An optimised synthesis of 2-[2,3-Bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)guanidino]ethylamine

This short report describes an improved, reliable, and high-yielding (>90%) synthesis of 2-[2,3-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)guanidino]ethylamine. The method is scalable (>5 g), and the product obtained directly from the reaction mixture requires no further purification. In addition, this methodology can be successfully applied to other diamine substrates (1,3-propyl and 1,4-butyl; 70% and 61% yield, respectively).

Using the Rose Angina Questionnaire cross-culturally : the importance of consulting lay people when translating epidemiological questionnaires

Objectives. The Rose Angina Questionnaire (RAQ) is an important measure of coronary heart disease prevalence. It has been shown to perform inconsistently across some ethnic groups in Britain. This study investigates whether the best available versions of the RAQ in Punjabi and Cantonese were linguistically equivalent to the English version.

Design. Interviews were carried out with lay people from the Pakistani, Chinese and European-origin communities in Scotland to assess the versions of the RAQ used in the Newcastle Heart Project (the best available versions). For each questionnaire item, participants were asked to elaborate on their understanding of the question and the meaning of keywords or phrases.

Results. Problems were discovered with the Punjabi and Cantonese translations of the RAQ. For example, the translation for ‘chest’ was interpreted by some Pakistani and Chinese women to mean ‘breasts’. ‘Walking uphill’ was translated in Chinese as ‘walking the hill’, without stipulation of the direction, so that some Cantonese speakers interpreted the question as pertaining to walking downhill. Many Chinese interpreted RAQ items to be referring to breathlessness rather than chest pain due to ambiguous wording.

Conclusion. Existing versions of the RAQ are unlikely to be yielding data that are cross-culturally valid or comparable. For robust health survey research in languages other than that in which the questionnaire was developed, lay assessment of questionnaires prior to and after translation is a necessity rather than a luxury.

A hybrid neural network classifier combining ordered fuzzy ARTMAP and the dynamic decay adjustment algorithm

This paper presents a novel conflict-resolving neural network classifier that combines the ordering algorithm, fuzzy ARTMAP (FAM), and the dynamic decay adjustment (DDA) algorithm, into a unified framework. The hybrid classifier, known as Ordered FAMDDA, applies the DDA algorithm to overcome the limitations of FAM and ordered FAM in achieving a good generalization/performance. Prior to network learning, the ordering algorithm is first used to identify a fixed order of training patterns. The main aim is to reduce and/or avoid the formation of overlapping prototypes of different classes in FAM during learning. However, the effectiveness of the ordering algorithm in resolving overlapping prototypes of different classes is compromised when dealing with complex datasets. Ordered FAMDDA not only is able to determine a fixed order of training patterns for yielding good generalization, but also is able to reduce/resolve overlapping regions of different classes in the feature space for minimizing misclassification during the network learning phase. To illustrate the effectiveness of Ordered FAMDDA, a total of ten benchmark datasets are experimented. The results are analyzed and compared with those from FAM and Ordered FAM. The outcomes demonstrate that Ordered FAMDDA, in general, outperforms FAM and Ordered FAM in tackling pattern classification problems.

A review of the literature exploring the occupation of contemporary pilgrimage

Contemporary pilgrimage is a multi-dimensional, diverse and evolving occupation, not limited to overtly religious intentions or practices, which has not been explored in the occupational science literature. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the scholarly discourse as an important initial step toward understanding the occupation of pilgrimage and its impact on well-being. The discovery process within the literature was strategically refined yielding occupational science's first view of this expanding field of enquiry. This paper introduces the scope of the topic, defines key terms and explores the range of participation in contemporary pilgrimage. International evidence of increased popular interest and participation in pilgrimage is discussed, and the interdisciplinary evidence of the benefits to health and well-being experienced by pilgrims is summarised. This paper argues that occupational science could take a leading role in investigating the relationship between participation in pilgrimage and the experience of well-being for a range of people and populations.

