Maternal separation differentially modulates early pathology by sex in 5xFAD Alzheimer's disease-transgenic mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. Most cases of AD are considered idiopathic and likely due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle-related risk factors. Despite occurring decades before the typical age of an AD diagnosis, early-life stress (ELS) has been suggested to have long-lasting effects that may contribute to AD risk and pathogenesis. Still, the mechanisms that underlie the role of ELS on AD risk remain largely unknown. Here, we used 5xFAD transgenic mice to study relatively short-term alterations related to ELS in an AD-like susceptible mouse model at 6 weeks of age. To model ELS, we separated pups from their dams for 3 h per day from postnatal day 2-14. Around 6 weeks of age, we found that maternally separated (MS) 5xFAD mice, particularly female mice, displayed increased amyloid-ß-immunoreactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA). In anterior cingulate cortex, we also noted significantly increased intraneuronal amyloid-ß-immunoreactivity associated with MS but only in female mice. Moreover, IBA1-positive DAPI density was significantly increased in relation to MS in ACC and BLA, and microglia in BLA of MS mice had significantly different morphology compared to microglia in non-MS 5xFAD mice. Cytokine analysis showed that male MS mice, specifically, had increased levels of neuroinflammatory markers CXCL1 and IL-10 in hippocampal extracts compared to non-MS counterparts. Additionally, hippocampal extracts from both male and female MS 5xFAD mice had decreased levels of synapse- and activity-related markers Bdnf, 5htr6, Cox2, and Syp in hippocampus. Lastly, we performed behavioral tests to evaluate anxiety- and depressive-like behavior and working memory but could not detect any significant differences between groups. Overall, we detected several sex-specific molecular and cellular alterations in 6-week-old adolescent 5xFAD mice associated with MS that may help explain the connection between ELS and AD risk.

Chemotherapy resistant Burkitt lymphoma: Possible novel therapies including CAR-T cell infusion.

Key Clinical Message: The prognosis of patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) BL is poor with limited response to salvage therapy, especially for patients with early relapse (<6 months) or refractory disease. Novel therapies may be promising but need refinement. Abstract: The prognosis of patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) BL is poor with a limited response to salvage therapy, especially for patients with early relapse (<6 months) or refractory disease. We present three cases of patients with R/R BL receiving novel therapies followed by a literature review. Amongst others, the patients received inotuzumab ozogamicin, idelalisib, ibrutinib, and CAR-T cell therapy, however, with limited response. In literature, response to several novel agents is described; however, most promising results are seen with CAR-T cell therapy. Concluding from case series, sequential CAR-T cell therapy, targeting multiple B-cell antigens, seems most promising.

Methods for think-aloud interviews in health-related resource-use research: the PECUNIA RUM instrument.

BACKGROUND: The think-aloud (TA) approach is a qualitative research method that allows for gaining insight into thoughts and cognitive processes. It can be used to incorporate a respondent's perspective when developing resource-use measurement (RUM) instruments. Currently, the application of TA methods in RUM research is limited, and so is the guidance on how to use them. Transparent publication of TA methods for RUM in health economics studies, which is the aim of this paper, can contribute to reducing the aforementioned gap. METHODS: Methods for conducting TA interviews were iteratively developed by a multi-national working group of health economists and additional qualitative research expertise was sought. TA interviews were conducted in four countries to support this process. A ten-step process was outlined in three parts: Part A 'before the interview' (including translation, recruitment, training), Part B 'during the interview' (including setting, opening, completing the instrument, open-ended questions, closing), and part C 'after the interview' (including transcription and data analysis, trustworthiness). CONCLUSIONS: This manuscript describes the step-by-step approach for conducting multi-national TA interviews with potential respondents of the PECUNIA RUM instrument. It increases the methodological transparency in RUM development and reduces the knowledge gap of using qualitative research methods in health economics.

