of RBC donors and donations. Focused and effective efforts are needed to increase the proportion of minority donors. © 2017 AABB.

Dithia[3.3]paracyclophane-based monometal ruthenium acetylide complexes: synthesis, characterization and substituent effects.

PubMed

Zhu, Xingxun; Ou, Yaping; Zhang, Jing; Xia, Jian-Long; Yin, Jun; Yu, Guang-Ao; Liu, Sheng Hua

2013-05-21

A series of dithia[3.3]metaparacyclophane-based monometal ruthenium acetylide complexes have been synthesized. All of the complexes have been fully characterised by NMR spectrometry, X-ray crystallography and elemental analyses. At the same time, their basic optical properties, such as UV/Vis absorption spectra, and electrochemical properties have been determined. (1)H NMR and X-ray crystal structure studies reveal that there are intramolecular C-H···π interactions in these ruthenium complexes, in both solution and solid states. Electrochemical studies reveal that the substituted groups on the dithia[3.3]paracyclophane ring can clearly affect the oxidation activities of the ruthenium center by way of the intramolecular C-H···π interaction. In addition, electron-donating groups facilitate the oxidation of the ruthenium center compared with electron-deficient groups. UV/Vis absorption and IR spectra of some complexes in neutral and oxidized states also have been studied. IR spectra studies indicated that the substituents in the cyclophane have some effects on the ν(C≡C) bands of these complexes in the neutral state and little effect on ν(C≡C) of these complexes in the oxidized state.

Synthesis and Analgesic Properties of Lidocaine Derivatives with Substituted Aminobenzothiazoles.

PubMed

Ahmadi, Abbas; Khalili, Mohsen; Mohammadinoude, Mohammad Kazem; Nahri-Niknafs, Babak

2016-01-01

Local anesthetics are the most widely consumed drugs in the practice of medicine which provide a loss of sensation in a certain body part without loss of consciousness or impairment of central control of essential functions. Lidocaine (I) is the most commonly local anaesthetic drug which is widely used in all species due to its fabulous diffusing and penetrating properties as well as prompt onset of surgical analgesia. In this study, new aminobenzothiazole (with many useful biological and pharmacological properties) analogues were synthesized by changing of amine moiety of I. Both acute and chronic pain properties of new compounds (II-VI) were studied by using the tail immersion and formalin tests on mice and the outcomes were compared with control and lidocaine groups. According to the results, aminobenzothiazole derivatives are better candidates than diethylamine group for replacement on amine moiety of I. Also, derivatives with electron-withdrawing groups on this amine (V and VI) could decrease pain better than electron-donating ones (II and III) (specially on position 6 of this amine, II and V) which may be of concern for blockade of specific sodium channels by these new compounds.

Energy level alignment and quantum conductance of functionalized metal-molecule junctions: Density functional theory versus GW calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, Chengjun; Markussen, Troels; Thygesen, Kristian S., E-mail: thygesen@fysik.dtu.dk

We study the effect of functional groups (CH{sub 3}*4, OCH{sub 3}, CH{sub 3}, Cl, CN, F*4) on the electronic transport properties of 1,4-benzenediamine molecular junctions using the non-equilibrium Green function method. Exchange and correlation effects are included at various levels of theory, namely density functional theory (DFT), energy level-corrected DFT (DFT+Σ), Hartree-Fock and the many-body GW approximation. All methods reproduce the expected trends for the energy of the frontier orbitals according to the electron donating or withdrawing character of the substituent group. However, only the GW method predicts the correct ordering of the conductance amongst the molecules. The absolute GWmore » (DFT) conductance is within a factor of two (three) of the experimental values. Correcting the DFT orbital energies by a simple physically motivated scissors operator, Σ, can bring the DFT conductances close to experiments, but does not improve on the relative ordering. We ascribe this to a too strong pinning of the molecular energy levels to the metal Fermi level by DFT which suppresses the variation in orbital energy with functional group.« less

Group 6 metal pentacarbonyl complexes of air-stable primary, secondary, and tertiary ferrocenylethylphosphines.

PubMed

Rabiee Kenaree, Amir; Sauvé, Ethan R; Ragogna, Paul J; Gilroy, Joe B

2016-02-21

The synthesis and characterization of a series of Group 6 metal pentacarbonyl complexes of air stable primary, secondary, and tertiary phosphines containing ferrocenylethyl substituents are reported [M(CO)5L: M = Cr, Mo, W; L = PH2(CH2CH2Fc), PH(CH2CH2Fc)2, P(CH2CH2Fc)3]. The structure and composition of the complexes were confirmed by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, IR and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography, and elemental analysis. The solid-state structural data reported revealed trends in M-C and M-P bond lengths that mirrored those of the atomic radii of the Group 6 metals involved. UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry highlighted characteristics consistent with electronically isolated ferrocene units including wavelengths of maximum absorption between 435 and 441 nm and reversible one-electron (per ferrocene unit) oxidation waves between 10 and -5 mV relative to the ferrocene/ferrocenium redox couple. IR spectroscopy confirmed that the σ donating ability of the phosphines increased as ferrocenylethyl substituents were introduced and that the tertiary phosphine ligand described is a stronger σ donor than PPh3 and a weaker σ donor than PEt3, respectively.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Babucci, Melike; Fang, Chia -Yu; Hoffman, Adam S.

1,3-Dialkylimidazolium ionic liquid coatings act as electron donors, increasing the selectivity for partial hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene catalyzed by iridium complexes supported on high-surface-area γ-Al 2O 3. High-energy-resolution fluorescence detection X-ray absorption near-edge structure (HERFD XANES) measurements quantify the electron donation and are correlated with the catalytic activity and selectivity. Furthermore, the results demonstrate broad opportunities to tune electronic environments and catalytic properties of atomically dispersed supported metal catalysts.

36 CFR § 1256.24 - How long may access to some records be denied?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... RECORDS ADMINISTRATION PUBLIC AVAILABILITY AND USE ACCESS TO RECORDS AND DONATED HISTORICAL MATERIALS... of the records in which you are interested available. In the case of electronic structured databases...

The roles of tertiary amine structure, background organic matter and chloramine species on NDMA formation.

PubMed

Selbes, Meric; Kim, Daekyun; Ates, Nuray; Karanfil, Tanju

2013-02-01

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen, is a disinfection by-product that has been detected in chloraminated and chlorinated drinking waters and wastewaters. Formation mechanisms and precursors of NDMA are still not well understood. The main objectives of this study were to systematically investigate (i) the effect of tertiary amine structure, (ii) the effect of background natural organic matter (NOM), and (iii) the roles of mono vs. dichloramine species on the NDMA formation. Dimethylamine (DMA) and 20 different tertiary aliphatic and aromatic amines were carefully examined based on their functional groups attached to the basic DMA structure. The wide range (0.02-83.9%) of observed NDMA yields indicated the importance of the structure of tertiary amines, and both stability and electron distribution of the leaving group of tertiary amines on NDMA formation. DMA associated with branched alkyl groups or benzyl like structures having only one carbon between the ring and DMA structure consistently gave higher NDMA yields. Compounds with electron withdrawing groups (EWG) reacted preferentially with monochloramine, whereas compounds with electron donating group (EDG) showed tendency to react with dichloramine to form NDMA. When the selected amines were present in NOM solutions, NDMA formation increased for compounds with EWG while decreased for compounds with EDG. This impact was attributed to the competitions between NOM and amines for chloramine species. The results provided additional information to the commonly accepted mechanism for NDMA formation including chloramine species reacting with tertiary amines and the role of the leaving group on overall NDMA conversion. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safety and Outcomes in 100 Consecutive Donation After Circulatory Death Liver Transplants Using a Protocol That Includes Thrombolytic Therapy.

PubMed

Bohorquez, H; Seal, J B; Cohen, A J; Kressel, A; Bugeaud, E; Bruce, D S; Carmody, I C; Reichman, T W; Battula, N; Alsaggaf, M; Therapondos, G; Bzowej, N; Tyson, G; Joshi, S; Nicolau-Raducu, R; Girgrah, N; Loss, G E

2017-08-01

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) liver transplantation (LT) reportedly yields inferior survival and increased complication rates compared with donation after brain death (DBD). We compare 100 consecutive DCD LT using a protocol that includes thrombolytic therapy (late DCD group) to an historical DCD group (early DCD group n = 38) and a cohort of DBD LT recipients (DBD group n = 435). Late DCD LT recipients had better 1- and 3-year graft survival rates than early DCD LT recipients (92% vs. 76.3%, p = 0.03 and 91.4% vs. 73.7%, p = 0.01). Late DCD graft survival rates were comparable to those of the DBD group (92% vs. 93.3%, p = 0.24 and 91.4% vs. 88.2%, p = 0.62). Re-transplantation occurred in 18.4% versus 1% for the early and late DCD groups, respectively (p = 0.001). Patient survival was similar in all three groups. Ischemic-type biliary lesions (ITBL) occurred in 5%, 3%, and 0.2% for early DCD, late DCD, and DBD groups, respectively, but unlike in the early DCD group, in the late DCD group ITBL was endoscopically managed and resolved in each case. Using a protocol that includes a thrombolytic therapy, DCD LT yielded patient and graft survival rates comparable to DBD LT. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Unraveling the role of water in the stereoselective step of aqueous proline-catalyzed aldol reactions.

PubMed

Ribas-Arino, Jordi; Carvajal, Maria Angels; Chaumont, Alain; Masia, Marco

2012-12-03

A multiscale computational study was performed with the aim of tracing the source of stereoselectivity and disclosing the role of water in the stereoselective step of propionaldehyde aldol self-condensation catalyzed by proline amide in water, a reaction that serves as a model for aqueous organocatalytic aldol condensations. Solvent mixing and hydration behavior were assessed by classical molecular dynamics simulations, which show that the reaction between propanal and the corresponding enamine takes place in a fully hydrated environment. First-principles molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the free-energy profile of four possible reaction paths, each of which yields a different stereoisomer, and high-level static first-principles calculations were employed to characterize the transition states for microsolvated species. The first solvation shell of the oxygen atom of the electrophilic aldehyde at the transition states contains two water molecules, each of which donates one hydrogen bond to the nascent alkoxide and thereby largely stabilizes its excess electron density. The stereoselectivity originates in an extra hydrogen bond donated by the amido group of proline amide in two reaction paths. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Infectious agents and inflammation in donated hearts and dilated cardiomyopathies related to cardiovascular diseases, Chagas' heart disease, primary and secondary dilated cardiomyopathies.

PubMed

Mangini, Sandrigo; Higuchi, Maria de Lourdes; Kawakami, Joyce Tiyeko; Reis, Marcia Martins; Ikegami, Renata Nishiyama; Palomino, Suely Aparecida Pinheiro; Pomerantzeff, Pablo Maria Alberto; Fiorelli, Alfredo Inácio; Marcondes-Braga, Fabiana Goulart; Bacal, Fernando; Ferreira, Sílvia Moreira Ayub; Issa, Victor Sarli; Souza, Germano Emílio Conceição; Chizzola, Paulo Roberto; Bocchi, Edimar Alcides

2015-01-15

Clinical and experimental conflicting data have questioned the relationship between infectious agents, inflammation and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of infectious agents and inflammation in endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) specimens from patients with idiopathic DCM, explanted hearts from different etiologies, including Chagas' disease, compared to donated hearts. From 2008 to 2011, myocardial samples from 29 heart donors and 55 patients with DCMs from different etiologies were studied (32 idiopathic, 9 chagasic, 6 ischemic and 8 other specific etiologies). Inflammation was investigated by immunohistochemistry and infectious agents by immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, in situ hybridization and electron microscopy. There were no differences regarding the presence of macrophages, expression of HLA class II and ICAM-I in donors and DCM. Inflammation in Chagas' disease was predominant. By immunohistochemistry, in donors, there was a higher expression of antigens of enterovirus and Borrelia, hepatitis B and C in DCMs. By molecular biology, in all groups, the positivity was elevated to microorganisms, including co-infections, with a higher positivity to adenovirus and HHV6 in donors towards DCMs. This study was the first to demonstrate the presence of virus in the heart tissue of chagasic DCM. The presence of inflammation and infectious agents is frequent in donated hearts, in the myocardium of patients with idiopathic DCM, myocardial dysfunction related to cardiovascular diseases, and primary and secondary cardiomyopathies, including Chagas' disease. The role of co-infection in Chagas' heart disease physiopathology deserves to be investigated in future studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The causes for lack of interest to blood donation in eligible individuals, mashhad, northeastern iran.

PubMed

Shakeri, M T; Vafaee, A; Esmaeily, H; Shafiei, N; Bazargani, R; Khayamy, Me

2012-01-01

Donor recruitment and retention are significant problems in blood collection agencies around the world. The Aim of this study was to determine the causes of lack of interest to blood donation in eligible individu-als in Mashhad, Northeast of Iran. This was a descriptive study. Cases were 1130 non-donor individuals. Participants were selected from eligible individuals in different regions of Mashhad. In this study, surveys included information about age groups, gender, residence area, marriage, education; living situation and job as background variables. Less than 30% of the cases had enough knowledge about blood donation. There was a significant rela-tionship between location, age, education, occupation and social status with knowledge of blood donation, but there was not a correlation between gender and marital status. There are some factors which affect the decision for blood donation. There is a need to change the negative attitude by increasing the knowledge considering the individual and the social status.

Awareness regarding eye donation among stakeholders in Srikakulam district in South India.