Transdermal estrogen patches for aggressive behavior in male patients with dementia : a randomized, controlled trial

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of transdermal estrogen patches for the adjunctive treatment of aggressive behavior in male patients with advanced dementia. Methods: The study was designed as an 8-week, randomized, controlled trial in acute aged psychiatry inpatient units and specialized nursing homes in Melbourne, Australia, between 1998 and 1999. The participants were 27 men with established dementia, identified as displaying aggressive behavior not responding to treatment for at least 2 weeks prior to referral. The instruments used to measure aggressive behavior were the Rating Scale for Aggressive Behavior in the Elderly (RAGE), the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) and the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). Physical examination was performed and biochemistry and serum hormone concentrations were measured at baseline and at 8 weeks. Concomitant psychotropic medication use was recorded and analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in aggressive behavior at 8 weeks, but significant “rebound” in aggressive behavior (change in scores between week 8 and week 10, p<0.009) and benzodiazepine use in the estrogen group (p<0.03), following removal of the patches. Only behavioral items of the CSDD improved in the experimental group (p=0.031). The use of patches was associated with a significant rise in serum estrogen (p<0.001) but not with a significant decrease in serum testosterone (p=0.077). There were no adverse effects associated with their use. Conclusions: The use of transdermal estrogen yielding up to 100μg per day was not associated with discernable improvement in aggressive behavior in men with advanced dementia. Small subject numbers, multiple variables and a lack of statistical power impair interpretation of these results. However, the tolerability and apparent rebound effect on removal of patches indicate the need for larger studies in this area.

Is it really good to annuitize?

Although rational consumers without bequest motives are better off investing exclusively with annuitized instruments in partial equilibrium, we demonstrate the welfare effect of annuitization is ambiguous in general equilibrium on account of pecuniary externalities. Absent institutional constraints like prices and budgets, the optimal consumption rule would have marginal utility increase at the preferential discount rate. In a rational competitive equilibrium where households fully annuitize, the growth rate of marginal utility will be the discount rate minus the interest rate, resulting in a consumption profile that is too flat. Accidental bequests transfer wealth from the old to the young, steepening the consumption profile and yielding a better equilibrium. If households are restricted to Keynesian consumption functions, the optimal irrational equilibrium with standard preferences can replicate observed consumption and macroeconomic behavior, and the equilibrium without annuities delivers higher utility than the equilibrium with annuities. Whereas preceding papers have merely hypothesized that households might engage in socially optimal, yet irrational behavior, the failure of households to annuitize is a real-world example of this. Policymakers should not take steps to encourage more annuitization by the public.

Crossing the bridge: the first-person and time

Personal identity theory has become increasingly sensitive to the importance of the first-person perspective. However, certain ways of speaking about that perspective do not allow the full temporal aspects of first-person perspectives on the self to come into view. In this paper I consider two recent phenomenologically-informed discussions of personal identity that end up yielding metaphysically divergent views of the self: those of Barry Dainton and Galen Strawson. I argue that when we take a properly temporally indexical view of the first-person perspective, and thereby resist the assumption that phenomenally figured and theoretically-figured identity claims must have a common object, the metaphysically awkward accommodations each of these authors is compelled to make cease to be necessary.

Toughening epoxy thermosets with block ionomers : the role of phase domain size

Herein we report a novel approach to toughen epoxy thermosets using a block ionomer, i.e., sulfonated polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-block- polystyrene (SSEBS). SSEBS was synthesized by sulfonation of SEBS with 67 wt % polystyrene (PS). Phase morphology of the epoxy/SSEBS blends can be controlled at either nanometer or micrometer scale by simply adjusting the sulfonation degree of SSEBS. It has been found that there exists a critical degree of sulfonation (10.8 mol %) forming nanostructures in these epoxy/SSEBS blends. Above this critical value, macrophase separation can be avoided and only microphase separation occurs, yielding transparent nanostructured blends. All epoxy/SSEBS blends display increased fracture toughness compared to neat epoxy. But the toughening efficiency varies with the phase domain size, and their correlation has been established over a broad range of length scales from nanometers to a few micrometers. In the nanostructured blends with SSEBS of high sulfonation degrees, the fracture toughness decreases with decreasing size of the phase domains. In the macrophase-separated blends, only a slight improvement in toughness can be obtained with SSEBS of low sulfonation degrees. The epoxy blend with submicrometer phase domains in the range 0.05-1.0 μm containing SSEBS of a moderate degree of sulfonation (5.8 mol %) displays the maximum toughness. This study has clearly clarified the role of phase domain size on toughening efficiency in epoxy thermosets.