Silent gene clusters encode magnetic organelle biosynthesis in a non-magnetotactic phototrophic bacterium.

Horizontal gene transfer is a powerful source of innovations in prokaryotes that can affect almost any cellular system, including microbial organelles. The formation of magnetosomes, one of the most sophisticated microbial mineral-containing organelles synthesized by magnetotactic bacteria for magnetic navigation in the environment, was also shown to be a horizontally transferrable trait. However, the mechanisms determining the fate of such genes in new hosts are not well understood, since non-adaptive gene acquisitions are typically rapidly lost and become unavailable for observation. This likely explains why gene clusters encoding magnetosome biosynthesis have never been observed in non-magnetotactic bacteria. Here, we report the first discovery of a horizontally inherited dormant gene clusters encoding biosynthesis of magnetosomes in a non-magnetotactic phototrophic bacterium Rhodovastum atsumiense. We show that these clusters were inactivated through transcriptional silencing and antisense RNA regulation, but retain functionality, as several genes were able to complement the orthologous deletions in a remotely related magnetotactic bacterium. The laboratory transfer of foreign magnetosome genes to R. atsumiense was found to endow the strain with magnetosome biosynthesis, but strong negative selection led to rapid loss of this trait upon subcultivation, highlighting the trait instability in this organism. Our results provide insight into the horizontal dissemination of gene clusters encoding complex prokaryotic organelles and illuminate the potential mechanisms of their genomic preservation in a dormant state.

International comparability of reference unit costs of education services: when harmonizing methodology is not enough (PECUNIA project).

BACKGROUND: Health problems can lead to costs in the education sector. However, these costs are rarely incorporated in health economic evaluations due to the lack of reference unit costs (RUCs), cost per unit of service, of education services and of validated methods to obtain them. In this study, a standardized unit cost calculation tool developed in the PECUNIA project, the PECUNIA RUC Template for services, was applied to calculate the RUCs of selected education services in five European countries. METHODS: The RUCs of special education services and of educational therapy were calculated using the information collected via an exploratory gray literature search and contact with service providers. RESULTS: The RUCs of special education services ranged from €55 to €189 per school day. The RUCs of educational therapy ranged from €6 to €25 per contact and from €5 to €35 per day. Variation was observed in the type of input data and measurement unit, among other. DISCUSSION: The tool helped reduce variability in the RUCs related to costing methodology and gain insights into other aspects that contribute to the variability (e.g. data availability). Further research and efforts to generate high quality input data are required to reduce the variability of the RUCs.

Early-life stress elicits peripheral and brain immune activation differently in wild type and 5xFAD mice in a sex-specific manner.

BACKGROUND: The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) is modulated by genetic and environmental factors. Early-life stress (ELS) exposure during critical periods of brain development can impact later brain function and health, including increasing the risk of developing AD. Microglial dysfunction and neuroinflammation have been implicated as playing a role in AD pathology and may be modulated by ELS. To complicate matters further, sex-specific effects have been noted in response to ELS and in the incidence and progression of AD. METHODS: Here, we subjected male and female mice with either a wild type or 5xFAD familial AD-model background to maternal separation (MS) from postnatal day 2 to 14 to induce ELS. RESULTS: We detected hippocampal neuroinflammatory alterations already at postnatal day 15. By 4 months of age, MS mice presented increased immobility time in the forced swim test and a lower discrimination index in the novel object recognition memory test compared to controls. We found altered Bdnf and Arc expression in the hippocampus and increased microglial activation in the prefrontal cortex due to MS in a sex-dependent manner. In 5xFAD mice specifically, MS exacerbated amyloid-beta deposition, particularly in females. In the periphery, the immune cell population was altered by MS exposure. CONCLUSION: Overall, our results demonstrate that MS has both short- and long-term effects on brain regions related to memory and on the inflammatory system, both in the brain and periphery. These ELS-related effects that are detectable even in adulthood may exacerbate pathology and increase the risk of developing AD via sex-specific mechanisms.

