Precipitation evolution in a Ti-free and Ti-containing stainless maraging steel.

Stainless maraging steels have a Cr content higher than 12wt% and show a excellent combination of high strength and ductility, which make them attractive for use in machinery fields and aircraft applications. The massive increase of strength during ageing treatment of maraging steels is related to a precipitation sequence of various nm-scaled intermetallic phases. The peak hardness especially in Ti-containing maraging steels can be reached after short-time ageing at temperatures around 500 degrees C. However, precipitation reactions in different stainless maraging steels are not fully understood, especially the evolution from clustering over growing to coarsening. In the present work a commercial maraging steel and a Ti-containing model alloy are investigated and compared to each other. The steels were isothermally heat treated at 525 degrees C for a range of times. Special emphasis was laid on the correlation of hardness to the formation and presence of different kinds of precipitates. The isothermal aged samples were investigated by using two advanced three-dimensional energy compensated atom probes (LEAP and 3DAP) both in voltage mode and in laser mode. The atom probe data were correlated to standard hardness measurements. The results show that the partial substitution of Al by Ti results in a different precipitation behaviour. While the Ti-free maraging steel exhibit only one type of precipitate, the Ti-containing grade shows a change in the type of precipitates during ageing. However, this change leads to an accelerated coarsening and thus to a faster drop in hardness.

Early motor development of blind children.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristic motor developmental pattern in blind children in Israel. METHODOLOGY: The study compared the developmental data concerning 10 motor skills of 40 blind children to a control group of sighted children and to the motor developmental milestones of the Bayley Developmental Scale and the Revised Denver Developmental Screening Test. RESULTS: The motor development of blind children was delayed, the delay being significant in all 10 motor skills that were examined. This delay emphasizes the major importance of vision as a sensory input modality for the process of sensory- motor development. CONCLUSION: An adequate stimulating environment and proper parental handling could potentially shorten the motor developmental delay but probably not eliminate it entirely.

Cardiac uptake of [123I]MIBG separates Parkinson's disease from multiple system atrophy.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the differential diagnosis between patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and idiopathic PD (IPD) with autonomic failure. BACKGROUND: Some patients diagnosed with IPD are discovered to have alternative diseases such as MSA, despite the application of stringent diagnostic criteria. This differentiation is particularly difficult if patients with IPD also show symptoms of autonomic failure. In IPD, autonomic failure is caused by damage of the postganglionic part of the autonomic nervous system, whereas in MSA, degeneration of preganglionic and central autonomic neurons is revealed histopathologically. METHODS: Scintigraphy with [123I]metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) enables the quantification of postganglionic sympathetic cardiac innervation. Fifteen patients with IPD and 5 patients with MSA underwent standard autonomic function tests and scintigraphy with MIBG. RESULTS: In all patients, cardiovascular testing showed evidence of autonomic failure of varying severity. In all patients with IPD, the heart-mediastinum (H/M) ratio of MIBG uptake was pathologically impaired, independent of duration and severity of autonomic and parkinsonian symptoms. All patients with MSA had a regular H/M ratio. Each patient could be assigned to the correct diagnostic group based on the results of the MIBG scintigraphy, even if the duration of the disease was only 2 years or less. CONCLUSIONS: This population assessment of the heart-mediastinum ratio of [123I]metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake showed a high sensitivity for the detection of autonomic involvement in patients with idiopathic IPD and also a high specificity for the discrimination between idiopathic PD and MSA.

Diagnosis of tachycardia syndromes associated with orthostatic symptoms.

The postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is characterized by excessive tachycardia only in upright position without evidence of a cardiac or metabolic disease in combination with orthostatic symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness or syncope but without relevant falls in blood pressure. The cause is unknown. A specific diagnostic marker has not been found so far. Eighteen patients with typical symptoms of POTS were examined. They underwent standard autonomic function tests with continuous measurement of heart rate (HR) and blood pressure. All fulfilled the inclusion criteria of pathologically increased HR activation during passive tilt or standing over 90 seconds. The upper limits of normal were based on data from 137 healthy volunteers between 18 and 85 years of age. Actively standing up induced more POTS-typical HR increases and lead to more consistent results than passive tilt. HR responses during Valsalva manoeuvre and deep breathing were normal in all except one patient each, indicating that assessment of HR during these tests does not contribute to the diagnosis of POTS. Frequency of symptoms reducing overall well-being and the degree of impairment of life quality by symptoms typical of POTS were measured with a self-assessment scale. The majority of patients reported a permanent reduction of overall well-being and a relevant impairment of life quality due to dizziness, tachycardia, and syncopes. This underlines the importance of considering POTS as a differential diagnosis of orthostatic syndromes and the necessity of treating it adequately.

A comparative cell-based high throughput screening strategy for the discovery of selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors with anticancer activity.

Growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) have been implicated in tumor growth, metastasis and angiogenesis, and are thus considered promising targets for therapeutic intervention in malignant diseases. We present a novel drug discovery strategy to find inhibitors of RTKs based on comparative screening of compound libraries employing functional cellular assays. Cell lines stably expressing HER2 and the receptors for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) have been established. All cell lines are based on FDC-P1, a murine myeloid progenitor cell line which allows a direct comparison of results obtained in primary screens. In addition, the same cell lines are suitable for compound optimization and for animal studies. Using this strategy we report the identification of promising lead candidates for further drug development which are highly selective, non-cytotoxic and cell permeable with potencies in the low micromolar range.