PubMed

Ronanki, Venkata Ramana; Sheeladevi, Sethu; Ramachandran, Brinda P; Jalbert, Isabelle

2014-03-06

There is a huge need for the availability of transplantable donor corneas worldwide to reduce the burden of corneal blindness due to corneal opacity. Voluntary eye donation depends on the awareness levels of various stakeholders in the community. This study aimed to assess the awareness level regarding eye donation among various stakeholders in Srikakulam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. 355 subjects were selected from the district using multi stage random sampling. A pre tested semi structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding each individual's awareness, knowledge, and perception regarding eye donation. Each response was scored individually and a total score was calculated. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with willingness towards eye donation and increased awareness levels. Of the 355 subjects interviewed, 192 (54%) were male and 163 (46%) were female. The mean age of the stakeholders was 35.9 years (SD ±16.1) and all the study subjects were literate. Ninety-three percent of subjects were aware of the concept of eye donation. Knowledge levels were similar among the teaching community and persons engaged in social service, but lower among students (p < 0.05). Among the stakeholders, there was considerable ambiguity regarding whether persons currently wearing spectacles or suffering from a chronic illnesses could donate their eyes. Older age group (p < 0.001), female gender (p < 0.001) and education (p < 0.001) were associated with increased knowledge levels. 82% of the subjects were willing to donate their eyes and this was unaffected by gender or geographical location (rural vs urban). Awareness levels and willingness to donate eyes are high among the stakeholders in Srikakulam district in India. The services of stakeholders could be utilized, in conjunction with other community based eye donation counselors, to promote awareness regarding eye donation among the general population.

Selection strategies for newly registered blood donors in European countries

PubMed Central

Lieshout-Krikke, Ryanne W.; Domanovic, Dragoslav; de Kort, Wim; Mayr, Wolfgang; Liumbruno, Giancarlo M.; Pupella, Simonetta; Kurz, Johann; Knutson, Folke; MacLennan, Sheila; Folléa, Gilles

2017-01-01

Background Two selection strategies for newly-registered blood donors are available: a single-visit selection called the standard selection procedure (SSP), and a two-stage selection named predonation and donation screening (PDS). This study reviews the selection strategies for newly-registered donors currently applied in European countries. Material and methods We collected data on donor selection procedures, blood donation, laboratory screening and HIV, HCV and HBV positive donors/donations from 2010 to 2013 in 30 European countries by using questionnaires. We grouped the countries according to the applied selection strategy, and for each country, we calculated the 4-year prevalence of confirmed positive results indicating the presence of overall and recent HIV, HCV and HBV infections among first-time and repeat donations and among newly-registered donors. Results Most of the 24 countries (80%) apply the SSP strategy for selection of newly-registered donors. Twenty-two countries (73.3%) employ a nucleic acid amplification testing in addition to the mandatory serological screening. The survey confirms a higher overall prevalence of HIV, HCV and HBV infections among first-time donations and newly-registered donors than among repeat donations. In contrast, the prevalence of recently acquired HIV and HCV infections was lower among first-time donations and newly-registered donors than among repeat donations, but higher for recent HBV infections (6.7/105 vs 2.6/105 in the SSP setting and 4.3/105 vs 0.5/105 in one country using PDS). The relatively low numbers of infected donors selected by PDS impeded accurate assessment of the prevalence of recent infections in first-time donations. Discussion The data from European countries provide inconclusive evidence that applying PDS reduces the risk of donations being made in the diagnostic window of first-time donors. The impact of PDS on the risk of window-period donations and blood donor management needs further investigation. PMID:27723449

Retention of "safe" blood donors. The Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study.

PubMed

Thomson, R A; Bethel, J; Lo, A Y; Ownby, H E; Nass, C C; Williams, A E

1998-04-01

There are obvious advantages to increasing donor retention. However, for reasons of blood safety, certain donors may, in fact, be more desirable to retain than others. "Safe" donors are defined as those who provided a blood donation that was negative on all laboratory screening tests and who subsequently reported no behavioral risks in response to an anonymous survey. This study identifies the most important factors affecting the intention of "safe" donors to provide another donation. An anonymous survey asking about donation history, sexual history, injecting drug use, and recent donation experience was mailed to 50,162 randomly selected allogeneic donors (including directed donors) who gave blood from April through July or from October through December 1993 at one of the five United States blood centers participating in the Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study. Before mailing, questionnaires were coded to designate donors with nonreactive laboratory screening tests at their most recent donation. A total of 34,726 donors (69%) responded, with substantially higher response among repeat donors. According to reported intentions only, the vast majority of "safe" donors indicated a high likelihood of donating again within the next 12 months. Only 3.4 percent reported a low likelihood of donating again. A comparison of those likely to return and those unlikely to return reveals significant differences in demographics and in ratings of the donation experience. A higher proportion of those unlikely to return were first-time donors, minority-group donors, and donors with less education. The highest projected loss among "safe" donors was seen for those who gave a fair to poor assessment of their treatment by blood center staff or of their physical well-being during or after donating. These data suggest that efforts to improve donors' perceptions of their donation experience, as well as attention to the physical effects of blood donation, may aid in the retention of both repeat and first-time donors.

Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling of Aryl Carbamates and Sulfamates: Experimental and Computational Studies

PubMed Central

Quasdorf, Kyle W.; Antoft-Finch, Aurora; Liu, Peng; Silberstein, Amanda L.; Komaromi, Anna; Blackburn, Tom; Ramgren, Stephen D.; Houk, K. N.; Snieckus, Victor; Garg, Neil K.

2011-01-01

The first Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of the synthetically versatile O-aryl carbamate and O-sulfamate groups is described. The transformations utilize the inexpensive, bench-stable catalyst NiCl2(PCy3)2 to furnish biaryls in good to excellent yields. A broad scope for this methodology has been demonstrated. Substrates with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups (EDGs, EWGs) are tolerated, in addition to those that possess ortho substitutents. Furthermore, heteroaryl substrates may be employed as coupling partners. A computational study providing the full catalytic cycles for these cross-coupling reactions is described. The oxidative additions with carbamates and sulfamates occur via a five-centered transition state, resulting in the exclusive cleavage of the Ar–O bond. Water is found to stabilize the Ni–carbamate catalyst resting state, and thus provides rationalization of the relative decreased rate of coupling of carbamates. Several synthetic applications are presented to showcase the utility of the methodology in the synthesis of polysubstituted aromatic compounds of natural product and bioactive molecule interest. PMID:21456551

The Latin American population in Spain and organ donation. Attitude toward deceased organ donation and organ donation rates.

PubMed

Ríos, Antonio; López-Navas, Ana I; Navalón, Juan C; Martínez-Alarcón, Laura; Ayala-García, Marco A; Sebastián-Ruiz, María J; Moya-Faz, Francisco; Garrido, Gregorio; Ramirez, Pablo; Parrilla, Pascual

2015-04-01

The Latin American (LA) population has similarities with the Spanish population which makes its integration into Spanish society easier. to analyze the attitude toward organ donation among Latin American citizens residing in Spain, to determine the psychosocial variables which affect this attitude, and to examine the correlation between donation rates of LA citizens in Spain and in their countries of origin. A random sample of LA residents in Spain was taken and stratified according to the respondent's nationality (n = 1.314), in the year 2010. Attitude was assessed using a validated questionnaire (PCID-DTO Dr Rios). The survey was self-administered and completed anonymously. Student's t-test, the χ(2) test, and logistic regression analysis. There was a 94% completion rate (n = 1.237). Attitude toward donation was favorable in 60% of cases (n = 745), 12% (n = 145) were against, and 28% (n = 347) were undecided. The following variables were associated with attitude toward donation: sex (P = 0.038), level of formal education (P < 0.001), country of origin (P = 0.002), attitude toward the donation of a family member's organs (P < 0.001), having discussed donation with the family (P < 0.001), carrying out prosocial activities (P = 0.025), attitude toward cremation of the body (P < 0.001), attitude toward burial of the body (P < 0.001), attitude toward having an autopsy carried out (P < 0.001), previous experience of the organ donation and transplantation process (P < 0.001), fear of mutilation after donation (P < 0.001), knowledge that the Church has a positive attitude toward organ donation and transplantation (P < 0.001), knowledge of one's partner's attitude toward organ donation (P < 0.001), and a belief that one might need a transplant in the future (P < 0.001). The donation rates in this population group in Spain are higher than those recorded in their countries of origin (55.76 vs. <10 pmp; P < 0.001). The attitude toward organ donation among LA citizens residing in Spain is slightly worse than that reported in the native Spanish population and is determined by many psychosocial factors. The donation rates of LA citizens in Spain are higher than those in their countries of origin. © 2015 Steunstichting ESOT.

Willingness to Participate in Organ Donation among Black Seventh-Day Adventist College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cort, Malcolm; Cort, David

2008-01-01

Objective and Participants: The authors studied a group of black and white Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) college students (N = 334) to compare the power of religious socialization with racial socialization. Methods: The authors compared the levels of willingness to donate organs between black and nonblack students in an availability sample. Results:…

Is there a right to donate blood? Patient rights; donor responsibilities.

PubMed

Franklin, Ian M

2007-06-01

The objective of this study was to analyse and assess critically whether there is a right to donate blood in the UK. The aim was to provide a basis for blood services, in particular within the UK and European Union (EU), to address claims from deferred donors that there is a right to donate. Recent and ongoing campaigns to change the current life-long deferral from blood donation in the UK, Canada and USA of men who have/have had sex with men (MSM) have highlighted issues over whether individuals have a right to donate blood. The issue is complicated by allegations of discriminatory behaviour, and in some countries politicians have contributed to the argument. As anti-discrimination and equality legislation is strengthened in the UK, other groups in addition to MSM may wish to claim a right to donate blood. The methods adopted included discussions with colleagues in UK and European blood services and a review of the medical literature and wider sources using Internet search engines. No clear right to donate blood is apparent, although it is recommended that donor deferral criteria should have a sound basis of evidence. Potential donors have a right to expect a clear explanation of the reason(s) for refusing a donation. Legal safeguards for recipients to receive safe blood transfusions exist. It is concluded that blood recipients in the EU have a right to receive safe blood, and that this should be viewed as the overriding responsibility of blood services.

Attitudes toward strategies to increase organ donation: views of the general public and health professionals.

PubMed

Barnieh, Lianne; Klarenbach, Scott; Gill, John S; Caulfield, Tim; Manns, Braden

2012-12-01

The acceptability of financial incentives for organ donation is contentious. This study sought to determine (1) the acceptability of expense reimbursement or financial incentives by the general public, health professionals involved with organ donation and transplantation, and those with or affected by kidney disease and (2) for the public, whether financial incentives would alter their willingness to consider donation. Web-based survey administered to members of the Canadian public, health professionals, and people with or affected by kidney disease asking questions regarding acceptability of strategies to increase living and deceased kidney donation and willingness to donate a kidney under various financial incentives. Responses were collected from 2004 members of the Canadian public October 11-18, 2011; responses from health professionals (n=339) and people with or affected by kidney disease (n=268) were collected during a 4-week period commencing October 11, 2011. Acceptability of one or more financial incentives to increase deceased and living donation was noted in >70% and 40% of all groups, respectively. Support for monetary payment for living donors was 45%, 14%, and 27% for the public, health professionals, and people with or affected by kidney disease, respectively. Overall, reimbursement of funeral expenses for deceased donors and a tax break for living donors were the most acceptable. The general public views regulated financial incentives for living and deceased donation to be acceptable. Future research needs to examine the impact of financial incentives on rates of deceased and living donors.

Remote Steric Effect as a Facile Strategy for Improving the Efficiency of Exciplex-Based OLEDs.

PubMed

Hung, Wen-Yi; Wang, Ting-Chih; Chiang, Pin-Yi; Peng, Bo-Ji; Wong, Ken-Tsung

2017-03-01

This work reports a new strategy of introducing remote steric effect onto the electron donor for giving the better performance of the exciplex-based organic light-emitting device (OLED). The bulky triphenylsilyl group (SiPh 3 ) was introduced onto the fluorene bridge of 4,4'-(9H-fluorene-9,9-diyl)bis(N,N-di-p-tolylaniline) (DTAF) to create remote steric interactions for increasing the possibility of effective contacts between electron-donating chromophores and acceptor molecules, rendering the resulting exciplex to have a higher photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The green exciplex device based on DSDTAF:3N-T2T (1:1) as an emitting layer exhibits a low turn-on voltage of 2.0 V, high maximum efficiencies (13.2%, 42.9 cd A -1 , 45.5 lm W -1 ), which are higher than the device employed DTAF (without SiPh 3 groups) (11.6%, 35.3 cd A -1 , 41.3 lm W -1 ) as donor under the same device structure. This strategy was further examined for blue exciplex, where the EQE was enhanced from 9.5% to 12.5% as the electron acceptor PO-T2T mixed with a tert-butyl group substituted carbazole-based donor (CPTBF) as the emitting exciplex in device. This strategy is simple and useful for developing high performance exciplex OLEDs.

Response of humic-reducing microorganisms to the redox properties of humic substance during composting.