[Neuroendocrine neoplasms : a new era to the top of multidisciplinarity !] / Néoplasies neuroendocrines : une nouvelle ère a l'apogée de la multidisciplinarité !

Neuroendocrine neoplasms are histologically defined by a common neuroendocrine cellular phenotype. These are still considered as rare tumours even though their incidence is increasing. Heterogeneity is everywhere whether in the localization of the primitive cancer, the clinical presentation, the histological classification, the prognosis, as well as in therapeutic options, which clearly justifies specialized multidisciplinary care. Heterogeneity and scarcity explain the still fragmented nature of knowledge in this domain. Thanks to an increase in incidence, a desire for standardization of classification as well as the arrival of major therapeutic advances, such as vectorized internal radiotherapy, the future of neuroendocrine neoplasia seems more than promising and exciting. In our daily clinical practice at CHU Liège, we hope to bring our stone to the building by listing as many cases as possible in national and/or international databases, by centralizing therapeutic discussions within specific multidisciplinary concertations and by participating in multicenter study protocols.

Les néoplasies neuroendocrines sont définies histologiquement par un phénotype cellulaire neuroendocrine commun. Ces néoplasies sont toujours considérées comme des tumeurs rares, bien que leur incidence soit en constante augmentation. L'hétérogénéité est omniprésente, que ce soit dans la localisation du cancer primitif, la présentation clinique, la classification histologique, le pronostic ainsi que dans les diverses options thérapeutiques, justifiant impérativement une prise en charge pluridisciplinaire spécialisée. Cette hétérogénéité et cette rareté expliquent que les connaissances soient parcellaires. Grâce à une majoration d'incidence, une volonté d'uniformisation de classification ainsi que l'arrivée d'avancées thérapeutiques majeures, telles que la radiothérapie interne vectorisée, l'avenir des néoplasies neuroendocrines semble plus que prometteur et palpitant. En pratique clinique quotidienne au CHU de Liège, nous espérons apporter notre pierre à l'édifice en recensant un maximum de cas dans des bases de données nationales et/ou internationales, en centralisant les discussions thérapeutiques au sein de concertations multidisciplinaires dédiées et en participant à des protocoles d'études cliniques multicentriques.

[Managing of dyspnea in oncology]. / Prise en charge de la dyspnée en oncologie.

The perception of ventilatory effort is common in oncology, especially but not exclusively in the advanced stages of neoplastic disease. Dyspnea is a symptom whose discomfort and anguish it generates in the patient and his/ her entourage require constant management throughout the illness. The first step is to identify and optimize the treatment of comorbidities associated with tumour disease. Relief of respiratory oppression as a symptom requires a multidisciplinary approach. Opiates and benzodiazepines are at the forefront of pharmacological management. The mechanical obstruction that limits ventilatory flow and/or chest ampliation may justify more invasive management, including endoscopic techniques. Oxygen therapy will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Finally, global management includes respiratory revalidation, psychological support and improvement of environmental quality.

La perception d'un effort ventilatoire est fréquente en oncologique en particulier, mais non exclusivement, aux stades avancés de la maladie néoplasique. La dyspnée constitue un symptôme dont l'inconfort et l'angoisse qu'elle génère chez le patient et son entourage nécessitent une prise en charge constante tout au long de la maladie. La première étape est d'identifier et d'optimaliser le traitement des pathologies dyspnéisantes conjointes à la maladie tumorale. Le soulagement de l'oppression respiratoire en tant que symptôme nécessite une approche pluridisciplinaire. Les opiacés et les benzodiazépines sont au premier plan de la prise en charge pharmacologique. La levée d'un obstacle mécanique limitant les débits ventilatoires et/ou l'ampliation thoracique peut justifier des techniques plus invasives, notamment endoscopiques. L'oxygénothérapie sera envisagée au cas par cas. Enfin, la prise en charge globale inclut la revalidation respiratoire, le support psychique et l'amélioration de la qualité de l'environnement.

