Peeling Off Neutron Skins from Neutron-Rich Nuclei: Constraints on the Symmetry Energy from Neutron-Removal Cross Sections.

An experimentally constrained equation of state of neutron-rich matter is fundamental for the physics of nuclei and the astrophysics of neutron stars, mergers, core-collapse supernova explosions, and the synthesis of heavy elements. To this end, we investigate the potential of constraining the density dependence of the symmetry energy close to saturation density through measurements of neutron-removal cross sections in high-energy nuclear collisions of 0.4 to 1 GeV/nucleon. We show that the sensitivity of the total neutron-removal cross section is high enough so that the required accuracy can be reached experimentally with the recent developments of new detection techniques. We quantify two crucial points to minimize the model dependence of the approach and to reach the required accuracy: the contribution to the cross section from inelastic scattering has to be measured separately in order to allow a direct comparison of experimental cross sections to theoretical cross sections based on density functional theory and eikonal theory. The accuracy of the reaction model should be investigated and quantified by the energy and target dependence of various nucleon-removal cross sections. Our calculations explore the dependence of neutron-removal cross sections on the neutron skin of medium-heavy neutron-rich nuclei, and we demonstrate that the slope parameter L of the symmetry energy could be constrained down to ±10 MeV by such a measurement, with a 2% accuracy of the measured and calculated cross sections.

Metastatic paraplegia: care management characteristics within a rehabilitation center.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To determine the potential impact of rehabilitation care on associated symptoms and functional improvements of paraplegic patients with metastatic spinal cord compression. SETTING: CMN Propara, Montpellier (France). MEASURES: Demographics, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Frankel Modified Score and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, intercurrent adverse medical events and neurological outcome, duration of stay, survival time, rehospitalization in a non-Spinal Cord Injury unit, number of contracts defining the patients rehabilitation goals, number of contracts defining the patients duration of stay within the rehabilitation center. RESULTS: We reviewed the charts of 26 patients. The initial neurological profile was paraplegia or paraparesis for 24 patients and quadriparesis for 2 patients. Regarding functional improvements: four patients demonstrated a poor functional evolution, five patients showed no functional improvements or very slight improvements and all the other patients showed an increase in their overall functional aptitudes. At the end of the stay, 14 patients were urinary independent. Our study reports 52 rehospitalizations in an another unit and 101 outpatient visits during their rehabilitation stay in a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) center. For the 14 patients who were deceased at the time of data collection, the median survival rate post-paraplegia was 12.7 months. A total of 12 of the 14 patients spent more than a third of their remaining survival time in a rehabilitation center. DISCUSSION: Compared to the patients' life expectancy, their stay in a rehabilitation center is too long and prevents them from spending time with family and loved ones. The occurrence rate of the associated symptoms is high because of both cancer-related disorders and neurological disorders caused by the spinal cord lesion. PM&R professionals are faced with patients affected by chronic pain and fatigue as well as frequent rehospitalizations, short stays and outpatient stays, in the primary oncology unit. This study focuses on the need to privilege the patients' comfort over their functional rehabilitation.

Bone and total alkaline phosphatase for screening skeletal metastasis in patients with solid tumours.

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) has several isoforms including bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP). We evaluated BAP and AP for screening for bone metastasis (BM) in patients with solid tumours. This is a prospective non-blinded study conducted at ABC Foundation School of Medicine Oncology clinics. A total of 40 subjects without a history of cancer and 62 patients with various solid tumours referred for a bone scan had serum drawn for BAP and AP determination. Bone alkaline phosphatase and AP levels in patients with cancer and BM, without BM and with no cancer, were 70.32 +/- 3.65 and 310.21 +/- 16.87 U/L; 41.40 +/- 2.80 and 113.23 +/- 12.95 U/L; 21.19 +/- 2.76 and 148.05 +/- 12.79 U/L respectively (P < 0.0001 for both AP and BAP). For BAP and AP sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 0.86 and 0.52; 0.69 and 1; 0.45 and 1; 0.94 and 0.87 respectively. ROC AUC value for BAP was 0.89 and for AP was 0.93. We conclude that BAP is more sensitive than AP, whereas AP had a remarkable specificity of 100%. In screening for BM in patients with solid tumours, obtaining initially BAP and then selecting for further investigation only patients with an abnormal AP may be a cost and resource saving strategy.