PubMed

Zhao, Xinyu; He, Xiaosong; Xi, Beidou; Gao, Rutai; Tan, Wenbing; Zhang, Hui; Huang, Caihong; Li, Dan; Li, Meng

2017-12-01

Humic substance (HS) could be utilized by humus-reducing microorganisms (HRMs) as the terminal acceptors. Meanwhile, the reduction of HS can support the microbial growth. This process would greatly affect the redox conversion of inorganic and organic pollutants. However, whether the redox properties of HS lined with HRMs community during composting still remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the relationships between the redox capability of HS [i.e. humic acids (HA) and fulvic acids (FA)] and HRMs during composting. The results showed that the changing patterns of electron accepting capacity and electron donating capacity of HS were diverse during seven composting. Electron transfer capacities (ETC) of HA was significantly correlated with the functional groups (i.e. alkyl C, O-alkyl C, aryl C, carboxylic C, aromatic C), aromaticity and molecular weight of HA. Aromatic C, phenols, aryl C, carboxylic C, aromaticity and molecular weight of HS were the main structuralfeatures associated with the ETC of FA. Ten key genera of HRMs were found significantly determine these redox-active functional groups of HS during composting, thus influencing the ETC of HS in composts. In addition, a regulating method was suggested to enhance the ETC of HS during composting based on the relationships between the key HRMs and redox-active functional groups as well as environmental variables. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formation of tyrosine radicals in photosystem II under far-red illumination.

PubMed

Ahmadova, Nigar; Mamedov, Fikret

2018-04-01

Photosystem II (PS II) contains two redox-active tyrosine residues on the donor side at symmetrical positions to the primary donor, P 680 . Tyr Z , part of the water-oxidizing complex, is a preferential fast electron donor while Tyr D is a slow auxiliary donor to P 680 + . We used PS II membranes from spinach which were depleted of the water oxidation complex (Mn-depleted PS II) to study electron donation from both tyrosines by time-resolved EPR spectroscopy under visible and far-red continuous light and laser flash illumination. Our results show that under both illumination regimes, oxidation of Tyr D occurs via equilibrium with Tyr Z • at pH 4.7 and 6.3. At pH 8.5 direct Tyr D oxidation by P 680 + occurs in the majority of the PS II centers. Under continuous far-red light illumination these reactions were less effective but still possible. Different photochemical steps were considered to explain the far-red light-induced electron donation from tyrosines and localization of the primary electron hole (P 680 + ) on the Chl D1 in Mn-depleted PS II after the far-red light-induced charge separation at room temperature is suggested.

Differential impact of amino acids on OXPHOS system activity following carbohydrate starvation in Arabidopsis cell suspensions.

PubMed

Cavalcanti, João Henrique F; Quinhones, Carla G S; Schertl, Peter; Brito, Danielle S; Eubel, Holger; Hildebrandt, Tatjana; Nunes-Nesi, Adriano; Braun, Hans-Peter; Araújo, Wagner L

2017-12-01

Plant respiration mostly depends on the activity of glycolysis and the oxidation of organic acids in the tricarboxylic acid cycle to synthesize ATP. However, during stress situations plant cells also use amino acids as alternative substrates to donate electrons through the electron-transfer flavoprotein (ETF)/ETF:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (ETF/ETFQO) complex to the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC). Given this, we investigated changes of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system in Arabidopsis thaliana cell culture under carbohydrate starvation supplied with a range of amino acids. Induction of isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase (IVDH) activity was observed under carbohydrate starvation which was associated with increased amounts of IVDH protein detected by immunoblotting. Furthermore, activities of the protein complexes of the mETC were reduced under carbohydrate starvation. We also observed that OXPHOS system activity behavior is differently affected by different amino acids and that proteins associated with amino acids catabolism are upregulated in cells following carbohydrate starvation. Collectively, our results support the contention that ETF/ETFQO is an essential pathway to donate electrons to the mETC and that amino acids are alternative substrates to maintain respiration under carbohydrate starvation. © 2017 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Site-specific binding of a water molecule to the sulfa drugs sulfamethoxazole and sulfisoxazole: a laser-desorption isomer-specific UV and IR study.

PubMed

Uhlemann, Thomas; Seidel, Sebastian; Müller, Christian W

2018-03-07

To determine the preferred water molecule binding sites of the polybasic sulfa drugs sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfisoxazole (SIX), we have studied their monomers and monohydrated complexes through laser-desorption conformer-specific UV and IR spectroscopy. Both the SMX and SIX monomer adopt a single conformer in the molecular beam. On the basis of their conformer-specific IR spectra in the NH stretch region, these conformers were assigned to the SMX and SIX global minimum structures, both exhibiting a staggered sulfonamide group and an intramolecular C-HO[double bond, length as m-dash]S hydrogen bond. The SMX-H 2 O and SIX-H 2 O complexes each adopt a single isomer in the molecular beam. Their isomeric structures were determined based on their isomer-specific IR spectra in the NH/OH stretch region. Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules analysis of the calculated electron densities revealed that in the SMX-H 2 O complex the water molecule donates an O-HN hydrogen bond to the heterocycle nitrogen atom and accepts an N-HO hydrogen bond from the sulfonamide NH group. In the SIX-H 2 O complex, however, the water molecule does not bind to the heterocycle but instead donates an O-HO[double bond, length as m-dash]S hydrogen bond to the sulfonamide group and accepts an N-HO hydrogen bond from the sulfonamide NH group. Both water complexes are additionally stabilized by a C ph -HOH 2 hydrogen bond. Interacting Quantum Atoms analysis suggests that all intermolecular hydrogen bonds are dominated by the short-range exchange-correlation contribution.

Factors influencing blood donations and the rational use of blood.

PubMed

Sharma, Rajeev; Madan, Nidhi; Venkatesh, S; Ichhpujani, R L; Lal, S

2010-09-01

A multicentric quasi-experimental study was conducted in Delhi, from March 2007 to September 2007, on i) the factors which stimulate the donors to donate blood, ii) major barriers and myths associated with blood donation and iii) clinicians perception of the rational use of blood. The study design included a face-to-face survey, with a pre-tested questionnaire paper in two leading blood banks of Delhi and by relevant interviewers from the community and medical fraternity. The sample size was 240-blood donors from two different blood banks and the control group included 100 potential donors from community and 50 clinicians from various hospitals. The data generated was analyzed using excel sheet and Epi-Info software. The study revealed the factors which influence the blood donation included replacement credit and family/peer pressure. Regarding myths and barriers, among potential donors, about a quarter of them felt that it is time consuming, and 20% felt it could lead to sexual impairment or is not rewarding. A total of 10% were not aware about the blood donation while 15% said that donation time was inconvenient. Of the 50 clinicians, a quarter of them were not aware of the rational use of blood.

Imaging of Fluoride Ion in Living Cells and Tissues with a Two-Photon Ratiometric Fluorescence Probe

PubMed Central

Zhu, Xinyue; Wang, Jianxi; Zhang, Jianjian; Chen, Zhenjie; Zhang, Haixia; Zhang, Xiaoyu

2015-01-01

A reaction-based two-photon (TP) ratiometric fluorescence probe Z2 has been developed and successfully applied to detect and image fluoride ion in living cells and tissues. The Z2 probe was designed designed to utilize an ICT mechanism between n-butylnaphthalimide as a fluorophore and tert-butyldiphenylsilane (TBDPS) as a response group. Upon addition of fluoride ion, the Si-O bond in the Z2 would be cleaved, and then a stronger electron-donating group was released. The fluorescent changes at 450 and 540 nm, respectively, made it possible to achieve ratiometric fluorescence detection. The results indicated that the Z2 could ratiometrically detect and image fluoride ion in living cells and tissues in a depth of 250 μm by two-photon microscopy (TPM). PMID:25594597

Reduction of mitomycin C is catalysed by human recombinant NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 using reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as an electron donating co-factor

PubMed Central

Jamieson, D; Tung, A T Y; Knox, R J; Boddy, A V

2006-01-01

NRH:Quinone Oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) has been described as having no enzymatic activity with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) or NADPH as electron donating cosubstrates. Mitomycin C (MMC) is both a substrate for and a mechanistic inhibitor of the NQO2 homologue NQO1. NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 catalysed the reduction of MMC at pH 5.8 with NADH as a co-factor. This reaction results in species that inhibit the NQO2-mediated metabolism of CB1954. In addition, MMC caused an increase in DNA cross-links in a cell line transfected to overexpress NQO2 to an extent comparable to that observed with an isogenic NQO1-expressing cell line. These data indicate that NQO2 may contribute to the metabolism of MMC to cytotoxic species. PMID:17031400

Effect of organ donation after circulatory determination of death on number of organ transplants from donors with neurologic determination of death

PubMed Central

Rao, Vivek; Dhanani, Sonny; MacLean, Janet; Payne, Clare; Paltser, Elizabeth; Humar, Atul; Zaltzman, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: To increase the available pool of organ donors, Ontario introduced donation after circulatory determination of death (DCD) in 2006. Other jurisdictions have reported a decrease in donations involving neurologic determination of death (NDD) after implementation of DCD, with a drop in organ yield and quality. In this study, we examined the effect of DCD on overall transplant activity in Ontario. METHODS: We examined deceased donor and organ transplant activity during 3 distinct 4-year eras: pre-DCD (2002/03 to 2005/06), early DCD (2006/07 to 2009/10) and recent DCD (2010/11 to 2013/14). We compared these donor groups by categorical characteristics. RESULTS: Donation increased by 57%, from 578 donors in the pre-DCD era to 905 donors in the recent DCD era, with a 21% proportion (190/905) of DCD donors in the recent DCD era. However, overall NDD donation also increased. The mean length of hospital stay before declaration for NDD was 2.7 days versus 6.0 days before withdrawal of life support and subsequent asystole in cases of DCD. The average organ yield was 3.73 with NDD donation versus 2.58 with DCD (p < 0.001). Apart from hearts, all organs from DCD donors were successfully transplanted. From the pre-DCD era to the recent DCD era, transplant activity in each era increased for all solid-organ recipients, including heart (from 158 to 216), kidney (from 821 to 1321), liver (from 477 to 657) and lung (from 160 to 305). INTERPRETATION: Implementation of DCD in Ontario led to increased transplant activity for all solid-organ recipients. There was no evidence that the use of DCD was pre-empting potential NDD donation. In contrast to groups receiving other organs, heart transplant candidates have not yet benefited from DCD. PMID:28947546

Synthesis of tris- and tetrakis(pentafluoroethyl)silanes.

PubMed

Steinhauer, Simon; Bader, Julia; Stammler, Hans-Georg; Ignat'ev, Nikolai; Hoge, Berthold

2014-05-12

The synthesis and complete characterization of functional, highly Lewis acidic tris(pentafluoroethyl)silanes as well as tetrakis(perfluoroalkyl)silanes Si(C2F5)4 and Si(C2F5)3 CF3 by direct fluorination is described. The reaction of SiCl4 with LiC2F5 invariably affords (pentafluoroethyl)fluorosilicates. To avoid silicate formation by fluoride transfer from LiC2F5 the Lewis acidity of the silane has to be decreased by electron-donating substituents, such as dialkylamino groups. The easily accessible Si(C2F5)3 NEt2 is a valuable precursor for a series of tris(pentafluoroethyl)silanes. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of helicopter transport on red blood cell components.

PubMed

Otani, Taiichi; Oki, Ken-ichi; Akino, Mitsuaki; Tamura, Satoru; Naito, Yuki; Homma, Chihiro; Ikeda, Hisami; Sumita, Shinzou

2012-01-01

There are no reported studies on whether a helicopter flight affects the quality and shelf-life of red blood cells stored in mannitol-adenine-phosphate. Seven days after donation, five aliquots of red blood cells from five donors were packed into an SS-BOX-110 container which can maintain the temperature inside the container between 2 °C and 6 °C with two frozen coolants. The temperature of an included dummy blood bag was monitored. After the box had been transported in a helicopter for 4 hours, the red blood cells were stored again and their quality evaluated at day 7 (just after the flight), 14, 21 and 42 after donation. Red blood cell quality was evaluated by measuring adenosine triphosphate, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, and supernatant potassium, as well as haematocrit, intracellular pH, glucose, supernatant haemoglobin, and haemolysis rate at the various time points. During the experiment the recorded temperature remained between 2 and 6 °C. All data from the red blood cells that had undergone helicopter transportation were the same as those from a control group of red blood cell samples 7 (just after the flight), 14, 21, and 42 days after the donation. Only supernatant Hb and haemolysis rate 42 days after the donation were slightly increased in the helicopter-transported group of red blood cell samples. All other parameters at 42 days after donation were the same in the two groups of red blood cells. These results suggest that red blood cells stored in mannitol-adenine-phosphate are not significantly affected by helicopter transportation. The differences in haemolysis by the end of storage were small and probably not of clinical significance.

Effects of helicopter transport on red blood cell components

PubMed Central

Otani, Taiichi; Oki, Ken-ichi; Akino, Mitsuaki; Tamura, Satoru; Naito, Yuki; Homma, Chihiro; Ikeda, Hisami; Sumita, Shinzou

2012-01-01

Background There are no reported studies on whether a helicopter flight affects the quality and shelf-life of red blood cells stored in mannitol-adenine-phosphate. Materials and methods Seven days after donation, five aliquots of red blood cells from five donors were packed into an SS-BOX-110 container which can maintain the temperature inside the container between 2 °C and 6 °C with two frozen coolants. The temperature of an included dummy blood bag was monitored. After the box had been transported in a helicopter for 4 hours, the red blood cells were stored again and their quality evaluated at day 7 (just after the flight), 14, 21 and 42 after donation. Red blood cell quality was evaluated by measuring adenosine triphosphate, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, and supernatant potassium, as well as haematocrit, intracellular pH, glucose, supernatant haemoglobin, and haemolysis rate at the various time points. Results During the experiment the recorded temperature remained between 2 and 6 °C. All data from the red blood cells that had undergone helicopter transportation were the same as those from a control group of red blood cell samples 7 (just after the flight), 14, 21, and 42 days after the donation. Only supernatant Hb and haemolysis rate 42 days after the donation were slightly increased in the helicopter-transported group of red blood cell samples. All other parameters at 42 days after donation were the same in the two groups of red blood cells. Discussion These results suggest that red blood cells stored in mannitol-adenine-phosphate are not significantly affected by helicopter transportation. The differences in haemolysis by the end of storage were small and probably not of clinical significance. PMID:22153688

Theoretical study of the hydrogen abstraction of substituted phenols by nitrogen dioxide as a source of HONO.

