Rate constants for the reactions of CH(X2Π : v = 0,1) with NO and O2 are measured under pseudo-first-order conditions at 297 ± 5 K. CH(X2Π : v = 0,1) radicals are generated by excimer laser photolysis of CHBr3 and (CH3)2 CO at 193 nm, and detected by the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique. The overall rate constants obtained at the total pressure of 20 Torr Ar are: kNO(v = 0) = (1.6 ± 0.2) × 10−10, kNO(v = 1) = (1.3 ± 0.6) × 10−10, kO2(v = 0) = (3.5 ± 0.3) × 10−11, and kO2(v = 1) = (3.4 ± 0.8) × 10−11 (cm3 molecule−1 s−1). No apparent pressure dependence is indicated for the rate constants over the pressure range of 5—50 Torr Ar for CH + NO, and 5—30 Torr Ar for CH + O2 reactions, respectively. The reaction mechanisms are discussed based on the quantum mechanical calculations of the potential energy surfaces of CH + NO and CH + O2 systems.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nutrition intervention on nutritional states and healing of pressure ulcers by standardizing or unified factors including nursing, care and treatment in a multicenter open randomized trial. Tube-fed patients with Stage III-IV pressure ulcers were selected. The control group (30 patients) received the same nutrition management as before participating in this trial, whereas the intervention group (30 patients) was given calories in the range of Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) × 1.1 × 1.3 to 1.5. The intervention period was 12 weeks. The efficacy and safety were evaluated based on the nutritional states and the sizes of ulcers (length × width), and on the incidence of adverse events related to the study, respectively. The calories administered to the control and intervention groups were 29.1 ± 4.9 and 37.9 ± 6.5 kcal/kg/day, respectively. Significant interactions between the presence or absence of the intervention and the intervention period were noted for nutritional states (p<0.001 for body weight, p<0.05 for prealbumin). Similarly, the size of ulcers differed significantly between subjects in the intervention group and in the control group (p<0.001). The results suggest that nutrition intervention could directly enhance the healing process in pressure ulcer patients.

The aim of this study was to assess rectal feces storage condition by a pocket-size ultrasonography (PUS) in healthy adults so as to define normal rectal defecation desire. Participants were first assessed rectum by PUS imaging immediately after defecation desire (pre-defecation). Nurses checked the amount and quality of the participants' feces using King's Stool Chart and Bristol stool scale. Finally, PUS was performed for defecation with no defecation desire (post-defecation). Pre-defecation PUS detected high echo area in all patients. All of the post-defecation PUS did not detect high echo area (perfectly no recognizable high echo area in 54.5%, high echo line in 36.4%, and low echo of entire circumference in 9.1% of the patients). Average diameter of rectal crescent was 4.22 ± 0.8 cm. Bristol Stool Scale 1 or 2 (indicating hard stool) of pre-defecation PUS indicated high echo area and acoustic shadow in 100% of the patients. This study showed that healthy adult with defecation desire had high average rectal echo area of 4.0 cm in diameter. PUS may be able to define the rectum diameter for defecation desire of elderly people. PUS is capable of assessing fecal retention of the rectum for point-of-care examinations in home care.

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Reactions of imidogen, NH, in the electronically excited a 1Δ and ground X 3Σ− states with NO have been studied at 300±2 K and at 20 Torr (Ar). NH(a 1Δ) and NH(X 3Σ−) were produced in the 193 nm photolysis of HNCO and CHBr3/NO, respectively, and detected by the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique. Rate constants have been measured under pseudo-first-order conditions by scanning the time delay between the photolysis and probe laser pulses. Overall rate constants were determined: [4.8±0.1(2σ)]×10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 for NH(a 1Δ)+NO; [4.7±0.6(2σ)]×10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 for NH(X 3Σ−)+NO. The ratio of electronic quenching, NH(a 1Δ)+NO→NH(X 3Σ−) +NO, to the overall reaction has been obtained to be 0.53±0.1. An interesting specificity for the products from different spin states of the reactants has been found from observation of OH concentration profiles. NH(X 3Σ−)+NO produces OH+N2 exclusively, while NH(a 1Δ)+NO is over five times less effective in producing OH+N2. Profiles of H atoms detected by the vuv LIF technique indicated that H atoms are directly produced in the reaction NH(a 1Δ)+NO but not in the reaction NH(X 3Σ−)+NO.