[Pre-cancerous lung lesions and lung cancer screening]. / Les lésions pulmonaires pré-cancéreuses et le dépistage du cancer pulmonaire.

Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer. It is the result of genetic aberrations in the cells of the respiratory tract exposed to carcinogenic agents, responsible for their anarchic multiplication. It is necessary to study these abnormalities in order to better understand the early stages and the mechanisms of evolution, thereby to establish new screening, monitoring and treatment strategies. The NELSON study confirms that systematic screening for lung cancer in target populations leads to a reduction in mortality from this disease. Despite this, there is currently no consensus in Belgium between medical experts and politicians for systematic lung cancer screening.

Le cancer pulmonaire reste le cancer le plus mortel. Il est le résultat d'aberrations génétiques au niveau de cellules des voies respiratoires exposées aux agents carcinogènes, responsables de leur multiplication anarchique. Il est nécessaire d'étudier ces anomalies pour mieux comprendre les stades précoces et les mécanismes d'évolution afin d'établir de nouvelles stratégies de dépistage, de suivi et de traitement. L'étude NELSON confirme qu'un dépistage systématique des cancers pulmonaires de populations cibles permet une diminution de la mortalité liée à cette pathologie. Malgré cela, il n'y a, actuellement, pas de consensus en Belgique entre les experts médicaux et le monde politique pour un dépistage systématique du cancer pulmonaire.

[Small cell lung cancer : update of therapy]. / Le cancer pulmonaire à petites cellules : mise au point thérapeutique.

Small cell lung cancer is a malignant tumour with a poor prognosis. Standard treatment of metastatic stages has been a platinum doublet since 1980, but the addition of immunotherapy has improved prognosis. For locally advanced stages, the combination of radio-chemotherapy remains the treatment of choice, with no evidence at present of the value of immunotherapy in consolidation, and for localized stages, surgery is the first-line therapy. Unfortunately, in the second line, we have no other molecule than the topotecan despite several studies. Prophylactic brain irradiation remains debated even if it has been validated in localized forms. Finally, there is hope with targeted therapy following the development of subtypes of small cell lung cancer but studies remain difficult to conduct.

Le cancer pulmonaire à petites cellules est une tumeur maligne de mauvais pronostic. Le traitement standard des stades métastatiques était un doublet à base de sels de platine depuis 1980, mais l'ajout de l'immunothérapie a, quand même, permis d'améliorer le pronostic. Pour les stades localement avancés, l'association d'une radiochimiothérapie reste le traitement de choix, sans évidence actuellement de l'intérêt d'une immunothérapie en consolidation, et pour les stades localisés, la chirurgie. Malheureusement, en deuxième ligne, nous n'avons pas d'autre molécule que le topotécan malgré plusieurs études. L'irradiation cérébrale prophylactique reste débattue, même si elle a été validée dans les formes localisées. Enfin, il existe un espoir avec une thérapie ciblée suite à la mise en évidence de sous-types de cancers pulmonaires à petites cellules, mais les études restent difficiles à mener.

[Non small cell lung carcinoma in never-smokers at the Liege University Hospital : a retrospective cohort study, 2017-2018]. / Cancer pulmonaire non à petites cellules chez les patients non fumeurs au CHU de Liège : étude rétrospective entre début 2017 et fin 2018.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in Belgium in 2017 and remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. There is no longer any doubt that the main cause of lung cancer is smoking. However, the prevalence of lung cancer in never-smokers has been increasing overtime. Moreover, it is now recognized that the lung cancer of non-smoker patients has very distinct characteristics. In this retrospective cohort study (N = 520), we describe the characteristics of non-smoker patients and their non-small cell lung carcinoma and compare them to those of smokers. The patients included in this study were whose with a new diagnostic of lung cancer made at the Liège University Hospital of Liège over 2 years round. Non small cell lung cancer occurring in never-smokers patients is more often seen in young and very old patients, more frequent in female, essentially adenocarcinoma and often associated with mutations. This work confirms that lung cancer in never-smokers shows different features than lung cancer seen in patients with a smoking history.