PubMed

Shenghur, Abraham; Weber, Kevin H; Nguyen, Nhan D; Sontising, Watit; Tao, Fu-Ming

2014-11-20

The mild yet promiscuous reactions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and phenolic derivatives to produce nitrous acid (HONO) have been explored with density functional theory calculations. The reaction is found to occur via four distinct pathways with both proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanisms available. While the parent reaction with phenol may not be significant in the gas phase, electron donating groups in the ortho and para positions facilitate the reduction of nitrogen dioxide by electronically stabilizing the product phenoxy radical. Hydrogen bonding groups in the ortho position may additionally stabilize the nascent resonantly stabilized radical product, thus enhancing the reaction. Catechol (ortho-hydroxy phenol) has a predicted overall free energy change ΔG(0) = -0.8 kcal mol(-1) and electronic activation energy Ea = 7.0 kcal mol(-1). Free amines at the ortho and para positions have ΔG(0) = -3.8 and -1.5 kcal mol(-1); Ea = 2.3 and 2.1 kcal mol(-1), respectively. The results indicate that the hydrogen abstraction reactions of these substituted phenols by NO2 are fast and spontaneous. Hammett constants produce a linear correlation with bond dissociation energy (BDE) demonstrating that the BDE is the main parameter controlling the dark abstraction reaction. The implications for atmospheric chemistry and ground-level nitrous acid production are discussed.

[Knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation among health professionals in a third level hospital].

PubMed

Montero Salinas, Alejandro; Martínez-Isasi, Santiago; Fieira Costa, Eva; Fernández García, Antón; Castro Dios, Diana Josefa; Fernández García, Daniel

2018-04-18

The Spanish model is the model adopted by many countries to increase their donation rate, being the implication of the healthcare professionals one of the keys to this success. The attitude of these before the donation is crucial for the hour of influence on the population. Organ transplantation has been established as an effective treatment that has been improving over the years. The objective was to determine the knowledge and attitudes of health professionals before the donation of organs. Cross-sectional descriptive study. An ad hoc questionnaire was conducted and distributed among the health professionals (medical staff, nurses and nursing assistants) of a tertiary hospital during February 2015. A total of 615 potential participants were estimated in the different areas of the hospital. A total of 342 completed questionnaires were collected (55%). The statistical analysis with SPSS® Statistics for Windows. Version 20.0. A level of significance P lower than 0.05 was used in all the analyses. The average age of the respondents was 43.34 (SD = 10.37) years, being 86.6% women and 60% nurses. 35.5% showed good knowledge about the donation process, being higher in men (51.1% Vs 33.1%, p lower than 0.05), medical personnel (55% vs 34.3% vs 31.9%). %; p lower than 0.05) and lower in those services with a direct relationship with the donation process (36.8% vs 31.9%, p lower than 0.05). 71% of the professionals expressed their willingness to donate their organs, with special sensitivity towards donation those services in direct relation with the donation program (82.2% vs 65.9%, OR: 1.24, p lower than 0.001 ). 50% of the professionals would donate the organs of a family member; the medical group had the highest percentage (70% vs 50.7% vs 40.4%, OR: 3.8, p lower than 0.05). 74.5% knew some Spanish legal document about donation and transplants. Health professionals as a whole have a low level of knowledge; but a good attitude towards donation.

Attitude and Impact Factors Toward Organ Transplantation and Donation Among Transplantation Nurses in China.

PubMed

Xie, J-F; Wang, C-Y; He, G-P; Ming, Y-Z; Wan, Q-Q; Liu, J; Gong, L-N; Liu, L-F

Health workers' awareness and knowledge of transplantation medicine can improve people's sensitivity and reduce their degree of opposition to donations. The medical literature contains numerous examples of attitudes toward organ transplantation and donation aimed at university students or medical staff members, but rarely for transplantation nurses. The purposes of the study were to investigate the attitudes toward organ transplantation and donation among transplantation nurses and to explore the impact factors. The study was conducted in 37 transplantation surgery wards in 22 hospitals using cross-sectional approach. SPSS (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, New York, USA) 7.0 software was used to analysis descriptive and inferential statistics for data. Five hundred thirty-six effective questionnaires were received and the effective rate was 89.33%. Nurses' mean age was 28.40 years with a mean service length of 6.54 years. Among these nurses, 66.6% and 78.0% were willing to accept organ transplantation surgery for themselves and their relatives, respectively. Of these nurses, 33.4% would donate their organs after death; whereas 39.9% were uncertain. Only 38.2% were willing to register in the national organ donation system. Of these nurses, 28.2% were willing to sign the organ donation consent forms when their relatives became potential organ donors, and 45.7% were uncertain. Eight independent variables that affected nurses' attitudes toward donating their organs from most to least significant were: ratio of nurse to bed, title, employment form, age, length of service, position, monthly income, and the highest educational degree earned. Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant correlation among nurses' attitudes toward organ transplantation, organ donation, and online registration. The attitude toward donation and transplantation in the hospitals was not too optimistic, and an improvement in the training regarding transplantation and donation among nurses in China is necessary. Nurses are an important group who generate opinion in the patient population, and their negative attitudes can have a significant negative impact on society's attitudes toward organ donation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emigration From Puerto Rico to Florida: Multivariate Analysis of Factors That Condition Attitudes of the Puerto Rican Population Toward Organ Donation for Transplant.

PubMed

Ríos, A; López-Navas, A I; Sánchez, Á; Martínez-Alarcón, L; Ayala, M A; Garrido, G; Sebastián, M J; Ramis, G; Hernández, A M; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2018-03-01

The Puerto Rican population represents one of the largest immigration groups in Florida, and this has an impact on the organ transplant donation process. Our aim was to analyze attitudes toward organ donation among Puerto Ricans who currently reside in the state of Florida (USA). The population screened consisted of individuals >15 years old, who were born in Puerto Rico, living in Florida, and awaiting organs for transplant. All participants completed the "PCID-DTO Rios" questionnaire. Random selection was done according to stratification. Support from immigration associations in Spain was needed for advice on the locations of potential respondents. Study participation was anonymized and self-administered. There were 259 respondents, 37% (n = 95) were in favor of donation, 36% (n = 93) were against donation, and 27% (n = 71) were undecided. The variables associated with these attitudes were: age (P = .017); civil status (P = .021); level of education (P < .001); previous experience with donation and transplant (P < .001); attitude toward organ donation of a relative (P < .001); carrying out pro-social activities (P < .001); discussing the issue of transplant with the family (P < .001) or couple (P < .001); attitude toward incineration (P < .001), burial (P < .001), and autopsy (P < .001); fear of mutilation after donation (P < .001); and religious beliefs (P < .001). In the multivariate study, it remained an independent variable to have discussed the issue at the family level (odds ratio = 11.627; P = .009). The Puerto Rican study population residing in Florida has an unfavorable attitude toward organ donation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multivariate analysis to determine the factors affecting the attitudes toward organ donation of healthcare assistants in Spanish and Mexican healthcare centers.

PubMed

Ríos, A; López-Navas, A; Ayala-García, M A; Sebastián, M; Febrero, B; Ramírez, E J; Muñoz, G; Palacios, G; Rodríguez, J S; Martínez, M A; Nieto, A; Martínez-Alarcón, L; Ramis, G; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2012-01-01

Healthcare assistants are an important group of workers who can influence public opinion. Their attitudes toward organ donation may influence public awareness of healthcare matters; negative attitudes toward donation and transplantation could have a negative impact on public attitudes. Our objective was analyze the attitudes of healthcare assistants, in Spanish and Mexican healthcare centers toward organ donation and determine factors affecting them using a multivariate analysis. As part of the "International Collaborative Donor Project," 32 primary care centers and 4 hospitals were selected in Spain and 5 hospitals in Mexico. A randomized sample of healthcare assistants was stratified according to healthcare services. Attitudes were evaluated using a validated questionnaire of the psychosocial aspects of donation, which was self-completed anonymously by the respondent. Statistical analysis used the chi-square test, Student t test, and logistic regression analysis. Of 532 respondents, 66% in favored donation and 34% were against it or undecided. Upon multivariate analysis, the following variables had the most weight: 1) country of origin (Mexicans were more in favor than Spanish; odds ratio [OR]) = 1.964; P = .014); 2) a partner with a favorable attitude (OR = 2.597; P = .013); 3) not being concerned about possible bodily mutilation after donation (OR = 2.631; P = .006); 4) preference for options apart from burial for handling the body after death (OR = 4.694; P < .001) and 5) accepting an autopsy if one was needed (OR = 3.584; P < .001). The attitudes of healthcare assistants toward organ donation varied considerably according to the respondent's country of origin. The psycho-social profile of a person with a positive attitude to donation was similar to that described within the general public. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of Scottish residents in the southeast of Spain concerning living donation.

PubMed

Ríos, A; Martínez-Alarcón, L; López-Navas, A; Febrero, B; Sánchez, J; Ramis, G; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2013-01-01

To reduce the considerable organ deficit, living donation is being promoted. The subset of foreign population living in Spain could be potential patients for transplantation and/or donation. The objective of this study was to analyze the attitudes toward living donation (LD) of the population from the southeast of Spain who are natives of Scotland. Within the "International Collaborative Donor Project," a random representative sample was obtained of the adult population residing in the southeast of Spain and who were born in Scotland (n = 350). Attitudes were evaluated with the use of a validated questionnaire that was completed anonymously and was self-administered. The Student t test, χ(2) test, and Fisher exact test were applied. The completion rate was 93% (n = 324); 90% of the respondents (n = 290) were in favor of related LD, decreasing to 26% (n = 85) if it was unrelated. In the analysis of variables affecting attitude toward LD, differences were found in: 1) attitude toward deceased donation (P < .001); 2) having had previous experience of the donation and transplantation process (P = .049); 3) a respondent's belief that his or her religion was in favor of LD (P < .001); and 4) a partner's attitude toward donation and transplantation (P = .007). The attitude toward related LD among Scottish residents in the southeast of Spain is very favorable, and is very closely related to attitude toward deceased donation, family attitude, and religious attitude. Patients on the waiting list of Scottish origin will be one of the most appropriate groups for promoting LD when living donation is being promoted in Spain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A population-based longitudinal study on the implications of demographics on future blood supply.

PubMed

Greinacher, Andreas; Weitmann, Kerstin; Lebsa, Anne; Alpen, Ulf; Gloger, Doris; Stangenberg, Wolfgang; Kiefel, Volker; Hoffmann, Wolfgang

2016-12-01

Changes in demographics with increases in older age groups and decreases in younger age groups imply an increased demand for blood transfusions paralleled by a decrease in the population eligible for blood donation. However, more restrictive transfusion triggers and the patient blood management initiative also reduce the demand for red blood cells (RBCs). Eastern Germany is a model region for the impact of demographic changes, which manifest in this region approximately 10 years earlier than in other regions due to the 50% birth rate decline after 1989. We report the 2010 longitudinal 5-year follow-up of the study assessing all whole blood donations and RBC transfusions in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. We compared the projections that were made 5 years ago with: 1) the current age structure of the blood donor and transfusion recipient populations and 2) its impact on blood demand and blood donation numbers in specific age groups. Transfusion rates were lower and blood donation rates were higher than predicted in 2005. Although transfusion rates/1000 decreased in nearly all age groups, the overall annual transfusion rate increased to 66.4 RBC units/1000 (in 2005, 62.2/1000) due to the absolute increase in the elderly population. Despite a 7.4% decline in the population 18 to 65 years of age, whole blood donations increased by 11.7% between 2005 and 2010, but thereafter decreased by 21% (first-time donors by 39.4%), reflecting the effect of the post-1990 birth rate decline on the donor population. Changes in demography and medical practice impact the delicate balance between available blood supply and potential future transfusion needs. In times of pronounced demographic changes, regular monitoring of the blood demand and age structure of blood recipients and donors is required to allow strategic planning to prevent blood shortages or overproduction. © 2016 AABB.

From altruism to monetisation: Australian women's ideas about money, ethics and research eggs.

PubMed

Waldby, Catherine; Kerridge, Ian; Boulos, Margaret; Carroll, Katherine

2013-10-01

We report the results of a qualitative study carried out in metropolitan Australia between 2009 and 2011 that canvassed the issue of payment for research oöcyte donation with participants drawn from three potential donor groups; fertility patients, reproductive donors and young, non-patient women. Research oöcytes are controversial tissues because women around the world have proved largely unwilling to donate them altruistically. In the ensuing international debate about procurement, the issue of money and its appropriate and inappropriate uses in tissue donation has taken centre stage. While there is now an abundance of expert commentary on this matter, there are almost no studies that probe this issue with potential donor populations. Our study asked the three groups of women about their understandings of altruistic, reimbursed, subsidised, compensated and paid donation for both reproductive and research eggs. We identify a resistance to the introduction of money into the sphere of reproductive donation, which the majority of respondents felt should remain an area of personalised gift relations. In the area of research donation we find a strong relationship between degrees of liquidity (the extent to which money is constrained or unconstrained) and a sense of ethical appropriateness. We also describe a culturally specific sense of fairness and equity among participants, associated with the relatively high public subsidisation of fertility treatment in Australia, which they used to benchmark their sense of appropriate and inappropriate uses of money. While the participant responses reflect the regulatory environment in Australia, particularly the absence of a US style market in reproductive oöcytes, they also make an important contribution to the global debate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Associated with Health Care Professionals' Attitude Toward the Presumed Consent System.

