A new photo-catalyst of [5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-methoxycarbonylphenyl)-porphyrin] platinum was synthesized and its photophysical study revealed that it had a high quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation. As an application study, a stereo-specific synthesis of (+)-deoxoartemisinin was performed. The induced high triplet quantum yield (0.96±0.03) of [5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-methoxycarbonylphenyl)-porphyrin] resulted the high singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.90±0.04. The photo-catalytic effect was compared with that of methylene blue (MB) which was generally used as a photo-catalyst for these types of stereo-specific syntheses of organic compounds. The yield of synthesized (+)-deoxoartemisinin was correlated with singlet oxygen quantum yield.

Novel amide derivatives of C-12 non-acetal deoxoartemisinin were synthesized. Some of the derivatives had potent in vitro anticancer activity against major human cancer cell lines. The deoxoartemisinin amide trimer had potent in vivo antiangiogenic activity, according to the mouse matrigel plug assay.

Background/Purpose: Few studies have compared methods of suicide used by women in different countries. This study compared methods used by women in South Korea, Taiwan, Sweden and the United States.Methods: Age- and method-specific suicide rates for women in the four countries in 2002 were calculated and compared. Hanging, firearms and jumping from a height were classified as violent suicide methods. Poisoning suicides were further classified according to use of drugs, gases, pesticides and other agents.Results: Half of Taiwanese and American women used violent methods, while only one third of women in South Korea and Sweden used such methods. Poisoning was the most often used suicide method by women in all four countries. About 90% of American and Swedish women used drugs. In contrast, almost half of women from Korea and Taiwan used pesticides.Conclusion: Different countries contrast greatly in the agents used in suicide by poisoning but not in patterns of violent methods used. [J Formos Med Assoc 2009;108(6):452-459]