Le cancer pulmonaire est le troisième cancer le plus fréquent en Belgique en 2017 et reste la première cause de décès par cancer dans le monde. Il ne fait plus aucun doute que la cause principale de cancer du poumon est le tabagisme. Il est toutefois apparu, ces dernières décennies, que le pourcentage de patients non fumeurs augmente parmi les patients présentant un cancer du poumon. Par ailleurs, il est dorénavant reconnu que le cancer pulmonaire du patient non fumeur présente des caractéristiques bien distinctes. Dans ce contexte, nous présentons une étude rétrospective reprenant les caractéristiques cliniques et néoplasiques de l'ensemble des patients ayant présenté un carcinome pulmonaire non à petites cellules dans notre institution sur une période de 2 ans (N = 520). Les cancers non à petites cellules observés chez les nonfumeurs sont plus fréquents chez les sujets jeunes ou très âgés, plus fréquents dans le sexe féminin, en très grande majorité des adénocarcinomes, et souvent associés à des mutations. Nous confirmons ainsi qu'il s'agit d'un cancer aux caractéristiques différentes des cancers pulmonaires des patients fumeurs.

[Targeted therapies for non-small cell lung cancer : state of the art in 2021]. / Traitements ciblés et cancer bronchique non à petites cellules : le point en 2021.

The majority of non-small cell lung cancers are diagnosed as advanced disease. Subsets of adenocarcinomas and of squamous cell carcinomas in nonsmokers present a molecular aberration leading to tumour survival. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) and Repressor Of Silencing1 (ROS1) have been identified and targeted with good efficacy for fifteen years. Newer inhibitors brought even greater efficacy with a generally better tolerability. Other molecular aberrations (Kirsten Rat Sarcoma, Rearranged during Transfection, MET, NeuroTrophic Receptor yrosine kinase) are targets for newly developed, more selective drugs. As more and more patients will benefit from targeted therapies, the identification of molecular aberration is more than ever crucial for optimal lung cancer patient care.

La majorité des cancers pulmonaires non à petites cellules se présentent à un stade avancé. Une faible proportion des adénocarcinomes et des cancers épidermoïdes des non-fumeurs est porteur d'(une) anomalie(s) génétique (s) et moléculaire(s) dont dépend leur survie. Depuis une quinzaine d'années, les anomalies de l'«Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor¼ (EGFR), «Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase¼ (ALK) et Repressor Of Silencing1 (ROS1) sont connues et ciblées par des inhibiteurs efficaces. De nouvelles générations permettent actuellement d'augmenter leur efficacité thérapeutique pour une toxicité globalement moindre. De nouvelles anomalies («Kirsten Rat Sarcoma¼, «Rearranged during Transfection¼, MET, «NeuroTrophic Receptor tyrosine kinase¼) sont, elles aussi, à présent ciblées de manière efficace. La recherche des anomalies moléculaires dans ces sous-types histologiques est devenue incontournable car elle modifie fondamentalement la prise en charge thérapeutique et le pronostic d'une proportion grandissante de patients.

The Next Step Toward Patient-Centeredness in Multidisciplinary Cancer Team Meetings: An Interview Study with Professionals.