[Mixed episodes in bipolar disorder: a review]. / Affektive Mischzustände bei Bipolaren Störungen: ein Uberblick.

Affective mixed states in bipolar disorders are a current matter of scientific debate and represent a complex clinical picture with coexisting manic and depressive symptoms. Treatment of mixed states is regarded as an important challenge. As diagnostic uncertainties complicate systematic clinical evaluations of this patient group, generally accepted clinical treatment guidelines are lacking yet. In this review the significance as well as the problems and risks of new treatment options are discussed.

Using simulated rainfall to evaluate field and indoor surface runoff phosphorus relationships.

While numerous studies have evaluated the efficacy of outdoor rainfall simulations to predict P concentrations in surface runoff, few studies have linked indoor rainfall simulations to P concentrations in surface runoff from agricultural fields. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of indoor rainfall simulation to predict total dissolved P concentrations [TP(<0.45)] in field runoff for four dominant agricultural soils in South Dakota. Surface runoff from 10 residue-free field plots (2 m wide by 2 m long, 2-3% slope) and packed soil boxes (1 m long by 20 cm wide by 7.5 cm high, 2-3% slope) was compared. Surface runoff was generated via rainfall simulation at an intensity of 65 mm h(-1) and was collected for 30 min. Packed boxes produced approximately 24% more runoff (range = 2.8-3.4 cm) than field plots (range = 2.3-2.7 cm) among all soils. No statistical differences in either TP(<0.45) concentration or TP(<0.45) loss was observed in runoff from packed boxes and field plots among soil series (0.17 < P < 0.83). Three of four soils showed significantly more total P lost from packed boxes than field plots. The TP(<0.45) concentration in surface runoff from field plots can be predicted from TP(<0.45) concentration in surface runoff from the packed boxes (0.68 < r(2) < 0.94). A single relationship was derived to predict field TP(<0.45) concentration in surface runoff using surface runoff TP(<0.45) concentration from packed boxes. Evidence is provided that indoor runoff can adequately predict TP(<0.45) concentration in field surface runoff for select soils.

[Poisoning by the autumn crocus plant]. / Verwechslungsgefahr im Frühjahr: Bärlauch und Herbstzeitlose. Warnen Sie lhre Patienten vor dem tödlichen Salat!

Confirmed cases of poisoning resulting from the ingestion of Colchicum autumnale in mistake for Allium ursinum were analysed retrospectively. The study included 32 patients between 27 and 90 years. The severity of the intoxication was graded on the basis of the poisoning severity score (PSS). All the patients developed diarrhea and/or vomiting after a latency period of between 2 and 24 h. All those patients with a latency of > 9 h suffered only mild poisoning. If the leaves were boiled before being eaten, 64% of the patients suffered moderate, severe or fatal poisoning; when the leaves were eaten raw, only 33%. It is presumed that heating may promote the liberation of colchicines from the plant. Eight of the nine patients with severe or fatal poisoning were older than 65 years. A possible cause of the more serious course in the elderly may be a decrease in renal clearance. In addition, a diminished sense of smell may allow the absence of the typical garlic smell and taste of Allium ursinum to go unrecognised.

Opioidergic changes in the pineal gland and hypothalamus in cluster headache: a ligand PET study.

Using PET with the opioidergic ligand [11C]diprenorphine, the authors demonstrate decreased tracer binding in the pineal gland of cluster headache patients vs healthy volunteers. Opioid receptor availability in the hypothalamus and cingulate cortex depended on the duration of the headache disorder. Therefore, the pathophysiology of cluster headache may relate to opioidergic dysfunction in circuitries generating the biologic clock.

Wave function engineering in elongated semiconductor nanocrystals with heterogeneous carrier confinement.

We explore two routes to wave function engineering in elongated colloidal CdSe/CdS quantum dots, providing deep insight into the intrinsic physics of these low-dimensional heterostructures. Varying the aspect ratio of the nanoparticle allows control over the electron-hole overlap (radiative rate), and external electric fields manipulate the interaction between the delocalized electron and the localized hole. In agreement with theory, this leads to an exceptional size dependent quantum confined Stark effect with field induced intensity modulations, opening applications as electrically switchable single photon sources.