PubMed

Tumin, Makmor; Tafran, Khaled; Satar, NurulHuda Mohd; Peng, Ng Kok; Manikam, Rishya; Yoong, Tang Li; Chan, Chong Mei

2018-05-16

This paper explores health care professionals' potential attitude toward organ donation if the presumed consent system were to be implemented in Malaysia, as well as factors associated with this attitude. We used self-administered questionnaires to investigate the attitude of 382 health care professionals from the University of Malaya Medical Center between January and February 2014. The responses were analyzed using logistic regression. Of the 382 respondents, 175 (45.8%) stated that they would officially object to organ donation if the presumed consent system were to be implemented, whereas the remaining 207 (54.2%) stated that they would not object. The logistic regression showed that health care professionals from the Malay ethnic group were more likely to object than those from Chinese (adjusted odds ratio of 0.342; P = .001) and Indian and other (adjusted odds ratio of 0.341; P = .003) ethnic groups. Health care professionals earning 3000 Malaysian Ringgit or below were more likely to object than those earning above 3000 Malaysian Ringgit (adjusted odds ratio of 1.919; P = .006). Moreover, respondents who were initially unwilling to donate organs, regardless of the donation system, were more likely to object under the presumed consent system than those who were initially willing to donate (adjusted odds ratio of 2.765; P < .001). Health care professionals in Malaysia have a relatively negative attitude toward the presumed consent system, which does not encourage the implementation of this system in the country at present. To pave the way for a successful implementation of the presumed consent system, efforts should be initiated to enhance the attitude of health care professionals toward this system. In particular, these efforts should at most target the health care professionals who are Malay, earn a low income, and have a negative default attitude toward deceased donation.

Whole Blood Donation Affects the Interpretation of Hemoglobin A1c

PubMed Central

Lenters-Westra, Erna; de Kort, Wim; Bokhorst, Arlinke G.; Bilo, Henk J. G.; Slingerland, Robbert J.; Vos, Michel J.

2017-01-01

Introduction Several factors, including changed dynamics of erythrocyte formation and degradation, can influence the degree of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) formation thereby affecting its use in monitoring diabetes. This study determines the influence of whole blood donation on HbA1c in both non-diabetic blood donors and blood donors with type 2 diabetes. Methods In this observational study, 23 non-diabetic blood donors and 21 blood donors with type 2 diabetes donated 475 mL whole blood and were followed prospectively for nine weeks. Each week blood samples were collected and analyzed for changes in HbA1c using three secondary reference measurement procedures. Results Twelve non-diabetic blood donors (52.2%) and 10 (58.8%) blood donors with type 2 diabetes had a significant reduction in HbA1c following blood donation (reduction >-4.28%, P < 0.05). All non-diabetic blood donors with a normal ferritin concentration predonation had a significant reduction in HbA1c. In the non-diabetic group the maximum reduction was -11.9%, in the type 2 diabetes group -12.0%. When eligible to donate again, 52.2% of the non-diabetic blood donors and 41.2% of the blood donors with type 2 diabetes had HbA1c concentrations significantly lower compared to their predonation concentration (reduction >-4.28%, P < 0.05). Conclusion Patients with type 2 diabetes contributing to whole blood donation programs can be at risk of falsely lowered HbA1c. This could lead to a wrong interpretation of their glycemic control by their general practitioner or internist. PMID:28118412

[Efficiency indicators to assess the organ donation and transplantation process: systematic review of the literature].

PubMed

Siqueira, Marina Martins; Araujo, Claudia Affonso; de Aguiar Roza, Bartira; Schirmer, Janine

2016-08-01

To search the literature and identify indicators used to monitor and control the organ donation and transplantation process and to group these indicators into categories. In November 2014, a systematic review of the literature was carried out in the following databases: Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), EBSCO, Emerald, Proquest, Science Direct, and Web of Science. The following search terms (and the corresponding terms in Brazilian Portuguese) were employed: "efficiency," "indicators," "organ donation," "tissue and organ procurement," and "organ transplantation." Of the 344 articles retrieved, 23 original articles published between 1992 and 2013 were selected and reviewed for analysis of efficiency indicators. The review revealed 117 efficiency indicators, which were grouped according to similarity of content and divided into three categories: 1) 71 indicators related to organ donation, covering mortality statistics, communication of brain death, clinical status of donors and exclusion of donors for medical reasons, attitude of families, confirmation of donations, and extraction of organs and tissues; 2) 22 indicators related to organ transplantation, covering the surgical procedure per se and post-transplantation follow-up; and 3) 24 indicators related to the demand for organs and the resources of hospitals involved in the process. Even if organ transplantation is a recent phenomenon, the high number of efficiency indicators described in the literature suggests that scholars interested in this field have been searching for ways to measure performance. However, there is little standardization of the indicators used. Also, most indicators focus on the donation step, suggesting gaps in the measurement of efficiency at others points in the process. Additional indicators are needed to monitor important stages, such as organ distribution (for example, organ loss indicators) and post-transplantation aspects (for example, survival and quality of life).

Getting to the Heart of Being the Match: A Qualitative Analysis of Bone Marrow Donor Recruitment and Retention Among College Students

PubMed Central

Rogers, Charles R.; Jeon, Kwon Chan; Rosen, Brittany

2014-01-01

Introduction For those with certain blood or bone cancers, bone marrow donation can mean the difference between life and death. The National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) operates the largest bone marrow registry of potential donors; however, at times when potential matches are identified, many donors opt not to donate. The purpose of this study was to describe perspectives from college-aged students on recruitment to a bone marrow donation registry and retention to the registry/follow-through with the donation process. Methods Researchers employed a one-time qualitative study using 7 focus groups comprised of 10 – 11 college students each (n = 76). Results Results yielded three overarching themes: donor recruitment, donor retention, and factors contributing to the overall donation process. More specifically, this study identified key factors affecting bone marrow donation in an essential population: facilitators, barriers, knowledge, and ‘goodness’. Additionally, marketing and communication were found to be major determinants of potential donors staying with the NMDP. Conclusion Better explanations and awareness/promotion campaigns are necessary for recruiting potential donors to the NMDP and to increase the likelihood that the donor will follow through with the donation should a potential match be identified. Recommendations from this study may improve recruitment and retention rates among the NMDP campaigns targeting college students. PMID:25632376

"Mortui vivos docent" or who gives his body to science? The analysis of the personal questionnaires of Polish donors in the Conscious Body Donation Program.

PubMed

Bajor, Grzegorz; Likus, Wirginia; Kuszewski, Piotr; Kostro, Karol; Łoś, Andrzej; Kłakus, Piotr

2015-01-01

The Conscious Body Donation Program conducted since 2003 by the Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice was the first innovative project aimed at obtaining informed donors' bodies for the purpose of teaching anatomy in Poland. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the declared donors' characteristics and to establish the possible motivation for body donation. A total of 244 application files were reviewed and the following information was analyzed: donor's age, age at which the decision to donate the body was made, donor's place of residence and declared nationality, family background, education and profession, family structure and religion. Our results showed that mainly elderly people decided to donate their bodies (68.5 ± 11.84 years), living mostly in large and medium-sized cities. Men--donors often lived in small towns. Most of the donors were of blue-collar parentage, completed secondary education and at the time of taking decision to donate where married and retired. Widows were more likely to make the decision to donate than widowers. Most of our donors were Catholic. Our analysis of the profile of Polish donors may be useful to understand better for which groups of people death is not to be perceived as the end, and may become a value, which can be beneficial to living people.

[Myths about organ donation on health personnel, potential recipients and relatives of potential donors in a peruvian hospital: a qualitative study].

PubMed

Gómez-Rázuri, Katherine; Ballena-López, José; León-Jiménez, Franco

2016-03-01

To explore the myths regarding organ donation at a national hospital in Lambayeque, Peru during 2014. A qualitative-phenomenological study was performed using 24 unstructured in-depht interview of health personnel, potential recipients and relatives of potential donors. Sampling was intentional opinion-based, completed by theoretical saturation in each group. An interview guide was used, which was assessed by five experts, and data triangulation was performed. Twenty-three interviewees (95,8%) reported a favorable attitude towards organ donation. On their National Identification Document, thirteen (54,2%) had marked "no" for donation. The myths were: age or illness can preclude donation; that the recipient may experience the donor's behaviours and lives in it; brain death is undestood as the immobility of the body and a reversible state; religions do not accept organ donation because it affects physical integrity and resurrection; and that there are preferences on the organ donor waiting list and that organ trafficking taxes place. Myths explored in this study involved religious, socio-cultural, psychological and ethical misperceptions. The apparent lack of knowledge of the brain death diagnosis is the starting point of the donation process. Therefore, the presence of a hospital coordinator, the role of spiritual leaders and the correct information provided by media would be key parts to dispell these myths.

Moral stories emphasizing actors' negative emotions toward their nonhelping behavior promote preschoolers' helping behavior.

PubMed

Du, Xu; Hao, Jian

2018-04-01

Specific emotions, especially guilt, are considered to facilitate children's prosocial behavior. The current study differentiated moral stories with a helping theme in terms of the valence and source of emotions and aimed to clarify the effect of these stories on preschoolers' helping intentions and behavior. A total of 322 preschoolers between 4 and 6 years old were randomly assigned to four experimental groups and one control group. A specific type of moral story was presented to each of the experimental groups, whereas a nonmoral story was presented to the control group. The preschoolers were also asked to answer relevant questions to examine their story comprehension. The preschoolers' donating intentions and behavior were then measured. The results showed that all the experimental groups expressed more donating intentions than the control group. However, only the group that read the moral story emphasizing the actor's negative emotions toward his nonhelping behavior displayed more donating behavior than the control group. Therefore, the current study reveals that various moral stories dealing with a helping theme can facilitate helping intentions among preschoolers and that only certain stories can promote their helping behavior. Thus, it indicates the specificity of moral stories that facilitate prosocial behavior in terms of the valence and source of emotions in those stories. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Theoretical simulations on the antioxidant mechanism of naturally occurring flavonoid: A DFT approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Praveena, R.; Sadasivam, K.

Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are found to be toxic, hence non-carcinogenic naturally occurring radical scavengers especially flavonoids have gained considerable importance in the past two decades. In the present investigation, the radical scavenging activity of C-glycosyl flavonoids is evaluated using theoretical approach which could broaden its scope in therapeutic applications. Gas and solvent phase studies of structural and molecular characteristics of C-glycosyl flavonoid, isovitexin is investigated through hydrogen atom transfer mechanism (HAT), Electron transfer-proton transfer (ET–PT) and Sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET) by Density functional theory (DFT) using hybrid parameters. The computedmore » values of the adiabatic ionization potential, electron affinity, hardness, softness, electronegativity and electrophilic index indicate that isovitexin possess good radical scavenging activity. The behavior of different –OH groups in polyphenolic compounds is assessed by considering electronic effects of the neighbouring groups and the overall geometry of molecule which in turn helps in analyzing the antioxidant capacity of the polyphenolic molecule. The studies indicate that the H–atom abstraction from 4’–OH site is preferred during the radical scavenging process. From Mulliken spin density analysis and FMOs, B–ring is found to be more delocalized center and capable of electron donation. Comparison of antioxidant activity of vitexin and isovitexin leads to the conclusion that isovitexin acts as a better radical scavenger. This is an evidence for the importance of position of glucose unit in the flavonoid.« less

The History and Challenges of Blood Donor Screening in China.

PubMed

Li, Ling; Li, Ka Yi; Yan, Ke; Ou, Guojin; Li, Wenhui; Wang, Jue; Song, Ning; Tian, Li; Ji, Xin; Chen, Yongjun; Liang, Xiaohua; Liu, Zhong; Wu, Yanyun

2017-04-01

Since the establishment of People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese government has encountered several catastrophes related to transfusion transmitted diseases. The government's increasing attention to blood safety has prompted the initiation of a series of policies and measures that have enhanced the level of safety for the blood supply and met the basic clinical demands of blood for 1.3 billion people in the country. Blood donation screening strategies in China predominantly comprise donor screening and donor testing. Donor screening includes selection of low-risk blood donors by the use of a donor history questionnaire, predonation physical examination, and initial rapid donor testing. Donor testing includes direct pathogen detection and serology tests. The year 1998 marked the most transformative change in blood donor selection and screening policies in China. Before 1998, paid donation was the predominant mode of blood donation. Donor screening and donor testing were conducted before donation, and only those who were eligible were allowed to donate. To ensure the safety of blood, donor testing was performed again after donation. After the implementation of the Blood Donation Law in 1998, to promote voluntary and unpaid donation, predonation donor testing was eliminated to reduce the amount of waiting time and to provide a more convenient donation experience for blood donors. However, it is the national requirement that donated blood should undergo 2 rounds of testing using different equipment or reagents, conducted by different personnel. Donor selection has transitioned from paid donation and obligatory donation to voluntary donation with fixed volunteer groups, as the latter mode of donation provides the lowest risks. Donations are currently screened for syphilis, hepatitis C virus, HIV, and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Units, previously typed only for ABO, are now routinely tested for both ABO and Rh(D). Innovations in testing technologies and methods have also brought changes to screening parameters. For instance, screening for HBV pathogens evolved from the early use of hemagglutination method to the later use of radioimmunoassay, independent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and now the widespread application of nucleic acid test (NAT). Since 2010, the Chinese government has established NAT capacity in several blood centers; and in 2015, the government invested 900 million RMB on the nationwide expansion of NAT. Although the Chinese government has worked to enhance blood safety, many challenges remain. Concern exists for rising rates of HIV infection. The existence of occult HBV infection and the transmission of emerging blood-borne diseases continue to challenge the safety of the blood supply. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 14801 - Request for Information (RFI) on Design of a Pilot Operational Study To Assess Alternative Blood...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... Incidence Surveillance Group. Estimated HIV Incidence in the United States, 2006-2009. PLoS One. 2011;6(8... donors who meet all other donor eligibility criteria, and have negative pre-donation test results, would...' disease), and a serologic test for syphilis. A pre-donation testing strategy would focus on the prevalence...