BACKGROUND: Patient-centeredness is essential in complex oncological multidisciplinary team decision-making. Improvement seems to be needed, while there is a lack of knowledge about health care providers' needs for improvement. OBJECTIVE: To explore multidisciplinary team members' perspectives on the need to improve patient-centeredness in complex decision-making, and subsequently the strategies to enhance it. METHODS: This was a qualitative descriptive interview study. The participants were twenty-four professionals who attended multidisciplinary cancer team meetings weekly. The setting was five multidisciplinary teams (gastrointestinal, gynecological, urological, head and neck, and hematological cancer) in a Dutch academic hospital. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews and were analyzed with a combination of inductive and deductive content analysis. RESULTS: The participants voiced the need for additional information (patient-centered information, patients's needs and preferences, individualized medical information) during the multidisciplinary team meeting, to be more patient-centered in the decision-making conversation with the patient following the meeting, and for more information following the meeting to support patient-centeredness. The strategies, which mostly originated from the needs, were categorized as organization, decision-making, and communication. The most prominent strategies were those aimed at collecting and using patient-centered information, and to facilitate the decision-making conversation with the patient following the multidisciplinary team meeting. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlighted the need to improve patient-centeredness in oncological multidisciplinary teams and provided a comprehensive overview of strategies for improvement, supported by multidisciplinary team members. These strategies emphasize involvement of patients throughout the continuous process of decision-making for patients with cancer. These strategies may be implemented in other oncological multidisciplinary teams, taking in mind the local needs. Future research may help to prioritize the strategies and to determine and evaluate the effect on endpoints, like patient or professional satisfaction, shared decision-making, and on the decision that was made.

[Empyema and subacute invasive aspergillosis following drowning]. / Cas clinique.Empyème et aspergillose invasive subaiguë dans les suites d'une inhalation lors d'une noyade.

Empyema and subacute invasive aspergillosis are rare pathologies that should not be overlooked because of the need for early treatment and a different management of bacterial infections which are more frequent. We report the case of a 75-year-old man with subacute invasive aspergillosis and an empyema following drowning and cardiopulmonary arrest.

L'empyème à Aspergillus fumigatus et l'aspergillose invasive subaiguë sont des pathologies rares à ne pas méconnaître au vu de la nécessité d'un traitement précoce et d'une prise en charge différente des infections pleuropulmonaires bactériennes qui sont plus fréquentes. Nous rapportons le cas d'un patient de 75 ans présentant une aspergillose invasive subaiguë, associée à un empyème, dans les suites d'une noyade avec arrêt cardiopulmonaire.

Maternal separation leads to regional hippocampal microglial activation and alters the behavior in the adolescence in a sex-specific manner.

Early life adversities during childhood (such as maltreatment, abuse, neglect, or parental deprivation) may increase the vulnerability to cognitive disturbances and emotional disorders in both, adolescence and adulthood. Maternal separation (MS) is a widely used model to study stress-related changes in brain and behavior in rodents. In this study, we investigated the effect of MS (postnatal day 2-14, 3 â€‹h/day) in both, female and male adolescent mice. Specifically, we evaluated (i) the spatial working memory, anxiety and depressive-like behavior, (ii) the hippocampal synaptic gene expression, and (iii) the hippocampal neuroinflammatory response. Our results show that MS significantly increased depressive-like behavior in adolescent female mice and altered the spatial memory in adolescent male mice. In addition, MS led to decreased expression of genes related to synaptic function (5ht6r, Synaptophysin, and Cox-2) and induced an exacerbated microglial activation in dentate gyrus (DG), CA1, and CA3. However, while the levels of hippocampal inflammatory cytokines were not modified by MS, they did follow a sex-specific expression in adolescent mice. Taken together, our results suggest that MS induces long-term changes in hippocampal microglia and synaptic gene expression, alters the spatial memory, and induces depressive-like behavior in the adolescent mice, in a sex-specific manner.