Experimental evidence for exciton scaling effects in self-assembled molecular wires.

Resonant Rayleigh scattering from self-assembled one-dimensional molecular J-aggregate wires reveals a distinct dependence of the exciton energy on the width of lateral extension. For the J aggregates used in this study, strong in-line dipole coupling leads to a delocalization of the exciton wave function over several molecular units. Polarization dependent measurements of resonantly scattered light from the wires show that the exciton dipole moment is oriented perpendicular to the long axis. The experimental observations can be described by applying a quantization condition to the center of mass motion of the J-band exciton in the wires.

Alpha-tocopherol modulates tyrosine phosphorylation in human neutrophils by inhibition of protein kinase C activity and activation of tyrosine phosphatases.

Alpha-tocopherol augmentation in human neutrophils was investigated for effects on neutrophil activation and tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins, through its modulation of protein kinase C (PKC) and tyrosine phosphatase activities. Incubation of neutrophils with alpha-tocopherol succinate (TS) resulted in a dose-dependent incorporation into cell membranes, up to 2.5 nmol/2x10(6) cells. A saturating dose of TS (40 micromol/l) inhibited oxidant production by neutrophils stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or opsonized zymosan (OZ) by 86 and 57%, as measured by luminol-amplified chemiluminescence (CL). With PMA, TS inhibited CL generation to a similar extent to staurosporine (10 nmol/l) or genistein (100 micromol/l), and much more than Trolox (40 micromol/l). With OZ, TS inhibited CL to a similar extent to Trolox. Neutrophil PKC activity was inhibited 50% or more by TS or staurosporine. The enzyme activity was unaffected by genistein or Trolox, indicating a specific interaction of alpha-tocopherol. TS or Trolox increased protein tyrosine phosphorylation in resting neutrophils, and as with staurosporine further increased tyrosine phosphorylation in PMA-stimulated neutrophils, while the tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor genistein diminished phosphorylation. These effects in resting or PMA-stimulated neutrophils were unrelated to protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activities, which were maintained or increased by TS or Trolox. In OZ-stimulated neutrophils, on the other hand, all four compounds inhibited the increase in tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins. In this case, the effects of pre-incubation with TS or Trolox corresponded with partial inhibition of the marked (85%) decrease in PTP activity induced by OZ. These results indicate that alpha-tocopherol inhibits PMA-activation of human neutrophils by inhibition of PKC activity, and inhibits tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of OZ-stimulated neutrophils also through inhibition of phosphatase inactivation.

Electrodynamic headphones and woofers for application in magnetic resonance imaging scanners.

Electrodynamic speakers compatible with (functional) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are described. The speakers magnets are removed, their function is replaced by the scanner's magnetic field, resulting in an uncommon but efficient operation. The method can be used with headphones as well as woofers. Functional MRI is not associated with any known biological risks, but as a method for visualization of task-specific activation of brain regions it is undesirably noisy. Thus, it requires both noise protection and efficient sound transmission systems for delivering acoustic stimuli to subjects. Woofers could possibly be used in active noise-control systems. The speakers described in this paper can be used for either task.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of a human auditory cortex area involved in foreground-background decomposition.

Auditory foreground-background decomposition is a pattern recognition process which combines simultaneous and sequential grouping in complex sound sequences. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging with reduced scanner noise and stimulation through a new type of earphones, we investigated the possibility that this process activates topographically distinct areas of human auditory cortex. A basic matching-to-sample task with variable tones (sequential grouping) caused significant activity in three separate landmark-related territories on the supratemporal plane. A similar task in the presence of a strongly masking acoustic background pattern to challenge simultaneous grouping led to the distinction of the subterritory in which foreground signal-related or task-related signal properties were exclusively seen. In contrast to the remainder of territories the level of activity and the periodicity of the signal time-course was resistant to the masking influence of the background. This suggests that auditory foreground-background decomposition involves a specialized non-primary auditory cortex field. Generally, the findings demonstrate functional parcellation of auditory cortex for which the evidence in humans, in contrast to other primates, is only indirect to date.