Process Evaluation of a School-Based Education Program about Organ Donation and Registration, and the Intention for Continuance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reubsaet, A.; Reinaerts, E. B. M.; Brug, J.; van Hooff, J. P.; van den Borne, H. W.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the process evaluation of an organ donation education program for high school students aged 15-18 years of which the effectiveness was established. The program consisted of three components: a video with group discussion, an interactive computer-tailored program and a registration training session. A cross-sectional survey was…

The World Health Organization, the drugs company, and the $10,000 funding offer.

PubMed

Day, Michael; Boseley, Sarah

2007-01-01

The World Health Organization faces allegations that it attempted to secure a $10,000 donation from a pharmaceutical company by asking a patients' group to act as a covert channel for the funds, an arrangement that would break the WHO's own rules on accepting money from the pharmaceutical industry. The WHO denies attempts to bend its donation rules.

Liver Transplant From Unexpected Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death Donors: A Challenge in Perioperative Management.

PubMed

Blasi, A; Hessheimer, A J; Beltrán, J; Pereira, A; Fernández, J; Balust, J; Martínez-Palli, G; Fuster, J; Navasa, M; García-Valdecasas, J C; Taurá, P; Fondevila, C

2016-06-01

Unexpected donation after circulatory determination of death (uDCD) liver transplantation is a complex procedure, in particular when it comes to perioperative recipient management. However, very little has been published to date regarding intraoperative and immediate postoperative care in this setting. Herein, we compare perioperative events in uDCD liver recipients with those of a matched group of donation after brain death liver recipients. We demonstrate that the former group of recipients suffers significantly greater hemodynamic instability and derangements in coagulation following graft reperfusion. Based on our experience, we recommend a proactive recipient management strategy in uDCD liver transplantation that involves early use of vasopressor support; maintaining adequate intraoperative levels of red cells, platelets, and fibrinogen; and routinely administering tranexamic acid before graft reperfusion. © Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

A theoretical investigation of two typical two-photon pH fluorescent probes.

PubMed

Xu, Zhong; Ren, Ai-Min; Guo, Jing-Fu; Liu, Xiao-Ting; Huang, Shuang; Feng, Ji-Kang

2013-01-01

Intracellular pH plays an important role in many cellular events, such as cell growth, endocytosis, cell adhesion and so on. Some pH fluorescent probes have been reported, but most of them are one-photon fluorescent probes, studies about two-photon fluorescent probes are very rare. In this work, the geometrical structure, electronic structure and one-photon properties of a series of two-photon pH fluorescent probes have been theoretically studied by using density functional theory (DFT) method. Their two-photon absorption (TPA) properties are calculated using the method of ZINDO/sum-over-states method. Two types of two-photon pH fluorescent probes have been investigated by theoretical methods. The mechanisms of the Photoinduced Charge Transfer (PCT) probes and the Photoinduced Electron Transfer (PET) probes are verified specifically. Some designed strategies of good two-photon pH fluorescent probes are suggested on the basis of the investigated results of two mechanisms. For the PCT probes, substituting a stronger electron-donating group for the terminal methoxyl group is an advisable choice to increase the TPA cross section. For the PET probes, the TPA cross sections increase upon protonation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Photochemistry and Photobiology © 2012 The American Society of Photobiology.

Molecular diodes and ultra-thin organic rectifying junctions: Au-S-CnH2n-Q3CNQ and TCNQ derivatives.

PubMed

Ashwell, Geoffrey J; Moczko, Katarzyna; Sujka, Marta; Chwialkowska, Anna; Hermann High, L R; Sandman, Daniel J

2007-02-28

Attempts to obtain derivatives of the molecular diode, 2-{4-[1-cyano-2-(1-(omega-acetylsulfanylalkyl)-1H-quinolin-4-ylidene)-ethylidene]-cyclohexa-2,5-dienylidene}-malonitrile [1, CH(3)CO-S-C(n)H(2n)-Q3CNQ], from either 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQF(4)) or 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-7,7,8,8-tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TMTCNQ) result in ring closure via the cyano group of the pi-bridge and yield di-substituted analogues: 2-{2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-[6-(10-acetylsulfanyldecyl)-3-(1-(10-acetylsulfanyldecyl)-1H-quinolin-4-ylidenemethyl)-6H-benzo[f][1,7]naphthyridin-2-ylidene]-cyclohexa-2,5-dienylidene}-malonitrile (2a) and the 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl derivative (2b). Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of these donor-(pi-bridge)-acceptor molecular diodes exhibit asymmetric current-voltage characteristics with electron flow at forward bias from the top contact to surface C(CN)(2) groups. Comparison is made with I-V curves from ultra-thin films of an organic rectifying junction in which TCNQ(-) is electron-donating and a donor-(sigma-bridge)-acceptor diode in which TCNQ degrees is electron-accepting.

Approaches for optimizing the first electronic hyperpolarizability of conjugated organic molecules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marder, S. R.; Beratan, D. N.; Cheng, L.-T.

1991-01-01

Conjugated organic molecules with electron-donating and -accepting moieties can exhibit large electronic second-order nonlinearities, or first hyperpolarizabilities, beta. The present two-state, four-orbital independent-electron analysis of beta leads to the prediction that its absolute value will be maximized at a combination of donor and acceptor strengths for a given conjugated bridge. Molecular design strategies for beta optimization are proposed which give attention to the energetic manipulations of the bridge states. Experimental results have been obtained which support the validity of this approach.

Electron shuttles in biotechnology.

PubMed

Watanabe, Kazuya; Manefield, Mike; Lee, Matthew; Kouzuma, Atsushi

2009-12-01

Electron-shuttling compounds (electron shuttles [ESs], or redox mediators) are essential components in intracellular electron transfer, while microbes also utilize self-produced and naturally present ESs for extracellular electron transfer. These compounds assist in microbial energy metabolism by facilitating electron transfer between microbes, from electron-donating substances to microbes, and/or from microbes to electron-accepting substances. Artificially supplemented ESs can create new routes of electron flow in the microbial energy metabolism, thereby opening up new possibilities for the application of microbes to biotechnology processes. Typical examples of such processes include halogenated-organics bioremediation, azo-dye decolorization, and microbial fuel cells. Herein we suggest that ESs can be applied widely to create new microbial biotechnology processes.

Cyberskepticism: The Mind’s Firewall

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

phonebook; BitTorrent; iTunes ; YouTube; forums; chat rooms; dating; Craig’s List; donate; blog/vlog; video games; e-invitations; e- cards ; weather...computer. Real-world romance techniques on the Internet have produced some very innovative cyber deception techniques. Valentine cards sent...electronically are one technique designed to enhance romance. In 2006 electronic Valentine cards were sent to unsuspecting people who opened them for various

p-Type semiconducting nickel oxide as an efficiency-enhancing anodal interfacial layer in bulk heterojunction solar cells

DOEpatents

Irwin, Michael D; Buchholz, Donald B; Marks, Tobin J; Chang, Robert P. H.

2014-11-25

The present invention, in one aspect, relates to a solar cell. In one embodiment, the solar cell includes an anode, a p-type semiconductor layer formed on the anode, and an active organic layer formed on the p-type semiconductor layer, where the active organic layer has an electron-donating organic material and an electron-accepting organic material.

Bonding in tris(. eta. sup 5 -cyclopentadienyl) actinide complexes. 3. Interaction of. pi. -neutral,. pi. -acidic, and. pi. -basic ligands with (. eta. sup 5 -C sub 5 H sub 5 ) sub 3 U sup 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bursten, B.E.; Rhodes, L.F.; Strittmater

1989-04-12

A qualitative treatment of the bonding in Cp{sub 3}M (Cp = {eta}{sup 5}-C{sub 5}H{sub 5}) compounds under C{sub 3{upsilon}} symmetry reveals that the Cp{sub 3}{sup 3{minus}} ligand field contains a high-lying a{sub 2} orbital which is restricted by symmetry to interact only with metals that contain f orbitals. Quantitative investigation of the electronic structure of 5f{sup 3} Cp{sub 3}U via X{alpha}-SW molecular orbital calculations with quasi-relativistic corrections reveals that the Cp ligands donate electron density primarily into the U 6d orbitals while the three principally metal-based valence electrons are housed in the 5f orbitals. Electronic structure calculations of Cl{sub 3}Umore » show that although Cl can be considered isolobal with Cp, it is a poorer donor ligand. Calculations of Cp{sub 3}U bonded to a fourth ligand L (L = H, CO, NO, OH) indicate that the {sigma}-bonding framework is essentially the same for {pi}-neutral (H), {pi}-acidic (CO, NO), or {pi}-basic (OH) ligands: Electron density is donated from the {sigma} orbital of the fourth ligand into a uranium orbital that is primarily 6d{sub z{sup 2}} in character with minor contributions from the 5f{sub z{sup 3}} orbital, the 7p{sub z} orbital, and the 7s orbital. In the {pi}-bonding framework, the U 5f orbitals are responsible for back-donation into the {pi}* orbitals of CO an NO, while acceptance of electron density from the {pi} orbitals of OH involves the U 6d orbitals and, to a lesser extent, the U 5f orbitals. The bonding scheme of Cp{sub 3}UNO suggests that this molecule may prove to be a rather unusual example of a linear NO{sup {minus}} ligand.« less

Influences of general and traditional Chinese beliefs on the decision to donate blood among employer-organized and volunteer donors in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Tison, Geoffrey H; Liu, Changli; Ren, Furong; Nelson, Kenrad; Shan, Hua

2007-10-01

For the past several decades, Chinese blood centers have relied on blood donations from employer-organized donors (blood donors who donate blood in groups with coworkers as prearranged by the employer and the local blood center). Recently the government has decided to phase out employer-organized donors and transition to the use of only volunteer donors (blood donors who donate individually independent of employers). Evaluating the beliefs and attitudes of employer-organized and volunteer donors is critical to maintain an adequate blood supply after this transition. The study population consisted of 431 volunteer donors and 527 employer-organized donors who completed a structured questionnaire in July 2005. Employer-organized donors tended to be older, male, and married, with higher education and higher income compared to volunteer donors. Volunteer donors were more often motivated by altruism (p < 0.001) and more likely to donate larger volumes (400 mL vs. 200 mL) of blood (volunteer 70.5% vs. employer-organized 7%; p < 0.001). Employer-organized donors were more inhibited by factors related to traditional Chinese beliefs, such as the belief that blood donation affects life energy "Qi" (volunteer 3.1% vs. employer-organized 12.7%; p < 0.001), and requested more time off from work after donating. Employer-organized donors also express a greater concern about contracting disease from donating blood. To recruit voluntary donors effectively in China and other countries with traditional cultures, efforts need to counteract traditional beliefs and perceptions of risk that discourage donation by emphasizing the benefits, safety mechanisms, physiology, and epidemiology of blood donation. In China, there is a rich opportunity to convert prior employer-organized donors into volunteer donors, and the institution of a confidential predonation screening system may help to facilitate truthful risk factor disclosure.

What would encourage blood donation in Ireland?

PubMed

Harrington, M; Sweeney, M R; Bailie, K; Morris, K; Kennedy, A; Boilson, A; O'Riordan, J; Staines, A

2007-05-01

Recent changes have resulted in the loss of 4% of the donor panel in the Republic of Ireland and 3% in Northern Ireland. In order to increase the number of donors in these two regions, it is important that transfusion service providers explore and understand the reasons, which prevent individuals from donating. The aim of this study was to explore these issues particularly in non-donors and those who had lapsed. This 7-month all-Ireland study was conducted by computer-assisted telephone interview. Data collected included sociodemographic history, donation status, as well as barriers/deterrents to donation. There were 4166 completed questionnaires (44% donors; 56% non-donors). Of the donors, 13% had donated blood within the last 2 years. Current donors cited 'awareness of patients needs' (88%), 'trust in the blood transfusion service' (70%), and 'an advertising campaign' (70%) as reasons encouraging them to donate blood. Lapsed donors and non-donors cited 'more frequent mobile clinics/sessions' (30% lapsed donors; 53% non-donors), 'if I was asked' (28% lapsed donors; 53% non-donors), and 'more flexible opening hours' (23% lapsed donors; 44% non-donors) as reasons that would encourage them to donate. The main reasons cited by non-donors for never having donated included 'medical reasons' (41% Republic of Ireland; 43% Northern Ireland), 'lack of information' (20% Republic of Ireland; 22% Northern Ireland), 'fear of needles' (15% Republic of Ireland; 17% Northern Ireland), and 'time constraints' (12% Republic of Ireland; 13% Northern Ireland). Among the non-donor group, 10% (Republic of Ireland) and 6% (Northern Ireland) claimed that they are not permitted to donate. Replacing regular donors is a major challenge for the transfusion service providers. This study shows that by facilitating the general public by introducing more mobile clinics/sessions, more flexible opening hours and having a better level of knowledge in the community about blood donation may encourage lapsed donors and new donors to become regular donors.