[How I manage... Malignant pleural mesothelioma in 2019]. / Comment je traite Le mésothéliome pleural malin en 2019.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare disease originating from mesothelial cells of the pleura and is related to asbestos exposure. The tumor is generally extended at the time of diagnosis and the treatment consists of a systemic palliative therapy. Radical approach is limited to very selected patients and is performed in expert centers but without validated schema. Radiotherapy alone is mainly used in palliative intent. Platinum-based chemotherapy in association with pemetrexed is the frontline standard of care and provides a 12-month overall survival. The addition of bevacizumab, an antiangiogenic drug, shows an improvement in median survival. To date, there is no second-line treatment approved for this disease and therefore inclusion in trials is recommended. Currently, various studies are investigating target therapy, immunotherapy and intrapleural perioperative treatment.

Le mésothéliome pleural malin est une tumeur rare, issue des cellules mésothéliales de la plèvre et liée à un contact avec l'amiante. Au moment du diagnostic, la maladie est souvent de stade avancé et est prise en charge par un traitement systémique palliatif. Un traitement radical est réservé pour de rares cas très sélectionnés, au sein de centres experts et ce, sans qu'aucun schéma de prise en charge ne soit validé. La radiothérapie seule est essentiellement utilisée à titre palliatif antalgique. Le traitement systémique de référence consiste en une chimiothérapie à base de cisplatine et pemetrexed permettant une survie globale de 12 mois. L'ajout à la chimiothérapie d'une thérapie ciblée anti-angiogénique, le bévacizumab, a permis une amélioration significative de la survie. A ce jour, il n'y a pas de traitement de 2ème ligne validé et il est donc recommandé d'inclure les patients dans des études cliniques. Actuellement, de multiples études évaluent des thérapies ciblées, des immunothérapies et des traitements intrapleuraux peropératoires.

Experimental evidence for the relaxation coupling of all longitudinal 7Li magnetization orders in the superionic conductor Li10GeP2S12.

This contribution addresses the experimental proof of the relaxation coupling of the 7Li (I = 3/2) longitudinal magnetization orders in the solid-state electrolyte Li10GeP2S12 (LGPS). This effect was theoretically described by Korb and Petit in 1988 but has not yet been shown experimentally. In a 2D-T1/spin-alignment echo (SAE) experiment, the inverse Laplace transformation of the spectral component over two time dimensions revealed the asymmetric course of the spin-lattice relaxation following from the coupling of all longitudinal orders. These observations were supported by Multi-quantum-filter experiments and by simulations of the 2D-T1/SAE experiment with a lithium spin system. Since the asymmetric relaxation effects are directly dependent on the velocities and degrees of freedom of ion motion they could be used especially in fast Li-ion conductors as a separation tool for environments with different mobility processes.

An exploration of the processing of suppressed memories during Rebirthing-Breathwork / Uma exploração do processamento de memorias suprimidas durante Rebirthing-Breathwork / Una exploración del procesamiento de memorias suprimidas durante Rebirthing-Breathwork

Rebirthing-Breathwork is a technique that uses the breathing rhythm to activate a somatic-cognitive cycle. When allowed to unfold, this cycle activates suppressed and traumatic memories, brings them to consciousness and leads to their resolution. In this analytic and interpretative study we draw on first-person experiences and clinical observations to describe the phases of a typical Rebirthing Breathwork session. Changes in consciousness and in particular the phases related to the processing of suppressed or traumatic memories during Rebirthing Breathwork are described in detail, with the objective of developing a processing model. The findings are compared with the Adaptive Information Processing model developed by Shapiro to explain the processing of dysfunctional memories during Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Shapiro's model is based on neurobiological theories and on the hypothesis that during EMDR traumatic memories form new connections and are assimilated in larger neural networks. Our findings suggest a different model, which involves the distillation and re-evaluation of subjective conceptual content. We sketch an alternative processing model ­ not based on information processing, but on consciousness and cognition ­ in which the subjective content of the memory is compared to an intuitively perceived higher self-image.(AU)