[Coping-oriented group therapy for patients with schizophrenic or schizoaffective disorders. An exploratory study]. / Bewältigungsorientierte Gruppentherapie für Patienten mit schizophrenen oder schizoaffektiven Störungen. Eine explorative Studie.

The controlled study presented here was designed to examine the influence of the degree of structure of a coping-orientated therapy, the changes between the beginning and the end of therapy concerning satisfaction with therapy, psychopathology, attitude towards medication, coping behaviour and social variables, the effects on the days of hospitalisation within one year after the end of treatment and the relevant variables to predict the outcome twelve months later. It could be shown that patients in a relatively unstructured supportive group therapy wished to discuss topics that are very similar to those of coping-orientated therapy, that coping-orientated therapy results especially in an increase in knowledge about illness and treatment and that the therapeutic outcome after a one-year period can best be predicted by the degree of active coping strategies, social adaptation, trust in medication and cognitive variables.

Statistical methods in functional magnetic resonance imaging with respect to nonstationary time-series: auditory cortex activity.

In awake animal and human auditory cortices, it is a common experience with electrophysiological and suitable imaging methods for responses to steady stimulation to be strongly state-dependent and to exhibit nonstationarities, even over short periods of observation. If such nonstationary behavior is also reflected by hemodynamic responses in the human auditory cortex, conventional methods of analysis of fMRI data, although applicable for instance to largely stationary responses in visual and other cortices, may be misleading in attempts to parcellate auditory cortex into fields and to demonstrate functional maps. Time-Windows, described in this article as a convenient tool for the detection and analysis of time-variant brain activities, solves some of these problems. Time-Windows demonstrates that activity is evoked reliably in three separate territories of human auditory cortex, parts of which may show nonstationary behavior, depending on the auditory stimuli and tasks.

Lateralized processing of speech prosodies in the temporal cortex: a 3-T functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Prosodic modulation of speech provides information about emotional states of speakers (affective prosodies) or serves as syntactic markers to change linguistic aspects of speech (linguistic prosodies). Previous electrophysiological investigations and studies on patients with right or left hemisphere damage showed nonuniform results with respect to lateralization of prosodic processing. In this study 20 healthy right-handed volunteers were investigated with functional magnetic resonance imaging of the acoustically responsive areas on the supratemporal plane while detecting phonemes as control targets or prosodies in strings of nonsense syllables and adjectives, the latter randomly intonated in a declarative, interrogative, commanding, happy, or sad fashion. In control task A the phoneme /a/ was detected in the syllables. In control task B the phoneme /a/ was detected in the adjectives, and in the experimental task C the sad intonations (affective) and in the experimental task D the interrogative intonations (linguistic) had to be detected in the same material. In task A intensity-weighted volumes of activated voxels were not different in the two hemispheres (laterality index 0). In task B with an irrelevant phoneme detection with respect to prosodic material, the population split into two subgroups with similar right or left hemispheric lateralization of activity leading to an absolute laterality index of 26.8 across all subjects. During detection of affective prosodies (task C), lateralization was maintained yet the absolute laterality index reduced to 14.5, while there was no lateralization during detection of linguistic prosodies. The sum of activations in the two hemispheres was the same across all tasks and subgroups, which suggests that the lateralizations occurring with presentation and detection of prosodic material depend on a redistribution of activity between hemispheres.

Isolated circulatory response to intravenous administration of the ACE inhibitor enalaprilat.

The isolated vascular effects of intravenous administration of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalaprilat were investigated. Thirty male patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were studied. According to a randomized sequence, 0.04 mg kg-1 enalaprilat (low-dose, n = 10), 0.08 mg kg-1 (high-dose, n = 10) enalaprilat or saline solution as placebo (control group, n = 10) was given as an i.v. bolus during CPB. Changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and venous reservoir (RV) of the extracorporeal circulation were studied as indices of arterial resistance and venous capacitance. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and peripheral vascular resistance (SVR) were significantly more reduced in the high-dose enalaprilat group (MAP: -36 mm Hg after 9 min; SVR: -836 dyn s cm-5) than in the low-dose group (MAP: -13 mm Hg after 10 min). Volume of the reservoir (RV) decreased in both enalaprilat treated groups indicating additional (dose-dependent) venous pooling effects of the substance (low-dose: -300 ml; high-dose: -520 ml; control group: -100 ml). Skin capillary blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) increased after injection of 0.04 mg kg-1 enalaprilat, whereas it decreased significantly when MAP fell markedly in patients treated with high-dose enalaprilat. I.v. enalaprilat had dose-dependent vasodilating properties in the arterial and venous vessel system indicating reduction in pre- and afterload. Microcirculation in both enalaprilat treated groups improved as long as reduction in blood pressure was not limited.