Grief Symptoms in Relatives who Experienced Organ Donation Request in the ICU.

PubMed

Kentish-Barnes, Nancy; Chevret, Sylvie; Cheisson, Gaëlle; Joseph, Liliane; Martin-Lefèvre, Laurent; Si Larbi, Anne Gaelle; Viquesnel, Gérald; Marqué, Sophie; Donati, Stéphane; Charpentier, Julien; Pichon, Nicolas; Zuber, Benjamin; Lesieur, Olivier; Ouendo, Martial; Renault, Anne; Le Maguet, Pascale; Kandelman, Stanislas; Thuong, Marie; Floccard, Bernard; Mezher, Chaouki; Galon, Marion; Duranteau, Jacques; Azoulay, Elie

2018-03-19

In the case of organ donation, the family is highly involved in the decision process. To assess experience of organ donation process and grief symptoms in relatives of brain dead patients who discussed organ donation in the ICU. Multicentre cross-sectional study in 28 ICUs in France. Participating subjects were relatives of brain dead patients who were approached to discuss organ donation. Relatives were followed-up by phone at 3 time points: at 1 month to complete a questionnaire describing their experience of organ donation process; At 3 months to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised; At 9 months, to complete the IES-R and the Inventory of Complicated Grief. 202 relatives of 202 patients were included, of whom 158 consented and 44 refused organ donation. Interviews were conducted at 1, 3 and 9 months for 157, 137 and 117 relatives respectively. Experience was significantly more burdensome for relatives of non-donors. However there were no significant differences in grief symptoms measured at 3 and 9 months between the 2 groups. Understanding of brain death was associated with grief symptoms with higher prevalence of complicated grief symptoms in relatives who did not understand (75% vs 46.1%, p=0.026). Experience of the organ donation process varies between relatives of donor vs non-donor patients with relatives of non-donors experiencing lower quality communication, but the decision was not associated with subsequent grief symptoms. Importantly, understanding of brain death is a key element for relatives.

Attitudes Toward Strategies to Increase Organ Donation: Views of the General Public and Health Professionals

PubMed Central

Klarenbach, Scott; Gill, John S.; Caulfield, Tim; Manns, Braden

2012-01-01

Summary Background and objective The acceptability of financial incentives for organ donation is contentious. This study sought to determine (1) the acceptability of expense reimbursement or financial incentives by the general public, health professionals involved with organ donation and transplantation, and those with or affected by kidney disease and (2) for the public, whether financial incentives would alter their willingness to consider donation. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Web-based survey administered to members of the Canadian public, health professionals, and people with or affected by kidney disease asking questions regarding acceptability of strategies to increase living and deceased kidney donation and willingness to donate a kidney under various financial incentives. Results Responses were collected from 2004 members of the Canadian public October 11–18, 2011; responses from health professionals (n=339) and people with or affected by kidney disease (n=268) were collected during a 4-week period commencing October 11, 2011. Acceptability of one or more financial incentives to increase deceased and living donation was noted in >70% and 40% of all groups, respectively. Support for monetary payment for living donors was 45%, 14%, and 27% for the public, health professionals, and people with or affected by kidney disease, respectively. Overall, reimbursement of funeral expenses for deceased donors and a tax break for living donors were the most acceptable. Conclusion The general public views regulated financial incentives for living and deceased donation to be acceptable. Future research needs to examine the impact of financial incentives on rates of deceased and living donors. PMID:23024166

Deceased Organ Donation Registration and Familial Consent among Chinese and South Asians in Ontario, Canada

PubMed Central

Li, Alvin Ho-ting; McArthur, Eric; Maclean, Janet; Isenor, Cynthia; Prakash, Versha; Kim, S. Joseph; Knoll, Greg; Shah, Baiju; Garg, Amit X.

2015-01-01

Objective For various reasons, people of Chinese (China, Hong Kong or Taiwan) and South Asian (Indian subcontinent) ancestry (the two largest ethnic minority groups in Ontario, Canada) may be less likely to register for deceased organ donation than the general public, and their families may be less likely to consent for deceased organ donation at the time of death. Methods We conducted two population-based studies: (1) a cross-sectional study of deceased organ donor registration as of May 2013, and (2) a cohort study of the steps in proceeding with deceased organ donation for patients who died in hospital from October 2008 to December 2012. Results A total of 49 938 of 559 714 Chinese individuals (8.9%) and 47 774 of 374 291 South Asians (12.8%) were registered for deceased organ donation, proportions lower than the general public (2 676 260 of 10 548 249 (25.4%). Among the 168 703 Ontarians who died in a hospital, the families of 33 of 81 Chinese (40.1%; 95% CI: 30.7%-51.6%) and 39 of 72 South Asian individuals (54.2%; 95% CI: 42.7-65.2%) consented for deceased organ donation, proportions lower than the general public (68.3%; 95% CI: 66.4%-70.0%). Conclusions In Ontario, Canada Chinese and South Asian individuals are less likely to register and their families are less likely to consent to deceased organ donation compared to the remaining general public. There is an opportunity to build support for organ and tissue donation in these two large ethnic communities in Canada. PMID:26230320

Altruism or solidarity? The motives for organ donation and two proposals.

PubMed

Saunders, Ben

2012-09-01

Proposals for increasing organ donation are often rejected as incompatible with altruistic motivation on the part of donors. This paper questions, on conceptual grounds, whether most organ donors really are altruistic. If we distinguish between altruism and solidarity--a more restricted form of other-concern, limited to members of a particular group--then most organ donors exhibit solidarity, rather than altruism. If organ donation really must be altruistic, then we have reasons to worry about the motives of existing donors. However, I argue that altruism is not necessary, because organ donation supplies important goods, whatever the motivation, and we can reject certain dubious motivations, such as financial profit, without insisting on altruism. Once solidaristic donation is accepted, certain reforms for increasing donation rates seem permissible. This paper considers two proposals. Firstly, it has been suggested that registered donors should receive priority for transplants. While this proposal appears based on a solidaristic norm of reciprocity, it is argued that such a scheme would be undesirable, since non-donors may contribute to society in other ways. The second proposal is that donors should be able to direct their organs towards recipients that they feel solidarity with. This is often held to be inconsistent with altruistic motivation, but most donation is not entirely undirected in the first place (for instance, donor organs usually go to co-nationals). While allowing directed donation would create a number of practical problems, such as preventing discrimination, there appears to be no reason in principle to reject it. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Community participation of persons with disabilities: volunteering, donations and involvement in groups and organisations.

PubMed

Rak, Eniko C; Spencer, Lauren

2016-08-01

This study examined similarities and differences between persons with and without disabilities on volunteering, donations and group participation. A sample of 1548 individuals participated and 60% of the sample were persons with disabilities. Data for this research was drawn from a major statewide survey in a Midwestern state in the United States. Community participation was measured through involvement with civic, religious and other community-based groups, volunteering activities and donations. Logistic regression was pursued to test the effect of disability on community participation. Findings support different trends in participation between persons with and without disabilities. Individuals without disabilities are more likely to volunteer, donate money and participate in civic organisations (e.g. clubs) and other groups. Employment and household income have a significant contribution in explaining these differences. This study found significant differences in community participation between persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities. Regression analysis outcomes underscore the importance of employment and income in eliminating disparities in community involvement between persons with and without disabilities. Implications for Rehabilitation Policy change in rehabilitation agencies to fund supported volunteering services. Improve the representation of persons with disabilities in volunteering pursuits by making volunteering positions accessible to them (educate persons with disabilities to be more aware of these opportunities, provide reasonable accommodations at work sites, etc.). Educate stakeholders about the benefits of volunteering and being part of civic, and other community based groups in improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities. Identification of barriers for persons with disabilities in these pursuits (physical and attitudinal barriers, lack of resources). Identifying and utilising natural supports in the work site for persons with disabilities to receive peer support on the job from full-time employees.

Fear and experience of childbirth among women who conceived with donated oocytes: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Sälevaara, Mari; Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Poikkeus, Piia; Flykt, Marjo; Tulppala, Maija; Tiitinen, Aila

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare the level of fear of childbirth, pregnancy-related anxiety and experience of childbirth in women who conceived with donated oocytes (OD), with that in women with in vitro fertilization/intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) and spontaneous conception (SC). This is a prospective cohort study. We compared women who received donated oocytes (n = 26) to matched controls, IVF/ICSI (n = 52) or SC (n = 52). Matching was made according to mothers' age, parity, plurality and the number of returned questionnaires. The participants completed the questionnaires during their second trimester and at 2 months postpartum. The Fear of Delivery Questionnaire and the Pregnancy Anxiety Scale served to study fear of childbirth, and the Delivery Satisfaction Scale served to study experience of childbirth. The level of fear of childbirth was lower in the women who received donated oocytes than in the women who received IVF/ICSI (p = 0.028), but similar to those in the SC group. The level of pregnancy-related anxiety was lower in the OD group than in the IVF/ICSI (p = 0.006) and SC groups (p = 0.019). The experience of childbirth did not differ between the groups. The mode of delivery was associated with the mothers' satisfaction with the delivery only in the OD group. Those who had an acute operative delivery were the most dissatisfied. After receiving adequate support prior to OD treatment, the women require no more support with fear of childbirth than other pregnant women, but they may require support after acute operative deliveries. © 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Acceptability of donated breast milk in a resource limited South African setting.

PubMed

Coutsoudis, Irene; Petrites, Alissa; Coutsoudis, Anna

2011-02-22

The importance of breast milk for infants' growth, development and overall health is widely recognized. In situations where women are not able to provide their infants with sufficient amounts of their own breast milk, donor breast milk is the next preferred option. Although there is considerable research on the safety and scientific aspects of donor milk, and the motivations and experiences of donors, there is limited research addressing the attitudes and experiences of the women and families whose infants receive this milk. This study therefore examined attitudes towards donated breast milk among mothers, families and healthcare providers of potential recipient infants. The study was conducted at a public hospital and nearby clinic in Durban, South Africa. The qualitative data was derived from eight focus group discussions which included four groups with mothers; one with male partners; and one with grandmothers, investigating attitudes towards receiving donated breast milk for infants. There was also one group each with nurses and doctors about their attitudes towards donated breast milk and its use in the hospital. The focus groups were conducted in September and October 2009 and each group had between four and eleven participants, leading to a total of 48 participants. Although breast milk was seen as important to child health there were concerns about undermining of breast milk because of concerns about HIV and marketing and promotion of formula milks. In addition there were concerns about the safety of donor breast milk and discomfort about using another mother's milk. Participants believed that education on the importance of breast milk and transparency on the processes involved in sourcing and preparing donor milk would improve the acceptability. This study has shown that there are obstacles to the acceptability of donor milk, mainly stemming from lack of awareness/familiarity with the processes around donor breast milk and that these could be readily addressed through education. Even the more psychological concerns would also likely be reduced over time as these educational efforts progress. With government and health care worker endorsement and commitment, breast milk donation could have a promising role in improving child health.

A Multicenter Study on Long-Term Outcomes After Lung Transplantation Comparing Donation After Circulatory Death and Donation After Brain Death.

PubMed

van Suylen, V; Luijk, B; Hoek, R A S; van de Graaf, E A; Verschuuren, E A; Van De Wauwer, C; Bekkers, J A; Meijer, R C A; van der Bij, W; Erasmus, M E

2017-10-01

The implementation of donation after circulatory death category 3 (DCD3) was one of the attempts to reduce the gap between supply and demand of donor lungs. In the Netherlands, the total number of potential lung donors was greatly increased by the availability of DCD3 lungs in addition to the initial standard use of donation after brain death (DBD) lungs. From the three lung transplant centers in the Netherlands, 130 DCD3 recipients were one-to-one nearest neighbor propensity score matched with 130 DBD recipients. The primary end points were primary graft dysfunction (PGD), posttransplant lung function, freedom from chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), and overall survival. PGD did not differ between the groups. Posttransplant lung function was comparable after bilateral lung transplantation, but seemed worse after DCD3 single lung transplantation. The incidence of CLAD (p = 0.17) nor the freedom from CLAD (p = 0.36) nor the overall survival (p = 0.40) were significantly different between both groups. The presented multicenter results are derived from a national context where one third of the lung transplantations are performed with DCD3 lungs. We conclude that the long-term outcome after lung transplantation with DCD3 donors is similar to that of DBD donors and that DCD3 donation can substantially enlarge the donor pool. © 2017 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

On the similarity of the bonding in NiS and NiO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauschlicher, C. W., Jr.

1985-01-01

The bonding in NiS is found to be quite similar to that in NiO, having an ionic contribution arising from the donation of the Ni 4s electron to the S atom and a covalent component arising from bonds between the Ni 3d and the S 3p. The one-electron d bonds are found to be of equal strength for NiO and NiS, but the two-electron d bonds are weaker for NiS.

Tuning the Selectivity of Single-Site Supported Metal Catalysts with Ionic Liquids

DOE PAGES

Babucci, Melike; Fang, Chia -Yu; Hoffman, Adam S.; ...