Nutrients, not caloric restriction, extend lifespan in Queensland fruit flies (Bactrocera tryoni)

Caloric restriction (CR) has been widely accepted as a mechanism explaining increased lifespan (LS) in organisms subjected to dietary restriction (DR), but recent studies investigating the role of nutrients have challenged the role of CR in extending longevity. Fuelling this debate is the difficulty in experimentally disentangling CR and nutrient effects due to compensatory feeding (CF) behaviour. We quantified CF by measuring the volume of solution imbibed and determined how calories and nutrients influenced LS and fecundity in unmated females of the Queensland fruit fly, Bactocera tryoni (Diptera: Tephritidae). We restricted flies to one of 28 diets varying in carbohydrate:protein (C:P) ratios and concentrations. On imbalanced diets, flies overcame dietary dilutions, consuming similar caloric intakes for most dilutions. The response surface for LS revealed that increasing C:P ratio while keeping calories constant extended LS, with the maximum LS along C:P ratio of 21:1. In general, LS was reduced as caloric intake decreased. Lifetime egg production was maximized at a C:P ratio of 3:1. When given a choice of separate sucrose and yeast solutions, each at one of five concentrations (yielding 25 choice treatments), flies regulated their nutrient intake to match C:P ratio of 3:1. Our results (i) demonstrate that CF can overcome dietary dilutions; (ii) reveal difficulties with methods presenting fixed amounts of liquid diet; (iii) illustrate the need to measure intake to account for CF in DR studies and (iv) highlight nutrients rather than CR as a dominant influence on LS.

A physically based phenomenological model for deformation twinning in magnesium alloy

A partial differential equation is developed that captures the evolution of key characteristics of tensile twinning in magnesium base alloys. The objective is to provide a framework for ascertaining the effects of hardening – due to grain refinement, precipitation and dislocation substructure – on twin volume fraction, thickness and length. The model is developed with the help of observations made on alloy AZ31. It is shown that it is necessary to consider the nucleation of twins at locations where neighbouring twins impinge on the grain boundary. The model provides a reasonable approximation for the role of grain size on twinning. It predicts a period of low apparent work hardening following yielding and shows that this should be more extensive for finer grain sizes, in agreement with experiment. Finally, some predictions are made on the effect of changing the resistance to twinning.

Psychopathology in police custody: The role of importation, deprivation and interaction models

People experiencing mental illness are over-represented among police cell detainees, however limited work has sought to investigate the occurrence of psychopathology in police custody. The present study sought to examine the predictive power of personal factors (e.g., history of psychiatric hospitalisation), situational factors (e.g., police cell conditions), and their interactive effects to explain the occurrence of psychopathology in police custody. A total of 150 detainees were recruited from two metropolitan police stations in Melbourne, Australia. Personal factors were significantly associated with psychiatric symptomatology, with situational factors and interaction terms yielding no association. Detainees with preexisting vulnerabilities and those unsatisfied with police cell conditions demonstrated the highest levels of psychopathology. While all detainees experience some difficulties in police cells, it is those with pre-existing vulnerabilities that suffer the most. This may be due to the exacerbation of vulnerabilities by police cell conditions. The implications of these findings for provision of health care services in police cells are discussed.

In vivo chromatic aberration in eyes implanted with intraocular lenses

Purpose. To measure in vivo and objectively the monochromatic aberrations at different wavelengths, and the chromatic difference of focus between green and infrared wavelengths in eyes implanted with two models of intraocular lenses (IOL).