Rebirthing-Breathwork é uma técnica que utiliza o ritmo respiratório para ativar um ciclo cognitivo-somático. Quando permitido que se desenvolva, esse ciclo ativa memórias traumáticas reprimidas, trazendo-as à consciência e conduzindo-as à sua resolução. Neste estudo analítico e interpretativo utilizamos experiências pessoais e observações clínicas para descrever as fases de uma sessão típica de Rebirthing-Breathwork. Descrevemos em detalhes as mudanças de consciência e, particularmente, as fases relacionadas ao processamento de memórias reprimidas ou traumáticas durante a sessão. As evidências são comparadas ao Adaptive Information Processing model (AIP ­ modelo de processamento de informações adaptativas) desenvolvido por Shapiro para explicar a elaboração de memórias disfuncionais durante a terapia EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, ou Dessensibilização e Reprocessamento por Movimentos Oculares). O modelo de Shapiro é baseado em teorias neurobiológicas e na hipótese de que, durante o EMDR,as memórias traumáticas formamnovas conexõese são assimiladas em redes neurais maiores. As nossas observações sugerem um modelo diferente, que envolve a destilação e reavaliação do conteúdo conceitual subjetivo. Esboçamos um modelo alternativo de processamento ­ não baseado no processamento de informação, mas emconsciência e cognição ­ no qual o conteúdo subjetivo da memória é comparado a uma autoimagem superior que é percebida intuitivamente.(AU)

Rebirthing-Breathwork es una técnica que utiliza el ritmo respiratorio para activar un ciclo cognitivosomático. Cuando permitido que se desarrolle, este ciclo activa memorias suprimidas y traumáticas, lleva las mismas a la conciencia y conduce hacia su resolución. En este estudio analítico e interpretativo aportamos experiencias personales y observaciones clínicas para describir las fases de una sesión típica de Rebirthing-Breathwork. Cambios en conciencia y en especial las fases relativas al procesamiento de memorias suprimidas y traumáticas durante el Rebirthing-Breathwork son descritos en detalles. Las evidencias son comparadas al Adaptive Information Processing model (AIP ­ modelo de procesamiento de informaciones adaptativas) desarrollado por Shapiro para explanación de la elaboración de memorias non-funcionales durante la terapia EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, o Desensibilización y Reprocesamiento por Movimientos Oculares). El modelo de Shapiro es basado en teorías neurobiológicas y en la hipótesis de que, durante el EMDR, las memorias traumáticas forman nuevas conexiones y son asimiladas en redes neurales más grandes. Nuestras observaciones sugieren un modelo distinto, que abarca la destilación y revaluación del contenido conceptual subjetivo. Esbozamos un modelo alternativo de procesamiento ­ non basado en el procesamiento de información, pero en conciencia y cognición ­ en el cual el contenido subjetivo de la memoria es comparado a una autoimagen superior que es percibida intuitivamente.(AU)

Caloric restriction reduces age at menopause: the effect of the 1944-1945 Dutch famine.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of caloric restriction, as endured during the 1944-1945 Dutch famine, on the age at which natural menopause occurs and to identify specific vulnerable age periods in which caloric restriction has the largest effect. DESIGN: This was a population-based cohort study conducted in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Between 1983 and 1986, 9,471 women aged 40 to 73 years at the time of interview were classified regarding their exposure to the famine. Age at natural menopause was obtained from all available data, retrospectively as well as prospectively. We estimated differences in mean age at natural menopause between famine exposure categories (not, moderately, and severely exposed), with adjustment for smoking, parity, socioeconomic status, body mass index, age at menarche, and year of birth. RESULTS: Women experienced natural menopause on average 0.36 years earlier (95% CI: -0.60, -0.11) when severely exposed to the famine and 0.06 years earlier (95% CI: -0.22, 0.09) when moderately exposed compared with the unexposed women. This effect was particularly pronounced in those severely exposed from 2 to 6 years of age: -1.83 years (95% CI: -3.03, -0.63). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that caloric restriction decreases age at natural menopause. Early childhood seems to be a particularly sensitive age period for this effect.