Psychotherapy of schizophrenia: an empirical investigation of the relationship of process to outcome.

The Boston Psychotherapy Study found no major differences in the effects of insight-oriented and supportive psychotherapies in the treatment of schizophrenia. The authors of the current study looked beyond the assignments to those treatment designations and used blindly rated transcripts of tape-recorded sessions to examine the relationship of therapist interventions and patient outcomes at 2 years. They found significant relationships between skillfully conducted psychodynamic exploration and greater improvements in negative symptom areas of schizophrenia. The authors note the limitations and implications of these findings for clinical practice and research.

Orbital neurilemoma with extension through the superior orbital fissure.

An otherwise healthy 33-year-old man developed slowly progressive unilateral proptosis. Computed tomography demonstrated a large orbital mass extending posteriorly through the superior orbital fissure. The encapsulated tumor, including the portion within the superior orbital fissure, was completely removed by a lateral orbitotomy. Histopathologic examination revealed a neurilemoma (schwannoma). In spite of extension of the tumor through the superior orbital fissure, the patient had excellent vision and no motility disturbance before or after surgery. The clinical, computed tomographic, histopathologic, and ultrastructural features of this orbital tumor are discussed.

Effects of psychotherapy in schizophrenia: I. Design and implementation of a controlled study.

This article describes a 2-year, multi-hospital study on the effects of psychotherapy for nonchronic schizophrenic patients. The design and methods used to evaluate the relative benefits of exploratory, insight-oriented (EIO) psychotherapy and reality-adaptive, supportive (RAS) psychotherapy when both are provided by experienced therapists against the backdrop of good hospital and psychopharmacological management are presented. Similarities and differences between the two therapies and the therapists are outlined. Special attention is given to the problems in implementing research on long-term psychotherapy. Finally, the strengths and limitations of the present study are discussed.

Systemic response to mydriatic eyedrops in neonates: mydriatics in neonates.

During routine dilation of 48 newborns, systemic responses and pupil dilation were monitored. Both 10 percent aqueous and viscous phenylephrine caused blanching around the eyes and produced considerable rise in blood pressure. Dilatation average 4.7 mm. In a double blind study, a 2.5 percent solution caused no skin blanching and no change in pressure or heart rate. Average dilation was 4.5 mm. No blood pressure changes were observed with either one percent cyclopentolate or one percent tropicamide. Average dilatations were 5.0 mm and 5.3 mm respectively. The above agents, used individually for a total dosage of three drops in each eye did not provide adequate dilation for a thorough funduscopic examination. Our protocol at United Hospitals Medical Center is a safe combination of drugs and provides excellent dilatation averaging greater th an 7 mm. No skin blanching or change in heart rate was observed.

Psychological variables in student activism: The radical triad and some religious differences.

Thirty-six male students, drawn from a sample of 1195, were interviewed to obtain a personal history. A battery of projective psychological tests (Rorschach and TATs) were also administered to them. The students were divided into four groups of nine each, Jewish radicals (JR), Christian radicals (CR), Jewish moderates (JM), and Christian moderates (CM), to test the significance of religious background as it related to political outlook. Eight significant psychological variables were found and defined. No differences were found between JMs and CMs. Radicals differed from moderates on three variables: negative identity, masochistic surrender, and treating people as concepts. In addition, JR subjects demonstrated consistently a wandering fantasy, flight from the mother, the mother as salient, and "machismo" as psychological variables. CRs were not characterized by any of these variables. As with both groups of moderates, the father of the CRs was psychologically salient, but unlike the moderates, CTs perceived their fathers as flawed. The possible dynamic meaning of these configurations is discussed, as are their possible relationship to radical behavior and radical political ideology.

Doubly charged negative atomic ions of hydrogen.

The existence of a relatively long-lived doubly charged negative atomic ion H(2-) (and D(2-)), isoelectronic with the lithium atom, has been demonstrated by mass spectrometry through a combined analysis of ion energy, velocity, and momentum. This species, formed in a hydrogen plasma, has a half-life of 2.3 x 10(-8) seconds before it spontaneously dissociates to produce H(-) ions.

Modification of biological surface activity of particles.

The hemolytic activity of fibrous asbestos varieties and of fibrous or granular silica dust can be markedly reduced by adsorption of polymers. Polyanions exert a specific action on asbestos, particularly chrysotile, whereas silica is inactivated by nonionic polymers. A high degree of reduction of the lytic action by comparatively small amounts of the antagonistic polymers can be demonstrated after short exposure to concentrations of 0.1-0.4 mg/ml of appropriate polymers. Inactivation is based on stable adsorption. Repeated washings of inactivated mineral sediments or exposure to elevated temperatures (80-120 degrees C) produced no essential loss of the reduction of lytic potency. In one example, inactivation of chrysotile by sodium alginate, depolymerization by ascorbic acid was also ineffective.