Methods. Eighteen eyes participated in this study: nine implanted with Tecnis ZB99 1-Piece acrylic IOL and nine implanted with AcrySof SN60WF IOL. A custom-developed laser ray tracing (LRT) aberrometer was used to measure the optical aberrations, at 532 nm and 785 nm wavelengths. The monochromatic wave aberrations were described using a fifth-order Zernike polynomial expansion. The chromatic difference of focus was estimated as the difference between the equivalent spherical errors corresponding to each wavelength.


Results. Wave aberration measurements were highly reproducible. Except for the defocus term, no significant differences in high order aberrations (HOA) were found between wavelengths. The average chromatic difference of focus was 0.46 ± 0.15 diopters (D) in the Tecnis group, and 0.75 ± 0.12 D in the AcrySof group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Chromatic difference of focus in the AcrySof group was not statistically significantly different from the Longitudinal chromatic aberration (LCA) previously reported in a phakic population (0.78 ± 0.16 D). The impact of LCA on retinal image quality (measured in terms of Strehl ratio) was drastically reduced when considering HOA and astigmatism in comparison with a diffraction-limited eye, yielding the differences in retinal image quality between Tecnis and AcrySof IOLs not significant.


Conclusions. LRT aberrometry at different wavelengths is a reproducible technique to evaluate the chromatic difference of focus objectively in eyes implanted with IOLs. Replacement of the crystalline lens by the IOL did not increase chromatic difference of focus above that of phakic eyes in any of the groups. The AcrySof group showed chromatic difference of focus values very similar to physiological values in young eyes.

Preliminary investigations into triazole derived androgen receptor antagonists

A range of 1,4-substituted-1,2,3-N-phenyltriazoles were synthesized and evaluated as non-steroidal androgen receptor (AR) antagonists. The motivation for this study was to replace the N-phenyl amide portion of small molecule antiandrogens with a 1,2,3-triazole and determine effects, if any, on biological activity. The synthetic methodology presented herein is robust, high yielding and extremely rapid. Using this methodology a series of 17 N-aryl triazoles were synthesized from commercially available starting materials in less than 3h. After preliminary biological screening at 20 and 40 μM, the most promising three compounds were found to display IC50 values of 40-50 μM against androgen dependent (LNCaP) cells and serve as a starting point for further structure-activity investigations. All compounds in this work were the focus of an in silico study to dock the compounds into the human androgen receptor ligand binding domain (hARLBD) and compare their predicted binding affinity with known antiandrogens. A comparison of receptor-ligand interactions for the wild type and T877A mutant AR revealed two novel polar interactions. One with Q738 of the wild type site and the second with the mutated A877 residue.

Respiration rate and breathing patterns from doppler radar measurements

This paper presents an evaluation of microwave Doppler radar used for capturing different types of breathing patterns in addition to the respiration rate. Finding therespiration rate is equally important as identifying abnormal breathing patterns which it could be used to gain a better insight into respiratory disorders. Various known breathing disorders were role played and captured using a non-contactmicrowave Doppler radar which further supports the feasibility of Doppler radar in obtaining an accurate detection of different types of breathing patterns. The results obtained for all the experiments were compared with a standard measurementapparatus, respiration strap, yielding a good correlations with the Doppler radar signals. In a nutshell, Doppler radar can be potentially used as an alternative approach, not only for finding the respiration rates, but also for identifying respiration patterns replacing the conventional contact methods.

Synthesis and preliminary investigations into novel 1,2,3-triazole-derived androgen receptor antagonists inspired by bicalutamide.

A versatile and high yielding synthesis of novel androgen receptor (AR) antagonists is presented. Using this methodology, six 1,4-substituted-1,2,3-triazole derived bicalutamide mimics were synthesised in five steps and in isolated overall yields from 41% to 85%. Evaluation of these compounds for their anti-proliferative properties against androgen dependent (LNCaP) and independent (PC-3) cells showed promising IC50 values of 34-45 μM and 29-151 μM, respectively. The data suggest that the latter compounds may be an excellent starting point for the development of prostate cancer therapeutics for both androgen dependent and independent forms of this disease. Docking of these compounds (each enantiomer) in silico into the T877A mutated androgen receptor, as possessed by LNCaP cells, was also undertaken.