Introducing a biosensor based technology for real-time biospecific interaction analysis.

This report describes a system for real-time biospecific interaction analysis, using biosensor technology based on the optical phenomenon surface plasmon resonance. The biospecific interface is a sensor chip consisting of a thin gold film deposited on a glass support and covered with a hydrogel matrix. One component of the interaction being studied is attached covalently to the hydrogel, and other interactants are passed over the chip in solution. The interaction is followed in real time in terms of changes in the mass concentration of biomolecules at the sensor surface. Surface concentrations down to 10 pg/mm2 can be measured. The technique does not require molecular labels such as isotopes or spectroscopic markers, and purification of interacting components can often be avoided. Repeated analyses can be performed on the same sensor chip. With this system, the same general procedure can be used for a wide range of different applications, including concentration determination, kinetic measurements and multi-site binding studies. The sensitivity of the technique can be adjusted by choice of reagents and experimental procedure: determination of specific proteins in serum down to 20 ng/ml and macromolecular association constants from 10(7) M-1 up to 4 x 10(11) M-1 are documentated examples. No other single analytical system has the same versatility and general applicability to biospecific interaction analysis. The system is developed and marketed by Pharmacia Biosensor AB, Sweden.

GFAP in brain tumor diagnosis: possibilities and limitations.

Investigation of GFAP (Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein) in 175 brain tumours showed varying amounts of fibrillary acidic protein in every glioma. In ependymal and oligodendroglial tumours a high number of positive neoplastic elements were detected, GFAP positive were also the peri-vascular cells of a so-called astroblastoma. In pilocytic astrocytomas, Rosenthal fibers were in part GFAP positive, in part negative. In giant cells gliomas, giant cells were GFAP negative or weakly positive. Intraleptomeningeal growing tumour cells presented usually a very strong positivity. In 8 recurring oligodendrogliomas, the number of GFAP positive tumour cells was the same in the primary tumour and in its recurrence. These results demonstrate that GFAP is not a specific astrocytic, but a glial-specific protein. Although GFAP is usually present in greater concentration in differentiated, slow growing gliomas, absolute reliable predictions on biological behaviour of the individual tumour are not possible, because a high GFAP content can be detected also in malignant tumours. GFAP investigation does not seem reliable for solving the pathogenetic problems of undifferentiated tumours: the results obtained in 50 medulloblastomas showed that the investigation of small tumour samples or the positivity of a single cell are inadequate data for a correct evaluation of the findings, especially bearing in mind that GFAP of degenerated astrocytes can be phagocytised by other cells, these findings giving rise to misinterpretations.

A study of the causes of conflict between psychiatrists and psychologists.

Although there has been much discussion of the current professional conflicts between psychiatrists and psychologist, few studies have attempted to empirically evaluate how the professions view their roles and responsibilities within the mental health system. In this study a questionnaire was sent to psychiatrists, psychologist, social workers, and nurses in various mental health settings. They were asked to evaluate how large a role psychiatrists and psychologists played in 11 everyday activities, how competent the two professions were to perform the activity, and how much responsibility each should ideally have in carrying out the activity. The results showed that the two professions differ in their perceptions of their competence to perform several activities central to the mental health system. Based on the findings, the author suggest some ways to resolve the conflicts between the two professions.

The synthesis of cartilage collagen by rabbit and human chondrocytes in primary cell culture.

This report describes a method for preparing primary cell cultures of differentiated rabbit sternal and human vertebral cartilage cells. These cell cultures were shown to synthesize primarily alpha1 chains, which is taken to mean that at least 82% of the collagen produced is cartilage specific collagen (type II).