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The desorption behavior of hexanethiol (CH3(CH2)5SH: C6) monolayer on Au(111) by using thermal desorption spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. It was observed that desorption species changes dramatically according to the coverage, which is similar to a structure change from the striped to a higher density phase. The thiolates in the striped phase desorb as thiolate radicals while those in the higher density phase desorb as disulfides.

Studies the adsorption and desorption of n-alkanethiol monolayers on Au(111) under ultra-high vacuum conditions. Phases involved during growth; Changes in the desorption species at a critical coverage; Explanation of the coverage-dependent change of desorption in term of the difference in the molecule-substrate bonding.

To investigate the association between delusions and cerebral functional deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we evaluated probable AD patients with and without delusions. METHODS: Functional brain imaging was performed by single photon emission computed tomography with technetium-99m-labeled ethyl cysteinate dimer (99mTc-ECD) in 64 AD patients and 76 age-matched normal healthy volunteers. SPECT data were analyzed by statistical parametric mapping. RESULTS: In AD patients, no differences were found in age and cognitive activities between those with (n = 25) and without (n = 39) delusions. Compared with normal healthy volunteers, AD patients had significantly decreased perfusion in the posterior cingulate gyri, precunei, and parietal association cortex. Moreover, in the patients with delusions, perfusion was significantly decreased in the frontal lobe with right side dominance. In the comparison between the patients with and without delusions, the patients with delusions had significantly decreased perfusion in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyri, inferior to middle temporal cortices, and parietal cortex of the right hemisphere (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The functional deficits in the right hemisphere may be the cause of delusions in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variant form of Fabry's disease, called cardiac Fabry's disease, which has left ventricular hypertrophy as its main clinical manifestation is not uncommon. Because there has been no pedigree analysis in families with cardiac Fabry's disease, we performed gene analyses, enzyme assays, and cardiac evaluations in 3 distinct families with cardiac Fabry's disease. Gene analyses were performed in all 18 members of 3 families including 3 male probands. Five hemizygotes and 6 heterozygotes were identified. Plasma alpha-galactosidase A activity was measured in all 18 family members. Echocardiography and electrocardiography were performed in the 5 hemizygotes and in 5 of the 6 heterozygotes. The proband and 3 heterozygotes from a pedigree with a mutation in exon 6 of the alpha-galactosidase A sequence leading to a Met296Ile substitution showed a decrease in alpha-galactosidase A activity. In a separate pedigree, a proband and his hemizygous brother, with a mutation in exon 2 leading to a Glu66Gln substitution, had a decrease in alpha-galactosidase A activity, whereas 3 heterozygotes had normal values. In the third pedigree, a decrease in alpha-galactosidase A activity was observed in 2 hemizygotes who have a mutation in exon 1 leading to an Ala2OPro substitution. Although all 5 hemizygotes exhibited left ventricular hypertrophy on echocardiography, all 5 heterozygotes lacked this finding. Because plasma alpha-galactosidase A activity was normal in some heterozygotes with cardiac Fabry's disease, gene analysis is essential for an accurate diagnosis. Patients with cardiac Fabry's disease thus show an x-linked form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The onset of COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for functioning and equipped intensive care units (ICUs) with staff trained in operating them. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, this also triggered the need for assessing the available capacities of ICUs and health workforce so that appropriate strategies can be developed to address emerging challenges of staff shortages in the wake of COVID-19. To address this need, a scoping review on the health workforce capacity of intensive care units in the Eastern Mediterranean Region was conducted., Methods: A scoping review methodology as outlined by Cochrane was followed. Available literature and different data sources were reviewed. Database includes Pubmed (medline,Plos included), IMEMR, Google Scholar for peer-reviewed literature, and Google for grey literature such as relevant website of ministries, national and international organization. The search was performed for publications on intensive care unit health workers for each of the EMR countries in the past 10 years (2011-2021). Data from included studies was charted, analysed and reported in a narrative format. A brief country survey was also conducted to supplement the findings of the review. It included quantitative and qualitative questions about number of ICU beds, physicians and nurses, training programs as well as challenges faced by ICU health workforce., Results: Despite limited data availability, this scoping review was able to capture information important for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Following major themes appeared in findings and results were synthesized for each category: facility and staffing, training and qualification, working conditions/environment and performance appraisal. Shortage of intensive care specialist physicians and nurses were in majority of countries. Some countries offer training programmes, mostly for physicians, at post-graduate level and through short courses. High level of workload, emotional and physical burnout and stress were a consistent finding across all countries. Gaps in knowledge were found regarding procedures common for managing critically ill patients as well as lack of compliance with guidelines and recommendations., Conclusion: The literature on ICU capacities in EMR is limited, however, our study identified valuable information on health workforce capacity of ICUs in the region. While well-structured, up-to-date, comprehensive and national representative data is still lacking in literature and in countries, there is a clearly emerging need for scaling up the health workforce capacities of ICUs in EMR. Further research is necessary to understand the situation of ICU capacity in EMR. Plans and efforts should be made to build current and future health workforce., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Jalal et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)