2017-09-11

1,3-Dialkylimidazolium ionic liquid coatings act as electron donors, increasing the selectivity for partial hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene catalyzed by iridium complexes supported on high-surface-area γ-Al 2O 3. High-energy-resolution fluorescence detection X-ray absorption near-edge structure (HERFD XANES) measurements quantify the electron donation and are correlated with the catalytic activity and selectivity. Furthermore, the results demonstrate broad opportunities to tune electronic environments and catalytic properties of atomically dispersed supported metal catalysts.

Reactivity of hydropersulfides toward the hydroxyl radical unraveled: disulfide bond cleavage, hydrogen atom transfer, and proton-coupled electron transfer.

PubMed

Anglada, Josep M; Crehuet, Ramon; Adhikari, Sarju; Francisco, Joseph S; Xia, Yu

2018-02-14

Hydropersulfides (RSSH) are highly reactive as nucleophiles and hydrogen atom transfer reagents. These chemical properties are believed to be key for them to act as antioxidants in cells. The reaction involving the radical species and the disulfide bond (S-S) in RSSH, a known redox-active group, however, has been scarcely studied, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the chemical nature of RSSH. We have performed a high-level theoretical investigation on the reactions of the hydroxyl radical (˙OH) toward a set of RSSH (R = -H, -CH 3 , -NH 2 , -C(O)OH, -CN, and -NO 2 ). The results show that S-S cleavage and H-atom abstraction are the two competing channels. The electron inductive effect of R induces selective ˙OH substitution at one sulfur atom upon S-S cleavage, forming RSOH and ˙SH for the electron donating groups (EDGs), whereas producing HSOH and ˙SR for the electron withdrawing groups (EWGs). The H-Atom abstraction by ˙OH follows a classical hydrogen atom transfer (hat) mechanism, producing RSS˙ and H 2 O. Surprisingly, a proton-coupled electron transfer (pcet) process also occurs for R being an EDG. Although for RSSH having EWGs hat is the leading channel, S-S cleavage can be competitive or even dominant for the EDGs. The overall reactivity of RSSH toward ˙OH attack is greatly enhanced with the presence of an EDG, with CH 3 SSH being the most reactive species found in this study (overall rate constant: 4.55 × 10 12 M -1 s -1 ). Our results highlight the complexity in RSSH reaction chemistry, the extent of which is closely modulated by the inductive effect of the substituents in the case of the oxidation by hydroxyl radicals.

Donor and Recipient Views on Their Relationship in Living Kidney Donation: Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.

PubMed

Ralph, Angelique F; Butow, Phyllis; Hanson, Camilla S; Chadban, Steve J; Chapman, Jeremy R; Craig, Jonathan C; Kanellis, John; Luxton, Grant; Tong, Allison

2017-05-01

Many donors and recipients report an improved relationship after transplantation; however, tension, neglect, guilt, and proprietorial concern over the recipient can impede donor and recipient well-being and outcomes. We aimed to describe donor and recipient expectations and experiences of their relationship in the context of living kidney donation. Thematic synthesis of qualitative studies. Living kidney donors and recipients. Electronic databases were searched to October 2015. Thematic synthesis. From 40 studies involving 1,440 participants (889 donors and 551 recipients) from 13 countries, we identified 6 themes. "Burden of obligation" described the recipient's perpetual sense of duty to demonstrate gratitude to the donor. "Earning acceptance" was the expectation that donation would restore relationships. "Developing a unique connection" reflected the inexplicable bond that donor-recipient dyads developed postdonation. "Desiring attention" was expressed by donors who wanted recognition for the act of donation and were envious and resentful of the attention the recipient received. "Retaining kidney ownership" reflected the donor's inclination to ensure that the recipient protected "their" kidney. "Enhancing social participation" encompassed relieving both the caregiver from the constraints of dialysis and the recipient from increased involvement and contribution in family life. Non-English articles were excluded. Living kidney donation can strengthen donor-recipient relationships but may trigger or exacerbate unresolved angst, tension, jealousy, and resentment. Facilitating access to pre- and posttransplantation psychological support that addresses potential relationship changes may help donors and recipients better adjust to changes in the relationship dynamics, which in turn may contribute to improved psychosocial and transplantation outcomes following living kidney donation. Copyright © 2016 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Altruism and Religion: A New Paradigm for Organ Donation.

PubMed

Rabinowich, Aviad; Jotkowitz, Alan

2018-02-01

Activity of NGO's supporting living donor kidney donations can affect the shortage of kidneys. Matnat Chaim is a Jewish orthodox organization active in Israel since 2009. This is a voluntary organization with aims to shorten and eliminate the waiting list for kidneys. Since the beginning of its activity, it has said to play a key role in 379 kidney transplantations. In 2015, out of 174 live donor kidney transplantations that took place in Israel, Matnat Chaim had a key role in 88 of them (50.6%). We found some ethical issues concerning the organization's activity. The donor can restrict his or her donation to specific characteristics of recipient which can result in organs transplanted in a homogeneous group of the population. Another issue is the question of whether nudging people to kidney donation takes place and whether it is valid to do so. We found that Matnat Chaim does a great deal for promotion and intermediation of kidney donations in Israel. This form of promotion can be implemented by other organizations and countries.

Perceptions of donors and recipients regarding blood donation.

PubMed

Conceição, Vander Monteiro da; Araújo, Jeferson Santos; Oliveira, Rafaela Azevedo Abrantes de; Santana, Mary Elizabeth de; Zago, Márcia Maria Fontão

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the perceptions of blood donors and recipients regarding the act of donating blood. This descriptive study with a survey design focuses on subjective and cultural aspects. Twenty donors and 20 recipients in the blood bank at the time of data collection participated in the study. Interviews were analyzed according to deductive thematic analysis. Two themes emerged - perceptions of donors and perceptions of recipients. Both groups saw the act of donating blood as something positive, though donors associated their reports with the experiences of people close to them who needed blood transfusions, while the recipients associated donations with the maintenance of their lives as, for them, a blood transfusion was a necessary medical treatment. Perceptions regarding blood donations are culturally constructed, as the participants associated knowledge acquired in the social world with moral issues and their life experiences. Hence, in addition to helping others, these individuals feel socially and morally rewarded. Copyright © 2016 Associação Brasileira de Hematologia, Hemoterapia e Terapia Celular. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Chemical Constraints Governing the Origin of Metabolism: The Thermodynamic Landscape of Carbon Group Transformations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weber, Arthur L.; Fonda, Mark (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The thermodynamics of organic chemistry under mild aqueous conditions was examined in order to begin to understand its influence on the structure and operation of metabolism and its antecedents. Free energies were estimated for four types reactions of biochemical importance carbon-carbon bond cleavage and synthesis, hydrogen transfer between carbon groups, dehydration of alcohol groups, and aldo-keto isomerization. The energies were calculated for mainly aliphatic groups composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The energy values showed that (1) when carbon-carbon bond cleavage involves two different types of functional groups, transfer of the shared electron-pair to the more reduced carbon group is energetically favored over transfer to the more oxidized carbon group, and (2) the energy of carbon-carbon bond transformation is strongly dependent on the type of functional group that donates the shared electron-pair during cleavage, and the group that accepts the shared electron-pair during synthesis, and (3) the energetics of C-C bond transformation is determined primarily by the half-reaction energies of the couples: carbonyl/carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid/carbon dioxide, alcohol/carbonyl, and hydrocarbon/alcohol. The energy of hydrogen-transfer between carbon groups was found to depend on the functional group class of both the hydrogen-donor and hydrogen-acceptor. From these and other observations we concluded that the chemistry of the origin of metabolism (and to a lesser degree modem metabolism) is strongly constrained by the (1) limited disproportionation energy of organic substrates that can be dissipated in a few irreversible reactions, (2) the energy-dominance of few half-reaction couples in carbon-carbon bond transformation that establishes whether a chemical reaction is energetically irreversible, reversible or unfeasible, and (3) the dependence of the transformation-energy on the oxidation state of carbon groups (functional group type) which is contingent on prior reactions in the synthetic pathway.

Effect of a single intraoperative high-dose ATG-Fresenius on delayed graft function in donation after cardiac-death donor renal allograft recipients: a randomized study.

PubMed

van den Hoogen, Martijn W F; Kho, Marcia M L; Abrahams, Alferso C; van Zuilen, Arjan D; Sanders, Jan-Stephan; van Dijk, Marja; Hilbrands, Luuk B; Weimar, Willem; Hoitsma, Andries J

2013-04-01

Reducing the incidence of delayed graft function after transplant with donation after cardiac death donor renal allografts would facilitate managing recipients during their first weeks after a transplant. To reduce this incidence, in most studies, induction therapy with depleting anti-T-lymphocyte antibodies is coupled with a reduction of the dosage of the calcineurin inhibitor. The separate effect of anti-T-cell therapy on the incidence and duration of delayed graft function is therefore difficult to assess. We performed a randomized study to evaluate the effect of a single intraoperative high-dose of anti-T-lymphocyte immunoglobulin (ATG)-Fresenius (9 mg/kg body weight) on the incidence of delayed graft function. Eligible adult recipients of a first donation after cardiac death donor renal allograft were randomly assigned to ATG-Fresenius or no induction therapy. Maintenance immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus, in an unadjusted dose, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroids. The study was prematurely terminated because of a lower-than-anticipated inclusion rate. Baseline characteristics were comparable in the ATG-Fresenius group (n=28) and the control group (n=24). Twenty-two patients in the ATG-Fresenius group (79%) had delayed graft function, compared with 13 in the control group (54%; P = .06). Allograft and patient survival were comparable in both groups. Serious adverse events occurred more frequently in the ATG-Fresenius group than they did in the control group (57% vs 29%; P < .05). Intraoperative administration of a single high-dose of ATG-Fresenius in donation after cardiac death donor renal allograft recipients, followed by triple immunosuppression with an unadjusted tacrolimus dose, seems ineffective to reduce the incidence of delayed graft function. Moreover, this was associated with a higher rate of serious adverse events (EudraCT-number, 2007-000210-36.).

Immediate and long-term somatic effects, and health-related quality of life of BM donation during early childhood. A single-center report in 210 pediatric donors.

PubMed

van Walraven, S M; Straathof, L M; Switzer, G E; Lankester, A; Korthof, E T; Brand, A; Ball, L M

2013-01-01

Since 1968, when Leiden undertook the first successful European pediatric BM transplantation with a 7-year-old sibling donor, more than 300 young children have donated BM in our unit. We first retrospectively studied a cohort of 210 donors, younger than 13 years at donation, to survey procedures of donor eligibility and study immediate effects of BM donation. We then performed a long-term follow-up (FU) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) study. Despite documentation of previous medical conditions, no child was declared unfit to donate. We found that iron deficiency anemia or low-iron stores in BM did not result in treatment or extended FU. Harvest volumes exceeded 15 mL/kg in 65% of donors, with more than half requiring allogeneic blood transfusions. Donors had no structured FU after their first post-donation control. In this study, 25% of donors reported at least one somatic complaint at long-term FU. Finally long-term HRQoL revealed high scores in most subdomains (representing a higher QoL), compared to norm groups. These results indicate the need for development of (inter)national guidelines for pediatric stem cell donor care management.

Repeated Exposure to Dissection Does Not Influence Students' Attitudes towards Human Body Donation for Anatomy Teaching

PubMed Central

Mwachaka, Philip Maseghe; Mandela, Pamela; Saidi, Hassan

2016-01-01

The use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection has been the main method of instruction at our institution. There is however a shortage of cadavers for dissection given the increase in the number of medical schools as well as in the number of students enrolling in these schools. This shortage could be mitigated by having voluntary human body donation programs. This study aimed at assessing the attitudes of medical students and surgical residents towards body donation for anatomy learning. We conducted an online survey involving 72 first-year medical students and 41 surgical residents at University of Nairobi who had completed one year of anatomy dissection. For the medical students, this was their first dissection experience while it was the second exposure for the surgery trainees. Most of the surgical trainees (70.7%) and medical students (68.1%) were opposed to self-body donation. This was mainly due to cultural (37%) and religious (20%) barriers. Surprisingly, of those not willing to donate themselves, 67.9% (82.8% surgical trainees, 59.2% medical students) would recommend the practice to other people. Exposure to repeated dissection does not change the perceptions towards body donation. It is noteworthy that culture and religion rank high as clear barriers amongst this “highly informed” group of potential donors. PMID:27190650

Repeated Exposure to Dissection Does Not Influence Students' Attitudes towards Human Body Donation for Anatomy Teaching.

PubMed

Mwachaka, Philip Maseghe; Mandela, Pamela; Saidi, Hassan

2016-01-01

The use of unclaimed bodies for anatomical dissection has been the main method of instruction at our institution. There is however a shortage of cadavers for dissection given the increase in the number of medical schools as well as in the number of students enrolling in these schools. This shortage could be mitigated by having voluntary human body donation programs. This study aimed at assessing the attitudes of medical students and surgical residents towards body donation for anatomy learning. We conducted an online survey involving 72 first-year medical students and 41 surgical residents at University of Nairobi who had completed one year of anatomy dissection. For the medical students, this was their first dissection experience while it was the second exposure for the surgery trainees. Most of the surgical trainees (70.7%) and medical students (68.1%) were opposed to self-body donation. This was mainly due to cultural (37%) and religious (20%) barriers. Surprisingly, of those not willing to donate themselves, 67.9% (82.8% surgical trainees, 59.2% medical students) would recommend the practice to other people. Exposure to repeated dissection does not change the perceptions towards body donation. It is noteworthy that culture and religion rank high as clear barriers amongst this "highly informed" group of potential donors.